If Aegor had studied the history of the Valyrian Freehold, or even casually read the dragonriding manual Daenerys acquired in Asshai, he would have immediately understood the origin of the mysterious woman once she introduced herself.
But he had not.
As a transmigrator, he could not possibly know a background story that even the creator of his original world had never finished writing. And as a busy man who had lived in the world of Ice and Fire for some time, he had neither the leisure nor the interest to study an ancient empire across the Narrow Sea that had been destroyed long ago.
Therefore, he had only ever heard the term "Foster" in passing. He vaguely remembered it as a once-famous Valyrian surname, but nothing more.
He did not know that Foster was the surname of the oldest of the forty great Valyrian dragonrider families, commonly known as the Primal Dragonriders. Nor did he know that whether it was the Targaryens, Velaryons, or any ancient Valyrian house lost in the Doom, or even nameless bastards with some connection to dragonrider blood, if one traced the line far enough back, they would inevitably find a Foster ancestor at or near the end.
Even less did he know that throughout the entire existence of the Valyrian Freehold, regardless of how internal factions plotted and slaughtered each other, House Foster always stood first, transcendent, untouchable, a family with few members but unmatched status, one no one dared provoke.
He knew nothing about the woman's surname. "Knew nothing" was almost an understatement.
But even so, it did not stop him from recognizing the name she claimed.
The mysterious woman appearing in his dream said she was the god of shadow and flame, the Lord of Light herself, Lady R'hllor.
…
Aegor's understanding of the gods of this world had undergone several twists.
In both the original novels and the adapted series, gods never showed themselves directly, nor displayed explicit miracles. Throughout, it was people shouting "God did this" and "God willed that". There was never any proof. Aegor once concluded from this that the gods of the Faith of the Seven, the Old Gods of the First Men, and R'hllor were all facades created by groups of people for their own purposes. Wizards masking their tricks as divine will, rulers covering their crimes as the work of heaven, and believers using divine authority to intimidate enemies.
This theory held well enough, until he transmigrated and began testing the world.
Soon after entering the main storyline, Aegor discovered that certain events could not be altered. Waymar Royce still died to White Walkers on his first patrol. Benjen Stark still vanished Beyond the Wall. Even attempts to prevent Bran's "accident" failed.
At that time, Aegor wondered if some unseen existence was watching, forcing the world to follow the original plot.
It was a deeply discouraging thought.
But later events overturned it. The plot could be altered, and the degree of deviation grew as he rose in status and influence. The earlier failures were simply because he had been insignificant, lacking the timing, strength, or leverage to change anything.
Perhaps unseen forces existed, but they certainly did not act like conscious beings forcing a specific storyline. The Red God and the Cold God were real in some sense, but more like opposing cosmic forces, unconscious and instinctive.
In that sense, gods existed. But none of them cared about individual humans.
Thus Aegor formed his final conclusion about the extraordinary powers of this world.
He worked decisively, according to his own judgment. No strange force intervened. He rose from a nobody to someone whose decisions influenced the fates of many.
But now, a mysterious figure appeared in his dream, calling herself R'hllor.
Was she real? If she was truly a deity, was this her genuine form, or merely an illusion meant to lower his guard? And what did she want?
---
A thousand thoughts crowded his mind, but Aegor did not question her. In a dream, questions and proofs were meaningless. And when faced with someone he could not possibly resist, the wisest course was to remain respectful and let her speak.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lady R'hllor," Aegor said respectfully. He had thought he was finally done bowing to anyone, yet now he was facing a god. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Quite a lot. But most of it you have already accomplished, and what remains is not my main purpose in coming here. Since you have helped me in the struggle against the one you call the Cold God, I intend to give you a small reward."
Seeing him finally willing to stop reshaping the dream and speak properly, her expression softened.
"The first reward is advice. You may go Beyond the Wall, but you must not travel beyond the Frostfangs or the northernmost ice lakes of the Haunted Forest, attempting to discover new lands or eliminate threats permanently."
Aegor froze and said nothing.
"I know what you are thinking. 'I never intended to launch a real expedition, it was a deception, how could even a god be fooled?'" she said with a small laugh, exposing his thoughts without mercy. "I am not a god. I am simply someone mortals have mythologized. But understand this: some people, though not gods, are no different from gods when they choose to fix their gaze upon a mortal. And you are now such a mortal."
"I know every calculation in your mind. I know every step of your plan. Yet I must warn you. One day, out of boredom or pride, you might try to travel north of the northernmost land, seeking the Cold God's true form."
She paused, then added with another knowing smile, "And now you doubt me again, thinking I want to keep an enemy alive to maintain my importance, or that I am a messenger of the Cold God."
Her lips curved slightly.
"So my second reward is a story. A true story. An explanation for all of this. Do not underestimate this gift. You are the only mortal alive who will ever hear it. Even my most devoted followers never dared hope for a single word of it. Now ask me. Ask why I call myself the True Dragon's Daughter."
This woman clearly enjoyed forcing interaction.
But Aegor also understood that the pride of a mortal meant nothing in front of someone who could enter his dreams and overturn his mind like a page of paper.
He did not hesitate long.
"Why do you call yourself the True Dragon's Daughter?"
"Because my mother is indeed a dragon. A True Dragon," R'hllor replied. "Forget the two pets of the Queen you just thought of. In my mother's words, 'Are those even dragons?' Those three creatures Daenerys raised are at best dragon-beasts, great wild animals distantly related to dragons in blood and shape."
She continued, calm and certain.
"My mother is of a higher dragon race. She possesses reason, wisdom, language, writing, spellcraft, and can freely take human or dragon form. That is what a true dragon is. We Valyrians claiming True Dragonblood is not metaphor or pride. It is literal."
That incredible?
Then why had no one ever seen such dragons?
"There is only one higher dragon race in this world, my mother. She did not grow up here. Many years ago, when she had just conceived me, she was attacked by my father's sister and banished into a spacetime rift… and arrived in this world."
R'hllor looked at Aegor's stunned expression and smiled faintly.
"What? Did you think you were the first or only outsider ever to arrive here? That is some confidence."
Aegor almost missed the mockery entirely.
There was another transmigrator. A dragon transmigrator.
And his own greatest secret was exposed in a few casual sentences.
Her earlier words, "To you, I am no different from a god," suddenly felt frighteningly real.
His mind was blank for several seconds before he remembered what he should ask now that his identity was no secret.
He asked instinctively:
"Then how exactly did I come to this world? And is there any chance or method to return?"
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)