When you’re lost in the Darkness
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Jace was curled up with his legs tucked against his chest as he held the door against whatever was trying to get in. His face was wet with tears as every time he felt the bookshelf shift slightly he thought they were about to get in, he'd never been as scared as he was now, he had thought he was brave but he realised he wasn't, he was foolish to believe himself an adventurer.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Jace covered his ears with his hands trying to drown out the sound of the monsters trying to get in, his heart was beating out of his chest and he started shouting to try and drown out the sound of the door being pounded on 'I'm sorry Grandfather, I should've never come to this place' he thought to himself. What hurt him most of all was that he had brought Daella here, she was a sweet and innocent girl and he had brought her to this hellish place because of his madness.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Jace is pushed forward with the bookshelf as the door opens slightly "No! No! No!" He shouts as he pushes himself back against it bracing himself against it "Stop it! Please stop! I don't want to fight!" He begs as he pushes with all his might.
"HAhaHaHaHhaahHaa" Jace heard a sound he'd never heard before, it was as if someone was screeching and trying to laugh at the same time, It pained his ears to even listen to the sound and he once again had to plug his ears. He was pushed back once again by a strong push from the other side of the door, he got back up and pushed back as hard as he could he was hyperventilating as every inch that door opened was an inch closer to his death.
He was trapped at the top of a large tower with no way out and who knows what was trying to get him 'This has to be a nightmare, there is no way this can be real' Jace thought to himself as he pushed harder and harder trying to close the door. A large pale white hand pushes through the gap stopping the door from closing, It is well-muscled and the nails at the end have been sharpened to claws "Seven hells!" Jace shouted as he almost fell back at the fright of it.
Whoever was behind the door now was massive, that arm itself was the size of Jace's leg and he was pushing the door further and further open 'What do I do!' He thought as he looked around the room for something, anything!
On the second floor of the small library, there was a window, Jace would have to climb down the side of the tower or maybe climb to the top and stay there until they went away. But either way, he felt as soon as he stopped bracing himself against the door it would start to open a lot faster. He quickly went to his left and dragged another bookcase tipping it over and letting it fall onto the other one, Jace then ran as fast as he could but not before grabbing an old knapsack on the table as it would be useful when he had to escape.
As he got to the second floor and to the window he heard a bang and turned around, The door was now open but he couldn't see anyone in the doorway, the room was completely silent and the only thing he could hear was the beating of his heart. He was then grabbed by the neck from above and lifted as easily as someone lifts a goblet of wine, Jace grabbed onto the hand and struggled but it was all in vain, he looked up to try and see what had grabbed him but all he saw was the shadow of the ceiling and a pale white arm.
Jace went to his sword belt and drew Starfyre, slashing above himself, the radiant glow from the sword was enough to illuminate him and caused the creature to screech at him before dropping him. However, he was then grabbed from behind by another, though this one was a lot smaller as Jace was able to struggle a bit more, however, that struggle led them to move closer to the window and before either of them knew it they both fell out
"AHHHHHHHHH" Jace screamed as he plummeted to his death for the second time that day.
———————————————————-
Daella sat on the floor in the centre of the once grand arena sobbing quietly, Vermax was next to her lying down trying to recover from the ordeal he'd just been through. Daella cried because she was alone in such a scary place but most of all she cried for Jace, he was dead and it was partially her fault, he kept her from falling off by attaching the chains to her instead of himself.
*pat*
*pat*
*pat*
*pat*
*pat*
*pat*
Daella looked up from her knees as she heard the sounds of feet slapping against the floor, though it was so dark she couldn't see anything, however, one by one set of small lights started to appear at what Daella thought might be the far end of the building, however, they were getting close and fast.
Daella panicked and started pushing herself backwards on her hands and feet before she hit the chest of Vermax who lifted his head to see what was going on. He looked into the darkness and snarled, Daella looked up and saw the soft glow emanate from his mouth before roaring an inferno of dragon flame.
Daella heard shouts and screeches and even saw some of the pale people that were burnt by Vermax, Daella's heart started beating fast 'Who are they? What do they want with me!' She thought to herself as she saw the creatures back away from the intense light and flames of the heat. Daella pushed herself further towards Vermax hoping that he would keep her safe from them.
More than anything though she wished that Jace was here.
———————————————————-
*THUMP*
Jace felt all the wind being knocked from him as he fell from the tower, Beneath him was a nightmarish creature, with thin hair with pale skin almost translucent, teeth had been filed into fangs and their lips had been removed crudely. Jace couldn't help but thank the seven that the creature had taken all the damage from the fall otherwise his brains would be splattered on the floor as well.
His body ached with pains he had never felt before but the adrenaline pushed him through and he got up and picked up his sword that had fallen nearby, it wasn't as effective as a torch but it would have to do.
*SCREECH*
Jace spun his head around and saw the creatures at the top of the tower, some started climbing down from the outside while the others ran back down the stairs, his eyes widened and he cursed before he started running away, though his legs were weak and he couldn't help but limp slightly, hopefully, the head start he had would give him enough time to get away.
*SCREECH*
Jace turned his head 'That was a lot closer!' He thought to himself in a panic, then it hit him. He was stupid to assume whatever creatures infested these lands were limited to the ones he found in the tower. And he was right, in the corner of his eyes, he started seeing dots of light emerging through the cracks in the ground and the dark alleyways.
Jace pushed himself to run faster but his body felt exhausted, he was injured and fatigued and had not drunk anything in nearly half a day, he heard the screeches and laughter of the creatures behind him as they drew ever closer. Based on what he'd seen as soon as they caught him they would start tearing him apart with tooth and claw, This made him contemplate taking his own life as at least it would be painless than the alternative.
"NO!"
He couldn't do something so selfish, not when Daella was still out there, he had to make things right and save her from this place, he couldn't afford to be a coward at the moment. Regardless of his intentions his body was failing him and he was slowing, he gripped Starfyre in his hands and steeled himself, the soft blue light pulsed from the blade.
He turned around holding the sword up ready to fight "If I am to die! Then I will kill as many of you creatures as I am able!" He roared, his body shaking in fear at the dots of light that approached like a tidal wave but he kept still and waited for the inevitable clash.
*ROAR*
Jace looked behind him and saw the large shadow of the abomination dragon that had chased him earlier that day, he could see that there was a soft orange glow emanating from its maw and his eyes widened as he ran to the edge of the large road and jumped to the ground, as soon as he did the street was lit up with dragon fire, Jace felt the heat wash against his skin, it was so hot he thought he might be burnt which was something he'd not experienced before.
Jace looked up and saw the whole street full of pale people who were screaming in pain as the flames engulfed them, though some lucky ones were able to avoid them they cowed in front of the intense light. Jace looked up and saw the dragon swooping down again, though this time it did not realise any dragon fire Instead its scales seemed to pry themselves apart and things started dropping from its body, though it was too dark for Jace to see what they were.
The people seemed to know as they screamed and talked in a dialect that Jace had never heard before, They all tried to run and climb back into the ground but those who were engulfed in flames were not so lucky. Jace slowly pushed himself to his feet, his curiosity seemed to win out against his fear as he stepped closer to see what was happening.
As he approached he saw what had fallen out of the dragon and it nearly made him sick, creatures that had the faces of men and long skinny arms on a worm-like body, he saw them drag themselves towards the pale-skinned people and either climb in through their mouth or rip and burrow themselves in another part of their body. Jace just looked in horror feeling himself unable to move, his whole body was trembling. He watched as the pale people even those who were on fire struggled to get the worms out of them but it was in vain as they were already under their skin, some even having multiple worms inside them. Jace could see their stomach or other parts of the bulge before they screamed in pain falling and dying.
Jace didn't know whether to run or hide but funny enough he found that this might be the safest place for him to be until morning. He sat down in the middle of the road a safe distance away from the fire and the worms who had all found a person to burrow themselves into. He gripped the sword in his hand tightly keeping himself on high alert to his surroundings.
———————————————————-
"HEAVE! HO!" Corlys shouted as the strongest members of the crew threw another barrel of cold water into the smoking sea, A second after it made contact it seemed to explode into a geyser of steam, they heard a deep rumble that seemed to rock the entire boat, eventually, it seemed to travel further away and left them alone.
Corlys wiped the sweat from his brow, They had another close encounter with a kraken but he had been throwing their water overboard, the interaction it had with the boiling water created a steam explosion which was enough to deter the krakens from approaching the ships, though they couldn't do this forever. Soon they would run out of water to throw and they would be dragged under the waves sharing the fate of all those who travelled here.
Corlys sat in his cabin, his body slumped against his chair as he thought of his Grandson, he was the true embodiment of the Sea and Skies, Once he got over this wanderlust and settled down he would truly be a great King if he put his heart into it, he could be as loved as his great grandfather. But first Corlys would need to beat the idiocy from the boy, to fly to Valyria even knowing how dangerous it is, he'd never heard of anyone doing something so foolish.
"LAND! HO!" He heard one of his crew shout from outside his cabin, he stood up from his seat, in the short time he had spent in Valyria he felt as if he'd aged 20 years and his body could attest to that as it felt heavy. He left his cabin and walked up the stairs to the top deck and looked ahead in the darkness they saw silhouettes of large towers that stood tall and reached toward the skies.
"DROP ANCHOR!" Corlys shouted much to the confusion of his first officer who stood next to him. Seeing the look on his face Corlys sighed "We do not know what is in that city, best we go there with the light at our backs rather than in the cover of darkness" he stated.
"Extinguish the torches, we stand out in this darkness" Corlys then said to the First Officer who Immediately followed his command.
Corlys looked out to the city and hoped that he would be able to find Jace within.
———————————————————-
"Jace! Jace! Jace!"
Jace woke up and found himself sitting at a table, he gasped for breath as he started to panic, he looked from left to right but as he did he started to frown, he wasn't where he remembered himself being. He wasn't in Valyria at all but in the Red Keep once again. He looked across the table and saw an innocent smile of Helaena once again.
"Did I fall asleep?" He asked though it was mostly to himself.
However, Helaena still nodded her head "You were very tired" she said.
Jace slumped into his chair not paying much attention to her, he was worried about what could happen to his body now that he wasn't awake to protect himself, but he also found he was very tired it seemed that his fear and pain had overwhelmed him to such an extent that he felt exhausted by it all.
"Jace? Are you okay?" Helaena asked as she got out of her chair and walked closer to him.
He shook his head and started sobbing "I should never have left High Tide, I was foolish to think I could be like my Grandfather, all I did was be myself and Daella here to die"
Helaena smiled sadly at him and hugged his head into her chest stroking his hair "I am such a coward, I considered running away and trying to escape without Daella, leaving her here to a grim fate" Jace said with disgust.
"But you stayed did you not? You decided to go and save her regardless of how you felt, just the same way you saved me all those years ago" Helaena said as she stroked his hair.
"Being afraid when something is scary is only natural, but I know you Jace and I know if I were in Daella's place I'd feel safe knowing you'd do whatever it took to get to me" she said as she cupped his face and made him look up at her.
"It's impossible! This place is filled with all manner of creatures, not to mention that massive dragon!" Jace exclaimed as he stood up from his seat.
Helaena giggled, which caused Jace to turn around and glare at her "I wonder when my Jace changed so much that he'd stop using his mind to solve what his body couldn't"
"You are in the ruins of the greatest empire the world has ever known, in your hands you hold a weapon of great power. Have you not thought to find other such treasures?" Helaena asked with an amused smile.
But before he can answer her face turns serious, she grabs him by the arm and leads him to a window that was not there before, she points to outside the city and Jace can't help but gawk at the massive mountain that had appeared outside of Kings Landing, it was spewing fire at the top and he could see the large dragon perched on top of it.
"What's going on? Why is that here? This is supposed to be a dream!" Jace said in a panic as he looked at Helaena.
"It is Jace... but we are not the only dreamers"
"I do not know who he is but he resides in the mountain... he is scary Jace he makes me feel afraid"
She then turns to him with fear in her eyes "Be careful Jace, he can see you right now and will come for you, Once he gets inside of you there is no saving you"
Jace found himself speechless as his heart beat rapidly, he felt a chill run down his spine as he felt like he was being watched but the mountain was so far away he couldn't tell what was watching him.
"There isn't any more time left Jace, you have to leave now," Helaena said to him.
Jace turned around as he still had many questions he needed to ask her, he still didn't know if she was real or just his mind playing tricks on him but at the moment she was his only guiding light.
"WAKE UP!"
Jace fell backwards and hit the ground blacking out.
———————————————————-
The sun was shining the wind was calm, Kings Landing was bustling as noon approached and the markets would reach their peak time for customers. Helaena yawned as she sat up from her bed, she felt sad but smiled as she couldn't help herself, it was such a beautiful day that it would be a shame to ruin it with a frown.
She got out of bed her placed her feet on the cold stone floor before heading to her balcony, She looked outside and was greeted with the regular sight of Kings Landing, no fire mountain to be seen. She put her arms on the balcony wall and leaned on it 'Jace is in trouble... I should tell them' she thought to herself, she didn't know how she could help him from so far away. When she had heard him in her dreams calling out to anyone she had to go to him, She had missed him so much and thought that perhaps that was the reason he called.
But it wasn't, he was in danger, he had nearly been killed and would most likely die, while she stood here doing nothing 'My family won't believe me... they never do' she thought to herself as a few tears fell down her face. When she had begun to dream and see things that had yet to happen they sent her to Maester and gave her all manner of medicines, believing her to be mad. She didn't understand why as Dragon Dreams had run in the Targaryen line, She had thought her father would at least understand but he just said the Maester and her mother know best.
Her brothers wouldn't believe her, Aegon laughed at her all the time and played mean jokes on her while Aemond avoided her ever since she mentioned him losing an eye 'I'm sorry Jace... but I can only help you from here' she thought to herself as she walked back inside her chambers and got dressed. The only other thing she could think of was to send a letter to her half-sister Rhaenyra, perhaps she would believe her.
———————————————————
Jace woke up on the ground and was once again hit with a large amount of pain and aches, he lifted his arm to cover his eyes from the sun that shone down on him. He lifted himself off the ground, his whole body felt stiff and it hurt to even move. He licked his dry lips and put his hand over his rumbling stomach.
He looked around and saw that the whole road was empty apart from the corpses of the pale-skinned men that had been killed by the dragon 'They must not like the sunlight' Jace thought to himself as he limped over to the corpses. The once pale-skinned people that chased him had turned black and their skin crackled, it seemed as if lines of fire flowed through their veins, Jace had to hold his hand up to his mouth as he felt like throwing up once again.
There were around 50 corpses all in this blackened and charred state and all at the same time they began to shift and move, Jace took a step back as he saw the subtle shift in their bodies. He hoped he was just seeing things but when one of their bodies moved and sat up he knew it was real.
The charred corpses stared at Jace with lifeless eyes, whatever they were now he knew for sure they were no longer people.
Jace didn't need to see anything more before he turned around and started running as fast as he could. Though he was scared it wasn't as overwhelming as it was before, Helaena was right, he would do everything he could to save Daella.
'But first, let's see if there's anything that can help me'
(AN: So yeah, introduced you to the two main enemies of Valyria, though there are more but won't feature a lot or will be some boss level creatures. Corlys has landed, though he has no clue what waits for him, lucky for him his good sense to extinguish the lights of the ships and wait till morning may have saved their lives. Jace is gonna make his way to Daella and Vermax who is still injured, though not injured enough that he couldn't show those creatures who's boss. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter)
If you like my work consider supporting me.
Patreon.com/Captainalfie78Works