Chapter 196: The Battle in the “Silence”

Normally, a fleet commander would use signal flags to issue orders to the other ships. However, Viserys's fleet was spread so far apart that the only reliable way to communicate was by using the messenger ravens he had brought along. The twenty ships formed a loose chain or a wide net as they pressed toward Valyria.

Through his Dragon Dreams, Viserys had roughly pinpointed Euron's location. To close in, he sent out his golden eagle to scour the sea, hoping to trap him. After six or seven days of sailing, the distance between Viserys's fleet and Euron's ship had narrowed to just a few dozen nautical miles.

Viserys ordered his trusted aide, Regis, "Spread the word to everyone: cover your ears and keep an eye on the golden eagle overhead."

"Yes, my lord," Regis responded promptly.

As the sky darkened, the fading light began to work against the fleet's efforts to surround Euron. Viserys, scanning the sea intently, suddenly noticed a few crows circling below—an odd sight over open water. He immediately realized that Euron must be nearby.

Meanwhile, Euron sat in his cabin, contemplating three items laid out before him: a blue dragon egg, Valyrian armor, and the black-and-gold Dragonbinder horn. The dragon egg's value was unquestionable, and Euron had already discovered that the Valyrian armor rendered all magical attacks ineffective. The Dragonbinder horn, which could create illusions and command sea monsters in the Smoking Sea, was his most prized possession. Euron was convinced that if he could hatch the dragon egg, he could control the dragon without needing Valyrian blood.

As he held the still-warm horn on his lap, Euron's eyes gleamed with both hope and the burning desire for revenge. With these treasures from Valyria, he vowed to kill Viserys.

Suddenly, Euron's view shifted—through the eyes of a raven, he spotted several warships approaching from the horizon, clearly heading in his direction.

'No good!' Euron thought, his heart racing. He quickly commanded his ravens to spread out, giving him a broader view of the surrounding sea. But before he could fully assess the situation, a shadow flashed before his eyes, followed by a sharp pain in his head.

A golden eagle had struck, preying upon one of his ravens.

Euron swiftly shifted his focus to another raven, only to see the same golden eagle swooping down again. The realization hit him—this eagle belonged to a skinchanger, and the identity of that skinchanger was unmistakable.

"Viserys!" Euron hissed, first with anger, then with a creeping sense of dread. How had Viserys found his location? Did he somehow know what Euron had done in Valyria?

Panic set in as he understood the gravity of the situation. 'Now's not the time to ponder', he thought. 'Viserys is prepared, and he has the element of surprise. I must flee.'

Recognizing the need for immediate action, Euron barked orders to his mute sailors. The Silence cut a sharp white arc across the deep blue sea, turning east to escape. The ship's speed was formidable, and after altering course, it began to widen the gap between itself and Viserys's fleet.

Under normal circumstances, the pursuing fleet would have been left in the Silence's wake, struggling to keep up. But Viserys had anticipated this and had prepared accordingly.

Virgil kept a close eye on the golden eagle circling above, and the moment he saw its signal, he turned and shouted, "Everyone! Stop the Silence and follow the Prince!"

"Follow the Prince!" the sailors roared back in unison. Four specially-made speedboats shot forward like arrows, leaving white trails in the water as they raced toward the Silence. Viserys had given them a clear mission: stop the Silence at all costs, even if it meant ramming the ship.

Virgil didn't fully understand why Viserys was waging war against a mere pirate ship. All he knew was that Viserys had saved him from the clutches of the pleasure garden, where slave owners indulged in their twisted tastes. Now, he fought for Viserys with everything he had, feeling more alive than ever. Whether it was the sting of the salty sea breeze or the thunder of battle in his ears, Virgil felt like a true warrior.

'Lara, wait for me!' he thought as he scanned the horizon. Soon, he spotted a black sailboat cutting swiftly through the golden light of the setting sun, heading in the direction the golden eagle had indicated.

'That ship is fast!' Virgil thought, but he knew Viserys's ship was even faster.

Euron, aware of the problem, urged his mute sailors to push the Silence to its limits. But even as the Silence sped forward, Virgil could see the excitement in his own crew's faces as they closed in. Viserys's ships were clearly designed for this purpose—sacrificing other features for sheer speed and intercepting power.

Despite the Silence's formidable speed, the distance between the ships continued to shrink rapidly: 300 meters, 100 meters, 50 meters, 30 meters…

In a flash, Virgil led the four speedboats into a collision course with the Silence.

Crack!

The sound of splintering wood echoed across the sea as the prow of one of Virgil's speedboats crashed into the Silence's hull. One by one, the other speedboats followed, embedding themselves into the pirate ship's sides.

While the impact wasn't enough to sink the black-hulled Silence, it significantly slowed the ship, giving Viserys the opportunity he needed. With the Silence hampered, Viserys led the rest of his fleet to close in, effectively surrounding Euron.

Euron watched as Virgil and his men threw grappling hooks onto the Silence. Now, he was certain—Viserys had some special means of tracking his location. These speedboats were clearly designed specifically for this moment.

With a subtle nod, Euron signaled a nearby sailor, who quickly ran to his cabin and returned with the ominous dragon horn. Without hesitation, the mute sailor positioned the horn toward Virgil's ship, took a deep breath, and blew with all his might.

As the eerie, resonant sound of the horn filled the air, Euron placed his hand on it, chanting the incantation engraved along its surface. His lips moved silently, and his cheeks glowed as if he held a red-hot iron in his mouth. The power of the dragon horn demanded a price—each time it was used, it claimed a human life. But Euron didn't care.

To him, a sailor was just another part of the ship, a piece that could be replaced at any time.

The sailor who blew the horn soon collapsed, his strength completely drained. Euron, with a cold indifference, grabbed the lifeless body and tossed it into the sea without a second thought.

When he turned his gaze back to the speedboat, he saw Virgil's sailors leaping into the water one by one, driven mad by the horn's terrible power. It wouldn't be long before they were all dead, victims of the horn's dark magic.