Prey

Daella pushed her back into Jace's chest as they flew across the ocean on the back of Vermax. After spending so much time on Vermax she felt that Jace was right, Targaryens belonged in the sky, and she felt as much at home here as she did on the ground.

The wind blew through her face and hair, the air seemed to have gotten warmer, as if the cold breeze from the sea had disappeared entirely. She was worried slightly about their destination but Jace had told her it would be okay and he hadn't given her any reason to doubt him so far.

"Do you think your grandfather will be mad?" She asks in a sweet voice with slight hints of concern.

"Most definitely, I wouldn't be surprised if I found myself in a cell when we return" Jace said with a chuckle.

He then looks down at Daella and smiles sheepishly "Have no worry, you are innocent of this, I've been planning this for a while" he said as he patted the young girl on the head. He found this was an easy way to avoid worrying her as stroking her hair seemed to have the same effect it did on a cat.

Daella's face seems to be a mix between a look of pleasure and a pout "This won't work... every time" she says as she leans her head into his hands much to his amusement.

Jace felt too happy to be brought down, he was finally living his dreams of visiting the place his people originated from, the home of the dragon lords. While he did feel nervous and even scared, why wouldn't he? Everyone who had gone to Valyria before him had died and the only person to make it back died shortly after.

But it was completely overshadowed by his wanderlust, he needed to know the secrets that Valyria held, he needed to find long-forgotten treasures and he needed to be the first man to go there and back in hundreds of years.

"We are almost there..." Jace said excitement dripping from his voice, they were about to enter the Valyrian Peninsula. At the moment they flew across the Summer Sea but soon they would trade that for the hot bubbling smoking sea that surrounded the shattered isles.

Jace felt Daella tense in front of him so he wrapped an arm around her "We will be fine, I promise" he said reassuringly and he felt her lean back against him.

———————————————————-

"That stupid idiotic boy!" Corlys shouted as he paced around in his cabin.

"What could've possessed him to do something so foolish!" He continued as his first officer was standing there in complete silence.

Corlys was at a loss at what to do, if he followed them then he and his entire crew would surely perish. But it's his grandson and the future King of Westeros, in the end, there was only one choice.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose "Set sail for the smoking sea" he said, his first officer seemed to hesitate for a second before complying with his orders. Something he had never done before, and why would he? Corlys was the Sea Snake, the master of the tides. But Corlys wasn't surprised, men of the sea most of all are superstitious and Valyria is a place where none who ventured have returned.

But they trusted their captain, something that Corlys felt guilty about in this instance as he knew he was most likely leading them to their deaths.

He then sits down in his chair and contemplates best how to make them all come out of this alive, he rolls out the map he has on the table and starts to look for any routes that may allow them safe passage.

'I hope I can bring you home safely Jacaerys'

———————————————————-

Jace and Daella were both awed as they looked at the sea beneath them. Jace thought that perhaps the name was just fanciful words but he was wrong, the sea did smoke as if it were freshly boiled water, and there were also large pockets where it seemed to bubble. He heard Daella cough again which caused him to frown, so he commanded Vermax to go up a bit more hopefully escaping that which made her struggle, though he did consider that it could be a result of her weak constitution as Jace hadn't coughed yet.

"It is amazing..." Daella whispered as they flew across the smoking sea.

Jace nodded his head "And to believe that around 200 years ago this sea never existed, it was all land that housed one of the greatest empires in history"

For a while, they kept on flying and eventually, they reached where they wanted to go. Jace had studied many maps of Valyria, though none could be completely accurate, when cross-referenced with maps from before the doom he could get an idea of some landmarks that might still be present. And he realised that he was right as he looked down upon the ruined city of what he guessed was Tyria.

The smile on his face could barely be contained as he steered Vermax down to the city, while this was not his goal as it was not the capital. Vermax had been flying for over a day and so he needed his rest.

Vermax flew down and had to avoid some towers that still stood tall, it made Jace wonder just how strong the black stone was. He directed Vermax to a large courtyard and with a slam he landed. Not wanting to wait any longer Jace slid out of his saddle and jumped down, he also helped Daella down as well who held the large knapsack of supplies in her arms.

Jace slid the knapsack on and held Daella's hand as they looked at the ruined city. Buildings that were not made of black stone were completely turned to rubble while those that were stood strong either only damaged or completely unharmed. The air felt thick as well and the smell of fire was present in the air but to Jace, it felt entirely suited to where they were.

Vermax lay down in the courtyard and promptly started to sleep, resting from the long flight he'd just endured. Jace walked forward, hit boots stepping on the ground beneath him, it was as if it was a mix between soil and stone, it was unlike anything he had seen before.

He turns to Daella and smiles "Ready to go and explore?" He says with a large smile on his face, she smiles back and nods their head and they both childishly run towards the buildings of the city, though they have no idea which buildings house what they wander around aimlessly for a while.

Though they come to a very large building that reminds Jace of the Sept of Baelor, only it was built out of black stone and slightly damaged "Let's go in here there" Jace says as he runs to the building still holding onto Daella's hand.

The doors no longer existed so they didn't need to try and force anything open, what they saw was what looked like a temple to the Valyrian gods. Or at least that was what Jace guessed as they were the ones worshipped here, though various tapestries were faded and any wood seemed to have rotted "If it's a temple then it might have books and treasure" Jace said excitedly before letting go of Daella's had and running off.

Daella couldn't help but be amused at Jace's behaviour, usually, he was a lot more mature and so it was easy to forget he was three years younger than she was. But she could understand his excitement, she loved books and to think that they would be the first people in hundreds of years to read let alone touch any of these books made her brim with excitement.

Despite how nervous she was she went off on her own while Jace tried to track down any treasures, while normally she wouldn't do something so bold, the benefit of being in one of the most dangerous places in the world is that she knew no one else would be there.

The only sound she could hear was her feet stepping against the floor of the temple, the sun shone in from various holes and cracks in the black stone illuminating what would otherwise be a dark place. Though Daella did find it strange that boards of wood that had long since rotted were used to block the windows and stop lights from coming in.

She walked into a room just off the main atrium, it looked to be a Solar of some kind though it was more like a small library. It upset her when she saw most of the books looked blackened and charred or were perishing, though some of the better quality books looked to have been able to withstand the test of time. The air felt a lot heavier in here, the smell of parchment seemed to be mixed in with the smell of brimstone and rot, she looked to the centre of the room and saw a large lavish desk that seemed to be made out of pure black wood, either that or the wood had been burnt black, it was uniquely decorated as at each corner stood a carved dragon as if they stood to watch.

Daella put her hand on the desk and felt the wood, it felt wrong, like it was not entirely natural, though a lot about old Valyria was not natural. Blood rituals to create monsters and force women to carry the babes of animals to create half-human hybrids, mayhaps even the Targaryens are the result of blood magic fusing dragon blood with theirs.

She picks up a book that seemed to be placed in the centre of the desk, it isn't fiery large but it is very lavishly decorated, the whole front of the book was engraved in what looked like Valyrian Steel, she hadn't seen it before so she couldn't be sure but from what she read about the metal it could only be that 'There isn't a Lord in Westeros or Essos that wouldn't be a small fortune for a Valyrian Steel Blade and yet here in Valyria it was used to decorate books' she thought to herself with a small chuckle.

She opened the book and saw that it seemed to be not a book but a journal, this excited her a lot more than a book as it would give insight into the people who lived here and what they did in their day-to-day life, information that no one else in the world has. She lifted the lavishly decorated diary and turned the pages reading it. It all seemed to be pretty boring, it seems it was written by the head of this temple, and nothing very interesting was written it was mostly just regarding various ceremonies and the sort.

Though there was one part of the diary that stood out to her, and it happened to be the very last entry that the man-made.

*I tried, I did. But the 40 would not listen, I implored them to stop digging, that they had gone too deep already. Perhaps this is what the gods have decided for us, for what we've done, I've had time to reflect over the past few years and I've come to the conclusion that there has never been a more cursed people than the Valyrians. We used to be the pinnacle of civilisation but what we've done is beyond despicable. I only wish I could've stopped the ritual.*

Daella felt herself shudder at the man's final words in the diary, she wondered what he meant by his last words, she knew the Valyrians had engaged in heinous blood rituals that mixed animals and humans but she wondered what could've happened to make someone turn away from their people.

*Clang*

She jumped when she heard the noise of something hitting the floor "Jace?" She said to check if everything was okay. However she got no reply from him and frowned, she closed the book and put it back down on the table before heading towards the exit of the room, she peeked her head out at first to see if Jace was there but found that he wasn't which made her heart start to beat slightly faster. She heard the stories of evil spirits that existed in Valyria ever since she was a child and while she didn't believe them she couldn't help but be a bit worried.

"Jace? Where are you?" She says a little bit louder as she walks out of the room she was just in and into the main atrium, her voice echo's along the large space but still she does not get any sort of reply. She remembered which direction Jace had headed off in and so quickly walked in that direction.

*pat*

*pat*

*pat*

*pat*

She walked across the room quickly as her mind seemed to race and start to play tricks on her. For one moment she stopped as she was not entirely sure which corridor Jace had disappeared down.

*pat*

*pat*

She quickly spun around only to find the still empty room of the main atrium, she wiped the sweat that had started to accumulate from her forehead and took a deep breath 'I'm just imagining things' she thought to herself as she picked one of the corridors and started to walk down its halls. It was a lot darker down this corridor than it was in either of the rooms, there were no windows nor cracks to let in even a little bit of light so the only light was what shone down from the main atrium.

She peaked her head in different rooms to look for Jace, she thought of calling his name but in her paranoid state, she found that she did not want to make a sound lest something bad happen. She had gotten to a part of the corridor where the light seemed to stop, at first she thought it was a dead end and she was partially correct, but underneath the wall was a large hole that seemed to go down into the darkness, it was slightly slanted as if it were a staircase. Daella looked into the dark hole and couldn't help but feel uneasy, she felt herself rubbing her hands nervously as she stared into the dark abyss, and then for a moment what looked like two dots of light appeared in the hole before disappearing just as fast, it made her jump and walk backwards straight into someone.

"AHHH" she screamed though when she looked up it was at the confused face of Jace.

"Daella? What're you doing down here? There's nothing interesting but that hole" Jace said uninterestedly as he looked past her.

Daella was breathing raggedly as she tried to calm herself down "Did you see anything in there?" She asked him. Jace just raised an eyebrow at her before shaking his head.

"Daella we are alone here, everyone who would've been here died hundreds of years ago" he states to her as he held her shoulders.

"But if it makes you feel better I can check the hole for you" he says before walking passed her. Daella panics for a second at being left alone again and quickly grabs his arm.

"It's okay! Please you don't need to check it! I must be imagining things" she said a bit louder than she meant to.

Jace smiled at her and nodded before walking back to her side "We should leave, I've found some amazing things in here but I'd like to check some of the other buildings before sunset" he said and she nodded quickly following him. Though she did look back at the whole one more time and for a split second she thought she saw the same lights she saw before, however, she just shook it off and grabbed onto Jace's arm pushing her body close to his.

As they walked Jace lifted something out of his satchel and showed it to her "This book is called the creatures of the Flames, I looked at the first few pages and I believe it documents all the creatures they found in the 14 Flames and the mines" he explained to her piquing her interest as she took the book off of him.

"I also have a surprise for you," he said to her mysteriously, Daella looked up at him and saw him smirking back down at her. He goes back into his satchel once again and takes out a hand mirror, Daella was once again awed by the craftsmanship of such simple items, while mirrors were a rare commodity among the small folk, her mother practically had dozens across her palace.

"It's beautiful," she said as she gazed at the back of the mirror, she was mesmerised by the intricate patterns that were carved into the back, however, she was snapped out of her daze when she heard Jace laughing.

She looked up at him with her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, not knowing what he found humorous "That is not the gift, I grabbed that so you could see yourself when I put the gift on you" he explained as he stepped behind her while taking something out of his knapsack. Jace took her long silver hair and placed it behind her shoulders, while Daella waited with anticipation. He placed his arms around her and hooked a necklace around her neck "Look in the mirror" he said to her.

When she held the mirror up and looked at what Jace had placed around her neck she nearly dropped it. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen in her entire life, it was a necklace that was composed of some sort of milky metal that seemed to shine, it was like it was composed of pure starlight. But what awed her the most was the gem that sat in the middle of the necklace, it glowed an ethereal blue that seemed to shift and swirl with a kaleidoscope of colours, her mother had necklaces and jewellery with gems that came from every corner of the world and yet Daella had never seen anything as beautiful as this.

"I think this must've been a treasure or artefact of some value, they had it locked in a safe" Jace explained.

Daella looked back at him through the mirror "How did you get it out?" She asked curiously.

Jace smirked and unsheathed a dagger that he did not have previously "Valyrian steel, though luckily the safe was already damaged so I just needed to pry it open a bit"

"It's beautiful, I've never seen anything of the like," she said her voice still in awe

"It had a note with it" he said as he gave it to her, she unwrapped it and in barely eligible writing she was able to make out what was written.

"Prūmia hen blēnon, (Heart of the Mountain)" she said aloud.

Jace nodded his head "I recognise the metal they used for the base, or at least I think I do, it looks incredibly similar to Dawn, the ancestral sword of the Daynes" he explained.

Daella looked at it and stroked the stone "Are you sure it's okay for me to have this? You could buy yourself your own castle with a treasure such as this" she said as she turned around to look at him.

Jace gives her a smile that makes her heart beat slightly faster "I think it will suit you better than any merchant lords or nobles wife" he stated, Daella smiles brightly and hugged him, he chuckled and patted her head.

*ROAAAAAAR*

The sound of Vermax roaring snapped them out of their moment, Jace frowned as he started making his way back to his dragon with Daella following close behind, they quickly walked through the empty ruined streets of the old city and made their way back to the clearing, Vermax was stood up rearing his head up and roaring.

"Gīda Vermax, (Calm Vermax)" Jace said as he walked up to the dragon and started to pat his neck.

Daella who had followed close behind started to feel concerned "Is he okay?" She asked as she stood next to him.

Jace however was unsure "Something must've spooked him, I'm not sure" he replied to her. However he wasn't one to make light of the situation they were in, he trusted Vermax's instincts so if he was roaring then it meant something might be wrong.

"Come Daella we should leave now, make our way south to the capital" Jace said as he helped her up on Vermax before climbing on himself.

"Will Vermax be okay? he hasn't had much time to rest" she said with slight concern in her voice.

"He'll be fine, if we need to we can stop halfway there" he replied trying to reassure her. He had a bad feeling, Vermax was a dragon so few creatures would make him act this way. It reminded Jace of the story of Aerea Targaryen, when she came back from Valyria on the back of Balerion, the largest dragon in the world was heavily injured though no one knows what caused it.

"Sōvegon, (Fly)" Jace shouted and Vermax stood up and pushed itself into the air and flapped its powerful wings taking them up into the sky. Jace would feel a lot better once they were out of this place, though he just hoped it was nothing and that Vermax was just behaving a bit strangely.

"Daella attach these chains to yourself," he said to her, usually he would attach them both to himself as he was the rider but he had a bad feeling. Daella did as she was told and she was strapped to Vermax, they soared through the air flying above the city, even though Tyria is a relatively small city, it was still larger than Kings Landing, it had lots of towers with open roofs for the dragonlords to land their dragons.

However, as they were flying they noticed that it seemed to be getting darker "Is it sundown already? I thought we had a few more hours" Daella said to an equally confused Jace.

Vermax seemed to be very distressed which increased Jace's worry, he was looking around frantically but he couldn't see anything, the city was dead and there was nothing for miles. Daella caught his attention by saying something strange "Is it snowing?" She said and Jace scrunched his eyebrows but when he looked around he noticed there were specs of white falling around them, Jace managed to catch one and inspect it.

He knew what it was immediately, "It's not snow... it's a dragon scale" Realisation struck him like a thunderbolt and his eyes widened.

*ROAAAAAAAR*

"Ilagon Vermax!!! (Dive Vermax)" he shouted and his dragon was only too happy to obey as he immediately tucked his wings in letting himself fall. As he did Jace looked back and was horrified by how close they had just come to death.

Above them was a dragon 1/4 bigger than Vhagar, it was a hideous creature. Its once-white scales were patchy and deteriorated and its belly was expanded though Jace had no idea by what. It was also missing an eye but where its empty socket was, instead there was a growth with things growing out of it.

Jace and Daella grip Vermax's scales tightly as the massive dragon dives to evade the snapping jaws of the abomination chasing them. The wind howls around them as they plummet towards the shattered ruins of Old Valyria. The sight of the colossal, twisted dragon behind them fills Jace with dread, its monstrous size dwarfing even Vhagar.

As they weave through the shattered spires and remnants of a once-great civilization, Jace can hardly believe the danger they're in. The ruins stretch out like a haunting labyrinth, their shadows casting eerie patterns on the scorched earth. Vermax's powerful wings manoeuvre with precision, narrowly avoiding the jagged remnants of Valyria's majestic architecture.

Suddenly, the abomination dragon lets out a deafening roar that shakes the very foundations of the ruins. Its fiery breath erupts, a torrent of searing flames that licks at Vermax's tail. The heat is intense, and Jace shields his face as the heat engulfs them. But as the flames dance and writhe, something even more horrifying emerges – wriggling, worm-like creatures that writhe in the fire's wake.

Vermax twists and banks, narrowly avoiding the fiery torrent and the nightmarish creatures within it. Jace's heart races as he watches those unsettling forms slither and crawl, their grotesque movements a stark reminder of the abomination's unnatural nature. Daella's grip tightens on his arm, her wide eyes reflecting the same mixture of fear and horror

The abomination dragon is relentless. Its twisted form seems to adapt seamlessly to the broken landscape, its pursuit unyielding. Vermax's agility is their only advantage, but even that might not be enough to escape this monstrous creature.

As they dart through a narrow passage between two crumbling spires, the abomination lunges, its massive jaws snapping just inches away from Vermax's tail. The force of the motion sends a shockwave that rocks them, nearly throwing them off balance. Jace's heart leaps into his throat, and he can feel the cold sweat on his palms as he clings desperately to Vermax's scales.

With a burst of speed, Vermax climbs upward, threading the needle between a pair of leaning towers. The abomination's claws scrape against the stone, sending sparks flying, and its guttural roars reverberate through the ruins. Jace can't shake the feeling that they're being hunted by something otherworldly, a creature that defies the natural order.

As they spiral through the ruins, the abomination's breath ignites once again, spewing forth flames and those twisted, worm-like entities. Vermax veers to the side, avoiding the flames as they curl around the remnants of a shattered dome. The worm-like creatures writhe and crawl, leaving a trail of charred ruin in their wake.

Jace's heart races with a mixture of fear and determination. The abomination dragon's monstrous form looms ever closer, its twisted features casting a nightmarish shadow over the crumbling landscape.

Vermax weaves through the jagged remnants of Valyria's architecture, his powerful wings carrying them through tight passages and broken archways. Jace clings to the dragon's scales with a vice-like grip, his knuckles white from the strain.

As Vermax manoeuvres through a narrow gap between two towering spires, the abrupt movement catches Jace off guard. His fingers slip from their precarious hold on the dragon's scales, and for a heart-stopping moment, he's airborne. Panic clenches his chest as he tumbles backwards, his body losing contact with Vermax's form.

Instinct takes over as Jace manages to twist his body mid-fall. His heart pounds in his ears as he reaches out desperately, his fingers closing around the tip of Vermax's tail. The wind roars around him, and the ground seems to rush up to meet him.

With a surge of strength born from sheer survival instinct, Jace's fingers tighten around Vermax's tail. Pain shoots up his arms as he's jerked to an abrupt stop, his entire body suspended in mid-air. The rough scales of the dragon's tail scrape against his palms, and he grits his teeth against the discomfort, ignoring the sting as he clings on for dear life.

Behind him, the abomination dragon lets out a furious roar, snapping its enormous jaws just inches away from Jace's legs. The searing heat of its fiery breath washes over him, and he can feel the heat singeing the edges of his clothes. The worm-like creatures writhe and squirm within the flames, their grotesque forms adding to the nightmare that surrounds him.

As Vermax continues to fly, the violent movements shake Jace's grip. His fingers slip, and his heart leaps into his throat as he struggles to maintain his hold. His body swings dangerously, his feet scraping against the ruins below.

As the chase through the ruins of Old Valyria reaches a critical point, Jace's grip on Vermax's tail tightens, his heart pounding in his chest as the abomination dragon closes in. Its enormous maw gapes open, revealing rows of jagged teeth, ready to snap shut around him. The nightmare of the situation is all too real, the danger palpable.

In a desperate moment, Jace's voice pierces the chaos as he shouts "Ilagon Vermax!!! (Dive Vermax)" to Vermax. The command is met with an immediate response as the dragon tucks his wings and plummets downward, following Jace's instruction. The sudden dive sends a surge of momentum through their bodies, and in the chaos of the moment, Jace is flung off Vermax's tail.

Time seems to slow as he tumbles through the air, the wind roaring in his ears. Fear grips him, but Jace fights to stay focused, his eyes scanning the chaotic landscape below. And then, in a twist of fate, he lands with a jarring impact on the back of the very abomination dragon that's been pursuing them.

The sensation is jarring, his breath knocked out of him as he clings to the abomination's twisted scales. Shock courses through him as his eyes take in the sight before him. His gaze locks onto the rider perched atop the monstrous creature, a grotesque figure whose body is half-engulfed by the dragon itself.

Horror and revulsion churn in Jace's stomach as he realizes that the rider appears to be a corpse, its upper half flopping lifelessly while its lower half disappears into the dragon's body. The sight is something out of a nightmare, and Jace can hardly believe what he's seeing.

The abomination dragon lets out a guttural roar, its movements erratic as it tries to shake Jace off its back. Jace manages to hang on by unsheathing his dagger and stabbing it into the dragon's scales, however, he regrets doing so, as soon as he cuts the dragon's scales and skin apart, wriggling masses of these wormlike creatures some of the arms and even one with a humanlike face pour out of the dragon.

"AHHHHH" Jace screams as he jumps at the sight of the creature loosing his grip and tumbling off the dragon and into a free fall once again.

The last thing he sees is Vermax flying away while he plummets to the ground.

(AN: So we finally started the Valyria Arc, I'm excited tbh, but yeah in case any of you guessed the dragon is Aurions dragon and the stone that Daella gets is based on the Arkenstone, anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter)

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