12 Chapter 12:"Ancient Dragon"

Even after the fall of Old Valyria, the invaders weren't taking any chances with the remnants of the once-mighty city. They cast curses upon the ruins, shrouding them in eerie fogs and inflicting them with deadly diseases. They even raised the deceased Valyrians as zombie-like creatures, ensuring that none would dare approach the haunted remains. They used the death of Valyrians as a means to seal mana in the world, attempting to contain any lingering threat. All of these actions were driven by one thing: fear. Fear of something hidden within the elder caves, something that could bring great harm to them.

As Vahaemorys stood in front of the many elder dragons, he felt a sense of uncertainty and awe. These dragons were far more powerful and imposing than his father's dragon. Vahaemorys wasn't sure if his current strength was enough to face these elder dragons. He had never encountered opponents of this caliber before. However, the elder dragons showed no aggression towards Vahaemorys, which puzzled him.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, signaling the emergence of something much larger from the depths of the cave. Each heavy step it took reverberated through the cave, and with every passing moment, its presence grew stronger. Then, just as abruptly as it began, the ground fell silent. A massive dragon head emerged into view, so immense that Vahaemorys's lamp couldn't fully illuminate it. All he could see were the razor-sharp, gigantic teeth and hear the ominous, vibrating snarl that filled the air.

As Vahaemorys laid eyes upon the colossal beast, a singular thought echoed through his mind: "Ancient Dragon." It was a creature that was only considered to exist in legends. There was no record in Valyria's history that mentioned the presence of an Ancient Dragon in the Elder Dragon cave. Countless thoughts raced through Vahaemorys's mind. The existence of an Ancient Dragon was akin to the god of the land. Although it was considered a rumor, there was a belief that Valyrians derived their power to tame dragons from these Ancient dragon. This cave, after all, wasn't something created by Valyrians; it had existed long before they discovered dragons. Vahaemorys even contemplated if one of the pits within the cave led to this mysterious realm, perhaps even serving as the location where the first Valyrian children were thrown to tame dragons.

But the mysteries didn't end there. As the present elder dragons retreated, the ground rumbled even more intensely, heralding the appearance of many more colossal dragon heads belonging to Ancient Dragons. Vahaemorys could feel the immense pressure emanating from these ancient beings, a power far greater than his own.

Vahaemorys's mind was overwhelmed, and he felt utterly insignificant in the presence of these Ancient Dragons. He even cursed Mr. Chaos for saying his power was too great for this world, as what he faced now transcended his own abilities. Although he might have stood a chance if he were at his peak, he wasn't.

Then, Vahaemorys heard a voice inside his head. It said, "Human, we have been waiting for you." Vahaemorys was taken aback and pointed at himself, asking, "Me?" The voice confirmed, "Yes, we have been waiting for our Dragon King."

Vahaemorys was amazed that the Ancient Dragons were communicating with him, showing intelligence akin to humans. Then he realized something he had missed and questioned, "Did you say I'm your Dragon King?" The voice in his head replied, "You are a candidate for Dragon King." Another voice chimed in, "At last, we are going to be free from the curse of Luminal Dread." Vahaemorys was intrigued and asked, "Luminal Dread?" The voice explained, "It's a curse we received from our creator due to our kin's karma. It made us fear the light, turning us into creatures that dwell in darkness. To free ourselves from this curse, we need a Dragon King. We are grateful to you, Dragon King. Many of our fallen comrades have waited for this day."

With growing boldness, Vahaemorys inquired further, "So you dragons haven't left this cave for a long time?" Another voice answered, "No." Vahaemorys pressed on, "Then how do you feed?" The voice explained, "We don't need to feed. When we reach a certain threshold of strength, the mana around us is enough to sustain us."

Vahaemorys pondered on this revelation and then asked, "So you mean you dragons were never tamed by humans?" A voice, filled with anger that almost gave Vahaemorys a headache, responded, "We are not beings that humans can tame. We are Ancient Dragons, the true dragons. Those creatures humans managed to tame possessed only traces of dragon blood. We bow only to our creator and the Dragon King."

The notion of "true dragons" intrigued Vahaemorys, but he decided not to push further to avoid angering the dragons. Instead, he inquired, "When does the ritual start?" The response came in a single word before Vahaemorys was engulfed in dragon flames: "Now."