Get comfortable, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🔥 ✦ The white wheelhouse stopped on a high slope.
Ahead stood a towering domed structure.
Bang!
Vaelor had not had time to exchange any cards.
He jumped down from the wheelhouse, stood gazing at the Dragonpit, and exclaimed, “Wow.
It is huge.” It was far larger than he remembered.
Bigger than an ordinary noble’s castle, almost like a low mountain.
“Keep up.
I will take you inside.” Rhaenyra had steadied her mood and looked much brighter on the surface.
“Coming.” Vaelor obediently followed.
Across the whole of King’s Landing, the Dragonpit was the most iconic structure after the Red Keep.
As Vaelor walked, he looked around and roughly estimated its size.
He could not see the end of it at a glance.
It had to cover at least twenty acres.
‘It would have to be this large.
Otherwise, it could not hold dragons.’ Vaelor nodded inwardly.
Still, he did not like the building much.
In fact, he thought it unnecessary.
Dragons were lords of sky and earth.
They should live on the Dragonmont of Dragonstone, not have their wings confined in captivity.
Rumble.
The two climbed tier after tier of steps, and the bronze gates of the Dragonpit slowly opened.
A dozen dragonkeepers in rough gray robes came out, holding long staves.
“Princess.
Prince.” An old dragonkeeper with thinning hair bowed and spoke in pure High Valyrian.
The Dragonkeepers were responsible for tending and raising the dragons within the Dragonpit.
They were usually trained from childhood among those of Valyrian blood and formed an important order wholly loyal to the royal family.
“Elder, I brought him to familiarize himself with the Dragonpit.” Rhaenyra nodded lightly and answered in High Valyrian.
The old dragonkeeper looked deeply at the little prince for a while before nodding.
“Yes.
The sons of the royal family should see dragons from an early age.” Rhaenyra forced a smile and walked inside with her head lowered.
Vaelor realized she had suddenly become unhappy.
He thanked the old dragonkeeper.
“You have worked hard.” He also spoke in High Valyrian, his pronunciation clear and fluent.
Then he hurried after Rhaenyra.
Inside the Dragonpit, the nearly sealed domed structure was dim, lit only by torches along the walls.
Rhaenyra walked ahead, still using High Valyrian.
“Do you want to see Syrax first, or Dreamfyre?” Vaelor worked his short legs hard to keep up with her long ones.
He did not need to think.
The old dragonkeeper’s phrase, “sons of the royal family,” had struck her sore spot.
Rhaenyra had become temperamental, yet she was still doing her best to care for her little brother.
Vaelor had no choice but to answer, “Let me see the dragon eggs first.” “Wait a moment.
I will have the dragonkeepers bring them.” Rhaenyra’s voice was flat.
She moved through the oval hall as familiarly as if it were a bedchamber.
To be fair, like this she did have the air of a princess.
She had not intended to attend the nameday feast, so she was not wearing a splendid gown.
Instead, she wore black clothing that suited a Targaryen.
Trousers wrapped her straight legs, and a simple inner shirt beneath a fitted overskirt hinted at the graceful shape of her body.
Vaelor looked up.
Golden thread embroidered dragons along the collar, and a delicate necklace set with tiny rubies rested against her pale throat.
Low-key, but not ordinary.
Luxurious, but with taste.
‘So rich.
A proper wealthy princess.’ Vaelor could hardly help envying her.
Look at her hands and neck.
Rare ornaments were everywhere.
By contrast, his own little wrists were bare.
Bang.
Bang.
Before long, the dragonkeepers carried out vessel after vessel like small furnaces and placed them in order across the hall.
The old dragonkeeper stepped forward, his voice low.
“Prince, the full stock of the Dragonpit is here.” “Thank you.” Vaelor’s eyes shone, and he could not wait to begin.
There were sixteen incubation vessels in all, arranged in a neat square of four by four.
Seeing his eager look, Rhaenyra frowned and asked, “Do you not already have a dragon egg?” “Mine has not hatched.
I want to see if the others are different.” Vaelor smiled brightly and reached to lift the lid from a black-steel vessel.
Click.
Thick white smoke surged out.
Red-hot coals crackled, and a green dragon egg lay quietly within.
Under the astonished eyes of everyone present, Vaelor touched it directly with his hand.
[Essence Panel] Magic-rich object detected.
Magic Essence +3.
Rhaenyra hurried to pull him back, shocked.
“Vaelor, you will burn yourself.” She turned over his small hand.
Other than a little ash from the coals, there was not even a trace of redness.
“Gods be good.” The old dragonkeeper’s eyes went wide, and he cried out in amazement.
Targaryens could tolerate heat, but that usually meant candleflame or hot water.
Directly touching a dragon egg heated like burning coals was something else entirely.
“I am fine, Rhaenyra.” Vaelor looked innocent and shook the small hand she held.
Rhaenyra was stunned.
“You really are different, Vaelor.” Was the little fellow not afraid of fire?
“I am still afraid,” Vaelor said, his eyes shifting.
When he was very young, he had discovered that he possessed the bloodline talents of “Dreamer” and “heat resistance.” But most of his dreams were strange, and very few had any prophetic quality.
Apart from disturbing his sleep, they brought almost no reward.
His heat resistance, on the other hand, had shown itself clearly.
After activating the [Bloodline] column yesterday, he seemed more sensitive to temperature.
Heat troubled him less, but cold made him uncomfortable.
“Daemon really should see this.
His jaw might fall open.” Rhaenyra took a long while to accept it, and then grew even more melancholy.
“It is not much.
He would not care.” Vaelor looked helpless and comforted the sensitive girl with a few words.
So much for cheering her up.
He had only made her gloomier.
After saying a few bad things about his father, Vaelor left the matter alone and focused on serious business.
[Essence Panel] Magic-rich object detected.
Magic Essence +3.
[Essence Panel] Magic-rich object detected.
Magic Essence +3.
[Essence Panel] Magic-rich object detected.
Magic Essence +3.
The pleasant +3 sounded sixteen times in a row as he harvested every dragon egg once.
Vaelor reluctantly withdrew his hand and called up the radiant panel.
Together with his own black dragon egg, the number beside the golden hourglass had reached a delightful value.
[Essence Panel] Magic Essence: 198.
He had made a killing.
King’s Landing truly was wonderful.
Magic essence rose quickly here.
Vaelor was so happy that he suddenly did not want to let the fat, beautiful dragon eggs in front of him go.
If he took all of them…
or even a few, small gains would become a fortune.
With that thought, Vaelor looked around and immediately dismissed it.
Leaving aside Rhaenyra’s low mood, the dragonkeepers were all watching the eggs closely.
They would never give him the chance to take extra.
Vaelor temporarily put away the little scheme and took Rhaenyra’s soft hand.
“Let us go see a dragon.” Dragon eggs were small gains.
A dragon was the real prize.
“Syrax or Dreamfyre?” Rhaenyra asked the same question.
Vaelor thought for two seconds and answered firmly, “Dreamfyre.” Rhaenyra nodded and led the way without surprise.
“We will accompany you.” The old dragonkeeper’s face grew heavy, and he called several younger dragonkeepers to join them.
Dreamfyre, the she-dragon, was the oldest and largest adult dragon in the Dragonpit.
Her first rider had been Rhaena Targaryen, the Queen in the East and elder sister of Old King Jaehaerys.
After Rhaena lived out her years, Dreamfyre remained an unclaimed dragon within the Dragonpit.
Decades had passed, and her temper had become terribly fierce.
Vaelor bounced along, entirely unlike the worried dragonkeepers.
He even secretly called up the panel to check the cards.
[Essence Panel] Cards: 1.
[Constitution +1] – Safely strengthens the body.
2.
[Sleight of Hand] – Has a certain chance to move what is in someone else’s pocket into your own.
3.
[Golden-Nosed Mouse] – A small rodent with keen smell and even keener hearing.
✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS EmberHollow Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter pulled you deeper into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.