Against Quicksilver's relentless Dragonfire, the great and lesser lords of the Stormlands and the guards of Storm's End had no means of resistance. Many burst into flames in an instant.
Earl Clinton, who prided himself on being a man of iron, was the first to be set ablaze by Quicksilver. The searing Dragonfire melted his flesh clean away. His agonized screams echoed through Storm's End, sending chills through everyone who heard them.
When the maidservants smelled the stench of charred flesh, many began vomiting uncontrollably. They fled screaming into the castle.
The dozen or so lords beside Earl Clinton also failed to escape Quicksilver's sudden torrent of flames. In moments, they were all burning like candles. A few nimble ones managed to dodge the Dragonfire, only for Lord Swann and the others to swarm forward and seize them.
Storm's End had a respectable garrison, with two or three hundred knights and soldiers stationed inside. Before a Great Dragon, however, they amounted to nothing. Most were soon engulfed in Dragonfire, while the remaining men were subdued by the combined efforts of the nobles. In just an hour, Storm's End changed hands.
Those who dared resist were either burned to death by Quicksilver or captured by the nobles.
Having acquired a taste for human flesh, Quicksilver opened his great jaws and swallowed Earl Clinton. Daemon made no attempt to stop him. Instead, he declared arrogantly,
"Since you're all so loyal, keep serving with what's left of your bodies. At least that will save your liege's household a good number of pigs and sheep."
After facing a Great Dragon's might firsthand, none of the nobles present dared raise any further objections. They all obediently shut their mouths and adopted submissive expressions.
"Lock these people in the dungeons of Storm's End for now. We'll