Chapitre 15: Old Friend
The Burggy family were pirates to their bones. Adrian knew their reputation well. Flynn Burggy's father was a legendary pirate captain himself, commanding the "White Pearl," a massive ship that displaced over 2,000 tonnes. The vessel had been the heart and soul of the family business, a symbol of his father's grit and determination.
Flynn shared a warm friendship with Adrian. Their bond was born during the time they were prisoner hostages of a warlord in Cyrust, as they faced gruesome conditions and narrowly escaped death. That shared trauma had cemented their brotherhood.
Two years prior, disaster had struck when his father drowned in a sea attack that had not gone exactly according to plan. The dashing son of the dead pirate, Burggy — standing before Adrian — had inherited his father's mantle and his place as captain of the Pearl. But that was not so easy to do, as was often the case with pirates.
Pirate rules were far crueller than anything Adrian ever had to endure at the hands of the Shadowborn Mercenary Corps. Where Adrian's crew would camouflage their theft under a guise of mercenary work, the pirates took glee in chaos and bloodlust. A new captain would always want blood. Flynn had fought his way to his new place, leaving a carpet of bodies behind him.
Adrian cared for Flynn like a brother. Adrian was older than Burggy by one year. The pirate captain frequently called him "big brother."
And when the "Pearl" and Adrian's ship crossed each other, what could be a battle turned into a reunion. Their two ships sailed side by side, and Adrian got aboard the "Pearl" with Milan and Zig, his associates.
"Ah, Adrian!" shouted Burggy, who ran to fling his arms around him. "Been so long since we had a drink together. This wine — snatched from a nobleman in Chlorand last month — is fit for kings. The ransom that soft-skinned fool paid earned me five hundred gold coins!"
Adrian smiled, raising his glass. "Chlorand nobles — nice skin, delicate hands, and not an inch of backbone among them to speak of. Cut a knife across their throats, and they shatter like dry parchment. Makes you wonder how they can hold onto their titles!"
The two old friends laughed and drank, catching up after being separated by long distances and circumstances. Yet that reminiscing turned quickly to business talk.
"Brother Adrian," said Burggy, leaning slightly forward. "What brings you here? You are far from the Shadowborn Mercenary Corps. And what's that story about that ship?"
Adrian sighed and recounted everything: battles, betrayals, and his decision to buy Windrise Island. Burggy listened attentively, his brow furrowed with concern at the end of the story.
"Windrise Island?!" he repeated, shaking his head. "That accursed place? Adrian, why waste seven hundred gold coins on that bleak rock? Even if someone gave it to me for free, I wouldn't accept it."
Adrian smiled weakly. "You don't understand, Burggy. Owning Windrise gives my brothers a place to settle — a home where we don't have to constantly look over our shoulders. But what about you? Why are you out here instead of prowling the Emerald Sea?"
This made Burggy frown. "A month ago, I tried to mess with a noble from Chlorand. It so happens the numbskull had connections. The navy, which lies in Flora, sent a fleet against me, and they placed a price on my head: two thousand gold coins."
Adrian's eyebrows shot up. "Two thousand? That's enough to make you a target for every pirate and bounty hunter across the Emerald Sea."
"You're telling me," Burggy said with a bitter tone. "The 'Pearl' has narrowly escaped capture three times already. To top it off, other pirates have betrayed me, hoping to collect the reward. I had no choice but to retreat here to the Shoreline. I even thought of taking Windrise Island as a base, but after what I saw there…"
He drank a long sip, his voice trailing off.
"What did you see?" Adrian asked, piqued by his own curiosity.
Burggy leaned forward, speaking low with seriousness. "Monsters. Things unlike I have ever seen. Human-sized, but without faces — no eyes, no noses. Instead of arms, they have long, muscular tentacles that can crush a man's bones.
"Some of my crew were strangled before they could even raise their weapons. And that's not all. Some of these creatures wield strange powers. One cast a void-like darkness that not even torchlight could penetrate. Others used some kind of mind control, driving my men insane."
Adrian listened intently as Burggy continued.
"I brought thirty of my best fighters to the island," he said. "We were there less than an hour before we were ambushed. After losing several men, we had no choice but to retreat. If it hadn't been for a nearby island, we wouldn't have made it out alive. Adrian, I'm telling you — Windrise isn't worth it. Whoever sold you that cursed island robbed you blind."
Adrian thought over Burggy's words. He knew his old friend was speaking from the right place — concern — but surrender wasn't going to happen.
The odd conditions of his hero panel meant he'd have to capture Windrise Island before he could build up the area into a citadel. Without it, the vision he had of a home for the Shadowborn Mercenary Corps was never going to see the light of day.
"I thank you, Burggy," Adrian said calmly. "That is not a question I can answer; but this is what I have decided. The island of Windrise is my choice. Whether there are monsters or no monsters, I will carve out my brothers' home. They cannot go on forever; eventually, I will kill them all."
Burggy stared at Adrian for a long moment before laughing. "This is the Adrian I know — thoroughly stubborn, and twice as entrenched in his decision-making."
Burggy sat back in his chair, adding, "My temporary base isn't far from Windrise. You know where to find me if you need help. Let's be neighbours for a while, eh?"
"Thanks, Burggy," Adrian said with a small smile. "I'll take you up on that offer if things get out of hand."
As the two friends finished their drinks, the weight of their respective challenges loomed large. For Adrian, the way to Windrise Island was paved with blood, sweat, and steel. For Burggy, survival would be living one step ahead of the bounty hunters and Chlorand navy patrols.
Yet, in this instant, the two old friends found solace in their firm resolve to defy the odds and make their own destinies.
---
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