Chapter 19 - The Dragon Offensive
"What the fuck are we doing here?" The Hound asked.
Harry laughed, "Oh, trust me, you will love it, I'm sure. Or maybe not, I guess."
"They are going to fucking swarm us if we stay like this."
"Sandor...no one can fucking see us. We might as well be invisible to these fools," Harry said as they walked through the castle grounds of the Red Keep. Even from this distance the stench from the unwashed masses and unclean seawater nearly made the keep look green with filth.
The Hound waved his huge gauntleted hand in front of some silk-clad noble and grunted as if they had no idea.
"Yeah, just don't touch them or they might get suspicious."
"You didn't tell me why I am here."
Harry scoffed, "You really want me to spoil such a fantastic event as this?"
"Oh it's fucking fantastic, is it?"
Harry's smile blossomed into a sort of devious expression that even had the Hound wanting to step away, "Now you get it."
They made their way to the smaller trial grounds, a place where duels could be held while under the watch of the ruling class. Harry and the Hound found themselves walking the stands where they found a set of much too comfortable and out-of-place chairs.
"Ah, those must be our seats," Harry said as they walked behind the royal tent and sat in the wondrously comfortable chairs.
The Hound hadn't even seen the Wizard conjure the seats, but he just chalked it up to the fuckery that follows that man everywhere he goes. As soon as Sandor took the seat next to Harry with a shake of his head. He was handed a tall glass of ale, something better than anything he had ever had, even better than wine and it was as cold as the ice of the Wall.
"This is going to be a great time, fancy some snacks?"
The Hound could never just respond to the Wizard. It was something ingrained in him, something that made him keep the anger as his exterior. Being nice isn't possible. The most positive statement he could make was his classic grunt. That seemed to suit Harry just fine.
The Hound seemed to accept that and a tray of meats appeared between them, floating in the air as any other ridiculous thing the wizard did. Harry laughed and was delighted as he rolled up some salami and cheese and popped it into his mouth.
The Maester, an old man that looked like he was on death's door, began to recite something ridiculously long and Harry laughed when he was cut off by the horns. The fight was announced and ready to start.
The Hound was now paying full attention as the Mountain stepped onto the battlefield. He wore black armor, just like the Hound did, but it wasn't enchanted and his sword was just a long slab of metal ready to cleave anything dumb enough to get close to it.
"Are you a betting man, Hound?"
"No."
"Smart man."
Ellaria, Oberyn's paramour looked horrified at the sight of the Mountain, making Oberyn promise not to leave her alone in this world.
The Viper showed no fear at all. His smile grew as the huge man slammed his face plate down and drew his great sword. The Viper responded in kind, spinning forward and a spear appeared in his hands as if it was kept up his sleeve. It wasn't just a simple spear either but clearly made with enchanted Valyrian Steel as it dripped with poison.
Harry could clearly see his creation in the light of day now, and he was once again sure about how powerful of a weapon he had made. If that couldn't bring the Mountain down, then nothing could...except for some more direct magic of course.
"Have they told you who I am?"
"Some dead man," The Mountain said as he cleaved forward.
Oberyn easily dodged and continued, "I am the brother of Elia Martel. Do you know why I have come all the way here, to this shit-pile of a city?"
The Mountain didn't answer, choosing to advance instead.
"I came here for you."
The first exchange took place, the massive swing was easily deflected and the Viper's spear lashed out, seemingly longer than it was just a second ago. The first strike instantly pierced his chest plate by an inch before the Viper withdrew the strike. The crowd didn't get a good look at the cut, but the Mountain grunted in pain.
"I'm going to hear you confess before you die. You raped my sister. You murdered her. You killed her children," He said it without emotion yet the people in the audience felt the weight of his words, the threat as sharp as his spear. "Say it now and we can make this quick."
The Mountain growled and sprinted at him, surprisingly fast for such a huge man. Even with his offensive charge, he was immediately put on defense as he seemed wary of the tip of Oberyn's spear. The Mountain blocked a strike that would have split his skull, parried a low swipe, and somehow the Viper spun around him and slammed the back of his head with the butt of his spear.
It wasn't a dull point. Instead, the backward swipe of Oberyn's spear slashed along the side of the Mountain's head. The blood that came out was black and already beginning to coagulate. Along the cut, dark corrosive poisons began to eat away at his cheek.
"SAY IT!" Oberyn yelled.
"You raped her!" He slashed and the Mountain was barely able to block.
"You murdered her!" The spear spun and slashed his arm, but the Mountain was fast enough to switch to the other hand.
"You killed her children!" The Mountain kicked out, but it left him with a gouge above the knee.
The Mountain stumbled, a plethora of poisons and venoms Harry had imbued into the spear ensured that the Mountain would die a horrible death.
It wasn't until the final series of engagements that Harry spoke up, "This is where it gets fun."
Harry focused his will and power as Oberyn screamed at the Mountain. He wanted the huge man to confess to his crimes, to acknowledge Elia as a person from whom he had taken everything. Her life, her children, absolutely everything. A slight hissing sound reverberated throughout the ring, yet no one could identify where it came from, as Harry cast a single spell in Parseltongue, "Crucio."
The Mountain began to scream in pain that he had never felt before.
The Hound turned to Harry with a look of bewilderment, only to see a terrifying grin with glowing green eyes turn to look back at him.
"THIS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE PAIN YOU GAVE HER! ADMIT IT!" The Viper raged as the Mountain writhed in pain. "YOU RAPED HER! YOU MURDERED HER! YOU KILLED HER CHILDREN!" He stabbed the Mountain between his legs, "Wait...are you dying?"
"Ohh, nooo, nooo, nooo you haven't confessed! Say it! Say her name...Elia Martel." He pointed up at Tywin, "Who gave you the order?! Who gave you the order!? Say it! Elia Martel!"
Harry released the Crucio but replaced it with an Imperio. To the rest of the crowd, Harry's Parseltongue voice only seemed to be an effect of the Viper's wrath. But to the Mountain, it was all his subconscious mind could think about as both the lingering pain from the torture, the poison, and the venoms took all of his conscious thoughts away.
Harry forced him to answer the Viper's question. To feel the pain he had in turn delivered to Elia and her children.
The Mountain's voice quietly spoke up, sounding like an injured and scared child, "I raped her...I...murdered her. I killed...her children."
Oberyn looked down at him and nodded, "This is for them."
He flourished his spear and spun around, finishing the fight by placing the tip through the mountain's throat and up into his brain. The Hound watched it happen in slow motion, feeling good if not frustrated at the fact that he wasn't the one to deliver the final blow.
Twin stood with a frown deeper than what usually crossed his face, "The Gods have made their will known. Tyrion Lannister. In the name of King Tommen of the House Baratheon, First of his name...You are hereby cleared of all charges."
Tyrion gasped with relief, the helpless nature of watching the Viper take down the Mountain was enough stress for any man to lose his cool.
~~o0o~~
Shiera woke to the brilliant golden light bouncing through the diamond structure of the Dragon Citadel within the realm that Harry had created. She kicked her covers off, letting a smooth and youthful leg drape languidly off the side of her bed. It was a stark difference from Asshai, where every shadow was elongated and grim. Every corner held a secret, every alleyway a truth. It was a dark and mysterious place where only those with power could thrive, while those without are used till they have nothing left.
She looked around the room she shared with Viserion, which was something that she had requested of Harry. She wanted to have a room fit for a dragon and their rider to live in peace together. It had a huge entranceway, a diamond archway lined with gold that had silver silks hanging from it for privacy. Harry said they were enchanted in such a way that they would never catch on any horn, tooth, or claw, making it a beautiful silken waterfall. Viserion had plenty of room, including a pool to relax in, a huge expanding bowl to sleep in, and a balcony to launch from.
It was a place of light and reflection, rest and recovery. For her space, she had a huge bed of her own, close enough to be near Viserion as he struggled with growing pains, but far enough away that a stray wing wouldn't slap her in her rest. Both dragon and rider had spent a good amount of time recovering from their own struggles, and now that they had succeeded in bonding, they had been growing together.
A dagger of pure shadow flew around her in graceful arcs, twirling through the air to land on her finger where it spun delicately. This dagger could pierce right through her if she desired it to do so. When she trained in the Shadow Binding arts of Asshai, she struggled to stay afloat with all the burdens and bindings on her. Now she could distinctly feel the difference.
The power.
It instantly answered her call. Even without the darkest rituals to create living shadows, Shiera could summon short-lived Shadows to follow her Will. Even her old divination abilities from her time serving the Master of Whispers before he bound her were all available. There was so much more as well, hidden techniques and abilities that were previously unavailable to her due to the power or the difficulty, but now... nothing seemed impossible. And it wasn't just her Shadow magic either.
The third day after the bonding ritual, a flame between the connection between her and Viserion sprouted and grew. Her Shadow magic began to writhe around, not like it was in pain, but rather like it moved like flame. They willed the dagger to change and it did. A black flame sprouted from her finger, the size of an arming sword.
Viserion cracked an eye open at her curiously, golden irises with black ribbons surrounded the fathomless vertical slit. It focused on the flame, then on the face of his bonded rider. Shiera felt the amusement at her flame, yet there was an amount of pride as well. Viserion had changed in the last few days, yet he refused to stop eating and sleeping until he was as large as his siblings. Dragons were nothing if not prideful.
Her thoughts wandered as she smiled at her dragon, something she never thought she would have, or even see. It made her think of the seemingly less impactful times of her youth, frivolities taking away from anything that seemed important. There was nothing more important than her own hedonistic and leisurely lifestyle. Even while working for the Hand of the King, who was at the time the Bloodraven, her Grand Divination and Shadow Conjuring spells never really mattered to her.
But now...she had two young rulers that needed her help. Harry was obscenely powerful, wrathful, and seemingly capable of doing almost anything he could imagine. She looked around the room that he had seemingly created from nothing, only a small part of the realm he had pulled from the world and claimed for himself, and shook her head.
Daenerys on the other hand was compassionate, slightly naive, and yet she wanted to see the best in everyone. She wanted to change the world and Harry was how she could do that, but in all practicality, it seemed like she was only responding to circumstances and not actively making moves.
Shiera's Divination would be welcome amongst them, a perfect fit for Harry's power and Daenerys' passion. She trailed a hand up her exposed leg, now smooth and full of the vitality of youth. Harry wasn't joking when he said the Elixir of Life would make her youthful again, but it was miles beyond anything the methods she had used before. She wanted to laugh, the hundreds of years of blood rituals to imbue the youth within her felt pointless at the power of that Elixir.
Despite how relaxed she felt, there was a purpose that ticked behind her eyes. She wanted to do something to help. Or better yet, she wanted to become a part of this, the third side of the pyramid of this new Dragon Empire. Instead of sitting on the sidelines as she did the last time she was connected to serious power, she wanted to become a full member. She wanted to act with the precision and power Quaithe had, yet she wanted to do it while unbound and unfettered.
But how does she bridge the gap? She has a foot in the door as Viserion's rider, but she would need to do more than just show her power as a mage.
She would need to guide each of them to grow, to push forward, Harry included. The Dragon Empire is in its infancy and while they have an incredible amount of power already at their command, it isn't enough to do everything they have planned. The war with the undead beyond the Wall was just a fraction of the battle that conquering most of the known world implies.
Shiera could even add to their forces by expanding out to the east. As the dragon flies, it would be over the Ghiscari Strait, east beyond Port Yhos, and through the Straight of Qarth. Beyond the Golden Empire of Yi Ti, the peninsula of The Shadow Lands exists, where Asshai by the Shadow lies.
If she returned to Asshai now, she could take control of the city with nothing but the density of shadows under her control. Power is how Asshai is ruled, and there is no other means besides might. And with Harry, there would be no other that could stand in their way. She could take their armies in hand and guide them from Viserion, she could add another 'Legion' as Harry liked to call them, one of shadow and darkness. She could add them to the ranks of the Dragon Empire and push outward with Harry and Daenerys, a force of her own at her back.
In the room beyond hers, an open area large enough for both dragons and their riders to meet, Shiera heard the beating of huge wings as two dragons landed. Viserion looked up curiously and rose to his feet. She did the same and the pair of them walked beyond the flowing silver sheets. Rhaegal and Drogon were landing, Daenerys climbing down from her back.
Viserion let out a low hiss, drawing the attention of his brothers. The smallest dragon still, but he was getting larger as time went on. Rhaegal was now larger than Drogon, and much more than that, thicker. As if his scales were absorbing Harry's magic directly.
Shiera smiled as Daenerys noticed her.
"Shiera, Viserion, how are you both feeling?"
Shiera looked over to her mount and back, "We are both doing very well. But I was hoping to speak to both you and Harry...about the future and my role in it."
Daenerys raised an eyebrow, "What did you have in mind?"
"I just have a few things that I might be able to...help with?"
"I see... Should I contact Harry?"
"Please, if you don't mind."
Daenerys smiled and pulled a small mirror with three dragons surrounding it. Shiera felt the input of magic as it activated, the bloody flames that Daenerys wielded filled the magical artifact and the reflected image shimmered.
A set of blazing green eyes under a dark hood looked through the mirror, "Hello love, how are you doing this fine afternoon?"
The Dragon Queen smiled and Shiera leaned in over her shoulder, "Just Shiera and I, as well as some Dragons you have been neglecting."
"Neglecting? That's a bit harsh! Shiera, how are you feeling?"
"I am well, Harry."
"That's all good then."
"Shiera here was hoping to speak with both of us, you do have the time, don't you? Where are you?"
Harry seemed to look around, "Oh The Hound and I sort of washed up on shore here in Valyria. I was hoping to take a look around...oh there's a crashed ship just there."
"You're in Valyria?"
"Just on the beach...though it is rather nasty out. Oh, by the way, I believe I have Dorne on our side, once things come to a head there in Westeros. Just a bit of work was enough."
"What did you do?" Daenerys asked.
"Well, secured a bit of revenge for the Viper, fixed a bit of gout for the prince...They will bend the knee and fully support us. However, the Viper did seem a bit confused as to how our empire is ruled...but I figure that will work itself out in time. Accio..."
Harry cast a spell and a huge shape flew into his hand from somewhere out of the visible mirror.
"What was that?" Daenerys asked.
"What would you call that, Hound?"
"That's fucking Lannister gold."
"You sure?"
"I've been looking at Lannister gold my whole fucking life."
"Well, there you have it, a beautiful great sword with great potential..." Harry seemed to zone out for a moment.
"Harry?" Shiera's soft voice came through the mirror.
Harry turned to the Hound, whose helmet was closed on account of the toxic fog that rested all over Valyria. The Hound pretended to look away as if he didn't hear the nickname.
"You would like a word with me..."
"I have a proposal."
"Oh? And you got her permission first? I would love to marry both of you, but I can't have Daenerys trying to kill me," Harry said with a smirk.
Shiera's mouth opened in shock, but it was Daenerys whose eyes narrowed, "Careful."
"Oh, I am careful," Harry smirked at them, confidence and power brimming from his luminous gaze. "Anyways, would you lovely ladies like me to stop by?"
"Please do so, only if your ego isn't too large to teleport," Daenerys said.
Harry smirked as a burst of black fire appeared on his shoulder, "That's what I have Shimmer for."
He quickly appeared in the Dragon Citadel along with the Hound, who hadn't seen the place yet. The three dragons were looming over them in excitement to see Harry, yet the Hound took a step back.
"Ah, sorry about that, here," Harry quickly cast a Portus spell on a summoned gold coin. It sent the Hound back to his new quarters within the Meereen Palace.
The Hound disappeared and Harry looked over expectantly.
Shiera nodded and walked over to the lounging area between dragon rooms, so all of them could sit down together. Daenerys took a seat next to Harry and Shiera patiently watched them as she organized her thoughts. Harry leaned over and kissed Daenerys as they waited. She smiled and then returned her gaze to Shiera, who had watched the whole interaction with eyes that vibrated with curiosity.
"Why haven't you married yet?"
"We were waiting until we took all of Dragon's Bay...something I was hoping to do in less than a week or so," Harry said.
Daenerys nodded, "It would be a good starting point for the official Dragon Empire."
"You are really going with this...empire theme?"
"I figured just another kingdom seemed...I don't know... underwhelming? We aren't just a kingdom anymore. We are more than that," Harry said.
Shiera nodded, then looked to Harry, "You really gave her those three obscenely ridiculous gifts to court her?"
Harry laughed, "Obscene? Hardly. I gave her a tome of all my knowledge the library in Peverell manor had on dragons, Maester Aemon as an advisor, and a contract with the Free Folk beyond the Wall that they would form an army for her. It was nothing really."
"Harry...you moved an entire civilization, including giants, to another side of the world all so you could give her another army."
"Well, I had to move them anyways or they would have unwillingly joined the White Walkers, right?"
Shiera shook her head, "Then you gave the Elixir of Life, worthy of fighting a war over... to a Maester!"
"H-he signed a contract... there were non-disclosure agreements within it, and I am pretty sure if he so much as wrote a letter with the intention of it being found that he would be cursed by breaking the contract."
"That isn't the point! You can't just hand over stuff like that. And furthermore...it makes you seem extremely desperate by doing all of that, you know?"
"Desperate? What do you mean? It wasn't that hard to do...it took less than a week to get all that stuff."
Shiera sighed, "What do you think that other people...namely other ruling powers, would think of you if they heard the amount of things you gifted her in order to court her?"
"Hmmm, that my means are on another level and that giving the gifts that I gave was because I am in a different tier of power than them?" Harry asked lamely.
With a shake of her head, Shiera continued, "No, Harry. They would think that you gave everything you had just for a chance to be with her."
"But I didn't. You know I was going to also give her the Golden Company before they betrayed the contract they signed. I had no choice but to keep them directly under my control after that...and now they are actually turning gold. I am pretty sure Death had something to do with that."
He hadn't heard it in a while, but his mother's laugh echoed through his mind. Death was just letting him function on his own for a time it seemed.
"That's even worse. A rich lord buying forces to throw at a chance to marry the Queen of Dragons."
Harry exchanged glances with Daenerys, as it was clear she didn't feel that way.
"I think I should state that some of this is my fault," Daenerys said.
"How so?"
"Well, I sort of implied that I wanted him to prove that he wasn't going to just use me as the Warlocks of Qarth tried to. I was very nervous to even come close to a relationship with someone of magical origin."
"Danny...you and he were frolicking like deer in the Dream for weeks, were you not?" Shiera said.
Daenerys' face turned crimson while Harry looked sheepish.
"I suppose...something like that was happening."
"Was happening? I watched both of you the other day, dancing around through the skies of your pocket realms like you have never been in love before," Shiera scolded.
"I mean...frolicking is a bit harsh," Harry said.
Shiera's heterochromatic eyes pierced him, but she didn't need to say anything as a delicate silver eyebrow rose in skepticism.
"Alright, alright. So I went a bit overboard, but it's nothing compared to the magic I want to bring to this world! I have only just begun with the enchantments, portals, equipment, and more that I have planned. Daenerys said she wants to break the wheel and move forward. Well, I want to advance society and the people in it further as well. I am not going to be just some king that sits his fat ass on the throne of blades for a time before getting assassinated, I am going to help her break the wheel, unite the world, and eliminate the most dangerous of foes."
Shiera nodded then looked to Daenerys.
She nodded as well, "I do wish to break the wheel, free the slaves, and take back what is rightfully mine. I want to create a world where everyone can find their way in life, eliminating corruption and criminality with education and peace."
"I hope you have more than just a couple sentiments to make that happen."
"You know, the last time we met, you spoke so differently that it is surprising to hear you just speak like a normal person," Daenerys said.
"That was because I was casting Divination on you, Daenerys Stormborn. I wanted to help you as best as I could then...even with my powers bound as they were. I wasn't speaking normally, I was reciting what my spell found."
Daenerys nodded, "To go north, you must journey south. To reach the west, you must go east. To go forward you must go back, and to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow. I haven't forgotten it."
Harry tilted his head in thought, "To go north part must refer to some kind of unconventional path to achieve your goals, as you really only traveled North since Qarth...I think."
"I agree on that one," Daenerys said. "I wasn't sure about the next line though...or the one after."
"If I may add some interpretation...I believe the next part would be a nod to recapturing your past. Perhaps something with the Dothraki?" Shiera suggested.
"Something with the Dothraki..." Harry said, deep in thought. "I usually hate divination. I remember hearing a single true bit once, from a seer who had only ever made the two predictions. Both were correct, yet everything else has never been able to read me properly. They just see death."
Shiera inspected him and knew he spoke the truth. She had seen his presence in the Dream and it was one of the most terrifying experiences she had ever taken part of. The army of shadow hounds or whatever he had called them was enough to strike fear in anyone, perhaps even rivaling the shadow binders of Asshai. Though she knew deep down they weren't truly shadows, but entities of Death.
"So, the plan for all of us should be to take down the remaining cities of Slaver's Bay-"
"Bay of Dragons," Daenerys corrected.
"Of course. Do you have plans to take on the remaining cities?"
Harry nodded, "Mantarys, Tolos, and the small island of Elyria. I have plans for how to split our armies, but we can set up a meeting in a few hours to go over that if you want. How is Viserion?"
The three of them looked over at the smallest dragon, who was being fully inspected by both Drogon and Rhaegal. The larger siblings were letting off curious hisses and grumbles as the smallest was preening and stretching under the attention. It seemed he had finally found his pride after so long of not having a rider.
"He's doing fine. I have ridden him once, thank you for the saddle by the way, but I don't feel comfortable taking him into battle just yet."
"That isn't a problem. I also haven't finished Daenerys' armor yet, so I will make sure you both have a set before we take the dragons into battle...though I might get Rhaegal involved."
"I was also going to let you both know, that I believe I have a way to get another army."
Daenerys and Harry exchanged glances and a smile. "I am listening..."
~~o0o~~
"To start things off, I have a few things for all of you," Harry said. He began to pass out amulets to each Commander. It was a stylized emblem of each Legion symbol clutched in the claws of a black dragon.
"This is for you Commander Strickland," Harry sent a float amulet with a golden skull grasped in the claws. The golden-skulled Commander Stickland nodded and rasped a 'thank you.'
"Commander Giantsbane," Another skull, but this one of a bear that was frozen, yet still grasped in black claws.
"Hah! I fucked a bear once."
Harry laughed and shook his head as he continued passing out amulets. "Commander Snow," the image of Ghost, as white as snow, grasped in black dragon claws.
Jon felt uncomfortable looking at the image but knew it was a good example of his situation. He was in the claws of a dragon.
"And finally, Commander Grey Worm," Harry said. The black Unsullied helmet was also grasped in dragon claws as the amulet went over to Grey Worm.
"These are special amulets, not only a symbol of your station but the means to travel to and from this meeting room. The banners behind your chairs are the anchoring spot, so you will take those with you, when Daenerys or myself calls for a meeting, you will have someone hold that flag and you can activate the amulet. Once the meeting is over, you can activate it again and return to the flag, where your army will be. Understood?"
"How do we activate it?" Tormund asked.
"The words 'Portus Palace' to appear here and 'Portus Return' to go back to your army. Write it down if you are worried you will forget. Obviously, they won't work now since I took the time to either Apparate you here or had a messenger let you know. This doesn't mean that the Tome of Legions will not be used anymore."
Tormund commented again, "Wasn't it a journal?"
"What?"
"You called it a Journal of Legions, not a Tome."
"Oof, did I?"
The Commanders sheepishly nodded.
"Let's call it the Tome of Legions from now on...much better sounding," Harry nodded, casting a spell on the Master Copy, changing the title for all of them. Harry flicked his wand again and a map of the Bay of Dragons swirled out of the tip and landed against a wall, where it stuck itself.
"Now, we have three cities remaining, Mantarys, Elyria, and Tolos. I had a preliminary idea of what the surroundings look like, so I had an idea of which of your forces would go where. But before that let me give a quick rundown of each city so you can give your feedback on each one."
Harry continued, having his wand highlight the location of the three cities as he described the features to the best of his ability, "Elyria is the riches of the three cities, an avid trading partner for slaves from the former Wise Master's. They have an exceptional amount of crossbowmen throughout the city. Just like the other two, Elyria is run by a governor, but many of the estates, and there are quite a large number of them, have their own militia forces that work in tandem with the governor's men. I chose the Ghost Legion for this one since I can just drop you somewhere in the city and you lot can go on a rampage. Urban warfare is nothing new to you."
Jon nodded as Harry continued, "Tolos is a city by the sea, on a sort of peninsula with large cliffs surrounding it. There are a series of docks but accessing the city from them is rather difficult, if not impossible. The road is quite slim and would be a foolish place to attack from. They have fairly large walls and just a single gate. I was thinking the flat approach and open expanse of the wall would be a good place to send the Gold Legion, of course, Rhaegal and I will be there to help out with the siege, should you need it."
Commander Strickland nodded at that.
"Good, the final place is the largest with quite the hilly approach. I originally thought coming from the North might be the easiest approach, but it turns out they have been repelling Dothraki invasions for years now, so that wouldn't be as good of a benefit. Instead, the Unsullied will approach and attack from the west, while the Frost Legion will do the same from the east and meet in the middle. Daenerys will be there on Drogon, but she won't be engaging unless she needs to. Any questions?"
There were, in fact, no questions.
"Let's get these fuckers!" Tormund said.
~~o0o~~
Just past midnight, the first portal to open was linked to the Ghost Legion's new headquarters in Astapor. The northern part of the island held what little farmland there was, though it was mostly orchards for wine. The portal was hidden behind a barn and with that, thousands of soldiers from the Ghost Legion began to advance on the city.
Parties could be heard in the distance as cloaked and hooded people began to seek out those in power. Every slave owner would die on this night.
"You have your orders, Commander. Let me know when the job is done or if there is something that requires my help."
Jon and Ygritte nodded to Harry as he condensed the portal back into a palm-sized archway. There would be no leaving the island until it was done.
Harry left and appeared on the road to the northwest of Tolos, the only way by land. A golden arch appeared in front of him and Commander Strickland rode through on a cursed golden horse.
"Come on through," Harry said.
Thousands of troops, cavalry, bowmen, and finally elephants marched through in perfect order. The final addition was about 100 cage-like carts that contained the newest members of the Gold Legion.
The ranks were assembled a good distance from the city as the many prison carts rolled out in front.
"Release the harpies!" Commander Strickland ordered, using his golden Valyrian steel sword to aim at Tolos in the distance. Harry had imbued a control enchantment for the curse that plagued the foolish harpies.
The many cages were opened and hundreds of former Sons of the Harpy were released to the sky. The cursed nobles with their golden wings, masks, and weapons took flight toward the city, making strangely little sound besides the beating of huge wings.
Harry removed the golden arch, "Good luck Commander. Message me if things do not work out."
The final two locations were on either side of Mantarys, the Unsullied to the West and the Frost Legion to the East.
15,000 Unsullied moved out, their dark armor masking them in the night, though the perfectly in-time footsteps sent vibrations hundreds of meters ahead of their advance.
The Frost Legion was making its debut as a formal force for the first time. 5,000 pikeman led the way with 15,000 infantry behind them, split into the 3 regiments of 5,000. Each regiment of infantry had a battalion of 1,000 long bowmen following them. 27 frost eagles took to the air, their sharp eyes surveying the city in the distance through their Warged partners.
30 mammoths pulled mobile catapults and even 5 trebuchets, along with carts of enchanted ammunition. The 3 remaining mammoths were used as mounts for Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg, and his two Captains, now clad in giant-sized armor with steel weapons the size of street poles. The giants had all been trained in siege warfare and were already setting up for the battle within range of the city. They were ready, having practiced the setting up and breaking down of their machines hundreds of times over.
"Commander Giantsbane," Harry drew the attention of Tormund who had finally stopped yelling for a moment as Harry called for him.
"What is it?"
Harry produced a weapon that he had made in his spare time. Tormund walked up to Harry as he pulled something from his moleskin pouch.
A sword, clearly of Valyrian steel was produced, but it was a strange design. "I noticed you had this style of sword, something I would have called a xihpos, or a Spartan-style sword. Well, it's time you got something worthy of your position as Commander. This blade is enchanted so that if you need to take to the battlefield, you will be stronger, faster, and more deadly than your previous abilities."
The sheathed weapon was quickly released from its bindings as Tormund held it in his grasp. The blade glowed in frosty blue as the enchantments activated.
"Just a drop of blood right there and it is bound to you."
Tormund did just that, and in a tone of reverence, "It's beautiful."
"Good, I hope it serves you well. You have a city to take, begin your assault at dawn."
"Aye."
~~o0o~~
"I am sick of these hot nights, like the breeze from the ocean is sucking the cool air away from us."
The other guard snorted, "It's like this every summer, nothing new."
"Still though, why can't the breeze turn the other direction?"
"It's the cliffs, fool. Air is like water, it falls down like it should. Be happy the air moves at all."
The first guard sighed, "I can't wait until it rains again, even being wet all day would beat this heat."
"Bah, the second you are soaked to your nuts you will complain as much as you are now. That is all you are good at."
The two laughed but went silent, staring into the infinite darkness of the desert around them. It was a moonless night and only the distant blood-red meteor could be seen, though its light left nothing else illuminated. The sound of wings began to grow in the distance, though it was fairly quiet.
"What is that?"
"Birds. That is all."
They waited as the sound increased, "How many birds would cause such a ruckus?"
The first guard was staring up into the sky with a confused expression, "You think it's gulls? I have never heard such an amount of them before...can you spot them?"
"No, gulls don't fly in sync like that..."
After a moment the flapping stopped and instead, a strange howling began to ring out from all over the city.
"What is that?"
"Dying gulls?"
"Tsch, you are crazy."
Both were staring at the sky as flickering gold reflected back.
"Now that is something you don't see every day."
From the darkness, a golden face emerged at incredible speed. The guards tried to duck for cover, but there was no helping it. The screaming harpies crushed them into the wall where they stood, knocking them down. The last thing the guards saw was the flashing golden dagger and short sword eliminated them instantly.
All of the city of Tolos, harpies fell onto the guards of the city. By the time dawn came, people were hiding in fear of death from the sky...only to see a golden army outside their gates.
~~o0o~~
The last night for the City State of Elyria was quiet.
A legion of ghosts swept through the city, every guard that wore a collar was released and disarmed, while every slaver killed from the darkness with quick deadly blows. By the time dawn crested the horizon, igniting the city with brilliant golden light, not a single slaver still drew breath.
It was the fastest city to fall out of the three.
~~o0o~~
The alarms rang just before dawn in the city of Mantarys. Guards were rallied and defenses were activated. To the east were 3 battalions of neatly lined up Unsullied. They stood perfectly still and seemingly unconcerned by anything that happened along the wall.
To the west was a field of frosty mist, as if each of the soldiers were generating it just by their presence. It was so cold that the light breeze before dawn pushed up against the walls and shivers ran down the spines of the Mantarys Guard. Deep in the freezing mists, huge stalking figures could be seen setting up strange siege devices. They worked quickly, the speed belying the size of the humanoid creatures. Their mounts looked like smaller hulking elephants that the Golden Company employed.
Without word or warning the distant siege engines released their payloads. Guards looked up in fear as a volley of massive projectiles flew forward. The first set was focused on the gate and as they impacted, the projectiles burst out with waves of frost. The gates themselves, became brittle, while the men guarding it became frozen statues in the face of the projectiles. The second half of the volley hit, shattering any chance that the gate might have had to hold off this advancement.
There was no hope for them, however, as the sun broke the horizon, they heard it.
Three simultaneous roars shook the city. Guards, slavers, soldiers... everyone who lived there looked up in horror. Dragons were there.
~~o0o~~
"I think we should ride together, but Shiera and I will not engage anyone, just like you said," Daenerys said, nodding to Harry.
"Alright, but we have to go now if that's the case, we won't make Mantarys by dawn otherwise," Harry replied.
Shiera looked worried, "That's a long flight..."
"We can make it in about 20 minutes on Dragon back, if we leave in the next 10 we will be there just before dawn," Harry said.
"You aren't worried about Tolos?" Daenerys asked.
"I wouldn't say that, but I would rather help the Unsullied, who has zero siege equipment and the Gold Legion has...well enough I would say. We would be of the most help at Mantarys, I think."
"And the Ghost Legion?" Shiera asked.
Harry chuckled, "Honestly, they will be done first. That island favors the Ghost Legion. They are probably already finished."
The three of them left the scrying room within the Citadel and immediately hopped on their mounts. Rhaegal, Drogon, and Viserion flew towards the portal, appearing above Meereen as they left the Palace. The new guard of the city all looked up, along with the few that were getting an early start to the markets before the sun had risen. They all saw the signature mark of the new Draconic Kingdom as three shadows flew over the city at impossible speeds.
The three of them quickly hit the air above the ocean and the magical speed boost the saddles provided the dragons with enough speed to cross the bay in record times. They flew up into the sky, hundreds of meters above the tallest pyramid in Meereen, and flew along the coast until they hit the Black Cliffs, quickly finding the city on the peninsula.
As they circled over Tolos, it was clear that the siege had already started. There were no guards on the walls, as the threat from Harpies was keeping the men under cover. A huge elephant was pulling down the front gate as the dragons flew over the city, and not long after that, a golden wave of troops charged in.
"A victory for the Gold Legion," Harry yelled into the wind, his voice carrying to the other riders. Daenerys flashed him a devastating smile while Shiera nodded as she looked over the city. The sun just started rising and the reflection of the incoming wave of golden-clad soldiers breaching the city was a beautiful sight.
On they flew, not even bothering to fly over Elyria, they headed northwest to Mantarys finding the city sandwiched between the Unsullied and the Frost Legion. The entire east side of the city was covered in a freezing fog, obscuring the many ranks of the Frost Legion. Projectiles cut their way through the fog in waves, smashing into the large eastern gate. In just three volleys the gates fell and the Frost Legion parted as Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg, the king of the giants, rode forward on a mammoth. Armed and armored as he was, nothing could harm him.
Volleys of freezing arrows impacted the walls all around the broken gates, the Longbowmen pinning down any remaining guards. The armored mammoth Mag Mar rode, wiped lines of guards with it's tusks.
Normal men ran in fear as the giant roared.
Harry smiled and communicated with Rhaegal. The dragon let out its own roar in approval, before diving towards the western end of the city, where the 3 battalions of Unsullied waited patiently. Rhaegal's roar put the guards into a state of pure fear, shocked at the sight of a dragon. Harry landed him just on the inside of the western gate, where Rhaegal released his burning green flames.
The huge ball of deathly green fire was accompanied by a Bombarda, causing the gates to blast outward. Anyone unlucky enough to stand in the way of the flames died in seconds as their souls and flesh burned in tandem. Any guardsman who found the courage to attack the rider of the street-sized dragon found his arrows impacting an invisible shield to no effect.
The Unsullied didn't flinch at the blasting of the gates, despite the fragments of the shattered barriers landing near them. Grey Worm wasted no time and led the first battalion into the city.
Harry took off into the sky again, the sheer speed and force that Rhaegal maintained made people scream in fear.
This would be the first day in history when the embers of the true might of the Dragon Empire touched the world. The Dragon Offensive lasted less than a day, and three large and powerful city states fell. The Free Cities to the west, beyond the Demon Road began to hear of the fall of Mantarys, Tolos, and Elyria.
All three cities had slaves who were freed, and those who deserved death. The Dragon Empire obliged.
On the world turned:
To the East, beyond the Red Waste, the Empire of Yi Ti was stuck in the center of an internal political battle, nearly causing the vast empire to fracture. Rumors of dragons conquering places stirred the different factions into a frenzy.
To the North, the many Dothraki Khalasars met in Vaes Dothrak for trade. Rumors of those who ride dragons began to spread through the horseman tribes.
~~o0o~~
"Are you sure that is wise, my lord? The gods only know what horrors and plagues still thrive within Valyria to this day," Maester Aemon said.
Harry nodded, "I told you I have that Weirwood Tree...it needs a place to be and I am hoping that with a few purification rituals, I can set up the means to clear the ruins of what plagues it."
"You mentioned being on the shores for a brief moment," Shiera prompted.
"I was, and it is clear that the ambient magic is blighted enough that the air is toxic and the ground will allow for nothing to grow. Beyond that, there appears to be some sort of undead within the ruins itself. I could sense that I need to remove whatever taints the realm there."
"You need to?" Daenerys asked.
Harry smirked at her, "I do. There are things that I must do in my role as Master of Death. I can promise you that I must eventually go there. That being said, the longer the Weirwood tree remains outside of this dimension, the harder it will be to plant it again."
Maester Aemon spoke up, "My lord, there is a place in Westeros that might be more fitting than the ruins of Valyria. Tell me, have you ever heard of the God's Eye Lake in Westeros?"
Harry thought about it and Death spoke in his ear, "It is where the Children of the Forest and the First Men signed the treaty to end the fighting between them...and an island filled with Wierwood trees."
"I have heard of it, and that there are a plethora of Weirwood trees there already," Harry said.
Maester Aemon nodded, "Indeed, the island at the center is known as the Isle of Faces because of the many Weirwood trees located there. But there is much lore about the island, only some of which I have read, but more than anything else it is a place where the Old Gods are meant to thrive. A place where the people known as the Green Men are believed to dwell. I don't wish to recommend you travel there due to the inherent dangers, however, it might be less dangerous than the cursed and undead-dwelling ruins of Valyria."
Harry nodded, "I see, though I think that it would be better if I used the tree to help expunge the ruined magics of Valyria. Plus it would only expand the sight of those who are blessed by the Old Gods...which I am pretty sure is just a nature spirit that manifests through the Wierwood trees to some degree."
Maester Aemon nodded, "That is wise, my lord."
Shiera spoke up, "Do you have any rituals that can help excise the corrupted magic? I might have one or two that could work, but none that could use a living tree as the base or power source."
Harry nodded, "We might have to create a new one." He looked to Shiera and Daenerys, "Do you two want to join me? I could use your help and you could use the experience working with rituals."
Daenerys raised an eyebrow, "I could?"
"Half of your magic is attuned to blood. It's crazy not to learn some basics, right Shiera?"
The older woman, despite looking young, laughed, "I would have to agree with Lord Hadrian."
She used the formal and full name almost as a means to mock him, hiding the name 'Harry' to keep for herself.
Shiera leaned over to Daenerys, "You wouldn't want to miss out on the potential of your magic, would you?"
Daenerys rolled her eyes, "Despite all of this, we have much work to do around the Bay of Dragons. Or have both of you forgotten about the cities we have just conquered."
"Of course not," Harry said. "But that doesn't mean learning should be put off either."
Maester Aemon laughed, "I have to agree with Lord Hadrian, Your Grace. While we still need to find governors, the cities are still under martial law and are finding the new normality under the Dragon Empire. It will be some time before they reach a standard of living we have come to expect here in Meereen."
Harry and Shiera nodded, while Daenerys scowled with mock anger. Missendei was standing quietly in the corner, but she even smiled at the next words the Maester had to speak.
Maester Aemon spoke up again, "Another matter to consider, whether or not it's before your trip to Valyria, is the wedding."
Glances were exchanged, a myriad of emotions and nerves along with it. It was time to plan a wedding.