They had managed to take off from the ground amidst unimaginable danger, but true safety was still a distant hope.
Even before they could stabilize their flight or properly distance themselves from the eruption site, the volcano—silent until now—erupted with devastating fury.
It was as if the core of the earth had been set alight. A deafening roar shattered the night as a thousand-meter-high pillar of molten magma exploded into the sky. Like a monstrous torch from hell breaching the human world, it tore through the darkness, connecting death and destruction in one terrifying surge.
The magma burst into the air, spreading like a meteor storm, its splashes glowing red-hot, falling in a rain of annihilation. The night sky was painted with both dread and awe—a terrifying beauty that drew the eye even as it promised death.
But it wasn't just magma falling from the heavens.
Mixed within the flaming rain were enormous rocks, cloaked in heat yet unscathed by the lava. These weren't ordinary stones; they appeared to be rare ores—valuable perhaps, but lethal now. To Rayder, they were no treasure. Just more weapons thrown by a wrathful world.
Being struck by even one of these would be fatal, the sheer heat capable of vaporizing him in an instant—he wouldn't even leave behind bones, just become dust returned to the earth. For the first time, the mighty dragons beneath him—once symbols of power, freedom, and speed—now felt woefully slow.
From the back of Im, Rayder watched helplessly as the burning lava and high-speed debris chased them, inching closer every second. The sky itself turned into a battlefield, filled with smoke, ash, and choking fog. Visibility dropped to almost nothing. Even the wind direction twisted, and Rayder's sense of direction grew muddled.
"Crack! Crack!"
The rain of volcanic debris fell like a storm of bullets, slamming into the dragons. It sounded like a thousand bones breaking at once.
The searing heat clawed at Rayder's skin, burning him even as he clung tighter to Im's bone spikes. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. He clenched his teeth, silently praying that the dragons would hold out.
Amid this inferno, it was the youngest of the three—Kidora—who displayed surprising grace and resilience.
Due to its smaller body, it was the most agile in flight. Its three heads scanned the skies rapidly, alert and focused, adjusting constantly to the incoming threats. In a flash, it surged ahead, rising above Im, the massive Black Dragon.
"Buzz—"
One of Kidora's heads opened its mouth, releasing a faint beam of focused gravitational energy. The ray sliced through the air like an invisible blade, meeting a blazing rock midair. With a thunderous crack, the rock shattered into dust and gravel—no longer a threat.
But Kidora didn't stop there.
Each of its heads took turns, firing calculated gravity rays one after another, targeting incoming hazards too fast to dodge. One by one, it intercepted and obliterated them, shielding Rayder and the other dragons below with remarkable precision.
Its movements were efficient, agile, and timed to perfection. Each shot protected a life.
However, the same could not be said for Im and Egon.
While Kidora neutralized the most dangerous projectiles, the aftermath—the debris, the smaller lava chunks, the piercing ash—still rained down. The burning fragments tore through the sky like flaming shrapnel, hammering their bodies mercilessly.
"Raaaarghhh!"
"Skreeeeeh!"
Two anguished roars tore through the noise of the eruption. The great dragons cried out, their pain echoing across the mountains.
Their weak spots—especially the delicate wing membranes—took the brunt of the assault. Volcanic debris tore through them, opening fresh wounds. Large holes appeared in their wings, which flapped desperately to stay aloft.
The searing pain caused their flight to grow increasingly unstable. They veered erratically, like wounded birds, dancing on the brink of collapse.
Rayder held tight to Im, feeling every shudder, every painful beat of the dragon's wings. He knew then—this was worse than he had imagined. One mistake, and they would all plummet.
Still, they pushed forward.
It was not skill that carried them out of that nightmare—it was raw willpower. Sheer desperation. Driven by instinct and a refusal to die, the dragons soared on, flailing and screaming their way out of the volcanic hellscape.
Gradually, the pressure of the heat waned. The rain of ash thinned. The volcano roared behind them like a devil's gate, still belching fire and fury into the sky.
But they were out. Barely.
Rayder's chest felt tight, as if a boulder rested inside him. The Valyrian ruins—once their home and sanctuary—were now just a trap. A burning, cursed land no longer safe for anyone.
And the worst part?
This wasn't just bad luck.
Rayder had long harbored a suspicion. Now, he was sure: some divine force was targeting him.
Three volcanic catastrophes in such a short span? It defied logic. In a world where magic and gods walked hand-in-hand, he could no longer ignore the truth.
No human could orchestrate such disaster. Only a god could.
"Go! The Yan Sea! To Essos!"
His voice cracked from heat and fear, but his tone was unshakable. He ordered the dragons forward, towards the coastline—the last hope. He would not die in Valyria. Not here. Not now.
The dragons heard the command, but it was clear they were reaching their limits.
Im and Egon—bleeding, torn, and burned—struggled with every beat of their wings. Their strength was fading fast. Every motion drew a groan of pain, every flap sprayed more blood.
Even Kidora, though in better shape, showed signs of exhaustion. Its speed slowed, its wings drooped.
They flew for what felt like hours. The mountains below blurred beneath them as fatigue crept into every breath, every muscle. Their flight became ragged, uneven. Scabs formed on Im and Egon's wounds, only to tear open again with each strain of their wings.
Then, mercifully, salvation appeared.
They reached the outer ridges of Valyria—far enough from the active volcano to offer safety. A wide, flat mountaintop loomed ahead. With no energy left, the dragons landed hard, stumbling as they collapsed to the ground.
Rayder slid off Im's back, barely catching himself before falling. His legs trembled as he took in their surroundings.
This place was familiar.
It was here he had once landed after arriving in Valyria for the first time—terrified, lost, and alone. And now, he returned to the same place, not in search of answers, but fleeing death, scarred and weary.
Everything had changed.
Where once there was wonder and mystery, now there was only blood, smoke, and divine wrath. The sanctuary had become a battlefield, and he was no longer the man he had been.
But he had survived.
For now.
And he knew the only way forward was across the sea—to new lands, to new hope, and to answers.
Who was the god targeting him? And why?
The answers lay beyond the horizon.
And Rayder was determined to find them.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)