The moment Rayder stepped onto the ancient stone stairs, he felt as if he were crossing a boundary between two worlds—one mundane, and the other, mysterious and long forgotten.
These steps were clearly man-made, not formed by nature. Each one had been carved with care and purpose, leading upward into the heart of the volcano. As he ascended, more and more structures came into view, slowly revealing themselves through the mist and heat.
These weren't just ruins. They were part of a grand palace built directly into the volcano's inner walls. The stone buildings were seamlessly fused with the molten rock, as if the mountain itself had been shaped to fit the palace rather than the other way around.
Rayder's eyes widened in awe. Though much of the architecture had collapsed, scorched by time and disaster, the remnants hinted at a majesty long lost. Crumbling walls, half-buried pillars, shattered arches—all testified to the glory this place once held.
He imagined what it must have looked like in its prime. A palace of obsidian and fire, towering within the belly of the volcano, glowing with dragonlight. It would have been a fortress of power, one befitting a Dragonlord.
"How… how did they even build this?" Rayder murmured, touching one of the scorched walls. "The engineering... the courage..."
Massive slabs of blackened rock still radiated heat, as though the volcano's fury lingered in its bones. The entire place seemed to whisper ancient stories of fire, destruction, and forgotten rulers.
Everything within the structures had deteriorated with time. No treasures remained—only ash, melted stone, and the eerie silence of abandonment. Still, Rayder had a strong hunch: this had once been a stronghold of a Valyrian Dragonlord family. Likely destroyed during a cataclysmic eruption, they hadn't escaped the fury of their own lair.
But dragons were resilient. If there was still a dragon here, it would be hiding deep inside.
Driven by urgency, Rayder pushed forward, leaving no passage unexplored. Hours passed. Then a full day. Still, he found no trace of the dragon's true lair.
Then, just as the sun began to dip beneath the horizon, a deep roar echoed through the skies above.
Rayder's head shot upward.
A massive shadow passed overhead.
A dragon.
A real dragon.
The beast flew toward the volcano—toward him.
Rayder watched in breathless awe as it descended. Black scales shimmered in the dying light. Its wings stretched wide, casting a long shadow over the land. Its eyes glowed like burning embers, filled with untold age and unimaginable power.
The dragon descended with the grace of a predator and the majesty of a king. As it landed on the volcano's slope, its wings stirred up an overwhelming gust of wind.
Rayder was caught off guard.
The gale slammed into him like a tidal wave. He staggered, barely managing to grip a rocky outcrop to keep from being blown away. His arms trembled, and his knees buckled, but he held firm until the storm of wind finally passed.
Panting, Rayder looked up. The dragon was gone from sight—vanished somewhere into the volcano.
"That must be it… That's where the lair is," he whispered.
Heart racing, he followed the direction the dragon had flown. Every step was taken with utmost care, his body tense with both fear and excitement. The last thing he wanted was to startle the beast. A single misstep could turn him into ash.
Eventually, after navigating several narrow passages, he found it.
The entrance to the dragon's lair.
He paused just outside the opening. A warm, sulfurous breeze wafted from within. Gathering his courage, Rayder took a deep breath and peeked inside.
And froze.
A giant dragon head stared right back at him.
His heart nearly leapt out of his chest. His entire body went numb. Breathing stopped. Thought ceased. Every instinct screamed run, but his legs refused to obey.
Golden eyes, blazing like twin suns, locked onto him. Rayder felt as though he were being judged by a god.
Cold sweat drenched his back. His hand reached instinctively for the shield strapped to his arm. He knew it was useless, but it gave him something—anything—to hold on to.
Slowly, carefully, he inched his head back out of the lair and pressed his back against the rock wall. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe.
The dragon hadn't attacked.
That was something.
"Maybe… maybe it doesn't see me as a threat," he whispered.
Still trembling, he dared another glance inside. The dragon was still lying there, its massive body sprawled across the stone floor. This time, its eyes were closed.
Sleeping.
Or pretending to sleep.
Was it ignoring him? Tolerating him? Or simply deciding whether he was worth eating?
Rayder didn't know. But he had come this far. He couldn't back down now.
He stepped forward.
Each step felt like he was carrying a mountain. The further he went, the heavier the air became. The scent of sulfur and decay was thick inside the cave, but Rayder barely noticed. His eyes were locked on the black dragon lying before him.
The dragon was colossal up close. Its scales were like armor plates, glinting with a cold sheen. Bone spurs protruded from its spine and joints, sharp and deadly. Its claws were massive, each one the size of a grown man's arm.
Rayder approached slowly, then stopped just a few feet away.
Something stirred in his blood.
A warmth. A hum. A strange pull.
It was like his very soul was resonating with the creature before him.
He lifted a hand and, with trembling fingers, reached out.
Tap.
His fingertips brushed against the dragon's scales. Cold. Smooth. Solid as steel.
At that very moment, the dragon's eyes snapped open.
Rayder froze.
Those golden, vertical pupils locked onto him once more. The intensity in the dragon's gaze was almost unbearable.
But Rayder didn't look away.
He stood tall—or tried to—his body shaking, but his eyes steady.
He had nothing to offer but courage.
And something… shifted.
The dragon stared for several long seconds. Then, slowly, its eyes closed again.
It had judged him—and accepted him.
In that instant, Rayder felt something profound stir within him. A bond. A connection. Not just emotional, but spiritual. As if a thread of invisible energy now linked his soul to the beast before him.
His bloodline resonated.
The Dragon King's Pressure within him pulsed, responding to the presence of the adult dragon. An electric current ran through his veins, and he trembled—not in fear, but in awe.
"The dragon… it accepted me," he whispered, barely daring to believe it.
Excitement bubbled in his chest. He fought the urge to laugh, to cheer. Instead, he began quietly walking around the massive creature, his eyes taking in every detail.
It was easily a hundred meters long. Black as the night, majestic and terrible. This dragon—his dragon—was likely one of the last survivors of Valyria's fall.
He circled it once, trying to comprehend what had just happened. The creature hadn't spoken or moved, yet something fundamental between them had changed.
The bond was real. Ancient. Unbreakable.
And Rayder knew: this was just the beginning...
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)