Chapter 20: Dreamshade
Gaemon, newly reborn, dashed through the barren, jagged terrain of Rockstone Valley, kicking up clouds of dust. His speed was inhuman.
With each burst of exertion, a ravenous hunger surged inside him like a black hole, growing ever more intense. At the same time, his muscles visibly shriveled and contracted, as though his life force was silently draining away.
As dawn approached...
Among a scatter of broken rocks, he stumbled upon the corpse of a dragon tamer.
The body was partially decomposed, reeking of rot. It had clearly been dead for a day or two, and the valley's intense heat had hastened the decay.
Gaemon froze in place, as if caught in a binding spell.
His gaze locked on the corpse, and drool slipped from the corners of his mouth. His expression turned ravenous, like a starving wolf eyeing its prey. Deep within, a primal urge, wild and feral, began to swell uncontrollably.
His body screamed at him: "Eat it. Restore your strength. Reclaim your life... Eat..."
Gaemon clutched his head in agony, letting out a beastlike howl. He raked his claws over his scalp, blood running down his cheeks. The intense pain snapped him back to his senses. He wrenched his head away, refusing to look at the corpse again, and staggered off at speed.
Dragging his parched and exhausted body, he continued on, tracking the footprints Aegon and Daenys had left behind.
Time passed—he didn't know how long—until at last he spotted them in the distance.
He slowly reached out a claw in their direction but recoiled as if burned.
Horror struck him. Inside his faltering body, the beastly instincts whispered more seductively than ever: "Eat them. Meat... eat to survive..."
Gaemon pounded his head with all his strength. After a fierce internal struggle, he managed to regain some clarity.
Without hesitation, he turned and ran—away from his sister and Aegon.
...
Aegon had a vague sense that someone was tailing them.
He quickly activated his chip's thermal scan and detected a beast radiating intense heat roughly 300 meters behind them.
"We've been spotted by a dragon beast. Stay sharp," Aegon said grimly to Daenys.
Daenys immediately unfastened her arm shield and drew her sword, asking cautiously, "Should we confront it directly?"
Aegon frowned slightly and thought for a moment. "It looks like it's hesitating to attack. Let's keep moving and see if it keeps following us."
The two advanced cautiously, keeping a close watch on the dragon beast's movements.
Surprisingly, after trailing them briefly, the beast turned and walked away.
Seeing this, both Aegon and Daenys let out a long breath of relief.
They pressed onward, and after leaving the desolate Rockstone Valley, a wide river came into view before them.
The current surged mightily, and the sight was awe-inspiring.
"This river is the mother of the Fourteen Flames. It's called the Dragonblood River. Its source lies in Dragon's Tooth Peak, beginning from a deep lake beneath the Fourteen Flames. Look at the red pebbles along the riverbed—the water itself is tinged red because of them. That's why it's called the Dragonblood River. It's a sacred river to us Valyrians." Daenys stepped up to the bank, crouched down, and scooped up some water to taste.
Aegon followed and drank as well.
Daenys had run out of water that morning, and neither of them had had much to drink since—both were parched.
Guided by the map, they followed the Dragonblood River for several kilometers until they reached a branching stream. This tributary differed from the main river—there were no red stones on its banks, and the water had returned to its natural color.
"This is the Dreamshade Gorge. The Dreamshade dragon here is still young, even younger than Balerion by a few years. My grandfather's generation bought the egg and had it raised here."
Aegon noticed Daenys had become noticeably more talkative.
She kept pointing out landmarks, explaining their names and recounting related tales.
At one point, Aegon noticed the inner thigh of Daenys's clothing was soaked. He understood immediately—it was likely her [Apostle of Lust] talent was slipping out of control. Still, Daenys was trying hard to suppress it, using constant conversation to distract herself and fight the urges.
After all, talents could influence the body, but not a person's will.
Understanding her struggle, Aegon made an effort to engage her in conversation, matching her pace.
As they walked, there were a few brief instances of physical contact. Aegon noticed that under Daenys's determined self-restraint, the [Apostle of Lust] tag on her body was slowly fading. Perhaps once she fully overcame her impulses, the talent would revert to [Septon of Restrain II].
Based on the name, [Septon of Restrain II] appeared to be the second stage of that talent—possibly granting even greater mental strength and dream control.
In the quiet mountain ravine, they searched diligently for the dragon's lair. To continue the search, they had to wade across a shallow stream.
Cold water splashed around them, quickly soaking their outer garments.
The wet clothes clung tightly to Daenys's body, her pale skin faintly visible beneath the thin fabric.
She noticed Aegon's eyes drifting to her now and then, and her heart began to race.
Daenys was confident in her figure. Compared to Aegon's wife, Daenylis, she was more voluptuous and alluring. Now, with nothing worn beneath her clothes and soaked from the stream, it was no surprise Aegon—a grown man—would be drawn in.
But thankfully, Aegon restrained himself. He didn't do anything inappropriate.
Aegon walked silently behind Daenys, watching her occasionally rub her thighs, feeling genuinely anxious for her.
'Daenys... please hang in there.'
The two of them traveled until dusk...
They settled for the night on a relatively safe riverbank highland.
Their clothes were soaked through, and with no other option, they stripped down and set their garments by the fire to dry.
Once again, they found themselves exposed to each other.
Daenys's mature, feminine curves were laid bare before Aegon—her high, full chest, slender waist, and round, snow-white hips drew the eye irresistibly. Aegon sighed inwardly, helpless, then lay down with his back to hers. Daenys hugged her knees and quietly watched the stream flowing below, lost in thought.
As midnight approached, Aegon, half-asleep, suddenly heard a familiar system chime.
"Ding~"
[You have been caught in a mental pull from a 'Dreamwalker'. Initiating mental strength assessment... Opponent's mental strength exceeds yours. Assessment failed. You are now entering the opponent's deep dream.]
"Not again..." Aegon muttered weakly.
In the next moment, his consciousness was pulled once more into that illusory space by Daenys.
This time, Daenys wore an elegant floral dress, looking like a fairy out of a painting. She sat quietly on the grass in a garden, surrounded by a sea of vibrant blossoms. Butterflies fluttered among the flowers like tiny spirits.
In front of her was a beautifully crafted harp.
With her head slightly lowered, Daenys let her long, fair fingers rest on the strings, gently plucking them. The crisp, melodious notes formed a graceful tune that floated softly through the air.
Aegon stood among the flowers and realized something was different—his body wasn't restrained, and he could speak.
"Daenys..." he called softly.
Daenys paused, raised her head, and gave him a gentle smile.
"This dream... I created it intentionally. We're both conscious here," she said softly.
Aegon reached out and picked a bright peony, bringing it to his nose. The rich fragrance was just like that of a real flower.
"Why bring me here?"
Daenys gestured for him to come over. Aegon walked over and sat beside her on the grass.
"The nightmares I create drain the spirit and soul of anyone caught in them. If there's too big a gap between our mental strengths, the harm they suffer in the dream could even affect them in reality." As she spoke, Daenys turned to him, cupped his face gently, and guided him to lie on her lap.
"But the dreams I create... the beautiful ones... they don't just restore the dreamer's spirit—they help heal the body too." She caressed Aegon's face with a tender voice. "Back then, whenever my brother finished a grueling training session, he'd always rest in my arms like this."
'So that's how Gaemon became so terrifying in combat. You've been helping him recover and refresh his condition all along. With how obsessively he trained, it would've been strange if he didn't max out his swordsmanship,' Aegon thought.
He slowly closed his eyes, letting himself relax into the tranquility.
Warm sunlight bathed his face. The sweet scent of flowers mixed with Daenys's natural, alluring fragrance—it was comforting, even intoxicating.
Daenys's pale, jade-like arms wrapped gently around his neck as she gazed softly at the sharp lines of his face resting in her lap.
In this moment, it felt like she had returned to those happy times with her brother.
But then, without warning, flashes of the wild scenes from the previous night rushed into her mind... her body reacted before she could stop it.
Daenys felt her mouth go dry, her whole body burning with heat.
Once a woman becomes aroused, the scent she gives off can be intoxicating. Aegon could clearly sense the change in Daenys.
He opened her data panel and saw that the [Apostle of Lust] talent was glowing with a blinding red light—her desire was slipping out of control. But to his surprise, the light began to fade after just a moment. Could she have managed to rein in her impulses through sheer force of will?
Then, right before his eyes, the red glow completely vanished, and a new talent appeared in its place:
[Daenys Targaryen:
[D-Rank – Septon of Restrain II: While managing and suppressing personal desire, mental strength is increased by 15 points. If restraint is broken, this talent will invert into C-Rank – Apostle of Lust.]
Seeing such a positive shift in Daenys's talents, Aegon finally relaxed. Cradled in her warm embrace, he drifted into a deep sleep.
Daenys could also feel that Aegon's mental state had fully calmed. A soft, gentle smile appeared on her face.
...
At dawn, Aegon slowly opened his eyes as awareness returned.
He gently sat up and looked around. Noticing that nothing inappropriate had happened between him and Daenys during the night, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Daenys was already up.
Aegon quickly got dressed and stepped outside—only to find Daenys by the stream, spearfishing with a longsword. Without hesitation, he joined her, and before long, they'd caught two fish together. Aegon used them to prepare a flavorful stone pot fish soup.
After enjoying the meal, they resumed their search for the dragon's lair.
"Think Dreamshade might be hiding from us using camouflage?" Aegon asked, skeptical.
Daenys waded carefully through the stream, replying, "Don't worry. The Targaryens have raised it for decades. Its lair is clearly marked on the map—we'll find it."
They pressed forward, following the indicated path...
Before long, a massive lake—spanning several miles across—unfolded before them. The water's surface was smooth and clear, like a finely polished mirror. It reflected the drifting clouds and the surrounding rolling mountains, creating a surreal, dreamlike scene.
At the lake's center sat a solitary island.
Resting on it was a slender dragon.
By Aegon's estimate, it measured over thirty meters in length.
The dragon was breathtaking—its entire body looked like it had been sculpted from crystal glass, translucent and radiant. Under the sunlight, its scales shimmered like a mosaic of tiny gemstones, casting a dazzling array of colors. Even more remarkable, the scales shifted in hue with the rippling reflections of the lake, as if painting a living, ever-changing masterpiece.
"Dreamshade!"
Daenys rushed to the lakeshore, her voice trembling with excitement as she called the majestic dragon's name in High Valyrian.
The dragon sensed the intruders stepping into its domain. It slowly lifted its long, graceful neck and turned its delicate, crystalline head toward them, its eyes filled with cautious curiosity.
"Wait for me," Daenys said to Aegon.
Then she quickly shed her clothes and weapons.
Taking a deep breath, she dove into the crystal-clear lake, her movements fluid and elegant. Like a spirited fish, she swam straight toward the island at the lake's center.