Chapter 171
"Let the Ghis feel the wrath of the 'Goddess of Freedom'!"
Dany, bathed in the crimson glow of torches and lanterns, descended from an altitude of 800 meters astride the Green Dragon, making a beeline for the pyramid directly below. Her trajectory aligned perfectly with the center of the top garden.
Simultaneously, at an altitude of 22 kilometers, Big Black fine-tuned his positioning.
Under normal conditions, the three Dragons could sense Dany's coordinates, even when separated by continents and endless oceans. However, Dany hadn't previously tested the accuracy of this ability while in the Dreki state.
About 400 meters from the pyramid, the magnetic field of Big Black's own body, Dany, and the center of the Earth seemed to form a straight line in his sensing.
Theoretically, this line passed through the center of the pyramid.
Hence, Big Black released the iron rod held in his claws.
Goddess of Freedom's Wrath, Unleashed!
Feeling the release of the iron rod, Dany understood that the positioning process had been completed. She patted Little Green on the back, arcing through the sky and flying toward the sea outside the city.
Dany once watched a movie titled "Special Forces 2: Total Counterattack," where the "rod of God" fell from the sky, obliterating a modern metropolis much larger than New Ghis.
This was Dany's first time attempting such an action, and she felt a bit apprehensive. She was concerned that the shockwave, akin to an atomic explosion, might blow her away, so she planned to maintain a safe distance.
Thirty heartbeats passed, and the sky remained the same.
Sixty heartbeats passed, and Dany grew a bit anxious as the dark night sky still lacked the fiery meteor she anticipated.
Ninety heartbeats, one hundred and twenty heartbeats...
"Is the altitude too low? Is the speed insufficient? Is there not enough friction...Wh-Oops, it's coming!"
Deprived of a clock, Dany couldn't gauge the duration. As she impatiently awaited results, the dark sky finally began to glow a vibrant red.
Amidst the crescent moon's dimly lit, starry backdrop, the red meteor gleamed brilliantly, visible even to Dany's eye.
"Hahaha..." She laughed in exhilaration, nearly standing upright on Little Green's back.
Then, one star suddenly split into two smaller, brighter meteors. One plummeted towards the sea and rapidly dimmed, while the other descended with a roaring whistle upon...
"What...?" Dany was flabbergasted. "Why is the deviation so significant?"
"Bang!"
Approximately one kilometer north of New Ghis' city center, there was a muffled explosion, followed by silence.
"This is frustrating. Did the iron rod disintegrate in mid-air? The quality of it is abysmal, 25 kilometers caused it to burn up?"
Dany couldn't help but recall the crisis on White Poplar Slope, where a nimble swordsman had been dispatched with a few slashes from her Arakh...
The iron of this world possessed greater hardness than she had anticipated.
"Furthermore, the directional deviation is quite substantial. Even if the iron rod hadn't melted, it wouldn't have hit the top of the pyramid," Dany fumed.
Dany pondered the failed attempt to unleash the "Goddess of Freedom" and considered what could have gone wrong. She recalled the moments before the flaming meteor's appearance when she saw it descending toward the Northern Part of the City. If the iron rod hadn't shattered, it would have fallen near the city wall.
"The rear wing wasn't managed properly? Was there a positioning error? Or maybe it was too high? If it wasn't too high, then perhaps the power was insufficient..."
With a puzzled expression on her face, Dany rode the Green Dragon northward.
Dragons had two flight modes. They could either flap their wings vigorously to achieve high speeds, exceeding 300 kilometers per hour, which consumed stamina and required rest after several hours of flight, or they could glide like eagles, spreading their wings and soaring on air currents at a slower speed of about 150 kilometers per hour. The latter mode conserved stamina, allowing for continuous flight for one or two days.
As they made their way back in the evening, Dany napped on Little Green's back while the three Dragons glided steadily toward Astapor.
Around nine o'clock the next morning, Dany, still yawning, landed on the pyramid's top garden.
"It was a failure. Maybe it's time to switch to a large copper sphere," she commented to the curious Jorah.
The sphere would have a larger friction area with the air, resulting in slower flight speeds compared to the iron rod. However, it would prevent the disintegration that occurred with the rod.
Half a month later, a spy from New Ghis (Windblown) brought surprising news. During a military banquet hosted by the Alliance Against the Dragon mother, Grazdan had completed his impassioned speech to the allies, declaring "Victories Over the Evil Mother of Dragons." Suddenly, a red meteor descended on the Northern Part of the City.
Startled, the attendees initially believed it to be a bad omen. However, Grazdan laughed and interpreted it positively, stating that the "Red Sword piercing the north" meant that the Dragonmother of the north would soon face hardship—a favorable omen.
The following morning, just beyond the north city's guarding wasteland, a rare meteorite weighing 30 pounds was discovered near a city gate. Master Haru from Qohor examined it and exclaimed that it could signify the birth of another "Dawn".
Eighteen senior blacksmiths spent ten days crafting a massive two-handed greatsword.
The sword was named "Slaying the Dragon," signifying its purpose of defeating the Dragon and the Dragonmother. Another aspect of the sword's name, "Morn," symbolized the victory of the Allied forces, suggesting that like dawn, the victory may seem distant now but will ultimately arrive.
Grazdan, one of the Allied Army Commanders, possessed the Dragonslayer Blade, while the Morn Greatsword was temporarily held by The Thirteen of Qarth on behalf of Xaro.
The city of New Ghis embraced this auspicious omen fervently, boosting the morale of its citizens and increasing the determination of the soldiers. Many city-states that were initially hesitant also announced their participation in the Allied army, resulting in a significant boost to the Alliance's power.
However, Dany was not pleased with this turn of events and expressed her frustration. She had conducted several more tests in Slaver's Bay over the past few days. The use of copper spheres revealed that Big Black's position perception had errors, with greater inaccuracies at longer distances. The iron rod experienced displacement at high altitudes due to its uneven structure, while copper spheres could burn upon impact from high altitudes.
To continue her "Goddess of Freedom" project, Dany recognized that she needed to address two main issues: precise positioning and the forging of high-quality steel. She began researching steel furnaces and considered recruiting Grandmaster Level Smiths from Qohor, experts who could reforge Valyrian steel.
Another approach involved intense physical training for the Dragons, enabling them to lift heavy weights and carry them to high altitudes. This would require the Dragons to significantly increase their strength and stamina.
Dany decided to start training the Dragons while also posting notices to recruit Smith Masters.
One morning, while Dany was practicing swordsmanship on the ridge, Lyra, a red-haired messenger, rushed in from the city on horseback. She delivered urgent news that Jon Snow had been assassinated the previous night. Two Knight followers were killed, and Jon himself had been gravely injured.
Dany rushed to comfort Lyra, who was visibly distressed. The assassin had left after the attack, leaving Jon severely wounded. Lyra expressed her fears that Jon might not survive the injuries.
Dany assured Lyra that she would leave for Meereen immediately and instructed Barristan Selmy to accompany her for protection. They understood that the situation was dire, with even the Commander of the Meereen garrison falling victim to the assassinations.
After arriving in Meereen, Dany and Barristan first circled the Great Pyramid on the Dragons before landing in the top garden. They were greeted by several Unsullied Captains and Irri, who had come to welcome them. Dany wore her grey full-body armor, while Barristan donned his white Kingsguard outfit.
Irri informed Dany that Jon Snow was on the thirty-second level of the Great Pyramid. Rushing quickly into a spacious stone chamber, Dany saw Jon lying unconscious, his face pale and seemingly lifeless. His breath barely visible, except for the faint dust that swirled within the sun's light over his mouth.
Dany examined Jon's condition and noticed the strong smell of blood mixed with spirits(alcohol). She determined that while Jon's upper intestines were indeed damaged, the injury was not too severe. She instructed Irri to fetch the dagger box from her room.
Dany also asked an Unsullied named Dirt Beetle to assist in removing her armor. Barristan was tasked with guarding the chamber's entrance to ensure no one disturbed Dany during the procedure.
Dany had prepared for such a situation by collecting medical books and learning surgical skills during her time in Qarth. Dissection and medical knowledge were rather advanced in this world, with Maesters in Oldtown studying human dissection for thousands of years. There is even one Maester by the name of Qyburn, creator of Ser Gregor Clegane a Frankenstein-like creation. Dany's medical knowledge had grown significantly, superimposed with her time as a medical student it made her proficient in the ins and outs of surgical procedures.
Ser Barristan believed that if Dany were to participate in an assessment in Oldtown, she would undoubtedly earn a silver chain as a Maester due to her impressive medical skills.