{A/N: I have been proofreading the earlier chapters, the chapters from 1 to 5 have been edited and revised.
Chapter five and six are now combined as I have noticed that they were extremely redundant, and when I removed said redundancy, I was left with far fewer word count, so now there is only Chapter 5: Threads of Legacy and Flame which was the title for chapter 6 previously.
Another thing is I would suggest for those who care about consistency or lore to recheck the lore chapters(the ones in the Auxiliary Chapters) since I have updated/edited some of them and might have forgotten to mention it.
I also added a new Auxiliary Chapter, "Art for Troop/Soldiers in ASOIAF.". As the name suggests, it is an Auxiliary Chapter that is mainly for the Art for the Troops/Soldiers of my AU fan-fic of ASOIAF.}
[Walano, Tall Trees Town | 187 AD / 85 AC – Nightfall]
Deep within the palace once ruled by House Zhoqo, now thoroughly purged, a chamber had been restored and prepared with fine silks, incense braziers, and old wood polished to a dark sheen. A temporary sanctum for a conqueror.
Prince Balthagar Draceryos stood alone within this chamber, his cloak of golden-crimson draped across a high-backed chair. His armor lay on a marble stand nearby, the blackened Dragonsteel catching the candlelight in eerie, shifting glimmers. Yet it was not the light of fire he now watched, it was the one conjured through blood and will.
A single Glass Candle pulsed with unnatural luminescence before him, placed atop an obsidian pedestal. His hands hovered over its surface, palms opened towards it. His molten eyes gleamed brighter with each passing breath, the air thickening with unseen pressure.
A face formed in the Glass Candle's core. It sharpened like a drawing born from smoke.
Aeralyx Belaerys.
The younger man looked confident, his features cut with noble precision, his platinum hair swept back. Behind him, the crimson glow of the manse of House Belaerys in the Demon Fort of Belaerys bathed the walls in firelight. The symbol of his house, a banner of a black dragon curled around a red flame against a golden sunburst on a dark field hung behind him on the basalt walls.
"My Prince," Aeralyx said, his tone as calm as stone. "I received your summons. Amberion is already prepared. I will fly south by sunrise."
Balthagar nodded slowly. "Good. I'll need your presence here. The fort in Walano must begin immediately. You'll coordinate with the Flamecallers and the builders from Ombaru. We're pushing faster than expected."
Aeralyx gave a faint smirk. "Speed is rarely a problem when dragons are involved."
Then his expression shifted subtly.
"There is something else," he added. "Earlier this morning, Brightfyre left the lair in Procrazion. The Dragonkeepers contacted me before she even arrived at the fort and now, she has chosen a new rider."
{A/N: Procrazion is the city-fortress built on top of and surrounding the lone mountain/volcano of Martivia. Around it is the circular city of Martivia.}
Balthagar's brow arched. "Who?"
"My brother. Vilarr."
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
Balthagar's voice came quiet, low, almost a whisper. "Convenient."
"Fortunate," Aeralyx replied. "We needed more riders. And Brightfyre needed a soul she could trust again."
A rare smile flickered across Balthagar's face. "She was once ridden by my mother."
"She was," Aeralyx said, his voice dipping with quiet respect. "Lady Elaenys would be proud to see her bond with her nephew."
"She would," Balthagar said, his gaze flicking down to the flickering candle. "Brightfyre never chose another after her death. Not until now. That... means something."
Aeralyx nodded in agreement. "Vilarr has flown with me before, and with Father. He knows Amberion's rhythms, and Aegovax's rage. He is ready."
"Then bring him cousin," Balthagar commanded. "We will need both of you here. The Summer Isles must see the shadow of more than one dragon and the forts must be built faster."
The candle shimmered. The connection frayed at the edges.
"By your leave," Aeralyx said, bowing his head.
The flame dimmed. The Glass Candle cracked faintly and went dark.
Balthagar stood alone again, his thoughts racing.
So it begins, he thought. The fire spreads.
[Walano, Tall Trees Town | Dawn of the Next Day]
The audience chamber in the palace of House Xhar was filled once more, but this time there was no celebration, only solemn focus. Scrolls and maps covered a long wooden table shaped like a crescent moon. Sunlight streamed in through woven blinds, casting a golden haze across the gathered lords and captains.
At the head of the crescent stood Prince Balthagar, armored once more, though his helm lay beside him. His molten eyes swept the room. To his right stood Lord Maerys Kostagar, arms crossed, expression cool. To his left, Prince Daba Xhar, seated yet upright, a man now burdened with responsibility far beyond his shores.
Flanking them were various captains, Flamecallers, Bloodcallers. All stood silent as Prince Daba spoke.
"The messenger has reached the Pearl Palace of Koj," he said, his voice even. "Prince Tobar Qodas will have received our summons by now."
Balthagar nodded once.
"If his reply arrives before the next sunset," Daba continued, "then Koj may yet join us without bloodshed. If not…"
He turned toward Balthagar but did not finish the sentence.
"I will ride to Koj myself," Balthagar said calmly, the words like granite. "Azantyos and I will speak the only language left."
Murmurs swept through the captains.
Lord Kostagar's voice cut through them. "And the other islands?"
Prince Daba leaned forward, producing a scroll with seals from a dozen ports. "That is where it gets interesting. Since your arrival, envoys have been arriving by boat nearly every few hours. From Isle of Fools, Lotus Reach, even tiny White Shell Cay."
He unrolled the parchment further.
"All of them seek the same thing," Daba said. "Not submission through fear, but alliance. They see what you promised Jhala and Walano: protection from corsairs, slavers, and pirates. Stability. Trade. A future."
Balthagar's gaze narrowed. "They will have their future. And in time, they will understand what true loyalty means."
Lord Kostagar added, "Koj was the loudest in doubting us. If they yield now, the rest will follow. If not…"
"Then dragonfire will teach them," Balthagar said.
A captain leaned forward. "Shall we prepare the fleet?"
"No need," Balthagar said. "Not yet. This is a war of shadows and spectacle. The dragons fly first."
Prince Daba nodded. "So, what comes next?"
Balthagar looked out the open windows toward the rising sun.
"Next… we build," he said. "And we wait to see what kind of man sits on the Pearl Throne."
[Walano, Tall Trees Town | A Day Later]
The next day, Prince Balthagar stood upon the broad ramparts of the inner wall, overlooking the construction of the new Valyrian fort. What once had been a dense cluster of jungle atop this highland hill was now vastly cleared. The soil still bore the black scars of dragonfire, Azantyos' breath had made short work of the stones brought in.
Now, workers moved like ants across the high hill, hauling stones from the inland quarries, guided by the chants and sigils of the Flamecallers who wove Azantyos' dragonfire through the air with disciplined grace.
The Fire Mages formed narrow funnels of dragonflame, aimed with precision upon blocks of rock, melting and shaping the stone before it cooled under their direction. The foundation of the Valyrian Fort of Walano was being set. The crimson-gold and black banners of House Draceryos already flanked the perimeter, while stone dragons' heads and gargoyle statues had begun to emerge from the molten rock, beasts of fire-sculpted rage and elegance.
It was the beginning of something grand, something permanent. Behind Balthagar stood several members of his retinue, including Flamecaller Vaeryn Maelyros, an elderly but still sharp-eyed master of the Order of the Fire Dragon.
His long red robes fluttered as he approached the prince. "The first courtyard will be shaped before nightfall," Vaeryn reported. "The inner sanctum by tomorrow, if the fires hold steady. We have begun adding the arches for the gate. The stone sings under dragonflame, as always."
Balthagar nodded. "Good. Let the flame carry their purpose. The fortress will stand not just as a base of power, but as a message."
Just then, footsteps echoed from the western slope. A Flamecaller walked fast, arriving before the gates of the makeshift command post. Moments later, the Flamecaller ascended the stairs and bowed before Balthagar. "My Prince," he said, panting. "A message came through the Glass Candles from on the Mages stationed from Ombaru."
Balthagar took the scroll, breaking it open, he read quickly. Aeralyx and Vilarr had arrived.
Two dragons had touched down upon the coastal ridges of Ombaru, Amberion and Brightfyre. Construction on the Ombaru Forts would begin at once. He lowered the scroll, his molten eyes flashing with silent approval. "They have arrived," he said aloud. "Should not be long till Lord Belaerys is done with Jhala."
[Walano, Tall Trees Town | Late Afternoon]
The heat of the day eased into a mild breeze as the construction of the fort advanced. Through the arches and pillars emerging from the transformed stone, the rising terraced courtyards gleamed faintly with ember hues.
Prince Balthagar Draceryos now in Tall Trees was enjoying the afternoon with both Lord Kostagar and Prince Daba Xhar. Then news came from one of the servants of a single swan-ship of Koj sailing towards Tall Tress Town, soon to dock.
Said ship's ivory sails billowed softly, nudging against the dock. Its banners is a simple crest of a swan. Around it, workers and guards began to clear passage.
The sails had barely furled when a man stepped on the docks. Tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing robes of deep storm-blue with white trim, Prince Tobar Qodas cut a figure of silent precision. His hair was long and combed back, streaked with grey. Gold bands adorned his wrists, and a single curved blade rested at his hip.
He walked alone from the swan-ship, his guards remaining aboard. The pier, once full of murmurs and motion, hushed as he approached.
Prince Balthagar stepped forward, flanked by Lord Maerys Kostagar and Prince Daba Xhar, but he needed no escort. His presence was weight enough.
"You come alone," Balthagar said, voice like deep flame. "Bold. Or wise."
Tobar Qodas inclined his head slightly. "There are times to sail with banners, and times to come with open hands. I thought this was the latter."
"That remains to be seen," Balthagar replied, eyes narrowing.
Tobar stood still a moment, eyes sweeping the newly formed towers not far from the docks, on the high hill, the curling stone dragons, the flowing red-gold-black banners of House Draceryos now fluttering.
"You have changed much already," Tobar said. "And fast."
"I intend to change more," Balthagar said evenly. "Koj has delayed. You test my patience."
Tobar nodded once. "That delay was not mine alone. My council fears your fire more than your words. I had to come see if the man was as sharp as the flame."
"And now that you've seen me?" Balthagar asked.
Tobar looked him squarely in the eye. "I see a storm dressed in calm. And I see that the seas will not resist long. Koj will not challenge you, so long as we remain free to build our ships, guard our waters, and trade on our own."
"You will build ships for Valyria," Balthagar said at once. "You will trade under its protection. You will fly your swan, but beneath the shadow of my banners."
Tobar hesitated. "And in return?"
"Your island remains yours. No soldier will set foot unless summoned and none shall threaten you while I rule these seas."
The Kojan prince was quiet a moment longer, then bowed, sharply, low at the waist.
"Then let Koj be part of your fire and may it burn long."
Balthagar gave a nod. "A wise choice."
Behind them, the swan-ship swayed gently, now watched by the guards of Tall Trees Town. Prince Tobar was led into the manse soon after, not as prisoner, but as guest.
Later that evening, the Glass Candle within Balthagar's chamber pulsed again. The face of his uncle, Lord Vaelys Belaerys appeared.
"My Prince, I have arrived on Ombaru not long ago. The Fort on Jhala is fully complete and a legion has already been stationed there." Lord Vaelys then continues "Thankfully my sons Aeralyx and Vilarr have already begun on the construction of the Eastern Fort and the Central Fort. I am currently at the Western Fort and the Fire Mages and Aegovax have begun shaping the fort." Lord Vaelys Belaerys reported.
"Good. What about the natives of Ombaru?" Balthagar asked.
"Scattered, watching. They bring fruit, meats, sometimes wine. They are in awe, but uncertain. There is some minor resistance, but nothing we cannot deal with."
"They will learn," Balthagar said. "Continue the work uncle, soon we will be done and back home. And even there, we have far more important work ahead of us."
Lord Vaelys nodded. "We will send word when the fort is done. By your leave."
The candle dimmed, and the room fell into shadow.
Back outside, the night air of Walano was rich with spice and salt, the first lights of the newly rising fort flickering in its towers. On the hilltop balcony, Balthagar stood once more, silent, watching the stars burn above.
The Summer Isles were folding, one island at a time.