Frenzied chaos erupted atop the "Golden Gate" checkpoint.
The defenders had not been so frightened by the distant tide of silver heavy cavalry, but the roar of a Dragon was enough to chill anyone to the bone.
Fear of fire was etched into every living soul.
Fleeing was the only thought most sane people had. They had no way to face the black-winged Dragon shadow in the sky.
"Scorpion crossbows! Scorpion crossbows!" the Westerlands commander roared, yet not a single soldier moved to fire them.
Plenty of men were fumbling in panic. Even more were trying to hide in the watchtowers or run for their lives.
Scorpion crossbows, ballistae, catapults. The Westerlands had no shortage of equipment, but none of it could awaken the courage in their hearts.
This checkpoint had originally been nothing more than a reserve defense against The Reach. None of them had expected it to be swept into the Mad Dragon's Dance as well.
"Cowards! A pack of cowards!" The commander could only go to one of the ballistae himself, his hands trembling as he tried to line up the shot.
The Westerlands soldiers had not been completely unprepared, but knowing the theory and facing the real thing were two entirely different matters.
Everyone had heard the tale of the Dornishmen, how they had shot down a giant Dragon with a scorpion crossbow.
Besides, this was still the borderland of the Westerlands. It was hardly realistic to expect everyone to follow the Lannisters to their deaths.
Several long-shafted iron bolts shot up from the ground, but Balerion dodged them nimbly, avoiding them all by a wide margin.
The bolts failed to injure the Dragon, but they did stir Balerion's fury.
A dragon's protective scales were hard to begin with, and dragons recovered quickly. Unless the eyes were struck, such attacks were almost useless.
Even if a bolt somehow managed to hit by sheer luck, Gendry had already carved the runes "Bronze Shield" and "Stony Heart" onto the Dragon's body, strengthening its defenses enough to withstand the blow.
"Dracarys!" Gendry commanded, his whip cracking through the air.
Balerion roared, spread his wings, and bellowed. Black-red Dragonfire surged down from the sky.
The swirling black-red Dragonfire first engulfed the red-robed commander. Then the flames roared onward, pouring over every corner of the wall.
The wooden and steel catapults and ballistae caught fire, along with the soldiers still trying to resist.
A wave of heat rushed in, carrying the stink of ash, sulfur, and charred flesh.
"Mama!" the commander screamed, just before the flames swallowed his face.
The black-red Dragonfire half melted the golden lion half-helm on his head. Molten iron poured down over his face, and he let out a shriek of agony.
Dragonfire and molten iron streamed into his eyes and down his neck.
The Dragonfire melted his eyes, and a jelly-like mass slid down his face. His hair and beard began burning violently.
A crown of flame crowned the Westerlands man, making his head look as though it had swollen by a full size.
The flames rose twice as high as their heads. The stench of burned flesh spread, and his howls drowned out every other sound.
Flames, then soaring high, then descending.
Again and again, the Mad Dragon's Dance returned.
Balerion carried Gendry into the sky, then folded his wings and roared down once more.
Vhagar and Viserion, who had been circling overhead, joined the battle as well.
Dragonfire swept across the Golden Gate, and screams rang out again and again.
Three different colors of Dragonfire blazed. Balerion roared, twisting and stretching as he spewed swirling black-red flames, like a Dragon of molten lava.
Vhagar breathed orange-yellow flame threaded with strands of green.
The white dragon Viserion followed close behind, spewing a pale golden pillar of fire mixed with blood-red and orange-yellow.
Balerion's Dragonfire was already strong enough to half melt steel, though it still could not match the density and intensity of the Conqueror's Dragonfire.
But that was only a matter of degree and age. For a checkpoint fortress, Dragonfire was disaster itself.
The men atop the walls were either dead or fleeing.
"Dragon! Gods, there are three Dragons!"
"We surrender! We surrender!"
"Dracarys!" Gendry gave the order, and the three Dragons breathed Dragonfire at the watchtower together.
Stone could block Dragonfire, but stone still had cracks.
Dragonfire seeped into the watchtower through its arrow slits and air holes, then spread without stopping.
By the end, even the gray stone shell of the watchtower was splitting open. The terrible heat was enough to roast the soldiers inside alive.
The Dragons danced wildly, and no one could stand against them.
"Surrender! Surrender!" More and more men who could no longer bear the heat poured out through the gate and knelt on both sides of the road.
The red-robed men threw down their lion half-helms and cast off their red robes, showing their complete submission.
The lion half-helms formed a small pile on the ground, dazzlingly bright.
"Dracarys! Dracarys!"
"Dracarys!" the heavy cavalry cheered, echoing the Dragonrider Gendry's command.
The knights raised the king's golden quartered banner and surged forward like a rolling tide.
The raging wave of knights swept through the Golden Gate. The air was thick with the smell of fire and death, and the horses gave uneasy, restless cries.
The smell of dragons and fire was unbearable to them.
Under the Dragons' repeated bombardment, the Golden Gate was like a city left undefended.
Yohn Royce led the cavalry easily through the gates, and the knights and soldiers streamed in after him.
"Long live the Storm!"
"Long live the Storm!" the knights and soldiers cheered.
The Golden Gate had been modeled after the Bloody Gate. Without the Dragons, they would have been certain to lose many men here.
The foundations and structures of the Golden Gate began to be dismantled. Those who surrendered laid down their weapons, while the corpses of the dead lay scattered in a bloody mess.
The Dragon came to rest in an open space. Gendry leaped down from its back and stepped onto the earth of The Goldroad. Behind him, smoke rose from the Golden Gate, bringing with it a choking stench.
None of the red-robed men dared raise their heads to look at the king. They only kept chanting, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"
The majestic king possessed the charm of a warrior, brave, fearless, and victorious in every battle.
Gendry took off his helmet. At his waist hung the purple sword "Supreme" and the magic sword "Just Maid."
"Your Grace, Deep Den and The Goldroad have fallen. There is no longer anything blocking our road to Casterly Rock," Lord Yohn Royce said.
"Into the lion's den, and seize Tywin!"
"Into the lion's den, and seize Tywin!" the knights cheered, fighting for their king.
Aside from the coast, the Ocean Road, The Goldroad, and the River Road all led to Casterly Rock.
At this moment, Gendry had already taken one major road, and the other three routes should also be advancing step by step.
There was no need to say much about the coastal region. With Redwyne's fleet and the Ironborn longships in motion, Casterly Rock and Lannisport would be encircled again from the sea.
Meanwhile, the Reach cavalry led by Randyll Tully and Garlan Tyrell was heading north along the Ocean Road.
At present, the reinforcements led by Eddard Stark and his son, together with Edmure Tully, were still surrounding Golden Tooth.
It seemed they had stalled somewhat because they meant to storm Golden Tooth rather than bypass it.
In that case, Gendry felt it was necessary to add another spark to the fire.
He decided to take Golden Tooth as well. The fortress was strong, and it was also the site of a gold mine.
...
High above the sky.
"So this is flying?" Daenerys sat carefully on Vhagar's back, the fierce wind whipping through her silvery-gold hair.
As the clouds gathered and scattered, Daenerys felt the movement of the air and the direction of the wind.
"Relax a little. Dragons aren't like horses," Gendry told the Queen, as the two of them drew closer and drifted apart with their two Dragons.
This was all his experience as a Dragonrider, and he was passing it on to Daenerys.
Only after making sure Daenerys had reached a stable enough point would Gendry allow her to fly.
But it still was not time for her to go onto the battlefield, not until Daenerys had become more skilled.
"I'm flying!" Daenerys cheered.
Two Dragon shadows chased each other through the sky, like two flowing flames, one black, one green.
Then there was Viserion, the eager little utility Dragon, following in the footsteps of the black dragon and the white dragon. He simply did whatever needed doing.
Daenerys was not a born warrior, but she had always yearned for the sky.
Only after Daenerys had fully experienced it did the two of them land again.
Over the past few days, Gendry had been training Daenerys.
Now, it seemed the time was ripe.
"Ser Barristan, Lord Yohn Royce, Prince Oberyn, Lord Jack Crabb, Lord Kallen, Ser Garth Rowan..." Gendry landed on the ground and began arranging the next stage of the war. These men were the elite of the Fist, the finest core among the various armies.
"Daenerys and I will ride the Dragons to Golden Tooth and take it. With the Dragons' support, Golden Tooth will not be a problem."
"Golden Tooth is tall and strong, more solidly fortified than Silver Mountain and Deep Den," Ser Barristan said. "But sieges are difficult. Both of Your Graces must be careful."
"I will," Gendry promised.
"You will lead the men west. With our army's strength, the Lannisters won't dare fight you in the field. Hold your position and wait for me. If there is a major matter you cannot decide, follow Ser Barristan's judgment," Gendry instructed.
Barristan was the most respected knight among them. His reputation made him well suited to command in such matters.
"As you command, Your Grace."
"As you command."
"A commander must speak of courage, of course, but wisdom and strategy are just as necessary."
If an ordinary man said such a thing, people might laugh. But Gendry was a famous general who had fought across the whole field, so the knights could only listen with sincere respect.
Whether in personal valor or tactical command, the king stood far ahead of everyone else.
The Dragons lay curled in the courtyard. Margaery Tyrell and Sansa Stark looked at them with anticipation.
After Daenerys's testing, the Dragons could carry another slender girl without issue. As long as it was not a large, burly man, they could bear the weight.
"Come up, Sansa," Daenerys said. She was very fond of her companion.
Since they were going to Golden Tooth to meet the Stark family and House Tully, Daenerys felt it was only right to bring Sansa along.
As for Gendry, to keep the Dragon balanced, Margaery was assigned to ride on his Dragon.
The Dragon beat its wings. Gendry fastened the chains and the rings on the saddle, then took Margaery Tyrell's hand.
Margaery was not short, but beside Gendry, she seemed rather petite.
"Boom!" The Dragon spread its leathery wings with a cracking sound, then surged into the high sky, heading toward Golden Tooth.
First came Balerion, then Vhagar, and finally Viserion.