Sorry for the late update, had some family emergency and also suffering from writer's block in how to write the chapters even though I had the outline sorted out. School is starting for me in a few days so will while will be not updating like everyday this story is not going to be abandoned
Two Years Later
It was not exactly determined who gave the first blow but after a few minutes, the patrons in the tavern began to go out of control. As Killian tried his best to defend himself against a slightly larger pirate using his fists, he failed to notice a shorter man appear behind with dagger aiming towards his back until there was a huge crack sound as the shorter man fell to the ground with some blood seeping into the floor. Killian turned around to see Belle held up a large book completely shocked over what she had just done nearly being stunned but there was little time to acknowledge as they were trying to get out of the tavern with their skin still intact. Nearly stopping for a second as two more men were being pushed towards their direction causing them to nearly split up until Belle got a hold of the door letting them to leave the patrons into their brawls as they were running into the streets heading towards the Jolly Roger.
"What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Killian grabbed the book from Belle's hands causing her to flinch slightly from the raise tone thinking she was about to scolded.
"I was thinking that if I hadn't noticed the dagger about to meet your back I would be off dragging your corpse away rather than getting what we set out to accomplish the first bloody place! So you're welcome in not only saving your hide but managing to get the map as everyone was off killing each other."
Belle walked off towards the ship leaving a stunned but slightly injured Killian behind a few steps behind in which they both began to notice they were the only left on board as the rest of the crew was taking advantage with their time in port. This left Killian and Belle to retire into their cabins with Belle still furious as to the assumption she was given of being incompetent when her quick thinking got the map while Killian was taking too long in trying to distract the pirate with buying the rounds. She had not relied on there being a brawl but a stroke of fortune allowed her to reach for the item before there was a serious injury. Minutes later, there was a loud thump coming from the next cabin as Belle ran to find Killian's injury causing him some discomfort as he tried to read the map. Some of blood started to form in the left shoulder leaving Belle to get the wash cloth starting to clean up the wound becoming more like an overprotective mother rather than the little sister.
"Do you even know how to read this?" observing the markings on the map were not of language they came across on a regular basis but was more well known in the eastern lands of the Orient.
"That is what I have been trying to find out for the past several minutes and this map is harder than I perceived and this wound is not making it any better"
"Stop being a baby, it's only a scratch you're lucky the knife only hit on the side or it would have punctured your lungs. As it happens, father had so many dealings with diplomats from the Orient where I was able to pick up something here and there"
She then put the map into oil lamp carefully reading the clues, where Belle was not only able to somewhat understand it since it was an older form of the language but she was left puzzled by the contents of what was being stated
"We stole a map that will lead us to an orchard?"
"Belle love, are you familiar with the legend of the Eight Immortals?" Killian got his flask for some rum offering a bit to Belle as she politely declined
"From what I remember in my books, it's about these gods ruled by a mother goddess Xi Wangmu who lives on Mount Kunlun and they guard over a garden known as paradise on earth in the centre of it a large orchard containing peaches that are said to give immortality to those who eat it."
"Exactly, do you have any idea how much money we can get by selling these peaches? Kings would sell their own children just for a taste of the fruit." Immediately Killian had the look of a plan already forming feeling as energetic as he would normally be after discovering a horde of treasure. "Think of it, you will never have to die and we can do whatever we want for as long as the world exists"
"But we don't need the peaches and there is no one who we can sell it to without risking our freedoms. Besides how do we know this map isn't a fake or this orchard even exists? While magic does indeed rule our world, there are just some stories that are simply stories" studying the map in seeing how detailed the instructions are from when the best time would be to acquire them to the better routes given in how to reach difficult terrain. Perhaps it was Killain's puppy dog eyes giving her a pleading look or fascinated at the precise details of the map, Belle decides to look for the peaches since they went through a lot of trouble in acquiring the map.
"Is there another reason why you want to get these so badly other than wanting to cheat random royals?"
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you"
"As long as you are not compromising us for some ridiculous suicidal scheme you have my full support. Judging by these coordinates, we are not far from a few weeks of sailing and since it seems like a simple task of getting fruits we can just go together rather than making it some bigger deal."
They began to plan a course of action all through the night on using one of the more elaborate escape routes given as Killian was thankful Belle was so consumed in the treasure she had not noticed his worried expression every time he started to think about the real reason in looking for this particular treasure.
Finally reaching the port city of Malay a day sooner than expected, Killian gave everyone on board the week off making sure there was finally no one in sight, he and Belle prepared for the necessary materials they needed. They each packed along with large black cloaks, a small knapsack filled with water, a pouch filled with several gold coins, along with the map and compass while both carrying their choices of weapons in which Killian preferred a pistol and his sword in contrast to Belle using the daggers she would pick up during their various travels. The pair was now ready to look for treasure and to head off another adventure. From the direction of the map as they were riding away from Malay, they were soon heading straight into the mountains in which the aura of magic had been incredibly strong as though they were starting to feel much healthier and stronger than before.
After what felt as an eternity riding up long rocky hill, the pair looked down to see an enormous palace although it may have seen as a mirage because the palace appeared with clear mists surrounding the lower exteriors but the air was not cold enough to generate such a reaction. Riding down, the feeling of magic crept up again as the closer they were towards the palace. It seemed as though they were in another world or in different plain than their own as there had not been any sign of life around for miles other with everything around them being nothing but lush terrains. They put the horses away walking with pistols intact letting the map guide them to their exact destination. The garden looked like something from a book with fertile green fields as far as the eye could see with trees harbouring every flower and fruit. One could have fed an entire kingdom ten times over with the materials right in front of them. A crucial step was to go into a large scaled garden in the centre the orchard would present itself, still no signs of life not even a wild animal appeared before yet the pair walked on relying on Belle to read the map as Killian check the surroundings to match the exact corresponding.
Due to keeping her nose onto the map, Belle failed to have noticed the boulder in front her that allowed they to turn to left side in revealing a large orchard with the most fertile green leaves standing next to large peaches with an intoxicating smell that would be almost a crime to even think of consuming it.
"It's….it's real. This is unbelievable, Killian remind me to never doubt you again" Belle turned to the side to find her companion as not next to her looking around and seeing Killian already picking the fruits. "Killian what are you doing? We only agreed to just get one"
"You don't understand, we can have the power of immortality. No one will ever be able to harm us again. Here give your bag we will take a few more"
"What are you talking about? Stop it have you gone mad?"
Belle started to push Killian off the orchard as he was trying to eat the fruit in which Killian pushed Belle away she then noticed Killian was about to eat it where he begins to feel drowsy and was knocked out after a few seconds. The next minute the sky around them started to become dark even though it was supposedly in the mid afternoon by the time they arrived; the wind around them started to increase leaving Belle to freeze as stares at her brother's face nearly turning blue.
"Killian wake up this isn't funny, wake up! HELP PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!"
A noise came from the background causing the air to increase in its freezing temperature leaving Belle to grab Killian's sword as the danger was heading towards her.
"Show yourself!"
In the flinch of an eye, ghostly spirits appeared in a white and blue light began to form into a circle with a chant changing the surroundings with a bright light coming forth in the middle materializing into a beautiful woman with an elaborate headdress surrounded by peaches wearing a blue and white kimono staring deeply into Belle as she though she can see into her soul already had her daggers ready for a fight even if it was to the death at realizing who the figure was before her.
"You are Xi Wangmu aren't you? Please I beg of you, give my brother his strength back. He is all that I have left.
"My dear child, because you entered my domain for selfish gain why on earth would I let you out?"
The goddess began to swarm around Belle making her uncomfortable as she started to slowly lose her energy. She then felt something creep up upon her closer not sure whether it was a dream or the last moments of reality sinking in.
"Unlike your brother, there is not a greedy portion in you. I can bring him back and let you both leave only if you decide to eat from this peach." The Goddess handed the peach towards Belle as an offering making her by the second only seeing the peach as her vision began to blur. Gaining an ounce of recognisance, Belle immediately tossed the peach aside turning it into black sludge from the pale hand holding her dagger straight ahead. "I saw what that fruit did to Killian; I refuse to prolong my life if it means risking his. Kill me if you want but you cannot trick me into becoming your slave"
As her strength started to wane, Belle tried to pick up Killian as they started to move away from the circle, as it happened the air started to turn into a warmer temperature leaving Belle with a thought as she noticed the flask of rum hidden under Killian's vest pocket. She took it off and started to throw the amber colour drink towards the orchard followed by lighting a match and setting the entire place on fire.
"To prove to you I am not interest in obtaining your powers now free us!" Finally exhausted and angry over the deities, Belle threw her dagger aiming towards the goddess' heart leaving her to evaporate as the dagger fell. Suddenly, the area around them started to turn into a ball of blue mist still holding trying to push themselves out of the domain. The mist becomes too much for Belle as she starts to lose her strength second by second. As everything started to turn black, the last image to appear was that of a hooded figure laughing in the distance.
Belle and Killian woke up with a bright light beaming towards their faces, starting to regain consciousness in discovering it was already morning. They also realized the palace and garden from before was no longer there but replaced with a forest as they were laying down below a large tree with some peaches starting to fall into the ground.
"Do you remember what happened last night, love? Last thing coming to mind had been you started to yell at me" It took him another second to notice the slight bruise in Belle's cheek "what happened to your face? I am so sorry for my behaviour with what happened"
"Although you did push me, I must have gotten the bruise when I passed out. To tell you the truth, most of what happened was a little foggy expect I remember the peaches were fake. They turned into sludge the minute I touched them." Belle picked up a fruit from the tree throwing it to the ground proving her accusation from before to be true leaving Killian shocked and angry over the whole situation ripping the map to many different pieces.
"That bastard, he sent us on a fake expedition." Grumbling to himself out loud forgetting Belle was there surprised by the recent news. Unable to see her brother as nothing more than a backstabbing partner than her closest friend did a realisation of disgust sink in when understanding the past few weeks of misadventures were based on a lie where her life was in peril when it never had needed to be.
"You know what…I am going to go and pick up the horses and when I get back, you better have a damn good explanation as to why my life means so little to you in picking up treasure based on a flimsy tip." Belle started to run off hearing Killian's pleas grow faint by the second. Running off would have seem immature but Belle was at her point of frustration. The horses had not gone too far reeling them together in heading back to Killian, hoping he was able to get his strength back. The nerve of him, "oh Belle please help me find this treasure", "love I need you to go be a virginal sacrifice over a horde of ghost goddesses while I say have to find a fruit because I want to play being a child forever." When we get back, I have to kill him. Maybe I can throw him overboard over send him marooned back to father. Maybe throwing him overboard sounds like a merciful suggestion. Her thoughts halted as she saw Killian standing over someone but could not get a view. She stopped the horses and trend lightly to find out what was going on. Perhaps she did not need to hear some horrid excuse Killian came up with but now understand what was going on.
"You have me in debt to your little band of children and then have the audacity in to make me risk my life and that of my little sister's in order to play one of your games."
"Tut Tut Jones, such harsh words one would think you were not reading the instructions on the map very well" The hooded figure still had not shown any shred of an appearance only that he was slightly shorter than Killian by a few inches and spoke in a voice of a harsh tone unable to make a distinction other that it was in fact a male.
"Everything was instructed according to what Belle was able to translate. All because she read on a map you wrote….." it started to sink in as Killian started to make his accusations
"Did I know your precious sister was able to read the language or suggest because of her size would not be noticeable in retrieve the map? I never told her about the plan or drove myself into frenzy over the fruits after being repeatedly asked for weeks to back down. Clearly if there is anyone who is at fault for risking that sweet little thing's life take a gander in the mirror. Strange though, I ask you to find me the orchard of immortality harboured by a goddess who cannot attack women and you will just happen to have a woman on your crew. Perhaps you should conduct better research the next time you go off looking for treasure, never know what the exact requirement entails or who will be disappoint. Til next time Jones have a safe trip".
The figure left Killian laughing as he disappeared in which turned around to see Belle not even saying anything or of that moving at all. All he could see was the same lost look as when he first took her from home the look one has when they are disillusioned.
"Belle for god sakes say something; yell at me, punch me in the face anything please don't just stand there." Pleading as he drew closer all Belle could muster up was her small fist aiming toward Killian's face landing him on the ground once again.
"Next time you decide to get yourself into a problem where a human sacrifice involves getting out, DO NOT tell me to help you." She helps him up as they head back towards their horses still having an air of tension between them.
The pair rode back into town heading towards a tavern ordering themselves a round of ale hoping to ease the tension. A few drinks later, Killian can still see Belle was furious but has been quiet since leaving the mountain.
"When I first became a pirate, I stole something from a powerful creature and while the item became something I lost. In order to have made it back home safely, I made a bargain where they want me to find items for them and my debt is shaved off. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you involved. It doesn't matter now because I can find another method to pay my debt…
"Please Killian, as I said to you before never lie to me again. This time it wasn't your fault since as you said I was not suppose to be there. "She picked up her drink, giving her look of let's drop it and move on at him as they started to feel at ease in each other's company.
"Still I feel horrible in what happened and want to make it up to you. Tell you what, the next city we head off to port will be more at ease in letting you clean out all the books you find at the market and play with the other children."
With it said, they praised a toast and did their best to forget about the events from the previous day unaware the hooded figure was watching them in a dark corner from across the tavern.
The legend of the peaches was based off a Chinese myth where they are guarded by the Queen Mother of the West Xi Wangmu in which they give immortality to those whoever eats them and they in fact only showed up every six thousand years. Took some parts of the legend to fit the story for a Once Upon A Time-esuqe twist on it. In reality, XI Wangmu was a mother figure to those who came to her according to Toaism; I had to change the location of Mount Kunlun because I was referring to the legendary aspect on it where its location varies depending on where you read it at. Many thanks and review would be great :)