the lady of dragonstone

chapter two

After hearing the whole situation, Cyra pinched the bridge of her nose, "All I have to do is get the conqueror's crown back, yes?"

"That is all."

The dragon nodded, before resting her head on her crossed front claws.

"How come you couldn't get it back before?" Cyra raised an eyebrow, "You're easily bigger than balerion, anyone before me could've easily stoke King's Landing and taken the crown."

"Vysera had some respect for the Targaryens, their idealistic dream of uniting kingdoms who desired not to be united but she also recognised their dragons were of Old Valyria, she didn't want to harm them."

Cyra took a moment to think about what she should do next. She's in someone else's body, under a castle full of people who could kill her in seconds and had the responsibility of a quest thrust upon her all while the flames of the torches were still strong. "How screwed am I?", she muttered to herself. "What year is it?" she asks, spotting some papers on a desk near the curtained door.

"129, 3 years since the last occupant"

Cyra snapped her head, wide eyed, "You're joking." A flurry of bad scenarios played out in front of her all ending in her dying. "Do you know who's living in the castle right now?"

"Rhaenyra Targaryen and others."

"Are you aware of any incidents or anything else that has happened?" Just as Cyra had wrapped her head around the situation, the dragon had to tell her she was caught up in the inheritance war that killed house targaryen.

"There has been some unrest lately. Just as you were coming to, two of their own dragons left the island."

If they had just left, Lucerys would still be alive. "We have to follow them, the smaller of the two," she says, pacing the room. "You want me to get the rubies, yes? There will be a war that will devastate the stability of the realm if that child dies and I won't be able to get the crown without torching King's Landing myself!" Cyra found her voice becoming panicked but this panic wasn't hers. It was Vysera's feelings coming into play again, just like when she woke up here and all her memories made her head hurt.

"Ease yourself, child. If that is your command, so be it. Vysera's true feelings will overcome you if you allow yourself to stress. Now, go get the shepherd's hook by the table."

Cyra took a deep breath, turning around and saw the shepherd's hook. She picked it up and walked back to Soulstealer. It was plain looking but sturdy and light with water like ripples in the metal.

"On to my back, child. Use the hook to help you up."

She glanced up and down the side of what she could actually see of the dragon, trying to decide what she would use to boost her up. Cyra settled on one of the protruding spikes on the base of Soulstealer's wing, pulling herself onto the dragon's back and onto the saddle. "Wait, I don't know how to ride-!" Without warning, the dragon darted forward so fast, Cyra fell back onto the hardened scales. She held onto the edge of the saddle so hard, her nail beds began to sting.

After what felt like forever, Cyra heard the sound of leather unfurled and the wind in her face. She sat up straight, looking around her and the land under her, "People will see you." Cyra mentally scolded herself for not thinking of that sooner.

"Worry not, I am tied to Dragonstone as such they will only catch a glimpse of me before they see nothing but clouds. That won't be the case once we leave the proximity."

She nods, getting settled on the saddle comfortably whilst gripping firmly with her thighs, "How quickly can you get to Storm's End?"

"It might be raining when we get there, I can feel the storm coming."

"Um, it wouldn't hurt to go a little faster," Cyra shuffled around on the saddle but with every movement she felt like she was going to fall off. "We're not attacking anyone, just spook Vhagar - the green one - and stop Arrax and Lucerys from dying." Soul felt her grasp onto the scales tighter as she sped up, the clouds passing like a blur. In a matter of minutes, Cyra felt the descent, feeling light headed and nauseous but the deep roar of a raging war dragon broke her from her concerns. Aemond was already chasing Luke in the rain. Words weren't coming out of her mouth as she felt her stomach lurch and her vision blur from the rain.

"I understand, child. Do not worry."

Soulstealer roared, the eerie and threatening noise sounded almost paranormal to Cyra's unfamiliar ears. She looked back, noticing how long Soul's tail was and when it flicked, it cracked like a whip. Vhagar stopped her pursuit, now aware that there was a bigger predator looming around. "Good," Cyra swallowed, taking a breath as Soul stopped to hover amongst the clouds but of course, Aemond wasn't threatened at all. Cyra sighed in disdain as he egged his dragon on, Lucerys taking the momentary pause to fly away after. "Stop him," Soul could hear in her voice that she was ill.

How funny it was to her. A rider with air sickness.

Nevertheless, Soul could feel her desperation to stop the inevitable. In the moments as Vhagar opened her mouth, Cyra closed her eyes, not wanting to see the scene that would spell her doom for the rest of her supposed quest. Suddenly, she heard Soul's spine tingling roar and her body stagger back, if she wasn't holding on so tight she would have definitely fallen off. Cyra opened her eyes, making eye contact with Vhagar's one-eyed rider before Soulstealer's golden flame suddenly engulfed the storming sky. "You scared him," she glanced down at the scales she was holding onto, her eyes aching from the unexpected light. She heard screams that seemed to get further the longer she rubbed her eyes - Lucerys. "Forget Vhagar! Get the boy!"

Just as Soul dived towards Lucerys, Cyra flipped Aemond off for good measure. They'd probably never meet again, she thought.

Soul's tail wrapped around Arrax's battered body as Cyra reached forward, squinted through the sandy feeling in her eyes and grabbed Luke's arm, Soul pulling up sharply just as they were about to hit the water. "Back to dragonstone, please." The wind and rain acted like a catalyst for already developing sickness, "We need to get them home..." She held the limp 14 year old in her arms, struggling to keep herself up.

It didn't take long to get back to Dragonstone, but Lucerys was now unconscious and shivering. Soul landed a distance from the castle, her tail curling up to serve as cushion for Cyra to get off. Soul released Arrax from her grasp, the dragon was injured but could still manage to walk.

"A few strides from here, you'll find a small cave, you can come down to the catacombs."

Cyra nods, her face flushed with fever. She turns, running with Lucerys in her arms and Arrax limping behind her. She was shocked at her own stamina and endurance. Before she died, the only physical activity she'd do was walking to school or the stores. She reached the garden, her eyes beginning to close as the grainy, tingling feeling grew irritant. Arrax nudged her forward, screeching to get attention from the castle. Her breathing became laboured, her steps slowing as she heard guards coming. "What if they know me?" she mumbled, dropping the boy.

"Easy, child. Don't let her overcome you.."

Cyra felt herself hit the floor, the weight of Lucerys gone from her arms. "I hate planes," she groaned to herself before her vision went blank.