Before the war was formally declared, The Thenns arrived at the outskirts of the Crystal Wall.
They were surprised by the magnificent wall in front of them.
“It’s truly a place owned by the gods.
Just the wall it self is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on in all my life,” a Thenn warrior said.
The leader of the group, Shamra, led them closer.
When they saw a person standing near the wall, they stopped for a moment.
Then Shamra shouted,”I am Shamra, son of Ghazul.
A warrior of the Thenns.
I come here to see the great place of the gods.
This is the order of the whole tribe.
We bring gifts to show the gods that we, the Thenns the great warriors of the true North pays our respect.” The figure suddenly vanished, then reappeared standing near them—he used flicker technique.
The man was wearing a full black tight leather with a dark green utility jacket and wearing a bull’s mask “Welcome, Shamra, son of Ghazul, and welcome to you all, great warriors of the Thenns.
You are all welcome in this place—the kingdom of Altherion.
The thenns flinched at that .
The guy didn’t let them react.
He just straight up vanish then appears again but now closer then says welcome.
The mysterious person continues his speech Not caring how the thenns feel.
But be warned , there are rules here.” He continued,”Keep your hands to yourself.
Do not steal, fight, or cause trouble.
Respect the property of others and avoid unnecessary violence.
Violence of any kind will not be tolerated, and harsh punishment will be enforced.
All must show respect to the king, Ōtsutsuki, who governs these lands.” “There are more rules, but we will tell you about them as you go inside.
Would you like to enter, great warriors of Thenns?” The Thenns looks at each other then agreed to come.
They tucked their weapons, then took out gifts and give it to the mysterious man—most were high-quality pelts, gems of different colors, and some trinkets.
When they entered, like the Night’s Watchmen before them, they were awed by the Iron Dragon head atop the gate.
Once inside, they stopped for a moment to appreciate the beauty of the kingdom.
“By the Old Gods, this place is amazing.
The cold is comfortable, and the air is sweet.” “Aye!
I could take off all my clothes and run around naked, and I wouldn’t feel cold at all,” one of them said.
Everyone looked at the speaker.
They were led to a building inside the Crystal Wall, near the southern gate.
“This will be your place.
You can use it as you see fit,” the guide told them.
The Thenns had never lived in stone houses before.
Most of them lived in tents.
So they were shocked to be immediately given a place just upon arriving.
“Does this mean it’s ours now?” he asked eagerly.
The mysterious person nodded.”Yes.
If you follow the rules, you are free to live here.
But break them, and immediately you’ll never be allowed to set foot in this place again.” When the Thenns were about to enter, one of them saw a man wearing a familiar black cloak.
A crow!
he shouted.
Immediately, all of them drew their weapons and, with a shout, they charged at the Night Watchmen.
The Night Watchmen was surprised by the charge of the angry Wildlings at him.
Then a voice was heard: Ice Release: Frozen Barrier (Hyōton: Hyōketsu no He).
A wall of ice separated the Thenns warriors and the Night Watchmen.
Then a figure blurred past the Thenns, passing by one after another.
One by one, the Thenns warriors knelt on one foot, clutching their stomachs as pain threatened to make them vomit their last meal.
The mysterious man punched their guts and then warned again,”I told you before, this is a no-violence kingdom.
If you continue, I will kick you out and you will never be allowed entry again!
Understood?” The Thenns’ eyes widened as they witnessed the magical phenomenon that just happened.
In their minds, this was truly a land where gods walk.
Their guide not only could appear and disappear, he also had the ability to control ice.
Then the Thenns grunted as they tried to straighten their backs—they didn’t want to show weakness to a crow.
“Aye!
We apologize,” Shamra spoke.
“It’s just that we’ve been fighting Night Watchmen our whole lives, so any crow we face, we battle.
These men have hunted us like wild animals.” The mysterious man simply said plainly,”This kingdom doesn’t care about your problems with the Night Watchmen or any other tribes.
If you’re inside the kingdom, follow the kingdom’s rules.
Keep that in your minds.” The Thenns hesitantly nodded, but as they walked inside the building, they glared at the Night Watchmen, vowing that if they met outside, they would make sure to hunt down this crow.
When they got inside, the Thenns completely forgot about the crow.
Inside, there was a clean white wall with high ceilings.
The tables and chairs had beautiful designs; everyone looked around curiously, for they had never seen these kinds of things before.
On top of the tables, fruits were laid out—most of which they had never seen before.
They grabbed some and ate.
” Such sweet fruits!
God!
This..
this where did it come from?” Thenns knew these fruits never grew in these cold lands.
While eating, the Thenns asked the mysterious man about the place.”What is the name of the king?
Who rules here?”They asked everything they could think of—they needed answers to explain back to their tribe what this place was.
The mysterious man answered patiently.
—- (Back to present)..
Two months into the Ironborn rebellion…
The war was now in full swing.
The Northern army had positioned itself defensively, deploying troops at the Neck and also mainly to retake parts of the Riverlands.
The Riverlands people were very thankful for this.
They had been raided by the Ironborn over the past few weeks.
The royal fleet, commanded by Stannis, had already retaken the coastal areas around the Westerlands and Stormlands, while King Robert fought on the front lines.
Robert loved this feeling—fighting with his hammer beside him.
Every Ironborn he faced tasted his hammer; bones shattered, bodies crumpled, shields broken, and some were flung into the sea, never to be seen again.
Gods, he was so strong…
While fighting, the King’s Guard stayed at King Robert’s back and sides, making sure the king was not flanked from any side.
…
The Cliffs of Pyke — War Council Chamber The stormy wind howled over the rocky cliffs as Balon Greyjoy, now king of the Iron Islands, stood before his gathered captains and ships.
The room was tense, filled with the scent of salt, smoke, and the anticipation of bloodshed.
Balon’s face was grim, his eyes cold and steely as he looked over the assembled leaders.
The flickering torches cast long shadows across his hardened features.
Balon Greyjoy:”Brothers and sisters of the Iron Islands, the time has come.
The world outside thinks us weak, divided, scattered.
But we are Ironborn!
We are the sea’s true children, born to conquer and plunder.” He paused, voice rising with fierce conviction.”Today, we strike with all our might.
Every ship, every ironborn warrior, all will sail forth.
No more holding back.
No more waiting.” Captains murmured among themselves, some nodding, others exchanging wary glances.
Balon:”Let the gods see our wrath.
We will burn their cities, drown their armies, and take what is ours by right.
I order a full assault—every ship, every fighter—no retreat, no mercy.” He pointed toward the horizon, where the dark shape of their fleet stretched out like a sea of steel.”This is our moment.
The Ironborn will carve a new fate for ourselves, and no one will stand in our way.” He raised his voice for the final command:”Prepare the ships!
Send word to every harbor—everyone who can fight, will fight!
Today, we make the world remember the strength of the Ironborn!” The captains shouted their approval, some raising their axes, others barking orders to ready the ships.
Balon turned away, gazing out over the tumultuous sea, a fierce smile creeping across his face.”Let the world tremble at our wrath.
The time is now.” Balon did not know that in the corner an invisible man was listening to their conversation.
The man also smiled at balon, Finally the wait has ended…