Curse of the White Jewel: Chapter One
Title: Curse of the White Jewel
Author: Szhismine
Rating: PG, just in case.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Pairing: OC/OC, W/E, and a little bit of J/A.
Summary: Sixteen years after the events of PotC. There is a tale of a ship like the Pearl, with an evil crew and a terrible curse. Only one person can set everything straight, but who is it? Has all the characters from PotC, and some new ones. Non-slash.
Disclaimer: Sadly, Disney owns the original characters and places from PotC. I only own the characters I made up.
Author's Note: This is my first PotC fic, so be nice. Reviews and constructive critism very much appreciated (wink wink, nudge nudge). No flames please.
******************
Chapter One: Legends
It was a quiet afternoon in Port Royal. The sun was high overhead, it's heat beating down on those who were trying unsuccessfully to find shade. The smart ones stayed inside, too lazy and hot to even think of going to work in weather like this.
Will Turner was one of them.
He had gotten up with every intention to go to his shop, but three steps outside changed his mind. He figured it wouldn't matter much, considering these past few days buisness had all but stopped. The soldiers at the docks couldn't even resist taking off their heavy jackets and hats and going for a dip in the clear blue Caribbean water. Not even Commodore Norrington could find the strength to tell these soldiers off. He was too busy helping with his promotional ceremony, anyway.
Will stood on the balcony, watching the ghost town. He was glad he chose not to work. He was nearly dying from heat in his own home, imagine a blacksmith's shop, beating hot metal into swords.
Besides, he thought he deserved a little vacation. He wanted to spend some time with his wife and son.
Will walked down in the study and stayed in the doorway, watching Elizabeth tutor their bored son, Alexander (or Alex for short).
Alex was clearly not paying attention to his mother. He sat in a stupor, gazing at the wall ahead of him. Elizabeth was reading to him about math, so she didn't notice.
Will sat down next to his wife, who stopped reading long enough to give him a kiss. "You know dear, I hardly think you will teach Alex anything if you bore him to death."
Elizabeth glanced at her son, who snapped out of his stupor. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's just that this weather is making me sleepy."
Will smiled. "That's alright, son," he said. "Why don't you go do something else? When the weather changes we can give you an extra long lesson to make up for what you weren't paying attention about." Alex's grin faded and mumbled several things under his breath as he left the room.
Will and Elizabeth smiled. Their son was growing up quickly, and was very popular with the teenage girls. Normally he would start courting around his age, but he didn't like any of the girls. He had once told his father that he wanted a girl who liked adventure and travel. None of the girls in Port Royal were like that.
Alex went out to the balcony and leaned heavily on it. He hated this weather terribly.
~~~~~~~
While most hated the weather, one person enjoyed it.
That person would be one Elisha Sparrow.
She stood on top of the mast, looking in the direction of Port Royal, a grin plastered on her face. She was glad to make it in this weather; she would have less trouble from the towns folk since no one would want to be outside. She wore a tight black shirt with loose sleeves with a tight leather vest. She wore dark pants and leather boots. Her long black hair had a few braids in it and was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a red bandanna on her forehead. Her sword was in it's sheath at her side, and she carried a gun and daggar. She wore a light silver chain around her neck.
She looked down at her boat. The water in the boat was rising. She dropped down from the mast and took a bucket, trying to get rid of some of the water. She had sprung a leak earlier on, and was lucky she made it this far. She clambered back up to the top of the mast.
She glanced around at the boats as she came into harbor. Very few people were there. Several soldiers were swimming in the water. Elisha walked of the top of the mast, now barely above the water, and went to the end of the dock. She passed a man who was sitting down. "Excuse me, miss," he said, standing up. "But it's a shilling to be tying your boat to the docks."
Elisha rolled her eyes. She took some money out of a small leather pouch she had attached on her belt. "How about I give you three shillings, and forget the name," she bargained.
The man looked at her suspiciously. He had heard that very statement before, but was too lazy to remember. "Welcome to Port Royal, miss," he greeted, and turned back to sitting. Elisha made her way to the end of the docks, grabbing the leather coin purse off a small stand as she did so.
She walked down the dusty street. Everyone was inside, trying to stave off the warm weather. Elisha was quite used to it. She had once stayed on a stranded island in the blazing sun for a week before her father had found her. She was a very popular girl in Tortuga; all the young teenage boys wanted her. She was smart, quick, and had a great sense of humor. Everyone said she took after her father. And they were right.
She went to the inn, and reserved a room for two nights. She wasn't planning on staying too long. She only had several preparations to do before the Black Pearl arrives the day after tomorrow.
She wandered around the town, catching a few suspicious glares from a few people. She didn't mind, although she wished more people were outside so she could blend in a bit easier with the crowd, not stand out against a few people. She ducked into a bar, which was filled with lazy drunks whose cure from the heat was beer and rum. There were several girls there, listening to the tall tales of several men.
She made her way up to the counter. Although she could have had alcohol if she wanted, she didn't like it. "Whaddya have to drink, lass?" The barkeeper asked.
"Anything without alcohol," Elisha replied.
"Alrighty. Water or milk?"
"Water," she said; she hated milk.
The barkeeper poured her some water from a jug. "Tha'll be half a shilling." Elisha paid the man and glanced around the bar. At least here she wasn't subject to suspicious looks. Here she blended in easily with the drunken crowd. She was just glad she wasn't as drunk as them.
A man waddled up next to her. He was old and balding. "I'll 'ave the usual, keep," he declared in a drunken voice. "Been a rough day at sea, only just returned. Bloody hot, too."
The barkeeper gave him a shot of rum. "See anything interesting?"
The man shrugged. "Nothin', really. Only saw a glimpse o' the White Jewel."
The bar went eerily quiet at those words. Elisha looked at the man strangely. "You saw it?" she asked, unconvinced.
The man nodded. "I did. It was a huge ship, glittering like a jewel in the sun. And it looked as if it was made o' pure crystal." He stood from his stool and walked to the center of the room, everyone's eyes on him. "And you know what they say about the White Jewel. It's a fast ship, maybe even fast than her sister, the Black Pearl. They're one and the same, i'll tell ya that. But the Jewel, she's a right ol' beauty. Glides on the water as if it were riding on air. Even turns the water it's on temporarily into crystal." He paused for effect.
"They say the ship is run by evil ghosts of dead pirates and an evil captain, and tha' the Jewel is a ghost ship, ya know? It can pass through anything and get anywhere. The ghost crew can go from shadow form to solid like that." He snapped his fingers to prove his point. "Like they're not even dead, ya know?"
"You couldn't have really seen it, Ern," a man in the back said. "No one can find it."
Ern smiled, showing off his rotten teeth. "But I did. They say tha' there are ten diamond necklaces made by the Incans tha' are hidden throughout the sea. The Jewel's crew cannot actually live unless they find them. If ever they got all ten..." Ern shuddered. "They could become human again, and rule the world."
"That's a myth," Elisha said bluntly. Ern turned and looked at her. "It may be a myth, lass," he said, "but the Black Pearl was a myth, and now it's run by the pirate Jack Sparrow."
"The myth of the Black Pearl was plausible, and it was proven true." Elisha defended. "Now there is no more curse, no more black sails, and it is not run by a man so evil that hell itself threw him back out."
Ern nodded. "Aye, that be true. But the legend o' the White Jewel is much more interesting."
"Then how come no one ever mentioned it until the mystery of the Black Pearl was solved?"
Ern didn't reply. The bar was still quiet, so Elisha continued. "No one ever mentioned it before because no one believed in it. Everyone believed in the Black Pearl, but no one ever thought a ghost ship could exist."
"Look, lass," Ern defended. "I know what I saw. Legend says it exists."
"Then how come it's only a legend?" Once again, no one replied.
Elisha stood up and made her way to the door. "Don't go talking about ghost ships and pirates until you know it wasn't your imagination." She left the bar, leaving a very confused Ern behind.
As she walked back to the inn, she let out the breath she was holding. She couldn't believe someone saw the Jewel and survived. She had to try and convince people it was only a story, but the man seemed convinced that it was true.
And he had good reason too.
~~~~~~~
Alex walked by the beach. It was sunset, and the weather was much cooler. There was a lot more activity at night.
Alex didn't look where he was going, and an elderly man bumped into him. "Sorry Alex," he said. "I didn't look where I was goin'."
"Hi Ern," he greeted. "How was your trip?"
"Fine, lad, just fine," he grumbled.
Alex frowned. "What's wrong?"
Ern motioned for him to sit. "While I was coming back, a caught a glimpse o' the White Jewel."
Alex let out a low whistle. He knew the tale better than anyone.
"Now I go to my favorite bar, have a drink, tell all me mates 'bout it, and there's this lass who doesn't believe me."
"Who?"
"I dunno. Musta been a passerby. Looked around your age. There was a suspicious air around her, ya know? She seemed odd. Like a pirate."
"A girl pirate?" Alex replied.
Ern nodded. "Though it would be foolish. Women aboard ships are bad luck, ya know?"
"Where did she go?"
Ern shrugged. "I dunno. She's probably staying at the inn. But ya don't wanna be messin' around with a pirate. They're terrible people, ya know."
Alex nodded. "I wonder what she's doing at Port Royal."
TBC
Please review! I want lots of feedback. :)
Title: Curse of the White Jewel
Author: Szhismine
Rating: PG, just in case.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Pairing: OC/OC, W/E, and a little bit of J/A.
Summary: Sixteen years after the events of PotC. There is a tale of a ship like the Pearl, with an evil crew and a terrible curse. Only one person can set everything straight, but who is it? Has all the characters from PotC, and some new ones. Non-slash.
Disclaimer: Sadly, Disney owns the original characters and places from PotC. I only own the characters I made up.
Author's Note: This is my first PotC fic, so be nice. Reviews and constructive critism very much appreciated (wink wink, nudge nudge). No flames please.
******************
Chapter One: Legends
It was a quiet afternoon in Port Royal. The sun was high overhead, it's heat beating down on those who were trying unsuccessfully to find shade. The smart ones stayed inside, too lazy and hot to even think of going to work in weather like this.
Will Turner was one of them.
He had gotten up with every intention to go to his shop, but three steps outside changed his mind. He figured it wouldn't matter much, considering these past few days buisness had all but stopped. The soldiers at the docks couldn't even resist taking off their heavy jackets and hats and going for a dip in the clear blue Caribbean water. Not even Commodore Norrington could find the strength to tell these soldiers off. He was too busy helping with his promotional ceremony, anyway.
Will stood on the balcony, watching the ghost town. He was glad he chose not to work. He was nearly dying from heat in his own home, imagine a blacksmith's shop, beating hot metal into swords.
Besides, he thought he deserved a little vacation. He wanted to spend some time with his wife and son.
Will walked down in the study and stayed in the doorway, watching Elizabeth tutor their bored son, Alexander (or Alex for short).
Alex was clearly not paying attention to his mother. He sat in a stupor, gazing at the wall ahead of him. Elizabeth was reading to him about math, so she didn't notice.
Will sat down next to his wife, who stopped reading long enough to give him a kiss. "You know dear, I hardly think you will teach Alex anything if you bore him to death."
Elizabeth glanced at her son, who snapped out of his stupor. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's just that this weather is making me sleepy."
Will smiled. "That's alright, son," he said. "Why don't you go do something else? When the weather changes we can give you an extra long lesson to make up for what you weren't paying attention about." Alex's grin faded and mumbled several things under his breath as he left the room.
Will and Elizabeth smiled. Their son was growing up quickly, and was very popular with the teenage girls. Normally he would start courting around his age, but he didn't like any of the girls. He had once told his father that he wanted a girl who liked adventure and travel. None of the girls in Port Royal were like that.
Alex went out to the balcony and leaned heavily on it. He hated this weather terribly.
~~~~~~~
While most hated the weather, one person enjoyed it.
That person would be one Elisha Sparrow.
She stood on top of the mast, looking in the direction of Port Royal, a grin plastered on her face. She was glad to make it in this weather; she would have less trouble from the towns folk since no one would want to be outside. She wore a tight black shirt with loose sleeves with a tight leather vest. She wore dark pants and leather boots. Her long black hair had a few braids in it and was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a red bandanna on her forehead. Her sword was in it's sheath at her side, and she carried a gun and daggar. She wore a light silver chain around her neck.
She looked down at her boat. The water in the boat was rising. She dropped down from the mast and took a bucket, trying to get rid of some of the water. She had sprung a leak earlier on, and was lucky she made it this far. She clambered back up to the top of the mast.
She glanced around at the boats as she came into harbor. Very few people were there. Several soldiers were swimming in the water. Elisha walked of the top of the mast, now barely above the water, and went to the end of the dock. She passed a man who was sitting down. "Excuse me, miss," he said, standing up. "But it's a shilling to be tying your boat to the docks."
Elisha rolled her eyes. She took some money out of a small leather pouch she had attached on her belt. "How about I give you three shillings, and forget the name," she bargained.
The man looked at her suspiciously. He had heard that very statement before, but was too lazy to remember. "Welcome to Port Royal, miss," he greeted, and turned back to sitting. Elisha made her way to the end of the docks, grabbing the leather coin purse off a small stand as she did so.
She walked down the dusty street. Everyone was inside, trying to stave off the warm weather. Elisha was quite used to it. She had once stayed on a stranded island in the blazing sun for a week before her father had found her. She was a very popular girl in Tortuga; all the young teenage boys wanted her. She was smart, quick, and had a great sense of humor. Everyone said she took after her father. And they were right.
She went to the inn, and reserved a room for two nights. She wasn't planning on staying too long. She only had several preparations to do before the Black Pearl arrives the day after tomorrow.
She wandered around the town, catching a few suspicious glares from a few people. She didn't mind, although she wished more people were outside so she could blend in a bit easier with the crowd, not stand out against a few people. She ducked into a bar, which was filled with lazy drunks whose cure from the heat was beer and rum. There were several girls there, listening to the tall tales of several men.
She made her way up to the counter. Although she could have had alcohol if she wanted, she didn't like it. "Whaddya have to drink, lass?" The barkeeper asked.
"Anything without alcohol," Elisha replied.
"Alrighty. Water or milk?"
"Water," she said; she hated milk.
The barkeeper poured her some water from a jug. "Tha'll be half a shilling." Elisha paid the man and glanced around the bar. At least here she wasn't subject to suspicious looks. Here she blended in easily with the drunken crowd. She was just glad she wasn't as drunk as them.
A man waddled up next to her. He was old and balding. "I'll 'ave the usual, keep," he declared in a drunken voice. "Been a rough day at sea, only just returned. Bloody hot, too."
The barkeeper gave him a shot of rum. "See anything interesting?"
The man shrugged. "Nothin', really. Only saw a glimpse o' the White Jewel."
The bar went eerily quiet at those words. Elisha looked at the man strangely. "You saw it?" she asked, unconvinced.
The man nodded. "I did. It was a huge ship, glittering like a jewel in the sun. And it looked as if it was made o' pure crystal." He stood from his stool and walked to the center of the room, everyone's eyes on him. "And you know what they say about the White Jewel. It's a fast ship, maybe even fast than her sister, the Black Pearl. They're one and the same, i'll tell ya that. But the Jewel, she's a right ol' beauty. Glides on the water as if it were riding on air. Even turns the water it's on temporarily into crystal." He paused for effect.
"They say the ship is run by evil ghosts of dead pirates and an evil captain, and tha' the Jewel is a ghost ship, ya know? It can pass through anything and get anywhere. The ghost crew can go from shadow form to solid like that." He snapped his fingers to prove his point. "Like they're not even dead, ya know?"
"You couldn't have really seen it, Ern," a man in the back said. "No one can find it."
Ern smiled, showing off his rotten teeth. "But I did. They say tha' there are ten diamond necklaces made by the Incans tha' are hidden throughout the sea. The Jewel's crew cannot actually live unless they find them. If ever they got all ten..." Ern shuddered. "They could become human again, and rule the world."
"That's a myth," Elisha said bluntly. Ern turned and looked at her. "It may be a myth, lass," he said, "but the Black Pearl was a myth, and now it's run by the pirate Jack Sparrow."
"The myth of the Black Pearl was plausible, and it was proven true." Elisha defended. "Now there is no more curse, no more black sails, and it is not run by a man so evil that hell itself threw him back out."
Ern nodded. "Aye, that be true. But the legend o' the White Jewel is much more interesting."
"Then how come no one ever mentioned it until the mystery of the Black Pearl was solved?"
Ern didn't reply. The bar was still quiet, so Elisha continued. "No one ever mentioned it before because no one believed in it. Everyone believed in the Black Pearl, but no one ever thought a ghost ship could exist."
"Look, lass," Ern defended. "I know what I saw. Legend says it exists."
"Then how come it's only a legend?" Once again, no one replied.
Elisha stood up and made her way to the door. "Don't go talking about ghost ships and pirates until you know it wasn't your imagination." She left the bar, leaving a very confused Ern behind.
As she walked back to the inn, she let out the breath she was holding. She couldn't believe someone saw the Jewel and survived. She had to try and convince people it was only a story, but the man seemed convinced that it was true.
And he had good reason too.
~~~~~~~
Alex walked by the beach. It was sunset, and the weather was much cooler. There was a lot more activity at night.
Alex didn't look where he was going, and an elderly man bumped into him. "Sorry Alex," he said. "I didn't look where I was goin'."
"Hi Ern," he greeted. "How was your trip?"
"Fine, lad, just fine," he grumbled.
Alex frowned. "What's wrong?"
Ern motioned for him to sit. "While I was coming back, a caught a glimpse o' the White Jewel."
Alex let out a low whistle. He knew the tale better than anyone.
"Now I go to my favorite bar, have a drink, tell all me mates 'bout it, and there's this lass who doesn't believe me."
"Who?"
"I dunno. Musta been a passerby. Looked around your age. There was a suspicious air around her, ya know? She seemed odd. Like a pirate."
"A girl pirate?" Alex replied.
Ern nodded. "Though it would be foolish. Women aboard ships are bad luck, ya know?"
"Where did she go?"
Ern shrugged. "I dunno. She's probably staying at the inn. But ya don't wanna be messin' around with a pirate. They're terrible people, ya know."
Alex nodded. "I wonder what she's doing at Port Royal."
TBC
Please review! I want lots of feedback. :)