Chapter Four: What's the Price I'll Pay?
A mere two hours past and they left port, then a week past with little to no contact with any crew member not even the captain. Aurora had settled into a subtle routine; perching herself on the deck with a small crystal orb in her palms calmly using her skills to watch the ocean in a way that no one else aboard could. She enjoyed the calm that came with being on the open ocean and found it amusing to hear Mr. Gibbs going on about how women were bad luck to have on board though she paid no serious attention to his random ramblings. She sensed them coming closer to a vessel still to far to be seen by anyone, curiosity tugged at her brain as to why they were getting closer until finally she decided to take a stroll on deck and figure out where they were heading..
"Why are we heading toward a British vessel?" Aurora questioned Jack lowly as she approached him from behind. He stood at the helm turning to her, raising an eyebrow at how she knew the turning back ahead.
"That's a nifty trick love," He retorted "we are doing what us pirates do"
"A raid?" Aurora concluded out loud to the eccentric captain.
"That would be it," He finished then turned slightly to face her as she positioned herself at his side
"Will you be joining us?" Aurora smirked and walked back perching herself again, awaiting their approach. It took a little over an hour as she watched the Pearl close in on the merchant vessel like a predator would its prey, quickly the crew boarded the other ship in a practiced manner. Aurora intended to stay on board but her instinct told her to go; quietly she tagged along behind the captain who never seemed to notice her while his crew raided the holds and gathered the ships occupants.
"All right no one will get hurt so long as they follow instructions and don't cause any problems, savvy?" She hears catching the end of Jacks speech but a feeling deep within her mind begged for attention; she felt something about this was not right and she did not mean that in a moral way. Aurora allows her mind to expand and senses a man hiding in some cupboard on deck.
So you plan to threaten my transportation eh... She hears the voice inside her mind call. Carefully she ambles next to a girl no more than seven.
Her… the voice hisses and Aurora lunges down pulling the girl to her feet holding a cocked gun to the mess of blonde curls upon the girls head just as the man jumps from his hiding spot aiming his pistol at Jack. Surprised the captain looks to the man then to Aurora and the girl.
"I don't believe you want to be doing that," She exclaims to the man who has Jack at the end of his barrel. He looks to her and tries to act as if he does not care yet he can not mask his fear from her probing gaze. He shifts his position, contemplating his next move.
"Hand the nice captain there your gun and I won't have to paint the deck here with your daughter's brains"
"What makes you think that is my daughter?" he challenges her bravely, so much so that had she not been so carefully probing his mind she might not have see through his lie. There was no mistake though and at this point there was no going back.
"Maybe not," She says gripping the sobbing girls chin tighter and running a long pale finger over her cheek "but is it worth it to trade her life for his?" Aurora questions motioning from the girl to Jack. In this moment she catches the quick indecisive glance as he tried to decide whether or not the woman was bluffing.
"Tick tock darling; her life lies in you hands," she taunts pulling the girls head back onto the barrel of the gun. His heart is pounding and sweat pours from his forehead as she left him with no other options. Finally, with great despair the man hands Jack his gun and she removes her gun from his daughters head. Aurora strokes the girl's hair softly then pushes her towards the now hysterical man with a snort.
So damn predictable they are… her own haughty voice crosses though her mind once more. Now free the girl runs to her father who falls to his knees clutching her tightly. Aurora goes to the captain and takes the spare firearm and aims both of them at the captives to keep them from trying anything further. That same sadistic smirk contorts her lips again as she feel a surge of pleasure holding these people captive. Soft wind blows through her hair as she steps towards her prisoners.
"Sure you're not a pirate?" Jack playfully questions in her ear as he comes up behind her. Aurora tosses her head back to get the stray lock of hair from her eyes as she leans back towards the captain a little.
"Positive," She replies with equally lightness and even smiling a bit without the sadistic undertone and despite the seriousness of the situation. The crew quickly unloads the ship's cargo onto the Pearl then takes down the ship's sails to prevent a pursuit. In the blink of an eye it ended with Aurora and Jack being that last off the invaded ship. Once back aboard the Pearl the crew began to divide up its ill gotten gains, something that did not spark an interest in Aurora who instead elected to return to her room. Jack's words from an earlier meeting played though her head.
A phantom who threatens the living…