Chapter 18: Chapter 18 : Hightower
The hour of the wolf had arrived and with a news that brought Helios a sense of wrath he had not experienced in his entire life. The truth was simple enough. The girl was not his concern, she was a stray he had kept out of the kindness of his heart. It was simple enough. But that pill was proving to be a hard one to swallow.
He had never believed he would care for someone again. His previos life was not a good one. He recalled.
He was never the type to make friends, he was never the type to be noticed. His confidence, he had none. His family had made sure of that. His mother knew naught but reminding him of his miserable existence. How ungrateful he was.
Even in school he used to sit in a corner where no one ever noticed him. He had found a few friends, everyone has friends. He had one he loved more than others. There was also a woman who had his heart.
Never the one to experience the joy of life most people cherished. He knew that feeling all too well.
He was not special, he was not good at anything and he was certainly not someone who would be remembered after he was gone. He just was. Even those he loved had abandoned him.
He had sworn he would never love again, never care again but perhaps a starving man cannot even resist a plain bread. It was the truth of it.
He had found a life, where he could do anything he wanted. This one, where he would not care about others. But he did. And it angered him.
Seeing Rhea like that had enraged him to a degree he did not know possible. He was going to kill the Septons. He was going to turn this ancient sept to ash. That much was certain.
But he had to get all of them to the crew first. Luthor and Rhea had to be safe. Even Oberyn should be on his way. Safe and sound.
Escaping the sept was no more difficult than entering, they had been lucky. The sept was basically empty. This morning alone it was filled to the brim with preachers, preaching about the holy crusade. It was interesting to Helios, how the red whitches were the enemy.
R’hollar needed to be dealt with eventually.
The other gods had not acted yet, they were not on his watch. Lucky were such deities.
Helios could not think about the song Rhea had spoken. Her father. The man he had killed was truly vile afterall.
He realized, that even by accident he had not killed any innocent souls. Except the people of King’s Landing, but that was not his fault.
Helios had carried Rhea on his back. The girl was malnourished too. They made their way to the outer walls. Oberyn leaped first. Helios leaped second.
The escape was succesful. Helios breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Now all he had to do was get her to the ship.
After walking together until the Sept was a significant distance away, Oberyn finally spoke.
"It was a good experience, this was a fun adventure," he had no light behind his eyes. It was not fun. He had learnt things about his own faith that silenced him.
Rhea was not the only one getting beaten. This whole sect of silent sisters was filled with such women. Broken down until they were nothing but machines. The Septons did as they pleased. The Septa’s too. But being a silent sisters was an existence worse than even the wall.
The docks were near. Helios could see his ship.
But it was empty. There was no one on board. His belongins were not there too. His vault was gone.
He stopped dead in his tracks. ’How’ was the only thing that entered his mind. He had not been caught. Were was Luthor, his vault?
"What happened!" Oberyn asked, breaking away from his sulking. He was rarely ever sulking.
"My crew.....It’s not there! Luthor was supposed to be at the docks gate!" Helios murmured just loud enough for the other two to hear.
"Maybe he is at the ship" Oberyn spoke, he was starting to realize something.
"What are you thinking!" Helios asked, almost in a hurry.
"This is starting to seem fake." He spoke as Helios’s thoughts came crashing down. He too realized. This was not a real escape at all. It mades ense now.
"The sept" Helios spoke.
"Is never that empty, not ever. I had noticed but shrugged it off as luck. We encountered no septon or septa so far. Even when I broke the lock, no one fromt the other rooms took notice."
Helios was frustrated. This was, should have been simple.
"They knew I was going to go for her. But HOW!" he was angry now.
"I cannot presume to tell. But maybe you’re friend Luthor. He was a Hightower man before wasn’t he ?" Oberyn spoke, he was smart enough to see the trap he had walked in.
"No, he would not! He.....he would’nt....." Helios wanted to argue, Luthor was the first man he had supper with. He could not sell him out so easily.
"My family is far more corrupt and scheming than they show to the world" Rhea finally spoke, gathering her strength.
"That was how they brought their enemies to ruin!"
Helios was too stunned to speak. The Hightowers had a reason to hate him. To want him dead. But this whole plot was....Outlandish.
They could have just tried posioning him or assassination when no one was looking but this was something else. The had expected a rescue attempt. And convinced the entire Sept to follow through.
Helios was not aware that the game was this complicated. But the look from Oberyn was enough to tell it was not. He too was stunned.
"You are a foreign lord. If they wanted to kill you they could’ve done it in a thousand ways but to somehow involve an entire sept in it. No...One does not simply involve a sept in a plot...Unless they own it!"
That in itself was a revelation. The Hightower’s were a faithful bunch, even were the one who built the Starrey Sept. This was ridiculous. But Helios could not control himself any longer.
"Prince Oberyn!" He woke the dornish prince from his thoughts " Can you gather a crew!"
Helios was smart enough to realize, if this was a conspiracy. Oberyn too was a part of it. He was a prince of a land that was an enemy of the land he stood on. He was admist this mess. He could not afford to stay here a bit longer.
"When I had deliverd you to them, they had wanted me to stay, were almost eager even. I choose not to. I might have saved my hide. I need to find Ellaria."
"And get a crew! You have to leave. Take my ship. And keep her with you my prince" I gesture to Rhea.
"I will be back" I turned to leave.
"Where are you going!?" Oberyn and Rhea both asked in unison.
"To get something of mine back. Gather a crew. Take my ship I will catch up" Helios spoke no more. Rhea seemed to have understood.
"Are you cra~" Oberyn was cut off by Rhea. She looked at him with a seriousness and dread not belonging to a child.
" We need to leave NOW!" The prince was taken aback.
But there was no point in questioning the madman. He had to leave.
"When you see me again, do not be afraid. I shall explain everything!" Helios did not turn around, his words were certain. Oberyn had a thousand questions in his mind. But Helios had already walked away. Oberyn was on thin ice.
He ran to the inn he was staying. This was urgent.
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Helios (POV) :
The walk to the Hightower was a slow and steady one. I knew they were no good guys but I did not like being played. Less so, in such a humiliating fashion. I was not aware of what was truly going on.
But I hated suprises. Luthor had given me a big one. I could not help but recall another friend from another life. Was betrayal in my fate.
Would Rhea betray me too. when she grows up. Would she also stab me in the back.
He was hoing to die, slow and painful. I will open his guts and hang him from the top of this wretched tower.
Even now my super senses had caught the wierd smell around it, barelu noticible. The air around the tower was smelling different than what it was seven days ago.
The guards had allowed me entry without question. That was all the conformation I could need. I could see a woman, middle aged waiting infront of the gates. She was dressed noble. Surrounded by tens of gaurds.
The gate opened with a loud crack. The air seemed to shift. It was a wierd feeling I could not properly describe. Something was different.
"Greetings forigner" the woman had greeted me, her voice like honey but I could see past that. There was a certain glee in her that anyone with a keen eye could notice. He had the keenest eyes of all.
"Explain yourself" I wanted deperately to show her my eyes in their true glory, wanted to watch as she was drained of colour.
"Calm down now forigner! No need to be so brazen. That is not how one speaks to a lady. Let’s try again shall we ?" She took my silence as approval.
Oh how badly I wanted to laser her in half. I was already at my wit’s end. She was not making me calmer.
"My name is Malora of House Hightower, the eldest daughter of Lord Leyton Hightower. You were expected foreigner" She spoke, almost giggling. Even the guards around her were tense. Stange.
"Enough of this farce! Take me to you’re father now, woman!" My eyes glew red. I was going to kill them after I had looked her father in the eyes. The all could tremble. And they did the guards backed away. Muttering prayers.
But the woman remained unfazed. What.
"Oh finally! I was so hopefull that it would all be true," she clapped her hands, her eyes watering.
What was happening right now.
"You know, they all call me the mad maid. All until eighteen days ago. Until you" I could not hold back my shock. This delighted the woman even more.
"You are a foreigner, just from a.....particulary far away place, yes?" she smiled.
My eyes stopped glowing. This went deeper.
"Come we must not ruin the talk here. Let’s talk up" She began walking away. Her back turned. The guards however were terrified. Their heart’s beating and their spears pointed at me.
How the fuck did she know me?
It was the only question in my mind. My previous desire for their deaths was gone. Replaced by something far more chilling. Curiousity.
I was meant to be a God. Yet I was on the recieving end of this.
I followed behind her. The guards were terrified but pointed their spears at me and followed too. Their hands were shaking. Any other day it would be hilarious to me.
Climbing almost three floors. I finally made my way the main hall. It was far from empty.
There were atleast a hundred people inside. Wearing black robes which were covering them from head to toe. Their faces were covered by a plain steel mask. Only two holes so that they could see.
I could see through heir faces just fine. Their heart’s were also racing. But it was not the same rythm as the terrified gaurds. It was a rythm belonging to someone who was exited.
That bothered me more than it should.
They were in a semi circle, surrounding a chair. A man in red robes was sitting on it. It was Leyton Hightower.
"You are finally here, stranger from another world." He spoke, he did not have this authority in his voice before.
"What is going on Leyton." I too spoke clearly.
Glancing around the creepy freaks. Then I cought it.
He was one of them. Luthor was on the left end of the group. The realization came to me in the form of a crushing wave.
This entire time, I had been the puppet.
"There is a tale, as old as the existence of the Citadel." Leyton began " That when the end of the world nears it’s end. Magic would be more powerful than ever before, unseen forces shall clash in the sky, leaving thousands dead in it’s wake. A visitor would appear."
That got my full attention.
"A vistor who would bring the old world back. The one that existed thousands of years before the first men and the children of the forests and gaints. He would fall from the sky and bring chaos the world is not meant to see." He finished.
"How...What is this diaplay" I asked.
"Ever since the andal days. We Hightowers have carried a burden. Given to us by the prophet of the seven. To prevent you from happening. The Citadel was made to stop magic from ever gaining power. Starrey Sept was built to stop the faith of men to take shape." Malora was giddy. Her gaze had never left mine. She was enjoying every second of this.
"Faith of men to take shape?" This did not make sense.
"Magic and faith are one. The seven above gave man free will. And he dreamed. And his dreams made the world.....And it’s many monters" Leyton spoke.
This was not...What!
"We had Bran the builder build the Hightower. And it was made in such a way that it prevented magic from thickening around it. Since 8,000 years. This ancient secret order had worked to halt the magic. Westeros was the most free from magic thanks to us and for good reason. There was a greater curse at play"
"What"
"Any civilization that had used magic to propsper. Had collapsed. Bringing doom and despair. We dreamed of you, you know" Malora was now speaking.
"You had appeared in all our dreams. Eighteen days ago. And we knew it was time to break the curse"
"How so ? Enlighten me." It was not a question.
"By killing you of course" She smiled. The hundred men around me revealed their daggers. The tens of guards held their spears tighther. They also knew apparently. Then why were they scared.
"With your corpse, the world shall be whole again!"
"HAHAHAHAHA"
All of Malora’s confidence faltered. The hearts of all the maestars, septons and soldiers picked up pace.
"HAHA!!!!! This is AMAZING!!!" I spoke, this was simply too good.
"What!" Malora was now speechless.
"I give every single on of you one chance! Make it count" I chuckled as their faces began to pale. These fools would not walk out of here.
"KILL HIM!!!!! NOW!!!!!!" Leyton panicked.
The first maestar took his chance. Tossing a glass bottle filled with a pruple liquid at my face. It shattered, the liguid met my face. It was an acid of some kind.
I wiped my face.
They were nervous now. A guard pushed his spear my way. That did not work. Embarrasing.
This whole cult meetup was a good lore drop. I had gotten what I wanted. There was no point in holding back now. No point in hiding now.
I flew, rising several feet above the air.
"This was entertaining!" I chuckled " But you see. This world isn’t yours to make whole again" My eyes glew a deep murderous red. This time Malora was afraid. They were all afraid.
Without another word, twin beams of heat and hatred erupted, slicing throught the thick walls as though they were parchment. The laser’s went through the walls releasing onto the outside sky. Like beacons.
From outside, the proud white tower seemed to implode from within, fire bursting through the shattered walls. A spectacle so bright. The entire night sky had turned white.
I was careful to avoid the circus freaks in the tower. They would die dreading. I spun, my lasers still active. And the enitre upper part of the tower was split in half. The stone crumbling down from the ceiling above.
A large chunk smased through a dozen men `
Leyton one of them. I had roughly a couple seconds to retrieve my belongings before the entire upper half of the Hightower, which was a 1000 feet would fall onto the city below.
I took a short look and Luthor. He would die here. I grabbed my vault next to him. and the armour set next to it. Instantaneously I flew out. In a fraction of a second. Leaving behind the bugs.
Let the city burn and break and get crushed. The ants had over-stepped. Trying to kill me. A God. Their little borrows will break and be ruined. The Hightower bloodline ends in the next few seconds. The Starrey Sept to will end now.
I flew out the falling tower. The world had slowed, ceases moving entirely. I had taken my time to cherish the paused terrified faces before flying to the next location of mine.
The Ruin of one of the centre of religion in this wretched world was spectacular.
The ancient sanctuary stood bathed in a faint scent of magic. I had realized it now. The wierd inexplainable tinge in my senses, was my detection of magic.
I descended slow, through the great rose window. The few people had entered it. Hiding from the Hightower fall. The window shattered loudly.
I hovered over the alter, above the heads of the seven gods. I looked at the insect below. Terror had clutched their small scared faces.
"Your gods are not coming."
