The sea breeze blew across the port of Tyrosh, causing ripples in the blue water. This beautiful morning, which should have been just another day of familiar clamor in Tyrosh, was instead brewing with the murderous intent of a terrifying war.
A naval standoff appeared on the sea not far from the port of Tyrosh, where the combined fleet of the Tyrosh-Westeros Narrow Sea fleet faced off against the Myr fleet from a distance.
The purple banners of the three-headed god, the black banners with the three-headed Silver Dragon, the black banners with the three-headed red dragon, and the telescope banners of the Myr people fluttered in the wind as two lines of warships stood in a standoff. The Myr people had brought out their last resort of forty warships, carrying quite a few mercenaries from the Golden Company. The Myr people valued craftsmanship and had a developed industry, but in a straight fight, they were not necessarily a match for Tyrosh, so Myr preferred to recruit mercenaries. The Tyroshi held the geographical advantage, the internal chaos in the city had been largely quelled, and with the true dragons and the Iron Throne fleet as reinforcements, the Myr people actually had no chance of winning. Without Governor Dario's men acting as inside agents, this intervention fleet was completely powerless.
High above, the screeching of true dragons could be heard from time to time, the three dragons circling and swaying, responding to the warships from afar. The true dragons lowered their silhouettes, circling above the sea near the port of Tyrosh; as the morning arrived, the scales of the three true dragons were all glistening.
Under the sunlight, everyone could see the full appearance of the true dragons: their ferocious and terrifying maws and fangs, their serpentine necks, their dazzling scales, and their horns, wing bones, and spinal crests that were distinct in color from their scales. True dragons generally had two or three colors, a mixture of hues. When the true dragons flapped their wings, it was as if thunderbolts were descending from the sky. The roar of a true dragon could frighten away a hundred lions. They were the only magnificent beasts left in the world, as brilliant as the scorching sun. The silver and gold of the Silver Emperor, and the purple and copper foil of Balerion were all magnificent and noble colors in the world, while the black and red of Balerion represented the war and fury of the primal world.
Rhaegar rode the Silver Emperor, circling high in the sky. Rhaegar's silver hair fluttered, his gaze like lightning. He wore black scale armor and carried the valyrian steel sword, orphan maker, at his waist. He had hidden his shadow cleaver, Dragonbone Longbow, true dragon spear, and other divine weapons inside his dragon king ring; for now, he was getting more familiar with orphan maker. A longblade was certainly invincible, but it was not as handy as a Longsword. Knives, swords, spears, bows, axes, and hammers could be said to be the most universal weapons in the known world, especially the Longsword, which was most highly revered; nobles and royals of all countries took pride in owning a valyrian steel sword. Perhaps only in parts of the continent of Essos would bizarre weapons like the arakh or the giant curved scimitar be popular, as the continent of Essos had quite a few nomadic tribes after all. If Tywin saw this Longsword, he would likely be driven mad with envy.
Rhaegar looked at the banners on the sea, not expecting the Myr people to have hired the Golden Company at a high price to participate in the war. As the most expensive and largest first-class mercenary group, the Golden Company was a Tyrosh-specific nightmare. A few years ago, the Tyroshi usurper Silver-Tongued Aquido, one of the Ninepenny King, had relied on the power of the Golden Company to become the King of Tyrosh; this counted as both new and old grudges.
On the Myr Admiral's warship, there were quite a few spears hung with gilded skulls; Rhaegar saw that every spear tip was hung with a gilded skull. One skull was particularly large and strangely shaped, while the one below it was only the size of a child's fist; these were the black-gray, ferocious Maris Blackfyre and his unknown brother who died in the Stepstones. The other skulls did not have many distinct features, except that some had been hammered to death in their lifetime, leaving their skulls cracked, and another skull had neat, sharp teeth. These skulls belonged to the past commanders of the Golden Company; they were all gazing westward, missing the homeland they could not return to.
"Are you also craving to create new orphans?" Rhaegar murmured to himself, brandishing orphan maker.
A row of spears with severed heads had already been erected at the port of Tyrosh. From Governor Dario downwards, the giant heads of Governor Dario, Dario's guards, the traitorous priests of the Tyrosh three-headed god temple, the merchants supported by Lys and Myr, the mercenaries, and the Meereen gladiators were all on display here. This terrifying and bloody scene served as a reminder of the bloody battle that had taken place during the night.
"Fellow citizens of Tyrosh! The Myr warships have arrived, wanting to enslave our beautiful mother Tyrosh, and they have brought back the Golden Company. This is a critical moment for the survival of our Tyrosh; we must work together and stand united. I can let bygones be bygones regarding the past. If anyone dares to collude with foreign thieves, this will be their fate." Shireen.德里斯 wore battle armor, beautiful and strong. As the interim Archon, she stood on a high ground at the port, pointing at Dario's head. Below her were the Tyroshi-organized garrison mercenaries, the Archon's honor guard, the temple slave soldiers, and even a temporarily assembled citizen self-defense force, vast and mighty, with an imposing momentum.
With the arrival of the Myr fleet and the Golden Company, Governor Dario was confirmed as a traitor, completely nailed down. With the fall of the Dario family, the leadership position of the Darry family would be even more secure.
Rhaegar felt that Miss Shireen would not necessarily let those rebel governors off, but the Myr people had come too quickly; after dealing with the Myr people, things would have to be thoroughly clarified. Although this girl was not old, she was a natural politician.
"The three-headed god guides our path; the three-headed god will protect the Archon and protect Tyrosh! Destroy the invading fleet of Myr!" The High Priest was the first to applaud, expressing his support. Everyone else began to support as well.
"Destroy the Myr invaders! Destroy the Golden Company!" "Destroy the Myr invaders!" "Destroy the Tyroshi traitors! Destroy the Golden Company!"
The shouting from the port of Tyrosh came with the wind, and the Myr people heard it clearly. The Myr Admiral's face turned pale; the appearance of the true dragons was already terrifying enough, and now that the Tyroshi had so quickly elected a new leader, wouldn't this whole battle be a total loss? This Governor Dario, who had boasted so extravagantly at the beginning, why was he so useless? To support Governor Dario's rise, Lys and Myr had contributed men and money, and those mercenaries and Meereen gladiators had all cost a great deal. On the surface, it was merchant funding, but in reality, it could not have happened without the approval of the governors of Lys and Myr. It was unexpected that overnight, Dario had died and been defeated.
"What is to be done!" The Myr Admiral's face was ashen; overnight, the situation had become even worse. It was precisely because of the fear of a true dragon attack that they had thought of the decapitation strike, specially purchasing several top gladiators from Meereen at a high price as a trump card. But Dario had completely ruined the situation. The Tyroshi Archon was only seriously injured, but his daughter and the High Priest were still alive. The three evil dragons of the House Targaryen had also appeared again.
A total loss; a sense of powerlessness arose in the Admiral's heart. He was more worried about his own fate. As one of the major power brokers of Myr, the Admiral was not only in charge of the navy, but his family behind him was also engaged in the slave trade, which was why they urgently needed the Narrow Sea waterway. The Admiral was a member of the pro-war faction that had pushed for supporting Governor Dario's power-seizing operation in this Council of Governors. Now that the situation was so terrible, he might not even keep his head when he returned, immediately falling into the attacks and insults of political enemies; there were quite a few people who wanted the Admiral's chair. The armies of the Free Cities were mostly lackluster and loose, spending money to find mercenaries when something happened, but their navies were quite strong, and the Admiral was one of the prominent titans.
"My lord, shall we attack?" one of the Admiral's lieutenants asked hesitantly. Now that they were stuck between advancing and retreating, could they lead the fleet to fight to the death?
"Charge your mother's head! The Tyroshi can mobilize at least forty or fifty warships, plus the Narrow Sea Guardian fleet supported by Westeros, and there are three dragons. We have lost!" the Admiral said painfully.
"This cannot be considered our breach of contract; the Golden Company has always kept its word. Our commission has been collected and will not be refunded. We have signed a contract; you not fighting cannot be considered our breach of contract." The Golden Company commander looked at the Admiral and added another stab. Upon hearing this, the Myr Admiral felt even more pain inside. Money, my money. After much pleading, the Golden Company commander was willing to accompany the Admiral to the last moment, waiting for peace to arrive.
Rhaegar rode the true dragon and descended onto Lucerys's warship. "Beat the war drums and advance toward the Myr fleet." He looked at the Myr fleet; perhaps he should add a spark to make the Myr people surrender quickly.
"As you command! Prince!" Larys Velaryon, as the commander, issued the order, and the Narrow Sea fleet began to charge toward the Myr fleet.
Seeing the Westeros Narrow Sea fleet mobilize, the Tyroshi Admiral gritted his teeth and also ordered his fleet to charge up.
The two fleets were like arrows leaving the bow, starting to charge toward the Myr fleet. The combined fleet formed a C-shape, having already half-encircled the Myr fleet. The three true dragons flew high into the sky once again.
The three true dragons began to soar above the Myr fleet, circling round and round, rising higher and higher, the true dragons competing to see who could go higher, and emitting huge screeches. Ten thousand eyes on the Myr warships looked toward the sky, seeing the magnificent silhouettes of the true dragons and hearing the roar like thunder.
Sweat slid down the face of the Myr Admiral; he knew what this meant. Circling was the prelude to a true dragon attack. True dragons liked to attack from a high altitude; when they climbed between their opponents and the sun, they would fold their wings, dive down while roaring wildly, and spew raging flames, bringing the greetings of death.
Now was the moment that would decide the life and death of the Myr fleet. In the Myr Admiral's hand was a letter, a provocation from the commander of the Westeros Narrow Sea fleet, Larys Velaryon. "The Westerosi have awakened; they are walking on the path of growth independently. I hope the Myr people can also open their eyes and look at the world. The times have changed. Many years ago, you once killed a certain Velaryon at the Stepstones; such deep feelings cannot be repaid, so let us fight to the death on the sea!"
"My lord, do it! Back then at the Stepstones, we could shoot and kill a dragon, and today is the same!" The Admiral's lieutenants urged him to make a decision; it was nothing more than death, and only by boldly attacking could they find a chance of survival in death! All the Scorpion Crossbows had been set up, aiming at the true dragons in the sky, just waiting for the Myr Admiral's order.
The commanders of the Golden Company did not speak; they could not make decisions for their employers and could only obey the decision. Words were like gold.
The three true dragons landed on the sea near the Myr flagship, the true dragons screaming one after another as they spewed fireballs of various colors, and large patches of seawater on the sea surface began to steam. This was a naked provocation and intimidation; the Admiral and many lieutenants all felt that it was themselves being steamed by those fireballs.
"General! Give the order! This brat of the House Targaryen is humiliating us so much; now he is within the attack range of the warships. As long as we shoot and kill him, the other warships will also lose their nerve." A lieutenant could not bear this torture and prepared to fire the Scorpion Crossbow to shoot the true dragon. The young lieutenant could not bear this sense of powerlessness. The true dragon was showing off within a hundred yards of them; they could completely use the Scorpion Crossbow and grappling hooks.
"Have these three true dragons been injured? Or has this brat of the House Targaryen been injured? I know more than you do. If you don't kill the true dragons but instead enrage them, the fleet will be completely finished!" the Admiral said. He thought of the terrifying years of the past, when true dragons spewed fireballs, blowing ships to pieces, and all the sailors drowned or burned to death on the sea, like food offered to the sea.
"Raise the white flag! Surrender!" the Admiral firmly shouted to his lieutenant. At this moment, he felt the duty of an Admiral as heavy as a mountain. Surrender was also very shameful for a general.
"General, we have shot and killed dragons, and we have shot and killed the heir to the Iron Throne. Today is the same; we once achieved victory in the Battle of the Stepstones! The enemy has given us an opportunity, and this prince is fighting so recklessly that he is seeking his own death." A lieutenant still wanted to struggle a little.
"Yes, Admiral, that brat from Westeros is within a hundred yards; we can shoot him with the giant Scorpion Crossbow. Even if I die, I want to take him with me. You kneeling and surrendering like this is fearing the true dragons; it is the behavior of a coward." Another general said.
"If the Battle of the Stepstones can be considered a victory, then I pray we never win again! You can call me cowardly, but the fact is that the Myr people have bled too much because of their confrontation with true dragons." The Admiral's face became very ugly. He took off his gorgeous military uniform and pointed to the true dragons and enemy warships not far away. "Generals, our surprise attack has failed, and we did not catch the enemy off guard like in the Battle of the Stepstones; it is the enemy that has surrounded us. Look at these forty warships of ours. Even if I could go to my death to prove my courage, I do not want to take those green-faced children and sailors to be buried in the sea with me. If the Council of Governors wants to blame someone, let me bear the death penalty; I brought these children out of Myr, and I should also bring them back."
At this moment, this defeated Admiral looked like a giant.