9 Life in Hell

(One week later)

Jace, Corlys, and Daella find themselves trapped within what seemed like a Valyrian version of their dragon pit, though this one was high in one of the large towers almost big enough to rival the Hightower, a seemingly safe refuge from external dangers. However, their predicament takes a toll on them as they are beset by hunger and thirst.

Days turn into a week, and their supplies have dwindled to almost nothing. The once uplifted spirits due to finding each other that fueled their determination have been replaced by the gnawing pangs of hunger and the relentless thirst that leaves their throats parched.

Jace watches over his companions, their faces drawn and their energy waning. The rubble that surrounds them serves as both shelter and prison, as the outside world remains too dangerous to venture into. They rationed their remaining food and water, savouring each morsel and drop, but their supplies won't last much longer.

Jace was only glad that Vermax had a steady flow of food that came in every night, he would probably grow by the time they left. As Jace stands up and walks over to Daella, a heavy sense of guilt washes over him. Her frail appearance, with pale skin and cracked lips, tugs at his heartstrings. Gently lifting her, he cradles her head and pours the last precious drops of water from his canteen into her parched mouth.

Daella's eyes meet his, and she greedily gulps down the water, a mix of relief and gratitude in her gaze. She clings to him for a moment, her strength slowly returning as the water soothes her thirst.

But Jace can't shake the weight of responsibility that hangs over him. He knows that their predicament is a consequence of his actions, a situation he had led them into. Guilt gnaws at his conscience as he watches Daella regain some vitality.

Their eyes meet, and he sees understanding in her gaze as if she knows he carries the burden of their current plight. Jace remains determined to find a way out, to make amends for the choices that brought them here "I promise I'll get us out of here" he whispered to her as he placed his forehead against hers. Daella smiled at him before nodding her head, she was still delirious so she put her head back down to rest her eyes.

Jace got back up and walked over to his Grandfather who sat on a piece of rubble watching the entire city from the large opening with a sword in his hand "I am going to go out" Jace simply stated.

"Have you drunk any water today boy?" Corlys asked though he didn't face away from looking out across the city.

"No I gave it to Daella, she's not been doing well" He replied as he stood next to him.

"Good... I had thought perhaps madness had afflicted your mind once more, it gladdens me it is the lack of water" He said while nodding his head.

Jace tuts while running his tongue over his cracked lips "We need to find water or we'll die, and we can't do it staying here" he reasoned.

Corlys shook his head "Jace... we are going to die" he said as he looked at his grandson with a tired expression on his face.

"I had thought we had a chance but when I saw that abomination flying through the sky I knew we were doomed, even if we made it back to the ship it would come after us" he continued.

"Of all the things I've seen here I think that us dying if thirst is a kindness" he said as he slumped his shoulders.

Jace clenched his fists "I won't accept that! It's my fault that we are here in the first place and I will make it right... I have to" he said with conviction.

"You said your ship was here, do you have water on it?" He asked and his grandfather nodded.

"I'll be back soon..." Jace said before walking off and over to the sleeping Vermax who stood up in greeting to his rider.

"Jace this is madness! You will die if the other dragon sees you" His grandfather said with a hoarse voice as he tried to stand, but it had been a few days since he had drunk anything and he fell to the ground.

Jace ignored him and with a bit of effort he climbed upon Vermax's back and saddled himself in "It will be fine grandfather, I just need to get the water" he said as Vermax's powerful legs thudded against the ground and to the open entrance of the tower.

It perched upon the edge of the tower and Jace inspected the skies and the ground, he felt nervous and he noticed how he gripped the saddle harder than usual. He didn't think he had truly gotten over what had happened the first encounter he had with the dragon in the sky, falling off Vermax like that had made him a little weary of heights 'Can't afford to be afraid now' he thought to himself as he commanded Vermax to go forward. The dragon jumped off the lip of the tower and glided down.

With desperation in his heart, Jace commands Vermax to head towards his grandfather's ship in search of water. As they soar through the shadowy remnants of Valyria, a deafening roar shatters the air, and the colossal abomination dragon looms overhead, its grotesque form casting a nightmarish pall.

Jace's eyes widen with terror as he looks up, and his grip on Vermax's scales tightens. There's no time to lose as the monstrous dragon swoops down, its gaping maw hungry for prey.

Jace, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, commands Vermax to dart between the towering, skeletal remains of Valyria's once-proud structures. The ruins offer a perilous maze, but they provide cover and a chance to evade the pursuing abomination.

As they weave between the towering spires, the dragon's colossal claws swipe at them, narrowly missing their tails. The destructive force of the strikes sends showers of debris cascading to the ground below. Jace can feel the heat from the abomination's fiery breath as it follows them, but Vermax's agility keeps them one step ahead.

Jace's heart races with each near miss. They skim dangerously close to the streets themselves, the dragon's massive form chasing them, its twisted body shifting and writhing in unnatural ways. The worm-like creatures that spill from its scales squirm and writhe, a grotesque spectacle that adds to the terror of the chase.

The abomination dragon isn't easily deterred. It unleashes torrents of fire in their direction, the flames licking at their heels as they soar through narrow gaps and spiral around crumbling structures. The heat and intensity of the flames are overwhelming, but Vermax's speed and agility save them from being incinerated.

Through the ruins, they dart and dive, narrowly avoiding the abomination's relentless attacks. Jace can feel the abomination dragon's hot breath closing in, its monstrous form a constant threat overhead. The world around them blurs as they manoeuvre through narrow gaps and crumbling archways.

Suddenly, a guttural roar shakes the air, and Jace's heart skips a beat as he glances over his shoulder. The abomination dragon lunges with terrifying speed, its colossal jaws gaping wide, inches away from snapping onto him. Panic surges through him.

In a desperate bid for survival, Jace draws his sword, the blade glinting in the eerie light of Valyria's ruins. He swings it with all his might, striking at the worm-like creatures that spill from the cracks in the abomination's scales. His blade cleaves through the grotesque forms, scattering them in all directions.

The creatures hiss and writhe in agony, their hideous forms recoiling from the blade's edge. Jace's heart pounds as he fends off the relentless onslaught, sweat beading on his brow. His every movement is to protect himself and Vermax from the grotesque creatures, but with the lack of food and water making him weaker, it is difficult.

As the abomination dragon continues its pursuit, Jace and Vermax navigate the ruins with even greater urgency. They dip and dive, their movements precise and daring. However, the monstrous creature's twisted form is still almost within reach, its breath hot on its tail as it navigates the labyrinthine streets and towering ruins.

With the dragon's monstrous jaws snapping just inches away, Jace can feel the urgency of their situation like a weight pressing down on him. The tension in the air is suffocating, and every heartbeat seems to echo in his ears.

In a moment of sheer reflex, Jace commands Vermax to go up, urging the dragon to ascend at the very last second. With a powerful upward stroke of his wings, Vermax soars high into the sky, narrowly avoiding the abomination's gaping maw.

The monstrous dragon, unable to adjust its trajectory in time, slams headfirst into a towering tower made of strong black stone. The impact reverberates through the ruins with a deafening crash. Stone and dust explode into the air as the abomination dragon recoils from the collision, a grotesque roar of pain and fury filling the sky.

Injured and disoriented, the abomination dragon loses altitude rapidly. It crashes to the ground with a resounding thud, sending shockwaves through the earth. The once-relentless pursuer is now grounded, its movements sluggish as it tries to recover from the devastating collision.

"WOOOOOOOO" Jace shouted as he looked back at the dragon that had been grounded for the moment, he hadn't felt this good since he first arrived in Valyria, but he quickly composed himself as he turned Vermax towards the Smoking Sea.

———————————————————

(Pentos)

Rhaenyra sat in the Great Hall of the Prince of Pentos, however, there was no great feast to be held but rather just another meeting of family. Rhaenyra say there impatiently only half listening to the reasons her uncle was telling her why going to Valyria was a stupid thing to do and that the best thing to do was to wait. While her uncle admitted it seemed like something Jace would do, he thought that they should not think him so stupid or immature.

"Rhaenyra?"

Rhaenyra looked up and regarded her uncle finally paying attention "I do believe I have made my position on the matter quite clear" she said sternly.

Daemon breathed out in mild frustration, Laena who sat next to him put her hand on his knee "Rhaenyra you're the heir to the throne, if something should happen to you then think of the chaos that will occur" she warned.

Laenor who sat next to his wife nodded his head in agreement "I know how close Helaena and Jace were but we can't be sure this isn't one of her mother's machinations"

Rhaenyra shook her head "Even if something should happen to me I have other children" she stated.

Daemon laughed at her words "Don't pretend as if you haven't heard the rumours the queen has spread about your other children"

"He is right, Lucerys would be the rightful heir but they'd likely pass him other and crown Aegon" Laenor said in agreement.

Rhaenyra rubbed her temples as a headache started to form "I shall not change my mind!" She snapped, silencing the people at the table.

"I will find my son and bring him home," she said with conviction. Those at the table were lost for words a what to say as any reasoning seemed to go right over her head.

Daemon looked at his wife "Can you and Laenor give us a few moments" he said putting his arm on her knee, she nodded and stood up taking her brother by the arm and leaving the room.

Daemon looked at his niece intently as he tapped the table with his fingers "For a while I thought perhaps I was mistaken but it seems I am not" he said ambiguously. 

Rhaenyra looked at him with an expression of annoyance on her face "And what do you believe you were mistaken about" she asked mockingly.

Daemon smirked "You love him, you love Jace" he stated.

Rhaenyra narrowed her eyes at her uncle "Of course I do he is my son, I love all my children" she said as she slightly clenched her fists.

"It is only us here, you do not need to lie to me," Daemon said.

Rhaenyra sat back in her chair "He is only a boy, what you speak of is unsavoury" she replied

"And when he turns into a man? Will you still have such views?" Daemon asked though instead of replying Rhaenyra sat there not even looking at her uncle.

"Mother and Son, I can't say I've ever heard that happening in our family, unless you excuse the rumours about Maegor and Visenya," Daemon said with a chuckle as he lifted his cup off the table.

Rhaenyra scowled at him "It doesn't matter what I feel, what matters is making sure he comes home safe"

"Which we will, I love Jace and I am worried about him as well" Daemon stated.

But before Rhaenyra could reply he held his hand up "And by we I mean myself and Laena, you are too important to lose and so you shall stay here, that is my condition" he said with finality.

Rhaenyra gripped her chair tightly as she thought to argue her uncle's words, however in the end she decided against it as the only thing that mattered was Jace's safe return. She looked at her uncle and slowly nodded her head though she struggled to do so.

———————————————————-

Jace managed to fly back to the tower without any issues, though it made his heart sink when he saw that the dragon was not dead and had disappeared, every second he was in the skies he looked around for any shadows or flying creatures, he knew once he got to the tower he'd be safe as the entrance was too narrow for a dragon of that size, it would be unable barely even fit its head inside.

Jace had managed to secure a barrel of water as well as some food to the back of Vermax, though he felt his gut tighten every time he heard the water move inside the barrel, if the lip popped open it would be over for them and they would die. But it seemed luck was on his side that day as the water managed to survive being transported through the air.

He landed in the tower and directed Vermax deeper inside, he saw that his uncle was still sitting where he was before but had a visible look of happiness when he saw Jace arrive, as for Daella she was still lying on the ground and seemed to have fallen asleep. Jace quickly untied the water barrel and with a lot of effort he carried it down, he grabbed his water skin from beside Daella and popped the lid off the water barrel before filling it up.

Crouching next to her and lifting her head onto his lap he shook her awake "Daella... hey wake up, you need to drink" he whispered to her. Her eyes fluttered open and as she saw him she smiled as she did often, it seemed that the happiness of finding Jace alive overtook anything she felt in her current situation. He poured the water skin into her mouth and she greedily gulped the water down holding onto his hand as tightly as she could. Jace stroked her hair as she drank and made sure she didn't drink it too fast.

"Sit up I'm going to get the food I brought, make sure not to eat too fast," Jace said as he leaned her against the wall. He stood up and walked towards his grandfather first but as he approached him "Feed the girl first, I can look after myself" his words were curt and to the point they were not meant to be offensive so Jace nodded his head.

As Jace unpacked the food he had brought from the ship unbeknownst to him one of the smaller wormlike creatures dragged itself across Vermax's scales towards Jace.

'This food should last us for a time, at least we can focus on a way of getting out of here' Jace thought to himself, a week ago his Grandfather had said to leave him behind and take Daella out of Valyria. He'd dismissed it immediately, he would not leave his grandfather to get torn apart or eaten, and Jace doubted Vermax could do such a long journey with both of them.  No, he would figure out a way to deal with the dragon and they'd take the ship home together.

*Screech*

Jace looked up just in time to see the wormlike creature jump from Vermax, onto Jace. It landed on his face and Jace immediately tried to grab it but it was the size of a finger and quite slimy and all he could do was recoil in horror as it slipped through the gap in his eyes and into his head. For a moment nothing happened as he stood there in complete shock. But then his head started to pulse "Ughhh" he groaned as he crashed to the floor grasping his head in pain.

*OBEY!*

*COME!*

*HELP!*

"AHHHHHHHH" he screamed as voices were echoing inside his head, his whole body felt hot and he clawed at his head to stop the voices. Eventually, he couldn't handle the pain and he passed out, leaving Corlys and Daella to look at him in horror.

———————————————————

(???)

A boy slept on the cold ground of a cell his only comfort was the hot humid air that was so common where he was. He lay there curled into a ball as he thought about all the friends he'd lost, but he didn't cry, he had already cried and now he had no tears left, he just waited for his turn.

The door to his cell creaked open and a tall man with long silver hair and a smokey metal staff had a kind smile on his face but the boy had long since been able to tell that it was not genuine. The boy stood up his muscles protesting as he did and he slowly walked over to the door.

"Come Valar, today is a good day"

(AN: okay so that's done, left on a bit of a cliff hanger tbh imma be wrapping up this arc soon, I think Jace will learn from this, now he just needs a few scars and to mature a bit more)

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