The Frog Prince of the Deep Sea

The Serpent Isles...

Or were they the Blue Flame Isles described in the stories of the people of the Valoran Continent?

Tonight, the waters around this vast chain of islands stretching across the deep sea had been perfectly calm. Everything seemed quiet... There was no Great Wind, nor were there any of the huge waves they usually encountered. As a result, the wooden sailing ship never managed to pick up much speed.

When they'd set sail that morning, the weather had looked clear and pleasant. But from dusk until now, the whole sky had remained gloomy, like the unnatural calm before a storm was about to strike.

At any rate, it was a poor night for sailing...

The sea all around them was pitch-black...

Aside from the faint light of the brightest stars, which occasionally pierced the heavy clouds and gave the helmsman some guidance, the ship was like a vessel sailing through a dark abyss. The entire world was black, and nothing could be seen... Only the faint sound of the ship's hull breaking through the waves told the helmsman they were still sailing across the sea.

At that moment,

On the deck of the medium-sized, three-masted sailing ship, only the two watchmen huddled beneath the mast, secretly drinking and chatting, and the experienced helmsman at the wheel, quietly yawning, were still awake. Everyone else had already returned to their cabins below deck and gone to sleep.

The sea was calm tonight, and the ship was moving slowly. Unless a ship in motion faced danger or some other alarm rang the brass bell aboard, they wouldn't get up in the middle of the night and come wandering around the deck.

The helmsman and a couple of useless watchmen were enough to keep an eye on things...

Besides, they weren't