XVII.

Twelfth day of the seventh moon of 297 AC. Braavos, Essos.

The roar from the Titan that announced the sunset, reverberated in the humid heights in the sky above the lagoon where the bastard daughter of Valyria, Braavos, was nestled.

After almost two moons since the ritual, Aegon had finally reached Essos. The continent from where his family really came.

'The North will always be part of me, but I am the last of Valyria.' The Dragon Reborn thought proudly of himself, smiling as he remembered how three hundred years ago The Conqueror told him something similar about him.

Developing and implementing his plans at the Wall took more time than Aegon would have liked. But it did at least help him to see Uncle Benjen again before leaving the continent and update him on events and happenings that had taken place since they said goodbye at the entrance of Bloodraven's cave.

Even if Aegon did not want to admit it, he felt more secure knowing that at least within the Night's Watch there would be someone who would take care to put peace between the Free Folk and The Black Brothers in case discord arose once he had left with the dragons.

Crossing the Narrow Sea had been a tougher process than Aegon had first imagined, believing it would be like when he went from Dragonstone to Tyrosh. Instead of a half-day flight, he found himself facing a three-day nonstop flight from Forlond.

And even though Aegon was the one who was most used to flying on a dragon, three days in armor, surcoat, shoulder pads, vambraces, greaves, knee pads and Blackfyre on his back, caused his muscles to be numb and cramped. Not to mention that Ghost, getting bigger by the day, had been hooked around his waist for three days using his cloak as a sling. He couldn't wait to get on solid ground.

Looking to his right, Aegon could see how Vhagar could be mistaken for the sky due to the range of colors cast by the evening sun. On top of the yellowish-orange dragon, with his black armor and silver mane blowing in the wind, his father Rhaegar, with his mother Lyanna in front of him.

'I don't want to imagine how my father must be, after having carried mother on his lap the whole flight. At least Bran and Arya found a way not to burn themselves on top of Balerion by wearing three pairs of breeches under the riding leather breeches.' He thought as he looked behind his back, where on the back of the Black Dread were his little sister, his valonqar and their two Direwolf pups in their arms, both in state of nervousness and agitation.

'Without a doubt, even if they do not express it, they have as much desire as we do to step on solid ground.' the Conqueror told him inwardly, whom had been his constant company during the flight, since Arya and Bran had dedicated themselves to dozing the great majority of the flight.

After five weeks of meetings, plans, discussions and the occasional little veiled threat, Aegon had no desire to argue or think on plans and fortunately The Dragon agreed with him, always maintaining a light conversation, remembering the times in that they both fought in Essos, or how Rhaenys would have loved to do a flight like the one they were doing.

Seeing the sun reflected off the silver scales of Meraxes flying alone to his left was a constant reminder of the other great reason he wanted to get to Braavos at once. Rhaenys.

Thanks to Bran, he knew that Aegon's grandmother, uncle, and sister were in Braavos and had somehow survived the chaos that ensued after the fall of their dynasty in Westeros.

Aegon did not know very well how, because Bran had told him that it was not his place tell the lives of others, although had sworn that was telling the truth and that Aegon would soon see it.

'At this point you should trust your valonqar a little more, Egg.' said The Conqueror, when for the umpteenth time since Bran assumed the mantle of Lord Brynden, Aegon reiterated if it was true what he had said after the encounter with the Others or was it simply a ploy to prevent Aegon from going to death fighting the Ice Spawns and their puppets.

He took a deep breath and let out a sigh he didn't know for how long had been holding.

By being on Braavos, any possible incognito that they had until that moment would disappear completely. It was one thing for someone in Westeros to tell of the sudden appearance of dragons in the North, typically accused of being a kingdom prone to myth and storytelling. Another very different thing is to carry out the deployment that they were going to do in Braavos, whose population was tens of thousands of people. Fairly larger than Lannisport.

Although, if the Usurper or Tywin wanted to come after him, it would be a favor they did him.

It was time to leave behind the low profile that they could had have with three huge dragons.

"Bran!! Prepare the banners, the world will once again know that House Targaryen is alive and back to take what its own!" Aegon said almost shouting and with an edge of emotion so that his brother could hear him well from where he was.

Thanks to Bloodraven they had both the war banner of house Targaryen, as well as that of Lord Brynden himself, that Bran had taken as his own. 'It's time to use them again.'

The rocky knoll of dark gray stone that rose in the lagoon began to be seen from the heights, showing above it a windowless building with a black tile roof and enormous doors almost four meters high. One was black, the other white. They had finally reached their first stop today, The House of Black and White, the headquarters of the Faceless Man.

"[Balerion, it's time to announce us to the world]" Aegon practically whispered to his dragon, which emitted a murmur that echoed through his body and that was of joy at being able to show his

power.

Balerion then let out a roar that might as well have been heard on the Wall, joined by Meraxes and

Vhagar.

'There is no turning back Egg. The complicated part really begins now.' The Conqueror told him in

a serious and firm tone, which showed the seriousness of the situation.

'If things don't go well now, we will possibly be dead before nightfall.' he internally agreed with the

Dragon.

If there was any bet to all or nothing in his plans, it was the one he was going to make now with the Faceless Men. He did not intend to end them, if not to unite them to his cause, or at least a part of them. Although his pulse would certainly not tremble in eradicating them from the face of the world, Aegon had suspicions that before he could do that completely, he would be the one who would leave the mortal world.

They began to slowly descend in circles around the building, causing a mass of people to gather around the rocky ridge. After they landed on the rocky knoll where the residence of the Faceless Men was founded, a slim woman, robed, half black, half white, welcomed them.

"We are here to see the Kindly man." Bran told her, doing his job as squire. The woman gave the dragons and Direwolves a wary look and then looked at them for a long moment and nodded. Then she indicated for them to follow.

They entered an interior courtyard, which had a three-meter-wide pool filled with black water in the middle. At the edge of the pool sat a man dressed in a tunic similar to that of the skinny woman, his face covered with a hood.

He took a step forward: "I am Aegon Targaryen" he said with a firm and dry voice. He then pointed out his family that was a few steps behind him "these are Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Targaryen, my parents. The youngsters are my brother and sister, Brandon and Arya Stark."

The priest got up and walked towards them.

"We are here to buy the organization of the Faceless Men and their inclusion as security members of the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros." Aegon explained simply the reason for their presence there.

"The Faceless Men aren't for sold, we belong to the God of Many Faces." said the assassin in a surprisingly kind voice.

"Then we will buy it from him," Aegon nodded at his valonqar, who took out one of the gold bars that once were on Bloodraven's chest and offered it to the Kindly man.

"You can buy a small town with this." Bran said shyly.

'What is Bran playing at, why is he using that voice?' The Conqueror asked internally the same

question that was haunting Aegon. 'Let's trust in him.'

The Kindly man pulled down his hood, and instead of a human face, only had a yellow skull with

remnants of skin hanging down and a worm in the eye socket.

None of them were fazed at all. Bran had already warned them in advance of the possible tricks and illusions the Faceless Men could use. In fact after seeing a wight and Bran on a daily basis, his

little sister Arya was practically laughing at the worm in the Kindly man eye socket, as she tapped Bran on the shoulder in a friendly way.

"Our God does not care about riches." said the Kindly with some bewilderment, after a few moments of silence. Most likely, the man expected some kind of reaction to his revelation. Aegon wanted to laugh, after the things he had seen, lived and experienced...

Arya stepped forward, her eyes shooting daggers in the assassin's direction.

"We came here to take down the Faceless Men and we will!" Said Arya fiercely "We are Targaryen and Stark, the blood of dragons and wolves runs through our veins, we don't care about your god or your magic tricks." Aegon's little sister pointed to the Kindly man face.

"If you do not accept riches, then we will show you the meaning of the words of our houses, and winter will come with fire and blood. We will raze this temple to the ground, and all that will remain of your precious God will be a pile of rubble." Arya threatened the assassin with her still childish voice, but quite firm.

Aegon, like his father, couldn't hide the surprise on his face when he looked at Arya, while his mother Lyanna was wearing an ear-to-ear smile, exuding pride in her niece.

The Kindly man also seemed a bit taken aback by Arya's unexpected speech, but recovered quickly enough. "Do you think you are the first to threaten us, girl?" practically spat.

Aegon's look of surprise, like his father's, was now replaced by barely contained anger. His mother had drawn Visenya's dagger and the three pups began to show their fangs in the direction of the Kindly man and the girl beside him. In his chest, Aegon felt how Balerion was also stirring at the threat.

"We have been here for hundreds of years, kingdoms and armies tried to confront us and they all ended in the same way. As offerings to the God of Many Faces." said the K indly man with venom, all kindness disappeared from his voice. "Perhaps you will also receive The Gift! insolent girl. So he will teach you to disrespect our God in his house!"

He didn't need to look at his father to know what would happen next. Aegon's right hand was on the priest's neck in an instant, easily lifting him so high that his feet were no longer touching the ground and was struggling for breath. The Kindly man skull face, now became the face of an old man.

The skinny temple girl tried to pull a knife out of her robe, Rhaegar quickly tugging at his long sword, ready to strike her. But his mother Lyanna was quicker and stood between the woman and Aegon himself with the dagger in hand, ready to defend her son.

However, none of this was needed. The Direwolves defeated his parents. Aegon saw only three flashes moving with blinding speed in front of him and the next thing he knew was that Summer was on the young woman's chest and her neck was in Ghost and Nymeria's mouth, breaking like an egg under the pressure of the strong jaws of the wolves. The girl body went limp in an instant.

"Don't ever threaten my family again." Aegon's words sounded more like a roar than spoken words.

The Kindly man was now struggling to breathe. "Do you think your God can protect you?" Aegon asked in a voice thick with rage. "Do you want to see a God?" He spat practically, at the same time that he threw the assassin to the ground, where this one began to cough, trying to fill his lungs with

air.

"[I will show you a God!]" Aegon practically roared again and was immediately in contact with

Balerion '[My friend, destroy this place, but be careful with my family and the wolves.]'

Suddenly a earthbreaking roar was heard from above. The people who had gathered outside the temple began to shout and pray to their gods. The thud of the Black Dread was heard violently landing on the building, tearing it with its hind-legs and tail. 'Soon there would not be much left of the building.'

Vhagar let out another deafening roar, albeit softer, and joined Balerion in the destruction that was causing. The interior walls of the building collapsed from the weight of both dragons.

To Aegon's horror, human faces stored in the building began to spread among the rocks, and throughout the inner courtyard.

The real assassin's face now took on the yellow color of the skull with which he tried to scare them earlier, the limbs were shaking so much that could not get up from the ground.

"Valar Morghulis." Aegon said now in a harsh, threatening voice to the Kindly man. Although he would have liked to avoid using the dragons, the position the Faceless Men had left Aegon with no choice. "Now if you allow me to explain myself without making any threat from either side," Aegon concluded, directing a reproving glance towards Arya.

"Valar Dohaeris, Dragonlord. What do the last from Valyria need from the God of Many Faces?" answered the old man from the ground, recovering as he could.

"I come to warn you that someone is making fun of your god. I come to warn you that if you do not join us, there will be no life left on the planet and false gods will take the place of yours." Aegon explained ominously and with aplomb.

"And who are those who, according to you, mock and supplant our god? I don't see why we should stand against the end of existence if our god has so decided. Only he can grant the gift of death, just as he did with Valyria." replied the Faceless Men condescendingly.

"Because the enemy of whom we speak does not allow those they kill reach the Gift. On the contrary, once they had taken the light from their lives, they revive them and enslave them as their diabolical puppets, wights that are a mocking to your god, with the intention of becoming omnipotent gods whom will plunge the whole world in darkness." Bran began to speak, now with his magical voice, full of wisdom and that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth.

"I know that you had a hand in the Doom, although by far not all the responsibility and it was more of a coincidence." His valonqar concluded by fixing his eye, which seemed to take on reddish tints similar to those of the mark under the socket of Bran's left eye, on the man lying on the ground.

"And I know that your main function is to avoid the suffering of those defenseless, whom will be better off with the gift than continuing their lives. You say that your only owner is the God of Many Faces, yet you have strayed and allowed yourself to be corrupted by gold. In exchange for a payment, you give the gift to people who have not earned it. Tell me, kinslayer, do you think that the false gods of death will let you live and will not make you their slaves? Do you think your tricks and illusions will prevent the Great Other from annihilating you?"

If the faceless man trembled at Balerion and Vhagar's display of power, the words, the magical air and the tone used by Bran, caused the assassin to involuntarily loosen his bladder on the ground

where was still lying.

"I can recognize you whatever the face you wear, just like our dragons and our Direwolves. I know there are eleven of you in all, and I know you have at least ten more acolytes." Bran said, speaking confidently and rhythmically, but threateningly.

"Choose. Serve the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros, helping your God in his true struggle, bestowing the gift to those who are judged to receive it by the Red God. Earning wealth for doing your mission. Or perish. Decide now." Aegon concluded his brother's threat with a hard, cold voice, to add as looked up at his dragon that was perched above the crumbling walls, fixing its fiery eyes on the terrified assassin. "The next time I address to my dragon, it will be to burn the remaining rubble of this building to ashes. You can choose whether to be part of them or not."

When they finalized the details with the Kindly Man, as the Faceless Men in charge of coordinating the organization called himself, they were ready to go to their next stop: the Iron Bank, undoubtedly a more arduous negotiation, but deep down, now less dangerous.

As all climbed back onto the dragons, Aegon looked from his mount on Balerion towards his father, whom returned the look.

They both nodded and addressed their two dragons, still leaning against the collapsed walls and roof of the building. It was time to put an end to The House of Black and White once and for all.

"Dracarys"