Prisoner of Tenerife Sea

Chapter 1: Prisoners

Black sails. The very sight could send a shiver up even the coldest of men's hearts. It's midnight shadow iconic and familiar across all seven seas. Their captain even more infamous.

For the Juliet crew; a stillness had long hushed over them as a dreaded silence came in; they had felt it long before their crew's screams had echoed and abruptly ended. It was deafening at first, the death and their cries for mercy, but now only the gentle wind breezed over them. Its touch fanning their hair, swaying quiet enough to hear faint sniffles from a few women unlucky enough to be present.

Bright copper red filled The Juliet's decks; different shades of brown running over light-colored planks while panning across and spreading slowly over the ship's deck. It's rich metallic smell blending in with the sea air. A stench familiar to those who had been sailing most their lives. Sadly, all of them knew death's perfume. It stunk like decomposition; mixed with fecal and urine. It was a sharp sour smell that could curdle lemons. Its scent had reached every member's nose a while ago; they just couldn't do anything.

Their involuntary compliance made the Juliet crew aware they had been forced to kneel in the thickness of their deceased friend's blood. A disturbing thought, but as the old saying goes; Dead men tell no tales.

They were given no burial or respect by their opposition. It sufficed to be said that where they were slain is where they had fallen; each serviceman either run through or his neck slit wide open to reveal what lied underneath these men's flesh.

The crew to survive were the ones who surrendered before the slaughter began. As battles raged, their blood spilled. Its copper liquid lapped up naturally by the sun's high swelter; naturally causing the bodies to bake in their own juices.

In choosing a naturally hot day to attack, the humidity made the stink more pungent. All of this was preventable. It never had to happen and wouldn't of if the Juliet had just stayed within their own water perimeter.

Consequently; a storm had knocked their ship wayward. The Juliet had ample time to seek protection under other merchant ships, but never did. Each member had stayed up all night praying and making sure the ship didn't capsize. This was done all while protecting their precious cargo. Cargo that belonged to their majesty King. Plenty stocked with food, weapons and treasure. The perfect bounty for pirates.

Pirates that would not have attacked had the Juliet reset its course.

That was cocked all to hell now. When the storm raged its fates along with their poor judgment decided their path; sending the ship straight into sights of The Tenerife Sea's captain; Eboninea Isolde. A woman so terrifying that many died just to become her calling card. A clear message to everyone that Captain Isolde was still well in control of all seven seas.

Above the surviving crew, footsteps could be heard crossing overhead. A plank had been set between both ships, allowing easy entry to one another.

Her sharp footsteps continued pacing calmly in front of the Juliet's crew. They were slow and purposeful. A thing she had been doing for a few minutes to get a sense of what her next actions would be. A decision would have to be made if the rest would live or perish with the others.

She paused, stopping suddenly in front of her captives who kneeled submissively. They had given up and dropped submissively to the ground to avoid their throats being slit open. The very last who were fortunate to survive her blind attack.

A smart decision on their part. Her beautiful determined and fiery blue eyes noted how each of them knelt silently in their crew's cold, coagulated blood. It produced a warm, coppery smell; sticky to the touch and deep red.

"I shall ask The Juliet's captain once more; what purpose have you in my territory? I demand the captain stand before and face me like a man worthy of his position," She demanded her prisoners.