Chapter 110: The Dragonflame Ship Burner
The Stepstones were as dark as ink at night, and the massive roars of the Silver Demon Dragon echoed through the darkness.
Not far from the Targaryen royal army's island base, the war horns sounded again.
Rhaegar flew his Silver Demon Dragon across the sky, with three Silver Demon Dragons dancing wildly.
The pirates opened the water gates, braving treacherous reefs and howling storms, using black sails, black oars, and small, dark ships to conceal their movements as they traversed the waterways. The timing chosen by this pirate fleet was excellent; the Silver Demon Dragons had already won two battles that day, and the army's morale was high. A surprise attack at this moment offered a chance to recover some morale. Unfortunately, they encountered Fire Sight.
Rhaegar spotted them in the flames, and both the Silver Demon Dragons and the troops were well-rested and waiting.
The Tyroshi leader didn't dare to come personally, but annihilating this wave of pirates was better than nothing.
The Boar Fleet, led by tyroshi merchant ships, had opened its ferocious maw. Under the firelight, archers, spearmen, and javelin throwers were already in position.
The night was pitch black, not only suitable for pirates to launch a surprise attack ashore but also for the Silver Demon Dragons to unleash a barrage of fire. In the darkness, human visibility was poor, and the accuracy of crossbows and Scorpion Crossbows was further diminished, especially since these were small ships.
Tonight, the Stepstones were dim and dark, perfectly suited for the Silver Demon Dragons' wild dance.
The young Silver Demon Dragons had a wingspan of only about thirty-two feet, but they had a great advantage in speed, being more agile and nimble, and small ships were easy to maneuver. Generally, a dragon's speed and body size, and the intensity of its flames, slowly become inversely proportional as it develops; older dragons' speed will gradually decrease, making them appear clumsy. Moreover, these three dragons had been enhanced by Rhaegar and the Dragon Lair, making them even more outstanding in speed, ferocity, and flame intensity. Moving together, the three dragons unleashed a torrent of fire that engulfed everything.
"Dragonflame!" Rhaegar shouted. He didn't need a whip; his companions already understood his thoughts.
Silver Emperor, Balerion, and Balerion circled, roared, and breathed fire, free as eagles soaring high, yet fierce as leopards attacking prey.
The three young Silver Demon Dragons sometimes gathered together and sometimes dispersed, always narrowly avoiding the Scorpion Crossbows and arrows at the last moment, deftly dodging them. Their beautiful dance was a pleasure to behold, but it brought death and despair to the pirates.
Silver Emperor spat out silver fireballs, while the other two dragons spat out purple and black-red fireballs. Clusters of fireballs exploded in mid-air above the ships, blooming brilliantly like the sun in the bright night.
A surprise attack is meant to catch the enemy off guard, but when the opponent is prepared, it becomes a suicide mission. The pirates' light and fast ships now became their path to death.
The Silver Demon Dragons circled overhead, and the fleet's longbow unit began firing deadly arrows. Small boats were incinerated into fireballs, and the fire-stricken crew members fell into the sea amidst screams and despair, still being swept by flames, or dispatched by goldenheart wood longbows. Black smoke columns rose again from the ocean, and the seawater occasionally steamed.
Although the naval battle didn't last long, it was quite bloody.
The black ship fleet was utterly defeated, with pirate corpses and smoking wreckage floating on the sea.
The severity of the pirates' defeat reflected the brilliance of Rhaegar's honor. Courage, honor, and blood added new glory to Rhaegar.
Rhaegar looked at the smiling faces of the soldiers, 'I won the war and earned the crown of honor.'
Today, Rhaegar fought three battles in the Stepstones, achieving three victories in one day—a beautiful yet cruel triumph.
"Long live King's Landing!"
"Long live the Tyrant of the Narrow Sea!"
"Long live the Silver Demon Dragons!"
The soldiers cheered, and the symmetrical banners of the black dragon on a red field and the Silver Dragon unfurled, making the Silver Demon Dragons seem to come alive.
After three battles in one day, the pirates were terrified. The next step was to besiege the island and intercept reinforcements. Rhaegar would use fire and Silver Demon Dragons to trap these pirates.
Rhaegar rode his Silver Dragon down onto the Boar merchant ship. The soldiers' intoxicating cheers filled the air; in the Narrow Sea today, he had sung three songs of triumph, the sole king on the battlefield. Torches illuminated the faces of the knights and soldiers, most of whom were still young but had begun to adopt the coldness and resilience of warriors.
Rhaegar removed his black dragon helmet, revealing his short silver hair and a smile as bright as fire. His beautiful purple eyes were filled with joy, vitality, ambition, and a fervent wildness like flames. The Prince was a noble young man in the mundane world, but also an invincible warrior. The enemy had awakened the sleeping dragon's wrath; they had started the war.
"We will continue to win, in the sky and on the sea, until we drive those Tyroshi rats and pirates into the sea!" Rhaegar drew his Shadow longsword, its faint ripples casting a cold glow.
The knights drew their sharp swords, and the soldiers cheered, their voices like thunder. Fighting to sustain the fight, using victory to fuel further victories—the army's morale was high.
The fleet returned victorious amidst the wreckage, singing songs of triumph.
Those observing from the shore of the garrison had their own thoughts, gazing at the grand battlefield. Black smoke billowed, and the cheers were still clear.
Tywin was pensive, Crown Prince Aerys was excited, and Ser Steffon was simply going with the flow.
"We won a war!" Rhaegar presented the tattered pirate banner to the trio.
"My son, a mere youth, is already capable of defeating rogues!" Crown Prince Aerys proudly boasted to Lord Tywin and Ser Steffon. In truth, he was very satisfied, even complaining that the war ended too quickly, depriving him of the chance to pursue honor.
"I also bestow upon you a banner, Rhaegar. As the Stepstones Front Commander appointed by King Jaehaerys II, heir to the iron throne, and Prince of Dragonstone, I grant you the authority to campaign and command. Apart from us three, the entire army is under your command. Knights and those below who disobey your orders may be dealt with at your discretion. Even if you are my son, you should cherish this honor!" Crown Prince Aerys handed a black dragon on a red field banner to Rhaegar. Originally, it should have been the dark sister, but now everything was simplified.
"I will use my sword and blade to defend the honor of the iron throne and eliminate those traitors and disobedient ones." Rhaegar gripped the black dragon on a red field banner, facing the Knights and Lords. The stern military order had been given; the army was no place for indecision.
The knights and soldiers let out earth-shattering cheers. The iron throne now had a stronger, more charismatic knight and dragonrider!
Even without mentioning the distant Aegon the Conqueror and Jaehaerys II, the Conciliator, since the passing of Daemon Blackfyre and Baelor Breakspear's generation, the royal family had rarely produced individuals possessing both strength and charisma. King Maekar regretted his entire life the hammer blow that killed his brother, and Aegon V's charisma seemed limited to commoners, with most nobles finding it difficult to love him.
With his Silver Demon Dragons and victories, Rhaegar had implicitly become the leader and vanguard of the royal army.
As night deepened, Rhaegar's tent remained brightly lit. In addition to his own subordinates, Lords from the Crownlands, Westerlands, and Stormlands had joined, surrounding him like stars around the moon.
Ser Corlys unfolded a map of the Stepstones for Rhaegar.
Rhaegar pointed to the location of Bloodstone, saying, "Currently, we are attacking from two directions. The Southern and Dornish armies have already occupied the Southern small islands. I can coordinate the attack rhythm by riding the Silver Demon Dragons. We are like the two pincers of a crab, until we crush Bloodstone, this turtle shell."
Rhaegar had skilled individuals around him, including Barristan, Ser Brynden, Count Jason, and Bronze Yohn. A direct assault could certainly flatten the island, but the casualties would be too high. Besieging the city and intercepting reinforcements was a better approach.
"Our first objective is to inflict heavy casualties on the pirates' forces and destroy all their ships. Second, if the pirates try to escape, we will try our best to drive them onto Bloodstone!" Rhaegar was radiant, his voice like steel, his will also like steel.
The knight commanders and Lords accepted their orders.
"The troops I brought will primarily be responsible for intercepting reinforcements. The original battle formation of the iron throne's allied army remains unchanged, continuing to be responsible for landing. I, personally, and the Silver Demon Dragons will support the entire battlefield!" Rhaegar set the tone for the war.
He kept the existing arrangements for the iron throne army unchanged, mainly using the fresh troops he brought to intercept reinforcements.
"Ser Corlys will lead my fleet to patrol the outer waters, primarily to block reinforcements and clear out any adventurers and pirates coming to assist." Rhaegar ordered, and Corlys was the first to acknowledge. Without support from the Kingdom of the Daughters, ordinary pirates could not stop this fleet.
"Archers will be uniformly led by Ser Brynden, first cooperating with Ser Corlys's fleet. Additionally, I need more wooden palisades or old ships! Ser Brynden, you are also responsible for collecting them!"
"The land forces, led by Bronze Yohn and Count Jason, will join the battle and assist with the landing."
"The Prince intends to completely surround Bloodstone?" said Ser Brynden.
"Precisely!" Rhaegar explained the map to everyone, a very bold yet potentially successful plan. Relying on superior firepower, they would eliminate all reinforcements and completely besiege Bloodstone.
If the Kingdom of the Daughters doesn't intervene, the pirates' manpower and resources are limited. By continuously pressuring them, they can be trapped and starved to death on Bloodstone.
The knights accepted their orders, and the next day, they began to push the front line further.
But with the Silver Demon Dragons, the pace of the war significantly accelerated.
Rhaegar's main action was to ride the Silver Demon Dragons and burn pirate ships in the Stepstones, becoming the Ship Burner of the Narrow Sea.
The Silver Demon Dragons roared and wreaked havoc over the Stepstones, from one place to another. Rhaegar did not directly attack Bloodstone but instead burned all the outer ships.
Catching them off guard, Rhaegar intended to destroy all ships, burning the pirates' escape routes.
While they might expect him to directly assault Bloodstone, he was instead steadily advancing.
Whether it was an occasional ship arriving to provide adventurous support, or pirate ships attempting to escape or launch an attack, as soon as they showed themselves, Rhaegar burned them with fire.
Rhaegar's objective was clear: to burn all ships in the Stepstones to ashes. Without ships and human support, the pirates would be left to defend an isolated city.
While using Dragonflame to burn ships might seem a bit wasteful, the effect was remarkably good.
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