Dragonlord Chapter 124: Harrion's mighty school of Magic (Patreon)

Harry lounged on the chair with his feet over the table while nursing a cup of the sweetest wine in his possession.

The North didn’t have vineyards, which made them dependent on wine from the south. Despite the colourful glass bottle, which gave off the appearance that the wine came from the North, it came from southern Westeros. He just brought barrels of wine in bulk from the south, had them repackaged in colourful glass bottles in Avalon and then sold them off at exorbitant prices to the Free Cities. It was a dick move, but it was good business and an easy way to make some nice silver from the Free Cities.

The better the glass and colourful designs were, the more he charged in silver. That was the initial plan, but now he was looking to expand a little bit.

He was working on a vineyard in Bear Island and Avalon. The people in Bear Island didn’t have much going for them, and the Mormonts were economically in a bind, all thanks to Jorah Mormont’s actions. The ice trade had started to get them on their feet slightly, but the blow to their reputation was not easily recovered.

Ever since Harry helped them out at their lowest point, the Mormonts had sworn themselves to him and Avalon. So, setting them up with some vineyards sounded like a perfect idea. Besides, hogging all the wealth to one place was a bad economic policy. Money had to exchange hands and move across borders for a healthy economy to flourish. The lack of workers on his land was another factor in keeping the new planned vineyards on Bear Island.

But Harry wanted a small vineyard to function in Avalon just to serve his personal needs and perhaps even his guests.

“Avalonian wine or maybe Avalonian Red. It has a nice ring to it.” Harry muttered absently, eyeing the positions of his ships shown on the table.

Suddenly, the table showing the position of his ships on the Bite started blinking with red light instead of golden yellow. That made him sit up and take notice.

The merchant ships he had sent forth through the Sunset Canal had never been attacked. The first two voyages were quite smooth and went without any incident. This was the first time the warships signalled that they had spotted a pirate ship.

“Hmm.” Harry frowned as he channelled magic into his power ring and manipulated the table to show an exploded view of the area projected into the air.

He identified two ships that had set off the alarm. It looked like what appeared to be pirate ships closing in on his merchant ships. But he could be wrong because the alarm had gone off other times as well when other merchant ships came too close to his ships. The sensory rune matrix he encoded within his ships could never discern pirate ships from other normal ships. However, it was quite a niche advantage of his ships as they could give advanced warnings to the ship’s captain.

“What is happening?” Jon asked as he welcomed himself into Harry’s lair.

“Hmm. Right now, nothing much. Two ships seem to be closing in on our merchant convoy in the Bite.”

“Pirates?” Jon asked curiously as he sat next to Harry on a chair.

“Don’t know.” Harry shrugged, “It could be just other merchant ships. We’ll know soon enough.”

“Have you reached out to the captain escorting the merchant convoy?” Jon asked.

“No.” said Harry.

He conjured another glass on the table and poured wine into it before offering it to Jon.

“Thank you.” Jon said while taking the glass, “Why aren’t you contacting them?”

“Why would I? They know two ships are approaching the convoy just like we do. What they do now is in their hands. I can’t make daily decisions for them, so why step in now.” Harry said with a shrug.

Jon didn’t deign to bring up the issue and instead watched the projected view of the map. They watched the escort ships move in to intercept, and almost immediately, one of the approaching ships disappeared from the map.

“Pirates.” said Jon.

“It’d seem so.” Harry nodded with a frown while sipping the wine.

“But look at the second ship. It’s turning away.” Jon pointed out.

Suddenly, the second ship also disappeared from the map.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish.” Harry said with no remorse whatsoever.

Pirates were useless wastes of space in his eyes. They created nothing on their own and contributed only blood, death and tears to the world. In his opinion, one dead pirate made the world a whole lot better. He hoped escort ships killed them all and left no survivors.

“A raven came from Sunspear.” Jon suddenly said, gaining Harry’s attention.

“Oh! What does Lord Doran have to say?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jon flourished a piece of parchment and held it out to him.

When Harry looked at it, the seal remained intact.

“Maester Marwyn thought it best not to break the seal.” said Jon.

Harry grunted and broke the seal off before reading the contents of the parchment. Once he read it, he leaned back in his seat and frowned.

“What is it?” Jon asked curiously.

“It’d seem Prince Oberyn and Nymeria are once again to be our honoured guests.” said Harry with a thoughtful frown.

“Prince Oberyn and Lady Nymeria?” Jon said, craning his neck to look curiously at Harry.

“Father sent a raven to Sunspear accepting their offer of betrothal.” said Harry.

“He did?” Jon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes.” Harry nodded.

He took his legs off the table and stood up before approaching the window by the tower. Looking out into the sea, he saw ships from across the Narrow Sea anchoring at his harbour. It had only been a month since the canal's opening, and the fruits of that labour were evident for all to see. Avalon was bustling with activity as more and more merchants across the Narrow Sea, from the Vale of Arryn and even King’s Landing, came for trade.

As he had expected, the eastern parts of the Seven Kingdoms were taking the canal to access Avalon for trade. Some of his own people had expressed doubt about whether merchants would depend on the tremulous sea for trade when they had land access.

But Harry’s prediction proved to be true.

It was true that merchants in the Seven Kingdoms depended primarily on roads for trade. It was true within the North that merchants would rely on roads to reach their destinations, but that was not the case for merchants from other kingdoms that came into the North. The Neck was only passable when there was no rain in the region.

Even without rain, it was difficult. But with rain, the Kingsroad would go under water and mud, making it near impossible for carts to traverse the swampy terrain safely.

Only the Riverland and Northern merchants knew when to take the Kingsroad into the North. Most others used White Harbour to sell their wares in the North. He knew this far better when he started trading using his fleet with the western shores of Westeros. The volume of trade had quadrupled even in Winterfell. He knew this because Maester Luwin kept impeccable records on such matters. A good portion of those revenues was propped up by the visiting maesters and novices from the Citadel to study in the Astronomy tower.

But all of this was not enough. He had to set plans in motion within the North before Dorne became a factor.

“You look tensed. What’s going on?” Jon asked, joining Harry by the window.

“We need to visit the Mountain Clans to discuss some important matters.” said Harry. “But before that, there is something I must tell you.”

Harry saw the intuitive look on Jon’s face. He braced himself for the contentious conversation they were about to have.

******

Harry eyed his brother, who was brooding on his lonesome against the railing of the airship. The Liberator sailed through the sky, carrying them to the westernmost cliffs of Sea Dragon Point.

“Your brother seems to be in a bad mood.” Alaenera commented.

Harry looked at her from the corner of his eye before sighing. He turned away from Jon, who was in his entirely expected brooding and gave him the silent treatment ever since he came forth with the Young Griff’s true identity.

“Entirely my fault.” Harry said as he closed the curtains on the captain’s cabin.

“What did you do?” Alaenera asked as she pressed herself against his chest with her head resting on his chest while looking into his eyes with her vivid amethyst eyes.

“Just told a secret I was keeping from him.” Harry muttered, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Must be some secret to have shaken him so.” Alaenera said.

“Hmm.” Harry grunted, “He’s being overly dramatic. In time, he’ll come around.”

“Mm-hm.” Alaenera murmured as she pressed a kiss against his neck, “I’m wondering why you insisted I come to this faraway cliff. I hope you don’t plan to abandon me there.”

“I was led to understand that you wanted to become a Valkyrie.” Harry said.

“I do. I’m trained to take over the post for Kyla now that she is leaving the group.” said Alaenera.

“Hmm… Kyla’s impending marriage has opened her spot, but are you ready to take up her responsibilities.”

“I am.” Alaenera said confidently. “Guarding you should be the easiest job. Gods and demons run away from you in fear for their lives.”

Harry snorted when he heard his prowess being described as such.

“I should be so lucky to have gods and demons run away. It’d make my life a whole lot easier.” said Harry.

He took hold of Alaenera’s shoulders and slightly pushed her away from his body to look into her eyes.

“Kyla’s post is not a simple post, and you’ve barely even started to learn the magical disciplines. But most importantly…” Harry picked up the electric blue bow on the counter and showed it to Adela.

“This was Kyla’s bow. It harnesses the power of the sky. In the right hands, it could prove to be a lethal weapon.”

“Really! I…” Alaenera reached out with her hand to take it, but he held it out of her reach.

“Not yet.” he admonished, holding the bow away from her reach. “First, you must prove your competence in at least one of the disciplines of magic to even be considered for receiving this bow. Then, you need to earn my trust.”

“I suppose I have the trust part on my side. After all, if you didn’t trust me, you wouldn’t have allowed me into your bed.” Alaenera said, smiling coyly at him.

“Do not depend on my favour too much. If your skill is not up to par, I’ll have no choice but to seek another candidate for the Lightning bow.” Harry cautioned while securing the bow in a cabinet in the quarters.

“What skills does my lord seek from his Lightning bow holder? Surely, this poor slave girl could be of much better service than its previous holder.” Alaenera smirked as she pushed Harry against the wall of the captain’s cabin, her nails digging into the skin of his shoulders.

Harry snorted at her antics, but he acquiesced by pulling her against him and kissing her on her lips.

*** Lemon Scene in Discord ***

“Am I now worthy of the bow?” Alaenera asked breathlessly with a wide smile.

“You are quite the woman, Alaenera.” Harry chuckled as she pouted, “But the bow requires more than that.”

“I suppose I’ll have to work hard to master the runes and other disciplines of magic.” Alaenera said.

“Yes, and that’s why I brought you here. You’ll need to be properly trained in a school away from the… distractions… of Avalon.” Harry said with a pointed look, making her giggle.

“A school – here?” Alaenera asked curiously.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re not sending me away because of your Dornish lover’s arrival?” Alaenera asked.

“If Nymeria knew about us, she’d be more excited to meet you rather than take any offence.” Harry said with a snort.

“And yet, you never told them about us.” Alaenera said with a grin, “I suppose you trust me more than Nymeria or Arianne.”

“That I do. Why else would I allow you to become a Valkyrie?”

“So, this school that you were talking about. What is it?” Alaenera asked curiously while her fingers threaded through his hair.

“It’s not built yet.” said Harry.

“You must be joking.” Alaenera stared at him unimpressed.

“You’ll see.” he said enigmatically.

******

“Still brooding?” Harry asked while joining Jon by the Liberator’s portside.

The wind swept his hair back as he stood near the railing but he enjoyed the view below. The Liberator was among the clouds, sailing almost serenely as if they were being carried away by a gentle wind.  

“Why didn’t you tell me about Aegon before?” Jon asked.

“I wasn’t sure he was Aegon Targaryen. As a matter of fact, I still don’t know whether he is Rhaegar’s son or a fake.”

“You could’ve told me…” Jon muttered.

“If I told you… then what? You think you’ll march in with your ‘let’s be brothers’ attitude and expect Aegon Targaryen to hug you and ride off into the sunset with brotherhood and friendship that’d last till the end of times?” Harry asked with such brutal honesty that it pushed Jon into shock.

“Wha…? I didn’t think…”

“You didn’t think…” said Harry, pointing a finger at his brother, “…that’s true.”

“Are you trying to make me angry?” Jon growled, glaring at him with anger, “If you are, it’s working.”

“I am. You should be angry because I am.” Harry said. “What makes you think Aegon Targaryen is your brother? Did he make jokes with you, laugh with you, care for you in ways that Robb or I ever did?”

“No… but…”

“Then he is not your brother in any way. If blood was all that mattered, you should be calling me cousin, and you should be calling the Lord of Winterfell uncle. But I am your brother, and Lord Stark is your father. Aegon Targaryen is your brother as much as Theon Greyjoy is your best friend.”

“That’s not…” Jon started looking incensed.

“Ah-ah.” Harry said, raising a finger, “In your misplaced anger, you seem to be missing a point. We still don’t know if he is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, and if he is, what do you think he is after right now?”

“The Iron Throne.” Jon muttered with a conflicted look on his face.

“So, before you become all moody and broody, I hope you understand why I didn’t immediately tell you when I found out. It took me some time to ponder the greater impact of this knowledge before sharing it with you.” said Harry, “Besides, I was trying to work out if he was really Rhaegar’s son.”

“Is he…? Rhaegar’s son...?” Jon asked hesitantly.

“I honestly don’t know.” Harry admitted with a shake of his head, “Blood magic is tricky to discern. If I had a blood sample of Elia Martell or Rhaegar, it’d have been possible to trace that ancestry. As of now, I can only tell whether he carries Targaryen blood.”

“Does he?”

“Yes, he does.” Harry took a deep breath before nodding. “His blood has properties similar to Maester Aemon’s and your blood. But it is not indicative that he is Rhaegar’s son.”

“But if he has Targaryen blood, then…” Jon said with a frown, “…what does that mean?”

“It means just that… he is a dragonseed.” Harry shrugged. “If he is anything more, we need to know that from those who supposedly spirited him out of King’s Landing during the Rebellion.”  

“I guess… that’s reasonable.” Jon muttered, letting out a sigh.

“Enough dallying.” Harry patted his brother’s shoulder before nodding at their destination, “We’re finally here.”

It was the same cliff overlooking the Sunset Sea where the ancient Sea Dragon was buried.

“What’re we doing here?” Jon asked curiously.

“Do you want to see a magic trick?” Harry asked with a grin.

“Yes.”

“Then watch closely.” said Harry.

He fished out a runestone and banished it away from his palm with a flick of his wrist. The runestone soared through the sky and fell on the cliff with force. A rumbling suddenly started to be heard, as if stones were grinding against each other.

There was a massive disturbance in the area; the wind started blowing fast, the ground shook, and the sea became slightly agitated. Everyone on the Liberator came to watch the spectacle happening in the distance.

Right before their eyes, the rocky cliff slowly turned into a mighty huge monolith castle that looked like it had been carved into the cliff.

“A castle?” Jon asked with a frown.

“A castle that serves as a school of magic for everyone to learn, built by the most advanced transfiguration spell contained in the form of a runestone.” said Harry, feeling quite happy.

“It’s complete with doors and roofs.” Jon said in awe. “the details are intricate…far better than Avalon.”

“I’ve had time to improve upon the magic I used for Avalon. A little bit of alchemy and enchantments made it perfect. So, what do you think?”

“Marvelous.” said Jon, staring at the castle with an impressed look. “What do you want to call it?”

“Harrion’s mighty school of Magic.” Harry said proudly, wiping the smile on Jon’s face.  

“That’s a terrible name.” Jon deadpanned.

“Then how about Harrion’s extraordinary school of Magic?”

Jon scoffed and shook his head before walking away from the deck of the Liberator, muttering under his breath about some inane things.

“What? Those are wonderful names.” Harry shouted.

He smiled fondly after his brother. At least he managed to chase away the broodiness in his brother.

 AN: You're welcome to suggest names for the school.