The bright moonlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the corridor, illuminating the paintings on the grand windows even more vividly. Mofford Valerion, the Count of Tidetop Island, was making his way through the "Hall of Glory" in his castle, heading back to his bedroom for the night.
He glanced back at the figures and stories depicted in the stained glass, a trace of pride and satisfaction in his eyes. These were the portraits of every Lord of House Valerion, from the time they first settled on Tidetop Island. Each one represented the achievements and likenesses of the family's leaders – the glory of House Valerion.
Mofford Valerion paused before the stained-glass portrait of his father, Luceris Valerion. Luceris had once been the Master of Ships for "Mad King" Iryes II. Little did he know that his son would witness the downfall of the dynasty and the decline of House Valerion.
"Think about it! I am probably the most incompetent Valerion of them all!"
Mofford Valerion chuckled to himself, somewhat self-deprecatingly. He then moved towards the next pane of glass, which was just a plain, ordinary piece. It was the one Mofford had reserved for himself, but as he passed it, he was unexpectedly drawn in by the image that had appeared on it.
At this moment, two images had appeared on the previously transparent glass. On the left was a silver seahorse, and on the right, a red one. House Valerion's sigil was the silver seahorse, so Mofford instinctively focused on that one. Suddenly, the silver seahorse came to life.
It leaped and frolicked, as if freely playing in the ocean. Bathed in golden sunlight, the seahorse grew larger, transforming into a dragon with a dragon's head, wings, and tail, and roared a blast of dragonfire, thrilling Mofford.
After the dragonfire dissipated, the silver dragon reverted to the form of a silver seahorse. Curious, Mofford turned his gaze to the red seahorse.
This seahorse radiated an eerie red glow, as if it were about to bleed. As Mofford's gaze shifted towards it, the seahorse suddenly leaped out of the glass and spewed a stream of green flames at him.
The green flames instantly ignited Mofford's luxurious formal attire. The flames fused his clothes and flesh together. Mofford wailed, reaching out to pat them out, only to find that his own hand had also caught fire.
"Ah... my hand!"
Mofford cried out in agony, jolting awake from his dream. He clutched his right hand, patting it frantically. Upon closer inspection, he found no trace of any burning flames.
"My Lord! Are you alright?"
In the midst of the chaos, Mofford heard a soft voice. Then, a body as smooth and warm as jade pressed against his back, supporting his trembling frame.
Coming to his senses, Mofford sighed. His beautiful, bright golden hair was soaked with sweat, and his handsome face was etched with fear and dread.
Barbara, the beautiful handmaiden behind him, stared at her lord's handsome face, involuntarily captivated. But she quickly regained her composure. Steadying herself, she gently patted her master's back, trying to calm his emotions. Seeing that his body was no longer shaking, she softly asked Mofford:
"My Lord! Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare? Are you feeling better now?"
Mofford rubbed his temples and turned to the young maid beside him.
"I'm fine. Go back to sleep!"
He then pulled the maid close and lay back down. However, his thoughts were far away, his beautiful emerald eyes staring blankly upwards, as if contemplating something. He unconsciously recalled the dream he had just had.
Even though House Valerion had declined, Mofford Valerion had still received education in High Valyrian from a young age. He was also expected to be well-versed in the knowledge of the Freehold of Valyria and his own family history. Therefore, he had heard of the legend of the "Dragon Dream."
Certain individuals with Valyrian bloodlines would awaken the "Dragon Dream" talent. This was a dream with prophetic abilities. Some Targaryens and Blackfyres in history had, to varying degrees, awakened this ability. Furthermore, their "Dragon Dream" ability not only allowed them to predict their own future, but some with powerful abilities could even foresee the futures of others.
"Have I awakened the Dragon Dream talent? Is my future divided into two parts?"
Mofford murmured to himself. He was already 37 years old. He had always strived to revive his family, but unfortunately, there was still no change. He didn't want to be called a "Common Valerion" after his death, so he had always yearned for war to break out, hoping to use the opportunity to restore his family to its former glory.
In the latter half of the night, he thought and speculated a great deal. Exhausted, he drifted to sleep, his heart filled with a mix of excitement and unease. Unbeknownst to him, a silver and white dragon egg in his family's vault briefly glowed.
The next morning, having just finished breakfast, Mofford Valerion was about to engage his beautiful young maid, Barbara, in some post-meal "exercise" to benefit body and mind.
He was interrupted by a commotion outside. Annoyed, he waved the maid away and shouted towards the door, "What is it? What's all the noise?"
A moment later, a male servant entered the room. After a bow, he said to Mofford, "My Lord! Uh...Captain Orion has arrived. He got into a fight with Captain Erin, but the guards have separated them."
Mofford sighed and rubbed his temples, a headache brewing at the thought of his bastard son. In his younger days, he'd met a fiery female captain in a tavern in the Stepstones.
They'd spent several months enjoying themselves at sea, only to find out she was the only daughter of Blueface Hansen, a notorious pirate of the Stepstones. Mofford, upon learning her identity, had fled back to Tidetop Island that very night.
Three years ago, after his wife passed away, his former pirate lover, One-Eyed Ivy, came to Tidetop Island and dumped a boy named Orion Waters on him.
She told Mofford that the boy was their son. Mofford was somewhat skeptical, but he noticed the boy looked a lot like him and also carried Valerion blood. So, he tacitly acknowledged the bastard's existence.
The problem was that this bastard had too many of the annoying habits of a pirate. He got into fights and caused trouble every other day, leaving the Earl quite speechless and embarrassed. Therefore, to protect his family's reputation and give the bastard something to do, Mofford promoted him, making him the captain of his newest warship, the Seahorse.
About three minutes later, Orion Waters, his clothes somewhat disheveled, entered the dining room. His face wasn't looking good. He pulled up a chair and sat down without a word. Mofford waved at the maid, Barbara, signaling for her to leave.
Orion's eyes lit up as he looked at Barbara's slender figure. He seemed to forget his earlier displeasure, and he looked at his father with a playful expression, saying with a laugh:
"Old... Earl! Barbara is well-trained, isn't she? Look at that figure, that..."
"Enough! Tell me what happened?"
Mofford cut Orion off before he could finish. He knew his bastard's character; he wouldn't come to him unless he was facing something difficult.
Orion's expression instantly changed upon hearing this, as if he'd remembered something terrifying. He was a bit flighty, easily distracted from his original purpose by conflicts.
"I... I might have angered a wizard. He's not one of those tricksters; he seems to actually have magic, just like those followers of the Black Goat. He cursed me, then let me go. He... he also said he wanted to visit you, and he seems to know who I am."
Mofford stammered, though fear was evident in his eyes. He remembered his deceased grandfather saying that wizards required a price for their spells. However, if you killed the wizard before they could cast a spell, you wouldn't suffer any misfortune.
This was one of the reasons Orion had come to see his father: to warn him to be careful and, more importantly, to use the soldiers and crossbowmen at his disposal to eliminate the wizard.
"A wizard? Were you drinking heavily last night? There are no wizards in Westeros, unless... wait! Is it that wizard everyone's talking about in Seagull Town lately?"
Mofford said with a touch of exasperation, but he quickly recalled certain details.
He always collected information about his territory and the surrounding areas. House Valerion's fleet was constantly trading across the Narrow Sea, and they spent a significant amount of time and money each year gathering intelligence from various places to maximize their profits.
If the biggest news in the Seven Kingdoms recently was King Robert's journey north to Winterfell, then the most sensational news was the appearance of the Dragonsteel Sword in Seagull Town.
A wizard from beyond the Wall had arrived, claiming to possess a magical sword that could rival even a Dragonsteel Sword. Unlike the mythical Dragonsteel Swords, which were almost always owned by someone, this one was something people could actually see and perhaps even acquire. The news was on everyone's lips across the Seven Kingdoms.
Just then, another knock on the door interrupted Mofford's thoughts. He frowned slightly, a sudden premonition washing over him.
"Come in!" he called out.
The door creaked open, and the same male servant entered again. He held a letter sealed with wax, and after bowing, he said to Mofford, "My Lord! A guest outside the castle has sent this letter, requesting that you read it."
Mofford's premonition intensified. A surge of power seemed to erupt within his blood, causing it to churn.
He barely managed to control his body, and with trembling hands, he opened the letter. When he saw the words written on it, his mind went blank.
The letter mentioned "The Blood Debt of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters." If there was one group the House Valerion hated most during the "Dance of the Dragons," it was undoubtedly the "Kingdom of the Three Daughters."
"The Kingdom of the Three Daughters" was a loose political entity on the continent of Essos during the "Dance of the Dragons" era, consisting of three "daughters" of the Freehold of Valyria: Lys, Tyrosh, and Myr.
During the "Dance of the Dragons," House Valerion was defeated by the powerful fleet of the "Kingdom of the Three Daughters" in the "Battle of the Gullet." Tidetop Island was sacked, and its two largest port towns were burned to the ground. Only Seahorse Keep survived due to its strong defenses.
Mofford steadied himself and said to the male servant, "Show the guest in. No, wait, I will go and greet him myself!"
He was now certain that the person who had written the letter was the wizard that Orion had spoken of. Mofford was becoming increasingly interested in his origin and purpose.
After waiting for more than ten minutes at the castle gate, Marco and the others saw Mofford Valerion, dressed in formal attire, walk out of the gate. He said to Marco:
"Esteemed Lord Marco! Greetings! Welcome to Tidetop Island. Please, this way!"
Marco nodded in response, his voice coming from under his cloak.
"Esteemed Earl Valerion, it is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for your welcome; the honor is mine!"
Afterward, Marco and his group followed Mofford into the castle, while Henk and the others were left outside. The conference hall table was already laden with various fruits and cakes, looking utterly delicious.
Once everyone was seated, Marco spoke first. "My Lord Earl! You seem to be afraid of me, yes? You seem to have foreseen something, but are unsure, correct?"
Mofford looked nervous as he replied, "What... what is your purpose? Why does my body feel... feel..."
"Actually, it's your own bloodline talent awakening. Magic has revived. My dear Lord Earl, the world is changing bit by bit, and I believe you must feel it too."
As Marco spoke, he removed his hood, revealing his handsome face. His silver hair and purple eyes caused Mofford's pupils to shrink instantly.
A wisp of blood-red energy appeared in Marco's hand, flickering like a flame, dancing back and forth with an eerie beauty.
"This is a bloodline magic I developed based on ancient Valyrian scrolls. Would you like to try it? The ancient dragon kings, to keep their family's bloodline pure, always intermarried, or simply practiced incest."
"Actually, they've forgotten that magic is our foundation. If we just use blood magic to cleanse someone's complex bloodlines, or simply strengthen our Valerion bloodlines, we wouldn't have so many bastard children. Madness and greatness are actually the result of inbreeding. So, are you willing to try?"
Mofford Valerion swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on Marco. Then, his eyes moved to the family crest behind Marco, as if he understood certain hints within the Dragon Dream. He gritted his teeth and said to Marco,
"For the future of the family, I am willing to try. I also want the Kingdom of the Three Daughters to experience the pain of having their homes burned to the ground!"
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