Chapter Eleven: It Runs Even Deeper.
"We need to head up river," Jack whispered lowly to Gibbs while glancing over
to Aurora as she strolled back to his cabin unaware that his eyes were on her the entire time. The other man turned and looked to him with a paled expression. Gibbs' own superstitions made him terrible nervous at his captains demand.
"We do?" He asked meekly turning his head slightly to meet the half dazed gaze of the man next to him. Jack's only reply was a soft nod as he changed course.
The journey seemed to take less time than usual as they rounded an outstretch of land and anchored about a hundred yards from the mouth of the river. Jack and some of his crew, with the exception of Aurora, rowed up the familiar river to a hidden shack cloaked by trees that glowed softly with candles in the night. Gibbs tied the long boat to the dock underneath the house and Jack rushed up to see his old friend. Tia Dalma stood expectantly behind a table as he entered her home.
"Jack Sparrow," the mystic's voice came to his ears as she directed him to a seat across from her own at a rough wood table. Jack placed a bag of gold on the table and Tia glanced downwards at him giving a small sigh but taking the gold in approval.
"I need to know about that thing I mentioned awhile back," Jack blurted out once the payment was settled. Taking her seat Tia Dalma's gaze settled on him know exactly what he was talking about. She pushed some things aside on her desk and leaned forward to come face to face with him.
"It be useless to seek it Jack you don't 'ave what is needed to unlock te passage way," Tia informed him sitting back in her chair and moving her legs under the table. He moved closer giving a half crazed stare.
"And what is it I need to unlock this passage way?" Jack pressed trying to recall what little he remembered about the legend. She gave him a sideways glance and sat back in her chair.
"Long ago four powerful mages managed to take te gem from te mortal warlords deciding tat te power was too great for one man to possess." Tia began to recall the legend taking in a deep breath and sinking in her chair a bit.
"Each one of te mages had control over one of te four elements and combined managed to hide te stone on an island far from te greedy hands of mankind," Tia recounted the tale "To make sure tat it would never resurface te passage way to te stone can only be open by te blood of one of te four mages." Jack listened carefully mulling the tale over and over in his head.
The elements eh… His mind growled and thought back to Aurora's abilities.
"What exactly does this gem do?" Gibbs asked out of curiosity coming up behind the pair, clearly ease dropping.
"It grants te owner or te object it be placed in invulnerability to physical damage," Tia explained glancing up to him with all knowing eyes.
"And how do I find this island?" Jack asked causing him to receive a frustrated look from her. He waved his hand back at Gibbs to dismiss him back to the men at the front of her home.
"If you want it badly enough; te compass I gave you shall lead you t'ere," She said. Gibbs occupied himself my making the few other men that tagged along return down to the dock. Jack lagged behind staring at her and processing possibilities through his head. He could tell that she was begging to get annoyed with his questioning but he had to press on.
"And what if I found the direct descendent of one of these mages how would I know?" He asked as a final question feeling excitement rise within him. Tia looked at him with a smile, as if realizing what this questioning was about. Jack tapped his foot absent mindedly on the floor while awaiting her response.
"Te mages 'ave a secret symbol t'ey most likely will keep on t'eir body in the form of a tattoo or jewelry to open te way to te gem te mage in question would 'ave to willingly spill some of t'eir blood," She answered, standing up from her chair and leaning over the table in front of him. Jack smiled a devious smile as she carefully drew the symbol in some dust on her table. Staring back was the double crescent from Aurora's neck.
"You can't hide from me darling," He recounted aloud lowly in remembrance.
The descendent of the fire mage…His mind kicked out
At that moment a pair of blue yellow eyes opened aboard the Pearl.
Destroy the masks she so carefully built.