Chapter 196: The Storm of the Dragon
Inside the Narrow Sea, there was a slight breeze, and the turbid waves rose and fell, but it was still relatively calm.
The Narrow Sea is the body of water situated between the continent of Westeros and the continent of Essos. It is relatively narrow and easier to cross. However, the Narrow Sea frequently suffers from storms in the autumn and rages even more violently in winter, making it a natural barrier between the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities. Therefore, trade ships often choose to sail eastward by crossing the Stepstones.
However, the Narrow Sea's frequent storms have also benefited the Stepstones. This shipping lane is the powder keg and bridge connecting the two continents. These barren islands of the Stepstones can at least offer shelter from the wind and waves, even though they are often dens for pirates and bandits.
Because the merchants led by Lys and Myr were severely beaten by the Narrow Sea Garrison, and due to the hardline stance of Brynden Tully, the deputy to the Guardian of the Narrow Sea, the situation escalated. Centering around the tariff standards and sovereignty of the Bloodstone Customs, the fragile peace between Westeros, Lys, and Myr was completely shattered. The governors of Lys and Myr held a secret meeting in Lys, claiming undisputed sovereignty over the Stepstones and denouncing the Evil Dragon of Westeros and their lackey, Tyrosh. The assassination in Rosby had caused the situation to completely spiral out of control. Westeros, Lys, and Myr would not let the matter rest. Merchants, slave traders, and smugglers in Lys and Myr continuously agitated for the expansion of the war. Lys and Myr could no longer choose peace. For Lys and Myr, the demand to reclaim the Stepstones was the loudest.
Rhaegar Targaryen felt the situation was like a raging fire, burning fiercely. The fish had taken the bait; the great storm of the Narrow Sea had arrived. Rhaegar saw dense information falling like raindrops. The confrontation between Westeros and Lys and Myr only required waiting for a war. A fine feast had been prepared, and the guests were indeed gracious enough to arrive. Many things could not be solved by negotiation or appeasement, but only by iron and blood. To completely seize the Stepstones, they would inevitably have to defeat the Three Daughters in war.
Lys and Myr realized they had at least three disadvantages that prevented them from waiting any longer. The situation was truly getting worse day by day, so they could only resort to a sneak attack. Since they still had some advantage in terms of fleet size now, they should go all-in.
The first is the unfavorable large environment. The internal divisions of the Three Daughters, and the marriage between the Dornishmen and House Targaryen meant that both major supports had committed to the embrace of the Iron Throne in King's Landing, leaving them lacking an ally in both the East and the West. Tyrosh, Lys, and Myr were completely split into two sides. The attempted coup caused the Tyroshi to part ways with Lys and Myr without reservation. Lacking the support of Tyrosh, sending out the combined fleet was equivalent to being attacked from both front and back. When war broke out, they would also need to divide their forces to guard their base. During and before the Dance of the Dragons, although the Dornish navy was somewhat unreliable, they could at least wave flags in support, and the conflict between Dorne and the Iron Throne allowed them to have no worries about the west of the Stepstones. They could also provide some spearmen, making it easier for the Three Daughters to control the Stepstones. But now, Dorne and the Iron Throne were in a honeymoon period, and the Iron Throne could easily summon the Redwyne Fleet to rush over. The second is the growth rate of the magical dragons; the larger the dragon, the more dangerous it becomes. The concentration of flame and the hardness of the dragon scales would continuously increase, and dragons grow very quickly. Now was a window of opportunity; if they did not launch an attack during this time, waiting until the dragon scales were harder and the firepower more sufficient, charging the formation with a fleet would be suicidal. The third is the reappearance of Valyrian black technology, which was the final straw crushing the combined fleet. The black bricks on the Rosby Road had been inspected by agents from Lys and Myr. Although it was a low-spec version of the Valyrian Road, it was already terrifying, allowing for faster transportation cycles for soldiers and supplies. If Westeros acquired the Valyrian Black Wall and the Valyrian Road, launching an attack when Westeros fully utilized its war potential would mean slim hope.
Lys and the fleet chose to attack without declaring war. The imposing combined fleet merged into one formation under the cover of the rising sun at dawn. The Myr fleet circumvented the outermost edges of Tyrosh. The Tyroshi seemed not to notice, or even if they did, Tyrosh did not deploy ships in time to stop them. The Myr and Lys fleets joined forces, setting their sights on Bloodstone. The Three Daughters' combined fleet intended to destroy Westeros's Narrow Sea Fleet and the defenses of the main Stepstones island, plunder the wealth of the Bloodstone Customs, and then return to force Tyrosh's surrender, raising the banner of the Three Daughters once more, and continuing the fight around the Stepstones and Westeros.
The leading three hundred-oared ships of the combined fleet formed the first sequence, with ballistae lining both sides of their decks. The drumbeats were like a massive, orderly heartbeat, and the Stroke Master pounded the drum thunderously. With every beat, the oars moved; a hundred men, acting as one, moved in perfect unison. The fleet seemed like a sharp blade slicing through the sea.
The main battle fleet of the Lys and Myr alliance consisted of one hundred warships. The two great city-states had mobilized more than half of their war potential. Many pirates, adventurers, and mercenaries voluntarily joined the war; their nests had been raided by Westeros, so they were eager for revenge. Many victories depend not on capability, but on courage. Lys and Myr could not wait any longer for an even more humiliating future.
The soldiers encouraged each other, talking about taking out the Evil Dragon's lair, severing the head of the fortress, and plundering the wealth of the Bloodstone Customs. They suspected it might be a trap, but they considered the possibility of success, as historically, the Lyseni and Myrish people had genuinely accomplished the Dragon-Slaying feat. Ballistae and crossbows were prepared on the warships, and the cleverest lookouts were equipped with grappling hooks and ropes, ready to throw them at the Evil Dragon's scales or wings.
The Three Daughters bypassed the small islands in the Stepstones island chain and focused their attack on Bloodstone and its fortifications. The Three Daughters soldiers were somewhat surprised that there were no signs of iron chains between the winding waterways and the erosion pillars, and no one emerged from the small islands along the coast to stop them. The garrisons on the small islands seemed to be holding fast inside. None of this looked like a good omen.
The Three Daughters' ships charged rapidly across the water, with wooden splinters flying across the surface. The Three Daughters' lookouts nervously scanned the sky, confirming there were no signs of the magical dragons. Archers prepared their crossbows, drawing feathered arrows from the quivers at their waists. Infantrymen struck their shields with their swords.
Bloodstone magnified before the eyes of the Three Daughters. It was a vicious, sleeping behemoth. Bloodstone consisted of two layers: the wooden palisade walls on the outer earthen hills, and the more perilous stone fortress and the countless cave tunnels on the inner stone mountain.
"Where is the fleet!" Sala, the Lysene Fleet Commander of the Three Daughters, inspected Bloodstone, which was currently empty. The Three Daughters' fleet had an unimpeded journey; the entire Narrow Sea Fleet seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Unease began to surface in Sala's heart. The biggest mission this time was to destroy Westeros's Narrow Sea Fleet, followed by destroying the Bloodstone fortifications. The Narrow Sea Fleet disappearing was not a good omen!
On the other side of the ocean, the Narrow Sea Fleet had found an excellent sheltered harbor near Cape Wrath. Lucerys Velaryon commanded a beautiful, young Narrow Sea Fleet, and the soldiers were eager for action. Amidst the wind and waves, the black banner bearing the Silver Dragon fluttered. Drumbeats sounded repeatedly. Lucerys Velaryon was waiting for an order—Rhaegar's order. On the deck, besides Lucerys Velaryon, there were Ser Barristan Selmy, Ser Steffon, and even Prince Lewyn, among others.
In the sky, the light of the Silver Dragon shimmered. Rhaegar, riding the three magical dragons, descended upon the deck. He saw it in the flames—the Three Daughters' advance—the time had come.
"Long live King's Landing!"
"Long live House Targaryen!" the soldiers shouted.
"Move out! Let us create more orphans for Lys and Myr!" Rhaegar drew Orphan-Maker. The magical dragons were about to bring a massive storm.
"Commander! How should we proceed now?" Sala's deputies asked on the Bloodstone waterfront.
"Attack Bloodstone! Flatten these wooden palisades!" Commander Sala ordered. He was under immense pressure; siege warfare had always been incredibly difficult, and if he hadn't failed to find the Narrow Sea Fleet, he really wouldn't want to waste time here. A perfectly fine fleet, normally stationed near Bloodstone, had vanished today, appearing and disappearing like ghosts.
The Three Daughters' fleet sailed toward the Bloodstone shore, deploying gangplanks. Archers were the first to rush chaotically toward the position, that city of ugly wooden palisades.
Bloodstone was originally quiet, but when the Three Daughters' soldiers approached the predetermined range, the defenders began shooting arrows from above. Besides the rain of arrows, stones and thrown spears were also mixed in. The Bloodstone defenders held the geographical advantage and were merciless in their position. They did not charge out of the wooden palisade wall at all, only unleashing arrows like venomous snakes. These archers had been carefully trained by Brynden, and they were now displaying their might. The great black banner bearing the Silver Dragon fluttered over Bloodstone; the Evil Dragon of Bloodstone seemed to have opened its eyes, greedily consuming the lives of the soldiers.
Amidst the shouting and the furious rain of arrows, people fell dead. The Three Daughters suffered heavier casualties; siege warfare has always been a painful task throughout history.
Sala surveyed the battle situation before him, his expression extremely solemn. Bloodstone was a multi-layered defensive fortress, and if they couldn't even breach the first layer, weren't they facing immense difficulties? This was truly an unsuccessful war.
"Send the order down: triple the pay for those adventurers, as long as they can flatten this ugly wooden palisade for me!" Commander Sala ordered. Time was ticking away. Not seeing the magical dragons or the fleet was a dangerous sign.
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