The Dance Of Sapphires

11 - Sacrificial Lambs

Jaerionna

After I gathered all the things I needed a storm was heading to the castle.

I packed all my things and took my warmest cloak. It was black, from the inside covered in light fur, it was very long and warm. All the things I carried, weighted my shoulders and were hard to carry. And the animal on the leash behind me slowed me down. When I went outside it was already lightly raining.

The moon was high above the clouds and it was shining beautifully, she looked like an opal inlaid in the deadly nightshade. I started climbing the highest cliff that was on the other side of the castle. It was slippery, from the rain and hard to climb with all the items on my back and the stubborn animal behind me.

When I reached the top it was already pouring rain. But I wasn't soaking wet yet, I was just damp. I placed all the items in front of me. I made a circle of candles and lit them. I took four golden goblets and placed them in front of me. One was for rain water, the other for blood, one was filled with wine, and the last one was filled with olive oil. I grabbed a dagger that was gifted to me by Ser Harwin Strong. It was a curly silver blade with a dragon head carved into it, the handle was similar to black sister's, the bolster had dragon wings and the handle was red, at the end of the handle was a sculpted moon.

Lastly, I grabbed the lamb. He was terrified, but so was I. I had no wish in hurting it, but a dragon required a blood sacrifice. And I was willing to give one.

I shushed the lamb that was trying to escape and held it in front of me. I was on my knees, so I captured the little creature in between them.

After a lightning struck somewhere in the sea and the mountain shook from the sea wave's strength, I drew the dagger into air, in front of the shaking lamb. And with another lightning I struck the lamb and cut it open, from its chest to the stomach. A tear slid my cheek and the poor animal stopped squirming.

It was dead.

I killed the little animal and with shaking hands, I grasped the lambs heart. My hands were drowning in rivers of blood. I lifted it's heart from it's body. And now I needed to eat it.

I moved the heart in front of my mouth and felt a sudden wave of strength. I put the heart in my mouth and bit it. The taste was bitter and disturbing. Everything started smelling of iron and blood. I was soaked in rain and gore. I slowly, bite after bite, ate the trembled heart. And I lost my purity, but I offered purity, to the gods.

When I swallowed the last bite, I felt power overcome me. I took the dagger again and moved it to my hand. I sliced my hand and brought it to one of the goblets. I waited a few moments, till the drops of my blood fell into the cup and was enough for me to drink. But I'm not going to drink it all. The blood mixing with the rain, became lighter, but still looked black in the nightshade.

I took a sip from all of the cups. The taste was once again awful, the blood mixing with rain water, wine and olive oil, left a cruel aftertaste on my tongue.

Then I poured the rest of the liquids from the goblets, inside the little lamb. There was one last thing I needed to do. I needed to set it on fire.

All the candles were already dead from the rain, so I took a match and lit the creature on. I placed the match on the lamb and it immediately caught on fire. I stood up and watched as flames swallowed the animal whole. Dancing and playing in the harsh winds, the flames were looking like gods dancing in circles.

"Oh, issa mighty gods! Nyke emagon nykeā irudy syt ao se hope naejot jiõragon mēre isse return. Nykeā zaldrīzes! Nyke beg ao! Nyke beg ao! Nykeā zaldrīzes!" I yelled, pleading the gods.

Oh my mighty gods! I have a gift for you and hope to get one in return. A dragon! I beg you! I beg you! A dragon!

From the inside of the lamb, that was still on fire, a dragon crawled. A dragon. My dragon. The dragon from my dreams, dipped in the lamb's blood.

Once the dragon fully crawled from the insides of the lamb, every candle in the circle lit up. The lamb stopped burning and I bent down to my little dragon. She was tiny.

"Rytsas, issa byka jorrāelagon" I whispered. It was the most beautiful dragon I had ever seen. It was magnificent.

Hello, my little love

The dragon reacted to my words and crawled closer to me. I reached out to her with my hand and she hopped on it. Crawling it further to my shoulder. I knew it was a she-dragon. I felt it. She placed herself in the warmest place she could find. She curled around my neck and laid down on my shoulder. She started rubbing her face into me and I ran my fingers down her scaled head.

The gods have taken my offering, they were pleased. They gifted me the most magnificent dragon. Bloodsmoke.

3rd person's pov

What Jaerionna didn't know was that someone had followed her out of the castle. The same person watched and observed what she was doing. When Prince Daemon Targaryen saw the Princess use blood magic, and when he saw that she succeeded, power tarnished his mind.

Daemon Targaryen believed himself to be an honest man, he might not say every vicious idea that crossed his mind, but after so many years, he believed that everyone had a sense what those ideas were.

Not only did his new daughter got a dragon, she was also a witch. A witch who can create dragons from thin air. He knew what power did she hold now. If she wanted she could have even more dragons, who knew she might bond with more dragons, or gift them.

Daemon had a certain lust for power and he believed that the biggest recourse of power were dragons. That was one of the many reasons why he loathed Hightowers so much, they did not have dragons, yet they possesed power. It made him sick! That snakes like them with no dragons, slithered into the ways of Targaryens and all the more, his brother was too blind to see the corruption.

He knew that dragons can be used against them and he now knew, how to get more dragons. But who knew whether the girl had more power, who knew whether this was a one time thing, or a gift that the girl will use again and again. Only the gods knew that. And Daemon Targaryen was a man, he was no god.

Jaeriona

The walk home was much easier. With the dragon around my neck and nothing, but the goblets in hands. I left the candles and the lamb. I will return there, perhaps, do more spells, but for that I need more dreams.

At the entrance of the castle, my mother with a worried face and a soaking wet Daemon waited for me. My mother was ready to lecture me, but when she saw the dragon, curled around me, she smiled.

"Where did you find a dragon? And so young? Did you claim it?" She showered me with questions.

I smiled at her. I didn't know whether to tell her about my dreams, or not. "I prayed to the gods and for the first time they listened." It wasn't a lie, it was not the full story, but she doesn't need to know, that I ate a lambs heart after sacrificing it.

"And yes, I did claim her. I named her Bloodsmoke, after father's dragon." I smiled. And she smiled back. She hugged me and whispered how proud she was.

"We're proud of you, Jaerionna." Daemon told me. I was overjoyed. I ran into him and hugged him too.

Everything was perfect. I was home. I even had a dragon.