AN/ Once again, Lady Shadiait's angel character from her fic "Of Angels and Pirates" has been added to this chapter.
It was incredible. Dozens of men stood before me, none of them were registering as being alive. It was like staring at a gathering of ghosts. My senses were being confused. My eyes told me they were all alive, but my heart and soul told me they were dead. Elizabeth was like a beacon, a candle in a dark room. She was the only one who was truly alive. I kept it together this time, not letting my fear show on the outside.
Standing on a mound of rock and gold was Captain Barbossa. Elizabeth, looking terrified, was standing beside him in a dark dress. The great stone chest was there as well, like a lord or king over the rest of the gold and other valuables that filled the cave. Barbossa addressed the crowd of pirates, giving a speech a motivational speaker would kill to have and use.
"Gentlemen, the time has come!"
The pirates cheered in agreement.
"Our salvation is nigh!"
More cheering from the pirates. Will had crept up beside Jack, forcing me over to Jack's other side. I frowned in annoyance.
Once again, I felt that angelic presence I had felt before with Will. She - for I decided it was female - seemed apologetic towards me. I blinked a few times and tried to focus on her in an attempt to see her, but I quickly gave up. There were more important issues at hand here.
"Our torment is nearing an end!" Barbossa continued. His crew cheered again.
"Elizabeth," Will whispered when he spotted her. Somehow, he restrained himself from rushing to her rescue right then and there. I guess he assumed that she was in no immediate danger. I knew that Captain Jack was waiting for the right moment to put is plan into action, a plan that unbeknownst to him would have to wait until later.
Barbossa kept going with his speech, oblivious to our presence. "For ten years we've been tested and tried and each man jack here has proved his mettle a hundred times over, and a hundred times again!"
The cursed pirates' cheering reached a forte. I heard Ragetti wine over the din. "Suffered, I have!" I rolled my eyes. I've seen more painful suffering then that of these men.
Barbossa picked up on Ragetti's statement. "Punished we were, the lot of us, disproportionate to our crimes!"
"Oh, I don't know about that," I muttered. The look in Jack's eyes told me he thought the same.
"Here it is!" Barbossa announced. He kicked the lid off the stone chest. Elizabeth gasped. Barbossa walked the length of the chest, dragging his hand through the gold. "The cursed treasure of Cortez himself." He picked up some coins and dropped them one by one back into the chest. "Every last piece that went astray, we have returned. Save for this!" He pointed dramatically at the medallion that hung around Elizabeth's neck. The pirates roared.
Will, sensing that his lady was in imminent danger, attempted to rush to her rescue. "Jack!"
"Not yet," Jack said as he pulled the over eager blacksmith back. "We wait for the opportune moment," he whispered, then he moved away to the area where the pirates had entered. I followed him. Will did too, and he did not look happy.
"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?"
Jack stopped, furious, but patiently controlling his anger. "May I ask you something?" He turned and stepped up to Will, getting in his personal space. "Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?"
Will didn't reply.
"Do us a favour," Jack said, speaking as is he were a stressed babysitter. "I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here. And try not to do anything stupid."
A sigh escaped my lips. I wanted to stop Will from doing what he was about to do, but it was impossible. Jack moved quickly but quietly and as of yet unseen by the cursed pirates as we got closer to the gathering. I followed close behind him, ignoring the rest of Barbossa's speech, but aware of the fact that Will had found an oar and was creeping up behind Jack. He was just about to step put when he heard Will's approach. He turned, eyes wide when he saw the raised oar. Before I could do anything, Will smacked Jack in the head. My assignment fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Sorry, Jack. I'm not going to be your leverage," Will said, tossing the oar down. I scowled at him as he went around to get Elizabeth. I was thankful that Barbossa had only sliced her palm instead of her throat, because is he had gone for the jugular, Will would have been too late to save her.
"Bloody stupid Will," I muttered as I kneeled down beside Jack's unconscious form, using everything in my power and knowledge to try to wake him up. First, I checked Jack's head to see if he was bleeding. Satisfied that he wasn't, I closed my eyes and focused on him. If he didn't wake up before the pirates found him, he was a dead man.
The sudden noise of a pistol shot broke my concentration. My eyes snapped open and I realised what had just happened. Barbossa had shot Pintel, right in the heart. He should have died, had he not still been under the spell of the Aztec curse. Now they knew that they had the wrong person. Elizabeth's blood would not suffice. I blocked my mind of the pirates' angry shouting and accusations. My only focus was on Jack, although I did register Elizabeth and Will sneaking out of the cave together, taking all the oars with them.
Just as they left, Jack's eyes fluttered open. He looked around, confused. Groaning, he sat up and clutched his head. "What happened?" he asked me quietly.
"Will did something stupid," I replied. "He knocked you out and now he and Elizabeth have gone back to the Interceptor."
Jack swore and got to his feet, using me and the oar Will had used to knock him out for assistance. Suddenly, the pirates from the cave stampeded out, but were unable to get far due to the lack of oars. Jack stumbled out of his hiding place holding the only oar left and still suffering as a result of being hit in the head. Pintel and Ragetti spotted him first.
"You!" Ragetti pointed at Jack, recognising him.
"You're supposed to be dead!" Pintel exclaimed.
"Am I not?" Sparrow looked down at himself, frowned, and turned to go the other way, only to find himself blocked by more of Barbossa's crew, their cutlasses and pistols drawn. Jack turned around again, finding himself trapped with more pistols and other weapons being pointed at him.
Jack scrambled to get his thoughts together. "Pearle…" he blurted. Immediately I knew he was trying to say "parley" but I let him struggle with it a little. "Pulu - li - la - la- lulu…" Pintel and Ragetti looked at each other, their brows furrowed. Both of them were wondering what the heck Jack was doing. "Purlili…" he continued. "Parsnip…parsley…partner…partner…"
"Parley?' Ragetti suggested.
"That's the one!" Jack shouted. "Parley! Parley!"
Pintel frowned at his friend. "Parley?" He turned back at Jack, glaring. "Damn to the depths whatever muttonhead thought of parley!" he growled.
Jack put two fingers on Pintel's pistol, pushing it down. "That would be the French," he said.
My mouth twitched into a smile as I stood beside Jack, my arms crossed.
Barbossa's crew had to comply with the parley. By now, everyone had gathered around. They led Jack to a more open space. He stood surrounded by the pirates with me by his side. Jack had regained his confident attitude and was now leaning on the oar not so much for support, but to show the others he still had some control over the situation and felt reasonably comfortable. He knew he still had his bartering tool. He knew one thing Barbossa didn't; the name of the man whose blood they needed.
The crowd of pirates parted as Barbossa approached Jack. The two enemies laid eyes on each other for the first time in ten years.
"How the blazes did you get off that island?" Barbossa demanded.
"When you marooned me on the godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
Translation: "I can do anything. Do not underestimate me, mate."
"Ah, well, I won't be making that mistake again," Barbossa said. He turned to his crew. "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?"
There were "ayes" and nods all around. Someone like Captain Jack isn't easy to forget.
"Kill him," Barbossa commanded. As he turned and began to walk away, the crew all pointed their pistols at Jack, unafraid of hitting each other with stray bullets. Even though Jack had about twenty guns aimed at him, he still kept his cool.
"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" he asked Barbossa in a loud voice. Barbossa stopped, thought for a moment, and turned.
"Hold your fire!" he told his men. They very reluctantly obeyed. Barbossa walked back to Jack. "You know whose blood we need."
"I know whose blood you need," Jack said with a confident smile. I looked at Jack, smiling to myself and thinking about how he would be a worthy opponent if we were ever to play chess.