The Rise of Valyria - House Belaegon

The pair peered through the door and noticed that the interior darkness was intermittently illuminated by sunlight filtering through gaps left by fallen stones, casting light in certain areas. Both involuntarily swallowed, as the darkness extended far ahead.

As Sezayi stepped forward to enter, Taylan grabbed his arm and said, "Vagon, we shouldn't enter like this. Look, the stones on the ceiling have started to fall. What if the building collapses after we enter? Or what if there are mutant rats inside like before? This place isn't safe, Vaegon. Let's go somewhere else."

Sezayi turned to Taylan and replied, "Vaelar, right now, we're in a ruined city in another world. No place here is safe. Where's your earlier courage? Didn't you usually act before me?"

Upon hearing Sezayi's words, Taylan retorted, "Don't talk as if you weren't the one who hit me on the head earlier and told me to be careful."

Without responding to Taylan, Sezayi looked at him and began walking toward the dark building. Taylan, helpless, hoisted Arda, whom he had left on the ground, onto his back and started following Sezayi. He wondered to himself, "Does Sezayi feel the same way I do every time I do this?"

After entering the building and walking for ten minutes, they began to feel the air becoming slightly suffocating. This sensation continued for about half an hour. Eventually, Taylan, tired from carrying Arda on his back, approached a larger stone to rest, gently placed Arda on the ground, and sat down with his back against the stone.

Seeing Taylan sitting, Sezayi said, "Wait here, I'll go a bit further to check. If this place continues, let's return to the apple tree. I'm starting to feel hungry." He then walked into the darkness.

After watching Sezayi disappear, Taylan began examining the dark and large building. Who had built such a place? They had been walking for over half an hour but hadn't reached any end. It wasn't very early when they woke up. They should have spent the time they lost here trying to kill the rat near the apple tree. Their stomachs were slowly growling, and they had no water to drink. In his opinion, Arda could wait until tomorrow. But they couldn't afford to wait because, upon waking, they needed to replenish the nutrients they had used during sleep.

While Taylan was thinking about this, Sezayi returned. He approached Taylan and said, "Vaelar, I have both good and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?"

Taylan replied, "Tell me the bad news first; the good can come later."

Sezayi said, "The bad news is that there's a staircase ahead leading up. The good news is that there's a staircase ahead leading up."

Taylan shouted, "Vaegon, are you mocking me? How is this good news? You come and say you have both good and bad news. They're just the same thing!"

Looking at Taylan, Sezayi said, "Vaelar, you really have a problem. Maybe hunger has affected your head. Didn't you notice that after we entered here, the air started to become a bit suffocating? The air becomes even more oppressive near the staircase. But this shows us that a fire has been lit here, or something else has happened. So, either there are survivors here, or dragons used to live here. Otherwise, which person would use so many stones just to make a corridor? Look at the ceiling; it's at least 30 meters above the ground."

Considering Sezayi's words, Taylan said, "Vaegon, if we assume there are people here, won't they ask us where we came from? Or won't they attack us? Isn't this dangerous?"

Sezayi replied, "Taylan, as I said before, right now, we're in a ruined city in another world. Everywhere here is dangerous. You weren't this scared an hour ago; what's happened to you? You've started thinking too much about danger. Remember, as Polat Alemdar said in 'Kurtlar Vadisi,' 'A hero who thinks of the end can't be a hero.'"

Surprised, Taylan said, "You said it. You just mentioned a name from our world. How is this possible? We can't even say our own names."

Sezayi replied, "I don't know, Vaelar. But whenever I try to address you by your name from our world, the letters come up to my throat but don't come out of my mouth."

Just as Taylan was about to respond, Sezayi interrupted, "We'll talk about these later. First, let's decide what to do. Are we going up the stairs, or are we going back? While deciding, don't forget, the air is slowly getting darker. Generally, the most dangerous time is at night."

Taylan replied, "Why are you asking me? You've already made your decision, and I'll follow you. That rat incident affected me a bit. But as you said, a hero who thinks of the end can't be a hero. Let's get up and go. Let's see if there are humans or dragons." He then lifted Arda from the ground and stood up.

After walking for more than ten minutes, they reached the staircase Sezayi had mentioned. Sezayi, with Arda on his back, was in front, and Taylan was behind. They began to climb the stairs. After climbing for 20 minutes, Taylan said, "Vaegon, let's rest a bit, please. We've been walking since we woke up, and I'm starting to get tired. We've climbed eight floors; we don't know how many more stairs there are. Let's sit here for a while and rest."

Sezayi replied, "Vaelar, why are you tired? Okay, let's rest here for five minutes."

Sezayi and Taylan continued their journey through the ruins, their path illuminated only by the faint light filtering through cracks in the stone. The air was thick and oppressive, making each breath a labor. After climbing approximately six more flights of stairs, they reached a small door resembling the one below. Sezayi glanced back at Taylan, who nodded for him to open it. Pushing the door slowly, Sezayi stepped into the darkness beyond.

As the door creaked open, the already stifling air grew heavier. Taylan noticed two statues near the wall opposite the door: one of a blacksmith holding a hammer, and the other of a warrior wielding a single-edged sword and a shield. Beneath the statues, in High Valyrian, were the words "Blood, Bone, and Steel." Both men were taken aback, recognizing the phrase as belonging to the House of Belaegon, as the Red fire had mentioned.

They tried to decipher the meaning of the inscription but couldn't. Deciding to explore further, they noticed a passage ahead. Before Taylan could move forward, Sezayi stopped him. "Vaelar, stay here with Darion. I'll investigate ahead. If I sense any danger, I'll call for you, and you can escape with Darion," he said, disappearing into the passage before Taylan could respond.

Left alone, Taylan sat beside the statues, Arda still on his back. He remained alert, ready to flee at the slightest sign of danger. Half an hour passed without any sound, and his concern grew. Hearing footsteps approaching from the passage, he stood up, hoping it was Sezayi. As Sezayi emerged, Taylan sighed in relief.

Sezayi approached, holding something in his hands. "Vaelar, I was right. Look, this is a baby dragon bone; this place was once inhabited by dragons. And this dagger I found—it's likely the caretakers used it to slaughter sheep for the young dragons. Its sharpness has diminished, and the tip is even starting to corrode," he explained, showing a cat-sized skeleton and a half-decayed dagger.

Taylan's eyes lit up. "Vaegon, do you know what this means? We can finally take revenge on that Pilsen in the garden. We can even kill it and feast on its meat," he said eagerly.

Sezayi recoiled. "I will never eat rat meat," he replied. Then, he added, "Anyway, let's sit here and rest." He moved to sit by the statues, and Taylan joined him on the other side.

Taylan turned to Sezayi. "Hand me the dagger," he requested. Sezayi placed the dragon bone between the statues. As he did, the statues trembled and returned to their original positions. Realizing the inscriptions beneath the statues were now legible, they stood up excitedly.

Sezayi examined the dagger, then approached the center of the statues. He pricked his finger and let his blood drip onto the ground. The statues trembled again, more violently and for a longer duration.

Ignoring the pain in his hand, Sezayi placed the dagger in the center. Upon contact, the statues began to shake with a loud noise, causing the walls to tremble as well. After a minute, the statues split with a "crack," revealing a dark passage. The two men exchanged a glance, took the half-decayed dagger from the warrior statue, and walked into the darkness, disappearing from sight.