Chapter 10

Barnet blocked the latest swipe of the sword sent in his direction. He shoved the blade, and its owner, away forcefully and began to advance upon them. Barnet raised his own sword and re-engaged his opponent, making sure that he kept the upper hand in the duel.

These two men were currently inside a private location somewhere in Port Royal. This was the building reserved for Barnet and his dueling sessions, in which the East India Trading Company captain improved upon his skills with a sword, and winded up victorious most of the time. Barnet's newest opponent had experience and it certainly showed in the course of the battle, however Barnet possessed even more skill and experience that far outmatched the man in front of him. Barnet always had to be certain that he would be constantly prepared for any sudden attack that might present himself, and practicing dueling was the only satisfactory way to do that in his eyes. Captain Jonathan Barnet prided himself on possessing fighting tactics, and made sure that his crew had the same mind set.

Barnet forced his opponent's blade out of his grasp, sending the sword skidding on the ground to the pair's right. Barnet then placed the tip of his sword at his defeated opponent's throat and smirked triumphantly.

"Yield," Barnet said.

Barnet's opponent raised his hands in defeat and Barnet helped him to his feet. As the man dusted himself off and Barnet slid his sword into its sheath, the captain noticed his right-hand man waiting for him in the far corner. Wiping his brow with his sleeve, Barnet made his way over to Mercer.

"Any news on McGivens' progress?" he asked.

"Yes. Our sources of information report that Jack Sparrow and his crew were last seen departing from the headquarters of The Clan Of Cortez, with McGivens' ship discreetly following shortly after that."

"And our men on the inside? What of them?"

"McGivens disposed of Monterro as discussed, the one who was at the meeting has provided McGivens with the necessary information, and our other compatriot has successfully managed to sneak aboard Sparrow's ship. So even McGivens does happen to lose the trail of the Black Pearl, our third spy will be able to make sure that McGivens regains his bearings."

"I trust then, that our second spy has returned to Singapore?"

"To the extent of my knowledge, he has. McGivens knows what to do once the sea goddess Calypso has been summoned forth."

"Excellent. All that remains now is to await word on how everything turns out."

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It was now early morning, and The Black Pearl was sailing swiftly in the blue-green sea that surrounded it. The crew members of the ship were doing whatever they pleased, going to and fro about the vessel. Inside the Captain's Quarters, Jack was sitting at his desk, hunched over his desk and consulting his compass for a proper heading; the map lay spread out in front of him. Will and Elizabeth were also there, observing the wily pirate captain as he made notes on the longitudes and latitudes.

Will was dwelling back on when they met up with Jack back in Tortuga and the discussion that followed inside the private room above the tavern. Will especially recalled Jack's behavior when the topic of Calypso had come up; he had acted quite nervous and jumpy, as if he feared the return of the sea goddess. In fact, this memory had Will slightly bothered since they had sailed from Tortuga. Will wanted answers, and he decided that now was the time to get them.

Will strutted over to stand in front of Jack's desk, staring down at the eccentric pirate. Will cleared his throat, which caused Jack to glance up from his work.

"Jack, I feel compelled to ask you something."

"William, did you not notice that I was busy studying the map so that I could get a better sense of a proper heading?" Jack asked with a twinge of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes, but this question of mine concerns the voyage."

"Does it, now?" Jack dropped the navigational items in his hands, propped his feet up on his desk, and leaned back casually in his chair. "Do tell."

"Back in Tortuga, when we were discussing what's lying dormant on the island we're sailing to, why is it you appeared so uncomfortable?"

Jack's face became a mask of confusion. "I'm afraid I'm not following you, mate. What are you babbling about?"

Will sighed. "When Smith mentioned Calypso returning in human form, you suddenly became what appeared to be frightened at such a prospect. Why, Jack? Is there some sort of history there?"

Jack sighed this time as he leaned back forward and started to drum his fingers on his desk. Finally, he gazed up into Will's eyes. "Calypso and I might have crossed paths some time ago. You see, after you and Lizzy helped me escape from the gallows, our dead friend Norrington started to relentlessly hunt me down. He chased me across the seven seas for I don't know how long. But finally, he came so close to capturing me, that I actually prayed for some sort of assistance that would get me out of that situation." He paused for a moment, still drumming his fingers on the desk. "And that assistance came in the form of Calypso...in her godlike form."

"But how?" asked Will. "I thought the Pirates' Council imprisoned Calypso in human form forever? Smith said so himself."

"Well, the details on how she temporarily managed to escape her fleshy prison are a bit vague, but suffice it to say that she found a way to do so."

"So what happened after Calypso came to you?" Elizabeth inquired, coming up beside Will in order to join the conversation.

"She and I struck a deal. She would create a vicious hurricane that would allow me to evade Norrington; that's how I knew to sail around the bloody thing. Anyway, the hurricane destroyed Norrington's ship and I successfully escaped capture once again."

"But what did Calypso want in return?"

Jack laughed bitterly at the question. "Something I should have never offered. The Black Pearl."

"You promised Calypso your ship?" Elizabeth asked incredulously.

"Yep. I'm still berating meself for it. So now you understand my dilemma. If Calypso is summoned forth in human form, she'll no doubt wish to collect on my end of the bargain."

"So Calypso isn't in the mortal world?" queried Will.

"No. In addition to trapping her in human form, the Brethren Court also banished her to a parallel world that only the Brethren knows exist: The Eighth Vortex, the place where criminals and such brought before the Council go when the crimes they've committed are too horrible to come to a unanimous decision over."

"The Eighth Vortex? Why the unusual name?"

"Because it houses the secret eighth sea of the world. But that sea has become haunted by all manner of tortured souls who have died during their time there. The Eighth Vortex is a place where things that you only imagine in your nightmares come true."

"So I take it The Eighth Vortex is worse than Davy Jones' Locker?' Will said in an indifferent tone.

"In a word, yes."

An uneasy silence accompanied those words, which was finally broken by Elizabeth.

"But Smith said that Cortez is really the only one who can bring back Calypso because she entrusted him with that duty, is that correct?"

Before Jack could answer, his door swung open, and Smith came in. Jack grinned. "Your ears must be burning, mate. We were just talking about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope?" Smith smirked.

"No, we were just sitting here contemplating the tale you told us earlier about how Cortez was the one who would be able to bring back Calypso once the Spanish bloke has been resurrected from the afterlife himself." Jack delivered these words in an almost cheerful tone, as if the topic was something casual.

"Ah. You're wondering how the two people in question can be brought back in the first place, is that it?"

"Basically."

"Well, I feel I can provide a sufficient answer. You see, Cortez is already alive, in a manner. His soul floats around in the air on the burial island, awaiting the event that will cause his soul to reunite with its body."

"And exactly what event triggers that?"

Smith looked at Will, who had asked the question. "The arrival of intruders upon his island. Our presence will reawaken Cortez and his crew; the same goes for the guardians that protect The Golden Sword. Zombies."

"Zombies?" Jack asked nervously. "As in the walking dead?"

"The very same."

"Bugger! I hate these curses that accompany myths such as this one!"

"But what about Calypso?" said Elizabeth, repeating her question from before. "How does Cortez summon her forth?"

Smith sighed deeply, glancing down at his feet. It took him a few moments to answer and when he did, his voice sounded hollow. "Unfortunately, that particular aspect doesn't bode well for someone such as you, Mrs. Turner."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're a woman," Smith answered shortly.

"A woman is required to bring Calypso back to the mortal world?" Even though it was a question, Will said it as more of a statement.

"A woman's blood, to be more precise. There is a locket in which Calypso stored a wealth of her power, although not all of it. Calypso prided herself on feminism, so she created a method that involved just that: blood that oozes from the flesh of a woman must be shed on the locket, and the locket placed within an enchanted stone inside a cave on the burial island."

"So it's essentially a blood ritual?" asked Elizabeth. "Much like the one that needed to take place on the other Isla De Muerta."

Smith nodded. "Calypso knew about Cortez's passion for bloodshed, so she modeled the ritual with him in mind. The blood of a woman is what will bring Calypso back to the mortal world."

"And how convenient is it that we happen to have a woman onboard my ship?" Jack said rather sarcastically.

"If the other people pursuing Cortez's treasure and the ships know about this and Elizabeth's presence in the crew, then they have all the necessities for their plan. All that's left for them to do is put the pieces of the puzzle in place, so to speak." Will did not like the direction in which this journey was heading.

"Then we should find a way of ensuring that Elizabeth doesn't fall into their hands," said Smith. "Otherwise, Calypso's fury will once again be unleashed upon the seven seas."

Jack made a movement as if he were about to say something, but a sudden shout from the deck stopped him.

"LAND HO!"

Jack, Will, Elizabeth and Smith abandoned their conversation and exited Jack's cabin in order to get a glimpse of the landmass in question.

They arrived out on the main deck to be greeted with the whole crew rushing over to the port side. The four pirates did the same and were soon rewarded with the sight of a familiar island. The island was composed mainly of jagged rocks, but a few areas of palm trees and grass mixed with sand could be spotted here and there. The second Isla De Muerta appeared almost identical to the original.

"Isla De Muerta," said Smith in a monotonous tone. "The godforsaken spit of land where The Golden Sword resides."

"Doesn't look any different from the other one," Jack observed. "Why is this of significance to Cortez, if it is at all?"

"Because Cortez hid another quantity of his stolen treasure on the Isla De Muerta located in the mortal realm of the world. He liked it so much, he asked Calypso to create a new one that was exactly identical."

"She has the power to do that?" Elizabeth asked, slightly stunned.

"Aye, you'd be surprised at what the sea goddess can do."

"So, Smith, might I inquire as to if there's any...unusual hindrances we may encounter on our little quest to find the sword?"

Smith nodded gravely. "There be the matter of zombie-like minions of Cortez, sworn to protect The Golden Sword at all times."

"Zombies." Jack repeated the word in an almost exasperated tone of voice. 'The foot soldiers of Hades himself, eh?

"Afraid so, Jack. But if you remember correctly, I've already informed you of them. If you don't wish to go ashore, that'll be completely understandable."

Jack looked surprised at the statement. "Why would I not want to go ashore? Someone has to keep you lot in line, am I right?"

"I think you've got it the other way around," said Will.

"William, I don't much appreciate your constant slander against my good name. Makes me look bad."

"Shouldn't we be preparing to go ashore?" Elizabeth felt the need to stop the spar before it became too out-of-control.

"Agreed. I'll be coming, and I suspect you two will, along with Smith?" Once everyone had nodded their approval, Jack clapped his hands together. "Well, then! Let's not waste precious time dawdling around! Step to it, let's get ready!"