Chapter 15 – Firewyrm
"Gods." A Silver Blood Guard soldier muttered involuntarily the moment he saw the monster's head slowly emerge. "What is that?"
Their segmented bodies were covered in rock-like carapaces, wriggling out of the ruins like giant worms. But these monsters had lizard-like heads, and their dense teeth grated together like blades, emitting a headache-inducing sound.
Where their eyes should have been, blood-red flames burned—eerie, yet to Dragonzel and the others, there was a peculiar beauty to them.
Ray, protected in the middle by his elder brothers, suddenly thought of a creature he had once read about. But before he could speak, the monsters abruptly accelerated.
"Unsullied, form ranks!" Silver Scorpion roared, pulling down his face guard.
The Unsullied lined up neatly in formation, and their javelins flew in unison toward the charging worm-like monsters.
Without hesitation, Aslan Longdel and Amos Fezerel rallied the surviving Silver Blood Guard to raise their long axes, covering the Unsullied's volleys.
"Do not get bogged down in battle," Dragonzel said as he stepped into the formation. "Everyone, fall back inland."
He had just activated a blood sorcery he had mastered—one with a simple effect: detecting danger by sensing fluctuations in external blood. This spell, which he named Bloodline Sense, along with another he constantly maintained—Prophetic Blood, which warned him through shifts in his own blood's temperature—were his most important survival methods.
Although the liquid flowing from those worm-like monsters burned like magma, it was still blood in essence. He could sense it clearly.
Aemond, the butler responsible for their personal guard—known as the "Winged Dragon"—raised his long-handled battle-axe. Standing nearly seven feet tall, he resembled a giant, watching the monsters intently.
The first volley of spears proved effective. Several of the creatures were pinned to ruins and stone, seemingly realizing these intruders were no easy prey. More crawled forward, though their speed slowed. Only a few larger ones continued advancing.
The second volley was less effective. The rock-like carapaces were smoother and harder than expected.
The largest creature dodged the final volley, suddenly opening its mouth. A massive ball of blood-red flame blasted toward the Unsullied formation. Several smaller creatures slithered through the flames, attempting to break the line after the blast.
They failed.
The armor of the Unsullied shimmered with silver-red light. The blood-red flames washed over them but failed to cause serious harm.
The Red Priest Marakh, who had been chanting beside Dragonzel, finally completed his prayer. The tattoos on his face flared like fire.
Spreading his arms, he thrust forward.
The torrent of flame halted—and then reversed.
Several smaller worm-like creatures ignited instantly, writhing on the ground.
Silver Scorpion raised his spear and gave a sharp signal.
The Unsullied thrust as one.
Their spears, glowing silver-red, pierced through the rock-like shells. The Silver Blood Guard followed with heavy axe-blows. Several of the serpent-like creatures were cleaved in half, magma-like blood spilling and raising clouds of black smoke.
The creature shrieked and thrashed but remained pinned by the spears.
Lynn and Ago stepped forward together. Lynn split its body; Ago severed its head. The longsword and arakh fell nearly in unison—followed by the quiet, decisive sweep of Black Widow, Dragonzel's Valyrian steel blade.
Sensing mortal danger, the creature rolled wildly, spewing fire in all directions.
Then it stopped.
Ago's arakh split the armored skull, and Dragonzel's Valyrian steel sword delivered the final strike.
The lizard-like head fell lifelessly to the ground.
Using the Unsullied formation, the group retreated swiftly.
In the distance, more and more creatures of similar size raised their heads.
Further still, a colossal, mountain-like shape stirred.
Dragonzel clenched his fist and activated the sorcery lingering in their blood.
"Scatter! Regroup at the hills behind us!"
He and Valarr split into two teams and sprinted toward the higher ground. The Red Priest unleashed a great burst of flame to cover their retreat.
The mountain-like shape finally lifted its head.
It paused as though confused, then opened its mouth—revealing a throat glowing like a dark red sun.
It was the same creature—only magnified beyond measure.
A gigantic lizard-headed worm burning with blackened fire.
Compared to it, the earlier beast was no more than a candle before a volcano.
Black flames engulfed vast sections of ruin. Smaller creatures writhed and burned, turning to ash.
The colossal beast shook its head sluggishly and settled back down.
Only then did the survivors peer over the hills.
"What kind of monster is that?" Valarr asked, staring at the burning devastation.
Dragonzel thought of something else entirely.
Valarr and Ray did not know that he had once seen a living dragon.
He had been young then. His mother still lived; Ray had not yet been born. He had begun studying governance under his father.
He had seen a dragon with a long neck and narrow head, teeth like daggers, and flames of terrifying power.
But that dragon had been beautiful.
Not twisted.
Not warped.
Caraxes—the "Blood Wyrm"—mount of Prince Daemon Targaryen of House Targaryen.
At the time, Prince Daemon had quarreled bitterly with his brother, King Viserys I Targaryen. Together with Corlys Velaryon, the "Sea Snake," he waged war in the Stepstones, conquering territory and extracting tribute from the Free Cities.
Dragonzel's father had invited the prince to Volantis, offering wealth and two hundred elite soldiers.
Dragonzel did not know what was discussed privately between his father and Prince Daemon. But the prince had treated him kindly, personally instructing him in swordplay and showing him the Valyrian steel blade Dark Sister.
It was elegant and slender—a finer blade than his own Black Widow.
After Ray's birth, his mother died. Prince Daemon rode Caraxes to offer condolences.
Later, after further conflict with King Viserys I, Prince Daemon was exiled once more. He frequently visited the Varezes estate in those years, until he married Lady Laena Velaryon and settled in Pentos.
Dragonzel's father sent wedding gifts.
The prince and Lady Laena later visited Volantis together. But Dragonzel did not see Caraxes again, nor Laena's dragon—Vhagar, the greatest dragon of that age.
The estate that once hosted dragons had since been sold.
Dragonzel suspected that whatever secret agreement his father made with Prince Daemon concerned dragons.
His goal was the same—to obtain one.
Yet he knew House Targaryen would never allow outsiders to possess dragons.
Still, prophecy demanded he return to Westeros.
As a blood sorcerer, Dragonzel understood: on the gods' board, mortals were pieces. Even if fate was defied, it would return in another form.
Unless one seized fate—and struck back.
He hoped what his father had buried years ago would bear fruit.
If this expedition yielded a dragon—or even a viable dragon egg—his contingency would begin.
He could only hope.
—
An Unsullied suddenly collapsed.
Silver Scorpion stepped forward immediately. "Do not approach."
The soldier had been bitten earlier.
The Unsullied stood rigid as his flesh began to rot, smoking as though aflame.
Dragonzel attempted blood sorcery—but sensed no blood remaining.
Only boiling heat.
Pustules burst open.
From within, a smaller worm-like creature writhed.
The Red Priest Marakh thrust his hand forward, invoking flame. Fire surged through the soldier's body, burning the parasites beneath the skin.
"These are Firewyrms!" Ray shouted. "I read about them—these are Firewyrms!"
Dragonzel understood immediately.
Firewyrms were creatures recorded in Valyrian lore—beasts that dwelled beneath the Fourteen Flames, capable of breathing fire and growing larger over time. Some maesters believed dragons were bred or shaped from such creatures.
"But Firewyrms should dwell beneath volcanoes," Lynn said. "Or underground."
"Look," Hofa said quietly.
Beyond the hills lay another ruin.
Collapsed towers. Cracked earth. Rivers of molten stone.
And beside a fallen spire—
A colossal dragon skeleton.
Even half-buried in ruin, its enormity was unmistakable.
Only then did they notice something else.
Amid the ancient devastation were newer structures—formed around the dragon's remains.
"We may have found what we came for," Valarr murmured.
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