(Aerion's POV)
"Soves!" I commanded Vermithor
Vemithor launched himself into the air, taking flight, as I sheathed my sword and focused my sight on the black dragon, slowly disappearing into the clouds and mist.
The bronze grouch let out a loud roar as it rapidly flew behind it, shaking his head as he growled viciously.
I took hold of the saddle handles, feeling the moisture of the clouds as we flew past them. Far ahead, I saw the massive dragon's figure, letting out its own roar. Vermithor was quick for his size, not as fast as Meleys but fast enough to not be left behind by whatever this one is.
"Was that a wild dragon?" I said aloud, "I don't recognize it...pitch-black scales...."
The only wild dragons I've seen are that stupid grey one with white stripes that liked to fly close to the castle and the other grey one that quickly flew away. They're not as big as this one, though.... reports stated of different-sized and colored wild dragons but none stated something like this.
Its eyes were glowing too, green. Never seen anything like it.
Vermithor roared as we approached the massive shadow.
I steered him upwards as he picked up more speed, getting a height advantage on the beast. Vermithor quickly flew above it as we all passed through the clouds.
It let out a roar as it looked up, giving us a glare, its glowing green eye piercing the both of us. I felt the entirety of Vermithor's body shake tremendously; it was due to anger. I don't know why, but this dragon's mere presence was angering the Bronze Fury.
I saw as the dragon slightly opened its maw, a glow of green.
I widened my eyes, "Dragonfire..." I muttered
"
As Vermithor maneuvered to the left, I watched as the dragon opened it's maw and a massive stream of green flames erupted from it and singed right past us. The heat of it was unreal, we were several meters away and I felt as if my clothes were burned right off.
Vermithor's flames were hot, the hottest I've felt ever; granted, I've only been near Syrax's and Sunfyre's flames but still, Vermithor's flames put theirs to shame. Vhagar may be a contender, being an older dragon and once fighting alongside Balerion but this one.....
My entire body felt like it wanted to melt just by being near it.
I watched as the flames dissipated, the black dragon roaring in what sounded in annoyance that we weren't burnt to a crisp.
"Tch!" I glared at it, "You think you can do that and get away with it?"
"Dracarys, Vermithos!!"
Vermithor reared his head up and then pointed it down, opening his maw as a massive stream of flames erupted right down at the dragon as we flew above it.
The Dragon then instantly stopped its flight as it jerked its massive body backward, it's sudden attempt to avoid the Dragonfire. I watched as it flapped it's massive dark wings to keep itself in the air, letting out a roar as it ascended higher.
It avoided our attack as we avoided its attack. For some reason, it did not seem interested in prolonging the battle. It then shifted its course to its left, trying to fly back the direction we came from.
I steered Vermithor to circle around, trying to fly straight at it.
'It's angering you, isn't it?" I said in high valyrian, ""Eh, Old Boy?"
Vermithor roared as he flapped his wings, making our way towards him, breaking through the clouds.
"It is not getting away." I said, "You know what to do. It is about time we get some action."
Vermithor roared yet again as he urged his entire body forward and upwards, chasing the black dragon.
I saw as we got closer, it glanced back, its glowing eye looking straight at me. It let out another roar as if it was warning us not to continue our attack.
I don't know why we were pursuing it, truly. It did not attack us at first, drawing fire when it probably felt threatened. But there was something off about that dragon and Vermithor knew it too. It was because Vermithor felt incredibly threatened that I felt the need to do something about it and Vermithor felt that instinct as well.
It was dangerous. Maybe it wouldn't attack us now....but what about later? What if like the other annoying one, this one decides to get closer to the castle and raze our walls with its intense green flames? One demonstration is all I needed to know that I was not going to take any chances.
But was I wise to do this? Chasing a large dragon atop Vermithor in the skies? Knowing damn well that one wrong move and being caught in its flames would mean death, why did I not retreat?
I don't know, but I will do it regardless.
"Vermithos, Forward!" I said as we got closer to it
Suddenly, I heard another roar from our side.
"What?" I looked to the right and saw a quick shadow shoot straight for the black one
The black dragon dipped down to avoid a figure attempt to crash against it.
"Whoa!" I said as I steered Vermithor to the side and above to avoid that as well
I heard another dragon's roar as I looked down, seeing a bright green dragon flying around the black one as it hit it with its breath.
I narrowed my eyes, "Is that Vermax?" I said
I focused my eyes, it was not. Vermax did not have a bright set of purple horns. Also, this one was much larger than Jace's mount. It was another wild one, one that I have not encountered yet.
Vermithor growled, as if he was annoyed by the sudden emergence of another wild dragon.
I saw as the black one then immediately maneuvered itself to attack the green dragon, it's massive maw chomping down on the green dragon's wings and easily ripping it off.
The Green Dragon shrieked in pain as Vermithor and I watched from a distance above them.
I saw that as the green one began to fall, the black one caught it with its massive claws, tossing it back up into it's maw as it flapped its massive wings, staying in the air.
I had a look of bewilderment as the black dragon began to chew the green one in its mouth, swallowing it as blood and bone fell below it.
"What the actual fuck...." I said as Vermithor glided in a circle, "It....."
"It cannibalized it?"
**************************************************
"What happened to you??" Rhaenyra said as I walked over to the wooden locker full of weapons, "Aerion!"
I had made my way to the armory wing of the castle, going straight for the room that contained the spears and polearms.
I took off my slightly charred shirt and tossed it on the table next to me, "You would not believe me if I told you." I said as I patted my chest and stomach, "Something horrifying flies the skies above Dragonstone. I have to get rid of it or it'll become a danger to us."
I opened the locker and saw several spears that were hanging there, a bit of webs littered all over the steel. These things have not been used in such a long time.
"What?" She said as she walked up to me, "What did you see? What happened to your clothes? Are you okay?"
"I am fine." I said as I grabbed some spears, "I have to sharpen these....."
"Would you care to explain what you saw?" She asked as I walked past her and towards the table, "Aerion...."
She walked over to me as I began to wipe the spears with a rag, cleaning the dust off. She gently grabbed my arm as she looked at me.
"A Dragon." I said
"T-There's dragons all over Dragonstone." She said with a frown, "A Wild One? I don't understand, you've never acted like this with wild dragons..."
I looked at her, "This one is different...it was larger than all the other wild ones." I said seriously, "It....there was an odd feeling from it....Rhaenyra, it was pitch-black...like the darkness....its eyes were green, glowing brightly...so brightly that I could see it through the clouds as it set its gaze on us. Its flames, Rhaenyra, Vermithor and I were dozens of meters from it and the green flames still did that to my clothes...."
"W-What?" She said with surprise, "I..."
"I'm not lying." I said as I went back to cleaning the rag, "I...I almost got melted, at least I felt like I was melting. Luckily Vermithor shrugged it off, he didn't care. But this thing is dangerous, Rhaenyra...."
"How dangerous could it be?" She asked as she moved my chin to look at her, "Aerion, calm down....how about some rest, okay? You have been gone a long time."
"No, I have to get back out there." I said, "After Vermithor eats, we'll take back to the skies and patrol the mountains. The Bronze Fury has unfinished business...."
"Husband." She said as she patted my bare shoulders, "I am serious."
"So am I." I replied, "This thing.....it could harm us in ways we will not recover from."
"How so?" She said, "Wild dragons have not been an issue to us, why would they be now?"
"Rhaenyra...." I gave her a serious stare, "This one...."
"It eats dragons."