Lo Quen drew his gaze back from the Yi Ti people preparing to sail and turned to the Magister standing beside him in dutiful respect.
"Magister, I've heard Asabhad is also descended from the Patrimony of Hyrkoon. So how much do you know about your ancestors' homeland, that Great Sand Sea buried under the yellow sands?"
At the question, the Magister's plump face flickered with unmistakable embarrassment.
He pulled out a silk handkerchief and dabbed at the cold sweat gathering on his brow, managing a strained smile. "Your Grace, you've truly put me on the spot. Our bloodline can indeed be traced back to the ancient descendants of the Patrimony of Hyrkoon, but that was so long ago."
"After the fall of the Patrimony of Hyrkoon, several branches of the Hyrkoon people built three fortress passes in the Bone Mountains: Shamyriana, Kayakayanaya, and Bayasabhad. We of Asabhad were another branch that moved south."
"Unlike those three strongholds that clung to the old ways, we embraced the sea and trade long ago. Our ancestors' history is too distant for most of us. Only the scholars in Asabhad who devote themselves to history and learning study such things. I know very little myself."
Lo Quen frowned.
So Asabhad had all but forgotten its own past.
Seeing the faint crease in Lo Quen's brow, the Magister hurried to add, "But I do remember this much: our first capital was called Hyrkoon. It stood in the southern reaches of what is now the Great Sand Sea, near Yi Ti's old capital, Tiqui. They say springs once flowed there that never ran dry, and trees bore fruit like gold… until the sands swallowed everything."
"As for its exact location, what the city looked like, or why it was buried… Your Grace, forgive my ignorance. Those secrets may be known only to certain ancient scrolls hidden deep within some library."
Lo Quen nodded. "In that case, I want everything your city's libraries hold on ancient history and geography, especially anything concerning the Patrimony of Hyrkoon, the Great Sand Sea, and the legends of the east. Books, maps, travelogues. All of it."
The Magister bowed again and again, as if spared. "Yes, yes, Your Grace! I will order the officials to open the oldest archives at once and send every document you might need."
…
The Magister's residence in Asabhad was built around deep inner courtyards and winding corridors, steeped in an eastern style.
Lo Quen chose the quietest wing as his temporary quarters.
It had once been the private study of successive Magisters. Now it was piled high with ancient books and maps gathered from the city archives and requisitioned from noble households.
Lo Quen dismissed his attendants and began turning through texts on Asabhad's founding, along with older accounts of the Great Migration.
Most of the writing was drenched in flowery praise, but once he peeled that away, he finally unearthed several crucial points.
The ancestors of the Asabhad people had indeed migrated from the region of the Great Sand Sea, a branch of the "Patrimony of Hyrkoon."
The reason given was consistent across sources: a sandstorm that fell from the heavens, turning the once-blessed land of "Hyrkoon" into a dead waste.
As for Hyrkoon's exact location, most texts pointed toward a legendary eternal sandbar somewhere in the very heart of the Great Sand Sea.
There, the desert sands moved day and night like rivers, never still.
The documents also confirmed what the Magister had said: the tribes that fled early did not remain united.
The ancestors of Asabhad reached the shores of the Jade Sea and rose again through seafaring and trade, gradually forgetting the skills needed to survive the desert, along with many of their old traditions.
Another branch stayed behind in the perilous passes of the Bone Mountains and built three Free Cities famed for their stubbornness and conservatism.
Closing the last heavy tome, Lo Quen went to the window and pushed open the carved wooden shutters.
The evening wind carried the damp breath of the Jade Sea into the room, thinning the study's stale air.
"The Great Sand Sea… Hyrkoon…"
He murmured the names under his breath, his gaze seeming to pierce the distance and glimpse that rolling, golden sea of death.
"What's buried there isn't just an abandoned capital. It may well be tied to the truth of the Bloodstone Emperor and Azor Ahai."
He made up his mind: once Yi Ti was conquered, he would go and explore the Great Sand Sea himself.
Just then, his thoughts were broken by a roar from the courtyard, followed by a woman's clear, patient voice giving instructions.
He followed the sound through several corridors to a walled courtyard behind the Magister's residence, where short palms grew within the high stone walls.
The sight made him smile.
Daenerys stood there, her silver-gold hair gleaming in the sunset.
Before her were two young dragons already impressive in size.
One had scales that shone with a bronze cast. It belonged to Sansa.
The other was a yellow-brown hue. It belonged to Ynys.
Both were close to ten feet long now, and when they spread their wings, they already carried a hint of menace.
They beat their wings as Sansa and Ynys followed Daenerys's guidance and attempted to mount them.
Clearly, with a bit more growth and training, they would soon be able to truly ride their dragons and take to the skies.
"Control its neck, Sansa,"
Daenerys said calmly. "Feel the tension in its muscles. You give commands through the reins. Ynys, your dragon is more sensitive, so guide it more gently. Fear will only make it restless."
She noticed Lo Quen's arrival, paused her instruction, and turned toward him with a faint smile.
The two young dragons also sensed the true dragon aura around Lo Quen. They grew slightly agitated, then lowered their bodies and let out obedient, low rumbles.
Lo Quen glanced over everyone before his gaze settled on Dany. "Dany, you're teaching them well. They're picking it up quickly."
Dany slipped her arm through Lo Quen's and rested her head lightly against his chest, speaking with lively warmth. "Dragons aren't slaves. They're companions. I spent a long time bonding with Greysmoke before. With that experience, I can help Sansa and Ynys get comfortable much faster."
Lo Quen looked at her with approval, then turned to Sansa and Ynys. "Very good. It looks like it won't be long before you can ride your dragons into the sky."
Sansa and Ynys exchanged a smile as they held the reins atop the dragons' backs.
They were looking forward to that day as well.
The group chatted casually in the garden, sharing stories and curiosities from the East.
After a moment, Daenerys seemed to think of something. Her lips pressed together slightly. "I heard you're preparing to move against Yi Ti?"
"Yes," Lo Quen replied evenly. "Before long, the God-Emperor of Yi Ti will pay the price he deserves."
Just then, Luo Wen appeared at the entrance to the courtyard.
He walked over briskly and gave a slight bow to Lo Quen and Daenerys.
"Your Grace, news has arrived from Yin."
"Oh?"
Lo Quen raised a brow. "And how does that God-Emperor intend to welcome us?"
Luo Wen's expression turned serious. "Yin has issued summons across the land, calling on the nobles to unite and stop our advance eastward. But interestingly, aside from a few minor lords near the coast who fear we might raid their estates and have gathered some militia for show, most of the nobles have done nothing. Even the warlords with large armies are sitting back and watching."
Lo Quen paused, then let out a cold smile. "It seems the authority of the Azure Dynasty is even weaker than we expected. That works in our favor. We can break them one by one, or even force their submission without fighting."
Luo Wen's face grew more solemn. "That's true, Your Grace. But not everyone has chosen to stand aside. One man has decided to test our blade."
"Who?"
Lo Quen asked with interest.
Luo Wen spoke the name. "Pol Qo."
"Pol Qo, the Hammer of the Jogos Nhai?"
Lo Quen recalled him at once. "The Yi Ti warlord who controls the northwest and proclaims himself God-Emperor?"
"That's him,"
Luo Wen nodded. "He controls vast territory in the northwest, commands a force of a hundred thousand, and more importantly, he's gained the support of several clans on the Jogos Nhai Plains. Those clans have already sent cavalry to aid his march south. He seems intent on using this chance to unify his strength and establish dominance over Yi Ti in a single stroke."
Lo Quen was genuinely surprised. "They know we have dragons and still dare to come at us? Do the Jogos Nhai really think their arrows can pierce dragon scales?"
Luo Wen gave a helpless smile. "Your Grace, that's precisely the issue. Yi Ti has gone far too long without dragons. Aside from a few ancient, obscure records mentioning a God-Emperor who once kept dragons, almost no one there has seen one in the last thousand years, let alone witnessed the power of dragonfire."
"Unlike Westeros, where fear of dragons is etched into the bones, here… dragons are little more than exaggerated legends to them, or perhaps just oversized serpents. And as you know, the southern jungles of Yi Ti are full of such creatures."
Lo Quen smiled faintly. "If they lack the fear they should have, then it's our responsibility to teach them. And we'll do it in the most unforgettable way possible. Let dragonfire be the last thing they ever remember."