Early 1700s…

Jack Sparrow leaned forward in his bed, sheets clutched in his chubby hands as he shouted in fright, eyes widened in shock. Surely this was it? It was all going to end so soon? There was no way out of this! His father and his crew were doomed!

However, Edward Teague just gave a short chortle before flourishing his hands once more, golden teeth glistening in the soft candlelight.

"There we were Jackie, trapped on one side by t' East India Trading Company and trapped on t' other by t' fearsome Kraken!" He chucked once more, ready to watch his son's face light up with excitement.

"The Kraken! Yer saw the Kraken?" he cried out eagerly, all the fear he held for his father vanishing as soon as he heard the Kraken mentioned.

To be honest, Teague had only ever heard tales but he knew that nothing kept Jack enraptured in a story like adding in the legendary Kraken. Sure he was embellishing his story just a smidgen but if it made his little boy smile he was all for it. If it happened to cast him in a better light, well, that was an added bonus.

"Twas an enormous beast, emerging from t' depths as if possessed. It raised a single tentacle, just one, and slowly brought it down 'pon me and me ship." Jack nodded frantically, a massive grin on his face.

"And? And?" he managed.

"Well me men and I looked up in 'orror, frozen where we stood. The East India Trading Company ships were frantically tryin' to turn round, but they'd weighed anchor, and were findin' they didn't have 'nough time. Us on t'other hand were able to snap t' attention, quickly catching the wind wiv our sails and sail away t' safety. That single tentacle of t' Kraken brought down all of t' Company's ships in a single blow, creatin' a huge tidal wave which helped us escape with our lives."

Little Jack's eyes were wide with excitement as he clapped, heralding the end of the bedtime tale.

"Just a single tentacle?" he said softly, his head conjuring images of the majestic beast going head to head against all those ships and rising from the depths triumphantly, laying waste to all in its path.

"A single tentacle." Teague confirmed, beads clicking together gently as he tilted his head to view his son more closely. Jack was sat up in his bed; hands clasped together and his face flushed with exhilaration. Eyes, previously heavy lidded, were glistening with unadulterated joy, the same joy they held when Teague came home from a long journey with his crew.

Teague smirked before continuing.

"It's said that t' Kraken is t' length of ten full sized ships."

He didn't think it was possible for Jack to become any more excited than he was already, but he was sadly mistaken. He literally bounced up, standing up on top of his bed.

"One day I'm goinna become best friends with t' Kraken! Then together we'll take over t'seven seas! I'll be all bam bam bam an' he'll be all bam bam bam and then everyone'll be all 'It's Captain Jack! Run fer your lives!' an' I'll be t' most feared pirate in all t' world!" he proclaimed fiercely, brandishing his arm as if duelling an imaginary opponent.

Teague's expression turned dark as he came to a realisation- if his son grew up admiring the Kraken, with all these crazy ideas of finding it and, god forbid, befriending it, he would eventually come across Davy Jones, and try as Teague may, there was no way he could protect his son from that despicable creature.

"Listen t' me Jackie. Promise me this." A young Jack Sparrow looked confused at his father's serious tone, hopping down to sit back in bed.

"Anything!" he said, smile fading, but still as bright.

Teague swallowed.

"Promise me you'll never go out looking for that Kraken."

Jack's face fell as he slumped back in bed, drawing his covers over his head.

"Jack? Answer me boy."

"Why?" he mumbled, hardly audible from his hiding place.

Teague hated to ruin Jack's boyhood fantasies of controlling the beast (for no-one could wish to befriend a brainless monster), but he had to protect his child, and this was the only way he could see at the moment- ending the obsession before it became a problem later on.

"Jack, t' Kraken may be a powerful beast but it's unable t' think fer itself. It's a tool, and it's under t' control of a… bad man. A cursed man."

Jack's eyes peaked out from under the covers and he whispered,

"Why can't I just take it from him?"

"NO!" Teague banged his fist down and Jack flinched noticeably. Teague froze, his expression softening at the sight of his frightened son. "I mean…he's t' worst of t' worst. He is doomed t' wander t' seven seas forever, unable to set foot on land. You must never go near him, you must never seek him out and under no circumstance whatsoever are you t' make any deals wiv him. Promise?"

Jack was silent.

"Promise me."

Jack sighed before responding.

"I promise. But how am I t' know who it is? I don't even know his name!"

Teague spat out the name as if it were a curse, a taboo, grimacing as he forced his mouth to form the words.

"His name is Davy Jones and I hope t' god you never cross him."

Many years later…

As Captain Jack Sparrow looked up at the snarling, pulsating form of the Kraken illuminated above him all he could think was, "Buggar. Looks like the old man was right."

TO BE CONTINUED…