𝐖𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 ➵ 𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓪𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓼 𝓥𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷

𝟒 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫

Jace had spent a few hours on Vermax, flying around the city of King's Landing, far away from it enough that he could hopefully avoid any of the other dragon riders who had been prepping their dragons in the pit. Vermax was seemingly the only one who could understand how angry and frustrated Jace was.

"Naejot se seafront," (to the seafront) Jace instructed Vermax, the green dragon veering to the right and down towards the water. Jace paced over the cliffs edge and down, feeling weightless as Vermax sank through the air and towards the white tipped waves below. Jace looked down at the water, Vermax dipping his feet in the sea as they split through the air. Jace smiled now, feeling his dark hair blow back from his face. The boy held on to Vermax's back with one hand and leaned over, extending the other.

He dipped his fingers in the water as Vermax flew, feeling the sun beating down on his face. His mind was finally at peace, Jace feeling relaxed for the first time since he had arrived.

His relaxation and bliss was prematurely interrupted by a sudden but powerful gust of wind which shook Vermax. Jace pulled himself on his dragon properly and held on with both hands, looking around wildly to figure out what had happened. Vermax let out a small roar, nervous now. Jace stroked Vermax's neck softly to comfort him.

"Come on out! Whatever one of you it is, I'm not in the mood for it today!" Jace roared, knowing that it was most definitely Aemond, Aegon or Saera teasing him. He had a fair idea of who it was though.

Jace continued to look at the cliffside, searching with narrowed eyes to try and spot the dragon that was taunting his. He looked out across the blue horizon, and then towards King's Landing which was ahead of him. If he followed the shoreline, he would make it back to King's Landing in a few minutes.

"Come on boy, let's go home." Jace told Vermax, who continued to fly straight, picking up as much speed as he could.

Jace now stared ahead, jaw clenched as he could feel his mood worsening once again. I will never escape this torment. I may as well jump into the sea and be done with it.

Then, from his left, he watched as the flash of shining scales pass just in front of him, swooping around him so fast that Vermax let out a frightened cry. Jace knew who it was now, having seen the unique silver scales shining in the sunlight. He looked up above him, seeing Thunderbolt flying just above him, her long horned wings flapping gracefully as she glided through the air. Here we go.

"What's wrong Jace, didn't manage to find any sheep!?" He then caught sight of Saera, her silver hair blown back from her face in the wind, the small girl pressing herself down against her dragon as she laughed down at him.

"That joke wasn't funny the first time!" He yelled up at her, hearing her cackle in response as she then swooped lower down, flying directly next to him, both dragons soaring just a few feet above the waves below. He looked to his right at her, the girl focussing on the horizon with a smile on her face. He noticed that this smile appeared genuine, seemingly enjoying flying Thunderbolt too much to maintain her usual smug expression. She was so beautiful.

"Jace!" She yelled, now looking at him with wide eyes and a look of genuine concern. He looked ahead, noticing a large segment of the cliffs edge jutting out in his way that he was approaching impossibly fast.

"Down Vermax!" Jace yelled, Vermax ducking beneath the rock face just in time. Jace pulled back up beside Saera after narrowly dodging the truncated rock, his heart now slamming in his chest and her adrenaline pumping through his veins. She laughed at his bewildered expression, before veering Thunderbolt towards Vermax playfully. Jace scowled at her, veering Vermax towards Thunderbolt in retaliation, earning a roar of protest from Vermax.