"A merchant's promise is even less reliable than a bandit's word."
Viserys tossed Nahalo's letter into the fireplace, watching the flames consume the sycophantic words. He didn't need an inside man, nor did he need conspiracies. What he wanted was deterrence—to make all of Essos understand that the only consequence of challenging a dragon was total destruction.
"Go back and tell your master," Viserys said to the messenger kneeling on the floor, "the Dragonlord of Valyria does not accept his proposal. If he truly wishes to prove his sincerity, let him bring me the heads of Valharis and Malaquo. Otherwise, let him prepare to stand trial alongside his two 'Tiger Party' Magistrate colleagues on the day the city falls."
The messenger's face turned pale, his lips trembling as he tried to speak, but Viserys cut him off with a wave of his hand. Ultimately, he could only lower his head deeply, bowing as he backed out of the room.
Turning toward the area outside the council chamber, he spoke to the herald. "Order Duke William to assemble the Imperial Navy as planned and set sail in three days. The target is Volantis."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the herald replied, departing with hurried steps.
Seven days later, on the Summer Sea, fifty nautical miles from the mouth of the Rhoyne near Volantis.
Viserys was using his Wayfarer ability to control seabirds and observe the Volantene fleet.
"Do they think numbers are everything?" Viserys muttered to himself.
Below, the formation of the Volantene fleet was clearly visible—roughly four hundred warships spread across the sea in a crescent moon shape.
The fifty ships at the very front were massive warships, their prows equipped with giant bronze rams and their decks mounted with dozens of Scorpion Crossbows.
Behind them were nearly a hundred fast longships with superior maneuverability, responsible for flanking cover and also equipped with several Scorpion Crossbows. At the very rear were strange warships that appeared to be merchant vessels converted on short notice, their decks also fitted with Scorpion Crossbows.
It was evident from this that Volantis had exhausted its entire treasury to deal with the dragons.
Furthermore, other city-states were definitely providing support in secret; otherwise, Volantis could never have acquired so many Scorpion Crossbows.
In the direction of the Imperial fleet, the hundred and fifty warships led by Duke Ser Willem Darry were sailing against the wind. The three-headed dragon of House Targaryen was embroidered on the sails, snapping loudly in the sea breeze.
In terms of numbers, they were at a disadvantage, but these were all proper large warships, incomparable to those longships and merchant vessels.
Aboard the Volantene flagship 'Black Wall', Fleet Commander Mazo Raynal gripped the railing, his eyes fixed intently on the western horizon.
"General, they're here!" the lookout shouted.
Mazo took a deep breath. "Order the entire line to prepare for engagement. Ready the Scorpion Crossbows."
Before the order could be fully relayed, a dragon's roar suddenly tore through the sky from the distant horizon.
Every sailor and soldier looked up in unison.
Two black dots appeared in the western sky, growing larger at an incredible speed.
Soon, Ghidorah spread her sun-blotting wings and dove down like a descending god. She charged straight for the fleet, but instead of attacking immediately, her three heads turned to unleash another roar, intimidating the dense formation of ships below.
At the same time, another pitch-black shadow flew rapidly just above the surface of the water, moving so fast it plowed a white wake across the sea. Bold and skilled, it wove directly through the formation of ships.
"Dragons! It's dragons!" The soldiers seeing the giant dragons for the first time were truly terrified by the sight, and panic spread through the fleet like a plague.
After a brief moment of shock, Mazo forced himself to remain calm and barked at the soldiers nearby, "What are you panicking for? Sound the horns! Prepare for battle! Aim the Scorpion Crossbows at them and fire!"
As the sound of a horn swept across the sea, the dazed soldiers began to snap back to their senses.
The soldiers on the flagship aimed their Scorpion Crossbows at Black Flame's silhouette and fired. Several bolts struck its massive body, but they were all deflected.
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