A tale: Reborn in Westeros

Chapter 27

Aegon Targaryen ~ War Council

It is beginning soon. The slavers are on the march and their fleet is on its way. We are making final decisions and discuss the battle plan for the coming battle. In the meeting, several people are present including the two knights, Grey Worm, Daenerys, Varys, Tyrion, Margaery, and Missandei. The latter four are only present to know what will happen, since they will not participate in the fight.

"Alex, if you could," Daenerys says. I nod and stand up to walk towards the large map of Meereen. "According to Varys, the army we will face is around fifty thousand strong. From the North, around twenty-five thousand will approach and a similar amount from the south," I start to explain, pointing to corresponding locations.

"We have only around twenty thousand men to man the walls. As a river flows on the north side, it will be easier to hold them off. Therefore, the Army will be placed in North Meereen. The army from the south will be stopped by me and Viserion. They will expect to fight men and not a dragon, so either they will flee or die in fire," I explain further.

"The army will be split in two, one part is the Unsullied and will man the North Western part. Grey Worm, you are responsible for commanding them," I say and look at Grey Worm. He nods with determination. "The north-eastern part will be manned by the Second Sons and our fresh recruits. Daario, you are in charge of them. You have the most experience in keeping... irregular troops under control. Are you capable of it?" Daario smirks as he confidently nods. "It will be a piece of cake, Your Grace. They have seen Grey Worm and me during their entire training. They will listen to me," he says.

"Good. That leaves the fleet," I continue and point to the bay, "Our fleet will not be of much use. We do not have enough sailors and there will be too many ships. That is why Daenerys will neutralize the ships with Drogon and Rhaegal. I hope most ships will surrender. We could use them for transporting our armies and the Golden Company. That is the plan. Any questions or remarks?" I ask.

I turn back to face the group to see their reaction. Barristan and Jorah seem impressed and agree. Same goes for Grey Worm and Daario. The others probably have not much experience in planning a battle, as they seem satisfied. "I do have one question. How will we deal with soldiers that penetrate the walls and get into the city?" Tyrion asks.

"Good point. Grey Worm, how many men can you spare?" I ask. "Two hundred, Your Grace," he answers. I nod. "Good, split them in groups of one hundred, and they will function as a rapid response force. If word reaches that there is a breach, one group will reinforce the position and halt any advancements till reinforcements arrive," I explain. Tyrion nods. "A good solution. You made an excellent plan, Your Grace. I will make sure that the city is prepared to extinguish any fires, just in case."

I sit back down next to Daenerys. She looks extremely proud of me. It warms my heart. "You did well, love," she says softly, and I smile in response. Daenerys looks at everyone. "I wish everyone the best tomorrow. We best prepare as much as possible in the time we have left. Margaery, Missandei, Varys, and Tyrion, you will stay here in the Pyramid. A small force will be left here to guard against possible attackers or opportunists. We best get some sleep. Good luck everyone," she says. Everyone goes their separate way and prepares in their own way. I stay with Daenerys.

We sit on the balcony looking towards the bay, as we relax and prepare ourselves mentally. We do not say much, but a comfortable atmosphere surrounds us. "Are you afraid, my love?" Daenerys asks. I shake my head. "No, I am not. Drogon and Rhaegal will protect you. I trust in Viserion to keep me safe. And Grey Worm and Daario are very much capable of dealing with their enemy," I say with a voice that contain no doubt. Daenerys smiles and lays her head on my shoulder.

"Good. I feel the same about tomorrow. I will wear something to protect our unborn child, but the battle will be over quickly, I suspect. By the way, you are good at strategy and planning, Alex. You came up with a good and easy way of fighting, and made a good plan," Daenerys says with pride and admiration.

I place a kiss on her head and scoot ever so closer to her. "I was selected for an intense training program to become a general, so I know a bit about what to do. Although, the focus was not on spears and shields. Let alone dragons," I chuckle. Daenerys softly laughs. "Don't die tomorrow, Alex. I want to hold you again in my arms," she says with an almost pleading voice. "I will, and the same goes for you. You are carrying precious cargo," I say with a smile. Daenerys laughs. "Aren't you the joker?"

"We will win this, and then we will go to Westeros."

~ The Battle of Slaver's Bay ~

I sit on the back of Viserion overlooking the south side of Meereen. My equipment consists of light armor and a helmet. It probably is not necessary, but I rather be safe than sorry. I positioned myself in the hills, which provides a good vantage point and keeps me out of sight. The day that the battle takes place on is a beautiful day. The sky is blue, and the sun is shining brightly. One could almost say that it is peaceful, if it wasn't for the sounds of war.

A large army is marching in a rhythmic pace. Thousands of slave soldiers and trained freemen march on Meereen's south wall. The enemy army kicks up large amounts of dust as they close in on Meereen. I take a final deep breath before putting on my helmet. "Alright, Viserion. Let's make Daenerys proud," I say to Viserion in Valyrian while stroking his scales. He lets out a roar as I feel him shifting and reading himself. "Fly!" I command him. He takes a small sprint before lifting off in the air.

I have never experienced such a thrill in life before. Flying on a dragon is amazing and such a freeing experiencing. If it wasn't for the fact we are about to fight, I would probably be enjoying it. Instead, I feel anxious. Daenerys will soon fly towards the fleet, and I hope she will stay safe.

As the army comes closer into view, several yells of fear and shock emanates from the soldiers below. Viserion roars at them, which makes the soldiers below even more afraid. The roar of Viserion is terrifying. It is loud, thunderous, and deep. Lions would flee in terror at the sound. I feel myself breathing a bit faster and hesitate on calling the command. This will be brutal and devastating. I hope they will soon surrender.

"Dracarys!" I say loud and clear. Viserion roars and pulls his head back slightly. I feel the warmth emanating from him. As he opens his mouth, torrents of thick and hot fire travel through the air towards the many lines of soldiers. They scream in pain, their flesh is burnt to a crisp, their armor melts and bents due to the heat. My face crunches in disgust. The smell is terrible. It is like I am dropping napalm on these men.

I glance around to see the reaction. They are in disarray and very much terrified of Viserion. From my right, I see a man commanding the archers to form up to shoot me and Viserion down. Fool. I guide Viserion to him and engulf him and the archers in flames. The only thing that remains is ash. It sends a chill through my body. This makes me wonder what Aegon the Conquer thought of when he fought against The Rock and The Reach.

In a quick look around, I suspect I already burned around two hundred men. I steel myself as I continue with burning the soldiers. Twisted screams of pain and foul burning smells start to fill the air after each dive I make. In the distance, I already see a few ships burning, but white flags start to appear on the ships. As I glance below me, I see many running away after throwing their weapons on the ground. Some even balling on the ground in despair. They will not continue the fight. I let out a sigh and direct Viserion higher to see how the northern part of Meereen is doing.

Viserion hovers over Meereen and sometimes let's out a screech or roars softly. My gaze looks over the walls, and I am surprised. They are still fighting, but it is pretty much over. I turn to my left as I hear the flapping sound of the other dragons. Daenerys smiles at me as she motions to the northern gate. She guides Drogon to the ground and I follow suit.

The ground shakes and dust is thrown in the air. I scratch Viserion affectionately and in appreciation. After a few moments of thanking Viserion, I jump off him and land on the ground. It does not take long, before I feel Daenerys jumping on me. My hands hold her in place as she quickly captured my lips for a deep and long kiss. "I am glad you're alive and well, Dany," I say with a bright smile. "And you as well, my heart and soul."