Chapter 193: Sea Smoke Injury
The next morning, as the sun rose, hundreds of second sons and bastards, equipped with varying gear, guarded the closed gates of the Dragonpit.
With a rumbling noise, the gates slowly opened, and two dragon shadows burst out first.
"Roar..."
Green flames illuminated the sky as Cannibal soared into the clouds, followed closely by Syrax, heading towards Blackwater Bay.
As the two dragons flew away, a slender figure emerged from the Dragonpit's doors.
Sara approached the Second Sons and coldly commanded, "The prince has ordered us to head to the harbor to board the ships."
"Yes!"
Robb, now the leader of the Second Sons, led his group of comrades towards the harbor.
Sara glanced back at the shadowy entrance of the Dragonpit before following the group.
...
Above Blackwater Bay, two dragons, one black and one gold, soared over the sea, occasionally gliding low enough for their feet to skim the water's surface.
"Rhaegar, be safe when you reach the Stepstones," Rhaenyra cautioned from her saddle.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Rhaegar assured her. "You just need to pick up the dragon eggs and head straight to Driftmark."
Rhaenyra was the nominal foster mother of Laena's two children and had promised to place dragon eggs in their cradles. After discussing it with their father, she agreed to ride the dragons away from King's Landing, traveling back to Dragonstone and then to Driftmark.
This not only fulfilled her promise but also helped strengthen the relationship between the Targaryen and Velaryon Houses.
As the sun continued to rise, the rocky island of Dragonstone came into view.
Rhaenyra stopped Syrax, and the siblings said their goodbyes.
Rhaegar guided Cannibal over Dragonstone and headed towards the Stepstones.
...
Rhaegar's Cannibal flew over Dragonstone Island.
"Kill! Seize Bloodstone Island!"
"Shoot arrows!"
On the beach of Bloodstone Island, chaos reigned. Dark-haired and dark-skinned Dornishmen charged in groups, clashing with the king's soldiers led by the silver-armored and white-robed Cole, whose expression was grave. The tide repeatedly washed away the blood staining the beach as the two sides fought fiercely.
Beyond the island, another battlefield raged at sea. Warships, bearing seahorses and mermaids on their sails, were filled with soldiers shooting arrows. The pirate ships of the Three Daughters maintained a distance, their scorpion crossbows loaded and ready.
"Fire!"
At the command, the scorpion crossbows launched steel spears that streaked across the sky like meteors.
Boom...
The scorpion crossbows, with their immense power, easily pierced through soldiers and shattered the hulls of enemy warships. Hundreds perished instantly under the barrage.
"Roar..."
The dragon's roar echoed along the coastline as the scarlet-scaled Meleys and the Sea Smoke arrived, unleashing dragonfire upon the pirate ships below.
"Attack! Drop the battering ram!"
With the dragons on the battlefield, the Sea Snake raised his scimitar and ordered his fleet to charge. Both sides had roughly fifty ships each, but the pirates quickly lost control under the dragon's assault, with several ships succumbing to dragonfire.
"Set up the scorpion crossbows, aim at the dragon!"
Dozens of scorpion crossbows were reloaded and aimed at the two giant dragons.
"Fire!"
As the dragons descended to spew dragonfire, the scorpion crossbows were fired one after another.
"Dodge!"
Rhaenys commanded loudly. Meleys, burning the mast of a pirate ship with a burst of dragonfire, rose swiftly into the air, evading the steel bolts. The scarlet dragon moved like a streak of light, untouchable.
"Roar..."
An agonizing roar came from Sea Smoke, who had flown too low and was struck by a scorpion crossbow. A steel spear pierced through Sea Smoke's light gray wing membrane, scattering hot dragon blood on the sea.
With its wing damaged, Sea Smoke struggled to maintain balance. Laenor, shocked and panicked, urged, "Sea Smoke, fly up!"
In his haste to destroy the pirate ships, Laenor had driven Sea Smoke too low.
"Roar..."
Sea Smoke stabilized, screaming and flying higher, continuously spitting dragonfire in frustration.
"Maintain altitude, don't be reckless!" Rhaenys shouted, worriedly.
The force of the scorpion crossbows was enough to break through an adult dragon's scales, and the barbed steel spears made them difficult to remove. Sea Smoke, still a young dragon, was particularly vulnerable.
Fortunately, the spear had only pierced the wing membrane. Had it struck the neck or torso, Sea Smoke might have lost the ability to fly and fallen into the sea, becaming an easy target.
"Go support your father!" Rhaenys ordered, noting the reloading scorpion crossbows below. She decided against further engagement.
A few dozen scorpion crossbows might not harm Meleys significantly, but Laenor and Sea Smoke were at greater risk. Laenor, seeing Sea Smoke's bleeding wing, chose to follow his mother's orders.
Rhaenys sighed in relief and turned her attention to the pirate ships, her expression growing more solemn.
"Meleys, Dracarys!"
"Roar..."
Meleys, thrilled to be in battle again, turned swiftly, her dragonfire igniting a pirate ship. The flames, though powerful, only managed to set masts and armor ablaze, unable to cause widespread destruction due to the attack's distance.
The Sea Snake's fleet arrived, colliding with the pirate ships. Soldiers leaped over the sides, engaging in close combat.
"Roar..."
Two dragons circled in the sky, occasionally breathing fire.
Amidst the chaos, a distant horn sounded—a signal of arrival.
More than thirty warships emerged on the horizon, their sails adorned with a sun spear symbols—the Dornish reinforcements had arrived.
Swift and fierce, the Dornish ships joined the fray, attacking alongside the pirates of the Three Daughters.
"Fire!" commanded the Dornish, their arrows raining down indiscriminately amidst the chaos of battle, hitting both friend and foe alike.
The Sea Snake's fleet, burdened by scorpion crossbows, maneuvered along the periphery, taking advantage of the distraction to strike.
Rhaenys's dragon, Meleys, soared through the air, unleashing dragonfire upon the pirate ships, crushing them.
As the Dornish continued their attack, Rhaenys surveyed the grim scene, realizing the odds were turning against them.
"Corlys, we're outnumbered!" she exclaimed, her eyes darkening with concern as their forces dwindled.
With each passing moment, their fleet faced greater peril. Even the combined might of their dragons couldn't turn the tide of the battle.
Corlys remained resolute. "Hold fast. Storm's End's fleet will arrive soon!" he said.
Retreat was not an option. Since the Dornish joined forces with the Three Daughters, the conflict had escalated already.
The kingdom's fleet hastily advanced toward the warships of House Celtigar stationed at Claw Isle and at White Harbor, but they proved unable to withstand the relentless assault of the Dornish and the allies from the Triarchy.
(Word count: 1,088)
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