Chapter 2
"I understand you have a request to make of me." Sao Feng said, walking in front of them. He stared at the three pirates as a tiger would stare at it's prey from behind the bars of a cage. Hungry for blood, yet restrained and composed. He stopped walking and stood still.
"More of a proposal to put to ye." Barbossa said. "I have a venture underway and happen to find myself in need of ship and a crew."
"Hm. This is an odd coincidence." Sao Feng said, scratching his head.
"Because you happen to have a ship and a crew you don't need?" Elizabeth said, a tone of hope in her voice.
"No. It is because..." Sao Feng continued, walking towards a bath where two of his men were standing by, one of them holding something rolled up, "earlier this day, not far from here, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple and tried to make off with these." He took the rolled up item and held it up. "The navigational charts. The route to the farthest gate. Wouldn't it be amazing if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?" Silver stared at them covetously, and Sao Feng noticed it. He threw the charts to Tai Huang who caught them. She sighed and turned back to the Lords.
"It would strain credulity at that." Barbossa said. Sao Feng nodded to Barbossa, then to his men. From the bath, they pulled will from it, his hands tied to a bamboo pole that stretched across his shoulders. He gasped for air and Sao Feng walked over to him.
"This is the thief. Is his face familiar to you?" he asked. The three all shook their heads.
"If you do not know this man's face," Sao Feng asked, grabbing Will's hair and pulling a bamboo knife out of it's sheath, "Then I guess he has no further need for it." Elizabeth and Silver gasped when he made a move to stab Will in the face. Sao turned around, glaring.
"So, you come into my city, and betray my hospitality." Sao Feng said, whatever restraint he had over himself quickly fading.
"Sao Feng, I assure you, I had no idea..." Barbossa started
"That he would get caught!" Sao Feng finished, loudly, pacing in front of them but not daring to look away, "You intend to attempt a voyage to Davy Jones' locker. When I cannot help but wonder, why?" Barbossa stared at him for a moment before tossing a piece of eight up at Sao Feng. He caught it. He blew on it once and eld it to his ear. Silver rubbed her ear with one of her long sleeves.
"The song has been sung." Barbossa said. "The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As one of the nine pirate lords you must honor the call." Sao Feng held the coin in his hand, then clasped it as the severity of the situation sank in.
"More steam." he ordered softly. The woman pulled the lever, but the steam didn't come.
"More Steam!" Sao Feng commanded. The woman was confused, but pulled the lever again. Silver looked down, then stepped forward.
"P-Please sir, whatever assistance we can gain from any pirate lord would be most appreciated." she said
"And who are you?" Sao Feng growled, making Silver take a step back, hiding behind Barbossa.
"My servant." Barbossa said, "We need those charts to help us in freeing these waters. It was the first Brethren Court gave us rule of the seas. That rule has been challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett."
"Against the East India Trading Company, what value is the Brethren Court? What can any of us do?" Sao Feng asked
"You can fight!" Elizabeth stepping forward. A man put an arm on her shoulder, but she pulled away. "Get off me! You are Sao Feng, the pirate lord of Singapore! Would you have that era come to an end on your watch?" Elizabeth continued. "The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy, and yet you sit here, cowering in your bath water!" Sao Feng smiled slightly and walked forward calmly, his collected composure taking hold.
"Elizabeth Swann, there's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?" Sao Feng said into her ear before walking away. "And the eye does not go wanting. But I cannot help but notice." he stood with his back facing them, standing between the two women, "You have failed to answer my question. What is it you seek in Davy Jones' locker?"
"Jack Sparrow." Will and Silver said in unison. Both the women giggled, but once Sao snapped his head to glare at them, they stopped.
"He's one of the pirate lords." Will said. Sao Feng turned away from them, glaring at the floor, his hand touching the large scar on his bald head.
"The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead," Sao Feng said, "is so I can send him back myself!" He kicked over a bucket of water, quickly turning and pointing to Barbossa, "Both him, and that wretched daughter of his!" He turned away from the pirates, and Barbossa quickly moved next to him.
"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight." he said, "He failed to pass it along to his successor before he died. So we must go and get him back."
"And where is that daughter? The one I've heard so much about?" Sao Feng asked, looking away from Barbossa.
"She remained on Tortuga, waiting for her father's return." Barbossa answered. Sao Feng paid Barbossa no attention. He only stared at the back of one man. He bore that tattoo that only his crew wear, but the sweat made the ink slide off.
"So," Sao Feng said, calmly, "you admit, you have deceived me. Weapons!" He quickly drew his sword. The men in the bathtubs all stood, swords in hand. Barbossa backed away, standing between Silver and Elizabeth.
"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honorable." Barbosa said, his hands out. Swords flew up from between the floorboards into both of Elizabeth and Barbossa's hands. Silver looked down and stomped on the floor.
"Where's mine?" she asked. Sao Feng pulled forward the man with the dripping tattoo and put a sword to his neck.
"Drop your weapons, or I kill the man!" he commanded. Barbossa looked at Silver, who only shrugged, then back at Sao Feng.
"Kill him, he's not our man." Barbossa said
"If he's not with you, and he's not with us... Who's he with?" Will asked. Suddenly, the doors were broken through and East India Trading Company soldiers burst into the room. Silver threw off her robe, throwing it into one man's face, revealing the harnesses of pistols, the two sword at her side, and the shield she wore on her back.
She drew her enchanted pistols and fired them continuously at the soldiers. It did not stop them from coming, so she put them back in their holsters and drew one of her swords, running one man through and slicing at several others. Se locked blades with one man and pulled off her hair to shove into his face, using it as a distraction to slice his neck. Afterwards, she realized. Her disguise was off. Sao Feng stared, newfound fury growing as he stared at her, with her kraken tattoo, her one gloved hand, her gold earring and her short black hair. This wasn't a girl named "Silver".
"Jewel Sparrow." He seethed
"Oh bugger. Can you not kill me now?" Jewel asked, "Because unless you've forgotten, we're fighting a losing battle." The soldiers had managed to push them back into the bathhouse, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Sao Feng, Tai Huang, and Jewel standing together.
An explosion broke through the floorboards in front of them, the crew of the Black Pearl coming out of it to even the odds.
"SA!" Sao yelled, holding his sword up. Every pirate in the bathhouse swarmed out of the building, the soldiers hot on their heels. Jewel squirmed her way ahead so as to not face Sao Feng, but then had to duck a sword aiming for her head. She stood up and stabbed the man in the back, continuing her running, suddenly realizing she couldn't see any familiar face in the crowd.
"Keep moving!" Barbossa ordered from somewhere in the horde. Jewel nodded and ran through the streets of Singapore, dodging soldiers when she had a chance, and fighting them when she had no choice.
It was on more than one occasion she had to bring her shield forward to defend herself from blows, be they from a sword, pistol, or musket. It was also useful for slamming soldiers into a wall, or smacking them in the head. But even with her new pistols, Jewel very much preferred her good old cutlass.
She found herself surrounded on both sides of a street by soldiers. Ahead of her on a bridge, Barbossa was sword fighting another man. In the distance, there was a spark and a scream as something flew through the air. Jewel ducked and watched it fly behind her, still sparking in a pile of... fireworks.
"Oh bugger." she said, jumping into the water as the building exploded behind her. Jewel continued swimming, keeping as close to the bottom of the water as she could, until she needed air of course. She stopped when she reached the docks, climbing up and keeping to the shadows. She yelped when a hand grabbed her shoulder.
"Why are you wet, Sparrow?" Barbossa asked
"I was forced to take the most wet possible route here, my apologies." Jewel responded, looking behind him at their crew, "Everyone accounted for?"
"All but one." Barbossa said
"Will." Jewel said
"Young Turner is safe." Tia Dalma said. "But he is late."
"Lets keep moving, else we'll attract unwanted attention." Barbossa said. The crew all agrred and followed as they walked through the docks, Elizabeth pushed her way forward.
"Have either of you seen Will since the attack?" She asked the pirates
"No, I lost sight of all of you." Jewel shook her head
"I believe we should trust our own madame Dalma's words or Master Turner's safety." Barbossa said. They turned a corner and saw a familiar face walking toward them. Will strode forward, followed by Tai Huang and his men, holding the charts.
"You have the charts?" Barbossa asked
"And better yet," Will said, tossing Barbossa the charts, but Jewel reached to catch them, "a ship and a crew." Jewel unrolled the charts and ran her hand over the drawings.
"Where's Sao Feng?" Elizabeth asked
"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove." Will said
"This way, be quick." Tai Huang said, leading the way along the docks.
"How did you get these and the ship, and the crew?" Jewel asked, hurrying to catch up to Will while rolling up the charts.
"It's complicated." Came Will's only response.