Thor moved quickly through the dimly lit corridors of the Red Keep. Dawn was almost upon them, and he had to move fast.
Knowing the Spider, it was most likely a trap for himself, and Thor didn't like it one bit. He had half a mind to storm into Varys's quarters and smash his bald head like a watermelon, but he was running late for obvious reasons. If he was to save the Stark girls, he would have to do it himself—and he had to hurry.
So, with that thought in mind, he made his way quickly toward the guest quarters. But by the time he reached them, his heart sank. The courtyard before their rooms was filled with armored men. Torches burned bright, steel glinted, and the crimson cloaks of the Lannister guard stood out against the shadows.
"Mother fuc…" Irritation flared in him once again. It hadn't even been an entire night since the king died and Ned Stark was taken captive, and yet here these vultures were, ready to rip the girls apart like rotting corpses.
Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir.
"Move aside. And tell me what happened here. Where are the girls?"
His voice boomed through the long corridor, drawing the knights' attention to him.
The nearest knight sneered. "Ah, finally found this cunt. You'll find nothing here, Northman. By order of King Joffrey, no one touches the Stark girls."
Thor's brows furrowed. "King, you say? Isn't your supposed king a little too eager to take the crown? His father's corpse hasn't even gone cold yet. Some king he is." He sneered back.
Another knight stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Lord Stark has betrayed the realm. He poisoned the king and plotted against the crown. His daughters are hostages now. And you—" the man raised his chin, glaring up at Thor—"you are to be taken dead or alive."
Thor's jaw tightened. "And let me guess, this is also an order from your king." It was obvious—that prick Joffrey had been trying to get to him from day one. He had seen this coming.
The first knight spat on the ground. "Aye. And the king's word is law. By his decree, you are an enemy of the crown."
Steel hissed as swords slid free from their scabbards. The guards spread out, circling him like wolves.
Thor let out a sharp breath, raising Mjolnir. "Then I assure you, the crown won't last long. Any last words before you go ask Robert Baratheon himself who really killed him?" Thor roared.
The first man lunged. Thor sidestepped easily, swinging Mjolnir in a wide arc. The hammer struck the knight's chest plate, sending him flying backward into the stone wall with a sickening crunch. He crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
Two more charged from either side. Thor swung the hammer low, smashing one in the knees, shattering bone through steel. The man screamed as he fell, only for Thor's elbow to crash into his helm, silencing him. The other swung his blade down at Thor's head, but Thor raised Mjolnir, blocking it effortlessly. With a growl, he shoved forward, the sheer strength of the push sending the knight sprawling across the courtyard.
More men rushed him.
"Whaaaa!" Thor roared between blows, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Get out of my way!"
"Stop him!" a captain shouted, rattled by the ferocity of the Northman. He knew this was the man who had defeated the Mountain, but even he couldn't believe one man could single-handedly beat more than ten of the best knights currently in the king's guard.
He had only recently gained his captain's position after Ser Barristan was removed from the Kingsguard. If he failed here, he was doomed. All the blame would fall on his head.
Thor snarled, swinging the hammer overhead and slamming it into the ground. Though he could not summon lightning yet, the sheer impact cracked the stone beneath him. The shockwave rippled outward, throwing several guards off their feet.
One desperate knight tried to stab him in the back, but Thor grabbed him by the neck, lifting him high before tossing him aside like a rag doll. Another tried to shield-bash him, but Thor caught the shield, ripped it from the man's grasp, and smashed it across his helm, splitting the metal.
Blood and steel stained the courtyard now. The surviving guards staggered back, fear creeping into their eyes.
"Monster… he is no man. He's a devil. Get out of here!"
They had never faced a man like this—he fought like a beast, like something not of this world.
For Thor, though, this was the first time he wasn't really holding back. Even in the Tourney he had restrained himself, not wishing to kill directly—except for those who tried to kill him first. But here? No holding back.
These were armored knights, far more skilled than most who had fought in the tourney.
Panting, Thor planted Mjolnir into the ground and glared at the last few standing.
"Fuck OFF," he growled.
That roar was enough to put the final nail in the coffin; they knew they couldn't win. They fled, though most of their number lay dead.
Only three members of the Kingsguard truly survived.
Thor didn't chase them. The girls were more important.
He pushed open the heavy doors to the maidens' quarters, his boots crunching on the blood-stained floor. He expected to find Arya and Sansa huddled somewhere inside, frightened but alive. Instead, his eyes fell on a grim sight.
Three knights lay knocked out cold on the floor, their helms dented and swords scattered. And in the middle of the room, struggling to breathe, was a small man with curly hair, his body drenched in blood.
Thor's heart tightened as he recognized him. "You…" He stepped closer. "Syrio Forel. You're Arya's dancing master."
The man coughed, blood staining his lips. His eyes, though dim, still burned with the pride of a fighter.
Thor knelt beside him. "Where are the girls? Arya and Sansa? Tell me."
Syrio smiled faintly, his voice broken but steady. "Little wolves… they ran. I bought them time. Find them."
Thor clenched his jaw. 'Damn it, I shouldn't have wasted time….'
He was ready to track the girls when he felt a tug on his hand.
"Wait."
Thor looked back down.
"Strike me down," Syrio whispered. "My dance ends here. I bleed too much… no healer can save me. Do not leave me to die slow. Give me… mercy."
Thor's eyes softened. He only knew the man from the TV series, yet he had been one of his favorite characters—one who stood and died for a child until the end. He saw the resolve in Syrio's eyes, a man unafraid of death but unwilling to suffer needlessly.
Thor drew a dagger from his belt. "The girls live because of you. May your gods welcome you. May you find Valhalla in your afterlife."
Syrio looked confused for a moment at the unusual name before shrugging it away.
He looked into Thor's eyes and smiled.
"All men must die."
"Yeah…" Thor paused, then nodded.
With one swift motion, he drove the blade into Syrio's chest. The Braavosi let out a shuddering breath, a faint smile on his lips, before his body went still.
"Valar morghulis."
"Valar morghulis."
Thor paid his respects in the man's own tongue. But another voice echoed the words. One he hadn't made.
Thor spun, Mjolnir raised. A man stood in the doorway, cloaked in shadows. Long hair, strange eyes that seemed to shift with the light.
"You…" Thor narrowed his eyes, looking at the man who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Who are you?" He could tell this man wasn't from the capital.
"A man has no name. You could call a man Jaqen H'ghar, though."
The Faceless Man tilted his head, a faint smile on his lips.
"Ah, the captured Faceless Man. Got it. I thought you should have been gone by now?" Thor frowned. What was he doing here?
"A man owes the champion of the Storm God a name. A man shall repay the debt."
"Really?" Thor honestly thought that debt had already been repaid with Littlefinger's case. But hey, who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth?
"If you know where the Stark girls are," he said firmly, "then speak. I will not waste another moment."
Jaqen stepped into the light, calm as ever. "A man knows things. A man sees paths others do not. But a man first shall get a name. The debt shall be repaid."
'Tch… these lunatics. Why do they talk like this? Half the time I have to guess what they mean. And why are they so uptight about their contracts?' Cursing under his breath, Thor was about to demand the girls' location when suddenly a plan struck him like a bolt of lightning from the heavens.
Thor's chest heaved, his mind racing. "Any name will do."
The Faceless Man smiled. "Valar morghulis."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. All men must die." Thor nearly rolled his eyes.
"Okay… okay." Thor nodded heavily, finally seeing things shift his way.
"Then I have a name for you. Please send him the blessing of your god."
Jaqen's smile widened ever so slightly. He bowed and replied.
"Valar dohaeris."
"All men must serve."
xxx
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