Chapter 242: Interpretation of the Dragon Dream

Igon struggled to see clearly the images flashing across the "island". But they moved too fast. Even though he did his utmost to look and memorize them, he could only grasp fragments.

A silver-haired noblewoman let out a blood-curdling scream. Her exposed belly was grotesquely swollen and suddenly split open, revealing a long-dead infant that emitted a hollow wail. Wrinkled wings stretched from the back of the child, who bore fleshy horns and scales, but those wings had no strength to take flight.

Scalding blood flowed down, staining the blank carpet. Yet the blood did not spread evenly—instead, it branched outward like the veins of a tree.

Seven colossal dragons flew across the vast land. One of them suddenly crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar. Igon could even see the blood gushing from the dragon's body like a spring.

A crown forged of iron tumbled to the ground.

Gold gradually seeped into the black iron crown, making it dazzlingly brilliant.

A white raven perched atop a weirwood tree. A thousand and one eyes rolled out from beneath its feathers, coldly observing a castle burning quietly in the distance.

A towering knight raised a cold iron sword and charged toward a massive tree.

Red flames wreathed the crown, while black flames slowly rose from the ground.

The crown began to melt as black fire and red fire clashed, with green and silver flames swirling between them.

The hazy scenes faded away like running water.

Igon then saw an older version of himself, roaring furiously. His sister Daenerys had blood streaming from one of her eyes. A fearsome black dragon bellowed behind her, and she too roared defiantly at the dragon.

He saw his grandfather seated high upon a throne of fire, surrounded by mountains, his cold gaze fixed northward.

Suddenly, Draezell's deep purple eyes shifted to look in Igon's direction, his gaze chilling.

Igon felt a sudden sensation of weightlessness, his body sinking deeper and deeper.

Everything was swallowed by darkness.

Igon jolted awake from the dream, glancing around in a panic at his sister, who was sneakily munching on pastries beside him.

"Sister, your eye!"

"Huh? What's wrong with my eye?" Daenerys hastily swallowed her cake, looking at him in confusion.

Sebastian, however, leaned in with a delighted look. "Igon, did you dream about something?"

Igon nodded. Only after confirming that his sister's eyes were perfectly fine did he let out a breath of relief and said slowly, "Grandfather is terrifying."

?

Seeing the strange looks from his cousin and sister, Igon hurried to explain. Daenerys didn't seem particularly concerned—after all, Draezell's strength was an obvious fact—but Sebastian fell into deep thought.

From the records he had read, the dreamwalkers of House Targaryen had never been able to enter a dragon dream at will; their visions were sporadic and unpredictable. The futures they glimpsed were beyond their control.

Yet it seemed that Igon not only entered the dragon dream consciously but also encountered Draezell each time.

Sebastian had some theories.

Still feeling uneasy, Igon glanced at his sister's eyes again before starting to recount his dream.

Sebastian frowned as he tried to interpret each scene of his brother's dream. Honestly, it hardly needed interpretation—Igon's dream had been unusually clear.

"Igon, the woman you saw giving birth to a dragon-blooded child seems to have historical precedent. Back during the days of Old Valyria, our ancestors occasionally bore children with dragon-like features. These offspring could not survive, and their birth almost always meant the death of the mother. Queen Rhaenyra was an exception—when her daughter, Princess Visenya, was born with dragon traits, the Queen survived, possibly because of her strong constitution and the fact the child was born prematurely."

"Dragon dreams can show the past too?" Igon asked curiously.

Sebastian nodded. "According to the records, dragon dreams aren't limited to foreseeing the future—they can also replay the past. Of course, as Grandfather says, history tends to repeat itself. No one can say for sure whether the past shown in a dragon dream is truly the real past. As for the dragon falling from the sky... it might symbolize that among the seven dragonriders on this expedition…"

Sebastian abruptly stopped himself. No matter how he interpreted it, it clearly pointed to one dragon or one dragonrider perishing. This was information that had to be reported to Grandfather and Uncle, because history had already proven the reliability of dreamwalker prophecies.

"I don't recognize that dead dragon," Igon said decisively.

Sebastian shook his head. "No, Igon, you can't interpret the dream like that. Dragons are our symbol. You can't assume that dragon has nothing to do with us just because you don't recognize it. From previous experiences, it's very likely that we appear as dragons in our dreams."

Igon nodded in confusion. "And then?"

Daenerys leaned in curiously. "Come on, speak plainly."

Sebastian carefully chose his words as he continued decoding the rest of the dream. "When King Daeron ascended the throne, he used King Jacaerys' iron sword crown. The crown falling to the ground signifies the king's death. But this probably points to something far in the future. As for the crown stained with gold, it might symbolize that the successor will be quite accomplished in gathering wealth. As for the meaning of the red, black, green, and silver flames, uh..."

"They symbolize conflict?" Daenerys asked, getting a bit excited.

"I don't know," Sebastian shrugged. "I don't believe anyone would dare stir trouble under Grandfather and Uncle's rule."

Igon and Daenerys nodded in agreement.

"As for the later parts, it's pretty obvious. Even Igon could probably figure it out," Sebastian said, clearly uninterested in the last few scenes.

"In the dream, it seemed like you lost an eye while trying to tame a dragon, sister," Igon said.

"It's fine. Just one eye. Tell me, did I succeed in taming it?" Daenerys asked eagerly.

Igon nodded. Daenerys broke into a bright smile. "That's enough for me. Which one was it? Never mind, it must've been a big one."

Daenerys was full of confidence. She had little interest in the family's younger dragons.

It was Grandfather's Vermithor, Rey's Shadowmare, Valenna's Silverwing, Father's Starsong, and Uncle's Sendros that she truly set her sights on.

Though it wasn't exactly polite, Daenerys had set her goals firmly on them.

Igon looked helplessly at his sister. There was nothing he could do — this was just how she was, and that wouldn't change. He admired her bravery and carefree attitude, and he even envied how she could do so many things without hesitation.

But he couldn't.

Because he was Igon Vaelarys, son of Rhaegor Vaelarys.

The third heir to House Vaelarys.

He had to shoulder his destiny.

Silently, Igon set a goal for himself in his heart.