Lannister Blood

26 - An Eternal Night

I land hard on my shoulder before falling off the roof below and onto the solid ground. I struggle to breathe for what seems like forever and my knees scream in pain. The intensity of the fall causes my vision to blur. I reach my hands out in front of me to bring myself some focus. The earth kind of topples over itself as I try to push to my feet. I grab onto the side of the nearest post, wincing as the pressure attacks my legs.

The area around me is deserted but for a few corpses, but I can still hear the battle fresh in my ears nearby. Then I hear a loud crash from above. I look up to see wights beginning to pile through the window after me. I push myself from the post and force myself to run. Their screams fill the air when they spot me as more and more begin falling from the window after me. I urge myself on, but I'm still so disoriented. My joints ache profusely but something drives me forward.

I make a break for the Godswood, but I know I won't make it through the fastest path. The dead will be on me in moments if I take it, seeing as there's no way for me to conceal myself with buildings or back alleyways. Instead, I cut through the Great Keep towards the direction of the armory. I see faces I don't recognize being massacred by the dead. Fire erupts from all corners of the city as arrows are shot and dragons attack overhead. Blue fire encompasses the entire Library Tower in the distance. The Night King is getting closer and his dragon is getting angrier by the second. This needs to end, and soon, or we'll all be dead.

I risk a look behind me to see a terrifying amount of wights charging towards me, moving in an impossibly large blur. More appear from up ahead, forcing me towards the First Keep and farther from the Godswood. I don't want to run. I want to fight, but there are too many of them. Any that I fight will be more time wasted. More time for the Night King to get to Bran. But the wights are cornering me against the wall... I'll have no choice but to fight my way out and make a path of my own design.

I slip into one of the archways and catch my breath. My path to the Godswood is cut off. The only way now is through the First Keep and past the Crypts. My eyes widen as more wights burst through broken windows and busted doors in the distance. I cannot afford to delay much longer. I take out Lionheart and the blade springs to life with flames. I close my eyes and take a breath, holding the sword in front of me like a prayer. I hear my heartbeat thudding against my eardrums as I anticipate my next move. Finally, I take one last breath and emerge from my hiding place.

My blade collides with a wight almost instantly. I struggle against it, finally stabbing through its neck before taking off into another sprint. Another lunges for me and I barely avoid its touch. I'm yanked by my clothes, my hair, but I'm able to fight the assailants off. I cut down enemy after enemy, running until my lungs are begging for air. I finally stumble against the wall, still too far from the First Keep to reach any form of safety. I turn to see a multitude of wights hurrying after me. Their limbs sway impossibly as they run.

I'm cornered. My path is blocked and all that is left to do now is fight. I ready the double-bladed weapon in my free hand and prepare myself for the inevitable. A few of the living fight in the distance, but they're too far away to seek any help from. Orange and blue fire blaze overhead and I can see glimpses of the dragons colliding above. The darkened clouds light with the colors of fire.

Everything around me seems to slow: the wights, my heartbeat, the sounds of battle surrounding me. Lionheart continues to blaze with fire and I allow myself one more breath. This is it. I have to make it through. I can sense the Night King inching closer to the Godswood. The Ironborn have almost all fallen, leaving Theon alone to protect Bran. Jon is fighting his way through Winterfell to get to them but he's far too delayed. I don't have time to sense much else before the wights reach me.