Chapter 13:Volantis

'How to go to Volantis?' Thought Rhaego a lot these days. The easiest way would be simply by ship. Their navy would leave Slave Bay, and sail west, going around Valyria islands. There was no way in hell he would allow them to take the lazy retarded route that passed through the Smoking Sea.

'Seriously only a lazy, retarded, and inexperienced sailor would decide to cut time by sailing in the Smoking Sea, which is widely recognized as a deadly trap. ' Rhaego thought. The longer route would take more time, but it was safer.

The problem was Rhaego weapons that were too scarred from salty water. The demon road seems too deadly to be taken. So Rhaego would have to move with his Khalasar, through the Northwest, going North of the painted mountains and then going south to Volantis, which would be a damn long route. There was no better way so they divided their forces in two. Rhaego would do the longer route with his Khalasar. And so they separated for a while.

The trip was long and boring, but they finally got to the north of Volantis. The sea battle had not even started yet, Rhaego was glad they were stalling for time, he did not want to be excluded from the war.

Volantis is the southeasternmost of the Free Cities, located east of the Disputed Lands. Volantis sprawls across one of the four mouths of the Rhoyne, where the river flows into the Summer Sea. To the north is the river Volaena.

The cities Volon Therys, Valysar, and Selhorys are located directly northeast of the city and are ruled by Volantis. Volantis also controls the Rhoyne as far as the tributary river Selhoru and holds sway over the Orange Shore, west of the city. The ruins of Sar Mell lie northwest as well.

Volantis is the closest Free City to Slaver's Bay, lying approximately five hundred and fifty leagues from Meereen.

Volantis is a port city. Its large, deep harbor is ideally placed. Volantenes claim that the hundred isles of Braavos could be dropped into the harbor and disappear.

Volantis spreads across the mouth of the Rhoyne and across the hills and marshes on both sides of the river. The older districts of the city lie upon the eastern banks, while the newer districts are located on the west. These two halves are connected by the Long Bridge.

The Black Walls of eastern Volantis protect a large labyrinth of palaces, courtyards, towers, temples, cloisters, bridges, and cellars. The Black Walls are a great oval of fused black dragonstone, harder than steel or diamond, built two hundred feet high by the Valyrian Freehold.

It protects the oldest part of the city on the eastern shore, often called Old Volantis. It is wide enough for six four-horse chariots to race around its top abreast, as is done each year to celebrate the founding of the city.

Many inside the Black Walls keep the old gods of Valyria, but R'hllor is favored outside the Black Walls, both by slaves and freedmen. The Temple of the Lord of Light is located in the eastern half of Volantis, and according to Archmaester Gramyon, it is about three times the size of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing.

The Long Bridge joins the two halves of Volantis across the mouth of the Rhoyne. It is a great span with a road supported by massive piers that the Valyrians built at the height of their glory. Its gateway is an arch of black stone carved with sphinxes, manticores, dragons, and other beasts.

The road is wide enough for two carts to pass abreast. Buildings rise on either side of the roadway. One can buy almost anything in the shops on the Long Bridge. In the center of the bridge are displayed the hands of thieves and the heads of executed criminals.

Fishermonger's Square is bustling in western Volantis congested with traffic where fishmongers sell their catches. The Merchant's House, located on Fishmonger's Square, is the finest inn in Volantis.

'Let's make a bit of chaos...' Rhaego thought. He turned into a dragon and burned the black walls of Volantis, later he burned the tiger cloak headquarters, and the merchant district in 'New Volantis'. As a grand finale, he burned the city walls. Talking like this made it seem like Volantis had no preparation for the battle, which was not true they have several scorpions which were useless for a wise dragon-like Rhaego that know perfectly how to avoid them. They even planned to send a shadow assassin to kill Rhaego.

Making the red priests betray an Azor Ahai candidate was very costly, but it was useless in the end as they lost even before they could use it properly. It was only possible because there was not a consensus about who is their prophecied hero. After all, in the eyes of some priests, Azor Ahai should be an extremely pious devout of R'hollor.

The red priest seeing the way things unfolded did not use the shadow but eliminated all aristocrats involved in their little conspiracy and quickly went to curry favor with Rhaego.

Encircled by sea and land, the remaining Volatene concluded that it would be useless to fight an already lost battle. If they won in the sea, they would be invaded by land. If they won on land, they would be invaded by the sea. Some sea captains ran away with the remaining elite survivors to the three sisters, but most simply surrendered.

With this Volantis fell to their newly rising empire.