Chapter 159: The Dragons Land on the Velvet Hills
The dragon group flapped their wings, departing east from the bustling port city of Pentos. Rhaegar's destination was Qohor, the ancient city along the Rhoyne, long associated with dark legends.
The three dragons flapped their enormous leathery wings, generating a tremendous sound, and soared into the sky from the Pentos manse.
The people of Pentos watched the shadows of the silver dragon, the purple dragon, and the black dragon disappear into the Pentos sky, filled with awe and fear.
A century later, dragons once again danced in Essos, the eastern continent. The earlier Dragonrider who traveled the eastern continent was Rhaegar's famous ancestor, the magnificent and dangerous Prince Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince. At that time, Prince Daemon traveled with his wife, Lady Laena Velaryon, daughter of Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake, riding the blood-red dragon Caraxes and the grey-green dragon Vhagar, touring the continent of Essos. They once stayed in Pentos, where their twin daughters Baela Targaryen and Rhaena Targaryen were born.
Seeing Prince Rhaegar and the three dragons sweep across the sky, the people of Pentos recalled the past—Prince Daemon and his wife who had appeared in Pentos a century ago. Prince Daemon also possessed the beauty of the Valyrian Dragonlords, dangerous and sharp as a sword, a seasoned warrior. Lady Laena was tall and slender, with silver-gold wavy hair reaching her waist, and possessed a lovely and charming appearance, bearing the traditional features of Old Valyria. They were a prominent and perfect couple. Unfortunately, their promise of growing old together was broken; after the birth of their twins, Prince Daemon reconciled with his elder brother and returned to Westeros with his wife. Laena later died of childbirth complications, and Prince Daemon quickly married his niece Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, distinguishing himself greatly during the Dance of the Dragons.
Rhaegar steered the three dragons eastward, first flying over the Pentos Plains. Over this vast land, the dragons roared wildly. Rhaegar could feel their joy; dragons loved soaring through the clouds until they grew too old and could no longer sustain flight.
East of the city of Pentos is a vast wilderness called "the Plains," which sustains the people of Pentos. It is a fertile but sparsely defended plain. Most of Pentos's magisters and nobles own large orchards, farms, and mines on the Plains. Continuing eastward along the road built by the Valyrians, one would cross the upstream tributaries of the Rhoyne River, pass through the Velvet Hills, enter the hills near Norvos, and arrive at Qohor. The road continues to extend, connecting Qohor with the other Free Cities such as Norvos.
Rhaegar only needed to proceed east along the Valyrian road to reach Qohor midway.
Rhaegar saw the majestic, dragon-like road spanning the vast land, clearly not constructed by ordinary human hands.
The Valyrian road was a wide stone path, extending straight towards the horizon like a spear, originally built to facilitate traffic and cargo transport. The road material was not dirt, brick, or cobblestone; the Valyrian road was an ultra-long ribbon paved with fused black stone, raised half a foot above the ground to easily drain rainwater and melting snow. Unlike the muddy tracks usually called roads in the Seven Kingdoms, the Valyrian road was wide enough for three carriages to travel abreast.
"Valyria is gone, but Valyria's legacy is still everywhere. The Valyrian road and the Black Wall are examples of this, but Valyrian technology is also being lost, likely achieved through magic." Rhaegar looked at the timeless road, which bore no signs of damage or vehicle tracks; only animal droppings remained. The Valyrian Freehold was destroyed centuries ago, yet it left behind a rich heritage. Stone is a monument that outlives everything else; perhaps these roads originated from fire, and only fire can destroy or forge them.
There are mainly two Valyrian roads. One is the one Rhaegar was flying over, connecting Pentos, Qohor, and the bearded theocratic city-state of Norvos. The other connects Volantis and Meereen, and the section extending east from Volantis is commonly known as the Demon Road due to its perilous nature.
Rhaegar flew above the Valyrian road. Over the Pentos Plains, he saw evergreen grass, dense orchards, scattered farms, and a scene of prosperity. In the wind, Rhaegar also smelled fresh grass and flowers, and the sweetness of ripe fruit.
"What a rich land!" Rhaegar thought. Pentos relies not only on its port but also on the fertile land of the Plains and its many vassal farms. However, Pentos was forcibly disarmed by Braavos, making it a weak and defenseless yet prosperous city. If the people of Westeros were to land, Pentos would be a relatively good choice.
Seeing the shadows of the dragons, the farmers and miners on the Pentos Plains felt uneasy. They had just seen off the Dothraki, and now dragons appeared in the sky. Looking up at the high heavens, they could still see the figures of the three ferocious dragons. Dragonlords are a more terrifying existence than Khals, but Dragonlords are far more civilized than Khals; at the very least, they would not burn, wound, or loot without reason.
Rhaegar noticed that the Plains had orchards, farms, and mines, but no towns; towns could only exist within the high walls of Pentos. The Dothraki dislike towns and would destroy them. The Plains are often ravaged by khalasars, as this is the necessary route if they wish to cross the sea, and they occasionally come to see the ocean.
"Pentos can be said to be a city with considerable ties to Westeros! Between Pentos and Braavos lies the homeland of the Andals. The Andals once lived east of the Narrow Sea, near the lands between Braavos and Norvos. After leaving their homeland, the Andals brought the Faith of the Seven to Westeros, and the Andal invasion changed the history of the continent. East of Pentos, one can see the Rhoyne River, the homeland of the Rhoynar people. Many Rhoynar eventually reached Dorne." Rhaegar thought, looking at the picturesque land. The migration of peoples determines history. If Westeros wanted to establish a foothold, the most suitable places might be Andal lands or along the Rhoyne River.
Rhaegar first arrived at the emerald Velvet Hills. The hills were not very tall; this area of rolling terrain looked unremarkable with its gentle slopes, and it was considered the southern borderlands of the ancient Andal domains.
The dragon group landed on the Velvet Hills. Rhaegar saw towering stone circles, rumored to be the work of giants. He also saw a deep lake, rumored to harbor bandits at its bottom who would attack fishermen.
"So much Valyrian steel?" Rhaegar stared wide-eyed.
He saw a massive sphinx statue.
Rhaegar saw a huge sphinx statue standing by the roadside; the sculpture had the body of a dragon and the face of a woman. Its surface resembled dark, metallic stone akin to Valyrian craftsmanship. Rhaegar saw a stone pedestal nearby, where another sphinx statue—the male counterpart—once stood. Now, the pedestal was only covered in moss, vines, and flowers. Rhaegar heard that the Dothraki had installed huge wooden wheels and dragged the statue of the "king" all the way back to Vaes Dothrak. Since they were typically male-dominated warriors, they might have considered the female statue inauspicious and left it where it was.
"The treasure is ownerless, should I just take it? Better I take it than let the Dothraki profit from it!" Rhaegar thought. The sphinx statue stood here, inevitably attracting the attention of bandits, but transporting it away would require immense manpower. Such a sculpture was far too huge to store or move easily. It could only be transported using human effort, relying on horse teams and wooden wheels.
Rhaegar remained in the emerald hills, and the dragons stayed quietly by his side.
"Time to eat, guys!" Rhaegar waved his hand, and three slaughtered cattle appeared on the ground.
The dragons roared happily, breathing fire to roast the beef before devouring it.
Rhaegar ate cold capon, carrots, raisins, and corn kernels, followed by desserts of lemon and orange. The world's resources were still very abundant; while the poor were starving, the nobility could still enjoy plentiful supplies.
"Alright! You guys eat first. When we reach Qohor, we'll see if there's any other food."
The Rhoyne River region had changed beyond recognition. Qohor sits on the bank of the Little Rhoyne, near the Velvet Hills, located north of the plains of Essos and east of Pentos. That once-beautiful city had endured countless hardships over the years.
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