The Blue Wolf

by choejhulkp9

What if? What if events before Robert's Rebellion and the end of the Targaryen line occurred differently? What if Lyanna Stark did have some feelings for Robert and it led to them laying together before she met Rhaegar? What if she was pregnant when they went to the Tower of Joy in Dorne? These small changes have large repercussions. The Blue Wolf is born and he will Howl with Fury

3. The rise of a hero

Here is Chapter 3 of the Blue Wolf. William Baratheon's personal decision to venture on a quest of self-discovery and destiny at his own hands leads him on a journey with no foreseeable end or destination. It's up to him to decide what he does with his life and what kind of mark he wants to leave on the world. His intelligence, honor, and leadership will be tested and mark the beginnings of the man he will become. His journey starts now. Enjoy!

A View into the Past and the rise of the Hero

294 AC: Island of Jhala, Summer Isles

Word had gotten back to the Seven Kingdoms via raven that the prince's mission to the Summer Isles was a success and Prince Jalabhar was reinstated back to his throne. Cedric Angar wrote to the King and the Small Council of the mission's success and of the prince's prowess, skill, and ferocity in combat that won them the day. Jon Arryn wrote back, congratulating them on their success and with proposals for the new trade agreement. King Robert just said how proud he was and wish he could have seen his son fight. They wrote back asking when they would be returning to King's Landing but Cedric wrote back saying when the Prince was recovered and better, they would come home.

Speaking of the William, he was currently meditating by the beach in an effort to recover faster. They had been in the Summer Isles for about a fortnight as guests of Prince Jalabhar. He and all his champions were being hailed as heroes and were enjoying themselves. Trade ships had already been sent to King's Landing along with ships filled with plum wine and other goods, courtesy of the Prince. He was working on some other gifts for Prince William as a thank you.

Will took slow and deep breaths as he sat cross-legged on the sands of the beach. The sun shined down on him, warming him up and the ocean breeze cooled him down. His wounds from his fight with Hercules still hurt but he was able to walk on his own without a limp and was getting stronger by the day. The bruises still hurt like hell but he could at least train with his bow without groaning in pain. Standing a few feet behind him, drinking some water was his sworn shield and friend, Ser Arthur Dayne. He was keeping watchful eye over his charge but was relaxed, knowing that the prince wasn't in immediate danger at the moment. There weren't any enemies here.

"Dayne." Arthur heard and turned to see Hercules, the supposed Demigod of Athens. Will gave Hercules and his group the benefit of the doubt and decided to hire them into his service. Some of his men voiced against this decision considering they were mercenaries but they were also talented warriors and having them by his side could prove useful. Plus, if they were mercenaries, then working for a rich prince was the best. "Prince Jalabhar is asking for Prince William."

"Right." Arthur finished his cup of water and walked over to the Prince. "My Prince…"

"I heard." Will took a deep breath before getting back to his feet. He turned his body, cracking some bones and groaning in pain and discomfort. "This pain is starting to get annoying."

Will grabbed his sword belt off the sand and tied it around his waist, tightening it and securing Red Rain and his Valyrian steel daggers. He walked from the beach and made his way back to town with Dayne and Hercules following him. Hercules was still recovering from the fight as well but was getting better. They walked into Parrot's Bay and saw it was still live with activity as it usually was. More trade ships anchored into the bay, including more Westerosi ships than usual which dropped off more goods of iron, coppers, and steel. Will saw many of his men still enjoying themselves with female companionship or keeping themselves occupied with games, drinks, or were training. He saw Gendry and Edric training as they did every day. Gendry was training with Smalljon with the sword while Edric was training with Amphiaraus in the spear. Edric had taken to the spear with a great degree of enthusiasm and adeptness. Amphiaraus wasn't an ordinary spear wielder as his spear was unique with retractable scythe blades but Edric didn't want to be an ordinary spear warrior. Guess Arthur didn't have a squire anymore.

Will saw Prince Jalabhar waiting with Zuri and the royal guard along with several servants. "Prince William, how are you recovering?" He asked.

"Slowly but surely, Jalabhar. My wounds are getting better. Thank you for allowing my compatriots and I to stay in your home for so long." Will replied as Jalabhar smiled.

"You and your men have done my family and my people a great service. You can stay here as long as you wish. I hope your people are enjoying the trade gifts we've sent to King's Landing."

"We are and I hope you enjoy the surplus of iron and steel." He said.

"We do. You have done my family a great service that I may not be able to repay but I will do my best. One such gift is in the bay at the moment." Prince Jalabhar motioned to the nearby docks where a beautiful and powerful Swan Ship was docked. Its large white sails were rolled up but he could see the banner of his father's crowned black stag on top of the mast. "Our finest Swan Ship for you, Prince William Baratheon, named the Jackdaw. I hope it will serve you proudly."

"A fine ship." Will let out a whistle in awe at the vessel. "What do you think, Ser Davos? You know ships better than any man here."

"A fine ship, your grace. If I had a ship like that in my youth then I think things would have turn out quite differently." Davos replied.

"Thank you, Prince Jalabhar." Will bowed his head and Jalabhar bowed back in response. "I look forward to sailing the Jackdaw on the open sea. Would it be possible to commission a few more ships? Paid for, of course."

"We'll get our shipmaster to work as soon as possible." Jalabhar replied. "But I have another gift I believe you will enjoy. May I introduce you to an old friend of mine, Yahya ibn Umar."

A man of dark skin color stepped forward, with Summer Isle war tattoos on his face and a dark blue cloak of a Summer isle warrior. "Greetings, Prince William." Yahya bowed his head and Will bowed back.

"Hello, Yahya." Will replied.

"I remember from my time in your court that you are Westeros's finest archer. Tales of your prowess during the Greyjoy rebellion are proof of that. But the Summer Isles creates the world's finest archers. Yahya and his son Saleem will teach you." Jalabhar said.

"The honor is mine." He said. Saleem, Yahya's son stepped forward and bowed to him before taking a large wooden case from one of the servants.

"The Prince is already the finest archer in the Seven Kingdoms. What else is there to teach him?" Lord Donarrion asked.

"Let us find out." Yahya suggested. He motioned them over by the edge of the forest where a series of targets were set up. "Before I teach you, I must see your skill for myself."

"Sure thing." Arthur handed William his quiver and recurve bow. He slung his quiver over his shoulder and took a few deep breaths before he drew an arrow and fired it at the first target, hitting it right in between the eyes. They slowly walked down the line of targets as Will put an arrow in one of three lethal spots: the head, the neck, or the heart.

"Impressive accuracy. You've trained yourself well but you are lacking one thing: speed." Yahya told him.

"I'm fast enough. I can fire over twenty arrows in half a minute." Will said, firing two arrows in rapid succession to prove his point.

"Yes, you are fast for a Westerosi but to us you may as well be a turtle. A Summer isle archer can fire two arrows a second. You may block the first one but the second will kill you." Yahya told him.

"That's impossible. No one is that fast." Will replied. Yahya smiled before he grabbed his walking stick and walked over to the targets. "What are you doing?"

"Showing you that you are too slow. Shoot me." Yahya told him.

Will looked at Saleem who nodded and motioned for him to do so. "All right." Will drew another arrow and pulled the drawstring back before firing. To his surprise, Yahya quickly dodged it.

"Ah, please. I said shoot me!" Yahya shouted as he began walking towards the prince. Will quickly reloaded and fired another arrow that he deflected with his stick. "Too slow! Fast as you can! Fire!" Will fired another arrow but Yahya blocked it. "Again! Come on, Westerosi!"

Will fired another arrow at Yahya's head that he blocked with his stick. Yahya smirked as he saw the arrow embedded in his walking stick. "Again." Will quickly pulled back another arrow but Yahya had already closed the distance and broke off the tip with his hand. "Too slow. You have skill but if you truly want to be a great archer than you must forget everything you've learned. Give me that relic, its firewood."

Yahya walked over to Saleem and opened the case he was holding. He took out a beautiful Goldenheart tree composite recurve bow. The bow was about the same size as his regular recurve bow but more curves were constructed which meant that it was much more powerful. The bow itself seemed to be made of bone, wood, sinew, and animal hides like any other bow but also had iron or steel components making it sturdier and tougher than a regular bow. The other unique part of the bow was that it had a handle guard on the grip, probably as a means of protection for the archer and a method of close quarters combat. The bow was not like the other Goldenheart tree bows he's seen that were bright yellow or red, this was a dark blue/black. (1)

"Prince Jalabhar had this made especially for you. A warrior weapon." Yahya handed him the bow and Will marveled at the beauty. He's wanted one for a long time. He took a firm grasp of the grip and saw the guard protect his hand. "Relax your grip. Allow the bow to rest in your palm. Now try."

Will took an arrow and pulled it back on the draw string on the left side like he always does and fired but the arrow skimmed the target which was weird because he was aiming at the right spot. Yahya and Saleem chuckled at his bewildered look. "Try again. Only this time, try the other side. It will save you a second on the reload." Yahya explained.

He did as he was told and pulled the arrow back with it on the right side of the bow before firing and it sunk into the target right where he wanted it to and it punched in further and with more power than his other bow. Yahya chuckled in delight as Will began firing arrow after arrow at one target, riddling it from top to bottom. "Yes! Again. Faster! Faster, Westerosi, faster!" Yahya shouted. Will fired his last arrow which resulted in the target splitting in two. "Oh…very good. Now, the real training begins."

"Bring it on." Will replied, exciting for what was to come.

One moon cycle later (Approximately a month later)

Will had taken to Yahya's training with gusto and willed himself to get stronger and better. He pushed through the pain and discomfort of his injuries and dug deep to find out what he was truly made of and make himself better. Yahya and his son trained him in their ways to make him the best archer there was and they didn't take it easy on him.

You were a prince, a ruler of seven Kingdoms. Now, you are the wolf, a predator and we're going to show you how kill your prey. This won't be like any training you're used to. Turn your hand into a quiver. The more arrows you can hold, the more arrows you can fire. Fight with stealth, strike from the shadows. By the time they return fire, you're gone.

Those were Yahya's words to him as they undertook the real training. They trained him in the art of rapid fire archery and learning new techniques like using his hand to hold more than one arrow to fire rapidly while also remaining accurate. They had him press up heavy wagon wheels weighed down with chains to improve his strength along with pulling a bucket weighed down with iron to improve his draw strength on the new bow. They wrapped several length worth of chains around his body and had him run around the island for strength and speed. Whenever he would stop for a quick break, they would just motion him to keep moving and he did.

Will took a break to get some water when he saw Yahya messing with his jacket, cutting it in several placed and sewing something on. "What do you think you're doing to my jacket?"

"Making some adjustments. Now it's something you can use." He said, handing him his jacket allowing Will to see he had cut some things and stitched something to the collar.

"You know you could have asked. I really liked this jacket." He said before leaving in a bit of a disgruntled huff.

"Now it's better." Yahya replied as they resumed their training.

Yahya and Saleem showed him how to move and shoot with grace and speed while remaining accurate and even showed him how to shoot with both hands. They were running another test in the jungle. Saleem had gone deep into the trees and foliage to set up a dozen targets and Yahya would instruct him when and where to shoot while holding his quiver. Will was wearing his jacket that Yahya messed. He adjusted the length so it was more form fitting and added a hood and he had to admit...he kind of liked it. They moved into the jungle, the caws of birds and rustle of leaves were the only noise as the sun pierced through openings in the flora to give them light. Will had his bowstring drawn back with two arrows ready to fire. They moved into the jungle slowly and ready for anything.

"Left." Yahya ordered as Will fired one arrow at a target that was strung up on a tree to his left, shooting it in the heart. He quickly readied the other arrow to fire and continued to move through the jungle, his boots crunching against dead leaves, dirt and roots. "Right. Left!"

Will fired an arrow at the target to his right before quickly shooting the one to his left, nailing two head shots. "Arrows." Will plucked two arrows from the quiver Yahya was holding and resumed his ready position.

"To the right." Yahya instructed, pulling a rope which caused the target to drop into view and Will quickly fire both arrows at once, hitting the target before getting two more and rapid-firing them to another target to his left. "Exactly."

Will grabbed another two arrows and kept moving before shooting one each at two targets directly next to each other. He grabbed three arrows and pulled them back on his draw string before firing one at a low target, partially hidden behind a tree, one far away partially obscured by some vines and another at a target perched on top of a tree branch. He then saw two targets ahead directly opposite of each other at a 45degree angle so he fired both arrows at an angle and scored two more head shots. He saw the final target was obscured by cover, indicating an enemy hiding behind a shield or taking cover so he fired an arrow at the branch that was teetering above it. His arrow knocked the branch down and hit the target out of cover so he could shoot it with one more arrow to the head.

"Ha." Will held up an arrow with a smirk on his face. "I think I'm getting the hang of it."

"Perhaps." Yahya replied as Saleem popped out of cover behind the prince with his own bow and arrow, ready to shoot him only for Will to fire his last arrow behind him without looking and shoot Saleem's arrow out of his bow.

Will smirked as he lowered his bow and pulled his hood down. "What else you got?"

"I think that is all I have to teach you, William Baratheon." Yahya said. "You have been a quick study."

"Thank you, Yahya. You and your son have done me a great service in my teachings. I couldn't ask for better teachers." Will shook both of their hands. "It's been an honor."

"The honor has been ours. No doubt that you will become an even more feared marksman." Yahya said as Saleem handed him a piece of blue cloth with intricate and ornate stitching's and patterns.

"What is this?" Will asked as Yahya handed him the cloth.

"A warrior mask. When our warriors are in combat or hunt, they use this to cover their faces from the nose down as a means of protection and to strike fear into our enemies. I wish it to help you in the battles to come." Yahya said.

"Thank you." Will smiled and bowed as they bowed back. They returned to the town where Ser Arthur Dayne, Hercules and his group, Ser Davos, and Cedric were waiting.

"Evening, my prince. How was your training?" Arthur asked.

"Excellent. I think all the pain is gone. I can get back to training as I usually was." He replied.

"That's good to here because the ravens from King's Landing have become more…frequent. The council and the king have been asking when you plan to return." Cedric told him. "We've been here for nearly two moon cycles."

"What's the matter, Cedric? I thought you would enjoy the tropical breeze and warm sun of the lush islands?" Will asked as his old friend chuckled.

"I have been but some of the men are growing wearing and long for home. And we have done what we set out to do. You helped Prince Jalabhar reclaim his throne and established new firm diplomatic ties to the Summer Isles, something none of your predecessors ever did. And you've gotten yourself a Goldenheart tree bow. What else do we need to stay here for?" Cedric asked, making some valuable points.

"You're right. We did what we set out to do." He said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Tell the men to begin packing their bags for a trip. We're done here."

"Right away, my prince." Cedric went to inform the rest of their group of the prince's decision. Will went to his room to pack his things but there wasn't much. Only a few spare changes of clothes, his journal, some coin, maps, and a few other small miscellaneous things like a reading book. Will grabbed Red Rain and unsheathed the blade, marveling at the Valyrian steel. He tied it around his waist along with his Valyrian steel daggers before grabbing his new Goldenheart tree Composite Recurve bow. Ser Arthur Dayne walked with his pack slung over his shoulder.

"Ready to go home, my prince?" He asked but Will shook his head no.

"Not yet." Will replied, grabbed his bag when he noticed the look he got. "If you think back at what I said, I agreed with Cedric that we're done here but we're not going home just yet. There's still something I want to do."

Will walked out of the room to Arthur's bewilderment. "I really need to keep a better watch of what he says."

Arthur joined him as they walked out of the inn where some of their party was waiting. Edric and Gendry had their packs along with Cedric. Several of the northerners like Smalljon Umber, Harion Karstark, and Gawen Glover along with Dickon Tarly and some of the southerners were ready to leave. Ser Davos was with the ship hands who were making sure that the ships were stocked up and ready to leave along with ensuring that the prince's personal ships were ready. Besides the Jackdaw, Will paid for three more Swan Ships to be built giving him four personal warships. He named them the Aquilla, the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman, They were fast and agile while tough and dangerous and each were uniquely painted and colored, armed with ballistae launchers and the Flying Dutchman had a catapult launcher. After the ships were built, he hired some sailors from the Summer Isles to help man the ships with Joshamee Gibbs, a traveling sailor from Essos, acting as the commander of all four. Mr. Gibbs, as he was called was a gifted sailor and knew the ocean as well as Ser Davos and he was fun to be around. Serving with him was Adewale, who was the second in command. Mr. Gibbs saved Adewale from some slavers and took him in on his adventures, training him in sailing and naval combat.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Will called out. Mr. Gibbs walked over to the ship's railing to answer the Prince's call.

"Yes, my prince?" He replied.

"Are we all set to sail?" Will asked.

"Aye, that we are. Whenever you're ready we're set to go wherever you want." Mr. Gibbs replied and Will nodded. Mr. Gibbs then went back to work on instructed his men. "GET A MOVE ON YOU LAZY BASTARDS! I'VE SEEN TURTLES MOVE FASTER THAN YOU LOT!"

Mr. Gibbs outburst caused Will to chuckle. He and Adewale were interesting company. His ships were in good hands with the both of them. Will looked back at his growing group of companions and decided to speak to them. "The men are almost ready, my prince." Ser Davos told him.

"Good, because there's something I need to tell all of you." Will said as he walked onto the ramp of the Jackdaw so everyone could see him and so he could address his men. "I want to thank you all for coming with me on this journey. I know that many of you, my father included felt that this was folly but we've proven them wrong. Several who came with us are no longer here and I will be forever grateful for their sacrifice as I hope you are as well."

Everyone nodded and bowed their heads in respect to the fallen. Ser Arthur smiled at his young student; he was truly becoming a great man. "Our task here is finished and the ships are ready to travel back to King's Landing along with the goods and payment you all deserve. I'm proud to have traveled with you all but this is where our paths diverge." He said as everyone was confused by his last sentence. "Ser Davos and the ships will be heading back to King's Landing but I will not be going."

"What do you mean, your grace?" Ser Davos asked.

"I didn't take this mission just because I wanted to help Prince Jalabhar…I took it as a personal mission to figure out where I fit into this world and what my destiny holds for me. If I truly wish to be the best person I can for the Seven Kingdoms then I need to figure out the person I am going to be." Will replied.

"If you're not going back to the capital, where are you going?" Dickon Tarly asked.

"I'm not sure but I do know that while my future may lay in the Seven Kingdoms, I need to be better than the rulers before me. My father and uncles never stepped foot out of Westeros but the world is changing…I'm changing. Perhaps some travel might help provide the answers to my own questions." He told them. "Thank you all for coming with me but this is where our journey ends. Safe travels back to Westeros and know that I will return one day, this I can promise you."

Will walked onto the Jackdaw and walked into his room below deck to put his bag away before coming back on deck to see Ser Davos. "Your grace, I understand wanting to travel the world and discover who you are but are you sure this is the best decision?"

"It is, Ser Davos. If I come back home now, the doubt I have in myself will plague me for years. I need to clear myself of this. This is my journey." He replied before shaking hands with Ser Davos. "Thank you for everything."

"Your grace, I'd be remised to tell you that your father and your uncle would want me to accompany you on this journey to watch over you." Ser Davos told him.

"True but you have a wife and son who need you more. The oath of husband and father are just as important to the crown. Besides, I told Stannis that I required your services for this journey and I will keep my word." He told him before handing him a rolled up scroll with the wax seal of House Baratheon and Stark and another scroll that had just had the sigil of House Baratheon. "The one with the stag is for Stannis, make sure he gets this. The other is a message for my father and the small council. Tell them I hope they understand and I will be back home one day."

Ser Davos took the scroll and nodded before the two shared one last hug. "Be careful, my prince."

Will hugged him back before the two separated and Ser Davos walked down the ramp of the Jackdaw and made his way to Black Betha. Ser Arthur Dayne walked onto the ship with his sword and pack. "Quite a moving speech, my prince."

"I take it you're coming with me?" He asked.

"Of course, I'm your sworn shield. I'm to protect your back and guard you always whether it be here, Westeros or anywhere else. Besides, I could do with some traveling myself." Arthur replied.

"Very well then, Ser Arthur Dayne. Get your quarters settled." Will told him. Ser Arthur went to put away his things when Will noticed Gendry and Edric walk onto the ship along with Cedric. "And what do you three think you're doing?"

"Coming with you, of course." Gendry said.

"We've stuck by your side for the past two years and we're not stopping that now. If you're going on a trip then we're coming along. Besides, without you in the Red Keep we might as well go back to Flea Bottom." Edric added. "All for one and one for all. You're not getting rid of us."

"And you, Cedric?" He asked.

"I've been your confidant for almost as long as Ser Arthur Dayne. I've tutored you, raised you, and counseled you in your youth. If you do plan to travel and find yourself, then I'll help you to the best of my ability." He replied.

"Welcome aboard the Jackdaw." Will said as the three went to get settled. Lord Dondarrion and Thoros walked onto the ship along with some of the Stormlands warriors. Hundred Eyes was coming as well and to his surprise, he saw Smalljon Umber, Harion Karstark, and Gawen Glover come onto the ship along with a few of the northern soldiers and servants.

"Room for a few more?" Smalljon asked.

"Any reason you lot are coming with me?" He asked.

"A chance to travel and see more of the world. I wouldn't pass this up for anything. Besides, I could do without my father's constant lectures and training for a while." Harion Karstark replied.

"We've stuck by you so far and things have been good. No reason to stop now." Thoros added.

"If you men are dead set on this then by all means, welcome aboard." Will stepped aside to let them on board. Hercules and his group followed on board and all bowed and nodded as they passed him by. They were being paid to protect him so naturally they were coming along. He saw Prince Jalabhar by the docks with a few of his royal guard so he walked down the ramp to say his final goodbye. "Prince Jalabhar, thank you again for your hospitality. I can't thank you enough for what you've done."

"Please, it is I who owes you the thanks. Know that you will always have a friend and ally here in the Summer Isles." Jalabhar told him.

"And know the same if you ever need anything, then I'll do my best to help." Will bowed his head. One of the Royal guards walked forward with a young eagle on his arm.

"A final gift for you on your travels. A mighty Golden Eagle, the best flyers and hunters of the skies. This one is still young but will soon grow into a mighty animal. I hope he aids you in your future endeavors." Jalabhar said. Will held his hand out and the eagle flapped over before landing on his arm. He looked at the large bird and saw the dark brown wings and the golden color of the crown and nape. He was young but if his lessons were any indicator, he would grow into a fearsome bird of prey.

"Thank you. I'll think I'll name him Orys." Will said as Orys flapped his wings. "Thank you, Prince Jalabhar."

"You are quite welcome." He replied as the two shook hands. "I wish you good fortune in the years to come."

"As do I." Will replied. He gave one final bow before walking onto the Jackdaw and heading to the quarterdeck where Mr. Gibbs was waiting by the ship's helm.

"So, where to your grace? The open sea is yours." Mr. Gibbs said. Once he was given a point, he'd lead them there. Will thought for a moment before he looked down at Red Rain around his waist.

"Take us out to open sea towards Volantis." He said and Mr. Gibbs nodded.

"All right. READY THE SAILS AND RAISE THE RAMP! WE'VE GOT THE WIND TO CATCH!" Mr. Gibbs shouted as the men got to work. They quickly raised the ramp and anchor while men rushed along the sails and let them unfurl. Orys flapped his wings and took flight, like he was leading the ships out to open sea while Will and the rest of his group felt the ships move forward and the rush of wind in their face. Time for an adventure.

Line Break xxxxx

William and his four ships had been sailing for about a week. The wind was favorable but not the best so they weren't going as fast as they normally would. Still, being out on the open sea with the crash of the waves and spray of salt air felt good. He really liked sailing. The rest of the crew were passing the time and keeping themselves busy. Edric was training with Amphiaraus and Gendry was talking and training with Hercules.

Will was standing on the bow of the ship as he looked out to the open sea and saw a cluster of dark, foggy clouds in the distance. He pulled out a rolled up map from his pocket and based on the likely path they took from the Summer Isles and where they were heading, that was most likely the Smoking Sea and the ruins of Old Valyria. He wasn't sure what came over him but he wanted to do some exploring.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Will rushed over to the quarterdeck as everyone on the deck saw him run over.

"Yes, my prince?" Mr. Gibbs asked.

"Adjust our course. Head there." Will pointed towards the foreboding clouds. Mr. Gibbs took out his spyglass and realized where the prince wanted to take them.

"My prince, that's the smoking sea and the ruins of Old Valyria. No one sails that path. Many say it's still haunted by the doom." Mr. Gibbs told him.

"I understand. I'm not asking you to sail through it. Just get close enough where I can row a boat." He told him. "Call me curious but I want to see what's there."

Mr. Gibbs hesitated but another nod from the prince and he adjusted the ship's course. Adewale signaled the other ships to follow. Cedric noticed their change in course and saw what was ahead of them if they kept sailing. He pulled out his own map and did some quick calculations before realizing where the Prince wanted them to go.

"Uh, my prince, do you realize where you have us going?" Cedric asked as he walked up to the prince on the quarterdeck.

"Yes, I do. We're taking a detour to Old Valyria." He replied.

"What?!" Gendry and Edric shouted.

"Relax, you two. We're not sailing through the Smoking Sea. We're just getting close enough to the point where I can rowboat to the shore." Will told them.

"Why? Why would you want to go there?" Ser Arthur asked.

"It's the ruins of the world's greatest civilization that ever lived." He replied.

"And subsequently destroyed by a cataclysm that tore the continent apart and destroyed all those who remained. It's been cursed ever since." Lord Dondarrion told him.

"Lord Dondarrion, you surprise me. I didn't think you held much faith in curses and old legends." Will said.

"There's a difference between the myths and legends of old and clear and present danger. No one who has ever been to Old Valyria has ever returned." He replied.

"He's right, my prince. Not even the priests and warriors of the Lord of Light would dare venture there. They say the Doom still has a hold over it." Thoros added.

"Lord Umber, Karstark, Glover, what say you?" Will asked.

"You know our legends of the North and of the First Men. The White Walkers, Children of the Forest and such. Old Legends and stories now that mean nothing but…I'm man enough to admit that something about that place doesn't sit right with me." Lord Glover said.

"Aye. We Northerners hold to our faith more so than most but…I do know that anyone who has ever ventured there has never returned." Harion Karstark added.

"You cowards. I've dealt with Wildlings and that sorry bunch will make southerners piss their pants. I'm up for it." Smalljon Umber told them.

"I've heard of the Wildlings. Well, Valyria has the Stone Men so it might be like you never left home." He joked causing Smalljon to chuckle. "We won't be here long. Once we get close enough, I'll row out there and I'll be back soon. I don't plan to spend more than an hour or so there. I just want to do some exploring."

"May I ask why?" Ser Arthur asked.

"It's the remnants of the world's greatest empire and if the stories are true, no pirate or conquering force has been there since the Doom which means all of its secrets and treasures remain untouched." Will replied.

"You had me at treasure. I'm in." Autolycus volunteered.

"Besides treasure, think of the secrets that were left behind. Secrets that no Maester or traveler could possibly know…right there for the taking. Besides, the Valyrian's were the ones who created Valyrian steel and there could very well be a gold mine there." Will said, walking past all of them. "I'm up for an adventure. And if we do die and enter the afterlife, you can all say I told you so."

"I have a bad feeling about this." Gendry said.

Mr. Gibbs got all the ships about three hundred yards off the coast of Old Valyria. He didn't want to risk getting any closer which was fine so the men began preparing the rowboats. Will was going to shore along with Ser Arthur Dayne, Edric, Gendry, Hundred Eyes, Hercules and his group, Lord Dondarrion, Thoros, and Lord Umber along with a few extra men to guard the boats.

"Be careful, my prince." Cedric told him as Will climbed down the rope ladder to get onto the rowboat while Orys flew above them.

"I will, Cedric. Don't worry, I'll be back." He assured him.

"I sure hope so." He replied before swallowing the pit in his throat. "Or else your father will kill me."

The group rowed to shore in five rowboats through very calm waters, something no one was expecting. When you were that close to the shore you would expect some choppy waves but it was eerily calm and smooth. Maybe Thoros was right about the Doom still having a hold on this place? After some easy rowing, they made it ashore on a very calm beach. Will jumped out of the rowboat with some eagerness as he looked at the sight before him. Orys had been flying above them before he flew down and land on his left shoulder.

"Welcome to Old Valyria." He said to everyone as they took in the eerie majesties and aura of it all. Old stone structures and ruins were mixed with lush green foliage, calm streams, and a weird light fog.

"This place feels…sick." Gendry said.

"Well, something horrible happened here centuries ago. Valyria was home to one of the world's greatest empires. There wasn't a part of Essos they didn't venture to." Thoros told him. "They conquered city after city with their dragons and if the legends are true…they could use magic. This is all that remains of that once powerful empire."

"What exactly happened? The stories are never that clear." Edric asked.

"No one really knows. All that is known is a massive cataclysm shook Valyria to its very core. It was known as the Doom and destroyed the old empire and all of old Valyria with it including their secrets and their dragons. No one survived except for the Targaryens who were on Dragonstone and they're gone." Thoros told them.

"Well, I have some of the blood of old Valyria if my father's ancestry is any indicator. My great-grandmother was Rhaelle Targaryen. Let's hope that old Valryian blood leads us in the right direction." Will said to himself, unslinging his composite recurve bow and walking over to the two men by the boats. "You two stay here with the boats. Keep an eye out for anything and if it's a Stoneman, use your bow and burn the bodies afterward. Don't touch them. We'll be back soon."

"Yes, my prince." They replied.

Will pulled up the hood and face mask of his jacket before pulling out two arrows and readying them on the bow's drawstring. "Let's move." He told them as his group moved out and made their way down the beach. Will kept his eyes ready and his ears open like his training honed into him. Atalanta kept an arrow ready as well and the other men readied their weapons just in case. Gendry had a sword ready and Edric readied a short spear and shield. They walked down the beach which turned into dirt, soil, and grass that paralleled the calm water of the Smoking Sea.

As they walked further along the shoreline, they noticed tattered old wooden remains along the water. Hercules walked over to take a look and although a majority of the wood was rotted and had withered away, he knew what these used to be. "Rowboats. Have to be a century old at least." He told them.

"So other people came here as well?" Iolaus asked.

"Well, plenty of stupid people probably came here for whatever riches were left after the Doom." Will told him. "Present company excluded. If the stories are right, King of rock Tommen Lannister came to Valyria with his ancestral sword Brightroar and was never heard of again. Gerion Lannister tried the same thing but no one has heard anything about the two."

Edric felt his skin crawl being in this place. He walked over to his brothers when his foot hit something metal. He knelt down to check what it was, moving the sand and dirt off it only to see it was a skull wearing a helmet. "AAAAHH!" Edric fell onto his back in shock as everyone readied their weapons only to see him fall on the ground. Will and Gendry rushed over to check on their little brother.

"Edric, you all right?" Gendry asked. Edric was still a little shell-shocked from the scare but managed a nod. Will picked up the skull from the ground before he looked around them and stood up. The others did the same and realized what they thought were rocks or sand clumps were actually skeletons.

"Well, that's morbid and a bad sign." Atalanta said. Arthur knelt down and moved some of the sand off of pile to see metal. He brushed the sand and grime away and despite the rust, saw the faint flicks of red paint and a lion.

"Lannister red." Arthur said, holding up the chest plate.

"Well, I think we found Gerion Lannister's retrieval party." Hercules announced.

"Or King Tommen Lannister's party. Probably both." Hundred Eyes added.

"Amphiaraus, I don't suppose you've seen us die here in one of your visions?" Gendry asked.

"I'm not meant to die here today. Can't say the same for the rest of you lot." He replied.

"That's comforting." Will replied. He looked at the bodies when he began to notice something. "Huh, that's odd."

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"Look at the bodies and how they're on the ground." He told them. There was a large group of bodies by the water and the boats, indicating that many of them died here, probably from when they came ashore yet there was a small group that seemed to head up the old cobblestone path. "There's a large concentration of bodies here by the boats which makes sense if they were ambushed by the Stonemen but there's some over by the path."

They all looked around and realized he was right. The way the bodies were on the ground seemed to indicate that a group had splintered off and moved up the cobblestone path in an attempt to leave or that it was their destination once they came ashore. "Interesting." Hercules muttered.

"Orys, fly." Will said as Orys flew above them into the air to keep a watchful eye on anything. "Let's move."

The group made their way up the cobblestone path that led them up a route through a small section of the wooded area. As they continued down the path, several more skeletons seemed to dot the path like these men were a scout party. Hundred Eyes kept his hearing open when he heard some rustling to his right side from the trees. Will heard it as well when Orys gave out a cry from the sky. Will stopped moving which made the rest of them do the same. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his heart before turning to his right and firing both the arrows on his drawstring in rapid succession. The arrows hit something and two Stonemen fell into view with the arrows in their hearts. An inhuman roar was heard and more Stonemen came to rush them. Hercules and the others with close range weapons readied themselves only for Will to shoot arrow after arrow like his training had honed into him. He killed Stonemen after Stonemen with arrow shots to the head or heart and they went down quickly. Atalanta and some of the other men fired their arrows as well but Will killed the most.

After an intense minute, all 21 Stonemen that tried to rush and kill them were killed. Dead with arrows to the head or heart. "Guess the stories of those inflicted with Greyscale being sent here is true." He said to himself.

"What are they?" Gendry asked, walking over to poke one of them when Thoros stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that, lad unless you want to catch Greyscale." He told him.

"Greyscale?" Gendry asked.

"What's Greyscale?" Edric added.

"It's a deadly disease. Once you're infected, it turns your skin sickly and hard like stone before it ravages inward and then the mind. Most people who are afflicted by the disease won't survive and those that do…well, this is what they become." Will said, pointing to the dead Stonemen. "The Stonemen were sent here to protect people from them. They can't do any harm here and no one else can get infected. Thoros, burn the bodies."

"Right." Thoros took out the large pouch of oil from the bag Hercules was carrying and began dousing all the dead bodies before burning them.

Will kept them moving along the cobblestone path and as they kept moving the more skeletons they found. Clearly whatever Gerion or King Tommen Lannister were here to do they managed to get pretty far inland but for what? The cobblestone path eventually led to the ruins of a large chamber, probably once a main section of a castle or tower. It was huge, probably the size of the throne room in the Red Keep. Inside the room, Will saw what looked like an old forge or oven but there were a lot more skeletons in here. Orys gave out another cry before flying down and landing on a tree branch above the ruined chamber.

"More bodies. Probably where this party wanted to be." Atalanta said, looking at the skeletons on the ground. They noted that some of the skeletons were near large chests or clay pots and containers.

"What was this room?" Autolycus asked.

"Well, if my eyes are right, that looks like a forge." Gendry pointed to the tattered brick remains of an oven.

"Remembering those days under Tobho Mott?" Edric joked only to get punched in the shoulder by Gendry.

"Gendry could be right. This could have been one of the forges that the Valyrians used." Ser Arthur added.

Will walked over to one of the skeletons that was by a chest and noticed the lock on it. He drew Red Rain and sliced the lock off with ease before sheathing his blade. He opened the chest and smirked at the contents. "Guess I was right about the treasures of the Old Empire." Will said before reaching into the chest and tossing something to Autolycus. He caught it and saw it was a diamond. Everyone looked at the chest and saw it was filled with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and other precious gemstones. Arthur opened up another chest and saw it was filled with gold. Hercules opened up another and it was filled with silver. There were about ten more chests and twice as many clay pots. "Guess I'll be the one saying I told you so."

"Can I just say that I've never been more happy that you managed to get us as protectors for a prince." Autolycus said to Hercules who nodded.

"All of this has been left here for centuries and no one knew." Smalljon Umber added, opening up one of the clay pots to see it was filled with more gold.

"Lord Umber, Autolycus, take half the men and get this back to the boats. Getting all of this back to the ships will take a while so go now. But be careful. There could be more Stonemen. Atalanta go with them. Hundred Eyes you too." Will ordered.

"Right away." Autolycus replied as half the group began taking the chest and slowly making their way back to the rowboats. Given the amount of treasure it would take some time.

"Everyone else, with me." He told them as they moved from the forge room to another. They walked down the remains of a large hallway or corridor, Will out front with his bow ready while everyone else kept their weapons at the ready. Thoros lit his sword to act as a torch and lit a few extra so they had some light. They traveled down the corridor of whatever tower or castle they were in and it kind of reminded some of them of traveling through the Red Keep. As they kept moving, they noticed more skeletons on the ground which meant the Lannisters had ventured further inward. They eventually stopped at another large room like the one before. There were the remnants of old books littering the walls on old bookshelves. There were tattered, decayed tables all over the room with old glass containers and other scientific and Maester equipment but that was just a guess.

"What's this?" Iolaus asked.

"Either an old library or based on what looks like the same equipment I've seen in Pycelle's lab…this could have been a room where the Valyrians developed most of their scientific advancements." Lord Dondarrion suggested.

"Sounds as good of a theory as any." Will replied. He saw the line of skeletons seemed to end here and the last skeleton was at the far end of the room. "Take a look around and see if there's anything of value here."

Everyone walked around the room to see what they could find while Will went over to check on the skeleton. He knelt down and looked over the skeleton, laying on the ground with its left arm trapped under a large stone in the ground and the right reaching out a discarded great sword. He grabbed the sword and looked it over, seeing the red leather handle, gilded steel cross guard and the golden lion head pommel. He unsheathed the blade from the scabbard and recognized the dark color of the steel and the rippling pattern in the metal.

"I think we just found proof of what happened with King Tommen Lannister of the Rock." Will said out loud so they all could hear him. "They managed to make it this far into the old ruins before they died."

"How are you so sure it's him?" Hercules asked only for Will to hold up the great sword and a large gold crown studded with gems.

"This is Valyrian steel. If I had to wager a guess, this is Brightroar, House Lannister's ancestral sword. He took it with him when they left Westeros. That and this crown is most likely his. Well, to those that seek adventure go the spoils." He took Brightroar and slung it onto his back diagonally so the handle was over his right shoulder before putting the crown in his pack. "Did you find anything?"

"Some old books and scrolls. Not sure what they hold but it could be important." Arthur replied.

"Take everything. It's in Old Valyrian so we'll have to have Cedric try and decipher it later." Will told them as the men began putting the books and scrolls into bags. Gendry walked over to a chest and opened it to reveal it was filled with lumps and chunks of some kind of metal ore.

"I think I found something." He called out. Arthur and Thoros walked over to check on what he found. "Looks like some kind of steel ore."

"It could be Valyrian steel. This is the only place that metal came from so this could be where they made it. We'll take it with us." Arthur told him. They closed up the chest and got it ready for the trip back to the boats. Will tightened the strap of Brightroar on his back when he noticed Tommen Lannister's skeleton's other hand was trapped under a large stone. From the way the body was placed you would think he had his hand trapped under the stone slab but it looked more like he had attempted to move the slab to find something. Plus, the stone slab seemed to have been moved out of the way so he could look for something.

"You didn't have your arm trapped so what were you looking for?" He asked himself, walking over and moving the stone slab out of the way and gently moving the skeleton to the side. "Sorry about this."

He moved Tommen Lannister's body to the side and moved another stone slab out of the way to see a space was dug out of the ground. You'd think that the Valyrians laid the stone floor on top of the ground but this showed that at least this part was dug for some reason. He moved his hand around the bottom and felt wood. He gave it a few knocks and it was hollow, indicating that there was something underneath. He took out his Valyrian Steel stiletto dagger and stabbed it into the wood. The blade punctured the wood with ease but stopped because it hit something with a loud thunk.

"What the?" He was confused. He didn't think there was anything that could stop Valyrian steel. He pulled the wooden board out of the ground and reached down, feeling some kind of weird stone. He pulled it out of the secret compartment and what he saw made his jaw drop. "By the seven and the old gods…"

In his hand was a dark blue scaled stone and he read enough books and seen enough drawings to know that he was holding…it was a dragon egg. Edric saw his brother freeze on the ground so he walked over and saw him holding a blue stone. "What is that?" He asked.

"What is what?" Arthur walked over and instantly froze when he saw what Will was holding. "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you think that this is a real dragon egg…then yes." Will replied. "This is an actual dragon egg."

"Dragon egg as in an actual dragon…the creatures that House Targaryen controlled for years? I thought they were gone?" Edric asked.

"They are…but the Targaryens were only one family that controlled dragons in the old days. If I had to guess, this may very well be the last one but I don't think it's alive anymore. It's been too long. It's just a stone now." Will told him. He looked it over and put it in his pack.

"If it's just a stone, why take it?" Edric wondered. If the egg wasn't going to become a dragon, why have it around?

"A unique souvenir. Who else can say they have a dragon egg from Valyria?" Will replied and Edric conceded his point. The rest of the men packed up what was left in the room. "All right, let's head back to the boats. We've spent enough time here and I'd rather not press our luck."

"Sounds like a good idea." Hercules added and the group began making their way back to the rowboats. It took some time because the large chest of Valyrian steel ore was pretty heavy. They eventually made it back to the shore where the rowboats were and saw there were more of them, most likely Autolycus requesting more given their cargo. They got into the boats and rowed back to the ships. Will took one final look at the ruins of Old Valyria and smiled…his gambit was a risk but the reward was well worth it.

They got back to the ships and came aboard with all their valuable cargo and treasure stockpiled in the center. "Well, it would appear that your little venture proved to be a success." Mr. Gibbs said.

"That it did, Mr. Gibbs. You and everyone on the ships will be getting a fair share. That I can promise you all!" Will shouted, causing all the men to cheer loudly. "I'll have Cedric begin dividing up everything and taking count so everyone gets their fair share."

"I'll get on it right away though it may take some time." Cedric told him, looking over the vast number of chests and clay pots of treasure.

"Take however long you need but after that we found something that you'll find interesting." Will said, taking out some of the scrolls he had in his bag. "We found these scrolls and other pieces of parchment in one of the rooms. We think they may contain some of the secrets the Valyrians stumbled upon."

"I'll get to work on translating them as soon as I can." Cedric replied. "I've always been one for a challenge."

"I know you are. And who knows…this day may mark the moment in history when Cedric Angar reveals the secrets of the Valyrian Empire that have been lost for centuries." Will suggested.

"One could only hope." He replied when he noticed the large sword on the prince's back that wasn't there when they left. "I see you've found yourself a new sword and judging by the Lionhead pommel, it once belonged to House Lannister?"

"That it did but to the victor go the spoils. Besides, what Tywin Lannister doesn't know won't hurt him." Will said. "I plan to make use of this soon enough. Mr. Gibbs, let's resume sail for Volantis."

"Aye-aye, my prince!" Mr. Gibbs shouted and the men got to work on getting the ship ready for sailing again while the others moved the treasure down below.

"Why do you want to go to Volantis?" Gendry asked.

"Because in that city lies one of the finest smiths who can reforge Valyrian Steel and I plan to do something with the two swords I have." Will said before taking out his journal and turning to a page with some drawings he did. "And an idea on a few more surprises."

Line Break xxxxx

Volantis

The Prince's small group of ships sailed into Volantis's bay where they laid anchor and the ships hands immediately got to work on securing the ship and preparing certain cargo for sale and taking inventory of others. Will prepared himself to travel into the city, securing everything he had on him. Volantis may be one of the great three cities of Essos but he still needed to be careful. Red Rain was strapped to his waist along with his small throwing knives, his two Valyrian steel daggers holstered in his boots, Brightroar was slung across his back and his bow slung across his left shoulder with his quiver tightened against his lower back for easy reach. He was wearing his jacket and made sure everything was set before grabbing his journal and walking out of the cabin. Ser Arthur was waiting for him along with the rest of the group that was traveling into the city. Hundred Eyes, Gendry, Edric, Lord Dondarrion, Thoros, and finally Hercules and his group. Will tasked Lord Karstark, Glover, and Umber to command the rest of the men and guard the ship. With the treasure down below, they needed to be careful.

Will walked onto the deck of the ship and saw Gendry and Edric ready themselves. "Gendry, are you and Edric, ready?"

"Yeah, we are." He replied as Edric walked over to them.

"Good. All right, you two. Keep close to the group. Volantis isn't like the Summer Isles…it's dangerous. And don't do anything stupid." He told them

"Stupid like going to the cursed Smoking Sea and rowboat to old Valyria to get us attacked by Stonemen?" Edric asked, being a smartass.

"I'm serious, you two. The Volantenes are strange. We have no power here so don't get into any trouble and don't do anything rash. You're going to see things you've never seen before." Will warned them and they both nodded. Will was in his serious mode so they knew to listen.

"My prince…" Hercules called to him. "We're ready."

"Right. Let's move." He told them as the group disembarked the ship and made their way the ramp of the ships to the small docks. He walked up to Mr. Gibbs to say one last thing. "Mr. Gibbs, keep an eye out and get the ship ready to sail as soon as possible. I don't want to stick around this city any longer than we need to."

"Right away." Mr. Gibbs agreed with him and got to work.

They walked down the dock to make their way into the city. Will could see the Black Walls of east Volantis, erected by the old Dragon Masters of Valyria. Fused black Dragonstone that was harder than diamond, over two hundred feet high and wide enough for six four-horse chariots to ride around with no problem. Everyone within the Black Walls were of the Volantis nobility or pure blood while the western bank of the city was where everyone else resided. That's most likely where they were heading.

Will spoke to the dock master about finding Quathor, he was the smith that Master Mott told him could rework Valyrian steel and if he was the finest smith then he'd be easy to find. Lucky enough, he had a shop about a hundred meters down the river bank which was good for them. It kept them away from the long bridge and he wanted to stay far clear of that.

The group made their way through the city, avoiding merchants, travelers, workers, Volantene soldiers, or slaves. Gendry and Edric saw some of the slaves and were horrified at what they saw. They saw a brothel owner looking over several women who were inked with a teardrop on their face, men inked with flies were cleaning up after the horses and men with wheels were driving carriages. They passed by some stores and they saw dismembered hands strung up on hooks like meat.

"Oh god." Edric muttered, horrified at what he saw and sticking close to Gendry.

"Don't worry, lad. Those are just for warning, not for eating." Thoros told him.

"I don't know if that makes it any better." Edric replied.

"The Masters don't take to giving second warnings. Those are kept up to warn anyone of what should happen if they're caught stealing." Thoros told him.

"It seems barbaric. Why not just throw the thief in a cell?" He asked and Thoros chuckled at the boy's naivety and innocence.

"Then the Volantene would have their cells filled to the brim. Volantis is not like King's Landing, boys, not like it at all. I should know, I've spent plenty of time here." Thoros said.

"Really?" Edric asked causing Thoros to chuckle. He pat Edric on the shoulder and pointed at the eastern part of the city where the mighty Temple of the Lord of Light was erected. It was three times the size of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing.

"That there is the Temple of the Lord of Light. It's where I was raised and trained as a priest." Thoros told him.

"You're a priest? You're nothing like the High Septon." Gendry said causing Thoros to laugh.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Gendry. No, well if I ever was a priest, I don't think I was very good at it. Not even sure if I believed the words myself but the old masters found their use for me." Thoros replied.

"Feeling homesick, Thoros?" Will asked.

"Not at all, my prince. Being by your side the past few years has been the most excitement I've had in my whole life. And I think you're the only one who listens to the sermons I mutter." He replied.

"You've taken to the Lord of Light?" Arthur asked but Will shook his head no.

"No, but they are interesting stories. Quite frankly that's all I think about the gods now, stories." Will said as they came to a small section of the city where other temples for various religions were built and many followers and steadfast believers were congregating. "I keep to the Old Gods as my Northern heritage believes, the gods of nature and such and I…honor the Seven because of Westeros but I'm not sure if I'm really a believer in any of that."

"What do you mean?" Amphiaraus asked as Will took a moment to figure out the right way to word his thoughts.

"No offense meant, Amphiaraus, truly." Will said and Amphiaraus nodded in understanding. "I know I may be young but honestly…I don't think any kind of belief will make the gods answer the prayers with all the death, destruction and horrors in the world. Given everything I've seen and everything I've heard…if the gods ever did exist, they gave up on us a long time ago."

"A bit of a bleak view, my prince." Lord Dondarrion told him.

"Maybe but I'm not going to be waiting around for a prayer from the Father or Mother to save me from certain death or doom." He replied. "Do I think everything the gods left for us and teach us is folly? No, of course not. There are valuable lessons and teaching there but I also believe that a man makes his own destiny…not the gods. However blasphemous that may sound I have no intention to offend any of you but that's how I feel. Who knows, maybe my travels will change my opinion but that's how I feel at the moment."

"More and more interesting as time goes on." Hercules said as they kept moving along down the road. They made it to a section of the city where many of the smiths resided if the smell of smoke and clanking of hammers and anvils was any indicator. Armor and weapon smiths had some of their items on display to try and entice people to enter. Jewelers were there as well with beautiful pieces adorned with expensive jewels and gems and whatever gold and silver there was. They eventually reached their destination which was a large smith shop nestled in the far corner of the street. There were various weapons of high quality with intricately designed guards and handles along with shields of various sizes.

Will saw some men working up front neither of them had slave marks or collars so that was a good sign at least. "Hello, I'm looking for Master Quathor." Will spoke in low Valyrian. "I'm looking to having something made."

"Please follow me. He is inside." One of the men replied, leading the group inside the shop where they saw more weapons and even sets of armor. They made their way to the back of the shop where a highly advanced set of smiting equipment and a scorching hot furnace were set up along with an older gentleman diligently pounding on a piece of molten metal before dipping it into quenching oil and checking it over for any imperfections or blemishes. "Master Quathor, you have a customer. A Westerosi is looking for something to be made."

"I'm busy, tell him to come back another time. Say I'm busy praying. Let the oblivious Westerosi wait outside. He'll be too stupid to think otherwise." Quathor replied before he put the blade in the oven to reheat it. His assistant turned to tell Will but he motioned him to stop before he spoke himself.

"A very impressive blade. Made by someone with a very discerning eye although you should be a little more careful. It's not unthinkable that the oblivious Westerosi might speak fluent Valyrian." Will commented which caused Quathor to stop what he was doing. Quathor put his tools down and took his gloves off before turning so Will could see the Qohor native, dressed in sturdy and common work clothes but despite that he had the aura of a seasoned craftsman.

"A Westerosi with a sense a humor, most interesting." Quathor replied in common tongue with a chuckle before shaking Will's hand. "I am Quathor, son of Quathon at your service."

"William Baratheon, pleasure to meet you." Will bowed his head and shook his hand.

"Ah, the Westerosi Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. What brings you all the way to Volantis? Surely you have smiths there who can help you?" Quathor asked, walking over to get a drink of water.

"Yes, but none of them can rework Valyrian steel." Will replied, undoing his belt and handing over Red Rain. Quathor unsheathed the blade and looked at the red Valyrian steel in awe. "I was hoping to get two swords more fitting to my heritage then that of a deceased one."

"It's been a while since I've worked with Valyrian steel but I haven't forgotten." Quathor sheathed the blade and put it down on the table. "Although there won't be enough metal for two swords of this size if that is what you are after."

Will took Brightroar off his back and unsheathed it, showing more Valyrian steel. "Will this be enough."

"I believe so." Quathor replied. "How did you come by two Valyrian swords? Any man is lucky to find one."

"I took them from people who no longer had use for them." He replied before taking out his journal and removing a folded piece of paper. "I had some ideas on the swords I wanted."

Quathor took the paper with the designs and looked them over. "Two Westerosi swords?" He asked and Will nodded. "There will be enough steel for that but a lot left over. The great sword you have can easily make two swords alone."

"This is why I'd like you to make these as well, if you can." Will took out several more sheets of folded paper from his journal that held weapon designs so Quathor could look them over.

"Very interesting." He commented, looking over the designs. "There will not be enough steel for all of them."

"Just the blade components." Will told him and Quathor nodded. "Can you do it?"

"Of course, I can do it but it will take time and cost a lot." He replied. Will took out a small bag of gold as payment for what he was ordering.

"How long will it take?" Will asked and Quathor thought it over before writing some things down on a board.

"Five days." Quathor told him. "I shall send a message to you once they are ready."

"Thank you. We're staying on a ship in the harbor. They'll be easy to find." Will replied. "Thank you."

"Thank you, William Baratheon. This will be my finest work but before you go, there is one thing you must do." Quathor pulled out a knife and Ser Arthur and the others immediately drew their swords in response. Quathor's helpers immediately began to panic and Quathor tried to calm them down. "Peace! Peace, I don't wish to harm you."

Will motioned them all to lower their weapons and they slowly did so. "Why did you draw the knife?" Thoros asked.

"Blood is needed for the swords." Quathor said. Thoros translated to the others and Will gave him a bizarre look. "Blood is part of the ritual for reworking the swords into your own. Red color of bastard sword is an example of this. If you truly wish for the best swords, blood is needed. Without blood, they will not be the best."

Will thought for a moment before he took the knife and made a slash in his left palm. Quathor took a cup and put it on the table for him. Will tightened his fist and squeezed out about half a cup of blood when he was stopped. "That will be enough." Quathor said, taking the cup over to the side for safe keeping. Thoros handed Will a rag which he used to wrap up his wound. "Now I get to work. I promise, swords will be the greatest they are with this."

"I sure hope so." Will replied as they left the shop and Quathor and his workers began their task.

With that said and done, Will and his group spent their time in Volantis until Quathor was done with the Prince's request. They unloaded the goods they needed to sell and the men took care of whatever necessities they needed for themselves or for the ships. Men went to the shops to repair weapons and armor and Cedric made sure they were packed up on food and medicine. In their time staying in Volantis, they received a message from the Seven Kingdoms, most likely in response to Will's decision to not come back yet.

Jon Arryn eloquently put it that his father wasn't the happiest with Will's sudden decision to travel and given his father's temper that probably meant a lot of shouting and throwing things but he did go on to say that his father understood that he is a man now and that means making your own decisions. He just wished him to be safe. Jon Arryn promised to look over King's Landing and the prince's projects such as the continued rebuilding of the city's infrastructure from the pipe system to destroyed buildings on the outskirts along with keeping him informed of what was going one. Jon Arryn even said he'd try to push on further development and refurbishing into the other areas of the Seven Kingdoms. Everyone wished him luck and good fortune on his journey.

Will then got a messenger from a branch of a trade guild outpost in Volantis with a message for him. When he started the guilds in King's Landing, they obviously spread to other cities including Essos and developed their own branches. They still replied and responded to Will but sort of overlooked the trade or guild in that city. Will got a message from his uncle Stannis. The second scroll he gave to Ser Davos was a message to his uncle to keep watch over things in King's Landing, in particular Cersei and Baelish. Will told him that with him gone, he knew Cersei and Baelish would see this as an opportunity to try and regain the power they loss so he wanted his uncle to watch over them. Get people he trusted and watch over them and their associates and then relay that information back to him…a spy network of his own in the works. He trusted his uncle would find trustworthy people and he could keep an eye on Baelish and Cersei so he wasn't caught unaware. He knew leaving was a risk but hopefully he'd return soon with more allies to even the odds. Stannis would relay the information through the trade guilds he set up in the city to get him the information. He created them and had them protected so they were safe for the moment but he told Stannis to send some extra men there for protection.

It's been five days since they arrived in Volantis and were about to head back to Quathor's shop to see how things were going. Gendry and Edric were sparring with the others while Will was with Cedric, Ser Arthur, and Hundred Eyes. Will and Cedric were looking over the scrolls and books they took from Old Valyria and had some luck in deciphering most of the contents but were stuck on some of the last parts. What they translated were designs and calculations for new building and scaffolding equipment that would make the job a hundred times easier for builders and masons. This would help big time and make repairs and new buildings easier when they got home. Along with those designs was a formula for a vapor kind of poison gas: one that was fatal and another that just put the person to sleep. The poison was a powder mixture that would plume up and make a dust cloud when ignited with fire. They deciphered new agriculture techniques for extremely dry and hot climates and even cold climates, aqueduct construction plans to carry water to other areas faster and easier, and new weapon designs for a rapid firing ballistae bolt launcher. It didn't have the typical range of larger ballistae but could supposedly fire faster by using a crank. That would be interesting to build but the most unusual thing they managed to decipher was something that translated from Old Valyrian into Black Powder.

Black Powder was a powder mixture of Sulphur, charcoal, and other things mixed together to form something incredible. Apparently when it was ignited with fire, the powder would create an explosion like when he set that barrel of oil on fire but apparently this powder could do it as well. The Valyrian's planned to use it in their weapons but they probably didn't get to that stage when the Doom hit but this stuff was supposed to work and not just for weapons but for mining and other things. They managed to test it with a tiny, tiny amount of powder…like literally a pinch of it. They put a lit candle stick in a spare rowboat in the water and dropped the pinch of black powder on it and it flared up. The Valyrian's said it would explode and it did…but on a very, very small scale. They were still debating if they wanted to test something bigger.

At the moment, Will and Cedric were trying to decipher the last couple of pages which they believed to be a manual on forging Valyrian steel from the special ore they found but only translated about a quarter of the writing. "This is a lot harder than everything else we've managed to translate." Will commented, scratching his head with his quill while looking over a book on old Ghiscari for any kind of clue.

"Well, if the parts we've translated so far are accurate and this is about forging Valyrian steel and if the stories are indicator then magic is involved." Cedric said.

"Then that will complicate things." Will replied, putting his quill down and rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. "By the seven, I've stared at these pages for so long I'm going to be seeing them in my sleep."

"Perhaps it might be a good idea to take a break from this." Arthur suggested.

"You're right." Will took a deep breath to calm down before he put the books and notes back together. "Besides, I'd like to stop in on Quathor and see how things are doing. He should be done by now."

"You go ahead, my prince. I'll stick around and keep trying." Cedric said. Will nodded and went to get ready. He got his quiver and bow along with his daggers and left with a group back to Quathor's shop. As they walked down the street, Will noticed the increase movement of slaves most likely in response from several slaver ships having come in. Seeing all these innocent people chained up like animals and taken from their homes by slavers made him sick. What made it even worse were the people who were buying them and treating them like they were looking to purchase livestock. Gods he wished he could do something about this but what…start a war in the middle of all slave trade for Essos?

They continued to Quathor's shop and were escorted in by his workers like before where they saw the man at work by the forge, seemingly tending to the furnace. "Quathor." Will spoke and the master smith turned to see the Westerosi Prince.

"Prince William. You are early but no matter." Quathor walked over to a table where three chests were set. One was large, seemingly carrying something either very large or very heavy, another of medium size and one of smaller size. "The items you requested are ready. All that is left are the swords which I'm working on right now."

"Of course, take your time." He replied. Gendry walked over to the forge to see two swords being heated up in the furnace for treating. "Forgive my little brother but he was a smith when he was younger."

"Ah, interesting." Quathor said, walking over to the forge with some tools before looking at Gendry. "You were a smith?"

"I worked for the best in King's Landing, Tobho Mott for some time." Gendry replied.

"I am unfamiliar with the name. What made him the best in the city?" Quathor asked.

"He charged the most." Gendry replied causing the Qohor native to let out a hardy laugh.

"I think I would like this man." Quathor pat Gendry on the back before putting on some gloves and grabbing a pair of large tongs. He took one of the blades from the fire and placed it on an anvil. "Help if you would like. Learn from a real master."

Gendry looked at Will and he nodded, urging him to go on. Gendry put his stuff down and helped Quathor with finishing up the blades. The rest of the group settled in and relax for a bit as Quathor finished up the blades. Gendry kept the blade from moving on the anvil while Quathor hammered it to fine tune the edge and thickness. Gendry looked to be back in his element even though he hadn't been with Tobho Mott in years he still remembered what he learned. Gendry remembered certain trades and secrets which could prove useful in the future like repairing swords and armor and making arrowheads. Granted, Gendry hadn't spent much time in the forges in the Red Keep but he didn't forget his training. Maybe after this he's start going back to the forges and hone his skills again.

Will was writing dome things down in his journal, Amphiaraus was sitting in front of another fire and throwing herbs into it for his visions, Atalanta was inspecting some of the bows on the wall, Autolycus was counting the gold that had filled his pouches with a happy smile, Tydeus was looking at axes and hatchets on the wall and Hercules and Iolaus were inspecting some of the armor. Thoros was drinking some rum while Lord Dondarrion and Arthur were looking over the armor. Will reached into his bag and took out a small pouch of his own coin.

"Treat yourselves." Will said, tossing the pouch to Hercules. "Get weapons, armor or whatever you need. We don't know when we'll have a chance like this again."

They nodded and began looking for things they needed or wanted. Quathor was nearly finished with fine tuning the blade and it would soon be ready for the prince. He lifted it up with a pair of pincers and checked the edge, the steel still red hot from the fire and the repeated hammering was coming along nicely. Gendry smiled when they heard loud thumping and the room shook a little bit.

"What in Seven Hells was that?" Gendry asked. "Is that an earthquake?"

"No, it's those blasted elephants." Quathor said in annoyance. "One of them must be nearby. Damn annoyance. They stomp and prattle here and make a mess of everything. Make sure everything is secure. I don't need half my shop falling to pieces because some idiot wants to prance around."

Gendry put some of the tools they didn't need away while the others made sure that items that were hung on the walls wouldn't fall off and hurt someone. Will felt another shake and tremble which shook through the shop and caused some stands to tip over. Will saw an awning above Quathor and Gendry come lose and fall to the ground so he quickly rushed over and tackled them out of the way. The wooden awning came loose and swung down, knocking over a bunch of equipment which caused a chain reaction of things falling down. A large wooden rack fell down onto the anvil, hitting the sword Quathor was working on and causing it to flip in the air before landing onto a table littered with papers, cloth, and other flammable items that quickly burst into flames.

"Shit." Will quickly grabbed a nearby water bucket and tossed it onto the fire, putting it out but filling the immediate area with a thick cloud of smoke.

[Cough-cough] Arthur and the others coughed and covered their eyes from the smoke that filled the room. "William, are you all right?!" Arthur shouted.

"I'm fine!" He shouted back, walking through the smoke barrier to show he was alive. "Just some smoke. Probably not a good idea to put it out with water but I acted. Let's get this smoke out of here."

Everyone grabbed a piece of fabric or anything they could and began to fan out the smoke as quickly as they could. Thoros saw the prince fully walk out of the cloud of smoke and he was fine as he said he was. He had the bucket in one hand but in his other was the sword that was knocked onto the table. Will had taken a spare piece of leather to grab the handle so he didn't damage his hand but to Thoros's amazement and shock he saw something he didn't expect to see in his life. The sword was red hot, like it had just been taken out of the forge and it was on fire. Standing there emerging from the cloud of smoke, Thoros saw the Prince that was Promised and it had been the prince he was serving all these years.

"There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him." Thoros whispered in High Valyrian. "The Prince that was promised has returned to save the realm."

Thoros was in awe at this revelation, as if he was seeing a vision from the gods while Will was as normal as he could be, coughing from the smoke inhalation. Gendry walked over and tossed another bucket of water onto the flaming sword, putting it out immediately. "Thank you." Will replied before placing it back near the forge. He dusts himself off of smoke and dirt when he saw some familiar looking crystals on his sleeves. He took a sniff before licking it. "Why was there salt on the table?"

"Salt is needed to treat leather for special handle." Quathor told him, putting the shelves back the way they were.

"Ohhh…." Will and Gendry replied before the two got back to help.

Two hours later

After doing some cleaning and cursing the idiot whose elephant caused the little accident, Quathor finished up the requested pieces for Prince William. Will paid Quathor his fair pay plus a little extra for the scuffle and fire.

"I hope you enjoy these items, Prince William." Quathor told him, cleaning his hands with a rag.

"I plan to." Will said, taking the middle size box and opening it. Inside was a pair of leather, steel, and Valyrian steel combat forearm guards and combat gloves. They were made up of high-quality treated brown leather with steel plates on the knuckles and back of the hands for the gloves. The forearms were encased in a light layer of steel but had three edged Valyrian steel blades coming out. They were sharp and deadly so they could tear into a person with a swipe or could catch a blade. Will put the gloves and forearm guards on and liked the feel. They were lightweight so they wouldn't hinder his movement or his fighting. He tested it out by throwing some punches and elbowed and there was a minor weight increase but nothing he couldn't adapt to with more training and time. "Excellent."

"Very interesting design, my prince. Where did you come up with that?" Arthur asked.

"Well, there are armored vambraces so I figured why not do something different. The blades can slice through someone or catch a blade." He explained. He put the box away and didn't open the larger box or smallest one. "These I'm saving for a later occasion."

"Very well. All that leaves are the swords." Quathor brought over two bastard swords, one was in a black scabbard while the other was in a grey one. "I have to say, these two blades are some of the finest I've made. You will like it."

Will examined the blades and noticed the handles were simple yet elegant and made of the best quality material. Both handles were made up of sturdy wood/bone mixture wrapped up in black leather with simple steel cross guard. The pommels were the things that helped make each sword unique. The sword in the black scabbard had a stag head pommel and the sword in the grey scabbard a snarling blue wolf pommel. Will unsheathed the blade in the black scabbard and got his first look at one of the Valyrian steel swords. The shing it made when he unsheathed it told him it was sharp enough. He noticed the unique rippling pattern embedded within the blade that was the telltale sign of Valyrian steel but what really drew his attention was the color of the blade. Red Rain was blood red but this was a black like the leather on the handle but it had ripples of gold and even red that flowed through the blade like blood. (2)

"Interesting…" Will commented, noticing the ripples of gold and red in the blade. "Why the three colors?"

"I'm unsure. The ritual bonded your blood with the blade. The colors represent your heritage." Quathor told him.

"The black and gold make sense but the red…" Will looked perplexed before sheathing the blade and picking up the sword in the grey scabbard.

"Perhaps it's that latent Targaryen blood in you." Hercules suggested.

"As good a guess as any." Will replied before unsheathing the other sword and was met with a blue and white colored blade. "Now this makes more sense. Thank you again for everything, Quathor."

"It was my pleasure, Prince William." Quathor replied as Will took the Stag pommel sword and tied it around his waist so it rested on his left thigh before slinging the other sword onto his back diagonally so the handle was over his left shoulder. "It was a pleasure making those swords and the other items. You've given me some new ideas for my own shop. Keep a watchful eye over these swords, they are one of a kind."

"That they are." He replied before shaking his hand. "Thank you again."

Will bid him goodbye and his group made their way back to the ships. The men got back to whatever they were doing whether it was relaxing, training, drinking, or whatever. Will sat down in a chair and had the wolf head pommel sword unsheathed. He gave it a few test swings and liked how light it was in his hands and how easy it was for him to use. Like Red Rain, this Valyrian steel bastard sword was deadly and he had two of them.

"Can we look at the other swords?" Gendry asked so Will unsheathed the stag head one from his waist and handed it over. "Incredible."

Gendry gave it a few swings and marveled at the blade and how light it was. "How lucky are you to have two Valyrian steel swords?" he asked.

"Very lucky not to mention those vambraces on your arms. Is that what you had Quathor make with the extra Valyrian steel?" Edric asked and Will nodded.

"I did along with some other things that I'll wait to unveil until the time is right." Will replied. "If we're lucky, we'll be able to use the ore we got from Valyria but we're still working on translating it."

"Well, when you do you get to have Gendry forge it for you." Edric joked.

"I think I'd rather leave it up to experienced hands. No offense, Gendry." Will joked.

"None taken. I wouldn't want to be responsible for ruining what little Valyrian steel is left in the world." Gendry said causing both brothers to laugh. "So, are we all done in Volantis? You came here to get Red Rain reforged and you did."

"That I did. We've done what we needed to do here and the others have what they needed. Now, we need our next destination." He told them as Gendry handed Edric the sword to swing.

"So, where is it?" Edric asked, swinging the Valyrian steel sword around.

"I'm not sure." Will replied, sheathing his sword onto his back like before. "It's my journey but I'm not sure when I want to go next. We could go to Braavos next or Pentos or just travel east and see where we go but I'd rather not do that."

"If I might make a suggestion…" They heard as Ser Arthur Dayne walked over. "I have an idea on where we could go."

"Where?" Will asked.

"Years ago, you spoke to me about some changes you wanted to make and how you needed to learn from the mistakes made by rulers in the past. One of them was about the matter of soldiers who were loyal to you and you alone. If we head east, I have an idea on where to fine one such force." Arthur told him.

"Where would you find that?" Edric asked.

"Astapor." Arthur replied and Will immediately knew what his idea was.

"The Unsullied?" Will asked, wondering if Dayne had taken a recent blow to the head to suggest something like this. "Are you serious?"

"They're the most deadly force in Essos and you won't find one more loyal." Arthur told him.

"There's a reason for that. They're an army of slaves who were forced to train and fight by the masters of Astapor. Their obedience is drilled into them because they're treated like animals. Why would you suggest such an idea when you are aware that slavery is outlawed in Westeros and my own personal distaste for the act?" He asked.

"It was merely a suggestion, my prince. Yes, they're an army of slaves but you have more than enough gold to purchase all of them even without the treasure from Valyria and knowing you, you would free them the second they were in your service so they would be an army of freed slaves." Arthur told him. "If you truly want to set yourself aside and have your own personal force that will side with you through everything then the Unsullied are not to be dismissed outright. At least, let us visit Astapor and see for your own eyes."

Will gave it some thought and having the Unsullied had its benefits and consequences. They were highly trained and according to various stories and first-hand accounts, they were among the deadliest fighting force on Essos and extremely obedient. The consequences: he'd be dealing with slavers and he himself would be controlling an army of slaves. Slavery has been outlawed in the Seven Kingdoms for centuries so how would it look if the crowned prince and heir returned to Westeros with an army of slaves.

"All right, fine. We'll go and see but I won't make my decision until then." He replied and Arthur nodded before looking at Will's swords.

"So, have you thought of any names for those yet? The best swords have names." Arthur told him and Will was about to respond but didn't have an answer.

"I guess I spent more time on wanting them remade that I didn't think of any names. I think I can think of something." Will took off the sword from his back and looked it over before looking at the blue wolf's head pommel on the hilt. "How about for this one…Wolf's Fang?"

"Hmm, simple yet elegant and fierce. It calls on your Northern heritage and is a warning that people will fear." Arthur said before looking at his own family sword. "Not as great as Dawn but good for that sword."

"Wolf's Fang is it." Will put the sword on his back. "And for the other sword?"

"Well, the men have been nicknaming you the Wolf of Storms after your fight with Hercules so maybe something along those lines." Gendry suggested.

"Not another wolf name. It'd be redundant." Edric pointed out causing Will to chuckle.

"Fair enough." He replied as Edric handed him his other sword back. "Storm…it's funny how that word which invokes fear in others is a sense of pride in us."

"What do you mean?" Gendry asked.

"Our ancestor Orys Baratheon invaded the Stormlands during Aegon's conquest and came upon Storm's End, the mightiest castle in the region. Built by Durran Godsgrief during the Dawn age after he married the supposed goddess Elenei, it took seven tries to raise it but after it was, it became the most impenetrable castle in the Seven Kingdoms. No storm could topple its walls and the rein of the Storm King's began until Orys Baratheon defeated the last Storm King during the Last Storm when he foolishly left the safety of his castle for combat. He took the castle and our house was formed that with the union of the Storm King line and the Baratheons. Ever since then, Storm's End has never been destroyed or seized by an invading army in its history. Anyone who has ever tried to mess with House Baratheon has felt our fury and our wrath." Will told them before unsheathing his sword and looking at the black Valyrian steel with flecks of gold and red. "Storm's Wrath seems like an appropriate name."

"How about that? Guess you did manage to find names for your swords." Edric joked as Will ruffled his hair a bit.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Will shouted and Mr. Gibbs stood at attention. "Get us ready to make sail for Astapor."

"Right away, my prince." He replied. "ALL RIGHT YOU LOT! LET'S GET A MOVE ON! WE'RE HEADING TO SLAVER'S BAY!"

Line Break xxxxx

About a fortnight of sailing got Will and his four ships close to Slaver's Bay. Mr. Gibbs had to sail them around Old Valyria and the Smoking Sea before they arrived in the Gulf of Grief. Soon they would be in Slavery's Bay and Astapor within another day or two. They kept busy with training and other leisure activities on the ships as they sailed on the water. Gendry and Edric trained but also kept with their lessons with Cedric while Will trained with Ser Arthur Dayne with his new swords and was perfecting his duel wielding while also training with Hundred Eyes.

When he wasn't training or with his studies, Will was messing with the black powder recipe they discovered in Old Valyria. They got the ingredients they needed from Volantis so now it was up to them to figure out how to use it and not get killed in the process. They had all the ingredients separated below decks so as long as they weren't mixed it wouldn't be dangerous…they'd do that in a slow and extremely careful process. Will was sitting on deck at a table where a bag of mixed black powder was resting and any kind of flame or fire was kept far away. He put a small amount of the powder inside a tiny pouch before tying it closed with a tiny piece of string and adding a little extra.

"What do you think, Cedric?" Will asked, showing him the small pouch.

"That should be good enough for the test." He replied.

"All right, let's see if this stuff really is as deadly as the Valyrians thought it would be." Will said. Many of the men had gathered around to see what would happen out of curiosity or sheer boredom.

There was a small alcove of land by some large rocks and earth deposits in the ocean which was perfect for a test. It was away from the mainland so no one would know what they were doing and they didn't risk any damage to the ship.

"So, what exactly are we sitting here anchored in the middle of the Gulf of Grief?" Edric asked.

"Curiosity, little brother. If this thing is as deadly as the Valyrians thought it would be then having it could prove to be very useful. But first we need to test it." Will told him before tossing it over to Hercules. "Hercules, think you can throw it over onto the alcove?"

"I can do that." He replied. Will walked over with a lit candle and ignited the fuse which began to burn. Hercules gave it a mighty throw sending it about 80-100 yards away from the ship and onto the small, isolated rocky alcove on the water. Everyone waited to see what would happen and after a minute…nothing happened.

"Huh. Maybe the fuse went out?" Will suggested.

"Or maybe that Black Powder isn't all it's cracked up to be?" Autolycus told him.

"Maybe someone should go check and see if the fuse went out?" Gendry suggested.

"I'm not going out there. You go." Edric told him.

"Relax, you two. Both of you aren't going. It's my idea, so I'll go." Will said walking over to the rowboats only for everyone to hear a massive loud boom, a gush of wind to rush past them and a bright flash of red followed by a thick black cloud appearing in the alcove. Most people hit the deck and ducked when the explosion went off but they all got a first-hand view that Black Powder was real and dangerous. "On second thought, I think I'll stay here."

"Guess the fuse was longer than you thought it was." Ser Arthur told him.

"But we now know that Black Powder is indeed powerful…and quite dangerous." Cedric said, looking at the black cloud of smoke that was quickly dissipating. "All that leaves us is to figure out unique ways to implement it. Lucky for you, my prince, I've already set up several more tests."

Cedric handed him an arrow that had a cylinder of paper filled with black powder tied to the shaft with a small fuse. "A Black Powder arrow?" He asked.

"An idea I had. We have fire arrows so why not try something else?" Cedric suggested.

"Sounds like fun." Will unslung his bow and put the arrow on the drawstring. Cedric quickly lit the fuse and once it burned almost to the paper he fired it at the rock. Instead of an explosion like before, the black powder ignited in a bellow of smoke and seemed to carry the arrow with more speed. It flew faster than any arrow he had ever fired or any ballistae he had seen and flew more than 500 yards away before splashing in the ocean.

"Whoa…" Gendry and Edric were awestruck while Will and Cedric were confused.

"Well, that didn't go as planned." He said. Will took another Black Powder arrow Cedric made and looked it over. "How come the pouch exploded but the arrow just flew away?"

"I might have to do some tinkering with this." Cedric replied, taking the arrow and looking over the small paper filled with Black Powder. "Perhaps tying it off tighter might do the trick so it's enclosed or maybe instead of the paper we should make a small pouch of black powder and tie it around the shaft but that would make it heavier."

Will was going to help him when a cry from Orys drew his attention. Orys was flying back from the south and landed on the post above them before crying out two more times, something was wrong. Will walked over to the bow of the ship and saw six ships in the distance heading their way. Mr. Gibbs walked over and used his spyglass to see six ships coming at them but couldn't see any kind of sigil or merchant flag.

"Pirates." Mr. Gibbs said.

"We've got company." Will said before putting his bow back over his shoulder. "Pirates!"

"Raise anchor, trim the sails, and get those weapons ready!" Mr. Gibbs shouted.

"Arm yourselves! We've got pirates!" Will shouted and all the men quickly rush around the ship to get it ready for the fight and to get their weapons. He saw several of the men get the ballistae ready and the archers get to their posts but knew that with the pirates, this wasn't going to be easy. The Flying Dutchman was the most heavily armed ship he had but who knows how skilled these pirates were. Will saw the bag of black powder on the table and made a snap decision. "Gendry, Edric, with me! Get any spare sacks, bottles, and containers you can now!"

Gendry and Edric rushed off down below to get what they could as Will grabbed the four other Black Powder arrows and quickly tightened the paper around the arrowhead so no black powder came loose. He tied the twine as tight as he could get it with his teeth and free hand when Gendry came over with some empty sacks and Edric came by with some glass bottles and small clay pots that once held food, wine, or ale. They quickly filled as many things as they possibly could with as much black powder before making sure they were sealed and shut tight with fuses.

Will quickly rushed over to nearby Ballistae launchers and tied the bottles of black powder to the bolts as tightly as he could. "My prince, what are you doing?" Hercules asked, helping one of the men load one of the ballistae when he saw the prince messing with the bolt.

"Ask me when I'm done and if this works!" Will replied. He finished tying two bottles of black powder to the bolt before helping the gunner adjust the position. Gendry and Edric did the same and the four ballistae launchers on the Jackdaw were armed. He waited a bit until he saw the pirates were in range before he grabbed the candle. "Light them up!"

Will, Gendry, and Edric lit the fuses of the black powder containers as quickly as they could. "LOOSE!" Will shouted and the gunners fired the bolts towards one of the pirate ships. One missed and landed in the water, one hit skimmed past the mast and tore through the main sail, one buried into the main deck of the ship while another hit the hull of the ship. Will watched with bated breath, hoping that his plan worked and it did. A few seconds later, two huge explosions erupted from the pirate ship. One on the deck that killed a dozen pirates and another that blew up part of the hull and led it to taking on water. "HA! I'M A GENIUS!"

"No need to be humble about that!" Edric shouted.

"Oh shut up and load up the other ones!" Will shouted back and they quickly did so. The rest of the pirates saw one of their ships go down by some mystery weapon and quickly tried to turn tail and run. "Destroy their sails! They're not running from us!"

"Aye!" Adewale shouted before he held up some flags and signaled the other three ships with the new order. The Flying Dutchman's crew launched a flaming boulder via its catapult before firing its ballistae as well. The Black Pearl and the Aquilla fired their ballistae and began targeting the sails.

Will and the men tied another set of black powder to the bolts before launching them again. This time, all four bolts hit parts on the second and third ship either on deck or on the hull and they exploded like before. These blasts killed about two dozen pirates from the explosion and created more damage on the ships. The wind picked up and sped the ships forward to get alongside the pirate ships. The Jackdaw, being the fastest along with the Black Pearl was quickly able to get alongside two of the pirate ships.

"Take them down!" Will shouted and the men roared before throwing grappling hooks and ropes to board. Will grabbed onto a rope and swung aboard the pirate ship with Ser Arthur Dayne, Thoros, Lord Dondarrion and Hercules following behind him. He let go of the rope mid-swing and rolled from the impact before unsheathing Storm's Wrath and slicing the leg of a pirate with a swing and then slashing the stomach of another soon after. He threw his dragonbone dagger into the head of one of the pirates who was going to shoot him with an arrow. He ran forward and sliced another pirate in the leg before slashing him in the stomach and cutting his head off, then roundhouse kicking the head into another pirate.

Hercules bashed one pirate with his club and sent him flying overboard before grabbing another by the neck and throwing him into the mast. One pirate tried to get him from behind only to get a knife in the back. Hercules turned around to see a pirate slump to his knees with a dragonbone dagger in his back and that the prince threw it. He nodded at Will who nodded back. A pirate tried to sneak attack Will from behind so he quickly unsheathed Wolf's Fang with his left hand, spun the blade in reverse grip and stabbed the sneaky pirate in the gut. He pulled his blade and spun around to deliver a decapitating slash before moving on to his neck target. He rushed forward and slashed one pirate in the neck with Wolf's Fang, spun and slashed the second in the chest with Storm's Wrath before cutting off the hand of a third and stabbed the fourth in the heart. He kicked the third pirate in the groin before slashing him in the face and kicked the fourth pirate off his sword. He impaled another pirate in the stomach with his sword when he saw the other pirate ships quickly waving the white flag and surrendering.

One pirate tried to last minute charge Will from the side only for Gendry to slash him in the knee and then in the face with his sword. The rest of the pirates threw down their weapons and surrendered which was the smart thing to do. Will sheathed his swords and walked up to Gendry who was looking down at his sword with a little bit of a tremble. "Same thing happened to me after I saw combat for the first time." He told him before grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him close. "Nothing to be ashamed of and it's a valuable lesson to learn. Killing, while sometimes inevitable is never to be taken likely. Remember this, Gendry."

"I will." He replied. Will smiled and hugged his younger brother.

"I'm proud of you." He told him. "But just know that your training only gets harder from here. And we need to find you something else to use. Your form with the sword is horrendous."

"It worked on him, didn't it?" Gendry asked.

"Pirates are one thing but the point still stands." Will told him, patting him on the cheek. He saw Lord Dondarrion and Hercules round up the remaining 10 pirates together and collected their weapons. "Search the ship. Find out what they're carrying."

"At once." Lord Umber and Thoros went below deck to do some searching. Men on the other pirate ships signaled the pirates surrender so Will signaled them to search the ships for anything of value.

"My prince…" Thoros came up from below deck. "You should see this."

Will and Gendry walked below deck to see the damp and dark quarters. Thoros lit the way with a lantern down another flight of stairs and the distinct clatter of chains could be heard. Will saw with his own eyes men and women chained up in cages like animals. Men of varying skin tones, ethnicities, and builds were chained up to posts with recent whip marks on their backs while women and children were cramped into one cell like dogs.

"Seven Hells…" Gendry couldn't believe what he was seeing. To hear about slavery is one thing but actually seeing it with your own eyes is another. Will felt a pit in the bottom of his stomach at the horror he was seeing and the anger he felt towards the people responsible for this. He noticed the body of a man on the floor and a pool of blood. He was wearing similar clothes to the pirates upstairs with a whip in one hand and a set of keys on his belt.

"Bastard tried to kill us when he came down. Cut his throat quickly when he did that." Smalljon Umber told him.

Will knelt down to check the body and took the loop of keys off his belt. "These were never pirate ships…they were slavers." He said in anger before walking over to the cells. The slaves inside backed away in fear and rightly so which caused him to stop. He got down on one knee and calmed down. "It's ok, I'm not here to hurt any of you."

The women and children stayed where they are, not sure about what was going on so he slowly walked toward the cell door. "I'm not here to hurt any of you." He said in Low Valyrian and from the looks he got he guessed they understood him. "I promise you that no harm will come to you. The men who did this are dead or captured. You're free."

He unlocked the cell and opened the door, seeing the small children in the tender care of their mothers and growled in anger. He turned around and tossed the keys to Thoros. "Get them out of the cells at their own time and when they're ready, bring them up onto deck. Get them whatever food and water there is. And get those chains off their necks." He told him.

"Yes, your grace." Thoros replied.

"Gendry, come on." Will told him and the two rushed up stairs. They came back onto the deck where the men were bringing whatever supplies the pirates had onto the Jackdaw while Hercules, his group, and several of the men guarded the pirates. Will marched over there in anger, something that Ser Arthur could see.

"He's pissed." Arthur whispered.

"You sackless pieces of filth that the seven and the old gods should piss on!" Will shouted, before grabbing one of the pirates, kneeing him in the gut and throwing him onto the deck of the ship. Will unsheathed Wolf's Fang and stabbed it into the left hand of the pirates, causing him to shout in pain. "How does that feel?"

"Your grace, is that truly necessary? I understand that these men are pirates but perhaps some mercy is warranted to men who surrendered." Ser Arthur told him as the others gathered around to see what was going on.

"These men aren't pirates. They're slavers." Will told him. "And as far as I'm concerned, any kind of mercy I was going to give them is long gone after I saw the men, women, and children in those cells."

"They are slaves…property from the masters of Meereen." The slaver told him only for Will to yank Wolf's Fang out and stab his other hand.

"You probably shouldn't talk like that while you're our prisoner." Gendry told him. "Where were you going?"

"Fuck you, Westerosi." The Slaver shouted only for Will to turn the blade and making him shout in pain.

"I believe my brother asked you a question." Edric warned him. The Slaver didn't answer so Will twisted the sword again.

"Arghhh…Volantis!" The slaver shouted. "The men were fighters from the pits who tried to rebel so they're being sent to work in the mines at Volantis."

"And the women and children?" Will asked.

"I don't know. Wherever who buys them wants them." The slaver replied. "Why do you care? You want to buy them? Go ahead and take them."

The slaver's attitude only further irked him so he pulled his blade out and grabbed the man so he was on his knees. "They're not mine to take." He told him in anger. Will put Wolf's Fang on the slaver's shoulder and spared him one last look. "Die knowing that those people are now free."

In one quick move, he beheaded the slaver with his sword. The head and body fell to the ground with a thud and the other slavers began to get nervous. Will flicked some blood off his sword before wiping off the rest with a piece of cloth and sheathing it. "Dump his body overboard. Leave it for the sharks." He said and two men got to the task.

"What do you want to do with this lot?" Gawen Glover asked.

"Easy. Gendry, Edric, what's the punishment for slavery in the Seven Kingdoms?" he asked.

"Death." They both replied.

"There's your answer but they're not mine to kill." Will said as Thoros and Lord Umber come back on deck with the freed slaves accompanying them, some with water and food. "Right on time. Is everyone all right?"

"Aside from the whip lashings and being stuck in a cell they'll be fine." Thoros told him.

"Good. Thoros, take some men and go through the other ships and see if there are any other slaves captured below." He told him. "Find them and make sure they're taken care of."

"Yes, your grace." Thoros replied. Lord Dondarrion and a small contingent of men went with him to the other ships. Will stepped forward so he could talk to the recently freed slaves.

"Don't worry, no one is going to harm you. My name is William Baratheon from Westeros. I and my compatriots are the ones who stopped these slavers before they could take you to Volantis. All the slavers who rose up arms against us have been dealt with and the remaining are our prisoners. You are all free and your lives are yours to live. I can't imagine what you all have suffered at the hands of the slavers. There is nothing I can do to make up for what has been done to you but you all deserve justice." He said before looking at the captured slavers they held as prisoner. "They're lives are yours to decide. You've suffered at their hands and now their fate is in yours."

The former slaves looked at one another, unsure about what to do because most of them were still in shock over what just happened. A second ago they were in cells and now a Westerosi and his merry band of men freed them. One of the men stepped forward and grabbed a discarded sword one of the slavers used in the brief fight. Will could tell from the scars and the way he held himself that he was a warrior and from what the slaver said before he died, the men were from the Fighting Pits who attempted to rebel. He likely had some anger he wanted to take out. The man grabbed the sword before walking over to one of the slavers and smirked.

"Valar Morghulis." He said before taking off the man's head. After that was done, several of the men joined him and they killed all the slavers. Something Will and everyone else had no problem with. Slavery was punishable by death in Westeros and while they might not be in the Seven Kingdoms anymore, the prince was going to keep to laws of his people and what other option was there? It's not like there was a prison they could go to that would hold them. Once the slavers were dealt with, their bodies were dumped into the ocean for the sharks and fish to feed on. The freed slaves were given some new clothes, food, and medical attention by Cedric and the ship's medic.

Thoros found one more ship filled with slaves and had another group from Meereen: men from the fighting pits and women and children on their way to Volantis. After some interrogation done by Autoylcus, they found out that only two of the ships had slaves and the others were either acting as guard ships or carrying goods for trade. Lucky for Will the ship they sunk was one of the ships acting as protection. All in all they freed a total of 100 former slaves: 40 former Fighting Pit fighters and 60 women and children. With the slavers dead and the freed slaves now with them, Will took command and ownership of the slave ships. One was completely sunk, the two that were hit with the black powder bolts were badly damaged so not sea worthy but the remaining three were in decent enough shape to travel once the sails were replaced. Will removed any trace of slaver flags or mark for good measure.

A few hours after setting the slaves free and killing the slavers, the company and group were ready to set sail but Will needed to talk to the newly freed slaves first. He walked onto the deck of one of the taken slave ships where they were gathered to rest and eat. Their dirty rags were burned and were now wearing new, clean clothes and had been fed. He walked onto the deck of the ship and saw that the newly freed slaves talking amongst themselves, eating and just enjoying themselves. It lifted his heart to see them in good spirits. Once they saw him walk on deck they all immediately got up and bowed but he motioned them not to.

"Please, there is no need to do that. You are all free and your lives are yours to live how you see fit." Will told them. "I only did what was right. Do not think you owe me or anyone here any sort of blind loyalty."

"But it's because of you we are free from our chains. The gods brought you before us." One of the women said.

"No, not the gods. By sheer luck." He told her. "I'm happy that you are all enjoying yourselves but now I must speak with you. My party and I are heading to Astapor to inquire about the Unsullied and I plan to bring you with me only to repair and outfit your ships. Once that is done, you have my word that you are free to go."

"Why do you need the Unsullied?" A man asked in common tongue and Will recognized him as the first man who stepped up to kill the slavers.

"You speak the common tongue?" Will asked and he nodded. "I don't need them but my future plans might require their services however if I do purchase them they would be an army of free men, not slaves. I have distaste for slavery in its entirety and freeing you all was more than worth it. I understand the idea of going back to Slaver's bay will frighten you but please be assured it shouldn't. Slavery is outlawed in the Seven Kingdoms and while we may not be there, everyone on my ship will follow their laws. We only go to Astapor for my own inquiries and to repair your ship and restock it. No harm will come to you and you will not even have to leave the ship."

The man he spoke to talked to the others and told them what was going to happen and many had their trepidations about the whole thing but after some talking that seemed to quiet down. "Very well." He replied, extending his hand out to shake and Will did. "I am called Spartacus."

"William Baratheon, please call me Will. Get some rest. We'll pull the ships with us." He told him.

Line Break xxxxx

Slaver's Bay, Astapor

With tugging the three new ships into Slaver's bay, the going was slow and took longer so instead of a day's trip, it turned into two days. They made it out of the Gulf of Grief and were now in the bay and heading to Astapor. After saving Spartacus and his group, Will wasn't sure about the whole Unsullied thing but Ser Arthur hadn't led him wrong yet and he agreed to at least think it over after seeing them so he'd keep that promise. Spartacus and his group were interesting as all the men were former pit fighters who attempted a rebellion that was put down. Rather than be killed, the masters suggested they send them to toil in the mines in Volantis which is a punishment worse than death. The men were pit fighters while the women and children helped in the rebellion so they were going to be sold who knows where and to gods knows who. Spartacus was apparently a champion in the Pits and the others were skilled fighters like Crixus, Gannicus, Oenomaus, Varro, Agron, Nasir, Barca and even the women like Naevia, Mira, and Sura were dangerous. An interesting group. He was beginning to gain a habit of finding interesting companions.

Will was on the quarterdeck of the Jackdaw, watching Orys fly in the air above the ship before swooping down low to the water like it was ready to strike on an unsuspecting prey. Will took a small fish he managed to get from the water and tossed it high into the air to see Orys take a sharp turn up and grab it with ease. Orys gave out a successful caw before flying down and landing on the ship's railing. He happily gobbled up the fish in his beak as Will pet him causing the eagle to happily flap his wings.

"Orys's training seems to be going well." Arthur said as the eagle flapped into the air and landed on Will's stretched out arm.

"That it does. He's a very smart eagle. Hunting with him will be a lot of fun." Will replied. He gave out a distinct sharp whistle and Orys flew into the air on command and flew over the ship. "I'm still not sure about this."

"I understand but at least see what they have to offer. You've never made a rash decision before and who knows, the Unsullied may prove to be useful." Arthur told him.

"Even if I decide to get an army of Unsullied, I'll need more ships to get them back to Westeros." He said as they walked over to the deck.

"Something I'm sure your uncle and Ser Davos will be happy to help with." Arthur replied when they saw Amphiaraus sitting by the fire and tossing herbs into it causing it to spark.

"Is everything all right, Amphiaraus?" Will asked and the old seer looked at him.

"Oh, of course. Merely waiting for a reply from the gods about a question I pondered when you took us into your service." He told him. Will and Ser Arthur shared an amused look. "I may be old but I'm not blind."

"Forgive me, Amphiaraus but I do have some doubt that the gods would give you answers to your questions in a small cauldron of fire on a ship." Will suggested.

"The gods work in mysterious ways and while you have some reasonable doubt, that does not mean they have forsaken you." Amphiaraus told him. "They have given me the answer and you have a great destiny ahead of you."

"Oh, this I have to hear." Autolycus said as he, Hercules, Atalanta, Tydeus, and Iolaus walked over. "You know, Amphiaraus if you're going to use those herbs the least you can do is share some before you throw them in the fire."

"Laugh all you want but the gods have not led us astray. Wasn't it years ago I said that they would lead us to work for a mighty prince who would pay us in riches beyond gold and jewels?" Amphiaraus asked.

"Aye you did and a fat load of fun M'Baku was while he lasted." Autolycus replied with sarcasm.

"Whoever said anything about M'Baku?" Amphiaraus replied before looking at Will. "This prince is the one the gods destined for us to meet…he just took his time."

"All right, what do the gods have to say about me, Amphiaraus?" Will asked. The Seer of Argos tossed another handful of herbs into the fire, causing it to flare up a bit and looked into the flames for a vision.

"A prince born between the union of the king Stag of the forest and She-wolf of the north will rise above his own self-doubt and limitations to do wondrous things. Gods will be toppled, chains will be broken, and enemies will become allies. Golden lions, mocking birds, sparrows, and krakens try as they might to stop him to no avail. He'll unite seven into one and conquer both ice and fire…only then will the world know peace." Amphiaraus told them. There was a bit of silence among everyone from the lengthy and prophetic statement and many wondered if it were true. "There was also a bit about dragons and roses but the gods are being unknowingly tight lipped about that part."

"Quite the destiny ahead of me, Amphiaraus. If all of that is true and that is what the gods want for me…then why me?" He asked. "I find it hard to believe that the gods deem me so special."

"Men of great destiny often think such of themselves. Hercules has a great destiny ahead of him as well. All you need to do is continue on your path and the gods shall guide you." Amphiaraus told him.

"He's right, my prince." Thoros added.

"You too, Thoros?" Will asked. "What destiny does the Lord of Light see for me now that you didn't see before?"

"The greatest there is. The Prince that was Promised has returned to save the world from eternal darkness." Thoros told him.

"From the prophecy you told me about? I thought the Prince that was Promised was supposed to be the reincarnation of the ancient hero Azor Ahai? I highly doubt that's me." He assured him.

"You may doubt your destiny but rest assured, my prince that I do not. The prophecy foretold of a warrior who would be born amidst salt and smoke and pull a sword named Lightbringer from the flames which he will use to combat the impending darkness." Thoros told him. Will thought for a moment when he remembered what happened at Quathor's shop in Volantis.

"I don't think putting out a fire and emerging from the smoke, covered in table salt with a sword still hot from the forge counts as a prophecy answered. Besides, it only happened because of those elephants in Volantis. I highly doubt that your god would give you your champion from those simple mistakes." Will told him.

"Call them mistakes or acts from god, I believe things happen for a reason and having fought by your side the past few years…I believe you are who the Lord of Lights showed me you to be." Thoros replied causing Will to sigh in exhaustion. Something tells me they could go around and around in circles.

"Well, far be it from me to forsake a religion and belief I don't completely understand. If this is what you believe, then by all means I have no right to question that." Will said to him.

"You are young so skepticism is only natural but once you see what the Lord of Light has in store for you as I've seen it you'll understand." Thoros assured him before motioning to the fire cauldron. "Look into the flames and tell me what you see."

Will decided to humor him and stared into the fire. "Tell me…what do you see?" Thoros asked.

"I see fire. Hot fire." Will replied.

"Look harder, your grace. Tell me what you see." Thoros urged him on.

"I see…heat. Fire and heat…nothing but fire…" Will was thinking this entire thing was ridiculous until he began to see something weird. "Hang on."

"My prince?" Arthur called him.

"I think I see something." Will said as everyone looked at him, concerned if something bad was about to happen. "I see…something…odd."

"Yes, your grace. Continue. Tell us…what does the Lord of Light show you in the flames?" Thoros asked.

"I see…I see…I see…

[Stoic Silence & Fire Crackling]

[Stoic Silence & Fire Crackling]

[Stoic Silence & Fire Crackling]

"Nothing but fire and my face feels like its burning." Will replied in a stoic demeanor causing everyone to chuckle. He pulled back with a chuckle on his face and saw he actually got Thoros. "I sorry, Thoros but I didn't see anything in the flames. All I felt was my face on fire like a roast ham. And you were a little easy to trick."

"Touché, your grace." Thoros replied, holding up his rum flask. He was drunk enough to admit when the Prince got him with a good joke. Even if the prince didn't believe in the Lord of Light, he did and William Baratheon was the prince that was promised.

"Besides, we've run out of time to talk religion and the gods because we have arrived." Will said and to his credit they were pulling into the ports of Astapor. "Everyone stay here. Repair the ships, sell the goods we have and stock up on supplies. Thoros, Lord Dondarrion protect Spartacus and the others and don't let them off the ships. If word gets out that they were former slaves that we freed then something tells me our visit here won't be very amicable."

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Smalljon asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I'll let you know when I do." He replied. Once they pulled into the docks, Will met with dock master who asked his purpose. He replied, saying they wanted to restock on supplies and were inquiring about the Unsullied so a messenger was sent to the Master that the Prince of the Seven Kingdoms was here to inquire about them. Before long, a messenger returned with some men and a girl about his age and judging by the collar around her neck she was a slave.

"Good afternoon, Prince William Baratheon of the Seven Kingdoms. I have been sent here on behalf of Good Master Krazyns mo Nakloz about your inquiry on the Unsullied. I am here to escort you to him." She said.

Will nodded and brought along only Ser Arthur Dayne so he didn't draw too much attention and send the wrong message to the Master or anyone. Dayne was brining Dawn, of course and Will had Storm's Wrath, Wolf's Fang and his daggers with him. They were escorted through the city and over to the training areas where they met with Master Krazyns mo Nakloz, master and owner of the Unsullied.

"Allow me to introduce Master Kraznys mo Nakloz of the Good Masters of Astapor. Trainer and purveyor of the Unsullied." She introduced Will and Ser Arthur to the slaver.

"So, the messenger was right. I was going to have him killed if he was wrong. It's not every day we find one of your Westerosi fuckers this Far East. You must have gotten bored of all your prim and properness if you've come to Astapor. Well, the Harpy must have blessed me with a foolish, stupid prince with a lot of gold." Kraznys said in low Valyrian in a rather unsavory tone. The girl acting as his translator took a second before translating his words into Common Tongue but changing them so they weren't insulting.

"The Master Krazyns welcomes Prince William Baratheon of Westeros to Astapor on his long journey. Words of your bravery and exploits have filled his ear and he is honored to have your company." She replied.

"Tell the Good Master that the honor is mine. It is an honor to be here in his presence. If the Good Master will allow it, perhaps he can show me some of the Unsullied and if they are as impressive as the stories say they are then I will be happy to make a very good payment." He said with a courteous smile on his face as she quickly translated.

"The prince is honored to be here and is eager to see the Unsullied. He says if they are what he wants he will pay for them very well." She told Kraznys.

"Good. Come, bitch. The sooner we show this idiot the Unsullied the sooner I get paid." He told her, grabbing his gold Harpy whip and leading the group towards another section of the city. His slave quickly followed along with Will and Ser Arthur. Will quickly turned back to his sworn shield and gave him a wink followed by a finger to the lip to keep quiet. Ser Arthur chuckled and nodded as the two were escorted to one of the areas where the Unsullied were waiting for them.

As they walked over to the area, Master Krazyns spoke to his slave because he wanted to know why the Prince of an entire continent needed Unsullied. "Your grace, Master Kraznys is happy to receive you and show you the Unsullied though he is curious what the Prince of the Seven Kingdoms is interested in them for."

"There are some future plans that would require the services of a group that is highly skilled and absolutely loyal." He replied.

"He says that he requires them for his future plans and needs a force that will never question orders." She translated.

"Ha, things are so bad in Westeros that the prince looks to us to save him. No doubt his fat father is the problem. Westerosi are so cocky to think they are better than us." Kraznys commented before speaking some more as they arrived to an Unsullied training area.

"The Unsullied have stood here for a day and a night with no food and water. They will stand until they drop. Such is their obedience." The translator told him as Will got his first look at the black armor clad Unsullied. They stood at attention in complete silence with their shield and spears not moving an inch. He couldn't even hear the faint huff of breathing. They were like statues. Krazyns motioned them with the whip and the Unsullied quickly separated to form a path for them to walk through.

"Very impressive discipline. Tell me of their weapons training." He said.

"The prince is impressed but has spoken no praise yet to keep the price down. He wishes to know how they are trained." She told her master.

"Tell him what he would know and be quick about it. The day is hot." Krazyns said.

"They begin their training at five. Every day they drill from dawn to dusk until they have mastered the short sword, the shield and the three spears. Only one boy in four survives this rigorous training. Their discipline and loyalty is absolute. They fear nothing." She said.

"Even the bravest man fears death." Ser Arthur told her.

"The knight says even brave men fear death." She told her master.

"Tell the knight he smells of piss." Krazyns said, causing her to look at him.

"Truly, Master—No, not truly. Are you a girl or a goat to ask such a thing?" Kraznys asked her before continuing to speak while she translated.

"My master says to tell you that the Unsullied are not men. Death means nothing to them." She said.

"Tell this ignorant bastard of a western prince to open his eyes and watch." Kraznys ordered before walking over to one of the Unsullied.

"He begs you attend this carefully, your grace." She told him.

Krazyns ordered one of the Unsullied to step forward and took the warrior's knife. "Tell the Good Master there is no need for this." He told her.

"He's worried about their nipples? Is he a man or a woman? From his wailing I would assume woman. Does the stupid Westerosi know we cut off their balls?" Krazyns asked, cutting the Unsullied nipple off like it was nothing.

"My master points out that men don't need nipples." She said as the Unsullied got back into position like nothing was wrong and didn't even mutter a tiny whisper of pain. "To win his shield, an Unsullied must go to the slave market with a silver mark, find a newborn…and kill it before its mother's eyes." Will did everything in his power to not show any kind of reaction to the news. "This way my master says we make certain there is no weakness left in them."

"To prove that the Unsullied are ready, you would take a baby from its mother's arms, kill it and pay her with a silver coin?" He asked.

"He is offended. He asks if you pay a silver coin to the mother, for her dead baby." She translated to Kraznys.

"What a soft mewling bitch this prince is. It will be a joy to take his money after this. Tell him the coin is given to the owner, not the mother." He replied.

"My master would like you to know that the silver is paid to the baby's owner, not mother." She told him. Will stilled himself and took a deep breath before adopting a neutral expression.

"How many do you have to sell?" He asked. Kraznys's slave translated and he held up eight fingers.

"Eight thousand." She said.

"Tell the Westerosi bastard he has until tomorrow." Kraznys said.

"Master Kraznys asks that you please hurry. Many other buyers are interested." She finished before she and Krazyns left.

"Do I even want to know what he was really saying?" Arthur asked only for Will to shake his head no.

"The man was a pompous, obnoxious bastard, the kind of person you would expect to be a slaver." Will told him as the two left the training area and walked down the street. "Eight thousand Unsullied means eight thousand dead babies. Are you still sure about this idea?"

"A little less so now but it was you who said that an army of soldiers whose loyalty couldn't be bought or blackmailed might be a necessity in the future." Arthur told him.

"And that point still stands. I believe in my friends and the men I've fought besides and I always will. And I like to believe that when war comes that my family banner men will answer the call but between Baelish, Varys, and Cersei in the Red Keep any army I raise in Westeros runs the risk of being bought out or turned against me if they're pushed in the right direction. I've stopped Baelish from stealing for now but that won't stop that bastard for long. Varys is up to something, like he always is and his job is to root out the truth and people's weaknesses. And Cersei's probably wanted me dead since I was brought to King's Landing years ago and probably hired that Faceless man to try and kill me." Will said. "Everyone in the city is afraid of her and those that aren't learn the hard way. Besides, I wouldn't put it past her to use her family to see me dead."

"You think Lord Tywin would stoop to that level?" Arthur asked and Will gave him a look of are you serious?

"I think Tywin would do whatever it took to make sure it's his legacy on the Iron Throne and not the Stark's. He'd probably get Jaime to do it for him." Will suggested.

"Jaime Lannister is many things but I don't think he would go that far as to kill the prince he and the Kingsguard are sworn to protect." Arthur assured him.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past him. I'm sure Cersei has talked her lover into trying to do it once or twice already and he probably hasn't because of you." Will said.

"Lover?" Arthur didn't expect to hear that word.

"I'll explain later." He promised as they arrived at a small portion of the docks where some market stalls were set up. They stopped walking just so they could people watch. "After learning the truth of my half-brother up North and the real reason for the rebellion I've been thinking over and over on the kind of person I want to be. What that means for my future and I'm still not sure what it entails in the Seven Kingdoms."

"I think it entails what you've been training for your entire life: ruling as King." Arthur said as Will spared him a look.

"I was honestly not expecting that answer from you. I figured the idea of me abdicating the throne to Rhaegar's son would seem like the best idea to you considering your years of protecting the dragon." Will commented.

"And in another lifetime, yes it would but I'm no longer that man." Arthur told him. "And I hardly think handing over the throne to the grandson of the Mad King would earn you or him love from the Lords of Westeros."

"Ser Arthur Dayne, how blasphemous. That was your former King." Will gasps in shocked causing the Sword of the Morning to chuckle. "I realized the same thing as well after much thinking. I highly doubt the North, Riverlands, Vale, and the Westerlands would be happy to see the Grandson of the Mad King on the throne after their work in stopping him. Learn from my mistakes and assumptions I guess."

"As far as the rest of the realm is concerned, Robert Baratheon won the throne by right of conquest. Despite how…unfit he is to sit on it, it's his now and you've already shown a great responsibility for your future. Ever since the Greyjoy Rebellion was put down you put every second you weren't busy in helping Jon Arryn run the Kingdoms. You've spoken with the lords about their grievances, held meetings with the small council, devised ways to improve debt to the Iron Bank, and helped so many people the other lords couldn't care about. You may have doubts about what kind of king you will be but I can tell you will be a great one."

Will looked at Ser Arthur and it felt good to have this kind of reassurance from him. "I wonder if Ser Barristan would agree with you. He served the Targaryens same as you did."

"I imagine Ser Barristan the Bold would agree with me as would any lord who knows you." Arthur told him. "You told me that you were scared about what the future held for you. To either end up like your father or your mother…but you can be better. You've already proven it to me and others, including Prince Doran and Oberyn Martell. No one in the small council has met with them after Jon Arryn went to Dorne with Prince Lewyn Martell's body and that of Prince Elia and her children."

"Another horrible consequence of my parents' actions." Will said. "Her and her children's deaths are on my hands as well. My father did nothing with their deaths and my mother is part of the reason it happened."

"It's not only their fault. Prince Rhaegar made the most heinous mistake of leaving them to their fate in the Red Keep." Arthur added.

"I thought you held him in high regard? You said he was a good person." Will told him.

"Aye he was and I remember the good deeds he did but…time makes a convert of most men. Leaving Elia and his own children to head south with another woman and not even tell her…those are not the actions of an honorable or good king." Arthur admitted, surprising Will.

"I guess even great people have their faults. I'm going to be scared the day someone tells me mine but you're right…I need to learn from them. So, tell me what my faults are, Ser Arthur Dayne. No one knows me best than you." Will told him.

"Well, off the top of my head it would be your recent tendency of self-doubt and carrying the weight of the consequences of others on your shoulders." Arthur replied. "Those seem to be the most prevalent at the moment otherwise why would we be here in Essos?"

"Touché, Lord Dayne, Touché. You made a valid point." He commented, noting the amused smirk on his face. Arthur Dayne had some fun with that and Will did set himself up. "But my journey here will solve that."

Arthur looked at the prince and noticed his gaze on the masters and slaves. They saw slaves being tugged by their chains like dogs or traded like they were a sack of potatoes. Just like in Volantis. Men, women, Children, it didn't matter to the masters so long as they were comfortable. Will noticed something over on the walkway by the water so he walked over to get a closer look with Ser Arthur following him behind and what they saw make them both sick. Slaves that had dozens it not hundreds of whip lashes all over their bodies were chained up on posts like meat and left to bake in the scorching sun. Slavers walked by like nothing was wrong or like there was nothing up there while the other slaves looked on in horror and fear.

"What in Seven Hells is this?" Will asked.

"The Walk of Punishment is a warning, William." Arthur told him.

"Warning against what?" He asked.

"Doing whatever these slaves did." Arthur told him. Will took his water pouch and walked up to chained up slave to give him some.

"Here, drink." Will tried to get him to drink some water but the man said no. He wanted to die. "How can these people just walk by like nothing is wrong?"

"They don't think of their slaves as people, only as property." Arthur said. They walked down the walkway over to the ports when Will saw a young girl his age chained up on the post, beaten, whipped, and dying and these people did nothing. "I wish it wasn't so but you can't change things here for the better, William."

Will looked at the girl with a heavy heart and all these slaves he couldn't help. "Maybe…or maybe things can't change here because no one's tried. I think I know what I need to do." Will made a decision this moment…whether it was a good one or a bad one would only be revealed in time.

Line Break xxxxx

Will returned to Master Kraznys the next morning with Ser Arthur Dayne to give him an offer on the Unsullied…he wanted them all. He knew that he needed something special to offer Kraznys so he took something with him before they left the ship.

"All? Did this ones ear mishear your grace?" Kraznys's translator asked.

"They did not. I want all the Unsullied." Will told her and she quickly translated it to her master causing Kraznys to chuckle in amusement.

"The Westerosi prince thinks he can come here to our city and thinks that just because he is a prince that he can get what he wants. He expects to come here and bend us over like whores and we shall take it but he is the one who will be fucked." Kraznys said and his friend chuckled.

"There are over eight thousand Unsullied in Astapor. Is this what you mean by all?" She asked for clarification.

"Yes, and the ones in training as well." He replied.

"That would include an extra five thousand potential Unsullied recruits, your grace." She told him.

"Excellent. I have some big plans for the future and will need all the men I can get." He said. "Having an extra five thousand soldiers will be exactly what I need."

"If they fail on the battlefield, they will shame Astapor." Master Greizhen said to Kraznys who agreed and nodded to his translator.

"Master Greizhen says they cannot sell half-trained boys. If they fall on the battlefield, they will bring shame upon all of Astapor." She told him.

"Well that won't work. I'm either all in or not so I will take them all or nothing. I'm ambitious and having all the trained men I can get will be beneficial." He replied. She quickly translated and Kraznys only shook his head.

"Ha, the Westerosi has a huge pair on him. If he really thinks he can buy all of my Unsullied it will cost him 15 million gold coins." Kraznys said. "I think even the great bastard of Westeros doesn't have that much gold to waste."

"Master Kraznys says that if you wish to pay for all the Unsullied and the ones in training then it will cost you 15 million gold coins. Do you have that amount to spend?" She asked and Will smirked, knowing he inflated the price deliberately.

"How about this offer? I recently returned from a trip through Old Valyria and returned with a plethora of gold, jewels, and gifts…including Valyrian steel." Will said as she translated and it seemed to pique his interest. "The offer is this: ten million in gold and the last five will be paid with Valyrian steel ore."

Kraznys chuckled in amusement at the prince's offer. "The Prince must either be as bold as an ox or as stupid as a rock to think we will accept this offer."

"Master Kraznys finds it hard to believe that you have access to Valyrian steel, let alone enough to barter with." She said only for Will to take out a small chunk of Valyrian steel ore from his pocket and toss it over to the master. Kraznys caught it and looked it over, noticing it looked similar to the Valyrian steel weapons he's seen in the past.

"That ore made these swords." Will unsheathed Storm's Wrath halfway so they could see it was Valyrian steel. He walked forward and held his hand out, gesturing for the stone's return and Kraznys reluctantly did so. "He'll get this and more if he agrees to the terms. I believe an entire chest of this ore would equal the sufficient payment for this transaction."

Kraznys's translator told her master what the prince told her and he gave it some thought before eventually nodding. "Deal." Kraznys managed to say in common tongue.

Will nodded in returned and turned to leave but stopped and turned again to look at Kraznys. "And I'll take her as well. Now. You'll be Master Kraznys's gift to me. A token of a bargain well struck."

The translator looked shocked before turning to her master. "He asks that you give me to her as a present. He asks that you do this now." She told him. Kraznys thought it over for a minute before agreeing to the extra bargain. Will left that meeting with the promise of an army and a handmaiden/translator.

"Well, you have an army of sizeable force but the question of payment is still an issue. I kept quiet but last you told me you had only five million in the Iron Bank and even with the treasure found in Old Valyria that might not be enough." Arthur said as he walked behind Will and his new translator/handmaiden.

"True." Will replied before turning to ser Arthur to give him a smirk. "But he doesn't know that. Tell everyone to bring their arms and armor tomorrow. It'll be interesting."

Will and his handmaiden walked away while Arthur chuckled. "Something tells me that tomorrow won't be a calm and collected transaction."

"Do you have a name?" Will asked his new handmaiden.

"This one is named Missandei, your grace." Missandei introduced herself.

"Do you have a family? A mother or a father to return to if you had the choice? Anyone at all?" He asked.

"No, your grace. No family living." She replied.

"You will be working with me now so it'll be your duty to tell me the truth. Being truthful and honest with me is something I stress with everyone who I work alongside." He explained.

"Of course, our grace. Lying is a great offense. Many slaves have been left on the Walk of Punishment for less." She told him.

"Well, you won't have to worry about that with me and you're not longer a slave. Now that you are in my service you are free and can continue to work with me for as long as you like and once you feel that you would like to leave you may do so and I won't hold it against you nor will I ask you to do any task that would bring shame upon you or would make you uncomfortable. You have my word and honor as a knight on that, Missandei." Will promised her.

"Of course, your grace." Missandei replied.

"It's funny spoke of the Walk of Punishment. I was there early and offered water to one of the slaves and do you know what he said to me? Let me die." He said.

"There are no masters in the grave, your grace." She told him.

"Is it true what Master Kraznys told me about the Unsullied? About their obedience and loyalty?" Will asked.

"All questions have been taken from them. They obey, that is all. Once they are yours, they are yours. They will fall on their swords if you command it." She told him.

"And what about you? You understand that I am the crown prince from Westeros. With that titles comes plenty of enemies and people would do a lot of things to see me dead." He said.

"Valar morghulis." Missandei replied.

"All men must die…and tomorrow they will. You'll enjoy what transpires tomorrow at the exchange, I can promise you that." Will assured her. Missandei stopped for a moment before making a small smile and following him.

The next day, open courtyard of Astapor

Will, Missandei, Ser Arthur Dayne, Edric, Gendry, Hundred Eyes, Thoros, Lord Dondarrion, and the other lords and armed men of Will's company were escorted into the large courtyard by the gates of Astapor where the Unsullied were now gathered for the trade. As Will told Ser Arthur, everyone was armed with weapons and armor for the trade though many were unsure why they were here. Several of the men were carrying the large trunks of gold and Valyrian steel ore for the trade. Will walked into the courtyard, dressed in his regular clothes but had his hood and facemask jacket along with his swords and his bow slung over his shoulder. He had leather shoulder pads and other leather armor components like leg greaves and chest armor. Missandei was dressed in her new clothes and her collar was thrown into the sea by Will himself. His party walked through the courtyard and saw the army of Unsullied stood at attention along with other Astaporian nobles and slavers who wanted to watch the exchange. It wasn't everyday that you see all the Unsullied gathered in one spot.

Kraznys saw Will and began speaking in Low Valyrian while Missandei translated. "The Master says they are untested. You said you would be wise to blood them early. There are many small cities out there, cities ripe for sacking. Should you take captives the master's will buy the healthy ones for a good price. And who knows in ten years some of the boys you sent will become Unsullied in return and all share prosper."

Will didn't give any answer or facial twitch and walked over to grab one of the clay pot urns that held some of the gold that was going to be used in the transaction. "I don't like this." Beric Dondarrion said.

"Neither do I. What the hell is the boy thinking he's going to do with an army of slaves? Prince or not, this isn't right." Gawen Glover said to the others.

"And doing business with slavers is no better. The prince is no better than Jorah Mormont." Harion Karstark added.

"Have care how you speak, lord Karstark. He is still your prince." Ser Arthur Dayne warned him.

"Come on, Ser Arthur. You can't tell me that you agree with all this or you're ok with it?" Gendry asked.

"Don't worry, Gendry. This isn't what you think. Just be ready." Cedric assured him but it only confused them all.

Will brought over one of the clay pots and took the cover off to show Kraznys all the gold. The master smiled and took a handful in delightful glee. "You'll get the rest once I get my army." Will told him, putting the urn down and Missandei translated. Kraznys sneered before handing him the whip. "Is it done?"

"It is done. He holds the whip. The bastard has his army." Kraznys said.

"It is done. You told the whip." She translated. Will gave him one last glare before walking over to stand in front of the Unsullied. Kraznys had some of his soldiers walk over to the chest and urns to collect his gold but they were all chained up and locked.

"Bastard, open the chests!" He shouted only for Will to ignore him. "Fucking Westerosi."

Kraznys got some of his men to undo the chains and break the locks while Will stood in front of his army. "Unsullied!" He shouted in Valyrian, shocking Missandei that he spoke the language while the Unsullied stood at attention. Everyone in his party looked at him when he spoke to his army. "Forward march!" The Unsullied began marching forward. "Halt!" Will commanded and they did.

One of Kraznys's men broke open one of the chests but instead of gold or Valyrian steel ore it was filled with rocks and sand. Another chest was opened to reveal it was filled with arrows that had odd cylindrical attachments made up of wood or paper with twine. The other chests were opened to reveal they were filled with either sands, rocks, or other useless items. "Bastard! Tell the Westerosi bastard there is no payment! This is not the agreed upon payment! Does he think we're stupid?!" Kraznys shouted while Will smirked before turning to face the master.

"Yes, in fact I do. And you just learned the first rule of bartering and business: always make sure you're paid first. I was." He said in Valyrian shocking Kraznys and Missandei while Ser Arthur, Thoros, and Cedric smiled.

"You speak Valyrian?" Kraznys asked.

"I am William of the House Baratheon and Stark, great-grandson of Rhaella Targaryen. However small amount I have, I have the blood of Old Valyria coursing through my veins. I am crowned prince and heir to the Seven Kingdoms. It was a bad assumption on your part to think I couldn't understand you. A mistake you won't repeat in the future." He said with a smirk and Missandei shared it as well. "Unsullied! Slay the Masters, slay the soldiers, slay every man who holds a whip, but harm no woman or child or anyone who surrenders. Strike the chains off every slave you see!"

Several of the Unsullied moved out of position and impaled the slavers holding whips with their spears and quickly killed them all. "I am your Master! Kill him! Kill him!" Kraznys shouted but the Unsullied continue to kill the masters and slavers.

Will put the whip in his belt, unslung his bow and took three arrows from his quiver before pulling up his hood. "Valar Morghulis!" He shouted before firing all three arrows and hitting Kraznys and two of his soldiers in the chest. He pulled out four more arrows and rapid fire them, killing one of the soldiers with an arrow to the heart, another with an arrow to the neck and Kraznys with two arrows through the eyes and out his skull. "Kill the Masters, soldiers, and the slavers and free everyone else!"

"You heard him!" Thoros lit his sword aflame and killed one of the soldiers. The other men in Will's company now understood why the prince wanted them to come armored and armed and quickly got to work. The Unsullied began moving through the courtyard and killed the slavers, masters, and soldiers along with Will's group of men. Will rushed over to the chest holding the new black powder arrows Cedric made and lit the fuse. He saw some archers rush along the railing by one of the towers so he fired it near them. Once the fire hit the powder, the arrow exploded and killed some of the soldiers with it. He took a few more arrows and killed more soldiers and slavers with them, creating small explosions in the city while the Unsullied killed the rest. All in all, the masters were killed, those that surrendered were spared and the slaves were freed in less than an hour. Once the soldiers saw they were on the losing side they quickly threw down their weapons and surrendered. Everyone else who was surrendered was spared as well and chained until further notice while the chains on all the slaves were broken.

Once the fighting was over, Will and his men regrouped in the courtyard where the fighting first started to so he could address all his Unsullied. Ser Arthur walked over with a horse held him steady while Will got on.

"Of all the things I was expecting you to do today, I still wasn't expecting it. You know, after what you did today…things are going to change." Ser Arthur told him.

"I know that." Will replied, taking the reins of the horse.

"I mean that…just because you freed this city, doesn't mean that you made things better here. This problem isn't going to solve itself overnight." Arthur told him. "As much as I would like to believe that you can change the world for the better…doing something like this won't be easy. Freeing all the slaves and killing the masters won't make the problem go away like that."

"True, but that doesn't mean I won't try." Will told him. "I know I can't just snap my fingers and fix all the world's problem but if I see something that I can stop then I will. Slavery is wrong and I will do everything in my power to make sure that these people won't have to suffer through that again."

"An admirable goal, Will but that is going to take a long time. Astapor is only one city in Slaver's bay." Arthur said and Will nodded.

"I know…and I can never get the manpower to storm Volantis and end it there but I can end it here and I will. I will make sure that these people have better lives so that they never wish slavery to come back and move that to Yunkai and then Meereen. This I'm making my own personal vow…to be the first one to actually try to end slavery in Slaver's Bay, however I can and however long that takes." Will announced. "I was charged to be brave, just, and defend the young and innocent as a knight and I will honor that promise back home and here."

"That's quite a promise, my prince." Arthur said.

"And I plan to keep this one." He said, ushering the horse forward. Arthur smiled, seeing his young apprentice and charge canter up to his army before joining up with Cedric, Missandei and the others.

"Maybe you were right, Amphiaraus." Arthur whispered to the seer. "Maybe you and Thoros were right about one thing. That boy will go one to do amazing things."

"Told you so." Amphiaraus replied with a chuckle.

Will strode through the ranks of his army and held up the whip. "Unsullied! You have been slaves all of your lives! Taken from your homes, whipped and beaten by the Masters, and forced into this life! Today you are all free!" Will shouted in Valyrian while Thoros translated it to the others so they knew what he was saying. "Any man who wishes to leave to find his family or homeland may do so and no harm will come to him! This you have my word and oath as a knight and a prince! As free men I ask this of you, will you fight with me and ensure that the fate you and the slaves of this city endured shall never happen to anyone else in Slaver's Bay?! Will you fight with me?! AS FREE MEN?!"

Will waited for a moment for a response and for about a minute there didn't seem to be one until one of the Unsullied knocked his spear onto the ground in a rhythmic pattern. One was followed up by another and then another, then a dozen, then hundred and soon enough all the Unsullied clacked their spears. They made their decision. Will smiled at his new army of freed men. Arthur, Gendry, Edric, Missandei and the others smiled at this as well. They freed Astapor but Will wasn't done until he made sure the city would never slide back into slavery. This was a monumental moment in history, none of them knew it but it would soon spread throughout the rest of Essos and over to Westeros. It marked the next chapter for the Crowned Prince of Westeros and earned him new monikers and titles. Titles he didn't want but earned. Breaker of Chains, Wolf of Justice, Stag of Righteousness, and one he wasn't particularly fond of but would strike fear into his enemies and admiration from his allies…William the Conqueror.

End of Chapter 3

1). The bow is from the Taron Edgerton 2018 Robin Hood movie. And the training and Will's archery style is based on that. Something historically accurate and incredibly fast and deadly.

2) Imagine both swords handles like Longclaw, simple yet elegant but with different pommels: one with a wolf's head and one with a stag's head. Wolf's Fang blade is colored blue and white like ice while Storm's Wrath is colored black with flecks of gold and red. Wolf's Fang reflects his Northern heritage and blood of the winter and ice while Storm's Wrath reflects his Baratheon side along with a smidge of his Targaryen blood but it's diluted so it's only flecks of red.

I hoped you guys like chapter 3. Not a lot happened here like the last one but it set up a lot of things for the future. After his time in the Summer Isles, Will's personal journey isn't done yet and won't return to Westeros. He has his own personal mission now to end slavery in Slaver's Bay after seeing the horrors of slavery for his own eyes. But he understands that just killing the masters won't end it so now that the masters are gone, he'll stick around Astapor a little longer and show them another way. Show them that slavery doesn't have to endure and that both freed slaves, former masters, and those in between can live together. It's a tall order but not impossible…just hard.

Next chapter, Will and his company stay in Astapor to try and remake the city into something better. That means teaching everyone a new way of life that doesn't involve slavery. Reinvigorate and reimagine the city into something new that can function once he's leaves for the next city. But he runs into some problems, namely a Dothraki horde that was coming to do business with the Masters. They wanted their money and don't take kindly to their gold not being delivered. Will's studies with battle tactics will get a practical test while their new discovery of black powder may help them even more. After that, they head to Yunkai where the Yunkish are ready and bring an old enemy from Hercules past to try and stop them. Until next time.

I hoped you guys liked where this chapter went. I know when I first started this that a lot of things were going to change from the canon and one of them being the Slaver's bay Arc. Given that Will was already close to Essos and Ser Arthur suggested to him the Unsullied as an option for an army whose loyalty couldn't be bought or blackmailed, he would at least go see if it was a possibility despite the whole ethics of it. But I knew once Will would see Astapor he would try to fix things and free them. It takes over Daenerys' plot from season 3 onward but things for her will change as well. Plus, we get Missandei and Grey Worm earlier and like I said things would change from the canon. One of them being how the Slaver's bay ark is handled. Daenerys's ploy to free slaver's bay was far from perfect so Will's is going to be different. He has more knowledge of how to run a massive city and knows that just by killing the slavers and masters that it won't solve the problem so that's why he's going to stick around longer to fix the infrastructure and the people's viewpoints along with leaving something behind so they'll be fine when he leaves. It won't be easy but it can be done.

Will's learned some new combat skills, namely speed archery from the Taron Edgerton Robin Hood movie. It's something that is supposed to be historically accurate and makes him even deadlier. Once I saw the movie it's how I imagined Will as an archer so I took the first part from the training sequence of the movie and his bow is the same Robin Hood uses. And the jacket, hood, and facemask from that as well. The cover image from the story is essentially what Will wears regularly. Will's also gone to Old Valyria and found some rather interesting things in the ruins besides Stonemen. With The Valyrian Freehold and Old Valyria being the sort of Atlantis of this world, a legendary and advanced mythical city that was destroyed, the advancements left behind would be useful. Besides advancements in buildings, farming, and Valyrian steel, they made this world's version of Black Powder. With Will discovering Black Powder it'll help tremendously in combat, war, and with other aspects like mining and building. Not to mention they found Valyrian steel ore, Brightroar, the crown of King Tommen Lannister, and actual Dragon Egg. That will come back for sure. I also hope you guys liked Will's little growth in this chapter after learning the truth of his parentage and of Robert's Rebellion last chapter. Given his character, I felt that it was the appropriate response immediately after learning the truth but time and some thinking made him rethink his decision at the time. Time has a habit of changing your viewpoint. But it still means he'll want to meet with Jon in the future.

Will's turned Brightroar and Red Rain into Storm's Wrath and Wolf's Fang, two Valyrian steel bastard swords which fits his training style from Ser Arthur Dayne. And he's got some Valyrian steel armor but the rest of the things he made are a surprise for later. I hope you found the little Azor Ahai moment kind of funny. I had fun writing it. Until next time. Don't worry, I'll try to get the chapters for my other stories out soon as well.

William Baratheon: Son of Robert Baratheon and Lynna Stark, Prince of the Seven Kingdoms, the Blue Wolf, Slayer of the Iron Born, The Wolf of Storms, Breaker of Chains, Wolf of Justice, Stag of Righteousness, William the Conqueror.

Appearance: Young Stephen Amell

Birthdate: 279AC: 15 years old

Regular Clothing: Boots, long black or grey trousers, light white tunic/shirt, dark blue/black leather jacket with hood and facemask.

Armor: Steel plated combat gloves, steel plated vambraces/forearm guards with Valyrian steel forearm spikes,

Weapons:

Black/Blue Goldenheart tree Composite Recurve Bow and Arrows

Valyrian Steel stiletto dagger & Valyrian Steel Dragonbone dagger

Valyrian steel bastard sword Storm's Wrath holstered around left hip

Valyrian steel bastard sword Wolf's Fang slung over left shoulder.

Ships: The Jackdaw, The Aquilla, The Black Pearl, The Flying Dutchman

Notable Talents: Expert archer/trained in the Summer isles speed archery, knife thrower with expert aim and marksmanship. Agile and quick moving, self-trained in parkour, Free running, and urban exploration. Smart and quick thinking on the battlefield. Knowledge of battle tactics, poison, wildlife, history, politics, and economics. Fluent in Low Valyrian, High Valyrian, Summer Tongue, and Dothraki.

Personality: Smart, attentive, wise, honorable up to a point, caring, generous, humble and cares about others. Hates backstabbers, deceivers, people who violate his trust or think they are superior to others. Doesn't like to be treated like a child or an idiot. Unrelenting against his enemies or those who harm innocents or his family. Prone to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders or self-doubt in certain situations.

Allies:

Cedric Angar: personal tutor and once trained to be Maester, trusted friend

Ser Arthur Dayne: Sworn Sword, protector, and trainer

The Stark Family of Winterfell: Family

Robert Baratheon: Father

Stannis Baratheon: Uncle and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands

Ser Davos Seaworth: advisor of Stannis Baratheon and trusted friend

Ser Barristan Selmy: Commander of the Kingsguard, sworn to protect him

Hundred Eyes: Kung Fu trainer and friend

Gendry: squire, friend, and younger half-brother-age 12

Edric: friend and younger half-brother-age 11

Hercules: Leader of band of mercenaries, incredible strength, and skilled fighter

Autolycus: Second in Command, expert knife thrower, thief, and spy

Amphiaraus: Expert spear fighter, supposed seer and prophet

Tydeus: Feral warrior, relentless and highly dangerous in combat

Atalanta: Excellent combatant, tracker, and Amazon Archer

Iolaus: Persuasive, excellent negotiator, storyteller, and orator

Joshamee Mr. Gibbs Gibbs: Commodore and captain of the Prince's Swan Ships, expert sailor and naval combat operator

Adewale: Second in command of the Prince's Swan Ships, expert sailor and naval combat operator

Orys: Golden Crown Eagle

Missandei: Personal handmaiden, translator, advisor, confidante, and friend.

Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones or any mentioned properties, all rights belong to their respective owners. I'm just a big fan.