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Looking down from the battlements, Gilbert saw dozens of fires burning and thick smoke rising into the air.
The flames had ignited the pitch cans they'd thrown down—pitch that burned like coal.
The war supplies in Storm's End had never been so plentiful, as though someone had foreseen this moment and prepared in advance, stocking up on arrows, stones, pitch, and other defensive materials in the shortest time possible.
The explosions and crackling flames filled the air, accompanied by the screams of the wounded.
Gilbert wondered if the wildfire that Stannis and his men had encountered would be the same as before—how helpless men seemed against the fire, like powerless infants beneath its wrath.
How many wildfires had there been in King's Landing? He thought the material used for wildfire must be similar to pitch. He didn't dare to imagine the horrors of wildfire burning thousands of people alive.
"My lord, what do you think they have?" Camillo asked, breaking his thoughts.
Gilbert turned to see soldiers gathered below the city walls, all covered by large cloths. When the flames rose, they spread the cloths over themselves. They were carrying jars as well, and when the fire started, they would throw these jars into it.
Camillo quickly ordered the archers to fire stones instead.
There was a loud boom, and Gilbert saw a fire break out in the enemy's siege camp. He couldn't help but wonder—was this the reinforcements coming?
Could it be Lord Stannis or Cole?
It wasn't until a burning boulder coated with oil and pitch was hurled into the city that Gilbert realized it was simply an enemy mistake.
The boulders rained down one after another, cutting through the sky and crashing into Storm's End.
José quickly gave orders to retaliate with the city's weapons, and the catapults and archers on the towers of Storm's End began to fire.
Gilbert watched as several enemy catapults were set alight. One of them, a siege ladder, was the center of the explosion. He couldn't help but think that the gods were still favoring them.
All the soldiers took cover behind the battlements, holding their shields up to defend against the barrage.
The enemy seized the opportunity to blow the charge horn.
Several ladders were pushed against the walls, but Gilbert saw that they only reached about two-thirds of the height of the walls, and only one ladder could reach the top.
He also noticed that the Highgardeners had built a bridge under the moat.
The horn sounded again and again, and the soldiers who had been holding their shields low began to raise them over their heads as they climbed the ladders. As they reached the top, they set up iron-studded ladders.
The wooden spears and sticks of the soldiers on the wall filled the battlements, and the iron-studded ladders got stuck between the walls, unable to climb further. Some ladders fell, others slammed against the walls, their feet biting into the stone like the fangs of a mountain lion.
Gilbert stood atop the central tower, where the watchtower offered a view of the battlefield. From there, he saw that the Highgardeners had managed to build their bridge and had raised a battering ram toward the city gates.
At that moment, Camillo and José were directing the defense on the walls, but Gilbert knew the gatehouse was far less fortified than the walls. The moat surrounding Storm's End was wide, but the water didn't flow fast enough to pose much of a threat.
He turned to the knight beside him. "Who's in charge of the gatehouse?"
"Ser Rodin, my lord."
"Tell him the enemy's battering ram is outside the city walls."
Gilbert quickly led his men down from the tower and made his way to the square, which was filled with the wounded. Though the king had burned the church on Dragonstone and the godswood forest of Storm's End, there were still many monks in the castle. They had been captured by Camillo when he led a patrol.
At first, Gilbert had thought the monks were only there because of Marquis Julius's orders to attack the Seven Gods, but now, seeing them tending to the wounded soldiers, he began to understand their true purpose.
Gilbert realized that he was the one who had been unprepared for this war.
"We need to destroy their siege ram and bridge," he said to the knight beside him. "Gather everyone."
By "everyone," he was referring to the two hundred men under his command.
Originally, there had been over a hundred men guarding the gatehouse, but now, as Gilbert arrived at the city gates, the wooden doors were being hammered loudly. It seemed the enemy was eager to launch their attack.
The wooden bridge they had constructed under a constant rain of arrows was not strong enough to carry many troops. At the moment, only a hundred men were crossing the bridge, making their way toward the outskirts of the city.
At that time, a messenger arrived with news of the ongoing attack. Gilbert received the order directly. With the more than a hundred men under his command, along with the original gate tower defense forces, they could complete this mission.
"All troops, line up. Cavalry, follow me in the charge!"
The city gates creaked open. The enemy's battering ram had missed its strike, likely thinking they had already breached the city.
But what they didn't expect was a cavalry charge rushing out first, followed by hundreds of soldiers.
Gilbert led the charge at the front, racing toward the enemy.
The soldiers holding the battering ram hadn't anticipated any resistance, and the soldiers behind them were already preparing for battle.
The forces sent to attack the city were Highgarden's elite armored soldiers, but fortunately, their defenders were just as formidable. Though Sir Rodin commanded only a small number of men, they were some of the best-equipped troops in Storm's End.
The two armies clashed at the city gate, the sounds of clashing weapons, curses, and battle cries filling the air.
The cavalry, taken by surprise, managed to push their way through the enemy ranks, although there were only about twenty riders.
Under the pressure of the two forces, the enemy's siege army quickly began to break apart. The soldiers attacking the city gates retreated, and those carrying barrels of asphalt fled the city, hurling their fiery contents onto the bridge. In an instant, the wooden bridge caught fire.
Gilbert was about to lead his men to the rear when a sudden noise echoed overhead.
The soldiers trying to climb the walls had paused, staring in disbelief as the enemy's catapults launched more projectiles toward the towers.
Some of Highgarden's soldiers were even retreating.
Then, Gilbert saw it—green flames engulfing the entire wall.
It was wildfire.
A pot fell nearby, and when it touched the flames, it erupted into a violent explosion that filled the sky. Gilbert saw men being consumed by the fire, their screams piercing the air. The flames melted them as if they were made of wax, leaving only a horrific wail behind.
They quickly retreated back into the castle.
The wildfire's attack was limited, and although it wasn't a large-scale assault, it had caused significant damage to the walls.
Gilbert watched as the burned bodies were carried away from the walls, and for the first time, he understood why Lord Stannis had been defeated. This flame was far more destructive than asphalt.
The wildfire attack severely impacted the castle's morale. Fear of the flames began to spread among the soldiers, and their defenses grew increasingly difficult to maintain. Every so often, a barrel of wildfire was launched onto the walls by the enemy's catapults.
Mace Tyrell, positioned at the rear, watched several waves of attacks on the city wall. The wildfire had proven highly effective, but its transport was a challenge, meaning the enemy didn't have much of it to use.
Still, he commanded his most elite reserve troops to press forward.
"My Lord Duke, what is that?" someone asked, pointing toward the distance.