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~~~Isabella Farwan, ninth-tenth moon 276 AC~~~
~~~Jade Sea~~~
Two long moons had taken the journey, and after taking several long and little-used routes to lose my pursuers, my mother and I were forced to ask for help, rather my mother mobilized members of the Hand of Fire, a total of ten warriors to protect us on our way.
Although these warriors would protect my mother first because she was the high priestess of the Red Temple in Volantis, they were also obliged to protect me by the orders of my mother; apparently, being a leader of the Faith of the Lord of Light had advantages.
It was thanks to her contacts that we were able to obtain a ship in Asshai and set sail for Asabhad, a beautiful harbor city near the Jade Gates, where I landed for a few days, enough time to learn that apparently, the prince regent of the city was heading to Xandar to meet with the Xandarian King.
This created the perfect opportunity to join them and enjoy additional protection, since, enjoying my title as princess of Carcosa, and daughter of the yellow emperor, the said prince sheltered me during his journey, this being the reason why we were not under attack from the shadow summons of the winged men, since no matter how powerful they were, they could not face a war on two different fronts against Carcosa and Asabhad at the same time.
Bao Li Jie, the prince regent of Asabhad, wanted to create ties with Azrael Jaesyran, the King of Xandar. As I had learned, Xandar had become the most acclaimed economic and socio-political center during these past few months. With the tight control they held over their lands and the thousands of trade opportunities and goods and services they sold, Xandar acted as the light to which thousands of moths flew.
I had witnessed that very thing when, after a few weeks of being in Asshai, hundreds of ships would arrive from Xandar with tons of grain and cereals, this being more expensive than the very jewels and pearls the city held.
Even in Asabhad, many merchants were seen bringing goods from Xandar, be it watches, food in large quantities, garments of the finest cloth, or even potions with the gift of curing diseases, the latter being sold for sums above five hundred gold coins.
Many merchants and traders had become supremely wealthy through trade between the cities of Xandar, the most prominent being Merchant Bario, the only known foreigner to obtain a permitted stay in the city. The man, after making a fortune in trade, was now also engaged in transporting people from various free cities in Essos to Xandar.
Bario, having a bold mind for business, created a safe sea route that was used by thousands of travelers to reach Xandar safely, it is one of those routes that, Bao Li Jie, would use to reach Xandar since the tariffs that Qarth charged to pass through the Jade Gates had quadrupled after losing ground in the slave trade when Xandar was founded.
Delegates, city officials, the prince's family, and even women trained in organizing tea and important meetings were on the trip. It was crystal clear that the prince hoped to impress King Azrael, perhaps thus accomplishing his purposes.
It was only on the third day in Asabhad that the prince began his journey, with a merchant armada of fifteen ships, together with twenty large warships, as a measure of protection.
We traveled southward, reaching Port Moraq and rounding the near cone with Zabhad. There, we were stopped by a retinue of ships patrolling the shores, which only let us pass when the prince's men showed the safe conduct issued by the merchant Bario days before.
From there, some of those ships accompanied us to the harbor city of Vahar, and after eleven days, we were near Port Yhos, a city under the control of Qarth, but there we were not headed, but to the huge river mouth that was several kilometers south of it.
The entrance to the river was protected by two monumental fortresses, one on both sides of the river entrance. Not only that but as we entered the river, I could see several sculptures on the banks of the river—large statues of more than ten meters, carrying giant mallets or swords. They were beautiful, but what did not catch my attention, but the pure and volatile magic they carried. Undoubtedly, these statues hid secrets that did not show themselves to the naked eye.
The guards in the fortresses already knew about the prince's entourage, since they did not stop us.
The river was deep and wide enough for the fleet of thirty-five ships to pass without problems; these lands were formerly Old Ghis territory. However, Xandar had conquered them; it was not known if it was a full conquest initiative for nearby lands, but still, that left several nearby free cities on alert, which was one of the reasons why Bao Li Jie desperately wanted to create lasting ties with the Xandarian crown.
And how could he say no? If times were changing, such power had not been seen since the Empire of Dawn and Valyria, and when the Targaryen had their dragons, it was only natural that many would want to take safe measures to avoid the evil side of a beast that was just showing itself to the world.
As the ships moved on, I could glimpse how the lands were turned into green plains, with mountains scattered here and there, along with large villages from time to time.
Besides that, the weather had also improved a lot, not feeling the scorching heat brought by the strong winds of the Red Desert, but blowing cool and dry wind with the smell of the sea, which, together with the cloudy sky wherever it could be seen, turned the area into an oasis in all of Essos.
However, what attracted the attention above all else was the huge, but enormous mountain range surrounding Xandar. Even from our distance, which was more than fifteen miles, one could see the huge mountain peaks, with the golden glow on the roofs of Ischyrós and the great castle of Xandar.
Talk about the enormous size of the castle itself, which, if the rumors were true, would be two-fifths the size of Asabhad.
After another hour of travel, we soon arrived at the Great Canyon, a huge gorge, the east being the passage to the enigmatic city of Xandar.
"Every time I see it, I am amazed." I heard a voice behind me, and turning gracefully towards the voice, I could see a well-dressed man, wearing a strange black robe over his body, with exquisite embroidery on his sleeves and collar.
"Forgive me if I interrupted you," the man said with a small nod, causing his long brown hair to sway in the wind. "I am Valinor, the envoy for the Xandarian Crown; I am in charge of guiding Asabhad's esteemed guests into the city."
"Isabella Farwan, princess of Carcosa" I returned his greeting, "a pleasure. Could you tell me what surprises you?" I asked, wanting to know more about the city I would be asking for support from in the future.
"Greatness, of course," he replied instantly, smiling kindly. "Xandar is the pride of all its tenants; it was a gift from our God on Earth."
'God on Earth?' I wondered if he would be referring to the man who killed the demon.
"God on Earth?" I asked, sounding very interested in the subject, "Explain that to me; I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Yes, God on Earth, he came down from heaven to rule us; he swept away the slavery we were under; he gave glorious purpose to the Dothraki hordes; he brought the steeds of heaven to life; what else but God on Earth who does that?" he finished saying, almost fanatically.
I remained thoughtful; what Mother said was true, the level of control Azrael Jaesyrian held in the city was enormous, and if this man was any indication, almost everyone revered him.
The ship soon passed the channel that was in the canyon, as the massive gates opened, while a stone beam stood in the middle of the air, with words in High Valyrian written on it.
"Ȳdra daor tickle iā ēdrure zaldrīzes."
"Don't tickle a sleeping dragon." Valinor, expounding on the meaning of the words, told me, "Xandar's words to all who dare enter it are a reminder that no matter how good things may look to the naked eye, it is necessary not to stir up dust or cause stampedes."
'A warning'
Practically a wake-up call to anyone who would want to stir up trouble. Nothing more, nothing less.