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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
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"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 121: The Next Step
Daenerys watched as the morning sun leaked through the curtains of the Captain's quarters in the Shadow's Kiss. She felt the pleasant warmth brushing against her fingers, and it came as a relief after such a cold night.
She stood next to the window, her violet eyes fixed on the distant horizon while her mind worked on the numerous decisions that lay ahead.
Ser Jorah Mormont stood beside her, his weathered face turned toward the city of Astapor.
The fleet was preparing to depart… the ships were being loaded with supplies and soldiers, and the Unsullied were forming their ranks on the shore.
"We are almost ready to leave, Khaleesi," Jorah said, his voice carrying a note of cautious optimism. "The ships are being filled with supplies, the soldiers are in position. By midday, we could be on our way to Yunkai."
Daenerys nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on the horizon. "And the Unsullied? Do you think they prepared for this?"
Jorah nodded. "They are, Khaleesi. The Unsullied have been drilled and trained for years, and they are now eager to prove themselves to you. The march will be long, but they are ready."
"Well then…perhaps I should-" Daenerys was about to respond when a thunderous explosion tore through the morning air.
"What was that?!"
The sound was deafening, a roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the ship. Daenerys felt the deck lurch beneath her feet, and she stumbled, grabbing onto the window to steady herself. A column of smoke rose from the direction of the Storm Dancer, black and thick, billowing into the sky like a dark cloud.
"What in the name of the Seven-" Jorah exclaimed.
"The Storm Dancer!" Daenerys was already moving, her heart pounding in her chest. She rushed out of the room and ran across the deck, her robes moving behind her, her eyes fixed on the source of the explosion.
The Storm Dancer was in chaos, its deck scorched, and there was smoke coming from a massive hole in the deck. There were flames licking at the remnants of what had once been a cabin.
"Joffrey," she breathed, the name escaping her lips before she could stop it.
She reached the gangplank, her feet carrying her across the gap between the ships without thought while Jorah screamed for her to stop.
She ignored him and continued.
The crew of the Storm Dancer was scrambling while buckets of water were being passed from hand to hand, the flames slowly being brought under control, but the damage was done.
A large section of the deck had been destroyed and reduced to a smoldering ruin.
"Your Grace!" one of the crewmen called out, his face pale with shock. "There was a fire! It came from the Prince's laboratory!"
Daenerys's heart seized in her chest. "Where is he? Where is Joffrey?"
The crewman shook his head, his eyes wide with fear. "We do not know, Your Grace. We have not seen him anywhere."
<><>
The captain's cabin of the Storm Dancer was now crowded with her advisors; their faces showed a mixture of concern and confusion. Daenerys sat at the head of the table, her hands clasped in front of her, her expression a mask of forced calm.
"Do we have any dead?" She asked.
"Not that we know of, but…" Tyrion Lannister stood near the window, his mismatched eyes staring at her. "The damage is extensive, Your Grace. I dont believe the Storm Dance will be able to sail until it has been properly repaired, because the main mast has suffered heavy damage," he spoke with a shaky voice as he filled his wine cup for the fourth time. "Whatever happened in there, it was not a small accident. The entire cabin is gone. There is barely anything left…"
Daenerys's jaw tightened. "I want to know what happened in there. What could have caused such destruction?"
Tyrion had a grim expression on his face. "Well…I can only speculate because I was not there, but Joffrey was planning to perform the dragon blood ritual on himself, as you already know. This was a more potent version than the ones we have used before on the men. He was... he was determined to push himself beyond his limits."
Daenerys's hands clenched into fists. "He was going to perform the ritual today? Why didn't he inform me?. He came to me for blood, but he did not say he was doing it now. I thought he would wait until after we were properly settled down. We were supposed to part this afternoon for Yunkai."
Tyrion shook his head. "Im very sorry, but he kept the specifics close to his chest. I knew he was planning it, but I did not know when he was going to-."
Daenerys's jaw tightened. She had not expected him to put himself at such risk without giving her at least a warning.
"Foolish," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Foolish, stubborn, reckless man."
"I dont think he predicted this outcome, Your Grace…" Tyrion added.
Lord Varys stepped forward. His voice was kept smooth and measured, despite the circumstances. "There is another issue…we have searched the wreckage, Your Grace. We found the iron coffer that the Prince used to store his most important materials. It survived the explosion, as it was heavily enchanted and could not be opened by anyone but him. But of the Prince himself... there is no trace of him anywhere."
Daenerys's hands clenched into fists. "What do you mean, no trace? He must be somewhere. He cannot have simply vanished."
Ser Jorah spoke next. "We have searched the ship from top to bottom, Khaleesi. He is not here. The laboratory was destroyed, and he was in it when the explosion occurred. There are... There are no remains."
"We also searched the waters near the ship and the docks. He is not there." Varys said.
Daenerys's blood went cold. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could form the words, a flash of golden light filled the cabin.
The phoenix appeared in a burst of flames with its wings spread wide, and its golden eyes gleaming with energy. It hovered in the air for a moment, its feathers blazing with inner fire, then descended to perch on the lamp above the table.
Everyone froze, their eyes fixed on the creature. Daenerys stared at it, her heart pounding. She had seen Fawkes on a couple of occasions when talking to Joffrey; she had watched it soar above the ships with its master. But she had never been this close to it.
She had noticed one curious thing…her dragons appear to be afraid of this little bird. They always stay away from it, and Daenerys couldn't understand why.
The bird then opened its beak and let out a peculiar sound that almost sounded like a mixture between a chirp and some musical instrument.
"What is he saying?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Tyrion shrugged, his voice dry. "How should I know? I do not understand birds."
Varys stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the phoenix. "I believe only the Prince could communicate with this creature. I have seen it before. It would respond to his commands, his words, his presence. But without him...we have no way to know."
The phoenix let out a soft trill, its head tilting as if it were listening to something only it could hear. Then it descended from the lamp, its wings brushing against the air, and landed on Daenerys's head.
Everyone paused to look at the creature.
Daenerys felt the weight of the creature on her head, felt the warmth of its feathers against her skin.
"He is not going to burn my head, is he?" Daenerys asked, her voice carefully controlled.
Tyrion's lips twitched. "Can you be burned?"
Daenerys's eyes narrowed. "Right. I suppose not."
She had survived fire before, had walked out of the flames unburned. But this was different. This was a creature of fire and magic, and she did not know what it would do.
Saera stepped forward, her face pale with worry. "Your Grace, please. We must find him. The Prince cannot have gone far. Perhaps the phoenix can lead us to him. We have to-"
Daenerys raised her hand, silencing the maid. She understood Saera's fear, understood the bond that tied her to Joffrey. But she also understood her own responsibilities.
"We cannot do that," Daenerys said, her voice firm. "We must move on. We must go to Yunkai. The more we delay, the more prepared our enemies will be. The more time we waste here, the more of my men will die in future battles. I cannot have that."
Saera's face fell, her eyes glistening with tears. "But Your Grace-"
"I know, Saera. I wish to find him as well; however…this is not the first time Joffrey has disappeared," Daenerys continued, her voice softening just slightly. "I'm sure he will return. He always does."
Saera opened her mouth to argue, but Tyrion placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice gentle. "She is right, Saera. I do not believe there is anything in this world that could kill my nephew. He is... he is not a normal man. Whatever happened in that laboratory, he is still out there. And when he is ready, he will come back. The Queen has something important to accomplish and cannot afford any delays."
Saera hesitated, her eyes searching Tyrion's face. Then she nodded slowly, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
<><>
Hours later, the fleet was ready to depart.
The Storm Dancer would have to remain in Astapor for further repairs.
The remaining ships were loaded with supplies, and the soldiers were in position.
Daenerys stood on the deck of the Shadow's Kiss, her eyes fixed on the distant city of Astapor. It had been her first conquest, her first victory.
But it would not be her last.
The fleet was smaller than she would have liked. Thirty-eight ships, a mix of warships and merchant vessels.
They still did not have enough ships to transport all of her army, and Yunkai's fleet was large and dangerous. Traveling by water was too risky. So she had made a decision.
The fleet would sail along the coast, carrying the supplies and a small portion of the army. The bulk of her forces- the Unsullied, the enhanced Dothraki, the Red Temple knights would march overland to Yunkai.
It would be a long journey, a hard journey. But it was necessary.
Daenerys turned to her advisors and spoke with a firm tone. "We will march at dawn. The Unsullied will lead, followed by the Dothraki and the knights. The fleet will follow along the coast, keeping pace with us. We should be able to reach Yunkai in a fortnight."
Jorah nodded, his face set with determination. "It will be done, Khaleesi."
Daenerys turned away from the city, and her eyes became fixed on the horizon.
She thought of Joffrey, of his strange disappearance, of the phoenix that had appeared to her and then vanished into the sky.
'Why are you always disappearing when I need you, Joffrey?...why do I…' Daenerys pushed unnecessary thoughts away.
She would find him and bring him back, if that is what it took. But first, she had a city to conquer.
She was the Mother of Dragons, the Breaker of Chains, and now she had a destiny to fulfill.
She would not fail.
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