Stannis and Varys weaved through a couple of streets followed by their one dozen soldiers before they reached the imposing building of the House of Black and White.
The building was tall and plain. There were no markings or engravings on the building, and neither any decorative design. There were no windows or ventilation in the entire building apart from the door which was now standing in front of them.
One of the doors was painted white while the other was painted black. Just standing outside the door, Stannis and Varys could feel the eeriness of the building. A feeling of suffocation, dread, and a chill was gnawing at their necks. It was as if the building was releasing an ominous aura and even the experienced Varys and the battle hardened Stannis were feeling uncomfortable in the mere presence of the building. They could feel the air getting heavy and the fear that was crawling through their skin.
To even think that this place was actually a temple dedicated to the Many Faced God. It was nothing like the sept of the seven they were used to going.
"The House of Black and White," Varys mumbled in a low and tense voice, his eyes fixed on the door. "The Faceless Men. No one."
Despite all his experience he had in life, this would be the first time Varys would be dealing with the Faceless Men. So far, he had only heard about them from the mouths of others.
Legends. Impossible feats of assassination. About their Many Faced God. And their almost unbelievable and miraculous tales, tales which Varys knew were true. The same was the case for Stannis. In fact, he knew even less than Varys. The Faceless men were one of the most dangerous people in the entire world and Varys knew it very well.
The duo exchanged a quick glance before Varys took a deep breath and started climbing the stairs leading to the two coloured doors. He raised his hands and gave a couple of knocks on the doors.
Nothing seemed to happen for quite some time. Varys was about to raise his hands to knock once again, but there was a loud screech of the unbolting of the door, forcing him to halt his hand in mid air.
The door was pulled open from the inside, and a middle aged man stepped out. Most probably a Faceless man.
The man was completely unremarkable, nondescript and hardly had any looming or overwhelming presence. He was as ordinary as anyone could have been.
But Varys knew better than to take the man lightly. Anyone associated with the Faceless Men could not be taken lightly.
"What does a man want?" the middle aged man questioned in a gruff voice. Varys did not know if the man had recognised him and Stannis or not, and neither did he have any intention of finding out. Neither did he was going to give his introductions.
"We want to offer a contract. An assassination," Varys replied.
"The man says a contract," the Faceless Man mumbled. "Very well. Follow me."
"But," he added with a pause, his eyes settling on the soldiers standing next to Stannis. "Only the man and his companion are allowed to enter. The rest must stay out."
Varys, not being the decision maker, looked towards Stannis, who nodded in agreement.
"Follow me," the Faceless Man said, and stepped through the wooden doors.
Varys and Stannis exchanged one more glance before following the Faceless Man through the door, leaving the soldiers outside. The moment they stepped inside, every feeling of dread they had experienced outside the building intensified.
They felt their blood turning cold and a chill crawling down their spines. The grip of suffocation tightened on their necks, and every fiber of their bodies felt as if it were in strife against death itself. They were inches away from shivering with fear. They could feel and see their death approaching. It was pure dread.
"A man always fears death," the Faceless Man said as he continued to lead them through the corridors. "He struggles to keep it away all his life, but in the end, all men must die."
"Valar Morghulis," his voice echoed through the corridors.
Varys and Stannis tried to suppress their fear, but it was very difficult.
"The more a man fears death," the Faceless Man explained, "the more they feel this suffocation within these walls."
"A man needs to overcome this fear, and you will be comfortable," he said. "Death is inevitable and no man can stop it. When it comes for you, a man cannot run away from it."
"Therefore," he added. "Till the time, death comes for you, all men must serve."
"Valar Dohaeris," the man's voice echoed through the halls.
Knowing the reason for the feeling did not give them any relief. The fear of death was not something they could suppress at will. And this philosophy about Valar Morghulis and Valar Dohaeris, Varys had heard it. He knew about it. And perhaps, he understood its meaning and perhaps even agreed with it. He knew and accepted that everyone had to die and that before they died, they had to serve some purpose. But this did not give him any relief.
The Faceless Man did not say anything more, and they continued to walk behind him.
They passed through the atrium of the House of Black and White. A large pool filled with water sat in the center of the hall. Varys had heard of the hall and knew the water was poisonous. It was offered to those who came to the Many Faced God to seek relief from their lives and their pain, in simple words, to those who wished to die.
The atrium was further lined with statues of many gods from many different faiths from across both Essos and Westeros. Specifically, they were gods that represent death and the unknown. Varys could spot the statue representing the Stranger from the Faith of the Seven.
After a few more moments of walking, they were brought before another door. Like the main door, this one was also painted in two colours. One half in black and the other in white.
The man pushed the door open and gestured with his hands for them to go inside. He was not entering the room himself. Varys gulped hard as he took a deep breath and stepped through the door, followed by Stannis.
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