Chapter 11

The Hound was standing in the Breach cutting down all comers. I had to defeat him to move onto the next stage of the Dungeon. Unfortunately the Hound is one of two people I know of who can fight the Mountain on Relatively equal terms. That's a daunting prospect. Still, nothing ventured nothing gained I suppose. I'll try to Stealth in and go for a Sneak Attack. . .

An Enemy Officer has Entered the Fray!

"I see you sneaking around you little shite!"

Crap. The Hound Swung his sword at me and I immediately backpedaled, going through a series of increasingly desperate dodges, trying to get inside the reach of the man's Bastard Sword. Battle Precognition helped a lot, but it was still a close run thing. Finally I managed to get inside the reach of his Guard and aimed a Power Strike at him, but he managed to parry the attack and bash me in the face with the pommel of his sword for -50 HP. I staggered back and he cut at me while I was off balance, my Battle Precognition screamed a warning, but there was little I could do but roll with the blow, robbing the cut of some of it's force. I still took a whopping -120 HP even after rolling with the blow. The Hound came in to try and finish me off with a Finishing Strike but I managed to roll out of the way of the downward thrust and get to my feet.

The Hound came in with a Power Strike and I aimed an Interrupting Strike at him in an attempt to take back the initiative of this battle, our blades clanged off each other, as both attacks parried the other, and the Hound tried to lock up my sword and force me into a clinch, my dual wielding style utterly unsuited for Winding and Binding like that. I managed to side-step his attempt but he lashed out with an armored boot, striking me in the chest for -40 HP and sending me sprawling down into the mud. I managed to once again Roll out of the way of his Finishing Strike and get to my feet.

The Hound came in with a High-Low-High combination where I ducked, jumped, and then Parried the three blows before backpedalling out of the way of another boot. I tried to attack him again with a Power Strike in response, but he parried the blow and backhanded me with his gauntleted off hand for -25 HP and sent me staggering again, which he took advantage of with a slash that I couldn't roll with for a whopping -215 HP, he finished that combo off with a quick pommel strike for a further -50 HP. Once again his attack left me sprawled out on the ground, and once again I managed to roll away from his Finishing Strike and get back to my feet. Once again I aimed an Interrupting Strike at him as he came in, and once again he parried. I set myself to dodging again.

By this point we had been fighting in front of the Breach for a solid two and a half minutes and he had utterly dominated this fight, taking a quarter of my HP bar with ruthless, methodical attacks. I hadn't even managed to scratch him, something had to change. I went for a Leaping Strike as he came in, rather than try an Interrupting Strike this time, which seemed to take him off guard for a split second. Unfortunately he managed to roll with the blow and only took a small fraction of his health bar in damage, but I had finally managed to get a hit on him. I pressed my attack with a Power Strike which he again managed to roll with and only take a larger, but still small fraction of his health bar in Damage in. I kept up the pressure with a combination of attacks from multiple angles, slowly chipping away at his health while he had been placed on the defensive. I finally aimed a Mordschlag at his helmeted head to end the combo, but he managed to dodge it and come around with a Power Strike to my torso which did -450 HP worth of damage on a critical hit and sent me reeling again.

I also managed to roll around his Finishing Strike this time, but a boot to my helmeted head send me tumbling back down again as I tried to stand up for -50 HP worth of Damage. I was now barely above half health and had only managed to do about an eighth of his HP gauge in damage. I got up, but the Hound wasn't looking at me, he was looking at the green flames from the river as they burned their way ever closer to the walls, consuming docks and boats and corpses for fuel.

"Fuck this." Spat the Hound as he fled from the battle. Looking back I could see flames, but also a steady stream of Yellow Tabarded men streaming towards the Gap in the walls. I noticed that the Hound had fled in enough haste to have dropped 5 Gold Dragons, a Large Soul Stone, and a bottle of something. I also noticed that I had gained a level for surviving 3 minuted of combat with the Hound.

"Observe."

Clegane Brew-This Potent Concoction is a Clegane Family Recipe, Upon Drinking Gain +1 point to all physical stats permanently

"Neat!" I said as I downed the brew and my observe leveled up. I immediately regretted it. I was a pretty big drinker back home, and Robb Pyke was no slouch either, but neither of us were quite prepared for the absolute roughness of this particular brew. I'm honestly surprised I didn't go blind from that. Still I could feel the power coursing down through my stomach and into my body and I knew that I had just gained a permanent stat boost.

Looking at the breach in the wall that leads to the second stage I decided to go for it, as the level up had refilled my HP and MP. "Once more into the breach then." I muttered as I stepped through the breach and entered the City.

What I found was a courtyard full of battling soldiery fronting onto the Street of Steel I could see Yellow Tabarded Baratheon Men duking it out with not only Gold Cloaks, but also Crimson Armored Lannister Guardsmen. I picked my way through the battle, Stealth Killing Gold Cloaks and Lannister Guardsmen as I advanced through the courtyard. The Lannister Guardsmen dropped Fine Quality Steel Shards and Large Soul Stones, which told me that any recipes I'd get from this stage would be for higher quality gear. As it turned out, it was the Gold Cloaks who dropped the recipes, as well as more coin than the average Lannister Guardsman. I managed to kill several Gold Cloak Officers through the use of Sneak Attack followed through with Power Attack and these officers dropped recipes, Vanguard's Vambraces, Vanguard's Gauntlets, Vanguard's Greaves, and Vanguard's Sabatons.

Once I had cleared the Courtyard of Gold Cloak Officers I received a message of An Enemy Officer has Entered the Fray!

"Traitors! The King will reward me handsomely for your Heads!"

Looking over there was a rather brutish looking man with a sword and shield.

Lord Janos Slynt

Lvl 20

Huh, apparently my Observe had leveled up sufficiently that I could now see names and levels without even using the skill. Neat.

On a more pressing matter I set in to battle the Gold Cloak Commander. He bull rushed me with his shield, which took me by surprise, as I hadn't yet come across someone who used shield bashes. I took -95 HP as the metal rim of the man's shield clipped my helm and staggered me. He tried to cut into me with his sword, but I managed to parry in time and we wound up in a clinch, which again, favored the man not wielding two weapons. I knew I would lose so I didn't even try, giving token resistance before side-stepping and pulling, sending Janos Slynt tumbling forward to into my waiting boot. Which apparently did a small chunk of damage and stunned him, alowing me the use of multiple Mordschlags for a Quarter of his HP Bar before he rose from the ground with a Shield Bash that took me off guard and did -105 HP and sent me staggering into a Power Strike which did -230 HP. I stumbled but managed to right myself in time to see him rush in with another shield bash, which I sidestepped and put my foot out in front of him, tripping him and sending him careening into the base of a statue, doing 1/8th of his HP bar worth of Damage and Stunning him. More uses of Mordschlag took him down by another quarter of his HP Bar before he recovered with another Shield Bash that hit me for -108 HP.

This time his offense was all shield based techniques, short jabs of his heater shield which did less damage at only -50 HP a pop, but which kept me reeling into another shield bash. He chained four of these together before I dodged away from the 5th aided by Battle Precognition and send a Mordschlag into his knee, sending him tumbling into a Power Strike from my axe, which did another 1/8th of his HP Bar and sent him into the side of a tower, doing yet another 1/8th of his HP bar and stunning him. A Few more Mordschlags finished him off. I dismissed a notice that stated that my Level had increased to level 19 and that I had leveld up Mordschlag and Battle Precognition by 1 and looked at what he dropped.

He Dropped a Breastplate, 10 Golden Dragons, a Skill Book, 2 Fine Quality Steel Shards, and a Large Soul Stone

"Observe."

Vanguard Captain's Plate Curiass-28 Def, +3 STR, +3 VIT, +3 INT

This Fine Quality Steel Curiass was made for a Captain of the Vanguard of an Army from the Crownlands, it is imbued with the spirits of the war he participated in.

Skill Book: Defense Starts with Offense

This Book teaches the Skill: Shield Bash

Do you wish to learn this skill

Y/N

I pressed no. Even though I have a shield, it's mostly for mounted combat. Shield bash wouldn't be useful there. I placed it into my Inventory and began making the various Vanguard Recipes I collected.

Vanguard's Gauntlets-10 Def, +3 STR, +3 VIT

These Fine Quality Steel Gauntlets were made for the Vanguard of an Army from the Crownlands, they are imbued with the spirits of the war they participated in.

Vanguard's Greaves-12 Def, +3 DEX, +3 WIS

These Fine Quality Steel Greaves were made for the Vanguard of an Army from the Crownlands, they are imbued with the spirits of the war they participated in.

Vanguard's Sabatons-10 Def, +3 INT, +3 LUK

These Fine Quality Steel Sabatons were made for the Vanguard of an Army from the Crownlands, they are imbued with the spirits of the war they participated in.

Vanguard's Vambraces-10 Def, +3 DEX, +3 WIS, +3 LUK

These Fine Quality Steel Vambraces were made for the Vanguard of an Army from the Crownlands, they are imbued with the spirits of the war they participated in.

I equipped them all and wound up with this message

You have Equipped multiple pieces of a Set of Armor and are thus entitled to Benefits!

Vanguard's Armor 5/6

2: With two pieces of this Armor Set Equipped, you gain a +3 Bonus to your Vitality, Dexterity, and Strength, +100 Bonus to your HP

4: With 4 pieces of this set Equipped you gain a +2 Bonus to your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Luck, +100 Bonus to your MP

6: with all 6 pieces of this Set Equipped you gain the Trait: Body Forged in War-+500 HP

All I was missing was the Helm, which I assumed would be on the next boss. I looked down at the Armor, it was colored Grey and Bronze. I could get that fixed if I wished to keep Greyjoy Colors for my new sigil, but it was probably best to go with something else. . .Personally I'd been thinking of a Brown Longship on Black, it wouldn't take much to change that to Bronze and Grey.

As I moved on, I noticed Lannister Guards holding desperately against a tide of Yellow Tabarded Baratheon men on barricades in the street of steel, the Gold Cloaks having all fled. I stealth killed Lannister guards, Leveling up my Stealth, and Sneak Attack by one each. I noticed that several of the Barricades were being held by Lannister Guard Lieutenants, and I dispatched them by the same means I had dispatched Gold Cloak Officers Earlier. One of them Dropped the Crafting Recipe for the Vanguard's Helm which left me puzzled as to what the boss of this area would drop. . .until I managed to finish off the last of the Lannister Guards and head up to where the Street of Steel meets the Noble District.

An Enemy Officer Has Entered the Fray!

"If I kill you, they'll make me a knight! Knights get double!"

Bronn

Level 23

I went on the attack immediately, sending a Power Strike at the mercenary that barely connected doing just a small chip of his health gauge. He responded by whirling around and hurling a dagger at me that connected solidly with my shoulder for -105 HP. The wound burned and I immediately knew that the dagger was poisoned. I could feel my HP ticking away -25 HP every six seconds for an entire minute. Of course Bronn didn't wait for me to be incapacitated by his poison, no he rushed in with a whirling strike from his blade, which I took on the side for -210 HP, trapping his blade against my breastplate with by vambrace, and counter attacked with a Power Strike which he couldn't dodge if he wanted to retain his weapon, it did a solid 1/4th of his health bar. Unfortunately Bronn then pulled out a large dagger from the small of his back and plunged it into my left shoulder for -180 HP and forcing me to relinquish my hold on his sword. I responded with a Mordschlag to his knee, forcing him to the ground and doing a small but noticable chunk of damage. I moved in for a finishing strike, but he reached into a pouch and tossed a handfull of sand into my visor, blinding me.

He must have gotten up then and made space cuz the next thing I knew, my Battle Precognition was screaming at me and I ducked a hail of thrown knives just in time and lashed out blindly with a Power Strike, which predictably missed. My Battle Precognition screamed out again and I barely managed to roll with a sword stroke that did -150 HP. By that point, my vision had cleared and I was able to see again. I went with a Leaping Strike that Bronn just dodged out of the way of, but followed that up with a Meisterhau which caught him as he landed doing half his HP gauge in damage. Suddenly our positions were reversed and he was at lower health. Granted I was hovering at just above half HP by a little over 200 HP myself, but he was down to just under a Quarter Health.

A Furious exchange followed the both of us trading sword strokes and dodges with axe strikes and dagger attacks thrown in to mix it up. By the end of this extended exchange I was at just under a Quarter Health and Bronn was sitting at maybe an 8th. I went in to end it with a Meisterhau, but Bronn Jumped backwards to evade and threw another poisoned dagger at me that hit me in the hip for -105 HP and again the wound burned with poison. I wasn't going to let that Stop me though and attacked with a Leaping Strike that did a small chunk of damage and brought me inside Bronn's Guard, where I hit him with a Finishing Strike to end the battle.

I dismissed the notices that said that my Damage Resistance, Posion Resistance, Power Strike, Mordschlag, Meisterhau, and Leaping Strike leveled up and focused on healing myself with health potions and soul stones until I was back up to full health. Then I noticed Bronn's Drops. He had dropped a Skill Book, a Sword, a Large Soul Gem, 5 Golden Dragons, and a vial of something.

"Observe." I muttered.

Sword of the Wandering Warrior-22 DMG, +3 STR, +3 DEX, +3 LUK

This Broadsword has passed through the hands of many mercenaries in it's day, including Several Notable Members of the Golden Company and the Second Sons. It is imbued with the spirit of each of it's owners.

Vial of Asp Venom-When applied to a weapon, this vial deals the poisoned status effect upon a successful hit and deals 30 Damage every 6 seconds for one minute

Skill Book: How Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth

This Skill Book Teaches the Skill: Poisoning

Do You Want to Learn this Skill?

Y/N

I Clicked Yes, you never know when you're going to need an extra edge, and besides, it's not like I'm an actual knight or anything. I equipped the Sword and also took this time to craft the Helm.

Vanguard's Helm-10 Def, +3 DEX, +3 WIS, +3 LUK

This Fine Quality Steel Helm was made for the Vanguard of an Army from the Crownlands, it is imbued with the spirits of the war they participated in.

I equipped that and immediately gained the full set bonus. Walking through the noble district I literally only saw yellow tabards on the way to the Red Keep. I wondered where all the Kingsguard were, but then remembered that both Tommen and Myrcella had been smuggled out of King's Landing and that Ser Mandon Moore had been Killed by Podrick Payne during the Battle, Jaime Lannister was in the Riverlands, which meant that there were no more Kingsguard in King's Landing after Moore had Died and The Hound Fled.

That meant that the way to the Red Keep was completely open and that stage three would be starting shortly.

"ID Escape!" I shouted, not wanting to pit myself against a third stage.

I found that time had neared evening while I was in the Dungeon and headed back off to the Myrishman's Head. Tomorrow I would grind skills in an Empty ID and the day after that I would meet Stannis for the trip to Dragonstone.