Chapter 5:"Nymeria"

In the blink of an eye, five years had passed. During this time, I uncovered mysteries about the Valyrians, questions that had puzzled many. Who were the Valyrians? What made them different? How could they tame dragons? These were the enigmas everyone wanted answers to.

The truth was quite simple. Valyrians were like chimeras in genetic terms. Their ancestors were just regular humans. The legend goes that a young shepherd managed to gain the favor of a dragon by feeding it lamb meat until it allowed him to ride on its back. However, dragons weren't consistent in their behavior. Others who approached them with the same intentions never returned.

Then, one particularly wild man had an idea. He decided to feed dragon blood and meat to a pregnant woman. Sadly, these women didn't survive, and they gave birth to children who looked more like monsters with strange skin and eyes. After many experiments, the first ten Valyrian babies were born at the cost of their mothers' lives. No one knew how the madman managed to create these flawless babies compared to the earlier, less fortunate results.

Once he succeeded, he waited for these children to grow, believing that dragons would only trust creatures born from dragon flesh and blood. He intended for them to tame the dragons. However, he never anticipated that the children he had treated as lab rats would grow to despise him deeply.

When these kids turned ten, he threw them into a massive pit to confront a dragon. Remarkably, they succeeded in taming it. Even though the dragon bared its fangs and attempted to burn them, they remained unharmed. Slowly, the dragon accepted them as its own. Those kids, presumed dead when they were thrown into the dragon pit, turned the tables by leading the dragon to burn the madman with its fiery breath.

The current civilization we know today was born from those Valyrian children, a race with fire and blood coursing through their veins, much like humans. This is one of the hidden, forbidden secrets of Valyria. Another dark secret is the creation of Valyrian steel, a metal that defies destruction by our current standards. In the future, every blacksmith dreams of replicating this legendary steel, but none have succeeded. I used to hold great respect for the Laennalys family for crafting such a treasure. Now, however, I can't help but feel a sense of disgust towards them.

The truth about Valyrian steel is grim. It is a cursed metal, forged from the lives of the innocent. The more lives sacrificed, the purer and stronger the Valyrian steel becomes. In the same fires where iron is melted to create this extraordinary steel, the innocent are thrown in as fuel to make it eternal as death and dragon breath and dragon blood as flame. It's an incredibly inhumane act, though they are not humans but rather monsters. Now, the sword Laennalys gifted me seems repugnant. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that I, too, am connected to this monstrous legacy, even if I may appear different or was unnaturally born. The lines blur, and the truth feels hard to grasp.

All these secrets and dark truths have fueled my determination to plan a grand escape. Ideally, I'd like to transport my entire castle to the location where I've decided to establish a new kingdom if possible. I have plenty of time, more than a hundred years to make it happen. I'm just ten years old right now, barely reaching a height of 150 cm, which is good.

What's truly remarkable is the growth of Igneel. He's now a colossal dragon, stretching 50 meters in length, with sleek obsidian scales and majestic golden horns that resemble a crown. While he might not stand a chance against my father's dragon, the fact that he's grown to this size in just five years is astounding.

My first ride on Igneel was almost an adventure in itself, nearly sending me tumbling into the sea. Yet, it's a memory I'll never forget. I've even allowed my friends to ride with me. By friends, I mean slaves, particularly my closest friend, the one my mother arranged as a sacrifice in the Magic Ceremony. After those mess when I asked him what he wished to do, he replied, "I want to serve you, my Lord." So, I bestowed upon him the title of "1st Sword," though it's just empty words until I can establish my own kingdom. I've managed to elevate him from a slave to a servant, thanks to my father's influence.

Most of our time was spent training with swords. Even though I didn't really need to learn swordsmanship because I possessed Raizel's power, which included his mastery of weapons, it was still good to train my first sword, Ragnar.

In the five years that passed, my little dragon, Igneel, caused quite a few problems. His movements were quite amusing, going from roaming around the castle to the yard, then outside, and eventually settling in a cave. Strangely, it all ended with him being chained in a cell. It was a wonder how a dragon that treated humans well could be so ruthless to other dragons. He killed dragons of his size or those with horned crowns, charging at them like a bull. He had taken down nearly seven young dragons.

Today, I made a decision to embark on a long journey without anyone's permission for a mission codenamed "Nymeria." Most of the dragons in the Freehold were currently on a hunt with their riders, as Valyria was launching an all-out offensive against the Rhoynar. This was the battle where my father was facing Garin the Great.

Now, who was Nymeria? She happened to be one of the Rhoynish princesses, and my mission was to assist her escape. This made me a traitor by association, but who would suspect a 10-year-old boy of doing anything significant? Unfortunately, I could tap into 60 percent of Raizel's power at this point which is god like.

I secretly gathered all the things I needed for my journey and packed them onto Igneel, my dragon. I didn't want Mama to know about my departure; it was better that way. Without even informing Ragnar, I took to the skies with Igneel.

You might wonder, why did I need a dragon when I could fly by myself? Well, for now, I intended to use the dragon as a mount. It made for a convenient moving bed and luggage carrier during my travels.