Chapter 169: The Dragon Arrives at Loyal Volantis
Rhaegar picked up the silver staff. The azure gem at the staff's tip brought to mind the vastness of the river. This was no ordinary gem; it contained the profound mysteries of water.
Staff of the Great River, Staff of Water.
The Rhoynar were a peaceful yet valiant people, the Children of the Great River. The civilization the Rhoynar people created was magnificent and splendid, and they possessed strong military might. Rhoynar warriors often wore fish-shaped helmets, silver scale armor, and wielded long spears and turtle shell shields, proving quite fierce. The most mysterious aspect was the Rhoynar people's water magic, a powerful and enigmatic sorcery, unlike the blood and fire interwoven magic of Valyria.
[Explorer: Congratulations, you have discovered a relic of the great Rhoynar civilization, the Great River Scepter. The Great River Scepter represents the power, justice, and compassion of the Rhoynar princes.]
[Collection: The Great River Scepter of the Great Prince of the Rhoyne and the Supreme Water Mage (Wielding the Great River Scepter, you will sense the protection and blessing of Mother Rhoyne.)]
This was a beautiful Rhoynar relic, bearing traces of surging and immense water magic. Mother Rhoyne did not have a specific divine image, but was rather a deity born from the combination of the faith of countless Rhoynar people and the will of the great river.
Rhaegar activated the water magic, and azure flames wrapped around the silver scepter. The great and surging Rhoyne, the largest river in the known world, heard his call. The sapphire on Rhaegar's staff glowed brightly, the river water seemed to respond, and the great river answered the summons. The water surged wildly, and a forty-foot-high torrent roared forth, violently striking the desolate area of Ny Sar.
Utilizing the Great River Scepter, water magic could exert far greater power than before.
Rhaegar rode the dragon, which roared in the sky, three dragons circling and dancing. Rhaegar wielded the Great River Scepter, making the Rhoyne near Ny Sar dance with water magic; this was the Song of Ice and Fire.
Water walls and waterspouts surged wildly on the great river. The dragons spat out fireballs—silver, purple, and black flames flared—treating the water magic as a game. The fireballs exploded against the water walls and waterspouts, causing the river water to steam and evaporate.
[Blood of the Water: High-tier. The Rhoynar bloodline that controls the Great River Scepter, the favored and blessed children of Mother Rhoyne. Water affinity, water resistance, and water perception increased.]
In a trance, Rhaegar recalled the great war between the Rhoynar and the Valyrian dragonlords long ago, a contest between two peoples and two destinies. Was it to choose the violent, passionate fire, or the gentle, immense water?
But now, the known world's only dual high-tier wielder of water and fire had been born, showcasing the magnificent balance of dragons and the great river complementing each other.
Valyrian magic and Rhoynar magic had different sources: one came from bloodline, the other from the gift of the great river. The dragonlords shared the same source of blood and fire; their power came from blood and flame, and fire was warm, violent, and even cruel. The dragonlords believed in themselves and scorned all deities. During their peak, the Valyrian dragonlords sacked countless cities and destroyed nations. Water magic, however, was gentle, derived from Mother Rhoyne's gift to her children. It was because the Rhoynar cherished and worshipped the Rhoyne that they obtained this power.
[Destiny Claim: Rhoyne (High-tier). The Rhoynar bloodline that controls the Great River Scepter, the hope for restoring the glory of the Rhoyne.]
Rhaegar felt a bond, a covenant originating from his bloodline, connecting him to the magnificent river. The Child of the Great River, the Hope of the Rhoyne.
Rhaegar put away the Great River Scepter. This was a new destiny bonus, and also a new source of power.
Rhaegar felt that the main Targaryen lineage advantages were now fully stacked. Besides the dragonlord bloodline, he also had the Blood of the Water Rhoynar bloodline, the House Blackwood bloodline which inherited First Men blood, and the mysterious House Dayne bloodline from Starfall. Did these different bloodlines all represent the ability to inherit different powers?
Rhaegar suddenly thought that, like Brynden Rivers, he possessed House Blackwood blood. Could he also become a skinchanger, or was his dragon blood too volatile, suppressing the First Men blood? It was rare to hear of skinchangers appearing in House Targaryen. Aside from Brynden Rivers, several of King Aegon V's sons also had a Blackwood mother. Aegon V's marriage might even have been influenced by his great-uncle, Brynden Rivers.
Rhaegar rode the silver dragon, flying over the ruins of Ny Sar, waiting for the arrival of the Rhoyne's Glory.
Even going downstream, the speed of the dragon's flight was the fastest.
After meeting with the Rhoyne's Glory, Rhaegar sailed downstream for a while longer. The ship parted ways with him before the Sorrows.
"Prince, it would be better to fly around the Sorrows. The fog there is not ordinary mist; it is permeated with sorcery!" said Merses.
"Yes, Prince, the Sorrows are cursed," Chester also advised.
"I will be careful!" Rhaegar replied.
Rhaegar parted ways with the Rhoyne's Glory. He flew the dragon around the Sorrows, like a hazy shadow in the sky, the dragon soaring high above.
The once great, noisy, and beautiful city has now become a land of plague and curses. Ny Sar is now known as the Sorrows. Surrounded by mist, stone men infected with greyscale wander the ruins. It is rumored that the mysterious Shrouded Lord rules this mist-shrouded place.
Prince Garin's curse permeates this place: mist and greyscale.
The symptoms of greyscale begin to spread from the limbs: a spot of discoloration on the fingertips, blackened toes, gradual loss of sensation, and so on. Then numbness creeps from the palms up the arms, or quietly invades the calves and thighs from the soles of the feet. The infected skin hardens, turns cold, and the outer layer becomes a stone-like gray. This disease is difficult to cure; perhaps the best solution is simply to cut off the infected area immediately.
Rhaegar felt a strong sense of the curse. This curse was extremely powerful, far exceeding those of the Iron Throne or Harrenhal. Curses originate from hatred and blood, and the blood spilled at Ny Sar was far more intense than that at Harrenhal. Moreover, there is a continuous stream of sailors now adding to the ranks of the cursed. The war between Valyria and the Rhoynar was the largest war in the known world, and the Rhoynar had sent out all their water mages. Prince Garin himself was one of the greatest among them.
Three-quarters of Ny Sar's palaces are hidden in the mist, never seeing the light of day, yet the visible ruins remain magnificent: numerous halls and viewing stands, elegant bridge piers, delicate arches, fluted columns, balconies, and pavilions. All abandoned, all collapsed, all turned into ruins.
The past beauty of the Palace of Love seemed like a dream: gardens in full bloom and fountains glittering golden under the scorching sun. Steps wound beneath the feet of lovers, and domed houses witnessed the joyful unions of countless couples.
Farewell, the Sorrows! Rhaegar did not linger. A curse of this magnitude could only be eradicated when magic reached a higher level.
Leaving the Sorrows, the journey ahead became more pleasant.
After passing the Sorrows, the lower Rhoyne was noticeably livelier and more prosperous than the upper reaches.
The first sight was the vassal towns of Volantis. Though called towns, they were essentially cities. Shops, vendors, and warehouses crowded against the riverbanks. They had a considerable population, yet were only considered vassals of Volantis.
Rhaegar passed through the vassal towns and arrived at Volantis. Volantis is the southeasternmost of the Free Cities, situated in the delta where the Rhoyne meets the Summer Sea through four mouths. The city of Volantis occupies the entire mouth of the Rhoyne, extending from both banks inland to the hills and swamps. "Daughter of Old Valyria," "Queen of the Rhoyne," and "Mistress of the Summer Sea"—the city enjoys many epithets.
Rhaegar saw Volantis nestled beside its extremely deep harbor, on the vast blue waters of the Rhoyne. The Volantenes boasted that the harbor was deep enough to swallow the entirety of Braavos and its hundred islands, and it was no exaggeration. Here were ships from all over the known world. Rhaegar saw warships, whaling ships, and trading galleys; large and small sailboats, flatboats, longships, and swan ships. There were ships from Lys, Tyrosh, and Pentos, Qartheen spice ships as large as palaces, and vessels from Tolos, Yunkai, and the Basilisk Isles.
In Volantis, Rhaegar sensed only noise, heat, and division: division of districts and division of people. The city had an enormous slave population, estimated to be five times that of the free citizens.
Rhaegar first felt the climate was oppressive; this southern city was far hotter than Westeros. It was humid and stifling, and the dense population only added to the chaos. The dragons, however, seemed to enjoy the heat, as Volantis lay closest to the ruins of Valyria. Perhaps the climate of Valyria had once been just as scorching.
Volantis is a twin city, divided by the Rhoyne into two districts: east and west, noble and common. The eastern bank is where the Old Blood resides. They live within the Black Walls, immense and oval, rising two hundred feet high. The Black Walls are a marvel of construction; their top is wide enough for six chariots to ride abreast. This district once served as an outpost of the Valyrian Freehold and is far grander than Tyrosh. Foreigners, commoners, and freedmen cannot enter the Black Walls without invitation; only those of the Old Blood, whose lineage traces back to Valyria, may reside within.
The western bank houses mercenaries, foreigners, slaves, and common folk, and the two districts are connected by the Long Bridge. The Long Bridge is itself a wonder, spanning an immense distance, supported by massive piers, and as flat as a road. It was built by the Valyrians in their prime. At both ends stand great arches of black stone, carved with sphinxes, manticores, dragons, and other beasts. The bridge is wide enough for two wagons to pass side by side.
In the western city, Rhaegar saw common vehicles: carriages, handcarts, and especially elephant carts. There were many elephants in the city, gray as dust. The Volantenes believed that those of high status should not walk; they rode in palanquins or upon elephants. Yet in terms of noble blood, none could surpass the dragonlords.
Rhaegar rode the dragon across the Long Bridge and arrived before the Black Walls. The dragon's roar echoed loudly, already drawing the attention of Volantis.
Thirty-six Unsullied spearmen, clad in fine armor and tiger-skin cloaks, appeared, and the gates of the Black Walls slowly opened. Three male triarchs emerged riding elephants: Malaquo of the Tiger Party, Nyessos of the Elephant Party, and Doniphos. The elephants were massive, armored in decorated plates that clinked softly as they moved. Tall howdahs were mounted on their backs. In terms of luxury, the Volantenes were unmatched.
"Welcome, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen!"
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