The minutes passed without anyone moving, each waiting for the other's move. Their eyes wandered back and forth appraisingly. Meanwhile, the tension and the almost unbearable pain made Ares' eyes water. To his own displeasure, he could not prevent the tears from running down his cheeks. The firm grip in which he was held and the sharp blade at his neck made him whimper softly. He was deeply ashamed of the pathetic sight he was making at this moment, but he simply could not take any more, he had had to endure this torture for too long. With a jerk, the first mate admonished the merman to silence.

"I know you don't really want to do this, boy," a voice broke through the tense atmosphere that had arisen. There was something familiar in the placating words that made the first mate scan the ranks for the speaker in wonder.

"I'm here," the man drew attention to himself and climbed onto the railing of the naval frigate to give everyone a clear view of him.

Pure disbelief was written all over the face of the first mate as well as all the other men of the Amethyst who had been signed on to the pirate ship long enough to remember the sailor who had just come on the scene.

"That's impossible," whispered the first mate, not believing his eyes. Over there just a few feet away from him stood his old mentor, alive and kicking, when he should have been swimming with the fishes for years. His predecessor did not take his eyes off him, and with a gentle shake of his head told him that what he was about to do was not right. The first mate was torn, this man had taken him under his wing as soon as he first set foot on the deck of the Amethyst. He had taught him everything that made him the excellent helmsman and first mate he was today. He had become a father figure to him and he had mourned him for a long time after he had gone overboard in a storm as strong as the last one on the high seas and he had not been able to save him in the end despite his efforts. He had always trusted him, obeyed his words without contradiction.

But now he had betrayed the crew and him.

But he was alive!

The first mate was torn. He had been left behind by him on the pirate ship.

They had left their helmsman behind in the stormy sea.

What should he do?

Who should he follow.

Should he listen to his heart or his mind?

"Let the little sea boy go, Nathan," the fatherly voice intruded on his muddled thoughts. Without really consciously directing it, he loosened his grip on Ares.

Furious, the pirate captain surveyed the action, unceremoniously turning his weapon away from Eric. A shot rang out and splinters of wood flew.

The bullet had hit the railing at the speaker's feet.

"Don't let go of the brat or you'll regret it!" the captain threatened his first mate, who then remembered where his loyalties lay and gripped Ares a little tighter again. Satisfied, the captain turned back to Eric: "Let your people withdraw, your highness. You are fighting a losing battle. I will be merciful for once today and let all survive who voluntarily choose to do so. I can assure you, this does not happen often, you should seize this once in a lifetime opportunity and save as many of your men as you can."

Eric paused in his position. He was unwilling to just give the other the field, but the latter was right when he spoke of how he could probably avoid the greatest losses that way.

"Let my nephew go. Then we'll leave without a fight," he demanded in turn.

"You're not exactly in a position to make demands," the captain noted, but weighed in nonetheless, "but fine, if you want to negotiate, let's negotiate. If the price is right, I agree to hand over the merboy. Put your sword away and I will lower my pistol, negotiations happen without weapons."

Eric reluctantly complied with the request and lowered his sword, but the tension did not leave his body. He would be ready to attack again any second, should the other try to betray him.

The others followed the example of their leaders and lowered their weapons. The first mate still maintained eye contact with his former mentor. The two seemed to be engaged in a silent debate, which some of the pirates followed just as intently as their captain's actions. The older of the two had been careful not to utter another word once his former captain had made it clear what he thought of him coming on the scene at precisely this, for him, inopportune moment. However, the captain himself did not seem to know yet whether his old comrade-in-arms might not give him an advantage in the end, otherwise the bullet would not have hit the wood at his feet but his body, there was no question about that. Unlike Prince Eric, he had realised that the pirate saw himself outmatched, that his skins were threatening to swim away. Every little gesture of his former captain made it clear to him that he was playing for high stakes. He knew exactly how much influence he had on his protégé, his new first mate. It had been clear to see in the short period of time he had been able to address him. The pirate captain knew full well, if he lost the docility of his best man, he also lost his only leverage and this knowledge, and the rare fear that resulted, only made the pirate leader more dangerous. The prince may not have realised it at the time, but he represented superior strength, even with the pirate's pistol pointed at him. He himself had to use the time of the trial and continue to try to make it clear to the other that the sea boy had to be released at all costs. He did not want to and could not watch his protégé put his head deeper and deeper into the noose on which he and all the other pirates would hang in the end if the prince won and made them pay for their outrages in the usual way. He had used his only chance then to escape from that wretched ship and its crew. It had pained him immensely to have to leave the boy behind, but he had taught him everything he knew. The sudden opportunity that had arisen in the midst of that infernal storm was one he could not let pass. However, it had been a dangerous escape. His own survival had been on a knife edge. He had not dared to drag his little protégé with him to his doom and had therefore left him on board the Amethyst when he had dropped consciously over the railing into the roaring waves. He had been sure then that he would be able to hold his own against the other men and after what he saw before him here, he had been absolutely right in his assessment. It filled him with pride to see that the boy he had been allowed to give a second chance had made it this far and that he had used the potential he had seen in him from the first moment. He simply had to make sure that he would be able to present mitigating circumstances at his sentencing. He was not allowed to do anything to this boy. Better still, he should set him free. An intense exchange of glances, was the result of this train of thought and the old sailor recognised with goodwill how it continued to work in the other, even after his captain had demanded his loyalty. Now it was out of his hands, the young man had to figure out for himself which path he wanted to take. His mentor only hoped that his fear and the respect he undoubtedly had for his captain did not outweigh his courage.

Eric followed the pirate into his cabin, with two of his men escorting him to make sure the opposing captain would not try anything crooked. The Amethyst was a truly beautiful ship, but in many places one could see that her crew spent more time at sea than at any ports where they could restore the ship to the condition that would befit this beauty. This omnipresent unkemptness also permeated the gloomy and musty captain's cabin, even though Eric was sure that the captain still had by far the most noble accommodation. Moth-eaten, thick fabrics clung to the wooden cabinets, the window front at the stern was milky dull and let only a fraction of the sunlight into the room. Empty bottles lay scattered everywhere and the smell of rum and leftover wine permeated the stale air. The captain trudged towards his desk buried under all sorts of sea charts. Here and there Eric could see a few gold pieces and valuable-looking jewels peeking out from under the mess. With a sweeping motion, the captain uncovered part of the desk, some of the maps sliding to the floor, accompanied by the clink of a few coins. Since the captain did not tolerate anyone else in his cabin except his first mate, and since he would never offer him to make himself comfortable by allowing him to sit on a chair, he did not even have one in duplicate. In order to hold a negotiation at eye level with the prince, however, he unceremoniously rolled an empty barrel, which until then had served as a shelf, out of one of the dark corners. With an inviting gesture, he invited Eric to sit on it and went behind the desk to his own, much more comfortable-looking seat. Hastily, he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"Here you are, sir, my demands. You need do nothing more than sign this and your nephew is free," he said with a smug grin and slid both over to Eric. The prince reached for the piece of paper and let his eyes glide over it carefully. His gaze lingered in horror on the lines that could be read there. In his hands he held nothing less than, judging by the unmistakable seal imprint, a royal letter of marque.

What was missing, however, was his father's signature.

The king's signature.

"Where did you get that?" asked Eric, lifting his gaze with difficulty from the letter that would grant the pirate safe conduct and immunity from punishment. Piracy and privateering under the hand of the crown.

"A few gold coins here some threats there and some luck," the pirate answered him lightly shrugging his shoulders. Eric couldn't believe it.

When had his father drawn something like this up?

How many of these documents were in circulation and to whom had they been officially handed over?

How had something with such implications completely passed him by?

"I can't sign that. Besides, it wouldn't have any effectiveness anyway if it didn't come from an official hand," he said, shaking his head. He had no doubt whatsoever about the authenticity of the document, but the pirate didn't need to know that.

"Hm, hm. Too bad, but also. I had feared that. Nevertheless, I must ask the following question. Are you really sure you want to leave your nephew in my care?" the pirate drilled at Eric's weak spot. He had the perfect leverage. Eric couldn't shake the feeling that his counterpart had planned all this down to the last detail. How many evasion plans and back-doors had this guy only thought of in advance in order to get what he really wanted in the end? Eric was torn between his sense of duty and his reluctance to be blackmailed. If he gave in here, it would not be the last time, the Crown could not agree to such a deal.

The crown could not agree to such a deal. But Ares urgently needed his help. Had he not sworn to do everything to ensure that his nephew would return safely to his parents? This decision was anything but easy. The pirate watched him wait and see from his small dark pupils; unlike Eric, he seemed to be very sure of the prince's final decision.

"I need ink," Eric finally clarified and reached for the pen that had been placed at the ready. Nodding in agreement, the pirate dug out a small, dark barrel and placed it within Eric's reach. Ready to write, the pirate held the quill just a few millimetres above the document after soaking its tip in the deep black ink, until he finally put it down with a heavy heart and completed the captain's letter with a curved stroke. The grin on the other's face became so wide that it even revealed a gold tooth in the back rows. Eric waited a moment for the ink to soak in and dry before rolling up the caper letter. Encompassing one end of the roll, he held it out to the captain. When he tried to take the document, Eric pulled it out of his reach.

"How stupid do you think I am?" the prince asked, stoking the other's anger. The pirate had to force himself to remain calm. In order to at least maintain an outward impression and not give himself away by acting rashly and impulsively, he fought the urge to jump up and simply reach across the table for the other. He had to remain the superior in this power game at all costs. So he left it at giving Eric a brief evil glare. The two guards of the prince then started to reach for their weapons, but were restrained by Eric with a simple gesture.

"Do you really think I would hand you this letter here and now and not expect you to make off with it and my nephew? Forgive but on the word of a pirate, I don't give much," Eric clarified.

"Of course, I understand that. I wouldn't react any differently if I were you. Well, then let me prove to you how much my word is worth," he said conciliatorily, although the underlying threat was not entirely hidden. The captain then asked Eric to step out onto the deck again. Eric eyed the other suspiciously, but let him for the moment and rose from the uncomfortable barrel. He stowed the letter safely at his side between his waist and belt. Leaving the captain behind, he simply strode out flanked by his men.

"You'll regret this, prince," the captain muttered into his beard before he too left his cabin again.

The bright light of the sun, which by now had fought its way through the clouds, made his pupils constrict painfully as the pirate let his gaze wander over the deck of his ship. All eyes were on him and the prince, waiting. No one knew yet how the negotiation had gone. The green eyes of his first mate had been watching him since he first stepped out of the cabin. He waited attentively for a sign from his captain, however inconspicuous, that would signal him to act. However, it was not he to whom the captain gave one of the several little signs that were anchored in the minds of every single man of his crew. He scratched his left temple twice with his little, middle and index finger and immediately six of his men retreated unnoticed into the interior of the Amethyst. Meanwhile, the rest of the eyes were on Eric, who in turn was heading for the first mate.

Now that he could again be sure of a plan B, the pirate eyed his opponent's endeavour with a gleeful grin. Without giving it much further thought, he reached for his pistol and pointed it at his previous negotiating partner's back.

"Not so fast, your highness. Hand over the letter. You may not take much on my word, but you can ask any of my people and even that pesky traitor over there, I'll hold it! And now I give you my word that this bullet will be for you unless you hand over this letter to me immediately," he threatened, taking the safety off the gun.

"If you want it so badly then go and get it," Eric replied as he turned to the other and pulled the roll from his belt.

"With the greatest pleasure," the pirate replied with a resounding laugh, but it died instantly as he watched Eric toss the caper letter into the air. The scroll was immediately seized by one of the still persistent strong gusts. Terrified, the captain set off after the document and also ordered his men to grab it before it fell into the sea and became useless.

Eric used the resulting chaos to turn back to his real target. He found himself face to face with the man who still held Ares in an iron grip. He stood there calmly and gave the impression that all the activity around him did not affect him in the slightest. At the sight, Eric faltered for a brief moment, unsure whether he seemed to have missed something here.

The first mate was horrified by the chaos on deck and tried hard not to let himself see it. Never before had he seen his captain let himself be paraded like this. Figuratively speaking, he alone was sometimes the only rope holding the ship in position as it threatened to capsize. He was not allowed to buckle and had to hold the position. But this turned out to be more difficult than he had thought, when he saw his captain, who always commanded respect, running across the deck in such a silly manner, chasing a piece of paper. It didn't fit at all with the image he had formed of him since then and made him realise how delicate the situation had become in those few minutes. Everything was threatening to end in disaster. They had to get rid of the navy and what better way to do that than to give them what they asked for? He had been convinced from the beginning that this boy was not worth it and that opinion had not changed. He was sure that his captain would probably still be able to pull out one of his aces, but he decided to take matters into his own hands. This decision was only further underpinned when his keen eyes detected the arrival of another ship on the horizon. If the navy received reinforcements, the tide would change for both parties in an instant, and certainly not in favour of the pirates. He knew about the positioned sailors and their task below deck, but this reassurance was by no means sufficient for him now. Every passing second was precious to escape from this fiasco.

Exchanging one last look with his old mentor, he took his knife from the sea boy's throat. His uncle had come to a halt only a few steps in front of them. The other seemed to misunderstand his intention, however, and spurred on hurriedly started moving again. The prince drew his sword and rushed towards him.

"Goodbye fish boy, you have caused me and the ship enough trouble. I hope the sharks are hungry," he whispered in Ares' ear as he cut his last bonds and pushed him into the sea. The moment Ares fell into the sea, accompanied by a loud splash, he drew his own sabre to thwart the attack.

Eric didn't know what hit him as the young mate brought both dagger and sabre down on him.

"Get out while you still can," the man advised him, countering his practised blows with enough cunning and guile that this skirmish could have dragged on forever. Eric, however, was exhausted from the previous confrontation and his mind was racing only about his nephew. Not giving another thought to the other, he dived over the railing into the roaring sea after a casually executed feint.

Pausing, the mate let his gaze follow him.

"That was almost too easy... fool," he commented snidely on Eric's short-tempered and, above all, rash action. Shortly afterwards, he ran across the deck past his captain and the other men. They were still trying to secure the letter, which had become entangled in the rigging of the main mast. Those who were not busy chasing the paper had unceremoniously jumped back into the fray after Eric had drawn his weapon against him.

The moment he had placed his fingers around the familiar wood of the steering wheel, he gave the longed-for order to the sailors waiting below deck. Looking over the horizon at the approaching reinforcements, he counted down in his mind the few seconds that would pass until the longed-for deafening roar of thunder echoed across the sea. Once again, the Amethyst had brought down a broadside on the frigate. Only half a broadside, but at such close range it was far enough to disable the other ship's manoeuvrability. With satisfaction, the first mate realised that they might even have hit the frigate so hard that it would soon be filled with sea water. There was no way they would be able to follow them, and with their prince and the injured mermaid overboard with the hungry sharks, they had enough to do that the second approaching ship would think twice about going after the three-master.

The crew of the navy frigate did not know what hit them. Some of the men rushed back to their own ship to prevent the worst, others seemed undecided whether to jump into the floods after their prince, and still others held their own against the remaining pirates. Little by little, the ranks thinned and the last marine set sail. The battle was lost, now it was a matter of keeping the losses as low as possible and getting the injured to safety.

"Retreat!" ordered the highest-ranking Marine mate as he noticed the grappling hooks being cut and the Amethyst starting to move again. Most of the crew barely made it back to their doomed frigate before the gap between the two ships became too wide.

Stunned by what had happened, the men watched as the pirate ship turned and sailed away. Even in the few minutes it took the crew to realise what had just happened, the big ship began to sink noticeably. A handful of huge holes gaped in the side, through which the seawater entered unhindered. Some of the sailors tried in vain to save what they could, but they soon realised that all their efforts were in vain.