Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen97.96%

Chapter 48: The Revival of Magic

"Khaleesi, there's a fire mage performing on the street ahead. The Milk Men have crowded the area so tightly that the road is completely blocked," Aggo shouted, lowering his head to the ox cart's window to make himself heard.

Shouting was necessary—chaos reigned in the streets. The noise was like a boiling pot of porridge, with people and sounds everywhere, more overwhelming than the busiest train station during a spring festival rush.

"A fire mage? Those guys are everywhere—in alleyways, taverns, and docks. Nothing special about them," Xaro said dismissively, clearly unimpressed.

Accustomed to Qarth's perpetual traffic jams, Xaro remained unbothered. From a small compartment under his seat, he pulled out a bottle of fine red wine, held it up to Dany, and said, "Didn't you say you missed your homeland? Here's an exquisite gold grape wine from the Isle of Naath. Let's have another drink."

"No, thanks. Fire mages are rare in Westeros. I'd like to take a look," Dany replied, shaking her head.

In truth, fire mages were also common in Braavos and Pentos, and even in King's Landing under the Faith of the Seven, there was a guild of pyromancers.

The fire mages Dany had encountered before were more akin to street performers or illusionists than true practitioners of magic.

But she was tired of chatting idly with Xaro and wanted an excuse to end the conversation.

"Bring me a horse," she said, sticking her head out of the curtain and addressing her bloodriders.

"Khaleesi, your gown isn't suitable for riding," Ser Jorah stepped forward to caution her.

Her three bloodriders stood in their usual positions—one to the left of the cart, one to the right, and one leading the way ahead—while Jorah guarded the rear alongside Quhuru, who kept watch over the dragon cages on the cart behind them.

"Ugh, what a hassle," Dany muttered, scanning the scene. She quickly realized she wasn't tall enough to see over the dense crowd.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She smiled and said, "I'll stand on the ox's back. Aggo, hold me steady."

The ox cart was one of Xaro's many gifts, crafted from ebony and gold. The oxen pulling it were extraordinary creatures: one white as ivory, the other black as obsidian. Majestic, docile, and bedecked with jeweled horns, they were unlike any ordinary beasts of burden.

Before anyone could react, Dany leaped lightly from the cart, nimbly moving to the white ox's side. Like a graceful monkey, she climbed onto its broad back with ease, not even needing Aggo's support.

One glance was all it took to shock her.

The fire mage was a small man, thin as a reed, with dark, wiry features. Dressed in a tight-fitting red robe, he looked more like a monkey than a man. Yet with a wave of his hand, he conjured a burning staircase of flames two meters above the ground.

He leapt onto the swaying red-hot steps, which seemed to hang in the air without any visible support.

And that was just the beginning. Standing on the fiery staircase, he waved his hands again, and more steps of orange-red flame appeared, spiraling upward. They stretched higher and higher, reaching the latticed ceiling far above.

Climbing like an agile monkey, the fire mage ascended the blazing staircase. As he stepped onto each fiery rung, the step behind him vanished in a puff of silvery smoke.

Higher and higher he went, until he reached a height equivalent to four stories. At the top, he turned and waved to the cheering crowd below.

Then, in one swift motion, he leaned backward—and disappeared, along with the last step of the fiery staircase.

Dany stared at the now-empty, dust-colored sky, her eyes wide in disbelief. This can't be real.

If street-performing fire mages were this extraordinary, how could she ever compete?

"Aggo, Ser Jorah, what do you think?" she asked, unable to contain herself.

The two men, mounted on their tall horses beside the white ox, had witnessed the entire spectacle alongside her.

"An impressive trick," Jorah admitted, raising his voice over the din. "Better than many court magicians I've seen."

"Did you figure it out? Where did he go? How could he stand on flames? Could this be real magic?" Dany asked in rapid succession.

Jorah chuckled. "Oh, Princess, you're overthinking it. Just a clever street performer's trick. These people make a living from their craft. If they fail to fool us, they're not doing their job."

"This isn't a trick," a woman's voice interrupted in the Common Tongue.

Startled, Dany turned and noticed Quaithe standing beside the white ox, her gray linen robes and red-lacquered wooden mask as enigmatic as ever.

How long had she been standing there? None of them had noticed her presence until she spoke.

Despite being a wizard, he had maxed out his stealth skills.

Dany couldn't help but silently complain as she turned to ride sideways on the cow's back, smiling as she greeted, "Master Mage, long time no see! How have you been?"

After the greeting, she hurriedly asked, "Do you know the trick behind the magic I saw earlier? Or was it really magic? But that can't be possible."

"If it had been six months ago, I would have agreed with you without seeing it in person. But things are different now, Dany. You've brought magic back to this world," the clear eyes behind the mask reflected a shimmering light.

Dany blinked forcefully but couldn't make out the color of the eyes.

"That's too much, right? If I had that kind of ability, I wouldn't be clueless about magic myself," she laughed.

Kuisi pointed to the fire mage, who had appeared from somewhere in the crowd, and said seriously, "I know him. Six months ago, in the same place, he couldn't even use Dragon Crystals to start a fire. He had to rely on gunpowder and wildfires to deceive the ignorant fools."

"Dany, take another look. That chubby priest in the colorful robe is from the Temple of Memory, and the girl behind him wearing a felt hat—pay attention to her."

Dany followed her gaze and focused. About seven or eight meters away, a girl wearing a felt hat and a magenta dress, dressed as a young lady from a wealthy family, leaned against the chubby priest's waist and casually slipped in the opposite direction.

"That girl is a pickpocket! I saw her using a blade to slit the priest's waist pouch," Ago exclaimed.

"Now do you understand?" Kuisi turned to Dany and said calmly, "The fire mage uses magic to perform and draw attention, while his pickpockets work behind the scenes."

"But what does this mean?" Dany murmured.

"It means he is not a true fire mage."

"You saw the fire ladder with your own eyes just now, but six months ago, he could only perform tricks like walking barefoot on burning coals or making burning roses bloom in the air. You don't need me to explain—you can guess the key difference. Compared to this performance, the former was like heaven and earth."

Finally, she sighed and said to Dany, "The reason is simple. The tide of magic is surging. His own magical power is growing, and the strength of every mystic in this world is increasing rapidly."

"You still won't teach me magic, so what's the use of telling me all this?" Dany replied indifferently.

Even though dragons had brought magic to this world, she still couldn't cast a basic spell.

After hearing Kuisi's words today, she was even more resolute in abandoning the idea of studying in Asha.

If she truly went to that wizarding capital, would she be learning sorcery from the wizards, or would the wizards be researching sorcery from her?

"I must warn you, Daenerys Targaryen," Kuisi suddenly stepped forward and grasped Dany's right hand, which was resting on the cow's back. "You must leave this city immediately, or it will be too late."

"Shadowbinder, do not touch the Mother of Dragons!" Jogo's eyes flashed with intensity as he deftly struck Kuisi's fingers with the handle of his whip. She withdrew her hands immediately, wincing in pain.

Dany frowned slightly and raised her right hand, inspecting it carefully. Her skin was fair and smooth, without the slightest mark.

Could it have been an illusion?

The moment Kuisi touched her wrist, a sharp, piercing pain shot through her skin.

It came suddenly and vanished just as quickly. She wasn't even sure if it had been real.

"What danger are you talking about?" she asked.

Kuisi's expression remained calm, unbothered by Jogo's strike. "The royalty has seen your dragons. You have rejected Xaro multiple times and will continue to reject him. The warlocks covet your dragons. You should already understand this. The major factions in Qarth are not your allies. Isn't that dangerous enough?"

Dany glanced briefly at the ox cart behind her and replied noncommittally, "Where do you think I should go, then? Hmm, I won't go to Asshai."

Kuisi responded evenly, "To go north, you must head south. To reach the west, you must go east. To move forward, you must first retreat. To find light, you must pass through shadow. This is your fate."

"Why are you so insistent on me going to Asshai? A mere sorceress managed to ruin my life easily, and there are countless practitioners of the dark arts there," Dany said helplessly.

"There lies the truth—the truth about the world that you must know," Kuisi replied.

Before Dany could ask more, Kuisi bowed and disappeared into the crowd.

Aggo watched Kuisi's retreating figure and snorted. "Only a fool would trust a Shadowbinder."

"Ha! Your savages have a wisdom they do not even realize," Xaro's voice came from the carriage. He had overheard the entire conversation and now pulled back the curtain, inviting Dany to sit inside. "Even if you keep rejecting me, I remain your most loyal friend and most passionate admirer. My palace is your home for as long as you wish."

"Thank you, my most trusted friend, the gentleman Xaro," Dany replied with a cheerful smile.

Trust you? Not a chance. It's time to leave.

As the sun set, they returned to Xaro's mansion. After dealing with Xaro, Dany immediately summoned Jorah to the study to discuss Kuisi's warning.

"While I do not trust her, Kuisi is right about one thing—the longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes. Even from the perspective of guest rights, a short visit makes us guests. But if we linger, we become residents, and residents cannot claim the protection of hospitality," Jorah said, referencing a Northern tradition.

"Where do you think we should go next?" she asked.

"To the East. The Far East offers more than just Asshai. There are many trade city-states around the Jade Sea," Jorah suggested.

Dany replied calmly, "Going East almost means abandoning any chance of reclaiming Westeros and forfeiting the support of allies like Illyrio, who have backed House Targaryen."

"Illyrio is not trustworthy. His obesity reveals his gluttony, and as the saying goes, 'A glutton is always greedy.' Moreover, he is a man of great power, and there is another saying, 'Those in power are naturally cunning.' A man who is both greedy and cunning—how can you trust him?" Jorah said seriously.

(End of Chapter)"I must warn you, Daenerys Targaryen," Kuisi suddenly stepped forward and grasped Dany's right hand, which was resting on the cow's back. "You must leave this city immediately, or it will be too late."