The Smoking Sea was the stretch of water that used to be the Valyrian peninsula.
The Doom that wiped out the Freehold had shattered the entire landmass. The sea rushed in and swallowed the ruins, creating the nightmare seascape that exists today.
Sailors called it the "Sea of Death." Boiling water, smoking rocks, clouds of toxic gas—stories said demons and sea monsters still lived there. Anyone crazy enough to go treasure-hunting in the lost empire's wreckage never came back. It was a place humans simply didn't go.
Leo hadn't expected Onyxia to be hiding there.
Then again, it made perfect sense. The area was still riddled with volcanoes, lava, and sulfur. For a black dragon who loved fire and heat, it was basically paradise.
He opened the system and spoke quietly. "Catriona… the Smoking Sea is a death trap for humans. You want me to sail straight into it?"
A soft laugh came through the link. Onyxia didn't even try to hide her contempt. "Cowardly little human. You crossed worlds and suddenly you're scared? You didn't seem so timid when you kept storming my lair in the game."
"That was a game!" Leo rolled his eyes. "This is real life. People who go there don't come back. They get eaten by monsters or choked to death by poison gas. If you actually want me dead, just say it."
Another amused chuckle. "Seeing you like this is both funny and annoying. How did someone as spineless as you ever beat me?" She sounded downright smug. "Fine. Sail to Volantis instead. It's the nearest big human city. I'll come find you there."
"Hope that makes your delicate nerves feel safer, you big baby."
She cut the connection, still laughing.
Volantis…
Leo remembered the map. Volantis sat on the southern coast. Keep sailing southeast and you hit the Smoking Sea. Swing northeast past it and you'd reach Slaver's Bay—and Astapor, his real destination.
Volantis it was.
But first he needed to sit down with Illyrio and figure out whether the fat magister was already hiding Viserys and Daenerys. And those dragon eggs… he had to get his hands on them.
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The next morning Leo asked a servant to arrange a meeting with Illyrio, only to learn the magister had left Pentos the day before on urgent trade business. He'd be back in two or three days and had ordered the entire household to treat Leo like royalty until then.
So Leo did exactly that—enjoyed the life of a wealthy lord for a few more days.
When Illyrio finally returned, he immediately dragged Leo into another lavish dinner. They drank, laughed, and chatted about Essosi customs and history, each man probing the other with careful, roundabout questions.
After several cups of wine Leo decided to stop dancing around the subject.
"Illyrio, I can't thank you enough for your hospitality these past days. I feel more at home here than I have anywhere since leaving the Great Tang. But…"
He let his voice trail off, then sighed. "You know I didn't come to Essos for a vacation. I'm here on the king's orders. I'll be leaving tomorrow. I don't want to impose any longer."
"So soon?" Illyrio looked genuinely disappointed. "I was going to show you more of Pentos once my business quieted down."
Leo shook his head, drained his cup, and let his face cloud over. "It's not that I don't want to stay. It's that a king's command is hard to refuse… especially when you're his sworn knight."
He spoke softer, like the wine was loosening his tongue. "I can't bring myself to murder two defenseless children. But I also can't disobey Robert. It's… difficult."
Illyrio's eyes flickered with satisfaction, though his face stayed perfectly neutral.
So this Neo is like the other honor-bound knights after all. He has a conscience about killing those children.
There might be room to work with him.
Leo rubbed his face like he was trying to sober up. "Sorry… I've had too much to drink and said things I shouldn't have." He looked at Illyrio with a hopeful, slightly embarrassed smile. "We haven't known each other long, but I already feel like we're real friends. You won't repeat any of that drunken nonsense, will you?"
Illyrio pretended to be offended. "What kind of man do you take me for? I'm a merchant. My reputation is my livelihood. Friends are even more important. Your words stay between us—I swear it on the gods."
"Good. I trust you. No need for oaths, though."
Leo let the subject drop. He'd planted the seed. If Illyrio really was sheltering the Targaryens, maybe the fat man would come to him now.
They went back to lighter talk about Essos—its people, its history—and the evening flowed easily.
Near the end Leo dropped his second carefully prepared line, sounding almost offhand.
"By the way, I have another reason for coming to Essos."
He leaned back, smiling like he was sharing a boyhood dream. "Ever since I was a kid I've heard the stories about dragons in the west and the glory of the Valyrian Freehold. I always wanted to see a real dragon with my own eyes. Too bad they've been extinct for over a century…"
He chuckled. "When my father kicked me out to make my own way, I actually thought about sailing into the Smoking Sea—the ruins of old Valyria. Figured maybe I'd dig up a dragon egg or two to take home as a souvenir. Haha…"
Illyrio took a slow sip of wine, then smiled with open satisfaction.
"No need to go to all that trouble."
He set his cup down. "I have a dragon egg right here. If you want it, I'll give it to you."
Leo's heart slammed against his ribs.