Chapter 9
I hovered in the air, staring down at the newly reformed Valyria. The lush green lands, vibrant forests, towering mountains, and winding rivers spread out below me—a breathtaking transformation.
"Why the hell did that take so long?" I muttered, my voice rising in frustration.
It had taken me a little under three days to reshape the entire peninsula, turning it from a desolate wasteland into a paradise. My wings flapped slowly behind me as I sighed, taking in the sight of the now-beautiful landscape.
"Big brother!" A familiar voice called out from behind me.
I turned to see Lily flying toward me in her angelic form, her golden hair catching the light as her wings beat gracefully.
"Lily, what is it?" I asked as she approached.
"I"m done! The stonemen are trapped now!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Thank you, Lily. Let's go check on them, shall we?" I suggested, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"Okay!" she replied, her innocent enthusiasm always lifting my spirits.
We flew in the direction from which Lily had come, and after a few minutes, we landed on the edge of a massive crater that was previously not there. Inside were roughly 100,000 stonemen, standing motionless in their petrified state.
"Lily, where did this crater come from?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the unfamiliar landscape.
"What do you mean, big brother?" she asked, her voice sweetly innocent.
"I had already fixed this area. There wasn't a crater here before."
"But, big brother," she said, her tone growing more innocent as she gave me the dreaded puppy dog eyes.
I tried my best not to succumb to her adorable gaze, but... I failed miserably.
I sighed, looking away from her. "Thank you, Lily. You can go now."
"Okay!" she replied cheerfully, flying off into the sky.
Once she was gone, I turned my attention back to the crater filled with stonemen. "Alright, let's get started."
Raising my hands, I summoned a faint golden light that enveloped the stonemen. Slowly, the stone encasing their bodies began to crack and fall away. The process was slow and delicate, taking about five minutes until all the petrified figures were freed.
Now, standing in place of the stonemen were a hundred thousand men, women, and children, all looking around in confusion.
"And now comes the fun part," I muttered sarcastically.
I slid down the side of the crater and walked toward the crowd of people. They noticed me immediately, their eyes locking onto me. There was a moment of silence before the adults' faces twisted into fear, while the children's expressions were filled with awe. Confused, I glanced over my shoulder and realized my wings were still out.
"Oh, my wings are still out," I mumbled, retracting them.
As soon as my wings disappeared, a few men stepped forward, their presence accompanied by a sudden spike of energy—an old, familiar mana that once dominated Valyria.
"Who are you?" one of them demanded, his voice sharp.
"Ah, blood mages," I mused, recognizing the type of magic flowing through them. "Is that the right term?"
"Answer the question!" the man barked, impatience creeping into his tone.
"Alright, alright. You want an answer? Very well." I paused before explaining everything—the Doom of Valyria, the devastation it brought, and how I had come to fix what had been broken.
I recounted the history as best I could, and they listened intently, their faces shifting from confusion to understanding as I spoke. The weight of the past hung heavy over us, but there was also a glimmer of hope in their eyes by the time I finished.
"What about the royal families?" someone from the crowd asked. "The Targaryens?"
I took a deep breath before answering. "Until I return the remaining 2.4 million stonemen back to normal, I'm not sure if any of the royal families have survived. As of now, only two Targaryens remain, but that will most likely change in a few months," I said, muttering the last part under my breath, thinking of Daenerys and her soon to be late brother.
The crowd grew quiet, digesting the information. After a moment, the men who had stepped forward glanced at one another before turning back to me. They kneeled, and slowly, the rest of the people followed, pledging their loyalty to me.
"We owe you our lives, and our future. We pledge ourselves to you, to Valyria's rebirth," one of the blood mages declared, his voice firm.
I nodded, acknowledging their oath. "Good. Together, we will rebuild Valyria into something greater than it ever was."
Chapter 9:End