Chapter 13: Destiny

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Aerion Targaryen

Runestone Castle

Willam and Rodrik made haste to the hall shortly after Aerion had arrived, by their looks, they knew exactly why they had been summoned, a sense of readiness could be felt from the both of them.

Aerion sat upon the throne, leaning forward, with both hands clasped together resting on his forehead and he looked to his boots, his heel tapped away against the floor, mumbling to himself in the Valyrian tongue.

"Fourteen flames…assist me" he prayed "Give me a sign…anything.."

He still believed in the old gods' of his ancestors, while many of his line had moved away to worship the Faith of the Seven, he refused, only pretending to worship them, for it was his gods that gifted them with dragon flame, the blood that runs through his veins, how else could House Targaryen ever explain their power.

The sighting of a dragon in the Vale had given him a chance to finally claim his birthright, perhaps the gods had brought it to him as a sign of their belief in him.

To claim a dragon is no easy feat, if it was to find you unworthy, then you may as well be another meal to satisfy its hunger, it was his hope that the gods would answer his call and give him the strength to conquer his fear.

He lifted his head up from the ground, and leaned back on the throne "I trust you both know of the dragon sighting near to the eastern coast." Aerion said.

"We have, though I do not know what we are to do about it, dragons are fierce and powerful, I suggest we leave it alone." Rodrik replied moments later.

"I say we prepare a hundred of our bowmen and march, show the beast that we will not stand idly by as it torches our farms." Willam inputted.

"And do tell, how will it make us look when those bowmen burn to death?" Aerion questioned "I am sure you have heard of the dragon's conquest, when thousands were burned alive on the battlefield."

"Well we must do something." Willam said.

"And we will, but no harm is to come to the dragon." Aerion replied, and the two knights focused their attention on him, rather confused "and no dragon would be affected by measly arrows."

"So what do you suggest, my prince?" Rodrik responded.

"This could finally be a sign I have been waiting for from the gods…to take claim of a dragon, I will be the most feared man in the realm." Aerion smirked at the thought "No one will ever again call me dragonless."

Aerion knew from the way he was speaking, and the looks they shared to one another, that they might have thought him to be a madman with a destiny to follow.

"I plan to make the trip alone." he added

"Surely you jest." Rodrik scoffed, though his eyes showed concern "You could be killed, allow me to make this trip with you."

"Rodrik is right, Aerion, besides how do we even know this is a dragon that can be claimed?" Willam asked "It could have a rider already."

"I know it…I feel it in my bones and in my veins, this dragon is mine to claim." Aerion insisted with the pair, turning from Willam "This is something I must do alone, Rodrik, it is my birth right..something that I have been training towards since I was a little boy."

Rodrik already knew there was no sense in convincing him, when Aerion's mind was set to a task, he did not stop till he had completed it.

Aerion removed himself from the throne, and made his way towards the two knights "You both have been immensely dear to me my entire life, but this journey is not one that I can have you watching over me."

"I will ensure some equipment is prepared for your journey." Rodrik replied.

"Are you okay with me leaving then?" Aerion asked

"I do not control what you do, nor will I attempt to do so, I will not win, I only wish for you to be safe and away from harm." Aerion smiled at the older man's response, turning to Willam.

"I name you Lord of Runestone in my stead, Willam." Aerion declared "I trust you." Willam mouth had almost dropped to the floor from the news "I do not expect to be gone for long, but anything could happen."

"I will watch over your lands, Aerion, you have my word." Willam promised "I will not forget the faith you have put in me."

He departed from the hall to prepare himself for the journey, dressing himself in his usual riding leathers, they were brown with his personal coat-of-arms sewn onto the chest, a black three-headed dragon on a bronze field, bordered with runes.

Rodrik was in the outer courtyard making preparations, with a bow in hand as he fitted Frost will all necessary equipment for his journey.

"Has everything been prepared, Rodrik?" the prince asked, walking over to Frost and looking into the saddle bag that hangs off the side, it contained a round leather waterskin, dried foods, and also contained a spare knife.

"Just about, my prince." Rodrik replied, fitting the bow in a slot on the horse's saddle "and that should do it." he smiled "You should all be set for travel now."

"Next time we see each other, I'll be a dragonrider.." Aerion said with conviction "This much I promise you.."

"I have no doubt you will be, Aerion." he said "this will bring much respect to your name, and when you claim this dragon, I shall knight you for all to see."

Aerion embraced the man he had known forever, before climbing upon his horse, and stroking its mane, he held onto the reins and kicked with his heel "Go, boy!" he yelled, and the horse set off out of Runestone and along the dirt road, heading east towards the eastern coast.

The road had been quiet and peaceful, albeit a bit lonely, but Aerion's mind was racing at the possibilities that were ahead of him, all the adventures he could set upon once he claimed his dragon, the feeling of the wind against his face that he wanted so much.

A dragon was no toy however, and Aerion knew this well, he had grown up reading about the dragons such as Balerion the Black Dread, Ridden by Aegon the Conqueror, and even Maegor the Cruel.

Balerion the Black Dread burned House Hoare's seat of power in the Riverlands, Harrenhal, during the conquest, killing every member of that family, and on the field of fire, Aegon released his three dragons and burned his enemies to a crisp before they bent the knee.

He had also read about Meraxes, and how it came to be killed by the Dornish during the first dornish war, marking that dragons were not invulnerable, he promised to himself he would never make a mistake in thinking the dragon was his pet.

Aerion reached the farmland the common man had spoken about, the smoke from the fire had died out but there was proof that the dragon had been there, the hut had been destroyed and the surrounding grassland was scorched from dragonflame.

The prince removed himself from the saddle, and slowly walked his way towards what was left of the hut, beside the door sat the burned corpses of two people, one appeared to be the same height as a child, and there was a clear view of the flesh beneath the skin.

All he could smell was the charred bone of the burnt bodies as he squatted beside them "You did not deserve to be burned alive, little one." he whispered in the Valyrian tongue.

He looked around further and stumbled upon the commonfolk's livestock, what used to be dozens of sheep were no more but their bones and small bits of cooked flesh, if the scorched grassland was not proof that a dragon had been here, this was.

A loud screech came from above, and Aerion's gaze immediately went upwards, though he did not see what made such a sound, but from what he listened to in Kings' Landing, it was the dragon, he heard it once more further east.

Aerion ran to his horse, pulling himself up and began to ride in its direction until he reached a cliff's edge, to which he stopped.

He couldn't hear the screeches any more, but they sounded very similar to a cry, which made him think that perhaps the dragon was lonely, and that it's not a fate one should have to face, it deserves a rider, and it was going to be him.

Aerion opened up his travelbag and grabbed the waterskin, taking a swig from it before tucking it back in. Besides this, he also took out some dried bacon, it was crunchy and tasted bland but it was enough to sate his hunger.

The prince trailed his way down the cliff onto the rocky sands beneath, his feet almost slipped out from under him, luckily he clung to one of the rocks, and managed to get down safely.

As he walked along the coast, he became increasingly nervous as there was a large cave where the dragon could have possibly made his home, and he reached for his sword, releasing it from the sheath, and gripping both hands to the handle.

"I have come this far, do not fail me now." he pleaded with the gods, as he slowly stepped into the cave, it was dark and damp and all he could hear was the faint dripping of water against a whetstone, he was like a small ant as he looked up at the ceiling, the place was definitely big enough to house a few dragons.

Further into the cave, he began to hear soft rumblings that made his body tense up, he attempted to make as little noise as possible, however. He stepped into a puddle of water and as he looked up he was met with two piercing green eyes staring back at him.

The sight spooked him and he fell backwards into the puddle on his arse, the orbs were so bright they lighted up the immediate area enough to see the jaws to which they belonged.

Those jaws opened and chills ran down Aerion's spine "This is it.." he whispered as the flames left the dragons mouth, those to his surprise they hit against the ceiling, the flames allowed him to get a better view of the dragon, and through all his readings, he knew the dragon's name immediately.

Its' scales were as black as coal with its' menacing green eyes being its' main feature, it stood  as large as, if not bigger, than the mighty Vhagar, the only dragon rumoured to be as big was the cannibal, an untamable beast that flew wild on the island of Dragonstone.

Aerion rose from the ground, keeping his own lilac eyes on the Cannibal, its scales were scarred and it had scratch marks running up its' neck, from battles with the other dragons that resided on the volcanic island.

The prince's breathing was heavy and his pose was straightened, his heart beat as fast as it ever had as the dragon growled at him, revealing its teeth as it closed the gap between them, snapping only inches away.

As its teeth parted once more, Aerion could see the flames at the back of its throat as it went to burn him alive, he held out his hand "I am not here to harm you…we are the same." a wet breeze came onto Aerion's face as the dragon closed its jaws, taking in a whiff of Aerion's scent.

Aerion thought himself mad for a moment as he reached out his hand, slowly and steadily placing it just above the dragons' chin, stroking  as he looked up at its eyes and saw them close for short while "You are not a monster, but they think you are, same as I."

The prince thought it was going well, until the dragon nudged him backwards causing him to fall back down onto his arse, almost crushing him as the dragon made its' move out of the cave, Aerion ran after him "Wait!"

The dragon kicks its feet up into the air, and spreads its wings, turning and travelling west, Aerion climbed up back up the cliff quickly and ran to Frost, who was frightened from the dragon, and quickly set atop the saddle and travelled in the same direction as the dragon, he could still see it in the distance…

Jory Manderly

Arrow's Point

Jory carefully descended from his horse, a courser with a brown coat and black mane, she was sturdy and swift, just what was needed for travel across the Vale's terrain, it had been the third village he had been looking for this women known as 'Alayne'

The village was nothing special, though it held some significance from the others, being one of three ports in Runestones territory, and also the main port in which their fleet was held, however small it was.

Many traders cross the narrow sea and come to Arrow's point, despite the existence of Gulltown, though most only do so to avoid having to pay to transport and sell their goods in the city.

Jory tied up his horse in the stables just outside the village gates, and then continued to walk down the dirt road, he was followed by two of the Royce household guards assisting him in the search.

"Go and find the captain in command of this port, we need everyone on the lookout." he nodded to the one of the guards, who made haste down the road.

"I will remain here, lord." the other guard stated "To see if any of these guards have seen the woman we seek."

"Good idea." Jory replied, turning and making his way down the dirt road towards the inn, glancing at some of the women as they passed in search for the one they sought, though he found none of her description.

He reached the front of the inn, which overlooked the port in which many ships were harboured, as he entered, he was surprised to see it as busy as it was; he had to gently shove his way past in order to reach the innkeeper.

Jory rested his hand on the counter, looking to the man that stood behind it speaking with another patron "I am looking for the owner.."

"Ain't we all, friend.." the man responded "He left some time ago to visit his family in Gulltown…poor sod hasn't returned."

"Then I take it you are running the place for him.." Jory responded

"That depends on what you want." 

"We are in search of a woman.." Jory queried "Black of hair, green eyes…may go by Alayne."

"Oh you are looking for a woman?" the man replied "Well I will add you to my list of every single man that comes through here, I don't do well with faces, friend."

"It is crucial that I find her, your lord wants her found.." he turned his head to the crowd before looking back at the man "And is willing to pay a handsome price.."

"Our lord, you say? Well we certainly cannot disappoint such a man." he banged his fist on the table getting the attention of all those in the inn.

"This man here is paying for information about a woman of all things, she has black of hair and green eyes, and her name is Alayne." he shouted "Come see this man if you know any woman like that!" small pockets of laughter came after before most went back to speaking with their fellow travellers.

"I would have liked to be more discreet in my dealings, friend." Jory added "But I suppose that will do, get me an ale."

The innkeeper provided him with an ale and he sat there waiting for someone to come up to him, which he was soon met with a scruffy looking fellow who looked as if he'd been at sea for too long.

"This woman you be lookin' for…I can help you in findin' her." the man said, letting out a breath directly into Jory's face as he stumbled, the man was drunk.

"Come back to me when you can stand..I won't pay to have you drink yourself into a grave." Jory dismissed him.

"Saw her on the ship..speakin' with ma' captain." the man dribbled "now gimme my coin.." he stepped towards Jory and fell flat on the ground, and Jory couldn't help but smirk and let out a slight chuckle.

He assisted the man getting back up to his feet, and held him against the wall "How do you know it is the woman I seek?"

"You don't forget a good-looking woman such as 'er." the man laughed, and Jory let go, allowing him to fall down to his knees, then joining him in a squat.

"Where is your captain?" he demanded, cupping his neck in a tight grip.

"On the ship…" the man faintly replied, tucking at Jory's hand "has a wolf figure at the helm…"

"Thanks for your cooperation.." he said, getting back onto his feet and throwing a few silver stags on the floor beside the man "there is your reward..try not to spend it on more ale."

Jory had a smug look on his face as he looked to the innkeeper, before turning away and making his way out of his establishment, taking in the fresh air.

He peered towards the port, looking for the ship the man had described to him, the one with the figurehead of a wolf, though he could not see it from so far.

As he walked down towards the port, he heard a loud screech, causing him to raise his eyes towards the skies, at first believing it may have been a bird, but for the first time, he actually seemed afraid as a large beast came flying in from above the clouds.

Guards passed him as the dragon flew overhead, its long wings large enough that the village was engulfed in a shadow.

He turned his head as the bowmen assembled, and released a barrage of arrows at the dragon before it had even attacked the village, and the next thing he saw was ships in flames as it released fire from its mouth.

"Are you all bloody mad?" he shouted to the men "Get everyone to safety, it does not take a fool to know that you can not penetrate its scales."

Aerion Targaryen

Arrow's Point

Aerion viewed the smoke that was forming over the horizon, pausing for a moment as he rested upon Frost, having chased the dragon across the plains.

"Shit.." he muttered, wrapping his hand around the reins "Come on, boy.." he urged, kicking the horse with the side of his heel, and rushing towards the smoke.

He heard the cries of the smallfolk fleeing the village as the dragon set it alight with blasts of flame.

"Into the fields!" one of the guards screamed to the passing smallfolk, and Aerion rushed into the danger instead of away from it "Wait! Where are you going?" the guard shouted as Aerion passed him, ignoring him completely.

The dragon's flames reflected into the prince's eyes, turning them into a fiery purple, and he smiled in awe of the beast at play, pulling himself off from his horse, and removing his blade from it's sheath.

"Aerion!" someone called out to him through all the noise and mayhem, women and children quickly rushed past him, pushing as they went along.

"Aerion!"

Finally turning his head, he was relieved when it was revealed to have been Jory.

"What are you doing here?" Aerion asked as a grin crossed his lips.

"My search brought me here." Jory quickly added "None of that matters at this current moment, we need to deal with this damn dragon, is there a way we can lure it away?"

"Lure it?" Aerion raised a brow. "No my friend, I intend to claim it."

"What?" the northman questions "You truly are a madman!" he yelled, pointing towards the dragon "That thing will burn you along with everything else."

"I do not burn easily, It is time I claim my birthright, I may never get another chance." he yelled past the noise "Assist in getting people out here!"

The dragon set down along the dirt road, crushing a hut with its wing, swallowing one of the guards whole as he attempted to stab it with his sword, then growling in Jory and Aerion's direction.

Jory shook his head, leaving his company and moving as far away from the dragon as he could.

It was then when Aerion slowly walked towards the beast, muttering to himself "You can do this.." 

A loud roar came from the dragon's lungs as he took another step closer, no longer focusing on the ships or the guards, its sole focus was set upon the prince.

"Look around, they see you as a monster." Aerion yelled in the ancient tongue "but I know we can help each other." the prince rose his hands above his head, continuing his path towards the dragon.

"Everyone fears you across these lands, but not me.." there was a silence shared between them, and the screams from afar had become numb in the prince's mind.

The dragon calmed itself, sniffing the prince as he made his last step, extending one of his hands and setting it upon the dragon's chin, rubbing it against the scaled surface, making himself appear fearless to the beast.

It spread its wings outwards as it settled down into a resting position, allowing Aerion to scale it.

As he reached its' back, a vicious roar revealed itself once more, and it swung its' head up and let out a burst of flame towards the clouds, making Aerion chuckle.

The prince settled himself at the base of its' neck, gripped tightly onto the two spikes that laid at the base, the dragon's head turned and one of its menacing green eyes stared back at him.

"Sōvēs!" Aerion demanded, though the dragon remained still, looking at him with possible confusion, did he understand anything he was saying? He kicked with his heel as he would with a horse "Sōvēs!" he repeated, with more determination than the last.

The dragon lifted itself up from the resting position, a large shadow once again erupting across the village as the setting sun beamed in his face, and Aerion gripped extra tightly as it flew up into the air, its wings spreading wide.

He laughed out of pure joy, he finally felt what the dragon rider before him did, the breeze of the wind against his face that he so longed for, he looked down as Cannibal circled the village, and Aerion could see his horse, Frost, galloping away.

Cannibal began a slow descent towards the sea, until its wings were skimming across it, Aerion released his hands from its' spike and went to spread them open, screaming in excitement at the top of his lungs, then clinging back onto the spike as Cannibal turned to the left.

The dragon rose back into the skies and flew further away from the village "Where are you going? My home is that way." he shouted, though was ignored by the beast.

Aerion tugged at the spike he held onto, and Cannibal let out a loud roar, even snapping its' jaw, though soon turned around towards the village, descending down not far from it onto the grass, his heart practically beating out of his chest, he slid down the wings he once climbed, and cannibal rested and laid down.

Something felt different than when he first came face to face with it, a familiar presence now lingered between them and he felt somehow connected with the beast, as if they shared the same energy and feelings, he suddenly felt a pit of sadness coming from it, perhaps one born from loneliness, he ran his hand along its' face, resting his forehead

"If I am to be your rider, you will need a new name." Aerion said softly "Gaelithox it will be, after one of the fourteen flames, a name for a dragon."

Aerion dropped down onto the grass, laying beside his newly claimed dragon; Gaelithox, the deadliest dragon in the land, more vicious than even the mighty Vhagar.

He closed his eyes finally accomplishing what he had wanted his entire life, he felt as Gaelithox budged its head slightly against Aerion's arm, and he lifted it, scratching underneath its' chin.

Notes:

Looking forward to hearing what you all think about the chapter!

UP NEXT: Aerion arrives on the Island of Dragonstone and is taken to Gaelithox's lair upon the Dragonmont where he uncovers a long forgotten secret.