The effect of Bend Will targeted the soul. Durnehviir was a "dead" dragon, with a special and powerful soul. The souls of dragon-blooded beings were strong enough to absorb the souls of great dragons, a unique trait. Man and dragon stood face to face, each trying to break free from the other's control.
By the time the sun was setting, Wright's left hand and right foot had regained sensation. Durnehviir's wings and legs were free to move, and it was struggling to free its head from the last of its restraints.
On the battlefield of Meereen, everyone had been exposed to the toxins. Though it caused immense pain, it wasn't lethal. Many strong-willed people endured the pain and got used to it, feeling it lessen over time. They gritted their teeth and began to help others, but all they could do was drag their comrades away from the green dragon.
The attacking cavalry suffered the greatest losses, as their horses had all run away. Unlike humans, horses, after being bitten by the insects, bolted, leaping and kicking to shake off the creatures. The cavalry and Dothraki fell from their horses, with only a few remaining mounted, trailing behind the frightened herd of horses as they fled the battlefield.
The small white dragon, which had been torn by Wright's dragon soul, had its magic dissipate after such a long time. After suffering pain for an entire afternoon, it gradually adapted. After consuming three bottles of Might, it was still in an excited state and struggled to slowly fly up from the valley.
In the Golden Company's supply camp, everyone was lying on the ground, gasping for air. They discovered that lying down and staring into space seemed to alleviate the pain. Aegon saw the white dragon flying toward them and shouted with all his strength, "Haha, the white dragon Viserion is still alive! We still have a dragon! We still have hope!"
Others in the Golden Company looked up, forcing a faint smile. The two dragon riders had lost their dragons, and Viserion was now without a rider. It was uncertain how long it would take to tame it again.
Aegon watched the dragon circle over the camp and not land but continue rising, heading west. "Go, stay away for now. It will return to find us soon."
He seemed to be talking to himself, but he was actually encouraging the disheartened Golden Company soldiers. Now, he had to boost their morale.
Everyone watched as the small white dragon flew higher and higher, until it was almost at the clouds, slowly becoming the size of a small bird. This was their spark, their hope, the hope of House Targaryen!
Suddenly, a massive dragon head emerged from the clouds, its jaws opening wide to bite the white dragon.
"No! Ah~~~ Ugh~~~"
Aegon first yelled, then expressed disbelief, and finally collapsed onto the ground, crying.
The massive jaws immediately released the white dragon, repositioned it, and a bit of golden-red fire leaked from between the dragon's teeth. The dragon raised its head and swallowed the white dragon whole.
Odahviing's body remained hidden in the clouds, with only its head poking out to observe the situation on the battlefield in Meereen. Odahviing continuously licked its tongue. It had no qualms about eating its own kind but found the taste somewhat unpleasant, with a sharp, spicy scent.
Watching Wright and Durnehviir on the ground, it felt that it might have arrived too late and still couldn't quite understand the current situation.
The King's Road from King's Landing to the Storm's End had long been completed, yet Odahviing had stayed in King's Landing, constantly receiving fresh meat from Robert.
After Wright's summons, Odahviing flew to Skull Island first to check on the five dragon eggs, as was only right. Then it flew to Lys, where local nobles hosted it with several ships of fish. After eating its fill, it continued on its way, making no extra demands. It then traveled to Volantis, where the local Dragon Cult revered it as a deity, providing it with all the cattle, sheep, and elephants it could eat. They even brought a whale, because only a full belly could prepare it for battle! Was that too much?
Because of Wright's call, Odahviing had to endure a long journey. It didn't demand extra payment, only honoring the promises made.
Odahviing broke through the clouds and began circling above Meereen, keeping its eyes on Durnehviir below. This was a dragon it knew, but not quite. It must be another one of those split versions mentioned by dragon-blooded people.
The ground was covered in the poison mist it had released, which likely didn't affect it much. Below, there were scattered humans, purple skeletons, and Durnehviir and Wright standing still, locked in a standoff. Odahviing wasn't sure which side was attacking whom, so it didn't immediately join the fight.
Retreat! That was all the attacking side could think of now.
The red and white giant dragon circling in the sky—this was Wright's mount! Countless nobles and slave owners who had participated in the battle were now cursing the Golden Company. The Golden Company had deceived them, claiming Wright's dragons were only as long as two horses! Now, the two-horse-length Golden dragon had been swallowed by Wright's dragon, which was too large even to fit between its teeth!
The red and white giant dragon was only slightly smaller than the other one, and with Wright's bravery, the outcome was uncertain. The key point was that when two mountain-like dragons fought, even without direct contact, their wings could blow away the tiny ants below.
The retreat horns sounded throughout the battlefield.
Tormented by pain, the retreating soldiers could only move step by step, some crawling on the ground. They were relieved that the defenders were in the same state, unable to leave the city and pursue them.
Now that the battle for Meereen was won, no one in the city cheered. Some of the stronger soldiers gathered at the northern city wall to observe the dragons. Tattered Prince, drenched in sweat, leaned on the parapet, weakly addressing a great lord, "The previous battle was nothing. The real fight hasn't even started!"
"What should we do?"
Tattered Prince looked up at the sky. "Let the civilians hide in the pyramids. There are only about twenty of them left in the city, and they are the most solid!"
"We'll give the order. What about you?"
Tattered Prince looked up at the sky again. "My old bones can't take this deadly toxin. I'll stay here and watch the dragon battle."
Several officers from the Windblown Company used scattered wood to make a simple stand, helping Tattered Prince rest against it as they all watched the still motionless dragons and man in the distance. Many others, who either didn't listen to advice or weren't afraid of death, remained on the city walls, continuing to watch the battle unfold.
"All the Windblown soldiers who can still move, go operate the heavy crossbows! Shoot at the green dragon as soon as it's in range!" Tattered Prince's voice was faint.
"Understood!" Cargos, his most trusted right-hand man, accepted the order, gritting his teeth against the pain and swiftly running off.
"Windblown Company! Anyone who can move, operate the crossbows! Windblown Company! Anyone who can move, get to the crossbows!" Caggo shouted as he ran.
The sun was close to setting, its red rays resembling blood.
The battlefield, littered with corpses, had not been cleared. The ground, stained with blood, had dried, and countless purple skeletons holding swords and knives stood near the seated green dragon, resembling soldiers guarding a castle.
ANG~~~ Durnehviir lifted its head and let out a roar toward Odahviing.
It was the first to break free from the magic; at this point, Wright was left with only a sliver of control. Durnehviir tried to manipulate Wright's consciousness but found the magic had already been destroyed and failed.
Purple lightning gathered in Durnehviir's massive mouth, and it raised its head toward Odahviing in the sky, then suddenly lowered its head to attack Wright.
A massive surge of electricity illuminated the battlefield in purple, the energy striking Wright and enveloping his body.
"Only I can kill dragon-blooded beings! Die, Durnehviir!" Odahviing thought it was under attack, turning in the air. But upon seeing that Durnehviir was attacking Wright, it immediately flapped its wings and dove downward, opening its enormous jaws.
"Fus~~Ro~~Dah~~~~!"
A blast far more ferocious and massive than Wright's wave shot from Odahviing's mouth, striking Durnehviir from above.
Boom~~~ The spreading shockwave slammed Durnehviir to the ground. The ripple effects blew the earth hundreds of meters high. A dust storm exploded in a circle around Durnehviir, sweeping away both the purple skeletons and Wright, like a meteor crashing to the ground.
The sandstorm surged toward the Meereen city walls, then rose into the air, forming a yellow sand curtain that reached several dozen meters high, slamming into the city as Odahviing roared.
"Stop watching, run!" Even the bravest souls no longer dared to remain and watch.
The Windblown soldiers began to carry Tattered Prince toward the pyramid.
Another roar from the giant dragon echoed across Meereen, and the sky was instantly covered with dark clouds, turning the daylight into a pitch-black night.
Crash!
The two mountain-like dragons collided on the ground, their claws, sharp talons, and massive teeth serving as weapons. They grappled, scratched, and bit at each other. Both dragons were seasoned in battle, and if either attempted to open its mouth and unleash direct magical attacks, the other would immediately seize the opportunity and bite its neck. Therefore, only ranged spells could be used, or they would resort to physical combat.
Durnehviir sank its teeth into Odahviing's chest and threw it off, then spread its wings to take flight, only to be knocked back down as Odahviing bit its tail and dragged it back to the ground, continuing the fight.
The true strength of dragons lay in aerial combat, but Wright's magical connection still persisted, and he remained alive somewhere underground, unknown to anyone. Odahviing was determined to prevent Durnehviir from flying.
Whirr~~~ Boom~~~
The two battling dragons crashed near the edge of Meereen, their wings sweeping across the city walls, tearing down an entire section. Debris flew dozens of meters into the air, accompanied by scorching dragon blood and large chunks of flesh that scattered into the city. Countless houses were destroyed, and those who survived rushed in panic to escape, clutching their heads.
The two dragons, despite their massive size, moved with incredible agility. As they roared, rolling and thrashing, they unknowingly caused the destruction of most of the northern city, with clouds of smoke and scattered stones everywhere.
Durnehviir was significantly larger. After tearing a large chunk of flesh from Odahviing's neck, it showed no interest in continuing the fight. Instead, it turned and sped toward the city's outskirts, flapping its wings powerfully.
Boom~~~ Blue lightning fell from the dark clouds, illuminating Meereen. Then came golden-red fire meteors, followed by purple lightning and ice crystals the size of houses.
Durnehviir was struck by the lightning, its movement faltering before it fell back to the ground, only to be entangled by the charging Odahviing.
Wright's consciousness fully awakened as he realized the intense pain coursing through his body, buried beneath the sand. "Fus~~"
With a powerful gust, he blew the sand away and leaped from the earth, looking toward Odahviing, who was still locked in battle. Wright cast a powerful wind spell, leaping forward, covering the distance of several meters in one stride, then began sprinting toward the dragons.
As he ran, he touched his helmet and found that the flesh on his chin was completely gone, leaving only bone. He quickly cast a healing spell.
The battlefield was filled only with the dragons' roars, the crackle of lightning storms, and the explosive sound of falling fire meteors. At this point, the two dragons had already battled into the mountains outside Meereen. Several small hills had been flattened by their massive bodies.
The black sky was lit by blue and purple lightning. These two-color lightning storms, along with falling fire meteors and ice crystals, relentlessly attacked the battling dragons. Odahviing, the smaller of the two, was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Odahviing!" Wright, now enhanced by three kinds of magic, dodged magic attacks falling from the sky and swiftly drew closer, leaving a trail of fire in his wake.
Odahviing, trembling, suddenly pulled back. Durnehviir took this opportunity to climb a mountain and ascend toward the sky.
Odahviing stretched its tail toward Wright, and feeling Wright land on it, quickly took to the air. It couldn't afford to let its opponent maneuver in the air.
For the moment, no fighting was happening, and the people of Meereen began to emerge. They saw that the magical clouds in the sky were rapidly dispersing, and both dragons were now airborne, with a glowing figure running up from Odahviing's tail toward its body.
Blood poured from Odahviing's neck, splashing across Wright's body. Wright looked at the heavily injured dragon, noting the deep wounds covering its body—massive holes and claw marks as long as ten meters, with several large gashes in its wings.
Durnehviir was also heavily wounded, but it was a dragon that simply would not die. Losing a piece of flesh was nothing to it.
Wright ran to Odahviing's head, grabbed its horns, and patted it with his greatsword. "Thank you! Odahviing!"
Odahviing let out a deep breath, then immediately flapped its wings, determined to chase Durnehviir once again.
"Ah~~ha!" Wright's hands glowed with golden light as he crouched and tapped the giant dragon's head. Master-level healing magic poured out, the golden glow flowing from Odahviing's head to its body, healing its wounds at a visible speed. The magic drained nearly half of Wright's energy, but he felt it was worth it!
Durnehviir left behind a trail of toxic mist as it flew. As Odahviing fought, this caused significant discomfort.
Odahviing flew slightly faster, aiming to attack from above. Durnehviir sensed this and began to climb higher.
"Don't worry, I have a way to deal with the toxic mist!"
The massive body of the dragon was covered in gold magical patterns, flames sparking across its surface. Wright, having just used up a significant amount of magical energy for healing, pressed his hands once more onto the dragon's scales.
Golden flame magic formations erupted, sending intricate patterns through Odahviing's body, with lines of energy flowing across its neck, wings, limbs, and tail, each forming multiple complex arrays.
Odahviing's red and white scales, black horns, and spines now glowed with golden magic lines, while golden flames wreathed its body, making it appear almost divine.
"Be careful, don't touch the lines or they'll explode!" Wright's feet stood in a circle, right at the empty space of the magic array.
Durnehviir dove down, pulling away, then suddenly turned and charged toward Odahviing from below, gathering purple lightning in its mouth.
Odahviing also descended, and from the dragon's head, Wright raised his sword, pointing toward the incoming giant dragon.
"Kill it!"
Roar~~~ Blue lightning erupted from Odahviing's mouth.
The people of Meereen, from the distant city, saw two lightning columns—one purple and one blue—shooting down from the sky. The two beams met in midair and exploded into a brilliant light, resembling a second sun rising in the night.