Piracy was not new. Greek and Roman alike held their own in pirate history. Sea Peoples dated back as far as the 13th century where they terrorized the Mediterranean and Agean seas. As long as there was political discord among men and massive open bodies of water, 'pirates' would litter the oceans along with sailors and simple fishermen.
Just as in his early reign of the oceans, Poseidon would thwart simple mortal men and their attacks on his boundaries. He had taken a liking to these men since the beginning. They were bold and ran by their own code of rules. There was an appreciation there, but even the most amusing to the sea king could rile his temper just as easy as they had settled it. Men could follow their rules, but when they tested the wrong waters, that age old wrath would follow them to the end of their days.
The Romans called him Neptune. Whatever fear and stories that was stirred by men and the open waters would haunt them forever. The sea on any given day could be clear and safe or it could be turbulent. It could be deadly. What they did not pay in homage to, they would pay in sacrifice. Ships were known to fall to the deep depths of the ocean floor, a graveyard to the mortal world. Men would fall to sea sickness, madness and mirages. The land may not be scattered with monsters and demons of their past, but men kept them alive on the open sea.
While Greek and Roman belief seemed to have birthed a new Poseidon, his power in these times was fierce. He and Amphitrite were no less in their power even off their Greek coast, but there were limits. On a bright day his band of water roaming seamen roped his wife in their net. The stories of mermaids and other unknown water dwelling creatures were rampant. She might hold her ground, and Poseidon damn well expected no wife of his to be a damsel in distress, but he was not about to let these men go unpunished.
No one touched his Amphitrite.
He rocked that boat until the men felt lightheaded, and any captain would fear just who he had upset.
The moment Amphitrite had been spotted she could hear shouts of, "We see one! Look, a mermaid!" And the name itself was enough to make her angry. She wasn't a mermaid she was a goddess, Queen of the Sea and these men were about to make the biggest mistake of their lives.
Before she could swim away the ropes were thrown in and settled all around her. She thrashed in an attempt to escape but her arms had been pinned down and her cage was tight around her. The moment she left water was the moment her transformation began. Within seconds she no longer looked the part of 'mermaid' but looked completely human, legs and all. The only distinct difference was that she was more beautiful than any simple mortal. It didn't help that her long hair covered a bare chest and without her true form she was completely naked.
Nevertheless, the moment she was pulled to her feet she stood there with such a pride that the men were taken aback for a few seconds. "How dare you touch me!" Her bounds were cut and the ropes fell.
A mistake on their part.
The moment she was free she grabbed the nearest man and held in his arms behind him tightly and exactly how she had grabbed his sword and had pressed his against his neck had been so fuzzy they had missed it. So that the next moment she was the one making bargains. "Release me now and you may go free. Lest you wish Poseidon to take your lives." The men merely laughed. Some made comments about how a weak woman couldn't possibly take over a pirate ship. At that blood poured from the throat of the man she was holding hostage: She had slit his throat. "Anymore doubters?"
When the blood spilled that's when the rocking stopped, but it was not a long silence. He smelled that blood, it filled his senses but did not quench his hunger for sacrifice. The men gathered around Amphitrite after a while. "Get the sword from her!" They were not going to fall to the whims of old sea tales.
That was when they called out to the captain but he did not emerge from his cabin. They worked to get ahold of Amphitrite again. "I think you lost yer head, wench," one of the larger, more intimidating brutes spoke. One man of the crew braved to run to his captain's quarters swinging open the door and out of breath.
"Sir! Sir! We've caught a mermaid! A woman!" Any long faring man of the sea knew how many months passed before they landed port or even saw a woman to tickle their fancies. This was a find!
The captain smirked from under the brim of his hat, his face hidden from the shadows as he threw his feet down from that comfortable position on the table. "Sir," the sailor bowed stepping out and back onto deck. When the captain did emerge from where they could see, his boots clanking on the wet floorboards, jacket making him tall and nearly towering, they were silent. The hat flew down as he clanked down the steps smirk in tow.
"Captain?" one man said shaking his head and adjusting his eyes. He'd changed since some had seen him last.
This was not their captain. Poseidon had already entered their ship from the depths below. He had already claimed the life of their leader, a leader that was nothing more than a corpse to be eaten by the fish. Seaweed wrapped around his neck and ripping through his orifice's and thrown overboard. However, some had never even seen their captain, they were clueless and believed him their captain.
"Yes?" he said stopping right in front of the scene. He felt like toying with them. He pulled out his own sword, placing it on the large man's chest who had his grip on his bride. It was just a tap, a slow motion in saying step back. With the open view the circle of men spread out. His blade lightly slipped under her hair, moving it from where it hung on her chest, his other hand clasped on the rim of his belt as he circled her. He came up close, whispering in her ear so only she could hear. "Let's give them a show, baby."
Amphitrite put up quite a fight before the men finally got their hands on her again and got the sword from her. She was practically seething now. "How dare you!" There were not three holding her back and she spat in all of their faces.
She had expected to see their beloved captain walking up to her but when she saw that it was, in fact, Poseidon she felt a rush of relief. Thank the gods! He would never let anything happen to her.
The look on her face was taken as a sign of lust, which in reality it was, but the men had no idea who they were dealing with. Her eyes didn't move when the sword touched her. She didn't so much as flinch. In fact, she didn't look scared at all. Any normal woman would have been begging for mercy.
Now she was no longer restrained and she just let her husband circle her, making the others assume the worst was to come for her. When he whispered in her ear her eyes lowered, though not from shame or shyness. It was only a second long but she turned her head and looked at him. "Over my dead body." Oh, they would give them a show alright.
"I can arrange that," he said forcing her back against him once more, quirking a brow as he smelled her hair putting his sword back in it's sheath. He rested his hands on her shoulders, gripping in their touch.
He looked towards the group of men who were still gawking hungrily at her nude form like dogs. His smile stayed curved, that vicious smile, lips just a breath from her skin.
"These men are lonely right," he bellowed riling the sailors up stepping back. "And you..." his breath seethed between his teeth. "You are quite the beauty. It's not often we capture something so delicate."
Almighty Zeus she was gorgeous, but none of these vermin would touch her.
"Rope!" he ordered facing her again nose gently pressed against his with a lustful grin. His eyes lowered ever so slightly, looking down on her.
"She says Neptune lurks these waters, sir."
"Does she?" he curled a finger under her chin pulling it up, while he looked harsh to these men, his actions were quite soft to her. He'd not yet bruised her skin, but he could see where they had and it angered him.
"Harm one hair on my head and I assure you you will have the Sea King to answer to," she said loudly for all of them to hear. She would play along with Poseidon's game, but she had to admit she hated being amongst all these humans.
Her focus didn't leave him. She didn't so much as flinch at any movement. With Poseidon there she really had nothing to fear. Had she been alone she wouldn't be standing there so willingly.
"He does, and your heads shall be his new plaques."
The men laughed, that hearty roar filtering around their circle. A small chuckle emitted from Poseidon, his amusement mixed with that deadly anger. His neck still arched high, tilting his head as he pulled his coat off and threw it around her shoulders.
"These men don't believe such stories!" he yelled holding his arms out and walking from her looking at all of them. "They should," he said under his breath. Encouraging them, riling them up. He flipped his head back togive Amphitrite a devious look. His hands gripped tightly on the man that had brought forth the rope.
There was an uneasiness with the sailor. Something felt very wrong, but he followed his captains orders. Possidons fingers dug into his muscle pushing him forward where he stood right in front of Amphitrite. "She's beautiful isn't she?" he asked in a deadly tone, pressing the man further who's hands were shaking. "Go on, tie up those little wrists," he urged him, his grip painful on his shoulders now.
"Make her bleed," he whispered in the man's ear. As he attempted to rope one hand Poseidon jerked him back, pulling the rope from his grip and thrashing it around the sailor's neck.
The other men stood stunned.
"All of you are going to die." He tightened the rope until the sailor's neck snapped.
There was no doubt in Amphitrite's mind that Poseidon had a plan. Against her alone the men could have easily taken her over all at once. Against Poseidon, however, they were just bait. Their blood would attract sharks and she would be sure of it once she had her cue. She would be able to leave without any more damage once her dolphins came.
"Then they are fools," she said simply. "It will always be a time of gods." She pulled the coat tightly around her to cover up.
She gazed into the mans eyes as he so clearly seemed terrified of what he thought he was about to do. Poseidon may be fearsome, but there was something about Amphitrite that could send chills up any mans whole body. She was fearless, and just as tricky and slippery.
The moment the rope was around the mans neck was the moment she had slipped to the side. Her own strength against one was more than a single mortal man could handle, which was why it had taken three to overpower her before. Another man struggled against her and before he knew it she had taken another sword and ran him through. "None touch the wife of Poseidon," she warned them at large.
Poseidon laughed tossing the body overboard and holding his arms out, motioning with his hands for the rest to come forward.
"Who's next?" he said cheerfully as a group of advanced with a load roar. They would take over their captain, though the act may be mutinous. Their lives were at stake.
Poseidon grinned widely, pulling out his sword from its sheath and thrashing it around. It wasn't pretty, not quite a dance as it was brutal. Bones cracked, blood poured in all directions and yet the smell alone of their fear was enough to intoxicate the powerful god.
He stopped long enough just as Amphitrite had made another kill, stopping her with a lustful kiss until a sailor jumped on his back. He slung the man down ramming that sword straight through his middle. It was like watching fish squirm on a hook.