Chapter 49 - Flight of the Dragon (I)

"The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." Aenar I Targaryen, God-Emperor of Planetos.

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Looking at the two teenagers in front of him, Aenar smiled, Titus and Sigmund now looked completely different from the first time he had seen them. Both had grown ten centimeters and their bodies weren't as thin anymore and muscular lines were visible on both young men's bodies.

The scars remained on both, but in his eyes, they were memories that Titus and Sigmund would remember for a lifetime. "Ser Willem and Benerro will train both of you. Their orders are to be treated like mine, don't hesitate and do them, don't be lazy or you will be whipped as punishment."

Aenar continued with a calm and regal expression, his eyes fixed on the two teenagers. "Other children and teenagers will be trained with you, they will be your brothers and you will have to avenge his death if you die in the future."

"Yes, Your Grace." The brothers spoke at the same time while their bodies seemed to exert a pressure on any normal person.

Something that made Willem and Benerro look shocked. They had personally witnessed the transformation of the two brothers, they had grown, healed from mortal wounds and become stronger, how could they not be shocked?

Titus and Sigmund were special, Aenar used his own blood to perform blood magic and basically created the first superhumans. The teenagers didn't know it, but they were faster, stronger and had reflexes that surpassed most of humanity.

Aenar wouldn't be surprised if his blood gave the brothers before him some special abilities, after all, blood was anything but normal.

"What is the name of the army Your Grace is creating?" Ser Willem, wearing the white armor of the Kingsguard, asked in a respectful tone. When he learned that Aenar was Rhaegar's son, he couldn't help but thank the gods for favoring House Targaryen and leaving a male descendant for the future.

"Sardaukar." Aenar spoke the name without hesitation. It was the army loyal only to him, the king, and no one else; it would be his most deadly and loyal elite army.

Aenar turned to Benerro and asked with a glass of wine in his hand, looking at the tattooed man with a calm gaze. "How are we doing as a regular army?"

"The losses were about five thousand men, many of whom were resurrected, but they have to be trained again because of the loss of memories and emotions, the after-effects of the resurrection." Benerro replied in a respectful tone as he bowed.

Aenar pondered for a moment and spoke. "The families of these soldiers shall receive double aid, and their children may enter the Red Temple to learn to read and write, and if they wish, to join the Red Army."

Although it didn't sound like much of a reward, it was a great one for fallen soldiers or those with disabilities. Learning to read and write may seem commonplace, but in a world where more than 90% of the population was illiterate, it was a reward that could change the fate of many families. "I will do as commanded, Your Grace." Benerro responded to Aenar's words with a gentle smile on his face. The Son of Light was what he had expected, not only a great man, but also a man who cared about his soldiers and his descendants.

Aenar said a few more things to everyone and left Benerro's office, walking towards his room, four guards always following behind him. They all wore swords at their waists and followed him with cold, serious expressions.

All four were soldiers who had died and returned from the dead. They had lost most of their emotions and memories, but they remembered their loyalty and religious devotion, which had become even more solid after dying and being resurrected.

Arriving at his room, Aenar was surprised for a moment to see his aunt on his bed, reading a book with a concentrated look. But it was her clothing that caught his attention, for instead of a dress, she wore what was considered more masculine clothing, worn by lords for riding.

Her intention was obvious.

Hearing the door open, Daenerys raised her head to see her nephew enter the room. She quickly put down her book, got out of bed, and ran toward him with an excited look on her face.

Letting out a sigh, Aenar knew she couldn't hide and flashed a gentle smile. "I take it you're ready to fly with me in Caraxes?"

"Absolutely yes!!!" Daenerys replied in front of him with a look of eagerness to finally fly on a dragon.

Nodding his head, Aenar smiled and went to the closet to change his clothes. When he opened the closet, he saw that all the clothes had only two colors, red or black, all with the House Targaryen crest on them.

Aenar chose his favorite, red.

Going behind a screen under Daenerys' disappointed eyes, Aenar reappeared a few minutes later with his clothes already changed and a pair of leather gloves in his hand.

Laughing at Daenerys' disappointed expression, Aenar spoke in a gentle tone. "Come on, you look eager to fly on a dragon."

The disappointment of not seeing her nephew change his clothes vanished the moment Daenerys heard about flying on a dragon, and she quickly came to his side, taking his hand and pulling him forward, trying to speed up his steps. "Come on, nephew!"

Aenar rolled his eyes, but understood the reason for her excitement. Like every Targaryen, the desire to fly on a dragon seemed to be in her blood. It was normal for Daenerys to show such emotion, something that Rhaella and Visenya, though well hidden, also wanted to fly on a dragon.

"You don't have to pull me." He said.

Aenar sighed and took the girl in his arms, which wasn't difficult, he estimated Daenerys weighed no more than fifty kilos, maybe even less.

"You're small." Aenar commented in an amused tone, causing Daenerys to pout, but she didn't deny his words, she really was short and might not grow more than three to five centimeters in the future.

"Don't you like little girls?" Daenerys asked in a seemingly casual tone, but Aenar felt her body tense in his arms. He didn't need to be a genius to know what she was thinking.

"I don't care how small or tall you are, we will walk the winding road ahead together." Aenar replied in a soft tone and felt his body relax again.

Daenerys looked at him with a bright look and knew that he wasn't against their marriage with those words and that made her let out a sweet, pleasant laugh.

Then, under Aenar's surprised eyes, she approached him and kissed him on the lips in a quick, chaste kiss, quickly pulling his face away with an obvious shyness in her gaze. The dragon princess's cheeks took on a very obvious red hue given her pale skin.

Aenar rolled his eyes and quickly arrived in front of Caraxes, the crimson dragon lying on the ground, his huge body looking like a small red hill. As far as he knew, Caraxes had eaten dozens of sheep before going to sleep the night before.

Noticing the arrival of his rider, Caraxes opened his eyes and his double eyelids blinked and his red eyes sharpened.

Setting Daenerys on the ground, Aenar put on his gloves and gestured for her to follow him.

Aenar climbed up the iron net and reached the cell, Daenerys saw his movements and imitated them, gradually climbing up the iron net. As she climbed, she occasionally glanced at the dragon's face, seeing if it might be angry at her actions and devour her in one bite.

To Daenerys' relief, she managed to climb onto the saddle, where Aenar could be seen holding a leather belt connected to the saddle by four thick chains.

"Remember, small dragons can be ridden without saddles, but adult dragons must always be saddled." Aenar explained as he wrapped the belt around his and Daenerys' waists and pulled it tight.

Daenerys nodded with a serious expression, listening to Aenar's tips and mentally writing them down so she would never forget them when she had a dragon of her own.

"Sōvegon Caraxes!" Daenerys heard Aenar speak in High Valyrian, and then, before her shocked eyes, Caraxes rose from the ground, towering to a simply unbelievable height.

In the next instant, Daenerys understood why adult dragons should only be ridden with a saddle. As the dragon soared into the air, she felt her body thrown violently backward. If it weren't for the belt around her waist and the strong body behind her, she would have been thrown from the saddle and probably died in the fall.