Chapter Twenty Four
"So what's it gonna be, mate?" Jack inquired as he ambled towards Henry, dumping the chest over to him before gave the rapier in his hand a couple of casual swings and finally leveling his own blade towards the apprehended Spaniard while walked over to the trio standing on the podium of the altar. His smile that previously had appeared the typical type of fraudulent now positively gaudy as he measured Fernán with his gaze until it stopped to admire the magnifisence of the real Trident for the first time since entering the temple. The youth following him next to give the sword a significant, long glance upon twisting the weapon in his hand a tad before extending it, to meet with the two others once it settled to point at the Spaniard's neck. Him locking unwavering gazes with Fernán. "I once told this to yer brother and I shall now say it to you…If ye won't surrender to us now and hand over the Trident, we might as well not let ye live…and we know how that turned out before, aye?"
"I'm a pirate, Sparrow. I know better than to believe in a word of a fellow blackguard", Fernán answered after a pause, unfazed by the stress in Jack's voice and the vehement squint he'd received from the pirate that had signaled supposed threat, by which he however wasn't taken by any more than he was by the made mention to his brother and his fate. Fernán narrowing his own eyes instead now in anger that soon bordered towards seething fury as he returned Jack's stare, ignoring the set of blades resting upon his arteries while finished his response, nothing sort of exposed to their superiority. "But believe in mine when I tell you to be the sole ones dying here with no one left to save you."
Jack, Will and Barbossa along with Carina who still had been standing close to the three men were then suddenly forced to retreat from him. Unwillingly flung backwards and away from the Spaniard by an unexpected burst of the Trident's power that then erupted from the weapon, now in total command of it Fernán using it to move them aside by hurling them each down from the altar with ease. Proving no common weapon to indeed fare against him while he was in possession of the Trident, Fernán to have rid of them of their advantage with a single thought. The Trident responding to his inner wish and getting rid of his opponents in an instant, and now in realization of this Will, Jack, Barbossa and Carina struggled to clear their minds of the disorientation caused by the previous impact. Trying to rise as Fernán now turned towards the group of spectators consisting of both his and Will's crew as well as Carmen and Henry, them flinching at the infuriated grimace that now inhabited the Spaniard's mien as he addressed his crewmen. The water above the temple now beginning to surge even more rapidly in his ire, quickly the ravaging waves spreading all around the temple and precluding anyone from fleeing as he pointed at the prisoners and Dutchman's crewmen. Furious.
"Mátalos!"
By the order of Fernán all of the Spaniards now attacked. After the momentary bafflement of how to proceed in unison charging at the members of Will's crew and those momentarily incapacitated by the Trident laying on the temple floor. Carmen whipping around as she heard the irated roar of the pirates and she and Henry together followed how the two crews now engaged into a furious battle, the temple filling with clashes of swords and ferocious outcries of men as the sailors met head to head. Trying to outdo the other, and for their chagrin the youth soon noticed Fernán's men faring rather well against Will's crew even with notably smaller numbers. Enabling them to then end up drawn into the scuffle as a couple of pirates were able to free themselves from the main fray and charged towards them, Carmen's eyes scouring the surroundings for anything to get her hands on to defend herself, but was only pushed back by Henry who jumped in front of her. Mimicking Jack by raising the chest to receive the sword swung at the gypsy girl, but was left open for the second pirate to strike. Carina however releasing a frustrated grunt as kicked the miscreant while still laying half on the floor, tripping him. Henry thrusting the chest forward to shove his adversary backwards before slammed the chest against the man Carina had taken care of, the pirate finally losing his footing and skidding to the side into a pile of treasures, while the first one found his balance and lunged at them. Carmen stiffening in terror of seeing the buccaneer's blade swoop towards them until she now saw another blade to slither to sight from between her and Henry, Will rushing to receive the miscreant's cutlass, and in turn pushing aside his son he was now standing in front of them. Facing the pirate before landed a couple of skillful, clearly much practiced strikes at the less competent buccaneer to keep him at bay before cast a stern look at Henry.
"Go!" Will exclaimed, earning a fleeting protesting glance back from Henry who was reluctant to leave his father's side now that he'd suddenly been reunited with him, but as Will then turned his full attention to the pirate charging at him the lad wasn't given a choice when Carmen pulled him after herself. Only for her to be brought to a halt by the abrupt discharge of the Trident's energy that whizzed past her, missing her just barely and caused Henry to collide with her, while the gypsy girl turned towards the altar after she had cast horrified eyes down at the stony floor that had ruptured under the Trident's power centered to it. Her heart that had jumped to her throat now lurching for panic as she was met with the icy glower of the Spaniard who was pointing the spear at them, this time Henry's father unable to shield them from the following attack as Fernán riveted his murderous glare now onto Henry. Fernán stepping down from the altar himself and beginning to stride towards them with clear intent on killing in his once more livid gaze, but despite of Henry's attempt to brandish his own sword in response he was too slow, for the lad was only able to jab the blade at the incoming Spaniard clumsily before having his cutlass deflected. Fernán rotating the Trident so that the attack which had been directed at his ribs landed on the shaft before he flicked Henry's sword to the side and tried to plunge the Trident's fork into the boy's torso. Henry jumping backwards just in time, however the Spaniard coming at him too swiftly for him to prepare properly and his following attempt to match his weapon ended as poorly. The gypsy girl retreating once Henry's sword failed to match Fernán's anger, and after a couple of near miss strikes was once more thrown aside as the blade was caught into the fork of the Trident. Fernán locking Henry's sword hand before dragging the lad closer, his free hand now taking out his own sword and flipped it around, preparing to impale Henry with it.
Henry let out a fearful bemoan as he was shoved back by the power of the impact of the delivered blow, accompanied by the clink of metal that in the following passing moment rang in his ears upon him at first thinking to have been penetrated by the slim blade, but the lad then glanced down to see no blood. The tip of Fernán's sword to have been stuck to the lid of the Dead Man's Chest Carmen had confiscated from Henry. Saving him, the gypsy girl to have hoisted the chest upward to block the Spaniard's attack, until she then used all the strength in her aching arms to fling the cast iron chest upward. Successfully taking Fernán by surprise by in turn flicking his sword hand in the air while pushed against him, letting the joined weight of her and the chest to throw the man off-balance once they purposefully rammed into him. Stunned Henry watching them both tumble to the floor, the chest prying from Carmen's hold as she rolled into a stop just beside Fernán, who was swifter to recover. Despite of the pain the bad landing had inflicted Carmen now instantly whipping her head towards him to see the seething Spaniard to rise to a sitting position before his sword immediately lunged down towards her, for no avail her fingers reaching for the handle of the chest in a fleeting attempt to use it as a shield again.
However just as her eyes had closed in the expectation of getting hit, she gasped at the sound of blades clashing and she cringed back to follow how Henry hurled Fernán's sword away with his own. Fearlessly charging at the Spaniard despite of the fact of him being gravely disadvantaged with but his cutlass protecting him against something as foreboding as Poseidon's Trident, but oblivious to that the lad stood fast against the man now that he was prepared to battle him face to face. Carmen making another roll to get out of the way as Fernán drove him backwards, the lad dodging the quick stabs of the Trident amongst the fierce exchange of blows and did his best to take the best of his opponent which however soon turned out an impossibility. For even if Henry was a highly skillful swordsman as was his father, he discovered himself dominated by Fernán's wielding of double weapons and zealous intent on killing him. All fueled by the demanding drive that was common for all pirates…bloodlust, that now was only added to the Spaniard's personal desire to run the lad through.
Carmen gazed about the vicinity for the chest. Finally locating it and hurried to raise it from the floor, but instead was spooked by an incoming attack of a pirate who'd broken free of his duel with the Dutchman's helmsman. Startled outcry slipping her lips as the blade jabbed at the chest, barely gliding past her shoulder and in a fleeting frenzy the gypsy girl turned to face the man. Stumbling away as he instantly proceeded to swing his cutlass at her, however as she kept crawling away from him and awkwardly dodged the sword as it at times was stuck to the floor in a try to skewer her, Carmen's attention was then drawn by Carina whom she noticed to sneak behind the pirate. Carmen watching her to make for the unguarded chest, reading her intentions just as the buccaneer thrust his sword at her again. This time it getting as close as scraping her thigh, but as the gypsy girl spied the blade to pierce through her skirts, she cast a glare up at the despicable miscreant. Before the man could withdraw the blade her wrapping the sword with the layered fabric of the hem before grabbed the pirate's sword hand with both hands, keeping him still while left him open for the other young woman's attack. Carina whacking the buccaneer on his head with the chest, before dropped it with a strenuous huff, a ripping sound drowning the pirate's agonized grunt as both her and Carmen watched the miscreant to keel over unconscious, tearing Carmen's dress in the process. Sudden shout of Henry's however then catching the girls' attention, them twirling around to see how the lad was propelled backwards by Fernán who'd blocked his previous attack with his blade along with the Trident, until now raised it to slam it at Henry's face. Disorientating him before slashed his rapier at him, wounding him.
Carmen's voice joined Will's in calling out the lad's name as she saw him fall. Will who'd ended up separated from the youth and leading his crew in the fight against Fernán's men unable to come to his son's aid, Barbossa and Jack to have also gotten caught into the overall clash with the enemy crew. Leaving Henry fending off alone against Fernán, whose ruthless strikes had finally driven the lad to make a undeliberate mistake, due to a diversion Henry concentrating in blocking the Spaniard's incoming attack while himself used it as an opportunity to strike. Only playing into Fernán's hands by failing to realize the man to have planned to have him attack him in order to leave him vulnerable to an assault of his own, hence causing Henry to be caught unawares. The taken aback lad who now was laying on the floor landing a surprised palm on the bleeding gash on his shoulder before raised his gaze to the Spaniard within seconds, more blood dripping from his bruised nose which he discovered by brushing passing fingers under it while behold Fernán to raise the Trident once he was standing directly on top of him. The lad's heart stopping the minute he realized his impeding death to be a mere instant away and he stared up at the Spaniard in shock, however Fernán's intent of plunging the spear into Henry getting stopped by an object that came flying at him, hitting his forearm.
Several pairs of eyes that had been glued to Henry and Fernán in horror now turned to stare at Carmen who'd thrown the mirror to save the lad. The same Jack had previously picked up and which she'd stumbled upon during the commotion of the fight, also clutching a pair of decorative goblets in her arms while stared at Fernán surprisingly bravely. Deep, relieved sigh erupting from between Henry's lips as he glanced at the Trident's fork that had landed on the floor instead of him, before his own gaze flew to the gypsy girl. The current setting of the situation more than familiar to the three and upon recollecting that certain instant at the marketplace months past Henry exchanged a fleeting look with the gypsy girl, who was currently glared at by the Spaniard, until she resumed her own stare at the man. Scowling back at him.
"Get away from him", she ordered, although deep down she was as terrified of this man as ever, rage to have taken hold of her again once she'd seen Henry to be hurt. With a chagrined tilt of his head aggravated Fernán indeed ignoring Henry for a moment as slowly turned to Carmen, releasing an exasperated breath himself at the sound of the gypsy girl's adamant voice that hardly masked her anger. Daring to make demands of him. "You have hurt enough innocent people. So you won't hurt him, not anymore. I won't let you."
"And what you're going to do? Curse me? If it only were so easy", Fernán spat derisively, taking out the Sacred Eye from his pocket before throwing it at Carmen's feet in mock. Coming close to laugh at the absurdity of such a notion until leveled another leer at the gypsy girl whose eyes were cast onto the pendant for a moment, raising the Trident again. Knowing it to trump any possible gypsy gimmick she might've been plotting of using against him. "Very well. You die first."
Henry made an hasty attempt to leap after the man once he then took a stride towards Carmen, but the sight of her flinging the goblets at him with as careful aim as those fruits stopped him, him then getting taken aback by Carina whom he followed to dash towards Fernán from behind. In turn holding onto the chest which she then tried to ram onto the distracted Spaniard's back, only to be intercepted by Esteban who rushed to the scene to shield his captain before gripping to the chest himself.
Carina's eyes rose to him in horror as she instinctively tried to yank the chest from him, the man reacting by pulling her towards himself before kicked her. Henry watching startled as the young woman was thrown back, collapsing onto her knees in a fit of coughs, until his focus was drawn back to Carmen who was backing away from approaching Fernán. The gypsy girl accidentally bumping into Jack who was currently sparring with two other knaves, the pirate casting an annoyed look her until the sound of a gunshot then pierced the air. Both Carmen and Jack watching Fernán to freeze once the fired shot flied past him until finally hitting one of the pirates advancing towards Jack, the pair following the astounded Spaniard's gaze and turned, to see the shot miscreant to drop to the floor dead. Henry staring at Carina and the pistol she was holding with wide eyes, before getting kicked by Fernán's first mate her to have managed to rob him of his pistol and used it to fire at his captain.
With a vexed scowl of her own directed at the Spaniard and flabbergasted Esteban Carina struggled to regain her breath as threw the now rendered useless pistol away, earning a slightly impressed look from Henry. Carina now taking hold of the fallen chest again and begun to rise as Fernán now lost all interest in Carmen and focused all his hatred to the second young woman, whose turn it was then to back away a few steps at the face of his rage. Suffering the consequences where the gypsy girl had just been saved from having a direct taste of Fernán's fury, instead of her now Carina ending up flown backwards once the Trident was then pointed at her and a bolt of energy sent her flying against the remains of the block of stone within the weapon had been concealed.
"Carina!" Henry called, jumping to his feet once he saw the young woman to not rise from the spot she'd landed. Her back turned towards them for him not being able to tell was she alright, her laying splayed onto the steps leading up to the altar without moving. Equally startled Carmen now darting towards her, only to be caught by Fernán who swung the Trident around to create a wave like surge that stopped her from passing him until he pointed the fork at her, blocking her way to both Carina and the chest, which now laid on its side a little farther away from her... It's locking mechanism released by its contact with the Trident's power once it had received most of it instead of Carina, the lid left slightly ajar once it had tumbled on the floor along with her.
"Look at all the lives given over yours…Does it not make you beg for a release of the pain of guilt?" Fernán derided, about to thrust the Trident now at Carmen, but was taken aback by Barbossa who'd fought his way out of the skirmish with the pirates the moment he'd seen Carina to be striken down by the Spaniard. Fernán swerving to the side once Barbossa's sword made an attempt of cutting into his chest, the Spaniard rotating the Trident again to do away with the pirate's sword, but had to dodge another attack when Barbossa also fired a pistol at him. The shot going well past his side, but giving him just enough time to deliver his following strike, it making past the Spaniard's defenses before ending up seized by a fast swing of the Trident after Fernán had managed to slash at Barbossa's forearm. The gems imbedded into both of the weapons flashing strongly as they slammed against one another, the ancient power they both hold erupting and beginning to flow freely as the men stared down at one another. The Spaniard's eyes however now getting drawn down to the wound he'd inflicted upon the elderly pirate, as from between the long, raggedy, cut edges of the formed tear he could now see a tattoo…A tattoo depicting a certain constellation, one that in that moment came to explain many things to Fernán as he gauged at it before looked up to Barbossa.
"You are in the order of the Atlanteans", Fernán inferred, finally thinking to have uncovered the reason why this man could come into possession of one of the weapons forged in Atlantis, where Henry who was currently battling against a group of buccaneers with his father and Jack was intrigued by this. After warding off the attack of his own opponent, earning himself an instant long enough to cast a fleeting look at Barbossa. Frowning in wonder at the constellation now also he saw tattooed on his skin as Barbossa replied, impassive.
"Just a humble pupil wishing to follow in the footsteps of those more enlightened", Barbossa answered with a dry smile, referring to the time years back he'd taken Carina's diary from a man belonging to that very order. However his visage turning then but somber as he continued, grimly. "But as one of the few remaining men aware of its long preserved secrets I shall be the one to keep them so…by yer death."
It was now Barbossa's turn to engage into a duel with Fernán, for the astonishment of everyone at times casting a glance at their ongoing bout finding their weapons quite evenly matched even in the long run while they were pummeling each other with all the while more powerful strikes. Now left unattended by the participants of the battle Carmen running over to Carina to check her condition, managing to get to her past the fighting buccaneers and sailors alike, where Henry remained engulfed into his own sword fight with the still standing pirates. The lad letting out a tired breath as briefly rested his back against his father's beside whom he'd once again found his way in the tumult of the fight, Will making a slight smile as he glanced behind him to see how Henry used a familiar move to obstruct the incoming sword of his adversary with the guard of his cutlass before letting the blade slid downward. Leaving him free then to bring out his own weapon with a twirl before jabbed it at the pirate, defeating him.
"Who taught you to fight like that?" Will asked, even he already knew the answer not being able to resist the temptation of asking. Henry tipping a jaded head as he already knew his father to know the answer from the way he'd made the question, amusement lacing his delivery, but he replied truthfully. Landing a new blow at one of Fernán's men who'd tried to attack his father while he was busy with battling arrived Esteban.
"Mother did."
"She did quite a good job with that."
"Life as a Pirate King has a tendency to teach you well in that aspect."
Will's smile widened slightly at the sound of the lad's sarcasm, but his focus was drawn back to his fight against Esteban once the first mate attacked him now with much more vigor, proving a real challenge for Will as returned his attacks equally swiftly and aptly, clearly knowing how to handle a blade.
"If I were to die here…would it be you to ferry my soul?" the Spaniard queried scornfully, to have forced Will into a curt standstill while exchanged a short stare with him. Will squinting at him as bumped the pirate apart from himself, pointing his once again freed sword at him.
"The place your soul would descend to…is an abyss far too deep even for my ship to reach."
"Carina?" Carmen called. Brushing a hand across the side of her face as tried to wake up the young woman, her to have turned her over to find the ghastly gash that ran across her forehead due to the earlier collision with the stone. Failing to arouse her, and so fearing her to have perhaps cracked her skull due to the violent impact with an anxious sigh she cast her eyes up to gaze upon the ongoing battle. After her eyes visited the Dead Man's Chest her watching Barbossa to continue to hold his own against Fernán, for his sword seemed to nullify any of the Spaniard's attempts to call upon the Trident's power, until her eyes traveled to Henry who remained cornered by the remains of Fernán's crew along with his father and Jack. Her realizing something needing to be done for this to end, Fernán's crew proving too tough in facing against the Dutchman's crew even in their dwindled numbers, and as long as Fernán had the Trident there was no way of defeating them...Jack apparently thinking so as well as she now spied the pirate to slip away from the prevailing scuffle after sending his opponent flying into another cluster of collected treasures and gaining an opening to exit once Henry and Will took upon the incoming pirates for him. Carmen watching him to spot something amongst the numerous valuables scattered about the temple floor after scouring the temple grounds for a solution, apparently finding it when he soon approached the round item that was mostly buried under the other expensive clutter.
Intrigued Jack narrowed his eyes as they now studied the article he'd discovered partly concealed under the other valuables. All the noise of the battle fading to the background for a moment as he now approached the object, realizing it to be strangely wrapped into a wine red cloth that to him appeared like a piece of Greek clothing resembling of a peplos…Him standing beside it after letting himself study the item for awhile until amidst his attempt to stretch down a hand to pull away the fabric, a detail of the whatever had been hidden from naked eye then caught his attention, staying his fingers just above the cloth. Jack frowning in wonder at the sight of what seemed like an embossing of a snake slithering over the edge of the object, but as doubt then set foot in him once he finally grabbed the fabric and carefully pulled it slightly aside to see more of the relief that decorated the what he now could surmise as a shield, confirming his pestering suspicions, the frown was stuck to Jack's face then. His hand halting just before it revealed the face that was depicted on the shield.
Jack's gaze remained glued to the several snakes he now could see crisscross the surface of the shield in disbelief, hesitation whether or not this object could be what he thought it was, but the loud crunch of tearing stone then brought such qualms to naught. Jack's hand landing on the hilt of the shield as he turned around to see how Barbossa was thrown to the floor with a fast roll. The place he'd just been standing to have been cracked open by the burst of the Trident's unleashed energy and the formed chasm reached as far as the waylaid pirates crotch…Fernán to have managed to separate himself from his weapon long enough to deliver a burst of the Trident's power at Barbossa. Proving that hand in hand his sword was a match for the Spaniard's weapon, but once he could drive the pirate back to land a far more powerful attack of his own, there was little Barbossa could do against him. This fact then causing Jack to act as he eyed at Barbossa who was propelling himself to a sitting position, facing Fernán who now took off running towards him, swinging the Trident downward to stick it into the elderly pirate. Barbossa to have only managed to raise himself to his remaining leg until his sword shot up to receive the godly spear's fork, the two men ending up into yet another test of strength.
"So much wasted fight in your weary bones. Just lay them to rest", Fernán exhorted, weighing heavily against Barbossa's blade, but he didn't falter. The weapons quivering terribly due to the force applied to them by their determined wielders refusing to relent and show mercy to the other.
"No fight is wasted for the right cause", Barbossa answered, after a brief instant of locking gazes with the Spaniard Jack noticing him to cast a fleeting glance at Carina until the man managed to take the best of Fernán by shoving their joined weapons to the side. Causing Fernán to falter forward for Barbossa to rise and use his peg leg to trip him. The tables turning as now the Spaniard came crashing down onto his back while Barbossa rose to his feet to run his sword through him, the blade however getting jammed into the Trident's fork again. Enabling Fernán to escape his strait by tipping the Trident so that the hilt went for Barbossa's peg leg, Carmen following him to be naturally thrown off balance once Barbossa let the Spaniard go to avoid getting swept off his feet. Fernán instantly charging at him, however the gypsy girl missing how Jack then pulled out the shield from amongst the other treasures once she noticed Carina to begin to come to, stirring.
Carmen's eyes shot down to her and she straightened as watched her start to wake up, shifting her head a little on the hard tressle until her visage was distorted by an agonized grimace once the pain throbbing at her forehead registered into her once again conscious mind. Carina raising a lethargic hand to feel the gash until she opened her eyes, it taking a moment for them to fixate onto Carmen's face as the gypsy girl returned Carina's addled stare. Gauging at her.
"Are you alright?"
"Of course I'm not bloody alright", Carina grumbled, wincing thanks to her bruised up limbs and squeezing her eyes shut briefly to get past the ensuing fainting sensation when she tried to sit up. However momentarily bested by it her remaining where she laid with a frustrated snort. "That bastard blasted me…Henry!"
At the sudden remembrance of the lad Carmen gave Carina room as she then shot upright, now fully ignoring the ache she was under from both her head and body as her worried eyes then went on to fly across the temple. To locate Henry, and upon finding him still fighting alongside his father and his crewmen she released a relieved sigh, however soon enough the gypsy girl following her worry to be replaced with urgency as she also realized the battle to have gone long enough when her attention was soon drawn to Barbossa…To find him to be finally losing against Fernán, who was givenly younger than him. Despite of his efforts and evident skill Barbossa's attacks starting to become slower and less timed with the blows of his opponent, giving Fernán a chance to resort to the power of the Trident which then begun to form similar cracks in the temple's columns and floor all around in an attempt to slay him. Carina sighing as her muscles protested against standing, her having to accept Carmen's offer of support while both of their gazes rounded the room to take in the prevailing chaos, hopeless.
"We have to do something", Carmen stated, fearful as she saw Henry to avoid getting ran through by Esteban thanks to Will's interference. Regardless of his son's talent still far superior swordsman, and together they dispatched the first mate to the background with a few lashes that found their mark as Carina let out another snort, her voice reflecting similar concern as Carmen's although her delivery was rather acrid.
"What could we do? We can't go out there challenging the Trident's power with bare hands, yet alone take it away from him", she said. Even she was right still earning but a decisive look from Carmen.
"If we don't, he's going to kill us all!"
"What else is new?"
Carmen and Carina cried out in unison as haphazard burst of the Trident's power then struck to the remains of the stone beside them. Forcing them to duck for cover and terror filled them as they could feel their hair getting drawn into the suction of the energy as it passed just above their heads during its destructive journey across the chamber that then caused all occupants of the room to momentarily abandon their scuffle to avoid getting hit. Bringing the battle to a standstill that gave Jack the needed distraction to act, him running back towards his companions the still tightly wrapped shield in his hands, while the frantic young women peeked at each other behind their arms once the pebbles had stopped raining upon them. Carmen's breaths coming out in panicked gusts as after locking momentary gazes with equally startled Carina she could see burnt off wisps of both of their locks to float down between them, until one particular larger one that landed next to her forearm caused the gypsy girl to notice something at the base of the sealife covered block of stone. To have not seen it before, but now that she and Carina were laying directly next to it she could see that there was actual writing under the layer of corals and seaweed. Carmen raising a confused hand to touch the visible age worn letters until she brought this to the attention of her companion, in wonder.
"Carina. Look."
Carina straightened as she now also took a look at the parts of the inscription Carmen had found, with one more shared glance the girls then however beginning to remove the sealife that covered it, making it illegible. Trying to scrape away the barnacles and other matter preventing them from reading it in haste, while still not quite knowing why they were wasting time in doing something which might've as well been redundant, where Jack's abrupt return soon caught the attention of the father and son who were now defending themselves against a handful of remaining Fernán's men on their own. Henry looking past one pirate's shoulder after blocking his attack and trapping his blade under his, to see Jack stand a small distance away the discovered shield in his hand, which the lad now watched to be turned upside down once Jack proceeded to untie the cloth that covered it. Henry watching the red fabric fall in confusion until in the same instant he saw Jack to nod at him, beckoning to the miscreant he was battling against. Taking the hint Henry not sparing another thought over the nature of the shield in Jack's possession as then released the buccaneer's blade, only to ram his own against it, until with a few more swift lashes he'd disarmed him. Just as the pirate went for his belt to pull out his spare weapon the lad kicked him, leaving him for Jack whom Henry had noticed to have finally rejoined the fight by engaging into a duel with two of Fernán's men who'd seen him approach. Henry however then only hearing them along with his own previous adversary to release half surprised, half startled outcries that were accompanied by the noise of coins and objects jingling as he himself now swung around, to deliver a hard strike against the outstretched sword that had been directed at his father's briefly unguarded back.
The miscreant released an angry growl as he followed his assault to be rendered to naught by the interfering lad, who then used the guard of his cutlass to punch him to his jaw. The man staggering to the side due to the force of the blow, but Henry was stopped from advancing towards him by another obstructing sword that then blocked his path. The lad finding himself confronted by Esteban, who'd managed to get away from Will, and who now stood between his fellow crewman and Henry to land a blow of his own at him. Aiming for Henry's shoulder, cutting it due to the swiftness of the strike, but just as he was about to pull his weapon back to slash open Henry's throat, Will's sword swooping in to save him once the lad took a leap backwards. With an enraged grimace the pirate however simply driving Will away by simply unfurling his blade from under Will's before ramming his elbow down at Will's arm, kicking him. Upon seeing his father falter back Henry lunging at him. Esteban, him and Will ending up exchanging a few relentless blows that each came close defeating the other during the heated affray, until Will became soon occupied with the other pirates once they invaded the trio's ongoing bout after retreating from the Dutchman's crew and gathering around their first mate. Briefly cast aside by the taller man Henry however fighting his way through the incoming pirates back to Esteban once the man had changed sides to join with the ranks of his crewmates himself, only to be stunned by the sight in front of him.
After taking in the total of three pirates of Fernán's crew who currently laid on the floor unmoving, literally petrified to the position they'd fallen in after getting bested by Jack's resourceful swordplay, Henry now followed how the pirate in question raced towards them while raised the mysterious shield. All the while facing it away from them, until called out Will's name and gestured Henry to cover his eyes, turning the shield just enough for both him and Will to see a peek of the relief that was of a snake headed woman, before he threw it over to the older Turner. The shared confusion of father and son getting replaced by realization once Will caught the shield when Henry rammed himself against his father's opponent who'd tried to impale him during this distraction, like Will him next witnessing how another buccaneer who now was faced with the terrifying image of the mythical being came to a halt in middle of his attack upon casting his eyes down to it. For their shock his face filling with instant terror until accordingly horrified scream died on his lips once he begun to petrify as well, all his movements and body stalling as if he was turning into stone, his very breath stagnating until all that was left of him was an immobile statue of a man standing there his sword brandished…Unable to move or speak, still as a rock.
Henry let out a bewildered breath as eyed at the pirate in outrage, as did the other pirates in their vicinity who'd witnessed their comrade to be confronted with the shield and be instantly petrified by a mere look at it. Clearly fazed by this the miscreants taking a moment longer to clear their thoughts and resume the fight, where a coincidental reflection from another mirror standing not far away from them then offered an explanation for Will and Henry, who caught a better sight of the relief in dismay. Henry following his father's stunned gaze and also then laid witness to the grotesque image of the mythical Gorgon Medusa that stared back at them amongst the swarm of alive looking snakes that were her hair, even they were but cast in stone of the shield. However as one who'd poured over the many myths of several origin like Greek Henry blinking as the fate of the few pirates then made sense once he looked down at the shield in his father's hand and saw the figures of indeed snakes that teetered across the edges, framing the Gorgon's face…Shock however not leaving him even then when the lad now flinched at the instant horror of getting petrified as well through simple proximity, until Will turned his focus back to the befuddled buccaneers.
"Men! Retreat and cover your eyes!" Will bellowed, his eyes visiting the faces of his crewmen, until lastly landed on Henry. At the sight of a pirate making his way over to his son Will handing the shield to the lad who then immediately turned around, without a second thought raising the shield between himself and the approaching miscreant who immediately went still mid attack once he made the mistake of gazing upon the dreadful Gorgon. Once one of his fellow buccaneers tried to take advantage of the situation by catching Henry unawares the lad only stepping to the side to ram the shield at his back, leaving the pirate for his father to take care of, until told him to face away. Upon seeing Jack to be confronted with a couple of Fernán's men him calling out Jack's name and throwing the shield towards him, curtly watching him push back his current opponent until exposed him along with two other pirates to the direct view of the shield, who were too slow to look away. Amongst them Esteban who'd made his way away from Will and Henry to escape the power of the mysterious shield after witnessing its effect on those unfortunate enough to gaze upon it directly, the first mate quickly whipping around once Jack did away with some of his fellow crewmen, until the shield was tossed back to Will across the air. Now Henry and Jack blocking their view of it after forcing some of the pirates to retreat back towards Will who'd tried to escape after seeing the shield to have been passed on to the man in front of them. The miscreants ending up then trapped between their three adversaries, and only by luck did some of them miss ending up like their comrades. After managing to petrify a couple more of Fernán's crew Will and Jack finding themselves side by side upon defending themselves against one last counter attack led by Esteban, the pirates to have come upon a tactic to avoid ending up face to face with the shield itself while coming at the three from the sidelines. Using diversions while some of them attacked in unison, making it challenging for Will, Jack and Henry to rely solely on the shield.
"How did you know that would work?" Will questioned, still not believing what had just happened, as cast a swift glance at Jack while warded off one of Esteban's attacks. Raising the shield, but the Spaniard only turned away his gaze just as his blade made contact with the shield, and he let it slip downward to latch the guard of his sword to it. For one of his comrades to attack Will then head on, only for him to be pulled apart from the two by Henry who prevented the pirate from reaching them. Drifting apart from his father and Jack in the tumult of his duel against this buccaneer, missing Jack's response to his father's stupefied inquiry.
"I think we're well past knowing at this point, mate" Jack mused impassively, adding the following sentence half to himself after casting a glance of his own at Will, landing a couple of strikes against Fernán's crewman's sword as well until was challenged by a couple of his crewmates, back to back them exchanging opponents. "I didn't even know whether or not that decades encased ticker of yours had enough vigor left in it to work in bringing ye here."
Jack's reply hadn't pointed out that very much like Henry even he was somewhat familiar with tales such as Greek myths in closer detail thanks to his life spent at sea, but upon speaking so evasively answering more than clearly to Will's question and hence hardly surprised Will simply rolled his eyes at the pirate's ever so far-reaching reliance in mere dumb luck and inconceivable coincidences. The men continuing fighting like this, side by side, utilizing the shield in their favor, while Carmen whose attention had been momentarily transfixed to the battle after the screams of terror had filled the air was now nudged by Carina who was still struggling to remove the aquatic plants that had layered onto the block of stone.
After trying to get the gypsy girl's to help her Carina now spotted the crucifix around Carmen's neck. Suddenly yanking it off without a warning, and bemused Carmen turned her gaze back to her to follow how she continued to chop off the corals with the cross. After a brief annoyed glance cast down at her crucifix Carmen joining her in hurry until she then glanced over her shoulder again to notice how Fernán took notice of the shield Will and Jack were using, and also realized several of his crewmen to have been turned into living statues. Alarmed by the looks the Spaniard was sending them amongst his fight with Barbossa and the sight of Henry getting pummeled by Esteban's vicious attacks, Carmen trying to dig her fingers into the slippery, seaweed covered matter, until finally the girls managed to clear off enough of it to uncover the engraving. Quick examination of the faded, old inscription telling the gypsy girl it to be Latin, however so ancient that many of the words remained a mystery to her no matter how many times her eyes then skimmed over the sentences set in that stone. Carina however being able to understand just enough to make out a illegible sentence or two once Carmen started to decipher them with the little knowledge she had.
To Release the Power of the Seas, A Mighty Force of Ancient Sanctity, Brought Together Sword, Spear and Shield. To Divide By Tokens of Old In Three, Made Anew By Godly Assembly, In Awoking the Priced Treasure of Vast Oceans Deep.
"It says something about a…sword. Sword, shield and a…token of…three? I don't know", Carmen said unsurely, nonplussed as to what could've the engraving said in full as she racked her brain upon trying to translate it, while casting anxious glances behind herself at the battling men. "Divide by…tokens of three…anew, assembly and treasure of oceans…deep? I can't understand it."
"To release the power of the sea…" Carina read, surmised upon using her own knowledge of Latin which neither wasn't very profound, but enough to work through the mystery of this hidden engraving then as she took in the words Carmen had been able to decipher for her straight away. It taking a moment for them to together figure out the core of the message, but after both of their minds reeled back to similar sentences they'd already come across before they soon figured to have arrived to a correct translation…It revealing an apparent clue imbedded into the altar stone. "…brought together, sword, spear and shield…"
"…to divide by tokens of…old in three", Carmen filled in, in understanding where Carina now broke into a small smile as the meaning of the words then dawned on her. Her finishing the roughly derived outline of the inscription.
"…in awoking the priced treasure of vast oceans deep."
Carmen stared at the engraving, briefly confused. What did it mean? It spoke of three weapons. Three weapons and three tokens of old that would awoke a priced treasure of vast oceans…It all having to do with the Trident, that much she was able to deduce. But of what awakening it was referring to? The Trident had already been set free from the altar stone…so it needed not to be awoken. Equally baffled by this confounding clue Carina ignoring everything that was happening behind them, Barbossa who'd attempted to overwhelm Fernán with another set of strikes however then getting bested by the Spaniard who turned his attention over to Will who was currently wielding the mythical shield, ending up defeated while Carina and Carmen desperately tried to figure out the clue…Knowing it to be something important.
"…priced treasure of oceans deep…tokens of old…divide", Carina mumbled under her breath. To herself while read the words time and time again while in turn tried to wrap her head around the revealed clue, which reminded the ones mentioned in her journal. In Galilei's journal, her then coming to consider everything Salazar's brother had told them about the fallaciousness of the generally known legend they had also relayed on to get to the Trident…Which had been revealed to be the false one, it all then coming to her as she thought over the clues she and Henry had previously thought to release the true power of the Trident, only to fail to end the curses that plagued the seas, for they had indeed been wrong. This new clue carved into the very stone the second Trident had been encased within proving it as she now cast her thoughts to the artifacts the Spaniard had collected to open the portal to this temple. Artifacts even Henry had set out to find with Carmen until stumbling upon her and Jack and discovering her diary, fathoming these Latin phrases to be clearly referring to the three artifacts and the Trident…forming the instructions of how to unleash the true power of it.
"Use it."
Carina and Carmen jumped, turning towards the demigod whose voice they suddenly could hear speak up from behind them. Surprised, for they had already forgotten his presence, but the young women indeed noticed him to have come to after rendered powerless earlier by the Trident and left trapped by its power on the floor of the temple subdued. The demigod's earnest eyes directed straight at them until for their shared confusion he then struggled to stretch out his arm, to extend his own trident towards them.
"What?" Carmen asked, staring back at the godly being who returned her and Carina's bewildered gazes unfazed. His grim irises having a significant look in them as he then let out a grunt, it taking a lot of effort for him to resist the Trident that still rendered him utterly powerless to do other than lay there. Him however conjuring up enough leftover strength of his own to offer his weapon to the young women, the look in his eyes then slightly pleading even as it fixated first onto Carmen and then Carina.
"Use it. And join together father and son who've long been parted in essence...and form", he explained, not making sense to at first Carmen, but his words then caused Carina to think as they both now watched the demigod to shove his Trident towards them. It sliding across the floor and stopping just by the altar, it all then clicking to Carina as she followed Carmen to rise to collect it and eyed at the demigod's weapon quizzically. To her his words now making perfect sense when she then cast her eyes down to the engraving once more, and then also Carmen came to realize the true meaning behind the discovered clue once her thoughts centered around two certain words they'd been able to translate. The young women sharing a look of understanding before Carmen grabbed Carina and yanked her to her feet while her eyes sought out Henry, who still remained challenged by Esteban, and who was fighting not far from them. Carmen stepping down the altar to catch his attention, waving at him once she saw him turn during his ongoing altercation with the first mate.
"Henry! The Trident!" she shouted, pointing at Fernán and after exchanging a fleeting quizzical look with her and Carina also waving wildly towards the Spaniard the lad understood instantly what she meant. Turning his own focus briefly to Fernán whom he saw to be glancing at his father and Jack, until Esteban caused the lad to lose sight of the man for a moment. During which Will found them to be dealing with now only four of Fernán's men, the rest to have fallen prey to their swords or the mythical shield, and now encouraged he fully immersed himself into the battle.
Regardless of the upside of his curse that rewarded him with eternal youth, as a man of more than several years older since taking upon his current position as captain, at that moment Will could identify himself with that much younger man back on the Black Pearl's rainswept deck during the Maelstrom battle…Hints of that same rush of adrenaline and excitement now coursing through him once his sword was once again cutting down enemies left and right in a never-ending chain of blocks and strikes like back in that fight against Beckett's armada. Apparently under similar surge of nostalgia Will soon noticing Jack to direct a smirk at him when they now ended up sharing an opponent, upon finishing him with a unified assembly of strikes and watching the poor man to finally turn to stone when Jack whipped out the shield that Will had a moment before rolled back to him across the floor them facing one another. Jack tipping a remarkable head at him.
"Like ol' times, ain't it William?" he questioned, gaining a slight jaded raise of brows from Will who proceeded to grab the shield from him after running one of Fernán's men through with his sword, petrifying the man. "Ye, me, facing insuperable circumstance against all odds in this instance of unspeakable thrill of peril and adventure…what more can a pirate hope for, eh?"
"You are right, Jack. We are old", Will remarked, his own smile hardly as zealous as was Jack's as he then rushed past the pirate, to receive a buccaneer who'd been in the mind of attacking Jack, making a twirl in an attempt to disarm the goon before finished, narrowing his eyes a bit. "And this instance of adventure is nothing sort of less ill-fated than our previous excursions together…Me drawn into yet another one of your ploys to end up a tool of your yet to be accomplished ends with no other benefit to me than making it out with my life…Only now it is my son you have enlisted for that credit."
"And despite of that ye still have me back, mate…" Jack mused, casting a significant look at the buccaneer Will had shielded him from until gauged at the man, turning curtly contemplative. "But aside for the obvious dreary headset of me good self he does not seem to share, very like his father he is. Couldn't say no to acting all heroic and in so doing voluntarily becoming me tool due to that twice over blasted, inherited sense of fairness and coinciding natural tendencies for piracy…And hence equally aggravating. Can't figure how dear Lizzy can put up with the lot of ye."
Will sighed and hold back another eye-roll in inward agreement to Jack's notion, releasing a slight amused breath after all as shoved the pirate apart from himself before let Jack swoop in and pick up the pieces of his unfinished fight. However once he prepared to take upon one of the last standing pirates, he was taken aback once the shield suddenly smashed into smithereens when he beat back his current opponent and tried to use it to petrify him. Will letting out a stunned breath after the energy blast of the Trident caused him to be thrown to his side when it made contact with the shield and destroyed it, him giving the remaining piece of it still attached to his arm a dismayed look, until his eyes shot up to the Spaniard who'd managed to strike Barbossa down during their previous, brief spar. The elderly pirate now laying on the ground defeated, visibly fatigued by his prolonged battle against the Spaniard, who'd after succeeding in wounding him had found an opening to use the Trident to lay waste to the shield.
Will discarded the remains of it with a grim expression as rose to his feet, giving his sword an inherent swing before angled it in front of himself. Challenging Fernán, who now measured Will as well as his overall bearing from his grievous features to the unyielding positioning of his body, all set in defeating him. Like all others who'd ever laid witness to Henry's father finding the likeness between father and son uncanny…Down to that obnoxious flair of insisting standing in his way even through such a simple act as raising a sword against him, Fernán informing Will of this with his following, scornful remark.
"Indeed. Like son, like father."
"He takes much after his mother", Will replied, despite of the tint of amusement in his delivery but dryly as took a stance upon preparing to face the Spaniard. However Henry appearing out of the blue after he'd managed to shake off Esteban, who'd finally had his sword dropped from his grip after a slash directed at his hand, and Will watched his son to take on Fernán in his stead. Swinging his sword at the man, Fernán dodging by ducking his head down, before deflected his blade to the side with a twirl of the Trident after the lad had eluded his own weapon with a similar maneuver. Fernán now grasping to Henry's shirt to bring him closer, leering at him.
"Come to die, boy?" he asked, instantly then dropping the Trident along with Henry's blade, sheathing his rapier in a blink of an eye to grasp to the shaft with both hands now. Jumping forth to run the lad through, but Henry averted his incoming attack by ducking himself. Slipping past the Spaniard, and once he was thrown forward in the momentum of the act Henry pulled one of the knives from his belt before twirled around. Now pointing two blades at the man.
"Not if I can help it."
Fernán groaned as Henry stuck the dagger into his shoulder then, striding forth to deliver another slash at the Spaniard, before lastly sliced a long cut on his sword arm, trying to steal the Trident from him. But despite of the wounds he managed to inflict upon the man, Fernán bypassed the pain of his just gained injuries to take a pace forward himself before turned around in a flash. For the fright of the girls and Will alike him retaliating by trying to blast Henry with the Trident's energy, before finally whacked the godly spear at the lad once he'd managed to steer clear from it, releasing Henry's brief grip of the weapon. In his rage some more of the Trident's power seeping out when it hit Henry and sent him flying to the side. Henry finding himself darting across the air again until he made his quick landing on his stomach and ended up sliding across the floor to all the way to where his father was. Henry's hasty attempt to rise with the help of his father coming to an end however as he whipped around and was about to storm back over to the Spaniard his sword raised, Fernán's gravely nettled call of his name however stopping him.
Henry froze as mid-step he watched Fernán to be retreating towards the altar now, soon coming to a halt beside the Dead Man's Chest that had been previously flung over there, and ever since forgotten…And which for the lad's surprise and soon prevailing horror was now upright and open. Its lock smashed, the Spaniard now taking the Trident and used it to then point at the fully exposed heart of Will's resting inside it, while his free hand had just previously grabbed wriggling and trashing Carmen during her attempt to flee from him, until he kneed her to her side. Causing her to lose her footing and fall before the Spaniard forced Carina to step away from the altar during her try to come to the gypsy girl's aid by leveling the Trident at her shortly. Once he observed the young woman to distance herself from them, him then taking his booted leg and pressing against the wounds on Carmen's chest that caused her to cry out unwillingly while Henry's wide eyes were glued to her and the heart conflicted, shifting between the two, his own weapon faltering while the gypsy girl's hands tried to pry the boot from off of her, in vain.
"I will not give you a choice…But have you know that if you decide not to give yourself up, your resistance will have consequences, and you will end up losing the two things you love over just one. Your father you've strived so to save…" Fernán announced solemnly as for the following shock of many but utmost terror of Henry he abruptly stuck the longest end of the fork into the beating organ. Causing Will to stiffen as indescribable pain shot through him and he instantly collapsed onto his knees, startled Henry turning to see him hold his chest while the pointy prong of the godly spear was pressed deeper to cut open the soft flesh of his heart. The new cry of pure agony that rang through the room stilling the lad's blood as he along with others next watched his father to gasp for air once the barnacles and other sealife that had stuck to him begun to multiply. Will clutching to the spot his once cut out heart had once resided all the while his curse now begun to take more drastic hold of him, shockingly starting to turn him more into the kind of accursed form that had plagued Davy Jones and his crew until Will had taken the post as the new captain of the Flying Dutchman. The Spaniard continuing to torture Will with those slight rotations of the Trident tip that seemed to aggravate the active curse, until he then released the heart from under direct contact of its power and took out his rapier. Finalizing the dilemma he was presenting Henry with by angling it against Carmen's own heart upon ending the brief silence, ominous. "…And this worthless gypsy wench you couldn't resist falling for."
As Henry eyed at Carmen Jack's earlier words came back to haunt him. Now that he was presented with the very situation he'd described, the very choice he had warned Henry about…Only that upon concerning himself with the safety of them both, he would now fail in what he'd pursued for years to achieve nevertheless, and should he instead choose to listen to that distress that tore at his chest by the sight of that blade threatening the gypsy girl he wouldn't be able to fulfill his years ago made promise to his father…The very thought of him to have come this close in succeeding only to be forced now to choose between them or himself now terrifying him when he hadn't given the possibility of it any profound thought until this moment when the Spaniard demanded that of him. Henry's eyes glancing over his shoulder at his father who was now hold up on his knees by Bootstrap, until he exchanged a fleeting look with Carmen, who instead took in a shuddering breath while she then eyed at the sword positioned at her. However oddly enough not fearing of dying as she then peered at the chest in which she now knew Henry's father's heart to be before her eyes trailed back to hesitant Henry standing but a few paces away from the Spaniard, his own cutlass merely a few inches away from striking the man down. One stride to have been enough for it to reach Fernán, but now rendered disabled by the blackmail he was put through by the vicious man who wasn't doing this due to necessity…but out of simple desire to torment Henry. Asking him to hand over his own life in place of his father's and hers…Strongly against this Will then collecting himself despite of the excruciating feeling of the curse overpowering him and cast a stern look at Henry, his voice steadfast and full of rebuke, once Fernán's fist mate then reappeared. Placing a persuasive blade under Henry's own jaw, the lad gasping both at the sight of it and his father's resolute command.
"No. Henry, don't do it."
Carmen looked to Henry's father ruefully. Thinking feverishly of what to do for she hated to be in such a position again…To be used against Henry to endanger his safety while she was too weak to do anything else than submit to it. Refusing to accept it the gypsy girl then directing furtive but fretful glances around her to find something…anything to help her to get Henry out of this dreadful, forced upon quandary, and then she saw it…The mirror which she'd earlier thrown at Fernán and which laid not but a little farther away from her, her immediately inching her fingers towards it as tried to hide her intent behind a supposed fearful expression the Spaniard seemed to buy. Since Carmen couldn't help but flinching as the pointy end of the rapier now slipped under her clothing to settle against bare skin once Fernán demanded Henry to make up his mind, to add to his impatience also thrusting the Trident closer to the heart again to assure the lad him not to be up for any further games.
"How is it boy? Which do you cherish more? Yourself, or them?!" Fernán bellowed, Henry's eyes remaining stuck to the floor in mixed feelings, while Jack spoke up from the sidelines upon approaching, his snarky remark amusing the Spaniard.
"Taken that ye were more than keen on killing the girl, yer means of leverage seem quite lax for him to comply when ye're going to kill her anyway."
"True. So that simply leaves something equally precious to weigh in the ever teetering scale…"
Carmen leveled a death glare up to Fernán at the sound of that, hiding her fear of Jack's more than probable observation behind anger. "You're insane."
Fernán shot a scowl of his own at her, to stress his ensuing reply pressing his boot harder against her wounds that now caused the gypsy girl to remember the Abbess…Who'd also once been hamstrung by the oppressing foot of this monster of a man, the recollection of it only adding to her hatred. "Better that than a heart-led fool."
Someone then rushed over to the three, taking aback not only the youth but Fernán who was abruptly grabbed by an arm that shot out from over his shoulder to restrict him. Carmen and Henry now shifting their eyes to this mystery person and for their shared sense of shock found it to be Salazar, Henry only giving the wounded man a stupefied look where Carmen could see a quick flash of metal until she followed in dismay how the still alive elder brother ran another one of Fernán's knife straight into his own ribs. The whatever words that had been about to leave Fernán's lips turning into a surprised breath until his voice rang out in a form of a low, agonized grunt. The Spaniard staring at bemused Henry a moment in confusion until he looked down at the familiar uniform clad arm that was still gripping to him, before he turned his head around to indeed see his brother behind him. Fernán's eyes only lastly drifting downward to the knife plunged hilt deep to his side, before he only glowered at the sight of blood now flowing out of his own body. His voice but acrid as it addressed Salazar, almost complacent.
"Look. The respectable brother tainting himself with the blood of his kin he so revered…Guess heaven will now forsake us both."
"I am willing to accept whatever hell I am charged with, brother…if this act rids the remaining world of your malice. For even in death I will ever remain your keeper", Salazar replied, his own voice somewhere between a croak and a whisper, and although it was as cold and callous as his love for his brother had become, under all that enmity both Henry and Carmen could hear clear grief as well. Fernán frowning in mixture of chagrin and rage once Salazar now pulled out the knife and caused him to waver upon collapsing to the floor himself, the sharply aimed blade to have nevertheless done its job and caused the younger brother to drop his guard, just long enough for Jack, Will and the others then to act as Carmen's hand then found the mirror. Her yanking a piece of the cracked reflection loose with her fingertips, and while the Spaniard remained engrossed in the effects of his brother's literal backstab Will finding enough strength in himself to accompany Jack as they next rushed over to Henry. Just when Carmen took out the shard and stabbed Fernán's to his thigh, releasing herself, while Will took care of dazed Esteban. Driving him away from his son with a couple of vehement attacks that were sure to outpace the man, before he was thrown down from the altar with a shove. Will's father taking charge of him, while Will proceeded to disable Fernán's sword hand that instantly hurried to deliver a series of fierce lashes to keep him at bay. Jack barely missing a direct blow of the Trident, but once also he had managed to get through Fernán's defense now both men took hold of his arms for Henry to instantly hurry to grab the Trident. For Fernán's outrage finally prying it loose from his grip.
Due to the encouraging shout of Carina Henry threw it to her, Carina rushing forth to catch it, and now holding two of the tridents in her hands she gave them both a brief hesitant look-over despite of her supposedly now knowing what she needed to do. Another glance directed at the demigod however giving her the confirmation she needed once she saw him nod while beckoning to the weapons, with a determined frown Carina then placing the tridents against one another, and for the surprise of everyone they then begun to blend together. The stones imbedded into each glowing that bright, penetrating green radiance that surrounded the young woman as the tridents were miraculously joined together and turned into one, Carina watching in awe as the two spears changed shape into one much larger than even the second one had been…Now leaving behind a superior godly weapon out of either of the two as the water that previously had continued to roil just around the temple now came surging within the chamber, bursting past the pillars and washing over the piles of treasure while almost toppling over the spectators watching all of this to take place, until begun to flow rapidly around them. Held at bay only by the powerful Olympian spear in Carina's possession, her staring at the reshaped Trident in awe. The once silver and black surfaces unified to leave behind a regal golden coating fit for a true god, but once she now hold it in her hand she more than knew that this was the true power of Poseidon…Finally unleashed, hers to command and wield as she desired.
Father and Son, Parted In Essence and Form…Joined Together By the Treasure of His Who Commands the Oceans Below. Power Once Divided By Tokens of Old In Three Now Broken Free By the Unity of Sword, Spear and Shield…To Release the Weapon that Governs the Storms and Tides, In Glory of Him Whose Name is Bound With the Olympian Gods.
At the sight of the Trident revealing its final, true form Fernán jabbed his elbow at Will before slammed his head against his, despite of his own bewilderment that had had him stare at the shapeshifting Trident in disbelief managing to free himself of Will's hold. Waking the attention of the others and Carina cast a startled look at Henry's father who stumbled away from the Spaniard, who went on to receive Jack's raised blade with his bare hand. Grabbing his cutlass' guard so that the blade slid between his fingers, but fully ignoring the steel that cut his skin open due to the motion the man forcefully twisted Jack's arm back with an piqued outcry, until also elbowed him to his jaw. However just as Fernán's eyes darted over to the Trident in means of claiming it back, Barbossa appearing by Carina's side and took it instead. Before the Spaniard could do else than take a step down from the altar and deflect the obstructing blades of Jack and Will in his rush of anger, Barbossa returning the now fully restored Trident back to Henry who then instantly turned it around. Fernán's focus zeroing on to the lad once he noticed him to level the spear at him, until could but turn to see Henry run towards him before felt the prongs of the Trident's fork to sink deep into his own stomach.
Fernán's fingers gripped around the Trident's fork as he stared at it in disbelief, like his brother the Spaniard eyeing at the three prongs imbedded into his body in confusion until his granite hard eyes rose back up, to leer at Henry murderously, who after a brief instant of hesitation retaliated by pressing the Trident harder into him. Through that flash of pure malice he saw lurking behind those icy eyes that stared daggers at him being reminded of the kind of monster this man was, ergo leaving no room for mercy unlike the Spaniard had ever shown to any one of them, least of all his own brother. For this reason Henry using all his strength to keep the Trident imbedded to the man's torso, until with a determined grimace and frustrated growl that signaled Fernán to deny to admit to be defeated in such way, the Spaniard took a decisive hold of the Trident and pushed against Henry's arms. Blood finally gushing out of his own mouth due to the effort of the exertion as Fernán did then manage to yank the Trident out of himself, Henry retreating while cast his earnest eyes down to see the spear's energy that had been left behind to infuse with the Spaniard's blood once it then begun to run out rapidly. Carmen giving unconscious Salazar one more haul to get him fully away from the ravaging waves, before looked over to the altar to see Fernán confronted with Trident wielding Henry, Jack, Barbossa and Will. Bleeding, the gypsy girl frowning at the sight of all the red seeping out of his wounds incredulously, while the man in question simply let out a vexed sigh. Him not even trying to staunch the bloodflow and only continued to leer at Henry, that terrifying, bestial look in his eyes that made him look the devil he was within...not even the nearing death being able to dispel it.
"You think you have won?" Fernán asked dismaly, even his voice was now audibly quivering the man only spitting the blood from his mouth at the lad before took a step forward, his gaze never averting from Henry who set the Trident's fork against Fernán's chest as he squinted at him viciously. "This is not over until I'm dead. And once I take that Trident it will be you who shall knock on the gates of hell where I'll send you as I did my brother."
Henry frowned as he then suddenly watched Fernán to halt, preventing him from replying, and the lad withdrew the Trident as he next followed the man to make a confounded frown. All ire clearing from his mien to give room to plain stunner as his hands then finally set onto the wounds left by the Trident, for his shared wonder with Henry them both however finding them to have suddenly stopped bleeding, until the lad gasped at the sight of something appearing in place of them…A sudden shimmer manifesting in place of the ulcers, scorching the edges of them as if a fire would've broken out inside him, until his skin started to actually blacken, turning into smoldering embers.
Agonized groan escaped the Spaniard as he stared at the wounds in confusion, to see how the veins under the smothering ulcers were beginning to darken, seeping into him like poison entering his system that accompanied the scalding pain set at large within him, but in instant realization of what was happening to him Fernán next ran a shocked hand across his face until his widened, incredulous eyes tinted with horror next fixated onto his knuckles. Same kind of slithering black streaks emerging until they continued to spread everywhere, in shock the spectators consisting also the last of Fernán's crewmen watching how he was beginning to lose tangible form as the immediate, frightening change pursued to take hold of the Spaniard. Turning him into a ghost once the already dwindled life begun to wane in him. The curse that had plagued his brother now taking possession of him in a blink of an eye, and in understanding of this Fernán released a loud outcry of denial. Of rage, that bounced back from the structures of the temple as his fingers uselessly clawed at his at all times disappearing body to stop the curse from consuming him, but it was too late. The reawokened curse of the Triangle now in full effect and Fernán's dead turned eyes then widened as the blood that he coughed out had turned into black goo and he behold himself start to crumble, turn into dust, with no hope of reaching the surroundings waves in time due to the power of the Trident that had brought him straight to the verge of perishing by the curse that had been transferred to him…In disbelief of this Fernán stumbling back while screaming this time out of mere fear as watched his body to disappear before his voice died out, what was anymore left of him then exploding in a cloud of black, burning ash as the downside of the curse finally drove him out of existence.
Bewildered Henry turned his eyes back down to the Trident to see it stop oozing its energy the moment Fernán had disappeared, the greenish glow fading out, the still active power visible now solely in the stones of the shaft that this time around did not diminish. As the lad now eyed at the spear small smile soon rising on his lips as his eyes moved over to Jack and his father, overjoyed.
"We did it…We got the Trident."
A/N:
So, a couple of things about this chapter…
There are a couple of myths about Poseidon I found and which I incorporated... One that tells the tale of how Medusa became the monster she's better known as after an ill-fated run in with Poseidon that angered goddess Athena, who found out about Poseidon's assault on her but instead punished Medusa who was one of her priestesses at the time…Turning her hair into snakes and giving her her monstrous appearance, and after Perseus (who has nothing to do with this fic, but just to clarify) slayed her and delivered her severed head to Athena, she turned it into the shield that I ended up using here... Where the second myth details a competition between Athena and Poseidon, which will shed a light to the question why the said shield is now collecting dust at Poseidon's treasure chamber at his sunken temple…Well it's a minor thing that will be referred to in the next chapter, and let's just say for now that pirates aren't the only ones prone for pilfering that which isn't theirs…
You have no idea how hard writing this section of the fic has been, so I hope it is at least somewhat rewarding…For I myself have many times come to question whether or not this was a right way to go, but, I'm glad that it's at least finally done….Almost. Still one chapter to go till the end. Or two, if the final scene ends up getting an epilogue treatment. Let's see.
Mátalos! = Kill them!