Jack curled his fingers around Merida's hand and for a moment the world seemed alright.
"Thanks Merida, you're the best." Jack said, two bright orbs of light appeared passed Merida's red hair turning it into glowing flaming locks, the lights grew rapidly and collided with the car. Then next moment, there was actual fire and red drippings from those fiery curls. That was the last moment anything would ever be 'alright'.
** ** **
Jack awoke with a start.
That nightmare plagued him with uncertainties to this day. Jack looked around him to take in his surroundings and cursed in French.
"Mmm, Jacquis, if I'd known you spoke French, last night could have been all the more fun." a young woman slid her hand over Jack's bare chest. Her hair was a mess and the incense failed miserably in covering up the detestable smell of the place.
Jack placed one hand over hers to halt her explorations, as her mouth found his neck. He took stock of everything around him. Salt water stung his nose and simple sunlight streamed though the wooden windows. It was not the first time he'd woken up in a new world in such an 'establishment, and from his new body's memories, he knew exactly where he was.
Jack cursed again, he thought for sure he'd awaken in his own time. Yet he wasn't surprised to find himself lost in a new world just as a fresh love had finally succeeded... again. He had no words to waste on the paid woman, she'd apparently done her job and was only eager to put 'Jacquis' deeper in debt. He flung the bed sheet aside and gathered his clothes against the woman's protests, he knew her face, he knew her voice. She forever haunted him as the harbinger of every new ring of Hades he stepped through.
Jack was tired, and he was jaded. He'd lost count of all the years he'd spent doing this, all the wars he'd been in, all the faces he'd seen over and over again, and all the miles he'd logged onto his poor soul. All for what? For love? He was sick of love. But at the same time it was always Elsa, and as much as he hated to admit there was a bright side to his torture, he loved being in love with Elsa. Her kisses haunted him with a cold comfort.
A loose white shirt was first, then some sea stained pants and a sash to hold them up. Well-worn leather boots went on his feet with practiced ease. He found his sword and pulled it from its scabbard long enough to examine its edge before he strapped it to his waist. A fine cutlass, no nobleman's sword but it was well cared for and sharp, it would cut though a man well enough, he had enough experience at this point he didn't even consider the morbidity of that logic. He swung his arms into a tan waistcoat with worn away blue inlays and an expertly hidden steel plate protecting the wearers heart. Two vembraces, four daggers, one flintlock pistol, one bandana, and one empty coin purse later and Jack was ready to leave.
Jack left the smell of incense for the smell of grinding metal, oil, and dung when he leapt from the window landed in the street with a cry from his bed mate. He took off down the street to begin sorting through the memories of his host.
Jack followed his feet, muscle memory lead his steps. His muscles were strong and lean, a predators muscles and he could feel it as every footfall felt as if he could spring to or from any violence. The calluses on his palms told him of long hours handling rope and battle. The dark tan of his skin told him of long hours under the suns battering ram. The way his eyes found coin purses and gauged the price of jewelry told him volumes about his career. But not nearly as much as three gentleman that begun trailing him, they told him all he'd ever need to know about this place until his body's memories could sink in.
"Pirate!" a voice rang out to catch Jack's attention.
Jack turned to see a triad of Noble sons playing at vigilante.
"It's scum like you that make this port the filthy sin ridden place that it is." The loudest one yelled at Jack.
Jack spun on his heel and walked toward the three finely dressed boys no older than Jack had been for ages.
The loudest of the nobles kept shouting at Jack but just kept his head down and his voice mute. In a flash of a step, Jack's hands gripped the folds of the loudest Noble and smashed his head into his nose. Before any of them had a chance to react Jack pulled back and threw the second into the third. With some conveniently place ice none of the boys maintained their footing and landed in the dirt.
Instead of yelling in indignation and rage the three noble brats clamored to their feet and ran away crying.
"That was easy." Jack acknowledged. He watched a Fearling his at him, it was lizard shaped with a whipping tail that flicked when it decided to give chase after the boys, it crawled along the walls through the shadows outside the view of the normal person.
Jack winked and turned away from a life he'd sworn off, every man for himself. With a smug grin, he hefted the three heavy Noble sons' coin purses he had swiped. He weighed them with a satisfied toss jingling the coins with them.
He looked at the sky as wooden and cooper covered boats floated in the air above him. They moved at sluggish paces with their enormous sizes. Ships, row boats, sailboats, and even people defied gravity with technology that mixed brassy colored instruments and gears.
Jack grinned, he beat up three brats and now had money. He stowed the money and simply stated in harmonious resonance with his current host.
"Yo ho ho, it's a pirate's life for me."
Jack walked to the nearest tavern he threw open the door but instead of a vile den of thieves and much needed breakfast it opened to a twenty first century gas station. It was midnight and the lone clerk looked up from his book in shock to see a pirate amid a stench of sea salt and an era that could have used a lot more baths. Jack sighed and closed the door. He opened it again to find the den of thieves that should have been behind the door the first time.
"Ahoy!" Jack cheered recognizing some familiar faces, some who may not have ended their night just yet. "A round on me, curtsey of a good captain."
"You're no captain Jacky, where's your ship?" A voice playfully scorned him from the end of the room.
"Just you wait Jimmy, I'll be a captain and with that attitude you'll raise no higher than the bilge water of my vessel." Jack responded walking over to his friend.
"It is 'Hawkins' you swine," the young Jim Hawkins said with a good-natured embrace.
"I'll call you Hawkins when you call me Keys like the rest of the crew." Jack sat at his friends table and took a carrot from his half-eaten bowl of breakfast stew.
"Oy, get your own!" Hawkins swiped at Jack.
The carrot was cold and tasted of the stew but it had the taste that it might be a fine thing to eat while it was warm.
"I think I will, Barmaid!" Jack got the attention of the young brunette serving tables.
Before Jack could get her make an order, two young pirates burst into the tavern.
"Keyes, Hawkins!" they stammered at the edge of breathlessness.
The first boy had short red hair and a face like it might never grow old. He wore a green tunic with a red sash and a tan shorts. He sported two knives and a long dagger as his weapon of choice. He was as scrappy a pirate as Jack had ever known. "Hard to catch, and harder to kill," defined him as well as anything could.
The second boy was a tad older and half a head taller with curly black locks, he played more at propriety than his compatriot. He had a faded red navel jacket and a proper belt fastened with a rapier, he also maintained a hat with a rather large feather that had seen more storms than it let on. Of course, this was all a clever rouse, a meat hook clung to his side ready for any scuffle. He fought as clean as he fought dirty, and he was as clever as they come.
Both boys were best friends, consumed with a brotherly loyalty to one another since growing up together in the slums before joining the crew. Both boys were out of breath with the fear of the gods in their eyes.
"Pan, Hook, you look as if the devil is at your heels." Jack asked.
"It's Bonnie she's gotten herself in a barrel of trouble this time, hurry!" Hook declared.
Jack and Hawkins shot from their table and the four pirates burst from the tavern like demons escaping the pit.
Elsa would have to wait, for now Jack had Best Friend to save. Jack had learned a long list of patterns and harsh lessons as he fought his way through reality, seeming to tear it apart in some places. The most notable symptom was he never knew when he opened a door if it was going to open to where it was supposed to.
One thing was finely set in stone Elsa was his truest love, no matter the circumstances he could never stop himself from falling in love with her all over again.
Merida was his truest friend, and would always lead him to Elsa in one fashion or another.
That was the order of things and to tamper with it always ended in disaster.
Well he was tired and jaded, he'd had enough, after several hundred years of life and death it was time to make a mess of things. It was finally time for his last disaster.
End Book One
To be continued in Book Two.... (Next Chapter)
Thanks everyone for enjoying this first installment of the WFMI series more chapters are in the works and will be coming soon. I will just keep adding them to this work until I run out of chapters but I hope you have enjoyed the adventure and are ready for a whole new adventure wrought with new experiences, new and familiar characters, and twists at every turn.