Chapter 136: Balerion

Daenerys then saw a little creature covered in milky white scales standing by her bedside.

Its eyes glowed like molten gold, tilting its head as it gazed at the girl before it, its eyes filled with kindness.

Whoosh~

It then spread its wings, fluttered twice, and landed on Daenerys' shoulder with difficulty.

"Ah!"

Daenerys was startled by its sudden flight and let out a soft cry of surprise. However, she didn't know why she didn't dodge it, allowing the little creature to settle on her shoulder.

Its sharp claws gripped the girl's shoulder, but without force, as if it was afraid of scratching her delicate skin.

"It... What is it?"

Daenerys was taken aback, covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes wide with curiosity as she looked at the small creature resting on her shoulder.

For some reason, a strong sense of closeness rapidly took root in her heart.

The girl was only six years old, and she had never thought about what it would feel like to be a mother. But at that moment, she suddenly had a strong desire to love and cherish the little creature before her eyes.

Was it... like her own child?

Daenerys was shocked by this bold thought in her mind, gently covering her mouth with one hand.

Meanwhile, Rhaenys, who had just been playfully wrestling with Daenerys and was slightly out of breath, sat up from the bed.

Although she had seen them last night, she was still amazed by the violent beauty of the three little creatures when she woke up and saw them again this morning.

"It's a dragon."

"Daenerys."

Rhaenys tried to calm her heart after their playful scuffle.

She then looked at Daenerys' bald head and hairless cheeks, smiled gently, and spoke in a calm and serious tone.

"It's your Balerion."

"Pfft... Hahaha..."

"I'm sorry, Dany, I didn't mean to."

Rhaenys couldn't hold back any longer, once again covering her stomach and bursting into laughter.

Thump thump thump—

She pounded the bed with one hand, laughing so hard that her stomach hurt.

Although she hadn't undergone strict training, she had tried to maintain a serious demeanor just moments before.

However, Daenerys' bald head and lack of eyebrows made her look like a cute, nose-and-eyes-bearing meatball, and Rhaenys couldn't help but laugh.

Daenerys didn't know what had gotten into Rhaenys, who seemed to be acting like a madwoman, but she had no time to worry about it now because all her attention was focused on the first thing Rhaenys had said.

"It's a dragon."

It's... a dragon?

A dragon?

The girl covered her mouth, her eyes widening as she stared at the little creature perched on her shoulder, her purple eyes growing round.

.

The small creature perched on her shoulder had milky-white scales all over its body, reflecting a beautiful gleam like crystal-clear glaze under the sunlight.

Its horns, wing bones, and crest were golden. Opening its mouth towards Daenerys, it let out a soft roar, revealing its sharp teeth.

Perhaps because it had just been born, the little creature's vocal cords were not yet fully developed, and the roar it made was somewhat unpleasant, hoarse and obscure, similar to the sound made by a snake.

However, Viserion, though roaring, showed strong affection towards Daenerys. The girl's reflection could be seen in its shimmering golden eyes.

The main keep of Dragonstone Castle was used as the royal bedroom, where the bedrooms of Viserys, Rhaenys, and Daenerys, the Targaryen members, were located.

Viserys, being on a distant campaign, naturally did not carry his black dragon egg with him; instead, it was stored in a chest in his room.

Rhaenys had given up trying to hatch her egg early on, as Viserys had said that these dragon eggs were ancient relics from a long-forgotten era, already fossilized over countless years, and might not be able to hatch dragons.

After several attempts, Rhaenys gave up and let her black cat play with the egg, not bothering with it afterward.

Only Daenerys never gave up, persistently trying to hatch her own dragon egg.

Thus, all three dragon eggs were stored in the main keep of Dragonstone Castle, and then all were hatched in the great fire.

As Daenerys was the first person they saw upon hatching, and her pure Targaryen bloodline naturally drew the dragons closer, they regarded her as their mother.

Yet Rhaenys, too, had Targaryen blood, and had gained the approval of the green dragon, Rhaegal.

Moreover, among the hatched dragonlings, there was not only the green dragon Rhaegal and the white dragon Viserion, but also the black dragon egg that had belonged to Viserys and had attracted much attention.

It was named Balerion by Viserys, meaning 'Black Death,' also signifying a god and a cat in Valyrian civilization.

At this moment, Balerion was lying atop a cabinet by the wall, disdainful of seeking favor from anyone. Its cold, crimson eyes watched the two girls playing below, as well as its two siblings.

Then, it opened its mouth wide, letting out a deep, terrifying growl.

"Roar—"

The black dragon roared.

Splash...

The two young dragons immediately cowered, their whole bodies trembling slightly in fear, seemingly expressing submission.

Balerion's body was covered in thick black scales, with red light seeping through the gaps, resembling flowing lava. It flickered with each heavy breath.

Its dragon horns, wing bones, and crest were golden, and its body was adorned with intricate golden runes.

Despite having just hatched from its egg, the black dragon was already over three times the size of its siblings, as large as a small lamb.

"How did it get so big?"

Upon seeing Balerion lying on top of the cabinet, Rhaenys' eyes widened in disbelief.

When it had first hatched yesterday, Balerion was indeed larger than the other two, but it was still only the size of a small dog.

Yet now, Balerion had inflated like a balloon overnight, rapidly expanding to such a size. How could Rhaenys not be astonished?

"Rhaegal."

The brown-haired girl then looked down at the green dragon Rhaegal, which had just stumbled and flapped into her arms.

Although Rhaegal seemed to have grown a bit, it was still not much bigger than a puppy.

"What is going on?" .