Chapter 13 - First Flight
Harry had a long day of combing through the streets of Braavos, finding men who had talent as guards. Death said that Braavos was a city where old soldiers go to drink their savings away, and he believed it. There were many old soldiers, scarred and beaten by the years, yet still sharp.
He found potential in these men, refusing to believe that they couldn't be of use. He ended up hiring 25 men to train the future guard force of Yunkai. It wasn't as many as he wanted but working with the Unsullied, it should be enough to form a decent force of guards.
Even more than that, he found another 37 ex-soldiers to help train the new Frost Legion, including a handful of retired officers looking for longer-term work, from many different backgrounds. They signed an employment contract and received their first payment as Harry sent them off to Yunkai via Port Key. He introduced the soldiers to Commander Tormund Giantsbane and they were ready to begin training the next day.
The guard trainers were introduced to Mance Rayder who quickly got them set up for their own training the next day. Harry got the impression that putting Ros with Mance was a fantastic move. She took the edge off his gruff responses and made dealing with the new Governor of Yunkai much easier.
The hardest thing to deal with was logistics, magic or not. The Frost Legion would operate out of Meereen while going through training as they traveled there. He had to ensure that they had supplies for the entire journey plus what they needed while they secured the city. He ended up requisitioning some carts that he spatially expanded to hold everything needed. The giants had agreed to pull the train of carts with their many mammoths. It was the only way, but it was doable.
Jon's new 'Ghost Legion' would go back to Astapor by the end of the week, to secure the city where the council that Daenerys had set up was apparently in danger of being overthrown. He should find some difficult urban combat, but it would be a good initial run as a Commander. If he succeeded then he would have earned the respect of the men, ready to be deployed as needed.
Harry planned on creating methods of contact that wouldn't be as difficult as the mirrors that he and Daenerys used, which required active magic to use. Harry realized that Jon had magic about him and planned on teaching him the basics like he taught Daenerys, but that could wait for another time.
He had used his Time Turner once again, returning to the hall where he kept the seemingly endless amounts of equipment that needed copying. He was approximately halfway through the gear for the Frost Legion but he had much to do for the Yunkai Guard forces. He planned on finishing the guard armor by the end of the week, while the Frost Legion wouldn't fully equip until after they reached Meereen. Deciding to take a break from working on the gear for a while, he pulled one of the few Valyrian Steel swords out.
The sword originally called Vigilance required much work, even after his cleaning. The pommel was loose and damaged, the handle and cross guard looked like they had been put into a blender, and the blade would be better if reforged instead of sharpened and polished. Harry decided to do just that.
He went through his vaults, searching for interesting materials to work with. He had found a box of ingots underwater, two that he named Azure Steel based solely on the color. He decided to see if he couldn't add that to the reforging process, maybe creating a new alloy of sorts. With that he went to the gemstone section of the Peverell vault, looking to see if something stood out.
Harry found a deep blue sapphire that looked to be just around the size of a golf ball, "Perfect." He grabbed a few more sapphires that were flat and perfect for embedding into a cross guard. He found some more metals, an ingot of silver, and remembered to grab a few lengths of Goblin Silver.
Goblin silver was so unique because of its absorption abilities, how could he not include some of it? If the metal didn't work then he only lost a bit, but if it did work, then he would have created something amazing.
He headed to the forges and found Gendry hard at work, "Morning Gendry, whatcha working on?"
"Ah, Lord Hadrian. I was working on a set of armor worthy of the Royal Guard. Something better than what they had at King's Landing. Tell me, Lord Hadrian, what do you think of this alloy here?" Gendry handed Harry a golden-colored ingot that was sitting off to the side.
"It's not entirely gold? What is this?"
Gendry smirked, "A mix of gold, Valyrian Steel, and a whole bunch of this stuff here, some gold and some... tungsten you called it, I think?"
Harry shook his head casting identifying spells on it and testing the durability, "This is a fantastic alloy, Gendry. You have gone above and beyond here. Show me your designs for the armor."
"Aye, right here," Gendry handed him a few sheets of paper with various drawings on them.
Harry's eyes widened at the first one, an epic set of armor to say the least. It was something out of a fantasy with thick plates overlapping that seemed to give a full range of movement with chainmail in the armpit, under the legs, and behind the plates. The armor was intimidating, looking like some heavenly paladin, ready to smite enemies, and this was just on paper. The shoulders and hips were protected with heavier pauldrons and plates, the codpiece allowing for a piece of decorated cloth to hang between the legs, both front and back.
"What's this piece here called? A tabard?" Harry asked.
"Technically a tabard would be on the chest like a piece of fabric over the armor, this is what is known as a scapula."
Harry nodded, noticing that the helmet had a single roughly v-shaped visor slot. It was as if the eyes within were not perceivable by those who were unworthy. "I like this, but it will only do for the Queen's Guard."
"Only the Queen's Guard?"
Harry smirked while inspecting the documents, "Indeed. Go ahead and assemble a set of this armor with the alloy you have created. I will work on this excuse for a blade, and maybe ever create a spear or two. Willis?"
A little elf appeared and grumbled, "Yes, Master Harries?"
"The Commander of the Unsullied is a man named Grey Worm. I would like you to create a set of armor for him that is more...ornamental, yet still black. Something that will stand out, marking him as Commander. I will be creating a spear for him. Is that alright? And also don't be seen when measuring."
"Of course, Master." The elf disappeared.
Harry grabbed the blade formerly known as Vigilance, removing the broken pommel, handle, and cross guard. He tossed the blade into a crucible setting the azure steel ingot and a length of Goblin Silver. "What do you say, Shimmer? Mind lending me some heat?"
Gendry looked at Harry with confusion as the strange language came out of his mouth. It caused chills to run down his spine only to be fully shocked as a burst of incredible heat pushed him back. A being of black and silver flames appeared on the Wizard's shoulder.
The flames parted and a beautiful phoenix sang back to Harry in a way that nearly had Gendry in tears, "I suppose I can be of use for this."
With a quick swipe of her wing, a black and silver swirl of flames surrounded the crucible and Vigilance quickly melted. He heated the other metals in separate crucibles and then added them to the Valyrian steel remains of Vigilance as they all hit the same temperature.
The metals took much more time to combine, but that was when Harry began to apply his magic to the molten amalgamation. It took time to find the proper temperature, but the power of Shimmer's phoenix fire forced an equilibrium between the 3 metals.
"That should do just fine, Shimmer," Harry pulled the crucible from the fire, feeling the heat but not the pain. He carefully poured the molten metal into a huge ingot mold, allowing the metal to cool as it became a new alloy of sorts. It would take a while to cool before he could heat it again, so Harry moved on for now.
He pulled one of the copied Valyrian steel ingots from a pile and began heating it in the forge.
"What are you using for this one?" Shimmer asked.
"I am thinking of making a spear for the young Unsullied lad, medium length, but something better than what he has," Harry said. "A Commander needs to stand out, in my opinion, while being able to do so."
Shimmer poured some more of her flames into the forge and the ingot turned damn near molten in a few seconds. Not much could rival dragon flames, but phoenix fire was just as magical. With a pair of tongs and a few magical slices, he cut the ingot down a bit. The first cut removed a third which he would use for the spear tip. Another third would be used for some decorative rings or maybe even a better grip, and the final third for a cap on the butt of the spear.
"Something simple yet powerful..."
He began to hammer the spearhead out, forming it into a devastating edge that could be just as effective slashing as piercing. The edge would still have to be sharpened but for now, the Valyrian steel was dark with silver ripples through it, an effect of Shimmer's flames on the magical steel no doubt.
Putting the finished spearhead aside, he began working on the butt cap, making it a small yet powerful pointed end that weighed slightly less than the spearhead. It matched the quality and design, being the same black metal with silver swirls.
Before going further he summoned a length of Ironwood approximately 180 cm in length that was a comfortable diameter. It was extremely heavy, even without the metal but would be perfect when he enchanted it. Starting out with this he heated the small remaining third of the ingot and turned it into two rings that would extend toward each other around 10 cm, but would leave room for a leather grip while balancing the spear.
He affixed the spearhead and end cap, sealing them with perfect attachment spells. The next step was passing it off to Willis for him to wrap the handle, then Harry would enchant it. The little elf was hard at work assembling a leather armor set for Grey Worm that would denote him as the leader of the Unsullied.
"You know, if you're in the mood to keep making spears, you should make one for the Viper," Death whispered into his ear.
"You said this was a person showing up in King's Landing?"
"Indeed, he arrived there with the dreams of revenge. He will fail without help. A new enchanted spear could be perfect," Death said.
Harry was going to continue working on the Vigilance reforging as he continued the telepathic speech with Death, so Gendry wouldn't hear, "Who is he trying to get revenge against?"
"When the Lannisters helped take King's Landing from the Targaryens, Tywin Lannister ordered Gregor Clegane and Armory Loch to kill Elia Martell. It was a gruesome death...for her and her children," Death said.
Harry stopped what he was doing and let his mind connect with Death. A little girl and a babe were brutally murdered by the pair, then Elia was...well it was as bad of a death as it gets.
Harry put down his tools and breathed deeply, "Both live?"
"No, Armory Loch is in my tender care and has finally stopped screaming. Soul torture is a nasty thing, but cruel ends for cruel men is the way of things."
He nodded, putting away the large ingot and other materials he was going to reforge Vigilance with. Instead, he began to pour his anger into a set of Valyrian Steel ingots and a few lengths of Goblin Silver, creating an entirely metal weapon. Harry summoned basilisk venom from his lab and infused it into the new ingot that would become the blade and cap of this new weapon. While the one for Grey Worm was simple and powerful, this would be filled with iconography and would be a masterpiece. Its purpose would be to deal devastating damage against those who would harm innocence.
Magic often responded to the will of the one it belonged to, Harry had seen it many times now. Saying that Harry was angry what the man who was the Hound's brother, was an understatement. What he did to that family deserves the darkest retribution he could think of.
Harry focused and poured that anger and frustration into the weapon. Before long, the extravagant spear began to take shape. The entire length was dark green with silver swirls, different from Grey Worm's spear and it almost smelled of his intent for revenge and justice.
The spear only needed enchantments to go along with the already magically imbued item. The mixed-in Goblin Silver had readily taken in the Venom, instantly becoming deadly. It would be virtually indestructible as it is, but there is more that he can do to enhance the future user. To start, Harry put his standard array of runes: speed, strength, precision, penetration, weight reduction, imperviousness, and returning, so it could be thrown.
Then he amplified the venom to be injected with every hit, making a new Death-provided array solely for the weapons. It cost him another vial of basilisk venom, and he searched his vast potion lab for some more interesting things to add to the spear.
He found a few venoms and poisons that inflict great amounts of pain and others that caused the increased production from adrenal glands on those injected by it, so they would feel everything more potently until they died. He also added a slight cursing effect that would increase the pain dealt by the weapon. Each successive strike would increase the agony and poison as it connected. Until the target died horribly.
The spear floated in front of him as he inspected it. Instead of using ironwood for the shaft, he had used all of the Valyrian steel he mixed with Goblin silver which now had images of a winding viper running all up the shaft. The dark green weapon only needed his deathly magic to finish it off and he poured it in once again, filling the runes with power, becoming an enchanted weapon.
"That is an amazing weapon," Gendry said, watching the finished spear float above the workbench.
Harry nearly jumped, realizing that he had been in a trance as he created it, "It has to be the most deadly weapon I have ever made, filled with poisons and venoms of nearly a dozen creatures.
Harry conjured a metal sheath for the bladed spear point and the butt cap. He put it in his moleskin pouch for good measure.
"Still planning on working?"
"Yes, I wanted to finish reforging that ingot I made over there," Harry nodded to the dark blue ingot which had fully cooled by now.
"I might go see about some food before working more on the armor."
Harry nodded, "Sounds good, I am still feeling the creative forces for now. Have a good night, Gendry."
The other blacksmith nodded and left the forge, hanging the dragon hide apron and gloves Willis had made for him as he left.
It took him more time than the spears did, as the metal was difficult to form into a blade with a shape he liked. He ended with a very long blade, nearly pushing into the great sword length of 150 cm (~59 inches) but could still be classified as a long sword. The blade was unique as it almost resembled a flamberge with a rippling edge that looked like consistent waves frozen in blue steel. He used his magic to force a fuller into existence that didn't hinder the strength of the blade, regardless of doing it as it was cooling, it not only made the blade stronger but also provided a perfect spot for enchantment.
Magic is a hell of a tool.
Harry quenched the deep blue blade with glinting silver ripples and let it cool as he began to work on the other pieces. To begin with, he wanted to create a silver handle and cross guard that would go well with the blue and silver blade. The question was how to design it.
Harry continued by working with a small ingot of pure silver and it quickly heated up allowing him to work it into the shapes he needed. He cut the ingot into 4 pieces, knowing that the metal being slightly weaker wouldn't matter when imbued with magic. The cross guard, the handle, the pommel, and the bolt that would hold everything onto the tang.
The last part was the pommel, which he started as a continuation of the 'silver vines' that flowed down from the cross guard. Grabbing the golf ball-sized sapphire that Harry found in the Peverell Vault, he let the silver vines grow around it to form a beautiful pommel. It sat like the highlight of the blade, regardless of how astonishing the actual blade looked.
Not long after completing the pommel, the blade was cooled and ready for assembly. He slipped the cross guard and handle onto the tang, followed by the bolt and pommel. The weapon came together and he moved over to sharpen and polish. The result was astonishing and just as impressive, if less deadly, than the spear he had made for the viper.
Just like the other weapons he had made today, he stored it in his pouch, ready to be gifted away to the right sword user.
~~o0o~~
For the rest of the week, Harry worked on finishing the gear for the Frost Legion and the Yunkai Guard, making an extra 10% which would be given to the surliest Quarter Master he could find. There is no such thing as a nice Quarter Master, and if there was then they wouldn't be doing their job correctly.
Harry also helped to source food and water for the thousands of people and refugees. More than an entire city's worth. Not to mention that the giants were all vegetarians. They had thoroughly enjoyed watching Harry turn small vegetables into huge carriage-sized monstrosities.
The Frost Legion was now fully into its 'boot camp' where the many thousands of men and women were split up amongst the different groups they had joined. The different groups were running, exercising, and pushing themselves beyond just being a force. The standard tactics used by drill sergeants were seen everywhere. Punishing everyone else for one person's mistakes, setting people up to fail so they could be broken down before being rebuilt, and more.
The tough men and women of the north were slowly but surely starting to be molded into a fighting force. Their resilience showed as the many guards struggled to break them down before building them back up.
Speaking with the Queen, the next plan would be to move on to Meereen within another week. The journey would take a full week of marching for the Frost Legion's recruits. They wouldn't be given gear yet, but Daenerys had begun to work with them to manage what they needed. 25 carts full of gear, food, and other supplies were given to the legion on top of what Harry had made. He came by and magically increased the storage space on them as well, filling them with the gear that he had created for the legion.
During this week, Harry had also created another set of portals, this one for the now-named Ghost Legion, that Jon Snow was in charge of. He had brought the Windblown mercs and the Blackfyre soldiers to Yunkai but planned on basing them out of Astapor. Harry introduced the Tattered Prince, Captain Grayson, and Daario Naharis to Jon Snow, whose stoic demeanor didn't impress them.
Harry decided that Jon would have to figure that out on his own, but they would either come to respect him or not. Harry gave Jon an expanded bag filled with gold so that he could cover the expenses of his legion. Along with the gold, Harry had purchased a set of horses for him and Ygritte, so they wouldn't be walking. Something that wouldn't look good for a Commander.
Harry also spoke with Daenerys and got concrete orders to give to Jon, which said that he had to head to Astapor and put down the rebellion led by someone named Cleon the Butcher. His goal was not only to put them down, but to formally set up a city guard, to create a base of operations, and to set up one end of the portal. Harry had shown him how it works, and imbued it with magic, making sure that they would find a good spot first. The now miniature portal was just a small arch the size of Jon's palm but would expand when set in a proper location.
Harry wanted to create a means of communication that would work between these distances, and since using the mirrors required the ability to use magic, he had to figure out an alternative means. He decided on a network of journals that were magically connected. He named them the Journal of Legions, an interesting name that worked well enough. With 10 copies made, he passed them out. Grey Worm of the Unsullied, Tormund of the Frost Legion, Commander Strickland of the Gold Legion, Jon Snow of the Ghost Legion, and copies for himself and the Queen. This was a sort of 'chat room' for written words, allowing direct contact between all members of the holders of the journals.
The only problem was that Grey Worm and Tormund couldn't read, which really pissed Harry off. He then decided to hire assistants for both of them temporarily who would teach them to read as well as use the journals for the time being.
Maester Aemon held onto the copy that the Queen used, making it part of his duties to keep up with the various forces now under her and Harry.
~~o0o~~
At the end of the week, Harry found himself working in his workshop with Willis as they designed a saddle capable of being equipped by wyverns. It was made out of a black dragon hide leather, apparently taken from a Hebridean Black dragon that had been killed somewhere outside of Hogwarts a few centuries before his time there. The leather had been preserved in the Peverell tannery, one of many types of leather available.
Harry had chosen this dragon hide specifically because the leather was black and the Hebridean Black dragons were said to have purple eyes which checked enough boxes to make it worth it. The hardest part of the saddle was how the leather would touch the spined back of the wyverns Daenerys had. It would have to be adaptable, but also secure, and the Willis came up with the idea of allowing the spines to go into an expanded space directly under the center of the saddle. The saddle would sit perfectly between the wings and would strap over the shoulders and around the belly.
After they had the basic design for the saddle, something resembling a mix between the seat of a motorcycle and the saddle of a horse, they started production. The problem was that the dragon was already too big to let a person hang their legs. It would also be strange for the rider to be in a sitting position, like putting a chair on its back. Harry decided to make a taller saddle that would magically stick to the back along with the dual straps.
The enchantments started simply as they worked on the expansive space for the spines under the center of the saddle. Harry continued by adding the sticking, comfort, and size-adjusting charms. These were for the dragon, as it would make sure the saddle didn't interfere with the movement or get caught on their spines or scales. The center of the saddle was a wide seat that would be at home on a jet ski or snowmobile. It was wide, padded, and comfortable, with enough depth to comfortably keep the rider's feet in a slot to either side.
It kept the rider in a sort of athletic stance and enabled them to lean into turns and better guide the dragon beneath them. After a few hours of work, the pair of them finished the saddle and stood back to admire the work. "What do you think, Willis?"
The hard-working elf nodded with his arms crossed, his tool-filled apron moving with his breath, "A beautiful saddle Masters. But not for you is it?"
Harry snorted, "Not this one no."
"Willis will make another," The little guy said.
"Make two more, but no rush. Take the night off after we do the work. Make one in black and one in a light beige or cream color, yeah?"
Willis nodded, visibly tired, even for a house elf.
"Great job lad," Harry spun on his heel and disappeared.
~~o0o~~
Harry found the Queen feeding her Dragons. Drogon now utterly dwarfed the others many times over. The dragon was now easily large enough to ride, and approaching the size of a house. The mount-rider ritual bond had massively increased the pool of magic between Drogon and Daenerys, leading to exponential growth on the Wyvern's side. Wyverns inherently consume magic as part of their standard diet and the shared pool meant that he was taking in more each day.
Without magic, the Wyverns would die of starvation. Without space to grow, they would be confined to their size and stunted in their growth. It would be just as bad as malnourishment. Something Harry knew a little too much about from first-hand experience. Luckily, he had rituals to overcome the lost years of growth from his childhood but he didn't know rituals that would work for the dragons.
As he walked into the area outside of Yunkai where Daenerys let Drogon roam, the huge wyvern turned at the scent of the wizard's magic. Burning blood-red eyes met glimmering emeralds. Now that Drogon had grown, Harry decided to see if he could understand the language of serpents. It was different from the language of dragons, but many times reptiles can understand each other to some degree.
Harry spoke in Parseltongue, "Greetings, young Drogon, how does the sun find you today?"
Literal translations often didn't make sense, but in the language of snakes, many of whom love to bask in the sun, while others only slither in the shadows, it is proper to ask how they feel about the sun when greeting.
Drogon immediately recoiled as if stunned by the words alone. This drew the attention of Daenerys who was brushing the huge dragon's scales. She looked over to Harry, who to her was only hissing in a strange magical language, and frowned nervously. But she didn't speak as Drogon began to hiss back.
"The sun warms my scales very well on this day, Lord of Death," Drogon replied, his tone like that of a young adult serpent.
Harry let a huge smile bloom on his face, "Fantastic."
The two continued to speak to one another until Daenerys finally spoke up, "I was unaware of your ability to speak to dragons, Lord Hadrian..."
"Technically, it is the language of serpents, but usually reptiles have no trouble understanding one another."
"Reptiles?"
"Uhh, well, yeah. Dragons are a sort of magical reptile. At least they follow the theme to some minor degree."
While he could openly speak with Drogon, Daenerys had a telepathic and empathetic connection with him, as her bonded mount. She realized quickly what was happening as Drogon relayed the meaning behind the words as they spoke.
"Drogon informs me that he is ready to fly, regardless of his new weight."
Harry nodded, "Of course, it would only do to take his rider with him, wouldn't you agree?"
Harry walked right up to them, unafraid of the massive dragon who could literally bite him in half with just a snap of his jaws. That is of course, if Harry let him do that. They had greeted each other well though, so he would have to seriously overstep his bounds for such a reaction to take place.
"I would love to," She said. Drogon turned his head to let a single burning orb land on his mother.
Harry watched them communicate and the big red and black dragon appeared eager to get up and fly. Harry also spotted the other two, Rhaegal and Viserion, who were napping on a bed of straw. Both are no bigger than a dog for now. Rhaegal opened a lazy emerald eye and looked over at them before closing it again.
"Well, if you are eager to fly, then I might have something that can help with that...otherwise it might not be...very comfortable," Harry said to Daenerys.
Drogon frowned and hissed at Harry, "My mother would be very comfortable on my back!"
Harry replied, "To some degree, but a saddle would be preferable for both of you. You wouldn't want her to hurt herself on your mighty spines and scales, would you?"
Drogon scoffed but didn't reply.
Daenerys had a smile on her face as she watched them communicate, "What was that about?"
"Willis and I made a saddle...one that would be comfortable and easily deployed."
Daenerys remembered Willis, so that left only one question, "A saddle?"
Harry nodded, "I think it will be ideal for fitting him, and allow you to feel the flight easier, as well as increasing safety."
Daenerys stared at him, giving up on brushing Drogon's scales for the time being.
"What?" Harry asked.
"You give me so much, yet I haven't given or promised anything in return."
Harry let a wistful smile appear on his face, "I suppose that is true, but I am not trying to make this a transaction."
She stared at him for a moment, "Are you going to ask to court me? Or are you just going to keep giving me things until my guilt overwhelms me?"
The usually confident Harry felt his cheeks grow slightly red, something that rarely happened to him these days, "I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. I guess that I just have a lot to give."
He sighed and straightened up, "To be fully clear, I do wish to court you, Daenerys Stormborn, should you choose to accept me. I would court you with the intention of making you my wife, but not as one to be less than me or vice versa. We would be equals, and together we would move this world forward. We will break the wheel, together."
The beautiful silver-haired woman in front of him seemed very pleased by that declaration, but immediately her face was marred with a frown. Her eyes averted and looked down at her hands before she spoke, "There is something you need to know first." The tension built, but Harry let her get her words together.
"I...I am not sure you would feel the same if you knew that I am...cursed."
Harry raised his eyebrow and his eyes flashed with green light. He inspected her all over as if checking her out, but he was looking deeper than just the physical. "I can see magic, and I see no curse on you."
"I can't have children, Harry," She said, her voice growing desperate.
"Oh, well that isn't hard to fix." Harry called out into the world, "Chancey?"
The adorable little elf appeared, "Yes, Master Harries?"
"Would you grab my Philosopher's Stone, please?"
A huge smile split the little house elf's face, "Yes, masters!"
She disappeared for a second and returned with a crack of displaced air. "Here you are, Master Harries!"
"Thank you very much, Chancey."
The little adorable elf nodded and smiled before disappearing back to the manor.
Harry conjured a crystal whiskey glass and activated the rune on the metal band that encompassed the Philosopher's Stone and a single dose of the Elixir of Life poured into the glass.
The golden liquid sparkled in the noon sun, shining off of Daenerys' eyes as she inspected it. "This is what you gave to Ser Barristan and Maester Aemon."
Harry nodded, "I was planning on making sure you had a drink of it regardless, but now is as good a time as any."
She sighed, "And my guilt increases yet again."
Harry felt a bit of frustration. On the inside, he was feeling that he had never had to court a woman before. After Ginny and he ended things, he spent almost 10 years alone with Death and her spirits that taught him to fight with sword and magic. Sleeping with Hermione before he came here was just as surprising and unexpected as when Ginny went after him, but he didn't do anything to get there.
The feelings he had for Hermione didn't change despite the sex together, maybe a slight increase in attraction if anything, infatuation. It felt great, but there were a lot of emotions that kept him from feeling more about her. There is a reason he still left, her blessing or not.
Comparing that to now, from the moment he felt Daenerys' magic in the Dream, he had been drawn to her. What else was he to do besides give her a part of himself?
In retrospect, it was a bit much. Harry wondered if it truly was too much if he came on too quickly or went overboard in trying to connect with her. Thinking back to how things were back in Hogwarts, even the time that he felt an attraction to Cho Chang and going after her was different from this.
Everything he had done for her had just felt right.
The mother of dragons, what a bloody brilliant woman that stared into the elixir she held. She was curious, yet filled with determination to change the world. Maybe part of his problems was the promises that Death and his mother had made, that he would find love here. Hadn't Luna also said something about that? That he would find love here?
That also reminded him about the gift she had given him, but he would have to check on that later.
"What is it?" Daenerys asked, seemingly missing the war of emotions he walked through.
Harry took in her words, "That is the Elixir of Life."
That drew her attention, and Harry kept his face stoic as she stared at him, the question clearly in her gaze.
"It will fix any sort of body problem, like being unable to have kids. It also...makes you essentially immortal," Harry said.
Her jaw dropped, "You made Ser Barristan and Maester Aemon immortal?"
"No, I bound their lives to yours. If you die, they die. But if you live forever...then so will they."
She huffed, "That...is ridiculous."
"I know," Harry felt a bit of melancholy at that. What could he do? Just keep piling on the gifts? Obviously not, but he certainly wasn't worried about reciprocation. He didn't need anything from her, he wanted HER.
Material things are just...that. Material.
Daenerys sighed then spoke up, almost as if making up her mind about something, "You said it took some time to find all the materials you needed for the mount-bonding ritual. Is that true?"
The non-sequitur nearly had him confused, "The materials? They are hard to find...if you don't have an entire laboratory filled with magical materials."
She nodded, then slammed back the Elixir like a shot. Within her body, her magic almost seemed to ignite, feeling like the blazing flame of Drogon was burning within her. An almost numb or tingling sensation started at her toes and worked its way up her legs like she was being transformed into a better version of herself.
It continued through her body and chest and her eyes opened as the wave of energy collided with her magic. The amethyst eyes ignited as she met Harry's gaze. She shivered, and so did Drogon.
"That was interesting," she said.
Harry smiled, looking at her with an intense gaze, "It is definitely something."
Bringing the conversation back around, "You said you have a saddle that I could use?"
He shrugged, a slight smirk appearing, "I suppose you could use it for a time. I'll be right back." He disappeared with a quick Apparation, appearing in his workshop. There was no sign of Willis, which meant the little guy had finally taken a break. The huge saddle sat on the central workbench still, the enchantments glowing with silvery-blue light. He shrunk it and picked it up before heading to a room to grab something before heading back to the queen.
~~o0o~~
"It seems a bit small."
"Well, I did shrink it."
"Can you...unshrink it?"
"Of course," Harry said with a smirk. He tossed the saddle out and it floated as it quickly grew back to its original size. The black-leather saddle appeared, glowing blue-green runes nearly covering the entire thing.
"That is beautiful," Daenerys said.
Harry nodded, "We started with a simple metal frame that we sort of draped the leather over. And we designed the sitting part off of some machines on Earth. It is enchanted for both the rider and the dragon's comfort, allowing back spines to move as they will underneath the saddle. It will also stick perfectly to Drogon's back in case any straps are removed."
He walked close to where the stationary handlebars were, "There are also a few activatable enchantments here if you look close. This one is a powerful shield that will last a few seconds, precisely 3 seconds. And this one here increases speed for 5 seconds. They can be activated together if you want, but they have a 10-second cooldown period before they can be cast again."
Daenerys inspected the two runes he showed her, both of which would be reachable with the thumb, shield on the left, and speed on the right. "This is amazing, Harry, truly."
He nodded at her but didn't say anything, wary of the over-gifting that led to this uncomfortable air between them.
Daenerys looked over to Drogon, who had been watching curiously. She gestured and telepathically asked him to come try on the saddle. The huge dragon walked over and Harry lifted the saddle with his wand high enough to drop it on Drogon's back. It settled perfectly just behind the wings at the center point of his body.
"So, reach out with your will to the saddle, and will it to connect to Drogon," Harry said.
The queen frowned but focused on the saddle, taking a few seconds to extend her will. Harry could feel her magic reach out and connect and she was only still missing the activation sound.
"Now, snap your fingers."
She did just that and four straps shot out from hidden places on the saddle, meeting amongst the spikes on Drogon's belly. They connected and molded to his thick stomach armor and secured the saddle in place. With a few testing flaps, Drogon seemed pleased by the new accessory.
"He loves it!" Daenerys said. "It fits perfectly!"
"There is only one thing left to do..."
She raised a silver eyebrow, "Oh?"
"We go for a flight!" Harry had his broom grow back to the standard size. He had grabbed it on the way back to the queen, knowing that a bit of flying was next.
With extreme glee, the Queen had Drogon kneel to allow her to climb up his back. The moment she swung her foot over the saddle, she felt the comfort and secure feeling provided.
"Is it possible to fall off?" she asked nervously.
Harry shook his head, "You have to apply your magic to have the saddle release you, just like the straps. Let's go!"
Harry slammed a foot on the ground and blasted off into the sky. The newest model of Firebolt was different, being able to accept the rider's magic to increase its speed. It had no maximum speed limit, except for what the enchantments could channel. It was not legal in Quidditch, but it was loved by Wizards and Witches all over.
Daenerys was shocked at his flying speed but quickly had Drogon lift off and chase after him. The huge dragon seemed to easily float into the sky as if the wind itself wanted to lift the huge dragon. In seconds Drogon lifted above the tall Yunkai city walls, leaving everyone to look like ants down below. She was surprised that the other two dragons didn't fly with them, still enjoying their nap.
They lifted her hair behind her as she soared into the sky. Drogon hadn't flown in a week as he had been growing non-stop, but through the bond, Daenerys could feel him reveling in literally stretching his wings. It was liberating, freeing even.
Daenerys got a good look at the surrounding area of Yunkai. It had a rather mediocre series of docks for a city so dependent on shipping. The city itself was lively, looking like recovery was possible. People were walking all around and the new force of guards was being trained at the barracks.
Outside of the city was an agitated ants nest, over a hundred thousand people moving around. About a quarter of that was in the new Frost Legion, whose training was ongoing. Groups of a thousand were running to the mountains and back, kicking up huge swaths of dust as they did so.
Turning to the north was the deep and beautiful blue of the bay. It looked radiant in the midday sun. She couldn't wait to rename it. Drogon was also feeling the wind and freedom, he let out a huge roar that filled the city and everything around it as the sound echoed around.
Heads from all over turned to view the majesty of Drogon, a flapping streak of black and red that glistened in the sunlight. The contrast to the silver-haired rider on the back was eye-catching, looking like a true Queen of Dragons.
The image of her flying would forever give equal amounts of hope and fear to those who witnessed it. Depending on their allegiance.
~~o0o~~
Mance Rayder woke up with a smile. An actual smile. It made the pain he had in his back almost worth it. Hell, dealing with the endless paperwork, the ridiculous requests by people, and the seemingly infinite problems caused by trying to run a recently conquered city was worth it.
Not just because he saved over a hundred thousand Free Folk by making a deal with the Wizard, but almost entirely because of the company he has had since.
The most beautiful moan came from behind him, sending chills up his spine and making him feel like he was a boy of 16 again. He looked over and found the all too smooth pale leg lift from under the covers they shared to stretch out. A swath of nearly scarlet crimson hair surrounded her beautiful face.
"Mmmm, is it time to go back to work?" Ros asked.
Mance laughed as her soft hand found his back and nearly beckoned him to go back to bed. "Aye, it's about that time. Though we can have some breakfast first, I'm sure."
He stood and got his new set of light robes on. He knew that he would have lost respect wearing such a flimsy garment if he was still trying to save the Free Folk, but the sheer breathability was worth it. The wizard wasn't kidding about the heat as he brought them halfway around the world. He did have trouble switching to sandals though, so a fresh pair of leather boots was good enough.
"Breakfast, you say?" Ros said from the bed, her tone inviting and challenging.
Without turning around he could already picture that little demur smirk she undoubtedly had. He looked anyway, seeing the covers fall from her pale chest and he shook his head in disbelief.
Over the last week since the Wizard put him in the position of Governor of Yunkai, he would have been fully lost without the help of Ros. She had a way with her words, maybe he should say her tongue, which could ignite or calm any fire. It made dealing with the remaining upper and middle-class people who hadn't owned slaves. With her words alone she could discover what talents people have, she could discern truth and seek out lies.
He remembered it perfectly on the first day he had allowed people to make requests of him. Ros had pulled up a chair and listened to every word and complaint the hundreds of people in Yunkai had to ask. From scheming people who were trying to move up in the city, to others who were trying to claim the houses of the Wise Masters, everyone wanted something from them. From the city.
Ros was able to see through the bullshit, "I have been told as many lies in my time and that sir, is a lie."
That moment stuck with Mance, and since then, anytime someone wanted something from him, he looked to her. Ever since then, he thought that maybe the wizard did know what he was doing.
Ros and Mance left their room for the council chambers, ready for another day of governing Yunkai.
~~o0o~~
"You can't just leave Winterfell Robb. It damn near was lost when Theon and his foolish actions betrayed you!" Catelyn Stark said.
Robb was standing on the upper level of the castle and looked down at the training yard. Arya was moving through combat movements like she had been using a sword for years. In her left hand was a dagger that he had given her. "As soon as my child is born, I am taking men to the Night's Watch, and reinforcing it. Going back on the promise we gave to that man is a foolish endeavor."
Talisa Stark had been in labor for nearly 12 hours and the entire operations of the North were on hold.
"Aye, this Wizard sounds like quite the force," Ser Rodrik Cassel, Castellan and Master of Arms at Winterfell said.
Robb nodded, "He is. And without him, we would all be dead in the halls of the Frey's. As far as Theon's fate... He will come with me in chains until the Wizard comes to find us again. When I leave for the Wall, Ser Rodrik will look after Winterfell as he always has. You will remain here with Arya and Rickon as well."
His mother grimaced, but realized the determination behind his words, "How are you going to dispatch the Night's Watch?"
He sighed, "I am hoping we can draw the attention of the wizard when we get there. If that isn't the case then I will go through each of them to determine who will continue to serve and who will be executed. I can't let them leave the Wall and I can't trust them to serve if they are going to break rules."
The three of them continued to watch Arya as they spoke. Arya had done some type of parry and flowed around in a circle, her sword flashing out no less than four times in that same direction before executing a perfect backflip. Ser Rodrick shook his head, "Where did she learn to move like that?"
"Take a guess. There is a reason her sword glows and grows with her."
They sat in silence for a moment before Ser Rodrick spoke again, "Any idea on who will take over the Dreadfort?"
Robb shook his head, "Maybe Rickon when he comes of age, or Sansa or Bran if we get them back. But for now, I am content to let them clean that disgusting place out."
Catelyn shivered, remembering the horrid sights that the Dreadfort had within it. Skin from hundreds of people, and bones of humans used for lamps and chandeliers, it was a disgusting place that needed to be purged before any reasonable person could take over.
Ser Rodrick nodded, "Aye, that seems like the right thing to do for now."
The silence was finally interrupted by a handmaiden, "Your Grace! Lady Talisa has given birth!"
Adrenaline pumped through Robb as he sprinted past the girl and found his wife in their chambers. She was sweating and exhausted as she held the baby to her chest. She had never been more beautiful.
A radiant smile lit her tired face as maids cleaned the rest of the mess from the birth. Robb knelt next to her and immediately kissed her head.
"It's a son. Your son, Robb."
Robb stared down at the lad who had a mess of dark hair and chubby cheeks.
"We should name him after your father."
The King of the North felt the tears on his cheeks, "Aye, Eddard Stark."