A/N: This is my first fan fic which I am excited to present. It's going to be a long story so I hope you enjoy the ride.
Basically the story starts in Valyria and ends in Westeros. Constructive comments welcome but please keep it classy. This world is not my creation, it is all GRRM's.
Chapter 1: The Child's Prophecy
The night was dark and quiet, the Master was tossing in his bed, restless worrying about his child. He rolled onto his back his silver white hair strewn across both sides of the bed. He looked to the side and sighed at the empty space left behind by his long gone wife. How he wished she was here instead of permanently walking in dreams. Resigned to another sleepless night he gets out of bed and puts on a night gown black and silky with a large three headed dragon across the back. He goes over to his window and stares into the night. The city of Valyria is magnificent, there was no other city compared to its splendour.
The sound of beating dragon wings was constant as dragons traversed across the rooftops. Lights from buildings with iridescent domes shone brightly into the night with multi coloured prisms of light that thrilled all who watched. Aenar sighed, but nothing seemed to bring him joy anymore. He seemed to be waiting for something to happen or to lead him to the next phase of his life. The present felt stuck, forced and everything was getting a little boring to deal with. He looked over at the door as he heard hurried footsteps, his heart lurched as the door opened and his daughters handmaiden entered.
"Sorry to disturb so suddenly Master, its Daenys again"
Aenar dipped his head in acknowledgement and followed her out of the room. Usually entering a Masters room without permission was forbidden but in the case of his daughters condition he allowed it.
He followed her through the sprawling property to a large set of double doors with a huge intricately carved three headed dragon on the door. They entered the room and he nodded to his daughter's guard who was watching her tossing and turning in her bed. Her forehead slick with sweat and visibly distressed although she was still asleep.
"Has she been like this for long?" He whispered to the guard.
"Master she has been dream walking for a while now and it became distressing. She asked me to hold off calling for you as she sees how much you worry for her"
He purses his lips at her foresight but quietly nodded and takes his daughter's side.
He turned to the handmaiden, "Syra bring me some parchment and a quill, and quickly"
She nodded and quietly exited the room.
He turned back to Daenys and his heart wrenched in his chest. How it pained him to see his daughters body wrench with the force of the visions. He felt powerless to help and worry is not a feeling a dragon lord is accustomed to.
Daenys grabbed his hand squeezing tightly as she thrashed around the bed groaning. He held her hand and watched her wishing he had some answers.
The maid eventually returned, thankfully he hadn't missed anything.
He set up the paper and quill on the bedside and still holding Daenys hand, he waited.
"Fire and blood" she suddenly said as quiet as a whisper.
Aenar wrote it down and waited.
"It's all gone, everything...gone" she cried out in her sleep, followed by pained whimpering.
Aenar felt a pit of dread in his stomach, how he wished he could see what visions she was seeing and what this meant for his family.
She continued fitfully sleeping the rest of the night. Aenar himself dozed off for a short while.
He dreamt of long strands of silky white hair enveloping him. Her voice came calling for him to follow her. He turned to go to her but he was caught in a web of silver hair. It made no move to restrain him but no matter how much he pushed it away he couldn't break free and get to her.
"I've got to go now Aenar" said his beloved.
"No wait! Just one last kiss my love" he said in desperation, knowing that's not all he wanted from her.
"I will wait for you here" she said and almost sounded like it was whispered right in his ear.
He jerked his head around to follow his beloveds voice and he startled himself to waking up. He squinted his eyes at the bright light in the room when he woke and noticed Daenys was gone.
Aenar walked through the coridoors of his mansion dazed from poor sleep and waking from a vivid dream with his wife again. He had gotten past the point of caring what his servants thought of his appearance. He was the Master after all and how much he missed his love outweighed what he cared of their thoughts. He was still very proud though and when he stepped out of the house he ensured he was every bit the Dragon Lord of Valyria he could be. Walking towards the dining halls he could hear the children speaking in low voices.
'She's trying to hide it from me again' he thought to himself with a sad sigh.
Why his daughter felt the need to hide from him he didn't understand. He entered the hall to see Daenys and Gaemon eating and talking quietly together. They looked up and saw him becoming instantly quiet.
"Morning my little dragons. Sleep well?" He said, convinced one would answer yes and one would answer no.
"Perfectly fine father, just some passing night terrors" responded Daenys attempting to show her father she was fine.
He saw straight through her.
He looked at her intensely for a few seconds before sighing and turning his attention to his son.
"Have you been practicing your riding skills Gaemon? Your dragon is grown enough now and it's time you both got to know each other"
Gaemon nodded, "Yes father, I wanted to ask you for some tips actually"
Aenar smiled, "Tips son?"
"Yes, you see I'm having trouble...well...holding on"
Aenar laughed whole heartedly, a full bellied laugh which wasn't his usual style of laughing given he was a man more of the lean side than large.
His children glanced at each other in surprise.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just the way you...never mind. We will take the dragons out today and I'll see where you need some help."
"Can I come too father?" asked Daenys, she seemed rather keen to go out riding.
"Not today" he replied seriously, "I have someone coming to visit with you"
Daenys looked scared, "coming to visit me? For what?"
"To help you control your dream walking"
"But-"She tried to retort.
Aenar held up his hand, "Daenys stop trying to hide it from me. It doesn't make it any easier to deal with the fact your mother is gone. What makes things worse is you're clearly needing help to control your talents and I'm lacking in that department. You'll train with this priest and that's the end of it. We can go riding another time"
She nodded in agreement while her stomach churned with anxiety.
They sat in silence and finished eating. The dining hall was particularly ornate and displayed all the splendour of the dragon lords of Valyria. Despite being minor dragon Lords in Valyrian hierarchy the Targaryen's possessed enough wealth to live in great comfort.
The wall behind Aenar had a large detailed three headed dragon mural stylised to be ruling over the world. Showing his ancestors ambitions for their house. The ceiling had a huge crystal and gold chandelier which reflected light across the dragon making it look alive. The dining hall truly was an impressive display of the Targaryen home.
Father and brother had gone out riding. She cursed the gift of Dreamwalking she inherited from her mother. The same gift that eventually killed her mother had been passed to her. She longed to feel the freedom of her dragon beneath her and the feeling of flying was much more exhilarating than sitting in a room with a musty old priest. She heard someone approaching the doorway to the study she was sitting in. She looked up from her lessons to see a man much younger than she was expecting. He had purple robes on which made his eyes seem to shine even brighter. His purple eyes were intense and looked at her with interest. His hair was styled in intricate braids all over his head and cascaded down his back. He emanated power and moved with purpose but also grace.
"Daenys we meet in person" he entered the room and sat across from her.
"Ah have we met before?" She was suddenly nervous
"Not while awake we haven't. I knew your father would send for me. Let me introduce myself my name is Rhaenar. I'm from the Temple of Dreamwalkers and your father asked me to help you...control your gifts"
"Gifts?"
He nodded, "Yes...your gifts" he crossed the room closer to her, "Being a dream walker isn't just about seeing your dreams. It is so much more. I won't go into too much detail this early on. But we need to start learning the basics and when you can control it the real fun begins"
"Uh I don't know how fun it's going to be. I usually see incredibly vivid, horrible things happening. Often to the people I love" she visibly shudders.
"Visions can be frightening when you don't know how to control them and what is real, or should I say has the potential to be real. Once we start you'll at least be able to rest more peacefully and hopefully with time you'll be able to recall everything you've seen in your dream state"
She nodded mutely, there was nothing else she could say. There was no escaping it now. Yet his confidence and demeanour had calmed her.
She lifted her chin resolved to her need to control her 'gift', "Let's begin then".
He inclined his head and sat across from her enjoying her defiant resolve into the unknown.
Weeks later:
Aenar was very happy with Daenys lessons with Rhaenar. She was sleeping better and in turn so was he. She was happier and more like she used to be when she was a child. Rhaenar, she said had helped her dream walk and learn how to change what was happening in her dreams. Which apparently is the first step to discerning between what is a real prophecy and what is simply just a dream. Dreams can be changed, altered and deleted whereas prophecies cannot.
"Prophecy cannot be changed because you are meant to see that sequence of events and alter it in real life, not the dream state" says Daenys proudly and confidently one night at dinner.
Aenar smiles at her, 'Looks like I've got my daughter back' he thought to himself and smiled inwardly.
"I did not know that, how interesting" he responds as he eats dinner half heartedly.
"Did mother never mention this to you?" She asked boldly and instantly regretted it.
His smile faded and he became serious again, lost in the memory of his wife, "No" he quietly replied, "she never had anyone teach her properly in time before..."
"Father I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked"
He closed his eyes and braced his forehead with his hand, "No it's fine. We can't forget she existed and get upset every time some one mentions her. She'd be furious if she knew I was this upset at her not being here. Such a fierce woman. No it's ok. She never mentioned it because I think she longed to have gifts in other areas instead of dreams"
Daenys nodded, "I know how she feels in that area"
Aenar looked at her seriously "And you do have other gifts, you are a dragon rider, fierce fighter and you dream walk. This just needs your attention for now. Don't worry I won't be stopping you from exploring any other gifts"
She smiles relieved to hear it from him
"Now Gaemon tell yourself sister how you fell off Maeka today. It's funny to laught about now and she won't tease you...too much"
He smiles and winks at Daenys, Gaemon rolls his eyes and tells the story.
Months pass and her time with Rhaenar has taught her to control and change dreams. So far the prophecies haven't come and she's relieved. Introducing a nightly routine has helped clear her mind and the events of the day so her dreams aren't clouded with processing information. Her maids bathe with herbs and exotic flower petals added for relaxing and calming properties. After she dries herself they apply all over scented oils to help open up the mind, relax the body and focus the inner eye. She spends a short time in meditation before bed sitting on her bed her silvery white hair glowing in the darkness of her room. Her eyes closed she is drifting in darkness.
"Good to see you here my student" Rhaenar's voice booms in her mind
"I'm feeling clear and calm now more than ever before"
"Good, very good, let's begin"
She breathes deeply and lays down in case she falls during her dream state.
Her body relaxes and she floats into dreams. Easy dreams she can control and change. Dragons diving into another and dancing around one another, she changes them to birds diving into one another. Fire burning high into the sky she transforms to a beautiful fountain.
"Good control" comments Rhaenar, his voice booming in her mind and reverberating throughout her dream state.
Suddenly, she's standing in the main square of Valyria, it's deserted. The air is hot and dry, uncomfortable and out of place to its usual even temperature. She looks up as dragons are falling down dead all around her. She tries to change the dragons into another form and she can't.
"Don't panic, hold yourself there and control the breath" says Rhaenar
She feels the floor shaking under her feet, the buildings around her crumble and fall. She hears a terrifying explosion and sees Valyria torn apart in the most spectacular and devastating explosions. Everything moves in slow motion, people are running and dying all around her. She feels the heat of the volcanic air rushing all around her burning people and dragons alive. Nothing is spared. No one is saved. She sees her home melted and ruined, unidentified bodies she guesses are her father, brother and servants. It gets too much she runs but she can't escape. Everything is turmoil, everywhere is death. Valyria is gone.
Aenar is shaken awake by a frantic servant
"Master, master please come. Quickly!"
Months had passed by without his sleep being disturbed. He was confused for a moment why this person had put their hands on him and then he remembered, Daenys!
He jumped out of bed and ran to her room not bothering to cover himself up.
She was writhing on the bed, eyes rolled back in her head and milky white. Her servants helpless to help her Gaemon cowered in the corner helplessly
"Syra get Gaemon back in bed"
"Yes master"
"Gaemon, son it'll be alright follow Syra"
"Father I thought this was under control"
"I did too but for now it'll be ok. Back to your room I'm here now"
He squeezed his sons shoulder in comfort trying to feel something he did not which was confidence.
He glanced at Daenys and for a second she looked just like his wife the last time she dream walked and didn't return.
"Has the prophecy released her yet" Rhaenar's voice was smooth and calm.
Aenar glanced over his shoulder relieved.
"No, not yet. She's never been this deep before. Can we do anything?"
Rhaenar shook his head, in the darkness of the night his eyes practically shining "we can't do anything to release her from the prophecy it needs to show itself to her in full"
Aenar glanced back at her she was no longer writhing as if in pain but those milky white eyes staring straight upward unnerved him.
When Daenys returned to consciousness she fell into a deep exhausted sleep. Rhaenar tended to her and rubbed some different oils on her to help her recover.
Her father and Rhaenar spoke in the hallway.
"The first prophecy one sees is usually the hardest, she may sleep for a few days. It's like training for hours straight and riding on dragon back for days afterward. A lot of strain on the physical body. She's stronger than she lets on, I will watch over her dreams and help shift anything too distressing"
"Thank you Rhaenar, I...don't really know what to say" Aenar scratches his head dazed and concerned.
"Lord Targaryen you have a capable woman growing in there. She's going to be fine"
Aenar looked into Rhaenar's iridescent bright purple eyes. He stared steadily back at Aenar expressionless and calmly turned and walked out "I will be back to check on her physical health tomorrow".
Daenys slowly fluttered her eyes open and felt around on her bed. Sheets, bed, familiar... home. Everything as it was when she fell asleep. She lifted her head and immediately was struck with pain, silently crying inside she laid back on the pillow and closed her eyes again
"The pain goes away in a day or two"
She recognised that voice.
"You never told me how much you feel in a prophecy", she replied weakly.
"Because you wouldn't have believed me until you experience it yourself"
"What did I see?", she whispered.
"I don't know, you tell me. I know you remember"
She sighed frustrated that she had to relive it all over again.
"I...don't think I can right now"
"You'll have to sooner or later"
She pulled herself up to sitting and saw him sitting across the room from her writing notes
He looked up at her movement and smiled gently.
"You did better than most I'll tell you that."
"It doesn't feel that way to me" She replied holding her pounding head.
Just because she was awake didn't quell his anxiety for her wellbeing. He sat contemplating his past experience with raw dream walking gifts. Her mother was just learning to grasp her dream walking when she passed during a particularly violent prophecy. The contents of which she was never able to fully reveal. He would never forget waking up to her eyes wide and milky staring straight as if she was already dead. She was muttering words he had tried to burn from his mind with little success. He remembered touching his wife and she felt cold but her heart was still beating though erratically. She breathed out deeply, "they sweep through the world with ice...blue eyes...the death of all".
She thrashed and screamed out, he tried to place his hands on her so she could feel his warmth. She pushed him away
"Fire above all!" She yelled and he paced the room trying to be calm and confident in her ability to walk back to their family. He admired her strength, she was a strong woman. Built lean but muscly and agile. A gifted fighter and amateur wielder of magic.
Suddenly she sat up and clutched her chest in pain her eyes rolling back and returning to burn him her glowing green gaze. She burned her gaze through him.
"It will all burn my love" she breathed, "we are doomed to die"
His blood turned to ice and he ran to her side taking her hand.
She fell back onto the bed and was gone.
Hours later the healers left with their condolences.
"I'm sorry Master Targaryen, this prophecy was the end of her. Her heart just gave out"
He wipes tears away at the thought of her gone, at the feeling of hopelessness and resolved himself to never feel that again.
Her body spun and turned feeling at one with her blades. She preferred to fight with two. It made her feel powerful and balanced to bend and sway, spin and kick while wielding her double blades. Her sword master dove and ducked with her spinning in an ever evolving dance where he tested her boundaries and coaxed her into showing her skills and finding her weaknesses. She strikes and leans into her target but he effortlessly rolls away and lands the death blow that would end her in real fighting to the death.
She concedes breathing heavily but feeling joyful. The fight, the dance makes her feel alive. Her light leather armour feels plastered to her body with sweat. Her hair is stuck to her head and her purple blue eyes shine with happiness.
"Well done today young mistress. You are losing yourself to the moment. Blade and body are as one. You move with the flow of the energy and I can sense you feeling my movements here" he points to his head, "instead of here" he points to his eyes.
She nods and smiles clearly puffing from the exertion.
"And yet you still possess impatience that you would carelessly strike at me"
She looks down knowing he was right she had tired of the game and decided to make the first move.
"I feel like you're always going to drag out my lessons to make me strike first" she smiles.
He stares at her for a second and grins, "And that is my job. To uncover weakness and turn it to steel. Well done my dragon you are improving. Now tell me where did you go wrong?"
She sheaths her swords because the lesson was coming.
"I didn't use the weaknesses you had shown me. I went for an attack while you were still standing in your strong stance. I pushed an attack I knew was going to fail"
He raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Very good. Very good. You dance with me well and you accept your failures. Now let's learn how to pick the right time to attack based on just footwork alone."
They begin to dance around each other with fighting stances in an impressive display of physical agility and grace. Ducking, diving, spinning, jumping.
Suddenly he holds up his hand to halt
"Tell me child which part of that showed weakness?"
"When you step back and are leading with your left foot. You don't have as much power to defend an attack."
"Yes! Exactly right. With my lead foot at the back of my body I shift a lot of my power away from an effective defence. Do not forget that. Next lesson I won't be reminding you I expect you to land at least one non fatal blow on me"
He grins, sheaths his swords and bows to her.
"Until next time"
She returns the bow in thanks and watches him leave their training room. The room is empty of all furniture however it's magnificence remains. The golden chanadelier sparkles over her head and the brightly coloured murals twinkle with life. The people in the murals seem to be watching her. She unwraps her armour and begins to place it back in its casing.
She feels her fathers presence before she hears him.
"You're becoming quite the warrior"
She smiles and continues to clean and pack up.
"It's the one time I truly feel alive...and in control"
A shadow of fear passes over her face as she remembers why she likes training. To escape the terror of her nights.
She hears her father sigh, "Your mother was the same."
She whirls around, "If mother was so strong why didn't it matter in the end?"
Her father smiles sadly and pulls out an orb from his robes.
She swallows in fear because she knows what these are and isn't sure if she wants to see them.
He releases it from his hand and it floats up into the air and explodes with light. The room fills up with the memories of her mothers last dream walk. Her father had perfectly preserved the pain of her mothers last moments.
When the memories fade the orb returns to her fathers hands.
She swallows thickly, "Father I-"
"We don't need to exchange condolences you were there you remember my pain child. That's not why I'm showing you this."
She nods and understands.
"Daenys we need the prophecy. I won't lose anyone else to the dreams"
Rhaenar joins her for reliving the prophecy this time physically in the room.
"Now this is more advanced dreamwalking but I believe considering the circumstances it's time to go there."
He pulls out a vial of liquid and shows it to her.
She looks confused, "it's not poison is it?"
Her smiles tightly, "To some yes but in just the right dosage it protects the heart from the stresses of dream walking. You see in the dreams your body can easily slip into a dangerous state because of the physical strain on the body. And might cause you to dream walk forever. Which we don't want."
"That's what happened to my mother" she says quietly, fear gripping her heart after what her father had shown her.
"Yes it is and she needed better guidance than what she had. But the time is gone for what ifs"
She nodded once and was appreciative for his unemotional approach to her greatest fear. It helped keep her emotions in check. She took the drops of liquid into her mouth.
"Now I'll be with you because I need to record this. This time I'll join you in the prophecy so we have two accounts of what's happening in case we miss something."
Relief flooded over her and she let out a breath feeling the fear leaving her
"Don't be afraid to ask for help in the future dear" he said sternly looking at her
"I'm just used to dealing with this alone I'm not used to doing that"
"No matter you have guidance you, use it"
He rubbed a strong smelling oil on her forehead, "This is a mixture of oils and dragon tears. A powerful mix which is going to make the prophecy stronger and more vivid. But at the same time will help us to slow the prophecy down so we can take it all in"
"Okay"
He wiped his hand over her eyes and she drifted immediately into a trance, she opened her eyes and she was in Valyria in the day time.
She looked to her left and he is standing there she looks straight ahead and moves resolutely into the prophecy.
Flames, fire and earth shaking explosions fill her mind and he travels by her side slowing things down when she is physically overwhelmed. Volcanoes erupt and cover the land with larva. Every person falls, every building and temple falls. Dragons are destroyed. Tsunamis sweep through the land destroying anything the larva doesn't touch. All knowledge and wealth is swept away as if it never was. The ruins are left and the prophecy changes to a far away land. They see an island with a huge castle with stone dragons. They also see a string of islands connected by rock bridges. And they see a huge wall of ice. They see battles on a field, dragons dancing and fighting over a lake. They see men bending the knee for a dragon rider. They see an army of dead marching under the orders of an undead king, with shining icy eyes.