The strange and piercing sound of the White Walkers tortured more than just human ears. It felt as though it could bypass clothing entirely, reaching inward to assault the very organs within. It was like having sandpaper dragged relentlessly over his insides.
After that haunting sound, Viserys barely had ti to walk a few paces before several White Walker warriors, moving with astonishing speed, intercepted him. He was stunned. The sheer speed with which these creatures moved was enough to halt the mighty Blackfyre body he wielded, a feat that seed almost unnatural. How could ordinary people ever hope to contend with them?
He observed the White Walkers closely, noting the peculiar brilliance of their ice armor. Compared to others of their kind, these warriors' armor appeared distinct—its blue hue not only completely enveloped the ice plates but also seed to flow with a luminous energy. Their weapons were no less remarkable, emitting a chilling ice-blue glow.
Realizing escape was impossible, Viserys chose to stand his ground. Manipulating the Blackfyre body, he prepared for battle, determined to asure the strength of these fearso adversaries. Flas surged along his arms and pooled into his hands, where they solidified into twin black blades. Without hesitation, he charged at the White Walkers.
The White Walkers responded in kind. Their blue-and-white blades moved with lethal precision, forming a shimring net of light that enveloped him. Viserys countered with his flaming black swords, striking against the icy net. The black blades managed to carve through the ice armor, leaving small, finger-sized cuts behind.
Yet, their strikes were not without consequence. The White Walkers' weapons sliced into the Blackfyre body as well, leaving wounds that, while significant, healed almost imdiately. Realizing this advantage, Viserys targeted a White Walker's neck, decapitating it in one swift motion.
The results were imdiate and explosive—quite literally. The severed head and body erupted in two resounding bursts, disintegrating into fine powder. Viserys felt a surge of exhilaration. If this was their weakness, he could systematically dismantle them, one by one.
But his optimism was short-lived.
As he prepared to engage another foe, Viserys noticed sothing unsettling. The Icebone Tower closest to him began to move—or rather, the severed limbs that composed it twitched erratically, as though the structure itself were alive. From the gaps between these limbs, a dense white mist seeped out, creeping ominously toward him.
The mont the mist touched the Blackfyre body, he felt its energy wane. His flas dimd and faltered, leaving him vulnerable. It was then that Viserys beca aware of a sharp, cold pain in his chest. An ice spear had embedded itself there, seemingly out of nowhere.
“What’s going on?!” he gasped, stunned. Completely unaware! He struggled to pinpoint the source of the spears but could only make a rough guess based on their trajectories.
More ice spears followed, each one sapping the energy of the Blackfyre body. Desperate, Viserys yanked the spear from his chest and stumbled out of the mist, but the damage had already been done. His once-mighty form had shrunken from 2.5 ters tall to a re 1.7 ters.
Panic began to set in. He tried to regroup, considering his next move, but a sudden volley of a dozen spears forced him back into action. Though he evaded most of them, three or four struck true. Each impact drained him further, shrinking his form until he was less than a ter tall—no larger than Tyrion.
Viserys’ vision blurred as he glimpsed a mounted White Walker approaching, its icy sabre raised high. The last thing he saw was the sabre swinging down toward him before darkness consud him, and he found himself back at Castle Black.
“So? Did you kill the Night King?” lisandre asked anxiously, her piercing gaze fixed on Viserys.
What do you think? Viserys felt exasperated but kept his composure. “I discovered that the Icebone Tower seems to have other functions besides just making the surrounding area cold.”
Though he couldn’t yet explain the white mist emanating from the Icebone Tower, he was certain of one thing: if an ordinary person ca into contact with it, death would be unavoidable. Still, he considered himself lucky to have uncovered one of the Tower's functions with minimal cost.
“If I try a few more tis,” he said thoughtfully, “I’m sure I can figure out all the Icebone Tower’s thods of attack.”
This recent failure, he reasoned, wasn’t entirely his fault. The overwhelming numbers of the enemy had tipped the scales. If he could control more Blackfyre Assassins simultaneously, his chances of success would drastically improve. Unfortunately, lisandre could only create one Blackfyre body at a ti, limiting his strategy. Her vision could only truly materialize when Dany and the others completed their transitions to becoming Shadowbinders.
But that would take ti.
Dany, fortunately, already possessed a significant affinity for magic, and Viserys estimated she could master Shadowbinder skills in about six months. However, others would prove far more challenging. Falia, for example, regarded even Hali and Hermine as witches. Who knows how long it will take for her to adapt to the training, he thought with frustration.
As for Sansa, Margaery, and Shinelli? Let’s not even go there.
After considering his options for a mont, he turned to lisandre. “Is there any way to store these Shadow Killers? That way, I could control more than one at a ti.”
“Store them?” lisandre’s tone was disheartening. “I don’t think so. This is a ‘kill one thousand, injure three thousand’ kind of magic—it’s mutually destructive by nature. Normally, it must be restored imdiately after use. Even I, a high-level Shadowbinder, cannot use it continuously.”
Viserys sighed, feeling the weight of their limitations. Then let’s wait until Monterys brings the explosives tomorrow, he thought. He was eager to see the potential of thermal weapons against the Night King. Yesterday’s encounter with the Frost Spear had left a deep impression on him. Whatever had launched that devastating weapon posed a serious threat to dragons. But with explosives? They might finally have a solution.
“As long as we’re at a safe distance, we can deal enough damage to the Night King to turn the tide,” he said, voicing his thoughts. “There were no Icebone Towers 8,000 years ago, or history would have recorded them. If explosives can destroy these towers, I’m confident I can push the Night King all the way north to the world’s end—and eliminate this threat for good.”
He felt a flicker of hope as he considered the possibilities. His thoughts were interrupted by Dany’s voice in his mind, vivid and full of excitent.
“Brother, Hali and Hermine can also beco Dragon Riders. They’ve been recognized by Baleris and Qinaerys!”
Viserys’s mood brightened at the news. Baleris and Jinn were two of the Seven Dragons—a Green Dragon and a Blue Dragon.
For two ten-year-olds to be recognized by dragons was extraordinary and shattered the record for the youngest Targaryen dragon riders. With this developnt, the Targaryens now had five dragon knights in total.
“In that case, tell them to co to the Wall with Monterys tomorrow and bring more explosive packs,” Viserys instructed.
Dany hesitated. “But brother, they’re only ten years old. They’ve never been to war. Even if they’ve been recognized by the dragons, they’re not very skilled. Why don’t I go instead?”
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