Chapter 31

Kaelarys found himself standing on the edge of a vast, dark abyss. The ground beneath his feet was slick with an oily substance that seemed to suck him in, like a leech. It wasn't so strong that he couldn't move, but it was there all the same. He looked around, but the world was shrouded in an impenetrable fog, the kind that didn't let him see more than a few meters ahead.

A chill ran down his spine as a distant roar echoed through the void. It was a familiar sound, the sound of a dragon. But this roar was different, as it sounded like the wail of a dying beast. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and decay, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, a flicker of light appeared in the distance, a small flame struggling against the darkness. Kaelarys squinted his eyes, trying to make out what it was. The light grew brighter, and he could see a figure standing in the center of the flame. The figure was shrouded in shadows, but its eyes glowed with an eerie, unnatural light.

The figure didn't speak. Instead, it raised its hand and pointed directly at him. The ground beneath Kaelarys's feet began to shake, and cracks started to form, spreading out like spiderwebs. He tried to move, but his legs felt like they were encased in lead.

The flame around the figure grew, spreading out and consuming everything in its path. The oily substance on the ground ignited, sending tendrils of fire snaking towards him. Kaelarys's heart pounded in his chest as the flames grew closer and closer, threatening to engulf him.

Just as the fire was about to reach him, the ground gave way beneath his feet, and he fell into the abyss. The darkness enveloped him, and he felt a cold, clammy hand grip his arm, pulling him down further into the void.

He awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. The familiar surroundings of his chambers slowly came into focus, and he realized it had all been a dream.

But it felt too real to be just a simple dream. He knew what a normal dream felt like, and this wasn't it.

He tried to calm down and took a deep breath in and out, repeating this for a while. It didn't take long for his pulse to return to normal.

He sighed as he massaged his temples. What was the dream supposed to tell him? He couldn't make sense of it. He knew that this had to be a dragon dream, even if it confused him. He had never had them before, but now, out of nowhere, they were happening.

The lingering smell of sulfur still clung to him in his head.

He was of the Blood of the Dragon, so why did the fire feel like it could burn him? He had experimented with this when he was younger. Yes, he could control flames and ride a dragon, but he was curious whether he truly was immune to fire.

And, yes, he was. The heat didn't bother him, and he could have spent the whole day in it.

He had studied dragon dreams intensively and learned that they were often misunderstood. These prophetic visions could reveal future events but didn't always depict the truth of what would happen.

Sometimes, they presented visions of specific events, while other times, they showed metaphors so complex that they could be mistaken for real futures. 

There were stories passed down through generations of Aulyx Aggaeron during the times of the 3rd Ghiscari War who often had dragon dreams that allowed him to know of the Ghiscari's next moves.

In one such dream, Aulyx saw a vast desert, its sands shifting and swirling as if alive. He followed a trail of black smoke that led him to a colossal serpent coiled around a towering pyramid. The serpent's eyes glowed with a malevolent red, and its scales shimmered like molten lava. As he watched, the serpent uncoiled and slithered toward a distant city, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

Upon awakening, Aulyx pondered the meaning of this dream. He deduced that the serpent represented the Ghiscari army, and the Pyramid represented their Great Pyramid of Ghis. The black smoke symbolized their dark intentions to launch a surprise attack on a nearby city.

Upon further recalling of his dream, he connected the dots and realized that they would attack Bhorash, the nearest Vaylrian city. With this knowledge, Aulyx was able to rally the forces of the Freehold and preemptively strike the Ghiscari, thwarting their plans and securing a crucial victory for Valyria at the beginning of the 3rd Ghiscari War.

Equally, there were many stories about Dragonlords dreaming of things they believed would happen but ultimately misunderstood the prophecy, leading to tragic ends. One such tale was that of Vaenor Aelorys.

He sacrificed his own life in order to safe that of his daughter, believing that his sacrifice was needed for her to survive. He died in a ritual...in vain, for his daughter followed him shortly afterwards.

That was the crux with dragon dreams; they told you everything and nothing at the same time.

The reason these stories even existed was because the dreamers wrote down their dreams to help themselves and others understand them better, recognize patterns, and identify future dreams more accurately.

Another reason was that some dreams occur so far in the future that the best way to handle them was to write them down so that his/her descendants won't forget them.

Kaelarys groaned as he felt a headache approaching. He ran his hands through his hair before he threw off the blanket and got out of bed.

He splashed some water on his face and recalled his dream. The roar he heard was without a doubt Ancalagon, he hadn't spent over a decade with him for nothing. But he can't see Ancalagon dying anytime soon, not by magic or another dragon. He was just different, something had been clear to him for a long time.

Ancalagon was part of his gifts, there was no questioning that and he was grateful for that. He had been there in the first minute of his new world and he will be there in the last minute of it.

Then there was the figure bathed in golden flames. The figure had a human appearance, but that could easily be a deception. It was shrouded in shadows, giving no clues as to who or what it might be.

He chuckled slightly as he thought of the scene where Harry Potter was saved by his own Patronus. The figure could be himself as well. It was a dragon dream, after all.

Kaelarys sighed, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. "What could it possibly mean?" he muttered to himself. The ambiguity of dragon dreams was both their allure and their curse.

He moved to the window and gazed out at the horizon, where the first light of dawn was beginning to paint the sky with hues of pink and gold. The world outside seemed so calm, so at odds with the turmoil in his mind.

The dream lingered, refusing to fade like most dreams do upon waking. The golden flames and the shadowy figure were etched into his memory, a puzzle demanding to be solved. But how could he decipher it when the meaning was so unclear.

He made a mental note to ask his father for the tomes about the dragon dreams from House Baelaeron. Maybe they will enlighten him.

Turning away from the window, he let his gaze wander over his empty bed. He and Lysandra had decided not to antagonize his sister right off the bat.

He dressed quickly and made his way to the hall where he knew his mother would be. She was an early riser, unlike himself.

Entering the hall, he found his mother seated at the long table and reading a Book. Her silver-gold hair was neatly braided, and she wore a simple yet elegant gown. And it seemed sweet little Adema took after their mother, as she was awake as well.

"Good morning, Mother," Kaelarys said, pressing a kiss to her temple before taking Adema from her.

His mother looked up from her book quesitonly" "Good morning, Kael. You're up early today. How come?"

Kaelarys smiled, balancing Adema on his hip. "I couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind."

Adema babbled happily in his arms, her tiny hands reaching for his face. He chuckled and kissed her forehead. 

Adema giggled at that, clapping her hands, and Kaelarys couldn't help but smile.

His mother studied him for a moment before she reached out and placed a comforting hand on his." Please, sit. We can talk about that."

He sighed before accepting her offer.

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Sorry, gotta cut it there. This or there won't be a Chapter today.

Gotta go, bye