Chapter 252 [Vault]

Title - HOTD: Reborn as a Dragon | Chapter 4 | Female

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[3rd POV] [4 Years Later | 54 AC]

Within a large cave, a large dragon lay. Its scales were a unique combination of several different colors, and it shone like a gem. It was large, but not that large for a dragon. It’s violet eyes were slowly opening with a low rumble.

This was Haerax, the reincarnated dragon, who had now been living in Valyria for a total of four years.

[This but smaller. She’s around the size of Seasmoke or Vermax, so tiny, and isn’t missing parts of her wings]

It had been four long years since her reincarnation into this world. Since she had appeared in Old Valyria, and had become a Dragon. Since she had sworn to survive until the arrival of Aerea and Balerion the Black Dread.

And a lot had happened.

During the years, Haera had steered clear of the monsters of Valyria. The creatures that she had dubbed as “Infected Ones” and the other creatures that she had caught sight of, the ones that had caused the doom…

The Fire Wyrms.

Massive creatures of immense power, ones that were much larger than her, much stronger than her, and burnt so hot and so powerfully that even she could feel that she would be burned.

It was as if they were fire given form. Malevolent, dark, evil fire given form.

She didn’t know how many of these things there were, but she knew there was a lot of them, far too many for her to handle, should she kill one and the others come for her.

So instead, during those years, she spent her entire time traveling around Valyria, consuming all materials she could. From Valyrian steel, dragon bones, to dragon eggs, obsidian, and gems.

She had even managed to find and consume quite a lot of dragon hearts, which were held within “Laboratories” around the peninsula, and were kept in enchanted jars that allowed for them to remain untouched by time.

During these years, her body, her traits, and her mind had grown massively. And while she was not that large…she was much much much more powerful than a dragon her age and size should ever be.

And during these times, she had gotten a number of new perks, and leveled up old ones.

[Dragon Bones (IV) - The bones of a dragon are immensely durable and very sought after. Your bones are now massively strengthened, after consuming a substantial amount of dragon bone. Strengthens the users overall physique, durability, flexibility, and a decent boost to healing factor | Progress Towards Evolution - 1.2%]

[Dragon Scales (IV) - The scales of a decent sized dragon, obtained after consuming a substantial amount of dragon scale. Can now withstand steel with absolutely no difficulty. Would take Valyrian Steel or the Claws of another dragon to harm you | Progress Towards Evolution: 7.2%]

[Obsidian Claws - Your claws are now a mixture of Obsidian and Valyrian Steel, making them immensely sharp and durable, even more so than before. Also conducts fire and magic better]

[Obsidian Veins - Your very veins are now a mixture of Obsidian and Valyrian Steel, making them immensely more durable and sharp, and increasing your healing factor and resistance to poisons. Also massively strengthens your fire, allows you to use magic easier, and strengthens your physique | Progress towards evolution: 98%]

[Dragonflames (IV) - The flames of a dragon, capable of burning through armies and bringing fire and blood upon all. Currently capable of burning through normal stone, and can burn most creatures, besides dragons of course] [Progress towards evolution - 99.2%]

[Dragon Sight (III) - The sight of a dragon, allowing you to see farther, see clearer, see in the dark, see smaller things, and see traces of magic. Currently you can see farther than most dragons, except for the eldest of them (Balerion, Vhagar, Cannibal)] [Progress towards evolution - 72.3%]

[Dragon Blood (IV) - The blood of several dragons runs through your veins. Your inheritance draconian abilities are at maximum 5% stronger for every dragon consumed. Higher levels of this perk will boost that percentage. The more dragons consumed, the less the boost, eggs shall give the smallest boost] [Progress towards evolution - 48.4%]

[Dragon Stomach (V) - The stomach of a dragon, allowing you to consume more than your size can handle. The stronger this perk is, the more you can eat] [Progress towards evolution - 9%]

[Minor Immortality (III) - A minor form of immortality that simply grants the user an extremely long age that seems like immortality, allowing for them to live for a little more than two thousand years at most, and granting decent regenerative abilities] [Progress towards evolution - 31.3%]

[Devourer (II) - The trait of a unique dragon, the final experiment of the Dragonlords. Whatever the dragon consumes, a random trait of said species, object, etc shall be subsumed and assimilated into the user. At the moment only 2 traits from each species, item, etc may be assimilated, albeit at a starter level. Can be strengthened should this be utilized enough] [Progress towards evolution - 30%]

[Gem Bones - Your bones are infused with various gems, including: Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphire, Quartz, Garnet, Topaz, Emeralds, Amethyst and Opal. These gems increase the overall durability and sharpness of your bones. Allows for the stronger use of various magics, and an increased regenerative factor]

[Gem Claws - Your claws are infused with various gems, including: Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphire, Quartz, Garnet, Topaz, Emeralds, Amethyst and Opal. These gems increase the overall durability and sharpness of your claws. Allows for the stronger use of various magics, and an increased regenerative factor]

[Gem Teeth - Your teeth are infused with various gems, including: Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphire, Quartz, Garnet, Topaz, Emeralds, Amethyst and Opal. These gems increase the overall durability and sharpness of your teeth. Allows for the stronger use of various magics, and an increased regenerative factor]

[Dragon Hearing (II) - The hearing of a dragon is quite immense, allowing for the dragon to hear for much larger ranges than any normal human. Allows for you to hear as far as a few hundred meters. Can also instinctively understand all Valyrian Languages | Progress towards evolution: 84.2%]

[Dragon Brain (I) - The brain of a dragon is stronger than any humans, far stronger. Allows for you to comprehend and learn things faster than before. Allows for you to understand magic faster than before | Progress towards evolution: 98.9%]

[Dragon Heart (III) - The heart of a dragon is what pumps blood to the rest of you, and is an immensely important aspect of your body. Without it, you would die. Grants increased physical capabilities, increased regeneration, increased magical power, and stronger immunity to poisons and toxins | Progress towards evolution: 79.9%]

[Valyrian Steel Lungs - The lungs of a dragon are quite important to their overall physiology. This is due to the lungs being a major part of the fire breathing aspect of their being. With Valyrian steel lungs, the users fire is now drastically stronger, can now breathe fire for much much longer, and can now breathe underwater. Also naturally makes it more resistant to damages | Progress towards evolution: 20%]

[Young Dragon Physiology - The physiology of a young Valyrian dragon. Grants all the abilities befitting of a young dragon, such a mediocre strength, speed, sight, etc. Will evolve into a higher physiology through age, consumption, etc]

All these different traits and abilities combined into a powerful new form.

{ - Status - }

Haeraxes, The Last True Dragon

Age - 4

Gender - Female/Feminine

Year - 54 AC

Traits - Young Dragon Physiology, Valyrian God Protection, Enchanted.

Perks - Devourer (II), Dragon Scales (II), Dragonflames (IV), Dragon Sight (III), Dragon Blood (IV), Dragon Stomach (V), Minor Immortality (III), Valyrian Steel Teeth, Valyrian Steel Claws, Obsidian Teeth, Dragon Heart (III), Valyrian Steel Lungs, Dragon Brain (I), Dragon Hearing (II), Gem Teeth, Gem Claws, Gem Bones, Obsidian Veins, Obsidian Claws.

She was strong, not that strong, but enough to fight back against most of the minor creatures she had managed to run across.

The only problem with all of this was the fact that she had gotten…big as of recently. Big enough that keeping hidden when she went out to hunt food and objects to consume, she had to be very careful. She had to basically time her movements and when she came out, perfectly.

As once she had started getting big, Haera was forced to live within a large cave. And thanks to her size, she ended up being noticed by the infected a few times now, but thankfully none of them were fast enough to keep up with her, and the infected dragons that she knew for a fact existed, were not able to get to her before she raced off.

Opening her eyes, Haera’s large draconic figure began to slowly rise to its feet, as she woke up fully. Her cave was quite a ways away from the nearest town/city, so she was not going to be heard if she moved around a bit. The cave itself was also deep in the middle of the mountains, so it was even better.

‘Aerea and Balerion should be arriving any day now’ Haera thought, knowing that once they arrived, things would begin to get…chaotic. As she knew for a fact that Balerion would undoubtedly kick up a fuss with all the infected, and cause the Fire Wyrms to freak out, which would be a huge problem for her.

She’d need to meet Balerion in person, if she wanted to be safe during that time. More than that, she wanted to save Aerea from her dreadful fate, potentially changing the future of the House of the Dragon.

Haera knew that she wouldn’t be enough to truly stop the bigger infected from doing anything, but she could stall them, and that, in her mind, was enough.

As Haera contemplated the future and what was going to be happening in the next months, Haera was cut off from her thoughts as an earth shattering roar shook her cave, causing her dragon eyes to widen in alarm.

That was not a roar she had ever heard before, and didn’t have the almost screech-like undertone to it. It…it sounded like a proper roar, a proper dragon. Meaning…

’They’re here!’

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Far off in the distance, the screams of fear of a child echoed through the area, as well as the roars of a large dragon, and the screeches of disgusting creatures. This child was in fact, the 12 year old Aerea Targaryen, rider of Balerion the Black Dread.

[Something sorta like this, but younger looking, and has braided pigtails]

Aerea was holding onto dear life as Balerion’s flames ripped through the infected that were surging towards them, an almost endless sea of infected attacking Balerion. None of them even touched him, but the amount was becoming a problem.

“Soves Balerion! Soves!” Aerea yelled, understanding that staying on the ground wasn’t working, and it seemed Balerion agreed, as he took into the skies, his large wings flapping as he rained massive bursts of fire onto the grounds below, obliterating the surroundings as he began to fly away from that location, Aerea pale faced as he did so.

“God's mother was right, this place is cursed!” Aerea cursed herself for being a fool, as she now understood why nobody survived when they came here, why nobody had ever left.

She was just lucky that she had Balerion and not a smaller dragon, or else she would have been doomed.

As they began to fly away from the battlefield that they had just fought at, Aerea felt Balerion turn his large head to the left, a low growl like sound echoing from him as Aerea turned in confusion, only for her eyes to widen as something burst into the cloud up towards them.

It was…a dragon?

It was tiny in comparison to Balerion, but it was a living breathing dragon! A uniquely colored dragon with white and pink coloring.

“A-A dragon? Here in this accursed place?” Aerea muttered, as the dragon flew towards them, but…it didn’t seem like it was aggressive, as it made what looked to be a motion with it’s head, as Aerea blinked.

“Does it want us to follow? Follow her Balerion!” Aerea yelled, as Balerion seemed to understand, turning as his large form began to follow Haera, as they traveled towards some sort of mountain range.

Eventually, Haera landed on the ground with a dull thud, Balerion landing with a soft boom, as Haera moved towards the massive cave that she had been staying in, large enough that even Balerion could stay within, as Balerion followed, Aerea sitting on his back as they entered.

Her eyes widened and what she saw inside.

It was a large cave, with dragon bones and Valyrian steel gleaming around, weapons and items made of Valyrian steel and obsidian all around the cave, these were her daily food items that she ate.

Eventually Balerion stopped walking, as he lowered, Aerea climbing off of the large dragon as she looked around.

Only to stop when Haera let out a low purr like sound, and used one of her large claws to push forward something.

“This-Valyrian steel armor? Is this for me?” Aerea asked, shocked as Haera slowly nodded her large head, as Aerea understood that this dragon was intelligent, very intelligent.

Balerion watched Haera closely, as Aerea walked forward and looked at the feminine armor that seemed to have been created for a child. A suit of armor that was perfectly suited for her as well.

She wondered how Haera could possibly have known what would fit her, before deciding not to question it, as she reached forwards and began to grab the armor to put on.

After putting the armor on, Aerea looked around finding that the cave was…impressive, incredibly so. There was more Valyrian steel in this cave than she had ever seen in her entire life, hell, she was quite certain that this was more Valyrian steel than there was in the rest of the world.

Seeing her look around, Haera pushed forward a small chest, as Aerea looked at her in surprise.

”A Valyrian steel sword and dagger? But-but why give this to me?” Aerea questioned audibly, not realizing that Haera could perfectly understand her, and with that understanding, she could shock the girl, as she lifted her claw…and began to write upon the wall.

“Because child deserves to live” The words flowed in Valyrian as Aerea let out an audible gasp of shock.

”You-you can understand me? You-you know how to write? How!?” Aerea asked in awe, having never seen a dragon do this, with even Balerion looking at Haera in a bit of surprise, seemingly understanding that she was smarter than his brethren.

“I smarter than others, must be to survive infected ones” The words flowed, as Aerea read them out loud. Her words were a bit mixed up, but that was only natural as her writing of Valyrian was not perfect.

“I-Incredilbe”

”Stay with me. Time will come for you to leave. Must wait. The infected brethren too dangerous, too numerous. Worms of Fire and death must be avoided, must prepare and wait” The words flowed on the wall, as Aerea nodded slowly.

“O-Okay. Um…what do I call you, great dragon?” Aerea asked, looking up at the pink dragon as it let out a snort, before writing it’s name on the wall.

”Haerax little human, but you may call me Haera”

“Haera…that is a nice name” Aerea responded with a small smile on her face, as she gazed into the eyes of the dragon, all the while, Haera had one thought on her mind.

‘…I must keep this adorable thing alive…’

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That’s the end of the chapter!

So the next two chapters or so will be her living with Aerea and Balerion. Before a timeskip will happen after the two of them leave and she begins to get truly powerful.

Also, I will mention now that I am officially going to start working on the third and final tier for this patreon. The 10 dollar tier, which will give 7 additional chapters (10 in total for my 4 main fics, 40 chapters in total, fair…I hope). This will go live within the next week or so.

Normal updates and releases will continue, but vault chapters MIGHT be a little slower until then. It should only take me until next week at most to complete this.

If I do not upload any vault chapters, then I will do another (smaller) mass upload after I complete them. This mass upload would probably be 5-7 vault chapters. This is only in the case of me not being able to upload any.

After that, I will not make any more tiers, as I think three tiers is enough.

Hope y’all don’t mind too much about this.

Anyways, have a good day!