The daybreak cool breaths weren't the only thing that welcomed the Amphitrite in the next morning. The man on the mast screamed:
" A ship is approaching!"
Howard took a look; there was nothing suspicious about that ship. It seemed like a merchant ship heading the same way as the Amphitrite. Howard went back to his helm but then noticed that the ship was approaching them fast and that it was about to clash with them so he commanded a young sailor to send them a signal to notify of their presence but the signal was answered with a roar.
After playing with the ship sails and cooling its wooden body, these mild gusts of the morning were laden with black smoke and tainted with the scent of gunpowder, and the small drops of water these breaths of wind carried to the ship turned into blasts that reached its deck.
" It's just risen the pirate flag!"
" I should have figured this out!"
Howard muttered while trying to create a distance between the two ships but it was too late. The pirates threw ropes with hooks attached to their ends and climbed reaching the ship deck like a wild flock that has found a green fine land to pasture. The crew members got out their swords and guns and clashed with the pirates. Albert opened his room door to find a dead man between his legs; he stepped back in horror, looking at the battle like a frightened child. One of the sailors shouted at him while fighting one of the pirates:
" Hide in your burrow, you coward noble!"
Albert turned his face away ashamed of his weak heart but he couldn't just close the door and hide in fear, if he does this he'll never be able to gain the crew's respect. He looked around and saw his friend Vincent gunning the men with the precision of a hunter's eyes, not even one bullet failed him. Then, he recalled Alice, and darted without thinking between the fighting men looking for her. Vincent shouted at him to take cover while shooting a pirate who pulled out his sword above his head. Albert crawled covering his head until he reached the kitchen; Alice was there safe and sound. She pulled him inside the cold place and together they witnessed the advancing battle, Albert remarked:
" This ship crew is really furious... Vincent is amazing too... I'm such a coward..."
"You're just kindhearted, this is who you're!"
Her words, though said for consoling, seemed more for teasing as she gave him a slight nudge on the shoulder. The pirates were almost overcome but their leader's words encouraged them to continue fighting until gaining this unmatched prize, he yelled at his men swinging his sword above his head:
" Just a little longer and this ship will become ours!"
They were big loud words yet were quickly silenced by the fiery eyes of the tiger which the ignorant hyena dared to turn his face at after sneaking into its turf. The leader's sword stopped swinging; its tainted blade reflected Alex dashing to its holder with confident steps while the wind blew his dark cape, like a beast's wings. Albert didn't dare to get his head out of the kitchen during the battle but seeing the way Alex entered the fight defending his ship like a wave crawling slowly then suddenly drowning the shore enchanted his eyes. He watched how he silenced the pirates' leader forever with one stroke of his sword while the latter rushed madly screaming at him. The pirates looked terrified as their dead captain fell; they ran back to their ship leaving their captain's body behind and cutting the ropes even before reaching their ship's deck. Albert looked at Alex, his eyes filled with unwelcome amazement. Alex was standing between his men who cheered for him; Serena was also watching him from behind her room door. Albert looked at her shy eyes and rosy cheeks and wondered if his eyes were having the same look of admiration as hers. He looked again at Alex; he saw his father's image standing between his old crew; the image he had always wished to become like. The feeling of admiration that started to grow inside his heart faded as he cut its roots that began to immerse deeper in his heart watering them with the muddy drops of jealousy. He turned his face away, seeing this scene was like looking at a picture; you like the frame holding it but not what's drown inside, even if it was painted skillfully and in a beautiful way.
A call for help awakened him from his darkening thoughts, there was a man holding to a hook hanging at the side of the ship as the pirates' vessel sailed away only to be sunk by the Amphitrite cannons. The man climbed the remaining rope shouting in fear and declaring that he's not one of the pirates. The men pulled him to the ship where he collapsed out of breath. He was wearing clean simple clothes that didn't indicate any nobility or fortune. His neat hair that reached to his shoulders gave him the appearance of a spoiled child. He raised his head giving the crew surrounding him words of thanks and gratitude like giving prime roses and flowers. His nice gentle words were answered with a bullet which he avoided it quickly and skillfully.
" It seems I ran out of luck lately as if my death is chasing me! First being captured by pirates then saved by the Amphitrite... you show no mercy to us, Captain Alex Walcott!"
Albert looked at the young man whose smile was growing larger with every word he said, he seemed close to his own age with a cheerful good looking face. The buttons of his shirt that were left open let the necklace he wore lopping down his chest to reveal the Wilshire crest, a blooming rose. Alex was preparing to shoot another bullet but the man didn't move this time and even with the sound of the loading gun he maintained his smile. Albert jumped in the middle to stop Alex, he stood between the two men to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed. Frowning, he said:
" There's no need for this, I won't allow any unreasonable violence. We haven't heard him out!"
"Move!"
The gun that was aimed at Albert this time spoke on his holder's behalf. The outside metal is cold yet the inside is heated with fire. The men muttered angrily at the Wilshire's spoiled brat. His family's arrogance was the reason behind their families and people's suffering. Alice made a face expression telling Albert to step aside because it was no joking matter but he just refused to let Alex handle things violently.
However, the threatened man wasn't empty handed.
"Please gentlemen, don't fight over me. I hate to cause troubles, that's why I have a deal. Beside, you can't kill a man you've just saved!"
He turned looking at the angry faces of the crew. He laughed as if he was not held at gun point, but Alex didn't like the joke although the men's hearts relented to the young man with the friendly nice smile. When the later noticed the changes on the seamen's faces, he went on addressing Alex:
"Here's the deal my dear captain, you throw me - alive of course - on the nearest inhabited land we come across and in return I'll tell the name of the place where the key to the sacred spring is."
The men looked at each other, they haven't heard about this thing before. A key to a spring of water? That sounded oddly strange and rotten with the smell of deceit. Alex frowned but the man didn't tremble and stayed still showing he's no liar.
"You need the key to the spring, you're not one of the Wilshire, only one of us or one with the key can take over it."
Although Alex didn't seem convinced at all thinking it's a trick for the boy to buy his life, his men looked at their captain begging him to believe this man's words. They wanted to secure this spring no matter what. Howard whispered in Alex's ears:
" He's a mere inexperienced boy who values his life, nothing to be feared from him and we can keep him as a hostage in our fight with the Wilshire, and if he does anything suspicious..."
Alex lowered his gun, not because his first mate's words convinced him but because he didn't want to upset his men. When Alex did this, the boy bowed in gratitude for having his trust but the captain's eyes told quite the opposite. The young boy stood up and introduced himself properly:
" My name is Jeremy Wilshire. I'm honored to meet you my good people."
At the mention of his name, a sailor turned at his friend whispering to him:
" This young man's love story is famous all over the kingdom, he's infatuated by his cousin, the head of the family, although she's older than him and keeps rejecting him!"
The young man heard them laughing, only to laugh along with them, no trace of shame.
"That's true my pal, but I'll never give up on winning my dear Iris's heart."
Albert looked at the energetic young man; he didn't seem to him bad at all and he was braver than himself, facing Alex's gun without fear and declaring his feelings clearly to the woman he loves in her presence and absence. The Wilshire young man noticed how Albert was staring at him for some time, so he waved his hand to him as if he knew him from a long time and Albert couldn't but return his foolishness with a smile.