It had been a few hours or so since the crew departed from the port at St. Martin, and the Dying Gull was far away out at sea. Mid-afternoon was upon them, and all was silent aboard the ship aside from the splash of the ocean water and the creakiness of the wooden beams.
Carina was still standing at the edge of the bow, perusing through Galileo's diary and looking for something as to what direction they should be heading in. She knows from the clue revealed the night before that the constellation would not make itself known until it became darker, but she wanted to see if there was a way in expediting their expedition. But, as she turned through the pages, all she found were more of Galileo's notes regarding the position of stars in the general sense. While enlightening, it was not what was needed to find the Trident.
The smell of foul breath overcame her senses, and Carina felt small gusts of air on her neck. Closing the diary, she looked over her shoulder to see Ragetti was standing way too close to her for comfort.
"You smell nice, miss," Ragetti said in an innocent voice, but Carina shot him a look of disgust, saying "That makes one of us."
"Hey, that wasn't very respectful," Ragetti complained, to which Carina replied "Neither is breathing down my neck."
"Oi!" the voice of Pintel called over, and both Ragetti and Carina turned to see the belligerent homunculus walking towards them, "We talked about this, mate! That's not how you approach a lady!"
"She just smelled nice," Ragetti defended, and Carina rolled her eyes.
"No, no, you have to approach a woman with more courtesy," Pintel explained to his friend, "Like so-"
Before Pintel could demonstrate what "courtesy" was to Ragetti, Carina had walked away from the both of them, not wanting to be part of anymore of their shenanigans for the rest of the voyage.
"Smooth," Ragetti commented after he and Pintel both saw her leave, "Now I know not to say 'like so' the next time I approach someone."
Pintel grumbled, and then smacked Ragetti so hard on the back of his head that his glass eye fell out of the socket.
"Me eye!" Ragetti exclaimed, getting down onto the deck surface and trying to catch his eye as it rolled away.
Carina sighed, and made her way over to the starboard side where Henry was. As she approached, he looked over his shoulder and saw her coming, and then resumed looking out over the water. She then stood next to him, and the put the diary back in the pouch beneath her dress.
"Any luck in finding a route?" Henry asked.
"No, that won't present itself until tonight. It's not on any recorded charts," Carina replied.
"Very well," Henry said, "We wait till tonight, then."
"Yeah," Carina said, and then a moment or two of silence passed between them.
"Hey," Henry began, "if this all plays out according to plan, what are you going to do once you find the Trident?"
"I-" Carina started to say, but then she realized she had no idea what to do after, "I don't know. I hadn't really thought that far ahead. My plan was to find it because my father wasn't able to, but... I can't say I figured everything out exactly."
"There isn't part of you that wants the power of the sea?" Henry inserted, but Carina merely laughed, "You do know that I'm still not buying that story, right?"
"Well, why else would your father search for it? Why would Galileo leave behind such an elaborate map to it's location?" Henry said in an attempt to sway Carina to see things from his point of view.
"That part is just superstitious nonsense, like Excalibur or the Holy Grail. There's no basis in logic to support the existence of the supernatural," Carina explained to him, "I believe it's a historical relic that ought to be known to the world."
"Well, have it your way then," Henry said, turning around and leaning back against the ship's edge, "When we get to the Trident, you'll see I was right all along."
Carina scoffed and faced away from Henry, and then Henry said, "Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there. Like my own father. I've only seen him twice in my entire life because of his curse, but that doesn't mean he's not real."
Carina laid her arms across the edge of the ship, and then said "Cursed or not, at least you have a father. Mine's dead."
Another moment of silence occurred between the two, and it was interrupted by Henry stating, "It's curious, isn't it?"
"What is?" Carina inquired.
"That both of us have been searching for Poseidon's Trident our entire lives, both trying to do right by our fathers. Odd, huh?" Henry said, "Almost like it was destiny or something."
"Yeah, destiny," Carina repeated. She didn't know what else to say. Henry turned around again and leaned forward against the edge.
Back at the helm, Jack continued to sail out into the open ocean. He didn't have a heading and had absolutely no idea where he was going. How could he have been so careless with his compass? He just gave it up for a bottle of rum without a second thought, and he hated himself for doing it. That compass' value was immeasurable, moreso considering what he had given up to receive it in the first place.
But what's done is done. He had to make do with what he had for the time being.
Jack looked over to see Henry and Carina standing at the edge of the starboard side, and then thought that now was a good time to ask the girl about where they were going.
"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack called out to his first mate, and Gibbs obediently rushed over, saying "Aye, Captain?"
"Take the wheel. I need to have a chat with our 'guests,'" Jack told him, and Gibbs took the wheel without hesitation. With his usual swagger, he sauntered over to where Henry and Carina were, and then addressed them both, saying "On a typical voyage, it is required that there be a destination to be reached, otherwise the entire purpose of said voyage is rendered moot. And to know a destination, one has to know the way to reach said destination, savvy?"
Carina and Henry both slowly turned as he said this, wondering why he was giving a vague explanation of what he wants instead of saying it outright, and maintained silence.
"In layman's terms, I need to know how to find the Trident if we're going to find the Trident," Jack stated, and then his attention focused directly on Carina.
"You. Girl," Jack said, pointing a finger at her, "Mr. Turner here says that you've found the way to the Trident. Is this true?"
"Yep," Carina replied, and Jack was annoyed at her not being forthcoming.
"... Are you going to show me the way?" He asked, sounding somewhat irritated.
"Nope," Carina replied, and Jack became more annoyed.
"And why is that?" Jack inquired, tilting his head slightly to the left.
"Because I can't," Carina replied, but instead of becoming more annoyed, Jack laughed.
"I see what you're trying to do here, lass," Jack said, "You take me for a fool, don't you?"
"What in the world would give me that impression, Captain Sparrow?" Carina asked with heavy sarcasm.
"You think that I'm just some bumbling idiot that drinks excessively and doesn't know anything about anything because I'm a dirty, worthless pirate," Jack said, "but that's where you're wrong, girl. I know that the map that no man can read isn't an actual map. It's the heavens."
As Jack finished, he pointed up towards the sky. Carina just stood there dumbfounded, because she didn't expect him to know anything about the Trident other than being another prize to be seized. She realized then and there not to underestimate Jack Sparrow.
"However, what I don't know is how to find the exact route as to our destination," Jack said, "If you'd be so kind as to share, then I will gladly sail this ship in a reasonable direction so that we may find the Trident, savvy?"
"It'll have to wait until tonight," Carina said, "The stars won't reveal themselves until then. Afterwards we can start making our way over."
"Very well, then," Jack said, and as he turned to walk away, he felt a sense of exhaustion overcome him. He didn't have any rum today, and it was only mid-afternoon. He shouldn't be feeling this tired at this time of day, but then again this had been happening more and more often. Jack knew he was getting old and things like this were expected, but he still wasn't comfortable with it.
"Mr. Gibbs! I will be retiring to my cabin for a spell. Wake me up at nightfall," Jack informed Gibbs, and before he could hear him respond, he went through the cabin doors and closed them behind him. Letting out a heavy sigh, he removed his overcoat and sat it down on one of the chairs, removed his weapons belt and hat and placed it on his desk, and grabbed a bottle of rum sitting on a nearby shelf. He took a hefty swig from the bottle, feeling the burn of the alcohol against his throat, and gave off a sigh of relief. He rubbed his temples with his free hand, and then he took another swig. Afterwards, he set the bottle down on the table, and then looked over to the shelf sitting opposite of his bed where he had his collection of ships in bottles.
"Oh yeah," Jack muttered to no one in particular. Gibbs had gotten these ships from Blackbeard's cabin years back, fully functional ships that had been shrunk down with black magic to miniature size. Not only that, but the surviving crewmembers of each ship had been shrunk along with them, and were somehow still alive after all this time. Until Jack could figure out a way to liberate them, he made sure they were all fed and watered properly.
Jack picked up a slice of bread from his desk, and tore it up into miniature chunks. Afterwards, he removed the corks from each bottle and shoved the bread carefully inside. The amount of bread would be enough to feed all the crews for about a week.
"Hang in a little longer," Jack said, uncertain if they could hear him or not. From what he could see on the inside, the crews were extremely thankful to him for keeping them alive, and Jack appreciated their admiration.
But now, it was time for him to rest.
Jack sat down on his bed and removed his boots. Once he had done so, he laid down against the straw-filled pillow and fell asleep almost instantaneously.
They had been sailing for about three weeks, making good time on their destination. The East India Trading Company had dispatched the Wicked Wench to intercept a pirate frigate that had raided along the Italian coastline. Their job was to catch up to the ship, kill the pirates aboard, and retrieve any stolen cargo they found.
Jonathan handled the Wench's wheel with care as he sailed down along the coast of High Barbary, keeping an eye on the horizon for the pirate vessel. He wasn't going to let them slip away on his watch. They would pay for their crimes, and he would make sure of it.
"Any sign of the pirates yet, Captain?" a voice asked, and Jonathan turned his head to the side to see that it was Mercer addressing him.
"Not yet, Lieutenant Mercer," Jonathan replied, "Not yet."
"I hope you understand, Captain, that I don't take orders from you. My orders are from Commodore Beckett to keep an eye on your progress," Mercer stated, to which Jonathan responded, "That was made that abundantly clear before we left port."
"I know, but forgive me for feeling a little uncertain about you're joining up with the Company given your blood," Mercer said, and Jonathan's grip on the wheel tightened.
"My blood doesn't determine who I am," Jonathan said, "Just because my father was a pirate does not mean that I am. Is that clear?"
"Inescapably, Captain," Mercer said, "The Commodore believes as much, but seeing as we haven't found the pirates yet, I'm starting to suspect you may be reconsidering your beliefs."
"Well, then put your suspicions to rest. We're going to find those pirates and we're going to wipe them all out like the scum they are," Jonathan said with a hint of anger to his voice.
"Ship dead ahead!" one of the deckhands called out, "Looks like a frigate, and they're flying pirate colours!"
At this, Jonathan shouted "All hands to battle stations! Man the cannons! Full canvas!"
Over on the pirate ship, a deckhand handed a spyglass to the captain, a portly man dressed in fine clothing, and he saw the Wench through the lens coming right for his ship at a rapid rate. There was no outrunning this.
"All hands to cannons! Hard to port!" he ordered, and the crew made haste to do so. The captain then pulled the bo'sun to the side, saying "We either live or die, but either way we fight to the last. They cannot get their hands on what we have."
"Aye, sir," the bo'sun replied, and the captain made his way into his cabin.
The Wench and the pirate ship were running almost directly at each other, but enough distance was kept so that both ships' port sides didn't crash into each other.
"Ready on the guns, men!" Jonathan ordered his crew of sailors and Royal Marines. The pirate captain then did the same on his own ship. The men from both ships started shouting at each other, and as the ships came to pass each other, the order came.
"FIRE!"
"FIRE!"
An onslaught of cannon fire was exchanged from both ships, both sides being pounded heavily with the heavy ammunition. Wood and men both were splintered in what had to be more than sixty cannonballs being fired. By the time the firing had stopped, both of the port sides were heavily damaged, but both were still afloat.
"Reload! Hit them on their starboard side!" Jonathan ordered, and the British made haste to reload their cannons. The pirate crew were getting ready to fire back from their starboard side, but the Wench had come before they were prepared to face them, and another volley ensued, except this time only the pirate ship was hit.
The damage was so severe that the pirate ship could not fire back. It sat dead in the water, at the mercy of the Wench.
"Grappling hooks away, all hands prepare to board!" Jonathan ordered, and the combined forces of sailors and Marines swung from the deck of the Wench onto the deck of the pirate ship. Jonathan landed on the deck of the ship with his sword and pistol brandished, and he proceeded to fight alongside his comrades. He put his sword right through a pirate's back, and then shot another in the chest. He fought with such aggression it was futile for any pirate to stand in his way.
"Leave the captain to me! He's mine!" Jonathan ordered, and he fought his way across the deck and made it to the cabin doors. He kicked the doors in to see that the captain wasn't there, so he took a door inside the cabin that led below decks and saw the captain with his back turned frantically doing something with a small item on a table.
Without hesitation, Jonathan shot him in the back.
"AAAGH!" the captain cried out in pain as he fell onto the floor. Weakly, he attempted to crawl away from Jonathan, but he had put his boot to his leg, and the captain stopped moving. He turned to face Jonathan, and he looked at the pirate with a smirk on his face.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Jonathan said, recognizing his face from illustrations he'd seen, "Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate."
Bonnet whimpered and gasped for air at the same time.
"Word was they hung you in Charlestowne some years back, and yet here you are and visibly not hung," Jonathan mocked, "Funny world, isn't it?"
"You... sadistic bastard..." Bonnet gasped, "Do you realize what you've done, boy?"
"I just shot a second-rate pirate believed to be dead," Jonathan stated, "One more of your worthless kind removed from this world. Now people will be able to sleep better at night without you thieves and murderers threatening them."
"Heh," Bonnet chuckled, "you're unbearably naïve if that's the limit of your view. Now I know that Edward was right about you all... he was always right..."
"Wait, Edward who?" Jonathan asked, but Bonnet coughed up blood and didn't answer.
"Boy..." Bonnet gasped, "I need to tell you something."
"Yeah, what is it, then?" Jonathan asked, getting down on one knee.
"The parcel..." Bonnet said faintly, pointing a finger at the small object sitting on the table, "No one must have the parcel. No one. Please, if you have any sense of honor, then honor my final request and keep it safe. Guard it with your life, but it cannot fall into the hands of any empire. Promise me."
Jonathan hesitated for a moment. Should he do his duty and return the parcel, or honor Bonnet's dying wish? Sure he was a pirate, but Jonathan saw that pleading look in his eyes, and all he could see was a man.
"Please..." Bonnet gasped, "Promise me..."
"Alright," Jonathan said, "I promise. I swear on my life that I will protect it."
Bonnet then weakly smiled, and then said "T-thank... you..."
And it was the last thing he said.
Jonathan closed Bonnet's eyes as a sign of respect, and then he got up off the floor and picked up the package on the table. It was small enough it would fit inside his cartridge box, but he had made a promise to Bonnet that he would keep it safe. Whatever this was, it mattered enough to this pirate that no one else have it except for Jonathan.
As he was eyeing the mysterious package, he heard a seductive voice call out from behind him, saying "You have a touch of destiny about you, Jack."
Without hesitation, Jonathan quickly pulled his sword out of his scabbard and held it up to the figure behind him. The figure itself was a woman, with dark skin, dreadlocks, a raggedy dress, and an assortment of trinkets about her person.
"Who are you?" Jonathan demanded, "How do you know my name?"
Gently, the strange woman placed her fingers upon Jonathan's sword, and pushed it away from her face.
"I have been called many things," she said, her sultry voice amplified by her exotic accent, "But you may call me Tia Dalma."
"Tia Dalma," Jonathan repeated, and then he said "Only my mother and my wife have ever called me Jack, and you are neither. What do you want from me?"
The strange woman gave a wicked grin, and then said "Nothing. I'm only here to tell you that you've made a pivotal decision that will affect the rest of your life."
"Get back, you," Jonathan ordered, holding his sword firm as he tried to keep his cool.
"You've decided to keep Bonnet's parcel hidden. Him final wish be granted," Tia Dalma said, "Surprising given your distaste for men like him."
"Why are you here?" Jonathan asked.
"To remind you that your choice will have consequences to it, good and bad, and nature will take its course," she replied, "You will see me again, Jack. Like I said, a touch of destiny."
"This is absolutely ridiculous," Jonathan scoffed, looking away for a moment, "You have to be joking, ri-"
As he went to face her again, Tia Dalma had disappeared. Jonathan looked around him for a moment and saw that she was nowhere to be found.
"What the bloody hell was that?" he asked aloud. He had no idea what just happened, or even why it happened. Pushing the thoughts of the woman out of his mind, he put the parcel into his cartridge box, and then made his way up to the top deck to see that Mercer and the victorious British had the surviving pirates at their mercy.
"Ah, Captain. There you are," Mercer called over, "You find what you were looking for?"
Jonathan hesitated for a moment, and then said, "The captain is dead. There's a cargo hold full of gold, sugar, and rum."
"Is that all?" Mercer inquired, hands behind his back.
"Yes, that is all, Mr. Mercer," Jonathan lied, and then he made his was back over to the deck of the Wench. Once the cargo had been secured in the hull of the trading ship, it sailed off back towards England.
Jonathan didn't sleep well for the entire voyage home.
Once they had made it back to London, the crew of the Wench began unloading the cargo they had seized from the pirates so that it could be delivered to the executives of the EITC. But Jonathan paid no mind to the procedures, for there was something much more valuable to him standing at the dockyard.
She had flowing hair that was long and brown, a complexion as fair as winter snow, and eyes that were as blue as the ocean that he loved so dearly.
Jonathan rushed directly from the ship over to her, and her face broke into a wide smile showing her perfect, white teeth. She began rushing over towards him, and when they met, Jonathan grabbed hold of her tightly and spun in a circle, laughing while he did so. Afterwards, he set her back down on the ground and gave her a lengthy, passionate kiss. When they broke off from each other, they were both struggling for breath.
"Hello, sweetheart," Jonathan said to his beloved wife.
"Hello, Jack," she replied, overjoyed to have her husband back, "How are you?"
"Better now that I've come home," Jonathan smiled. He couldn't remember a time when he didn't love this beautiful woman that God had created. He gently leaned in and hugged her, feeling the warmth from her radiate between the both of them. At that moment, he forgot about everything that had transpired recently, and was content to be here in the arms of his beloved.
"I missed you so much, Maggie" Jonathan nearly whispered into her ear, and she chuckled, "My precious pearl."
"GAH!" Jack woke with a start, and he sat upright almost immediately. Quickly, he reached for the pistol still tucked in his trousers and pointed it across the cabin. He started to breathe heavily, pointing his pistol around his room at some imaginary foe. Once he saw that there was no threat to him present, he set the pistol down upon his bed, and felt that there were beads of sweat all over him.
Jack felt his heart racing, and breathed deeply in an attempt to calm himself down.
"It was just a dream," he tell himself, "Nothing more than a dream. Get yourself together, Jack."
Shaking his head, Jack got up out of bed, put his boots on, retrieved his weapons belt, and looked outside and saw that it was nighttime. He told Gibbs to come and wake him when night fell, but he never did.
Sighing, Jack opened the doors to his cabin, wondering what had just happened.
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay! Life caught up with me, exams, money issues, etc. but I'm here now. I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season, and I hope you enjoyed my latest chapter. Lots of juicy stuff this time around, so I hope you enjoy. Anyway, I hope you're all great, and I ask that you please read, review, and share with as many people as possible. Your support makes this series possible. Thanks you guys and stay classy!
-Spent