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***
The beginning of the eleventh month of the year 299 AD.
The Great Village of Anei-ro-Elistat, somewhere deep in the Green Hell, Sotorios.
«Is everything to your liking, dear guests? - Respectfully asked one of the locals, who had been assigned to look after the distinguished guests and show them all the best of the place, which was deservedly considered a sacred place for their people.
«Of course, this place is very beautiful. Nowhere in Westeros or Essos have I seen anything like your village. Only far to the east, in the distant kingdom of N'Gai, is there a city much like yours. According to my brother it is called Nefer, though many know it as the Secret City. - Lady Fiora smiled respectfully, stroking the snarling dragon's head in her lap. And the sight of such a thing made even her loyalists shiver, not to mention the snakelords. The snarls that shook the rocks nearby and the tongues of fire that flew out of its nostrils were too sharp and unexpected to cause the girl any discomfort.
Fiora wasn't lying - this place was truly beautiful in its own way. The high vaults of the cave housed a large stone city, most of the houses hollowed out of the rock, though there were some simple wooden houses of one or two stories. Thick stalactites hung from the ceilings, with lamps tied to their ends with some kind of local fat, and along the walls grew special glowing mushrooms and vines with the same fruit, which the locals sometimes plucked and used in the preparation of a special spice that was added to almost all local dishes. The final highlight to this living fairy tale was an underground river running at the very bottom, with algae growing at the bottom, glowing the color of a clear sky. This in itself looked mysterious and magical, and if you know that besides supplying the village with clean water, from this algae the locals make their analog of bread...
"All fairy tales are written by the world, and man's role is only to retell them." - That's what Fiora's father used to say when she was little and together with her brothers and sister listened to his tales of distant cities, peoples and places where no man had ever set foot.
From the small balcony where she sat she had a beautiful view of the city. There were many people in festive attire, at least they seemed so to the locals. For if an untrained man from Westeros had been here, he would have run straight to the septon, shouting about debauchery, vice, and defiance of Mother's instructions. Too tight, strange and mystical were the outfits of the serpent-men, all as one resembling in them multi-colored deadly monsters or ravenous poisonous trees.
And the reason why several thousand people, usually living in small enclaves of a few hundred, had gathered under the vaults of the underground city was simple. One of the most important festivals for the snake-like people was being held here today, Thaker-psa-jalat.
It was a celebration of nature and peace, when people who had lived for years alongside dangerous and unpredictable enemies could breathe a full breath. On this day a large and loud festival was held, houses were decorated, many bonfires were lit, and there were meetings of elders and engagements and weddings between young people from different villages. All this brought the people of the serpentfolk together, helping them to endure the hardships of life on their harsh and dangerous home of Sotorios.
Only together could they live and survive on this continent, even by Valyrians, who had accumulated the largest collection of knowledge in the history of civilization, considered the most dangerous place in the world. They had to change - this place did not tolerate strife, so people from very different, often warring nations had to forget old grudges and work together. It was a matter of survival.
«Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... - The dragon growled, attracting the attention of his mistress, at the same time making the local inhabitants nervous. - Urrr...
«Hush, my little one, it's okay. - The Targaryen born Targaryen, now Temper, soothingly stroked her dragon like a little puppy. - Look how beautiful it is, don't you agree?
«Hurrrrrr..." he growled affirmatively, snorting a little smoke from his nostrils, causing a nearby pillow to smoke slightly. This was quickly noticed by one of Temper's attendants - in a second the pillow was removed and doused with water, and a new one was put in its place. The girls remembered their elders' instructions about this amber-eyed mistress of the fire-breathing wyvern and did their best to please her.
They were well aware of who the wyverns were, lords of the heavens and some of the most dangerous predators of Sotorios. On the contrary, it would be strange not to know anything about those who could fly over your house several times a day and scare you to your knees with their roars. But now they saw before them the true king of the sky, the one their fathers and mothers had told them about in fairy tales - the Dragon. The one in whose veins flowed ancient magic and whose roar was the superstitious terror of all the creatures of Sotoris.
Even now it was as strong as the most dangerous and powerful wyverns the forest people had ever seen, and the flames it spewed from its mouth were capable of easily destroying an entire forest. This flying monster and its mistress was one of the reasons why the people of the serpent people from across the sea were treated with respect. It was one of the reasons why the thousand year old hermits, who had never been caught by the Basilisk pirates living nearby, decided to negotiate with the people who had landed on the shores.
«Forgive him, he's not really used to places like this. Raphael isn't used to dungeons, he likes it better in the vast skies. - Fiora calmly clarified with a slight smile, still stroking her dragon. - Don't worry, he won't cause any trouble. Unless you make him angry, of course.
«As you say, mistress. I will inform the others to try not to provoke your keeper. - The attendant nodded respectfully, whispering something to one of her tribesmen, who then gave a quick nod and left. - I will escort you to your chambers where you can rest. We have also prepared a place for your guardian beast.
«Thank you for your hospitality.
After that, the whole group was directed to a rather large house, relative to the others, carved right into the rock. There was a niche at the top, which was filled with dry grass and stones. This place had been specially prepared for the dragon. Inside, the building itself was like a large mansion and furnished accordingly. Of course, the luxuries of the snake people, who did not know steel and stone, were peculiar, but they showed the importance and respect of the guests from across the sea.
Raphael was extremely pleased with the place he had been assigned. With his whole body twisting and tamping down the dry grass, he blew hot air out of his mouth, warming his bed. Like their distant relatives, the fireworms that lived in the depths of the Fourteen Fires, dragons liked heat and the smell of smoke.
He usually slept on a giant slab of stone that he heated with his own flames, but after several incidents of fire, Fiora had trained him not to breathe fire in the fortress anywhere but his cot. Raphael himself, however, did not want to give up the warm stone beneath his belly, and somehow, unbeknownst to anyone, he was able to blow a stream of very hot air out of his mouth, which heated his cot no worse than the flames. Even Marvin couldn't explain how he did it, and for a week without any results he almost went into a deep drunkenness. In the end, when it turned out that it did not harm Raphael himself, this ability was simply taken for granted, and its mechanics were abandoned.
«Magic. - In a word, the bulldog-like maester expressed his admiration and disappointment that day.
The "mansion" itself, allocated to the Tempers, was actually much larger than they had originally realized. In addition to the visible part, which was a combination of wooden and stone structures, there were several dozen tunnels that were not deep enough to accommodate the entire delegation from Pelargir.
A third of the hundred and fifty soldiers were on patrol, while the rest were resting from the crossing and preparing to go on duty soon. Lady Temper's safety was assured by the nearly fifty soldiers of the Black Guard, who had been trained to protect and defend their masters, but in unfamiliar territory it was better to be safe.
The servants, meanwhile, had begun preparing gifts for the chiefs of the forest people. Among them were mostly good iron tools and weapons for the men of the tribe, as well as various glass, porcelain, and silver jewelry intended for the very top of the snake people. Gold, judging by the information learned in the first meeting, they could not stand it.
***
P.O.V. Fiora Temper
The beginning of the eleventh month of the year 299 AD.
The Great Village of Anei-ro-Elistat, somewhere deep in the Green Hell, Sotorios.
When I woke up in the slightly stiff bed, I stretched and stood up, starting to lightly knead my stiff arms, legs, and body. After a couple of minutes, my stiff body began to move away and pump blood through my slightly numb limbs. I hadn't expected the beds to be so hard. Or was it just that I wasn't used to such stone beds? No matter, it's not important enough to distract me.
«My lady, are you awake yet? - One of the few maids who had come with me to Sotorios entered, carrying a small basin of warm water. She was a young Dornish woman with swarthy skin and blue eyes. Although older than me, she was about twenty-three years old, she was not tall enough and had to cock her head to look me in the face, reminiscent of Princess Arianna. - Let me help you.
After saying that, I nodded and began to clean myself up. I quickly wiped myself down with a warm wet towel and washed my hair, and sat down in the chair opposite the mirror. The mirror was unusual, though, because instead of glass, it was the shell of some animal that had been polished to a shine. Unlike the glass mirror it was much stronger and had a beautiful pattern, which did not spoil its properties, but on the contrary - gave its unique and inimitable zest. Having seen it even yesterday, I tried to ask a few snake people about the possibility of buying such mirrors. But it turned out that the creation of even one mirror was accompanied by incredible danger, primarily because of the shell itself, which belonged to a six-footed armored saurus, a monster that lived in the depths of the Green Hell and hunted wyverns. The scavenger basilisks and the rest of the jungle creatures that dwelled near it are not worth mentioning.
Although, as one of the servants told me later, my father had already bought them for resale, back in the days when trade with snakelands was in its infancy. According to him, the rich people in the Free Cities were delighted with them, and the glassblowers of Myr, who had been howling for years because of the constant competition with our house, were getting desperate. But we managed to get very few of them, only fifteen pieces, and because of that my father did not sell them for a direct profit, but gave them as bribes, improving the conditions for our caravans even more.
"So that's why Quart returned the duty-free passage through the Straits so quickly, and the King of New Guise agreed to reduce the duties on porcelain" - I flashed a thought at that time, followed by involuntary pride in my father's genius.
Father... Can I call him that? I had long wondered about it. On the one hand, I didn't have a drop of his blood in me, and I had nothing to do with the Temper family, except that I was the daughter of my father's brother-in-law's sister. On the other, he'd pulled me from the dead, risked everything, and given me a home and a loving family. No, I had long ago decided that he was indeed my father, though not by blood. And Lady Eilis treated me very well, too. Maybe not like her own daughter, but very close to it. But given that she knew who I was and played up her "bastard" attitude in plain sight... Yes, she fully deserved my treatment as her mother. And just remembering my kind and unruly brothers and my rude but incredibly loving little sister Elaina makes me feel warm at heart.
While I was thinking about it, my hair was already dried and brushed into a simple, but no less beautiful, style. After my hair had grown out, it was much more manageable and soft, though I couldn't say it had been bad before. I was recognized as one of the five rising beauties of Dorne for a reason. Though there was a stable debate for first place between supporters Princess Arianna and Elaina, who, despite all her "love" for her admirers (often expressed by a kick in the face with an armored leg), had them not a few.
«All is ready my lady. - Rina stepped aside and quickly pulled out my outfit for today and helped me put it on. - You are as beautiful as ever, Mistress. Breakfast will be served soon, but in the meantime, you can take a walk around the house.
«I will.
I left my assigned quarters and headed to the small courtyard. Robb and Lyn were practicing in the courtyard. Marvin and his apprentices were sitting nearby, writing something down in their camp book. They'd probably found something interesting in the local caves. Robb whispered something to his brother and headed in my direction. Marvin did the same, leaving his students to deal with some cave vegetation.
«My lady, nothing of significance happened while you were resting. There were no spies or assassins, the locals are wary of our men, but nothing more. - The senior centurion reported quickly, confirming once again that the locals have no intention of quarreling with us. We are now their only source of valuable materials and tools, and the only ally that can help them in the war against the Spotted Men. - However, I have told our people not to relax.
«A messenger from one of the elders has come to invite you to attend the ceremonial battle of Ahos-Nerud. - Marvin informed me while stroking his chin. Catching my questioning look, he continued. - It is with it that the official part of the feast begins. It's a contest between warriors using special swords that look more like whips. I was told about them when I visited their villages the first time. The Serpentfolk don't know iron and steel, but they have a substitute, though not a very high quality one. Sotorio ironwood, very similar to the famous northern ironwood. It is not unlike good iron in hardness, and if you carve a sword out of it, it will be as sharp as a metal sword. But this wood is very sensitive to moisture, which makes it very difficult to store items made from it, which is very difficult in this jungle. Those swords are made from it.
«Hmm, interesting. - The thought quickly flashed through my mind that it would be a good idea to try to realize such a sword in steel and teach it to our soldiers. Perhaps it would be very interesting. That was the question I asked Robb. - What do you think of these warriors and their weapons?
«I have no idea, My Lady. - The eldest of the brothers answered me with a shrug. - I've never encountered such weapons. There may be something to it, but I can't imagine using a sword as a whip.
«I see..." I said, a little disappointed by that answer, though I was curious. - Tell him that I will accept the invitation to look at Achos-Nerud.
«As you wish, my lady. - Master Marvin nodded briefly and, with a whistle, called one of the servants and sent him outside to deliver the message.
I didn't have to wait long for a reply. I had time to eat breakfast with my small entourage and wake up the still sleeping Raphael when a snakehead envoy came into the courtyard to escort me, Marvin, Robb, and a few other guards to the site of Ahos Neruda. The dragon, who had quickly eaten the leg of the wyvern he had caught yesterday, also joined us, not wanting to leave me alone for too long.
Despite all its mystery and strangeness, Anei-ro-Elistat was primarily a very large village, formed from a former shelter that the first serpentfolk had stumbled upon. Which meant no planned development of Osgiliath, much less a sewer system, could be in mind here. Therefore, the central square where the duel was to take place had to be navigated through narrow streets, involuntarily smelling the odors of several thousand people living in a large, almost unventilated cave. They were also slowly making their way there, though they were avoiding us.
«Mistress Fiora, we are glad that you have agreed to honor us with your presence. - I was greeted by the chief elder Ankh-alsh-Berat, who had met us yesterday and was, as it turned out, the ruler of his people for the duration of the feast.
The whole point is that this underground village cannot sustain such a large population for long. It takes too much food to provide for all the inhabitants, and all the slop they create eventually poisons the river and can destroy the main source of fresh water. Oh, and according to rumors heard earlier, whispered around the villages, the spotted people had some way of finding settlements with more than a thousand inhabitants.
Because of this, only one clan, the Alsh, lived in this city, watching over its integrity and guarding it from random intruders. And if I understood correctly, they, unlike the rest of the serpentfolk, were a clan of warriors and hunters, living by exterminating and eradicating the boar-like humans and other monsters that inhabited the Green Hell.
And Ankh-alsh-Berat was its head. I don't know whether the title was given for seniority, as snake-elves almost never age, and even to distinguish an old woman from a young girl is difficult, or for skill in battle, or for authority in the clan, but treat this white snake should be wary.
«Elder Ankh-alsh-Berat, it is only a pleasure for me to see the prowess of your people. - I nodded slightly before making my way to the seat offered to me.
The central 'square' was in the shape of a large circle, with a small hillock of the same shape in the center. There were twelve stone thrones with the tribal Elders sitting on them, watching the battle from the front rows. The rest of the snake people had to sit on narrow and long benches, crammed together like fish in a barrel. My retinue was assigned its own, rather spacious, section of benches, and a large and comfortable chair was placed in front of it, not much inferior to the clumps of elders. Raphael, for lack of space, was forced to lie down on the roof of the nearest stone house and watch the proceedings from there.
«חברים יקרים, משפחה אהובה! - Ankh-alsh-Berat, who was sitting on the largest chair, unlike the others, made of white stone, not gray, addressed everyone. His words were not of any language and were ritualistic and understood only by the locals. - It is a great joy for me to see you back here in Anei-ro-Elistat. Many moons have passed since we last met. We are more numerous, stronger, and have new friends. - He pointed his hand in our direction. - From cycle to cycle, we grow stronger and wiser. And someday the Great Forests will accept us as their true masters! ליער הגדול ושומריו!
«ליער הגדול ושומריו! - The people repeated the exclamation after him, and out of the crowd came two white-faced young men, dressed in native tight robes and grass skirts, with large wooden swords in their hands.
"Are these the swords?" - I thought interestedly, leaning forward and examining the long and... blunt? sticks with all my eyes.
«תתתחילו! - Berath shouted and the two in the arena pulled sharply on the hilt, pulling out narrow and not too wide blades from what appeared to be sheaths of sticks.
What happened next in the arena could safely be called a martial dance. The two white-skinned snakeludes seemed to flutter, striking fast and accurate blows to painful and vital points. If one of these blows were to hit an ordinary man, he would either die on the spot or lose consciousness, curled up in a ball of unbearable pain. But these two... Their bodies were as if they had no bones, bending in poses and pirouettes that many acrobats from the Free Cities were not capable of. And when the blades separated into segments and it became clear what Marvin meant by whip swords, their dance became much more dangerous and deadly. Every step, every weight transfer, every slight movement of the wrist completely changed the pattern of the whip's movement, threatening even for a moment a hesitant opponent with a deep or even fatal wound. And most importantly, they dodged every blow at the very last moment, risking a single mistake to ruin everything.
"In real combat, they'd quickly become corpses," I thought, leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest. - "But as duelists they are incredible. Those Braava braggarts with their Water Dance are no match for them."
But after a little thought and remembering a few of the Bravi my father had invited to Osgiliath to be teachers for us, with my brothers and sister, I realized I'd been a little biased. Yes, with a sword-whip those snake-men would quickly make mangled corpses out of Braavos dancers. But if it's a sword fight, it'll be hard to decide the winner. Our men, head to toe in steel, are not worth mentioning. While their armor will be scratched by blades flying from all sides, they will calmly catch up with the snakes and slaughter them at close range.
While I was pondering the pros and cons of the local weapons, the two snakelords had completely exhausted themselves and stopped the fight, breaking into a draw. This perfectly demonstrated that everything has a second side. While they had incredible agility and reaction (and without it, it was impossible to control dozens of blades linked together in such a way), they had a big problem with stamina. Yes, five minutes of uninterrupted blade swinging would tire even the weakest knight, but he could easily go on like this for an hour, two, three or even more. Battles in the Seven Kingdoms usually last for hours, favoring stamina and strength, which do not require free space to reach their potential.
But Ahos-Nerud was not limited to one battle. As the suspected snake lord whispered to me, there are twelve fights in all, according to the number of existing tribes, and then there is a general feast, which lasts for almost two days, until the end of the feast.
And the following fights did not disappoint me. Clan Alsh does not bear the title of protector of the serpent people for nothing. After all, the first fight involved the "youngsters", warriors who had just finished learning how to wield whip-like swords. Next came the veterans, who had been traveling the Green Hell for years, slaying small bands and tribes of spotted men who had gotten too close to the other villages.
These battles lasted longer, at higher speeds, using tactics and tricks through which the experience of many encounters was seen through. But anyway, after two hours almost all was over, and there was one last fight left. Where, to my surprise, the Grand Elder of the Alsh clan himself spoke, armed with two swords, and was going to fight against three warriors who had previously fought in the eleventh and tenth bout and had had time to rest properly.
"So the clan leader is the strongest," I thought thought thoughtfully as I looked at the arena, which was already covered in fresh blood today. - "It will be interesting to see his skills
But I was not destined to enjoy the fight.
«Tudu!
«Toodoo!
«Toodoo!
A sharp and loud sound suddenly swept through the caves, hitting my ears with the force of a steel ram.
«What is it? - I asked, noticing the twisted faces of the warriors standing in the arena, and the other warriors' visible fear.
«Spotted Men... - Barely audible whispered the serpentfolk standing next to me, but I managed to hear him.
"Spotted people? But they must be in the interior of the continent" - A thought flashed through my mind as Lin and his five quickly squared me up and lined up their spears, protecting me from all sorts of threats. Meanwhile, a tired snakelord with eyes wide with fear ran up to Ankh-alsh-Berat and began whispering something in his ear. And the more he spoke, the more the Great Elder of the serpent people frowned.
Later on, the same emotions appeared on the faces of the other elders, when they spoke to Ankh. And I disliked it all the more, which was reflected in Raphael, who was fully tense and scrutinizing every corner of the giant cave.
«Elder Ankh-alsh-Berat, what's going on? - I asked, walking up to the elders and looking at them expectantly. Berath's clansmen tried to stop me, but as soon as Lin's men drew their swords a little and Raphael growled, the aisle formed itself.
«Mistress Fiora..." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and said. And judging by his pensive face, full of contradictions, the head of the Alsh clan couldn't decide whether to enlighten me about what was happening or leave me in the dark.
«Elder, though I'm a guest of this place, I have a right to know what's going on. Especially if it concerns the Spotted People, and therefore my safety and life. - I said sternly, looking straight into the pensive man's eyes. He was about to start talking, when at the same time the panting tribesmen ran up to him and shouted without holding back their voices:
«Elders, spotted demons have been spotted in the ocean hills! There are thousands of them!
«Elders, spotted men have been seen farther than the fourth arm of Zamoyos! They are crossing the river by the hundreds. And most of them are bearers of the cursed signs!
From the last words all the serpent-men looked at the messenger as if he had said the most unfunny joke. But seeing the man's face full of fear and unconcealed despair, they became more and more horrified.
«Impossible!
«How could there be so many of them?!
«Their bloody feast was to last another decade!
«Damned signs... We're screwed....
The other elders, experienced and wise snake-elves who had ruled their settlements for years, began to panic. Thank the Old Gods, there was a barrier of the Alsh clan and my men between them and the rest of the people, so it didn't spread any further. The only one who remained calm was Ankh-Berat, who continued to stand quietly and think about something with his eyes closed.
«שקט! - He sharply shouted, causing the elders who were already sniffling to look at him carefully. - Alright, order your clansmen to start packing. Tell them that the spotted ones finished their rituals early, so they need to return to the villages quickly. No word on their true numbers, much less the presence of the cursed marks. Afterward, we will meet at the main house and discuss everything.
"He's got a lot of authority," I thought as I watched the eleven men whose spirits had been at rock bottom before quickly pull themselves together and walk toward their tribe members with straight and proud backs. The Grand Elder himself, after giving a few orders to the warriors he was going to fight in the twelfth bout, turned to me.
«Mistress Fiora, I am sorry, but Thaker-psa-jalat has come to an end. - He said with a slight bow, folding the arms of the wide robe that was worn over the traditional tight black robe worn by snakelings. - You had better tell the servants to start packing. We will have to leave Anei-ro-Elistat very soon, and we must do it quickly.
«I will repeat my question, Elder Ankh-alsh-Berat, but what is going on here? - I asked once again, on the verge of frenzy. No one likes not being told what's going on and ignoring all questions.
«This is not for other ears. Let's go to the main council house. There I will explain everything to you. - He replied, adding a slight note of apology to his voice. I had to accept his words and send most of the guards to help the servants pack their things, while I, accompanied by ten guardsmen, went to the main building of the settlement.
It was there that the Council of Elders, the de facto governing body of the serpentfolk, met to decide on the future of the people during the holidays. For example, one of the most important issues was the distribution of warriors of the Alsh clan among the villages, where the only ones who knew how to properly hold a weapon were hunters.
The Grand Elder told me all of this as we walked to the house and I was being fitted for a chair, along with the other twelve. And it was a troubling sign. To equate an outsider so easily with the other rulers of the race was a very unusual situation. It even brought to mind what his father had said, that if you get too much attention, you're asking for something.
Something very valuable.
As it turned out later, I was completely right. As soon as all the elders had gathered in the main hall, Ankh-alsh-Berat told them the reason for the commotion. Well aware of the wildness and unpredictability of the spotted people, the snake people had created a carefully camouflaged network of posts and guards in the jungle, which gave advance warning of large groups of pig people coming from the direction of Lake Skraharkanvavl. And now from these posts, located in the southeast, south and southwest, came signals of tens of thousands of savages coming northward.
And among them were the bearers of the cursed markings. This meant that the strongest tribes that lived on the shores of the lake itself were heading north. Only their warriors could be the bearers of the cursed tattoos made by the shamans of the Spotted Ones. According to the elders, who had learned about it from the captive pigmen and once experienced it on their own skin, they used the "sacred" blood from the Sacred Lake as ink. Because of this, the bearers of the mark could become stronger, faster and tougher, and wounds that would be fatal to an ordinary person could no longer kill them.
It was all very much like a fairy tale, but my father had told me many times to hope for the best, but to prepare for the worst. So I had to believe in the words of the snakelord elders, albeit with an eye toward simple common sense.
«We can't stay in Anei-ro-Elistat. - Berat began his talk, according to the elder sitting next to him, who was the sole ruler of the entire serpentfolk nation at the time of the great threat. - We have neither supplies nor the strength to defend the village. Besides, they will find us quickly. - With each of his words the atmosphere in the hall became sadder and sadder, because the understanding that from the south a horde of vicious savage cannibals is coming at you does not bring anyone peace of mind. - Going back to the villages and hiding there won't work either - the only reason why they haven't been discovered for so many years is the small number of spotted people in our lands. The only way I can see out of this situation is to seek refuge with our new allies. Mrs. Fiora, I hear your village has high walls of five human stature, and the floating houses standing near the shore are able to cross the Great Water, which is beyond the control of the southern savages.
From this turn of events I was even a little taken aback. Not even at the request itself - if I were Ankh-alsh-Berat, I would have asked for the same thing myself in a similar situation. But to make a decision so quickly, to decide to leave a land that had been settled for centuries and entrust my life to strangers... It was very strange.
"Maybe it's all about the life position of the snake people, always doing everything for survival" - I thought and was about to agree, because to leave our only allies on the continent to be eaten by a crowd of wild pigs will be only a complete fool, but the Grand Elder interrupted me.
«I am well aware that everything has its price. - He said and snapped his finger, signaling a servant who entered the hall with a tray in his hands, on which lay a huge nugget of gold, even at first glance, weighing at least a quarter of a pood (about 4 kg). - As I have heard, in your lands this yellow metal is very much valued. It is not uncommon in our lands, and we are willing to give you as much of it as you want for your help.
How hard it was for me to keep my face, only I know. The nugget of gold I brought, even at first glance, was worth at least two hundred gold dragons. And they say they have even more. Spit on ironwood and teakwood, spit on rare ingredients, spit on shell mirrors. If the snakelords aren't lying and owning Sotorios will provide us with an endless stream of gold, it's worth fighting for.
«I agree. - I said, not even trying to hide the smile on my face. This was definitely one of the best days I'd had in the last six months.
***
Same time.
The depths of Lake Skraharkanvavl, Sotorios.
He felt it.
Yes.
Still small, silly, unhealed.
Just a larva of his ancestors who left him these bloody wounds.
But already strong enough to fight his children.
The new generation of fire lords promised to be very strong.
If they survived.
With these thoughts, his breathing quickened, his heart beat faster, and his eyes, closed for thousands of years by thick and almost impenetrable eyelids, opened up
At that moment, the red waters of the sacred lake of Skraharkanvavl rippled and the earth shook wildly, terrifying the few remaining birds and beasts.
Soon the ancient lord of the continent would awaken, and the world would once again drown in blood. So thought the old shaman of one of the three greatest tribes of the Spotted People. He was leading them north, to the shores of the Great Water, in hopes of finding a path to salvation.
Salvation from a creature as old as the Gods themselves.
***
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