Fire and Blood

Chapter 97: Battle of Rook's Rest (Part 2)

The Crownlands ― Rook's Rest...

Amidst the ongoing battle against the invading Caltrops, Lord Staunton found himself increasingly troubled by the rapidly depleting supplies at Rook's Rest. The situation had become dire, as his provisions were being stretched thin. He urgently exclaimed in great urgency, "We must dispatch a raven to Dragonstone without delay! Hurry!"

"My lord," one of the archers urgently reported, "the enemy's archers are continuously targeting our ravens and taking them down with arrows! We can't possibly send a call for help at this rate!" The archer quickly prepared another arrow, nocking it onto his bowstring before releasing it towards the enemy. The rest of the archers on the battlement followed suit, unleashing a flurry of arrows toward the sellswords attempting to breach the walls. "Tuck tail!" the archer shouted, urging his fellow soldiers to find shelter quickly.

Lord Staunton and a handful of his men frantically searched for cover amid the turmoil caused by the relentless barrage of arrows from Ser Criston's men. The air was thick with a cloud of arrows so dense that it obscured the sky. The archers of the Caltrops had inflicted significant damage on Rook's Rest's defenders with their arrows, reducing the castle's manpower. The enemy's scorpions and trebuchets added to the chaos, relentlessly bombarding Rook's Rest or targeting Meleys in the sky. Unfortunately, Sunfyre and Vhagar's attack made the situation that much worse. House Staunton and its defenders were outnumbered and outgunned, and the situation appeared bleak. Frustration and fear were palpable as Lord Staunton desperately exclaimed, "Damn it! Where are the reinforcements when we need them?!"

"We need help!"

"By the Mother, this is it, isn't it...?"

While the battle raged on below, the clash in the skies grew more intense. Meleys faced a daunting challenge, battling against both Sunfyre and Vhagar simultaneously. Despite the odds against her, Meleys's speed and maneuverability enabled her to hold her own against her opponents. Nevertheless, the situation was far from secure. Rhaenys had to be cautious and alert as she had to fend off scorpion bolts from below but also evade the relentless pursuit of Aegon and Aemond. While her main objective was to stall for time, the Queen Who Never Was knew that she could not withstand the combined might of Sunfyre and Vhagar for much longer.

"Mazēdan arlī kesīr, nākostōba! (Get back here, coward!)" Aegon firmly held onto the reins of his saddle as he taunted Rhaenys. With Sunfyre leading the charge, the majestic golden dragon swiftly outpaced Vhagar and relentlessly pursued Meleys. Aegon's unwavering determination to seize glory for himself was evident, as he knew that taking down the Queen Who Never Was would be a devastating blow to the Blacks and result in the loss of Velaryon support. For Aegon, this was not just about victory but also about establishing his legacy as a dragonrider, following in the footsteps of the Conqueror himself. "Kostagōn dakotan nyke daor! (You can't run from me!)"

"*Raaaaaah!*" the Red Queen screeched.

"Pālēs! (Turn!)" Rhaenys commanded. If this is the end for me, I'm taking these boys with me.

Meleys deftly swerved left again, narrowly escaping three more scorpion bolts launched from below. The Caltrops were no match for Meleys as long as she remained airborne and out of their range. Their attempts to hit the moving target were proving to be futile. With both wings tucked to her side, Meleys executed a perfect barrel roll to avoid another scorpion bolt. She then made a wide turn to come back around for a full-frontal assault against Sunfyre and Vhagar.

Aemond, however, felt his intuition triggered by Rhaenys' sudden aggressive change in tactics. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. Whatever you're up to, princess, I'm not falling for it. Pulling back on the reins of Vhagar, the Queen of All Dragons ascended higher into the sky, keeping a watchful eye on the Red Queen's moves. Despite Rhaenys' apparent bait, Aemond refused to fall prey to any potential danger.