A Song of The Stars
TalesofNine
Daenerys
She was sitting alone atop a mountain, a clear sky filled with stars that glimmered in all directions. There was a sudden fierce wind and howling that sent a chill down her spine as she hugged herself. As Daenerys looked up again to see the source of the wind the stars were all brighter, growing closer by the moment before they began raining down from the sky like a fierce storm. Star after star fell till one final star raced down toward the mountain and there was a sudden roar as smoke and dust filled the air.
Daenerys gasped as she awoke her eyes fluttering as she raised herself. She could hear raised voices shouting and crying out and fear raced down her spine. Were they under attack? If the bloodriders who had abandoned Khal Drogo had returned she had no means to defend against them. Daenerys stood and quickly readied herself not waiting for her handmaidens as she rushed outside of her tent and saw her small Khalasar shouting and pointing toward the sky.
"What is happening?" she asked.
"The skies Khaleesi." Said the familiar voice of Jorah Mormont as he approached even, he seemed disturbed gripping his sword tightly. "There are falling stars."
"Falling stars?" Daenerys repeated as she followed Jorah's pointing finger. In the sky, there was a rain of stars falling from the sky in brilliant streaks of light. Daenerys thought for a moment that the Red Comet had shattered but the ominous flame remained in the sky like a great observer as its smaller kin rained toward the ground following a great streak of light.
"It is beautiful…" Daenerys murmured.
Even her dragons seemed to be stirred by the sight. Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion all cried out with shrill voices waving their wings and calling to the skies.
"Indeed," Jorah said. "But there is no danger. You should rest my lady we still have a long journey ahead."
Daenerys was inclined to agree. The momentary distraction of the falling stars faded as she recalled they were still trapped in the Red Wastes a barren land that offered little to nothing for her people. They would have to decide soon on how best to continue when there was a sudden loud booming noise in the air like a great drum.
All eyes turned toward the sky again toward one of the falling stars it was growing closer and larger, and a second boom echoed through the air as a strange screaming followed which caused many to cover their ears and her dragons to cry out in displeasure. The falling star raced overhead screaming still followed by a sudden roar and a great thumping sound like the beating wings of a great bird as a light in the distance slowly and lazily fell to the ground.
Even stoic Jorah was at a loss for words at the sight mouth agape before he tensed. "That could not have fallen more than a few leagues from us."
"We should investigate," Daenerys said. "If there is danger we must know."
As Jorah nodded her bloodriders appeared to have sensed her will. Jhogo and Rakharo appeared on their steeds crying out as they stopped before Daenerys.
"Khaleesi!" Jhogo cried.
"Go!" Daenerys shouted. "I will follow on silver."
"Khaleesi perhaps it is best if you allow your bloodriders and me to investigate first," Jorah said collecting himself. "We must ensure that it is safe."
"I wish to see the star," Daenerys said. "I feel there is something important there, Jorah."
Jorah reluctantly nodded. "As you command."
He departed before returning a moment later mounted with her silver at his side. Daenerys wasted no time mounting her beloved mare before quickly ushering her forward into a gallop. Traveling the Red Waste at night was perilous but the clear night sky gave them ample moonlight to navigate. Some other riders joined her with torches and she could hear the cries of Jhogo and Rakharo in the distance. The pair rode ahead before disappearing over a hill where smoke was rising into the air.
She followed as Silver darted up the hill with little effort, but the mare came to a halt at the top of the hill. Daenerys found herself without words at the sight below among the sand and scattered reeds was a burning patch of ground in the center stood a large ovoid object even in the darkness as Jhogo and Rakharo circled it cautiously. The strange fallen star was not difficult to see in the darkness illuminated by dancing flames. It appeared to glimmer in the night it was a bright black and white color that for a moment Daenerys wondered if it was a giant dragon egg if not for the fact it looked to be forged by man. But as she got closer, she could think of no craftsmen in the world who could create such a strange object. Its smooth lines and shining steel were foreign and as Daenerys circled it she saw a sigil painted onto the side it showed a blue sphere with three stars and a red line cutting across what looked to be the night sky over a great brown and green expanse of land.
"This is heraldry," Daenerys said. "Jorah do you know this house?"
"There is no house in the whole of Westeros with such a sigil Khaleesi," Jorah said quietly. "Nor would any have the craftsman to create something that could fall from the sky. But this was forged by man."
"It is a trophy Khaleesi!" Jhogo cried. "If we returned with this to Vaes Dothrak none would challenge us."
Daenerys quietly nodded, the thought was interesting, but this strange forgery was much too heavy for them to travel with, especially with their lack of supplies it would exhaust the horses and could damage the precious few carts they had. She pushed her silver forward as she neared the strange object as she got closer, she realized there was language written through it bright red, white, and black letters and symbols that she could not read though her eyes swore it resembled the common tongue. As she investigated there was a sudden strange noise, a loud sound like a bell or wind chime that whistled through the air. It started the horses causing them to buck and whine.
"It may be dangerous," Jorah said. "We should move away at once."
"But I must know what it is," Daenerys said firmly. "I…I have seen this before Jorah, in my dreams."
Jorah looked unconvinced as the sound once again rang out from the object. He gripped his sword as he moved to Daenerys side she circled it when she saw something among the unique shapes and strange characters. There was a tablet shape next to what looked like a door handle that appeared to be glowing a faint blue color. Daenerys inspected it closer and saw more writing but she suddenly gasped when she saw they were moving. It was an unnatural display as bright red and white writing danced and symbols she could not identify appeared.
Daenerys felt a sudden shiver run down her spine a mix of fear and excitement at the sight of it. Her fallen star was much more than a mere trinket there was a power here, one far beyond her understanding yet it did little to slow her curiosity. As she saw more dancing shapes, one that almost looked as if it was depicting the shape of a person, her curiosity overwhelmed her caution, and she reached out and touched the tablet. There was a quiet sound as she touched it and then a sudden light surrounded Daenerys causing her brave mare to jump slightly as Jhogo shouted in alarm nearly rushing toward her side till Jorah stopped him. The light seemed to move over Daenerys body going up and down her form before it suddenly disappeared.
Before Daenerys could say anything there was another light this time but rather than surrounding her there was a strange display like a scroll laid out before her yet it was not touching the ground and was transparent like peering through glass with a dancing image. There first appeared a square but it suddenly moved becoming a cube of some kind it twisted and spun leaving behind three colors first blue, then green, and finally red. Daenerys watched curiously before the sequence repeated. Daenerys wondered if it was a game, so she raised her hand and touched the three colors they suddenly became bright and disappeared then the image shifted, and Daenerys was staring at…herself. She leaned back suddenly to her mirror, following her image she was alarmed but only for a moment and allowed herself to smile, her hair had become quite unkempt during the ride.
As Daenerys smiled, she reached forward and touched her hand before the image disappeared again this time another display appeared showing a strange game. There were three shapes with three holes in the matching shape. She touched the holes initially and nothing happened then slowly touched the shapes and found her hand could move them. She maneuvered them a moment amazed by the strange sight before she slowly placed each shape in the matching hole.
After this task was completed, there was another sound, this one much lighter and less intimidating. A gentle noise echoed and hummed from the object which Daenerys recognized as some form of music before the image changed once again showing a hand doing three gestures that repeated several times. Daenerys recited the hand gestures wondering if she was performing a spell when the song repeated once again and then a final image appeared this one far more complex and difficult to follow. It showed a blue sphere of swirling blue and white with vast stretches of green, brown, and lights which Daenerys felt almost looked like land to her eyes or the art of a map but far grander. The sphere then moved aside and showed images of humans far more ornate and detailed than any drawing almost like a statue but fully life-like the tiny humans were naked waving politely before they were replaced by another set of humans wearing strange clothes, and then a family appeared with children.
This was followed by a breathtaking display, a vast city with buildings as tall as mountains, thousands of people walking between the spires with strange objects moving around, some looking like wagons and carts, yet others were entirely foreign. There was a display showing an ocean with a vast ship moving across the waves which lacked any sails and then there was a display showing gigantic arrows riding plumes of fire racing into the air. Daenerys could make no sense of it yet simply watched amazed fascinated by this realm before her until the strange images stopped and the door handle began glowing red color.
A voice suddenly spoke Daenerys looked around for a person but there was no one around. It was quiet initially saying words she could not understand.
"Please…I do not understand."
As Daenerys spoke there was a sudden murmur. Before the ghostly voice began speaking once more.
"Caution. Aid requested. Caution. Aid requested."
It was speaking the Common Tongue. Yet Daenerys found herself drawn to the words, someone or something required aid, and the red light was guiding her. She reached out and pulled down the red handle mustering her strength ignoring the protest of the others. After a strained effort, she pulled it down and there was a loud clicking noise like heavy gates being pulled by chains as the object rumbled and a door slowly raised a strange whine in the air as the door rose. From within the liquid began rushing forward spilling out from the object growing faster as it spilled to the ground, silver stamping in protest as it touched her hooves.
Daenerys moved back from the object as the liquid spilled out and tried to peer inside, but it was too dark until she saw a shadow move within. All were tense bracing themselves for what would happen next when a shape suddenly and heavily fell forward from the object hitting the ground with a loud thud. It was only after hearing coughing, heaving, and the sound of vomit that Daenerys realized she was staring at a human shape. Jhogo growled raising his whip when Daenerys quickly raised her arm.
"Wait!" She commanded. "No violence."
The stranger she saw was a woman who was hugging her chest as she coughed and spat groaning. Her skin was dark as the night, but she had long straight hair that was wet and slimy, what was strange however was even on the ground her proportions were…strange. Her legs were quite long as well and her arms were almost awkward in length compared to her body.
The lanky stranger was wearing a strange outfit over her body, a slim-colored outfit grey and silver in color it also possessed the blue sphere heraldry that was on the exterior with the foreign characters she could not read. The outfit curved over her body matching her form, yet her feet were covered in boots that seamlessly folded into the outfit and her arms and hands were covered as well. As the stranger groaned, she slowly stood up she was quite tall for a woman only slightly shorter than Jorah who had dismounted and was slowly approaching her.
The stranger vomited out more liquid again before she looked up breathing hard and her eyes widened looking wildly between the horses and people surrounding her. She raised her arms and stepped back trembling slightly.
"Stay where you are," Jorah said warningly. "No sudden moves."
"I…. I…" The woman stammered tears in her eyes.
"Jorah, please. My knight," Daenerys said gently, "There is no danger. She is scared."
Daenerys dismounted silver Jhogo and Rakharo following though more hesitantly as they approached the woman who looked between them all. She was trembling terribly, her long legs wobbling looking as if she might collapse at any moment when Daenerys calmly reached forward taking her gloved hand.
"I am Daenerys Targaryen," she said. "Who are you my stranger from the stars?"
The woman stared a moment breathing slightly as she blinked away tears. Daenerys calmly brushed her hand and reached up moving back her hair. The woman nodded slowly before she spoke.
"M-m-my name is Anne…Anne Dhar-Liu," she said shakily. "I c-c-come in peace."