Hey, I Ruin Stories! Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Essos.


[A month and half — Red Waste]


Essos.


That was the continent where I stood. Not much was available on this place, mostly because there were no written records that I could study or examine.


“One would think you are inscribing spells of sorcery if they see those writings.”


Language, writing, and even the ways people communicated were significantly different in these lands compared to any others I had been to.


“It’s the language of my land, quite handy for communication.” I looked at the man who was always clad in chainmail. “Although it is nothing more than gibberish in these lands.”


It turns out, I landed in the company of a group who wants to dethrone the current king and ascend to the position of the ruler.


You would think it would be for a kingdom of this place, or maybe they were delusional enough to think of conquering the entire continent of Essos.


But no.


They were much more insane than that.


“The Khaleesi is looking for you.”


The Khaleesi, that's what they called the girl.


The wife of the Khal, her husband who died quite a while back. This Khal had quite an army with him, most of which left after his death, leaving the widowed Khaleesi with only a fraction of that army.


And yes, they were insane enough to think of conquering another continent—not even a single kingdom, but an entire continent—to the west of Essos called Westeros.


They barely had a group of men with them, no money, and they were to cross this accursed desert and a sea to launch an attack on a continent and hope to win that battle?


Yeah, no.


Those three baby dragons of hers won't be enough for that. She needs a proper army plus the dragons need to grow big enough to take on armies.


Right now, she cannot even take over a small city.


“She is still angry at me, isn’t she?”


The man gave a slight shrug, “You did kill two of her Dothraki men.”


The Dothraki are nomadic warriors who are only loyal to their Khal, and since their Khal died, they disbanded, leaving only a few handfuls with the widow of the Khal.


So, I can see why she is angry. I killed two of her men when she does not have many to begin with.


“But to me, it is still a mystery. How did you learn the Common Tongue in such a short while?” Jorah, that was his name. An exiled noble who had to flee because the crown was out for his head.


Why? Because he sold poachers as slaves, and slavery is an offense in the continent of Westeros.


Yes, he and the girl originate from Westeros—hence the obsession with conquering it.


“Sorcerers are born with various gifts, and learning fast is one of the few that I possess.”


I did not learn fast, I simply studied hard.


Going inside their minds, trying to match words with emotions, comparing tones, and studying every moment that I was awake for more than a month.


That’s how I learned their language, and that is how I can now also figure out a few words and sentences of Dothraki.


The Common Tongue that I focused on was of Westeros, and these people being from the west had me learn that language first.


As for the Dothraki, they belonged to Essos, hence to have a general understanding of both continents, I had to learn a little of both.


“You certainly are gifted.” Surprisingly, he wasn’t being sarcastic. “Because of you at least we have enough water and food.”


They were in quite a bad state. After we started moving and left the place with what little vegetation it had, water and food had grown scarce for the group.


It was not until they saw me creating water and growing fruits from a magically grown tree that they found any hope.


It was difficult to understand them back then, and the girl was rather prideful to even ask. But she had to let go of that pride seeing her men suffering.


She was young, but it turns out, you come of age quite early in this world.


“You might be the only man of Ulthos I have ever interacted with.” Ulthos was another continent and quite secluded. So when I finally learned their tongue and a little of the geography, Ulthos seemed to be the best place to use as my place of origin.


“Men of Ulthos rarely go on explorations, and those that do never return. We are a continent satisfied enough with what we have, and I was more of a misfit, so you could say I decided to venture out.” I finally stopped writing. “And when I did come here, the storm, shipwreck, and having to use my clothes as ropes to fix damages to avoid drowning left me stranded naked in these lands.”


“I must say, I am rather interested in stories of Ulthos as there are none, no bards to sing of stories of Ulthos. All we have are mysteries and speculations.”


“I would love to share what I know.” Sadly, I knew nothing. “But you said we have to meet with the Khaleesi, didn't you?”


“That is true,” he said, fixing his chainmail and straightening his posture. “It’s never wise to make the Khaleesi wait.”


I extended my hand towards the door. “Then lead the way, Ser.”


Ser.


He was no knight, but he was called Ser.


Quite amusing.


“Because of you, we have been able to bear this heat a little better.” We walked through the tents, ones that I had ventilated better with my magic and where I used elemental magic to form ice under the floor, keeping the tents constantly cool.


Even the proud and war-hardened Dothraki expressed their gratitude for it quite a few times. And that was amusing to me, as they were much more used to the heat, being people who had survived through these deserts for years.


“With a little more traveling, we will be in Qarth soon.”


Qarth was the closest city on our path and it was one of the free cities. Jorah had described the place as a wealthy and powerful city built on the concept of trade. But while he did not mention it, prying inside his mind sent a warning about the potential dangers of the politics of Qarth.


“Do you think there will be people willing to join her cause?”


We didn't stop our feet and kept walking while he answered.


“There are people everywhere willing to follow you as long as you choose the right words.” He was smart and experienced, I should say. “It is up to her if she is able to use those words well or not.”


He was loyal to her, ridiculously so. But he didn't hold her hand and guide her through everything. He was more of a person who would let you walk through experiences than tell you the way.


Given you were not harmed.


Yet despite that, there were other sorts of feelings he had. He was protective of her, cared for her, but it wasn't exactly love or desire either.


He liked her, as what exactly that was, even he was confused about.


“How big is the current Westerosi army?” I asked, aware that it was massive but not certain how big.


“Big enough that with our current numbers, we cannot even take a small city in Westeros.”


That was a given. It was the army of a continent, and she had what? A couple dozen men?


Mixing the other warriors that Jorah gathered from somewhere for her, her army was at best a hundred strong.


Quite stupid to even dream about reclaiming the throne with that amount.


Reclaiming...


She is the descendant of the previous king of Westeros before he was killed and another man took the throne.


But now that man was also dead and the current king was his son, who was also just a boy and apparently had sadistic traits.


It cannot be that bad, can it?


Not like we have examples of young sadistic Roman Emperors like Elagabalus, right?


“I know it might be a bit much to ask…” Jorah took a deep breath, “But please take no offense to what the Khaleesi says. She has lost her parents, brothers, husband, her unborn child, and everything that she held dear. She is young and inexperienced in politics and life. Despite that, she has lived through pains that most don't go through during their lifetime.”


He genuinely cared about her. It was respectable but also understandable, as she was the only one who took him in when the world was out to hunt him.


“It’s fine, I am to blame for killing two of her warriors.”


It was not because he was worried I would feel bad, but because he was scared of my powers. Sorcerers were both hated, feared, and respected in this world—depending on the sorcerer. But the most common thing people knew about sorcerers was not to offend them.


“I will go and check on the bloodriders, you talk with her.”


“Very well.”


Bloodriders were the most skilled warriors that the Khal and Khaleesi had, and Daenerys, the Khaleesi, had only a few.


“It’s me.”


I stood outside, aware that she was inside with her handmaids.


“You may enter.”


But surprisingly, it was only her.


“You took your time.” She wasn’t as angry as she showed.


“I apologize, I had been a little busy with my studies.”


“It’s fine, but have you eaten?” She looked better than before, much healthier.


“I had some fruits and will go for something else once I finish studying the geography a little.”


The Dothraki were expert hunters, and using the fruits created by magic, they trapped enough wild animals for us to eat.


Now, I could have done that with magic too. But it is never wise to show your trump cards.


“I… would like to express my gratitude for providing us with food and water.” She was proud but not ungrateful.


“I took the lives of two of your men, so I am making sure that the rest of you survive until you exit this cursed desert.”


She stared at me directly. “It is difficult to forgive murder. But you have also saved the lives of my men for this long.”


From what I learned, she cared about people. But deep down, it was not because she cared about the lives lost that she was spiteful about the deaths of the Dothraki men.


It was because she had lost two men who could fight for her. Her army was weak, and I had made it weaker.


That was her issue, not the taking of two innocent lives.


Not that it was a bad thing, just that she wasn't selfless.


“You make me curious,” she said, surprising me a little. “How did a sorcerer end up in your state? You are strong and capable, but you still seem lost.”


“Even an adventurer who roams the world can get lost in an unexplored place. For me, I am just a man with a bit of magic.”


“At least you are not an enemy.” She stood up. “Ser Jorah explained how terrifying sorcerers can be. And I have seen your magic; it is… quite special.”


“You would be surprised to see what some of the other sorcerers can do.”


I hoped there were some interesting magic wielders.


“Still, I will say that you have helped us a lot. It would have been much more difficult to traverse this desert without your help.”


Oh, I don't doubt it.


“We are on the same path, and it is always better to travel with people who know the lands.” I did learn a lot about the world and its people because of them. “Hence, I am grateful that you have allowed me to travel with your group for this long.”


“How long will you be with us?” She sounded curious.


“I hope it is for a while. I have yet to learn about the Dothraki language and the other tongues of Essos. And given your end goal is Westeros, it is good for me as I too want to explore the lands of Westeros.”


She smiled upon hearing this. “It’s always great to have someone who can help with the food and temperature.”


“The help you are providing is much more than we expected.” She took a deep breath. “So, tell me. Is there anything that you want specifically? If it is not too far-fetched and is within my control, I do not mind helping you with it.”


“There isn't exactly much I want.” I moved around the place, looking at what she had to offer. “But…”


“But?”


“But I would appreciate it if you could help my studies a little.”


There was still much I had to figure out before I could make a move. Controlled chaos, a goal for which knowledge was key.


“And how do I help your studies?” She was amused. “I am not that well-versed in studies either.”


“It’s nothing difficult.” It wasn’t. “I just want help with geography and history. Especially the ones regarding your family, the original conquerors, and the history of dragons.”


I looked at her dragons, which were growing at a ridiculous rate.


“Sorcerers are after knowledge. There is nothing greater for a sorcerer than the pursuit of knowledge and magic, and from what I have learned so far, House Targaryen is shrouded in magic and mysteries.”


She thought about it for a while. It did involve her family after all, and revealing much to a man who had been barely around for a month and a half held a lot of risks.


“I too am not well-versed in the magic of our old generations or about the deep history of my blood. But yes, I do not mind helping you with what I know.” She gave a soft smile. “That is something I can do for the help that you have provided.”


But I had one final request.


“I would like to ask for something more though.”


“Oh?” This drew her interest. “And what might that be?”


I finally pointed at her dragons.


“If there is anything more magical than your family’s blood, then it is the dragons themselves.”


However, this made her frown a little.


“I am afraid dragons are not test subjects. I cannot allow you to experiment on my little children.”


This made me immediately shake my head.


“I do not want to experiment on them.” I was not a researcher to cut them open. “I simply want to research them. Notice their behavior, their habits, and their growth. I want to keep a watch on them, and I believe it will help me understand the magic surrounding these magical beasts a bit better.”


Again, this had her thinking.


“Will it hurt them in any way?”


“Absolutely not. Instead, I would say that they are going to enjoy most of the things.”


She stared at her dragons who snuggled close to her.


“Then… then it is fine.” She sighed. “As long as you do not harm them, you can do your research. Just know that dragons are not pets; they can take your life faster than you can think of saving yourself.”


“I will keep that in mind.”


“Very well then, you have my permission.”


I gave her a slight bow of respect. “I am grateful for that, Khaleesi.”


She had given me access to her greatest weapon even without realizing it.


That would never come back to bite her, now would it?

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[A/N: The real plot starts next chapter. Cheers!]]