Vhagar felt a pain it had not experienced in years. Its old body struggled to support the extra movement, its large wings flapping desperately. Its chest heaved, nearly causing it to fall from the sky.
"Vhagar!" Laena was shocked, unable to believe that the old dragon was hurt. The feeling of weightlessness made her light-headed, proving the reality of the situation.
"Roar..." Vhagar flew higher, ignoring the blood spilling from its body to maintain balance.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, several streams of water struck again. Vhagar's pupils dilated in panic. With its extensive battlefield experience, it dodged left and right.
Pop!
The dragon's tail whipped back, sending a spray of water flying. Laena, still processing the attack, shouted, "Vhagar, soar!"
No matter how powerful an attack, there was always a certain distance.
Sniffing the scent of dragon blood after a long absence, Vhagar ignored the rider's commands and dove toward the source of the attack.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Water arrows and scorpion bolts fired in unison.
"Roar..." Vhagar unleashed a torrent of Dragonfire, burning everything in its path. Its massive body swayed, dragon wings blocking out the sun and moon, breaking through black smoke to reveal the gaping maw of the abyss.
In this moment, the old dragon showed its true power, living up to its name as the godness of war.
Crack!
A mast snapped, and an entire ship was overturned by the dragon. Vhagar ignored it, tearing the planking of a warship with its claws and using the momentum to take off.
Boom!
Black smoke obscured the view, dragonfire burning the warships. The fleet, unable to target Vhagar, was pursued by the old dragon and nearly collapsed.
Pop!
Suddenly, a jet of water pierced through the black smoke, shooting through one of Vhagar's wing membranes.
"Vhagar, don't be impulsive!" Laena shouted,panic rising as she sensed the dragon losing control.
As expected, Vhagar was completely enraged.
"Roar..." The old dragon let out a roar thatreverberated for hundreds of miles.
...
On one of the enemy ships, below deck, an old man in a gray robe knelt, his hands immersed in a wooden bucket filled with seawater. His face was haggard, and each time his fingers movedthrough the water, cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Vagana, Rhoynar Mother..." he chanted, intoning an ancient incantation in praise of the Rhoyne, revered as the "Mother."
Drip, drip, drip...
The water in the wooden bucket began to boil, spilling onto the deck and flowing into the surging sea.
...
Vhagar was in a frenzy.
The massive dragon, a hundred meters in length, glided slowly over the turbulent sea, spewing fire indiscriminately at the enemy ships below.
"No, no, no..."
Laena maneuvered deftly, dodging steel spears, her back drenched in sweat. "Vhagar, obey!" she commanded.
But the dragon, overtaken by madness, paid no heed.
"Roar..."
With a mighty roar, Vhagar shattered a barrage of incoming spears, chasing the currents, his breath a deadly stream of fire. Yet, something unusual occurred. Whenever the dragon targeted a flowing water surface, new streams emerged mysteriously from elsewhere.
Pop!
Suddenly, a rogue spear soared through the air, striking the ancient dragon's exposed chest wound.
Splash!
Lacking scale protection, the spear buried deep into his bone, unleashing a torrent of dragon's blood.
The blood poured like rain, scorching those unfortunate enough to be beneath, their cries ending abruptly as they turned to desiccated husks.
Weakened by its injuries, Vhagar's strengthebbed.
"Laena, run!" Rhaenys, witnessing the dire situation, called out for her daughter to fall back.
"Roar!"
Elsewhere, Meleys unleashed its own fury,spitting fire and weaving agilely between the enemy ships, dodging the deadly precision of the steel spears. Its scales, hardened from years in its prime, resisted the deadly sting of scorpion crossbows—though each broken scale was a grave loss.
From afar, Laena could barely hear her mother's frantic cries, lost in the chaos. The once-controllable dragon now thrashed wildly under her. Heart racing, she anchored herself by digging her heels into the saddle's chains, desperate to regain control. "Vhagar, halt!"
"Roar..."
Unhearing, Vhagar continued its assault, igniting ship after ship. A sudden swell caught it off-guard.
Pop!
A chunk of scales from its underbelly detached, revealing yet another vulnerability.
On the other side, the Sea Snake boarded an enemy ship, slashing and hacking at the enemy with his curved blade. Suddenly, he heard his wife and daughter screaming and instinctively looked up.
Zila!
Distracted for a moment, he was stabbed in the chest, causing sparks to fly.
Swish!
Before the Sea Snake could react, another knife cut across his neck.
Sea battles are different from land battles. Infantry and cavalry are heavily armored with all-around protection, with throat armor covering their throats and protective gear for their eyes. Naval battles prioritize being light and mobile; if you fall into the water, you can still save yourself. The Sea Snake, a conceited old sailor, found the throat and face armor cumbersome.
Pop!
A horizontal cut across his throat made his skin feel a sharp pain. The Sea Snake's eyes widened as he summoned all his strength to desperately throw himself backward. A drop of blood oozed out, forming a blood line on his neck.
Plop!
The wound stung to the bone, and he stumbled and fell into the sea.
"My Lord!"
"Lord Corlys!"
The sailors were stunned and cried out in grief.
"I'll go!"
A young but determined voice was heard, and everyone saw a silver-haired figure leap into the sea, swimming towards the Sea Snake who had fallen into the water. But it failed to restore the morale of the crew after the loss of their captain. The sailors on the dozen or so vanguard ships led by the Sea Snake panicked and began to think about running away.
Looking up, they saw two dragons soaring in the sky, but they were held back by enemy firepower. A sense of oppression spread.
"Roar..."
At this moment, a piercing dragon roar erupted. Some looked up and saw a cobalt blue dragon rushing at them at high speed.
Daeron leaned forward, his silver hair flying in the wind, and shouted urgently, "Dracarys!"
Tessarion shot like a blue beam of light into the enemy ships' encirclement, and the cobalt blue Dragonfire surged.
"Shoot the dragon!" someone yelled, mobilizing the scorpion crossbows, aiming at the third dragon that had suddenly appeared.
"Don't worry about them. Burn the sails!" Daeron commanded, clear-headed and never lingering in a fight.
Tessarion's pupils flashed with arrogance as it leapt up and down with great agility, ignoring the scorpion crossbows. The advantage of being small was fully brought into play.
A fleet of more than a dozen warships emerged from the side, beginning to encircle the Volantis fleet, which was now in complete disarray. The situation was suddenly reversed.
Rhaenys swooped down on the enemy ships, repeatedly bombing them, shouting, "Meleys, burn them all!"
Before they knew it, the limitations of the scorpion crossbows disappeared. Even the unpredictable currents of the sea were silenced by the enemy's defeat.
Vhagar remained suspended in the air, its massive body covering half the sky and casting a shadow over the surrounding waters.
"Roar..."
Dragonfire and black smoke raged, burning the enemy's remains.
...
Time passes slowly. It is late afternoon, and the sun is setting. The wreckage of the ships burns, staining the sea red with blood. Three dragons slowly circle overhead as the fleet bearing the seahorse flag gathers in one place.
Sea Snake's cabin.
Thump, thump, thump...
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed as the cabin door was pushed open. Daeron, looking anxious, asked, "How is Lord Corlys?"
A bed was laid out, and the Sea Snake lay there, pale and bloodless. Rhaenys and Laena stood by the bed, their eyes filled with worry.
Daeron saw a bandage wrapped around the Sea Snake's neck and said with concern, "Lord Corlys, he..."
He had been ordered to flank the enemy and had just burned their ships to the ground. As soon as he boarded the ship, he heard the news that the Sea Snake was seriously injured and in a coma. The news hit him like a bolt from the blue, just as the battle had begun.
Rhaenys placed a hand on her forehead and shook her head. "Don't worry. The wound didn't cut an artery. The Maester said he can still be saved."
Daeron hesitated for a moment but then reluctantly shut up. If it didn't cut the artery, it must have cut his throat. In any case, it was a serious injury.
Rhaenys sighed and turned her attention to Laena, asking, "How did Vhagar suddenly lose control?"
If it weren't for Vhagar's almost indiscriminate attack, there wouldn't have been any trouble.
Laena lowered her head in self-reproach and said, "Vhagar was injured and angered by a Water Wizard's sneak attack."
"Water Wizard?"
Rhaenys was stunned and asked, "The Water Wizards of Rhoynar, who has long been lost to history!?"
Hundreds of years ago, the Freehold Empire invaded the Rhoyne River Basin. Three Dragonlords were killed by a water tornado controlled by the Rhoynar Water Wizard. The aftermath of this incident triggered the mobilization of 300 Dragonlords, who burned the Rhoyne River dry.
Since then, the Water Wizards have disappeared. Even when Nymeria, the Warrior Queen of Rhoynar, sailed across the sea with her army, there was no record of any Water Wizards accompanying her.
Laena nodded and said in a low voice, "When I traveled with Daemon to the Free Cities, I heard rumors of water wizards in Asshai."
The couple had considered traveling to Asshai, but the journey was too long, even for a dragon. Asshai itself was also full of dangers, and they abandoned the idea. Who would have thought that there would be a water wizard today, one capable of injuring Vhagar, one of the strongest dragons?
Daeron was stunned and asked, "If Vhagar can be injured, why didn't the opponent attack Meleys?"
"He couldn't hit her," Rhaenys replied flatly, glancing at her nephew.
Laena added regretfully, "Vhagar is too slow, and in the eyes of the enemy, it's a sitting target."
Rhaenys looked at her daughter and then at her husband, who was seriously injured. She made a decision on the spot: "Laena, take a ship back to Lys and find Helaena to treat your father."
Rhaegar had mastered mysterious magics, one for defense and one for healing. This was no secret within the royal family, which studied binding spells. Helaena and Rhaenyra had both studied more advanced magic, although Rhaenyra's pregnancy had slowed her progress. Helaena, however, was gifted and already able to heal the injured.
Laena immediately looked up, "Why not send a ship to escort Father?"
"No, you and Vhagar are no longer fit for battle," Rhaenys rejected the idea, still hearing Vhagar's roar outside. The old dragon could still get out of control.
Laena wanted to object, but it was useless. She thought to herself, it was all the fault of that despicable water wizard. The main fleet of Volantis was burned to the ground, and the naval forces were completely annihilated. They had achieved a great victory, crippling Volantis' ability to send a single ship to sea. But the water wizard seemed to have vanished. All the ships were burned, and the prisoners were all killed, but they couldn't find a trace of him.
The mother and daughter discussed their strategy, while Daeron, standing at the door, was deep in thought. After a long time, he suddenly said, "We were attacked by a water wizard of Rhoynar. What about my brother?"
Rhaenys and Laena were both filled with renewed urgency. If there were water wizards lurking in the naval battle, how could the main city of Volantis not be on guard?
Rhaenys calmed herself and hurried to the table to write: "Notify the Maester and immediately send a raven to inquire about the main battlefield."
...
At the same time...
"Roar!"
Cannibal roamed the battlefield, its black wings casting a shadow over the turbulent river, incinerating hundreds of small boats on the surface. The wide river split the battlefield in two. The small boats, packed with Volantis mercenaries, rained arrows down on the Knights of the Vale as they attempted to cross.
The Knights of the Vale, constrained on their large ships, found their strength greatly limited.
Pop!
Rhaegar clenched his teeth as he pulled a shard of ice from his shoulder, staining his white linen robe red. A hum resonated as the Bronze rune activated, covering his body with blue rune scales resembling dragon scales. His only injury was on his shoulder, where a large hole had been torn in the dragon scales, and the surrounding area was unstable.
Rhaegar exhaled deeply, using the Serpent rune to heal the wound. Looking down, he saw the river below filled with green fire.
"Roar..."
Bloodwyrm soared above, scorching and destroying the small boats that dared resist. The river, called the Rhoyne, was a crucialbattleground.
Three thousand Knights of the Vale had set out from Myr, traversing the Disputed Lands to reach the river. The Rhoyne flowed through the continent, dividing Volantis on the other side. There were several towns north of Volantis. Rhaegar had captured the town of Volon Therys on the west side of the Rhoyne in half a day. However, when he attempted to cross the river to attack Sar Mell, he encountered fierce resistance and was injured by a sudden torrent of water.
(Word count: 2,249)