𝔸 ℙ𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕄𝕖

Chapter 29- Mermaids

Sat by Scrum watching Jack and Angelica was one the most frustrating things I had ever experienced. I managed through but got more annoyed as the pair disappeared inside. Huffing, I jumped up and walked across the deck to the bow of the ship.

"M'lady, " Scrum piped up following behind me.

"Yes Scrum?" I replied not taking my eye off the dark waters.

"Is it true what you said before bein' the Pirate King and daughter a Davy Jones an all."

"Yes it is Scrum, " I answered staring out into the distance trying to make out what was slowly pressing through the fog. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just I've never met a demigoddess before an-"

"White Cap Bay!" A sailor yelled whilst ringing a bell cutting Scrum off.

"All hands on deck!" Blackbeard yelled after. "Set to the longboats!"

I sighed yet again and complied with the order although not with any hurry or enthusiasm.

"Miss me Luv?" A voice asked from behind as a hand came to rest on my shoulder.

"Not at all Jackie, " I replied flicking his hand off my shoulder and walking away towards one of the already lowered longboats. Jack followed in after me and I pushed the boat away from the ship.

"So what did she tell ya?" I questioned.

"A mermaids tear and victim."

"Victim?"

"The fountain of youth allows you to take all the years of another, " Jack elaborated.

"Well, that makes this whole immortality a bit more of an annoying affair."

"Aye, " Jack agreed looking out of the sea as I rowed the boat.

"What else happened?" I asked looking straight at Jack and setting the cracked old oars down in the boat.

"Angelica offered me a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"If we help her with the fountain she will give us The Pearl."

"The Pearl!" I exclaimed in astonishment my eyes widening slightly. "But I thought you said Barbossa watched it sink."

"Aye he did but I've seen it with my own eyes although it's currently a tad smaller than usual."

"It's what?" I furrowed my brows as I grabbed the oars once again and began to row before anyone decided to order me around.

"It's in a bottle."

"Great just when I thought things couldn't get any stranger, " I huffed blowing some of my hair from my face.

We stood on the dock with Blackbeard and Angelica as the rest of the crew unfurled long black nets. Another boat was sent out I supposed it was as bait. I managed to get a few notes on some of the crew before they went out.

Let me explain. Every man that dies at sea gets sent down to the locker where Ngaio and Will are. So, we've found it to be a good method of communication. I write a note and send it down on a doomed soul along with our current whereabouts and future and somewhere along the way Jack and I will find a bottle with a reply. It was a bit long but how else do you suppose you talk to someone at the worlds end?

I felt Jack grab my hand as well followed after Angelica and Blackbeard up a tall dark tower looming over the even darker seas below. To many, this place would scare the life out of them. Hell, even the name White Cap Bay puts some sailors on edge. There are many stories surrounding this place many of which I heard from my time in the Dutchman and the others I'm sure were just the drunken tales of one Joshamee Gibbs.

Leaning against the old brick wall my skin pricked at the coldness of the wall. I looked up at the slither of moon in the sky when suddenly a bright light shone from behind me. They had gotten the lighthouse to work and had now illuminated the boat of unfortunate souls that swayed with eerie calmness in the water.

"Glad we're not down there, " Jack said.

"Yes well, Angelica would hardly let you be mermaid bait. Me, on the other hand..." I trailed off glancing at Jack with a somewhat stern gaze.

"You know jealousy is not a good look on you Celie, " he replied with a smirk.

"Who said I was jealous, " I countered as quiet singing flowed through the air from the boat down below.

"Well, the fact you want to feed me to mermaids for starters. "

"I never said I would feed you to them, Jack-" I kissed him lightly, "- just use you as bait with the potential to be eaten, " I smirked pulling away.

The night seemed to wear on painfully slowly for a while after that. Jack's hand had managed to worm its way into mine in that time too. Angelica thankfully hadn't seen. That woman was certainly a force to be reckoned with and I wasn't in a mood for having to explain how I married the man who stood her up at the alter.

I dragged Jack back down from the tower slowly at first but once the commotion started down below I relinquished my grip on Jack's hand and ran down to the wooden dock. Feral hissing sprung from the water and screams pierced through the air as the boat was smashed and the sailors were thrown from their ship into the deep waters. Barrels of gunpowder were lit and sent into the water.

That, along with flames from The Queen Anne's Revenge, drove the mermaids towards the shore. From all, this sudden chaos came utter silence as we waited for the mermaids.
Then, one by one, men were snatched from the water and dragged to the depths by the beautiful yet monstrous creatures.

"Retreat all to land!" Jack and I called but Blackbeard had other ideas.

"Cowards!" Blackbeard shouted shoving Jack aside. Back into the water! There be no refuge on land."

With that, the men were trapped between monsters and the barrel of a gun.

The dock suddenly fell from under our feet sending Angelica and me plummeting into the cold water. Jack managed to stay on land just barely. He began to reach for when I heard the crack of a whip. It brought memories of the Dutchman rushing back but I had no time to dwell on them for Angelica was about to become Mermaid food.

Slightly reproachfully, I grabbed my sword and sliced the seaweed whip and pushed Angelica closer to Jack so he could pull her up. I clambered out of the water with great speed when I saw the increasing numbers of mermaids hurtling for the shore.

"Celie the tower, " Jack yelled. I nodded and followed him across the dock. Whips cracked at my feet and splintered the dock and other mermaids crashed through the floor. I leapt over the breaches and caught up to Jack attempting to get my now wet hair out of my face, which it was clinging to.

We made it across but Jack gave a yelp as something pulled him downwards. I latched onto his hand stopping the creature below from snatching him away.

One boot to the face later we were back on our way climbing the dark stone steps with great speed. Then came the rickety wooden stairs slippery with water. Jack made it to the top first and began to bash the container of oil set atop the fire. I grabbed the first thing I could find and helped him with his endeavour hoping that by the time we were able to break it open there would still be some men to save.

Thankfully oil soon began to seep out and Jack wasted no time grabbing my hand and throwing me off the side of the tower with him. The tower exploded behind us in a great burst of flame as we plummeted into the water.

Jack seemed far more tense under the water than I did but granted he was not able to breathe like I was. I dragged him to the surface where he took a deep breath then we headed for the shore. Whilst we waded out of the water he yelled,

" Did everyone see that? Because we will not be doing that again!"

Of course, at this point no one was paying any attention to us and if it weren't for the fact that we had a chance to get The Pearl back and the voodoo doll I would've considered it a perfect time to take the ship and leave all the nonsense behind. Sadly it wouldn't happen.

"Don't worry Jack they wouldn't even be able to appreciate our skills anyway, " I laughed.

"Aye Luv."