Chapter 238: Vaelarys in Action

"First, the message from Seryna, sent from Harrenhal. She met with the elder of the Green Men on the Island of Faces. The elder conveyed an apology to us," Rhaegor said, his expression somewhat strange. "The great green prophet's promised compensation was delayed, but fate has chosen a seed that was meant to flourish. It was cast into the proper torrent."

Draezell's expression shifted, and it seemed as though he recalled this matter. Well, to be honest, he had never paid much attention to the Green Men's promises. Not to be modest, but in terms of magic, neither the shapeshifters in the entire Green Men organization on the Island of Faces, nor the leader of the Green Prophets beyond the Wall, were any match for him now.

Their time had passed.

"Did Seryna not tell those old geezers to speak plainly?" Draezell couldn't help but tease, knowing his daughter's temper. He imagined that when that Green Men elder spoke in such a cryptic manner, Seryna had nearly lost her composure, sarcastically remarking in response.

Rhaegor raised an eyebrow. "Probably. You know how Seryna is. In the letter she sent, she's always your sweet, obedient little princess. But knowing her as I do, after hearing that elder ramble on like that, she must have been beside herself. Oh, look, it seems she finally got him to speak plainly."

Rhaegor continued, and it even seemed like he could predict what his sister might have done. Like demanding that the elder speak in plain language, or even threatening him with a dragon, although the latter was a more cautious approach used by the Vaelarys family.

"Seryna politely had the Green Men elder translate his words. To put it simply, the Green Prophet's leader—the three-eyed crow I met—originally planned for a shapeshifter from the Children of the Forest, a child of excellent talent who could surely awaken the powers of the Green Prophet. However, it seems there was some trouble in the North. Before the child could fully mature, they were called beyond the Wall, and we haven't heard anything since."

Draezell instantly stood up, causing Ray and Rhaegor to jump in surprise.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

Draezell remained silent, looking towards the North, his eyes closing as though he were trying to sense something.

"Idiot brother, Igon, what's wrong? Don't scare your sister!" Daenarys cried, panicking as she held her younger brother, who had suddenly rolled his eyes. Her beautiful face was visibly anxious. No one knew Igon better than she did. While Igon loved teasing his sister, no one could love each other more than the two of them. Even after all the pranks and tricks, Igon would never do anything to embarrass her.

But now, her brother, who had been playing and joking with her moments ago, suddenly collapsed in her arms with a rolled eye. Daenarys was almost scared out of her wits.

"Sebastian, what are you waiting for? Go find Grandfather Evens!" Seeing Sebastian rushing over, also covered in sweat, to check on Igon, Daenarys couldn't help but shout.

"He's fine. No need for Grandfather Evens," Sebastian said after checking Igon and feeling his breath. He sighed in relief before speaking slowly. "He's asleep."

"Ah?" Daenarys's mouth fell open. She had imagined many possibilities, but never that her brother could suddenly fall asleep like this.

Sebastian pressed his lips together, contemplating whether to tell Daenarys about that matter. In the end, he decided against it. After all, the fact that Igon had the gift of a dream-walker was something Ray had speculated based on Igon's sleep talk and the occasional hints from Draezell.

"Maybe little brother is just tired. Daenarys, take him to a room to rest."

"But Igon rolled his eyes!"

"It's probably just his sleeping habit. Don't worry, Daenarys. His breathing is steady, and his heartbeat is calm. His eyes are fine. He's just sleeping."

"Oh." Daenarys carefully cradled Igon in her arms, carefully carrying the little one into the Sword Tower. The tower had several rooms with beds, where the children stayed and trained. But now, the place felt eerily quiet.

Igon only felt exhausted.

But soon, his consciousness sank into an unfathomable sea. He felt himself drifting, drifting, when suddenly a wave surged and pushed him to a place beyond description.

Above him, an endless pitch-black sky, beneath his feet, the equally infinite deep sea. A massive silver dragon with wings so wide that they seemed to fill his vision stood over the sea, coldly watching the North.

Igon struggled to climb onto an "island", and suddenly, he saw a series of blurry images. He saw himself standing on a bronze-colored mountain, completely naked, saw his sister riding with a sword, and heard his father's dragon roar in the sky.

He saw bloodied figures falling from the sky, and multiple dragons making terrifying noises.

"What do you see?"

The grand, layered voice echoed across the indescribable place. Igon was surprised to find that he had never heard this language before. It wasn't the Common Tongue, nor any form of Valyrian. The words seemed to pop out one after another, but he could still understand their meaning.

Igon instinctively wanted to say something, but what came out wasn't what he had intended.

"I see the heart of a cold winter, still steady. I see pale figures frozen in an endless ice river, with walls of aurora blocking the snowstorm. I heard a voice saying, 'The time is not yet.'"

As he spoke, Igon seemed to truly see those scenes. Just as he was about to take a closer look at those pale figures, he was suddenly blocked by the silver body.

"Sleep now, child."

The grand voice came again.

Igon's consciousness blurred, feeling a strange force drawing him upward, pulling and pulling until he lost all awareness.

Draezell withdrew his gaze, and Ray and Rhaegor ignored the strange feeling as though their blood was boiling in their veins. They looked at him, uneasy.

"It's fine. Everything is stable. The time hasn't changed," Draezell said suddenly, as if it were an afterthought. He sighed in relief and sat down. "Continue."

"The second gift of the three-eyed crow has been affected by the Old Gods or fate, or as Father says, the world's consciousness. It will respond in the dragon's blood and become the next three-eyed crow."

Rhaegor spoke bitterly, "According to the Green Men's prophecy, that child might be the one in Lady Melissa Blackwood's womb."