Game of Thrones: Second Son of House Targaryen

Chapter 201: The Three-Eyed Raven’s Candidate

The Kraken, over twenty meters long and weighing several tons, was a creature far beyond the capabilities of any ordinary person. Though Viserys's constitution was no longer ordinary, the sheer size and mass of the Kraken made the disparity between them enormous.

The Kraken, under Euron's control, dragged Viserys toward the abyssal depths of the sea. As the water around him grew darker, Viserys realized he had been pulled down at least 200 meters. He struggled to break free from the Kraken's grip, but the creature's strength was formidable. Three of its tentacles had wrapped tightly around him—one around his waist and two around his legs—leaving him unable to even draw the Dragonbone dagger from his back. Fortunately, his hands remained free.

Using his water magic, Viserys created a powerful current around him. His hair, which had been floating upward, now fell downward under the force of the current. The Kraken, driven by Euron, felt the resistance as it swam desperately toward the depths. It was as if Viserys had become a tree trunk half-buried in the mud; no matter how hard the Kraken tried, it couldn’t increase its speed.

Realizing that the water current was the problem, Euron attempted to disrupt it with his remaining tentacles. This tactic worked, and Viserys began sinking faster once more. But Viserys wasn’t finished. He drew on every ounce of his proficiency in water magic, expanding the range of the current he could control. Fish and shrimp were sucked into the vortex he created. This time, instead of sinking further, Euron’s speed was halted, and Viserys even began to pull the Kraken upward.

The two forces were locked in a stalemate, and Euron was forced to release him. The Kraken rose up before Viserys, its ten long tentacles waving like a massive, mysterious net, poised to envelop him. Despite the Kraken’s overwhelming size, Viserys matched its power with surprising ease. It was as if he faced a challenge not unlike Daenerys Targaryen's conquest of the Dothraki—but even stranger was how evenly matched they seemed.

Euron, now fully inhabiting the Kraken, lashed out with its tentacles like whips, but Viserys deftly maneuvered the water currents to evade the monster's strikes. Their battle churned the sea into a frenzy, driving away the surrounding sea creatures. The roaring of the water filled the depths as Viserys controlled his Dragonbone dagger, directing it with the currents to strike back. Euron, still adjusting to his new body, struggled to defend himself, and soon dozens of tentacles were marred with wounds. Blue blood spread through the water, darkening the space around them.

After ten more minutes of intense fighting, the Kraken suddenly convulsed. Its tentacles flailed wildly, as if it had been electrocuted, and it began thrashing its own head with its limbs. Though Viserys couldn’t be sure what was happening, he seized the opportunity. Controlling the dagger with precision, he drove it into the Kraken's eye. The beast convulsed in pain, its tentacles lashing out randomly as blue blood clouded the water. The Kraken was in agony, unable to hiss but clearly suffering from the wounds inflicted on itself and the deep stab to its eye.

At that moment, the injured eye of the Kraken began to emit a red mist. Viserys didn’t know what it was, but he attempted to disperse it by manipulating the surrounding water. However, the mist remained unaffected. After a dozen breaths, the mist, now over two meters in diameter, suddenly exploded into several pieces.

'Brynden! What are you doing?' Viserys, unable to speak underwater, instinctively reached out with his mind to communicate with the mist.

To his surprise, the blood-red crows circling him seemed to slow, as if they recognized him. But in the next instant, their shadows darted toward Viserys's forehead.

Suddenly, he found himself in a dark cave, standing before a tree with intricate, twisted roots.

"Brynden! What are you doing?" Viserys was irritated. This loss of control was unsettling. He suspected it might be an illusion, so he began to increase his ‘Spirit’ value. One hundred... one hundred and eight... two hundred and seven...

As his Spirit value climbed, the environment around him began to quake. With a deafening rumble, the dark cave seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Viserys!" A hurried, old voice called out from behind him. The voice sounded anxious, clearly disturbed by Viserys's sudden surge in Spirit strength. If this continued, the environment would become unsustainable.

Viserys turned to see an old man with pale skin, white hair, and a frail figure standing behind him.

Before Brynden could speak, Viserys demanded, "What are you doing? I'm still in the sea, and you're pulling me into a dream?"

Brynden was taken aback. In all the memories of the Greenseers he had inherited, no one had entered this dreamscape without shock or confusion. But Viserys seemed to have anticipated it.

"Don’t worry, I will protect you."

"Then say what you have to say quickly."

"You are the most talented Targaryen I have ever seen when it comes to Dragon Dreams, but you shouldn’t have acted against Euron. He is my chosen heir, and in the future—"

Before Brynden could finish, Viserys cut him off, unable to contain his frustration.

"Your chosen heir? Can't you see what he has done?"

"But these sacrifices are necessary for the sake of the living," Brynden replied calmly.

'You're talking about the living? The Seven Kingdoms and the Nine Free Cities are on my shoulders! If you’re going to pick someone, at least choose someone normal. Don’t you know what he was like as a child?’ Viserys thought, his mind racing. Euron had been a natural-born villain, one who had even raped his own brothers when they were children. Viserys couldn’t comprehend Brynden Rivers's reasoning.

'Perhaps the world looks different through the eyes of the head of a Master of Whisperers,' he mused bitterly.

"You don’t understand... You two could have worked together," Brynden insisted.

Viserys was at a loss for words.

"Just tell me if Euron is dead," he finally said.

"Yes, now he exists only as an obsession," Brynden confirmed.

With the Three-Eyed Raven's assurance, Viserys felt a wave of relief wash over him, and his anxious heart began to calm.

"Brynden, let’s work together. You provide me with information, and I'll eliminate all the ambitious contenders as quickly as possible. Then, we can unite the living to fight against the Night King. This is far more reliable than your current plan." Viserys believed that, with the Three-Eyed Raven's help, he could bring order to Westeros much more swiftly.

But Brynden’s expression remained complicated, and he neither agreed nor refused.

"Viserys, you remind me a great deal of Aerys. But for now, all I can tell you is this: there are many reasons why people seek out the so-called savior."

"You mean some people actually want to see the world destroyed?" Viserys asked, his thoughts flashing to the concept of a "savior" and the possible dangers associated with it. For most, continuing the rule of the living is the simplest path, but there are all kinds of people in the world. Perhaps some believe that a world ruled by the Night King would be a better one. To them, the savior would be an obstacle to their twisted version of 'paradise.'

Brynden didn’t respond directly but gave a subtle nod, confirming Viserys’s suspicion.

"Is the savior still Dany?" Viserys pressed.

"I can’t say. We don’t all share the same understanding of the world," Brynden replied, as evasive as ever.

Realizing that Brynden wouldn't divulge anything more, Viserys decided not to push further. "We'll stop here for now. I’m in a hurry."

In the end, he knew it was better to rely on himself than on others. If everyone has a different view of the world, then he would simply do what he believed was right. Brynden seemed to be hinting at possible threats, but Viserys would have to be cautious on his own. With that, Brynden dissolved the illusion.

When Viserys emerged from the illusion, he noticed that time seemed to have stood still during their conversation. The Kraken was in the exact same position as before, its tentacles frozen in mid-twist.

But soon, everything returned to normal, and the Kraken’s tentacles stopped twitching. Just as Viserys prepared for the Kraken Euron to continue the fight, the creature suddenly turned and fled.

No, it wasn't fleeing—Viserys quickly realized Euron was heading straight for the fleet. He had no choice but to pursue him. However, the Kraken was now moving like a madman. Despite Viserys pushing his control over the water to its limits, he found himself being left further and further behind.

Meanwhile, on Regis’s side, under the eerie glow of the red comet overhead, they had managed to rescue nearly all the surviving soldiers. Even some of the bodies had been recovered, but there was still no sign of Viserys.

“Did you find him?” Regis asked Webber, his voice laced with anxiety. But Webber shook his head in frustration.

The two of them scanned the chaotic waters anxiously. Sharks were still circling, devouring not only the fallen soldiers but even the corpses of their own kind. The red comet’s light bathed the sea in crimson, reflecting off the scattered wreckage of warships, severed limbs, and the thrashing sharks. For a moment, it felt as though they were in the depths of hell.

“Look again!” Regis ordered urgently.

“Look again!” Webber echoed, knowing full well that the best option would be to get out of the water. But they also knew retreat wasn’t an option. If Viserys died, the Windblown, now numbering over 10,000 strong, would collapse, and Tyrosh would fall into enemy hands. All they could do now was pray for a miracle.

...

Meanwhile, the soldiers guarding the Silence patrolled the deck, their surroundings bathed in the red light of the comet. The visibility was clear, but the eerie hue only added to the tension. Their task was to protect the massive horn on board. Due to the mission’s importance, Regis had assigned the Unsullied to guard the Silence. Even though the Unsullied had become the leading soldiers, they remained more reliable than the rest.

Suddenly, one of the patrolling Unsullied staggered but quickly regained his stance. Something had struck the hull. The next moment, a massive head with a single black eye emerged from the water—it was the Kraken, carrying Euron’s remains.

“Form up!” the Unsullied captain shouted, and a dozen soldiers leveled their spears at the creature. But the Kraken seemed unfazed. With a sweep of its tentacles, it knocked aside a large group of Unsullied. Its dark, unblinking eye locked onto the Dragon’s Horn—that was its target!