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Chapter 9: Lineage

Loki and Daenerys

"They had a dragon," Daenerys said, aghast, turning the egg over in her hands. "All this time."

Loki lounged against the Victorian style chair where they had just made love, clothed once again and studying his new weapon.

"I wouldn't say that," he mused, still looking at his dagger. "It's a petrified egg, Daenerys. What good would it have done them?"

"Not much."

"So why the sour face?"

"Because I think they may have been trying to hatch it."

"What makes you say that?" he asked, lowering the dagger curiously.

"The markings... on the egg," she said harshly as she traced her fingers down the ridged scales.

"These are destruction marks. I think they tried to force it open. But the eggs are harder than Valyrian steel." They may have even tried to heat the egg as Daenerys had done once but she knew it took a lot more than that.

"Valyrian steel," Loki repeated as he flipped his weapon over. "Is it possible this dagger is made from the same alloy?" Daenerys placed the egg gently in the cushions and held her hand out.

Loki tapped the dagger into her palm, handle first, watching as she studied it. "It is Valyrian steel," she voiced, surprised. "It's extremely rare and highly sought after. The secrets to forging such weapons were lost long ago." She examined the blade at length, admiring its beauty and pausing when she noticed the Valyrian symbols. "I don't understand though. This writing, it means... air."

Loki snapped to attention as she read the symbols on the blade. "You speak Valyrian?" he demanded.

Daenerys froze, looking quickly at Loki as his lips pulled into a thin smile. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be shocked by now."His tone was low and dangerous. "You certainly have a knack for surprising people."

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I couldn't let on to the masters that I understood what they were saying. It would have ruined everything."

"It's fine," he snapped, not really sure why it bothered him. "Well since you're in full disclosure now, why don't you tell me what the rest of those symbols mean." He plopped down onto the couch again still glaring at her but his eyes did not reflect their initial fury.

Daenerys sighed as she squinted her eyes at the weapon before her. "This is the Valyrian translation for air."

"I know. You said that. What else?"

Daenerys narrowed her eyes at him. "That's it."

"That can't be it. Air? What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" He dug his nails into the arm rest in agitation as Daenerys picked up the old coin thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute," she said softly, frowning as she studied the gold. "This is the Valyrian symbol for Earth." She turned, quickly snatching up the pearl necklace. "And this -" she held up the pendant, gesturing to the symbols, "- this means water." She looked to the crown then as her eyes lit up in understanding. "Dracarys," she breathed.

Loki sat forward. "Fire?" he guessed. Daenerys bit her lip in contemplation. He took that to mean yes. "All the elements," he mused. "And at the epicentre... the dragons egg."

"What do you mean?" Daenerys asked as she kneeled, aligning each of the treasures on the floor.

Loki bent down to her level. "I mean that I found these trinkets in a specific order," he admitted. "Just as you are aligning them now."

"North." He pointed to where she had placed the gold coin.

"Earth," she said, making the connection. Her hand hovered over the next piece.

"East," Loki supplied as he stared at the dagger.

"And air," she said softly. Next was the crown. "South. And fire."

"Then to the West," Daenerys finished. "Water." She sat back on her heels staring at the cardinal points. "You said you found them in this arrangement? With the dragon egg in the middle?"

"Yes." Loki stood. "It makes sense actually."

"It does?" Daenerys questioned.

"There are similar compilations back in Asgard. Objects of immense power are positioned between all of the elements, aligned. I should have been able to determine that from the way the objects were arranged. I can't believe that I didn't." He huffed in annoyance. "Clearly, I'm slipping."

"Loki," Daenerys uttered, trying to keep him on track. "The objects?"

He blinked and looked back to her. "Right. Back to the point. These items are usually located at the epicentre of the elements, as a representation of a fifth element. Power."

Daenerys cocked her head in confusion. "I thought the fifth element was spirit."

Loki scoffed, giving her a pained look of exasperation. "Yeah that sounds like a typical mortal summarisation." He sighed, picking up the dragon egg and gently placing it in the centre of the fold. "The fifth element is power, Daenerys. It represents a complete convergence of the other four. But more commanding than any of them combined."

"And a dragon egg represents just that. Or so they think," she surmised. "I read once that: dragons are fire made flesh. And fire is power. Is that not the same thing?"

"Fire is generally the most revered element," Loki conceded. "It can both create and destroy. But fire is restricted. Water for instance can take on different forms. Air is the very essence of the soul and wisdom. And Earth, well, Earth is fertile, solid and yielding. It brings life where there was none. Yes, fire is a powerful element... but a dragon is not fire. It is more than that. A dragon is power. A dragon is all. They dominate the air, they breathe fire. They thrive in the water and they are born of the Earth. They command the elements, Daenerys."

Daenerys was utterly thunderstruck by Loki's explanation that she jumped when he appeared suddenly in front of her. "And you command them." He gave a sort of twisted smile as he reached out a hand to gently stroke the back of his finger down her cheek. "I told you that your name held power. It is little wonder that the usurpers of Westeros are afraid of you taking back the throne. They should be."

"I need to see where you found these treasures, Loki," she insisted, as Loki removed his hand from her face. "It might tell me more about this egg. Perhaps I can hatch it as I did the others."

"I've been thinking about that. You said that you used dark magic and fire to hatch your three dragons, correct?"At Daenerys' nod, he continued "I think that maybe you were wrong."

When he saw her incensed look, his tone turned sharp. "What are the words of your House?" he bit off.

"Fire and blood," she said immediately.

"Exactly. I do not think it was the witch's magic which bore your dragons. I think it was her blood. Her blood, boiled in fire. It's the blood of your enemies slain in flames."

"Intriguing," she voiced as she processed Loki's idea. She looked at him in slight annoyance then. "How is it that you seem to know so much about dragons now?"

He smiled charmingly. "Calm yourself, little Dragon. I have no doubt that it is you alone who is able to do this. No one else carries the power of your bloodline." He leaned closer, flattering her with his close proximity. "No one else has your fire."

She returned his smile, pleased by the compliment. "Will you show me where you found the egg?"

"Of course. I can show you right now if you wish."

"Not yet," she objected, staring out the window to the city walls and beyond. "No, first I need to keep my appointment with Master Kraznys. I am to receive my army."

"Ah, of course." He stepped back, bowing slightly and gesturing for Daenerys to walk ahead of him. "Shall we depart then?"

She took a few steps then stopped, turning to face him. "This is probably a bad idea," she said more to herself than him. "But this might go a whole lot smoother if you know what's about to happen. And since I know you hate surprises."

Loki stared at her with interest. "I'm listening."

...

Daenerys strode through the great gates as they opened before her, walking regally with Missandei and Loki in tow. Following close behind, the unhappy snarls of her dragon, Drogon could be heard as he remained cooped in his leather basket, carried forth by the Dothraki. Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan brought up the rear, eying the basket disapprovingly and cautiously avoiding eye contact with the curious glances of the slaves.

Daenerys said nothing as Master Kraznys began to speak at her approach, his hand held aloft and sporting a golden cat of nine tails. Missandei began to translate as they neared the masters and Daenerys' eyes flew to the golden whip clutched in the Master's chubby fingers.

"The Master says they aren't tested," Missandei informed Daenerys. "He says you would be wise to blood them early. There are many small cities between here and there; cities ripe for sacking."

Loki witnessed the way Ser Jorah's eyes raked over the slaves and the Masters. He did not appear disgusted by the trade as Daenerys did, but rather disinterested, as though he were looking to buy but had found nothing to catch his attention. He wondered what the story was there as Loki listened to Missandei's explanation

"Should you take captives," she continued. "The Masters will buy the healthy ones and for a good price." Their walk had carried them to just outside the city gates now where the Unsullied were gathered in the thousands. It was an impressive sight and Loki yearned to see them perform on the battlefield, impressed by their ability to not move even an inch as they strode past the rows of elite warriors.

"And who knows," Missandei said softly, voice barely above a whisper as they came to stop in front of Master Kraznys. "In ten years, some of the boys you send them may be Unsullied in their term. All shall prosper." Missandei glanced back to the Master's, unimpressed by their speech but unable to say so. Daenerys on the other hand remained impassive, staring straight into Master Kraznys eyes so intently that even the Master blinked and look away.

Ha! Loki thought. Looking away first was a sure sign of weakness and he was beginning to like their chances, especially if this ignorant asshole remained oblivious to their schemes. He checked once again to make sure the soldiers did not seem antsy but they were merely gazing avidly at the box which contained Drogon. Loki would be willing to wager the entire Unsullied army that these men had never before seen an actual dragon.

Daenerys stood calmly before the Masters, glaring at them before she turned toward the casket which held Drogon. She could hear him growling in frustration from within and she did her best to mask the guilt she felt for even having to go introduce her dragons to such brutal men. She unlocked the latches carefully, and reached within the leather box as all of the men around her, in particular the Masters, craned their necks, attempting to glimpse the beast within. Daenerys lowered the lid and the Masters flinched as the creature inside hissed, crawling forward and revealing its dark and scaly form to their hungry eyes at last. There was a decent chain dangling from its neck which Daenerys proceeded to pick up, holding it upright as Drogon snarled and turned his reptilian gaze upon the Masters. He spread his wings and his shadow grew larger and darker as he flapped overhead, the chain still dangling into Daenerys outstretched hand.

The putrid Master looked like a cat that had got the cream now, grinning and rubbing his pudgy fingers together as he stared at the impressive Drogon, still attached to his leash. Ser Jorah, Loki noticed, looked pleadingly at Daenerys one last time, hoping to sway her from her decision but she walked forward with Drogon's chain, stopping just before Master Kraznys. She handed him the chains now, averting her eyes so that Loki would not see her hesitation. He longed to reassure her. This would work. His fingers smoothed up the staff of his sceptre which he had concealed as a walking stick with a rather simple illusion. His worry however was not for the weapon he held but Daenerys other two dragons which he knew were hidden only several feet from where they were standing, obscured by some desert sandstones. He felt for sure that the masters must be able to hear the dragon's impatient snuffling, because Loki could hear it as clear as day. But they must have either been deaf of ear or ignorant of mind because the Masters paid no heed to anything else, having eyes only for Daenerys and more specifically, Drogon.

As Daenerys handed over Drogon, the master stared up at the mythical beast in awe as he quickly thrust the golden whip at Daenerys. She took it from him carefully, looking at the awful object and all the subjugation it represented. Her eyes flashed to the Master. "Is it done then?" she wanted to know. "They belong to me?"

Missandei asked the Master quickly for confirmation and Loki felt his curiously prickle. As Kraznys began speaking, Loki cast his mind into the Master's, seeking interpretation of the foreign language. Although he could also hear Missandei's translation, he knew now that the demure slave was in fact also covering for his deplorable language. "It is done," Missandei told Daenerys. "You hold the whip."

"The bitch has her army," Master Kraznys sneered and Loki's jaw hardened as he contemplated ripping this man limb from limb. He held himself back, knowing he had only minutes, if that. He understood now, the cold calculating eyes that Daenerys cast upon them. If this was how they had been addressing her the whole time, it must have taken Daenerys quite a bit of willpower to wait for the right moment such as now. Loki's fist tightened on his sceptre again as Daenerys turned and approached her new army as Drogon snarled in his chains behind her. Loki also saw Daenerys' resolve break ever so slightly as she heard Drogon's distressed cries behind her but she held her breath and continued walking until she stopped in front of the Unsullied.

She looked at the whip in her hand and then to the slave army. "Unsullied!" she cried in Valyrian. Missandei, Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan all looked to Daenerys in alarm, shocked to hear her utter the Valyrian tongue for the first time. The Unsullied responded immediately, all simultaneously pulling their shields into toward their body and awaiting her command. "Forward march!"

Loki smiled at their whimsical expressions as the Unsullied pushed forward. He had known about this since the night before but it was all the more comical now, especially as Master Kraznys still clutched pathetically at the chains that held Drogon, oblivious to his own demise. "Halt," Daenerys ordered and the Unsullied froze immediately. A smile dawned on her face as she stared at the Unsullied army. Her army. Master Kraznys was struggling now as he hefted Drogon's chains, attempting to wrangle him inside but Drogon was not having a bar of it. As far as he was concerned, this man was trying to pull him away from his mother and Loki looked at the beast with respect. Even now, the creature recognised no master. "Tell the bitch her beast won't come," the Master growled, addressing Missandei as he tugged at Drogon's leash. Loki's Frost Giant simmered beneath the surface as he felt his eyes bleed red.

Daenerys' next words, he could not have said better himself. "A dragon is not a slave," Daenerys said dangerously, turning to the Master at last.

Master Kraznys looked at her in horror. "You speak Valyrian?" he spat.

"I am Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryian, of the blood of Old Valyria. Valyrian is my mother tongue," she said derisively. Ser Jorah looked at her with admiration and Missandei smiled cunningly at Master Kraznys. Daenerys gave the Master one last look of contempt before turning to her new army.

"Unsullied," she commanded loud and clear. "Slay the master, slay the soldiers, slay every man who holds a whip, but harm no woman or child. Strike the chains of every slave you see!"

The nearest Unsullied soldier responded immediately, running his spear straight through the chest of a slave master to his left, the man's cries curdling as his blood spilled onto the sand. Loki dropped his illusion, letting his sceptre glow with ferocity as the Unsullied moved to heed the orders of their Mistress, stabbing the master soldiers as they tried to run away.

Master Kraznys panicked. "I am your Master!" he yelled. "Kill her! Kill her!"

Ser Jorah reacted quickly, reaching for his sword as Loki snarled, surging forward with an eagerness to end the Master's miserable, pathetic life. Daenerys beat them all to it with a single word uttered. "Dracarys."

Drogon roared and blasted the Master with a fiery vengeance. Master Kraznys screamed as he was engulfed in dragon flame, dropping the chains which held the beast as his flesh sizzled and cooked. As the man crumbled, burning, Loki's sceptre flashed, signalling for Rhaegal and Viseryion to take flight. The Unsullied tore through the dozen or so soldiers that patrolled them, moving to the city as the massacre began.

Ser Jorah shielded Missandei from the grim sight as the Masters screamed and bled in agony. Daenerys watched coldly as the slave masters were slaughtered before her, but the Unsullied did not stop there, moving to the gates at her command. No mercy.

Loki kicked the charred corpse of Master Kraznys aside as Drogon came to land at his feet and he raised his spear, slicing clean through the chains which held the dragon. Drogon growled in appreciation, taking to the sky to join his brothers as the Unsullied ransacked Astapor. Loki bared his teeth in a feral grin as the dragons torched the city walls, burning and clearing the path for the Unsullied.

Loki heard a piteous whimper and turned to see Master Graeson cowering behind a tent canvas stained red with blood, obviously having been missed by the Unsullied soldiers. Loki smiled evilly as he approached the man, holding his spear in front of him and letting the man see the death that awaited him. The man mewled weakly, scrambling backwards on all fours like the dog that he was as Loki followed him closely. He held his sooty, blood-smeared hands in front of him, begging. "Please," he uttered. "Please." Loki laughed at his feeble attempt to plead with him as the man shook his head. The Master turned, beady eyes searching for anyone, anything that might save him. His eyes landed on Daenerys as she watched the exchange coolly and he gestured forcefully at her. "Whatever that bitch is paying you, I can double it. Please, I beg you." Loki's smile fell and he rammed his sceptre straight into the man's chest, impaling him so thoroughly that the blade jutted out of the man's back.

The man choked and blood bubbled from his mouth as Loki leaned in close to whisper forcefully in his ear. "I think you'll find," he hissed, "I don't actually speak Valyrian you festering ball of pus!" With that he yanked his spear free, tearing through the man's arteries and bones as he fell into a seeping, bleeding mess. Daenerys came to stand by him as smoke wafted throughout the city, drifting beyond the walls and accompanied by the distant cries of the Masters as the Unsullied murdered them where they stood. She stared at the body before her with a blank expression and Loki watched her with a grim satisfaction. "Do you pity them?" he uttered.

Daenerys looked quickly at him. "Eight thousand dead babies," she reminded him venomously. Loki felt heat pool in his groin at her merciless tone, utterly enthralled by her ability to be both commanding and compassionate at the same time. She began to walk back toward the city gates. "Come," she encouraged Loki. "Show me this wall where you found the dragon's egg. No one will hinder us now."

...

"It's remarkable," Daenerys commented staring at the golden wall. Her delicate fingers traced the Valyrian etchings as Loki stood behind her and watched her curiosity with a fascination of his own. Her fingers found the grooves which concealed the drawers and she tried to pry it open. When she failed to do so, she looked questioningly at Loki who smirked. He gave his sceptre a playful toss, catching it quickly and slowly traced the etchings around the drawer. It popped open and Daenerys eyed it eagerly as she bent to examine the underside of the drawer.

"Daenerys," Loki said patiently, watching as she leant down to touch the underside of each drawer. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to-" a pause as she felt around under the base, smiling as she found the latch. "Trying to read the Valyrian translation. It's not finished." She moved to each drawer, running her fingers under the base until she found what she was looking for. When she reached the fifth, she gave a particularly hard push and the drawers clicked closed as the wall began to move. Loki stepped back in amazement as the wall rotated, moving some of the etchings into place and making it look more like a decipherable language than a bunch of random scribbling.

"Ah," said Loki admirably. "You've solved the puzzle."

"Not exactly," she murmured as she stepped back, squinting at the wall. "You opened the treasures but the translation was incomplete. Back home, in Westeros, my family would conceal our histories in a similar way."

Loki waited, eyes roving the wall before him as Daenerys turned, unused to his silence. When he continued to offer no response, she shrugged. "It's nothing really. My family was just paranoid about others finding out all the secrets of the dragons. Or how my family came to ride them."

Loki's eyes followed hers to the wall. "This writing... it speaks of your family?"

Daenerys shook her head as she studied the markings. "No it's something else. It definitely speaks of dragons but there is no mention of House Targaryen. There were other families, many years ago. Others of the blood of Old Valyria who rode the dragons as my family did. It speaks of the Doom of Valyria."

Loki recalled how she had spoken of this briefly during their sessions as they sailed to Astapor. "The Doom of Valyria," he recounted. "End of the dragons?"

She nodded as she began to translate, reading in the common tongue so Loki could understand.

"They lay entwined at first light, two lovers fair of face.
A maiden young, her handsome spouse, both lost to death's embrace.
The Earth lay cracked, their hearts stood still, ash and smoke fell forth,
And dragonglass fell in shards from West, South, East to North.
They remained close, as they breathed their last, the fire fit to burn.
The mountains burst and oceans boiled, their lives had come their turn.
Some say their tears brought the acid shower, their passion stoked the flames.
The Doom took them, and bore them down to darkness from whence it came."

As she finished the verse, Daenerys felt her eyes pricking faintly with tears as she recalled the vague words of this ballad, sung to her long ago by her brother. "Daenerys," Loki said softly. "What is it?"

"I know this song," she whispered brokenly. "It is about two lovers who died in the Doom. It was sung to me as a child. But there's more. Viserys never sung me the verse that follows." With a deep breath she continued as Loki's heart ached for her:

"Under blood sky, the darkness spread, dragons burned into bones.
The fire made them fall from heaven, their eggs all turned to stone.
For fire, they say, can cleanse the soul and is the purest death.
In death, comes life. Fire returns, in time, on dragon's breath.
When skies bleed red, one shall rise to command and to reign.
It will begin here, through blood and fire, and the dragons shall live again."

Loki could not help but draw comparisons between the sonnet and Daenerys' fast rise to power but he had to admit, the skies had not turned red and Daenerys had had her dragons for some time before coming to Astapor. It was more likely a vague prediction made by a hopeful poet who one day hoped to see the mythical beasts return. And yet...

"Why should it begin here?" Loki couldn't help but question the prophecy. "Because they have a petrified dragon's egg? You already had three dragons before you ever set foot in Astapor."

Daenerys looked at him strangely and he gave a short laugh of disbelief. "Oh, come on. You must know by now that this prophecy is referring to someone like you, someone who commands dragons."

Daenerys did not argue as she traced the drawer that had carried the dragon's egg, again touching the Valaryian etchings. "Mother, Daughter, Dragon," she read aloud. "I guess it could refer to me, or maybe someone from my lineage. It's probably safe to say the sonnet is about my dragons at least. They are the only ones in existence."

Something occurred to Loki as he watched Daenerys come to terms with the prophecy. "Or maybe it's not about your dragons at all," he realised as Daenerys frowned in confusion. "Maybe it's about the lineage to come. Think about it. Drogon, Rhaegal, Viseryion," he listed, counting them off his fingers. "All masculine names."

"With proper reason," Daenerys explained, still not seeing his point.

"Daughter and dragon. The egg, Daenerys," he stated, staring hard as he waited for her to understand. Comprehension dawned on her face.

"It's female," she said in wonder.

"An entire line of dragons. Sired by you." Daenerys could hear the admiration and hunger in Loki's words as he slid his hands around her waist to interlock them at her stomach. He leaned his head on her shoulder and gently kissed the side of her neck. "Mother of Dragons, indeed."