NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 94: Naval Battle
'What's going on? When did a fleet of ships sneak up behind me?' Baland's thoughts raced with disbelief. 'Was I ambushed? But how did they coordinate this? And how did the ships of House Zalyne get here?'
A whirlwind of questions and shock left Baland feeling unsteady. But there was no one to answer him now. As commands were shouted across the ship, arrows flew like a swarm of locusts.
"Pull..."
"Release..."
The air was filled with the relentless whistling of arrows as they shot through the sky.
Viserys, unfazed, charged into the thick of the battle, his halberd slicing through the air. With each swing, three pirates fell, their bodies lifeless like mannequins under his brutal assault.
Baland scanned the chaos around him, sensing that his crew's morale was crumbling. The thought of retreat flickered in his mind, but before he could act, a dark figure plummeted from the sky, landing on his deck with a resounding thud. The impact sent a chill down his spine.
Standing before him was a warrior with silver hair, clad in black armor emblazoned with a red three-headed dragon.
"Viserys Targaryen!" Baland recoiled in fear, shouting, "Quick! Kill him!"
But no one dared to move. They had all witnessed Viserys' ferocity in battle. Blood still dripped from the halberd in his hand, a grim reminder of the carnage he had wrought. Those who were forced to face him met gruesome fates, their bodies crushed or spines snapped like twigs.
Jalifah, observing from a distance, couldn't help but marvel. 'I've only seen such power in one person—the Horselord Drogo!' he thought. 'Only under the Dothraki system, where strength is more important than anything, could such a warrior rise to power.'
Viserys' onslaught shattered the pirates' remaining morale. Seizing the moment, Jalifah led his men in a fierce charge. Within minutes, nearly all of the remaining pirates chose to surrender.
...
"You're not fucking dead!" Viserys exclaimed, rushing to Regis's side as soon as the battle ended. He had expected Regis to be cold by now, but instead, the man was chatting with Jorah! Although the machete had caused a deep wound, it had miraculously missed his windpipe and arteries. As long as there was no infection, Regis would survive.
Relieved that Regis's life was no longer in danger and that Dany was unharmed, Viserys joined Meris and Jalifah to interrogate the captured pirates. After some searching, only a few remained: Baland, the pirate leader, along with one captain and two second officers. The other captain and three first officers were either dead or missing, likely lost to the sea.
"Where did you get your armor?" Jalifah demanded.
Baland's response was predictable—it came from House Fregar.
"Were you involved in the attack on Webber at Shield Lake six months ago?" Dick asked, his bandaged arm a painful reminder of the encounter.
"No, my lord," Baland replied. "Six months ago, I was in the Axe."
Shield Lake was in the south of the continent of Essos, while Axe was in the north, a detail easy to verify.
"Give us one good reason not to kill you," Meris demanded, her eyes flashing with a mix of worry and anger as she glanced at Dick's wound.
"I have money in a bank in Tyrosh," Baland offered. "I can buy my life."
It was a typical pirate tactic, one that often worked with navies and pirates alike in the Free Cities. But this time, the offer clearly fell short. The scarred blonde woman before him didn't seem the type to be swayed by gold.
Realizing his initial offer wouldn't save him, and noting the hostile glares from the others—especially Meris—Baland quickly added, "I also have information about the pirates on the Rhoyne."
From Dick's earlier question, Baland surmised that perhaps his colleagues on the Rhoyne had wronged these mercenaries. He hoped to barter this information for his life. After all, among pirates, there was no loyalty—only survival. They barely knew each other, and betraying them was a small price to pay to save his own skin.
According to Baland, the pirates of the Rhoyne, the Narrow Sea, and even those from the Jade Sea and the Sea of the Setting Sun were planning a gathering at the end of the year, in four or five months. At this meeting, they would trade goods, and Baland claimed rare items like the Valyrian steel swords and dragon eggs might even make an appearance. While the existence of dragon eggs was questionable, the Valyrian steel had indeed been seen.
Meris, however, was unimpressed with Baland's "information." They were already aware of some of the pirates' activities. But even knowing wouldn't help; the sheer number of pirates gathering, with ships packed together and thousands of men, made them a formidable force. The chosen location was so hidden and rugged that a large army couldn't enter, and a small one would be slaughtered.
In short, Baland's information was worthless.
As Meris prepared to execute him and hang his head on the bow as a warning, Jalifah intervened. "Lady, you can kill the others as you wish, but I need to take him back."
Jalifah had his reasons—not just for Baland but for the armor the pirates wore. Armor was a strategic resource; the more they had in reserve, the better their chances in a critical moment. Additionally, the armor and pirates served as material evidence against House Fregar. Even if it couldn't harm them directly, it could severely damage their reputation and prevent Tormo or his sons from running for the next Sealord—a goal Jalifah had agreed upon with Viserys beforehand.
In the end, they divided the spoils. Jalifah took a few pirate leaders and their armor. The ships and supplies were left to Meris. Despite losing nearly twenty sailors in the battle, the Windblown had gained enough loot to more than compensate for their losses. The three longships alone would fetch three or four thousand gold dragons if sold.
Meris had fifty pirate heads cut off and hung on the ship as a deterrent. The gruesome trophies swayed and clashed like macabre wind chimes as the group continued toward Tyrosh.
As they sailed, Viserys took the opportunity to ask about Webber.
"About half a year ago, we had a standoff with the Company of the Cat at Shield Lake. Bloodbeard and a group of pirates ambushed our people."
