Chapter 116: Battle of the Myr River
Meleys the Red Queen and Dreamfyre sprayed dragonfire wantonly in the sky, and the siege towers, ladders, and catapults of the Braavosi caught fire one after another.
The Braavosi scattered from under the city walls, fleeing in disarray back to the seashore, attempting to board their ships.
However, on the soft sand, the armored infantry moved slowly, and by the time they reached the beach, Dreamfyre and Meleys the Red Queen had already surpassed them in the night sky.
Princess Rhaenys let out a cry, and Meleys the Red Queen opened her gaping maw, orange-yellow flames illuminating the night sky.
Princess Gael's mount, Dreamfyre, attacked the ships near the shore almost simultaneously, flames leaping.
Clever captains had already turned their ships around and fled the battlefield, while some ships closer to the beach tried to escape but were blocked by those behind them.
The ships collided with each other, falling into chaos, and were swallowed by dragonfire one after another.
In the siege of Tyrosh, the Braavosi suffered a crushing defeat.
Haig Sais, Sea Lord of Braavos, on his flagship, the Haig Sais, sighed repeatedly, seeing that the tide had turned.
Princess Rhaenys and Princess Gael, both daughters of House Targaryen, were on the backs of dragons in the sky.
They had both proven their fertility, and the Sea Lord of Braavos, by marrying either of them, could have children with true Targaryen dragon blood, fulfilling Braavos's dream of dragons since its founding.
However, the Sea Lord of Braavos and his fleet of purple-oared warships were defeated; the Sea Lord of Braavos had been defeated by women.
Not only had he failed to capture the Dragon Princesses, but if he continued, he would likely become dragon food.
"Retreat! All forces retreat, retreat north!" Haig Sais, Sea Lord of Braavos, began issuing orders.
The first mate beside him said, "Sea Lord, we should sail west and plunder the islands of the Stepstones."
Haig Sais, Sea Lord of Braavos, smiled bitterly. "Unfortunately, ships cannot outrun dragons, and besides, Daemon is likely on his way to reinforce Tyrosh.
If the Sorcerer Prince starts to command his Dragon's Servants Army to attack, then our fleet truly might be annihilated."
"Retreat, and also, immediately write to the House of Black and White and tell them that the Faceless Men can prepare."
Princess Rhaenys, riding Meleys the Red Queen, and Gael's mount, Dreamfyre, slowly descended onto Tyrosh Castle.
Laena and Laenor immediately rushed into Princess Rhaenys's arms.
Laena excitedly asked, "Mother, have Father and Prince Daemon returned?"
Rhaenys shook her head. "Your father is currently commanding the Valyrian Fleet, circumnavigating the Lys Strait.
He will also leave a portion of the Valyrian Fleet to guard Lys, and the rest of the Westeros army will return to Tyrosh and then proceed from here to Myr to participate in the siege of Myr.
Prince Daemon has already marched towards Myr with the Westeros army."
Laenor said, "Mother, I rode Seasmoke and burned down a siege tower! Although there were no enemies on that tower, I might have killed an enemy for the first time."
Laenor, taking advantage of the intense battle raging throughout Tyrosh, quietly bypassed the Dragonkeepers watching Seasmoke, rode Seasmoke in the dark, and launched a surprise attack on a siege tower outside the west of the city.
Laenor was quite proud of his brave sortie and kept boasting about his glorious achievement to his close friend Joffrey Lonmouth.
Princess Rhaenys frowned deeply, and Princess Gael beside her was startled.
"Laenor, how could you ride Seasmoke into battle? I expressly forbade you from going to the battlefield.
Luckily, nothing unexpected happened.
If something had happened to you, Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys would certainly not forgive me."
Laenor was so overly excited that he forgot about Princess Gael's presence beside him; he lowered his head in shame.
Princess Rhaenys cast a severe gaze at Laenor. "This was indeed foolish behavior.
Seasmoke is so small, and his scales are far from as hard as Meleys the Red Queen and Dreamfyre.
You are also too young; a single arrow could allow the Braavosi to accomplish the great deed of dragon-slaying.
Don't do this again in the future, otherwise, I will send someone to send you back to Driftmark."
Laenor quickly lowered his head in shame and admitted his mistake.
Laena, beside him, met the gaze of Alys Rivers, and she was very glad that she had not ridden Silverwing.
If she had rushed into the killing battlefield the first time she rode a dragon, who knew what would have happened.
Princess Gael said to Princess Rhaenys, "Children inevitably make mistakes, Princess Rhaenys, so don't keep criticizing Laenor.
Thanks to you this time; if you hadn't arrived in time, Tyrosh might have fallen."
Laena said, "Mother, Princess Gael is the hero of Tyrosh.
If it weren't for her inspiring morale and riding Dreamfyre into battle, we might all have become the Sea Lord of Braavos's captives."
Once, Princess Rhaenys and Corlys Velaryon had been Daemon's formidable rivals.
Now, Daemon was campaigning in the Three Daughters, expanding territory, and House Velaryon, following Daemon's banner, was earning a fortune.
Laena served as Gael's handmaiden, and Laenor became Daemon's squire.
The relationship between Daemon and House Velaryon entered a honeymoon period.
Rhaenys had gradually realized that cooperating with Daemon was more beneficial for the family's future.
They had buried the hatchet and were committed to conquering the Three Daughters and building a new Dragon Kingdom in Essos.
The golden fingers of the dawn sun stretched out, caressing the fields of Tyrosh, but as far as the eye could see, there were only charred city walls, scorched earth, and sunken ships along the coast.
The Braavosi invaders were either burned to charred, twisted corpses by dragonfire or drowned in the sea, pushed onto the beach by the tide.
Some Kingsguard and Dragon's Servants Army soldiers, wielding bloody daggers on the battlefield, searched for enemies still alive among the piles of corpses, delivering the final fatal blow and plundering spoils of war: rings, armbands, armor, daggers….
Soon, these spoils piled up into small mountains.
Crows feasted on the bloated corpses.
The Westeros army defending the city, with the help of dragons, won the final victory.
Nurses, monks, and maesters bandaged the wounds of the injured.
The Silent Sisters, dressed in black with black headscarves covering everything but their eyes, handled the bodies of the fallen soldiers and transported them to the Tyrosh cemetery for burial.
Artisans began repairing the damaged city walls and arrow towers that had been attacked by catapults and siege towers.
About half a month later, the Valyrian Fleet led by Corlys Velaryon, the Ironborn Fleet, and the Sistermen Fleet arrived in Tyrosh.
Westeros reinforcements arrived in Tyrosh almost simultaneously.
The Westeros fleet replenished its troops, provisions, and fresh water in Tyrosh, then immediately set sail eastward.
The Westeros fleet entered the Myr Sea and headed towards Myr.
Princess Rhaenys, riding Meleys the Red Queen, departed early for the eastern battlefield.
Behind the dragon was the mighty Westeros fleet.
Gael continued to lead the Kingsguard and Dragon's Servants Army, holding Tyrosh.
The Winter Wolves of the North, the Vale Knights, the Western Knights, the Riverlands Knights, and the Dragon's Servants Army crossed plains, hills, streams, and rivers, marching towards Myr.
Along the way, they plundered the estates and villages of the Three Daughters.
Most slave masters had already fled at the sight of them, escaping to Myr, the last stronghold of the Three Daughters.
A few resisting slave masters were executed and hanged on the walls of their estates.
The Westeros army's march encountered almost no significant resistance.
Daemon the Liberator freed slaves along the way, and wherever he went, banners changed hands.
People cut down the flags of Myr or the Three Daughters and raised the three-headed dragon banner of House Targaryen.
On this day, the Westeros army chose to encamp on a high hill.
The Dragonkeepers brought out beef and mutton to feed Caraxes.
Daemon entered the tent to hold a meeting with his officers.
Lord Roderick Dustin, the Wolf of the Barrows, personally commanded the Winter Wolves scouts.
His silver-grey armor was covered in dust, his cloak was dirty, and he carried a simple helmet under his arm.
"Prince Daemon, we captured a few mercenary prisoners and interrogated some information.
The Myrish seem to have assembled a large army on the east bank of the Myr River."
Ser Marco Crakehall was tall and stout, with a thick golden beard.
He was the commander of the Western Knights, and his emerald green armor was engraved with the mottled wild boar sigil of House Crakehall.
He let out a rough laugh. "Do these cowards finally dare to face us directly? But they only dare to hide behind the river."
Constantine, the commander of the Dragon's Servants Army, was a native Myr slave.
He was originally a glassmaker, skilled in making glass panes, and had accumulated a large amount of wealth for his master through his exquisite craftsmanship.
However, he was sold to Lys to make mirrors for the famous courtesans of Lys's brothels.
When Daemon liberated Lys, Constantine joined the uprising and eventually became a member of the Dragon's Servants Army.
He was over thirty, with honey-colored curly hair, high cheekbones, and a booming voice.
"The Myr River is the longest river in the Three Daughters, longer than the Three Daughters River to the south.
This river is wider than the Trident River, and it has numerous tributaries and a dense network of rivers.
The Myrish and their allies, the Dothraki cavalry and the Volantis army, clearly intend to use the Myr River to organize their defense."
Knights and lords from Westeros had little concept of the Myr River, but they were very familiar with the Trident River, especially the knights and lords of the Riverlands Knights. The Trident River is the most valuable river for shipping in Westeros. Relying on the Trident River and its tributaries, residents of the Three Rivers region can easily travel by boat to The Twins at the upper reaches of the Green Fork, the Witch's Marsh, Riverrun at the upper reaches of the Red Fork, and the Seven Springs and Stillwater area at the upper reaches of the Blue Fork.
Similar to the Trident River, the Myr River provided convenience for local residents during peacetime. Slave owners and merchants relied on the Myr River to transport their corn, pumpkins, river fish, and exquisite brocades and carpets. During wartime, the Myr River could be used to quickly transfer troops.
Constantine of Myr said, "The Myr River is not so easy to attack. Historically, Tyroshi and Lysene often fought Myr in the Disputed Lands. No matter how many battles the enemy won before, once they pushed the front line into the Myr River basin, in most cases, the enemy would suffer heavy losses at the Myr River."
Ronald Florent, commander of the Reach Knights, looked down his nose and said in an unquestionable tone, "Rivers can block land armies, but they cannot block the aerial overlords, Dragons. As long as Dragons are dispatched, the enemy's tents will burn one after another, and their defenses will surely collapse."
The Tomb Wolf snorted, "It's not that easy this time. We learned from prisoners that the Myrmen have learned from the lessons of Tyrosh and Lys. Their camps are more dispersed, scattered around damp riverbanks and ponds."
Daemon said indifferently, "It seems the Myrmen have become cunning. Even if we destroy the enemy across the Myr River, we don't have enough boats to cross. It seems we must wait until the Westeros fleet arrives."
Along the way, the Westeros army plundered many manors and captured many small boats. These small boats could only hold a few knights and their mounts at most, so they were all abandoned on the spot.
That night, Daemon mounted Caraxes. Caraxes' dark red wings and body, under the bright moonlight, seemed to be plated with a layer of silver. The Dragon carried Daemon, constantly climbing, climbing, and finally hiding in the clouds.
From high in the sky, Daemon overlooked the ground. The Myr River under the moonlight was like a mercury ribbon, winding and flowing into the Myr Sea.
Daemon began to scout. Just as the Tomb Wolf's scouts had reported, the enemy camps were scattered near rivers, ponds, hills, and wetlands. Daemon controlled Caraxes to dive, burning down a Dothraki camp. Some burning warhorses instantly reared up, and Dothraki with braids, almond eyes, and olive complexions cursed as they fled the burning camp. Some Dothraki even mounted their horses, drew their bows, and shot arrows at Caraxes while riding. Caraxes lazily flapped his wings, easily escaping the range of the arrows.
Next, Daemon controlled Caraxes to burn down a Volantis army camp in the hills. War slaves and mercenaries screamed as they fled the burning tents. Some mercenaries began to turn their heavy scorpions, trying to aim at Daemon and the Dragon. Daemon didn't give them a chance. Daemon softly uttered "Dracarys" in high valyrian, and a pale blue Dragonflame shot out. The mercenaries, along with their scorpions, were instantly engulfed by the Dragonflame, screaming and rolling on the ground.
On the continent of Essos, Daemon could not use the Faceless Men's mind control to manipulate Dragons, but the traditional way of riding Dragons still brought Daemon endless joy. Caraxes is a smart mount, and many times Daemon only needed to shake the reins, and Caraxes would understand Daemon's attack intentions.
Driven by Daemon, Caraxes continuously burned down the camps on the ground, but the enemy camps were too dispersed and mostly camped in wet areas, so the power of the Dragonflame was reduced. The enemy mobilized archers and crossbowmen to return fire into the air. Daemon felt bored. He waved the reins, and Caraxes climbed into the clouds, speeding towards the Myr Sea. The strong wind, like an eager lover, billowed Daemon's black and gold cloak behind him.
To the west of the Myr Sea is the Narrow Sea and Tyrosh, and at the southeastern end of the Myr Sea stands Myr. To the north of the Myr Sea is a plain, a fertile plain that was once part of the Kingdom of Andalos in ancient times, before the Andals crossed the sea to Westeros. After the Andals left the plain and crossed the sea, it became a colony of the valyrian Empire, and in the following centuries, it became a contested area among the surrounding Free Cities of Myr, Tyrosh, and Pentos.
Today, the plain belongs to Pentos, and many Pentos Archons and wealthy merchants own manors on the plain. This is a fertile land comparable to the The Reach. Once Daemon occupies Myr and completely annexes the Three Daughters, the plain will likely become Daemon's next target for conquest.
The Myr Sea is Myr's maritime barrier, and the Great Salt Sea is the Three Daughters' maritime lifeline. After Tyrosh and Lys successively fell, the Westeros fleet and Dragons could enter the Myr Sea at any time. To protect Myr's safety, Myr and his allies assembled a huge fleet in the Myr Sea, including Myr's local fleet, mercenary fleets, pirate fleets, and the Pentos fleet and Braavos fleet that came to reinforce from the north.
At the small town at the mouth of the Myr River where it flows into the Myr Sea, the harbor was crowded with ships. Daemon, on Caraxes in the night sky, saw this and immediately urged the Dragon to spray hot Dragonflame. A Braavos galleon, a Myr galley, and a Pentos warship successively caught fire, and other ships fled.
In the following days, Daemon's Dragon would launch surprise attacks on enemy camps and warships every day. The Archon of Myr announced a bounty of tens of thousands of gold coins for a Dragon slayer, but unfortunately, bows, crossbows, and scorpions could not harm the cunning Daemon and Caraxes. After a few days of surprise attacks, Princess Rhaenys arrived on Meleys the Red Queen. The two Dragons caused even more heavy casualties to the enemy's naval fleet. By this time, the Myrmen, mercenaries, Pentoshi, and Braavosi had become wise and kept far away from this sea area.
Therefore, when the Sea Snake, Wind's Grace Raven Greyjoy, led the Valyrian Fleet, Sistermen Fleet, and Ironborn Fleet to the mouth of the Myr River, the enemy's fleet here had already retreated dozens of nautical miles.
However, the enemies on the east bank of the Myr River had not completely disappeared. Dothraki cavalry, in groups of three or five, brandished their arakhs, eyeing them menacingly. Princess Rhaenys, riding Meleys the Red Queen, attacked the cavalry with fire, burning one cavalryman and his mount to death. Other Dothraki cavalry galloped away, but as soon as the Dragon retreated, the cavalry returned to the seaside like a whirlwind.
To be cautious, the Westeros fleet did not land on the east bank of the Myr River, but chose the western bank area controlled by the Westeros army. The Sea Snake ordered the Valyrian Fleet's Driftmark, Seahorse, Wavebreaker, and other galleys to stand guard at sea. At the same time, Wind's Grace Raven Greyjoy led the Ironborn Fleet upstream along the Myr River.
Ironborn longships are smaller and more suitable for combat in rivers and shallows. The Ironborn sang ancient reaver songs, drew their bows, and, with the cooperation of the Dragons in the air, destroyed the scattered defenses of the enemy across the river. Dothraki cavalry, Volantis war slaves, and mercenaries either died under a hail of arrows or were incinerated by Dragonflame.
Finally, after expelling the enemies across the river, the Ironborn longships successfully built a pontoon bridge, and the Westeros army began to cross the Myr River. At this time, the enemy camps scattered across the plains, hills, and pond sides, knowing that the Myr River defense line had completely collapsed, burned their camps and fled.
Marco Crakehall, the Boar, excitedly said, "Now is a good time to annihilate the enemy. We should pursue immediately."
The Tomb Wolf said, "Pursuing Dothraki cavalry is not very wise."
Marco Crakehall said contemptuously, "Tomb Wolf, where has your courage gone?"
The knights immediately mounted their horses and began to pursue, but they were met with a strong counterattack from the Dothraki cavalry. The Dothraki drew their bows and shot arrows, attacking the Westeros knights while riding. Whether wearing chainmail, plate armor, or ring mail, they were pierced by the arrows upon being hit.
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