Chương 739: Chapter 739: The Brotherhood of Bones
"Romy,"
"When do you think we'll be able to go home?"
A dozen ships, each flying a variety of flags, were docked at the harbor of a quaint yet eerily deserted town. The streets were empty, even in broad daylight. The azure sea, the calm waters, the soft, white sandy beaches, and the endless forests in the distance painted a picture of tranquility.
On a two-masted warship flying a flag adorned with a skull, a pirate with golden hair and a somewhat handsome face sat at the bow, clutching his scimitar. He stared into the distant calm sea and finally spoke.
"How should I know?"
On the other side, sitting opposite him was a one-eyed pirate named Romy, swigging from a jug of rum, clearly inebriated. He spoke with a tone of annoyance.
"Jack, you're not thinking about that wench again, are you? I've told you, Lana is Harlo's personal property! Keep sneaking around her, and Harlo will cut off your manhood!"
Golden-haired Jack and One-eyed Romy were members of the Brotherhood of Bones, a notorious band of pirates that roamed the Summer Sea. Their most iconic symbol was a flag with a black background and a skull. Merchants sailing the Summer Sea would lose all courage at the sight of this flag.
The infamous Brotherhood of Bones had their base on Fly Island, part of the Snake Lizard Archipelago not far from Naath. The archipelago was a haven for pirates, hosting dozens of pirate crews both large and small.
The Harlo that One-eyed Romy mentioned was the current leader of the Brotherhood of Bones, known as "Ferocious Harlo." He was a towering man, standing at seven feet, with red hair and a menacing face. Rumor had it that he could eat men alive, making him a figure of dread wherever he went.
However, as seasoned members of the Brotherhood, both Jack and Romy knew that Harlo didn't actually eat people, especially not raw. His fearsome reputation was merely a tactic to intimidate their enemies.
One-eyed Romy had just mentioned a girl named Lana. She was a hostage captured by the Brotherhood of Bones during one of their raids on merchant ships. With her fair skin, golden locks, and sweet visage, she had become the favored concubine of Harlo, the pirate leader, even bearing him a son.
What "Ferocious Harlo" didn't know was that Lana had been having affairs with several of his most trusted men, Jack being just one of them. Romy knew of at least three others, but sadly, Harlo remained oblivious.
Still, Romy cautioned his good friend and fellow pirate to steer clear of Lana. He felt it was only a matter of time before the secret affairs came to light. And while Harlo might not eat men, the punishment for betrayal—and for cuckolding him—might be even worse than being devoured alive.
"I'm not talking about returning to Fly Island," said Golden-haired Jack, cutting off his friend mid-sentence without even turning his head.
One-eyed Romy, wearing an eyepatch, paused for a moment, not catching on immediately.
"I mean going home," Jack clarified.
"Back to Westeros."
As it turned out, both Jack and Romy hailed from Westeros. Each had led a different life before fate brought them to the distant Snake Lizard Archipelago, where they joined the ranks of the pirates.
Jack was a distant relative of the Lannister family, residing in Lannisport. His signature golden hair was a testament to his lineage. His father was a prosperous cheese merchant in Lannisport, and the family was well-off. They had even donated a ship for the wildfire explosion on the Green Fork during the war against the White Walkers.
However, after humanity's war against the White Walkers ended, civil war erupted. Their liege lord, Tywin Lannister, was defeated and retreated to the Westerlands. The Second Conquest War broke out, with Prince Oberyn Martell leading a Targaryen army from the south, winning battle after battle. Another Targaryen princess rode her dragon, setting fires across the skies of the Westerlands, causing widespread panic.
Then came the betrayal by Euron Greyjoy, leading to the fall of Lannisport. Prince Oberyn's forces stormed in, and that's when the nightmare began.
Prince Oberyn Martell had ordered a massacre of the Lannister family members, even going so far as to arrest or kill anyone with golden hair. Jack's parents were slain, and it was then that he fled his homeland by sea.
As for One-eyed Romy, he hailed from the Iron Islands, born Romy Pyke, the bastard son of a House Merlyn. His father was the Count of Pebble Array, a balding, portly man. Romy had left his homeland even before Jack, fleeing by boat when the White Walkers invaded Great Wyk Island.
At that time, the island was in utter chaos, filled with the walking dead. His father, Medryd Merlyn, had been decent enough to give Romy a small boat to escape. Whether the Count of Pebble Array himself had managed to flee remained unknown.
Both men came from the same country, albeit different regions. In this distant land, they were among the few kinsmen they had, eventually becoming close brothers.
"Damn you, Jack!" One-eyed Romy Pyke finally broke his silence after hearing Jack's sudden proclamation. Holding a jug of ale, he finally managed to utter a sentence, his emotions running high.
"Don't you know we can't go back home?"
Both had joined the Brotherhood of Bones for various reasons, but while joining was easy, leaving was not. In a pirate crew like this, once you're in, the only way out is death.
If you tried to sneak away on an island or in a port, you'd be hunted down. Death would be a relief at that point.
As the two young pirates sat at the bow of the ship, chatting,
Suddenly, the sound of a horn echoed from the distant sea.
"Woo—"
The horn's melancholy tone reverberated across the silent ocean.
Both men quickly turned their heads and saw a fleet flying the banners of the Targaryen's three-headed dragon and the Greyjoy's golden kraken.
They had filled the sea, and were now sailing toward them in full force.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực