Chapter 280: Expulsion

The Dothraki had discarded the siege crossbows, which were now a windfall for the Targaryen army.

As for the Braavosi who had helped them build siege weapons in their tribes, they were detained by the Khals without a second thought.

This expedition had not only brought no benefits to the Dothraki, but also caused significant losses.

The several hundred Braavosi craftsmen and soldiers were sold as slaves as compensation.

As for whether the Braavosi would retaliate...

Retaliate?

The Dothraki had never feared retaliation. If the Braavosi dared, they could come to Vaes Dothrak to settle the score.

The three Khals were firm on this issue, betraying their allies without remorse, then dusting off their hands and leaving.

The Dothraki feared Viserys because he had dragons.

But there was nothing to fear from Braavos. Their invincible fleet couldn't sail to the Dothraki Sea.

Boom—

Then, a dazzling pillar of fire descended from the sky.

It engulfed countless fleeing Dothraki and their horses.

The screams of horror rose again. With the dragon's flight, the pillar of fire split the Dothraki formation, cutting through it like a knife through the sea, leaving a deep scar on the vast land.

Then the dragon spread its wings again, stirring up a gale as it soared into the sky, its deep roar echoing from the heights.

Rumble—

On the ground, the horses were still galloping.

Many Dothraki who had narrowly escaped death looked up.

They saw a massive figure weaving through the clouds, flying into the distance.

Viserys had left.

He had chased the Dothraki for hundreds of miles, setting fire to and killing many Dothraki warriors, driving them towards Meereen.

It wasn't that Viserys had a grudge against Meereen, or that he did it intentionally.

The Dothraki had chosen to run in that direction, and he had no choice but to chase them, perhaps a bit too eagerly.

Meanwhile, on the ground...

"The Dragon Rider Khal has finally left!"

Countless Dothraki on the ground saw the dragon's figure receding into the clouds and breathed a sigh of relief.

This battle had truly frightened them. The warriors of the plains, though brave and unafraid of death, could not face such an insurmountable opponent.

They had never thought that in this era of curved swords and bows, they would face the problem of air superiority.

The existence of the dragon was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.

At any moment, it could descend and reap their lives, and they had no way to fight back. This greatly damaged the Dothraki's morale.

Not fearing death doesn't mean they want to die.

But there was nothing they could do about it.

"He's finally gone."

The three Khals, disguised as ordinary tribesmen and hiding within their khalasars, along with their bloodriders, saw Viserys's receding figure and breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a deep sense of humiliation.

When had they ever suffered such humiliation, being chased like dogs?

"Both of you."

"Are we... just going back like this?"

After a long silence, Khal Pono was the first to speak.

His voice carried a hint of unwillingness and resentment.

They had decided to attack Pentos after receiving a large amount of gold, silver, and jewels from Braavos, who had brokered the deal.

They thought Pentos was still as weak as before, and a little fight would have them offering large amounts of gold for peace. But they hadn't expected

to hit a steel wall this time.

Over eighty thousand Dothraki warriors swore on the Mother Mountain, with the stars in the sky as their witnesses, to march on Pentos. But they were beaten badly, lost two Khals, and had to flee in disgrace.

If they returned to the Dothraki Sea like this, the three Khals - Khal Moro, Khal Jhaqo, and Khal Pono - would become the laughingstock of the Great Grass Sea.

Khal Pono, who was straightforward and outspoken, took the initiative to speak. Khal Jhaqo glanced at him, his eyes flickering but he remained silent. Then all eyes fell on Khal Moro.

Although his khalasar was not large, the old Khal was the leader of this allied army because of his rich experience.

Moreover, Khal Pono and Khal Jhaqo were enemies and neither would allow the other to be the leader, so they had to let Khal Moro take the lead.

The elderly Khal, hearing Khal Pono's words, pondered for a moment.

Then he looked up at the distance.

They were currently on a raised hill in the great plains, and looking far away, they could see a hint of azure where the sky met the sea.

They had already fled to the vicinity of the Meereen Sea. Ahead of them was the territory of Meereen, one of the Free Cities.

There were many towns and villages around Meereen, and Meereen itself was extremely wealthy.

Khal Moro pondered for a moment, then spoke.

"Poison Water is ahead."

He had his bloodrider bring him a map to explain their current location.

Once they bypassed the lake that flowed into the Meereen Sea, they could reach Meereen. Then the old Khal continued.

"Since we're here..."

"We should take something back to the Great Grass Sea, shouldn't we?"

Upon hearing his words, Khal Pono and Khal Jhaqo immediately understood.

When it came to looting, the Dothraki were quite adept. They could understand each other with just a glance.

"Agreed!"

"No problem!"

Khal Pono and Khal Jhaqo both immediately nodded in agreement, surprisingly in harmony for once.

Then, following the command of the bloodriders...

The Dothraki, who had been fleeing in disarray for a long time, once again rallied their spirits and blew their war horns.

Woo—

The sound of galloping hooves shook the earth.

The Dothraki, who had lost thousands in the war and were now only a little over forty thousand, were now marching towards Meereen in a grand procession.

They decided to take what they should have gotten from Pentos from Meereen instead.

The council of Magisters in Meereen, composed of wealthy merchants and local nobles, had no idea of the disaster that was about to befall them.

Meereen was still bustling, completely unaware that over forty thousand Dothraki, like demons from hell, were marching towards them.

Meanwhile, in distant Pentos...

Rhaenys had met her cousin for the first time, Princess Arianne Martell of Dorne.

Their uncle, Prince Oberyn, had made the introduction.

"She is the daughter of your aunt Elia, your cousin."

"The current Princess Regent, Rhaenys Targaryen."