Chapter 126: How to Poison Through Fire

Viserys guided the golden eagle to land on the roof of a dilapidated house. The thatched and mud structure had already collapsed on one side, and the additional weight caused the remaining sections to cave in further. Yet, compared to the other buildings in the area, this hut was relatively intact.

The village, once bustling, now lay in a state of utter desolation. The true victims of war were always the unarmed and defenseless. The prolonged conflict between Lys and Tyrosh over control of the Two Lakes had left this once-prosperous region in ruins. Recent mobilization by the Archon of Tyrosh only exacerbated the situation, pushing the villages and towns to the brink of collapse. Around Dragon's Flame fortress, signs of life were scarce. Grain prices soared, while the cost of slaves plummeted.

Lys's spies were well aware of Tyrosh's military maneuvers. As the "second victim" of the pirate incident, Lys was the first to recognize that something was amiss. In response, they hired two additional mercenary groups, adding over 500 men to bolster the defense of Dragon's Flame. The garrison now numbered over 2,000 soldiers. However, the leaders knew that maintaining such a force was financially unsustainable, and the increased troop presence was little more than a show of strength. They never truly intended to keep the Tyroshi forces out of the castle.

Unlike the other Free Cities, Lys had once been ruled by House Rogare more than a century ago. The Rogares had ties to the Targaryen royal family—Viserys II's father-in-law had been the Magister of Lys. But House Rogare eventually fell from power, leaving Lys to be governed by the Alchemist's Guild, a group known for their deadly poisons, including the infamous "Tears of Lys" that killed Jon Arryn and the "Strangler" that claimed King Joffrey in the original story. Due to the alchemists' influence, Lys also kept stores of wildfire.

In the meeting hall, several alchemists were discussing with Lysian nobles how to make the limited supply of wildfire more effective.

"With this small amount of fire, we won't kill many," remarked Tregar Ormollen, the Merchant Prince of Lys, identifiable by his long white robe and the multicolored rings on his fingers. Despite his luxurious attire, anxiety etched his features. The war had him deeply unsettled. Merchants, particularly those on their own soil, detested war. He also knew that Jorah Mormont, who had once lost his wife to him, was now a sergeant among the Windblown. The threat of revenge loomed large.

If it were just Jorah Mormont, he might not have been so concerned. But now, every Lyseni knew that among their enemies was a man named Viserys, notorious for his unconventional tactics. What if Viserys planned a decapitation strike against them?

At this point, a pale alchemist in brown robes spoke up, "We don't intend to burn our enemies alive with wildfire." This was Qaga, Lys's chief alchemist.

"And what do you plan to do with the wildfire?" Tregar asked, his curiosity piqued.

Qaga offered a mysterious smile before responding, "Aren't you interested in how Viserys killed the pirate leaders?"

"How did he do it?" Tregar immediately straightened in his seat. Men like him feared nothing more than dying without knowing the reason. They had too much left to enjoy—fine wines, luxurious feasts, and beautiful wives and concubines awaiting them at home. Viserys' methods had already unsettled many.

Qaga leaned in, a note of pride in his voice. "The best way to kill a group without drawing a sword is through poison. But the pirates were cautious, only consuming the food they brought themselves. It's one thing to poison a well, quite another to taint every bowl."

"So how did he manage it?" Tregar pressed, growing impatient with the alchemist's cryptic demeanor.

Qaga's smile widened. "Think about it. What else do people need to survive besides food and water?"

Tregar paused, then said, "Breathing? But... you can't poison the air, can you? Is there such a toxin?" His mind raced with images of Viserys uncorking a vial and pouring poison into the ground, its vapors silently killing the pirates. If such a poison existed, it was terrifying—Lys would be completely at the mercy of these alchemists.

But Qaga's next words brought a measure of relief. "No matter how we experiment, we haven't created a poison like that. However, we have developed a poison powder. Our plan is to use a wildfire explosion to disperse the poison powder. With enough of it, we can eliminate the enemy."

Qaga then outlined his strategy: they would bury the poison powder in a targeted area, wait for the enemy to enter, and then ignite the wildfire, which would disperse the powder, engulfing the enemy in toxic fumes. Amid the ensuing chaos and panic, they would launch a decisive strike, pushing back Tyrosh's forces.

After hearing the plan, Tregar found it entirely feasible. The risk of detonating the wildfire didn't concern him; they had bought Unsullied soldiers specifically for this purpose. In the eyes of Lys's elite, these "fill-in babies" were expendable and had no rights.

Soon after, Toland's 20,000 troops and the 2,500 Windblown arrived at Dragon's Flame. From the vantage of the golden eagle, Viserys observed the so-called "Dragon's Flame," a structure somewhat reminiscent of Harrenhal in Westeros—once grand, now dilapidated, scorched by dragonfire.

The Lys "Dragonfire Fortress" had been built on the ruins of a Volantene colonial stronghold. It was more a massive fortification than a true fortress. The western side of Dragonfire was relatively flat, an area the Lys had carefully repaired and fortified.

Suddenly, Viserys noticed Lys soldiers digging holes and burying something in the ground. 'Hmm? Landmines don't exist in this world. Even if they did, where would they get the explosives?' The soldiers' actions puzzled him, but it was clear they were setting traps.

Whether or not they were landmines, Lys was clearly preparing something sinister. Viserys decided he needed to inform Toland immediately.