Chapter 142: The Dragons Halt Their Fury
Many years ago, Meraxes had been hailed as the fastest dragon in the history of Westeros, effortlessly outpacing Caraxes and Vhagar in the skies.
During tonight's dragon duel, it perfectly demonstrated its remarkable speed.
Sunfyre couldn't even touch it, trailing far behind as if a cat was toying with a mouse.
"Meraxes, stop fighting!"
Rhaenys continued shouting, her face heavy with concern as she watched the chaos of the dragons above.
"Screeeech..."
Amid her repeated calls, it seemed Meraxes had heard her voice.
The red dragon ceased its attack on Sunfyre, its vertical pupils scanning the skies above High Tide for the figure of its rider.
Rhaenys was overjoyed and waved her torch while shouting, "Leave the battlefield, Meraxes!"
"Screeeech..."
Meraxes keenly spotted its rider and unleashed a burst of dragonfire to repel the pursuing Sunfyre.
Sensing Rhaenys's will, its pupils flickered with a trace of laziness, and with ease, it shook off Sunfyre and vanished into the night.
This was a naturally indolent dragon with a deep bond with its rider, obeying her command to retreat from battle.
"Screeeech..."
Deprived of its opponent, Sunfyre roared in helpless rage. Its gaze fell on Seasmoke, who was locked in combat with Syrax. Without hesitation, Sunfyre lunged forward.
Its golden scales, blackened by Meraxes's flames, radiated its fury, and it made Seasmoke its next target.
"Syrax!!…"
Rhaegar and the others emerged from the castle, and Rhaenyra immediately saw Syrax drenched in blood. She cried out in alarm.
Syrax seemed to sense its rider's emotions, and for a moment, its vicious biting paused.
"Screeeech..."
In the blink of an eye, the enraged Seasmoke struck Syrax with its wing, sending it reeling before resuming its ferocious assault.
Sunfyre charged in and slammed into Seasmoke, turning the fight into a chaotic melee of three dragons. Dragonfire rained down from the skies.
"Haha, well done! Sunfyre, tear it apart!"
Watching his dragon fight, Aegon was thrilled, clapping his hands with wild laughter.
"Shut your foul mouth!"
Seeing the dire situation, Rhaegar kicked Aegon to the ground, wishing he could sew his lips shut.
Aegon rolled twice on the ground, glaring at Rhaegar in fear while silently gritting his teeth.
"Vhagar has lost control; all that's left in its heart is rage," Laenor said as he approached, his face distraught.
"It's fine. Vhagar's weakness is its speed," Rhaegar said, his expression grim as he stared at the younger, more agile Cannibal breathing fire in the night sky.
The Cannibal was younger and more flexible.
As long as it didn't engage in close combat with Vhagar, it wouldn't be in grave danger.
Rhaegar closed his eyes slightly, concentrating on establishing a connection with the Cannibal to end this chaotic dragon battle as quickly as possible.
"Screeeech..."
High above, Seasmoke's anguished cries echoed.
Syrax and Sunfyre, brother and sister, had ganged up on it.
In just moments, Seasmoke was left covered in wounds.
"Rhaegar, command your dragon to stop this madness! Seasmoke can't hold on much longer," Laenor pleaded, pacing anxiously.
Seasmoke was his dragon, his companion of more than a decade. He could feel its pain.
"Calm down! The Cannibal needs to first shake off Vhagar's pursuit," Rhaegar snapped, his tone sharp as he struggled to communicate with the Cannibal.
He didn't want this spectacle to end with a dragon's death either.
Every dragon in the sky belonged to House Targaryen.
The death of any dragon would be a devastating loss for their family.
"Screeeech..."
Finally, the Cannibal sensed its rider's will and roared as it scanned the ground below.
The pain from its wounds only fueled its anger.
"Cannibal, lure Vhagar away!"
The moment he established a connection, Rhaegar instinctively shouted, his eyes locked on the old dragon in the sky.
That ancient dragon had gone berserk.
If the fight continued, it would only end in mutual destruction.
"Screeeech..."
The Cannibal unleashed a jet of dragonfire, then sped into the clouds, heading toward the waters beyond Driftmark.
Having wreaked havoc on Dragonstone for years, the Cannibal was not only physically formidable but also cunning.
Though seething with rage, it knew better than to continue fighting the elder dragon, though its desire to tear it apart burned fiercely.
The dragon flames couldn't harm the thick-scaled elder dragon, and close combat proved equally disadvantageous.
Vhagar, blinded by rage, focused solely on chasing down the Cannibal, its massive body struggling to keep up.
By the time it pursued the Cannibal out of Tidetop Island, the latter had already disappeared into the night, vanishing without a trace.
"Hiss-screech..."
Frustrated at losing its target, Vhagar grew increasingly irritable, spewing flames wildly and flaring its nostrils in search of a scent.
After a while, it seemed to catch a whiff of the Cannibal's lingering blood scent and set off in the direction of the Narrow Sea.
With two colossal dragons leaving Tidetop Island, the remaining three continued their fierce battle.
Sunfyre appeared to have gone berserk, relentlessly spewing flames and indiscriminately attacking both Seasmoke and Syrax.
The two naturally vicious dragons turned on Sunfyre together, biting at its neck and hind legs, intending to eliminate the reckless beast first.
"No! Sunfyre, run!"
Sensing the danger, Aegon scrambled to his feet and shouted desperately toward the sky.
He couldn't afford to lose Sunfyre here.
"Rhaegar, Syrax is tied up. It and Seasmoke are going to tear Sunfyre apart."
Rhaenyra, able to communicate with Syrax, couldn't fully control it in the chaos of battle.
"Don't worry. The Cannibal will be back soon!"
Rhaegar, holding a torch, gazed out into the murky night sky.
"Hiss-screech!!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a shadow emerged from the other side of Tidetop Island, hurtling toward the three entangled dragons.
Boom—
A jet of green dragonfire sprayed from afar, engulfing the trio in a torrential blaze.
All three dragons suffered injuries, their wounds crackling under the scorching flames, releasing the acrid stench of burning sulfur.
The enormous black shadow followed the flames with a charge, slamming into the three dragons and scattering them apart.
"Hiss-screech…"
Seasmoke, being the closest, bore the brunt of the impact and was instantly flung against the cliffs below, letting out a miserable wail.
Sunfyre, stunned by the collision, shook its head in confusion and screeched feebly.
As the green flames subsided, the Cannibal's form became visible. Its eyes gleamed with menace as it fixed its gaze on the two golden dragons.
Having been by the Cannibal's side for years, Syrax was well aware of its terror. Following its rider's command, Syrax fled in panic.
Sunfyre, still dazed and oblivious to the situation, let out a defiant roar at the Cannibal.
Boom—
Before it could finish roaring, the Cannibal dove down, reversed mid-air, and lashed out with its thick tail like a whip, striking Sunfyre.
Without even a chance to scream, Sunfyre was sent flying, landing on the nearby shallow beach.
At that moment, it recalled its fear of the Cannibal and immediately regained its senses.
Twisting its body, it burrowed into the mud and sand to hide from the Cannibal's view.
The Cannibal's slit-pupil eyes locked onto Sunfyre, watching to see if it would continue resisting, ready to vent its fury.
Seeing Sunfyre cower in terror, the Cannibal growled lowly, shifting its attention to Seasmoke.
Seasmoke had just managed to stand, its scales shattered in many places, dragon blood scorching the grass beneath it.
"Hiss-screech…"
Feeling the killing intent radiating toward it, Seasmoke ignored its pain and desperately spread its wings, fleeing back to its nest on Tidetop Island.
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**Dragon Battle Outcome:**
- Blood Wyrm: severely injured
- Sunfyre and Seasmoke: critically injured
- Syrax, Vhagar, and the Cannibal: lightly injured
- Meleys: fled
This result was determined by each dragon's personality under the condition of not having undead dragons.
The dragon battle is merely a means, not the end goal.
(End of Chapter)