The enormous, black volcano looming high in the sky, seemed to warn against the wisdom of entering such place. Regardless, as he stared at the fast approaching mass of land, the immense feeling of anticipation washing over him was becoming almost distracting.

Finally.

All the months he'd spent chasing after the bunch would come to fruition.

He would finally be able to capture the pirates responsible for all the havoc in his life over the past year.

And they would not be able to flee him this time.

James would make sure of it.

As he watched the other four ships move to surround the port. The taste of victory was almost tangible in his mouth.

No ship would be able to leave the island until he gave the order.

His words to Elizabeth had not been an exaggeration. The subject of the raids to their garrison's had become such a nuisance to the blooming interests of the East Indian Company on the Caribbean, that he had been easily granted enough man power to lead an invasion if the need arose.

Which he supposed, was exactly what was about to occur.

Although attacking a port was not much to his taste; much like Tortuga, Los Padres had become known for its lenient attitude towards undesirable visitors; an inviting destination to the most unbecoming sort of scoundrels and criminals. Thus, as the Spaniard Governor was clearly unable to fulfill his job accordingly, he would have to do it in his place.

The access to the bay leading to the port was rather narrow; guarded by large, rock formations on either side and only wide enough to permit two of their ships to cross safely at a time. Smaller islets hampering the direct path towards the wide, long dock ahead.

The Spaniards had clearly prioritized safeguarding of the city over easy accessibility. Likely the reason why England had remained uninterested in taking control of the island in spite of its favourable location.

The unimpeded passage of The Dauntless and The Essex into the apparently desolated bay was mildly disconcerting, but there was no fort to speak of, and no signs of the presence of the Spanish Armada anywhere in sight. Instead of serving to assuage him, the absence of resistance only served to unsettle him.

While the boats quickly approached the coast, his trained eyes inspected the few vessels docked on port. There were mostly small boats, some sloops, nothing bigger than a frigate could be seen... and none which could match with the description that the old man had given him.

James scolded himself over that last thought.

Of course there wouldn't be. It was utter nonsense to believe that a ship like that might truly exist.

And yet, a part of him had been unable to completely rule out the possibility.

Still, even if he disregarded the ridiculous notion of a monster ship, not one of the vessels in sight would be capable of leading an attack. Certainly none that could ever hope to defeat and escape a British navy garrison unscathed.

The small cluster of buildings was located at the foot of the large volcano, but the high walls of solid rock surrounding it provided a natural defence against enemy attacks from other sides.

A rather bold decision.

It was no wonder than the secluded shelter was such an attractive prospect to criminals.

His previous unease proved reasonable once they descended the boats.

The smell of gunpowder lingered in the air, and the signs of destruction had been recently scorched into the walls of the buildings.

The city's location conceded a fair view of approaching vessels; which made the deserted streets and unnatural silent all the more unnerving.

His men prepared for the inevitable descend of combatants, but as the seconds passed, it became clear that there was not a soul in the vicinity.

As they cautiously ventured further inside, his feet continued their advance until they reached the large plaza at the heart of the city. Being welcomed by the unpleasant sight of scattered bodies everywhere, made it evident that a battle had taken place very recently.

More like a slaughter, his mind supplied unhelpfully. Making his lips twist in distaste when he turned the decomposing body closest to him.

It appeared that his runaway criminals had been diligent in their devastation of yet another city.

"Mr. Groves." James called, keeping his voice steady but low. "Take half the men and inspect the inside of every building there is." he ordered succinctly.

"Aye, Sir."

"Lieutenant." he called after a moment. before Groves had moved more than a few steps away.

Groves turned back to look at him from his place a few steps away. "Sir?"

"Do make sure not use more force than strictly necessary in case you find any survivors." he added pointedly, making sure his expression reflected the seriousness behind his words. After all, he had no desire to spill more blood unnecessarily.

Groves eyes glinted in understanding, nodding his head once before retreating with the other soldiers.

"The rest of you, on my heels." he ordered to the small battalion of men remaining, unsheathing his sword and resuming his advance.

The sun was still out, yet the pervasive black smoke coming out of the mouth of the angry volcano, obscured the sky over the entire island.

It felt like hours passed as they advanced through the ominously empty roads. The only sounds heard where the ones produced by the waves of the ocean, the cries of the animals around and the movements of his men obeying his command.

The strong crash of wood near them made him turn back to stare at the one responsible for the disruption.

"I would advice you against being so brazenly loud, Lieutenant." he berated the soldier after realizing the origin of the sound had been an unwarranted kick to an empty crate. "Lest you wish to be permanently silenced."

"This place has already been abandoned." Scarfield contended with impatience, "There is no one else left here, Norrington."

At that moment, James truly wished he had done without Captain Thompson's assistance. But The Essex had been the only other ship of the line available in nearby waters. Thus, he found himself saddled with the unfortunate company of John Scarfield.

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?." he questioned tersely, fighting to contain his temper.

The other man sneered at him, but thankfully, maintained his mouth shut.

Or at least had him stay on watch aboard The Essex with the rest of his crew.

It wasn't until they reached the outskirts of Los Padres that he noticed it. There was nothing remarkable to find at first sight, but as they continued their advance, a path appeared at the base of the mountain. It had clearly been constructed with the intention to blend into the giant wall of the volcano and deter the interest of outsiders.

The large entrance that was held by a sturdy wood structure offered access to the obscured guts of the large mountain.

As he moved to pass thru the gate, a questioning voice stopped his steps.

"Are you truly intending to go in there?" Scarfield questioned, once again speaking out of turn.

His response was curt and irritated, "Yes."

"Have you gone mad?" the Lieutenant growled with anger, "Those pirates could be lying in waiting inside."

"That is exactly what I am expecting, Lieutenant." James replied with irritation, wishing the man refrain from announcing their presence to any possible occupant inside the cave. Signalling to the rest of the soldiers, he resumed his quiet advance.

The rest of the soldier moved without complaint, but Scarfield made a point of glaring at him before complying with his order.

...

By the amount of tools, picks and shovels they had encountered scattered around, the large cave appeared to be a mine of sorts. The walls were rough and jagged, hewn from the rock and supported by large beams of wood.

The occasional creak and groan of the wood gave him the impression that the structure was rather old and not maintained properly. The only other sounds that could be heard were the echoing of their steps as they marched and the crunching of gravel underfoot. Apart from those, there was the faintest dripping sound coming from above them, which he guessed had to be caused by the active lava of the volcano.

The air had become thick and dry; the temperature stiflingly, warm enough to make him damp with perspiration. And still, there were no signs of the criminals he sought.

'It doesn't feel right.'

The echoing of his wife's warning inside his head was almost enough to make him smile in defeat.

The situation truly was managing to unsettle him.

His useless thoughts came to a halt as his advance was prevented. His lips swallowing the curse at the tip of his tongue at the sight ahead; the path they had been following abruptly branched off into into several other tunnels.

He regarded the obstacle in front of him for several heartbeats.

Even as he stared attentively at each one, the darkness inside was almost absolute, and nothing stood out from the outside, as the few lamps and torches they carried only served to illuminate a few steps ahead.

James had enough sense to realize the situation was not favourable. Yet, he found no better alternative than to continue moving forward.

"Mr. Garrison," he called at once, not willing to waste any more time.

The man appeared at his side without further prompt. "Commodore."

"Take some of the men to inspect the tunnel on the farthest right. If you find anything send back a messenger to fin me." he ordered, as he pointed to a few of the soldiers behind them.

"Aye, Sir!" his officer replied with an obedient nod, offering a quick salute before moving to obey.

His gaze moved to his other flank, "You'll take the one next to it, Mr. Bowls."

"Aye, Captain!"

Finally his gaze turned to Scarfield, pointing his sword to the next tunnel, "Lieutenant. Take your men and revise the one on left. Same orders as the others."

Scarfield showed him the displeased scowl that he always carried around, but acquiesced to his command with surprising ease.

"Make sure to be thorough." he warned before the irritating man could disappear with the others.

Turning to look at the few remaining soldiers, he offered a brief instruction before passing thru the narrower entrance of the last tunnel. "Do not relax your watch men."

But as the minutes passed and he continued walking deeper into the belly of the large mountain, his own frustration began to mount.

The possibility that the pirates had fled after ramshackling Los Padres was beginning to aggravate him. After all, there had been no certainty that this was the island they used as hideout.

If those criminals had truly abandoned the island... he would be forced to begin anew.

It was completely enraging. Particularly as all he wished was to capture the miserable bunch, and return home to stay with his wife while they waited for the arrival of their baby.

While his mind wandered unpleasantly, the sight in front had started to morph. The small tunnel finally ending and to lead into a large cavern.

The space was lit by torches and lanterns and it took his eyes a moment to adjust.

But in the few seconds of his focus wandered, a dark, hoarse voice bounced over the tall ceiling and boomed over the enclosed space.

"I was beginnin' to worry ye wouldn' show."

The owner of the voice was easy to find. Standing atop a large ledge on the other side of the cave with arms crossed, it was evident he wasn't trying to hide.

James' eyes roamed over him as his sword raised.

The man was tall, with long, dark hair, twisted into dirty dreadlocks, a feathered bicorn atop his head. The pirate was missing a leg and his right hand had been replaced with a strange, mechanical appendage. But apart from that, his appearance was that of a normal man.

"Are ye the one called James Norrington then?" the man asked, looking at him with a wicked smile.

James struggled to hide his surprise at the pirate's use of his full name. Quite confident that he'd never crossed paths with this particular pirate before.

"I do not believe I've had the displeasure of having encounter you before, pirate."

The viciousness on the pirate's expression only intensified once he had confirmation of his identity.

"The name's Jolly Roger." The man introduced himself with a mocking gesture of his hat.

The name of the pirate did not result familiar to him.

But that did not mean he was not an opponent worthy of caution, he reminded himself cautiously.

"And I've been waitin' for ye, Captain." he informed, making a small army of pirates materialize behind him with a simple snap of his fingers.

An ambush.

Of course Elizabeth's worry would prove correct in such a situation.

Although he truly doubted his wife would find particular amusement in being proved correct this time. Her expression of rightful anger was drawn perfectly in his head as his grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.

There had to be at least twenty men behind him, but there were only a couple of soldiers with him at the moment, and sending even one of them to fetch the others would not be a feasible option.

Still, as his gaze roamed over the faces of the mob, he could not find anything unnatural on their appearance.

"And I've been looking for you and your crew, Mr. Roger." he responded undaunted, keeping his eyes trained on the mob in front while his own men shifted into a wider formation. "You have caused enough havoc to get my attention. So I must ask, what pending business do you seem to have with me?"

Even as he spoke, his mind raced to think of the best course of action.

"I was sent to punish ye for the transgression ye've committed against the Brethren Court." the pirate informed him. And although there was a distorted grin on his face, his words were threatening and serious.

Transgression against the Brethren Court? What exactly was the man referring to?

As his lips opened to inquire further. The earth began shaking under his feet with brutal intensity, disturbing his balance and almost sending him to the floor.

Roger appeared unfazed by the sudden turmoil, his black eyes staring at the ceiling with a pleased expression. "Ah. It's begun then."

When his own gaze followed, James was met with the sight of viscous yellow liquid beginning to seep over the vault of the ceiling through numerous cracks.

A significant number of expletives crossed his mind as the glowing liquid began dripping down onto the hard ground. The rocks hissing with fierceness as steam raised at the contact. Instead of slowing, the trembling under his feet intensified, the acrid smell of rotten eggs encompassing the closed space.

"Sadly, I must depart now, Captain." the pirate declared with a threatening smile that showed his golden teeth, "But I will leave these men here for yer entertainment."

Roger turned on his heels without another word, moving towards a narrow hole on the other side of the cavern.

The moment James' feet moved to give chase, the pirates remaining charged towards them.

Sword clashing against the closest man in his path, James allowed his weight to lean heavily into the strike, taking a swift step back when a trickle of steaming lava fell next to his left foot.

Searched in the direction the pirate had headed to, James could no longer find his figure inside the cavern. But there was no time to continue thinking about Roger at the moment.

As more and more lava began oozing down the cavernous dome, large deposits of scorching liquid pooled everywhere on the ground, provoking a strong, unpleasant red glow to brighten the large enclosure.

The temperature of the cavern rose dangerously fast, the air becoming so hot that it burned down his throat with every breath. His skin stinging painfully as sweat flowed freely down his neck.

Like the bowels of hell itself, he thought stupidly, cursing at every pirate there ever was.

In his distraction, James' eyes barely caught the pirate lunging at him from the left, his blade gleaming wickedly as it descended towards him. He parried the attack easily, watching as the clash of steel provoked sparks to fly in every direction. Even keeping the grip on his swords was becoming uncomfortable as the metal heated.

Without a thought he slashed at the man, slamming his shoulder against the chest of other men when his guard dropped, sending him careening towards the large pool of lava gathering behind him.

The desperate howls of pain quieted rather quickly as his body was swallowed into it.

He was barely allowed a moment of respite, before another one tried to impale him from behind. It only took a few strikes to make him fall.

Sizzling sounds from coming from every direction were deafening, powerful enough to almost swallow the cries of battle surrounding him.

His vision was becoming impaired by smoke and sweat, but his attention was claimed upwards by a booming echo.

Long lines continued carving webs in the rock above them, and the certainty that the dome would not hold for too long, became a new pressing concern.

If they didn't escape soon, they would all perish.

Yet, the pirates kept coming at them with no regard for it.

He disposed of two more of them before grim realization settled in his mind.

These men were fodder cannon, and their only job was to keep them inside until the cavern collapsed.

"Retreat!" he hollered as loudly as he could towards the few of his soldiers still standing, barely glancing back as he continued to fight his way towards the other side of the cavern.

There were only a couple of pirates standing between himself and the exit Roger had used to escape.

As the structure above became even more compromised, the fissures began to cave and fracture. Taking advantage of the distraction as all of them tried to avoid being burned alive, James ran towards the tunnel, collapsing the wooden structure that secured the entrance.

His legs continued carrying him through the narrow tunnel, without having the opportunity to recover his breath, covering his head as best as he could to avoid the falling debris caused by the continuous rumbles of the volcano.

Even as he crossed the exited and emerged into a sparse forest, he barely stopped for long enough to determine his path.

That pirate could not be allowed to escape once again.

"ROGER!" he hollered as soon as he exited the edge of the tree line and his eyes caught sight of the pirate's back.

They had reached a small shore, hidden from the main path to the city.

A quick, exploratory glance to their surroundings let him know that the pirate was alone this time. A large boat waiting close to coast was the only vessel disturbing the surface of the water.

"We meet again, Captain." the pirate declared, turning back towards him and drawing his sword. "I cannot say it's a pleasure this time, but your persistence is commendable." the man praised him, moving away from the coast and walking back towards him as his sword raised in preparation. "I do hav' other pending matters. So, how 'bout I offer you a swift death? What say you, eh?"

"Generous." James replied without humour, closing the distance between them. "But I'll have to decline the offer, pirate."

The cackle his response elicited was jarring.

A predatory stare was his only warning before the pirate rushed forward.

The force of the assault forced his foot back in order to support the added weight.

As James fought to break away from the position the pirate had him trapped in, Roger's face moved closer to his. His eyes filling with malice as the pirate spoke suddenly, "I must say Captain, it takes a certain kind of man to gain the enmity of not only one of the pirate Lords himself," his smirk became perverse as he added more lowly, "But even the disdain of your own kind as well."

The words managed to fulfil their objective, confounding him for a moment while giving Roger the chance to raise his right arm and swing the short blade of his appendage towards his face.

His body recoiled instinctively, only managing to avoid being permanently maimed by mere inches.

"Very respectable." he praised with a mocking grunt, "Especially for a Bluecoat."

A pirate Lord? Was he referring to...? Irrational fury filled him at the thought. So the pirate was such a wretched coward that he needed to send someone else to do his dirty work?

"But angering the Dragon of Singapore has earned you a direct trip to the Locker, sailor."

James felt his brow raise against his will.

The pirate Lord of Singapore? He'd never...

The distant memory of a fierce presence looming over Elizabeth's defenceless form, readying to strike her down, occupied his mind.

Already aware of the pirate's tactic, this time his body was prepared to parry off the next swing, stepping out of the way and aiming his blade towards Roger's left arm. The pirate stopped the blade without much effort and fell back a few steps.

"Is that the reason for all the attacks to the Company's outposts?" James inquired calmly, conserving his composure as he attempted to extract more details. He still couldn't quite understand what was the pirate's scheme. "To draw my attention?"

If he had known who he was, why didn't he attack Port Royal?

A short bark that seemed to want to imitate a laugh left the pirate's mouth, head tilting slightly to the side as he stared at him with shrewd interest. "Nay." he eventually replied, continuing to prowl around him in a circle. "That was merely me way of teachin' the treacherous little bastard what happens when ye cross Jolly Roger."

What was...

A sharp strike aimed at his neck advised him against the wisdom of continuing to let his mind wander. Unlike the pirates from the earlier, Roger's worth as an opponent was undeniable.

Roger's words made little sense to him and the magnifying feeling of the trembling under his feet served as a reminder that he did not have much time left.

The interrogatory would have to wait until the pirate was locked inside a cell, he decided, abandoning any attempts to understand the meaning of his words and shifting all of his energy to the battle.

Aiming a series of quick, precise strikes at the pirate's torse, James managed to disarm his left hand when one of his attacks sliced across his forearm. Taking advantage of his yielding guard to land the tip of his sword on the base of his enemy's neck.

"I am placing you under arrest, Mr. Roger" he informed the pirate.

The pirate remained undaunted by the threat, looking at him with nothing but hate. "Pride of the navy ye are, Captain."

A quick movement on his left was all the his periphery caught before he stumbled back.

Sharp pain rushing up his spine as his back crashed on the uneven ground.

Frame stiffening in alarm as he found himself staring at the mouth of a barrel.

"Now Captain, time for the Locker." Roger said, right before the loud bang rang in his ears.

The pain... never came.

Instead he stared with astonishment as the man in front of him stumbled back and toppled limply to the ground.

He felt himself blink a few times as he tried to comprehend what had happened, until the sound of his name echoing in a loud, agitated shriek, reached him.

Still maintaining his position on the ground, his face turned.

The sight that met his eyes could have only been attributed to a delusion on his part. Because there was no possible way that the woman standing at the edge of the tree line was truly his wife.

Foolishly, he stared motionessly as the mirage broke into a run and breached the distance separating them, launching herself into his arms.

Without needing his permission, his arms enveloped her, clutching her warm, soft, familiar body to his.

The uncomfortable feeling of his heart gaining speed at the realization that the body in his arms was solid and real, freed him of his stupor.

"What… are you doing here!?" he demanded harshly.

Holding her shoulders away from him far enough that he would be able to assess her condition.

Elizabeth appeared disheveled and dirty, but otherwise unharmed.

When his surprise began to recede, the anger that substituted it was almost blinding.

"That pirate was…" she tried to defend.

But he would not allow it.

"How could you follow me here!?" he asked, almost yelling now, unable to accept the reality of the situation in spite of understanding with painful clarity what the situation was. "Have you lost your mind!? What were you thinking? Do you understand the danger you put yourself into!?" he kept firing one angry question over another, not once giving her the time to answer any of them.

His hands released their grip once he saw a small wince of pain cross her face.

He was angry, truly furious this time. And frightened beyond belief.

"Why is it so impossible for you to listen to me at least once, Elizabeth!?" he continued. Although his voice her wince in pain.

His words and actions had seemed to provoke Elizabeth's shock for a moment, but her expression morphed into indignant disbelief as she shrieked back, "Why are you yelling at me? I just saved your life!"

"By risking yours, Elizabeth! Even our child's!" he snarled furiously, unable to comprehend how she could have done such a thing.

His memory failing to recall a time when he had been so enraged at her, but the way in which her shoulders shrank as her eyes flashed with hurt, gave his fury pause.

Regret took its place when he saw the way her hands were clinging to the torn, dirty fabric covering her middle in tight fists.

"I…" she tried, but her voice faltered, eyes trembling as her face fell in fright.

Her reply was interrupted by a thunderous explosion that made the very earth tremble.

His body instinctively surged forward to cover her when bright projectiles of hot rock flew in every direction from the top of the volcano as the imposing mountain began colouring in yellow and red.

In one fluid motion, James had them both on their feet and running towards the boat at shore.

The only thought in his head as he pulled on the oars with all his might, was to put as much distance possible between them and the erupting menace.

Note: We already knew, didn't we? hahaha.

Dear really got himself in trouble this time😛.