Chapter 8 - Aquatic Ambush

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For 24 hours, the mersoldiers awaited in the depths, doing lookouts and patrols, but keeping hidden. The navy on the other hand, was docked in Rockslide bay, hidden only a few metres from Devil's Island.

It was around noon, only 2 nights since King Eric's unfortunate encounter, that he was now sailing the White Viper towards Devil's island, against his will. He did not move slow, for if he showed any signs of slowing down, He would be whipped. His back was already whipped a few times, but his determination to see his wife and daughter again kept his feet planted firmly to the deck.

"We're close." Eric informed Cervantes, who was ever so close, and was ever so eager to discuss his ways with his captives' wives, all to taunt Eric.

"Good...I hope and pray you will not suffer much when you remove the stones." Cervantes laughed.

Eric turned back to the wheel, and steered the White Viper towards the island.

Meanwhile, underneath the waves, the Mersoldiers saw the massive ship, and one of them popped up to get a close look at it...and they noticed on the side, the ship read "White Viper."

The lookout swam back down to inform his fellow mersoldiers.

"Inform Captain Strong, the ship "White Viper" is coming towards us."

The word spread rather quickly amongst the mersoldiers. Captain Strong got all of his men to await in their designated spots. Ariel, Tiger, and Melody all awaited with King Triton in the pools of the cave where the stones were, as they were to act as the last line of defense.

Eric took the ship and stopped it in the large lagoon of Devil's island.

"Drop the anchor!" Cervantes ordered his men. They did as they were told.

"Lower the lifeboats! Eric, you're coming with me!" Cervantes grabbed Eric by the arm, and took him over to the lifeboat.

"Sit in there and shut up!" Cervantes threw Eric into his personal lifeboat, and then climbed in himself, with 4 of his best men.

"Eric, meet my personal best men. These men are skilled in the arts of fistfighting and such. They will assure our deliverance to the cave where these stones are awaiting me."

Eric looked at the 4 big brutes, all who were much bigger than he was, and could probably break him with a single punch.

The lifeboats were lowered into the lagoon, and about 100 men were bound for the shore.

But their easy steal was about to be interrupted by 100 angry mermen. It all began with Captain Strong, breaking the surface to attack the lifeboats.

"NOW!" he yelled, and 100 merman soldiers broke the surface and attacked.

Cervantes boat was closest to shore, and it landed before any mermen could attack it and take away it's passengers. But not all of his lifeboats were so lucky - some where being smashed and sunk, and the pirates aboard them were being dragged below the surface to be drowned, or worse, torn apart. Cervantes was shocked that his ship got attacked so quickly.

"Cursed Mermen! Curse them!" He yelled out as he ran his lifeboat onto the land.

It had been half a minute since the ambush, and the remaining pirates on board of the White Viper were shooting muskets into the water, and some mermen were getting hit, and some were wounded, and some were dying.

But then, a large cannon blast blew a hole in the hull of the white viper - The Navy was closing in, and they were 5 ships and 250 men strong, with General Kirk leading the way.

"Charge! For King Eric!" Kirk yelled out

"For King Eric!" The sailors began charging towards the island.

That was the mersoldiers' Cue to retreat back into the deep while the Navy charged in.

Meanwhile, Cervantes got deep enough into the caves, he brought Eric to the stones. A bright glittering sapphire, and a red ruby, embedded in a stone wall. Eric knew that if he removed them, he would bring great doom and gloom to the world around him.

"So, King Eric, Here we are...the stones...Take them out, Now!" Cervantes handed Eric a metal rod.

At this point, Eric knew Melody has arrived home safely, and that ambush outside was a rescue for him.

"Do you like your wife face down or face up! Do it, now!" Cervantes impatience and underestimation of Eric's stress was enough.

"No!" Eric took the metal rod, and struck Cervantes in the side of the head, knocking him down. The 4 brutes grabbed Eric, and held him as he struggled. Cervantes was nothing short of angered. When he stopped nursing the large wound that Eric had inflicted on him, he stood up, and pulled his longsword from it's sheath.

"Argh! Ye be makin' yer last mistake!" Cervantes laughed as he took the sword, and undid Eric's belt with it. But just as he was about to take the next step in dubbing Eric a eunuch, 4 figures emerged from the pools! It was Ariel, Melody, Tiger, And Triton. Ariel and Melody had taken their shells and turned to humans, while Tiger and Triton remained as merfolk. Cervantes paused for a moment to look at his new adversaries, and began to laugh at Eric.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You're the great king who married a mermaid! Hahaha! You filthy swine, laying with an animal of the deep!"

It was pretty evident all across the land & sea that there was a prince who had fallen in love with a mermaid, and to the sailors, it was a pretty funny story. To Cervantes, it was hilarious.

"Tell me, Eric...when ye go down on her, does she taste like fish!?" Cervantes could not stop laughing.

Tiger was the first to reply.

"Haha, that's real cute there, Cervantos...you know what else is cute? You sucking on my spear with no teeth!"

Tiger then jumped from the water, and punched Cervantes square in the mouth. Cervantes fell over, and then Ariel and Melody tackled the brutes in an effort to free Eric, and succeeded. Cervantes got up from being punched and ran to the stones. Triton used the trident to hit the brutes, and threw them into the walls of the cave. They did not get up from that hit.

But then more pirates entered the cave. With Cervantes at the stones, and Eric now free, this was going to be a brutal fight.

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