House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Chapter 139: Chapter 138 – Revenge (III)

Harrenhal.

Gael watched the witch being chained in the completely dark room of black stones. One of the most terrible tortures Maekar had described was the complete absence of light. The human mind simply wasn’t made to be in a completely dark environment.

The princess wanted to use water torture or even place a hungry rat with a bucket on the woman’s belly, but she resisted the impulse since it might drive the woman mad faster than she wanted. After all, she had an entire lifetime of torture ahead of her.

To prevent the witch from committing suicide, Gael specified that her hands and legs should remain completely immobile, including her head itself. She didn’t want the witch to smash her head against the wall, committing suicide.

Remembering something, Gael looked at the guards before her and spoke in a cold tone. “Also, tie a cloth around her mouth. That will keep her from biting her tongue and drowning in her own blood.”

The guards exchanged glances and saw the shock in each other’s eyes. They had never seen the elegant, noble, sweet, and kind Gael speak in such a cold and indifferent tone. It was almost as if they were two different women.

“Jayne, tomorrow I’ll check whether you’re still this arrogant.” Gael said, looking into the forest witch’s green eyes. “You’re going to love going hungry and thirsty and being in complete absence of light. I hope you enjoy it.”

Jayne trembled. She realized she perhaps should have committed suicide when she was captured. Falling into the hands of the woman she had cursed was a punishment she hadn’t wanted to think about.

“I had no choice; they would have killed me.” Jayne tried to speak again, but before she could continue, the soldiers stuffed a cloth into her mouth and then tied a kerchief around her mouth, keeping the cloth balled up inside from coming out.

“You were afraid, but you were more afraid of him than of me.” Gael showed no kindness in her words. “Still, I’m going to show you that you should be more afraid of me than of that filthy bastard in his glorified church.”

Jeyne wanted to say something, but since she couldn’t speak, she just tried to break free violently. The chains rattled, making sounds of clashing metal.

Gael didn’t care and coldly closed the door, leaving the room completely dark and without any source of light. Absolute darkness settled around Jeyne; she still tried to free herself from the chains, but it was obviously impossible.

Looking at the guards, Gael turned to them and spoke in a calm tone. “Food is only to be given to the prisoner every three days and water every day and a half.”

Before her gaze, the guards nodded. They didn’t even dare breathe a little louder, so as not to draw the princess’s attention. They had just witnessed her coldness and wanted no part of suffering the same fate.

Gael left without looking back. She wanted to wait for Maekar before truly beginning to physically torture this cursed witch. Only then could a little of her anger be soothed.

–

Braavosian Coastland.

Bahamut could be seen on the white sands of the beach; there was a half-eaten carcass of an enormous shark beside the dragon.

Maekar stood next to the dragon eating shark meat with a calm expression. The meat had a very mild, light, neutral flavor, reminiscent of other white fleshed fish, and a firm, meaty, tender texture, without bones.

Honestly, it wasn’t the tastiest thing Maekar had ever eaten, though he felt that was because it was missing some spices. The prince took another bite of the shark meat and looked at Bahamut. Seeing the dragon no longer wanting to eat, he knew his companion in arms was full and ready for battle.

Letting out a sigh, Maekar finished eating and stood up. He stretched and looked at the sun setting on the sea’s horizon. He was near Braavos and the Axe of Andalos. A good spot to set off toward the Titan.

As the sun set on the horizon, Maekar enjoyed the sea breeze, a moment of calm before an important battle. He liked the sea; the view of the sea from the Red Keep was beautiful. The only shame was that the city itself wasn’t beautiful enough.

Behind him, Bahamut rose from the sand and shook his enormous body, dropping a great amount of sand from it. The dragon lay down again and brought his neck alongside his rider. Clearly, asking him to mount.

Maekar couldn’t help but laugh and put on his gloves. He gripped the chains holding the saddle and quickly climbed up, settling comfortably into the padded leather seat.

Looking at the saddle, Maekar thought about placing steel plates around it, forming a cabin to keep the rider safe from enemy dragonfire or even arrows, but he soon abandoned the idea. It wasn’t that it was impossible, but being trapped in a small cabin atop a dragon didn’t seem like a good idea.

What if the dragon fell into the sea or to the ground? There wouldn’t even be time to notice what had happened, not to mention he wouldn’t be able to see anything as clearly as before. So the idea was tossed aside by Maekar. In the end, holding a shield seemed more fitting.

“Soves.” Maekar gave the command.

The dragon began to run and took flight with powerful wingbeats, sending the sand of the beach flying in every direction.

In the air, feeling the dragon restless beneath him, Maekar spoke in a soft tone. “Lykiri, Bahamut, Lykiri.”

Bahamut let out a guttural sound, and the dragon’s flight grew smoother; he glided through the air with a grace worthy of a swan.

Night had fallen. The temperature was cold, as was typical for most of Essos. Hot during the day and cold during the night.

Unfortunately, the color of Bahamut’s scales wasn’t suited for flying at night. If anyone paid attention, they would see a platinum trail across the sky, especially when the moonlight struck the scales, reflecting a golden glow around them.

Still, Maekar didn’t expect Bahamut to go unnoticed; after all, he was a gigantic dragon the size of a small hill.

After a while, a gigantic colossus appeared before Maekar. The only reason he could see the gigantic titan was because the titan’s eyes burned with flame.

Braavos stretches across a hundred islands in a vast lagoon known as the Great Lagoon, located where the Shivering Sea and the Narrow Sea meet.

The nearby mainland is mostly swampy, while the sides of Braavos facing the sea are protected by tall, mountainous islands that form a semicircle around the city, like the Shield of Sellagoro.

Honestly, any army would feel hopeless before a city so difficult to capture or destroy. There were problems upon problems for an army just to reach Braavos, at least.

Of course, there was the option by sea, but that one required courage to face. The entrance to the Great Lagoon was the Titan of Braavos. A massive statue of granite and bronze shaped like a warrior. It serves as both fortress and lighthouse, guarding the entrance to the lagoon.

The Titan’s feet rest on two separate islands, including the Shield of Sellagoro, and each foot is set upon a mountain of black granite.

The legs and lower torso of the statue, also of granite, were originally a natural stone arch. The Titan’s hips are wrapped in an armored skirt of greenish bronze, and arrow slits dot the inner part of the statue’s thighs.

There are murder holes beneath the armored skirt, with soldiers stationed inside, protected by iron bars. The lookouts can hurl stones and pots of flaming pitch onto the decks of enemy ships.

Above the waist, the bronze colossus is filled with halls and chambers, its breastplate pierced with more arrow slits. One hand rests atop a ridge, its fingers wrapped around the stone. The other hand is raised in the air, gripping the hilt of a broken sword. Seabirds nest in the statue’s arms and shoulders.

The Titan’s head, rising four hundred feet above sea level, is adorned with a bronze half-helmet and has hemp rope dyed green as its long hair. In its eyes burn great bonfires, lighting the way into the lagoon for returning ships. The lookouts within the statue can lure enemy ships onto the nearby rocks.

To enter, one would have to pass beneath the Titan, where there were so many siege weapons that they would make any conqueror’s legs tremble.

It was no wonder Braavos had become one of the world’s foremost cities.

Bahamut looked at the giant’s statue with a look of contempt and advanced through the air with arrogance, crossing the natural wall of stones and entering the Great Lagoon.

Suddenly, a roar sounded from the giant, making Maekar look back with a calm gaze. The Braavosi were more alert than expected. He had expected looser defenses because of the victory at White Harbor, but it seemed there was discipline among the soldiers of Braavos.

——–

Read my other books:

House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos

Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.

Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard