The Encyclopedia of Dragons discussed the beasts themselves; the Encyclopedia of Fire covered binding curses, flame, and blood magic; the Encyclopedia of War explained every warrior art, longsword, spear, longbow, great axe, morningstar, and hidden weapons. The Encyclopedia of Craft elucidated the manufacturing secrets of Valyria. The Freehold had been obsessed with grand engineering; the Black Walls, the dragonroads, and Valyrian steel were famous across the world.
Rhaegar turned the pages of Dragonlord Jaenara's autobiography, slipping through her eyes into her great adventures.
Dragonlord Jaenara was a figure of legend, her life spanning Essos, Sothoryos, and even a brief foray into Westeros.
Every generation of House Belaerys had its strengths, constantly developing and refining their power. Some mastered blood magic, some excelled in combat, others in court intrigue. But Jaenara Belaerys was supreme in dragon-riding and exploration. She loved adventure more than any human emotion or honor.
"My legend lies not only in exploring the southernmost reaches of Sothoryos, seeing its endless rainforests, deserts, and mountains, but in returning safely."
"As your ancestor, I believe my greatness lies in lighting the path for you, so you may continue the glory and legend of our Purple-Robed Dragonlords. In this book, I will not only guide you through the magnificence and vastness of exploration and how to better master a dragon, but also offer you counsel. Herein, I give you four warnings. Fortunate Belaerys, we are the only true dragons; we should be forever young, like eternal fire, marching bravely forward."
Reading this, a wave of sadness washed over Rhaegar. The world changed, people vanished like clouds, leaving only a few mounds of yellow earth. Even a being as powerful as Dragonlord Jaenara was now utterly gone.
"My first warning: We are mortals, not true gods. The dragonlords seem to bear a curse for mastering dragons. Though we rarely fall ill, our lifespans remain limited. You must be cautious, vigilant always, and cherish your life. Some say dragons are born of nature; some say they are the product of combining men and beasts; others say they are chimeras of wyverns and fire-wyrms. Most theories tie back to the adventurous spirit, or perhaps the cruelty, of the Valyrians. Sometimes I even doubt whether we are human or dragon. Among the Forty Dragon Families, terrible stillbirths sometimes occur, children born without eyes, or sometimes with wings and scales, only to die immediately. Are we cursed for our closeness to dragons? Regrettably, I have found no solution."
Rhaegar immediately thought of Aerea Targaryen's horrific adventure, and the monstrous stillbirths of Maegor the Cruel and Queen Rhaenyra.
It seemed this had happened before. A chill ran through Rhaegar. So, this curse had existed even in the era of the Forty Dragonlords.
The origin of dragons was murky, but the curse loomed, faint but undeniable.
"The nature of dragons: They love fire and fear cold; they love solitude and fear herds; they love freedom and hate restraint; they love high mountains and hate swamps. Dragons love the sky until death, when age makes their bodies too heavy to fly. We keep dragons in mountains, wilderness, abandoned mines, or house them in high towers. Never keep dragons in a herd, or it will lead to food shortages and hatred. We hold a telepathic bond with our companions, and when necessary, we blow the magic horn."
Rhaegar nodded. Compared to House Belaerys, House Targaryen's dragon-rearing techniques were crude indeed. They should have followed the dragon's nature instead of forcing them, but they lacked both the means and the essence of the technique.
Dragons raised in the Dragonpit were smaller than the wild dragons on Dragonstone, and he suspected this was a conspiracy of the Citadel. Shackles and the pit drove dragons mad and stunted their growth. Furthermore, even on Dragonstone, there had been a wild dragon named The Cannibal, like a titan of destruction, stealing eggs and hatchlings as if to maintain some dark balance. Dragons should be solitary and free, not controlled.
Another issue was that House Targaryen possessed so few dragons they dared not let them roam too far.
"A qualified dragon tamer should steer the dragon with heart, not brute force. They should form a spiritual pact from childhood, deepening the bond. We share joy and anger, life and death. Those who drive dragons with violence, whips, shackles, and traps are vulgar mortals, unworthy of the name dragonlord. A true dragonlord enters a pact with a great dragon, mastering binding curses and magic horns. Certain lower-tier dragon families are simply a disgrace to the title."
Rhaegar felt a prick of irritation reading this. Even among the Forty Families, a long chain of contempt existed. House Belaerys sat at the peak, looking down on all others.
"My second warning: You must be wary of the dragon's bestial nature. Riding a dragon is a craft, a skill, not brute strength or blind confidence. If your compatibility with the dragon is not high enough, the beast may fall into rage or frenzy, harming its rider. We should communicate telepathically and forge a Pact of the Heart; this is far superior to rough riding."
Perhaps in Jaenara's time, dragons were not rare, and she never foresaw a day when they would be so scarce that men would try to tame them blindly.
From what Rhaegar knew, House Targaryen's riding skills were mediocre, relying on external force rather than will. History was full of riders losing control; many accidents claimed lives and changed the course of history. Young dragons flying too low, or beasts losing control from fright or provocation. If Dragonlord Jaenara spoke true, the bond the Targaryens held was limited, making perfect control impossible.
The cruelest period was the Dance of the Dragons, where no one was prepared, and they called upon any seed they could find. That war, the Sowing of the Seeds, led to the extinction of many wild dragons.
Dragonlord Jaenara then shared her experience on how to better control and ride a dragon. The most valuable part was the entire process of the Psychological Pact.
I must master the binding curses and magic horns to restore the dragonlords' past glory, Rhaegar thought. His family's rough control of dragons, even without the Dance, was not a long-term solution and could never truly unleash the potential of these war beasts.
Rhaegar read on; he was eager to know the third and fourth warnings of the Purple-Robed Dragonlord.
This was the hope ancestors placed in their descendants; every scrap of knowledge was precious beyond price.
"My third warning: I believe that beneath the vast oceans, there exist powerful creatures whose strength is no less than that of dragons, and they hate us to the bone. I once defeated a Golden Kraken at sea, it had many tentacles and eyes, capable of overturning ships and drowning countless sailors. I also defeated a blood-red sea serpent, its body larger than a town, its maw wide enough to swallow a mammoth."
"But I sense the most dangerous sea monster has not yet appeared. It lurks on the seabed, wet and slimy, eyes shining with evil light, countless tentacles covered in spikes. It is no brute beast, but an intelligent being. When I flew over the oceans of Essos, it lurked beneath the waves, watching me, wanting to attack yet holding back. The feeling of being watched and hated was unbearable. I hope you will be exceptionally careful when flying over the sea."
Rhaegar was startled. According to history, such krakens did exist. It seemed the threat from the deep was ancient indeed.
"My fourth warning may come from the currently obscure continent of Westeros. When I traveled North, my dragon became strangely stubborn due to the cold, so I dared not go deep. There, ice seals the land for a thousand miles, seemingly endless. But according to ancient legends, White Walkers lurk within the ice. The dragon's deterrence also told me that some evil force lies hidden in that frozen land."
Dragonlord Jaenara had warned of Westeros, but the dragonlords deemed the continent insignificant, so no one paid heed.
After finishing the book, Rhaegar was deeply moved.
To ride across three continents, what a heroic feat.
The words in the book were like fire and sunlight, bringing Rhaegar warmth of many kinds.
The four warnings of the dragonlord targeted four dangers: the curse of the bloodline itself, the inherent danger of the beasts, the unknown evil beneath the sea, and the cold winter of Westeros.
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