The Chronicles of Valyria,
Book 1 Resurrection
Chapter 33
As the Cinnamon Wind pulled in to Astapor's harbor, Valaya paced around on the deck. She had the same 23 sisters with her as on the previous trip on the ship, and every single one of them was anxious about what would happen. They were a day ahead of the Armada, which had been very carefully arranged.
The first to arrive would be the warships of House Valaris themselves carrying most of the Forlorn, followed by the galleys carrying the gold from the Iron Bank.
Next were the warships they had taken at Tyrosh, now equipped with new sails and manned by the men of Harry and Tatters. These would land ten miles to the north, to close off the road to Yunkai and make sure no news reached the Yellow City.
The ships of Braavos came next, they would land to the south, and carried the Dornish and what little cavalry they had. The cavalry would land first and ride far around the city until they reached the Worm River to the east. There they would blockade the river and make sure no one would be leaving that way.
The slow, but large, transport ships were divided in four squadrons, each being accompanied by one of the four squadrons of warships.
It would be the job of Valaya to inform Argyll of any last-minute plans and make sure that he and his men stood ready to do their part during the 'sale' of the Unsullied. Also, carried in the hull of the Cinnamon Wind were 200 sets of Valyrian Steel full heavy armor, and assortment of shields, swords, axes and halberds.
When the Cinnamon Wind was docked, they were already awaited by Argyll and his guards. "Good afternoon, My Lord," Valaya said with a small bow before handing him a sealed letter. Argyll accepted the letter and broke the seals before starting to read.
Hello Argyll,
At the moment you are reading this, we are half a day away from Astapor. We will arrive at dawn the next morning, and we expect you to make all the arrangements on your part. Valaya can give you a full overview of the plans so make sure you listen carefully to her.
As for your request, it is granted, you have permission to go ahead with your plans. Just make sure to not advertise it until we have arrived.
Be careful and stay safe, we will see you soon.
A & G
"Okay…," he mused softly to himself, "So tomorrow it is then." Turning to Valaya he nodded and said, "Everything is prepared, and I expect no problems between today and tomorrow. I shall inform the Good Masters that the Ladies will arrive tomorrow at dawn and leave the rest of the preparations to them."
"Yes My Lord," Valaya replied with a small nod, "Have you any orders for us?"
"Yes," Argyll immediately replied, "I would like you to come with me and tell me everything I need to know about tomorrow. Your sisters are free to do as they wish, though I would prefer they stayed on the ship for now."
"Yes My Lord," Valaya nodded again before following him towards his own ships.
XXX
The next morning Argyll, woke two hours before dawn to make all the last-minute preparations. First thing was having his soldiers dressed in their new armor, a job which took nearly an hour. The last thing he did was waking Missandei and have her bring her dress to his cabin. Once there he gave her a new dress, one that he had asked Valaya to arrange when she had left the last time. It was made of fine black linen, carried Argyll's personal sigil on it, and consisted of two layers of cloth around a mail hauberk. He had gotten the idea when he heard about the dress a friend of the twins had worn.
"I want you to wear this today, so that no matter what happens, I will know you will not be so vulnerable. I want you to carry the knife I gave you beneath the dress and under no circumstance are you to leave the company of your guards. I may not always be around, but your guards will ensure your safety."
She surprised him by hugging him tightly and saying softly, "Thank you Argyll."
He gentle stroked the girls' hair and said, "It's okay Missy," using the nickname he had given her, "I want you to be safe, and if the Old Gods are with us, then by night fall you will be. Now get dressed and meet me on deck for breakfast."
Missandei quickly nodded and grabbing the dress from the bed, she rushed towards her own room while two newly-armored Forlorn came into the cabin to help Argyll with getting dressed in his own new set of armor. To his utter befuddlement, Kharbo had pulled off a miracle. Using a method Argyll knew not, Kharbo had made him a set of armor of Valyrian Steel, not unlike the sets now worn by his soldiers, though much more elaborate and better made.
The first layer was padded linen, followed by a full-body suit of mail, dark blue in color. The armor itself consisted of a pile of loose plates that were put together to form a fully covering suit of highly decorated and blackened steel. The overarching theme of the armor was divided between flowing waves and dragon motifs. The shoulder plates where dragon skulls, as where the knees and helmet. The breastplate, greaves and vambraces where engraved with patterns of scales which flowed with a wave-line motif, as was the rest of the armor.
His sword was hung on his waist, a longsword, of blued Valyrian Steel with elegant waves serving as the cross-guard, a theme that was carried on in the two daggers he carried on his back. A blue cape trimmed with gold covered the whole armor. Lastly came the shield, a round shield made of ironwood and covered by a thin layer of Valyrian Steel and engraved with Argyll's personal sigil. Attached to the shield was a belt of black leather that could be used to carry the shield across his back.
Once he was fully suited up, Argyll picked up the dragon-shaped helmet and carrying it under his arm, climbed up to the deck where he found Missandei waiting for him at their already decked table. Surprisingly Valaya had joined them, also wearing her full armor with the bow and glaive holder standing next to her chair.
"Good morning My Lord," Valaya greeted him before inspecting his armor with a studious look which soon turned to confusion. "Where did you get that armor? That looks like Valyrian Steel."
"It is actually," he replied while sitting down and accepting the piece of bread Missandei handed him. "I hired a Qohoric blacksmith, who lives in the city here, to make me a new set of armor. This is what he came up with. I was as surprised as you are when he told me it was made of Valyrian Steel."
"If I were you My Lord, I would send a squad of Forlorn to this blacksmith's house to protect him and make sure he does not leave the city. I am very certain that the Ladies will want to speak to a man who can make Valyrian Steel."
"That is a good idea," Argyll mused between two bites of buttered bread. Snapping his fingers, he summoned a Forlorn and told the soldier, "Bring me my writing set." The Forlorn bowed and marched away immediately to fulfill his order. A minute later the soldier reappeared and handed Argyll the box.
Pulling out a piece of parchment, inkpot and quill, he quickly wrote a letter to Kharbo making up an excuse to explain the presence of the soldiers he sent him and requesting him to come to his ship as soon as possible.
Once done he rolled up the letter and tied it with a leather string before handing it to the Forlorn with the words, "Take ten men and go to the Blacksmith Kharbo Mott, hand him this letter and stay with him until you hear from me. If he decides to come here, escort him safely, if he wants to stay at his home, stay there and guard him. Under no circumstance is he to be harmed, or to be allowed to leave the city."
"Yes My Lord." The Forlorn bowed before marching off the ship with ten of his comrades in tow.
Argyll put the writing supplies back in the box and handed it to a different Forlorn who brought it back to his cabin. Looking up to the horizon, he saw the sky already starting to redden with the rising sun. "It won't be long now," he muttered to no one in particular.
And indeed it was not, three quarters of an hour later, exactly as the sun appeared over the horizon in the east, the first sails became visible in the west. Over the next hour, more and more sails kept appearing until the horizon was a mass of hundreds of sails, all coming towards them.
Half an hour after Argyll had sent off the Forlorn, they returned with Kharbo in tow who was a bit disgruntled by having to leave his workshop but was quickly placated when Argyll told him that it was for his own safety as the city would be under new management by nightfall. He did not seem that surprised by the news though, more calculating as he studied the mass of ships on the horizon.
XXX
By the time the first ships were sailing into the harbor, a crowd of thousands had gathered to witness their long-awaited arrival. The Good Masters where nowhere to be seen of course, as they would await the Ladies' arrival at the palace, where the sale would be sealed. The Plaza of Pride had been entirely cleared the day before and the Good Masters where, at that very moment, marching all of their Unsullied onto the Plaza to have them stand at attention when their honored guests arrived.
By the time the Chain Breaker, the Emerald, and the Sapphire reached the docks, they were awaited by Argyll and Valaya, both of which were surrounded by their respective guards who had cleared the docks to such an extent that the new arrivals would have the room they need to disembark. Missandei stood obediently in Argyll's shadow with her own guards intermingled with Argyll's.
As soon as the gangplank was lowered, an excited hush went through the crowd. The first to disembark where two Forlorn carrying large standards, who halted at the bottom of the gangplank and stumped their standards with the butt on the wooden dock with a loud THUMP.
Next to appear where ten Amazons, who in turn were followed by Aurora and Gabrielle themselves. As they appeared, fully decked out in their armor, a silence fell over the harbor. One that became even more pronounced when Ivan and Francine where the next to appear. Following them again where a dozen Forlorn officers and finally another two dozen Amazons completed the group. The Emerald and the Sapphire in turn unloaded another 160 Forlorn, who fell in line as the main group left the docks.
At the entrance of the harbor, a small portion of Argyll's guards where waiting with the saddled horses Valaya had left behind, in addition to Argyll's own destrier. The entire group of officers mounted up, with Argyll on his own horse and Ivan using the carriage, as no horse could ever carry his weight. Missandei took the job of managing the two palfreys and kept them walking perfectly in line behind Aurora, Gabrielle and Argyll. Francine followed behind the carriage with Valaya and another Amazon flanking her. The mounted group was completed by the dozen Forlorn Officers riding behind Francine.
The standard bearers went ahead of the column and after the mounted group, came a line of dozens upon dozens of wagons, each piled high with bolted and ironbound chests. The entire line of wagons was flanked by a double line of Forlorn from beginning to end. It took about two hours before the entire column was set out, which was rather quick when you figured that no less than thirteen galleys had to be unloaded, three with gold and ten with Forlorn to guard them.
When everything was ready the group marched off towards the Plaza of Pride, leaving virtually no one behind in the harbor, as was the plan. As soon as the last stragglers had disappeared, Amazons climbed the walls to silently neutralize what few sentries remained. When the walls were taken, every galley that was unloaded left the harbor, only to be replaced by new ones which began unloading masses of Forlorn, which hurried to neutralize the non-Valyrian ships that were present in the harbor.
As the column came closer and closer to the Plaza, the streets were lined with more and more people, mainly slaves and free men, as the nobles were all waiting for them with the Good Masters. The trip went slow, and it took nearly half an hour before they reached the gate to the Plaza.
The gates where opened by four young nobles in splendid armors of hammered bronze, and when they rode through, they saw dozens more like them standing guard around the terrace where the Good Masters and the Nobles were waiting for them. A few hundred more stood around the Plaza, mostly for show apparently as their number paled in comparison to the army standing at attention in the Plaza.
22,500 Unsullied, each and every one of them equipped with identical weapons and armor, exactly as Argyll had ordered them those many weeks ago. Standing in companies of ten by ten, not a single one of them moved a muscle, all standing in the burning sun with nothing to show for it, not even a drop of sweat could be seen.
Looking to her left Aurora muttered beneath her helmet, "They sure do look impressive Argyll, you did well. Once the day is done, they are yours to command as I promised."
"Thank you My Lady," Argyll muttered softly in gratitude, knowing she could hear him none the less. Aurora nodded once before refocusing on the terrace they were approaching. When they arrived, they all dismounted while Ivan stepped out of the carriage and boy did that nearly give some of the masters a stroke.
Removing her helmet, Aurora walked forward while Gabrielle and Argyll flanked her. Francine, Ivan, and the Forlorn officers followed them up to the terrace, all removing their helmets as well. The Forlorn had been specifically selected to not have any distinctive facial features, so no one was likely to guess the region they originated from.
When they stood before the Good Masters, with Kraznys and Grazdan in the middle, Aurora made a short nod in greeting and motioned Missandei forward, keeping up the appearance that she could not speak Valyrian, though she spoke it fluently in all its accents.
Kraznys, Grazdan and the others all made a deep bow for her and Kraznys said, "Welcome to our Great City, we hope your travels here have been calm.
"Greetings gentlemen, my name is Aurora, and yes, our travels have been calm, we were blessed with calm seas on our journey. But I have come to pay you for the army you assembled for me and I must say that I am most impressed with what you have accomplished."
"That is very good to hear, we are glad that you are happy with our part. But about your part…" Grazdan began only to be interrupted by Aurora's raised hand.
"I am a woman of my word, and you implying that I am not is… disturbing. But do not fear," She motioned towards the long row of carts that had continued to roll onto the Plaza behind them. The Forlorn that accompanied the carts were now forming up in orderly ranks, ten companies of each ten deep and fifteen wide.
When the last of the 68 carts had came to a stop, Aurora snapped her fingers and ten Forlorn stepped forward, each pair picking a large chest from a cart and bringing it up to the terrace. Placing them between the Good Masters and the Valyrians, they turned them with the openings towards the Good Masters and unlocked the bolts keeping them closed. As the chests where opened upon a second snap of Aurora's fingers, she spoke again,
"Each chest holds ten-thousand gold pieces, we have one-thousand three-hundred and fifty-five chests for the agreed upon total of thirteen-million three-hundred-and-fifty-five-thousand gold pieces."
The sparkle of gold coins was so entrancing to the Good Masters that they all failed to see the small key stamped into each coin, the symbol of the Iron Bank of Braavos. Kraznys and Grazdan stepped forward past the chests, not managing to avoid looking at them greedily in passing, and stepped up to a raised platform with Aurora next to them.
Holding up a nine tailed whip with a handle of black dragonbone and golden decorations Kraznys proclaimed loudly for all the Unsullied to hear, "UNSULLIED, BEHOLD THE HARPY'S FINGERS, FROM NOW ON YOU BELONG TO HER." And with that he handed the whip to Aurora who accepted it with a stoic face before turning towards the army.
Looking down at the whip in her hands, she studied the carved dragonbone handle before looking up again. As she was facing the legions standing at attention, neither Kraznys nor Grazdan saw the black flames starting to leak from her eyes. The Valyrians before the platform did though, and all knew what this meant and slowly reached for their weapons, it would not be long now.
Gripping the whip in her right hand, she squeezed it so hard she could hear the dragonbone cracking. Slowly and deliberately she raised the whip into the air until her arm was stretched and she roared in Bastard Valyrian, "UNSULLIED, FORWARDS MARCH."
The entire army marched forward, in perfect synchronism until she roared, "HALT." She glared back once at the Good Masters, who had lost all interest in what she was doing and were now eagerly digging through the chests of gold, before turning to the army and nodding at Gabrielle, Francine and Ivan.
"UNSULLIED, STAND YOUR GROUND." This did get the attention of the Good Masters, but it was already too late. This had been the pre-arranged order and all around the Plaza, the Forlorn flew into action. They threw themselves at the 'show soldiers', cutting them down where they stood or running them through from behind when they ran.
The Masters on the Plaza looked on in horror as they saw their sons being slaughtered like pigs until their eyes came back to Aurora who now stood before them with her axe in hand. Gabrielle, Ivan, Francine, Argyll and all the others had likewise drawn their weapons as well and now they formed an impenetrable barrier, trapping the Masters against the wall of the Plaza with nowhere to go.
"Now," Aurora snarled in perfect Bastard Valyrian, "Let's see how you like it to be hunted down like animals, to watch your families being slaughtered before your eyes, to see your city burn."
At these words Kraznys and several others tried to run away. They ran toward Argyll, maybe hoping that he would consider them friends after their many weeks of cooperation and he would let them through. Their hope proved false. Bringing his sword up in flash, Argyll cut Kraznys from gut to neck and he fell in the dust at his feet, he was dead before he hit the ground.
The others where likewise cut down or gutted as the line moved forward, the Forlorn did not discriminate between men or women, both were cut down without mercy. The girls and every boy under twelve were spared, but they were forced to watch as their families where slaughtered.
The heads of the slavers were cut off and put on spikes, which were then carried throughout the city, bringing jubilations amongst the slaves. Roused by this sight, many emboldened slaves picked up the nearest weapon they could find and turned on their former masters. Within less than an hour, the entire city had descended into an orgy of blood, vengeance, and death.
When the Good Masters had all been killed, the first thing Argyll did was kneel down before Missandei who, despite her earlier bravado, was now white faced and horror struck at the massacre she had just witnessed. Drawing a small silver key from a pouch on his belt, he unlocked the collar and removed it from her neck. When he handed it to Gabrielle who stood behind him, she set her hand aflame and watched as the leather burned and the silver melted into a puddle on the floor.
Missandei looked in awe at Gabrielle's hand, where the flames had kept burning until she halted them. "What are you?" she asked full of awe.
Removing her helmet, she gave the girl a soft smile, "That's a story for another time. For now, we have something else to discuss." When Missandei gave her a curious look she continued, "Argyll has asked a favor of us, and we would like to fulfill it if that is also your wish. He has grown rather fond of you in the past months, and he would like to keep you close by. So, he asked us if he could adopt you."
Missandei's eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she stared at Argyll. "Really?" Was all she could ask and when he nodded and knelt down with his arms outstretched, she flew into his arms and hugged him for dear life.
"I'll take that as a yes," Gabrielle remarked dryly before placing her helmet back on her head. Leaving the two under the protection of 20 Forlorn, she collected the others that were around and had them reload the chests with gold back on the carts. They escorted them to the harbor and reloaded them on the ships, before sending them off to sea, under heavy Ironborn escort to wait for the rest of the fleet.
From there on the Forlorn spread out through the city, trying to keep the slaves form unleashing their anger on innocent children or free men. On Aurora's orders they seized every pyramid and palace in the city to keep them from being looted, and to make them a safe haven for all who fled the carnage that now ran rampant.
XXX
Outside the city, the armies of Harry Strickland, Tatters and Oberyn sealed of all the gates, preventing anyone from leaving the city and making sure no one got out. No word of the sack left the city to reach Yunkai or Mereen, and the only sign that something was not right in the city, came the next morning, when large black smoke clouds rose from within the brick walls.
At the end of the first day, while the rioting was in full swing and the Forlorn where still out in force to keep it within acceptable levels, Aurora, Gabrielle, Ivan and Francine, gathered onboard of the Chain Breaker to discuss the proceedings of the operation so far.
"Could have gone worse, but also a hell of a lot better," Aurora began while she dropped herself into a specially reinforced chair, which creaked under her weight none-the-less. "I can understand the anger of the people towards the slavers, but I think we should put a stop to it soon."
"Why," Ivan questioned a bit confused as he dropped himself into a chair that was carved from one solid piece of ironwood, "I thought we agreed to let the people out their anger, it's their good right to do so."
"It is their good right," Gabrielle replied while she and Francine sat down themselves, with a lot more care than their respective counterparts. "But we think we're about to lose control of the situation."
"What makes you say that?" Francine asked in confusion. "I mean yea sure, the streets are littered with bodies from the Plaza of Pride, to each of the city gates. But we anticipated that."
"Because some of the slaves have used their newfound bravery to turn to harming the children of the slavers," Aurora replied, "Something I tried to discourage by having ten former slaves beheaded when I caught them gang-raping a ten your old girl."
"What," Francine asked shocked.
"Yea," Gabrielle said with a frown. "It would seem that we might have slightly underestimated the vindictiveness of these people. Maybe the past few thousand years have made us forget about the hardships these people have suffered firsthand for all their lives."
"Could be," Ivan muttered, "I just did the last patrol and I have to say, you might be right. It's starting to look a lot like Armageddon out there. I'm not going to say do this or do that, that's your responsibility. But I will say this, if we are going to intervene, we better do it fast, and we do it hard. Those people out there are acting like animals, because they believe we are going to let them do it and protect them."
"So, what do we do?" Francine asked as both Aurora and Gabrielle sat with their heads in their hands.
Aurora just shook her head before snapping her fingers. The nearest Forlorn immediately sprung to attention and marched over to her chair. Slamming his right fist against his breastplate before stretching it out before his chest, the soldier stood at attention, waiting for orders.
"Fetch me Lord General Argyll and Commander Valaya. I want them here ASAP."
The Forlorn saluted her again and said, "Yes Ma'am," before marching off in a hurry. He didn't have to go far, Argyll's ships where only four to the right, so the requested two walked on the deck not five minutes later.
Both made a short bow to the high command before waiting patiently. By the mood that hung between the four on the deck, they could tell that something was not going as planned.
"We need to stop the rampage," Gabrielle finally said. "The former slaves are getting out of control and we can't allow that."
"So, what do you want to do about it?" Argyll asked, "I have seen how the slavers treated them, their anger is more than justified."
"It is," Aurora replied, "but they are going too far, so we've had to make a decision." She looked at the other three and after each one gave her a nod, she hardened her own face and stood up. "Lord General, I want you to take the Unsullied and put them to the test. As of right now, a curfew is in effect. We want you wipe the streets clean and to keep them that way.
You march the Unsullied in companies into the city, have them order everyone back to their houses and break up any resistance no matter from who it comes. If needs to, they are allowed to use any kind of force except lethal, to get this situation under control."
Argyll had to swallow a little at hearing this order, but he had received a direct command, and he would see it done. "Yes Ma'am," as he turned around though, he was called back by Gabrielle.
"Argyll," when he looked back she said softly, "We know this is not easy for you, neither is it for us to order you to do this, but we have no choice. If we let the situation get further out of hand, we might lose control of the city. Make it known that they have had their shot at vengeance, but that vengeance has now come to an end. It is time for order to return."
Argyll nodded with a grim smile before turning around and walking off of the ship towards the pyramid that once belonged to Kraznys but was now used as barracks for the Unsullied.
XXX
Exactly how many people were killed during the sack, or the night after it no one ever knew, but when Aurora and Gabrielle led their forces on a final sweep through the city, the next day, the carnage was terrible to behold.
Palaces and pyramids were plundered warehouses were broken open and pillaged, shops were ransacked and all across the city, the wailing of women and children could be heard. As they rode through the city, Aurora and Gabrielle realized that they would not be getting much reinforcements for the Forlorn from Astapor.
The only thing of note the four high commanders did the next day was organize the feeding of the city, before withdrawing to the Chain Breaker and summoning both Argyll, and the blacksmith Kharbo Mott. When the two men arrived, the later looked extremely ill at ease and feared that after seeing the quality of Argyll's armors and weapons, he would be killed or tortured for the secrets of his craft.
"You need not fear us blacksmith," Gabrielle said as she saw his nervousness. "We do not intend to do you harm, we merely want to know how you discovered the secret of Valyrian Steel?"
"I… I… I don't… don't… know the… the secret." This reply led to some very confused looks from the four Valyrians before him and a surprised grunt from Argyll.
"But," Aurora began before stopping and starting again. "But if you don't know the secret then how do you explain Argyll's armor?"
"I.. I found it." He finally said after some very nervous shuffling.
"You found it?" Aurora said dumbfounded.
"Yea." He nodded, before adding, "Well not in this shape, but I found a cache of Valyrian Steel armor during my travels from Qohor to here in Slaver's Bay."
"Exactly where did you find this cache?" Francine inquired as she went to stand next to Aurora.
"In a secret cellar of a destroyed fortress in the ruined city of Bhorash."
"And how much Valyrian Steel was there in this 'cellar' of yours?" Ivan grumbled as he stood up and stood behind the three ladies, towering over them and Kharbo.
His eyes going wide with fear, Kharbo muttered, "N…n….not much. H… h.. he… he's w…wearing everything."
"Hmm," Gabrielle mused, "That's a pity, and were there no swords?"
"Just one," Kharbo replied a bit calmer, realizing that he might not be harmed after all. "Everything I made for him I found there. I just reworked the armor and the shield and made a new cross guard and handles for the sword and the daggers."
"To bad," Aurora sighed, "It would have been nice to have another blacksmith who had discovered the secret of making Valyrian Steel."
"Wait what?" Kharbo now uttered in confusion. "You mean that you have someone who knows how to make Valyrian Steel?"
"We do yes," Gabrielle answered with a grin. "And if you'd like, we would offer you a job as the assistant of the Forge Master and…."
"I'll take it," Kharbo jumped at the opportunity, eager to learn what every smith in Qohor would sacrifice their entire family to know.
The Forge Master was the title that had been bestowed on Boltrock by his underlings and he had taken a liking to it.
"HI HI HI," the four Valyrians grinned at his enthusiasm. Before Gabrielle told him. "That is good to know, we will need every blacksmith we can get our hands on. So, if you have any family members or friends who would like to learn from the Master, send them a letter and invite them to join you in Valyria."
At this Kharbo's eyes went wide again. "To Valyria?" he asked dumbfounded. "That, that would be amazing."
"So that's settled then?" Ivan grumbled. "Good, then I'm off. See if Ironhide and I can't find something to wreck, I feel the need to smash something."
"Have fun Sweetie," Francine blew her husband a kiss before he marched off the gangplank.
XXX
During the next two weeks, the city was emptied of everything of value they could find, food, weapons, gold, stores of leather, raw building supplies like timber and paint, and even the metal reinforcements was ransacked from the buildings, causing some to collapse. When the city was fully stripped, all of the survivors were rounded up. Nearly a hundred-and-fifty-thousand slaves were freed, while some twenty-five-thousand free men lost everything they had.
About fifteen-hundred warrior women were amongst those set free, and without an exception, they all swore themselves to their cause. They would be sent back to Valyria to recover, rest, and to be re-outfitted before they would join the ranks of the Amazons.
Of the nobility and the slavers, only a few dozen women and children remained alive, all others had been savagely butchered by the rampaging slaves.
All were gathered outside the walls where Aurora spoke to them, using a hundred Forlorn with makeshift megaphones made of rolled sheets of brass to repeat her words so all would hear them.
"All of you have lost much in your lives. Whether it was years ago, or in the past two weeks. It does not make you better or worse than anyone else in this world. But it does mean that you have a choice. And your choice is this; you can leave, to wherever you wish to go, or you can come back to our home. To the newly resurrected kingdom of Valyria. There you will all have a chance at a new and better life, regardless of what your station might have been in this city. The choice you do not have, is remaining in this city for it will be destroyed."
And to prove her words, Gabrielle rose from behind the city in dragon form, with Francine sitting on her back to keep up appearances. The gigantic blue and silver dragon circled high above the crowd twice before diving down and opening her maw. A massive stream of blue fire was spewed forth, torching the city. For nearly an hour Gabrielle circled the city, unleashing so much fire that eventually the pyramids and the walls melted down. The fire storm raged for days and by the time it finally burned itself out, the city had been reduced to ashes and dust.
All the ships in the harbor that belonged to one of the slaver cities had been seized, while the others were allowed to go free. This added another 200 ships to their fleet, raising it to over 2,000 vessels. After the burning of the city, everyone from the city went on board, not a single person had refused the offer to get a chance of living in the mythical land of Valyria. Three quarters of the fleet set sail after everyone was on board, the ones that stayed behind would carry the supplies and siege engines they would be needing to take the rest of Slaver's Bay. The army would march the 300 miles over land towards Yunkai, which would undoubtedly have now heard about the destruction of Astapor.
With the addition of the Unsullied and after the roughly 500 men they lost trying to get the city back in line, their land army now numbered some 50,000 infantry. After they 'liberated' over 5,000 horses from Astapor, they now also had some 6,000 cavalry, 1,500 of which were mounted archers in the form of the Amazons. With this army in tow, Aurora and Gabrielle set out for the twenty-day march towards Yunkai, where they would no-doubted be awaited.
Author's note:
And there is the first part of the Slaver's Bay campaign. I hope you all liked my version of the sack of Astapor and hopefully I'll see you all soon with the battle for Yunkai.
MM
p.s. to prevent any mistakes, the official salute for the Valyrian army is NOT the Nazi salute, but the one used by the Roman soldiers in the HBO series of Rome.
