Failed Taming

Snap--

Stepping over a pile of foul-smelling dragon dung, Rhaegar accidentally stepped on a bone covered in bite marks, making a jarring sound in the quiet, dim space.

The sudden noise startled Rhaegar, breaking him out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding.

His eyes never left the figure lurking in the shadows, afraid that even a small mistake would provoke it.

Pounding his chest, which rose and fell violently, Rhaegar was certain.

If his physical condition were the same as half a year ago, his heart would likely be suffering from insufficient blood supply, and he might have died suddenly.

Rhaegar took a deep breath, trying to calm his agitated emotions.

He continued to hum an unfamiliar ballad.

Rustle...

After a while, the sound of chains clashing rang out again.

By now, Rhaegar had closed a significant distance and could vaguely make out Dreamfyre's appearance.

Dreamfyre was slender, with pale blue scales marked by silver lines, and had light blue wings and silver dorsal scales.

The dragon's head, hidden in the shadows, was not clearly visible.

But a pair of slightly curved, silver horns were exposed to the air.

Seeing this pale blue dragon, Rhaegar instinctively stopped in his tracks.

At this moment, Dreamfyre's long neck was curled against its side, its wings tucked close to its ribs, as if resting.

But Rhaegar knew that Dreamfyre had already been awakened by the song.

It was secretly observing this intruder.

Rhaegar couldn't lie and say he wasn't afraid of approaching an adult, masterless dragon alone.

The arm holding the torch trembled, his legs felt as if they were cast in lead and couldn't move an inch, and even the lips that sang the song felt numb.

"Move, hurry up and move!"

Fear had taken control of his body, and Rhaegar's remaining reason desperately pounded his legs, urging him to move forward.

He had come here to tame a dragon, and he couldn't give up halfway.

After a long moment, seeing that Dreamfyre hadn't actively driven him away, Rhaegar's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Driven by his unyielding will, his legs began to move again.

Thirty meters, twenty meters, fifteen meters...

As the distance closed, Rhaegar could clearly see Dreamfyre.

It was just as he had imagined; Dreamfyre was already awake.

Its horned head rested on its slender tail, and a pair of amber eyes watched him indifferently.

In the confined space, the pressure of an adult dragon was immense.

It felt like a Damocles sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.

"Hoo~ Hoohoo~~"

Rhaegar could no longer hum the ballad, his breathing becoming heavy and audible.

"I've seen a dragon, I can't give up now!"

A primal fear made him stiffen, and Rhaegar shouted encouragement to himself in his heart, his gaze meeting Dreamfyre's.

"Dreamfyre, become my companion, and I will take you back to the blue sky!"

Biting his lips until they bled, Rhaegar gritted out a loud cry, raising his torch with one hand and extending his palm with the other.

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

"Roar..."

Facing his actions, Dreamfyre's throat rumbled, and a low, muffled growl came from its mouth.

Dreamfyre had just woken up, and its temper was still relatively mild, not overly resistant.

It sniffed the air, seemingly sensing a strange connection to the person.

In its decades of varied experiences, Dreamfyre naturally understood what that was.

Its first and former owner, Rhaenys, had possessed this same bloodline connection.

Dreamfyre's chilling eyes met Rhaegar's, a look of scrutiny in them.

Rhaegar shouted again: "Dreamfyre, acknowledge me! You shouldn't be confined in the dark Dragonpit, out of sight of the sun!"

"Screech~~"

Hearing his cry, Dreamfyre responded with a clear dragon's roar.

At this moment, the young Prince and the dragon, imprisoned for decades, locked eyes, a mysterious connection drawing them to each other.

Their reflections mirrored in each other's pupils.

Under this faint, almost imperceptible connection, Rhaegar felt Dreamfyre's true emotions.

Restlessness, anger, resentment...

And a deep yearning for freedom.

The immense negative emotions were as bottomless as an abyss, startling Rhaegar.

Then he thought, a dragon that should belong to the sky and the wilderness, imprisoned for decades after losing its master.

It was understandable to have such emotions, having transitioned from its prime to adulthood in this sunless den.

Rhaegar gathered his courage, took a step forward, and said with sincerity, "Dreamfyre, let me take you out of here!"

Dreamfyre watched Rhaegar. Although it couldn't understand his words, it could feel the empathy within them.

It had been imprisoned for too long.

It truly wanted to leave.

Dreamfyre moved.

Its wings pushed against the ground, its head held high, wanting to display its most magnificent side.

Rumble...

However, sturdy shackles locked Dreamfyre's neck and feet. Before it could stand up properly, the chains yanked it back forcefully.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The more Dreamfyre had anticipated standing up the moment before, the more painful the subsequent tugging was.

With a thump, Dreamfyre fell to the ground, its long neck nearly snapping. It smashed heavily against the cave wall.

Seeing this, Rhaegar was filled with indescribable worry. He exclaimed in panic, "Dreamfyre, are you alright!?"

He hadn't realized that the moment Dreamfyre fell, the connection they had just established snapped.

Dreamfyre struggled on the ground for a moment, then lifted its head again. Fierce flames erupted from its maw.

"Dreamfyre, are you okay?"

Rhaegar cautiously took a step forward.

Meeting its gaze again, the closeness in Dreamfyre's eyes was gone, replaced only by anger and ferocity.

"Screeeech!!!"

Dreamfyre suddenly roared, its maw opening wide as Dragonflame, tinged with orange and sky blue, spewed forth.

"No! Calm down, Dreamfyre, we can be partners!"

Rhaegar's expression changed drastically. He tried to call back Dreamfyre's reason in disbelief.

However, the Dragonflame was upon him.

Facing the pillar of Dragonflame, the instinct for survival made him quickly turn and dive into a pile of jagged bones.

The Dragonflame missed him, but the splashing sparks inevitably landed on his exposed back.

The Dragonflame, far exceeding ordinary flames, instantly burned through his clothes and onto his fair skin.

"Ahhh!!!"

The searing pain felt like it was ripping through Rhaegar's nerves, eliciting a piercing scream.

His head involuntarily snapped back, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.

For a moment, Rhaegar thought he would die from the pain.

As it turned out, the Blood of the Dragon wasn't just a saying.

Despite the agonizing pain, Rhaegar didn't die.

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

At this critical juncture, Rhaegar's rationality overcame his fear, issuing the most correct command.

Taking advantage of the brief moment Dreamfyre was spitting Dragonflame, Rhaegar struggled to his feet and ran away without looking back.

He had lost his torch earlier and could only move forward in the dark. His already unsteady steps stumbled over the scattered bones, tripping becoming the norm.

"Screeeech!"

Missing its target only fueled Dreamfyre's ferocity. It struggled fiercely against its chains, roaring and spewing Dragonflame wildly.

The brilliant Dragonflame illuminated the lair, wantonly burning the stone walls and bones, occasionally scorching past Rhaegar's side.

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

Running under the pursuit of the scorching Dragonflame, Rhaegar was terrified, unable to stop thinking about why he had failed.

"Prince, watch your back!"

A familiar voice called out. Before Rhaegar could react, he was tackled down by a white figure.

Boom—

The next second, the spot where Rhaegar had been was engulfed by Dragonflame, burning a half-foot deep carbonized pit.

Unfortunately, the protagonist's dragon is not Dreamfyre!

Thanks to readers Tianshuang Jianglin, Wu Suo Bu Qu, Long Hu Xuan Tan, Shen De Pian Tan, and Huang Xiao Yang for their respective 100 coin tips.