Chapter 91: The Valyrian Road
Wright initially planned to disembark at Tyrosh and hire another ship to sail to Volantis. However, the commander of the Iron Bank fleet offered a suggestion. He explained that Tyrosh, Lys, and Volantis were currently on the brink of military conflict, with war potentially breaking out at any moment. At present, merchant ships avoided traveling south past the Stepstones, instead docking at Pentos and continuing via the Valyrian Road to Ghoyan Drohe. From there, they could travel downriver along the Rhoyne to reach Volantis.
During this season, northern winds blew above the Stepstones, while southern winds dominated below, making the overland route faster than the sea route. Moreover, many caravans traveled this path, offering safety in numbers. Preferring inland river navigation to the turbulence of the open sea, Wright agreed to the suggestion.
After spending over half a month on the journey, the fleet stopped to resupply at Pentos. Wright and his two companions disembarked there.
Pentos was densely populated. If Braavos exuded the elegance of medieval European nobility, then Pentos resembled a bustling agricultural hub. Its climate was similar to that of Westeros, with vast plains known as "The Flatlands" stretching beyond the city walls, their endless fields of farmland vanishing into the horizon.
Nominally, Pentos was ruled by a Prince, who was elected from among forty families. However, the Prince's responsibilities were limited to presiding over ceremonies, meetings, and festive banquets. True power lay with the heads of the forty families, who acted as Magisters.
Among these Magisters was the portly Illyrio Mopatis, whom Wright had encountered in Braavos. The position of Prince sounded appealing at first, with its ceremonial privileges, including the annual offering of maidens to the sea and land during the New Year. However, should the city lose a war or suffer poor harvests, the Magisters would slit the Prince's throat and sacrifice him as well.
Wright inquired about Illyrio's whereabouts but learned that he had gone to Braavos and had yet to return. Deciding not to wait for him, Wright purchased two white horses and prepared to head east.
Nymeria asked, "Don't you need a horse for yourself?"
"With my magic replenishing faster recently, I don't need to conserve it as much as before. I can summon a horse to ride."
"Is the horse you summon the same as these?" Tyene asked curiously. Her talents were limited to healing, so she couldn't learn summoning magic. While at the magic School, she had only seen Qyburn reanimate corpses and had heard of Wright summoning a fire woman, though she hadn't witnessed it herself.
Wright replied, "It might be different from what you imagine, but it's indeed a horse."
So far, only the Three Eyed Raven, the Children of the Forest, his young apprentice Ashara, and the Others had seen Arvak. But the Others had all been slain by Wright.
The eastern gate, known as the Sunrise Gate, led them out of the city. As soon as they stepped onto the Valyrian Road with their horses, they encountered a large gathering of Dothraki blocking the way. The congestion had brought all merchant caravans to a halt.
Wright casually approached a vendor and asked, "What's going on ahead?"
The vendor responded, "You must be a foreigner. The Khal Jommo is preparing to marry his third wife. He's sent his men to collect gifts from the governors."
Wright frowned. "Collecting gifts is one thing, but why block the road?"
The vendor chuckled. "The gifts they collect are paraded at the front of the caravan to demonstrate their importance. Just wait a bit — you can probably get moving after you've had a meal."
"We're not merchants carrying goods, just travelers. Can't we go ahead?"
"Then it's no problem. You can head straight out."
"Thanks!"
Wright led the two women away, avoiding the congestion where the horses might accidentally injure someone.
"Let's check out the Valyrian Road!" Tyene exclaimed as she caught sight of the broad thoroughfare up ahead.
The three of them reached the starting point of the Valyrian Road, and it was indeed remarkable. The road was wide enough to accommodate three carriages side by side and elevated half a foot above ground level, supposedly to help drain rainwater and melted snow. Despite the centuries that had passed since the Valyrian Empire's fall, the road appeared as pristine as if it had been newly constructed.
Wright, however, saw more than just a road. Approaching its edge, he used magic to unearth part of its foundation. Beneath the surface was a layer of compacted earth, topped by medium-sized stones about the length of a forearm. The gaps were filled with smaller crushed stones, while the road surface itself was made of lava. According to books Wright had read, the lava had been shaped and hardened using dragonfire.
What amazed him most was the road's precision. Starting from the eastern gate of Pentos, the Valyrian Road stretched straight to the next city, Ghoyan Drohe, almost 300 kilometers away, without the slightest curve. How had they achieved such precision without modern tools like total stations or theodolites?
"Wright, what are you doing?" Nymeria asked as she saw him digging into the road's foundation.
"The Valyrian Empire might not be as primitive as the histories suggest. They had more than magic and dragons. Their technology was on a completely different level from other nations."
Wright stood up and used the scabbard of his sword to point to the layers of the road's foundation.
Nymeria and Tyene saw only the solid construction, with its distinct layers, but couldn't discern much else. Wright, however, recognized it as a road-building method not unlike modern techniques. Without asphalt or cement, the Valyrians had replaced such materials with molten lava, shaped by dragonfire.
"Let's go. Mount up," Wright said.
The two women mounted their horses, their eyes filled with anticipation as they watched Wright prepare his summoning spell. Casting the same spell with both hands amplified its power or extended its duration. For something as unique as Arvak, summoning it ensured its permanent presence; using both hands merely strengthened its physical form.
Wright's hands began to glow with a purple light, exuding an aura of death that sent chills down the women's spines. With a gentle push forward, a swirling purple magic circle appeared on the Valyrian Road.
"Rooooar!"
"What's that?"
Nearby, the crowd felt an eerie wind blow past, making their skin crawl. Their attention snapped to the glowing purple magic circle, and the man with matching light emanating from his hands.
"A Sorcerer!"
"A Sorcerer is casting a spell!"
Some onlookers backed away in fear, while the Dothraki riders turned their horses to face the scene, gripping their weapons tightly. A few bolder spectators moved closer, eager to see what was happening.
Out of the glowing circle emerged a towering skeletal horse, its entire body comprised of glowing purple bones. Its head and tail were wreathed in violet flames. As the magic circle dissipated, the unsettling skeletal steed took off in a sudden, frenzied gallop.
The crowd scattered in panic. Some horses nearby reared or tried to flee, but most were tethered to carts and unable to move. The Dothraki riders drew their weapons, gripping their reins tightly, ready to charge if things went awry.
"Arvak!" Wright called.
The skeletal horse stopped its wild dash at the sound of Wright's voice and trotted obediently to his side.
However, the horses beneath Nymeria and Tyene weren't as composed. Startled by Arvak's eerie appearance and the violet flames, they bucked and neighed nervously. The two women struggled to keep them under control, tugging hard on their reins.
Wright quickly cast a calming spell on both horses, soothing them before things could escalate further.
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