AAAANNNNNDDDDDD WE'RE BACK!
High Valyrian will be italicized
Dothraki will be bolded
Inner thoughts will be in between apostrophes
The day went by quickly. When the ship finally docked, Zacrys practically ran off the ship. He never thought he could miss standing on dry land so much. While his consistent riding of Abraxas helped him to get sick from the constant rocking of the ship, it did not prepare him for the BOREDOM and lack of anything for him to actually do. Once he had calmed down, Zacrys decided to take in the new location. Tyrosh was a large city. One of the most powerful of the Free Cities, it was a fortress, guarded by high walls made of fused black dragonstone, a material used by the Valyrian Freehold, it was stronger than steel, gold, stone, or diamond. Due to its central location between the other Free cities and Westeros, and its proximity to constant wars between Myr and Lys in the Disputed Lands, Tyrosh is considered a major world hub for hiring professional sellsword companies to fight in the various conflicts of these different regions. Tyrosh also has a very large navy, which makes sense seeing as how it is an island city situated near the Stepstones, which are often used by pirates as a hiding place. Tyrosh, like all of the Free Cities, was originally a colony established by the Valyrian Freehold. Built as a military outpost on a bleak stony isle to control shipping through the Stepstones, they soon discovered a unique variety of sea snail whose secretions were used to create a dye popular with Valyrian nobles. After the Doom of Valyria, the Tyroshi killed the dragonlords and dragons their who survived and would later grow to be a rish city. During the Century of Blood, Volantis, the most powerful city at the time, attempted to conquer the other cities and reform the Freehold. Their efforts were brought down when Tyrosh, with the help of the city of Pentos, the Storm King Argilac Durrandon of Storm's End, and Aegon the Conqueror fought back. Lys and Myr, who had been conquered previously, had risen up in rebellion afterwards and Volantis was defeated. Zacrys was still remarking on the city's rich history when he was shaken out of his stupor by Ser Arthur who had suggested we start making our way to the Golden Keep, the main base of the Golden Company. Like all sellswords, the Golden Company is usually mobile, going around Essos to offer their services to anyone who can pay for them. But due to their strength and rather substantial wealth, the Golden Company is one of the only companies to have an actual, PHYSICAL base of operations, called the Golden Keep and supposedly made entirely of gold. Though that is very unlikely. Zacrys' entire life had only ever been training. If he wasn't training the body, he was training the mind; He would sit in the library for HOURS, simply absorbing all the information he could get his hands on. Some were a part of his schooling like history, mathematics, and literature. Others were taught to him to prepare him for the throne, such as politics, strategy, and finances. But then there were other subjects that he studied simply for fun, such as metallurgy and architecture, and as someone who has studied those subjects, he can say with almost near perfect certainty that there was no feasible way to make such a large structure out of gold. Still, it is a nice thought.
"My Prince" Zacrys turned his attention to Ser Arthur "Are you alright?" He asked concerningly.
"I am fine Ser Arthur. Just...lost in thought, that is all" he assured his protector. As they made their way through the city, Zacrys took note of every little thing he saw. Having never been to such a large city before, or ANY city before really, he was amazed by all the sights, sounds, and smells. Some were pleasant, like the spices, wine, cooked meat, and freshly baked pastries being sold. And others, like the smell of animal shit, human shit, and people who have probably never bathed in their lives were not so pleasant. Zacrys noticed some other things as well, such as the language the people speak sounded familiar. He knew that the Free Cities all spoke different dialects of High Valyrian which became more bastardized after the Doom, however hearing it was more than a little strange, as he could understand one part of a person's conversation, but be completely clueless as to what the other part meant. Zacrys' thoughts were cut short by an irritating itch on the back of his head. The cloak he was wearing was made of a cheap fabric, meant to be inconspicuous, not comfortable. The hood in particular was quite large as to conceal his face and platinum hair. Wouldn't do too well to leave such things visible, not when there is a chance the Spider might find them. Ser Arthur told him about the men who served on his grandfather's Small Council, which had consistently changed due to the Mad King's habit of killing people who disagreed with him. The only three of any relevance were Varys, Grand Maester Pycelle, and Tywin Lannister. As the Grand Maester, Pycelle was appointed and could only be removed by the Conclave of Archmaesters, and as such he has lived threw the reigns of many kings. However the man was a bottom feeder, changing his allegiances with who ever held the most power. Varys is another story. The Lysene man was considered one of the most dangerous people in the world, due to his wide network of children spies which he for some reason calls his "little birds". These little birds are spread across the entire world, passing any and all information through the web and back to Varys. This wide web of spies has earned him the name 'Spider'. Not someone to be underestimated, though by all accounts it seems that he is a Targaryen loyalist, if rumors are to be believed. And then there was Tywin Lannister. lord of Casterly Rock, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West and the richest man on the planet. he had served as the Mad King's Hand for twenty years, holding the realm together through Aerys' descent into madness, before resigning, most likely due to a combination of Aerys cutting out the tongue of the Lannister House Guard Captain Ser Ilyn Payne after he said that Tywin was the true king of the Seven Kingdoms, refusing to marry his son Rhaegar to Tywin's daughter Cersei, and appointing Tywin's eldest son and heir Jaime to the Kingsguard which practically handed the lordship of Casterly Rock over to Tywin's second son, a dwarf named Tyrion who Tywin apparently despises with a vengeance after his wife died giving birth to Tyrion. Then again, who's to say? Maybe he just got tired of working for a madman.
In any case, the Spider and the Old Lion are the two most major obstacles standing in the way of Zacrys taking the Iron Throne. Dealing with them is a priority. While both would be invaluable in taking Westeros, if they refuse to bend the knee, which is very likely in Tywin's case, then they will die.
"My Prince" He turned his head towards Ser Arthur "We have arrived" Zacrys looked up and saw the Golden Keep, its appearance living up to its name and reputation, but even from here he could tell that the castle was NOT, in fact, made of gold. However, to the simple, uneducated, and rather naïve minds of the commonfolk, or at least anyone who has not studied architecture and metallurgy, the Golden Keep would look like it was actually made of gold. As they walked up to the gates, Zacrys took note of the defenses, in case negotiations went awry. Five guards at the front gate, four patrolling the walls. Said walls appear to be made of dragonstone and have been polished, making them look extra shiny while also having the added benefit of being too smooth to be scaled. He also sees two towers, each with two archers on look out, ready to sound the alarm and provide long range support in case of an attack. All in all, the castle appears well fortified from the OUTSIDE. But it is as they say, the thing that really counts is on the INSIDE. As we approach the gate, the guards posted there ready themselves, in the event that we are hostiles. "Halt!" a guard says "You do not have permission to enter here. Leave NOW" Zacrys could see Ser Arthur thumbing his swords, ready for a fight. But Zacrys raises his hand and signals him to stand down. He turns towards the knight and simply winks and gives him a coy smile. He turns his attention back to the guard who addressed them and said "Valar Morghulis. I apologize for bothering you fine sers, but I have a meeting with Lord Harry Strickland, Captain of the Golden Company. I believe he is expecting me" The guards look at him bewildered, clearly shocked by his words and that he could said them fluently in High Valyrian no less. The guard looks at Zacrys, clearly doubting his words. Zacrys sighs and reaches into his cloak. The guards all ready their weapons, preparing for a fight. he pulls his hand from his cloak and shows a letter "This letter was sent to me by Captain Strickland as proof of my intentions." He hands the letter to the guard, who's eyes widened upon seeing the seal of House Strickland. he broke the seal and read the letter. When he was finished, he motioned for the other guards to stand down and said "Valar Dohaeris. I am Dorvis, the head guard. If you will please follow me, I will take you to meet the Captain". The gates opened, letting through. Zacrys smirked triumphantly and nodded his understanding. They entered the castle and made their way to the Captain. After today, Zacrys would have the beginnings of an army for his conquest. If Zacrys was anything, he was patient, tenacious, and driven. He was the blood of the dragon and of the First Men. He WILL take the Iron Throne. He WILL rule the Seven Kingdoms. And any one who stands in his way...will BURN!
AAAAAAANNNNNDDDD THAT'S A WRAP
Until next time
Valar Morghulis