The *Encyclopedia of Dragons* discusses dragons; the *Encyclopedia of Fire* discusses the Binding Curse, fire, and Blood Magic; the *Encyclopedia of War* explains various warrior techniques: Longswords, Spears, Longbows, Two-handed Axes, Meteor Hammers, and various Hidden Weapons. The *Encyclopedia of Craftsmanship* explains Valyrian manufacturing processes. Valyria loved undertaking super-projects; the Black Wall, the Great Roads, and valyrian steel are all famous.
Rhaegar flipped through the autobiography of Dragonlord Jaenara, having already entered her grand adventure through her perspective.
Dragonlord Jaenara was a great legend whose life spanned Essos, Sothoryos, and even briefly circled Westeros.
Every generation of Dragonlord Balerion had their own strengths, constantly evolving and updating. Some excelled in Blood Magic, Others in combat, and some in court intrigue. But Dragonlord Jaena excelled in riding giant dragons and exploring. She loved adventure more than any human affection or honor.
"My legend is not just that I explored south to the southernmost point of Sothoryos, seeing endless rainforests, deserts, and mountains, but that I returned safely."
"As a predecessor, I believe my greatness lies in illuminating the path forward for you, so that you may continue the pride and legend of our Purple-Clothed Dragonlord family. In this book, I will not only advise you on the beauty and vastness of exploration and how to better ride giant dragons, but I will also give you warnings. In this book, I will give you four warnings. Fortunate Balerion, we are the only true dragon, and we should remain forever young, like eternal fire, pressing forward bravely."
Rhaegar felt a pang of melancholy upon reading this sentence. Things change, people disappear, and only a handful of yellow earth remains. Even a mighty figure like Dragonlord Balerion has now completely perished.
"My first warning: We are mortals, not true gods. The Dragonlords seem to be trapped in some kind of curse because of controlling dragons. Although we rarely get sick, our lifespan is still limited. You must be careful, vigilant, and cherish life. Some say dragons are born naturally; some say they are the coupling of humans and beasts; Others say they are grafts of Long-winged Lizards and Fireflies. Most theories involve Valyrian adventurousness, or even cruelty. Sometimes I wonder if we are humans or dragons. Among the Forty Dragonlord families, terrifying stillbirths occur at times—children born without eyes, sometimes even with wings and scales, who die immediately. Could it be that we are cursed because of our closeness to dragons? Unfortunately, I have not found a solution."
Rhaegar immediately thought of Arya's terrifying adventure, and the stillbirths of Cruel Maegor and Queen Rhaenyra.
It seems this situation really did occur before. Rhaegar felt a chill. It turns out this curse already existed during the era of the Forty Dragonlords.
The origin of dragons is unclear, but the curse seems to be vaguely present.
"The habits of the great dragons: They love fire and fear cold; they love solitude and fear traveling in groups; they love freedom and despise shackles; they love mountains and dislike swamps. Great dragons love the sky until death, as dragons age and their bodies grow too large to fly. We raise dragons in mountains, the wild, abandoned mines, or house them in High Towers. You must never allow great dragons to live in groups, leading to food shortages and mutual hatred. We have telepathy with our companions, and when necessary, we can also blow the magical horn."
Rhaegar nodded. Compared to the Baelarys Family, the Targaryen Family's dragon-rearing techniques were indeed crude. They should comply with the dragons rather than force them, but they lacked the means and the technical essence.
Dragons raised in the Dragonpit were smaller than the Wild Dragons of Dragonstone, and he suspected this was a conspiracy by The Citadel. Shackles and pits made the dragons furious and kept their size down. Moreover, even on Dragonstone, there was The Glutton, a Wild Dragon Thanos, stealing dragon eggs and young dragons, which seemed to be for maintaining balance. Dragons should be solitary and free, not controlled.
Another issue was that the Targaryen Family truly had a limited number of giant dragons and dared not let them roam too far.
"A qualified Dragon Tamer should ride with the heart, not with crude force. They should sign a Mental Contract with their companion from a young age, deepening their bond with the dragon. We share joy and sorrow, life and death. Those who ride giant dragons using violence, long spikes, shackles, and pits are vulgar mortals, unworthy of becoming true Dragonlords. The true dragon should sign a contract with the great dragon, excelling in the Binding Curse and the magical horn. Certain Mid-to-Lower-Tier Dragonlord families are truly a disgrace to the Dragonlords."
Rhaegar felt offended after reading this. Even among the Forty Dragonlord families, there was a long chain of contempt. The Baelarys Family was at the top, equally despising everyone else.
"My second warning: You must be wary of the bestial nature of dragons. Riding giant dragons is a technique, a skill, not brute force or blind confidence. If you are not highly matched with the dragon, there is a risk of the giant dragon becoming enraged or manic and harming its rider. We should use telepathy and a Heart Contract with the giant dragon; this is far superior to crude riding." Perhaps during the era of Dragonlord Jaenara, dragons were not yet rare, and she never anticipated that they would later become so scarce and that giant dragons would be blindly dominated.
Based on what Rhaegar knew, the Targaryen Family's dragon control techniques were only mediocre, relying on external means rather than the mind. Historically, there were unexpected moments when Dragonriders couldn't control their dragons; many accidents led to the death of the Dragonrider and changes in history. For example, a young dragon flying too low, or a giant dragon losing control due to fright or stimulation. If Dragonlord Nara's words are accurate, their contract with the dragon was limited, making perfect control difficult.
The most brutal period was still the Dance of the Dragons, when no one was prepared, and they just drafted anyone available. It was dubbed The Great Sowing, and a large number of Wild Dragon Breeds also perished.
Then Dragonlord Jaenara shared her experience on how to better control and ride dragons. The most valuable part was the entire process of the Psychological Contract.
Rhaegar thought, I must master the Binding Curse and the magical horn to restore the past glory of the Dragonlords. His family's crude dragon control, even without the Dance of the Dragons, was not a long-term policy and could not truly unleash the potential of these War Beasts.
Rhaegar continued reading; he urgently wanted to know what the third and fourth warnings of the Purple-Clothed Dragonlord were.
This was the hope of the ancestors entrusted to their descendants; every piece of knowledge was incredibly precious.
"My third warning: I believe that beneath the great sea, there are also great creatures no less powerful than the great dragons, and they hate us intensely. I once defeated a Golden Squid at sea—it had many tentacles and eyes, capsized ships, and drowned countless sailors. I also defeated a Blood-Red Sea Serpent, whose body was vast, larger than a town, and whose open mouth could swallow a Mammoth.
But I feel that the most dangerous Sea Monster has yet to appear. It lurks on the seabed, its body dripping wet, its eyes full of evil light, and its many tentacles covered in thorns. It is an intelligent creature, not a vulgar beast. When I flew over the great sea of Essos, it lurked beneath the waves, secretly watching me, wanting to attack but holding back. That feeling of being spied upon and hated was unbearable. I hope you will be extra careful when flying over the great sea."
Rhaegar was startled. According to the progression of history, such a Sea Monster would appear. It seems the history of Sea Monster appearances is very ancient.
"My fourth warning may come from the currently inconspicuous continent of Westeros. When I traveled to The North, the giant dragons were extremely resistant due to the cold weather, so I did not venture deep. That place is frozen for a thousand miles, seemingly boundless. But according to ancient legends, there are also Others existing within the ice. The fear of the giant dragons also told me that some evil presence seems to reside in the cold lands."
Dragonlord Balerion had warned about Westeros, but Westeros was considered an insignificant place by the Dragonlords, and nobody paid it any mind.
After finishing the book, Rhaegar's heart was stirred.
To gallop across Three Continents—truly a heroic feat.
The words in the book were like fire and sunlight, bringing Rhaegar various kinds of warmth.
The Dragonlord's four warnings cautioned against four dangers: the Dragonlords' own curse, the inherent danger of dragons, the unknown evil beneath the ocean, and the cold winter of Westeros.