1. Dawn and Undercurrents from Red Port
Meereen's Red Port, in the morning mist, resembled a piece of amber steeped in blood. Lord Illyrio stood on the deck of the "dragonflame," his fingertips tracing the newly nailed iron plates on the ship's hull—a protective layer he had improved based on modern shipbuilding knowledge, capable of withstanding ordinary crossbow bolts. It now gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster. From below deck came the sound of slave artisans hammering wood; they were reinforcing the cargo holds of the last few transport ships, which were filled with grain and lamp oil to support Westeros. Each sack of wheat bore the Targaryen three-headed dragon emblem, like silent declarations.
"Lord Illyrio, Tyrion is waiting for you in the cabin. He said he needs to verify the final navigation charts." The voice of an Unsullied squad leader came from behind him. His armor was damp with morning dew, and the tip of the spear he held was wrapped in a red cloth—Daenerys herself had tied it, symbolizing "liberation and return."
Lord Illyrio nodded and turned to walk towards the cabin, the sea breeze lifting his red robe, revealing two items at his waist: one was a dragonglass dagger gifted by Daenerys, and the other was a Westeros sea chart he had personally drawn, with charcoal marks indicating routes to avoid storms in the Narrow Sea.
Inside the cabin, Tyrion was pouring himself wine from a flask. Three parchment scrolls lay spread on the wooden table before him: one was the fleet's roster (thirty warships, fifty transport ships, carrying eight thousand Unsullied, two thousand Dothraki Riders, and three thousand freed slave soldiers); another was intelligence on the Golden Company's movements; and a third was a secret letter from a Dornish envoy, stating that Ellaria Sand had assembled five thousand soldiers in Sunspear, awaiting Daenerys's fleet to join forces and head north.
"Can your 'iron-clad ships' really withstand the Golden Company's ramming prows?" Tyrion shook his flask, the amber liquid swirling within. "I've seen the Golden Company's warships in King's Landing. Their prows are fitted with cast-iron ram heads that can punch a big hole in an ordinary warship."
Lord Illyrio picked up the navigation chart, his fingertip resting on the "Serpent's Isle" marker in the middle of the Narrow Sea: "East of Serpent's Isle is a reef area. I plan to lead the fleet in there—our ships are lighter and more agile than the Golden Company's, allowing us to maneuver flexibly among the reefs. Their heavy ships, once they pursue us in, will only get stuck on the rocks."
He paused, then pointed to a red marker on the edge of the chart, "Moreover, I've installed 'wildfire sprayers' on every warship, using an improved lamp oil formula. The burning temperature is three times that of ordinary lamp oil, enough to burn through cast iron."
Tyrion raised an eyebrow and put down his flask: "You always manage to come up with surprising things. But I must warn you, Cersei didn't just hire the Golden Company—intelligence says she also contacted the city-state lords of Tyrosh and Lys, trading Slaver's Bay spice trade rights for their military support. The combined fleets of those city-states amount to at least forty warships."
Lord Illyrio's finger paused on the name "Tyrosh." He recalled seeing "flame crossbows" sold by Tyrosh merchants in Pentos—these could fire burning bolts, with a range fifty paces further than ordinary crossbows. If those city-states mounted such weapons on their warships, the threat to the fleet would be even greater than the Golden Company. "I've already had the artisans install wooden bulwarks on the transport ships, which can block attacks from flame crossbows," he added. "Additionally, Daenerys's dragons will patrol above the fleet. Drogon's dragonflame can quickly destroy enemy warships. As long as we maintain formation, we should be able to break through the interception."
The cabin door suddenly burst open, and Daenerys's handmaiden rushed in, looking flustered: "Lord Illyrio, Tyrion, Her Majesty Daenerys asks you to come to the deck immediately. Drogon and Rhaegal have suddenly become agitated, constantly roaring towards the east."
Lord Illyrio and Tyrion exchanged glances and immediately rose, rushing to the deck. As soon as they stepped onto the deck, they saw two dragons circling in the sky. Drogon's black wings stirred up a gale, and Rhaegal's green scales gleamed coldly in the morning light. They continuously emitted low roars from their throats, their gaze fixed on the eastern horizon—where the morning mist was being pierced by a black column of smoke, like a black spear thrusting into the sky.
"It's the fleet." Lord Illyrio narrowed his eyes, pulling out a spyglass (which he had made himself with Pentos glass lenses) from his Pregnant. Through the lens, dozens of warships were emerging from the morning mist. Their sails bore the Golden Company's "skull and crown" emblem, as well as Tyrosh's "red eagle" and Lys's "silver serpent" emblems—it was indeed the allied fleet Tyrion had mentioned, nearly twenty more ships than reported in the intelligence. They had clearly assembled in advance, waiting on the Meereen fleet's inevitable path.
Daenerys stood at the bow, her white robe fluttering in the wind. She stretched out her hand and softly called to Drogon in the sky. Drogon heard her voice, gradually calmed down, and swooped down to rest by the ship's rail, his massive head rubbing against her shoulder. "They are here to intercept us." Daenerys's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness. "Lord Illyrio, what is your plan?"
Lord Illyrio lowered his spyglass, quickly adjusting his tactics in his mind: the originally planned reef area tactic required the fleet to maintain a loose formation, but now the enemy's numbers far exceeded expectations. If they dispersed their formation, they could easily be divided and surrounded by the enemy. He walked over to Daenerys, pointing to the western horizon: "Ten nautical miles to the west is a 'shoal area,' with shallow water and many hidden reefs. We can turn the fleet there, using the shoals to restrict the movement of enemy heavy ships, and then have the dragons launch a surprise attack to burn their warships."
Daenerys nodded, then turned and ordered the messenger behind her: "Sound the horn, have the fleet turn west, maintain a 'wedge formation.' Unsullied archers prepare, Dothraki Riders stand by." The messenger immediately raised his horn, and a low horn blast echoed across the sea. Thirty warships quickly adjusted their direction, like a sharp wedge, sailing towards the western shoal area.
Lord Illyrio watched the fleet's formation change, but a faint unease lingered in his heart. The enemy fleet's reaction speed was too fast—they seemed to know the Meereen fleet's route and had set an ambush here in advance. He recalled Tyrion mentioning the "spice trade rights." Perhaps Cersei not only offered benefits to the city-state lords but also leaked the Meereen fleet's departure time and route, and the person who leaked the information was likely within Meereen itself.
2. Fire and Blood in the Shoal Area
Half an hour after the fleet turned west, the enemy allied warships caught up. Lord Illyrio stood on the "dragonflame" lookout, observing the enemy formation with his spyglass—the Golden Company's warships were in the middle, with Tyrosh and Lys warships on both sides, forming a "single-line formation," clearly intending to encircle the Meereen fleet from both sides and trap them in the shoal area.
"Lord Illyrio, the Tyrosh warships have started firing flame crossbows!" The lookout's shout came from above. Lord Illyrio looked up to see dozens of burning crossbow bolts shooting from the enemy warships, like a swarm of red locusts, flying towards the Meereen transport ships. "Have the transport ships lower their wooden bulwarks!" he ordered loudly, while also telling the messenger beside him, "Tell Her Majesty Daenerys to have Drogon and Rhaegal attack the Tyrosh warships, destroy their flame crossbows first!"
The messenger immediately rowed towards the "Mother Dragon" where Daenerys was. Soon, Drogon in the sky let out a roar, spread his black wings, and swooped down towards the Tyrosh warships. dragonflame, like a red river, landed on the decks of the Tyrosh warships, instantly igniting their sails and wooden hulls. Tyrosh soldiers screamed and jumped into the sea, only to be snatched up by the quickly arriving Rhaegal with his dragon claws and thrown towards distant reefs.
But the enemy's numbers were simply too great. The Golden Company's warships seized the opportunity to approach, their cast-iron ram heads at the bow slamming into the Meereen warships. With a loud crash, the side of an Unsullied warship was rammed, creating a large hole. Seawater instantly surged into the cabin, and soldiers frantically used wooden buckets to plug the leaks, but they couldn't stop the surging water. "Abandon ship!" the warship's captain shouted loudly, and the soldiers jumped into lifeboats, rowing towards the nearby "dragonflame."
Lord Illyrio's heart tightened. He knew that if this continued, the fleet's losses would only grow. He quickly climbed down from the lookout and rushed to the "wildfire sprayer" operation position at the stern—this was his secret weapon, designed with bronze pipes connecting to the lamp oil barrels in the cabin, pressurized by a mechanical device, capable of spraying burning lamp oil fifty paces away. "Prepare the wildfire sprayer! Target the Golden Company's flagship!" he shouted to the slave artisans operating it.
The artisans immediately sprang into action, turning the mechanical device. Flaming lamp oil spewed from the bronze pipes like a fiery snake, landing on the Golden Company flagship's deck. The lamp oil, encountering the sea breeze, burned even more fiercely, quickly spreading to the gunpowder magazine at the stern. With a "boom," the stern of the Golden Company flagship was shattered, black smoke billowed skyward, and soldiers on board plunged into the sea.
"Well done!" Tyrion's voice came from behind him. He held a crossbow, shooting Golden Company soldiers attempting to climb onto the "dragonflame." "But our transport ships are about to give out; the Tyrosh warships are attacking them."
Lord Illyrio looked back to see three transport ships already engulfed in flames. The grain and lamp oil on board were burning, the firelight staining the nearby sea red. He gritted his teeth, understanding that if the battle continued, even if they repelled the enemy alliance, the fleet's losses would exceed half. By then, even if they reached Westeros, they wouldn't have enough troops to fight Cersei's army.
"We must return." Lord Illyrio suddenly said. Tyrion was stunned, clearly not expecting him to make this decision. "Are you crazy?" Tyrion frowned. "We've already paid such a heavy price. Returning now means all our previous preparations were in vain!"
"Not in vain." Lord Illyrio pointed to the distant enemy fleet. "Their losses are also significant; at least ten warships have been destroyed, and they won't be able to organize another interception anytime soon. We will return to Meereen, repair the fleet, resupply, and at the same time find the traitor who leaked the route. Once we are fully prepared, we will set off again." He paused, adding, "Moreover, Daenerys's dragons have expended a lot of energy in the battle. Drogon's wing was grazed by a flame crossbow. If the battle continues, the dragons will also be in danger."
Tyrion fell silent. He looked at the gradually weary Drogon in the sky, then at the burning transport ships, and finally nodded: "You're right. We cannot risk Daenerys's dragons and the lives of the soldiers. I will tell Daenerys to order the return."
Lord Illyrio watched Tyrion's retreating back, then looked at the distant enemy fleet. He knew this return journey wasn't a retreat, but preparation for a better departure. However, he also knew that since Cersei could organize one interception, she could certainly organize a second. The next time they set sail, the obstacles would be even greater. He had to quickly find the traitor within Meereen and formulate a more comprehensive strategy to ensure the fleet safely reached Westeros.
3. Intelligence and Suspicions During the Return Voyage
As the fleet returned, burning wreckage of warships floated on the sea, and the air was filled with the smell of char and blood. Lord Illyrio stood on the deck of the dragonflame, watching soldiers salvage their fallen comrades, his heart heavy. In this battle, the Meereenese fleet lost five warships and eight transport ships, nearly a thousand soldiers were killed or missing, and Drogon's left wing was grazed by a fire crossbow. Although not life-threatening, he would be unable to engage in high-intensity combat for a short period.
"Lord Illyrio, this was found on the body of a Golden Company soldier." An Unsullied squad leader handed Lord Illyrio a bronze badge. Engraved on the badge was the Lannister lion sigil, along with a line of small text: "King's Landing Secret Order: Intercept and destroy the Targaryen fleet. Reward: one thousand gold coins."
Lord Illyrio clutched the badge, his thumb tracing the lion sigil. It was indeed Cersei's order. She had not only hired the Golden Company and the Free Cities coalition but had also personally issued the interception order, clearly intending to completely annihilate the Meereenese fleet before it reached Westeros. "Any other discoveries?" he asked.
"In the captain's cabin of a Tyroshi warship, we found a coded letter." The squad leader handed over a rolled parchment with strange symbols drawn on it. "Lord Tyrion is attempting to decipher it."
Lord Illyrio took the coded letter and carefully examined the symbols. They looked like Tyroshi script, but with some differences, more like a cipher combining multiple languages. He recalled that Tyrion had studied cryptography when he was in King's Landing, so he might be able to decipher it. "Send the coded letter to Lord Tyrion's cabin," he told the squad leader. "Also, have all warship captains report to the dragonflame immediately after returning to port for a meeting. I need to understand each ship's losses."
After the squad leader left, Lord Illyrio walked to the ship's rail, watching the seawater flow beneath the hull. Scenes of the battle kept replaying in his mind: the enemy fleet's precise interception, the Tyroshi warships' fire crossbows, the Golden Company's heavy ship rams… All of this indicated that the enemy knew everything about the Meereenese fleet, including its departure time, route, fleet composition, and even the warships' weaknesses.
Who leaked the information? Several suspects flashed through Lord Illyrio's mind: first, Meereen's old nobility, who, despite outwardly submitting to Daenerys, had always been dissatisfied with the abolition of slavery and were likely colluding with Cersei; second, merchants from the Free Cities, who had many businesses in Meereen and might have leaked intelligence for profit; third, someone within the fleet itself, such as an official responsible for planning the route or a craftsman responsible for preparing supplies.
"What are you thinking about?" Daenerys's voice came from behind him. She walked to Lord Illyrio's side, looking at the wreckage on the sea, a hint of sadness in her eyes: "The losses this time are great. Many soldiers joined the fleet to follow me, yet I failed to protect them."
"It is not your fault, Your Majesty," Lord Illyrio said softly. "We underestimated Cersei's resolve and failed to discover the traitor in time. Upon our return, we will find those who leaked the information, avenge the fallen soldiers, and simultaneously repair the fleet to ensure such problems do not occur on our next departure."
Daenerys nodded, reaching out to gently stroke Drogon's head beside the ship's rail. Drogon let out a low whimper, seemingly comforting her. "I received a message from Jon Snow's messenger," Daenerys suddenly said. "He has recaptured Winterfell, overthrown House Bolton, and is now gathering the armies of the North to fight the approaching Others. He also mentioned that Samwell Tarly found records in The Citadel about dragonflame fighting the Others and hopes we can reach Westeros as soon as possible to join forces with them."
Lord Illyrio's heart stirred. Jon's recapture of Winterfell meant the North had a stable base and provided an important ally for Daenerys's army. And the records Sam found further proved the effectiveness of dragonflame against the Others, making their mission to return to Westeros even more urgent. "We must resolve Meereen's problems quickly and set sail again," he said. "The Others will not wait for us, nor will Cersei."
Daenerys looked at him, her eyes filled with trust: "I believe in you, Illyrio. From Pentos to Meereen, you have always helped me overcome many difficulties, and this time will be no different. As long as we stand together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome."
Lord Illyrio looked at Daenerys's determined gaze, and the heaviness in his heart gradually dissipated. He knew that although they had encountered a setback this time, as long as they did not give up, as long as the dragons remained, and as long as the soldiers were willing to follow, they would surely break through Cersei's blockade, reach Westeros, join forces with Jon to fight the Others, and achieve the goal of liberating the Seven Kingdoms.
4. Review and New Strategy at Meereen's Red Port
When the dragonflame sailed into Meereen's Red Port again, it was evening. The port was crowded with civilians and soldiers, who, seeing the damaged warships, all showed worried expressions. Daenerys stood at the bow, proclaiming to the crowd: "We encountered Cersei's interception, but we did not retreat! This loss is only temporary. We will repair the fleet, replenish our forces, and soon set sail again to Westeros to overthrow Cersei's rule and liberate its people!"
A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd, and their previous worries gradually gave way to firm belief. Lord Illyrio watched this scene, understanding that Daenerys had become the "Mother of Dragons" in the hearts of the people. Her words had a powerful rallying cry, which was also key to their ability to rise again in adversity.
After the fleet docked, Lord Illyrio immediately summoned all warship captains and generals to a meeting in the dragonflame's cabin. On the meeting table lay the fleet's loss statistics: five warships lost, eight transport ships lost, eight hundred seventy-three soldiers killed, two thousand one hundred fifty-six wounded, and approximately one-third of supplies lost, mainly grain and wildfire.
"The enemy coalition's main strength was the Golden Company's heavy ships and Tyrosh's fire crossbows," said the Dothraki general in charge of commanding the warships. "Their tactic was simple: use heavy ships to ram our warships and fire crossbows to attack our transport ships, preventing us from maintaining formation."
"While our wildfire and dragonflame were effective, the enemy's numbers were too great; we simply couldn't kill them all," the Unsullied general added. "Moreover, their warships coordinated very well, clearly having been trained in advance."
Lord Illyrio nodded, placing the coded letter on the table: "This is the coded letter found in the captain's cabin of the Tyroshi warship. Tyrion is deciphering it. If we can decipher its contents, we might learn the enemy's next move and who leaked our route."
Just then, Tyrion pushed open the door, a look of excitement on his face: "I've deciphered it! This letter is from the Lord of Tyrosh to the captain of the Golden Company. It says Cersei promised that if they could completely destroy the Meereenese fleet, she would give them all the spice trade rights in Slaver's Bay and also cede parts of Dorne to Tyrosh and Lys. Furthermore, the letter mentioned that 'someone within Meereen will continue to provide intelligence to ensure the next interception is successful.'"
"So there is a traitor," Lord Illyrio's eyes sharpened. "The traitor is likely within our core team, knowing our departure plan and route. I will immediately form an investigation team to thoroughly investigate everyone involved in planning the departure, including officials, craftsmen, and soldiers."
"I agree," Daenerys said. "Additionally, we need to quickly repair the fleet and replenish supplies and troops. Illyrio, you are responsible for designing the repair plan and improving the warships' defenses and weapons; Tyrion, you are responsible for contacting merchants from the Free Cities to purchase grain and wildfire, while also trying to persuade the Free Cities that did not participate in the interception to remain neutral; I will personally comfort the wounded soldiers and recruit new ones to ensure the fleet can quickly regain its fighting strength."
After the meeting, Lord Illyrio returned to his room and began drawing up the warship repair plan. He planned to reinforce the bow and sides of the warships with thicker iron plating and add "escape pods" at the stern to allow soldiers to evacuate in time if a warship was rammed; for the wildfire, he intended to increase the number of nozzles and improve the wildfire formula to achieve higher burning temperatures and longer range; additionally, he wanted to design a "floating fire barrier"—a row of wooden barrels filled with wildfire connected together and placed around the fleet to effectively block approaching enemy warships.
Late into the night, Lord Illyrio was still busy in his room. The moonlight from outside the window spilled onto the paper, illuminating his drawings. He thought of the day's battle, of the fallen soldiers, of Daenerys's determined gaze, and his heart was filled with resolve. He knew that although this forced return was a setback, it also allowed them to see the enemy's strength and internal hidden dangers. As long as these problems could be solved, on their next departure, they would surely overcome all obstacles, reach Westeros, and join forces with Jon to fight Cersei and the Others.
Just then, a soft knock came from outside the door. "Lord Illyrio, the investigation team has a new discovery," the head of the investigation team said in a low voice. "We found a letter sealed with the Lannister sigil in the home of the official responsible for planning the route. The letter contained our departure time and route."
Lord Illyrio immediately stood up, his eyes turning cold: "Bring that official to me. I will interrogate him personally." He knew that finding the traitor was only the first step. Next, they still had to repair the fleet, formulate a new departure plan, and prepare for Cersei's next interception. But he was confident that as long as they stood together, there would be no difficulty they could not overcome, and they would surely achieve the goal of liberating the Seven Kingdoms, allowing the Targaryen dragonflame to once again illuminate the skies of Westeros.