"Lord Roman, look on the bright side. You can experience this new body for a while. It won't be too late to change back later."
In Roman's chambers, Fili helped the dragonized Roman dress while doing her best to cover his transformed face.
"Actually, I don't think you need to worry so much about everyone being afraid of this face. You've flown over the territory so many times already. It's no big deal even if you've changed like this."
Roman stared at his completely non-human reflection in the mirror and still found it difficult to accept. The dragonization had succeeded, but he had no idea how to reverse it.
Scholar Tom's opinion was simple: figure it out slowly. There was no rush.
Roman's body was now entirely covered in hard black scales. Ordinary weapons could not harm him at all. Only large siege engines like ballistae or scorpions might pose a threat.
He had removed his cumbersome armor and could now soar through the air without hindrance. For many nights, Roman spent his time among the clouds, gradually adapting to his new form.
Finally, one morning, he went to the war room. He intended to head to the battlefield to test the limits of his abilities.
This time, Harrenhal's target was the Blackwater Rush.
The Gods Eye was where many of the Riverlands' river systems converged. A river flowed south from the Gods Eye, joined the Blackwater Rush, and eventually emptied into Blackwater Bay.
Harrenhal already controlled the western stretch of the Blackwater Rush, so supplies from the Reach and Lannister could no longer reach King's Landing through that route.
Tywin and the Queen of Thorns had therefore decided to use the eastern stretch of the Blackwater for grain transport. Although the distance was not shorter than the Roseroad, at least they would avoid the constant guerrilla attacks by Stormlands forces and bandits in the Kingswood.
Gods Eye – Lakeside Town
This had once been the seat of a minor Riverlands noble. It had been burned to the ground when Tywin allowed the Mountain to ravage the Riverlands and was only rebuilt after Roman took control.
Looking at the now flourishing Lakeside Town, it was hard to believe that just a year ago it had been scorched earth. Production had resumed, and it had become the largest inland shipyard in all of Westeros.
Lakeside Town not only built ships but also served as a major hub for goods arriving from every direction. The waters around the Gods Eye were already crowded with vessels.
Surrounding the port were workshops and residences, while in the distance stretched vast, flat farmland. Under Roman's intensive development, the Gods Eye enjoyed rare peace, and the people of Lakeside Town could work and earn a living without fear.
Moored before Roman were the new inland warships. Thanks to the immense size of the Gods Eye and the generally deep surrounding rivers, these vessels could operate effectively in inland waters and even fight in shallow coastal areas.
Ser Barristan had also been summoned today to join the campaign against the Reach. Roman was somewhat surprised that the old knight knew naval warfare.
"Ser Barristan, I didn't expect you to be skilled on ships. Did you learn this during your time in the Kingsguard?"
"I have taken part in several naval actions before. I'm no match for the Ironborn, but I can hold my own on rivers. Lord Roman, it has been confirmed that the combined fleets of the Reach and Lannister are constantly moving along the eastern stretch of the Blackwater. If we strike south this time, we can hit them straight in their supply line."
Roman agreed with Barristan's judgment. The old knight's combat instincts were exceptionally sharp. Often, when the Reach launched multi-front attacks on the Crownlands, Barristan handled the directions Roman could not cover personally.
More frequently, Barristan would deploy Roman as a strategic weapon, using him to strike at key points that ordinary soldiers would have paid a heavy price to take.
This time was no different. Barristan's plan was for Roman to create chaos in front of the King's Landing fleet to halt their advance, while Barristan followed with the Harrenhal fleet to strike the enemy's rear.
Once the mission was clear, Roman began his pre-battle preparations. Barristan was already aware of Roman's current transformed state—he had been informed of the dragonization early on.
But when the old knight actually saw Roman's new appearance, he could not help but exclaim,
"Seven save us! My lord, what kind of curse have you suffered?"
Roman sighed. "It's not a curse, Ser Barristan. I told you this is a natural change in my body, and I will be able to return to human form later. There is no need to be so startled."
Barristan stared at Roman, thinking of the recent rumors about Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons.
"If Daenerys's dragons are like you, then I fear Westeros will not escape disaster in the future. War will give the people no peace."
Seeing the old knight's grave expression, Roman could only sigh inwardly. The hard times for the people of Westeros were still to come.
Right now it was merely a war between mortals. Later, true monsters—the dragons, the Night King, Euron Greyjoy—would all descend for a grand melee.
"Ser Barristan, this is exactly why I want to redistribute land and reform the way we rule. If we continue as before, letting our subjects' lives be swept away by a single winter, then when those greater trials arrive, I fear no one will be spared."
Evening
At that moment, the combined fleets of King's Landing and the Reach sailed out of the capital's harbor, heavily laden with grain and having carefully evaded Harrenhal's patrols.
"Move faster! Lord Tywin is waiting for this grain. If anyone dares to slack off, they can answer to Lord Tywin themselves!"
The crew did not need much urging. Being even a little slow meant risking an encounter with Harrenhal's forces, and none of them wanted to die in the Blackwater and feed the fish.
As the rowers strained at their oars and poles, a dark shadow blended into a flock of birds high above. When the shadow reached the same height as the sun, it began its dive.
To those on the banks, they could clearly see a black creature falling from the sky, but the crew on the ships could only see blinding sunlight when they looked up.
People on the shore had already begun to scream, but the crew could not hear them over the sound of rowing and the rushing water—until they noticed the flames erupting around them.
"What… what is that?!"
The men on the ships watched in horror as the vessels around them burst into raging white fire. The flames were like messengers of the Stranger, mercilessly devouring everything aboard.
Crew members desperately tried to extinguish the fire on themselves, but luck was not with them. Three magic missiles slammed into the middle of one ship. The violent explosion tore a gaping hole through the hull, and cold river water rushed in. The crew had no choice but to abandon ship or drown.
"Run! Forget the cargo! Harrenhal's demon dragon is here! Run for your lives!"
The fear of death finally shattered the captain's resolve. He roared for everyone to escape. Those still trying to salvage supplies were kicked overboard without hesitation.
As he jumped into the Blackwater, an explosion detonated right above his head. Those hiding underwater witnessed fireballs and searing heatwaves slam into the surface.
When the flames finally subsided and survivors emerged, the Blackwater Rush was a scene of utter devastation. Debris, floating cargo, and corpses clogged the channel.
High above, the giant black dragon breathed streams of white fire, burning warship after warship and cargo vessel after cargo vessel.
"Seven save us… thank you for letting me escape this disaster!"
The cargo crews were somewhat lucky. As long as they abandoned ship and swam, many had a chance to survive.
But the soldiers aboard the warships were not so fortunate. They had escaped Stannis's encirclement only to be caught here by Roman and Barristan.
Ahead, Roman unleashed magic without restraint. He even landed on one ship, grabbed the helmsman by the throat, and forced him to ram other vessels, further blocking the river.
In the rear, Ser Barristan led the Harrenhal inland fleet, equipped with new incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, bombarding every enemy ship in sight. The King's Landing fleet could not even attempt boarding actions—they were burned to ash where they floated.
After this battle, King's Landing's remaining warships were effectively scrapped, and the Blackwater Rush fell almost entirely under Harrenhal's control.
A few days later, in a Small Council meeting in the Red Keep, Tywin looked around at the gathered ministers and asked coldly,
"Speak. What should we do next?"
Looking at the dispirited Great Lion, no one knew how to answer.
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