Chapter Seven
…..
The Hanging Gardens, an hour before Ari and Nymeria meets
"So what do you plan to do little one?" the rumbling but silky voice of Durneviir growls through the open space of the Hanging Gardens, created specifically so that the Dovah might have a place to land and relax a bit when they wish to every time they visit the garden.
"That is an interesting question, I guess we could cater this queen, see what she wants," answers Ari. "It is a good thing that she came here to visit herself, in a place where we are strongest and have the advantage. Her lack of escorts and pomp says a lot. Either she is overconfident of the power she wields that she comes here expecting that her influence might prevent us from doing her harm, or she is a fool who does not know what she is doing,"
"I can sense courage and strength in that two-legs queen," hums the dragon. "No matter what she is, at least she is not a coward. There is strength of spirit in her,"
"Then I would conclude that I would not be dealing with a fool then. That is a good thing,"
"And why is that so little herald?"
Ari simply smiles before patting the side of the dragon's scales at the head where the side horns jut out from. "Because dealing with a fool in a position of power is dangerous. If you're negotiating with one who is wise, you can guess his or her thought process dearest Durneviir, you can plan and expect how they would react. Fools however are different. Fools react in ways that you can never anticipate and cannot guess. That is why it is dangerous,"
"You are dealing with non-magical two legs little one and you have the Dovah at your side. No one would dare challenge you," says the dragon with a tinge of pride.
"If I'm dealing with a wise one yes," answers Ari. "A wise ruler would recognize the power and the threat an opponent or a possible rival might have and weigh it to the damages of their kingdom and their people and then make a decision about it. A fool would only see a threat to their power and to themselves alone and risk it all to eliminate such threat, no matter what the consequence is,"
"You released us from our imprisonment in the Vivarium little one. Says much of your wisdom," the dragon grunts amusedly making Ari shrug her shoulders in reply.
"What can I say? I am a Gryffindor through and through. Being reckless is part of that. Besides, it's not as if I just released you without precaution. I seem to recall Ovahdiig having tantrum of the exploding runes I placed on your necks till you all swore your promises to aid me in this quest of mine of Death,"
The dragon guffaws at that, a retching ugly rumbling sound that sends the stones shaking. "And we respect your wariness of us little herald. Now I must go, I can sense that queen approaching and you have an act to play out again, I believe,"
"Yes, yes, now shoo you overgrown lizard,"
…..
Current Time
"You know who I am?" the queen asks her making Ari smile inwardly. Of course she knows who she is. While she has taken the time to meet her guards outside, Ari has peered through one of the many ledges of the Temple of the Hanging Gardens and unashamedly read her thoughts.
Reading another person's mind without their consent is one of the most taboo things to do in the Wizarding World. The different ministries throughout the world are united on this rule and violating the mind of someone be it muggle or magical is usually enough to send a person a one way ticket to differing versions of Azkaban. Here however where the only magical she can sense so far is herself. Sue her if she does not cheat to achieve her goals.
"Magic is Might" as old snake face tends to say, and Ari only later understands it. That is why magicals hold themselves powerful above Muggles despite them at least decades behind in technological prowess.
Speaking of which, Ari rather likes this conqueror queen of Dorne. Ari has no desire to be ruler of Westeros. She is content here, in this dry stretch of land which she rights now technically rule. Officially, it is the Elders who enforce the laws and make the daily decisions of running the Fedaykin of Jerusalem. Unofficially, she is their ruler as their prophet and lawgiver, making sure to inquire of her any major decisions they are bringing. This gives her power, but at the same time frees her from the chains of responsibility and stuck in the wheels of running a government.
Now as to this Nymeria Martell of Dorne, Ari has no quarrel with her. Though she would be more than happy to rain fire, sorcery and brimstone to whatever army the upstart new queen would bring with her if she chooses the path of violence to subjugate Jerusalem under her heel. Ari would not surrender her investment without a fight. Especially a fight that she knows she can win. On the other hand, this presents an opportunity that Ari would rather like to take, especially knowing what the political climate of Westeros is. If Ari plays her cards right, not only would she be able to have her influence here at Jerusalem, but also Dorne as a whole.
She is after all here in this continent for the long game.
"Mother Rhoyne never forgets any of her children," she answers still in that double voice that she uses in her prophet persona. "I know of you Nymeria of the Rhoynar. I know your dreams, the real reason why you traveled to Westeros from the hot sands of Essos, so far from your home,"
"You do?" the face of the queen now is guarded and Ari smiles inside. It seems that she is getting to the queen. She is taking Ari's words to heart. Now to twist it only a little and she would be all around her finger.
"I do, Mother Rhoyne never fails to keep her eye away from you and your people. I know of your first rule at Rhoyne when the proud princes of the Rhoynar rallied against the Dragonlords of Valyria. I know of how you fight against it, calling it folly and suicidal. You are right for doing so, for what can blood and bone do against the might of magic and powerful beasts of fire and flame? I saw you rallying as much of your people as you could to every floating vessel you can find after the defeat against the Valyrians. I saw your fear, your panic as news after news came of Dragonlords ransacking Rhoynar tows, villages and cities in retaliation for daring to challenge their might,"
"Of my journey then, what then? Did you see it too?" asked Nymeria this time in a frantic tone, the mask of the powerful queen dissolving to that of the face of one who suffered too much and too long.
"Mother Rhoyne does see it. She knows of the crowded boats, refugees all hanging by a thread pushing for whatever space. The lost souls fallen on the water, she has seen. She knows of the voyage of the Summer Sea where at least a hundred boats and ships sink beneath the waves, carrying the hapless survivors with them unto the maw of the waters. The raids of the Volantenes, the tough decision you are forced to make to leave others behind who are lost and taken captured for the sake of the greater good. Mother Rhoyne knows the blood on the sand on the Basilisk Isles when the pirate kings descend on the survivors, how they wet the ground with innocent blood. She has seen you hold the hands of the sick and the dying on Sothoryos as the life leaves their bodies. The long three years transferring from island to island hoping that the next one might offer salvation only to miss it every time. She knows the helplessness that you feel on your heart wondering if you would be nothing more than castaways, living on your boats and ships forever, your doubts whether there is an end to your journey. She knows of the doubts of your people finally getting over them and rising up in rebellion against you, choosing to take matters into their own hands and abandoning the princess that leads them for so long. After so many long years, here you are, finally home,"
"Home, home am I? If she sees, then why did she do nothing? Thousands died, prophet, thousands! Men, women, children. Did she see and do nothing?" the queen now demands in a heated tone even as tears fell from her eyes. It seems that despite her position and power as the ruler of Dorne, the queen still carries heavy baggage about her long trip from the Rhoyne towards here at Westeros.
"Time to cash on it," Ari thinks to herself casting a small lumos spell on herself to give off the appearance of a background powerful light and casting a silent sonorous in her throat.
The words that come out of her mouth then is one of thunder as Ari is enveloped with a grey and green light darkening the shadows of the temple and illuminating her like a lamp in the darkness.
"Who gave you the strength of character to lead your people?! Who tamed the winds, the sky and the waters that keep your ships afloat? Did not I? Now listen! Here you are, a continent away from your land of birth. Instead of a Princess, I have made you a queen! No longer a princess for you have risen from the seas like the dawn. From you, your bloodline will be wily as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All who hurt you shall know you and despair!" immediately Ari snaps off the lighting spell after maximizing it for a second making it akin to snap like a flash of lightning bringing back the natural light of the temple.
As for her, she stumbles a bit making a bit of a drunken act as if possessed. She smiles inwardly though as she sees the queen falling prostrate on her face towards her at the ground. She can hear sobbing coming from the Rhoynish woman.
"Mother Rhoyne speaks Queen Nymeria," Ari says in a crooning tone as she crouches forward patting the head of the queen. "She has never forgotten you and has been with you always throughout your journey. A metal cannot be useful unless it is heated thoroughly, you have been refurbished and remade, now look at you, a vessel ready for greatness as the Mother wills it,"
Ari tries to ignore the snot on her fingers as the queen raises her head on Ari's palm. "But the others, the ones who are lost. What about them? Are they pawns to my greatness? Simple pieces to be discarded and trampled for the greater good? Tell me oh prophet,"
Ari simply smiles at that naivety of Queen Nymeria. For all her original desire to subjugate the La'Os originally, she really does care for the people, which are saying much if the information she has gleaned in this world is anything to be trusted. It almost makes her feel bad for the trickery she is employing to deceive her right now.
Almost.
"The game of the gods continue queen dearest. The gods roll their dice and we mortals must dance to their tune. The only thing we can do is to make the best out of every circumstance and decision that they make. Your people died, and that is tragic and heartbreaking, but in return, it forged you into a ruler strong enough to rule an entire kingdom that stretches from the seas to the mountains. Maybe it is for the greater good, maybe it is only because Mother Rhoyne wills it. What I do know, is that you are here and now seeking wisdom and if I am right, more power," Ari adds the last part in a bit of an accusatory tone.
Nymeria's tear stained face guiltily grimaces at that. Ari smirks inside. At least she has the grace not to deny it. It's not as if she can hide it anyway from the mind reading skills of the wizard turned witch.
"There is some credit when they call you the Voice from the Outer World. What are you really? Are you a god?"
"There are gods and there are men, and there are those of us in between," answers Ari simply. "You ask the same question the Fedaykin did when I first appeared to them and rightfully so. For I am no god, just a herald of one, the Lhisan-Al-Gaib as they call me, a voice of guidance simply, for a new path to take,"
"And you know why I am here?"
"Of course, you seek new people, new places to conquer. You look at Dorne and you see petty kings squabbling, reminding you of the pirate kings that enslaved your people during your long journey. You can't take your revenge on them, but you can at least take fulfillment by destroying people like them here,"
"Then you know?"
"Of you not wanting to unite Dorne out of the goodness of your heart?" Ari snorts at that. "Please, the hearts of mortals are ever easy to read, easy to guess. You are all selfish creatures beneath your words of idealism that you profess. But at least I know that despite the selfishness that united this desert country, you truly care for your people,"
"Nothing gets past you, does it?" Nymeria answers with a sniffing chuckle.
"You have your secrets queen, I have mine," replies Ari smiling at the beautiful Rhoynar. "Now enough of this banter. You are here for my people and I am afraid that the answer is no,"
"They would not bend the knee to me? Or rather you would not?" asks Nymeria blinking. "You know that I would treat them well,"
"I know, but I am no ruler of these people Queen of Dorne. The Fedaykin only bows to Shai Hulud and all I did was to lead them here, where they can find a new life, safe from the eddies of the Great Desert,"
"You know as well as I do that if you kneel, they would follow," says Nymeria.
"Maybe, but I have no desire on kneeling to you oh queen. As you already know, we are surrounded by the desert and the Sandworms guard the way in. The dragons and the Dovah won't allow anyone other than us to live near their nests and I'm afraid the Howling Scorpions of the Fedaykin would agree to any sort of invasion of our homes,"
"We are at an impasse then?" says Nymeria with an angled look through her dark eyes. "I would not allow a foreign power living within Dorne. Even if I must fight the very dragons myself,"
"You would not have to," Ari answers with a smirk. "I am the Lhisan-Al-Gaib, and I would love to propose to you a Path that would help us avoid all this nonsense and at the same time, get us what we both want,"
…..
Black Tower , the Westernmost Edge of the Territories of Valyria
He can sense it, the old power flowing through his bones as he weaves his hands through the astrolabes that are currently surrounding his form. Around his partially pale naked form dressed only in a quilt to cover his privates are slaves muttering prayers and praises as he breathes in and out the magic of blood currently flowing like a small stream through runes of power surrounding him.
"Interesting, very interesting," he mutters to himself as he opens his eyes showing dark violet irises. Like all Valyrians, Aeredar Baelerys is a beautiful specimen of a man, chiseled body with high cheekbones and a tall height. Belonging to House Baelerys one of the Fourteen Houses of Valyria, he is the Lord of the Black Tower, one of the scryers that sense magic all around the world.
Being a Lord of a Tower, it is his duty to make sure that no magic can challenge that of the Valyrians and exterminate any that they deem to dangerous and threatening. Being a Lord of the Black Tower, unlike other Dragonlords, he has the freedom to act anytime he wants with almost no barbs to his freedom.
Right now he can sense it, a powerful magic from the rather rustic and barbaric kingdoms of Westeros. It is one of Death and Fire, a rather intriguing combination. The world itself has its own brand of different magics but this is something new.
"Garb me," his melodious but strong tone commands and immediately four slaves appear holding different outfit apparels, dressing him immediately into his customary violet and dark red outfit with a long flowing cape of burgundy. A slave places a simple plate on his chest with the symbol of a dragon swallowing a mountain before walking back as the slaves around bowed with their faces to the ground as their master walks to the edge of the tower.
"Jaqiarzir come to me," his rich voice calls out and immediately the screeching of a rust coloured dragon appears screeching powerfully as it lands on the space at the tower specifically made for it.
"My weapons," he intones making two more slaves nervously approach him handing him a whip with scales on its long edge and a giant bow with arrows which he attaches to the edge of the harness of the large dragon.
With a flourish that comes only from hundreds of repetitions, he mounts the dragon before urging it to drop down from the tower. The rust coloured dragon screeches as it follows its master's commands making a twirl before opening its giant wings and taking to the sky.
It beats in the morning air as it heads West.
…
Author's Note:
Hallo, so another chapter done. Thanks for the wait guys. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading this chapter also.
Anyway please review for your reviews are the song to this writer's heart.