Ice and Fire: Reign of the Dragon.

Chapter 373: Burning the Night of King's Landing
The sheep thief's painful roar reminded everyone who was still busy that they had to hurry.

The tiny figure of Aegon Sunfyre was reflected in the emerald pupils of Jade Orinth. The hot breath of the green dragon blew the remaining flames on the ground into a swirling vortex of fire, and each scale was flickering in the refracted colorful light.

"Dohaerās!" Aegon shouted the dragon-taming command in High Valyrian for the third time. The dragon whip in his hand was burning and tightly wrapped around the third neck spine of the green dragon. The barb of the whip tip had pierced into the gap between the scales, oozing golden red dragon blood.

The green dragon suddenly raised its head and roared, the sound waves shattering all the remaining glass windows within fifty feet. Aegon was thrown into the air, and only by wrapping his whip around his arm did he not fall. As he rolled on the dragon's neck, he caught a glimpse of Daemon Blackfyre riding Korakshuu to break through the already broken dome - the scarlet dragon's spread wings covered the sky and dyed the completely collapsing dragon cave bloody.

"Look at me!" Aegon shouted loudly, his dragon whip had been burned into a pile of charred ash. The green dragon turned its head in pain, the dragon's vertical pupils shrank into slits, the dragon's breath rolled in its throat, and the hot sulfur smell burned Aegon Sunflame's skin.

He was afraid.

He thought he could use his blood to awaken the green dragon's loyalty, just like Prince Merar, the father mentioned by the dragon chasers - they claimed that the green dragon was Merar's companion dragon, so no one could tame this violent beast while Merar was alive.

The dragon, they said, was his by right.

It should belong only to him.

But when Jed Orinth's dragon eyes locked onto him, what he felt was not submission, but scrutiny - as if the dragon was measuring whether he was worthy of his father's bloodline.

"Dohaerās..." His voice trembled, the Valyrian language breaking.

Two streams of white smoke blew out of the green dragon's nostrils, its neck lowered, its fangs only an inch from his face. Aegon could smell the blood in the dragon's breath and see the dried old wounds in the gaps between its scales.

It remembered Meral.

But it didn't recognize me.

Fear was like ice water pouring into his bones. The joints of Aegon's fingers turned white, and there was only one thought in his mind - escape!
But at this moment, Jed Orlins suddenly roared, and the dragon's neck slightly tilted to make way.

It is not surrender, but charity.

Aegon climbed onto the dragon's back trembling, his heart pounding. He didn't dare pull the dragon's rope, didn't dare order it to fight, and didn't even dare to breathe too heavily - for fear that the dragon would throw him into the sea of ​​fire with a flick of its body.

"Leave first...leave first and talk later..."

Jade Olins spread its wings, its emerald scales gleaming like gems in the firelight. It took off steadily, as if caring for the trembling rider on its back.

—It carried him, not out of loyalty, but out of pity.

Korakshuu's roar shattered the remaining glass windows of the dragon's lair. The scarlet dragon wings stirred up a gust of wind, tearing the burning curtain into pieces. The dragon, which had not appeared in front of the people of King's Landing for several years, stretched its body again amid the people's terrified shouts. Daemon pressed himself tightly on the dragon's back, and his purple eyes swept across the chaotic battlefield - the sheep thief was being suppressed by Hovenders and Sarafathers, and Aegor Rivers lay on the dragon's back in a panic, trying to break free from the stranglehold of the rainbow beard.

"Desilis! Balmi!" Daemon growled.

Two Volantis were rummaging through the dragon egg chamber. Desilis knelt on the ground, his fingers hovering over the six dragon eggs, chanting an ancient Valyrian spell, trying to sense which dragon egg contained the stronger magic.

"There's no time!" Barmi said sternly, his scimitar dripping with the blood of a guard. "Just take two and go! You really think you can do magic!"

Desilis gritted his teeth, and the spell was interrupted. He couldn't decide which dragon egg was more valuable - one of the golden eggs pulsated with a faint heat, and the other had a black eggshell covered with mottled scales. He grabbed both and stuffed them into the leather bag inside the lining.

Korakshuu crouched low and let the two climb onto the dragon's back. Daemon pulled the dragon's reins, and the scarlet dragon soared into the sky, its wings flapping with a thunderous roar.

Instead of fighting Hovenders and Sarafathers, Korakhu flapped his dragon wings and protected Jed Orinth as he flew towards the mouth of the Blackwater River.

Daemon didn't dare to bet that his three young dragon riders could fight against the two experienced old dragon riders on the opposite side - as well as Ringol and King Daeron who could ride their dragons into the sky at any time.

At this time, Benson stood in the shadow of the tower, his fingers unconsciously stroking the long sword at his waist. Darren and Xirui left the Royal Wheel Palace as soon as they found something wrong, and rode fast horses to the Black Palace to seek shelter - there were the Black Palace guards and the Silver Blood Army, as well as Xingge and Baoyun. Only Benson and the guards were left to protect the Wheel Palace, waiting for an opportunity to act.

He was hesitating.

He is worried. He is also the bastard son of the late King Aegon.

It's the Dragon Rider.

Same with Daemon Blackfyre.

And now, Daemon has rebelled, taking the king's sword and the dragon with him. He also participated in the murder of the patriarch of the Varese family and attempted to murder the king.

"They will purge us all." The thought coiled around his heart like a poisonous snake.

Count Marewies finally had a reason.

The courtiers of the Red Castle do not distinguish between "loyal bastards" and "rebellious bastards" - in their eyes, filthy blood is original sin, and no matter how neutral they are, the courtiers will not really regard themselves as innocent.

Benson's eyes swept across the ruins of the dragon's lair, seeing the blood dripping from the blade of Rhaegon Khayon's Starsinger, and Brynden's white crows searching for survivors like hawks.

They will liquidate.

I'm not as smooth as Garin. He has already found a way out. They won't question his loyalty.

And I will be the first one to be suspected.

His fingers clenched around the hilt of the sword, his knuckles turning white.

Maybe... I should find a way to survive?
At this moment, more violent green flames rose into the sky, illuminating the entire night sky of King's Landing.

"Seven levels of hell," Benson muttered.

The night sky over the Rhaenys Hills was dyed emerald green.

Mad-Eye Austin Mullendaur stood in the middle of the burning street, the distorted fire reflected in his one eye. All his crossbowmen were dead - either burned to charcoal by dragon fire or crushed to pieces by the collapsing dome. His plans were shattered, his allies were scattered.

But Mad-Eye never returns empty-handed.

He found a way to buy them time to evacuate King's Landing.

“Burn!” he roared, his voice like a horn tainted by sulfur. “Burn down this usurper’s city!”

He kicked over the pottery jar at his feet, and the sticky green liquid gurgled out, winding like a venomous snake between the cobblestones. Wildfire - the demonic creation of the alchemist, more greedy than dragon fire and more persistent than hatred. Mad-Eye laughed wildly and threw the torch down, and the emerald-colored fire wave instantly engulfed the entire street.

The stained windows of the nobles' houses burst in the heat, and the flying glass swept over the fleeing people like hail. Mad-Eye walked through the fire alley and stopped at a temple. He cut off the head of the bishop and threw a can of wildfire into the porch. The statue of the Warrior's Son melted in the green flames, and the painted marble statue of the girl shed colorful tears.

"Don't you believe in the Seven Gods?" He kicked open the door of the temple and threw the last can of wildfire on the seven-pointed star altar. "Let them save you now!"

The flames climbed up the dome along the silk curtains, burning the golden tapestries that had been hanging for a hundred years. Mad-Eye stood in the center of the altar, looking at the parchment scroll of the Seven-Star Bible that was gradually curling up in the flames: "You have betrayed the true king and put the usurper on the altar. You have betrayed the king blessed by the Seven Gods! His name is King Aegon Targaryen II, son of King Viserys I and Queen Alicent, the legitimate heir, the true king!"

"You deserve to die! Come, come and judge me!" He opened his arms to welcome the falling burning beams: "Come!"

As Hovenders's beard swept across the Rhaenys Hills, the fire was out of control. The dragons circled in the air, and Orion Vareses tried to create a barrier with dragon fire.

But the wildfire spread too quickly.

Before the last bell tower collapsed, Mad-Eye's laughter still echoed in the fire.

(End of this chapter)