Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

He didn't know why he had suddenly fainted, but the fever in his body had dissipated completely, as if he had just had a dream, though he knew it wasn't a dream.

What could be causing the itching on my back?

"uncle."

Asha saw that Victalion had just woken up and sat up, her brows furrowing slightly.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Fortunately."

Victalion simply nodded, and then his hand seemed to touch something, and he paused slightly.

With his long black hair streaked with gray, and his usually composed and weathered face, Victalion's expression changed slightly, and he even tightened his breathing, as if he had thought of something.

"how?"

Asha, however, noticed her uncle's unusual behavior and quickly asked him a question.

"Asha, let everyone else leave first."

Victalion's face was tense, his brows furrowed into a knot, and after a long silence, he slowly spoke.

I'll tell you this separately.

Upon hearing his words, everyone present exchanged bewildered glances, then looked at Asha. After receiving an affirmative answer, everyone except her left, leaving only Asha and her uncle, Victalion, in the cabin.

"What exactly happened, Uncle?"

The woman with short black hair couldn't wait to ask.

However, Victorion did not rush to speak. Instead, he turned around, took off his shirt, and revealed his muscular back.

At first, Asha didn't understand what her uncle was doing, but then her expression changed drastically when she saw Victalion clearly.

"This is..."

Asha Greyjoy was shocked, her face filled with disbelief.

She noticed a small patch of fish scales on the back of Victalion that had grown out of nowhere, just like the scales on the monster she had encountered during her attack.

Why is this happening?

"Could it be...?"

Asha's expression changed drastically, and she spoke urgently. She remembered that Victalion had been bitten by the other party. Could it be that he was infected at that time?

She hadn't expected that this monster was created by a virus. Could it be a variant of gray scale disease?

But Asha immediately denied this, because she had been in close contact with the other party and there was a fundamental difference between the monster and the Stone People.

It's like... it's like...

A curse?

Chapter 738 Lizard Head Stronghold

"What should we do?"

"Will you become that monster too, Uncle?"

Asha Greyjoy saw the fish scales growing on Victarion's back. Although it was only a small patch, she could almost foresee that if no intervention was taken, it would inevitably grow into the shape of that monster in the future.

Asha's words silenced Viktorion. In fact, he had considered this possibility when he felt an itch on his back and touched the fish scale, but he was still reluctant to face it. However, his niece's words realistically shattered his fantasy.

Will I become that kind of monster?

Viktorion recalled the scene of that half-human, half-fish monster lunging at him that night, then clenched his fist slightly, closed his eyes, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

No, that won't happen.

"If that day ever comes, I will choose to leave on my own or end my own life."

While Victarion didn't uphold honor as strictly as Eddard Stark or Jon Clinton, he still had his own inner convictions.

On the battlefield, he was a calm commander and a brave warrior, while off the battlefield, he often spoke of his enemies with respect.

If he were to become a monster one day, Victalion's preferred method would be to jump into the sea and let the Drowning God take him away. However, based on his previous understanding of that kind of monster, this method might not be feasible.

"It is slowly eroding and changing my body."

Then Victalion spoke up, noticing the sadness on Asha's face, and the former commander-in-chief of the Iron Fleet frowned.

There's no need to mourn me now!

"I won't die so easily..."

Victalion clenched his fist. Apart from his sudden fainting spell not long ago, he felt fine.

“The great Drowned God will protect me, and I can control this feeling.”

The change wasn't very intense, and Viktorion believed he could control it for a while, and perhaps find a cure so he could survive.

If no cure is found, the worst outcome is simply death.

As a soldier, he had long been prepared to die in battle at any time. He just never expected that someone like him would not die on the battlefield, but instead die from an unknown virus or curse.

The woman with short black hair calmed down considerably after hearing her uncle's words. This change was only just beginning, and Victalion should have plenty of time. If that's the case, then wasn't the monster that attacked her once a human?

Remembering that the other party had indeed spoken human language, Asha couldn't help but shudder slightly. She couldn't accept the departure of one of her few trustworthy relatives, nor could she accept that Victalion's final outcome would be like this.

Then Asha opened her mouth, wanting to ask if the group of red-robed monks might have some healing methods. After all, they possessed the means to deal with monsters.

But when Asha thought of the monster being captured alive and burned to death, she immediately backed down. Victalion also thought of this scene, and he shook his head slightly and said in a low voice.

"If I fall into their hands, I might not escape being burned at the stake."

"I don't want to be burned alive like that monster. That's not the kind of death an Ironborn should choose."

These red-robed monks acted with extreme fanaticism. They viewed the world in black and white, and would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even without legal or moral constraints. Everything was considered just as long as it was attributed to the will of the gods.

A cursed person like Victalion might be burned to death without a word if he fell into their hands, and he didn't want to walk into their trap.

"I still have a few years, let's wait and see."

Then, in a low voice, Victorion added another sentence.

...

Asha Greyjoy did not find any trace of gold on the Golden Head Peninsula, but she did not give up easily.

She was convinced that her guess was correct.

Therefore, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Fleet ordered the establishment of a small outpost on a small archipelago known as Lizard Head, north of the Golden Head Peninsula, leaving behind two hundred soldiers and ships.

Anyway, Zal Island is only a few days' sail from Nas Island. If there are no suitable islands for troops to be stationed near Nas Island, they might come back.

Freshwater resources are scarce on Zhal Island, which mainly relies on the freshwater rivers of Red Flower Valley and Sweet Lotus Valley. The reason why there are no tribes on the Golden Head Peninsula is the lack of freshwater resources.

However, this problem is not difficult to solve, because many of the Imperial fleet members are Ironborn who once followed Asha's father, King Balon. Like the Summer Islands, the Iron Islands do not have any freshwater river resources, so the Ironborn find groundwater by digging wells.

In the end, thanks to a few experienced veterans in the fleet, they found several suitable places to dig wells and found groundwater. Although the amount of well water was not much, it was more than enough to feed the two hundred people in the temporary stronghold.

Therefore, the Imperial fleet established a temporary outpost on the Lizard Head Islands north of the Golden Head Peninsula, felling trees to build fortifications, as well as constructing some wooden houses and tents.

Then the three-headed dragon flag of the Valyrian Empire was planted, which was tantamount to declaring temporary sovereignty. Any outsiders who landed on the island without authorization would be met with a counterattack from the imperial soldiers.

Although the Lizard Head Islands are not on Zalle Island, they are very close to the Golden Head Peninsula, and even face each other across the sea.

People can see the other side from the shore, but the Lizard Head Islands are very small and there are no other tribes on the islands, so they are only temporary outposts for the Imperial Fleet.

When the chief of the Red Flower Valley tribe heard about this, he was initially worried that these outsiders might have ulterior motives. However, after learning that they had only left behind two hundred people and that they had settled in the Lizard Head Islands, he was relieved.

After all, two hundred people wouldn't pose a threat to them. At the same time, he also intended to use the name of the Imperial Fleet to intimidate the Sweet Lotus Valley tribe, his mortal enemy on the other side of the same island, and make them restrain themselves and not be so unscrupulous, since the Sweet Lotus Valley tribe currently had the upper hand.

Therefore, the chief of the Red Flower Valley tribe chose to ignore the Imperial fleet's encampment.

A few days later, a thousand golden heartwood bows were delivered in exchange for some supplies for the fleet. Asha left her uncle, Victalion, at the Lizardhead Islands outpost as commander, while she herself led her army toward Nas Island.

Chapter 739 The Bone Brotherhood

"Romy".

When do you think we can go home?

A dozen or so ships flying various flags were docked in the harbor. It was a bustling and beautiful town, but it was deserted, with no people on the streets during the day.

Azure waters, calm sea surface, soft white sand beach, and endless forests in the distance.

On a two-masted warship flying a skull and crossbones flag, a blond-haired, somewhat handsome pirate sat at the bow, clutching his scimitar, staring blankly at the calm sea in the distance, before asking a question.

How would I know?

Meanwhile, sitting opposite him was a one-eyed pirate named Romy, who was quite drunk and holding a wine jug. He spoke impatiently.

"Jack, you're not thinking about that girl again, are you?"

"I'm telling you, Lana is Harlow's possession! If you try to sneak around to see her again, Harlow will chop off your manhood sooner or later!"

'Blonde' Jack and 'One-Eyed' Romy are both members of the Brotherhood of Bones, a pirate group that roams the summer seas.

Their most iconic symbol is a black flag with a skull and crossbones, which terrifies merchant ships sailing on the seas in the summer.

This infamous pirate Brotherhood of Bones is based on Fly Island in the Lizard Islands, not far from Nas Island. The Lizard Islands on the Sosros continent are now a paradise for pirates, with dozens of pirate groups of all sizes based there.

The Harlow mentioned by the one-eyed Romy is the current leader of the Bone Brotherhood, nicknamed "The Brutal" Harlow.

He was tall and strong, standing seven feet tall, with red hair and a fierce face. It was said that he could eat people alive, so the 'brutal' Harlow inspired fear wherever he went.

But in reality, as veterans of the Brotherhood of Bones, Jack and Romy knew that Harlow didn't actually eat people, especially raw ones. He just had a reputation for being ruthless, which was used to intimidate his enemies.

Just now, 'One-Eyed' Romy mentioned a girl named Lana, who was a hostage captured by the Bone Brotherhood during a raid on a merchant ship.

However, because of her sweet appearance, fair skin, and beautiful long golden hair, she was taken by the pirate leader Harona and became his most beloved concubine, even bearing him a son.

However, what the 'ruthless' Harold didn't know was that Lana had been having affairs with her most trusted brothers all along. Jack was just one of her lovers, and Romy knew about at least three others, but unfortunately, only Harold himself was unaware.

However, Romy still warned his good brother and fellow countrymen to stay away from women like Lana, because he felt that this matter would be exposed sooner or later, and even if they didn't catch Jack, they might still be implicated.

Although Harlow doesn't eat people, he betrayed him and cuckolded him, so his punishment might not be any better than being eaten alive.

"I wasn't talking about Fly Island."

However, the handsome young man named 'Blonde' Jack, sitting at the bow of the ship and holding his scimitar, interrupted his good brother without turning his head and spoke.