Chapter 5: Evacuating Valyria

Daenys eyes filled with sorrow at the sight before her. It was real, they were really going and the fact it was happening was hardest for her to take. Even though she knew what she saw in the flames, it couldn't be enough to take away her love for her home country and her people. She was leaving everything she loved behind, for her dreams. The Targaryen properties were sold, the vaults emptied of riches and valuable artifacts.

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Seeing her home empty of everything was the most difficult thing for Daenys. She tried to take in every detail about her home that she loved and committed it to her memory. And considering she could dream walk she could come back here anytime she wanted. She found her father in the Dragons Dome.

"Ready to go father?" She said walking towards him

He turned and smiled at her coming towards him.

'She really looks like her mother more every day' he thought

"I don't think I'll ever be ready to leave my home. But I know it's the right thing to do"

She comes and stands next to him letting him drape his arm over her shoulders.

"You can admit to me you're scared we are leaving for no reason" he says to her gently.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Come on do you think I have no gifts of my own?" He sighs, "before your mother left us I was learning many aspects of magic. Remember, I've been in Valyria longer than both of you. I know this is the right thing to do."

"You do?" she asked her voice shaking with emotion.

He spun around to look her directly in the face, and put a long finger under her chin and lifted her so her gaze was directly in his.

"Your mother has visited me and shown me things. I've started reconnecting with learning magic. I've seen things that connect to your prophecy. You are right"

She wiped away the tears and he pulled her into hug and rubbed her back.

"I know it's hard to leave behind something you have only ever known..."

She let go of all her pain in her heart and sobbed in his arms.

Gaemon heard noise and came to see if his family was alright. He entered the room quietly, his father watching him coming and beckoned for him to join the hug. He surprised Daenys by wrapping his arms around her too.

"It's just us now. Just us three"

Aenar pulled away from them to look them in the eyes.

"We may have the support of only a small few but we will be the last of our family when Valyria is no more. We have to stick together"

Gaemon looked up out of the dome at the dragons flying around and hoped to himself that his sister was wrong so he could return home one day.

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The ships left port the following day. In total there was 5 ships, one to carry the Targaryen's, another for their supporters, and the remaining ships were filled with the Targaryen's wealth.

The dragons flew over head and in total they had 5, Balerion led them flying in an arrow formation. His size was so large the remaining dragons looked miniature. Everyone watched their wondrous city disappear as they left the freehold territory.

When the peaks were gone from the horizon all eyes were on Daenys as if to convey the feeling "you better be right about this".

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Valaer came to find Aenar in his cabin, Aenar stood and they linked arms grasping their elbows.

"Ready for an adventure cousin?" smiles Valaer.

"I haven't told the children but I feel alive Valaer. So show me what is this surprise you have for me".

He could tell Valaer was busting to tell him something and he was holding several scrolls in his arms.

He placed them down and looked at Aenar after looking over his shoulders and quietly murmured "I have the perfect island for you"

Aenar raises his eyebrow "I wasn't expecting this..." he reaches for the maps

Valaer holds them, "Not yet, first let me explain. When you described this island you were shown I nearly fell off my chair. So I sent word to my people on Driftmark to find out the details for certain. I didn't want to say anything until I was absolutely sure."

He rolls out one parchment, it's a map of the lands and islands from Valyria to Essos and some unknown lands. He points to a series of islands near a large piece of land he doesn't recognise.

"This is Driftmark. My family settled on it a few years ago and began building a Valyrian outpost of sorts. It was obviously quite hard to get many Valyrians to come settle there so we kept it small and within the family. Then the Celtigar family settled here" he pointed to an outlying Island "and he came to visit telling me about his explorations in the area. His family are also better with water than dragons" he smiled and continued, "once I went with him for a week trip around the closest territories to secure our surroundings and ensure we weren't open to attacks or invasions. We came across this island..." he points to the island closest to the larger piece of land..."we landed and explored what we could. We concluded not many people could inhabit this place so we moved on and counted it as a buffer from the mercy of any raiders coming towards our islands. We left a small community of people there to protect the rest of the islands from invasion. There's only a small portion which needs to be inhabited by people with...gifts"

He looked excitedly at Aenar who returned his look blankly.

"And?" Said Aenar

Valaer points to the island, " it's exactly as you described it! Word for word it's the island you saw in your visit with Maerya. But the best part is with your magic it will be habitable and quite...imposing"

"Hm...imposing you say?"

"Oh yes the island is basically mountains with a stretch of land that has limited farming capability..."

Aenar rises an eyebrow, "You're not really selling this to me Valaer"

Valaer places a finger over his lips and thinks, then he unrolls the second and third pieces of parchment, "Before we left I had a friend in the builders guild who owed me a favour. He was open to designing something other than the restricted specifications of buildings in Valyria city so I commissioned him to design a fortress for a dragon lord. Meant to be placed on the side of a mountain...or a cliff."

Aenar looked down at the design and it was impressive. "How do we build it though? I didn't bring any thing to build something on...this scale"

"When do you see anyone building anything anymore" scoffed Valaer.

Aenar pulled the parchment toward him and examined it closer.

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The journey by sea took three weeks and thank the Gods all the ships made it safely. Almost unheard of in the history of sea travel. The main ship sustained some damage so before heading to the new island Valaer suggested stopping for repairs on Driftmark.

The island of Driftmark had never seen so many visitors and they were stared at everywhere they went even though they too were from Valyria.

Aenar was walking back to his ship on the docks the following morning when he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes couldn't believe it.

He ran to a neighbouring dock and fell to his knees facing an intricately carved dragon figurehead. He walked down the side of the ship and it was as dark as night and exactly what he had seen in his dream walk with Maerya. He was speechless. He looked around to find who's ship this was but no one could tell him. Valaer came to see what he was doing, "Cousin who's ship is this?"

"I had it made for you, I found it in an old ship yard we had been using to store boats. It was half made so I got my builders to finish it for you. Do you like it? "

Aenar hugged him tightly, Valaer chuckled in surprise.

"I didn't know you would be this happy" smiled Valaer.

He pulled himself away, "I want to take this ship to explore the new island"

"We can, I've had the ship tested in calm seas and exposed to high seas as a precaution. She is sturdy and ready to sail"

"Is this why you wanted to come back here?" Grinned Aenar.

Valaer put his hands in the air, "By the gods of the Sea it was unplanned. I was actually going to give it to you after you became lord of whatever mountain it is we are setting you up on"

Aenar laughs and looks up at the ship in wonder and for a moment wishes his wife had been there to see it too.

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When Daenys sees the new ship she is speechless at its beauty and feels this is a sign of good fortune for the new journey.

She still feels apprehensive about starting a new life on a foreign land but her dream walking has confirmed the prophecy has truth as the same visions keep barraging her dreams. Thankfully now she has protective aids to help minimise from the worst of the physical things which wear her body down. She tries to explore the dream state to find survivors that she can warn somehow but she finds no one. It seems they're all happier to be blissfully unaware marching to their deaths. That leaves her feeling exhausted the most now, the thought of so many of her people dying.

'I wish I'd done more before leaving Valyria' she thinks to herself watching as Driftmark becomes distant on the horizon.

Gaemon comes to join her, "You're thinking about home again aren't you?"

She looks down and doesn't answer him.

"I can tell by the look on your face. Don't hide it. It's either you're thinking about that or how much you're going to hate having me as your only friend"

She smirks, "Well now we have left Valyria my marriage prospects basically don't exist so I guess I'm left with you."

He looks horrified, "You can't be serious"

She laughs a bitter laugh, "One of the trade offs of surviving the fall of Valyria I suppose brother. We need to keep the bloodlines pure somehow"

They sail on in silence.

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The next morning the island came into view, Aenar was at the front of the boat watching eagerly. Daenys and Gaemon came onto the deck dressed in black armour and with their hair intricately styled as their father wished. The looked in awe up at the imposing mountains in front of them. They were breathtaking.

"Where are we supposed to live on this mountain?" whispered Gaemon to Daenys.

"No idea, surely father has an idea he's been spending all his spare time in the cabin with Valaer. I found him sleeping on scrolls last night" she whispered back.

Their father joined them with one scroll in hand, his eyes shining bright.

'I have never seen him like this' thought Gaemon. Children today is an exciting day" beams Aenar, "we get to create something that is the Targaryen's and ours alone. It will be the seat of our power for the rest of our lives and hopefully our descendants will remain here and continue on our name".

He turns from them and the ship is heading to a particular spot on the island.

"A little closer please captain"

The boat manoeuvres closer to the shore without risking wrecking.

Aenar opens the scroll, the children glimpse what looks like plans and instructions.

Valaer comes to stand next to Daenys

"What is he doing?" She whispers to Valaer.

He smiles, "You'll know when you see it. If it works it will be a true masterpiece"

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Aenar steadies his breathing, he feels the swaying of the boat, the air on his skin and the smell of the sea. He sends out his energy, and feels the energy of everyone on his ship, their thoughts beat at the edge of his consciousness. He feels the power in the elements around him and smiles at the familiar feeling of the power drawing to him building around him.

He's been through the instructions left to him in the castle plans until he has memorised them. He starts working through the chanting and hand movements.

He opens his eyes and stares into the space where his family home and seat of power will be raised. As he continues to work he hears the crew gasping behind him. The mountain is shaking and changing, stones are coming upwards in the formation of huge walls and towers are forming. The castle begins to take shape and it is as fearsome and forboding as laid out in the plans. To finish he creates stone dragons to sit on the highest points staring down at the sea watching them and others coming towards them. He designs them to appear as life like as possible and allows them to move and have life when he manipulates them into the position he wants them in.

His final act is to silence the dragons movements by closing his fist above his head.

When the castle is completed he is exhausted at the amount of his energy and magic he exerted. He turns around to see everyone in awe and his daughter smiles and claps for him.

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Valyrian's love to drink and be social amongst the high society especially. They dress in extravagant clothes and use magic to style their hair and make up. The women look ethereal and the men look powerful in their suits with stylised braids.

The feasting, drinking and laughing continues all evening into the night. The women are wearing the most amazing jewels and the men have embellishments adorning them also. It really is a truly opulent and indulgent event.

Alaerya is there with her husband Aeyrelis who has just purchased new real estate in Valyria.

"A toast to the expansion of your Valyrian wealth and riches" says one man

"Now now Aeyrelis be careful we might get threatened by your sudden increase in wealth" smirks another of the noble men.

Aeyrelis smirks and sips his wine, "Tellerion you should be worried. I might just take everything you have and your wife too"

Alaerya laughs inside at this comment, she knew this dick waving contest he was playing he needed to stay on top of. As much as these people jest and joke if you show any weakness or kindness to these people they will use and manipulate you. Everything is a game here.

She catches other bits of conversations but nothing meaningful or useful. She internally is thankful she doesn't divulge to many people her training or magic practices

'Gods imagine what these people would do if they knew what I was really capable of' she thinks to herself sipping her wine and overlooking Valyria from one of the largest domes in the city.

She looks around feeling his eyes on her and they lock across the room. He intensely stares at her and she smiles, her eyes are smokey and seductive his are full of desire. He beckons her over to join the conversation.

She slips in alongside him and his arm slides around her waist grabbing her body discreetly as he pulls her closer to him.

"Tellerion, Vaxxas you remember my wife Alaerya."

Both men look at her and try to hide their true thoughts but she hears them all the same.

'Men always have the loudest thoughts' she smiles to herself as she hears their thoughts considering what they would do to her.

"Pleased to meet you gentlemen"

"Oh you are too kind, we are neither gentle or well mannered enough to be called that" laughs Vaxxas raiding his glass.

She smiles and raises her glass, " To my husband on his new real estate purchase."

Tellerion laughs, "Who would've thought Targaryens daughter would have a few nightmares and you would end up with his whole estate?"

Alaerya pauses and quietly guards her thoughts.

Vaxxas turns to him, "You don't seriously believe that Valyria destruction story do you? I heard he got asked to leave by the High Governor for some kind of shady magic he was trying to create"

"Honestly that man never was the same after Maerya" says Tellerion emptying his glass

"Too sad" says Alaerya's husband, keeping it simple and avoiding the gossip.

"Tell you what", says Tellerion "it's time for a toast, a real toast!"

He uses his magic to make his glass sing beautifully so everyone quiets and listens

"Good ladies and men of Valyria, tonight we celebrate our friend here moving up in our grand society. And we celebrate the leaving of another one to live far away on a pile of rocks where we never have to hear about bad dreams again!"

Everyone laughs and toasts, Alaerya smiles but behind her eyes she feels stabs of fear and her smile is false to anyone who truly knows her. In the pit of her stomach she sees nothing but the great volcanoes of Valyria showering death and destruction over them all.