(Game of Thrones fanfiction: approximately 841 words)
(spoiler warning: do not read further if you don’t want to be spoiled of the latest Game of Thrones events.)
The tremendous dragon had flown a great distance over the Narrow Sea and into the lands of Old Valyria. He flew as if guided by some instinct known only to a creature of his kind. Circling in the sky, the dragon homed in on a location in the blasted ruins and swooped downward to land upon the ground. The dragon carefully laid his burden, the small lifeless body of a woman with long braided silver-pale hair, down upon a flat slab of marble. The lifeless form was clothed in a beautiful, molded black coat with a silver chain adorned with a three-headed dragon that came from the right shoulder down across the chest. The handle of a dagger protruded from the chest of the woman. The dragon sighed and curled itself around the marble slab upon which the woman lay.
There were sounds of movement from the nearby shattered ruins and the dragon raised its head, smoke curling from its nostrils as it sought out the intruders.
A woman dressed in a burgundy gown and a red brooch at her neck came into view. The woman was flanked by two other women dressed in white robes. The dragon reared up and bellowed, its massive body looming over the dead body on the marble slab.
The woman in the gown of burgundy halted and raised her hand to the dragon. She spoke to the dragon in High Valyrian, uncertain of how much the creature would understand. “We heard rumors of your coming and anticipated that you might arrive here, the land of your ancestors. We are grateful that we made the wise choice in coming here.”
The dragon bellowed and shot a blast of fire high into the air. The woman and her acolytes trembled slightly at the dragon’s display of power, but stood their ground.
The woman spoke again to the dragon. “I am Kinvara, High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis, the Flame of Truth, the Light of Wisdom, and First Servant of the Lord of Light. I want to help your Queen…our Queen.” The dragon gazed at her, smoking puffing from its nostrils in huge bursts.
“Will you allow us to help our Queen?” Kinvara asked.
The dragon only continued to stare intently at Kinvara and her two acolytes.
Kinvara approached toward the marble slab upon which the Queen lay. It was all Kinvara could do to force one foot in front of the other as she looked up at the massive beast looming over her. She made her way to the marble slab and peered down upon the body. Even in death, the Queen was as radiantly beautiful as Kinvara had remembered her.
Kinvara motioned to her acolytes who tentatively made their way to her side. Kinvara looked up into the fierce and terrible face of the dragon. “We will do all that we can to help our Queen, but it is ultimately the will of the Lord of Light.”
Kinvara pulled the dagger free from where it had sunk into the chest of dead woman. She tossed the weapon aside. The priestess and her acolytes then began to remove the clothing from the body of the Queen. They carefully stripped the body naked.
“Water,” declared Kinvara. An acolyte fetched a bowl of water and some linens. Kinvara and her acolytes dipped the cloth into the water and began to wash the body. The wound in the center of the chest had surprisingly little blood. The rest of the body was clean. Kinvara took water and began to wash the silver-white hair of the Queen. She poured water over the forehead so that it dripped down over the silver-pale strands of hair and onto the ground.
“Now we begin,” commanded Kinvara.
The priestess and her acolytes placed their hands on the naked form. They began to chant in Valyrian, a chant to R'hllor, the Lord of Light. Time passed and still the three women chanted.
Kinvara stopped and looked down upon the Queen. The face of the Targaryen woman, she who called herself the Mother of Dragons, remained as still as stone.
“We can do no more,” said Kinvara. “She is close. She is searching for her way. But it will be up to her if she decides to return to this world or remain with her loved ones.”
Kinvara and her acolytes gathered up their materials and made their way out of the ruins.
The dragon peered down upon the lifeless form laying upon the marble slab. He again curled his great, scaled body around the stone and lay still. Time passed and the dragon raised his head up as if sensing something. He looked about the ruins and then down again to the body on the marble slab. The face of the Queen was motionless, impassive. The dragon peered closer.
The eyes of the Queen suddenly flew open, violet irises glittering, gleaming. Her mouth opened wide gasping for breath. The dragon strained its head high towards the heavens and let out a tremendous, triumphant roar.
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