The Phoenix - 070 (Patreon)

[A/N: Very hard chapter to actually write, but I finally made some headway on my plans for the plot. Enjoy!]

Chapter 070 – Illusion

[295 AC]

Walking through the clean streets of the grandest city in all of Essos, Varys was conflicted at heart.

He had come to Volantis as he was simply out of options, his carefully spun plans, that had taken years of preparation, having been destroyed one after another.

After Viserys Targaryen had gotten himself killed in a duel in Braavos and his younger sister was said to have left the city on the back of a giant phoenix, which was presumably the Red God transformed, his little mice had been unable to glean any more information on the last Targaryen.

No matter how close his spies and agents came to acquiring the information he sought, nothing had come of it after all these years. At this point, the eunuch had to consider the fact that some kind of magic was at play that thwarted all his efforts.

And while Illyrio's death at the hands of a Red Priestess did weigh on his mind, Varys could not allow such sentiments to stop him from working towards his goal of peace and stability for the realm, even his overwhelming distaste and hate for magic and those who used it did not deter him in this quest.

The fact that dragons were home at Volantis also strengthened his resolve to uncover the truth by himself and so he had come to the First Daughter to do exactly that.

Varys didn't know if he could meet 'him' or not, even though he risked his life by simply coming to this city, but without any other choice, it was a risk he had to take.

Approaching the massive and grand temple with slow steps, the master of disguise observed his surroundings carefully. He was sure that he couldn't hide from 'his' sight, god or not, as 'his' power was simply not something Varys was capable of comprehending.

Being careful and mindful of his actions had already become second nature for the bald spymaster though.

Suddenly Varys saw an incredibly beautiful silver-haired woman step out of the temple and in his direction, her clear blue eyes fixed on his cloaked form.

The woman wore a simple white tunic and pants that were fastened around her form with red leather straps, while a form-fitting, dark-red chainmail, that reached just above halfway of her abdomen, protected her chest and back. Protective gear made out of metal plates in the same colour was fastened around her forearms and shins, while daggers of various sizes were sheathed in several places all over her graceful form.

And while her outfit and beauty were definitely eye-catching, Varys' focus rested wholly on the tattoo on her smooth cheek, which depicted a dark-red feather.

As the woman approached him, the master of whisperers didn't try to flee or hide, as he knew that there was nothing he could do to escape the clutches of a legendary figure like her. She was undoubtedly one of the Feathers, a member of the personal guard of the Red God, which automatically put her in the category of an invincible combatant.

Coming to a halt before Varys, the woman addressed him with a silken voice: “Lord Varys, welcome to Volantis. My Lord has tasked me with guiding you to him, as he wishes to meet with you.”

Calming himself with a deep breath, the eunuch had obviously taken into account the possibility of meeting the Red God himself, no matter how unlikely.

Suppressing his nervousness, Varys put on a mask of calm and grace, as he gestured forward while answering: “It would be my honor. Please lead the way. Though would you enlighten me to how I should address you, my Lady?”

“My name is Ruyu and I am no Lady, I am a Feather, Lord Spider.”, the silver-haired female warrior answered calmly, pride evident in her tone, before she turned around and led Varys into the temple.

Instead of going through different corridors and being led to a grand hall, he was led to the gardens, which made the spymaster curious.

Seemingly sensing his curiosity, even though no indication of such was shown in his mannerism, Ruyu remarked lightly: "He prefers to spend his time in the gardens with his dragon, and rarely meets anyone in the main hall of the temple."

Nodding in understanding, Varys kept on quietly following the Feather.

As she led him down a narrow path shadowed by trees on both sides, he was mildly surprised when the space in front of him suddenly opened up, though that mild surprise quickly turned into complete shock when he saw the titanic dragon with brilliant blue scales laying a short distance away.

It was only a moment later that Varys could get a hold of himself and noticed a black-haired man sitting before the dragon, caressing the scales on its jaws, while his back was facing the spymaster.

The Feather already retreated in the small lapse of time that the Spider's attention had been diverted to the great dragon before him.

Varys' discerning eye could see that the man's clothes, while clean, were made out of rough linen that had been dyed black, their monetary worth being one of the cheapest clothes that could be bought.

And yet, they couldn't hide the inviolable aura surrounding the stranger.

Even though he just sat in the grass and was clad in cheap clothes, Varys simply knew that the being in front of him was neither human nor mortal. It wasn't a feeling that could be described, but he could simply sense it with every fiber of his being.

"Varys the Spider. I am not sure if I should be surprised that you have come here, or surprised that you didn't do so sooner, considering the plans you have hatched with your sellsword friend from Pentos.", the stranger intoned, his voice carrying nothing but serenity and truth.

“It matters little at this point, I guess.”, he continued, “Though, tell me Varys, when you lay awake at night, after dreaming of blue fire and whispers in the flames, do you think that nobody knows of the fear that claws at your heart and drenches your back in cold sweat?”

The being in front of him finally turned around and gazed at the spymaster with blazing eyes, his words echoing in Varys' ears.

At this point the spymaster wore an expression of horror, his whole body trembled slightly as he looked at the stranger with fearful eyes, the fiery gaze pressuring him with the weight of a mountain.

Thankfully the god before him soon turned his gaze back forward, which caused Varys to feel as if a huge burden had suddenly been lifted off his shoulders.

With cold sweat still running down his back, the experienced spymaster took a few long minutes to regain his composure and wits, the look in his eyes incredibly cautious as he gazed at the Red God's back.

It had been a long time since the Spider felt himself being in such a disadvantageous position. He knew practically nothing about the being in front of him, while the god could seemingly see through him with ease, making Varys feel exposed and vulnerable.

“Now, do you want to tell me why you have come here, Varys?”, the Red God's voice rang in his ears a few moments later, inexplicably giving the spymaster back some modicum of control in this encounter, even though Varys now knew this control to be nothing but an illusion.