Sunfyre moved with agility, dashing away the smaller dragons that blocked his path, and slammed his head into Dreamfyre.
"Roar..."
Caught off guard, Dreamfyre was knocked to the ground. Sunfyre, smaller but relentless, immediately lunged at Dreamfyre's neck, aiming to tear off a chunk of flesh.
"Roar..."
Dreamfyre hastily retracted its neck and let out a furious roar, flapping its wings to strike Sunfyre repeatedly. Sunfyre, smaller but more aggressive, immediately lunged for Dreamfyre's neck, aiming to rip off a chunk of flesh.
"Roar..."
Dreamfyre hastily retracted its neck and let out a furious roar, flapping its wings to strike Sunfyre repeatedly. Despite Sunfyre's ferocity, he struggled to land a meaningful bite.
Dreamfyre, though not the largest of the second-generation dragons, was still formidable compared to the fourth-generation Sunfyre. Dreamfyre's experience and size gave it an edge, despite being out of practice.
With a mighty breath, Dreamfyre unleashed a torrent of orange and light blue dragon flame, knocking Sunfyre to the ground. Sunfyre staggered as he tried to rise, his smaller size making it difficult to match Dreamfyre's strength.
As the dragons tussled, Aegon realized the gravity of his mistake and tried to flee.
Whoosh!
An arrow grazed his cheek, slicing off a strand of hair. Aegon froze in place, fear gripping him as he saw the arrow had come from his brother Rhaegar.
"Run, and you'll regret it," Rhaegar's cold voice echoed, sending a shiver down Aegon's spine.
Glancing at the two battling dragons, Rhaegar discarded his longbow and advanced toward Aegon with a menacing calm. Aegon didn't dare move, his fear paralyzing him.
When Rhaegar reached him, he grabbed Aegon's hair and slammed him to the ground with a thud.
"You insolent brat, your arrogance has grown!"
Ignoring Aegon's cries, Rhaegar pinned him down, holding his head with one hand and raising the other to deliver a harsh slap.
Splat—
A slap jerked Aegon's head to the side, and a red, swollen mark immediately appeared on his cheek.
"Roar..."
Meanwhile, Sunfyre, having been knocked away by Dreamfyre, became even more ferocious, roaring as he lunged forward again. Dreamfyre's wings were pressed to the ground, its slender neck stretched out, dragonflame ready to strike. The two dragons were poised for another clash.
Rhaegar, momentarily distracted by the dragon's roar, glanced over, his expression indifferent.
Just as Sunfyre flapped his wings to pounce on Dreamfyre, a deafening roar echoed through the Dragonpit. A shadow, swift and lethal, emerged from the depths of a crypt, descending like a thunderbolt upon the two dragons.
With a sharp, black claw, Cannibal clamped down on Sunfyre's neck, instantly ending the battle.
"Roar..."
The ferocious black dragon, disturbed from its slumber, glared at the golden dragon beneath its claws, a low, menacing growl emanating from its throat. Cannibal had been resting peacefully when the commotion above had roused it. Sensing the call of its master, it had rushed to stop the chaos.
Now, it was furious.
"Roar..."
Dreamfyre, agitated at having its opponent taken away, roared at Cannibal, spreading its wings in a show of defiance. Cannibal lifted its head, its green eyes narrowing at Dreamfyre. A wave of overwhelming fury radiated from the black dragon.
Dreamfyre stiffened, its anger dissipating. It lowered its head and backed away, recognizing the vast difference in strength between itself and Cannibal. Dreamfyre had been confined in the Dragonpit for decades, its growth stunted, comparable to the third generation of dragons.
Cannibal, a second-generation dragon, has thrived in the wild, and it consumed the Life Essence to increase it's potential. Over the years, it has grown immensely in size and power.
Vermithor, once comparable in size, now seemed smaller than Cannibal. On their recent return to Dragonstone Island, Cannibal had grown to be one-fifth larger than Vermithor.
Dreamfyre, standing in front of Cannibal, appeared minuscule, its entire body enveloped by the black dragon's massive frame. It was only two-thirds of Cannibal's size, while Sunfyre, pinned under Cannibal's claws, looked utterly insignificant—a mouse before a cat.
"Send Dreamfyre and Tessarion back to the crypt!" Rhaegar commanded the Dragonkeepers, who were still frozen in shock.
"Yes, Prince..." The Dragonkeepers hurried forward to calm and guide the two dragons back to their enclosures.
With the trouble resolved, Rhaegar turned his gaze back to Aegon, his expression softening into a kind smile. "Aegon, do you realize your mistake?"
"Yes, I know I'm wrong," Aegon stammered, covering his red, swollen cheek.
"Oh? And what exactly did you do wrong?"
"I... shouldn't have ordered Sunfyre to cause trouble..."
Splat—
Rhaegar backhanded Aegon again. "Nope, rephrase!"
"I shouldn't have run. I shouldn't have mocked Aemond. I apologize..."
Receiving another slap, Aegon's head reeled, and he hastily admitted his faults.
Slap—
Another blow landed, splitting Aegon's lip and drawing blood. Rhaegar stood, gripping Aegon's hair, lifting him to his feet. His voice, a cold whisper in Aegon's ear, sounded almost demonic. "No, go on!"
"I don't know, I really don't know. If you say I'm wrong, then I'm wrong..."
Rhaegar's grip tightened as he pointed towards Cannibal. "You think you're proud of your newfound mastery of dragons?"
"What do you... what do you want to do?" Aegon stammered, his eyes darting to the struggling Sunfyre.
"Don't worry, my dragon will show you," Rhaegar replied calmly, yet ominously.
"Roar..."
Cannibal, sensing its master's intent, stomped down hard on Sunfyre, eliciting a mournful wail from the golden dragon.
"Don't! Sunfyre is just a dragon; he doesn't know any better!" Aegon twisted in a futile attempt to escape.
Bang!
Rhaegar kneed Aegon in the back, forcing him to watch. "Watch and see what happens when you don't recognize your mistakes."
Cannibal roared, its pupils locked onto Sunfyre, a cruel grin spreading across its muzzle. Sunfyre was its prey, a delicacy. It had been a long time since Cannibal had tasted its own kind, and it was eager for a bite.
The next moment, Cannibal's claw lifted, and it lowered its head, teeth sinking into Sunfyre's neck.
"No! It's going to eat Sunfyre!" Aemond, watching from the sidelines, collapsed in fear.
(Word count: 1013)