Chapter 502 The Dragon Arrives in Braavos
The white dragon passed through the fog on the sea, and two stars twinkled on the horizon.
But when he got closer, Samwell discovered that those were not stars, but two eyes—
The eyes of the Titans.
Seeing it means that Braavos has arrived.
The fog receded in front of us, and a row of rocky ridges suddenly rose from the sea. The steep slopes were covered with gray trees, and there was a gap in the middle of this sea mountain range, where the Titans were standing.
It is made of countless black granite piles, with its legs on both sides of the mountains, its broad shoulders looming over the rugged peaks, its floating hair made of hemp rope dyed green, and its eyes like two caves with fires burning inside.
One of its hands rested on the left ridge, holding a huge rock with its bronze fingers. The other hand reached toward the sky, grasping the hilt of a broken sword.
The Titans are not only listed as the nine man-made wonders of the world along with the Great Wall and Towering Tower, but are also the first line of defense in Braavos.
Ships entering Braavos must pass under the giant's crotch. There, they will face countless densely packed arrow holes on the inner thighs of the giant.
But if the enemy comes from heaven...
Woooooo—
The sharp sound of the horn was like the roar of a Titan, instantly drowning out the sound of the waves crashing against the mountains and spreading throughout the city.
Thousands of seabirds jumped into the air, flapping their wings to escape from the dragon.
"dragon!"
“The dragon is coming!”
The harbor suddenly became a mess, with countless oars flying up and down, and countless pedestrians running wildly on the shore.
Braavos is known as the "bastard daughter of Valyria". It is a city-state founded by slaves who escaped from the Valyrian Empire. For them, the dragon is a symbol of oppression and terror.
Even though the Valyrian Empire was destroyed in the Doomsday Catastrophe four hundred years ago, this fear engraved in the blood has not faded over time.
Especially when such a huge white dragon suddenly appeared in the sky over Braavos, it immediately caused massive panic.
The roar of the dragon penetrated the clouds and spread throughout the city, waking the entire city from its sleep.
The pine forest ridge was gradually left behind, and Samwell rode the white dragon to the sky above a large lagoon. A huge reef protruded from the water, like a fist covered with spikes, and the rock crenels at the top were densely covered with hurled stones. Machines and ballistae.
A group of soldiers rushed to set up defense after hearing the horn siren, but when they saw the intruder in the sky, they were all dumbfounded.
After the capture of King's Landing, Samwell obtained the dragon's skull hidden in the secret passage of the Red Keep as he wished, and continued to use it to make soup to feed Cleopatra.
So, the current white dragon's body length has exceeded one hundred meters, and its wings are spread over three hundred meters. Even if it is not as good as the "Black Death" Balerion in its heyday, it is probably not far behind.
Such a terrifying behemoth is no longer something that mortal weapons can deal with. When he was fighting against the Northern Alliance forces summoned by Lannister, Samwell still needed to be careful of those giant ballistae, but now, the most powerful giant crossbow In front of Bailong, he was just like a toothpick.
That’s why he dared to ride Cleopatra to Braavos unscrupulously.
With his current strength and a white dragon of this size, it is impossible for a mortal army to be his opponent.
If it is true that the Braavossi stole the dragon egg, Samwell will let them know what the true wrath of the dragon is.
The wind whistled in my ears, and the city gradually became clear before my eyes.
The temples, towers, and palaces all lit up with fire, as if to welcome this uninvited guest from afar.
Braavos is not an island, but a collection of countless small islands, connected by stone arch bridges across the water.
Gray stone houses line the streets. The houses are built very close together and lean on each other. They look weird and thin, and their steep roofs covered with tiles look like pointed hats.
There are no thatched houses or wooden houses here, they are all made of stone.
Braavos is a stone city, a stone city in the green ocean.
The white dragon swooped down and headed towards the most magnificent Neptune Palace.
Huge wings whip up violent hot winds, spreading panic and fear along the way.
Boom!
The white dragon landed on the square in front of the Neptune Palace, and the huge movement made the whole city seem to have experienced an earthquake.
The heavily armed soldiers looked at such a giant beast and did not dare to step forward. They huddled in the shadow of the corner, praying that the other party could not see them.
Samwell jumped down from the dragon's back, straightened his clothes that were blown by the wind, and said:
“Tell Ferrego Antareon that Caesar has come to visit.”
This gentle and courteous gesture made the guards who were facing a powerful enemy bewildered for a while, but soon they came to their senses and hurriedly sent someone to notify Neptune.
Soon, someone came out of the temple.
Still an acquaintance.
“Your Majesty, Caesar, welcome to Braavos.”
"Sir Naho." Samwell smiled and looked at the Iron Bank envoy with whom he had met several times before, "We meet again. However, I remember that you once represented the Iron Bank. What's wrong? Changed the family and joined Neptune?"
"Your Majesty, you are joking. I still serve the Iron Bank, but equally, I also serve the Sea King. His Majesty Ferrego is seriously ill and cannot come to greet him in person. Please forgive me."
Samwell looked at the other person a few times and asked pointedly:
“Can Ferrego still see me?”
When Tywin Lannister used the gold mining rights of Casterly Rock to buy the Iron Bank, these guys fell out with Samwell and even sent a fleet to participate in the Battle of King's Landing. Of course he will not forget this.
Furthermore, Samwell also remembered that the current Sea King Ferrego Antalion was actually opposed to intervening in the war in Westeros, and he was on the opposite side of the Iron Bank.
So these guys pushed Tormo Freiga to the forefront, united with most of the nobles in Braavos, and intended to replace the current Sea King.
Although this plan naturally went bankrupt with the destruction of the Braavos fleet in Blackwater Bay, Samwell didn't think that the Iron Bank immediately woke up and turned his enemies into friends.
When Bruce, the son of the Sea King, came to King's Landing, he was so eager to marry into the Caesar family. In fact, he was worried that the Antalion family alone would not be able to compete with the Iron Bank and other forces.
So when Samwell saw Naho walking out of the Sea King's Palace, he wondered whether the current Sea King had been placed under house arrest by the Iron Bank.
"Of course." Nahor said, "As Braavos' most cherished friend, we will do our best to arrange for anyone you want to see."
Samwell raised his eyebrows in surprise and said:
“Okay, let’s make arrangements. I have some questions that I want to ask Neptune in person.”
“Your Majesty, please.” Naho stretched out his hand gracefully in an inviting gesture.
Samwell patted the white dragon's belly and motioned for it to stay in the square, and he followed Naho towards the Neptune Palace.
The avenue paved with bluestone leads directly to the palace gate, with more than ten tall and burly stone statues lined up on both sides.
They have solemn expressions and are dressed in brass robes. Some stone statues hold books, some hold daggers, some hold hammers, and some hold up a star made of gold...
“Are these the gods of Braavos?” Samwell asked casually.
“No, they are the former sea kings.” Nahor explained, “As for the gods of Braavos, they are all on the Island of the Gods, which is six bridges east from here.”
The hall was filled with soldiers wearing brass armor, who were bright and burly, but Samwell could detect fear from their flashing eyes.
A group of bodyguards with no appearance.
Samwell was not surprised by this.
Braavos has been at peace for a long time, and the army, at least the army, will inevitably be lax in its armaments.
The Norvos Mountains blocked enemies on land, and the powerful navy prevented anyone from invading Braavos from the sea, at least until the Battle of Blackwater Bay.
War tempers steel warriors, but peace only breeds waste.
Beyond the guards, the two continued forward, passing through the courtyard and the winding corridors. The air was filled with the smell of strange spices, and there were vague whispers around them, and of course, there were looking eyes mixed with fear.
Naho pushed open a double oak door and said:
“Your Majesty Caesar, His Majesty the Sea King is waiting for you here.”
Samwell entered the door and immediately smelled a strong smell of herbs.
The dim candlelight illuminated the room. The Mir carpet underfoot, the oil paintings and brocades on the walls, and the exquisite and complicated wooden furniture all exuded an aura of nobility.
Beside the wall of the fireplace, there was a large bed, with a pale old man lying on the bed.
His skin is loose and loose, as if all the muscles in his body are melted into the bones. His hair is white and sparse. Although he is neatly groomed, he still looks old.
“Your Majesty the Sea King.” Naho stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty Caesar from King’s Landing is here to see you.”
"Caesar..." Neptune's cloudy eyes were completely unfocused, and he moved his toothless mouth, speaking incoherently and nonsensically.
“Oh, my head hurts so much… countless crabs are inside… pinching and pinching, day and night… Bruce…”
“Your son Bruce has gone to King’s Landing.” Nahor reminded.
Poseidon didn’t know whether he heard it or not, so he continued to talk:
“Ah…the crab’s claws are so sharp…they’re going to kill me…Bruce, Bruce…give me some wine and let me sleep…sleep…”
At this time, the servant who had been serving beside the bed came forward and gave Neptune something to drink.
He seemed to be getting better, with a relaxed look on his face, but his eyes became more and more distracted, and his words became weak babbles:
“…Bruce…Crab…gone…”
Naho turned back and spread his hands towards Samwell and said:
"Your Majesty Caesar, you have also seen that His Majesty Neptune is like this now. I am afraid it is difficult to answer your question. So, if there is anything, why don't you talk to me. I have also heard about what happened in King's Landing, But I can use the credibility of the Iron Bank to assure you that the theft of the dragon eggs has nothing to do with us."
Samwell now finally understood why the Iron Bank did not put Neptune under house arrest, but even agreed to see him.
This old man can't make any decisions except in the name of being a sea king.
He originally thought that the Antalion family was simply unable to compete with the hostile forces, but now, Samwell felt that the Sea King's control over Braavos was probably close to zero.
Thinking about it this way, Bruce's behavior of going to King's Landing to request a marriage seems quite suspicious.
As for the assurance that the Iron Bank messenger had just made, Samwell naturally did not believe a word of it.
"Sir Nahor," Samwell said, "Can you give me a moment? I want to talk to Sea King alone."
Naho raised his eyebrows, as if he wanted to ask what there was to talk about with an old man who was already demented.
But he couldn’t refuse directly, so he nodded and said:
"Okay, Your Majesty, I'll wait for you outside the door."
Speaking, he exited the room.
Samwell took a few steps forward and came to the bed, where he heard Neptune mumbling nonsense words like "crab".
However, his eyes only glanced quickly at Neptune's face, and instead stayed on the servant who served Neptune.
This is an older, middle-aged man, with a bloated body and a face covered with beards.
“What’s your name?” Samwell asked.
“Your Majesty, my name is Logan.” The servant said hoarsely.
"Really?" Samwell smiled meaningfully, "Why do I think you should be called by another name?"
"what name?"
“Eight-clawed spider, Varys.”
The room was quiet for a moment, and then Varys's signature sweet voice sounded:
“Your Majesty, nothing can be hidden from your eyes.”
Samwell said:
“Bruce Antalion managed to hide it from me, and to this day I still don’t understand how he did it.”
Wallis said:
"The Faceless One's disguise is much better than my little tricks. It's not surprising that he can hide it from you."
Samwell shook his head:
"No. The faceless man's disguise relies on witchcraft, and I can see through it at a glance. On the contrary, it took me a lot of effort to see through your disguise."
Varys touched the beard that he had glued on and said:
"Anyway, Your Majesty, I do admire your vision. However, I really can't help you with the theft of the dragon egg. My little birds are all handed over to you. Now he is just a poor old thing, hiding in Die alone in a place where no one knows you.”
Samwell chuckled and said:
"If you really wanted to find a place to die alone, would you hide in the Neptune Palace?"
"Hey, actually this is because I have known His Majesty Ferrego for a long time, and now I heard that he is seriously ill, so I came here to see my old friend for the last time. Really, Your Majesty, if you don't come, I'm afraid that in a few days It will slip away quietly.”
Samwell smiled noncommittally and said:
“Varys, do you know? I’ve always been curious about something.”
“Your Majesty, please speak.”
“How on earth did Bruce Antalion, or whoever it was, escape being hunted by the city after stealing the dragon egg.”
"I still think it was the faceless ones." Varys said, "They are simply the most terrifying masters of disguise, able to hide from any eyes."
“But what if you’re blind,” said Samwell.
"Blind? Your Majesty, I... don't quite understand what you mean."
Samwell leaned forward slightly and said in a pressing tone:
"I mean, if those little birds you left for me, those eyes all over King's Landing, if they were blind, or deliberately pretended to be blind, would they be able to let Bruce Antalion secretly take away the dragon eggs? "
(End of this chapter)