Maekar
Skagos
He peered through his far-eye, focusing on the shoreline of Skagos. There he saw Euron's ship, the Silence, beached, confirming the fact that he was here.
"My prince, shall we begin the search?" Arlan Celtigar asked, breaking his concentration.
Arlan, along with eight other knights from the royal fleet, had accompanied him in the search for his brother.
They were seasoned warriors, yet even they seemed uneasy at the sight of the island.
"The Manderly men are already on the island, yes?" Maekar asked, lowering the far-eye.
Arlan nodded. "Yes, my prince."
It had taken them some time to find the Silence, as Skagos was a vast and rugged island. Thankfully, the Manderlys were already searching when they arrived, so the task had been somewhat expedited.
Lowering the rowboats, Maekar, the eight knights, and the men of the North rowed toward the shore—a party of twenty men, all heavily armed. The atmosphere was eerily quiet; the usual sounds of seabirds and waves were overshadowed by a thick, foreboding silence. The dark, jagged cliffs of Skagos rose menacingly around them, and beyond, they could see land filled with dead trees.
As they approached, even the knights—grown men who had faced countless battles—looked terrified. Maekar could hear hushed conversations among the men in the boats.
"I've heard there are cannibals here," one whispered.
"Monsters, they say," another added, his voice trembling.
"The septon back home used to tell me how the entrance to the Seven Hells was here on this godless island," one of the knights muttered, clutching his weapon tightly.
Maekar kept his focus ahead, feeling the fear creeping into his own heart. The eerie atmosphere of Skagos was unlike anything he had experienced before. The mist that hung over the island seemed to move with a life of its own, and the dead, twisted trees cast long, dark shadows that obscured what lay beyond.
Finally, the boats scraped against the rocky shore. He was the first to step out, his boots crunching on the gravel. He looked around, taking in the bleak, desolate landscape. The silence was almost deafening, broken only by the distant cries of an unknown animal.
They walked toward where the Silence was beached. The Manderly men were already there by the ship.
They looked unsettled.
"Have you searched the ship?" he asked.
"Yes, my prince," one of the Manderly knights replied, looking visibly disturbed. "There is no one on board, except..." He paused, his face darkening with sorrow.
"Except?" Arlan prompted.
"I'll show you, my prince. We brought her down from the ship," the knight said, leading them away.
Maekar felt a cold dread settle in his stomach as he followed the Manderly knights to a small camp set up a few feet away. They stopped by a covered body. His heart sank; he knew who it was even before the cover was removed.
"Take off the cover," he ordered, his voice steady.
The Manderly knights complied, revealing the lifeless body of Queen Elia Martell. The reaction from the knights behind him was one of rage, sadness, and shock. Arlan fell to his knees, whispering, "By the Seven..."
Maekar stepped closer to the body. He did not know Elia well, but her reputation as a kind and gentle woman preceded her. She did not deserve such a fate. He stood there in silence for a moment, paying his respects.
"Take one of your fastest ships and have her body sent away from here," he commanded.
The Manderly knights looked at him, silently asking for more specific instructions.
"To White Harbor, King's Landing, just away from here," he clarified.
The knights nodded, covering her body again with care. He then turned to the assembled knights, their faces filled with grief.
"You have seen what that madman Euron has done," he began, his voice rising with fervor. "We are not leaving this island until he is dead. Queen Elia was a beacon of kindness and grace, a woman who did not deserve such a brutal end. We will avenge her. We will find my brother and save him from the clutches of this madness."
The knights looked at him with renewed vigor, their spirits reignited by his words. "For the queen!" they screamed, their voices echoing across the desolate shore.
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There were only two settlements nearby and only six horses that the Manderly men had brought over. Maekar and five others took the horses and decided to ride to the settlement which was further away, while the others would go to the nearby settlement. It was agreed that they would meet again at the shore after investigating the settlements.
He led the knights through the eerie, foggy landscape of Skagos. The fog hung low and thick, curling around the twisted trees and jagged rocks like a living thing. Shadows loomed in the mist, creating shapes that seemed to move just out of sight. The air was damp and cold, and the ground beneath the horses' hooves was uneven and treacherous.
They rode in silence. The only sounds were the creaking of their saddles and the occasional snort from the horses. The fog muffled everything, making the world seem smaller and more confined.
Two hours passed, and still, they had not found the settlement. He halted the group, scanning the surroundings with a frown.
Daeron Waters, one of the knights with him, suggested they go back. "We've been riding for hours, my prince. Maybe we should turn back," Daeron said, his voice tinged with unease.
He was about to respond when he saw it in the distance. As the fog cleared momentarily, a large rocky hill came into view, with a settlement nestled below it.
"We have already arrived, Ser Daeron," Maekar said, pointing towards the hill.
Then they heard it—a roar, faint and echoing, but unmistakable. The sound sent a chill down their spines, and the horses reared, spooked by the noise.
"What was that?" Daeron asked, his voice trembling with fear.
Maekar's heart pounded in his chest. He had been right. 'Fuck, fuck, fuck,' he thought, trying to steady himself.
"Come," he said, his voice cracking slightly. He hadn't felt fear like this since he woke up in this world. It was pure, unadulterated terror.
They urged their horses forward, the roar still echoing in their minds. The settlement loomed closer, its wooden structures silhouetted against the rocky hill. The atmosphere grew heavier with each step, the sense of dread intensifying.
They entered the settlement, calling out for any survivors. The settlement was small, with wooden huts scattered around a central square. The buildings were old and worn, many appearing abandoned even before the recent carnage. The ground was uneven, with patches of grass and dirt interspersed with jagged rocks.
As they moved further in, he noticed something unsettling—rocks sculpted to look like dragons.
The place was eerily silent, with the fog giving way to reveal a grim scene.
Everyone was dead: men, women, and children, all slain. Among the bodies, he recognized members of Euron's crew, identifiable by their distinct clothing.
He knelt beside one of the bodies, prying open the mouth to confirm his suspicion. "No tongues," he muttered, his voice filled with disgust.
The knights around him frantically searched the bodies, their faces pale with fear and anxiety, hoping not to find his brother among the dead. Then they heard it again—the roar, louder and clearer this time.
"What was that?" one of the knights asked, his voice shaking.
"I told you, there be monsters here," another knight said, his fear evident.
"My brother is not here!" Maekar shouted, his voice echoing through the desolate settlement. He turned his gaze towards the hill in the distance. "Euron is there."
"That's where the roar of the beast came from," one knight said, his face pale with terror.
"It's a trick from Greyjoy," Daeron insisted, trying to steady his nerves.
"Come," Maekar said, walking towards the hill. He was afraid as well, but the thought of Euron getting his hands on a dragon was more terrifying. He couldn't allow that to happen.
As they walked towards the hill, they saw a large opening in its side. Figures carved into the rocks all around the hill depicted a dragon, their eyes seeming to watch the intruders.
He wondered if the villagers had worshipped the dragon.
As they got closer, he saw him—Euron Greyjoy, standing at the mouth of the cave. To his side, laying on a rock, was his brother. Aegon looked pale, paler than what Valyrians normally looked, his condition clearly dire.
He saw Daeron walk forward before he could stop him ser Daeron Waters, in a moment of utter stupidity, called out, "Prince Aegon!"
Euron turned, his mouth forming into a sinister smile. "Ah, the bastard prince arrives," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Welcome, you will make a fine meal for my new pet."
"He likes feasting on other dragons after all."
Then, from behind Euron, a massive silhouette emerged, casting a dark shadow over the entrance of the cave. It was a beast that had not been seen in Westeros since the Dance of the Dragons.
A dragon.
The dragon was black as coal, its scales absorbing the light and giving it an almost otherworldly appearance.
It was its eyes that drew him in—its menacing green eyes, which almost looked like they glowed with an inner fire.
The dragon was large and robust, with a serpentine tail that curled and twisted, adorned with sharp, menacing spikes. Its neck was elongated and sinuous, leading to a ferocious head adorned with multiple horns and a set of sharp, intimidating teeth that gleamed like polished ivory. Its wings were vast, leathery, and tattered at the edges, yet they looked powerful enough to generate devastating gusts of wind. As it moved, its claws scraped against the stone, producing a chilling sound that echoed in the eerie silence of the settlement.
"Oh fuck," he muttered under his breath.
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Read up to chapter 32 here :
p.a.t.r.eon.com/Illusiveone (check the chapter summary i have it there as well)