CHAPTER 281 A Grim Battle
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CHAPTER 281 A Grim Battle
297 AC
POV THIRD PERSON
What was in front of them was a spider the size of a small horse, and upon that spider was a humanoid figure. Its icy presence sent shivers down the spine of anyone who dared to behold those eyes. Towering and pale, with skin as cold as death itself. Upon his translucent pale skin was armor made out of ice that shimmered with orange torch lights.
Its eyes, gleaming like chips of ice, bore into Sam's soul. His mother had always told him stories about the White Walkers and the giant ice spiders they rode, and those beings had caused him many sleepless nights, but now that very being was right in front of them.
Ghost was standing right in front of Jon. The dire wolf was trying to protect his warg, but you could see he was agitated by looking at his fur. Every hair on his fur was so straight you could count them one by one.
Spider's eight legs moved with unnatural speed as it advanced towards them, its icy breath frosting the air. Edd stepped forward bravely, torch in hand, swinging it in front of the beast, trying to stop its advances.
Right after him, Ghost mounted his attack as he bit down on one of its eight legs. The exoskeleton of the beast was hard, and Ghost couldn't rip its leg off but managed to create cracks on its carapace. Pyp pushed Sam out of the way toward the spider as the White Walker attacked him. Waving his torch, Sam joined the fight against the spider, or it would be more accurate to say he tumbled toward the spider as he was pushed.
The ice spider recoiled at the sight of the flames, its screeches filling the air as Ghost, Sam, and Edd held it at bay. Jon, Pyp, Grann, and Benjen engaged the White Walker in combat. Their swords clashed against its icy armor but to no avail. Each strike against the creature only produced a piercing screech, like glass scratching against glass.
Pyp got behind the white walker. The white walker watched them as they did their thing. He was only looking at Jon; this caused him to shudder in fright. Thinking this was a moment of opportunity, Pyp struck from behind, but the white walker didn't even turn around to face him. He just let his strike hit his neck. Let alone cutting him, the strike didn't ever shake him.
With a swift movement, the white walker swung his icy sword. Pyp tried to defend himself by blocking the strike with his sword, but as the two swords touched each other, Pyp's sword shattered like glass. The force of the strike continued without diminishing and cut his throat.
A fountain of blood sprinkled onto the white ground, turning it crimson as his lifeless body fell to the ground. Jon's heart clenched with grief, but there was no time to mourn his friend's death as the white walker started to walk towards them with slow steps.
Three of them mustered up their courage and attacked it together. The white walker didn't care where their swords landed, so he grabbed Jon's sword and punched him while holding his own sword in reverse grip. At the same time, he kicked Benjen and stabbed his icy sword through Grenn's shield, stabbing him in the chest and killing him instantly.
After killing Grenn, the white walker stopped his adverse, and he just stood there. As long as Jon and Benjen didn't try to move, he just waited there for something. It looked like he was toying with them.
...
As the ice spider lunged forward with terrifying speed, its massive form casting a shadow over Sam and Edd, the two brothers of the Night's Watch braced themselves for the onslaught. You could see Sam was trying to stay a step or so behind Edd. With torches held high and Ghost at their side, they were trying to keep the giant spider at a distance. Their hearts were pounding with fear.
Sam was contemplating whether he should run away, but he knew he would have no chance of living. He was all by himself in this frozen land. Edd waved his torch, and the giant spider was startled by it. Sam swung and took a few steps back. Using that opportunity, Edd struck at its side and created a crack in its carapace, but the spider was fast, and its field of vision was wide. It struck its leg like a spear and wounded Edd.
Edd, his face twisted in pain, gritted his teeth as he limped forward, his leg searing with agony from the wound inflicted by the spider's sharp appendage. Blood trickled from the torn flesh, staining the snow beneath his feet.
But despite the pain, he refused to falter, his eyes locked on the monstrous creature before them. Beside him, Sam clutched to his side, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought to ignore the searing pain shooting through his chest.
Sam knew he had likely suffered broken ribs from the spider's vicious strike, but he pushed the pain aside, focusing on the task at hand. With trembling hands, he gripped his torch tighter, his gaze full of terror, but running was an option.
For a moment, Sam's thoughts wandered; if his lord father saw him here, would he be proud of him for once in his life? He didn't want to do this; this wasn't him. He didn't know how to fight, but he had no other choice if he wanted to live.
But even Ghost, the mighty direwolf, was not unscathed. With a pained whimper, he limped forward, a leg dangling from his mouth where he had torn it from the spider's body in a desperate attempt to kill it. But this small victory had come at a cost, for the direwolf was now poisoned, the wound on his left front leg turning an ominous shade of purple.
...
After waiting for some time, the corpses of Pyp and Grenn started to move, and they got up. For a second, Jon had hope that they were alive, but when he saw their pale skin and milky white eyes with blue hues around them, he knew what raised up was not his friends.
The white walker showed a menacing smile as the wights attacked Jon and Benjen. At that moment, Jon realized why he didn't attack them after killing the two. The white walker had never seen them as a threat. They were just toys in his sick game.
As Jon and Benjen faced the reanimated forms of their fallen comrades, Pyp and Grenn, a chill ran down their spines. These were not the friends they once knew but twisted puppets under the control of the White Walker, their eyes vacant and their movements jerky and unnatural.
The undead Pyp lunged forward with surprising speed, his sword swinging in a wild arc toward Jon's throat. Jon parried the blow with practiced skill, his sword clashing against Pyp's with a metallic ring. Then he counter-attacked by stabbing his chest. But despite the force of the stab, Pyp showed no signs of pain or hesitation, his empty eyes fixed on Jon with an eerie intensity.
Meanwhile, Benjen squared off against the undead Grenn. Grenn swung his massive arms with brute strength, aiming to crush Benjen with each blow. But Benjen, agile and quick-footed, dodged and weaved between Grenn's attacks. Using an opening, Benjen's sword flashed and cut his left arm off, but this didn't even slow Grenn's attacks.
Jon and Benjen fought with all their strength as the battle raged on, but even when they cut a limb off, the wights didn't slow down. In a bit of desperate struggle, Benjen kicked Grenn, and he fell on top of the campfire.
As it was set on fire by the campfire, It was still trying to get up, but after a few seconds, there was nothing left of the wight. At the same time, with a swift and decisive strike, Jon swung his sword in a wide arc, slicing through Pyp's neck with a sickening crunch.