The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Arya led her fellow female disciples, a group of twenty-three, towards the island of the Iron Bank.

At the same time, in the naval port of Braavos, the Sealord boarded his flagship.

The city-state of Braavos is the only island city without defensive walls.

Their walls are their naval fleet.

For an island nation, what better way to protect the city than with a powerful navy as its walls? This is also Braavos' confidence in looking down upon the nine Free Cities, and also forcing Pentos to not possess its own armed forces.

On the flagship, hundreds of naval generals and captains gathered.

Upon the Sealord's arrival, the captains and generals immediately surrounded him.

The Sealord's personal swordsmen guarded him on the left and right.

The Sealord's scholars stood behind him.

"Your Majesty, the Mountain has come to attack us, what should we do?" a general said directly.

He spoke the question that everyone was most concerned about.

Every general and captain was worried about this question.

The dragon has come, how can naval warships fight against it?

There is no way to fight it! The naval soldiers' small bows and arrows cannot deal with a dragon as large as a small town.

Thousands of years ago, the founders of Braavos hid in this corner incognito. In order to survive and develop, they sailed out to trade, but they dared not let others know where they came from. The purpose was one: they dared not let the Valyrian Empire know of Braavos' existence, because the Valyrian Empire possessed dragons.

Recently, Braavos sent five hundred warships to follow Daenerys Targaryen to attack Westeros. The result was that all five hundred warships were caught up by the Mountain's dragons in the sea and burned to ashes. No one on the warships survived.

"Our warships cannot fight against dragons," a captain concluded without waiting for the Sealord to answer, his expression anxious. Without his reminder, the Sealord also knew that warships could not fight against dragons.

The generals and captains opened the floodgates, expressing their opinions and making suggestions to the Sealord.

"Negotiate for peace." The Sealord raised his hand to suppress the noisy voices of the generals and captains, and said, "I have discussed with the scholars on the way here, and we have thought of what may be the only best solution - negotiate peace with the Mountain and become allies."

After a brief silence, a general expressed deep suspicion, his brow furrowed deeply, his eyes gloomy: "Is it credible, Your Majesty?"

"The black dragon that appeared with the Mountain's dragon is Drogon, and his master is Daenerys Targaryen. We and Daenerys are allies. When Daenerys attacked the continent of Westeros, we supported her with five hundred warships," the Sealord said confidently. But in fact, he had no confidence in his heart. He only knew that the generals and captains needed to see his confidence and hear his powerful decisions.

"Your Majesty, Daenerys is now on the Mountain's side," a captain shouted. His skin was bronze, and his voice was like a striking bell.

"I know, but this is also our advantage. With Daenerys by the Mountain's side, we can more easily negotiate peace with the Mountain. I need to send envoys and send gifts immediately," the Sealord said decisively. He understood that it was not appropriate to dwell on details or have everyone give their opinions. He needed to cut the Gordian knot quickly and neatly, otherwise the navy's morale would easily collapse.

"Your Majesty, the Sealord's Palace has been looted by the Mountain, and the Ian Mercenary Group has defected to the Mountain. Your Majesty said to send envoys to send gifts, what gold and silver treasures does Your Majesty have to offer? The best jewelry has already become the Mountain's spoils of war," a general said bluntly.

"The Mountain has looted the Sealord's Palace and is destroying the Iron Bank. He will not lack money, let alone gold and silver treasures," the Sealord said in a deep voice, "but he needs someone very much."

"Who?"

"His enemy who brought disaster to Braavos - the Green Prophet Bran Stark."

"The legless boy who persuaded the Iron Bank to give him gold, persuaded the Sealord's Palace to guarantee him, and paid a lot of money to sign a contract with the House of Black and White to assassinate the Mountain?"

"Yes, it is him. Bran Stark came to Braavos. He told the Iron Bank that the Mountain would promote Clegane paper money and open Clegane banks all over the world, which would threaten the Iron Bank's lending interests and squeeze the Iron Bank's development space, so the Iron Bank decided to stand on Bran's side and support him."

"After Bran persuaded the Iron Bank, he came to the Sealord's Palace in the name of a prophet. He told me that the Mountain would cross the Narrow Sea to conquer the continent of Essos. If the Braavosi did not submit, they would be burned to ashes by dragon fire. I knew that the city of Pentos had been occupied by the Mountain, and his legion would most likely come to attack Braavos next, forcing us to submit. For the independence of Braavos, I decided to guarantee Bran and help him sign a contract with the House of Black and White to assassinate the Mountain."

This is the root cause of Braavos' troubles. What happened today all originated from Bran Stark's assassination plan. Bran is the real mastermind behind the assassination of the Mountain.

The generals and captains listened to the Sealord's explanation, and everyone was silent.

The Stone Men's pirate fleet that submitted to the Mountain and the Tattered Prince, the leader of the Windblown, joined forces with the Dothraki cavalry and had indeed conquered Pentos. On the walls of Pentos, the Mountain's banner was flying: the Ice Sword and the Red Smoke Beast!

The news that the Mountain threatened to conquer the entire continent of Essos had already spread in Braavos. Was someone deliberately spreading the news? Or was the news itself deliberately made public by the Mountain's people?

But now these things have become unimportant.

The Mountain is burning down the Iron Bank Island, and no one in Braavos can stop him.

Next, is he going to burn down the Braavos navy?

If the generals were to encounter the enemy's fleet, or other powerful forces, the Braavos navy would never be afraid of war. At worst, they could rely on their speed and knowledge of the sea to hide in the sea to preserve their strength. But when two dragons, one large and one small, fly in the sky, the warships on the sea have nowhere to hide.

The powerful naval warships that Braavos is proud of cannot protect Braavos this time. This wall of the Braavosi will be easily destroyed in front of the dragons.

What should everyone do?

Kneel down and submit or watch the dragons fly in to kill?

Of course, the best ending is as the Sealord said: form an alliance with the Mountain?!

"Today's disaster was caused by the Green Prophet Bran Stark. Offer him up and form an alliance with the Mountain through Daenerys," the Sealord said firmly. He was cheering up the naval officers who were collapsing in their hearts, and he was also cheering himself up. He was panicked in his heart, but he could not show even a trace of it.

The naval officers looked gloomy, and everyone obviously had no confidence in the success of the alliance. However, the generals were also unwilling to defect and hand over the Sealord to show their goodwill and beg for mercy from the Mountain. They could not do this.

The Sealord said slowly: "Generals, my previous plan to help Bran sign a contract with the House of Black and White to assassinate the Mountain was not wrong. I wanted to eliminate the Mountain, who posed a great threat to Braavos. But I did not expect that the Mountain was also a Green Prophet. He understood all the secrets of the Sealord's Palace, the Iron Bank, the House of Black and White, and the Green Prophet. I angered him by guaranteeing Bran. Now, who is willing to be my envoy?"

The generals and scholars were collectively silent, looking at each other, and no one answered.

This is not the usual performance of the Braavos naval officers!

The Sealord said in a deep voice: "Daenerys was our ally before. Now, we only need her to say a few good words for us in front of the Mountain, and we can get through this difficult time. Who is willing to go with me to see the Mountain?" In the absence of anyone willing to stand up as an envoy, the Sealord decided to go himself.

The Mountain was looking for him, but he still chose to deliver himself to the door - because there was no way to avoid it!

"Your Majesty, why don't we ask the House of Black and White for help?" Finally, a captain said the real doubt in everyone's heart.

In the case of foreign humiliation, the ancient way of Braavos is that the Iron Bank pays the money, the House of Black and White provides the manpower, the Sealord coordinates the overall situation, and the navy is arranged to follow up to give the enemy a strong military threat.

In the life and death of Braavos, the Sealord did not mention the House of Black and White at all? He seemed to have forgotten the existence of the House of Black and White? This is the real reason why the generals looked at each other and were collectively silent.

The vast majority of naval generals and captains would not know about the conspiracy between the Sealord, the Iron Bank, and the Green Prophet to assassinate the Mountain.

The plan to assassinate the Mountain was top secret and could not be announced in the army.

"We have already fallen out with the House of Black and White," the Sealord said astringently, "The Archon Arya Stark of the House of Black and White has made it clear that she will no longer stand with the Sealord's Palace and the Iron Bank."

"Why?" a captain exclaimed. Almost every naval general showed a shocked expression.

"After Arya became the Archon, she directly rejected the House of Black and White's plan to assassinate the Mountain. She wanted to withdraw from the contract, but we disagreed."

"Why did the House of Black and White also choose to stand on the Mountain's side?" a general asked in shock.

"Arya has a very good personal relationship with the Mountain. She returned to Westeros and became the Mountain's personal guard. She warned me that the House of Black and White could not assassinate the Mountain. The Mountain had already understood all our assassination plans. As long as the House of Black and White did not stop the assassination plan, Braavos would usher in the Mountain's dragon fire. I did not believe Arya's words. I believed the prophet's statement: we can kill the Mountain!"

The generals all looked at each other.

"I said, the Mountain is a Green Prophet, but I believed this a little late. Arya Stark is right," the Sealord said heavily. He regretted it. If the end of choosing to fight was annihilation, Braavos would be purged. He would not choose war. He would choose alliance.

"I am willing to go to the House of Black and White to find Archon Arya Stark and persuade her to stand on our side again, and then we will go to see the Mountain together, all for the sake of Braavos," a general stood up and said.

"I will capture Bran Stark and take him to Iron Bank Island and hand him over to the Mountain," another general said generously.

After the whole thing became clear, the generals stood up and acted one after another, completely opposite to the scene of the Sealord asking who would be the envoy just now. This is the real Braavos generals.

The Sealord said: "I need a willing group of envoys to follow. Perhaps those who choose to go will be buried in dragon fire, but I will not force anyone. Everything is voluntary. I will personally lead the team to see the Mountain and request an alliance."

*

The Mountain was flying at low altitude, controlling the overall situation outside Daenerys' battle.

Most of the Iron Bank's mercenary legions were turned into human-shaped candles inside the Iron Bank's fortress. Those who were not burned to death were also chased and killed by the Mountain riding the dragon on the grass outside the fortress.

There are currently two places on the island with military power, one is the Iron Bank's guard, and the other is the Unsullied legion defending the stone arch bridge.

The battle of the stone arch bridge is also coming to an end.

The black dragon Drogon simply flew to the ground, sweeping with fire pillars, and using its dragon tail and dragon claws to clear the last remnants of this team.

A small team of more than a dozen people had escaped far away on a diagonal, when suddenly the front of them turned dark, and the sky light suddenly dimmed. A huge flying beast appeared above their heads. In the blowing of the strong wind, the flying beast landed on the ground, and the dragon claws grabbed a soldier, as if tearing apart a small rag doll. The rag doll smashed into the team, and the soldiers exclaimed and scattered, running for their lives.

The huge dragon mouth that could swallow a buffalo in one bite opened and bit the bodies of three soldiers in one bite. Several long legs kicked outside the dragon's mouth. In the sound of cracking, the lower bodies of the three soldiers fell out of the dragon's mouth...

The remaining soldiers were frightened, abandoned their weapons, removed their armor, threw away their helmets, and ran for their lives to the sea... They were faster without armor and bare hands... Suddenly, the wind whistled, followed by a pain in the waist, and several soldiers screamed and flew into the air.

Sheepstealer's dragon tail swept across like a huge and unparalleled iron spear, blocking those who were invincible, and knocked several soldiers into the air, causing them to shoot into the high sky like bullets...

In just a blink of an eye, this most powerful escape team was killed by Sheepstealer.

The Mountain rode on Sheepstealer's back and did not order Sheepstealer to spew flames to attack.

"Fly!" The Mountain issued a dragon language.

Whoosh!

Sheepstealer took off, its wings spread, like a red cloud slowly rising into the sky.

Ahead, the battle of the stone arch bridge ended.

The black dragon Drogon's dragon claws pierced the body of the last soldier...

"Daenerys, go to the Iron Bank," the Mountain shouted from Sheepstealer's back.

Daenerys gave a soft shout, and the black dragon Drogon took off.

Drogon's size has also become larger, far exceeding the size of an elephant. He has also become more fierce and aggressive.

Among the three brothers Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, Rhaegal was the size of an elephant, and Viserion was the smallest, but he was the most beautiful. His body was covered with white scales with a faint cyan jade color, and he was Arianne Martell's favorite.

Two dragons, one large and one small, flew towards the Iron Bank.

Before coming, the Mountain had naturally studied the Iron Bank.

The Iron Bank is at the foot of the mountain on the north side of the island.

Iron Bank Island has only this one mountain.

The mountain is not tall.

The south side of the mountain is connected to the fortress where the Iron Bank managers live. The stone wall fortress where the Iron Bank people live is the starting point of the south side of the mountain, and the north side of the mountain ends at the sea.

The Mountain and Daenerys rode their dragons to the front of the Iron Bank.

A military fortress lies in front of the Iron Bank. On the walls of the military fortress, archers and stationed soldiers are lined up in teams. They have Unsullied and mercenaries. They did not escape, but they did not draw their swords either. The swordsmen did not draw their swords, and the archers did not draw their bows. This group of warriors did not choose to fight, nor did they choose to escape.

"Open the gate, and everyone gather outside the city," the Mountain shouted in the air.

With a creaking, groaning sound, the dilapidated gate swung open, and soldiers filed out one after another. They were all empty-handed, none carrying weapons.

"Everyone, assemble outside, including the laundry maids and stable hands. If even one person is missing, I'll slaughter you all."