We left the Black Pearl anchored in the shallows near the mouth of a long river. The river itself cut through a jungle island that featured a large, murky swamp. It was there where Jack and I knew we would find Tia Dalma.

We set off on two longboats; Jack and I sat in the bow of the lead boat while Cotton rowed and LeJon sat at the back. Will, Gibbs, Pintel, Ragetti and Marty were in the other boat. Marty was on lookout as Pintel and Ragetti rowed. Dark figures watched us from the trees as we found ourselves travelling deeper and deeper inland, and, noticing this, Jack kept a wary eye open. I allowed my mind to drift back to Will and Gibbs as they talked quietly.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" Will asked.

Gibbs was ready to launch into story mode. "Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones—a fearsome creature with giant tentacles that'll suction your face clean off…" He made a claw hand and gestured towards Ragetti's face to demonstrate. The one-eyed pirate winced and put his hand to his cheek. "… and drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness," Gibbs growled for dramatic emphasis.

Gibbs paused for a second, and abruptly named the beast for them all, "The Kraken."

The pirates in his boat all exchanged a frightened look. Gibbs continued his description. "They say the stench of its breath is like…" He shuddered, "Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken and the reeking order of a thousand rotting corpses." Ragetti looked ill. Gibbs glanced at Will with a small shrug. "If you believe such things…"

I sighed sadly. It was like Gibbs had spoken a prophecy for what was to happen in the relatively near future.

Obviously, everyone did believe in such things. "And the key will spare him that?" Will asked.

Gibbs gave a ghost of a shrug. "Well, that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit… her." He shuddered again.

"Her?" Will questioned, not knowing who Gibbs was talking about.

"Aye," was all Gibbs said in reply. Best let the whelp find out for himself, in his opinion.

Darkness washed over us as we entered the deep jungle swamp; I realised that the sun had set. Fireflies dotted the air around the trees. I saw one being snapped up by a large, green iguana. Instantly, I could tell more people were tracking the movements of the boats from the banks of the river. Mist floated above the water surface and frogs and insects made their music. All in all, it was a very creepy area, but strangely I found some comfort here. Despite all appearances, this was a relatively safe place, and I knew it was to become a refuge for Jack's crew later on.

The two boats pulled up to a large shack that rested by the water. It had been built on a massive tree stump and there was an uneven ladder leading up to the door. Lights shone from the windows, though it was still quite gloomy down by the water. Jack and I climbed out of the boat, along with most of the others.

Jack stepped up to the ladder. "No worries, mates," he tried to assure them. He wasn't doing a very good job of assuring himself, unfortunately. "Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are." Jack began to lose his confidence and his smile turned into a frown. "Were. Have been. Before…"

Gibbs stepped up to him. "I'll watch your back," he told his captain with a sure smile.

Jack turned to the ladder, a grimace on his face. "It's me front I'm worried about…"

"Well, I'll watch your front," I assured my assignment. "Your relationship with Tia sounds a lot like the one you have with me."

Jack shook his head with a small smile. I smiled back, knowing that his relationship with Tia had some distinct differences that I didn't particularly want to go into.

Gibbs turned to Will and told him to "mind the boat." The message continued to be passed on down through the pirates until it got to Cotton, who could pass it on no further and slumped in the boat, looking a little disappointed.

Jack opened the door to the shack, putting on an air of confidence the moment he stepped through the door, as though afraid to show any point of weakness to whoever might be inside. Many lit candles gave the room a warm glow, but it was still the type of place where you didn't want to wander too far for a fear of what you could find. Various jars, bottles and a few shrunken heads hung by strings from the ceiling, and beautiful albino boa constrictor was curled around one of the tree trunks that supported the shack. The room smelled of magic, and I could feel Tia's power subtly in the background the entire time.

Tia Dalma herself looked a lot younger than she really was. A powerful woman with black eyes, dreadlocks, a strong accent and many secrets, she reminded me very much of a cat. She looked up and, although she seemed a little surprised at first, that surprise quickly turned into a smile when Jack entered. "Jack Sparra'," she purred happily, glad to see him.

"Tia Dalma," Jack said with a winning smile. I came in after him on his heels, and just as I opened my mouth to give him a warning as to a glass bottle he was about to ram his forehead into, he ducked around it, leaving me to simply roll my eyes.

Tia stood and sauntered across to us as Gibbs, Pintel, and Ragetti slowly filed in. "I always knew the wind was going to blow you back to me one day," Tia said to Jack with a broad, inky grin. Her eyes slid over to Will thoughtfully, and it was there they remained. Suddenly, all of her attention was on him.

"You," she said, moving towards him. "You have a touch of destiny about you… William Turner."

Will frowned. How could she know his name? "You know me?" Jack frowned at me, not liking the attention Tia was placing on Will. I only shrugged.

Tia smiled seductively. "You want to know me…" she offered suggestively.

Jack rushed over to get Tia away from Will with a slight cough. "There will be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." He shot Will a look of daggers, and turned Tia away, leading her away with his hands on her shoulder. "I thought I knew you," he said to her as they walked away.

"Not so well as I had hoped," the voodoo priestess told him vaguely. I smirked. "Come."

"Come," Jack repeated, beckoning Will further into the room. Will came and sat down at Tia's table hesitantly, though it appeared as though he would rather keep his distance from her.

Tia ran her fingers across the blacksmith's cheek, and he tried very hard not to flinch. "What service may I do you?" She suddenly looked up at Jack, all business. "You know I demand payment."

Jack knew this, as he was prepared. "I brought payment!" He whistled for Pintel to bring it forward. Jack took the cover off the object in Pintel's arms. It was a small cage with the cursed monkey inside. Jack took the cage and held it up to Tia. He took out his pistol, cocked it, and aimed it at the monkey. "Look!" He said cheerily, just as he fired at the animal. It shrieked and leapt to the far side of the cage, but was unharmed. "An undead monkey!" Jack proudly placed the cage on the table. "Top that!"

Tia considered the animal for a moment with a curious gaze. Then something strange flickering in her eyes before she nodded slightly, undid the latch on the cage, and opened the door. The monkey leapt away and scampered into a back room, probably terrified that someone would try to catch him again. Gibbs winced.

"No!" He sighed at Tia. "You've no idea how long it took us to catch that…"

I nodded sympathetically, though I couldn't stop myself from smirking in amusement. I had been there. It wasn't a fun task, trying to catch the cursed thing, but it was funny as hell to watch.

"The payment is fair," Tia decided. She put the cage on the ground, getting out of the way before taking her seat at the table again.

Will took the cloth that had a picture of the key on it out of his pocket. He unfolded the cloth and slapped it on the table. "We're looking for this." Tia looked at the drawing darkly. She knew imminently what it was, and her eyes widened considerably. "And what it goes to," Will added quickly..

Tia raised her eyes to Jack, who was looking at a hat he thought he vaguely recognized as he held it in his hands. The once fancy feathers on top of it seemed to have been cut. "The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to this?" Tia demanded of Jack.

"Maybe," Jack answered. Tia sat down in her chair. "Why?"

Tia smiled slowly. "I hear you," she purred, a taunting tone in her voice. "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Or, do you know, but are loath to claim it as your own?"

I smiled slightly. Tia had seen right through Jack and understood him at his core. I was glad someone other than me could. Jack never answered Tia, but in doing so, he confirmed these suspicions.

Tia turned her attention to the group, shifting her weight in her chair to get comfortable. "Your key go to a chest," she announced. "And it is what lay inside the chest you seek." She looked to Will. "Don't it?"

"What is inside?" Gibbs asked her.

"Gold?" Pintel guessed. "Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?"

Ragetti had just realised he was standing next to a jar filled with eye balls, and he did a double-take. My heart went out to him. "Nothing… bad, I hope," he said nervously, forcing himself to look away from the eyes.

Tia smiled and leaned towards them. "You know of Davy Jones, yes? A man of the sea. A great sailor until he run afoul of that which vex all men."

Meanwhile, Jack had pinched something and placed it in his pocket. I scowled at him and he winked at me. I rolled my eyes. Pirate.

"What vexes all men?" Will asked.

Tia put her hand over his on the table, trying once again to seduce him. She shouldn't have bothered, because even I could tell Will wasn't interested. That didn't seem to be much of a deterrent to her though. "What indeed?" Tia purred.

"The sea?" Gibbs answered unsurely.

"Sums?" Pintel guessed.

"The dichotomy of good and evil?" Ragetti tried his hand at the game. The others gave him a queer look, each silently asking in their own ways something along the lines of, 'where in the world did he come up with that?' My heart went out to him again. It was certainly something that would have been vexing him of late.

"A woman," Jack corrected them, rolling his eyes. Their gaze turned to him. I considered my assignment's answer. Perhaps a woman was part of what was vexing him?

"A wo-man," Tia agreed smugly. "He fell in love."

"No, no, no, no," Gibbs argued, shaking his head. "I heard it was the sea he fell in love with."

"Same story, different versions! And all are true!" Tia snapped. "See, it was a woman, as changing and harsh and untameable as 'de sea. 'Im never stop loving her." Will's gaze was down, thinking about Elizabeth. "But the pain it cause him was too much to live with, but not enough to cause him to die."

Will looked at her strangely, curiosity written into his features. "What exactly did he put into the chest?"

She grinned. "Him heart," Tia answered, putting a hand to her own.

"Literally, or… figuratively?" Ragetti asked.

"He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest!" Pintel snapped at him. Then he paused and looked at Tia. "Could he?"

Tia gave him a look that clearly answered his question. "It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings," she explained with the wave of her hand. "And so, him carve out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and 'ide the chest from the world. " She nodded to the drawing. "The key he keep with him at all times."

Will stood up and turned to Jack. "You knew this," he accused.

"I did not," Jack argued. "I didn't know where the key was, but now we do, and all that's left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, eh?"

Jack snapped his fingers and turned to go. Tia stood up and reached out a hand. She knew there had to be a reason why Jack and company were after the key and Davy Jones' chest, and she wanted to make sure her guess was correct. Her voice stopped him in his tracks. "Let me see your hand," she ordered Jack, her tone serious.

Jack hesitated, smiled and offered her his right hand. She gave him a dark look. Jack rolled his eyes and gave her his bandaged left hand. With the same care I took when unwrapping it, Tia unwound the cloth and exposed the Black Spot. Gibbs gasped and recoiled.

"The Black Spot!" He rubbed his hands on his shirt, danced in a circle, and spat in some kind of superstitious ritual to keep him from getting it. Pintel and Ragetti followed him and did the same. I rolled my eyes, and as did Jack.

"My eyesight's just as good as ever, just so you know," he told them all, feigning a grin.

Tia rolled her eyes before disappeared behind a curtain, muttering to herself and looking for something. Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti peered after her, trying to see what she was doing as a clattering of what sounded like pans and pots reached their ears. Jack the monkey was visible sitting at the foot of a bed beside a pair of black boots. The man wearing the boots was not visible, but I realised I knew who it was. The monkey cooed softly to him. While everyone was distracted, Jack pocketed a ring he found on a table alongside a locket that looked like a heart with crab claws.

When Tia Dalma emerged from the back room, she had with her a large, corked glass jar of sand and dirt. "Davy Jones cannot make port," she explained. "Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow."

Jack frowned. We had already tried staying on land, and Jack was almost cooked and eaten. Almost everywhere else was claimed by the East India Trading company. "And so you will carry land with you," Tia said, giving him the jar of dirt.

Jack studied it, confused, perhaps expecting something more fancy. "Dirt," he stated. "This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes," Tia confirmed in a slow drawl.

Jack smiled weakly. "Is the jar of dirt going to help?"

Tia's tone grew icy. "If you don't want it, give it back."

Jack clutched the jar tightly to his body. "No."

Tia smiled. "Then it 'elps."

"It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman," Will said. Tia smiled at him and sat back down at the table. She gathered up some crab claws in her hands and shook them gently, her eyes closed.

"A touch… of destiny," she said, scattering the claws over a grid scratched into the table top. These claws I knew would represent the islands where the Kraken's latest victim was run aground. "That is where you will find them."

The pirates took a note of the heading and got ready to go. None of them particularly wanted to linger there anymore, which I couldn't blame them for.

"If anything happens," Tia said as they headed out. "Come back to me here, if you can."

Jack smiled, still clutching his jar of dirt. "Much obliged, Tia."

He and I were the last ones out. Just as Jack stepped through the door I looked back at Tia one last time. The voodoo priestess was looking at Jack as he left… no, wait… it may have just been my imagination, but it seemed like she was looking right at me. It was bizarre.

No one but my assignments are supposed to see me, but Tia Dalma made eye contact with me. I froze, and examined her just to be sure. Yep, no doubt about it, she saw me. Tia smiled slowly, provoking a smile from me in return. I decided that she must have known I was there the whole time, but because she gave no sign of it until now, I felt confidant that she wouldn't tell anyone about me. She nodded her head towards me in a blessing and I returned the favour. Feeling better, though a little strange, I turned and followed my assignment about of the shack, already dreading what I knew was yet to come.