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118 AC
Volantis
Ovarn
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"WAKE UP!" Jolting awake I spot the bunk above me shaking as the person who was sleeping on it obviously panics.
Turning I spot my Master's discipline enforcer with his whip in the doorway with a cruel glint in his beady eyes. I waste no time after seeing that sight and quickly get up from my small bunk and swiftly head toward the far wall.
Luckily I make it before many others and avoid the crack of the whip behind me, as well as I secure myself one of the cleanest rags.
"GET WASHED DOWN AND HEAD TO DO YOUR DUTIES!" The enforcer sneers. "Today is an important day..." He mutters before cracking his whip one last time upon a young girl's back and turns to head out the door.
I turn back toward the bucket of dirty water and dip my rag into it and start wiping myself down, attempting to scrub off the stink from yesterday.
It doesn't seem to be working though... based on how many of my fellow slaves are staying as far from me as possible.
My eyes shift upwards to the dirty mirror, a luxury given to the slaves.
I know the truth, however.
They did not give this mirror to be kind, they put it in here to remind us every morning who we are.
My sight rests upon my cheek where I have been branded.
Flies.
They branded flies onto my face.
So everyone and myself will always know at a glance what my purpose is.
Cleaning shit.
Following behind my Master's elephant cleaning its shit up.
My purpose in life ever since the hot brand touched my face.
Shaking my head I can't help but feel... disappointed.
I can't even feel anger anymore... just disappointed.
All the anger burned me out and left me a hollow man with nothing to do other than scoop up shit and throw it away anywhere I can.
Dragging the wet rag across my bare chest, I grimace as I feel a tender bruise but I push on knowing I won't have long before I need to rush to my duties.
And I would love to eat today, if I waste too much time in here I am likely to miss out.
----
Finally making it to the front of the line I approach the bald man who is passing out our meals.
"Here." The man holds out a ripped-off piece of bread from a loaf in his hand while using his other hand to push forward a small bowl filled with brown... soup.
I hate how my mouth waters at the sight and my stomach flips.
Hunger and disgust, two things that should not mix.
"Quickly!" The man snaps at me and I quickly take the offered food and head away from the hungry line who are eager to get their own food.
I set my eyes on an almost empty corner of the yard and head toward it while keeping my eyes peeled for any troublemakers. Today I don't plan on having my food snatched, I would rather waste it than see someone else eat what was meant for me again. While walking I dip the bread into the soup and quickly start eating, hopeful that I can feel at least somewhat of a full stomach before I have to head off to my duties.
I shiver as I tear into the now-damp bread and feel a small pebble nearly crack one of my few remaining teeth. I spit it out and focus instead on the almost meaty taste of the soup which brings more conflicting emotions to my heart.
I hope it is meat, but I also fear what kind of meat it could be.
----
Watching the master's elephant stomp through the streets, I feel a bit sick.
Some God above has had mercy on me thus far though, so I won't complain.
No shit so far.
Today is a good day.
"Ah!" Turning to my right I spot some children pointing at my master's elephant and go wide-eyed.
The sight almost brings a smile to my face.
The joys of innocence, children who have not been born with a collar on their neck are filled with it.
I envy them.
"It's a big bird!" I hear one of them shout and I raise a brow as I follow the small boy's finger and realize he is not pointing at the elephant like I thought.
Narrowing my eyes I spot a dark spot in the sky.
"That's not a bird!" A girl shouts. "It's too big to be a bird!" I find myself almost nodding in agreement with the young girl but instead, I turn my attention back to my master's elephant as it comes to a stop.
A whip cracks, attempting to urge the big beast forward.
But it remains stone still.
"Move!" The man leading the elephant shouts.
"What's going on down there?" One of my Masters Wives shouts from on top of the elephant's back.
"Get this thing going, I have important people to meet today!" My Master shouts and I hesitantly take a step back, almost expecting the elephant to give me work.
Cringing I take back my praises to the Gods earlier.
"Look!" The girl not far from me shouts and I find myself turning to look up again as I see her and her friends all pointing upwards. "I told you it's not a bird!" She sounds almost proud of herself but I feel my entire body shake at what I see before my eyes.
My Master's Elephant makes a loud noise before panicking which throws the constructed seats upon its back off and they shatter upon the ground along with sending my Master and his family onto the ground.
But I can hardly turn to enjoy the sight as I watch a beast from legend dive from the sky.
"It's a dragon!" The boy now behind me shouts and seemingly the whole city goes silent as if hearing him.
Then the noise returns with a loud guttural roar that sends a panic through everyone, most dangerously my master's elephant that starts charging forward through a crowd.
I blink quickly almost expecting the beast to vanish like an illusion, similar to the fire magic shows I have seen people put on in the city markets.
But no.
The large black dragon remains and it slowly angles itself upward and glides just over the city, passing overhead casting everything under it into darkness. I turn my whole body keeping my gaze upon it as it cuts through the air over the city, people run and scatter all around me but I remain in place.
I once more blink quickly almost not believing what I am seeing as tens of 'arrows' the size of spears fly through the air from various rooftops. Looking around I for the first time notice giant 'bows' randomly placed around upon the rooftops with people running around them and seemingly trying to reload or aim them.
What is going on?!
Why is there a dragon flying over the city?
More importantly, why does it seem like people are trying to kill it!?
Don't they know they will just anger the damnable thing?!
"Oh no..." My eyes widen as the large black dragon opens its mouth and a cloud of green flames pours out and I watch large shards of house fly in all directions.
Alright.
Now is the time to run.
Away from that.
Dropping the poop scoop I turn and run in the opposite direction while casting glances over my shoulder.
A shadow passes overhead.
My head whips back and I nearly trip as I spot a giant red mass glide overhead toward the direction of the black dragon
There are two.
I pick up the pace and turn my head back forward while feeling none of the exhaustion I felt earlier.
All I feel now is the desire to be away from here.
Far away from here.
----
118 AC
Volantis
Rhaenyra Targaryen
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Destruction.
The near complete and total destruction of the inner city hidden behind the black wall of Volantis.
I won't lie, the sight makes me feel bad.
No doubt many people died and are dying that are innocent.
But war does not care about the innocent, especially not when we need to make examples to scare future enemies.
Sadly there is no Harren the Black for me to target to scare everyone else, no Harrenhal to melt and show others the power of dragons.
Instead, we have a whole list of names of people who we know for sure had a hand in the buying of the Unsullied and hiring of the Dothraki. We have another list of people who could have had a hand in my father's assassination, and the other potential assassinations throughout Westeros that seemed aimed to destabilize the Seven Kingdoms.
Most of those names live here, within the protected area behind the Black Wall.
So down it goes, and everyone inside of it, just to make sure we get as many of them as possible in this initial attack.
"RAHH!" Syrax calls out as Gaelithox once more rises back upwards, no signs of any wounds upon the massive black dragon besides some new holes in his wings puts my heart a bit more at ease.
""Calm."" I pat Syrax's neck while I try and spot my Husband upon his own dragon and fail to do so as his dragon once more dives back down with a loud roar echoing out as it does a nose dive once more toward the city.
I sigh and lean forward patting my gentle she-dragons neck.
""Dive."" I command and Syrax almost eagerly obeys as she mimics Gaelithox while letting out her own roar.
Back into the clouds of smoke, we go.
----
118 AC
Volantis
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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This place is scorched.
Gaelithox flaps his wings in place while I survey the burnt part of the city beneath us, my eyes searching for any spreading fires but I am happy to not see any.
We don't want to burn the whole city, just the rich part.
That is where our real targets live after all.
Caraxes lets out a strange hiss as it glides by, the Blood Wyrm looks fierce with a wound on its tail and blood pouring from it.
I should go heal that.
Sooner than later.
But before I do, I want to make sure that the fires we made won't spread into the rest of the city.
Thankfully the Black Walls seem to be containing the fires.
Which means I won't have to be a firefighter today with my water bending.
I am not sure if that is disappointing or not.
I originally wanted to just try and tidal wave the coastal city to death, I have never attempted such a thing but I am somewhat confident it's possible.
But instead, we honored my Wives House, we brought Fire & Blood.
Fitting I suppose.
""Follow the Wyrm!"" I shout and my mount knows exactly who I am talking about as he snaps his jaws powerfully and causes a dull echo of the sound to carry off across the city.
His large black head turning toward the direction Daemon flew off with his mount in, and I am glad it seems he is heading toward the Mother Rhoyne.
Plenty of water to use to heal the Blood Wyrm over there.
I smile at the thought.
Gaelithox and Myself.
Caraxes and Daemon.
Meleys and Rhaenys.
Vhagar and Laena.
Seasmoke and Laenor.
Myriah and Shrykos.
Lewyn and Tyraxes.
Syrax and Rhaenyra.
All of us took turns burning this place to ash, and only one seems to have been wounded in the process.
"Hahaha!" I laugh joyfully despite the destruction we brought today, the image of a sour-faced daemon in my mind clearing all the turbulent feelings away.
He will never live this down.
I won't let him.