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Chapter 147: The Chosen Son
🕑 Added 2025-02-13 14:01:09 +0000 UTC“Are these the bones of the dragons? The bones from the Red Keep?”
In the underground storage room of the Redemption Sept, Septon Hullen stared in shock at the dragon bones piled before him, illuminated by the flickering torchlight. Unable to contain his disbelief, he turned to Lynd and asked.
However, as his gaze shifted, he noticed Sister Melessa, the Mother of the Motherhouse of the Redemption Sept, and Elder Colin, the head of the Silent Septry, standing beside Lynd. Their expressions were cold and unreadable. At once, Septon Hullen fell silent, stepping back to the side like a dutiful servant.
The Redemption Sept had been built on the ruins of Summerhall. While all the surface structures of Summerhall had been lost to fire, the underground foundations remained intact, making construction significantly easier. In contrast, the Miracle Sept in Miracle Harbor had only just laid its foundation, whereas the main buildings of the Redemption Sept were already complete, with only final decorations and the statues of the Seven Gods remaining.
Beyond the main Redemption Sept, the entire complex encompassed a Motherhouse for the holy sisters and a Silent Sept for the priests. The underground level housed storage facilities, as well as a secret meeting place located directly beneath the Motherhouse and Silent Septry.
This hidden chamber was where Lynd trained the Chosen Ones—the holy army devoted to the Sept.
This armed force was a crucial part of Lynd's broader scheme to seize control of the Faith of the Seven. While the Motherhouse and Silent Septry appeared to serve as institutions for religious study and practice, they primarily functioned as a front for Lynd’s careful selection and training of the Chosen Ones.
The decision to establish a sanctuary for the Chosen was a spontaneous one. While touring the construction site of the Sept, Lynd had observed that the vast majority of the commoners summoned by the Faith of the Seven harbored a fervent belief in him. Their devotion stemmed from the legend of the Chosen One who would save the world, and they sincerely regarded Lynd as the prophesied savior destined to lead them against the forces of darkness and evil.
Over time, Lynd realized that this unwavering faith extended beyond the impoverished masses. Even within the senior clergy accompanying the Septon to oversee the Redemption Sept, there were those who shared the same conviction.
Among them, the two most devout were Melessa, the head of the Motherhouse, and Elder Colin, the leader of the Silent Septry.
Melessa was not part of the clergy at the Great Sept of Baelor. She hailed from the Starry Sept, where she had already risen to the position of Mother of the Motherhouse. She was also the only female archbishop within the Faith of the Seven, serving as one of the seven church judges—a rank just below that of the Septon of the Starry Sept.
Her belief in Lynd had been sparked years ago when he had slain Ironborn pirates in front of the Starry Sept. At the time, she had been in the nearby Motherhouse and had witnessed the battle firsthand. In that moment, she had been struck by the illusion that Lynd was the living embodiment of the Warrior.
It was she who later convinced the Septon of the Starry Sept to ally with Lynd, positioning him as the Chosen Warrior of the Gods.
Over time, Lynd's role evolved from being the Chosen of the Warrior to the Chosen of the Seven Gods, and the miracles he performed far exceeded Melessa’s expectations. The more she witnessed, the more convinced she became that her initial belief—that Lynd was the Warrior’s Chosen—had been a divine revelation.
She later participated in the Miracle Appraisal Group that traveled to Miracle Harbor to examine the supposed miracles manifested in Glory.
Among all those who came into contact with the black and white halos surrounding Glory, two individuals exhibited the most extreme reactions—Sister Melessa and Elder Colin.
When Melessa touched the white light, her old wounds were miraculously healed. Not only that, but her once-pale hair darkened, and she appeared at least twenty years younger.
Elder Colin, on the other hand, experienced the opposite effect. Upon exposure to the black light, he visibly aged by a decade. Yet, rather than despair or resentment, he reacted with elation.
Following this event, Melessa applied for a transfer to the Redemption Sept's Motherhouse, while Elder Colin, formerly of the Quiet Isle, requested reassignment to the Silent Septry.
Unlike Melessa, whose faith in Lynd had taken root only after witnessing his battles, Elder Colin’s devotion had begun the instant he was touched by the black light emanating from Glory. As the light accelerated his aging, he seemed to experience a divine revelation and began to revere Lynd as a savior.
Thus, when Lynd proposed establishing a special sect dedicated to training the Chosen Ones as a divine army, both Melessa and Colin embraced the idea wholeheartedly, taking it upon themselves to select and train these warriors of faith.
At the same time, their task also included supervising the Septon of the Redemption Sept to prevent Septon Hullen from suddenly losing his temper and acting irrationally.
Septon Hullen held great respect for the two of them, and as long as they were present, he would restrain himself.
“Is this all the Dragonbones in the Red Keep's collection?” Malora had accompanied Lynd to the underground warehouse. She surveyed the Dragonbones filling the entire space and asked.
“Not yet,” Lynd shook his head. “This is less than a third. Many of the Dragonbones are temporarily stored in Tumbleton. They’ll be transferred once the underground warehouse of the Miracle Sept is completed. Additionally, some of the larger Dragonbones in the Red Keep’s cellars are impossible to transport—such as those of Balerion the Black Dread and Vhagar the Overwhelming. Unless they are broken into pieces, moving them without attracting attention is out of the question. If I need to use them, I may have to go to the Red Keep.”
“The church also has some Dragonbones in its possession. If you need them, my lord, I can arrange for their transfer,” Sister Melessa said in a deep voice.
Lynd did not stand on ceremony. He simply nodded and said, “I’ll find you when I need them.”
At that moment, Qyburn stepped out from the shadows behind the group. He approached one of the Dragonbones, reaching out to touch it, his face showing an expression of obsession. Then, he pulled out the Dragon Rune necklace Lynd had given him, along with another he had crafted himself, and pressed them against the Dragonbone to see if they would react. However, to his disappointment, neither showed any response.
“Idiot. The power within Dragonbone can only be sensed by certain people. Clearly, you are not one of them,” Malora said coldly, mocking him.
Qyburn remained unfazed by her words, as if he hadn't heard them at all. Without reacting, he turned away and retreated into the shadows behind Malora, lowering his head once more.
The three clerics, however, made no attempt to hide their dislike for either Qyburn or Malora. Their disgust was written plainly across their faces.
“What did you bring me here for? Just to show me a pile of bones?” Malora asked, indifferent to the clerics’ attitudes. She had grown accustomed to their contemptuous and judgmental gazes back in Oldtown.
“Didn’t you want to see something related to magical power?” Lynd responded with a smile, then turned to Melessa and the others. “You are all people I trust. No matter what you witness here, do not speak of it to anyone. Keep it to yourselves.”
“We will obey your command, my lord,” the group replied immediately.
Malora's eyes lit up at Lynd’s words, and her breathing grew slightly heavier with excitement. Behind her, Qyburn straightened up, lifting his head from its bowed position.
Lynd approached a dragon skull, sat cross-legged, and placed his hands on it. Without a sound, Glory emerged from the shadows, settling behind Lynd and lying down so he could lean against it. As it did, its fur turned pure white, emitting waves of soft, glowing light.
The moment Glory’s fur changed color, Sister Melessa clasped her hands in prayer and began reciting the ‘May the Mother bless you’. The other two clerics bowed their heads in reverence, their expressions filled with deep piety.
The dragon skull in Lynd’s hands was not particularly large—only slightly bigger than a dog’s head—and somewhat misshapen, likely belonging to a young dragon that had died in infancy.
But regardless of its deformity, a dragon skull was still a dragon skull, and it contained powerful magic.
Lynd, having spent months preparing for this moment, did not hesitate any longer. Drawing upon the knowledge from the memories of the Banished Knight, he easily activated the residual power of a previous Dragon Communion Ritual within him, forming a dragon rune specifically meant for the ritual.
The moment the Dragon Rune took shape, Lynd felt a powerful force pulling from within his body, instantly drawing out the magic contained within the Dragonbone in his hands. At the same time, just as Glory devoured the energy of vengeful spirits, the Dragon Rune siphoned power from all the surrounding Dragonbones.
In the eyes of Malora and the others, they saw Lynd hold the Dragonbone in his hands for only a moment before it crumbled into powder, as if crushed by an invisible force. Almost simultaneously, nearly half of the Dragonbones filling the warehouse also disintegrated into dust.
As they stood in stunned silence, marveling at the scene before them, they suddenly felt the temperature around them rise rapidly, as if a great bonfire had been ignited in the enclosed underground space.
"Look!" Malora exclaimed, pointing at Lynd.
Everyone turned their eyes toward him and saw a raging fire erupt across his body.
Holy Sister Melessa, in a panic, instinctively rushed forward to extinguish the flames, but Elder Colin pulled her back. Septon Hullen quickly reassured her, "Look, the Lord is not burned."
Only then did they notice that, despite the intense flames engulfing him and illuminating the entire underground warehouse, neither Lynd’s flammable hair nor his clothing showed any sign of burning. Even the massive form of Glory, against which Lynd had been leaning, remained untouched by the fire. Instead, the beast yawned contentedly and curled up on the ground, seemingly unfazed.
"Is this real fire or an illusion?" Qyburn muttered in amazement, watching the flames flicker. He hesitated, almost tempted to reach out and touch them, but reason stopped him at the last moment. Instead, he tore off a piece of cloth and tossed it into the fire surrounding Lynd.
Before everyone's eyes, the fabric instantly turned to ash and drifted to the ground. A collective gasp filled the warehouse.
Then, the flames shifted. They began to morph into a series of indistinct, eerie images—skulls of giant dragons.
The spectral dragon skulls all tilted their heads back, mouths open as if roaring toward the heavens, straining to surge outward. Yet, an unseen force within the fire held them back. Each time they tried to break free, they were dragged back into the flames, their struggle repeating over and over.
Watching this, Septon Hullen, his imagination running wild, couldn't help but speculate, "Could it be that the Lord is using the power bestowed by the Seven Gods to bind the lingering dragon souls within the Dragonbone?"
"Yes, you're right!" Holy Sister Melessa agreed.
Elder Colin, standing beside them, nodded in silent approval.
But while the others saw only the shifting flames and spectral illusions, Malora's unique bloodline allowed her to perceive far more.
In her eyes, the fire did not originate from Lynd at all. Instead, it was rising from the very ground of the underground warehouse, as though the flames had always been embedded there, lying dormant until now.
And the dragon skulls, which the others believed to be roaring or struggling against Lynd’s restraint, were not resisting him at all. Rather, they were emerging from within him, consuming the surrounding fire with ravenous hunger.
To her, Lynd was no longer human. He had transformed into a monstrous dragon head, adorned with fearsome horns, devouring the flames.
The vision lasted only a brief moment before fading, yet the heat did not subside. On the contrary, it intensified. Within mere breaths, those still standing in the warehouse felt as if flames were burning within their very chests. Overwhelmed by the sensation, they had no choice but to retreat.
Strangely, as soon as they crossed the threshold, an invisible force seemed to seal the heat inside. Outside the warehouse, the air was cool and refreshing, and they instantly felt normal again.
Feeling safe once more, Qyburn wasted no time. He eagerly pulled the sack off his back and rummaged through it, retrieving an assortment of bizarre and intricate devices. Without hesitation, he moved to place them inside the warehouse, eager to see what reactions they would provoke.
At this time, Elder Colin stepped forward and grasped Qyburn's hand, stopping him from proceeding.
"Maester, I hope you will not disturb the Chosen One," Holy Sister Melessa said in a low voice, her gaze on Qyburn filled with disapproval.
"I can guarantee that Qyburn's test will not alarm Lynd," Malora interjected. She seemed familiar with the devices Qyburn had taken out, and curiosity about their results prompted her to vouch for him.
Septon Hullen, who had spent considerable time dealing with Malora, spoke in a low voice, "Sister Melessa, Elder Colin, Lady Malora is the Lord's most important advisor. She would never do anything to harm the Lord."
Elder Colin considered Hullen’s words for a moment before releasing his grip on Qyburn’s hand. Holy Sister Melessa, though still displeased, chose not to press the matter further.
Qyburn paid no attention to those around him. The moment his hand was freed, he resumed his unfinished test without hesitation.
The Dragon Communion Ritual continued for nearly four days and nights. Of the five present, they took turns leaving to rest on the surface—except for Qyburn. No one trusted him enough to leave him alone outside the underground warehouse.
The Dragonbones within the warehouse were not only devoured at the beginning of the ritual but continued to be consumed throughout, until only a few dozen remained along the inner wall. There was no doubt that this ritual had consumed an unprecedented quantity of Dragonbones—dozens, perhaps even hundreds of times more than the first. The previous communion had required only a single box; now, an entire vast warehouse had been reduced to dust. It was daunting to imagine how many Dragonbones would be needed for the next ritual.
Eventually, when the Dragonbones ceased to disintegrate, the searing heat inside the warehouse began to subside. Elder Colin, who had been waiting outside, and Qyburn, who had monitored the situation tirelessly for four days and nights, immediately sensed the change and moved to enter.
After confirming that all was well, they approached Lynd. At that moment, he opened his eyes, scanning the thick layer of Dragonbone dust covering the ground. Rising to his feet, he dusted himself off before turning to the two men.
"How many days have passed?" he asked.
"It's been four days," Qyburn responded.
Elder Colin, standing beside him, quickly made a series of hand gestures, inquiring about Lynd’s condition.
"Very well, I'm fine," Lynd answered with a smile, stretching his limbs.
