Chapter 319: Groups of Dragons Dancing Together
"Roar..."
Sheepstealer's guttural roar echoed through the cave. The dragon's vertical pupils eyed the silver-haired boy, Aemond, with a mixture of curiosity and challenge. The dragon's slender body swayed, its thick, brown-scaled horns carving deep furrows in the ground.
Aemond, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment, shouted indignantly, "If you're not going to let me tame you, just leave! Don't waste my time!"
He longed for a powerful, majestic dragon. Missing out on Vermithor was a blow, and now he had to deal with this unruly beast. He turned away, his heart heavy with the thought of his mother's scolding and Aegon's ridicule.
"Roar..." Sheepstealer's roar followed Aemond's retreating figure, the dragon's head tilting in curiosity and perhaps reflection. Though it did not understand the boy's words, the dragon sensed his disappointment.
As Aemond walked away, he muttered, "Vermithor is gone, but Silverwing is still in Dragonmont..."
His thoughts were dark, matching the darkness of the night. The future seemed bleak and uncertain.
"Roar..." Sheepstealer roared again, this time accompanied by a gust of wind from his flapping wings. Aemond stumbled, almost falling as the dragon's breath brushed against him.
"Sheepstealer!" Aemond cursed, but before he could react, his green cloak was torn. He was lifted from the ground, dangling helplessly.
Aemond turned in panic to see Sheepstealer's massive form above him. The dragon gripped his cloak with its fangs, and its great brown wings unfolded.
"Sheepstealer, stop!" Aemond shouted, fear in his voice.
The dragon's vertical pupils flashed with a hint of mischief as it flung Aemond onto its back. Sheepstealer, a dragon of over seventy years of wildness, reveled in the boy's fiery gaze, something it hadn't encountered before.
"Sheepstealer, you villain, put me down!" Aemond yelled, his head spinning as he landed heavily on the dragon's back.
Sheepstealer's robust appearance belied its unique body structure. Unlike typical dragons with strong muscles beneath their scales, Sheepstealer's body was thin and covered in a rough cuticle mixed with mud, forming a lumpy, protective shell.
"Roar..." Uninterested in Aemond's words, Sheepstealer spread its wings, ready to fly. A fiery red meteor streaked across the night sky and caught the dragon's attention. Its vertical pupils swivelled, and it turned toward the black stone mountain inhabited by humans, sensing the presence of other dragons.
"Sheepstealer, where are you taking me?" Aemond shouted, fear gripping his heart as he clung to the dragon's muddy scales.
"Roar..." Sheepstealer responded with another roar, his body rising and falling, deliberately shaking Aemond on his back. The dragon's intent was clear - it had chosen its new rider, and the boy would have to prove himself worthy.
...
On the other side, a red meteor streaked across the sky, startling Vermithor as he hovered above the clouds.
Viserys felt Vermithor's agitation and climbed up, trying his best to calm the dragon. "It's just a meteor. Let's get back to the castle first."
He had successfully tamed Vermithor, and it was time to return to his family.
"Roar..."
Vermithor let out a low, muffled roar before obediently descending through the clouds toward Dragonstone Castle.
With remarkable speed, the dragon reached its destination in no time, carrying its rider with ease.
"Roar!"
Vermithor roared triumphantly, circling the castle twice before slowly landing in a clearing by the cliffside.
The bronze beast's roar caused a great commotion.
People inside the Stone Drum Tower ran out to the cliffside near the coast. Everyone knew someone had tamed Vermithor, but it was unclear if the rider was Viserys, Aemond, or another dragon rider.
"Roar..."
Vermithor crouched, its icy vertical pupils scanning the crowd.
"Vermithor, they are my family," Viserys reassured the dragon, smiling softly.
He rubbed the dragon's rough, bronze-colored scales a few times before carefully climbing down.
"Viserys, you tamed a dragon!"
Alicent, dressed in green, was the first to reach her husband, staring timidly at the bronze dragon.
Raised as a lady, she had always disliked dangerous dragons. Even as a teenager, she had politely declined Rhaenyra's invitations to ride Syrax.
Soon, Rhaenyra, Daemon, and the others arrived, looking at Vermithor in astonishment.
No one had expected the seemingly frail Viserys to tame such a formidable beast.
"Alicent, you should be proud of me," Viserys said proudly, stepping forward to embrace his wife.
This night had been more thrilling than all the previous decades of his life combined.
Alicent, bewildered and wanting to offer tenderness but unsure how, said, "Viserys, you smell terrible."
She immediately regretted her words, realizing she had spoken without thinking.
Viserys didn't take offense. He lowered his head, sniffed himself, and feigned disgust. "I'm covered in sweat and dragon stench."
He noticed his brother Daemon and a group of children approaching.
Patting his wife's back, Viserys released his embrace and asked playfully, "Do I really smell that bad?"
"Hahaha!"
He burst out laughing, enjoying the moment.
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes affectionately and stepped forward to embrace her father. "Father, congratulations."
She had been worried about his safety, but now she was genuinely happy for him. Not just because he had tamed Vermithor, but because of the pure joy in his laughter.
Daemon led his two daughters forward, a complex expression on his face. "Brother, should I say it's an honor for the family to see you ride a dragon again?"
"Perhaps," Viserys replied, his smile unwavering.
"Roar—"
A deep dragon roar echoed from afar as a black dragon's shadow soared above the castle, weaving through the rolling clouds.
"Roar..."
Vermithor's eyes gleamed fiercely, its dragon's maw curling as it gazed into the night.
"Vermithor, the fight is over," Viserys spoke soothingly, his voice calm and firm.
He understood Vermithor's troubled heart, a raging, irritable beast. Before tonight, he had seen the dragon as an untameable force, but now he sought to calm him, to awaken its senses.
Vermithor looked at Viserys, suppressing his anger and closing his eyes as if to ignore the world.
"Roar..."
Another sharp roar echoed from the direction of the long stone bridge steps.
Boom!
Cannibal was the first to land, its thick feet stamping steadily on the cliffside lawn, wings folding against the gusts.
"Roar!"
"Roar..."
"Roar..."
The four dragons near the castle roared in panic, but instead of fleeing, they hovered, watching Cannibal and Vermithor warily.
Cannibal landed on the southern edge of the cliff, while Vermithor lay to the north. The two dragons were separated by a substantial distance, maintaining a tense standoff.
"Roar..."
Dreamfyre flapped its light blue wings and tentatively approached Vermithor. Seeing no response, Dreamfyre cautiously landed nearby, its eyes locked on Cannibal.
"Roar..."
Sunfyre, anxious, circled once before landing on the opposite side of Vermithor, keeping its distance from Cannibal.
Cannibal's green eyes swept over the two dragons with contempt.
"Cannibal, put me down," Rhaegar patted its scales in amusement and climbed down a soft ladder.
As his feet touched the ground, the golden-scaled Syrax approached slowly, settling behind Cannibal at a safe distance. Despite their differences, these two dragons had grown accustomed to each other's presence.
Above, only Tessarion continued to circle, roaring but hesitant to land. The arrival of Vermithor had disrupted Cannibal's dominance. The two dragons now divided the area, with Dreamfyre and Sunfyre keeping their distance from Cannibal.
Tessarion, young and unfamiliar with both sides, remained alone and excluded.
"Roar..."
A sharp roar once again came from the stone bridge steps, and a brown, mud-colored dragon slowly flew in, adding to the tension of the night.
(Word count: 1,248)