Kenway spent the next day comprehending the object he had found in Jack's cabin. From his previous experience with the Templars, he found it very logical for an object of this make to be in their possession. So how did Sparrow come about having it? Did he steal it? Had someone stolen it for him? These questions were burned in the back of his mind as he toiled upon the Black Pearl. He found himself looking back every now and then to find Sparrow staring intently at his compass once again. The Templars have had a fondness for ancient technology. Is it possible that he was a Templar? Then why would they send others to kill him? The more he attempted to find answers, the greater the questions he created. He decided to store his thoughts for later and focus on his current tasks.
However, as the days passed Kenway found himself itching once again for some action; though it would be foolish to wish for such a thing upon another's vessel. He simply rode out the sea, waiting for them to come to port with Jack's dealer. After just a few more days, the crew of the Black Pearl found themselves on the edge of a swamp. Out of curiosity, Kenway approached the captain.
"I thought we were meeting with a potential buyer. Why are we in a place such as this?"
"Expert, not buyer. And she very much values her privacy," Sparrow answered while referring back to his compass.
"You seem to rely a great deal on your tools," Edward remarked.
"Intuition can only get you so far mate," Jack argued.
"That may be so, but a true captain must know when to trust his instruments and when to trust his instincts," Edward warned.
"You should have a little more faith in your captain," he replied as the Pearl slowed to a stop. The pirate captain then proceeded to walk onto the deck while several crew members readied a rowboat. Jack then went into his cabin and emerged from it minutes later, fiddling with his pockets.
"Mr. Gibbs!"
"Captain, the boat's ready," Mr. Gibbs announced.
"Good, let's get this over with."
"Mind if I join you?" Kenway asked.
"I don't see why not," Sparrow replied.
"Excellent," when do we depart.
"Right now," Barbosa answered as he walked towards the two captains. Kenway looked around at the group that would be traversing the swamp as the boat entered the water.
"Very well," he replied as he, Sparrow, Gibbs, Barbosa, and two other crew members climbed down into the dinghy. Seconds later, they were floating away from their ship and deeper into the swamp. Kenway had his fair share of swamps, but this felt different. There was fog circling the flora, but there was no wetness associated with it. It was also deathly silent. Only the sound of their rows hitting the water could be heard.
"This 'expert' of yours, are we meeting her on land or on another ship?"
"We will be meeting her shortly," Jack corrected. Kenway nodded before returning to observe the swamp around him. Minutes later, a structure came into view. It sat just above the water on wooden posts. Light could be seen coming from the windows, and a small dock sat at the edge of the water, connected to a ladder that led to the main entrance. The crew tied the boat to the pier and Jack promptly let himself in. Gibbs and Barbosa followed suit as Kenway was tasked with minding the boat.
When the door shut behind them, Kenway decided this was his chance to get answers. He left the dock and climbed up the ladder. Rather than enter through the door however, he grabbed hold of a low-hanging branch and swung over to the side of the shack and shimmied over until he could see through a clouded window with small chunks of glass missing from it. When looking inside, he was greeted by various objects and artifacts that defied reason. There were jars containing small animals and organs, pendants of all shapes and sizes, and books lazily strewn about. Near one end of the room a wall of beads stood in a doorway. A woman erupted from the makeshift door. Her skin was fairly dark in color, and her hair consisted of matted braids. She wore a gaudy dress that was stained with dirt.
"Jack Sparrow," she called back with a smile.
"Tia Dalma, So good to see you again," he replied while she walked up to him.
"I was hoping you might have come here… alone," she spoke just barely above a whisper.
"We need something appraised," Barbosa interrupted.
"That is not my area of exertise," she replied.
"We believe this one just might be," Gibbs countered. Jack then removed the golden sphere from his pocket. Her expression changed immediately. She then took the object and scanned it thoroughly.
"Where did you find this?" she asked.
"On the body of a man washed up on a shore. Wore a strange white robe," he explained.
"Beautiful," she added.
"But what is it?" Gibbs asked.
"An apple," she answered.
"An apple?" Barbosa reiterated.
"Yes, it is an Apple… of Eden."
"How much is it worth?" Jack stepped in. She then turned her eyes away from the object to him.
"To the normal man… nothing… but to others," she started while the sphere started to glow a faint gold, "It is worth the world."
"What is that?" Gibbs asked.
"It is the creation of a people who lived long ago," she explained while the light faded from the sphere.
"What does it do?" Gibbs clarified.
"Everything," she answered.
"How do we use it?" Barbosa asked.
"You must have the knowledge," she answered.
"Then give it to us," he demanded.
"It is not something so easily obtained. Knowledge is a gift, given to a few."
"You can't show us how to use it?"
"The knowledge that is held within cannot be used… it is transformed."
"Into what?" Barbosa asked.
"Everything," she answered.
"So, we need someone to… transform the knowledge and we can access what this orb does?" Gibbs summarized.
"I cannot show you the knowledge but there is a place… that can."
A/N - Hey everybody, thanks for making it this far in my story. I wanted to take this time to announce that I'll be taking a leave of absence from this work. My other current work "From the Ashes", is nearing completion and I would rather take a few weeks to wrap that up and then come back to "The Code and the Creed". Good news is: once I'm done with "From the Ashes" I don't plan on working on anything else for a while, meaning I'll be able to post a new chapter for "The Code and the Creed" every week. Bad news is: you'll have to wait two... maybe three weeks from when this is posted. In the meantime, I would recommend you go check out my Conduit War series that's also on this site. Thanks again for your guys' interest and patience, you rock!
