The conflict between the two cults was something that Volantis City claimed not to care about.
The followers of the Lord of Light, arriving outside the city to provide support, initially expected to be blocked at the gates. However, they were allowed to pass all the way to the massive R'hllor Temple without any obstruction. The city defense forces even cleared the way for them, reminding them not to harm the civilians.
High Priest Bennero welcomed Melisandre to the temple altar.
"You've finally arrived. The situation isn't looking good. The Dragon Cult fanatics are trying to wipe us out completely. Melisandre, can you use your magic to eliminate their leaders?"
Bennero, also wearing a red robe, was tall and thin, with deep-set eyes, prominent cheekbones, and pale skin. His face and bald head were covered in tattoos of flame patterns. His voice was high-pitched, and with his appearance, he made a strong impression when addressing the followers.
The beautiful Melisandre glared at him with anger. "Last year, I warned you not to let the R'hllor cult get too involved in politics, yet you openly supported Daenerys Targaryen multiple times! Do you still think the power of the Westerlands can't reach here? Bennero, times have changed!"
Inside the hall, the moans of the wounded echoed in. Bennero showed no remorse for his actions. He still angrily said, "We, the followers of the Lord of Light, are the true heirs. We are the rulers. How long has the Dragon Cult even existed? They're heretics! They're just a sect created to line Wright's pockets!"
Melisandre surveyed the grand altar room before turning to look through the window at the simple, two-story black stone building of the Dragon Cult in the distance. She didn't know how to respond. "You once had some fire magic, and the Volantis nobles feared you because of it. Now, almost every town in Westeros has a mage, and you've lost the power to instill fear."
"Melisandre, you are the High Priestess of the Lord of Light. We are in grave danger. You must lead our sorcerers to completely eradicate those heretics!"
Bennero placed all his hope in the sorcerers Melisandre had brought.
Melisandre didn't even look at him. She walked to the window, looking in the direction of the Dragon Cult and said, "Wright Baratheon has already arrived in Volantis!"
"What?" Bennero rushed to the windowsill and looked around the sky in confusion.
"The dragons are still in Dorne. Wright hasn't brought an army. The ones here are all Dragon Cult followers," Melisandre knew what he was searching for.
"What should we do? Retreat north?"
Bennero had heard reports from the Battle of Meereen, where the followers of the Lord of Light had risked disease to visit the battlefield. They came back describing it like a scene from the apocalypse. Bennero, at this moment, was ready to abandon the followers and let Melisandre escort them to safety.
"Jealousy! You're jealous that Wright has dragons! And then you sided with the Targaryens, who has three dragons. Your jealousy has now pushed our R'hllor cult into opposition against the Dragon Cult!" Melisandre voiced what Bennero had done.
Bennero howled in rage, "Impossible!"
Melisandre didn't respond. She reached into her small pouch at her waist and took out some powder, sprinkling it onto the altar. The once gentle coal-like fire suddenly erupted into a fierce flame, taller than both of them combined. She pointed at the fire, and Bennero naturally looked toward it.
In the flames, there were images of him shouting in his bedroom, writing letters to please Daenerys, and pledging loyalty to the senior members of the Golden Company.
The Red Priestess could foresee things. In this world of abundant magic, seeing even brief past events was no challenge.
Bennero snapped back to reality but still couldn't face his past. He asked Melisandre, "So, you plan to abandon us and leave?"
"If I really planned to leave you, I wouldn't have come!" Melisandre replied. "Get the sorcerers in here. We'll perform a prophecy ritual together!"
Melisandre touched her left forearm with her right hand, her long sleeve hiding the burn marks left by a circle of bite marks. No ointment could fully heal them. Now, the number of sorcerers was larger and stronger. Today, she intended to unite their powers and try to predict Wright's future once again.
A group of over twenty Pyromancers of the Lord of Light, all wearing matching long robes embroidered with flames, gathered in a circle around the altar with Bennero. After adjusting their magic power, they nodded to Melisandre in agreement. Unknown powder was sprinkled over the altar once again, and this time, the raging flames reached up to the ceiling, nearly ten meters high. Despite the dozen or so large windows in the circular altar room, the heat became unbearable.
The group formed a simple formation centered around Melisandre. Her consciousness gradually blurred as she searched for Wright's trace in the river of time. After preparing herself for another possible encounter with a fiery dragon's bite, she immediately moved closer to investigate.
This time, no dragon's soul emerged to bite her, but she still couldn't see Wright's past or future. Instead, she saw Wright standing on an endless black sea, surrounded by twenty or so translucent dragon heads emerging from human bodies. Together with Wright, they faced a monster floating in midair, covered in black tentacles and countless eyes.
"Who's playing such a trick to spy on the future?!"
The giant eye suddenly turned toward Melisandre.
Ssshh! The flames on the altar suddenly extinguished, leaving only a wisp of smoke. The room's temperature dropped immediately to normal, as if the previous intense heat had never existed.
"What's going on?"
"I feel the magic suddenly broke off from Melisandre!"
"What happened to you?"
"I'm fine! It's just that the magic failed again. From now on, no one should try to predict Wright's future. He is undoubtedly the strongest mage. Perhaps he has already mastered magic to block prophecies," Melisandre waved her hand, signaling everyone to leave.
"Everyone, rest up," Bennero said, seeing that the ritual had failed. He suggested that the mages rest to regain their magic power.
"I need to rest as well," Melisandre nodded to Bennero, walking into a quiet meditation room to carefully analyze the vision she had seen.
Wright's soul was a dragon, a unique being with both human and dragon souls. Just witnessing this was enough to astonish Melisandre. In her long life, she had prophesied for many people, and for Targaryen dragonriders, the magical connection with their dragons made prophecies difficult, but she had never expected Wright to be in this situation. No wonder she had previously prophesied that he would be bitten by a dragon's soul. The powerful dragon soul could not be shaken by mere humans.
This time, she hadn't been bitten because Wright's soul had already been corrupted! It was being invaded and eroded by an evil force, and all of Wright's power was struggling against this evil entity. His soul could no longer protect itself from her vision.
"I've discovered something unimaginable!" Melisandre's palms were drenched in sweat, her scorching skin unable to dry it.
"What if Wright is controlled by evil?" Melisandre dared not think any further.