23 Chapter 23:"immortal warriors"

Another dragon lord inquired, "What should we do with the remains of the Andals? Make them slaves?" Vahaemorys simply replied, "Do as you please."

The following week, more than 2,000 ships set sail for Andalos, along with four adult dragon riders. Vahaemorys even dispatched one of the true dragons, Terramor, who had a keen interest in crafts and construction. He granted Terramor full authority to act as he saw fit.

During this time, Vahaemorys's attention was focused on Sorthoyos. He had uncovered something he had never come across in books or series. While he was aware that Sorthoyos was a vast continent larger than Westeros and Essos combined, he had never imagined the existence of a hidden civilization deep within Sorthoyos, separate from the long-lost Yeen civilization.

In the depths of Sorthoyos, Vahaemorys had discovered ancient and almost-extinct races that resembling like humans, who had once thrived in an age long past. These races had valiantly joined the dragons in the divine war against foreign invaders, but the curse afflicting the dragons had caused the extinction of many races, leaving humans as the dominant species across most continents for many millennia. However, some resilient races managed to survive the invasion, and among them were the Eldians and dwarves. These two races had found refuge in a remote corner of Sorthoyos.

Vahaemorys recognized the immense potential of these races and envisioned them as valuable assets for his future empire. The Eldians were renowned for their mastery of wood magic and exceptional craftsmanship, akin to the skilled dwarves. Vahaemorys was eager to establish contact with these races and bring them under his control, but he pondered the best approach.

Vahaemorys knew that the Eldians, in particular, had a unique connection with the true dragons, once considering them as the gods of their land and worshipping them fervently. This connection offered a glimmer of hope in his quest to unite these ancient races under his banner.

Vahaemorys, for the time being, had no concrete plans regarding the ancient races he had discovered. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but be intrigued by their existence. There were no records of these races in Valyria, which both astounded and puzzled him. The fact that they had thrived for so long hidden away in a distant corner of Sorthoyos was truly remarkable, considering the limitations of the current era, which had prevented anyone from discovering them.

Currently after a month, Vahaemorys had brought over a hundred children, aged between 8 and 15, to his domain. This group consisted of both boys and girls. Vahaemorys had a special purpose in mind for them; he intended to mold them into immortal warriors who would undergo training in martial and magical arts under the guidance of the true dragons every decade.

To prepare for their training, guards had gathered these slave children in a courtyard. Most of them were initially filthy and unkempt, but Vahaemorys ordered his servants to clean them up and provide them with proper clothing, all while removing the slave collars from their necks.

None of the children dared to meet Vahaemorys's gaze as he stood before them. He ordered his servants to bring a chair, provided the kids with bread to eat, and instructed the guards to leave, as their presence was making the children nervous. Some of the youngsters began stealing glances at Vahaemorys from time to time, and he found their curiosity quite endearing.

Vahaemorys decided to break the ice and said, "Hello." This time, the children looked at him, their expressions still tinged with fear. He continued, "How is it? Do you like the white bread?" Nervously, they all nodded in response. Vahaemorys reassured them, saying, "You don't need to fear me. I won't hurt you."

He went on to explain, "You are no longer slaves. Instead, you will become individuals who serve me in the future. You can make simple wishes, and I will do my best to fulfill them within my limits." At first, they found it hard to believe, and fear kept them silent. To ease their apprehensions, Vahaemorys decided to sit among them and engage in conversation.

The servants watching from the corner were surprised to see this side of Vahaemorys. Gradually, the children found the courage to speak. Many of them had names like "Rat" or "Little Worm," and Vahaemorys decided that he would give them new names during their training. As time passed, they became more comfortable speaking. Some asked if they could have white bread every day, which made Vahaemorys chuckle, while others requested the freedom of their parents and friends. Vahaemorys agreed to their genuine requests.

The one tasked with training these children was Ramoth, whom Vahaemorys had observed had a soft spot for youngsters regardless of their race. That day, Vahaemorys spent most of his time with the children. When they learned Vahaemorys's name, they immediately knelt and began begging for forgiveness without hesitation. Vahaemorys couldn't help but shake his head at the terrible reputation he had earned. Even among the dragon lords, he was considered a devil from House Narnareon. It was no surprise that his reputation among slaves was even more fearsome – Vahaemorys, the evil black dragon of House Narnareon.

However, Vahaemorys managed to calm down the frightened children and reassure them. Afterward, he used a teleportation array to transport these kids to Sorthoyos, after given them a opportunity to reunite with their parents or friends before leaving. With this done, Vahaemorys began planning his journey to Andalos.