Skies above Kings Landing

Amtheyst's answering roar is even louder. The purple dragon, hatched in prophecy, feels her rider's fury and scents battle on the air. She crouches and then pushes herself up into the air under Rhaella's guidance. As they fly towards Maekar, Rhaella whispers a prayer to Balerion, Vhagar and Caraxes to keep her safe and help her, and Amethyst, defeat Maekar and Cyrax.

Maekar urges Cyrax up into the air; it might appear that he was fleeing from Rhaella's upward approach, but a practiced eye would notice that he was gaining the tactical high ground. When Rhaella was about a hundred feet off the ground, Cyrax folded his wings and dropped like a stone toward the marginally smaller violet shaded dragon. When they were within range, he ordered Cyrax to direct his fire at the Queen; Maekar hoped she would be blinded by the flames momentarily, as the great black dragon bore down on her from above. He did not know if his commands to take the rider rather than the other dragon would be heeded; Cyrax's jaws were wide enough to swallow a man, or woman, whole.

The two dragons circle in the air above the crowds of the new city. The buildings still fresh and pristine, relatively untouched by the war, it even lacks the stench that would come to be its defining feature in later centuries. Lords and smallfolks alike stare up in wonder at the spectacle above their heads, many never seeing two dragons engaged in mortal combat. Lord Harroway, now Hand, was one of the few remaining that had been present at Aenar's Folly; yet he turned he did his best to keep his eyes from the sky, having no desire to see such carnage again.

The two dragons circled one another for some time, before Cyrax dove with a savage roar that shook the city below. Rhaella's bid to vie for a flanking position was for naught against the black dragon's all-out offensive charge. White and purple flames clashed against one another and bathed both dragons. As both were evenly matched in terms of intensity of flame and thickness of scales, no actual damage was done by the otherwise impressive display. Nonetheless, the opening bout had allowed Maekar to close the range to where battles were truly decided; with tooth and claw.

Rhaella ordered Amethyst to strike for Cyrax's eyes. Her aim was to swoop in fast, blind the enemy dragon and fly away again.

(Dragon Handling: ADMIN, Esteemed, Cunning, Dragon Bonus: ADMIN)

Rhaella guides Amethyst to fly upwards and then to bear down on Cyrax from the blind side, attacking his head and eye. She knew the head was the most vulnerable part of a dragon's body.

If she can get close enough during Amethyst's flight Rhaella will attempt to drive Dark Sister through Cyrax's brain.

(Dragon Handling: ADMIN, Esteemed, Cunning, Dragon Bonus: ADMIN)

With the chaotic flapping of wings and furious battle between the great beasts, both combatants struggle to land reliable blows with their Valyrian Steel blades. Dark Sister only finds air and Vigilance misses the saddle entirely and glances harmlessly off Amethyst's purple scales. Cyrax manages some success where his rider had failed, talons tearing a long slash in the membrane of one of Amethyst's wings.

(Amethyst takes a Light Wound)

Maekar paused a moment to catch his breath, raising his shield against the flames. The air around the two dragons reminded him of nothing but his time in Dorne; the harsh dryness burned his mouth and lungs when he breathed, and it was a struggle to see through the flames, his vision further narrowed by his helmet and visor. The dragons were wheeling around each other in tight circles, darting in to strike at the other, but neither had attempted to grapple together yet. Maekar knew that it would be impossible to maintain altitude once they locked together, and all four combatants would drop like a stone in that event.

He had seen it happen when his father had fought Prince Aenar; When Vermithor and Balerion had clashed, biting and clawing at each other they'd dropped right out of the sky until the Black Dread delivered a fatal blow and snapped his wings open to catch his descent. Vermithor, on the other hand, had hit the ground with bone-shattering force, and Maekar suspected that the loser of this fight would die in a similar manner.

He slashed out with Vigilance, aiming for Amethyst's wing membranes, hoping to cut a jagged swath out of the other dragon's wing so that Cyrax would be able to gain the advantage of altitude once again.

(Expert Dragon Handling, Esteemed Dragon, Strength, Bonus: +5 Strength)

Maekar knew it would be over soon, and slashed at the smaller dragon's wing again when the Cyrax closed the distance between them. He was at a significant disadvantage at this point, blood pouring from Cyrax's wounds and the Queen's dragon practically untouched, but there was no option but to continue fighting.

(Expert Dragon Handling, Esteemed Dragon, Strength, Bonus: +5 Strength)

Cyrax, thankfully far less pessimistic than his rider, was undaunted by the ups and downs that defined the ebb and flow of combat. The black dragon lowered its head to meet Amethyst's snapping jaws, the two great beasts gnawing at one another. One of Cyrax's claws raked across Amethyst's belly, leaving three long gashes across the dragon's splendid purple belly.

(Amethyst takes an Average Wound)

Rhaella cursed and Amethyst roared. The queen guided her dragon away for a moment's recovery. Her aim was to move away and then circle around Cyraxes to find a weak spot.

(Dragon Handling: ADMIN, Esteemed, Speed, Dragon Bonus: ADMIN)

Maekar struggled to exploit the opening, trying to make Cyrax bite the Queen in half through sheer force of will.

(Expert Dragon Handling, Esteemed Dragon, Strength, Bonus: +5 Strength)