Chapter 53: Flame Divination
The Dragonstone guard, armed with a small knife shorter than his palm, approached Aeg with an apologetic shrug.
Bound and helpless, Aeg could only offer a token struggle as he watched the guard draw near. His mind whirled with questions. Was this about his blood, as a transmigrator, holding some potent energy sought by R'hllor, the Lord of Light? If so, would he be sacrificed in the flames at a pivotal moment?
He harbored knowledge far beyond anyone in this world, grand plans to establish himself and weave a network of contacts, ultimately using capital to influence the game of thrones. He aimed to alter the course of key events and the fate of this world. Having escaped the White Walkers and left the Wall, he was on the cusp of beginning anew. Was it all to end abruptly and inexplicably on this desolate island at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush?
Aeg watched the small knife in the guard's hand, wide-eyed. Losing a few drops of blood wasn't enough to terrify him, but the uncertainty of his future treatment was daunting. Like Tyrion, he considered himself intelligent, yet faced with an opponent of unknown intentions and sudden hostility, he felt powerless.
"My arm, please be gentle, thank you!" Aeg spoke up, directing where the cut should be made. It was the last shred of dignity he could assert in this ordeal.
"Alright."
The guard was young, not yet twenty, a child during the last war and a recent addition to Stannis's guard. This was his first time drawing blood with a weapon. Aeg's words only increased his nervousness, and his gentleness resulted in a shallow cut. They waited several seconds before blood slowly appeared.
The guard hurriedly collected a few drops of blood and presented them to the priestess.
Melisandre cleaned the knife with a handkerchief, then tossed the bloodstained cloth into the brazier, her gaze fixed on the flames.
Aeg's attention also shifted to the fire. he saw nothing out of the ordinary. His blood held no "power." The flames swiftly devoured the handkerchief, and aside from a brighter flame, there was little change in color or temperature.
Yet Melisandre's expression turned solemn. She stared intently, as if the answer to some profound question lay within the bright flames, the text too small to decipher. She leaned closer to the fire, so close that her face nearly touched the flames. Aeg was astonished to see the flames lick her hair without even causing it to curl. This priestess of the Lord of Light was indeed skilled; fire did not intimidate her.
After a minute, Melisandre stepped back from the brazier, her interest in Aeg renewed. She parted her red lips to speak.
Before she could, the door was forcefully opened with a bang, and a man entered the room.
"You've captured that Night's Watchman?"
Aeg couldn't see the newcomer's face against the firelight, but his intuition and the tone of the question suggested the man's identity. "Lord Stannis! I was sent by Jeor Mormont to oversee the obsidian mining. You're aware of this. I swear I've done nothing wrong on your island! If I've unintentionally offended you, please forgive me! Can you untie me so we can talk? I'm willing to discuss anything with Lady Melisandre!"
"What is the meaning of this?" The man did not acknowledge Aeg's shouts but addressed Melisandre coldly. "The Night's Watch has come to the island to mine obsidian. Lord Stark informed me of this in a letter, and I gave my consent. On my land, who do you think you are to order the arrest of a visitor who has entered with my permission?"
"Do you recall the ancient gods I've spoken of?" The red-robed woman nodded respectfully to the man but continued to smile. "I sense a powerful aura of the ancient gods from this Night's Watchman. I wish to know what that 'god' or perhaps those 'gods' have sent him here to do."
"I don't care what you want to know, Melisandre," Stannis replied, his tone unchanged. "You have some skills, which is why I allow you to stay on the island, but if you keep spouting nonsense and doing ridiculous things, I might have to send you away. Now, either release this Night's Watchman and seek his forgiveness, or leave Dragonstone immediately!"
Aeg felt a wave of relief, as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster. His mind went blank for a few seconds, and then he clenched his fists behind his back. Knowing the plot and possessing advanced knowledge and ideas became irrelevant at this moment. His fate, in the presence of these "big shots," was decided with just a word. The urgency to quickly convert his advantages into tangible power and influence became apparent.
"As you wish, my lord," Melisandre conceded, narrowing her eyes and bowing her head obediently. "Release him."
The guard, still holding the small knife, was equally confused. But with the lord's command and the priestess's agreement, he no longer had to worry about whom to obey. He moved behind Aeg and began to untie the ropes binding the Night's Watchman.
Stannis snorted coldly and exited the room.
Whether frightened by the lord's earlier anger or simply clumsy, the young guard struggled for a few seconds to untie the ropes without success. Melisandre finally shook her head impatiently. "You can leave; I'll do it."
Since ordering Aeg's capture, the witch had kept her distance, standing more than two meters away from him. Now, confident that he posed no threat, she approached the Night's Watchman again. In the heat that surrounded her, she ran her hand along Aeg's arm, over the ropes that bound him.
At the smooth touch of the woman's palm, a slight burning sensation was transmitted, and the ropes binding his entire body snapped one after another with soft "bang, bang" sounds. Aeg regained his freedom.
He stepped forward and steadied himself, stretching his arms and touching the scorched areas. Apart from a slight warmth, there were no burns on his skin. The ropes on the ground were charred from burning, still emitting wisps of smoke. burning the ropes without burning him? Aeg couldn't explain this feat with any of his knowledge. Melisandre was within arm's reach, as if he could strangle her with a single move, but Aeg had to admit that he probably couldn't do anything to the seemingly delicate woman before him.
"I apologize, friend of the Night's Watch," Melisandre said, her tone softening, though the lack of guilt on her face made the apology seem insincere. In her eyes, apologizing to a mortal was already a significant concession, and she couldn't be humbler. "It was the first time I felt such a strong aura of a foreign god without any preparation, and I was a bit panicked, leading to inappropriate behavior. I hope you can forgive me for the inconvenience caused to our guest."
Aeg had no intention of forgiving her so easily, nor did he plan to flee in a sorry state. A person with a good temper can be terrifying when angered, and compared to pointless anger, he hated the feeling of being targeted by an enemy with unpredictable methods even more. He wanted to settle things tonight. if Melisandre couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, then his blacklist might need to add a "relentless pursuit" category.
Before returning to King's Landing to gather the next batch of supplies, recruit new soldiers, and even begin fundraising, the first thing he would do was find a way to get rid of this woman.
He had already devised a plan. Jaqen H'ghar, a Faceless Man, was currently imprisoned in King's Landing, and Yoren might have already chosen him as one of the new recruits to be taken back to the Wall. As a follower of the Many-Faced God, there was no way he would willingly go to the Wall and swear to become a member of the Night's Watch. If Aeg could release him, asking him to kill someone for him shouldn't be difficult. Aeg was curious: what kind of sparks would fly when a follower of the Many-Faced God, who claimed to be able to kill anyone, faced off against the mysterious priestess of the Red God?
"It's easy to make me tell Lord Stannis 'I forgive you,' lady," Aeg said, taking a deep breath. "But being arrested and tied to a pillar while eating is not something anyone can just let go of without an explanation. I need an explanation, Lady Melisandre."
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