The Dreamer and the Defiant

The Marriage of the Rider and the Ridden

The winds above the Fourteen Flames were harsh and unforgiving, testing even the most experienced of dragon riders when they soared through them. The highest points of the mountains, scarcely visited and rarely traversed by man, made the perfect home for the wild, untamed dragons of Valyria.

Though descended from domesticated beasts, the hatchlings borne from clutches laid far from men grew into feral fire breathers that protected their territory with rigor and violence when they felt threatened. This is where Aegona's grandsire had claimed Pryjagis and her grandmother Bantagon. And today, this is where Daenys Targaryen was determined to find and bond to a creature that brought their nation to prosperity.

Atop Pryjagis, Daenys clung tightly to Aegona as she steered her mount towards the dozens of dragons waiting to be claimed. The weather in the city was always calm and pleasant, kept steady by the inhuman magic of Valyria, but this high above the world it was unpredictable and fierce. Moving as fast as they were, the breeze was icy against their skin as they bounded ahead. Petrified of losing grip and falling to the rocks below, she screamed so the wild-willed, silver-haired woman of gold could hear her. "Aegona, slow yourself! This is madness!"

Aegona whipped her head around, her short hair flapping fiercely in the intense wind. "That is not necessary, for we have arrived!" She faced forward again. "Landfall, Pryjagis. Now!"

With an earth-shaking roar, Aegona's loyal mount changed direction, plummeting towards the ground below. Daenys gripped tighter, her nails digging deep into Aegona's waist as she clung for her life. Soaring down through the clouds, leaving the cool air above, the heat of the volcanos greeted the pair as the Blue Beast landed heavily upon the Flames, a few hundred feet from the wild ones. Any closer could easily be a death sentence, magic blood or no.

The Fourteen Flames were made of a light-swallowing black stone, the rock rich with gold and precious stones. Molten rock flowed closely beneath the surface, with steam rising through cracks and feeding the dragon nests with the heat necessary for successful incubation. While the lower peaks and caves held mines and from them was carved Valyria's wealth, the high peaks were another world of their own.

Aegona pulled the reins sharply, completely halting Pryjagis. "Steady, boy." With a reassuring pat behind one of his enormous black horns, Aegona climbed down from the saddle, landing with a thud onto the terrain below. She reached her hand upwards, motioning for Daenys to follow suit. Running her hand over her tightly plaited white-gold hair, preparing herself for what lay ahead, she crawled down Pryjagis's smooth scales carefully. Unlike her friend, Daenys was not confident enough to jump from a height such as that of Pryjagis's back.

As Daenys set foot onto the jagged black rock, she reached for Aegona's tanned hands to steady herself. Dragon riding left her legs tingling, needing time to ready herself to walk again. Aegona's hands were rough to Daenys's smooth, calloused from years of pulling on thick leather reins. If today went as intended, Daenys's hands would soon convert. Their gazes turned to meet each other, and the Daezgygar smiled. "Are you ready to meet your future, Dream?"

Daenys turned, looking at the dragons, ranging from miniscule to monstrous in size. The pair and the beast were far enough away to not threaten them, their territory, or their nests, but there still was a knot in her gut. Only a few hundred paces separated them. If I do not do this now, I never will, she admitted to herself. She looked back at Aegona. "I am indeed."

Aegona smiled. Pulling the dragon horn from her neck, she turned Daenys's hands over, so her palms were facing up. The Dreamer had read about this sacred ceremony religiously in her youth, yet she had never had the privilege of witnessing it. It was only done when claiming a wild dragon, which had become exceedingly rare in the Freehold.