Chapter 60: Cannibal

When a Dragonkeeper whispered, "Prince, shall we capture Gray Ghost?" Cole's anger flared, "Shut up! A badly injured young dragon will attack at any moment. Do you want to be reduced to ashes?" The Dragonkeeper, angry but silenced, retreated to watch over the messenger guards.

Cole urged Rhaegar to return immediately and seek Lord Robert's help in rescuing the dragon, wary of the danger posed by the dim cave and the excited young dragon.

But Rhaegar shook his head and muttered, "This is a trap. There shouldn't be just one badly injured Grey Ghost."

"Exactly. That's all the more reason to evacuate quickly," Cole insisted, his impatience evident as he tried to keep his voice down.

Rumbling -

Suddenly, a rumble echoed from above the cave, like the howl of the wind before a storm.

As the group looked up, they saw a behemoth whose wings seemed to cover the sky, hovering over Dragonmont.

"Seven hells!" Cole's eyes widened in shock, unable to tear his gaze from the awe-inspiring sight.

With a resounding bang, the behemoth circled before gliding to the ground, its colossal feet landing on the cliffs above the cave. Its sharp claws sliced through the rock, securing its position atop the mountain.

"Roar!!" The behemoth craned its neck, wings fully outstretched, and let out a deafening roar that echoed through the cave.

Through the layers of obstruction, Rhaegar caught a glimpse of the behemoth's entirety-black as charcoal scales, massive enough to rival a small mountain, and a pair of green pupils that seemed to pierce his very soul.

Every detail left Rhaegar stunned, his young mind overwhelmed by the sheer size of the creature before him.

This giant dragon surpassed anything he had ever encountered before, dwarfing even Caraxes, whom he had seen only a few times, and Dreamfyre, who was nearly a century old.

"Quickly! Quick, get the prince to retreat!" Cole sprang back into action, shoving a few Dragonkeepers aside and shielding Rhaegar behind him.

"Cannibal... Cannibal..." A Dragonkeeper leaned forward, his voice shaking as he murmured the name of the giant black dragon.

"Wake up and hurry!" Cole slapped him hard, urgency etched into every movement.

The Dragonkeeper, his whole body shaking with fear, managed to stammer out, "This is the Cannibal, the largest wild dragon on the island."

Cole didn't fully understand the meaning of the name "Cannibal", but he knew one thing for sure - if they didn't flee now, they would become dragon fodder later.

"Roar..." The Cannibal let out a low, ominous roar, his sinuous neck bending downward as he sniffed the air, searching for something.

"Prince, I'll get you out of here!" Cole declared, sword in hand as he reached for Rhaegar's.

But Rhaegar shook off his grasp, standing transfixed, his gaze fixed on the massive black dragon above.

Confusion flickered in Cole's eyes as he watched Rhaegar tremble, his pupils dilating, his breathing ragged.

"Prince, what's wrong?!" Cole waved his hand in front of Rhaegar's eyes, but received no response.

With a voice filled with excitement and wonder, Rhaegar murmured, "Cannibal... what a magnificent dragon... I have seen it before..."

At that moment, Rhaegar seemed to be transported to another world, his focus entirely on the awe-inspiring dragon before him.

Unbeknownst to Cole, the Cannibal had appeared in Rhaegar's dreams three times before, the last time on the night before their arrival on the island, revealing some of its physical features.

What Rhaegar had thought were only dreams were now materializing before him in reality, causing a wave of indescribable excitement within him.

Cole shook his body, trying to shake him out of his disoriented state.

Meanwhile, the Cannibal stopped sniffing, and the dragon's head stretched out, plunging into the depths of the cave below.

It had chosen its prey for the journey.

A delicious meal.

The cannibal's wings flapped furiously, and the dragon's maw, large enough to swallow several warhorses, parted, releasing a searing blast of air.

Boom!

In the next instant, ethereal green dragon flames, reflecting the color of the dragon's pupils, erupted and cascaded into the cavern like a deluge.

Crackling...

Waves of heat surged forth, scorching the air and causing explosions as the surrounding stone walls liquefied like wax under the dragon's fiery onslaught, molten streams dripping down like sticky tendrils.

"Run... Run!"

As scorching magma splattered to the ground and burst into fiery red blooms, a Dragonkeeper cried out in shock, fear causing her to turn and flee.

Swiss...

Cole's movements were swift, his longsword cleanly severing its head.

He shouted angrily, "Those who abandon battle will die!"

The remaining Dragonkeepers were shaken and frightened, urging, "Ser Cole, the Cannibal is the most dangerous of the wild dragons, to him we are mere food. Let us flee!"

"I understand the urgency to flee, but first ensure the Prince's safety."

Cole rebuked, then turned to Rhaegar and whispered, "Forgive me, Prince, but I must ensure your safety."

With that, he moved to lift Rhaegar onto his shoulders.

Rhaegar quickly dodged Cole's outstretched arm, his expression more determined than ever. "You must go. The Seven Gods have led me here to arrange a meeting with it!"

"This is no time to cling to faith. The Cannibal is clearly here to prey on young dragons. We cannot save it."

Cole believed that Rhaegar's intentions were noble, that he was trying to help the badly injured Gray Ghost.

"No! It is not Gray Ghost that I want!"

Rhaegar shook his head, a smile on his lips as he quickly maneuvered past Cole's blocking stance.

Under Cole's incredulous gaze, Rhaegar dashed into the open expanse of the cave, braving the lava that dripped like rain.

Lifting his head high, Rhaegar clasped his hands over his mouth and shouted with all his might in High Valyrian, "Cannibal, look at me!"

His voice, tender yet commanding, echoed through the cave and reached the ears of the black dragon.

The Cannibal paused its fiery charge, its head swiveling from side to side, assessing whether the cave could accommodate its massive form.

Satisfied that there were no obstacles, the Cannibal folded its wings, retracted its sharp claws from the jagged rocks, and began a slow descent into the cavern's depths.

Meanwhile, the Gray Ghost trembled on the ground, casting fearful glances at the approaching predator and emitting a menacing growl at the top of its lungs.

Unbeknownst to the Gray Ghost, Rhaegar approached with measured steps.

Pressing his hands against the Gray Ghost's tail, Rhaegar shouted in High Valyrian, " Get up and move!"

Only after repeating his command several times did the Gray Ghost shake off its fear and struggle to crawl away, its vertical pupils staring at him in disbelief.

"Hide deeper in the cave!" Rhaegar continued in High Valyrian.

"Roar!"

The Gray Ghost whined nervously, its head scanning the area for a suitable hiding place.

Rhaegar scanned as well and spotted a climbable slope.

Waving to the Gray Ghost, he quickly made his way up the slope, navigating past the lava that was strewn about.

Meanwhile, the Cannibal had already penetrated deep into the cave, his razor-sharp claws gripping the rock as he descended step by step.

As if taunting his prey.

Cole remained in the cave, stunned to witness Rhaegar's bold move and his communication with the young dragon.

He took a tentative step forward.

Splat!

A massive chunk of lava fell from above, crashing down in front of him.

As the crimson lava seared his vision, the heat singed Cole's forehead, sending a searing sensation through him.

Instinctively, his survival reflexes kicked in.

Cole's legs buckled, throwing him backward, narrowly missing the eruption of lava as it hit the ground.

Collapsing to the ground, he was quickly helped up by the Dragonkeepers behind him.

"Ser, we must leave at once!"

"Yes, the Prince is risking his life. Our priority is to retreat and seek reinforcements."

"..."

Several Dragonkeepers exchanged urgent words, determined to flee.

Cole swung his sword fiercely, his eyes glowing with determination as he roared, "If you fear death, you cannot leave. If anything happens to the Prince, none of us will survive!"

(word count:1357)