The Red Fire
Laenor POV
After a while, I completed the inscription of runes on the stone altar, situated amidst the circle of Dragon glass blocks. While I was engrossed in inscribing runes, my father brought the prisoners. Knowing that I was nearly done with my task, the only thing missing was the two sacrifices. The two individuals selected for the sacrificial hatching were condemned to death a few days prior. Recently captured, these pirates bear no resemblance to those in the anime 'One Piece' I read about in my former world. They are the sole survivors of their entire crew.
Both of them are currently observing the circle and runes inscribed upon it, yet their limited intelligence has not allowed them to deduce what is about to transpire. They simply gaze at my father with hopeful and pleading expressions, which, frankly, do not suit their faces and appear more repulsive than anything else. My attention then shifts to the runes I have etched into the stone altar. The cluster almost mirrors the one I carved on the block of Dragon glass during the second week, although this one is encircled by additional runes. In this cluster, I have emphasized Endurance and fire over vitality and evolution, as the weeks-long life-force transfer has already facilitated the evolution. The use of fire rune because we brought no wood or any combustible material to aid the hatching process; instead, we must depend on magical fire.
"Is everything in order? You should check once more, Laenor, lest your hard work from last week be wasted due to haste," said Father, peering over the High-Valyrian runes, trying to decipher them. His mildly curious and frustrated expression suggested he hadn't grasped much. Heeding his advice, I began to review my work for any errors or mistakes, though detecting them would be challenging since I had crafted this from scratch for all the experiments I conducted with runes over the past two weeks. I'm not sure if I've made any mistakes, but there shouldn't be any since the whole ritual itself is not complicated, so chances are low. The only potential error here could be mistakes in carving the runes, which I have already checked numerous times.
"It is done. Now, before we begin the entire sacrifice ritual, Laena and I must anoint our respective dragon eggs with our blood," I said, glancing at Laena to see if she was prepared. Without hesitation, my brave older sister approached the altar, dragon egg in hand, ready to be the first to consecrate her egg. I passed her the Valyrian steel dagger, cautioning her to use minimal force due to its sharpness, as too much could result in a deeper cut than necessary. She took my advice, gently slicing her palm with the dagger before smearing her blood on her dragon egg. Once I had finished anointing my black egg with my blood, I nodded to my father, signalling that all was ready, and we could commence with the purpose of our gathering.
My father brought two pirates between the stone altar and the circle of Dragon glass blocks. As I handed the dagger to him, the sight of it in my father's grasp was enough for the pirates to foresee their fate. They thrashed and turned within the circle, desperately seeking an escape, their directed pleading look to everyone present in the cells. Mother and Laena averted their gazes, focusing only on father, who was forcefully restraining them. I met their desperate and begging looks with my indifference because they had sold many Westerosi into the Essos slave market. At that time, these two pirates showed no mercy, so why should I show any to them now?
Father slit their throats one by one, and the blood of the two pirates began to pool on the stone altar and Dragon glass blocks. As the blood touched the altar and blocks, the runes started to emit small red and silver hues. Father stepped out of the circle to observe the enchanting scene unfolding before them. The blocks and altar seemed to absorb the pirates' blood eagerly. Seconds ticked by, and the glow grew stronger until suddenly, a red fire burst forth from the circle of Dragon glass blocks. The fire, mesmerizing and intense, caused my father to retreat several steps, watching in awe. Mother and Laena were similarly captivated, gazing at the unnatural red flames with fascination. Following the fire, the runes began to shine even more brightly than before.
The pirates' bodies did not burn in the fire, but their blood was drained so swiftly that their skin shrivelled before our eyes. I turned my head towards the Dragon eggs to discern their fate. The Dragon egg's scales appeared faintly red; initially, I thought they were reflecting the firelight, but upon closer inspection, I realized the eggs were actually heating up, causing their reddish appearance from this distance. As the fire grew hotter and brighter, we all waited for it to diminish or for the Dragon's screech to pierce the air, because bright flames are making it increasingly difficult to observe the eggs even for me. Mother had already put some distance between herself, and the flames as sweat began to form on her forehead. Surprisingly, Laena hadn't moved an inch from her spot near the circle of stones, gazing at the scene with a dazed look that slightly worried me.
As I gazed into the fire, growing brighter with time, I began to sense a fragile connection forming between myself and an unknown entity. In this situation, it seemed only one thing could bond with me. I strained my eyes to see if the Dragon had emerged from its shell, but the persistent flames obscured my view. The idea of venturing in to see what was happening repeatedly tempted me, yet the thought of alarming my parents with my impatience held me back. I've noticed a mounting pressure in the cell since the fire's eruption, now tangible enough to weigh upon my shoulders. Many possibilities crossed my mind for this sensation, but the most plausible explanation seems to be that the magic at work is thickening over time, intensifying the pressure I feel, especially after establishing the link. Later, I must inquire with my mother and father if they've experienced anything similar, to determine whether it was truly magical pressure or something else entirely.
Two distinct screeches emerged from the flames: one high-pitched, the other deeper and louder. At that moment, the nascent link between us solidified into a bond I could feel. But before I could savour this connection between me and my newly hatched dragon, Laena, dashed towards the blazing red fire. A brief pause ensued as everyone processed her actions, and then my mother's screams jolted me from my bewildered daze.
"Laena..." Mother's screams pierced the air as she thrashed, trying to break free from Father's hold—the only barrier preventing her from plunging into the flames after my older sister. "Release me, Corlys! You might stand here and watch, but I will not—release me this instant! My daughter is in there!" Tears streamed down her face as she struggled in Father's grasp. Meanwhile, I stood by, watching them, because I knew Laena was unharmed. I could feel it; she was safe, and the fire had not burned or harmed her in any way.
"Laena is safe, Mother. Trust me, I'm telling the truth. I can feel it. I need you to be strong for just a few minutes while I drag her out so you can see that nothing has happened to her." Hearing this, she paused for a second, processing my words. Then she began to scream at me not to enter the fire too. I nodded towards my father, whose eyes had also moistened. Hesitation flickered in his gaze, but the trust he had in my abilities led him to nod back at me and tighten his hold on Mother, restraining her for a minute or two.
I also sprinted into the fire without wasting another second as who know what mother might to do to us if we worry her too much. I started to make my way to the fire with the help of my newly formed between me and my Dragon. I reach the stone alter where we have placed our Dragon eggs in mere seconds. I look toward Laena who is unharmed and naked while patting two Dragon hatchling with the size of medium sized Dog.
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