Tormund walked alone to a huge rock by the bay and sat down, looking at his huge fleet and the blue sea and sky in the distance, his thoughts swirling in his heart.
This narrow escape came at a huge cost.
"Raging Wave" was seriously injured, exposed his trump card (although the opponent may not fully know the origin of Hai Long), and also used the only one-time summoning token.
But in the end, lives and the backbone of the fleet were saved.
"Brother... I don't know what's going on over there." Tormund murmured to himself, with a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
He knew that Corlys was in a difficult situation in King's Landing, and his reckless attack and subsequent summoning of the giant beast would definitely make his brother more passive.
But the situation was critical and there was no choice.
"When the limelight passes, we have to find a way to contact my brother."
He thought to himself, "Perhaps we can use our hidden line at King's Landing, or... wait until 'Raging Wave' is better injured and let it fly back quietly to deliver the message?"
He did not expect at all that his brother Corlys Velaryon, the patriarch of the "nicknamed Sea Snake" family and Master of Ships of the kingdom,
Already in the aftermath of the terrifying showdown between King Ghidorah and the descendants of Naga caused by his summons,
Together with his flagship and most of the main fleet, they sank forever in the cold and chaotic waters near Gray Gallows Island.
He was still planning for future contact and a comeback after hibernation, but he didn't know that one of his closest relatives in the world had died because of him.
What House Velaryon is about to usher in is not the protection and planning of his brother, but a huge storm caused by the sudden death of the patriarch, sweeping Driftmark and even the entire kingdom's naval system.
And Tormund himself, his sea dragon "Raging Waves", and this huge pirate fleet, can Summer Isles really sleep peacefully and wait for the opportunity in this seemingly peaceful Summer Isles?
Is this archipelago, which lacks iron but also lacks strong order, really as safe as he thinks?
Without Corlys, the potential source of aid and intelligence in Westeros's power field, where will the future of his "pirate" go?
The sea breeze is still warm, carrying the unfamiliar fragrance of flowers.
Tormund looked into the distance, feeling not only glad to survive the disaster, but also confused about the future and a hint of uneasiness.
He touched his arms, and there were only some scattered gold coins and the few memories of the ancient secrets of the ocean left by the mermaid.
The road ahead is long, but the storm may not really be far away.
Redd The originally menacing and massive formation of hundreds of warships,
Now, only a few dozen dilapidated ships have managed to return, and the crew and soldiers who accompanied the expedition have suffered extremely heavy casualties.
In fact, the tribes led by Redd and Daemon only accounted for a small part of them.
The one that suffered the most serious damage was undoubtedly the powerful fleet from Driftmark - even their respected leader, Corlys, unfortunately died on the battlefield!
When this exhausted fleet just arrived at the Dragonstone port and was ready to rest for a while, Daemon couldn't wait to take the initiative to find Redd.
After all, the death of Corlys was too sudden and had a far-reaching impact. If we just returned to King's Landing empty-handed to face questions and accusations from all parties, it would be difficult to give a satisfactory explanation.
Therefore, Daemon hopes to discuss with Redd how to unify external rhetoric and reach an agreement;
At the same time, Daemon is obviously also very interested in this fleet that has survived but is not as powerful as before.
Dragonstone's port is filled with a decadent atmosphere, as if the smoke has not cleared away.
Dozens of ships with scars, broken masts, and hulls covered with scorch marks and water stains were parked crookedly on the pier, forming a miserable contrast with the majesty and fluttering flags when they set off.
The surviving crew members and soldiers helped each other down the gangplank. Many of them were injured, and their faces were full of exhaustion, numbness and confusion about the aftermath of the disaster.
Redd stood on the dock, looking at this scene with a calm expression.
Although his losses were considerable, the core Dongfang backbone strength was still intact, and King Ghidorah was unscathed (a few skin injuries were not worth mentioning to King Ghidorah).
Compared with the results achieved - the true identity of Daemon (at least part of it) was discovered, the Naga descendants were killed, and more importantly,
Corlys Velaryon, a potentially powerful opponent (or obstacle), died unexpectedly - these losses are completely acceptable.
Daemon's mood is much more complicated.
Some men and ships were lost, and "Caraxes" was also injured, causing him physical pain.
But Corlys's death was like a piece of bloody pie suddenly dropped.
He recognized the opportunity almost immediately.
He took the initiative to find Redd, who was making arrangements for rest, and pulled Redd to a relatively secluded corner.
"Redd," Daemon got straight to the point, his voice was very low, and he had an expression on his face that was a mixture of "we are in the same boat" and "exchange of interests".
"This round of suppression of bandits resulted in heavy losses, and Corlys Earl was... unfortunately killed.
Back to King's Landing, His Majesty and Princess Rhaenys both need a reasonable explanation. We'd better unify our voices."
Redd glanced at him noncommittally. "Daemon Prince, what suggestions do you have?"
"Pirate Tormund is cunning and ferocious, and has tamed an unprecedented sea dragon. His strength far exceeds expectations."
Daemon had prepared the draft a long time ago, "Corlys Earl took the lead and commanded the fleet to fight bravely. Unfortunately, the sea dragon teamed up with the deep sea monster that appeared later, causing a natural disaster-like storm and tsunami.
Corlys Earl and the flagship 'Sea Snake' were covering the retreat of friendly forces, but were unfortunately caught in a huge wave and died heroically.
Although you and I worked hard to rescue, the power of God is unpredictable, and in the end we could only save part of the remaining army."
This rhetoric portrays Corlys as a loyal minister who sacrificed his life heroically, blaming the failure on "force majeure" (terrible sea monsters and natural disasters). It also implies that both Redd and himself tried their best, but were unable to save themselves.
This can not only appease the king (Viserys may be suspicious of Corlys, but on the surface, he must reward his loyalty),
It can also calm the anger of Rhaenys and House Velaryon to a certain extent, at least it will not let them immediately target themselves and Redd.
"Okay." Redd nodded lightly, having no objection to this statement.
He also didn't want to cause trouble. A Master of Ships who "died heroically in the line of duty" would be more beneficial to the current situation than a Master of Ships who "may have colluded with pirates and died in internal strife."
As for the truth, those who are interested will naturally guess, but as long as there is no conclusive evidence, this is the official statement.