Chapter 14: Doomed
Corlys fell to his knees as he watched his grandson fly away intent on fighting the abomination dragon himself. For the first time since he had been here, tears fell freely from his eyes as he knew he wouldn't be seeing him again. He was an old man he should be the one fighting, not Jace, not his grandson; for a while Corlys did not know what to do, he clenched his fists as he heard the roars of two dragons. He wasn't a stupid man, he knew there was no helping Jace now and he just needed to hope the gods were protecting him, what he could do was try and get Daella out of Valyria as the way would be clear of dragons at least for the moment.
He knew that Jace would've wanted Daella to survive, to go onwards and live. Corlys fell over as he saw two shadows dancing in the air, he saw Jace's dragon flying in between the towers while the large dragon followed, he panicked when he couldn't see Jace on Vermax's back. A terrible pain pierced his heart at the thought Jace had died, he had felt this pain numerous times since he had come here, he just wanted Jace to be back home and safe where a child should be.
'I'll get her home, Jace,' Corlys promised as he started making his way back to the tower.
———————————————————-
*SCREECH*
*BOOM*
Lava and molten rocks were still flying up into the sky and falling back down making flying incredibly difficult for Jace and the rest of the dragonriders. Jace had never felt so happy or relieved when he saw the dragons of his aunt and uncle riding towards him. Seeing the massive form of Vhagar and the aggressive Caraxes had inspired hope in him, and lit a fire of vengeance that could only be quenched with Valar's blood. There was no way that Daemon or Laena would be able to hear him at this moment or listen to what he wanted to do so he would just have to hope that they followed his lead.
He turned Vermax straight to the giant Firewyrm and urged him forward, dodging debris and tentacles as he did. He knew where Valar would be, he could feel him, he could feel the anger and desperation that was coming from him, for the first time in a while a smile formed on Jace's lips. He would make the last two hundred years of pain and suffering mean nothing, he'll end the curse on this place and kill Valar.
Daemon watched as his nephew flew towards the Firewyrm instead of away and was woefully reminded of himself. With a silent curse, he urged Caraxes onwards, but before he followed he sent a signal to Laena; Vhagar was too big to avoid the bigger molten rocks that were falling so she'd need to find another way to get close, she nodded and turned Vhagar away. Vermax unleashed a torrent of flames burning through a bundle of tentacles that were shot towards him, he banked left to avoid a shower of rocks and pulled up to avoid an especially big one.
When Jace looked at the Firewyrm before him he could tell that it was still waking up, it had been asleep hundreds of years before even Valar was alive. It probably still slept when the Valyrians were nothing but sheep farmers who discovered the first dragons in these pits of fire.
*You are mine*
*My flesh made anew*
*Give yourself to me and I will let your friends go*
*Give yourself to me and I will let Daella live freely*
He heard the voice of Valar echo through his head. He had to admit that the offer was tempting, tempting enough to accept right away; Jace didn't deserve to live, the fact he was alive while so many others had died was an injustice. He brought them here so it should be him who pays with his life 'I-I...' but as he went to accept such an offer a rush of hatred and rage went through his heart.
'I won't let the people who have died here for me die in vain, I will kill you right now and let their spirits rest easy,' Jace replied, though quickly afterwards he realised he was talking to Valar with nothing but his mind in a similar way to what he had done. Something that surprised both him and Valar, but it didn't stop Valar from feeling a large amount of rage towards Jace.
*I will take your body and make you watch as I use it to kill your family*
'You won't get the chance!' Jace shouted back as he urged Vermax onwards towards the firewyrm who was getting taller as it slid out of the mountain. Tentacles flew threw the air as they tried to strike Vermax out of the sky like long whips, but Jace and Vermax were as close to each other as dragon and rider could be, they were able to avoid most of them while burning the rest. Jace felt thankful that even the Firewyrms were not completely immune to the intense flames of a dragon, otherwise things would be a lot harder.
Jace was getting closer with Caraxes following close behind, however, this wouldn't last as the firewyrm turned to him and opened its large maw.
*SCREECH*
The wind from the Firewyrm's screech was so intense that it pushed Vermax and Caraxes off course. Rocks and other debris were blown towards them and it was only by the grace of the gods that nothing damaging managed to hit them. Jace had nearly lost his grip on Vermax when the intense wind had hit them —he very much did not want to go through that again.
When Vermax regained control Jace spurred him back towards the Wyrm. The creature seemed to be awake now and with Valar in control, it would be much more dangerous than it was. More of its tentacle-like appendages raised from its body and began to shoot towards both dragons who released a torrent of dragon flames to counter, but there were many more now and it was hard to get them all. One of them wrapped around Vermax's neck and began to squeeze, but was quickly burned off by Caraxes that followed closely behind him.
Jace needed to get closer, but now the firewyrm was awake he didn't know how it would be possible, it had thousands of those tentacle appendages that became more numerous as they got closer. Vermax released a constant gout of fire as they got closer, Caraxes had an easier time as the older dragons' flames were much hotter than Vermax's, weaving between the rubble and appendages they started to make progress.
*SCREECH*
The wind shot towards them at dangerous speeds. Caraxes was fine as he had avoided a large molten stone which led him out of the area it affected most, but Jace was not so lucky, the wind caught the underneath of Vermax's wing which flipped the dragon and sent him and Jace into a free fall; Jace cursed as he lost his grip and fell off Vermax 'Not again!' He thought to himself.
*YOU'RE MINE*
The long appendages shot towards him and he was unable to protect himself. One wrapped around his leg and yanked him towards the Great Firewyrm; Jace yelled out in pain and drew his sword, he tried to swing at the tentacles that restrained him but he was moving too fast and the wind was blowing too much, he could maintain his grip on his sword let alone try and swing it.
Jace struggled as he brought his hand to the sword, he sliced it on the blade letting it drink his blood. The light shined brightly which scared the appendages away. Valyria was in a constant state of darkness, Firewyrms were creatures of fire and earth that burrowed into the ground and so they had a deep aversion to bright sources of light.
The appendage whipped him around as it let go of him sending Jace tumbling through the air, he screamed in pain as he felt hits of rock slam into him. He managed to right himself in the air, but he couldn't see Vermax anywhere, all he saw was a sea of tentacles surrounding him waiting for the light to die to strike. Jace could feel Valar's laugh in his mind as he no doubt felt his victory was all but assured, and Jace couldn't help but agree considering the light on his sword began to dim and the tentacles moved closer.
*ROAR*
Jace was blown back by the powerful wings of Vhagar who swooped down breathing hellfire on the appendages turning them into dust. The rest she snapped in half with her jaws freeing Jace from them; unfortunately when Vhagar had shown up, she had blown Jace towards the Firewyrm instead of away from it.
Jace still couldn't see Vermax, his desperation increased as he was getting closer to the Firewyrm. However it seemed his luck hadn't run out yet as he heard the beating of wings behind him, Vermax was hot on his trail with his wings tucked by its side. Jace sheathed his sword as he prepared to grab onto his dragon, but as he went to reach out he grabbed onto him he was pulled away by a stray appendage.
Vermax flapped his wings to increase his speed chasing after his rider. Daemon and Laena who were both fighting off the Firewyrm appendages saw Jace being pulled away and tried to get closer, but Valar would not let anyone get in the way of his freeing them, he wrapped the appendages around both dragons halting their advance.
Vermax got within range and arced his head up breathing a gout of fire over Jace burning the appendage off. Jace screamed in pain as he felt the fire singe his back, Vermax then moved his head under Jace and flicked him onto his back. Jace thought through the pain and grabbed the saddle, he then realised that they were getting too close to the Firewyrm and if they didn't fly up now they'd slam straight into it.
Jace urged Vermax to fly up, the dragon did his best but between the rapid winds and the flying rocks, it was too difficult. Vermax scraped the top of the Firewyrm, he lost control and slammed against the top of the Firewryms head flinging Jace off once again. He hit the ground roughly as he tumbled and rolled across the Firewyrms head.
Jace struggled to push himself up, his entire body was wracked with pain. He couldn't see out of one of his eyes, when he touched it he felt how swelled and bruised it was; he had to get up and keep moving or he would die, he couldn't die, not yet.
*You fought against the storm*
*Tried to rage against the inevitable*
*For so long I waited for my revenge, I will destroy all mention of Valyria from the history books, any who have Valyrian Blood will be consumed*
Jace looked forward and saw a creature rise out of the Firewyrm. He knew immediately that this was Valar, though he looked different from the visions, he looked older and more disfigured, and his wings were ripped and slightly bent.
"I'll kill you..." Jace spat out as he pushed himself up to his knees. A disgusting croaking sound came from the creature before him, it sounded like Valar was laughing at him.
*You are a weak boy who has survived by luck alone, you are finished*
Valar's whole body finally formed, he was 8 feet tall and made of thick grey muscle, his hands had razor-sharp claws and his face a mass of tentacles that seemed to be alive.
*I want you to know how much it'll hurt when I consume you when I merge my body with yours, it will hurt like nothing you've ever felt before*
Valar started to approach him, Jace felt truly scared as he started to pull himself away.
*It's over*
He reached out to grab Jace but a roar caught his attention and Vermax snapped his jaws out at his arm ripping it off. Valar screeched in pain as his black blood poured out of his wound and into Jace; Vermax tried to bite at him again but Valar launched a backhanded fist against him sending him off course, he then ducked underneath Vermax and grabbed him by the neck yanking the dragon off balance, at the same time the Firewyrm moved abruptly and Vermax was sent tumbling down the dragons back and off the Firewyrm.
*No one left to save you now*
Valar turned back around to finish what he started only to screech in pain as Jace thrust his sword into his back. Valar slashed his claws behind him so fast that Jace couldn't avoid them, he screamed as three claw marks slashed across his face drawing blood. He fell on his back but quickly had to roll away to avoid getting grabbed by Valar. He slashed out at him with Starfyre but Valar didn't even bother to avoid the swipe and let it glaze across his skin.
Valar grabbed Jace by the throat lifting him by his neck. Jace felt their minds connect, he felt his mind being invaded by Valar.
*You are mine*
The tentacles from his face started to move closer to Jace almost touching his face.
*SLAM*
Jace fell out of his grasp and rolled down the Firewyrm before gripping onto a cleft in its skin and stopping himself from falling further. He looked up and saw that Vhagar had slammed its claws into the Firewyrm and began carving large gashes through its skin while breathing an inferno of flames. Valar seemed to writhe around in pain as Vhagar mutilated the Firewyrm.
Caraxes joined Vhagar soon after in attacking the Firewyrm who could only try to shake them off. The Firewyrm leaned forward allowing Jace to properly stand without falling, he held his sword tightly before rushing over to Valar and stabbing him in the leg.
*SCREECH*
Jace felt his vision go black as he was hit in the face by Valar. Jace didn't know how long he was unconscious but when he came to his uncle was engaged in single combat with Valar; Daemon danced around Valar while slicing at him with Dark sister, the creature screeched as its bent wings flapped and boosted its speed allowing him to carve through Daemon's breastplate and slash his skin.
Daemon spun around before ducking and slashing Valar's stomach open, but dealing that blow cost him as Valar hit him directly in the chest caving in his armour and launching him away.
Jace looked and abruptly spat up a large amount of blood that filled his mouth. He saw as Valar stepped closer to finish his uncle; Jace desperately pushed himself up as he couldn't handle someone else dying for him.
"VALAR!" Jace shouted, catching the attention of the creature. Valar was amused that a child would try and fight against him and started approaching stepping over Daemon who tried to stand but was hit back down by Valar. Daemon could only scream in frustration as he watched the monster approach his nephew.
Standing tall and with Starfyre in his hand he cut his hand again and watched as the sword brightened 'Not enough,' he thought. Jace ripped open his tunic and exposed his chest, he hesitated as he brought the blade just below his stomach. But he gripped the sword tightly, a child makes others pay for his actions, but he wasn't a child, not anymore.
*Squelch*
Jace slashed deeply just below his stomach and watched the blood pour out of it onto the blade making it shine more than it ever had. Jace felt awe as he held the blade that looked like a shining star.
*You may scare those inferior worms but I am much more than they are*
Valar not impressed by the display continued to approach even when Jace held up the blade in a warrior's stance. He reached out to take the blade away from him, he wouldn't be much threat with how injured he was.
Jace watched as Valar reached out and grabbed Starfyre. The world seemed to slow down as he saw his muscular grey hand clasp the blade and then watched as Valar's fingers fell off his hand. Both of them looked at each other and then at the blade with shock, Valar hadn't even felt the blade slice cut him and yet it sliced through his fingers as it cut through the air.
Valar and Jace then finally acted, they both knew they only had seconds to act and they needed to be the first to do so. Valar roared as he lunged towards Jace 'I've won,' he thought as excitement flooded his veins, finally freedom, finally revenge.
*Thud*
Valar felt confused, and for the first time in a while, he felt cold. He looked to his side and saw his body a few feet away from him, and then looked up and saw Jace with a cold and blank expression on his face. Blood still dripped down his stomach only a few feet away from Valar.
"I am about to die Valar... but in truth, I do not mind, I was scared before, but I've realised that it was not of death that I was afraid of,"
"I didn't want to die the person I was, the person who shifted the consequences of his actions into others, no I didn't want to be that person, but I'm not him anymore,"
"You've taught me a lesson I'll never forget."
"I'll see you soon."
Valar wouldn't let it end like this, he wouldn't let this child kill him and end everything he had worked so hard and waited so long for. He urged the Queen to start moving to protect him, to knock Jace off and let him plummet to his death, there would always be another descendent he could use. He could always wait another hundred or so years.
Valar's plan was interrupted as Jace leaned down and pressed his hand against his head his eyes gazing deeply into Valar's.
...
Valar was in his cavern, the one he shared with the queen, the one where his throne was. He knew immediately he was in his mind and tried to bring himself back out into the real world, but he couldn't.
"I have to thank you again Valar, without you constantly invading my mind I wouldn't have known how to do this."
Valar looked and saw Jace entering from the entrance to the cavern, behind him was the shadow of a massive dragon. "Stay away from me!" Valar shouted as he tried to banish Jace from his mind, but again he was unable to.
'He can't be stronger than me! It makes no sense!' Valar began to panic as the shadow of the dragon extended across the walls of the room before swallowing up the entirety of the cavern and reaching Valar's feet. Swallowing him up, he screamed and fought and tried to do everything in his power to stop Jace but it was all for nought.
When the shadows disappeared he found that he was in a familiar room, not the cavern he had formed his throne, but the building he stayed in as a child. He looked down and noticed that he wasn't a blood creature anymore and was back in his old skin.
"What have you done," he said as he looked to Jace who stood close to him.
Jace didn't answer and continued to look at him with a blank expression. "Jacaerys! What have you done!" Valar spat out.
"Nothing but given you what you deserve..." Jace replied.
Valar scowled at Jace "What you think I want this!!! You think I want to go back to the weak boy I once was!!! You think this can make up for what your people did to me!!! That this is some sort of reward!!!" He shouted.
"I didn't say it was a reward..." Jace said as he stared into Valar's soul. Valar shivered as he saw his blue eyes like pools of ice look at him like he were nothing.
"WHO ARE YOU TO DECIDE THAT!!!" He screamed as he tried charging at Jace, but was kept in place by some otherworldly force.
*Creak*
Valar froze and slowly looked behind him, it was his cell, the dark cell he had lived in for many years, the one where he watched all of his friends get taken away from "No..." he whispered as he turned back around to Jace.
"Yes..."
"No... please no," he begged as tears started to stream down his face. He tried to run past Jace but shadows shot out of the cell grabbed all four of his limbs and started dragging him back into the cell.
"NO! NO! NO! PLEASE STOP!"
"NOT THIS! PLEASE!"
"KILL ME! KILL ME! PLEASE!"
"WHAT CAN I DO! PLEASE WHAT CAN I DO!!!!"
His nails scrapped and broke against the stone floor leaving a trail of blood. Jace just stood there and watched him coldly, his tears streamed down his face and snot out of his nose, he looked like nothing but a child.
"We were both children and now we both must face the consequences of our actions," Jace said to him as the shadows finished dragging him into the cell.
"NOOOO!!!! PLEASE!!!" He wailed, but the last thing he saw before being condemned to the darkness was Jace watching him with the same look every Dragonlord had given him when they saw him.
*SLAM*
...
Jace gasped as he withdrew from Valar's mind, the creature was still now and would spend the rest of his life trapped within his own mind. Jace kicked his head off the Firewyrm and let it be carried by the wind and debris.
He then fell to his knees where he felt his consciousness slipping away, he was cold and dizzy. The last thing he saw before he passed out was his uncle running towards him and calling his name.
———————————————————-
Jace opened his eyes and the first thing he felt was an incredible amount of pain. It was so much that he thought he would pass out again, but he couldn't help but laugh as it meant he was alive, or he was in the seven hells —he hoped it was the former.
*Smash*
"JACE!!!"
Jace heard a familiar voice coming from the entrance of the room. As his vision cleared up he saw that it was his mother "Mother..." he croaked out as he struggled to talk. She ran across the room and hugged her firstborn tightly though he groaned in pain at her touch "I'm sorry!" She said slightly worried.
"Let me call a Maester, I will be back soon," She said as she stroked his hair.
"Mother... I'm okay... is everyone safe?" He asked, he desperately needed to know that everyone made it out of Valyria.
"Everyone is safe Jace, your uncle, your aunt, your grandfather and even Daella," she replied reassuring him.
Jace sighed in relief and allowed himself to relax on the bed as his mother stroked his hair "My brave boy, my brave STUPID BOY!" She shouted as she slapped him.
"What were you thinking going to Valyria!!!" She shouted at him her eyes wet with tears.
Jace felt guilty as he looked at his mother closely for the first time. The usual radiant beauty he saw was replaced by red eyes and pale skin, she looked more tired than he had ever seen her. "I wasn't thinking mother... I have no excuse to offer, I'll accept any punishment necessary," Jace said as he tried to hold his own tears down. Tears of guilt, tears of relief, they all seemed to mix together overwhelming him.
Rhaenyra saw this and her anger at him instantly vanished. She could see that no one was more angry than he was at himself, she got into bed next to him and pulled him to her chest. "You're okay now, you're alive, and you're home," She whispered as she stroked his back.
"I... shouldn't be here," he stuttered out as he held his mother tightly.
"Everyone... died... I shouldn't be here!" He said loudly as he tried hard to restrain the tears but they started to leak out onto his mother's dress.
"TAKE ME BACK!" Jace screamed as he started struggling in his mother's grasp.
"TAKE ME BACK!!!"
"I SHOULDN'T BE HERE!!!"
Jace started weeping heavily as he struggled in his mother's grasp. His mother cried as she held him tightly, she held him until he stopped struggling and went limp in her arms having passed out from over-exerting himself.
"It'll be okay I promise," she whispered as she placed a kiss on his head.
(AN: That was the last chapter of the Valyria Arc, pretty grim ending but what can you expect, he went to a place steeped in death. I'm sure you can guess that one of Starfyres abilities is that the sharpness of the blade increases with the amount of blood it's given, which would make it a monster on the battlefield. Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter and Arc)
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