Chapter 2.5- The Seadragon's Roar

“You can’t wait till we find Vhagar, can you?” I asked with a smirk. She shook her head and then began enthralling me with tales of what she had read about the Bronze beast that would have in another world burned her name into history with her actions in the Dance of Dragons.

—

It turned out that finding a massive dragon at least double the size of every other known living being was harder than it seemed. The report had said she’d been roosting on Bloodstone. But when we arrived, the locals had been more than willing to tell us that she hadn’t been spotted in weeks. Instead, she had moved to some of the other islands. So that was what we did. We went from port to port searching for the dragon. The sailors had opposed, trying to adhere to Corlys’ earlier instructions but the Sea Snake was a sea away and my dragon had burned three ships on the way here. All I had to do was ask and all Igneel had to do was roar.

Everywhere we went, we received word that the dragon had been by just recently before relocating to another island. It was like the thing was laughing at us. Especially when our supplies began to dry up and the Leana Velaryon began to develop faults. Her sails had gotten tangled more than once. We’d had the foremast nearly snap during a sudden storm just out of Torturer’s Deep— an isle that had more than earned its name, and had to stop at one of the ones too small to get a name to both wait out the next storm we could see coming and make repairs. Just another barren set of storm-swept rocks in this kingdom made of barren sets of storm-swept rocks. I could see why Daemon had given up on this place when he had taken it.

But then I could also see why Corlys had made common cause with him to take it in the first place. The Stepstones had potential. They were not a kingdom in the vein of somewhere like the Reach where everything from wine to grain could be sourced locally. No, its economy would always be dependent on trade to see it survive but that was not a bad thing. It was perfectly placed to take advantage of said trade— place smack dab between Dorne, Westeros, and the Free Cities of Essos. There was a reason this place managed to keep so many pirate bands alive and prospering after all. The more I saw of it, the more I knew I wanted it, and even better I would not need to convince Corlys to take it.

Daemon would come to him with his harebrained scheme, Corlys would make common cause with him and then I would find myself fighting for the fate of these islands. Except that I would be sure to swoop in once he got bored of them and turn them into something more. Something worthwhile. Maybe he would press a claim once I developed them, but then he would be far too late.

It was while I schemed, staring into the ocean that I saw a flash of Bronze off to the side. I turned to find the Bronze Bitch herself nary an island over dragging a whale into the beach. Gods, she was massive. Easily five times Igneel’s size and more. While she couldn’t just eat him in once bit like she had with Arrax, she wouldn’t need three at his present size.