Into the Fire – Daenerys GOT ASOIAF SI
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Traveling by ship is damn slow.
I mean, not ridiculously, these were efficient enough cargo ships for the era of ship development I had found myself in, but still, the view got old after a while.
I spent the many weeks of travel being taught about the faith, what was expected of me as a higher ranked Priestess (I wasn't really being given power yet, but once I was older oh boy would I be high ranked) and even some basics on how to look into flames.
By the time we arrived in the grand port of Volantis, I had enough of the basics down to not spread disinformation about "our" practices.
Heh, going to have to get used to being a member of the church.
Once we'd arrived, my escort quickly brought me in to meet the High Priest of R'hllor, who… bowed down to me.
Looking up, he had a manic beaming smile on his heavily flame tattooed face.
"Blessed of R'hllor! We welcome you to the greatest temple of the Lord of Light."
I tilted my head in confusion, he seemed remarkably sure of this, everyone else seemed to get that I was important in the flames, but not exactly the reason.
Maybe he's just that kind of nutty? Works for me.
"I gratefully accept your welcome High Priest. I am Daenerys Targaryen, I would know the name of R'hllor's… greatest servant."
Ooh I just felt a chill, playing the Game is different than I thought it would be.
Thankfully he seemed to take this in stride, simply bowing his head and accepting what was basically me placing myself higher than him. You see, all of R'hllor's priests declared themselves to be slaves of R'hllor.
I'd just hinted that I was more.
"This humble servant of R'hllor is called Benerro, I lead the faith in Volantis. I have heard word of your wondrous goal, how may we be of assistance in meting out R'hllor's will?"
I smiled, leaving the topic of asking about the exact international structure of the faith for later.
"Several components are needed. First off all, we will need dragon eggs, as many as can be procured, but one will do for the initial ritual. We also need a suitable sacrifice, a powerful magician, I do not know if they need to be of any particular skill-set, but a shadowbinder from Asshai would be ideal."
The High Priest's followers began to mutter amongst themselves, but I ignored that to press a hand to my heart.
"And of course, I shall accompany them both into the flame, to become mother to all dragons to come."
Benerro's eyes were wide, before he simply nodded and rose.
"It will be as is proclaimed. No matter the cost." He stated, before smiling at me.
"Now, your quarters have been prepared, would you like to see them?"
A hand was extended towards me, and I took it with a nod.
He proceeded to lead me into the temple.
o-o-o-o—o-o-o-o-o
Months later
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The Temple of the Lord of Light in Volantis was truly ginormous. Several times larger than even the Sept of Baelor, there wasn't even just one main chamber.
The main chamber was huge yes, but other than that there were several others off to the sides, clever engineering allowing for each wall of stained glass windows to receive natural light, little alleys between each chamber with raised and angled polished marble platforms reflecting as much light as possible into the windows, which threw red, orange, and yellow light all over the many chambers.
The halls to get around the temple were like elongated churches in themselves, lined seemingly forever with tall stained glass windows and luxury everywhere.
Rising high above were dozens of towers and castle like constructions melding everything together, bridges crisscrossing everything.
Each worship chamber had a skylight right above a central fire pit, and at night each was lit, alongside dozens outside and across the temple grounds.
Still, I stood in the circular central chamber, hundreds of curious worshipers who'd arrived for the standard night fires looking to the five year old holding the hand of the High Priest of R'hllor.
The Red Faith was definitely a people's religion. Unlike in Braavos, thousands of followers were already swarming the grounds. The prayers of the devotees and the loud proselytizing of the priests almost hurt my sensitive young ears, but I still grinned as I saw the men of the hour approach.
A small group approached me, one man kneeling and offering me the huge stone egg of an actual dragon.
Taking it, I felt the rough scales and smiled gently, letting the fantastical moment fill me before I crushed those feelings to look upon the necessary part of what would happen next.
The sorceress they had snatched was ancient, yet still I could see her eastern features easily enough, was she from Yi Ti? Maybe some other eastern nation, I doubt many are actually born in Asshai.
Her hair was white from age, skin pale, no doubt from living in such a dark cursed land such as Asshai, yet otherwise she seemed remarkably healthy for her advanced age. Skin still pulled tight, musculature not deteriorated, form not yet as saggy as would be expected, and most of all she seemed remarkably alert.
She was gagged, yet still I could hear the desperate cries from her throat as she realized what was happening.
I spoke quietly.
"Sorry for this, but if it is any solace at all, know that you shall bring magic back to this world in force." Bowing my head, I turned away and let one of the priests help me down into the huge metal lined pit.
For such a huge fire-pit that is regularly used, it had no ashes. Must be something the lower priests clean, I could totally see that being an added ritual to everything else.
I noted holes for pipes leading underground, hm, wonder if they're for air?
Sitting cross-legged in the center, I held the egg in my lap as the magic woman was tied to a pole which was secured next to me.
Great.
As the ritual began, wood was quickly formed up around us into a large rectangular, almost cabin-like, structure. Tinder filled the floor up and over my legs, and finally glistening oil was allowed to drip down the logs for an easy start to the fire.
Benerro himself was leading the ritual, seemingly a fusion of the typical night ritual, plus some on the fly stuff about what we were doing now.
I saw, through the gaps between the logs, a taller priest come in with a long iron rod which held a torch sized flame at the end.
Reaching in, it touched down just in front of me, and I got to see the flame take to the tinder and the small twigs that were spread about, and soon enough low flames had spread about the bottom of the pit.
The woman behind me began to shake, her gagged screaming forcing me to cover my ears.
Soon enough the flames were making their way up the logs with the help of the oil, and I sat my head back and closed my eyes to commit the woman's voice, what I could hear of it, into my brain.
If I'm never going to forget this, than may as well remember it correctly.
After several minutes had passed, her screaming was long done, yet still I could feel her legs shaking manically. At this point the flames were raging chaotically, even I could feel the heat like you would feel heat seep from a cup of tea into your hands, almost but not quite burning you.
I wonder what those outside were seeing? Was this a huge roaring magic fire, or was it just another night fire like any other?
Lowering my hands, I hugged the egg to my tiny body.
It'll all be worth it, just keep this in mind.
The woman's shaking stopped.
It's worth the sacrifice.
...
It's worth it.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oo-
The Fire was kept up all night long.
Of course it was, this seconded as a night fire after all.
At some point I got lightheaded and was forced to bring my face down by the air pipes to refresh myself, it didn't matter how much fire or smoke entered my lungs, as long as I could steal a little bit of oxygen it was fine.
This happened several times throughout the night, until eventually I fell asleep, somehow, even with everything else happening, I fell asleep, clutching my egg to my chest.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
When I awoke, it was to ash and cinders.
Pressing an arm down into the fine particulate, I pushed myself up.
Opening my eyes, I found myself in a sea of ash. Still smoldering cinders covered the sea with a layer of charcoal, smoke still rising, yet gently.
Looking around, I felt my heart skip a beat in panic.
Where's the egg!?!
Scrambling up, I stopped at the sound of … chirping?
Looking down, I couldn't stop a slight squeal at the sight of a tiny dragon baby looking up at me, it wheezed, releasing a tiny breath of warm air in my face.
It was an ashy grey, it's horns and other harder bits glinting silver, which the occasional mark of black on it's body.
Reaching forth, I chuckled a bit under my breath.
"I suppose I have no choice but to name you Ash, huh?" I said, voice hoarse, yet I couldn't help my feeling of elation.
I'd just brought about a dramatic change to an entire planet, and I couldn't help the feeling.
Hmm, I'll be needing water now I suppose?
Looking up, I noted the large crowd looking down at me with amazed expressions, and I grinned up at them, before lifting the baby WMD with some triumph, trying to ignore the event required for it to be born.
"Behold the future!"
I closed my eyes as the crowd went wild, simply hugging my dragon to myself.
There's still so much to do.
O-o-o-o-o-o-oo-o-o-
A/N – I'm actually going to have to research how priests talk to crowds aren't I? Damnit, now I've got to trudge through a bunch of religious crap.
Oh well, I may as well have asked for it, writing this.