Chapter 22: War For the Stepstones. 121 AC

[3rd POV]

[1 year later]

10 ships sailed across the narrow sea as they arrived near Bloodstone, they were reinforcements from Driftmark, bringing supplies, men, and weapons to the command post in the island. They were passing through the waters in between the Bloodstone and the island of Grey Gallows, when the ships were ambushed by nearly 15 ships, waving Tyroshi banners on their sails.

"Ambush!" shouted the admiral of the small fleet, Vaemond Valeryon.

Constant shouts were quickly transmitted across the fleet, giving the signal to start preparing for battle. The oars were pulled, the sails were decreased, and the bowmen readied their arrows.

Not a minute later, rains of arrows were flying through the air, the Tyroshi and the Velaryons raised their shields, bracing for the arrow to hit them.

Casualties were sustained. Vaemond then shouted to the rest of his ships. "Row! Ram their ships!"

The oars were taken out once again, and the sailors below started rowing viciously. 10 ships rushed towards the 15 Tyroshi ships, as if trying for time.

But suddenly, a high-pitched dragon's roar sounded from the sky, making the Tyroshi on high alert.

"Dragon!" Vaemond heard the Tyroshi admiral shout. "Prepare the bolts! Prepare the bolts!"

A red worm-like dragon swoops in from the sky, its crimson fire swallowing a ship whole. The screams and wails of pain quickly echoed over the waters. The burning and destroyed ship produced thick smoke towards the sky, and the Tyroshi wavers.

"Shoot the damn dragon!" the admiral of the Tyroshi shouted.

The other 14 ships that haven't been damaged yet turned their scorpions at the red dragon. They turned the mechanisms, and released it, launching sharp and thick bolts towards the red dragon.

The red dragon struggled to avoid the barrage of bolts, its skin is not strong enough yet to deflect scorpion bolts, and if one of those hit it, it would be its downfall. The red dragon continuously strafe to avoid such fate, its neck and body swirling in the sky like a snake avoiding traps.

Vaemond clicked his tongue as he saw the dragon getting pressure. He shouted towards his sailors to row faster, to at least put off the pressure from the dragon.

Suddenly, two piercing roars echoed throughout the sky, it even shook the sea below. The admiral of the Tyrosh turned towards the source of the sounds, and he saw two dragons, their scales reflected the sun above, shining their bronze and silver color to the ships.

The two dragons dived towards the Tyroshi fleet, unleashing their bronze and silver dragon flame towards the sea.

Their flames swallowed an entire line of ships whole. The continuous dragon breath slashed through the fleet, burning everything in its path.

"MORE DRAGONS!!!" shouted the admiral in fear. "TURN THE SCORPIONS!!!!"

The two dragons circle around the fleet, seemingly stopping every ship that tries to escape. The dragonfire burns everything, screams of pain and plead of life echoed throughout the battlefield, when the fire was approaching, the Tyroshi sailors jumped to the sea, but it was of no use, because when the fire burns the ship, it boils the water, cooking the sailors alive.

There's not even a slight chance that the Tyroshi could win against three dragons.

The admiral of the small Tyroshi fleet could only despair as his ships burned every second, and finally, his time came when the bronze dragon hover on top of his ship, before unleashing its dragonflame to him, when the fire contacted his body, his flesh evaporated, leaving none of his body parts for the sea to swallow.

—

The Velaryon fleet scavenged what they could find from the burning wrecks of the Tyroshi fleet. It's not much, just stacks of arrows, some weapons that haven't melted, and armor. One of the 'disadvantages' of dragonfire is it burns everything in its path, leaving nothing to be claimed by the winner.

But it did its job of being weapons of mass destruction.

Vaemond Valeryon stood atop his ship as he gazed at the two dragons that were approaching his ship. The bronze dragon hovered in the sky, and Vaemond saw someone standing on top of the dragon's head.

The rider wore a light leather gambeson decorated with small bronze plates for extra protection, and runes were carved on it. His red cloak fluttered in the sky, and his hand was at the hilt of his well decorated sword.

It was Maegor.

"You're late!" Vaemond shouted to the rider. "You're supposed to fly with us! Where were you?!"

The dragon slowly approached the ship so Maegor could jump at a safe distance. Once he jumps, he spreads his cloak using his hands and foot to act as a 'guide' and a 'brake' so his fall wouldn't be so hurtful. When he landed on the ship, the bronze dragon flew away towards the silver dragon, who was circling the destroyed fleet.

"Sorry Vaemond." said the rider, walking towards the admiral. "I've had to deal with some things back at Runestone."

Vaemond raised his brow. "And that is?"

"Well, Helaena didn't want to come back to King's Landing. So I had to convince the king and queen to allow her to stay at Runestone until our marriage." said Maegor. "And some workshop owners wanted to meet me, but that's not important. The important thing is that I'm here now. I saved your fleet just now, a thank you would be nice."

"That's what you were paid to do." Vaemond pointed out. "A significant amount, no less."

"It's your brother that paid me." Maegor countered. "Not you. I could just go to Bloodstone and ignore the Tyroshi slaughtering your fleet."

"Bloodstone's supplies are in this fleet."

"So? I could claim the supplies once you're dead." Maegor pointed out.

Suddenly, the blood wyrm Caraxes approached the ship, and he landed on top of the deck, barely holding on. Daemon jumped from the back of the dragon, and he walked towards the two men.

"Good job on burning the ships." Daemon commented to Maegor, then he turned to Vaemond. "And you're too careless. How come you can't see a fleet twice your size from a distance?"

"The islands are blocking our sight." Vaemond argued. "If only we had dragonriders to scout for us before we entered the area…"

"Like I said, I have some business back home to take care of." Maegor said.

Daemon looked amused at the sight. "Well lads, we should hurry back to Bloodstone, we'll tell you the situation there."

Maegor hummed at the suggestion, and he took out his horn, Daemon eyed it as if it was a prize. He blew the horn hard, yet no sound came from it, but instead, Vermithor dived to the ships, before hovering on top of it.

And after that, they went to Bloodstone.

—

[A/N: Open the westeros/planetos map if you want. I recommend https://quartermaester.info/]

[1st POV]

I stood in front of a giant table that displayed the map of the Stepstones, the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, and parts of Dorne. Some sculptures were on top of the map, symbolizing cities, dragons, armies, fleets, and bases.

Lord Corlys Velaryon stood the opposite of me, while Daemon and Vaemond was on the side.

"Threats came from the west and in the east." Corlys pointed at Sunspear and the Disputed lands. "The Triarchy we can manage, but Dorne in the west is a threat, and we're in a stalemate. If we bring our fleet to the east, Dorne will strike, and if we move to Dorne, the Triarchy will combine their fleet."

I tapped on the map repeatedly, thinking about what we should do…

"Brother, he's a boy, he doesn't have any experience in this." Vaemond commented.

"Let him think." Daemon spoke, interrupting Vaemond.

"Of course, you defend your own son." Vaemond scoffed. "If only you didn't leave the Stepstones years ago, we would not be in this spot."

"Silence." Corlys commanded. "What do you think, lad?"

Dorne will not bow nor surrender, even if we burn their cities to the ground… but maybe…

"Here." I pointed at the Greenblood. "This area is the only agricultural area of Dorne aside from a small amount of land in the Torentines. If you could move your fleet to raid the coasts of Dorne, stopping their trade and fishing, and burn their fields and cattles using a dragon, maybe we could play the long game with them."

"Long game?" Corlys frowned.

"Starve them." I said. "You and I both know that Dorne will not give up. So we'll force them to make a treaty with us one way or another."

"And what about the triarchy?" Vaemond pointed out. "If we move our fleet towards Dorne, they'll have time to gather a massive fleet."

I kept thinking… As far as I know, the triarchy is a fragile alliance, a friendly farce, but the bitter rivalry still exists somehow…

"What if… we burn one of their cities?"

"Are you mad?" Vaemond questioned as if I was joking. "You'll be shot down instantly from the sky."

"They will not expect it." I said. "Dorne will give them information that your fleet is surrounding the shores, while Daemon's Dragon is burning their fields, now we made sure that we left none alive from the ambush before, so I suspect no one would know that I'm here… If I attack one of their cities during the night, and in the middle of a rain or a storm, then…"

"The scorpions will be hard to aim at during the night. Especially a stormy night." Corlys nodded.

"The triarchy is a corrupt fragile alliance, if one city falls, the other two will try to devour the fallen one." I said. "And they value their men, that's why you only see sellswords and mercenaries fighting in the stepstones…"

"And what city would you target, lad?" asked Corlys.

Myr is too far away… while Lys… Lys has the Black Swann, perhaps she could try to exploit the situation if one of the cities falls… so that leaves…

"Tyrosh." I said. "If this actually works as well as I think it will, the Triarchy might not even exist at the end of this war. And Pentos or Volantis might exploit the situation as well."

"And you're confident you can succeed?" asked Corlys. "I am not going to waste men on a plan that you are not confident with."

"I am. You can't do this previously as Seasmoke nor Caraxes is not as big as Silverwing or Vermithor, and their flames are not as hot as my dragons. Even if it's botched, I could still decimate a quarter of the city with one strafe, and it would still do its job."

Corlys turned towards Vaemond, he had no reaction, he was still pondering, looking at the sculptures on the table, then Corlys turned to Daemon, who just shrugged at the lord.

"Very well, lad." said Corlys. "Vaemond, prepare the ships."