The sky of Vaes Yeraan was turning shades of orange and red by the time Caspian finished remodeling the dome. Through the newly opened space, the fresh exterior air rushed inward with a chill brought by the approaching night, sweeping away the stench of sulfur, blood, and disease that had plagued Balerion's stay. Aerea Targaryen didn't just smile; she radiated a joy that made her features appear far more enigmatic, even by Targaryen standards.
Caspian watched from a distance, standing near the entrance beside Valka with his arms crossed over his chest. The Black Dread—that mass of scales the color of tar—exhaled a column of dense smoke. His eyes, two enormous orbs, fixed on the opening. With an effort that made the very earth beneath him groan, the dragon unfurled his wings. The sound was like the wind whipping the sails of a great galleon.
"Soves, Balerion!" Aerea shouted. The thrill of flying with Balerion once more overflowed from her, her voice breaking with pure adrenaline.
The massive dragon lunged forward. It was a surprisingly agile movement for something of his size. The impact of his hind legs as he pushed off left deep gouges in the ground, and for a second, it seemed as if gravity would do its job, dragging down something that, by the laws of physics, should not fly.
Instead, Balerion lashed his enormous wings with startling strength. It was evident the potions had left him more than just healthy; they had granted him a vigor he had lost years ago. Balerion emerged from the dome as his name implied: a black terror leaving its lair.
His roar shook the foundations of the houses, caused the Dothraki horses to bolt in their stables, and made the nearby witches stir with unease. This was what had conquered Westeros, and years ago, nearly all of Essos. These were creatures that forced everything in their proximity into a state of reverent fear.
That was the power of a dragon.
Caspian felt the vibration in his own bones. Seeing Balerion in the air was nothing like seeing Endaxia. From what he had seen of her, she moved with cunning and detachment; only when her focus narrowed and her breath compressed into that devastating beam did one realize she was not to be trifled with.
Balerion was different. He had seen wars, massacres, and had even fought another dragon. All of that had compressed his aura and behavior into something constantly awaiting an attack, a struggle—as if peace were merely an illusion. It made him, in a sense, volatile and austere.
The Black Dread vanished among the clouds while Caspian and Valka left the dome toward the fortress, though not before telling the witches present to inform Aerea that he expected her at the fortress once she returned from her flight.
"He is beautiful, isn't he? He looks nothing like the dragons of the End, and yet, he remains the herald of an end," Valka said in the soft voice she reserved for intimate moments.
Caspian nodded, glancing toward the massive stable where Endaxia was currently resting.
"It is power, Valka," Caspian replied, looking down at the fortified city bustling a few miles away. "And power is never aesthetic. It is only useful or dangerous."
The two decided not to use their mounts, preferring to walk together toward the fortress, taking advantage of being far from prying ears. Caspian decided to broach a vital subject.
"Qohor," Caspian said. "I have been patient. I have let Tyanna work without obstacles, and so far she has been helpful. But her method is slow. I cannot pretend to continue the slaughter in a city for months or years at this pace. If I want the Black Goat to emerge, I must strike with greater force."
Valka moved closer, walking at his side. Her eyes sought his with an intensity that needed no words to understand his meaning.
"Doing something like that will bring more deaths—far more than those already taken, Caspian. Those who follow that abomination do so because they no longer fear death; they believe their god already possesses them."
Caspian reached out and plucked a small flower growing by the path. "The world is becoming larger. The Black Goat needs to die soon. If I want to build something stable for at least the coming years, that thing must die."
"And how do you plan to draw it out?" Valka asked, crossing her arms. "It hasn't emerged since the killing began. We could exterminate everyone in the city and still not be sure it would leave its hiding place."
Caspian smiled, but there was no warmth in the gesture. "It will. Its faithful are its food. Cut off the sustenance of a predator, and it will be forced to leave its burrow. As for its followers... if they fear their god, then I will give them something else to fear—something darker and more biting than a being that hides."
"I am not going to continue with half-measures, Valka. I am going to use my new 'friends.' The Endermen know no fear, and space is no barrier to them. While my new friends harass and overwhelm anyone who claims to have contact with the Black Goat, my people will continue burning bodies in the plazas. Let's see how long they resist then."
Valka remained silent for a moment, processing the magnitude of what he was proposing. The use of the Endermen still gave her the chills. She had seen them in her old life: beings of darkness, mysterious and dangerous.
"It makes me uneasy, thinking of what you will become, Caspian," she confessed, stepping toward him and placing a hand on his chest. "Not because of the power you wield, but because of the coldness with which you calculate it. People forget quickly, but others do not. You say you want to build something grand, something eternal, but I know people resist change if a storm of swords approaches with it."
Caspian took the hand Valka had placed on his chest, bringing it up until his lips touched her fingers. "Hard decisions require strong wills. Many may see me as a monster at the end of this, but many more will venerate me as their savior. Someone to follow."
"I know many innocents will die, but it is a price to be paid so the city can be freed from that thing's shackles."
Valka nodded. "Very well. Until the end."
Caspian stood in the forest, facing hundreds of Endermen. Their silhouettes warped amidst the darkness of the woods, and only their glowing eyes remained distinct.
The elongated figures moved with an unnatural grace. The Endermen did not speak, but the air around them vibrated with a constant hum, like static.
He stood before the one who seemed to be the leader of the group. "Qohor," Caspian said firmly. "The city harbors an evil being. I am hunting it. So far, we have not found the creature, but the city is infested with its essence; its faithful hide it. I want you to infiltrate. Kill if necessary. Give those who follow it a fear greater than the one they call their god. I want you to sow chaos. Search under every stone. Find the Black Goat. Make it emerge."
The Enderman tilted its head—a sharp, mechanical movement. Its eyes emitted an intense violet flash. In a blink, more than three hundred of them vanished, leaving behind only a trail of purple particles floating in the air.
Caspian did not linger in the forest. He flew back to the fortress where Valka was waiting for him with dinner, along with Aerea.
Upon his arrival, the servants greeted him happily, indicating that Valka and Aerea were waiting for him on terrace number eight.
The table was already set. He noticed Aerea seemed lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I see flying with Balerion did you good," Caspian mentioned as he approached the table, taking his seat at the head, with Valka sitting to his right.
Aerea's smile deepened. "Yes, Khal. It was magnificent. I haven't felt like that in a long time. We flew as far as Norvos. I would have liked to go further, but I got hungry."
Valka nodded. "I trust your dragon is now healthy."
"Yes, her..." Aerea paused for a moment, unsure of how to address Valka with the proper title.
"Call her Khaleesi," Caspian noted her struggle and offered the solution, not noticing how Valka glanced at him out of the corner of her eye upon hearing the name.
With a nod, Aerea continued. "Yes, Khaleesi. Balerion is in good health, all thanks to you. I..."
She couldn't finish her sentence because Essino arrived.
Caspian looked at him, and Essino approached, whispering something into his ear. Caspian looked at Valka, who had also heard what Essino had to say. "Aerea, I'm afraid you'll have to continue alone. I must attend to something." Without waiting for an answer, he stood up, followed by Valka, and together they followed Essino.
Caspian and his company arrived at another hall. Upon entering, he felt a shift in temperature that caught his attention. It wasn't the heat of the sun, as it was night, but rather a sweltering heat, suffocating and heavy with a scent he couldn't quite identify.
In the hall, accompanied by a single man with a tattoo on his cheek and dressed in red robes, waited a woman dressed in red silks that looked as if they were made of living blood. Her hair was black, and her eyes were green.
Kinvara, High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis.
"Kinvara," Caspian said, stopping a few meters from her. He was followed by Valka, whose dark eyes were fixed on the woman. "I thought you were in Qohor."
Kinvara bowed—a slow, deliberate reverence that seemed more an act of devotion than courtly respect.
"I have traveled to bring you good news, my Lord. The flames in Volantis have been singing your name since I sent the messenger."
Caspian arched an eyebrow. "Azor Ahai?"
Kinvara smiled, a smile containing centuries of unshakable faith. "Yes, my Lord. Volantis is the oldest city, the heart of Essos. And that heart beats for you now."
Caspian sighed, scratching the bridge of his nose. "What exactly do you mean, Kinvara? I don't have time for theological riddles."
"I come to tell you that Volantis has answered," she replied, her voice dropping to a whisper that echoed throughout the hall. "The Triarchs are afraid, but the people... the slaves, the priests, those who bear the mark of the fire... they wait for you with open arms. Volantis will surrender at your feet without a single drop of its citizens' blood being spilled. They only ask that you protect them from the cold that is coming."
Valka stepped forward, her voice laced with skepticism. "An unconditional surrender? Why should we believe you? Your temple may have helped us so far, but this could be a trap to lure Caspian behind the walls and assassinate him."
Kinvara looked at Valka with genuine pity.
"Faith is not a trap, Khaleesi. It is a compass. My Khal has brought back the fire. Volantis does not surrender out of weakness, but out of recognition. They recognize the owner of the world."
Caspian looked up at the ceiling of the hall, as if he could see through it to where the stars shone in the sky. The political landscape of Essos was shifting faster than anyone could have predicted. First Qohor and its dark god, now Volantis and its surrender through faith.
"Tell your masters in Volantis the following," Caspian said, turning his gaze back to Kinvara. "I will go to Volantis. But first, I have an appointment with a goat in Qohor. If your faith is as strong as you say, let your priests pray that my sword is swift. Because when I am done with Qohor, the world will know that I am not just a savior, but also a judge. And if Volantis's backing is true, then I will need all the support possible."
Kinvara bowed again, her eyes shining with fanatical satisfaction.
"The flames do not lie, my Khal. Qohor will be the sacrifice. Volantis will be the throne. And you... you will be the one who leads us to victory over the horrors of the night."