Yeah, I was afraid this would happen. I mostly felt that I had to give an update on him, to make it clear that he died as a result of his wounds, instead of just showing his corpse in the next chapter and keeping him in the living list until then. I feel like he got his scene in Jenna's latest part and the reaction of Arthur and Aditha should be absolutely heartbreaking as well in the next chapter. So, while this scene might hasn't lived up to the expectations, I can promise it won't be the last about him
Oh yeah, his scene last chapter was pretty darn great. Real heart throbber, but I do kinda wish that his confirmation was done by someone who at least knew him, that way there would have been some emotion and heart break. Drent kinda just looked at him and went on with his Jax sorrow. But I'm excited to see Arthur and Aditha's reaction to this development. Grim, exciting times indeed.
Ah, I haven't expected so many to react so favourably to his death scene, but I am glad I decided to expand the part to fully write it the way I intended it to be. And it's true, compared to other characters, Jax died relatively happy with his fate. I think Jarow is the only one who had a similarly good feeling while dying. Jax knew that he not only saved his princess, he also made sure that his sons would be taken care of. Argella knew how much that would mean to him, so she put emphasis on what it would mean for them to be the sons of a knight, to give him some peace of mind. Speaking of her, you are right, this is going to have a heavy effect on her. If there is one thing Argella has a problem with, it's others dying for her. Call it a trauma, as her brother did the very same thing. So, her reaction and way of coping with this should be quite interesting, I hope. As for Dresfel, well, he is more or less one of the most ultimate badasses in the story. Though it was less chillaxing and more lying on these bodies because they were slightly softer than the ground and because he was way too wounded to stand, but he at least managed to make it look cool
This part of the chapter was very well done. Besides the occasional typo, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The implications of this seem important and what they are have yet to be seen. Argella is growing up, and hopefully she will follow Jax's example at least in the way she leads her men. Jax was a great character and I really like him. Without the soldiers' leader, I wonder if Drent might step up into a more leadership like role.
It's true, Saerya could have done something to help Jenna there. With her help, both, Aditha and Hackor, could have been saved, though without Mathea's presence, Hackor would have died for sure in the very early next chapter. All in all, Saerya's presence could have led to a more happy part for the Nathamer family, as both children could have said their goodbyes to Hackor, but I'm sure the scene I have in mind should be satisfying for you regardless
I don't really regret Hackor dying. I am okay with the way it played out. Having Arthur go out to try and end Wolfius once and for all. If he succeeds then he can say that he at least avenged his father. I think it is hilarious that he never really got that daddy's approval . So he'll never know if this was what Hackor wanted. It would definitely be interesting to see Hackor take a injured war hero role where he teaches the younglings how to properly take leadership as he slowly adjusts to his role in the background. But now he can be the standard Arthur and probably a lot in the guardsmen hold themselves too. But the next guard commander will look as fly as Hackor did with his nice green armor and gruff ,middle age charm. Still wish we didn't help those snot nosed brats though.
Welp, Hackor is dead. Gotta admit that the reveal seen was kinda lack luster. Probably because it was shown in a POV where they didn't know … morewho he was.
Yeah, I was afraid this would happen. I mostly felt that I had to give an update on him, to make it clear that he died as a result of his wounds, instead of just showing his corpse in the next chapter and keeping him in the living list until then. I feel like he got his scene in Jenna's latest part and the reaction of Arthur and Aditha should be absolutely heartbreaking as well in the next chapter. So, while this scene might hasn't lived up to the expectations, I can promise it won't be the last about him
Jax had a badass death scene, maybe one of the best in the story so far. Glad he got his last wish. This is going to have a lasting effect on Argella. And Dresfel was such a badass, just chillaxing on top of a pile of bodies.
Ah, I haven't expected so many to react so f… [view original content]
Oh yeah, his scene last chapter was pretty darn great. Real heart throbber, but I do kinda wish that his confirmation was done by someone who at least knew him, that way there would have been some emotion and heart break. Drent kinda just looked at him and went on with his Jax sorrow. But I'm excited to see Arthur and Aditha's reaction to this development. Grim, exciting times indeed.
I get what you mean. Though I assure you, emotion and heartbreak will come, this was really just meant to be this confirmation of his fate for the readers. The characters who know him mostly don't know of his death yet and we'll get to see them, especially Arthut and Aditha, reacting to it in the early Chapter 9, which should be more the scene you have hoped for.
This part of the chapter was very well done. Besides the occasional typo, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The implications of this seem important and what they are have yet to be seen. Argella is growing up, and hopefully she will follow Jax's example at least in the way she leads her men. Jax was a great character and I really like him. Without the soldiers' leader, I wonder if Drent might step up into a more leadership like role.
A typo? Inconceivable! Though I have to be extra careful with my keyboard, ever since the e and d keys don't properly work anymore. Maybe it's time for a new one. But yes, I can confirm that this part is going to be important and Jax' death will have a big effect on the way Argella and Drent will develop as characters. A leadership role for Drent? Quite in the realms of possible, to be honest.
I don't really regret Hackor dying. I am okay with the way it played out. Having Arthur go out to try and end Wolfius once and for all. If he succeeds then he can say that he at least avenged his father. I think it is hilarious that he never really got that daddy's approval . So he'll never know if this was what Hackor wanted. It would definitely be interesting to see Hackor take a injured war hero role where he teaches the younglings how to properly take leadership as he slowly adjusts to his role in the background. But now he can be the standard Arthur and probably a lot in the guardsmen hold themselves too. But the next guard commander will look as fly as Hackor did with his nice green armor and gruff ,middle age charm. Still wish we didn't help those snot nosed brats though.
The ironic thing is, at least in my own interpretation of it, Arthur actually gained Hackor's approval all along. The problem was, there are different types of approval for different aspects. As Hackor himself said, Arthur has many good qualities, he acknowleged and approved of them all along. But it was exactly because of these qualities that Arthur was unable to ever gain the sort of approval he sought for. He wanted to be acknowleged as a member of the city guard, but Hackor always considered him unsuited for that job. He actually had a point as well, because Arthur's peaceful nature and reluctance to use violence can be a big problem in a society where law enforcement usually requires some amount of force. In our modern society, Arthur would make a great community worker and these talents have been approved by Hackor, but he never approved of Arthur's wish to be a member of the city guard, because in his opinion, by becoming a good guardsman Arthur would have to give up on these aspects of his personality, something Hackor never wanted him to do. It's tragic that he was unable to put these thoughts into words and even more tragic that Arthur is likely never going to fully realize this. However, one thing is for sure, the next guard commander won't be as great as Hackor was. I know whom it will be, I know there will be green armour involved, but there won't be much of Hackor's charm. This next commander will be very much his own person.
Yeah, I was afraid this would happen. I mostly felt that I had to give an update on him, to make it clear that he died as a result of his wo… moreunds, instead of just showing his corpse in the next chapter and keeping him in the living list until then. I feel like he got his scene in Jenna's latest part and the reaction of Arthur and Aditha should be absolutely heartbreaking as well in the next chapter. So, while this scene might hasn't lived up to the expectations, I can promise it won't be the last about him
Oh yeah, his scene last chapter was pretty darn great. Real heart throbber, but I do kinda wish that his confirmation was done by someone who at least knew him, that way there would have been some emotion and heart break. Drent kinda just looked at him and went on with his Jax sorrow. But I'm excited to see Arthur and Aditha's reaction to this development. Grim, exciting times indeed.
Ah, I haven't expected so many to react so… [view original content]
Poor Jax. At least his family will be taken care of and he didn't have to suffer. I know who did it but I'm curious what kind of wounds she has to deal with and how she'll cover it up from Argella and the gang.
I see the manticore was put to good use after all.
Momentarily, concern won over relief on Argella's face. “Will you survive?”, she asked and he gave her a nod. “Not going to lie, this really… more fucking hurts”, he replied. “But yeah. I intend to die in glory, not some pisswater backwoods town” His head moved slightly. “Is that Monty?”, he said as he spotted the sergeant. Argella gave him a nod and he sighed. “Shame. Will he make it?”, he replied.
Neither Drent nor Argella had an answer to this. “I better check up on him”, the princess said. She turned towards Montclair, who had just been carried past her and onto the courtyard, though stopped to look at Emphryus again. “You did good, Ser”, she complimented him and he lit up with pride. Then, she turned to leave and Drent attempted to follow her.
“Golton”, Emphryus said in a hoarsy voice and Drent stopped. The wounded knight gave him an approving nod. “You did good”, he told him. “Brought her back in one piece. Hasn't been an easy task, I p… [view original content]
This was actually a very important choice for the future of John's storyline. As you know, there's bad stuff happening at the tavern and at Janae's spot, with both, Jaro and Temari being involved in it, through the death of I'lian and the taking of Behara. Even if neither can be prevented by this choice, Jaro and Temari don't know that, which will mean that the one that didn't got chosen here might end up blaming John for what happened to his sibling. That said, I would have chosen to go find Janae and Behara first and it is the option that fits the best with my plans for the future, so I'm really happy with this outcome.
The next part is hopefully, maybe, with a bit of luck, going to be out today. It won't be an ordinary part. As you may know, it is... THE CHAPTER FINALE!
Yes, that's right, after months of writing, the current chapter is finally coming to an end. I'm having some other things to do and write today, so I might not be able to finish it before going to sleep, but since I have no university for the next few weeks, I'll be having plenty of time to write all night if I choose so. Torvin's PoV is already finished, Sadie's shall follow soon and I probably don't need too long for Lucas' PoV , but ultimately, we'll see how much progress I make. The part will be done at latest by tomorrow. And what a part it will be, hehehe
This chapter finale will feature many things. PoV's from Torvin, Sadie and Lucas, detailing the final stages of their respective battles. There will be shocking twists, betrayal, death, dismemberment, everything you expect from a worthy chapter finale to the single most bloody chapter in all of FoT. It'll also feature good things of course. For example, there's a surprising act of kindness for one character, which I enjoyed writing a lot. There's also heroism, for the better or worse. And, as a little bonus, it'll feature one of my favourite songs ever at the very end. So, prepare, but most importantly, enjoy it
For a moment, Torvin had to stop in front of the city square. “This is it!”, he growled and his voice was carried far, silencing his men at once. “The final fight. Show no mercy to them, for they won't show you any either. Remember who they are. False men, praying to false gods and following false kings. Tonight, you shall prove or worth to the Drowned God, the only one that matters!” He obeserved the tiny, desperate remains of the city guard that had managed to retreat there. His men outnumbered them five to one. This wouldn't be a battle. This would be pest control.
“Onwards!”, he yelled, pointing his axe at the square. They were close to taking all of it, he felt it. A strange feeling swept through him. It wasn't hope, it wasn't joy, but something that came close to relief. He'd live for another day. So would Garthon. With a stern expression, he lowered his axe and his men, howling with a hunger for battle that was barely satisfied from the bloodshed of the past hours. “Take this city”, he growled in a low tone.
And they did. His raiders advanced quickly and without showing mercy. The city guard, decimated from the ongoing battle, was no match for them. Torvin himself limped closer, his wounds preventing him from joining this final assault from the frontlines. It irked him, although his men didn't seem bothered by it. Their loyalty surprised him. It was more than he deserved.
What was even more surprising was their bravery. Torvin had seen many raiders, but few as determined as his current crew. They likely would return to the ships eventually, but for now, they remained by his side despite the massive explosion that had torn the sky apart just minutes ago. The noise from the blast still rung in his ears and one of the green balls of fire had crashed into a house not too far away from his position, the green fire spreading faster than the normal one did. It was the first time Torvin had seen Wildfire in action and he prayed to the gods that it would remain the last one.
With a grim expression, he glanced to the houses that lined the streets. His men were busy with breaking down the doors. To his right, one raider dragged a woman out of the building, a lustful grin on his face. Behind him, one of his companions carried a crate through the door, while another man opened a bottle of wine he found somewhere. Torvin narrowed his eyes a this last sight, though he did not intervene. The time to celebrate would come later, for them at least.
Realizing that he wouldn't be able to be of much help in a fight, Torvin limped towards one of the buildings. He was glad he was able to walk on his own again, though he noticed that Bullister kept close regardless. The silent executioner kept somewhat behind him and his presence caused him great discomfort, yet Torvin lacked the strength to do something against this constant threat.
His men noticed him as he approached and they stopped breaking down the door. One of them, a short, lanky guy, gave him a nod. “Captain”, he said in a mumbling tone that made his words barely audible. “Would you do us the honour?” He pointed at the door. Torvin gave him a pained smile and put a hand onto his damaged ribs. “I doubt I can do that right now”, he said. “But I'd loot the house with you”
This seemed to satisfy the man, who brought his axe own onto the door. “You heard him!”, he shouted over the sound of splintering wood. “Save the best for the captain!” The door gave in and the Ironborn poured into the building, though they respectfully helped Torvin, by allowing him to enter it first.
The first thing he saw was the luxurious living room he entered. Somewhere inside of him, the part of him that still found joy in raiding cheered at this sight. His men did so openly, with howling laughter. The first of them threw himself at a large cupboard, from which he pulled out fine silverware. Torvin had no eyes for that. Carefully, he looked around for traces of the former inhabitants of this building.
While his men moved through the ground floor, Torvin was the first to approach the set of stairs that led upstairs. There was a handrail, which was highly convenient to help him up these stairs. Still, he groaned and panted, as he reached the upper floor, his face a grimace of pain. He was no expert on the topic, but this was worse than the wounds he had suffered before. This time, Torvin wouldn't be surprised if there would be long-term damage. That blasted horse got him badly and he was, for a given value of the term, lucky to still be alive.
Using his axe, he pushed the first door open, revealing a small, dark bedroom. He glanced around, seeing nothing of particular interest, so he left it for his men, the first of which already climbed the stairs behind him. The next room was larger and therefore gained his curiosity far more. It was yet another bedroom, but more brightly lit, with the shimmer of the fires outside illuminating it quite well through large windows.
Torvin stepped into the room and the first thing that caught his attention was the large silver bowl that stood on the small cupboard. With a grin, he reached for it, when he saw something else in the corner of the room. He narrowed his eyes, though he still grabbed the bowl. Turning around, he tossed it to one of his men who was just about to enter the room. “I got this one”, he said, as the man caught the bowl with a grin. “Aye, Captain”, he replied, as he moved on to the next room.
Now, Torvin had the time to fully focus on that other thing he saw. Limping around another cupboard, he looked down and right into the face of a young child. Boy or girl was hard to make out in the dim light, but what he saw where widely opened eyes, blue and full of fear, as well as blonde hair, cut at the shoulder.
Neither said a thing, as captain and child just looked at each other. From the hallway, Torvin heard the sound of his men climbing the stairs. “Can you believe they just left this?”, one voice asked. “They gotta be here somewhere, or they have to be the most stupid rich people I've ever seen” Another man laughed. “Staying would be even more stupid”, he argued, which caused approving murmurs from the man around him.
Torvin looked away from the door and back to the child, which was shivering by now. He wasn't sure what moved him there, but with a sigh, he put a finger onto his lips. Then, he reached around, grabbing a thin blanket from the bed behind him. With a quick movement, he threw it on top of the child, hiding it completely. The last thing he saw of it was the small, hopeful smile on its face.
Just a second later, one of his men entered the room. He looked around, seeing the captain, but paying no further attention to the shapeless mass that was covered by the blanket. “I got this one”, Torvin said and the man gave him a nod, before he moved out again. Torvin tensed up as he looked at the hidden child again. Then, he moved to the hallway again.
“Alright, men!”, he yelled. “This is enough. The boys at the frontlines need you! Fight now and fight well and I shall give you more riches than you can imagine!” The cheering that followed was less enthusiastic as before, but the Ironborn followed the order, at least Torvin hoped they would. Murmuring something, they moved past him, allowing him to be the last one who left the upper floor.
The first of his men had already left the house as Torvin followed. He wasn't the last to leave, but one of the last and as he stepped out onto the street, he noticed that a significant part of the central square was under their command already. From there on, he spotted the large road that would lead them up to the castle. Maybe it was even under their control already, if the woman from earlier had told him the truth.
Stepping past the bodies of the city guard, which outnumbered the bodies of his own dead, Torvin glanced around. Of course, Bullister was still there, even if the executioner had waited for him outside instead of following him into the house. Considering what he had found, Torvin was glad he had been given a bit of privacy.
There was another familiar face and one he hadn't expected. With a large cut on his face and a bleeding wound near his shoulder, Edward Anturion looked a lot worse than usual, which made him a far more welcome sight, but Torvin still grew more careful as the pirate approached him. The man that murdered George. The man that single-handedly prevented the death of Harren Hoare. For that alone, Torvin would never see him as anything but an enemy.
“Captain Breaker”, Anturion greeted him with a nod. Behind him walked the crossbowman, Carvin, who was bleeding out of his nose. A third man was there as well, one of his raiders. With a sigh, Torvin glanced at Bullister, noting that the shared presence of both, pirate and executioner, made him highly nervous. “Bullister, why don't you go and help the others for a moment?”, he asked. “I'd like some privacy if I'm to speak to Captain Anturion”
To his surprise, the executioner agreed to his order with a mere nod, as he turned to the distant fighting. Firmly holding his massive axe, he approached the combatants, as Torvin looked back at Anturion. “What is it?”, he asked and his ton sounded every bit as angry as he was. “If you haven't noticed, we're about to take the city, without your help”
Anturion didn't even offer him as much as an apologizing smile. Instead, he glanced at the raider. “You're doing no such thing, Captain”, he replied. “You have lost already, you just haven't noticed it” He gave the raider a nod and the man took a step forwards, clearly nervous. “There's... reinforcements coming for the city. They are about to crash through the southern gate. The bandits have already retreated to the ships and we...”
He was silenced by Anturion, who raised his hands. “And I intend to do the same. With as many Ironborn as we can get” Torvin narrowed his eyes at these news. “You want me to retreat?”, he asked and spat on the ground. “Fuck you then. There will be no running away from the battlefield, reinforcements or not. We are about to take the castle”
Again, Anturion shook his head. “You aren't”, he claimed. “You won't be fast enough until these reinforcements are there. They have cavalry. I don't have to remind you what cavalry would mean to you now, have I?” Torvin clenched his fists. “You can retreat and I won't stop you”, he said. “But don't you dare to give me orders”
This time, Anturion just sighed. “Captain, I'm not sure if you understand, but I need your men to get away from here. I can't move the ship on my own”, he said. “Sound the retreat already. Once their reinforcements have arrived, it'll be too late” Just as he said this, Torvin heard the distant sound of horns. He tensed up, realizing that they were none of his own. Perhaps there was some truth to Anturion's words after all. One of his hands moved to his belt, where his horn was dangling. If he'd blow it, his men would know. They would retreat, abandon this fight and live.
After a moment of consideration, he shook his head. “I cannot retreat”, he said, as memories flashed through his mind. Garthon, Clarisse, they depended on him and on his will to continue this fight. He would not retreat and he wouldn't bow to any army, much less to this pirate, this cowardly Greenlander. “Flee with my blessing, but speak no further of this”
Anturion narrowed his eyes. “You thick-headed fool”, he spat and a low growl came out of Torvin's head. “Your refusal to accept defeat has brought you into this situation in the first place. How can you be so daft to think that fighting on is a good thing here? It's not only your life at stake, but all of our...!”
He did not manage to continue, as Torvin cut him off by grabbing him at the collar of his shirt. Deliberately applying pressure onto the man's fresh wound, Torvin lifted him up, a move that caused his bones to ache. He glared at him. “I said, no more!”, he growled. “I have a fight to lead and no time to listen to your insults. Get out of my sight!” He let go of Anturion, who staggered backwards. “So be it...”, the pirate mumbled.
Torvin saw the murderous look in Anturion's eyes a moment too late. His hand moved to his axe, though he wasn't fast enough. Despite his wound, Anturion had a wicked speed and just a second later, pain erupted in Torvin's chest.
His eyes widened, but all that came out of his throat was a gasp, as the axe sank from his weak hands. Finally, his legs gave in and he sank to the ground, while Anturion pulled the knife from his chest again. The pirate looked almost apologetic, as he knelt, helping him to lie down almost gently. Torvin tried to say something, but all that came out of his throat was gurgling, which only made the pain worse. Tears started to form in his eyes.
“What the...?”, the Ironborn that had brought the message exclaimed, but he didn't get any further, as the crossbowman put a bolt straight in his head. “I am sorry, Captain Breaker”, Anturion said, as he pulled the horn from Torvin's belt. “You should have just sounded the retreat, as I have asked of you” He put the horn to his mouth and blew it, producing a long, loud and deep tone. Putting it away again, he raised from the ground. “But I won't die here for your foolishness”
The noise caused confusion in the ranks of Torvin's men. Only few did the extra work to look for the source of the noise. Most of them acted as they knew. They abandoned the fight. They retreated, not in an orderly fashion, but as fast as possible, with every man for themselves. The city guard, massively outnumbered in one moment, managed to finally hold their ground again.
Worse than that was that the sound was answered from the distance. The horns of the enemy reinforcements, they came closer. Taking a breath, Torvin noticed how heavy his chest was all of a sudden. His breath was but a weak, wheezing sound, as Anturion glanced at the bloody knife in his hand.
This was it. Torvin felt that he was dying. What surprised him was how easily he accepted it. The pain was strictly physical. From an emotional standpoint, he felt almost... relieved. Still, the fighter inside of him instinctively tried to reach for the axe, though without a proper breath, he was too weak to even lift it.
“TORVIN!”, a familiar voice sounded. Torvin moved his head into the direction of the one that called. Garthon ran down the square, a sword in his hand, raising it far above his head, as he charged towards Anturion. “No...”, Torvin managed to gasp. The pirate nearly gave his crossbowman a nod and a moment later, a bolt flew through the air. Garthon was hit near the shoulder, with such a force that he tumbled over as he fell to the ground, not too far away from his brother.
Once again, the horns sounded, much closer than before. Anturion and Torvin exchanged one last look, which the pirate used to send him a smirk. It was in this moment that Torvin hoped there would be a hell, just so that he could crush this man for all eternity. He sent a quick, voiceless prayer to the Drowned God that Anturion wouldn't leave this city alive, though as he watched him slipping through the ranks of the fleeing Ironborn, he had no hope that this would happen.
“Torvin...”, Garthon gasped and Torvin saw how his brother continued to move. The bolt had tore through the flesh of his shoulder and his face was a mask of pain, as he crawled towards him. In response, Torvin only managed a grunt, as breathing became harder and harder. By now, dark spots began to dance in front of his eyes. “Hnngh... Gar... thon”, he gasped.
“Stay calm, brother!”, Garthon uttered, as he reached him. With a groan, he lifted himself to a kneeling position, so that he could examine the wound. The worry on his face sent tears to Torvin's eyes. “Flee...”, he pressed out. Instantly, Garthon shook his head. “Don't be ridiculous”, he said, forcing a smile on his face. “I'm not leaving you. We'll get out of this together”
Torvin already felt light-headed, though what was intended to be a chuckle turned into something much worse, as he ended up coughing violently, feeling how his own blood soiled his beard. This sent a new shockwave of pain through his entire chest and Garthon's visible panic grew. “Don't leave me, brother”, he said. “What am I supposed to tell Clarisse?”
Mentioning her caused Torvin to sigh. He could almost see her, beyond the darkness that rapidly clouded his vision. She was dead, he knew it. If she had ever survived the loss of their child, Harren had her killed the moment the raiders left Harrenhal. It had been a fool's hope, quite fitting for Torvin Breaker. Now, he found relief in the knowledge that he'd be with her soon and with their child.
The horns sounded yet again, even closer and Ironborn who had fled down the southern road already came back running. He wasn't sure if the sound he heard was heavy beating of his own heart, or the distant drumming of horses.
“Flee”, he said again and once more, Garthon shook his head. “Only with you”, he said, as he glanced to the way he came from. “Hjalgar, over here!”, he yelled. The hunter came rushing towards them and despite the rate at which everything grew dulled and numb around him, Torvin noticed that something had changed about him. He seemed more determined than before, ready to take on the world.
“Torvin!”, he exclaimed as he saw him. Rushing towards them, there was fear on Hjalgar's face, but mostly anger. He noticed the bolt in Garthon's shoulder, though focussed mostly on Torvin's wound. “Hjalgar, we have to get him out of here”, Garthon urged him.
Perhaps Hjalgar simply had a more realistic view on the situation, but it only took him a moment to shake his head. “Garthon, there's nothing we can do for him”, he said. The finality with which he said this still came somewhat shocking for Torvin. Death... it was perhaps the only thing he wasn't fighting anymore at this point. Still, it felt surreal. The loss of blood and gradual numbing of his senses did the rest.
It was then that he saw the riders in the distance. They were many, hundreds of them. They could have beaten his raiders at full force on their own, even without the horses. Galloping down the main street, they left a bloody path were they had been, trampling down every Ironborn who didn't manage to save himself.
“Garthon, we have to go!”, Hjalgar hissed. Out of the corner of his eyes, Torvin saw Tedyn and the few raiders who hadn't fled, as they were about to ready themselves for a fight they couldn't win. His brother shook his head. “No, NO!”, he barked. “I won't leave him, I can't!”
Torvin managed to take another breath, knowing that it was his last. He gasped, his eyes shooting wide open, though he didn't saw more than the blurry faced of Hjalgar and Garthon. His brother was shouting something, but he didn't even hear it anymore. He barely felt his hands on his shoulder, shaking him, begging him to stay awake. The irony was not lost on him. In the end, Torvin Breaker, a warrior with iron blood, a fighter for his entire life, drifted away peacefully. Gently, he closed his eyes, as darkness embraced him.
Sadie
The choice was made in the brink of a second. She would save Dan, this was out of question. For all the times he had her back. A true friend to the end, no matter how bitter or sweet it would be. If this would mean leaving Baelor, then it had to be this way. But she wouldn't give up on Dan now, not after all they have been through.
Sadie pushed forwards, past the fighters and towards the merchant, who clumsily defended himself against his opponent. While she ran, she noticed how bad the fight went for her group. The Ironborn blocked the main host, consisting of Leo's and Edward's groups. Baelor was locked into a deadly duel with the raid leader, unable to command his men, who were desperately fighting for survival by now. It was clear, she and Dan had to get out of there now.
Having grabbed her sword with both hands, she heavily pushed it through the back of the raider that had almost killed Dan. Her friend lowered his sword in surprise, though a glad smile formed on his face. “Sadie, you...”, he started, though she cut him off. “We have to run!”, she growled. “Stay close to me and we might make it both out of this alive”
She threw a glance over her shoulder and what she saw caused her to gulp. Durren had basically won the fight. Baelor was still struggling, though he had lost his weapon. Now, all he managed to do was to push away the axe that the raider tried to push into his face, while the other axe heavily slammed against his chestplate, over and over again. Each hit sent a metallic echo across the general noise of the battle and Baelor grew weaker at a steady pace. But Sadie was too far away to help. She had made her decision.
“Come on!”, she barked, as she dragged Dan with her, down the way they had come from. Baelor's soldiers were still fighting there, keeping a narrow alleyway open amid the blood and steel. They started to run and Sadie had to realize that this narrow alleyway wouldn't suffice. Behind her, one of the Ironborn broke through and the only reason she did not die in this moment was another fighter, who took a step back, not knowing that he'd also take the hit meant for her.
Once again glancing around, Sadie noticed that it was the same all around her. The Ironborn were winning, perhaps not the entire battle, but at least this part of it. Unknowingly, Blane had sent her into the worst part of the entire battlefield, the one where the enemy was stronger. Not even Leo and Edward, slowly pushing back their opponents, were able to help her here.
When the next Ironborn broke through, Sadie stood in front of him, parrying his blade, before delivering a fierce kick to his knee. He staggered, which she used to grab his forearm with one hand, using the other to push her sword through his lower chest. The man gurgled and went to the ground, but he proved one thing to Sadie. There was no escape, not for her.
Almost feeling the breath of the raider behind her, she pushed Dan forwards. “RUN!”, she screamed. “I'LL KEEP THEM OFF, JUST RUN!” The merchant threw her a surprised glance, but she didn't kept eye contact long enough to find out if he followed her order. Instead, she turned around at once, to face the raider that had pursued her.
The man gave her an ugly grin, revealing brown, pathetic stumps instead of teeth, but the axe he sent down upon her came with quite some force. Sadie had learnt early that she wouldn't win against such an enemy, not by using pure strength. The Storm King's army had a way of teaching her tricks to overcome such an obstacle.
Jumping to the side, Sadie slammed her left hand into the man's stomach, taking advantage of his lack of armour. Not even chainmail was protecting his flesh and her fist hit him hardly, pressing the air out of his lungs, while his axe cut into nothing. His momentary pain opened an opportunity for her to end him, by slicing through his neck.
He fell to the ground, revealing Durren Stallhart, who still hammered his axe down onto the dented steel that protected Baelor's chest. The soldier's body had gotten lifeless, his hand sinking down, finally unable to stop the other axe. With a loud roar, Durren brought it down onto his head, splitting his face in half.
That was not enough though. Not letting go of Baelor's dead body, he continued to slam the axe into the soldier's face, spraying blood all over himself. Sadie's attention was claimed by one of the other Ironborn, who used this opportunity to charge at her. She blocked the strike, before pushing her sword closer, allowing her to slice through the man's throat.
Just a moment later, she was forced to dodge a high strike, that was aimed at decapitating her. Without missing a beat, she rammed her shoulder into the chest of the Ironborn that had attacked her, pushing the man backwards. She might not have been as strong as him, but she was a lot faster, as she jumped back, slicing the tip of her blade through his belly in the process, before he was even able to react.
The man was dead, leaving her open to lock eyes with Durren Stallhart. The leader of the raid finally let go of Baelor and the dead soldiers sank to the ground, as his men closed in on them, leaving only enough room for a fight in closest combat.
The surrounding Ironborn were not silent. They were chanting, in a low, ghastly tone that sent shivers down Sadie's spine. Stallhart turned towards her, blood still dripping down the blades of both axes. Blood had splattered across his entire breastplate, even onto the long, narrow tusks that were attached to the bevor of his armour. It was not enough to fulfil the thirst of blood that was in his eyes. “Durren! Durren! Durren! Durren!”, his men chanted, as Sadie tightly grabbed her sword, her hands shaking in fear. Stallhart slammed his axes together, before pointing both of them right at her.
His attempt to charge was cut short by one of the remaining soldiers, who got in the way, possibly in the foolish attempt to stop him. Durren made short work of him. One of his axes parried the strike, the other one hit the soldier's head from the side, heavy enough to kill the man with a single blow.
Barely slowed down, he continued to charge and Sadie readied her blade. The next Rock soldier was even less of a threat. Stallhart lowered his head, using the tusks on his armour to lift the man up in the air. When he landed again, the raiders finished him swiftly.
Then, Stallhart had reached her. Sadie knew she'd have little change to parry his attacks, yet there wasn't enough room to evade the strike yet, so she clenched her teeth, as she raised her sword for his first attack. It came heavily and with the strength of two or even three men, as he brought down one of his axes upon her.
Sadie held against it, gasping with pain as she managed to keep her sword in her hand. Immediately, she was forced to parry again, this time the other axe, which came down with even more force. When she parried the third strike, she knew she could win like this.
She kept her blade locked for a moment, staring at Durren Stallhart. His armour hid half of his face, yet the eyes were clearly visible and they glared at her, not with hatred, not with anger, but with something much worse, with cold professionalism. Yet this gave her the opening she had been waiting for. Swiftly, she managed to weasel past him, without his axes hitting her.
From behind him, she tried to stab him, hoping to hit a weak spot in his thick armour. This time, Stallhart was too fast for her. He spun around, slamming the hilt of his left axe against the centre of her chest. The blow was enough to stun her for a second, as she staggered backwards. It was sheer luck that his second strike missed her.
Sadie regained her senses when she bumped into the Ironborn. Feeling their hot breaths upon her skin, she saw their leery grins. One of them was putting a hand onto her breasts, while another one used the opportunity to grab the inner side of her thighs. She struggled free from him by slamming her elbow against his face.
Hearing the Ironborn's pained screamed, she stumbled forwards again. Durren wasted no moment to attack once more. Sadie charged at him as well, hoping to gain the first hit, which could have been enough to end the fight. She did not, but what followed was worse than that.
His axe came fast, forcing her to parry. Unable to block the second strike, she took a hit, as he rammed the hilt of his axe against her forehead. She stumbled once more, dizzy and stunned from the violent strike. Through the blur, she saw Durren attacking again and she raised her sword to parry, pushing it up just a little bit too much.
Pain flared up in her arm, hot, burning pain, worse than anything she had ever felt before, quickly spreading through her entire body. Not even in the deepest corners of her mind could Sadie even imagine such pain. Her sword fell to the ground. Followed by her sword hand, together with the wrist and roughly two inches of her forearm.
Instinctively pressing her left hand onto the wound, Sadie noticed, through the unfathomable pain, what had just happened to her. Her screams, while still mostly coming from pain, grew decidedly more horrified, as blood seeped through her remaining fingers. Her gaze was focussed on the severed limb, as her screams were replaced by sobs. Fear, shock and pain beyond measure drove her, as few conscious thoughts managed to get formed in her head.
Looking up, through a veil of tears, she saw Durren Stallhart, staring mercilessly down upon her. He raised his axe and she knew it would be over. After all this time, it would be over here. Mother, Father, Melanie, she had failed them, failed herself and now she would die.
“SADIE!”, Dan's voice sounded and suddenly, she saw him, charging at Stallhart, mad worry on his face. He let out a battlecry and for a second, she saw the Ironborn raising an eyebrow, perhaps in disbelief over such a weak attack. Her own eyes widened even further, though her sore throat was unable to produce as much as a scream to warn her friend. Nonchalantly, Stallhart turned around, parrying Dan's sword with his first axe and splitting the merchant's skull with the other, whick took him barely a second.
He pulled the weapon out in a high arch, sending splatters of blood through the air, though he didn't get the chance to turn back towards Sadie, who was kneeling on the ground, with tears streaming down her face, tears of defeat, of loss, grieving for herself and her friend, who was bleeding out on the ground. Instead, he was forced to turn to the flank of his men, who had started to fight again.
Just a second later none other than Leonard Hill broke through the ranks of the Ironborn. The blade of his axe was red with their blood and though he quickly spotted Sadie and her condition, he charged towards Durren without missing a beat. Stallhart was forced to parry and for the first time, Sadie saw him actually staggering backwards, as Leo's two-handed battleaxe clashed against both of his single-bladed axes.
The Ironborn was pushed back, though Leo stood too close to attack again. The sellsword leader didn't let this slow him down as he instead closed in even further, wrapping his arm around Durren to pull him closer. In a strong hug, neither man was able to use their weapons effectively, but whereas Durren was visibly surprised by this move, it was part of Leo's strategy.
Instantly, the sellsword slammed his forehead against Durren's, hitting the painfully vulnerable part just between the raider's eyes. He did it again and once again, before lifting his arm. Blood was flowing down his forehead, though Durren looked even worse.
Before the raider was able to attack, Leo grabbed one of the tusks on his armour to pull him closer again and into another headbutt. Yanking the tusk downwards, he cleanly broke it off, holding it near the pointy end and using it like a club, which he slammed against the side of Durren's unprotected head. As the Ironborn staggered, he attacked him with the same tusk from the other side.
Without holding back, Leo started to beat the raider with the thick peace of bone, clubbing him against the head over and over, sending him back with every strike. Finally, he raised it, revealing the point end of the tusk, which he pushed down, onto Stallhart's shoulder. The armour saved the raider's life, yet the tusk still pierced through it and into the flesh.
As Durren bellowed in pain, several of his men were there to prevent Leo from ending the fight right there. They closed in on Leo, forcing him to let go of Durren, who was caught by his men, who dragged him back. As they did, Sadie heard his growling voice, for the first time during this fight. “Sound the retreat”, he snarled, as he watched Leo butchering those who got in his way. “Drive them back to the sea!”, the sellsword replied with his thundering voice.
Sadie felt a hand on her shoulder, just as someone violently yanked her around. She fell onto the ground, right onto the stump of her right arm. The pain that flared up there was even worse than before. This time, she did not scream. She barely did anything, her senses numbed, as her gaze fell upon her severed hand and the dead Dan behind it.
Then, the Ironborn that had pushed her around raised his sword, the grin on his face showing her that he tried to go for the kill. She had neither a way nor the strength to stop him. But death did not come for her. The raider's eyes widened, as several inches of steel got pushed through his chest. Behind him, Blane got into Sadie's increasingly small field of view.
“Sadie!”, he gasped, as he sank on his knees next to her. “Sadie, stay with me!” He shook her, trying to keep her awake, yet to no avail. The pain faded, just like everything else, as Sadie sank into merciful unconsciousness.
Lucas
Lucas had heard the horns, as he dragged Darren down the street that would lead him to the castle. The other knight had fallen unconscious, proving to be unable to help with his weight. Yet he was still breathing steadily, which was at least some relief for Lucas.
Harris was dead. After the explosion of the lighthouse, Lucas had no doubt about it. No man could have survived that. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that the castellan's reign had finally ended, a victim of his ambitions to the very end, or if he was sad for the long life lost. Perhaps even Harris would have deserved better than such a death.
His way led him further up the path and he groaned in exhaustion. As much as he would have liked to wait for the ones who blew these horns, he knew that he had to get Darren to the castle as fast as possible. If the gods were good, the healer would be there as well.
“Need some help?”, a voice sounded and as Lucas turned around, a smile formed on his face. “Leonard!”, he exclaimed, in surprise and relief over seeing the other knight. As his friend moved closer, Lucas notice his heavy breathing, indicating that he had ran as well and quite in a fast pace. “You... came back for me?”
Leonard gave him a nod. “I've decided it doesn't matter”, he said, as he reached for Darren, wrapping the knight's other arm around his shoulder. “Green. Yellow. Raylan. Durrandon. Friendship should be stronger than that” Together, they started to carry Darren up the path to the castle, as a smirk formed on Leonard's face. “Besides, you could have chosen worse”, he spoke. “She's quite something. I can see why you fancy her”
Instantly, Lucas' cheeks turned red. “What?”, he asked, his voice getting slightly agitated, as Leonard laughed. “Easy, Flowers, I'm just messing with you”, he said in a mocking tone. “I know she's way out of your league. Though a stately man of noble birth, such as me, she might think twice there...”
Both men started to laugh and relief filled Lucas. Leonard's laughter got cut short, when he glanced upon Darren. “What happened to him?”, he asked and Lucas sighed. “Harris”, he spoke. “He went nuts. Pushed me down, stabbed Darren and went off” Leonard's expression, previously joyful, got replaced with a dour frown. “That bloody bastard”, he spat, before he shot Lucas an apologizing glance. “No offense”
“None taken”, Lucas replied, before he sternly looked at Leonard. “Harris is dead” It took the other knight a moment to take these news in. “How?”, he finally asked. “He went to the lighthouse”, Lucas replied. “That was before the wildfire exploded”
A pained expression formed on Leonard's face. “Looks like they did me another favour after all”, he mumbled cryptically, but before Lucas was able to ask what he meant, the sound of horns was heard again, closer this time. Their mysterious saviours were shockingly close, likely just down the street, on the town square. Just a little bit higher and he might be able to catch a glimpse of them.
Lucas and Leonard dragged Darren higher up the path, as Lucas craned his neck as much as possible, glancing over the rooftops of the houses that flanked the central square. He saw fleeing men, likely Ironborn, he spotted men on horses, slowly approaching the path that would lead them up the hill and he saw...
His eye widened and he nearly dropped Darren in this moment. “Len...”, he mumbled and his friend turned towards him, noticing the shocked expression on his face. A frown formed on his. “What's the matter, Flowers?”, he asked and Lucas sighed. “Len, I want you to take Darren”
Now, the frown on Leonard's face got mixed with confusion. “A bit clearer please?”, he sighed and Lucas looked down the road again. “Take Darren and go”, he ordered. “Block the gate. Lower the portcullis. Let nobody through, especially not these riders. Speak to Argella, she knows what to do, she'll help you” He narrowed his single eye. “I'll buy you time”
Leonard smiled at him in disbelief. “Flowers have you lost your mind?”, he asked. “Now come on, what's the damn matter?” Instead of answering, Lucas pointed down the road, where the first bannrs have gotten into view. There were two of them. A banner of black and red, showing a silver wyvern on top. An next to is, on a white ground, six black and orange butterflies.
“Fuck...”, Leonard gasped. “Oh fuck...” He and Lucas exchanged an alarmed glare, though Lucas regained his composure first. “Go!”, he spat, as he took a step away from Darren, forcing Leonard to carry the entire weight of the knight on his own, knowing fully well that this would make him less likely to argue. He'd do anything to convince Leonard to run in this moment, anything.
The other knight shook his head. “You have lost your mind!”, he stated. “Come on, I won't leave you. Not to this men. To these men, I won't!” Lucas shook his head with a sigh. “We won't make it”, he said. “They are already too close. I'll have to buy you time!”
Once again, Leonard protested. “Cut the crap, Flowers!”, he barked. “If anything, I'll buy you time. I'm not the one he's after, not in the same way as you” Instead of saying anything else, Lucas just took a step closer. Out of his remaining eye, he sent a glare towards Leonard, more terrifying than anything he had sent before. “Don't you see?”, he asked. “This is something I have to do” He put his good hand onto the hilt of his sword. “Buying you time won't be the only thing I'm going to do”
Leonard gulped and hesitated for a second, but his expression and behaviour changed. “I see”, he said, his voice sorrowful. “I'll pray this won't be the end. Flowers, you better survive this. Think of what your princess would say if you'd get yourself killed now”
“She's not my...”, Lucas started, though he cut himself off with a sigh, followed by a sad smile. “Farewell, Leonard” His friend gave him a nod. “Goodbye”, he said, as he continued to move up the street, dragging Darren with him. Lucas remained behind, facing the troops that slowly moved up the road, marching under the banner of Darkdell and Uplands.
Lucas' heart started to beat faster, as thoughts raced through his head. Vyrwel and Mullendore. His father and his worst enemy, together. There was nothing about this that made sense. The two had never met before he had gotten banished, not as far as he knew. Why should they? Why would they? And yet they were there. Two armies, marching together, arriving just in time to save Raylansfair from the Ironborn. Too much for a coincidence.
The next surprise came when he saw the man that rode on top of the army. It wasn't his father and suddenly, things made marginally more sense. Sitting there, with emerald green eyes and a smug, cruel smirk, was his brother. Petyr Vyrwel, leading his troops. He raised an eyebrow as he identified Lucas.
“Brother!”, he called him from afar, as he slowed his horse down. His army stopped just as he did. Together with half a dozen Vyrwel knights, he dismounted. “Damn, you look... butchered” He approached him, though he stopped as Lucas put a hand onto the hilt of his sword. “Don't come any closer, Petyr!”, he said, praying for Leonard to lower that blasted gate anytime now. He couldn't do this for long. Hells, he could barely do this without falling back into times long gone, where he was a fearful young boy, staring down his far more confident older brother.
The hurt expression on Petyr's face was as fake as everything about him. “Ouch, buddy!”, he said, as he spread his arms. “Is that how you greet your brother, after all these years?” He shook his head. “It's been too long and I have missed you terribly”, he stated. “Father has missed you as well, before... you know. A broken heart”
Lucas sighed. He had expected this, so the revelation didn't hurt as much as it should have. “Turn your army around and leave!”, he said loudly. “You are not welcome here!” Petyr shook his head, barely able to suppress a chuckle. “My god, Lucas!”, he said. “Such hatred! I am almost willing to believe all the things I've heard about you, from our mutual friend” He narrowed his eyes. “Besides, what is this you're wearing? Durrandon colours?” He raised an eyebrow. “Brother, you disappoint me”
“I told you”, a hoarsy voice sounded, straight out of Lucas' nightmares. Against his will, he started to shiver, as another horse came into his field of view, a pale white mare. The man that sat on in looked more like a corpse than a living being, more like death itself than anything else. Lucas had long since associated him with that.
He needed someone to help him down the horse and he needed a cane to walk. Even then, he had to drag himself forwards, though Lucas found no joy in the man's condition. He was too horrified by his mere presence. Having grown pale and thin, he looked unsettling, like a man that shouldn't be alive. One of his eyes was hidden behind a bandage, yet the other one was glaring at him, with a look that would haunt him for the rest of his days. “Hello, boy”, Maron Mullendore said.
The man, the beast, turned to Lucas' brother. “I told you”, he repeated. “Not only a murderer, but a turncoat, as it seems. A traitor” His mouth formed a thin, crooked grin, though from the way his hand shivered, Lucas deduced that it put him through a lot of pain to stand there on his own like this. “Shall we deal with him, mylord?”
Petyr raised a hand and smug amusement flashed up in his eyes, as he watched Lucas putting the pieces together. “No, Maron”, he said. “I don't think my brother would ever hurt me” He approached Lucas, spreading his arms, though two of his knights moved with him. “Brother, sweet brother”, he said, before he paused. “Half-brother, perhaps”
Lucas still glared at Mullendore, who kept behind, reciprocating his glare out of a single, hateful eye. “Turn around and leave, Petyr”, he urged him again. “I don't want a fight” Petyr smirked at him. “A fight?”, he asked. “But dearest half-brother, why should we fight?” He shook his head. “No, we should mourn together, like family. Mourn for our father”
This caused Lucas to tense up. “Did you kill him?”, he asked and Petyr raised an eyebrow, playfully irritated. “I told him, you know...”, he answered. “I told him everything as he lay dying” His smile got decidedly more smug. “Oh, how he wept. You can't imagine how he wept” As he spoke, Lucas felt anger rising inside of him, the same mad, uncontrollable anger he had felt back when Aylard had pushed him. “Wept for the son he lost, the son that had been too weak to protect him!”
That was enough. With a scream of anger, Lucas charged at his brother. He would take him out. He would cut that smug grin off Petyr's face and if it would be the last thing he'd do. His charge was quickly cut short however, when one of the knights stepped into his path. Grabbing his wrist before he was able to make a strike, the knight gave him a heavy punch right in the face, sending him down to the ground.
Petyr walked up and next to him, the hunched figure of Maron Mullendore limped up, his inhuman smile turning wider. His brother meanwhile looked shocked, even if the slight spark in his eyes proved that it wasn't genuine yet again. “My gods...”, he gasped and Mullendore glanced at him. “Was that the prove you needed, mylord?”, he asked and Petyr gave him a nod. On his sign, the two knights lifted Lucas up, holding him so closely that he was unable to move.
“I never believed it until now...”, Petyr gasped. “But he tried to kill me” He pointed an accusing finger onto Lucas. “My own brother tried to kill me!” Mullendore chuckled, though it quickly turned into a violent cough that nearly caused him to fall over. One of the knights grabbed him, helping him to stand again, just as Mullendore pushed him away with an annoyed groan.
“I don't need your help!”, he spat, just as he started to limp towards Lucas. “No, I don't need it” He shook his head, as he moved closer towards Lucas, up to the point where their faces almost touched. His grin got wider. “You probably look better than I do now, which is a shame”, he said and sighed. “Really, boy, I thought you would have been smarter. But attacking the future Lord of Raylansfair in plain sight, right in front of his men?” He shook his head. “That has to be the most stupid thing you ever did. Even worse than the time where you killed that girl in Oldtown, for no reason at all. What was her name? Luna?”
Lucas was only able to growl at him, his anger preventing him to form even the most basic words, yet the knights that held him had to do so even more closely than before, to prevent him from breaking free and knocking Mullendore down right there. The false knight took a step away from him. “Ah, the anger”, he said. “Shocking. Truly shocking” He looked over his shoulder. “Let's move into the castle. The saviour of Raylansfair should get a hero's welcome”, he ordered.
For a second, he stared back at Lucas. “And inform the Sphynx”, he said. “Tell him, we found his lost little friend. He'll wait for him in the dungeons” Slowly, he limped closer. “Boy, this time you truly fucked up”, he said, directly facing him. “And I can't wait for what's going to come next”
End of Chapter 8: What Is Dead May Never Die
Your Choices:
The Berserker:Garthon decided to end Cleaver Clint's rampage
The Soldier:Drent decided to remain on his post instead of helping Shortwood
The Saviour:Jenna decided to save Aditha over Hackor
The Fractured:Lucas decided to help Darren instead of pursuing Harris
The Atoner:Kersea decided to save Raenna instead of killing Clayton
The Sphynx voice was warm, yet devoid of genuine emotion at the same time, save for the hint of joy, which was also reflected by his eyes. “But I can't express how happy I am to have you back, my boy”, he purred, as he turned to the tools on the table. “There's no distraction now, no saviour, no bigger plan” Lucas shivered, yet the chains prevented him from moving much, if at all. When the Sphynx turned back, the joy in his eyes was reciprocated by the wide grin on Connor's face. “Think of all the songs we can sing, my friend”, he said, as he reached for a long, thin needle. “Here's one of my favourites...”
As Argella started to approach the door, she gained an almost palpable aura of anger, enough to make even Drent shiver. That was it, he realized, the moment in which someone had made the mistake of truly provoking her. The first set of guards she faced came to the same conclusion and they didn't even make the mistake of stopping her. Rushing aside, they allowed her to pass, which was enough for the Stormlanders to follow.
The next guard wasn't as cooperative. Drent had to gulp, as he saw the largest man he ever laid eyes upon, effectively blocking the way deeper into the castle. He held his breath, observing the unnatural height, the mass of muscle, the ghastly pale skin and the hair, like snow. Shining red eyes glared down at the Storm Princess, from beyond a white mask with suspicious dark red spots. Argella paused only for a second. Slamming her finger against the giant's belly, she reciprocated his glare. “I'm only going to say this a single time, so listen closely, you ugly creature”, she hissed. “Let. Me. Through”
“She'll be needing time”, Samuel said, with a softness Jaron hadn't expected from him. He looked up, unable to hide his frustration. From the distance, he watched Harpy, slowly moving through the building she had called her home not too long ago. Now, it was all broken and her future... their future was less than certain. He sighed bitterly, before he looked the sellsword right in the eyes. “Why are you still here?”, he asked. A slight smirk formed on Samuel's face. “Well, it's not only the kindness of my heart”, he said. “I believe you still have to keep your part of our deal”
“What's it?”, Edrick said, as Darreth stopped his horse in front of them. The young man looked concerned, an expression he hadn't shown so far, which made it all the more unsettling. He and Dante exchanged a nervous glance, which proved to him that this behaviour was indeed not typical for Darreth. The squire took a moment to pull himself together. “I'm afraid we have a problem”, he said, pointing down the road. “You won't believe what I've seen down there”
Jenna narrowed her eyes at Saerya. “So this is it?”, she asked. “Is there nothing you can do for him?” The other woman shook her head. “Likely not. I've asked Orys, but the situation is difficult enough as it is”, she replied. “I'm sorry, Jenna” Jenna sighed. “Perhaps I can provide you a favour in return?”, she asked.
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “You'd do that for a man you barely know?”, she said, the hint of mockery in her voice. Jenna gave her a nod without hesitation. “I'm not looking away this time”, she stated. Before Saerya was able to answer, heavy footsteps from the corridor claimed her attention. Both women moved to the door and as Jenna put her head through, she held her breath. “Oh no...”, she mumbled, as she spotted none other than Leonard Constantine. “What's he still doing here?”
The young woman looked up to them, her dark eyes wet with tears. She undoubtedly noticed the chains around Janae's wrists and she slowly backed away. “What are you still doing here?”, she hissed, her voice oozing disdain for the two men in front of her. “It's all gone. There's nothing for you to plunder” Abbas took a step forwards, taking a respectful bow. “So we've heard, mylady”, he told her, surprising sympathy in his voice. “However, we are afraid that there's still a certain open payment for me and my partner”
Forum of Thrones, Act III, Chapter III: Valar Dohaeris; Coming Soon!
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
First of all the Ironbros (despite from the next chapter onward I will have to say the Ironbro...T-T) then we have Hackor (RIP),Jax (RIP),Jarow (RIP),Harris (Rest not in peace because you were kind of a douche)...leaving aside the dead I really like the characters that show in this chapter some sort of growth (Jenna,Ellena,Hjalgar ecc..),badass characters ( Emphryus Dresfel ecc..),the usual suspects (Lucas,Argella,Leonard ecc..) and some of the villains like Edward Anturion (even be the man kill Torvin don't stop me to like him as a villain,maybe I even like him more),Petyr Vyrwel (I start to like him)and Durren Stallhart (despite he is the guy that will hunt Sadie's nightmares I still like him from the moment that ages ago you introduced him)
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Wolfius because despite the big relevation (that admit was a very cool moment) I still found him a not interesting villain (come on dude you are in the story from the beginning!Can you do something really cool for a change instead of "I have to kill everything bwahahahah" all the time?I really hope for you that you have at least an interesting backstory) and for now I add Vaasrand because for what I read until now is basically Geralt without Geralt charisma (I really hope for him that at least he has a different backstory). All the other characters are safe...for now
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I believe that I like all the storylines of this chapter
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Least favourite? I don't think that there is a storyline that I found much less interesting from the others but I'm the opinion that probably Maya had the PoV with the less exciting storyline
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Let's see..I believe that the part that I love the most was the last Jenna's part (probably because I really enjoy all the fight at the gate,Hackor final speech and the hard decision that Jenna had to do). Btw I like many other moments of this chapter (Jarow last stand,the assasination attempt,all the stuff that happened at the lighthouse, *last * Lyra and Torvin part,Hjalgar saving Garthon ass,the relevation that Bear and Jaro are brothers,Abbas and Bakr kidnapping Janae and Behara ecc..)
Is there anything you disliked?
Dislike?Nah,however I will write some advice under the next answer
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Well,if I must be honest I believe that in this chapter we probably had too many PoV's in the same location (15+) even if I know that you will soon divide them in all the world;another thing that I would have liked to read during the raid was more big fights like the one at the castle gate and less 1 VS 1 battles at the streets of the city.
The last advice that I want to give you is to not stop yourself to kill a character (even a PoV) if you feel that he /she has finish to have an interesting role inside the story (I know that it seems a funny advice after this chapter).
About the next chapter:
Since this will be the last chapter of the book I expect that some events/plot points will end to make space for new events/plot points (you know,something ends and something starts)
It will be really interesting read the aftermaths of the raid (and we will have so many characters grieving for the deaths of their friends/loved ones)
Read of the future meeting between Mullendore and all the others hot stuff (expecially Argella) inside Raylainsfair will be very fun
Sadie PoV will be a really interesting one now (after the loss of a hand and a friend) and I'm curious to discover what she will do after she meet her sister
I'm obviously curious to discover if Raenna is really dead,what will Clayton do now and where Brandon and Briar are.
It will be interesting read what will happen to Kersea now and what Richard will decide to do
Jaron and Erdrick PoV's return! Will Samuel finally have his match with his own brother?And will the North PoV do something different outside obtain members for their mission?
What happened to the Targaryen team?
And many other events!
In the end I obviously give my thanks to you,Liquid, for this story because it is,like I always write,a really enjoyable read and I wish you good luck (even if I know that you don't need it) for the last chapter of the first Forum of Thrones book!
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Now Dan and Torvin!?
I was especially saddened by Dan's death. I feel so bad for Sadie, though this part has admittedly gotten me invested into her character. Gotta wonder how these events will affect her. I also suspect that Garthon's parts will get very interesting from this point on. Was there no outcome where Dan survives?
Overall this was a fantastic finale! Well done, you deserve a break after that.
Next time on Forum of Thrones
The Sphynx voice was warm, yet devoid of genuine emotion at the same time, save for the hint of joy, whic… moreh was also reflected by his eyes. “But I can't express how happy I am to have you back, my boy”, he purred, as he turned to the tools on the table. “There's no distraction now, no saviour, no bigger plan” Lucas shivered, yet the chains prevented him from moving much, if at all. When the Sphynx turned back, the joy in his eyes was reciprocated by the wide grin on Connor's face. “Think of all the songs we can sing, my friend”, he said, as he reached for a long, thin needle. “Here's one of my favourites...”
As Argella started to approach the door, she gained an almost palpable aura of anger, enough to make even Drent shiver. That was it, he realized, the moment in which someone had made the mistake of truly provoking her. The first set of guards she faced came to the same conclusion and they didn't even… [view original content]
You kill my favorite POV,you MONSTER!Truth aside I was expecting that this was the last Torvin part but,wow,in the end Torvin die because he doesn't start the retreat (instead I was expecting that one of the "good guys" would have kill him)
The Ironbros became the ironbro T_T
Despite Edward and Carvin were two *@#$ in this last part I can understand why they do that,save their own skin
I now have to question myself what Garthon will do now?And will Bullister survive?
Meanwhile in the last Sadie's part we see deaths,defeats,retreats but hey!Let's not lose the hand eh?
Now that Sadie lose an hand and a friend (I hope that we can learn in a way or another of Dan backstory) I'm curious to read what she will do (outside finally meet her sister)
MEANWHILE this was officialy the worst day of Lucas life:after a day fighting to protect your city you discover that the saviors of it will be that kinslayer of your brother and that bastard that kill your love (and torture you)
Let's see things from the bright side!Probably Lucas won't reach the end of the book!
ALL HAIL Petyr Vyrwell! True heir of House Raylainsfair!
Next time on Forum of Thrones
The Sphynx voice was warm, yet devoid of genuine emotion at the same time, save for the hint of joy, whic… moreh was also reflected by his eyes. “But I can't express how happy I am to have you back, my boy”, he purred, as he turned to the tools on the table. “There's no distraction now, no saviour, no bigger plan” Lucas shivered, yet the chains prevented him from moving much, if at all. When the Sphynx turned back, the joy in his eyes was reciprocated by the wide grin on Connor's face. “Think of all the songs we can sing, my friend”, he said, as he reached for a long, thin needle. “Here's one of my favourites...”
As Argella started to approach the door, she gained an almost palpable aura of anger, enough to make even Drent shiver. That was it, he realized, the moment in which someone had made the mistake of truly provoking her. The first set of guards she faced came to the same conclusion and they didn't even… [view original content]
Favorite characters?- Obviously Alysanne. She had a tragic end, but I really love her character and I'm sad to see her go. I also have to say Jenna. She's gotten a lot more interesting since she allied with Saerya. Of course there's also Saerya. I just can't get enough of her. She's really likeable and she's interesting.
Least favorite characters?- Honestly I've gotta say Sasha. I really don't like her and there was a lot of concern for her in this chapter.
Least favorite storylines?- That would be Samantha's. I just enjoyed all the others a lot more, while Samantha's didn't make much of an impression on me until Lenrianda and I'lian died.
Favorite storylines?- Kersea fighting back was amazing to read. So glad that she finally freed herself from that cage that is Butterfly and Clayton's clutches. Jenna was awesome this part too I kept on wishing for more every time her parts ended.
Anything you disliked?- I've been dreading talking about this, but it has to be Alysanne's death. There was nothing wrong with it, it was a good death scene, I understand why you did it and I can't fairly criticize it, but it just really disappointed me. This is mostly because I've spent a while really rooting for Alysanne and I had high hopes for her character and it all got crushed by that one scene. Despite it being such a great scene it did really disappoint me. Sorry.
Anything you're anticipating?- Mainly it's Edrick's story. I'm really excited to see more of it, especially since it seems like Darreth will really shine next chapter.
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
I feel so bad for Sadie, though this part has admittedly gotten me invested into her character. Gotta wonder how these events will affect her.
Ah, this was very much part of the plan. I realized that, while not a bad character in any way, Sadie had little that would set her apart from some of the others. You know, few things that truly made her storyline unique compared to the other storylines. So, I decided to change this quite drastically. I must say, up to the very moment where I started to write her part, I was unsure if I truly wanted to have her lose her sword hand, but I believe it should make her upcoming storyline a lot more unique and interesting, so I am positive that I made the right choice there.
I also suspect that Garthon's parts will get very interesting from this point on.
That much I can guarantee. Torvin was the most important person in Garthon's life and losing him, to such circumstances in particular, will be hard on him. Of course, there are other problems as well, since he has been captured by Mullendore's men at the end of this chapter, so grieving for his brother will probably have to wait for now. But yes, his upcoming storyline is one of my favourites of the ones I have planned out already
Was there no outcome where Dan survives?
Actually, there was one chance for Dan to survive. The first one was offered at the end of Chapter 7, when Sadie got the choice to help either him or Leo and the smallfolk. If she would have chosen Dan, then this chapter would have ended on a much happier note for her, with Dan still alive and she getting to keep her hand. Once Sadie decided to help the city, therefore prompting Dan to join the fight alongside her, his fate was sealed however.
Overall this was a fantastic finale! Well done, you deserve a break after that.
Glad to hear it! Though I can assure you, whatever break I might take won't be too long. It might be a few days until the next chapter begins, but in the meantime, there are alternative choices to be written down and a TvTropes page to finish. So, even the break won't be that much of a full break, as brief as it will be.
Now Dan and Torvin!?
I was especially saddened by Dan's death. I feel so bad for Sadie, though this part has admittedly gotten me invested… more into her character. Gotta wonder how these events will affect her. I also suspect that Garthon's parts will get very interesting from this point on. Was there no outcome where Dan survives?
Overall this was a fantastic finale! Well done, you deserve a break after that.
You kill my favorite POV,you MONSTER!Truth aside I was expecting that this was the last Torvin part but,wow,in the end Torvin die because he doesn't start the retreat (instead I was expecting that one of the "good guys" would have kill him)
Well... it seems no one's favourite is save in this chapter. Sorry Though yeah, I wanted to make a twist there, that Torvin's own "ally" ends up being the one that killed him. It also felt like a natural consequence of Torvin's biggest weakness, his inability to accept defeat, which brought him into this situation in the first place.
The Ironbros became the ironbro T_T
RIP Torvin will be missed. One of the longest-living characters in the entire story, so his death was something I have become quite emotional over. On the positive side however, Garthon should become a thousand times more interesting now. He has always been a character I enjoyed writing, but the development out of this loss will be very exciting for me to write.
Despite Edward and Carvin were two *@#$ in this last part I can understand why they do that,save their own skin
This is an important detail, yes. For all his villainy, Edward's motives in this part were quite rational and hopefully understandable. He was driven by his sense of self-preservation and Torvin's refusal to retreat was indeed a stupid thing. And for what it's worth, Edward gave him several chances to sound the retreat before taking matters into his own hands. I guess, despite the fact that he killed Torvin, it can hardly be held against him that he tried to save his own life here.
I now have to question myself what Garthon will do now?And will Bullister servire?
Well, for now I can confirm that both, Garthon and Bullister, as well as Hjalgar, have survived the raid and have been taken prisoner by Mullendore's men. Of course, this is hardly a good thing, though we'll see what they are up to in the next chapter. Things are far from over for the Ironborn.
Meanwhile in the last Sadie's part we see deaths,defeats,retreats but hey!Let's not lose the hand eh?
What can I say, I expect quite a fistful of hand puns from now on. That's probably going to make me, hands down, feel super awful about doing this to her XD
Now that Sadie lose an hand and a friend (I hope that we can learn in a way or another of Dan backstory) I'm curious to read what she will do (outside finally meet her sister)
Dan's backstory is the one thing why I was really reluctant to kill him off here. He has a rather detailed one, which has barely been shown so far. However, Sadie is still alive and she knows all about him, so perhaps there will be a chance to reveal these things in time. As for Sadie herself, her next steps are going to be very interesting. I mean, she basically has to face the end of her old live, having lost her closest friend and ally, together with her fighting skill. There will be quite a number of challenges for her in the future.
MEANWHILE this was officialy the worst day of Lucas life:after a day fighting to protect your city you discover that the saviors of it will be that kinslayer of your brother and that bastard that kill your love (and torture you)
You mean it was the worst day in his life so far Don't forget, it can always get worse for him. Though I agree, this finale sucked big time for him. With his brother in an allianc with Mullendore, his worst nightmare has come true. Though, things could be worse, keep that in mind.
Let's see things from the bright side!Probably Lucas won't reach the end of the book!
Hm... maybe. Lucas' death is very much a possibility at this point, considering his dangerous situation. However, keep in mind that he still has friends and allies and unlike last time, he's at home in Raylansfair, so there might still be hope for him
ALL HAIL Petyr Vyrwell! True heir of House Raylainsfair!
Hail! Seriously though, I hope Petyr's presence was every bit the plot twist it was intended to be. I have intentionally only given him a minor role in Chapter 6, to make it more surprising that he ends up as one of the main antagonists an a serious contender for the lordship over Raylansfair.
Btw I really like the ending song (wildfire..lol)
Haha, I am glad to hear it I never thought I could ever use Rise Against for a chapter finale song, considering that their usual songs are more or less hardcore punk and therefore not quite the genre that would fit for most of the situations in the story, as much as I love that type of music. But then I listened to this song and I realized how incredibly fitting it is to the events of the entire chapter on so many levels. Being one of their lighter and softer songs, I decided to go for it and use it, something I consider a good decision.
EDIT: Also, every time you edit your post, I get a super huge doge image in my feed. I... approve of this
RT:
* You kill my favorite POV,you MONSTER!Truth aside I was expecting that this was the last Torvin part but,wow,in the end Torvin die… more because he doesn't start the retreat (instead I was expecting that one of the "good guys" would have kill him)
* The Ironbros became the ironbro T_T
* Despite Edward and Carvin were two *@#$ in this last part I can understand why they do that,save their own skin
* I now have to question myself what Garthon will do now?And will Bullister survive?
* Meanwhile in the last Sadie's part we see deaths,defeats,retreats but hey!Let's not lose the hand eh?
* Now that Sadie lose an hand and a friend (I hope that we can learn in a way or another of Dan backstory) I'm curious to read what she will do (outside finally meet her sister)
* MEANWHILE this was officialy the worst day of Lucas life:after a day fighting to protect your city you discover that the saviors of it will be that kinslayer of your brother and… [view original content]
Gods... that was a crushing finale for the chapter that was already heart-breaking enough. First of all, Torvin, one of my absolute favorites is gone. I have to say this felt like a natural ending for his storyline, but still, it's hard to accept that this badass is dead now Well, at least we still have Garthon. And Edward went in couple parts from kinda cool and charming but shady guy to one of the most hated assholes in the story, who I can't wait to see dead
Sadie losing her hand is an interesting twist... I'm definitely interested to see how will this affect her as a character. And I was starting to like Dan, so losing him is also sad, though not quite as heart-breaking as Torvin, since we didn't know him that long. Anyway, looking forward to Sadie's storyline in the next chapter.
And then that last bit... What can I say, Petyr just jumped right into the top 3 of the biggest assholes in FoT, along with Mullendore and Edward. Seriously, fuck that guy, and Maron. I feel so bad for Lucas, the guy just can't catch a break from all this shit. Apparently he has a plan though, if I interpreted his dialogue correctly, so I suppose that's mildly encouraging. Ugh, seeing him with Sphynx again will be so painful to read.
Overall though, a great finale for a great chapter. I'm definitely interested to see how will Book 1 wrap up in the next chapter. It'll also be refreshing to get some other locations again
He pulled the weapon out in a high arch, sending splatters of blood through the air, though he didn't get the chance to turn back towards Sa… moredie, who was kneeling on the ground, with tears streaming down her face, tears of defeat, of loss, grieving for herself and her friend, who was bleeding out on the ground. Instead, he was forced to turn to the flank of his men, who had started to fight again.
Just a second later none other than Leonard Hill broke through the ranks of the Ironborn. The blade of his axe was red with their blood and though he quickly spotted Sadie and her condition, he charged towards Durren without missing a beat. Stallhart was forced to parry and for the first time, Sadie saw him actually staggering backwards, as Leo's two-handed battleaxe clashed against both of his single-bladed axes.
The Ironborn was pushed back, though Leo stood too close to attack again. The sellsword leader didn't let this slow him down as he i… [view original content]
First of all the Ironbros (despite from the next chapter onward I will have to say the Ironbro...T-T) then we have Hackor (RIP),Jax (RIP),Jarow (RIP),Harris (Rest not in peace because you were kind of a douche)...leaving aside the dead I really like the characters that show in this chapter some sort of growth (Jenna,Ellena,Hjalgar ecc..),badass characters ( Emphryus Dresfel ecc..),the usual suspects (Lucas,Argella,Leonard ecc..) and some of the villains like Edward Anturion (even be the man kill Torvin don't stop me to like him as a villain,maybe I even like him more),Petyr Vyrwel (I start to like him)and Durren Stallhart (despite he is the guy that will hunt Sadie's nightmares I still like him from the moment that ages ago you introduced him)
Ah, this is quite a list I see that quite a number of your favourites have ended up not surviving this chapter, tragically. Hopefully future chapters will be kinder to your favourites. Though I must say, I am very happy to see less likely candidates here on this list as well. Ellena for example, whom I felt I have used far too little in this chapter. Or Petyr, who is going to be a joy to write, for all his super-dickishness. And Durren is one that genuinely surprises me, because as cool as he is, I haven't expected him to appear on someone's favourite list. I must say, as far as the Ironborn go, he is one of my favourites, for being actually a rather complex character.
Wolfius because despite the big relevation (that admit was a very cool moment) I still found him a not interesting villain (come on dude you are in the story from the beginning!Can you do something really cool for a change instead of "I have to kill everything bwahahahah" all the time?I really hope for you that you have at least an interesting backstory) and for now I add Vaasrand because for what I read until now is basically Geralt without Geralt charisma (I really hope for him that at least he has a different backstory). All the other characters are safe...for now
I can surely understand Wolfius. I have drawn inspiration from the Joker, who is not always super enjoyable either. However, I can assure you that Wolfius has a very interesting backstory and some of the revelations of Book 2 might be able to change your view on him. Vaasrand meanwhile, I think I already said it before, he has a vastly different backstory than Geralt. He is also one of the characters with a lot more material in Book 2, so you might warm up to him there
Least favourite? I don't think that there is a storyline that I found much less interesting from the others but I'm the opinion that probably Maya had the PoV with the less exciting storyline
Yeah, I get you there. I feel bad for not having the room to include another Maya PoV. In general, it feels like she's getting the short end of the stick in terms of storylines and screentime, even worse than many of the others I might not be able to feature that often. Because of this, I am happy to announce that she's getting more to do in the future. She might never become one of the main PoV's, but the things I have planned for her should be very enjoyable, for you in particular
Well,if I must be honest I believe that in this chapter we probably had too many PoV's in the same location (15+) even if I know that you will soon divide them in all the world;another thing that I would have liked to read during the raid was more big fights like the one at the castle gate and less 1 VS 1 battles at the streets of the city.
I know what you mean. This was indeed a heavy number of PoV's in one place and I can assure you that there will never again be that many in one location. The one's that survive Book 1 will split up quite quickly in Book 2, even some of the Raylansfair natives will leave for their own quests. All in all, it felt a bit funny to pull them all together for this chapter, only to split them up again in the near future. And I get what you mean with the big fights. Thing is, in a city like Raylansfair, there are far more narrow than big places, allowing for far more close combat fighting than big, epic battles. I can understand you there though and I promise, there will be some very big battles upcoming
The last advice that I want to give you is to not stop yourself to kill a character (even a PoV) if you feel that he /she has finish to have an interesting role inside the story (I know that it seems a funny advice after this chapter).
Hehe, this is indeed a funny advice here. I feel like I did exactly that in this chapter, though it was something I've been lacking at in the past. In this chapter, I almost feel like I took it too far, by killing off several characters that haven't received the development they deserved (Lenrianda, Dan, Ando, Baelor, Ferrari etc.). In general, I don't like killing off characters without properly developing them and without fully making them live up to their potential, but in some cases, there's no way around it and I think it was way more important to build up a sense of dread and danger in this chapter than to cling to every single character. That said, I have a couple whom I really don't want to kill off, so I probably won't do it with them, as I like them far too much for that
Since this will be the last chapter of the book I expect that some events/plot points will end to make space for new events/plot points (you know,something ends and something starts)
Yes, I can assure you that this is the case indeed. Some storylines will come to an end (though not all will end with the death of the PoV), opening up new chances, new storylines. A good example would be the general struggle for Raylansfair. Characters like Maya or Drent are about to leave the city again, to advance in their respective storylines closer to their homes. Janae has something really intriguing coming up for her. We'll see the pay-off for many storylines that have been developed for quite a while now
It will be really interesting read the aftermaths of the raid (and we will have so many characters grieving for the deaths of their friends/loved ones)
Indeed, the aftermath of the raid will be the among the main topics of Chapter 9. While the Ironborn are crushed, it remains to be seen if the alternative, the Vyrwel/Mullendore alliance is that much better. Well, they probably are, for the smallfolk in general, but definitely not for our protagonists.
Read of the future meeting between Mullendore and all the others hot stuff (expecially Argella) inside Raylainsfair will be very fun
Aye, I'm having a part planned there which is among my favourites in Chapter 9, as it will give many characters a big chance to shine. Mullendore will face some problems, especially in the form of a very pissed off princess who knows all about his actions in Oldtown. But there are others as well, Leonard, Lord Tyrell and his men etc. who might face him soon.
Sadie PoV will be a really interesting one now (after the loss of a hand and a friend) and I'm curious to discover what she will do after she meet her sister
I hope it'll manage to live up to the expectation! Sadie should indeed be very interesting now, as her parts just gained a whole new element to them, so I look forward to write them from now on. Her storyline in the next chapter should build up something very interesting (and it will feature the appearance of one particular character whom you might not have expected there)
I'm obviously curious to discover if Raenna is really dead,what will Clayton do now and where Brandon and Briar are.
Of course I can't comment on Raenna or Clayton, though you will get confirmation about their fates in the future, in one way or the other. Brandon and Briar are still alive and we'll get an update on them in the near future. Once I update the character list later today, you should already be able to see where their journey might take them.
It will be interesting read what will happen to Kersea now and what Richard will decide to do
Kersea/Richard will be another thing I am excited for in Chapter 9 Though I am considering to only show PoV's from one of them in Chapter 9, to show the other entirely from the perspective of another character. It is likely that Richard will be this PoV and that Kersea won't get a part of her own in Chapter 9. Shouldn't be too bad, considering that her wounds need time to heal in either way.
Jaron and Erdrick PoV's return! Will Samuel finally have his match with his own brother?And will the North PoV do something different outside obtain members for their mission?
Their absence has been longer than I planned it to be, so I am happy to finally write about them again. Jaron and Edrick are two characters I like a lot and their respective storylines should be interesting. I can assure you that, yes, Edrick will do something else than gathering new allies, sort of. He, Dante, Darreth and Leo have also left the North by now and the next time we'll see them, they will be in the Riverlands.
What happened to the Targaryen team?
Well, they are still there and they have fought near the southern gate, as Gordar's presence in Drent's part proved. All three of them survived the raid and especially Orys will step up big time pretty soon. You like badass moments? Well, as it turns out, so does he.
And many other events!
Indeed, so many others! Though you mentioned some of the main events already. There will be others. Arthur for example will have probably the longest storyline in Chapter 9, whereas others will, in many cases, set up their respective Book 2 storylines. Chapter 9 is probably going to be equal parts build-up and pay-off.
In the end I obviously give my thanks to you,Liquid, for this story because it is,like I always write,a really enjoyable read and I wish you good luck (even if I know that you don't need it) for the last chapter of the first Forum of Thrones book!
Well, I can return these thanks instantly. Writing this story is incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable for me, but a big part of the joy I get is the feedback from you and others. To see that people actually like the things I write here is the best thing ever. So thank you for commenting, for sharing your thoughts and for showing me that my own enthusiasm to write this story is not misplaced or weirdly exaggerated. The first book might near its end, but the story is far from over and I can't wait for the things to come
Here I will answer your questions:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
First of all the Ironbros (despite from the next cha… morepter onward I will have to say the Ironbro...T-T) then we have Hackor (RIP),Jax (RIP),Jarow (RIP),Harris (Rest not in peace because you were kind of a douche)...leaving aside the dead I really like the characters that show in this chapter some sort of growth (Jenna,Ellena,Hjalgar ecc..),badass characters ( Emphryus Dresfel ecc..),the usual suspects (Lucas,Argella,Leonard ecc..) and some of the villains like Edward Anturion (even be the man kill Torvin don't stop me to like him as a villain,maybe I even like him more),Petyr Vyrwel (I start to like him)and Durren Stallhart (despite he is the guy that will hunt Sadie's nightmares I still like him from the moment that ages ago you introduced him)
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Wolfius because despite the big relevation (that admi… [view original content]
Obviously Alysanne. She had a tragic end, but I really love her character and I'm sad to see her go. I also have to say Jenna. She's gotten a lot more interesting since she allied with Saerya. Of course there's also Saerya. I just can't get enough of her. She's really likeable and she's interesting.
Alysanne was unsurprising I am happy to see Jenna and Saerya there. Jenna is, as you know, not a character who had it easy in terms of opinions, though I am glad that her character growth is generally seen positively. Saerya meanwhile is someone where I was far from sure how others would react towards her, given that she is a scheming liar who has her fair share of questionable traits. But I am quite happy that she has grown so much on you
Honestly I've gotta say Sasha. I really don't like her and there was a lot of concern for her in this chapter.
That is a bit surprising to me. So far, I had the impression you kinda like her or at least have a more or less neutral opinion on her, but I am surprised to see her as your least favourite. May I ask, is there a particular reason for your dislike towards her? Because Sasha is not a character I write intentionally unlikable and I am pretty sure that some of the others readers quite like her, so I am curious if your dislike is something that I might be able to change later on.
That would be Samantha's. I just enjoyed all the others a lot more, while Samantha's didn't make much of an impression on me until Lenrianda and I'lian died.
Yeah, I can understand you there. Frankly, Samantha was one of the PoV's that didn't have too much to do in this chapter. Her storyline basically was meant to be a final confrontation with Rodrik. That said, some of the upcoming stuff in Book 2 might be more exciting for you, hopefully
Kersea fighting back was amazing to read. So glad that she finally freed herself from that cage that is Butterfly and Clayton's clutches. Jenna was awesome this part too I kept on wishing for more every time her parts ended.
Ah, these are two of my favourites as well. Kersea and Jenna have both taken an important step in this chapter and they are slowly freeing themselves from the things that hold them down, so I am happy to see that you like them as well!
I've been dreading talking about this, but it has to be Alysanne's death. There was nothing wrong with it, it was a good death scene, I understand why you did it and I can't fairly criticize it, but it just really disappointed me. This is mostly because I've spent a while really rooting for Alysanne and I had high hopes for her character and it all got crushed by that one scene. Despite it being such a great scene it did really disappoint me. Sorry.
Trust me, I know exactly how you feel. As someone who can get quite attached and emotional to characters, I feel your pain there and I am so incredibly sorry that I had to put you through that. I've been there as well and trust me, if there would have been a way, any sort of way, for me to logically have Alysanne survive this, I might have taken it. Thing is, part of Alysanne's appeal, what made her such a tragic character, was the fact that she was broken and that things were about hopeless for her. Giving her a happy ending would have felt not only like a heavy stretch, but also would have felt like not staying true to her character. I hope that makes sense. I mean, I really completely understand you there, be assured of this. I probably have similar feelings when one of my favourites in a story here dies (though I am fortunate that, save for one time, none of my absolute favourites have died so far and hopefully never will). It's probably not much to console you, but through Kersea's PoV, Alysanne and her memory will remain a part of the story. I can hint that Book 2 for example will introduce a character from her past, revealing more about her and it should be quite interesting, I hope
Mainly it's Edrick's story. I'm really excited to see more of it, especially since it seems like Darreth will really shine next chapter.
Ah, I expected you to be excited for this. It has been a while and I promise that Edrick's storyline is far from over. I don't actually know how long his storyline will be in this chapter, it depends how long my plans will actually be when I write them down in full parts. Neither am I sure if Darreth will truly get his chance to shine, as Dante is also planned to have a nice involvement. Same goes for Alphyn. That said, I have some moments planned for Darreth and there should be some good stuff for him coming soon!
Favorite characters?- Obviously Alysanne. She had a tragic end, but I really love her character and I'm sad to see her go. I also have to sa… morey Jenna. She's gotten a lot more interesting since she allied with Saerya. Of course there's also Saerya. I just can't get enough of her. She's really likeable and she's interesting.
Least favorite characters?- Honestly I've gotta say Sasha. I really don't like her and there was a lot of concern for her in this chapter.
Least favorite storylines?- That would be Samantha's. I just enjoyed all the others a lot more, while Samantha's didn't make much of an impression on me until Lenrianda and I'lian died.
Favorite storylines?- Kersea fighting back was amazing to read. So glad that she finally freed herself from that cage that is Butterfly and Clayton's clutches. Jenna was awesome this part too I kept on wishing for more every time her parts ended.
Anything you disliked?- I've been dreading talkin… [view original content]
Gods... that was a crushing finale for the chapter that was already heart-breaking enough. First of all, Torvin, one of my absolute favorites is gone. I have to say this felt like a natural ending for his storyline, but still, it's hard to accept that this badass is dead now Well, at least we still have Garthon. And Edward went in couple parts from kinda cool and charming but shady guy to one of the most hated assholes in the story, who I can't wait to see dead
Ah, I knew Torvin's death would hit hard, given how many people liked him. Back when you informed me that he is among your favourites, I was like "Oh, not another one" Though I hope I gave him a fitting and respectful death scene, which I think he deserved, as one of th longest living characters in the story. And Garthon is indeed still alive and his next move should be very interesting. Edward then... yeah, he is a huge bastard. Interestingly, he was originally even planned to be the main villain of the entire story, back when it was planned to be far shorter and where he was the only truly villainous character that has been submitted. Characters like Mullendore or Edward's brother Nain (Who is basically Edward on bath salts) kind of changed these plans when they got submitted, but Edward is still a major villain in the story, despite being able to hide this better than others.
Sadie losing her hand is an interesting twist... I'm definitely interested to see how will this affect her as a character. And I was starting to like Dan, so losing him is also sad, though not quite as heart-breaking as Torvin, since we didn't know him that long. Anyway, looking forward to Sadie's storyline in the next chapter.
Ah, every time I hear this, it convinces me that it was indeed the right thing to do at this point. Actually, back when I first wrote her Chapter 6 storyline, it was not planned that Sadie would lose her hand, or that Dan would die. It was a result of me struggling to find something truly interesting to do for her, so I decided to throw this serious hardship into her way. Overcoming it should add an intriguing element to her storyline in the future and I hope you'll enjoy it
And then that last bit... What can I say, Petyr just jumped right into the top 3 of the biggest assholes in FoT, along with Mullendore and Edward. Seriously, fuck that guy, and Maron. I feel so bad for Lucas, the guy just can't catch a break from all this shit. Apparently he has a plan though, if I interpreted his dialogue correctly, so I suppose that's mildly encouraging. Ugh, seeing him with Sphynx again will be so painful to read.
Well... Lucas' plan has been to kill Mullendore right on the spot, at the cost of his own life, which Petyr's provocation and his knights kind of prevented. So, getting captured and left at the mercy of the Sphynx has definitely not been part of his plan. But yeah, Petyr is a complete asshole and I can already tell I will enjoy his sleazy, jerkish attitude. That said, Petyr ultimately has one sympathetic and redeeming trait that will be introduced in Chapter 9, something neither Mullendore nor Edward have.
Overall though, a great finale for a great chapter. I'm definitely interested to see how will Book 1 wrap up in the next chapter. It'll also be refreshing to get some other locations again
Oh yes, I can't wait to get the chance to write about some different locations now. Only a single city (two with Maybros, which wasn't really all that important as a location) has grown kinda stale. Chapter 9 will obviously see the return of Oldtown and we'll have a change of scenery in Edrick's storyline, but it will be Book 2 that will truly introduce new, big locations all over Westeros and beyond, which should serve for some much-needed variety.
Gods... that was a crushing finale for the chapter that was already heart-breaking enough. First of all, Torvin, one of my absolute favorite… mores is gone. I have to say this felt like a natural ending for his storyline, but still, it's hard to accept that this badass is dead now Well, at least we still have Garthon. And Edward went in couple parts from kinda cool and charming but shady guy to one of the most hated assholes in the story, who I can't wait to see dead
Sadie losing her hand is an interesting twist... I'm definitely interested to see how will this affect her as a character. And I was starting to like Dan, so losing him is also sad, though not quite as heart-breaking as Torvin, since we didn't know him that long. Anyway, looking forward to Sadie's storyline in the next chapter.
And then that last bit... What can I say, Petyr just jumped right into the top 3 of the biggest assholes in FoT, along with Mullendore and Edward. Serio… [view original content]
It probably would be more accurate to say I'm neutral or indifferent about Sasha. She's just never clicked with me. I don't really find her all that interesting and she just doesn't stand out to me. So no real reason, it's probably just bad luck.
Obviously Alysanne. She had a tragic end, but I really love her character and I'm sad to see her go. I also have to say Jenna. She's gotten … morea lot more interesting since she allied with Saerya. Of course there's also Saerya. I just can't get enough of her. She's really likeable and she's interesting.
Alysanne was unsurprising I am happy to see Jenna and Saerya there. Jenna is, as you know, not a character who had it easy in terms of opinions, though I am glad that her character growth is generally seen positively. Saerya meanwhile is someone where I was far from sure how others would react towards her, given that she is a scheming liar who has her fair share of questionable traits. But I am quite happy that she has grown so much on you
Honestly I've gotta say Sasha. I really don't like her and there was a lot of concern for her in this chapter.
That is a bit surprising to me. So far, I had the impression you kinda like … [view original content]
Ah, I understand it then. That makes sense and is more in line with the impression I previously had about your opinion on her. I was just really surprised to see her as your least favourite, as that implied to me that you'd really hate something about her, but I see that this is not the case. Seems like we got Bad Luck Sasha now, ready to replace Bad Luck Federico as the memetic loser of the story Though in all seriousness, I hope that I'll manage to interest you more in her character in the coming parts. She has quite some interesting aspects to her and her involvement in Book 2 might win you over
It probably would be more accurate to say I'm neutral or indifferent about Sasha. She's just never clicked with me. I don't really find her all that interesting and she just doesn't stand out to me. So no real reason, it's probably just bad luck.
Hmm, I have to say that Garthon, Torvin and Hjalgar shined in this chapter, even if their screentime wasn't super big. Argella also kept being awesome, and with her Drent, Jax, Emphyrus, etc. I also really liked Kersea and Raenna's role in this chapter.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Well, I'm not really sure. I mean obviously I hate characters like Wolfius, Edward, Mullendore, Petyr etc., but they are all also very entertaining villains. Perhaps Cleaver?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Kersea's storyline stood out to me, as well as Alys' break into the archive. They were a nice contrast to the other stuff. I'm not saying the other stuff wasn't good, quite the contrary, but it was just refreshing to also have something else going on than just the raid. That said, the parts that Torvin and Garthon got were also amazing.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Well, Maya was there but it felt like she didn't really do much in this chapter. I'm not really complaining though, we had more than enough PoVs showing us the raid even without Maya's contribution And then there is Sadie. I like her, and I very much enjoyed her part in the finale, but she did feel (for obvious reasons) a bit disconnected from the rest of the storylines.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
The whole final of course deserves to be mentioned here, but aside from that Montclair's death scene was awesome, as was the fight in the lighthouse + the explosion. The revelation with Wolfius was cool and creepy at the same time, Federico and the other guards holding back the Ironborn at the gates of the castle, the escape from the archive, Hjalgar killing Cleaver. I'm sure I'm missing many other scenes I thought were great, it's been a long and awesome chapter
Is there anything you disliked?
Nah, I wouldn't say there was really anything I disliked.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Hmm, can't really think of any advice. Well, perhaps this many PoVs in the same location was pushing the boundaries a bit, and I think it resulted in some of them getting less screentime than they could've had. And obviously I look forward to getting back Jaron's storyline! Aside from that, I'm really interested to see the aftermath of this raid, and finding out what exactly is Mullendore's plan for Raylansfair.
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? SER Jax. tears, Argella/Drent, and the Targaryens.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? When I was rereading it I felt a little disconnected with Maya, like it was a side plot while this massive battle is going on in the city. That being said I had a hard time with her in previous chapters to. I'm on the fence with Wolfius, I like his writing but he seems to be doing the same thing over and over again, just a nuisance that randomly kills a beloved character heh.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Drent's (I'm really biased), and then of course there's the Ironbro's who were really fun to read. I also enjoyed Willfred's even if it wasn't quite as much as previous chapters.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Maya's, for the same reason as above.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8? To hard to pick, though the final battle and Jax's sacrifice while tragic and sad was also amazing writing and was my favorite part, plus Dresfel is a beast.
Is there anything you disliked? Nope, nothing at all really. I really enjoyed the chapter and am looking forward to the next!
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? Can't wait to see a few certain characters wink, exploring Essos, and the political landscape of the world right now with everything that has happened.
That's me after reading the finale. Goddamnit, Ted, you're worse than George Martin.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Oh, that's a really hard choice. Probably Alysanne (RIP puppy), some badass guys like Hackor, Jax, Drent, also Torvin and Garthon. Jenna was quite likeable. Mathea's the best And my favourite guys, Lucas and Leonard - never get tired of them.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? As someone has already pointed out, Vaasrand. He's just kinda dull for me.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Kersea's, Torvin's, Lucas', Garthon's, Jenna's... Eh, also hard to choose. But this three have to be the best for me. Also Drent's one was quite interesting.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? John's. Only because I didn't like it from the very beginning and always skipped his POVs. It's just boring for me for some reason.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8? Clint's death was really damn satisfying. What happened to Lyria and Rosalie was really damn horrible but well written. Alys' trip to the archive was really exciting. Hmm, what else? The fight in the lighthouse was very intense. Damn, whenever people try to make remember something, I always forget everything When the summary of the chapter will be done, I'll probably bring up more awesome moments.
Is there anything you disliked? Nah, the story's still good.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? Just one advice: keep up your level and give us a finale that'll make us jump outta our seats. I have high expectations!
Hmm, I have to say that Garthon, Torvin and Hjalgar shined in this chapter, even if their screentime wasn't super big. Argella also kept being awesome, and with her Drent, Jax, Emphyrus, etc. I also really liked Kersea and Raenna's role in this chapter.
Ah, a couple of my favourites as well I'm glad you consider Torvin, Garthon and Hjalgar to have shined in this chapter. I agree that their side has been a bit underrepresented in this fight (kind of a given, with 2 PoV's against 14), but I am happy that I succeeded at giving them some spotlight.
Well, I'm not really sure. I mean obviously I hate characters like Wolfius, Edward, Mullendore, Petyr etc., but they are all also very entertaining villains. Perhaps Cleaver?
Cleaver was actually really enjoyable to write. Whereas the other villains all require some depth to their respective characters, Cleaver was refreshing in how simple he was. Just this blunt, brutish and foul-mouthed berserker who just keeps going on, no matter how badly wounded. He was easy to get right and that made him so damn entertaining for me
Kersea's storyline stood out to me, as well as Alys' break into the archive. They were a nice contrast to the other stuff. I'm not saying the other stuff wasn't good, quite the contrary, but it was just refreshing to also have something else going on than just the raid. That said, the parts that Torvin and Garthon got were also amazing.
Ah, this is interesting. I was expecting Kersea to be seen very favourably in terms of storyline, though the positive echo for Alys' storyline kind of surprises me, in a positive way. I see your reasoning though, it was something else for a change, not just fighting against the Ironborn.
Well, Maya was there but it felt like she didn't really do much in this chapter. I'm not really complaining though, we had more than enough PoVs showing us the raid even without Maya's contribution And then there is Sadie. I like her, and I very much enjoyed her part in the finale, but she did feel (for obvious reasons) a bit disconnected from the rest of the storylines.
I fully agree with Sadie there. She has been so disconnected from the others that I originally even considered moving her parts to the next chapter, but to be honest, it would have been a dreadful idea to just show a reused version of the raid on Raylansfair in her Chapter 9 storyline, so I ended up moving her into a chapter that was originally intended to solely feature Raylansfair as a location. I can reveal that she will get more connection to other storylines in Book 2!
The whole final of course deserves to be mentioned here, but aside from that Montclair's death scene was awesome, as was the fight in the lighthouse + the explosion. The revelation with Wolfius was cool and creepy at the same time, Federico and the other guards holding back the Ironborn at the gates of the castle, the escape from the archive, Hjalgar killing Cleaver. I'm sure I'm missing many other scenes I thought were great, it's been a long and awesome chapter
With that, you summarized quite a number of events I consider to be the main events It's nice to see that exactly these have left such an impression, it seems everything went according to plan there, which is nice. I also agree, quite a number of these moments have been among the ones that gave me the most joy while writing. And some of them, like the lighthouse scenes and Wolfius' reveal have been planned for almost two years by the time I was writing them down, so I can't exprss how happy I am that it all worked out so well.
Hmm, can't really think of any advice. Well, perhaps this many PoVs in the same location was pushing the boundaries a bit, and I think it resulted in some of them getting less screentime than they could've had. And obviously I look forward to getting back Jaron's storyline! Aside from that, I'm really interested to see the aftermath of this raid, and finding out what exactly is Mullendore's plan for Raylansfair.
Yeah, I can totally see what you mean there. Chapter 9 is obviously going to feature the same PoV's that survived Chapter 8 in Raylansfair, save for Ellena and Janae, who have both left the city, and maybe Kersea, whom I currently plan to show through Richard's PoV. That said, Jaron and Edrick should add something new with their return. By the time Book 2 starts, half of the current PoV's in Raylansfair will have left the city, one way or the other, which should add a far greater range of locations. In general, there might be a time in Book 2 where every major location in Westeros and a few beyond are going to be shown. That should be good, hopefully
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Hmm, I have to say that Garthon, Torvin and Hjalgar shined in this chapter, even if thei… morer screentime wasn't super big. Argella also kept being awesome, and with her Drent, Jax, Emphyrus, etc. I also really liked Kersea and Raenna's role in this chapter.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Well, I'm not really sure. I mean obviously I hate characters like Wolfius, Edward, Mullendore, Petyr etc., but they are all also very entertaining villains. Perhaps Cleaver?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Kersea's storyline stood out to me, as well as Alys' break into the archive. They were a nice contrast to the other stuff. I'm not saying the other stuff wasn't good, quite the contrary, but it was just refreshing to also have something else going on than just the raid. That said, the parts that Torvin and Garthon got were also amazing.
What were your … [view original content]
SER Jax. tears, Argella/Drent, and the Targaryens.
Ser Jax shall not be forgotten! I honestly feel bad about killing him off, but the things that will develop out of this, oh, they will be something to look forward for. His influence will reach far, that much I can promise, which will have both, good and bad consequences.
When I was rereading it I felt a little disconnected with Maya, like it was a side plot while this massive battle is going on in the city. That being said I had a hard time with her in previous chapters to. I'm on the fence with Wolfius, I like his writing but he seems to be doing the same thing over and over again, just a nuisance that randomly kills a beloved character heh.
Yeah, I definitely understand what you mean with Maya. It was a bit a result of shoddy planning. Originally, she was planned to have a greater role, but no role in Chapter 7. I ended up splitting half of her Chapter 8 storyline into Chapter 7, ending in two mediocre chapters for her, which I am not quite happy about. Here's hoping she's going to have more interesting stuff to do in future chapters. Actually... knowing what's going to happen, I can confirm this Wolfius will also get something different to do in the future. You'll learn a lot more about him in Book 2, his backstory, how he became such a messed up guy etc.
Drent's (I'm really biased), and then of course there's the Ironbro's who were really fun to read. I also enjoyed Willfred's even if it wasn't quite as much as previous chapters.
Hehe, I expected you to enjoy Drent's PoV and I am glad you said it, because that proves to me that I did something right while writing it The Ironborn as well, but I am very happy about Willfred, because I occasionally feel that he could really need more parts, or at least more frequent parts. I am happy he still made it to your list of favourites.
Can't wait to see a few certain characters wink, exploring Essos, and the political landscape of the world right now with everything that has happened.
Aye, there will be introductions in Chapter 9, there is one character you can look forward for in particular Essos, I am afraid, has to wait for Book 2, but that storyline will be further set up in Chapter 9. In general, Book 2 will show a lot of the political landscape of the entire world, with PoV's in almost every kingdom, so the near future will hold a lot of the things you anticipate!
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? SER Jax. tears, Argella/Drent, and the Targaryens.
Who were your least favourite charact… moreers in Chapter 8? When I was rereading it I felt a little disconnected with Maya, like it was a side plot while this massive battle is going on in the city. That being said I had a hard time with her in previous chapters to. I'm on the fence with Wolfius, I like his writing but he seems to be doing the same thing over and over again, just a nuisance that randomly kills a beloved character heh.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Drent's (I'm really biased), and then of course there's the Ironbro's who were really fun to read. I also enjoyed Willfred's even if it wasn't quite as much as previous chapters.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Maya's, for the same reason as above.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8? To hard to pick, t… [view original content]
That's me after reading the finale. Goddamnit, Ted, you're worse than George Martin.
That is... good? I think? Thank you I also must say that I just now noticed your new avatar. After being so used to your avatar with Kenny and the flowers for, I think, two and a half years now, it's super confusing, but I like it regardless
Oh, that's a really hard choice. Probably Alysanne (RIP puppy), some badass guys like Hackor, Jax, Drent, also Torvin and Garthon. Jenna was quite likeable. Mathea's the best And my favourite guys, Lucas and Leonard - never get tired of them.
Ah, so many! And I ended up killing quite a number of them, I feel guilty, but at the same time, I feel happy that I managed to make them so likable before their deaths. That is far better than killing them off without any emotional response. Especially Alysanne is someone where I am proud with how that worked out, given that her death has really been met with heavy reaction. But arguably, the same applies to Jax, Hackor and Torvin and I am glad you mentioned them.
As someone has already pointed out, Vaasrand. He's just kinda dull for me.
Yeah, I can see what you mean. So far, he hasn't been much more than a Geralt meme, but Book 2 should make him grow into his own character quite a bit. Hopefully you'll enjoy him better then!
John's. Only because I didn't like it from the very beginning and always skipped his POVs. It's just boring for me for some reason.
That's alright. John hadn't had too many exciting things to do in a while, but well, I can assure you that you might enjoy his storyline in Book 2. I can't tell you too much about it, but about 50% of his Book 2 screentime will be through the eyes of someone else. Maybe that'll convince you to give him another chance.
Clint's death was really damn satisfying. What happened to Lyria and Rosalie was really damn horrible but well written. Alys' trip to the archive was really exciting. Hmm, what else? The fight in the lighthouse was very intense. Damn, whenever people try to make remember something, I always forget everything When the summary of the chapter will be done, I'll probably bring up more awesome moments.
These are some nice moments indeed! The summary is something I'll have to work on in the next few days. Might be ready around the weekend, I'll announce it here when I'm done with it. The chapter was longer than planned, so I think a recap can't hurt in any way.
Just one advice: keep up your level and give us a finale that'll make us jump outta our seats. I have high expectations!
And I will try my best to meet these expectations! As I said above, Chapter 9 will be equal parts pay-off and build-up, so I am not sure how amazing it will be, but there should be some scenes that will be really enjoyable, some stuff I have planned for a very long time, so I am positive I'll at least not dreadfully disappoint.
That's me after reading the finale. Goddamnit, Ted, you're worse than George Martin.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?… more Oh, that's a really hard choice. Probably Alysanne (RIP puppy), some badass guys like Hackor, Jax, Drent, also Torvin and Garthon. Jenna was quite likeable. Mathea's the best And my favourite guys, Lucas and Leonard - never get tired of them.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? As someone has already pointed out, Vaasrand. He's just kinda dull for me.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Kersea's, Torvin's, Lucas', Garthon's, Jenna's... Eh, also hard to choose. But this three have to be the best for me. Also Drent's one was quite interesting.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? John's. Only because I didn't like it from the very beginning and always skipped his POVs. It's just boring for me for some reason.
What was your favourite part and … [view original content]
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Drent and Argella, they really make each other great characters, also not to mention how bad ass Argella was. Torvin was really emotional since everything was on the line for him and I also love Edward as a villain. Also Hackor and Jax (RIP).
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? Vaasrand, Like others already mentioned, too much of a Geralt vibe for now. Harlen Tyrell, oh god how much I hate this guy, and this chapter made things even worse. Edefilec Magabaz... enough said.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Jenna's, she was good but I was more impressed by the stuff happening around her. Drent had really good storyline and also Lucas really picked things up in the end. Torvin was really emotional like I said but I would also add Kersea in there as well.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Didn't really have one. If I had to choose I would say Maya, but that was more or less because of her short storyline.
**What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?* Death of Ser Jax, if I have to choose only one. But whole finale was great, together with Jenna's last part and creepily intruguing Lyria's last part.
Is there anything you disliked? No, not at all!
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? There is so much I'm anticipating. Fates of Clayton,Raenna and Sherryl, also interested in that relic thingie Willfred took from Anturion. Also fate of poor Lucas , and my boy Ian.
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Drent and Argella, they really make each other great characters, also not to mention how bad ass Argella was. Torvin was really emotional since everything was on the line for him and I also love Edward as a villain. Also Hackor and Jax (RIP).
I am very happy to see Edward here. As much as he is a villain and responsible for the death of one of the most well-liked PoV's in the story, I am happy that he is appreciated for this instead of absolutely loathed. A love to hate villain, that is very much what I want to do with him and it seems I am on a good way there. Torvin was also a character whom I wanted to give an emotional final chapter, which I seem to have managed to do. And Drent/Argella, I am very much inclined to agree. Part of the reason why I decided to expand Argella's role from what was originally intended to be a secondary character was the potential I saw for her and Drent to bring out the best in each other. Needless to say, I consider making her a more important character one of the best decisions I have made for Book 1 and I can only shudder at how boring my original Stormlander storyline would have been without her (and without Garen, Tariel and the Bernile siblings as well, while we're at it)
Vaasrand, Like others already mentioned, too much of a Geralt vibe for now. Harlen Tyrell, oh god how much I hate this guy, and this chapter made things even worse. Edefilec Magabaz... enough said.
Vaasrand again, hehe. I can definitely understand Harlen, that guy showed himself from his worst side in this chapter and he was totally willing to sacrifice hundreds of people for his own safety. Luckily, Helenys intervened, but still, he surely deserves that spot. And Ed... well, that name alone is a crime and he definitely had no good stuff in this chapter. Or in the last. It seems, running away is very common for him, but then again, he is, in a certain way, one of the few characters that don't overestimate their skills. Ed is basically a human opossum. Don't expect him to ever face danger if he can run away or play dead
Didn't really have one. If I had to choose I would say Maya, but that was more or less because of her short storyline.
I really must give Maya more stuff to do. She has everything to make a good PoV, from her own strength of character to her supporting cast, but I really struggle with giving her a continuous storyline for some reason. Hopefully my plans in Book 2 will play out better for her.
Death of Ser Jax, if I have to choose only one. But whole finale was great, together with Jenna's last part and creepily intruguing Lyria's last part.
The funny thing is, while definitely planned to be a big and emotional moment in the chapter, I have never thought Jax' death would receive such overwhelming praise. As much as I hated to end his character, it seems I did something very, very right there and it no one is more surprised by this than I am
There is so much I'm anticipating. Fates of Clayton,Raenna and Sherryl, also interested in that relic thingie Willfred took from Anturion. Also fate of poor Lucas , and my boy Ian.
Aye, every single thing you mentioned there will be dealt with in Chapter 9. We'll learn about the fate of Clayton, Raenna and Sherryl, about the nature of the relic, about Lucas' fate and Ian is going to appear in a role that is certainly going to be larger and more substantial than his role in this chapter (even if that was sort of the result of the votes). While I can't say for sure if you're going to enjoy Chapter 9, I am willing to say that yes, there is a lot to anticipate
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Drent and Argella, they really make each other great characters, also not to mention how ba… mored ass Argella was. Torvin was really emotional since everything was on the line for him and I also love Edward as a villain. Also Hackor and Jax (RIP).
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? Vaasrand, Like others already mentioned, too much of a Geralt vibe for now. Harlen Tyrell, oh god how much I hate this guy, and this chapter made things even worse. Edefilec Magabaz... enough said.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Jenna's, she was good but I was more impressed by the stuff happening around her. Drent had really good storyline and also Lucas really picked things up in the end. Torvin was really emotional like I said but I would also add Kersea in there as well.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Didn't really have one. If I had to choose I … [view original content]
My god! What an amazing way to end this finale. No words could possibly describe it so I'll just use this gif:
Anyways on to the questions!
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Hmmmm. There were too many characters I enjoyed reading in this chapter but I'll definitely add the fallen heroes to my favourites such as Hackor Nathamer, Jax Montclair, and Federal Snob. Seriously, with Mullendore in power now, I'm really, REALLY going to miss having Hackor around. I think Behara deserves a place here too since she's always been a sidelined character and now we get to actually know her a little better regarding the relationship between her and Temari. Also does the girl who saved Garthon's life count?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I'd have to say Sherryl takes the cake here. Grrrrrr. I can't stand her. I know she didn't promise anything to Torvin but if you think about it, she helps the Ironborn out by breaking the gate so they would have an opening and they could claim a victory and then what happens? Maron Mullendore shows up trying to be the hero by wiping out what's left of the Ironborn. She needed their help to further advance Mullendore's plans and then repays them with this? She had to have known about this. Jeez Louise man. Maron Mullendore and Sherryl Flowers? More like a match made in the Seven Hells.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I'd have to say Jenna's impressed me even though her last part was more spectating rather than bold actions. I always have to say Jenna because it's incredible to see how long of a way she has come in the storyline and I hope her growth doesn't end in this last chapter of Book 1. Some other ones I have to mention are Kersea and Alys. For the longest time I wasn't too invested in Alys' storyline but so far I have to say this chapter was her best one yet. You captured beautifully how dark the archives were and what other secrets lie beyond there. As Alys' storyline showed, the unknown can truly be frightening. I'll get to Kersea's in my favourite moments.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I'll have to be in the majority here and say Maya. I thought she would kick some Ser Rodrik Stone butt but it looks like she was the one who got fooled. Besides Knightfang gone and Irving's return, it seemed too short to end.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Oh my...where do I start? The lighthouse scene was my #1 favourite. I really tensed up in the ensuing fight between Alysanne and Raenna. I'm really sad to hear about the outcomes of these two lovable characters but at least they will not be forgotten (even though I refuse to believe Raenna is dead... or I'm just in denial ). Same goes for the fights at the tavern; particularly the one involving Ser Rodrik Stone. On the brighter side, he's one less threat to deal with now. The assassination attempt on Argella was really freaky (RIP Jax Montclair. We'll all miss you). Last but not least the finale of course. Mullendore looks like crap. Oh boy, I hope Orys finds him and gives him a sucker punch to the face!
Is there anything you disliked?
Hmmmmm. Not anything in particular I can point out but if there is, I'll give you my feedback. For now, keep up the creative work.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
- Really looking forward to seeing Jaron and Harpy again. I feel like it was unfortunate not seeing them this chapter since they play prominent roles in the series. It was like a big piece of the puzzle was missing. Thankfully though, that piece will be put back.
- RIP Saerya Waters x Frizzle Shizzle
- Really looking forward to the new locations we'll see in Book 2. That includes the North with Ser Edrick and the gang.
- I'd like to know what Lady Helenys has in store for Willfred (given what Aren mentioned to him)
- Argella vs. The Moggy. 1v1. Small vs large. Intelligent vs Imbecile.
I think that's about it. Thank you for the emotionally intense chapter. Rest up man. You deserve it.
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Ahh, there are simply way too many. I feel like in this chapter, a lot of characters shined. But I have to give it to my girl Alysanne (RIP), and the Breaker Bros (RIP Torvin). Sasha and Samantha is also a duo I greatly enjoy.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Vaasrand without a doubt, I don't dig the whole Geralt thing. It probably doesn't help that I don't even like the Witcher series to begin with. And I'm not such a big fan of John, it's just his personality, he's too crass for my taste.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Torvin and Kersea's were standouts for me. But almost all the POVs in this chapter were extremely interesting.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Sadie's, because she was just so far away from everyone else. And I guess Richard's, I've never been a big fan of his character (I prefer his daughter) and his story was a little bit dull compared to the others. Also Willfred's storyline was not as exciting as the others, probably because there wasn't a lot of deaths XD
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
This one is hard to choose, but I think the lighthouse fight and the wildfire is definitely one of them. I think Abbas finally showing his true colors, and killing Ando is another moment that is really memorable to me. And Torvin's last part, it was a great way to send off one of the first POV characters.
Is there anything you disliked?
No, this chapter has been amazing.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Truly, I think this chapter has been the best of the entire story so far. You really raised the bar for yourself with this one, I hope Chapter 9 can keep up with this kind of writing, and body count. Although it is sad, I love seeing characters get killed off in meaningful ways that drives the story forward, especially the well developed ones cause it has more of an impact.
My god! What an amazing way to end this finale. No words could possibly describe it so I'll just use this gif:
Ah, I am very happy you enjoyed this finale! Also, this gif is now officially among my favourite gifs ever. I should probably save it, it correctly portraits my feelings on a number of things
Hmmmm. There were too many characters I enjoyed reading in this chapter but I'll definitely add the fallen heroes to my favourites such as Hackor Nathamer, Jax Montclair, and Federal Snob. Seriously, with Mullendore in power now, I'm really, REALLY going to miss having Hackor around. I think Behara deserves a place here too since she's always been a sidelined character and now we get to actually know her a little better regarding the relationship between her and Temari. Also does the girl who saved Garthon's life count?
I am really happy to see Frozen Snail among your favourites. Makes me feel a bit less bad for killing him off, as it seems he left at least some sort of an impression, perhaps even beyond of how much of a meme he is. And I can confirm, you won't be the only one that is going to miss Hackor pretty soon. He would have been among the few people that would have been able to stand against the Mullendore/Vyrwel alliance, as well as someone with enough morals to do so. The whole city could need someone like him now. Behara is another character I plan to expand on in Book 2. So far, she has received very little screentime compared to the other members of John's group (maybe except Temari, whom I am also going to feature more heavily), but I have some nice plans for her in Janae's storyline. And the girl who saved Garthon's life certainly counts! I mean, she did her part in taking down Cleaver. As a matter of fact, the wound she gave him would have been the one that would have killed him after a while, if not for Hjalgar intervening. It's a shame that bastard was too tough to just drop dead instantly.
I'd have to say Sherryl takes the cake here. Grrrrrr. I can't stand her. I know she didn't promise anything to Torvin but if you think about it, she helps the Ironborn out by breaking the gate so they would have an opening and they could claim a victory and then what happens? Maron Mullendore shows up trying to be the hero by wiping out what's left of the Ironborn. She needed their help to further advance Mullendore's plans and then repays them with this? She had to have known about this. Jeez Louise man. Maron Mullendore and Sherryl Flowers? More like a match made in the Seven Hells.
Oh yes, I can assure you that this was exactly what Sherryl had planned. She knew Mullendore was on his way and she more or less used Torvin's Ironborn as pawns. If they would have been faster, as she hoped, they would have taken the castle, although they would have suffered heavy casualties in the process. Without the ability to close the gates, the Mullendore/Vyrwel troops would have easily retaken the castle, making him look like even more of a hero for saving the smallfolk from certain doom. She really played with the lives of just about everyone in this chapter.
I'd have to say Jenna's impressed me even though her last part was more spectating rather than bold actions. I always have to say Jenna because it's incredible to see how long of a way she has come in the storyline and I hope her growth doesn't end in this last chapter of Book 1. Some other ones I have to mention are Kersea and Alys. For the longest time I wasn't too invested in Alys' storyline but so far I have to say this chapter was her best one yet. You captured beautifully how dark the archives were and what other secrets lie beyond there. As Alys' storyline showed, the unknown can truly be frightening. I'll get to Kersea's in my favourite moments.
I am always happy when Jenna gets mentioned there. I knew she wouldn't be a very well-liked character in the beginning, though I must admit I was surprised by the amount of dislike she received. She truly came a long way from there and I have plans to further show this development in Chapter 9. Beyond that? Well, I can't say anything about that of course, but for now, her Chapter 9 storyline should be nice at the very least. And Alys is someone whom I am equally happy about. The interesting thing is, a lot about her storyline wasn't planned from the beginning of this chapter. I even played with the thought of leaving her out of this chapter entirely, but it seems I did the right decision with giving her a storyline. It even helped me with further inspiration for her storyline in Chapter 9 and beyond.
I'll have to be in the majority here and say Maya. I thought she would kick some Ser Rodrik Stone butt but it looks like she was the one who got fooled. Besides Knightfang gone and Irving's return, it seemed too short to end.
Yeah, I fully agree there. Maya was the one storyline I am not happy about in this chapter. Her main event, the escape of Rodrik, wasn't really as big as I wanted it to be and other than that, I simply had nothing to do for her. This should change in the future though
Oh my...where do I start? The lighthouse scene was my #1 favourite. I really tensed up in the ensuing fight between Alysanne and Raenna. I'm really sad to hear about the outcomes of these two lovable characters but at least they will not be forgotten (even though I refuse to believe Raenna is dead... or I'm just in denial ). Same goes for the fights at the tavern; particularly the one involving Ser Rodrik Stone. On the brighter side, he's one less threat to deal with now. The assassination attempt on Argella was really freaky (RIP Jax Montclair. We'll all miss you). Last but not least the finale of course. Mullendore looks like crap. Oh boy, I hope Orys finds him and gives him a sucker punch to the face!
Indeed, neither Alysanne nor Raenna will be forgotten in Book 2 and their influence will drive Kersea's actions heavily. As I have said to Agent, we'll learn about one important detail on Alysanne's past in Book 2, whereas Raenna has left her own impression on Kersea. But more about that later. I am happy you enjoyed the lighthouse scene. It was one of the longest planned scenes in the entire story and I have hoped for it to be one of the central scenes in the chapter. With Mullendore... well, given his current condition, Orys would probably kill him with a sucker punch. That said, Chapter 9 will hold one rather painful scene for Mullendore, I can promise you that much.
Really looking forward to seeing Jaron and Harpy again. I feel like it was unfortunate not seeing them this chapter since they play prominent roles in the series. It was like a big piece of the puzzle was missing. Thankfully though, that piece will be put back.
I agree. They and the Oldtown storyline in general have been a major part of the story for the past 7 chapters, so it felt weird to not be able to write anything for them for so long and it was one of the things I was rather unhappy about when I realized that there was no way around it, as such parts would have felt out of place when compared to the feeling I wanted to build up with this chapter. Both will play an important part in Chapter 9 though!
RIP Saerya Waters x Frizzle Shizzle
Oh yes, poor Festival Snoke. It would have been better for him to go after her. Saerya's reaction will be interesting though. As much as she mainly used him for her plans, she's not as cold as Sherryl, who sacrificed Harris without giving a damn, so there's definitely going to be some conflict for her soon.
Really looking forward to the new locations we'll see in Book 2. That includes the North with Ser Edrick and the gang.
Actually, Edrick won't be featured in the North for the time being. During their absence in Chapter 8, he and his group travelled south and they will reappear somewhere in the northern Riverlands next time we see them. I can hint at two new northern storylines (one of them being even more northern than the other ), but Edrick's path will lead him to the south, as he tries to follow Alys' trail through the Riverlands. Though I plan to explore plenty of other locations as well. Essos of course, where several storylines will be set, there will be something for Dorne, we'll see more of the Vale and the Stormlands and the Riverlands will return as well. The only region I have no plans of showing until Book 3 are the Iron Islands.
I'd like to know what Lady Helenys has in store for Willfred (given what Aren mentioned to him)
Helenys indeed has plans for Willfred. It's save to say that her own agenda has been put into some troubles with the unexpected arrival of Mullendore, but she still has big plans and is now trying to fit them into this new situation. Willfred will play a role in this as you're going to see in Chapter 9.
Argella vs. The Moggy. 1v1. Small vs large. Intelligent vs Imbecile.
This is going to be something I look forward for very much. Perhaps the most explosive part about their meeting is that they both together have about half the amount of impulse control an ordinary person should have. As you know from the preview, this scene will happen and I can't wait to write it down. It is going to be one of the earlier parts of Chapter 9, so it shouldn't be too far away.
My god! What an amazing way to end this finale. No words could possibly describe it so I'll just use this gif:
Anyways on to the ques… moretions!
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Hmmmm. There were too many characters I enjoyed reading in this chapter but I'll definitely add the fallen heroes to my favourites such as Hackor Nathamer, Jax Montclair, and Federal Snob. Seriously, with Mullendore in power now, I'm really, REALLY going to miss having Hackor around. I think Behara deserves a place here too since she's always been a sidelined character and now we get to actually know her a little better regarding the relationship between her and Temari. Also does the girl who saved Garthon's life count?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I'd have to say Sherryl takes the cake here. Grrrrrr. I can't stand her. I know she didn't promise anything to Torvin but if you think about it, she helps the Ironborn ou… [view original content]
Vaasrand without a doubt, I don't dig the whole Geralt thing. It probably doesn't help that I don't even like the Witcher series to begin with. And I'm not such a big fan of John, it's just his personality, he's too crass for my taste.
Gasp You don't like the Witcher series? In all seriousness, I understand the problem. It's probably mostly the result of me not having the room to properly develop Vaasrand beyond the Witcher jokes, though his role in Book 2 has been planned for a while to be quite larger, so you might warm up to him there. With John, I understand it as well, though I am not sure if this will change. Being crass is a part of his character and it might arguably only get stronger now that he is away from Janae, who kept him at least a little bit in line.
Sadie's, because she was just so far away from everyone else. And I guess Richard's, I've never been a big fan of his character (I prefer his daughter) and his story was a little bit dull compared to the others. Also Willfred's storyline was not as exciting as the others, probably because there wasn't a lot of deaths XD
Yeah, I get the problem with Sadie. She was intentionally designed to start a bit away from the others and I think this chapter showed it even more, where she was the only PoV outside of Raylansfair. She will get ties to other storylines in the near future and Chapter 9 should offer an early hint to this. Richard's was not the longest storyline in this chapter, as well as not the most eventful, especially compared to some of the others, though maybe you will enjoy him more now that he will get heavy ties to Kersea's storyline, as well as to other characters he previously hasn't interacted with all that much. And Willfred's Book 2 storyline will hold its fair share of death, that's something I can promise
This one is hard to choose, but I think the lighthouse fight and the wildfire is definitely one of them. I think Abbas finally showing his true colors, and killing Ando is another moment that is really memorable to me. And Torvin's last part, it was a great way to send off one of the first POV characters.
That Abbas scene is something I am quite happy to see among your favourites. I wasn't sure if it would leave an impression, but apparently it did and it was a very important part for Abbas, who is going to be a very important character in Book 2.
Truly, I think this chapter has been the best of the entire story so far. You really raised the bar for yourself with this one, I hope Chapter 9 can keep up with this kind of writing, and body count. Although it is sad, I love seeing characters get killed off in meaningful ways that drives the story forward, especially the well developed ones cause it has more of an impact.
Ah, I will try my best to live up to the expectations I have brought up with this chapter. I don't know how much Chapter 9 will deliver. That might be like comparing The Rains of Castamere to Mhysa from Season 3 of the show. One thing I won't keep up that severely is the body count. If I kill off 15+ characters each chapter, I won't have any left to write about in Book 3 and it would arguably lessen the impact of their deaths. It made a lot of sense in this chapter and I can absolutely promise that several chapters in the future will hold a similar body count, but there will be some chapters, like Chapter 9, that won't kill off that many characters, especially as it wouldn't be all that meaningful in the situations I have planned for the near future. But the deaths that will happen next will be important, they will be big and they should, hopefully, leave a lot of impact, so be assured that I at least plan to maintain the quality of death, if not necessarily the quantity, at least not in every single chapter
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Ahh, there are simply way too many. I feel like in this chapter, a lot of characters shi… morened. But I have to give it to my girl Alysanne (RIP), and the Breaker Bros (RIP Torvin). Sasha and Samantha is also a duo I greatly enjoy.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Vaasrand without a doubt, I don't dig the whole Geralt thing. It probably doesn't help that I don't even like the Witcher series to begin with. And I'm not such a big fan of John, it's just his personality, he's too crass for my taste.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Torvin and Kersea's were standouts for me. But almost all the POVs in this chapter were extremely interesting.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Sadie's, because she was just so far away from everyone else. And I guess Richard's, I've never been a big fan of his character (I prefer his daughter)… [view original content]
Well, that was kind of dramatic finale and bloody chapter in general. I liked it a lot.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I liked a lot Drent parts, since Argella was prett badass in them.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Maya was somehow invisible in this Chapter, I also did not enjoy that much John's parts. As for Vasaard, whom lots of people mentioned, I guess he would be taken more easily if he would not resemble Geralt that much... even hair color matches if I reckon. Those Witcher lines did not help as well.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I liked whole picture in general, which you presented. The battlefield and fights was nice change for previous chapters - of course there we had some of fighting as well, but not as much as in this chapter. And so much death... which needed to appear in such circumstances. Storylines were engaging and emotional and this is what I've liked a lot.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Every storyline was interesting in bigger or smaller part, so I will leave this blank.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Hard to choose, since they were few. I guess the coolest one was... heck, cannot decide. The final fight of Alysanne and Harris was pretty epic, same as the moment when the castle was floated with enemies and one man standing slaughtered them down.
Is there anything you disliked?
Not really.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
I liked a lot Drent parts, since Argella was prett badass in them.
Aye, she was and will be in future parts as well I'm pretty happy with the positive reaction the character received, as Argella is going to remain a central part of Drent's storyline, who himself is going to remain a central PoV (or will become one, if he isn't already).
Maya was somehow invisible in this Chapter, I also did not enjoy that much John's parts. As for Vasaard, whom lots of people mentioned, I guess he would be taken more easily if he would not resemble Geralt that much... even hair color matches if I reckon. Those Witcher lines did not help as well.
The fact that everyone has the same least favourites helps a lot, this is honestly great! I know I need to give more to Maya, though I am not sure if that much will change about John. I know some do enjoy him (I hope so at least), so I am not too unhappy about him staying divisive. Vaasrand meanwhile is already planned to show more sides of him. He is heavily inspired by Geralt of course and I had no room for him to show off his other traits, so I kind of went with it. But as I said before, Book 2 might change your view.
I liked whole picture in general, which you presented. The battlefield and fights was nice change for previous chapters - of course there we had some of fighting as well, but not as much as in this chapter. And so much death... which needed to appear in such circumstances. Storylines were engaging and emotional and this is what I've liked a lot.
It won't remain the only chapter with a big battle in it, although the fact that every single PoV was in one way or the other involved in the same fight (save for Sadie), is likely going to remain unique, given how much the PoV's will split up in Book 2. The storylines should very much remain emotional and engaging though, that's my main priority.
More blood, more drama and Book 2 after it. :-p
I got you there There will be more blood, there will be a lot more drama, all of it in Book 2 and in some cases in Chapter 9 already. As I said to DiverseGnu, there won't necessarily be as much death as in this chapter, since I don't want these deaths to become cheap, but I have a couple of situations planned that will kill off plenty of characters regardless, in at least one case even plenty at once. There should be a lot to look forward for!
Well, that was kind of dramatic finale and bloody chapter in general. I liked it a lot.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
… more
I liked a lot Drent parts, since Argella was prett badass in them.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Maya was somehow invisible in this Chapter, I also did not enjoy that much John's parts. As for Vasaard, whom lots of people mentioned, I guess he would be taken more easily if he would not resemble Geralt that much... even hair color matches if I reckon. Those Witcher lines did not help as well.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I liked whole picture in general, which you presented. The battlefield and fights was nice change for previous chapters - of course there we had some of fighting as well, but not as much as in this chapter. And so much death... which needed to appear in such circumstances. Storylines were engaging and emotional and this is what I… [view original content]
I can't catch a break this week. First, four of my favorite characters die at the end of Wishsong of Shannara, then two of my favorite characters die at the end of 1633, and finally, Torvin dies at the end of this. On a different note, excellent job with this chapter Liquid!
All I will say my theory was correct. I'm so proud of myself.
EDIT:
Okay so, RIP Torvin. It was quite emotional, I felt bad. Man Anturion is making it hard to like him. Still, I do. Another one of our first chapter POV's gone. Ah well, a shame. Garthon watches his brother close his eyes and drift away...
Ah yes, Sadie. Jeez, a poor decision was made. Durren Stallhart that beast. Walrus tusks. That's something unique. Not my first choice of battle armor, but I'll take it.
Ah Lucas, I was so right. So very correct. My theory concerning the actions of Maron Mullendore and Petyr Vyrwel were very accurate. Man Lucas is screwed.
He pulled the weapon out in a high arch, sending splatters of blood through the air, though he didn't get the chance to turn back towards Sa… moredie, who was kneeling on the ground, with tears streaming down her face, tears of defeat, of loss, grieving for herself and her friend, who was bleeding out on the ground. Instead, he was forced to turn to the flank of his men, who had started to fight again.
Just a second later none other than Leonard Hill broke through the ranks of the Ironborn. The blade of his axe was red with their blood and though he quickly spotted Sadie and her condition, he charged towards Durren without missing a beat. Stallhart was forced to parry and for the first time, Sadie saw him actually staggering backwards, as Leo's two-handed battleaxe clashed against both of his single-bladed axes.
The Ironborn was pushed back, though Leo stood too close to attack again. The sellsword leader didn't let this slow him down as he i… [view original content]
I also must say that I just now noticed your new avatar. After being so used to your avatar with Kenny and the flowers for, I think, two and a half years now, it's super confusing, but I like it regardless
Whoa, you're the first one who noticed. Thanks! You know, I woke up a few days ago and told myself "you need to change something in your life" so I went to the forum and changed my gravatar.
Yeah, I can see what you mean. So far, he hasn't been much more than a Geralt meme, but Book 2 should make him grow into his own character quite a bit. Hopefully you'll enjoy him better then!
It's probably because I'm either dumb or just haven't played the Witcher, but the meme has gone over my head.
That's alright. John hadn't had too many exciting things to do in a while, but well, I can assure you that you might enjoy his storyline in Book 2. I can't tell you too much about it, but about 50% of his Book 2 screentime will be through the eyes of someone else. Maybe that'll convince you to give him another chance.
Interesting! I might go back and read his chapters or at least a recap of them.
These are some nice moments indeed! The summary is something I'll have to work on in the next few days. Might be ready around the weekend, I'll announce it here when I'm done with it. The chapter was longer than planned, so I think a recap can't hurt in any way.
Good, I'll be waiting for it
And I will try my best to meet these expectations! As I said above, Chapter 9 will be equal parts pay-off and build-up, so I am not sure how amazing it will be, but there should be some scenes that will be really enjoyable, some stuff I have planned for a very long time, so I am positive I'll at least not dreadfully disappoint.
That's me after reading the finale. Goddamnit, Ted, you're worse than George Martin.
That is... good? I think? Thank you I also mus… moret say that I just now noticed your new avatar. After being so used to your avatar with Kenny and the flowers for, I think, two and a half years now, it's super confusing, but I like it regardless
Oh, that's a really hard choice. Probably Alysanne (RIP puppy), some badass guys like Hackor, Jax, Drent, also Torvin and Garthon. Jenna was quite likeable. Mathea's the best And my favourite guys, Lucas and Leonard - never get tired of them.
Ah, so many! And I ended up killing quite a number of them, I feel guilty, but at the same time, I feel happy that I managed to make them so likable before their deaths. That is far better than killing them off without any emotional response. Especially Alysanne is someone where I am proud with how that worked out, given that her death has really been met wit… [view original content]
Holy shit, what a finale! Sorry for taking a few days to reply, I was actually in the midst of replying yesterday but it was late at night so I fell asleep, lmao. What a fitting finale for such an intense, action-packed, and emotional chapter. RIP Torvin, I knew one of the Breakers were doomed for death this part and it seemed to be that Torvin was the one that bit the dust. One of the oldest and most awesome POVs, he will definitely be missed. Now, fuck Edward completely. He has now become one of my most hated and disliked characters and I hope he dies a painful, torturous death. Just makes me wonder how bad his brother that you mentioned is gonna be...
Sadie's part was insane. I usually NEVER get queasy or anything when it comes to gore, but for some reason I did feel a bit uneasy reading the part where her hand was sliced off. The way you wrote it and the way it was described was very well done, great job Liquid. Poor Dan, he was a good guy and I was starting to like him. He did not deserve that death. Baelor's death also sucked too, even though we didn't really get to know too much about him. Fuck Stallhart! I'm really curious to see how Sadie's storyline kicks off in the next chapter.
As for Lucas, I'm also very anxious to see his new storyline next chapter. Mullendore has finally reappeared and I still hate him. I'm pretty concerned as to what's going to happen there now.
As for the questions, trying to not be as biased:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I gotta say, a lot of characters shined this chapter, excluding POVs. I'm definitely gonna forget or miss a lot. I've always liked Hjalgar but he's growing on me a lot now, especially after he had that badass scene where he killed Cleaver Clint and saved Garthon. I liked Hackor too, it is a shame that he died. Argella remains one of my top favorites. I still like Alysanne despite her dying. Man, what a tragic character. Same with Jax, I've always enjoyed him and as I started to like him more he died, which always sucks.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
This is pretty easy for me. Just the obvious villains. Clayton definitely is still here, especially after he got away. Edward can now happily join my asshole list as well. I really hope he just dies, but in a painful way. Cleaver Clint, fuck him. Mullendore, yes. Sherryl, fuck you too.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Ah, I enjoyed a lot of POVs this chapter. Torvin and Garthon's were great. I knew from the beginning of the chapter that they would be good and they delivered. Kersea's storyline remains high on the list as well. I guess you can techincally add Raenna onto there too. Drent had a very enjoyable storyline to read. I have to agree that this was probably Alys's best chapter so far. I didn't enjoy it was much as the ones I previously listed but I was still invested into her storyline.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Like almost everyone else, I gotta go with Maya here. She didn't really do anything this chapter, also considering that pretty much every other POV was experiencing this epic raid and ongoing battle.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Do I have to pick one? I can't. I'm just gonna name them all. Hjalgar killed Cleaver Clint, the fight and explosion at the lighthouse, the fight with Rodrik at the tavern, Emphryus fighting all of the Ironborn raiders, Ellena confronting and escaping Abbas, and a lot more. Just a great, high intensity chapter overall.
Is there anything you disliked?
Nope, nothing. This might be one of my favorite chapters so far.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Hmmm, I don't really know. I think everything has been fine so far. The one tiny thing that I'd like to point out is the fact of occasionally having to wait quite some time for a new part of a certain storyline to be released. Of course, this is pretty much completely out of control as there are plenty of POVs that have their storylines and they obviously need to get their parts in. Other than that really, really tiny thing, this story remains phenomenal. Keep it up Liquid, I'm looking forward to next chapter a lot
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done… more and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
“What's it?”, Edrick said, as Darreth stopped his horse in front of them. The young man looked concerned, an expression he hadn't shown so far, which made it all the more unsettling. He and Dante exchanged a nervous glance, which proved to him that this behaviour was indeed not typical for Darreth. The squire took a moment to pull himself together. “I'm afraid we have a problem”, he said, pointing down the road. “You won't believe what I've seen down there”
I have a feeling it may relate to ironborn.
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “You'd do that for a man you barely know?”, she said, the hint of mockery in her voice. Jenna gave her a nod without hesitation. “I'm not looking away this time”, she stated. Before Saerya was able to answer, heavy footsteps from the corridor claimed her attention. Both women moved to the door and as Jenna put her head through, she held her breath. “Oh no...”, she mumbled, as she spotted none other than Leonard Constantine. “What's he still doing here?”
A good question indeed. I thought Leonard would be smarter than this. Stubbornness can be bad. He better not survive a battle to die some cruddy death.
Next time on Forum of Thrones
The Sphynx voice was warm, yet devoid of genuine emotion at the same time, save for the hint of joy, whic… moreh was also reflected by his eyes. “But I can't express how happy I am to have you back, my boy”, he purred, as he turned to the tools on the table. “There's no distraction now, no saviour, no bigger plan” Lucas shivered, yet the chains prevented him from moving much, if at all. When the Sphynx turned back, the joy in his eyes was reciprocated by the wide grin on Connor's face. “Think of all the songs we can sing, my friend”, he said, as he reached for a long, thin needle. “Here's one of my favourites...”
As Argella started to approach the door, she gained an almost palpable aura of anger, enough to make even Drent shiver. That was it, he realized, the moment in which someone had made the mistake of truly provoking her. The first set of guards she faced came to the same conclusion and they didn't even… [view original content]
Comments
Oh yeah, his scene last chapter was pretty darn great. Real heart throbber, but I do kinda wish that his confirmation was done by someone who at least knew him, that way there would have been some emotion and heart break. Drent kinda just looked at him and went on with his Jax sorrow. But I'm excited to see Arthur and Aditha's reaction to this development. Grim, exciting times indeed.
This part of the chapter was very well done. Besides the occasional typo, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The implications of this seem important and what they are have yet to be seen. Argella is growing up, and hopefully she will follow Jax's example at least in the way she leads her men. Jax was a great character and I really like him. Without the soldiers' leader, I wonder if Drent might step up into a more leadership like role.
I don't really regret Hackor dying. I am okay with the way it played out. Having Arthur go out to try and end Wolfius once and for all. If he succeeds then he can say that he at least avenged his father. I think it is hilarious that he never really got that daddy's approval . So he'll never know if this was what Hackor wanted. It would definitely be interesting to see Hackor take a injured war hero role where he teaches the younglings how to properly take leadership as he slowly adjusts to his role in the background. But now he can be the standard Arthur and probably a lot in the guardsmen hold themselves too. But the next guard commander will look as fly as Hackor did with his nice green armor and gruff ,middle age charm. Still wish we didn't help those snot nosed brats though.
I get what you mean. Though I assure you, emotion and heartbreak will come, this was really just meant to be this confirmation of his fate for the readers. The characters who know him mostly don't know of his death yet and we'll get to see them, especially Arthut and Aditha, reacting to it in the early Chapter 9, which should be more the scene you have hoped for.
A typo? Inconceivable! Though I have to be extra careful with my keyboard, ever since the e and d keys don't properly work anymore. Maybe it's time for a new one. But yes, I can confirm that this part is going to be important and Jax' death will have a big effect on the way Argella and Drent will develop as characters. A leadership role for Drent? Quite in the realms of possible, to be honest.
The ironic thing is, at least in my own interpretation of it, Arthur actually gained Hackor's approval all along. The problem was, there are different types of approval for different aspects. As Hackor himself said, Arthur has many good qualities, he acknowleged and approved of them all along. But it was exactly because of these qualities that Arthur was unable to ever gain the sort of approval he sought for. He wanted to be acknowleged as a member of the city guard, but Hackor always considered him unsuited for that job. He actually had a point as well, because Arthur's peaceful nature and reluctance to use violence can be a big problem in a society where law enforcement usually requires some amount of force. In our modern society, Arthur would make a great community worker and these talents have been approved by Hackor, but he never approved of Arthur's wish to be a member of the city guard, because in his opinion, by becoming a good guardsman Arthur would have to give up on these aspects of his personality, something Hackor never wanted him to do. It's tragic that he was unable to put these thoughts into words and even more tragic that Arthur is likely never going to fully realize this. However, one thing is for sure, the next guard commander won't be as great as Hackor was. I know whom it will be, I know there will be green armour involved, but there won't be much of Hackor's charm. This next commander will be very much his own person.
[Find Janae and Behara first]
Poor Jax. At least his family will be taken care of and he didn't have to suffer. I know who did it but I'm curious what kind of wounds she has to deal with and how she'll cover it up from Argella and the gang.
I see the manticore was put to good use after all.
The Voting is closed!
John is going to find Janae and Behara first
This was actually a very important choice for the future of John's storyline. As you know, there's bad stuff happening at the tavern and at Janae's spot, with both, Jaro and Temari being involved in it, through the death of I'lian and the taking of Behara. Even if neither can be prevented by this choice, Jaro and Temari don't know that, which will mean that the one that didn't got chosen here might end up blaming John for what happened to his sibling. That said, I would have chosen to go find Janae and Behara first and it is the option that fits the best with my plans for the future, so I'm really happy with this outcome.
The next part is hopefully, maybe, with a bit of luck, going to be out today. It won't be an ordinary part. As you may know, it is... THE CHAPTER FINALE!
Yes, that's right, after months of writing, the current chapter is finally coming to an end. I'm having some other things to do and write today, so I might not be able to finish it before going to sleep, but since I have no university for the next few weeks, I'll be having plenty of time to write all night if I choose so. Torvin's PoV is already finished, Sadie's shall follow soon and I probably don't need too long for Lucas' PoV , but ultimately, we'll see how much progress I make. The part will be done at latest by tomorrow. And what a part it will be, hehehe
This chapter finale will feature many things. PoV's from Torvin, Sadie and Lucas, detailing the final stages of their respective battles. There will be shocking twists, betrayal, death, dismemberment, everything you expect from a worthy chapter finale to the single most bloody chapter in all of FoT. It'll also feature good things of course. For example, there's a surprising act of kindness for one character, which I enjoyed writing a lot. There's also heroism, for the better or worse. And, as a little bonus, it'll feature one of my favourite songs ever at the very end. So, prepare, but most importantly, enjoy it
Torvin
For a moment, Torvin had to stop in front of the city square. “This is it!”, he growled and his voice was carried far, silencing his men at once. “The final fight. Show no mercy to them, for they won't show you any either. Remember who they are. False men, praying to false gods and following false kings. Tonight, you shall prove or worth to the Drowned God, the only one that matters!” He obeserved the tiny, desperate remains of the city guard that had managed to retreat there. His men outnumbered them five to one. This wouldn't be a battle. This would be pest control.
“Onwards!”, he yelled, pointing his axe at the square. They were close to taking all of it, he felt it. A strange feeling swept through him. It wasn't hope, it wasn't joy, but something that came close to relief. He'd live for another day. So would Garthon. With a stern expression, he lowered his axe and his men, howling with a hunger for battle that was barely satisfied from the bloodshed of the past hours. “Take this city”, he growled in a low tone.
And they did. His raiders advanced quickly and without showing mercy. The city guard, decimated from the ongoing battle, was no match for them. Torvin himself limped closer, his wounds preventing him from joining this final assault from the frontlines. It irked him, although his men didn't seem bothered by it. Their loyalty surprised him. It was more than he deserved.
What was even more surprising was their bravery. Torvin had seen many raiders, but few as determined as his current crew. They likely would return to the ships eventually, but for now, they remained by his side despite the massive explosion that had torn the sky apart just minutes ago. The noise from the blast still rung in his ears and one of the green balls of fire had crashed into a house not too far away from his position, the green fire spreading faster than the normal one did. It was the first time Torvin had seen Wildfire in action and he prayed to the gods that it would remain the last one.
With a grim expression, he glanced to the houses that lined the streets. His men were busy with breaking down the doors. To his right, one raider dragged a woman out of the building, a lustful grin on his face. Behind him, one of his companions carried a crate through the door, while another man opened a bottle of wine he found somewhere. Torvin narrowed his eyes a this last sight, though he did not intervene. The time to celebrate would come later, for them at least.
Realizing that he wouldn't be able to be of much help in a fight, Torvin limped towards one of the buildings. He was glad he was able to walk on his own again, though he noticed that Bullister kept close regardless. The silent executioner kept somewhat behind him and his presence caused him great discomfort, yet Torvin lacked the strength to do something against this constant threat.
His men noticed him as he approached and they stopped breaking down the door. One of them, a short, lanky guy, gave him a nod. “Captain”, he said in a mumbling tone that made his words barely audible. “Would you do us the honour?” He pointed at the door. Torvin gave him a pained smile and put a hand onto his damaged ribs. “I doubt I can do that right now”, he said. “But I'd loot the house with you”
This seemed to satisfy the man, who brought his axe own onto the door. “You heard him!”, he shouted over the sound of splintering wood. “Save the best for the captain!” The door gave in and the Ironborn poured into the building, though they respectfully helped Torvin, by allowing him to enter it first.
The first thing he saw was the luxurious living room he entered. Somewhere inside of him, the part of him that still found joy in raiding cheered at this sight. His men did so openly, with howling laughter. The first of them threw himself at a large cupboard, from which he pulled out fine silverware. Torvin had no eyes for that. Carefully, he looked around for traces of the former inhabitants of this building.
While his men moved through the ground floor, Torvin was the first to approach the set of stairs that led upstairs. There was a handrail, which was highly convenient to help him up these stairs. Still, he groaned and panted, as he reached the upper floor, his face a grimace of pain. He was no expert on the topic, but this was worse than the wounds he had suffered before. This time, Torvin wouldn't be surprised if there would be long-term damage. That blasted horse got him badly and he was, for a given value of the term, lucky to still be alive.
Using his axe, he pushed the first door open, revealing a small, dark bedroom. He glanced around, seeing nothing of particular interest, so he left it for his men, the first of which already climbed the stairs behind him. The next room was larger and therefore gained his curiosity far more. It was yet another bedroom, but more brightly lit, with the shimmer of the fires outside illuminating it quite well through large windows.
Torvin stepped into the room and the first thing that caught his attention was the large silver bowl that stood on the small cupboard. With a grin, he reached for it, when he saw something else in the corner of the room. He narrowed his eyes, though he still grabbed the bowl. Turning around, he tossed it to one of his men who was just about to enter the room. “I got this one”, he said, as the man caught the bowl with a grin. “Aye, Captain”, he replied, as he moved on to the next room.
Now, Torvin had the time to fully focus on that other thing he saw. Limping around another cupboard, he looked down and right into the face of a young child. Boy or girl was hard to make out in the dim light, but what he saw where widely opened eyes, blue and full of fear, as well as blonde hair, cut at the shoulder.
Neither said a thing, as captain and child just looked at each other. From the hallway, Torvin heard the sound of his men climbing the stairs. “Can you believe they just left this?”, one voice asked. “They gotta be here somewhere, or they have to be the most stupid rich people I've ever seen” Another man laughed. “Staying would be even more stupid”, he argued, which caused approving murmurs from the man around him.
Torvin looked away from the door and back to the child, which was shivering by now. He wasn't sure what moved him there, but with a sigh, he put a finger onto his lips. Then, he reached around, grabbing a thin blanket from the bed behind him. With a quick movement, he threw it on top of the child, hiding it completely. The last thing he saw of it was the small, hopeful smile on its face.
Just a second later, one of his men entered the room. He looked around, seeing the captain, but paying no further attention to the shapeless mass that was covered by the blanket. “I got this one”, Torvin said and the man gave him a nod, before he moved out again. Torvin tensed up as he looked at the hidden child again. Then, he moved to the hallway again.
“Alright, men!”, he yelled. “This is enough. The boys at the frontlines need you! Fight now and fight well and I shall give you more riches than you can imagine!” The cheering that followed was less enthusiastic as before, but the Ironborn followed the order, at least Torvin hoped they would. Murmuring something, they moved past him, allowing him to be the last one who left the upper floor.
The first of his men had already left the house as Torvin followed. He wasn't the last to leave, but one of the last and as he stepped out onto the street, he noticed that a significant part of the central square was under their command already. From there on, he spotted the large road that would lead them up to the castle. Maybe it was even under their control already, if the woman from earlier had told him the truth.
Stepping past the bodies of the city guard, which outnumbered the bodies of his own dead, Torvin glanced around. Of course, Bullister was still there, even if the executioner had waited for him outside instead of following him into the house. Considering what he had found, Torvin was glad he had been given a bit of privacy.
There was another familiar face and one he hadn't expected. With a large cut on his face and a bleeding wound near his shoulder, Edward Anturion looked a lot worse than usual, which made him a far more welcome sight, but Torvin still grew more careful as the pirate approached him. The man that murdered George. The man that single-handedly prevented the death of Harren Hoare. For that alone, Torvin would never see him as anything but an enemy.
“Captain Breaker”, Anturion greeted him with a nod. Behind him walked the crossbowman, Carvin, who was bleeding out of his nose. A third man was there as well, one of his raiders. With a sigh, Torvin glanced at Bullister, noting that the shared presence of both, pirate and executioner, made him highly nervous. “Bullister, why don't you go and help the others for a moment?”, he asked. “I'd like some privacy if I'm to speak to Captain Anturion”
To his surprise, the executioner agreed to his order with a mere nod, as he turned to the distant fighting. Firmly holding his massive axe, he approached the combatants, as Torvin looked back at Anturion. “What is it?”, he asked and his ton sounded every bit as angry as he was. “If you haven't noticed, we're about to take the city, without your help”
Anturion didn't even offer him as much as an apologizing smile. Instead, he glanced at the raider. “You're doing no such thing, Captain”, he replied. “You have lost already, you just haven't noticed it” He gave the raider a nod and the man took a step forwards, clearly nervous. “There's... reinforcements coming for the city. They are about to crash through the southern gate. The bandits have already retreated to the ships and we...”
He was silenced by Anturion, who raised his hands. “And I intend to do the same. With as many Ironborn as we can get” Torvin narrowed his eyes at these news. “You want me to retreat?”, he asked and spat on the ground. “Fuck you then. There will be no running away from the battlefield, reinforcements or not. We are about to take the castle”
Again, Anturion shook his head. “You aren't”, he claimed. “You won't be fast enough until these reinforcements are there. They have cavalry. I don't have to remind you what cavalry would mean to you now, have I?” Torvin clenched his fists. “You can retreat and I won't stop you”, he said. “But don't you dare to give me orders”
This time, Anturion just sighed. “Captain, I'm not sure if you understand, but I need your men to get away from here. I can't move the ship on my own”, he said. “Sound the retreat already. Once their reinforcements have arrived, it'll be too late” Just as he said this, Torvin heard the distant sound of horns. He tensed up, realizing that they were none of his own. Perhaps there was some truth to Anturion's words after all. One of his hands moved to his belt, where his horn was dangling. If he'd blow it, his men would know. They would retreat, abandon this fight and live.
After a moment of consideration, he shook his head. “I cannot retreat”, he said, as memories flashed through his mind. Garthon, Clarisse, they depended on him and on his will to continue this fight. He would not retreat and he wouldn't bow to any army, much less to this pirate, this cowardly Greenlander. “Flee with my blessing, but speak no further of this”
Anturion narrowed his eyes. “You thick-headed fool”, he spat and a low growl came out of Torvin's head. “Your refusal to accept defeat has brought you into this situation in the first place. How can you be so daft to think that fighting on is a good thing here? It's not only your life at stake, but all of our...!”
He did not manage to continue, as Torvin cut him off by grabbing him at the collar of his shirt. Deliberately applying pressure onto the man's fresh wound, Torvin lifted him up, a move that caused his bones to ache. He glared at him. “I said, no more!”, he growled. “I have a fight to lead and no time to listen to your insults. Get out of my sight!” He let go of Anturion, who staggered backwards. “So be it...”, the pirate mumbled.
Torvin saw the murderous look in Anturion's eyes a moment too late. His hand moved to his axe, though he wasn't fast enough. Despite his wound, Anturion had a wicked speed and just a second later, pain erupted in Torvin's chest.
His eyes widened, but all that came out of his throat was a gasp, as the axe sank from his weak hands. Finally, his legs gave in and he sank to the ground, while Anturion pulled the knife from his chest again. The pirate looked almost apologetic, as he knelt, helping him to lie down almost gently. Torvin tried to say something, but all that came out of his throat was gurgling, which only made the pain worse. Tears started to form in his eyes.
“What the...?”, the Ironborn that had brought the message exclaimed, but he didn't get any further, as the crossbowman put a bolt straight in his head. “I am sorry, Captain Breaker”, Anturion said, as he pulled the horn from Torvin's belt. “You should have just sounded the retreat, as I have asked of you” He put the horn to his mouth and blew it, producing a long, loud and deep tone. Putting it away again, he raised from the ground. “But I won't die here for your foolishness”
The noise caused confusion in the ranks of Torvin's men. Only few did the extra work to look for the source of the noise. Most of them acted as they knew. They abandoned the fight. They retreated, not in an orderly fashion, but as fast as possible, with every man for themselves. The city guard, massively outnumbered in one moment, managed to finally hold their ground again.
Worse than that was that the sound was answered from the distance. The horns of the enemy reinforcements, they came closer. Taking a breath, Torvin noticed how heavy his chest was all of a sudden. His breath was but a weak, wheezing sound, as Anturion glanced at the bloody knife in his hand.
This was it. Torvin felt that he was dying. What surprised him was how easily he accepted it. The pain was strictly physical. From an emotional standpoint, he felt almost... relieved. Still, the fighter inside of him instinctively tried to reach for the axe, though without a proper breath, he was too weak to even lift it.
“TORVIN!”, a familiar voice sounded. Torvin moved his head into the direction of the one that called. Garthon ran down the square, a sword in his hand, raising it far above his head, as he charged towards Anturion. “No...”, Torvin managed to gasp. The pirate nearly gave his crossbowman a nod and a moment later, a bolt flew through the air. Garthon was hit near the shoulder, with such a force that he tumbled over as he fell to the ground, not too far away from his brother.
Once again, the horns sounded, much closer than before. Anturion and Torvin exchanged one last look, which the pirate used to send him a smirk. It was in this moment that Torvin hoped there would be a hell, just so that he could crush this man for all eternity. He sent a quick, voiceless prayer to the Drowned God that Anturion wouldn't leave this city alive, though as he watched him slipping through the ranks of the fleeing Ironborn, he had no hope that this would happen.
“Torvin...”, Garthon gasped and Torvin saw how his brother continued to move. The bolt had tore through the flesh of his shoulder and his face was a mask of pain, as he crawled towards him. In response, Torvin only managed a grunt, as breathing became harder and harder. By now, dark spots began to dance in front of his eyes. “Hnngh... Gar... thon”, he gasped.
“Stay calm, brother!”, Garthon uttered, as he reached him. With a groan, he lifted himself to a kneeling position, so that he could examine the wound. The worry on his face sent tears to Torvin's eyes. “Flee...”, he pressed out. Instantly, Garthon shook his head. “Don't be ridiculous”, he said, forcing a smile on his face. “I'm not leaving you. We'll get out of this together”
Torvin already felt light-headed, though what was intended to be a chuckle turned into something much worse, as he ended up coughing violently, feeling how his own blood soiled his beard. This sent a new shockwave of pain through his entire chest and Garthon's visible panic grew. “Don't leave me, brother”, he said. “What am I supposed to tell Clarisse?”
Mentioning her caused Torvin to sigh. He could almost see her, beyond the darkness that rapidly clouded his vision. She was dead, he knew it. If she had ever survived the loss of their child, Harren had her killed the moment the raiders left Harrenhal. It had been a fool's hope, quite fitting for Torvin Breaker. Now, he found relief in the knowledge that he'd be with her soon and with their child.
The horns sounded yet again, even closer and Ironborn who had fled down the southern road already came back running. He wasn't sure if the sound he heard was heavy beating of his own heart, or the distant drumming of horses.
“Flee”, he said again and once more, Garthon shook his head. “Only with you”, he said, as he glanced to the way he came from. “Hjalgar, over here!”, he yelled. The hunter came rushing towards them and despite the rate at which everything grew dulled and numb around him, Torvin noticed that something had changed about him. He seemed more determined than before, ready to take on the world.
“Torvin!”, he exclaimed as he saw him. Rushing towards them, there was fear on Hjalgar's face, but mostly anger. He noticed the bolt in Garthon's shoulder, though focussed mostly on Torvin's wound. “Hjalgar, we have to get him out of here”, Garthon urged him.
Perhaps Hjalgar simply had a more realistic view on the situation, but it only took him a moment to shake his head. “Garthon, there's nothing we can do for him”, he said. The finality with which he said this still came somewhat shocking for Torvin. Death... it was perhaps the only thing he wasn't fighting anymore at this point. Still, it felt surreal. The loss of blood and gradual numbing of his senses did the rest.
It was then that he saw the riders in the distance. They were many, hundreds of them. They could have beaten his raiders at full force on their own, even without the horses. Galloping down the main street, they left a bloody path were they had been, trampling down every Ironborn who didn't manage to save himself.
“Garthon, we have to go!”, Hjalgar hissed. Out of the corner of his eyes, Torvin saw Tedyn and the few raiders who hadn't fled, as they were about to ready themselves for a fight they couldn't win. His brother shook his head. “No, NO!”, he barked. “I won't leave him, I can't!”
Torvin managed to take another breath, knowing that it was his last. He gasped, his eyes shooting wide open, though he didn't saw more than the blurry faced of Hjalgar and Garthon. His brother was shouting something, but he didn't even hear it anymore. He barely felt his hands on his shoulder, shaking him, begging him to stay awake. The irony was not lost on him. In the end, Torvin Breaker, a warrior with iron blood, a fighter for his entire life, drifted away peacefully. Gently, he closed his eyes, as darkness embraced him.
Sadie
The choice was made in the brink of a second. She would save Dan, this was out of question. For all the times he had her back. A true friend to the end, no matter how bitter or sweet it would be. If this would mean leaving Baelor, then it had to be this way. But she wouldn't give up on Dan now, not after all they have been through.
Sadie pushed forwards, past the fighters and towards the merchant, who clumsily defended himself against his opponent. While she ran, she noticed how bad the fight went for her group. The Ironborn blocked the main host, consisting of Leo's and Edward's groups. Baelor was locked into a deadly duel with the raid leader, unable to command his men, who were desperately fighting for survival by now. It was clear, she and Dan had to get out of there now.
Having grabbed her sword with both hands, she heavily pushed it through the back of the raider that had almost killed Dan. Her friend lowered his sword in surprise, though a glad smile formed on his face. “Sadie, you...”, he started, though she cut him off. “We have to run!”, she growled. “Stay close to me and we might make it both out of this alive”
She threw a glance over her shoulder and what she saw caused her to gulp. Durren had basically won the fight. Baelor was still struggling, though he had lost his weapon. Now, all he managed to do was to push away the axe that the raider tried to push into his face, while the other axe heavily slammed against his chestplate, over and over again. Each hit sent a metallic echo across the general noise of the battle and Baelor grew weaker at a steady pace. But Sadie was too far away to help. She had made her decision.
“Come on!”, she barked, as she dragged Dan with her, down the way they had come from. Baelor's soldiers were still fighting there, keeping a narrow alleyway open amid the blood and steel. They started to run and Sadie had to realize that this narrow alleyway wouldn't suffice. Behind her, one of the Ironborn broke through and the only reason she did not die in this moment was another fighter, who took a step back, not knowing that he'd also take the hit meant for her.
Once again glancing around, Sadie noticed that it was the same all around her. The Ironborn were winning, perhaps not the entire battle, but at least this part of it. Unknowingly, Blane had sent her into the worst part of the entire battlefield, the one where the enemy was stronger. Not even Leo and Edward, slowly pushing back their opponents, were able to help her here.
When the next Ironborn broke through, Sadie stood in front of him, parrying his blade, before delivering a fierce kick to his knee. He staggered, which she used to grab his forearm with one hand, using the other to push her sword through his lower chest. The man gurgled and went to the ground, but he proved one thing to Sadie. There was no escape, not for her.
Almost feeling the breath of the raider behind her, she pushed Dan forwards. “RUN!”, she screamed. “I'LL KEEP THEM OFF, JUST RUN!” The merchant threw her a surprised glance, but she didn't kept eye contact long enough to find out if he followed her order. Instead, she turned around at once, to face the raider that had pursued her.
The man gave her an ugly grin, revealing brown, pathetic stumps instead of teeth, but the axe he sent down upon her came with quite some force. Sadie had learnt early that she wouldn't win against such an enemy, not by using pure strength. The Storm King's army had a way of teaching her tricks to overcome such an obstacle.
Jumping to the side, Sadie slammed her left hand into the man's stomach, taking advantage of his lack of armour. Not even chainmail was protecting his flesh and her fist hit him hardly, pressing the air out of his lungs, while his axe cut into nothing. His momentary pain opened an opportunity for her to end him, by slicing through his neck.
He fell to the ground, revealing Durren Stallhart, who still hammered his axe down onto the dented steel that protected Baelor's chest. The soldier's body had gotten lifeless, his hand sinking down, finally unable to stop the other axe. With a loud roar, Durren brought it down onto his head, splitting his face in half.
That was not enough though. Not letting go of Baelor's dead body, he continued to slam the axe into the soldier's face, spraying blood all over himself. Sadie's attention was claimed by one of the other Ironborn, who used this opportunity to charge at her. She blocked the strike, before pushing her sword closer, allowing her to slice through the man's throat.
Just a moment later, she was forced to dodge a high strike, that was aimed at decapitating her. Without missing a beat, she rammed her shoulder into the chest of the Ironborn that had attacked her, pushing the man backwards. She might not have been as strong as him, but she was a lot faster, as she jumped back, slicing the tip of her blade through his belly in the process, before he was even able to react.
The man was dead, leaving her open to lock eyes with Durren Stallhart. The leader of the raid finally let go of Baelor and the dead soldiers sank to the ground, as his men closed in on them, leaving only enough room for a fight in closest combat.
The surrounding Ironborn were not silent. They were chanting, in a low, ghastly tone that sent shivers down Sadie's spine. Stallhart turned towards her, blood still dripping down the blades of both axes. Blood had splattered across his entire breastplate, even onto the long, narrow tusks that were attached to the bevor of his armour. It was not enough to fulfil the thirst of blood that was in his eyes. “Durren! Durren! Durren! Durren!”, his men chanted, as Sadie tightly grabbed her sword, her hands shaking in fear. Stallhart slammed his axes together, before pointing both of them right at her.
His attempt to charge was cut short by one of the remaining soldiers, who got in the way, possibly in the foolish attempt to stop him. Durren made short work of him. One of his axes parried the strike, the other one hit the soldier's head from the side, heavy enough to kill the man with a single blow.
Barely slowed down, he continued to charge and Sadie readied her blade. The next Rock soldier was even less of a threat. Stallhart lowered his head, using the tusks on his armour to lift the man up in the air. When he landed again, the raiders finished him swiftly.
Then, Stallhart had reached her. Sadie knew she'd have little change to parry his attacks, yet there wasn't enough room to evade the strike yet, so she clenched her teeth, as she raised her sword for his first attack. It came heavily and with the strength of two or even three men, as he brought down one of his axes upon her.
Sadie held against it, gasping with pain as she managed to keep her sword in her hand. Immediately, she was forced to parry again, this time the other axe, which came down with even more force. When she parried the third strike, she knew she could win like this.
She kept her blade locked for a moment, staring at Durren Stallhart. His armour hid half of his face, yet the eyes were clearly visible and they glared at her, not with hatred, not with anger, but with something much worse, with cold professionalism. Yet this gave her the opening she had been waiting for. Swiftly, she managed to weasel past him, without his axes hitting her.
From behind him, she tried to stab him, hoping to hit a weak spot in his thick armour. This time, Stallhart was too fast for her. He spun around, slamming the hilt of his left axe against the centre of her chest. The blow was enough to stun her for a second, as she staggered backwards. It was sheer luck that his second strike missed her.
Sadie regained her senses when she bumped into the Ironborn. Feeling their hot breaths upon her skin, she saw their leery grins. One of them was putting a hand onto her breasts, while another one used the opportunity to grab the inner side of her thighs. She struggled free from him by slamming her elbow against his face.
Hearing the Ironborn's pained screamed, she stumbled forwards again. Durren wasted no moment to attack once more. Sadie charged at him as well, hoping to gain the first hit, which could have been enough to end the fight. She did not, but what followed was worse than that.
His axe came fast, forcing her to parry. Unable to block the second strike, she took a hit, as he rammed the hilt of his axe against her forehead. She stumbled once more, dizzy and stunned from the violent strike. Through the blur, she saw Durren attacking again and she raised her sword to parry, pushing it up just a little bit too much.
Pain flared up in her arm, hot, burning pain, worse than anything she had ever felt before, quickly spreading through her entire body. Not even in the deepest corners of her mind could Sadie even imagine such pain. Her sword fell to the ground. Followed by her sword hand, together with the wrist and roughly two inches of her forearm.
Instinctively pressing her left hand onto the wound, Sadie noticed, through the unfathomable pain, what had just happened to her. Her screams, while still mostly coming from pain, grew decidedly more horrified, as blood seeped through her remaining fingers. Her gaze was focussed on the severed limb, as her screams were replaced by sobs. Fear, shock and pain beyond measure drove her, as few conscious thoughts managed to get formed in her head.
Looking up, through a veil of tears, she saw Durren Stallhart, staring mercilessly down upon her. He raised his axe and she knew it would be over. After all this time, it would be over here. Mother, Father, Melanie, she had failed them, failed herself and now she would die.
“SADIE!”, Dan's voice sounded and suddenly, she saw him, charging at Stallhart, mad worry on his face. He let out a battlecry and for a second, she saw the Ironborn raising an eyebrow, perhaps in disbelief over such a weak attack. Her own eyes widened even further, though her sore throat was unable to produce as much as a scream to warn her friend. Nonchalantly, Stallhart turned around, parrying Dan's sword with his first axe and splitting the merchant's skull with the other, whick took him barely a second.
He pulled the weapon out in a high arch, sending splatters of blood through the air, though he didn't get the chance to turn back towards Sadie, who was kneeling on the ground, with tears streaming down her face, tears of defeat, of loss, grieving for herself and her friend, who was bleeding out on the ground. Instead, he was forced to turn to the flank of his men, who had started to fight again.
Just a second later none other than Leonard Hill broke through the ranks of the Ironborn. The blade of his axe was red with their blood and though he quickly spotted Sadie and her condition, he charged towards Durren without missing a beat. Stallhart was forced to parry and for the first time, Sadie saw him actually staggering backwards, as Leo's two-handed battleaxe clashed against both of his single-bladed axes.
The Ironborn was pushed back, though Leo stood too close to attack again. The sellsword leader didn't let this slow him down as he instead closed in even further, wrapping his arm around Durren to pull him closer. In a strong hug, neither man was able to use their weapons effectively, but whereas Durren was visibly surprised by this move, it was part of Leo's strategy.
Instantly, the sellsword slammed his forehead against Durren's, hitting the painfully vulnerable part just between the raider's eyes. He did it again and once again, before lifting his arm. Blood was flowing down his forehead, though Durren looked even worse.
Before the raider was able to attack, Leo grabbed one of the tusks on his armour to pull him closer again and into another headbutt. Yanking the tusk downwards, he cleanly broke it off, holding it near the pointy end and using it like a club, which he slammed against the side of Durren's unprotected head. As the Ironborn staggered, he attacked him with the same tusk from the other side.
Without holding back, Leo started to beat the raider with the thick peace of bone, clubbing him against the head over and over, sending him back with every strike. Finally, he raised it, revealing the point end of the tusk, which he pushed down, onto Stallhart's shoulder. The armour saved the raider's life, yet the tusk still pierced through it and into the flesh.
As Durren bellowed in pain, several of his men were there to prevent Leo from ending the fight right there. They closed in on Leo, forcing him to let go of Durren, who was caught by his men, who dragged him back. As they did, Sadie heard his growling voice, for the first time during this fight. “Sound the retreat”, he snarled, as he watched Leo butchering those who got in his way. “Drive them back to the sea!”, the sellsword replied with his thundering voice.
Sadie felt a hand on her shoulder, just as someone violently yanked her around. She fell onto the ground, right onto the stump of her right arm. The pain that flared up there was even worse than before. This time, she did not scream. She barely did anything, her senses numbed, as her gaze fell upon her severed hand and the dead Dan behind it.
Then, the Ironborn that had pushed her around raised his sword, the grin on his face showing her that he tried to go for the kill. She had neither a way nor the strength to stop him. But death did not come for her. The raider's eyes widened, as several inches of steel got pushed through his chest. Behind him, Blane got into Sadie's increasingly small field of view.
“Sadie!”, he gasped, as he sank on his knees next to her. “Sadie, stay with me!” He shook her, trying to keep her awake, yet to no avail. The pain faded, just like everything else, as Sadie sank into merciful unconsciousness.
Lucas
Lucas had heard the horns, as he dragged Darren down the street that would lead him to the castle. The other knight had fallen unconscious, proving to be unable to help with his weight. Yet he was still breathing steadily, which was at least some relief for Lucas.
Harris was dead. After the explosion of the lighthouse, Lucas had no doubt about it. No man could have survived that. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that the castellan's reign had finally ended, a victim of his ambitions to the very end, or if he was sad for the long life lost. Perhaps even Harris would have deserved better than such a death.
His way led him further up the path and he groaned in exhaustion. As much as he would have liked to wait for the ones who blew these horns, he knew that he had to get Darren to the castle as fast as possible. If the gods were good, the healer would be there as well.
“Need some help?”, a voice sounded and as Lucas turned around, a smile formed on his face. “Leonard!”, he exclaimed, in surprise and relief over seeing the other knight. As his friend moved closer, Lucas notice his heavy breathing, indicating that he had ran as well and quite in a fast pace. “You... came back for me?”
Leonard gave him a nod. “I've decided it doesn't matter”, he said, as he reached for Darren, wrapping the knight's other arm around his shoulder. “Green. Yellow. Raylan. Durrandon. Friendship should be stronger than that” Together, they started to carry Darren up the path to the castle, as a smirk formed on Leonard's face. “Besides, you could have chosen worse”, he spoke. “She's quite something. I can see why you fancy her”
Instantly, Lucas' cheeks turned red. “What?”, he asked, his voice getting slightly agitated, as Leonard laughed. “Easy, Flowers, I'm just messing with you”, he said in a mocking tone. “I know she's way out of your league. Though a stately man of noble birth, such as me, she might think twice there...”
Both men started to laugh and relief filled Lucas. Leonard's laughter got cut short, when he glanced upon Darren. “What happened to him?”, he asked and Lucas sighed. “Harris”, he spoke. “He went nuts. Pushed me down, stabbed Darren and went off” Leonard's expression, previously joyful, got replaced with a dour frown. “That bloody bastard”, he spat, before he shot Lucas an apologizing glance. “No offense”
“None taken”, Lucas replied, before he sternly looked at Leonard. “Harris is dead” It took the other knight a moment to take these news in. “How?”, he finally asked. “He went to the lighthouse”, Lucas replied. “That was before the wildfire exploded”
A pained expression formed on Leonard's face. “Looks like they did me another favour after all”, he mumbled cryptically, but before Lucas was able to ask what he meant, the sound of horns was heard again, closer this time. Their mysterious saviours were shockingly close, likely just down the street, on the town square. Just a little bit higher and he might be able to catch a glimpse of them.
Lucas and Leonard dragged Darren higher up the path, as Lucas craned his neck as much as possible, glancing over the rooftops of the houses that flanked the central square. He saw fleeing men, likely Ironborn, he spotted men on horses, slowly approaching the path that would lead them up the hill and he saw...
His eye widened and he nearly dropped Darren in this moment. “Len...”, he mumbled and his friend turned towards him, noticing the shocked expression on his face. A frown formed on his. “What's the matter, Flowers?”, he asked and Lucas sighed. “Len, I want you to take Darren”
Now, the frown on Leonard's face got mixed with confusion. “A bit clearer please?”, he sighed and Lucas looked down the road again. “Take Darren and go”, he ordered. “Block the gate. Lower the portcullis. Let nobody through, especially not these riders. Speak to Argella, she knows what to do, she'll help you” He narrowed his single eye. “I'll buy you time”
Leonard smiled at him in disbelief. “Flowers have you lost your mind?”, he asked. “Now come on, what's the damn matter?” Instead of answering, Lucas pointed down the road, where the first bannrs have gotten into view. There were two of them. A banner of black and red, showing a silver wyvern on top. An next to is, on a white ground, six black and orange butterflies.
“Fuck...”, Leonard gasped. “Oh fuck...” He and Lucas exchanged an alarmed glare, though Lucas regained his composure first. “Go!”, he spat, as he took a step away from Darren, forcing Leonard to carry the entire weight of the knight on his own, knowing fully well that this would make him less likely to argue. He'd do anything to convince Leonard to run in this moment, anything.
The other knight shook his head. “You have lost your mind!”, he stated. “Come on, I won't leave you. Not to this men. To these men, I won't!” Lucas shook his head with a sigh. “We won't make it”, he said. “They are already too close. I'll have to buy you time!”
Once again, Leonard protested. “Cut the crap, Flowers!”, he barked. “If anything, I'll buy you time. I'm not the one he's after, not in the same way as you” Instead of saying anything else, Lucas just took a step closer. Out of his remaining eye, he sent a glare towards Leonard, more terrifying than anything he had sent before. “Don't you see?”, he asked. “This is something I have to do” He put his good hand onto the hilt of his sword. “Buying you time won't be the only thing I'm going to do”
Leonard gulped and hesitated for a second, but his expression and behaviour changed. “I see”, he said, his voice sorrowful. “I'll pray this won't be the end. Flowers, you better survive this. Think of what your princess would say if you'd get yourself killed now”
“She's not my...”, Lucas started, though he cut himself off with a sigh, followed by a sad smile. “Farewell, Leonard” His friend gave him a nod. “Goodbye”, he said, as he continued to move up the street, dragging Darren with him. Lucas remained behind, facing the troops that slowly moved up the road, marching under the banner of Darkdell and Uplands.
Lucas' heart started to beat faster, as thoughts raced through his head. Vyrwel and Mullendore. His father and his worst enemy, together. There was nothing about this that made sense. The two had never met before he had gotten banished, not as far as he knew. Why should they? Why would they? And yet they were there. Two armies, marching together, arriving just in time to save Raylansfair from the Ironborn. Too much for a coincidence.
The next surprise came when he saw the man that rode on top of the army. It wasn't his father and suddenly, things made marginally more sense. Sitting there, with emerald green eyes and a smug, cruel smirk, was his brother. Petyr Vyrwel, leading his troops. He raised an eyebrow as he identified Lucas.
“Brother!”, he called him from afar, as he slowed his horse down. His army stopped just as he did. Together with half a dozen Vyrwel knights, he dismounted. “Damn, you look... butchered” He approached him, though he stopped as Lucas put a hand onto the hilt of his sword. “Don't come any closer, Petyr!”, he said, praying for Leonard to lower that blasted gate anytime now. He couldn't do this for long. Hells, he could barely do this without falling back into times long gone, where he was a fearful young boy, staring down his far more confident older brother.
The hurt expression on Petyr's face was as fake as everything about him. “Ouch, buddy!”, he said, as he spread his arms. “Is that how you greet your brother, after all these years?” He shook his head. “It's been too long and I have missed you terribly”, he stated. “Father has missed you as well, before... you know. A broken heart”
Lucas sighed. He had expected this, so the revelation didn't hurt as much as it should have. “Turn your army around and leave!”, he said loudly. “You are not welcome here!” Petyr shook his head, barely able to suppress a chuckle. “My god, Lucas!”, he said. “Such hatred! I am almost willing to believe all the things I've heard about you, from our mutual friend” He narrowed his eyes. “Besides, what is this you're wearing? Durrandon colours?” He raised an eyebrow. “Brother, you disappoint me”
“I told you”, a hoarsy voice sounded, straight out of Lucas' nightmares. Against his will, he started to shiver, as another horse came into his field of view, a pale white mare. The man that sat on in looked more like a corpse than a living being, more like death itself than anything else. Lucas had long since associated him with that.
He needed someone to help him down the horse and he needed a cane to walk. Even then, he had to drag himself forwards, though Lucas found no joy in the man's condition. He was too horrified by his mere presence. Having grown pale and thin, he looked unsettling, like a man that shouldn't be alive. One of his eyes was hidden behind a bandage, yet the other one was glaring at him, with a look that would haunt him for the rest of his days. “Hello, boy”, Maron Mullendore said.
The man, the beast, turned to Lucas' brother. “I told you”, he repeated. “Not only a murderer, but a turncoat, as it seems. A traitor” His mouth formed a thin, crooked grin, though from the way his hand shivered, Lucas deduced that it put him through a lot of pain to stand there on his own like this. “Shall we deal with him, mylord?”
Petyr raised a hand and smug amusement flashed up in his eyes, as he watched Lucas putting the pieces together. “No, Maron”, he said. “I don't think my brother would ever hurt me” He approached Lucas, spreading his arms, though two of his knights moved with him. “Brother, sweet brother”, he said, before he paused. “Half-brother, perhaps”
Lucas still glared at Mullendore, who kept behind, reciprocating his glare out of a single, hateful eye. “Turn around and leave, Petyr”, he urged him again. “I don't want a fight” Petyr smirked at him. “A fight?”, he asked. “But dearest half-brother, why should we fight?” He shook his head. “No, we should mourn together, like family. Mourn for our father”
This caused Lucas to tense up. “Did you kill him?”, he asked and Petyr raised an eyebrow, playfully irritated. “I told him, you know...”, he answered. “I told him everything as he lay dying” His smile got decidedly more smug. “Oh, how he wept. You can't imagine how he wept” As he spoke, Lucas felt anger rising inside of him, the same mad, uncontrollable anger he had felt back when Aylard had pushed him. “Wept for the son he lost, the son that had been too weak to protect him!”
That was enough. With a scream of anger, Lucas charged at his brother. He would take him out. He would cut that smug grin off Petyr's face and if it would be the last thing he'd do. His charge was quickly cut short however, when one of the knights stepped into his path. Grabbing his wrist before he was able to make a strike, the knight gave him a heavy punch right in the face, sending him down to the ground.
Petyr walked up and next to him, the hunched figure of Maron Mullendore limped up, his inhuman smile turning wider. His brother meanwhile looked shocked, even if the slight spark in his eyes proved that it wasn't genuine yet again. “My gods...”, he gasped and Mullendore glanced at him. “Was that the prove you needed, mylord?”, he asked and Petyr gave him a nod. On his sign, the two knights lifted Lucas up, holding him so closely that he was unable to move.
“I never believed it until now...”, Petyr gasped. “But he tried to kill me” He pointed an accusing finger onto Lucas. “My own brother tried to kill me!” Mullendore chuckled, though it quickly turned into a violent cough that nearly caused him to fall over. One of the knights grabbed him, helping him to stand again, just as Mullendore pushed him away with an annoyed groan.
“I don't need your help!”, he spat, just as he started to limp towards Lucas. “No, I don't need it” He shook his head, as he moved closer towards Lucas, up to the point where their faces almost touched. His grin got wider. “You probably look better than I do now, which is a shame”, he said and sighed. “Really, boy, I thought you would have been smarter. But attacking the future Lord of Raylansfair in plain sight, right in front of his men?” He shook his head. “That has to be the most stupid thing you ever did. Even worse than the time where you killed that girl in Oldtown, for no reason at all. What was her name? Luna?”
Lucas was only able to growl at him, his anger preventing him to form even the most basic words, yet the knights that held him had to do so even more closely than before, to prevent him from breaking free and knocking Mullendore down right there. The false knight took a step away from him. “Ah, the anger”, he said. “Shocking. Truly shocking” He looked over his shoulder. “Let's move into the castle. The saviour of Raylansfair should get a hero's welcome”, he ordered.
For a second, he stared back at Lucas. “And inform the Sphynx”, he said. “Tell him, we found his lost little friend. He'll wait for him in the dungeons” Slowly, he limped closer. “Boy, this time you truly fucked up”, he said, directly facing him. “And I can't wait for what's going to come next”
End of Chapter 8: What Is Dead May Never Die
Your Choices:
The Berserker: Garthon decided to end Cleaver Clint's rampage
The Soldier: Drent decided to remain on his post instead of helping Shortwood
The Saviour: Jenna decided to save Aditha over Hackor
The Fractured: Lucas decided to help Darren instead of pursuing Harris
The Atoner: Kersea decided to save Raenna instead of killing Clayton
Next time on Forum of Thrones
The Sphynx voice was warm, yet devoid of genuine emotion at the same time, save for the hint of joy, which was also reflected by his eyes. “But I can't express how happy I am to have you back, my boy”, he purred, as he turned to the tools on the table. “There's no distraction now, no saviour, no bigger plan” Lucas shivered, yet the chains prevented him from moving much, if at all. When the Sphynx turned back, the joy in his eyes was reciprocated by the wide grin on Connor's face. “Think of all the songs we can sing, my friend”, he said, as he reached for a long, thin needle. “Here's one of my favourites...”
As Argella started to approach the door, she gained an almost palpable aura of anger, enough to make even Drent shiver. That was it, he realized, the moment in which someone had made the mistake of truly provoking her. The first set of guards she faced came to the same conclusion and they didn't even make the mistake of stopping her. Rushing aside, they allowed her to pass, which was enough for the Stormlanders to follow.
The next guard wasn't as cooperative. Drent had to gulp, as he saw the largest man he ever laid eyes upon, effectively blocking the way deeper into the castle. He held his breath, observing the unnatural height, the mass of muscle, the ghastly pale skin and the hair, like snow. Shining red eyes glared down at the Storm Princess, from beyond a white mask with suspicious dark red spots. Argella paused only for a second. Slamming her finger against the giant's belly, she reciprocated his glare. “I'm only going to say this a single time, so listen closely, you ugly creature”, she hissed. “Let. Me. Through”
“She'll be needing time”, Samuel said, with a softness Jaron hadn't expected from him. He looked up, unable to hide his frustration. From the distance, he watched Harpy, slowly moving through the building she had called her home not too long ago. Now, it was all broken and her future... their future was less than certain. He sighed bitterly, before he looked the sellsword right in the eyes. “Why are you still here?”, he asked. A slight smirk formed on Samuel's face. “Well, it's not only the kindness of my heart”, he said. “I believe you still have to keep your part of our deal”
“What's it?”, Edrick said, as Darreth stopped his horse in front of them. The young man looked concerned, an expression he hadn't shown so far, which made it all the more unsettling. He and Dante exchanged a nervous glance, which proved to him that this behaviour was indeed not typical for Darreth. The squire took a moment to pull himself together. “I'm afraid we have a problem”, he said, pointing down the road. “You won't believe what I've seen down there”
Jenna narrowed her eyes at Saerya. “So this is it?”, she asked. “Is there nothing you can do for him?” The other woman shook her head. “Likely not. I've asked Orys, but the situation is difficult enough as it is”, she replied. “I'm sorry, Jenna” Jenna sighed. “Perhaps I can provide you a favour in return?”, she asked.
Saerya raised an eyebrow. “You'd do that for a man you barely know?”, she said, the hint of mockery in her voice. Jenna gave her a nod without hesitation. “I'm not looking away this time”, she stated. Before Saerya was able to answer, heavy footsteps from the corridor claimed her attention. Both women moved to the door and as Jenna put her head through, she held her breath. “Oh no...”, she mumbled, as she spotted none other than Leonard Constantine. “What's he still doing here?”
The young woman looked up to them, her dark eyes wet with tears. She undoubtedly noticed the chains around Janae's wrists and she slowly backed away. “What are you still doing here?”, she hissed, her voice oozing disdain for the two men in front of her. “It's all gone. There's nothing for you to plunder” Abbas took a step forwards, taking a respectful bow. “So we've heard, mylady”, he told her, surprising sympathy in his voice. “However, we are afraid that there's still a certain open payment for me and my partner”
Forum of Thrones, Act III, Chapter III: Valar Dohaeris; Coming Soon!
It's done. My god, it's finally done, after hours of writing. This has to be the most intense and emotional writing session I have ever done and one of the few I genuinely had to interrupt due to being so damn emotional over it. As a result, it is seriously late right now. Still, I hope I managed to provide you with the big finale I promised you and that I managed to end this chapter with the bang it deserved. I'm going to head to my much deserved rest now, right after giving you a couple of questions
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Is there anything you disliked?
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Here I will answer your questions:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
First of all the Ironbros (despite from the next chapter onward I will have to say the Ironbro...T-T) then we have Hackor (RIP),Jax (RIP),Jarow (RIP),Harris (Rest not in peace because you were kind of a douche)...leaving aside the dead I really like the characters that show in this chapter some sort of growth (Jenna,Ellena,Hjalgar ecc..),badass characters ( Emphryus Dresfel ecc..),the usual suspects (Lucas,Argella,Leonard ecc..) and some of the villains like Edward Anturion (even be the man kill Torvin don't stop me to like him as a villain,maybe I even like him more),Petyr Vyrwel (I start to like him)and Durren Stallhart (despite he is the guy that will hunt Sadie's nightmares I still like him from the moment that ages ago you introduced him)
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Wolfius because despite the big relevation (that admit was a very cool moment) I still found him a not interesting villain (come on dude you are in the story from the beginning!Can you do something really cool for a change instead of "I have to kill everything bwahahahah" all the time?I really hope for you that you have at least an interesting backstory) and for now I add Vaasrand because for what I read until now is basically Geralt without Geralt charisma (I really hope for him that at least he has a different backstory). All the other characters are safe...for now
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I believe that I like all the storylines of this chapter
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Least favourite? I don't think that there is a storyline that I found much less interesting from the others but I'm the opinion that probably Maya had the PoV with the less exciting storyline
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Let's see..I believe that the part that I love the most was the last Jenna's part (probably because I really enjoy all the fight at the gate,Hackor final speech and the hard decision that Jenna had to do). Btw I like many other moments of this chapter (Jarow last stand,the assasination attempt,all the stuff that happened at the lighthouse, *last * Lyra and Torvin part,Hjalgar saving Garthon ass,the relevation that Bear and Jaro are brothers,Abbas and Bakr kidnapping Janae and Behara ecc..)
Is there anything you disliked?
Dislike?Nah,however I will write some advice under the next answer
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Well,if I must be honest I believe that in this chapter we probably had too many PoV's in the same location (15+) even if I know that you will soon divide them in all the world;another thing that I would have liked to read during the raid was more big fights like the one at the castle gate and less 1 VS 1 battles at the streets of the city.
The last advice that I want to give you is to not stop yourself to kill a character (even a PoV) if you feel that he /she has finish to have an interesting role inside the story (I know that it seems a funny advice after this chapter).
About the next chapter:
In the end I obviously give my thanks to you,Liquid, for this story because it is,like I always write,a really enjoyable read and I wish you good luck (even if I know that you don't need it) for the last chapter of the first Forum of Thrones book!
Now Dan and Torvin!?
I was especially saddened by Dan's death. I feel so bad for Sadie, though this part has admittedly gotten me invested into her character. Gotta wonder how these events will affect her. I also suspect that Garthon's parts will get very interesting from this point on. Was there no outcome where Dan survives?
Overall this was a fantastic finale! Well done, you deserve a break after that.
RT:
Favorite characters?- Obviously Alysanne. She had a tragic end, but I really love her character and I'm sad to see her go. I also have to say Jenna. She's gotten a lot more interesting since she allied with Saerya. Of course there's also Saerya. I just can't get enough of her. She's really likeable and she's interesting.
Least favorite characters?- Honestly I've gotta say Sasha. I really don't like her and there was a lot of concern for her in this chapter.
Least favorite storylines?- That would be Samantha's. I just enjoyed all the others a lot more, while Samantha's didn't make much of an impression on me until Lenrianda and I'lian died.
Favorite storylines?- Kersea fighting back was amazing to read. So glad that she finally freed herself from that cage that is Butterfly and Clayton's clutches. Jenna was awesome this part too I kept on wishing for more every time her parts ended.
Anything you disliked?- I've been dreading talking about this, but it has to be Alysanne's death. There was nothing wrong with it, it was a good death scene, I understand why you did it and I can't fairly criticize it, but it just really disappointed me. This is mostly because I've spent a while really rooting for Alysanne and I had high hopes for her character and it all got crushed by that one scene. Despite it being such a great scene it did really disappoint me. Sorry.
Anything you're anticipating?- Mainly it's Edrick's story. I'm really excited to see more of it, especially since it seems like Darreth will really shine next chapter.
Ah, this was very much part of the plan. I realized that, while not a bad character in any way, Sadie had little that would set her apart from some of the others. You know, few things that truly made her storyline unique compared to the other storylines. So, I decided to change this quite drastically. I must say, up to the very moment where I started to write her part, I was unsure if I truly wanted to have her lose her sword hand, but I believe it should make her upcoming storyline a lot more unique and interesting, so I am positive that I made the right choice there.
That much I can guarantee. Torvin was the most important person in Garthon's life and losing him, to such circumstances in particular, will be hard on him. Of course, there are other problems as well, since he has been captured by Mullendore's men at the end of this chapter, so grieving for his brother will probably have to wait for now. But yes, his upcoming storyline is one of my favourites of the ones I have planned out already
Actually, there was one chance for Dan to survive. The first one was offered at the end of Chapter 7, when Sadie got the choice to help either him or Leo and the smallfolk. If she would have chosen Dan, then this chapter would have ended on a much happier note for her, with Dan still alive and she getting to keep her hand. Once Sadie decided to help the city, therefore prompting Dan to join the fight alongside her, his fate was sealed however.
Glad to hear it! Though I can assure you, whatever break I might take won't be too long. It might be a few days until the next chapter begins, but in the meantime, there are alternative choices to be written down and a TvTropes page to finish. So, even the break won't be that much of a full break, as brief as it will be.
Very wow, many feedback, such happy!
Well... it seems no one's favourite is save in this chapter. Sorry
Though yeah, I wanted to make a twist there, that Torvin's own "ally" ends up being the one that killed him. It also felt like a natural consequence of Torvin's biggest weakness, his inability to accept defeat, which brought him into this situation in the first place.
RIP
Torvin will be missed. One of the longest-living characters in the entire story, so his death was something I have become quite emotional over. On the positive side however, Garthon should become a thousand times more interesting now. He has always been a character I enjoyed writing, but the development out of this loss will be very exciting for me to write.
This is an important detail, yes. For all his villainy, Edward's motives in this part were quite rational and hopefully understandable. He was driven by his sense of self-preservation and Torvin's refusal to retreat was indeed a stupid thing. And for what it's worth, Edward gave him several chances to sound the retreat before taking matters into his own hands. I guess, despite the fact that he killed Torvin, it can hardly be held against him that he tried to save his own life here.
Well, for now I can confirm that both, Garthon and Bullister, as well as Hjalgar, have survived the raid and have been taken prisoner by Mullendore's men. Of course, this is hardly a good thing, though we'll see what they are up to in the next chapter. Things are far from over for the Ironborn.
What can I say, I expect quite a fistful of hand puns from now on. That's probably going to make me, hands down, feel super awful about doing this to her XD
Dan's backstory is the one thing why I was really reluctant to kill him off here. He has a rather detailed one, which has barely been shown so far. However, Sadie is still alive and she knows all about him, so perhaps there will be a chance to reveal these things in time. As for Sadie herself, her next steps are going to be very interesting. I mean, she basically has to face the end of her old live, having lost her closest friend and ally, together with her fighting skill. There will be quite a number of challenges for her in the future.
You mean it was the worst day in his life so far
Don't forget, it can always get worse for him. Though I agree, this finale sucked big time for him. With his brother in an allianc with Mullendore, his worst nightmare has come true. Though, things could be worse, keep that in mind.
Hm... maybe. Lucas' death is very much a possibility at this point, considering his dangerous situation. However, keep in mind that he still has friends and allies and unlike last time, he's at home in Raylansfair, so there might still be hope for him
Hail! Seriously though, I hope Petyr's presence was every bit the plot twist it was intended to be. I have intentionally only given him a minor role in Chapter 6, to make it more surprising that he ends up as one of the main antagonists an a serious contender for the lordship over Raylansfair.
Haha, I am glad to hear it
I never thought I could ever use Rise Against for a chapter finale song, considering that their usual songs are more or less hardcore punk and therefore not quite the genre that would fit for most of the situations in the story, as much as I love that type of music. But then I listened to this song and I realized how incredibly fitting it is to the events of the entire chapter on so many levels. Being one of their lighter and softer songs, I decided to go for it and use it, something I consider a good decision.
EDIT: Also, every time you edit your post, I get a super huge doge image in my feed. I... approve of this
Gods... that was a crushing finale for the chapter that was already heart-breaking enough. First of all, Torvin, one of my absolute favorites is gone. I have to say this felt like a natural ending for his storyline, but still, it's hard to accept that this badass is dead now
Well, at least we still have Garthon. And Edward went in couple parts from kinda cool and charming but shady guy to one of the most hated assholes in the story, who I can't wait to see dead 
Sadie losing her hand is an interesting twist... I'm definitely interested to see how will this affect her as a character. And I was starting to like Dan, so losing him is also sad, though not quite as heart-breaking as Torvin, since we didn't know him that long. Anyway, looking forward to Sadie's storyline in the next chapter.
And then that last bit... What can I say, Petyr just jumped right into the top 3 of the biggest assholes in FoT, along with Mullendore and Edward. Seriously, fuck that guy, and Maron. I feel so bad for Lucas, the guy just can't catch a break from all this shit. Apparently he has a plan though, if I interpreted his dialogue correctly, so I suppose that's mildly encouraging. Ugh, seeing him with Sphynx again will be so painful to read.
Overall though, a great finale for a great chapter. I'm definitely interested to see how will Book 1 wrap up in the next chapter. It'll also be refreshing to get some other locations again
Ah, this is quite a list
I see that quite a number of your favourites have ended up not surviving this chapter, tragically. Hopefully future chapters will be kinder to your favourites. Though I must say, I am very happy to see less likely candidates here on this list as well. Ellena for example, whom I felt I have used far too little in this chapter. Or Petyr, who is going to be a joy to write, for all his super-dickishness. And Durren is one that genuinely surprises me, because as cool as he is, I haven't expected him to appear on someone's favourite list. I must say, as far as the Ironborn go, he is one of my favourites, for being actually a rather complex character.
I can surely understand Wolfius. I have drawn inspiration from the Joker, who is not always super enjoyable either. However, I can assure you that Wolfius has a very interesting backstory and some of the revelations of Book 2 might be able to change your view on him. Vaasrand meanwhile, I think I already said it before, he has a vastly different backstory than Geralt. He is also one of the characters with a lot more material in Book 2, so you might warm up to him there
Yeah, I get you there. I feel bad for not having the room to include another Maya PoV. In general, it feels like she's getting the short end of the stick in terms of storylines and screentime, even worse than many of the others I might not be able to feature that often. Because of this, I am happy to announce that she's getting more to do in the future. She might never become one of the main PoV's, but the things I have planned for her should be very enjoyable, for you in particular
I know what you mean. This was indeed a heavy number of PoV's in one place and I can assure you that there will never again be that many in one location. The one's that survive Book 1 will split up quite quickly in Book 2, even some of the Raylansfair natives will leave for their own quests. All in all, it felt a bit funny to pull them all together for this chapter, only to split them up again in the near future. And I get what you mean with the big fights. Thing is, in a city like Raylansfair, there are far more narrow than big places, allowing for far more close combat fighting than big, epic battles. I can understand you there though and I promise, there will be some very big battles upcoming
Hehe, this is indeed a funny advice here. I feel like I did exactly that in this chapter, though it was something I've been lacking at in the past. In this chapter, I almost feel like I took it too far, by killing off several characters that haven't received the development they deserved (Lenrianda, Dan, Ando, Baelor, Ferrari etc.). In general, I don't like killing off characters without properly developing them and without fully making them live up to their potential, but in some cases, there's no way around it and I think it was way more important to build up a sense of dread and danger in this chapter than to cling to every single character. That said, I have a couple whom I really don't want to kill off, so I probably won't do it with them, as I like them far too much for that
Yes, I can assure you that this is the case indeed. Some storylines will come to an end (though not all will end with the death of the PoV), opening up new chances, new storylines. A good example would be the general struggle for Raylansfair. Characters like Maya or Drent are about to leave the city again, to advance in their respective storylines closer to their homes. Janae has something really intriguing coming up for her. We'll see the pay-off for many storylines that have been developed for quite a while now
Indeed, the aftermath of the raid will be the among the main topics of Chapter 9. While the Ironborn are crushed, it remains to be seen if the alternative, the Vyrwel/Mullendore alliance is that much better. Well, they probably are, for the smallfolk in general, but definitely not for our protagonists.
Aye, I'm having a part planned there which is among my favourites in Chapter 9, as it will give many characters a big chance to shine. Mullendore will face some problems, especially in the form of a very pissed off princess who knows all about his actions in Oldtown. But there are others as well, Leonard, Lord Tyrell and his men etc. who might face him soon.
I hope it'll manage to live up to the expectation! Sadie should indeed be very interesting now, as her parts just gained a whole new element to them, so I look forward to write them from now on. Her storyline in the next chapter should build up something very interesting (and it will feature the appearance of one particular character whom you might not have expected there)
Of course I can't comment on Raenna or Clayton, though you will get confirmation about their fates in the future, in one way or the other. Brandon and Briar are still alive and we'll get an update on them in the near future. Once I update the character list later today, you should already be able to see where their journey might take them.
Kersea/Richard will be another thing I am excited for in Chapter 9
Though I am considering to only show PoV's from one of them in Chapter 9, to show the other entirely from the perspective of another character. It is likely that Richard will be this PoV and that Kersea won't get a part of her own in Chapter 9. Shouldn't be too bad, considering that her wounds need time to heal in either way.
Their absence has been longer than I planned it to be, so I am happy to finally write about them again. Jaron and Edrick are two characters I like a lot and their respective storylines should be interesting. I can assure you that, yes, Edrick will do something else than gathering new allies, sort of. He, Dante, Darreth and Leo have also left the North by now and the next time we'll see them, they will be in the Riverlands.
Well, they are still there and they have fought near the southern gate, as Gordar's presence in Drent's part proved. All three of them survived the raid and especially Orys will step up big time pretty soon. You like badass moments? Well, as it turns out, so does he.
Indeed, so many others! Though you mentioned some of the main events already. There will be others. Arthur for example will have probably the longest storyline in Chapter 9, whereas others will, in many cases, set up their respective Book 2 storylines. Chapter 9 is probably going to be equal parts build-up and pay-off.
Well, I can return these thanks instantly. Writing this story is incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable for me, but a big part of the joy I get is the feedback from you and others. To see that people actually like the things I write here is the best thing ever. So thank you for commenting, for sharing your thoughts and for showing me that my own enthusiasm to write this story is not misplaced or weirdly exaggerated. The first book might near its end, but the story is far from over and I can't wait for the things to come
Alysanne was unsurprising
I am happy to see Jenna and Saerya there. Jenna is, as you know, not a character who had it easy in terms of opinions, though I am glad that her character growth is generally seen positively. Saerya meanwhile is someone where I was far from sure how others would react towards her, given that she is a scheming liar who has her fair share of questionable traits. But I am quite happy that she has grown so much on you 
That is a bit surprising to me. So far, I had the impression you kinda like her or at least have a more or less neutral opinion on her, but I am surprised to see her as your least favourite. May I ask, is there a particular reason for your dislike towards her? Because Sasha is not a character I write intentionally unlikable and I am pretty sure that some of the others readers quite like her, so I am curious if your dislike is something that I might be able to change later on.
Yeah, I can understand you there. Frankly, Samantha was one of the PoV's that didn't have too much to do in this chapter. Her storyline basically was meant to be a final confrontation with Rodrik. That said, some of the upcoming stuff in Book 2 might be more exciting for you, hopefully
Ah, these are two of my favourites as well. Kersea and Jenna have both taken an important step in this chapter and they are slowly freeing themselves from the things that hold them down, so I am happy to see that you like them as well!
Trust me, I know exactly how you feel. As someone who can get quite attached and emotional to characters, I feel your pain there and I am so incredibly sorry that I had to put you through that. I've been there as well and trust me, if there would have been a way, any sort of way, for me to logically have Alysanne survive this, I might have taken it. Thing is, part of Alysanne's appeal, what made her such a tragic character, was the fact that she was broken and that things were about hopeless for her. Giving her a happy ending would have felt not only like a heavy stretch, but also would have felt like not staying true to her character. I hope that makes sense. I mean, I really completely understand you there, be assured of this. I probably have similar feelings when one of my favourites in a story here dies (though I am fortunate that, save for one time, none of my absolute favourites have died so far and hopefully never will). It's probably not much to console you, but through Kersea's PoV, Alysanne and her memory will remain a part of the story. I can hint that Book 2 for example will introduce a character from her past, revealing more about her and it should be quite interesting, I hope
Ah, I expected you to be excited for this. It has been a while and I promise that Edrick's storyline is far from over. I don't actually know how long his storyline will be in this chapter, it depends how long my plans will actually be when I write them down in full parts. Neither am I sure if Darreth will truly get his chance to shine, as Dante is also planned to have a nice involvement. Same goes for Alphyn. That said, I have some moments planned for Darreth and there should be some good stuff for him coming soon!
Ah, I knew Torvin's death would hit hard, given how many people liked him. Back when you informed me that he is among your favourites, I was like "Oh, not another one"
Though I hope I gave him a fitting and respectful death scene, which I think he deserved, as one of th longest living characters in the story. And Garthon is indeed still alive and his next move should be very interesting. Edward then... yeah, he is a huge bastard. Interestingly, he was originally even planned to be the main villain of the entire story, back when it was planned to be far shorter and where he was the only truly villainous character that has been submitted. Characters like Mullendore or Edward's brother Nain (Who is basically Edward on bath salts) kind of changed these plans when they got submitted, but Edward is still a major villain in the story, despite being able to hide this better than others.
Ah, every time I hear this, it convinces me that it was indeed the right thing to do at this point. Actually, back when I first wrote her Chapter 6 storyline, it was not planned that Sadie would lose her hand, or that Dan would die. It was a result of me struggling to find something truly interesting to do for her, so I decided to throw this serious hardship into her way. Overcoming it should add an intriguing element to her storyline in the future and I hope you'll enjoy it
Well... Lucas' plan has been to kill Mullendore right on the spot, at the cost of his own life, which Petyr's provocation and his knights kind of prevented. So, getting captured and left at the mercy of the Sphynx has definitely not been part of his plan. But yeah, Petyr is a complete asshole and I can already tell I will enjoy his sleazy, jerkish attitude. That said, Petyr ultimately has one sympathetic and redeeming trait that will be introduced in Chapter 9, something neither Mullendore nor Edward have.
Oh yes, I can't wait to get the chance to write about some different locations now. Only a single city (two with Maybros, which wasn't really all that important as a location) has grown kinda stale. Chapter 9 will obviously see the return of Oldtown and we'll have a change of scenery in Edrick's storyline, but it will be Book 2 that will truly introduce new, big locations all over Westeros and beyond, which should serve for some much-needed variety.
It probably would be more accurate to say I'm neutral or indifferent about Sasha. She's just never clicked with me. I don't really find her all that interesting and she just doesn't stand out to me. So no real reason, it's probably just bad luck.
Ah, I understand it then. That makes sense and is more in line with the impression I previously had about your opinion on her. I was just really surprised to see her as your least favourite, as that implied to me that you'd really hate something about her, but I see that this is not the case. Seems like we got Bad Luck Sasha now, ready to replace Bad Luck Federico as the memetic loser of the story
Though in all seriousness, I hope that I'll manage to interest you more in her character in the coming parts. She has quite some interesting aspects to her and her involvement in Book 2 might win you over 
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Hmm, I have to say that Garthon, Torvin and Hjalgar shined in this chapter, even if their screentime wasn't super big. Argella also kept being awesome, and with her Drent, Jax, Emphyrus, etc. I also really liked Kersea and Raenna's role in this chapter.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Well, I'm not really sure. I mean obviously I hate characters like Wolfius, Edward, Mullendore, Petyr etc., but they are all also very entertaining villains. Perhaps Cleaver?
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Kersea's storyline stood out to me, as well as Alys' break into the archive. They were a nice contrast to the other stuff. I'm not saying the other stuff wasn't good, quite the contrary, but it was just refreshing to also have something else going on than just the raid. That said, the parts that Torvin and Garthon got were also amazing.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Well, Maya was there but it felt like she didn't really do much in this chapter. I'm not really complaining though, we had more than enough PoVs showing us the raid even without Maya's contribution
And then there is Sadie. I like her, and I very much enjoyed her part in the finale, but she did feel (for obvious reasons) a bit disconnected from the rest of the storylines.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
The whole final of course deserves to be mentioned here, but aside from that Montclair's death scene was awesome, as was the fight in the lighthouse + the explosion. The revelation with Wolfius was cool and creepy at the same time, Federico and the other guards holding back the Ironborn at the gates of the castle, the escape from the archive, Hjalgar killing Cleaver. I'm sure I'm missing many other scenes I thought were great, it's been a long and awesome chapter
Is there anything you disliked?
Nah, I wouldn't say there was really anything I disliked.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Hmm, can't really think of any advice. Well, perhaps this many PoVs in the same location was pushing the boundaries a bit, and I think it resulted in some of them getting less screentime than they could've had. And obviously I look forward to getting back Jaron's storyline!
Aside from that, I'm really interested to see the aftermath of this raid, and finding out what exactly is Mullendore's plan for Raylansfair.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? SER Jax. tears, Argella/Drent, and the Targaryens.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? When I was rereading it I felt a little disconnected with Maya, like it was a side plot while this massive battle is going on in the city. That being said I had a hard time with her in previous chapters to. I'm on the fence with Wolfius, I like his writing but he seems to be doing the same thing over and over again, just a nuisance that randomly kills a beloved character heh.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Drent's (I'm really biased), and then of course there's the Ironbro's who were really fun to read. I also enjoyed Willfred's even if it wasn't quite as much as previous chapters.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Maya's, for the same reason as above.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8? To hard to pick, though the final battle and Jax's sacrifice while tragic and sad was also amazing writing and was my favorite part, plus Dresfel is a beast.
Is there anything you disliked? Nope, nothing at all really. I really enjoyed the chapter and am looking forward to the next!
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? Can't wait to see a few certain characters wink, exploring Essos, and the political landscape of the world right now with everything that has happened.
That's me after reading the finale. Goddamnit, Ted, you're worse than George Martin.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Oh, that's a really hard choice. Probably Alysanne (RIP puppy), some badass guys like Hackor, Jax, Drent, also Torvin and Garthon. Jenna was quite likeable. Mathea's the best
And my favourite guys, Lucas and Leonard - never get tired of them.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? As someone has already pointed out, Vaasrand. He's just kinda dull for me.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Kersea's, Torvin's, Lucas', Garthon's, Jenna's... Eh, also hard to choose. But this three have to be the best for me. Also Drent's one was quite interesting.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? John's. Only because I didn't like it from the very beginning and always skipped his POVs. It's just boring for me for some reason.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8? Clint's death was really damn satisfying. What happened to Lyria and Rosalie was really damn horrible but well written. Alys' trip to the archive was really exciting. Hmm, what else? The fight in the lighthouse was very intense. Damn, whenever people try to make remember something, I always forget everything
When the summary of the chapter will be done, I'll probably bring up more awesome moments.
Is there anything you disliked? Nah, the story's still good.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? Just one advice: keep up your level and give us a finale that'll make us jump outta our seats. I have high expectations!
Ah, a couple of my favourites as well
I'm glad you consider Torvin, Garthon and Hjalgar to have shined in this chapter. I agree that their side has been a bit underrepresented in this fight (kind of a given, with 2 PoV's against 14), but I am happy that I succeeded at giving them some spotlight.
Cleaver was actually really enjoyable to write. Whereas the other villains all require some depth to their respective characters, Cleaver was refreshing in how simple he was. Just this blunt, brutish and foul-mouthed berserker who just keeps going on, no matter how badly wounded. He was easy to get right and that made him so damn entertaining for me
Ah, this is interesting. I was expecting Kersea to be seen very favourably in terms of storyline, though the positive echo for Alys' storyline kind of surprises me, in a positive way. I see your reasoning though, it was something else for a change, not just fighting against the Ironborn.
I fully agree with Sadie there. She has been so disconnected from the others that I originally even considered moving her parts to the next chapter, but to be honest, it would have been a dreadful idea to just show a reused version of the raid on Raylansfair in her Chapter 9 storyline, so I ended up moving her into a chapter that was originally intended to solely feature Raylansfair as a location. I can reveal that she will get more connection to other storylines in Book 2!
With that, you summarized quite a number of events I consider to be the main events
It's nice to see that exactly these have left such an impression, it seems everything went according to plan there, which is nice. I also agree, quite a number of these moments have been among the ones that gave me the most joy while writing. And some of them, like the lighthouse scenes and Wolfius' reveal have been planned for almost two years by the time I was writing them down, so I can't exprss how happy I am that it all worked out so well.
Yeah, I can totally see what you mean there. Chapter 9 is obviously going to feature the same PoV's that survived Chapter 8 in Raylansfair, save for Ellena and Janae, who have both left the city, and maybe Kersea, whom I currently plan to show through Richard's PoV. That said, Jaron and Edrick should add something new with their return. By the time Book 2 starts, half of the current PoV's in Raylansfair will have left the city, one way or the other, which should add a far greater range of locations. In general, there might be a time in Book 2 where every major location in Westeros and a few beyond are going to be shown. That should be good, hopefully
Ser Jax shall not be forgotten! I honestly feel bad about killing him off, but the things that will develop out of this, oh, they will be something to look forward for. His influence will reach far, that much I can promise, which will have both, good and bad consequences.
Yeah, I definitely understand what you mean with Maya. It was a bit a result of shoddy planning. Originally, she was planned to have a greater role, but no role in Chapter 7. I ended up splitting half of her Chapter 8 storyline into Chapter 7, ending in two mediocre chapters for her, which I am not quite happy about. Here's hoping she's going to have more interesting stuff to do in future chapters. Actually... knowing what's going to happen, I can confirm this
Wolfius will also get something different to do in the future. You'll learn a lot more about him in Book 2, his backstory, how he became such a messed up guy etc.
Hehe, I expected you to enjoy Drent's PoV and I am glad you said it, because that proves to me that I did something right while writing it
The Ironborn as well, but I am very happy about Willfred, because I occasionally feel that he could really need more parts, or at least more frequent parts. I am happy he still made it to your list of favourites.
Aye, there will be introductions in Chapter 9, there is one character you can look forward for in particular
Essos, I am afraid, has to wait for Book 2, but that storyline will be further set up in Chapter 9. In general, Book 2 will show a lot of the political landscape of the entire world, with PoV's in almost every kingdom, so the near future will hold a lot of the things you anticipate!
That is... good? I think? Thank you
I also must say that I just now noticed your new avatar. After being so used to your avatar with Kenny and the flowers for, I think, two and a half years now, it's super confusing, but I like it regardless 
Ah, so many! And I ended up killing quite a number of them, I feel guilty, but at the same time, I feel happy that I managed to make them so likable before their deaths. That is far better than killing them off without any emotional response. Especially Alysanne is someone where I am proud with how that worked out, given that her death has really been met with heavy reaction. But arguably, the same applies to Jax, Hackor and Torvin and I am glad you mentioned them.
Yeah, I can see what you mean. So far, he hasn't been much more than a Geralt meme, but Book 2 should make him grow into his own character quite a bit. Hopefully you'll enjoy him better then!
That's alright. John hadn't had too many exciting things to do in a while, but well, I can assure you that you might enjoy his storyline in Book 2. I can't tell you too much about it, but about 50% of his Book 2 screentime will be through the eyes of someone else. Maybe that'll convince you to give him another chance.
These are some nice moments indeed! The summary is something I'll have to work on in the next few days. Might be ready around the weekend, I'll announce it here when I'm done with it. The chapter was longer than planned, so I think a recap can't hurt in any way.
And I will try my best to meet these expectations! As I said above, Chapter 9 will be equal parts pay-off and build-up, so I am not sure how amazing it will be, but there should be some scenes that will be really enjoyable, some stuff I have planned for a very long time, so I am positive I'll at least not dreadfully disappoint.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8? Drent and Argella, they really make each other great characters, also not to mention how bad ass Argella was. Torvin was really emotional since everything was on the line for him and I also love Edward as a villain. Also Hackor and Jax (RIP).
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8? Vaasrand, Like others already mentioned, too much of a Geralt vibe for now. Harlen Tyrell, oh god how much I hate this guy, and this chapter made things even worse. Edefilec Magabaz... enough said.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Jenna's, she was good but I was more impressed by the stuff happening around her. Drent had really good storyline and also Lucas really picked things up in the end. Torvin was really emotional like I said but I would also add Kersea in there as well.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8? Didn't really have one. If I had to choose I would say Maya, but that was more or less because of her short storyline.
**What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?* Death of Ser Jax, if I have to choose only one. But whole finale was great, together with Jenna's last part and creepily intruguing Lyria's last part.
Is there anything you disliked? No, not at all!
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9? There is so much I'm anticipating. Fates of Clayton,Raenna and Sherryl, also interested in that relic thingie Willfred took from Anturion. Also fate of poor Lucas
, and my boy Ian.
I am very happy to see Edward here. As much as he is a villain and responsible for the death of one of the most well-liked PoV's in the story, I am happy that he is appreciated for this instead of absolutely loathed. A love to hate villain, that is very much what I want to do with him and it seems I am on a good way there. Torvin was also a character whom I wanted to give an emotional final chapter, which I seem to have managed to do. And Drent/Argella, I am very much inclined to agree. Part of the reason why I decided to expand Argella's role from what was originally intended to be a secondary character was the potential I saw for her and Drent to bring out the best in each other. Needless to say, I consider making her a more important character one of the best decisions I have made for Book 1 and I can only shudder at how boring my original Stormlander storyline would have been without her (and without Garen, Tariel and the Bernile siblings as well, while we're at it)
Vaasrand again, hehe. I can definitely understand Harlen, that guy showed himself from his worst side in this chapter and he was totally willing to sacrifice hundreds of people for his own safety. Luckily, Helenys intervened, but still, he surely deserves that spot. And Ed... well, that name alone is a crime and he definitely had no good stuff in this chapter. Or in the last. It seems, running away is very common for him, but then again, he is, in a certain way, one of the few characters that don't overestimate their skills. Ed is basically a human opossum. Don't expect him to ever face danger if he can run away or play dead
I really must give Maya more stuff to do. She has everything to make a good PoV, from her own strength of character to her supporting cast, but I really struggle with giving her a continuous storyline for some reason. Hopefully my plans in Book 2 will play out better for her.
The funny thing is, while definitely planned to be a big and emotional moment in the chapter, I have never thought Jax' death would receive such overwhelming praise. As much as I hated to end his character, it seems I did something very, very right there and it no one is more surprised by this than I am
Aye, every single thing you mentioned there will be dealt with in Chapter 9. We'll learn about the fate of Clayton, Raenna and Sherryl, about the nature of the relic, about Lucas' fate and Ian is going to appear in a role that is certainly going to be larger and more substantial than his role in this chapter (even if that was sort of the result of the votes). While I can't say for sure if you're going to enjoy Chapter 9, I am willing to say that yes, there is a lot to anticipate
My god! What an amazing way to end this finale. No words could possibly describe it so I'll just use this gif:
Anyways on to the questions!
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Hmmmm. There were too many characters I enjoyed reading in this chapter but I'll definitely add the fallen heroes to my favourites such as Hackor Nathamer, Jax Montclair, and Federal Snob. Seriously, with Mullendore in power now, I'm really, REALLY going to miss having Hackor around. I think Behara deserves a place here too since she's always been a sidelined character and now we get to actually know her a little better regarding the relationship between her and Temari. Also does the girl who saved Garthon's life count?
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I'd have to say Sherryl takes the cake here. Grrrrrr. I can't stand her. I know she didn't promise anything to Torvin but if you think about it, she helps the Ironborn out by breaking the gate so they would have an opening and they could claim a victory and then what happens? Maron Mullendore shows up trying to be the hero by wiping out what's left of the Ironborn. She needed their help to further advance Mullendore's plans and then repays them with this? She had to have known about this. Jeez Louise man. Maron Mullendore and Sherryl Flowers? More like a match made in the Seven Hells.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I'd have to say Jenna's impressed me even though her last part was more spectating rather than bold actions. I always have to say Jenna because it's incredible to see how long of a way she has come in the storyline and I hope her growth doesn't end in this last chapter of Book 1. Some other ones I have to mention are Kersea and Alys. For the longest time I wasn't too invested in Alys' storyline but so far I have to say this chapter was her best one yet. You captured beautifully how dark the archives were and what other secrets lie beyond there. As Alys' storyline showed, the unknown can truly be frightening. I'll get to Kersea's in my favourite moments.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I'll have to be in the majority here and say Maya. I thought she would kick some Ser Rodrik Stone butt but it looks like she was the one who got fooled. Besides Knightfang gone and Irving's return, it seemed too short to end.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
). Same goes for the fights at the tavern; particularly the one involving Ser Rodrik Stone. On the brighter side, he's one less threat to deal with now. The assassination attempt on Argella was really freaky (RIP Jax Montclair. We'll all miss you). Last but not least the finale of course. Mullendore looks like crap. Oh boy, I hope Orys finds him and gives him a sucker punch to the face!
Oh my...where do I start? The lighthouse scene was my #1 favourite. I really tensed up in the ensuing fight between Alysanne and Raenna. I'm really sad to hear about the outcomes of these two lovable characters but at least they will not be forgotten (even though I refuse to believe Raenna is dead... or I'm just in denial
Is there anything you disliked?
Hmmmmm. Not anything in particular I can point out but if there is, I'll give you my feedback. For now, keep up the creative work.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
- Really looking forward to seeing Jaron and Harpy again. I feel like it was unfortunate not seeing them this chapter since they play prominent roles in the series. It was like a big piece of the puzzle was missing. Thankfully though, that piece will be put back.
- RIP Saerya Waters x Frizzle Shizzle
- Really looking forward to the new locations we'll see in Book 2. That includes the North with Ser Edrick and the gang.
- I'd like to know what Lady Helenys has in store for Willfred (given what Aren mentioned to him)
- Argella vs. The Moggy. 1v1. Small vs large. Intelligent vs Imbecile.
I think that's about it. Thank you for the emotionally intense chapter. Rest up man. You deserve it.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Ahh, there are simply way too many. I feel like in this chapter, a lot of characters shined. But I have to give it to my girl Alysanne (RIP), and the Breaker Bros (RIP Torvin). Sasha and Samantha is also a duo I greatly enjoy.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Vaasrand without a doubt, I don't dig the whole Geralt thing. It probably doesn't help that I don't even like the Witcher series to begin with. And I'm not such a big fan of John, it's just his personality, he's too crass for my taste.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Torvin and Kersea's were standouts for me. But almost all the POVs in this chapter were extremely interesting.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Sadie's, because she was just so far away from everyone else. And I guess Richard's, I've never been a big fan of his character (I prefer his daughter) and his story was a little bit dull compared to the others. Also Willfred's storyline was not as exciting as the others, probably because there wasn't a lot of deaths XD
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
This one is hard to choose, but I think the lighthouse fight and the wildfire is definitely one of them. I think Abbas finally showing his true colors, and killing Ando is another moment that is really memorable to me. And Torvin's last part, it was a great way to send off one of the first POV characters.
Is there anything you disliked?
No, this chapter has been amazing.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Truly, I think this chapter has been the best of the entire story so far. You really raised the bar for yourself with this one, I hope Chapter 9 can keep up with this kind of writing, and body count. Although it is sad, I love seeing characters get killed off in meaningful ways that drives the story forward, especially the well developed ones cause it has more of an impact.
Ah, I am very happy you enjoyed this finale! Also, this gif is now officially among my favourite gifs ever. I should probably save it, it correctly portraits my feelings on a number of things
I am really happy to see Frozen Snail among your favourites. Makes me feel a bit less bad for killing him off, as it seems he left at least some sort of an impression, perhaps even beyond of how much of a meme he is. And I can confirm, you won't be the only one that is going to miss Hackor pretty soon. He would have been among the few people that would have been able to stand against the Mullendore/Vyrwel alliance, as well as someone with enough morals to do so. The whole city could need someone like him now. Behara is another character I plan to expand on in Book 2. So far, she has received very little screentime compared to the other members of John's group (maybe except Temari, whom I am also going to feature more heavily), but I have some nice plans for her in Janae's storyline. And the girl who saved Garthon's life certainly counts! I mean, she did her part in taking down Cleaver. As a matter of fact, the wound she gave him would have been the one that would have killed him after a while, if not for Hjalgar intervening. It's a shame that bastard was too tough to just drop dead instantly.
Oh yes, I can assure you that this was exactly what Sherryl had planned. She knew Mullendore was on his way and she more or less used Torvin's Ironborn as pawns. If they would have been faster, as she hoped, they would have taken the castle, although they would have suffered heavy casualties in the process. Without the ability to close the gates, the Mullendore/Vyrwel troops would have easily retaken the castle, making him look like even more of a hero for saving the smallfolk from certain doom. She really played with the lives of just about everyone in this chapter.
I am always happy when Jenna gets mentioned there. I knew she wouldn't be a very well-liked character in the beginning, though I must admit I was surprised by the amount of dislike she received. She truly came a long way from there and I have plans to further show this development in Chapter 9. Beyond that? Well, I can't say anything about that of course, but for now, her Chapter 9 storyline should be nice at the very least. And Alys is someone whom I am equally happy about. The interesting thing is, a lot about her storyline wasn't planned from the beginning of this chapter. I even played with the thought of leaving her out of this chapter entirely, but it seems I did the right decision with giving her a storyline. It even helped me with further inspiration for her storyline in Chapter 9 and beyond.
Yeah, I fully agree there. Maya was the one storyline I am not happy about in this chapter. Her main event, the escape of Rodrik, wasn't really as big as I wanted it to be and other than that, I simply had nothing to do for her. This should change in the future though
Indeed, neither Alysanne nor Raenna will be forgotten in Book 2 and their influence will drive Kersea's actions heavily. As I have said to Agent, we'll learn about one important detail on Alysanne's past in Book 2, whereas Raenna has left her own impression on Kersea. But more about that later. I am happy you enjoyed the lighthouse scene. It was one of the longest planned scenes in the entire story and I have hoped for it to be one of the central scenes in the chapter. With Mullendore... well, given his current condition, Orys would probably kill him with a sucker punch. That said, Chapter 9 will hold one rather painful scene for Mullendore, I can promise you that much.
I agree. They and the Oldtown storyline in general have been a major part of the story for the past 7 chapters, so it felt weird to not be able to write anything for them for so long and it was one of the things I was rather unhappy about when I realized that there was no way around it, as such parts would have felt out of place when compared to the feeling I wanted to build up with this chapter. Both will play an important part in Chapter 9 though!
Oh yes, poor Festival Snoke. It would have been better for him to go after her. Saerya's reaction will be interesting though. As much as she mainly used him for her plans, she's not as cold as Sherryl, who sacrificed Harris without giving a damn, so there's definitely going to be some conflict for her soon.
Actually, Edrick won't be featured in the North for the time being. During their absence in Chapter 8, he and his group travelled south and they will reappear somewhere in the northern Riverlands next time we see them. I can hint at two new northern storylines (one of them being even more northern than the other
), but Edrick's path will lead him to the south, as he tries to follow Alys' trail through the Riverlands. Though I plan to explore plenty of other locations as well. Essos of course, where several storylines will be set, there will be something for Dorne, we'll see more of the Vale and the Stormlands and the Riverlands will return as well. The only region I have no plans of showing until Book 3 are the Iron Islands.
Helenys indeed has plans for Willfred. It's save to say that her own agenda has been put into some troubles with the unexpected arrival of Mullendore, but she still has big plans and is now trying to fit them into this new situation. Willfred will play a role in this as you're going to see in Chapter 9.
This is going to be something I look forward for very much. Perhaps the most explosive part about their meeting is that they both together have about half the amount of impulse control an ordinary person should have. As you know from the preview, this scene will happen and I can't wait to write it down. It is going to be one of the earlier parts of Chapter 9, so it shouldn't be too far away.
Gasp You don't like the Witcher series? In all seriousness, I understand the problem. It's probably mostly the result of me not having the room to properly develop Vaasrand beyond the Witcher jokes, though his role in Book 2 has been planned for a while to be quite larger, so you might warm up to him there. With John, I understand it as well, though I am not sure if this will change. Being crass is a part of his character and it might arguably only get stronger now that he is away from Janae, who kept him at least a little bit in line.
Yeah, I get the problem with Sadie. She was intentionally designed to start a bit away from the others and I think this chapter showed it even more, where she was the only PoV outside of Raylansfair. She will get ties to other storylines in the near future and Chapter 9 should offer an early hint to this. Richard's was not the longest storyline in this chapter, as well as not the most eventful, especially compared to some of the others, though maybe you will enjoy him more now that he will get heavy ties to Kersea's storyline, as well as to other characters he previously hasn't interacted with all that much. And Willfred's Book 2 storyline will hold its fair share of death, that's something I can promise
That Abbas scene is something I am quite happy to see among your favourites. I wasn't sure if it would leave an impression, but apparently it did and it was a very important part for Abbas, who is going to be a very important character in Book 2.
Ah, I will try my best to live up to the expectations I have brought up with this chapter. I don't know how much Chapter 9 will deliver. That might be like comparing The Rains of Castamere to Mhysa from Season 3 of the show. One thing I won't keep up that severely is the body count. If I kill off 15+ characters each chapter, I won't have any left to write about in Book 3 and it would arguably lessen the impact of their deaths. It made a lot of sense in this chapter and I can absolutely promise that several chapters in the future will hold a similar body count, but there will be some chapters, like Chapter 9, that won't kill off that many characters, especially as it wouldn't be all that meaningful in the situations I have planned for the near future. But the deaths that will happen next will be important, they will be big and they should, hopefully, leave a lot of impact, so be assured that I at least plan to maintain the quality of death, if not necessarily the quantity, at least not in every single chapter
Well, that was kind of dramatic finale and bloody chapter in general. I liked it a lot.
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I liked a lot Drent parts, since Argella was prett badass in them.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
Maya was somehow invisible in this Chapter, I also did not enjoy that much John's parts. As for Vasaard, whom lots of people mentioned, I guess he would be taken more easily if he would not resemble Geralt that much... even hair color matches if I reckon. Those Witcher lines did not help as well.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
I liked whole picture in general, which you presented. The battlefield and fights was nice change for previous chapters - of course there we had some of fighting as well, but not as much as in this chapter. And so much death... which needed to appear in such circumstances. Storylines were engaging and emotional and this is what I've liked a lot.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Every storyline was interesting in bigger or smaller part, so I will leave this blank.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Hard to choose, since they were few. I guess the coolest one was... heck, cannot decide. The final fight of Alysanne and Harris was pretty epic, same as the moment when the castle was floated with enemies and one man standing slaughtered them down.
Is there anything you disliked?
Not really.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
More blood, more drama and Book 2 after it. :-p
Aye, she was and will be in future parts as well
I'm pretty happy with the positive reaction the character received, as Argella is going to remain a central part of Drent's storyline, who himself is going to remain a central PoV (or will become one, if he isn't already).
The fact that everyone has the same least favourites helps a lot, this is honestly great! I know I need to give more to Maya, though I am not sure if that much will change about John. I know some do enjoy him (I hope so at least), so I am not too unhappy about him staying divisive. Vaasrand meanwhile is already planned to show more sides of him. He is heavily inspired by Geralt of course and I had no room for him to show off his other traits, so I kind of went with it. But as I said before, Book 2 might change your view.
It won't remain the only chapter with a big battle in it, although the fact that every single PoV was in one way or the other involved in the same fight (save for Sadie), is likely going to remain unique, given how much the PoV's will split up in Book 2. The storylines should very much remain emotional and engaging though, that's my main priority.
I got you there
There will be more blood, there will be a lot more drama, all of it in Book 2 and in some cases in Chapter 9 already. As I said to DiverseGnu, there won't necessarily be as much death as in this chapter, since I don't want these deaths to become cheap, but I have a couple of situations planned that will kill off plenty of characters regardless, in at least one case even plenty at once. There should be a lot to look forward for!
I can't catch a break this week. First, four of my favorite characters die at the end of Wishsong of Shannara, then two of my favorite characters die at the end of 1633, and finally, Torvin dies at the end of this. On a different note, excellent job with this chapter Liquid!
I will edit my thoughts in tomorrow.
All I will say my theory was correct. I'm so proud of myself.
EDIT:
Okay so, RIP Torvin. It was quite emotional, I felt bad. Man Anturion is making it hard to like him. Still, I do. Another one of our first chapter POV's gone. Ah well, a shame. Garthon watches his brother close his eyes and drift away...
Ah yes, Sadie. Jeez, a poor decision was made. Durren Stallhart that beast. Walrus tusks. That's something unique. Not my first choice of battle armor, but I'll take it.
Ah Lucas, I was so right. So very correct. My theory concerning the actions of Maron Mullendore and Petyr Vyrwel were very accurate. Man Lucas is screwed.
Whoa, you're the first one who noticed. Thanks!
You know, I woke up a few days ago and told myself "you need to change something in your life" so I went to the forum and changed my gravatar.
It's probably because I'm either dumb or just haven't played the Witcher, but the meme has gone over my head.
Interesting! I might go back and read his chapters or at least a recap of them.
Good, I'll be waiting for it
You never will, Ted. I belive in you.
Holy shit, what a finale! Sorry for taking a few days to reply, I was actually in the midst of replying yesterday but it was late at night so I fell asleep, lmao. What a fitting finale for such an intense, action-packed, and emotional chapter. RIP Torvin, I knew one of the Breakers were doomed for death this part and it seemed to be that Torvin was the one that bit the dust. One of the oldest and most awesome POVs, he will definitely be missed. Now, fuck Edward completely. He has now become one of my most hated and disliked characters and I hope he dies a painful, torturous death. Just makes me wonder how bad his brother that you mentioned is gonna be...
Sadie's part was insane. I usually NEVER get queasy or anything when it comes to gore, but for some reason I did feel a bit uneasy reading the part where her hand was sliced off. The way you wrote it and the way it was described was very well done, great job Liquid. Poor Dan, he was a good guy and I was starting to like him. He did not deserve that death. Baelor's death also sucked too, even though we didn't really get to know too much about him. Fuck Stallhart! I'm really curious to see how Sadie's storyline kicks off in the next chapter.
As for Lucas, I'm also very anxious to see his new storyline next chapter. Mullendore has finally reappeared and I still hate him. I'm pretty concerned as to what's going to happen there now.
As for the questions, trying to not be as biased:
Who were your favourite characters in Chapter 8?
I gotta say, a lot of characters shined this chapter, excluding POVs. I'm definitely gonna forget or miss a lot. I've always liked Hjalgar but he's growing on me a lot now, especially after he had that badass scene where he killed Cleaver Clint and saved Garthon. I liked Hackor too, it is a shame that he died. Argella remains one of my top favorites. I still like Alysanne despite her dying. Man, what a tragic character. Same with Jax, I've always enjoyed him and as I started to like him more he died, which always sucks.
Who were your least favourite characters in Chapter 8?
This is pretty easy for me. Just the obvious villains. Clayton definitely is still here, especially after he got away. Edward can now happily join my asshole list as well. I really hope he just dies, but in a painful way. Cleaver Clint, fuck him. Mullendore, yes. Sherryl, fuck you too.
What were your favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Ah, I enjoyed a lot of POVs this chapter. Torvin and Garthon's were great. I knew from the beginning of the chapter that they would be good and they delivered. Kersea's storyline remains high on the list as well. I guess you can techincally add Raenna onto there too. Drent had a very enjoyable storyline to read. I have to agree that this was probably Alys's best chapter so far. I didn't enjoy it was much as the ones I previously listed but I was still invested into her storyline.
What were your least favourite storylines in Chapter 8?
Like almost everyone else, I gotta go with Maya here. She didn't really do anything this chapter, also considering that pretty much every other POV was experiencing this epic raid and ongoing battle.
What was your favourite part and your favourite moment in Chapter 8?
Do I have to pick one? I can't. I'm just gonna name them all. Hjalgar killed Cleaver Clint, the fight and explosion at the lighthouse, the fight with Rodrik at the tavern, Emphryus fighting all of the Ironborn raiders, Ellena confronting and escaping Abbas, and a lot more. Just a great, high intensity chapter overall.
Is there anything you disliked?
Nope, nothing. This might be one of my favorite chapters so far.
Do you have further advice, anything you'd like to see more, anything you're anticipating in Chapter 9?
Hmmm, I don't really know. I think everything has been fine so far. The one tiny thing that I'd like to point out is the fact of occasionally having to wait quite some time for a new part of a certain storyline to be released. Of course, this is pretty much completely out of control as there are plenty of POVs that have their storylines and they obviously need to get their parts in. Other than that really, really tiny thing, this story remains phenomenal. Keep it up Liquid, I'm looking forward to next chapter a lot
I have a feeling it may relate to ironborn.
A good question indeed. I thought Leonard would be smarter than this. Stubbornness can be bad. He better not survive a battle to die some cruddy death.