A/N: Apologies if this chapter comes off as disjointed or surprising. Adventreader221 wrote the entirety of this chapter, seems he isn't retiring just yet.
In short, it's basically a tribute chapter. Please don't take it too seriously. I'll be writing the next few chapters myself. so please don't mind this one.
Dark came back from the ether and is hard at work on Scarlet Vow and Heir of Dragons, while Slifer is busy with Strings.
We're not out of the game yet!
Can anyone see this? Do let me know if you can. Every bit of feedback helps, no matter how large or small.
Alas, the site appears to be out of sync once again; reviews still appear in our email inboxes, but not on site, traffic stats are frozen as well and sometimes its nigh on impossible to tell what works and what doesn't. Between all this crap with the site and the drama with my job, now I just want to curl up in a corner and cry. Still, here I am. Looking forward to your feedback!
We've reached the end of the Black Wedding Arc. Its been fun~!
I wish this chapter could be longer, but I'm not well; as stated in the last chapter, the "Black Wedding" has been split into multiple parts. Because there's a lot going on here.
Many thanks once again to newboy (a reviewer) for offering up a font of idea to use in the reviews. They all sound wonderful, and I'll be sure to use them! You rock!
I really, truly, want each chapter of this story to feel like an actual House of the Dragon episode on all fronts. Hopefully I succeeded.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me. I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time. Time and feedback determine the update speed of this story. Simple as that. In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Realized I needed to make a minor change for the wedding scene that takes place in this chapter!
Since its technically Naruto and Alicent marrying into Rhaenyra's house, after all...
...but naturally, this wouldn't be a wedding if Naruto wasn't Naruto about it~!
Strong references to Slyrak and Dota, you all know where its from...
MASSIVE tribute to that cantankerous old wyrm here.
"What a Mouse wants, is nothing. What he has, is nothing. You will provide me the feast."
"I won't give you a damned thing."
"There is no distinction. There is no you. You are the child of fire. A part of me, and you will obey!"
~The long awaited confrontation
Child of Fire
Cannibal flared his wings to belt out another raucous roar, rattling the very world.
Yet for all that, he did not attack.
Curious.
Rhaenyra winced, one hand over belly. "Was that a challenge or a greeting...?"
Naruto didn't answer at first, rather, he strode forward. "Lets find out."
Alicent tugged at his arm. "Must you?"
He quirked a blond brow her way. "Would you rather I leave him there? He's bound to cause trouble."
Evidently Rhaenyra agreed, because she kissed his cheek; Alicent was only a heartbeat behind.
"Be safe."
He beamed a little and strode forward to stared at the massive ebony beast before him, eyes narrow as he waited for it to make its own move.
The people of Flea Bottom had already fled, the Gold Cloaks having done their duty to safeguard the people. The Dragonpit was locked up tighter than a tick's arse when the announcement had came, the emotions of hunger and rage swept over him long before them.
"Alright, big guy!" he raised a hand as he advanced. "Sun's getting real low! Now why don't we just-
The Black Dragon charged with a feral roar.
"Hard way it is!"
Naruto's own challenge was given in a rousing roar as the blond Uzumaki rushed forth as well. He rolled under the snapping jaws, and he pushed his feet down, and jumped. Senjutsu chakra channeled through his veins as he crushed the earth and filled the air with his vastly smaller body and slammed into the massive drake and tackled him not only away from the Mud Gate, but off the cliff and down to the beach, the snarl of the Cannibal filling the air as the sound of crashing rocks did.
Crashing upon the sand, Naruto grabbed the massive horns and flexed, all of his Sage Chakra filling his muscles and straining them to their limits, slammed the dragon upon its back, the earth shaking from the beasts crash, water spraying as its mass landed across the sand and water.
Flames lashed out and with a grin he grabbed a hold of the emerald colored destruction through the use of his Six Paths chakra, condensed it, spun around and grunted as he hurled the flames right back at the Cannibal with a laugh. A grin split his face as he watched them detonate explosively upon contact with his body… However, he wasn't expecting a response…nor anything really…
"Flames against the Father of Fire?" the dragon questioned as the smoke vanished, "You would do better to hurl rocks at a mountain."
"You… You're not Cannibal,-" Naruto balked, only for the dragon to snarl in response.
"There is no Cannibal~"
He leapt into the air, swiping a clawed wing at the flame-clad man who grunted as he evaded the attack, opened his right hand, and clenched his fingers into a claw. An eerie hum arose in the air as motes of blue light swirled within his grasp, growing large now, larger, largest-
He didn't give the dragon time to think.
Thought was the enemy here.
He dove down and struck.
"Rasengan!" he called out, a clap of thunder echoing across the capitol while the possessed dragon slammed against the wall of the city and crushed sections of it before coming to a stop as it skipped across the ground, a cloud of dust following his path.
Following after, Naruto came to a stop a short distance away, "I have no idea how you came to possess that dragon, but you better release him; now. Because if you don't, I'll shove my boot so far up your-"
"The hatchling has fled. His song fades, only I remain."the controlling aspect responded darkly.
"No..." he said in denial, "I can feel him, hear him crying out." he responded as he landed on the ground.
Smoke and fire burned around the two, but they continued to look upon the other, gazing upon their adversary.
The creature spoke in a soft growl to him,"An ember of the Flame… nothing more."
Naruto growled as he came to understand, "I see... Release him, that dragon wouldn't want this. He would never want this." he stated with narrowed eyes.
"What a Mouse wants, is nothing. What he has, is nothing. You will provide me the feast."
Naruto girt his teeth, scowling in anger, "I won't give you, a damned thing." he responded darkly to the thing possessing the dragon, "And I won't let you control that dragon anymore!"
"There is no distinction. There is no you."it told Naruto as it growled, fire building in its throat,"You are the child of fire,"it said as he growled deeper, the flame within building up,"A part of me, and you will obey!"
Drawing its head back, spurts of flame filled its jaws as it roared.
The flames washed over Naruto like a tsunami, but rather than burn away into nothingness, he held out a hand drenched in raw Six Paths power and slowly began walking through the sea of emerald flames, all the way until he reached the snarling dragon.
"I am no one's child~!" he snarled, smashing a powerful uppercut into the jaws of the beast causing it to redirect the dragon's head, the flames blasting the cliff and burning away a majority of the walls of the city in which they sat, "I AM the fire!"
However, this didn't stop the apparently-possessed Cannibal in the slightest; he continued to roar, his fire burning down across the stone, ripping everything apart as it turned the roar that had been blocked upon the whelp of a human. Now clad in his golden shroud, Naruto felt the beast's insatiable hunger rise.
Food! Hunger! Starving! FEAST! NOW!
In return, he didn't hesitate; upon seeing the rage and fury-the hunger-of the dragon, hewiped his hand through the air, dispersing the flames,
"No more!" he called out, "This is the last time, I told you what would happen if we fought again, this either ends with you'd being my friend, or...!"
With a leap, he stood upon the back of the startled beast's head, placing a hand to the scales beneath his flesh, and pushed chakra into the creature. Something stirred at his touch and he felt it, or rather, sensed it, the reason for the mindless settlement upon the creature, the endless hunger and constant rage!
He'd been cursed by a former master, to never stop, to always feast upon those who could not defeat him...
A choice lay before him. Kill or save. He had mere moments to choose.
But could he save one so mad with hunger?
Before he could decide on simply ending the beast's agony, he allowed his six paths chakra to link their spirits, but he couldn't have planned what came next in a million years as his mind was pulled away from his body. Swirls of color ran rampant around him and suddenly he found himself in an entirely different location.
Fire blazed across the land as thunder crashed across the cloudy heavens, and suddenly a deep familiar voice called out, shocking the young man with a sharp cry.
"The burning truth!" Naruto couldn't help but gasp as he turned around and laid eyes on the familiar form of the Cannibal itself,"Little Mouse, we finally meet beyond the void!"
"Cannibal!?" he called out in shock, "is that you or bot !"
The dragon gave a wry laugh,"You have met the Flesh Illusionary that possesses my body. The lie contaminated after centuries of unfathomable hunger gave rise to the one called Cannibal. My true name is Slyrak-known as the Father of Fire for the sheer potency of my Heart Flame's strength. I must say that you have done well, but even you must know of the danger that approaches do you not?"
"I do." he stated without looking up or around for the speaker, "And I'll probably be the first to fail." he stated.
Gentle laughter filled the void,"You confuse despair with defeat, little mouse."it told Naruto,"You have not failed, you have found the source of our long silence."
The world changed and shifted once more into a whole new plane…
The landscape was eerily calm and beautiful. The sky was a mix of blues and greens as stars fluttered about. Massive mountain's floated through the darkness of space, cloud's of mixed color's surrounded them like a silent wave of smooth glass. Naruto stood on the edge of a mountain while Slyrak stood upon another where they could converse.
Naruto shook his head, "No I didn't." he denied, "I just wanted to help-to break the hold whatever was causing you to act like you were…"
"That clouded our sight was merely not what you imagined."Slyrak calmly stated to him,"It was not what either of us imagined."his calm tone drew Naruto's gaze up to him,"But the truth must be clear to you now. As it has become clear to me. My former Master had placed his spell upon me to cause me unending pain and agony with each consumption of my kindred. Now that you have revealed your powers to him, he seeks you so as to bring his dark schemes to a head, and such darkness must be vanquished or all is lost."
"Who is your Master? The way you say it, it confuses me as you said you've been like this for years, how could he-"
"His name does not matter Little Mouse." the the massive dragon to speak over him-not rudely, but calmly. It is worse than you think. If he possesses you, he will cause war and famine hither to undreamt of, starting with the Chosen Heart."
"Chosen, huh?" Naruto asked, utterly baffled.
"As you have known your Father's light. You have known your Mother's love."the dragon stated calmly.
Naruto shook his head, "What are you, huh-" he shook his head in confusion. What in the hell was this dragon even saying-ugh, couldn't he be more straightforward?!
"We, are me. Do you not understand?"Slyrak questioned, confusing Naruto even further,"I am in your blood, as you are in mine. It has always been so. It is why I have chosen you."
With a flap of his wing's, a bright golden light illuminated the void, the light slowly shaping itself above them causing them to gaze upon it together.
"And now, you think of little else but protecting the clutch and horde as any true king would. You would kill for her, you would die for her…"Slyrak stated as images of his allies and loved ones appeared over him, but it was Rhaenyra's form that stood out as he held her arms out towards him as if asking to embrace him.
"Rhaenyra?"
"The chosen Queen to the one who has the heart of a righteous King."Slyrak told him softly as he leaned down with a smile,"Her true destiny was shrouded in doubt. Her light eclipsed beyond the dark void of the madness."
"So you're saying she's what, my soulmate or something?" Naruto asked, somewhat lost on what he was being told..
Slyrak nodded deeply, proud of him. "The spell cast upon me by my old Master had obscured my vision, but in your heart, you knew from the first who she was. What she was. You have stood in the gaze of the one you deemed most precious since you first met. You could not choose your heart's desire, but you hewed to her side as she was already chosen."
"And they need us now, she needs us." Naruto stated as he gazed upon the dragon.
Slyrak chuckled softly to his chosen Master,"She does not need us," he said unto him, "She must find the power within herself, to stand against the coming evils that will surely turn this realm into nothingness, and in time that strength will pull her out, as I have sought you out."
"She's not going to get the chance. You know what's out there, who is out there. She can't stand against him nor can anyone else if everything is torn apart." Naruto responded.
"Flesh is ephemeral."Slyrak told him,"What resides in her heart is eternal, beyond death."
"So you mean to say, it's fine if she dies because we still get what we want somehow?" Naruto shook his head in confusion before his eyes narrowed, "No!" he snarled, "What's the point of doing all this if none of it matters?" he demanded, "Flesh isn't ephemeral. Flesh is essential." he countered, "Life has meaning because it's short. Because we're vulnerable, because we hurt. And when we're gone… we're gone forever. It's why we fight. It's why I fight." he stated seriously, passionately, "I ask of you, beg of you, to grant me the strength to do what I can't."
An earthy rumble rattled his teeth. "And what is that?"
He stared Cannibal, no, Slyrak, dead in the eye. "Take me to the one who did this to you, who cursed you, and I'll break it."
Slyrak was surprised,"You would have me take your side in this Flesh Illusion?"he questioned Naruto,"You would have me fight for you, knowing that you will almost certainly not redeem your soul in its most essential form?"
Naruto nodded, "Without hesitation."
He wasn't prepared for the booming laughter that followed; it rattled existence itself.
"Then we will fight, little mouse!" Slyrak decreed as he spread his wings wide.,"We will warm the herd! We will shake the stars from heaven, find the one who struck me so and tear him asunder!"
"Let's do it."
Slyrak flared his wings with eagerness as his voice called out,"TO BATTLE~!"
Naruto planted a hand on his chest, readhed out with his will and pushed.
(~Unknown~)
Opening his eyes, he found himself surrounded by darkness.
"Sure, that ain't ominous at all...
A deep heavy breathing from some unheard direction-sounded like something he should look into if that lizard had sent him here of all places.
What was this place anyway? Slyrak's soul? no, it felt deeper, darker; he had followed the link that bound him, the curse that bound his very spirit, until it brought him here.
Wherever here was.
Following the sound, he saw an opening appear and decided to stand against the wall and edge towards the opening.
As he peeked around a corner, he beheld a man clad in dark armor, enveloped by a strange green aura not unlike Slyrak's flame when he unleashed it, standing before a fallen corpse; massive crimson and black dragon not dissimilar to that of Slyrak himself.
Before he could continue watching, the man spoke to him. "You can come out, Naruto Uzumaki. Hiding will avail you nothing in this plane."
It just haaaaaad to be a ghost, didn't it?
Warily, he edged his way around to face him fully.
"Ah~"the man sighed, "there he is, the Child of Prophecy. He who shall save or raze the world asunder…at long last we meet."
Naruto felt his eyes widened in shock; no man from this realm could hope to know about the Prophecy from his world. And yet this one claimed to. Clenching his fists, he approached cautiously, "So, you're Slyrak's old Master are you? A fist tightened behind his back. "What are you called?"
"Naruto Uzumaki, as I know you, it is only right that you know who I am. My name is Aurion, and I am the last true Valyrian of the Freehold."the man spoke in an admittedly unsettling voice, sounding pleased by the tone,"I am glad you came, to witness the beginning of my rise."he told him,"Join me, as friends we could accomplish that which even your own limitations could not. Together, we can save this world from the Cold that is to come."
"Friends?" he balked in confusion, "Join you? After all you've done? And just who the hell is that dragon anyway? It ain't Slyrak, he doesn't look anything like him.
The "man" merely chuckled.
"Balerion was old, sick." he stated appreciatively about the apparent dragon he stood upon,"Yet even his powers at their height could not have saved him."he stated,"Not, from me."he told him, turning around, revealing unsettling green eyes and an even more foreboding aura to him, long pale hair stirring in a unseen breeze. "Truly, it was a mercy...
Aw, crap...
"Tell me, young Naruto."Aurion said eerily,"If you could do what has been done, if you had the power, would you take it?" the very air seemed to ripple around them as he chuckled hoarsely, "A young man who only wants what all orphans desire and need, to know that they were loved."
"What... I was a child back then! How do you-?" he went to demand, now more than outraged of this man above him, shrouded by unknown and frightening power.
"Childhood evaporated once you came of age in your society. It has certainly been stripped away since."Aurion remarked darkly,"A boy made man when you lost that which was most important to you. Your rage, I know you."Aurion pointed towards him,"I see you for who you are. Trapped in your own hell of uncertainty, your life full of regrets, fear of starting a war, of losing the two women you love above all else." he drew closer to him, forcing the young man to step back, "What wouldn't you do to escape?"
"You know nothing about me." Naruto narrowed his eyes
"I know this much...together, our dreams can become reality."he stated, "All you have to do is let... me... in..."
He stepped back, unnerved. "And why the hell would I do that?"
"Because I can give you want you want." The long-dead specter replied. "What you crave. Power beyond your wildest dreams.
"Yeah, no." he brought both hands together and flared his chakra cloak, only to balk when nothing happened.
Aurion's grin gained an inch. "You cannot contact Kurama here. It is your soul I wish to speak to, not his. Now, let me in-
However, this conversation was quite literally stopped as a new energy filled the cavern, the ground began to change from a dark black in the darkness to a sweltering red and then white in an instant as fire began to burn from nothing, a new voice growling as the newcomer made their presence known.
"You... will... release, both my Master and my soul! So that we may rejoin the Song of the World, and take you down!"
the ground erupted in a mix of molten lava and burning earth and blazing flame as a new entity unveiled themselves. A massive black and familiar dragon stepping through the inferno with a rumbling growl filling its throat and a very noticeable scowl on its face.
"Ah my dear friend Slyrak, you finally show yourself after all these years to me, oh Father of Fire."the man said, sounding rather pleased by this newcomer appearing in the middle of their conversation,"The Heart Flame speaks, and chooses you to give it voice." he remarked, seemingly pleased upon seeing the massive crimson and black monstrosity,"I'll collect your soul, as I collected Balerion's. You will be fuel for the Fire that is to come."
"Balerion, was ready for death."Slyrak stated heatedly,"The madness was upon him, the weakness."he all but growled the word."I am not so disadvantaged."
The dragon reared back in a way that made Naruto gasp, and then leap behind a wall. Golden energy raced up the dragon's neck, filling the back of the massive dragon's throat, coalescing together in a mix of unique chemical's only housed within those of this ancient and powerful species. And with a roar, Emerald and Ebony flames erupted from the dragon's maw and filled the cavern. Stone melted away, turnt to so much magma in an instant, the man's flesh burnt away to a crisp as the flames washed over his body with no remorse.
With a snort, the flames died down and the heat remained, to show the young Dragon Knight the power of one of the ancient marvels of creation and destruction. Light from the molten rock filled the cavern, and Naruto's shock only grew by what he now saw. The wall he hid behind glowed from the heat from the dragon's flame, his armor glowed from being so hot. Fruhling's dead body was nothing more than a lump of charcoal, his sword melted beyond recognition and repair as it stood in a pool of glowing rock. The ground shook as the massive Eldwyrm stepped forth to admire its work before it spoke up,
"Come, Little Mouse."it told Naruto,"Fight alongside me so that we may show this old fool, just who it is he challenges on this day and cast him back to the void!"
However, before he could even remotely get away, something unexpected happened, a voice filled the air.
"Dragons...No imagination..."
Naruto found himself shivering in horror. It shouldn't have been possible, and yet... just what was this madness? The spot where the spiritual presence of Aurion had once been suddenly filled with an eerie tainted green light as something pulled away from the body and swirled through the air,
"All brute force..."
the man sighed as the body fully fell and turned to ash in the air, the green energy moving about and then latching on to the next thing available... the massive body of the dead dragon-no, the Black Dread-Balerion,
"No cunning..."
A pulse of energy washed over the massive corpse, filling the cavern with iridescent green light.
"No guile...
Much to Naruto's shock-and silent horror-the body began to rise up, flesh once more gaining life as the spirit filled the vessel, an eldritch horror that looked like a puppet cutting its strings in reverse almost; but this time, the voice that spoke belonged to no man or mortal, but that of the dragon which had been slain.
...only weakness!" it growled out as it turned its sight on the growling dragon. The body of Balerion slowly rose up before it floated in the air, as if gravity did not matter to it, the eerie green aura that had once surrounded the man now eclipsed the massive body in which the entity now called home. "YOU WILL SERVE ONCE MORE!"
The Cannibal-no, Slyrak narrowed its eyes, a growl filling the back of its throat. "I did so once! Never again!"
Naruto stumbled as the cavern shook from the immense weight of the glowing dragon slammed into the floor of the cave. A roar shook the heaven's and rattled the earth, forcing Naruto to cover her ears from the sheer intensity of the war-cry, the sheer depth of it was unlike anything he had heard! As if that wasn't enough, Slyrak bellowed his own challenge, the cavern shaking to the point that sections of the ceiling above cracked from his own outrage. Naruto cried out as he felt her ears ringing from the cries of the two dragons.
The ground shook as Slyrak stomped down on the ground, and then pushed off, massive gusts of wind pelting the young human as the massive dragon took to the air above.
The corpse of Balerion charged forward with a snarl as Slyrak himself swooped down, claws prepped to tear his opponent apart. Swiping at his enemies face, Slyrak drew first blood as his claws raked across the corpse's face before he swiped again, pushing Balerion's body back. However, if the possessor was deterred, he/it did not show it as the entity rammed it's hosts head up and slammed into Slyrak's face.
With a snarl it swiped its long dark claws and slammed them into Slyrak's own neck to push the dragon back. Planting his feet, Slyrak snarled as he spun around, slamming his tail into his fellow dragon's face causing the being to stumble before roaring in fury at its fellow dragon. Slyrak growled as he pushed off the ground, wing's filling the air with claps of thunder from massive wingbeat.
Slyrak growled as he inhaled deeply, and Naruto gasped in shock. The glow within the back of the dragon's throat was far more intense, the heat unbearable. The being possessing Balerion followed suit, eerie green energy gathering in front of the corpse's maw before the two dragon's simultaneously bellowed. Black and crimson flame collided with eerie green and ebony, the cavern shook as the two flames pushed one another back and forth in a stalemate that would only end if one gave in.
However, Slyrak wasn't called the Father of Fire without reason, and with a roar, he overwhelmed the black/crimson fire and bathed the dead dragons body in his flame, pushing it back with a cry of agony.
The flames quickly died, and Naruto was watching the fight in mesmerization as the body of Balerion raised it's right wing up.
"SKREEOK~!" Snarling in contempt, it slamming the limb down in a manner similar to a punch into the earth and ripping the ground apart as massive ruptures filled the cavern and the earth did his bidding, rising up and slamming into Slyrak with enough force to push him back with a cry.
At the same time, the corpse charged forward as the rock it had upturned crumbled apart, and rammed its horns right into Slyrak's chest.
"REARGH~!"a shriek of agony filled the air as Slyrak was impaled upon the horns of Balerion's corpse, and then pulled off. Naruto gasped in shock, and then cursed as he began to run as he watched Slyrak begin to fall towards her direction.
Oh shit~
Why did he not move when he had the chance!?
Slyrak crushed upon the ground and filled the air with smoke and dust. Naruto waved his hand in front of him and watched as the dust settled, Naruto slowly looked out from his hiding spot and watched in silence as the glowing dragon approached Slyrak. Heavy thuds filled the air as the glowing form of Balerion drew nearer.
"I smell your fear~"the body growled out towards the rising fire dragon.
If Slyrak was defeated, he did little show that he was out of the fight, his mouth filled with fire, his eyes narrowed in rage,
"Only my...HATE~!"Slyrak snarled as he leapt at the corpse, surprising both Naruto and the entity possessing Balerion, sharp teeth latched down on the glowing dragon's throat,"RAAARG~!"
A pained cry filled the air as they dug in and began to rip into flesh. Blood spurted from Balerion's throat and filled the air as the massive Eldwyrm was bitten into by the throat.
Naruto knew that if this continued two things would happen. Slyrak would perish, and then he would follow shortly after. That wouldn't do, he quite liked being alive; with his mind made up he charged in towards the grappling Dragon's-knowing what he planned on doing was both reckless and stupid.
Leaping off a cliff, he landed on Slyrak's back and raced up towards their heads as they grappled one another. The entity possessing Balerion snarled as it slammed one of the claws down onto Slyrak's head, pushing the red dragon off, and ripping off a massive chunk of flesh in the process.
There, a weak point in the dragon's chest!
Seeing his opening, Naruto cried out, pulled his hand back and called upon his chakra. From there, he began to focus and form his most overused technique as he condensed and rotated his energy to form a towering ball of light. He jumped off Slyrak by the shoulder, flipped in the air, thrust the orb of energy in front of him, and then stabbed it into the wound, piercing the possessed corpse in the heart with the rotating ball of condensed energy.
"RASEN-GAN~!"the teen called out as he gave his all to ending the curse placed upon Slyrak. The body of Balerion cried out while it stumbled back with a wail of agony.
At the same time, Slyrak looked up and noticed the young man standing on the corpse's chest and stabbing it in a vital area and smirked.
"Brave... Little... Mouse..."he commented as he watched it unfold before his eyes.
Naruto cried out as his Rasengan was shattered and he was hit by the now cracking body of Balerion and fell from the air, only to stop as a dark scaled skin filled the space beneath him, catching him before he could hit the ground. He didn't need to look back to see Slyrak's aid; he used his wing as another vantage point to bounce off, conjure a Rasenshuriken to his hand-
Aurion's shattered spirit howled at them. "Fools! If you slay me, nothing will save this world from the Cold! The Long Night-
"I DON'T CARE!"
The jutsu struck true and obliterated him; the possessed corpse roared a final cry in death, and then bright light filled the cavern, energy lashing out like lightning before it ended in an instant, the massive cadaver falling to the ground truly dead once and for all. Slyrak allowed Naruto to slip down from his wing where he looked at the smoking corpse of the dead Dragon.
"Aurion, he's..." Naruto muttered in uncertainty.
"Gone. Destroyed. Bever to return." Slyrak stated calmly, now that the fighting was over,"And young Balerion, his soul, lost..."he stated, the world around cracking apart before the two of them found themselves out in the real world…
"We did it, then?"
"We did, Little Mouse…"Slyrak snorted.
Naruto leapt down and looked at the dragon in uncertainty, "So, what-" he didn't finish as he watched as the Cannibal-no, as Slyrak turned and presented himself to Naruto almost as if-oh…Oh~, well… he had a dragon now…huh, what do you know…how does one respond to such a thing?
"You fought well," he told Slyrak.
"You honor me..."Slyrak said, pleased by his choice.
"As you honor me." Naruto said, smiling.
Apparently that was what you say to a dragon.
Kurama interjected with a sullen sigh. "And you'd both honor me by explaining what the hell knocked me out back there!"
"I'll tell you all about it...
Climbing upon the dragon's back, Naruto inhaled deeply and laughed a little, ready to take the first step into becoming a Dragonlord. Even from here, he could see a great many people watching from the city cliffs above; with Slyrak's sheer size, they were impossible to miss. There could be no ignoring this. History would write this day as the Song of Flames, but to Naruto it was the day he had gained a great and irreplaceable friend. Many wouldn't understand his reasoning or his thoughts, but Naruto could have cared less.
He simply helped a lost soul regain freedom. One helluva wedding gift indeed...
Slyrak beat his wings once, angling toward the cliff. "Now, then, litlte mouse. Let us meet these mates of yours...
Together, they took flight.
A/N: First and foremost, yes, this chapter was a massive tribute to Dota 2: Dragon's Blood, but it was just that, a tribute, a one-off, if you will. Own a thing, we do not.
I repeat: NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE WRITTEN BY ME AND THINGS WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL.
Likewise, we won't be pulling any more elements in from Dota. Last but not least, because someone is bound to ask, yes, Aurion is an actual dragonlord from Game of Thrones and every bit as arrogant as you see him here. Give him a look. Proper Crazy bastard he is. Suuuure, lets charge into a bunch of cursed, burning ruins, what could possibly go wrong?!
Now his spirit is gone, and we shan't be seeing him again.
So ends the wedding arc! Would you like a timeskip? Or would you prefer we remain in the somewhat present moment a little longer?
For that matter, Do you wish for weekly updates to remain? Or would you prefer bi-weekly? I'll leave that to you, the readers. Do let me know! This story hinges on your feedback! Every bit really helps lift my spirits and inspire me in these crazy times. I appreciate you all! More feedback means faster updates! It's especially important, in these, trying times, with the main site notifications down. Every word counts and i appreciate you all! All these reviews really keep me inspired! Looking forward to hearing from you~! I should be able to update Sunday or EARLIER, time and health permitting.
Weeeell? What did you think? Would you like weekly updates? Yay or nay? Really need to hear from you, here. Feedback makes the world go round!
As stated, this has a high chance of being upgraded to M later down the line, but I need to know if folks want to see that.
By all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas…
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the Previews!
As ever:
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Read at your own risk!
(Previews!)
Rhaenyra was practically preening.
Alicent clicked her tongue at the dragon hatchling, holding up a bit of meat. "Sit."
The former grand maester bridled as his cell door opened.
Cole looked up as someone entered his cell, torch in hand.
Alianda sat beside him. "Might we converse?"
His guard went right up. "That's not a good idea...can't we do this later?
She shook her head, setting her long dark hair swaying. "My father and I will be leaving King's Landing soon, so no, it cannot.
"PUSH!"
The cry of a newborn filled the air.
A moment of silence followed. And then: "It's a boy, your grace!"
A sword is more than a weapon. Stick 'em with the pointy end they say. Ha! When you make a sword, the first priority is to make it purposeful and well-balanced. But a sword is also an object of power and has to express this power in its design...
...and this sword...
..is my gift...
...to you.
The white worm wishes a a word with you, my lord."
Naruto's brow shot into his hair.
"Who?"
"Daemon's lover.
"Ahhhh...
"If you fail to plan you plan to fail. This world is cold and cruel, and there are a few in it, who are steadfast. You, I think, are steadfast.
Visenya whooped, leaned back in the saddle, and flung up her arms. "Dracarys~!"
Bayle answered in a rush of crackling fire. The girl grinned.
Riding on dragonback was the best!
"Faster, papa! Faster!"
His daughter bounced on his back, grinning from ear to ear as she tugged at his hair.
Naruto smiled despite himself. "Feisty as your mother, I swear. Where's your brother hiding-
Someone leaped onto his back.
"Aha! There you are!"
"It turned out there was more than one person worth saving. So that's what I did, I saved her. Then I protected her. That's why people like you and I are here, son. We have a job to do."
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed! Have a great day!
Warm regards,
~Nz.
~Nz.