Chapter 187: Arrival in Volantis

Volantis—the first colony of the ancient Valyrian Freehold—was a formidable and historic city, often hailed as "The First Daughter of Valyria," "Queen of the Rhoyne," and "Mistress of the Summer Sea."

Around six in the evening, the blood-red, swollen sun dipped halfway below the horizon, its shimmering light reflecting off the rippling waters, dyeing the hundreds of ships in the harbor a deep crimson.

"See that? That dock belongs to the Black Wall nobles. Every one of those two hundred warships is prepared for that woman."

Standing atop an old, fraying mat on the back of an elephant, Kaedillac excitedly pointed toward the sprawling fleet lined up along the pier, stretching over ten miles.

Beige sails, dark red sails like blood, deep green sails, pale yellow sails—

Every warship had a flag fluttering atop its mast: the half-naked maiden of Lys, the skull-crowned banner of Volantis, the harpy of Ghiscari fleets, the gemstone-golden crown of Qarth's Tourmaline Brotherhood, the green-and-white elephant flag from the Jade Isles to the east…

More than two hundred ships, and not a single flat-bottomed merchant vessel—only agile, oared longships and formidable ramming war galleys, lined up in perfect order like soldiers awaiting command, standing in formation upon the sea's vast parade ground.

It was an awe-inspiring sight. At least, the elephant-cart driver in front of them—a man with a wheel tattooed onto his cheek—gazed upon it with reverence.

His name was Kaedillac, a lean, freckled-faced Rhoynar youth in his early twenties. He had golden hair, blue eyes, and a horse-like face that made his slender frame—barely reaching 165 centimeters—seem even more diminutive.

After resting for only an hour in the wilderness, Daenerys and Barristan mounted their dragon and continued eastward. They flew for less than an hour before vast, orderly estates began to appear across the green fields below.

Half an hour later, they descended into a tall white-birch forest, then walked two miles to a roadside inn bearing a banner that read Aunt Kerry's Mutton Pies.

The innkeeper, Aunt Kerry, had silver hair, blue eyes, and fair, delicate skin—a slightly plump middle-aged woman.

She showed no surprise at Daenerys' silver hair and violet eyes. Many noble daughters in the nearby estates carried traces of Valyrian blood—she had seen plenty of their kind before.

Still, Daenerys' beauty earned her immediate favor. When she mentioned buying horses, Aunt Kerry offered a piece of advice:

"Young lady, to us locals—and even to foreign captains—traveling on foot is beneath one's dignity, while horseback riding is too crude. Those of status and position always travel by palanquin or elephant carriage.

I can tell you're not from an ordinary family. Why not hire an elephant carriage?

As it happens, my cousin owns a large fleet of them—his business runs across both the east and west sides of Volantis.

Of course, I see you both wear swords at your waists—you must be noble knights. A knight must have a horse. I have fine steeds in my stables..."

Aunt Kerry went on and on. By the end, Daenerys, somewhat bewildered, had purchased two well-trained horses—one white and one red—along with two boxed mutton pies stuffed with carrots, four bottles of the famed red wine from the Sunset Lands, and a bag of assorted snacks.

She also rented an elephant carriage from Kerry's cousin.

The total cost was five gold honors.

Aunt Kerry thumped her ample chest, promising that she had not only given them a twenty-percent discount but also shaved off at least two silver honors from the final price.

Daenerys, expressionless, said nothing. Silently, she handed over six gold honors.

As Aunt Kerry stared in shock, Daenerys added, "You're honest and fair. Consider the extra coin a tip."

The innkeeper clutched the six gold coins tightly. But instead of the joy she had expected when hoping for five, her blue eyes filled with regret and self-reproach.

I was too honest… I let a golden fish slip through my fingers!

From now on, my mutton pies will be more expensive. And I will ruthlessly fleece every traveler I don't recognize!

Volantis was rich in elephants. In fact, all the southern cities near the Summer Sea had them, including the slave cities. However, Volantis was especially known for its small, gray elephants.

Using elephants for farming wasn't Daenerys' idea—Volantene farmers had long been doing it.

Not only did they plow fields, but they also pulled carts, carried goods, served as mounts, and even fought in battle. Nearly everything a horse could do, an elephant did as well.

The Volantenes tamed a particular breed of small elephants, usually gray or dirty white, hence their common name: gray pygmy elephants.

Of course, "pygmy" was only in comparison to the massive three- to four-meter-tall mammoths. A fully grown pygmy elephant could still reach 2.2 to 2.5 meters in height.

The one pulling Daenerys' carriage stood 2.4 meters tall. Its white skin, resembling trampled snow, had a slightly dirty look.

The carriage itself was similar in style to ox-carts from other cities—just a scaled-up version. Its wheels were taller than Daenerys herself.

The enormous wooden wheels were reinforced with rusted iron bands, and passengers sat on cushioned brown mats between them. The driver rode atop the elephant, sitting on a similar mat.

Volantis had a sweltering climate.

As they left the dusty dirt roads and entered the hardened Valyrian highways, the crowd grew denser. Nearly all free citizens traveled in palanquins or elephant carriages.

The pedestrians, on the other hand, had slave tattoos on their faces and wore only the barest of garments.

For example, the elephant-cart drivers bore wheel tattoos on one cheek. Apart from loincloths and sandals, they wore nothing else.

Their bare backs, tanned dark under the sun, glistened as if coated in oil—like old, oiled leather.

After traveling four or five miles, they left the outskirts of the city's estates and arrived at the eastern edge of the western docks. The elephant carriage halted at a two-story-high waystation, where the driver dismounted and spoke briefly to a silver-haired man in silk robes.

Then, the Volantene man bellowed:

"Kaedillac! Fetch a high-class white elephant from the stables and hitch it to a golden-jade palanquin!"

Only then did he approach Daenerys' carriage with a polite smile.

"I am Aurio, the dock district overseer of Valyrian Elephant Carriages.

As you can see, the carriages bear city-issued plates, identifying their owners. Carriages from outside the city are not permitted inside the inner districts, so you must switch to another.

Rest assured, there will be no extra charge. In fact, I will arrange the finest mahout and the most luxurious carriage to ensure you reach the Merchant House of the western city in absolute comfort."

Daenerys nodded blankly.

What else could she say?

She had already heard the coachman's loud remark from earlier—

"That guest is filthy rich. She gave Lady Kerry an entire gold honor as a tip!"

However, Cadillac's skills were truly extraordinary—his ability to command an elephant was about thirty percent as effective as Dany's ability to control a dragon.

The previous elephant driver had to rely on whips and reins to direct the beast, but Cadillac simply sat cross-legged on the white elephant's back, casually chatting with Dany while giving commands in the local language—a heavily accented Valyrian—guiding the elephant to turn left, right, move forward, or slow down.

Had she not detected any intense spiritual fluctuations, Dany might have thought he was a skinchanger—an elephant spirit.

"Where are you from, traveler?" Cadillac asked.

"Braavos. This is a distant relative of mine from Westeros, who fled the war to seek refuge with my family," Dany replied with a smile.

The moment she spoke, no one doubted her words, as her Valyrian carried a distinct Braavosi accent.

"Oh, I saw you coming from the east and thought..."

The young man with a horse-like face, who had been speaking eloquently, suddenly seemed a bit downcast.

Dany's eyes flickered, and she said, "I am from Braavos, but I did just return from the East this time."

"Really?" Cadillac immediately perked up, lowering his voice as he asked, "Have you seen that woman?"

"Which woman?"

As the sun set, casting a golden glow over the streets near the port, the crowded roads were packed like sardines. An odd stench in the air made Dany take out a handkerchief to cover her nose.

Cadillac patted the elephant's back, signaling it to slow down, then pointed toward the western docks where a fleet was anchored. His face flushed as he said, "The woman they are preparing to fight against."

"How would I know who they're up against? Just say her name directly," Dany asked, feigning confusion.

"Ah, she's someone whose name cannot even be spoken," the young man whispered, climbing to the back of the elephant and lowering his voice to near inaudibility. "Slaver's Bay. The Dragon Queen."

"Oh, so it's her," Dany said with a look of sudden realization. "But why can't you say her name?"

Barristan Selmy rubbed his nose and turned his head away, leaving the stage to his queen.

"It's not that we can't say it," Cadillac explained, pointing to the wheel-shaped tattoo on his right cheek—a mark signifying his status as a slave charioteer. "I must not say it. We must not say it. Our masters are afraid of hearing that name from our mouths.

So we can only call her 'that woman.'

Even so, we must never say it in front of the local nobles... Ah, traveler, you won't tell my master, will you?"

The young man's long horse-like face twisted slightly, and his grass-green eyes flickered with fear.

"Of course not. I'm from Braavos, remember?" Dany winked at him.

Braavos had no slaves and had always stood firmly against slavery.

"That's true." The freckled young man sighed in relief.

Dany asked curiously, "This place is nearly three thousand kilometers from Slaver's Bay. Why is the situation so severe here?"

"Ah... At first, when the news from Astapor came, people could still talk about her freely. But four months ago, when she crushed the Ghiscari coalition army—"

He nimbly flipped over on the elephant's back, scanning his surroundings. Seeing that the streets were packed with people, a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

"There are plenty of elephant carriages around. No one is paying attention to us," Dany reassured him.

"Ah... I can't say any more." He let out a bitter sigh.

Yet in the end, he still climbed to the elephant's rear and whispered, "Two months ago, merchants brought news of that woman's overwhelming victory against the Ghiscari army in Slaver's Bay. The entire city of Volantis was in an uproar.

A few days later, one night, within the Black Walls, Lord Qohorik woke up in the middle of the night and accidentally found his household butcher sharpening a knife under the eaves.

I don't know the exact details, but the next morning, the butcher and his entire family—men, women, and children—were all beheaded. Their bodies were coated in tar and hung on spears along the Black Walls. Any pedestrian passing below could see them with a single glance.

So… do you understand now?"

Without waiting to see if Dany truly understood, the golden-haired slave suddenly sprang up, standing tall on the elephant's back. He pointed toward the vast southern ocean and shouted loudly,

"Traveler, you must believe me! Every Volantene knows—even if all one hundred of Braavos' islands sank into the port, great ships would still be able to sail freely.

This is the widest and deepest harbor in the world!"

"Indeed, we Volantenes possess the world's greatest port,"

A few passersby echoed his words, and those Volantenes who had been watching Dany and the young man with suspicion now nodded in realization.

A clever young man. Revolutions need people like him, Dany thought with a smile.

(End of Chapter)

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