Chapter 193: Sea Smoke Injury


    The next morning, as the sun rose, hundreds of second sons and bastards, equipped with varying gear, guarded the closed gates of the Dragonpit.


    With a rumbling noise, the gates slowly opened, and two dragon shadows burst out first.


    "Roar..."


    Green mes illuminated the sky as Cannibal soared into the clouds, followed closely by Syrax, heading towards ckwater Bay.


    As the two dragons flew away, a slender figure emerged from the Dragonpit''s doors.


    Sara approached the Second Sons and coldlymanded, "The prince has ordered us to head to the harbor to board the ships."


    "Yes!"


    Robb, now the leader of the Second Sons, led his group ofrades towards the harbor.


    Sara nced back at the shadowy entrance of the Dragonpit before following the group....


    Above ckwater Bay, two dragons, one ck and one gold, soared over the sea, asionally gliding low enough for their feet to skim the water''s surface.


    "Rhaegar, be safe when you reach the Stepstones," Rhaenyra cautioned from her saddle.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine," Rhaegar assured her. "You just need to pick up the dragon eggs and head straight to Driftmark."


    Rhaenyra was the nominal foster mother of Laena''s two children and had promised to ce dragon eggs in their cradles. After discussing it with their father, she agreed to ride the dragons away from King''s Landing, traveling back to Dragonstone and then to Driftmark.


    This not only fulfilled her promise but also helped strengthen the rtionship between the Targaryen and Vryon Houses.


    As the sun continued to rise, the rocky ind of Dragonstone came into view.


    Rhaenyra stopped Syrax, and the siblings said their goodbyes.


    Rhaegar guided Cannibal over Dragonstone and headed towards the Stepstones.


    ...


    Rhaegar''s Cannibal flew over Dragonstone Ind.


    "Kill! Seize Bloodstone Ind!"


    "Shoot arrows!"


    On the beach of Bloodstone Ind, chaos reigned. Dark-haired and dark-skinned Dornishmen charged in groups, shing with the king''s soldiers led by the silver-armored and white-robed Cole, whose expression was grave. The tide repeatedly washed away the blood staining the beach as the two sides fought fiercely.


    Beyond the ind, another battlefield raged at sea. Warships, bearing seahorses and mermaids on their sails, were filled with soldiers shooting arrows. The pirate ships of the Three Daughters maintained a distance, their scorpion crossbows loaded and ready.


    "Fire!"


    At themand, the scorpion crossbowsunched steel spears that streaked across the sky like meteors.


    Boom...


    The scorpion crossbows, with their immense power, easily pierced through soldiers and shattered the hulls of enemy warships. Hundreds perished instantly under the barrage.


    "Roar..."


    The dragon''s roar echoed along the coastline as the scarlet-scaled Meleys and the Sea Smoke arrived, unleashing dragonfire upon the pirate ships below.


    "Attack! Drop the battering ram!"


    With the dragons on the battlefield, the Sea Snake raised his scimitar and ordered his fleet to charge. Both sides had roughly fifty ships each, but the pirates quickly lost control under the dragon''s assault, with several ships sumbing to dragonfire.


    "Set up the scorpion crossbows, aim at the dragon!"


    Dozens of scorpion crossbows were reloaded and aimed at the two giant dragons.


    "Fire!"


    As the dragons descended to spew dragonfire, the scorpion crossbows were fired one after another.


    "Dodge!"


    Rhaenysmanded loudly. Meleys, burning the mast of a pirate ship with a burst of dragonfire, rose swiftly into the air, evading the steel bolts. The scarlet dragon moved like a streak of light, untouchable.


    "Roar..."


    An agonizing roar came from Sea Smoke, who had flown too low and was struck by a scorpion crossbow. A steel spear pierced through Sea Smoke''s light gray wing membrane, scattering hot dragon blood on the sea.


    With its wing damaged, Sea Smoke struggled to maintain bnce. Laenor, shocked and panicked, urged, "Sea Smoke, fly up!"


    In his haste to destroy the pirate ships, Laenor had driven Sea Smoke too low.


    "Roar..."


    Sea Smoke stabilized, screaming and flying higher, continuously spitting dragonfire in frustration.


    "Maintain altitude, don''t be reckless!" Rhaenys shouted, worriedly.


    The force of the scorpion crossbows was enough to break through an adult dragon''s scales, and the barbed steel spears made them difficult to remove. Sea Smoke, still a young dragon, was particrly vulnerable.


    Fortunately, the spear had only pierced the wing membrane. Had it struck the neck or torso, Sea Smoke might have lost the ability to fly and fallen into the sea, becaming an easy target.


    "Go support your father!" Rhaenys ordered, noting the reloading scorpion crossbows below. She decided against further engagement.


    A few dozen scorpion crossbows might not harm Meleys significantly, but Laenor and Sea Smoke were at greater risk. Laenor, seeing Sea Smoke''s bleeding wing, chose to follow his mother''s orders.


    Rhaenys sighed in relief and turned her attention to the pirate ships, her expression growing more solemn.


    "Meleys, Dracarys!"


    "Roar..."


    Meleys, thrilled to be in battle again, turned swiftly, her dragonfire igniting a pirate ship. The mes, though powerful, only managed to set masts and armor aze, unable to cause widespread destruction due to the attack''s distance.


    The Sea Snake''s fleet arrived, colliding with the pirate ships. Soldiers leaped over the sides, engaging in closebat.


    "Roar..."


    Two dragons circled in the sky, asionally breathing fire.


    Amidst the chaos, a distant horn sounded—a signal of arrival.


    More than thirty warships emerged on the horizon, their sails adorned with a sun spear symbols—the Dornish reinforcements had arrived.


    Swift and fierce, the Dornish ships joined the fray, attacking alongside the pirates of the Three Daughters.


    "Fire!"manded the Dornish, their arrows raining down indiscriminately amidst the chaos of battle, hitting both friend and foe alike.


    The Sea Snake''s fleet, burdened by scorpion crossbows, maneuvered along the periphery, taking advantage of the distraction to strike.


    Rhaenys''s dragon, Meleys, soared through the air, unleashing dragonfire upon the pirate ships, crushing them.


    As the Dornish continued their attack, Rhaenys surveyed the grim scene, realizing the odds were turning against them.


    "Corlys, we''re outnumbered!" she eximed, her eyes darkening with concern as their forces dwindled.


    With each passing moment, their fleet faced greater peril. Even thebined might of their dragons couldn''t turn the tide of the battle.


    Corlys remained resolute. "Hold fast. Storm''s End''s fleet will arrive soon!" he said.


    Retreat was not an option. Since the Dornish joined forces with the Three Daughters, the conflict had escted already.


    The kingdom''s fleet hastily advanced toward the warships of House Celtigar stationed at w Isle and at White Harbor, but they proved unable to withstand the relentless assault of the Dornish and the allies from the Triarchy.