"Idiot, what the hell are you doing!?"
The moment the ugly dragon appeared, a familiar scolding rang out.
"Aemond?" Alicent's eyes widened in astonishment as she searched for her child. When Rhaegar executed Grand Maester Mellos, Aemond was believed to be hiding in his room, but now he was on the back of a wild dragon.
"Roar..." Sheepstealer threw back its head and roared, its dry body twisting and spinning mid-air to shake off the noisy silver-haired boy on its back.
On the edge of the cliff, Rhaenyra and Viserys stood hand in hand, watching the spectacle.
"My boy, thanks to you tonight," Viserys said, looking at his eldest son with relief. If it wasn't for Rhaegar's timely intervention with his dragon, taming Vermithor would have been much harder.
"Father, things are far from over," Rhaegar replied, glancing meaningfully at Sheepstealer in mid-air. "It looks like our family's dragon riders are about to increase again."
"Aemond is a good boy, tough and brave," Viserys said with a smile. All six of his children had become dragon riders, a point of pride for him. Even during his grandfather Jaehaerys's time, only three of thirteen children became dragon riders.
"Roar..." Sheepstealer playfully flew over the cliff edge, his vertical pupils scrutinizing Cannibal and Vermithor, hovering as if in no hurry to land.
Aemond, in a sorry state on Sheepstealer's back, shouted with his eyes closed, "Stupid dragon, put me down!!!" His shawl-length hair covered his cheeks, and there was nothing left in his stomach to vomit.
Hearing her child's shouts, Alicent was instantly alarmed and called out eagerly, "Aemond, are you okay?!"
Aemond looked up at the sound, ruffled his messy hair, and realized that his father, mother, and siblings were all watching from below. Mortified, he covered his face and yelled, "Damn it, you're all seeing this!"
At that moment, Alicent's shocked and angry voice came from below, "Aemond! Who allowed you to climb onto the back of a wild dragon?"
Aemond said nothing, lying on Sheepstealer's back and pretending to be dead.
"Roar..." Sheepstealer glanced back at him and let out a roar of annoyance. If you want to ride, you have to be brave, not cower.
Confirming that the two adult dragons below did not show any hostility, Sheepstealer flapped his wings and landed, stopping in the open space between them.
"Roar..." Vermithor glanced at them with his vertical pupils before turning away disinterestedly.
On the other side, Cannibal changed his posture and lazily closed his eyes, finding the sight redundant. A rotten dragon that only poached livestock wasn't worth his attention.
"Roar..." Sheepstealer, oblivious, spread his wings and struck a majestic pose among the group of dragons. Born wild, he hadn't had much contact with other dragons and considered his physique quite impressive.
"Stupid dragon, put me down or I'll let Cannibal eat you!" Aemond hung helplessly from Sheepstealer's neck, warning sharply and angrily. He swore he was really close to falling.
"Oh, gods."
Viserys paled and tried to run over to catch his third son.
Rhaegar reached out to stop him and said seriously, "Don't worry. Since the Sheepstealer let Aemond ride on its back, he's in no danger."
Although the relationship between Aemond and the Sheepstealer looked strange and not quite harmonious, a dragon was a dragon. Once it accepted a rider, it would do everything in its power to protect them.
"Roar..."
After shaking for a while and seeing that no other dragon paid attention to it, the Sheepstealer roared resentfully and lay down on the ground.
Aemond climbed off the dragon's back with limp arms and legs, staggering and dry-heaving.
"Aemond!" Alicent quickly stepped forward to check on her son.
"I'm fine," Aemond said, spitting out a mouthful of acid. He then amended, "Should be fine."
Rhaegar approached and smiled. "Aemond, congratulations on taming an adult dragon."
He looked at the indifferent Sheepstealer and didn't say anything to dampen Aemond's spirits. Despite its poor appearance, the Sheepstealer was a real dragon, with potential not inferior to Caraxes or Meleys.
"Aemond, you actually did tame a dragon!" Aegon exclaimed, strutting forward.
Aemond glanced at him and then looked away in silence. He didn't want to ride an ugly, rotten dragon and had been forced into the situation by the Sheepstealer.
Aegon squeezed past the worried Alicent and put both hands on Aemond's shoulders. "My dear old brother, why aren't you happy at all?"
"Aegon, it's not my dragon. I had planned to tame Vermithor or Silverwing," Aemond said, covering his face in frustration.
"Don't say that. I see it cares for you," Aegon replied, wrapping his arm around Aemond's shoulders and forcing him to look at the Sheepstealer. He then added, "Look, we've both got dragons."
He waved at Sunfyre in the distance, suppressing a laugh. "Sunfyre, come over and let me brother see you!"
"Aegon, what do you want?" Alicent's face sank slightly.
Aegon, full of concern, held Aemond firmly and said calmly, "We are both dragon riders so let's compare our dragons."
"Roar..."
Sunfyre roared, seeing the Sheepstealer comfortably settled in the center. He flapped his wings and flew over.
Aegon pointed at the landed Sunfyre and asked in an exaggerated manner, "Aemond, see these golden scales and pale pink wing membranes?"
"Yes, it's beautiful," Aemond responded, breathless.
He had guessed what Aegon was up to.
"That's right, a gorgeous golden dragon! The maesters of the Citadel say that Sunfyre is the most majestic and beautiful dragon ever!"
Aegon's words brimmed with pride. He then twisted his head to point at the wagging tail of the Sheepstealer and pretended to comment with admiration, "Aemond, you are truly my brother, taming dragons but seeking the other extreme, choosing this one..."
"Oh, no. I mean, that dragon looks like a piece of shit!"
As he spoke his true thoughts, Aegon could no longer hold back his laughter. Laughing uproariously, he slapped Aemond's shoulder recklessly. "Hahaha, a Shit Dragon!"
Aegon's tears nearly came out from laughing so hard, completely disregarding his brother's feelings.
"Aegon, put away your useless mockery. Your brother is lucky to be back safe and sound!" Alicent, their mother, could not stand to hear it and pushed the debonair Aegon away, sternly admonishing him with a face full of anger.
"Mother, it was just a little joke between brothers," Aegon defended himself indifferently.
"You! ..." Alicent was furious.
"Mother, forget it," Aemond interrupted in a low voice. "I will find a real dragon and prove myself to everyone."
"Don't be silly, you should be happy to have any dragon looking at you," Aegon couldn't stop snickering, inserting another knife.
"Roar..."
Sunfyre, seeing the ugly Sheepstealer, raised its head condescendingly, flaunting its wings and flapping them.
With both Aegon and Sunfyre taunting him, Aemond's fragile resolve shattered. His face contorted with anger as he pushed Aegon away, roaring, "Aegon! It's not my dragon, and I will tame one that fits my status!"
The conflict escalated rapidly, taking everyone by surprise. Rhaegar and the others were still on the sidelines when the brothers erupted into a full-blown fight.
"You bastard, how dare you push me!" Aegon nearly fell over, then backhandedly yanked on Aemond's collar, glaring. "You came back riding this rotten dragon, and it's your dragon."
"So what? That's no reason for you to mock me endlessly!" Aemond shot back without showing any weakness.
"There's nothing unspeakable in the world," Aegon sneered.
"Aegon, release your brother," Alicent commanded.
"Let go of Aemond..." Helaena and young Daeron, who had been close by, were the first to intervene, one shielding Aemond and the other trying to shove Aegon's leg. The altercation escalated instantly.
"Roar..."
Seeing that its rider was surrounded, Sunfyre's eyes showed a fierce light as it gradually bared its fangs.
"Aegon, you've been mocking me. You should apologize!"
"I'm just telling the truth. It is you, the coward, who lies to yourself."
"..."
The chaos continued as Aegon and Aemond turned on each other, pushing and shoving violently.
"Aegon, Aemond, stop this at once!" Viserys rushed over, trying to separate his two sons.
But the brothers were too consumed by their quarrel to heed his words.
"Roar..."
The commotion drew the Sheepstealer's attention. The ragged dragon cocked his head, looking east and west in surprise.
Was the silver-haired child being held hostage?
"Roar..."
Sunfyre crouched low, its vertical pupils cold as it issued a warning growl.
The Sheepstealer twisted its head, locking eyes with the golden dragon.
"Aegon, you're just a bully who picks on the weak," Aemond spat, his eyes red from the rough shoves.
"So what? The stronger is always right," Aegon replied, deliberately goading him.
"You'll regret this!" Aemond hissed.
"Roar..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a sharp dragon roar split the air, followed by a gust of wind and a cloud of dust.
Seizing the moment, the Sheepstealer pounced on Sunfyre without warning, its jaws clamping ruthlessly around the golden dragon's neck.
"Roar..."
Sunfyre, caught off guard, roared in fury. It struggled fiercely, sinking its teeth into the Sheepstealer's collarbone, tearing at the mud-encrusted scales.
There was a loud crack.
A large chunk of the Sheepstealer's mud-like cuticle was bitten off, revealing intact brown scales beneath.
Pfft...
The Sheepstealer retaliated swiftly, its fangs closing to tear a small piece of flesh. Its thick brown wings pummeled Sunfyre's skull, and it managed to bite into a section of the golden dragon's lower ribs.
With lightning speed, the two dragons, one brown and one gold, became locked in a frantic tussle.
The Sheepstealer, much older and significantly larger, used its massive body to press Sunfyre into the ground, the size difference between them more than double.
(Word count: 1,619)