“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared at him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a wink with a single eye, noticing how he had caught him off guard. Petyr was quick to agree to this. “In fact, me and Maron have decided to deliver your body back to Darkdell”, he added. “You will be put to rest in the crypt, next to the body of our father”
If they wanted to provoke him, they surely succeeded at that. Only with effort did Lucas manage not to charge at them right away. Instead, he sent glares to the two men. His brother and his worst enemy, working side by side. It was Argella that slightly calmed him down again. “Are you so afraid of losing, mylords?”, she asked. “That you have to resort to such tactics... I expected better from a knight and a lord. But alas, a kinslayer and his mutt...”
Petyr's smile faded, though an outright vicious streak appeared on Mullendore's face. “Why, you little...”, he started, though Petyr cut him off, having noticed how close Harlen Tyrell was to them by now. “Are you listening to such slander, fair princess?”, he asked. “How disappointing”
Harlen cleared his throat, though by then, all but Mullendore had already been aware of his presence. “Ah, Princess Argella!”, he greeted her. “I am glad you and your... knight have made it” He gave Lucas a brief nod, before bowing in front of Argella, even more briefly. “Now, I believe we're all here. Ser Maron, may we now meet your fighter?”
A devious grin formed on Mullendore's face. “You shall”, he said, as he raised his hand. The crowd parted, revealing a familiar sight. Clad in black, with a white-golden mask shaped like a cat's head, the Tom approached them. His green eyes were as cold as the last time Lucas had seen them and his hand rested on the hilt of his curved sword.
“May I present my champion, Ser Erik Mogfield”, Mullendore announced and for a moment, the crowd grew quiet. Lucas noticed how Argella was just staring at the man that should be his opponent, whereas Harlen Tyrell raised an eyebrow. “What... Ser? What is this?”, he barked. “We agreed on a knight, not one of your thugs”
“A knight”, the Tom purred with his melodic voice. “My name is Ser Erik Mogfield, known as the Tom, sworn knight and leader of Ser Maron's personal guard” Harlen glanced at Maron, who shrugged. “We agreed on a knight and there you have him. Ser Erik is a trusted servant, godly despite his fearsome appearance”
With a gulp, Harlen gave in. “And... this Ser Erik, is he just going to fight like that?”, he asked, to which the Tom gave him a nod. “I don't need more to serve justice”, he said calmly. “The gods will be truly with me today, mylord” Begrudgingly, Harlen sighed. “Fine. Fine, if you are truly a sworn knight, you may fight”, he said. “Let's just get this over with”
He marched off and without looking at his brother again, Petyr followed. Mullendore waited for a moment, spending his time to give Lucas one last, triumphant look before following his ally. “May the combatants enter the arena!”, Harlen' voice, surprisingly loud now, echoed across the square.
While the Tom instantly obeyed, Argella quickly reached for Lucas' arm, holding him back. “If you die tonight, Ser...”, she warned him. Instead of answering immediately, Lucas did something that surprised her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug, as she gasped. “Thank you”, he said. “Thank you for everything”
She pulled away, still baffled by his gesture of affection. “You...”, she stuttered. “That was... brazen” To his surprise, her cheeks gained some colour, as she smiled slightly. “But... I hope it suffices as a token of good luck”, she added. “And you're welcome. Now go in there and kill that man for me, my knight”
The princess turned to the stand, followed by Drent. Lucas himself meanwhile approached the path that was laid out for him by Petyr's guards, leading right to the wooden arena they had built up for this occasion. The Tom was already there, standing silently, while the howls of the crowd were deafening.
It took Elias Tyrell one loud blast from his horn to temporarily silence them. His uncle spoke, his words carried across the entire square. “In the sights of gods and men, we have gathered to ascertain the guilt or innocence of this man, Lucas Flowers!”, he announced. “May the Mother grant them mercy! May the Father give them such justice as they deserve. And may the Warrior guide the hand of our champion, to make the god's will known!”
Lucas gulped, as he stared at the Tom. “And may the Stranger grant them a swift end”, he muttered beneath his helmet, as Elias blew his horn once more, signalling the beginning of the fight. The Tom pointed his sword at him. “Not long ago, I fought a knight, a bastard like you”, he purred. “A good fight, yet he was no match in the end” He tilted his masked head sideways. “Will you grant me a better one?”
Lucas did not reply. Instead, he raised his shield, just in time to parry the first attack. The Tom dashed towards him, raising his sword high above his head, before slamming it down onto the raised shield, a blow that would have otherwise hit the helmet quite heavily. The speed of this man was something to behold, as he attacked yet again, this time aiming for the shoulder. Lucas took the blow, as it gave him a chance to impale the Tom.
Having noticed this move, the masked man jumped back, evading the blow, while simultaneously slicing across the knight's chest, scraping away some of the paint and leaving a mark on the metal. Taking a moment to regain his breath, Lucas took a step back, though the Tom did not need that. He charged at Lucas once more, this time with a feral growl, grabbing his sword with both hands.
Lucas' sword dashed up, to parry a high strike, before moving down to prevent the Tom from kicking him against the leg. Instead of his knee, the Tom's foot hit merely the blunt steel, as he staggered back, dodging a counterattack, before the tip of his sword cut through the air, slamming against Lucas' chest and getting him out of his stride after all.
As he staggered, the Tom wasted no time, striking low this time. He hit the upper leg and Lucas went down onto one knee. Raising his shield, he managed to block the next strike, before pushing himself and the Tom's sword up again to regain his stance.
Instantly, he went to attack his opponent, forcing the Tom to parry his first strike, as the masked man jumped back to avoid a second. But Lucas did not let go of him that easily. He charged after him, striking again and then again, both times from different sides, while the Tom parried, barely in case of the second strike.
The unexpected success caused Lucas to grow bold. He used the heavy attack he nearly landed on the Tom to once again force him into the defence. As the masked man walked backwards while parrying the angry attacks, Lucas pursued him quickly, eventually getting closer, close enough to try a daring move.
As he attacked again, the Tom parried, as expected. Immediately, Lucas' shield moved forwards, with the intention to ram the sharp lower end into the Tom's guts. He pulled his sword down to block the shield, though was forced to leave himself open for Lucas' sword in the process.
It was the Tom's luck that the knight was too close for a lethal strike. However, he was unable to do anything to stop the crossguard that was slammed into his face. He staggered backwards, the mask showing the hint of a crack, his eyes showing something much worse, much more angry. And Lucas knew, this fight was far from over.
His opponent held the blade with one hand now, hitting quickly, yet Lucas took the first blow against his shoulder, knowing that the pauldron would protect him. The attack, though done with one hand only, was done with such precision that he still felt the full force of the blow though, frowning beneath his helmet as his shoulder ached with pain.
Still, he had a chance to attack, slashing forwards, aiming for the Tom's head. This time, the masked man surprised him, by not only dodging beneath the strike, but also by attacking at the same time. His blade hit Lucas' helmet, the strike heavily ringing through Lucas' head and temporarily stunning the knight. Even worse, it slipped out of position, now mostly covering his one good eye.
Blinded, deaf from the strike and dazed, Lucas stumbled, receiving a heavy hit to the stomach, enough to press the air from his lungs, enough to cause him to get down onto one knee. He barely noticed how the Tom walked around him, the curved sword raining down onto his armour again and again, hitting steel and bruising the flesh below. The sound was deafening, as he desperately raised his sword in the attempt to parry the next attack.
Still not seeing anything, especially behind him, Lucas failed to parry. Instead, the sword hit the gauntlet, causing pain to flare through his fingers, his good hand and the entire arm, enough to make him drop the sword out of reflex. Instantly, he felt a heavy force against the back of his head, as the Tom's boot hit the helmet.
This kick was enough to send him to the ground, though it also caused him to lose the helmet, thankfully this time. Seeing again, his body sore and groaning in discomfort, Lucas spotted the Tom, pointing the sword at him, his own lying in the dirt almost two feet away.
The crowd was hooting, yelling for his opponent to kill him, to end this fight, to give them the death they hoped for, as Lucas, momentarily overcome by panic, was unable to do anything but to lie flat on his back, staring at the metal tip of the blade. “KILL HIM!”, Mullendore roared at the top of his lungs, as the Tom raised his blade...
…only to lower it again, to Lucas' surprise. The masked man looked at him, before turning his back and walking a few steps away. The crowd gasped, as they and Lucas himself realized what he was doing right there. A fighting chance. A second round. “What are you doing?”, Mullendore yelled, yet his champion gave him no answer.
It was only as Lucas got back on all fours, something that caused him considerable effort, that the Tom turned around again. Mustering him carefully, he watched as the knight staggered back to his feet, to his sword. He narrowed his eyes as Lucas picked it up again, before giving him a nod. Then, he started the second round of their fight by attacking once more.
The strikes, almost threshing around in their intensity, forced Lucas' entire skill. He parried, first with his sword, then with his shield, before finally having to use both to block a strike that would have split hit now unprotected head in half.
Up close, it was now clear that he had landed a good hit with his crossguard. The intricate mask showed a visible crack and the look in the Tom's eyes was angry, yet surprised as well. Impressed perhaps? With effort, he pushed the man away from him, as the Tom's sword flailed around, nearly cutting Lucas' cheek in the process.
Taking a brief second to regain his breath, the Tom chuckled, before he turned to attack again. Seeing the weakness in Lucas' armour, the missing helmet, he focussed on high strikes, which was risky for both combatants. Lucas had to parry with care, knowing that a single strike could end the fight now.
However, it also left the Tom open for most counterattacks. Lucas used this to his advantage, as he pushed the shield into the Tom's waist, causing the man to gasp in surprise. He raised his weapon just in time to parry Lucas'. Though his sabre was sharp and fast, in a direct comparison it lost against the sheer control Lucas had over his longsword. Able to apply far more strength into it, Lucas pushed his opponent backwards, dashing after him once more with intentions to end this fight.
The Tom saw his move coming and instead of jumping backwards, he jumped into Lucas' direction and the knight, unable to dodge or parry, took the strike. The sharp blade hit him at the cheek, slicing into it, not deeply. The gorget prevented worse, though it was nonetheless an agonizing wound. In return, the Tom was too close for Lucas to land a killing blow, yet his crossguard slammed against the mask once again, this time hard enough to break it.
Wasting no time, Lucas raised his knee, though with considerable effort, kicking the formerly masked man into the stomach and pushing him to the ground. The Tom groaned as he fell, though he did not let go of his sword. As he reached the ground, the hood fell off and the remnants of the mask crumbled away.
With horror, Lucas noticed the face. He had seen disfigurement before, yet not to such a degree. The Tom's face was still there, its features surprisingly sharp. Yet the skin was nothing but a knotty, scarred mess of pale flesh. He had seen such skin, yet never before on a face. This was what happened when someone removed the topmost layer of skin, for torture no doubt. It was a numbing sight and though the man was his enemy, he didn't want to begin to imagine how painful it must have been.
The eyes however were filled with rage, especially as the Tom noticed the horrified looks on the faces of the smallfolk. At least in their eyes, the fight had just turned. The elegant, regal man with the mask had turned out to be a hideous freak. Lucas however, he was the shining knight now. And sometimes, such looks were already enough to win their favour.
As the two opponents attacked, cheers branded up and for the first time, Lucas dared to hope they meant him. Perhaps he hadn't lost yet, not this fight and not his reputation. Their swords met again, clashing with a shrill sound, before separating again, hitting against each other from a different angle, as the Tom jumped around. He was angry now, but unlike most angry men, he only got more dangerous.
And then he made a mistake. Perhaps slightly distracted by the disfigured face, he allowed the Tom to get into his blind spot, an advantage his opponent used right away. Correcting this mistake cost him valuable time and he almost failed at raising his shield in the right moment. The sabre hit against the metal, as the Tom growled in anger, ferociously so. He jumped around and Lucas tried to hit him with the shield.
Dodging this attack, the Tom was now in a position Lucas noticed only too late. In the attempt to hit his enemy with the shield, he had left himself open for a strike against his lesser protected inner arm. And sure enough, the blade found its target right then. Though the chainmail prevented him from outright losing his arm, the cracking sound and the horrible pain that flared up in his body caused Lucas to scream in pure agony.
His arm was broken and if it wouldn't have been tied to his ruined hand, he would have dropped the shield right now. As it was, it dangled on his side, inflicting further pain onto the fracture, the sort that almost caused him to faint. Screaming, still screaming, he parried with his sword, something the Tom's superior speed was far better suited for.
The Tom immediately forced him into the defense and now, Lucas had no choice but to stagger back, desperately parrying the attacks, while trying and failing to ignore the burning pain in his shield arm. The Tom was fast, so much faster than any man he had ever fought, while he himself was slow, due to the armour and the injury.
Parrying another strike, Lucas was too slow for next one, though the Tom did not aim for his head. Instead, he hit the shield, causing agony beyond anything Lucas could have just imagined. This was worse than Mullendore' torture. The blow further damaged the splintered bones, as did the strike afterwards.
With a last, desperate growl, Lucas did his best to ignore how shaky his legs had gotten, how dark spots began to dance around his remaining sight. He parried the Tom's attack, not with his sword, but with his shield, pushing the sabre upwards, while trying to impale his enemy...
…though it was too late. The Tom danced around the longsword and Lucas did not manage to lower his shield arm quick enough. The sabre found the weak spot of his armour, where the two parts of the breastplate, the one to connect his chest and the one connecting his back, were strapped together. It cut through one of the leather clasps, sliced through the chainmail below, before a bit more than the tip dug into flesh, all the way until the armour blocked it from entering Lucas' body any further.
Compared to the thumping agony in his arm, Lucas barely felt this wound, yet he felt its effects. His sword hand grew weak, shaky, his heartbeat came faster, as did his breaths, though they were already harder, a lot harder than normal. Standing there, staring at the crowd with horror, the sword fell out of his hands.
The Tom removed the sabre from his guts, which allowed Lucas to sink onto his knees, his legs just giving in beneath him. The crowd was silent by now, though from the stand, he heard Argella's horrified gasp. He gasped as well, for air, yet he barely got any. Instead, he tasted blood, his own blood.
He looked up, his broken gaze finding the disfigured face of the Tom. His opponent raised the blade to Lucas' neck, the tip touching the flesh, before he put the weapon away. Lucas wheezed, as he went onto all fours, though the Tom knelt down next to him. “A good fight”, he complimented him. “All men must die in the end. Sleep now” With these words, he turned around, pulling his hood up to hide his features. Without giving Lucas another look, he walked to the exit of the makeshift arena.
Up on the stand, he spotted Argella, staring at him, silently, her wide blue eyes filled with tears. The crowd yelled something, though he barely heard it. He was tired, so tired. Sleep, yes... his fight was over. He felt pain and anger, especially as he saw Mullendore cheering. Petyr did not join in. Instead, he covered Edith's eyes, as the girl cried into his chest.
There were tears as well. Lucas felt them running down his cheek. There was so much... so much he had to do. Yet he was powerless. Sinking to the ground, he just barely managed to roll onto his back, staring at the bright sky. For a moment, it seemed as if his Lunett was there again, looking down at him, reaching down to him. Then she was gone, the last thing he saw.
“The gods have made their will known”, Harlen Tyrell proclaimed. “May they have mercy on your soul, Lucas Flowers”
Lucas barely heard him as he took his last breath, the world fading away around him.
End of Chapter 9: Valar Dohaeris
Your Choices
A Wicked Gamble:Lucas decided to accept Petyr's offer
A Bitter Parting:John decided to give Samantha his blessing
A Vow Upheld:Jaron decided to support Samuel in his quest for vengeance
A Final Kindness:Arthur decided to grant Sherryl her final request
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
I think we all had a feeling that this was coming. It's Game of Thrones after all. Damn it! I expected this outcome, but I wasn't ready.. Fuck!
Lucas gone.. The (arguably) main character is bloody gone.. Gotta say though, at the end there, Petyr didn't cheer, as Mullendore did. Instead, he covered his daughters crying eyes. That proves yet again that he has a heart, somewhere in there.
And my man Harris.. He is officially gone. Goddamn it, Liquid! How is Leonard going to react? How is the rest of the unknowing PoV's and characters going to react? What is going to happen now at all? Why is Trump president? So many questions... So few answers..
Fuckin' amazing part, and end to a beloved character. Very good writing, very good end to a book (well, almost-end to a book)! Although a little predictable, which I predicted(?), but that doesn't change anything, it's amazing, nothing else, pure amazement!
Can't wait to see what the Epilogue has in store. I bet it's fucking Mullendore or Petyr or someone. Or someone at Dragonstone, showing King Targaryen, at last.
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
As soon as it was revealed that Lucas would have to fight himself.... I kinda saw this coming. That said, you did manage to make hopeful for a very short moment there after the Tom lost his mask. Oh man.... I'll probably have more coherent thoughts later when I answer the questions, but right now all I really want to say is that Lucas had such an awesome storyline. Clearly he was at the end of his road at this point, but it's still sad to see him go. Well, we can hope he'll be avenged, by all the enemies Mullendore has made with his fuckery.
I can't really hate on the Tom for some reason. He is just so cool and seems to even have some honor, seeing how he didn't end the fight when Lucas had lost his sword. Maron and Petyr though, those two are on the top of my shit list. Damn, what I fear is that they won't get their comeuppance in the next book, not both of them at least. Anyway, can't wait for the story to continue!
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
As soon as it was revealed that Lucas would have to fight himself.... I kinda saw this coming. That said, you did manage to make hopeful for a very short moment there after the Tom lost his mask. Oh man.... I'll probably have more coherent thoughts later when I answer the questions, but right now all I really want to say is that Lucas had such an awesome storyline. Clearly he was at the end of his road at this point, but it's still sad to see him go. Well, we can hope he'll be avenged, by all the enemies Mullendore has made with his fuckery.
I feared it would be too obvious, so I gave Lucas a fight in which he was an equal to the Tom for most of the time, in the hopes that it would indeed create a bit of a hope spot. After all, this death had to be shocking. There could have been more to do with his character, but ultimately, I feel like he reached the logical end of his road. And his death will heavily influence those he left behind, so it ultimately felt like the right decision. Doesn't really change how sad I feel about losing the first, most developed and arguably main PoV of the story
I can't really hate on the Tom for some reason. He is just so cool and seems to even have some honor, seeing how he didn't end the fight when Lucas had lost his sword. Maron and Petyr though, those two are on the top of my shit list. Damn, what I fear is that they won't get their comeuppance in the next book, not both of them at least. Anyway, can't wait for the story to continue!
It should be also noted, the Tom won fair and square. There was no cheating involved, he fought with more honour than most would have showed in his situation and he ultimately won simply by being better than Lucas. There is a lot to be held against him, a whole lot, but a lack of honour is not among it and though killing Lucas is certainly going to cost him some sympathy points, it was objectively a fight to the death, so it's not as if he had much of a choice. With Petyr and Mullendore... well, it all comes down to your choices. There is a third book of course and I can tease that some villains will get their comeuppance in Book 2 already. Wether these two or just one of them will be among those that won't make it out of the coming ten chapters, we'll see. Some fates will be left for you to decide upon, while others are more or less set in stone.
Also, nice choice for the song!
Thank you! As much as I'd like to take credit for it, the praise belongs to @StarKing789 who introduced me to this song as a potential Chapter 9 finale song. I was not too sure at first, as I prefer songs with lyrics, but it very quickly grew on me, as I think the lack of any lyrics might have a particularly strong effect after the loss of Lucas. And I think it did the scene justice.
As soon as it was revealed that Lucas would have to fight himself.... I kinda saw this coming. That said, you did manage to make hopeful for… more a very short moment there after the Tom lost his mask. Oh man.... I'll probably have more coherent thoughts later when I answer the questions, but right now all I really want to say is that Lucas had such an awesome storyline. Clearly he was at the end of his road at this point, but it's still sad to see him go. Well, we can hope he'll be avenged, by all the enemies Mullendore has made with his fuckery.
I can't really hate on the Tom for some reason. He is just so cool and seems to even have some honor, seeing how he didn't end the fight when Lucas had lost his sword. Maron and Petyr though, those two are on the top of my shit list. Damn, what I fear is that they won't get their comeuppance in the next book, not both of them at least. Anyway, can't wait for the story to continue!
Also, nice choice for the song!
God damn it man, this is very upsetting and a true punch to my feels. I think I need to take a break from the forums after reading such a chapter, I'll respond appropriately when I get the time (you know the situation I'm in)
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
Like how the duel between the Mountain and the Viper went...
The other way 'round this time even! Though Lucas might have Oberyn' role as the one the readers root for, he's ultimately, fighting style wise at least, way closer to Gregor. He's this big, heavily armoured tank, fighting against a lightly armoured flashy fighter with an exotic style. This time, speed won, mostly because the Tom is too smart to resort to taunts.
So The Tom is also a member of House Mogfield...what happened to him to look so hideous?
Indeed he is! He is a member of House Mogfield and therefore related to the Frostborn's, through Elizabeth Frostborn née Mogfield. That might put his hatred for Lupin Frostborn into a whole different light. But yeah, something really bad happened to him and it wasn't a pleasant experience, that much I can say. We'll learn more about the Tom and his story in Book 2.
Do not worry, I understand! Take your time. I just hope this wasn't too upsetting, as much as even I feel very sad over having to write this. But as said, take your time. Your thoughts are always appreciated whenever you have the time and the right state of mind. And just as I said to the others, this won't be the end of the road. Thought the story might go a bit slower in August, where I will be on vacation, Book 2 should hold some scenes of a much different tone and nature for you
God damn it man, this is very upsetting and a true punch to my feels. I think I need to take a break from the forums after reading such a chapter, I'll respond appropriately when I get the time (you know the situation I'm in)
I think we all had a feeling that this was coming. It's Game of Thrones after all. Damn it! I expected this outcome, but I wasn't ready.. Fuck!
Really wouldn't be Game of Thrones if the main character wouldn't die at some point, eh? That is actually the problem, Lucas felt like too much of a main character. In a way, I can understand why GRRM once said he felt like he had to kill off Ned and then Robb. On his own, Lucas' storyline would have always eclipsed the others in importance. On top of that, his situation had gotten so hopeless that it would have felt like a stretch to have him actually kill Mullendore's champion, given that the Tom is the most dangerous swordsman among the Solvers for sure. Even Samuel Harrington, himself better than Lucas, had too much respect of his skill to dare a fight. If there would have been a realistic way for Lucas to survive, I might have been tempted, but as it was, I saw no way.
Lucas gone.. The (arguably) main character is bloody gone.. Gotta say though, at the end there, Petyr didn't cheer, as Mullendore did. Instead, he covered his daughters crying eyes. That proves yet again that he has a heart, somewhere in there.
An important detail, aye. Petyr surely wasn't heartbroken over the death of his brother, I wouldn't go that far. However, neither did he feel Mullendore's joy, because he indeed had no reason to hate Lucas all that much. The love for his daughter was certainly way stronger than any satisfaction he felt from this.
And my man Harris.. He is officially gone. Goddamn it, Liquid! How is Leonard going to react? How is the rest of the unknowing PoV's and characters going to react? What is going to happen now at all? Why is Trump president? So many questions... So few answers..
Harris is gone as well, I am afraid Though his influence, just like Lucas' will continue to be felt. And this is a lot of questions... I'll try to answer then very shortly, in the order you asked them in: Bad, bad to neutral, bad things, the confusing system of the electoral college and running against Hilldawg. Jokes aside, Leonard is going to be crushed, the same applies to the PoV's that knew him. Jenna, Samantha, John, even Drent, they are going to be angry, sorrowful, in one particular case even more vengeful. However, this is not the end. Big things are on the horizon, this I promise.
Fuckin' amazing part, and end to a beloved character. Very good writing, very good end to a book (well, almost-end to a book)! Although a little predictable, which I predicted(?), but that doesn't change anything, it's amazing, nothing else, pure amazement!
I am very glad to hear this! True, Lucas' death might not have been the most shocking and out-of-the-blue death ever, but at the same time, I feel like sometimes I have to go with what is logical and in that case, his death had to be. I am happy to hear you enjoyed the read though, as sad as it was and that I have managed to give his character the proper send-off he deserved.
Can't wait to see what the Epilogue has in store. I bet it's fucking Mullendore or Petyr or someone. Or someone at Dragonstone, showing King Targaryen, at last.
Hmmmm, maybe. These lips are sealed though All I can say is, I am excited for this epilogue, at least as much as I was for this chapter finale and I will do my best to get it done by Sunday. Then, you shall have your answer!
Fuck....
I think we all had a feeling that this was coming. It's Game of Thrones after all. Damn it! I expected this outcome, but I wasn'… moret ready.. Fuck!
Lucas gone.. The (arguably) main character is bloody gone.. Gotta say though, at the end there, Petyr didn't cheer, as Mullendore did. Instead, he covered his daughters crying eyes. That proves yet again that he has a heart, somewhere in there.
And my man Harris.. He is officially gone. Goddamn it, Liquid! How is Leonard going to react? How is the rest of the unknowing PoV's and characters going to react? What is going to happen now at all? Why is Trump president? So many questions... So few answers..
Fuckin' amazing part, and end to a beloved character. Very good writing, very good end to a book (well, almost-end to a book)! Although a little predictable, which I predicted(?), but that doesn't change anything, it's amazing, nothing else, pure amazement!
Can't wait to see what … [view original content]
Damn... Even though I was expecting this outcome this part really hit me right in the feels ;-; I gotta give it to Lucas, even though he was crippled he did put up a hell of an effort, managing to give me some hope during the fight.
I'm really glad I was able to read the book finale before going to a week(s) long trip later today, but it still feels bad that I'll miss on the epilogue and probably one or two of the Seven Letters as they come out.
All that said, I also gotta give a major shout-out to you, Liquid, not only for this incredible part but also for Book 1 as a whole. I'm a very recent reader so this might come out as pretentious, but I can say without a doubt that I'll definitely be here for the long run
Eh, even if I saw it coming I still had some hope, that something will change the winner at the end. It's upsetting to loose Lucas but oh well, he fought bravely.
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
I was hoping The Tom would get cocky like Oberyn did and die, but alas it was just wishful thinking on my part. Liquid, you truly did a great job here and gave Lucas who is probably the most central character in the story a fitting send off.
I must give you my congratulations Liquid,I really enjoy how you make us readers feel in this part all the build up before the duel and;despite the tragic end,I really like the duel itself since until the end I wasn't 100% sure of who will win it
I always like the interactions between PoV's (like Lucas-Jenna and Lucas-Drent in this part)
Today we discover the full name of The Tom (he is a member of House Mogfield huh) and his true face (he is such an handsome man)
Lucas is probably the biggest death of this story (I mean,he was even the first real PoV of the story!);while I'm obviously sad of it I found this probably the best moment to make him kick the bucket (as a reader PoV obviously,as a person he has one of the most unfair way to die)
Now that Lucas is dead (RIP) only Jaron of the original five (the PoV's of the first chapter of the story) survive this book
And now only the epilogue remain before the end of the book...this was a really long road (and this is probably the shortest of the three books)
PS:Hey,this is the first time that I know the song/soundtrack that you use for the ending of a chapter! (Sadly it is even the right one for this part)
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
I must give you my congratulations Liquid,I really enjoy how you make us readers feel in this part all the build up before the duel and;despite the tragic end,I really like the duel itself since until the end I wasn't 100% sure of who will win it
Many thanks I wasn't sure if I had given this all sufficient build-up, but it seems that I indeed managed to do so. The duel was always meant to be one of the highlights of this chapter and hopefully it was. A gritty, brutal duel up until the very end, where Lucas made one mistake that cost him the victory.
I always like the interactions between PoV's (like Lucas-Jenna and Lucas-Drent in this part)
I like these as well! And Book 2 should certainly hold more of these interactions. There is some confirmed Jenna-Kersea interaction and I promise that it will be far from the only time two PoV's will meet up to work together (or not work together). Some of these team-ups might even not be entirely expected.
Today we discover the full name of The Tom (he is a member of House Mogfield huh) and his true face (he is such an handsome man)
Aye, Ser Erik Mogfield, a relative of Darko Mogfield and the entire House Frostborn. He also probably once was handsome man, given that his Frostborn relatives and Darko are all rather easy on the eyes. Now... well, he's got a nice-looking mask, eh?
Lucas is probably the biggest death of this story (I mean,he was even the first real PoV of the story!);while I'm obviously sad of it I found this probably the best moment to make him kick the bucket (as a reader PoV obviously,as a person he has one of the most unfair way to die)
That he is, the biggest death so far. Up until now, I think Torvin came close, but Lucas was the only PoV in the entire story who had a consistent and long storyline in every single chapter. He got the first part of Chapter 1 and now the last part of Chapter 9. His story in this way felt like it got some closure and I am glad you consider his ending to have come at the best moment. I admit, more could have been done, but I think the consequences of his death at this point will hold even more potential. That said, his death was a terrible injustice in-story and this is also something that will be addressed.
Now that Lucas is dead (RIP) only Jaron of the original five (the PoV's of the first chapter of the story) survive this book
Aye, that makes Jaron the longest-living PoV in the story to this date. For good reason, as his storyline is certainly not over yet. Though Lucas could have gotten more to do in Book 2, it was Jaron whose death I would have considered the biggest waste in terms of potential. There is more to come for him, as he deals with a new situation, meets with some new characters and gets some exciting character development.
And now only the epilogue remain before the end of the book...this was a really long road (and this is probably the shortest of the three books)
It probably is indeed the shortest, but only because the first act is the shortest by far. I believe you can consider every chapter to come to be as long as this one, or maybe a little bit longer in some cases. The introduction of new PoV's is obviously going to stretch it, but I have ways to keep the number of parts in a manageable way regardless.
PS:Hey,this is the first time that I know the song/soundtrack that you use for the ending of a chapter! (Sadly it is even the right one for this part)
You do! That is great. As I said to WildlingKing, this song was suggested to me and I liked it a lot, seeing it as very fitting for the end of Lucas. Though I am curious, which one would you have used? I am always open for such suggestions.
RIP Lucas
RT:
* I must give you my congratulations Liquid,I really enjoy how you make us readers feel in this part all the build up … morebefore the duel and;despite the tragic end,I really like the duel itself since until the end I wasn't 100% sure of who will win it
* I always like the interactions between PoV's (like Lucas-Jenna and Lucas-Drent in this part)
* Today we discover the full name of The Tom (he is a member of House Mogfield huh) and his true face (he is such an handsome man)
* Lucas is probably the biggest death of this story (I mean,he was even the first real PoV of the story!);while I'm obviously sad of it I found this probably the best moment to make him kick the bucket (as a reader PoV obviously,as a person he has one of the most unfair way to die)
* Now that Lucas is dead (RIP) only Jaron of the original five (the PoV's of the first chapter of the story) survive this book
* And now only the epilogue remain before th… [view original content]
Damn... Even though I was expecting this outcome this part really hit me right in the feels ;-; I gotta give it to Lucas, even though he was crippled he did put up a hell of an effort, managing to give me some hope during the fight.
That is true, Lucas put up a very good fight and he wasn't without chances. The Tom was actually impressed by this, which is why he refused to finish him off as he had him at his mercy halfway through the fight. He loved the challenge. At his prime, Lucas might have even won this fight.
I'm really glad I was able to read the book finale before going to a week(s) long trip later today, but it still feels bad that I'll miss on the epilogue and probably one or two of the Seven Letters as they come out.
Ah, I see, I hope you're going to have a nice trip! It probably indeed means you will miss on reading the epilogue as it comes out, same with the usual stuff I deal with after a chapter, the alternative choices and things like that. I hope to start the Seven Letters by the end of next week and absolutely want to be through with them until early August, which is where I will leave for a couple of weeks. I do believe though, the letter part that should be of most interest of you should be written by the end of this month, when you're hopefully going to be back
All that said, I also gotta give a major shout-out to you, Liquid, not only for this incredible part but also for Book 1 as a whole. I'm a very recent reader so this might come out as pretentious, but I can say without a doubt that I'll definitely be here for the long run
Thank you very much! Book 1 has been a wonderful experience for me and it is comments like this that make me so excited to show you what I have planned down the line for Book 2 and eventually Book 3. In the end, I hope to only surpass the story so far.
Damn... Even though I was expecting this outcome this part really hit me right in the feels ;-; I gotta give it to Lucas, even though he was… more crippled he did put up a hell of an effort, managing to give me some hope during the fight.
I'm really glad I was able to read the book finale before going to a week(s) long trip later today, but it still feels bad that I'll miss on the epilogue and probably one or two of the Seven Letters as they come out.
All that said, I also gotta give a major shout-out to you, Liquid, not only for this incredible part but also for Book 1 as a whole. I'm a very recent reader so this might come out as pretentious, but I can say without a doubt that I'll definitely be here for the long run
That he is, that he is Things certainly won't be as they used to be in the story, but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, as much as I am going to miss writing about Lucas and his struggles.
Yeah, if the Tom would have gotten cocky, Lucas would have won. That said, he can get cocky, as seen in his fight against Jaron, where he was toying with his wounded opponent, quite like a cat that has caught a wounded mouse. Against Jaron in his prime, he probably wouldn't have been that cocky. Just like here, he noticed Lucas is a good fighter and way more capable than the wounded, exhausted Jaron, so he took the fight seriously and as a consequence, he won. You can also consider it learning from his mistakes, as his cocky attitude in the fight against Jaron gave the latter a chance to survive. But that was not the end with Lucas, this fight had to end with death. Interestingly, alternative choices could have offered a different ending here, with Lucas fighting a different opponent and actually winning the duel. As it is, I am glad you consider his death to have been a fitting send off for this beloved character.
I was hoping The Tom would get cocky like Oberyn did and die, but alas it was just wishful thinking on my part. Liquid, you truly did a great job here and gave Lucas who is probably the most central character in the story a fitting send off.
Some choices could have led to a different outcome! Lucas' death was always the greater possibility. With such a central story element, I am occasionally steering into certain directions. However, if you would have chosen correctly, he could have overcome his opponent, though only if this opponent wouldn't have been the Tom. As it is, he at least put up one hell of a fight before the end.
Eh, even if I saw it coming I still had some hope, that something will change the winner at the end. It's upsetting to loose Lucas but oh well, he fought bravely.
Wow, this is amazing! I always enjoy your work, but this has to be my favourite of them all. The colours give this portrait such a nice touch, that really is something special. Thank you very much for sharing it, I love it
What a great part! I was hoping that he would survive until the very end, but in the end this was what expected to happen. I was kinda hoping Orys would miraculously hope in as Lucas's champion, but it was probably just a stupid thought that came about since I didn't really believe he could win on his own, which came true even though I hoped otherwise. It's sad to see character like Lucas go, but on the positive side this will make some big developments of other characters, so I'm looking forward to Book 2 to see aftermath and consequences of this duel.
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
It probably is indeed the shortest, but only because the first act is the shortest by far
Indeed that is the main reason because I believe that the next books will be longer of the first one (even if new PoV's obviously will help that)
Though I am curious, which one would you have used?
Me?Sincerely I don't know since I believe that the one that was suggested to you is the right one for the end of this chapter.
PS:btw always speaking about the soundtrack I will tell you something funny that I've just now remembered,when I was only a new reader of this story (a year and half ago) I was used during my reading to listen as background music the celtic music by the same composer that you chose for the ending of this chapter!
I must give you my congratulations Liquid,I really enjoy how you make us readers feel in this part all the build up before the duel and;desp… moreite the tragic end,I really like the duel itself since until the end I wasn't 100% sure of who will win it
Many thanks I wasn't sure if I had given this all sufficient build-up, but it seems that I indeed managed to do so. The duel was always meant to be one of the highlights of this chapter and hopefully it was. A gritty, brutal duel up until the very end, where Lucas made one mistake that cost him the victory.
I always like the interactions between PoV's (like Lucas-Jenna and Lucas-Drent in this part)
I like these as well! And Book 2 should certainly hold more of these interactions. There is some confirmed Jenna-Kersea interaction and I promise that it will be far from the only time two PoV's will meet up to work together (or not work together). Some of these team-ups might even n… [view original content]
Indeed that is the main reason because I believe that the next books will be longer of the first one (even if new PoV's obviously will help that)
Well, I noticed the total number of PoV's is going to remain relatively stable in the long run. The end of Book 2 will feature more PoV's than the end of Book 1 did, but there will be losses among the way. I think however, the storylines in general will be a bit longer in some cases. In this book, I had a couple of main PoV's, characters like Lucas or Jaron who always had consistently long and eventful storylines. In contrast, there have been characters such as Ilish or Ellena, who had way less screentime. This is going to change, as particularly these two will have very eventful storylines.
Me?Sincerely I don't know since I believe that the one that was suggested to you is the right one for the end of this chapter.
Alright, alright, my mistake. I am embarrassed! I have misread your post. Instead of "Sadly it is even the right one for this part", I have read "Sadly it isn't even the right one for this part", making me assume that there is a track by this same composer that you consider to be more fitting. Perhaps instead of spending all this time writing, I should have taken some time to learn how to read properly
PS:btw always speaking about the soundtrack I will tell you something funny that I've just now remembered,when I was only a new reader of this story (a year and half ago) I was used during my reading to listen as background music the celtic music by the same composer that you chose for the ending of this chapter!
Now that is a nice coincidence! It seems this was indeed a very good pick then
It probably is indeed the shortest, but only because the first act is the shortest by far
Indeed that is the main reason because I b… moreelieve that the next books will be longer of the first one (even if new PoV's obviously will help that)
Though I am curious, which one would you have used?
Me?Sincerely I don't know since I believe that the one that was suggested to you is the right one for the end of this chapter.
PS:btw always speaking about the soundtrack I will tell you something funny that I've just now remembered,when I was only a new reader of this story (a year and half ago) I was used during my reading to listen as background music the celtic music by the same composer that you chose for the ending of this chapter!
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist the temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
What a great part! I was hoping that he would survive until the very end, but in the end this was what expected to happen. I was kinda hopin… moreg Orys would miraculously hope in as Lucas's champion, but it was probably just a stupid thought that came about since I didn't really believe he could win on his own, which came true even though I hoped otherwise. It's sad to see character like Lucas go, but on the positive side this will make some big developments of other characters, so I'm looking forward to Book 2 to see aftermath and consequences of this duel.
My guess is that it would've been Leonard if he was captured. Have the two fight against each other. That would've been a really cool yet sad ending. However, if that would've been the ending, I'm glad that Leonard survived. I can't wait to see how he reacts to the news of Lucas' passing.
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist th… moree temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist th… moree temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist th… moree temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist th… moree temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist th… moree temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist th… moree temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
Hm, quite an interesting theory! I can confirm that Leonard would have been one of several fighters Lucas could have faced, alongside the Tom and Hugo Farnham. The exact way this fight would have went is going to be detailed in the alternative choice. Now, when it comes to his reaction to the news, we sadly won't get to see it. The next book will start two months after this scene. However, we're going to see the aftermath
On other notes, I just found out something about this new so-called update. Apparently, though I just got 11 notifications from your sextuple post and five edits (which is an amazing feat, as I must say), with only 10 of them being displayed in this shitty, hopefully soon-to-be fixed broken feed of mine, all 11 have been marked as read, so at least I won't be stuck at 11 notifications now. I had this fear for a while that sooner or later, I'd have a stuck notification, kind of a pet peeve of mine. It seems, as much as this update screwed up, it at least screwed up in a way that makes it slightly less annoying. Thanks Telltale web team, now restore our feeds to a properly working condition or give us an alternative to that system before the end of this year and we can be friends again
My guess is that it would've been Leonard if he was captured. Have the two fight against each other. That would've been a really cool yet sa… mored ending. However, if that would've been the ending, I'm glad that Leonard survived. I can't wait to see how he reacts to the news of Lucas' passing.
Well, can't say that was unexpected. As soon as Tom walked into the arena, things looked very dire. Poor crippled Lucas didn't stand much of a chance against pro killer Tom. Hopefully Hugo will eventually see the light and notice what a murderous dick Petyr is. Tom however isn't necessarily on my bad side. He was pretty chill by giving Lucas a fighting chance when he lost his sword. Lucas was just outclassed and too damaged. I guess Argella will be leaving in defeat. Hopefully she can learn something from this. She lost a lot on this trip and didn't gain all that much. With the Stormlanders probably leaving during the two month gap, I wonder what Arthur is going to do. He had quite the romance going on with Edonia. I wonder if we followed the bootprints, a romance could've budded up between them. Alas, Arthur remains one of Raylainsfair's many eligible bachelors. Assuming now that Petyr's power is secured in Raylainsfair, we will be seeing a lot of change. Probably a lot of activity happening in the Catacombs and the Archives. But I don't think Petyr is going to be a cruel ruler. If Mullendore relocates his troops, the smallfolk may actually be charmed by Petyr's wiles. That may make dethroning him much more difficult. And then there is Oakheart. I bet we are going to see a lot more political intrigue happening in the Reach. Maybe we will even get to see Highgarden and King Gardener. I know we will be seeing there in the letters, but I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a center location of the story. We have Raenna hanging out in the North, Edrick in the Riverlands with Garthon heading back, Alys in Dorne, Drent in the Stormlands, maybe Maya heading back to the Vale, and everybody else at least starting out in Raylainsfair. So we have action going on all across Westeros, and maybe we'll get to see Essos jump into the mix. Exciting stuff coming up in the next book. And then there is the Epilogue. I have no clue as to what that is going to entail. Maybe we will see through the eyes of one of the villains and learn some more stuff about there plans. Or maybe go somewhere completely unrelated and find out about a new threat. All the possibilities leave me on the edge of my seat.
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I literally yelled when I realized what was happening. This is so unfair! Lucas... you deserved so much better.
For so long Lucas has always felt like the main character, so to see this happen to him really sucks. You gave us hope, Liquid! You gave us hope and you took it away! You took it away and then stomped on it. You stomped and then you... you get the point.
I will say that the Tom was really interesting here. He had a certain air of honor about him. Maybe honor isn't the right word but he seemed respectful.
“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared … moreat him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a… [view original content]
Well, can't say that was unexpected. As soon as Tom walked into the arena, things looked very dire. Poor crippled Lucas didn't stand much of a chance against pro killer Tom.
To be fair, he did put up one hell of a fight, so much that the Tom actually took this duel very seriously. At his prime, he would have probably been a serious challenge and even now, he gave the Tom a couple of heavy blows. In fact, he had several chances to kill him, as each of the strikes he hit would have been lethal if not for the Tom being so damn quick and getting too close to be actually hit by the attacks.
Hopefully Hugo will eventually see the light and notice what a murderous dick Petyr is.
Oh, possibly. How he decides to act on this is a different case altogether. Hugo is a man of honour, which unfortunately includes loyalty. Think about Aerys Targaryen's Kingsguard. None of them were bad people by any means, neither were they stupid. They all knew what a madman and monster they served and yet all but Jaime were ready to die for their king. In Hugo's case, he might not serve a king, but his loyalty is very much what prevents him from even considering Lucas' claims in this part. It remains to be seen how he will develop, but he should be in for some interesting scenes in the future
Tom however isn't necessarily on my bad side. He was pretty chill by giving Lucas a fighting chance when he lost his sword. Lucas was just outclassed and too damaged.
Aye, as I said somewhere above, the Tom won fairly. He did not resort to cheating and even went out of his way to give Lucas a second chance after he already had him at his mercy. By the rules of the trial, he could have ended it right there without, ahem, losing face. He chose not to and instead gave Lucas another chance. That does not mean that he is a good guy now, quite the contrary, but as far as the Solvers go, this is a pretty decent streak of him. It's one of these moments where you noticed that he was indeed knighted once, many years ago.
I guess Argella will be leaving in defeat. Hopefully she can learn something from this. She lost a lot on this trip and didn't gain all that much.
She gained experience, a very valuable thing for a future ruler. Though always very confident about her position in public, there have been these hints of pretty severe doubt and uncertainty when in a more private situation and so far, she struggled with the though of following after her father, who is highly beloved by his people, especially after her equally beloved brother died. The events in Raylansfair gave her a chance to live up to her father's image and reputation and she'll return to Storm's End with more confidence about her role. That said, there have been heavy losses for the Stormlanders and none is going to feel this more than her, given that Montclair died to protect her (something she is really sensitive about due to her backstory) and Lucas, a man she considered a friend, was killed in one of the most cruel injustices she had ever witnessed. That be said, he return to Storm's End is also going to be a return home, where she feels much more at ease.
With the Stormlanders probably leaving during the two month gap, I wonder what Arthur is going to do. He had quite the romance going on with Edonia. I wonder if we followed the bootprints, a romance could've budded up between them. Alas, Arthur remains one of Raylainsfair's many eligible bachelors.
It is a shame, but Edonia has to leave with the rest of the Stormlanders, pretty quickly at that and without getting much of a chance for anything to come out of her flirt with Arthur. All in all, they have spent way too little time for anything to develop, yet they had chemistry and noticed it. Well, who knows what will happen out of this
Assuming now that Petyr's power is secured in Raylainsfair, we will be seeing a lot of change. Probably a lot of activity happening in the Catacombs and the Archives. But I don't think Petyr is going to be a cruel ruler. If Mullendore relocates his troops, the smallfolk may actually be charmed by Petyr's wiles. That may make dethroning him much more difficult. And then there is Oakheart. I bet we are going to see a lot more political intrigue happening in the Reach.
That is a good thought. Petyr has stabilized his rule by killing Lucas and now he and Mullendore can put their plan into motion, together with their ally, Lord Oakheart. However, Petyr is indeed unlikely to be a cruel ruler. He is a pragmatist, meaning he'll likely show little mercy to his enemies, but his subjects might be in for a stable, prosperous rule. That is most useful for him, as it will make it hard to gain allies. That be said, Mullendore has made way more enemies and will have it harder gaining allies. That's why he has chosen the affable, charming Petyr as his ally of choice. And yes, together with Oakheart these three will hold a lot of political intrigue.
Maybe we will even get to see Highgarden and King Gardener. I know we will be seeing there in the letters, but I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a center location of the story. We have Raenna hanging out in the North, Edrick in the Riverlands with Garthon heading back, Alys in Dorne, Drent in the Stormlands, maybe Maya heading back to the Vale, and everybody else at least starting out in Raylainsfair. So we have action going on all across Westeros, and maybe we'll get to see Essos jump into the mix.
Hm, I can confirm that right now, I have no plans of showing Highgarden much. In fact, the Interlude won't even be set there, as King Mern is currently on the road with his entourage. However, you are right, a lot of new locations will be there in Book 2, or old locations that will be featured more prominently, such as Storm's End. There will be new PoV's in the Vale, in Dorne and the North, some Raylansfair PoV's will leave the city and so on. Essos is also confirmed to hold several major locations for Book 2 and 3. In fact, Janae's first part will already be set there next time we see her (which is probably going to be Chapter 2).
And then there is the Epilogue. I have no clue as to what that is going to entail. Maybe we will see through the eyes of one of the villains and learn some more stuff about there plans. Or maybe go somewhere completely unrelated and find out about a new threat. All the possibilities leave me on the edge of my seat.
Hehehe... all I can say is, there is a reason why I keep the title of this epilogue a secret, because it might contain some clues what's going to happen there. I have made good progress with it and it should be ready tomorrow during the late evening. My late evening that is, of course. This Epilogue is hopefully going to be a satisfying way to end Book 1, that much I promise
Well, can't say that was unexpected. As soon as Tom walked into the arena, things looked very dire. Poor crippled Lucas didn't stand much of… more a chance against pro killer Tom. Hopefully Hugo will eventually see the light and notice what a murderous dick Petyr is. Tom however isn't necessarily on my bad side. He was pretty chill by giving Lucas a fighting chance when he lost his sword. Lucas was just outclassed and too damaged. I guess Argella will be leaving in defeat. Hopefully she can learn something from this. She lost a lot on this trip and didn't gain all that much. With the Stormlanders probably leaving during the two month gap, I wonder what Arthur is going to do. He had quite the romance going on with Edonia. I wonder if we followed the bootprints, a romance could've budded up between them. Alas, Arthur remains one of Raylainsfair's many eligible bachelors. Assuming now that Petyr's power is secured in Raylainsfair, we will be seeing a … [view original content]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I literally yelled when I realized what was happening. This is so unfair! Lucas... you deserved so much better.
For so long Lucas has always felt like the main character, so to see this happen to him really sucks. You gave us hope, Liquid! You gave us hope and you took it away! You took it away and then stomped on it. You stomped and then you... you get the point.
He did, he truly did deserve better. Well, in terms of sheer character potential, I think I used him well and gave him the important send-off he deserved. However, in-story his death is a huge injustice and a incredibly unfair, given that he was basically murdered for something he never did, to cover up his brother's schemes. He was arguably the main character of FoT, so I knew, if I'd kill him off, now would be the only possible way to give him at least a worthy death scene. That be said, I still feel incredibly sad for this, as he was a character I have written about for two and a half years and whom I gave centre stage in the story for good reason. Others may take his place, but there is never going to be a single protagonist of such importance again, instead it is likely to be shared important between several PoV's and non-PoV's.
I will say that the Tom was really interesting here. He had a certain air of honor about him. Maybe honor isn't the right word but he seemed respectful.
I know what you mean! Honour is hard to say, given that the Tom is still a brutal criminal and a very bad person. However, I don't know of a better term. It's a mixture of bravery, chivalry and loving the thrill of a good fight that causes him to act very honourably in a fight situation, though outside of such duels, he deserves his bad reputation. Nonetheless, I am glad you consider him an interesting character! I plan to develop him further in Book 2 and with his identity being revealed now, there might be some unexpected depths from him.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I literally yelled when I realized what was happening. This is so unfair! Lucas... you deserved so much better.
… more For so long Lucas has always felt like the main character, so to see this happen to him really sucks. You gave us hope, Liquid! You gave us hope and you took it away! You took it away and then stomped on it. You stomped and then you... you get the point.
I will say that the Tom was really interesting here. He had a certain air of honor about him. Maybe honor isn't the right word but he seemed respectful.
Well, can't say that was unexpected. As soon as Tom walked into the arena, things looked very dire. Poor crippled Lucas didn't stand much of… more a chance against pro killer Tom.
To be fair, he did put up one hell of a fight, so much that the Tom actually took this duel very seriously. At his prime, he would have probably been a serious challenge and even now, he gave the Tom a couple of heavy blows. In fact, he had several chances to kill him, as each of the strikes he hit would have been lethal if not for the Tom being so damn quick and getting too close to be actually hit by the attacks.
Hopefully Hugo will eventually see the light and notice what a murderous dick Petyr is.
Oh, possibly. How he decides to act on this is a different case altogether. Hugo is a man of honour, which unfortunately includes loyalty. Think about Aerys Targaryen's Kingsguard. None of them were bad people by any means, neither were they stupid. The… [view original content]
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“Brother!”, Petyr yelled, spreading his arms, though he stopped a few feet out of the reach of Lucas' sword, wisely so. Lucas merely glared at him and at Mullendore, who quickly caught up to Petyr despite the limp. “Today is the day you die, boy”, the false knight said. “I hope you have made your peace with the gods”
“Perhaps I'll live”, Lucas replied, as he noticed how Harlen finally noticed them as well. The lord moved forwards, giving his nephew a nod in the process. Elias Tyrell reached for a horn at his belt, ready to blow it at his uncle's order. Mullendore shook his head. “I doubt it. My champion is going to kill you”, he said with a grin, though a look of feigned honesty appeared immediately afterwards. “However, boy, I want you to know that... I forgive you. I don't want our quarrel to be personal, despite the slander you spread about me”
Lucas clenched his free hand to a fist, as his breath became faster. Mullendore gave him a wink with a single eye, noticing how he had caught him off guard. Petyr was quick to agree to this. “In fact, me and Maron have decided to deliver your body back to Darkdell”, he added. “You will be put to rest in the crypt, next to the body of our father”
If they wanted to provoke him, they surely succeeded at that. Only with effort did Lucas manage not to charge at them right away. Instead, he sent glares to the two men. His brother and his worst enemy, working side by side. It was Argella that slightly calmed him down again. “Are you so afraid of losing, mylords?”, she asked. “That you have to resort to such tactics... I expected better from a knight and a lord. But alas, a kinslayer and his mutt...”
Petyr's smile faded, though an outright vicious streak appeared on Mullendore's face. “Why, you little...”, he started, though Petyr cut him off, having noticed how close Harlen Tyrell was to them by now. “Are you listening to such slander, fair princess?”, he asked. “How disappointing”
Harlen cleared his throat, though by then, all but Mullendore had already been aware of his presence. “Ah, Princess Argella!”, he greeted her. “I am glad you and your... knight have made it” He gave Lucas a brief nod, before bowing in front of Argella, even more briefly. “Now, I believe we're all here. Ser Maron, may we now meet your fighter?”
A devious grin formed on Mullendore's face. “You shall”, he said, as he raised his hand. The crowd parted, revealing a familiar sight. Clad in black, with a white-golden mask shaped like a cat's head, the Tom approached them. His green eyes were as cold as the last time Lucas had seen them and his hand rested on the hilt of his curved sword.
“May I present my champion, Ser Erik Mogfield”, Mullendore announced and for a moment, the crowd grew quiet. Lucas noticed how Argella was just staring at the man that should be his opponent, whereas Harlen Tyrell raised an eyebrow. “What... Ser? What is this?”, he barked. “We agreed on a knight, not one of your thugs”
“A knight”, the Tom purred with his melodic voice. “My name is Ser Erik Mogfield, known as the Tom, sworn knight and leader of Ser Maron's personal guard” Harlen glanced at Maron, who shrugged. “We agreed on a knight and there you have him. Ser Erik is a trusted servant, godly despite his fearsome appearance”
With a gulp, Harlen gave in. “And... this Ser Erik, is he just going to fight like that?”, he asked, to which the Tom gave him a nod. “I don't need more to serve justice”, he said calmly. “The gods will be truly with me today, mylord” Begrudgingly, Harlen sighed. “Fine. Fine, if you are truly a sworn knight, you may fight”, he said. “Let's just get this over with”
He marched off and without looking at his brother again, Petyr followed. Mullendore waited for a moment, spending his time to give Lucas one last, triumphant look before following his ally. “May the combatants enter the arena!”, Harlen' voice, surprisingly loud now, echoed across the square.
While the Tom instantly obeyed, Argella quickly reached for Lucas' arm, holding him back. “If you die tonight, Ser...”, she warned him. Instead of answering immediately, Lucas did something that surprised her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug, as she gasped. “Thank you”, he said. “Thank you for everything”
She pulled away, still baffled by his gesture of affection. “You...”, she stuttered. “That was... brazen” To his surprise, her cheeks gained some colour, as she smiled slightly. “But... I hope it suffices as a token of good luck”, she added. “And you're welcome. Now go in there and kill that man for me, my knight”
The princess turned to the stand, followed by Drent. Lucas himself meanwhile approached the path that was laid out for him by Petyr's guards, leading right to the wooden arena they had built up for this occasion. The Tom was already there, standing silently, while the howls of the crowd were deafening.
It took Elias Tyrell one loud blast from his horn to temporarily silence them. His uncle spoke, his words carried across the entire square. “In the sights of gods and men, we have gathered to ascertain the guilt or innocence of this man, Lucas Flowers!”, he announced. “May the Mother grant them mercy! May the Father give them such justice as they deserve. And may the Warrior guide the hand of our champion, to make the god's will known!”
Lucas gulped, as he stared at the Tom. “And may the Stranger grant them a swift end”, he muttered beneath his helmet, as Elias blew his horn once more, signalling the beginning of the fight. The Tom pointed his sword at him. “Not long ago, I fought a knight, a bastard like you”, he purred. “A good fight, yet he was no match in the end” He tilted his masked head sideways. “Will you grant me a better one?”
Lucas did not reply. Instead, he raised his shield, just in time to parry the first attack. The Tom dashed towards him, raising his sword high above his head, before slamming it down onto the raised shield, a blow that would have otherwise hit the helmet quite heavily. The speed of this man was something to behold, as he attacked yet again, this time aiming for the shoulder. Lucas took the blow, as it gave him a chance to impale the Tom.
Having noticed this move, the masked man jumped back, evading the blow, while simultaneously slicing across the knight's chest, scraping away some of the paint and leaving a mark on the metal. Taking a moment to regain his breath, Lucas took a step back, though the Tom did not need that. He charged at Lucas once more, this time with a feral growl, grabbing his sword with both hands.
Lucas' sword dashed up, to parry a high strike, before moving down to prevent the Tom from kicking him against the leg. Instead of his knee, the Tom's foot hit merely the blunt steel, as he staggered back, dodging a counterattack, before the tip of his sword cut through the air, slamming against Lucas' chest and getting him out of his stride after all.
As he staggered, the Tom wasted no time, striking low this time. He hit the upper leg and Lucas went down onto one knee. Raising his shield, he managed to block the next strike, before pushing himself and the Tom's sword up again to regain his stance.
Instantly, he went to attack his opponent, forcing the Tom to parry his first strike, as the masked man jumped back to avoid a second. But Lucas did not let go of him that easily. He charged after him, striking again and then again, both times from different sides, while the Tom parried, barely in case of the second strike.
The unexpected success caused Lucas to grow bold. He used the heavy attack he nearly landed on the Tom to once again force him into the defence. As the masked man walked backwards while parrying the angry attacks, Lucas pursued him quickly, eventually getting closer, close enough to try a daring move.
As he attacked again, the Tom parried, as expected. Immediately, Lucas' shield moved forwards, with the intention to ram the sharp lower end into the Tom's guts. He pulled his sword down to block the shield, though was forced to leave himself open for Lucas' sword in the process.
It was the Tom's luck that the knight was too close for a lethal strike. However, he was unable to do anything to stop the crossguard that was slammed into his face. He staggered backwards, the mask showing the hint of a crack, his eyes showing something much worse, much more angry. And Lucas knew, this fight was far from over.
His opponent held the blade with one hand now, hitting quickly, yet Lucas took the first blow against his shoulder, knowing that the pauldron would protect him. The attack, though done with one hand only, was done with such precision that he still felt the full force of the blow though, frowning beneath his helmet as his shoulder ached with pain.
Still, he had a chance to attack, slashing forwards, aiming for the Tom's head. This time, the masked man surprised him, by not only dodging beneath the strike, but also by attacking at the same time. His blade hit Lucas' helmet, the strike heavily ringing through Lucas' head and temporarily stunning the knight. Even worse, it slipped out of position, now mostly covering his one good eye.
Blinded, deaf from the strike and dazed, Lucas stumbled, receiving a heavy hit to the stomach, enough to press the air from his lungs, enough to cause him to get down onto one knee. He barely noticed how the Tom walked around him, the curved sword raining down onto his armour again and again, hitting steel and bruising the flesh below. The sound was deafening, as he desperately raised his sword in the attempt to parry the next attack.
Still not seeing anything, especially behind him, Lucas failed to parry. Instead, the sword hit the gauntlet, causing pain to flare through his fingers, his good hand and the entire arm, enough to make him drop the sword out of reflex. Instantly, he felt a heavy force against the back of his head, as the Tom's boot hit the helmet.
This kick was enough to send him to the ground, though it also caused him to lose the helmet, thankfully this time. Seeing again, his body sore and groaning in discomfort, Lucas spotted the Tom, pointing the sword at him, his own lying in the dirt almost two feet away.
The crowd was hooting, yelling for his opponent to kill him, to end this fight, to give them the death they hoped for, as Lucas, momentarily overcome by panic, was unable to do anything but to lie flat on his back, staring at the metal tip of the blade. “KILL HIM!”, Mullendore roared at the top of his lungs, as the Tom raised his blade...
…only to lower it again, to Lucas' surprise. The masked man looked at him, before turning his back and walking a few steps away. The crowd gasped, as they and Lucas himself realized what he was doing right there. A fighting chance. A second round. “What are you doing?”, Mullendore yelled, yet his champion gave him no answer.
It was only as Lucas got back on all fours, something that caused him considerable effort, that the Tom turned around again. Mustering him carefully, he watched as the knight staggered back to his feet, to his sword. He narrowed his eyes as Lucas picked it up again, before giving him a nod. Then, he started the second round of their fight by attacking once more.
The strikes, almost threshing around in their intensity, forced Lucas' entire skill. He parried, first with his sword, then with his shield, before finally having to use both to block a strike that would have split hit now unprotected head in half.
Up close, it was now clear that he had landed a good hit with his crossguard. The intricate mask showed a visible crack and the look in the Tom's eyes was angry, yet surprised as well. Impressed perhaps? With effort, he pushed the man away from him, as the Tom's sword flailed around, nearly cutting Lucas' cheek in the process.
Taking a brief second to regain his breath, the Tom chuckled, before he turned to attack again. Seeing the weakness in Lucas' armour, the missing helmet, he focussed on high strikes, which was risky for both combatants. Lucas had to parry with care, knowing that a single strike could end the fight now.
However, it also left the Tom open for most counterattacks. Lucas used this to his advantage, as he pushed the shield into the Tom's waist, causing the man to gasp in surprise. He raised his weapon just in time to parry Lucas'. Though his sabre was sharp and fast, in a direct comparison it lost against the sheer control Lucas had over his longsword. Able to apply far more strength into it, Lucas pushed his opponent backwards, dashing after him once more with intentions to end this fight.
The Tom saw his move coming and instead of jumping backwards, he jumped into Lucas' direction and the knight, unable to dodge or parry, took the strike. The sharp blade hit him at the cheek, slicing into it, not deeply. The gorget prevented worse, though it was nonetheless an agonizing wound. In return, the Tom was too close for Lucas to land a killing blow, yet his crossguard slammed against the mask once again, this time hard enough to break it.
Wasting no time, Lucas raised his knee, though with considerable effort, kicking the formerly masked man into the stomach and pushing him to the ground. The Tom groaned as he fell, though he did not let go of his sword. As he reached the ground, the hood fell off and the remnants of the mask crumbled away.
With horror, Lucas noticed the face. He had seen disfigurement before, yet not to such a degree. The Tom's face was still there, its features surprisingly sharp. Yet the skin was nothing but a knotty, scarred mess of pale flesh. He had seen such skin, yet never before on a face. This was what happened when someone removed the topmost layer of skin, for torture no doubt. It was a numbing sight and though the man was his enemy, he didn't want to begin to imagine how painful it must have been.
The eyes however were filled with rage, especially as the Tom noticed the horrified looks on the faces of the smallfolk. At least in their eyes, the fight had just turned. The elegant, regal man with the mask had turned out to be a hideous freak. Lucas however, he was the shining knight now. And sometimes, such looks were already enough to win their favour.
As the two opponents attacked, cheers branded up and for the first time, Lucas dared to hope they meant him. Perhaps he hadn't lost yet, not this fight and not his reputation. Their swords met again, clashing with a shrill sound, before separating again, hitting against each other from a different angle, as the Tom jumped around. He was angry now, but unlike most angry men, he only got more dangerous.
And then he made a mistake. Perhaps slightly distracted by the disfigured face, he allowed the Tom to get into his blind spot, an advantage his opponent used right away. Correcting this mistake cost him valuable time and he almost failed at raising his shield in the right moment. The sabre hit against the metal, as the Tom growled in anger, ferociously so. He jumped around and Lucas tried to hit him with the shield.
Dodging this attack, the Tom was now in a position Lucas noticed only too late. In the attempt to hit his enemy with the shield, he had left himself open for a strike against his lesser protected inner arm. And sure enough, the blade found its target right then. Though the chainmail prevented him from outright losing his arm, the cracking sound and the horrible pain that flared up in his body caused Lucas to scream in pure agony.
His arm was broken and if it wouldn't have been tied to his ruined hand, he would have dropped the shield right now. As it was, it dangled on his side, inflicting further pain onto the fracture, the sort that almost caused him to faint. Screaming, still screaming, he parried with his sword, something the Tom's superior speed was far better suited for.
The Tom immediately forced him into the defense and now, Lucas had no choice but to stagger back, desperately parrying the attacks, while trying and failing to ignore the burning pain in his shield arm. The Tom was fast, so much faster than any man he had ever fought, while he himself was slow, due to the armour and the injury.
Parrying another strike, Lucas was too slow for next one, though the Tom did not aim for his head. Instead, he hit the shield, causing agony beyond anything Lucas could have just imagined. This was worse than Mullendore' torture. The blow further damaged the splintered bones, as did the strike afterwards.
With a last, desperate growl, Lucas did his best to ignore how shaky his legs had gotten, how dark spots began to dance around his remaining sight. He parried the Tom's attack, not with his sword, but with his shield, pushing the sabre upwards, while trying to impale his enemy...
…though it was too late. The Tom danced around the longsword and Lucas did not manage to lower his shield arm quick enough. The sabre found the weak spot of his armour, where the two parts of the breastplate, the one to connect his chest and the one connecting his back, were strapped together. It cut through one of the leather clasps, sliced through the chainmail below, before a bit more than the tip dug into flesh, all the way until the armour blocked it from entering Lucas' body any further.
Compared to the thumping agony in his arm, Lucas barely felt this wound, yet he felt its effects. His sword hand grew weak, shaky, his heartbeat came faster, as did his breaths, though they were already harder, a lot harder than normal. Standing there, staring at the crowd with horror, the sword fell out of his hands.
The Tom removed the sabre from his guts, which allowed Lucas to sink onto his knees, his legs just giving in beneath him. The crowd was silent by now, though from the stand, he heard Argella's horrified gasp. He gasped as well, for air, yet he barely got any. Instead, he tasted blood, his own blood.
He looked up, his broken gaze finding the disfigured face of the Tom. His opponent raised the blade to Lucas' neck, the tip touching the flesh, before he put the weapon away. Lucas wheezed, as he went onto all fours, though the Tom knelt down next to him. “A good fight”, he complimented him. “All men must die in the end. Sleep now” With these words, he turned around, pulling his hood up to hide his features. Without giving Lucas another look, he walked to the exit of the makeshift arena.
Up on the stand, he spotted Argella, staring at him, silently, her wide blue eyes filled with tears. The crowd yelled something, though he barely heard it. He was tired, so tired. Sleep, yes... his fight was over. He felt pain and anger, especially as he saw Mullendore cheering. Petyr did not join in. Instead, he covered Edith's eyes, as the girl cried into his chest.
There were tears as well. Lucas felt them running down his cheek. There was so much... so much he had to do. Yet he was powerless. Sinking to the ground, he just barely managed to roll onto his back, staring at the bright sky. For a moment, it seemed as if his Lunett was there again, looking down at him, reaching down to him. Then she was gone, the last thing he saw.
“The gods have made their will known”, Harlen Tyrell proclaimed. “May they have mercy on your soul, Lucas Flowers”
Lucas barely heard him as he took his last breath, the world fading away around him.
End of Chapter 9: Valar Dohaeris
Your Choices
A Wicked Gamble: Lucas decided to accept Petyr's offer
A Bitter Parting: John decided to give Samantha his blessing
A Vow Upheld: Jaron decided to support Samuel in his quest for vengeance
A Final Kindness: Arthur decided to grant Sherryl her final request
A Hope of Home: Ellena decided to accompany Noelle
;(
Fuck....
I think we all had a feeling that this was coming. It's Game of Thrones after all. Damn it! I expected this outcome, but I wasn't ready.. Fuck!
Lucas gone.. The (arguably) main character is bloody gone.. Gotta say though, at the end there, Petyr didn't cheer, as Mullendore did. Instead, he covered his daughters crying eyes. That proves yet again that he has a heart, somewhere in there.
And my man Harris.. He is officially gone. Goddamn it, Liquid! How is Leonard going to react? How is the rest of the unknowing PoV's and characters going to react? What is going to happen now at all? Why is Trump president? So many questions... So few answers..
Fuckin' amazing part, and end to a beloved character. Very good writing, very good end to a book (well, almost-end to a book)! Although a little predictable, which I predicted(?), but that doesn't change anything, it's amazing, nothing else, pure amazement!
Can't wait to see what the Epilogue has in store. I bet it's fucking Mullendore or Petyr or someone. Or someone at Dragonstone, showing King Targaryen, at last.
Like how the duel between the Mountain and the Viper went...
So The Tom is also a member of House Mogfield...what happened to him to look so hideous?
As soon as it was revealed that Lucas would have to fight himself.... I kinda saw this coming. That said, you did manage to make hopeful for a very short moment there after the Tom lost his mask. Oh man.... I'll probably have more coherent thoughts later when I answer the questions, but right now all I really want to say is that Lucas had such an awesome storyline. Clearly he was at the end of his road at this point, but it's still sad to see him go. Well, we can hope he'll be avenged, by all the enemies Mullendore has made with his fuckery.
I can't really hate on the Tom for some reason. He is just so cool and seems to even have some honor, seeing how he didn't end the fight when Lucas had lost his sword. Maron and Petyr though, those two are on the top of my shit list. Damn, what I fear is that they won't get their comeuppance in the next book, not both of them at least. Anyway, can't wait for the story to continue!
Also, nice choice for the song!
I feared it would be too obvious, so I gave Lucas a fight in which he was an equal to the Tom for most of the time, in the hopes that it would indeed create a bit of a hope spot. After all, this death had to be shocking. There could have been more to do with his character, but ultimately, I feel like he reached the logical end of his road. And his death will heavily influence those he left behind, so it ultimately felt like the right decision. Doesn't really change how sad I feel about losing the first, most developed and arguably main PoV of the story
It should be also noted, the Tom won fair and square. There was no cheating involved, he fought with more honour than most would have showed in his situation and he ultimately won simply by being better than Lucas. There is a lot to be held against him, a whole lot, but a lack of honour is not among it and though killing Lucas is certainly going to cost him some sympathy points, it was objectively a fight to the death, so it's not as if he had much of a choice. With Petyr and Mullendore... well, it all comes down to your choices. There is a third book of course and I can tease that some villains will get their comeuppance in Book 2 already. Wether these two or just one of them will be among those that won't make it out of the coming ten chapters, we'll see. Some fates will be left for you to decide upon, while others are more or less set in stone.
Thank you! As much as I'd like to take credit for it, the praise belongs to @StarKing789 who introduced me to this song as a potential Chapter 9 finale song. I was not too sure at first, as I prefer songs with lyrics, but it very quickly grew on me, as I think the lack of any lyrics might have a particularly strong effect after the loss of Lucas. And I think it did the scene justice.
God damn it man, this is very upsetting and a true punch to my feels. I think I need to take a break from the forums after reading such a chapter, I'll respond appropriately when I get the time (you know the situation I'm in)
The other way 'round this time even! Though Lucas might have Oberyn' role as the one the readers root for, he's ultimately, fighting style wise at least, way closer to Gregor. He's this big, heavily armoured tank, fighting against a lightly armoured flashy fighter with an exotic style. This time, speed won, mostly because the Tom is too smart to resort to taunts.
Indeed he is! He is a member of House Mogfield and therefore related to the Frostborn's, through Elizabeth Frostborn née Mogfield. That might put his hatred for Lupin Frostborn into a whole different light. But yeah, something really bad happened to him and it wasn't a pleasant experience, that much I can say. We'll learn more about the Tom and his story in Book 2.
Do not worry, I understand! Take your time. I just hope this wasn't too upsetting, as much as even I feel very sad over having to write this. But as said, take your time. Your thoughts are always appreciated whenever you have the time and the right state of mind. And just as I said to the others, this won't be the end of the road. Thought the story might go a bit slower in August, where I will be on vacation, Book 2 should hold some scenes of a much different tone and nature for you
Really wouldn't be Game of Thrones if the main character wouldn't die at some point, eh? That is actually the problem, Lucas felt like too much of a main character. In a way, I can understand why GRRM once said he felt like he had to kill off Ned and then Robb. On his own, Lucas' storyline would have always eclipsed the others in importance. On top of that, his situation had gotten so hopeless that it would have felt like a stretch to have him actually kill Mullendore's champion, given that the Tom is the most dangerous swordsman among the Solvers for sure. Even Samuel Harrington, himself better than Lucas, had too much respect of his skill to dare a fight. If there would have been a realistic way for Lucas to survive, I might have been tempted, but as it was, I saw no way.
An important detail, aye. Petyr surely wasn't heartbroken over the death of his brother, I wouldn't go that far. However, neither did he feel Mullendore's joy, because he indeed had no reason to hate Lucas all that much. The love for his daughter was certainly way stronger than any satisfaction he felt from this.
Harris is gone as well, I am afraid
Though his influence, just like Lucas' will continue to be felt. And this is a lot of questions... I'll try to answer then very shortly, in the order you asked them in: Bad, bad to neutral, bad things, the confusing system of the electoral college and running against Hilldawg. Jokes aside, Leonard is going to be crushed, the same applies to the PoV's that knew him. Jenna, Samantha, John, even Drent, they are going to be angry, sorrowful, in one particular case even more vengeful. However, this is not the end. Big things are on the horizon, this I promise.
I am very glad to hear this! True, Lucas' death might not have been the most shocking and out-of-the-blue death ever, but at the same time, I feel like sometimes I have to go with what is logical and in that case, his death had to be. I am happy to hear you enjoyed the read though, as sad as it was and that I have managed to give his character the proper send-off he deserved.
Hmmmm, maybe. These lips are sealed though
All I can say is, I am excited for this epilogue, at least as much as I was for this chapter finale and I will do my best to get it done by Sunday. Then, you shall have your answer!
Damn... Even though I was expecting this outcome this part really hit me right in the feels ;-; I gotta give it to Lucas, even though he was crippled he did put up a hell of an effort, managing to give me some hope during the fight.
I'm really glad I was able to read the book finale before going to a week(s) long trip later today, but it still feels bad that I'll miss on the epilogue and probably one or two of the Seven Letters as they come out.
All that said, I also gotta give a major shout-out to you, Liquid, not only for this incredible part but also for Book 1 as a whole. I'm a very recent reader so this might come out as pretentious, but I can say without a doubt that I'll definitely be here for the long run
Damn it Lucas is gone!!!!!!
Eh, even if I saw it coming I still had some hope, that something will change the winner at the end. It's upsetting to loose Lucas but oh well, he fought bravely.
I was hoping The Tom would get cocky like Oberyn did and die, but alas it was just wishful thinking on my part. Liquid, you truly did a great job here and gave Lucas who is probably the most central character in the story a fitting send off.
RIP Lucas
RT:
PS:Hey,this is the first time that I know the song/soundtrack that you use for the ending of a chapter! (Sadly it is even the right one for this part)
Many thanks
I wasn't sure if I had given this all sufficient build-up, but it seems that I indeed managed to do so. The duel was always meant to be one of the highlights of this chapter and hopefully it was. A gritty, brutal duel up until the very end, where Lucas made one mistake that cost him the victory.
I like these as well! And Book 2 should certainly hold more of these interactions. There is some confirmed Jenna-Kersea interaction and I promise that it will be far from the only time two PoV's will meet up to work together (or not work together). Some of these team-ups might even not be entirely expected.
Aye, Ser Erik Mogfield, a relative of Darko Mogfield and the entire House Frostborn. He also probably once was handsome man, given that his Frostborn relatives and Darko are all rather easy on the eyes. Now... well, he's got a nice-looking mask, eh?
That he is, the biggest death so far. Up until now, I think Torvin came close, but Lucas was the only PoV in the entire story who had a consistent and long storyline in every single chapter. He got the first part of Chapter 1 and now the last part of Chapter 9. His story in this way felt like it got some closure and I am glad you consider his ending to have come at the best moment. I admit, more could have been done, but I think the consequences of his death at this point will hold even more potential. That said, his death was a terrible injustice in-story and this is also something that will be addressed.
Aye, that makes Jaron the longest-living PoV in the story to this date. For good reason, as his storyline is certainly not over yet. Though Lucas could have gotten more to do in Book 2, it was Jaron whose death I would have considered the biggest waste in terms of potential. There is more to come for him, as he deals with a new situation, meets with some new characters and gets some exciting character development.
It probably is indeed the shortest, but only because the first act is the shortest by far. I believe you can consider every chapter to come to be as long as this one, or maybe a little bit longer in some cases. The introduction of new PoV's is obviously going to stretch it, but I have ways to keep the number of parts in a manageable way regardless.
You do! That is great. As I said to WildlingKing, this song was suggested to me and I liked it a lot, seeing it as very fitting for the end of Lucas. Though I am curious, which one would you have used? I am always open for such suggestions.
That is true, Lucas put up a very good fight and he wasn't without chances. The Tom was actually impressed by this, which is why he refused to finish him off as he had him at his mercy halfway through the fight. He loved the challenge. At his prime, Lucas might have even won this fight.
Ah, I see, I hope you're going to have a nice trip! It probably indeed means you will miss on reading the epilogue as it comes out, same with the usual stuff I deal with after a chapter, the alternative choices and things like that. I hope to start the Seven Letters by the end of next week and absolutely want to be through with them until early August, which is where I will leave for a couple of weeks. I do believe though, the letter part that should be of most interest of you should be written by the end of this month, when you're hopefully going to be back
Thank you very much! Book 1 has been a wonderful experience for me and it is comments like this that make me so excited to show you what I have planned down the line for Book 2 and eventually Book 3. In the end, I hope to only surpass the story so far.
That he is, that he is
Things certainly won't be as they used to be in the story, but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, as much as I am going to miss writing about Lucas and his struggles.
Yeah, if the Tom would have gotten cocky, Lucas would have won. That said, he can get cocky, as seen in his fight against Jaron, where he was toying with his wounded opponent, quite like a cat that has caught a wounded mouse. Against Jaron in his prime, he probably wouldn't have been that cocky. Just like here, he noticed Lucas is a good fighter and way more capable than the wounded, exhausted Jaron, so he took the fight seriously and as a consequence, he won. You can also consider it learning from his mistakes, as his cocky attitude in the fight against Jaron gave the latter a chance to survive. But that was not the end with Lucas, this fight had to end with death. Interestingly, alternative choices could have offered a different ending here, with Lucas fighting a different opponent and actually winning the duel. As it is, I am glad you consider his death to have been a fitting send off for this beloved character.
Some choices could have led to a different outcome! Lucas' death was always the greater possibility. With such a central story element, I am occasionally steering into certain directions. However, if you would have chosen correctly, he could have overcome his opponent, though only if this opponent wouldn't have been the Tom. As it is, he at least put up one hell of a fight before the end.
http://i.imgur.com/gPxCJJ7.jpg
Guess who.
Since book is almost over, I felt the inspiration to create something to celebrate it.
Wow, this is amazing! I always enjoy your work, but this has to be my favourite of them all. The colours give this portrait such a nice touch, that really is something special. Thank you very much for sharing it, I love it
What a great part! I was hoping that he would survive until the very end, but in the end this was what expected to happen. I was kinda hoping Orys would miraculously hope in as Lucas's champion, but it was probably just a stupid thought that came about since I didn't really believe he could win on his own, which came true even though I hoped otherwise. It's sad to see character like Lucas go, but on the positive side this will make some big developments of other characters, so I'm looking forward to Book 2 to see aftermath and consequences of this duel.
Indeed that is the main reason because I believe that the next books will be longer of the first one (even if new PoV's obviously will help that)
Me?Sincerely I don't know since I believe that the one that was suggested to you is the right one for the end of this chapter.
PS:btw always speaking about the soundtrack I will tell you something funny that I've just now remembered,when I was only a new reader of this story (a year and half ago) I was used during my reading to listen as background music the celtic music by the same composer that you chose for the ending of this chapter!
Well, I noticed the total number of PoV's is going to remain relatively stable in the long run. The end of Book 2 will feature more PoV's than the end of Book 1 did, but there will be losses among the way. I think however, the storylines in general will be a bit longer in some cases. In this book, I had a couple of main PoV's, characters like Lucas or Jaron who always had consistently long and eventful storylines. In contrast, there have been characters such as Ilish or Ellena, who had way less screentime. This is going to change, as particularly these two will have very eventful storylines.
Alright, alright, my mistake. I am embarrassed! I have misread your post. Instead of "Sadly it is even the right one for this part", I have read "Sadly it isn't even the right one for this part", making me assume that there is a track by this same composer that you consider to be more fitting. Perhaps instead of spending all this time writing, I should have taken some time to learn how to read properly
Now that is a nice coincidence! It seems this was indeed a very good pick then
Orys as Lucas' champion... I must admit, the idea didn't even occur to me, for which I am glad, because it would have been hard to resist the temptation of writing this. He likely would have taken down the Tom. It would have still been a hard fight, but I'd say he is notably better. And well, Lucas was not without chances, though in the end, the Tom was better. Other choices could have led to a different champion, one he would have defeated. More about that in the alternative choices though, as I guess the identity of this alternative champion is going to come as a surprise
But yeah, Lucas has been a great character to write and the least I can do is to make his death truly matter. The characters around him will be quite affected by this, as will the Raylansfair storyline in general.
My guess is that it would've been Leonard if he was captured. Have the two fight against each other. That would've been a really cool yet sad ending. However, if that would've been the ending, I'm glad that Leonard survived. I can't wait to see how he reacts to the news of Lucas' passing.
EDIT: SO
MANY
GOSH
DANG
REPOSTS
Hm, quite an interesting theory! I can confirm that Leonard would have been one of several fighters Lucas could have faced, alongside the Tom and Hugo Farnham. The exact way this fight would have went is going to be detailed in the alternative choice. Now, when it comes to his reaction to the news, we sadly won't get to see it. The next book will start two months after this scene. However, we're going to see the aftermath
On other notes, I just found out something about this new so-called update. Apparently, though I just got 11 notifications from your sextuple post and five edits (which is an amazing feat, as I must say), with only 10 of them being displayed in this shitty, hopefully soon-to-be fixed broken feed of mine, all 11 have been marked as read, so at least I won't be stuck at 11 notifications now. I had this fear for a while that sooner or later, I'd have a stuck notification, kind of a pet peeve of mine. It seems, as much as this update screwed up, it at least screwed up in a way that makes it slightly less annoying. Thanks Telltale web team, now restore our feeds to a properly working condition or give us an alternative to that system before the end of this year and we can be friends again
Well, can't say that was unexpected. As soon as Tom walked into the arena, things looked very dire. Poor crippled Lucas didn't stand much of a chance against pro killer Tom. Hopefully Hugo will eventually see the light and notice what a murderous dick Petyr is. Tom however isn't necessarily on my bad side. He was pretty chill by giving Lucas a fighting chance when he lost his sword. Lucas was just outclassed and too damaged. I guess Argella will be leaving in defeat. Hopefully she can learn something from this. She lost a lot on this trip and didn't gain all that much. With the Stormlanders probably leaving during the two month gap, I wonder what Arthur is going to do. He had quite the romance going on with Edonia. I wonder if we followed the bootprints, a romance could've budded up between them. Alas, Arthur remains one of Raylainsfair's many eligible bachelors. Assuming now that Petyr's power is secured in Raylainsfair, we will be seeing a lot of change. Probably a lot of activity happening in the Catacombs and the Archives. But I don't think Petyr is going to be a cruel ruler. If Mullendore relocates his troops, the smallfolk may actually be charmed by Petyr's wiles. That may make dethroning him much more difficult. And then there is Oakheart. I bet we are going to see a lot more political intrigue happening in the Reach. Maybe we will even get to see Highgarden and King Gardener. I know we will be seeing there in the letters, but I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a center location of the story. We have Raenna hanging out in the North, Edrick in the Riverlands with Garthon heading back, Alys in Dorne, Drent in the Stormlands, maybe Maya heading back to the Vale, and everybody else at least starting out in Raylainsfair. So we have action going on all across Westeros, and maybe we'll get to see Essos jump into the mix. Exciting stuff coming up in the next book. And then there is the Epilogue. I have no clue as to what that is going to entail. Maybe we will see through the eyes of one of the villains and learn some more stuff about there plans. Or maybe go somewhere completely unrelated and find out about a new threat. All the possibilities leave me on the edge of my seat.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I literally yelled when I realized what was happening. This is so unfair! Lucas... you deserved so much better.
For so long Lucas has always felt like the main character, so to see this happen to him really sucks. You gave us hope, Liquid! You gave us hope and you took it away! You took it away and then stomped on it. You stomped and then you... you get the point.
I will say that the Tom was really interesting here. He had a certain air of honor about him. Maybe honor isn't the right word but he seemed respectful.
I like it.. I really like it!! ^_^
To be fair, he did put up one hell of a fight, so much that the Tom actually took this duel very seriously. At his prime, he would have probably been a serious challenge and even now, he gave the Tom a couple of heavy blows. In fact, he had several chances to kill him, as each of the strikes he hit would have been lethal if not for the Tom being so damn quick and getting too close to be actually hit by the attacks.
Oh, possibly. How he decides to act on this is a different case altogether. Hugo is a man of honour, which unfortunately includes loyalty. Think about Aerys Targaryen's Kingsguard. None of them were bad people by any means, neither were they stupid. They all knew what a madman and monster they served and yet all but Jaime were ready to die for their king. In Hugo's case, he might not serve a king, but his loyalty is very much what prevents him from even considering Lucas' claims in this part. It remains to be seen how he will develop, but he should be in for some interesting scenes in the future
Aye, as I said somewhere above, the Tom won fairly. He did not resort to cheating and even went out of his way to give Lucas a second chance after he already had him at his mercy. By the rules of the trial, he could have ended it right there without, ahem, losing face. He chose not to and instead gave Lucas another chance. That does not mean that he is a good guy now, quite the contrary, but as far as the Solvers go, this is a pretty decent streak of him. It's one of these moments where you noticed that he was indeed knighted once, many years ago.
She gained experience, a very valuable thing for a future ruler. Though always very confident about her position in public, there have been these hints of pretty severe doubt and uncertainty when in a more private situation and so far, she struggled with the though of following after her father, who is highly beloved by his people, especially after her equally beloved brother died. The events in Raylansfair gave her a chance to live up to her father's image and reputation and she'll return to Storm's End with more confidence about her role. That said, there have been heavy losses for the Stormlanders and none is going to feel this more than her, given that Montclair died to protect her (something she is really sensitive about due to her backstory) and Lucas, a man she considered a friend, was killed in one of the most cruel injustices she had ever witnessed. That be said, he return to Storm's End is also going to be a return home, where she feels much more at ease.
It is a shame, but Edonia has to leave with the rest of the Stormlanders, pretty quickly at that and without getting much of a chance for anything to come out of her flirt with Arthur. All in all, they have spent way too little time for anything to develop, yet they had chemistry and noticed it. Well, who knows what will happen out of this
That is a good thought. Petyr has stabilized his rule by killing Lucas and now he and Mullendore can put their plan into motion, together with their ally, Lord Oakheart. However, Petyr is indeed unlikely to be a cruel ruler. He is a pragmatist, meaning he'll likely show little mercy to his enemies, but his subjects might be in for a stable, prosperous rule. That is most useful for him, as it will make it hard to gain allies. That be said, Mullendore has made way more enemies and will have it harder gaining allies. That's why he has chosen the affable, charming Petyr as his ally of choice. And yes, together with Oakheart these three will hold a lot of political intrigue.
Hm, I can confirm that right now, I have no plans of showing Highgarden much. In fact, the Interlude won't even be set there, as King Mern is currently on the road with his entourage. However, you are right, a lot of new locations will be there in Book 2, or old locations that will be featured more prominently, such as Storm's End. There will be new PoV's in the Vale, in Dorne and the North, some Raylansfair PoV's will leave the city and so on. Essos is also confirmed to hold several major locations for Book 2 and 3. In fact, Janae's first part will already be set there next time we see her (which is probably going to be Chapter 2).
Hehehe... all I can say is, there is a reason why I keep the title of this epilogue a secret, because it might contain some clues what's going to happen there. I have made good progress with it and it should be ready tomorrow during the late evening. My late evening that is, of course. This Epilogue is hopefully going to be a satisfying way to end Book 1, that much I promise
He did, he truly did deserve better. Well, in terms of sheer character potential, I think I used him well and gave him the important send-off he deserved. However, in-story his death is a huge injustice and a incredibly unfair, given that he was basically murdered for something he never did, to cover up his brother's schemes. He was arguably the main character of FoT, so I knew, if I'd kill him off, now would be the only possible way to give him at least a worthy death scene. That be said, I still feel incredibly sad for this, as he was a character I have written about for two and a half years and whom I gave centre stage in the story for good reason. Others may take his place, but there is never going to be a single protagonist of such importance again, instead it is likely to be shared important between several PoV's and non-PoV's.
I know what you mean! Honour is hard to say, given that the Tom is still a brutal criminal and a very bad person. However, I don't know of a better term. It's a mixture of bravery, chivalry and loving the thrill of a good fight that causes him to act very honourably in a fight situation, though outside of such duels, he deserves his bad reputation. Nonetheless, I am glad you consider him an interesting character! I plan to develop him further in Book 2 and with his identity being revealed now, there might be some unexpected depths from him.
When we can expect the epilogue?
I'm glad. :-)