章 669: Chapter 669: The Fall of the City
A colossal roar resounded as torrents of dragonfire cascaded down, instantly collapsing the castle's roof. Amidst the rubble, embers intertwined with shards of brick and tile furiously infiltrated the fortress.
"Ah, ah, ah—"
Unseen Dornish soldiers were submerged within the dragonfire, their harrowing screams echoing amidst the chaos. Some were instantly incinerated into ash, while others writhed on the ground, attempting to extinguish the flames enveloping them.
"Help!"
"Help!"
Others, choosing a swift end to their agony, leapt from the castle walls, ending their lives on their own terms.
Within the citadel of Skyreach Castle, the ceiling shattered tumultuously. Numerous Dornish nobles, barely given a chance to react, were either fatally injured or killed instantaneously.
Heat.
The rolling heatwave enveloped every being, as though they were ensnared within a fiery furnace. The surrounding air rapidly desiccated, all moisture eradicated in a flash.
Count Franklin Fowler of Skyreach was among the quicker to react, and perhaps, more fortunate.
As the ceiling crumbled under the might of the dragonfire, a massive stone fell, crushing a warrior of House Blackmont into a pulpy mess right before his eyes. Unscathed, he hastily dove under a table, narrowly evading death.
"Huff~"
"Huff~"
At this moment, the elderly Franklin gasped for breath, hiding beneath the table and gazing fearfully at the calamity unfolding around him. However, his eyes met only the rising flames and shattered stone and tile.
The 'Heaven's King' House Fowler, which has thrived generation after generation in Dorne, now gaped open with a colossal wound. Lifting his gaze, he could directly observe the azure sky and the pervasive gunsmoke.
"Hss—"
Balerion unleashed a deep, potent dragon's roar, its wings vibrating as it encircled the human castle below, unleashing its fiery wrath.
Since the end of the second conquest war, it had been a while since it had such an opportunity to unleash carnage like this.
However, this time, Balerion released all the pent-up energy in one go.
Boom, boom, boom—
It flapped its wings to its heart's content, squandering its dragonfire, the surging columns of indigo flame obliterating the structures within Skyreach. Broken rooftops and towering turrets collapsed amidst mournful cries.
Skyreach's pigsties, stables, armories, libraries, and so forth, were all ignited by the dragonfire, the entire castle submerged within a sea of flames.
"Hss—"
Balerion let out a low growl, its wings vibrating as it once again soared into the sky.
Its dragonfire, initially crimson, now, with growing age and size, was gradually darkening.
The dragon, suddenly descending from the heavens, presented an opportunity that the army at the base of the mountain outside the city would not miss.
Jon Connington's plea for aid had been sent not long ago, and he had not expected the dragon to arrive so swiftly. Considering that the raven might not have flown past Prince's Pass—
Did His Majesty see the situation here while in King's Landing?
However, this bold thought merely flashed through his mind, and he did not dare to speculate further.
Varys's possession of mysterious magic remained a rumor among the common folk, but it was a secret known to all the king's ministers and high officials.
Subsequently, the middle-aged man with ash-red hair, watching the dragon dancing in the sky and Skyreach engulfed in flames, did not mount his horse but drew his sword, pointing it towards the distant city wall and bellowing angrily.
"His Majesty leads the attack! Take this city!"
"Slay all the traitors!"
"Charge!"
The allied nobles of the Riverlands and soldiers from the Second Legion, who had traveled from King's Landing, roared in unison, charging towards Skyreach.
And Jon Connington, leading by example, did not mount his warhorse. Due to Skyreach's treacherous geographical conditions, situated atop a hill with broken and uneven roads, they were forced to charge forward on foot, swords in hand.
"Charge!"
The dark mass of the royal army, ladders in hand, marched towards Skyreach.
And the Heaven's Castle, at this moment, was submerged within a sea of fire. They didn't even need ladders, as the city gates, including a section of the wall, had been blown apart by the dragonfire just moments ago, reduced to ruins covering the ground.
The air on the battlefield was stiflingly hot at this moment, and everywhere you looked, there were blazing flames.
Although the dragon had soared away and was no longer spewing fire, most of the Dornish soldiers had lost the courage to resist. They ran and shouted continuously, emitting pitiful cries for help.
"Water, water, water—"
"Save me!"
"Save me!"
Numerous soldiers were still ablaze, desperately hoping for rain to douse their pain. However, in Dorne's scorching and arid climate, days of rain were few and far between.
Ultimately, they failed to extinguish the flames on their bodies, collapsing to the ground in despair during their last-ditch efforts to run, transforming into charred corpses.
"Charge!"
Immediately, the royal army charged into the city, unstoppable, like a force mowing down everything in its path.
With the assistance of the dragon, they shattered the morale of the Dornish soldiers, sweeping away the gloom of the previous days of difficult siege, as if deities had descended, killing every enemy that appeared before their eyes.
Now, the entirety of Skyreach was shrouded in rising smoke and surging flames, with only a sparse number of Dornish soldiers continuing to resist valiantly. However, how could they possibly withstand the victorious momentum of the royal army?
And the dragon in the sky, fearing it might accidentally injure its own soldiers, had now ascended to a higher altitude, circling in the heavens, continuously emitting low roars, surveying the entire battlefield.
Not far away, Varys stood on a small hill, calmly observing the entire battlefield.
Actually, this was merely a 'fishing operation.'
In one fell swoop, all the Dornish nobles who harbored dissatisfaction towards the Iron Throne were lured out. After all, their discontent, hidden within their hearts, would eventually erupt, so why not resolve it all now?
The problem of Dorne needed to be resolved sooner or later; otherwise, without Dorne, Westeros would be incomplete.
However, the stubborn and obstinate character of the Dornish people, uniting in the face of invasion, was the most troublesome issue.
Varys first approached from a political angle, eroding the relationship between the Dornish nobles and the people, resulting in the current split and opposition between the Dornish nobles and the common folk.
Then, taking advantage of a convenient excuse to wage a war, the Cynford family incident was actually just an accident.
Because truly integrating Dorne into the empire's system, relying only on the enticement of high profits, without undergoing a war, was utterly impossible.
In that case, the Dornish people would never willingly submit.
However, at this moment, something unexpected occurred.
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