"Roar!"
Tiamat, as if still not satisfied from the battle, suddenly dove again, her massive body hurtling toward a red dragon still struggling weakly in the sea.
A torrent of blazing, forceful dragonfire erupted from her mouth, slamming directly into the red dragon's head.
With the momentum of her dive, the moment the flame struck, it triggered a violent explosion. A deafening boom rang out, and half of the red dragon's skull was instantly blown to pieces—a grisly, bloody spectacle.
Aenar, watching from above, wiped the cold sweat from his brow. What kind of monstrous dragon did Aegon manage to tame? Thank the gods it's on our side. If it weren't... we'd be in real trouble.
Without missing a beat, Tiamat turned her attention to the other red dragon thrashing in the sea, and, using the exact same method, unleashed another fierce breath attack. The second explosion followed swiftly, bringing Aegon's first aerial battle to a brutal close.
As soon as the fight ended, Tiamat eagerly tried to dive into the sea to feast.
Aegon quickly stopped her from acting on the impulse.
With a body as massive as hers, once she hit the water, she'd never be able to take off again.
Aside from agile dragons like Dreamshade, most adult dragons couldn't regain flight once submerged. They wouldn't drown—but swimming to shore would take far too long.
Aegon and Aenar met in midair, circling their dragons.
"I can't believe you actually succeeded in taming dragons!" Aenar called out, his face lit with a proud smile. "Where's Gaemon? Why didn't he come with you?"
Caught off guard, Aegon didn't know how to answer.
Just then, Dreamshade swooped over to join them. Seeing this, Daenys quickly shouted, "Father, let's talk once we're back! It's too hard to have a conversation up here!"
She was right. In the sky, dragonriders often flew dozens or even hundreds of meters apart, and communication could only be done by shouting. Even in battle, they usually relied on hand signals.
At that moment, the Targaryen fleet was still under the control of House Aurélion.
Aenar didn't hesitate. He dove on Balerion, heading straight down to subdue the captains.
Faced with Aenar's overwhelming pressure, the captains had no choice but to surrender and follow his orders.
Soon, under Aenar's command, the fleet began slowly sailing back toward the Targaryen coast.
The plan to discreetly evacuate from the Valyrian Peninsula was now an open secret. Sneaking away was no longer an option.
Even if Aenar succeeded in escaping with the fleet, all it would take was one order from the Freehold, and he'd be forced to return.
The Freehold now ruled the world in every sense. This wasn't an exaggeration—they commanded over five hundred dragons. Their word was law, as if it were the will of the world itself. No one dared defy them.
Before long, the three of them used rope ladders hanging from the dragons to descend onto a merchant ship that still had loyal crew aboard.
Daenys clung to Aegon's arm, recounting in detail everything that had happened during the Dragon Taming Tournament—including the tragic news of Gaemon's death.
Aegon listened in silence. He didn't say much.
After all, he and Gaemon had long been rivals for succession. The last thing he wanted was for Aenar—or Gaemon's mother—to think he'd schemed to get Gaemon killed.
As for Elder Pan's proposed championship dragon battle, that could wait. He'd bring it up once Aenar had finished processing everything from the tournament.
Watching his daughter lean so affectionately on Aegon's arm, Aenar frowned slightly, a pensive look in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Tiamat circled low over the sea, her massive wings stirring gusts of wind that rippled across the water's surface.
From time to time, she let out a deep, rumbling growl toward Dreamshade. The two had been together long enough—Dreamshade immediately understood her intent.
She answered with a clear cry and obediently descended to one of the red dragon corpses floating on the sea. Using her sharp claws, she carved out chunks of meat from the slain Aurélion dragon. Then, with her beak, she picked up a piece, beat her wings, and flew up to Tiamat, delivering it carefully to her waiting jaws.
Tiamat threw her head back with a pleased roar, devouring the meat in just a few bites. She quickly urged Dreamshade to fetch more.
So it went—like a mother bird feeding her chick. Dreamshade flew tirelessly between the sea and sky, again and again, delivering dragon meat to Tiamat.
And because of the spiritual link between Aegon and Tiamat, her stats were updated in real-time.
Through his chip, Aegon could clearly see Tiamat's [Greedy Feast] talent growing steadily. In just a short while, the trait had already surpassed [5/10].
"Gaemon... has passed," Aenar said quietly, his gaze lowered, expression heavy with sorrow.
Seeing this, Daenys quickly offered gentle comfort. "When our brother left, his face was peaceful. Aegon and I will carry on his legacy—we'll protect House Targaryen, no matter what."
Aenar simply shook his head slightly, saying nothing more. He walked silently to the ship's rail and stood there, eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
The coastline was slowly growing clearer ahead, but Aenar's thoughts were far away. His expression remained troubled, clouded by deeper concerns.
"Are you worried about the relocation plan, Father?" Aegon asked, noticing the gravity in Aenar's eyes.
Aenar gave a small nod, still silent, his gaze never leaving the distant sea.
Seeing this, Aegon began recounting what had happened earlier. "The Dragonlord Council already knows about our plans to leave. When I returned today, I met an old man on the Shield of Freedom who called himself 'Pan'..."
"What?" Aenar's head snapped around in shock. He stared hard at Aegon, as though trying to read something from his expression.
"Is he someone important in the Dragonlord Council?" Aegon asked, puzzled by Aenar's reaction.
Aenar's expression turned serious. "Pan is the title of the Grand Elder of Bloodsource Peak. Each Grand Elder inherits the name. According to Valyrian legend, it was an ancestor named Pan who first tamed the dragons for the highborn Valyrians."
Daenys added, "Among the people of the Freehold, the elders of Bloodsource Peak are also respectfully called 'Pan God.' You must've heard the name before."
The moment he heard the term "Pan God," Aegon's mind flashed back to old Earth myths from his past life—tales of Pan, the god of shepherds, of the wilds and nature, guardian of flocks and fields.
And hadn't the first Valyrians also been shepherds? Only after mastering the dragons did they rise to power and become rulers of the world.
The Pan of each generation must play a crucial role in the evolution of the Freehold, Aegon thought.
"In the Freehold," Aenar warned, "never call an elder by name. You either address him respectfully as Pan God or simply as Elder. It's our custom." He paused, then asked, "What did the Elder want from you?"
Aegon recounted his entire conversation with the old man on the Shield of Freedom in detail.
"The grand plan. The championship battle." Aenar murmured the two key terms, brow furrowed, his expression turning thoughtful and grave.
"Yes, Father," Daenys chimed in, "while we were at the Fourteen Flames, we also met two Dragonblood Guards from Bloodsource Peak. They accidentally let something slip—that I wasn't the first Dragon Dreamer to foresee the Doom. All the previous Dreamer families had already been quietly eliminated by the Dragonlord Council."
Aenar's hand tightened unconsciously on the ship's railing. His knuckles turned pale.
He said grimly, "Actually, back when I first tamed Balerion, Bloodsource Peak invited me to join this so-called grand plan. But I couldn't bear the thought of letting them take Balerion for their experiments. So I refused them on the spot."
"This 'grand plan' they keep referring to—do you have any idea what it really is?" Aegon asked as he moved beside Aenar and leaned on the railing.
Now that he had tamed a Dragonlord, Aegon's strength and status were leagues above what they had once been. He carried himself with more ease before Aenar, and neither Aenar nor Daenys seemed to mind.
Aenar shook his head. "I only heard a few vague things. The grand plan... it's about researching some kind of monster."
"They say it was born two thousand years ago, deep beneath the Fourteen Flames—something from the earth's core. It was eventually captured by the Bloodmages. What they hope to learn from it, I truly don't know."
Aegon frowned, deep in thought, but found himself no closer to answers.
Then an idea occurred to him.
As long as I can pass down my bloodline—if House Targaryen and my legacy continue—I won't truly die. So why not dive into this so-called grand plan myself, uncover its secrets? Maybe I'd even get a chance to challenge the fate of Valyria's destruction. If I succeed... that would be a legendary feat.
Aenar, seeing the conflict on Aegon's face, gently patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Right now, what matters most isn't the grand plan—it's winning the upcoming Championship Dragon Battle."
"Only then will we be allowed to leave this island. Otherwise, everything we've worked for will be for nothing."
Aegon blinked, pulling himself back to the present. He gave Aenar a slight nod, saying nothing more.
After a moment's pause, Aenar continued, "You've suffered a great deal over the years, my son. I never should've sent you away from the family, to wander and struggle alone. That was my mistake."
Aegon looked at him quietly, his expression calm and unreadable.
Aenar stepped closer, placing both hands on Aegon's shoulders and speaking solemnly. "Once we return to the family, I'll announce your true identity—and officially name you heir to House Targaryen."
"I can see that you and Daenys have formed a bond during your time at the Fourteen Flames."
"So at the succession banquet, I'll hold your wedding alongside the announcement."
Aenar spoke as if he hadn't noticed Daenys's flushed, embarrassed face, and went on sincerely:
"Gaemon's mother... is also my sister. She never meant to target you. She simply acted from her position as the family matriarch, always putting the house first.
"She is, after all, Daenys's mother. I hope—for the sake of family peace and for Daenys—you can let go of the past..."
Aegon smiled and gently interrupted. His tone was calm and steady. "You don't need to worry, Father. Before Gaemon died, he entrusted Daenys to me—and asked me to look after his mother too. I won't let him down. I'll honor his last wish."
At last, Aenar gave a small, heartfelt smile. He patted Aegon's shoulder once more and said warmly, "You've never disappointed me. The future of House Targaryen belongs to you."