"We need prisoners to interrogate, which tends to work best when they're alive!" Dark Shadow snarled at Long Shadow. "Pirates are scoundrels brother dear. And they all deserve the same fate. Short drop and a sudden stop." Long Shadow shrugged. "You will do as you are commanded." He hissed, "Without survivors we cannot know where they make berth at! Only then can we be merciless upon them." Long Shadow snarled, turning to pace furiously in front of her brother as she battled with her increasingly volatile temper. The breaking of the bond had unleashed an inner demon within her and it was slowly taking over her body. Eventually, she reluctantly agreed to his terms. Not that she had any intentions of keeping them… "Your next patrol starts tonight at dusk. Rest up." He sighed heavily. There was a bit of an echo in three wind that only she caught, repeating what he had said in her ears. In the morning, Long Shadow left Port Royal. She knew where King and his murderous bunch were hiding but she also knew the strength of the fortress. If she was going to take it down, she was going to need help. And she knew just where to go to find it! Long Shadow set her course for Spain.
She had to stop in London to rest for a bit. It felt odd, but good to be home. "Long Shadow?" Came the voice of HMS Alexander. "Uncle? Uncle Alex?" She practically launched herself at him, glomping him in a hug. He laughed, wrapping his rigging around her. "I haven't seen you in so long!" "Too long, uncle." She said. She had changed since he last saw her. Her eyes were darker, blackened with grief. Behind them lay the remains of a shattered heart. "I heard the news." He sighed, "Losing a best friend to those scum, it's so painful. I'm sorry." Long Shadow debated with herself for a moment, trying to decide if she should tell him. The rest of her family knew but Alex could be very traditional at times. Still, he would hear it from Endeavour eventually. It was time. She took a breath. "She wasn't just my best friend, Alex. We-we were bonded." She looked down. "You were... what?" He let go, moving back some to get a better look at her. She slowly raised her head and met his gaze, the agony behind her eyes impossible to miss. "Britannia and I were bonded, uncle. I loved her, and she loved me." "You are homosexual." Long Shadow shrugged. "I dunno what I am." She admitted. "All I know is, the one I loved was taken from me. And I have to put that wrong right." "Loved.. Are you sure it wasn't in a friendship kind of way? Were you...attracted to her?" Long Shadow didn't have the courage to explain any further. "Those scoundrels took her from me. Not only that, but they took my father and my sister! I'm going to make them pay!" She left England a few days later, arriving in Spain by sundown. Rendering honors she met with the harbor ship. "I'm looking for Maria Silenciosa." She said. "You come seeking The Dragoness." Answered a frigate, "You will find nothing but trouble, English whore." "Not if I possess something she wants. I know how to kill that murderous heretic Wicked King." The entire harbor looked at her, the quiet mutters going completely silent. A menacing figured sailed out from behind several other vessels, her form sleek but huge. A massive triple decked man o war, a hybrid between Spanish and Swedish design. Long Shadow held her herself high. She was a member of the Royal Council, one of the highest-ranking ships in the British Empire. An ambassador for her nation. She dipped her head in respect. "Maria Silenciosa, I am HMS Long Shadow and I am here to propose an alliance." "Use my English name of you insist upon talking in said language, Lobster... You say you can kill the King. He took my mother's life. If we do this, you listen to my orders." "Have it your way Silent Mary." Long Shadow nodded. "I have a means of killing him. And it involves cleverness more than brute force. Going to King's fortress and attacking him there would be suicide, even with an Armada. Instead, we need to draw him out. And for that we need bait. And I have bait." She flicked her head to the side and two more Royal Navy warships came in, dragging a third ship between them. She was bound and chained and was dropped in front of Silent Mary. Long Shadow smiled. "Behold, the mate of Wicked King. The Queen of the Caribbean Sea, Wicked Wench."
"How did you get her?" She asked, grabbing the chains and yanking back to pull Wench. Green eyes like acid stared back at her as Wench glared. "I have my ways." Long Shadow replied. "King will come to rescue her. But he will expect a trap. That's where you come in. See, he doesn't know you're involved. King will be yours to kill, Senorita Silenciosa." "Mmm. Excellent. I will taste his blood." She laughed slowly, almost maniacally. Long Shadow didn't laugh with her but her grin showed many teeth as she thought of her long awaited revenge. "I called upon a powerful friend of mine to steel Wench from King. Who he is, is not important. He delivered her to me and laid a trail for King to follow. A trail which will lead him to Gibraltar. The last place King would expect to find a Spanish man o' war." Long Shadow said. "And there, that is where I... where we will have our revenge." She purred amusingly. "Indeed." Long Shadow answered, giving Wench's chains a yank and causing her to yelp in pain. "In the meantime, this heretic is all yours. I hear you Spanish have ah, means of punishing those who stray from the church. I trust you can return her to the proper means of worship." "She is to suffer without dying." She answered. "Then make it so. Return her to the Lord's righteousness." She shoved Wench forward, into Mary's grasp. She was in the Spanish ship's hands now. The look she gave the man o war was one of pure fear. Silent Mary purred at the look. "Sinners... Pirates... You will be punished by God's enforcers." "No. No please!" Wench wailed as she was dragged by Mary. Long Shadow watched as the two ships vanished behind an eager crowd. "What will you do now?" The frigate from earlier asked. "I have already demonstrated my good will by bringing Wench here. Now, I want you to demonstrate yours. By doing this I am going against my flagship's own orders. Once I bring Silent Mary into Gibraltar, I will be committing treason. Thus I formally request asylum in the great and powerful Spanish Empire." The frigate stared at her, studying her for a long time. "Come with me." He finally said, turning to sail up the coast. Long Shadow fell in behind him as she followed. "Beside me." He ordered. She adjusted her course, topsails shifting in the wind and she picked up speed before luffing them, matching him perfectly. Thanks to Britannia's tutelage, no ship had a better understanding of wind and sea like she did! "Explain to me what we would see from you as a warrior of Spain."
Long Shadow looked at him. "I can show you." She answered and with only the barest of glances at the sky, she set off in a series of course maneuvers that even the sleekest and most agile hulled frigate could not ever hope to even imitate, let alone match. "I was trained by the sea herself. I have her ear and her favor. I have the knowledge of my enemies and the trust of my friends. I am a warrior of the stars and sky and of the Lord. And through the grace of each I survive and I win." "You are the favor of Calypso and the Blood Serpent." He blinked, rolling up his sheets and dropping anchor to look at her. Long Shadow's eyes reflected a piece of the strength that Britannia once held. Sharing a bond with her had given Long Shadow part of her power. "Think of what good that favor would do Spain instead of England." She whispered. "I am convinced. You've my blessing, welcome to the Navy of the Holy Catholic Empire of Spain." He grinned, handing over a Spanish ensign and banners. "And in case you may have been confused, I am Santo Fantasma. Maria is my Deputy." "Santo Fantasama, you may call me Larga Sombra. I serve the Catholic Church and the Kingdom of Spain." "Welcome home, Sombra." "Gracious Senor Fantasama."
They returned to Madrid together in time to see Mary finishing her punishment on Wench. Ten lashes on her deck left deep lacerations, Silent Mary licking the tip of the whip of Wench's blood. "How comes the confessions?" Shadow asked her in Spanish. "She is stubborn. But she will break." Mary answered. "Under your guidance, el comendador." Shadow said, bowing low. "Rest up." She told her, "Tomorrow, you patrol." Shadow bowed again. "King is expected in Gibraltar at the end of the month." She said. "Until then, your command is my obedience." "I expect loyalty but I do not desire a... how do you English put it... kiss-ass?" Shadow held back a laugh. "As you wish, Maria."
As she was ordered to, Shadow went on patrol. Her first under the Spanish flag. The name Long Shadow was left behind her. From now on she was to be known as Lagra Sombra. It was a name that she was somewhat proud of. It sounded exotic... attractive. Not as creepy as Long Shadow. However during this patrol, she spotted two ships in the distance. One was very familiar. She narrowed her eyes to make out the shape better. One was a British frigate. One of her uncle's old friends, HMS Sapphira. But the other was King. He'd been right on her tail since she left the Caribbean. Shadow was torn. She trusted that King could escape British custody eventually. He was good at that. If he ever wanted to see his precious mate again. There was no Britannia around to save him now. She turned away before she was spotted, returning to the safety of Spanish waters. Fantasma was teaching a batch of shiplings how to hunt when she arrived. "Ah, Sombra. You look thrilled. What's going on?" "King is close. He's going to do some of our work for us and give my former fleetmates a licking before coming to meet us." Sombra replied just barely dodging out of the way as one of the lively bunch made a lunge for her bowsprit. "Ey!" Fantasma hissed, delivering a swift smack to the shiplings stern, sending a message to the others and her especially to keep under control. He looked back at Sombra. "Most excellent news. Perhaps he can kill that pig, Alexander. Ever since he was promoted to Supreme Flagship of the Royal Navy, the Reds have given out nothing but trouble!" "He is… very traditional." Sombra winced. "He puts the meaning into being a lobsterback." "He is a sore in everyone. Regardless, should this plan succeed it will be the end of piracy in the Caribbean. Our merchants and plantations around Havana will no longer be threatened." "And once they are free, our reserves can be built up again. And we can do away with those heretics across the channel." Sombra hissed. But she turned more gentle as the shiplings crowded around her. She'd always had a soft spot for children. "To see the Protestants burn would be quite the spectacle, indeed." Fantasma agreed. He watched the shiplings. "Hmm. They seem to fancy your company." "I've always enjoyed children." Sombra said, nuzzling the one who had tried to grab her bowsprit. She now took interest in her figurehead. She was fascinated by the Grim Reaper.
"What's the back story on that?" Fantasma asked, also curious at the figurehead. Most were symbols of a ship's nature. "I don't know." She replied. "I used to wonder if it was a forewarning of sorts. I've lost nearly everyone I ever loved. Seen death time and time again. But I just don't know." She sighed. She looked down at the shipling, lowering her head and the shipling climbed onto her deck, snuggling up to her foremast much like how she used to do with her mother. "Perhaps it is a sign that one day, you will be the fiercest warrior." Fantasma suggested, "Comparable to the Grim Reaper." "Perhaps." Sombra agreed, chuckling as the shipling peered over her bow to look at it again. "Careful now little one. You don't want to fall off." She said, rigging lines wrapping lightly around her. "You would be a wondrous mother, I praise the man who loves you, when such a time comes." Fantasma smiled as he watched. Sombra nodded but inwardly she winced. She would never find a man. Her one and only love had been lost to her. She gazed at the shipling with the stare of a mother who would believed she would never know the joys of having children of her own. "Sombra. Why don't you teach them to fish? I have other works for the fleet I must tend to." She nodded and the shipling on her deck squealed with delight. "What's this little one's name?" She asked, tickling her. "Ana." He replied as said shipling giggled and squirmed happily. "Hello Ana." Sombra chuckled as she cuddled against her mainmast. Fantasma left to continue teaching the rest how to fish. Ana was purring up a storm.
Sombra carried her out into the harbor and set her down. Just below the surface a school of fish were swimming. "Now little one, show me what you know about fishing?" She poked her head underwater and... bubbles. The fish quickly swam away. Sombra sighed. She had a lot of work to do. "Okay, fish are scared by bubbles so don't make them. The trick is to be perfectly still." Sombra demonstrated, watching as the fish swam back to her and then, she lunged. Coming up with a fish in her jaws. "Now you try." Ana tilted her head and tried to copy her. The result was the same. She was just too young and playful at this age! Sombra sighed. "You're wiggling too much. Now stay still." She put a line over her back. "Now try again." The shipling whimpered and whined, looking at Sombra with eyes that begged to be let go. She just wanted to play. Sombra lifted her wire off her, instantly recognizing the trauma that such an action had done previously. She grabbed Anna and rolled her over, gritting her teeth to stifle her cry of disgust. "Why do they insist upon tormenting from such a young age?" She sighed, picking the shipling up and holding her to her side in a firm hug. She wiggled more, not understanding a word of Sombra. She just didn't want to be held still because she just wanted to play! Sombra started licking her. "Energetic little one you are." She said. She purred softly at the contact, rubbing into Sombra. "Too cute." Sombra chuckled. It was the first time since Britannia that she felt genuinely happy.
"Long Shadow." she was interrupted by the voice of Silent Mary. Just like her name implied, the man o war snuck up on her! She didn't hear her coming! "Yes Mary?" Sombra turned to face her. "One of my brigs was sunk in battle. An accompanying schooner says the vessel that attacked them fit the description of Wicked King. He's on the move." "I knew it was only a matter of time before he escaped the Brits. We should make for Gibraltar now if we are going to have a chance of meeting him there. How is our 'guest'?" "Determined. Fantasma is taking over her... conversion." "Do you want to bring her to the meeting?" Sombra asked. "Seeing her mate murdered might, help her be more cooperative." Mary hissed, "No! Are you being serious? The struggles both she and King would put up, you do not put two loves together. They will prevail to be with one another. She stays here." Sombra nodded. "As you wish, Mary." She replied. "The tide will turn within the hour. We should head out then." "Let's sail." She returned the nod.
Sombra led the way out of the harbor, careful to keep her abilities tightly controlled. Fantasma might've known but she didn't trust Mary not to take advantage of her abilities for her own use. As they approached Gibraltar, Sombra was on full alert. "This is a British held territory. Stay close to me." She was flying her British colors. "I can pass as an older British warship." She sniffed, flying false colors. "Just in case. Keep those gunports closed. I'd rather not take on a whole fleet just now. And remember to render honors coming in." Sombra dipped her colors to the fort, firing a quick cannon salute with blank rounds. Sombra had her eyes out for Wicked King. She expected him to be in disguise. The roar of cannons soon echoed and the fort's seaward wall collapsed in a huge explosion. As the smoke cleared, the two saw him. Wicked King.