(Lagsan POV)
My name is Lagsan, a man in his early forties, and one of the commanders of Lord Aeos' armies. Under me, I had control of a full battalion, twelve thousand five hundred men. The battalion I commanded was an infantry battalion.
If I were to say, I was one of the most influential and powerful people under Lord Aeos' reign. Militarily and technically, there were only two people above me in rank, the supreme commander or General Sylvia, and Lord Aeos himself.
And if you counted Lady Melisandre and Lady Rhaenys, then there were two more who wielded greater influence than I did. Well, Asmund and Freydron could also be counted. Even though they held the same rank as me, they had more influence, since they had been close to Lord Aeos from the beginning.
Apart from me and Spandex, who was the navy commander, the remaining four commanders out of a total of six were former Unsullied. I had not been a slave.
I had been a free man. I was the chief of the forces of a great master in the city of Meereen before Lord Aeos took over the city. I had earned well enough and I had a small family.
And my great master had been a man with a wise head on his shoulders. He was among the first to surrender when Lord Aeos' forces broke through the walls of Meereen. Thanks to his wisdom, he had been able to save his life and he was still doing quite well for himself.
He had been stripped of his military powers, keeping only a few guards. I was given the choice to continue serving him, to join Lord Aeos' army, or perhaps to become a mercenary.
I chose to join Lord Aeos' army. I had expected discrimination. The majority of his army at that time was composed of former Unsullied, and even now they wielded the most influence and probably, they were the most loyal too.
But nothing like that happened. I was not ostracized or treated as an outcast. Although the former Unsullied had the habit of keeping to themselves, they never allowed it to affect their duties. I was given a full opportunity to showcase my skills, not just as a warrior but in military command and in strategy as well.
And even though I may sound arrogant, I am a very capable commander. Perhaps the smaller stage of serving my former master had not allowed me to display my talent fully.
But once I joined Lord Aeos' armies, I demonstrated considerable brilliance, and even Lord Aeos himself had been impressed by my tactical mind. So much so that I was appointed as a commander of his battalion.
I would not say I am as loyal to him as an Unsullied might be. They have no family and no other purpose. I had a family and other purposes in my life.
I joined his army seeking a better life and better pay and because I wanted to remain close to my city and my family. But my loyalty is not hollow.
I know for a fact that even if I had to die, I would never betray him. He had not done anything uniquely special for me, as he had for the slaves. He had granted them freedom but I was already free.
Yet the changes he made, the way he was developing our cities there was no reason I could ever betray him. Everything he did had a charm of his own. The way he spoke and motivated the common people was awe inspiring. And I believe that is enough loyalty.
Now, four battalions of armies, fifty thousand men, had departed from the barracks toward the Free Cities. We had barely travelled for a few days when I took around ten thousand men of my battalion and parted ways with that army.
Since then, we had been in hiding. We had set up our camps in a desolate valley, and there was no chance of anyone spotting us here. Everyone believed that an army fifty thousand strong was marching toward the Free Cities, and unless spies got too close to the camp of that massive force, they would never realize that ten thousand men had vanished. And getting close to them was nearly impossible. The perimeter they had built around themselves was magnificent. Another of Lord Aeos' brilliant strategies.
For the past few days, we had been waiting. Waiting for a message from Lord Aeos.
What plans he could make! Brilliant! Things we could not even think of. There was no doubt in my mind that if he wished, he could turn all of Essos upside down.
I had my own arguments about his method though. Though I never questioned him, I wondered inwardly why he did not simply take those five dragons of his and force each city into submission. He was a Targaryen and a Stark and though it did not matter much in Essos, it was still something. And he has 5 dragons. And they were growing massive and massive.
Why take this long and systematic route? Maybe I already knew the answer.
He did not merely wish to conquer the cities. He was transforming everything. He was leading us into a new era. I could see it. The change of an era.
Now, it has been two days since I received his message. The combined army of the Dothraki, the Golden Company, and the other two mercenary groups had been wiped out. They did not even reach the walls of Meereen.
Thirty five thousand men were killed in a matter of hours. Even reading the parchment had given me chills. I did not know what method Lord Aeos had used, but I was sure that once I returned to Meereen, I would learn of it and I was quite curious. We hardly had any forces left in Meereen. How he did it was an enigma echoing in my mind for the past two days.
This message was my cue to make my move. But I was still waiting for something. Or someone. Or a group of people. And it was just about time for them to arrive.
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