Day 3: May 16, 1568
I didn't say anything to Alejandro. I was still in shock, "His brother, Delmar." I thought. I couldn't move my arm much. I didn't care because Alejandro was the one who was worse. He can barely move. I know that it hurts him to talk, so I told him not to. I looked out to sea, thinking. "I have this key, but for what reason? What about Delmar? What about Alejandro? What about my other ships?" I saw only three left of my Armada. "How will I stop a war with only three ships?" I sighed.
Ramiero put his hand on my shoulder, "You did well, Captain Zanita." He then walked away. It helped a bit, but I had doubt about my mission.
I snapped out of it. "I just need to be as strong as I was when I first started. There is still hope and strength within this crew. There were only two who were left on the island. I still have my crew and spirit." I turned around and felt like how I was when we first set sail. I was confident, spirited, and strong.
I saw Alejandro walk out on deck, "Alejandro, you need to rest."
"I have… something to…" He tried to speak.
"You can write it down." I told him.
He shook his head and held out his hand. There was a strange mark. He was looking down at his hand. Then looked at me with a sorry type look on his face.
"Alejandro..." I calmly said, "You need to rest."
He stood firmly onto the ground, back straight and chin up, with a salute "No, Captain! I am able to stand, thus I am able to work!" It seemed he had put his pain and doubts aside like what I have done.
I had to give him an easy task, but there wasn't an easy one, "Just watch everyone and make sure they are doing their job. If they need help, then do so."
It was something that was not my intention, but he took it, "Yes Captain Zanita!"
I took a breath. I could smell the water. It calmed me. I closed my eyes, leaned on the edge of the railing, and listened to the waves.
"Captain! Another sailing giant elephant!" Luis called out. "Elephant?" I opened my eyes to Luis looking my way. "I thought I hid the rum." I told Ramiero.
Ramiero spoke, "The kid didn't drink. He knew what he said yesterday and thought it was funny, but the kids right." Ramiero pointed behind me.
I was at the bow, so something is sailing straight towards us. I quickly turned around. It was another ship. I looked at the flag, "Crap, it's the British."
I ran for the hull. I grabbed it and flung it to my left. The ship had made a sharp turn. "Pre-pare the weapons and get ready to fire on my command!"
"Aye, Aye!" It was muffled, but their response was heard. Alejandro ran up, "What is it?" I didn't look at him. He only looked at what my eyes were staring at and he turned his head towards that way. "British." Alejandro had a disgusted sound in his voice.
We were almost beside them. I was able to see their captain. He took his hat off and bowed and then made a hand signal.
I had to do what I thought was needed, "Fire!" My cannons fired at the same time they did. Theirs had missed, but violently shook the ship. Only one of our cannons had hit, but from my angle, that one cannon was just enough.
Their ship was still moving, "Fire!" I yelled again. They didn't fire back. Our cannons had missed, but shook their ship and put more water in the hole that was made from our last blast.
"What's this?" I wasn't surprised to see them flying a white flag saying that they give up. I laughed, "Good job crew! They surrendered!" Our ships moved closer together. "I would really like that ship as a reward!" I teased, yelling at the captain.
He again took off his hat. "We can also be part of your crew." His smile was wicked.
"He has something to hide." I thought. "I don't think so. We are in war with you. I don't…" I stopped when the captain fell after a gunshot came from behind me. I turned to see who it was, "Alejandro? What was that for?" He had his head down, "Personal reasons. I didn't kill him. I know my aim." He walked away.
I looked back at the ship. The captain held his arm, "I will still serve under you, Captain Zanita."
I looked at him suspiciously, "How do you know my name?"
"You're talk of all of Europe, but people say that you will soon be easily forgotten." He responded as someone rushed up to bandage him.
I had to think, "I still don't trust him."
He yelled across again, "I can have someone captain my ship and I can come on your ship."
"Only you?"
He nodded, "Yes, just me."
I went to get a plank for him to walk onto. "You will be our Cabin Boy. You can start by swabbing the deck. I don't need your ship." I took down the plank.
He looked at me oddly, "You don't want more of a crew?"
"I don't." I answered him.
He turned towards his former ship, "Go! Try to make it back to England!" Their ship was damaged and almost flooded. It would be a good blessing if they made it, but was something I had no care for.
Ramiero had brought a sponge and a pale over to our new crewmate.
"Get to work." I walked away towards the hull.
"Which deck do I clean?" I turned around and smiled, "All of them." He smiled back, "Aye, Aye."
I walked to my room. Alejandro was sitting on the edge of the bed. "What about your past made you shoot that man? Don't get mad, but he is our new crewmate. You need some self-control."
He put his hands to his head, "That old man. That English man! Captain James killed my mother!" He grabbed my arms that had been at my side and stood up, "Do you know how it feels?"
I looked at him. His face wasn't far from mine. "I think everyone on this ship has a past. I think we all know how it feels." I gently pushed him to sit, "Don't do that to me, alright?" He only nodded his head. "You still need to rest. Ignore that man. I'll handle him. Don't kill him either. He's a vital part of this mission." I walked out of the room, "Please, don't do anything stupid, Alejandro." I thought while closing the door.
James was on his hands and knees scrubbing the deck when I walked out. "I don't want you to do anything stupid either." I told him.
He stood up and bowed. His hat over his heart and one hand behind his back, "I promise."
I looked at him suspiciously, "I would like if you could stop bowing. It is something that I don't need."
"It is a habit of mine. And it's not that you don't need it, it's just something you don't seem to be used to." He stood straight and put his hat back on.
I took out my dagger, pushed him to the railing with the knife under his chin, "Don't tell me what I'm used to and not used to. I'm the captain of this ship and the only captain of this ship." I took the dagger away from him. He only grinned throughout the whole ordeal.
I walked to the hull. Ramiero walked to James, "That's just two of the rules you need to follow: Watch your tongue and don't make the captain angry." James just gave Ramiero a look, and then turned back to where he was working on.
Ramiero made his way towards the hull, "You sure about this guy?" He asked me.
I looked at him, "I can handle him."
"None of our crew trusts him." He pointed out.
"I know. I can get him into shape. Plus I know where he came from. He can help our way around." He didn't argue, but still had no trust for James and walked away.
The sun was setting on a beautiful night. "I am done captain." James strolled over to me with the empty pale and sponge.
"Good job for the first day. You can go to sleep." We had extra hammocks due to the loss of my men.
"I'm not tired. I want to get to know my captain better." He sat down the pale and stood next to me on the bow.
"I'm not telling you any…" I had an idea, "You first."
He started, "My name is Captain James MacArthur of England." He said proudly. "I think that's all you need to know. Now what about you?" "You seem to know everything about me that you need to know. All that talk around Europe." I walked down to the lower deck and James followed me.
"Alright, you don't have to tell me anything. You don't have to tell me that you faked your way into military training. You don't have to tell me that both of your parents abandoned you."
He went too far, "Silence your mouth!" I unsheathed my sword.
He did the same to his. "Did I hurt you?" He smiled.
We began to fight. I brought my sword up while he brought his down. Then I brought my sword down while he brought his up. I had time and space to use my boot and kick him away.
I sheathed my sword, "I found out something else about you." He just looked at me with fiery eyes. "You're not worth hitting." I looked at him, "Sheathe your sword and go to sleep." I walked to my room to sleep and make Alejandro take the night shift. I wouldn't trust them to be sleeping at the same time.