1 Chapter 1: Dothraki Raid

The Dothraki killed in a way the boy had only ever read of in books. The copper skinned men, famous for their brutality and strength, more than lived up to their reputation. The way they rode into the village like the four horsemen of the apocalypse, causing death and strife wherever they stampeded, was absolutely frightening. Their horses tramped over men, woman, and children alike. Anyone unfortunate enough to get in the way was stepped on, and turned into a red paste on the grass.

The sound of bones snapping and bodies crumbling was enough to unnerve the boy, but it was the agonizing cries for help that shook him. Even from his position, hidden and caked in mud, he couldn't help but feel fear. If one of these people found him, they either kill him outright or take him as a slave for manual labor. The Dothraki would not be merciful.

Alerted by the mournful wails of the people outside, many of the peasant villagers stepped out of their small hut homes to see what was happening. When they saw what the Dothraki were doing, many of the men ran back inside their homes and came back out with weapons, but they could not change the situation. The Dothraki hunted the villagers without pause, raising and sweeping their curved arakh blades like scythes cutting grass from the field.

Their curved weapons were designed to hunt and capture. The swooping curve of their arakhs gripped the necks of the men, easily bitting and tearing heads off like butter. Blood showered the red mud bricks, the only building materials these peasant farmers could make. The pale grass of the Dothraki sea was quickly stained red with the blood of what the Dothraki considered lesser men. Herders, farmers and the like, all people that the boy had come to consider his own. He clenched his teeth seeing this, but he didn't dare move. The world of ice and fire wasn't a kind one. If he foolishly tried to fight back, his life would be forfeit. Who knew if he would have a third chance at life.

To distract himself the boy checked his timer.

[Tutorial: Dothraki Raid]

[Time Remaining: 3 Hours]

[Mission: Survive the Dothraki raid by any means necessary for a 10 point addition to health. Being captured will result in a 10 point addition to technology. Killing any member of the Dothraki raid will add an additional 10 points to combat.]

The floating blue screen in front of the boy's face was his only saving grace. Before the Dothraki raid had begun, it was this "system" that had noticed him in advice. That precious time period allowed him to prepare himself. When he had first woken up in this unfamiliar body in an unfamiliar world, it was this "system" that told him where he was. He didn't know how he arrived here, in Essos, as a small village boy just off the Dothraki sea, but he placed his trust in the system.

Watching the carnage in front of him put a bad taste in his mouth, but the boy swallowed his hate towards the Dothraki. He closed his eyes and leveled his breathing. All around him, he could still hear the screaming and crying of the peasant farmers. Mothers begged for their children to be shown mercy, father's fought until their death to protect their families. Children cried for their parents and infants wailed their hearts out. No one could do anything to stop the Dothraki. How could they?

The Dothraki were a warrior race. They breathed violence and enjoyed killing. Their entire society was based on enslaving and slaughtering. Peasant farmers and herders who lived peacefully could never compete with them. Even the rich free cities of Essos didn't dare fight against the Dothraki on open field. On their horses, the Dothraki were unstoppable. Especially a khalasar as large as the one in front of him.

This village located just outside of the red waste had a sizable population. Many of the citizens were escaped slaves from the city of Qarth. But the khalasar hunting them down had over five times their numbers. For every man, woman and child in the village there was five Dothraki warriors, all men in their prime. The peasant villagers never had a chance of survival.

In just three hours, every house, pen and well was deconstructed and destroyed. The Dothraki crushed every sign of civilization from the area, leaving it a barren field like the rest of the Dothraki sea. Long lines of slaves were lead into carriages and put into chains. Dozens of vaguely female bodies were left raped and violated on the muddy streets. "Mercy men" went around with blades, killing off any stragglers still inching onto life. If there was anyone who survived the raid other than him, they weren't alive anymore.

Once the field went into silence and the Dothraki horde started retreating into the sunset, the boy heard a strange mechanical noise.

[Tutorial Complete: Dothraki Raid]

[10 points have been added to health.]

[A new trait has been unlocked]

[Vigor: This trait doubles health, health recovery rate, and metabolism.]

At first the boy was very happy, but then he panicked.

Health was important in this world. He had seen as much in his few weeks of living in the village. The number of people he had seen die to a simple illness wasn't small. Disease was almost a certain death sentence in this world. But this "trait" wasn't as helpful as it seemed. And this had everything to do with his location.

The Dothraki sea had very little food to offer. Since there were no farms or agriculture there were no cities or villages located in the Dothraki sea. The Dothraki themselves only managed to survive off of raiding and pillaging other civilizations. With his increased daily caloric intake it was very likely he'd starve to death struggling to find food.

"I don't think I have a choice. I have to follow them."

The boy immediately ran out of his hiding spot and trailed after the Dothraki. He did his best to wipe away the mud from his body. He abandoned his dirty clothes in favor of blood soaked clothes that he stole off of someone's corpse. His plan was very simple. Since he lacked the ability to survive on his own, he would follow the Dothraki as a slave.

He ran after the nearest carriage that he saw. It was almost full of bodies, straggling in the back of the Dothraki horde. Ten fully grown Dothraki men guarded it, each man circling around it on horseback. Anytime a slave attempted to jump out of the carriage and escape they would lasso them back into the carriage. To the Dothraki, these slaves were precious trade materials, labor they could trade for many things at the next free city.

Once the boy was close enough to Dothraki carriage he shouted, "Wait!"

One of the Dothraki heard him and turned around. He calmly raised his bow and pointed an arrow at him. "Are you one of the villagers?"

His pronunciation was much rougher than his own, but the boy still somewhat understood him. Thankfully, there wasn't much of a language barrier between the two of them.

"Yes. Please take me with you. I just came back home a minute ago."

The Dothraki man looked at him suspiciously for moment, but then he said something to someone inside the carriage. The boy was too far away to hear what he said but he was relieved when the man put his bow down.

Out of the carriage came out a short old Dothraki man. He was dressed in brown robes and had his hair cut short with no bells or medals like the other Dothraki. This man was very clearly a slaver. He had copper chains in his hands, suited to fit a child around his size. He handed the chains over to the Dothraki and the boy approached him with his arms outstretched.

The Dothraki man slipped the chains onto him but gave him a quick warning, "I've never seen someone eagerly offer themselves into slavery. I'm telling you right now little boy. There weren't enough woman to satisfy everyone. Whatever you're planning, erase it from your mind or you'll be jumping up and down on my cock."

The boy lowered his head in fear and the man laughed before throwing him into the carriage.

[Ten points have been added to technology]

[A new recipe has been unlocked.]

[Gunpowder]