299 AC
Following the red comet, Daenerys pressed onward. Just as she and her small khalasar were on the verge of dying from thirst, they finally crossed the endless Red Waste and reached the city of Qarth.
It was early morning. While Daenerys and her people were still struggling through the dust, desperately searching for any trace of moisture on their clothes, the excited shouts of scouts rang out from ahead.
"Khaleesi! There is a city ahead!"
"Three walls, three colors, all covered in carvings! It's only an hour's ride from here!"
"Take me to see it!" Daenerys said, her voice filled with excitement.
This time she rode even faster. By the time they reached the gates of Qarth, the warlock Pyat Pree and one of the Thirteen, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, had only just arrived to greet her.
Both men were extremely welcoming. Xaro not only provided food and water for Daenerys and her followers but also gifted her magnificent clothing and jeweled ornaments.
"It's strange, Khaleesi," Jorah Mormont warned quietly. "These people are being far too kind for no reason. They must want something—either you or your dragons."
Daenerys nodded, her violet eyes scanning the vibrant, massive city.
"They won't get what they want. I know what I need. If they harbor ill intentions, then dragonflame will answer for me."
Along the way, Pyat Pree constantly tempted her to visit the House of the Undying, while Xaro continued to court her with lavish attention. Daenerys rejected both proposals, saying they would speak after she and her people had rested.
Xaro readily agreed and arranged a splendid side palace for them, which only made Daenerys more certain that both men had ulterior motives.
"Compared to this palace, Illyrio's manse in Pentos is practically a latrine. With so much wealth, what could they possibly want from me? Nothing but greed for my dragons!"
After settling her people and horses, Daenerys lay down on the large bed in Xaro's palace and fell into an exhausted sleep amid the heavy scent of spices.
Meanwhile, far away in Westeros, Roman also felt something unusual. Scales had begun to grow across his skin.
The change was first noticed by Fili while she was helping him change. Roman still remembered the girl's startled cry that morning—it had even woken the nearby ravens.
He turned to look in the mirror behind him. Black scales, dark as ink-jade, were spreading outward from his spine.
His skin first wrinkled, then split into neat sections like fish scales, separated by fine white lines. Within those sections, hard dragon scales were pushing through.
The scales were magnificent and incredibly tough—appearing like polished jade yet strong enough that even a hammer and white flame could not damage them.
It was not only his skin that was changing. His muscles were growing denser and stronger in the scaled areas, and he could feel his magic becoming noticeably more abundant.
"The dragonization has begun," Roman murmured. "Is it the influence of the red comet… or is it connected to Daenerys's three dragons?"
He looked up. The red comet still trailed its bright red tail across the sky, visible even during the day.
Fili, on the other hand, was full of excitement about the changes. From time to time she begged Roman to let her touch the new scales, like a child with a new toy.
"I'm telling you, Fili, these scales mean I can only go out completely covered from head to toe. Why are you still giggling like a fool?"
"It's fine, Lord Roman," she replied, gently rubbing the scales. "I feel my connection with the ravens has grown much stronger. Now I can even briefly see real images from distant places through their eyes."
"Lord Roman, you and I are one. As your magic grows stronger, so does mine. So these scales are definitely a good thing!"
Roman knew his own body best, but he was still wary. He remembered bursting into flames last time and feared he might accidentally melt the entire castle if something went wrong now.
Dragons were truly miraculous creatures. The more they grew, the greater their magic became. When he had no wings, he could already boil the waters of the Gods Eye. If he lost control now…
Thinking of this, Roman could no longer sit still. He brushed aside Fili's hand and stood up.
"Come. Let's find Scholar Tom and see what advice he has."
When Roman and Fili reached the research institute at Harrenhal, Scholar Tom was dancing with joy among a mess of glass and metal containers.
"It worked! I did it! Hahaha! The Valyrian steel link is as good as mine!"
"Scholar Tom? Have you invented something new?"
Hearing Roman's voice, the old scholar turned instantly and gave a deep bow, his face alight with excitement.
"Lord Roman, I have discovered the true use of dragon blood! Dragon blood and dragonflame are one and the same—the Targaryen family did not lie."
Roman looked at the scholar. Tom was disheveled, his face and lab coat covered in grime and colorful stains, emitting a pungent odor. The laboratory itself was in complete chaos.
Roman remembered warning the scholars about safety and precision, but he would address that later.
For now, he wanted to hear the results.
"Scholar Tom, since you've discovered the use of dragon blood, show me what you've achieved."
The scholar bowed again, then carefully brought over a tray holding several of Roman's black scales and a piece of jade-like black stone.
"Please look, Lord Roman. This stone was created by compressing the smoke produced after burning your blood with white flame. My colleagues and I found it is remarkably similar to your scales—the materials are essentially the same!"
At that moment, Roman understood what the scholar was suggesting.
"Blood and fire share the same source?" he asked. "Dragonflame is magic, and dragons themselves are magical creatures—the two are interconnected? Are you saying I can use fire to reshape my own body?"
Seeing that Roman understood, Scholar Tom nodded excitedly, but he still offered a warning.
"Lord Roman, you must still be careful. After all, this is only our mortal exploration of the secrets of the Targaryen dragonlords. Whether it truly works must ultimately be tested by you. Please do not put yourself in unnecessary danger!"
Roman nodded appreciatively. He was reassured by both Tom's ability and his loyalty.
However, the scholar then added with a grin,
"If something happens to you, I'll lose my chance to study a living magic dragon!"
Roman sighed. "Scholar Tom, there was no need to add that last part."
While the two bantered, Fili stood nearby, staring at the scales and the black stone. She could feel the magic contained within them—the same magic that flowed through her.
"Lord Roman," she said softly, "the magic in these things all comes from you. If you use fire for shaping now… could you grow scales directly on your body?"
Roman and Tom both froze. They glanced at each other, seeing the same spark of anticipation in one another's eyes.
No sooner said than done.
Roman first cautiously used white flame to burn a small patch of skin on his arm, turning the flesh to charcoal and then to ash.
The pain made even him shudder—it felt exactly like the burning he had endured on the Ghost of Harrenhal.
He watched as his arm bled, then charred, yet the surface showed no immediate change.
"No… simply burning isn't enough. I need to change the method."
Looking at the experimental samples on Scholar Tom's table, Roman suddenly recalled how he controlled magic when creating missiles and flame jets.
He began using his magic to press firmly on the skin. The fire smoldered within the flesh while the ashes were locked in place, prevented from scattering as smoke.
Gradually, the pain faded. He extended his arm and was astonished to see that the burned area had transformed into neat, tight layers of fine black scales.
A flash of understanding struck him. Following that sensation, he let the white flame spread across his entire body, embracing the strange pleasure of transformation.
A long time later, Roman felt the mutation was complete. He slowly looked up and saw shock written across the faces of both Scholar Tom and Fili.
"Why are you both looking at me like that?"
Fili pointed a trembling finger at his face. "Lord Roman… your head has… turned into a monster?"
Roman immediately touched his head. The skull shape remained human, but the texture of his face had completely changed.
He turned to the nearby mirror.
Reflected there was a face covered in shimmering black scales, with mutated, powerful muscles and sharp ridges. Where his lips should have been, a second row of sharp teeth now gleamed.
If Roman had previously been a man with wings, tail, and dragon horns, now he could truly be called a dragon.
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