Another Ghost Ship
Chapter 6
an: just a reminder...this is written in the 'early' part of the season where Crowley and Cass were working together to find the door to purgatory & before the boys find out...
/SUPERNATURAL/FREEPORT/
Pulling themselves slowly from the floor an indeterminate time later, they slowly looked around the large room, their eyes finally coming to rest on the empty spaces where Cierra and Crowley once stood.
Sam looked to his brother, saying unnecessarily, "well this is not good...he could have taken her anywhere..."
"No shit, Sammy...we're gonna need some help on this..." Dean ground out angrily.
"The crew..." Sam replied with a nod of his head, already fishing in his pocked for the small medallion the mage had given them, "if Devlin was going to use this to find us and bring us back to the ship he should be able to find Cierra..."
"Wait, Sammy..." Dean said, putting a staying hand on his brother's arm, "do you really want to go back to a ship full of well armed 'pirates' and tell the big, scary captain guy that we just let his 'woman' get kidnapped by a demon...?"
Sam huffed in frustration, Dean had a point, but they needed to find the bard, "then what Dean...we can't find her on our own...it could take weeks to track Crowley down; and besides, she's their crew mate, they have a right to know she's in danger, they might be able to help...they fight monsters on their world, maybe they can fight Crowley..."
Dean shook his head, "he's a demon Sam...most of our spells don't work on him, why would there's...remember what she said about her language spell...there are just enough differences to make it difficult..."
Holding out his hands and raising his brow in frustration, Sam demanded, "then what Dean...we don't have a lot of options..."
Dean just pointed up, "Cass..."
"Cass? You really think he'll help...he hardly ever answers you anymore with everything he's dealing with in heaven with Raphael and the civil war and all..." Sam countered.
"If Crowley sensed the ripple the time shift made them you can bet the angels did too..." Dean said, "and if Crowley thinks this is somehow useful..."
"Then the angels might too..." Sam exclaimed, suddenly understanding his brother's line of reasoning.
"And if ol' Raf catches wind of the magic school bus he might just try to use it against Cass somehow..." Dean finished.
"Okay, but lets get out of here and call him then..." Sam said as he headed towards the door.
"Wait...before Crowley showed up you said you found something..." Dean asked.
"What...Dean, we don't have time for this..." Sam countered.
"Sammy, if you found the maps we need then they're a whole lot safer and more useful with us than to leave them here...and we have some leverage to hold over Crowley..." Dean explained, adding, " and we might need it against the angels...and our pirate friends..."
Sam quickly showed Dean the old maps the museum had...all showing the area at different times over the last three hundred years, "and these," Sam said, pointing to a few more on the walls, "these show that area of ocean currently..."
"So we nab these maps..." Dean said.
"Not in the middle of the day we don't," Sam countered, "we'll have to come back for them later, after the museum closes..."
Not liking it but seeing no alternative, Dean reluctantly agreed with his brother, "let's call Cass..."
/SPN/Pirates/
"What is it, Dean...your persistence is grating..." Cass's voice suddenly sounded behind the boys.
Whirling, Dean snarked, "...'bout time there Cass...been calling you for almost half an hour..."
"I am embroiled in a civil war Dean...I cannot always break away immediately," Cass intoned coldly.
"Yeah, well this is important..." Dean replied.
"Of course, it always is..." Cass replied evenly.
Despite the emotionless tone, Dean knew the angel was being short and sarcastic with him but at the moment he really didn't care how the angel felt, asking impatiently, "you and your angel buddies feel a disturbance in the 'force' here lately..."
Cass eyed Dean blankly, causing Sam to quickly step in, "what he means is have you felt any...I don't even know how to describe it...uh...have you felt any ripples or feelings that everything isn't quite right..."
"Of course things are not alright...Crowley is ruling hell and the angels are divided..." Cass replied.
"Besides all that Cass...you feel like-I don't know...a door has opened or something...that there's been a rip in the universe or something...lettin' things in that ain't supposed to be here..."Dean waved his hands impatiently.
Cass cocked his head and looked pointedly at the boys, finally asking, "and you would be asking of such things why...?"
"Ah...so you have felt it..." Dean pressed.
"There have been unusual ripples in the fabric of your world...it was something that was being investigated when you called..." Cass explained, "what do you know of this...?"
"Ever hear of pirates, Cass," Dean said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small medallion.
For the next forty minutes, Dean and Sam filled the angel in on everything that had transpired over the last two days...culminating in Cierra's kidnapping at the hands of Crowley.
"That is most unfortunate that Crowley knows of this...adds another level of difficulty..." Cass said at the end.
Exchanging a look with his brother, Sam asked, "So Raphael sensed it too...will investigate it just like you and Crowley...?"
"So, what do you know about all this...exactly what is the elven boat...what exactly can it do that makes it so important to so many people...?" Dean asked, adding, "I mean, its important to Cierra and her crew only because they were sent on this quest by their god-not like they're really looking for it for themselves..."
"If it is what I think it is then it gives the one who controls it the power to cross not only time and space...but the barriers to the outer realms..." Cass said thoughtfully.
"Outer realms...you mean more than other worlds, like where Cierra and her crew are from...?" Sam asked slowly.
Nodding, Cass replied, "this ship would have the ability to travel to planes outside the material worlds...to heavens and hells on your world..."
"...including Purgatory..." Dean intoned.
Cass nodded, "including Purgatory."
"That explains why Crowley is so interested...why the angels...?" Sam asked.
"It could open up realms of other celestial power...give the wielder access to powers outside our realm..." Cass replied.
Dean leveled a pointed stare at his angel friend, "but we're gonna let them have it right...these pirates are on their own quest—for a god no less; so we're not gonna fight over the big pirate ship...it goes with Cierra and her crew when we find it...right...?"
Fixing Dean with his signature blank look, Cass intoned, "why of course Dean...the pirates can have their ship when they find it..."
Locking eyes for another few seconds, Dean finally said, "Okay...so we need to find Cierra and get her away from Crowley before those pirates find out we let her get snatched by a demon..."
"This might help..." Sam said, handing Cass he amulet, adding, "if Crowley is warded, he shouldn't know to ward against this...can you find her using this charm?"
Taking the small,magical charm from Sam, Cass looked at it curiously, "interesting...definitely not of this world..."
"Yeah...can you track her or not..." Dean asked impatiently.
"Give me a moment...I will discover if the charm has slipped past Crowley's notice..." and with that the angel disasppeared.
/SPN/Pirates/
Despite being accustomed to planer shifts and gates, Cierra none then less found herself disoriented with the sudden shift caused by the "demon".
As she focused in on her surroundings she noted she was sitting in an over stuffed chair in what appeared to be a rather ornate sitting room, the light streaming in from the tall windows on the far wall told her that not a lot of time had passed. Continuing to scan the room, her eyes soon came to rest on her "host"; his back was to her as he was pouring a drink at a small bar.
Quickly reaching into her pocket, she suddenly realized with surprise that her glamour spell was no longer active and she was again in her 'normal' ship attire. Even more surprising was that her weapons had not been confiscated: so,either this being was very confident or very stupid-either was not a particularly comforting thought.
Ignoring that unsettling piece of news for the moment, she wrapped her hand around the amulet that Devlin had given her...'ah, a way out, if the dwelling was not warded against such spells...but she would have to find out for certain, having no wish to lead her crew into a trap...'
As her host did not seem in any hurry to acknowledge her, she studied her surroundings in more detail-three large windows to her right...her host to her left and closed double doors behind her that would most likely lead to the rest of the dwelling...but what traps or guards lay beyond were unknown. 'Not a lot of options for an easy escape," the bard considered in frustration; adding to that, that this 'creature' seemed immune to her spells thus far.
So this little battle of wills would be waged with words...so be it, she was a well traveled bard...her words could flow and wrap any being in her web without the need for spell work...
"Are they still alive...?" Cierra asked suddenly, breaking the oppressive silence in the room. Until she could contact her crew, the boys were her only link to the outside.
"Who...those annoying Winchester's..." Crowley turned from the bar and waved his drink slightly in her direction, "they're like bleedin' cockroaches...cut off their heads and they still scurry about..."
Cierra smirks at the analogy, "sounds like you've tried before..."
Walking over to stand at the ornate rock and stone fireplace, Crowley snaps out, "we're not here to bandy about how annoying those two are..."
"Then perhaps you would be more forthcoming in your purpose for this rather insistent...invitation...?" Cierra countered.
"You are a most remarkable woman...quite different than anyone else I have ever encountered..." Crowley said expectantly.
Cierra nodded, replying blandly,"really...you must not get out much..."
"Now, such a beautiful and talented woman shouldn't sell herself short...you make me all warm and tingly inside...yes, dearie I sensed your little spell work back there..."Crowley countered, "I'm sure you are the center of attention everywhere you go..."
Cierra sat back in the chair and eyed the "man/demon" pointedly for a moment before asking dispassionately, "shall we continue to bandy false civility and platitudes or shall you tell me why I am here...?"
"Right to business then..." Crowley said as he took a seat opposite the bard, "you're not from around here..."
"Aye...we rather already established that fact earlier..." Cierra interrupted sarcastically.
"When I say not around here...I mean not from around here..." he emphasized,waving his hands in a small circular motion as he continued, "...as in here, on this planet. Don't try to deny it love, I felt it...that little ripple...when you 'popped' in..."
Mildly surprised and growing somewhat concerned at the "beings" claim to have 'felt' the time shift, the bard took some measure of comfort that he continued to refer to her singularly...standing to reason that this "demon" likely did not know, as yet, that she was indeed not alone and had not only the Winchester brothers, but also her own crew, soon to be looking for her. He had not doubt sensed the outward ripple and had not yet backtracked to its 'eye'...but, when she had left the ship, she carried the anomaly with her, making it easier to pinpoint the location of a smaller more concentrated source. If he could indeed sense her, then he would soon sense the ship and the rest of the crew...best to keep his focus on her for as long as possible.
"And this would concern a creature such as yourself...why...?" Cierra asked.
"I want to know how you did it...and why...?" Crowley demanded.
"I didn't do it...I have no spell that powerful..." Cierra said.
The demon eyed her, brow furrowed in frustration, as his gravely voice ground out impatiently, "well somebody bloody does...and you know who it is..."
The mounting argument was abruptly ended when they were both startled when the double doors leading out of the room suddenly flew open, revealing a cold faced man in a tan trench coat.
"We have to talk," Cass said, stepping into the room.
"I'm a little busy at the moment..." Crowley shot back.
"The Winchester's have informed me of the unusual circumstances surrounding your...guest...and they wish her to be returned..." Cass countered in his usual monotone.
"Well that's bloody well too bad...I'm not done with her yet..." the demon growled.
"Wait...you spoke to Sam and Dean...?" Cierra interjected, "who are you...?"
Looking at Cierra like he was seeing her for the first time, "you are the pirate woman...I can indeed sense the rippling of time as you are suspended between two worlds...you must tell us everything..."
"Tell you...?" Cierra said in surprise, shaking her head in confusion, "I have to say I am growing quite unsure of this apparent circular nature of alliance amongst those I have thus encountered..."
"I must return to the Winchesters shortly...we must do this quickly, and she must be returned to them..." Cass said, approaching the woman.
"What! I don't think so..." Crowley growled out angrily.
The angel stopped and turned towards the demon, stating evenly, "I know what it is you are seeking...and why...did you think to pursue this without gaining the attention of the other angels: already Raphael's forces also seek answers to the ripple. She did not come to this planet alone...even if we find source of the disturbance, we do not possess the needed item to locate and retrieve the physical manifestation—it lies with her crew...we must return her so that we can get to the item..."
"Did you say other angels...! You're an angel...and you-you're a demon...yet you converse as allies," Cierra said as she looked back and forth between the two 'men' in front of her, adding with trepidation, "...yet your tone implies a kinship to the Winchesters...to whom exactly do you claim allegiance...?"
Looking at the demon, who shot the angel with a smug look, Cass then replied simply, "it is complicated..."
"It is only as complicated as you wish to disguise ignoble deeds in righteous intent..." Cierra replied, "that both angel and demon share common intentions would be that all are in grave peril or that good finds the virtuous path frought with an overmuch of obstacle and thus chooses a path of less honorable means to achieve said goal..."
"That the end justifies the means..." Cass reiterated, "desperate times call upon the righteous to put aside virtue in favor of expediency for the sake of all who would suffer with their failure..."
"Then does that not make your path as dark as that of your enemies...?" Cierra asked as she fingered the charm in her pocket, wishing to dared to use it.
"This discourse into the ethics of my decisions is of no consequence..." Cass said, as he suddenly approached the woman, laying two fingers to her brow.
/SPN/Pirates/
Dean and Sam jumped up, when Cass suddenly appeared in their hotel room, an unconscious woman in his arms.
"You found her..." Dean exclaimed, guiding Cass to lay Cierra on the bed.
"Is she alright...?" Sam asked.
"She is fine...Crowley did not harm her..." Cass replied.
"How'd you get her out...?" Dean asked as he began assessing the unconscious woman for injuries.
"He did not think to have his latest lair 'angel proofed'..." Cass intoned.
"So he knows about the ship now too...awesome..." Dean grumbled, adding, "and how long before the angel squad tries the same thing...we gotta help these guys find this ship and get them back to their own world...this is just to dangerous for either side to have."
"Agreed, we must expidite the location of this vessel..." Cass readily agree, "we should return this woman to her crew immediately."
"Whoa, whoa...hold up there cowboy..." Dean said holding out his hands, "I've been poofed around enough today...I'd like to make sure she's alright before we go poofing back to the 'Jolly Roger' and its scary-assed crew; besides, we still need to go back to the museum and get those maps..."
Cass nodded, "Yes, the maps...we should retrieve those immediately before Raphael discovers the meaning of the time shift..."
"Listen, I'll stay here with Cierra...Sammy's the one who knows which maps to nab..." Dean said.
"Uh...yeah, sure..." Sam said mildly hesitant, "let's go Cass..."
When his little brother an angel had again disappeared, Dean sat down on the opposite bed. Looking intently at the unconscious woman he intoned quietly, "is it just me or was all this just a little too easy..."
/SUPERNATURAL/FREEPORT PIRATES/