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House of The Dragon-A God Amongst Men: Chapter 106: The Dark Shade
🕑 Added 2025-03-12 20:36:44 +0000 UTC(Third Person POV)
"What good is a religion without the promise of something good at the end of life?" Drakken said as he walked under the shade of massive black trees, "What good is my word as a god if I cannot promise my people a perfect rest?"
Maegelle was walking behind him, and Mya and Olyver followed shortly behind. They were in a massive group of black trees, surrounded by a vast forest that could only be assumed to be the Darkwood, near The Tower. There was nothing but the trees and the cold ground, grass was a rare thing to spot where they were.
It seemed dry, barren, and devoid of life, save for the massive black trees that merely stood there. Maegelle was only unsettled by the shadows, by the sight of said trees. She did not know what was going on and she greatly regretted ever asking Drakken about his work.
"I..." She frowned, "What do you mean?"
Drakken stopped and gestured around, "What do you see?"
Maegelle looked around and noticed that the trees were oozing a strange black liquid. Before she could react to that, her eyes immediately caught the sight of what looked like screaming faces in the bark of the black trees. And before she could react to that, she saw that the leaves of the trees were ever-changing, shifting from green to red to black and finally to white. The shadows of the massive trees covered the constant shifting.
There was a strange feeling that the young Targaryen could feel; one that she did not like one bit.
"What is this?" Maegelle said, "W-What are these trees?"
"The Dark Shade." Drakken said, "It is difficult to explain, but basically, using the powers of enhanced Greenseers, I created a psychic plane in which those that worship the Trinity will enter at the end of their lifespans. The Obelisk draws their power while they live, fueling my divine being....and when they die, should they be fully fulfilled as my worshippers, their consciousness will be transferred to the Dark Shade, inside the tree. They will be converted into pure magic that will fuel my powers....."
"We searched and captured dozens of Greenseers all over the Realm." Mya spoke up, "Those that did not wish to serve our lord were sacrificed to the Shade.....the power of the Raven was greatly enhanced, the promise of an Afterlife was created."
Maegelle looked at Mya, "M-My Lady, this is wrong!" She exclaimed, "You sacrificed the lives of innocents just to create something.....f-false! This is not right!"
"They were hardly innocent." Olyver said as he walked over to a tree and placed his hand on the bark, "The Greenseers in the Duskguard who dare betray our Lord....they will meet the same fate as those who refused him. The power to create a separate location in reality.....it is a great one....and this will act as the source of The Trinity's glory....."
Mya looked at Maegelle as she crossed her arms, "Such is the inevitable fate of men." She said, "To die or to be sacrificed for something greater than their lives."
"Is that what you were doing, My Lady? This entire time....?" Maegelle said, "You went around the land and captured Greenseers for something like this? Why would you help create a horrible thing? This is not right, for someone to mask inevitable sacrifice with the promise of an afterlife! Drakken, is this what you did to the Singer?"
"Yes." Drakken said as he turned around, "That is correct."
"The Dark Shade is merely a step in our Lord's plan." Mya told her, "I aided him in completing it, it is all. It is a good thing for his followers. It is proper. The Singer is currently in his own version of paradise, ignorant of the pain he once endured to create the Storm God."
"It is wrong...." Maegelle said, "It is Evil....."
"Evil?" Drakken said, "Evil is subjective. Those who doubt their own morality will eventually succumb to their own dark desires. Simply because someone has accepted their nature, it does not make their actions evil."
"And your true nature is being Evil, Drakken?" Maegelle said, "No, I refuse to believe that. I cannot accept that you are-"
She was cut off by a massive thud. She froze and looked up to see the massive shadow of the Guardian as it slowly walked by her. She was completely shocked that such a large beast was able to approach them without making a sound up until now.
The Guardian glanced at Maegelle, its fierce and intense gaze piercing right through her. She could not help but feel that the creature showed no care for her. To it, she was just something that was in the way. To Maegelle, The Guardian was but a force of Nature, a being that was above the dragons of House Targaryen.
And perhaps it was, since it was created by Drakken himself.
"One of the major drawbacks of the Draconic Beasts is that they can lose energy quite quickly." Mya said as the Guardian walked over to where Drakken stood, "The Dark Shade will change that. The Storm God will be our first and proper subject."
"If the Storm God can harness a constant power source as in the Singer's consciousness...." Olyver said, "Then The Guardian can do the same. It will stay vigilant to the Dark Shade and protect it, while harnessing power from it."
Drakken nodded, "Yes." He said, "And this is just the mere start of my true goal."
"Which is....?" Maegelle asked
Drakken looked at her, "War." He said, "Death....everything in ruins. I am Chaos Incarnate and I intend to spread it all throughout the world....only that way, I can return...."
"Return where?" Maegelle asked
Drakken closed his eyes and smiled slightly, "Where do you think, silly girl?" He said, "Where everyone will eventually want to return..."
"Home."
******************
[King's Landing]
"I cannot believe you would even consider something like that, Aemon." Jocelyn said, "That man is nothing but trouble! He is a monster bent of tormenting our Family!"
Aemon was sitting down in front of his wife, "I know." He said, "I don't want it, I really don't. Worry not....."
"But I know you want to appease that man...." She said, "So you are going to consider it, I know you.....you went and begged for him to heal our son...."
"And he did!" Aemon said, "Aenys is healthy!"
"At what cost, Aemon? We do not know still!" Jocelyn said, "Please, do not consider making another deal with him! Just find a prize well enough to appease him so he does not kill our son!"
Aemon was going to say something when the doors opened and Baelon walked in.
"Brother...." Baelon said, "This is serious, we must take flight."
Aemon looked at him with a bit of surprise, "W-what?" He said, "What do you mean?"
"Dorne." Baelon said, "They have declared war."
Aemon narrowed his eyes, "This must be some sort of jest..." He said, "You cannot be serious."
"I am." Baelon said, "They attacked the Stormlands and The Reach. Father has summoned us. We are to show the Realm that we are still in control."
Aemon stood up, "Very well...." He said, "If Father wishes it so...."
"We shall fly to War."
