The timid dragon in the shadows

The sea breeze in the Gullet suddenly stopped for a moment, and even the sound of waves crashing against the deck became weaker.

Daemon slowly lowered his hand holding the Blackfyre, the tip of the sword drawing a shallow mark on the deck. The dark figure huddled in the shadow of the fish drying rack finally emerged little by little under the watchful gaze of the Glutton's deep dragon roar and the cold light of the Dreamfyre's dragon eyes.

The first thing to emerge was a head covered in light gray-white scales, which shimmered with a hazy luster like the morning mist. Two round, golden eyes darted around timidly, and there were still bits of dried fish clinging to the tip of its nose. As soon as the head was fully revealed, a series of gasps rose and fell on the deck.

"A dragon—it's a dragon!" The House Redwyne's hand holding the harpoon trembled, and he instinctively took two steps back, almost knocking over the barrel behind him;

Rupert Crabb drew his longsword sharply from his waist, standing protectively behind and to Daemon's side, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

Myles Rivers and Tybolt Crakehall had already raised their battle axes and hammers above their heads, but because of the appearance of the dragon, they froze in mid-air and dared not bring them down.

Jarman Waters, along with Harlan Hunter and Oliver Redwyne, slowly lowered the bows they had already nocked.

As Gael emerged from the cabin, she gasped in surprise, her pale purple skirt billowing in the sea breeze. She instinctively grabbed her beloved "nephew," Little Daemon's, arm, her fingertips icy cold. "Little Daemon, this—is it a wild dragon?"

Vaegon Targaryen followed behind his sister, a look of surprise appearing on his usually stern face for the first time. He stared at the small dragon's scales, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of doubt. "Grey Ghost? How did it fly from Dragonstone to here?"

The name struck Damon like a pebble dropped into a calm sea, causing Daemon pupils to contract slightly. He certainly knew of Grey Ghost —one of the three wild dragons of Dragonstone recorded in history books, the youngest and most reclusive, hiding during the Dance of the Dragons, ultimately meeting its end in being torn apart by the Sunfyre. But he never imagined that he would encounter this "reclusive little dragon" in the Gullet of the ninety-eighth year of the Conquest calendar, aboard his own fleet.

The Grey Ghost seemed quite frightened by the commotion around it, its golden eyes filled with fear, yet it also seemed drawn by something, taking small steps toward Daemon.

Daemon's three-headed dragon brand on his right shoulder suddenly burned hot, and a familiar sense of resonance spread throughout his body along his bloodstream. He could clearly feel Grey Ghost Shadow's fear and longing—it was an affinity for something that attracted him, a dependence on "shared essence".

"Don't move," Daemon said slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. "Put your weapons away." As he spoke, he slowly sheathed his Blackfyre, the soft clang of the scabbard against the blade echoing clearly on the silent deck. He extended his right hand, palm up, and bowed slightly to the Grey Ghost: "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

The Grey Ghost's golden eyes were fixed on his palm, then glanced at the Glutton hovering in the air—the jet-black dragon was staring at it with cold, vertical pupils, the white steam occasionally exhaled from its mouth carrying a scorching temperature, clearly hostile to this suddenly intruding little wild dragon, which had tried to prey on it many times before. Dreamfyre also hummed softly beside it, its pale blue dragon wings flapping, the resulting wind forcing the sailors below to take a few steps back.

"Glutton, take the Dreamfyre with you and light it!" Daemon shouted, looking up at the sky. Glutton, its massive dragon wings flapping through the air as it slowly rose higher into the night sky.

Dreamfyre looked aggrievedly in the direction of Gael and Daemon before taking off, his golden eyes still fixed on the Grey Ghost.

Without the intimidation of the two dragons, Grey Ghost finally mustered its courage and flew and trotted to Daemon. It first cautiously sniffed Daemon's palm, and the dried fish crumbs on its nose brushed against Daemon's skin, making him almost laugh out loud;

Then, as if it had confirmed that it was safe, it suddenly nuzzled Daemon's palm with its little head. The scales felt delicate and cool to the touch, with the salty taste of seawater.

Only then did everyone see the full appearance of the Grey Ghost —it was a whole size smaller than the Glutton and the Dreamfyre, about the size of an adult warhorse. Its light gray scales shimmered with iridescence in the torchlight, its wings were like two thin veils, and a few strands of seaweed were still stuck to the tip of its tail.

The most noticeable thing was its belly, which was slightly bulging, and it still had half a dried fish in its mouth that it hadn't swallowed yet, clearly indicating that it had just stolen a lot of food.

Daemon stroked Grey Ghost's neck down, his fingertips touching its swollen belly. He then looked up at the fish drying rack—the rack, which had been brimming with dried fish, was now mostly empty, with only a few crumbs hanging on the rope. He smiled helplessly and ruffled Grey Ghost's hair, "You cowardly dragon, you certainly know how to find food."

Grey Ghost seemed to understand, a hint of ingratiation flashing in its golden eyes, and it snuggled closer to his hand. Daemon, however, was filled with doubt: Grey Ghost Shadow was always solitary, never approaching humans. How could it suddenly fly from Dragonstone to the Gullet and follow his fleet? Was it because of the aura of the Dragon Mark? Or—was there some more hidden reason?

Just as he was deep in thought, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the sky! The Glutton swooped down, spewing out jet-black Dragonfire from its mouth, which landed on the sea not far away, creating a huge splash. The scorching heat wave even made the torches on the deck tilt crooked. Dreamfyre was startled by this sudden action and roared as it dodged to the side, its pale blue dragon wings almost swatting at the mast.

The Grey Ghost was terrified and darted back into the shadow of the fish drying rack, leaving only its small head peeking out. Its golden eyes were filled with terror, and it even dropped the dried fish from its mouth.

"Glutton! What are you doing! I'll have someone bring out Borros's wine for you later! And I'll have the cook get you a sheep as compensation!" Daemon glared at the Black Dragon in the sky, then turned to look at his "little aunt" Gael, who was already standing with her hands on her hips, and sighed helplessly, "Sorry, this guy is probably jealous because he saw Grey Ghost being close to me."

With Gael hands on her hips, Gai Rui's pale purple eyes were full of reproach as she exaggeratedly said, "Even if you're jealous, you can't scare my Dreamfyre! Look, it's almost crying from fright!" She pointed at Dreamfyre, which was still whimpering in the air as if in agreement with its owner's aggrieved expression, and said in a coquettish tone, "No, you have to make it up to Dreamfyre! The barrel of ale Borros gave you doesn't count, you also have to give it half of the mutton!"

Daemon was both amused and exasperated, and could only nod in agreement to his "little aunt's" "tyrannical terms": "Alright, alright, half, half." He immediately ordered a sailor to fetch a fat sheep from the kitchen, prepare it, cut it in half, tie it with rope, and throw it towards the Glutton in the air. The Black Dragon caught the sheep precisely, took a bite, let out a satisfied growl, flapped its wings, and flew above the sea, slowly and leisurely eating.

Gael wasn't finished. She grabbed Daemon's hand and headed towards the fish drying rack. "Come on, take me with you. Let's go see that cowardly dragon and stop it from hiding. I want to touch it too."

Daemon couldn't refuse her, so he had no choice but to follow along. When the Grey Ghost in the shadows saw Daemon coming, the fear in its golden eyes lessened a bit, but it still didn't dare to come out until it saw Gael beside Daemon trying to reach out and touch it. Suddenly, its pupils contracted, and it made a threatening "huff huff" sound in its throat. Even the corners of its mouth began to glow with light gray Dragonfire!

"Watch out!" Rayford shouted from the side, about to rush over, but Daemon raised his hand to stop him. The others' eyes also turned to the Dragonfire flame with worry.

Just as the Grey Ghost Dragonfire, Daemon abruptly reached out and covered its mouth with both hands! "Ugh—" The Dragonfire exploded inside the Grey Ghost's mouth, and pale blue sparks flew out from between Daemon's fingers, landing on the deck and burning small black dots. Daemon only felt a burning sensation in his palms, without any stinging pain, so he held on tightly until the Grey Ghost's Dragonfire was completely extinguished before slowly releasing his grip.

"Little Daemon! Your hand!" Gael exclaimed, grabbing his wrist, tears welling in her eyes. "Quickly, let Alys see! Little Mei! Hannah! Quickly, get Alys Rivers here!"

Mysaria and Johanna immediately turned and ran towards the cabin, their footsteps echoing rapidly on the deck. The Dreamfyre in the air also sensed something was wrong, quickly spitting out the mutton it hadn't finished eating and spewing a mouthful of pale blue Dragonfire at the sea, as if venting its dissatisfaction.

This time, it was Glutton's turn to be startled, almost dropping the mutton in its mouth. It glared at Dreamfyre with dissatisfaction, only to see Dreamfyre anxiously staring in Daemon's direction. It could only continue eating its mutton with a sullen expression, occasionally glancing up at the food, clearly knowing that its master would be alright.

Gael carefully pried open Daemon's hand, her fingertips trembling as she brushed against his palm—to her surprise, Daemon's hand was completely unharmed, without even a trace of burn! Only some fragments of Grey Ghost scales clung between his fingers.

"This—how is this possible?" Gael's eyes widened. She checked several times to make sure she wasn't mistaken before finally letting out a sigh of relief, but then couldn't help but wonder, "How come you're completely unharmed? Dragonfire can burn through iron armor!"

The Grey Ghost in the shadows was also bewildered. It tilted its little head, its golden eyes full of confusion, and made a "chirp" sound, as if asking, "Why aren't you afraid of my fire?" Daemon smiled and pretended to be calm as he rubbed its head, "Probably because blood and fire flow in our veins."

At that moment, Alys Rivers approached with Mysaria and Johanna. She wore a dark green cloak, her gaze falling on Daemon's unharmed hand, then at the Grey Ghost. A knowing smile played on her lips as she whispered in a voice only she could hear, "My dear Black Dragon, you were indeed as prophesied—"

Maester Bernard followed behind Vaegon, looking at Daemon with a probing gaze, then at his teacher, his lips moving as if filled with questions. Vaegon didn't answer; he simply stared intently at Daemon— the boy whose arm was around Gael's, while his other hand stroked Grey Ghost Shadow's head. His long, silver-gold hair gleamed in the torchlight, and the Dragon Mark on his right shoulder seemed to glow faintly in the darkness, appearing and disappearing, as if he had become one with the little wild dragon.

Vaegon's fingers unconsciously clenched his sleeves, his eyes filled with shock. He gently shook his head at Bernard, signaling him to keep quiet.

Leonno Strong also noticed the commotion. He looked at Larys standing in the shadows, his brow furrowing, as if silently mouthing a question to his second son, "You know?"

Larys, leaning on his cane, his black robes fluttering gently in the sea breeze, shrugged at his father, his eyes filled with a helpless "I don't know either" attitude. Clearly, even this deep-thinking "Clubfoot" man hadn't expected Daemon to catch the Dragonfire with his bare hands.

"Your Highness! Are you alright?" Rayford was the first to approach, his voice full of concern. He carefully examined Daemon's palm, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was unharmed. "That really scared me to death! I never expected this little wild dragon to breathe fire!"

Myles Rivers joined the others, scratching his head. "Your Highness is amazing! You're not even afraid of Dragonfire! I thought you were going to get hurt!"

Colin Celtigar went even further, kneeling on one knee and giving Daemon a perfect knightly salute. "Your Highness! You truly are a real dragon! Even a solitary wild dragon like Grey Ghost has been drawn to you, flying all the way from Dragonstone to follow you! This is an unprecedented event!" As Crab Island native, Colin Celtigar had naturally heard many rumors about Grey Ghost from the fishermen.

Budimir Tarth and his sister Brienne also approached. Brienne knelt on one knee, her six-foot frame standing out starkly on the deck. Her head was bowed, her voice filled with remorse. "Your Highness, Princess, it is my fault for failing to protect you, for putting you in danger. I am willing to die to atone for my sins!"

"Get up quickly!" Gael quickly grabbed Daemon's hand and helped Brienne up. "It's not your fault. It's just that this cowardly dragon was too timid and suddenly spewed Dragonfire. Look, we're all fine!" To reassure Brienne, she even mustered her courage and reached out to pat Grey Ghost's head.

Grey Ghost was clearly still shaken by what had just happened. When Gael touched her, she instinctively shrank back, but because of Daemon's "dragon might" beside her, she didn't dare to dodge. She could only perfunctorily rub her hand against Gai Rui's, her golden eyes full of the grievance of being "forced to do business".

Seeing that Gael was alright, Mysaria and Johanna came over and carefully touched the Grey Ghost's scales, which made the little dragon chirp twice more, but it still obediently endured it.

Bethany Hightower, protected behind her younger brother Mund, watched this scene silently. She wore a green dress embroidered with the House Hightower crest, her fingers unconsciously twirling the ends of her hair, her eyes full of profound meaning—this Daemon Blackfyre, who could catch Dragonfire with his bare hands and attract wild dragons, seemed more interesting and mysterious than she had imagined.

"I say," Rayford suddenly spoke, breaking the warm atmosphere on deck. He pointed to the sea and said to Alyn with a smile, "The Dragonfire spewed by the Glutton and Dreamfyre just now probably cooked all the fish in the sea. Should we have your sailors go and collect some? It'll be a good extra meal for everyone, a good replenishment!"

Alyn's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded. "Great idea! I'll go and give the order right away!"

Myles Rivers leaned over and said in a muffled voice, "I want to go too! I can catch big fish! Last time in the Riverlands, I caught a fish bigger than me!" His words made everyone burst into laughter, and the tension brought on by Grey Ghost's fire breath vanished instantly. It was all thanks to this "carefree" guy; many of the "aloof" members of the team had been infected by his enthusiasm and become just like him.

The atmosphere on deck became lively again as the sailors busied themselves lowering small boats to prepare for catching "Dragonfire Grilled Fish" from the sea.

Daemon's followers gathered around, excitedly discussing what had just happened;

Gael was still struggling with the Grey Ghost, insisting that it rub against her hand again;

Only Alys Rivers and Vaegon stood there, one lost in thought in the shadows, the other staring in Daemon's direction, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Above the sea, the Glutton had already finished its half of the sheep. Taking advantage of Dreamfyre's inattention, it snatched the piece of mutton that had fallen onto the sea and slowly swallowed it.

Then, it lowered its head and pecked at the sea surface, and a large fish, roasted golden brown by Dragonfire, went into its mouth. The Black Dragon roared with satisfaction, flapping its wings as it flew low over the sea, occasionally pecking at the fish—clearly, it was thoroughly enjoying this "Dragonfire grilled fish buffet."

Daemon looked up at the Glutton in the sky, then looked down and touched the Grey Ghost in his arms, a smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips.

He didn't know what changes the appearance of this little wild dragon would bring to the future, but he knew that from this day forward, Grey Ghost was no longer the lonely wild dragon that died in history books, but a member of his family, a "family member" he wanted to protect.

The sea breeze blew again from the Gullet, carrying the saltiness of the sea and the aroma of grilled fish. The fleet slowly sailed into Blackwater Bay. In the distance, the lights of King's King's Landing appeared and disappeared in the night. The story of Daemon Blackfyre continued.