Targaryen Who Turned Dragon

"Here, I have a ton of gold... what can I get for it?"

"Let's see..."

He took the ring and inspected it. He smiled, clearly impressed.

"You're getting better at this every day it seems. Whatever you need, I can trade... unless it's unreasonable."

"I need something that can drastically enhance the strength of my dragon and chimera. While you're at it, two Sovereign Weapon Upgrades and a ton of Emperor Profound pills."

The cloaked man nodded. "But nothing for yourself?"

"I don't need anything, I'm the strongest already."

"Ooh, I'm sure that Rotias fellow has something to say about that. Eh... you'll be able to handle him when he gets to you. Here, take the ring, I placed items worthy of the gold."

"You took everything?"

He shrugged. "These goods are expensive."

Over five months of gold-hunting in floor Seven, these 'goods' better be worth it.

Aerion looked at the items inside. Two True Sovereign Profound (beast) pills, two Sovereign Weapon Upgrades, a hundred Heavenly Cultivation pills (Emperor Profound) and three Heavenly Cultivation pills (Tyrant profound).

"Just a word of advice; give your pets some time to stabilise their cultivation strength."

"I know that... there's a huge difference between Emperor and Sovereign Profound, after all."

~

"Oi, Rhaegal and Daemon, take these."

Rhaegal took the pill with his teeth while Daemon caught it in his paw.

"What's this, Father?" Rhaegal asked.

"A very special pill, you'll see."

"I can finally grow stronger..." Daemon took the pill and closed his eyes, Rhaegal did the same a few seconds after.

"What did you give them?" Jasmine asked.

"Apparently, a pill that can break them straight through to the Sovereign Profound Realm."

"... Where did you get that?"

"One of my secrets."

"Hmph, you and your secrets."

The dungeon is simply a divine blessing that rewards well... only if you dedicate yourself to slaying its inhabitants, which I have done pretty well.

~

"When are we going to return to the Profound Sky Continent?" Robb asked

"Soon... but Izanami is nowhere to be seen, so we might have to wait longer. We shouldn't fret, she should be able to take care of herself."

"Very true, My Lord, she is remarkably strong."

She might have reunited with her father, that mysterious old man I met a few years ago.

Aerion considered visiting an uncle from his mother's side, Doran Martell. It would be very interesting and most likely beneficial for him. Doran Martell had a daughter called Arianne who was his heir, by all accounts. The Dornish believed that the firstborn child should be heir; whether it is a boy or girl. Viserys is currently unmarried... it would be a waste to keep him as he is, so Aerion looked for a few suitable brides. Arianne came out on the very top. Not only was Arianne a princess of Dorne, but she was also (supposedly) very beautiful and she was born in the same year as Viserys. Her being the heir to Dorne is an issue, however.

Viserys still hasn't proven himself... I'll visit later.

Daenerys' fourteenth name day was soon approaching, so Aerion called for a tournament in her honour. But it wasn't just about her, it celebrated another matter; the return of House Targaryen. Aerion decided that the tournament would consist of three events; An archery competition, melee and a joust. First place for the archery competition would earn twenty thousand gold dragons, the winner of the melee would gain thirty thousand gold dragons and the victor of the joust would be granted a handsome fifty thousand gold dragons. The runner-up of the joust would be given a decent twenty thousand gold dragons. It's only 'decent' because the reward for getting first place was so grand.

Where would he get the gold dragons? He let Littlefinger figure that part out... he still had to repay that debt, making the task much more difficult for him. Aerion was feeling generous so he extended the deadline to the end of the tournament. Aerion found Littlefinger's reaction amusing, laughing over the matter later that day.

Aerion allowed the realm a whole two months to prepare for the tourney, giving enough time for the very best Knights to prepare and make their arrival. And so they did, it soon became evident that the tourney would be one to remember. But something truly unexpected happened... something that would make it historic.

~The King's Tourney~

Aerion sat on his chair, watching the archers preparing for the competition below. Beside him sat Daenerys and Margaery. As the minutes passed, Aerion steadily grew bored with the archery competition... so he stood up and walked down to the very edge of the stands.

"Your Grace?" Barristan asked, confused.

"I intend to make this event a little bit more interesting."

Aerion jumped down and walked over to grab a bow and a few arrows. The other competitors didn't seem to mind, letting the King have his fun. They didn't think he could win anyway. Unfortunately, Aerion ended up winning the event with clear ease. He faced Anguy in the finals.

Aerion started with a shot that got the crowd roaring, hitting the target from an impressive distance of eighty meters. Anguy matched Aerion's attempt well, hitting the target from the same distance. Aerion gave a nod of approval and walked further from the target.

A hundred meters, light work for a man like myself.

He drew his arrow and placed it on his bow. Then he readied the bow and, once he was sure, fired the arrow. He put a bit more strength than he had done before...

The arrow hit the target, dead centre. But it didn't stop there. The arrow went straight through the target and into the ground, creating a hole in the process. Anguy didn't even try to challenge, he dropped his bow and left.

"Well, it looks like the winner of the competition is... His Grace!"

The crowd cheered loudly and Aerion made a small bow.

That was quite amusing... I should join the other events as well! I shall display my superiority... for all Seven Kingdoms witness!

~

There were only a hundred or so spots for the melee, so Aerion let people fight over those few spots in a few qualifier rounds. These qualifier rounds lasted two days and it did well to weed out the weak participants.

Then the real melee started.

Aerion entered the arena in the same armour he wore during the Siege of Storm's End. A few notable people entered the melee with him; Robb, Jon, Yohn Royce, Thoros Of Myr... and that's about it. Well, 3 Freys entered as well but they didn't really matter. The rules were quite simple and quite different from traditional melee's. You were allowed to bring a horse and your own weapons, killing would result in instant disqualification and punishment, grouping up was allowed and getting knocked out would result in a loss.

Then the battle started.

Aerion brought a common sword to the melee but it was more than enough. His first opponent was relatively skilled but Aerion made short work of him. Beating the King in a melee, especially when he was known as the 'Sword of the Warrior', was quite the incentive. This resulted in Aerion having to face more opponents than everyone else.

Aerion dodged a knight's slash by stepping to the side. He gave him a good slap on the neck which knocked the knight out cold. Then another came, with a furious barrage of various attacks. Aerion blocked every attack with clear ease, seemingly dancing around him.

"Is that all? My uncle can fight better than you and he's not even a knight!" Aerion taunted.

This fueled the knight's fury, he began to strike with more aggression and strength. But it was shown to be meaningless when Aerion ended him with one attack. He hit him with the pommel of his sword and knocked him out of the melee.

"IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO CAN DEFEAT ME!?" Aerion roared.

Aerion then encountered Thoros of Myr who had a tendency to light his sword aflame, some R'hllor trick. On this occasion, it was alight with wildfire. Aerion grabbed a spear as Thoros charged him with his sword. Aerion threw the spear, it hit the priest and unhorsed him. It was a blunt spear so no major harm was done, the armour took most of the impact. He got up and attacked first, Aerion parried and countered with a punch that sent him moving back a few meters. Aerion dropped the common sword and drew Blackfyre from its sheath.

Feast your eyes, priest.

Flame exploded from Aerion's sword hand and swiftly covered the entire blade. It swirled and swirled, uncontrolled, but then Aerion condensed it into the blade. The blade was now red and more than hot enough to melt iron. They clashed once again but Thoros' sword melted upon impact. His eyes widened with surprise... and fear. Once a man fears you, the outcome of the fight is already decided. Aerion ended him with the pommel of his sword.

Then he found himself grouped by five honourless warriors, all of whom found themselves on the floor in seconds. As the minutes passed, there were fewer and fewer contestants remaining. It was definitely a fast melee, one of the fastest ever when considering the prize for winning it. No one wanted to lose... but they inevitably had to when faced with the Dragon. It was the most one-sided melee ever, but it was very entertaining.

Soon enough, there were only three contestants remaining. Aerion, Robb and Jon. Robb surviving until the end wasn't surprising, but Jon doing so definitely was. He fought valiantly and with great courage, defeating many warriors and proving his worth as a knight.

"How in Seven Hells do I beat you two?" Jon asked.

"You don't." Robb shrugged. "His Grace was destined to win when he entered the arena with his armour."

"Your display was impressive, I'll reward you after the tournament is over."

Aerion let Jon fight Robb first... Jon was the superior fighter in skill and technique, but Robb's cultivation ultimately made victory impossible. Robb saw that and surrendered.

"You earned that second place, Jon."

"Haha, now I must face the King."

Robb walked off and there were only two fighters remaining.

"This brings me back to that battle."

"Will you surrender again?"

"No... I will fight till the very end!"

"Good."

Jon fought well as he had before, but Aerion was no Robb. Aerion's battle experience was vast and his skill overwhelming. If he were to lose his cultivation... it still would've been a decisive victory for Aerion.

"The King is the greatest warrior the Seven Kingdoms have ever seen!" One peasant loudly stated.

"He lives up to his name." Another replied.

"Ser Arthur Dayne could beat him if he was alive and well."

"Ser Arthur Dayne? Don't be a fool... The King would dance around him!"

~

After the melee ended, the tournament was held off for the next day. It was getting late and this was a great way to build excitement as the people talked over the unexpected results of the first two events.

Aerion retired to his chambers and was surprised when he found someone resting on his bed...

"Who are you?"

"Oh? You finally came..."

It was dark... so Aerion set one of the candles alight and instantly recognised who it was.

"Izanami... where were you all this time?"

"I met with my father and he taught me a few things, nothing more."

"I see."

Aerion undressed and laid to the left side of his bed. Izanami spoke of Daenerys and Margaery, though she didn't seem to mind.

"I still mean more to you than they do." She said.

True enough.

After some time, Izanami left and stated that she'd be back in a week or so. Aerion slept well and prepared for the joust that would start in the following morning.

~

"Have you heard the news? His Grace is participating in the lists!"

"Another victory for him for the King!"

"Winning all three events... it's never been done before."

"Yes, most knights hone their skills in certain areas. Even if they focus on being well-rounded, they can't possibly hope to match those who have reached the pinnacle of one event."

Aerion wore black plate armour with a crimson cape. He sat atop his destrier, looking and feeling confident in himself. He learnt how to properly joust thanks to his loyal Kingsguard... and he learnt quickly. His opponent was a Knight from the Vale, well respected and quite skilled. They faced each other from opposite ends... and then they rode forward! Aerion grabbed his lance and readied it in the direction of the knight's c.h.e.s.t. Once they both reached the middle, the knight's lance scr.a.p.ed Aerion's shield while Aerion perfectly hit him in the c.h.e.s.t... sending him down to the ground. The knight was unhorsed, Aerion won in a single tilt!

As the joust went on, Aerion's superiority was made clear. He unhorsed every opponent in a single tilt, no matter who it was. None could match the fury of the Dragon.

The number of competitors dwindled slowly, to only four; Loras Tyrell, Sandor Clegane, Barristan Selmy and Aerion himself. Aerion was set to face Loras Tyrell in the semi-finals and the matchup couldn't be more exciting than it already was. Two young, handsome and talented warriors facing each other in a joust... it was truly brilliant. Both were from prestigious and grand houses as well.

Aerion readied his destrier and grabbed his lance from a serving boy, or was it a young squire? It didn't matter... he had one goal; victory!

The joust began and both riders hurried their mounts in response. Aerion's destrier, who was a stallion, didn't seem to be as focused as his rider was. Loras' mare was in heat... and Aerion's stallion was becoming more rebellious, almost impossible to control. Aerion almost dropped his lance...

Damn you, flower knight! Such an underhand tactic...

Aerion gripped his lance tighter in his anger and deflected Loras' lance with his shield. Once he got to the other side, Aerion looked disappointedly at his destrier.

You're better than this, show some restraint.

Then they got ready to clash again, meeting in the middle. This time Aerion was focused and more aggressive with his destrier. Aerion's lance came closer and closer... Loras managed to get his shield in position to block it.

Aerion smiled, that's not going to help you.

*BANG!*

Aerion's lance sent Loras flying to the other side of the stage. His shield lay beside him, shattered into a dozen pieces. His c.h.e.s.t armour cracked... and broke apart as well. He spat some blood and struggled to stand, but he managed. He felt great pain but it didn't seem to be anything major.

Aerion dismounted and walked back to the stands, returning to his seat.

The next and final battle of the semi-finals was, of course, Barristan Selmy and Sandor Clegane. Aerion watched their joust to see how his old Kingsguard Lord Commander would fair against the Hound. Aerion wasn't disappointed, it was a tense and very competitive joust. Selmy was almost unhorsed in the first tilt, the second tilt was a draw, the third was more interesting as Selmy's strike was true but not strong enough to unhorse the hound. The Hound retaliated in the fourth, but Barristan managed to slip by. Sandor made a loud curse and the fifth was more or less the same as the second tilt.

Aerion looked forward to seeing one of them come out victorious.

Jousts are quite amusing... I can see why Robert loved tournaments and looked for any reason under the sun to host them.

In the sixth, Barristan conserved himself and slipped by the Hound's lance. The seventh... that would be the last tilt of the semi-finals! Barristan's aim was true and he put more strength into the hit than last time... it was a clean hit in the c.h.e.s.t. The Hound fell off his horse... Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, moved up to the Finals!

And he did that at the age of sixty-two, I can only imagine how deadly the man was in his prime! He is indeed slower than I remember him to be... but looks to be more experienced. Jousting isn't even his speciality, swordsmanship is! After this brilliant display, I must reward him with more than just twenty-thousand gold dragons.

Aerion put the tourney on hold for two hours, giving the people enough time to take in what just happened.

~

Aerion was ready for the Finals, his black plate armour shining under the sun. The destrier he sat upon wore the coat of arms of House Targaryen as its rider did. It was an interesting Finals, to say the least. Aerion was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, the Prince who unhorsed Barristan Selmy in the Finals at Lord Whent's great tournament... the Tourney at Harrenhal. It was where his father crowned Lyanna Stark as the Queen of Love and Beauty.

Who will be my Queen of Love and Beauty? I didn't really think about that...

Barristan readied his horse and so did Aerion.

"Ah, doesn't the young Aerion look just as his father did during the Tourney at Harrenhal?" An old man reminisced.

"Indeed, he does. He shall win as Rhaegar did... I know he will." His friend nodded.

Then the final joust began.