Upon A Painted Ocean

chapter 6
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He could hear Elizabeth's demanding voice as he climbed the last few steps of the stair. "You know who attacked us, don't you? I saw you give Jack that medallion." Looked like the lass finally managed to corner Gibbs.

"Well?" She put her arms on her hips.

"err...I...really don't know wha' ye are talking about, Miss. Elizabeth." She was starting to roll up her sleeves now.

Jack decided to take pity on the man. "Gibbs, I still need tha' supply report." Gibbs looked relieved and quickly made his exit. Elizabeth turned around and glared at him.

"Elizabeth, darling. Don't ye have other things to do?"

She took a step towards him, gritted her teeth and in a honeyed tone, asked, "Jack, do you have something to tell me?"

He curled his finger around the braids in his goatee as if in deep thought. "Why, yes! Did ye know that sea water make yer breast shrink? Now if ye just le' me massage it with some sand an' oil...."

"JACK!" Her hands twitched. "I want...DEMAND to know who attacked us." Saw that he didn't budge, she tried a different tactic. She lowered both her shoulder and voice, "...please? I just want.... to know who has Will. And what are his chances..."

He sighed, leaned his back against the rail and motioned to the spot beside him. "They were subordinates of Edward Hensel Vann, the one who took yer medicine."

"...Vann, you mean he has more than one ship?" Her left hand twisted at the edge of her tunic.

"He is the leader of the group called, Brotherhood of the Hawks. They are not just pirates, they are also contract killers. They'd do all kind of dirty jobs: kidnappin'g, murder, robbery, anythin'g for money."

"So...in other words, someone else might be behind the abduction of that shipment."

"I don't see any use that a pirate would have with some herbs." Jack knocked his fingers against the wooden rail in a slow rhythm. "Ye can't do anythin'g for the lad now. If we catch up with Vann, the rest of his gangs can't be far behind."

"You...know him?"

"By reputation only." That wasn't exactly a lie. He gave Elizabeth a quick glance. Her dread and anxiousness was becoming contagious rub rubbed his eyes tiredly.

***

The white house on the beach.

Fire.

Blood soaked the front of her dress.

Small hands grabbed his.

A hushed voice.

Hide here.

***

His eyebrows knotted together in recognition. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. He decided a quick retreat would be in order.

"I know you are worried about him, too." Elizabeth said softly behind him, "I heard you called out his name last night."

He stiffened. "It's not weak to care about someone, Jack.... or to have friends." She told him.

She could not see his pain riddled eyes and did not hear his quiet whisper. "My friends all have th' bad habit of dying on me."

~~~*~~~

"You've made a pact with the devil."

Cane turned to Zeke as if noticing him for the first time. "Is that your theory?" with an raised eyebrow he said, "do enlighten me."

"You smell like sulfur," Zeke deadpanned. "All devil worshippers smell like sulfur."

Cane paused then roared with laughter. "Ahhhaaa.....you are an interesting one as well." He inclined his head toward Will slightly, "you do attract the most fascinating people, Mr. Turner."

Will looked from Cane to Zeke; he didn't smell anything. Zeke was still staring at the priest intently; it was getting unnerving.

"Why are you doing this?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. "What do you want out of all this?"

"What do I want?" There was a dangerous glitter in the priest's eyes, his cheek twitched and a low rumbling sound slowly began to surface from his chest. "What do I want. What is the highest pursuit of every man?"

"Freedom. The ultimate FREEDOM!" Cane's voice began to rise, the last word was almost a shout.

Will squirmed slightly in his restraints, the priest was making Jack Sparrow look like a sane and sensible man. "You...have freedom."

"NO! My freedom....our freedom is reflections of human actions and omissions. It is amended to social definitions. It is a mere shadow, a fragile illusion!!!" Cane was breathing heavily, his hands balled tightly at his sides. Will swallowed. After a few nerve wracking moment, Cane straightened his back and smoothed his white hair from his face. He gave a false polite smile towards Will.

"Well, as interesting as it might be. I am not here to discuss the philosophy of life." One well-manicured hand skimmed down Will's chest, an index finger hooked into the ring at the end of the silver chain. He brought the ring to Will's eye level and whispered.

"Tell me, boy. Do you know what this ring is?"

~~~*~~~

"Captain! we have a problem."

Anamarie shouted from her place in the watch post on top of the main sail. Jack took out his telescope and looked toward the direction she pointed. There, in all her magnificence, was the Dauntless. Beside her, docked two smaller ships both with British flags; they were about the size of the Interceptor.

"Looks like it's yer old flame, lassie." He smirked at Elizabeth, "now, what would th' British navy be doin'g here?"

"Are we still going, captain?" Gibbs asked.

"We need those supplies. Bring her around, Gibbs. We will stop at the out rim of th' bay. Then split into small groups an' land by boats. Ye are with me, lass."

Elizabeth's eyebrows were drew together in worry. "Is it wise....for you to go I mean. The empire still have a warrant on your head."

"This is Tortuga, th' island of th' pirates. The more cautious ye are, the more suspicious ye'll be."

~~~*~~~

Fuck. Zeke cursed for the hundredth time inside his head. //How could I have not known? How could I have not felt it? It was right beside me!!!//

Will had been stealing worried glances at him ever since they were brought into this room. The blacksmith had tried to talk to him when the guards left. His mind was in pandemonium, and he hadn't bothered formulate a response. He had fidgeted back when his eyes caught the red glow of Will's ring. Goosebumps formed on the back of his arms in response to the mystical hue; he felt like a fly trapped helplessly in a spider's web.

//Calm down. Take a deep breath. Just calm down.//

Under normal circumstances, he would have been busily admiring the interior decoration. There were so many pretty, shiny and pointy....things. But at the moment, he couldn't stop the bile rising in his throat.

//I am so fucked.//

Due to ignorance.... it had to be ignorance, Zeke did not want to entertain the other options. He had completely missed the presence of that accursed stone, or part of it anyway. Its magic had grown considerably weaker, and Zeke could only feel the tinniest repulsion, vibrating softly against his skin.

//It's no big deal. It's just a useless piece of rock now.//

He grounded the heel of his boot into the wooden floor, in what Ursella had always called a 'juvenile' kind of way. "I AM a juvenile", he had shouted back. He tried to steer his thoughts away from that depressing path.

The preacher had entered the room at sometime during his trip down the memory lane. He felt fur fury slathered around Will, like a spiked armor, ready to strike. Halfheartedly, he directed his attention to the conversation.

"What do YOU think I've done?"

//Isn't it obvious.// "You've made a pact with the devil." //But which one....I can sense the brand on him, but it's faint. Curious.//

"Is that your theory. Do enlighten me."

"You smell like sulfur. All devil worshippers smell like sulfur."

//Ah, the sweet perfume of brimstone, I think I am getting home sick.// The priest started guffawing his lungs out. All the crazy sorts found this type of activity essential. It's either a image thing or how they relieve stress, Zeke determined a long time ago, just like how a dog would hang out his tongue in hot weather. Then the priest started rambling about freedom. Talk about repressed, he snarled internally.

//I'll grant you the ultimate freedom. Just say the magical word.//

"Tell me, boy. Do you know what this ring is?"

//Shit.//

~~~*~~~

This, Elizabeth thought, had always been how she imagined a pirate captain would look like. Captain, or so he claimed, Johnson was perched on the stool in front of her. He had perfected the story book image down to the last detail.

Great big beard. The peg leg. The eye patch. The hook, which she suspected must be fake. And not to forget, the parrot, named Mrs. Phoebe, which was sitting on Johnson's shoulder and making very realistic gagging noises. The parrot was obviously not as dashing as Mr. Cotton's bird, whom she had affectionately dubbed 'blue tango'. Tone one was rather... round, Elizabeth observed, being naturally biased.

The pirate had been trying to woo her with his glamorous tales of adventure for the last hour, and was steadily edging his seat closer. After a large gulp of rum, he put his hand on top of hers and said in a sluggish voice, "..an' tha's how me lost me eye...." She held down the urge to introduce her fist to his other one.

"Fascinating." She breathed out through clenched teeth.

Behind the pirate, Jack was swaggering towards her, two girls with colorfully painted faces were draping themselves all over him like some kind of squids with long tentacles. He stopped a few feet behind the other pirate, untangled himself from the girls. He then muttered a few excuses and waved disappointedly after the their retreating backs.

"Excu'se me..." Jack announced his presence.

The pirate ignored him and continued to leer at Elizabeth. Jack shrugged and kicked the leg of the stool. The leg broke, took the pirate down with it to fall flat on his behind The pirate grumbled a few unintelligent words, and reached for his sword with his right hand, which quickly found itself to be the target of a descending heel. There was an audible crack. Jack smiled down at him sweetly.

"Do ye mind?"

"N....n...no....." The pirate answered through colorless lips and scrambled away on all fours.

Elizabeth watched the exchange with amusement. "I see you are in your natural element."

He gave her a dramatically little bow, "No one can resist th' charm of Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Certainly not the ladies." She pushed her glass away. It was still full, she hadn't wanted to test her luck.

"Certainly *not*."

A sigh. "Far be it from me to comment on your choice of companionship."

"Now, now, Elizabeth." Jack said in a rather patronizing tone. "Just because th' deed is upraised doesn't make it any less valiant. What do you think would happen if there were shiploads of horny pirates running around."

"I can't imagine," She replied scarcely. "What have you found?"

"The ladies told me that th' navy was sent here to..... *reform* Tortuga." His tone clearly betrayed his view on the obscurity of the situation. "They also appeared to be lookin'g for someone."

"...oh, but nothing on Vann?"

"He didn't stop here."

"...what about the other ship?" Her hope was evident in her eyes.

"They were ahead of us. If they had been here, they are gone now."

"I see..."

"It would be best if we take our leave soon, th' crew are almost done with loading the supplies."

"Yes, yes we should." She wanted to ask him to wait just a little while longer, there might just be something they missed....someone might have seen..... No. She told herself sternly. There was no point hanging on to false hope.

Jack gave a node to the bartender and offered Elizabeth his hand. She stood up reluctantly. Together they made through the messy crowd and toward the door. The last twilight just glided pass the rooftops. The street was beginning to blossom with drunkard, whores and the sound of night life. She paused at the door to adjust her jacket.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in."

Jack stopped at the taunting voice and the feeling of the barrel of a pistol at his temple. He turned his head a little and came face to face with Commodore Norrington.

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chapter 7
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Cane was caressing the ring like a lover. Will had plastered his back against the wall, there was no other place to go.

"This ring ... this ruby was part of a bigger piece. The original gem was excavated .... no, robbed about a hundred years ago, from the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. The piece was too big to smuggled out of the country, so the thief broke it into thirteen pieces and engraved them into various adornments."

Cane scratched his chin softly, deep in thought. Will wondered where he's going with this. It all seemed so completely off topic with their current issue.

"Now, the thief died shortly after. Some said it was the curse of the pharaoh. But according to the stone tablets inside the tomb, the ruby was used to imprison one of the most powerful demons of ancient time. By destroying the gem, the demon was released."

"Why are you telling me this?" Will tested his hands around the shackles, his shoulders were getting really sore.

"Patience, my boy, patience." Cane dismissed Will's protest with a wave, "....have you ever heard of something called wish master?"

Will's silence and bored expression were his only answers.

"They grant you wishes in exchange for your soul. They are supposedly one of the highest ranking demons in hell. Especially this one, who was so evil, so vicious that he painted the Nile crimson with blood."

Cane's voice raised with his excitement, like a professor in the middle of his favor lecture. "The ruby, after over five thousands years of containing the evil, has absorbed all his wickedness. The jewel made from it will corrupt its wearer and eventually drain him of all life. .....it was said that only those who has the purest heart and the strongest will could resist the temptation."

He stroked his finger across Will's bottom lip, pulled away just in time to avoid being bitten. "Such innocent... and purity, ist *bt *begging* to be tainted."

~~~*~~~

//Finally. Some respect.// Zeke listened approvingly to the priest. //One little mistake though, it wasn't the entire river, just a section of it, a very small section. Oh, all right, so it was only a pod, but it was right in the pharaoh's backyard. But I still couldn't figure out why Ramirez was so pissed with the gore and all. He was the one who wanted to see the wonders that he had never laid eyes upon. //

Will's eyebrows had just skyrocketed. Zeke chuckled to himself, what was that old saying...oh, yeah, the devil's greatest achievement was convicting mankind that he didn't exist.

Zeke recalled that particular tomb raider. A non-believer he was, which you had to be if your livelihood happened to involve disturbing the dead. The thief had shown surprisingly amount of good sense and refused the gratitude offered by the nice little boy who came out of the gem. Actually he had stuffed the jewels in his pocket and ran.

//I wasn't exactly in my best element at that time, being stuck inside a rock for five thousands years can do that to you. He was really scrawny, too. Probably died of malnutrition, not that I mind taking the credit for his demise.//

But that thing with the ruby pieces was just ridiculous. Who the hell came up with such ludicrous tales? Sure, blame everything on the demons. In Zeke's limited experience, he found that greed is usually the cause for most deaths involving shiny and expensive objects. If anything, he should be the one afraid. That pharaoh may had been arrogant, but he was also very powerful.

~~~*~~~~

Will sighed. His suspicion had just been confirmed.

Cane was crazy.

Not about the demons. After skeleton pirates and mermaid, he could believe anything. It was the way Cane talked, the way he held himself, like a man possessed.

//Maybe that's what Zeke meant.//

His head had cleared up a great deal since his unfortunate encounter with that post. There was only a tiny tingling every time his wound is exposed to a breeze. He found his mind toning out Cane's chattering and drifted towards a certain ship and its inhabitants. He had no doubt that the Black Pearl won the fight the other night. He stared blankly at the setting sun outside of Cane's window.

//How long has it been? Almost two days I think.//

Guilt swelled up in his stomach. Elizabeth. He had spared her only a handful of thoughts since his captivity.

//I am a terrible fiancé. I know she's all right, Jack wouldn't let anything happen to her .... I hope.//

He had found himself somewhat preoccupied since he boarded the Pearl. All his life he had tried to mold himself into the image of a respectful citizen of the law, just liked the false image of his father, but he had never quite fitted in. Even back in Port Royal, he had heard the calling of the sea and its bewitching lulling. There were nights when he stayed awake and debated whether he should have jumped after Jack that day.

//I wanted to stay with Elizabeth. My home is wherever she is. I love ..... her. //

The last one sounded almost like a question in his mind. When he had first opened his eyes after the pirate attack on the passage ship, he had thought he was in heaven. There was the most beautiful angel smiling down at him. From that day on, she had became his lifeline, his connection to a past that was lost too soon and a future that seemed never to come. He wanted to stay close to her, to bask in her glory and radiance, because he was so cold, so very cold and lonely. As they grew older, that childish adoration transformed to devotion and admiration. But he dared not advance any closer; he was content to just watching her from afar. His world was perfect until that one fateful day when he met captain Jack Sparrow.

His first sight of the man had been those kohl-lined black eyes, so deep and hard, yet they shined with such childish innocence and mischief. He had felt like he was drowning again. During that fight, a single thought kept running through his mind.

//I MUST not let him go.//

He had an inkling that if he failed, he would lose the most precious thing in his life. He knew he liked Jack, they were friends after all. He liked his laughing eyes, those colorfully decorated braids, those thin lips that would curved into a bow when he smiled, that smooth tanned skin which contrasts so sharply against the crystal beads of sweat, that......

//Oh, my god. I ... I think....I am ... attracted to Jack Sparrow, and...maybe even more.//

Was this why he so often found himself watching the pirate captain, imprinting every detail with his hungry eyes? Was this why his thought always involuntarily turned to daydream of high sea and said captain by his side? Was this why he had felt so hesitant and unsure when he was courting Elizabeth?

//How....could I....... I am a monster. //

His friendship with the pirate was one of the most important things to him. He could not lose that just on the basis of some youthful curiosity and unsatisfied lust.

//Jack must never find out about this.//

Suddenly, a sharp burn across his cheek brought him back to reality.

~~~*~~~

The boy was clearly not paying attention. Cane slapped him, "Am I boring you, Mr. Turner?" There was a dangerous hint in his voice that the answer had better be no.

"Since you have been such a captivating audience, I'll let you in on a secret. You, my dear boy, are going to help me with a little experiment."

Cane walked to the table, opened a drawer and took out a small flask. He spun the flask around its neck a few times, the clear liquid inside bubbled.

"This is potion I've been making, not that different from the one I used in Port Royal..."

"So it WAS you!"

"...and I've been meaning to test it out." Cane continued as if uninterrupted, "Instead of drawing on people's fear, hatrnd pnd pain, this particular concation draws on .... love and...desire. The curse that is brewed into the potion will feed on that desire, twist that love until there is only the need to hurt and take."

Will was beginning to feel sick. "Tell me, boy. You haven't .... bedded young Miss. Swann, have you?"

The priest looked vaguely proud of himself. With one hand clamped down Will's jaw and forcing it open, Cane poured the liquid down his throat. Will twisted his head fruitlessly within that iron grip, the potion was cool and sweet as honey, but left a bitter aftertaste. His vision was spinning out of control and his heartbeats thundered in his ears. Between loud laughter, Cane was saying something.

"seek out your true love.... your heart.... pure.... meant to be broken.... innocent spoiled.....trust destroyed.... suffering.... power.... the ultimate freedom..."

Will could only make out a few discontinued fragments before the abyss of sleep claimed him.

~~~*~~~

"That was twisted." Zeke said matter of fact.

//I like it, although it's not my usual cup of tea. But I doubt it will go according to your plan.//

"And you are mad. Power will bring the complete opposite of freedom. It will bind you and control you. It's a drug, the more you have the more you will want."

//I really have no luck. What is it with me and the mentally unstable ones? One lunatic is more than enough, thank you very much. //

Cane gave him a meaningful look, ".... what would a pirate know."

//Apparently more than you. Fool. I'll definitely be seeing you in a couple of years. In hell.//

"Mr. Algol!" The door swing opened, and the one armed man walked in. "How is our course?"

"We ar' still heading towards the..." Algol glanced at Zeke from the corner of his eyes, "....meetin'g place."

"Change the course. We are going to Tortuga."

"Tortuga, sir?"

"That's where the Black Pearl will be. Couldn't exactly conduct my experiment without the other necessary ingredients ..... Ahhhaahaaaa...."

Zeke's ears were beginning to hurt, but he had to ask: "How did you know?"

"Haaahaaa..... a little blue bird told me...... Ahhahhaaaahhhaa.." Zeke kept his mouth shut. It *was* possible, one learn not to question psychopath like that. "Ahhhaaa....er....Mr. Algol. Inform me when we arrived and prepare the boat. We will be taking Mr. Turner with us."

"Th' redhead?"

Cane smirked, "The young gentleman here has an appointment with...what do you call it...Dave Jone's locker."

//Shit. Not again.//

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chapter 8
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"Elizabeth." There was a barely concealed trembling in Norrington's voice. "It's so good to see you again. We must get you out of this weather. Are you cold? Here have my...."

It seemed that the commodore still harbored feelings for the lass. Jack noted and deposited that knowledge to the back of his mind.

// Interesting. That's very interesting and could prove to be... useful. //

Elizabeth seemed to be unmoved by her apparently-still-in-the-running suitor's dotting. She shrugged off the offending piece of cloth and stared stonily at the commodore. Norrington coughed slightly, obviously did not expect the open hostility.

After quickly covering his embarrassment, Norrington turned and scowled at him, "*Captain* Jack Sparrow, I must say I had hoped to never see your face again."

Jack beamed at him, pleased by the inclusion of his title. "You wound me." In a dramatically fainting expression, he put his right hand on top of his chest where the heart is, "The feeling's mutual though, mate."

Norrington gave him a hard shove. He stumbled and were pushed back on his feet with the encouragement of several rifles jabbed at his back. There were ten armed red coats surrounded them. Two marines held him still, while another one removed his belt. Norrington counted the items hanged on it with disinterest.

"The compass that doesn't point no aga again. A pistol with no bullets *and* no additional shots. Still the same old rusty sword, I am surprised that I can actually pull it out. You are getting worse, *captain*. Life isn't going so merry for you?"

"We all have our ups an' downs." He moved closer and tried to paw his hands back to his possessions. They were slapped away mercilessly.

"Arrest him." Norrington ordered, then turned back to Elizabeth and said in a smoothing voice, "Elizabeth, I will have a cabin prepared for you, if you will just follow..."

// Poor, poor sod, who just couldn't take a hint. // The corner of Jack's mouth quirked up slightly, // why would th' pretty little lassie want wit' a chubby teddy bear when she already has star-twinkled hazel eyes in her possession. Couldn't say much about Norrington tactics neither, but he does get points for persistence. //

Elizabeth flinched away and protested, "You can't lock him away! He has done nothing wrong."

"He is a pirate! That's more than enough reason."

"If I may," Jack intervened, his bounded hands cut between the two. "Everyone in thi' town has been or is currently still a..." They both glared at him icily, he winced and wisely zipped his mouth.

"If you are going to arrest him, you must arrest me as well!"

"Elizabeth..."

"I am a pirate also."

"Elizabeth!" This time it was a command. "That's more than enough of your childish playing. Lieutenant, escort Miss. Swann to the Dauntless. She will be staying in the guest cabin."

They particular had to dragged her away kicking and screaming. As soon as she was out of sight, Norrington grabbed the front of Jack's collar and lifted him up to his eye level. "You! What poisonous thoughts and ideas have you filled her head with!!!"

Jack blinked up at the commodore innocently. "Now, now, mate. It is not me fault th' young lass found th' high sea and me both so irresistible."

"Shut up! I will not have your presence corrupt her any longer." He shook Jack hard and dropped him with crudity. "How would you like a trip down to the local dungeon, captain Sparrow? I've heard it's infested with many other vile creatures like yourself."

"If ye say so. I am not particular interested in finding out meself."

"Guards! Take him away."

~~~*~~~

Gibbs tapped his left feet against the deck impatiently. They should have returned by now, he thought, all the other crews were accounted for. He did not think the captain was delayed by rum or some other jolly company, not when Miss. Elizabeth was with him. The Black Pearl was currently floating inside an triangle crack between two cliffs. She was well hidden, although her view were somewhat limited by the stone walls on both side. His tapping was triggering his own nerves and gainem sem several dirty looks from Anamarie.

Clouds spread through out and covered every inch of night sky. Not a single ray of moon light penetrated through. Gibbs signed softly toward the starless sky and started pacing. His back was turned and none on board the Black Pearl saw the small black boat in the distance, sailed past the cliffs.

~~~*~~~

The door shut behind her and locked with a click. Elizabeth scanned the room quickly, nothing had changed since the last time she was here. She checked the window. It was nailed. The pillows and the bed sheet were sewed to the mattress. The blankets was too thick to be ripped apart, and there was no sharp object in sight. She threw open the draws, they were all empty. A pair of slippers and a cotton nightgown were the only things in the closet.

//Damm, they were certainly thorough.//

She cursed and sat down on the bed dejectedly. She could see two tall figures stouarduarding her door through the glasses. She was truly trapped.

The handle on the door turned. She was instantly alerted. She grabbed the nearest object within reach, which happened to be one of the pink slippers. Walked to the door on tiptoes, she pressed her back against the wall beside the door and raised the slipper above her head.

//I'll hit whoever came in on the head, make a break for it and go warn the Black Pearl.// It was a good plan, she concluded, a good and simple plan. //Jack had always said simple plan works the best.//

The door swing open, she brought the slipper down. A hand grabbed her forearm and twisted her around. Elizabeth was momentary stunned by the unanticipated lightening reflex. Must be all that sword practice, she decided to admit temporary defeat and dropped the slipper. Commodore Norrington sighed exasperatedly.

She snarled at his invasion of her personal space, a temperamental gleam in her eyes. Hehed hed again, took a stack ack and put a more respectful distance between them.

The rigid silence stretched.

He cleared his throat. "Elizabeth...," he began, "why are you so angry? Were we not friends the last time we met?"

"You abandoned Port Royal."

She was surprised by the calmness in her own reply. Whatever pended up anger and frustration she held toward the commodore and the British navy in general had subsided a great deal since the attack on the Black P. Sh. She was still strung wng with the concept of sacrificing the few for the need of many. It was foreign to her and she had wanted to stay selfish.

".... I had my orders. I am sorry, Elizabeth." Norrington's voice was laden with self-directed guilt and grieve.

She averted her gaze, "I know. I am sorry, too."

~~~*~~~

Cane looked up with mild interest as their boat passed the Dauntless unnoticed. The boy's head was perched in his lap. He stroked the alabaster cheek, a faint newly grown beard cultivated across the area below the strong chin. He let his fingers linger on the boy's chest, and drew meaningless lines on the pale skin with deliberate slowness. A small bead of blood followed the trail his nail left behind, he sighed with rapture at the sensation of the rich texture being parted by force.

When he was young, he had fancied himself a sculptor and always had a eye for seeking out beauty. Although nothing he had ever encountered could match the loveliness of the boy before him.

He had wanted to keep the boy for himself. But her harsh command in his ears had lynched that intention. She had told him to leave the boy be, and explained that the youth was nothing, but a small grain of sand compare to the vast treasure and ecstasy she would deliver to him. It would not be wise and beneficial to him to displease her. He rubbed the back of his neck nonchalantly, finger tip brushed against the smalrk hrk hidden by a few loosen silver hair. It was his vow to her, a plague of royalty. The mark would burn, send him into white hot flare of agony, but only on occasions where his course of action was frowned upon by her.

//Yes, it would not do to displease her.//

She had came to him in his hours of need, when his world had been plunged into the very bottom of hopelessness, when his work and belief were belittled due to jealous and ignorance. Her soft and husky voice was sweet rhapsody to his ears. She had filled his heart with renewed hope and injected his body with new-fangled strength. She had only asked one thing in return.

***

Your faith.

Give me your faith and devote yourself in my service. In return, I shall give you back the free will that was bestowed on and then taken from you, that which was your birth right, the birth right of every human being. That freedom which you had lost to the hardship of life and the scorns of society. I will bring the world down to your feet and alleviate you above its moral values and constraints. None shall touch you, and all shall fear and love your glory, your wisdom.

***

He had believed her to be an angel, an evangelical messenger who had flown down baring his reward from God. He had devoted his life to the good cause, to the protection of God's children, who's only gifts to him were disrespect and alienation. Time and time again, he was used and then disregarded.

Was he not worthy of true affection and love? Does he not deserve what she promised and much more? Would happiness still elude him after all that he had sacrificed? And it was too late to turn back now, he thought wistfully.

// My royalty and faith were well received. She has not failed me, not once, and stays true to her words always. //

She had shown him the threat the Black Pearl would post, like a dark shadow lurking above the brightness of his future. She had covered shipship, the Grey Owl in her cap of illusion and allowed them the element of surprise against the pirate ship. She had encouraged him in his research and development of the potion, then revealed the missing puzzle pieces in his scheme. In his dreams, she had allowed him glimpse of the future treachery that Vann would commit against his destiny.

She had also warned him about the redhead. Beware of him, for him and his could be the undoing of all your efforts, she had said. His curiosity was stir the there were awareness and something very keen to concern in her voice. Was he her adversary? No, it could not be. Not the frightened child who was afraid to lift his head in his presence, who looked younger and more fragile than even the Tu boy boy. But she had insisted, drown him, drop him into the ocean and you would be easily rid of him. He had obeyed.

// It's only a few more hours to sunrise, I am sure the boy will provide a good show for the crew.//

He laughed cruelly. The boat rocked slightly as its front connected with one of the pillars supporting the dock. Algol was giving out orders in an emotionless tone. The rest of the men busied themselves with their assigned tasks until finally Algol leaned close to him and whispered, "Sir? Where would ye like us to take th' boy?" He frowned in response to the question.

//How dare you come with in such approximation, you insect. You are all nothing but pawns, not even very good ones at that. Once I have accomplished my destiny and the world heard of my voice, I shall cleanse the Caribbean of you and your kind.//

He masked his face into one of courtesy. "Leave the boy in the first convenient place you can find. Make sure he is not restrained and can find his way to wherever in the town. Take care not damage him further. We will leave for the Grey Owl as soon as that is done."

The Black Pearl had not detected their presence when they swam into the bay of La Tortuga, but it would be unwise to take any more chances against the infamous pirate ship, now that they were aware of and prepared for the Brotherhood. Any more surprises he sent their way would serve no useful purpose, and he had no wish to engage the nearby British navy. Discretion and caution were vital since his plan has only left its infancy.

As for the destruction of the Black Pearl, it would have to wait. Their paths would inevitably cross again in the days to come.

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chapter 9
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It was nice to know that those strict military training hadn't completely killed off imagination, and that a half-finished sewer tunnel with a few bars could be, in emergency, substituted as a prison cell. Jack had not known that Tortuga had a sewer system, no matter how ill constructed and obviously nonfunctional it was.

//Well, ye learn something new every day.//

It was getting uncomfortably crowded in his current residence. He had shoved one of his cellmates, Mr. half decomposed skeleton, as far to the wall as possible. He would have commented on his hygiene if he thought the man would listen. But there was really nothing he could do about Mr. Rat, Mr. Beetle and Mr. Beetle's relatives who were all happily chewing up what's left of Mr. Skeleton's intestine.

The guahad leftleft as soon as they disposed him inside this dump. He must had not been the only one who found the atmosphere not so agreeable. The air was damp, the ground was mostly wet, and a lone oil lamp on the other side of the bars illuminated the small space. The key and his things were hanging on the hook just outside the cell, and incidentally, just out of his reach.

//So close, yet so far away....... Curses, must my thought always return to that wretched boy, that wretched and lovely boy..... the lovely boy who might be lying on the bottom of the ocean at this very moment.//

He flopped down on the only dry ground inside the cell, hugged his knees and refused to let the shrillness of that thought upset his already weakened stomach. Agitated further by the sudden hopelessness stirred in his heart, he gave a vicious kick to the steel bars in front of him. The bars stood as unyielding as ever without any dent or deformation, and he did not kid himself into thinking they could be uprooted.

Something brushed against his left boot. He looked down through the slip between ed aed arms, it seemed that Mr. Rat had decided to be sociable. He picked it up by the tail. The rat squirmed and trashed violently, it was a solid weight in his hand. He stared at it sullenly and swing it around like a pendulum.

//Oh, why the hell not.//

He squeezed half of his upper body between the bars and flung the rat against the wall, where the key and his things were located. The rat hit his sword with a dull sound, fall down, bounced a couple of times and rolled out of sight. The sword stayed where it was hooked by the hilt, but the steel and leather holster was lying on the ground. Determined to make the best out of this god forsaken predicament he had gotten into, Jack pulled the holster inside as quiet as possible. He then proceed to search the cell thoroughly, and grinned lopsidedly when he spotted Mr. Skeleton's mostly intact scarf.

// I've heard about this trick, let's see if it actually works. //

He unfastened the long piece of fabric, it was soaked with water, blood, gore and other things Jack did not care to know. He coiled the scarf around two bars, tied it up end to end and inserted the holster into the space in between. Firmly took a hold of both end of the holster, he turned as if it was the steering wheel of the Pearl. The more he turned, the more scarf twisted around the holster, and began to deform the bars to bring them closer. With each rotation, more force was applied until finally the bars gave out and broke with a wailing squeak.

He smirked, satisfied, and bend the broken bars outward a little to allow more room. He squeezed his body through, hastily grabbed his things and made up through the stone stairs. He waited with bated breath at the door.

//No guards. The commodore must had hoped for me to rot in that hellhole. Pity, I always disappoint him.//

Sensed the coast was clear, Jack quietly slipped out into the darkness.

~~~*~~~

His cheek was pressing against cold stone. His limbs felt boneless. He couldn't remember anything. Where was he? What time was it? Who was he?

// Is this a dream? //

It was freezing. His body shivered uncontrollably, but there was a flame inside of him. Each breath grew more difficult, the flame was consuming him.

"Hey, lad. Are ye all right?" An old and weatherworned voice asked above him, a callused hand gently touched his arm.

He reacted with pure instinct, arms flailed out blindly. "NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

//It burnt.//

His skin was redden where the old man touched him, the area around the burn was already bruised and wrinkled from the heat. He burrowed himself into the corner, body curled as small as possible. Face hidden inside folded arms, he rocked back and forth, muttering incoherent words.

"What the....??!! I .... I didn't..." There was astonishment and fear in the old man's voice. Unsteady footsteps clapped the ground, quickly began moving in the opposite direction. Then it was gone.

//It burns. It hurts so much.//

The flare of pain started to perish, the air around him was already cooling. A soft cough escaped his throat. The flame inside was threaten to burst out, but his body felt as if it was submerged under ice water. Was it possible to be burnt and frozen at the same time, he wondered. He clawed at his own skin, leaving shallow red marks behind.

//No. No. Make it stop.//

His frantically searching hand enclosed around something, a small round object, dangled on a chain which hanged around his neck. He brought the ring before his eyes, the red glow of the ruby eased the heat and the cold, pushed them into the back of his mind. They were not gone, but now they were tolerable. A soothing voice was humming and whispering some foreign incantation in his ears.

//Follow me.//

He pushed himself up on shaky legs. The voice was calling outhim,him, like an invisible thread leading him. It was the only sign in the midst of this maze of confusion and pain and he followed it.

~~~*~~~

Jack eyed his boat from the street corner, it was still tied and secured around the dock, exactly where he had left it. There were no patrons in sight.

//The commodore is gettin'g sloppy. The pretty little lassie must be the real thing for him to divert most if not all of his attention to her. Well, I ain't gon'na complain.//

The dock was unusually quite this evening. There were only a few drunkards lurking around. He had heard the exciting shouts about the all-on-the-house-rum-drinking event brought on by some recently returned pirates, who had hit the big one and was throwing gold around like sand. Commotion like that was never good, it would be the same as paint 'Gold->Rob Me' on someone's face with red ink. He smirked mirthlessly at the thought of the stupid sod or sods who were about to be gutted soon, but grunted, annoyed at the fact that he would miss the free rum.

He looked left and right, then swaggered towards his boat. In the distance, the Dauntless was lighted up like a Christmas tree against the first ray of sunlight. It looked more like a cruising ship than a battle ship. He watched the flashiness of the small torches with appreciation, those oil and coals could not have been cheap. He thought the ship made a very well decorated and posh cage, especially for a gorgeous little nightingale like Elizabeth. He u the the knot of rope which bind the boat to the pole.

//Farewell, Elizabeth. I am certain the good commodore will take up the task of caring for ye with great enthusiasm. I'll give yer greeting to the lad..... who will no doubt be heartbroken by this.... who is also just stupid enough to do something rush..... like challenge the commodore to a duel? .... and perhaps getting hurt in the process..... or mortally wounded.... or even di..... That's not good. Wait, no Elizabeth means no payment. That's even worse! What in the name of the seven seas am I doing? I can not leave the lass in the clutch of a lusty and dishonorable sea dog.//

After convincing himself that a plan of rescue is in order, Jack retied the boat to the dock and started swaggering in the direction of the Dauntless. He assessed his situation conscientiously. It wouldn't be advantageous to get the Pearl involved, three against one simply wouldn't be a fair fight.

There was a hiss from the alley to his left. Jack stopped and swirled his body around on guard. Whatever it was, it was veiled by the darkness. He took a tentative step back, the hiss grew louder and closer. Remembered the old saying about curiosity killing the cat, or in this case, the bird, he decided a quick get away would be top priority.

Arms burst out of the shadow with lightening speed, grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him inside the dark alley. He was slammed against the wall. A familiar voice growled out a single word beside his ear.

"Mine."

~~~*~~~

"We don't know wha' ye did wit' th' other two." The fat pirate grinned and Zeke was almost blinded by the mouthful of gold teeth. "Bu' who cares, th' more loot for th' rest of us." The more time he spent in the company of such humanity, the more confidence he had in Satan's little apocalypse project. Zeke rolled his eyes and sighed softly.

// I am starting to take after Will, sighing at everything. //

He parted his legs as far as possible on the narrow board to keep balance, the shackles around his feet clapped and the cannon balls almost slipped off the wood. He jumped forward a small step as something pointy was jabbed none too gently into hide.ide.

"Mov'e it!"

The other pirates cheered loudly with cruel jests. Zeke looked down at the sea with disdain, his posture tense. The island of La Tortuga laid peacefully in the distant horizon. The sun was rising and enveloped everything its brilliance touched in a gold and red glow.

//Sea *and* sunrise. What does the Fates have against me?//

".....oh well, I've been through worse."

"Wha' cou'd be worse than walkin'g th' plank?" The fat pirate asked with honest curiosity.

"Jumping from them." //Poor sucker probably doesn't go out much,// Zeke mused sympathetically, //I can relate with that.//

He turned around and put his hands in front of his chest, palms outward. "Now, gentlemen. I am sure we can come to some kind of agreement. There has to be something you want...or wish for? Let's all just sit down, and work out some kind of mutually beneficial pl...."

He was cut off by the sound of a loud splash. Then a force rammed into the bottom of the plank caused it to spring upward. Zeke lost his footing and fell.

//I am going home empty handed. The management is not going to be happy about this.//

The air bubbles were swirling around him like rains of broken glasses. They reflected back the light like crystal balls, basked Zeke in the colors of rainbow. Something was pulling him down.

//Oh, yeah, the cannon balls. At least I didn't panic this time.//

He shut his eyes, the sea water really stung. There was some kind of motion beneath him. He was half hoping it was a shark. At least then he would have a more interesting story to tell; drowning was such a boring way to go. Suddenly, something solid connected with his ankle, and the weight that bind him was gone. He sprinted his body upward, and let the water float him up. His hands almost touched the surface, only to have a sideway jerk pulled him under again.

//Maybe it was a shark.//

Something was pulling him across the bottom of the ship, and pushed him up when the last few inches were closed. His head broke through the surface and he gasped for breath. The pirates were still cheering on the other side of the ship. Now he could feel the arms around his waist, holding him up. He opened his eyes and tried to blink the water out of them. A hard tap on his shoulder, and he turned his attention to his rescuer.

"Miss me?" Tisha said smugly.

"You." His voice was hoarse, the sea water tasted more bitter than salty in his mouth. "How?"

She flapped her tail and began swimming away from the ship. "I flipped around in the barrel and spilled all the water. Then I convinced the guards to take me to the upper deck to get some more.....and then....well, you did say that my scales are very slippery."

//And the guards couldn't have been very smart,// Zeke watched her face broke into a proud grin. //I might have to readjust my opinion of the fish.//

"So what do I get in return?"

"What?" // I definitely should readjust my opinion, she might not be an air head after all.//

"I saved your life and you *are* a wish master. I want something in return for all my trouble."

Zeke wanted to warn her that it's never a good idea to demand rewards from a demon, but he didn't like her *that* much. "I'll reward you later..."

She cut him off hurriedly, "Do you promise?"

"Across my black little heart, but you have to get me to Tortuga first."

"No, I won't's t's where those bad men are going." Apparently, she also showed evidence of higher brain activity and more survival instinct than an headless ant.

"Yes, and it's also where they are taking Will."

"Tortuga it is."

// Then again, I could be wrong about the brain cell and the survival instinct.//

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