Three days later, at the borderlands.
This region, where Volantis meets the Three Daughters, was flat and open, with the faint outline of distant mountain ranges visible on the horizon. A dry wind swept up dust from the ground, carrying the harsh, arid scent of the wilderness.
Lo Quen's army had set up camp here.
For this campaign against Volantis, he had brought ten thousand cavalry from Conquest Keep, ten thousand Yi Ti cavalry under Luo Wen's command, and all of the Dragon Soul Guards. Conquest Keep itself was now held by slave soldiers and the Unsullied.
During the war against the Dothraki, Lo Quen had captured a vast number of horses, enabling him to equip his entire army with warhorses. The twenty thousand elite cavalry stood in disciplined, imposing formation, their armor gleaming and their spears rising like a forest.
Lo Quen's ten thousand veterans were, of course, a formidable sight, but what truly astonished him was the military bearing of the ten thousand Yi Ti soldiers trained by Luo Wen. Having served as men-at-arms in Carcosa, Luo Wen possessed more experience commanding troops than any other general under Lo Quen.
However, the most striking presence among the ranks were the fifteen hundred Dragon Soul Guards cavalry. They formed a protective circle around the central command, each one radiating an aura that far surpassed that of ordinary elite troops.
Lo Quen rode atop Blooddancer. The crimson dragon had grown even larger, now nearly seventy feet in length. Blooddancer spread its wings, casting a shadow that could easily cover a hundred-man formation. Its dark crimson scales shimmered with a metallic sheen under the sun, while molten-gold dragon eyes scanned the horizon. Occasionally, it exhaled, sending out puffs of sulfur-scented breath that sparked with fire.
Jaelena followed closely behind, riding her silver dragon, Silverfall. Silverfall was slightly smaller than Blooddancer, measuring around fifty to sixty feet, but still an impressive size. Its scales gleamed silver like moonlight, and its movements were graceful and agile, with its enormous eyes coolly observing their surroundings.
Janice and Duskshadow had been left behind at Conquest Keep to guard against any possible ambush.
Truth be told, with Lo Quen's nearly limitless magic, he alone could have turned Volantis upside down. The so-called conquests and territorial gains seemed pointless in the face of such overwhelming power. Yet his purpose here was not just destruction.
He needed to forge his forces, to let them experience real combat, to temper them through battle. The future conquest of the Seven Kingdoms would not allow him to personally subdue every castle that resisted his rule. A well-trained, loyal, and reliable army was the foundation of his dominion.
Moreover, the wealth and spoils of Volantis' Triarch needed to be seized by his forces.
...
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away within Volantis' Black Wall, the Triarch Council Chamber was thick with tension. Beneath the ornate dome inlaid with ivory and gold, the three Triarchs wore increasingly grim expressions.
Malaquo Maegyr, the Tiger Party Triarch, paced angrily across the floor, which was covered in Myr carpets. He suddenly stopped and glared fiercely at the other two Elephant Party Triarchs seated in their carved wooden chairs: Nyessos Vhassar and Doniphos Paenymion.
"How many times have I warned you?" Malaquo's voice was seething with fury. "That greedy, wicked Eastern sorcerer will never be content with just the Three Daughters' tiny land. Sooner or later, his eyes will fall on Volantis—on the richest and most powerful city of all! Now you see what's happening?!"
His voice rose in anger. "His armies are already at our doorstep, two dragons like swords hanging over our heads! And you still thought you could feed an insatiable dragon with gold and trade!"
Nyessos Vhassar, the Elephant Party Triarch, wiped cold sweat from his forehead. His face was filled with helplessness and fear. "Malaquo, my old friend, calm down. None of us wanted this. But... those are dragons! What can we do? Perhaps we could negotiate? Offer some terms, some price to secure peace..."
"A price? What price?!" Malaquo snapped. "Do you want us to surrender all our fortunes? Tear down the Black Wall and give it to him? Or offer our necks to his dragons' jaws?!" He leaned forward, glaring. "Nyessos, your cowardice will doom all of Volantis!"
Doniphos Paenymion, who had remained silent up until now, shook his head.
He too looked worried. "Malaquo, Nyessos' concerns aren't without merit. Facing those dragons head-on would be too costly. Besides, Your Grace Lo Quen hasn't even formally declared war, and we haven't done anything to provoke him…"
Before he could finish, Malaquo cut him off.
"No offense?!"
Malaquo let out a sharp, cold laugh. "Does that Eastern tyrant need a reason? His very existence threatens every Free City. His ambition is written all over his face. By the time his dragons grow as large as the Black Dread Balerion, we won't even have the slightest chance of resistance!"
His laugh was filled with scorn, but there was a hint of guilt behind it. It was he who had secretly dispatched disguised pirates to raid Yi Ti immigrant ships, trying to provoke Lo Quen into advancing his war agenda. Malaquo kept this secret hidden.
After all, he was a proud member of the Tiger Party. The Tiger Party's creed was to conquer regions threatening Volantis with war and the sword. He had nothing but disdain for the Elephant Party's weakness. Moreover, both Elephant Party Triarchs were involved in the slave trade. Not only had the Eastern man failed to crack down on it, but he had become a major customer himself, hiring a host of Asabhad and Qarth merchants to buy Yi Ti people for him.
Malaquo could wait no longer. His Tiger Cloak Army had to strike!
He slammed his fist on the table. "We must strike first. We cannot let him and his dragons come even a single step closer to the walls of Volantis."
Nyessos and Doniphos flinched at his sudden outburst, exchanging looks full of hesitation. Volantis' military power was mainly in the hands of the Tiger Party, especially the elite Tiger Cloak Army. But any military movement required approval from the Triarch Council. Which meant, without their consent, Malaquo could hardly mobilize all his forces.
Seeing their reluctance, Malaquo suppressed his agitation and changed his tone to one that seemed more considerate.
"Listen, my friends, I'm not leading all of Volantis to their deaths. I know you fear dragons, but think about it. His dragons are still young, nowhere near the legendary beasts we've heard of. We still have a chance!"
"I've prepared over a hundred scorpion crossbows, with specially crafted armor-piercing giant arrows. If we deploy them correctly, we can concentrate our fire while the two dragons are low enough to unleash Dragonfire. We can bring them down from the sky! Once the dragons are dead, the Eastern Sorcerer loses half his power. No matter how elite his army is, can they stand up to ours and our strong fortifications? This is our only shot! Do you really want to wait until his dragons grow large enough to crush our Black Wall like they're squashing insects?!"
"Scorpion crossbows..."
Nyessos muttered, seeming slightly swayed.
"But what if we fail..."
Doniphos remained deeply concerned.
"There is no 'what if'!" Malaquo declared firmly. "This is our only chance to save Volantis. Otherwise, we'll be left waiting to become slaves to that Easterner. Think about it: the wealth you've accumulated over generations, your beautiful wives and daughters, your noble status—all gone!"
both seeing the same deep fear in each other's eyes.
After a long silence, Nyessos swallowed hard, his voice dry.
"Alright, Malaquo. We'll do it your way, but please, proceed with caution."
Doniphos nodded gravely.
Malaquo's heart surged with triumph, though he kept his face stern.
"Don't worry. I'll personally lead ten thousand Tiger Cloak soldiers and conscript thirty thousand slave troops. I've also contacted an ally—Khal Moro, who holds a deep grudge against the Easterners who burned Vaes Dothrak. His two thousand Dothraki Roaring Warriors are already on their way. Once our forces unite, we'll have over sixty thousand troops! That's more than enough to crush the Easterners' army on that open plain!"
The plan was set, and the war machine of Volantis began to turn with frenzied momentum.
Malaquo Maegyr, with the authorization he had secured, walked confidently toward the military camp to assemble his Tiger Cloak Army and slave legions, his heart filled with the thirst for victory.
After this war's victory, the citizens of Volantis would cheer for the Tiger Party. In the next Triarch election, his Tiger Party would win without question!
Malaquo narrowed his eyes, feeling certain of his victory.