109 109

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??? AC

???

Aerion Targaryen

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"Strange." Walking through a densely packed city I purse my lips as I look around.

I don't recognize this place.

Fused stone structures remind me of Dragonstone, artistically crafted in a way I have failed to live up to thus far. Dark clouds hang overhead in the sky but the sun's rays still find their way through and light the city beautifully painting a painting before my eyes.

Dragons fly through the sky.

Silver-haired men and women walk along the fused stone streets, uncaring of me walking around naked as either of the days I was born.

"Strange indeed." I wave a hand in front of an old man's face and he seems to be unable to see me or is just blind. "You're gay!" I shout in his face but he does not react which I purse my lips at.

Alright... I am not actually here.

Wherever here is.

I walked into the flames and felt my clothes burn off in moments, but I remained unburned myself so I walked deeper into the flames that seemed endless.

Now I am here.

Old Valyria?

Possibly.

"Maybe it's New Valyria... R'hllor's flames are supposed to show the future after all." I mutter aloud while looking around curiously.

Nah.

This can't be the future.

I can see people wearing collars and I don't think it's an an S&M thing... slavery is thriving in this city.

I refuse to believe slavery makes a comeback in my New Valyria.

* Rumble *

"Huh?" Looking around I see the world itself seem to freeze other than the ground itself shaking harshly.

Stained glass windows showing images of beautiful landscapes or dragons and dragon riders shatter above in tall towers and rain-down colored shards of glass. Fused stone streets crack and shatter similar to the glass that rains from above, people begin to panic and the loud wailing of women can be heard.

"The Doom..." I feel my body shiver as I turn toward a large volcano within my line of sight from in between two large spiraling towers.

"Run!"

"We got to get out of here!"

"Oh Gods!"

"Where is Aerix?! I can't find my Son!"

"My leg!"

Panic like I have never before seen breaks out and I can't help but find the sight... pitiful.

"None of you will survive." I feel a bit bad watching children scream and run or drop onto their knees praying as the sky turns black with angry sooty clouds.

Is this because I burned so many of the Old Blood of Valyria?

I am being shown this because of my actions?

Sighing I shake my head as I watch dragons take to the sky and ones that were already flying attempt to flee as large building-sized boulders soar through the air. Angry trails of red fire and inky black smoke trail behind the destructive rock missiles as they travel upwards before gravity eventually starts pulling them down.

This is the end of the Valyrian Freehold.

Maybe the strongest 'Empire' this world has ever seen.

Well... the strongest for now.

Hmm.

There is always the Great Empire of the Dawn as well... but I know little about it beyond ancient stories.

So my opinion of its power is lacking compared to the Freehold.

Blinking the chaotic surroundings slowly shift as if the world is made of paint and someone took a wet brush to it. I widen my eyes as the burning Valyrian shifts and changes until I am standing on top of a tower looking down upon an enormous city. The largest city I have ever seen with none even coming close, the city could easily hold four or even five Kingslanding-sized cities within its massive outer wall.

"What?" I shake my head in confusion as I look around at the city with a mix of awe and confusion.

I am on top of the tallest of the towers that seem similar but are different from the fused stone of the Dragon Lords. But there are at least forty other large towers that dwarf the Hightower in Oldtown with ease.

Wait.

Is... is this the Great Empire of the Dawn?

I was just thinking about it... this can't be a coincidence... right?

Strange.

What is going on?

Why am I seeing these things?

Did I see the Doom of Valyria because I was thinking about the Old Blood of Valyria dying out when I stepped into the flames?

Now I am here because I thought about the ancient Empire that might rival or beat out the Valyrian Freehold?

Maybe...

But why?

Closing my eyes I once more think about ancient stories I have once heard of, the original Long Night immodestly comes to mind and I focus on the 'Hero' Azor Ahai.

An odd feeling washes over me and as I open my eyes I see I am no longer on top of a tower but instead on a massive battlefield. A man stands tall before an army of men and giants and even children of the forest while he raises a flaming sword over his head.

"This is where we fight!" The man with the sword calls out as he looks over his shoulder, his voice oddly loud and it echoes across the field. "This is where it will be decided,-" I find myself slowly feeling an odd desire to launch myself into battle and the feeling grows with every word out of the man's mouth. "-if Light will defeat the Darkness so Life can continue-" The army behind the man shout and scream and their voices carry far. "-or if all hope is lost and Death will take us all." The man mutters to himself as he turns to face the incoming army of dark shadowy-looking monsters.

Oh shit.

Is this really what happened back then?!

----

207 AC

Volantis

Daenerys Targaryen

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Approaching the smoking and scorched ground where the pyres burned all night I feel my heart hammer heavily in my chest as Moonfyre and Drogon finally move out of the way.

Not long after Aerion stepped into the flames they curled around the section of the pyre he went into as if they wanted to bathe in the flames themselves.

I couldn't make a big deal out of it despite being worried, if I showed panic others might as well, and then the small folk watching might do something unpredictable and regrettable.

So instead I watched, I waited.

Now as the rays of Sun start to shine in the early morning sky I can see through the smoke and a bit of tension leaves my body.

Aerion is at least in one piece.

Naked.

But in one piece.

"Clothes!" I shout over my shoulder and hear heavy boots quickly march off to presumably get what I demanded. "Aerion?" I call out as I approach my Husband and he slowly raises his head with tired eyes blinking slow.

He is alive... unburned.

"You would not even begin to believe the things I just saw..." Aerion's voice leaves his mouth in a raspy way as if he has not drank in months.

"Water as well!" I shout once more and more boots quickly head off. "Are you alright?" I ask feeling the last bit of worry bubble up inside as he stands and I ignore the crowd that starts cheering and shouting.

The people can see him, alive.

Naked as well.

"I am better than ever." He shakes his head with a small smile on his sooty ash-stained face. "I have never before felt so... alive." I shiver as the word reaches my ears and I know what it means but it sounded like he was speaking an unknown tongue.

"What did you say?" Mya asks as she steps up beside me with a scrunched-up nose.

"I said I have never before felt so alive." He smiles and his teeth oddly look whiter than ever before as if made from shiny pearls.

"You said it differently..." I mutter and Mya nods and I assume she also heard the odd way he spoke.

Quickly a Knight of House Targaryen approaches with a cloak and throws it over Aerion's shoulders and my Husband wraps himself up with an odd look.

"What do you mean?" He tilts his head. "I just said I feel alive." I shake my head and approach him walking through the remains of burnt wood and people and they crumble to ash as I step on top of a few pieces.

"I heard something else the first time you said it." I embrace my Husband and he pulls me against his chest, a strange scent fills my nose.

I smell... something good?

He smells like dragons and ash and even blood... but there is something else.

Something pleasant that should not have survived the flames overnight.

"Alive." Aerion speaks up and I feel one of his arms let go of me and he clears his throat before I pull back giving him space to drink from the waterskin he was just given. "Alive." He says once more and I shake my head wondering if I just heard something that did not actually exist.

But then I remember Mya heard it as well and I turn to look at her as she stands beside us.

"Kepa!" Maegor charges forward and I almost get knocked over as he throws himself at Aerion's legs and wraps his arms around him. "I thought you got burnt up!" Aerion snorts and shakes his head and I step back, I lean toward Mya and she catches my odd look and also looks strangely back toward Aerion.

"Nothing can burn me anymore." Aerion boasts and pats his bare chest sending a small ash cloud to cover Maegor who jumps back with an annoyed squeal.

"My clothes!" Maegor complains and tries to brush off his favorite formal outfit.

The rest of the family slowly approaches after handling their own matters such as holding back the youngest children or calming the anxious dragons who started roaring not long ago when the Sun started peeking over the horizon.

I catch Aerion looking over our family with a growing smile which shows his oddly white teeth once more, I also notice the spot on his chest he patted off is also extra pale and almost... shiny.

"Kepa,-" Aemon approaches with Aeria in his arms and Aerion eagerly steps forward almost seeming to forget his state of undress. "-you survived the flames... and you took my Daughter." Aemon sighs loudly but it's easy to see he is happy that not only his Father lived but is healthy enough to prioritize holding his Granddaughter.

"I lived, and I have a strange tale to tell and I want everyone to gather in the dining room with a large feast prepared." Mya hooks her arm with mine and I see her roll her eyes, here we are worrying and Aerion is ready to jump into normal life as if nothing happened.

I wonder what story he wants to tell though?

Did he see something in the flames?

I assume so... and I look forward to him telling us about what he saw.