AN: I know it is too early, but please do reviews encouraging people to read the book, especially if you yourself you enjoy it,
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Captain Nyessa Xarion’s fingers slowly tightened around the polished railing of her flagship as she stared at the dragon weaving through the night sky.
The Triarchy feared this type of situation for a reason, and the reports had all been true, truly these Beasts were menacing in power, she wondered how one could possibly weild such a creature without it eating one alive.
Every frightened merchant, survivor, whispered a tale carried across the Narrow Sea that there truly was a dragon fighting beside House Velaryon after a long time.
Rather than fear, a fierce smile slowly spread across her scarred face.
Around her, the officers exchanged uncertain glance but none dared argue against this captain, she was too fierce for a normal man to oppose unless they wanted to skinned alive and fed to crabs at the same time.
“Bring the great harpoon!”
The order echoed across the deck and several sailors hurried toward the enormous weapon secured near the stern of the flagship.
Thick ropes were quickly attached while others hauled the heavy launcher into position, its iron-tipped bolt nearly as tall as a grown man.
Every movement was practiced for a moment like this such that there was no room to panic and ruin everything, all the sailors understood his task.
Just as they finished positioning the weapon, another crewman rushed onto the deck carrying a raven saying “Captain!
A message from the admiral!”
Nyessa snatched the parchment from his hands and quickly broke the seal.
Her eyes skimmed the words as the orders said they are to withdraw immediately.
All ships are to disengage and regroup with the main fleet.
She stared at the letter for only a heartbeat before slowly crumpling it in her fist.
She returned to the harpoon without another word while high above the battle, Smaug swept across the smoke-filled sky.
Below him, several Triarchy vessels had already broken formation, desperately attempting to flee before the dragon reached them.
“Cowards,” Smaug rumbled as he folded one wing slightly and descended.
A torrent of blazing fire poured from his jaws like scorched earth, four more ships vanished beneath a sea of flames and agonizing screams that would hunt ones dreams, in fact the screams were so bad it was almost as if one was in hell hearing the dammed souls wail in pain.
Their sails ignited instantly and pitch-coated hulls became floating furnaces.
The crews barely had time to scream before the inferno swallowed them whole.
Smaug climbed back into the night sky while smoke curled lazily from between his teeth as he said “I do enjoy enthusiastic audiences.
Dance for me, show me how much my mighty flames melt you will and heart!”
Aethon couldn’t help shaking his head saying “You call screaming men an audience?”
Below, the effect upon the battle was immediate to say the least, the Velaryon fleet erupted with renewed determination as men screamed orders saying “They’re retreating!”
“Press them!”
“Drive them into the reefs!”
The earlier uncertainty that had lingered after the surprise attack disappeared completely, their dragon had arrived and victory suddenly felt inevitable.
Men who only moments earlier had fought cautiously now charged with renewed confidence, crashing their ships into enemy hulls and boarding with deafening war cries.
Morale alone transformed the battle and the Triarchy captains found themselves retreating under relentless pressure, their orderly withdrawal steadily deteriorating into confusion.
By then twenty Triarchy ships had already been lost and House Velaryon had sacrificed only seven so the balance of the battle had shifted decisively from phyrific to guaranteed victory.
“We’re running out of time.” She placed one hand upon the massive harpoon saying “Steady…” The crew adjusted the launcher carefully.
Every sailor held his breath as the dragon continued circling through the smoke, periodically disappearing before emerging somewhere entirely different.
It refused to fly predictably, but then Nyessa noticed something as she said “It’s diving, not toward us…..it’s the admiral!!”
Deep down she was not shocked, in fact she was begging the dragon to burn the admiral to further her ambitions if she survives.
Far across the battlefield, the Triarchy admiral’s flagship attempted to organize the retreat though seeing the mounting losses.
Seven escort vessels immediately moved to surround it for protecting, after all the Admiral was top priority, it was a sensible decision to do against another fleet.
But this would not work now, not against a wrathful dragon.
Smaug descended without hesitation when Aethon first spotted the ship, so he instructed smaug to take out their leader.
The escorts loosed arrows desperately into the darkness but none came close.
Dragonfire answered them instead as a return for their efforts, the flames swept across the protective ring, turning the nearest ships into floating pyres.
Several sailors abandoned their vessels immediately, throwing themselves into the sea rather than remain aboard, they would rather scatter in the sea then burn alive.
As Smaug swept over the flagship Aethon moved and without warning, he launched himself from the dragon’s back.
For a second he seemed suspended against the night sky, then he crashed onto the enemy deck landing with a roll.
After recovering from the steep fall, steel rang from his scabbard and the nearest soldier barely had time to raise his weapon before Aethon’s blade flashed across his throat.
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AN: I know it is too early, but please do reviews encouraging people to read the book, especially if you yourself you enjoy it,