Viserys rode Sunfyre, looking down at the grey-black ruins and shattered towers.
The Unsullied, in their bronze spiked helmets, moved like a centipede, treading carefully on the treacherous path. Their enemy was not barbarian horselords, but the twisted ecology of the ruins.
The surviving Unsullied drank the remaining silver wine from the Undying to ward off the corruption and pollution of Valyria.
The water here was foul; even the occasional rain was acidic and sulfurous.
Near the volcanoes, rivers ran with lava; further away, they flowed with acid.
Even seemingly normal water was dangerous, attracting monstrous creatures.
Though the air still stank of blood and sulfur, Viserys was in high spirits at the thought of leaving this hellhole.
The colossal dragon skeleton was too vast to fully absorb; better to focus on personal enhancement first.
Viserys opened the tattered ancient map of the Undying. It matched his expectations.
Valyria had been a circular city, nestled between the northern and southern volcanic chains.
At its center were the palaces, council halls, and temples of the Dragonlords.
In the volcanoes, the Fourteen Flames were marked as the site of mines and dragon lairs.
The Tower of House Dacarys, a Blood Faction laboratory some distance from the volcanoes, was on the periphery, which was why the Undying had targeted it.
Viserys noted the location of the Targaryen palace on the map—proof it predated Daenys the Dreamer.
He had gained enough. It was time to quit while ahead.
The core of the ruins was too dangerous; further exploration would have to wait.
There would be more labs, stronger monsters, and a thicker concentration of blood and fire magic corruption.
Aside from the Fire and Blood Faction legacies, Viserys had encountered the Qartheen expedition led by the Undying.
He hadn't planned on dealing with Slaver's Bay yet—it was far to the east of Volantis.
But it didn't matter. He had casually dispatched two Undying and destroyed their artifact heart.
The Undying sought death and found a pathetic end.
Qartheen warlocks believed in using the corpses and hearts of wizards as magical fuel.
The Palace of Dust housed another legendary warlock's heart, likely even more potent.
Some Qartheen corpses were covered in silver leaf, said to possess great power, especially if the deceased was a warlock.
The Qartheen were rich and arrogant—fat sheep Viserys would deal with eventually.
For now, Qarth was far away. Their fleet was likely lost at sea.
Sailing from Pentos to Asshai took two years round trip; Qarth, a year.
In these haunted ruins, the Qartheen would never know how the warlocks died.
"Qarth, Qarth." Viserys committed the name to memory. There was plenty of time.
Qarth's power structure was unique: three merchant guilds—the Thirteen, the Spicers, and the Tourmaline Brotherhood—competed for trade dominance while scheming against the Pureborn royals.
The warlocks watched from the sidelines with blue lips and terrible power, though the Undying rarely left their palace.
Viserys led his new servants away from the Blood Faction palace, arriving at Sunfyre's lair. Soon, they could depart.
Aggo, Jalaka, and the others waited anxiously at the campsite halfway up the hill.
Seeing Viserys, they breathed a sigh of relief. This place was eerie and grim.
They feared for the King's safety, and without him, they could never leave.
Viserys reorganized his men. The twelve new Unsullied were placed under the command of his original four Pentoshi Unsullied—the only survivors.
"Valyria is no place to linger," Viserys said. "We must leave quickly."
Aggo and Jalaka agreed wholeheartedly. The place reeked of blood and fire.
Viserys rode Sunfyre, practicing his dragonriding skills whenever possible. It was time to go.
The next day, Viserys led his retinue on a forced march, scattering the Blood Mage's black oil barrier agent along the way.
"Double time!" Viserys ordered as they passed through a corridor between ruin hills. He sensed fluctuations of fire essence beneath the rubble.
The ruins were honeycombed with tunnels dug by worms.
Valyria had once confined the firewyrms to the Fourteen Flames, but after the Doom, they had overrun the city.
As they passed the corridor, Viserys looked back. A massive hole burst open on the hill they had just passed.
They had walked over a zone rich in fire essence—either a dragon grave or a worm nest.
A blood-red Face-Worm as thick as a palace tower burst from the depths. It was the largest worm Viserys had ever seen.
Its body was segmented and serpentine, its face grotesque—a spectacle of horror.
Lying atop the hill, the writhing worm looked like a second peak, exuding power and magnitude.
Viserys had never seen a sea dragon, but this must be comparable.
The Face-Worm stared angrily in the direction the humans had passed. Its round, tooth-lined mouth spewed red fire at the sky before burrowing back underground.
The splashing flames melted rock and gravel, incinerating smaller Face-Worms and firewyrms caught in the blast.
The fire was as hot as ancient dragonflame; perhaps creatures like this had fought Balerion in the old days.
Though the Face-Worm sensed the humans, the scent of the dragon and the black oil deterred it.
More importantly, giant Face-Worms, like old dragons, became slow and lethargic as they grew. They preferred to lie in wait rather than roam.
Viserys watched the worm. Firewyrms likely predated the Valyrians; this was truly their home.
But limited by the underground ecosystem, such giants were rare.
This encounter spurred them to move even faster.
Viserys breathed a sigh of relief, avoiding a bloody battle. A worm the size of a hill, with fire that melted steel...
Everyone worked together, not lingering a moment longer.
As they neared the shore, the barrier agent ran out.
Rustling sounds came from the weeds and ruins—like rain, or slithering snakes.
Viserys saw creatures that looked like a splice of lizard and snake—basilisks. The largest were three times the size of a lion.
Terrible, ugly, fierce grey-brown reptiles. Many bore gems and flame patterns.
Native to Sothoryos, these were likely products of blood magic experiments too.
Sunfyre roared in the air, blasting the basilisk swarm with scorching gold-red fire.
Amidst the flames, the basilisks shrieked.
There were too many. Before they could drive them back, four Unsullied fell to the swarm's group tactics.
Basilisks bit through their armor. The wounds burned.
Warm-blooded creatures touched by basilisk venom went mad.
And these blood-magic modified basilisks were faster, their venom more potent.
The infected Unsullied roared in delirium, charging into the swarm, killing a few before being torn to pieces.
Sunfyre's fire finally drove the basilisks back. They boarded the longboats.
Besides Viserys, only Aggo, Jalaka, two Pentoshi Unsullied, and ten Qartheen Unsullied remained.
The dragon roared. The terrifying wait was over; the dawn of home was in sight.
The boats rowed toward the waiting fleet, gaining a moment of peace.
Viserys rode Sunfyre, clearing the path through the smoke and sea.
Breaking through the clouds, the smell of sulfur and blood faded.
Viserys saw a lonely ship drifting on the Smoking Sea, visible only where the smoke thinned.
The ship was largely intact, bearing a broken lion figurehead.
Though damaged, traces of gilding hinted at its former glory.
"The Lannister fleet?" Viserys guessed. The great fleet was gone, leaving only this solitary vessel.
King Tommen II Lannister had led a golden fleet to explore the ruins of Valyria after the Doom, believing treasures and secrets remained. He never returned.
Sunfyre circled and landed on the ship. Viserys inspected the deck.
Apart from broken armor and piles of bones, the rusted lion helms were worthless.
Viserys went straight to the captain's cabin. He saw a yellowed skull and charred remains.
The once-magnificent golden armor was corroded and destroyed. The King of the Rock's adventure had ended in mockery.
But the greatsword was there. Golden lion pommel, blade dark as smoke—Brightroar.
The blade gleamed cold and sharp, the pride of House Lannister.
"Snake and lizard monsters... mutiny... worms flying into bodies... plague..." Viserys read the scrawled words on the table carved with golden lions, beside the skeleton on the goldenheart chair.
If this was Tommen II's flagship, it seemed the Golden Fleet had blundered into basilisk swarms, causing soldiers to go mad and turn on each other.
Sulfur, blood magic, poisoned water, Face-Worms, basilisks, three-headed blood eagles...
No mortal army could withstand Valyria. None survived.
Viserys looted the ship. Besides the sword, he found the gold they had brought.
Though most of the fleet was lost and much had been spent in Volantis, it was still a massive fortune.
This gold would fund Viserys's war against House Lannister.
The glorious and cruel throne had room for only one.
Viserys saw the sharp edge of power, his rightful place.
He returned to the deck and mounted Sunfyre.
"You will never return to Westeros. Perhaps this is the best resting place. Dracarys!"
A blast of gold-red fire consumed the last ship of the Golden Fleet, sending it to join its companions at the bottom of the sea.
The bloody adventure was over, but the game of thrones continued.
Viserys flew Sunfyre into the clouds, never looking back.