[Chapter Size: 3200 Words.]
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Thrid Person POV
Essos, 296 AC.
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A heated meeting was starting at the highest point of the city as Jon sat in front of the men negotiating their products. The mansions of the high nobles in Volantis were all concentrated on a higher hill than the rest of the city, signaling their power over it, while both factions were present in this area.
"You're saying we can't sell for a higher price?!" A bald man with a tattoo of his faction, the tigers, on his arm spoke loudly.
"Calm down, Vyuij!" A noble from his own faction said.
"Please, we are here to negotiate... not to start a war!" Someone from the elephant faction said in a disappointed tone, not wanting Jon Artica to leave.
Meanwhile, Jon was on the other side along with his two ministers and royal guards, one eyebrow raised at the fool and his men, whose hands were ready to reach for their swords if needed.
"But we can't set the price we want with your products... this is unacceptable, no matter what those red temple men say about him being some nonsense Azor Ahai or something like that!" The man growled in anger, clearly used to imposing himself on any guest.
"My products, my rules. I've never had a problem making that clear. If you don't like it, don't buy it." Jon began as he started to stand up. "Anyway, take it or leave it," Jon said in a more serious tone.
Before anyone could speak, the noble named Vyuij spoke up. "Forget Volantis then!" He said, unwilling to be bound by the supplier's prices. He had his own pride and wanted to do what he pleased with his own bought products.
"Shut up, Vyuij!" The same man from before, from the same faction, exclaimed at the fool of another noble.
"Wait, we do want it! We can't go without the ice, right?!" Someone from the elephant faction exclaimed in desperation.
"He is Azor Ahai, don't offend him, you bastard!" Another shouted, clearly a zealous believer.
But before they could resolve the situation, Jon stood up, "Alright then, I'm going back to my ship, and we will be leaving soon." Jon said simply, leaving all the nobles stunned by this.
"Wait, King of Artica... we can't end it like this!" One of them cried out, seeing Jon walking past the couch.
"Honestly... my rules are inflexible for the deal—40% profit margin, no more. Otherwise, we will stop negotiating with you." Jon said.
"You can't just leave like that... We can negotiate; Vyuij won't participate in the meeting anymore." Another spoke.
"Hey, you can't be serious!" Vyuij shouted in fury.
"I agree with him, you should leave, Vyuij." Another agreed, while Vyuij grew more enraged with his own faction's members kicking him out.
"You'll regret this, I swear!" Vyuij exclaimed, turning around with wounded pride and leaving the room.
But even with that noble gone, Jon shook his head, not returning to the couch. "We have nothing more to discuss today. I'll return to the ship, and we'll resume discussing the contracts tomorrow. You may stay and sample the products." Jon said, looking at each of them with an indifferent expression.
"Wait, if you were offended... we don't want that, please, King of Artica!" Someone exclaimed.
"There are too many things happening in my day today. First, I'm declared this hero by the Red God's region, something I wasn't expecting. So I'd rather stay with my family and keep my mind still absorbing everything that's going on." Jon simply said, more because he was fed up with dealing with both factions than caring about some prideful fools.
"Do we have anything we can do, King of Artica?" Someone from the tigers spoke with some regret.
"Just take a look at our products and reflect on whether it's worth buying from us or not. We will not lower Artica or treat Volantis differently from all the other cities we've visited; I hope you can understand that." Jon said in the same tone.
"Yes... we will do that. Thank you for your kindness, and we hope to meet again tomorrow." A member of the elephant faction said cautiously.
"Great, let's go." Jon said, interrupting any other high noble of Volantis trying to share their thoughts with him.
They then began to leave the room, as a man gave instructions to his servant to guide them out. As they left the house, they met two people waiting in the courtyard, seemingly willing to stay until the end of the meeting, no matter how long it lasted.
"Is he here?" The blind High Priest said, sensing several men leaving at that moment.
"Yes... they are finished, High Priest Benerro." Dessun said, watching the Articans approaching.
"Azor Ahai! Please, may we speak now?" He asked into the void, unable to know exactly where Jon was.
"Let's leave it for tomorrow; I don't have time for this today." Jon simply said, following the path where his giants and other guards, who had accompanied him there, were waiting to return to the ships.
"..." The High Priest seemed disappointed with the refusal.
"Wait, give me a word!" Dessun left the High Priest and approached Jon, only to be stopped by his guards, who wouldn't let him get closer.
"Not another step." Ziller, one of the royal guards, said.
"Wait!" The man tried to speak more but couldn't do anything else.
"We'll see about this tomorrow..." Jon said without looking back.
"Forget it, Dessun. Let Azor Ahai do things in his time." Benerro said, not wanting to bother Jon.
"But..." Dessun seemed uncertain. He wouldn't give up so easily; after all, R'hllor's will had to be conveyed to this man, even if it seemed disrespectful. "He is blind because of you!" He exclaimed at the King of Artica, who stopped upon hearing those words.
"Dessun! This is R'hllor's will," Benerro exclaimed, not liking that his assistant blamed Azor Ahai for his condition.
"I don't remember blinding an elderly man here in Volantis." Jon said indifferently, not liking those words.
"I'm not saying it was like that." Dessun insisted, while the Artican men were clearly not happy with this, as they looked at him as if ready to attack. "High Priest Benerro lost his sight seeing something about the future of this world. He said the Great Lord of Light gave him a vision—that the entire world will enter into a war against a frozen creature with the most malevolent blue eyes and an army of the dead behind it, saying that you would lead the entire world. To have this vision, he burned his eyes right after, as the Great R'hllor must demand a price to see the future of this world!" He spoke with a tone attempting to be firm, while all the guards looked at Jon uncertainly upon hearing this.
Jon seemed a bit surprised at this, while he thought about it. "How long has he been blind?" Jon asked curiously.
"Four days." Dessun said.
"..." Jon said nothing, thinking about what he had heard. 'A war against the creatures of the North... we will destroy them in Artica... not involve the whole world...' Jon thought, but he turned for the first time, looking at the young man who had clearly shown courage to say such words, while the elder beside him seemed eager to apologize to avoid offense, despite being a High Priest, as important or even more so than the nobles Jon had just negotiated with.
He looked at the man beside him, who was trembling and seemed quite frail, and Jon couldn't help but feel some empathy for him. "You went blind because your god showed you the future, my future?" Jon asked directly.
"Yes, Great Azor Ahai! He showed me your confrontation against the evil being that wants to end the world! He gave me the task to help you with whatever you need!" He spoke hopefully.
Jon remained silent for a moment, while the young man there also seemed a bit uncertain and decided to accept the invitation. "Alright, let's talk. I'll hear what you have to say." Jon commented, despite not liking the Red God or his religion, he had to give at least that to an elder who claimed he lost his sight by seeing him.
"This is great, Azor Ahai, please, follow me. Come, Dessun, take us to the Red Temple. I must show the central flame to the Champion of Humanity!" Benerro spoke with enthusiasm as the young man approached to lead him to the temple's carriage, and Jon mounted a horse, following with his men to the city. Once again, they were surprised by another crowd wanting to see him, waiting the whole time, though at least it wasn't the entire city.
"Minister Ducken told me that you, Majesty, found him in a city in the North, and everyone in the city tried to see you. Is that true?" The Minister of Commerce asked beside Jon on another horse. The Articans had come on horseback for practicality, while the nobles had carriages, as the High Priest Benerro did at that moment.
"That's true. I first encountered him in FrostRoar, a city located in Glover lands... I was quite famous in the North back then, and I was only eight namedays old, nearly ten years ago... it brings back memories." Jon ended up feeling some nostalgia for his time before going to the Wall, while hiding in the Wolfwoods after the commotion he caused in FrostRoar with the mayor's son at the time.
'I wonder how that family in Icehill farm must be doing now...' Jon murmured, slightly lost in thought. After all, he was just a lost boy back then; today, he was someone entirely different, someone important to the people of Artica.
Leaving his thoughts aside, while the giants made way along with the Red Priests, with the crowd continuously shouting his name, he spotted the large Red Temple, the biggest structure in the city, with the air above it shimmering due to a flame burning nearby.
"Hey, I heard from the guards that that place lit up like a wight burning!" Tormund, among the group of guards, said excitedly, and Jon just nodded as they approached the entrance, with a group of people all dressed in red, seemingly a reception as all the believers gathered around them.
He approached while dismounting his horse, leaving his guards behind.
"Only four royal guards will come with me. The rest of you stay out here with the ministers." Jon said, as he saw no danger in the temple, having scanned it with his animals.
The High Priest Benerro was already out of the carriage with his assistant. He even seemed to be able to see Jon as his eyes turned directly towards him.
"Welcome to our sacred temple, the Red Temple. I am sure R'hllor will be pleased with your presence... a blessing from the Lord of Light to all of us." Benerro spoke, sighing with all this fanaticism as he led Jon toward the crowd, followed by his men.
As soon as they got close, the crowd kneeled and spoke in unison, while some looked at the ground. "We are here to serve you! Azor Ahai!" Their voices synchronized.
"Rise! No one kneels before me..." Jon said in a firm tone. "And I'll be honest: I'm not here to ask for your help. But I'm here because of your High Priest Benerro." Everyone stood up with varied expressions upon hearing this, but none showed anger or displeasure at Jon's words.
"High Priest Benerro... may I...?" A woman emerged from the crowd, with dark brown, long wavy hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a red dress like everyone else and a red stone—a ruby—around her neck, as all the red priestesses have.
"Kinvara...?" Benerro asked, trying to recognize the voice.
"That's right, High Priest." She responded, placing her arms over each other in front of her belly, a posture she had been accustomed to for many years.
"Of course, it would be pleasant to have you accompany us." He replied as she approached Jon with piercing eyes.
"Oh, great chosen of the Lord of Light, I am here to serve you as an instrument of my lord, in whatever you need..." She said, looking at Jon's body, clearly showing her intent, while Jon felt the urge to roll his eyes.
He didn't like being treated this way, even knowing he had powers that none of them could imagine. In Artica, despite having the admiration and respect of his people, no one was this radical.
"I'm only here to listen to the High Priest... so I'm fine." Jon said. She was a very beautiful and seductive woman, as he had to admit, but he would never sleep with someone like her.
"Then I would like to take you to the central flame along with the High Priest, as there is something the great Red God is interested in giving you." She wasn't offended by Jon's rejection as she spoke.
"Alright, take me there," Jon said, wanting to leave soon, and she nodded, satisfied, as the crowd made way for them to proceed.
Thus, they entered the temple, walking silently through the corridors. Jon felt a force in the place but said nothing while walking with Kinvara leading the group ahead, while Benerro was carried by his assistant, and Jon followed behind with the four royal guards.
"I hope your negotiations went well, Azor Ahai," Kinvara said suddenly.
"Well... as much as possible," Jon just said, not wanting to lie, while she raised an eyebrow.
"We must fulfill Azor Ahai's will as priests of R'hllor. Even if the city's nobles try to go against Azor Ahai, we will certainly take care of them. You will have no enemies in this city after tomorrow, as everyone will treat you as the true king of Volantis," she said.
"And what will you do? Burn them alive along with their families? Is that what you'll do?" Jon asked calmly, but his tone was full of sarcasm.
"I know that Azor Ahai does not accept us, our God... does not like our methods and despises us with just a glance, but still, we respect you. And we would do exactly that to eliminate all barriers in your way, after all, you are the future of this world if it is to survive." She said at the end, making Jon look at her as if she were an idiot.
"I don't need you burning anyone in my name. The last thing I want is that. And I will be very angry if you do it. If I hear anything about it... You will be my enemies..." Jon began now with a tone of anger, "I can handle my problems my way. I don't need you or your methods."
He gave a warning, even making Benerro and his assistant shrink back. Despite Jon saying this in the middle of the Red Temple, neither Kinvara nor Benerro really complained, contradicted him, or tried to convince him. They just continued walking in silence, now starting to descend the stairs.
There were some other servants who quickly bowed down as they passed by. "Azor Ahai," they murmured quietly, kneeling as Jon walked past, and he didn't even bother making them stand up. Obviously, they were slaves.
"You know... Azor Ahai... I followed you even before the Lord of Light proclaimed you as our hero," Kinvara spoke again. "You are a remarkable man, doing business and waging wars with everyone in your path... I always personally believed you were the true Azor Ahai... ever since I heard about you... Many of us believed he would be born in Westeros." She commented while Jon just listened, and then she continued.
"One of us went after Azor Ahai in Westeros, claiming to have found him, only to later discover that she was with a noble she believed to be him. I don't know what the Lord of Light showed her, but if it's the case, I am sure she also has the role of serving him, as our god wills."
"..." Jon remained silent, having nothing to comment on this; after all, it was true that he was quite famous now, even here in the south of Essos.
They continued until they entered a giant corridor, with a bright light at the end indicating the flame they mentioned, burning in the center.
Jon had to admit one thing: ever since he entered the temple, his connection with fire had become much stronger. Before, he could not use fire magic beyond creating a small flame, nothing very useful in combat. But now, being here, he felt such powerful forces that he could start to explode entire people with just a gesture.
It was a strange feeling—a sensation of power—but he did not let himself be carried away by it. However, curiosity overtook him at one moment, and he raised his hand, creating a huge, bright fireball in his palm effortlessly, even as he walked.
"Azor Ahai... it's just as the legends say. The flames burn within you, more than in anyone else," Kinvara said, with admiration in her eyes and even a tone of devotion towards Jon.
Jon ignored her as he walked, studying the ball of fire. Even his men were surprised by it, but he quickly extinguished the flame. It could be a useful way to fight, but he couldn't depend on it in combat; only his sword, physical strength with swordsmanship, and the powers of the Old Gods were necessary to triumph over his enemies.
"I apologize for asking this again, but if you followed R'hllor, your powers with fire would be grand and legendary, making all tremble before your strength as the true champion of R'hllor," Kinvara spoke in a trembling tone of admiration and devotion towards Jon, as if he were a true deity among mortals.
"What did he do?" Benerro asked, curious about this development but unaware of what had happened.
Jon shook his head. "You know the answer is no. I already follow my gods, and I will not convert to another religion," Jon said.
He would never betray the Old Gods, no matter what. Having more power over fire was not reason enough for that. Between the power to create and give life through trees, plants, and all similar things... and the power of destruction, the power of flames, he preferred to give life, not take it, as that had built his home. Although Artica had also been forged in flames and ash, his power in building the green fields was the most important part.
Thus, they continued until they reached a large open space where flames were burning, rising upward in a rather surprising way. They didn't spread to the sides, only climbed up, nearly reaching the top of the temple.
He had never come to this place in his green sight, so Jon stood there, in the place where R'hllor was closest to the mortal world, and wondered if he would have a conversation with the god himself, seeing what Benerro and Kinvara wanted with him.
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