Captain Jack Sparrow approached the dock master, and handed him a purse filled with gold coins.
"Captain John Smith here to tie up me ship." Sparrow grinned widely, exposing several gold teeth. "Watch over it for me will you?" He didn't wait for a response before he clapped the man on the back. "That's my good man."
"Now what do we have here?" Jack surveyed the small fishing village that they had arrived at, before re-checking his compass which was resolute in its direction. "Very odd. Very odd, indeed."
"Are you sure we've come to the right place, Jack? This doesn't look like any sort of treasure-hiding location I've ever seen before." Gibbs eyed the compass suspiciously. It always seemed as though the magical item were leading them astray.
"I'd have to agree with your observation, Mister Gibbs." He held a hand over his eyes and squinted into the town. "But maybe that's the genius of it. Those crazy monks might've hid the key in plain sight where no one's looking."
"But Captain, if the key is in plain sight, then wouldn't someone find it?"
"That's precisely why I'm the Captain and you're not. I know how to think like those deft treasure hiders." Jack tapped his head to emphasize the wisdom of his words.
Jack held the compass out in front of himself and began taking big steps in its direction. "Excuse me. Pardon me. Out of the way, sir. My apologizies, madam." Jack murmured to the people he was nearly running into as he made his way through a busy fish market.
Jack's route began winding back on itself as if the desired key were moving. "This simply will not due." He turned back at shouted at his first mate who was quite as ways behind him, struggling to keep up, "Gibbs, perhaps another course of action should be pursued. If our target is moving this could take a while."
Gibbs caught up with the Captain and panted vigorously as he waited for instructions. "Sir?"
"Perhaps, you could talk to the people here and find out what you can. Maybe they've seen a suspicious looking Friar with a key about his neck."
"Aye."
Gibbs scanned the marketplace and spotted a group of men talking next to a fish vendor.
"It's sad to see a woman of such beauty wasting her good years. Loyalty and fidelity are virtues to be sure, but there comes a point. I mean, 5 years? Come on! Her husband's either dead at sea or run off with some other woman," one of the men spoke excitedly as Gibbs approached.
"And she has a child to look after, what is she going to do when her money runs dry?" Another added.
"I tried proposing marriage, but she won't have me. Still, thinks the bastard will return," Jonathon Cliffton commiserated with the other scorned suitors.
"Excuse me, sirs, have any of you men heard of La Arenas del Tiempo? The Sands of Time?" Nothing. "Legend has it that the monks hid an hourglass with the power to control the passage of time in one of their tombs."
Gibbs still received silent and curious stares from the group of men and coughed nervously before continuing.
"The journeys of our industrious crew have led us here, to Anse La Raye, for the key to said tomb. Gibbs opened his arms about a half a foot, "Have any of you seen a key about this long and this wide, with markings on its circular face so terrible as to frighten Spirits back to the land of the dead?"
Jonathon Cliffton shook his head. "No, I don't believe I have. But perhaps ye could try Little John, he deals in exotic items, pirate treasures and such."
"Where may I find this Little John?"
Meanwhile, Jack was wandering around the outskirts of the village, looking for a small church or cloister that may have been built away from the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. He was about to give up on his search when he began to make out the sound of a woman humming a familiar tune. He moved toward the voice, his legs becoming unsteady as he identified the song. His fingers fumbled for the compass…
Suddenly two young boys about the age of four blasted past him holding little wooden swords and laughing. They seemed oblivious to Jack's presence due to the excitement of their duel.
"Surrender now, ye pox-faced kraken or we'll rip and burn yer Jolly Rogers!" the dark haired boy shouted at the blond boy.
Klack. Klack. Klack. Their swords connected thrice.
"Ye won't get me treasure, ye scurvy swab!" The blond boy returned.
Klack. Klack. The blond boy received a swipe across his side.
"I got you there. You're morally wounded." "No, it was superfiscal. You only got my shirt."
The boys argued back and forth calling the other a cheater. Sparrow smiled and stepped forward to intervene. He liked children, their maturity and sense of logic weren't so different from his own, and he couldn't help but get involved in a game of wits.
"If I may be so bold as to interrupt."
The little pirates grew silent as they turned to look at the very-real pirate in front of them. The brunette boy was visibly frightened, but the blond was defiant.
"Who are you?"
"A man what survived more swordfights than you young rascals can imagine, and I'm afraid you both are going about this all wrong"
"You're a p-p-pirate?" the brunette stuttered.
Sparrow leaned in close to the boys with conspiring expression. "Aye."
The boys had nothing to say to that, so he continued. "What's your name lad?" he asked the blond.
"James Turner, and this here is Johnny Applebottom." The young Turner pointed to his friend.
"Of course it is,"
Sparrow laughed. It seemed like everyone in this small village was
named some form of John. Wait a second. "Oh Bugger! Did you say
Turner?"
Jack now realized that the boy did have remarkably
familiar features.
"Ye- Aye," the boy changed to the more piratey word. "Maybe you met my daddy. He's always at sea."
"I hope you're daddy hasn't met any pirates. They kill people when they board other ships." Johnny Applebottom corrected the young James, who didn't yet understand the villainy of pirates.
"Would his name happen to be William? And his ship the Flying Dutchman?" Jack wanted to make sure before he ran screaming for the hills.
"I don't know about the ship part, but mommy does call him Will," James wasn't sure whether he should be excited or concerned that this pirate knew his father's name.
"And your name comes from a certain honorable Admiral who died protecting your mother, a certain distressing damsel who hails from the house of Swann," Jack's words tumbled out fearfully.
"She hails from swans?" James asked confusedly.
"Never mind that. It was nice to meet you both. I'll be on my way now." Jack said, backing away. "Give my regards to your mother."
Jack suddenly understood what had happened. The compass had been once again thrown off course by the Governor's daughter. He cursed her for her ability to remain on his mind after all these years. He cursed her for still being the thing he wanted most.
He tipped his hat and began running as fast as he could. Where was that blasted first mate of his…
