Deadpool Note: Huh, that's weird. You just posted Chaos Effect a few days ago.
Author's Note: Yeah… I've really wanted to post this chapter for a while. So it's a New Years gift. Next week we'll still get an update.
Deadpool Note: Right, sure, okay… by the way, Edwin, can we get a crossover between this and Chaos Effect so I can punch you in the dick?
Author's Note: Something horrible is going to happen to you in this book
Sansa Note: Would you two knock it off and get to the chapter?
Author's Note: How the hell are YOU breaking the fourth wall?
Sansa Note: I'm stuck in a direwolf's body… I have to do SOMETHING to pass the time.
Deadpool Note: You could-
Sansa Note: DO NOT suggest I lick myself!
Daenerys
"I don't like this," Logan said gruffly. Dany would never say he was twitchy, because that was far too soft of a word for her loyal protector. He wasn't one that allowed himself to fidget and squirm like a child told to wait their turn before they could get a treat. Logan was hard and sharp and solid. He didn't twitch.
Still… she could feel the vibration in the air from him using every ounce of strength he had to keep himself from quivering.
She didn't blame him.
"Logan speaks true, Khaalesi," Grey Worm said softly. To anyone else he would have appeared utterly still but Dany had spent enough time around the Unsullied to read them and the mere fact that he spoke at this moment told her all she needed to know about his nerves.
"Ser Jorah, your thoughts?" Daenerys said to the knight.
The former Lord of Bear Island shook his head. "This is wrong, Khaalesi. I can't explain why but I know it is wrong. The people of Meereen… they are proud. Perhaps prouder than those of Yunkai and Astapor. These actions… they make no sense."
"You fear a trap," Dany said.
"We all do," Domino stated. "I do not think even my luck may save us if we enter."
"Luck still isn't a superpower," Wade reminded her but even he was oddly… subdued. "Which is too bad because we are going to need some. Chaos is being oddly quiet with all this. He's changed things… the journey was too easy."
Daenerys nodded at that, her mind going back to the march from the ruins of Yunkai to Meereen, the last of the Three Sisters to sit upon Slaver's Bay. Much as she had done with Astapor Dany had commanded the city stripped bare. Those that bent the knee to her were allowed to join her in her pilgrimage but she would not allow a single soul to remain in the city. Perhaps, in a different life, she would have trusted the freed slaves to be able to rule themselves but now… no, that was unfair of her and she instantly scolded herself the moment the thought entered her head. It wasn't the freed slaves that would have caused problems it was their former masters. Men like the Wise Masters didn't take kindly to seeing what they believed to be their property yanked away. Her advisors had all agreed that if she left the city the Wise Masters would rise up the moment the shadow of her dragons crossed the horizon.
'Yunkai and Astapor were like diseased limbs,' Daenerys thought to herself as she stood before the gates of Meereen. 'I could have spent much of my time treating them, trying to remove the corruption from the fingers and cutting away the rotted flesh. Flushed it out with wine and stitched the flesh back together with the finest thread. But it is entirely possible that the infection would have remained and all my work been for nothing.' She pressed her lips together. 'Far better to chop the limb off and be done with it.'
So they'd left Yunkai in ruins, Dany ignoring the weeping of those that had known it only as their home; she knew that it would not earn her much love from the high born families but for the many more slaves and lowborn that had seen the city as their prison they had been delighted to see it rendered useless. Her flames had charred the stone and bricks and her dragons had delighted in flying above the buildings, tearing away any flag they could find. She hadn't looked back as they had marched towards Meereen, sparing the once great slaver city not a second glance.
Yet as the journey had gone smoothly and without incident she had begun to worry that she had made a mistake. For the gods were unlikely to reward such shows of strength with peace. Doom had taught her that.
"This is different from Yunkai," Daenerys said aloud.
"Yunkai didn't have much time to prepare," Ser Jorah reasoned. "You marched from Astapor with no clear sign that you would head towards them. They thought you might but there was hope you might simply be satisfied with one of the Three Sisters and leave the other two be. When it became clear that you were not…"
"We got called to come real fast," Wade said. "I haven't come so fast since Septon Tonus discovered me cheating on him with Septon Yono." She could tell he was smirking from under his mask. "I kept telling him that he was the only rapist I ever wanted but he just wouldn't believe me…"
Logan rolled his eyes at that, speaking right over Wade and his blathering. "Meereen… the moment you arrived at Yunkai they knew you were coming for them. It was clear. So they began to prepare, to ready for your arrival." He frowned as he looked at the city's gate. "Which makes none of our journey make sense."
"They did nothing to stop us," Dany said with a shake of her head. "No bandits, no attacks, no warnings or moves to get us to turn around. They let us come this far."
"Makes you wonder what they have in store for us once we step inside," Domino stated.
Daenerys nodded at that. It was the thing that had her the most worried about all of this. When they'd arrived in sight of the city a messenger had been dispatched asking for her and her council to come to the gate so they might meet with representatives of Meereen. Not within the city, as Daenerys would only enter the city with an army at her back, but just outside. It would have been like Yunkai except scouts had revealed that the Meereen high born had spent time creating a great earthen arena just outside their city. Something far too big and grand to be a simple trap.
'A complex one though?' she thought to herself as the gate opened and several men stepped out to meet her. There were four in total though the first three all looked the same with light brown skin and shred eyes. Their differences came in their hair and their clothing. All but the last wore a tokar, sheets that were carefully wrapped around the body so they might not come loose and reveal the wearer's naked form while also not being so tight that they could trip and fall. Each man wore a different colored tokar and according to Domino this demonstrated their house, for each had a different set of colors much as the noble houses of Westeros did. If they thought the delicate and beautiful garments would impress her though they were mistaken; Dany had long tossed aside the flighty dreams of little girls who looked upon pretty silks and cooed in delight. She wore leathers at all times for they allowed her to move and fight freely. If one weren't impressed by her garments that wasn't her problem; they could be impressed by how she burned them for disrespecting her.
While she thought it silly she could admit though that the hairstyles of the Meereen people were… interesting. They took great pride in turning their locks into works of art. One man had made his hair looked like the spread wings of an eagle. Another a great peak with horns on either side. The third many spikes each tipped with a different color. She could see the sheen of wax that held the hair in place and wondered if the effect to first sculpt them as that and then clean them was worth it.
'This last one though.' She thought as she stared at the final man. He stood slightly apart from the three Great Masters and she could tell at once that he was not seen as their equal. He was far older, with a shock of white hair and a thick beard that covered his face and nearly hid his mouth. He was wearing a baggy brown cloak and when she glanced at Logan he nodded; yes, he'd spotted the armor the man hid under it too. She wondered if the Great Masters realized that he was nearly as protected as Ser Jorah. He carried a heavy staff in his left hand and watched her with an odd intensity. 'He judges me yet he doesn't,' she thought to herself. 'He is… curious about me. Wondering about me.' She felt like she was a stallion that was being looked over by a potential buyer.
"Welcome Daenerys Firestar to, uh, Meereen," the man in the blue, gold, and red tokar said in a rough and coarse version of Old Valyrian; Domino began to quietly translate for the rest of the group, Dany having no need of her services at the moment. The man was keeping his left hand pressed against his stomach while gesturing with his right, a smile on his lips that was so utterly false it was a wonder it didn't hurt him physically. "I am… En dwi Gast. This is Hinpu ro Dhazak and Ackot ro Quazzar."
"Bless you," Wade said, rubbing his nose and Daenerys shot him a dirty look by did no more.
"Greetings, Great Masters," Daenerys said pleasantly. "I am glad you have given me this opportunity to meet with you. It is so much easier to settle matters with words than with steel."
"Or fire and blood?" Gast asked, clearly the speaker for the group, smiling a teasing little grin. "Yes, on this we agree. Word has reached us on how you handled things in Yunkai and Astapor. You, uh, learned much from Khal Drogo."
"He was but one of my teachers," Dany said politely.
"Yes, an education most unique you have had," Gast said. "Far different than they are used to in Westeros. Oh, the stories that must be told about you amongst your kin."
She saw in the insults at once but didn't let her smile drop an inch. "The people of Astapor offered no guest rights. I broke nothing attacking them."
"You entered into an agreement with them though, did you not?"
"And we completed it." She gave a helpless shrug. "Are you surprised when a man who buys a pleasure slave receives pleasure from her? From what I have heard about your city it is quite common for a buyer and a seller to join together to break in a newly purchases pillow boy or girl. 'Brothers of the Groin' I believe you call it?" She gave a lazy gesture to her right, towards where Astapor had once thrived. "I merely did the same. 'Siblings of the Blade'."
"Then we will ensure that there is plenty of bread and salt for you, Daenerys Targaryen, when you enter the city. And that we make no business with you that might involve blood."
"That depends entirely on you," Dany replied. "I can not be blamed if the deal presented to me results in blood. A merchant can do little if all they are given is trout… they must have fish then. The same with rulers."
Gast smiled at that and Daenerys got the sense that the Great Master was actually enjoying their verbal sparring. She didn't know how to feel about that; Doom had shown her that the most dangerous foes weren't the ones skilled with a sword but rather able to cut you with a thousand words before you could sputter one.
"And, uh, Yunkai?" Gast asked with a tone that hinted at interest.
They stopped about 100 paces from the city, Slaver's Bay finally visible. There Dany's ship waited, out of the reach of any that would see harm come to the weak, the old, the sick, and the young. She was no fool and had understood quickly that her growing khalsar would be a target for those that wished to destroy morale and what better way than attacking the rear and sides of a mass of people who were marching into the unknown? Thus she had gotten all those that couldn't fight onto the ships so they might protected while the strong marched.
"What of them?" Daenerys asked, keeping her voice casual. "We agreed that our champions would meet to decide the fate of their city and when mine won they tried to slay him."
"I would question the honor of using a man who is unable to die to be your champion in a fair fight," Gast stated.
"To be fair I can die," Wade said helpfully… in perfect Old Valyrian, much to Daenerys' surprise. She hadn't known the sellsword was fluent. "Chaos just won't let me because so many would be pissed off that I just got to hook up with the Breaker of Chains and Flasher of Titties only to die-" Wade stopped as Logan punched him in the throat.
The Representatives of Meereen stared at Wade as he clutched at his Apple's apple before all three looked to Daenerys once more. "While that might be you still chose to use a fighter with an unfair advantage. Very little honor in that, no?"
"You act as if the Wise Masters of Yunkai wouldn't have taken the same advantage as I did," Daenerys pointed out. "And the fact remains that they still came to me with ill intentions and no desire to actually face me properly."
"And your secret attack against the city?"
"I promised not to invade. If those that follow me decide to try and impress me by taking some initiative… well, I can only say that I am a Queen, not a witch able to see into the future."
"Something we will keep in mind," Gast stated and Dany wondered just what that little comment was hinting at. And with that he grew silent and began to speak with the other representatives in Old Ghiscari, a tongue that Dany didn't speak but she knew that Domino was listening carefully to all their words, ready to repeat back to her anything they said should it prove important. However she had a feeling that the Wise Masters knew that she brought with her as translator and that their talk was merely something to make her believe that they were discussing her when in reality they were talking about other matters that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things-
"Do you truly believe that?" the final man, the old man with the beard, asked her in the Common Tongue.
"Believe what?" she asked.
"That any cunning trick can be justified?"
Daenerys frowned at that. "I believe that honor is important… but only when it is determined by those that we respect. It is not honorable to kill a man… but can you argue that it is dishonorable to kill a rapist or a killer? Of course not… they have no honor so you do not lose yours when you face them. Same with those Good Masters. They were far worse than a murderer or a rapist. Were I a man who spread the legs of a hundred women and slit the throats of a hundred more I would still find my crimes to be merely a drop of water compared to the ocean those Good Masters have made with the tears of the innocents those lives they have ruined." She shook her head in disgust. "It is taking all my willpower not to slaughter those you came with."
"A foolish thing to tell a man that is one of their number."
"Yes… if you truly were among their number. You do not speak High Valyrian-"
"A few words," the old man stated before shaking his head. "But no, not much."
"And you are not one of the old families."
Ser Jorah spoke up. "Your accent is familiar to me. It is Westerosi, I can tell."
"I won't deny it," the old man finally said. "I am from your home country, Princess."
Dany nodded at that. She had guessed as much when the man hadn't been introduced to her. He was no warrior, not with his age, though she supposed she could be wrong about that. It was very possible that he was some grand fighter who hid behind the guise of being a quiet old man. Thus he was not some body guard or champion so the question was who was he and why was he here? The only thought that had come to her that made any sense was that the old man was in fact another exile from the Seven Kingdoms who'd been trotted out in order to make her feel comfortable. A vision of home that might convince her not to attack the city. She couldn't be sure though as that theory, while her best one, didn't sit quite right.
"Who are you old man?" Ser Jorah asked, tilting his head slightly as he took in the Westerosi. "And how did you find yourself in Yunkai?"
"I am Arstan Whitebeard. And as for what has brought me to this place…" he gave a quiet sigh at that, "misplaced loyalty." Gast motioned for Arstan to join the other three and the old man shuffled quickly forward, leaving Dany and her party just behind them.
"So," Wade said, "we all accept that he's lying to us right? Arstan Whitebeard? Fake name."
"I agree," Domino stated.
"But does it matter?" Ser Jorah stated. "We do not trust him and we wouldn't even if he gave us his true name."
"Perhaps," Daenerys said, "but it does not make me pleased that already the Wise Masters are trying to use deception against me."
"Say the word Khaalesi and we shall remove their lying tongues," Gray Worm stated.
Daenerys shook her head as the Wise Masters turned and took them towards the pit that had been dug outside the walls of Yunkai. "No… harm these men and we learn nothing of their plans. For now we play their games and see what the results might be."
Wade pouted at that. "I guess… but I much prefer naked bowling over these political games. When you're found with your cock out then everyone just shrugs rather than demand your head."
The pit might have been a recent addition to lands just outside the walls of Meereen but that didn't mean that it was some hastily made thing. Sloping down 40 feet at its deepest the massive basin had seen the soil cured so that it was as hard as brick and carefully smoothed down so that even with its gentle slope it would be a difficult thing for one to climb out of. Elevated benches, which at the moment were empty, had been set upon around half of the pit facing towards the walls of Meereen, allowing all those who might come a chance to peer down into the pit itself. There were high canopies over them all to keep the sun off anyone's back. On the sides were two wood and stone structures that reached out from the walls of Meereen themselves like grasping hands trying to grip onto the depression. They ran along the sides of the basin before suddenly plunging downward, following the same slope as the pit itself before ending in a shed-like structures with heavy ornate doors. Ropes had been connected to their handles and ran back up to the top of the pits, where four groups of heavily muscles slaves waited at the ready to begin tugging on the hemp.
'I would be impressed if I didn't know that they had only accomplished this as quickly as they had with the strength of enslaved men who had little choice in how hard they worked if they didn't want death to come to them.' She forced herself to keep her features aloof and emotionless as it would do her no good to react at this moment.
"If you, uh, would, Daeneyrs Firestorm?" Gast said, gesturing towards the nearest seats. "On the legacy of my family, that which has already been written and all which will be done by my, uh, sons and theirs, I swear that no harm will come to you or your companions this day."
"And we will leave under our own free will?" Daenerys pressed.
"But of course," Gast said. "Will you promise us the same?"
She detected no lie from the man and seeing the other two Wise Masters nod she finally silently consented, gesturing with her hand at her council. Ser Jorah and Logan did not relax in the slightest, still stiff and tense, while Grey Worm merely stood at the ready, making no move to follow her as she walked over to the benches. Wade and Domino were more fluid and lazy in their movements but Dany wasn't tricked in the slightest; she knew they would spring to action if needed. She settled on the bench and Gast joined her on her right, the other Wise Masters and Arstan settling beside him while her council sat to her left. The benches were padded and comfortable, the canopy keeping her cool despite the height of the sun, and at once there was movement as slaves seemed to appear from thin air. Two passed out goblets while another, carrying a large jug, began to pour drinks for all of them.
Wade was the first to drink, then Logan, and it was only when the latter gave a slight nod that Dany sipped her drink… though she kept the fires in her stomach burning so they might fight off any potential slow release poisons that had been placed in the wine or in her goblet. Ser Jorah didn't even bother while Domino purposely poured out her wine… only for Daenerys to hear a yelp and watch a bottle of Arbor Gold to land in Domino's lap. Daenerys looked about, trying to reason out how that had even happened while Domino shrugged and popped the cork and poured herself a glass.
Once they were settled… Gast spoke.
"The Masters of Yunkai were fools. They believed you to be like the Dothraki that occasionally slammed against their walls. They first disrespected you… then they chose to dismiss you. They thought you a child playing at being a Queen… and now only ghosts will sing the tales of their ancestors." He smiled. "We are the Children of the Harpie… we are not fools. We have survived by looking at our neighbors and seen what they have done and learned. Their successes we steal and, uh… make better. Their failures we treat as lessons so we might never commit them. And you, Daenerys of House Targaryen, have been a mighty lesson for all those who still dwell in Slaver's Bay."
"So we are here to discuss the terms of your surrender?" she asked.
Gast chuckled at that. "Much too quick, Khaalesi. Far too eager. There is still much left to do."
"What do you mean?"
"There is a saying my grandfather once told me: in war the only true winners are the gravediggers. We are not Astapor… we will not invite you inside and give you an army that you might use against us. We are not Yunkai, foolishly leaving spaces for you to squeeze into because we dismissed you as something that didn't matter. We are Meereen. We have survived and thrived because we have learned. Prepared. And we will do the same with you.
"You wish to capture us? You must breach our walls. Scorpions are ready to shoot your dragons down as the Dornish once did and we have sealed all the gates save our main one. Your only other choice for assault will be the harbor and your Unsullied and Dothraki are not trained for sea battle… the Wise Masters of Astapor did not have time to train them in such nor will the Horse Masters ever learn how to fight on the waves."
Daenerys grimaced at that; Grey Worm had confirmed as much but she had hoped the people of Meereen would not realize that.
"A siege will not happen with our harbor so you will camp before us and you will starve while we merely wait." Gast paused. "Or… you will figure out a way to breech the gate and the battle will be fought in our streets and homes until every crack no matter how small is stained with blood. This does not benefit any of us. Thus… our choice."
"And that is?"
"To do as the Yunkai suggested… for real. A campaign of warriors, meeting in the Great Fighting Pit under the shadow of the Harpie, to determine who has the true right to rule Meereen. A… trial by combat, as I believe you Westerosi call it. A trial to determine the fate of our fair city."
"And if I win?" Daenerys asked.
"Should your champions prevail then we will submit. But should you fail you will leave us be and go conqueror your Westeros. With your army intact save for your champions." Gast smiled. "A fair bargain, I say."
'The slaves you keep and will continue to keep long after I go would disagree,' Daenerys thought to herself bitterly.
She didn't speak the words aloud but Gast must have sensed something for he said in his false sweet voice, "If…if I may speak frankly… there will always be things we hate and loathe about the world. There are savages who live east of here, in lands whose names neither of our tongues can pronounce, who happily lay man with beast in hopes of creating chimeras. Nations that dedicate themselves to the most vile of gods and do their dark bidding. Men and women who would happily torture us all but never let us die because our tears are their wine. I do not like these people. I wish, uh, nothing more than to see them wiped away. Same as I imagine you wish to do to my family for simply living as we see as right yet you see as wrong.
"You will never be able to bring peace to the world, Daenerys Firestar. That is a child's dream and you are a woman grown. If you spend your days trying to fight for this cause or the other you will find in the end you have sacrificed your dreams for nothing… and you won't sleep long because you will have bred more enemies than subjects." He lifted his hand and for a moment Dany thought he would place his palm on her knee as an act of comfort or perhaps familiarity but he proved to be "wise" in at least understanding that doing so would be foolish and dropped his arm back into his lap. "It is time for you to go home, Daenerys Targaryen, and put right your own home before you worry about others."
Daenerys forced herself not to grit her teeth at his tone. She didn't like in the slightest how he was talking down to her but… she had to admit that he had a point. Ser Jorah had begun to bring up more and more that they needed to turn their eyes towards the Seven Kingdoms. She had assured him that she would… but Gast's words chilled her.
'I have the means now to make progress in reclaiming my family's throne,' she thought to herself. 'My dragons grow larger by the day. We could have remained in Astapor or Yunkai and given ourselves time for them to be large enough to ride and then sailed forth. We could have found out the state of affairs in the Seven Kingdoms and learn where best to strike and who we might turn to for aid.' Ser Jorah had told her that Viserys had been wrong, that the people did not drink secret toasts to her brother's health, but Dany couldn't accept that all had loved the Usurper's rule. No… they must have had allies… she must have had allies… that would help her reclaim the Iron Throne.
And yet she hadn't done a thing to achieve her brother's dream.
All at once a vision swam into her head, so vivid for a moment she wondered if the Warlocks of Qarth had enchanted her once more. She saw herself as wizen old woman, surrounded by the grandchildren of her council and servants, standing before some city in a far off land, saying "This shall be the last one, this I swear. Tomorrow we sail for Westeros!"
It is time to go home…
"I accept your terms," Daenerys said.
Gast smiled at that though she detected a bit of surprise in his eyes; he clearly had thought she would take far more prodding to get to that line of thought. "I am very glad. And I wish to make things… easier on you, Daenerys Firestar. Should you decide that the fight is not worth it, that you wish to spare even your champion or not have to admit defeat, we will not hold it against you. You can leave at any time, parting with us as merely… two groups that met and decided it wiser to live apart than to collide."
Daenerys frowned at that. "I can offer you the same thing."
"I think not," Gast said. "We know your champions. We understand them. We have… prepared for them." He motioned towards Arstan. "It is why this one is here."
The white haired man nodded and told her in a gentle but firm voice, "I am the representative for a gladiator, your grace. Our services have been obtained by the Wise Masters and he will be the first of their champions."
Gast clapped his hands and called out something in Old Ghiscari. The slaves to their right pulled upon their ropes and slowly the doors to one of the tunnels creaked open. From the opening came a large warrior, clad in heavy armor with a two-handed axe that, despite its size, the massive figure was able to heave up with one hand. Though he was far down below them Dany could tell that his face was scarred yet he also carried himself with all the confidence of a dashing rogue who could charm all the ladies and bring any man to his side. His plate was a deep blue with splashes of white and there were glittering gems that shone in the sun as he slowly looked around the currently empty arena.
"He is impressive," Daenerys said politely.
"Oh no, Daenerys Firestar," Gast said. "That is merely a prisoner trying to earn his freedom."
BOOM!
The doors of the other tunnel shook, making Dany start.
"May I present to you…"
BOOM!
"The Champion of Meereen…"
BOOM!
"Thee-"
BOOM!
"Incredible-"
The doors exploded off and a monster burst forth.
She'd thought the black-armored warrior was big. She was wrong. The creature that emerged was big… no, gigantic. At least nine feet tall and nearly as wide, there were warriors in her own khaalsar who were not as wide and thick as the monster's arms and legs. He wore leather and steel armor that would have crushed Dany if she tried to lift it up and his helm would have made Logan look like a child if he tried to put it on. All of which did little to hide his dark green skin. In his meaty fists were two weapons: a giant hammer with heads the size of wagon wheels and an axe that could fell the mightiest trees with a single swing.
Unfortunately for the black-armored warrior in the pit he was weaker than a tree and before he could even scream the monster leapt into the air, so high that he soared above Daenerys and the rest of the gathered audience, before plummeting down. He swung his hammer and the black-armored warrior burst like a wine grape even as the ground trembled. Where once there had been a man there was now only a bloody puddle and bits of metal.
"HULK!" The monster roared.
Daenerys grabbed Logan's hand and squeezed it hard.
"…YES!" Wade screamed in delight, throwing his arms in the air.
