"Screech..."
Sunfyre let out a series of agonized cries, suffering severe injuries as he was bitten and torn apart.
The Sheepstealer gave him no chance to fight back. Its fangs locked onto Sunfyre's neck, shaking its head violently while using its wings to pull him down.
Pinned to the ground, Sunfyre stretched his neck in an attempt to dodge. His sharp claws plunged into the Sheepstealer's abdomen.
Rip!
His talons first tore off a thick layer of keratin before struggling to pierce the scales, barely hooking into the sparse flesh beneath.
If not for the scalding dragon blood seeping from the wound, Sunfyre might have thought his opponent had no flesh at all—just a skeleton wrapped in decaying scales.
"Screech..."
The Sheepstealer shrieked as its vulnerable underbelly was wounded. It immediately released its grip and withdrew with blinding speed.
Freed from the weight of the larger dragon, Sunfyre swiftly rose and unleashed a torrent of golden flames.
"Screech..."
Another agonized cry erupted as the Sheepstealer wildly beat at its scorched chest, retreating seemingly by instinct.
The scent of blood ignited Sunfyre's fury. Ignoring his injuries, he lunged at the exposed neck of his foe, jaws wide open.
But the moment he drew near, the Sheepstealer counterattacked, its claws raking across Sunfyre's body while a stream of brownish dragonfire erupted from its shriveled maw.
Boom—
The molten blast struck like a muddy torrent. Sunfyre roared in fury, violently shaking his head before biting down on the Sheepstealer's throat with all his might.
One had to admit, Sunfyre was naturally gifted. His ferocity in battle was fearless.
"Screech..."
The Sheepstealer shrieked, driving one claw into Sunfyre's chest while the other clamped around his throat, forcing him back down once again.
The gap in their age and size was simply too great.
Enraged by the pain, the Sheepstealer's face twisted into something monstrous and savage.
Its sunken eyes scanned Sunfyre's radiant golden scales and pale pink wing membranes with hatred before it suddenly bit down on one of the flailing wings.
It intended to rip apart the seemingly majestic but fragile wings.
"Screech..."
Sunfyre struggled with all his strength, golden flames continuously spewing from his maw. In a desperate move, he thrust his head forward, sinking his fangs into the Sheepstealer's bleeding abdomen.
Despite its large frame, the Sheepstealer was alarmingly gaunt, its underbelly thin and frail.
Sunfyre's sharp jaws pierced the scales, tearing away chunks of hot flesh as he bit deeper, aiming for the internal organs.
"Stop!!"
Aemond's face turned pale as he shouted in alarm, "Sheepstealer, get away!"
The fierce battle between the dragons had long disrupted the cliffside, forcing the spectators to retreat to the safety of their own dragons as the fierce winds howled around them.
No matter how much Aemond disliked the ugly Sheepstealer, he knew that the wretched beast was fighting for him.
Ser Rygar held Aemond back from rushing forward, considering whether to send his own dragon, the Glutton, to intervene.
But dragons were creatures of fire and fury. Once a battle began in earnest, it was nearly impossible to stop them without a fatal conclusion.
"Screech..."
A sudden, sharp pain in its abdomen made the Sheepstealer screech in panic. It kicked Sunfyre away, and in the last moment before they separated, it tore viciously at the golden dragon's wing.
Rip!
Sunfyre's delicate pink wing membrane was slashed open, leaving a gaping wound nearly six feet long, its edges riddled with ragged holes.
A single, unremarkable bite had ruined his once majestic appearance.
"No! My Sunfyre!" Aegon cried out in anguish, as if the wound had been inflicted upon him instead.
Boom—
The Sheepstealer flapped its wide, brown wings and took to the sky, spewing dragonfire to cover its retreat. Wounded but still capable, it disappeared into the dark storm clouds in mere moments.
In contrast, Sunfyre lay on the ground, covered in blood. His neck, ribs, and right leg had all been torn open, chunks of golden flesh missing. His once gleaming scales were now marred with deep gashes.
But the most severe injury was the massive tear in his wing membrane. When he attempted to take flight, he wobbled uncontrollably in midair, unable to balance himself.
Roaring in frustration, he crashed back to the ground in a fit of impotent rage.
"Aemond, look at what your dragon has done!"
Below, Aegon, furious over Sunfyre's wounds, grabbed Aemond by the collar and forced him to look at the carnage.
"Let go of me, you idiot!"
Aemond's face twisted in anger as he struggled against Aegon's grip.
Aegon, his heart aching, yelled, "Your dragon tore Sunfyre's wing! He was the most magnificent dragon!"
"Aegon, you attacked me first."
Aemond remained unfazed, sneering, "And Sheepstealer isn't my dragon. But if he made you pay a price, I would have preferred he fought to the death!"
It was obvious to anyone watching that Sheepstealer had dominated the fight. The disparity in size, strength, and combat skill was undeniable.
Had the battle continued, Sunfyre would have been slain on the spot.
"You two, shut up! You're brothers!"
Alicent was nearly beside herself with rage as she tried to separate her two quarreling sons.
Otto stood nearby, quietly pressing down on Aegon's clenched fist, giving him a warning glance.
Tonight, they had already lost Maester Mellos's support, and now it seemed they had caught the Crown Prince's ire.
Aemond's successful taming of the Sheepstealer was supposed to be a triumph, compensating for their losses.
At such a crucial moment, they couldn't afford infighting that would make them a laughingstock.
As the brothers continued to argue, others stepped forward.
Helaena and Daeron squeezed between them, shielding Aemond while trying to pull Aegon away.
Ser Rygar was pushed to the edge of the crowd, bewildered by how the brothers had grown so hostile toward each other.
Baela and Rhaena, still young, clung to Rhaenyra's legs, trembling with fear from both the dragon fight and the shouting.
Rhaenyra softly comforted her daughters before turning to Rhaegar with a helpless expression. "What do we do?"
Letting the brothers continue their fight was not a solution—someone had to step in.
Rhaegar hesitated, fully aware of this.
Nearby, Viserys stood, his bare chest heaving with fury.
Indeed, he was livid.
The night should have been a joyous one, with both his sons successfully claiming dragons. But instead, it had descended into chaos.
Viserys opened his mouth, ready to shout as he had always done, to forcibly break up the fight.
But he stopped himself.
He was their father, yes, but he couldn't always be the one to resolve disputes between dragonriders.
With that thought, he glanced around.
Daemon stood off to the side, arms crossed, smirking as he enjoyed the spectacle.
Viserys scowled—Daemon was clearly of no help.
Finally, his gaze settled on his eldest son.
Father and son locked eyes.
"Rhaegar," Viserys exhaled softly, merely uttering the name.
Rhaegar immediately understood and solemnly replied, "Leave it to me, Father."
This was the approval he had been waiting for.
He had tried to educate his younger siblings as their eldest brother, but his efforts had yielded little success.
His interaction with Aemond earlier in the day had made him realize the importance of blood ties, status, and emotions.
Although he was their eldest brother, he had not come from the same womb as Aegon and the others, making complete trust impossible.
His father's inaction had played a significant role in this.
Now that his father had consciously granted him the authority to discipline his younger siblings, he could manage them with a calm mind.
"Aegon, calm down!"
Rhaegar strode forward and dragged Aegon out of the crowd without hesitation, making him stumble slightly.
"Rhaegar, what does this have to do with you?" Aegon asked indignantly.
Aemond was equally dissatisfied, glaring at Aegon, eager to fight.
Rhaegar remained calm, standing in the center of the crowd, and shot Aemond a cold glance as he attempted to step forward.
Aemond gritted his teeth and froze under the pressure of his elder brother.
Rhaegar then turned to the defiant Aegon and asked calmly, "Do you think fighting is fun?"
Aegon hesitated for a moment and did not dare to respond.
Rhaegar cast him a warning look before shifting his gaze to the seething Aemond. He sighed and asked, "Have you regained some sense now?"
This conflict had been instigated mostly by Aegon, while Aemond had been the one bullied. Rhaegar did not wish to reprimand this younger brother too harshly.
He stood between the two of them, his white inner shirt slightly unbuttoned at the collar. The night breeze brushed against his exposed skin, giving off a faint glow.
Aegon hesitated several times, gathering the courage to speak.
"Aegon, you should worry about your own dragon," Rhaegar said, his tone indifferent.
Aegon immediately swallowed his words and walked toward Sunfyre, his expression resentful.
Seeing this, Aemond was unwilling to let it go. "But he—"
"Shh!"
Before he could finish, Rhaegar raised a finger, signaling him to stay quiet.
Aemond was forced to shut his mouth, his face flushed with frustration.
Rhaegar sighed, ruffling Aemond's hair, then said seriously, "Congratulations on earning the recognition of a fully grown dragon. You have already proven yourself."
Without waiting for Aemond's response, his gaze swept over Helaena and Daeron, and he stated flatly, "Good children should be in bed at this hour."
Daeron, timid as ever, hid behind Aemond, too intimidated to make a sound.
Helaena stood obediently beside Aemond, lowering her head. Her large violet eyes darted back and forth in admiration.
She remembered that when she was younger, her brother had helped discipline Aegon in the same way.
Rhaegar had no interest in guessing what they were thinking. He ordered firmly, "Now, go back to sleep and forget about tonight's troubles."
Helaena shivered slightly and tugged at Aemond's sleeve, whispering, "Let's go."
Daeron nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Fine," Aemond reluctantly agreed.
Alicent let out a sigh of relief and took her children's hands, preparing to leave.
After taking a few steps, Aemond suddenly stopped and called out, "Aegon, you still haven't apologized to me."
Aegon halted briefly but showed no intention of complying.
"Aegon, we are brothers. Is it really so hard to get along peacefully?" Aemond gritted his teeth as he spoke.
Rhaegar glanced at him, folding his hands in front of him as he observed.
He wanted to see if Aemond could express any sincere emotions.
Aegon ignored him entirely and continued walking toward Sunfyre.
Aemond stared at his back, his fists clenching and unclenching, his voice barely a whisper: "Aegon, you owe me an apology. I will make sure you pay for it."
With that, he pulled away from Helaena and Daeron and walked back to the castle alone.
"Aemond..." Alicent murmured in shock, standing frozen in place.
Otto patted his daughter's shoulder reassuringly. "Let him be alone for a while. Conflicts between brothers are normal."
Rhaegar's eyes flickered as he silently watched Aemond's retreating figure.
He felt that Aemond was a child who matured too early, already making plans of his own.
Rhaenyra approached, linking her arm with his. In a gentle voice, she said, "Let's go. Tell me about what happened tonight."
Their father and Aemond had unexpectedly gone out to tame dragons, and Rhaegar had killed Grand Maester Mellos.
This was an event significant enough to shake the entire continent.
"I do have a lot to talk about," Rhaegar said thoughtfully, gazing up at the crimson streak in the night sky.
A red comet seemed to stretch from one end of the heavens to the other, refusing to fade.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned his gaze toward his father.
The deaths of Mellos and Borros, as well as the alliance between the houses of Dragon and Stag, all required his father to take charge.
He saw Alicent draping her cloak over her husband's bare shoulders as they leaned on each other, walking slowly.
Rhaegar lifted his chin slightly and, with keen awareness, chose not to disturb them.
Rhaenyra smiled warmly, linking her arm with his as they followed behind the group.
(End of Chapter)