Chapter 5 - Cervantes de Santa

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2 nights went by, and the trip was going well. Eric was enjoying the sounds of the seagulls and the sea combined, While Melody would play checkers against the youngest members of the crew, losing and winning equally.

Then the 3rd night fell. the ship continued to sail along the coastline. Eric designated overnight captains to sail the ship while he caught sleep, and used the can. He normally would just eat while sailing. Sometimes the crew caught glimpses of fish swimming along the shoreline, but not too often.

One late night, Melody was fast asleep, when she was jolted awake by the sounds of cannon fire.

"Pirates! All hands on deck!" Yelled a voice

"Pirates! Man the cannons!" yelled another

Eric was also jolted awake, and instantaneously jumped to life when he heard the word. Melody got up and heard the cannonfire and the musketfire. As she got out of her bed, a musketball slammed into her pillow, where her head was only seconds before. She shuddered to think what would've happened if she had not gone awake.

"Melody!" Eric burst open the door to Melody's room.

"Dad!" Melody replied

"You have to get out of here! There's at least 250 of them! We're only 30 strong!"

Melody knew exactly what her father meant when he said "You have to get out of here." It meant using the magic shell.

"Go tell Triton! Tell mom!"

Melody on the other hand, was pretty shaken up, but willing to go. She grabbed her magic shell, and ran out of her quarters and then for the edge of the ship. She dove into the cold north sea, and then activated her shell. Within seconds, she had her fins, and her scales to protect her from the cold.

She sped away from the doomed S.S. Seasparrow back for Denmark.

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As Eric predicted, his crew of 30 men were no match for the 250 pirates that had raided the S.S. Seasparrow. outmatched 8 to 1, Eric raised a white flag. The cannonfire stopped and the pirates cheered, as they had raided the small galley.

The 2 ships connected via ropes, and the pirates all began rounding up the deck hands and binding them.

"Which one of ye scalliwags is the captain?" asked a pirate

Eric raised his hand willingly, as he didn't want any of his deckhands to die.

"Get up, you dog!" The pirate ordered Eric up. He did as he was told, as he was surrounded by tons of gunpowder and cannonballs and was really in no position to argue.

When Eric rose up, a lone figure jumped from the much larger ship, and grabbed a rope and swung down to meet him. It was then Eric got a glimpse of his great adversary, The legendary Pirate Captain, Cervantes De Santa, A name who had been known for 30 years. No one knew what had become of Cervantes after he had left the Carribbean 10 years ago, and it was assumed he was dead at the bottom of the carribbean sea. But he was alive and well, and now had taken over a small vessel.

"A Danish vessel. Ye wave the Danish flag, and not the Spanish one?" He asked

"We are from Denmark, why wave the Spanish flag?" asked Eric

"I think the question is, You spoony bard, is why wave a Danish flag? To trick the great Cervantes De Santa into thinking you're a harmless Danish galley sailing to the fountain of youth, to get a drink for ye dying grandmother, when you're really an spanish vessel stealing gold from the Queen of England?" Cervantes accused Eric of lying to him.

"Are you not Spanish?" asked Eric

"Not anymore." Cervantes smiled with a blacktooth grin "I have defected from those religious hypocrites. They dare call me a thief? Telling me to confess my sins? The great Cervantes De Santa? They have robbed their people for years, promising eternal salvation. But why confess when all of us, in all of our sin, our only destination...is sailing into the shores of Hell?"

Eric was silent. Religion wasn't exactly a topic he took great delight in discussing.

"Take him to the dining room on the White Viper. now!" Cervantes ordered his crew.

A few pirates grabbed Eric's arms, and brought him on board the pirate's vessel. Not only was he scared for his life, but the lives of his crew. He was going to do whatever it took to stay alive, and to see his family again.

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