The Mountain of Ice and Fire

On the walls of Storm's End stood the dashing new commander, Valentine Greigg, surrounded by his senior generals of the Golden Company.

The Golden Company consisted of five hundred knights, each with three horses, and anywhere from a few to dozens of squires. Each squire also had a horse.

Greigg stood beneath the banner of the skull, looking down at the advancing enemy forces below. He watched as formation after formation arrayed themselves beneath the walls, banners fluttering in the wind.

"Commander, I don't think you should be showing yourself so openly," said Leyton Marsh.

Leyton Marsh hailed from the distant eastern city of Qarth, wielded twin blades, and wore a spiked bronze helmet. His beard was trimmed into sharp points, each tipped with a small metal bell.

Greigg scoffed, "Hmph, the Stormlands lords are our defeated foes, and the Reachmen are lambs."

"Commander, we aren't afraid of Cersei's cheese-eaters, nor the rose knights of the Reach, but Cersei's Faceless Men are beyond our ability to withstand," said a general with a Westerosi accent.

"Rowell Darrin, are you afraid the Faceless Men will assassinate me?" Greigg laughed. A loud laugh.

"Yes, Commander. We are all worried about that," said Leyton Marsh. The senior generals around him echoed his sentiment.

"Leyton, Rowell, brothers, the Golden Company has resided in Braavos for quite some time, and our former commanders had close ties with the Sealord of Braavos. Tell me, how much does it cost to hire a Faceless Man to kill an ordinary noble?"

"Hundreds of thousands, even millions of gold dragons."

"A city-state governor of high standing would cost millions. That kind of money could hire a formidable army. So, what is the price for assassinating a king?" Greigg's eyes gleamed with pride.

"The price for assassinating a king is beyond our imagination. Ten million gold dragons, or other priceless and rare treasures," Leyton said uncertainly.

Greigg surveyed the generals around him, his voice booming, "Generals, Cersei hired a Faceless Man to assassinate Aegon Targaryen VI. Aegon VI was of dragonseed, his value far surpassing that of a city-state governor or an island king. Aegon was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, while Cersei's incestuous bastards occupy it. The price Cersei paid to assassinate Aegon would only be higher. I can't imagine how much that was."

"Commander, Cersei offered one hundred golden statues of heroes from her family," another general reminded him.

"Those hundred golden statues are still on their way, not yet delivered to the Isle of Gods. Even if the House of Black and White on the Isle of Gods has accepted them, the Faceless Men also assassinated Captain Rolley Duckfield, Commander Harry Strickland, and kidnapped Septa Lemore and Maester Haldon. Lemore is the royal tutor, and Haldon is the royal grand maester. According to the rules of the Faceless Men, they will all be killed. With the Faceless Men killing so many, does Cersei still have the money to pay a commission to kill me?" Greigg asked with a smile, showing no fear. "Brothers, I am eager for Cersei to hire the Faceless Men to assassinate me again. No matter how much gold the Lannisters hoard, they can't withstand such extravagance."

"The commander is right. Even if the Lannister family has any gold reserves left, they can't have much. They can't withstand any more extravagance," said a senior general in a black cloak and black chainmail.

The Golden Company consisted of the 'homeless' from two continents, mostly criminals and exiles. The origins of these generals and soldiers were complex, coming from all over the world. However, the core generals were mostly exiled nobles and knights from Westeros. Their ancestors were once famous nobles and knights on the continent of Westeros. They were forced into exile across the Narrow Sea to Essos because they swore allegiance to the Black Dragon Daemon Blackfyre, supported Daemon Blackfyre's rebellion to seize the Iron Throne, and Daemon Blackfyre was ultimately defeated.

After a century, the descendants of the exiled nobles and knights remained the core and absolute power of the Golden Company.

Their roots lay on the continent of Westeros.

After Commander Valentine Greigg's analysis, the senior generals felt much more at ease. If Cersei really sent Faceless Men to assassinate Greigg again, then Cersei's own financial resources would inevitably be exhausted. The Lannister family, deprived of financial support due to years of civil war and the usurpation of the Westerlands by the Mountain, would be no better than ordinary nobles.

"Generals, knights, don't worry about Cersei's Faceless Men anymore. The food reserves in Storm's End are enough for us to live here comfortably for several years. As long as the summer, so too the winter, Storm's End has more than ten years of food stored. The stone walls of Storm's End, even the stone bullets fired by catapults can only leave white dents," Greigg pointed to the dense white spots on the stone walls, the traces of past wars, and the medals of the walls. "As long as we hold Storm's End, no matter how many enemies are below the walls, they can't do anything to us. In a month at most, we will wait for Queen Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons. And, generals and sirs, don't forget that we also have strong support: the Dornish legions."

"I see the banners of the Dornish, Commander," a general said in surprise. "A black eagle clutching a red child, that's the banner of House Blackmont."

"Our reinforcements are here?" a burly man with a Dothraki scimitar on his waist boomed. His long hair was braided into a whip around his neck, exposing his arms and chest, a man as strong as a bull.

"No, that banner is in the left wing of the formation," a general said gravely.

On the left wing of the advancing army, another formation arrayed itself. The banner in front of that formation bore a white skull with a golden crown on a black background. That was the sigil of House Manwoody, the Lord of Kingsgrave.

"House Manwoody is here too. The left wing is indeed the Dornish legion," Rowell Darrin said in surprise. He was an exiled noble from the Stormlands and knew the sigils of the famous noble houses of Westeros like the back of his hand.

Greigg's proud expression faded, and his confident eyes became serious. He saw a dark mass of troops arrive, arraying themselves on the left wing, formation after formation, each formation preceded by a banner representing a certain house, all without exception from the great houses of Dorne. The patterns on the banners explained everything.

The sound of hooves thundered as squadron after squadron of cavalry arrived, in the center a large banner with a golden spear piercing a red sun.

Seeing the arrival of this banner, Greigg's confidence and certainty vanished. On the walls, the generals and knights familiar with the continent of Westeros were all awe-struck. They all knew that the golden spear was the ancient sigil of House Martell, and the red sun symbolized the Rhoynar. This was the banner of House Martell, upon whom they had placed their hopes.

House Martell of Sunspear had also arrived.

House Martell and House Targaryen had intermarried for generations, maintaining blood ties, and Dorne had always been a force secretly supporting House Targaryen. But when Cersei sent troops to besiege Storm's End, the Dornish legions suddenly appeared, the troops pouring in continuously, infantry and cavalry alike. Formation after formation extended backward, soon outnumbering the central army. And the Dornish cavalry continued to arrive.

Had Dorne submitted to Cersei?

On the walls, most of the soldiers were Westerosi, and they silently watched as the Dornish legions relentlessly arrayed one formation after another on the left wing below the city, seemingly endless. Even the most optimistic and battle-hardened soldiers' faces changed at this moment, and they could no longer remain calm.

Had the Dornish betrayed Cersei?

This released an extremely terrifying signal. Cersei was by no means an incapable person. She was able to hire Faceless Men to kill Aegon VI and almost all of Aegon's chief advisors, perhaps not as a desperate gamble, but perhaps she had resources that the Golden Company and Jon Connington did not know about.

As the left-wing army continued to arrive, the enemy also began to form a right-wing army below the city, with banners bearing the sigils of the various great houses of the Reach appearing one after another. The Tyrell rose banner was also raised in the center, and even Willas Tyrell, known for his lameness, appeared in chainmail.

Greigg's face turned ashen!

King's Landing, the Stormlands, the Reach, and the Dornish armies all appeared beneath the walls of Storm's End simultaneously, the legions pouring in continuously, they were actually a unified military force.

"Who from House Martell has come?" a knight asked timidly.

No one answered him.

The banner of the red sun pierced by the golden spear, symbolizing House Martell, began to move forward on the left wing, and a squadron of female generals also rode forward beneath the banner. They finally stopped at the front of the left-wing army.

"They are the Sand Snakes of Dorne," Rowell Darrin said. "They are the bastard daughters of Oberyn Martell and cannot represent House Martell."

"I don't see anyone from House Martell either," another general said.

"Commander, I didn't expect that as soon as the Dornish heard that Aegon VI had been assassinated, they immediately defected and surrendered to Cersei," a general said angrily at the Dornish's shameless surrender. They had always believed that the Dornish were their allies. They had always placed their hopes of breaking through the siege on Daenerys Targaryen and the Martells of Dorne.

The morale of the Golden Company archers and pikemen spread across the walls was severely damaged, and the fighting spirit in the hearts of the generals and knights was also severely hurt. They had absolute confidence in relying on the walls and food reserves to defend Storm's End, but the sudden appearance of the Dornish greatly undermined their morale from top to bottom.

The generals could not help but look at Commander Greigg, their eyes complex, their hearts lost.

The Dornish had defected to the enemy, and legions were relentlessly arrayed below the city. This was indeed a great surprise to them.

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Look, what is that?"

In the sky, a golden-red cloud floated over, but the cloud looked a bit strange. In the blink of an eye, the cloud formed a large outline. After a heartbeat, everyone saw a huge, ferocious flying beast...

"Dragon, it's a dragon!" many voices cried out in panic.

Although dragons had been extinct for a century, stories, paintings, poems, and reliefs about dragons were everywhere. Dragons also originated on the continent of Essos, and their history was even more profound than in Westeros. At first sight, most of the Golden Company soldiers knew that the flying beast was a dragon - the dragon that had disappeared and become extinct for a century had appeared, a giant dragon different from Daenerys Targaryen's three small dragons appeared in the sky.

"The Mountain is here!" a knight shouted loudly. "Everyone be careful, it's the Mountain."

The story of the Mountain and his dragon had also spread across the Narrow Sea. The Mountain's feat of riding a dragon and destroying the Eyrie in the Vale had spread faster than the wind to the two continents. However, the last news everyone heard was that the Mountain and his dragon were in the North.

But the Mountain and his giant spirit suddenly appeared in the Stormlands, above Storm's End.

The dragon descended from the sky, invincible, its huge wings blocking the sunlight in the sky, darkening the eyes of the soldiers on the wall, as if the end of the world had come, and the sky suddenly turned black.

A voice like a thunderclap resounded, it was the Mountain's loud voice ringing out: "Golden Company, either surrender or die, I'll give you ten heartbeats to think it over."

The Mountain's voice resounded over Storm's End, making it clear to everyone in every corner of Storm's End, even those hiding in the basement heard the roar of the sound.

"One!" The Mountain rode his dragon past the city, issuing a counting sound.

"Two!"

…………

On the wall, Commander Greigg's newly hardened heroic expression turned into a pale daze. He had prepared a speech to boost morale, to have everyone work together to protect the city, and to fight against enemies including the Dornish legions. He firmly believed that as long as they held out, they would be able to wait for Daenerys's invasion of the continent of Westeros.

But suddenly, the Mountain and the dragon appeared in the sky. According to reliable news from all sides, the dragon and the Mountain were supposed to be in the North!

"Golden Company warriors, whoever offers up the body of Aegon Targaryen VI, I will spare his life. If he is a soldier, I will knight him. If he is a knight, I will reward him with a piece of land. If he is a mercenary from across the Narrow Sea who wants to go home, in addition to knighting him, I will also reward him with three hundred gold dragons." The Mountain's words rumbled over the city like spring thunder as the dragon circled above Storm's End.

Then, it was the Mountain's continued counting sound: "Three...four...five..."

On the wall, thousands of soldiers looked up to the sky, almost everyone terrified. They were all desperados, but they were also mercenaries. Professional mercenaries had a fatal weakness. Regardless of how much money they had, they first developed the habit of preserving their lives. Earn other people's money, protect their own lives. They were fundamentally different from the warriors who defended their homes and countries and regarded death as home.

"Golden Company soldiers, when I count to ten and no one has opened the city gate, I will burn Storm's End and turn you all to ashes." The Mountain's efforts to persuade them to surrender did not stop.

"Six...seven...eight..."

The dragon began to descend, and the Golden Company warriors on the wall began to stir. Some soldiers ran down the wall, some soldiers shot arrows, some soldiers shouted surrender, some soldiers looked for places to hide...

"Who is the commander of the Golden Company? I am Arianne Martell. I advise you to order a surrender to the Mountain, otherwise, the Mountain will use dragonflame to slaughter the city!"

Arianne Martell, heir to House Martell of Dorne, the future Princess of Dorne, a supreme ruler, she had come in person! And she even advised the Golden Company to surrender.

Arianne's persuasion shattered the last line of defense in Gregor's mind. He drew his longsword, his face gloomy, and threw it at his feet. Then, facing the Mountain and the dragon hovering in the low sky, he knelt on one knee...