(This chapter contains chapters 6 and 7! Enjoy!)
Chapter 6; The wild dragon chase.
"I'LL START SWEEPING THE WATERS BETWEEN HERE AND DRAGONSTONE! YOU GO FURTHER EAST, THEN FLY TOWARDS DRAGONSTONE! SWEEP THE OTHER WAY!" Aegon yelled after they had been flying for about half an hour. They had left Blackwater Bay and were a little over halfway to Dragonstone.
"WE SHOULD STAY TOGETHER… BOTH OF US GO EAST." Aemond yelled back.
Aegon was flying Sunfyre just above and behind him. A smart move as Vhagar was larger and meaner. Aemond made sure to keep looking behind his shoulder so he could keep an eye on his brother the entire flight.
"WE NEED TO FIND IT QUICK. IT WILL BE QUICKER IF WE SPLIT! UP! THE DRAGON CAN'T BE THAT FAR FROM DRAGONSTONE!"
Aemond couldn't argue that fact… Still. A wild or unfriendly dragon was no joke… Why in the hell would Aegon WANT to go alone? That was not the smartest move to make right now.
"...AND WHAT IF IT DESIDES TO GO AFTER ONE OF US?! YOU ARSE!"
"QUIT ARGUING, YOU TWAT! I'M THE OLDER BROTHER! DO AS YOU'RE TOLD AND LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH! I WANT TO GET HOME PROTO!" Aegon yelled, then snapped his reins and swooped left, starting his search pattern. Aemond just cursed under his breath.
Aemond knew he would be fine, He had Vhagar. Sunfyre was another matter, he was barely full-grown and had never fought another dragon... This may be one of the stupidest choices Aegon had ever made, and that was saying something…
Aemond just sighed and turned his head forward. "Sōvegon naejot! Urnē bagon!" (Fly straight! WATCH CAREFULLY!) He commanded. An affirmative rumble came from Vhagar. His Dragon set her attention Infront of her and looked more alert.
If Aegon wanted to be an idiot, Aemond couldn't stop him. He'd be damned before he got caught unaware and at a disadvantage because his brother wanted to fly off by himself.
"STAY RIGHT AROUND THIS AREA! CIRCLE AND KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!" Deamon yelled to Jace. Jace nodded and turned his face to the wind and started yelling commands to Vermax. The pair went into a holding pattern as Daemon and Caraxes continued flying forward.
Jace and Vermax had officially started their patrol. While Daemon would never admit it just knowing he had backup nearby made him feel a bit better. Much like when Seasmoke and Leanor were nearby during the battles in the stepstones. At least he knew he wasn't on his own. No one could know what would happen while hunting down an unknown Dragon. Having another rider nearby could be the difference between life and death.
"Let's start looking, Caraxes! Jurnegon!" (Search!)
A loud, high-pitched whistle was the response.
Haelemys was unbelievably tired. So, after stirring when she heard a loud whistling that sounded far away, she ignored it. Rolled herself to her other side and closed her eyes again. Trying to fall back asleep. When she heard it a second time, this time a bit closer, she sat up and looked around lazily.
Lumi woke as well but seemed far more unhappy at hearing the noise. She started shuffling her wings and feet nervously, keeping her head and neck turned up towards the sky. Seeming far more alert and her horned ears turned up.
"Go back to sleep..." She mumbled to her sweet girl as she shuffled to fall asleep again. That was not to be, because right after Lumi sent a thought was pushed into their shared brain space by Lumi. A thought that caused her to become FULLY awake VERY quick.
'Unfriendly! Unsafe! Getting near!' Haelemys moved and started to stand up as quick as she could given her new condition. Lumi started to move as soon as Healemys was freed from her side. The dragons walked a small distance down the sands. She turned her head up and stared curiously up and around. The thin pointed spikes on her back looked sharper as she raised her hunches.
She seemed to be looking for or scenting something. Haelemys quickly waved her hand and used her magic to blast air at the small fire pit. The flame quickly went out, and even though the sun was up she hoped that would stop any smoke from giving them away. Even if it might be a little late for that now.
Lumi kept looking up to the sky, scanning the area, looking and looking...
Suddenly, her head snapped to the left, and her tail started lashing around.
'Bad! Angry! COMING NOW! HIDE!' Lumi sent as she sent a picture of a crevasse in the rockface wall. It definitely wasn't big enough for Lumi to fit into... But if Haelemys stood sideways, she could fit...
Haelemys sent a quick 'Okay, I'm hiding!' as she turned and ran for the only bit of cover, they had. As soon as she got there, she squeezed herself and her belly in. She was shocked to see Lumi following. Lumi rushed over to the crevasse as fast as a sick, injured, grounded Dragon could and blocked the opening with her own body. Covering Haelemys, babe, and the gap completely.
'STAY. PROTECT. NO MOVE.' was the next thing Haelemys got as Lumi started growling.
'What's going on? What's coming?' She asked Lumi through their bond.
What Lumi sent back made her blood freeze...
Images of an Angry, red, whistling dragon... With a blonde-haired rider...
Heading right to them...
A Dragon bigger, stronger, and healthier than Lumi... Haelemys was now terrified. Not just for her, but for her sweet girl... Because even though Lumi took out giants, Spiders, and Dark wizards at Hogwarts, this was ANOTHER DRAGON.
A Dragon against another Dragon is always a dangerous, Bloody ordeal... She didn't want that for her Lumi. She didn't see a way she could win a fight against THAT vicious thing...
It had been hours now… At least two, but likely more. He and Vhagar had been sweeping the waters for a while. So far, nothing. They had covered a lot of area, but to no avail.
Aemond took a deep breath and adjusted the collar of his slicker. He was starting to get worried. If he wasn't seeing the Dragon here, it may have already passed Dragonstone... If it passed Dragonstone, that means it was closer to Aegon. If it was closer to Aegon, and he got hurt, his mother and Grandfather were going to kill him...
He was debating if he should halt his search entirely and head over to where Aegon would most likely be. He was, after all, his brother's keeper. Even if he hated it. Before he could make up his mind, something grabbed Vhagar's attention. He saw it in her body language, and in the way she went from flying to coasting in the air, then sniffing more.
'Scent. Dragon. New. Follow!' Vhagar communicated through their bond. She turned her body and started following a path that Aemond couldn't see but knew was there.
"Good girl. perfect. Good. Track!" He called out to Vhagar. She just sent back smug feelings. The happiness from being on a hunt beaming from inside her. Her pride heavily appeased by her rider's praise. She followed the scent forward until they came upon a stand-alone island dotting the water line.
'New dragon. Old dragon. Two scents. Both there.' Aemond blinked as he wondered who in the world the second dragon be. He didn't have to wait long to find out. As soon as they got close enough to the island to see a rock formation clearly Aemond heard and saw who it was. The high-pitched whistle and the worm-like wiggling red form in the distance gave it away...
Daemon had found the island as well... Which means he had tracked the Dragon here, too.
"Shit." He cursed.
But the Red, wiggling blur was faster than his powerful girl... He saw Daemon and his dragon swiftly dive behind the island's rockface. A moment later, he heard the angry roar of a third dragon, a roar he knew that clearly meant 'Back off!'.
"SEVEN CURSE IT! FOLLOW! LAND!" Aemond yelled, as he urged Vhagar to join the other dragons. She gladly sped up.
His orders were to find out if the Dragon had a rider, and if it did, bring them back with him. If Daemon and Carazes killed the dragon or the rider...
No, No, No. That was not going to happen.
Aemond was NOT going to fail...
"What the fucking hell..." was all that Daemon could breathe out after he landed Carazes on the sands. The first thing he had seen before he even dismounted was the dragon... and the horrifying shape it was in...
It was a few steps above a fucking skeleton. Panic and fear in its foggy blue eyes as it cowered against the wall of rock behind it. It was giving out warning roars, but the thing barely looked able to hold its head up.
Its scales had no shine, and its spikes and horns looked like dried up tree branches. Ready to snap and break with the smallest amount of pressure.
But the worse part? The fucking clamps and chains...
Clamps and chains on its legs. On its wings. Wrapped around its fucking neck so many times and so tight it was FUCKING BLEEDING... It was then that his eyes turned to the other open wounds and healed scars that the dragon had.
He had been wrong... Dead fucking wrong... It didn't come from Braavos, it came from Slaver's bay. This Dragon had been starved, tortured and tormented. The Slavers had been raising it to break it...
Daemon wanted to fucking kill every fucking one of them.
'Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor...' A Dragon is not a Slave...
It seems those fuckers over east had forgotten that. He'd happily remind them...
Starting with who ever had dared to try and ride it. Caraxes gave a loud, piercing whistle as Daemon started to dismount. Letting the other dragon know he was NOT to hurt his rider; it was he dismounted without issue and set feet on the sands.
He drew his sword, just in case the false rider was nearby. He started to slowly side-step his way forward. Carefully making his way towards the spooked and anxious dragon.
"Calm... OBEY, DRAGON..." Daemon called out, as he put his hand out. The same way he would approach Vermythor in the caves. The dragon's head was alternating between looking at him and Caraxes. When it started snapping its head quicker from side to side and its eyes got wider Daemon knew to stop approaching. The quickening of its breath was also a clue.
If it panicked and tried to attack him or Caraxes, it would be dead in moments... Caraxes was already on his legs and hunched. He was ready to pounce. Daemon didn't want this dragon dead... He wanted to get it back to Dragonstone and get it the help it needed. The Dragon keepers needed to tend to it, urgently...
"CALM, DRAGON! OBEY!" Daemon yelled again. Only this time he yelled to both Caraxes and the white dragon. Looking back and forth from them both.
Caraxes lowered his neck and settled a bit into the sand. His angry, vicious eyes still locked on the unfamiliar dragon. Ready to attack it at a moment's notice.
The white Dragon on the other hand, wasn't listening at all. It wasn't calming, relaxing, or settling in any way... There was only two reasons Daemon could think of for this.
One. The Dragon was deaf... Or two, it was already bonded. A real bond.
Bonded Dragons only obeyed their riders. No one else...
Just as Daemon was about to let out another command, a large shadow followed quickly by a loud resounding BOOM was heard.
Just a bit further down the beach, from out of nowhere (Well, from the other side of the rock face...) landed Vhagar...
Daemon's eyes widened as his dragon turned his head and hissed unhappily. Vhagar quickly silenced him with a deep, resounding roar of her own.
The pale white dragon curled into itself more but stayed in its spot against the rock.
"Well, Fuck..." were the only words that came out of Daemon's mouth as he watched his 'Nephew' dismount.
A/N:
Lumi, standing her ground: Stay aways from my Humon!
Caraxes; Weak-ass winged bit-...
Granny Vhagar: ... BOI IF YOU DON'T WATCH YOURSELF...
Chapter 7; The Rogue and The One-eye.
Apart of Daemon was expecting the same snot-nosed kid he had seen during the funeral on Driftmark…
Unkept semi-wavy hair. Lanky legs. Constant sour expression on his face…
But the person that dis-mounted Vhagar and started storming over wasn't that boy. Daemon didn't see any of that boy anymore, actually. It seems in the near 6-year stint he had hit puberty, and that growth spurt had more then changed him. He was much taller; taller than Jace and maybe even taller than himself. His water-proof slicker making him look even more so. His hair was now healthy and straight, in the half-up style that both he and Viserys also wore…
And the way he walked… Daemon knew Swordsman's' gaunt. He seen it many times in his life, had a walk much like it himself.
Even with the eye-patch aside, the boy looked dangerous…
Things were tense enough before he showed up with Vhagar. Daemon already had his hands full trying to control this situation with the two dragons. One possibly wild and the other definity agitated. Now there were three dragons in total, with two heavily armed dragon riders... With a possible 3rd dragon rider lurking nearby.
The older teen walked toward them at a steady pace. But he quickly and smartly slowed and stopped as he assessed the scene around him. When his eye looked over the white dragon the teen's face twisted to mirror Daemon's own feelings.
"To the seven hells with them…" Aemond declared lowly, a curse to the people that had harmed it.
The boy locked eyes with Daemond for a moment. Daemon didn't move or speak to him, just kept one hand toward Carazes and the other toward the white dragon. Aemond read the room very quickly, and swiftly moved into action. He turned to Vhagar, and raised his hand as well.
"Calm, Vhagar! Rest!" Aemond shouted to the Queen of Dragons. She heard him clearly and settled herself down with a rumbling from her lungs and from the sand. Resting with her lower half in the water, upper half out of it due to her size.
Carazes visibly relaxed more right after Vhagar did. He laid his legs under him and furled his wings to his sides. However, the white dragon (as panicked as she was) didn't calm down one bit. The pale tail was still thrashing, and its neck still snapping back and forth from human to Dragon in turn. It stood still with its side flank firmly against the wall. Looking ether to scared or just unwilling to move from its spot.
'Well,' Daemon chimed in his own head. 'At least the boy isn't an idiot and knows how to keep his dragon calm… That could have made the situation much worse.'
"What are you doing here, Taoba?" Daemen asked with more than a little bite to his voice. He nearly missed the lone eye twitching at the title.
"I have orders from the crown to come and check the report of a Dragon sighting. As well as orders to bring the rider back to King's landing… Alive… If there is one, of course." The Boy answered.
"When you say 'from the crown'; do you mean my brother… Or do you mean your grandsire and mother?" Daemon asked waspishly. He imagined he could see Aemond's teeth grinding.
"Does it really matter?" Was the snapped reply.
It does to me… Fuck your mother and grandsire. Daemon thought but didn't say it outload. While he would have preferred it coming from his brother, Aemond did have a SMALL point. A VERY small point, in Daemon's option. Otto was still the hand of the King and Alicent was still queen… For now.
"Well, there has been no sign of a rider yet…" Daemon said, as he turned away from the boy and back to the white Dragon.
"Well then... I guess I'll just go and have look around for them..." Aemond said semi-smugly.
"Perhaps AFTER handling this situation first?" Daemon snapped with more than a little sarcastic bite to his voice. He also motions of his hand to the overly stressed dragon.
"Very well, if you insist..."
Daemon grinded his teeth. The Fourteen help him, or he was going to murder this half-breed brat...
"Dragon, OBEY! CALM! SETTLE!" Aemond called out in their mother tongue, his hand out much like Daemon's was moments ago. Just like last time with Daemon, the Dragon ignored the Targaryen's words…
Unlike late time with Daemon, this time the Dragon hissed and spat angrily at them.
Haelemys didn't like this… She didn't like this at all.
Lumi had safely locked her away, but in doing so had also blocked out any light or sight to the outside. The air was getting thinner and more noxious by the moment. The stress had also caused the muscles in her abdomen to tighten again. The tearing pain was going to start up again soon, Haelemys just knew it…
She could barely even hear what was going on outside. Even that was no comfort. In fact, was making it worse. She heard the red dragon landing and screeched, and Lumi roaring back. Then someone yelling out, but to what and to who she didn't know.
Then came the sound of something huge crashing into the sand. Followed by an even louder and deeper roar…
Dear bloody merlin, that roar could have given Godzilla pause… It was THAT monstruous. Her mind was running wild, wondering if she or Lumi was going to be torn to shreds by claws or jaws at any moment.
Moments pasted before and she heard another round of sounds. This time commands. She couldn't make out the words, but the voice and intention were clear. They must be moving closer to them. She DEFINITY heard her girls Cat-like response…
She didn't know if she was proud or exasperated… 'Please don't make them angrier, please don't make them angrier...' was all that was running though her mind.
"Lumi, what's going on? What's happening?" She asked through the bond.
"Two dragons. Two riders. NOT SAFE. STAY!" Lumi sent back.
"Who are the other Dragon and rider?" Haelemys asked with trepidation. She didn't WANT to know the answer, but she NEEDED to know... Lumi quickly sent back a mental image.
The man with the sword she saw more clearly, and the red dragon she remembered from the image before. The man with the long jacket and eye patch was new and made her blood freeze… But… What was that thing behind him? …
That was when Lumi sent a second image...
ohdearbloodygods... The largest, greenest, most terrifying dragon she had EVER seen was there. The Horntail wasn't even a quarter of its size.
She would have PREFERED Godzilla.
They were dead... Her, Lumi, Tedi... They were all going to die, she was sure of it.
Her heart was pounding in her chest. What was she going to do? What could she do?! They were outnumbered, outmanned, OUT DRAGONED...
The pulling in her abdomen that had subsided before now returned full force. A renewed ripping pain torn through her. She grimaced but bit her tongue, and grabbed her stomach as she tried her best not to scream.
She tried her hardest to keep quiet, Lumi's pained whimper probably helped cover her. After she caught her breath, she heard two voices on the other side of her Dragon barricade. This time she could make out the words. The two men were shouting in Valyrian. Different variations and mixes of the words; "CALM! OBEY! REST!" and of course. "DRAGON!"
Haelemys blinked as she turned her head so she could hear the outside better. A few moments later, she heard the words again... The same two voices... definitely speaking Valyrian.
Lumi let out one more, "BACK AWAY" Roar, before Haelemys realized she had to do something. She couldn't just stay hidden back here and let Lumi get hurt or attacked. The Dragons answered to their riders, and the riders spoke Valyrian... If ALL of them, Tedi included, were going to make it out of this alive, she'd need to talk them down...
So, she took a large breath, held it for a moment... Then called out in a shakey voice in Valyrian.
"Hello?"
'Rytsas?...'
Aemond's head snapped to Daemon at the faint word. Daemon eyes looked toward the dragon, then behind it. They had both frozen and didn't move muscle as they waited to see if they could hear it again. Daemon lifted his sword a little more as he looked at Aemond. The silent question of 'You heard that too?' on his face as he gave a head-nudge in the direction the muffled voice came from.
Aemond nodded in confirmation and pointed to the same place he swore he heard it from. From behind the Dragon's flank... Daemon nodded at that, then made a motion with his sword. Aemond quickly drew his as well. Daemon dared to take a few more steps forward, but only a few as that was all the white dragon would allow.
"Hello?... Is anyone there?" Daemon called back.
"Yes... Who are you?! What do you want?!" Was the faint reply.
"What we want is for you to calm your Dragon and come out from hiding... Who we are is the people need an explanation as to who you are and how you came upon this dragon..."
"LEAVE US ALONE... We were only trying to reach the mainland... And the only reason Lumi isn't calm is because she doesn't trust you-." A pained screech then came from the dragon, and a more muffled one from behind them.
Aemond and Daemon looked at one another in confusion. Then Aemond's eyes traveled back to the dragon, re-noticing it's injuries.
"They must both be injured..." Aemond said in common in a low tone to Daemon, as not be heard by the other person. The light seemed to go on in Daemon's head at the same time.
"If we keep our Dragons calm, and don't attack... Will you come out and answer our questions truthfully? If you do, we will make sure to see that you and the dragon's injuries are cared for." Daemon was careful not to say 'Your dragon' or make a promise. While he did intent to see the dragon treated, he was still not so sure about the rider... If the rider was the one that injured the Dragon, he'd honestly just let him die and save them all the trouble.
"...If we wish to leave after, will you let us go?" was the muffled reply.
Daemon didn't like that idea... A dragon and rider lose in the world?... But he also knew they would have a hell of a time stopping them from leaving... On the other hand, Dragons were drawn to Dragonstone. Once the Dragon got there, it might not want to leave.
"IF you wish to leave, yes... Now... Are - you - coming - out?" Daemon barked, making sure his impatience was heard. He and Aemond then stood near shoulder to shoulder as they waited for a response. Aemond twirled his blade as they waited...
After a few more moments, the dragon seemed to give out an annoyed Huff. It then slowly moved over about 5 or 10 feet, just enough to make some walking room between it and the rockface wall...
A few moments later, a small figure walked out from behind the dragon... Both Aemond and Daemon's eyes widened, and Aemond's jaw dropped...
It was a girl, couldn't be more then 15 or 16. She had long, pure white Valyrian hair, lose and wispy around her face. a small angled nose, and a soft pointed chin. She had a tan-colored fabric wrapped around her that was little more than rags and stopped at her knees. Just like her dragon (as there was no question in their minds now, she was the rider...) She had four clamps; two wrists and two ankles on her, with a foot and half of chain still attached to each one...
On her neck was an ornate, but sickening slave collar... One made of Valyrian steel.
Her wide, terrified eyes stayed on them. Like a rabbit looking at two hungry wolfs. The right eye a lavender purple, while the left eye was bottle green. Both bigger and more soulful than any eyes of a young girl had a right to be.
She then winced, and groaned, and grabbed her stomach... Her PREGANT stomach.
"I think... I think I might be losing him..." The girl said, in the softest voice Aemond had ever heard.
Daemon and Aemond looked at one another for just a moment... Then both turned and ran to the girl at the same time.
Aemond: -.- I can respect you... but I don't like you.
Daemom: -.- I don't like you... but I can respect you.
Haelemys and Lumi: . OUCH! .
Daemon: o.o Deal with each other later?
Aemond: o.o Yep, later...