Game of Thrones: Second Son of House Targaryen

Chapter 119: Fire Magic: Starting with a Candle

After some time studying, Viserys discovered that Valyrian and High Valyrian were pronounced completely differently, almost as distinct as modern and ancient Chinese. But this didn't trouble him much, given that Valyria had been extinct for hundreds of years. Moreover, High Valyrian was only spoken by a small group of Valyrians, which had hastened its decline.

After three days of study, Viserys had barely reached an introductory level in High Valyrian. He realized he would need to improve his proficiency by several hundred points before he could fully comprehend even some of the simpler manuscripts. According to the basic texts, controlling fire seemed to be easier than creating it, and beginners were advised to start by practicing with candles.

Viserys took out two candles and lit one of them, placing the other about a foot away. He was practicing the most basic "fire-making technique," which involved using the flame of one candle to ignite the other from a distance of about a foot.

Benerro had demonstrated this technique for Viserys, explaining that mastering it would lay the foundation for more advanced fire magic. Most novices took about a year to achieve this, but when Viserys asked how long it had taken Benerro, the High Priest had proudly boasted of his success in less than a month.

On his first attempt, Viserys saw no effect on the burning candle. On his second, a thumb-sized flame flared up, scorching a few strands of his hair. By the third attempt, the flame began to stretch toward the unlit candle like a glowing tentacle, drawn as if by some unseen force.

The tentacle grew longer and thinner, reaching five or six inches before narrowing to the thickness of a chopstick. Viserys felt the strain building, not in his body, but in his spirit. As the tentacle extended to seven or eight inches, it became as thin as a quill. At nine inches, just as it was about to touch the other candle's wick, the burning candle shortened rapidly from the intense flame. Viserys had to stop, his magical energy depleted. Fortunately, with the help of the Moon Chant, his energy was quickly replenished.

"Let's try again."

He took a deep breath and replaced the candle. This time, he instinctively added a spiral of air around the flame tentacle, stabilizing it. The tentacle maintained the thickness of a thumb and was much more controlled. With this technique, he successfully lit the candle using less than half the magical energy of his previous attempt.

"Only the second day, and if Benerro knew about this, he'd be stunned." Viserys thought with a smile, though he wasn't about to rest on his laurels. He checked his progress and saw a new skill had appeared on his panel:

Pyromancer: - Beginner (23/100) +

"What are you waiting for? Add more." he commanded.

Pyromancer: - Proficient (398/1000)

Viserys was elated.

It had been easier than expected.

Now at the Proficient level, Viserys found playing with candles unsatisfying. He lit a brazier and began manipulating the flames within. He effortlessly created a three-foot-long flame tentacle and felt little strain. Then he conjured two tentacles, then three, and eventually five.

Viserys discovered that his current limit was seven tentacles at once. Each tentacle was as thick as a wrist and five or six feet long, twisting and writhing like the limbs of a sea monster. He tried shaping the flames into more complex forms, such as a fire dragon, but found that it required more advanced control than he currently possessed. However, he had no difficulty crafting two serpentine fire snakes.

A bright fire snake emerged from the brazier, and Viserys guided it to slither around the room. After covering about ten meters, the fire snake dissipated on its own. This range was impressive, sufficient for nefarious tasks like "killing and burning." However, it fell short in a battlefield context, where it could easily be extinguished with a single step, and armor wouldn’t ignite so easily.

For now, simply controlling the flames was enough. The ability to see the future in the flames, like the Red Witch or Benerro, required significant magical power—something Viserys couldn’t yet achieve.

He then turned his attention to his Valyrian steel sword. In the TV series, only two people were shown to "enchant weapons with flames": the "The Lord of Corpses," Beric, and the Red Witch.

The Red Witch’s enchantment was more advanced, as she empowered an entire Dothraki cavalry. Enchanting ordinary weapons with fire seemed to be effective against White Walkers, but against ordinary armored foes, the benefit was more cosmetic than practical—adding style rather than substance.

However, Viserys had noticed that when he infused magic into the Valyrian steel sword, it vibrated slightly. Curious, he decided to experiment further.

Holding the sword in his right hand, he lightly touched the blade with his left, and the blade was immediately engulfed in yellow flames. When Viserys swung the sword, the burning "fire sword" doubled in length, and the extended fiery blade had a considerable cutting power. His suspicions were confirmed—Valyrian steel had excellent "magic conductivity." Though the move seemed to have limited raw power, Viserys saw it as a deceptive tactic.

In combat, most swordsmen gauge the length of their opponent’s weapon. With his enchanted weapon, Viserys could extend the sword unexpectedly, catching his opponent off guard and delivering a fatal blow as they attempted to retreat.

'It’s a shame I can’t emit something like a flame sword aura,' Viserys mused, imagining how his weapon had upgraded from a cold weapon to a hot one as he brushed the blade back and forth.

He then tested the enchantment on his halberd, but it didn’t produce the same effect. It became clear that he might need to consider creating a specialized halberd in the future. On the battlefield, weapons like spears, halberds, and hammers often proved more practical.

After some experimentation, Viserys decided to take a short break and check on his "friend"'s whereabouts. If his "friend" had headed directly to the Ruins of Doom after leaving Orange Shore Bay, he should be arriving soon.