Chapter 39: Chapter 38: A Flame in the Storm
Not far away, the Dragonstone fleet rode the storm across the waters of Shipbreaker Bay.
The terrible weather hindered their progress, but it also concealed their movements.
Whoosh—
The warships cut through the waves, hidden within the storm, while the torrential rain continued to pour down, the raindrops pelting the deck like a barrage of beans.
The sky was oppressively dark, and countless warships emerged from the mist, arranged neatly and sailing through it.
They appeared and vanished like ghosts, as if they had risen from beneath the sea, flickering in and out of view, suddenly appearing within the line of sight of the Storm's End sentries.
A Baratheon soldier on the lookout tower rubbed his eyes vigorously, watching the massive fleet hidden within the storm quickly approaching.
"This…"
"This is…"
He could hardly believe his own eyes, but when he finally realized what was happening, he hurriedly sounded the alarm bell.
However, it was already too late.
The fleet had ridden the waves, now aiming straight for the harbor of Storm's End.
Storm's End was one of the most formidable castles in all of Westeros, surrounded by a thick outer wall.
The thickest part was about a hundred feet high and forty feet thick, while the seaward side was about eighty feet thick, incredibly solid, and composed of two layers of rock with a layer of sand and rubble sandwiched in between.
The wall was a smooth curve, and the stones were so tightly packed that not even a breath of wind could penetrate.
There were even tales that Storm's End was built by the ancient Storm Kings using magic to withstand the harsh climate of Shipbreaker Bay.
In reality, Storm's End had no harbor; it sat atop a cliff by the sea, with only a single waterway leading to its interior, blocked by a barred gate.
The harbor of Storm's End was established for Stannis to train the royal navy.
Due to its relatively advantageous geographical location and deep waters nearby, constructing the harbor near the castle was not difficult. It now served as the location where the royal naval forces were amassed.
At present, the newly launched royal navy ships were all huddled within the harbor, their ropes secured and covered with tarps to prepare for the storm.
Having grown up in Storm's End, Stannis was all too familiar with the terrible weather of Shipbreaker Bay.
Moreover, he had received a warning from the Citadel not long ago, predicting an unprecedented massive storm approaching the eastern coast of Westeros.
Although Shipbreaker Bay was not the center of the storm, the impact would not be severe, perhaps only a heavy downpour.
But the cautious man had still made ample preparations.
So, quite some time ago, Stannis had ordered all warships to remain in the harbor, temporarily suspending the navy's training program, and forbidding all soldiers from boarding the ships while they stayed in their barracks. .
And so, before the storm arrived, not even a single rowboat could be found in the waters surrounding Storm's End, making it impossible to detect the approaching Targaryen fleet.
Now, hidden within the beginnings of the storm, the Targaryen fleet sailed toward the harbor of Storm's End, riding the wind and waves.
Although the fleet had suffered some losses in the storm, these losses were still within an acceptable range.
After all, they were more than six hundred nautical miles away from the center of the storm in Blackwater Bay, merely on the storm's edge.
It was only because the storm kept moving that Storm's End was also affected by the disaster.
The Targaryen fleet arrived suddenly, like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, catching the Baratheon soldiers off guard.
No one had expected the Targaryen fleet to arrive riding the storm, and the royal navy of Storm's End hadn't even launched a single rowboat, leaving them in a completely unprepared state.
Then, this newly-formed fleet, which hadn't yet fought a battle, suffered a devastating blow.
Boom, boom, boom—
The trebuchets on the flagship Black Dread let out a furious roar, hurling stones through the air with a dull sound, aimed directly at the Baratheon fleet huddled together in the harbor.
Many of the stones were wrapped in oil-soaked cloth and ignited, with the oil remaining lit despite the torrential rain. The flaming stones struck the Baratheon warships with force.
Had the Baratheon fleet been arrayed for battle on the open sea, perhaps these large-scale siege weapons wouldn't have been so accurate. But now, the Baratheon fleet was tightly packed within the harbor.
They were anchored to the shore with ropes and ship anchors, pressed tightly together to prevent the storm from scattering and damaging the ships through collisions.
Originally, Stannis's orders were not unreasonable, as this was indeed the best way to withstand the storm.
Warships couldn't be pushed ashore or brought into the castle, so they had to rely on their sturdy hulls to endure the storm. Tying the ships together effectively increased their resistance to storm damage.
However, under the current attack, these tethered warships became easy targets for the Targaryen fleet.
Soldiers operating the trebuchets and ballistae didn't even need to aim; they merely had to pull the ropes and launch the stones to hit their targets.
Boom, boom, boom—
The newly-built Baratheon royal fleet wailed in the storm as stones pierced their decks and ignited sails. The fire spread throughout the warships, engulfed by the storm.
Whoosh~
Flames driven by the wind rushed through the ship's cabins below deck, gradually rising and swirling, igniting the supplies stored within.
The support pillars holding up the decks were swallowed by the fire, and with a thunderous crash, they collapsed. The warship was enveloped in a red glow before finally splitting apart and sinking into the water.
Yet, more ships were struck by the flaming stones, and eventually, the Targaryen fleet began launching barrels of oil with their trebuchets, further fueling the fires.
In an instant.
Not far from Storm's End, in the harbor.
A great fire roared amidst the downpour, with the Baratheon fleet completely engulfed in flames. Thick, billowing black smoke rose to the sky, painting the entire heavens red.
And on the second deck of the distant Black Dread.
Viserys stood in the midst of the rain and wind, not seeking shelter in the cabin, for he wanted to witness the true face of war firsthand.
Thus, the boy was soaked to the bone, his silver-gold hair clinging to his pale face, as water droplets streamed down his cheeks.
However, Viserys' pale purple eyes shone brightly, reflecting the fiery scene in the distance.
"This fire has burned away the usurper's ambition to invade Dragonstone for the next five years," he thought.
...
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