Norys Naeraan
1st Moon, 34AC
The muggy air of the grand balcony he was situated on was the unpleasant reminder for Norys Naerran, Triarch of Volantis, that Spring had finally arrived. Unlike in the northern reaches of Essos and Westeros. Winter did not bring death and cold in Volantis, instead winter years were when the city was the most pleasant.
Situated on the mighty River Rhoyne, his beloved Volantis was never beset by snow. The winter months brought rain, much like in their younger sister city of Lys but it was never cold in Volantis. Instead, the temperature shifted between horribly hot and quite pleasant.
Right now he was experiencing what was likely going to be the last year of the pleasant, mild heat of winter. 'Perhaps I should acquire some new fan wavers,' he thought while idly sipping on his tea.
Slaves were abundant in Volantis so all Norys would have to do was speak with a cousin or slave of his. Send a liaison down to the dirty slave markets and pick up some slaves to wave fans for him. It was not a yearlong role so typically Norys liked to reassign his slaves in the winter years. He could just not be bothered to go and find the former fan wavers.
Ever since the Dothraki annihilated once proud Sarnor, the price of slaves across Essos had collapsed. Even with the halting of the supply from Tyroshi slave traders from the west, the eastern slave trade had expanded so rapidly that a slave now cost a third of what one cost three decades ago.
'Perhaps I should capitalize,' he thought momentarily. Some recent developments meant that the price would soon rise again. His fellow Old Blood were happy to simply enjoy the fruits of cheap slaves but he knew it could be fortuitous to buy lots now when they were cheap and sell them at a much higher rate later.
'Look at me, practically an Elephant,' Norys thought with a chuckle as the slave girl in front of him poured more tea. As a Tiger, he should hold nothing but contempt for the greedy adversaries of his esteemed party. But instead, all he felt was pity, the Elephants had briefly gained control of the government of Volantis following the disastrous defeat of their army outside of Tyrosh and their fleet off the coast of Lys. But they had done nothing with it and were soon voted out with the arrival of the Dothraki to the Rhoyne Valley.
"Something funny?" his old friend Syrano Hestyrion said to his left and Norys waved it away.
"No, just thinking about the petulance of our new Elephant peer," Norys said with a smile and Syrano returned one. The Elephants were largely laughed at in Volantis. Sure they suffered a minor setback in the war to reclaim their birthright but what of it? Volantis remained the strongest Free City by a wide margin. Even after that irritating Targaryen arrived from his damp island.
Braavos may have been rich enough to contend with mighty Volantis but there was a reason all of her younger sisters had to work together to resist the might of Volantis. Old Valyria herself had empowered her eldest daughter.
Volon Therys, Valysar, and Selhorys were all cities founded by Old Valyria and given to Volantis to govern. Then there were the conquered and resettled Rhoynish cities. Sar Mell, Sarhoy, and even mighty Choryane. All were great cities in their own right, numbering well above even Volantis's sisters like Lys, Tyrosh, and Lorath, not to mention the depleted and ruined cities of Norvos and Qohor.
From the lower Rhoyne sprouted a true empire. Equal in population to the rest of Old Valyria's Essosi holdings, it was little wonder why it took intervention from the cowardly dragon in Westeros and the last Storm King to momentarily halt their expansion.
Before Norys could continue lavishing praise on his beloved city in his mind. Their esteemed guest finally arrived. His palanquin appeared in view as he was brought to and eventually took a seat next to himself and Syrano.
"Good day, Triarch Norys, Triarch Syrano," the skittish Elephant said before them and he shared a look with his old friend. Ever since the Dothraki arrived in the Rhoyne River Valley and wrecked Qohor, Volantis had always had three Tigers at the helm. The arrival of a new threat quickly brought his fellow Old Blood to their senses and they had ousted the bitch Trianna and her despicable party.
'In what world would trade bring us our birthright before the sword?' Norys thought with disgust. They were the heirs of Old Valyria. The last descendants of the true Forty Families. It was only natural that all of Old Valyria's empire should belong to them.
Now a new Elephant sat before them, the first elected in two decades. Yet Norys supposed that the brat in front of him was not the worst Elephant he had ever had the displeasure of meeting. He had met Trianna when he was a boy after all.
The brat sitting at his table was a first-time Triarch. Unlike himself and his longtime friend Syrano. They had both served eight terms by now, together as they ought to be. They were tied by blood after all. He and Syrano were cousins both ways. His paternal aunt had married Syrano's Father and Syrano's paternal aunt married his father.
"I hope I did not miss any important discussions, I was giving my thanks to my kin," the brat sheepishly said, even if he was doing his best to hide his nervousness the boy in front of Norys failed.
"None at all, we are merely enjoying the view," Syrano said and the brat looked a little befuddled, looking out at the colossal Black Walls of their city.
'Typical,' Norys thought. Mareo Faerilos might have a Volantene name and even been his distant kin but the brat was half Qohorik. He may have been raised behind the towering, Black Walls of Volantis but he could never appreciate their beauty.
"Right… might we begin then? I was told you have important matters to discuss," the impatient Elephant said and Nyros begrudgingly nodded his head. Truly he was not happy to have to discuss with an Elephant, but from what Nyros had gathered, this brat might be the best of them.
"Of course, I assume you know well enough that everything we discuss here remains confidential?" Syrano said with a raised eyebrow and the brat nodded readily.
"Then where should we begin? The Dothraki, the three whores to our west, or the Targaryen to our north," Norys offered to his younger Triarch, who seemed shocked at being able to choose.
"How about we begin with the Dothraki," the brat said with a stern expression. His inexperience was apparent on his face but at the very least Norys could see hatred.
"Very well, do we know what Khal Oko has planned? I have heard he wishes to move east and face Khal Aqqo," Norys opened the floor readily. The safety of their northern border was at risk after all.
"I have heard little from that region Khal Oko has clashed with our skirmishers a few times and with the Targaryen's sellswords as well but has otherwise seen fit to remain in Ar Noy," Syrano shrugged meanwhile their Elephant peer continued to stew in quiet rage.
'It must be his Qohorik blood,' Norys thought with a shrug of his own. Following Qohor's stubborn and foolish resistance to the rightful conquests of her elder sister on Dagger Lake, the great Khal Temmo had conquered the city. The fools had spent so much of their wealth fighting his beloved Volantis that they had been incapable of facing the Dothraki in any real manner.
The city was all but destroyed and almost every person there killed or enslaved. Emphasis on the almost, as many of the more sane and wealthy members of the Qohorik elite suddenly saw the truth in Volantis's rightful claim to the Valyrian mantle and submitted to his grandfather and his fellow triarchs almost thirty years ago.
In his kin's endless grace and charity, the traitorous nobles of Qohor were forgiven, the nobles who could prove descent from Old Valyria were inducted into the Old Blood, and those who could not settled in Volantis's subordinate cities like Sarhoy or Volon Therys.
It was not just charity however, the wealthy refugees of Qohor brought many benefits to his beloved Volantis, and his beloved grandfather could see it clearly. The Qohorik taken in not only provided an extremely strong claim to the city of Qohor for the future, but it also gave them access to many sorcerers and blacksmiths who were the envy of the world.
So Volantis had happily stomached the revolting notion that the nobles of Qohor were their equals in favor of taking in the benefits the Qohorik refugees brought. Then, just a scant ten years later, a similar occurrence would take place.
Khal Temmo once again marched to war against one of Volantis's sisters, and again Volantis lost a sibling. Norvos valiantly stood against the Dothraki menace just as Qohor did but they died all the same. Their wealthy nobles and merchants fled south to join Volantis just like Qohor. Luckily leaving behind their laughable religious beliefs just like the Qohorik did.
Far fewer Norvoshi were inducted into the Old Blood, instead, the main benefit the Norvosi brought to Volantis was repopulating much of the merchant and artisan class that drove much of the economy. Norys was not happy to admit it but their hundred-year war to conquer Essos had drained much of Volantis. But with the reinforcements from Qohorik and Norvoshi refugees, along with thirty years of peace. Volantis was ready for war again.
He and his kin had been preparing for war with Khal Temmo for the longest time. It was little secret the unwashed barbarian had designs on Volantis and Norys would not have just let him take it. Volantis had a million souls outside of the Black Walls. Not counting the several more millions that inhabited the Rhoyne Delta and Volantis's subordinate cities.
But that never came to pass, and now Volantis had slipped from its war-ready stance, even if ever so slightly, and elected an Elephant to office. It was only thanks to the Qohorik and Norvoshi voters that he got in but he was elected all the same. Which meant his Tiger party needed war.
Luckily there were many enemies to choose from. To the north sat the Khalasar of Khal Oko, based out of Ny Sar and the northern Rhoyne Valley. To the east lay Mantarys, barely habitable but still conquerable if enough effort was put in. To the west lay the disputed lands and Volantis's three whore sisters. Then to the northwest lay the depleted Pentoshi state and the illegitimate Princedom of Norvos.
Now it was time to discuss Oko, however, as that was what their half-blood Elephant peer chose to discuss. "Do you know something that we do not, oh Triarch Mareo?" Norys said a little tauntingly. The Elephant before him might not be so bad, on account of his rather hawkish views, but he would still taunt his political adversary when he could.
"Only that they still occupy rightful Volantene territory," the boy groaned out and both Norys and Syrano laughed.
"Perhaps there is hope for you yet, Triarch Mareo," Syrano said with a smile, and the boy looked notably shocked. 'It seems that Syrano had the same idea,' Norys noted. They were uncertain of the beliefs of their half-Qohorik Triarch. He was the first of his kind, and they needed to ensure he was truly loyal to Volantis.
"I doubt that Khal Oko will stay here long. What with the Targaryen preventing looting to the west and Chroyane's defenses still formidable," Norys said simply. It was really simply a matter of where the best prospects lay and for Khal Oko, those prospects were east, in their disgraced sister Essaria and fallen Sarnor.
"Then we ought to be prepared unless we wish for the Targaryen to claim more rightful Volantene clay," Mareo said and Norys smiled. He had heard that the brat in front of him was hawkish but EElephants abhorred war. They were able to be cowed given the arrival of Khal Temmo but to seek a war of conquest? It was unheard of for an Elephant.
"We will be, I will tell the garrison at Choryane to reinforce their defenses, along with transferring some more soldiers from Selhorys and Sar Mell," Syrano said as another slave brought out some more tea and fine pastries.
"What else did we need to speak of? The three whores right?" Mareo said after taking a couple of short sips of the very hot tea while Norys and Syrano simply nodded.
"What do we need to speak of them? They remain stubbornly defiant of our rightful place yes?" Mareo continued expressing his youthful ignorance and this time Norys nodded at Syrano for him to take the lead.
"A delegation from Lys and Myr arrived not long ago, seeking to normalize relations and attempt to start settling border disputes," Syrano said and Mareo looked shocked.
"Why might they do that? Were they not the disloyal cowards who bought help from the Storm King and Aegon the Dragon?" Mareo looked offended, one upside of his youth was that he was raised in quite the bellicose Volantis. Still reeling from the humiliations they had endured in living memory.
"Because they fear the dragon to their north," Syrano said while Norys narrowed his eyes at the term used. The only one who had the right to be called by that title was Aegon Targaryen. The coward may be weak-willed but only he earned the right to be referred to as a dragon.
"Maegor Targaryen? Do you think they will submit to us out of fear of him?" Mareo asked with a little excitement, perhaps thinking up some trade deals that could be made like the Elephant he was but Norys shook his head.
"I am afraid not, the Lyseni dropped hints, they were so subtle as to basically be non-existent but they were indeed there. The three whores are planning something together. What it is I do not know but they would not so readily hand themselves over to us at the first sign of danger," Syrano continued.
"Should we take them up on their offer then? To resolve the territorial disputes?" Mareo asked, picking up a pastry with his golden fork and plopping it into his mouth.
"It will not be popular unless we can arm-twist them into giving us more than they want to," Norys finally spoke up. Volantis was in a war-ready mood after all. Should they make moves against war, it would not go well for them next election season.
"Then how about a distraction? Mantarys remains weak from the Doom and the Dothraki, even now they are reeling from the collapse in overland trade on the Demon road. We could conquer them, distract the locals with war, and cut the army's teeth in facing monsters and abominations," Mareo said and Norys had to stare in awe. The brat in front of him was exceeding all of his expectations.
"It would be expensive but it could buy us a relatively tolerable treaty with the three whores to our west. Not to mention getting the army some experience after almost forty years of peace is important if we are to tackle the third threat," Syrano shared his opinion going by his tone, and gracefully transitioned their conversation to the most pressing matter.
"Then what shall we do with Maegor Targaryen?" Norys said then, his face contorting in displeasure upon speaking his name.
"I think it best we leave him be," "I reckon we ought to prepare for war with him as well," two voices were heard at once. One from his Elephant peer and the other from his old friend. Norys could not help but remember the split opinion on Maegor Targaryen within the Black Walls of Volantis looking at his two fellow triarchs.
House Targaryen was many things behind the walls of Old Volantis. Most considered them an adversary now, weak-willed and foreign. But there was a time when the entire world held their breath regarding the last of the dragonlords.
Following the Doom of Valyria, when the Fourteen Flames ended the reign of their city's illustrious mother, there had been a few dragonlord survivors. There were a few in Tyrosh and Lys who were quickly killed. Then there was Aurion, the "Emperor" of Valyria who had marched his army right into the maws of the Doom. Finally, there existed the one power that could truly match Volantis. The Targaryens of Dragonstone.
Lord Gaemon Targaryen had initially put the fear of a Targaryen Freehold into the eyes of all Essosi when he had mobilized his local forces and crushed pirates and sailors alike who were in the Narrow Sea. Tyrosh in particular was terrified when Lord Gaemon Targaryen landed a force of five hundred men on Bloodstone. It was only when that last glorious Targaryen fell ill and returned to Dragonstone with his elderly dragon did House Targaryen lose its way.
Following the short-lived campaigns of Lord Gaemon, House Targaryen sat idly on their island. Occasionally entertaining alliance offers and gifts from Essos but never committing any forces. It was not until Aegon the Dragon crushed their fleet outside of Lys did any Targaryen march to war in Essos.
Aegon Targaryen brought old fears to life when their fleet sent to reconquer Lys was defeated. Were they facing another Aurion? One not so foolish? The fear had permeated much of Volantis and mixed with the humiliation and hatred to make a veritable firestorm within the city. Aegon Targaryen made a permanent enemy the day he sank their fleet and it was little wonder the exploratory forays of his wife were rebuffed.
When discreet messengers had appeared in the city seeking a worthy bride for the young Maegor Targaryen, there had been few takers, with the prestigious and pure Old Blood either not trusting the liaisons or hating the Targaryens too much. The less prestigious and pure houses were obviously not acceptable to a Targaryen.
The purest of the Old Blood were effectively indistinguishable from the great Forty Families of old. They did not wed brothers to sisters like their kin of old had but marriages among first cousins were very common and readily preserved the dragon blood acquired from their descent of branch families from the mighty dragonlord Forty Families of Valyria. House Targaryen might even have distant kin within the Black Walls.
It was not to be, however, as Aegon Targaryen's betrothal of his son to some Andal whore not only made Visenya Targaryen's forays into Volantis moot but no member of the Old Blood was willing to potentially rouse Aegon the Dragon. Now it was seen by more than a few noble-blooded families as a mistake.
Ever since Maegor Targaryen had arrived in Pentos, there had been many in Volantis who wished to invite him behind the Black Walls. Not to be their king or prince or leader but as a fellow member of the Old Blood.
On the surface Norys could understand it, it would give Volantis the same advantages Pentos now had. Namely the defensive guarantor of a Dragon and the gratitude of a Dragonlord. Even potential marriages given Volantis had no qualms about polygamy.
But considering what had happened to Pentos, It was safe to say that he had made the right choice when he vetoed an official invitation being sent to Maegor Targaryen. He doubted the treacherous dragon would have had the same success in taking over Volantis the way he did Pentos but the mere chance disgusted Norys, almost as much as the continued support of him behind the Black Walls.
The discourse had changed now of course. Where it was about Maegor Targaryen before, now it was of his sons, whom many had begun referring to as the "Pentoshi Princes". Reports indicated that his whore wife had finally produced a daughter for the eldest "Pentoshi Prince" but his second son remained a mystery.
There were more than a few families that were heavily considering reaching out to Maegor Targaryen in the hopes of a betrothal. 'Anything to get their kin on a dragon I suppose,' Norys thought with disgust.
Truthfully, many in Volantis longed for a dragon. For who could blame them? Many behind the Black Walls gave even Aegon and Visenya Targaryen a run for their money when it came to the purity of blood. All they needed was a dragon to hatch and surely they could claim one. The search for eggs had so far turned up empty. None could be found outside of the Valyrian peninsula and all expeditions into the hellish wastes of their once great mother never returned.
Perhaps the families who considered offering betrothals foolishly thought that Maegor Targaryen would willingly give up eggs? Or perhaps his grandchildren would? It was a foolish plan born of desperation and stupidity. In their hundred years on Dragonstone, the Targaryens had never lost an egg. What were the odds they would willingly part with one?
So as it seemed, his Elephant peer Mareo and his old friend Syrano were both part of different camps. One side hoped for peace and ties with the new Dragonlord based in Pentos and the other correctly realized that peace with a conquering Dragonlord beset on the conquest of all of Old Valyria was impossible.
"I am afraid I agree with Triarch Syrano on this matter, Triarch Mareo," Norys said through gritted teeth. The prospect of facing Maegor Targaryen and his dragon was not appealing, especially given they would likely have to face his mother atop Vhagar as well, but it was something they seriously needed to consider.
"Did you all not hear what happened to Braavos? They were even wealthier than we are and now all of that wealth belongs to Prince Maegor," Mareo said and Norys noted his usage of the term "prince."
"Volantis is not Braavos," Syrano said simply and Mareo gave him an incredulous look.
"We have a different situation than Braavos did. Braavos was suddenly attacked, after a supposed assassination attempt by the Faceless Men. Meanwhile, we know that Maegor Targaryen will attack us at some point, so we can better prepare," Norys said and Mareo quickly replied.
"Prepare for what? How can we possibly prepare to fight a dragon? One dragon brought Khal Temmo's army of one hundred thousand to its knees and Braavos, a city greater than all but Volantis was humbled in just over a year," Mareo continued and Norys shared a look with his friend. Mareo was clearly still infected with Elephant stupidity.
"Dragons are not invincible and their riders even less so. The people of Tyrosh and Lys both killed many dragonlords that were in their cities after the Doom. The Dornish managed to kill Meraxes, and we can afford many scorpions. But most promising of all, just look at the Spice Wars. The Rhoynar managed to kill several dragons with their water magic, and the descendants of those same Rhoynar still live within Volantis's empire," Norys said and this time it was Mareo's turn to give an incredulous look.
"Are you telling some jape Your plan to fight the dragons is Rhoynish water magic... How is that not sacrilege? A betrayal of our heritage?" he asked, stupefied and Norys simply shook his head in disappointment.
"The Targaryens betrayed their heritage long before we did. Besides, that is not the only plan, Maegor Targaryen's dragon is nothing but flying wildfire without an army on the ground beneath it. And do remember that it took three hundred of Valyria's oldest and most powerful dragons to bring down the Rhoynar, and we are far more capable and skilled than them. All we need is a single advantage," Syrano said this time and Mareo responded in turn.
"And where might we find this advantage?"
"We will have to scour the libraries within our nation. Search the banks of the river and the slave pits too. Find any Rhoynish books we can about their magic. Also, begin the construction of many more scorpions. Finally, I will organize another expedition into Old Valyria. If we can acquire dragons of our own then Maegor Targaryen will be little more than an annoyance," Norys said while trying to wave away Mareo's concerns but it seemed to rile him up even more.
"Many more scorpions? Triarch Norys surely you know that shot was one in a million," Mareo said with a look of disbelief on his face while Norys continued to shake his head.
"Then I suppose we ought to build more than a million of them, yes?" Norys said and Mareo looked even more shocked, to the point he was turning pale.
"Wait wait wait, Old Valyria?! You want to find dragons there?!" Mareo seemed to realize what he fully said only after and Norys continued to be disappointed in his junior triarch.
"Indeed, just because the first three expeditions did not work does not mean a fourth will not. Sailors have said they can see people on the shores of Old Valyria and there are rumors of people living in the ruins of Oros and Tyria. All we need is for one expedition to bring back viable eggs and then we will hatch them here," Norys said before Mareo spoke once more.
"Do you even know how to hatch them?" he asked with a raised eyebrow before Norys became lightly enraged.
"That is not for you to know!" he said with venom in his tone for the first time that day. Of course, this upstart would want to know his family's secrets. He was a fool for thinking this upstart Elephant could be anything less than a conniving cheat.
"Triarch Norys," Syrano quickly said, calming him before he disgraced himself.
"Well, there are two of you and one of myself. So I will just ask, do we have a chance?" Mareo asked a sigh on his breath.
"We do not just have a chance, Triarch Mareo. We will win,"