Queen Visenya, Unknown Sea...
The ship moved through the warm waters and in contrast to the storm that had forced them into this strange and unknown location the weather was quite pleasant and the wind pushed the ship forward, following Kara towards what they hoped was land and maybe salvation from being stranded in an unknown sea with no idea how to find their way home.
They might still be lost but hopefully they would at least find somewhere they could survive until they came up with some kind of a plan.
Thankfully Kara proved to be a good guide as an island began to appear on the horizon, a large one that looked tropical with trees and a mountain. That was a relief as it likely meant fresh water and vegetation they could perhaps eat not to mention animals that they might be able to hunt if needed. Harmony reasoned all of this out as they approached.
"This might work as a base at least until we can find out just where we are." She told Haeron and Evelyn as they stood on the bow and looked at it. But then Evelyn noticed something out of the corner of her eye, she took her telescope and checked before saying it aloud though in case she was wrong.
"There's a fishing boat." She told them in shock, they and the crew close enough to hear all turned to her in surprise and Haeron asked.
"You're sure?"
Evelyn just gave him a death glare for doubting her and then they saw the boat for themselves, a small vessel that would be seen in any of a thousand fishing villages and ports in Westeros or Essos. A simple hull with a rough cloth sail and nets around it, they sailed closer and they passed it they looked and saw a sun kissed group of men hauling in their nets, they stared at each other as they passed by but as they rounded a small part of the island an even better sight appeared.
"A port." Davos said with great relief as whoever these people were they were far from ignorant tribes-people like the more close minded and judgemental might expect from another culture, there weren't any ships there but there were other fishing boats like the ones that they had seen before. Guard towers made of wood stood all around as they came in but since there were no docks big enough for the ship Davos decided to do something else.
"Drop anchor, haul in the sails." He commanded and the crew all did as he ordered all the while Haeron looked at the buildings of the town through his telescope and then something made him frown. He could swear there was something familiar about those buildings, most were simple wood with some stone ones mixed in that were probably more important and made from stone to be stronger. But there was something about their construction that looked familiar to him although he wasn't sure just where. Handing the telescope to Jaime as he came up to see for himself Haeron asked him carefully.
"Jaime, look at those buildings. Is there something familiar to you about them?" Haeron asked Jaime who looked confused at the question as did everyone else but after taking the telescope and looking at them himself he frowned and said uncertainly.
"Yeah, they do look familiar." He said, not sure what it was or where the familiarity came from but he was sure that he had seen something like them before. Harmony, Alicys and Evelyn all looked at the buildings themselves but they didn't see whatever they were seeing and all wondered just where the tides and storm had brought them. The crew kept careful watch, not sure just what to expect but then they could see the locals doing the exact same thing to them, staring at them with confused suspicion and some interest in who they were.
They stayed that way for some time until a party of people assembled on the shore and boarded a boat that started rowing towards them. Haeron shared glances with Davos and the others and told them quietly.
"Arm yourselves, careful we don't want to spook them but I will not be caught unprepared." Haeron said quietly as Kara flew overhead. The men nodded and discreetly armed themselves with whatever weapons they had to hand and soon enough the small boat arrived at the side. Davos with considerable foreboding threw a rope ladder down for them and they began to climb aboard, the first man came up and looked at them with suspicion before standing aside for a second man to follow him. They had weapons in hand and that was where the crew had another surprise as they looked like longswords, just like ones found in Westeros. More than that the men themselves despite their sun kissed skin were dark brown haired although it had streaks of blond probably from the sun and their eyes were a light grey colour.
Then finally they got the most obvious clue to the identity of these people when their leader came aboard. He was like his men but what set him apart was the medallion around his neck, it was gold and shaped like a wolf, a symbol seen in one place in Westeros where finally it became apparent to Haeron and Jaime just where they had seen similar buildings before.
"Welcome travellers...to Sephora." The man said, his accent less rough than a normal Northern accent but the sound of it was there.
"You speak the Common Tongue." Haeron said as he stood face to face with the strange man, his guards looked ready to intervene but the leader waved them off before replying to Haeron.
"So do you. You and the women over there are Valyrian. And that lad is a Westerner." The leader said looking at Haeron, Harmony, Evelyn and Vaena before nodding to Jaime who looked at him in shock.
"And you are of the First Men. Northern at a guess." Haeron said calmly back before the man who chuckled before saying.
"Never even seen the North but you are right. I'm Kynburn Stark." The man said proudly which confused and shocked everyone before he added. "Maybe we could discuss things more properly without weapons?" Kynburn suggested with a pressing look and Haeron nodded slowly, the men putting their weapons away before the man who claimed to be a Stark did the same.
Sephora, Unnamed Islands...
The tropical island of Sephora was warm and colourful, completely different to the cold and hard North that these people had apparently came from and dressed in thin cotton outfits unlike wool and furs the Northerners wore but it seemed that these people had more in common with their Northern cousins than you would assume.
"They make use of every resource to the full." Vaena said with amazement as she looked around as they used every single thing to the absolute maximum that was possible. Food leftovers or rotting food not to mention animal and fish carcasses were turned into fertilizer, any torn clothes were stitched into blankets or used to fix other clothes, stone that was too small or broken mixed into mortar to help repair buildings.
"It was an attitude that we needed desperately when our ancestors became stranded here." Kynburn said with a proud voice. "But we thrived here and build a place of our own. That is the man that founded our town and led our people when we became stranded here, Brandon the Sailor...my ancestor." Kynburn said proudly as he pointed to a statue in the town square as they saw a man like those in the crypts of Winterfell.
"So this island was settled by the survivors of Brandon the Sailor's expedition?" Harmony asked him eagerly, referring to her vast and encyclopedic knowledge gained from reading more books than should be humanly possible. Her belly was now larger than ever and would in a couple of short weeks give birth but she had insisted on coming along with them. Evelyn had remained on the ship to keep watch while Kara flew overhead. The dragon did not however seem to scare the locals that much which was an surprise although why they could not begin to guess at.
"Indeed we are, an expedition made possible by the trade of platinum with the Freehold, your ancestors." Kynburn said with a smirk which made Haeron and Harmony blink in surprise as they had never heard of any prior contact between the Valyrians and the North before the Targaryens had settled on Dragonstone. Kynburn kept on speaking, even laughing about something. "It paid for building up the Northern Fleet and shipyards, we even got a Valyrian steel sword out of it."
"Ice?" Jaime said with surprise as he had seen the oversized ancestral sword of House Stark when he and Haeron had visited Winterfell but he like most of Westeros had no idea just how House Stark had come by the weapon. Kynburn nodded proudly at his family's achievement but Haeron made a mental note of something.
"The North had a Platinum mine?" He asked, confused as that mine would have made the North as wealthy as Casterly Rock so why had there been no mention of it before now. Kynburn did seem to become more wary but nodded and slowly as if to discourage them from seeking it out themselves added.
"But its location was known only to Brandon the Sailor who discovered it the first time, he did not even tell his son where it was meaning to tell him when he returned but he never got the chance." Kynburn said carefully and Haeron could hardly believe it. The North had a potential fortune sitting around somewhere and no one alive knew where it was. The fact it would give him access to a sort of the precious metal that he would need in the future when he and his wives' children needed their own magical foci made him really wish he had the Resurrection Stone as he could just call up Brandon the Sailor and ask him but without it the headache to find it was only just beginning. He now understood how Brandon the Sailor had found the wealth to build his great fleet and why the Starks had never managed to rebuild it so he would have to decide if he wanted to let the Starks know about it when they returned.
"So a lot of sailors end up here?" Alicys asked, interested if Sephora was the only island around and Kynburn smirked before telling her while Jaime glowered at the thought he might be interested in Alicys.
"There are roughly two hundred and fifty or so islands of various sizes in the chain, the maester that accompanied Brandon the Sailor's expedition who made maps of the area believed they were once a single large piece of land that was destroyed in some incredible disaster thousands of years ago. Eighteen of the islands have settlements but from the ships that become stuck here. Sephora is the largest, about the size of what you call the Riverlands." Kynburn said as they came to the small fortified hall that was made of simple stone that apparently served as his home.
"How can you know about the Riverlands?" Jaime asked, his own mind now confused as the Riverlands had only really become a kingdom by that name after the Targaryen Conquest which was well after Brandon's expedition had left the North and Kynburn told the boy with a smile.
"A fellow countryman or should I say woman of yours Westerner, Elissa Farman sailed her ship to the islands and settled another one nearby that we trade with. She gave my ancestors information on what had happened since Brandon the Sailor's departure." Kynburn explained calmly as they entered the hall and Vaena blinked in amazement before saying.
"I think there is a lot to talk about."
- x -
A few hours later they all sat around a table enjoying a meal together and some light conversation, discussing the islands and how life was here. They had a lot of fresh fruit that they cultivated in their tropical climate particularly pineapples, mangoes, grapefruit and coconuts among all things of berries and due to the abundance of fruit they were very healthy and lived long lives here. The worship of the Old Gods was still upheld and they even had a Weirwood which had come with Brandon the Sailor as a sapling.
The different settlements did trade with each other and they had all kinds of people here, people descended from the Griscari, the Valyrians, the Summer Islanders, First Men and Andals obviously and even some Rhoynar. Each with their own cultural identity but strangely they did not make war with each other, perhaps it was the lack of proper ships that was the reason for that but it seemed they just didn't see the point in fighting each other. Not to mention their numbers were small, Sephora was the largest community and it barely numbered ten thousand.
Harmony meanwhile was looking over documents that Kynburn had provided which she hoped would provide the reason for why the people who had ended up here had never managed to leave even when they had ships and Haeron sat with her as they did so and she concluded to him quietly while the others spoke with their host.
"The islands seem to be surrounded by a very strong current loop, the storm must have pushed us straight through it. Most ships aren't strong enough to get through the other way which is why no-one has ever managed to leave." Harmony concluded to him quietly and Haeron nodded, trusting her on this before asking a question that he needed to clarify.
"Could the Queen Visenya make it?" He asked half dreading the potential answer. She frowned and bit her lip which he knew meant she was deeply concerned about what she had to tell him.
"Possibly." She told him with considerable doubt in her eyes but then added something else that she had concluded. "That current loop though, its not unheard of but to act in a perfect circle around the islands? And to be that strong and generate a storm? That is unnatural...something is making it happen." She told him with certainty as she could see no reason for why this situation would exist without an external force, if they could find out what it was then they might be able to deal with it to escape.
That was when a bell started ringing loudly and incessantly which made Kynburn freeze along with his people in worry as he said under his breath.
"He's back." Kynburn said with gritted teeth, seeing the change in attitude made Haeron and the others frown.
"Who?" Haeron asked with suspicion but Kynburn didn't answer as they rushed to the door where a new group of ships seemed to be sailing towards the harbour.
- x -
At the helm of the ship leading the squadron a man with elaborate robes and tanned skin, his body decorated with gold and jewels but as he looked at the impressive ship the Sephora peasants had somehow built he licked his lips at the fact she would soon be his. He would he decided with a thrill of excitement raid the town too and make sure that little shit Stark learned here he was in charge here.
But as he approached a roar went out the likes of which he nor his men had ever heard before and they all looked for the source when an enormous beast appeared from the direction of the island, its enormous wings seemed as big as their ship and letting out an enormous blast of flame into the air.
"TURN AROUND!" The leader screamed out, his eyes barely wanting to acknowledge what he was seeing!
No...he thought desperately...it couldn't be. So many of the sailors that had come here in the last two hundred years had said that the dragons were dead! Dead and long gone he thought with terror, only the sight of one there was very real and more so that words passed down from his father and his father's father and far back generations ago rang in his head.
'You and our bloodline will rule the waves until another Prince with a dragon comes.'
Stark Hall, Sephora...
"He left, your dragon scared him away." Kynburn Stark said in astonishment, he had not believed it when his people had told him about the dragon, those that had arrived since the Dance of the Dragons had told the islanders that the dragons had died out but apparently they were back he thought with a hopeful smile on his face then maybe...just maybe it was the opportunity that he and the other islanders had been hoping for.
"Who is he?" Jaime asked with annoyance at the lack of answers and Kynburn finally got to the point.
"Prince Mezda, descendant of some royalty from somewhere that got stranded here centuries back. You might have noticed that we only have fishing boats here, you'll find the same on all of the other settled islands as Mezda has taken anything we have that is bigger and raids us from time to time to remind us just who rules here. There is someone that might be able to explain more and maybe he could show you a way to escape but first I must ask a question. Are you a Prince?" Kynburn asked looking to Haeron who frowned, the others all looking at him with worry at what the answer would bring.
"Prince Haeron Targaryen, my dragon is Kara." He said with a guarded look as he stood closely to Harmony protectively while Jaime and Vaena did the same with Alicys. "My wife Princess Harmony. My good friends Lady Vaena Belaerys, Ser Jaime Lannister and Lady Alicys Questyr." Haeron said with his hands close to his swords if they were needed but Kynburn seeing this just smiled and told him.
"I had to ask as we have been waiting for another prince to arrive for a long time, let alone one with a dragon. But there is someone who will need to see you first." Kynburn said with a hopeful look in his eyes as this was the thing that he and his people had been hoping for for centuries.
- x -
Mount Weirwood, Sephora...A Day Later...
The party led by Kynburn travelled to a mountain in the centre of the island, Haeron and his friends were uncertain about this but according to Kynburn the man that lived there knew much about the area and any possible chance of escape was worth listening too, he did not want for him and the crew to be stranded here as these people's ancestors had been so any potential way to escape was worth exploring.
He was accompanied by Jaime, Vaena, Davos and Alicys as they rode with Kynburn and a few of his men as thankfully horses had been in the original expedition and bred here to the mountain, it was high like many of the mountains that you would see in the Vale but at the very top of it there were as an enormous Weirwood Tree, easily the largest that he had ever seen! Haeron thought with amazement, at least three times the size of the one in Winterfell maybe more. But his heart sank as he saw how high up the mountain they would have to climb and sighed as they reached the base of the mountain. He wished he had brought Kara but the dragon was staying with Harmony and Evelyn to make sure Mezda did not come back while they were away.
"How long will this take?" Davos asked as he nervously looked up the mountain with concern as he was a sailor not a mountain climber and Kynburn smiled at his nervousness and told him with a chuckle.
"Not as long as you think, we have a path up there." Kynburn said as they dismounted their horses and tied them to a tree nearby with a trough of water and food that they filled for the horses to feed and rest before heading up the rough path.
The walk was manageable if tiring in how long it lasted, it was steep and twisting around the mountain, they kept walking in silence because there was little else to do but as they came to a clearing Haeron heard something that he had never expected to hear again.
A song echoing across the area attracting all of their attention, he looked over and saw to his complete amazement a trio of magnificent birds flying over the area. Birds that were as big as a swan but had incredible crimson coloured plumage that seemed to glow along with a long golden tail that would have made a peacock jealous and left a golden aura behind it as they flew gracefully across the sky while singing a tune that made even the more cold and unpleasant hearts lift somewhat.
"Phoenixes." Haeron said under his breath with a smile of excitement having never thought he'd see one in this world, Vaena looking at him in surprise while the others all looked in confusion.
"The birds reborn from their own fire? I thought they were just a legend." Vaena asked him in confusion while the others looked at her now in disbelief.
"Indeed, they are real. Birds of magic that can lift extremely heavy loads, their tears heal even the most harsh of wounds, their song lift the spirits of even the most defeated of people and as you mentioned they are reborn from their own ashes when they die. Truly incredible creatures." Haeron said with a smile, really wanting to tell Harmony and Evelyn as soon as he could that he had seen the Phoenix and then to his utter awe and delight another incredible creature of magic appeared, a very large eagle with three sets of wings that had bright golden feathers and seemed to create small clouds after them as they flew by.
Thunderbirds Haeron thought with amazement, the closest relative to the phoenix. They were remarkable birds in their own right and were an awesome sight to see.
But then as they finally stopped staring at the magnificent birds and continued their way up the mountain they found themselves coming to a small but thick bunch of trees, oaks that had to be at least three hundred years old judging by their size. However as they went through the centre of the small wooden area a tiny if harsh chorus of screeching emerged that made all of them jump in surprise and those with weapons drew them immediately as they knew instinctively an attack was imminent and they were not wrong as creatures leapt out of the tree and charged at them.
They were little monkey like creatures but with scales instead of fur, grasping talons on their hands and feet and with little wings to help them fly. Haeron had honestly never seen the likes of them before but that hardly mattered as the creatures were charging straight at them! They swung their swords and managed to catch some of the small vicious demons but they were so many that just darted in and out and clawed at them, striking at anywhere they could.
Each of them hissed in pain as they felt the claws hit them and just as Haeron was about to use his magic to clear them even if it meant exposing his powers, one of Kynburn's men lost an eye to these little beasts and a high pitched whistle erupted from somewhere that seemed to terrify the creatures who instantly retreated back into their trees. While they looked around for the source and someone tended to the wounded especially the man who had lost an eye their eyes were drawn to a figure holding a flute who had appeared on the other side of the tree line.
"Relax, they will be content in their trees for quite some time. Come though, it would be best not to stay around here." The man said, his robes thicker and rougher fabric but his eyes were white and sightless yet his old wrinkled body moved like a man with his sight who was half his age. Haeron and the others all shared looks before following him up the mountain to the base of the large Weirwood Tree while those with the worse injuries moved back down the mountain and then to their astonishment he led them to a cave underneath it where the man had made a reasonably comfortable home for himself. The magical energy of the tree was clear to Haeron who felt it, a quite of energy humming expectantly in the air.
"This is Prince Haeron Targaryen, he has a dragon." Kynburn told the old man who sat in a nest of the roots of the tree above that formed a seat of sorts. "This is my great uncle Edwyk."
"A pleasure to meet you." Edwyk said with a toothy grin. "I have long foreseen your arrival along with that of your friends." He said with a nod in each of their directions which only made them more uncomfortable as he seemed able to see them despite his sightlessness.
"So you say, now what is this about? I need to get my people home, there is a situation that needs to be addressed there." Haeron said cautiously before the old man nodded and explained the situation.
"Mezda's family have ruled this area with fear and raiding for centuries, ever since his ancestor first arrived. They had the only ships that could be called warships and no help could come from the outside due to the barrier as we call it." The man said calmly. "But through my visions here at this sacred place I have seen how he will be destroyed. The storm loop is created by a temple on the northern most island, specifically an amulet in the heart of it. It was created as a means to deter invasion by the people that once ruled over this place when it was all one large island but when the land was ripped apart it isolated the islands from the rest of the world. The barriers that keep others from getting to the northern island is specific in that only one who is a Prince can enter and bring others with him. A vision revealed to Mezda's family that they would be defeated when another prince came to Sephora, one with a dragon."
They all listened and while the others found it hard to believe, Haeron however was the most sceptical of all. Prophesy was the most imprecise and dangerous way to inspire people but was also the most powerful if the belief became ingrained and to him this sounded like something they had concocted to keep their people hoping.
The man was from what he understood was a greenseer, under any normal circumstances he might have been thrilled to find another magic user, one that wasn't trying to kill him and those he held dear anyway Haeron thought with a weary sigh given how the magical users he had encountered so far were along the latter lines. But the fact this would send him and his people into danger yet again was enough to make him rage silently to himself.
But as he did so the sightless man looked at him and gestured to touch the root, Haeron had heard the legends but hesitated from trying it himself. It was a magic unknown to him or any of the others but rallying his courage he did carefully grasp the root next to him.
When he did, it was unlike anything that he had experienced before.
A rush of images moving rapidly through his mind, he saw everywhere and everywhen all at once and the blur made it almost impossible to make any sense of it but then he found if he concentrated then some could be pulled out of the blur.
He saw the islands, there were a beautiful place he thought but more so he saw the northern most island, a strange island which was filled with a number of equally strange creatures but at the heart of it were buildings that looked ruined and yet still stood tall and strong after centuries exposed to the elements, at the heart was a gemstone the size of his hand in a gold harness of some kind which was connected to an mechanism that was slowly spinning in a complex series of repetitive movements which turned a large disc in which the large mechanism sat which was covered in runes.
Haeron managed to pull his hand off the root which ended the vision, not sure what to make the experience that he just had but what he had seen was real enough he could feel it. It made no sense to his rational mind and he knew it might be fake but when had the real world ever been particularly logical he thought with resignation as it seemed they had once last quest to perform before they could finally go home.
"Destroy the amulet, stop the loop and set the islands free." Haeron said surprising them all with his acceptance of this. The old man nodded and Jaime and Vaena both asked Haeron.
"Are you sure we should do this?" They both asked him with concerned looks and Davos agreed with them, not sure what to make of all this strangeness but this seemed a stretch even for them.
"Its our only chance to ever leave the islands." Haeron said with cold certainty. "We can't be sure if the Queen Visenya can escape that loop. This is not something I can ask of any of you but it is a leap of faith that we have to take to have any chance of getting home." Haeron told them sadly, offering them an out but as they all shared a look they nodded in agreement, ready to follow him...one last time.
Sephora, A Couple of Days Later...
After returning to Sephora's only settlement they prepared for the journey ahead.
Haeron looked over the charts that the locals had provided, fortunately after trading with the other communities here and exploring the islands that weren't inhabited they had managed to make fairly decent maps of the area. Looking at them he could see that it would be a week or so depending on the wind, the islanders were keen to help them prepare for the journey and traded with them for fresh supplies. The locals actually liked meeting the crew as they had so many stories of foreign lands and their adventures on the high seas, the crew was only too happy to indulge them before they made their voyage north.
The northern most island was the only place that had never been charted by the locals as it was the only one they could not reach, the wards that surrounded the island puzzled them but as Harmony read from her books she frowned before saying.
"There are runic wards that can be keyed to allow people with certain titles to past through, often they are tied to a bloodline but it can be done with simply a title if it was engineered so." She said as she looked up the ward section in her books, Haeron nodded before telling her.
"The moment you both married me you became princesses. The wards would allow any of us in now, even the crew as long as they are with us." He said reasoning it out before Evelyn asked something with a frown.
"Why would it have such a strange defence?"
"It might be something tied to something that belonged to the original culture of the area." Harmony suggested, grimacing as she felt her baby kick inside her and Evelyn almost seemed linked to her in some way because she winced too as her own child did the same.
"There are bound to be other creatures on that island. We have no idea just what to expect." Evelyn warned and Haeron nodded in agreement.
"Its a long shot but its all we have. Without knowing exactly where we are setting up portkeys to Westeros is extremely dangerous and apparation at this range is a stretch especially when you're both pregnant. We just need to destroy this machine and then hopefully we can escape." He said calmly and they both shared a look and told him.
"This is a hell of a leap of faith." Evelyn said with considerable doubt in her voice and Harmony nodded in agreement which he sighed before nodding.
"I know but we haven't got a choice." He said sadly and they reluctantly agreed, knowing escape was unlikely otherwise.
Queen Visenya, On Course for Northern Island...
Leaving Sephora was bittersweet for the crew but the hope of getting home drove them on, they sailed through the crystal clear waters with the sun shining brightly and a stiff wind pushed them towards their destination.
Davos and Haeron stood on deck with Septon Jonos, he was perhaps the most certain of their purpose. Even though they had just come from an island that worshipped the Old Gods he was seeing all of their luck in finding Sephora and way to escape the island chain as the work of the Gods, the Seven mostly but the Gods all the same.
Haeron and Davos deeply respected and even envied his faith, they were both practical men even with everything that they had seen and done. So the comfort of such belief must be nice they thought to themselves.
But as they neared the halfway point in their voyage, trouble appeared on the horizon.
"Ships in sight!" The lookout called out from the crow's nest and they all shared a look, Sephora had been quite clear that no island had anything beyond fishing boats that were much smaller as if they tried to build it or some ship managed to make it through the storm and current loop the ship was taken by Mezda and his pirates.
So if it was ships then that meant it was Mezda's fleet approaching.
"Man the cannons, load and ready." Davos called out, now more sure of himself using these strange weapons even if they still frightened him. Haeron was about to call Kara to join the fight but saw scorpion bolts flying through the sky and he grimaced. With that many scorpions there was no way he could risk letting Kara out and then to make matters worse catapults on the pirate ships began to fire at them.
Rocks and barrels began to splash into the water around them as Davos steered the ship into position and closed the range.
"STARBOARD CANNONS...FIRE!" Davos commanded and the cannons along the starboard side erupted sending deadly projectiles into the enemy now that they had closed the range. Masts were toppled, gashes in the sides of the ships ripped open above and below the water line. Men screamed but as they turned to manoeuvre a lucky shot from the enemy made contact.
The rock smashed into the forward deck, sending men flying before the rallied themselves and pushed the rock over the side. Davos swung the ship around and brought the port cannons to bare on the remaining ships and fired. The ships were struck by the deadly projectiles but that was not the real problem.
The problem was what all the noise that they were making had woken something up.
The sea around them began stirring with a lot of bubbles raising to the surface which confused those who noticed it, Haeron and Davos among them as they looked around and were puzzled as they had no idea just what was causing this. There was no steam or anything like that but the bubbles showed something was happening down there.
That was when they saw something that sailors had whispered about in taverns after one too many drinks.
One of Mezda's ships which was still afloat suddenly was forced upwards into the air while being broken in half as something large hit it from below. Those on the decks of other ships stared in horror as the large serpentine body emerged from the water and screeched in anger.
"A sea serpent!" Davos said in shock as they all looked at the creature in disbelief, it was at least sixty metres from what they could see with a dark green and blue body covered in scales with little fins along the sides of it that presumably pushed it through the water and a forked red tail.
But the head looked almost bird like, the beak was pointed and large and at least three metres long glinting like iron in the sun. The beak made the head look angular like an arrow head to presumably move more easily through the water, and its enormous eyes were slitted like a cat's.
It dived back under the water and swallowed men who had jumped from the ruined ships whole as they screamed before it looped around the damaged ships still afloat and with a single clench of its muscles snap them into pieces while the people on the Queen Visenya watched in fear. Jonos was as wide eyed as the rest of them and said in revulsion.
"A creature from the depths of the Seven Hells!" He said with a curse. Haeron gritted his teeth and knowing the sea serpent would eventually turn its attention to them he called out.
"Ready carronades and swivel guns! Arm yourselves!" He told them with a loud shout that managed to rouse them from their fear stricken state. They immediately loaded the smaller cannons and grabbed swords, axes, spears and whatever else weapon they could get their hands on.
They managed it just as the sea serpent turned its attention to them, the slitted amber eyes looked at them with intense hatred, the battle presumably having awoken it and then disappeared beneath the waves again.
The tension in the air was so tight that not a single person made a sound, holding their own breath, they all knew that it was coming and every second that the waiting went on was torture for the men as they did their best to hold their nerves.
Finally when it did appear it was almost a relief, the sea serpent emerged from the water and tried to wrap itself around the ship but they were ready.
"FIRE!" Haeron and Davos called out and the carronades and swivel guns which were meant for close range combat, exactly what they needed now. The lead tore into sea serpent as the men led by Haeron and Jaime swung their weapons at the creatures which screeched out in pain before untangling itself, the water it displaced splashed over the deck as the men reloaded the guns and prepared for the creature to return, hoping it would go away but somehow they all knew better than to belief that.
They were proven sadly right as it reared up out of the water again and whipped the deck with its tail the ship rocked, crushing a man beneath it but the rest staggered to their feet and stabbed at it with their weapons.
The creature reared back and prepared to dash straight at the sea serpent but then Kara leapt from the cabin, the sky was clear now and blasted it with a harsh stream of fire. The crew cheered as they saw the ship's dragon burned the face of the creature and the sea serpent screeched out one last time before falling into the water with a great splash and then slowly sinking into the water as blood leaked from its wounds.
The crew even those that had been injured cheered as they had won before finally looking at the scale of the damage, one of their masts was nearly ruined along with a good area of the deck and many injured not to mention at least one dead. The men mournfully wrapped him in a white cloth as Septon Jonos blessed his body and led the funeral. They could not return him to Westeros as he would start rotting before they even got there so they would have to bury him at sea.
Everyone was gathered on the deck and watched as the body wrapped in a tight white cloth was slid into the sea. Everyone was silent as they paid their respects but only as long as they could before moving on and continuing on their course.
Northern Most Island, Sephora Chain...A Day Later...
When the island came into view was a welcome sight as it meant they had finally arrived and they even had the luxury of docking in a ruined port which saved them the bother of having go over in small boats. But as they did they could see another ship docked there, it was familiar enough as it was the ship that had led the aborted raid on Sephora, Mezda's flagship. It was a big bulky ship that looked roughly made and might at one time have been a Qarth trading ship but if it had been then it had been extensively altered.
Kara burst out of the special compartment with Haeron riding the large dragon, the crew of the Queen Visenya followed with their weapons drawn. The crew of the other ship ran in terror at the sight of the dragon but it didn't help them as they burned them with ease and then swarmed the ship. The crew that were still aboard were few in number and easily overwhelmed, but there was one person that was critically missing.
"Mezda must have already gone ahead." Haeron said with gritted his teeth as he was not among the dead, the ship thankfully did have some maps of the island that Mezda's ancestors had apparently made over the years so he at least knew just where he had gone after looking them over. "This temple here, this is where the Amulet is. That's where he will be. The confines are too tight for a large number of people or Kara. If I had to fight, that's where I'd be." He told the others as they gathered in the cabin of the captured ship.
"Do we know how many men he'll have with him?" Harmony asked with worry, Evelyn having looked through the ship told them.
"About a ten, probably his most trusted." She told them having seen the amount of gear and from that knew roughly how many men had been onboard and from that how many where unaccounted for.
"Then we need to go after him." Jaime said with an eager smile. Alicys nodded too, eager to chase down the pirates and see this island for themselves. Davos and Jonos though were more cautious.
"We don't know what dangers this island has your grace." Davos said with worry as they had no idea just what they had to face here. Jonos said with their recent encounter with a sea serpent fresh in hid mind added his own thoughts.
"The creatures from the Seven Hells seem to live in this place, cursed."
"Indeed, then to escape it we need to find Mezda." Vaena said with a determination that was surprising given the situation.
"Harmony, Evelyn...you and the rest of the crew work on getting the ship fixed. Use whatever you need from this ship. Septon Jonos, you stay with them and if we don't come back sail for Sephora. The rest of us will go to find Mezda." Haeron said with a decision made. "Myself, Jaime, Alicys, Davos, Vaena and a few others, its time to finish this." He said and they nodded, even Harmony and Evelyn albeit reluctantly. Their pregnancies were too advanced now for them to really fight and use magic on the level that they would need too.
Haeron sensed this and went over to hold them both close, vowing this would be the last time he would ever leave them behind like this. He would never endanger their lives if he could help it but he would need to do it this time.
- x -
Ruins, Northern Island...An Hour Later...
Haeron had once as Harry spent a holiday in Egypt with Hermione and their children, the heat there had been something he had never managed to deal with but it had been an incredible sight to see the historic country. They had seen the pyramids of course and other muggle ruins but also the hidden magical tombs and other buildings that were hidden from muggle eyes. It made Harry wonder what their own places might look like in a few thousand years? Would they last even a fraction of the time as these impressive structures had?
Now as Haeron he was reminded of those structures, it was like them with the same sandy stone and pillars along with the inscriptions on the walls and there was even sand cluttering the streets. Some buildings and monuments however were made of a different stone, black and oily, Vaena looked at it as they moved through the ruins.
"Why make it out of such different stone?" She asked aloud, Haeron could only shrug.
"It might be something they discovered later or an invention of some kind. There are many potential reasons, I have heard of similar stone in other places in Westeros. Maybe it was carried there or discovered around there." He suggested but Jaime and Alicys as they were examining a mural as they walked through the area pointed something out.
"The land, split by a disaster." Alicys said as she read what she could. "Those that survived fled, and a few who remained made the loop to defend the place." She said while frowning with concentrating.
"Why make the trap if there is nothing here?" Jaime asked confused at why they would even bother if no-one and nothing was here.
"There was the thing itself. That was probably enough." Davos said with fear at the power to make such a powerful weapon and what else they might have been capable of.
"Indeed." Haeron said knowing that Atlantis had made similar devices for both protection and to push the limits of their power but it had ultimately led to their destruction much like Valyria had. It was a good lesson that no matter what you think you can achieve to never underestimate nature or it would make you pay he thought with humility.
That was when some of the men who were more greedy slipped inside one of the ruins to look for any potential valuables that they take for themselves. They were eager to find some wealth for themselves and were delighted to find some metal implements that looked like silver, they eagerly grabbed them and were putting them into their bags but their greed had distracted them and they had no one on watch.
A large shadow appeared behind them from the other side of the ruined building, its steps were surprisingly quiet maybe due to the sand that covered the ground and it slowly closed the distance between them until finally one of them noticed the large shadow over the sand.
They all slowly turned and saw an enormous pair of thick feet legs the size of tree trunks with bare dark green skin and hooves, looking up they saw a chest that did seem vaguely human but only in the barest shape which connected to muscular arms with hands made up of three claws and a head that was the strangest of all. It had a mouth and nose that looked vaguely human but only one single eye which was dark red colour and on top of the head there was a pair of sharp looking horns.
The creature stared at them for a moment before snarling loudly in a guttural growl, the growl was loud enough to attract the other's attention and Haeron ran in just in time to see the large creature swipe at the men and bashed them aside and sliced open the chests at the same time.
Haeron blinked briefly as he was shocked to actually see a horned Cyclops having only heard of them before but he didn't waste a moment and drew Crimson Heart, readying himself.
But at the same time the noise apparently attracted other creatures; Davos, Jaime and Alicys looked with the other men they had with them demon looking hounds came charging towards them. They all grabbed their weapons and braced themselves.
The hounds were red eyed like the Cyclops and had rough patchy black fur, their mouths were full of silver coloured teeth that were bared as they charged. Only those with good reflexes managed to not be caught, they locked their jaws onto anything they could and tore into their prey.
The people screamed in pain and the strength of the hounds was far greater than you would think, able to pick up a grown man and throw them around with a ferocious shake. Jaime impaled one with his sword and so did Davos, Alicys not being as certain with weapons like Vaena managed only just and went back to back to protect each other.
The hounds snarled and continued to attack, biting those that had been downed and tore chucks out of their throats or whole limbs off while those still on their feet just tried to stay alive! Davos managed to surprise himself and caught one of the hounds in side which caused black blood to ooze out of it at a frantic pace before it collapsed.
Alicys and Vaena managed to hold them off with their own swords, Vaena managed to catch one in the mouth as it went to bite her and Alicys stabbed another. Both were shocked and deeply unsettled as despite everything that they had seen so far these hounds were right up close to them and could tear them apart at a moment's notice.
Jaime thankfully was proving his skill with a sword as he used Brightroar to manage against many of the hounds at once, his face serious and focused as he did so. His experiences on this journey having taught him to be focused in life and death situations and this was the time to put that wisdom to use, he worked hard while the others did their best to hold of the hounds, systematically taking them out one by one until the last one tried to pull the sword out of his hand by biting the blade but Jaime held on for dear life and that distraction allowed Alicys to stab the creature and put it down. She and Jaime shared a look and smiled to themselves while attended to the wounded and Davos helped the men who were merely winded to their feet.
Haeron meanwhile was dealing with his own monster, the Cyclops was snarling and lunging at him with its enormous claws so he dodged and weaved around it while striking at the arms of the creature, slicing one of his claws off which made the creature howl in pain and rear back away from him. The break in the attack allowed Haeron to throw himself forward in a roll and sliced deeply into the back of the creature's knee as he passed, causing the Cyclops to topple over on one side and with it howling in pain Haeron then buried his sword in the back of its head.
The Cyclops shook briefly before falling dead, Haeron pulled his sword free and used a cloth to clean the blade of the black gunk that this creature had for blood before returning his sword to its scabbard. He stared at the creature and went over to see how the others were doing, finding them as they recovered from their own battle with the hounds.
He looked over them all and especially the dead and the wounded, hoping that they were not going to lose anyone else as this mission was too costly already he thought with anger at losing so many men.
- x -
Great Pyramid...
They were lucky in that they didn't find any more creatures on their way to the pyramid, a tall structure made of the same oily black stone which reached high into the sky. They found the main door already open and with great trepidation they made their way in, watching for any sign of traps.
The corridors were made of the same oily stone although the floor thankfully was regular sandstone like many of the older buildings so at least they could keep their footing as they travelled inside. Exploring they found all of the passages led eventually to a single large chamber at the very centre of the pyramid. It was dominated by a single feature, golden metal rings rotated around in a sphere pattern in three layers. At the heart of this was a large blue gemstone, easily the largest that any of them had ever seen which was almost alluring with a blue light glowing all around it.
But inside the circles right next to the glowing gem, was Mezda. He stood there with his men on the outside just waiting for them, looking around there was nowhere to hide any surprises or other people. There were only a half a dozen men and Mezda, Haeron grimaced before turning to Jaime and the others and telling them.
"Let's get this done." He told him coldly and Jaime nodded, the group walked forward with their weapons being drawn. Mezda's men stepped forward to try and stop them but as the first two challenged Haeron he with Crimson Heart in hand easily parried their clumsy blows cut them down with a single stab or slash to the chest and neck respectively.
The others engaged and ultimately gained the upper hand against Mezda's men who were far less experienced and trained in swordplay than most of Haeron's group, taking them down with ease. With the path now clear Haeron timed his steps with care and made it through the moving rings until he and Mezda stood in the same space while the others fought outside it.
Mezda had a curved scimitar like sword in his hand, given the confined environment Haeron sheathed Crimson Heart and went for the shorter Blackfyre, the bastard sword being better suited to the area. Mezda stared at him with disgust for daring to come here but Haeron didn't care and instead kept himself ready for the fight.
Mezda it seemed hadn't wanted to attack first, maybe hoping that Haeron would be clumsy and make an attack which would leave him vulnerable but he wasn't dealing with a spoiled prince or a part time warrior. Haeron knew what he was doing and that scared him even more.
So Mezda threw caution to the wind and swung his sword in a heavy cleave at him, Haeron with the minimal necessary sidestepped and used Blackfyre to deflect the sword to the side, the rings hit it a heavy almost deafening clang and a stripe being sliced from the sword. The sight made it only them grimace before continuing the fight.
They began exchanging sword blows with increasing speed, neither moving any more than they had to due to the real risk of being sliced to pieces if they went too far. However the design and shorter Blackfyre was much better suited to the confined battlefield allowing Haeron to fight more effectively and slowly started getting the upper hand...getting faster and faster.
Mezda struggled to match the speed that Haeron was now employing, finding it more difficult to defend himself and lunged forward in desperation. He knew if he wasted any more time trying to match him then he would get a sword through the gut! So he lunged into Haeron to try and grapple with him but Haeron on pure instinct reacted by grabbing him instead and then swinging his whole body around with a hold on Mezda before letting go and the momentum threw Mezda helplessly into the spinning rings which in a split second cut him to pieces with him only able to scream out a brief cry of fear before falling silent!
Haeron sheathed Blackfyre now that the danger was passed and saw the amulet, he was tempted to take it, to rule with it. The thought came to him unbidden and with worrying quickness, he was sure in his own mind that he could do far more with it than Mezda and his idiot ancestors had ever done.
That thought stopped him, he frowned and slammed his mental barriers closed which saw the urge to use the amulet diminish but it still hung on at the back of his mind. He wondered if this was how it had snagged Mezda and his family, drawing them in with promises of power its warm blue light inviting and so tempting.
And here he was Haeron thought with self-disgust, nearly falling to the same trap. Clearly a lesson in humility he had needed he thought to himself with bitterness and before he could change his mind he drew Crimson Night and stabbed it with a hard thrust straight into amulet.
The moment his blade pierced the blue gemstone a high pitched screech could be heard as it shattered into tiny pieces which fell to the floor and then broke into even smaller pieces upon hitting the ground. The spinning rings shuddered to a grinding halt, stopping where they were and would never move again.
That was the apparently the trigger for some kind of self-destruct, the entire pyramid began to shake and Haeron with a grimace turned to the others who all were standing around like him with confusion and called out.
"Time to go!" Haeron called out and the others didn't need another warning as they all began running for the exit. The shaking was getting worse, dust coming down in waves from the ceiling above them as they ran through the corridors, chunks of stone falling both large and small from the walls as they went past. The journey seemed suddenly not only far more dangerous but also much longer as they had to dodge falling stone and going down the wrong passage could easily lead to you losing your life.
The exit when it finally came into view was the most welcome sight that they had ever seen, all of them running out of it and some distance away to be clear before the entire structure collapsed into a heap of black broken stone! They all were briefly enveloped by a cloud of sand and dust before coughing as they turned around to look at what was left of the pyramid.
All of them stared silently at it before Vaena asked him with an annoyed shake of her head.
"Do you have to destroy everything we get into?" She asked him while the others just stared, all thinking the same question.
"Maybe not, but its faster this way." Haeron said offhand, having taken the route that seemed easiest at the time.
"Faster this way?" Alicys said with a disbelieving shake of her head. Jaime however just laughed and told her with a grin.
"Its more fun." He said teasingly and Alicys gave a long suffering sigh before punching him on the arm and Davos just told him with a sigh.
"Too much fun is bad for you. Now if I might be so bold, perhaps we should return to the ship your grace? There is still more we need to do." Davos said respectfully and Haeron nodded, accepting his words.
"Then let's get going. We will make sure we are fully prepared in Sephora before we sail east." Haeron said, the word 'east' hanging in the air as that word meant one thing for the men in the group...home.
They walked through the ruined city and the creatures that were there gave them a wide berth this time, scared maybe by the destruction of the pyramid which allowed them to walk back to the ship in peace. The crew had clearly been busy as the ship looked more or less repaired and ready to go, the crew welcomed them back with cheers when they saw they and eagerly asked for stories of what had happened. Jaime and Alicys were only too happy to tell them while Davos and Vaena reluctantly allowed themselves to be questioned, Haeron went up to Harmony and Evelyn who smiled and hugged him closely which he warmly returned returning to their cabin and sat there on bed, just taking comfort in each other and the children that would soon be born.
Sephora, A Few Days Later...
The sight of the ship returning to the beautiful island of Sephora brought cheers as the crew came ashore led by Haeron, they lined the streets to celebrate their return all singing and cheering as they passed. The crew including Jaime and Alicys took it with good grace while Davos, Vaena and Jonos all politely nodded and when women literally threw themselves at Davos and Jonos they were mortified and did their best to reject it much to the humour of the others and the islanders.
Kynburn and surprisingly Edwyk stood there to greet them at the entrance to the Stark Hall, smiling and Kynburn stepped forward proudly to shake Haeron's hands.
"We knew you had succeeded when the seas around the islands calmed. They are still rough but now it will be possible to cross them." Kynburn said with pride and Davos surprised them by speaking up.
"This will mean others will come here, even those that might mean you harm." He warned them and Edwyk nodded, his unseeing eyes resigned.
"We know and we will be ready for it now that Mezda is gone. The islands will stand together." Edwyk said with confidence, Vaena then interjected.
"Some might come to trade. They might not all want war even if some might."
"We are ready for that too." Kynburn said with a smile and then said joyfully. "But tonight you and your people will eat and celebrate with ours." He proclaimed and another cheer went up as the people and the crew enjoyed the moment. Haeron nodded in acceptance as it was good for them and for the people, to enjoy the moment.
- x -
That Night...
The town was alive with music and laughter as the people all joined together with the crew to celebrate the end of Mezda, his raiding and the possibility of communication with the outside world.
Haeron sat with Harmony and Evelyn around the campfire, one in each arm as they watched the others party with the locals. Jaime and Alicys danced in the fire light while Vaena was being courted by many, drawing them like moths to a flame. Davos sat with the men drinking calmly as opposed to them who were throwing back tankards of wine like it was clean water. Jonos was with them and laughing as they shared stories with the islanders, his own big and boisterous personality making up for any differences in religion.
That was when the time finally came, a moment that he and Harmony had both waited eagerly for and yet feared.
Harmony quivered as she felt it, the sensations in her body and from the babe. Her face changed as she felt it and told Haeron and Evelyn with a worried expression on her face.
"Its time." She told them with urgency and Haeron momentarily froze with shock before Evelyn leapt into action.
"We need a bed, warm clean blankets and fresh clean water." She said quickly, moving with surprising speed given she was very pregnant herself and Kynburn who was nearby heard and told them.
"You can use the hall." He said with some eagerness as it seemed almost like fate that tonight as they celebrated the victory of one prince over an evil prince that a new prince would also be born.
"Thank you." Haeron said as he picked Harmony up in his arms and began carrying her towards the hall while she scolded him.
"HARRY! PUT ME DOWN!" She said, using his old name in the heat of the moment and Vaena hearing the commotion rushed to join them having been long prepared for this day as Evelyn followed at a slower pace.
They found a bedroom in the hall with a fresh and clean bed that Haeron had literally carried Harmony all the way too despite her protests and she was now focused more on the rather important business at hand of giving birth. Evelyn mopped her brow while Haeron held her hand and Vaena handled the birth.
Harmony was screaming as she pushed with all her might, being urged on by Vaena. Haeron and Evelyn.
"Push! Harmony Push!" Vaena urged her again and Haeron held her hand before telling her.
"Almost there now."
"You promise?" She asked with a desperate look on her face and he smiled before telling her as he pressed his forehead to hers.
"I promise."
Evelyn gently rubbed her shoulders, eager to help Hermione as they both knew what this was like as they had done it before as Fleur and Hermione, she just hoped that she would return the favour when her own time which she could feel was going to be soon.
Harmony nodded in agreement before taking a deep breath and rallying whatever energy she had left and pushed with all of her might, her scream echoing in the hall it was so loud.
Vaena's words were drowned out as everyone focused on Harmony who finally fell back as the effort took its toll but it was enough as Vaena smiled with watery eyes.
"A little boy!" She called out with excitement not least of which was for her lifelong friend. She carefully cut the cord and cleaned him and wrapping him a blanket before handing him carefully to Harmony who was so desperate to see her son that she almost grabbed him out of Vaena's hands but managed to be more careful as she took him. Her face so full of emotion as she held her son, Haeron too as he held them both in his arms, Evelyn and Harmony both.
"Our son." Harmony said with astonishment, Haeron and Evelyn both joining as they marvelled at the little boy while Vaena cleaned her hands and went off to rest. Evelyn told them gently as she ran her finger gently over the boy's forehead as he slept.
"He will need a name." She reminded them before saying. "A Targaryen one since he will one day be king."
"Aemon." Haeron said without a moment's hesitation. "Apart from my mother in this world he is the wisest man I know. One wise and smart as this young one will be I am sure." Haeron said with pride. "Aemon Targaryen, First of his name."
"Good choice." Harmony said with a smile as she held Aemon in her arms, all three smiling down at him.
- x -
The birth of the young prince only added to the fire of the celebration that night, although the young parents and Evelyn did not leave the room that night Vaena made sure the others knew.
The dragons all seemed to know before anyone though, roaring into the night and lighting it up with their fire, taking flight and playing long into the night. In the morning Aemon was finally shown to the people who all looked on in adoration at the little prince who was looking at them with curiosity in his little eyes. Alicys and Jaime were more detached in their looking at the babe, not really knowing much about young children, they had not even thought of having children of their own one day yet. Davos being an experienced father smiled, knowing both the trials and joy that children brought in equal measure.
Jonos and Edwyk both offered to bless the child and rather than offend either man they both blessed him. Jonos baptised the boy in the Name of the Seven, calling for the Seven who are One to bless him with all their gifts and a long life while Edwyk gently smeared a line of red resin from the Weirwood tree on his head and called for the Old Gods to bless the boy.
But Evelyn then briefly returned to the ship and came back with a dragon egg from their secret stash in the trunk. It was iron grey and pale gold in colour and placed it in his bassinet, honouring the Targaryen tradition of placing one with a babe when one was born into the family. That egg would hopefully one day be Aemon's own dragon they thought as they all looked down on it, it had begun to slightly heat up the moment it was placed in the boy's presence and Aemon himself had smiled in that babyish way.
They took that as a good sign.
After a couple more days to rest it was time for the ship to continue on its journey, it was a sad feeling to leave but they were so close to completing their journey they had to make that last push...that last leap of faith.
The storms while rough were nowhere near as bad as they had been before, the Queen Visenya making its way forward at a steady pace. The sun itself helping them establish the direction from where it rose and where it set to mark east and west.
A week of sailing passed fairly uneventful before a coast line came into view.
They all gathered on deck to see it, standing there with hopeful glances as they looked at the rocky shore ahead, it was not familiar but to one of them who gasped with shock and amazement. Everyone turning to look at him as he spoke to let them know just what he had seen.
"That's the Crag...my Uncle Gerion took me sailing along the coast once and this is the Crag...Its the Westerlands! It's home." Jaime said with excitement as he realised that he knew where they were.
The news took a moment to sink in, all of them taking it in. They had been away for over a year, travelling to foreign shores and had gone further than any one had ever gone before. They had seen things and had experiences that honestly were hard to believe even happened and yet here they were again, within sight of home shores.
A cheer then went up through them as it finally meant that they would be seeing their families again or their friends or both. Davos in particular was eager to see his family again, his boys would have grown so much in the time he was away he thought regretfully. Septon Jonos meanwhile was not planning to stay in Westeros, as soon as possible he would be making arrangements to travel back to Essos as there was still much work to be done there.
The ladies meanwhile; Alicys, Harmony, Evelyn and Vaena all looked out at the land with uncertainty. They had never been to Westeros before and while they had learned about it that was a very different experience to actually being there. Harmony as she held her son in her arms looked out and studied the land that one day she would rule with Haeron and Evelyn and after them with good fortune Aemon would take over from them. It was a land that looked down on women and she knew she would be facing an uphill struggle here to not only make herself truly respected but also see if she could elevate women at all.
Haeron however had realised something else, perhaps something that had not really occurred to any of them at the moment...an achievement that would forever set them apart.
"Alicys, please would you get some paper and a quill? I want the names of everyone on this ship recorded." He told the petite girl who frowned before doing what he had said although she had no idea why, the others too looked confused before Harmony and Evelyn caught on at what their arrival at Westeros meant and began smiling themselves, Aemon making those adorable sounds babies did when they were happy which made them fuss over him.
When Alicys had returned he stood next to the wheel with the crew gathered on deck and proudly made his speech.
"Today is a day that will be remembered in the history of the world, the day when man and woman conquered a frontier that has been defeating us for centuries. Ever since we have been sailing the horizon always beckoned but until now no one has ever sailed beyond that horizon so far that they would actually come back home again. Because that is what we have done...we have sailed from Westeros and then east, and so far east that we actually returned to Westeros not by turning back but by keeping going until we finally breached that last barrier. I want the names of all those that sailed on this ship to be recorded as we are the first people in all of recorded history to ever circumnavigate the world." Haeron said letting that thought stay with them for a bit but then they all started to realise just what he had said, the fact they had actually been a part of such a great achievement. Excitement broke out on deck as everyone with the exception of a few calmer ones rushed towards Alicys who found herself having all of their names being shouted at her and having to write very quickly.
Today was a day worth celebrating and fearing Haeron thought as he looked out at the approaching coast of the Westerlands, all of the work to build his network, the wandering, the buying time to let Kara grow to a size that would make armies shake in fear...that was over thankfully but now came the part that would really test them all. They would need to play the games of power here and take the Iron Throne he thought darkly and he knew it was not going to be easy whatever advantages he had to not just take it but then to hold it he thought with worry but at the moment he could only think back to the message he had sent when first leaving Westeros and then saying quietly to himself.
"I have returned."