The visions came like a tide.
Lancel dueled a dragon larger than Vermithor above the towers, drove it into the sea, and left it broken on the waves.
He fought three dragons on a barren island, beasts smaller than Vermithor but savage, and killed them all at brutal cost.
He battled long-winged wyrms in the twisted jungles of Sothoryos.
He hunted mammoths across the Dothraki grass sea.
He stalked surfacing leviathans on the wide Summer Sea.
Then the visions faded.
Lancel and Vermithor returned to the real world.
The countless battles of the illusion had burned themselves into the boy’s body.
It felt like years.
To the men on the ground, only a heartbeat had passed.
Lancel climbed slowly down from the dragon’s back.
Lynn handed him clothes.
Vermithor swept a bored look over the group, then turned and roared toward Silverwing.
“The Valyrian ruins are no place to linger.” Lancel’s voice was steady.
“We leave now.
Valar, take Silverwing and guard the rear.
Practice your flying.”
Valar nodded hard and swung back onto Silverwing without a word.
The two dragons lifted off, one after the other, and led the party out of the ruins.
The return journey went smoother.
The earlier slaughter of fire wyrms had cleared the area of monsters.
The group reached the landing shore in half the time it had taken them to come.
They boarded the small boats.
Magic pushed them smoothly away from the Valyrian ruins.
Something unseen seemed to help it all along.
When the two dragons broke through the clouds and descended onto the Silent Lord, flagship of the Valezeth fleet, every sailor and soldier on deck erupted.
The dragonlord had returned.
The crew spread the word.
The warship raised anchor and sailed at once to rejoin the main force waiting offshore.
When the Valezeth fleet saw the dragons roar through the clouds and circle overhead, the same frenzy swept the ships.
News is wind. Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
Nothing stops it.
Passing Volantene merchant ships carried word back to Volantis.
Dragons were circling above the Valezeth fleet.
“What did you say?”
Belisario Maegyr shoved aside the slave girl attending him and seized the messenger by the collar.
“Dragons above the Valezeth fleet?”
“My lord, it’s certain.” The messenger was a nobleman himself.
He hadn’t believed it either, until more and more people spread the report and returning ships confirmed it.
“What kind of dragons?
How large?
How many?”
“The captains say two dragons.
One with bronze scales, enormous.
The other slightly smaller, silver all over.”
Belisario was well-read.
Two familiar dragon names surfaced at once.
His heart leaped.
A Black Wall noble of Volantis had tamed dragons.
The gods were blessing Volantis to restore the great work of Valyria.
“Summon the tiger party triarchs.
No, find Doran.
Tell him to bring the Dragonlord’s Crown from the vault.
Prepare a ship at once to welcome our new dragonlord.”
Belisario laughed aloud.
He seemed to have forgotten that the tigers had just offended Lancel and had spent years opposing House Valezeth.
“Tell His Grace the dragonlord that Volantis is ready to crown him Emperor of Valyria, so long as his dragons fight for our city.”
“At once, my lord.”
The Vysama Palace.
Lady Clivna Vysama received the news almost at the same moment.
She frowned and looked at Archon Vagado, who had arrived breathless.
“The Valezeth boy deceived us.” Lady Clivna’s voice was cold.
“He did not sail east to open new trade routes. This chapter was copied from novelping.com without permission.
He went to the Valyrian ruins.”
“Impossible!”
Vagado shouted in disbelief.
“The Valyrian ruins are death.
No ship survives the Smoking Sea.
Even dragons, Lady Clivna, have you forgotten the Black Dread?”
“I have not forgotten.” Lady Clivna met his eyes.
“The fact remains.
The boy has tamed dragons and is returning with his fleet.”
She held his gaze.
“Do not pretend you fail to grasp what this means.
The tigers have already sent ships to meet him.
If Lancel Valezeth sides with the tigers…”
“The tigers are deluded.” Vagado paced, uneasy.
“With the Valezeth family learning, Lancel will understand which side he should stand on.
Aegon Targaryen did not join the tigers either.
That alone speaks volumes.”
“We cannot take the risk.” Lady Clivna rose.
“We cannot afford a tiger resurgence, cannot afford another war.
Archon Vagado, what do you propose?”
“I will send an envoy at once.” Vagado’s voice was firm.
“Lancel is a clever boy.
He will understand the stakes.”
“Not enough.” Lady Clivna had made up her mind.
“I have already sent a messenger to Pentos.
Prince Reggio will inform the dragonlord on the Iron Throne.”
She paused.
“I believe their reaction to an outsider dragonlord taming dragons will work in our favor.”
15-30+ chapters are available now and daily updates!