Chapter 20: Dragon's Birth
[Dawn – Qarth garden – 299 AC]
The pre-dawn light was a cold, hard thing, casting long, stark shadows across the dusty plains outside Qarth. The air, usually still at this time, was filled with a low, menacing hum. Adam stood in the dragon enclosure, his senses on high alert. He could feel it, the growing presence of his own dragon, its mind a little more complex, a little more aware with each passing day. The bond, a gentle tugging at his consciousness, was a sign of its flourishing. He looked at the egg, his egg, the one he had bonded with. It was pulsing, a faint, rhythmic thrum of heat and life. It was time.
"My dragon's here. Viserys is finished." The thought was a bitter acid on his tongue.
The egg began to crack, a faint, metallic ping echoing in the still air. He knelt, his face a mask of grim determination. He watched as the shell, a dull, gray thing, began to splinter and fall away, revealing a perfect, miniature dragon. It was a coppery gold, with eyes like molten gold, and its wings, a perfect, delicate lace, were a soft, translucent red. It looked at him, its head cocked to the side, a look of profound curiosity in its eyes.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 300 XP GAINED FOR "DRAGON BOND".]
Suddenly, a loud, panicked cry echoed from the main thoroughfare. It was Viserys. He was running through the slums, his face a mask of shame and apology, his words echoing through the narrow alleyways. A crowd of freedmen, who had gathered to watch the strange, pathetic display, burst into laughter.
Viserys, startled by the noise, turned to look at the prince's public humiliation. Adam just smiled, a cruel glint in his eyes. He had made his point.
"My dragon… it's real," Daenerys said, her voice a soft, breathless whisper.
"Roach's Soul made it special," Adam said, his voice a low, encouraging murmur. "It's a part of me now. And I am its family."
He saw Viserys, his face a grim mask, standing a few feet away, watching him. Adam had to be careful. The man was a snake, and snakes were best handled with caution. He focused his Axii, sending a small, subtle suggestion into the prince's mind.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 10 STAMINA USED. 50 XP GAINED.]
Viserys's rage melted into a strange, pathetic plea. He dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with a desperate, pathetic hunger. "Dragons terrify me!" he cried out, his voice a wail. "Please! I beg you!" The words were an echo of the first time he had done this, but they were still a potent weapon. The sight of a prince begging for mercy in front of a group of soldiers was a powerful psychological weapon.
[Noon – Qarth garden – 299 AC]
The midday sun beat down on the camp, and Adam found himself back in the dragon enclosure. The three young dragons were growing with a startling speed, their scales hardening, their movements becoming more confident. His own copper-colored dragon, the one he had bonded with, was the largest of the three, its eyes a molten gold. He patted its great head, its warmth a familiar comfort. He could feel it, the growing presence of his own dragon, its mind a little more complex, a little more aware with each passing day. The bond, a gentle tugging at his consciousness, was a sign of its flourishing.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 100 XP GAINED.]
He had a few more potions to craft. He took out his alchemy kit, pulling out the necessary ingredients for a Black Blood potion. It was a simple concoction, but it was essential, a quick boost of health in the middle of a fight. He pulled out the necessary herbs and a flask of water, mixing them with a few drops of his own blood. The system hummed its approval.
[SYSTEM ALERT: BLACK BLOOD POTION CRAFTED. 150 GOLD USED. 50 XP GAINED.]
He saw Viserys, his face a grim mask, standing a few feet away, watching him. Adam had to be careful. The man was a snake, and snakes were best handled with caution. He used a bit of his Disguise skill, not to change his appearance, but to make himself seem like a fleeting wisp of smoke, a trick of the light. He moved a few feet to his right, and Viserys's eyes darted, confused.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 15 STAMINA USED. 50 XP GAINED.]
"Our dragons are family," Daenerys said, her voice a calm balm in the tense air.
"And we're their shield," Adam replied, his gaze still on Viserys. He had a feeling the prince would try something stupid. He always did.
Myra, standing at the edge of the Witcher circle, nodded. "Your dragon's fierce, my Lord."
[Evening – Qarth market – 299 AC]
The streets of Qarth, once filled with the shouts of slavers and the clinking of chains, now buzzed with the quiet energy of a city in transition. Adam was on patrol, his senses alert. He could feel the tension in the air, the quiet resentment of the old order, the fear of the newly freed. He was looking for thieves, for the whispers of the Pureborn. He found them in a quiet alley, two men in simple tunics, their eyes darting, their hands on the hilt of hidden daggers.
"Thieves? Bad move," Adam said, his voice a low growl.
They turned, their faces contorted with surprise and fear. They drew their daggers, but Adam was faster. He slammed his hand into the ground, and a Quen sign, a shimmering shield of pure energy, bloomed around him. The daggers, thrown in a flash of motion, simply bounced off the shield with a dull thud.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 10 STAMINA USED. 100 XP GAINED.]
He surged forward, his silver sword a gleaming blur. The first man fell with a cry, his neck slit in a single, fluid motion. The second, a man with a wild, panicked look in his eyes, found himself disarmed and then run through the chest. They were amateurs. They weren't a threat. Not to him.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 100 XP GAINED. "KILL 10 ENEMIES" QUEST PROGRESS: 100/500.]
"No one touches my dragon," Adam snarled, his voice a cold, hard promise. Daenerys, who had been on a patrol of her own, walked up behind him, her eyes wide with a strange, fierce pride.
"You're unstoppable," she said, her voice filled with a quiet awe.
He saw Viserys, who had been following them at a distance, a look of smug satisfaction on his face as he watched the skirmish. He had probably hoped to see Adam fall. Adam's lips curled into a smirk. He lifted his hand, a small, subtle burst of Aard flowing from his fingertips.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 10 STAMINA USED. 50 XP GAINED.]
Viserys, taking a sip of wine from a goblet he had been carrying, suddenly stumbled. The wine sloshed out, spilling all over his pristine tunic. He let out a shriek of indignation. "This is outrageous!" he yelled.
Adam just looked at him, his face a mask of feigned innocence. The real game was just beginning.
[Night – Qarth inn – 299 AC]
The night was quiet, the air cool and calm. Adam sat with Daenerys, a map of Qarth spread out between them, their discussion a low murmur of strategy and planning.
"We need a plan for dragon defenses," Adam said, tracing a line on the map with a calloused finger. "The warlocks are a constant threat. We need a system, a new council, with freedmen in key positions."
[SYSTEM ALERT: 100 XP GAINED.]
"You're my brother in fire," Daenerys said, her voice filled with a quiet confidence.
"And you're my queen," Adam replied, his gaze meeting hers. "With dragons and Witchers, yeah."
The sound of shuffling cards filled the small silence as Adam pulled out his Gwent deck. He needed a distraction, a brief moment of strategy that didn't involve life or death. He dealt her a hand, a grim smile on his face. He played a card, a simple Northern Realms unit, a Redanian Knight. She played a card in return. He played another. The game was a calm island in the chaotic sea of their conquest. He drew a new card, his fingers closing around it. It felt different. Thicker.
[SYSTEM ALERT: GWENT CARD YENNEFER WON. 50 XP GAINED.]
Yennefer of Vengerberg, the ruthless sorceress. A good card to have. He would need a ruthless mind to deal with the problems to come. He tucked it into his deck. The game was secondary. The real game was just beginning.
Kael, who had been standing guard, nodded. "We're your family, my Lord."
"Viserys is dragon fodder," Adam quiped, a grim smile on his face. Daenerys chuckled. He looked at the city, the lights of a thousand campfires glowing like a constellation on the ground. The chains were broken. Now the real work began.
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