CHAPTER 12; ELECTRIC ATTACK
It took a fortnight, but they were finally able to see their target. The city of Myr was large, very similar in size in population to King's Landing, but unquestionably richer and more sophisticated, especially for its artisans, it had been founded by a group of Valyrian merchants and adventurers but the kinship could be appreciated. of his people with the Rhoynar.
Myr was a powerful city, but on its own it had no chance against the royal army. And it is that Vaegon had chosen precisely to attack by Myr, for two basic reasons; the first, the belief that because they were dragon lords, the Targaryens believed themselves greater than the gods and could easily be struck down amid the stone steps by scorpions as their forces were decimated, and the second was that the power of the three daughters resided mainly in the sea, as they were in the case of the cities of Genoa or Venice during the late Middle Ages. Which, being Tyrosh and Lys both islands, which upon learning about the attack on Myr, would strengthen their particular defenses, allowing Vaegon to take over their continental positions, which in the case of lys accounted for more than nine tenths of its territory. , and much the same in the case of Tyrosh, who was based on an island north of the Stepstones. Which would undoubtedly be a very hard blow to them.
"Attack!" Vaegon yelled from Vhagar's back, and soon the troops' spirits soared, knowing they were going into battle with a dragon on his side.
Vaegon was wearing armor that covered his entire body, barely allowing him to see, but even though he was dying of heat, and it was only just dawn, every precaution had to be taken. Myr was famous for its crossbowmen, and if a single bolt killed Aemon Targaryen on the Isle of Tarth, it was perfectly possible that some calamity would befall him.
With no time to waste, he flew alongside Vhagar with "drakarys!" the dragonfire burned the upper parts of the wall, charring dozens of guards, and preventing the archers from using much of their best position. The task took them a quarter of an hour, and there was an arrow that collided with one of Vaegon's shoulder pads. But Vhagar, with his ferocity, destroyed the towers of the walls, at least five of the ten towers, crushing an endless number of unfortunates while many others burned, causing chaos in the city, and that most of the attentions were focused on the dragon as Vaegon intended.
For its part, the royal army, led by Sir Harold, disembarked at the docks without major complications, thanks to the rapid neutralization of the fleet by the Sea Serpent, causing at least three quarters of the city's fleet to be in danger. flames or taken, when the Myrenses were just beginning to react.
Myr had an army of fifteen thousand truly powerful slave soldiers, not counting the merchant princes and mercenaries. But these had been slightly reduced thanks to Vhagar, plus they were having a hard time getting organized, while dealing with a dragon.
the royal army forced marches across the docks, and they were in perfect formation entering the city. The only serious fight they had was against three thousand slave soldiers, who were fearsome up front, but very soon the numerical superiority of four to one was imposed on them, and the vast majority ended up surrounded and massacred. Unsurprisingly eight thousand soldiers from the Myrense army formed a nearly impenetrable human barrier, while two thousand crossbowmen shot down dozens of the crown soldiers at will, while Vaegon had to deal with the scorpions that were targeting Vhagar with their guns. haste, and though he burned many of these, then Vaegon commanded the dragon to turn, and with all his might he shouted "Drakarys!" and the city's defensive lines fell like a house of cards as hundreds of soldiers burned to a crisp, along with an entire neighborhood.
Amid the fire of the dragon and the forcefulness of the attack, chaos took over the army of Myr, which was easy prey for the hunt of the royal troops, who already advanced unstoppable throughout the city despite the crossbowmen, but they finally they had to withdraw to more defensible positions or simply flee to save their skins.
After an hour they had reached the center of the city, where the headquarters of the magisters were located, which several of them had escaped, although some were captured by the Sea Serpent.
Soon after, the few remaining magisters surrendered the city at swordpoint, while Vaegon landed in the square alongside Vhagar causing consternation. At noon the crest of House Targaryens fluttered from the heights of the magisters' palace, and though some resistance remained in the city's suburbs, it would soon go out like a candle in the wind.
With the magisters' palace secured, Vaegon entered guarded by two dozen soldiers, and was soon served a good suckling pig with roast potatoes. It had been a hectic morning like few others, and he was soon joined by the Sea Serpent and his brother Vaemond, who took their seats at the table. The losses amounted to four hundred soldiers and they had five hundred wounded among their ranks, but on the opposite side there were nine thousand casualties, and four thousand prisoners, so the balance was positive.
"It's been a good morning," Vaegon said.
"If the grace of him" replied Vaemond Velaryon "Myr has fallen in less than a day"
"It is a great victory" acknowledged the Sea Serpent satisfied "your majesty, after this the Stone Steps will be of the seven kingdoms"
Then Vaegon arched an eyebrow.
"No, Lord Corlys," Vaegon replied. "The Stepstones are the least of it at the moment."
The Velaryon brothers were surprised by Vaegon's statements, as well as Sir Harold who was already present. This puzzled them.
"Your Majesty…What do you have planned?" the Sea Serpent inquired, though Vaegon wished it.
"Of course it is prudent, and unlike Dorne this is entirely doable," Vaegon assured, "bring the magisters to me," he ordered.
Presently and in his best regalia four of the sixteen magisters were brought before Vaegon and his war council. The other twelve were either dead or missing, probably bound for Lys or Tyrosh. But Vaegon stared at them, they were not young and their complexions were brown like a Dornishman but with light hair. They could tell their disgust from a league away despite maintaining their composure.
"My lords," Vaegon said in a mild voice, "I wished I could meet you in person, there is a matter we must discuss."
Among the four, a man in his mid-century, dark and penetrating gaze, with short hair and a light-haired chin, stepped forward, perhaps he was the most senior among them, that the magisters were theoretically equal in power, not it means that they did not have their powers increased by factionalism.
"My good lord" said the man who was apparently called Myso Derymis, who belonged to one of the richest families in the city "We are aware of the reason that has led us to this situation... but Myr hereby acknowledges the sovereignty of the iron throne on the Stone Steps, with your opinion, we will write to Lys and Tyrosh requesting them to leave the area of contention "
But Vaegon looked neutrally and courteously at the magister.
"Magister," Vaegon began, "why does the emblem of my house fly over this city?" then he paused a little. "Why am I in this city when I could be in my capital or the Stepstones?"
Magister Derymis narrowed his gaze. And the council of war was expectant, while the rest of the magisters turned pale.
"You have conquered us... but not subdued" he answered her with a voice as icy as the lands beyond the wall.
Vaegon gave a condescending smile.
"Myr is not Dorne," Vaegon began. "Myr holds two-thirds of its population as slaves, Dorne does not. In Westeros there is no slavery, and you are the master of many men... tell me, who would fight for you? Who would die for any of you right now? Are you blind enough not to see that the sun has set on your threshing floor?
"The night is dark... it houses horrors" the magister replied harshly in each of the syllables, which would have intimidated more than one man. But Vaegon did not flinch, except to close his eyes for a moment.
"Yeah true. Not all dragonlords perished in damnation," Vaegon recalled. "Some managed to escape to Lys and this city, where under cover of night they were treacherously slain along with their dragons…well…times have changed. So…please cooperate with the new order and you can continue to have wealth and status…refuse yourself and no one will miss you, and others will take your place…and I will go straight to the point, prostrate yourself before me…now"
The magisters hesitated for a moment, but at a signal from Vaegon, the soldiers guarding them drew their greatswords, and Derymis found herself with steel grazing against his neck. His counterparts were trembling with fear in the presence of death, and one of them, obese and already with little hair, urinated on him. But that was the first to prostrate, the other two soon following, while Derymis remained defiant for a longer time. But he finally he prostrated himself before Vaegon.
Two days later, Vaegon ordered the Sea Serpent to transport a contingent of more than twenty thousand soldiers from the royal army. The move would be complete in a month. But the absence of Lord Corlys was a positive thing, since it was not convenient for him to know about the existence of the Shadowed Ones, which was a section of secret soldier assassins, dependent on Ansel, although Sir Harold was aware of their existence. That same night the shadows, who were rooted among the diplomatic retinues, set out to eliminate the objectives dictated in the lists prepared for this purpose. Under cover of night nearly five hundred Myrense of some status and influence, at least all those who had not died or fled, were put to the sword as the Shadows infiltrated the houses. The corpses were cremated in bonfires before dawn. Many people realized that, but they preferred to look the other way.
Although Sir Harold disapproved of those actions, he was more sympathetic when Vaegon decreed the abolition of slavery. Of course it was not a shock, as such, as the economy depended so much on slavery, a regulated transition would proceed, in which it was known as the edict of free men. In e the following precepts were established;
1) Slavery was abolished; Freedom was a gift granted to every man, woman, child or old man. The sale and purchase of people in all its forms is prohibited.
2) Transition relationship; The slaves acquire the position of day laborers, who become contracted by the government, the former master may continue to have the slaves under his service, but he must assign them a salary of not less than one gold dragon per anus. The employer (introduced figure) will not be able to exercise any coercive power over the day laborers. Any abuse of these would be dealt with in court.
3) Compensation and legal certainty; laborers who do not want to continue working for their former masters will have the right to terminate their relationship with them, who must provide each laborer with a gold dragon for each year of slavery. Day laborers are equal in rights to other citizens, although only men over the age of twenty-five are granted the possibility of full participation in the city.
4) Subsidy and reorganization; agricultural day laborers may be owners of land granted by the government, which will be associated in the figure of cooperative, under the dictates of the envoys of the crown.
5) Compensation from the other party; Each master will receive one gold dragon for each freed slave. In case he refuses to carry out the exchange, all his possessions will be confiscated and the boss will be exiled along with his entire family.
6) Legal containment; No merchant or citizen will be allowed to invest in the slavery business, anyone who owns, collaborates with, or transports slaves, either in their own territory or abroad. He will be banished in perpetuity from his entire family, on pain of death.
The wealthy Myren merchants disagreed, but they knew the decree could be much worse for them. On the other hand, on the next moon, Vaegon carried out all kinds of negotiations to reactivate the city's economy. All this was carried out while ten thousand soldiers under the command of Sir Harold took control of the Lands of Discord, there was little opposition except for some skirmishes on the borders with the domains of Lys. But Vaegon's measures were very popular and the royal army had the support of the rural populations, who in many cases took the law into their own hands, in their natural revenge against the old masters.
Vaegon made a term of affiliation to the army of volunteers, for the Myrenses and to their surprise in a few days they had fifty thousand applications. Despite the challenge of managing this human tide, it served to reactivate the economy thanks to the production of weapons. But after a month, when a certain routine was already lived in the city, the royal troops disembarked, but this time they came with more ships.
The next battle would probably be the bloodiest of the war, as the assault on Tyrosh would take place.
Note;
In the next chapter the siege of Tyrosh will take place, it will be extremely brutal. I have established these laws, inspired by the late Roman Empire, but above all by the illustration of the eighteenth century, where social differences became class in the mid-nineteenth century, thanks to economic and political changes.