Pirates of the Caribbean
Legend of the Dragon's Claw
By Amos Whirly
Chapter Thirteen: The Greatest Treasure of Shulong Wang
Jack landed a solid punch square on a pirate's face, and the man tumbled backward into a tree. Jack slashed another's left arm with his sword, and punched him too. The man tumbled to the ground and did not move.
Yue flipped in the air and kicked two more pirates down.
And all was quiet.
Jack and Yue glanced at each other and looked at the unconscious pirates lying on the ground around them.
"Hmph," Jack snorted, "that wasn't hard."
He gingerly touched his bleeding shoulder though. The stitches had ripped yet again.
"How is it you can do all that?" Jack nodded at Yue.
"Kung Fu," Yue bowed.
"Eh?"
"Kung Fu," Yue repeated, bowing again. "It is a style of fighting that increases the strength of both body and mind."
"Whatever you say, mate," Jack nudged a fallen pirate. "Now where'd Will run off to?"
"He headed toward the treasure cave."
"Yeah, I suppose he would think it would be safe there, aye?" Jack chuckled. "We'd better go save him, hm?"
* * *
Tori could not contain a shriek as Wang sliced her father's arm with his sword. Will ducked under another blow but could not evade the second that cut his back. He pitched forward, rolling out of the way and grabbing another sword that lay on the ground.
Now armed with two blades, he lunged at Wang again. Blocking, crossing, locking—the blades flashed in the light and clanged loudly in the silence of the treasure chamber.
Will was trying to predict Wang's movements. It was all but impossible. The man just moved too fast!
Another swing sliced a shallow cut on Will's right cheek.
He lashed out and cut Wang's left hip, but the man did not even recoil! He lunged harder. His blade sliced deep in the back of Will's left knee, and instantly, it lost all strength. His left leg collapsed as if his weight was too much to bear, and he tumbled to the ground. He kept blocking though, but in a matter of moments, Wang knocked the swords from his hands. Wang kicked him in the stomach, and Will doubled over.
"Now," Wang poised in front of him, "it shall be you who dies first!"
With an enraged scream, Wang swung and toppled over as Yue tackled him! The two men crashed into a pile of gold. Yue knocked the sword from his grasp and grabbed him by his shirt, dragging him up and hurling him across the room.
Will sat on his knees, staring at the two men until he felt Jack's hand on his shoulder.
"All right, mate?"
"Yeah," Will nodded. "My knee is hurt somehow."
"Come on," Jack shouldered Will's arm and helped him up.
Jack led him to the altar where Will supported himself.
"Where's Tori?" Jack asked.
"Hiding," Will jerked his head toward the rear of the room.
Jack looked and grinned as Tori waved at him from behind a mountain of rubies and emeralds.
Yue hollered in pain as Wang hit him. Will imagined he could hear the older man's ribs cracking from the force of the blow.
"What do we do?" Will looked at Jack.
"Well," Jack shrugged, "I don't want to get in the middle of that."
As if to emphasize his statement, Yue grabbed Wang's arm and flipped him head over heels.
"Me neither," Will was wide eyed. "But we can't just stand here."
Jack eyed the altar and grinned wickedly.
"We could always—you know," he grabbed the Claw and its sheath from the altar, "go on a treasure hunt?"
Will flashed a warning look at him, but Jack ignored it and raced to the back of the room. Using a staff he found on the floor, Will followed him.
"All right," Jack was muttering. "All right."
The door at the front of the chamber was tall, crafted of stone, and highlighted with gold inscriptions in the bizarre Chinese language.
"It's locked," Will said.
Jack glared at him dryly, snipping, "Did you translate that all on your own, mate?"
Will rolled his eyes and looked closer at the hole at the center of the door.
"Jack," Will said, "give me the Claw."
"Want the sheath?"
"No, just the Claw."
Jack pulled the Dragon's Claw out of the sheath and handed it to Will. Will took the Claw and shoved it blade first into the hole. He heard a click, and he turned it clockwise. A loud clank sounded, and a little stone door opened above the Claw.
"Ah," Jack said, "who says Chinese engineering is complicated?"
He shoved the sheath into the second hole.
Immediately, a thunderous clank echoed through the chamber, and the door began to open.
"No!" Wang suddenly roared as he noticed what Jack and Will had done.
Yue threw him to the ground and held him still.
"Go, Captain Sparrow!" Yue roared. "Go!"
"Go, Jack," Will leaned on the wall. "Get the treasure."
Jack grinned broadly and launched into the darkness of the vault.
* * *
Anamaria twirled around and sliced Xiao's chest with her sword. She grabbed a piece of rigging and swung to the side, driving her boot into his back. He sprawled to the deck but jumped up and dealt her a punch so strong she saw stars for a moment.
He moved fluidly and swept her legs out from under her. She fell backward to the deck, her sword skittering away.
Xiao moved over her, smirking victoriously.
"Your roar is not impressive, woman," he laughed.
She did not answer. She only moved.
She drove her heel into his right knee so hard that she heard bones snapping in his leg. He howled in pain and went down hard. Anamaria grabbed her sword, jumped up, and planted one foot on his chest.
She lowered her sword to his neck.
"What was that you were saying, mate?" she mocked. "I couldn't quite hear you."
* * *
Will collapsed on the floor, gripping his bleeding leg.
"Papa!" Tori wailed, running to him.
Will knew that she should have stayed in hiding, but he did not lecture. He gathered her in his arms and held her, out of the corner of his eye watching Wang and Yue.
Wang was still on the floor, but he was bawling loudly.
Suddenly, Yue stood up.
"Get up, Shonyu," Yue ordered walking away.
"You turn your back on me, fool!" Wang jumped up.
"Would you strike a man who's back is turned to you?" Yue whirled on him. "You have dishonored your father enough, Shonyu."
"How can you know how to honor my father?"
"I loved your father, Shonyu," Yue said softly. "He was like a father to me. He trusted me. I would have given my life for him if I could have, gladly and willingly. But I could not. On his last breath, he bequeathed the Claw to me as my own. He was not mad when he said this, Shonyu. Consciously, he gave the Claw to me."
Wang fell silent.
"Well you know that allowing your heirloom to be taken from you is most dishonorable," Yue sighed. "This is why I have refused you all these years."
"Why would he give it to you?" Wang hissed. "I was his son. I was his legacy. You were nothing but his little servant boy. And now because of you, a foreigner has entered the most precious vault of my father."
A footstep sounded, and all eyes turned to the vault. Jack stood in the doorway with a very confused expression on his face.
"What is it?" Will asked. "What did you find?"
"I don't know what you mates were expecting," Jack moved out of the vault toward the altar, "but I don't think you were expecting this."
With that, Jack set on the altar a large book.
"A book?" Wang gasped. "A book? That is all that lies within the vault? This is my father's most precious treasure?"
"Maybe he was a librarian in a past life," Jack winked.
Yue reached out and opened the book. Inside the book were numerous columns of the strange Chinese script. Wang came up beside him, and they both read.
Jack watched their faces redden simultaneously.
Suddenly, Wang began to back away.
"No," he mumbled. "No, it cannot be. I cannot be that I have dishonored him so greatly!" He fell to his knees and began to sob.
Yue stared at the book.
Will limped to Jack's side with Tori at his heels.
"What is it, Yue?" Will asked. "What does it say?"
"It says," Yue was trembling, "that Captain Shulong Wang had two wives. One of whom his son Shonyu Wang was born. The other of whom his son Yue was born."
"But, Yue, that's you," Will whispered.
"Yes," Yue said, tears forming in his black eyes. "His first wife, Zao Mingna, died giving birth to a son, whom Captain Wang named Yue. Right afterward, a great period of civil unrest followed. He was separated from his first son. From me."
"What happened then, Yue?" Jack came up beside him and peered at the symbols on the book, wondering to himself how on earth Yue could make any sense of it.
"He married another woman who bore him Shonyu," Yue continued, "and he built the Red Dragon. A young boy who loved the sea came to him and wanted to sail with him. After questioning him thoroughly, Captain Wang came to believe that the young boy—named Yue Zao—was the firstborn son of his first true love. Knowing that his second son Shonyu would not understand if Captain Wang were to bring the boy into the family, Captain Wang had a special dagger crafted. He sailed to his treasure island and placed this book which had in it all the information about the boy's heritage. On the dagger were instructions on how to find the island. On the dagger's sheath were instructions on how to open the vault containing the book. It was his hope, the book says, that one day both his sons would find the vault and come to peace."
Yue looked up with tears streaming down his face. He walked to where Wang sat, still sobbing. Will and Jack watched in silence as Yue bowed to the floor in front of Wang.
"Shonyu," he whispered as he sat up, "my brother. Do you understand the words our father has written?"
"Yes," Wang cried. "Yes, I understand, and I am humbled." He bowed to the floor. "I beg for your forgiveness, brother. I beg you to forgive the fool before you!"
"I forgive you, brother. All shall be as our father desired."
Jack's left eyebrow was twitching.
"This is an odd culture," he mumbled to Will who nodded.
The two brothers stood and bowed to each other. Wang turned and approached Will. Will was ready to grab the book to fight the man off, but Wang fell to the floor and bowed his forehead to Will's boots.
"Mr. Turner," Wang said aloud, his voice muffled by the floor tiles, "I also ask your forgiveness. For taking your daughter, for injuring your woman, I humbling apologize and ask your pardon."
"Uh," Will started, uncertain of what to say. "Well." He shook his head. "I don't know. You've caused so much trouble and pain."
"I know. I am truly sorry."
Suddenly, Tori stepped out from behind her father and patted Wang's head.
"That's okay," she said with a grin. "You were just grumpy. Everybody gets grumpy every now and then."
Will had to smile.
"We should forgive him, then?" he asked his daughter.
"Always forgive, Papa," Tori said up to him. "That's what Mother says."
"All right, then," Will said. "We forgive you, Wang."
"Thank you," Wang sat up and then bowed to Jack. "Captain Sparrow, I also ask your forgiveness. For taking the life of your—"
"Oh, get up!" Jack threw his hands in the air. "I hate seeing a grown man grovel."
"But will you forgive me?"
Jack rolled his eyes and offered his hand to Wang.
"Why not?"
Wang accepted his hand and stood up. He bowed to Yue again.
"Come, brother," Yue touched Wang's arm, "let us return the book to the vault, just the way our father intended."
Jack and Will watched the two men return the book into the darkness of the vault and lock the door. They pulled the sheath and the Claw out of the locks. The door clanked again.
Wang set the sheath on the altar and handed the Claw to Yue.
"It is you to whom the Claw belongs," Wang bowed.
"Thank you, brother," Yue accepted it from him.
Jack rolled his eyes again.
"Disagree with me if you like, brother," Yue touched his arm, "but I think it would be fitting to allow Captain Sparrow and Mr. Turner to take something of value from this chamber."
Instantly, Jack's ears perked up.
"Something of value?" he asked.
"Yes," Wang nodded. "For all the trouble and pain, it is only fitting. Any item you would like."
"Really?" Tori laughed.
"Anything in the entire chamber," Yue nodded at her.
Tori threw her arms around Will's legs.
"I want my Papa!"
"No, child," Wang said, "something of value, monetary worth."
"No," Will laughed quietly, lifting Tori into his arms, "I think she's got it right. Just as your father did. There's nothing more precious in this life than family."
Yue and Wang both bowed to them.
And Jack laughed, "Fine for you, mate. Be noble if you like. For once in my whole career, I'm finally getting paid."
* * *
The group ascended from the treasure cave together. Wang helped Will up the stairs, and Jack, loaded down with gold, carried Tori on his back. Yue locked all the doors behind them.
"I hope your ship is all right," Wang said. "I did give rather cruel orders to my crew."
The group stepped onto the beach.
"Oh," Jack cleared his throat. "I'm sure she's fine."
The Black Pearl floated calmly in the Forbidden Harbor, and the Red Dragon was drifting toward the south, flames burning on its deck. On the beach, the entirety of the Dragon's crew was bound and gagged, with Jack's crew surrounding them, hooting and hollering like idiots.
"Westerners," Wang muttered.