He was cold and tired, his eyes gritty with sleep from an
uncomfortable and brief rest overnight in the tiny holdfast, well really
a fortified tower house, of some piddling landed knight of House
Hayford. Hugh had driven then on relentlessly from the moment that
had left the army in the upper Reach, in a terrified rush to get to
Kings Landing as soon as possible. They had flown deep into dusk
and evening before their dragon's obvious exhaustion had forced
Hugh to find a place for them to put down for the night.
The village and its attendant Tower House had been spotted and
Hugh had dived them down into the gathering darkness, the sky was
overcast and there was no moon, by the time they landed all around
was bathed in a deep gloom. He wondered if rain or even snow
threatened, given how swollen the clouds had looked in the last light
of the day as they had descended towards the blackness below.
The Knight had been rather annoyed at them seeking admittance to
his so called keep, refusing to believe who they were, until Vermithor
had shuffled out of the darkness and let lose a small jet of flame
above the roof of the tower house. This sufficed to prove their bona
fides and the Knight was soon falling over himself to offer hospitality,
Hugh thanked the man but insisted that all they needed was some
food for them and the dragons, and somewhere to sleep, the
dragons would sleep in the fields outside the Tower House. Hugh
asked for guards to be posted and that none were to approach the
great beasts during their slumber, and that he and Addam were to be
woken at least two hours before dawn.
A hurried meal followed, with the Knight, his wife and his steward
apologizing constantly about the paucity of the fare being offered, to
which Hugh eventually silenced them by stating that he would hear
none of it and that their leal service to the Iron Throne would be
remembered and rewarded.
They had bedded down in a guest room Hugh refusing point blank to
take the rooms of the Knight and his family, and they had been
awoken as requested, they broke their fast hurriedly and then
returned to their dragons.
Both had been fed the night before, a cow each from the fire
bleached bones that he could see and they were in the air before
dawn had even broken fully, as they climbed up into the air the sun
could be seen more fully, peeping over the horizon to the east. The
day was clearer than it had been recently, about half the sky was
covered in clouds at varying altitudes, he noticed that he had
become much more attuned to the weather since he had started
flying Seasmoke.
He huddled deeper into his flying clothes, the air cutting at the
exposed parts of his face like knives, as in the distance Kings
Landing could be just made out, the Red Keep obvious atop Aegon's
Hill. From here it looked peaceful, but out of the corner of his eye he
saw Hugh gesturing at him, he read off the signal that Hugh was
sending, and he took out his Myrish far eye and used it to scan the
direction that Hugh was indicating.
After a few minutes of fruitless searching, he saw it, tiny even
through the far eye's lens, rows and rows of marching men, banners
flying above them. The armies of the Stormlands he knew, and if
Vhagar was not around, their primary target. He and Hugh had
conversed on this very subject that morning, discussing what to do in
the event of encountering Vhagar above the battlefield. Hugh had
stressed again and again that they only way to beat Vhagar was with
teamwork and by refusing to fight the type of battle that Vhagar
wanted to.
They would fly together, Hugh taking the 'lead' position and him
taking the 'wingman' position, his job was to stick with Hugh no
matter what, and not to be drawn away from Vermithor's side no
matter what.
Others might have bristled at this, at being ordered to take a
backseat to what was sure to be a fight of great glory and renown
down through the ages, but not him. He, he was more than prepared
to let Hugh lead on this, and for more than the obvious reasons that
he was utterly terrified.
During the days and days of training over Dragonstone he had seen
that the flying tactics Hugh had tried to drill into them were effective
and would ensure their survival against Vhagar and any other
dragon larger than their mounts.
Simply smashing into a bigger dragon and going claw to claw, fang
to fang with them was a folly Hugh had tried to drum into their heads,
and he had become convinced of this.
The two of them would use their better maneuverability to stay out of
the reach of Vhagars claws and teeth and instead they would use
their flames on the most vulnerable part of a dragon, its wings.
With this they hoped to bring down Vhagar without too much trouble,
but he knew that the odds were that one of them would not survive
this encounter, even if they downed Vhagar successfully.
As Hugh had pointed out, being a dragon rider was a hazardous
profession, and most were already dead, along with their dragons.
As they got closer Hugh kept them on a course straight for the city,
keeping high and not diving down to burn the Stormland troops who
were even now massing on the banks of the Blackwater Rush, a
perfect target to his mind.
Up ahead what could only be dragonfire erupted, it looked to be
coming from in and around the Dragonpit, several long gouts of
dragonfire swept the area around before ceasing, and Addam
wondered what that was all about.
He began to perspire despite the cold, something screaming in his
brain to turn back, to turn away from what was about to happen,
when he caught movement away over the city from the corner of his
eye. He snatched the Myrish far eye back to his face, jerking it back
and forth, frantically trying to find what he feared he had seen. And
he finally caught sight of what he had glimpsed as a mere tiny blur of
movement, Vhagar in all his terrible glory, just cresting the seaward
walls of Kings Landing.
He hoped Hugh had seen what he had just seen, he looked over,
Hugh was scanning the city with his far eye, and then he stopped,
keeping the far eye focused on one spot. He was sure he had also
saw Vhagar, a few seconds later Hugh confirmed this by making the
gestures for 'enemy dragon in sight, am engaging'.
They began descending, dragon fire once again lancing out, two
separate streams of fire, slashing back and forth above Kings
Landing. Hugh led them down and down, their dragons now well
used to the maneuvers that Hugh had trained them to be almost
instinctive, as they closed in the forms of Vhagar and Caraxes
twisted and turned through the sky before them, dangerously close
to the rooftops of Kings Landing, Vhagar's great tail dragging
through a swathe of buildings and toppling them into rubble, clouds
of pulverized brick and wood swirling in the huge dragons' wake.
As they angled down, banking around to keep the two other dragons
in sight Hugh pulled up and aborted his approach, pulling them into
the maneuver Hugh called the High Yo-Yo, Seasmoke shuddering
below him as he twisted his wings, neck and tail to follow Vermithor
through the sky above Kings Landing.
The two fighting dragons came into view ahead, Vhagar's finally
catching the Blood Wyrm and the two dragons crashed together,
claws and jaws slashing and snapping at each other in a savage
frenzy, gouts of blood and flesh arcing away from the two beasts as
they locked together, beginning to topple from the sky, seemingly
careless in their frenzy.
He was sure that Hugh would abort his attack, sure that Hugh would
probably pull up into another escape maneuver, maybe a break
followed by a pitchback. But no, Hugh did not pull out, boring in far
too close until Vermithor opened its maw and bathed both dragons in
its fire, Seasmoke also adding its flames to the pyre.
Their dragon's fire washed across the spinning, slashing and biting
mass that was Vhagar and Caraxes, splashing over their wings and
turning them to ash, Hugh pulling up at the last moment, Seasmoke
failing to avoid clipping one of the dragons with his wings.
His mount spun away, tumbling through the sky, terror gripping hum
until it finally righted itself just above some buildings that rose up
before his terrified face. A few hundred yards ahead the great bulk of
the entwinned dragons, spinning and thrashing, but still snapping
and gouging at each other, smashed into the Great Sept,
demolishing it in a giant explosion of brick, stone, and furious
dragons.
Seasmoke just about cleared the devastation, he saw great chunks
of the building go sailing through the air to crash all about,
demolishing other structures wherever they landed. Turning back the
two dragons continued to battle each other with unparalleled
savagery amidst the ruins of the Great Sept, Vermithor diving again
to deliver a great gout of dragon fire to smother both trashing beasts.
Several more times Vermithor did this, until the Great Sept was a
blazing ruin, and the two great dragons were still.
Hugh's dragon climbed up away from the pyre of its foes and he saw
its rider gesture for him to follow, which he did, despite sudden
shakes making his hands almost uncontrollable.
He followed Vermithor and its rider over the rooftops of Kings
Landing, as they made their way towards the Dragonpit, in the great
square1 before it that the Street of the Sister terminated in there was
a surging crowd. As they circled Hugh noticed that the square had
been subjected to dragonfire, its surface was partially melted, and
smoke and ash was still rising fitfully from it. What could only be a
carpet of charred bodies partially covered it, and some of the
buildings that surrounded the square were on fire, some even
partially collapsed.
Hugh led them on an orbit of the Dragonpit, the signal towers all
displaying the flags that spelt 'under attack', and as they came back
around Vermithor angled down, Seasmoke following instinctively.
Hugh's dragon let out a roar of pure rage and them flames poured
from its maw, Seasmoke adding its voice and then its flames to the
devastation.
The fire engulfed the crowd in the square, immolating it in a single
pass. The soared back up and circled back to view their dragon's
handiwork, from the direction of Flea Bottom crowds were surging up
the various switchback streets that lined the southeastern side of
Rhaenys's hill. Hugh kept them circling and climbing around and
above the Dragonpit, it was only when the mob started to pour out
onto the Square and into the wide street that surrounded the
Dragonpit, did they dive and unleash their dragon's flames.
Several times they had to do this until the mob finally dissipated,
Hugh flew them back and forth around the Dragonpit and even over
Flea Bottom to confirm that the threat to the Dragonpit was ended.
Satisfied Hugh led them across Kings Landing, heading for the Red
Keep, where the banners of Queen Rhaenyra still flew, Prince
Daemon not having bothered to change the colors of the Blacks. The
signal flags indicated all was well, so as they continued on he caught
a glimpse of the army of the Stormlands bunched up and forcing a
crossing of the Blackwater Rush,
Vermithor let out a terrible roar and they cleared the walls of Kings
Landing, a jet of flame issuing from his mouth to bathe the
Blackwater Rush in dragonfire, causing it to flash into boiling clouds
of steam.
Vermithor banked away, not crowing this sudden barrier, returning
again to direct its fire into the river, Seasmoke also copying its larger
cousin. He wondered what Hugh was doing until it dawned on him
Hugh was creating a barrier through which the potentially many
Scorpions on the other side could not shoot through. 'Clever' he
mused as the first of the boats emerged from the boiling, smoking
water, Hugh let them land, and only used the dragons to broil the
waters of the Blackwater Rush, keeping up the barrier of steam and
mist and catching the odd sally of boats across the river.
The Stormlander troops that had landed were pitifully few and
seemed to be content to hide among the buildings and warehouses
down at the docks. Hugh dissuaded them of this by scorching most
of the shoreline with dragonfire, adding to the smoke and haze that
had started to hang in the air over the walls of Kings Landing.
They remained circling and boiling the river with dragonfire for what
seemed like a long time to him, but he had noticed Hugh using his
far eye to scan the opposite banks of the river, obviously looking to
see what was going on. The forces of the Stormlands were still
milling about on the other side of the Blackwater Rush, and
appeared to him to have given up, at least temporarily, any thoughts
of trying to force the river.
Then, the forces on the opposite bank started steadily moving
upriver, spreading out parallel to the river, marching in stop-start
movements, leaving blocks of men every few hundred feet. Noticing
Hugh scan this movement with his Myrish far eye he did the same,
each block of men had several scorpions at its center, the force was
moving down the road that paralleled the southern bank of the
Blackwater Rush.
They simply flew back and forth, watching this strange deployment
by the army of the Stormlands, keeping a wary eye out for any
attempts to cross the river, it seemed to him that the Stormlanders
were hoping to stretch out their forces in such a way as to nullify the
advantages of their dragons.
Hugh led them higher and higher until he was sure that they were
out of Scorpion range and Vermithor crossed over the river and the
pair of them circled and soared over the Stormlander army, Hugh
giving its dispositions a close inspection through his far eye, or
'telescope' as Hugh had started to insist on calling the device.
Vermithor banked and headed southwards, he followed as the great
dragon climbed even higher, before Hugh's beast nosed over and
dived, tucking in its wings, Seasmoke following. They hurtled
downwards, he looked back, as he thought so, they were diving out
of the sun, and below them was a checkerboard pattern of what
resolved itself into hundreds of knights.
Vermithor's wings stabbed out, Seasmoke's following a second later,
steadying their descent and slowing it, both dragons hauled
themselves out of their dive, reaching their lowest approach to the
earth arrows by the hundreds and numerous Scorpion bolts flashed
up to meet them. It was a trap he realised with abrupt, stabbing fear,
but it was too late for Seasmoke to avoid the sudden storm of arrows
all around it, both dragons belched out torrents of dragonfire before
soaring back into the sky, Hugh hauling them around once a safe
altitude had been reached.
Seasmoke had several rents in his wings, and he noticed that the
beasts head was peppered with arrows, though from the hissing and
smoking blood boiling around several of the wounds, he reckoned
that Seasmoke was not unduly injured.
Vermithor had several tears in its wings also, though he could not
see any arrows sticking from its body, and that had been a close call
if truth be told, his body shivering uncontrollably for a few minutes as
they flew higher into the sky. They crossed over the Blackwater Rush
and resumed patrolling back and forth, the Stormlander army
continuing its steady lengthening of its lines along the opposite bank
of the Blackwater Rush.
After a what felt like a half an hour Hugh led them back over the river
and they dived down behind the Stormlander lines, methodically
setting fire to any scattered woodland or fields that were tilled and
set in pasture. They stayed out of range of the Scorpions that were
with the forces on the river bank road, steadily working up and down,
setting everything alight behind the stormlanders, hemming them in
between fires behind them and water before them.
They them flew to the head of the Stormlander army and burnt the
road and all the land around it with dragonfire, hemming in and
halting the advance.
As smoke and ash swirled all around Hugh led them into the smoke,
appearing suddenly over the head of the stormlander column where
it was all bunched up, devastating it with concentrated dragonfire
from both of their dragons.
Flying off back out through the smoke they began torching the land
directly along the river bank, sending up great columns of steam and
smoke, and every now and then darting inland through swirling
masses of smoke and ash to pounce on a detachment of the
Stromlanders, immolating them with dragon fire.
He did not know how long this went on for, long, long minutes until
they emerged from the pall of burning earth and men, to see the
sparkling spread of Blackwater Bay ahead of them.
He coughed and hacked up a great wad of black phlegm, spitting it
into the wind off to one side, as Hugh canted Vermithor into a great,
wide, gentle arc, obviously intent on making another pass at their
enemies.
Turning back around he noticed groups of men streaming away from
the riverbank, bunched up and emerging from the smoke and flames
in long ribbons, obviously finding gaps in the flames to flee through.
He knew that this was when the real slaughter would begin, as
Vermithor let out a roar that sounded like, it sounded like victory!.
I'm putting Square before the Dragonpit, makes sense as this would
be a monumental building. That's my headcanon anyway