Chapter 209: The Undead Battle Stannis, Tywin

Amidst the eerie, thick fog of the Blackwater River, the necromancer Ogbeta and the Death Storm arrived on the south bank of the Blackwater River by boat, with the necromancer flying the Crown Stag Banner of House Baratheon, as well as a white flag of peace negotiations.

Stannis's scouts brought the news to Stannis's central command tent, and Stannis gritted his teeth, "The necromancer wants to negotiate? What is there for me to negotiate with the dead?"

Recently, Stannis had been annoyed to death by the dead; the Kingswood Brotherhood bandits resurrected by the necromancer were wreaking havoc in the Kingswood.

Simon Toyne, the Smiling Knight, Wenda the White Fawn, Big Belly Ben, and Dick Straw—these Kingswood Brotherhood bandits rode skeleton horses and used skeleton arrows, skeleton swords, and shields to fight in the Kingswood, and the vast Kingswood became a natural shelter for the undead bandits.

The Kingswood Brotherhood was so rampant that many of the knights and soldiers Stannis sent to exterminate them became corpses, and then became members of the Kingswood Brotherhood. There were more and more undead in the Kingswood, and even some wild boars became undead; the undead wild boars wantonly attacked Stannis's soldiers and even innocent civilians.

Davos Seaworth nervously reached for the pouch hanging around his neck. The pouch contained the finger bones that Stannis had cut off the Onion Knight years ago; Davos kept the finger bones in the pouch, and they had always been his lucky charm.

However, today, no amount of lucky charms could soothe the unease in the Onion Knight's heart.

"Your Grace, the necromancer Ogbeta is a wildling from Beyond the Wall; he is not one of the dead."

Stannis pursed his lips, "The necromancer is a living man, yet he is worse than the dead. Resurrecting Rhaegar Targaryen and the Death Storm are both this fellow's handiwork. Robert is already dead, yet he is manipulated by this damned necromancer, reduced to a living corpse."

The Onion Knight said, "We do not know much about the undead; perhaps the Death Storm retains the memories of Robert from his previous life?"

Stannis gave a cold snort, "If the Death Storm had even a shred of Robert's memory, he should have beaten that bitch Cersei to death with a warhammer, and then killed those three bastards: Joffrey Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, and Tommen Baratheon. The Death Storm is a creation of the Great Other; this walking corpse has become Cersei's lackey."

Melisandre said, "Your Grace, the Death Storm is a dark servant of the Great Other; only by killing him can Robert's soul find rest. The necromancer Ogbeta is even more the core figure of the undead court in King's Landing; in my view, Cersei and Joffrey have also become puppets of the necromancer."

"Your Grace should be careful; in my view, this looks more like a trap set by the necromancer Ogbeta. He is using the name of peace talks to invite Your Grace to negotiate, which is very likely an attempt to assassinate Your Grace."

Stannis frowned, "Did you see this in the holy fire?"

"No," Melisandre said helplessly, "The followers of the Great Other in King's Landing sacrifice followers of the Seven to the Great Other every day. The Great Other devours the power of the Seven, and the power of the Great Other grows increasingly formidable. Conversely, as the eternal mortal enemy of the Great Other, the power of R'hllor is growing weaker here."

Stannis's jaw tightened, "The stronger the Great Other, the weaker R'hllor? What kind of logic is that?"

Melisandre explained, "The relationship between the Great Other and R'hllor is like the struggle between fire and ice; when one side is strong, the other is weak—as one grows, the other wanes. I looked into the holy fire, and amidst the ash and thick smoke, all the visions were entangled with skeletons, death, and cold."

"If Your Grace follows my method and sacrifices living people to R'hllor, the power of R'hllor will rise immediately, suppressing the Great Other near King's Landing, and we will be able to defeat the Death Knight and the necromancer, these dark servants of the Great Other."

"As long as Your Grace offers up Robert's bastard, Edric Storm, all problems will be solved."

Stannis began to grind his teeth, and the Onion Knight Davos said, "Your Grace, burning any innocent person as a sacrifice to the gods will cast a stain on your cause. The common folk and the nobles will think that since R'hllor requires living sacrifices just like the Great Other, they will think that R'hllor is just as evil as the Great Other. Furthermore, Edric Storm is your nephew."

Melisandre insisted, "If you do not sacrifice living people, Your Grace will lose this war; the Stormlands and the Crownlands will all be taken by the undead army. I saw it in the holy fire."

Stannis said coldly, "Sacrificing living people can directly bring about the destruction of the undead army?"

Melisandre said gloomily, "It cannot, but R'hllor can help us defeat the undead army."

"Then I would rather rely on myself to defeat the undead army." Stannis gripped his burning sword, and the entire tent was instantly bathed in a colorful halo, "I am going to meet the necromancer Ogbeta and the Death Storm."

The meeting place was at Stannis's camp on the south bank of the Blackwater River; Stannis specifically chose noon, with the sun shining on the earth, yet the Blackwater River, hundreds of meters away, was still shrouded in thick fog.

Even more eerily, when Ogbeta, the Death Storm, and their party arrived at Stannis's camp, dark clouds followed like a shadow, obscuring the noon sun, and the sky instantly turned gloomy.

The necromancer Ogbeta hunched his body, holding a snow-white skull scepter, and his standard-bearer was none other than the Death Storm.

King Robert, the Death Storm, wore an antler helm, his thick black hair and beard like withered grass, his eyes dull, and his whole body exuding an aura of cold and death; his warhorse's eyes were weeping blood, clearly a dead horse. Robert carried a warhammer on his back.

Stannis's subordinates, Justin Massey, Godry Farring, Clayton Suggs, Richard Horpe, Donovan Wythers, and others, all stared dumbfounded at the former King Robert, now the Death Storm.

Behind the Death Storm and the necromancer, thirteen black-robed knights rode skeleton horses in a row; they were dressed in black, their faces hidden in black hoods, and at first glance, the Onion Knight even thought they were brothers of the Night's Watch from the Wall.

Stannis's standard-bearer was the red priestess Melisandre; Melisandre was in a red robe, holding high the flaming heart stag banner, the Crown Stag of House Baratheon seemingly completely swallowed by flames.

The Onion Knight looked at the Death Storm's Crown Stag Banner, feeling an inexplicable sorrow in his heart; clearly, this was the most familiar banner of House Baratheon, yet Stannis had replaced the Crown Stag with the flaming heart banner. Now, the one flying the Baratheon banner was a resurrected Baratheon.

The necromancer Ogbeta revealed a fawning smile, "Stannis, I thought you didn't have the guts to receive me and the Death Storm!"

The Death Storm spoke, "Necromancer, I told you long ago that nothing can scare my brother Stannis."

Stannis glared at the Death Storm, "Robert was my brother when he was alive. As for you, Death Storm, you are nothing but a monster resurrected by the Great Other. I will kill you and let Robert's soul rest in peace forever."

The Death Storm let out a harsh laugh, "When I lived in flesh and blood, I felt emptiness, boredom, and loneliness; it was only when the Great Other resurrected me that I enjoyed the pleasures of life."

Stannis laughed, "A dead man talking about the pleasures of life? How is that any different from a fish talking about the joy of flying? Enough nonsense; you are flying the flag of peace, what exactly do you want to talk about?"

The necromancer revealed his dirty teeth, "It is very simple; we hope that you will surrender immediately and become servants of the Great Other; in this way, you can save the lives of many innocent people."

Stannis's burning sword emitted a burst of light, and he gritted his teeth, "I will never surrender! On the contrary, I will kill all the dark servants of the Great Other and purify the land."

The Death Storm said to the necromancer Ogbeta, "I told you long ago that my brother is upright and unyielding; such a person is impossible to subdue."

Melisandre said, "The Lord of Light, R'hllor, will burn away all evil and darkness in the world."

Ogbeta gave a cold snort, "Red priestess, your R'hllor is trembling; no one can rival the Great Other. It makes no difference if you refuse to surrender; all men must die, and after death, they can still become servants of the Great Other."

At this moment, the skull scepter in Ogbeta's hand emitted an eerie blue light, and a bloody skull instantly appeared on the white flag in the Death Storm's hand, with bats all around the skull.

The bats on the flag flew out, screaming and tearing at Stannis, and Stannis panicked.

Melisandre waved her long sleeves, scattering a handful of red powder, and a wall of fire instantly appeared around Stannis, and the bats were instantly incinerated.

The sound of war drums rang out, the daylight was completely swallowed by darkness, and the Kingswood Brotherhood bandits and hundreds of undead knights charged into Stannis's camp.

Sir Chayle Massey blew his horn to organize a counterattack.

"Dick Straw" on his skeleton horse spotted Chayle Massey; he drew his skeleton bow, and a skeleton arrow struck Chayle Massey. Black blood sprayed from Chayle Massey's wound, and his squire rushed up to save him, but after a short while, Chayle Massey turned into a blue-eyed undead and killed his squire with one sword strike.

The Smiling Knight, Simon Toyne, and the Death Storm began a massacre in the camp.

Stannis's soldiers used fire and obsidian to fight back, but these undead were not Others, so the obsidian weapons were completely ineffective.

Fire attacks could kill the undead, but the undead were much more agile than wights; wights were clumsy and moved slowly, while the undead's speed was almost the same as that of the living. The living who died in battle were instantly resurrected as undead by the necromancer.

The counterattacks with torches and fire arrows were ineffective. The number of undead on the battlefield grew the more they fought.

Stannis's army was collapsing.

Richard Horpe, Godry Farring, Clayton Suggs, and others drew their swords one after another, rushing up to protect Stannis, and together with Melisandre and the Onion Knight, they fought their way out and fled to the south.

In the Westerlands, at Golden Tooth, Ser Kevan and Lord Damon Marbrand arrived before Lord Tywin, looking disheveled.

Lord Tywin was furious, "Kevan, I ordered you to hold Deep Den, yet you suffered heavy losses at Deep Den and even lost the castle. With Deep Den lost, the Stark Army can bypass Golden Tooth to attack from the rear, and can even directly threaten Lannisport and Casterly Rock!"

Ser Kevan apologized, "After the Golden Lady was captured, she surrendered to the Wolf King, Eddard. She used sorcery to help the Stark Army take the city; the enemy had giant eagles and a magic dragon, so our army was routed."

Lord Damon Marbrand said nervously, "Lord Tywin, the Wolf King, Eddard, at Deep Den, claimed that the Queen Regent Cersei and King Joffrey in King's Landing had abandoned the faith of the Seven and become followers of the Great Other. They accused the Seven of being hypocritical gods and persecuted the followers of the Seven. Therefore, the knights of Deep Den were shaken and were unable to withstand the enemy's offensive."

Ser Kevan echoed, "The news was all spread by Stannis; Deep Den had previously received a letter sent by Stannis."

Lord Tywin said angrily, "Golden Tooth also received a letter from Stannis; this is just another lie carefully fabricated by Stannis. Stannis is a man who has usurped the throne; he has besieged King's Landing—did you expect him to say that Joffrey and Cersei in King's Landing are governing with benevolence and have won the hearts of the people?"

In truth, Tywin had long sensed that a crisis might have indeed occurred in King's Landing, but he refused to acknowledge it. After all, if Joffrey had abandoned the faith of the Seven, the Lannister family would lose the support of the Church, the pious, and the knights. Once Tywin admitted the news brought by Stannis, the already low morale in the Westerlands would completely collapse.

Jaime walked in, holding a letter.

"Father, you say Stannis is lying, but is the High Septon at the Starry Sept in Oldtown also lying?"

Tywin frowned, "Have you lost your mind? The High Septon's seat is at Baelor's Sept in King's Landing; how could the High Septon have gone to Oldtown?"

Jaime said, "Father, the letter states it clearly: Cersei and Joffrey, at Baelor's Sept, forced the former High Septon—that pompous fat man—at Baelor's Sept, to denounce the Seven as false gods, and they burned the statues of the Seven and persecuted the followers of the Seven."

"The members of the Church who escaped King's Landing have gathered in Oldtown and elected a new High Septon. The High Septon has publicly denounced Cersei and Joffrey to the castles across Westeros as heretics who blaspheme against the Seven, calling upon knights throughout the world to take up their swords and defend the Seven!"

"Now, House Hightower of The Reach, House Tyrell of Highgarden, House Rowan of Goldengrove, House Oakheart of Old Oak, and Tarly House of Horn Hill have all declared their support for the Church."

Ser Kevan was shocked, "Cersei is too stupid to do this; House Tyrell of Highgarden was originally allied with the Lannister family, and now, the alliance is completely broken."

The Reach is the home of knights, the place with the most knights in Westeros; at a moment when the Lannister family and the Church are breaking apart, House Tyrell of Highgarden will naturally choose to support the Church.

Duke Tywin and Ser Kevan finished reading the High Septon's letter together; Duke Tywin looked as if he had been struck by lightning, and he slumped into his chair, murmuring, "The Lannister family has already lost the war."

Ser Kevan pondered for a long time, "Cersei is truly foolish; why would she lightly trust an undead sorcerer from Beyond the Wall? Could this Ogbeta be one of the Wolf King Eddard's men? The Wolf King Eddard conquered Beyond the Wall and sent Ogbeta to throw King's Landing into chaos, inciting Cersei and Joffrey to attack the Church and slaughter the followers of the Seven, thereby completely destroying the reputation of the Lannister family in King's Landing and Westeros?"

Duke Tywin said calmly, "Your analysis is quite correct; this Ogbeta is indeed one of the Stark people. As everyone knows, the Stark family are savages who worship the Weirwood Heart Tree, and Beyond the Wall is the home of the Undead. We can declare to the outside world that the Wolf King Eddard is the mastermind behind Ogbeta's persecution of the followers of the Seven in King's Landing."

Jaime shrugged, "Father, that is unlikely. Ogbeta can resurrect Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar Targaryen; how could such a powerful sorcerer be a subordinate of the Wolf King Eddard?"

Duke Tywin was somewhat displeased, "Jaime, you are a fine hand at fighting on the battlefield, but your brain is not as sharp as Tyrion's. We are at war with the Stark family, and the propaganda offensive is an important battlefield. Now, Ogbeta, who threw King's Landing into chaos, comes from Beyond the Wall; even the Wolf King Eddard cannot deny this point."

"If the Wolf King Eddard had not annexed Beyond the Wall, would this undead sorcerer have come to King's Landing? I think not. It must be the Wolf King Eddard; he conquered the barren lands Beyond the Wall and awakened the ancient power there. No one can deny that Ogbeta might be colluding with the Wolf King Eddard."

Jaime frowned, "But we have no evidence; how is this any different from openly lying?"

Tywin looked at Jaime as if looking at The Fool, "A lie told a thousand times is enough to become the truth. Cersei and Joffrey, under the bewitchment of the undead sorcerer, became heretics and persecuted the followers of the Seven; the Lannister family has provoked public outrage. We can certainly accuse this undead sorcerer of being the Wolf King's lackey; in this way, the anger of the followers of the Seven might be shifted onto the Stark family."

"At the very least, the Lannister family in the Westerlands are still followers of the Seven. When the Church and the pious south of the Neck hear the rumor that the undead sorcerer is a lackey of the Wolf King Eddard, they will suddenly remember that the Stark family are northern savages who worship the Old Gods and the Weirwood Heart Tree, while the Lannister family of the Westerlands have been followers of the Seven for thousands of years."

Ser Kevan said, "This strategy might very well succeed, but with Deep Den fallen and Golden Tooth under siege, during wartime, is there still time for this strategy? The undead sorcerer can resurrect Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar Targaryen, which proves that the Undead are far more dangerous than the Stark family."

"The Undead have appeared in King's Landing; the Undead Beyond the Wall might also be stirring. The Stark family understands the threat of the Undead best. Winter is coming, and when winter arrives, the Undead will surely run rampant. I think if we send an envoy to negotiate peace with the Wolf King Eddard and emphasize the threat of the Undead, perhaps the Stark family will agree to a ceasefire."

Duke Tywin said coldly, "The Westerlands are suffering defeat after defeat on the battlefield; the Red Viper, the Wolf King Eddard, and Hoster Tully cannot possibly agree to a ceasefire with us. Their goal is to root out the Lannister family entirely."

Jaime rubbed his sword belt, "Then we shall fight to the death with the damned Wolf King, the Red Viper, and the people of the Tully family."

Duke Tywin said, "As long as people are convinced that the Lannister family in King's Landing has blasphemed against the Seven and slaughtered the followers of the Seven, we won't even have the chance to fight to the death. I ask you, will the knights and the pious of the Westerlands follow the Lannister family if they stand in opposition to the Seven?"

"We must make the pious and the knights of the whole world believe that the Wolf King Eddard is the mastermind behind the Undead. Write to the High Septon in Oldtown and tell the Church and all the pious in the world that it was the heretic Wolf King Eddard who sent the undead sorcerer Ogbeta to bewitch Cersei and Joffrey. Cersei and Joffrey were reduced to prisoners of the Undead, which is why they committed acts of blasphemy against the Seven. The Lannister family unconditionally supports the Church and is willing to provide compensation for the losses caused to the Church in King's Landing."

"Once the Lannister family clears its name of any connection to the Undead, we will still have a chance to defeat the Wolf King Eddard."

Thanks to Corn Tomato and Simarillion for the monthly votes; thank you for your support!

(End of this chapter)