The blood drops, bright red like jade, dripped into the cracks on the surface of the compass stone. They quickly spread out, covering the stone plate with a spider web-like layer of blood red.
Hum
The compass absorbed the blood, and the spider web bloomed with red light. The surface of the stone body crumbled and fell off inch by inch. In front of Rhaegar, it metamorphosed into a simple gray disc at a speed visible to the naked eye. The difference between the disc and the stone plate was not significant, except that it looked newer. The inscriptions and dragon patterns on the surface were so vivid that they seemed to dance when no one was looking.
The blood-red spider web had turned into blood vessels, intertwined with the dragon patterns. A needle was embedded in the center of the disc, and its point, missing a corner, swayed slightly, pointing to each of the dragon patterns.
Rhaegar examined the compass closely and tried to move the needle. A system prompt sounded in his ear.
"Congratulations, the treasure of the Seer has been activated, and you have obtained..."
[Dragon Compass]
Level: Epic (Purple)
Function: Breathe in the dragon's breath and find the disobedient partner.
Comment: "A high-end dragon taming tool, the life's work of a Seer."
The disc was officially named, and the stone crumbs floated down, turning into dust and blending into the earth. Rhaegar held the disc in his hands, his mind momentarily blank.
"Dragon compass, dragon taming tool." The words entered his mind and immediately took high priority. Rhaegar was overjoyed and couldn't help but grin. "I was just looking for a dragon, and now I have a way to find it without any trouble."
Dragon-taming tools are extremely precious, each one worth a fortune. A relic used to track down a dragon's trail is a treasure from heaven.
"Roar!"
Just as he was about to activate the compass, a roar like a thunderclap spread across half of Dragonstone. A gust of wind blew through the Stone Drum Tower, causing the entire castle to hum like a drum.
Clatter...
Dust fell from the ceiling, and Rhaegar felt his eardrums shake and his head spin. He reached out to embrace the dark dragon egg and rose unsteadily to his feet.
"The roar of the Cannibal," Rhaegar muttered, his heart racing. Fortunately, the dragon's roar disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Rhaegar quickly stored the black dragon egg and grabbed Vigilance and the compass. The greenhouse was built into the mountain, so there was no need to worry about the dragon eggs being destroyed.
Buzz
As soon as he ran out of the closed stone door, the compass emitted a faint halo of light.
Rhaegar checked it immediately, sensing something strange. The needle on the compass spun rapidly, searching for a dragon pattern on its surface.
Ding!
The needle suddenly stopped, covered with cobweb-like blood-red veins, pointing to the first young dragon pattern. The carving of the young dragon was small, its fangs and claws in a fierce display. The dragon's head, with its dorsal fin turned sideways, had a single vertical pupil full of panic and fear. Surrounded by other dragon patterns, it looked like it was struggling in vain, desperately trying to escape.
"Where is the young dragon?" Rhaegar stared at the compass, his brain working overtime. There had to be a reason why the compass was pointing in this direction.
Buzz
The needle began to spin again, and the red web on the surface of the compass glowed brightly. Eventually, it turned into a red beam and attached itself to the needle.
Click!
The compass made a small sound, and the needle stopped at the pattern of a dragon returning to its nest. Rhaegar's pupils narrowed as he immediately realized the key factor.
"Dragonstone, the young dragon!"
In all of Westeros and the continent of Essos, the only place that could be called a dragon's nest was Dragonmount, the dormant volcano.
"Cannibal is chasing the young dragons," Rhaegar muttered, a wild grin spreading across his face. He quickened his pace, eager to find the baby dragon.
Without another word, he headed straight for the nest.
...
Meanwhile, on Dragonmont
A towering active volcano stood in the center of the island, with barren mountains extending for more than ten miles to the east and west. Within a radius of tens of miles, the landscape was jagged with rocks.
"Roar..."
A black and red dragon shadow flashed past, accompanied by a shrill cry. The dragon flew swiftly, its red wings flapping and leaving a trail of shadows. It dove into the clouds and disappeared into the dense jungle, moving like a large bird.
"Roar..."
Suddenly, a deep, thunderous roar crashed through the wind, dominating the landscape.
Chirp, chirp...
Birds in the jungle were startled, and small animals scattered, as if a natural disaster had struck.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew through, making the leaves dance wildly. The sky darkened.
"Roar..."
A young black and red dragon looked up in panic, its pupils wide with fear.
Above the jungle, a massive black dragon, as large as a mountain, with wings that covered the sky, soared through the air.
Tick-tock!
A drop of foul-smelling dragon saliva fell, hitting the branch of a towering ancient tree.
Zilala...
The branch rotted instantly, emitting white smoke. The rot spread throughout the ancient tree, stripping off a layer of bark and turning it into a bare, dead husk.
Cannibal's pupils were cold and indifferent, with a hint of madness and cunning, like a killing machine with its own consciousness. It reveled in the hunt.
"Roar..."
The young black and red dragon screamed in agony. A drop of hot dragon saliva had stained one of its wings, and it struggled to crawl away. Its body rolled on the moist soil, its scales scraping against the mud and stones, leaving behind a trail of scars. A shallow furrow was plowed into the ground.
The young dragon lay on the ground, dejected and low-pitched, trying to flap its wings. After a long effort, it realized something was wrong. It held up both wings, inspecting them.
One wing was intact, only a little dusty. The other wing had a fist-sized hole in it.
"Gah!"
The young dragon widened its pupils and screamed in alarm. It was small, about the size of an ordinary dog. Its body was covered in black scales, with red dorsal fins on its neck and tail, and bright blood-red wing membranes. The dragon's head was not fierce, but its horned crown was magnificent. Its white fangs and strange amber pupils formed a striking combination.
If Viserys were here at this moment, he would exclaim at the sight of this wild young dragon, "Balerion has returned!" This young dragon resembled the fallen Black Dread and the Cannibal, another black dragon.
"Roar..."
Suddenly, a strong smell of ash wafted through the air, and a huge shadow completely covered the sky above the jungle.
"Roar?"
The young dragon froze, lifting its head slowly and mechanically. Its amber pupils filled with fear as they stared at the giant beast above them.
Dark scales, cold eyes, and an unparalleled murderous aura...
"Roar..."
A low growl emanated from the depths of the giant dragon's throat, enough to scare away the weakest of beasts.
The young black and red dragon froze for a moment, helplessly raising its wings and hugging itself. The sky was like a night curtain, blocking out all the sunlight. All that could be seen were two ghostly, green pupils staring intently at it.
...
The Stone Drum Tower
"Prince, be careful!" Castellan Robert panted heavily as he chased Rhaegar out of the castle gates. A group of guards followed closely behind.
"Don't worry about me. Tighten the news blockade along the coastline!" Rhaegar, holding a compass in his hand, ran excitedly.
Within a few steps, he reached the stone steps and bridge. The sea of clouds around him moved constantly, listening to the rhythm of the wind and waves. He glanced down at the compass, watching the needle spin wildly. Each time it stopped, it pointed to Dragonmont behind the bridge.
"A young dragon in the wild, don't run away," Rhaegar muttered, overjoyed as he followed the compass's guidance. He predicted that the young dragon would appear on Dragonstone. Cannibal's strange behavior was likely due to it hunting the wandering young dragon.
"Don't become an appetizer for the Cannibal!" Knowing the Cannibal's cruel nature, Rhaegar sped up, praying silently. He hoped he would be the first to arrive or that the young dragon would be fortunate enough to evade the Cannibal.
Roar!
As if on cue, a wave of turbulent clouds appeared, hiding a gray dragon shadow within. Rhaegar caught a glimpse and smiled. "Grey Ghost, come out!"
There was only one dragon with gray scales in all of Westeros.
Roar!
Hearing the familiar call, Grey Ghost poked its head out of the clouds, looking around suspiciously. Rhaegar stopped, opened his arms wide, and smiled. "Don't look, I'm alone."
Roar~
Grey Ghost lowered its head, disappointed, and slowly emerged from the clouds, its well-proportioned body descending gracefully.
Bang
The slender body crouched low, stretching out a pair of large, thin, flexible dragon wings.
"Good friend, help me," Rhaegar asked. "The journey is too far. Take me for a ride." The Stone Drum Tower was at least ten kilometers from Dragonmont. Climbing the stone staircase and bridge would be a long trek on foot, and the young dragon might not survive the wait.
Roar!
Gray Ghost did not refuse. With a long, grumpy neck, it offered Rhaegar a ride on its back. The dragon's nest at God's Eye Lake had become too boring, so it had sneaked back to Dragonstone. It smelled the dragon's food and came to see Rhaegar and his baby. Sadly, the baby was not there.
Rhaegar climbed onto the dragon's back and patted its delicate scales. "When my baby grows up, if you like him, you can take him to the sky."
Roar~
Gray Ghost snorted and looked back at him suspiciously. Rhaegar, with his thick skin, continued to paint a grand picture. "You are so beautiful and children will love you."
Roar!
Upon hearing this, Grey Ghost immediately became more spirited, holding its head high to show off its posture. It wasn't ugly; its appearance was quite impressive, certainly more so than the Sheepstealer's ugliness and the Cannibal's horror.
Rhaegar, suppressing his uneasy conscience, urged, "Hurry up, we're going to save a baby dragon, just like I saved you."
Roar!
When Grey Ghost heard that the DragoneaterCannibal was after a young dragon, it became unhappy and took off in a hurry. Rhaegar adjusted his position, embracing the cool dragon's neck. Grey Ghost's faith was strong, and its flying speed continued to increase. The dragon's body, already slender, looked like a shuttle at high speeds, expertly controlled by its wings.
...
In the blink of an eye,
The man and dragon leapt over the stone steps and bridge, arriving at the dense jungle in the inner reaches of Dragonmont.
"Roar!"
The Grey Ghost let out a shrill cry, sniffing the strong smell of ash, and landed warily in an open area.
Rhaegar picked up the compass and spotted a pool of blood on the ground. He jumped off the dragon's back and rubbed a piece of blood-stained dirt between his fingers. The smell was strong, and the soil was still warm, proving that the young dragon had indeed been there and was injured.
Rhaegar looked around, seeing no traces of the Cannibal's footprints. He smiled. "You're so big, Cannibal, it must be hard for you to catch small things."
Cannibal was enormous, with a head and tail more than 140 meters long. A baby dragon was only about a meter long at most, making it difficult to catch in such a confined space.
"Roar!"
The Grey Ghost spread its wings, hopping up and down, pointing its tail at the towering Dragonmont. It had smelled it—the scent of the dragon was drifting in the air.
Rhaegar did not hesitate and jumped onto the dragon's back. "Grey Ghost, pick up the pace."
The young dragon had escaped for the time being, but that didn't mean it would survive. The Cannibal was a big, bad dragon with a terrible temper. He not only coveted the eggs and bodies of his own kind but also enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. The young dragon might not have died in the jungle, but it was very likely the Cannibal was playing a game of cat and mouse.
(Word count: 2,112)