(Third-person perspective)
Lord Sunderland had regained some composure, his initial panic replaced by a grim understanding of the situation. He knew perfectly well that defeating Lord Drasil and the Druid army was an impossible task. The bickering lords around him gradually disappeared from his sight; he ignored their words, choosing to disregard their fruitless arguments. The only way out was to regroup, repair their ravaged fleet, and hope that his men remaining in the Citadel could hold out until reinforcements arrived from the Vale.
He turned around and loudly gave orders to his men, his voice filled with urgency. "Send men down to repair the rudder. We don't have time to waste here!"
As a few brave men were lowered into the water to repair the wrecked rudder, a sense of despair lingered among the Three Sisters people. They were filled with both fear and determination, for they did not yet know the cause of the fleet's demise. However, just as they began this perilous task, a violent surge erupted on the sea, and an orca leaped from the surface. With a violent thud, it flung the sailors into the icy waves.
Left with no other option, the sailors could only witness this spectacular sight on the water. The ferocious orca leader Rep, and his pod of orcas dived underwater. They circled the disoriented sailors, some gently pushing them to the surface, while others tossed them out of the water like toys.
Amidst the underwater chaos, Repun gleefully directed his companions.
"Guys, make way for me!"
With a burst of power, he soared from the depths of the ocean, his smooth body flying out like a bullet. He hurtled towards the surface. In his final moments above the water, he executed a masterful maneuver, altering his trajectory and using his accumulated kinetic energy to directly target one of the unfortunate souls. With all his might, he delivered a powerful blow with his tail, hurling the Three Sisters sailor high into the air. The unfortunate man's mangled corpse arced through the air like a bizarre and terrifying fireworks display, then splashed up chilling sprays of water that landed on the ship's deck, accompanied by the desperate and terrified screams of the Three Sisters sailors.
As other members of the orca pod followed in Rep's footsteps, the horrific scene of the orcas playing a horror game continued. Four unfortunate sailors were tossed into the air by the orcas. Unlike Rep's instantaneous and fatal blows, the other orcas could not replicate the same force.
Therefore, they could not lift the sailors into the air, but could only violently slam them against the ship's side, turning their bodies into horrific works of art, a bloody mess. Rep resurfaced, looking at the bloody scene with smug satisfaction, as if he were observing a modern art exhibition.
The people of the Three Sisters, gripped by fear and loathing, could only stare in disbelief at the scene. In this nightmarish spectacle, the largest of the orcas reappeared, its gleaming black eyes seemingly fixed on the onlookers. The monster seemed to shake its head mockingly, its eerie cries laced with unsettling laughter, as if reveling in the terror it had inflicted.
Rep's extraordinary power is primarily due to being Aermir's familiar; it has been Aermir's familiar for over six months. During this time, its size has significantly increased compared to other orcas in its pod, making it the undisputed apex predator among orcas. Although it is only 20% larger than its peers, its supernatural abilities, fueled by the magic flowing within its body, give it over 50% more strength. This astonishing power sets it apart from its kind, granting it unparalleled dominance.
The pride of the Three Sisters lords was shattered by the killer whale's relentless attack. They clung to their dying embers of hope, convincing themselves that perhaps the capricious sea would wash them ashore, saving them from the terrors of the deep. They insisted that the killer whale might lose interest and show them mercy, letting them leave. Their fragile optimism masked the fear that had taken root in their hearts.
Unbeknownst to them, the messengers of Aermir's will—the vigilant Crow— circled nearby, their dark eyes fixed on the drifting ships and the stranded crew. Whenever a ship began to head towards the shore, the orcas would churn it back into the center of the biting sea.
Aermir had no intention of letting these lords escape their deserved fate. He had long planned for these warships. When Aermir and his fleet approached the Three Sisters, only two days from Longsister, he keenly sensed the urgency of the situation. Lord Sunderland's Crow messengers had already been dispatched, desperately pleading for help from the Lord of the Vale. Aermir did not intervene, but instead allowed the Crow to continue flying unimpeded, deliberately sowing the seeds of conflict.
He knew that the Vale Lords wouldn't be able to muster their forces to reach the Three Sisters for several weeks. In the meantime, Aermir's goal was to expand his advantage and conquer two, or even all three, of the islands. The vortex of fate seemed to be working in his favor. When the winds were in their favor, Aermir once again used the water elementals to give his fleet extra speed.
Aermir sent ravens to the Lord Stark and numerous North houses, such as House Manderly, House Flint of Widow's Watch, and others. In his message, he reported his recent victory over the Three Sisters pirate family and announced his intention to conquer the islands without hesitation. He further claimed that the Vale lords were amassing armies in preparation for the impending conflict.
Although this information was entirely false, it was very likely what the Lord Sunderland requested in his letter. This would then act as a catalyst for a chain reaction, turning it into reality. The lords of the North, spurred on by the prospect of war in the South and constantly vigilant in protecting the honor of the Old Gods, began to mobilize their armies. As they began to assemble at strongholds such as White Harbor, Oldtown, Ramsgate, and Widow's Watch to defend the North, simultaneously, in the Vale, the lords also began to amass their forces on the shores of Bite.
Even so, Aermir was more than capable of carrying out his true plan. He could gain even greater power if war broke out, but with Lord Arryn and the Stark in power, that was unlikely. Instead, he clung to the hope that a spark could ignite a larger conflict.