The Syrax Tower
The sun had reached its zenith. Laenor had just landed from his flight with Embaryx, seeking to clear his thoughts and bring some clarity to his mind. He needed it more than ever these days, with indecision plaguing him over whether he should accept becoming the champion of Lord Caraxes.
Laenor had decided to accept becoming a champion a week after the day he met Lord Caraxes, but during that week, they had moved to Syrax Tower. And once he saw how exponentially his family's magical progress was advancing, he began to have second thoughts. Though the idea of going back to Lord Caraxes to refuse the offer never crossed his mind, neither did the resolve to fully accept it. So Laenor waited—waited for news or some sign of another champion showcasing their power.
He used the dragonglass candle extensively, trying to see as far as he could, scanning every corner of the world over the weeks to determine if any mortal had been 'blessed by their god.' But, fortunately or unfortunately, he found none. So Laenor set aside his thoughts of champions and the game of the gods, and instead joined his family in training their magic and increasing their collective strength to face whatever threats might come in the future.
Though he did not have as much free time as his family, who were free of the duties he bore as Lord and head of the Velaryon dragonlord family, that did not mean he lagged behind them. His monstrous talent in all branches of magic more than compensated for the limited time he had to train alongside them. And Laenor made use of every moment—for instance, now, as he sat atop the tower beside Embaryx. His dragon lay resting, while he, on the other hand, sought to clear his mind, to make it blank and empty as he sat with closed eyes. In short, Laenor was learning Occlumency.
The reason behind his decision to learn the art of defending one's mind was simple enough: divine entities often conversed with him through mental connections. And Laenor had come to understand that they could easily glimpse his surface thoughts during such exchanges. And while Lord Caraxes and the dragon gods were polite and kind, he had no desire for his thoughts to be laid bare before them whenever they spoke.
Laenor took a deep breath to steady himself and focused on the task at hand. He drew in long, slow breaths and released them after holding them for a few moments, centering himself upon the rhythm of his breathing to quiet his mind. Gradually, his breathing settled into a steady cadence, and his intense focus shifted from breath to the calm, empty stillness within his mind—until a dragon's roar shattered the silence.
Though Laenor sat atop the tower in the heart of Valyria—where a hundred dragons soared through the skies, roaring and shrieking—this sound was far too close. And by the time he opened his eyes in irritation, the dragon had already landed beside Embaryx, whose gaze followed the newcomer with predatory focus, as though ready to tear it apart at a moment's notice.
The dragon was familiar to Laenor, though he could not recall its name—until he saw its rider. The white-gold hair and that face were not easy to forget, and especially not for him, for not a day had passed when that face had not haunted his thoughts.
The rider dismounted gracefully and made her way toward Laenor with a poise that would have put every lady—be she of a great or minor house, back from Westeros —to shame.
Laenor's eyes roamed over her form, involuntarily. He had not intended to do so, but his body betrayed him every time this woman was concerned. But by the gods, if Laenor were to remain honest with himself, he did not regret looking over Elaena even a little. By some miracle or devil's curse, Elaena Drakonar—the most beautiful woman he had ever seen—had somehow become even more beautiful, if such a thing were possible. Where once her frame had been petite, now it was slender; perfect was the word Laenor would choose to describe her transformation. She had even gained the much-needed weight in places where she had once lacked.
And again, Laenor took a deep breath involuntarily before sighing, choosing not to dwell on his body's response to Elaena as she stood before him, watching him with narrowed eyes. This time, his gaze did not wander; he made certain of that with every scrap of his willpower. Not intending to prolong the staring contest between them any further, he broke the silence. "Are we just going to stare at each other?"
"You tell me," Elaena replied. "The last time we saw each other, you did not speak a word to me and left after a single glance—which did not last even a heartbeat. I had hoped that, if not an apology for how you hurt me with those words before, then at least you would speak with me cordially." There was hurt in her voice, edged with something sharper, something Laenor could not miss.
"I apologize for that, Elaena. It was unbecoming of me to hurt your feelings with those words. And as for the time I visited your home—I did not speak with you because I was too consumed by certain matters that had been troubling me for weeks. It surprises even me that I accepted your father's invitation to dinner that day," Laenor said. He did feel remorse for ignoring her then, but he spoke the truth; his mind had been too burdened to recall or address his earlier behavior.
Elaena studied him, as though trying to discern whether he spoke truth or spun a web of lies. Slowly, the edge faded from her expression, replaced by the serene look that Laenor had come to learn was reserved only for him and her parents—not even her own brother was granted that privilege.
"Tch, I am still angry with you," Elaena said, though her actions betrayed her words as she stepped forward and embraced him.
And with that embrace, an all too familiar urge returned, as well as the warmth of having something fulfilled that he did not know was empty beforehand.
Laenor let himself yield to whatever strange fate had entwined him with Elaena and returned the embrace. Why? Because of the sheer, undeniable relief it brought him. It did not matter what kind of dragon-blood bond had formed between them—whatever it was, it worked wonders for his mind. The weight and stress of indecision he had carried alone seemed to melt away, his body relaxing, his thoughts lightening as he breathed in a scent he had come to crave over the past weeks.
This time, his hands, which rested upon her waist, pulled her closer—this time by choice. Laenor did not realize how much force he used, but Elaena did. Still, she remained unfazed; unlike before, she was no longer fragile and could easily withstand his enhanced strength. He felt her hands move to the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair as she rested her face against his shoulder.
"What is troubling you?" Elaena asked, her voice soft and melodic.
Laenor nearly spoke the truth, the words rising to his lips, before he forced himself to stop.
"Nothing I would burden you with. You—and the world—will know soon enough," Laenor replied.
A long silence followed. He could not tell how much time had passed, but when Elaena finally pulled away, he felt as though it had been far too brief. He crushed those thoughts ruthlessly the moment he saw the look on her face. The serenity was gone, replaced by firm resolve.
Laenor frowned, confusion flickering across his features, and was about to speak when she placed a finger against his lips, silencing him.
Elaena took a steady breath. "I was approached by the Maiden Made of Light last night."
Laenor's eyes widened at her words. Instinctively, his gaze swept over her form, searching for any sign of injury. Laenor even used his sixth sense, a sense which he used to detect magic and mystical energy, to see if she was cursed or if there was some mental influence in her mind.
But what he felt instead stunned him even more.
Within her, he sensed a spark—a divine presence he had believed only he possessed in this world until now. Hers burned bright and luminous to his perception… perhaps even brighter than his own, if his senses were not deceiving him.
"How?" was the only word he could manage to utter. How was her divine spark this luminous—greater than his? Did that mean she would become stronger than him? Or was it because of the goddess who now stood as her divine patron?
"So you have found out for yourself. Not that I am surprised—you are you, after all," Elaena said. There was a trace of pride in her tone, though Laenor was too absorbed in his thoughts to notice.
Elaena conjured a spear of pure light in her hand. It flickered faintly, though Laenor paid little attention to that detail. His danger sense, however, did not. It told him clearly that the weapon could, in truth, harm him—or even kill him. Laenor had not felt such a warning since the day he had faced the three petty and bitchy gods of the Three Sisters. Mortal weapons had long since ceased to evoke any sense of danger within him.
"I have accepted Lady Light's offer and have become her champion. You stand before the Daughter of the Light, Laenor Velaryon," Elaena declared with dramatic flair.
Laenor took a few moments to gather his thoughts before finally releasing the breath he had been holding. "It seems I will not be alone of my kind, as someone had said to me before. But I did not expect it to begin so soon. In any case, it is good that Light chose you over anyone else. Welcome to the demigod club, Elaena Drakonar."
Laenor spread his arms theatrically.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I believe I require my own upgrade soon. If Light has acted first, then I do not expect the other gods to lag behind. It would be best if I strengthen my power before them while I still can, and learn to control it properly," Laenor added, already turning toward Embaryx with a final nod in her direction.
"I will come too!" came the shout from behind.
If you're interested in reading up to fifteen chapters ahead of this one, you can find them on my Patreon:
Patreon.com/c/Daeranyx_Drakonar
Your support on Patreon helps me continue writing, but rest assured, I won't be locking chapters behind a paywall. They will be available for free over time. If you enjoy the story and would like to support my work, your contribution would be greatly appreciated!