Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen

"Red devil ship?"

Daenerys chuckled at the New Ghiscari official's words and asked, "Do you seriously believe that devils would descend to the mortal world to become pirates?"

"If it's not a devil, that's even more terrifying!" The customs officer issued a stern warning: "It's said that no ship targeted by the red devil ship has ever escaped. The devil ship is too fast, and no one has ever survived its attacks—the devils onboard are mercilessly cruel."

"Thank you for the warning," Daenerys replied, her smile fading as she gave a serious nod of gratitude.

It's natural for devils to commit evil, but humans performing such monstrous acts is far more terrifying.

The customs officer glanced around before spotting the white and green dragons on the lookout above. He froze, unable to take his eyes off them, stealing glances upward while trying to keep the conversation going. "Of course, the Iron Legion of New Ghis doesn't fear pirates, but we understand the value of precaution.

That's why, in the past six months, customs officials have been inspecting every ship entering the Gulf of New Ghis. We're not really checking the cargo; we're ensuring there are no hidden armed personnel onboard."

When Daenerys and her companions didn't respond, the official continued undeterred, "Oh, and besides pirates, you should be wary of sea monsters.

A few rowboats from the Summer Isles encountered a massive sea monster north of the Basilisk Isles. One 30-meter-long fast ship was dragged underwater. Out of 200 sailors, only 13 were rescued by nearby vessels.

At the time, the sea turned blood-red, and the violent, crimson waves churned—it was horrifying."

Daenerys perked up. "Really? I always thought sea monsters were just myths."

"Ha, some of those dark-skinned sailors went mad with fear—do you think they were imagining it?" Zanak's reddish-brown face broke into a grin, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth. "Besides, what is a sea monster compared to your dragons?"

Daenerys found herself unable to argue. Sea monsters might be legendary, but dragons were even more so.

Perhaps having satisfied his curiosity about the dragons—or simply burdened by work—Zanak exchanged a few more pleasantries before leaving with his two soldiers.

Watching the New Ghiscari boat sail toward another ship, Daenerys turned to Blackbeard Groleo. "What do you think? Could the reports of sea monster attacks be true?"

"Perhaps," the old sailor replied, troubled. "There have long been tales among sailors of sea monsters lurking in the depths of the Summer Sea and even the Narrow Sea.

When the fleet was sailing to Qarth, someone near the Fingers claimed to have seen a sea monster. It used dark red tentacles to attack an Ibbenese whaling ship—a 25-meter-long vessel—that it ultimately dragged into the depths.

The man told me, his face pale with fear, that one of its tentacles was as thick as a barrel, and it looked as if it was stained with blood—like a demon's appendage."

A red octopus?

I wonder how it tastes.

Whitebeard Arstan commented, "There are legends in the Seven Kingdoms of great dragons snatching sea monsters from the waters, as effortlessly as ospreys catch fish from rivers."

"It's just a giant octopus," Daenerys dismissed. "Haven't we eaten grilled octopus before?"

"No, it's not what you think," Jorah interjected. "The legend of sea monsters is ancient, but attacks on ships are a recent phenomenon—nearly unheard of until now."

Blackbeard nodded in agreement. "Ser Mormont is right. I've spent three or four decades at sea, and it's only in the last six months that I've heard credible accounts of sea monsters."

Could the appearance of sea monsters be linked to the resurgence of magic?

If so, then these sea monsters might be magical beasts rather than ordinary giant octopuses.

But dragons had disappeared for over a century, and the Undying Ones had decayed into mere remnants of their former power over time. How did these sea monsters survive the "Age of Waning Magic"?

"How long can a sea monster live?" Daenerys asked suddenly.

The group exchanged puzzled glances, caught off guard by the question.

"No one has ever studied that," Whitebeard replied hesitantly. "Though the Greyjoys of the Iron Islands use a golden kraken as their sigil, they don't seem capable of summoning sea monsters for battle, as the mythical Ironborn kings supposedly could.

However, Adrian Celtigar of Crab Isle once bragged about owning a family heirloom—a horn said to awaken sea creatures from the depths."

Celtigar?

Daenerys recalled Viserys mentioning the Celtigar family. Twelve years before the Doom of Valyria, a Targaryen maiden named Daenys had prophesied the catastrophe, prompting her family to leave Valyria.

They weren't alone. The Celtigar and Velaryon families also fled.

The Targaryens settled on Dragonstone, the Celtigars on Crab Isle, and the Velaryons on Driftmark—three islands so close that the farthest distance between them was barely a two-hour sail.

Among the Valyrian nobility, the Targaryens were minor lords, and the Celtigars and Velaryons were even less prominent, possessing no dragons of their own.

Still, they were Valyrian nobility, capable of bonding with and riding dragons.

During the Dance of the Dragons over a century ago, several Velaryons became dragonriders.

If the Targaryens had even the slightest chance of success, the Celtigars and Velaryons would have been their most loyal allies. But to sacrifice their entire families for the cause? That would never happen.

Viserys often oscillated between hoping those two houses would help him reclaim the throne and cursing them as ungrateful traitors, forgetting the centuries of loyalty between lord and vassal.

Daenerys chose not to dwell on the topic of the Celtigars and instead asked, "How long can dragons live?"

"It is said their lifespan depends on their wisdom. According to legend, some wise old dragons lived for a thousand years," Jorah answered after some thought, frowning. "But during the Targaryen dynasty, the oldest dragon, Balerion, lacked neither intelligence nor royal care. It still lived only a little over 200 years."

"Dragons need more than food; they crave freedom and the skies," Whitebeard said softly.

"Freedom?" Daenerys turned to him, puzzled. "Are you saying the Targaryens once imprisoned Balerion?"

The old man sighed, his gaze distant. "King's Landing is built on three main hills."

"I know that," Daenerys replied. "The three hills are named after Aegon and his sisters. The Red Keep is on Aegon's High Hill, the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya's Hill, and Rhaenys's Hill houses the massive Dragonpit."

Her heart skipped a beat as she exclaimed, "Are you saying the Dragonpit was too small, restricting the dragons?"

Whitebeard slowly shook his head. "The Dragonpit is vast. It can accommodate thirty knights on horseback riding side by side. Its giant dome reaches a height of 100 meters. But dragons are dragons. Your ancestors overlooked an essential truth—there were no dragon pits in Valyria."

That's not entirely true, Daenerys thought. Valyria did have dragon lairs. Dragons lived atop the towering Blackstone spires of Valyria alongside the Dragonlords, which were also domed and enclosed.

Still, she did not interrupt the old man's tale.

"From that point on, the dragons in the Dragonpit grew smaller with each generation. In the end…" Whitebeard sighed, "the last dragon was no larger than a dog."

"Ridiculous! If walls could restrict size, every farmer living in a thatched hut would grow into a dwarf, while kings in grand castles would be giants," Jorah scoffed. "In reality, it's often the opposite—tall men are born in humble homes, while the nobility are often short."

"Humans are humans, and dragons are dragons. Dragons belong to the skies; humans are bound to the earth. This is not my opinion—it's a conclusion drawn by maesters after studying the bones of dragons from various eras," Whitebeard explained with a serious tone.

"Humph!" Jorah had never liked the old man and now snorted disdainfully. "You, a mere squire, really think you're an expert? Since you know so much, why don't you enlighten us further about dragons?"

Whitebeard remained composed. "I was fortunate enough to see the massive dragon skulls displayed on the walls of the throne room during King Aerys's reign. Those bones confirmed part of the maesters' conclusions. As for deeper knowledge, I do not claim to know it."

He then turned to Daenerys, speaking gently. "Your Grace, if you wish to learn more about dragons, once we reach Pentos, you might ask Governor Illyrio to lend you a copy of Dragons, Drakes, and Wyverns: A Study of the Unnatural Evolution of Dragons. It's an invaluable book that thoroughly documents the history of dragons."

Daenerys's interest was piqued. "The title seems to suggest that dragons evolved from other creatures unnaturally. Could it mean—"

Her words trailed off as she gasped. "Could it be that humans turned dragon-like creatures into dragons through evolution? Blood magic… Valyrian blood sorcery! That book must have originated in the Freehold of Valyria!"

Whitebeard's eyes widened in shock at how much she inferred from just the book's title.

After a long, thoughtful look at her, he nodded. "Archmaester Barth believed that dragons were magical creations, made by Valyrian blood sorcerers using wyverns as a base."

"Archmaester?"

"Barth was a Hand of the King two centuries ago. He served for forty years, bringing peace and prosperity to the Seven Kingdoms," Whitebeard explained.

"A Hand of the King studying dragons and magic?" Daenerys said, astonished. "And he still managed to govern effectively?"

"I've heard of Archmaester Barth," Jorah said, nodding in realization. "He was born into poverty, the son of a blacksmith. His father sent him to the Faith because the family couldn't afford to keep him."

Then, frowning, he added, "But why haven't I heard of this book, The Unnatural Evolution of Dragons?"

"Barth was exceptionally intelligent and was sent by the Faith to work at the royal library. There, he gained immense knowledge and befriended King Jaehaerys I, the 'Conciliator.'"

Whitebeard turned to Daenerys and clarified, "King Jaehaerys was the grandson of Aegon the Conqueror."

He continued, addressing Jorah. "That book didn't survive. When Baelor the Blessed took the throne, he ordered all of Barth's works burned. Only a few handwritten copies survived, some smuggled overseas or hidden in noble houses."

Daenerys knew of Baelor the Blessed. Jorah had gifted her a Children's Tales of Westeros, which included many stories about him. Later, she had asked Jorah for more details about the king.

Even among the eccentric Targaryens, Baelor stood out as one of the strangest.

(End of Chapter)

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