Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 100: Attack at Daznak's Pit

—In Meereen—

Daenerys sat in the spectator's seat at the top of the pit to observe the first day of the Great Games at the Daznak's Pit, the greatest of the fighting pits in Meereen with an open seat between her and Missandei. Her intended betrothed, Hizdahr zo Loraq, sat next to her. With the Unsullied, Second Sons and Meereenese City Guard patrolling the city-state after the Sons of the Harpy launched their attack which killed Daenerys' predecessor Saqnizza Dhardu, a lot of people were on edge—each of them wondering when the next attack might occur. Grey Worm, commander of the Unsullied, and Daario Naharis, leader of the Second Sons, stood close to Daenerys to ensure her safety.

Covering the fighting pits displayed the banners of House Targaryen, a red three-headed dragon on a black field. As the Dragon Queen stared bored into the fighting pits, an announcer steps into the middle and waves his arm to silence the cheering crowd.

"Dāez issaros hen Mīrīn! (Free citizens of Meereen)," he announced. "Ondoso se jorepagon hen kraj se zirȳla dārōñe se dāria, rytsas naejot se rōvēgrie tymptir! (By the blessings of the Graces and Her Majesty the Queen, welcome to the Great Games!)"

The entire stadium thundered with applause and cheers as two gladiators ran out into the middle of the arena. Daenerys and Missandei look disgusted, Daario looked impressed. Ten thousand throats roared out their thanks; then twenty thousand; then all. They did not call her name, which few of them could pronounce. "Mother!" they cried instead; in the old dead tongue of Ghis, the word was Mhysa! They stamped their feet and slapped their bellies and shouted, "Mhysa, Mhysa, Mhysa," until the whole pit seemed to tremble.

"Ñuha dāria, īlva ēlī urnēptre. Qilōni kessa ērinagon: se kostōba iā se adere? (My Queen, our first contest. Who will win: the strong or the quick?)"

"Nyke vīlībagon se morghūljagon syt aōha jaqiarzir, oh jaqiarzus dāria (I fight and die for your glory, oh glorious queen)," both men proclaimed proudly in High Valyrian.

Daenerys glanced down at the large, yet powerful and small, but agile combatants as the announcer moved to walk away. The Daznak's Pit fell silent as the spectators—as all eyes—turned towards the Dragon Queen, expecting her to begin the Great Games. Hizdahr leaned in closer to her.

"They're waiting for you. Clap your hands," he explains.

Daenerys looks down at the two men. After a moment, and with a look of disgust on her face, she brought her hands up to give a single clap. The crowd roars with excitement and the two gladiators begin a vicious fight. Both appeared to be equally skilled in their respective fields of expertise, with the strong overpowering his opponent while the small outmaneuvered the other. After some parries, the Quick man slices at the Strong man's neck.

"That one, the smaller man, no question," Daario betted, "that's where you put your money."

"I'm not putting my money anywhere," replied Daenerys.

Hizdahr looked at her and Daario. "Kings and Queens never bet on the games. Perhaps you should go find someone who does."

"People used to bet against me when I fought in the pits. He would have bet against me. Common novice mistake."

"I have spent much of my life in Meereen, and in my experience, larger men do triumph over smaller man, far more often than not."

Daenerys raised an eyebrow. "Has your experience ever involved any actual fighting? You, yourself, have you ever tried to kill a man that was trying to kill you?" she challenged.

For a moment, Hizdahr is silent.

"Whenever I got into the pit against a beast like that one, the crowd saw me, all skin and bone back then, then they saw a pile of angry muscles ready to murder me. They couldn't get their money out fast enough," Daario brandishes a small yet sharp dagger; putting it dangerously close to each part of Hizdahr's throat. "But the pile of angry muscles never had any muscles here or here. And the big men were always too slow to stop my dagger from going where their muscles weren't. Yes, whenever I saw a beast like that one, standing across from me making his beast faces, I knew I could rest easy."