Failed to Tame

Crack—

Stepping over a stinking pile of dragon dung, Rhaegar accidentally crushed a bone covered in bite marks. The sound stood out sharply in the quiet, dim space.

The sudden noise startled Rhaegar so badly that he broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding.

He kept his eyes fixed on the figure in the darkness, afraid that one small mistake might enrage it.

As he pounded his heaving chest, Rhaegar was sure of one thing.

If he'd been in the same condition as six months ago, his heart would already have struggled to pump blood. One wrong move, and he might have dropped dead.

Rhaegar took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

He continued humming the song, still unfamiliar with it.

Clink, clatter...

After a while, the sound of chains came again.

By now, Rhaegar had closed the distance considerably and could make out Dreamfyre's appearance.

Dreamfyre was slender, with several silver streaks across her pale blue scales, pale blue wings, and silver scales along her back.

Her head, hidden in shadow, was hard to see clearly.

But a pair of slightly curved, long silver horns stood out against the darkness.

At the sight of the pale blue dragon, Rhaegar instinctively stopped.

Dreamfyre's long neck was curled against her body, her wings folded against her sides, as though she were resting.

But Rhaegar knew the song had already woken her.

She was secretly sizing up the intruder.

Rhaegar would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't afraid to approach an unclaimed Adult Dragon alone.

The arm holding the torch trembled. His legs felt as though they were filled with lead, unable to move an inch. Even his lips, humming the song, had gone numb.

Move! Come on, move!

Fear had taken control of his body. With what little reason he had left, Rhaegar beat at his legs, desperately trying to move forward.

He'd come here to tame a dragon. He couldn't give up halfway.

After a long moment, Dreamfyre still made no move to drive him away, and Rhaegar's taut nerves eased slightly.

Urged on by his stubborn will, he took another step.

Thirty meters, twenty meters, fifteen meters...

As he drew closer, Rhaegar could see Dreamfyre clearly.

Just as he'd suspected, Dreamfyre had been awake for some time.

Her magnificent head rested on her slender tail, and a pair of amber eyes watched him coolly.

In the cramped space, the oppressive presence of an Adult Dragon was overwhelming.

It was like a sword hanging over his head, and he had no idea when it might fall.

"Huff... huff..."

Rhaegar could no longer hum. His breathing grew heavier, loud in his ears.

I've made it this far. I can't give up now!

His body was rigid with fear. Rhaegar silently shouted encouragement to himself and met Dreamfyre's gaze.

"Dreamfyre, become my companion! I'll take you back to the open skies!"

Biting his lip until it bled, Rhaegar forced out a shout through clenched teeth. He raised the torch in one hand and held out the other, palm up.

No matter what, he had to try to tame Dreamfyre.

"Growl..."

At his gesture, Dreamfyre's throat rumbled, and a low growl came from her mouth.

Dreamfyre had just woken, and her mood was surprisingly mild. She didn't seem too hostile.

She sniffed, as if sensing some inexplicable connection in him.

Dreamfyre had lived for decades and naturally understood what it was.

She had felt the same blood tie in Rhaenyra, her first and former rider.

Dreamfyre's chilling eyes met Rhaegar's, studying him.

Rhaegar shouted again. "Dreamfyre, accept me! You shouldn't be stuck in this dark Dragonpit, never seeing the sun!"

"Siga!"

At his cry, Dreamfyre answered with a clear, ringing roar.

In that moment, the young prince and the dragon imprisoned for decades gazed into each other's eyes. An inexplicable bond drew them together.

Each saw the other reflected in their eyes.

Through that faint connection, Rhaegar sensed Dreamfyre's true emotions.

Restlessness, anger, resentment...

And a deep longing for freedom.

Her overwhelming negative emotions were as unfathomable as an abyss. Rhaegar was shocked.

Then he thought about it. A dragon born for the skies and wilderness had lost her rider and been imprisoned for decades.

She had passed from her prime into adulthood in this sunless cavern. It was only natural that she felt this way.

Summoning his courage, Rhaegar took a step forward and said earnestly, "Dreamfyre, let me take you away from here!"

Dreamfyre watched him. Though she couldn't understand his words, she could feel the empathy behind them.

She had been imprisoned for too long.

She did want to leave.

Dreamfyre moved.

She braced her wings against the ground and raised her head high, trying to show off her imposing stature.

Clink, clatter...

But sturdy shackles bound Dreamfyre's neck and legs. Before she could rise properly, the chains yanked her back with brutal force.

Every action had an equal and opposite reaction.

The more eagerly Dreamfyre had tried to stand, the more painfully the chains pulled her down.

With a thud, Dreamfyre fell to the ground. Her long neck nearly snapped as she slammed hard into the cave wall.

Rhaegar was overcome with worry. "Dreamfyre, are you all right?!"

He hadn't yet realized that the moment Dreamfyre fell, the bond that had just formed between them snapped.

Dreamfyre struggled on the ground for a moment, then raised her head again. A fierce tongue of flame flickered from her jaws.

"Dreamfyre, are you okay?"

Rhaegar cautiously took a step forward.

When their eyes met again, the warmth was gone from Dreamfyre's gaze. Only anger and wild fury remained.

"Siga!!!"

Dreamfyre suddenly roared. Her jaws gaped, and dragonflame, orange-yellow streaked with sky blue, burst out.

"No! Calm down, Dreamfyre! We can be companions!"

Rhaegar's face changed dramatically. He tried in disbelief to call Dreamfyre back to her senses.

But the dragonflame was already upon him.

Faced with a pillar of flame, his instinct to survive made him spin around and dive into a mound of jagged bones.

The dragonflame missed him, but sparks inevitably landed on his unprotected back.

Far hotter than ordinary fire, the dragonflame consumed his clothes in an instant, then seared his fair skin.

"Ah!!!"

Agony seemed to yank at Rhaegar's nerves, wrenching a shrill scream from him.

His head jerked back uncontrollably, and his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.

For one brief moment, Rhaegar thought he might die from the pain.

It turned out that Blood of the Dragon was more than just words.

Though the pain was unbearable, Rhaegar didn't die.

"How could this happen? Why did Dreamfyre lose control?!"

At this critical moment, reason overcame Rhaegar's fear and gave him the right order.

While Dreamfyre was busy breathing dragonflame, Rhaegar struggled to his feet and ran away without a second thought.

He'd lost the torch just now, so he had to make his way through the darkness. Already stumbling, he picked his way across the scattered bones, tripping and lurching at every turn.

"Siga!"

Having missed her first attack, Dreamfyre grew even more ferocious. She strained against her chains and roared, breathing dragonflame wildly.

The dazzling dragonflame lit up the lair, scorching the stone walls and bones. Again and again, it streaked past Rhaegar.

"Damn it, I was so close..."

As he ran beneath the pursuing dragonflame, Rhaegar trembled with fear, unable to stop wondering why he'd failed.

"Prince, watch out behind you!"

A familiar voice rang out. Before Rhaegar could react, a white figure tackled him to the ground.

Boom—

The next moment, the spot where Rhaegar had been was swallowed by dragonflame, leaving a half-foot-deep, charred crater.