The Great Dragon's roar instantly alarmed everyone on both the old and new islands of Dragonstone. People abandoned their work and scrambled to find cover.
"The Great Dragon is coming!"
"The Great Dragon is coming!"
Within minutes, the bustling streets of Fisherman's Village and White Sheep Town had fallen utterly silent.
This was a skill the residents of Dragonstone had honed over many years.
Large crowds easily attracted a Great Dragon's attention. Wild Great Dragons, in particular, would eat people.
On Dragonstone, Great Dragons stealing and devouring livestock was commonplace. In the past, there had also been frequent cases of herders being killed and swallowed by mistake.
Over time, the residents had gradually developed and refined a fairly effective way to save themselves: when faced with a Great Dragon, find cover immediately and keep away from it.
If they could not get out of the way in time, they had to face the Great Dragon and look straight at it. Turning their backs could be taken as a provocation, making the Great Dragon far more likely to kill them.
The Dragon Guards hurriedly escorted Viserys, Aemma, and the others into a nearby natural cave.
"Viserys, Danyla won't be in danger, will she? That's Cannibal, the most vicious Great Dragon of all."
Aemma anxiously clasped Viserys's hand. She was asking a question, but also hoping for words of comfort from her husband to soothe her frightened heart.
Viserys took Aemma's hand and gently reassured her,
"Don't worry, Aemma! Dreamfyre is a formidable Great Dragon too. Didn't she fight Cannibal once before without coming to any harm? She'll certainly be fine this time as well."
"Besides, Dreamfyre is much faster than Cannibal. Even if she can't beat him, she'll have no trouble escaping."
Rhaenyra acted wisely this time, flying Syrax straight toward High Tide at full speed. Princess Rhaenys's Great Dragon, Meleys the Red Queen, was one of House Targaryen's more powerful surviving adult dragons.
She was one of the few Great Dragons capable of holding her own against Cannibal. If she joined forces with Dreamfyre, they should be able to drive him away.
After taking Dreamfyre into the air, Danyla did not rush to attack Cannibal. Instead, she blocked the old dragon's path and had Dreamfyre fly above him to intimidate him and keep him from advancing.
This would give the young dragons enough time to hide in their lairs. It would also give everyone on both islands of Dragonstone enough time to evacuate, so they would not be caught in the coming dragon battle.
Yet Cannibal seemed entirely unimpressed by Dreamfyre's furious, piercing roars. He simply accelerated and lunged straight at her.
Although this oldest of dragons lacked the size his age might suggest, his scales were even more weathered and tougher than Vhagar's, giving him extraordinary protection.
His less bulky, less massive body also made him far more agile than Vhagar. Coupled with his cunning, vicious nature, this was why Cannibal was regarded as the most terrifying Great Dragon on Dragonstone.
Faced with Cannibal's charge, Danyla sensibly urged Dreamfyre to flee swiftly into the distance. She had no intention of clashing head-on with the old dragon.
Instead, she would buy as much time as possible, then counterattack Cannibal together with whatever Great Dragons came to their aid.
Still, Danyla dared not let Dreamfyre get too far ahead of Cannibal, lest he double back to attack the young dragons or the people below.
Dreamfyre was faster than Cannibal now. With plentiful food every day, her stamina was far greater than his, leaving her with more than enough energy and strength to fly circles around him.
Unfortunately, the weather refused to cooperate. Dragonstone had always been plagued by storms. After the morning's brief spell of muggy heat, thick clouds had begun gathering rapidly, and a rainstorm was about to take shape.
As Dreamfyre continued leading Cannibal in circles, dense banks of cloud swiftly swept across the sky.
This posed an enormous risk to Dreamfyre and Danyla. Those thick clouds were ideal cover for a Great Dragon to hide and launch an ambush.
Nila hurriedly steered Dreamfyre toward Dragonmont on Dragonstone. The terrain there was complex, and Vermithor and Silverwing made their homes there.
She hoped Cannibal's brazen behavior would draw those two Great Dragons' attention and prompt them to intervene. That would be enough to drive the damned old dragon away.
The winds around Dragonmont were also stronger, preventing thick clouds from forming. With their view unobstructed, Danyla and Dreamfyre could keep Cannibal clearly in sight at all times.
Unfortunately, even after Danyla and Dreamfyre had led Cannibal around Dragonmont several times, no Great Dragon came to their aid.
"Damn Daemon! He's off fooling around at a time like this!"
When Viserys still saw no sign of the Great Dragon Quicksilver, the Bloodworm, he knew his dear younger brother must have gone off somewhere to fool around again. All his anxiety instantly turned into fury at Daemon.
At the same time, Viserys finally became firm in his resolve to ride a Great Dragon again. He never wanted to be left hiding helplessly in a cave like this, unable to act while his loved ones faced danger.
What Danyla had not expected was that, as she guided Dreamfyre low over Dragonmont once more, an ochre Great Dragon suddenly burst out and spat a searing blast of orange-red dragonfire straight at Cannibal. Caught completely off guard, Cannibal reeled under the blast.
The enraged Cannibal threw back his head and roared, the sound shaking even the clouds apart. Then he changed direction and charged at the Great Dragon. Unable to dodge in time, the Great Dragon had one of its Dragon Wings caught in Cannibal's jaws.
Seeing this, Danyla sent Dreamfyre into a swift dive,
"Dragonfire!"
Sky-blue dragonfire instantly engulfed Cannibal's head. Without slowing, Dreamfyre plunged straight onto his back, her sharp claws tearing savagely into him.
Cannibal released his bite in pain, then twisted violently, trying to fling Dreamfyre off his back.
By then, Dreamfyre's sharp claws had already ripped Cannibal's back open. As he turned, her claws remained buried firmly in his flesh.
Using the force of Cannibal's own turn, she carved two enormous wounds into his back, deep enough to expose bone.
Finally, as she was thrown clear of Cannibal's back, she savagely caught one of his Dragon Wings and ripped a gash more than ten meters long through it.
Ignoring his blood-drenched back and damaged Dragon Wings, Cannibal finally managed to turn around and grapple with Dreamfyre. They clawed fiercely at each other's scales, spitting dragonfire to scorch one another.
But Dreamfyre held the more favorable position, making it easier for her to strike and dodge. In this close-quarters battle, she actually gained a slight advantage.
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