Chapter 21

"Have the ships moved deeper into the sea?" Viserys asked the Warg who opened his eyes, and the tall Kharzik woman nodded her head.

"There's no one on the beach or close to it. All the Hay Lines are in place, and the weather is clear."

Next to her, another Warg suddenly opened his eyes with a loud gasp.

"The Cursed Folk are coming!" He announced, and in a short while, every man and woman on the Walls of the Lion's Town had received the news.

Viserys looked at Aegon and Rhaemon, who were standing next to Oberyn and Nymeria.

The Martell Prince happened to be looking his way too, and the two nodded to each other before the Targaryen Prince rushed down the Wall. He exited the gate and climbed the back of Rhaelyx, who was waiting for him there.

He soon disappeared into the night sky and headed West to make sure that no Man-Apes had crossed the River on that side, and his departure made some people feel nervous.

They had not made enough preparations to defend their Towns this year as they had put all their trust in the dragons.

The Kharziks kept their eyes on the walls of hay that they had built in the distance, bathed in oil that the Dragonlord had enchanted. It was their Hay Line, and quite crucial to Azaerys' plan, who wanted to trap the enemies inside it.

Their instructions were clear, and they were not allowed to engage in the battle. Not unless the last Hay Line was breached.

Under any circumstances, a Dragon would remain in the sky, helping them maintain the Defensive Line. And then they had two smaller dragons with them as well.

The Kharziks were only supposed to watch the battle from atop the Walls of the Lion's Town. However, in battles and wars, there was always room for the unexpected.

Aegon and Rhaemon, sensing the suffocating solemnity around them, were relieved in their hearts that they were not going to engage in whatever was coming next.

More than anything, they were extremely worried about the safety of their older sister, Rhaenys, who had flown together with Azaerys and was going to take part in the coming battle.

A few hours later, when they heard the primitive battle cries of creatures who were marching towards them, their bodies started shaking in fear.

The two had an understanding of the First Tongue, and even though they could not speak it and were not proficient at it in any way, they could still make out the discussions that were taking place around them.

"Too many..."

"Way too many..."

"They are still crossing the waters..."

...

...

...

"Everything is set..."

"We have the signal! We need to call them to us now!"

"Now!" A Warg loudly yelled.

Everyone winced as all the Hippogriffs in the Town suddenly let out their sharp cries, and their cries were loud enough for the Man-Apes to hear and find their way to them.

"It's working!"

"They have entered the Hay Lines!"

"All are marching towards us..."

Rhaemon nervously gulped as he knew what this meant.

All the Man Apes were coming their way now. And it was only an hour later that they heard the warning cries of their Dragons, who were inside the Town but could still sense the coming danger.

They finally saw what these Man-Apes looked like through their Far-Eyes, when the Cursed Folk stepped out of the Eastern Forest like ants.

There was no end to their numbers...

Rhaegal and Lyrax roared again in a warning, but both instantly calmed down when they sensed Silvexis return to the sky above the Town and start circling it.

Arthur had been tasked to hold the Defensive Line first, and would later switch places with the Targaryen Princess.

Far away from them, high up in the sky, where it was hard to even breathe, Rhaenys was tightly grabbing the metal handle on her saddle, waiting for her brother's signal.

Azaerys was right by her side, on top of Nefaerion, and above them, Aerylyx was starting to get a little impatient as he watched innumerable prey waiting for him to burn them to crisps.

Suddenly, the Princess saw Nefaerion dive right in, and before she could get the time to think, Draegon, who had been instructed to follow the Ancient Dragoness' lead, did the same.

Her heart slowed down as she closed her eyes to share the Dragonsight with her Dragon.

The Man-Apes, hideous, and innumerable, had crossed the waters and stepped into the Kharzik Lands. And right now, all of them were finally in the open, outside the Eastern Forest, moving towards Lion's Town.

Remembering the instructions, she lit up the Enchanted Glass when she saw Azaerys do the same on Nefaerion, and a piercing light surrounded them.

The two Dragons fell like shooting stars on the Man-Apes, who instinctively shut their eyelids as the light burned their eyes.

Now blind, they were unaware and utterly helpless about what was going to happen next.

"Dracarys!"

The two Dragons separated as they rained Drgaonfire on the cursed creatures, and did not stay low for too long and climbed up into the sky again.

Rhaenys grinned when she looked down and saw that Aerylyx had successfully destroyed all the logs which the Man-Apes were using to cross the river.

Nefaerion had set the first Hay Line on fire which prevented the Man-Apes from escaping back into the Eastern Forest on the Kharzik Land, and now, the enemies were madly running away from the Drgaonfire, charging towards the Lion's Town.

"Ready?" She heard her brother's voice in her ears and bravely nodded her head.

Once again, the two shots down, followed by Aerylyx, lit up the Enchanted Glass, and rained Drgaonfire on the enemies, burning hundreds of them to death.

She had never before taken a person's life, but somehow, burning these Man-Apes felt no different than going on hunts with Draegon.

Deep inside, the sight of these creatures burning and crying in anguish excited her blood.

Rhaenys forgot how many enemies she and Draegon killed, lost count of how many times they used the same trick, and only once did the Man-Apes try to throw their javelins at them, which Azaerys had seen coming and pulled her right back up into the sky in time.

"Go, switch with Arthur," She heard her Brother's Command, and even though she wanted to say to him that she was not tired, she did not disobey him.

Once she left, Azaerys stayed in the sky until Arthur joined him, keeping an eye on the Man-Apes, who were becoming a little braver and were ready to throw their Javelins at them even if they could not see them.

"Stay a little behind me," He instructed his Dragonknight, who acknowledged his command and stayed right behind him as they dived down on their enemies.

"Dracarys!"

Arthur's heart skipped a beat when a few Javelins flew past them, but once the Man-Apes were doused in Drgaonfire, their fears won over again.

On the way back to the sky, he turned around and saw Aerylyx securing the perimeter, herding the Man-Apes and making sure they would not spread out too much.

Most of the Hay Lines were now lit, so, the enemies had no way out. Their pyrophobia was so strong that not even one of them tried charging through the Hay Lines.

Perhaps, they would have done it if the Dragons had not first attacked the Man Apes who were carrying the logs, leaving them with nothing to create a path for them.

Now, they were just running around like terrified sheep, and this mayhem caused them to lose the Javelins that they were carrying on their backs, leaving them with nothing to throw at the 'Shooting Stars'.

When Silvexis started showing signs of fatigue, Azaerys told Arthur to return with him to the Lion's Town.

They landed behind the Town, where Rhaelyx and Viserys were already resting, and the Young King left Nefaerion behind as he climbed on the back of Aerylyx and flew up again.

He did not stop Rhaenys when she followed him, and this time, he did not bother with any elaborate tactics.

The enemy did not have much left to threaten them and their Dragons.

They both charged right towards the Man-Apes, blinding them under the light of the Enchanted Glass and continued breathing Drgaonfire on them until Draegon could no longer continue.

Nefaerion, Rhaelyx, and Silvexis rejoined the battle at that point, and Azaerys even called Rhaegal and Lyrax to join them on the hunt.

By the time the sky was brightly lit, not a single Man-Ape, who had crossed the waters last night, was alive.

It was hard to guess exactly how many of them had been killed, but Azaerys estimated that about two million of them were dead.

When they all landed outside the gate of the Town, deafening cheers from the Kharziks welcomed them, congratulating them on the first Victory.

Azaerys sent their dragons away to eat and get some rest, and he was not in the mood for any festivities.

The night had been long, very long...

Viserys, Arthur, and Rhaenys were extremely tired, and once they broke their fast, all three of them went to their beds.

The Targaryen King stayed up until noon and only went to bed when Lyrax and Rhaegal returned to the Town.

He was woken up in the evening by Viserys, who informed him that the Man-Apes were on the move again.

It was just as they had expected, and just what they wanted. They did not want these creatures to run back to their forests before losing a good chunk of their population.

However, the Hay Lines were gone now, and the battle was not going to be as easy as last night.

Thankfully, they had some different plans for tonight.

Rhaenys was still tired, and she was forbidden from taking part in the battle. Her role was to hold the Defensive Line, which she agreed to without any objection.

Nefaerion, as upset as she was at being told to protect Draegon and to keep an eye on Lyrax and Rhaegal, did not create any trouble for Azaerys, who went to the battle on Aerylyx's back.

Hours later, when he returned, she loudly roared, letting out her dissatisfaction, and to her glee, Azaerys climbed down Aerylyx's back and took her to the battle.

By the time the rest of the Dragons joined her after getting some rest, she had burned the last Man-Ape who was present on the Kharzik Land and was merrily feasting on the corpses.

There was this horrifying stench of charred bodies, smoke, and fire around them that the scene caused Rhaenys and Viserys to throw up the contents of their stomachs.

The next evening, the Man-Apes did not step on the Kharzik Land. It was the same for the night after.

This break allowed the Dragons and their Riders to get the much-needed rest, and when the Cursed Folk returned on the fifth night, in astonishing numbers, which indicated their desperation, the scale of the battle exceeded everyone's expectations.

Rhaelyx and Draegon were injured, having taken multiple hits on their bodies, but nothing fatal. Aerylyx too suffered some injuries, but the Javelins could not penetrate deep into his hard scales, and it was because of him that they had not suffered any casualties.

Nearly four million Man-Apes lost their lives that night, and some managed to run back into their lands.

Around three thousand Man-Apes tried again on the subsequent nights, and they were mercilessly burned by Nefaerion and Silvexis.

It was not even a battle...

In just a sennight since the first battle, over eight million Man-Apes had perished. These were not numbers which could be made up in just a few years.

It would take them decades to recover.

The Dragons kept watching the enemies in the night sky, but no Man-Ape stepped again on the Kharzik Land.

A fortnight later, Rhaelyx and Draegon had both recovered from their injuries.

By the end of the Moon, the Man-Apes had retreated over three hundred leagues into their land, and they were still heading North.

There were no signs that showed that they would be coming back for the hunt. At least, not this year.

And for the first time in centuries, not a single Kharzik had lost their life in the battle against Man-Apes during the Hunt.

It was almost a dream for them...

Seven days of celebrations were announced, and Rhaenys was shocked when she learned that the Kharziks wanted to create statues of her, Arthur, and Viserys. The three of them were going to be a part of Kharzik's history and will be hailed as heroes by them.

The day the Sculptors came to consult her and observe Draegon from up close, she did not forget to keep a sword on her and put on a Heroic pose.

On the very same day, in front of tens of thousands of Kharziks, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Prince Viserys Targaryen were knighted by Azaerys, The First of His Name.

The Princess, who was only two and ten namedays old, became the youngest Knight of House Targaryen.

Her Knighthood made her little brothers feel very envious of her, but it also fuelled their desire to grow stronger.

The time they spent with the Kharziks helped them learn a lot of things about the world, people, and most importantly, themselves.

Once the danger of Man-Apes was averted, Aegon began taking great interest in Archery, and Rhaemon also formally started training under an Old Warg, who was helping him master his Warging abilities.

Oberyn, Nymeria, and the Targaryen Forces wanted to stay in Ulthos for longer, but when Viserys started growing agitated and expressed his wish to return to Allyria's side, Azaerys did not stop him.

The Prince took three of the six vessels back with him, loaded with livestock, gifts, and trade commodities from the Kharziks.

Except for 150 men, the rest of the Targaryen Forces left with him as well.

Azaerys also entrusted Arthur with a task, sending him back with Viserys.

Nymeria was extremely happy when she learned about the news. It meant that she would be returning to Siren on the back of Silvexis, saved from the cruel and long sea voyage.

To Oberyn's excitement, which he did not hide, the Targaryen Prince invited him to ride on the back of Rhaelyx, and the two dragons departed together, the same day the ships embarked on their journey.

Rhaenys, Aegon, and Rhaemon stayed back with their eldest brother, and the Princess found good friends in Laeha and Laena.

Since the twins were to wed Azaerys, they could already be considered family.

The Princess would take them flying on the back of Draegon every day, and the Kharzik Twins, in return, started teaching her Archery and their Dagger Dance.

And this was how their peaceful days passed.

On the last sennight of the Last Moon, when the days in the Kharzik Land were at their coldest, still plenty warm when compared to the rest of the world, two dragons appeared in the sky above Lion's Town.

One was Silvexis, which the Kharziks were familiar with, but the other was a new dragon. It and beautiful blue and silver scales, which gleamed under the sunlight, and it was almost as big as Rhaelyx.

When the people saw the lady who descended from the back of her beautiful Dragon, they fell in a daze at her beauty.

Never before had they seen a lady as fair as her.

She was also wearing a beautiful tiara on her head, made out of dragonbone, which had three purple diamonds in it, the largest being in the centre, and the other two, smaller and equal in size, on either side of it.

Azaerys, Aegon, and Rhaemon were not in Lion's Town when Arthur and Ashara landed, but Rhaenys was there.

The Princess happily rushed into the arms of her Queen. She introduced her to the people and to the Kharzik Twins, who, for the first time in their lives, truly felt insecure about their beauty.

Then again, Ashara could even put the fairest of ladies in the world to shame, and the twins were not even fifteen years old.

They were quite respectful to her, much more tame in her presence than they were in Azaerys' presence. However, when the Targaryen King returned later that evening, people noticed that the twins were extremely respectful to him and were even mindful of disturbing him as he sat with his Queen.

Her mere presence around their future husband had made them self-conscious.

To their relief, they did not find the Queen cold. She was warm to them and curious about their culture and people, which brushed away a lot of worries from their hearts.

After dinner, Ashara informed her family about the things that had happened in Siren during their absence.

The good news was that Allyria was in perfect health after birthing a pair of healthy twins, whom Viserys named Rhaegar and Shaena, after his late brother and sister.

And the bad news was that Ser Willem was no longer in the world with them.

As the Knight had requested, Viserys and Rhaelyx gave him a Valyrian funeral, and his ashes were carefully collected inside an urn.

Ashara also informed her husband about the preparations for the coming summer's conquest of New Ghis.

And finally, to liven up the atmosphere, she gave them another good news.

"Rhaelyx laid a clutch of four Eggs a fortnight ago."

Azaerys was already aware of it, but his siblings were not, and their excitement over the news was as expected.

"Does that mean Rhaegar and Shaena have their own Dragon Eggs?" Rhaenys expectantly asked, and when Ashara nodded her head, she cheered at the news with her siblings.

"Rhaegar has a red-coloured Egg, and Shaena has a blue-coloured Egg. It was Daenerys who picked the Eggs for them yesterday. Rhaelyx was very protective of her clutch, and she didn't even let Viserys lay his hands on them. However, she allowed Daenerys to take two when she made the request."

"I can't wait to see my cousins!" Rhaemon excitedly said, and subconsciously, everyone turned to look towards Azaerys.

"We will leave for Siren at the end of the First Moon."

"Yay!!"

"There's one more good news."

"Tell!" Rhaenys asked, but Ashara did not answer and smiled at her husband.

"I am to be a father again," Azaerys revealed to his siblings, who surprisedly looked at him.

"Ash, you..."

"Not me. Arianne is carrying twins." She smiled, and the excited cry from Rhaenys, Aegon, and Rhaemon hurt her ears, but she too laughed with them when they jumped up on Azaerys to congratulate him.