Captain Alae Megallen pulled half of her wavy browny red hair back into a tie and resecured her bandana before staring at her reflection in the mirror perched above her nightstand. She shifted the collar of her shirt then tied the jade token about her neck before drawing rings of kohl around her eyes, making her look slightly more like a woman. Just slightly. Alae reached down and pulled on her boots and decided upon leaving her coat behind as the night didn't feel as cool as those previous to this. She took down a few gulps of rum, realising that most likely she had had too much to drink already but assured herself that she didn't really care. And with that, Captain Megallen stumbled from The Mairess, slurring what she thought to be words to Jameson, her brother, left fending the ship. The ship he had been sailing on since he was fifteen, with his older sister to guard him from danger and to take him upon his wildest adventures and to seek treasure. Alae smirked at this memory and wandered aimlessly into town. After sauntering through the streets singing random ballads of the sea, Alae stopped at a pub which seemed slightly familiar, though in her state she could have been seeing anything really. She shrugged nonetheless and entered to find the pub crowded and half her crew packed at a table in the corner, laughing and yelling and generally being boisterous. Alae grinned widely and went to the bar, ordering a mug of ale before leaning against the counter to steady herself. After finishing off her mug of ale, Captain Megallen addressed her crew and informed them she was retiring and would watch the ship and send Jameson out to catch up on his drinking. At that they cheered and said their farewell's before resuming their ridiculous stories of the sea. Alae chuckled at this as half of it was completely false and only to lure in the ladies. They had even attempted to lure herself at one stage, not realising she was a captain and needed a crew, not a lover. It had been entertaining nonetheless listening to their over the top stories of finding treasures and danger and defeating all peril in their paths. Captain Megallen withdrew from her thoughts just in time to see dark shapes scuttling across the deck of The Mairess, torches lit here and there and the sounds of fighting. Alae removed her cutlass from her belt and silently paced to the back of the ship, crouching up behind one of the robber's and slitting his throat before he could cry out. She let his body fall solidly to the ground, catching the attention of three men, one holding a knife at Jameson's throat. He's too young to die. Captain Megallen fought off two of whom she could only recognise as pirates from the dim flicker of the torches against their scarred, heartless faces. Her cutlass caught one in the gut and the other she sliced across the ribs, backing him against the railing before throwing him overboard. She turned just in time to see Jameson slump lifeless to the ship's deck, blood forming in a pool around his neck.
"No!" Alae cried out with everything she had, fighting her way passed another pirate, slashing his throat viscously. He let out a ragged breath and spurts of blood splashed back onto the Captain's face and shirt before he fell in a heap upon the deck. She turned to see another five pirates scrambling on to the ship to surround her and the man whom had killed Jameson wiped clean his knife and paced into the circle of his men.
"I will assume you are the Captain of this fine vessel." The pirate said with a grunt, eyeing her up and down, clearly surprised that she was a woman. Alae clenched her free fist and readied her cutlass, her eyes drawn to the gaunt body of Jameson, barely nineteen years of age and already she had got him killed. Fool! Her own flesh and blood, cut down before her. The pirate noticed and a cruel smile curled the edges of his lips.
"He didn't even plead. It was such a pity to see him defend his Captain, let alone a woman." He spat and Megallen took a step forward, instantly feeling the cool metal of a cutlass at her throat.
"Tut tut, poppet." Her captor teased, pressing the knife harder against her flesh.
"What sort of bargain are you hoping to strike?" Alae growled, raising her chin slightly, feeling the trickle of blood running down her neck. The pirate captain chuckled, keeping his hands securely behind his back whilst walking within inches of her face before whispering, "I believe you have something we want. And I deem you to be the key." Captain Megallen glanced up into his face, perplexed. What in the devil was he on about? But then she felt his hand rip something from around her neck and she watched as he let the silver token hang from its black cord in front of her face.
"I know nothing of this token nor its worth. I merely bought it from a merchant in the heart of Port Juvenaire. It is nothing but a trinket." Alae tried to explain but he would hear nothing of it.
"This trinket you speak of sits upon the heart of only one woman. And that woman will break the world. Reign chaos upon the seas and suck the life from those pure of heart. To anyone else whom wears it, their life force is blotted out and they die. But you still seem to be as strong as ever, my dear." He touched her cheek and she moved away from him slightly then turned and spat in his face.
"You are a fool! No man can control such a force. You will go down with the rest of them! I am no Goddess of the sea. I am Captain of The Mairess and nothing more!" She shot back and he hit her hard across the face. Captain Megallen's cheek stung and black dots danced in front of her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to focus before swinging the blade of her captor's cut lass from her neck and into his heart, leaping for the railing of the ship. She hit it hard and her ribs cracked and she felt all the air being pushed out of her lungs. Alae hit the water hard, fighting the urge to breath in or close her eyes. She swam beneath The Mairess and one other ship before finding the ship further down the harbour and draped in the most shadow. She clasped a hand across her mouth to stop from coughing and climbed an unfamiliar rope ladder to the deck of a black ship. There she clutched at her aching ribs and huddled in the corner of the ship for a few moments, catching her breath and keeping out of sight. The ship seemed lifeless, for now, but Alae wasn't about to be caught again. After wiping blood from her mouth and face again, she struggled to her feet and turned towards the front of the ship and found her self face to face with Captain Jack Sparrow once more. The chill of the midnight water grated at her bones and she tried not to shiver, not to seem weak. The blood on her face and neck said otherwise. Captain Megallen tried to stand up straight and she groaned as she did so, feeling her broken ribs sagging against her flesh.
"Who are you running from, love?" He asked her, cocking his head.
"No one." Alae answered simply, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily to block out the dizziness that was consuming her head. She went to pass him but he stepped back in front of her.
"Move aside, Sparrow." She spat, in no mood for his trickery. Jack's brows furrowed as he saw the glassiness of her eyes.
"What happened, Alae?" He queried, taking a step towards her. Alae stepped backward and shook her head.
"Nothing. Now let me pass." She stated coolly but Jack grasped her shoulders firmly. Captain Megallen glared up into his face, daring him to mess with her. She let out ragged breaths and her eyes shimmered in the moonlight. She focused on the deck and steadied her breath.
"Alae…" Jack lifted her chin so his eyes met hers. They were sparkling with unshed tears.
"What did ye see?" He questioned in a worried tone. Alae let a tear slip from her eye and shook her head.
"I need to get back to the ship." She mumbled under her breath, resecuring her cutlass before heading towards the docks. Little did she know that Captain Jack Sparrow still trailed behind her.