[Garth's POV]
It was as if it all were a dream.
When Garth woke, nothing but he and his sister had changed. Their uncle, Garlan, remained dead. The Reach was still under invasion by the rapacious Hugar Blacktyde who had reunited the Iron Islands and proclaimed himself High King. This Hugar Blacktyde had only recently swept through the disjointed Riverlands, conquering them within only a few months, restoring the title King of the Isles and Rivers to the Iron Islands.
He had also sacked Lannisport, proceeding to plunder his way along the western coast. In time, this led him to the Reach. The Shield Islands and the Arbour had endured the same fate as every other settlement worth plundering.
It was clear what he would seek next… what followed was the sacking of Oldtown, and the deaths of many brave souls, including Ser Garlan Tyrell. It was thought that Hugar's reign of destruction would end there as the Reach's greatest force rallied against him. But… it was all for nought. They were routed and scattered, leaving the entire kingdom open for the taking.
The Storm King and the scorned Princess of Dorne began raiding the borders of the Reach freely, taking whatever they desired.
Afterwards, a message was sent to Highgarden by the High King.
Garth remembered it word for word.
"Your great city lies plundered, your forces broken. You may still spare Highgarden my wrath if you obey my demand, King of the Reach. It's a simple request… and far too kind, I'd say. Deliver me the so-called lady of summer, Alysanne Storm, and I shall withdraw my banners from your lands. If not… well, I'll ravage her and burn down your precious garden while I do so. Your choice."
The audacity a man gains after a streak of victories.
Garth wished for power… which led him to wake to a different version of his father from the past.
Had he gained what he sought? Only time would tell.
...
The mood around Highgarden was... grim, to say the least. Everyone was tense. They felt the High King's wrath approach ever closer, from river and land. House Tyrell would not survive defeat. The Reach would not survive defeat.
Out of desperation, it might well seem logical to sacrifice Alysanne... but Garth knew Willas Tyrell would never consider such an option. A council had been arranged, to which he was invited.
"With many of our finest knights having perished in Oldtown, defending Highgarden against Hugar Blacktyde's banners would be nigh impossible," Willas Tyrell took a deep breath. "I've lost two brothers to war already... it might well be better to surrender the Reach than fight hopeless battle after hopeless battle."
"What do you suggest, becoming travellers?" A younger member of the Tyrell branch, Robin, raised an eyebrow. "Let these savages reave from one corner of the land to the next while we sail off into the sunset?"
"... Better than being butchered by them," Willas shook his head. "I'd choose to fight if we had any chance of victory, but... there is no way we could repel that demon, nor all the vultures that gathered to eat at our flesh, from Dorne, the Stormlands and the scattered remains of the Crownlands. We're surrounded by enemies, scattered and broken..."
Garth felt his blood boil.
"We can and we will!"
He slammed the table, his voice striking like thunder.
"Hugar Blacktyde is not invincible; his forces are not unbeatable. If you seek to run and hide for safety, go ahead. Alysanne and I will stand. We will protect this castle singlehandedly if we must."
"You are not a warrior, let alone your sister..." Margaery replied, shaking her head.
"We are our father's heirs," Garth countered. "Warfare is in our blood."
"Rest assured, mother and uncle, we are more than capable of protecting this land," Alysanne added with a cheerful smile. "Hugar Blacktyde will not be leaving the Reach in anything but a casket."
"What is the origin of this confidence?" Willas raised an eyebrow.
"You'll have to see with your own eyes."
...
The next days saw hardly any rest for Garth Storm or Alysanne, as both worked tirelessly to prepare for Hugar's siege. Garth was mass-producing Geo crossbows by the thousand, along with tens of thousands of bolts. Then, he worked on siege engines, bringing to life all that he had been producing within the Plane of Euthymia. A heavier but more powerful version of the Scorpion, which Edric had named a ballista, and mangonels, which were reinforced and empowered by both Geo and Anemo magic.
A lot of it wouldn't be possible without Alysanne providing Garth with her magic reserves, as she naturally possessed a far greater amount than he did. Together, they had prepared Highgarden for the worst.
Meanwhile, Hugar Blacktyde had split his fleet and marched half his forces through the Reach. He would further plunder the southwest of the Reach, overrunning any settlement in his path. Brightwater Keep, Bandallon, Honeyholt, Sunflower Hall... many of the lords of these settlements had long since evacuated, however, and took their riches and men to Highgarden.
The Iron Fleet had returned all the riches that were reaved from Oldtown to the Iron Isles before returning to sail through the Mander, which would lead to Highgarden. By then, both forces were upon Highgarden at the same time.
However, this prolonged period of time allowed Highgarden to gather a sizeable host and Garth to fortify the castle to an even greater extent.
[The Ironfleet]
Daron Drumm, the commander of the Iron Fleet in Hugar's absence, sailed the fleet through the Mander with the goal of disembarking and joining the main force. He observed odd siege weapons atop Highgarden's walls in the far distance... but didn't imagine them to be any threat from so far away.
Whooosh.
Daron's eyes widened as the sky filled with colossal stones that glowed golden, like a dozen suns. At their apex... they split into a hundred and fell like a shower of meteors.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
It was as if the air favoured the stones, each one smashing against the nearest ship. They were absurdly heavy, crushing through the wooden decks, sails and ironborn. Then... without even a moment to recover, came the bolts.
They were like crossbow bolts, but golden and more than thrice the thickness of any shaft a scorpion would use. Dozens were fired at once, piercing through the hulls of every ship they touched. Certain bolts would fire through multiple ships at once. This sort of devastation was unprecedented...
Their entire Iron Fleet was collapsing in the blink of an eye.
"What sorcery... is this?!"
Daron cursed.
Their more defensive magic wielders made an attempt to defend against the bombardment, but they were too weak to make much of a difference. The entire mander was blockaded by their own sinking ships, making it supremely difficult to advance or even retreat. The bombardment had specifically targeted their rear and front for this very reason...
They were stranded and rapidly perishing. There was no escape but to abandon ship and swim to the shore.
[Hugar Blacktyde]
He had arrived near Highgarden, expecting an easier fight than the one he had faced in Oldtown, only to be met with a nightmare. While the Iron Fleet was being devastated, he decided to advance. Whatever weapons Highgarden had engineered in this time... they would only improve and be spread across the kingdom should it stand. This had to end here.
Hugar Blacktyde pushed forward, leading the vanguard. No siege weapons, just thousands upon thousands of his most zealous warriors. When hundreds of crossbow bolts were fired upon them, along with dozens of massive shafts, Hugar Blacktyde unleashed a mighty wave of hydro and electro, washing them all away before pushing the wave against the gate...
It smashed open, and he used the hydro to slide his feet forward. Then, he stormed his way through to the outer walls. No one could stop his axe. In mere seconds, he cleaved over a dozen men. Each swing carried the death of one, two or even three...
He was a mighty warrior. The mightiest in Westeros, mayhaps. In his youth, he had seen Edric Storm sweep the Iron Isles and slaughter his elders with thunder... and, now, he intended to return that same thunder.
Edric Storm's actions... had birthed the monster he was today. He sought nothing more than vengeance upon the suffering the world and Edric Storm had delivered to him. Hypocritically, he also worshipped the strength the Storm King possessed. There was no greater warrior in his mind.
With one hydro-charged swing, he sent much of the garrison on the outerwalls flying to the other side. The great fall either crippled them or led to outright death. He proceeded to conquer that western side of the outer wall. However, they were continuously under attack from the middle and centermost walls.
The three-ringed walls of Highgarden... were not so simple to besiege, even with absurdly powerful magic. Even worse, between the middle wall and outer wall was the briar labyrinth. Hugar used electro-charged swings to cut his way through... but it was exhausting.
By the time he reached the middle walls, his reserves were reduced by a substantial amount. Many of his men had also perished. Even if he won this day, it would not be without grave cost...
He smashed through the middle wall's gate, continuing the charge.
It was then that he was met with several of Garth's siege engines facing him directly.
They fired instantly.
He used another wave of Hydro to push them aside... but they kept flying.
His eyes widened as the massive shafts glowed an even brighter gold, piercing through over a hundred of his men as if they were made of straw. He, himself, had managed to evade with his magic enhancement...
It was devastating, this power...
He targeted the scorpion-like engines before they could be fired again... only for a Geo shield to emerge around them. The water crashed against it, falling back.
From the barrier emerged a warrior plated in the same golden stone as the siege engines, crossbows, stones, and ammunition. He wielded a large stone shaped in the form of a greatsword that seemed... heavy.
"You go no further."
A challenge? Hugar lived for them.
He confronted the warrior directly, throwing a smaller axe charged with electro. The warrior deflected it with his greatsword, and it began to fly back to him. Hugar grinned, shifting to the side and evading it. Greataxe clashed against greatsword, creating a resounding wave of magical energy. Electro, Hydro, Geo, Anemo... four elements danced all at once.
"Another warrior with a second element?" Hugar blinked with surprise and excitement.
The throwing axe he had evaded began to spin back...
He realised he had been cornered.
The warrior extended his right hand... and a mini-crossbow had emerged from the underside of his gauntlet. It fired in an instant.
He intended to move his feet, but powerful branches of wood rose from the ground, pinning him to the ground on which he stood on. His arms had been restrained in the same second. Bolt and axe struck his head simultaneously.
"RAAAAAAAAH!"
He roared in pain, electro energy exploding all around him.
The wood turned to ash as he freed himself. His head buzzed, while his right eye had been thoroughly pierced by the bolt... which had gone through his skull. He bled from both sides.
Before he could recover, the greatsword smashed against his head and floored him. That... would not be the end of it. He continued to endure a wave of thunderous, bone-crushing blows.
"Die... die... DIE!!!"
This fiend, which had claimed his life... Hugar had one good look at him before the end.
He saw the Storm King's shadow.
The true Storm King...
Like father, like son...
Hugar thought.
Of course... it was Garth Storm.
[]
"Well done..."
A titan of a man observed through a hundred eyes and two, his lips curling into a proud smile as the siege turned to disaster for the invading Ironborn.
"How will you follow through, now?"