A song of Fire and Blood

Chapter 30: Battle of the Narrow Sea – Part 2

POV: Ser Clement Celtigar

The sea churned violently beneath the Sea Fang, a sleek war galley adorned with the red crab of House Celtigar. The salty wind whipped at Clement's grey hair, his single remaining eye locked onto the chaos unfolding around him. His war axe, its head stained red, felt light in his grip despite the weight of battle pressing down on his shoulders.

The Royal Fleet had come in force—Stannis Baratheon's discipline clashing against the Dragon Company's cunning. House Velaryon's ships outmaneuvered their foes, but the Baratheon ships were numerous and relentless. The air stank of burning tar, split wood, and blood.

A Stormlands war galley was bearing down on them, its golden crowned stag gleaming on the sail. Clement barked a command, and archers loosed a volley of arrows, cutting down men scrambling along the enemy deck. But before they could react further, grappling hooks latched onto their rails.

"Boarding party! To arms!" Clement bellowed, his deep voice cutting through the din.

Stormlanders in plate and mail leaped onto the deck, clashing with Dragon Company Valyrians clad in steel-forged plate. A Fell knight charged at Clement, a longsword raised high. The Celtigar veteran caught the blow on his axe haft, twisting it aside before burying the blade into the man's helmet, splitting steel and skull alike.

Blood splattered across Clement's red crab sigil as he wrenched his weapon free, turning to see another knight—this one bearing the white tree of House Mertyns—charging at him. Clement braced himself when suddenly a Velaryon arrow struck the knight through the throat.

Ser Aurane Waters' war galley, the Silver Serpent, had come alongside, its deck lined with archers, cutting down Stormlanders with precision. Clement nodded in appreciation before turning back to the battle raging across the burning sea.

POV: Aerion Targaryen

From the deck of his flagship, the Wyvern, Aerion watched the carnage unfold. He stood at the prow, his silver-gold hair whipping in the wind, blood-red eyes fixed on the chaos. His sword, Starfyre, gleamed with Valyrian steel as he waited for the moment to strike.

The nine ships Renly Baratheon had foolishly boarded were now ablaze, their hidden wildfire caches detonating, sending Stormlander knights screaming into the abyss. The youngest Baratheon, still clad in green and gold, had been aboard one of them.

"Renly is dead," Aurane Waters confirmed, stepping beside him, his storm-blue eyes dark with satisfaction.

Aerion exhaled, but there was no triumph in his face. One Baratheon down. Two more to go.

But the battle was far from over. The main Baratheon fleet, led by Stannis aboard the Fury, was regrouping after the loss of Renly's vanguard. The Baratheon lord was no fool—he was adapting, pulling his fleet into a defensive crescent, using the superior discipline of his navy to counteract the Velaryon maneuvers.

"Signal the second wave," Aerion ordered.

The Driftmark fleet, under Aurane and the Velaryon captains, responded immediately. War galleys surged forward, flanking the Baratheon crescent, while fire arrows and catapults rained destruction upon the enemy ships.

POV: Stannis Baratheon

On the Fury's deck, Stannis' jaw clenched as he watched the carnage. The fire consumed Renly's ships, and with them, his foolish, reckless brother.

"This was no mere trickery," he muttered. "Aerion Targaryen knew."

He turned to Ser Davos Seaworth, the only man he trusted in these waters.

"How did they set that trap?" Stannis demanded, his cold blue eyes fixed on the smuggler.

Davos' face was grim. "They lured Renly in… and the ships were loaded with wildfire."

Stannis' fist clenched. "Aerion fights like a dragon." He looked back at the chaos consuming his fleet. The enemy was fast, disciplined, and their Velaryon ships maneuvered like no others.

"We can still turn this," Stannis growled.

He gave the order: "Break the crescent! Full engagement!"

And so, the second wave of battle began.

—End of Part 2—