Chapter 275: A Deathbed Prophecy

The dragon's roar echoed through the chaotic city, and a torrent of green Dragonfire descended from the sky.

In an instant, it engulfed the alleyway where Rhaegar stood.

Under the intense heat of the Dragonfire, the rebels couldn't even scream. Their flesh and bones incinerated instantly, leaving behind only ashes.

Above, the Cannibal dragon circled, its enormous, charcoal-black body looming like a mountain in the sky. The green Dragonfire slowly lost its intensity and extinguished.

"Cough, the storm is getting worse," Rhaegar muttered, covering his mouth and nose. He walked out of the ash-covered alley, his black robe peppered with burn holes.

All around him, the eastern district of the city was ablaze. The air was filled with the sound of screams and wails.

Rhaegar shook his robe to extinguish the remaining sparks and muttered, "Volantis is in complete chaos."

Chaos was good. He would add more fuel to the fire.

"Roar..."

High above, the Cannibal roared, its green eyes surveying the turmoil below. The dragon had been roaming the wastelands outside Volantis for days and was finally releasing its pent-up energy.

After a couple of circles, Cannibal found a clearing and landed with a thunderous boom. The impact shattered the ground and sent sparks flying.

"Cannibal, let's go!" Rhaegar called out, his black robe billowing in the wind. He hurried forward and climbed up the dragon's back using a ladder.

Reunited with his dragon, Rhaegar felt his heart pounding with exhilaration.

"Roar!" Cannibal roared, stamping the ground with its claws before launching into the sky.

Half-crouched on the dragon's neck, Rhaegar's long hair flew wildly in the wind. Looking down, he spotted stone throwers scattered around the Black Wall. "Cannibal, destroy those stone throwers," he commanded.

Cannibal, highly intelligent, understood. Its green eyes flashed with a ferocious light as Dragonfire erupted from its mouth.

The chaotic army below heard the dragon's roar and saw the Dragonfire descending upon them.

"Fire!  Dragonfire!"

"It's the dragon that burned the Triarchy!"

As the stone throwers were engulfed in flames, the surrounding Tiger Cloak soldiers were caught in the inferno, their screams lost in the sea of fire.

Volantis, with its Valyrian traditions and culture, was no stranger to dragons. The moment the massive Cannibal appeared, everyone trembled in fear, their cries filling the air.

Rhaegar, atop his dragon, heard the distant screams and smiled coldly. He would have preferred to keep a low profile, but circumstances didn't allow it.

Cannibal, sensing his thoughts, roared as they flew toward the Long Bridge over the Rhoyne. Rhaegar remembered his mission.

First, he needed to find his lost companions.

...

Meanwhile, the bridge was in chaos.

Brothels and stores on both sides of the bridge slammed their doors shut, sending slaves to barricade them.

Hearing the news of the Triarcht's assassination, the Tiger Cloak Army from the West Side rushed onto the bridge, heading toward the East Side, the epicenter of the chaos.

As they charged forward, stalls were overturned, and barriers were violently broken down.

Some slaves, still tied to stakes, couldn't be led away in time. They fell to their knees in fear, holding their heads and trembling.

A stall was knocked over, and coins from its drawer spilled onto the noisy bridge, their clanking echoing through the chaos.

In an instant, the coins caught the attention of the Tiger soldiers.

The air seemed to freeze.

Moments later, an agitated shout rang out: "Gold!"

The leaderless Tiger Cloak army descended into chaos, scrambling for the fallen coins.

The few coins weren't enough to satisfy them, so their eyes turned to the stores lining the bridge.

With the chaos in the eastern city center spreading like wildfire, the situation grew worse.

Volantis, with its stark divide between rich andpoor, was ripe for pandemonium.

"Loot!"

The Long Bridge erupted in violence as stores were broken into, smashed, and robbed.

A while later, a thunderous roar filled the air.

Cannibal, a majestic dragon, swooped down toward the flaming Long Bridge like a dark cloud blocking the sun.

Seeing the chaos below, Rhaegar's heart pounded. His voice turned icy. "Cannibal, Dracarys!"

To find his companions, he couldn't afford to waste time with the chaotic soldiers.

With a rumble, Cannibal flung its thick neck, unleashing a torrent of Dragonfire that swept from the east side of the bridge to the west.

The powerful flames lifted debris and sent blazing heat in their wake.

In mere moments, the Long Bridge was engulfed in green fire, the flames sweeping across like a wave.

None of the Tiger Cloak soldiers caught in the Dragonfire survived; they were reduced to ashes.

Those who hid in the stores were too terrified to come out.

"My lord! Lord Rhaegar!"

As Cannibal circled over the Long Bridge, a small girl with silver-blonde, slightly curly hair emerged from a hidden stable.

Rhaegar looked down at the sound of his name and saw Layla, wrapped in black robes.

Relief washed over him; at least she was safe.

As Layla appeared, many half-dressed slaves ran out from stables, warehouses, and corners, falling to their knees and kowtowing on the boiling hot bridge.

"Lord Dragonlord..."

Cannibal ignored the small group of people below, its pitch-black wings casting a vast shadow over the long bridge.

Kneeling and looking up at the dark dragon, both civilians and slaves, their faces flushed with a mix of fear and reverence, cried out, "Dragonlord!"

"Cannibal, land," Rhaegar commanded, moved by the sight below.

Obeying his voice, Cannibal descended, its claws crushing buildings on either side of the long bridge, and its body landed with a resounding crash.

The long bridge, wide enough for two wagons to pass side by side, seemed narrow under Cannibal's massive claws.

Rhaegar slid down the dragon's neck and headed straight for Layla. "Where is your sister and the High Priest?"

Layla, anxious, pointed towards the stables behind her. "My sister is in the stables. The old priest... he's hurt."

"I'll go and see," Rhaegar said, his eyes darkening with concern.

Pushing open the barred door of the stables, he saw horses paralyzed with fear, shitting and pissing themselves.

In the corner, Daella sat on her knees, holding a bloodied old man.

Rhaegar stepped forward to examine the wound. There was a sword cut through his abdomen, and his intestines were exposed.

"He can't be saved," Rhaegar sighed. The damage was too severe for any healing magic to work.

Daella, teary-eyed, explained, "The Tiger Cloak army is looting everywhere..."

Rhaegar didn't need further details. The old priest and his followers had been caught in the violence.

"Cough..." The red-robed old man stirred, coughing up blood. Seeing Rhaegar, he strained to speak.

Rhaegar crouched closer, hearing the old man repeat, "The flame foretells disaster... The flame is accompanied by winter..."

"Song of Ice and Fire?" Rhaegar asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Flames... the long dark night..." the old man gasped out his final words, then slumped, dead.

"The long night... it really is ice and fire," Rhaegar murmured, feeling a chill. The old man's prophecy matched what Aegon the Conqueror had foreseen.

"My lord, the city-states are at war. What should we do?" Daella, her hands covered in blood, trembled.

"Don't be afraid. It's just a delay in our departure," Rhaegar reassured her, though his mind was racing. He called for the slaves to remove the old man's body.

Mounting Cannibal once more, Rhaegar addressed the civilians and slaves below, who looked at him with fear, reverence, and hope.

Drawing his sword, Rhaegar stood tall on Cannibal's back and shouted, "Those who want to live, go to the Temple of R'hllor. The dragon will quell the war!"

Cannibal roared, flapping its wings and ascending from the long bridge, heading back towards the eastern city district.

Seeing this, the civilians and slaves were awestruck, hesitating only a moment before one of them shouted, "Follow Lord Dragonlord!"

With renewed hope, the group moved as one, following the dragon's silhouette.

...

As Cannibal flew back towards the eastern city district, the chaotic scene below began to shift. The hired mercenaries retreated to the Black Wall, closing the city gates behind them. Meanwhile, the Tiger Cloak army, seeking vengeance for the Triarch's death, assembled outside the Black Wall with siege wagons, ready to breach the gates.

The sudden appearance of the dragon halted the chaos momentarily. The Commander of the Tiger Cloak army blew his horn, rallying his troops for the impending assault on the city.

On the battlements of the Black Wall, two middle-aged men, both dressed in elaborate, richly adorned clothing, paced nervously. They were the Triarchs of the Elephant Party. One had short silver-gold hair and blue eyes, clearly of Valyrian descent, while the other, with black hair and dark brown skin, was a prominent moneylender.

"Lord Triarch, the Tiger Mantle army is gathering in greater numbers," a breathless mercenary reported.

The Triarch, both chubby and pale-faced, exchanged worried glances.

"Forget the Tiger Cloak Army for a moment.Where did that dragon go?" one of the Triarchs demanded, his face contorted with fear. The dragon was a real threat, capable of destroying a city-state.

The mercenary, looking distressed, could only shake his head, unable to provide an answer.

Suddenly, a familiar, thunderous roar echoed above the Black Wall, carrying for miles. Both Triarchs looked up in horror, their eyes widening as they saw the black dragon soaring overhead.

From the dragon's back, Rhaegar gazed down with a cold, expressionless face, easily spotting the two richly dressed consuls amidst the crowd.

"Cannibal, give them a warning," Rhaegar commanded.

(Word count: 1,596)