The Siege of Norvos
POV: Daenerys
The walls of Norvos loomed tall and gray, the great bronze gates shut tight. From the battlements, armored men jeered down at the horde that had surrounded them.
"They think us savages," Daenerys whispered, standing at Leonidas' side. "They think we will burn the fields and ride away."
Leonidas' scarred lips curved in a smile. "Then tonight they will learn what a siege means."
Behind them, the Crimson Horde readied for war. Spartan phalanxes formed ranks, their shields polished to bronze mirrors. Dothraki riders circled restlessly, bows strung and spears sharpened. And behind it all, siege towers and rams groaned forward, dragged by slaves, oxen, and sheer muscle.
The old Dothraki mocked the towers at first — but when Leonidas silenced a rider with nothing more than a glare, the laughter ended.
---
POV: Leonidas
"Phalanx — advance!"
Bronze shields locked. Rows of spears leveled. Step by step, the wall of men pushed forward beneath a hail of arrows.
Leonidas strode among them, deflecting shafts with his shield. When a soldier faltered, he struck him across the helm with the flat of his spear. "Hold! The wall is only as strong as its weakest shield!"
The Spartans roared their chant, steady and unyielding. Dothraki shield-bearers, sweating under bronze, began to roar with them.
"A-OO! A-OO! A-OO!"
Arrows rattled off shields like rain. Oil and stones poured down, but the wall did not break. The battering ram reached the gate, its iron head crashing against bronze with thunderous force.
Each strike sent shivers through the air. The walls of Norvos groaned.
---
POV: Rakharo (a Dothraki rider)
Rakharo had never fought a siege. To him, cities were meant to be circled, starved, then abandoned. Yet here he was, shield heavy on his arm, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in formation.
He watched the Spartans with awe. They did not flinch under fire. They did not break ranks. They moved as one body, one will.
Something stirred in him — pride. Not as a lone rider, but as part of the Crimson Horde.
When the gate began to splinter, he screamed his war cry, shield raised, ready to pour through the breach.
---
POV: A Norvosi Defender
From atop the wall, the sight chilled the captain's blood. These were not raiders. Not sellswords. They were something else.
The riders below did not scatter like flies. They advanced in lines, their shields locking, their chants thunderous. The ram crashed again, the gates shaking under the force.
"Gods," the captain whispered. "They fight like no army I've ever seen."
The battering ram split the gate with a deafening crack.
The horde screamed in triumph.
The Crimson Horde poured forward.
---
POV: Daenerys
She rode behind the Spartans as the gates fell, silver hair flowing, her voice carrying above the roar.
"Spare those who kneel!" she commanded. "Slay only those who resist!"
The horde surged into the streets. Dothraki riders cut down soldiers, their horses trampling bodies. Spartans held the choke points, spears thrusting in deadly rhythm.
From the temples, bells rang frantically — prayers rising as blood spilled.
Daenerys' heart hammered. This was her first true battle, her first conquest. The screams and fire, the clash of bronze on steel, the smell of blood — it was overwhelming. Yet she sat tall, her voice steady.
"I am Daenerys Stormborn," she cried to the terrified crowd. "Kneel, and you shall live!"
And one by one, they did.
---
POV: Leonidas (climax)
The fighting raged until the defenders broke. The Crimson Horde stood victorious, the streets running red, the gates in ruins.
Leonidas planted his spear in the stones of the city square, raising his shield high.
"Today you are no longer slaves of kings behind walls!" he roared. "Today you are free — because you follow us!"
The Spartans slammed their shields. The Dothraki raised their braids. The city echoed with the thunder of a new order.
The System pulsed in Leonidas' mind:
> [Siege Complete: Norvos Falls.]
Reward: Treasury of Norvos + Unlock: Spartan Siege Tactics.]
New Title Earned: Breaker of Gates.]
Leonidas looked at Daenerys, standing tall amidst the wreckage, her silver hair shining in the firelight.
He had seen empires rise and fall, but in that moment, he knew: this was the beginning of something greater.
The dragon had no need of wings.
It had a shield.