Blood of Old Valryia (Aemond Targaryen FF)

Chapter Forty Nine

Sakaris was trembling again.

This was not the contented purring Aesira had grown accustomed to, it was fearful trembling that Aesira knew meant danger. As if the tremble kept her dragon alert and ready.

Aesira scanned the dark skies, searching for any sign of Vhagar, knowing that Sakaris had only trembled like this once before and it had been when the mighty dragon was hot on her tail. Though she could see nothing in the darkness, she knew that Vhagar was close by. She trusted Sakaris' instincts.

It dawned on her then, that Lord Borros had allowed this. He had let Aemond leave, knowing how insulted Aemond must have felt after what Luke had said. And yet, that spineless lord had let him leave anyway. Aesira decided right then and there that Lord Borros had made more than just an enemy of Rhaenyra, he'd made one of Aesira as well. She swore to herself that before the war was over, she would burn his castle to the ground with him and all his spoiled daughters inside of it.

"Be calm!" Luke yelled at his pearlescent dragon, "Be calm, Arrax!"

Aesira whipped her head around to the sound of Luke's voice, carried to her on the storm winds. The little dragon was terrified as his wings flapped frantically against the wind. Aesira glanced around and spotted Shipwrecker Bay up ahead, about a third of the way back to Dragonstone. The jagged edges amid the treacherous rocks made it a living nightmare for passing ships but for a dragon as small as Arrax, it might serve as a place to hide. They could wait out the storm, wait out Aemond, and go home when it was safe.

"Luke! Go—!" but Aesira's words were drowned out by a deafening roar, that had once made her ears bleed. Vhagar burst out of the cloud below them with a manic-crazed Aemond on her back. 

Vhagar passed through Aesira and Luke, close enough that Aesira felt the heat emanating from the large dragon. She heard Aemond's mocking laughter, and a wave of panic washed over her. It wasn't for herself that she felt the panic and growing terror, but for Luke.

Luke had offended and hurt Aemond, and Aemond had a history of disregarding the connection between dragons and their riders.

Aemond, whose dragon acted on her rider's emotions much like Sakaris had acted on Aesira's, when the dragon had eaten her father and burned down Aesira's childhood home.

"LUCERYS! GO!" Aesira shouted as Vhagar's barbed tail passed between her and Luke. "ARRAX, TO DRAGONSTONE! Fly! Fly! FLY!" 

Aesira continued to urge Luke to go and would keep yelling until her voice gave out if she thought it would make a difference. She urged Sakaris to catch up as the smaller dragon fought against the storm and Destiny.

Aesira positioned herself to jump between Vhagar and Arrax, using Sakaris to protect Luke. She directed Sakaris to circle around Arrax as the smaller dragon fought against the storm. As Aemond descended, Aesira propelled Sakaris forward and flared her wings as she roared. Vhagar, who had flame ready to ignite in her open jaws, quickly closed her mouth and veered sharply away.

"Aesira!" Aemond called out, his tone expressing disappointment, anger, and frustration.

Aesira ignored him and twisted her body as Sakaris rushed back to Luke's side, flying in wide circles, building up momentum just as she did with her staff when she spun it around her body. In this storm and this battle, Aesira would be Luke's weapon.

The sky was a dark, ominous grey, with jagged bolts of lightning illuminating the stormy clouds. Aesira sat astride Sakaris, her hair whipping wildly in the wind as she scanned the rocky terrain of Shipwrecker Bay. "Luke! Find someplace down there to hide!"

Luke peered ahead, his heart racing as he saw the sharp rocks and steep, flat tall rock walls that made up the bay. He turned back to Aesira and shouted, "They're not caves, there'll be no place to land!"