DRAGON SOUL (NB)

12

The twins left Dragonstone with their dragons to travel to Old Valyria.

Leaving their dragons near Old Valyria, they used a small boat to enter the ancient city.

So there they were, in Old Valyria without their dragons to protect them. Quite the bold move; you could applaud them now for being too smart.

Deep down, they knew it was a risky idea, but they also knew that whatever lay in Old Valyria, they needed to ensure nothing harmed their dragons.

As they slowly sailed toward Old Valyria, the twins could feel their bodies shiver. No one knew what would happen to them the moment they entered Old Valyria.

Not even Daemon knew they were here; all he knew was that they would be undertaking missions given by the gods.

"Daenyra, can you tell me more about Old Valyria?" Daemyra asked. She had done her research in the library of Dragonstone, but she wanted to learn more. She was bored paddling alongside Daenyra.

"Well, in our world, I did some research, and it was said that Ancient Valyria was a civilization of humble shepherds who discovered dragons in the Fourteen Flames, a ring of volcanoes on the Valyrian peninsula. Valyrian stories claim that dragons originated in their lands, although tales from Asshai claim the beasts were brought to Valyria from the Shadow Lands. The Valyrians tamed the dragons with magic—taught by vanished people from the Shadow Lands according to the Asshai'i—and mastered the technique of raising and training the dragons into devastating weapons of war," Daenyra started, and Daemyra listened carefully to her twin.

"They began expanding their influence, establishing the Freehold with the city of Valyria as its capital. Magic flourished, topless towers rose toward the heavens where dragons soared, stone Valyrian sphinxes gazed down through eyes of garnet, and smiths used spells to forge Valyrian steel weapons of legendary strength and sharpness," she added.

"And where did you get all that from?" Daemyra asked.

"Google, of course," Daenyra said, making the two laugh.

"Valyrians are famous for having silver-gold hair and violet-purple eyes, characteristics not found among any other peoples of the world. This can vary from white to silver-gold to blond hair, and from lilac to deep purple, and pale blue eyes. The noblest of Valyrians were considered strikingly, some say inhumanly, beautiful," Daenyra added.

"Yeah, I can see that... clearly," Daemyra said, looking at her reflection in the water, while Daenyra rolled her eyes.

"Tell me more!"

"The Valyrian nobility valued purity of blood. Therefore, the practice of incest was common in Old Valyria, as the Valyrians would customarily wed brother to sister. These practices were not limited to the Freehold; on Dragonstone, the Targaryens continued to practice incestuous marriage and polygamy to keep the dragon bloodline pure. The language Valyrians spoke was High Valyrian," Daenyra added.

"No wonder Father did everything he could just for us to be more fluent in High Valyrian," Daemyra recalled, remembering every effort their father Daemon made to ensure they learned High Valyrian.

"That hurts my brain so much that I mostly forgot the difference between each language," Daenyra said, making Daemyra laugh.

"Me too."

Then they arrived at the first floor they could walk into Old Valyria. The two helped each other out of the boat.

They both knew that the moment they got near Old Valyria, they could get infected or something, but just like the gods said, they were immune to any disease that came from Old Valyria.