Syrax beat her wings desperately, quickly pulling away from the Dragonfire behind her. Rhaenyra clung tightly to the saddle. She knew her own limits, and Syrax's. Though she had loved flying in her youth and longed to become a Visenya-like warrior woman, time changed everything. The sky was no longer her battlefield.
An ugly, charcoal-black dragon poked its head out from behind the Dragonmont, its sickly green eyes blazing with furious fire. Syrax had just destroyed its nest with a mouthful of Dragonfire without warning. No matter how cautious or cunning a beast was, such a provocation could make it lose its head.
Then The Cannibal spotted the three dragons flying overhead. Its head, covered in spikes and horny scales, froze for only a moment before it turned sharply and beat its membranous wings.
It was going to flee.
Rhaenys yanked the saddle grip and let out a delighted cry. The Red Queen immediately roared, swept her wings, and charged toward The Cannibal. In the blink of an eye, she had overtaken Bloodworm and Silverwing.
"Meleys, attack." The old princess chanted the command in a low voice in High Valyrian. The Red Queen roared as she closed in on The Cannibal fleeing eastward. The red dragon accelerated again and, within a few breaths for those watching below, reached The Cannibal's rear flank.
"Hiss—" The Cannibal beat its wings hard, trying to shake off the Red Queen, but it immediately discovered that this red dragon was terrifyingly fast. At the very least, The Cannibal could not escape her pursuit.
"Roar!" The moment The Cannibal realized it could not outrun her, it dived toward the Dragonmont. The Red Queen followed, folding her wings and diving after it. Seeing the swift dragon take the bait, The Cannibal immediately spread its wings, hovered in