Standing in front of Vaes Dothrak, Maximus was at the head of his massive army watching the other Khals charge at him in a desperate attempt to defend themselves against the person they deemed as the Foreign Khal.
On top of his horse, Maximus had stood in front of his army. As the Khals drew nearer, Maximus raised his sword high above his head and with one swift downward motion of his arm, he brought down the weapon and roared a single word.
"Charge!"
The ground shook as hundreds of thousands of hooves thundered forward, charging towards the opposing Khals with ferocious speed and power followed by the Urak-Hai orcs. The air was filled with wild war cries, a symphony of adrenaline-fueled fury that echoed throughout the plains of Vaes Dothrak.
At the front of this massive horde was Maximus followed by Olorin who had transferred into a bird and was flying overhead. Maximus claimed the first kill as he cleaved the head of the Khal who had charged in first. Following behind him was his own riders who followed their Khal into battle clashing with the defiant Khals who dared stand in their way.
A few of the riders had stood on top of their horse as it was riding forward and shot arrows at the opposing forces. Each arrow found its mark, the skilled archers of the Khalasar proving their might as they felled rider after rider. The sight was indeed dreadful; a storm of arrows descending upon the enemy like a swarm of enraged hornets.
The opposing riders attempted to do the same, but Maximus's army had the power of magic on their side. The incoming arrows were deflected by Olorin's magic, causing even more casulties on the opposing forces' side.
As the battle raged on, Maximus met Khal Bakho in single combat, their horses crashing into each other like waves against a cliffside. Bakho lunged at maximus, but he deflected the blow and twisted his saddle, swinging his sword across Bakho's torso sending him crashing to the ground.
The death of Khal Bakho sparked terror amongst his riders seeing that he never even stood a chance against Maximus. This sight had a domino effect. One by one, the Khals started falling, losing their lives attempting to resist the force that was Maximus and his riders.
The battlefield was filled with blood and cries of pain, creating a grim spectacle for anyone watching from afar. The sight of the defeated Khals largely demoralized their followers, causing them to start believing the rumors that Maximus was blessed by the Great Stallion himself.
After that they walked towards Vaes Dothrak, the once busy streets now silent as the people who inhabited it watched in trepidation. The city was not used to seeing such a large Khalasar within its walls, but they knew better than to question these visitors. Maximus rode at the forefront, taking in the sight of a city that was home to Khals who were now dead.
Once inside the city, Maximus immediately started to reorganize. He established his own command center in what had been the heart of the city, an area only used for religious ceremonies and sacred rituals in regular times.
A day later in Heaven's Reach, news of Maximus's victory had reached Eonwe via a raven sent by Olorin. A cheer rose amongst the residents as the announcement was made. Their Khal had emerged victorious, making their hard work justified and their belief in him sore to new heights.
In Vaes Dothrak, not only did Maximus acquire the only Dothraki city, but also a very important trade city which housed markets from both the West and East.
The Western market within the city was used by traders from the other free cities and Westeros which Lysene perfumes, Myrish lace, fine wools, Pentoshi dyes, and goldwork from Lannisport.
The Eastern market had traders from Yi Ti, Asshai, and the Shadow Lands. Their market generally contained animals such as manticores in silver cages, grey elephants, and striped white and black horses (zorses) of the Jogos Nhai.
A Zorse is a striped black-and-white horse bred by the Jogos Nhai, who live on the plains north of Yi Ti, east of the Dothraki sea and the Bone Mountains. Zorses have been described as fierce and foul-tempered. They are hardy beasts, supposedly capable of surviving on weeds and devilgrass for many months and are able to travel long distances without water or food.
The Jogos Nhai are a head shorter than the Dothraki and are described as squat, bowlegged, and swarthy, with large heads, small faces, and shallow-colored skin. Men and women both have pointed skulls, a result of the custom of binding the heads of their newborn during the first two years of life.
Similar to the Dothraki in a sense, they are a nomadic people who live in yurts, tents, and saddles. They are a proud, warlike race who prize freedom above all and are never content to remain in one place for long. They traveled the same way a Dothraki Khalasar did with a warchief being in command of the entire band.
But, Unlike the Dothraki khalasars, Jogos Nhai bands do not make war upon one another, as their gods forbid them to shed the blood of their own people. Young men do ride out to steal goats, zorses, and dogs from other bands, while girls go forth to abduct husbands, but these are rituals hallowed by the gods, during which no blood may be shed. However, the Jogos Nhai do live in a perpetual state of warfare against all their neighboring peoples.
Having secured Vaes Dothrak, Maximus planned to turn the city into a true trade city that would rival that of any Free city and establish it as the connection between the Western world and the Eastern world. There were other trade routes via sea but there was never a truly established safe land route connecting the two.
———
In Kingslanding, Queen Rhaella Targaryen was meeting in secret with Faraday whom she had spoken with quite frequently ever since she had gotten better. She was also currently pregnant with a child and due in a few months.
"My lady, as said before should the worse come My Lord has entrusted your safety with me" stated Faraday as slightly bowing towards the queen. He had referred to her as my lady rather than my queen simply because he served another already. So calling her my queen would not be appropriate which was something she understood and didn't say anything about it.
"I trust you, Faraday," Queen Rhaella responded, her fingers gently stroking her swollen belly. "But even with your assurances, there is still an undercurrent of uncertainty. The child," she glanced down at her stomach, "I worry for its future."
Faraday nodded solemnly. "Your fears are not unfounded, my lady. But remember, My Lord Maximus is making significant strides in Essos. News of his victories travels fast, and his influence grows with each passing day."
"Yes... Maximus," Queen Rhaella murmured, a faint smile passing her lips. Despite the distance and the chaos that had ensued, she felt a renewed hope with each word about Maximus's accomplishments. She trusted him too, even though she had never met him, because he was the one who provided her with the potion which healed her and even improve her Husband's mind if only by a little.
Further north on Westeros's shores, Varys the Spider sat at his desk penning letters to his informants spread out in all directions across the Seven Kingdoms and further across the Narrow Sea. His little birds whispered to him of Maximus's achievements as he watched with curiosity at how quickly the world was changing.
With the impending war on the horizon, all he could do was see what happened while he monitored the situation through the news from his little birds.