Daeranyx_Drakonar
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64. Offering a choice
🕑 Added 2024-12-31 17:34:24 +0000 UTCDaeranyx POV
Anarion landed right next to the settlement surrounding the hall. If anyone had missed the large shadow cast by Anarion, his roar was loud enough for everyone on the island to know that a dragon was on Skagos. I waited for a while, but no one emerged from the settlement. From my vantage point, I could see small figures running about. A few minutes later, a group of large men wearing leather armor and wielding various weapons approached us.
I have already dismounted Anarion and he is lying by my side. He opens his eyes time and time again to check if any threats have come near me. A group of men stopped after reaching the distance from if I shouted they could hear what I was speaking. Although they all are in the fur of different kinds, one of them stood out from the rest by his clothing, which is made from finer furs, leathers, or fabrics. I believe he either got them from trade with the mainland or stole them from someone. I suspect he is lord of the Stonehall. My suspicion was confirmed when he walked toward the font and looked ready to speak with me with a dignified face as well as much as he could seeing the Dragons for the first time, especially the size of Anarion.
"Who are you, and why have you come here to the land of Stane with that large beast?" asked the man I believe to be Lord Stane. After questioning me, his gaze shifted to Anarion, and I could see fear in his eyes. It was not surprising, but it was satisfying nonetheless. Although I didn’t mind him calling Anarion a beast, my mount took offense and responded with a low growl, which elicited different reactions from Lord Stane and his men. Some men took a step back, horror and fear evident on their faces. Others were more reserved, but their expressions were just as frightened as those of their peers.
Lord Stane stood his ground, but the fear in his eyes only intensified, and he took a big gulp before composing himself. "I am Daeranyx Drakonar, rider of Anarion and current Lord of House Drakonar." I did not introduce myself fully because I wanted to see how would they react before hearing the man standing before them given the island they call home without even giving them a word of it.
After I introduced myself to Lord Stane and the rest of the men, they started to murmur amongst themselves. I could see confusion etched on the face of Lord Stane. "We thought you were one of the Targaryen who rule Westeros. But it does not matter who you are, state your purpose for coming to Skagos." Lord Stane spoke with a strong northern tone. The men behind him also straightened their backs, seeing that their lord was not afraid of the man with a dragon.
It seems they are hostile to every outsider without any discrimination among them. Welp, I guess it is time to drop a bomb. "Forgive me I did not introduce myself completely. I am Daeranyx Drakonar, King of the Skagos and the isles around it." As I finished myself swords were drawn from their sheats and anger on the faces of all men made quite a scene if not for Anarion behind me could make them ash in the wind before they could even take a step forward.
"Seven hells, boy, you've got a pair of stones on you to land here uninvited and name yourself King of Skagos. King of lands my ancestors bled for long before your mother was even a gleam in your father's eye! Think that dragon scares us? We've faced down worse than overgrown lizards in these lands. Get back on that beast and fly away, before I carve you up and feed you both to the cannibals. They'll make a feast of you, I wager." Lord Stane spat on the ground, a thick glob of phlegm landing a few feet from my boots. His men, a wall of muscle, fur, and steel, snarled their agreement, hands gripping axes, spears, and clubs. Their eyes darted between their Lord, me, and Anarion.
Anarion, at my unspoken command, exhaled a torrent of dragonfire. The flames roared to life, painting the sky above with hues of white and silver, a blazing inferno that stopped just short of immolating the whole entourage. A wave of heat washed over the assembled Skagosi, beads of sweat erupting on their brows despite the biting northern air. My own blood sang with the urge to unleash Anarion fully, to incinerate this defiant barbarian and be done with it. But I forced myself to take a deep breath, to see the world through their eyes, to understand their fear and their pride.
"Lord Stane," I began, my voice cutting through the crackling of the dissipating flames, "your ancestors fought fiercely for this land, that much is undeniable. They bled and died for Skagos. Yet, in the end, even they were forced to bend their knee to the Starks of Winterfell. And the Starks, for all their strength, did not possess dragons. They did not command beasts that could turn your halls to ash and your people to dust. I could have demanded any land in the Seven Kingdoms. I could have chosen fertile fields, impregnable castles, and bustling cities. But I chose Skagos. Do you know why?"
I paused, letting my gaze sweep across the faces of the assembled warriors, each etched with a mixture of fear and defiance, before finally settling on Lord Stane. Though his face was a mask of barely suppressed fury, a flicker of curiosity sparked in his eyes.
"Because when I journeyed to the Wall, I saw this island, these people, and I saw potential. A potential for greatness that even the Starks have not achieved. You are strong, resilient, forged in the harshest of elements. But here you are considered barbarian and wilding by those who themselves are called savage by others. You know why you all haven't achieved such prosperity yet, Lord Stane?"
Lord Stane's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Is that it, then? We've been lacking a dragon-riding king to show us the way, have we?" No one laughed at his sarcasm as the lord expected, but that quickly changed with a sharp glare from their lord. But I saw it – a flicker of uncertainty in their eyes, a seed of doubt that I intended to nurture. Stane, however, remained defiant, his gaze hard and unwavering, though not without a certain gleam.
Ambition, barely contained, simmered beneath his gruff exterior. He was a man who craved power, that much was clear. All I needed to do was show him that I held the key to a power greater than he had ever imagined, a power that could elevate House Stane to heights unseen in all the annals of Skagosi history. "Tell me, boy," Stane continued, his voice dripping with mock curiosity, "what grand vision do you have for Skagos? What glorious future awaits us under your benevolent rule?" He stressed upon the word 'boy' and 'your' to further insult me but I will let that pass for now as my priority is to make them bend the knee without any bloodshed.
"Skagos had a bad reputation due to a northern lord spreading tales about your customs, including cannibalism and other practices. Moreover, the lack of resources has hindered Skagos from gaining the strength needed to stand against the Seven Kingdoms and Essosi cities. Believe it or not, I am the only one who is interested in making Skagos rise, and I have everything you need to achieve this. Yes, I will become King and gain profit if you bend the knee, but you cannot deny that you have been isolated, cut off from the rest of the world. This isolation has stunted your prosperity until now.
Here and now, I offer you a different path—a way to rise above your ancestors' limitations, to become something greater. This is a chance to shape not just the fate of Skagos, but of the entire realm. What do you say, Lord Stane?" I asked the lord, who was no longer furious and was listening closely to what I had to offer.
"And what if I refuse?" Lord Stane asked, his voice steady but his eyes flickering toward the massive dragon looming behind Daeranyx. "What if I say that the Skagosi are content as we are—free and unbroken? What then?"
"I think you misunderstand me, Lord Stane," I said, my voice calm, devoid of emotion. "I offered you a choice."
I let the words hang in the air, allowing the weight of them to settle.
"Bend the knee, and Skagos will prosper under my protection. Your people will have access to trade and resources you’ve only dreamed of. Refuse, and..." I gestured toward Anarion, his shadow stretching long across the hall. "You’ve seen him. But what you haven’t seen is what he can do. I won’t waste my time on pointless bloodshed if it can be avoided—but don’t mistake mercy for weakness."
I stepped closer to look at him in his eyes to let him know that I would follow through with everything I had said up until now, be it a threat or a promise of greatness.
"I will have Skagos. Whether you stand with me or fall before me—that choice, and the consequences, are yours."
