As he watched the prince plunge into the torrent of lava and fire, Cole felt his resolve waver.
This was the king's eldest son, and any mishap would be a stain he couldn't bear.
Summoning all his courage, Cole tried to charge out of the cave once more.
But the temperature inside the cave was rising rapidly.
Lava cascaded over the floor, creating an impassable barrier for any normal person.
Cole could only watch helplessly as the prince led the young dragon, Gray Ghost, up the slope, his heart heavy with the weight of uncertainty.
"Roar..."
Finally, the Cannibal landed smoothly, his head held high as he let out a resounding roar in the lava-filled cavern.
It seemed to announce the hunter's death sentence on his prey.
Following its roar, the cannibal turned its gaze toward Rhaegar and Gray Ghost, its huge vertical green pupils flashing with a teasing glint.
The two small creatures struggled to climb higher, but in reality they barely reached its chest height.
Even to consume them, he would only have to lower his head to swallow them.
The Cannibal twisted his neck and scanned his surroundings, his keen sense of smell picking up the scent of an intruder.
This was a fierce dragon with a voracious appetite.
It usually hunted large fish in the sea, occasionally stole eggs from female dragons on the island, or hunted weak young dragons.
Humans were not usually on its menu.
However, those who entered its sight became fair game.
With its paws bent at the knees, its spine arched downward, the Cannibal's massive head lowered, eyeing the human snacks hidden in the cave.
Its indifferent green vertical pupils dilated as it prepared its dragon flame.
"No..."
Cole stood at the edge of the cave, his gaze locked on the Cannibal's gaping maw, directly in line with the boiling, eerie emerald dragon flame.
His entire body stiffened, as if he were witnessing the beckoning of his deceased grandmother.
He recognized it as an invitation from the Stranger.
As the dragon flame was about to be released, a cry echoed through the underground cavern.
"Cannibal! Look at me!"
Dragons could understand a fraction of High Valyrian, and the nearly century-old adult dragon Cannibal naturally understood some of its meaning.
With a disdainful glance at the terrified and stunned humans in the cave, the Cannibal withdrew its dragon flame, closed its mouth, and turned its head back.
Across the expanse, a human youth stood on a steep cliff, a young dragon snack at his feet.
Indifferent, yet slightly annoyed by the interruption, the Cannibal locked eyes with the human, deciding to devour this oblivious prey first.
Meeting the gaze of a ferocious adult dragon, Rhaegar's eyes sparkled with excitement, shedding the fear he once felt when confronted by Dreamfyre.
He was Rhaegar Targaryen.
A pure-blooded descendant of the Dragonlords, and any fear of dragons faded into insignificance at this moment.
Pulling Gray Ghost's head behind him in a gesture of command, Rhaegar ordered, "Stay where you are, cowardly dragon!"
Though Gray Ghost did not yet understand High Valyrian, he sensed the human's intent.
Trembling, he huddled close, burying his head under his wings, too afraid to look.
Rhaegar's expression wavered between annoyance and amusement. "How can a dragon be as timid as you? A shame to your kind."
"Roar!"
Cannibal couldn't resist the tyranny in his heart and roared, showing his killing intent, the dragon flames converging in his throat.
In the moment of crisis, Rhaegar patted the gray ghost's bright white wing membrane and said, "Take care of yourself, I'm off on my own adventure."
Having said that, Rhaegar took a step forward and fearlessly faced Cannibal in a prostrate position below.
"Big guy, fate has destined you to be conquered by me!"
Rhaegar shouted in High Valyrian, summoning every ounce of courage in his body and defiantly leaping down the steep cliff.
"Roar!!!"
The moment Rhaegar leapt down, dragon flames erupted with a low roar, and a green curtain of fire spread destruction.
Watching the scene from afar, Cole sat down limply, both eyes lifeless.
"Mad, the rumors are true, all Targaryens are mad..."
How could he have imagined that a 6 year old child would dare to challenge an adult dragon? But none of that mattered.
He had a premonition of what this demonic dragon would do.
His life was about to end, and his honor had no meaning.
However...
The dragon flame was always a step slower than Rhaegar.
Between the whiskers of the ethereal green dragon flames, Rhaegar spread his hands wide like a bird and narrowly avoided the torrent of dragon flame.
His tiny body slammed into the broad spine of the hulking cannibal on the ground.
Bang...
Rhaegar fell heavily, the hard dragon scales felt like steel plates, and the recoil shocked him to the point where he nearly fainted.
A strong desire for conquest filled his brain, straining his nerves and urging him to get up!
Rhaegar staggered to his feet, his head spinning as he let his broken voice out and shouted, proving his determination to put his life on the line.
"Cannibal, fly!"
Following the guidelines of the Dragon Taming Handbook, Rhaegar gave the Cannibal his first command in High Valyrian.
"Roar!"
But the truth was very cruel, the Cannibal ignored his command and roared angrily, twisting his body wildly.
As it was about to strike down the human who was trying to tame it, a mouthful of dragon flame combusted into flying ashes.
It was the oldest and largest wild dragon Dragonstone, and even the continent of Westeros, had ever seen.
Many men had tried to tame it in the early years, and not one of them was not turned into charcoal.
The little thing on his back was no exception.
His feet shook so violently that Rhaegar couldn't even stand, and he fell with a thud.
In the moment of need, Rhaegar grabbed the Cannibal's back scale and used his whole body to stabilize his body from being thrown out.
"Hahaha!"
Crisis descended on his head, but Rhaegar had no trace of fear in his heart, instead, he could not help but laugh out loud.
He was skating on thin ice at that moment.
But it seemed that the danger that was about to overthrow him could not crush his will.
It only stimulated the madness hidden deep in his blood.
"Cannibal, I command you to fly, carry me to the sky!"
Laughing maniacally in High Valyrian, Rhaegar steadied himself on his hands and knees and gave the command to fly once more.
"Roar!"
This time the Cannibal did not refuse his command.
His vertical pupils filled with rage, his limbs supported his body, and the sharp claws on his wings gripped the stone wall as he quickly climbed out of the narrow cave.
You want to fly? Then let us fly!
On the steep slope, the Gray Ghost that had been attacked by the dragon flame was bleeding and prostrating on the ground, its head lying helplessly on its side on the ground, and the dragon's mouth flowing with blood.
Its gray-blue vertical pupils reflected the thin figure of Rhaegar.
As the Cannibal climbed out of the cave, this clear reflection gradually blurred until it disappeared.
This caused it to let out a mournful cry and look reluctantly at the massive Cannibal.
...
The Cannibal's body was as huge as a mountain, but his movements were still incredibly smooth.
In a few moments, it climbed out of the underground cave and reappeared under the vast and boundless sky.
"Cannibal, fly!"
The blinding light forced Rhaegar to open his eyes, and he repeated the command as he gripped his back scales with both hands.
He showed the Cannibal his own will.
This dragon would not recognize a coward with a weak heart; he had already experienced failure once and would never repeat it.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, the Cannibal's dark, scaled body resembled a mountain of coal, his wings flapping to stretch his majestic frame.
Distracting sounds came to his ears as the Cannibal's neck snapped back and his hideous dragon head closed in on the small creature on his back.
A bloody mouth opened like an abyss, and the dragon let out a murderous roar.