The atmosphere in the great was bustling. People were walking around nonstop, dishes were continuously" brought up. The scent of roasted meats and fresh bread filled the air, mingling with the laughter of lords and the chatter of serving girls hurrying between the long tables. The bards entertained the attendees with music and singing of story.
In medieval society , a party like this was an extremely lavish affair. Only wealthy families could afford it on important occasions. This was the catsle of Winterfell, the center of the North of Westeros and the home of house Stark. But the party at present was not for them. It was held in the name of House Stark to welcome King Robert Baratheon. The King's delegation had traveled a long way to the North. Warden of the North Ned Stark and King Robert Baratheon were more than just close friends, like brothers. People said that the journey to the North of the King this time were to invited Lord Stark to be Hand of the King. Lord Stark was the most honorable man in seven kingdoms. He was the only man King Robert trusted in the world.
At the high table sat the Lady of Winterfelf and the Queen - two powerful women were silently looking at the crowd. The queen's eyes were fixed on one direction. Following her gaze, Lady Catelyn saw King Robert was drinking wine and teasing a maid. His laughter echoed throughout the great hall, his hand resting on an inappropriate place of the woman. Lady Cately spoke up to break the silent.
"This is your first time in the North , your grace?"
"Yes, a lovely country." The Queen said. "Your daughter, the red-haired one… Sansa, is it?"
"She is, Your Grace. She is young yet, but she tries to be worthy of her name. " Lady Catelyn smiled.
"The King has spoken much of her—and of how well she might suit our Joffrey."
"It's an honor, Your Grace. But I think we should let the kids get used to it slowly first. Love is a fragile bridge." Catelyn said.
"Of course, everything takes time" The queen said and smiled with Sansa.
At the corner of the hall, Ned Stark was talking with his brother , Benjen.
...
"He said a walker killed his friends. What a madness." Lord Stark said to his brother.
"He is a brave boy, true ranger Ned. And the two people who were with him still missing." Benjen replied.
"Maybe it was a wildling raid." He assumed.
"Maybe direwolves, walker and my brother is going to be Hand of the Kings. What a mess. " Benjen smiled.
"Winter is coming." Lord Stark said. From behind, Robb Stark, son of Ned, came with his uncle Benjen. The little wolf who used to cling to benjen when he was a cub had now grown up.
"How are you uncle." Rob hugged his uncle tightly.
"Your a man now." Benjen responded to his hug. "Looks like a worth heir your father has."
...
Arya threw a spoonful of food in Sansa's face, followed by her sister's scream. Rob , Theon and other people who sitting around burst out laughing. Little girl Arya seemed like very interesting in teasing her sister. From a certain perspective, the Stark children playing together is a rather peaceful scene. It was only when he saw his mother's arrow-like eyes that Rob stood up to take Arya to her room.
"Time to bed Arya, you...." Robb had just opened his mouth when suddenly a thunderous explosion echoed through the Great Hall. His legs shook as the stone floor beneath them quivered violently. Plates and dishes on the table wobbled, clattering to the ground, and the lively atmosphere was instantly replaced by a chaotic silence, punctuated by screams and the hurried footsteps of the maids.
The candle on the table flickered wildly, casting dancing shadows on the walls. The heavy wooden pillars swayed, and everyone in the Great Hall felt a strange pressure, as if a supernatural force had struck the castle.
"Father! I heard something!" Arya screamed, her voice trembling as she clung to Robb's hand.
Sansa, still dirty from the meal, jumped back and held her mother tightly, her eyes wide with fear. Robb squeezed his sister's hand, trying to reassure her, but he too felt a shiver run down his spine.
The great hall was filled up with the panicked murmur of people.
"Seven hells. Has the world just been broken? " King Robert asked.
Lord Stark had a serious look on his face. He immediately ordered his soldiers to investigate. The king's guards immediately readied their weapons.
"Rob, take Arya and Sansa to bedroom." He ordered his sons. Rob nodded.
"No, I want to stay. What is that father. Are we under attack." Arya asked Ned.
"This is Winterfell love, no one dares to attack this place. Now get back to your room and sleep. Farther needs to fid out what is happening. Rob, take your sisters their rooms and be prepare." He said.
"Ned , what is that sound." Catelyn asked him in panic.
"I don't know Cat, but everything is go ing to be fine. I promised." Ned hug his wife.
"I will crash the head of this party crusher. King slayer, you should protect the Queen and my children carefully." Robert said.
"It's my duty , Your Grace." Ser Jaime Lannister replied without expression.
A moment later, one of Ned's men ran in to make his report.
"My lord!" he called out, dropping to one knee before Ned.
"What happened?" Ned asked the man.
"It's ... a sword . A Greatsword like one the gods themselves might wield — has fallen in front of the gate," the soldier said, still trembling.
"What is the meaning of this? Speak clearly." Ned order.
"There were witnesses, my lord. They saw a great sword falling from the sky like a ball of fire. It has landed right in front of the gate — it's still there." The man said.
Ned thought for a moment, then gave the order.
"Prepare the soldiers. We're going to find out what that is."
He turned to his wife. "You stay here. I'll be back soon."
Catelyn nodded.
"Bring more men to guard the King and Queen," Ned added.
"I'll go with you, Ned. I want to see this sword — maybe I can even swing it! Hahaha!" the King said with a grin.
"Your Grace, it may be dangerous. You should stay here for your own safety," Ned replied.
"Say less! I'm no coward. It's rare to see something this interesting — how could we miss it?" Robert said, his laughter echoing through the hall. At the same time, Rob returned to the hall, nodding to his father. He was fully prepared. Ned looked at his son.
"Let's go." He said.
.....
Ned, King Robert, Rob and his soldiers moved to the place where the sword was reported to have fallen. Dozens of men followed, their armor glinting dimly under the torches. The flakes glowing briefly as it caught the torchlight.
Then they saw it.
A massive crater lay before them — the earth split open, the stones cracked and blackened as if some god had hurled his wrath upon the world. Steam rose from the pit, mixing with smoke that reeked of burnt soil and melted iron. Snow that once blanketed the yard was gone, leaving behind puddles of boiling water and shards of ice hissing as they vanished into vapor. At the heart of the crater, half-buried and still glowing, was the sword. A sword as long as a man, half buried in the ground.
Even half-buried in the molten earth, the sword radiated an ancient, oppressive power. The blade was dark steel mixed with veins of crimson light, pulsing like blood beneath metal. Strange runes crawled along its length, glowing faintly with each pulse, as if the weapon breathed — alive, aware, and hungry.
"Gods, how big must a man be to wield that sword? It's even bigger than a man!" King Robert exclaimed.
Ned and Rob were also stunned. From its intricacy and the fact that it had fallen from the sky, he doubted the sword belonged to a human. Had the old gods dropped their weapons on the mortal world.
"What should we do father? " Rob asked, his eyes fixed on the blade, both in awe and fear.
Ned was deep in thought when Maester Luwin spoke beside him.
"No matter where the sword came from or who it belongs to, we shouldn't leave it here, my lord. We should bring it back to the castle."
Ned nodded slowly. "Aye. Bring the men. But be careful."
The soldiers hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances before stepping closer to the crater. The heat still rolled off the blade like waves from a forge, and the ground around it shimmered faintly red.
Two men took long iron hooks and chains, the kind used to move fallen trees. They hooked the sword by its crossguard and heaved. The chains creaked, but the sword didn't move an inch.
"Bring the horses!" one of them shouted.
Moments later, three warhorses were led forward, snorting nervously as the heat from the blade reached them. The men fastened the chains to the horses' harnesses and gave the signal. The animals strained, muscles rippling, hooves digging into the scorched earth. The sword started the carriage, the horses were about to succeed.
Just then, a light shone in the night sky causing everyone to look up. A fireball shot through the clouds above Winterfell, its heat melting the snowflakes. It shot at a terrifying speed over the group. The fireball finally landed about a mile away. The moment it struck, a thunderous explosion followed — a shockwave rippled through the ground, shaking the men to their knees. Horses reared and screamed in panic, and shouts of fear filled the cold night air.
"The old gods have come!" someone cried.
"Seven hells Ned. Did you see that? Do the gods throw things down north like that?" King Robert asked.
Lord Ned Stark was speechless. He wondered if the north had offended the gods.
"Form up!" Ned's voice cut through the chaos like steel. "Men, with me!"
The soldiers struggled to calm their horses, gripping their reins tight as the ground still trembled beneath them. Sparks and ashes drifted through the air, carried by a strange, hot wind blowing from the direction of the explosion.
Ned turned to Robert. "Your Grace, stay behind us. We'll move ahead and secure the area first."
Robert scowled but nodded. "Aye, but don't think I'll miss the sight of this, Ned."
With that, Ned raised his hand, and the formation began to move — a line of armored riders cutting through the darkness. Their torches flickered in the wind, casting ghostly light over the snowy field as they rode toward the burning horizon.
In the distance, the night glowed red, and a column of smoke twisted toward the stars. Whatever had fallen from the sky, it waited for them there.
The closer they rode, the stronger the heat became. The snow beneath the horses' hooves had turned to blackened mud, and the air smelled of ash and burnt stone. Even the stars above seemed dimmer here, as if the heavens themselves dared not look.
When they reached the edge of the crater, the men halted in silence. The ground had been torn open, wide enough to swallow a farmhouse. The earth glowed faintly red, cracks running through it like molten veins.
At the very heart of the pit lay a figure.
The figure lying at the heart of the crater was no ordinary man.
He was enormous — nearly twice the height of any soldier present, his frame forged in power and violence. His armor was a monstrous blend of iron and infernal craft, its blackened plates veined with faint crimson light. Each piece looked heavy enough to crush a man, yet they fit him as if molded from his own flesh.
A tattered crimson cloak hung from his shoulders, scorched and torn from the fall, fluttering weakly in the heat. Beneath it, his chest armor was carved with sigils glowing like dying embers. His arms were encased in massive gauntlets — forged from black steel, jagged at the edges, with faint red veins pulsing through them. The right one was larger, shaped like the claw of a demon, its fingers twitching once before going still again.
His face was uncovered. Pale and sharp as carved marble, framed by long, white hair that fell messily across his shoulders. His expression — even in unconsciousness — was grim, cold, and unyielding. His whole body exudes terrifying raw power.
"The old god has come. The gods... the old gods walk among us!" A solider whispered, trembling. Some crossed themselves with shaking fingers.
"Bloody hells, are we being punished, Ned?"
Some solider dropped to their knee in prayer.
"Father, we should help him. It was blasphemous to leave the god lying there." Rob stark said. The young man was completely awed when he saw a man fall from the sky.
"Young master is right, my lord. We can't leave him here." Master Luwin added.
Ned nodded, signaling the men to cautiously approach. At that moment, the figure in the hole moved slightly, causing everyone present to gasp.