A Pirate's Life for Mei

The System

Lance gave Mei a knowing look, a twinkle in his blue eyes. "So, let me guess. The Caribs got you, didn't they?"

She opened her mouth and hesitated, then shrugged. "Kind of. Yeah." Would it behoove her to say more? Perhaps. Then again, she didn't know these people and she'd sort of assumed the worst about them, whether or not they were polite. So, for now, it might be best to remain guarded.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," he assured her. "It was the same for all of us."

"Oh really?"

"We were all barbecued and made the main course. Which is incredibly dark, but there you have it." He chuckled.

Armand nodded. "I was taken from Grenada, south of here."

"Uh, where is here, exactly?" she was quick to ask. She had no idea where the Caribs had taken her.

"St. Vincent," he clarified. "We are west of Barbados."

Cheeto pointed a thumb at Juan. "We were originally in Venezuela. Then some Carib tribe captured us and took us to what we think is maybe Tobago? Only for the tribe here to come in and sack their village the next day!" He laughed so hard he hugged his stomach and doubled over.

Mei was surprised. "Wow. So the Caribs are really active then, aren't they?"

"Oh yes," Lance confirmed. "Especially in this region, the Lesser Antilles. All the big colonies are up north in the Greater Antilles: Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico. So there are fewer tribes there. Though I've heard there are some really big aboriginal tribes in the American and Canadian territories. In fact, that's where North American aboriginal criminals are sent. They have their own prison colonies."

"Is that where you came from?" she asked. "American colonies?"

"No. I was being held in Barbados. Caribs plucked me right off the farm."

"Ah. Me too." She looked around questioningly. "How long have you all been here on St. Vincent?"

Lance shrugged. "A few weeks."

"Longer for us," Juan added, speaking for the first time.

"Months for me," Armand stated.

"Well, with your arrival, we might not be long for this place." Lance seemed carefree about it, as if he didn't mind the idea of returning to a prison island and losing his freedom. "They send the ship around now and then to collect those of us who get captured and respawn here. I've seen them brought in before. Happens about two or three times a year?"

Mei paled. "Oh no. Then we need to escape before they arrive." All four burst into laughs and her face turned red again. "What? What is it?"

"There's no escape from here," Armand told her kindly. His appearance was incredibly striking, the shock of white hair against the midnight of his skin almost supernatural or mystical. "St. Vincent does not have a colony as of yet, which is why we're able to respawn here. It's neutral territory. The only way off the island is the canoes the Caribs use."

Cheeto snorted. "And they wiped us out when we tried."

Lance shrugged, resigned. "We're all stuck here. The Caribs are experienced seafarers. They can navigate the ocean and know how to survive long trips. None of us have any idea how to do that. Even if we stole a canoe, which way do we go? How do we survive bad weather?"

"One big wave, and we fall overboard and drown," Armand added. "We respawn here or somewhere else, alone maybe, maybe someplace with no canoes or boats. Or we are close enough to a colony to end up back in chains. And none of us are in a hurry to do that, yes?"