Beginning of the End | House Of The Dragon

3.1

AURELIUS POV

So much had happened in the three years since Aelthea's christening, Gods was she three already? I had received word that Daemon and Corlys Velaryon were on their way to pay me and mine a visit, they convinced me to join their cause in the Stepstones, I had resigned my place on the Council after dropping my family off back in Kings Landing, and now Faune was pregnant with our first child. I was glad since we'd been struggled to conceive and I was away so often. I was just now returning from Camelot where Faune remained in confinement, and Jonquil and the children were off to Kings Landing to celebrate the little Princelings second name day.

I was on Llanstormydd. Waiting. Watching.

I heard a man deciding to go out with venemous words, and when those words transformed into screams of fear and pain we attacked.

"Dracarys." I whispered, my whisper sounding like the hiss of a serpent. It was the only word the Valyrians and Albionens shared.

Caraxes began to whistle and then we descended on the screaming men, who quickly became aware of their fate. Dragon flame lit up the night.

The man nailed to the post, the one had been screaming venomously, began to yell incoherent words once more but it made no matter as he was crushed under the foot of Caraxes.

Llanstormydd was having a field day, turning the Crabfeeder's men into a buffet before she grew full and took amusement and ripping and shredding and throwing their chard corpses instead.

She ascended into the sky once more just as Caraxes landed, taking his place in assaulting the men from above. Her tail swooped down every once in a while, touching the ground to impale someone on one of the horned spikes of her tail. For the most part she just continued burning. Her flames were even almost to hot for me as I sat astride her on saddleback,  her flames burned so hot that they were white. The heat blew back into my face and made me squint and duck my head onto my sleeve in attempt to shield my eyes. But it all that mattered little in the end to me, I was just having a good time.

Daemon made sure nothing went unburned, even ducking Caraxes head into caves and caverns. I couldn't help but laugh darkly at the fun I was having watching everything go up in flames. Men tried to run, screaming for their lives, but it was no use and they were quickly burnt or disintegrated.

"Where are you? Come out and face me, Drahar!" Daemon called out, trying to goad the man into a fight Daemon knew je would been. Only an idiot would have taken the bait, we had dragons and the Crabfeeder was just a man.

I let out a loud battle cry and Llanstormydd roared in return.

"Come out, Drahar! Where are you?" Daemon continued, smiling up at me at the sounds of my excitement. "I'm gonna feed you to your own crabs!"

The smile quickly fell from my face as flaming arrows began to rain down from above and Llanstormydd had to push herself up even higher to avoid being struck. When I steadied myself I looked down to see Daemon was unharmed but another batch of arrows quickly rained down, this time one taking him in the shoulder.

Both dragon and rider roared out. The bond between a dragon and its rider running deeper than any mere mortal could ever hope to graspm I started raining fire down on the men in retaliation when Daemon on Caraxes swooped past me and I quickly turned to follow them. We had lost once again. Vaemond would not be happy.

JONQUIL POV

I gripped the walls of the wheelhouse to steady myself as we passed through a particulary rough patch of road, closing my eyes and praying that we would hurry up and get there already. This wasn't as fun as it used to be when it was just us girls, now I was surrounded by children easily provoked to tears. But none came. So, when I was sure it was safe to let go I reached across to the other side and patted Maexes on his knee.