[Chapter Size: 3200 Words.]

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Thrid Person POV

Essos, 296 AC.

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The ships finally set sail, while the fleet organized the next stage of their journey.

“How many ships will head to the boiling waters, my king?” the captain of the main ship asked as they sailed toward Valyria.

“I want only three ships, I’m not even sending the main one, after all, it would be too risky,” Jon said to the man, who nodded after hearing his words.

He would be responsible for choosing the three ships to be sent, while the main one, on which Jon was traveling, would remain there, keeping his family out of the danger he was about to face.

Jon left his men and approached Arya, who stood by the railing. Just like the previous day, she kept her gaze distant, perhaps blaming herself for what had happened, even though Jon had already told her that she had no control over it.

“You’re going to Valyria…” she spoke in a neutral tone as Jon approached, raising an eyebrow, noting that her wolf was beside her, the companion she had stayed closest to since the incident. The wolf had alerted her to his approach.

“Yes…” Jon stood beside her. “Do you want to come along?” he asked, aware of her interest.

“Yes.” She simply replied, without the usual enthusiasm, as she turned her gaze to him with a certain glimmer. “It’s going to be dangerous… I know, but I’m not worried about myself. After all, I’ve already lost someone; I can’t lose you too…” she murmured, causing Jon to raise an eyebrow at her.

“Would you rather I didn’t go?” he asked.

“Of course I would prefer that. You don’t even know what you’ll find there or if you’ll really go in… I need to be there to protect you…” she said.

“Alright, although I’m the one worried about you. What would I be if I let you die with me?” Jon said with a smile.

“We’re not going to die; we’ll come back alive. We’re only going because I know you won’t refrain from going, and I can’t stop you. So, I’ll make sure you return alive from Valyria,” Arya said firmly, as if Hilla’s death had awakened something in her—the fear of losing someone important… it was a lesson Jon never wanted her to experience, but the world was never kind, and at least it made Arya more rational in her decisions during adventures.

“Alright… my Lady,” Jon said as if addressing a wife, still maintaining his smile, while Arya let a small smile escape her face as well.

Jon simply nodded, leaving her alone so as not to push her further in her grief, before taking his leave and returning inside the ship. He ended up heading to the library to read for a while. There were many books he had gathered from the Free Cities he had visited, and he was in the midst of some readings at the time.

Unsurprisingly, he found Daenerys and Rhaenys sitting there, occupying the space while they read books on various subjects, though one in particular was about dragons.

“Jon?” Rhaenys noticed him opening the door, and Daenerys greeted him as well.

Jon hadn’t spent much time with them lately, as he was always commanding, drawing, and spending time studying or training. The recent days, when he had left Volantis aside to stay with his family while his men handled things, had been an exception.

But he knew the girls always talked about the Targaryen family and its history, trying to connect more with their heritage. After all, Rhaenys had been raised by the Martells, and Daenerys had someone who lived through the years when the family was alive, though not very trustworthy while consumed by his rage, unable to even reason about what was true about their family, speaking only of glories and fantasies from his disturbed mind.

There were a few books about the Targaryen family that Jon had brought after separating them from the batch taken from the Citadel, which he had brought on this journey precisely to have a direct connection with his paternal family and understand it better, even though he had seen many visions with Brynden and had spoken with Aemon.

“I see you’re discussing dragons again and which ones you’d like to have,” Jon commented as he approached.

“Were you spying on us again?” Rhaenys murmured, her gaze dropping directly to Ghost, who was lying there, occupying a part of the cabin due to his size.

“Maybe…” Jon said with a smile. “…but I’m just going to sit here and read for a bit, so don’t mind me.” Jon said as he headed to his desk, while the girls occupied another table.

They just watched him sit there and focus on a book, seemingly no longer paying attention to them, while they continued talking, occasionally glancing at Jon, as they always did.

“Are you going to talk to him?” Rhaenys murmured softly.

“I don’t know… he seems busy… let’s wait.” She replied just as softly.

“I can hear you. If you want to say something directly to me, you don’t need to whisper…” Jon said calmly, setting his book aside, looking at them, and standing up.

Rhaenys glanced at Daenerys, who seemed hesitant. “You’re going to Valyria, but we can’t go, right?” Daenerys asked.

“Obviously, it won’t be an easy task, and I think it’s best if you stay… After all, I don’t know what we will encounter in that land,” Jon said, knowing that the green vision had not ventured into Valyria after its destruction.

“But I could insist on asking you to take me along,” Daenerys murmured cautiously, trying not to impose on Jon, as she didn’t want to contradict him. She was also reluctant to enter another city after what happened in Myr, but when it came to the legendary Valyria, her curiosity outweighed her fear.

“Do you have any idea of the danger we will face? Do you think we will be safe there?” Jon emphasized.

“Yes, I know that. But even so, I would still like to discover something…” Daenerys replied. She looked at Rhaenys, as if it was a matter they had discussed themselves, while Jon just kept his gaze fixed on her.

Rhaenys said nothing more, but seemed to signal Daenerys, who then stood up. “I want to show you something…” she said, with Jon looking at her as she walked toward the fireplace, where an Artican servant had placed wood, and watched Daenerys approach.

His eyes were slightly surprised when she extended her hand and placed it into the fire. The flames bathed her skin, but did not burn her, and she pulled it back to show Jon.

“You’re resistant too…” he murmured, but didn’t seem too surprised, knowing she was a Targaryen, even if it was rare.

“Yes, I am, just like you,” she said, while Jon looked at Rhaenys. “And you?” he asked with curiosity, wondering if his sister could do the same. Rhaenys shook her head.

“No, it seems I’m not… not that pure of a Targaryen…” she murmured, giving Jon a slight, sad smile.

“That has nothing to do with being pure or not. Most Targaryens were burned by fire, even those of pure lineage. Besides, I’m a half-blood like you…” Jon said. He was also half Stark, and that did not diminish his connection to the Targaryens; in fact, it made him more special.

Jon left Rhaenys and turned back to Daenerys with a sigh… “So… you want to find dragon eggs, don’t you?” Jon murmured, already knowing why they had been talking so much about dragons lately and how they envisioned their own. More than just girls dreaming, it was like Sansa imagining her future with gallant knights, but in the case of these two, Sansa’s knights were dragons.

“Yes, I would like to make sure to find eggs on my own. If you found one with your sister and there was a dozen in the Citadel, why wouldn’t we find any in Valyria?” Daenerys said confidently.

“You know that even if I find eggs, I will give them to you; you don’t need to go looking for them on your own…” Jon warned.

“Still, I insist on going!” she said, breaking into a smile, making Jon see a hint of Lyanna from a few years ago, asking things of him.

He remained silent for a few seconds while Daenerys kept her eyes on him before he responded. “Alright, then you will come with me…” Jon finally said, as she broke into a beaming smile.

“Thank you!!” She thanked him, moving closer to him, touching his face, and giving him a kiss on his forehead, seeming happy about it, while Jon raised an eyebrow and nodded to the girl, who then returned to Rhaenys, who seemed to have a slightly accusatory look at the platinum-haired girl.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Rhaenys murmured.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Daenerys said with a wink.

Jon ignored the whispering and turned back to Daenerys. “I want you to stay with Arya in the coming days and clear up all your doubts about how to prepare to go there. I’ve already given her some instructions over the last moons, and I hope she hasn’t forgotten, so she can explain to you how we will proceed,” Jon commented, and Daenerys nodded again.

The days went by as the ships continued to sail, leaving Volantis further and further behind, a small memory on the horizon, until they finally began to see the smoky horizon on the continent’s side, indicating the infamous Valyria with its trails of destruction that had lasted for hundreds of years. It covered the entire horizon on this side of the sea, acting almost like a beacon for lost sailors; after all, flames could still be seen within the smoke at night, with the horizon glowing along its edge.

Thus, the days continued with this constant sight of smoke until they finally reached the center, where Jon had ordered the fleet to anchor.

“Well, from now on, I’ll go alone with them. Just take care of our son…” Jon said to Rhaenys, who nodded before he went to speak to his men, some of whom began preparing to transfer to a new ship. He had to say goodbye to Rhaenys, as she would be the only one staying behind, while Arya and Daenerys would accompany him, and Ygritte would not let him go alone.

Quickly, the group began to separate, as three carrack ships were chosen to bring back everything they could find.

At least 20 royal guards accompanied them, and Wind was also present, as she was essential to help them enter that inhospitable place for any human. They would otherwise die not only from suffocation due to the air but also from the hostile environment that affected human skin and carried incurable diseases.

And so, they began to sail, feeling the heat increase, even though they were still far from the smoke. The heat only intensified as they advanced, and the sea started to bubble near it.

“Use these…” Jon said, handing out an object he had created in Ártica, an artifact with runes he had designed. He had planned this journey for a long time and needed something that could filter the air, so they wouldn’t die suffocated or inhale harmful substances, as they would be exposed to dangerous fumes due to all the processes Valyria had once produced. Everyone on the ships received these, a mouth filter, like a mask fitting from chin to nose, with runes etched on it.

“I can’t see anything here. Shouldn’t the ship catch fire with this sea?” Daenerys murmured, looking at the bubbling water.

“Most ships would burn, but these have a special design.” Jon explained. “They are made from a wood I produced myself. It rarely burns, and it would take a lot of effort for that to happen.”

Everything was silent except for the sound of the bubbles, and without any clear view ahead, the ships continued to move forward until Jon noticed something while paying close attention. There were no animals; his birds would fall ill, Ghost disliked the heat, and Serume would end up as a boiled fish.

But the shadows seen through his eyes were becoming clearer after two hours on this sea. “There are ships here,” he said, quite surprised as he saw the ships beginning to emerge in their direction.

“Prepare to fight!! Ships in sight!!” The Articans shouted from one ship to another. Without a Warg to give silent commands, they had to use the old-fashioned way.

“Those…” Jon was once again surprised, as these ships flew the banners of Westeros, and he wondered what they were doing there.

“Greyjoys…” Arya murmured, also stunned as she recognized the flag.

“Somehow, they’re here… I can’t understand why,” Jon murmured.

“My king, they’re heading straight for us, and they don’t look friendly,” a royal guard said, and Jon agreed with the obvious. “Well, we have no other choice. Destroy them all,” Jon gave the direct order.

Quickly, the giants accompanying them on the three ships, also wearing masks made for them, began to prepare. There were at least 20 ships advancing toward them, perhaps thinking they would find easy prey, unaware of whom they were about to face.

But they were soon in for a surprise, as the next moment, a barrage of harpoons was launched from the three Artican ships, with projectiles larger than spears, advancing through the smoke and striking the enemy ships about 300 meters ahead, in the midst of the mist.

It didn’t take long for the harpoons to hit their targets, and Jon could hear shouts of surprise in the distance before the fuse finally ignited the explosive liquid in the cylinders. The explosion erupted amidst the smoke, a green light covering the entire view and even spreading across the water, followed by a thunderous boom.

Three enemy ships had been obliterated, which seemed to alert the remaining enemies. They began to maneuver their vessels, perhaps frightened by the realization that the giants were preparing more harpoons.

“I don’t know why, but I sense someone there is quite troublesome…” Jon commented simply, narrowing his eyes before continuing… “Since they took the initiative to attack us… finish them all off at once and leave no one alive.” He issued the order.

More harpoons were launched, hitting the enemy ships and causing a second series of explosions, while the men there screamed. Some even jumped into the water, but that only led to a certain death. The boiling water would cook them alive, and they didn’t know what would be worse: dying from the wildfire or being boiled alive as they tried to swim away.

Some ships finally managed to maneuver around the position, but more and more harpoons were still being fired. Even so, a few managed to disappear into the smoke, while the harpoons continued to hit one of them, resulting in a distant explosion, with two other harpoons missing the ships, having no clear visibility at the moment.

“Should we pursue them, my king?” the men asked, while Ygritte, Arya, and Daenerys merely watched the massacre.

“There is no reason to continue the pursuit. We have no birds to track them. Let them go…” Jon murmured, hoping that the person on one of the ships had been taken out by the explosions. However, he wasn’t sure which one was the main ship, as they all looked the same, making it impossible to tell who was in command.

Thus, the ships continued to move forward, and the sunlight shone weakly, beginning to reveal the silhouette of an immense mountain ahead, likely the highest peaks of ancient Valyria, outlined by the sunlight through the smoke.

“We’re getting close,” Ygritte murmured, and Jon nodded beside her.

“Wind, I want you to prepare. We’ll be disembarking soon,” Jon instructed, and she nodded, getting ready, knowing she would need to expend a lot of energy there.

Jon ended up swapping his eldenmetal armor for leather, as did all his men and family. It was a light armor that would offer better protection from the heat with the runes Jon had placed on it. Even though he was resistant to flames, he still wanted the increased mobility it provided during the exploration of ruins.

He had created it at the same time as the masks, using a different runic combination than the one he employed in the creation forge for eldenmetal. He couldn’t equip all the runes simultaneously, so he had to choose between a light armor or one resistant to the fire element.

In any case, everyone was equipped, and it didn’t take long for the first real structures of Valyria to start appearing ahead, revealing a kind of port in a city corrupted by rivers of lava flowing through it. The structures were all broken, and the city still burned with the flow of fire coming from the mountains.

“So this is the ancient land of dragons,” Daenerys murmured, in awe.

“Yes. It was an important ancient port city. It had one of the largest ports in Valyria… it’s the same size as White Harbor in the north…” Jon explained.

“Incredible… how do you know that?” Daenerys murmured, looking at Jon with admiration. It was impressive that he knew so much about a part of the city and had such detailed information about its function.

“We’ll talk about it in Ártica, but you can verify it in the records. This city was important and had significant weight in Valyria’s trade, serving Volantis and the entire western part of Essos, even reaching Westeros…. It was managed by a separate branch of an influential family, though not the main family. Only one member of this family owned a dragon, but they were extremely wealthy…” Jon explained.

“They had so much wealth that they possessed a vast amount of Valyrian steel, which stood out even among the most influential families in Valyria at the time…” he continued, as his goal was to find a forge and try to manufacture his own Valyrian steel in Ártica.

The city became more visible as they neared the broken port that emerged ahead.

“The lava flows straight into the sea… that’s why it’s bubbling…” Arya commented, seeing the rivers of lava from the mountains colliding with the seawater. It was possible to see the glow of the lava among the waves, sinking and disappearing into the depths, yet still flowing, forming aquatic lava rivers beneath them.

“Well, we’re arriving, and while we may have resistance to the heat with the armor, the armor doesn’t nullify the heat; it just offers some resistance. Even so, we’re still exposed to the diseases this place might bring. Wind, it’s time for you to place a protection enchantment on each of us, at least for a few hours,” he said to the child of the forest, who nodded at his request. She already knew they would need a small group while exploring the lands of the ancient dragonlords.

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