Daenerys had misunderstood Watson. He had truly given her a manual of divine martial arts.
Upon returning, she couldn't resist her curiosity about the twelve Spring Cry Techniques and secretly opened the book to take a look.
She had intended to study the peak techniques of this Otherworld, but instead found it filled with dense data and maps.
Indeed, Watson's diary contained the twelve Spring Cry Techniques, but the twelve high-difficulty "gymnastic" movements only occupied twelve pages. The book had fallen open to the Spring Cry Techniques page when it hit the ground earlier.
The rest of the content consisted of numbers and rough maps.
Not only did it cover the Dothraki Sea, but it also described the topography and geography of nearly the entire continent of Essos in detail. It even included data on the population, industrial distribution, military deployments, and defensive structures of each City-State.
*Was this specifically for his son the Khaos to conquer territories?*
Furthermore, Watson had recorded observations on the growth of pasture grass in the Horsemen's grazing lands, as well as rainfall, temperature, and humidity. He noted areas prone to epidemics, herbal knowledge learned from Witch Doctors, the length of summers, and winter temperatures and agricultural conditions in various regions.
Seemingly chaotic, the journal actually contained the most sophisticated survival knowledge of the nomadic Horsemen.
In short, Watson's journal was almost useless to any individual, but it was a treasure trove for a Khaos. Of course, this was only true if that Khaos had the wisdom to recognize its value.
It meticulously documented the customs, production methods, geography, and seasonal changes of the continent of Essos. Had Blue-Eyed Hago lived to see it, with his father's guidance, he might have become the greatest Khaos of all time, even unifying the Dothraki before Daenerys.
This journal would prove invaluable to Daenerys in her future conquest of the Dothraki Sea, so she decided to give Watson a proper funeral.
Yes, she would personally preside over his cremation ceremony.
"The tail of the Blood Comet has really grown longer! Watson has joined the ranks of the Khaos!" Aggo shouted, pointing at the crimson trail in the sky with wide-eyed wonder.
Normally, no omens were sought during the cremation of ordinary Horse People. But Daenerys, true to her word, placed the old man's body on the small pyre and then, in a voice that carried across the crowd, shouted several times at the heavens.
The Horse People then "discovered" with horror that the comet's tail had indeed grown slightly longer.
The comet was steadily approaching the planet, and theoretically, it should be growing brighter and its tail becoming clearer. Yet in just a few moments, such a dramatic change was impossible.
*An illusion,* Daenerys thought. *It's all an illusion.*
She didn't correct them. Instead, with a solemn and mysterious expression, she commanded, "Kill the horse!"
A stubborn, old nag was brought forward. *Hmm, it's indeed sturdier than Watson's previous mount.*
Two warriors held the horse's head, while a third Horseman's curved blade flashed. A white line, reflecting the torchlight's crimson glow, slashed through the dim pre-dawn sky.
The horse whinnied and struggled, but this only intensified the gushing blood from its neck.
*Splash!* Dark red blood cascaded like a waterfall into the bronze basin below.
"Bring the docile Grass Horse," Daenerys ordered.
An elderly Dothraki warrior stepped forward, carrying a Grass Horse—a effigy woven from sticks and demon grass—slung over his shoulder.
"Soul Departure!" she declared, pointing at the dying nag. She chanted the phrase repeatedly in Mandarin, English, her native Sichuan dialect, and Dothraki, without pause.
To her QLS followers, the Khaleesi seemed to be chanting a mysterious, continuous spell.
"Mommy, mommy, hush!" After muttering a few more "spells" whose meaning even she didn't understand, she suddenly threw out her arm, her left index finger pointing straight at the Grass Horse. "Soul, return!"
Under the awestruck gazes of the Horse People and Jorah's bewildered expression, Daenerys took a few deep breaths before scanning the crowd. "There. The spirit of the Noble Steed has entered the Grass Horse. This will be a rare treasure—a steed with the gentleness of the Grass Horse and the power of a warhorse. Old Watson will never have to worry about falling behind the Khaos again, nor will he fear falling from its back!"
"Place the Grass Horse on the pyre. Dawn is near. Prepare the fire," she ordered with a wave of her hand.
"What about this one?" A warrior, holding the dying horse to drain its blood, pointed to the corpse with tear-filled eyes and asked nervously.
The Khaleesi was not only the Unburnt and Mother of Dragons, but she also understood sacrificial magic—how awe-inspiring!
"Are you an idiot? Of course, we'll roast it over the fire," Daenerys retorted with an eye-roll, her tone sharp.
After all this trouble, she was just trying to preserve their dwindling food supplies while still completing the Horse People's tradition.
As Watson's body roasted in the flames, the group of Horse People outside the fire bustled with activity. Some grilled horse meat, while others used iron pots to boil a fragrant stew—horse blood, bones, barley, dried apples, turnips, and Sichuan peppercorns. No salt was needed; the aroma was intoxicating.
*Hmm, was it the smell of the food, the charring scent of Watson's flesh, or a combination of both?*
The peculiar aroma whetted their appetites, and the Horse People and Jorah ate with gusto, slurping and gulping.
Daenerys couldn't bear it. She slung her bamboo basket over her shoulder, tucked a bundle of roasted meat into a basket, and slipped away under the excuse of checking on her dragons.
On the fourth day, Khal's, as usual, set out at dusk. Along the way, they passed numerous water pits marked with stones and wooden stakes.
The situation was slightly better than Daenerys had feared. Even after the second group of knights had taken water, shallow traces remained in most pits when Khal's arrived.
Daenerys left no stone unturned. As Khal's marched, her water supply dwindled. She used the emptied water skins to collect all the muddy, sandy seepage water, planning to filter it later during camp.
Even though the water situation had temporarily eased, after walking for about three hours, a death occurred within the group: a six-month-old infant girl.
Her mother's grief was heart-wrenching, her anguish and despair echoing through the entire group. Daenerys felt a pang of sympathy but was powerless to help.
She didn't even know the cause of the baby's death. There were no signs of heatstroke or lack of food and water. She had simply been held in her mother's arms, had a bout of diarrhea for a while, and then passed away.
According to Dothraki tradition, the child was too young to ride a horse. She couldn't enter the Land of the Night's endless black grasslands and had to be reborn.
The infant was buried on the spot in the sandy soil.
The group pressed on with minimal delay, leaving only Daenerys and the ten-person team assigned to the mother to handle the aftermath, just as they had done with Old Watson after his fall from his horse the previous day.
Perhaps good fortune would follow this misfortune. As the sun rose the next morning, Daenerys cheered and clapped, waving her arms at the sky in celebration of her dragon's first flight.
But when the Black Dragon circled upward, shrinking into a tiny speck against the vast sky, Daenerys felt a sudden jolt of anxiety, unexpectedly entering a Dragon Dream state.
For the first time, Daenerys entered the Dragon Dream from a distance, without physically touching the Black Dragon. In truth, the term "Dragon Dream" no longer accurately described this state.
If we compare it to the Wolf Spirits of the Stark siblings, Daenerys could be called a "Secondary Dragon Spirit."
Wolf Spirits, also known as Skinchangers or a type of Skinchanger, are humans who can invade the consciousness of animals or other people and control their behavior.
For Skinchangers, this is easier if there's an emotional bond between human and animal. This is why wolves, close relatives of dogs and known for their loyalty, are the most common companions for Skinchangers.
Those who control wolves are called Wolf Spirits, but this doesn't mean they can only communicate with wolves.
Bran, Rickon, and Arya Stark, along with Jon Snow—the true protagonist of *A Song of Ice and Fire* in spirit—are all Wolf Spirits, possessing envy-inducing Skinchanger talents.
However, lacking systematic training and subconsciously denying or rejecting their abilities, their full potential has yet to be realized.
Bran's strength is undeniable. Once he ascends from Skinchanger to Green Prophet, he will be able to roam the timelines of Westeros, altering the past and observing the future.
*Author's Note: The ability to alter timelines hasn't appeared in the *A Song of Ice and Fire* books yet, but the plot surrounding Hodor in *Game of Thrones* should align with Martin's vision. Martin himself confirmed the "Hodor meme" in an interview.*
Hmm, the Old Gods observe the world through Weirwood trees, and these trees only exist on the continent of Westeros. Their power should not reach Essos.
Jon's talent instilled fear in Varamyr, the strongest wildling Skinchanger—Sixskins. So, just how strong was Varamyr?
He was so strong that even after being reduced to a bloody mess by the Red Priestess, he still had the strength to possess other healthy humans.
Even when his attempt failed due to bad luck, Varamyr didn't die. Instead, he possessed his pet wolf.
Alas, in the end, the unlucky wight encountered Bran, the First Warg of Westeros.
Heaven itself didn't want him to live.
As for Arya, her direwolf Nymeria was released long ago, yet she ended up as a Faceless Man apprentice in Braavos. Despite being separated by a sea and thousands of kilometers, Arya and Nymeria could still frequently communicate through the wolf dream.
(Author's Note: Unlike the TV series' hasty handling of Nymeria, in the original books, Arya's direwolf appears frequently. Not only does she save Arya multiple times, but Arya, in a dazed wolf dream state, even retrieves her mother's corpse—yes, corpses can be resurrected too.)
Finally, even three-year-old Rickon could, to a limited extent, predict the future through the wolf dream.
Sansa's Lady died too early, and her experiences and values were so "un-Northern" that it's impossible to determine if she possessed the Wolf Spirit talent.
However, Robb Stark likely had a very strong talent. His direwolf could foresee his master's crises, repeatedly warning him of danger or untrustworthy people—almost like a divine beast.
Yet Robb, having found a wife, forgot his wolf, constantly repressing the subconscious warnings of danger he received from the creature.
Wolf Spirits are widely recognized as "evil creatures" on par with the Others and Gremlins. Anyone who discovers a Wolf Spirit is expected to kill it on sight. This deeply ingrained social prejudice is closely tied to the history of the continent of Westeros.
As mentioned before, with the exception of fantastical species like the Children of the Forest and Giants, all the humans of Westeros are invaders and refugees from the continent of Essos.
The Children of the Forest are a dark-skinned and beautiful people, short in stature; even adults are no taller than ordinary human children.
They have deep chestnut skin, large ears, and wide golden eyes.
However, some Children of the Forest possess the Green Prophet gift, with eyes of green or red. If such individuals merge with a heart tree, they become Green Prophets and gain green sight.
This is the crucial point: Skinchangers almost certainly originated from the Children of the Forest, serving as representatives of a lost civilization.
Twelve thousand years ago, the first invaders, armed with bronze weapons, clashed with the native inhabitants for survival.
One side was small and weak, with a dwindling population, but possessed peculiar magic. The other was tall and burly, armed with advanced bronze weapons and outnumbering their opponents, but lacked supernatural abilities.
The two sides engaged in a "chicken fight," barely managing to hold each other to a stalemate. They eventually signed a "pact" on the Isle of Faces, a small island at the center of God's Eye Lake, to divide their spheres of influence.
This process lasted for four thousand years. The first generation of invaders, the First Men, had witnessed the magic of the Children of the Forest. Their own faith was already quite loose, and gradually, they began to worship the mysterious gods of the Children of the Forest, becoming followers of the Old Gods.
Whether through faith or interbreeding (don't doubt it; Westerosi didn't just have "child-sized" Children of the Forest; they even had Giants—their appetites were terrifyingly voracious), Skinchangers began to appear among the First Men.
One in a thousand was a Skinchanger, and one in a thousand Skinchangers was a Green Prophet.
This ratio might seem low, but consider this: nearly every generation produced one or two Green Prophets. That means...
One or two "Brans" every generation! That's truly terrifying!
(End of Chapter)