AN:

Hey!

It's finally done, I've finished the second story and can start publishing new chapters before moving onto the third installment. Yay!

So here you go, the first of the rest. Huge thanks for your patient wait and all those who have favorited or started to follow this story during my absence. It's you I do this for, so your support makes me but overjoyed!

I'll check on the next chap as soon as am able and have it out in a jiffy after a good night's sleep.

Entry 11

The robust man towering over me put down his weapon instantly at the sound of my name, the Captain of the destroyed vessel wearing a pensive frown when his striking eyes looked to me in interest, measuring me as I stared back at him while remained crouched by Miranda's side. Him scouring my drenched features for a moment, as if assessing me until jabbed his sword to a cracked board with a quirk of his eyebrows upon assumably reaching an appraisal about me. The look in his eyes telling me that it was me who was in an utter disadvantage about his identity, as for my surprise he seemed to know me better than I expected from a complete stranger.

"So ye're the lucky lad, eh?" he stated, his irises glancing at Miranda before they continued to return my stare. "Well looks like ye're even luckier now upon yer appearance just as she was giving up on finding ye."

"Excuse me?" I asked, not following as the Captain folded his burly arms while nodded towards Miranda.

"For the past weeks she's tried to track ye down. Followed ye trail all the way here, until we were..."

I was stunned at first, searching for words as my gaze moved between Miranda and the Englishman, whose eyes instead started to roam about the deck of his decimated ship in understandable chagrin as his attention was lastly directed to the deceased members of his crew. Me shaking my head as tried to keep up with what the man had just said. "What do you mean about tracking me down? You…you said she boarded your vessel at Port Royal…You mean she ran away?"

"Quite."

"But…why?" I accosted, dumbfounded, not understanding why she would ever do something so stupid as to leave her newly acquired life of comfort behind for me to discover her in middle of this devastation, injured and disguised as a man. Me eyeing at her sleeping face in bafflement as took in her head wound again, not being able to fathom how she could've committed to do something so reckless as to venture to the midway of the Caribbean Sea just to find me. Strange feeling taking over me then as the last time we'd met came back to my mind as an arduous recollection and the uncomfortable nature of it turned me quite unsettled, regret and anger both shadowing my sense of concern as I heard the man to walk closer to us.

"It's for her to tell why she needed to find ye so urgently. Though from the unflagging way she left no island unturned to gain on ye I assumed there to be more than friendship between ye that drove her to follow ye this far from home…"

I was quiet then, even entitled to my anger it starting to turn into guilt against my will as I thought to understand at least part of Miranda's motivation to be here, responding a bit tensely. "She's told you?"

"Everything."

"Then I don't want to be kept in the dark any more than you apparently have."

I stood as faced the Captain of the Cornucopia with a serious countenance, nodding towards him inquisitively, as well as honestly curious about this man Miranda had apparently come to trust during her stay aboard his vessel. "Who are you?"

"Edward McConaughey is the name."

"What happened here?" I asked, as well directing a wondering look over the deck, where Captain McConaughey's features were taken over by fleeting rage. Him snorting at a corpse of a Spaniard I hadn't noticed until now amongst the dead, the floating body happening to get caught by the waves a little farther away from us, until the Englishman kicked it away before the deceased man crashed against us.

"Where to start? First these Spanish privateer trusses boarded us, trying to loot us bear to the bone, until in middle of the bloodletting we gained unexpected assistance from hell itself."

"You weren't the only ones to survive. I found a few men still alive when I rowed over here", I informed, at first ignoring the baffling words he'd used to describe the events that had left him and Miranda stranded to this archipelago, beckoning towards the stern as Captain McConaughey frowned, surprised.

"How many?"

"Three as much as I know."

"We're all that's left then", McConaughey sneered, now kicking a hunk of a railing in frustration. "Me cargo, me ship, me crew…all gone and dragged to blazes by that monster…"

I frowned at the Captain's remark, after thinking a moment having an inkling of its meaning while revised the oddities I'd discovered at the scene after boarding the wreck, the things I'd heard from Gibbs that had been but supported by the voodoo priestess' tales causing me to come to reconsider the situation I'd walked into after leaving the Pearl but skepticism in mind. Me looking at the faceless man behind Mr. McConaughey until I examined the gaping tears on the deck, starting to understand that all the damages and the fact that the vessel was practically resting on top of the rocks it had been stuck couldn't have been caused by a mere accident alone.

"You crashed against these rocks during the attack?" I questioned, the gloomy expression of the man confirming my suspicions as we locked gazes, Mr. McConaughey wiping some blood from his eyes.

"No. The Devil did it."

I froze due to the sinister sound of that phrase, my attention then however drawn behind me as both of us heard a series of wails, the Captain walking past me and wading back into the water as we saw Miranda to stir awake. Her turning on her side and eventually rising clumsily as her hands couldn't steady themselves onto the slippery deck, her ragged breathing clinging to her lungs a little, as she peered towards the bow with a terrified breath after trying to shake off the evident lightheadedness caused by the blow to her head. Momentarily at loss about where she was and when, calling out the Captain in desperation after slowly taking in the amount of bodies and refuse surrounding her, me not knowing how to react when I watched her to be startled by the hands of the man's she sought, bringing her around. Miranda actually surprising me by springing upward to embrace the Captain with a relieved utterance, before squeezing her eyes shut in agony, Captain McConaughey helping her to lay back down when her hand set upon her forehead. Due to her disorientation her not noticing me to stand behind the man, with mixed feelings me not either making my presence known, only listening to her as she engaged into a conversation with the Englishman. Regardless of what I'd decided during these past weeks while my thoughts had shifted to her me in fact now realizing to have missed the sound of her voice, the ire that had nested into me since the day of our last parting however preventing me from taking the defining step to go to the man's side, despite of my worry.

"Me heid", Miranda bemoaned, Captain McConaughey moving away her hair in turn to take a look at the wound decorating the edge of her forehead, Miranda's eyes closing and opening in middle of darting about haphazardly. Not being able to focus on anything longer than a few seconds, her clearly not making close to anything out of her surroundings if it weren't for McConaughey's voice that spoke to her then in amusement.

"Aye, ye clashed with the deck quite hard upon making that dive in the water", the man responded, pressing Miranda back down once she attempted to sit up. "Ye may have a concussion…Do ye hurt anywhere else? Is it hard to breathe?"

"Me chest… aches", Miranda replied, McConaughey countering by moving away her shirt a bit to feel her chest area with his fingers (rather proficiently in my opinion, signaling that the man knew what he was doing), before examined her ribs with a few gentle presses more .

"The mast fell on top of ye when ye were underwater. I didn't dare to move ye much when ye were unconscious as some of yer bones might've been broken. Ye should take it easy until the pain either subsides or remains the same, when we can be sure of yer state."

"Th' hell wi' that, we must get awa' from 'ere afore that thing comes back", Miranda stated, confounding me as much as her Captain had as I watched her to grab McConaughey's collar, hoisting herself upward even at the risk of broken bones as her errant gaze looked to my direction. The lack of pain on her visage however telling me her to have remained mostly intact, after squinting and blinking furiously at the filtering light of the lamp up on the mast, her expression turning incredulous once her eyes finally focused on me. Her clearly hesitating about what she saw, Captain McConaughey giving in with a quirk of brows as in turn helped her on her feet with one brisk lift of his arm. Miranda shaking her head as I matched her stare my own slightly reserved, her taking support from McConaughey's shoulder as her hand stretched towards me in slight amusement too.

"Ye might be right Edward, I did skelp me heid, hard. Because I think I'm seeing things…"

All words stuck in my throat to gainsay her remark I couldn't help but take a swift step forward when she abruptly missed one herself, one of the deck's planks giving in under her boot and she wavered, McConaughey 's arm failing to grasp her falling body in time so she thudded straight against me. My arms trying to steady her as her head popped up to look at me in the eye, Miranda's hands starting to fumble me in confusion as she attempted to clear her senses. While scrutinizing me so carefully with such a dubious expression on her face her actually causing me close to laugh when she looked like she was intoxicated. Her eyebrows wrinkling once she now had a thought, me waiting for her to finally wrap her mind around the fact that it truly was me standing there as her forefinger jabbed me lightly. Me not being sure did a smile in fact spread on my lips then as for the first time in a long while I gazed upon my dear friend.

"Wait a minute…"

Tumultuous sound of splashing water suddenly took all three of us by surprise then, still not quite liberated of her foggy state of mind Miranda cringing backwards from my arms in middle of piecing together her hazy observations, as all of our eyes were instantly directed to the starboard side of the wreckage. Captain McConaughey catching Miranda in time before he shared my dismay upon witnessing how an actual ship burst through the surface of the water disturbed only by the drops of rain. My eyes widening when I watched the tree masted fluyt to emerge right in front of our eyes out of the ocean, the enormous surfs hitting against the Cornucopia, rocking the wreck and in turn caused Miranda to tip over against the gunwale. Her equally widened eyes gawking at the surfaced vessel as she took hold of the shroud to stay on her feet when the risen waves spilled onto the deck, Captain McConaughey and me following the ship to glide by the wreckage's side until I jumped onto the railing myself to have a better look at it. Only one thought crossing my mind as I realized Tia Dalma's prediction to have pointed to the correct location after all. The name that was barely readable under the seaweed and other sea life that coated the vessel from hull to sails causing me to release an amazed breath, where Captain McConaughey gasped for utter shock.

"It's here", I breathed, in disbelief now that the true Flying Dutchman had made its foretold appearance, from the corner of my eye seeing Captain McConaughey to shake his head at the unnatural sight.

"Impossible."

"Oh me god."

I turned to look at Miranda, her face mirroring the same terror as her voice had hold when she stood shakily, her bemusement however changing to sheer surprise as she once again came to notice my presence after Captain McConaughey had shoved her hat in her hand and ordered her to conceal her hair. But this time she faced me with eyes that seemed clearer, less dithering when she examined me for a few seconds while indeed covered her locks, her baffled countenance joined by a ghost of a smile as our gazes remained locked.

"William?"

I had no time to react either now as in the same moment her momentary joy was taken away by another falter in her balance that caused her to flop down against the gunwale, her features in the next split of a second getting consumed by horror as I saw her stiffen. Her arm shooting upward to reach towards Captain McConaughey, before she pointed towards the stern of the ship, unable to speak as her moment of clarity was yet again fading and she was on the verge of fainting. Her odd behavior however alerting me enough for me to turn to the direction she'd pointed, to be shocked myself when I next saw figures appear on the deck of the wreckage. Beings more than men pushing out of the ship's masts all covered with crustaceans and barnacles just like the fabled ship, the presumed crew of the Dutchman lunging forth and spreading about the remnants of the vessel, discovering and capturing the survivors before for the dismay of Captain McConaughey and me dragged them with them back into the structures of the ship. The Englishman taking out his sword after directing a scowl towards Jones' men as one of them then approached us, stopping a few meters away to gaze up to me while bared his weapon for us to surrender.

"Down on your marrow bones and pray!"

"Not bloody likely. Not aboard me ship!" Captain McConaughey exclaimed, striding forth to plunge his sword through the crewman's shoulder after he'd leapt forward to attack me. Me watching the man to dodge the swing of the chain-shot with a roar before took the crewman by surprise, glancing over his shoulder at me.

"Take Randa. I'll keep this merman at bay!"

With a nod I swung down from the gunwale, missing the swing of the crewman's weapon upon landing until Captain McConaughey charged at my attacker once more, due to his remarkable size finding the strength to force the crewman to retreat while offered me an opening to go fetch Miranda. Like once before me coming to think not to ever want to be engaged in a fight with the man, as from the first moment I'd seen McConaughey he'd seemed a handful even to a skillful swordsman like me. For that reason convinced him to be able to fend for himself me attempting to run to Miranda, however not getting far when two other crewmen appeared to join the skirmish, me blocking the attack of the first sailor who came at me with a sword, until was faced with his comrade. With a couple of slashes me managing to prove superior to him and caused him to pull back, before he was soon joined by a third crewman whose sword clashed with mine, our short confrontation coming to an end by Captain McConaughey's weapon that broke the connection by slicing through our crossed blades. The man twirling to the scene with a powerful thrust of his blade directed at the crewman's neck, us both frowning when the lethal blow proved to have no effect, me turning around myself to cover our backs with a series of swift slashes that disarmed by own assailant. Giving me time to finally look to Miranda's direction to see her to have regained full consciousness again, with flimsy steps stumbling her way to the other side of the deck a couple of Jones' men at her wake, her taking down one with a careful aimed hit of an oar she'd recovered from amongst the wreckage until she hold up a sword she came upon while running from her opponents.

I forgot my previous concern for her safety as for my utmost bafflement saw her succeed in slashing her weapon at the crewman before plunged it deep into his chest (her mastery over the weapon as well as technique nevertheless both not even close acceptable). The crewman however falling down and allowing Miranda to flee towards the stern, her grasping to the railing as her eyes looked up to us in worry, me shaking my head at her when she apparently intended to be foolish enough to come to our aid. Such an action only killing her, her in the end getting speared from further fighting when one of our adversaries had also taken notice of her, after detecting my stare the crewman intentionally allowing Captain McConaughey's sword to cut into his torso, only for him to merge into the mast by we'd been driven in the heat of the fight. Both of our eyes shortly seeking the disappeared crewman until after a few strikes delivered at our numerous assailants we saw the sailor to emerge again behind Miranda, although she heard him her attempt to thwart him with a blow of her weapon failing when her sword hand was clasped by the crewman, him wrapping an arm around her before hauled her towards the Captain's cabin. Me feeling my eyes widen when just like Captain McConaughey's men she vanished without a trace, only her sword remaining that fell onto the deck. McConaughey freeing himself under the pressure of his opponent's attack as like me turned to stare at her weapon, his gaze sweeping the wreckage.

"Randa!"

I winced as one of the crewmen surroundings us managed to nick me while I was distracted by Miranda's abduction, me retaliating with a powerful counterblow before cut off the crewman's sword hand, Captain McConaughey following my lead by misleading another crewman to block a supposed attack to his head while the man sliced his knee. The crewman losing his leg from knee down and fell prone on the deck. Only to be replaced by a cluster of their comrades, but the two of us standing against Jones' whole crew preventing us to find a way to escape the situation as long as we'd be stuck enclosed around the main mast.

"There be no dead left for ye to claim. Get off me ship ye scallions!" McConaughey shouted, jumping forward to drive the crewmen back with admittedly apt attacks, but while he attempted to keep his ground against four to five men at once he was soon upperhanded. Me turning on my heels once I heard him release a cry of agony, noticing him to have gained a wide gash from one of his opponent's axes, the man retreating against the mast his sword held in front of him protectively while his right arm was pressed against his side. Him swinging his blade and warding off the crewmen's weapons with the tip of his own with enraged snarls, me coming to realize us not to stand much longer chance at the mercy of Jones' crew if things would continue the same way, me thinking a moment until my eyes located the lamp I'd hung to the mast. Plan forming in my mind faster than I could think it through once my gaze fell down to see the barrel that stood next to me, the smell of it telling me it to contain oil. Captain McConaughey catching my drift and nodded his head towards the lamp before staved the blow of a crewman that lunged at me, giving me the time to act by countering his attack and kicking him at his comrades as I dipped my blade into the oil. Managing to turn the tables around by surprising the assaulting crewmen once I next broke the lamp, the sword catching immediate fire and I stretched it out to force our opponents away from us.

I swung the sword from one side to another, ordering the crewmen to back away, them cringing at the face of the fire until the bravest of them did attempt to attack. Captain McConaughey taking care of the ones advancing from our right side where I stopped the sailor who'd vaulted forward to bring his sword down at me, only to have his stomach sliced open. Me and Captain McConaughey witnessing in repulsion how instead of his insides fishes poured onto the deck at our feet, the crewmen shoving his injured comrade out of the way as I next felt something hit against the mast. One glance over my shoulder telling me it to have been a sword that had missed my own comrade's head by an inch before he drove its owner back, only to have his weapon stuck between the sharp corals on his chest, before he earned a blow to his jaw. Sending him backwards against me, because of this me missing a swing of another crewman's blade but didn't expect to be attacked from behind right after, Captain McConaughey's warning coming too late when I felt something to strike me on the head as well. My vision blurring instantly, but I fought against the unconsciousness that started to overcome me, dulling my senses and taking away the command over my body. Me in the end losing the battle as after a couple of seconds fell on my knees, hearing my sword drop as I collapsed onto the fish stained deck myself right after my weapon. The laughter of the Dutchman's crew in my ears until my eyes closed, just faintly hearing Captain McConaughey voice to propose surrender before I passed out.

I listened to th' snivels o' me fellow crewmen as me heid fell doon to me hauns once mair, me nae helpin' but releasin' another pained breath as me fingers stretched back to massage me scalp. Me heid seemin' lik' a heavy anchor that felt lik' explodin' whenever th' motion o' me fingers ceased, th' throbbin' pain scramblin' me brain for fleeting moments whenever I felt lik' faintin'. Me however doin' everythin' I could to remain awake, me straightenin' me posture again as directed me eyes to me right to one o' Edward's men, who was starin' at th' deck utterly catatonic. Th' Asian man's visage completely blank 'n' nae reflectin' his current state o' mind, where th' rest o' th' men were visibly frantic. Scared oot o' their wits, very much lik' me as weel, as a proof o' this me jerkin' backwards wance one o' those fish lik' creatures who'd snatched us from th' Cornucopia daunered past me. Me holdin' back an urge to swallow wance I was confronted wi' th' sinister eyes that keeked back at me from that heid o' a real shark he had in place o' a human heid, it turnin' towards me wance me gaze had risen to tak' in his unnatural demeanor perhaps to mak' sure I wasn't still dreamin', me swiftly droppin' me eyes 'n' foldin' me arms in me lap. Tryin' to understand what was happenin' 'n' who were these men…but they weren't men, noo were they?

In addition to me terror to have woken amidst yet another confusin', mindblowingly unreal situation that couldn't be but a creation o' me hit heid, I was stairtin' to get nervous when efter th' survivors o' Edward's crew had been taken ower to the appeared ship 'n' seated by th' gunwale to a single line, minutes passed 'n' I didn't see either Edward or William to be brought along wi' us. Me immense joy o' discoverin' William in this maist unconventional situation diminishin' when I instantly stairted to fret for his 'n' Edward's safety wance I was becomin' mair lik' meself again, th' disorientation lessening, while rememberin' 'em to have been completely ootnumbered against th' invadin' crew me ceaselessly peerin' towards th' remains o' Cornucopia to get a glimpse o' 'em. Growin' all th' while mair fearful when sounds o' swordfightin' could be heard across th' water between th' two vessels, accompanied by Edward's distinct exclaims o' anger. Me eyes dartin' aboot subtly as I eyed at th' fish lik' men guardin' us 'n' took in th' equally streenge keekin' ship that lik' its crew was all covered in aquatic flora and faun (as could be expected from a vessel that had juist sprung oot o' th' ocean). Me although hampered but still clear enough mind nae bein' able to wrap aroond all that had led me to this moment, stairtin' from that tentacled monster that had torn me ship to bits… What th' heck was goin' on in 'ere?

Although strongly shaken 'n' baffled I wasn't equally petrified as me fellow crewmen, efter a few moments o' waitin' me leanin' forth a bit to see which o' 'em had survived efter thinkin' everyone to have been devoured either by th' sea creature or th' ocean itself during th' attack. Findin' both Larry 'n' Rudy to have made it thro' alive, but neither o' 'em speared me a glance when they were juist lik' th' others, too horrified to do anythin' but sit still, shakin' throughoot for unspeakable dread I could see in their eyes. Larry's fingers squeezed aroond a crucifix, his lips at times twitchin' as a sign o' a silent prayer, which truthfully surprised me as I hadn't realized 'im to be a religious man. But I suppose he needed somethin' to seek protection from, as all men sittin' oan me right side were at th' verge o' loosin' th' remains o' their sanity, 'n' I wasn't th' one to blame 'em. Feelin' me ain reason to be mair than challenged efter at first gettin' almost killed by somethin' none o' us could explain as anything but a nightmare come true, afore gettin' upperhanded by a crew o' similar type o'... I didn't even ken how to call 'em. Hence taken th' insane nature o' how things had turned oot efter th' run in wi' th' Spanish privateers, what we'd faced today would've driven anyone mad, me simply sendin' pityin' glances at th' bloodied 'n' wounded men as concentrated oan keepin' me ain fear under control. As someone who didn't find solace in faith as I wasn't that pious meself (aside weekly visits at church that was mair lik' a habit learned from maw than an obligation), I had only th' sound o' me reason to prevent me from becomin' as disabled as during that monster's attack should a freish danger yet arise, tellin' meself to remain calm 'n' tried to keep me heid injury from either overwhelmin' me too much. One o' th' many rocks weighin' me hert soon shiftin' when in th' followin' moment I finally saw both William 'n' Edward to emerge to th' deck wi' th' rest o' th' returnin' ship's crew, relief takin' ower me as me eyes instantly fixated ontae William, who however caused me concern when I saw 'im to be unconscious. Me straightenin' me posture as watched 'im to be hauled across th' deck 'til he was dumped by me side, Edward instead jerkin' 'imself free o' one o' th' crewmen's grip 'n' daunered ower to us. Me supportin' William to th' best o' me ability to prevent 'im from fallin' ontae th' deck, placin' 'im against th' rail as examined 'im. Edward's voice givin' an answer to th' question in me mind as William's heid rested against me arm shortly.

"He's just out cold, nothing serious."

"What happened?" I inquired, me fingers performin' a swift search aroond William's scalp in turn 'n' findin' a wee wound from th' back o' his heid.

"We tried to resist these buggers but had to admit our defeat. He was the first to give in, but not without a fight before he was cowardly stricken from behind…"

Edward directed a remarkable scowl towards th' crewmen who simply leered back wi'oot a response, me lettin' oot a sigh as took a moment to goup at William wi' care. Findin' meself breakin' intae a gentle smile, for th' first time since seein' 'im all those long weeks ago me realizin' how much I'd longed to see 'im. His familiar freatures wance ootlined by me irises again fillin' me wi' such warmth 'n' ease that for a moment I forgot where we were, me still nae believin' how from all th' places I'd searched for 'im I'd stumbled upoan 'im 'ere...Juist as I'd stairted to give up oan findin' 'im…'n' 'ere he was.

"He's a handsome lad", Edward remarked wi' abruptly hushed voice, takin' a seat as I made a concurrin' nod efter directin' a wonderin' glance to his direction.

"Too handsome in fact…"

Me thoughts reeled back to th' time at Port Royal, oor last moment together afore oor temporary separation 'n' maist o' all th' argument that I'd come to regret mair than anythin'. Th' weeks followin' William's departure givin' me plenty o' insight to what I must've made 'im feel wi' me inability to meet 'im halfwey, which then had escalated intae oor terms becomin' even further complicated. Wance noo gazin' at th' man I cared for me nae even darin' to think aboot th' possibility that they would remain unresolved as so much time had went by wi'oot me being able to mend for th' harm I'd caused…Me ponders naturally neist turnin' to Elizabeth 'n' me uncle, th' current circumstances back at home that had brought me all th' wey 'ere. But afore I had time to brin' intae question what William was doin' 'ere at this remote archipelago in th' first place instead o' scourin' all th' islands o' th' Caribbean for clues aboot Sparrow, he then gasped awake suddenly. Woken by me light touch 'n' he sat up wi' a breath, his haun whippin' towards his belt to draw his sword but was stopped by mine that grasped his forearm appeasingly. William quickly takin' in his surroundings 'n' th' spread oot crewmen, 'til he faced me wi' a wee frown, me smile widenin' as he relaxed under me touch 'n' locked gazes wi' me. Me liftin' up an automatic haun to touch his cheek as worry took ower me again, me gaze inquisitive 'til I then made a doilt browliftin' when I noticed his coupon to be covered wi' somethin' slimy. It givin' aff a fishy odor.

"Are ye awright? Are ye hurt?"

"Careful", Edward interrupted, snatchin' me wrist 'n' prevented me from touchin' William any further, leanin' closer to me wance I turned to 'im in confusion, questionable. Th' hammerheid eyein' at us intently 'til his eyes moved oan to scrutinize th' rest o' Edward's crewmen. "Ye keep acting too familiar with him and they'll know something's off about ye. The best protection ye have now is to keep up the act and withhold the fact that ye're a woman… Ye don't want to tip them off, do ye?"

I got his point 'n' refrained from me previous intent o' familiarity. While pullin' th' hat deeper ontae me heid instead simply keekin' at William, who seemed to have been equally surprised by Edward's reaction, but soon I saw his visage to turn from puzzled to reserved. Indignant even, 'til his features mellowed to a less immovable vexation. Th' unintentional tenderness o' me ain coupon disappearing wance he turned his eyes awa' from me to goup at th' crewmen in front o' us, freein' his arm from me hold. His noncarin' reaction in fact stupefyin' me 'til I understood th' likely cause for his indifference, me ain gaze droppin' when he replied wi' but a couple o' curt words instead o' tellin' me how glad he was to see me again. Because that's what I wanted to tell 'im 'n' what I deep in me hert wished 'im to say, where taken all that had occurred back at Port Royal it was no wonder I received such a cold shoulder from 'im.

"I'm fine", he stated, liftin' his arm to rub th' side o' his neck afore took notice o' th' slime oan his skin 'imself. Apparently knowin' what it was as he then made a disgusted grimace 'til wiped his haun to his breeches, ignorin' me quizzical goup to save 'imself from elaboratin' th' origin o' th' goo that smelled o' fishes' entrails.

That knot from several weeks past resurfaced 'n' turned intae a quagmire in me stomach, but as this clearly wasn't th' time to try to explain meself to 'im nae only by his disinterest to talk to me but th' definitely nae safe situation we'd found oorselves in, regardless o' th' disappointment 'n' dejection his behavior inflicted I decided it best to let 'im be as leant against th' gunwale. Squeezin' me eyes shut when I could feel yet another wave o' dizziness comin', me slowin' me breathin' as pinched me haun to remain conscious, hearin' Edward's voice to query me condition.

"Is the pain worse?"

"Naw. But bad enough", I breathed. "How long will I remain lik' this?"

"From days to a week at most. It depends on the severity of the blow and the patient in question. But as ye are awake and can act quite normally, I think ye'll be just fine... I need to examine ye better wance the situation is more to our favor."

"If we live that long…" I whispered, noticin' William to lever a glance to me direction afore I stole another mystified keek at th' crewmen, in utmaist dismay. "What are those things?"

"Nothing good, I tell ye that", Edward remarked. "It might yet turn out us to have been better off dead when their Captain joins us..."

"Who?" I asked again, a tad mair nervous 'n' baffled due to th' severity o' Edward's coupon, William followin' suite by turnin' rather somber 'imself.

"Davy Jones. Captain of the Flying Dutchman."

Efter William had filled in th' blanks 'n' given an inkling to th' identity o' these horrid men lik' beings that had attacked us, I wasn't able to deny that I wasn't stairtin' frustratingly to play wi' th' plausible idea that we were were goin' to get killed by this eery brigade o' mermen. But takin' awa' me chance to worry aboot oor fate further, but also only addin' to me awready existin' fears, a sound o' footsteps cut th' formed tension. Or perhaps made it worse, me nae seein' anyone to cross th' deck when th' constant thump o' what reminded me o' a wooden object hittin' against th' floorboards kept oan comin' closer, efter a couple o' seconds mair th' explanation appearin' as a form o' a man who stepped oot o' th' shadows. Th' presumed Captain o' this abnormal crew (as th' fish people aroond us all turned towards th' approachin' figure) stalkin' towards us leisurely, greeted by th' shark heided crewman who faced 'im wance he came to an expectant halt by his side. Causin' chills to run doon me spine when I saw somethin' slither around his jaw under th' brim o' his large tricorne hat, 'til th' Captain revealed his coupon to th' awaitin' survivors o' th' shipwreck. Nae only me takin' in a startled breath wance we saw th' Captain's beard to consist o' several long tentacles that framed his squid lik' features, his eyes but cruel 'n' cold as they keeked us ower, afore he fully turned to his First Mate. To eagerly keek elsewhere from th' Captain's equally horrendous appearance me ain irises fallin' to see his right leg to have been indeed replaced wi' a wooden one.

"Seven men still alive, the rest have moved on", th' First Mate announced, Captain Jones instantly stridin' forth to tak' a better keek at us. Me tensin' up against me will when he daunered past me wi' tardy steps 'n' I behold a big claw o' a crab push far oot o' th' sleeve o' his jacket instead o' a human haun, unpleasant tinglin' causin' th' hairs oan me arms to rise when I found his other limb to be as inhumane wi' another tentacle wrapped aroond th' otherwise manlik' wrist. Wi' a shudder me gazin' doon swiftly afore carefully followed 'im to advance by th' line o' men behind th' brim o' me ain hat, watchin' 'im stop wance Rudy's loud whimper caught his attention. Th' Captain bendin' doon to his level 'n' leant close to 'im, to examine 'im, while Rudy kept his eyes fixated ontae th' deck. Th' tentacles oan th' Captain's coupon strokin' th' sailor's cheeks, Captain Jones neist takin' a pipe from under his coat, th' noise o' th' lit lighter soundin' in th' silence portentously as th' Captain's attention returned back to th' shiverin' crewman. Smoke eruptin' atween his lips wance he started to speak, th' men stiffenin' at th' sound o' it, th' Scottish accent only turnin' his tone mair forebodin' as he wasn't only talkin' to Rudy but to all o' us. Th' half dead wrecks o' sailors we wance were, bleedin' 'n' in pain, beggin' for an release in some part o' us…at least that's what he seemed to think while addressin' us, takin' advantage o' th' fear he saw displayed oan th' crewmen's coupons while he towered ower 'em lik' an accursed proxy sent to tak' oor souls.

"Do ye fear death? Do ye fear that dark abyss?"

I finally blinked efter goupin' at Davy Jones wi' Rudy, his question hangin' in th' air oppressive 'n' sinister as an exhale comin' oot o' a funnel at his jawline put oot th' flame o' his pistol styled tinder lighter. Efter a curt moment o' silence me seein' Rudy to nod, to give in to th' Captain's insinuation, seemingly pleasin' th' monstrous man as there was a spark o' malevolent satisfaction in his irises once he addressed th' sailor again, his goup unyieldin' as it urged the man to meet it.

"All yer deeds laid bare. All yer sins punished. I can offer you an escape", Captain Jones continued, his voice noo carryin' an unmistakable tint o' assurity that drove to convince these poor devils to defer to their fears. Enticin' 'em wi' his words that seemed to succeed to strike a right chord in Rudy, th' man keekin' up at th' Captain at th' promise o' remission, th' oot o' control quiver o' his body ceasin'.

"Don't listen to him!" Larry exclaimed suddenly, me turnin' me surprised eyes to 'im as Davy Jones' heid jerked upward violently, his attention shiftin' to th' cross holdin' man who regardless o' his fear o' 'im didn't seem weak enough to submit wance he walked ower to 'im wi' a fleeting infuriated scowl. Me frownin' slightly as followed Larry to simply ogle at th' crucifix clasped in his hauns, Edward shiftin' his body to their direction as followed wi' equally watchful eye Captain Jones to measure Larry wi' an unreadable expression 'til it reflected wonder. Honest kind, me flinchin' once his claw lik' haun neist swooped doonward to squeeze aroond Larry's neck.

"Do ye not fear death?" th' Captain asked, in disbelief efter gazin' at th' frantic sailor at his mercy. Anger in his eyes when th' pitiful man didn't seem to fear 'im enough, as his clear intention to intimidate Larry to let go o' th' courage he saw as nothin' but pretense at th' face o' death, but Larry held his composure. Though tremblin' all so slightly simply confrontin' Captain Jones wi' resolution, castin' a glance towards Edward.

"I take my chances sir."

I released a shaky breath as me eyes flickered up to Captain Jones, Edward's haun pressin' oan me arm to keep me from boltin', from doin' anythin' as me body was ready to bounce from me seat as so fidgety I'd imperceptibly become. Th' Captain takin' a puff from his pipe 'til released Larry, noddin' at one o' his crewmen standin' behind th' sailor. His followin' words bringin' Larry's previous prayers to naught 'n' causin' me eyes to widen.

"To the depths."

I gasped as at th' command o' th' Captain I behold Larry's throat to be slit, me swallowin' 'n' watchin' his body to be neist mercilessly tossed owerboard. Th' fish lik' crewmen only laughin' at this act o' plain murder as I whipped me heid aroond, keekin' awa' from th' murderer whose eyes were noo cast oan us. Me lettin' oot a few fearful breaths as squeezed me eyes shut, for a moment it becomin' hard to keep me ain composure as dread stung me deep, however a haun then landin' oan mine briefly 'n' I found it to be William's. His attention however nae at me but at Edward who efter a curt ootrage sprung to his feet, his enraged eyes throwin' daggers at Captain Jones as he daunered closer to 'im in all his anger. Th' rest o' th' members o' his crew noo stirrin' from their trepidation due to th' sound o' his gruff voice, 'em keekin' up to th' man as did I, seein' 'im to in fact stand a couple o' inches higher than th' Captain o' th' Dutchman. Turnin' me but further frightened as I witnessed his defiance that was but fueled by his flared ire.

"Ye bottom feeders better keep yer gnarly paddles off me men or I swear to god to tear each and every of them off. Ye're a coward, killing unarmed men with already one foot in their grave! If ye want someone to toy with, then come to me and ye'll find I'm not about to settle into mine all that readily for yer convenience", Edward snarled, completely unfazed as Captain Jones strode to 'im wi' a couple o' fast leaps. Leanin' so close that his tentacles were noo pokin' at Edward's coupon, th' two Captains goupin' at one another as Edward lifted his jaw wi' an antagonizin' twitch o' his upper lip. "How about it? Do ye not fear death enough to see am I true to me word, Captain?"

"And I suppose ye don't?" Captain Jones snapped, sizing up Edward, me 'n' William's gazes shiftin' atween 'em as waited for Edward's response. William liftin' a bit commendin' eyebrows at 'im, where I was but terrified. Understandin' that as a responsible man devoted to his crew he wished to stand up for 'em afore any mair casualties would ensue, but what was Edward exactly tryin' to accomplish by angerin' Captain Jones 'n' perhaps dyin' for it?

"I don't if the one delivering me is such a spineless crud of a man", Edward sneered, spittin' at th' Captain's feet. "Half a man. I won't let yer dastardly way of killing me men stand when their souls are not yet yers to take. Not to the last breath I take."

Silence descended as Davy Jones' crew appeared equally taken aback by Edward's ne'er afore expressed nerve to affront their Captain, where Edward's crewmen were somewhat enlivened by his courageous words. All eyes returnin' to Jones who hadn't shifted his awa' from Edward's, th' Captain takin' a third drag from his pipe upon replyin'.

"So ye're prepared to offer yer life for theirs?" he inquired in interest. Doubt in his voice then as he continued, this time blowin' th' smoke oan Edward's coupon, assertive o' his conviction. "There's no man who doesn't fear death once dangled on the verge of life, on their last moments staring down to the bottomless pit of emptiness that will adduce the tiniest of sins on their conscious…creating the perdition that is fear. From which I deliver. From which I alone can save them."

"And those not afraid of the bottom of your domain that is hell? Those whose souls you reap for mere spite when they refuse to give them to you freely to torment, refuse to fear you?...Men might make a deal with the devil for an easy reward for their fear of the end ye bring them, but not at the promise of a same demon who brings the damnation to them either way", Edward mocked, this time his mordant remark findin' its mark, Captain Jones glarin' at 'im 'til his clawed haun stroke again. This time graspin' Edward's injured side tightly, bringin' 'im to his knees wi' a powerful twist o' his arm. Agony replacin' Edward's racy face momentarily as I was close to dash to action at the sight o' th' blood that ran oot o' th' gash, William's haun however once mair creepin' ower mine to stop me from actin' oot.

"Cold blackguard!" one of Edward's men barked then, keekin' up to Captain Jones in rage 'imself as Edward faced his crewman wi' a commandin' keek to remain wheest. Davy Jones goupin' back at th' man 'til released Edward wi' a ruthless shove, Edward lettin' oot a relieved breath as his haun moved up to press against th' ulcer. Davy Jones emptyin' his pipe as I helped Edward to sit back doon by me side, th' Captain's voice rumblin' in th' air in a freish fit o' anger.

"Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different!? I offer you a choice…Join my crew…" he spoke, keekin' at th' men in front o' 'im 'til his attention returned from Edward's mien back to Rudy. Goin' to 'im, me, William 'n' Edward watchin' th' sailor to instantly gaze up at th' tentacle faced Captain at th' allure o' his proposition. "…and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast…will ye serve?"

We gouped at Rudy, me pleadin' 'im wi' me eyes nae to consent to such a fool's bargain that was but madness, exchangin' his life for hundred years o' mere imprisonment. William's forehead retreatin' intae a thoughtful frown when Rudy's heid inclined to oor direction, 'im keekin' at his true Captain, possibly even in slight hesitation, Edward straightenin' his posture as locked serious gazes wi' 'im. However in th' end only closin' his eyes in defeat when efter a short moment o' thinkin' Jones' offer ower Rudy made a nod. Throwin' in his lot wi' Davy Jones 'n' his promise o' deliverance from death itself, relieved smile spreadin' oan his lips.

"I-I will serve."

Another gale o' laughter sounded amongst Jones' men as they heard Rudy's response, instantly efter receivin' his consent that had proven Edward's point invalid, Captain Jones leavin' Rudy to soon halt directly in front o' us. Me holdin' back a cringe when I noticed one o' his crewmen to arrive to stand by William's side upon seein' his Captain's interest, me peerin' at th' tentacle faced man furtively under me brim again as followed 'im to goup at William in bafflement 'til he turned to direct a questionable keek at his First Mate.

"You are neither dead nor dying. What is your purpose here?" he accosted, leanin' a bit closer as waited for William's explanation. Me also glancin' at 'im, curious to hear th' answer meself. William instead appearin' quite ditherin' to deliver th' words dawdlin' oan his lips 'til he inclined his heid, meetin' Davy Jones' eyes wi' an indifferent but also contemplative lift o' his brows.

"Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt."

I didn't dare to turn to William but I froze yet again at th' sound o' th' one name I truly wouldn't have wished to have been associated to this moment, astonishment 'n' equal confusion to William's fillin' me as I peered at 'im utterly befuddled. Frownin', Edward' eyes movin' atween 'im 'n' me, afore me disbelief was then replaced by even greater surprise when Captain Jones seemed to recognize th' pirate's name. Takin' a double tak' oan William's reply 'til seemed a bit skeptical, demandin' 'im to clarify to fully grasp what he'd juist said.

"Jack Sparrow…sent me to settle his debt", William repeated, his face however noo turnin' but incredulous as weel when th' words seemed to mak' no sense noo when he'd said 'em for th' second time. Me leanin' closer to 'im me ain eyebrows wrinkled.

"What?" I whispered under me breath, William directin' a subtle clueless glance to me direction when he had no answer for me. Davy Jones eyein' at William for a while 'til an amazed laugh climbed up his throat, th' Captain noddin' in understandin' as a flash o' severity could be seen in his eyes neist.

"Did he now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer."

William returned Captain Jones' gaze noo undaunted when all men went silent again, th' Captain tiltin' his heid as if he was listenin' to a sound that only he could hear an odd keek oan his coupon, till he slowly turned aroond. Gazin' to th' direction o' th' wreckage 'n' even beyond that, at somethin' farther awa' that was hidden from th' rest o' oor eyes, neist liftin' his haun as a sign for his men to move oot. Me still nae bein' able to deter a gasp once all but a couple o' his crewmembers merged intae th' ship 'n' vanished lik' aboard th' Cornucopia. Oor guards' attentionalso mainly drawn towards th' darkness at th' port side, givin' me a chance to lift me hat a wee as I faced William.

"What did that mean? What do ye mean Sparrow sent ye 'ere?" I questioned, William nae sayin' anythin' at first as simply keeked forward intae th' dark 'imself. Efter a brief wait his flabbergasted mien turnin' harder for irritation, hatred even as he sat up straighter, shakin' his heid briskly.

"He tricked me…Jack fooled me to board the wrecked vessel to search for the goddamn key."

I was even further bemused. "What…key?"

"One that I had hoped to bring an end to this whole mess…but it just made everything worse."

"Worse how? Who is this Davy Jones 'n' what does he have to do wi' Sparrow?"

"He's the fabled Captain who's said to ferry the souls of those died at sea to afterlife…but we surely can scratch that off the list as he definitely has changed his code of conduct to plain murder since the last I heard sailors talking about him", Edward cut in, snortin' venomously at th' end, glancin' at th' two remainin' crewmen as William turned serious.

"And who now holds us captive."

I was so stunned that I juist sat there, overwhelmed by this even further perplexin' piece o' information that when added to me shock made oor plight seem even mair complicated 'n' unbelievable by each uptake. Me comin' to strongly oppose everything that had stairted to happen ever since this mornin' (which had taken me definition o' crazy to a whole freish level even efter me dealings wi' cursed Aztec gold 'n' skeleton pirates). As there was naw wey there to be such things as sea monsters 'n' fish people livin' in th' ocean, deliverin' souls o' th' deceased to efterlife. It juist couldn't be possible, but what I came to doubt maist was that it was I who once mair was thrown in middle o' all these supernatural inconsistencies. I'd left Port Royal juist to find Will to warn 'im, nae to attract every single ludicrous danger awaitin' oan these waters, especially th' one undesirable shenanigan I liked to call th' scoundrel Sparrow. Because as always, o' coorse he happened to have his finger in this specific pie along wi' th' others he had cookin', if ye ken what I mean…Once told aboot William's mission to find 'im I'd felt it in me gut that Sparrow's involvement in any affairs o' his or me uncle's nae to bode any guid to anyone, or maist definitely didn't mak' things other than further complicated. 'N' 'ere William stood corrected, notably fumin' for th' neist followin' minutes we spent in silence, 'im probably realizin' in some wey me to have been right all along to have cautioned aboot trustin' 'im, noo regrettin' it gravely. Davy Jones then returnin' from his mystery visit elsewhere along wi' his crew, who instantly drove us oan oor feet 'n' forced us straight to work wi'oot a chance to talk back. Th' Flying Dutchman settin' sail 'n' leavin' th' archipelago wi' its newest disinclined recruits, wance ordered to man a station o' me ain wi' Rudy me only rollin' up me sleeves reluctantly. Wincin' when th' tip o' an actual whip lashed th' gunwale by me side as a prompt to move, shockin' me, doubt in me hert. What was to become o' us noo?

Scottish vocabulary:

Pronouns etc:

o'= of, th'= the, 'em= them, oor= our, 'n'= and, intae= into, 'er= her, 'im= him, me = my, nae = not, naw = no

Recurrent & other words:

maw = mum/mother, afore = before, hert = heart, aye = yes , wee = small/little, awread y= already, ken = to know, efter = after, doon = down, as weel = as well, goup = stare, wance again/mair = once again/more, 'til = until, likelie = probably, keek = look, ower = over, aboot = about, streenge = strange, haun = hand, ain = own, oot = out, neist = next, stairt = start, awa' = away, wey = way, wi'oot = without, o' coorse = of course, heid = head, dauner = walk, freish = new, wi' = with, juist = just, doilt = confused, thro' = through, ne'er = never, coupon = face, face= expression, skelp = hit, wheest = quiet, aff = off