Chapter 102: Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya!

With the immediate threat dealt with and precautions in place, Damian turned his thoughts back to his larger plans. The vision of a hidden base on the distant islands of Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya lingered in his mind. He needed a secure and secretive place to summon his forces and train them without attracting attention.

Driven by this urgent need, Damian immediately made his way to the libraries. The grand hallways of Pyke echoed with his determined footsteps as he approached the vast collection of books and scrolls. Upon entering, he found Maester Qalen, who was deep in his thoughts.

"Maester Qalen," Damian called, his voice echoing in the quiet chamber.

The maester looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of Damian. "Yes, my lord? How may I assist you?"

"I need information on three small islands in the Sunset Sea—Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya. They were discovered centuries ago. Do we have any records or books that mention them?"

Maester Qalen's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Those islands? They are rarely mentioned in our texts. Most consider them insignificant."

"Insignificant or not, I need to know everything about them," Damian insisted. "Maps, historical accounts, anything that can tell me more about their location and what to expect."

The maester nodded slowly. "Very well, my lord. Follow me."

He led Damian through the winding rows of bookshelves, eventually stopping at a section covered in dust and cobwebs. Maester Qalen carefully pulled out a few old tomes and scrolls, laying them on a nearby table.

"These are the records we have on the islands," Qalen said. "They were discovered by Lady Elissa Farman and Eustace Hightower during the reign of King Jaehaerys I. There's very little detail, but it might be enough for your needs."

Damian began to sift through the documents, scanning for any useful information.

"Thank you, Maester Qalen," Damian said, his tone brisk but polite. "This will be very helpful."

The maester nodded, watching Damian with a curious but cautious gaze as he left the library with the documents. Damian returned to his chambers, spreading the maps and texts across a large table. He pored over them, planning his next move.

The records revealed that the three islands went, as far as was known, undiscovered by men for most of history, due to their location far to the west across the open ocean, away from any shipping lanes. The islands were located several weeks' travel from Oldtown, slightly farther south than the latitude of the Summer Isles, and at a longitude farther west than even Lonely Light.

In 56 AC, Lady Elissa Farman, known as Alys Westhill during her voyages, led an expedition on her ship, the Sun Chaser, accompanied by the ships Lady Meredith and Autumn Moon. The expedition stumbled onto the three islands by accident. The three ships had been caught in a devastating storm that sank Autumn Moon, while blowing Sun Chaser farther west.

There, after the storm had passed, the crew spotted shore birds and followed them to land. Sun Chaser recovered the badly damaged Lady Meredith and brought her to the islands, where they remained for a fortnight making repairs and restocking their provisions. As the islands were on no known chart and there were three of them, Lady Elissa Farman named the islands Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya, after the Conqueror and his two queens.

The islands were described as very small, with a combined land area no larger than Dragonstone; the largest of the islands was no more than a third the size of Dragonstone itself. However, the islands were pleasant and bountiful. Springs and streams provided plentiful fresh water. The islands were uninhabited but for the wildlife, including wild pigs and huge, sluggish grey lizards as big as deer, whose bites could cause severe infections. The trees were heavy with edible nuts and fruits unknown in other lands.

The islands of Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya would be the perfect place to build his hidden base. Isolated and forgotten, they offered the secrecy he needed. He would summon his forces there, away from prying eyes, and train them for the future he envisioned for the Iron Islands.

Damian then began to read furthur about the Eustace Hightower's journey as he was the one who actually came back with all this information. Lady Ellisa Farman was a wanted woman in westeros as she had stolen three dragon eggs from Dragonstone. Her love for sailing and exploration made her sail furthur west in the open ocean never to seen or heard again. 

. . .

The days passed by, and the time came for Damian to leave for Winterfell.

He had expected some backlash after he beheaded the Drowned God priests, but the situation had been quiet over the past ten days. Perhaps his enemies were biding their time for the right opportunity. 

In these ten days, Damian had received some good news. The production of the mines had more than tripled, though this rate had been kept a secret, with at least half of the mined ores being stored in his space warehouse.

Damian had also made significant progress in his study of runes and fertility spells for land and soil. In another month or so, he would be ready to change the fate of Pyke.

As he prepared to depart, Damian boarded the longship that would take him to the North. This time, he was taking only his loyal summoned soldiers with him and a few of his pixies, like Lily, who was adamant about coming along. Dacey, Selena, and Jory would remain on Pyke to keep things functional in his stead. He estimated it would take about a month to complete his journey and return, after which he planned to embark on another expedition to the three distant islands.

With four longships filled with refined ores of iron, lead, and tin, and other end products, Damian sailed north. His first stop would be Flint's Finger.

The sea was calm as the ships cut through the water, the sails billowing in the wind. Damian stood at the prow of the lead ship, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He felt a mix of anticipation and determination. This journey was not just about trade; it was about forging alliances and securing the future of the Iron Islands and the North.

Lily, perched on Damian's shoulder, buzzed with excitement. "I've never seen snow. Do you think we will see some snowing on our journey"

Damian smiled slightly. "Perhaps, Lily."