Chapter 7 – The Vault of Serpents
"Beneath the glittering scales of dragons lie the darkest secrets of Valyria."—Ancient Saying, Valyrian Lore
The night cloaked Volnyr Hold in a suffocating silence that was broken only by the distant rumble of thunder—an ominous heartbeat echoing the tension beneath its walls. Vaeron Vórenyx stood before the ancient gate that led to the Vault of Serpents, the heart of his family's draconic heritage and the prison of countless dragon eggs. Tonight, the shadows hiding within whispered of treachery, and the fate of his bond with Nyessyx hinged on what lay behind those doors.
The moon was a pale sickle in the cloud-choked sky as Vaeron Vórenyx approached the ancient gate etched with runes that shimmered faintly in the gloom. The Vault of Serpents lay beneath the heart of Volnyr Hold, a vast labyrinth of tunnels and chambers carved into the obsidian bedrock, sealed for centuries to guard the sacred dragon eggs and arcane relics that defined the power of his house.
Tonight, that vault was no longer secure.
A chill rode the night wind, prickling the skin beneath his armor as he crouched low and whispered into the darkness.
"Nyessyx, ready the senses."
The stormborn hatchling stirred beside him, its eyes glowing dimly in the shadow, scales rippling with electric anticipation. The psychic bond between rider and dragon throbbed in his mind—a tangled weave of pulse and thought, hunger and fire.
With a soft hiss, Nyessyx flicked a talon at the ancient lock. Vaeron's fingers traced the cold runes, feeling the pulse beneath them — weak, but alive.
The wards had been breached.
Into the Serpent's Lair
Inside, the air grew thick with dust and the scent of old flame, mingled with the faint metallic tang of spilled blood.
Vaeron lit a torch and stepped cautiously through the corridor. Stone serpents carved into the walls seemed to shift and coil as the flickering light danced, their eyes glinting with a menace both real and imagined.
The dragons never sleep, Vaeron reminded himself.And neither can I.
He moved deeper, the heavy iron doors to the egg chamber looming ahead, blackened by age and protected by multiple sigils.
Nyessyx flew ahead in a silent glide, lightning crackling softly along her wings to illuminate the path. When she halted before the door, she pulsed an arc of electric energy, and Vaeron stepped forward to unlock the second ward — a puzzle of ancient runes and whispered spells.
It took minutes, each second stretching into an eternity. Finally, with a low rumble, the door creaked open.
Inside, dozens of dragon eggs rested on stone pedestals, each shimmering with latent life. Some pulsed faintly, others cracked thinly, and one — the largest, deepest black with a heart of crimson fire — lay broken, its shell shattered into shards.
Betrayal in the Blood
Vaeron's heart clenched.
"This wasn't just sabotage," he whispered. "It was a declaration."
From the shadows came a soft hiss.
Vaeron whirled — a figure cloaked in dark scales stepped into the torchlight: Vaelarion, his brother and rival, eyes burning with bitter triumph.
"So, the little dragonlord thinks he can outplay me," Vaelarion sneered, drawing a curved dagger shimmering with dark poison.
"I'm not here to talk," Vaeron said, his hand resting on the hilt of his own blade.
Nyessyx reared, wings sparking with electricity.
"Perhaps not," Vaelarion laughed, "but I'm here to finish what I started."
Steel clashed, echoing through the vaulted chamber as brother fought brother beneath the watchful gaze of unborn dragons.
The Awakening
As the battle raged, the broken egg's crimson heart pulsed — and from it erupted a newborn dragon, furious and wild, flames licking the air as it unleashed a primal roar.
Vaeron barely had time to react as the creature lunged, forcing him to leap aside, Nyessyx roaring a countershock that lit the chamber in blue-white light.
The tides of battle shifted.
Two dragons—one born of fire and wrath, the other of storm and cunning—fought alongside their rider against the darkness tearing their family apart.
Aftermath and Resolve
Breathless and bloodied, Vaeron stood over his fallen brother, the broken shards of the egg between them.
"This ends," he said quietly. "But the war… the war is just beginning."
As Nyessyx settled beside him, her storm eyes fixed on the horizon, Vaeron vowed to protect the legacy of the Vórenyx—and prepare for the coming doom that would test them all.
Deeper Dive: The Vault Battle — Brother vs Brother
The heavy iron doors had barely sealed behind Vaelarion when the air seemed to crackle with a lethal tension—an invisible current of rage and betrayal.
Vaeron's breath hitched as his eyes locked with his brother's—a twisted reflection of everything they once shared.
Vaelarion's lips curled into a bitter smirk, his poisoned dagger gleaming coldly.
"You think the dragon's favor is yours alone?" Vaelarion spat, voice low and venomous. "Our blood courses the same. You are nothing but a child playing at power."
Vaeron's hand moved instinctively to his sword's hilt — a Valyrian steel blade forged by their ancestors, its edge honed sharper by every trial.
"But I have something you lack—loyalty," Vaeron said, voice steady despite the pounding in his chest. "And the fire to prove it."
With a roar, Vaelarion lunged—quick as a viper, the dagger slicing the air mere inches from Vaeron's neck.
The clash of steel rang through the chamber, a symphony of sparks and fury.
Nyessyx let out a deafening screech and arced overhead, sending a surge of lightning toward Vaelarion's arm, forcing him to stumble back.
But Vaelarion was no ordinary foe.
He moved with deadly grace, weaving through the narrow confines of the vault, striking with ruthless precision and exploiting every shadow.
Vaeron gritted his teeth, parrying blow after blow, each strike carrying the weight of years of rivalry and bitterness.
Memories flashed—their childhood games, their mother's cold gaze, the whispered accusations in the halls of Volnyr Hold.
This fight was more than survival. It was a reckoning.
At one point, Vaelarion managed to slash Vaeron's side, pain blooming hot and raw.
Vaeron stumbled but pushed forward, driving his blade deep into Vaelarion's side.
The brother staggered, eyes wide with shock and fury, but even in defeat, his grin was twisted.
"You may win this day, but the serpent's bite lingers."
Vaeron withdrew his blade and stood over him, heart hammering.
"You're done."
As Vaelarion collapsed, a strange silence fell.
The newly hatched dragon stirred, flames licking the cold stone, as if sensing the shifting tides of fate.
Vaeron sheathed his sword and whispered, "The blood of the Vórenyx runs deep… but loyalty will bind us through the fire."