Chapter 66: Dagmar Cleftjaw!

Damian remained oblivious to the demise of Balon at the hands of Dagmer Cleftjaw, and Ace, circling the Great Keep, couldn't peer inside to ascertain Balon's movements, specifically whether he had ventured out towards the Bloody Keep.

A resounding thud echoed as Damian casually stepped past the headless corpse of an Ironborn soldier sprawled on the ground.

Witnessing the aftermath of the conflict on the stairs, the four remaining Ironborn soldiers, led by a lightly armored Northern soldier bearing the insignia of a Wolf on his chest, chose a strategic retreat.

Dacey trailed Damian through the scattered bodies of fallen foes, still grappling with her uncertainty. She marveled at Damian's seemingly unencumbered movements despite the weight of his non-light armor. Unlike her own experiences, where the armor's heaviness was palpable, Damian fought with an apparent ease, almost as if the armor had transformed into mere clothing, leaving Dacey intrigued and perplexed.

Dacey pondered over the possibilities as she followed Damian through the carnage. One possibility was that the armor he wore was as light as a cotton shirt, akin to the famous Valyrian armors renowned for their feather-like weight, which was highly unlikely. 

The other possibility, a more fantastical one, was that Damian possessed divine strength, akin to that of a giant, rendering the weight of his steel chest plate, helmet, and bronze gauntlets adorned with First Men markings inconsequential.

Had Damian been privy to Dacey's musings, he would have found amusement in her thoughts. Contrary to the notions circulating in her mind, Damian neither possessed the strength of a giant nor wore armor as light as a feather. In reality, he felt the weariness settling in, having engaged in relentless combat and strained himself with agile maneuvers akin to a gymnast donned in armor. Damian's prowess in battle stemmed from his magic, which heightened his strength and speed. The secret to his seemingly effortless movements also lay in the magic spell 'Bless Strength,' cast midway after entering the Great Keep.

However, Damian's reliance on magic came at a cost – his magical reservoir was depleting rapidly. Aware of this, he was now making more effort to conserve his energy and adopt a more cautious approach in the ensuing battles which should be ending soon as he was getting nearer to the Great Hall of the Great Keep.

As Damian and his men traversed the passageway leading to the halls, they encountered the desperate spectacle of six Ironborn soldiers attempting an escape through one of the windows.

Swish!

Arrows cut through the air, finding their marks among those struggling to leap to freedom. Damian's soldiers surged forward, swiftly quelling the agonizing screams of the wounded. Their journey brought them to the imposing Main Hall door, where Damian's men assumed a disciplined formation, shields raised in anticipation.

A furrowed brow marked Damian's face as he noted that the Main Hall gates were slightly ajar. Amidst the cacophony of noise and screams outside, the inhabitants of the hall should have been well aware of their impending arrival. This raised the question: why were the doors deliberately left open?

"Enter," Damian commanded.

With a collective effort, his men pushed the gates wide open. Surprisingly, there was no immediate response – no rain of arrows, no desperate last stand by a group of soldiers. The Great Hall of Pyke beckoned, and Damian entered with a sense of anticipation, only to be met by an unexpected sight: a figure with an ugly face seated upon the renowned Seastone chair, a majestic jade-black throne in the form of a Kraken perched on the elevated dais.

The man had his hand placed on top of Balon's decapitated head which was a rather surprising turn of events. There were other people like the old castellan and a few other men dressed in fine leather clothes. But unlike the man sitting on the throne, they had fear on their face. No, even the man wasn't as calm as he showed outwardly.

Damian was smart enough to know what had happened. The perpetrator seemed intent on preserving himself by presenting Balon's head to King Robert. Regrettably, Damian could not permit such an outcome, for the man seated on the throne was none other than the notorious Dagmer Cleftjaw – the ironborn captain of the longship Foamdrinker and the master-at-arms for House Greyjoy..

Damian was well-acquainted with Dagmer, as he had been a subject of tales told by Old Nan during his childhood. According to her stories, Dagmer was invincible. She recounted a tale of a foe who had cleaved Dagmer's head in two with an axe, yet Dagmer, so fierce, purportedly pushed the two halves back together and held them until they healed. Damian knew this to be far from the truth; Dagmer had merely been fortunate to escape with a split jaw and lips. Nevertheless, Dagmer was undeniably a formidable warrior and a renowned reaver in the stepstones during his youth.

"Welcome, men of the North-" Dagmar had just started speaking but Damian issued the order.

"Kill the Master-at-arms of House Greyjoy for betraying and killing his lord. Show no mercy!" Damian said ruthlessly which caused Dagmer to stand on his feet abruptly in shock.

As the armed group approached, Dagmer hastily spoke, "Wait, I wish to see King Robert; only he can decide my fate." However, the young man adorned in Stark colors did not rescind his order for the soldiers to execute him.

Regrettably for Dagmer, his words proved futile, and he began to regret remaining in this place, anticipating their arrival.

"Very well, I shan't meet my end without a struggle," Dagmer exclaimed, angrily hurling his axe towards Damian, whom he had already identified as the leader.

Standing upon a raised dais, Dagmar observed as the axe soared over the soldiers, hurtling directly towards Damian's head. Without waiting to witness the outcome, Dagmar swiftly cast Balon's head aside and made a dash towards the window. His intent was to leap out, plunging into the sea below. In the face of overwhelming odds within the hall, his chances of survival seemed far more promising with the risky dive.