Disclaimer: I do not own Elder Scrolls or A Song of Ice and Fire. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 18
Summer Isles 297AC
The great city of Tall Trees Town, the cultural and religious center of all the Summer Isles, was a vast port city with a peculiarity: it had no walls. Among the many places in the city, the so-called «Talking Trees» stood out, enormous trees that looked like towers and provided refreshing shade to the sunny city, allowing people to walk peacefully through its streets.
In one of the many alleys, Daenerys walked accompanied by Ghost, who deterred any unscrupulous person who might try something against the young Targaryen. She wore an unconventional outfit: instead of a dress, she wore clothes with a somewhat masculine touch. Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved white tunic with a loose fit, cinched with a black leather corset fastened with laces. At her waist, she wore a leather belt from which hung a couple of pouches, and tight black leather pants completed the ensemble, along with knee-high boots. On her back, in its sheath, rested «Dark Sister». Her hair was still black, despite the multiple baths she had taken from Gulltown to Lys and from there to Tall Trees Town. As she walked, she pondered the revelations learned alongside Jon and the crew.
'Magic is real... I never would have expected it.' Daenerys thought, recalling every word Jon had said about magic and the history of Valyria. She would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised; she never imagined that the forty families of the Freehold had been trained by a being from another world. But, after thinking about it, it made sense; only that way could they have bought so much power. What shook her the most was knowing that the families, including hers, betrayed their master out of a desire for power. 'That explains many things, like the origin of Targaryen madness and the fall of Valyria.'
Her thoughts drifted to what Jon had told her about the «Doom of Valyria». Knowing that he had been trained by that same soul, she felt surprise and, at the same time, a certain fear, imagining that Jon might seek revenge against her family. But his words made her feel strange.
'You don't need to worry, Daenerys... for some reason, I can't hate you. There's something that prevents me from doing so.'
Shaking her head to clear it, she decided to stop thinking about it when she noticed her cheeks beginning to blush. To avoid dwelling on the possible meaning of Jon's words, she continued walking. On her way, she passed by some extinguished braziers and remembered how Jon had confirmed the existence of magic.
Flashback
Daenerys watched in fascination the small flame that Jon had created. The flame floated between his hands, which he kept together to control it better, avoiding the risk of having fire on a ship.
"Incredible! I can't believe magic exists!" Daenerys exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, it's amazing. And believe us, this isn't the only thing Jon can do." Pyp commented, catching her attention.
"Really? Are there more impressive things?"
"Yes, although he doesn't use them often, as they are part of his combat tactics. So, you could only see them in a battle." added the young man with large ears, smiling.
Daenerys looked back at Jon, but before she could say anything, the ship shook unexpectedly, causing her to fall, unfortunately, into Jon's hands, where the fire still burned.
Everyone's eyes widened in horror as they saw Daenerys' face fall onto the flame. She closed her eyes and let out a scream of fear, but to everyone's surprise, she wasn't burned at all. Alarmed, Jon extinguished the fire and quickly helped her up.
"I'm not hurt... How is that possible?" she asked, astonished and worried.
The question hung in the air for a few moments. Finally, Jon formulated a hypothesis.
"I'm not sure, but I have a theory... Tell me, Daenerys, have you ever felt little heat when something boiling touches you?"
The question puzzled everyone, and to general surprise, Daenerys admitted that she used to bathe in boiling water because only then could she feel some warmth, although even then it seemed a bit cold.
"I see... so that's why." Jon murmured, bringing a hand to his chin.
Curious, the others looked at Jon. Grenn was the one who, stepping forward, asked:
"What's going on, Jon?"
Jon looked at his friends and, after letting out a sigh, began to explain.
"As you know, the forty families that ruled Valyria were apprentices of Edzard, who had high magical resistance. When they betrayed him and stole his powers, each family obtained a specific ability. Some gained more magical powers, others magical resistance, and so on. Although it's not known for sure what each family obtained, thanks to Daenerys, I can guess what abilities the Targaryens acquired."
Intrigued, Daenerys looked at Jon with determined eyes. "What abilities would those be?"
"From what I've just seen and what I've read about the Targaryens, it's most likely that they inherited resistance to magic. This may include some immunity to non-magical physical elements, such as resisting fire or cold to a greater degree. The second ability could be 'Vision.' a capacity to foresee the future, which would explain how Daenys the Dreamer knew that Valyria would be destroyed." Jon explained, while Daenerys and the rest looked at him in astonishment. But among them, the last Targaryen had an expression of fascination.
"So... am I immune to the elements?" she asked timidly.
"No, not to all. You're probably more resistant to fire. It would be best to test now to know the extent of your abilities." Jon said with a smile that unsettled Daenerys, who for a moment considered escaping from there.
End Flashback
Daenerys shuddered as she remembered how Jon had tested her resistance by conjuring frost, lightning, and more. In the end, they concluded that she was almost immune to fire, but not so much to the other elements. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Ghost brush against her leg. She stopped thinking about Jon's tests and looked at the wolf, who was staring intently down one of the streets.
"What's wrong, boy?" Daenerys asked, surprised that the wolf was behaving that way.
Ghost, unable to respond with words, looked at her intensely and then began to trot down the alley.
"Ghost! Wait!" Daenerys shouted, hurrying to follow him.
The alley, which at first seemed simple, quickly turned into a labyrinth of narrow streets. Running after Ghost, Daenerys lost track of time and didn't realize she had been chasing him for over fifteen minutes. When she finally saw the wolf stop, she managed to catch up to him, panting.
"Finally, I catch you, Ghost!" she exclaimed, intending to scold him, but stopped when she noticed a huge line of people in front of them. The individuals in the line wore vibrant and extravagant clothing.
She turned her gaze to the place everyone was heading: an imposing structure that looked like a temple. It was built of white stone and had several windows, rising several meters above the square.
"What is that place?" she murmured.
"It's a Temple of Love." replied a voice behind her. The voice spoke in the common tongue with a marked accent, but it was perfectly understandable.
Daenerys quickly turned around and found herself facing a woman in her twenties, with skin as dark as teak. Her hazel eyes and long, silky black hair moved gently with the wind. Although the woman was stunning, what really caught Daenerys' attention was her attire: a simple amethyst-colored cloth that covered only the essential parts of her body.
"A T-Temple of L-Love?" Daenerys asked timidly, somewhat uncomfortable with the woman's attire.
"Yes, a Temple of Love." The woman smiled, seeing Daenerys' discomfort. "I can see it's your first time in the Summer Isles, right?"
Daenerys nodded, confirming it.
"I see... tell me, little one, would you like to see what this temple looks like inside?"
For a moment, Daenerys was about to decline, but her curiosity about the temple and the reason for the long line prompted her to accept. When she took a few steps, she saw Ghost get up and start following her. Realizing that the wolf would go with her, she thought about rejecting the invitation, worried that his presence might be an inconvenience. However, before she could say anything, the woman turned to her.
"Don't worry about the wolf; he can come in too." she said, before looking ahead again.
Daenerys smiled and, without wasting time, began to follow the woman, with Ghost walking by her side.
Daenerys' eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the temple's interior, for, unlike the exterior, it was much more colorful. The floor was covered with polished marble tiles, and the interior beams displayed carvings with floral and plant motifs. The walls were richly adorned with tapestries from Myr, Lys, and Norvos. Daenerys and the direwolf had managed to enter without waiting in line, thanks to the woman going with them, who turned out to be a priestess of the temple.
"You're probably wondering what this temple is, right?"
"Yes." Daenerys replied, staring in fascination at each room they passed through. Her eyes scanned the decorations in wonder, her nostrils inhaling the sweet scent of incense, which smelled of flowers and fruit. However, her fascination turned to horror and then shame as she passed a room where she saw a couple engaged in intimacy. Blushing, she looked away and into another room, where the scene was even more daring: two women and a man shared a bed.
'W-what is going on here?!' Daenerys screamed in her thoughts, horrified to see that in every room they passed there were people copulating without inhibitions. 'This doesn't look like a temple, it looks like a brothel!'
Lost in her thoughts, Daenerys didn't realize they had reached a room until Ghost gave her a small nudge on the leg, bringing her back to reality. Blinking, she noticed the priestess sitting in front of a table.
"So... What brings Daenerys Stormborn to this island?" asked the priestess with a smile, as she saw Daenerys' face pale upon hearing her name.
"I-I-I..." Daenerys tried to respond, surprised that the woman recognized her. She was wearing a black wig to go unnoticed, and everyone in the crew called her "Dany" when they were on land. Only Jon called her Daenerys, and that was usually only when they were at sea, where they were not in danger of being overheard. How could this priestess know her real name?
"It seems the cat got your tongue... or perhaps, was it a wolf who did it?" the woman said with amusement, widening her smile.
The insinuation in her words made Daenerys' pale face turn intensely red in less than a second, provoking a laugh from the priestess. That laugh made Daenerys start to get angry, feeling mocked. However, before she could say anything, a strong wind swept through the room, extinguishing the candles for a second before they relit. It was unusual, and for Daenerys, even stranger, as she thought she had heard a whisper in the native tongue of the Summer Isles. Right after, the priestess stood up and looked her straight in the eyes.
"It seems the time for jokes is over." said the priestess, fully capturing Daenerys' attention. "I will tell you the reason I brought you here." She paused, seeing her. "Tell me something, Daenerys... what do you know about the gods of this world?"
"The gods?" Daenerys repeated, confused. She didn't understand why she was being asked that question.
"Yes, the gods. What do you know about them?"
"Only what everyone knows that they are the beings worshipped in the religions of the world, although no one really knows if they exist or not."
"I see... It seems you are like most people, someone who has not yet transcended to understand if the gods exist." the woman commented, standing up and beginning to walk around the room as if she were about to give a lesson.
"You speak as if you have seen the gods." Daenerys replied, without taking her eyes off her.
"I haven't seen them, but I know they exist." the priestess responded, looking at the ceiling.
"Why are you so sure they exist if you haven't seen them?"
"It's simple. I haven't seen them, but I have felt their presence and witnessed some of their works in this world." the woman said, lowering her gaze to the direwolf. "The wolf that accompanies you is not just a beast; it is a being sent by the gods to help and protect its owner in future battles."
The priestess's words made Daenerys look at Ghost differently. She had always been curious about why Jon and his Stark siblings had wolves as companions. If she believed what the priestess said, it seemed that the Old Gods wanted the Starks to be protected... although she didn't know for what.
"Now you understand. The gods may not manifest openly in the world, but their help and presence remain here." the priestess continued.
"I understand that, but... what does it have to do with all this?"
"For several months there have been problems on this island, ever since a merchant brought something from a pirate ship from the Basilisk Isles."
"Problems? What kind of problems?" Daenerys asked, stroking Ghost's head to calm herself, as she felt something dark was lurking on the island.
"The city seems lively, but that's only because we are in the weeks of festivities dedicated to our gods, the gods of summer. However, outside the city, I fear a civil war is brewing that will plunge the island into chaos. All our attempts to communicate with the merchant have failed, and the emissaries we sent returned in pieces or, if they come back whole, they bring unusual wounds, cuts that are cauterized from the inside."
"I don't quite understand. Although it seems you have problems with a possible rebel, why talk to me? Why do you think the gods are involved in this?"
"I am a priestess, and one of the emissaries was my older brother. They... they returned him in pieces... When I saw his body, I cried and went to the temple to pray, asking the gods to kill the merchant. However, my prayers were not heard, or at least that's what I thought. But a few days ago, the gods sent me a sign, a dream in which I saw a small ship arriving at the port, and from it, several individuals disembarked. I couldn't see their faces, but I did see that four of them carried a banner embroidered on their clothes. Although some were unfamiliar to me, two of them were. One of them bore the emblem of a white wolf chasing a shining star on a sable field, and the other bore a very well-known sigil in the world: a three-headed red dragon on a black field. That's when I knew who you were, as the news of Viserys Targaryen's death has spread around the world, as well as the news of his sister's disappearance." The priestess responded, approaching Daenerys and taking her hands. She continued with a voice full of urgency. "When the vision ended, I heard the whispers of the summer gods telling me that the person who could help us was on that ship."
At the end of her words, the woman slightly squeezed Daenerys' hands. Looking into her eyes, the young Targaryen noticed a spark of hope in her gaze, almost as if she were pleading for an affirmative answer.
'Why does she think the help is on the ship? I can't do anything. I have no armies, and I'm still clumsy with a sword. The only one who could help her would be... Jon... Yes, Jon will know what to do!'
Putting a smile on her face, Daenerys looked at the priestess and spoke. "I can't help you, but I think I know who can."
Daenerys' response made the priestess smile. She released the princess's hands and, with an expectant look, asked her to take her to that person. Daenerys nodded silently.
The salty sea wind blew, cooling the port of Tall Trees Town, where Jon was negotiating with a local merchant, the leader of one of the largest guilds in the city.
"Ummm... yes, it seems that all the manufactured goods are genuine, and the perishable products are in very good condition." said the guild leader, a man in his forties named Xhobo. His attire was colorful, adorned with a cape of feathers that shimmered in bright tones. Xhobo stopped examining the boxes and chests stacked in the large warehouse and turned to Jon. "Due to the quality and scarcity of these products, their price in the local market will be high. But, as I suppose you know, it is necessary for me to have a good purchase price, as I want to maximize my profits to the fullest, young man. So, since you are from Westeros, I offer you the equivalent of about thirty thousand gold dragons for everything. What do you think?"
Jon listened to the offer, and for a moment, he was tempted to withdraw the merchandise. The prize would only leave him with about ten thousand gold dragons, and it was the fifth sale they had made on the island. They had already divided the merchandise into six parts, one for each of them. His friends had already earned more than ten thousand gold dragons with their respective parts, including Daenerys, who had obtained her first twelve thousand dragons. Jon felt he couldn't fall behind, so he decided to haggle.
"The truth is that it is very little for this merchandise. I am not selling you counterfeits, but excellent quality products from the Free Cities. Therefore, I think forty thousand dragons would be fair."
Jon's words made Xhobo frown, realizing that he would have to negotiate harder to get a lower price. Thoughtfully, he brought a hand to his chin and, after a few moments, made a counteroffer.
"No, that is excessive. They may be good products, but they will not sell quickly in this place. Therefore, considering my losses, I offer you thirty-three thousand gold dragons."
Jon frowned upon hearing that figure. He was tempted to use his magic to gain more profit, but he remembered that it would not be honorable. Although he did not place as much emphasis on honor as his father, Edzard had taught him the importance of keeping it, not only as a soldier but also as a merchant and craftsman. While reflecting, he saw some boxes with very rare fruits, something he had never seen before. Using his keen sense of smell, he detected a sweet aroma, almost like honey, indicating that the fruits were fresh. Additionally, he also noticed that there were boxes with spices that were clearly uncommon in Westeros. This reminded him of a trade lesson Edzard had given him some time ago.
Flashback
A torch illuminated the room where Jon was studying. The young bastard of Winterfell was sitting, reading a book about maritime and land trade, with his eyes fixed on the words as he tried to absorb everything he could, as the profession of a merchant could be an option in his future.
"Goods fetch a higher price if sold in a place farther from their production area... What does this mean?" Jon asked aloud, not expecting an answer, as he thought he was alone.
"That the farther you sell the product from where you bought it, the more likely you are to achieve a greater profit than if you sell it in a nearby place, where the supply of that good is more common." replied Edzard, who was behind him.
"Ahhhh!" Jon screamed, jumping from his seat and dropping the book. He was startled to hear Edzard's voice. After taking several breaths, he turned to his master and shouted. "Don't do that again, you almost killed me!"
Edzard let out an amused laugh at his apprentice's reaction. After a few seconds, he stopped laughing, picked up the book that had fallen to the floor, and, seeing what Jon was reading, decided to give him an important piece of advice for the future, in case he ever decided to go into trade.
"Jon, while getting the best price is a well-known way to generate profits in an exchange, there are also purchase and sale agreements."
"Purchase and sale agreements?"
"Yes, purchase and sale agreements. To explain it simply, if you don't get the price you want, you can reach an agreement with your buyer or the person selling to you, in which you could get merchandise at a lower price or some additional benefit, such as discounts on transportation, among others. It may sound almost useless, but believe me, sometimes one of those agreements can be the best business deal of your life. So, whenever you can, try to use that tactic in your exchanges."
"I see..." Jon said thoughtfully, then frowned when Edzard playfully ruffled his hair.
End flashback.
Remembering that type of agreement, Jon decided to make a new offer, hoping it would allow him to make a good profit.
"You offered me thirty thousand gold dragons, right?" Jon asked, earning a nod from the merchant, who smiled, thinking the young man would accept that deal. "Then, I make a counteroffer. How about I accept the thirty thousand, but on the condition that you sell me the merchandise in the right corner of your warehouse at a twenty percent discount?"
Jon's offer took the merchant by surprise, who didn't know what to say. In reality, Jon's merchandise could easily sell for about fifty thousand gold dragons, and Xhobo had been planning to take advantage of the young man's inexperience to get a large number of products at a low price. However, it seemed that Jon was not as inexperienced as he had assumed. After thinking for a few moments, the merchant calculated the possible losses he could suffer by selling the spices at a lower price. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he wouldn't lose, as the sale of Jon's merchandise could easily cover those losses, leaving him with a good profit margin. So, seeing this, Xhobo decided to accept the offer.
"Sounds good to me." Xhobo replied, extending his hand to Jon, who shook it. The deal was symbolically sealed with a handshake, after which they both headed to the merchant's yard to formalize the agreement with a document.
Jon was walking through the city streets, his steps slow as he had no hurry to return to the ship. This was because he had already managed to sell what was left of the merchandise they had loaded onto the ship in the Free Cities, and he had also secured a good deal to sell spices native to these islands. The new merchandise consisted of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, among others. In the end, the amount of money Jon was investing in these spices was all the money raised from the sale of his merchandise, along with some of his own savings.
'If the sale goes well, in the end, we will get an obscene amount of gold for the entire cargo of spices. The best thing would be to sell it in Westeros, as there is a good market for it there. Now, about the fresh fruits that have been bought, the best thing would be to sell them somewhere where they are scarce. So, I'll ask Sam if he knows of any place like that to sell them fresh, otherwise, the best thing will be to dehydrate them to sell as provisions for the soldiers of the mercenary companies.' Jon thought as he turned a corner. When he turned onto the street, he was surprised to see Daenerys appearing from the other end of the street he had entered. Seeing her, Jon felt concerned, as she was not alone; besides Ghost, there was someone else.
'Who is that woman?' Jon thought as he saw the woman walking with Daenerys. The woman was obviously a local, but with a peculiar way of dressing. Unfortunately, he couldn't think more about it, as Daenerys noticed his presence, so, turning her face, she saw the woman and, taking her by the hand, began to walk quickly towards him.
"Jon! I finally found you!" Daenerys shouted when she reached Jon's side.
"Dany, what's wrong? Why are you so upset and why is this woman with you?" Jon asked, squinting at the woman.
"There's something I need to tell you, but we can't talk here. So, let's go somewhere more discreet."
Jon looked at Daenerys and although he didn't feel comfortable with the woman who was with her, he decided not to do or say anything. So, signaling for them to follow him, he began to walk towards an alley he had seen when walking to this street.
The small group of three humans and a wolf walked through the streets, drawing some attention from the population, but no one bothered them. After walking for a few minutes, they finally reached the alley Jon had seen before.
Entering the alley, they sat on some boxes that were there.
"So, what's going on?" Jon asked, looking at Daenerys and then at the woman, while extending his hand and petting his direwolf, who had sat next to him.
"Jon, it seems there are strange things happening on this island." Daenerys responded frankly.
"Strange things? What do you mean?" Jon asked skeptically, as he hadn't felt or heard anything strange in the streets.
"I'm afraid this city is being haunted by a great evil, good Ser." the woman responded, who knew Jon was a knight thanks to Daenerys mentioning his titles.
Jon raised an eyebrow in confusion, as he didn't expect anyone to know he was a knight. However, he was also curious to know what great evil was haunting these lands.
"You speak of a great evil, but you don't mention what it is... excuse me, but... what is your name?"
"My name is Jasalla Doro, and I am a priestess of the summer gods." Jasalla introduced herself courteously.
"I see, it's a pleasure to meet you." Jon greeted kindly, then returned to the matter at hand. "Lady Jasalla, you mention a great evil, but you don't explain what kind of evil it is."
"That is the problem, Ser Jon." Jasalla said frankly while clasping her hands and squeezing them gently. "We don't know what kind of evil it is specifically, but we do know that our gods consider it strange and very dangerous for our land."
Jasalla's response made Jon feel confused, not because of the gods, but because a great evil was mentioned that was dangerous for this land. This began to make Jon think about what kind of evil it could be.
"For the gods, who usually don't interfere much in mortal affairs, to be a bit more active than usual, it only indicates that whatever is happening here is something very, very bad."
The way Jon spoke caused surprise in Daenerys and Jasalla, who didn't understand why he spoke as if the gods were tangible and real beings.
"J-J-Jon... why do you speak as if the gods were real?" Daenerys asked curiously.
"Huh?" Jon responded, coming out of his thoughts. Looking at both women, he saw they were surprised that he knew about the existence of the gods. Feeling he should answer them correctly, he began to speak. "Of course, the gods are real. Some may be cruel idiots who want their enemies drowned or burned, but the truth is they are all gray and neither good nor bad. They may not have much presence in current eras, but some of their gifts stay in the world. Unfortunately, the scarcity of magic currently in the world is the main reason why these gifts are so scarce in number of users and so weak compared to how they were in the past. I learned of their existence in my training, as my master managed to feel them and I believe he even saw them."
"Y-your master saw the gods?" Jasalla asked in surprise, but fortunately, she didn't shout, as she realized that doing so would attract the attention of people walking on the street adjacent to the alley where they were.
"Yes, or at least I think so. The truth is he always seemed to know more than he let on, but since he died a long time ago, I couldn't know everything he knew."
"I see..." Jasalla said with a touch of disappointment, as she hoped to know more.
"Well, let's stop talking about the gods and tell me what's going on."
Daenerys looked at Jasalla, and after a few seconds, the island native began to tell Jon what was happening.
With each word Jon heard from the woman's mouth, he began to understand better what was going on. It seemed that a kind of civil war was about to break out, as that merchant was gathering soldiers somewhere in the nearby mountains, or at least that was what the reports from the few spies who managed to see what the merchant was doing indicated. While that wasn't particularly impressive, the mention that this merchant had become like this thanks to an object he obtained from a pirate ship from the Basilisk Isles caused curiosity and confusion in Jon.
"What did that object look like?" Jon asked with concern, as he sensed that the object was a powerful artifact.
"Ummm... I didn't see it much, but from what I remember, it was a kind of sphere made of some sort of red crystal, which was polished and allowed you to see that beneath the first layer there were some strange inscriptions."
The priestess's response caused Daenerys and Jon's faces to turn pale, as they both knew what object she was talking about.
"Jon, that object won't be..." Daenerys said cryptically, using High Valyrian to communicate her suspicion to Jon.
"Yes, I think it's one of the seal stones." Jon said, also in High Valyrian. After those words, the bastard son of Eddard Stark stood up from the box he was sitting on and, looking at the sky, took a deep breath. After that, he looked at the priestess and spoke again, this time in the common tongue. "I will help you solve this problem, but you will have to give me all the information I need for this."
Jon's response made the woman smile, a smile full of hope. So, standing up, Jasalla asked him a firm and clear question. "What do you need?"
Author's Note:
To those who have made it this far, thank you for reading. To be honest, my English writing skills are not strong, and I'm relying on Google Translate and the dictionaries that come with Office 2019.
And chapter 18 is out, XD
Now, the group has arrived at the Summer Isles, where they are lucky enough to come across one of the stones they are looking for.
Also, if you don't understand the gods, the truth is that I had been thinking about how to approach it, since in the books the gods often grant gifts to some of their followers (except for the Seven, XD), but only sparsely. So, I've decided to have them be a bit more active, but we won't see their full activity until several chapters later.
I apologize for any spelling errors. Please don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or if there's something that needs improvement, or if you have any questions about the story. Any constructive advice is welcome. With nothing more to say, see you in the next chapter.