Chapter 14: The Dragonmont

Chapter Text

The next morning…

Aerion woke up before dawn, having fallen asleep by Gaelithox, although his surroundings were unknown, he was leant against a tree stump, and an extinguished fire laid in front of him.

"You are finally awake." Jory smiled, sipping on what looked like a bowl of soup "You are one lucky son of a whore, you know that?"

"Where are we?" Aerion asked, his voice faint as he rubbed his eyes.

"I found you alone, not far from the port." he replied "imagine my surprise to find you alive, at first I thought you hadn't tamed the beast, then he came back." Jory nudged his head to his left, where Gaelithox was lying with his eyes closed, resting.

"I did it.." Aerion sighed with relief "sixteen years of being mocked has dissipated in a single action, no one will dare say a word against me now."

"Aye, you now stand as one of the most powerful men in the seven kingdoms." Jory extended the bowl towards him "Eat, you will need your strength to ride such a formidable beast."

"Where will you go now, friend?" Aerion asked "No doubt if Alayne was here, she is either dead or fled during the attack."

"Not everything was destroyed, I will look around one final time, if I can not find her, I will travel back to Runestone." he stood "And what of you now that you have what you want?"

"Wherever the fourteen flames take me.." Aerion smiled "Willam is much better suited as the ruler of Runestone than I am, he will rule in my stead while I am away."

"Just like that? You are willing to throw away your birthright, can I ask why?" Jory questioned.

"I wouldn't be throwing it away, I am the Lord of Runestone and will remain as such, but it does not mean I have to be present all the time." he responded "My father is a great warrior, he is known throughout the world, it is what I want for myself."

"Well, I wish you luck in your adventures."

"You can return to Kings' Landing, you know?" Aerion fidgeted with his fingers "You fulfilled your duty, and got me to Runestone without a scratch."

"Aye, I could, but I think I am going to stick around here if you do not mind." he proclaimed "I was getting tired of the life in Kings' Landing, and I am closer to the north here."

"If that is your wish, who am I to say no to it? You have been a great company since we met." Aerion rose from the ground, stretching his arms out "I do not think you will find this woman, but if you do - thank you."

"I must ask, what if this woman does not give you answers you seek? It could be that she had no involvement in the death of your mother." 

"If I feel she has no involvement, then I will set her free." Aerion replied "However, if she did, then I will make sure she and anyone else responsible suffers days of agony and torture before I am done with them."

"Now I understand what Rodrik meant when he said you had a wildness to you." Jory chuckled, "Sometimes you sound like an ironborn."

"Perhaps I should meet these Ironborn - they have a reputation for being savages, and they sound like my type of people." he chuckled

Aerion drank the soup and placed the wooden bowl down next to the campfire "Till we meet again, friend." 

"Safe travels."

Aerion made his way towards Gaelithox, who's eyes opened as he got closer, stuck on Aerion as if he was prey "Stop looking at me like that..I am not your next meal. " he spoke in his ancient tongue, looking at the pile of animal bones scattered across the grass.

The dragon let out a vicious roar suddenly "If you were going to kill me…you would have already." he said, and grabbed the gloves from his belt, pulling them onto his hands, then running them across Gaelithox's chin "See..you enjoy my company."

Gaelithox spread out its wing for Aerion to climb up onto his back, its' head nudging towards the seas "Let us see where you wish to take me then." he rolled his eyes, making his way back up onto the dragons' back "You will be the death of me.."

It felt like climbing a mountain but it was all worth it once you reached the top, and were able to see everything you otherwise would not on the ground.

His hand trailed against the dragon's scales "I am trusting you with my life." he said, smirking "Sōvēs!, Gaelithox, Sōvēs!"

With five massive steps, Gaelithox spread his wings and rose into the skies, until they were above the clouds, the view was something any normal person would view in their dreams, but he was viewing it upon a dragon's back.

The beauty of being above the clouds was second only to Princess Rhaenyra, Aerion's mouth opening in awe of the view.

He did not know where Gaelithox was taking him, but he knew they must have been in the air for a few hours, he had put his complete trust in things he had wanted all his life, never before had he felt like he was whole.

They began to descend below the clouds and he was quick to notice the humongous volcano and the black stoned castle that stood beneath, it was at that point he knew they were at Dragonstone.

The ancient home of his family, the Targaryens; they flew overhead and he could see the dragon architecture that could be found throughout, the main gate was shaped into the mouth of a dragon, and the torches were held by their claws.

The castle was built by the Valyrains long before the doom fell upon them, in which they used their magic for its foundations; it was said that they were capable of liquefying and reshaping stone with dragonflame, making it almost indestructible.

It had originally been a Valyrian outpost on the narrow sea, but it began the home of his family when Daenys the Dreamer told her father, Aenar, of the incoming doom that was to fall on Valyria.

A small fishing village was located south of the castle, where the royal fleet of ten ships that were frequently sent to deal with Pirates had been anchored.

Gaelithox flew past Dragonstone towards the eastern side of the Dragonmont, where all three of the wild dragons had made their home, well two wild dragons now, they had landed near to the dragon's old lair, a massive cave which was much alike to the one in the Vale.

Aerion removed himself from the base of its neck "Of all the places, you have taken me to Dragonstone?" he questioned.

He slid down the wing and looked in the direction of its lair, speaking once more in the common tongue "I do not know why I speak to you, it is not like you will talk back."

The skeleton remains of animals and humans alike were scattered across the lair, many dragon seeds have attempted to claim the wild dragons in the past, though had clearly failed when coming up against the cannibal.

It made him question as to why Gaelithox had accepted him so easily, what made him any more special from the dragon seeds that had tried before him, did something bring them together or was it mere coincidence?

"Why did you bring me here?" he asked, though he did not expect an answer, or even a clue, Gaelithox opened its jaws wide and breathed flames across the ceiling of the cave, directing him where to look, he saw a small lever on the rocky surface of the wall.

Aerion looked back at the dragon, confused, before walking over towards the level and pulling on it, opening a secret passageway in-between two rocks near to him.

Why had there been a passageway in one of the many lairs the beast had made his home? He wanted answers, Gaelithox closed his wings inward and laid down on the bone-filled floor of the wet cave.

He squeezed through the two rocks and followed the finely carved steps down deeper into the Dragonmont.

The architecture had been the same as the castle itself, small wall braziers were lit up in the shape of dragon claws, same as on Dragonstone's outside walls.

A shiver travelled up his spine and his head jolted upwards as he heard the sound of crawling coming from above, his instincts making him grip tightly onto the hilt of his blade.

"Gods be damned, I must be losing it." he muttered to himself as he came to a large circular chamber with a great door in the shape of a dragon's mouth, the actual doors themselves were the teeth, though he did not know how to open them.

His head shot up once more as he heard a quiet screeching sound from above, followed with a crawling along the walls.

Aerion turned around, and was met with a spider as big as the ones he read about as a child north of the wall, though this one was as black as a shadow itself, with beaming red eyes.

Its very presence sent shivers up and down his spine and his instant reaction was unsheath his sword, pointing its tip at the creature "Move away." he demanded, walking back until his back banged against the door.

Aerion had not been this terrified much, but to see a spider as big as this scared him beyond belief, the one true fear he may never overcome, two more spiders crawled down the walls.

He searched his surroundings, attempting to find anything that may send them scurrying away, finding it increasingly harder to breath which each step closer to him.

Aerion took a deep breath, raising his sword above his head and gripping it firmly, as he went to strike at his fear, a loud roar could be heard from Gaelithox, so loud that it had sent the spiders scurrying back up to the ceiling.

The prince fell down to the ground, leaning against the locked door, and holding his hand onto his heart, before rising back onto his feet.

His eyes gazed towards the symbol of a great dragon in the centre of the room and it was there that stood a pillar with a bowl attached, below was a tablet with Valyrian inscribed upon it "Only those will the blood of a dragon may enter."

Aerion took a moment to think to himself before grabbing out his knife from the belt, and holding his hand out above the bowl, it was cupped somewhat as if he was holding a goblet, and the knife slit across it.

There was a twitch in his eye as he did, the blood pouring down into the bowl and flowing down into a small hole located at the bottom.

Shortly after, Aerion could hear mechanisms at play, working beneath him and the noise making its way towards the door, its teeth opening upwards, and granting him access into what lies beyond.

He made his way towards the door, and as soon as he entered, it shuttered behind him, he had entered into another circular chamber filled with bookshelves and cases with scrolls and books.

Aerion glanced at the books more, blowing off the dust that had accumulated over what seemed to be decades, if not centuries, they were all written in the Valyrian tongue and he had understood what he stumbled upon, a lost library of his ancestors, right underneath their noses this entire time.

Aerion placed the book back where he had first picked it up, not wanting to damage its contents, then looking around further in the library, he came across the remains of a person positioned on a chair at the only desk.

There was a piece of parchment in the skeleton's hand, to which he carefully removed it and unfolded it to see what it would contain, it was written in the Valyrian tongue though there were words in which he did not understand, believing them to be words that had been lost to history.

He shoved the skeleton from the chair, letting it fall down onto the ground, and the bones all scattered across the floor.

Aerion then sat down at the desk, and planted his feet up, in which he then took a look at the palm of his hand, running his finger against the bloodied wound, flinching slightly.

Rummaging through the draws of the desk, he found nothing of importance until he looked through the bottom drawer, a single key laid within though no direction to what it opened, from what he could see, there was no other door within the library.

He soon removed himself from the desk, beginning to wander around and touching the walls to see if there may be another hidden passage though it was for naught, that was until he came across a chest with dragon markings and a keyhole.

The key had fit perfectly, and he twisted it, opening up the chest and removing the few blankets that covered the top, and his mouth dropped when he discovered what was lying within.

He held another sword at its hilt as he grabbed it out of the chest, the handle was of pure gold with rubies encrusted into it, three to be exact on either side of the hilt ran up it, the steel was of a special kind.

The sword had been made from magic, and he cut his finger slightly as he ran it across the sharp edge. Valyrian symbols on the steel confirmed that it was Valyrian Steel, though he did not understand why it would be down here locked away, and who its original owner had been.

His only assumption was that both the blade and the contents within the library were gathered by someone who came here long before the Targaryen's made Dragonstone their home. When it was just an outpost, he grabbed a furred blanket and straightened it out on the floor, then covered up the sword.

He still could not fathom as to why such a treasure trove of lost history would be located within the lair of an old dragon, had the cannibal been older than people were led to believe? There were rumours from the locals that he had been around since before the Targaryens.

Aerion grabbed hold of a book he was inspecting earlier on his way out, pulling a lever that was located next to the sealed door and making his way back to Gaelithox.

"When I first said you would be the death of me, I may have been wrong." he smirked at the dragon "Let us head to the castle, it is time I explored the home of my family."

They set off back to the Targaryen fortress of Dragonstone, landing in the outer courtyard, more than large enough to handle the size of Gaelithox.

His arrival did not go without trouble, they were surrounded by a large force of crossbowmen that were up on the battlements, looking at them and prepared to shoot.

At that point, more guards came through to the courtyard with their blades drawn and shields up, to which the dragon took it as a threat, snapping its jaws at the guardsmen.

"Be Calm, Gaelithox." Aerion whispered as the dragon looked as if he was preparing to burn them all to dust with a ball of flame, and he let out a mighty screech.

"Have you all lost your damn minds?" a man shouted "Lay down your arms immediately!" exiting from the main keep, the man had hair that flowed down to his shoulders, with stubble upon his face, looking to be in his thirties "He could have you all executed!"

The guards did as the man commanded, lowering their swords and their crossbows, and kept a distance from the beast, each of them going back to their duties.

Aerion grabbed hold of the sword wrapped in furs, sliding down the wing and walking up to the man "Thank you for your assistance." he nodded.

The man had knelt down and looked to the ground "Forgive me, prince." the man apologised "the men had thought we were under attack by the cannibal."

Aerion gestured with his hand for the man to rise up from the ground, before clasping his arms behind his back "Its name is now Gaelithox, and shall be used from here on out."

"As you wish, my prince."

"What is your name?"

"I am Ser Alfred Broom."

"Well met, ser, Who is the castellen of this fortress?" Aerion had asked.

"That would be Ser Robert Quince." Alfred replied "He is currently taking petitions from the smallfolk, I shall inform him of your arrival."

"Good, and I will be staying for the night, so ensure some chambers are arranged." he nodded "And send for the dragon keepers, I need them urgently."

"At once, my prince."

Aerion made his way back to Gaelithox, trailing his hand along its face before planting his head on its cheek "Believe me, this place is much better than Runestone, just you see."

A column of six dragon keepers made their way into the courtyard, they were each dressed in gleaming black armour, wielding swords with dragon hilts on their hips, and their helmets were crested by a row of scales that continued down the back of their armour, diminishing downwards.

They did not speak the common tongue, and were not at all phased with the magnificent beast that stood before them, the man leading the group walked up to the prince, bowing his head before both him and Gaelithox.

"Well done, my prince, this is a fine dragon to claim, we have been looking as to where he made his home for a few days now."

"I need him outfitted with a saddle, will you be able to do this before I leave?" he asked.

The keeper nodded his head in response, "We will make sure everything is handled, my prince."

"Make sure not to anger him, I doubt any other dragon has his temper, he may just eat a few of you." he chuckled, passing the dragon keepers and making his way towards Sea Dragon Tower, which was shaped like a dragon gazing out towards the sea.