The tales coming to Kings Landing had grown more insane and ludicrous with each passing day.
That was at least what Jon Arryn thought.
But now many a trustful knights and lords had begun returning with their own tales of a grand gate, several miles wide and high.
Apparently several of the younger fools, no doubt wanting to impress upon everyone their bravery had ridden through, and reported that the land on the other side wasn't that much different from what one could find in Westeros.
Most perplexing.
The king had for the first time in.. well, he honestly couldn't remember how long ago it must have been since Robert had called for an emergency small council meeting.
Traversing the red keep in order to reach said small council chamber seemed to become harder with each day, he knew that he was no longer a spry young bird, but it was infuriating nonetheless. He was the hand of the king, yet in body a strong right hand he was not.
His mind though, was still rather sharp should anyone ask.
He was wheezing and almost out of breath, as he finally passed Ser Barristan standing guard outside the designated chamber, ever faithful were others might have wavered.
He spared the man a small nod before he entered.
Other than Barristan standing guard outside it seemed as though he was the last person to arrive to this particular meeting. Not something he had experienced for quite a lot of years.
"There you are finally Jon!". Boomed Roberts voice from the head of the table, as the man helped himself to what was no doubt, not his first filling of wine.
"Pardon my tardiness, you simply surprised me with calling a meeting yourself your grace" Jon spoke with both chastisement and fondness as he sat down to the right of Robert. He could faintly hear Varys titter and Renly chuckle lightly.
"HAH" yelled Robert "I sure surprised myself as well, but this does require everyone's attention". The king then looked at all of them in turn, looking far to sober when one considered how much he drank throughout a usual day. "Change is in the air". He proclaimed. A look of something familiar passed over his foster son's face, a glint in his eyes that could only mean one thing. Robert expected that war might be upon them soon.
But a war with whom?
"I don't like this one bit" Thorn commented and Murtagh had to agree as they soared high above the ground, no doubt making the strange plate clad rider's below them believe Thorn to be nothing but a bird.
No sense in announcing themselves earlier than needed.
They had felt an enormous spike of what could only be described as the most obscure arcane during their flight towards llirea and had promptly diverted their course to see what was happening. it wasn't that visiting the capital of the Broddring kingdom was all that unpleasant, considering that more than two decades have passed since the war and the minds of men were quick to forget.
That wasn't to say that humans were the only inhabitants to be found within Ilirea's walls anymore.
Most elves still looked upon him with pity whenever he walked past one, though he supposed that was better than the outright contempt a few of them still awarded him, but that wasn't anything compared to the hatred most dwarves still expressed whenever one of them laid eyes on him.
Not that he could blame them, killing someone's king simply had that effect, especially if one considered how loved Hrothgar had been.
The few Urgals present in the city didn't pay him much heed, but honestly he hadn't personally hurt them as so many others, and gods only knew what the werecats thought of him.
Discounting all of that a certain ebony beauty of a woman certainly helped speed his return every time, easily soothing away whatever scorn he might receive.
Focusing back on the task at hand, the great gate beneath them quickly swept away any and all thoughts of Ilirea from his mind. It looked as though it was made of some sort of black stone, though the precise materials certainly eluded both he and Thorn. Obsidian perhaps? though surely such would be too brittle.
"Its obviously a gateway to somewhere else from what we've observed". He commented.
His partner snorted mentally "Obviously, but the true question is where it leads"
He smiled, suddenly feeling rather bold and lightheaded, the feeling of a younger man perhaps.
"Why, there's only one way to find out isn't there my dear friend"
He could feel Thorn doing the draconic equivalent of an eyeroll. "Remind me who is it that calls Eragon foolish and reckless".
"He has gotten better at that to be honest"
"That's besides the point and you know it"
"Perhaps, but honestly I don't see the harm in investigating, we are the first ones on the scene literally".
A short while passed until Thorn predictably concurred with his other half.
"Let us greet these interlopers then" Thorn finished their conversation, the promise of fire and death upon these strangers should they threaten the land on which they walked upon.
As the two descended, his eyes, far superiors to those of normal men began noticing some extra details about the strangers.
Great banners with a variety of different symbols filled his vision. Stags and lions greatest amongst them, surely impressive to the impressionable.
They meant nothing to Murtagh.
"I think they have finally spotted us". Thorn noted with some amusement.
And he was most certainly correct, if the finger pointing and distant shouting were anything to go by.
He chuckled
"What's wrong? have they never seen a dragon before".
"BY THE SEVEN ITS A BLOODY DRAGON" Someone yelled, probably Loras Tyrell. The not so brave knight of flowers after all, if the fear coating his voice were any indication. The newly anointed knight most likely regretted his decision in exploring this new place, instead of staying in king's landing with his good 'friend' lord Renly.
Not that Lancel himself was doing all that much better to be honest.
If he hadn't relived himself before stepping through the gateway there was a very good chance that he might have shat himself.
"YOU" boomed a loud voice. He looked to his side at Yohn Royce, the most senior member of their expedition, having only followed due to both his sons wishing to see this great gateway for themselves.
The victim of the great man's voice was none other than his cousin Tyrek. Both of them had simply wished to see something new and interesting instead of being yelled at by the fat drunken stag. It was supposed to be a simple sightseeing, but it seemed that there was a great chance he was to die by dragonflame this day instead. A smoldering corpse like the Lannister men of old at the field of fire perhaps?
"Look" Andar Royce said in quite awe as he pointed at the approaching ruby red dragon, his voice barely discernable above the racket of panicking voices. "Someone is riding it".
"Well that's just great isn't it" Some vale knight he hadn't bothered getting the name of muttered next to him. "The Targaryen's have come to bugger us right up the arse"
Yohn Royce quickly began barking orders with further intensity, sending Tyrek back through the gate with both his sons and a handful of riders, with the explicit order of telling the king of everything that had just transpired.
That the Targaryen's had returned was sure to make the fat oaf happy, due to the prospect of killing them no doubt, though Lancel doubted even Robert Baratheon in his prime would stand a chance against the behemoth descending upon them.
It must have taken the dragon less than a minute to reach their group, but for Lancel it felt as though torturous hours passed before the red giant landed less than a hundred paces away from them.
Both parties simply stared at one another for a few quite seconds. The men of Westeros dared not break the tenuous silence, yet they also tried to remain stoic in the face of what they all knew from stories to be the apex predator of their world.
Suddenly the figure on top of the dragon spoke, his voice booming unnaturally across the quiet green scenery around them.
"Hail strangers, I am Murtagh and my partner here is Thorn". A heart beat or two passed before the rider continued, a bit of steel entering his voice. "I must ask what your intentions are, and whether you were the ones to create this great ring that you have passed through".
Lancel mind stopped working.
Murtagh? What a strange name. And as he took a closer look he noticed that this rider did not look like one of Valyrian descent at all. Indeed he looked deceptively like someone from the Stormlands perhaps? Not that such meant anything. There were some Targaryen's throughout history that didn't inherit the Valyrian look.
Yohn Royce, bless his stubborn Valeman heart, was apparently the first one to find his footing.
"Greetings Murtagh, I am Yohn Royce the Lord of Runestone of the Vale". He seemed to hesitate a bit before continuing. "I and my companions here are from Westeros, surely you have heard of it?". Lancel didn't know what the Lord of Runestone hoped to be the answer to that question.
The dragon then did the most peculiar thing by tilting its head slightly as if looking at THEM in confusion, but surely the situation was just stressing Lancel out.
Dragon's didn't understand human speech afterall.
The man now known as Murtagh too looked at them in confusion. "I have never heard of the land of which you speak" The rider quickly rallied his confusion into what Lancel perceived to be... Light humor? "Perhaps I should take a peek through that great gate of yours".
The vary yet welcoming mask that the Lord of Runestone had worn was cracking. "I don't think that would be a good idea right now my lord". Royce spoke with some steel of his own, his hand coming to rest on top of his scabbard, making the gesture obvious.
"Fool, you'll get us all killed."
The few hunters brave enough to still be with them also picked up their bows, though Lancel sincerely doubted that they could pierce the tough looking scales on the winged beast of doom infront of them, but they could perhaps kill the rider if they were lucky? He didn't seem to be wearing much armour save for riding leathers.
Even from this distance they could all see how both rider and dragon tensed up, and when Murtagh spoke next none could doubt the agitation in his words.
"You are right in the middle of the Broddring Kingdom under the governance of queen Nasuada, I advice you to tread carefully my good lords".
That humorous look, as if they were nothing but ants to be crushed beneath his boots returned yet again.
"And to be honest, since you've had the same opportunity, I only think it fair that I too get a chance to see your country with my own eyes".
The last syllable hadn't even left the man's mouth before the great beast began moving with speed belying its enormous size. Above and beyond them it flew, straight through the ring from whence the men of Westeros had arrived, the rider on top not even deigning to pay the panicked arrows flying towards him any heed.
Lancel dared not move an inch as his eyes followed the dragon through the gateway, no doubt already flying high over the rich crownlands. Even the most dim-witted Lannister, and in his opinion there were a few, knew that this changed everything.
The exact ramification eluded him, but he idly wondered whether a second conquest was about to occur, if this Queen Nasuada mirrored Aegon the conqueror. Surely she must be a woman of frightening power if this dragonlord swore allegiance to her.
The only good thing about the situation was that oafish Robert might finally bite of more than he can chew, and with a bit of luck end up strangling himself to death.
He couldn't help but smile at such a thought, even as Yohn Royce once again started bellowing orders, beginning to herd them all back through the ring and whatever chaos awaited them back home.