Dear friends,
Sorry for the unexpected long break, but I'm currently really overwhelmed. I have three things to share with you:
First: Should our heroes buy a ship from Volantis and travel that way, or should they fly directly on their dragons? Just a heads-up—if they choose to travel by ship, I'll be introducing a new house.
Second: As you know, I had started an Instagram profile called "belaegon." I've now begun sharing the banners and brief histories of the new houses I've added on that account. (Note: There are some houses for which I've chosen names but haven't yet found fitting banners. I've added around 40 Valyrian houses to Westeros, and there are also several Valyrian houses in Slaver's Bay. Most importantly, there is still another dragonlord house alive.)
Lastly: The new chapter is a bit long and features multiple points of view. Please share your thoughts on banner ideas and the travel method in the comments!
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Maekar Pov.
"Stop, please don't! I'm not sick! Don't lock me up in a cell!"
"No, Lord Maekar, please! I'm begging you, I'm really not sick! Don't chain me!"
"I'm telling you, bastards! Let me go! I'm truly not sick! If you lock me in here, that's when I'll actually get sick!"
Maekar was scratching the rough, scale-like skin on his left arm — the remnants of the greyscale he had overcome — as he watched the sick guards who had arrived at the great arena yesterday. They were exhausted from chasing after the escaped stone men the day before, and had placed the newcomers in a group cell. Today, they would move them into individual cells, wait for a while, and release those who showed no signs of illness.
The last one, a young guard around fifteen, was crying and insisting that he wasn't sick. After hearing the same desperate cries from every new arrival all day long, it was starting to wear them down. Now the boy had gone beyond crying and was starting to resist. Maelor, who held him by the arms and had hardened grey patches on his forehead, could no longer take it and knocked the struggling boy out.
As the boy collapsed to the ground, Maelor sighed,
"Finally… I need some peace and quiet. I'm tired of going through the same thing with every newcomer," he said.
Neither Maekar nor Aerion — who stood on the other side of the unconscious boy and had the same hardened skin on his right arm — could hold back a sigh. They had been just like this boy when they first arrived.
Not wanting to dwell on those days, Aerion shook his head and, along with Maelor, dragged the unconscious boy to the wall and chained him up.
When the task was done, Maekar spoke in a short but firm tone:
"Go check on the previous patients. I'll be waiting outside to find out when this month's supplies are arriving. If there are no issues, Lord Daemir's man said he would come this evening."
Maelor quickly responded,
"Right, he was supposed to come this evening, but… I don't even know what time of day it is anymore, my lord. They better hurry, we're completely out of supplies."
Upon Maelor's words, Maekar furrowed his brow in anger.
"What do you mean we're out of supplies? Didn't I tell you to use them sparingly?"
Faced with Maekar's furious shouting, Maelor swallowed hard.
"My lord, it's not my fault… It's all Aerion's fault. He told me that since the supplies were coming this evening, we could give the prisoners a bit more food."
Maekar shouted furiously,
"You idiot! If Aerion told you to jump off the arena roof, would you do it?"
Then, turning to Aerion with the same fury, he growled:
"Why did you do this, Aerion? We can barely feed ourselves, and you're increasing rations for people who are practically already dead!"
Maekar's voice echoed through the dark dungeons of the great arena. This place, once used by the Valyrians to keep their fighting slaves, now held those afflicted with greyscale.
Aerion swallowed in fear.
"My lord… I just wanted the incoming patients to have a chance of surviving this cursed disease. They're our fellow soldiers, our relatives, our neighbors. What's so wrong with that? Besides… wouldn't they be more useful to us if they recovered?"
In response to Aerion's words, Maekar snapped:
"You're still so naive. What do you think this is? You think their Lords give a damn if they survive? They're all bastards. And what happened to us after we survived, huh? Tell me! Didn't they look at us like we were cursed monsters? Didn't they make us guards in this damned arena because they feared we might still spread the disease?"
Aerion couldn't answer the furious words pouring from Maekar's mouth. Seeing Aerion fall silent, Maekar's eyes twitched with rage.
"Get out of my sight, both of you! I don't want to see either of you until the new supplies arrive! Go chat with your sick friends or sleep in the dark dungeons, I don't care — just stay away from me until the rations get here!"
At Maekar's outburst, the two of them darted into the darkness of the dungeon like arrows shot from a bow. As they moved away, Maekar could hear Maelor telling Aerion,
"I told you, didn't I? I told you he'd get mad! But no, you had to be the angel of mercy and make him yell at us again. I haven't had a single day without getting shouted at by the Lord because of you."
When Maelor and Aerion were gone, Maekar let out a weary sigh. He didn't want these people to die either, but the soil in these ruins grew more barren each year. There was nothing they could do. What choice did he have? The Lords always prioritized the healthy. He had even asked for some seeds to plant with the last supply run, but it hadn't taken long for him to realize he had no talent for anything but wielding a sword.
Maekar shook his head and pushed his earlier thoughts aside. Right now, what mattered was replenishing the supplies. He immediately headed toward the door near the dark dungeon and stepped outside. As soon as he stepped out, he looked up at the sky. Of course, all he could see was smoke and the light falling from it, nothing else. Sighing sadly, he stopped looking at the sky and turned toward the road where the supplies were supposed to come from.
Hours passed, but neither anyone came nor left. Maekar was beginning to worry. They had said the supplies would arrive in the evening, but the Lords usually brought the supplies right after noon. Seeing that no one had arrived, Maekar thought to himself, "It looks like we're going to sleep hungry tonight," and turned to head back to the dungeon to check on the prisoners.
Just as he was about to enter the door, he heard a "Thud. Thud. Thud."
Trying to figure out where the sound was coming from, he looked to his right, left, and at the ruins ahead. But he couldn't see anyone. What was more alarming was that the sound was growing louder. Still trying to figure out where it was coming from, a shadow fell over him. Maekar swallowed nervously and looked up, and there, he saw a massive white creature with wings carrying a large cage. His body began to tremble in fear at the sight. From the cage, a frightened voice shouted, "Master, this is it! This is the place you're looking for!"
While trying to understand what the person shouting meant, he heard another person shout from the creature's back, this time with a strong voice. The creature then followed the person's command. It flew around the arena once before roaring and diving down. Maekar was paralyzed with fear. He didn't know what to do. As the creature finished its turn and descended, its tail struck a ruined building. The impact caused the already crumbling building to completely collapse.
Maekar stood frozen, his mouth agape, at the sight in front of him. When the creature landed, Maekar saw a Valyrian man with harsh facial features and torn clothes sitting on its back. Just as he was still processing what was happening, the man atop the creature noticed him and said,
"Hello, my name is Vaegon. Who are you?"
Looking at both the man and the creature, Maekar trembled with fear and managed to say,
"I-I... M-My name is Maekar. Pleased to meet you."
Vaegon was advancing on Anogrion's back, approaching a large ruin of a building he saw from afar. He was ignoring the terrified screams of Rhaenor, who was standing below in the cage.
They were getting closer to the large ruin, but this man was still screaming in fear. Vaegon could no longer bear it and shouted,
"How's the situation, Rhaenor?"
In response, Rhaenor screamed,
"Lord Vaegon! My condition is bad, I'm about to vomit! Please stop and come down!"
Vaegon ignored Rhaenor's screams again and said,
"Hold on, Rhaenor. The big ruin is right there, we'll be there in five minutes. I'll land there."
After flying for just over five minutes, Anogrion reached the large arena. Fearing they would pass it, Rhaenor shouted,
"Master, this is it! This is the place you're looking for!"
Vaegon guided Anogrion to fly around the arena before landing. During this, a figure below caught his eye. As Anogrion landed, the tail caused slight damage to the ruins, and the person standing below trembled in fear. Vaegon smiled at the sight of the person and, from Anogrion's back, said,
"Hello, my name is Vaegon. Who are you?"
The man before him, trembling in fear, managed to say,
"I-I... M-My name is Maekar. Pleased to meet you."
Vaegon Belegon's point of view
Vaegon, about to ask the man where the prisoners were, heard a voice coming from the cage that Anogrion had left:
"Lord Vaegon, please get me out of this cage! I'm going to vomit in here!"
Upon hearing the words "vomit in the cage," Vaegon immediately slid down from Anogrion's back and rushed to the cage's door. When he reached the door, he found Rhaenor, holding onto the iron bars with swollen cheeks. Seeing his condition, Vaegon forcefully opened the cage door and pushed Rhaenor away from the cage.
Rhaenor had taken two steps when he could no longer hold it in and began to vomit. Vaegon, looking at him with disgust, then walked over to Maekar, whom he had just met.
When he reached Maekar, he said,
"Maekar, I want you to bring the prisoners held here one by one to start over."
Maekar looked first at Vaegon, who was giving him orders, then at the creature behind him, Anogrion. He sighed in resignation and nodded before heading inside to the prisoners.
Halfway there, Vaegon called out,
"By the way, bring one or two barrels of water and a ladle."
As Maekar went to fulfill the order, Vaegon gazed at the remaining yet still majestic ruins of the large arena. While looking at the ruins, he suddenly remembered a time when he had watched a slave fight here. Just as he was reflecting on the past, he was brought back to reality by a broken voice coming from beside him:
"Master, would it be alright if I walk next time?" It was Rhaenor speaking.
Vaegon turned to look at Rhaenor and realized that he was facing a true warrior now. The man standing before him was not someone who could only swing his sword aimlessly; he was a real fighter, someone who could end him with a single move. Vaegon knew he should not let him see that. So, he calmly waited for Maekar.
Rhaenor, whose mind was filled with these thoughts, turned to Vaegon and asked:
"Lord Vaegon, may I ask you something? Why do you trust me so much? We've only known each other for an hour. What if I kill you here and escape? What could they do?"
Vaegon turned to Rhaenor and calmly replied:
"I'm not trusting you, I'm trusting the dragon behind you and my brothers. If anything happens to me, my brothers, starting with the dragon, will kill you and your people. If you're smart, you'll know that the only way to leave these barren lands is with us. Who would kill someone who's useful to them before the job is done?"
Just as Rhaenor was about to say something, Maekar arrived, holding a small barrel of water, a ladle, and a faint young man being dragged by two people. Upon seeing the unconscious young man, Vaegon immediately shouted,
"Hurry, open the barrel!"
Maekar looked at Anogrion behind Vaegon, swallowed nervously, and quickly began to open the barrel's lid. Meanwhile, Maelor and Aerion, who were waiting off to the side, were looking at Anogrion with fear, trembling.
When the barrel was opened, Vaegon took two healing potions from his bag. Without hesitation, he poured the potions into the water in the barrel and stirred it with a ladle. Then he filled the ladle and brought it to the unconscious young man's mouth.
As he brought the ladle closer to the young man's mouth, he shouted at Aerion and Maelor, who were waiting at the side:
"What are you waiting for? How is a passed-out man supposed to open his mouth? Bastards! Quickly, open his mouth!"
At Vaegon's words, Aerion, shaking with fear, quickly opened the young man's mouth. Vaegon poured the potion-laced water into his mouth. Once the water was finished, he turned to Maekar and said:
"Take this man and put him in the cage. Be careful, don't let him near the small cages."
Maekar immediately followed Vaegon's orders, taking the young man from Maelor and Aerion's hands and dragging him to the cage. Vaegon then turned to the two empty-handed men and said:
"Go and bring everyone who was brought here yesterday."
Aerion and Maelor nodded fearfully and hurried off to bring the other patients. Watching them, Vaegon couldn't help but sigh, realizing how much easier things had become thanks to Anogrion.
When Maelor and Aerion brought a new patient, Vaegon repeated the process, pouring the potion-laced water from the ladle into the patient's mouth. Once the ladle was empty, the patient was handed over to Maekar and taken to the cage. In this way, all the guards who had been brought the day before were healed and placed in the cage. Then Vaegon asked:
"How many patients are left?"
Maekar answered:
"Twenty patients remain, my lord."
Vaegon nodded and said:
"From now on, chain the people we bring. Otherwise, they might escape."
Following this order, Maelor and Aerion brought in a patient whose skin had turned gray and started to peel off, with his hands and feet chained. When Vaegon reached the patient, he asked:
"Do you have a knife with you?"
At this question, Rhaenor immediately drew his knife from his belt and handed it over. However, Vaegon didn't take the knife; instead, he pointed at Maekar and said:
"Take the knife and cut off the peeling skin."
Upon hearing this, the patient, held by Maelor and Aerion, began to thrash around, trying to escape. Vaegon frowned and shouted:
"Hold this man properly! And start already. I want to get out of this damned place as soon as possible!"
At Vaegon's shout, Maekar swallowed nervously, took the knife from Rhaenor, and knelt beside the patient. He started cutting off the gray, peeling skin with the knife. As the skin was cut, a yellow liquid began to flow from beneath it.
Vaegon didn't waste any time and pulled out a new potion bottle from his bag. The patient began to thrash in pain even more. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he fainted. Maekar wiped the sweat from his forehead, stood up, and threw the cut-off gray skin away.
Once Maekar was done, Vaegon brought the potion bottle to the patient's mouth. Understanding what was about to happen, Aerion immediately opened the patient's mouth. Vaegon poured half of the potion from the bottle into his mouth.
Then, turning to Maekar, he said:
"Go with Rhaenor and bring the chains that have never been used before. But remember, you won't touch the chains; you'll just show him the way."
At Vaegon's command, Maekar and Rhaenor immediately ran inside to search for the chains. After finding them, Rhaenor grabbed them and quickly returned.
Seeing Rhaenor return with the chains, Vaegon turned to Maelor and Aerion, who were standing in front of him, and said:
"Take the patient to the cage and chain him away from the others. But remember, don't let him near the small cages."
Once the patient was chained in the cage, the remaining patients began to be brought in one by one.
When the last patient was brought in, Vaegon couldn't help but be surprised by the man's appearance. The man looked like a normal Valyrian except for his hair, which was orange.
Seeing Vaegon's surprise at the new arrival, Maekar said, "My lord, this man's name is Aesen. He arrived here three months ago. He's the second person who's been here the longest."
Meanwhile, Aesen, who had just seen Rhaenor returning from chaining the previous patient, shouted, "Rhaenor, please, get me out of this cursed place. Even if I don't die from the illness, I'll die from loneliness and darkness here," and began struggling to break free from those holding him.
As Aesen struggled, Vaegon turned to Maekar, who was watching the scene, and shouted, "Are you an idiot? Why aren't you knocking Aesen out? Quickly, knock this man out!"
Vaegon then stepped back to avoid Aesen touching him.
At Vaegon's command, Maekar acted quickly and struck Aesen on the back of his head with the hilt of his dagger. However, the blow didn't knock Aesen out but made him even more aggressive. Aesen began to struggle even harder. Meanwhile, Vaegon, standing behind, shouted, "Hit him until he passes out, or I'll feed you to my dragon!"
Upon hearing Vaegon's threat, Maekar looked at Anogrion with fear and swallowed nervously. Then, with all his strength, he began hitting Aesen's head to knock him out. Each time Maekar struck with the hilt of his knife, Aesen resisted even more fiercely. Finally, when Aesen fainted, Maekar breathed a sigh of relief and, to avoid angering Vaegon, immediately started cutting off the skin on Aesen's left arm, which had started to peel off.
As Maekar cut the skin, yellow pus flowed from the severed area, running down. Vaegon struggled to hold back from vomiting. Once Maekar had finished cutting the last piece of the scaly skin and threw the knife along with it toward the distant ruins, Vaegon handed a fully-filled potion bottle from his bag to Maekar and ordered, "Give this to Aesen and then chain him further away from the others."
Maekar, following Vaegon's command, immediately took the bottle and forced the unconscious Aesen's mouth open to pour it in. After emptying the entire bottle, Maekar, trembling with fear, dragged Aesen toward the cage next to Anogrion.
At the same time, Vaegon said, "Now it's your turn. Who among you wants to get rid of the scaly skin first?"
Aerion and Maelor swallowed nervously and spoke in unison, "No need, my lord, no need. We're already healed. There's no need to waste your potion on us."
Their reaction made Vaegon smile. Smiling, he said, "I didn't ask for your opinion. I said what I will do."
Pointing at Maelor, he commanded, "Rhaenor, knock this man out first. Then cut the diseased skin off his head and throw it away."
Upon hearing Vaegon's words, Maelor began trembling more and was about to fall to his knees to beg. But suddenly, he was struck on the head by Aerion and knocked unconscious. Aerion's action caught both Vaegon and Rhaenor off guard. After knocking out Maelor, Aerion, still trembling with fear, knelt and bowed his head to the ground, saying, "E-e... my lord, please forgive me. I'm really healed. The only bad spot left is on my arm, which I can tie with a cloth. Please don't knock me out."
Vaegon first looked at Aerion, then at Maelor lying on the ground. Without changing his mind, he pointed to Aerion for Rhaenor to handle. At Vaegon's signal, Rhaenor moved quickly and struck Aerion on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious as he had been begging not to be. After knocking out Aerion, Rhaenor immediately drew his sword and began cutting off the diseased skin from both Maelor and Aerion, who were lying motionless on the ground.
Meanwhile, Maekar, after chaining Aesen and exiting the cage to return, saw Rhaenor beginning to scrape Maelor's forehead with his sword and Aerion lying motionless on the floor. Forgetting that Anogrion was next to him, he angrily shouted:
"Foolish dog! Do you dare attack my friends when I'm not around? Rhaenor, I will kill you! I will take my friends' revenge on you!"
Maekar's angry shout disturbed Anogrion, who began growling. Vaegon immediately shouted, "Calm down, Anogrion! Calm down!" trying to soothe him.
Anogrion gradually calmed down after about 10 minutes, thanks to Vaegon's efforts. Once Anogrion was calm, Vaegon sighed with relief. This experience had shown him just how terrifying and powerful Anogrion was, awakening a sense of helplessness within him.
Vaegon looked at Maekar, who was lying unconscious on the floor, having soiled himself in fear. Seeing this, Vaegon wanted to tell Rhaenor to continue and leave as soon as possible. However, when he turned around, he found Rhaenor, who had also soiled himself out of fear and had frozen stiff, staring at Anogrion.
To bring Rhaenor back to his senses, Vaegon clapped his hands loudly and shouted, "Rhaenor! Hurry up and do the task I told you! Then take these three to the cage and chain them up! Do it quickly, or I'll feed you to Anogrion!"
Rhaenor, upon hearing Vaegon's threat, snapped back to reality and looked at Vaegon with fear. He had seen Anogrion's power, and the 16-year-old next to him could control such a mighty being. As he thought about this, he quickly got to work, cutting the remaining diseased skin as Vaegon had instructed.
Rhaenor cut the skin from Maelor's forehead and moved to Aerion. Meanwhile, Vaegon went outside to get the diluted potion he had prepared for the first patients. He opened Maelor's mouth and poured it in. After 20 minutes, all three had had their diseased skin cut off, been given the diluted potion, and were chained up in the cages.
Once Rhaenor returned, Vaegon closed the cage door and climbed onto Anogrion's back. "Let's go. Fly, Anogrion," he said, and Anogrion took off, flying toward the place where Lord Vaenis' people lived, past the White Shield Manor they had come from.
Daemira Onys's Perspective
Daemira woke up with a feeling that something was going to happen today. She couldn't understand why she felt this way. In her fifteen years of life, she had never experienced such a strong feeling. As she thought about this, she washed her face with water and went to the dining room for breakfast.
As she walked down the corridor, she glanced at the cracks in the walls of the mansion where they lived. When she entered the dining room, she saw her father, Daemir, her brothers Aeryon and Aegor, her mother Vaemira, and her sister Laena having breakfast with boiled corn, potatoes, and a small amount of fireberries. She immediately sat in the empty chair next to Laena and took a boiled potato to eat.
While Daemira was having breakfast, her father had finished his meal and, taking her brothers with him, had gone out to patrol, worried that there might still be some stone men who had escaped the previous day.
As Daemira finished her meal and ate the remaining fireberries, her mother suddenly asked:
"Daemira, what do you think of Lord Vaelman's youngest son, Vaerus?"
Daemira, shocked by her mother's words, dropped the fireberry she was holding. The source of her unease was clear now. Taking a deep breath, she said to her mother:
"Mother, father promised me. I would marry of my own will. What happened that he forgot his promise?"
Two years ago, when she had discovered that human waste made vegetables grow better and showed it to her father, the happiness that appeared on his face and the promise he made to her came to her mind. She saw that promise as a way to avoid marriage.
Upon hearing Daemira's words, her mother looked at her with embarrassment and spoke in a soft voice:
"Normally, your father wouldn't go back on his word. But after the destruction caused by the stone men yesterday, a lot of food was lost. When the food they had started to run out, the other lords signaled to gather. You know, if they all come together, even though your father is the strongest lord, he won't be able to stop them. That's why your father decided to ally with Vaelman, who is the second strongest lord after him. Lord Vaelman accepted the offer with two conditions. First, your brother Aeryon's daughter, Daenora, and second, you, marrying his son Vaerus. Your father has no other choice right now."
Every word her mother said extinguished Daemira's hope of avoiding marriage. By the end of the conversation, she had no hope left. No matter what she said, she knew she could no longer convince her father. Letting out a sigh, she lowered her head and, as she stood up, said:
"Mother, tell father I have agreed to marry Vaerus."
She left the dining room and returned to her room. She threw herself onto her bed and started crying. She didn't know how long she cried until she heard a distant noise. She wiped her nose and tears on the blanket. Trying to pull herself together, she decided to go outside for some fresh air. However, as she was about to leave, one of the elderly guards told her that, due to the sounds of her mother, she was not allowed to leave.
Daemira turned back from the door. With nothing else to do, she went back to her room and began mending her old clothes using the threads from dried fireberry twigs.
Hours passed, and she had repaired all her clothes. By then, her emotions had calmed down. When she felt hungry, she went to the dining room. When she entered, she saw her mother talking with an elderly guard with a worried expression, and her sister eating boiled potatoes. Just as she was about to ask her mother why she looked worried, she overheard the elderly guard saying:
"Yes, my lady. We will search for the lord as soon as possible with the other guards."
After the elderly guard said this, he turned and left. Daemira couldn't take it anymore, and as soon as the guard left through the door, she asked, "Mother, what happened to father? Why are the guards going to search for him?"
Upon hearing Daemira's question, Lady Vaemira replied, "Your father was supposed to go to the White Shield Mansion and come back, but it's been quite a while, and he still hasn't returned. Normally, I wouldn't be concerned, but with the other lords joining forces to take food from us and the sound we heard today, I'm worried."
Just as Daemira was about to speak, suddenly, a loud noise of "PAT. PAT. PAT. PAT!" and the terrified screams of people echoed from outside. After locking eyes with her mother for a moment, they rushed to the door, quickly grabbing Laena, who was still eating at the table, to escape.
They stepped outside and saw what had caused the people's fearful screams. As soon as they saw it, they froze in fear where they stood. Two massive white creatures with wings, holding gigantic cages under their feet, completely filled the space in front of the mansion. There were two people on the creatures' backs. These individuals were looking down at the frozen crowd with tense expressions, as if inspecting the area. Daemira couldn't be sure at first, but when she looked closer, she noticed that one of the enormous cages contained people, while the other held sacks and crates.
At that moment, the two figures on the creatures' backs lowered the creatures' heads, sliding down their necks. When they reached the creatures' heads, they held the horns and lowered their heads about two meters from the ground, before jumping off. The people watched this movement in fear.
The shorter of the two figures who had dismounted from the creatures walked toward the cage with the people, while the other headed for the cage with the sacks. When the door to the cage with the people opened, one person immediately ran out and began running toward the mansion.
As Daemira looked closely, she realized the person running was her father. Known for his cold and emotionless demeanor, and nicknamed "Iron Daemir," her father was now running toward them in fear. At that moment, he shouted, "I am Lord Daemir Onys! I command my people: Move all your supplies and all our provisions to the cages in the square!"
Before Daemira could fully understand what was happening, her father reached them and said, "Quickly, get ready! We're leaving. Be careful, don't anger the monsters or their masters, or it will be our end."
Just as her father was about to enter the mansion, the taller figure who had dismounted from the creature called out mockingly, "Lord Daemir, where are you going? Wait for me!"
Daemira noticed that her father was trembling in fear when the person spoke. Then, the person who had called out began slowly making his way toward the mansion. Meanwhile, the shorter figure had also removed the other people from the cage and ordered the terrified crowd to carry the load. Suddenly, the people hurriedly began preparing their belongings and placing them in the cage.
The short figure chose about twenty people from the cage and began heading toward the mansion. At the same time, the tall figure had also approached. When Daemira looked closely at the approaching person, she noticed that he was slightly more handsome than ordinary Valyrians.
The man also noticed her and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He then turned to her father and said, "Daemir, is this your daughter? She's quite beautiful. I've heard that you have a lot of fireberries. Have your daughter bring me some fireberries and serve me afterwards."
Upon hearing the man's words, her father, who had been trembling with fear just moments before, suddenly responded with anger, "Lord Vaelar, please compose yourself! Or I will personally kill you, even if it means my own death!"
The man her father referred to as "Lord Vaelar" didn't forget what was said. Smirking, he looked at her father and said, "First go, bring me a chair to sit on. Then bring the fireberries. After that, I will decide what you should do."
Noticing her father's growing frustration, Daemira looked at the monster and then at the man in front of her. With a deep sigh of helplessness, she turned and went to get what Vaelar had asked for.
After leaving Vaegon, Vaelar and Darion had gone to the lands held by the Zaerd, Gaern, and Qelon families, taking everything, including the fireberry vines. So far, they had gathered a total of 990 people, 1600 sacks of potatoes, 280 sacks of corn, 241 sacks of beans, and 10 barrels of fireberries. Additionally, while searching for food and land to plant, the survivors of the apocalypse had discovered 30 chests of gold, 100 chests of silver, and 200 chests of copper, which they had also seized, all in the form of a currency called the "Valyria Claw."
The currency was named "claw" because it bore the symbol of a dragon's claw engraved on it, and according to their recollection, 1 claw was equivalent to 10 of the coins minted in the Free Cities. 1 gold claw was worth 40 silver claws, and 1 silver claw was worth 40 copper claws. However, what truly excited them was not just the currency, but the weapons made of Valyrian steel that they had found: two two-handed swords, three one-handed swords, a spear, and the most valuable of all, a round shield made entirely of Valyrian steel, with a one-meter diameter.
Now, only Lord Daemir's and Lord Vaenis's territories remained. Even the treasures they had collected so far had astonished them, and they couldn't help but wonder what the remaining treasures might hold. Unable to wait any longer, Vaelar shouted to Aeloris:
"Hurry up, you arrogant dragon! I want those treasures now!"
Aeloris roared angrily at Vaelar's shout, but still began flapping its wings faster. As Aeloris accelerated, Vendieron followed suit, causing the people in the cages to scream in fear. Hearing their screams, Darion shouted angrily:
"Slow down, you fool! You'll harm the people, and then Vaegon will harm you!"
Reluctantly, the dragons slowed down. After flying for a while longer, they arrived at a mansion with a three-story building and a large garden. As the dragons began descending, the people in the garden screamed in terror and collapsed to the ground. Aeloris let out another roar, seeming to enjoy the situation. Vaelar and Darion, having seen this scene three times before, were starting to get bored.
Then, the dragons slid down from their necks to their heads and, once they had descended to a height where they could jump, they dropped themselves onto the ground. Darion immediately went to free the people. When he opened the cage door, Lord Daemir suddenly sprinted toward the mansion like an arrow from a bow. As he ran, he shouted:
"I am Lord Daemir Onys! I command my people: Move all of your supplies and food to the cages in the square!"
Just as Lord Daemir was about to enter the mansion, Vaelar called out mockingly:
"Lord Daemir, where are you going? Wait for me!"
Darion shook his head disapprovingly at Vaelar's action but ignored it and began freeing the twenty strong individuals he had chosen from the cage.
Lord Daemir paused at the mansion's door when he heard Vaelar's words. When Vaelar arrived, he saw a mature and beautiful woman holding the hand of a girl around eight or nine years old, and a young girl standing beside them, who seemed to be a copy of the woman. Looking at the mansion and the women, he immediately understood who they were.
To irritate Lord Daemir, Vaelar turned to the young girl with a smile and mockingly said:
"Daemir, is this your daughter? She's quite beautiful. I've heard that you have plenty of fireberries. Have your daughter bring me some fireberries, and then she can serve me."
Upon finishing his sentence, Vaelar could clearly see that Lord Daemir was furious, and he seemed to take pleasure in it. However, Daemir responded angrily:
"Lord Vaelar, please control yourself! If I must die, I will personally kill you!"
Vaelar paid no attention to Daemir's words and, in order to anger him further, looked at his daughter and said:
"First, go bring me a chair to sit on. Then bring the fireberries. After that, I'll decide what you should do."
After saying this, he sat down on the steps of the mansion.
Daemir, about to shout and pounce on Vaelar, saw his daughter sigh helplessly and head inside to get what Vaelar had asked for. This made him even angrier. Just as he was about to shout and jump at Vaelar, Darion arrived with twenty people behind him.
"Lord Daemir, don't pay too much attention to the words of this worthless fool. Take us quickly to the place where you've hidden your treasures," he said.
Daemir took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Then he nodded in acknowledgment and started walking inside. Darion and the others followed him. Meanwhile, Lord Daemir's daughter had brought the chair Vaelar requested and the fire grapes.
The girl placed the chair next to Vaelar and set the fire grapes on the ground. As she turned to go to her mother, Vaelar mockingly said, "Who told you to leave? Come here, put the grapes in my mouth while I sit, then give me a foot massage."
The girl's hands trembled with anger. She was about to respond, but when she saw the monster's head getting closer, she swallowed her words. She approached Vaelar and began placing the fire grapes in his mouth, one by one.
At that moment, Darion, leading Lord Daemir, had reached the mansion's treasure room. Lord Daemir opened the door and stepped inside. Although Darion was prepared for what he would see, he couldn't help but be surprised by the sight inside. There were dozens of chests on the floor. On the walls, six swords made of Valyria steel were hung. Rusted, old armor was lined up against the walls like guards. Trying not to show his surprise, Darion signaled to the men behind him to start carrying the chests. The men entered and began moving them. Darion asked Daemir, "How many chests are there? How many contain gold, silver, and copper?"
Daemir, his heart breaking, replied, "There are 150 chests, my lord. Fifty contain gold, seventy contain silver, and thirty contain copper coins. There are also five chests with vases and tableware, my lord."
Darion looked at him and said, "Good, good. From now on, we'll take 45 chests of gold, 65 chests of silver, 27 chests of copper coins, and four of the six Valyria steel swords. We'll consider this as the price for saving you from this ruin. The vases and tableware aren't worth much; I'll take all of them from you, and in exchange, I'll only give you 21 silver coins. Now, let's leave so the men can do their work," he said, and began walking towards Vaelar.
As Darion walked through the mansion's corridors, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. He didn't want Vaelar to torment Lord Daemir's daughter just to anger them. If anyone was to be avenged, it should be the father, not the daughter.
Meanwhile, Vaelar was sitting in the chair, watching as Daemir's daughter massaged his back while the men were loading food and chests of coins into the cages. Leaning back with satisfaction, he said, "Come on, do more. Why did you stop, Daemir's daughter? These shoulders that have been held for years won't be fixed in just a few minutes."
Hearing Vaelar's words, the girl's eyes twitched with anger. "I have a name. Don't call me Lord Daemir's daughter, call me Daemira Onys," she said, increasing the pressure as she massaged him.
The girl's increased pressure on the massage only made Vaelar enjoy it more.
"Is that so, Daemira Onys? I think you've massaged my shoulders enough, now move on to my feet," he said.
Vaelar's words froze the girl in place. She asked in disbelief, "You... want me to massage your... feet?"
Vaelar responded playfully, "Yes. Didn't you hear me just now, or are you deaf?"
Daemira was on the verge of tears from anger, but when she looked at the monster again, her fear took over. She walked around to the front of the chair and kneeled to massage Vaelar's feet. Just as she was about to lift Vaelar's right foot, Darion's angry voice was heard:
"Vaelar! You bastard! Didn't I tell you to behave? Wait until I tell Vaegon about what you're doing, let's see what trouble you'll get into, bastard! What did Vaegon say? Gather everyone quickly, we need to leave this place as soon as possible. If he saw you like this, he would've shoved the legs of that chair right up your ass!"
Vaelar, still sitting casually by the mansion door, called out to Darion, who was still furious:
"Relax, brother, I'm not stalling. I'm just watching the workers. This isn't stalling, like Vaegon said."
At Vaelar's calmness, Darion couldn't find anything to say. With a frustrated breath, he tried to calm down. Looking at him, he said:
"I'll tell Vaegon about what you've done. Let's see what trouble you'll get into, bastard."
Then he gestured for Daemira to go. He sat down next to Vaelar and watched the workers carry the food and crates. The two of them remained silent, deep in thought, until the task was finished. Once all the supplies were placed in the cages, and everyone had entered the other cage, the two of them slowly got up. They went to their dragons, had the cage doors closed, and then mounted them. After that, they flew toward their final destination, Lord Vaenis's land, where they would meet Vaegon.
After flying for a while, they arrived at the White Shield Mansion and turned slightly to the right, continuing on. They flew until they heard a roar. When they looked toward the source of the roar, they saw a two-winged mansion where a giant white dragon, with its head extended, was roaring, marking its territory. In response to its roar, Aeloris and Vendieron roared back.
As Vaelar and Darion approached, they saw trembling people on one side and bags of food and crates on the other, under the dragon.
The two of them landed their dragons, and they heard Vaegon shouting at the people:
"Hurry up! Open the cage doors, and place the food sacks and crates! Remember, be careful when placing the fire grapes, or I'll make your life worse than death!"
At Vaegon's orders, the frightened people began moving. As Vaelar and Darion descended, they went straight to Vaegon. Vaegon turned to them and said:
"Unless it's really important, don't talk. We'll deal with it once we get out of this cursed place."
Vaelar, curious, asked:
"What did you do? Did you save the patients? When did you get here?"
Vaegon responded angrily:
"Vaelar, didn't I just say, don't talk unless it's really important? Since you asked, I'll tell you, but remember, after I tell you, you'll be the one carrying the load, alright?"
Vaelar quickly nodded:
"Forget it, forget it. No need to tell me," he said.
Vaegon looked at Vaelar disdainfully, then turned to Darion:
"What did you find? Give me a quick summary."
At Vaegon's request, Darion began:
"We found 2,200 sacks of potatoes, 680 sacks of corn, 300 sacks of beans, 250 sacks of onions, 45 barrels of fire grapes, 40 fire grape vines, 480 money crates, and 5 dinner sets. We also found three pairs of swords made entirely of Valyria steel, eight one-handed swords, a spearhead, and a one-meter radius round shield. And we brought back 1,590 people. What did you find, Vaegon?"
After listening to Darion, Vaegon replied:
"I found 100 sacks of corn, 200 sacks of potatoes, 30 sacks of onions, a barrel of fire grapes, and three fire grape vines. I also found two long swords made of Valyria steel, a spearhead, and two dinner sets with 15 forks and 15 knives each. Besides that, I brought 67 people. And just so you know, I gave Lady Aera, Lord Vaenis's wife, half a bottle of healing potion for helping me here."
Darion nodded and seriously told Vaegon about what Vaelar had done to Lord Daemir's daughter. Vaegon frowned as he listened. Afterward, he looked at Vaelar with contempt and said:
"I want to leave this place as soon as possible, so I won't punish you right now. But when we get to Volantis, you'll get your punishment, and you'll apologize to that girl."
Darion was about to argue, but Lord Vaenis approached from behind and said:
"Lord Vaegon, everything is ready. We can leave whenever you wish."
Vaegon looked at Lord Vaenis, who was sweating from exertion, and nodded. Then he turned to Darion and Vaelar:
"Brothers, no more talking. Let's leave this cursed place as soon as possible."
He turned and began walking toward Anogrion.
Seeing Vaegon leave, the two of them went to their dragons. They closed the open cage doors. Once all three were on their dragons, Vaegon drew his "Deathbringer" from his belt and said:
"Come on, brothers, today is our last day in this cursed place. They say every ending is a new beginning. And today marks the beginning of our rule. So first, we're heading to Volantis. Let's go, fly!"
With that, Anogrion took off.
Following Vaegon, Vaelar and Darion also made their dragons fly. Thus, the ancient city of Oros, after the Valyria Cataclysm, hosted dragons for the first and last time. As the three white dragons disappeared into the gray smoke, the ruined city of Oros remained behind.