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ToCG La Joya de Seville pt 3 The Weeping Spaniards

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Straits of Florida June 1672

Despite cutting down her numbers, Greyhound knew the fight was far from over.  There was an average of 5 gunners per gun. That meant for all the damage they'd done to the maindecks guncrew, there were still two more gundecks below that were relatively protected. The pirates began to cut loose the fallen sails from the yardarm altogether. Greyhound turned the ship further off of the wind. La Joya launched another barrage from her lower decks.  This blast blew through the hull, but also cut loose some of the sails draped over the side.  Men raced foreward to finish hacking off the fallen red sails with boarding axes.  Then Greyhound waited until he had room to maneuver.

"Hard to port. STARBOARD GUNNERS! OPEN FIRE! RAKE HER STERN AND FILL THAT SPANIARD'S ARSE WITH HOT IRON!"

The Sea Reaper launched a terrifying broadside that went from stern to bow of the massive galleon.  Every inch the cannon balls passed from aft to midships to bow wreaked havoc on the massive galleon's interior.  Greyhound gave the order to fire at will, then checked on the progress of cutting loose the fallen sails.  They were making decent time, but weren't finished yet.  The starboard guns roared out in fury one by one as each was reloaded, the Spaniards could barely get a shot off from their stern chasers before each gunner was killed by another barrage from the pirate's guns.  The Sea Reaper continued on her course.

"Captain! She's loose! The Port guns can be fired!" bellowed one of the men

"Good Form! Prepare to Come about! All Gunners! Reload and hold your fire for the final onslaught!  Prepare to Give 'em Hell! Helmsman come about and give the poxy bastard our portside! GUNNERS! OPEN FIRE! GIVE IT TO THE SPANIARDS RIGHT UP THE ARSE! SHOW 'EM WHAT WE THINK OF THE KING OF SPAIN'S EMPIRE!" Bellowed Greyhound

The Sea Reaper emptied the last of her starboard guns, then came about to port and gave the Rising transom of the Massive Treasure Ship another Terrible broadside.  If La Joya de Seville had once been like the Pride of the Opera House, now She was a fat old whore, pockmarked and damaged and showing her age terribly from the times she had been ravaged by her clientele, and her ordeal was hardly over.  The Buccaneers had yet to board.  They passed astern of the big ship, running Beam reach again, and again raked the stern. Dozens of cannons roared out, one by one at Greyhound's command.  The havoc the pirates wreaked was terrible.  Greyhound grinned.  He was willing to bet he'd leveled the playing field enough to go toe to toe with the Spanish behemoth and match her broadside for Broadside.

"Hard to port. Bring us along their starboard side Master Tiller." ordered Greyhound, "All guns, open fire!"

The helmsman spun the wheel, and the Great black leviathan turned slowly, she fell on the same course as the Spanish Galleon, sailing parallel to her.  The buccaneers opened fire on  La Joya de Seville, she fired as best she was able, and matched them shot for shot, but Greyhound was right.  La Joya de Saville's advantages in superior firepower and crew were gone.  It was anyone's fight now.  The Pirates had been beaten down badly in the start, despite their sinking the escorts, but Greyhound wouldn't let such a prize slip through his fingers so easily.  Now the battle was a more even match, and Greyhound intended to win it, completely confident that he could.  The Spaniards meanwhile were in a state of disarray.  Lieutenant de la Vega was still alive, and the old experienced hands knew they were in for the fight of their lives with a good shot at winning, but the newer, younger, inexperienced hands feared all was lost and were in a panic given the blows they'd just received.

"Perrie! keep Big Ghede hammering that Spanish bumboat!  Give her the black iron's thunder, and put as many shots in her as it takes while our other guns keep up the score."

"Oui Capitiane!" Responded the Frenchman

"Musicians! Pipe up a tune! and let those dago dogs know they're dancing with death! THIS IS THE FINAL ONSLOUGHT ME HEARTIES! LET'S MAKE THIS ONE SOMETHING THEY'LL SING ABOUT FOR CENTURIES TO COME!!" Roared Greyhound

The musicians began to play a feverish Irish jig.  One would think the jig was written by the Devil himself to torment dancers in Hell for it's speed and the madness of its notes. The Guns of the Sea Reaper roared out at the Spaniards, she returned them, blow for blow. Suddenly, the guns ceased their thundering on La Joya de Seville. Greyhound knew she was holding her fire for a broadside, so he ordered his men to do likewise.  All was still except for the beating of Spanish drums, and a fevered jig played on buccaneer fiddles.  Then, the spanish Guns ran out, Here, La Joya's advantage in firepower was turned against her.  Her guns had to be reloaded and everyone had to wait for the commander's order for the full broadside to be launched but Greyhound's ship with it's smaller number could fire sooner, and that is precisely what they did.

There was a panic among the Spaniards as several of the guns from nervous gunners were fired prematurely. The Spanish in turn fired an ill co-ordinated broadside.  Greyhound meanwhile, was readying his endgame.  He gave the order for snipers to pick off officers on deck, and the gunners who had come onto La Joya's topdecks to replace those who had fallen. Grenadoes were flung to the decks of both ships,  Each trying to devastate the other as much as possible.  Colleen's musketeers were well versed in their trade as they picked off the Spaniards with precise aim. The buccaneer rule of thumb was that 4 of their musketeers were as good as one big gun.  The pirates fired relentlessly.  Suddenly, the Spanish galleon slowly began to change course.  She was turning to port. Greyhound nodded to Tiller, who turned the wheel to fallow.

"Reload all with Grape and chain! We cripple this Spanish bitch and then we'll board her!" Bellowed Greyhound

The pirates powder monkeys rushed below and brought cases of shot that would cut down the numbers of the Spaniards crew.  They loaded the canvas bundles with their deadly miniature cannonballs and the twin balls linked by a chain into the guns.  The pirate gunners feverishly hauled on the lines and pushed the bronze guns of the Sea Reaper out of their ports, then lintstock in hand, they fired, again and again.  The cannonballs tore through rigging spars and hull, masts and yards and sails crashed down, as crewmen screamed as the hull was breached by the small plum sized cannonballs below.  The La Joya De Seville fired a dozen other shots, broadsiding every round she could in a last desperate effort to stop what was now inevitable.

De la Vega looked at the Black hulled galleon as her sails were gilt in the golden sun, The battle had lasted several hours, and now, it was the climax.  The pirates were preparing to board.  The Spanish officer looked at the galleon's figurehead, the Grim Reaper of the ocean, her trident in hand, had indeed come for the life of the ship she now fought, battered and damaged and looking like she came back from the grave herself, he was against the wall, and ordered one last broadside , aimed low, to sink the pirate once and for all.  The Spanish guns roared out, but a sudden wave that lifted the galleon and a gust of wind which caused both ships to heel to starboard caused the shots to miss entirely.  when the smoke cleared, De la Vega saw him on deck, dressed in a bloodstained scarlet coat and hat covered in plumage. in the deafening silence that fallowed, he heard the musicians play their hellish jig, and he heard the pirate captain roar his command.

"SNIPERS! OPEN FIRE! GRENADIERS! LET SULPHER AND BRIMSTONE FILL THE AIR! THE REST OF YOU, SLING GRAPPLES AND PREPARE TO BOARD! AND OPEN THE GATES OF HELL!" Roared Greyhound

De la Vega roared the order to repel boarders, but it was the final stage of the battle. grappling irons were slung between the ships, and they were pulled close. Three drawbridges on the  middle gundeck of the Sea Reaper lowered. They euphemistic, 'Gates of Hell', blackness was withing them save for glowing light.  De la Vega saw a last chance and ordered the gunners to fire into the open drawbridges, but, they never got the chance.  The two galleons came together, and a horde of buccaneers roared as they stormed out. Greyhound stood on the rail, of his ship, taking a pistol and shooting one of La Joya's musketeers before swinging over.  Greyhound grabbed his blunderbuss and cleared half the quarterdeck with one blast.

The blunderbuss gave a "CRACK!" and Greyhound held the barrel, using it as a club, and bringing it down on the head of a man rushing up to fight him. He drew a pistol and fired it, emptying those in his belt one by one, and letting them drop, attached to lanyards so he wouldn't lose them.  Then Greyhound drew his cutlass and advanced.  He smashed in the head of one of the men with his blunderbuss, then ran another man through.   He advanced with his impromptu club, and cutlass.  Lieutenant de la Vega drew a rapier and stood in front of greyhound just as he bashed a man with his blunderbuss, and then swung his cutlass downward, decapitating the man, and splatting himself with blood.  Greyhound had needed to lean down to finish the job, and he looked like a crazed wolf, with looking up from feasting on the blood of its kill.  He stood up and spat out the side of his mouth.

"It's inevitable at this point.  You might've saved yourself, and everyone else who is now dead and dying by striking your colours at any point in this battle, Spaniard.  But now, this fight is inevitable.  Make your peace with your maker."  Greyhound said

"I already have, Senor Rojo. Have you?"

The Spaniard Lunged and Greyhound simply sidestepped him and sliced his wrist. The Spaniard dropped his rapier and backed away, waiting for Greyhound to kill him.  Greyhound merely kicked the blade to him and gestured for De la Vega to pick it up.

"You're not like most piratas." observed De la Vega bending down slowly to pick up his sword, all the while eyeing Greyhound cautiously.

"No I'm not. Even as I stand here covered in blood." Greyhound said extending his blade.

Then suddenly Greyhound twirled out, and bashed a man aiming a gun at him, stabbing the tip of his blade through the offenders throat. It hit the man in the jugular, and blood spewed all over Greyhound'd Frock, and even some got in his face. Other men rushed over, and Greyhound twisted the blade in the man's throat to be horizontal, and slashed outward, tearing it free, and taking a chunk out of the other man's neck just as he was about to stab the buccaneer with his own cutlass.  Greyhound then turned and killed three other men, and by then, the two men's duel had been interrupted.  Greyhound was too far away in the thick of the fighting, several pirates rushed on deck to even the odds, while others even ran below.

One of the pirates threw a grenadoe down a hatchway to cause some damage, then, one of the grenadiers descended, and threw a smoke pot down a lower hatch, and heading aft, a stinkpot down a stern hatch.  The Spanish gunners began to run topside to find refuge from the stench and the unbreathable air, only to run headlong into a volley of pirate musketfire.  The Grenadier wound up being stabbed in the process of lighting another grenade, which dropped and rolled into a crowd of combatants.  A buccaneer looked down when the grenade rolled to a stop against his foot, and before he could react, it exploded, killing 4 Spaniards, and 7 buccaneers.  

Then, a Group of Spaniards on gave a volley of musketfire on the quarterdeck to the maindeck.  As the Spaniards were reloading for another Volley, buccaneers rushed forward and cut them down with their cutlasses.  It was man to man, and The Spaniards had managed to push the pirates back to the rails. Greyhound saw what was happening, And Greyhound saw, He hacked and slashed his way to the maindeck, and with a hack of his blade, cut the line for the Spanish Flag, it fluttered to the deck, and he speared the Spanish Ensign and thrust it into a pile of burning debris, He held up the tattered Flag for his men to see and then gave a roar to his men.

"THIS AIN'T OVER BOYS! RALLEY TO ME! AND LET'S SHOW THESE SPANISH DOGS WHO REALLY RULE THESE WATERS! VIVE LA BOUCANIERS! VIVE LA FRATERNITE DE LA COTE!" Roared Greyhound

"Vive la Moissonneuse Menaçante de la Mar! Vive Levrier!" The pirates roared back as Greyhound climbed the forecastle and chucked the burning Spanish flag over the side.

"Ralley to me Lads! Kill 'em all!"  

The Pirates charged just as the hand Greyhound helped up cut down the Spanish Flag at the Flagmast.  That hand too, chucked it overboard.  The pirates pushed back the defenders, and de la Vega found himself pushed back to the maindeck, where he and Greyhound met again.  Their blades crossed and slashed, and Greyhound continued to use the Blunderbuss as a club.  He bashed the head of the Spaniard, but not hard enough to kill him. It was enough to daze him and he staggered back into another combatant.  By then, Greyhound was advancing on him. de la Vega's Head was spining from the blow and he lamely tried to parry, only to be disarmed.  The adrenalin rush of realizing his circumstances, brought him back to his senses, and he rolled out of the way, picking up a dead man's cutlass to fight with.

Greyhound continued to hack and slash, While de la Vega tried to fence with a shorter blade, the heavy weapon did him more harm than good though, as it was awkward to his fighting style, and Greyhound hurled the blunderbuss at a Spaniard on the Stern, hitting him in the face, and then drew a main gauche and continued his fight with de La Vega. They were handguard to handguard, and Greyhound raised the Dueling Dagger above his head for a downward stab at the Spaniard. De la Vega caught his wrist though and the two began a struggle, each trying to push the other back, and push his weapons into the final blow. Greyhound pushed their swords out of the way, and then body slammed de La Vega with his shoulder. The Spanish Lieutenant began to stumble backward.  Greyhound advanced.

De la Vega grabbed hold of Greyhound's coat as he was about to fall over the railing of the Joya de Seville.  Greyhound stabbed De La Vega with his cutlass, and the man toppled over the side. It was fortuitous timing.  The pirates were being pressed back again, and The Spanish advancing on both sides, but with their commanding officer dead,  Greyhound pushed this behind him back, the pirates regained their footing as Greyhound fought on, and the soon, with no-one to command them otherwise, and their officers dead, The Spaniards surrendered one by one, throwing down their weapons, and begging for quarter.  By Greyhound's Code, they were obliged to obey.  But even some rules had exceptions, and Greyhound's code, was no different.

"This was a costly battle captain." one of the men said.

The implication was clear.  Many of their comrades were dead, and even as the buccaneer's captives hoisted chest upon chest of gold and silver and jewels and all manner of precious things out of the hold, they felt they were owed blood for the cost of their comrades lives. Greyhound as their Captain, was obliged to provide it.  He was then in the Captain's Cabin, when he was confronted by this, taking his fill of the Spanish Commander's fine clothing, and changing out of his blood covered outfit. He gazed out onto the deck, This had indeed been a rich prize.  Two hours of looting, and they still hadn't completely emptied the hold of Treasure.

"Any Man who wears a Spanish uniform is yours to kill. Civilians, and Regular Sailors are to be spared. Understood?" Greyhound said calmly, as he secured a baldric, and set a new hat with blue plumage on his head

"Aye Sir, We'll ready the plank.

Two hours later, La Joya de Seville had been emptied completely of riches, her cabins stripped bare, passangers looted of fine jewelry and fine clothes, personal wealth and the King of Spain's fortune taken aboard the galleon. The buccaneers left La Joya de Saville in the condition they had taken her, with passengers who'd garner no ransom and whatever sailors and crew that were still alive left on board.  Those who were rich enough to be ransomed, were now prisoners on the Sea Reaper, and the Spanish Marines, soldiers and naval officers were lined up, bound and gagged on the middeck of the Sea Reaper.  The middle drawbridge  on the side of the ship, one of the 'Gates of Hell' had been lowered, and a long thin wooden board affixed to it.

Greyhound drew the rapier that had once belonged to the richest passenger on the Galleon, and raised it. aloft. His Crew cheered and shoved the Captain of the marines out the drawbridge to stand next to Greyhound the pirates stood on deck and poked their heads out gunports cheering and jeering, as Greyhound prodded the hapless Spaniard along the length of the plank with the tip of the blade until he reached the end, and then, over the side.  Then another, and another.  The only Spaniards left on the Sea Reaper then, were renagades that were part of her crew, and prisoners taken from La Joya de Saville who could be ransomed back to Spain and their wealthy families

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The King of Spain looked anxiously as his servent and spoke, "Well? you said La Joya de Seville has finally reached port? what of the delays? speak!"

"You must forgive me your Magesty, you shan't like the news.

"What is it?" demanded the King gravely, dreading the answer he feared.

"I fear, El Senor Rojo, still being at large,  conquered the fleet, and plundered La Joya de Saville. Not a single escudo was left aboard her Sire.  Several passengers of note, were also taken prisoner. I have been informed by Your Magesty's governors in the Indies that ransoms have been demanded."

The king stared into space in silence for a moment, the court dared not say anything, until the sevrent hesatantly spoke,

"Your Mages..."

"OUT! ALL OF YOU! OUT! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT THIS INSTANT! I WANT HIS HEAD DO YOU UNDERSTAND!? i WILL NOT HAVE ANOTHER SIR FRANCIS DRAKE DEFILING MY EMPIRE! GET OUT ALL OF YOU AND DON'T DARE SHOW YOUR FACE AGAIN UNTIL YOU HAVE A PLAN TO KILL THIS BASTARDO PIRATA!"

The courtiers hurried from the room, leaving the king of Spain alone in his throne room. He hurled his Queen's throne down the steps and collapsed into his throne weeping into the arm of the chair. The King of Spain fell from his chair and onto his knees on the floor, he raised his fists and asked, with tears running down hi cheeks,

"¿Dios en el Cielo, qué he hecho alguna vez a deverve la maldición este pirata del infierno ha traído sobre España?"
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