Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

After all, the seven or eight people lying in the tent were actually from two families, or even two villages, which were far apart. If it really was an infectious disease, then the spread would be too wide.

Moreover, they had been trapped on the rooftops for several days and had been starving. The flood had cut off their communication, and according to the army doctor, it was highly likely that they had contracted diseases due to hunger and cold.

Even so, the doctors took full precautions to avoid too much contact with patients, and were even forced to speak at a distance when reporting to His Highness the Prince.

"I see."

After listening to the army doctor's report, Heros's expression remained solemn, but he breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, letting him leave first.

"Lord Hendry."

After the army doctor left, Heros stood there for a while, pondering for a moment, before raising his head and asking a question.

Is this the first case?

Have you heard of anything like this before?

Although it is not yet possible to confirm whether this is a plague or a common disease, Heros's act of entering the tent and taking a look was actually very dangerous.

The reason why humanity faces plagues with such dread is primarily because it is helpless to deal with them.

For example, the great plague that swept across Westeros in the spring of 209 Aegon's year caused countless deaths, with the largest cities suffering the most.

It is said that the plague was severe in Lannister Harbor and worse in Oldtown, but King's Landing was the place where the most lives were lost, with four out of ten residents perishing in the plague.

Moreover, the plague is extremely deadly; a healthy person may be perfectly normal when they wake up in the morning, but by evening they may succumb to the plague and die.

Besides the great spring plague a hundred years ago, there have been many other outbreaks of disease in recent years. Decades ago, the old town experienced a gray death epidemic that claimed the lives of half the town’s population and three-quarters of the City of Learning’s members.

At that time, Earl Quinton Hightower of the old town burned all the ships in the harbor, closed the city gates, and ordered his soldiers to kill anyone who tried to escape, men, women, and babies alike.

Pentos also experienced this terrible gray death disease, which came from a Braavos merchant ship called the Treasure, which docked here on its way back to the Jade Sea and then brought the virus here.

The virus claimed the lives of two thousand people, including Silas, the wife of Illyrio Mopatis, the current governor of Andalus.

It is precisely because of these bloody cases that people regard the plague as a ferocious tiger and must be on high alert.

Regardless of whether these people are infected with the plague, swift and decisive action must be taken.

However, the Governor of the Riverlands, Hendry Brecken, seemed somewhat dazed.

He had just seen the scene inside the tent, and then he was suddenly awakened by the words of the eldest prince. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, Your Highness."

"I've never heard of such a thing."

Chapter 978 Fire

After some deliberation, the eldest prince, Herod Targaryen, who had come from King's Landing, finally issued the decree.

All the messengers sprang into action upon hearing the news.

"quick!"

"His Highness has given the order!"

"Seal off all entrances and exits!"

To prevent the spread of this suspected plague virus, Heros ordered the military camps to be sealed off starting today, prohibiting the acceptance of any more refugees from the outside world. No one was allowed to leave or enter, and the areas where patients were isolated were strictly off-limits to everyone. News was also kept under tight control to prevent panic.

Heros himself also set an example by locking himself in his tent and not going out.

However, an unexpected event occurred that night.

A fire suddenly broke out in the quarantine area, and the flames spread extremely fiercely. All the doctors and patients accompanying the army perished in the fire; not a single person escaped.

...

At the very moment this accident occurred, Heros was in his tent reading a book about strangers.

The Valyrian Empire is waging a campaign to exterminate the gods, but it is primarily targeting the gods of Essos, while remaining lenient towards the gods of Westeros.

Stranger is one of the seven faces of the One, symbolizing death. Plague is also Stranger's incarnation. It is said that he rides a 'pale mare', and wherever this horse goes, it brings a terrible blood plague.

Herlos had a habit of reading. He was introverted, self-centered, and preferred to be alone in peace and quiet. Therefore, when he was summoned to lead a relief force from King's Landing to the Riverlands for disaster relief, he brought a box of books with him.

However, none of these books were specifically about the plague, and Heros had no idea that his trip to the Riverlands for disaster relief would lead to such a huge problem.

However, some of his books happen to touch upon the plague, one of which is a history book that records the 'Great Spring Plague' of Aegon 209.

The other book is "The Book of Strangers," which also touches on some aspects.

"Those who were poor or rich, devout or not during the plague, including 'Wise King' Daren II and his two heirs, Princes Valar and Mataris."

"The Archbishop, one-third of the Archbishops, and almost all the Silent Sisters of King's Landing have been taken by Strangers, as well as Daeron's Prime Minister."

"Brynden River, the new Hand of the King, advised the new King Aerys I to take the corpses to the dragon's lair and then have the fire sorcerers burn them all."

"It is said that the wildfires burning corpses made King's Landing appear to glow in the night."

"Others who died in the plague included Roland Ulfryn, Lady Rohane Webb's fourth husband; Damon Lannister, Duke 'The Grey Lion'; and the eldest son of the Earl of Brecken, among others..."

The young prince with brown hair sat by candlelight, staring at the shocking words, and fell silent for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

But just then, as he looked at the book, he vaguely sensed a flickering light outside. He looked up and saw a guard running over.

"Your Highness, something has happened again!"

...

The next day, during the day.

The events of last night have gradually spread throughout the military camp.

Although the soldiers were unaware that an epidemic seemed to be brewing, the fire last night could not be hidden.

"what happened?"

"I heard that quite a few people died in the fire?"

The soldiers whispered among themselves, but Heros still went to the scene of the fire that had taken place the previous night.

"As everyone knows...fire can cleanse all evil."

The eldest prince, draped in a black cloak, stood on the scorched earth and spoke.

The large tent, which could hold more than ten people, had now been reduced to ashes, and those who had stayed inside last night had been burned alive.

It is said that those who contracted the disease did not have the strength to escape when the fire was burning. The only doctor who had the strength to escape collapsed after running a dozen meters.

But at this moment, the bodies of all those who perished in the fire are neatly arranged on this scorched earth.

Flames can kill viruses. Since ancient times, the most common and effective way for humans to deal with plagues has been to set fires. After a big fire, all viruses are reduced to ashes.

The eldest prince of the Valyrian Empire stood before a row of charred corpses, the air thick with the stench of burning flesh. But Heros paid no heed. He then knelt down before one of the bodies and, without turning his head, asked a question.

"Has the cause of last night's fire been determined?"

"Not yet, Your Highness."

"It's possible that the doctor accidentally started a fire while burning the white clover."

The guard beside him quickly shook his head and said, "This place was strictly guarded last night, and no outsiders could have gotten close. It's only possible that we started the fire ourselves."

After all, the place was shrouded in smoke yesterday, with white clover burning continuously. White clover is the kind of herb whose smoke can dispel viruses, and this situation could easily cause a fire.

"Is that so?"

Heros poked at the corpse in front of him with a stick he had picked up from the ground, and then asked a question.

"Artis, and what about you?"

Did you see anything?

Heros's Royal Guard, a giant over four meters tall, shook his head and spoke in a booming voice.

"No, Heros, I fell asleep yesterday."

The giants, being high up, could see far. Heros had hoped that Artis could see something, but the giants were asleep when the fire broke out yesterday, so they saw nothing.

On the other side, the governor of the Riverlands, Hendry Brecken, wore a green cloak and had a beard.

He stared at the charred scene before him and the neatly arranged corpses on the ground, a hint of unease on his face, as if he had something on his mind.

Heros, crouching down, didn't see it. He poked at the bodies of the victims one by one with a stick. This was the third one. Although the body in front of him was burned beyond recognition, Heros recognized it at a glance.

He was the same military doctor who accompanied the troops yesterday.

Heros then used a stick to help him turn over, but at that moment, his hand paused slightly, as if he had noticed something.

"Ok?"

Heros's eyes narrowed slightly, because although the body was charred, there was an inappropriate hole in the neck of the army doctor, as if someone had shot him through the neck with an arrow.

However, Heros was crouching on the ground, his shadow looming over the corpse, so no one could see him.

He didn't say anything then, but simply released the wooden stick, clapped his hands, stood up, looked around at everyone, and spoke.

"Bury them."

Chapter 979 Spread

A suspected plague broke out among the relief teams that came from King's Landing.

The Imperial Prince Herlos Targaryen, who commanded this army, decisively adopted swift and ruthless measures.

Through methods such as lockdowns and isolation, all the infected patients were identified immediately and detained together, finally suppressing this potential crisis.

However, to the outside world, this crisis was spreading silently across the land, accompanied by raging floods.

...

As the capital of the Riverlands, Twin Rivers City is situated at the mouth of the Green Fork River. Twin Rivers City is also known as the 'River Crossing'. To travel together from here, one must cross the stone bridge of Twin Rivers City; otherwise, one would have to detour for a hundred miles.

The Frey family, who had spent generations building the Twins, quickly accumulated a great deal of wealth and became the most powerful vassal under the Tully family, who were even able to raise an army of four thousand men.

However, after Viserys' counterattack on the Seven Kingdoms, the families in Westeros underwent a dramatic change, resulting in a major reshuffling of power.

Of the ancient families that once ruled the Seven Kingdoms, all except the Starks (who still rule the North), the Martells (who rule Dorne), and the Greyjoys (who rule the Iron Islands) have changed hands.

The Tully family was stripped of their title of lord and became ordinary earls, while the Brecken family, having successfully chosen the right side, became governors of the Riverlands and were granted the Twins. The efforts of the Frey family over generations were ultimately reaped by the Brecken family, a truly lamentable situation.

However, the Twins were also hit by floods in the recent torrential rains.