Striding forward to the front of the crowd, Rhaegar glanced at the rebels on the crosses.
They weren't dead yet—just hanging there.
Some were crying and begging for mercy, while an older, burly man with graying black hair was cursing loudly.
**Crack!**
A long whip lashed across his body, leaving a deep, bloody wound.
"Lord Jero, is everything ready?"
Ignoring the rebels' suffering, Rhaegar spoke seriously.
The reason these traitors were still alive was so they could be publicly executed in front of all the Vale's nobles after the destruction of the Highland clans.
"Prince, the soldiers departed at dawn."
Jero lowered his whip and answered respectfully.
Rhaegar glanced around—William Royce was absent. He was the commander leading this mission.
"Keep the gates secured. I'll be back soon."
With that, Rhaegar gave a firm order and set off alone beyond the walls of Runestone.
**Screeeech…**
The Devourer landed on the ground, crouching outside the city gate in wait.
As the gate opened, Rhaegar walked through calmly.
Further away, Syrax's golden body lay sprawled on the ground. Rhaenyra, dressed in her dragonriding leathers, sat atop the saddle.
Mounting the saddle on the Devourer's back, Rhaegar turned to look at Rhaenyra. The siblings exchanged a smile.
**"Screeeech!!"**
The Devourer flapped its wings and soared straight toward the Mountains of the Moon.
Syrax followed closely, letting out an excited shriek.
Over the past two days, it had burned down two small castles. The thrill of unleashing dragonfire had become almost intoxicating.
---
### Somewhere in a valley in the southern Mountains of the Moon...
Thousands of Highland clansmen had gathered here, setting up camp.
Inside a large tent made of animal hides, a group of ugly, burly men adorned with bone ornaments argued fiercely.
"Those two fire-breathing monsters wiped out our best warriors—at least a thousand men!"
"As if my tribe didn't suffer! If I hadn't run fast enough, I'd have been burned to a crisp!"
"To hell with this alliance! Who cares if those nobles die? We were nearly wiped out!"
The argument grew more heated, tension mounting in the air.
A dozen Highland clans had swallowed up smaller tribes, amassing over ten thousand warriors.
But instead of taking Runestone, they had nearly been annihilated.
The fragile alliance was beginning to crumble.
---
### Outside the Camp...
Elric and his men lay hidden in the dense forest.
Tormund lay on his back in a clearing, his eyes rolled back, leaving only the whites visible. Through the vision of a white hawk, he observed the enemy camp.
"Ser, two reinforcements just arrived," Tormund murmured as his pupils returned to normal.
He had seen two different sigils: one bearing a yellow burning tower and another with an orange field scattered with broken stones.
They were already at the foot of the mountain, advancing quickly.
**Whoooosh—**
A sudden gust of wind howled through the forest, and a massive shadow blanketed their hiding spot.
Looking up, they saw a pitch-black dragon soaring overhead, its gaze fixed on the enemy encampment below.
**"Devourer, unleash dragonfire!"**
Now at the very heart of the Highland clans' stronghold, Rhaegar didn't hesitate. He gave the attack order immediately.
**"Screeeech…"**
The Devourer circled low, green dragonfire building in its maw before it suddenly unleashed a blazing torrent upon the ground.
**Boom!**
The dragonfire first engulfed the two watchtowers at the camp's entrance, then surged relentlessly toward the screaming crowd.
"Monster! The fire-breathing monster is back!"
"Run! Run for your lives!"
The moment they saw the dragon, the Highland warriors were overcome with terror and scattered in all directions.
Rhaegar's expression remained cold as he spoke calmly:
"Devourer, leave no survivors."
With a mighty roar, the Devourer's flames consumed tent after tent as it glided back and forth over the camp, raining destruction from above.
**"Screeeech…"**
**Syrax Arrives Late**
Syrax arrived late, blocking the escape route of the Highland clans.
Rhaenyra, her hair neatly tied up, gripped the reins tightly and commanded in a crisp voice, "Dracarys!"
At the command spoken in High Valyrian, Syrax let out an excited roar. Golden dragonfire swept over the fleeing masses again and again.
In an instant, a mix of green and gold flames painted half the forest in a dazzling display of blood and fire.
"Fight back! Fight back now!"
The chieftain of the Highland clans hid among his people, trying to organize archers to shoot down the dragon.
But the dragon flew far beyond the range of their arrows.
Even when struck, the arrows failed to pierce its steel-hard scales.
"Where's the witch? Get the witch out here!"
A scrawny, sharp-faced chieftain grabbed the leader of the Stone Crows, shouting in panic and rage.
The Stone Crows had a witch who wielded fire magic—something all the Highland clans knew well.
It was her fiery prophecies that had drawn them into an alliance.
Meanwhile, not far away...
A woman in a red robe, adorned with a ruby necklace and possessing striking beauty, crouched beside a dying campfire.
Her face was filled with terror as she trembled, staring up at the two massive dragons in the sky. A warm stream of urine trickled down her smooth thighs.
She was a devout follower of the Lord of Light, having used her cunning to deceive the chieftains of the Highland clans.
The Lord of Light had granted her the power to control fire—her primary means of winning over the clans.
But such tricks were useless against dragons and their flames.
If she hadn't run fast enough earlier, she would have been burned to death alongside her handmaiden.
"Oh, Lord of Light, grant me more power—let me be immune to dragonfire…"
The Red Priestess fell to her knees, uncaring of the mud soaked with her own urine, and whispered a desperate prayer.
Boom!
A torrent of dragonfire engulfed her, hitting directly.
The searing heat made her scream as she scrambled to escape.
For a fleeting moment, the ruby on her chest flared with light.
Then, just as suddenly, the flames veered away.
The Red Priestess lay naked on the ground, her robes completely burned away.
From above, Rhaegar took in the scene.
Standing in his saddle, he gazed down in astonishment at the pale, trembling figure below.
Struck by his dragon's flames—yet still alive.
Besides himself, she was the only one to survive such a fate.
"Witchcraft… or something else?"
Rhaegar muttered, recalling the letter from Erryk that had mentioned a fire priestess.
"Kill them all! Wipe out the Highland clans!"
Armored soldiers from three factions stormed the chaotic encampment, blocking every exit and cutting down the fleeing clansmen.
Seeing this, Rhaegar set his thoughts aside and urged his dragon, Glutton, to continue the assault.
By the end of the day, the Highland clans would cease to exist.
At the very least, their numbers would be so diminished that they wouldn't recover for a hundred years.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, an arrow shot into the sky, striking Glutton's black scales.
Clang!
The massive arrow, as long as a man, bounced off harmlessly.
Rhaegar looked down.
A towering figure, nearly four meters tall, stood amidst the battlefield—a small giant with a rigid, expressionless face.
"Another giant's descendant…"
Slightly surprised, Rhaegar studied the creature with curiosity.
Giants had once ruled Westeros.
But the invasion of the First Men had driven both the Children of the Forest and the giants into near extinction.
Yet here, deep in the Mountains of the Moon, a giant's bloodline had survived.
And judging by his size, the blood was still strong.
Almost as large as a juvenile giant.
"Rhaegar, are you alright?"
Rhaenyra had also noticed the small giant. She urged Syrax into a dive.
"No! Don't burn him, Rhaenyra!"
Rhaegar quickly stopped her.
That was a half-blooded giant—he wanted to capture it and take it back to King's Landing.
A personal bodyguard, perhaps.
Aside from riding a full-grown dragon…
What could be more imposing than having a half-giant as a sworn protector?
"Hmph, how vulgar."
Rhaenyra scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Seeing that her worry was wasted, she steered Syrax away.
**(End of Chapter)**