In the evening, the golden-red clouds and mists spread across the sky like a beautiful brocade. Viserys and his men had already spotted the dark "ship wall" in the distance. The masts stood like skeletons in a row, casting an ominous and chaotic atmosphere. One could sense the danger, knowing that behind each of these ships were dozens, if not hundreds, of lives. It wasn't an exaggeration to call them "fierce ships."
From time to time, the raucous noise of pirates echoed from the vessels, mixed faintly with the voices of women. This was the first time anyone had seen so many pirate ships gathered together. Although the Sellswords were not necessarily honorable, the decision to venture into a den of thieves sent a chill through the group. Jorah, in particular, who had been involved in the slave trade on the continent of Essos for years, had never faced such a perilous situation. He couldn't shake the feeling that a sudden arrow could be loosed from any direction, turning them into pincushions in an instant.
He glanced over at Viserys, muttering under his breath, "Madness, pure madness!" A pang of regret hit him—he should never have gotten entangled in royal family conflicts. But whether he liked it or not, he was here.
The men steered their ships into a gap in the ship wall, mooring them, and leaving a hundred men behind as reinforcements. Dany and Kyla would remain here as well. Dany would accompany Viserys on her owl, and once they succeeded, she would signal the others to seize the ships. The plan was to then take one of the outer vessels and make their escape.
Viserys and Caggo led their groups in small boats toward the island. They had already identified the cave where the pirates gathered, complete with a ventilation hole, though it was unfortunately guarded. To eliminate the guards silently, Viserys had brought several crossbows. Dany's owl perched on his shoulder, while Viserys' golden eagle circled overhead.
They hadn't sailed far when a speedboat approached. A pirate, wearing a blue turban and holding a lantern, shouted at Viserys and his group, "Inspection!"
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what was about to happen. The pirate jumped onto their boat, barking, "Stand up, no crossbows allowed!" Tension spiked among the group. Bringing crossbows hidden in concentrated hydrochloric acid tanks was a common tactic for sneaking in!
As more pirates boarded, Caggo's hand drifted toward his waist, ready for combat at any moment. Jorah eyed them warily, while the mercenaries aboard felt the tension rising, their minds racing as they prepared to draw their swords and fight if necessary.
At that moment, Viserys stood up, his impatience evident as he snapped, "What are you doing? This isn't my first time at a gathering like this. Do you even know who I am?!" The pirate, unimpressed by Viserys' bravado, sneered contemptuously. "If you don't cooperate, get out of here!"
Viserys refused to back down, his anger flaring. "Say that again!" he challenged. Seeing trouble brewing, several pirates on board drew their weapons, while those on the speedboat bent their bows, arrows ready to fly. The message was clear: any wrong move, and they would be riddled with arrows. The mercenaries on Viserys' ship reached for their own weapons, prepared to fight to the death if necessary. The owl on Viserys' shoulder spread its wings protectively, but in doing so, it blocked his view.
"I'll say it again," the pirate in the blue turban growled, unflinching. "You either let us check or get out of here. And if you dare to resist, I'll shoot you dead."
"Fine, shoot me," Viserys retorted, shoving the owl aside. With a swift motion, he pulled the claymore sword from his back and tossed it into the pirate's hands. The pirate inspected the weapon, momentarily surprised to see a claymore, but quickly regained his composure. "So what if it's a claymore? They're common enough at these gatherings, even dragon eggs aren't rare enough to warrant special attention." Though tempted to keep the sword, the pirate tossed it back to Viserys.
"Dragon eggs, you say? How fortunate," Viserys said with a smirk. He turned, pulling a small box from his belongings, and placed it before the pirate. "Take a look." The pirates on the speedboat relaxed their bows slightly, curious about what Viserys had to show. Could this man really be holding a dragon egg? The pirate with the turban, skeptical, opened the box with some hesitation. To his shock, a green dragon egg lay inside.
He couldn't believe his eyes and leaned closer, holding the lantern up to inspect it. Just as he did, Viserys kicked the lid shut. "What's the matter? Do you want to inspect it?" Viserys asked, his tone mocking. The pirate hesitated. If he refused someone carrying a dragon egg, his captain would be furious. But if he didn't inspect it and something went wrong, he'd be in just as much trouble. After a moment's thought, he decided it wasn't worth the risk. This man likely wanted to make a grand entrance at the gathering, flaunting his dragon egg and causing a scene.
The pirate's gaze shifted to the clay pots at their feet. "And what's in those?" he asked.
"Poison," Viserys answered coldly. "Care to try some?"
Realizing Viserys wasn't someone to be trifled with, the pirate signaled to his men to lower their bows and let them pass. As the speedboat drifted away, everyone aboard exhaled in relief, sweat beading on their foreheads.
"Lord Viserys, didn't you say you had spies?" one of the mercenaries asked, their unease palpable.
"Do you think spies are so easily used? We still have that cursed island ahead of us," Viserys replied sharply. Though his response didn't completely quell their doubts, they had no choice but to trust him.
They had known the risks when they signed on for this mission. If they succeeded, the rewards would be worth the danger. As they approached the island, the light dimmed, the evening giving way to night. But a row of illuminated braziers ahead marked their path clearly.
"Dany, scout for the least crowded path," Viserys whispered to the owl on his shoulder. The owl cooed in response and took flight, circling the island. Though their target was a small island, it took time to survey the area. Despite their efforts to approach slowly, the delay in reaching shore had already caught the attention of the island's guards.
As another boat drew near, tension among Viserys' crew rose once more. The anxiety from the previous inspection had barely subsided, and now they faced another. Thinking quickly, Viserys shouted to Jorah, "You still want 30%? What are you, a king?!"
Jorah was caught off guard, unsure of what Viserys was trying to do. "What?"
"Scold me! Hurry!" Viserys hissed urgently.
"Huh?" Jorah was baffled.
"I said, scold me!" Viserys repeated, just as a voice from the approaching boat called out, "What are you doing here?!"