Chapter 233: Asshai
If Drogon had taken even a little longer to destroy the black stone creature, Daenerys didn't know whether she and Rhaegal would have remained peaceful.
The thought alone was terrifying.
Had they been exposed a little longer, the maddened Rhaegal might very well have devoured her.
"What was that white light from your claws just now?" Daenerys asked after calming herself.
[Dragon God's Blessing. It awakens and strengthens one's bloodline.]
Drogon answered honestly.
He wasn't entirely sure what effect it would have on Daenerys.
After all, she possessed the blood of the true dragons. Though she wasn't half-dragon herself, she was immune to fire and had an extraordinarily unique constitution.
Unable to imagine what "awakening her bloodline" might actually do, Daenerys seized the opportunity to ask another question.
"Drogon... have you truly become a god now?"
A god?
The question made Drogon pause.
The gods he imagined were omnipotent beings.
Compared to that ideal, he still felt infinitely far away.
But in this world...
He could cure incurable diseases, grant his followers the power to wield magic, and even return the dead to life.
By that standard, he could indeed be called a god.
[I suppose... you could call me the Dragon God.]
His answer carried more uncertainty than confidence.
"I see..."
Daenerys simply nodded.
She had already expected as much.
Her thoughts drifted to the legendary Balerion the Black Dread, who had lived for over two centuries during the reign of Aegon I Targaryen.
Now that Drogon had become a Dragon God, his lifespan would almost certainly surpass even Balerion's.
She, however, was only human.
Or perhaps...
A human capable of wielding magic.
Even then, she would be fortunate to live a hundred years.
Thinking about all the years they had spent together—day after day, never apart—she realized that even a century wouldn't feel long enough.
A trace of sadness quietly settled in her heart.
Seeing that she had fallen silent, Drogon assumed she was simply tired.
Without another word, he continued flying eastward.
Beyond the capital city, they didn't encounter another city.
Even by sunset, Asshai was still nowhere in sight.
With no choice, Drogon landed beside a river and decided they would spend the night in the wilderness.
After an entire day of flying without a proper meal, he instructed Rhaegal to stay behind and protect Daenerys while he flew several kilometers into a nearby forest to hunt.
Fortunately, although the region was sparsely populated, wildlife was abundant.
It didn't take long before he returned with several pheasants and a pair of wild deer.
By then, Daenerys had already pitched the tent, assembled the roasting racks, gathered firewood, and was helping him dress the venison and wash the meat.
While she prepared the first batch for roasting, Drogon went back out and caught several more deer and wild boars.
The pheasants and rabbits were simply to give Daenerys some variety.
To actually satisfy the appetites of Drogon and Rhaegal, they needed much larger prey like wild boars.
The bigger they grew...
The more they ate.
Drogon estimated that he could now consume the equivalent of five full-grown cattle in a single meal.
At this rate, he wondered whether the sheep of the entire Dothraki Sea would someday be enough to feed just one dragon.
After making several hunting trips, Drogon shrank into his smaller form and returned to help Daenerys prepare the feast, leaving Rhaegal to continue hunting.
Fortunately, they had planned ahead.
They had brought several large portable roasting racks, which had been disassembled and strapped to Rhaegal's back.
Otherwise, with only a single small grill, they'd probably spend the entire night roasting meat before the dragons had enough to eat.
One by one, the roasting racks filled with sizzling meat.
Carrying a pouch of seasonings, Drogon moved between them, sprinkling spices and turning the skewers with practiced ease.
The pheasants and rabbits finished first.
He told Daenerys to eat while they were hot.
As for himself, he only sampled a few bites before patiently waiting for the larger cuts of meat to finish roasting.
Rhaegal was the next to eat.
She wasn't nearly as particular about food as Drogon. The meat didn't need to be fully roasted before she happily devoured it.
Drogon, on the other hand, was much pickier.
He patiently roasted an entire deer until its skin turned a rich golden brown before finally beginning his meal.
Since the rest of the meat wasn't ready yet, he remained in his smaller form, savoring each bite.
His true body had grown enormous, and so had his appetite.
Back on the grasslands, "wolfing down food" was no longer enough to describe the speed at which he ate.
"Whale-like" was far more accurate.
Opportunities to leisurely enjoy a meal like this had become increasingly rare.
After eating slowly for a while, the remaining meat finished roasting.
Only then did Drogon return to his full-sized form, tearing into the feast with massive bites before placing fresh meat onto the grills.
This second batch wasn't roasted with nearly the same care.
As his appetite continued to grow, Drogon had developed a habit.
He savored only the first portion of every meal.
After that, as long as the food was reasonably cooked and flavorful, it was good enough.
After all, once you were eating by the ton, even the finest delicacies lost much of their meaning.
After finishing two rounds of roasted meat, Drogon glanced toward Rhaegal.
To his surprise, she was still waiting beside the roasting racks.
Normally she would have stopped eating long ago.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
He quietly observed her.
Only after Rhaegal had consumed nearly twice her usual amount of food did Drogon finally confirm his suspicion.
Dragon God's Blessing had already begun taking effect.
A dragon's growth rate was directly tied to its appetite.
If Rhaegal could suddenly eat so much more, then her growth would inevitably accelerate as well.
As her body grew larger...
So too would her strength and the destructive power of her dragonfire.
After confirming Rhaegal's changes, Drogon turned his attention to Daenerys.
She had also received Dragon God's Blessing.
What changes would appear in her?
Her appetite hadn't increased at all.
Apparently, the blessing manifested differently in humans.
Fortunately.
Otherwise, Daenerys would soon have a serious food problem.
The meal lasted nearly two hours before everyone was finally satisfied.
Afterward, Drogon sparred with Rhaegal, carefully measuring her increased strength and the power of her flames.
Throughout the fight, he deliberately suppressed his own strength to match hers.
Otherwise, there wouldn't have been much of a battle.
Once Rhaegal's testing was complete, Drogon had Daenerys practice her fire magic beneath the moonlight.
She didn't understand why he insisted on training at night, but she obediently formed several fireballs.
The moment they left her hands, she froze in astonishment.
The fireballs were nearly fifty percent larger than before.
Their temperature and explosive force had increased dramatically.
Even more surprising, she could shape and release them far more smoothly than ever before.
Everything felt... effortless.
Drogon carefully observed the changes before asking her in detail how casting the spells felt.
After listening to her description, he came to two conclusions.
First, his own increase in divine power naturally strengthened the magic Daenerys borrowed from him.
Second—and perhaps more importantly—Dragon God's Blessing had enhanced her magical aptitude.
Otherwise, his own growth alone couldn't explain such a dramatic increase in both the fireballs' power and her spellcasting proficiency.
Only then did Daenerys understand why Drogon had insisted she practice that evening.
The blessing he had bestowed earlier that day had truly transformed her.
After finishing their tests, the three rested well through the night.
The following morning, they resumed their journey eastward.
The landscape remained bleak and desolate.
Only late in the afternoon did Drogon finally spot an immense city rising on the distant horizon.
With several powerful beats of his wings, he quickly closed the distance.
As the city came into view, both he and Daenerys fell silent.
Every structure...
Every wall...
Every tower...
Had been built entirely from black stone.
Even Daenerys felt an eerie chill creeping into her heart.
She couldn't help wondering how these black stones differed from the one they had encountered in the capital city.
Looking over the vast city of dark stone, Drogon knew they had finally reached their destination.
Asshai-by-the-Shadow.
Rather than flying directly into the city, he landed beside a broad river just outside its walls.
The river's water was jet black, like liquid oil flowing silently across the earth.
Not a single ripple reflected the sunlight.
Its surface swallowed every trace of light.