Summary: Before joining Jack Sparrow's crew, Pintel served on the Disgraceful Knave. When the ship's Captain decides to bury treasure on an island reputed to be populated with bird demons, Pintel becomes lost in the jungle and rescued by a strange creature that looks more bird man than bird demon.
Special Thanks: To Kat for betaing for me.
Warnings: very AU, implied slash (but it could just be a really close friendship too ), a wee bit o' violence
Disclaimer: The characters found here do not belong to me. The story itself does belong to me. I am making no profit from this endeavour.
Notes: This story is inspired by a dream I had where Ragetti was part of a tribe of bird people. I tried to set this up like some fairytale. Keyword: tried. I'm just in such a Moog mood that I had to contribute something!
Please be forewarned that this story is a little fantastical and I'm not too sure what to think of it. I'm not looking for crit on this one.
All That Glitters
The island was but a speck on the horizon when the lookout shouted down that they were nearing their destination. Pintel could see it well enough without the height of the crow's nest to help him. It was gray, hazy from the mist of the sea, but it was there. Just like his Captain had promised.--//--
After a brief time in the King's navy, Pintel had managed to break away and find refuge in Tortuga. His services aboard his majesty's Battler's Honour had been poor and he wasn't missed except for being the butt of several malicious jokes. While most naval men took pride in appearing the gentleman, the truth was anything but when they were out at sea with no expectations for their behavior below deck so long as they performed their duties without question.
It had been sheer luck that Pintel had met a crewman of the Disgraceful Knave, a pirate ship known for its luck in overtaking enemy ships. He'd signed up and set out the next day. His new crew had been no less malicious than the King's men, but they were mostly comprised of loners and sailors who didn't band well with each other. Pintel was able to hold his own against one or two men, rather than a gang, and he managed to fit in rather well.
The months passed with barely a notice, as time passed differently out on the open sea than when one was on land. Days were marked by the rise and setting of the sun, while their successes were counted by the increasing number of ships they overtook and plundered.
It wasn't long before the Disgraceful Knave was full of plunder. Heavily laden with its burden the Knave listed to one side or the other and the Captain knew it was time to spend or bury their findings. He consulted with his trusted first mate and then announced to his crew that they were setting sail for the island of Garra del rey. A few of the crew were skeptical, since this island was a whispered myth among sailors. It was said to be the gateway to heaven where bird men rose from the earth aloft the wind using their feathered wings. It was also rumored to have mountains full of gems and jewels. Despite the dangers of encountering the bird people, the crew's lust for wealth overwhelmed their senses and it was unanimously embraced as their destination.
--//--
After weeks out, the day had finally come when the Captain's promise held true and their destination was at hand. The island stood out on the horizon, growing larger and more real with each passing moment. Each crewmember was busy entertaining notions of how they might triple their wealth with the gems from the mountains. Pintel was caught up in the sway of their merriment just as the Captain hissed at them to be silent. The older man was a stout sailor, many years of experience were under his belt and his demeanour was anything but excited. The crew stifled their cheers as he glared over the lot of them before turning his eyes to the mountains of tree-covered rock that was still out of reach. There was a strange wind in the sails, or perhaps it was merely superstition. Each man on the Disgraceful Knave picked up on the Captain's tension, keeping their lips tight and going back to work without even a single command from the first mate.
The silence stayed with the men until they reached a safe anchoring point. With the sea at their backs, only the largely barren island stood before them and they remembered the vast quantities of treasure in their hold that they had to squirrel away. Their greed seemed to break the silence and once more their voices could be heard, merrily shouting to each other as they hauled up their booty, filling the boats to capacity before sending them off to the beach.
The appropriate lookouts were posted to guard against enemy ships, although the thought of anybody knowing their location was ludicrous, still, it was prudent to guard such a large stash of gold. The scouts came back with word of a cave where they might be able to hide their booty and finally the pirates set off to haul chests of the loot deep into the heart of the island. Pintel, however, had been assigned to accompany the scout as he searched for a reliable source of fresh water. Collecting any fruits they found on the way was expected as well and the stout man grumbled unhappily as he carried a large sack through the undergrowth of the jungle. The scout rushed on ahead of him, giving Pintel little time to catch up and he very quickly found himself lost in the underbrush. He shouted after his shipmate, but it was of no use. The trees rustled in reply but for the first time in ages Pintel found that he was alone; completely and utterly alone and lost.
The sun was mostly blocked by the large palm leaves overhead, but that only amplified the heat beneath the canopy. Pintel snorted and bean wandering in the last direction he'd seen the scout headed. With any luck, he might find the other man.
Green was becoming Pintel's least favourite colour as he trudged through the jungle, startled every so often by the call of a bird and he remembered the stories his shipmates had told him. Their superstitious words of warning had been whispered through rum-tainted lips, drunk and obviously elaborated.
Still, in the solitude of the jungle their words came back to him and their stories of eight-foot tall natives, carnivorous bird creatures that feasted on the meat of men did not seem all that outlandish. He tightened his grip on the pommel of his blade and shakily wiped sweat from his forehead.
The heat was overbearing.
He knew he had to find a break in the canopy soon or he wouldn't be able to go on. Dying on an uncharted island in the middle of nowhere hadn't been his plan. Dying at all hadn't been in his plan, but definitely not there.
It was then that the cry of another bird broke free. It was somehow different than the others, and when Pintel looked around, he could not see the coloured feathers of the macaw that had been bothering him earlier. In fact, it almost felt as if the silence that had fallen upon the ship earlier had engulfed that section of jungle. The wind seemed to hiss through the trees and Pintel was immediately gripped by fear. Fear he'd previously alleviated with a swig of rum was now driving him to flee through the jungle. He ran, foolishly driving through the plants. The branches smacked him in the face and cleverly masked the sharp downward slant of a cliff that only became obvious as Pintel launched himself over the side. His realization of his mistake was short lived; however, as he collided with several tree trunks and lost consciousness.
--//--
The next thing that Pintel was aware of was a throbbing sensation in his forehead. He foolishly opened his eyes and found the canopy had broken at the base of the steep hill and now he was staring up right into the midday sun. He shut his eyelids, squeezing them as he moaned in pain. What had he gotten himself into?
He opened his eyes again, this time shifting onto his side and looking around. He lay in a valley of sorts; the bottom was full of lush grasses and soft plant life. He reached up to feel the bump on his forehead, but stopped short when he realized that he wasn't alone.
There was a figure a few feet away from him. He could now sense the other's presence, although it was difficult to focus his eyes on him. Whoever it was, he knew it wasn't any of his crewmates from the Knave. This person... was it a person? He shifted, this time only propping himself up on his elbow and focusing his eyes.
The sun beat down on his head and he concentrated, taking in the colourful jacket this stranger wore, as well as the bright headdress and strange, long mask. "Hello?" Pintel hazarded talking. His voice was hoarse and he wished he'd stayed with the scout long enough to find water.
As if sensing his thoughts the stranger moved closer to the pirate, holding out a bowl when he came within reach. "Drink," he said in a strange voice. It was hollow, almost wooden sounding, but Pintel didn't care. He'd felt the water spill out over the edge as he took the leaf bowl and drank it dry.
Once he'd finished lapping the last drops from the bottom, he lowered the vessel and looked more clearly at his saviour. "What th-?" he dropped the bowl, the shout of alarm choking off in his throat as his fear gripped him anew. It wasn't a man in a coloured jacket! The headpiece he'd seen was very much a part of this creature as red and golden feathers crowned the top of his head, spreading outwards to cover his body in patches and line his gold and green arms, from which his wings sprang. This was a man that had the markings of a bird, more than any costume could give. Pintel, his pained head forgotten, scrambled to climb to his feet, intent on putting distance between him and this beast that he was certain would devour him whole.
The creature clacked its beak, shrinking away as the pirate stood. Its crown was lowered back against its head, its human face almost as frightened as Pintel's, if it weren't for the beak that sprang from where any other human's nose would be. It was so familiar yet still so strange. "I don't think you should be moving around after falling like that, human," it said, the words hollow yet clear as its bottom lip formed the words against the upper beak.
Pintel, being the educated man he was, said the first thing that came to mind. "Aiieeee! Please don' eat me!" he backed away, holding his arms out to try and halt any chase the creature gave. "I didn' mean ta fall down yer cliff. It wos an accident! Jus' dun eat me an I'll leave yer alone!"
The creature flapped its wings, bearing it aloft and perched on a boulder a few feet away. "Please don't yell," it said. "And that cliff isn't mine. It's my pop's."
"Whot? Th' hell ya talkin' about?" Pintel began to yell, but quickly stopped himself. "Hey! You can talk!"
The creature cocked its head to the side, relaxing its feathers a bit. "Looks like you can too... sort of, anyways," it cocked its head again before springing from the boulder and landing on the ground. It landed easily on feet that were long and narrow, remotely human but with large, black talons springing from the toes. White leathery skin led up from the feet into a soft coat of white down feathers further up its calf. It wore light, cotton breeches that covered any other plumage that continued higher than its knee. Above the waistline of the breeches, the feathers were a soft yellow, growing more bold and golden the higher along the creature's chest, almost growing along the same path that body hair might appear on a human.
Pintel stopped his blubbering, regaining his wits and realizing that this creature was not about to eat him. Yet. He remembered his cutlass at his waist and relaxed a bit. "Whot are ya?" he asked.
"No need to be rude, now," the creature narrowed its eyes at him. "Are you here to kill me?"
"Whot?" Pintel asked. "I thought you were gonna kill me!"
"So, let's get this straight," the creature said. "Neither of us will kill the other."
"Uh, yeah," Pintel said, growing confused by the ease that the creature was laying out their situation.
"And you're a human," it continued.
"Of course I'm human. Whot are you?"
"I thought that was obvious. I'm a bird!" it unfurled its feathers, tail spread out proudly while it showed off its wings.
"Y'look like a bird man," Pintel grumbled under his breath.
"I'm the King of the birds," the creature said. "Well, that is, my people are. The greatest of them all!"
"Uh-huh," Pintel said.
"We're so pretty. I love my pretty feathers!" he seemed to become almost childlike for a moment and began petting the golden plumage about his arms.
Pintel humoured him for a moment, but then his smile fell to a frown. He'd never been a patient man. "So, ya got a name, bird?"
"Yes, but I don't think you could pronounce it. Our pallets are different from yours, y'know?" The creature cocked its head again, taking another step towards the pirate. "What's your name? I do so love hearing human names."
"People call me Pintel," he scratched his head, his fingers running over his hairline that was growing a little thin.
The creature seemed to like this, saying the name several times but enunciating the vowels improperly. He seemed excited and was about to say something more but was cut off as the sounds of someone crashing through the jungle startled him.
The creature flapped its wings and hopped onto the boulder from before. Pintel watched before turning to the sound, his cutlass drawn and ready to fight. The bushes rattled before him and he took a step back, turning to look at the creature he'd befriended only to see that it had flown off. "Whot the-?" he asked just as two of his crewmates burst into the clearing.
"Pintel! The hell y'doin'?" The first mate bellowed, never breaking in his run. "Ship! Back to th' ship!" He sprinted past, faster than Pintel had ever seen the man move. A few other men followed at top speed. Pintel wondered what they were running from, but quickly fell into step behind the retreating pirates as he saw a few more bird people soaring above the clearing after them.
These ones carried no weapons, but after seeing the other creature's talons and beak, Pintel knew that he didn't want either of these new bird men to touch him. He dodged as one swooped down and darted forward into the undergrowth.
The birds did not follow and for a moment Pintel thought he'd escaped. He trudged through the jungle, tripping over vines before catching his foot on the leg of one of his shipmates who had collapsed. He rolled out of the way as the man began to complain, his breaths laboured from running away from the creatures. The first mate was a few paces ahead of them and Pintel scrambled over to where he was.
The older man's gaze was fixed on the path from which they'd come. Pintel turned to look for himself and was met with a sword point aimed for his throat. The bird men had landed and followed on foot, just as swift on the ground as they were in the air and the pirates didn't stand a chance.
They were led through the jungle, their captors spoke between themselves in a tongue that was too beautiful to have any real words. The bird creatures seemed to have little interest in the humans other than to ensure that they did not escape.
Just as Pintel was starting to think they'd never stop trudging through the underbrush, the trees broke out into a clearing and he found himself standing at the threshold of a village. There were a few huts and buildings lining the edge of the jungle, but the real dwellings appeared to be built into the side of a large mountain. The side was nearly sheer rock, a steep incline that would be impossible for anybody to ascend without the aid of wings.
The men were pushed forward, sword tips digging into their backs as they were herded towards a large gathering of bird people, each as colourful as the next. They wore very little, save to cover their modesty. Their feathers stood out, more vivid and bright than any dye could affect cotton.
The bird creatures stood in a semi-circle, facing the rest of the pirate crew that had been captured earlier. They were chattering, their song-like words carrying on the wind, sounding more like music than speech to the humans. The first mate stood by his Captain and the rest of the crew huddled behind these men, fearful of the strange, bird-like creatures that had them at their mercy. Pintel looked around, fearful that his Captain had led them to their deaths, his shaking only lessening when he saw the one bird that he'd spoken with before. It was the one who'd given him water and seemed to treat him with warmth and... near curiosity. That one was familiar to the pirate and his presence seemed to help Pintel refocus on the situation. Perhaps these beings would forgive their trespassing on their island. Of course, that was only if the crew didn't do anything rash. Which was unlikely.
The Pintel stared at the bird he'd come to know after a brief meeting. Its light eyes were fixed on the ground, standing stoic amongst the throng of beings who were chirping and trilling urgently. Pintel watched, those eyes flitting up to meet his gaze before quickly looking away. Something was wrong. He shuddered, his own gaze darting to the centre of the group as the urgent voices quieted down and another bird had stepped forward. It was just as vibrantly colourful as the rest, only it wore finer clothes that offset its beautiful plumage. It stepped forward, confidence in every stride and somehow Pintel knew this was the King.
The pirates were growing agitated, although none dared to make any move to attack or flee; the warrior birds who'd captured them kept their swords drawn and ready to strike with the inhuman speed they'd used to herd the humans along. The King stood before the pirate Captain, cocking its head to one side before opening its beak-mouth and speaking in the same strange, hollow voice that the other creature had.
"Human, you are not welcome on my island!" the rest of the birds chirped their support. "You filthy, greedy creatures come to take our pretty things. Jewels and gold that glitters is ours!"
Pintel could see the King from his hiding place behind the first mate. The Captain wasn't standing down and looked even angrier than ever.
"We'll take your pretties and let you leave," the King continued, his voice flitting to a higher pitch, shakily trying to recreate human mannerisms and show the pirates that he was being incredibly generous with his offer.
"Give up me gold?" the Captain said, his voice rising with genuine rage. "Y'misunderstand, demons. We'll be the ones lettin' ye leave, after we're done with ye!" With that the pirate Captain unsheathed his sword and all hell broke lose.
The pirates that had been quaking in fear moments before drew their weapons and threw themselves into battle with the birds. Pintel had his cutlass drawn, but only to block the well-aimed attacks that few at his head. For creatures that lived apart from humans, they had many similarities, and were just as skilled with their weapons as the pirates were. He ducked and leapt out of the way of one of the guards' swords, shouting in surprise as he felt feathered arms wrap around his neck and swiftly pull him back. "Quickly!" the bird man trilled in his ear and he nodded, retreating to the tree line with his companion.
"Aw, hell!" Pintel cursed, trying to catch his breath as he watched the battle from the safety of the trees. "Whot the hell is going on?"
"My father is very territorial," the feathered man said very matter-of-factly. "That and he really likes shiny things, we all do. Want to hear how he became King?"
Pintel turned to his companion, a look of astonishment on his face. "Me friends are being murdered and all ya can think of is stories? Why'd ya save me, kid?"
"Well, your friends are killing my people as well, and I-I like you, uh," he fumbled for the name.
"Pintel," the pirate said.
"Pintel," he said, seeming to enjoy rolling the name around on his pallet before continuing. "I always thought humans were interesting, even though pop insisted you were all bad. You're the first one I've met up close. You seem harmless, and I like you. A lot!"
"Pop?" Pintel arched an eyebrow. "How in hell do y'know I'm not gonna kill ya too?"
"I can fight. Pop insisted on my training, but I like the way humans fight better," he scratched his head. "Did I use the word right? It's so hard to learn the different meanings... so many words mean the same thing, it's not like our language."
"Listen... bird, if you wanna help me live, then get me outta here!" Pintel could see the battle was waning; most of his crewmates lay dead on the ground amongst a flurry of feathers. They'd fought well enough, but they'd been outnumbered as more warriors had flown down from the cliff to join the fray. Only a few pirates remained standing; among them was the Captain. The older Pirate noticed Pintel standing off to the side and rushed at him, sword drawn.
Pintel held his weapon up in defense, but the other pirate veered to the side and grabbed a hold of his feathered companion instead, whirling around with the bird in his arms.
"Y'best be lettin' us go, bird King, or Aye'll kill this 'un!" to show he was serious he held his blade to the creature's throat, gripping it tightly so it couldn't escape.
Pintel was at his Captain's side in an instant, "Cap'n. Please don't-"
"Silence, boy! We'll kill th' demons an' take all their glit'ry things for ourselves!
Pintel looked to his friend who was kept immobile at the Captain's side.
The bird King rushed up; followed by several warriors who all stopped short when the Captain threatened to kill his captive if they came any closer.
"Let my son go, human!" he bellowed, shaking is sword to somehow add weight to the command. "Ragetti," he chirped, turning to his son. The name was a strange melody cut with a whistling urgency. At first Pintel wasn't sure he'd heard correctly, but he heard it whistled several more times as the King began speaking in the strange bird-language, perhaps commanding the younger bird to do something to escape.
The pirate Captain was growing agitated with each passing moment. His knee twitched with impatience and Pintel knew they didn't have much longer. The Captain had never favoured hostage situations and usually killed his captives before he could negotiate. He'd commanded his crew through a haze of blood, always ready to take a life. It would be doubly easy for him to kill something that wasn't even human.
Pintel shuddered; he wanted to live, and would probably get away if he stuck by his captain, but that creature... Ragetti? The name didn't sound as beautiful when he uttered it under his breath, but it was still pronounceable to a degree. He didn't want Ragetti to be hurt. It was an odd feeling welling deep inside him. Ever since he'd come to realize that he wouldn't be eaten by the bird man, he'd lowered his defenses and come to like him. For as brief as their first meeting was, he liked Ragetti; more than his Captain or anybody he'd served with on the Disgraceful Knave. There was an innocent intelligence behind the creature's eyes, and a compelling sweetness in the way he'd openly befriended Pintel. No, Pintel's life may have gone from bad to worse, but he'd be damned if he took any part in the creature's death.
As if on cue Ragetti turned his frightened gaze to meet with Pintel's and the pirate's resolve was solidified. He knew what he would do and silently nodded at the bird.
The Captain was becoming more agitated when the King refused to move. "Are ya daft, demon? Aye've got yer son! Give us yer gold and let us go!"
The King cocked his head, emitting a shrill whistle from his beak and two of the warriors that flanked his sides shot forward towards the men.
Pintel moved just as quickly. The Captain cried out, moving to draw his blade along Ragetti's throat, but that shout was abruptly cut off as Pintel's own cutlass was driven deep between the older man's ribs, piercing a lung. Ragetti ducked out of the way and pulled Pintel with him just as the warriors descended upon the Captain and rammed their own sword tips through him, skewering him to a tree.
Pintel fell to the ground as Ragetti pulled him with surprising strength. The two tumbled around before quickly climbing to their feet. The King was already upon them and Pintel leapt in front of Ragetti, instinctively putting himself between the two. He'd meant to protect his friend, but remembered all too late that Ragetti was not in any danger. He, on the other hand, was.
The King grabbed him by the throat and easily lifted him into the air. "Last dirty pirate!" he ruffled his feathers, the crown on his head peaking forward. "...you filthies only take. You take so you can use the shinies... so greedy! You don't see how pretty they are!" His grip tightened and he shook Pintel roughly. His strength was surprising for a creature that looked so thin and frail.
Pintel tried to pry the feathered hands away from his throat, but he was no match for that strength. His vision began to fade, and he could only hear Ragetti yelling something in that strange, beautiful speech before he felt the grip loosen and then he fell to the ground.
"He's not like the others," Ragetti was saying in English for, Pintel supposed, his own benefit. "I won't let you kill him!"
Pintel climbed to his feet, rubbing at his throat and focusing on the situation. He and Ragetti were cornered against the forest edge, the bird King and his warriors each holding a weapon at the ready. The King was clearly agitated, but so was Ragetti as the two birds fluffed their feathers as large as they could, whistling their arguments at one another with a loud, piercing squawk breaking up the song every so often.
Pintel approached Ragetti, standing to the side while they argued. It was a situation he was at a loss to do anything about.
The King's song grew silent, and he turned to Pintel and then back to his son. "If you love the filthy, greedy humans so much, maybe you should be one!" he sprang forward, faster than Pintel could react to, and drove his beak into his Ragetti's right eye. The prince cried out in pain as the king plucked the orb from the socket and dropped it into a golden box that he attached to his belt. "Go..." he said, turning around and leaping into the air, his golden wings bearing him up to the highest peak of the cliff face.
The throng of warriors enclosed about Ragetti, each squawking and causing a stir. There was a flurry of feathers and Pintel could hear the prince crying out in pain again, although he couldn't break through the birds that were attacking him.
After a few, long moments the birds finally scattered, taking to the skies and returning to the village. Ragetti, the prince who'd saved his life, the one with the beautiful wings and kind demeanour was left on the ground; his beautiful feathers lay scattered around him and he was left human.
Pintel rushed to his side, helping him up and wrapping his coat around the smaller man, who was naked, save for the breeches that he still wore.
"Whot happened?" the pirate asked, surprised at the transformation.
"Father disowned me," the newly-made human chuckled, bringing a hand up to cover his missing eye. "I can't stay a bird if I leave here, so they made me human." He rubbed his now bare arms, a look of sadness coming across him as the cold flesh didn't bear any of the beauty or warmth that his feathered coat had.
Pintel didn't know what to say. Somehow an apology felt weak to him, but he said it anyways. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.
Ragetti looked at him sharply, his one good eye still as bright as ever and he smiled. "It's alright. I always wanted to go off and see the world. I have to keep looking at the bright side of things."
Pintel bit back a biting remark about it being difficult to look on the bright side of anything if you've lost an eye and been disowned, instead nodding silently. He still felt responsible for everything, which was strange because as a pirate he hadn't felt guilty for anything else. "So, y'wanna see th' world, eh?" he asked after a moment, an idea suddenly glowing bright in his mind. "I'll take care of ya," he said, roughly tugging Ragetti against him.
"Really?" the former prince's expression was so happy it warmed Pintel's heart to see it. It was almost childlike in its excitement.
"Sure, I will," Pintel smiled, his decayed teeth shining brightly. "That is, if yer don't mind a life o' piracy!"
To anybody the offer would have been a fall from whatever life they'd had to that point. Even a pauper who clung to preconceived morality would balk at the offer, but to Ragetti it was everything he'd ever wanted. What he needed. He couldn't have left his father without Pintel's presence, and couldn't begin piracy without Pintel's help. It was an odd feeling; being human. He wanted to explore what it meant, and the different adventures that he could have as one.
He might not be able to soar among the clouds, but it didn't matter. Never did, really. He threw his arms around Pintel and nuzzled the older man's neck affectionately. Why have far-away views of the world when he could be in it, feet planted firmly on the deck of a ship, experiencing it?
Pintel grumbled uncomfortably and tried wriggling free of the embrace. Letting people so close was something pirates rarely did, with the exception of friends and even closer, special friends. He'd never had any such friendships and the hug was offsetting... but as he relaxed into it he felt the warmth of the other man pressed against him he realized that if he were to let anybody close to him, it would be Ragetti; that sweet, disarming prince who had flown down from his perch of royalty to nest with him. He may not have been able to appreciate sparkling riches the way the birds could, but maybe Ragetti could help him learn to appreciate things without regard for their monetary value. Pintel grinned; he'd probably learn a whole lot more than he'd bargained for.
--/-- END --\--