Chapter 490: How to Train Your Dragon

Dragonmont

"Roar..."

The black and red young dragon was in a terrible state, dragging its injured wing and fleeing for its life. It flew crookedly, as if a gust of wind could blow it down.

Its vertical pupils glanced down at the rugged mountain range and desolate wasteland below. Ahead, a towering black peak loomed.

"Roar..."

The young dragon's pupils flashed with fear, sensing the rich fire element, and it sped up, beating its wings faster. This land was more fertile than the terrain it had been wandering over. Especially after flying over the salty water, the climate was much harsher and unsuitable for dragons.

The little one had followed the smell of sulfur from Dragonstone all the way south. But luck was not on its side. As soon as it landed on the island, it encountered a hungry Dragoneater dragon.

"Roar..."

The young black and red dragon regretted its decision, glancing back at the deep cave it had chosen. In the next second,

"Roar!"

The young dragon was horrified, wishing it had two more wings.

"Roar!"

Cannibal's green pupils were full of mockery. It leisurely shuttled through the clouds, its massive body overshadowing the young dragon. In contrast, the young dragon looked even smaller, like a single scale plucked from the Cannibal's body.

Terrified, the black and red young dragon squeezed its potential to accelerate. The Cannibal remained unmoved, its snout curling into a mocking grin as it slowly followed behind.

The Cannibal sensed the rider's mental connection but ignored it. It was hunting, and a hunt should look like a hunt. Cannibal intended to play around for a while, deciding later whether to feed or not depending on the situation.

The young dragon in front of it was too small, not even enough to fill a gap in its teeth.

Cannibal considered raising it for a while and then hunting it when it reached a young dragon size. But the young dragon's presence could not be kept secret. Given the rider's determined character, he would certainly not allow it to become a snack.

Cannibal was torn between eating and not eating.

...

The black and red young dragon fled frantically, finally escaping the dragon-eating Cannibal's prying eyes as it neared Dragonmont. With a burst of speed, it disappeared into a narrow, cramped cave, where the light dimmed suddenly.

"Roar..."

The young dragon didn't have time to catch its breath. It sniffed the lingering dragon scent around it, and after a while, determined that the smell was weaker in one direction and chose a passage.

"Roar!"

The black and red young dragon squealed with joy, spreading its wings as it crawled deeper into the cave. Instinct told it to build a nest here. There were human towns outside the mountain, with flocks of sheep and cattle—plenty of food. The only worry was the ferocious dragon-eating Cannibal outside. It also wondered how the other wild dragons on the island had managed to hatch and grow up safely without being hunted.

Boom!

Suddenly, a huge dragon's head crashed into the cave, causing the mountain to shake slightly and the ground to tremble.

"Roar!"

The young dragon turned around to see a massive mouth in the abyss, gathering a ball of dark green dragon breath. In the next second, it burst forth.

Boom!

The smoky, green Dragonfire poured into the cave, spreading like a plague and bringing with it the heat of molten rock.

"Roar!"

The young dragon was shocked and fled, flapping its wings hard.

Bang!

The black dragon's head got stuck at the entrance of the cave, its hard scales scraping against the rocks, dragging off pieces of gravel. The young dragon fled, its green pupils glowing with cold light as it silently watched the Cannibal.

Bang!

The two dragon wings supported the mountain, and the Cannibal roughly pulled out its head, sending boulders the size of baskets flying in all directions. Immediately, the single claw of its wing dug into the main rock body, and its hind legs climbed up, using the force to climb higher.

Dragonmont was huge, with caves leading in all directions. Cannibal knew a wide tunnel that was convenient for burrowing underground when it was sleeping.

"Roar!"

Cannibal climbed to the top of Dragonmont, found a cave opening in a remote corner, and poked its head in. Then its massive body, wings, and long tail followed, until the entire dragon disappeared into the cave.

...

At this moment, Rhaegar was on his way.

"Roar!"

Grey Ghost sped forward at full speed and soon reached the vicinity of Dragonmont. As they approached, Rhaegar was shocked by what he saw. A black dragon slowly and powerfully climbed the mountain, finally entering a cave.

Crack!

The dragon's tail, as thick as a tree trunk, flicked back and forth, cracking the rocks at the mouth of the cave. Then it disappeared like a black snake.

Rhaegar sat on the dragon's back and watched the scene unfold. He couldn't help but marvel at how a dragon's size could change everything. Dragonmont, a towering mountain rising more than 3,000 meters above sea level, seemed like an inconspicuous "small mountain" in front of Cannibal.

"Grey Ghost, let's go," Rhaegar commanded, taking a deep breath and planning to teach the Cannibal a lesson. How dare it reject their metal connection?

Grey Ghost tilted his head, as if to say, "Huh?" Do I have to fight Cannibal alone?

Rhaegar patted its neck and laughed at the hesitant dragon. "Go on, I don't expect anything from you."

Hum...

The compass in his arms trembled slightly, and the needle kept spinning. With so many dragons in Dragonmont, the compass couldn't tell which one it was tracking.

Rhaegar put away his vigilance, took out his dragon-taming whip from his collection, and looked around with the compass in his hand. The compass needed dragon blood to activate. To find a specific dragon, he needed something that had been in contact with the dragon.

Suddenly realizing this, Rhaegar picked a bit of dirt from his fingers, which was stained with the blood of a young dragon.

Hum

The compass immediately stabilized, and the needle pointed firmly in one direction. There was a matching engraving on the surface of the compass: two dragons lying on the ground as if sleeping. One young dragon was trembling, and the red spider webs were interlinked, showing its fear of the two larger dragons.

Rhaegar quickly deduced that these were Vermithor and Silverwing. The compass was truly amazing. A dozen or so simple dragon carvings, connected by blood-red spider webs like veins, formed hundreds of different images.

"Roar!"

Grey Ghost flapped its wings and selected a hidden cave, carrying Rhaegar into it.

...

Dragonmont, Deep within

Hoo-hoo!

Hot breath spewed out, and the sound of panting echoed in the empty cave. Cannibal's dilated pupils probed the surface, crawling slowly and relying on its keen sense of smell to find the young dragon's trail.

Soon, the sniffing stopped.

"Roar!"

Cannibal roared loudly, its massive body crashing into the ground, excitedly digging into a dark tunnel.

Hundreds of meters away, in a narrow tunnel, water dripped from the crevices of the rocks, creating a ticking sound. The black and red young dragon crawled cautiously, nervously dodging when water droplets fell. Dragons don't like water. But in the scorching heat of Dragonmont, there is water hidden in some dark corners.

The young dragon hid all the way until the tunnel ahead opened up. The steep, bumpy path disappeared, replaced by a long stone bridge. The bridge led deep into the darkness, exuding a strong sulfuric fragrance and the stench of dragon dung.

The young dragon crawled along the bridge, its pupils dilated with fear, constantly looking back to see if the Cannibal was following. It was afraid the larger dragon would catch up.

Click!

The young dragon lost its footing on one of its hind legs, crushing a loose stone.

Quiet! The cave was dark and silent as death.

The young dragon looked left and right to ensure there was no immediate danger and let out a big sigh of relief. It was so scared. It thought something was going to happen.

Phew!

Suddenly, a hot breath blew in its face, burning its fragile scales. The young dragon instinctively took a step back and trembled all over.

Crash!

The sound of gravel rubbing and heavy objects being stepped on filled the air. The young dragon was terrified, staring straight ahead. In the darkness, the outline of a hideous dragon wheeled into view, its scales flickering in the faint light.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, the dragon's head thrust forward, and it spat out a jet of golden Dragonfire like molten lava. But that wasn't all. While the young dragon was terrified of the Bronze Fury, a green dragon head quietly appeared from the other side of the bridge.

The long, slender neck turned, revealing two glaring gaps. Below, the dragon's body, hidden in the underground caverns, and the pair of silver wings that gave it its name.

After Vermithor roared, its pupils flashed with rage, and it snorted heavily.

Plop!

The air current was so strong that it blew the young dragon over, knocking it out cold.

"Roar?"

Silverwing glanced at its partner, slowly extended its neck, and fixed its large copper-colored pupils on the young dragon. The black and red young dragon lay limp on the ground, its pupils flashing with fear and unease. It was so small that it seemed no bigger than a dragon tooth compared to the two larger dragons.

Intrigued, Silverwing spread its wings and climbed up the bridge, snorting at the young dragon. Below the bridge was a messy pit filled with dragon droppings and the bones of sheep and cattle. Vermithor and Silverwing slept here, and the bridge was built to allow riders to mount the dragons. This structure, built by King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne decades ago, was no longer in use.

"Roar!"

Silverwing's provocations finally angered the young dragon. The black and red dragonlet quickly dodged, raised its tail high, and spat a jet of black Dragonfire at the green dragon's eyes. The Dragonfire, as deep as the night, formed a pillar of flame.

"Roar!"

Silverwing quickly closed its eyes, and the Dragonfire hit its eyelids. Though uninjured, it was extremely humiliated. In a fit of rage, it opened his blood-red mouth wide, attempting to swallow the young dragon whole.

"Roar!"

The black and red young dragon screamed in agony, unable to resist. Silverwing pressed in tighter and tighter, the sticky dragon saliva on its teeth about to tear into the fresh young dragon. At the critical moment, a high-level High Valyrian command full of magic was issued, carrying an unyielding air of authority.

"Dracarys!"

"Roar!"

Greenish Dragonfire filled the entire underground cave. Silverwing, about to pounce, was instantly overwhelmed as the Dragonfire rushed into its mouth, nearly suffocating it.

"Roar!"

Silverwing let out a cry full of grievance and pain, shaking off the sticky Dragonfire and swaying back and forth. Vermithor, instantly furious, ignored its partner's injuries and rushed out of the cave toward the tunnel.

The young black and red dragon, caught between several dragons, was scared out of its wits. It wrapped its wings around its body, shrinking into a blood-red ball.

"Vermithor, obey!"

At the end of the tunnel, the young High Valyrian voice was heard again. A black dragon slowly crawled out, its green pupils showing reluctance, and its snout emitting wisps of flame. It was the Cannibal, found and subdued by its rider.

Rhaegar sat on the back of the dragon, his face solemn, his back straight, heading towards the underground cavern. In his hand, the compass hummed softly, and the dragon whip hung at his side. Upon entering Dragonmont, he had contacted the Cannibal. The big guy still wanted to disobey, but a whipping made him obedient.

"Roar..."

Grey Ghost sneaked up behind him, peering at the imposing Cannibal, its pupils showing visible signs of tension. When it glanced at Rhaegar, its tail tip shook involuntarily. It was painful just to be a witness to the beating.

If it even subdues Cannibal, it has no chance against it.

"Roar!"

Vermithor burst out of the tunnel, its head smashing through the surrounding rock walls, its fangs bared in a display of wild dominance. Cannibal stopped moving, its green eyes gleaming with murderous intent, and its long scarlet tongue licked its lips.

"Behave yourself," Rhaegar commanded, kicking the black scales with his right foot to warn the green-eyed dragon. Then his gaze fell on Vermithor. He raised his arm slightly, and the dragon whip stretched out naturally.

Crack!

(Word count: 2,114)