Daeranyx_Drakonar
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9. Out of petrification
🕑 Added 2024-10-24 18:11:41 +0000 UTCLaenor POV
I settled on the seashore, gazing at the setting sun. Honestly, after spending about nine days in this world, I feel that being born into it is the greatest blessing I could have. My past life held little, and I prefer not to dwell on it not that I remember much of it. In this life, however, I find myself in a breathtakingly beautiful world, surrounded by a loving family and endowed with supernatural abilities. I may not know about others, but I am living my dreams. The only thing missing is a dragon, which I would love to soar the skies with and cherish. I adored nature in my previous existence, and this world, untouched by progress, the wild brims with life. There are many aspects of this world that I appreciate, yet as the saying goes, 'not everything can be perfect.' The deceit, wars, and politics are a few elements I dislike. Nevertheless, I'm not complaining, for I understand that if everything were handed to me, life would become dull. The challenges we encounter enrich our lives and help us grow beyond our former selves.
After enjoying some moments of peace and quiet, I picked up the dragon eggs and placed them on the sandy shore. Then, I proceeded to immerse the block of dragon glass into the sea. Have I mentioned that the block is gradually changing color? It's shifting from what seemed almost black to a deep, blood red. I've pondered numerous reasons why this could be happening to the dragon glass, but the only conclusion I've reached is that it's due to the magic of this world. It's not much of a discovery; even a child could infer that. However, I'm at a loss as to why the block is turning deep red. If it were blue or even had a hint of blue, I could attribute it to sea magic, as it's typically found in the ocean and the runes are active, which would explain the blue hue, but not the deep red. The dragon eggs might also be a factor, but I cannot say for certain.
Emerging from the sea, I cradled the dragon eggs in my hands and walked towards the keep. Upon reaching my chambers, I set the eggs in their designated place and began changing my clothes, having already bathed in the seawater. With time to spare before supper, I settled at the desk by the room's edge and opened a book written in the Common Tongue. My reading skills have not improved much; I still struggle with reading properly, but I am not deterred from trying. The maester has either kept my secret from my father, or my father has chosen not to address it with me. I took up the parchment and continued to practice my writing and reading in the Common Tongue.
Engrossed in my studies, I was roused by a knock at the door of my chambers. Glancing towards the balcony and noting the darkness outside, I realized it was time for supper. I permitted the visitor to enter; my servant came in, bowed respectfully, and confirmed what I had anticipated: my family awaited me in the dining hall. Acknowledging him, I rose from my seat, took Laena's Dragon egg into my hands, and proceeded towards our dining chambers.
Upon entering the dining chamber, the first thing I did was hand the dragon egg to Laena. She accepted the egg with a joyous smile, one that had become more frequent of late. She observed that scales were beginning to replace the stone-like parts some days ago, a change that had occurred since I brought the egg to supper to that day. Initially dismissing it as her imagination, but in the end, she sought confirmation from our parents, who affirmed the transformation from petrification to scales. Overjoyed, she leaped into my arms, laughing, a sound that brought smiles to my parents' and my own faces. Suddenly, she burst into tears and amidst her sobs, she asked if the egg would indeed hatch and whether the dragon would choose her as its rider. Witnessing her distress, I consoled her, assuring her that the egg would hatch and that the dragon would undoubtedly choose her, given the care she had provided thus far. From that day forward, she was found tending to the egg, allowing no one but me to touch it.
My parents' reaction was akin to Laena's; they both appeared very proud yet skeptical, pressing me for an explanation of my actions. As usual, I remained silent, but this time I promised to provide a full explanation after the week. I believe a week's focus on transferring life-force should suffice, especially since the dragon eggs have been freed from petrification and could hatch at any moment with sufficient magic or after some time in a volcano's embrace. I am contemplating how to gather enough magic to hasten the hatching of the dragons from their eggs when I would need them to come out of their eggs. Currently, the only method I know involves a sacrifice similar to Daenerys', which I would avoid if possible. However, if no other way exists, there are many prisoners guilty of heinous crimes who could finally contribute something worthwhile with their lives.
After handing the dragon egg to Laena, I made my way to my usual chair. Once comfortably seated, I turned towards my mother and father, who had been watching me since I entered the chamber. The proud expression on my father's face was unmistakable.
"Vaemond has come after your training with him," said Father, smiling at me. My guess was correct; Uncle Vaemond had told them about today's events in the courtyard. "I cannot express how proud I felt when he told me that you bested him in today's spar, even though he did his utmost. I am blessed to have a son as talented as you," Father said, his smile broadening, while Mother looked at me with a gentle smile and joy in her eyes.
"It was only possible because of Uncle Vaemond's teachings. And my victory over him? I'm certain it was a fluke. Even though I've come a long way in my swordsmanship, I am still not equal to Uncle Vaemond," I said to them, a polite smile gracing my face. My parents' smiles broadened upon hearing my words, for they had always instilled in Laena and me the virtue of humility, knowing well that arrogance heralds a man's downfall.
"Good, I hope you remain humble, as arrogance leads only to the downfall of man. I've instructed the cooks to prepare your favorite dishes; I hope you enjoy them," said Father. I nodded, recognizing the food that the previous Laenor favored. Not that his taste was poor, but mine differed slightly from his. However, I would never say no to delicious food, so I began to eat as soon as the meal was served.
Next Day
I anticipated this week would unfold much like the last. As per my routine, I arrived at the seashore, two dragon eggs in hand. Hanging from my hip is the Valyrian steel dagger, ready for today's task of inscribing new runes onto the block. The process of transferring life force to the eggs has grown more time-consuming; as they awaken from petrification, their absorption rate increases. Consequently, my afternoons, stretching from the midday meal to supper, are devoted to this task. However, this marks the final week, as I plan to hatch the eggs when it concludes. Having finished my soliloquy, I plunged into the sea to retrieve the block, both to inscribe additional runes and remove some of the existing ones.
For those awaiting LTROV chapters, I took a short break from it, but I will resume uploading more chapters starting next time.
