sweetgirl8353: I can assure you its not over. And as to your other question, I guess you'll have to read on to find out, although there is a method in my madness.

Alexei Winchester: I don't really care how long it takes you to review; it is just a lovely experience to have a review!!!

Chapter 20

A few years later…

A figure cowered in a dark corner. The room he had been thrown in contained no furniture, only a bucket and a pile of straw. The window had been boarded up, allowing only a few slits of moonlight to illuminate the room. Across the stone flagstones were deep bloodstains, some only recent. The door was made of thick wood, barred with iron to prevent the prisoner escaping. As the bar drew back and two figures entered, the figure in the corner shrunk back.

"I will ask you one more time," the smaller of the two figures spoke, a female voice, "Where is the map?"

"I already told you, my brother took it," the man whimpered.

"I may ask my companion to help you remember again, if you do not tell me what I want."

"My brother has it!" The man screamed, suddenly afraid.

"And where is your brother taking it? That's all I want to know," the female cajoled.

"I don't know where he took it please believe me."

"Oh, but you see I don't. We both know you know where he is taking it. He may even be there as we speak."

When the man did not reply the woman made a small sound. She turned to her companion, and nodded. The large burly man approached the prisoner, and turned him over from the huddle he had collapsed in. The man pulled away one of the prisoners' hands, and roughly yanked off a dirty, bloody bandage. The stench of rotting flesh permeated the room. The burly man drew a knife, before laying out the last finger of the hand. The prisoner was shrieking in sheer terror.

"Lady Stormcroft! Lady Stormcroft!" the man screamed as his finger was cut off.

Naida shot up in her bed, gasping for breath. Her hands clutched at her coverlets, looking for purchase on the silken coverlets. Her body was bathed in sweat and her stomach was roiling from the stench of the decaying flesh. She barely had time to grasp her chamber pot, before she was doubled over retching, and bringing up her dinner. Once she finished she stood, and wiped her face with a cloth from her washstand.

Disturbed Naida pulled on her robe. Walking across her room she threw open her balcony doors and walked out. The fresh air revived her, and removed all traces of the horrible stench of the dream from her. But she could not forget the sights she had seen, or the things that she had heard. That poor man was being tortured for some reason. And it had something to do with her, or the man's brother, who was bringing something to her.

With a sudden movement Naida tore away from the balcony. She dressed herself quickly in what she had come to call her pirate garb. Briefly she swilled her mouth out with water, before turning to walk out of the room. The balcony doors caught in a brief gust of wind, banging and reminding Naida that she had forgotten to shut them. Walking over to them she closed them, but not before she noticed the small lantern that seemed to be bobbing on the ocean, approaching her house.

Without a second thought Naida grasped a candle and hurried downstairs. The darkened rooms were lit ominously by the flickering candlelight as she rushed through them. At the doors out to the gardens Naida paused and lit a lantern. Opening the doors she rushed out into the darkened night, towards the beach where her unexpected visitor was arriving.

Naida reached the beach before the longboat had. A man jumped out not too far from land, a lantern in hand, and began to haul the boat up onto the beach. Naida helped him and the task was accomplished quickly between the pair. Once done, the man turned to Naida, and went to talk. She hushed him, and beckoned him to follow her. She could not be sure of those who listened to her talks outside, but at least inside her house she had set wards to stop any prying ears from hearing.

Once inside the house she did not stop, but walked straight through to her father's old study, which she had adopted as her own. She set her lantern down and motioned for the man to do the same. She had chosen this room because the windows were shaded from the outside by ivy, so it was impossible to see two small lights in the darkness.

"I have something for you," the man began.

"I know, your brother told me," Naida replied evenly.

"But how, he's been imprisoned."

"Let's just say, that I know you have something to give me."

"You really do have fey blood."

"That is not the issue at question here. What do you have to give me?"

The man sighed, before nodding. Naida's face was closed. Whatever legends there were about her parentage, she would neither confirm nor deny them. That was not the issue at hand. The man sighed, before nodding. He reached into a bag he had slung over one shoulder. He reached in and pulled out a few pieces of parchment that had been bound together roughly. Naida ripped away their bindings and laid out the parchment in front of her.

The first piece was covered in a map. Naida frowned as she studied it; it made no sense to her. There was nothing recognisable about it, it was almost as if the image was fragmented, although there did not appear to be any recognisable image anyway. The next parchment was covered in scrawling handwriting that Naida wanted to spend time deciphering. However, before she did she turned to the man.

"You deserve some payment for your services," she spoke gently.

"I will only settle for one payment, death to the woman who has killed my brother," the man spat.

"Your brother is not yet dead."

"But how much longer will he survive for now?"

Naida nodded at the man, before letting him go. She sighed; she had not promised the man anything. But the female voice had sounded strangely familiar. A memory stirred briefly, before fluttering back into the deep recesses of her mind. Although first Naida needed to work out what the woman wanted. She had the keys sprawled out across her desk, that much was clear, and the woman wanted this thing badly.

Naida sighed as she picked up the piece of parchment with writing on it. She couldn't tell who was after her, although she could work out why they wanted it, and perhaps beat them to it and steal it away. So Naida began to look at the crablike scrawl, trying to make some sense out of it. It was hard enough to read, Naida guessed, in daylight, let alone by the light of a single light. But somehow she began to extract meaning from it.

To find that which drives men mad, seek within the cusp of the known seas. To search for that one must look within another facet. Then the answer will become crystal clear. What you are searching for is dangerous, it is meddles in the rule of Davy Jones and those others who have come before him. When you find it, it will soon become clear that your answer will be in a haze the ruby shadows.

Naida sighed as she translated. That was it, in the tiny crabby hand written on a scrap of parchment. There were no clues as to what the woman wanted, or was there? Naida grabbed a fresh piece of paper as two words came to life. Davy Jones, and others before him, it had said. Well Davy Jones was a monster, and had been for a long time. From the look of the parchment it seemed like it was old, but there was no date so Naida could not positively find any of the answers she sought.

It was like a puzzle, ones she used to sometimes play at with her mother. They always took the form of riddles, or perhaps a jumbled picture that she would have to use a special crystal to help her to define the pictures. This time it was no game, it was in deadly earnest. This woman wanted the maps to find a certain object, what Naida did not know. She did not even know the name of her adversary, perhaps if she knew what the object was then she would have clues as to the identity of the mysterious woman.

Naida rolled the scrolls up and secured them again. She placed them in her desk drawer, locking it firmly behind her, and pocketing the small key. Her desk was almost safe from lock picks, the locks themselves had been made so small, and the keys were never left in them, unless of course there was only trivial information kept within. The new information, whilst anything but clear, had importance.

Naida sighed as she looked at the massive library that her ancestors had amassed. She was unsure where to start looking, and it could take years for her to find what she wanted. She trailed her fingers along dusty tomes, hoping for inspiration to strike. She jumped as she heard the clock in the large hall chime three o'clock. It was very early, and yet it felt like every second was precious time wasted, there was an unknown and unwanted danger lurking around the corner.

Naida stopped and cursed as she cut her hand across the binding of one of her books that had come loose. She looked at the title carefully, before she opened her eyes in wonderment: The legendes and tayles of pyrates upon the High Seas. Nursing her cut finger she pulled the book down. It was incredibly thick; pirates did have an incredible amount of oral tradition, which of course no one had thought to write down apart from this… unknown author. No- one had signed their name claiming the work surprisingly, it was incredible.

Naida walked back through to her study. She jumped as she saw Callisto, walking silently through the room, lighting lamps as she went. The lady wondered how her servant did it, some sixth sense perhaps, that all was not well in the house. Naida herself was sure things were well, it was just that she herself were in grave danger, as if the point could not be emphasised anymore than it already was.

As the book was set down on the table it opened almost of its own accord. Naida frowned as she studied the page. Seeing it was not something that she wanted she idly began to flip through. Her eyes were caught by a printed picture of a person, holding aloft a ruby. That was the only item in the picture that had been inked, along with the rest of the pictures. Coming to the person were all manner of skeletons. Puzzled, Naida began to read.

The Shadowed Ruby

Long ago, when Calypso first began her rule of the seas, one small fishing village were hit hard, and lost almost all of their fisher-folk in one season. They wanted to look for a way to capture Calypso, or failing that, subvert her will to their own ends. Seeing this desperation an evil spirit took the form of a human and came down to the village, to set about achieving his own ends.

He told the villagers that he could bring their loved ones back from the dead. They believed him, and heaped upon him all their gold and their riches. But it was not enough for the sprite. He had heard tales of a fabled ruby. This he said he would turn into the very means of foiling Calypso. In due course it was produced, and the sprite began his work.

He subverted the will of every being on this earth. The ruby he produced meant that men could be brought back from the dead. This the villagers did, greedily, looking for their fisher folk and living back. Though their reason was pure, every person brought back to life gave the sprite more and more power. Eventually he was able to enslave the villagers, and turn them into his servants, undead and immortal. Those who were mortal were resurrected using the terrible ruby, until all the village was under his spell.

Calypso, fearing the power of the sprite, stole away his ruby and constructed a cage for him and his people. The sprite was not yet powerful enough to stop his fate, and so he set about enchanting men from beyond his cage. He promises them that which they want most, the returning of their loved ones. There were maps constructed, but they were all rumoured to be destroyed, with the exception of one, which is still said to survive to this day.

The dreaded ruby was granted a name by those enslaved to its evil purpose. They called it the Ruby of shadow, for the dreadful pall of undeath that hung over them. They can never be free until the Ruby is destroyed. It is said that the map exists only to lead the one who is meant to destroy it to its location, so that they can accomplish their task. It must be one who is renowned and known across the pirating world. If they fail the sprite will gain control of the seas, and then the world and everyone will be under the pall of the evil sprite in undeath.

"The Ruby of Shadow," Naida breathed as her fingers traced the picture, "It has the power to bring the dead back to life."

"Against the rules of man and nature," Callisto added with a shudder.

"It has to be destroyed."

"And I have the map, and the way to find it. But it is indecipherable."

"It brings you closer to your adversary."

"I know of many who have lost loved ones, and who would want to claim them back… myself included."

"But who thinks that their loved one was taken wrongly from them?"

"Still, the same answer… many people."

"But who would have a fairly recent and personal vendetta against the Brethren Court, and especially its king."

"It can't be Beth."

"Lady Beckett wants her husband back so he can claim the power belonging to him."

"She wants the rule of the seas."

"But she does not know the cost for the world if she does what she wishes."

"I do not think she would care, she looks out only for herself."

"I'll need to find out where it is."

"Will you take to the seas?"

"It will keep Beth off my trail… temporarily."

"It will buy you some time," Callisto conceded.

"Nowhere near enough, I can only hope that we'll have enough time," Naida agreed with a sigh.

Suddenly Naida started as she heard a knock at the window. She crept silently over to it, her pistol at the ready. She clicked the latch, and pulled the window slowly inwards. She watched as two hands appeared, before a body, and slowly Jack clambered into her study through the window. He smiled as he stood up, dusting himself off. He seemed not to be put off by the expectant stare of both Naida and her maid, instead dusting himself off.

"Why are you here Jack, and why the window and not the door?" Naida enquired, unsure whether to be amused or exasperated.

"Because you're in danger," Jack explained.

"So what's new?"

"It's your dearest sister Bethany, looking for her revenge."

"I know Jack, she wants the Shadow Ruby."

"Shadow Ruby?"

"Look, I'll tell you later. But you must let me come with you."

"Where are going?"

"To sea for a while, I'll give you a direction when I have one."

"Your case is packed, taken down to the caves, Jack's crew will be waiting," Callisto commanded.

Naida nodded. She rushed forward, to briefly embrace her maid. However the woman held onto her tightly, and whispered something in the strange language she was so fond of using. As Naida pulled away, she frowned to see that her maid was looking at her with sadness written clearly on her features. Callisto shook her head at Naida's expectant expression, at which point the younger woman shrugged and turned to face Jack.

"I'm ready," she said quietly, but firmly.

Author's note: So here we are the beginning of the next chapter. Naida's prophecy about her not being able to have a quiet life was well founded, although I suppose she didn't mean this…