The lands before me were all too familiar... yet in ruins. The villages I roamed and even helped build were no more than relics of the past. It's people, soulless shadows. Wights roaming the land puppetted by the strings of the Others.
The Wall had fallen, Winterfell had fallen, Mount Cailin had fallen, King's Landing had exploded in wildfire...
Storm's End was where I made my last stand.
It was where it all began... all too poetic for it to end there as well. It was in the castle's name, even. Not even the gods could write a more fitting fate.
But it was not my life that would end on that field...
It had all happened so fast.
I saw Arthur lying at my feet, dying. I knelt down and tried to heal him, but it was too little, too late. Time was fading... the reality of turning to ice or fire was inevitable. I heard the same words I had once heard in the Godswood of Winterfell.
"Take my fire and light the way through this darkness, Edric Storm…"
If I didn't, the Night King would.
I had no choice.
Grasping Lightbringer, I plunged it into his heart and watched as the blade lit up a pure white. As the fire from Arthur's eyes faded, the sword ignited ever brighter. As I drew it out... each moment felt like a decade. From rocky beginnings to a blossoming friendship, gradually growing into something truly unbreakable.
We were always different, yet so alike. Two sides of the same coin. Arthur was... in a way, who I wanted to be. Honourable, knightly, noble - all of those sweet words. If I had a choice, perhaps it's precisely who I would be. His name couldn't be more fitting.
It was not just Ser Arthur Dayne's image that he carried, but also... my own, Arthur Astley's. The man who I used to be, the one who had slowly died, year by year.
The little that was left of him died with Arthur Tudbury.
The sword was light in weight, yet heavy in burden. The white glow it radiated was warm despite the frozen waste around it.
I rose to my feet and faced the source of my sorrow... hatred... wrath.
"Unbelievable..." The Night King shared his thoughts with me. "To think that you valued that man highly enough for his heart to ignite Lightbringer. Azor Ahai had companions, but none such as this... how fortunate."
I truly heard nothing of what he said, even as it vibrated in my mind.
All I saw, all I heard, all I felt... was his destruction.
I had always been prone to fury; it was in my blood. I had been faced with a number of tragedies, each crushing, but none such as this. Slowly, my world had fallen upside down, but this... was the final straw.
The blizzard that had loomed over the world came to a swift end, replaced by something even more destructive. The skies turned red as both rain and fire rained down. Waves rose like never before, and the winds tore trees from their roots as they swept the land. An oppressive heat wave spread across the land. Lightning beat the earth like an overzealous smith, again and again... never stopping even for a moment.
The Night King could hardly stand still as I slowly advanced.
As we clashed, we were near equal... just as before. However, it was not all the same. Each swing of mine carried an ocean's worth of fury, yet I was not blinded by it. It pushed me forward. My focus was unlike anything else I had ever felt.
Arthur's sacrifice would not be in vain.
As our duel continued, he grew weaker... and I only grew stronger. Winter had been supplanted by the Storm of storms, one that was tearing the world apart even more than Winter used to.
I kept pressuring the Night King, leaving him on the back foot time and time again. Lightbringer melted through everything, even the Night King's very own blade was not safe from its raging fire. He was not my equal. I was stronger, faster, more skilled and possessed resolve that dwarfed his.
"If you had this focus before, Arthur wouldn't need to die. For that matter... so many others wouldn't have died," The Night King knew he could not defeat me in a fight anymore. "You have lost so much... this could hardly be a victory even if you destroy us."
The worst of it was that he was right.
My stubbornness had doomed so much of the Realm, so much of the world...
I sealed away those thoughts, however. My duty had not ended.
I continued my onslaught, cutting through the Night King's armour. No matter what words he shared, they did not move me. Only my will to destroy him did.
And... in the end, I did just that.
As I overcame the Night King's final struggle and plunged Lightbringer through his heart, he shattered into thousands of crystals... all blown away by the wind.
I stood alone on the field of melted snow. The fires in the sky had ceased, replaced entirely by rain... cold rain. I slowly returned, sitting down beside Arthur's corpse. This Edric Storm wasn't me, yet I vividly felt everything he did.
The White Sword of Heroes... the last remnant of his burning soul.
"The brightest flames..." I said, looking up at the sky that began to clear up. The sun peeked through for the first time in a year. "Burn out the quickest... don't they?"
With the Night King dead, there was nothing left to oppose me. I had gained the ultimate victory - bringing the world its salvation and saving so many others. Daenerys was alive, all of my children lived, and I saw Raiden's descent in the near future, yet...
I felt so empty, so bitter.
I couldn't stop myself from breaking down.
Was this the fate of a so-called hero?
I didn't want it, I never did.
...
As my vision blurred and returned to reality, I noticed the tear leaving my right eye. The feeling wasn't any less real to me. I had been there in that moment... embracing my greatest victory and defeat all at once.
"What happened?" Daenerys questioned. "Did you... see?"
"... Yes, I saw."
Sight into the future was as much of a gift as it was a curse.
"So... would I suffice?" Arthur said with a solemn tone.
"You would," I slowly nodded. "Lightbringer... was complete."
"That makes your decision simpler, Edric," Arthur did not look conflicted. "I'd give my life for yours without hesitation, and the same goes for your queen. It's my duty to do so."
"..."
"Besides, I am only a knight. Both of you are inherently more important than I am. If I can be the sacrifice that puts an end to these terrible times... then let it be so. I'd gladly go through with it."
"There... would be no greater honour."
Hearing Arthur's resolve didn't make it any better. Was it selfish to deny him? I did not want to endure his loss.
"Edric... it might not be what you'd want, but is it not a certain path to victory? Is there a better end for a Kingsguard than this? To not only protect the King, Queen, the Realm, but also the world. Arthur would be remembered as the greatest hero of all."
"... Is that what you want?" I questioned, looking at Arthur. "You have a family of your own, would you leave them to play hero?"
"My family is your family, I know you would take great care of it," Arthur smiled reassuringly. He was... oddly optimistic, even with the looming shadow of death. "I've lived a great life, Edric, and I would have no regrets if it were to end here. You've given me so much... this would be my way of repaying you."
"Don't you remember our promise?" I questioned, frowning.
"I won't die unless you allow me to," Arthur smiled, nodding. "Is there no time more fitting?"
"I might very well despise you both," I shook my head. "My mind remains unchanged… and will stay that way. We're all getting through this. That won't happen by relying on prophecy but by putting up the best fight possible."
'How well did that work out in the future you saw?'
"So be it," Arthur nodded. "I am not too fond of dying, in truth."
"Are you, Dany?" I questioned with a slight smile.
"Of course not, but…"
"That's what I thought. Let's not waste further time discussing this."
…
I gathered all of the Stormguard and everyone else capable of magic, along with those whom I believed would be capable of awakening it, for a meeting in the Royal Conclave, which stood atop the Hill of Rhaenys.
"Although most of this has already been explained, I shall reiterate it. All magic wielders of the elemental variety have a pool they can draw from. Each individual naturally has a different amount; each has a different recovery speed - both of which can be improved as the user gains experience. You typically gain a sense of fatigue once you've drained your pool... and begin to drain energy from your physical body to compensate. This is the first stage of magic overuse. After a couple of days, most would recover from this completely. This is where we'd want to be, ideally, if not a bit below."
"As you push your magic, so does the damage upon your body increase. You can, however, unleash right about 20% to 50% more power. It's useful in a desperate situation, but it will set you back over a week, if not several weeks, depending on how quickly your body recovers and how far you push your luck."
"Now, the third stage is where you begin to cripple your magic roots. This, depending on the severity, will set you back in the future and make you weaker permanently... if not entirely unable to use your magic. This is not completely permanent, but the likelihood that you would recover to your old strength is extremely low. You would be able to unleash double, if not triple, the magic output at this stage, so it truly is a double-edged sword. Only go this far if you absolutely must."
"And, lastly, the fourth stage... death. By pushing your entire being to the limit, I would estimate that you would be able to unleash right about four or five times the amount of magic. If you've pushed yourself to the third stage in a future battle against the Others... as terrible as it sounds, I would highly recommend you push yourselves further for the greater good."
"... So, if we're bound to lose our magic, we may as well leave our mark?" Ragnor, who had awakened to Pyro a few years ago, questioned.
"Indeed..." I slowly nodded. "I most certainly don't wish death upon any of you, but sacrifices have to be made if we want to win this war."
The Stormguard looked unfazed by that information.
I continued on.
"Fire is naturally the most effective element against ice, which is true the other way around as well. Pyro wielders should always be taking to the vanguard against the Others alongside Electro users, with Anemo to support the spread of their elemental energy. Hydro should serve as general support and healing, Geo as defensive support for our side and hindrance for the Others. Dendro users, as before, keep up production of vegetation."
"As for Cryo… well, you have the misfortune of your element being the same as the Others. They will be more resistant, if not immune, so focus on strengthening your physical attributes and making use of your steel instead."
"Just my luck," Kevan, better known as 'Snowstorm', remarked. He was one of the first centuries' finest.
"It can't be much worse than farming while you all fight," Ben 'Carrot King' sighed.
"It is as much of a fight for the world as taking the frontline," Rhaerra countered. "It goes without saying that without food, everyone will perish. It's a noble duty."
"Rhaerra would be right," I nodded. "We all have a part to play, and there's a whole lot more to victory than putting down the Night King and his legions of the fallen. We must ensure that as few people perish as possible, and they do not tread far enough into the Realm. Otherwise, their forces will keep rapidly expanding while innocent people pay the price. This means striking fast, and with intention. We must minimise the damage."
"This means stalling their advance with unwavering resolve - sacrificing yourselves, even. The fate of the world rests on our shoulders. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, for they intend to reshape everything... do I even need to ask the question? Will you fail your brethren, fail all those you know, the ones who came before you and those who would have come after you... and live out the last of your days as a craven running and running until you're butchered like a helpless pig?"
"Or... will you fight like heroes? Will you be the defiant fire that burns in the overwhelming darkness, will you be the wall that stands where all else fails and crumbles?"
It was as if they were all waiting for this very opportunity. Ragnor, who had risen through the ranks of the Stormguard to become the first century's leader and centurion over the years, stood in front of the crowd.
"WHO ARE WE?" He questioned, his roar resounding across the hall.
Constant waves of zealous war cries followed.
"ONE LEGION. ONE WILL."
"THE GUARD BEHIND THE STORM."
"THE LEGION OF THUNDER."
"THE EMPEROR'S FINEST."
"WE ARE WARRIORS DIVINE."
"BY OATH, BY BLOOD, BY DEED."
"IN LIFE, IN DEATH, IN STRUGGLE, IN PROSPERITY."
"OUR LOYALTY IS AS ETERNAL AS THE SKY!"
Ragnor nodded as the chants died down.
"There is your answer, your Eternal Grace. Heaven, the Seventh Hell, the North or the ends of the world... the Stormguard will march wherever the Storm rages."
"You are my finest, indeed..."
I went over a couple more things before wrapping it up and having the Stormguard lead the march to the North.