Chapter 19.2- The Seadragon's Roar

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People had a misconception about dragons. They couldn’t just burn castles willy nilly. Not the most of them at least. Strong as Igneel was, he’d have difficulties burning a full sized castle with anything less than hours of work. We didn’t have the stamina for doing it in one go, and the thing did lose a lot of its awe-striking potential when you had to do it in shifts or batches. That was not the case with four dragons though.

Especially not these four. Together, we were the most dangerous thing in the world— the four of us. It galled me to admit it, but Daemon was an above average rider. Even with all my training and what I was sure was commensurate training on the part of both Laena and mother, Daemon kept up with us with ease. Raw talent for dragon riding, the likes of which I would find it difficult to even comprehend. We banked in unison, coming around to the first castle on the island. This was the largest of them all. It had Valyrian roots, it was clear to see.

It rose like a jagged shadow against the sky. It was big in the way castles in this world had no choice but to be big. Maybe about the same size of Storm’s End, if only slightly smaller but built in a different way. For one, it was made entirely of black, volcanic-like stone that made me think of Dragonstone, or maybe even the stones of Harrenhal, blackened and fused by the Black Dread’s fury. Its surface, made of the stone, was rough yet it seemed to fit together perfectly, giving the sense that it was hewn from a single massive block of dragon-forged rock.

It sat on one end of the island— not the end Daemon had started its conquest from and that made sense. Lording over the island, it sat atop a steep, uneven outcrop on Bloodstone’s wave-lashed coast. Its base blended so seamlessly with the natural rock that if it were not so obviously other, it would have been mistaken for something having grown from the island itself. Sheer walls rose in stark vertical lines, so straight that it spoke of otherworldly construction. The walls were punctuated by arrow slits and crenelations. It sported a single gate— one entrance to hell. It was framed by deep-set grooves around its arch and guarded by towers to either side. The towers were rectangular. Nothing in this castle was less than a straight line.

Above the fortifications sat a bouquet of spires, turrets and buttresses, each one lifting higher and higher to the sky. It cast a fearsome figure, designed to warn away as much as it was to defend. No wonder Daemon had not even tried his hand at taking it yet and preferred to spend his time on the rest of the island. I wouldn’t want to try taking this thing from the ground either. The tallest central tower drew all eyes to it. It was like a black spear stabbing straight into the sky. We had been spotted, I could tell. But what would it matter? Pirates crowded the crenelations and battlements were they could, looking up at us and pointing.

Looking at it, I had a single question. Would it burn? Laena wasted no time in getting Amy answer. “Dracarys” she roared, Vhagar roaring with her. They unleashed their unique green flames on the castle, covering most of the left wing from view. They staffed it, flying across as they released their flames. When the flames died, the black stone of the castle had reddened but beyond that, it was untouched.

“All together” Mother ordered. I looked over at her and nodded. Igneel and I banked right while Vhagar continued above the castle, raining down fire at the top of it. Mother and Daemon went left. All our dragons spewed their flames with all the force they could. But even that was not enough to cause more than a slight reddening. On mother’s insistence, we kept it up for close to half an hour before we turned in, disappointed.

All that we had achieved was that we had killed the men that guarded the walls and battlements.. Even their screams had done little to wipe away the feeling of disappointment that nestled itself in my stomach.

“If we want that castle, we have to get men inside that bitch” Daemon said, and I feared that he was right. Because that was going to be a costly castle to take no matter what.