The clouds hung low over the vast sea. Several days of fair weather had left the ocean as calm as a boundless mirror, reflecting the rose-colored dusk sky in all its splendor.
Just then, a black cloud appeared on the distant horizon, racing toward them with incredible speed.
Only as it drew closer did it become clear that it wasn't a cloud at all, but a massive, dense flock of sea crows.
These sea crows were a real nuisance. While not powerful individually, their strength was in their numbers. They moved in huge flocks that blotted out the sun, which led sailors to dub them the "locusts of the sea."
While they didn't typically attack humans, merely circling the fleet to feast on discarded leftovers, their favorite post-meal activity was to land on the sails and rigging to relieve themselves.
The droppings from these sea crows were highly acidic. If not cleaned up immediately, they would corrode the sails, rigging, and even the deck planks.
