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Chapter 271: Pros and Cons of Wyvern Warfare
🕑 Added 2025-04-16 10:59:10 +0000 UTCThe first news of the Iron Islands rebellion reached Lynd promptly. He had no interest in who the rebels were or how Asha handled their families. What he cared about was how his dragoon unit performed in the battle.
After years of careful cultivation, Lynd now had two hundred Wyverns at his disposal, along with more than three hundred hatchlings.
The hatchlings were kept in the castle to incubate, while the rest of the Wyverns were assigned to patrol duties in Miracle Harbor, Ridge City, and Red Watch Castle. Although they underwent various attack drills daily, they had never been deployed on a real mission—let alone a large-scale assault.
So, Lynd saw the rebellion in the Iron Islands as a perfect live combat drill to assess the combat effectiveness of his dragoon unit.
The outcome didn’t surprise him, but the process was disappointing. The battle revealed numerous issues within the dragoon corps.
For one, Wyverns have a strong sense of tribalism. Even among the same species, different tribes treat each other like mortal enemies. Normally, this isn't a problem—the Wyverns stationed at the three castles came from three distinct training batches, each forming its own tribal group. But once these three groups were mixed together, trouble arose.
The three Wyvern tribes started attacking each other, completely ignoring their riders' commands. If the Cannibal hadn’t shown up in time to subdue them, the unit might have suffered casualties before even engaging the enemy.
Beyond their instinctual aggression, there were also issues with the Wyverns' load-bearing capacity.
Adult Wyverns are significantly smaller than true dragons—the largest barely the size of an elephant. This naturally limits how much they can carry. After fitting them with a specially designed knight’s saddle, protective chainmail over vital areas that doesn't hinder movement but can resist arrows, and adding a dragon knight, a Wyvern can carry at most six Wildfire Bombs. Usually, the weight of the custom container for the bombs also has to be considered, so most Wyverns can only manage four or five.
Lynd now had over two hundred Wyverns under his command, which meant more than a thousand Wildfire Bombs could be deployed in a single battle. On the battlefield, that kind of firepower could change the tide of combat—at least against ordinary opponents. But when facing the White Walker army, the effect of a thousand Wildfire Bombs would likely be far less impressive.
Fortunately, that issue had a straightforward solution: simply add a Wildfire Bomb supply point to the logistics network. Once the battle began, dragoons could resupply nearby after dropping their bombs.
However, compared to these solvable problems, the real headache for Lynd was the physical constitution of the Wyverns.
Wyverns native to the northern coasts of Sothoryos are tropical creatures, completely unsuited to cold climates. In this recent Iron Islands campaign, dozens of Wyverns fell ill due to the weather. The rest didn’t get sick, but their stamina took a noticeable hit.
The Iron Islands are still far from the true cold of the North, and the Wyverns were already this weakened. Lynd couldn't imagine what would happen to them at the Wall—or even beyond it.
“Is there any way to improve the Wyverns’ resistance to cold?” Lynd immediately summoned Malora and the others to ask.
Before Malora could respond, Broom, the head of the Mage’s Association, interjected, “My lord, are you thinking of transforming the Wyverns into dragons?”
Lynd looked at Broom and asked, “You’ve read Brother Barth’s writings too? Do you believe Wyverns were created through blood magic?”
“No, Brother Barth’s theory is completely wrong. Wyverns absolutely cannot be transformed with blood magic.” Broom shook his head firmly. “Two years ago, I had the blood wizards compare samples from both Wyverns and the Cannibal. They’re entirely different species. Whether through natural evolution or magical modification, it’s impossible to turn a Wyvern into a Cannibal.”
Lynd frowned. “If that’s the case, why would you assume I intend to turn Wyverns into dragons?”
“I think I understand what President Broom meant,” Malora said thoughtfully. Dressed more and more like a mage these days, she glanced at both Broom and Lagz, the head of the Silent Court. “Have you made progress in your study of the rune array on the Sacrifice Tablet?”
“We have made some small progress,” Lagz replied with a smile, speaking in Common Tongue still tinged with a strong accent. “Using blood extracted from the Cannibal and Glory, combined with the rune array on the Sacrifice Tablet, we conducted blood-fusion experiments on various animals. We found that Wyvern eggs are ideal vessels—they can easily hold the magically charged blood from Cannibal and Glory.”
Lynd looked around at the group. “So you’ve had results? Why haven’t I received any reports on this?”
“Because the experiment was both a success and a failure,” said Marloxin, the High Priest of the God of Magic. As one of the main participants—and the official record-keeper—he knew the details of the experiment well. So when Lynd asked, he stepped forward to explain the process in full.
“The Wyverns that hatched from the eggs turned out deformed?” Lynd asked. “Are any of those deformed Wyverns still alive?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“They’re already dead,” someone replied, “but before they died, they showed signs of magical abilities—like breathing fire and becoming invisible.”
Lynd asked with concern, “Have you figured out the cause of the failure?”
“No,” the three overseeing the experiment all shook their heads.
Malora, standing nearby, quickly caught onto something and said, “Could it be related to the black stone? You used a large amount of black stone from Asshai in the experiment. As far as I know, that stone might be a meteorite from beyond the sky, containing mysterious powers. Many people without any magical talent can perform magic using it. For example, the primary ingredient in the Shade of the Evening used by the Qarth witches is that same black stone. The Sacrifice Tablet itself holds mysterious power, and the runes provided by Lord Lynd are also imbued with magical energy. From past tests, we know those two forces don’t conflict; they actually complement each other and amplify their effects. But black stone is different. I’ve tested it before—it has a corrosive effect on any form of power. Could it be that the black stone interfered with your experiment and caused the Wyverns to hatch deformed?”
The three of them paused to think, then nodded in agreement.
Broom said in a low voice, “Lady Malora, you're right. We've long been accustomed to using black stone as a magical catalyst, but now that the Prophet has provided us with more stable runes, it's clear the black stone is no longer suitable for magical experiments.”
Lynd looked at the group and asked, his tone serious, “When you were conducting your experiments in the Black Cavern, were you all working separately without communicating with each other?”
Malora shook his head frankly. “I’ve already got enough on my plate. I didn’t have time to get involved in anyone else’s work.”
The others nodded as well. Aside from a few joint magical projects, most of their experiments involved personal, often secret powers. Naturally, they didn’t want others involved who might uncover the nature of their abilities.
Lynd didn’t say much about it, nor did he try to forcefully change their habits. He simply said, “Improving the Wyverns’ resistance to cold is now your shared task. I want to see results as soon as possible.”
“Yes, my lord.” The four of them were already highly interested in the transformation experiment, so none of them had any objections to Lynd’s order.
“Should we bring that Qyburn fellow into this too?” Malora suggested. “He’s got a remarkable talent when it comes to modification and things like that.”
Maloxin and the others all nodded in agreement. After visiting the Black Cavern and seeing the undead warriors Qyburn had modified, they had been stunned by his talent. A man with no deep understanding of magic—and no magical ability at all—had managed to create a magical construct through sheer trial and error. That kind of talent defied explanation.
Lynd nodded in agreement, then asked, “How is Maester Marwyn’s research coming along?”
Malora, who had been keeping track of Marwyn’s progress, quickly responded, “It’s mostly finished, and the pace is picking up. I believe he’ll be able to complete Basic Rune General Knowledge by next year.”
Raguz and the others eagerly asked whether they could preview the completed manuscript.
Marwyn’s practical skills were poor—not only was he no match for anyone present, he was even inferior to an average apprentice. But when it came to magical theory and principles, he far surpassed everyone else. The current apprentice training materials used in the Silent Court had been compiled by him in just one month.
Raguz and the others believed that if they had been tasked with writing such a foundational textbook, it would have taken them over a decade. So they held a deep respect for Marwyn, despite his complete lack of magical talent.
After joining the Black Cavern, Marwyn showed no interest in hands-on magical experiments. What fascinated him was the underlying theory of magic. So Lynd had handed over all the rune-based magical knowledge he knew could function in this world, leaving it to Marwyn to study and organize.
What Lynd hadn’t expected was that in just two years, Marwyn had already produced results.
Though he was eager to see Marwyn’s findings, Lynd suppressed his curiosity. He instructed Malora and the others not to disturb Marwyn, letting him focus entirely on his research. As for the book, they would read it once the final version was complete.
While most common folk across the Seven Kingdoms paid little attention to the Iron Islands—except for those in the North and Westerlands, who frequently suffered from their raids—many didn’t even know the Iron Islands had changed rulers years ago.
But this time, the Iron Islands made headlines across the realm. Asha Greyjoy’s name—"the Sea Witch"—had become nearly a household name, thanks to the unbelievable way she handled the rebellion. She had used her own castle as bait and destroyed the ancient stronghold of Pyke, along with the rebels inside.
Words like "cruel" or "extravagant" weren’t enough to describe what she did. To those who heard the rumors, Asha Greyjoy seemed like a complete madwoman—many even thought she was more unhinged than her infamous uncle, Euron Greyjoy.
However, others saw something different. They believed Asha’s madness was only on the surface, and that beneath it lay a calculating mind. After the battle, she stripped the rebels of their lands and brought them under her direct control. In exchange for Pyke, she gained practical control over Great Wyk, Old Wyk, and other key islands. It was a major win.
From that moment on, the Iron Islands would be fully under Asha Greyjoy’s command. At this point, she could even claim the title of Queen of the Iron Islands.
The reason the news of the rebellion—and Asha’s actions—spread so far and so fast, reaching all corners of the Seven Kingdoms in just ten days, wasn’t just her wild tactics. It was also because of the Wyvern dragoons Lynd had sent to support her.
The fact that Summerhall was raising Wyverns was no secret. Many had seen the dragoons take flight from their nests, patrolling over Miracle Harbor, Ridge City, and Red Watch. Even though people knew these Wyverns were still far from being true dragons, the sight reminded many of House Targaryen.
Plenty of lords had tried to buy Wyvern eggs to hatch and raise themselves, but the results were, predictably, disappointing.
Until now, the general view of the Wyvern dragoons was that they were high-flying scouts—able to give armies a tactical advantage by surveying the battlefield from above. No one believed they could be used directly in combat. After all, Wyverns weren’t dragons. They didn’t have scale armor to deflect arrows or dragonfire to devastate enemy lines. Once on the ground, they were little more than dangerous beasts.
But their performance during the Iron Islands campaign proved everyone wrong—and not just a little wrong. The Wyvern dragoons weren’t just capable of fighting in battle; they could determine its outcome.
No one had imagined that Wyverns, flying through the skies and armed with wildfire, could so easily demolish a fortified castle—and do it so completely. According to the reports, all that remained of Pyke were some foundation stones, and the dragoons had achieved this in less than the time it took to eat a meal.
If even Pyke couldn't withstand an assault, what hope did other castles have?
Among those stunned by the destructive power of the Wyverns, none felt it more keenly than Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock and Jon Arryn of the Eyrie. Both realized their once-impenetrable strongholds were no longer safe.
Before Lynd built Summerhall, only the Eyrie and Casterly Rock had been perched high atop mountains, above the clouds. Their locations had made them some of the most secure castles in Westeros—conquered only by dragons in the past. But now, with the rise of the Wyvern dragoon cavalry, they saw their castles for what they truly were: coffins, offering no safety at all.
