OMG. 4:13 AM. –kills self-
Just kidding; but seriously, what a long chapter in one sitting!
A romantic, adventure filled long chapter to wish everyone
a super-dee-duper Jack-filled Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!
ENJOY LOVEIES!
Chapter 20: Evening Star I
She had to come to terms with herself, this all seemed too good to be true. Now, she hadn't been with swashbucklers and buccaneers for too long, and she had actually never been on an expedition such as this one; but there was an unrelenting force pestering her.
After spending an hour and more of struggling to push aside the thick stone doors, the men of the team managed to accomplish their task while Katherine gaze out at the island and horizon for any pirates who may have the same desires as them.
A desire for… what ever might be inside.
In the back of her thoughts, she considered the possibility that someone may have set this all up. Perhaps to capture or kill Jack? Could it have been the British army, coming to take her back to England? A deep chill nestled itself into her heart,
There was a young man whom her father had considered on betrothing her to, though Katherine and the mystery man never met, for her father met his end far too soon. She learnt his name, his age, and his profession; but he did not appeal to her whatsoever. Katherine was.. tired of the safe, sheltered life; she yearned for things unknown, waiting to be discovered. The young man who wished to court her was a noble, honest and captivating man; but he did not catch her interest.
Could that man come to retrieve her, all the way in the Caribbean? He did have many influences in the British battalion; they could sweep her up at anytime. Couldn't governor Swann do something to keep this man from her? She was certain that Elizabeth would have a few choice words to share with the man at his possible attempts to remove her from the Swann family's care.
Oh, how she wished that all this was only a feeling.
The corners of Jack's lips drew up a wide, golden grin of accomplishment. He peered into the opening and saw cracking, water damaged stone steps leading down into complete and utter darkness. On the walls were sconces that probably hadn't been lit in many, many years.
"Aye.. There's probably water way deep down, Jack. We autta be careful with those steps." Gibbs said as he reluctantly poured his remaining rum over the two torches they had brought with them before he struck a match, "And be careful not to be yellin', the lot of ye. Damn ruins could come crashin' down at any time." Taking one of the lit torches while Gibbs kept the other, Jack nodded to the elder man as he shone the flame's flickering light in though the dark, "Well, shall we?"
With Jack going in first, he shone the flames to the chipped steps to keep his footing. Gibbs followed after, lighting the old sconces with his torch, "Careful, miss Katherine. These steps ain't reliable,"
William provided a gentlemanly arm for the brunette to hold onto as they descended into the ancient shrine. The way was much easier to see after the sconces had been lit. Webs from ugly horrid spiders lined the walls, and everything was layered with a thick coat of dust and dirt; water stains painting the old masonry walls.
They delved deep into the sanctum, down many staircases and passageways, and eventually found themselves in what appeared to be the grand hall. A large, ceremonial statue of Neptune was erected in the center of the reliquary.
"Good lord," Katherine breathed, astonished by the elaborate architecture of the lost temple, "It's beautiful.." Gibbs was just as amazed as her, as he took in the impressive size of the room and statue, "Aye, lass. That it is.."
Too submerged in his search for valuables, the pirate lord of the Caribbean paid no mind to the remarkable temple; his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the tall, shadowing statue of the great sea god. Something about it..
"Well Jack," William began as he too looked around the ancient temple for jewels and things of the like, "It seems as though your hopes and spirits have gone to waste." "Not yet, mate," Sparrow grunted as his eyes gazed over the statue before turning to glance at the four walls of the room.
Seeing this, the brunette young woman thought he had possibly lost a few marbles over this fountain business, "Jack, there is clearly nothing in the temple.."
Gibbs said, "Aye, perhaps we shoul-"
"No," Jack interrupted as he swiped a hand over a wall, an image beginning to appear through the dispersing dirt, "there is something here. I've got a gut feelin' in me. Have you noticed?"
"Noticed what?" The son of Bootstrap Bill enquired with a raised brow.
Jack peered at him, "We are in the shrine of Neptune, the Roman God of the sea, aye?" He returned to unveiling the historic wall, "Then tell me mate; where's the water that the priest mentioned?"
Katherine came to stand beside the pirate as he made a discovery on the wall, "Words.."
She recognized the sentence engraved there, as it had been written in one of the notes the minister had given to her.
Hastily, she asked Turner to hand her the bundle of documents. Once in her hands, she began flipping through them, scouring for the correct sheet.
Upon finding it, she read the first sentence written on the wall as the dirt was cleared away, "Per mare, spiritus altos devles.." Katherine glimpsed down at the notes as she translated, "Through the ocean, the spirit delves deep.."
The captain frowned visibly as he commented, "Seems almost like an incomplete sentence."
"True enough," Will agreed and began searching every wall in the large shrine for the last of the phrase while Gibbs shone the flame of the torch against the vine and moss covered masonry for possible clues.
Katherine dug into a small satchel that Will had brought along with him. She had asked him to hold an important book on mythological gods earlier before their excursion on land, and thought that it would have valid information for them.
Flipping open the book, she thumbed the paged until finding the section on Neptune, his wife and followers.
"His wife..?" Katherine murmured quizzically, though Jack had heard her and became intrigued.
Turning a few other old, yellowing pages, she came to a section focused solely on Neptune's wife, whom Katherine had never known of until that moment. She was Salacia, the goddess of seawater.
To her fascination, the oceanic woman once donned a necklace that was given to her by her husband on their wedding day. It was an amulet of incredible value; a magnificently azure orb in colour, while the purest silver touched against the chain. Engraved on the back of the medallion was a phrase that held much meaning to Neptune. Salacia questioned his fondness for the sentence, yet he never explained why.
"Duodivinitate semper intertextus.." Katherine read the cherished phrase aloud, "The two of divinity; forever intertwined."
The temple began to quake vigorously as some dirt and debris fell from the high ceiling. Gibbs yelled, "What's happenin'?"
"Ye think I know?" Jack barked back to him as he hauled the snow white skinned woman to her feet and held her protectively against his chest.
Suddenly the rumbling ceased and water poured from indents in the walls on either side of the statue of Neptune, creating small waterfalls, pouring down into shallow rectangular pools in the floor, creating a heavenly sight of azure blue in a room full of dismal gray.
"Well," Jack spoke nonchalantly as he smirked at the waterfalls, "there's the water."
Removing herself from him, Katherine knelt by the calmly flowing streams and gathered the water into her hands and whiffed a scent of salt, "It's seawater. Neptune's wife was the goddess of seawater; he gave her a jeweled necklace on their wedding night. On the back of the necklace was inscribed 'Duodivinitate semper intertexts'."
None of the men seemed to comprehend, and so she sighed and stood before continuing, "Neptune wished to be with Salacia- his wife- forever. He had interests in her and began to court her, and eventually she saw just how wonderful he was, though she wished to preserve her virginity and so she left. Distraught, Neptune sent one of his dolphins to persuade her into being his wife. Salacia agreed and they were married once she returned. She was the goddess of seawater, which explains the sudden flow and the name Spring of Neptune!"
A toothy, golden smile developed on Jack's lips as he pulled the young woman to him, kissing her deeply. He pulled away slowly with apparent reluctance as he said, "Ye did it, love! You're a bloody miracle worker!"
Katherine was locked in reverie at the feel of Jack's lips against hers. It was everything she expected and hoped it would be; warm, enthralling and irresistible. Not quite rough, though not quite soft either-it was perfection.
"Ah, um." Was all she could manage.
Sparrow jauntily swaggered over to the sculpture of Neptune. A small display platform had emerged from the statue during the rumble, and on it was an ancient ring and necklace of both silver and blue qualities.
Glancing at her, he questioned with a grin, "Is this the amulet mentioned?"
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Please, please review! I didn't get very many reviews on my last chapter
and I was so disappointed, (I thought I did so well..) If I receive 5+ reviews on this chapter,
a very long update will be posted next Friday/Saturday! (Think of it as a gift to me, seeing that Christmas Eve is tomorrow!)