THE SAILS OF THE HIGH SEAS

- Chapter 2 -

The isle of Mompracem was a jewel above all other islands in the waters surrounding the territory of Labuan, in the tropical paradise of Malaysia. There were no other isles that could compare to its proud local history, its far-reaching fame, and its stunning beauty. One man considered this land to be of utmost importance in his heart.

That was, until the day his eyes crossed paths with the eyes of a woman who made his heartbeat faster, and who tamed his restless spirit all the while giving him the courage to fight for the good of his people against those who chose to forgo justice because of their own sick personal gains. And the way that day began offered no warning whatsoever of what was soon to come...

"Set the sails, my dear Yanez!" exclaimed a ruggedly handsome man with a spine-tingling gaze and a ravishing smile adorned by a pirate's beard, standing beside his best friend on the deck of a praho pirate ship sailing through the waters off the coast of Mompracem.

"Where to?" Yanez replied.

"Where the winds take Us! Wherever the adventure awaits on this fine day!" the man grinned with full confidence in his crew and patted his best friend on the back.

"Still afraid to head back and face Your sister?" Yanez looked at his companion and laughed when the man shrugged the notion.

"A noble pirate is never afraid!" Said the man as he began walking towards the upper deck of the ship.

"True! But Your sister could pierce a rock with her eyes," Yanez replied. The man stopped in his tracks, and turned around, allowing the gentle breeze to play master with his shoulder length hair.

"Point taken, Yanez. Point taken." The man walked back toward Yanez and leaned on the starboard side of the ship. He crossed his chiseled and perfectly sculpted arms that were hidden under the crisp white cloth of his shirt, yet clearly visible. "I reckon it will be best for the both of Us to stay out of her way for a while."

"Aruna never lets You forget who is older, does she?" Yanez chuckled lightly and leaned on the starboard side beside his best friend.

"Have You ever come across a female pirate that admitted her fault?" The man asked as he raised his eyebrow.

"Never!" Yanez exclaimed and brought out a laugh in his fellow pirates.

"She may have had a point in what she had said, but that does not mean we should put the lives of Our fellow countrymen at stake because of it," suddenly the man grew serious. He rubbed at his bearded cheek, and Yanez could see the pain of memories in the man's eyes.

"I must admit, Your sister did speak with honesty in her words. But we would be fools to rush after the entire British force in Labuan just to avenge Your parents' death," Yanez paused, realizing how much pain his best friend had experienced in his youth.

"Aruna still yearns for the days that have passed long ago, when we held titles and lived within palace walls instead of caves," the man sighed.

"That she does. Wouldn't that be the day when You would walk among the British with Your head held high and flashed Your family's royal crest ring?" Yanez smiled.

"Aye, Yanez." The man sighed again, and turned the ring with his family's royal crest around his finger. It was the only thing he had left of his father, and the last thing given to him by his mother before they were murdered. "Though my heart longs for the day I would put an end to the British invasion of Our beautiful land, my cutlass blade whispers to me that chasing all the British forces out of Labuan is not the way to go about it. They would return with a much more considerable army, and plunder Our land to its very last grain of soil."

"You are right. As usual. But that does not mean we cannot have a little fun with the British now and then," Yanez offered his best friend a mischievous smirk.

"Precisely, my dear Yanez!" Said the man, in a notably lighter tone of voice than a moment ago.

"Sandokan!!!" Shouted a man from high up above them in the crow's nest.

"What is it Kshitij?" Sandokan looked up.

"British ship, dead ahead!" The man replied and pointed toward the bow of the ship.

"Yanez, this may be exactly what I needed today!" Sandokan patted his best friend on the back so hard that Yanez coughed. "Alright men! Let's greet Our fellow sailors the only proper way we should in these parts of Our dear Labuan!"

"Which means?" Yanez asked, fully aware of the answer.

"With the tip of Our blade!" Sandokan shouted with confidence and grabbed the helm himself. The excitement in his eyes shone even brighter the moment the British ship ahead of them seemed to have run aground, or rather, ran out of the manpower.

Eager to conquer another ship under the British banner, and add it to countless conquests of many ships that already fell prey to his trusted men, Sandokan steered his ship with the ease of a seasoned pirate, and positioned it along the port side British ship. Though he was excited at first, the heart of a pirate began to beat inside his chest in an alarming way. Soon after, his gut twisted in a way that offered no more doubt in Sandokan's mind that they had just walked into a trap.

The moment this thought had flashed through his mind, the British ship's gun ports opened, exposing the cannons that pointed directly toward the pirate ship. Sandokan shouted at his men to take cover, but it was too late. Too late to save them all! Too late to save the ship!

The sound of his cherished praho ship breaking into pieces, wood plank after wood plank, mast after mast, ripped at Sandokan's heart. The ship's rigging flew helplessly around him, the crow's nest fell heavy into the water along with Kshitij's wounded and lifeless body. Sandokan lost the count of his men and of their bodies falling prey to the treacherous British guns.

Suddenly, as he clung onto the ship's helm, the gun shots stopped. The cannons seized firing. And a deafening silence fell upon both ships. The only thing he could hear were the last breaths of life of his fellow pirates. And then, a man walked onto the deck of the British ship. The man with a heavily decorated Colonel's coat, and a cocky grin stood proudly and looked directly at Sandokan.

The man narrowed his eyes, and shouted with self-absorbed arrogance across the distance of the two ships. "Surrender Sandokan!" 

"You seem to have confused me with a British dog who surrenders when thrown a bone!" Sandokan shouted back, while he held onto the deep wound in his arm which stained his crisp white shirt with undeniable traces of blood.

"You seem to understand English language pretty well for someone of Your... level," the Colonel shouted and shook his head.

"That makes two of Us!" Sandokan grinned, though he did so as he hissed from pain.

"Well, now. Enough with the pleasantries. Surrender or die!" The Colonel shouted and waited for a response.

"A fine offer, I must say!" Sandokan stood up proudly. He would give the British no satisfaction, nor would he offer the Colonel the benefit of deciding upon his fate. He made his way toward the middle of the ship, looked around, and turned toward the British man. "I live my life at my own will. And I will never surrender to the likes of You, You poor excuse of a sheep's dog!"

"Suit Yourself!" The Colonel replied. "But I do find it a duty of mine to advise You that although You may consider Yourself to be a man of Your people, Your existence shall soon be put to an end because of the betrayal of one of Your very own!"

Saying so, the man gestured with his hand for the cannons to resume their assault on the pirate praho ship. As the dust and smoke rose, the remainder of the ship went up in flames. The Colonel stood on the deck of his ship and watched with utter satisfaction as Sandokan's body launched into the waters. But in his ignorance, he did not bother to search for the pirate's body. Once the pirate ship was destroyed, the British ship left, and charted the course toward Labuan.

What the Colonel did not realize was that Sandokan's wounded body would soon be carried toward safety by the waters of the land he had sworn to protect, and toward the unsuspecting arms of the woman who would come to save Sandokan's life, time and time again...