Lighthouse, Whitecap Bay - During the Mermaid Attack
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Reaching the top did not take them long but it tested their stamina. Despite the passing years, both seemed to have it; Jack even more so. Upon reaching the holding tanks for the oil used to power the main light; Jack broke open a valve and let the oil spray out.
Artemis did the same with another valve, increasing the amount of oil spraying out. They both rushed towards the window and glanced behind them for a moment, seeing that the oil was heading directly towards the flames of the main light.
Then, they looked at one another and held hands. With a determined look and a nod, they both jumped at the same time. They fell fast, not once stopping holding hands even as their bodies broke the surface of the cold water.
Just as they were under the waters, the lighthouse exploded. A spectacular concussion lit up the night to a degree that even the mermaids underwater felt frightened but also blinded. Their primary instincts kicked in and they started to flee from the rocks, darting away from the shallows.
Freeing their hands, the two of them started to swim towards the surface. Their coughs could be heard faintly along with their pants, both more than happy to breathe the sweet and cold air they desperately needed.
Their adrenaline rushed into their veins like Greek Fire, keeping them warm momentarily and even reminding them of the old times; when they would partake in all kinds of crazy adventures together.
They exchanged a smile, both enjoying the moment until they heard the sound of water slapping. Turning towards the source, they spotted a Mermaid close up; mistrustful of them. Her eyes were mostly on Jack but before she could try to attack him, the man was pulled back.
Artemis stood between him and the aquatic and her man, both eyes glaring at her. Blackbeard had forbidden her from wearing an eyepatch, always being cryptic about her hiding her blind eye. She hid it mostly with her hair but the water had caused the red locks to be pushed back, exposing her full face.
"Don't" Artemis said, the tone in her voice going dangerously low.
The mermaid watched her, her expression changing from anger to one of surprise and then to frustration upon laying eyes on the redhead. She said something in a language none of the two heroes knew and started to swim away, her tail splashing them with some water before she joined her sisters.
Jack watched silently, merely picking from behind her shoulder. He saw how quickly the mermaid changed her intentions upon laying her eyes on Artemis and a part of him wished to be able to see her face too.
However, before he could, the mermaid swam away.
"Always defending me from the angry ladies, aren't you lass?" he said, trying to joke into the serious moment.
Artemis turned to face him, mismatched eyes falling on his face and her lips did not hide her amusement. "I will start charging you soon" she commented back and splashed him with some water before she dived under it.
She started to swim beneath the still rough surface waters, not bothered by the darkness and lack of light. Somehow, she knew in which direction to swim and let her body guide her there. The faint sound of splashing could be heard as Jack clearly tried to catch up with her but she was a fast swimmer.
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By the time Artemis reached the sores, Jack had been left quite behind. She silently climbed on top of some rocks and stopped to catch her breath, her body sore from the running, steps and forced swimming.
Her red locks stuck to her cheeks and neck, her clothes tightly sticking to her skin and puddles were forming in her boots. She looked around her, seeing many dead mermaids that had perished while fighting Blackbeard and his men.
Her heart ached at the sight, more so when some of the men's bodies or what was left of them started to float towards the sore. Based on the commotion and the sounds around her, they seemed to have been unsuccessful.
While that pleased her, it also worried her for she knew Blackbeard would not rest. He would find ways to get his mermaid, no matter how many innocent men he would sacrifice in the process.
Then, she heard Blackbeard's voice. "Check the wounded, see if any can be saved." He ordered and while for a moment, everyone thought he was actually caring; he quickly became more specific. "Not us. Them! A mermaid. Find one still alive!"
By the time Jack had reached the shore, Artemis was standing and watching as the men searched for a mermaid that was still alive. Then, the two words that would haunt her nights were heard, causing a cold sweat to roll down her spine.
"Got one!" Blackbeard shouted as everyone rushed to help him. "Here, lend a hand!"
Artemis moved fast, hoping it was a false alarm but her silent prayers were not answered. She stood on top of some rocks and watched, as a mermaid was trapped beneath the heavy nets; biting and trying to free herself.
Blood came from a sword wound at the end of her tail and she glared at the men around her, not once to stop fighting them. As the men held a better grip on her, the terrifying captain turned to the man, who had helped the catcher; Philip.
"Good work, sailor." He said to the priest.
The redhead turned to look at him, surprised to find some information. Yet, the look on his face said far more than he could say with words. He opened his mouth to protest but he found no words to explain his thoughts, deep down knowing he could not deny his part in her capture.
The mermaid glared at him with betrayal in her blue eyes, something only he understood due to the few things that had taken place before the pirates found them. Unable to look at her any longer, Philip turned his head to the side.
His gaze met Artemis' seeing the same guilty and self-loathing look in her eyes, that he felt as if he was staring at himself for a moment. There was this silent understanding of the situation but none chose to speak as Blackbeard gave his next order.
"Back to the ship. We make for a protected cove -- and quick."
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Unknown Coordinates - The Next Day - Early Noon
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By the morning light of the following day, a lot of things had taken place. For once, Queen Anne's revenge had laid anchor in a protected cove, floating still like a picture under blue peaceful skies.
On the rocky shore, a landing party had already been formed. The party consisted of Jack, Angelica, Blackbeard, and Members of the crew, including Scrum, Philip, Salaman, Ezekiel, Garheng, and the Cabin Boy.
From the Zombies, the two most recognisable were Gunner and the Quartermaster; along with two more.
They were busy carrying a glass coffin or what it was shaped like. Inside of it, half of it had been filled with seawater as a trapped mermaid was floating inside.
Blackbeard was leading the party, dragging a blindfolded Jack with him with everyone else following. They passed next to some massive boulders before all coming to a halt. Only then, did the Captain remove the blindfold.
"It's to you now, Sparrow." He told him.
Jack blinked a few times, his eyes getting used to the sudden strong light. "Was that necessary?" he found himself asking.
"Best you not know the exact whereabouts of my ship. I am a cautious man."
Our hero merely shrugged and pulled out his compass. He glanced at it, only seeing the arrow pointing straight ahead. "What I want first is Ponce de Leon's ship." He mumbled and on cue, the compass started to move again and adjusted to a different direction.
He then snapped the cup closed, gave his charming smile to everyone and started to lead the landing party.
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Jack kept leading, moving from the plains and the boulders to a thick part of the island that was occupied by dense jungle. Hanging green vines made the landing party often duck to avoid them, their pants and boots getting wet as they waded through a murky river.
The coffin was chained and floating across the waters, Scrum helping manoeuvre it beneath a fallen tree.
"Why is it we got to bring her along?" he asked out loud since everything took twice as much time with that thing.
"Tears don't keep. We need them fresh." Angelica informed him as she used her sword to cut some vines and push them out of her way.
She was in a foul mood, mostly because Jack kept repeating the steps of the ritual but he mumbled them as if he didn't know what he was saying. He was just trying to test her patience, mess with her now that he could and he was being successful.
Annoyed, Angelica started to walk faster and left him behind before she ended up putting a bullet through him and ending his life for good.
Artemis was amused, more than happy to see her tick although she was partially worried. More than once did she glance either at Blackbeard, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts or at the trapped mermaid.
She felt guilty, seeing her trapped like that and she fought hard not to just go and free her.
A familiar hand brushed next to hers, calloused fingers gently holding hers for a few seconds as Jack caught up with her. She did not look at him but the faintest of smiles showed that she had acknowledged his sweet supporting gesture.
She then took a few bigger steps to be a little more forward, as Scrum caught up with them.
"So...about this ritual you keep talking about" he started, clearly interested. "You mentioned two chalices, one with the tear and one without"
Jack nodded. "That's right"
"But which one gets the water? Or does none do? Cause if it is the second, it doesn't truly make much of a sense"
The famous pirate started to slow down, clearly not having thought of that detail. When Artemis had told him about the steps, he was too caught up in her straddling him and in her lips being in such proximity; to ask any more questions.
Thankfully for him, the woman of the hour had heard them and had slowed down her step as well to be closer.
"Both get water. One gets a tear. The person who drinks the water with the tear gets all the years of life from the other." She explained to Scrumm, earning a silent 'thank you' from Jack.
Yet, not a single minute later he had a question of his own; his brain truly working this time although the timing seemed to be quite wrong. "How many years?"
Suddenly, a rather large snake was spotted in the waters and seemed to swim towards them. Shocked by the creature, Jack did the first thing that came into his mind and jumped behind his lover.
Amused by his reaction, Artemis merely placed her hands into the water and gently grabbed the snake. It seemed to welcome her touch and it started to slither around it, before moving to be around her neck, terrifying the sailors that were close by.
The redhead petted the head gently as she turned to look at Jack and Scrumm. "All da years dat dey have lived, and they could have lived, if fate'd been kinder." She said with a smirk, her accent being awfully familiar with that of Tia Dalma.
Immediately, Jack came to a halt and he seemed to pale a few tones. While the others did not know why or where that accent came from, he did. He felt a single drop of cold sweat rolling down his spine through his shirt as he looked at her, standing all mighty with the snake around her.
Her lips kept that smirk, which suddenly seemed to be the exact one Tia Dalma would often give him and others. If one looked carefully, perhaps they could see the faintest resemblance in the shape of their lips and their eyes or how Artemis's skin colour tended to faintly tan. Of course, one should just not mention how one was a literal ancient and very powerful goddess...and the other seemed to no longer fit the average giftless human standards.
It never dawned on Jack such similarities or the true connection between the Goddess and his lover, but suddenly he started to have more theories and questions than answers. Yet, he would ponder on them later for they had to move and one of the zombie officers reminded him with a harsh shove.
He blinked and looked at Artemis, seeing her leaving the snake by the sore ahead of him before she continued walking; as if she had never spoken those words or caused him such a shocking revelation moment to happen.
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After they had exited the jungle, the sailors were allowed a quick pause to drink, rest and re-fill their water skins. A river with crystal clear drinkable waters was nearby and the majority of thick jungle plants had been left behind.
Now, the path was more even although still rocky. Tall trees and occasional big boulders could be seen all around them, giving no clear sense of direction of where they exactly were.
The glass coffin holding the mermaid was lifted and then set on an outcropping, allowing the men, who carried it to free their hands momentarily.
The mermaid simply watched them in silence, although she did seem to have grown paler since the night prior. Artemis seemed to notice but it was Philip, who paused his small talk with Jack to address it.
"Quartermaster!" he shouted to the zombified officer, upon reaching closer to the coffin.
"Aye ..."
"She cannot breathe." He pointed out, his words and actions drawing the attention of a certain redhead.
"She has water ..."
"She needs air. Open this!"
"She will escape."
"You are killing her."
The small argument started to draw attention while the mermaid seemed to be pleasing Philip silently with her eyes, her lips getting paler along with her skin. Suddenly, both men were pushed to the side as Artemis moved between them.
Grabbing her sword, she was quick to wedge up the cover and break the seal that held it airtight. Immediately, the mermaid moved to the crack and started to breathe the air hungrily; while casting thankful looks at Artemis.
Truth be told, the woman would have never thought that mermaids would also need air. Considering the fins she had seen on them or suspected them to have, she thought like many others; that they only needed water.
However, being part human it did make sense and she even considered herself to be an idiot for not realizing it sooner.
"See?" Philip pointed out, more than thankful that Artemis interfered but she could not keep her sword placed there at all times.
The Quartermaster stared daggers at the priest and then turned to face Artemis, who stubbornly refused to look away or be intimidated by him. If she were any other sailor, he would have disciplined her long ago but Blackbeard had made it clear; none were allowed to touch her.
Annoyed, he turned to glare at her sword. It was obviously too dangerous to leave the sharp blade close to the mermaid, who could take it and attack them. Although, if she chose to do that; Artemis would not blame her.
Philip seemed to read the room pretty easily and quickly grabbed his little bibble. "Here, use this" he suggested.
The redhead looked at him with mismatched eyes. Despite the lack of vision in one of them, both seemed capable of expressing emotions just fine. It was something he had noticed when he first caught the look of her scarred eye, mentally wondering who could have harmed her to that extent.
Artemis took the bible from him and turned to face the coffin. She pulled her sword out but at the same time, placed the little booklet in each place. This, effectively held the lid of the coffin open enough for fresh air to be allowed inside.
EDITED: 15/03/2024