Upon A Painted Ocean

chapter 10
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"Mine."

Before Jack could comprehend the meaning of that single syllable, his body was slammed into the wall again. Pain exploded from the back of his skull and sp its itself into the rest of his body like blood in water. He squeezed his eyes shut as stars flew behind them.

He was still disoriented by the pain when a hard body nudged him further against the wall. He strike out with both hands, only to have them caught and brought above his head. He twisted and thrashed his lower body up in a attempt to throw off his attacker. A knee has inserted itself between his parted tights, right below his crotch. The friction was maddening, and for a moment all his resistance melted.

His eyes snapped open and searched frantically in the darkness. The sun was already rising, but the taller buildings nearby towered over the alley and gave it the protection of shadow. He knew his attacker to be a man, for he did not have the necessary curves of a female form.

But before his sight could adjusted in thech bch blackness, his lips were roughly claimed. The mouth that ravished his was surprisingly soft yet carried almost savage force, coaxing and persistent at the same time. His eyes widen at a sharp nip at his bottom lips, the coppery taste of blood sank into his closed mouth through the slip between his lips. The momentary slacking of his jaws gave access to an intruding tongue. He almost choked as the velvet heat thrust inside mercilessly with a single stoke. He was being devoured. His hands scratched useless at thin air, the other's iron clasps was unmoving around his wrists. He was beginning to grow lightheaded from the lack of oxygen.

One hands pined both of his higher above his head, while the other tore at his tunic impatiently. Strings were snapped and fabric was tear to reveal one shoulder. The mouth left his with a wet pop, leaving trails of saliva down his chin. He gulped down mouthful of precious air and willed his concentration back to the crisis at hand. His attacker was now feasting on the junction between his neck and shoulder. He shuddered and beat down the heat rising in his groin as teeth bit down on his flesh harshly.

"STOP! Stop it! Who ar' ye?! Stop or I swear I'll..."

The other's action swayed slight at his angry yells. Seizing the opportunity, he pushed his body upward and brought his left knee up hard against the other'bs. bs. In his current position, he could not exert enough force in order to break any bones, but it was enough to unbalance his attacker. The other stumbled back in pain, arms folded around his mid section protectively. Jack pushed him again and punched him on the face. The man fell backward to the entrance of alley, light spilled onto his face and upper body.

Jack drew out his sword and slashed toward his attacker's throat. His hand stopped abruptly in middle swing as the man's face came into the light. In one instant, all his anger liquefied into shock and unadulterated horror at the sight of the pale face. He gasped.

"Will?!"

~~~*~~~

His prey was simply breathtaking.

He looked up at the man from his position on the ground. Ebony eyes shined brightly with disbelieving and fear. The kohl around them was smeared and made the twin pools of obsidian appeared even larger against bony cheeks. Pink lips were swollen and bruised, while blood leaked from the cut on the bottom one. Hair tousled and wilder than usual, charms and trinkets sparkled against pure blackness. The shirt was ripped apart through the front, the loosen fabric dangled over and revealhe she smooth outline of one shoulder.

The sword slipped from the other's hand, the crystal sound echoed through the alley as it hit the ground. A breathless voice, "Will? What ar' ye.... How did ye get away?"

//Will? Was that his name?//

Does it matter? No, not when what he seek was right in front of him. Not when he has finally found his oasis, his spring, the very being his body and heart craved desperately.

"Will? Say something. Ar' ye all right? Did I hit ye too hard?" Concern was overshadowing the other emotions.

It was a mean punch, he thought nonplussly. He flicked his tongue over the corner of his mouth, licked away the blood. The slightly salty taste only fueled his adrenaline. The other's lips trembled, their fullness an testament to the abuse they received earlier. Those lips were inviting him back, the flame inside him urged him on. He wanted to fork through the unruly strands with his fingers and feel their silkiness against his palm. The coldness was becoming unbearable again, he longed to buried himself in the other's warmth.

// You can NOT refuse me. You are mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. //

He chanted that single word inside his head like a prayer, pushed himself up and stalked towards the other man. Jet eyes widened further, "Will? Wha...." He lunged before the other could finish his question. Limps and arms tangled together as they rolled on the cold ground. He came up on top, straddled the slender hips and placed his hands on either side of that surprised face. Leaned down, he murmured, softer this time.

"Mine."

He let his head dip lower, open mouth trailed down the curve of the neck, and licked the red mark he left with his teeth. He grounded his pelvic hard against the body below him, and was rewarded with a moan. His hand tugged the other's tunic from under a tightly fastened belt, and crawled onto the flesh below the coarse cloth. The other's panting hiccuped. He smiled, sneaky finger tips continued to map the contours and shapes of the hard muscles. He could feel the body below him start to relax and inhaled the beginning of the silent submission through musk scent.

The cold and heat had both left him. In their places was the raving hunger.

// Mi//
//

~~~*~~~

Zeke liked the sea. Really, he did. It could be so nasty sometimes, especially when it was flipping ships around like cabbage inside a fry pan. He just didn't like to be IN the sea. He had water in his ears, and every sound around him was accompanied by a constant honing, like those made by bees.

The fish was still talking. It must be nice to have lungs and gills at the same time, you could just alternate between the two and never need to stop to take a breat
".
"...then I punched him on the nose..... blahblahblah ...the rail was just to my left.... blahblahblah .....wasn't I smart?"

"Yes, you were." Zeke decided to humor her, he didn't want the fish to loosen her grips.

"Do you think I'll be able to see Will in Tortuga?"

//Oh, for the love of all that is unholy....//

"....why are you asking me? I told you already, he *has* a fiancée." Not to mention the other competition.

"So? The prince in my story had a fiancée."

"Yes, and as I recall, the little mermaid lost to the foreign princess."

"Minor details. When I save Will from those bad men, he'll see I am the right one for him."

// You aren't even physically compatible.// Zeke rolled his eyes, but immediately felt relieved when land came within their reach.

He kicked out his legs to speed up the last couple of meters. He could feel solid ground touching his toes. The sun was high in the eastern sky and the beach was deserted. He could see Tortuga from here, it would just be a few hours of walk.

"So now where is my reward?" Tisha's voice roared arrogantly from behind him. She is propping her body up with one elbow, the other was extending toward him, palm upward. Her green scale sparkled brightly in the morning sun.

"Oh, right. That."

Zeke looked around, bend one knee and scooped up a handful of sand from nearby. He pressed the sand between his palms hard, then walked back to her and disposed the contains onto her outstretched hand. The smaller grains slipped away from between her fingers, and left a few larger stones, along with a small white shell in the shape of a new moon.

She stared up at him incredulously. "They are rocks!"

"They are pretty rocks." He patted his hand against his trouser a couple of time, to get ride of the remaining sand.

"But... You *promised*. I am not stupid!!!" Her face was turning more and more green, in the human equivalent of a flush. "I know that wish masters may be demons, but they ALWAYS keep their promises! You have to reward me!"

"I just did. You are the one who didn't specify what kind of reward you want."

"Wha...I...you...you...you evil, insufferable ..... LIAR!!!!!"

"Thank you. I do try my best."

He stretched his arms and popped his shoulder joints a little. The weather was showing promise of being scorching hot. Perfect for a walk, he thought pleasantly and started the trek to Tortuga. Behind him, Tisha was still beating her hands against the sand. Her curses were lost to the whoosh of the wind.

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chapter 11
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//This is a dream.//

Jack thought feverishly, it had to be. What other explanation was there for the object of his affection, the main cast in his wet dreams and the subject to his nightly worries, to be safe and sound, not to mention lapping his sweaty skin like a man dying of thirst.

Will's hand raked through the dark threads, then raised his face to meet Jack's own. The black pupils had expanded within the rich cinnamon orbs. The closer to the pupil, the darker the color was, hazel mingled with tints of green, gold and silver. Those eyes were engulfing him into a warmth without boundaries and entangling him with its undercurrent of desire.

His mind was striving towards the completion which was offered so freely. His rationality and intuition were struggling against this surreal scenario, while his heart and body screamed for total abandonment.

//Just let go.//

Velvet lips crushed over his, they tasted sweet and sour like wine. They were insistent and savage, almost depriving him of all rational thought. He gasped softly against that persistent heat. A hot tongue brushed against the roof of his mouth, once, twice. The third brush was followed by a slight pressure against the back of his teeth. The other mouth sucked hard and stole away the last ounce of air from his lung.

//Let go.//

Will was repeating the same word over and over. The breath caught in his throat at the forceful possessiveness in that single syllabus.

"Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. ....."

He buried his face into the space between neck and shoulder, a few strands of hair tickled his nose. Will had one of his earlobe in his mouth, sucking and nipping on them hungrily. The action was voracious and urgent, like the rising tide of river beating against the walls of a dam.

//Let go.//

He was writhing helplessly beneath the slender body. Will's heartbeat was throbbing loudly against his chest, mirrored his own increasingapidapid pulse. He shifted slightly and brought their body together to a perfect allegiance, from shoulder to calf.

//Yes, let me be yours. And you will be mine.//

Something that felt like cool metal slide out from the front of Will's shirt and made contact with his bare throat. Its weight and density were recognizable even through his feverish mind. Jack immediately knew what it was.

*** Beautiful isn't it. Elizabeth gave it to me.... our engagement ring.***

The significance of the ring and the rashness of his action almost overwhelmed him with helplessness and despair. He choked and pushed desperately against the unyielding shoulders above him.

//No. No. No.//

In response to his renewed resistance, Will sealed their mouths together. Unlike the previous ministrations of vicious taking, this kiss was seductive manipulation and gentle coaxing at the same time. It was laced with a tenderness that nearly melted away his last grip of conus aus and sensible reasoning.

//No. Stop. What am I doing?! Please, stop.//

He did not know who the plead was for, Will or himself. He only wanted an outlet, some kind of release to this madness and the whirlwind of emotions.


//Stop. This is... wrong.//

He wanted to wash away the tingling of the blazing kisses and disappear into the hardness of the earth below. He wanted to shoved the youth against the wall and worship every inch of that fair skin with his tongue. He wanted to kiss, to lick, to bite, to claw, to take, to give. He wanted nothing. He wanted everything.

He wanted Will. He wanted everything that was so uniquely Will. He wanted everything Will would give and more. He wanted Will's friendship, Will's devotion, Will's trust, Will's loyalty.

He wanted Will... to love him.

Jack Sparrow was by no mean a celibate or chaste man. He loved pleasure, in all shapes and forms. It had never mattered to him whether his ecstasies was induced by the presence of another body or the numbing effect of the rum.

//But this is Will.//

This was Will, who risked his life and reputation to save him, whose smile brightened his otherwise aimless existence, whose kind words swelled him with happiness and pride. This was illogical. Years of honing his self-preservation skills and cautions were a trifle compare to a few months of vicinity with the youth. His mask of a drunken fool, which life had drilled into him and had kept him alive all this time, would simply evaporate as soon as the blacksmith came within close proximity.

Did Will know that he would offer his heart on a silver plate? Was the youth aware of how his pulse would skip with a single twitch of those rosy lips? Did Will realize that he was Jack's weakness of body and frailty of mind?

//Do you know that you are my home?//

Will was the holder of string to his wild kite.

//Do you know that you my my freedom?//

The freedom that Jack had been chasing for as long as he knew. The freedom that a life of piracy was entitled. The freedom that he thought he had finally discovered in the Black Pearl.

//True freedom means..... to have a place to return to, to have *someone* to return to.//

He shoved the body above him with all the strength he could wield. In an instant, their positions was reversed. He grabbed Will's hands and locked them above his head with unwavering force. He rested his weight on top of the boy and sneered into his face.

"Ye stupid boy! Do ye have *any* idea what ye were doing?"

Dark brown eyes were unfocused and confused before they were overtaken by a vivid fever. Something was wrong, he realized too late. Will arched up against him. His eyes closed involuntary at the sensation created when their groins were brushed against each other.

//No, something is wrong. This isn't Will.//

His palms were pressed against hot skin, yet the body beneath him was shivering violently. Will was gulping down mouthful after mouthful of air, while his face had blanched to a sickly shaded of white. He loosened his grip on those thin wrists and gently gathered the trembling boy into his arms.

"Will? Will? Can ye hear me? What's wrong, luv?"

The endearment was out of his mouth before he could stop it, but the boy appeared not to have noticed it. Will was staring blankly ahead and numbing something incoherent. Jack could only catch a few words, cold, heat and burning were among them. He rocked the thin body gently.

"Will? Please....say somethin'g. Come on, mate. Look at me."

Dark eyelashes fluttered against flushed cheeks, until they shut completely. His heart clenched, panic blinded his vision and filled the pit of his stomach with lead. He yanked the motionless body roughly against him and pressed his ear to Will's chest, looking frantically for any sound. There was a pulse, weak but steady. He breathed out a sign of relief.

The shock was wearing off and his current predicament was taking its toll on his already stressed body. He yawned against the ruffled brown hair, rested his back against the wall, and began to doze off with his precious bundle secured safely against his chest.

~~~*~~~

Her sleep was troubled and her dream was filled with echoes of some forgotten ballad. But when the first ray of light elevated her from the valley of sleep, she was already half way into composing herself again. The morning sun refreshed her and brought her new hope. Elizabeth stabbed at the omelet on her plate and sulked, it would have been a wonderful morning if not for a certain navy commodore.

Commodore Norrington was almost finished with his speech about the importance of constant vigilance against pirates when the door was pushed open. A young sergeant stepped in and walked straight towards his superior officer without even giving Elizabeth a side way glance. The soldier bent down and whispered something into the commodore's ear.

She watched with mild satisfaction as Norrington's face darken with each word. She had a vague impression that whatever it was, it somehow involved one captain Jack Sparrow.

"How is that possible?!" The commodore hissed, then sent a troubled look in Elizabeth's direction. She kept her face as neutral as possible.

The commodore looked even more scandalized and said menacingly towards the young sergeant, "Send out twenty men, no, make that forty. I don't care what it takes, flip Tortuga upside down if you must. I *want* him found."

Elizabeth felt sorry for the now trembling soldier, the young man was obviously a scapegoat. At the same time, her speculation was also confirmed.

//So Jack has escaped. That was qu//
//

The soldier was almost to the door as Norrington continued with the same fuming tone. "I am going to *court martial* the idiots who left him alone. This time, I'll personally make sure he's chained and guarded around the clock"

Elizabeth tried not to snicker. The door shut with a soft creak as the commodore turned back to her.

"Elizabeth, that.... dangerous criminal, Jack Sparrow has escaped."

"......"

"But I assure you that you are in no danger from him, or any of his pirate friend."

"......"

"This is one of the best armed ship in the fleet, I also have two smaller cruisers with me."

"......"

"I don't believe that even the infamous Black Pearl would willingly go up against such odds. There is no need to worry about..... Elizabeth? Are you listening?"

Finally realized that he was the sole participant in this conversation, Norringtognedgned resignedly. He knelt down beside the chair that she was sitting on and took her hands into his own.

"Elizabeth, I know that things have been hard for you. But I am here now and everything will be as they should. I will take care of you."

She did not know whether to pity the eagerness in that voice or to snarl at that outrageous presumption. Instead she replied in a placidly voice.

"Commodore, need I remind you that I am engaged to another man."

Her heart skipped guilty at the dejected looked in those blue eyes. Had she been too blunt? Perhaps a more subtle approach was required. In truth, the commodore was a good and reliable friend, and had always har ber best interest at heart. In the years that he was stationed in Port Royal, she had learned to appreciate his quite affection and looked up to him as an older brother. He was also a good friend to her father, but she could not and would not see him as anything more than that. Her heart belonged to Will.

"Elizabeth, I know that it is not my place to say, but where is your finance now? Where is he when you are in danger? Did he not abandon you to join with the pirates?"

"You are correct, it is *not* yplacplace to say." Her voice has dropped down to a dangerously low level. "I was *never* in danger with the pirates! We were the one who seek them out! And Will did not abandon me!"

"If he had truly loved you, why did he leave you alone?!"

"He was CAPTURED by ruthless murderers when he was *saving* me!!!"

Her breath had quicken and she held her fists rigidly by her side. She had been successfully distracting herself away from the hollow vacancy inside her heart that Will's kidnapping had created. But the commodore's thoughtless accusations were like heavy blows on her already accented nerves.

"You don't know anything! You weren't *there*!"

"Elizabeth.....I....I am..."

Before he could apologize, there was a knock on the door. A few moments later, lieutenant Gillette pushed open the door and walked in. He took in the tense scenery inside the room with a raised eyebrow, but did not comment. He stood straight and said in a clear and business like voice.

"Commodore, there was a urgent message from the navy command. Captain Jackson and Captain Sullvan requested your presence in the meeting room."

Norrington did not look pleased at the interruption, but nonetheless roused himself from his half kneeing position. Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself down, and pined her gaze straight at the carpet and nothing else.

"Understood, I'll be on my way."

He looked down at Elizabeth, who was still avoiding his gaze. "Elizabeth, I apologize for my early misstep. I..... trust you will act in a befitting manner in my absence."

Then he turned toward Gillette and said in a commanding tone. "I am entrusting Miss. Swann's safety in your hands, lieutenant." Before the younger man could protest, he was out of the door.

A most uncomfortable silence ensured.

Elizabeth broke the stillness first. "Lieutenant Gillette."

"Miss. Swann." He greeted back.

That was about all the conversation they had for the next two hours.

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chapter 12
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He did not know how long he held the unconscious body in his arms. The sun was high above the alley and the light shined directly into his eyes. Henkednked, the sting of the light brought his concentration back to the matter at hand.

Will's temperature had dropped a considerable amount. His forehead was no longer burning hot. Jack wiped his sleeve carefully over the delicate face. Will's skin was cold and clumsy to the touch, his lips were lush as always but slowly turning a sickly blue. He tightened his hold on the still shivering form, white mist formed around Will's mouth every time he took a breath.

//Now he's freezing. What is going on?//

His finger tips caressed the soft cheek. Sunlight bathed the angelic face in all its radiance, he sighed with amazement at the very personification of innocent and purity the boy presented. His heart was light despite the thought of the inevitable confrontation which lurked at the edge of this peacefulness. He did not want to vacillate or prod too deep on the hows and whys of the situation. Will was safe, not necessary rmedrmed, but safe and alive. A few hours ago, that was all he could have ever asked for. That fact alone would have convinced him that miracles do exist and some higher deity might indeed be watching over the lots of them. He looked down at Will fondly.

//Now let's just get ye back to the Pearl, and we'll figure out what's wrong with ye.//

"Everything is going to be all right now," he whispered into silky hair.

Footsteps and loud cheering echoed through the street just when he was collecting the limp body onto his back. He stopped dead in his track as a handful of drunk sailors, or pirates as everyone is bound to be in this town, marched around the corner and came into view. Lecherous smiles crepe upon the dirty faces as the pirates spotted them.

//This is not good. What else could possibly go wrong now?//

The pirates looked at each other with conspicuous smirks, and immediately came around the ally, blocked the only exit.

//Right, me an' me big mouth.//

The leader of the gang, for he was the largest and the smelliest of the bunch, stepped up and said in a tipsy tone. "Wel', wher' do ye think ye ar' goin'g?"

"I was just leaving, as I am sure ye gentlemen would have some other places to be also." His voice was polite, but there was a brittle undertone which warned that any unwanted advances would be dealt with swiftly and painfully.

"Wha' s th.' hurry, pretti?"

Heavy intoxication obviously restrict the flow of the oxygen into the brain. Jack debated with himself whether or not he should slack off on the rum a little in the future. Then decided that unlike the idiots before him, his intelligence was naturally high, so it would be irrelevant even if the rum did knock it down a few notches.

"As ye can see, my companion is really ill. Ye might want to get out of th' way, it could be contagious." He really did not want to fight right now. Will's safety came first, and he did not like the odds against them.

"Ah, tha' pretti boy ye ar' carrin'g. How about share him wit' th' rest of us." That comment was followed by several crude laughter and leering at his direction. "Or do ye wanna have th' boy all to yeself."

Black eyes narrowed. "It's not about wantin'g to have what ye wanted to have, it's about not wantin'g ye to have what ye wanted to have."

With one hand secured said boy against his chest, he rest the other hand on the hilt of his sword. The leader laughed and extend one hand toward Jack's face. With a flourish swirl of his body, he stepped out of way and brought his sword up. In one smooth arc, the sharp blade sliced off the ofing ing hand at the wrist.

The pirate howled with pain. The others appeared to gain back some sobriety at the sudden turn of event and drew out their respectable weapons. With a few battle cries, they charged.

Jack rammed hist ist into the face of the first man, then knocked him aside with the hilt of his sword. He brought his weapon up just in time to parry the attack from the second man. His wrist flicked, twisted the cutlass out of the man's grip and stabbed him through the chest. He fought like a mad man, the group of pirates parted way around him as bodies pilled behind his path. The arm around Will's waist was nicked twice, he gritted his teeth against the sting and pressed the unresponsive body harder against his own.

His sword hacked against another when something was hurled toward his face. He brought his free hand up reflexively to deflect the incoming object. His grip around Will loosened and the boy tumbled toward the ground. His eyes widen, and he bend down to intercthe the fall when a vicious kick send him flying.

His head met the wall with solid impact. He bit his tongue at the explosion of pain and willed his eyes to stay open. A few steps away, the leader of the pirates were looming over Will. The man was pressing his bleeding wrist against his side, while the other held a dagger which was coming down toward Will's vulnerable neck.

"Noooo!!!!" He screamed, a blind panic seized his heart.

A second dagger, came out of seemingly nowhere, knocked out the descending weapon with swiftness and precision. A shadowy figure grabbed the back of the pirate and pulled him away from Will. The unknown rescuer then hammered fistfist into the other man's stomach, held his neck with the other and snapped. The drunkard fell down like a puppet with its strings cut. With their leader gone, the rest of the pirate abandoned the fight and quickly scattered.

With a few large strides, Jack put himself between Will and the still unknown person. The other stepped calmly into the light.

His shoulders relaxed and he lowered his sword as light glide past the rumpled flame hair, envelope each strands in an orange highlight. He took in the ripped clothes, the bare feet, the cracked lips, the dust covered face and the general grouchiness of the youth before him.

"What happened to ye?"

Zeke did not dignify that with an answer, only grumbled out a few curses and mumbled senes. es. Jack grinned toothily as he caught the words: heat, overestimate and human endurance.

~~~*~~~

The choking stiffness inside the guest room was too much for even Lieutenant Gillette, and he finally agreed to walk Elizabeth outside. She leaned against the fence and breathed in the salty air. The day was still young and the seagulls were crying loudly in the sky above.

The prow of the ship was facing east and Elizabeth dipped her head slight to avoid the direct sunlight. There was something in the water below. The light whitened the foam on the surface of the sea, large bubbles were spurring with alarming speed. She bowed her upper body further out of the fence for a better look.

Gillette's voice roared fearfully from behind her. "Miss. Swann!"

Her toes had left the grounds and her body was dangling dangerously with only her arms supporting against the wooden bars of the rail. There was a shadowy shape ascending from beneath the sea at where the bubbles were.

"Miss. Swann!"

Lieutenant Gillette was almost begging now. She signed, lowered herself and turned around to face him.

"Miss. Swann, *please* restrict yourself from doing such dangerous stunts."

Gillette was obviously not happy to be stuck with the baby-sitting duty. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders, she didn't liked to be nannied neither.

"Miss. Swann, be so kind to step away from the rail. If you wish to con any any further extracurricular activity, please do so at your own peril, and not on my watch."

A snappy retort was half way out of her mouth when something whooshed behind her following a large splash. eyeseyes widened as she was grabbed from behind and flipped across the wooden fence. The last thing she heard before the coldness of the water stunned her, was Gillette's shout of her name.

~~~*~~~

The trip back to the Black Pearl was blissfully quite and uneventful. The crews was overjoyed at the return of the three. The captain had carriedl dil directly into the blacksmith's quarter, and ordered for some water and extra blankets. When Jack came out of the cabin, his expression was angry and troubled.

Zeke caught the word 'doctor' between the whispering discussion between the captain and Mr. Gibbs. He was wondering how they would ever find a doctor on this pathetic excuse of an island, and even if they did somehow managed to dig one out of some hole, what good would he or she do against the power of the black sorcery.

The crews was tense at the captain's bad mood and none questioned the absence of Miss. Elizabeth. He was hushed aside to have the cuts on his feet dressed.

//This is the last time I will ever overestimate human endurance.//

He had listened absent-mindedly to the bitching and complements of the men around him. Apparently Anamarie had been filling his shoes for the past couple of days. According to the others, the lady had the most unusual sense of taste, and all inquiries on the edibility of the dishes she prepared, had been silenced by death glares and threats of bodily harm.

They also told him, with no small amount of regret, that his roommate, the cabin boy Jess didn't make it out of the last raid on the ship. Zeke's face had remained inscrutable and indifferent. The truth was, he did not know how he was suppose to feel, or was he even suppose to feel anything at all. He only knew that he was somewhat relieved to be finally back onboard the Black Pearl.

He laid lazon hon his bunk after Anamarie finally came in to scowled the others away. He didn't want to admit it, but despite all the close calls with the sea and the lack of development in his master plan, this masquerading of a life of piracy had grown to be rather enjoyable.

Eyes closed, he let his mind wander.

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chapter 13
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He sat on the beach and gazed blankly into the ocean while one hand traced cycles on the sand beneath. The little white house in the distance had already stopped burning. In its place stood the ashen remains of the wooden structure.

"Do you ever get tired of the same dream?"

He turned his head towards that sarcastic voice. The other boy was perching on the upturned boat beside him, one leg tugged under a tight while the other dangled freely. Pointy chin rested on both palms and his elbow were supported against one knee. Crimson hair stayed motionless against the gentle wind, a curious smile lifted the pink lips. The boy would have looked normal if not for the slits in the scarlet orbs.

"Ye are later than usual this time."

"Yeah? Why do you say that?"

The boy cocked his head to the side slightly. The gesture was hauntingly familiar, but for the life of him, he could not remember where he'd seen it before.

"Ye are part of reamream. I made ye, ye only come out because I wish for it."

Red eyes darken to the shade of garnet, surprised at the insightful assertion, but recovered quickly.

"You are wrong. But.... what made you think that?"

"Did my mind not conjured ye up?" It was an honest question. "It must have. Ye are my personal tormentor, a reminder of all the sins I have committed."

"What sin would that be?"

Another cock of head. The boy had extracted the bent leg and was swing both back and forth happily.

"The wrong decisions that I made. And my failures.... I.... I failed everyone. Everyone back at the orphanage, ...her....... and.....and..... Will."

"Yes, you did." The boy nodded eagerly, smile widened.

"But ye are here to reprimand me...... so that I won't fail again."

"Is that what you think?" The boy pouted, shoulders dropped slightly. "No wonder this doesn't work as I thought it would."

"What didn't work?"

"Never mind what. If you knew this was a dream, why didn't you just wake up?"

"I can't."

"can'can't." The boy sta staring at him with the most strange expression, like he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. "This is *your* dream. You can do anything."

"I just can't. Ye usually come, say some awful things and wake me up."

"....what?"

"Can you do that now? Do it before *he* comes."

Now the boy looked like he was about to cry.

"You... you arllinlling me, that *my* torments woke you before the really bad stuff happens."

"Yes, that's what ye are here for, isn't it?"

The boy stared at him with inconceivable horror, before jumped off the boat and stomped both feet furiously against the sand. He stared open mouthed as the redhead began to swear fluently in foreign languages. A few he could recognize, the rest were just mumble jumble to his ears, but he was impressed nonetheless.

Distant footsteps distracted him from the display of childish trauma throwing. His eyes widen, he grabbed the other boy and shook him hard.

"Wake me up! Wake me up! Wake me up!"

During all the jumping, cursing and the general exercise, the black slits had expanded, filling almost the entire eye, leaving only the outer rim in the color of coral red. Now they were peering curiously over his shoulder.

"Him? You are afraid of him? I saw him the first time I was here. He never does anything except talk and talk."

He ignored that comment. His nails dug into clothed shoulders hard in anxiety.

"Wake me up! Wake me up! Damn you, WAKE ME UP!"

The boy said in the same nonchalantly tone, "Well, I guess it does kind of bite to save the same man, who would later murder everyone you cared about."

He considered running, but that had never helped before. The only thing that had been able to spared him of the imminent agony and misery was right in front of him. He gazed imploring at the boy, who was watching the approaching man with pique and disgust.

"This is unacceptable! Why do you fear him, yet are indifferent to me."

A clawed hand thrust into his chest. He looked fixedly down at the gaping wound where the forearm was still inserted, then stared up at the snarling face. The boy tipped his head down and whispered secretly into his ear.

"Kill him and all your nightmares will end."

He coughed, blood spilled from his mouth. He did not understand the brisk instruction. Furthermore, he did not understand why the boy was providing him with a solution when all he ever gave out before were more riddles and ambiguous replies.

"Why are ye..?"

The boy looked unsure and spoke with gloomy countenance, "I... don't know." Then with a cheerfully singsong tone, "But it will be fun to watch."

The arm was removed abruptly from his chesd hed he fell. The ground opened up beneath him as he was sinking deeper and deeper into the sand.

His eyes snapped open, the dream was quickly fading away. Unfamiliar ceilings, was his first thought.

//I am in Will's cabin.//

He looked down at the young man's still shivering form with worry. He touched the cold cheek lightly and tugged the blankets closer under the boy's chin. Then he sat back down on the chair beside the bed and hugged the blanket around himself firmly.

//It's goin'g to be all right, Will. I'll protect ye.//

~~~*~~~

Darkness loomed endlessly before him. He was lost within this shadowy maze. Each turn only brought him to more dead ends and monsters was hidden in every corner. Pain coursed through his body and he fought his way towards consciousness.

The first thing he saw was Jack's face hovering above him. He almost yelped at the closeness before he felt the warmth of a large hand caressing his forehead softly, reassuring him.

//Where am I?//

He stared despondently ahead, still dazzled from the long sleep. A gentle shake around his shoulder, Jack's eyebrows had drew together tightly due to his lack of reaction.

"Will? Can ye hear me?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. He tried again. There was only a small squeak, his throat was dry and throbbing painfully.

"It's all right now, mate. Ye are on the Black Pearl. Ye are safe."

A couple of fluffy pillows were inserted between his aching back and the hard mattress. A calloused but gentle hand grasped the back of his head, and a cup was delivered in front of his lips. He gulped down the cool liquid.

"Better?"

He nodded. The last few days were gradually coming back to him. He recalled the attack on the Black Pearl, his imprisonment on the enemy ship, the soothing feeling of Zeke's dagggaingainst his wrist and ..... that crazy priest.

//What happened after that?//

The last clear memory he had was Cane's smirking face and the bitter sweet taste of the potion.

//The potion!//

Images assaulted hisd lid like swarms of scorpions. He dubbed over at the pain while Jack hastily gathered him up into strong arms. An anxious voice was repeating the same questions over and over, but his mind was already immersed in the flashing of colors and sounds.

He remembered.

Jack's surprised eyes.

The feeling of his palms slide over that sun-kissed skin.

The taste of soft lips, like rum, salt and something so uniquely Jack.

The sweet and warm cavern of Jack's mouth.

The feeling of a hard body shuddering beneath him.

He remembered them all, and most importantly he remembered Jack's struggle, his fierce shouting and the frightened light in those black eyes.

//Oh, god. What have I done!//

His face blanched. He also recalled the heat and the cold, although they were no longer as strong and demanding as they were before.

"Will? Are ye all right? What happened?"

"I don't remember anything!" The answer was blurted out of his mouth without any conscious thought. Jack's kohl rimmed eyes narrowed.

"Ye don't remember anything?"

"I.... I.....it's still all so blurring, but...I....was....eh....knocked out most of the time."

He could not care less about dishonesty now. All he wanted was to scavenge whatever was left of the friendship between him and Jack. Perhaps if Jack believed him to have amnesia, then he would be willing to forgive and forget. Maybe it was too much to hope for, but the iciness of desperation that is slowly spreading through his body, did not allowed him more time to contemplate the situation carefully.

"I... I may not have been myself. I think they did something to me.... some kind of....eh...black magic." He tried again when Jack's inquiring gazes did not stray.

"Ye really don't remember? Nothing at all?" Jack's voice was rising steadily.

"N...No."

Their would-be argument was interrupted by soft screeching at the door followed by a knock.

~~~*~~~

She woke as the gentle wave of sea was splashed against her face. She was lying on a rock, the lower part of her body was still submerged under the water. A small ray of light was shining through from the opening on top of what appeared to be a cave. The soft illumination cast a pale cycle of light around her. From the large crack between the stone in front of her, she can see the blurring line which linked sea and sky. The sun was slowly setting.

//Where am I?//

Another splash of water was throw onto her face. She turned her head and was rendered speechless by the sight before her.

A young girl was perching on the stone beside her, only there was fish tail connected the girl from waist down instead of legs. Thick mops of wet hair were pooling down her shoulder as if they were carved out of emerald. Large golden eyes adorned equally golden skin. The greenish half transparent fins on the girl's forearms were glittering with a metallic light.

"What?" Her vocal cord was refusing to work and she could utter nothing other than that single word.

"So you are Elizabeth Swann."

She blinked at the curiosity and unfriendliness in that statement. The girl.....

//Mermaid. It's a mermaid.//

The mermaid was studying her intently. She shook her head. She didn't remember consuming any alcoholic substance beforehand, and the hardness of the rock below felt too real to be a hallucination.

"What?"

"Zeke told me all about you. I must say I was expecting someone a lot prettier."

The name Zeke had penetrated the thick fog gathered around her brain. She was instantly alerted.

//Zeke? The cook?//

"He said you are Will's fiancé."

Upon hearing the name of her beloved, she immediately sobered up. She pushed herself up and reached out toward the mermaid.

"Will? You know Will? You knowre hre he is? Is he all right? Is he..."

The mermaid wrinkled her nose slightly as she bombed her with questions. Cheeks puffed up angrily, she shouted. "Hey, I am the one asking questions here. You are Elizabeth Swann, are you not. I heard that tall man call you Miss. Swann."

She composed herself and collected her anxious thoughts.

"I am sorry. Yes, I am Elizabeth Swann. What...I mean who are you?"

"Tisha. And you better remember my name, human."

The mermaid was looming over her with an challenging air.

"From now on, we are rivals."

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chapter 14
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He could feel the repulsion in the air before he even opened the door.

Ever since he became aware of the nearness of that accursed stone, its affect had increased tenfold. Every time he went within ten feet of the ruby, or more precisely, the one who carried the ring, his palm would sweat and his mouth would turn desert dry. A chilliness would spread from the back of his spine all the way to his toes. His body would involuntary freeze and it always took a minute or two for him to feel his limbs again.

Zeke doesn't like the chilliness. Cold he could deal with, coldness usually tranquilized the flesh and blocked out most feelings. Chilliness on the other hand, was like needles, probing deep and always there. It reminded him of the dark and damp tomb that he spent the majority of his life in.
//This is ridiculous. You are only cold because you think you are cold.//

He took a deep breath, balanced the tray in one hand and knocked the door with the other. The heated voices inside stopped abruptly. A few moments later, a tired and deep voice responded.

"What is it?"

Impatience reeked from the captain's tone, he obviously wanted to get ride of whomever it was quickly. //Trouble in paradise?// Zeke thought with amusement.

"It's Zeke, sir. I brought Will something to eat."

The door creaked opened. Jack's wary face appeared, dark cycles under sunken eyes that glowered sullenly.

"Come in."

//He doesn't look so good.// On a second thought, gleefully, //maybe he's finally cracking, dying even.//

He took one step inside first, readied himself against the soft humming of resistance, and walked in. Will was half sitting and half lying on the very far side of the bed. Thgic gic of the ruby left a white mist invisible to human eye, but Zeke could see them clearly. Even with the flow of the force wrapped around his form protectively, Will's face was still white as the sheet.

//My mistake. The boy is the one dying.//

"I brought you some bread, Will, and broth.... to wash them down." Will gave him a slight node in gratitude, even that small movement seemed to take him a great deal of effort. The captain's hot glares were directed at the back of his head.

Its message was loud and clear: you are done, now scram.

In response, Zeke put the tray on the night stand and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You all right there, Will? Need a hand with ann'g?n'g?"

The glares were turning venomous and boring holes in his back now. He bit down on his bottom lip to prevent it from curving up.

"Ezekiel..."

//Wow, full name. Human are so easily agitated.//

"...get out of here an' go work in yer kitchen or som..."

"Zeke, can you stay for a while?"

"What?" Two voices resonated in the small cabin at the same time. Zeke cocked his head to the side in puzzlement while Jack looked almost crestfallen, hurt and disbelieving written all over his face.

"I want to talk to Zeke about something." The sentences came out smooth and fluent despite the pain recoiled inside the trembling form. "Jack, go get some sleep. You look terrible."

Jack's gaze traced back and forth between Zeke and Will, as if expecting some big conspiracy. Questioning eyes finally rested on Will, who stared back evenly. Zeke could taste the electrical sparks flying in the air. He was beginning to regret staying, being caught in the cross fire hadn't been his intention.

//It just figures. I swear, EVERY TIME. That wasn't even evil or anything.//

The staring contest stretched on. Zeke swallowed at the nerve wrecking silence. Finally, Jack gave in.

"Fine. I'll just be in th' room down th' hall. .....if ye need anything, just call me, savvy?"

Zeke felt a slight tug at the back of his neck as the captain lifted his head up rather forcibly, "Don't ye tire him."

It was more of a threat than a order. He nodded his head rapidly, the most innocent smile he could muster, was planted firmly in place.

Apparently satisfied but with great reluctance, the captain let go of his neck and swaggered toward the door. With one last lingering glance, Jack shut the door quietly behind him. The two occupants still left in the room both breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. The pirate captain could be so very stubborn and pigheaded sometimes.

"Eh... if you don't like the food, I can bring you something else." Zeke stated uneasily. He hadn't exchanged a single word with the Blacksmith since their reunion, but Will was unconscious.

Will's eyes were down cast, and his hands were fumbling mindlessly with the bed sheet. Zeke had to lean closer to catch the next sentence.

"Have...have you told Jack about what happened?"

"No.... I haven't got the chance. The captain was with you the whole time." Will's face raised up at that statement, the corner of his mouth softened.

"I see. Then there is a favor I must ask of you.... it's personal."

".....sure, Will. ....as long as it's within my power."

//And I'll probably have to do it for free, it's not like I can hurt you, not with that damned rock still hanging around your neck. Damn...//

His spirit dropped despite the prospect of obtaining possible future blackmailing material. He was not a big fan of voluntary work.

"Can you....not tell Jack about what happened with Cane...and the potion?"

".... he will want to know why you are sick?"

"I am not sick! It's... it's only temporary."

"Which part, the potion or the true love." It wasn't a question, Zeke was curious to see how far human's self-denial could go.

"You heard that?"

He quirked up one eyebrow, for some reason, Will's weary expression was getting.... strangely nagging to watch. It was weird. He didn't think that dull shade of brown suited those doe eyes too well.

"Of course you heard it. But it was nothing, what Cane said. Really! I am a man... I mean.... I like Jack, he's my best friend. I look up to him and .... I have a fiancé..... and...." Zeke could literally see Will wracking his brain inside and out looking for more plausible excuses, until finally he almost shouted. "I don't love Jack!"

"....I didn't say it was the captain."

"......"

"......"

"...I.... I love Elizabeth." The retort was weak and feeble.

"......"

"......"

"Yeah? ....I don't think you really love Miss. Elizabeth. I think perhaps.... you love what she represented." A loud shriek, a warning sign was emanating from the back of his mind.

//Why am I having this conversation?//

A pair of hand suddenly clapped around his tightly. He almost flinched at the unexpected heat. Will's breath was disheveled, each suction and exhalation of air came with uneven strand; he could see the skin began to smoke and redden at where their hands were joined.

"Jack must NOT know. Promise me that you won't tell anyone, especially him about... any of this!!"

"Will, your hands are burning."

"PROMISE ME!"

"I don'ink ink the captain would be too happy to see you hurt again."

"...... please?"

"Will, I..."

"....please..."

"...fine. I promise."

"Thank you." The injured hands fell down onto the blacksmith's lap lifelessly.

"...they look bad. I am going to get some water and lotion, stay here and... don't do anything else with them." He turned and all but fled from the scene.

The door closed with a soft click, cut him off from Will's soft sniffs of pain and the constant pressure of the ruby. Wind carried a cool breeze through the round windows lined up on the other side of the hallway. The pounding in his chest was subsiding and his head was finally clearing up.

//What did I just do?//

As realization hit him like a two ton elephant, he froze, horrified.

//Was I... genuinely concerned about the boy?! This isn't happening. .....shit, Ursella was right. Stay with those monkeys for too long, and you will be domesticated!//

//No, it was the ruby. It MUST be the ruby. Stupid Rock!!// He balled his hands into fists, stalked toward the open deck, and determined to find something to torture and kill.

~~~*~~~

Jack found Zeke working in the kitchen. The cook was chopping the heads off a basket of fishes with such force, that every down ward thrust of the knife left a clear dent on the wooden board beneath.

He stood just outside of biting range and cleared his throat to get the cook's attention. Grey eyes raised to meet his own, the chopping sound continued.

"Captain, what can I do for you?" *Chop, Chop* Another head rolled onto the floor.

"Ye are gon'na clean that, aren't ye?"

Jack motioned towards the floor, where a small stack of decapitated fish heads was. He was trying to light up the mood, the atmosphere inside the small room reminded him of the night before his neck was about to get intimately acquitted with a certain noose.

The downward motion of the knife ceased. Zeke's cheek twitched and he grinned at Jack sheepishly. Jack could have sworn the cook's fingers tightened on the handle of the knife, he had the certain urge to duck.

"Of course, sir. Is that all, sir?" The last word was spit out like an insult while the cook maintained a flawless polite face.

//What did I do?//

"Nay, I am here to talk to ye about th' lad." He watched with mild interest at the utter lack of
reaction from the redhead.

"Will? What about him, sir?"

Jealousy had hurled its way into his chest at the, in Jack's opinion, way too familiar way the cook uttered the Blacksmith's given name. An irrational sense of loss and insecurity were manifesting beneath the acidic coating of paranoia. He steeled himself against this childish... whatever it was.

//They are just friends.//

"What happened on th' Grey Owl?"

"I don't really remember much, sir. I was knocked out."

Zeke's face was the perfect poster of angelic innocent. Jack was slightly astonished at the fact that he could see through that faultless facade with such clarity.

"Is tha' so?" He moved closer now that the younger man had put away the knife, and he was in no immediate danger of being used as a target pole.

He grabbed the front of the cook's collar, hailed him bodily onto the table. Fish guts spluttered everywhere, Zeke braced both his elbows against the slippery surface of the table. His head tilted back slightly as Jack held his dagger against the cook's throat. Zeke blinked at the sudden attack owlishly, eyebrows climbed almost into his hairline. Jack sneered at the underlining amusement shining in those dusky orbs.

//What the hell is so funny?!//

"Ezekiel, be a good boy an' tell the truth. The suspense is irritating the pants off of me, an' me hand might slip."

The cook did not gibber in terror and fear, as he had planned. Instead the piercing gaze was unmoving, he pressed the edge of the dagger closer against the pale skin.

"I promised Will that I wouldn't say anything." He paused at the blunt confession. He had been expecting more lies, not almost brute honesty.

"Ye...promised?! About what?!!"

"About things I can't say." The amusement had darken to an almost devious glitter, then vanished all together to be replaced by passiveness. "I really can't say, sir. You can slit my throat now, but a promise is a promise."

There was an unquestionable and cement finality in the soft voice. He sighed with resignation and let go of the cook. Suspicion had engulfed his heart with dread and dismay.

//How bad was it?//

"Fine. Do ye at least have any idea what's wrong wit' th' lad?"

".... Not a clue, sir. He might be dying though."

"WHAT!?" Jack's voice thundered, he grabbed Zeke's shoulders and shook him hard. "Why? Why did ye say that?"

That mischievous grin was back, Jack wanted to punch that pretty face and wipe it empty of all expressions. He gritted his teeth; he might just do that.

"He doesn't look so good."

"Ye dimwit! Looking unhealthy does NOT equal impending death. STOP saying moronic things like that. Ye will jinx him!" He continued to shake the cook, whose head was rolling back and forth with each motion of his hands like a ragged doll.

"..... just speculating, sir. But the priest might know."

"What priest?" He stopped the shaking and brought the Zeke's face closer.

"The priest..... Will said his name was Cane. He was the boss onboard the Grey Owl..... really creepy character he was, raving something abfreefreedom and true love."

//Cane. That's the name of the preacher Elizabeth mentioned. Freedom and true love, what does that have to do with Will's condition?//

"...really suspiciously mannered, too. He kept on asking about Will's....eh.... relationships."

//Relationship? ....true love.... Of course, it's Elizabeth. If this is indeed some witchcraft at work, then Will might be cured when he reunite with his bonny lass.//

What about you? His subconsciousness asked. Wasn't your love true enough? Couldn't your affection cure him?

Couldn't Will have loved....you? Did he not perhaps love you...already? What about the kisses, the touches, and that possessive declaration?

*** Mine.***

//They were nothing. They meant nothing. The lad was feverish and delirious, he just launched onto the first familiar face. It was my fault for taking advantage of his vulnerability, his trust....//

"Did the priest...or Will say anything else?"

//Let's face it, mate. Nothing this good ever happen to ye, and even if it does, it never last long.//

"Will was confident that you'd come to rescue us.... I did remind him of the code, but he was really optimistic about it."

A pang at his chest, a sharp twist of pain. Elizabeth's furious voice rang in his ears.

*** What do you mean we are not going after them?!***

"....yes, ye should have." He sheathed the dagger, turned to walk toward the exit, and paused at the door. "Oh, an' Zeke, I know that people can form extraordinary bonds when they survived some crisis together. That's still no reason to be all over the other one."

At Zeke's blank face, he added, "Keep yer distance from the lad, he already has a fiancé."

The door closed. He stumbled into the salty air of the open sea. The seductive caressing of the wind slide across every pore and helped reassemble his thoughts into a more organized pattern. Now was not the time for useless sentimentally, he took a deep breath. There were rescue plan to be devised and future havoc to be plotted.

~~~*~~~

Zeke gaped at the door. The captain's last statement was still fresh in his mind.

//Human stupidity really has no boundaries.//

He sneered indignantly and grind his foot into the floor on top of several fish heads, imagine them to be a certain pirate captain's face. He grunted internally at the nerve of the man, to even suggest that he might develop any sort of attachment.... to a human no less. It was really plainly obvious which way the Blacksmith's desires lay. Zeke had detected the undercurrent of sexual tension between the youth and the rogue pirate the moment their eyes met.

//All that repressed emotion could be really hazardous to one's health, which does explain why their life span is so short.//

His thoughts turned to Jack's pained expression when Zeke had told him about Will's faith in him. The comment had been deliberately exaggerated of course, but the storm of torment in those ebony eyes had cooled down his rising temper.

//Is this what love does?//

There was the faint echo of a memory, simmering deep below his subconscious. A pair of amber eyes flashed through his mind, a youthful face that had been burdened with worries beyond his years, an arrogant curve of lips.

***

Love? Love.... makes all four seasons feel like winter.

Does it? ....actually, I meant the physical pleasure, but..... I thought love was what everyone wants.

Blue sapphires sparkled brightly on the golden cobra headdress.

Does that mean you don't want your advisor's beautiful wife to warm your bed? Fine, something else then.

A soft chuckle.

You are truly terrible at this.

You are not the first one to say that and probably won't be the last.

Sandled feet paced against stone floor, the sound echoed through the spacious room.

Come now, there has to be something you want but can't get.

I want.... you to stay.

Ruby eyes rolled exasperately.

I can't stay if you don't make a real wish. That would defy the whole purpose of my presence here. You are the one who summoned me, make up your mind.

A sad sigh.

.....how about.... wonders?

Wonders?

Yes, show me wonders that I have never laid eyes upon.

***

His composure fluttered slightly against the spurring images. Was that what the young king had referred to? Does love mean pain, to hurt and then be hurt in return.

//I had no idea humans have so much masochism tendencies? What is the point in all of this?//

He picked up the knife and stared at it pensively.

//Perhaps... if Jack continues to believe that Will doesn't love him, he will abandon all hope. .....not likely. Damnit, why did I ever take this assignment in the first place.//

He threw the knife viciously hard against the basket. With a whoosh, the tip of the knife embeddnto nto the eyeball of one of the fishes.

//....I want to go home. Granted, it had been fun.....and quitting would be a very hard habit to
break.//

He gripped the hilt of the knife with white knuckles.

//....there's still Cane. I knew I've sense the same brand somewhere else before.//

He sighed and went back to behead the rest of the fishes with newly acquired determination and more savage force than before.

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