Riverlands, High Heart
"Hah…"
"Kill them!"
"Do not be afraid…"
…On the dim hill of High Heart, countless figures were launching a fierce assault on the human soldiers like a rising tide.
It was a scene filled with terror and despair, the air thick with the stench of death.
Robb Stark was currently leading his soldiers in resistance against the onslaught of these terrifying monsters; the battle had gone quite smoothly at the beginning.
Even Randyll Tarly and the knights of the Gemstone Brotherhood from the Faith had been unable to withstand Robb's offensive, but just as the battle between the two sides reached its peak, the battlefield was suddenly swarmed by dense crowds of zombies.
Their objective was very clear: the three factions currently engaged in battle. It was precisely because of the appearance of these terrifying monsters that the three parties were forced to stop fighting each other.
In the end, Robb could only order his cavalry to retreat and seek reinforcements while he fought a rearguard action. Eventually, following Edmure Tully's suggestion, they fled to the location known as High Heart.
Since High Heart was easy to defend and difficult to attack, with its rugged mountain paths, as long as they held the high ground, the attacking forces below would have to expend a great deal of spirit and energy to eliminate them.
However, as time passed, Robb discovered that these zombies were different from what he had imagined.
Though their steps were shambling, their numbers were vast, like an inexhaustible swarm of ants.
If not for the fact that the terrain of High Heart was perfectly suited for defense, his force would likely have been wiped out long ago.
To be honest, this was the first time Robb had encountered such a situation. Although many legends in the North spoke of such terrifying moving corpses, Robb had always treated them as jokes.
But now, as Robb looked at these monsters with pale faces, hollow eyes, and hair-raising low growls emanating from their mouths…
…he truly believed that Others and wights might actually exist in this world. Just moments ago, Robb had personally killed a zombie with his own hands.
He would never forget the scars and signs of rot on that terrifying creature; it was as if a demon had crawled out of the Seven Hells from the stories of the Seven.
Although Robb's soldiers wore iron armor and carried longswords and shields, their hearts were filled with fear.
They knew that their chances of survival were slim when facing such a terrifying army of monsters, so they could only persevere and place their hopes on reinforcements, for the soldiers knew very well that only Jon could save them.
"Roar…"
As the front line of soldiers rotated out, the zombies seemed to receive an order, crawling toward Robb and his men using both hands and feet. These zombies were controlled by a specific command: kill every human on this hill.
"Ready!"
"Strike!"
…Following the orders of the heralds, the soldiers positioned behind the shields quickly thrust out their spears. The zombies that had managed to claw their way close to the human line had no time to react and were instantly impaled by the spears.
After a series of attacks, the zombies wailed as they tumbled down from the heights. In their fall, some zombies even tripped their own companions.
Although Robb's side had secured another victory, they soon realized that no matter how many zombies they killed, more would always rise to fill the gaps.
The scene on the battlefield was unbearable to look at, with severed limbs and blood everywhere. This situation had persisted for a long time; if not for their dense defensive line and advantageous terrain, Robb and his men would have fallen long ago.
However, as time went on, the physical strength of the human soldiers began to gradually wane. If this continued, it was estimated that they would soon run out of soldiers to rotate in.
Meanwhile, in a forest south of High Heart, Randyll Tarly and the knights of the Faith's Gemstone Brotherhood were resting. During their flight, they had set a fire to block the advance of the zombies with flames.
The leader of the Faith's forces was an elderly knight named Dussel. After a night of flight, the sky was beginning to brighten slightly, yet they still did not relax, knowing full well that those terrifying monsters were still following closely behind them.
"Lord Randyll! Where should we retreat to now?"
Amethyst Dussel was a middle-aged man in armor, the oldest member of the Gemstone Brotherhood, known for his steadiness and resilience.
"We need to continue south. Once we cross the bridge ahead, we will reach the territory of Pinkmaiden, which is the rendezvous point I established in advance."
After taking a sip of wine to ward off the cold, Randyll Tarly spoke.
"Where on earth did those monsters come from? The sorcerers on our side have no way to summon so many zombies. Could they have been summoned by that Dragon King?"
Dussel spoke with a hint of confusion after glancing into the distance.
"That's unlikely. Those monsters are completely indiscriminate, attacking both his soldiers and ours. I strongly suspect this matter might be related to our ally!"
Randyll Tarly's voice was cold; the enemy in that position clearly wanted to eliminate both him and Robb together.
"You mean… the Lannisters!"
Dussel spoke in disbelief.
"Yes, I heard before that House Lannister has two incredibly powerful sorcerers. Last time, the opponent used this method to block the entry of the Vale's army."
As Randyll Tarly explained, Dussel seemed to recall the intelligence received some time ago.
"What benefit do they get from doing this? If our army fails, they might have to face that terrifying fellow alone."
Dussel was a straightforward man; he could not understand the convoluted schemes of the nobility, so he was very confused as to why House Lannister would have such thoughts.
"That is also what I cannot figure out. Perhaps they have found a stronger reliance!"
Randyll Tarly was also somewhat unable to comprehend this issue.
"Lord Randyll! Those damnable things are closing in again!"
Just then, a soldier ran directly to them.
"What!?"
Upon hearing the soldier's report, Randyll Tarly and Dussel stood up immediately.
"Kill!"
"Prepare for defense…"
…Hearing the sounds of battle from the distance, Randyll Tarly's expression became very grim. They were currently exhausted and in no condition for a direct confrontation.
"There's no other way, Lord Randyll! Let me stay behind!"
"What!?"
Hearing Dussel's words, Randyll Tarly looked at him in shock.
"You are the hope of House Tarly and a famous commander of the Reach. I am but a nobody. If sacrificing me allows us to achieve final victory, I am willing to do it!"
"Lord Dussel!"
Randyll Tarly had always been distrustful of these people from the Faith. As a lord, he knew very well how terrible it would be for their kind if the Faith possessed military power.
But now, this Amethyst Dussel with the strange surname was actually volunteering to stay behind.
"This is all for the Seven. You need not worry; perhaps this is the guidance the Crone has given me!"
After saying this to Randyll Tarly, Dussel walked straight outside.
After gathering his soldiers for a quick assembly, Dussel led them toward the front lines.
"The Seven are with us! Let us reunite in the Seven Heavens!"
Looking at the soldiers gathering around him, Dussel spoke these words with some excitement.
"For the Seven!"
Most of these soldiers of the Faith were fanatical believers from the lower classes. After the Gemstone Brotherhood was established, they had resolutely joined this holy organization.
Initially, they were only meant to protect the brothers and sisters of the Faith who were victims of the war, but after the Shepherd became the High Septon, their secret organization began to gradually appear before the public eye.
They were very proud, for this was their faith and their mission. In their eyes, those zombies were demons crawled out of the Seven Hells, and destroying them would earn them final salvation.
"Forward…"
With a wave of Dussel's longsword, the remaining soldiers of the Gemstone Brotherhood marched with steady steps toward the distance, where countless zombies were slowly moving toward them.
"Wooo…"
The Reach soldiers who had been fighting the zombies at the front suddenly heard the sound of horns. Upon hearing the signal for retreat, many noble knights felt a surge of confusion in their eyes.
However, they soon understood that someone was replacing them. Looking at the fanatical soldiers of the Gemstone Brotherhood, a hint of admiration appeared in the eyes of the Reach soldiers.
In any world, religious zealots are fanatical beings; when acting in the name of God, they are forever filled with courage and hope.
"The just Father will bestow heavenly punishment upon these disgusting monsters, the kind Mother will give hope and sweet milk to all us believers of the Gods, the Crone has already given us guidance on the horizon, the Smith will…"
Just then, the septons within the army began to recite prayers.
As these prayers were uttered, it was as if layers of golden light lit up on the bodies of the Gemstone Brotherhood soldiers.
"For the Seven!"
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