章節 10: The Magic of the Rhoynar

"To better understand the history, you must know that we are direct descendants of the Rhoynar, who were extremely powerful in water magic, and back then, we were mages, not sorcerers."

Haldor nodded in understanding; the explanation was much better than he had expected, so he grasped the beginning of what he wanted to know better.

"What lies beyond the wall, and why do they remain here?"

"The Rhoynar built Sarhoy as a great port city made of pink stone with canals and saltwater gardens. During the Second Spice War, three dragon lords and men from Volantis plundered the city."

"The city's warriors were massacred, and their children were sold into slavery. The Volantenes burned the city and salted the earth. After more defeats, Princess Nymeria led her ten thousand ships up the Rhoyne past Sarhoy and towards the Summer Sea."

"Many say the war started a thousand years ago when three dragon lords of Valyria's Feud joined Volantis to destroy the Rhoynish port of Sarhoy in the Summer Sea."

Everyone could write the story as they pleased; the reality was that they lost, but it wasn't entirely a defeat because their enemies also suffered a severe loss.

"The Rhoynar responded by uniting under Prince Garin of Chroyane's command; the wonder of the Rhoynar temporarily shook Valyria."

Lucian paused and continued, "Garin led a Rhoynish army of 250,000 men, which conquered Selhorys, Valysar, and Volon Therys, where they defeated three dragons with Rhoynish water mages. Alarmed, Volantenes sought aid from Valyria itself, and the dragon lords responded by sending 300 dragons."

"The Valyrians crushed Garin's army with their dragons, then destroyed Sar Mell and Chroyane. According to legend, captive Garin invoked a curse on the Valyrians in Chroyane, resulting in the Sorrows."

"How many dragons do you think they managed to kill?" Haldor asked, thinking of that extremely bloody war.

Lucian extended his hand and said, "According to water mages, they killed more than two hundred dragons. Can you imagine the power we once had?"

"Chroyane, known as the Festival City, was once the richest and most splendid city along the Rhoyne. Within it lay the colossal Palace of Love, a magnificent fortress."

"According to legend, Prince Garin the Great of Chroyane gathered a quarter-million soldiers in his city during the Second Spice War. The Rhoynar marched south and won victories against Selhorys, Valysar, and Volon Therys, but were later defeated by Valyria's dragon lords in a great battle along the Rhoyne."

"The men of Volantis and Valyria hung Garin in a golden cage and brought him to Chroyane to witness the city's destruction. Garin supposedly called on Mother Rhoyne to destroy the invaders with a curse, and that night the river waters rose to drown the Volantenes and Valyrians. However, it is said that the spirits of the drowned dragon lords remain underwater, their cold breath rising as mist."

"Now, mists rule the sorrows, and those afflicted with grayscale wander the ruins. They are called stone men, and it is said that the mists are ruled by the enigmatic Wrapped Lord."

"The sunken architecture and statues pose a threat to passing ships. Many travelers get lost in the thick fog and eventually succumb to madness, hunger, greyscale, or stone men."

"There has been no law over the Sorrows for a thousand years, so pirates are common in the Rhoyne north of Chroyane, although they do not enter the ruined city. Volantis galleys patrol the river south of Chroyane."

Haldor, hearing this, felt a fire inside him ignite; he felt a slight resentment towards those dragon lords who cruelly attacked his people.

"How did we end up in this place?"

Lucian returned to the interior of the room and said, "We sailed north to the end to protect ourselves from the dragon's pursuit; they couldn't pass beyond the wall, so we took refuge here in the hope of recovering."

"Do I have something to do with that?" Haldor was curious.

"Your father's dragon was the first among the frost dragons we could tame, and your family was the only one to succeed. Now that you have another dragon, it's time to reclaim the territory that was once taken from us and subdue the weakened enemies."

The sorcerers had regained their power held in ancient times; Frostgard's army surpassed two hundred thousand soldiers and three hundred thousand reserve warriors.

But they still needed to build a fleet for that army; the most optimal plan would be to take the wall governed by the Night's Watch and travel north to the South to reclaim what had been taken from them.

The dragons in the north are different from those in the south; here, these dragons can fly freely without fear of the enemies of the night. While the dragons in the south refuse to pass through this stormy sky

"Your duty is to win the war in a different way; we will not eliminate House Targaryen." Lucian stared intently at Haldor, who looked even more surprised and only then remembered Ravyn's words.

"A warrior born of frost, forged in the crucible of icy battles. Marked by the lineage of the ancients, he shall be the heir of ice and wind.

In days of shadows and threats, the Alpha of Snows shall emerge, carrying the glow of dawn on his axes. In his hands, the ancient blade of cold will become the guide of a destiny sealed by glory.

He shall conquer fields of ice and stormy mountains, forge alliances with the creatures of the north, and defy the forces that seek to devour Frostgard's essence. His name shall resonate in the icy valleys like the echo of a winter thunder, announcing the arrival of a leader destined for greatness.

Under his banner, the tribes of ice shall unite, and his prowess in war shall echo in the hearts of those who yearn for freedom.

In the annals of history, the Alpha of Snows shall be remembered as the warrior who led Frostgard to global glory, uniting realms under the eternal mantle of snow and erecting an empire that shall challenge even winter itself."

Haldor, who had been silent, thought, 'Is it certain that this fairy tale is reality?'

"Only an intelligent person with all the opportunities like yours will be able to take advantage of the things offered by the far north, so you must start by having the support of the celestial polar bears. They excel in war and defense; even dragons must think twice before attacking their domains."

"It is a fact that I will seize the opportunities of the north, Sir Lucian, but one last question: was my mother born in these lands?" Haldor asked, full of curiosity, about a question that had not been answered.

This left Lucian thoughtful for a few seconds, so he answered briefly: "Your mother was Sarah Stark; it is said that she fled from her family when she was betrothed by her father to a marriage she did not desire. She mentioned repeatedly that her father would never have allowed her to marry someone she did not want, but not wanting to dishonor her surname, she escaped to be considered dead."

"Your father found her wandering in the north while hunting; he thought she was a wild woman until he saw her very different clothes. They later married, but under the complicated conditions of the part, she died when you were born."

Haldor then understood everything; his father rarely looked at him and maybe hated him for the death of his beloved wife. But he wasn't so bad; the poor man might also remember his wife every time he looked at his son.

As King of the Far North and the Silver Island, Haldor's father had a responsibility to procreate more than one descendant in cases of an unfortunate event, and he was forced to marry for the second time.

But not knowing this, the former Haldor wanted to win glory to attract his father's attention; it was a pity that he died from a magical curse.

"I'll leave you alone so you can process this more clearly." Lucian was about to leave when he was stopped by Haldor, who said, "Tomorrow, I'll go with the bears; I'll go alone with Azazel."

"But sir..."

Haldor looked at Lucian and said, "It's not up for discussion; if I am who you say I am, I will not die for this."

Lucian bowed and said, "As you command, Your Majesty."

When he was alone, Haldor looked at a book that described those celestial polar bears as Panserbjorn.

The panserbjorn was similar to the polar bear in appearance. However, it had opposable thumbs and was very skilled, capable of working metal adeptly. Its paws were covered with fur, with horns an inch or more thick; each claw was as long as a child's hand and as sharp as a knife. It had notably small, black eyes.

Panserbjørne fashioned their own armor from sky iron. As they matured, they forged the pieces one by one. By adulthood, they had a complete suit.

Panserbjørn were generally solitary creatures but had a loose society in the north, near the extreme cold. They were governed by a king, usually determined by lineage but could be chosen by combat.

Under the reign of Iofur Raknison, Panserbjørn society became more human-like. He built a palace and had plans for further growth. Acting like a human made Iofur less able to perceive deception and therefore was defeated by Iorek Byrnison, who restored panserbjørn culture to its former, more primitive state.

"The cold continues to increase; I will need good smiths for the weapons I want to create." Murmured Haldor, looking at a drawing of that polar bear who was the King of his race.