Everything is about gold.

Theon POV

They talked too much. It was fine; before an attack, we needed to plan things out, but to me, it was a simple matter. And yet, nobody had to realize it. Ser Barristan was understandable. He was good at military tactics, but he knew little of human greed. But for Oberyn to not realize it was a surprise, he should know what it was all about.

"The city is too big," Jorah commented uselessly. "There is no feasible way to take it over. Just the west side of the city would take too long and the bridge and the Black Walls separate the Eastern part. We need at least twice as many men as we have right now."

"Don't be ridiculous," Oberyn said. "We have about three times more men than Volantis. Even if it took time, Volantis has no way to defeat us."

"Outside the walls, no," Ser Barristan replied. "Inside the walls, we would be trapped. They could easily set up traps for us in those unfamiliar streets. Even if we win, we will lose too much. And be left with too little to take down the Old Volantis hiding behind those Black Walls."

"All I hear is excuses," Dany said. "Is there really a way for us to win? Or are you not looking hard enough?"

"What they said isn't wrong, Dany," I finally spoke. "Don't get too frustrated. But there is always a way to win against any odds."

"I don't see a way unless you are willing to burn Volantis to the ashes," Jorah, as always, didn't like my confidence.

"Calm down, old bear," I said. "All of you seem to be missing a crucial part of what makes Volantis, well, Volantis. Without it, the city will crumble on its own. So, all we have to do is to take it away from the city, and it will be our victory."

"As much as I like riddles, this is neither the time nor the place for them," Oberyn replied. "So, will you tell us what you are thinking about it or make us guess it?"

"Say it, Theon," Even Dany didn't like me wasting time.

"You are no fun," I said with a smirk. "What I am talking about is gold. Everything is about gold in Volantis. Triarchs rule with gold; the gold sustains the soldiers, and the sellswords and assassins are bought with gold. Without the gold, the Triarchs will fall apart, and without them, the city will crumble."

"Thank you for the lesson, Maester," Oberyn said. "But I don't see how that helps with our attack on the city."

"Do I really have to spell it out to you?" I sighed in disappointment. "I expected this much from these old men, but I thought you would be more open-minded and realize it by now. Like everyone else, you lot are too rigid with your tactics and thinking. We are not going to take down the city. We are going to steal from the city."

"Steal?" Ser Barristan was the most shocked one. "I can't agree to such an outrageous plan. We first would need to find the gold, and the amount of it would make it hard to carry it out of the city."

"And the gold is probably kept within the Black Walls," Jorah added. "How do you intend to get here and get out?"

These were good questions, and they were true. I didn't know where the gold was kept, how much there was, or how well it was guarded. There were too many holes in my simple plan. But I wasn't worried. Unlike them, I didn't see a setback; I saw an opportunity. And I wasn't going to let it go because of a few roadblocks.

"Just leave it to me," I said. "I am an expert at getting the gold out of others."

All those holes in my plan were going to fill up soon enough anyway. I night of scouting was more than enough to plan a heist. And I had all the means in the world with all the men I would ever need. If I couldn't do something as simple as this, I wouldn't be called Theon Greyjoy. I had a reputation to keep.

…

Triarchs of Volantis relied on their wealth way too much. And that will be their downfall. Once I take it away, they will lose all means to oppose us. And if I understood their characters well enough, they would be at each other's throats not long after, trying to take the little wealth the other has for themselves. Either way, in the end, they will be at my mercy.

"The vaults are a distraction," I said to my crew as I planned the biggest heist in history. "Sure, there is enough gold to sustain their families, but the size is too small to have enough gold inside to buy sellswords and assassins. It most likely personal funds."

"I can't believe they would leave their wealth outside their homes," Bronn said. "It is like it was meant for taking."

"The old Volantis is a large labyrinth of palaces, courtyards, towers, temples, cloisters, bridges, and cellars," Thoros commented. "There is no way for them to build more buildings or structures and yet the population only grows. Not only do they have to find a way to keep their families, but also their guards and slaves."

"As much as the Black Walls protect them, they also keep them trapped," I said. "They couldn't even fathom the idea of leaving the Black Walls and joining the New Volantis. They are too prideful for that."

"So, where do they keep the gold if it isn't at their palaces?" Anguy asked.

"In the only place big, safe, and neutral for the Triarchs," I said. "Temple of the Lord of Light."

"That can't be," Thoros was shocked.

"True? I thought the same. The Old Volantis don't even believe in R'hllor and their relationship isn't the best with the Hight Priest Benerro," I explained. "But that is also why it is the safest place for them to keep their countless coins."

I didn't take as much time to discover it as I had expected. Even if my understanding of the Valyrian language wasn't the best, the people in Old Volantis liked to talk. Using Rocky to sneak around the city, I found out a lot of secrets, such as the Triarchs keeping most of their wealth in the Temple of the Lord of Light.

It was hard to believe at first, but it did make sense. As much as they didn't like each other, the Triarchs and the Red Priests were entities that were part of Volantis' power. They had to work together, and some kind of agreement was reached that the Red Priests would support the Triarchs in exchange for gaining leverage against them.

The reasons and the specifics didn't matter to me much. All I needed to know was where the gold coins were and how to get them. It was just my luck that most of the Triarchs' business was done outside the Black Walls, and so most of their wealth was inside the temple. Luck was indeed on my side. Not only will it cripple the Triarchs, but I will also push them into a conflict with the Red Priests.

"So, we have the location," Bronn said. "Now all we need is the means of how to get inside the Temple, get all the gold and leave."

"The weight of all that gold would be quite impressive," Anguy added. "How are we going to get it out and then carry it out of the city?"

"The amount will probably fill out hundreds of carts, if not more," I agreed. "Not only would we need to push it out of the city, but also protect it from the enemies that will surely come to take it back."

"That's even the most important part," Thoros said. "Have you forgotten that we will have to fight against the Red Priests to take the gold? We will make eternal enemies of them if we continue with this plan."

"And?" I didn't get Thoros' point.

"Ahh! You are seriously annoying, Theon," Thoros said. "So be it. It is not like I have too many connections with them anyway."

"Well, it is their fault for standing in my way," I replied. "So, let's begin with the planning, and we can face the consequences of our actions later on."

Getting in and getting to the gold didn't seem too difficult for me. The biggest problem was how to get the gold out. I had to agree with Jorah and Ser Barristan. We can't take the city and hold it for a long time. We would be trapped inside the walls. So, we needed to move fast and without anyone realizing our true goal before it was too late.

…

Everyone on those walls was probably terrified as they glanced down at our army. They were probably even more terrified when three shadows fell on them. It was time for the dragons to show their ferocity. For the world to know that they have returned and what it meant for those who opposed them.

"Don't worry," I said to Ser Barristan, who was restless. "They have not prepared any defenses for the dragons. The Queen is as safe as she would be by your side."

"A stray arrow could always bring demise to anyone," Ser Barristan didn't calm down.

"Then it doesn't matter if she is here or up there," I said. "Khal Motho, are you ready? The show soon shall start."

Khal Motho only raised his weapon in response, as my question was the epitome of stupidity. I could only smile back and follow the shadows that were quickly reaching the city. Looking up, I saw the black dragon diving down from the skies. First came the fire. Then the smoke rose. And finally, only ashes were left of towers and the walls standing before us.

With a great roar, Khal Motho led his men through the burned gates and walls with holes in them. There wasn't much that could stop him as he rushed into the city. He quickly finished the rest of the defenses, and the path to the city was now open for us. As planned, ser Barristan was the next one to go into the city.

I turned to my men, who waited for my orders. I nodded to ser Harras, and together, we led them. The path we would take was already memorized. I spent long hours familiarizing myself with the streets and the layout of the buildings. I knew exactly how to reach the temple and how long it would take. Everything was calculated to the least important parts.

"Cut them down."

Even though I sent the Dothraki first so they could take care of the rest of the men inside the city, it seems some stranglers still managed to get in my way. Of course, they were nothing for ser Harras, as he charged and trampled them without even raising his sword. This was the fight we needed to be a part of. Our fight will only begin at the end of this road.

Hopefully, ser Barristan was luckier and will manage to achieve his mission without much interference from the others. But as the shadows from the dragons fell upon me, my worries disappeared. With her watching over us, I had nothing to worry about and could ride forward with haste as I intended.

"There it goes, boys," I said as we reached the Temple. "Be prepared."

Five hundred, maybe more, stood before the Temple. They were armed and seemed well-trained. The slave soldiers, known as the Fiery Hand, stood before us. It seemed they were waiting for us. Well, they knew the fight would break out, so they might have prepared to defend their home. But it felt more like they knew I was coming for them.

"What?"

Nothing went as planned in this accursed world. The Fiery Hand should have been only a small obstacle in my path that would have been crushed quickly enough. But instead of facing me and standing their ground, they knelt before me and opened the path. Behind them stood a tall and thin man with a skin white as milk. Next to him stood the red priest Moqorro.

"We have awaited you, my prince," The thin priest said, raising his arms in a welcoming sign. "Come, I have prepared the gold you came for."

A.n. Sorry for not posting for a long time. I finally got a week of vacation. At this time, I will try to update most of my stories, maybe even twice. I have to see how lazy I am. It was a hard month for me, so I plan to relax for a bit. Sorry if the grammar is getting worse. I am literally trying to push the chapters as fast as I can, so the quality might suffer for that.