So Hello everyone, this is going to be my second fanfiction on this site. My first is The Last Dragon's Daughter, which will probably stay as my primary project. This one will be very different as there will be many original characters and families as this story will be about the last true surviving descendants of Valyria. So there will be dragons, magic, fire and all what comes with Valyrians. This chapter will serve as a prologue and if there will be interest in this, I am going to continue.

Main character will be Prince Aerion Varezys, a ruler of the Principality of Step Stones and General of the Dragon Company. He is the last descendant of a dragonlord Aurion, who proclaimed himself the emperor of Valyria after the doom and went there with the host of 30 000 soldiers and with his dragon at the beginning of Century of Blood and never returned. Inspiration for family name Varezys is taken from the Crusader Kings 2 Game of Thrones mod where are Aurion's family and dragon are named. I went with it because Emperor Aurion is named in the official canon, but family name is not stated. In this funfiction lord Aurion didn't change his fate and went to Valyria and disappeared but he left behind his last son Haerys and daughter Alyria, (who survived because they were with him in Qohor and stayed behind) who preserved his bloodline and family. Later they gathered as many Valyrian survivors as possible and went to conquer Step Stones and founded the mercenary company, the Dragon Company. Thanks to this decision house Varezys survived and preserved traditions, knowledge and the people of Valyria, who were not present in the peninsula during the doom.

My story will be taking place during the rule of Jaehaerys I. Targaryen roughly 83 AC with all the events that happened before this story stay just like in canon or little bit changed but not too much as the outcome is the more or less the same. For example the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye is changed by the Dragon's Company involvement but it doesn't make the outcome of that battle any different just as the fate of Maegor the Cruel, which is also the same. In short, if I do change something it will be mentioned. Naturally some adjustments of the events had to be made, to fit into this story and of course the events which are about to happen in the canon might be changed depending on Aerion's interventions and actions. I will take some liberties when adding things which aren't explained within the lore like family names of other powerful Valyrian families, Valyrian religion customs, names of gods and magic rituals. In this story will also be Valyrian steel and dragonstone (fuzed black stone used by Valyrians). Without further establishing composition, let's get to it.

Disclaimer: This is a funfiction using characters from George R. R. Martin's Fire and Blood and the World of Ice and Fire books. I do not claim any ownership over any characters belonging to George R. R. Martin. This fanfiction story is for entertainment only, I will make no money from it. It is not a part of the official story line.

Chapter One: The Heir of the Valyria

It was a bloody battle, though not so bloody for the Dragon Company. Vaenys Nesterion, a forty five years old Captain of the Dragon Company and lord of Sunstone was walking from inspection after battle to the command tent. In his hand was a certain letter which was delivered to Blood Keep ten days ago. It was meant for his Prince but as they were in Pentos it took some time to get here.

As he approached the tent he could already hear a sly voice of Izembaro Estatis, Magister of Pentos and his bastard Valyrian. "I truly regret you do not want to stay here and prolong your contract just a while longer Prince Aerion, I would pay you triple, just consider it please."

"I don't care how much you pay me, Magister. We signed a contract to guard you for one month and destroy any enemy army entering your territories. Month is over and I just destroyed the army of Braavos. They are no longer in position to wage war with you. If you ask me, offer you terms and be done with it." Vaenys entered the tent and bowed to his General and Prince.

Aerion smiled and nodded to Vaenys and then turned his attention back to Magister who was sitting opposite him at the table and continued talking. "That's not enough, not until Braavos is burning and Pentos reigns supreme."

Aerion began to have enough of this arrogant fool. He stood up abruptly and clenched his finger on the handle of one of his swords. "Then do it yourself, Magister, I am not going to do it for you, I saved your city and people and our contract is done! So just give me my payment if you know what's good for you or you may ask those fools of Norvos what Dragon Company does to those who break contracts with us!" Aerion's voice was full of menace and even though Aerion was just nineteen years old, he had an aura of authority and fear about him.

Magister gulped, he knew the reputation of the Dragon Company and what they did to the free city of Norvos when its Magister refused to pay the company for its services. Izembaro then put on a fake smile. "No worries, here is your gold, to the last golden volantine honor." He motioned to his slaves who brough three large chests and opened them. They were full of gold coins used primarily in the Free City of Volantis as the name suggested.

Aerion smiled and it was indeed an unpleasant smile, at least Izembaro thought so. "Good, our business is concluded, it was my pleasure, thank you for hiring our company services, farewell Magister."

Magister quickly rose up, bowed and left the tent with his entourage as fast as possible. Vaenys smirked while Aerion motioned to several soldiers who bore colors of House Varezys in his tent. "Take those chests on the ships, we are coming back to Blood Keep tonight." They all bowed, took the chests and left.

Vaenys sat down. "You did it again, my Prince."

Aerion raised his eyebrow. "You will have to be more specific, Lord Nesterion."

"You again made some leader of the free city to piss himself." Told smiling Vaenys.

Aerion chuckled. "Well, I suppose nobody wants to follow the Norvosi example, whose leader was fool enough to try to cheat someone with a dragon and elite Valyrian legions behind his back. Anyway, did we suffer any losses in this fight?"

"No, a few light wounds but that's all, nothing that Blood Mages can't handle" Aerion noded visibly relaxed, unbuckled his sword belt and placed both of his swords on the right side of the table and slowly sat down.

One of them was House Varezys ancestral Valyrian steel sword Dragon's Fury, a beautiful long sword with guard made in the shape of dragon wings with a big yellow sapphire placed in the center of the guard visibly from both sides and with the pommel made in the shape of dragon head, both the guard and the pommel were made out of gold fused with Valyrian steel giving it both golden color and durability, handle was made out of a dragonbone. This sword was once lost during the Doom and recovered by Valarr Varezys who was bold enough or stupid enough to travel to Old Valyria and to the old residence of House Varezys after the doom and returned with this blade and other artifacts. The blade itself was from the ore that fell from the sky and was fuzed with Valyrian steel and legend said this blade was tempered in the fire of fourteen flames.

The other sword was Foebane. A Valyrian steel blade long sword that once belonged to Aerion's mother, Princess Daena Varezys also better known as Fierce Dragoness. She commissioned this sword. It was beautiful craftsmanship. Sword had an amethyst in the pommel, a dragonbone handle and a guard in the shape of the dragon wings. From its center came a dragon head biting the base of the blade, all this decoration was made from Valyrian steel fuzed with silver.

Aerion took a flagon of Volantis red and poured himself a glass then he looked at Vaenys who was still sitting opposite him. Aerion gave him a curious look. "Is there something else or are you waiting for me to pour you a glass too?"

Vaenys smirked. "Why not both?"

Aerin smirked back and poured a second glass and handed it to him. "So what is it?"

"A letter just arrived by the ship, the captain said it came a few days ago to Blood Keep and Lady Rahareon told him to deliver it to you." Vaenys offered the letter to his liege.

Aerion frowned and took the letter. He noticed the sun pierced by the spear immediately. "That is the seal of house Martell, what those sand fuckers want from me?"

Vaenys shrugged. "Who knows, maybe they want to hire us, what else they would want, declare war on us?"

Aerion broke the seal and started to read:

To the great dragon rider Aerion of House Varezys, Heir of Valyria, Prince of Step Stones, Lord of Bloodstone and Lord General of the Dragon Company.

I would like to hire you and your mercenary company to help me in the war I am about to start and with your help I am certain that I can win. Of course I know your reputation and the reputation of your company for being one of the best in the east and also in the west. I know that your mother and grandfather and even your forefathers fought in Westeros a few times in the past and always with great results. I want to wage war on the so-called Seven Kingdoms. My goal is to secure Dornish Marches and as much land in the Stormlands as possible. It is known to me that your house and all Valyrian houses under your rule accepted Westerosi customs of sigils and house words but never actually held any land in Westeros which gets me to hiring your company. If you join me I will pay you 100 000 golden dragons, half of all post-battle loot of all fighting and most importantly all the lands in the Stormlands we will manage to take, except Dornish Marches of course. I am aware that our people had disagreements in the long past which led to bloodshed but I am willing to leave it in the past. I would rather have you for a neighbor than damned Targaryens and you would be finally able to count yourself among Westeros nobility. If you accept my offer, come to Sun Spear and make the contract with me, if you don't, well, I understand so then at least let my fleet safely pass through Stepstones Waters.

Morion Nymeros Martell, Lord of Sunspear and Prince of Dorne.

Aerion finished reading and he almost laughed at the stupidity of this so-called Prince of Dorne. Vaenys noticed his amusement and therefore asked. "What is it? The war?"

"Well yes, but not against us my friend. Here, see for yourself." He gave the letter back to Vaenys who read it and was equally amused.

"By Vassarion, that's something else. Disagreements? He calls over two centuries of war a disagreement. I heard the Prince of Dorne is a little weaker in the head if you get my meaning. Asking you to go and join him in this doomed endeavor. How can such an idiot be a ruler of Dorne?"

"I don't know. The fact is that you could call The Rhoynish Wars a disagreement. In books it's written, it started when Valyrian colonists of Volon Therys killed and ate a giant turtle."

Vaenys gave Aerion a disbelieving look. "Rhoynar started a war because someone made dinner from a turtle?"

Aerion shrugged. "I admit it sounds silly, yet their turtles were sacred animals in Rhoynar Religion. In any event I am not going to fight for Martell even if his cause was actually winnable." Though it was thousand years since the end of the Rhoynish Wars, neither Valyrians of Stepstones, nor Rhoynish of Dorne forgot that conflict. And ever since the founding of Principality of Stepstones by Valyrian remnants, there were strong tensions between the Valyrian principality and Dorne.

"I agree, It would be foolish to take part in such a war. Targaryens have how many dragons, ten? We have only one now. Rovaxes and Morgull, largest and oldest dragons of House Varezys, died fifteen years ago of natural causes. All you have, Aerion, are a lot of dragon eggs in stases waiting for the time when you sire a child. Duty that you still avoiding, might I add"

"Don't remind me…." Aerion's face darkened.

Vaenys let out a heavy breath. "It's your responsibility to have an heir. You are the last of House Varezys, if you should continue that stupid trend of marrying only for love as your mother and grandfather and all of your ancestors before you, house Varezys will die out." There was a certain urgency in Vaenys voice.

Aerion just waved with his hand. "Don't dramatize too much. Besides, I am not the last Varezys."

Vaenys leaned forward. "Alyrya is married and no longer bears the name Varezys and it has been over two years since your other sister went missing in Sothoryos, Prince Aerion. I know it can be hard to accept her loss but…"

"Enough!" Aerion interrupted and stood up. "Until I have solid proof that my little sister is dead I am not going to proclaim her as such. Larissa had her she-dragon with her. Yes, Kastaraxes wasn't exactly a big dragon, only sixteen years old, born from the egg placed in my sister's cradle, yet she was big enough to protect her from anything Sothoryos could throw at her."

Vaenys recognise when is wise to stand down though he didn't forgive himself to make one more statement. "If she was still alive, she would probably come into contact with our expeditions who venture there quite regularly. I know you hope she is still there somewhere but I can't see it your way."

"Fortunately, you don't need to Lord Nesterion. I have lost my mother and father. I can't lose my sister too…. We have done speaking about this." Aerion sat down and in his voice there was no room for argument.

Vaenys understood Aerion's pain so he let the matter of his missing sister go. "As you say, forgive me for my intrusiveness, my Prince."

Aerion shook his head. "Nevermind that. I just believe that hope dies last."

Vaenys nodded. "So what are we going to do with this Martell business?"

"Probably nothing, I can let their fleet pass through our waters and they can die by Targaryen's hands, I don't really care."

"I see, well the offer of the land was interesting. The islands are getting too small for our population, you know." Vaenys stated, with the hint of persuasion, which didn't escape Aerion.

"I am aware of that fact, thank you. And I think you know this fight which this so-called prince Morion Martell is a lost cause."

"I know I am just saying it would be nice to conquer some lands for our people, that's all."

Aerion folded his arms and studied Vaenys who just waited for his Prince to answer. "Conquering anything from our position is not that simple. Besides, if I am going to conquer anything it will be in Essos, not Westeros. Speaking of Westeros, there is the matter of Targaryen king, I am not sure what his reaction will be when I begin to conquer lands in Essos. From what I heard of King Jaehaerys Targaryen, he is not too fond of our realm and our control of the trade roads coming through the narrow sea. As a matter of fact, ever since Aegon conquered Seven Kingdoms, Targaryen threat is constantly looming over the Step Stones. The only thing that was standing between us and war with Targaryens were a similar number of dragons on both sides."

"And if the war started, the mutual destruction would be guaranteed." Told Vaenys with a quiet voice.

"Indeed but now, the only dragon we have is mine since my sisters took theirs with them, which gives Targaryens even bigger superiority in numbers than they already had. Even though I am sure Alyrya would come to my aid with Elenixes, it wouldn't be enough. "Aerion paused as he drank from his glass then he continued. "I suspect the only reason why Jaehaerys Targaryen didn't declare war on the Step Stones is that he actually is too busy with building and improving his own realm."

Vaenys was silent, he knew what Aerion fears, though he also knew they weren't totally defenseless against Targaryen dragons. "You have a dragon horn, if they attack the Step Stones we can defend ourselves."

"True, but Targaryens do not know that, hence they do not fear it." Aerion leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again. "You know it was my grandfather's and mother's dream to conquer what's left of Valyria and create the New Valyrian Empire. My grandfather even made an effort to actually realize that dream, you know by joining Maegor. He actually made a contract with him. One part of this contract was a non-intervention pact between house Targaryen and Varezys. And after Dragon Company left King's Landing, my grandfather was already preparing the plans to invade Essos but then Maegor died, Jaehaerys ascended the Iron Throne and these plans were foiled."

Vaenys knew there were indeed the plans to invade free cities, what he didn't know about, was a treaty between Maegor Targaryen and Daemon Varezys, Aerion's grandfather. "And I suspect King Jaeherys wasn't too keen on preserving that treaty, right?"

Aerion chuckled. "That would be the understatement, My mother told me that Jaehaerys almost drew the sword on the messenger that was sent to him to offer negotiations. As I said he is not fond of us. There is no way I would be able to even secure some sort of negotiation with him….." Aerion suddenly stopped and looked at the letter from Prince of Dorne.

Vaenys noticed it in Aerion's eyes. An idea. "My Prince, may I ask what you are thinking about?"

"Well my friend, maybe there is a way to open negotiations with Jaehaerys Targaryen afterall. Prince of Dorne just provided me with that opportunity."

"You are going to warn him about the Dornish attack and their invasion goals. But I am sure he already has some idea about this attack. I mean Prince of Dorne isn't exactly secretive about it."

"That may be so, but the purpose of my warning to him is not for the sake of informing about the attack alone, I am going to warn him about it as a gesture of good will. To show I am not his enemy and ask him for negotiation. It might work or not, nevertheless I am willing to try."

Vaenys was skeptical about this, though he had to admit it had some logic and there was indeed a need to conquer new lands. "I think it is worth a try, even so I think that simple warning will not sway king Jaehaerys."

Aerion shrugged. "I will not know until I try."

"And what will you offer him for not interfering in your future conquest if your efforts will be successful?"

Aerion grinned. "As you know, there are things, knowledge and arts which Targaryens do not have and our people do. I will offer a few things which they do not possess, and well, let's just say that if I gain new lands in Essos there will be no longer need for Step Stones."

Vaenys smiled and nodded with understanding. "So what will you do now?"

A dragon roar resonated through the Camp as Aerion's dragon flew towards the command tent. "I am going to fly back to Blood Keep, ahead of you to make my plans, you assemble our army, break the camp and embark on the ships and also get back to Step Stones."

"It will be done, my Prince." Vaenys stood up, bowed and left the tent.

Aerion smiled to himself and looked at Foebane. "Mother I don't know if you are looking but I am going to try to fulfill your and grandfather's dream, for our family and especially for you." He heard and felt his Dragon landing before his tent. He got up, took the swords and whispered to himself. "Maybe, time has come for the Valyrians to be great again, to bring order to where there is chaos. "From the Flames we Rise."

So there we have it, the prologue of my new story Legacy of the Valyria. I am going to continue this, if the reactions and interest will be positive.