Chapter 448 - Attacking Casterly Rock.

Chapter 448: Chapter 448 - Attacking Casterly Rock.

[Chapter Size: 3300 Words.]

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Third Person POV

The Westerlands, 300 AC.

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The sound of footsteps advanced quickly through the ship’s inner corridor toward the main door, but there wasn’t even time to knock.

The door began to open the moment the person approached, and there, stepping out, was the person that man had been looking for.

"My king," said the royal guard.

"No need to announce our arrival. I know we’ve reached our destination," Jon replied. He stepped out of the room already dressed in his Valyrian steel armor.

The guard stepped aside to let him pass, closed the door, and immediately followed behind him. They walked down the corridor, climbed the stairs, and stepped onto the deck.

Jon’s red eyes lifted toward the enormous rock that was drawing closer and closer. They had finally arrived.

"Casterly Rock... The last time we were here, I never had the chance to get this close...." His tone was calm as he observed the place. He had visited Lannisport, but because of all the turmoil, they had headed south, circling the continent before returning north.

The gigantic rock rose from the sea, separated from the coast by a narrow stretch of water. It stood over six hundred meters tall. And at its summit stood a castle.

The cries of seagulls echoed through the air as everyone watched Casterly Rock draw nearer in awe.

Even from a distance, when it still looked like nothing more than a small mound that could be covered by the palm of a hand, its grandeur was astonishing. It was already possible to make out the towers built atop the massive rocky formation.

"They say it can withstand even dragonfire. Let’s see what it’s really capable of," Jon remarked with an amused smile as he continued walking across the ship.

He approached the edge of the deck. Arya was sharing a spyglass with young Darry.

The boy looked just as amazed. "Incredible... It’s so huge."

"It’s almost three times the height of the Wall. It’s enormous," Arya said.

"In a way... it really is," Jon replied, folding his arms.

"My king, your orders?" one of the lieutenants asked as he approached with several officers, awaiting instructions.

"Not yet. Let’s get a little closer. But you already know what we’ll do."

Their first target would be Casterly Rock. They would seize the castle, take hostages, and then capture Lannisport.

Meanwhile, inside the castle, a small bell began to ring.

Men ran from one side to the other. Genna Lannister couldn’t help but approach one of the battlements, worried, as she watched the fleet advancing in the distance.

Her characteristic Lannister emerald-green eyes revealed deep fear.

She had always known that day would come. But she also knew she would never be prepared for it.

She had expected the enemy to come from the south. Instead, they were coming from the north.

Now none of that mattered anymore—they were here. She stepped away from the battlements and returned to the castle’s interior.

After descending a few flights of stairs, she found her sons, clearly nervous. She approached them and gently rested a hand on their shoulders. Tion Frey and Walder Frey were at Casterly Rock.

"How are you two doing?"

"We’re ready to defend our home," Walder said proudly.

"We’ll do everything we can to drive these men away. Reinforcements should already be on their way," she said. Despite her words, there wasn’t the slightest confidence in her voice.

She didn’t even know whether her brothers had left King’s Landing. They had simply stopped responding a few weeks ago. Even though she sent ravens every three days, none ever returned.

Something was wrong, she knew it. She also had no idea how long it would take for an army to reach the Westerlands.

At the very least, a moon. There was no way they would receive help in time.

Especially knowing that, in theory, they should be occupied dealing with the ironborn fleet.

But as she counted the ships before Casterly Rock, she realized the Greyjoys must already have been wiped out. That fleet wasn’t any smaller than the rumors claimed, meaning they hadn’t suffered losses against the squids.

Genna knew she had to keep her house protected. "I’m going to see how things are." Before leaving, she came across Kevan’s wife and young daughter, Dorna and Janei.

"Are things going to be alright?" the little girl asked, while Dorna stared at her intently. She clearly wanted the truth, not comforting lies.

Genna merely gave a slight shrug. "I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going to happen. But we’ll do everything we can to get you out of here as quickly as possible."

The woman nodded.

Genna made her way into the courtyard. Her men were preparing bows, taking arrows from the armory, and carrying barrels of food from one place to another.

Everyone had been preparing for a siege from the moment they spotted the ships. The knights had already departed to warn Lannisport while summoning reinforcements from across the Westerlands as quickly as possible.

They only hoped to hold out long enough for the forces sent from King’s Landing to arrive. The fortress was supposed to withstand six moons under siege, but she didn’t know if that applied against these people...

"How is the castle’s situation?" Genna approached the castle’s master-at-arms, who was speaking with his lieutenants while issuing orders.

"Lady Genna. We’re reinforcing every position. We’ll be using flaming arrows, and we’re also preparing oil to pour directly from the walls. In addition, we have several catapults. If they come too close, we intend to destroy their ships. There’s a good chance that explosive liquid is aboard some of them. If we can make one explode, the chaos could spread and perhaps even destroy a large portion of the enemy fleet." He spoke confidently. That was exactly the confidence she needed.

They already took Fair Isle... We should be worried. Genna reflected for a moment before nodding.

"That’s good, ser. I want you to use every possible method to stop them. Understood? And we have to keep watch over the passages beneath the castle. That’s how they got in last time."

"Of course, my lady. We’ll do everything within our power."

She nodded, satisfied, and went on to inspect the rest of the castle. In the absence of her two brothers, she was still the one in command.

She walked through the corridors until she found exactly what deeply infuriated her. Upon entering a lavish chamber, she found her husband, Emmon Frey. Asleep after drinking all night, he hadn’t even woken up despite the chaos in the fortress.

"That damn useless fool..." She walked over and slapped him hard across the face.

The man awoke in alarm, looking around in confusion before fixing his burning gaze on Genna.

"W... what..."

"Get up, you idiot!" She pointed at the bottles scattered around.

"Drop the drink. No man will be good for anything if he keeps living like this. Go outside, grab a sword, and be a man for at least once in your life." She spoke without hiding her contempt.

The man got to his feet, still dazed, and shot her an angry glare. Genna simply ignored him. There was absolutely nothing he could do.

She was still a Lannister and possessed far more authority than he ever would. He was nothing more than a Frey who knew only how to drink and live in the luxury provided by House Lannister, and that irritated her even more.

Genna immediately returned to looking for something useful to do.

Meanwhile, throughout various parts of the castle, especially the side facing the approaching fleet, preparations were being completed.

A long line of archers had been assembled, with more than four hundred men positioned on the rear side of the castle.

Barrels of oil, torches, and thousands of arrows were distributed as everyone took their positions atop the walls.

From the flagship, Jon observed everything. "..." He silently watched every movement of the defenses Casterly Rock was preparing to stop them. He was enjoying watching the enemy attempt to hold them back.

"Well... It looks like we’ll have to put on a show for them." Jon turned his attention to his men.

He took a deep breath and let his voice echo throughout the entire fleet. "Prepare 50 giant scorpions! We’re bringing down part of that castle!" He used the wargs to relay his orders.

The messages traveled silently through each of their minds, without requiring him to fully take over the animals they were controlling at that moment.

Jon could never do that while another person was fully controlling an animal. Forcing someone’s mind that way could even kill a warg.

Because of that, he only transmitted simple, superficial commands.

For now... he chose a long-range attack, since he had no intention of simply bringing the ships closer while the walls were still fully prepared to stop any advance at the base of the rock.

Especially since they already possessed some knowledge of the secret passages. It wasn’t by chance that they had entered and left Casterly Rock before without being noticed.

The scorpions began to be prepared. The giants took their positions. The enormous pulleys bent under the strain of the thick steel cables while the dwarves quickly fitted the gigantic bolts into place.

The distance to the castle was still nearly a thousand meters. It seemed unthinkable that they could accomplish anything from that far away.

"What are they doing?" one of the men responsible for the defense asked. He watched every movement of the fleet.

He believed the Arcticans still couldn’t attack from that distance. They would have to get much closer to Casterly Rock to pose a real threat... or at least, that’s what he believed.

"What are they doing?"

"They’re... getting ready to attack?" The men atop the walls began watching the scene.

Small projectile-launching machines mounted on each of the ships began to move, slowly rotating until they were aimed directly at the castle.

It seemed unbelievable that those weapons would even attempt to hit them from that distance. Yet, for their enemies, it appeared completely ordinary.

As they carefully aligned every shot toward the walls, only one question lingered in everyone’s mind. ’What are they planning to do?’

On the flagship, Jon waited until everyone was ready.

"We’ll start with just a warning. These fifty shots will be enough." Immediately,

After the wargs confirmed which ships would carry out the first attack, Jon drew Dark Sister from his waist. He stepped forward and pointed the sword toward the castle.

Young Darry watched everything with eyes full of admiration. It was the first time he had witnessed something of such magnitude. At the same time, the entire fleet turned its attention toward the king. Even though the sight was no longer uncommon, it still amazed everyone.

Even Lady Mormont, who was aboard another ship, kept her eyes fixed on Casterly Rock.

Her daughter merely smiled. "Don’t be too startled, Mother. What you’re about to see..." Jorelle said calmly.

Even Greatjon Umber, who was a prisoner, though not like Edmure Tully, watched closely as the giants prepared those enormous weapons.

Jon held Blackfyre aloft for a few seconds.

When he realized everyone was ready, he raised the sword even higher before bringing it down sharply.

"Fire!" The shout echoed across the entire fleet.

The next instant, the firing began. The thick steel cables were released violently, producing a thunderous crack like the snap of enormous whips.

At the same time, the sound of the giant scorpions firing made the very air tremble. The massive bolts streaked through the sky at incredible speed.

The distance seemed impossible to anyone unfamiliar with that kind of weapon. Even so, everyone watched as the gigantic projectiles climbed higher and higher without showing the slightest sign of losing momentum.

The entire castle was startled. The thunderous roar produced by the fifty giant scorpions echoed throughout the Rock.

The sound was heard across the entire castle and even reached Lannisport.

"They’re firing!" The men immediately fell back within the castle.

The massive projectiles continued climbing into the sky until they rose above the height of the walls.

Then... they began descending directly upon the castle. The dull crashes of impact echoed throughout the fortress. Several projectiles struck the stone structures head-on.

Some soldiers were hit immediately, crying out in pain, while others fled in terror as the enormous cylinders came crashing down all around them.

More than fifty of those projectiles slammed into the walls, courtyards, archers’ positions, and even the base of the castle. Even so, the impact caused the entire fortress to tremble.

The people inside looked at one another in alarm. Genna, who was outside, heard the thunderous roar of the giant scorpions first.

Then came the impacts. Without wasting a second, she ran to find out what was happening.

But it was already too late. Every one of those cylinders had a lit fuse.

When they all reached the necessary time... the first explosion occurred.

A sea of green flames surged forward violently, consuming everything in its path. Even the stones seemed to melt before that fire.

Immediately afterward, the other cylinders exploded in succession. Each blast detonated the nearby containers, creating a chain reaction without even waiting for the remaining fuses to burn completely.

From the ships, everyone watched the spectacle in broad daylight... First came an intense green light as the entire world was illuminated by the green flames erupting from each of those points.

Then... a gigantic explosion shook that entire side of the castle. The men stationed upon those walls never had a chance. They were completely swallowed by the flames, which consumed their bodies one after another, vaporizing even their bones.

Everyone near the explosions was annihilated. The castle looked like a toy in the hands of a two-year-old child, while that rear side was illuminated by the green fire, its heat radiating effortlessly.

Cries of despair echoed throughout the fortress. Chaos engulfed Casterly Rock.

"Tion!" Genna knew her son had been among the archers. A horrible cry of anguish escaped her.

Jon watched everything from the deck with satisfaction. The first line of defense had been completely destroyed. The castle had broken apart in several places, and dust rose from that side as debris began to fall, while the remaining sections of the structure cracked from the impact.

That would make the archers think twice before returning to the walls.

"Good... Let’s continue. Move forward." His men quickly began issuing new orders.

The sails were unfurled once more, and the ships gained speed. Meanwhile, enormous blocks of stone continued crashing down the mountainside, raising massive clouds of dust before the Rock.

Maege and Greatjon Umber watched all the destruction in complete shock. Nothing they had ever witnessed in their lives compared to this.

Even the feared and mighty Casterly Rock seemed to be made of straw before those green flames that burned and destroyed everything.

"Gods above..." Maege murmured.

"Hahahaha." Her daughter began to laugh, and Maege gave her a strange look.

How could someone seem so accustomed to something like this?

"That was so much fun!" Jorelle said, already accustomed to—and, in a way, even addicted to—explosions.

As the chaos slowly began to subside, the ships were already approaching the base of the Rock. Jon leaped from the flagship and landed atop one of the great boulders.

Without wasting any time, he knelt down and planted a small seed among the stones. His magic immediately began to take effect.

Roots sprouted at incredible speed, breaking through the cracks in the rock. Within moments, an enormous wooden structure began to grow, forming a gigantic dock.

"Advance!" As soon as the order was given, the ships quickly moved closer.

A force of approximately four hundred men was already prepared to disembark alongside the king.

Arya was also wearing her armor, ready for battle with Dark Sister at her waist.

"Mother. I’m going to fight," Jorelle said as she stepped off the ship and looked at Maege.

Maege wanted to protest, but she realized she couldn’t. Even though she was still haunted by the loss of her daughters in the war, she didn’t want to lose another. She also couldn’t deny that Jorelle had already become a great warrior. Wearing her Valyrian steel armor, she looked completely prepared for anything the battle could bring.

Thus, everyone began entering the tunnels. Light crystals were left along the way to illuminate the route for those unfamiliar with the passages.

Jon quickly led his men as they advanced deeper and deeper inside.

Genna tried to maintain control of the castle, even through her tears and grief after seeing her youngest son killed in the explosion—after all, no one there had survived. But now, everything had descended into complete chaos.

No one wanted to remain in that area any longer. The enemy was getting closer and closer.

And worse still... the Arcticans could attack from the sea, destroying parts of the castle while they could do absolutely nothing to stop them.

Part of the fortress had collapsed. She had no idea how many people had died.

But that entire line of archers, along with her son... they had all been wiped out.

"My lady, I’m sorry for your loss, but this is not the time to mourn the dead! They’re beneath us! They’re landing men and heading back into the Rock!" shouted a scout who had managed to circle the fortress to observe the opposite side.

Genna felt a terrible premonition and quickly pulled herself together. "Quick! Do something! Bring oil! Lots of oil!"

The men immediately obeyed her orders.

Soon, barrels of burning oil were hurled down onto the dock.

But they struck only the empty structure. Jon had already entered the tunnels and relayed the information to the fleet, leaving the newly created dock behind.

’Launch another attack...’ The order was given.

Another volley of projectiles quickly struck part of the castle and the base of the Rock as well. Once again, the explosions shook the entire fortress.

The green flames consumed anyone caught in that area. One of the towers began to collapse.

Genna tried to shield herself from the explosion, able only to watch everything crumble around her. She felt completely powerless as she watched her home being destroyed like that.

The morale of her troops had vanished. But what else could they do? They were fighting monsters.

"You need to get out of here." She ran to where her sister-in-law stood, holding her daughter as both of them trembled in fear.

"The castle is shaking, Mommy..." the little girl said, on the verge of tears.

Genna knelt before them. "Listen to me. I’m putting you and my children in a wagon. I want you to leave here immediately. Do you understand?"

She quickly began issuing orders to arrange their escape.

"Go to our allies. They’ll take you to King’s Landing. Find an army or any ally of House Lannister. They’ll help you."

With those words, the woman nodded and began gathering the children. Genna returned to walking through the castle, trying to maintain order as she shouted instructions to the soldiers.

It was at that moment that one of the secret passages opened. Jon emerged first.

Right behind him, dozens of men began pouring out one after another.

"There! Enemies!" one of the archers shouted.

Without hesitation, he drew his sword and charged forward, his battle cry echoing through the corridors, alerting every defender. Jon merely raised Blackfyre in his hand.

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