"These are the last of them?", Daenerys asked as she stood at the foot of Meereen's great pyramid, staring at the group of noble masters gathered in front of her.
"Yes, they are, Khaleesi. We expected there to be more, but Drogon's ferocity led there to be more casualties than we expected," Jorah answered, to which Daenerys hummed as she saw her son lounging off to the side with his sisters sleeping peacefully beside him.
Turning her gaze back to their prisoners, she glanced at what remained of the Golden Company and Second Sons' sellswords that were spared by her children.
"People of Meereen!", Her voice echoed as she began speaking in High Valyrian, watching as they all paid attention, some with looks of fear and awe while others glared at her.
"I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the Breaker of Chains, the Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt! The masters you see before you are the last who dared to call themselves your rulers! They bought and sold your lives, seeking to shackle you and to deny you hope!", She continued, not surprised when she saw their gaze flickering between her form and the three dragons lounging peacefully off to the side.
Despite her love for her children, she had to agree with Jorah's words as she had seen the ferocity of not only her son but also her daughters as they tore through the armies.
"They would see you chained again, but I will not allow it! From this day forth until your end, you are free! No master shall claim you again!", She spoke, watching as a murmur echoed in the crowd before glancing at her son when she saw him standing up with a low rumble and a stretch.
"But freedom has a price. The masters of Meereen nailed children to these very roads to break my will and thought their cruelty would cow me, but instead, they have only sealed their fate!", As she spoke, Grey Worm and the Unsullied marched forward, grabbing onto those that kept sneering even as they were dragged out of the group and to the front.
"Khaleesi, a show of mercy might win you their city faster than more blood. Kill them all and their hatred will only fester."
"And what of the children that were strung up? How will I give them their justice if I am too afraid to-"
"YOL TOOR SHUL!", The sound of intense flames drew everyone's attention and Daenerys' eyes widened as she stared at Drogon burning the masters that had been dragged forward.
Watching as the freed slaves cheered at seeing their tormentors being burned to a crisp, Daenerys and her Council looked at Drogon who snuffed out his flames before letting out a puff of smoke.
"Drogon!", Daenerys' voice crackled once she snapped out of her shock, but as she locked eyes with her dragon, she stiffened at the look in his eyes as he crawled closer.
Even as she saw Jorah and Whitebeard trying to put themselves in between the two of them, Drogon simply pushed past them while coming face to face with her.
Keeping her breathing steady as she placed a hand on his head, she relaxed as he tapped her chest and let out a soft rumble.
"Why?", She asked, watching as he turned his head before letting out a huff and drawing his tail across his throat.
"They...were going to kill me?", She blinked as Drogon nodded slowly at her response, making her grimace as she looked at her Council before turning back to the cheering crowd.
She'll have to ask Drogon how he knew that to be the case, but for now, she needed to turn this back into an advantage.
"As you all have seen, my son has shown what happens to those that try to replicate the ways of the masters of old! These men thought their gold and chains made them strong, but fire has proven them wrong and their punishment is done.
However! Let all of Meereen know that I did not come here to burn the innocent! I came to break chains and give life, not take it! Thus, go out and tell all of Meereen that you are all now free!"
"Mhysa! Mhysa!"
"Black Protector! Black Protector!", The crowd chanted and woke up the sister dragons from their sleep, who blearily staggered after Daenerys and Drogon who made their way into the pyramid.
The chanting still went on as they stopped in the centre of the main pyramid, Daenerys letting out a soft sigh as she turned to her son who looked at her with a tilted head.
"Drogon, why did you truly think that they were going to come after me?", She asked and she admitted she was a bit amused as he looked confused before he began to move.
The dragon lowered his head to the stone floor and inhaled deeply before letting out a low growl, Daenerys waiting patiently along with her council as he turned his gaze to the sellswords and masters that were still left alive.
"You mean...them?", She asked, feeling a bit lost as she watched his claws tap against the stone, slow yet deliberate before he slashed downwards through the throat of the harpy insignia on the floor below his feet.
"Khaleesi, he says some among them still carry false tongues, assassins hidden and biding their time," Missandei translated and Daenerys frowned as the Unsullied stiffened and her council narrowed their eyes at the prisoners.
"Then...let us see if his judgement is true," She spoke with a steady tone, Grey Worm signalling for his men to drag prisoners forward.
One by one, she waited as Drogon let out a low growl with every person before pointing his tail to the left and shaking his head, most likely a signal that they were innocent.
However, it was with the thirteenth person that she was surprised by his sudden snarl, Visenya and Rhaenys ready to attack beside her while she watched the man before him tremble.
"Mhysa! Mhysa!", he cried in High Valyrian and Daenerys felt a bit bad for the man as Drogon's growl grew louder before she spoke.
"Search him," She ordered, watching as two Unsullied stepped forward and seized the man's arms while another searched through him. Moments later, her eyes widened and she felt her heart skip a bit as the search brought forth a hidden blade strapped to his sleeve, coated in some dark substance that reeked even from where she stood.
'Poison,' She thought with a frown as the crowd gasped, the Unsullied letting go of the man while taking away his poisoned blade right as she spoke.
"Dracarys," Drogon's flames washed over him and past the crowd, burning the man to a crisp without seconds before he closed his maw and cutt hem off.
Staring at the black-red flames still burning away, she turned her gaze to Drogon who looked back at her with a knowing look.
It appears that her Black Protector was going to be a close friend to her after all.
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Resting on one of the many hills surrounding Meereen, a groan escaped my lips as I was finally allowed to rest freely, watching as Visenya and Rhaenys flew through the air with excited screeches.
After the past day that was me helping the Unsullied and Jorah find the last of the assassins/ traitors amongst the masters, I made myself scarce and fled the city, letting Mother and her council deal with the aftermath of the fight.
I didn't want her to deal with those Sons of the Harpy bastards that were a nuisance during her time as ruler of Meereen in the show and series, so I decided to just go ahead and take care of that problem.
However, I will admit that I was a bit rash in my burning of the masters, but thankfully, my quick thinking helped me figure out an excuse for why I did it and a motive to help find the others hidden amongst the ones that had knelt.
'And with this, she is now in control of Slaver's Bay, which means that I can finally do what I want to do for the time being before she heads to Pentos and then Westeros,' I thought as I looked to the far south-west, staring at the horizon where I knew the land of the old dragon lords were.
I've always wanted to go check out Old Valyria and see what is left, but I was always afraid to leave Mother alone. Now, with her being ruler of Slaver's Bay and with Rhaenys and Visenya as big as horses, I can finally go see what I can find there.
'I remember that Balerion had gone to the place with a rider, but when they returned, the rider had those fire worms in her body while Balerion was covered in scars. Since this is the ASOIAF universe, does that mean that the things that scarred him heavily might still be there.'
"If so, I might need to be more careful," I murmured, my tail smacking against the ground as I watched Rhaenys swoop low before rising back up with a triumphant roar.
There was part of me that really wanted to go check it out, but first, I needed to make sure that I actually can survive whatever it throws at me before I find myself being eaten by whatever demons live there.
"Drogon," I heard a voice call out, turning my head and staring at Jorah as he ascended up the hill with Grey Worm walking beside him.
"The Khaleesi calls for your presence," I almost let out a chortle at their words as I rose from my rest, stretching out my wings and rumbling in acknowledgement before I carried myself up with a powerful flap of my wings.
'Soon,' I thought as I glanced at the south-west before turning back to Meereen, each powerful sweep of my wings carrying me higher up until I was soaring beside my sisters.
"What's wrong, brother?"
"Nothing. Just something I've been wanting to do."
"Ooh~ Is it eating?"
"You are such a fat idiot," I heard Visenya rumble, laughter echoing in the form of growls from my throat as Rhaenys growled at our sister before I dove down.
It did not take us long before we touched down at the main pyramid, the freed men cheering and waving as I smacked my tail in greeting with a low chortle.
"You love their attention, don't you?"
"I feed off of it," I answered with a growl as we walked into the pyramid, my gaze flickering to Mother who stood waiting with a smiling Missandei and a grinning Belwas at her sides.
"My children, it is good to see that you answered my call."
"Nothing else to do," Rhaenys rumbled as she pushed her head into Mother, who didn't understood her words but the meaning as she softly rubbed her head with a smile.
"One day, I truly wish to understand you, my children. Perhaps, that day will come."
'And it will be when I finally figure out how to speak High Valyrian,' I thought with a smug smile, having wanted to be able to turn the Thu'um into High Valyrian and then learn the language from there.
I can already understand High Valyrian with ease, but it was one thinking knowing how to read and hear it and another to be able to speak it.
However, I was nothing if not determined as I was going to be the first dragon in history to learn how to speak High Valyrian...right before I teach my sisters how to do the same.
'Wait, could they learn the Thu'um? That...Oh, that could change everything,' I thought as I glanced at my sisters, who was busy pushing against Mother and each other as the woman in question looked at me with a smile.
That didn't match the conflicted look in her eyes though and I was fairly sure I already knew what she was about to say.
"Drogon, my son. Your flames and intuition...they saved me yesterday, perhaps even more than I know. I do trust you, but I must understand you," She began as she looked at me and I was not surprised at her words as she continued.
"If I cannot understand you, then the lords and captains who follow me will never accept my rule. They already whisper about your will being stronger than mine, so I must ask," She spoke as she walked closer, my gaze focused on her as she reached forward and ran her fingers across the top of my head.
"Do you mean to rule beside me or do you mean to fly your own path, Drogon?", She asked, a silence settling in as I watched everyone waiting tensely.
My gaze didn't flicker as I lowered my head, watching the Unsullied stiffen as I was eye level with my mother who stared deep into my eyes.
Even my sisters looked a bit worried as they crawled closer, a soft growl from me freezing them in place as I looked at my mother before I growled.
"D-D-DR-DRO-DROGON...H-H-HELP...M-M-MOTH-MOTHER", I forced my throat and mouth to move as I wanted, but it seemed to work as her eyes widened while gasps echoed from her Council.
"D-Did...did you just...?"
"D-DROGON...H-HELP...MOTHER," I repeated again in High Valyrian, watching as the air vibrated while the very flames of the braziers bent towards me.
Missandei was stunned silent, both Whitebeard/ Barristan and Jorah were as pale as the marble floors and Belwas blinked once before breaking into a wide grin.
"You...you spoke," Mother whispered as she trembled, her eyes still wide as her hands shakily grasped onto my face. In response, I chuffed as I felt steam rolling from my nostrils, forcing my vocal cords to strain again as I willed the Thu'um to bend and shape itself into the language she loved.
"D-DAE-...DAENERYS," Her legs buckled and she nearly fell had I not used my tail to make a seat, watching as she stared at me before Whitebeard spoke.
"Impossible. Dragons do not speak. They...they cannot."
"DROGON...CAN," The words were more harsh than I wanted as the ground trembled with it, but it seemed to work as he flinched back before I looked to Mother and spoke one final time.
"DROGON...SON. HELP...MOTHER," That seemed to be the breaking point as Belwas roared with laughter, my gaze focused on Mother as she wept and pressed her brow against mine.
"Forgive me, my son, for ever thinking that you would take from me."
"IT...OKAY," I gritted out, feeling the strain against my throat as Mother giggled and nodded. Looking to the sides as my sisters joined in on the hug, I let out a chortling rumble as laughter while closing my eyes with a sigh.
Well, I guess I don't need to worry about learning how to talk, then.
A/N: And we end it here~! Drogon can talk...somewhat. It's still something I'm figuring out, but to explain it better, it's a mixture of using the Thu'um to bend his throat and mouth to be able to force out the High Valyrian.
In other words, he's forcing himself to speak the language.
Next chapter, though, returning to the land of the beginning.
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Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…
Ba-Bye~!!