Even though nobody knew she was there her actions could create a butterfly effect in this world. At the same time, the things Adira found in that scroll could help her relive the curse in Old Valyria. While she couldn't bring back its former glory she could bring in a new age.
However she had to focus on the present and in one year from now would be the death of Aemon Targaryen which would lead to a succession crisis. If she had any chance to live peacefully it would be best for her to stay away from them which was already her plan. Satisfied with the thought she laid down on Vaelys and slept with no worries.
Little did she know fate was going to laugh right in her face
***
Tenth Moon of 91 AC
Old Valyria, Essos
Located in the middle of the Smoking Sea a boat was sailing into the ruins of Old Valyria where unimaginable horrors waited. The flag on the sail had the symbol of a dragon flying into a circle. This was the Valeris banner and Adira was on the ship in their journey across the wretched sea. Currently they were heading straight to the coast to the old valyrian ruins. The plan was that after docking she would go inland and find the center of Valyria. In the center rested a magical artifact called "The Heart of the Dragon".
According to the scroll it is described as a floating orb situated on a decorated column lying in the center of Valyria. It holds the ancient magic of Valyria that was used to boost her peoples magic and the dragons when they went to war. The orb was also used as a shield when an attack was made on the city. However it also needed to be fueled by a long source of magic. This is where Aegon's red gem came in place with the ritual since she could feel the magic in it during what she guessed his conquering years.
However she ran into a problem she didn't know how to deal with without Vaelys. When she began this journey she decided that Vaelys would stay in the air unless Adria was in danger. The problem was that people had been treating Old Valyria as their dumping ground for the sick. People with greyscale were dropped off and left to rot in their madness becoming mindless beasts. Let's not forget about the inhumane experiments the Valyrians had conducted.
Adira expected to be attacked when she decided on going on this expedition. So she brought only a handful of soldiers and Kinvara with her, leaving her trusted captain Belano Waters, a Velaryon bastard, to watch over Shadowvale. She rescued him from thieves and he has been loyal to her since never giving her any reason to doubt him or his loyalty. Currently they were looking at the ritual in the scroll as it depicted the orb in the air along with the other artifacts she gathered. A spell she did not know had to be said along with a sacrifice had to be made.
Only then would the orb be able regain its magic and the city shield back. Because she had only one adult dragon and three hatchlings soon to be juveniles Adira really needed to put up that shield. Many people forget that when raising a dragon from the moment they hatch it becomes a bottomless pit of hunger. Constantly eating and having enough space is to ensure that they can grow properly. With Vaelys taking care of them and teaching them how to hunt it took some pressure off her shoulders. However she still needed to figure out how to bring food in until Valyria was stable to house living beings. Pushing that thought aside she decided to figure it out later and focus on finding the orb.
"Well set up camp close to the shores so that way if anything happens we can regroup and leave," Adira announced, "And remember to be on guard all times,"
With that everyone got busy setting up the camp and forming perimeters around it in case something wandered too close. Moving on, Adria had decided that Kinvara would travel with her into the city since she was the only one here with enough experience in rituals. Plus she hadn't forgotten about the sneaky bastard High Priest. Before she left she had found something weird. Turns out he sent someone to sow discord between her and the soldiers.
Luckily she was able to nip it in the bud with the help of Belano before it turned into a riot. Thankfully instead of pushing them away from her it pulled them in towards her cause. However Adira couldn't just let this slight go past her with no actions or consequences. So she sent a gift towards her 'benefactor' by sending his letters between rogue mercenaries whose presence has been a plague to Voltanis to both the Elephant and Tiger parties. She couldn't wait to hear news of the chaos once the letters reached them it made her feel giddy. Oh goodness Kinvara is rubbing too much off on me, Adria thought.
"We're ready to head into the city, my lady," one of the captains said.
And so began the long and cautious trek through the ruins of Old Valyria. Along the way they walked past crumbling buildings and skeletal remains. Then as they passed by one they heard rustling as if something or someone moved. Adira stopped as soon as she heard the sound and took out her shortsword. Her magic was buzzing at something as if trying to warn her. It seemed Kinvara also sensed that they were not alone anymore and summoned fire ready to lash out.
It didn't take long before stone men rushed out towards them. They moved like a beast with no humanity left in them. Letting out unearthly growls and roars as their stone limbs swung clumsily. However, unlike other travelers who weren't prepared, Adira's group took the time to understand their enemies before coming here, however it couldn't stop human instincts from overriding. Kinvara was the first to strike when a wave of fire struck down the stone men close to them.
As one creature flew by from getting hit the notion knocked the rest of the group out of their stupor. The battle between stone men and soldiers began which carried on for half an hour before it came to a conclusion. There were no fatalities and nobody got infected by the stone man which was a miracle in itself. However everyone knew this was the first of many battles to the center of Old Valyria. This continued for days until they finally reached the center of the city. In the middle of the city lay an orb covered in dust and grime sitting on a decorated column that let out faint waves of yellow. It was then that Adira realized this was it. Now all they had to do was perform the ritual here and she would give a sacrifice. Setting the relics around the orb and lighting the fourteen braziers the ritual started.
Adira helped Kinvara chant the proper words she practiced and watched as the fire in each brazier grew taller. Just like in her vision the orb along with each relic started to humming and floating in the air as magic fanned its course. When the time for sacrifice came Adira stepped up with a blade in hand. Raising the blade, Adira slit her wrist over the orb coating it in her essence. For a few seconds nothing happened and she was worried that something had gone wrong.
Suddenly the orb absorbed the relics, jutted up into the air and released a radiant golden light that filled every inch of Old Valyria. Adira watched in awe as the atmosphere heavy with pollutants got lighter and lighter until she couldn't feel it anymore. The clouds disappeared and life began to retake its place. Flowers appeared where ash stood and the sun shone down onto it as if congratulating Adira on her achievements. Standing in front of the column that held the orb inside she let out a sigh in relief.
Finally she was able to bring back life to Valyria after decades of being smothered in corruption and darkness. A new dawn was on the horizon and a legacy was in the making. One that would bring change and revelation into this world. Vaelys landed behind her and Adira felt a rush of excitement and thrill. The young Valeris let out a yell full of joy and the dragon followed letting out bellowing roars and shrieks. The soldiers around her cheered and Kinvara looked like a proud mother as she gazed around. Everything was fine until black dots started to appear in her vision.
"Adira?" Kinvara called out, watching as the Valeris swayed back and forth before she fell over.
"ADIRA"
The last she heard was her name being called before the dark took over. Oh she felt tired. So very tired and the realization came to her when her body hit the ground. Her magic had hit its limit and she was going into a magic coma. She didn't even notice the blood falling from her eyes. Why did this have to happen, Adira thought, I was so excited for this. With that thought she fell asleep and would not open her eyes until time and magic decided so.
***
Fifth Moon of 92 AC
New Valyria, Essos
The sound of hammers hitting anvils and merchants shouting drifted throughout the air as morning began in Valyria. Seven moons had passed since New Valyria was brought back to life again. While it was not at its former glory in the past New Valyria had a stable foundation and economy through hard work along with dedication. It also brought her attention to how slow they were building. There was a lot of work to be done and little people to help. So Adira decided to go around Westeros under disguise and recruit workers.
With the help of Kinvara, Belano, Genevive, they targeted areas that were overcrowded and filled with poverty. Workers were promised shelter, food, and pay during their stay which made many of them ask to bring their families so they could work as well. Most of them came from the villages and parts of Westeros including Dorne. The estimated number of workers was rounded up close to a thousand. In order not to draw too much attention they travelled under the dark of night.
Just like that trade blossomed as Adira introduced how to make glass a recipe the Myrish guarded viscously and more people came to become glassmakers at the rate she was paying. With this they made greenhouses in order to grow food faster and better. Adira also brought the distillery techniques with her. Markets were established as the docks were finished being built and trade agreements were finalized that she personally oversaw. When introduced to the market both Vodka and Tequila took to the market by surprise. It was weeks later when Genevive told her that the demand for them had increased across Westeros.
However she didn't stop there she built an army that consisted of warriors she personally trained. Each was specialized in areas such as stealth, strength, resilience, strategic thinking, adaptability, loyalty, and discipline. Once that was done she focused on forming a fleet of ships that could rival that of the Velaryon fleet. Valyria's fleet was stationed at Shadowvale with Captain Belano, now a lord, her most loyal and trusted advisor alongside Kinvara.
Now with the dragons Gaelox, Naelys, and Moonstorm were growing fast due to the recent surge in magic near them. They went from hatchlings to juveniles the first month in Valyria. It was also when Gaelox decided he was done waiting for a rider and chose her by latching onto her leg. However Vaelys didn't take too kindly to this young one trying to steal from her. Thankfully Adira stopped the she-dragon before it turned into something worse. Currently they are transitioning into young adults and marking their own territory.
Then there was the ordeal of Adira coming back from a trip to Pentos to Kinvara looking ready to combust and a broken door. So, she made a plan and decided to give each of her lords and ladies a piece of the city to manage on their own. While they wouldn't have much power over her they would be helping run parts of the city by cutting half the work and reporting to her counselors. As she expected, each part of Valyria benefited from this arrangement and most importantly there were no quarrels happening so often about territory. Besides there was a hierarchy she placed among them to keep them in check. The hierarchy from highest to lowest is: Duke, Marquess, Count, Viscount, and Barons. It not only controlled them but kept a headache from forming.
When the title Empress of Valyria started to float around she suspected it was the work of Kinvara. Next she formed a council of her most trusted advisors. Which brings her current problem now. Her council overly insisted on discussing marriage. No matter how much she deflected from that topic it always came back up like a snake. However she had to focus on what was on hand now, which was the alliance with Yi-Ti. They would be New Valyria's very first ally then she would be on her way to Braavos to visit the Sea Lord.
Right now Adira's convoy of ships was entering the Jade Sea with Vaelys and Gaelox flying overhead. Behind her she had ships full of food, clothes, jewelry, and livestock following behind her. This would be their biggest trade ever since New Valyria had started to establish its place in the world once again. She was wearing something simple yet elegant much to the dismay of her head maid, Arianna Sand, a bastard from Dorne who traveled to New Valyria for a second chance at life.
Having time on her hands she decided she was going to cook something from the cookbook that Balerion gave her. Gathering the materials from around the ship she got to work with setting up a fire with her magic making sure it wouldn't spread. Following the instructions in the cook book she seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic, some herbs she found, and homemade butter from the cows at home. Once Adira showed them the process of how to properly make cheese from milk the food product took off.
From that food became better and she introduced them to buttermilk pancakes, waffles, fluffy scrambled eggs, cheesy omelets, and many more. The smell of meat wafted through the air catching not only the dragons attention but the guards, sailors, and one of her advisors, Talisa, even followed the smell. Talisa was a noble lady of a lower house in Pentos that decided to run away. She even took up a bastard surname from Westeros to hide herself pretty smart if Adira had a say.
"Is this another one of your recipes from that book, Your Majesty?" Talisa asked while her mouth watered up. She had never smelt anything like this before and nor did it ever look this good. Now she wondered what other tricks her Empress was hiding.
"Oh this is just some steaks with some garlic and herbs nothing special" Adira answered casually as she flipped the steaks over the fire while checking on the fire. While she was doing that a crowd formed around her. Next she covered them in the garlic herb butter giving off a delicate smell. This made mouths water even more. All she needed to do now was sear the steak and the fire just wasn't cutting it. Luckily Gaelox had drifted to the ship by the smell and was standing close to her.
"Dracarys, Gaelox" Adira commanded. Gaelox followed it and blew dragonfire onto the steaks. Once she was done she plated the food and she gave everybody a plate. The steaks, however, weren't ordinary by any means. Adira put a little magic into them that allowed strength to flow into the eater's body. Thus giving them a small boost of strength when it came to battle she just needed a little bit of dragonfire to activate it.
"All right everyone gather around and eat," Adira said with a smile," We have a long journey ahead of us once we land." People gathered around the fire either sitting down or just standing up while they chatted to pass time. The atmosphere around the ship grew warmer as joyous chatter flew through the air. Adira was sitting aside watching as her people ate beside each other with no barriers between them. However as Adira ate, she thought about the tensions between Westeros and Essos following the now confirmed rumors of Myrish holding parts of Tarth.
She also knew that war in the Stepstones would come again with it being even worse in the future. However, that wouldn't stop her plans for New Valyria. Adira planned to make an empire if she was going to be stuck in this world for the rest of her life. Most importantly word had gotten out that Valyria had once again risen although people still believed it to be false news and was skeptical but she didn't mind the more time she had the better her plan would be.
Adira had already started to make moves around Essos and Westeros by coming into contact with the Faceless men or rather them finding her by killing an assassin by an Myrish merchant. They knelt before her and pledged their allegiance to her. Later they explained that she was chosen by the Many Faced God. For what she didn't know, the situation sounded and looked a little similar to how she met Kinvara for the first time.
Seems like she would be having a chat with Balerion later. The first thing she did after their arrival was sto plant them where she needed them to be. The Faceless assassins were going to be her eyes and ears as her spy network. When she heard the distant shouts of 'land ahoy' Adira finally got up and went to change. It looks like they finally arrived at the shores of Yi-Ti.
"Sōvegon, Gaelox."
With a whine the juvenile flew in the sky up next to Vaelys. Even though Yi-Ti was going to be her ally in the long run she would always be cautious whenever it came to her dragons. While Adira dressed to meet the Emperor of Yi-Ti, news of her rising finally reached the Iron Throne.