Chapter 412: The Victory Method of Childbirth!


    The orderly arrangement of the words codified a step-by-step pattern for taming dragons,id out in Valyrian script. At a nce, Rhaegar recognized the third row of spells. Above them were the spell "Fly," which aided in taming the dragon, and the spell "Dragonfire," which aided in battle.


    Flight and Dragonfire were both essential. They existed in the High Valyrian scripture and implied dozens of dragon-riding techniques, both simple and obscure.


    Rhaegar was overjoyed andmitted every word of the wall painting to memory. The Aethyrys family had ced an extraordinary value on knowledge. Each dragon-control technique was apanied by a corresponding pattern.


    For example, the simplemand "Land" had variations such as "Emergency Landing," "Battlefield Landing," and "Sea Soaring" carved into the stone walls.


    By using thesemands andmunicating the magic in the bloodstream, a dragon rider could ensure that the dragon clearly understood the instructions, thus avoiding tragic idents such as falling to the ground or drowning in the sea.


    Another example was the "Dragonfire" spell. Through subtle vocabry, the rider could help the dragon maintain "rtive sanity" in various situations and control the direction of its attacks.


    Rhaegar had a clear concept of the supplemental binding spell. It was like a nanny-grade dragon taming manual.


    "No wonder the top-ranked Dragonlord families had so many dragons. This is the meaning of Blood and Fire," Rhaegar mused, reaching out to touch the cool stone wall, his eyes bright with excitement.


    He boldly spected: The Dragonlord families of ancient Valyria lived in topless towers for generations, dedicating themselves to became Bloodmages and Pyromancers. From a young age, their sons and heirs learned to mobilize the magic in their blood and study the techniques of the Binding Spell.


    Once they mastered the full binding spell, also known as "Dragon Taming," they could easily summon a dragon to their side and establish a strong master-ve rtionship. However, this required the ability to tame a dragon and the presence of a dragon to be tamed.


    During the ancient Valyrian period, dragons held a very high status and were loved and respected far more than the Targaryens of today. As a result, the rtionship between the dragon rider and the dragon was one in which the dragon chose the rider, not the other way around.


    Except for a few young dragons hatched from eggs, most of the Dragonlord''s bloodline had to venture to the Fourteen mes under their family''s control to find unowned or wild dragons left behind by their ancestors to tame.


    With a bloodline and a binding spell, about one-third of the Dragonlords seeded. They would find dragons, gain their favor, and fly on their backs. The remaining two-thirds were disregarded by dragons that didn''t see eye to eye or were burned by those with bad tempers.


    In the long run, the Dragonlords were nurtured to be in awe of dragons and screened for excellent heirs.


    Rhaegar''s thoughts drifted far away, his heart filled with emotion. "Apetitive environment of superiority and inferiority - the strong grow stronger and the weak grow weaker," he mused.


    Seeing the cultivation methods of the top-ranked Dragonlord families, he understood why the Targaryen lineage ranked in the middle and lower tiers. During the era of Aenar, they were even close to a generation without dragons.


    Currently, Targaryen dragons were imprisoned and raised from the moment they hatched, limiting their growth and reducing reverence for them. Furthermore, the abilities and personalities of the dragon riders varied widely.


    In Rhaegar''s generation, the siblings were fortunate enough to each tame a dragon, a rarity in ancient Valyria. In Jaehaerys'' time, there were only three Dragonmasters among the surviving descendants, excluding those who died young.


    There were more than five dragons during King Jaehaerys'' reign-Balerion and Dreamfyre in King''s Landing, at least two dragons on Dragonstone, including Cannibal and Sheepstealer, and possibly other wild dragons that may have perished at Cannibal''s hands.


    Cannibal was known to steal eggs and hunt hatchlings. The Sheepstealer and Grey Ghost survived due to luck and their unique characteristics. The Sheepstealer was highly intelligent with strong, thick scales, while the Grey Ghost was an expert at hiding, even from fishermen.


    Young dragons without such skills or resilience would have a hard time escaping Cannibal''s clutches. Even pure-blooded Targaryens were not guaranteed to tame dragons-wild dragons were feared and avoided.


    Rhaegar''s fame grew from his daring challenge of the Cannibal, while Aemond was fortunate to gain the favor of the Sheepstealer and passively tame the wild dragon. Without these two wild dragons, one of the six Targaryen siblings would be without a dragon to tame.


    Rhaegar drew in a deep breath as a sh of insight illuminated his mind.


    He suddenly remembered the Magic Tide!


    "Magic tides don''t happen more than once in hundreds of years, so why did it coincide with the rise of the Targaryens?" Rhaegar frowned, specting.


    In the dream world he had encountered a brief mention of something ominous: a rise followed by a fall.


    Rhaegar''s eyes narrowed as he murmured softly, "cks, Greens, Vryons, Daemon..."


    The Dragonmasters of today were divided into four factions. If any of these factions let their ambitions go unchecked, it could lead to war and dragons fighting each other.


    The Targaryens had united the continent of Westeros for over a hundred years. Yet in that time, only four dragons had died, three of them victims of war: Meraxes, Quicksilver, and the wild dragon of the Smoking Sea, Morghul.


    Rhaegar chuckled, "Division and control have their uses. Ancient Valyria existed for centuries without sumbing to power struggles."


    History confirmed this truth.


    Aegon the Conqueror, the first generation, ruled with his two sister-wives.


    The second generation, Aerys and Maegor, seemed harmonious, though Maegor''s reign was brutal.


    Jaehaerys, the third generation, saw conflict as Maegor killed his nephews Aegon and Viserys, and the ck Bride Rhaena fought for her daughters'' im to the Iron Throne. This era was marked by the fiercest conflict, even resulting in the death of a dragon.


    Aemon and Baelon, the fourth generation, experienced great sadness as almost all thirteen siblings died young.


    It was as if they had been born to be sacrificed.


    Viserys and Daemon, the fifth generation, had a rtionship that broke and healed many times. Rhaenys once challenged for the Iron Throne, and the Targaryen rtionship with House Vryon remained strained.


    In Rhaegar’s generation, four siblings shared the same parents, but his stepmother, Alicent, frequently caused turmoil.


    It had only been six generations, but there was already so much animosity.


    In contrast, during the ancient Valyrian period, the forty dragonlord families continually invaded Essos, plundering colonies and ves. Yet they coexisted peacefully and maintained their glory for countless centuries.


    Rhaegar''s eyes gleamed with determination as he considered this. "Think long term to ensure the family''s eternal prosperity."


    Zira!


    The Truefyre in Rhaegar''s hand shed against the binding magic spell on the mural, leaving no traces behind.


    With a few swift strikes, he nodded in satisfaction. "Well done."


    He considered the possibility that someone else might have entered the ruins. The disorganized rebels posed no real threat; none would survive.


    "Daemon must have recognized it," Rhaegar thought darkly. No wonder Daemon had only taken two books and had been so excited about his haul.


    "Forget it. Sooner orter, I''ll find out," Rhaegar shook his head, not dwelling on it.


    The Binding Magic Spell would eventually be passed on to the family members. The key was to establish strict rules to prevent its misuse.


    Turning around, Rhaegar circled the four stone walls, examining the murals'' contents. The scenes were reminiscent of the ruins of the Berys family.


    Most of the murals depicted the long history of the Aethyrys family. ording to the records, they were once exceptionally glorious, being among the original Valyrian shepherds who discovered and attempted to tame wild dragons.


    However, the family''s fortunes had fluctuated. At the time of the construction of this half-site, House Aethyrys was at its lowest point, ranked in the middle to upper echelons of the forty dragonlord families, having been pushed out of the top ranks.


    At its peak, the family boasted fifty-four dragons and up to forty dragon riders, only slightly inferior to other top Dragonlords families.


    Rhaegar read and savored the history of the Aethyrys family. Taming dragons, breeding dragons, and mastering blood sorcery were the cornerstones of the top dragonlord families.


    And then there was...


    Having babies! Having children!


    Intermarriage within the family wasmon - brother and sister, uncle and niece, aunt and nephew. Often there were multiple marriages.


    External marriages only involved selling off the family''s excess children to the outside world.


    Others Dragonlords Houses?


    Marriages!


    Powerful Seafaring Houses?


    Marriages!


    Native Nobles of thend of Long Summer?


    Marriages!


    These three groups were the core of power in Ancient Valyria: the Dragonlord Houses dominated the skies, Seafaring Houses conquered the seas, and the native nobles of the Land of the Long Summer owned the fertilend.


    Each Dragonlord family did not necessarily intermarry with other Dragonlords, but they did form alliances with the maritime families and the native nobles. Invasions required troops and wealth, and the importance of the seafaring nobles was emphasized along the Narrow Sea.


    The Vryon and Celtigar Houses, both of ancient and noble bloodlines, had been staunch allies of the Targaryens for many years.


    When Aenar went into exile, they followed close behind. The native nobles, however, did not leave theirnds, and the Targaryens lost any alliances they might have had in that regard when they left Valyria.


    Returning to the subject at hand, House Aethyrys produced arge number of heirs through internal intermarriage. These numerous heirs formed a vastwork of alliances, resulting in arge family with even more allies. It was a pure method of having children in order to win.


    However, with power came corresponding troubles. The family did not have enough dragons to share among all its members. Those with dragons held high status, while those without had a lower standing. The more capable members managed more of the family’s affairs, while the less capable waited for death.


    Over time, family power struggles became inevitable. Because of this infighting, House Aethyrys name was both envied and despised by other dragonlord families.


    An internal conflict could be resolved in a matter of months under controlled circumstances. Several, if not a dozen, dragonlords would unite and rally their allies to attack each other. Hundreds of Aethyrys would die in each conflict.


    In the heat of the moment, dragon battles would break out, and even adult dragons would fall. But as soon as the scales of victory tipped, the fighting subsided. To make up for their losses, the victors would aggressively focus on having more children.


    Within a few decades, the family''s numbers would rebound, and new dragon eggs would hatch. At times, the house was unusually united, sharing the same beliefs and goals. Rarely did they disregard the survival of their dragons for the sake of infighting.


    As a result, despite frequent internal conflicts, they managed to stay in the middle of the rankings, although they rarely made it to the top.


    Quite outrageous!