25. The three Dragons of Volantis

The Red Keep

103 AC

Upon entering my chambers within the keep, I settled onto my bed and began contemplating the goals I should accomplish over the next two months. There are several tasks I wish to prioritize, and others I hope to learn if the situation permits. Foremost among these is the ritual to enhance Anarion's strength. Anarion must become mightier than any other dragon in this realm, in every possible way. This is something I ought to have initiated back at Skagos.

The allure of the ritual to create Vezofina was too enticing to ignore. I don't regret the decision I made; it's not as if I'm running out of time. Anarion is already strong, but prioritizing his strength to make him the strongest would have been wise, as he could solve nearly all my problems in this world. However, I was unaware that most of my magic would be ineffective against Dragons. At least this experience has taught me something. Now, I understand the importance of honing the most potent power in my arsenal before focusing on anything else.

Now, I can obtain almost all the ingredients I need from here or with the aid of Apparition. This includes Old Valyria—yes, I can now travel there with the many charms I have mastered. Navigating Valyria's atmosphere won't be difficult for me, and I can leave whenever I choose. However, there isn't much to salvage from there that I couldn't obtain or create here. Still, I am curious to experiment and see if the Dragonglass from Valyria possesses any different properties than the Dragonglass from dormant volcanoes that I currently use.

I need the dragon bones, but there won't be any dragon blood in Valyria. Dragon eggs might be useful for rituals, but not for much else, as hatching dragons without riders is a recipe for disaster. I could create something akin to a dragon horn to control them, but it would take a long time, and I'm certain that replicating the methods ancient sorcerers used to tame these apex predators is beyond my capabilities. As for raising a dragon army, I could achieve that with riders loyal to me. How would I do that? By adapting to the current era and expanding my household.

Besides, there should be an abundance of gold and Valyrian steel available for the taking. While gold is always welcome, there are far more enticing treasures to be found. I am particularly interested in acquiring Valyrian steel and dragon bones, as they are of utmost use to me at present. Another aspect of Old Valyria is its potential for performing rituals in my homeland. However, the lingering dark magic could be volatile, so conducting rituals there would necessitate some preliminary experiments on the land.

Additionally, there are many other places to which I could apparate, aided by my mindscape. Now, I can visualize anything I've ever seen in my life. Even a mere glance is sufficient for me to apparate to that location. With a thorough grasp of space magic, I could reach any destination by merely viewing an image of it. Perhaps, after advancing to a certain level in space magic, I could even travel to another world, as my essence would assist me in this endeavor. And that remains one of my priorities for these two moons.

I aim to progress as far as possible in space magic. My goal is to establish a Floo network, similar to the one in the Harry Potter universe, connecting certain locations with my inner dimension. This would enable swift travel for myself and those I trust in the future. I'm considering constructing my castle within this inner dimension until I find a suitable location and trustworthy individuals to help build my empire. I understand that building the castle I envision will take time, as all great things do.

The next step involves the Old Tongue, as incorporating these runes and the overall cluster would be beneficial. For further information, I would need to utilize the runes of the Old Tongue. This knowledge will also be imparted to others learning alongside me. However, the question arises: how will they activate the runes without their own magic? I am channelling my own magic to initiate or infuse the cluster with it. Ultimately, it's their challenge, not mine, But I will devise a solution when the time comes.

For my side project, the first task should be learning how to salvage a dragon's corpse. Previous time, I lacked the spells to do so, and Valyrian steel was ineffective. If Viserys grants Daemon permission, I won't miss this opportunity again. Therefore, I must also master the spells required to salvage the corpse and possibly incorporate what I obtain from it into Anarion's ritual.

Additionally, discussions of betrothal are likely to come my way, as neither Corlys nor Viserys would want to miss the opportunity to offer their daughters' hands in marriage to me. Thus, I must decide whom to choose, or perhaps marry both, since polygamy is not uncommon for a Dragonlord of House Drakonar. My uncle, for instance, had three wives and was seeking a fourth, rationalizing his actions by claiming he was ensuring the continuation of House Drakonar with more dragon-riders. Unlike my father, who had only one wife, my grandfather had multiple wives.

Ultimately, it all depends on the girls in question. I will not marry them if they do not consent to their father's demands. I have no interest in committing to a woman who does not wish to marry me. A situation akin to Laenor's is my worst nightmare. I plan to clarify my position on polygamy before entertaining any proposals from either of the two houses. My own house has only one Dragon-rider, and I intend to change that as soon as possible.

Ever since I heard about the dragons from Viserys, who mentioned they were roaming the skies of Volantis, I've been intrigued. I flew past it not long ago, so the image of the black walls is fresh in my mind. An invisibility charm could be useful to conceal my presence there. While my magic is ineffective against dragons, it does influence humans, so a Confundus Charm or two could grant me unobstructed access wherever I desire. I'm curious to see the size of the dragons I might face in the future, should things take a turn for the worse.

After taking my clock and wand, I informed the servants outside that I would be unavailable for a while. Should anyone come to see me, they were to be told that I would be available at supper time. I began to conjure the image of Volantis in my mind. Once it was clear, I focused intently on the black wall and apparated there. With a sharp crack, I found myself inside Volantis, right outside the Black Wall.

There was only one person who saw me appear out of thin air. I cast the Obliviate charm to erase his memory of my appearance and added a Confundus Charm as a safety measure. As I emerged from the alley where I had apparated, I left a confused man in my wake. It seemed I had come to the outer side of the Black Wall, where a temple was emitting a constant stream of black smoke, as if something was burning inside. To find the dragons, I would have to venture into the Black Wall or wait for them to take flight to ascertain their size.

Under an invisible charm, I began to traverse the path leading to the Black Wall. Once inside, I searched for any large silhouette that might indicate the presence of a dragon of great size. However, I found nothing; it was as if no dragon resided within the Black Wall of Volantis. I should have been able to spot them from within the wall, as there is no designated place like a Dragonpit for dragons here. They ought to be out in the open for all to see. After all, no one could harm them if they were as large as Viserys had described to me.

After spending about half an hour, I found nothing. I assumed they were out and, since I could return at any time, I saw no reason to wait. Just as I was about to Disapparate back to the Red Keep, a roar that could shake the foundations of Volantis's outer walls thundered through the air. I looked up to see a cream-coloured dragon, as large as Vhagar or even larger, swooping down, intent on landing in the inner part of Volantis.

Moments after landing, the cream-coloured dragon took to the sky again. Then, a roar even louder and more powerful than the previous one erupted. Where the cream-coloured dragon had landed, a green dragon of even larger size descended. Any doubts in my mind about these dragons same as Daenerys were dispelled, as it became clear that three of the two were the same as Daenerys' dragons.

As the thought took hold in my mind, a surge of realization shot through me. If these Dragons are same as Daenerys' dragons, then their eldest sibling would surpass the two I had witnessed thus far. Moments later, a roar of such force resounded that the Black Wall beside me vibrated. The sun was obscured as a vast shadow engulfed all of Volantis. The black behemoth attempted to alight where its kin had, 'attempted' being the operative word. In its effort, the dragon caused considerable destruction. Now I understood why there were no workers on the demolished section within Volantis.

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