It seemed like a dream... A strange dream brought by milk of the poppy or other substances used by the maesters to induct them in men. But it was real. Tyrion knew it was real. As the ship approached the great city in front of them, his hand started to shake, not because of fear but because of the fact that he remembered a book he read when he was eleven, a book about the dragonlords of the Old Valyria which described the city and its society. Tyrion never would have dreamed at age eleven that only a few years later, he will walk among the ruins of the greatest empire the world has ever known. The problem that arose in his mind now was what he would do once he will reach the city? The only reason this expedition was put together was to recover Brightroar, the ancestral sword of the Lannisters that was lost by King Tommen but with it being in possession of the Targaryen lady who posed as Aerea, why would he risk the life of Ser Emmon and the crew? Tyrion's thoughts were interrupted by Garon Flowers and his remaining eye, which was so wet that seemed to glow in the mist.

"My lord, we approach our destination. What are we going to do now?"

"My uncle Emmon is now the expedition's leader. Ask him."

"He may be, but the sword is of Lannister, not Frey. You, as the only remaining Lannister on the ship, have the right to decide our course of action!"

Again the damned sword. Tyrion wanted so much to tell the captain to turn the ship back to Westeros, as the sword is in their possession already by some magic done by Aerea which wasn't Aerea but a dragon ghost from the past. But something in him wanted to push forward, to go to a place that nobody else visited or even saw in more than four hundred years. And it was so close...

"I'm afraid I can't say for sure... I'm not an experienced sailor. In fact, this is the first time I sail on a ship. So, an advice, please?"

"Well, I suppose we find a safe place to land, but we know nothing of the terrain nor if there are any hostile people squatting in the ruined city. It's a gamble but, by the Red God, this whole fucking journey is a gamble. Ugh, damned city... We'll approach the coast, lower the anchor and then send a scouting party by boat on shore, just as we did on that ashen island. If it's safe, they will signal us with torches. If it's not then... we'll try to turn the ship back."

"I agree."

As the Laughing Lion approached the shore more and more, Aerea joined Tyrion on the upper deck, as did Emmon Frey.

"It is said that any sailor who lays his eyes on the coast of Valyria is swallowed by the Doom. I suppose that is false, as we are all seeing it with our very eyes and we are safe!"

"For now!"

"Always the optimist, aren't you, Emm?"

"I'm here, am I not? Right now it's not a question of pessimism or optimism. Right now, I must find a way not to shit my breeches!"

"Trust in the Lord of Light, Ser Emmon. He protects us, even here in this doomed place!"

Emmon Frey frowned and retorted:

"Oh, yes? Then where was your Lord when that animal killed both my good-brother and Ser Rodrik? Tell me!"

"It doesn't work that way, Ser Emmon. The Lord of Light protects those whom he deems are worthy of his protection!"

"And how your Lord judges those who are worthy of his protection? Measuring their cocks? Because if he measures their cocks, I'm doomed already!"

Tyrion was sad seeing his uncle's outburst. It was more painful knowing that Emmon was right. Aerea wanted to give Emmon a reply but he left the deck, returning to his cabin. Tyrion wanted to go after him, to comfort him, but he knew that nothing he would say to him right now won't matter. Emmon was afraid, so was many of the Lion's crewmen. The dwarf approached Aerea:

"My lady, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course, Lord Tyrion!"

The two excused themselves to the captain and went to the lower deck. Garon Flowers ordered the man in the crow's nest to descend and have another take his place. Below, Aerea and Tyrion talked:

"What happened?"

"Excuse my uncle... He is quite nervous, you know?"

"There is nothing to be excused, Tyrion. I understand him perfectly."

"Also..."

"Yes?"

"I had strange dreams these past few days. In fact, they are becoming stranger and stranger as we approach Valyria."

"Tell me!"

"Well, I dreamed a falcon... A large, proud falcon who was drowned into water by a fish... a trout I think it was... It flew right over the water and that damned fish jumped and with its mouth, took the falcon underwater. How strange is that?"

"Very."

"Also, I dreamed another falcon, smaller... Quite sick, you know? Featherless, just... sitting there in its nest on a high cliff and then another bird came and hurt it. I think it was a mockingbird."

Aerea listened to Tyrion who continued to speak:

"Last night, I dreamed about that little falcon again. This time, a wolf ate it. Can you imagine that? It was on the ground, trembling, shaking and that wolf came and just... ate it. And do you know the strangest part of it? That damned mockingbird was sitting on the back of the wolf."

"Very interesting. I can't really say for sure what this means, Tyrion, but certainly these are no normal dreams. I think they are premonitions. Something that happened or is going to happen."

"Premonitions? With animals?"

"Well, they can take many forms, you know? Some are seeing them in water, others in the stars, others see them like animals. You may be one of the latter."

"But why me? Why not you, Lady Shiera?"

"Eh... That's a gift I can do without. My life is complicated as it is, I don't need another complication. But these dreams of yours... they intrigue me. Come to my cabin. I want to do a ritual in which you must take part. Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit."

"Fine. I suppose we have time until we reach the city."

They reached Shiera's cabin. She sat on a chair while inviting Tyrion on the bed:

"Please, make yourself comfortable!"

Tyrion's mind started to concoct some dirty thoughts after hearing Shiera's invitation. He bedded many women in his still very young life but none of them had the same allure as Shiera Seastar, the she-dragon who was said to once make a lord from the Reach murder his wife and sons in their sleep just to have her for one night. The Lannister knew that the Red Priestesses were highly promiscuous, bedding both men and women with the same passion and aplomb. However, before he could conjure another dirty fantasy, Shiera spoke:

"I know what you're thinking about, Tyrion. You want to fuck me, right?"

The bluntness of the question took the dwarf by surprise. Did she just read his thoughts? Is that a power of the Red Priests? He wasn't confortable having his thoughts invaded by somebody else.

"Ugh... well, no..."

"Please. I would be offended if you wouldn't want to fuck me. You know, long ago, when I was still at King's Landing and my brother was Hand of the King, our master of ships, Lord Hubert Redwyne, brought his daughter to court. She was seventeen and looked like she was the Maid incarnate. She said to us at a banquet that she wanted to be taken by the Faith and become a septa. That night, I waged with Brynden that she'll be in my bed by the end of the month. If I lost, I would have married him. But if I won, he couldn't ask my hand in marriage for a year. So, I invited her in my room one evening, pretending I would show her religious books, written by the greatest septons in the history. By midnight, she was in my bed, legs spread and I... well, I was pleasuring her, giving her something her body craved but her mind refused to acknowledge. Of course, I arranged for both Brynden and Lord Hubert to catch us in the act, just to spite both of them. Lord Hubert was livid and almost died of shock but Brynden was just angry that he lost. Shame Lord Hubert renounced his position as master of ships and returned to the Arbor with his daughter, spewing insults towards me all the way down Aegon's Hill! I would've wanted her to remain longer at court. Of course, it caused a small diplomatic incident but her cunt was so worth it!"

Shiera's unapologetic story made Tyrion uncomfortable and also ignited in him a mad passion. His cock was hard as a rock. He wanted to hear more about Shiera's debauched past but she just ended her story:

"But I've said enough... Right now, you need to focus on those dreams, not your fantasies with me!"

"Pretty hard to do it... you know?"

"Speaking about hard..."

Shiera got up from the chair and, after reverting to her real form, she pulled down Tyrion's breeches, revealing his hardened cock. Tyrion was surprised but happy at the same time. He had the opportunity to bed the most wanted woman in the history, even though she was more than one hundred years old. She looked young, her tits were firm and only that matter for the young lion. Shiera Seastar also removed his shirt, leaving him naked in her bed. She looked in his eyes and that made his cock even harder, if that was anatomically possible. Her eyes, one blue and one green, were something magical, otherworldly. Before he had the chance to touch her, he felt his seed leaving his body, spewing all over his belly. The she-dragon put one of her fingers on it and then licked it.

"Well, I've had dragon, wolf... even merman. But nothing tastes better than lion."

It was incredible, and extremely embarrassing. Tyrion's face was red as fire.

"You know, it was said that Irogenia of Lys could finish a man using only her eyes. Old habits die hard, Tyrion. Now that I solved your... problem, let's get to the task at hand. But first, please, clean yourself."

He took a rag from a drawer and cleaned himself before trying to put his breeches on. He was interrupted by Shiera:

"I said clean yourself, not dress yourself!"

He returned to the bed.

"Now, lie still and close your eyes. And please, no dirty thoughts. Actually, if I see that cock of yours rising only an inch, I swear by the everlasting light of R'hllor that I will enchant it so that it would never rise again!"

Tyrion gulped before closing his eyes.

"Think about what you've dreamed. The falcon, the small falcon. Think about the mockingbird and the wolf."

The images of the animals returned to the Lannister's mind as the priestess put her hand on his forehead. Shiera said:

"Ah... I see it. The small falcon... he trusts the mockingbird. He likes the mockingbird's songs. He believes they confort him, give him peace... but the mockingbird's songs are poison for him. And the wolf... the wolf is telling the little falcon a story... the wolf now bites the falcon... The little falcon cries, but nobody hears his screams, only me! Only I can hear his cries... He says a name... Alayne! Alayne! Alayne! Father! Mother! Alayne! Agh! The pain..."

Shiera took her hand from Tyrion's head. She then went straight for a goblet and drank all the wine in it. Tyrion went to her:

"What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but that little bird's pain... I need to see more! Please, return to the bed, concentrate yourself!"

Tyrion obeyed Shiera, not only because he was afraid for his cock but because he needed to find an answer for those strange dreams. Aegon the Fourth's bastard put again her hand on his forehead.

"I see it again... Little falcon, tell me... Your shriek deafens me... I can't hear your words. Little falcon... Ah! Tell me... Alayne! Who is Alayne? Crow... Crow! Crow! A crow circles you, little falcon? No, no! Wolf, get off him! Agh!"

She fell down, sweating. Tyrion got down from the bed, approaching her again:

"Lady Shiera, are you alright? Let's end this, it takes a great toll on you."

"No... go back to bed! It's just... the ritual requires a great amount of energy from my part. Trust me, Tyrion!"

He returned to bed. Tyrion was worried about Shiera's condition. She was clearily disturbed.

"Tyrion, I will give you a potion. It will put you to sleep for about an hour. It will not have side effects. I need to see more. I think I might have found something!"

Tyrion was unsure if he wanted to take the potion or not, as he remembered how he nearly died from poisoning in Lys, but he trusted Shiera. He nodded.

"Good."

As she was searching for the potion, he dressed himself. It was quite cold in the cabin. She returned quickly:

"Drink it and lay on the bed."

He drank the potion, which tasted like wine, only it was far sourer. He immediately fell asleep, as Shiera put her hand on his forehead again. She closed her eyes.

"Ah... Small falcon, sweet, small falcon! Alayne... Who is Alayne? Wolf, stay away from him! Don't eat him! What are you saying, dearest bird? Crow? Crow? Where is the crow? Is the crow helping you? The crow is helping you! Little falcon... The pain!"

Shiera fell on the ground, covering her head with her hands.

"The pain!"

She then put her hand on her belly, feeling it aflame, an immense pain growing inside it. As she opened her eyes, she saw a large, auburn wolf in the cabin, with a mockingbird on its back.

"Fucking wolf... fucking mockingbird... Leave the falcon alone!"

Suddenly, she felt another presence. A crow, perched on her shoulder, with one eye red and the other black. The wolf and the mockingbird disappeared.

"Ah... it's you! What... what happened? The falcon! Protect the falcon! Ah... little bird..."

The crow then circled Tyrion in its flight. Shiera returned near the bed, touching Tyrion again:

"Agh... Another falcon... the fish drowned you... Such bloodshed... So much blood. Agh!"

She fell down, passing out near Tyrion's bed.

The dwarf woke up later, his head spinning. He saw Shiera unconscious on the floor.

"Shiera! Lady Shiera!"

Her eyes slowly opened, those beautiful blue and green gems that made Tyrion spill his seed earlier.

"I'm fine..."

"What did you see?"

"Pain... and blood. The proud falcon died... Much bloodshed came after. Dead animals... Dead wolves, dead deers, dead fishes... Dead lions!"

The last words sent shivers down Tyrion's spine. Shiera got up from the floor and changed her appearance back into Aerea as a sailor was just about to enter the cabin:

"Milord, milady... We've arrived!"

Tyrion thought:

Valyria... We've reached it!