Capítulo 61: Chapter 60
Draven Meroq stood on one of the balconies of his estate and stared out over the churning sea that washed the shores of Gogossos. For a few moons now, the world had been in turmoil, more turbulent and unpredictable than it had been for millennia. But he would never have thought that it would hit them here so quickly.
Gogossos was notorious for its blood magic and for very little else. Sure, they also ran slave markets, but these were rather small and of little interest compared to the magnificent and infamous markets of Valyria.
It was the blood magic that gave Gogossos its sinister reputation.
But now that Valyria no longer existed, a new door had opened for Gogossos. With the collapse of the mighty empire, the noble houses of Gogossos saw an opportunity to redefine their position and grow.
But where profits beckoned, immense risks also lurked.
Now, without the protective hand of Valyria, Gogossos was all but defenseless against those who harbored thoughts of attacking the city.
Their blood magic might be powerful, but against the fleets and armies that would soon battle for supremacy on the seas and lands of Essos, Gogossos' defenses seemed weak.
Despite the threat that hovered over them, Draven Meroq had never thought it would happen so soon.
Of course, he had expected minor incursions - pirates, perhaps.
But this? Never.
He was standing on the balcony of his mansion when he spotted the first sails on the horizon. They looked like tiny dots, barely visible, but Draven knew immediately what they meant. It wasn't a loose pirate fleet that happened to be approaching Gogossos, but something far worse.
The fleet on the horizon was no coincidence. They had to act, and quickly!
Since the fall of Valyria, Gogossos had left its discordant days behind.
The noble houses of Meroq, Valtor, Zalyne, Haratis and Yarwick formed a council together and put aside their differences, knowing that without cooperation they had no chance in this new world.
Shortly after Draven spotted the fleet on the horizon, the bells rang out, loud and clear, reverberating throughout the city. The alarm had gripped the people, and everywhere the citizens of Gogossos began to stir.
"Where's my armor?" he shouted as he stomped through the hallway. A slave who ran into him dropped the tray he was carrying in shock.
"Th-This one has made a mistake. P-P-Please punish me as you see fit, my master. This one-" the slave stammered, but Draven wouldn't let him finish.
"Move along! I don't have time for your stuttering. Get my armor, now!"
The slave hurried to the armory as quickly as he could. Barely a few moments had passed when the slave returned, holding the black armor adorned with silver in his hands.
"Faster!" growled Draven, pacing impatiently as the slave tried to slip the heavy breastplate over him. The slave's fingers trembled as he tightened the leather straps and fastened the bracers.
"If you do this any slower, they'll have attacked us before I'm ready," Draven hissed as the slave frantically fastened the last pieces of the armor.
"At last," he hissed as he pushed the slave away and marched off without another word.
The armor felt strange and heavy when Draven finally wore it. Every movement was hindered by the metallic weight, and the cold material pressed uncomfortably against his skin. He had never trained in the art of war.
Wearing armor was something foreign to him, but he was only doing it for his own protection that day.
He felt the leather straps tighten around his torso and the breastplate felt like a dead weight, taking his breath away.
"Damn," he muttered quietly as he lifted his arm and noticed the shoulder armor bumping against the back of his neck.
---
Draven felt the unevenness of the stone road beneath the wheels of the carriage that escorted him to the wall. The rumbling and rocking intensified the uncomfortable feeling of the heavy armor weighing him down in his seat. His gaze was fixed on the outside.
The carriage was cramped, and the dull rumble of the wheels rolling over the cobblestones of Gogossos made him feel the stiff, metal armor even more acutely.
When the carriage came to a jerky halt in front of the walls of Gogossos, Draven took a moment to concentrate. The doors were hastily opened by one of the guards and he got out.
Without saying a word, Draven turned around and walked up the stone staircase with slow, heavy steps.
Once at the top, he immediately felt the cold sea air sweeping over the wall. The view beyond the battlements was unobstructed and he could clearly see the approaching fleet. The ships were now larger and more clearly visible.
" Where have I seen these ships before?" Draven murmured quietly to himself as he watched the shadowy sails on the horizon. There was something familiar about them, but he couldn't grasp the thought.
"Then you're not the only one," a deep voice suddenly said behind him.
Draven turned abruptly and looked into the gray eyes of Orin Haratis, the head of House Haratis.
"Enlighten me, then," Draven said grumpily.
Orin Haratis crossed his arms in front of his chest and also looked out at the looming fleet. "I'm not sure myself," he admitted, his brow furrowing. "These ships... they remind me of others I saw years ago in the waters of Lys and Tyrosh. But they are not the same. Likewise, I do not recognize the flag of the ships."
Draven snorted softly. "So they might be Tyroshi?" he asked.
Orin shook his head. "No. I would recognize them! I know Tyrosh ships, have seen them often enough. These ones... They may bear similar features, but they're different."
"Who cares who they are," Draven grumbled. "Let's just concentrate on keeping these ships out of our harbor!"
Orin nodded in agreement. "You're right about that. Our advantage lies in our geography. It will be difficult for them to dock in these troubled waters. The rocks and currents here have dragged many ships into the depths."
"That's the only advantage we have," Orin added grimly.
"Then let's make sure they don't even make it to shore," Draven replied.
Draven and Orin were about to give their instructions to the waiting soldiers and commanders when suddenly a deep, rumbling sound cut through the air.
They knew the sound all too well.
Suddenly, a huge silhouette broke through the cloud blanket. A huge, bronze dragon appeared on the horizon.
The dragon now hovered in full view, its massive form dominating the sky as it flew in a wide arc over the approaching fleet. Its eyes, glowing like molten ore, scanned the walls of Gogossos.
They watched as the bronze dragon did not hesitate for long and then turned in an elegant curve to the north, its mighty wings beating in a steady beat. Without haste, it flew towards the special landing site, which lay far outside the city walls. It was a place that had been created especially for the dragonlords, for hardly any other area in Gogossos offered enough space for such a creature to land safely.
Draven stared after the dragon, his gaze unyielding until it disappeared into the north.
"A dragonlord," he muttered, more to himself than to Orin. "But who? And why now?"
Orin just gave a soft sigh. "Come," he said, his voice leveled, "I don't think our guest will be happy if we keep him or her waiting."
As Draven sat down in the carriage, he sank deep into thought.
The only dragonlords they had heard of in the last few moons were either the megalomaniacal and self-proclaimed Emperor of Valyria, who wanted to create a throne for himself with a dragon at his side, or House Baelaeron, which was not far from Gogossos.
The most obvious thing was that the dragon they had just seen belonged to House Baelaeron. If that was true, Draven could already imagine why they were here.
Draven put a hand to his chin thoughtfully and stared at the passing road. Having freedom was one thing, and since Valyria's downfall they had all worked to secure their independence. But being under the protection of a Dragonlord had its advantages too.
When Draven and Orin arrived in front of the bronze dragon, whose mighty form dominated the landing area, the rider revealed herself.
She swung herself smoothly off the dragon and walked towards them with a confident stride.
The rider was a woman he had never seen before. But that was not what surprised him most.
It was her demeanor - the wide, crazy grin that stretched across her face as if the entire situation amused her in a way only she understood.
"Hello there."
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I finished this in 30 minutes, but it works for me, lol.
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