Viserys looked at the gold dragon. Though it was twelve feet long, it was still a young dragon in terms of age and build.
Historically, fueled by the blood magic sacrifice of Drogo's funeral pyre, the dragons hatched from the Pentoshi Magister's eggs grew rapidly.
But individual talent also played a role; some dragons grew faster than others. Drogon, for example, grew to a considerable size in just a year or two.
Vermithor, the "Bronze Fury," also became a large dragon relatively quickly.
Viserys couldn't tell the exact age of this gold dragon—perhaps two or three years old, maybe a bit more.
A young wild dragon of this age might have a slightly better temperament than an ancient one.
But given this dragon's cunning, taming it would require great effort.
Older wild dragons like Cannibal or Sheepstealer, accustomed to the wild, saw humans as just another food source.
They were malicious toward men and rarely left survivors.
Witnessing Viserys tame a wild golden-red dragon on the spot, Aggo, Jalaka, and the others watched with wide eyes.
They dared not interrupt Viserys's rhythm; a berserk wild dragon was far more terrifying than a wild horse.
However, the unexpected arrived swiftly.
Viserys's taming process was accelerated by the arrival of the three-headed blood eagles, griffins, and ground-based fire wights.
The gold dragon faced two choices: fly away or join Viserys in battle and enjoy a feast.
But before deciding, the dragon had its own test.
Dragons are aggressive creatures.
Wild dragons possess more ferocity than domesticated ones; the instinct to hunt sharpens their aggression.
The counter-example was Syrax, the she-dragon of Rhaenyra Targaryen. Pampered and overfed, she had no hunting experience and died pathetically.
Syrax, with her yellow scales, was massive and formidable in appearance.
But she had been fed too well and hadn't hunted in years.
The gold dragon stared at Viserys, its red vertical pupils flickering, smoke curling from its black teeth.
Its long, slender neck arched like a bow. With a warning roar, it unleashed a swirling blast of golden fire at Viserys.
The scorching gold-red flames surged forward, hot enough to strip skin.
A dragon is fire made flesh; its power far surpassed that of the grafted three-headed blood eagle.
In the dragon's burning red eyes, Viserys was too small, too fragile. It questioned whether he was worthy to be a friend.
Wild dragons differed from domesticated ones; they followed the laws of nature, wild and untamed.
Their tactics focused on ambush and assault, bullying the weak, like a tiger hunting.
The suicidal tactics of domesticated dragons—throwing themselves against larger foes in mutually assured destruction—were alien to wild dragons.
In the Dance of the Dragons, the Cannibal, a wild dragon with a foul temper who never fought a losing battle, survived until the end.
The Cannibal was arrogant and cunning, never giving his life away for free.
Dragonrider and wild dragon needed to synchronize, becoming partners to achieve the impossible.
But humans... humans had their own courage.
Viserys caught a flicker of hesitation in the dragon's eyes. This was his chance.
The gold dragon was testing him, checking if he was qualified to be a partner.
It didn't unleash all its fire at once, but in bursts.
It was intimidation, a test designed to scare Viserys off.
Viserys began to run, a lone, courageous knight charging without hesitation.
He was like a newly forged bright sword, cutting through the fire array, showing the dragon his valor.
"His Grace is too reckless!" Aggo cried anxiously, watching the golden flames erupt and Viserys run straight into them.
Facing dragonfire head-on... fire was humanity's primal fear.
Jalaka watched with his mouth open as the silver-haired knight charged into the dragon's maw. For a moment, he didn't know if it was greatness or madness.
The young King was in the prime of his youth, yet brave and fearless.
Viserys leaped forward, dodging the scorching blasts as he ran.
Fire magic danced at his fingertips, absorbing the violent fire essence.
Not just his magic—his silver armor glowed brilliantly, shielding him from the heat.
Still, the air was thick with scalding wind and sulfur.
The ten meters between man and dragon became a path of fire, the dragon's breath terrifying to behold.
Seeing Viserys get closer, the dragon grew annoyed and increased the intensity of its fire.
It wanted a partner but hated being bound—a contradiction.
It wanted to eat well with Viserys but disliked being ridden.
Swirling gold-red dragonfire roared down. The extreme heat was something only a high-level pyromancer could withstand.
Some flames splashed onto Viserys. He was not yet truly "Unburnt."
He relied on the silver scale armor, his agility, and his elemental affinity to avoid being charred.
"Scatter!" Viserys shouted, red and blue lights condensing around him.
Water magic protected his body, while fire magic dispersed the dragonflame.
The gold dragon watched Viserys, surprised that this human was more resilient and formidable than imagined.
Though Viserys wasn't a supreme pyromancer, he was a unique dual-element mage equipped with the Rhoynar set.
Five steps!
Three steps!
One step!
Viserys reached the dragon, staring face-to-face with the beast.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final outcome in the smoke and fire. Would the King succeed?
Viserys felt a burning pain; infection from a burn here would be fatal.
Fortunately, under the gentle influence of water magic and the protection of the silver armor, no real wounds formed.
Still, Viserys felt battered and disheveled, nearly having his hair singed off.
Viserys stood before the dragon, his reflection in its eyes.
The dragon's vertical pupils held a look of begrudging respect. Fire still flickered in its throat, but it didn't spew.
It meant he had passed the test. He was qualified to be a hunting partner.
Viserys placed his hand on the dragon's snout. The dragon did not pull away.
"With my fire, I call your name."
"King of Gold and Fire, Golden Tyrant... Sunfyre."
Viserys pressed the dragon's snout against his silver armor, tentatively soothing Sunfyre's mood.
Danger surrounded them. The fire wights, three-headed blood eagles, and griffins were closing in.