With a thunderous boom, the gates of the Hightower were smashed open.
The heavy doors flew inward and crashed onto the flagstone floor, raising a cloud of dust.
"Follow me!"
William Crabb roared and charged in first.
The half-wildling warriors and Highgarden soldiers behind him poured through the entrance on either side of him like a tide, their battle cries erupting inside the Hightower.
The last of House Hightower's guards had gathered in the hall to make their final stand. More than a hundred remained.
They held swords and spears, desperation on their faces, but still formed one last defensive line at the back of the hall.
The two sides collided with a crash.
The clash of weapons, roars, and screams echoed together between the ancient stone walls.
Blood splashed across the walls, across the tapestries passed down through generations of House Hightower, and across the family crest hanging high above.
Body after body fell onto the flagstones. Blood pooled into streams, winding along the cracks between the stones.
Even this last sanctuary was stained with blood.
When the final guard fell, silence at last settled over the hall.
Only the groans of the wounded remained, along with the faint sound of blood trickling down the stone steps.
Aegon crossed the threshold and walked in over the corpses and pools of blood.
His boot soles were soaked in blood, leaving red footprints on the flagstones. He swept his gaze over the hall.
"Search." His voice was quiet, but carried clearly through the cavernous hall. "Find Leyton Hightower."
William Crabb acknowledged the order, selected three squads of soldiers, and sent them off to search the different levels of the Hightower.
The remaining men lined both sides of the hall, guarding Aegon.
Aegon turned to William Crabb and said, "I'm in no