End of Games

Chapter 19

Outside New Astapor Main City Gates
Oberyn Martell:

"Primary Laws of New Astapor," I read aloud the title carved deeply into the outer gatehouse wall of the city, which looks like it has been renovated along with the gate, where said laws have been carved into the wall and highlighted with white ink to be seen from afar.

Another thing that has been carved into the wall and highlighted is 'New Astapor' above the main city gate. Where there is supposed to be the Astapori statue with its wings spread atop the gate, there is a covered structure that I don't think is the harpy anymore.

"I never thought I'd see slavery forbidden in Slaver's Bay," Ellaria, the love of my life and longtime paramour, says beside me while we wait in line for New Astapor's gates to be opened with our daughter Tyene and my oldest daughters Obara and Nymeria. "Yet one of the Slaver Cities went so far as to strictly forbid slavery as its first law."

"I especially never thought the Unsullied would ever revolt and usurp the Good Masters," I tell her. "But all my informants said that they did."

"I can see the other slaves doing this, but the Unsullied? On their own? No. This Alpha person said to be an Unsullied is likely their new master and not an Unsullied, or he's a figurehead who does the real master's bidding."

"That would break the first law," Nymeria, my second oldest daughter, points out from behind us with her paternal half-sisters.

"Hence the rumor is that the Alpha is an Unsullied."

"Is it a rumor when father's informants all say the same thing?" Obara, my oldest daughter, asks. "Even those who managed to escape say that the Alpha, or just Alpha, is an Unsullied and he commands the Unsullied without a whip."

"They also said that the Unsullied's eyes glow," Ellaria points out. "Until we verify this information ourselves, it's rumors. Don't take anything you're told at face value, always verify it yourself."

"This is good advice, heed it," I tell my daughters. "It's why we're here."

We're actually here because Yunkai hired the Second Sons to supplement its forces in case the Unsullied try to invade and the captain of the Second Sons Mero gave me the mission to scout New Astapor as my last mission for the organization after all his other scouts didn't report back to him. Unlike the other scouts, I'm not going to try to sneak into New Astapor, I'm going to walk right through the gates with my family and we're going to walk out in a week or so.

"Look!" Tyene, the youngest of my present three daughters, gains our attention and points atop the main city gate, where the Astapori harpy is supposed to be. "They're removing the cloth."

Indeed they are. I hope this means the gates will be opened soon. We watch as a bronze statue of a red-eyed Unsullied with two snarling wolves, dire wolves, one with blue eyes and the other with yellow eyes, flanking it and one larger red-eyed dire wolf in front of it is revealed.

"Farewell, outgoers!!!" Eight Unsullied speak in unison atop the gatehouse before we can say anything. "And welcome to New Astapor, newcomers!!! Ensure that you have read the Primary Laws of New Astapor before you register your exit from or entry into the city and obey them while you're in New Astapor's territory!!! Outgoers, you've seen what happens to lawbreakers. Newcomers, you will see what happens to lawbreakers!!! Do not break the laws of New Astapor!!! May the Father of Hosts protect and keep you free!!!"

"Who's the Father of Hosts?" Ellaria asks me.

"I don't know," I tell her. "But it sounds like the Unsullied found religion.”

The Unsullied finally open the city gates and reveal two shorter lines, compared to ours, of outgoers on the other side, and beyond the lines… My attention quickly goes from the renovated stepped pyramids to the attention-grabbing bigger than big bronze statue of an Unsullied with a wolf face, teeth and ears and red eyes and what looks like a shield, a very wide shield, over its head, looking in our direction.

"This actually looks like a new Astapor," Ellaria observes, surprised. "Unsullied or not, the Alpha is very serious about his city."

He is very serious about his city, serious enough to establish a clear border around it and its newly claimed territories and send out thousands of Unsullied, due to greedily claiming the large unclaimed Ghiscar region, including Old Ghis, to patrol and kill and chase out outlaws of all kinds who hide at Old Ghis, along the routes and in the hills. We had to pass through a 'border gate' to enter the New Astapor territory because everyone who tries to sneak past the border elsewhere is killed, or so my informants warned me.

Considering none of Mero's scouts reported back, I listened and took the safer option with my family. However, to pass through the border gate, we had to register our entry and give away our information such as our birth names, aliases, date of births, where we were born, our parents names, where we live and many other details, and not lie, but we were rewarded with passport documents that have a list of Primary Laws of New Astapor on the back and a map with major routes to and from New Astapor afterwards.

The major route we took, the old Ghiscari coastal road, turned out to be heavily patrolled by the Unsullied, but it no longer looks old, which was a hint of New Astapor's own renovation. My informants also warned me of Unsullied bases throughout the territory and occasional checkpoints on the routes, but they had nothing to tell me about what was happening inside the city aside from what they heard from those who escaped it months ago. I'm glad they didn't spoil the surprise that I'm staring at right now.

Ellaria is right, this looks like a new Astapor, and its new great statue of the intimidating wolf-faced Unsullied warns everyone that it is strong and not to be messed with. How could anyone think otherwise when there are Unsullied everywhere? Even the boat for hire we took to cross the newly renamed Free River had Unsullied guards.

"I wonder what he looks like if he would rather make a statue with a wolf's face instead of his own," Tyene says curiously.

"He's probably ugly," Nymeria guesses.

"That means he would likely put more effort into sexually satisfying a woman."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, my dear daughter, but he wouldn't know what to do with you," I tell Tyene. "The Unsullied are impressive on the battlefield, but not so much in the bedroom."

"You also said that they're very good at following orders, father," Nymeria reminds me. "That, their hands and mouths, is all that's needed to train them into competent bed companions."

"That… is true," Ellaria agrees.

"Is it?" I challenge as the line begins to move. "What did you say about not taking anything you're told at face value?"

Ellaria looks at me for a moment, and then smiles a charming smile, "Find us a willing Unsullied when we get inside then."

I love this woman.

"I will," I promise with a kiss.

"*Look at these fools," a man says to his companions as they pass by us, leaving New Astapor in a hurry. "*They don't know what they're getting themselves into."

"*Why don't you tell us?!" Someone asks.

"*Why should we?!" One of the man's companions asks in turn. "*No one warned us about that thing!"

He points at… the big statue with a wolf's face.

"*Don't mind my friend, fellow travelers!" Another says. "*Let's help each other! We know what's on the other side of that gate and you know what has been happening on this side of it for the past nine months! What do you say?!"

"What are they saying?" Obara asks, not knowing High Valyrian or its many dialects called Low Valyrian just like Nymeria and Tyene.

"The man just proposed an information exchange," I tell her in the Common Tongue of Westeros. "I'll tell you everything once they're done."
~
Inside New Astapor
Boyd:

Truth be told, I love every single moment of all this, the attention, the idolization and the praise. From being unpopular in my home world and then becoming Derek's Beta to this, to now, to having all this power and a huge statue of myself in the middle of the city, I'm living the dream. I don't know why I'm in this world, but I'm going to make the most of my second chance at life. This, this is just a start. I know that I told Missandei that I would return home, to my world, if I could, but I kind of lied.

I've had a lot of sleepless nights that forced me to slow down and think about, process, accept and embrace my situation. I miss my father, but I don't want to return to my home world. I'm living my best life in this world, I'm thriving, and I intend to thrive some more. So, while the people decide to spend their day staring at my statues, I leave the City Square with my inner circle so I can get back to work. Or so I planned. Plans change, especially when the girl I like asks me out.

Well, Missandei doesn't really ask me out, like on a date, she suggests that we go on a tour of the city just as I'm about to get back to work when we arrive home—home being the Unsullied pyramid. The fact that she makes this suggestion after everyone goes their own way and it's just the two of us makes me wonder why she wants to spend her day off touring the city with me. Is it because she doesn't want me to work when I'm supposed to be off duty, or is it because she likes me and wants to spend some time with me, alone?

I think the answer is both, but a little more the latter than the former judging by how she looks 'I like you' kind of shy right now. As far as I'm concerned, she's asking me on a walk date, so I eagerly welcome her invite and out we go, though not before we change clothes and I shift into my human form to avoid attracting too much attention.
~
Outside New Astapor Main City Gates
Ellaria:

The information exchange between travelers turns out to be very informative, and shocking. The news of the Unsullied allegedly revolting against and usurping the Good Masters pales in comparison to what has just been said.

"You're lying!" Someone accuses the traveler with the most shocking news, if true.

"He's not lying! I recently crossed the Dothraki Sea and met people who survived Khal Drogo's attacks on their khalasars! They all said that he gave them the choice to join his khalasar or leave after killing the Khals!"

"The Dothraki don't give anyone a choice to be their slave or not! Least of all Khal Drogo!"

"I heard he hasn't been the same after falling off his horse and most of his khalasar left him!"

"Are you trying to say that falling on his head somehow turned him into a dragon?!"

Many laugh at this.

"Fucking the Targaryen wench gave him three dragons instead of sons, perhaps fucking her also turned him into one!"

Oberyn looks at me with a look that tells me that he's wondering if this could be true. The Targaryens have been known to give birth to monstrous babies with dragon characteristics, but these monstrous babies were often stillborn. I wonder the same.

"Or the great Khal Drogo now worships the Lord of Light!"

Everyone laughs even harder than before, and I can't help but chuckle at the thought of a Dothraki worshiping the Lord of Light.

"I believe you, fellow traveler!" The man that proposed the information trade addresses the original traveler who made the claims of having seen Khal Drogo burn his Khal with fire from his own hand with three baby dragons and Daenerys Targaryen at his side. "For I, we (He motions to his companions,) have seen the impossible as well! Do you all see that great statue?! That isn't just a statue of an Unsullied with wolf features! That…!"

"That thing is the Alpha!" His friend who wasn't interested in sharing information before suddenly interjects himself to do just that with a mixture of fear and reluctant admiration in his voice.

"What does your friend mean by 'that thing is the Alpha?!'" Someone asks the man that was cut off by his friend.

"Exactly what he said!" The man responds, looking at the statue. "You're looking at the statue of the new ruler of New Astapor the Alpha, that is how he looks underneath his human facade! Many people believe that he's a forgotten Ghiscari wolf god, even the Graces!"

"The Astapori Green Grace believes him to be a forgotten Ghiscari wolf god?" A Pink Grace asks from several people in front of us, stepping out of the line a little.

"The Astapori now call themselves New Astapori, Pink Grace," One of the people who are leaving the city but decided to hear the information exchange says. "I don't know whether the New Astapori Green Grace believes His Alphaship is a forgotten Ghiscari god or not, but I know that she welcomed the sudden change in power and the Alpha's rule."

"Outgoers, make way for others, move along," an Unsullied orders, approaching with three others, and the outgoers quickly follow the order, but the Unsullied still approach until two stop in front of the man who made the claims about Khal Drogo and the other two in front of the travelling merchant who supported them; I pay attention to the closest to us, the merchant. "May I please see your passport."

Silence reigns as the merchant does as surprisingly politely 'asked.' The Unsullied looks at the passport document and then the people with the merchants, his horses and carriages and carts, and ask for their passports as well while the other Unsullied thoroughly checks the carriages and carts. While this takes place, the man that made the claims gets escorted to the city gate with his belongings, looking confused and terrified.

"Please, come with us," the Unsullied says after a while, returning the passports to their owners.

"Did I do something wrong?" The merchant asks with a shaky voice.

"No. You have been declared a very important person, thus you and yours have the privilege of not waiting in line. Come."

The merchant and his follow the Unsullied while the other one follows behind them.

"Why did they take those people?" Tyene asks in the Common Tongue of Westeros when they're out of hearing range and people start talking.

"They have been declared 'very important,'" I answer.

"You were right to question the Alpha's Unsullied status," Oberyn tells me with a kiss on my forehead.

"The Alpha is not an Unsullied?" Nymeria asks curiously.

"He's allegedly a forgotten Ghiscari wolf god and that (Oberyn points at the great statue.) is how he looks 'underneath his human facade.' We must be careful here. I'm sorry, my love, but the pleasure houses will have to wait when we get inside."

"I understand," I assure him, hugging his side. "Gathering information is more important, especially after the Unsullied took those men. I think they heard what they said about Khal Drogo and they're going to question them."

"So do I."

"What about Khal Drogo?" Obara asks at the same time as Nymeria, "Isn't he the horse lord that married Daenerys?"

"He is," Oberyn confirms. "Our adventure just got more interesting."

'And more dangerous,' I think, but don't say as he informs the girls on what we just learned while the line goes forward.

I wonder what he's thinking and what he plans to do with all that we learned, but I know that I'm not going to wonder for too long. Oberyn usually speaks with me about his thoughts and plans.
~
Two months, three weeks and two days ago
Wasteland, Lhazar
Daenerys:

As the Sun set and fires were lit around camp, anxious noise filled the evening and I couldn’t help but be grateful to hear the noise while I walked around as a living free woman. With the odds that we faced earlier, and the losses I suffered since Drogo’s fight with Mago…

I didn’t know how I would ever repay Scott for singlehandedly saving me, my dragons and my small khalasar, and expanding said small khalasar into a larger khalasar of five thousand from Khal Pono's fourteen thousand.

How did one thank the kind of man Scott McCall was?

“Khaleesi,” Sir Jorah greeted me as he approached.

“Sir Jorah,” I came to a halt with my response, and the three guards Scott handpicked from the bloodriders who chose to stay with me when the others left to protect me stopped as well.

“We’ve returned from Khal Pono’s camp with the last of his khalasar's possessions and slaves,” Sir Jorah reported.

"Have you set the slaves free?" I inquired.

"We did," Sir Jorah assured me. "But your word carries more weight, Khaleesi."

"See to it that they are fed and have places to sleep, Sir Jorah," I instructed after a moment of thought. "Drogo and I will see them when they've had food in their bellies and are well rested."

By Drogo, I meant Scott McCall, who I now had an excuse to seek and find after he requested some time alone.