Chapter 352: The Enemy In the Narrow Sea

The following day, the sun rose above the sea.

In the Lord's bedroom of Stone Drum Tower, Rhaenyra lay with her eyes closed, her face relaxed, sleeping lightly on Rhaegar's legs. He leaned on the edge of the bed, the neckline of his loose robe falling open to reveal a delicate collarbone, his skin as smooth as carved jade.

The siblings had waited all night for Cannibal's return, eventually falling asleep in the early hours of the morning. Separated from reality, Rhaegar drifted into a slumber, his dreams filled with scattered fragments of a pitch-black dragon roaring angrily over a vast sea.

Creak—

The door to the room was pushed open with a soft rattle.

"Uh huh~"

Rhaenyra grunted, rolling over in a daze. Rhaegar woke up from his light sleep, raising his eyes sleepily. He saw Sara enter with a platter of hearty breakfast, her steps noiseless on the floor.

"How was the feast last night?" Rhaegar asked, rubbing his brow, thinking about the ceremony.

"The king celebrated late into the night, and everyone praised it," Sara whispered softly before quietly exiting the room.

Thump—

The door closed gently behind her, and Rhaegar shook his head, fully waking up. He looked out the window; dawn was just breaking.

"Cannibal hasn't returned yet," Rhaegar murmured, a slight anxiety rising in his heart.

"Rhaegar, I'm so hungry," Rhaenyra muttered vaguely, arching her head against his leg. Even in her sleepy state, she couldn't escape her hunger.

Rhaegar gently brushed the hair covering her face, revealing her flushed cheeks. The more he looked at her, the more he was moved. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, his nose nuzzling against her.

Rhaenyra wrinkled her delicate face, mumbling in confusion, "Stop it, I'm hungry."

"Wait a little," Rhaegar replied with a smile. He carefully moved her off his legs, feeling the ache in his back and legs as he stood.

He walked over to the table, where a tray held a breakfast for five: bread, ham, jam, and a large jar of fresh buttermilk. He picked up a piece of bread, dipped it in jam, rolled it with a few slices of ham, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

Yesterday had been a busy day, and in the evening, he had to serve Rhaenyra. He was tired and hungry. As he swallowed the food, he felt his energy return and his mind started to clear.

After a moment of silence, he wondered, "It's about time for Cannibal to return." Regardless of the hunt's success, the dragon shouldn't stay out all night.

As if responding to his thoughts, a low roar echoed from near the beach. A dark behemoth descended from the clouds.

"Roar—"

Cannibal had returned.

Rhaegar snapped his head up and ran quickly to the balcony to look out.

The pitch-black dragon immediately came into view. Cannibal was covered in blood, one of its great wings half fallen off, its body trembling and unsteady as it leapt over the sea cliffs.

Rhaegar's eyes widened in surprise, and a shiver ran down his spine.

Cannibal roared weakly, each flap of its wings a struggle. Its green pupils locked onto the empty cliffs at the edge of Stone Drum Tower.

Boom...

The huge body descended slowly, its wings suddenly losing their balance. Cannibal fell heavily from the sky, plowing a deep furrow into the cliff.

"Cannibal!!" Rhaegar cried in alarm, shocked to see the dragon in such a sorry state after so many years.

He quickly turned from the balcony and ran from the room.

Rhaenyra, awakened by the dragon's roar, saw Rhaegar's urgent expression and asked, confused, "I heard the dragon roar. Is Cannibal back?"

"Eat your breakfast first. I'll go see what's going on," Rhaegar replied, stepping into his boots, grabbing a jacket, and hurrying out the door.

...

With urgency driving him, Rhaegar hurried to the cliff's edge.

"Roar..."

Cannibal shook its dragon head, slumping helplessly in the gully, panting heavily with its mouth open.

"Cannibal, how are you?" Rhaegar exclaimed, stepping forward to approach the pitch-black dragon, cautiously reaching out to touch its scaled muzzle, which emitted a warm, sticky plasma residue.

Wide-eyed, Rhaegar meticulously examined every inch of the dragon's wounded body.

Near the thick base of its neck, deep, meter-long bite marks marred its scales, oozing hot dragon blood that sizzled on the scorched green grass beneath.

Its majestic chest bore a gaping laceration, where shattered scales mixed with blood to release a pungent fishy odor.

On its left wing, a broken supporting bone left a gaping hole in the membrane, evidence of a savage encounter with a large beast.

Shocked, Rhaegar asked, "Cannibal, did you face the wild dragon?"

Cannibal hailed from noble lineage, its wild dragon origins endowing it with formidable prowess in combat. Yet, how could it sustain such injuries while hunting a dragon significantly smaller than itself?

"Roar..."

As if sensing Rhaegar's concern, Cannibal forcefully lifted its massive dragon head, its throat pulsating as it regurgitated a sizable mass onto the ground.

With a wet thud, a silver-black half of a dragon tail splattered with corrosive acid hit the earth, surrounded by chunks of shredded meat and several fresh, lifeless human bodies.

"Roar..."

Cannibal let out a muffled roar, its green eyes reflecting a hint of pride as he jabbed its muzzle at Rhaegar, seeking recognition.

Struggling to maintain his balance, Rhaegar gripped the dragon's muzzle firmly.

He sensed Cannibal's attempt to suppress its fury and demonstrate its strength.

Lowering his gaze, Rhaegar examined the regurgitated remains.

The severed dragon's tail, about five meters long, indicated that a substantial portion had been torn off in a single bite.

Chunks of shredded flesh covered in silver-black scales included pieces large enough to have come from the dragon's neck.

Unfortunately, there were no remains of the dragon's head or wings.

Frowning, Rhaegar surmised that the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon had likely escaped Cannibal.

Finally, his gaze fell on the faceless human corpses.

They were male, their disheveled reddish-purple hair and clothing resembling Myrish mercenaries.

"Roar..."

Cannibal regained some strength, its wings supporting its body as it revealed a belly pierced with a dozen steel spears.

Apart from the cracked bone in its left wing, the severe injury was primarily due to the elite steel spears embedded in its abdomen.

"Pirates of the Triarchy!" Rhaegar's expression turned icy.

Cannibal's green vertical pupils narrowed tightly, its dragon head resting against Rhaegar's hand as its ragged panting gradually subsided.

Rhaegar felt as if his eyes were closing, vague thoughts forming in his mind.

His head buzzed, fragmented memories flashing before him.

Nighttime, above the Narrow Sea.

Cannibal's green eyes gleamed with dominance, its hind feet gripping the neck of the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon, jaws open to rend flesh and blood.

"Roar..."

The Smoking Sea Wild Dragon struggled fiercely, claws slashing Cannibal's chest, releasing a burst of gray Dragonfire.

After a fierce skirmish, Cannibal, with its size advantage, subdued its prey, sinking its teeth into the thick neck of the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon.

The Smoking Sea Wild Dragon screamed in agony, snapping its claws at Cannibal's left wing, shattering bone and tearing a large chunk of flesh in a furious struggle.

Boom—

Seizing the opportunity, the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon spat a mouthful of gray dragonfire at Cannibal's head and attempted to escape with a two-legged leap.

Cannibal tightly closed its vertical pupils to shield its eyes from the Dragonfire.

Despite the injuries to its left wing, Cannibal refused to let go of the dragon meat in its mouth, furiously chasing its prey through the air.

The two dragons chased each other, their speeds evenly matched.

From the Throat Channel to the Narrow Sea, the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon sought refuge among the ruins of Ancient Valyria, heading towards scattered archipelagos.

The Stepstones Islands!

"Roar—"

Cannibal roared furiously, accelerating dramatically, its massive form overtaking the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon, attacking with eerie green Dragonfire.

Soon, the dragons clashed again, crashing onto a deserted island.

Cannibal's vertical pupil glowed with a sinister green light as it pounced on the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon, jaws snapping ferociously.

In the chaotic battle, the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon retaliated with tail swipes and bites, its dragonfire erupting sporadically.

Then, a tragic incident occurred.

The dragons' erratic Dragonfire struck a fleet of warships lurking offshore.

Seven or eight warships immediately retaliated, scorpion crossbows firing relentlessly at the battling giants along the coast.

Cannibal managed to evade the direct hits aimed at its head and neck, but its chest and abdomen were exposed, pierced by steel spears.

The Smoking Sea Wild Dragon suffered similar fate, its spine and wings pierced by projectiles, screaming in pain.

"Roar—"

Enraged by the interruption of its hunt, Cannibal spread its wings, swooping over the warships and unleashing billowing green Dragonfire.

The scene blurred in Rhaegar's mind.

The last image he saw: the ships ablaze, the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon seizing the opportunity to escape.

Cannibal devoured a few unfortunate souls, then returned to the beach to devour the severed dragon tail left by its prey, reluctantly flying back to Dragonstone Island.

"Roar—"

Cannibal unleashed a torrent of Dragonfire, its head held high, green vertical pupils heaving with exhaustion as it laboriously dragged itself towards the open grass.

Failing to capture the wild dragon left resentment and anger festering in its heart.

Rhaegar shook off the surreal images from his mind, covering his forehead in disbelief.

That was the combined effect of [Dreamscape] and [Knight's Oath], accidentally triggered by Cannibal.

Relieved to see the pitch-black dragon relocated and resting, Rhaegar sighed inwardly.

Cannibal's injuries were superficial; mainly trauma to its left wing and severe exhaustion—30% due to physical damage and 70% due to sheer exhaustion.

Chasing the Smoking Sea Wild Dragon all night, battling twice during daylight, and scorching three ships of pirates...

It even made a round trip from Dragonstone to the Stepstones Islands before dawn—a feat that would exhaust any other dragon of its lineage.

Rhaegar sighed, dragging a chunk of flesh to offer to Cannibal, satisfying its hunger.

"Roar..."

Cannibal buried its head, swallowing the meat with disdain, flicking its tail in dissatisfaction—it wasn't enough to sate its hunger.

Rhaegar couldn't take out the large chunk of dragon meat and half of the dragon's tail just yet; Cannibal would have to endure a little longer.

Approaching Cannibal's belly, Rhaegar found over a dozen steel spears shattered where they had fallen on the cliffside, their barbs caught between scales.

He grasped the end of one spear, pulling it out with all his might.

Pfft...

Hot dragon blood spurted out as the spear clattered to the ground.

"Roar..."

Cannibal roared in agony, its body trembling, kicking up dust.

Rhaegar grimaced, running his hands over the pitch-black scales, muttering through clenched teeth, "Damned pirates from the Triarchy, what a foolish way to meet their end!"

He didn't mention how he had sought out trouble with the free cities, and how he had recklessly attacked with two dragons.

Did they truly believe the Targaryen House was defenseless?

"Roar..."

Cannibal snapped its jaws, its thick, elongated tail sweeping over the mess, biting into the silver-gray scaled dragon tail, tearing and devouring it.

It needed the magical-laden flesh and blood to aid its recovery from the injuries.

(Word count: 1,891)