A/N: My first fic. Set as if DMC never occurred. Sorry this chappie is short. It won't happen often. Drink up me hearties, YO HO!
Chapter 1
"The Key to the Next Adventure"
"That devil woman better have given me a proper heading..." Jack said to himself as he peered at his compass. The sea was choppy but he knew they would not have to endure it long. Gibbs, who had heard his comment, replied "If ye ask me, women shouldn't be trusted at all ." Jack looked up from his compass, to the sky. Jack disregarded Gibbs who then hurried off to refill his flask. During the last trip to Tia Dalma's hut, she revealed to him where the key to his next adventure would be. "Into da Serpent's Mout" she said and smiled her signature sly smile. Though Jack doubted he would want to be in a serpent's mouth, Gibbs later informed him that Serpent's Mouth was a real place. The rest of the day carried on as usual for Captain Jack Sparrow and by nightfall, the dim lights of the rocky settlement glittered ahead.
As they glided through the water to the land mass ahead, Jack pondered what "the key" was. From his previous escapades, Jack had finally learned that nothing was as it seemed. The key could be anything , a map, some kind of trinket, or a physical key.
"Land ho!" Gibbs cried as the Black Pearl approached the deserted docks. Heat lightning rippled across the sky as Jack strapped on his effects and slapped his hat upon his head as the crew tied to the dock. He went to a promontory of the ship and addressed the crew. "Now Gents, half o' you come with me and half o' you drink your measly, black guts out!"
Half of the crew yelled in approval of Jack's orders and nearly tripped over themselves to get down the gangplank. All those not quick enough (which Ragetti, Pintel, Twig, Cotton, and Gibbs weren't) were the half that stayed with Jack. After looking at the scanty remains of his crew, the Captain threw back his shoulders and said "Well men, we're off!" and swaggered down the gangplank.
As the group entered the cobblestone streets of Serpent's Mouth, Jack observed that the town was dilapidated and less populated than Port Royale. Also it was kind of spooky, if you got scared easily, not like Captain Jack Sparrow. Well, maybe it chilled him...slightly.
Pintel grunted as he saw the crew at the tavern in the distance. Instead, they were wondering the god-forsaken streets of some god-forsaken town. The soon left the street lamps behind them and walked into the brush. Jack's compass pointed west so they all went west.
"So, where exactly are we goin'?" Ragetti asked Pintel ,who was whacking the brush out of his eyes."We're tryin' to find some key, that the voodoo woman told the captain about." Pintel explained in his normal, constantly aggravated tone.
"Why?" Ragetti asked with a comic expression on his face.
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!?" Pintel yelled.
Jack was ahead of them and already through the brush, pointing the compass in the direction they were headed. His gaze followed the arrow which pointed to a peak that was straight ahead. The captain took out his telescope and looked up at the peak. On top of the peak sat a forgotten little shack. When he smiled, his gold teeth shone in the moonlight. He was so close to getting the key and therefore so close to getting whatever treasure that was in store for him. But what treasure? And more importantly, what key?