บท 17: No pirate life for me
It's been another month since my stay in Dorne, we brokered the deal and I was leaving three days after arriving, Doran said that he would be sending a pitch from another site until they had all ready to start the exploitation of the cave I said, they never had such a demand for it so they got their pitch from another smaller source, they had some 15 barrels that they offered me as the first shipment, I welcome the sight of it.
After some health advice for Doran, he is still not afflicted by gout, and some promises of a visit from Oberyn and Arriane, funny enough both using the same suggestive tone, I was leaving the scorching desert sands of Dorne, I quite liked the place, they have a warm in more ways than one atmosphere here.
When I arrived home, the first thing I had to take care of was the construction of the instruments necessary for the production of the weapon, I already have the Syphons on the ships and now I will start the production of Greek fire, I need a new name for that.
Hereby I declare Fabricate the best spell for an Isekaid, is so fucking useful if you know how is made you can skip the process of making it, all you need is the materials and the knowledge, added to my ability to my proficiencies and boom what takes years can now take moments.
I made a small "factory" in a more isolated location, with tall walls and towers that are entirely manned by my constructs, why, well good luck trying to steal the secret of making Greek fire, when all of the workforce do not leave the factory at all, I am the only human allowed inside the walls of that compound.
"Sir?"
I leave my daydreaming and look at Boric that is in front of my desk looking at me with a concerned face.
"Yes, Boric?"
"I have some bad news."
...
The wind was just right today, even if a bit cold, and the sun was high in the sky, the smell of the salty water filled my nostrils as I look on the first deck of the Relentless, the Relentless is the first full crewed of my warships, his sails are black with one star each, the armoured bits are black as well, it makes a pretty intimidating sight.
There are about 50 crew members, human crew members I mean, on the decks below there is a number a lot bigger of constructs sitting on the position of rowers, pushing the ship even against the wind, who needs a fucking engine when you have 250 untiring rowers.
Some of the men are scrubbing the deck others are taking care of the sails, and all have their tasks, well Boric and I don't but we are not part of the crew.
We are travelling through the bite now, close to White Harbor at the moment, why? well someone stole one of my oil ships and sure I was not for the U.S. but I am still an American so I got to go free them.
In all seriousness, the first of the Dornish ships have been captured by pirates, and if nothing is done Doran might stop sending ships with my oil up, he doesn't exactly have a shit ton of ships, I can't risk it happening.
I have been informed that the pirates are most probably from the three sisters and there is not much it can be done about it, they, after all, fly no colours when they attack so we can't prove to the already reluctant to act Falcon lord anything.
I have no plans of letting one of my first commercial lanes be attacked without retaliation, so first I will confirm who is trying to mess with my business, and then I will utterly destroy them.
"My lord if you don't mind me asking, what is your plan to find them, pirates, the sea is a big place?" the captain asked, even if this is my personal ship a lot of time I won't spend in it, so while I doing other things, it will have another captain, Morgan is his name, the first Captain of the Palestars war fleet.
"Oh ye of little faith, the Bite is old gods' territory so we ask them of course." his eyes widen and he takes off his hat and holds it to his chest.
"A-Aye, how we are doing that?"
I smile and walk to the middle of the stern castle we are standing now.
"What news from the North, O mighty wind, do you bring to me tonight?"
"Have you seen our prey by moon or by starlight?"
A whisper came with the northern wind, a voice clear and powerful even in a whisper.
"I saw them sail with they tall dreams, over waters wide and grey, I saw them slay and betray, closer to the sisters embrace you may find your prey."
This is of course one of the homebrew spells Speak with the Wind, it helps me by summoning wind spirits, I can bid them to take a message or give me information, but for some reason beyond me if I don't rhyme they don't answer me.
"Captain we are going to the three sisters, change course to the south, if time is not wasted we might catch them before they get too far away." he bows his head in reverence and I'm pretty sure is not to me, and put back his hat.
"Aye milord," he turns and starts screaming to the deck below" You heard the man, we know where the fucking pirates are, let us go and see if they are men enough for a fight, we changing course to the three sisters."
Boric who was watching beside me asks.
"So that confirms that the pirates are coming from the sisters?"
"No, but it makes it hard to believe they coming from anywhere else, could be a random pirate taking port on the sisters but I doubt it."
"What if they did steal from you, my lord?"
"If that is the case, if the sisters stole my oil, if they did raid one of my trade lines, well our sailors will have a nice training in sea warfare, and the sistermen will learn to stay out of my business."
"And if lord Arryn tries to intervene? the Falcon lord seems to ignore the situation before when the north complained, but the three sisters are his territory, if the situation escalates he might try to use it to undermine you."
"Then perhaps some terrible accident will strike the poor sisters and burn them to the ground, and we innocent bystanders will only look horrified at the terrible disaster."
"I see, good to know my lord."
...two days later...
I am in my cabin reading the reports of the Moat, for starters, Marwyn managed to get all the "teachers" necessary for the school, it wasn't hard really we had the professionals we just needed to put them in the classroom, what he needs is the building and the equipment for the training, books and something's to write on, bows and arrows, he had a plan to build a prop of a ship on ground, medical supplies between others.
That is no problem, I easily can provide all of it, and what I can't provide I will throw money at it, being rich has magic of its own.
The canal is simpler than I thought, we already have a river that goes halfway to the moat is only a matter of continuing the river till it hit the other side, if I spend a month, maybe less working on it and we should be receiving ships from the Riverlands, Westerlands and the reach soon enough.
I hear a knock on the door, and a voice comes from the other side.
"My lord we have sails on the horizon, ser Boric, and the captain ask for you."
I get up and leave the cabin a boy 15 something is on the other side.
"Back to your station," he leaves as I walk to the stern of the ship there is Morgan, Boric, and the first mate.
"Well, what do we have here?" The captain gives me a telescope or far-eye as they call it.
"Three ships my lord, one has the mermaid as a symbol the others fly no colours." I look through the telescope and see as he described, that Manderly's carrack seems to be trying to escape the galleys, but doesn't seem to be working well, probably too heavy with merchandise.
"Prepare the men for a battle, full speed ahead, I want those filthy pirates on their knees on my deck before sundown."
"Yes, my lord," he started barking at the sailors" full speed men, our lord want those pirates on their knees! Let us show them why this ship is called the Relentless!"
The sound of the oars hitting the waters becomes more constant, but no grunts or shouts come from the decks below, they are silent, above it though the drum on the deck is thundering to the rhythm of the oars, many of the owlguard start to leave the underbelly of this sea-beast and await for the boarding order, the deck is full, a group of five sailor goes to the castle in the bow of the ship under the said castle is a big covered cauldron with a viscous dark liquid, the start to boil it, above the castle two other sailors take control of the two Syphons.
"Captain." He looks at me." Raise our colours."
... POV change: Curt Stone ...
I take the bottle and take a heavy swig out of it, currently, we are chasing one of the fat mermaid ships the way she is slow says that she is full, just hope is not full of tar, pfff fucking Rolan never catches anything and when he does is full of shit, at least he can revest his ship with it.
"Captain!, captain!" A man burst through the door" Captain come see."
For fuck sake what is going on, the Manderly's ship grown fucking wings? I walk out of the cabin, I see many men on the railing looking to the stern of the ship, pieces of crap.
"Back to work you useless mutts! Or I will have you thrown into the sea." That pitches them back into shape.
"What is it for fucks sake" he gives me a myrish glass and points in a direction, I look through the glass and what I see freezes my stomach, a black warship, full sail, oars out, sailing in our direction, shit, the flag on the top of the mast is of the fucking sorcerer, fucking shit.
Fuck that, I ain't meeting the bottom of the sea today.
"Change of plan ladies, we leaving the Manderly ship, we heading back to the three sisters, prepare to change course, I want speed like the stranger is after us!" I barked to the crew then I turn to my first mate and say.
"Raise our colours, we didn't attack nobody they can't attack us, and signal Rody we are fucking leaving."
"Aye sir, but there are two of our ships captain, we could take them."
"Because stupid shit like that I am the captain, now go do as I said."
I look at the other Galley, the Hook, is Rody ugly ship, and if I know that idiot well he will take my retreat as a chance to humiliate me, to call me a coward, he will not put any flag and he will stay and try to capture that fucking monster, that will give me time to escape.
... POV change: Antares ...
It looks like at least one of the pirates is stupid enough to fight, good, I will sink they floating junk and ask questions to the survivors.
The second pirate ship started to move east to the sisters, The Manderly's one is going north to White Harbor as the last one is charging to us, there is still some time before we reach each other for combat, I leave the stern, and go to the bow of the ship with the two men at the Syphons and wait for when the time is just right.
As the ship approach, I see some nervous energy start to creep into the Sailors.
"Steady men, there is nothing to fear in this battle, the difference in strength is so big that is not even worth mocking them." The two in the control of the Syphons nod and reply with an "Aye, my lord".
Soon enough the enemy ship reaches a distance of 300 ft(91m) and I cast control water.
I use it to redirect the flow of the water underneath the pirate ship, it starts to turn to the right, and in a few moments, the ship that was facing us now has its sides exposed to us.
"Full Ramming speed ahead, prepare for boarding and to battle."
The rhythm of the Tambor gets faster as does the oars, we approach faster and faster.
"Brace for impact!"
CRASH!
The ram went so far into the other ship that it split the pirate ship in half, thank gods for the armour in the front, many of the pirates jumped from the ship into the water, good thing I told my men to brace themselves because We all would be in the floor by now, fucking Hells, I didn't expect to crash the ship in half.
"I want the survivors! Take them out of the sea now!"
Damn, I didn't have a chance to test my new weapon, or my men, fucking weak ass pirates I got hyped for nothing, many of the sailors take crossbows and point at the pirates swimming to our ship, as they start to get on the deck the sailors point their crossbows at the pirates the owlguard make a shield wall around them, there is 20 of them and more swimming or holding on the wreckage of the ships.
"Be welcome to the Relentless, the first warship of the Palestars fleet, now which one of you cockroaches is the captain?"
"The captain died when you rammed our ship." One of the snivelling pirates said.
"Right, first-mate?"
"I-its me, milord." Another pitiful-looking piece of crap said.
"Good, we have everyone we need, anyone else in the water I want dead" I ordered.
Many of the sailors went to the railings and started to fire their crossbows at the survivors still swimming, or those holding on the rests of their ship, I am a little surprised, they had no hesitation to shoot defenceless men, probably because they are pirates.
"Come ser first-mate, let us talk, the rest of them to the brig, Captain Morgan, to White Harbour."
"Aye my lord," he turns to the deck below," Move your rats! Out of my deck, to the brig, the rest of you we going to White Harbour, carpenters I want to know the damage if any..." His screaming voice is left behind as I entered my quarter with the pirate.
I fill a cup with wine, fucking Dorne, now I'm drinking like an alcoholic, sit on a comfortable chair look at him and say.
"Let us talk."
... 2 days later...
White Harbor, is quite a sight, mostly because of the white and grey stones used to build the whole city, remember a little of Minas Tirith with all the white and grey buildings, there is an inner and an outer port and is surprisingly a very organized town and clean as well, colour me surprised kudos to the Manderly's what they have in weight they also have in administration talent.
We dock our warship on the inner Port, Boric, I in horses, 20 owlguard, and the pirate first-mate all leave the ship to the castle, as we go through the city we can see the suspicious or hateful glare some of the residents give us, not that many but enough for me to notice, fucking great.
As we arrive closer to the gates of the New Castle, the seat of House Manderly we can see the white big walls, the green-blue banners of the mermaid hanging from the towers, and on the gates, two guards with green-blue capes and silver tridents guard the entrance they straight they back as we pass them, inside two big men and an entourage of servants, the one on the right I know, he is Wendel Manderly he was fighting in the Greyjoy rebellion, I drank with him, nice honourable fella, by his side is probably his older brother the heir of White Harbor, Wylis, his father probably is waiting inside with a banquet or something.
"What good tides bring you to us Antares? we are not expecting you, but we received word of what you did in the bite." Wendal comes to me with a smile, and we clasp hands, It's so interesting the bonds that fighting side by side in a war can create, I never had such bonds in my last life, it feels good.
"I came to discuss something with your sire, and what I did in the bite is what any Northman would do, those pirates fucks are messing with the wrong people"
"Yes they are, they have been a problem for some time but since the rebellion, they got much more active," he brings me closer to the other man" This is my older brother and heir to the Harbor, Wylis." I shake hands with the big man.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, lord Palestars, I heard much of your exploits," said Wylis.
"Only the good ones I hope" I smile at him.
"There are bad ones? ah! Of course," then he gestures to Servent to approach with salt and bread, I partake in the ritual and we enter the castle, I let the rest of the owlguard to the servants of the Manderlys.
The halls of the castle are decorated with banners, broken shields and rusted swords from ancient victories, and wooden figures from the prows of ships, as my hosts explain to me.
As the huge doors open and we enter the mermaid court, beautifully decorated, half a dozen minor nobles sit at a big table, a very varied banquet lay at the front.
On the head of the long table is Lord Wyman Manderly, the man is simply put fat, with pale blue eyes and a dark blonde beard, he has a jolly atmosphere attached to him, beside him sits a smiling woman, with dark hair blue eyes, she looks a little gaut and frail, but happy even so, she is dressed in the Manderly's colours, probably his wife.
"Lord Palestars, be welcome to mermaid court, come feast with us, I hope you are not offended by me not receiving you personally, but when you are my age and size, moving around becomes a chore," he says with a belly laugh, I see some around laughing at the lord, he is a good actor but I can see the Sharp mind behind the jolly face.
I sit by his left side we drink we eat and exchange stories, I met Lyrona, Wyman's wife, she has of late been very ill, I promised to have a look into her health before leaving.
After the feast, lord Manderly called me to his Solar so we talk business.
"Be seated, my lord we have many a topic to discuss, but first would you like something to drink, juice, water or something stronger?"
"I thank you for your offer my lord, some water would be good."
He serves both cups with water, sips his and looks at me, staring into my eyes, his jolly fool act leaves, and a nobleman of a sharp mind stays in front of me now.
"Let us start with the painting, how it's going the creation of it?"
"Well soon enough you have it to hang on your halls, my lord, it just needs some final touches," like starting it, I forgot that in the tourney they asked for one.
"I am happy to receive such news, now let's change to other subjects, you are building a port at the entrance of white knife, which leaves me in a very complicated position, it would damage greatly White Harbour."
"True it would, but will not, I intend it to be more a shipyard than a port, the only ships that can port over there are the ones that are part of a trade deal with my house." Once the canal is built the ships can stop in Moat Cailin directly, is better to have a military shipyard there than a port.
"I have a proposition for you my lord, I will refrain from extensive trade in the narrow sea and offer the protection of my warships to your trade vessels, of course, some resources are of extreme necessity to me so my own ships will transport them, but the rest of the luxurious such glass, I could buy from you, for a lower price."
"Mighty kind offer my lord, but sounds to me that you will lose the opportunity to make coin and are not asking enough for it."
"I have a thousand and one ways of making coin lord Manderly and if I have to lose one to not step on the toes of my new neighbours so be it, besides I said I will not compete with you in the narrow sea but my eyes go farther."
"You are quite the ambitious man, my lord, barely a year and already reaching so far."
"Bah, you have to lose this kind of thinking, lord Manderly we together could make the north not lack anything, we could introduce in the north any useful innovative contraption the foreigners created, any seed that they plant or any medicine they create, we should travel the entire world and learn and adapt any strength the others have, why limit ourselves?"
"We would lose what makes us, us, wouldn't we? Too much of everyone else and suddenly would not have enough of us."
"A fair point, but I think you misunderstood my intention, I do not want to change the northern values, honour, hard work, and community, those are what make the northern themselves not the way they harvest the grain or how they build a wall, I certainly do not want to import the culture of other places or they gods, I want to know what make they strong and I want to know how WE can use it." I take a sip of water while lord Manderly thinks.
"You certainly have a unique way of thinking my lord, is a very interesting perspective, I will accept your deal, but I would recommend a slower approach to the importation of foreign contraptions as you said, strange things make the northern nervous."
"I thank you for the advice my lord, I will take it into account."
He finishes his cup and this time pours himself a cup of wine.
"And last but not least our little pirate problem." He seems tired of discussing this subject even if we just started.
"I have already the information of where they come from and already asked assistance from lord Stark, and he asked for the assistance of lord Arryn." He says
"And?" I know how this ends.
"Unfortunately lord Hand didn't seem to take out complaints seriously, nothing was done on his part, lord Stark authorised me to build a small fleet to guard the Bite but since you already be doing it I might spare the resources and time." He drinks from his cup with a smile, he got me there.
"But what about the sisterman? We can't just take quietly this kind of aggressive behaviour."
"What is your suggestion? another Raping of the Sisters?" He says sarcastically
"Nothing so drastic, and is all about how you say it, the humbling of the sisters would be better."
"And pray tell how would you do that, my lord?"
I smile " I am glad that you asked."
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XAkarrinX
XAkarrinX Hello fellows, here is the chapter, I thank you a lot for the comments and suggestions and reviews.
I plan to end this Arc with the resolution of the three Sisters' situation after that we going to have a more Essos-heavy part, the Mc will have a more Portuguese approach to the East.
Any thoughts on the portraits?
Any specific magical heavy places to visit you want to see?
Any new name for the Greek Fire?
As Usual any suggestions, corrections, comments and memes on the comments.
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