When the pale-gold behemoth landed on the open ground outside Astapor, the earth trembled.
The instant King Ghidorah touched down, the ground for miles around sank slightly, and the resulting gust swept sand and dust in every direction.
Those three savage dragon heads slowly rose, their six slit pupils surveying the ranks of Unsullied below as though inspecting a neatly arranged swarm of ants.
Beside King Ghidorah, at a slightly lower elevation, the black Balerion landed as well, while Vhagar and Meraxes circled overhead, occasionally letting out clear, ringing roars.
Daenerys swung down from Balerion's back, her silver hair streaming in the sea breeze. Aegon slid down King Ghidorah's wing and stood beside her.
Daenerys looked at the city, then at the Unsullied arrayed before them, and finally could not help asking, "I thought you would wipe Astapor from the world too, just like Yunkai."
Aegon did not answer immediately.
His gaze also rested on the black formation. Only after a moment did he speak. "One example is enough to establish our authority. Yunkai is gone. Everyone has seen what happens when they cross our bottom line."
He paused, then turned to Daenerys. "But Astapor has a great many well-trained slave soldiers. Destroying them all would be something of a waste."
Daenerys nodded thoughtfully, her gaze returning to the silent black formation ahead.
Before them, the Unsullied stood in orderly ranks, utterly silent.
They had formed up before the city gates, and the dust gradually settled.
Sunlight struck their black faceplates, reflecting a cold, hard gleam.
Through the gaps behind those faceplates, pairs of eyes were faintly visible-without fear, without tension, without any desire to fight, only a hollow numbness.
They stood there like a solid curtain of iron.
Aegon's gaze swept over the formation, and he gave a slight