Author's Note: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED! Your criticism and questions are much appreciated.

Smithy: That is a good question; I tried to incorporate it in the last chapter, but without avail. Will and Elizabeth have only two kids at the moment; the 18 year old twins Miriam and Chris, I know it is kind of weird that Elizabeth is pregnant when she has two adolescent kids, but the world is an insane place.

To all of you who didn't review, go back right NOW and do so. I used to not review stories, I know it is hard to believe, but I realize now how important reviews are. These reviews make you feel like your story and you yourself are worth it, so again, the underline meaning is to READ AND REVIEW  Remember you can't have one without the other!

I disclaim that I own any of the Pirates of the Caribbean characters, sniff, but of course Miriam, Chris and André (If you are asking yourself if you missed something, don't worry, he still hasn't appeared yet in the story) are of my creation. Now, without further ado, I present… (Drum roll)…Chapter 2!

Chapter II: Chains

Dark, everything was black.

Miriam groaned as she lazily opened her eyes, an ear splitting headache causing her to shut them before she had fully glimpsed the world around her. As last night's events flooded back, she forced her eyes to come open. Through her dark eyelashes, everything was black. She could feel the motion of the ship underneath her, but the memory of such a ship was forgotten to her mind. The soft waves knocked into the wood hull, swaying the boat to the motions of the sea. Hushed bumps and splashes where heard from beneath her, as the air was caught under the vessel. The soft sounds of the sea were drowned out by the low murmur of the people around her. Women and men alike sat on the damp wood, huddling together for warmth. Miriam searched the crowd for familiar faces. But her mother's smiling face and father's determined one were not to be found among the dark figures. All were young, none above the age of 20. The rattle of iron on wood was heard as Miriam's neighboring figure moved to face her. Chris's face bore memories of the fight. His short, wavy brown hair was crumpled, and his hazel eyes flamed with hatred and anger. A thin red scar adorned his left cheek. Miriam mutely reached to touch it, her hand brushing the small scar. As her hand stood in the air, she faintly noticed the thick, heavy iron chain around her left wrist. Christopher looked at her, "I obtained it during the fight; one man's knife scratched me before I blocked it."

Miriam's mouth curved into a smile, hidden in the dark, crowded room she recognized to be the storage chamber below deck, "And Ali couldn't block your knives? I sense you are out of practice, my brother."

Christopher shrugged off the comment, "It would do no good now, they have taken everything of value I had on me, my remaining knives included. They even found the one I hide behind my ear."

Miriam leaned on the wet wall behind her, the lines on her face grim, "They are slave dealers, aren't they?"

Christopher nodded in the dark, "We have sailed for a night. They awoke us before dawn; the light was bright and by the position of the stars disappearing in the sky I learned we are headed south. Only slave dealers feed us near nothing and head for the land of the conquers."

"Why the chains? We have no hope of escaping a boat. They would not fear mutiny from nobles," Miriam commented, twirling the chain around her wrist.

"Not all nobles, just the ones with muscles. They stopped before dawn to sell Rachel. She was sobbing the entire way, and the conquers would not accept her to build their cities."

"Then this crew fears mutiny…"

Christopher smiled as his sister though, "I see the gears turning, Miriam. What? Is a life of servitude building temples not to your liking?"

Miriam looked at him through the dark humid air, "My place is on the sea, not digging the dust. A crew with fear is easy to manipulate…"

The small door that lead to the deck opened, light from the bright noonday sun streaming in. The huddled slaves hid their faces at the added light, squinting their eyes into slits. A tall, muscled dark skinned man dragged down a smiling youth. The man grunted with effort. The young man was tall, parts of his long black hair braided, adorned with ethnic beads and covered in a red bandana. His crystal blue eyes pierced the darkness as his brilliant white smile directed the dark skinned man. From the crowd of sighing people, Miriam gasped as she recognized the young man who had jumped over the fire.

"Now, my dear friend, this is no way to treat a companion. I was but trying to get to the water. Most of these poor souls are dying. If the Incas are to accept them you must feed us well," the young man commented lightly as the muscled man threw him down the stairs. But his comments were unanswered. The small door creaked shut, the captive bodies straining to receive one last glimpse of sunlight. A rat-like man locked the heavy chains around the young man's wrists, adding two others around his ankles. The wood beneath Miriam creaked as the black haired youth sat beside her, his beaded hair clinking softly underneath his red bandana.

Christopher leaned over to whisper in her ear, "That's the one responsible for the chains. He was caught along with us, but before they could throw him down here, he ran away. Sneaky and clever fellow. Reminds me of someone…"

The handsome young man interrupted by noisily spreading his legs as the buzz of the voices in the room erupted once more, "Now, now, lad, it is not proper to talk of people when they do not know about the deed."

Christopher looked up, his face stone, "These chains prevent us from escaping our slave date, and I believe it is you I own the tanks to."

The young man smiled, "Sorry to hear that. I doubt you would ever escape even without the chains, however."

Only the chains restrained Chris from jumping at the young man. "I have escaped from much more than this," he hissed.

The young man inspected his fingers, "If you say so."

Miriam motioned Chris to stop, her hand resting on his shoulder. The young man missed nothing, "That you gal? Or perhaps your wife? Either way, the lass is much brighter than you."

Christopher's and Miriam's eyes locked the young man's in an angry glare. Miriam locked her jaw, "I am not his anything. He is my brother. And if you wish to speak with me, mind you do it. I am not an object to be spoken of."

The young man grinned, "Are you married or engaged?"

Miriam was taken back by the question, "None or the other…" then she snapped, "Why?"

"I was only wishing to learn more about you, servi?"

Miriam gasped as she recognized the voice, smile and looks. Quickly she buried her discovery, not knowing the full accurateness in her statement and wishing to have an advantage over this handsome and mysterious young man.

"What is it?" asked Chris, concerned.

Miriam shook her head, telling him that it was nothing. The young man leaned forward, looking at their faces, "Hey, are you two twins? If, not you can really see the family resemblance."

Miriam hid a smile in the dark, her tone cold as she spoke, "Twins. If you want more information and have knowledge of how to write, write down your questions and save us time."

The young man grinned, his white teeth flashing, "But we have all the time in the ocean! It is a long way from here to the Amazon…"

Miriam leaned over, looking into his crystal blue eyes, "Amazon? I though that we were to be sold in the Spanish holdings, not in the Amazon. The conquers are not as prominent in the Amazon."

"Not the conquers. Our expensive flesh is to be sold to the Incas. They have hidden in the Amazon, seeing as that is their natural terrain and they have more knowledge of the land. But they are constantly pushing back the conquers and their temples and houses must be built and rebuilt deeper in the rainforest. We are the needed labor to build these temples and palaces for gods we do not worship, and to die trying. The Incas have much to fear, and our lives, once we reach the lands will be taken, as they will never until our death stop us from building until our death."

Miriam and Chris looked the young man as he leaned back on the wall and closed his eyes. Chris looked into Miriam's hazel eyes and saw for the first time in his life fear. Slavery was much to fear, and slavery by the hunted Incas would be worse than the conquers.

The young man opened one eyes lazily to smile at Miriam, "What is your name? as we are destined to be companions to death, I wish to know it. I promise you on my mother that the day I die I will whisper it with my dying breath."

Miriam snorted, "How many people have you promised that to?"

His smile spread into a grin, "My father, my mother and you."

Miriam spoke sarcastically, but her word were true, "I am so honored by this tribute you have bestowed on me."

"You should be, and from now on, call me André. That is my name, if you would promise me to say it with your dying breath I would be much honored, as well."

Miriam smiled, "No such promise will come out of my lips until my mother and father have been promised so. My name is Miriam."

"Miriam…it is a sea name. Pirate father? What is your brother's name, the one that is a mirror image of you, Miriam?"

Christopher reached out to take André's hand in his, "Christopher."

André lifted himself up and looked to the door, "Here comes our food, my friends."

The soft thud of the waves was heard from underneath the vessel as the boat lulled to the motion of the sea. The dark chamber was a buzz with the voice of the youth's as they planned and plotted. Slaves were sold. These would have to be bought. Conspiracies were formed and food eaten silently as the night again covered everything is its veil. Stars peeked in the sky, weary of the ever present tendrils of fog. The vessel's bowsprit broke through the water silently and mutely as the stars pointed it south.

A/N: There it is! Slaves, pirates and ancient civilizations, what more could anyone ask for? Now, see the small rectangular box to the bottom left of this page? Click the go button and SUBMIT A REVIEW. It doesn't have to be long or lengthy, just let me know you read my story and a few comments you have. I'll answer your questions if you have any!