Somewhere far off Meereen.
Out on the open sea, a single ship cut through the dark water under a moonless sky. The sails were black, the hull unmarked. No flag. No name. Just a shadow gliding away from the city.
Below deck, in a cramped iron cage barely large enough for a grown man, Rhaego woke slowly.
His head throbbed, heavy, foggy.
Ugh… my head. What just happened?
He blinked, vision swimming and tried to move. Chains clinked. His wrists were bound together in front of him with thick steel links. His ankles were shackled to the floor.
A wide leather-and-iron muzzle strapped his jaws shut, preventing even a spark of flame. The cage was small; he had to crouch, knees bent, back hunched.
He shifted, and realized his wings were still out, crammed against the bars, filling the space behind him. He grunted softly and willed them inward the black membranes folding beneath his skin with a faint ripple.
Better. A little more room.
He looked around. Wooden walls. Lantern swinging from a beam. The gentle rock of the sea.
A ship.
The memory hit him, the road, the broken wagon, the "freedmen," the sting on his neck.
Damn... I remember now. They nicked me with something to put me out to sleep…
He frowned, tail twitching in irritation.
So the mighty dragon got bested by a sleeping dart.
Unbelievable. How many doses did they even put in there to knock me out instantly?
His eyes drifted to the corner of the cage. A wooden box sat there, lid cracked open. Inside: a dozen golden Harpy masks, staring up at him.
Ah. Of course.
He sighed quiet, resigned.
I feel like Mother is freaking out by now. Hopefully she's not burning anyone…
He adjusted himself, chains rattling and wrapped both chained hands around the bars in front of him. He grunted, muscles flexing and pulled.
The iron bent slowly, groaning then gave with a sharp snap.
He wriggled through the gap, standing fully for the first time.
His tail swayed free, relieved.
Next… This mouth guard.
He focused. Heat built in his throat slowly and controlled a blue glow flickering behind the metal straps. The iron turned orange, then red, softening.
Molten droplets dripped down on the wooden floor.
Footsteps heard from above one man going down the ladder of the inner deck and noticed the dragon prince standing, panic surged in him then shouted in Valyrian.
"He's awake!"
"How? The dart had enough to drop a horse!" another man shouted back.
"He's not a horse. He's a dragon!"
Rhaego smirked beneath the muzzle, the heat rising faster now. The metal finally gave, straps snapping, glowing orange fragments falling away.
His jaws opened with a low growl.
He leaned down, breaking the ankle chains with a sharp twist then straightened, free.
The first Harpy burst down the ladder, short sword raised.
Rhaego's lip curved into a smile. He opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of bright, searing blue flame.
The wooden deck below erupted, fire roaring upward through the planks. The Harpy screamed, engulfed and the rest above scattered in panic.
Rhaego crouched, wings snapping open and launched himself through the burning hole in the deck.
He burst out onto the main deck, flames licking at his heels, wings beating hard. The night air hit him like freedom.
A crossbowman on the quarterdeck raised a dart gun, loading another sleeping dart.
Rhaego turned mid-air, eyes narrowing and blasted him with another stream of blue fire.
The man screamed, dart gun falling body tumbling over the rail into the sea. The ship was burning now, sails catching, crew shouting, abandoning posts.
Rhaego climbed higher, wings pumping the sea glittering far below. He looked back once, at the burning wreck then back at the open sea.
Everything was wide and empty.
All of it was just water, it was black, endless, swallowing the moonlight like ink. The horizon was gone; the line between sea and sky had dissolved into a single dark void. Even with his sharp dragon sight, Rhaego could see nothing ahead, no land, no stars reflected on waves, just the faint silver shimmer of the sea rolling beneath him.
Shit… where am I? he thought.
Wings beating steady against the night wind.
Where the heck were those guys even taking me?
The ship had been sailing west, away from Meereen, away from the bay, but now there was no sign of it. Only smoke on the distant water, faint and fading.
He shook his head, trying to clear the last fog of the sleeping dart.
Whatever. I'll just fly this way till I can see land. Can't be that far.
He pushed himself forward, wings cutting through the cold air, tail streaming behind him like a banner. The sea rushed below,dark and endless but he kept going.
Then he noticed it.
His head felt… lighter almost off. He reached up with one hand, fingers brushing the top of his head.
Nothing.
No hard curve of horn. No sharp ridge. Just silver hair soft, loose, falling over smooth skin.
His mind raced faster than his wings.
What the— Did they just... Cut my horns?
A low growl rumbled in his throat, muffled by the wind.
They're gonna regret that when I get back.
He climbed higher, searching for any sign of coastline, any glow of torches, any break in the black.
Nothing.
The exhaustion from the dart lingered, his muscles ached, his head still throbbed but the anger kept him moving.
Mother's probably tearing the city apart looking for me. And I'm out here… flying blind over god knows where.
He laughed short and bitter, the sound lost in the wind.
Great. The mighty dragon prince. Reduced to guessing games with the sea.
He angled slightly north, the night stretched on.
Waves rolled beneath him, endless, indifferent.