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The Chalice of Doom	By : Jessica66 Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > General Views: 2364 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
16-
Magical Mayhem

Jack
propped himself up on one elbow and watched Rowan dress. Once again she wore
these tight black clothes that looked so sexy on her, yet he doubted she was
wearing them for that reason. Then she quickly plaited her unruly red wine mane
in two tight braids and wrapped a black bandana around her head so that not a
single wisp of hair could fall into her eyes. Talking about her eyes- she'd
applied black khol to them, which intensified her emerald green look and gave it
a mysterious, even dangerous impression.

"Dressed
to kill for the Commodore, huh?"

"What
d'ye mean?" She snarled warily.

"Ye're
taking this fight with Norrington really seriously, aren't ye?"

"Listen
Jack, if this is gonna be an attempt to talk it out of me then�"

"No,
no that's alright with me. Go and give him a good beating." Jack
interjected at once since it wouldn't make any sense to try and protect her from
the danger she was seeking. Also, she could protect herself well enough. She'd
almost managed to beat him in that practice bout- well, probably she would have
beaten him indeed if she hadn't had scruples� he preferred to call that
practical thinking of a wantonly mind.

"Oh,
so I've got yer blessing, Captain Sparrow?" Rowan sounded ironic yet that
was only to hide her surprise; she had expected having to argue with him about
that.

"Well,
I know you can handle him."

"Ta."
She had to turn away from him, feeling incredibly flattered. The blood rushed to
her head and she knew she was blushing. No need for him to see that. Feigning
concentration she bent over the map of Jamaica when she noticed Jack still
watching her. She looked up and shot him a confused glance. "What're ye
staring at me for?"

"Hmmm�
I like the way ye look, luv."

That
wasn't fair. This was going to be a hard day but he was lolling about her bed,
purring like a big, content tomcat, stretching his body in a lazy and at the
same time very lascivious way� well, she wasn't proof against his looks either.

"Stop
that!" She said, nervously running her fingers through her hair. "Get
up, get dressed. Damned, I have a ship and a crew to take care of but I can't
steer the Jewel through all these shallows and reefs offshore Jamaica when I
know there's a naked and� um, quite handsome pirate lying in my bed, savvy."

"Only
quite handsome?" He raised a brow.

"Are
ye fishing for compliments, Captain Sparrow?"

Rowan
was about to shoo him out of bed when he got hold of her plaits. "Nah,
fishing for a little kiss..."

Thus
he kissed her; it was a sweat kiss full of emotions, searching for and giving
reassurance. After a while Jack broke it, a teasing smile on his lips as his
hand trailed down her spine and his fingers pinched her bottom. "Hey, ye've
got a ship to take for," He reminded her cheekily yet his eyes were dark
and thoughtful when they locked with hers; he lowered his voice. "Anyway,
whatever ye do, don't do anything stupid, savvy?"

Though
Rowan felt choked with emotions she ignored the swarm of butterflies having a
party in her stomach and decided to play it down by tugging his beard instead.
"Ah, don't worry. Ye won't get rid off me that easily."

No,
there was no reason to worry, Jack was sure. Actually he almost felt sorry for
Commodore James Norrington though they were definitely not friends at all. The
one was a fine English gentleman, stiff to the bones, very conscious of his
duties in serving the King of England, really despising all pirates- and the
other one was a hated, infamous pirate captain with no duties but his own. Yet
Norrington had given him a day's head start once, at a time when he
wasn't manipulated and brainwashed by Ratbone. Anyway, after all's said and done
the fine English gentleman was still in his blood, therefore he was rather
predictable in a fight but Rowan wasn't. She was a real bitch when it came down
to fighting, using more naughty tricks than he could ever think of and she truly
had a very unique footwork. Norrington could never keep up with her- well,
except in a fair fight following all rules of engagement- but who wants to fight
fair when the thrill was not fighting fair?

Almost
invisible the two dark pirate ships melted into the moonless night since Rowan
had given order to extinguish all lanterns except one aboard the Jewel Star, and
that order had also been signalled to the Black Pearl. Therefore they passed
Port Royal unseen, sailing on an opportune current that would led them straight
to their destined anchoring place, somewhere between Great Goat Island and the
Hellshire Hills.

Rowan stood at the helm and tried to
concentrate on steering her ship, but no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts
kept wandering off down diverse paths. She thought about the things to come and
Santiago's discouraging behaviour, hoping that he'd just been tired. What would
happen if he couldn't conquer Anirvan alias Ratbone- would all be lost, then?
She shuddered, refusing to believe so. No, that can't be. I've stopped Nirrti
once before even without Santiago's help and after all there's still Marris...
but what was Marris' part in all that? Santiago has always regarded him
as an unimportant appendage of mine and now he suddenly seems to play an
important part in a game to which only the Spaniard knows the rules- or
why could he suddenly hear Santiago's voice in his head as if being mentally
connected? Well, he doesn't have a clue and blames it on the reindeer bones but
I really wonder why these reindeer bones had never mattered before? What's
Santiago up to?

These were the things Rowan thought
about but most of all she thought about Jack Sparrow. She'd often wondered
whether it was more than just pure lust they shared, remembering how wantonly
her body always reacted to his. Tonight had been different though- she'd never
felt so utterly complete in anyone else's
arms before, never so fully accepted even with all her rough edges. He made her
feel wanted and desirable for just being herself, and he'd just proved that he
also believed in her, trusted her. No arguments about her big-mouthed
announcement that Norrington would be her issue, he'd only asked her not to do
anything stupid. Thinking about that gave her new heart and she felt confident
that they'd manage it, with or without Santiago. After all's said and done there
was still Jack's knack to talk himself out of just every situation, somehow.

Meanwhile,
Jack had gotten up and was about to stroll around Jewel when suddenly a paw came
down upon his shoulder and he was turned around to face Rashid. Smiling broadly
the Indian pressed a mug of tea into his hands.

"Good
see ye, now make useful. Bring tea to young Turner whelp, aye. Me I have other
things to do."

Being
asked so nicely it was hard to reject his plea and Jack had wanted to look in on
Will anyway. And there was no denying that Rashid was the absolute chief of the
galley and of everything that concerns supplying the crew. No one was allowed to
contradict his orders and he could be very domineering in defending his opinion.
Therefore it would have been quite difficult even for Jack to talk himself out
of that situation if he'd chosen to reject Rashid's order and probably he would
have met his match. Fortunately he didn't know because otherwise he would have
given it a try. So he just took the mug in his hands and replied to the Indians
smile with a golden grin of his own before heading to the cabin where Will was
accommodated.

The
door was slightly ajar so Jack could hear that Will was obviously awake-
apparently the whelp already felt well enough to argue with M'leh about why he
had to stay in bed when Elisabeth was in danger. Jack pushed the door open and
staggered in.

"'ello
whelp, good to know ye're feeling better."

"Jack!"
Will tried to sit up but cringed in pain.

"Young
Master Turner thinks he's fine and wants to go 'n save his woman right now."
M'leh complained while trying to keep his charge in bed.

"Ah,
he tends to be a little rash sometimes." Jack sat down next to Will and
handed him the mug. "Well, mate, why don't ye just drink yer tea and relax?
There's nothing ye can do at the moment and besides, ye'd only scare yer bonnie
lass the way ye look right now..."

"Relax?
You've got a nerve! Elisabeth is in deadly danger, we must go and save
her!" Will's hand trembled so violently
with agitation that he almost spilled his tea.

Jack
rolled his eyes. "Aye. But unless you can swim faster than the Jewel sails-
very unlikely you manage more than 14 knots- ye can just as well stay in bed and
recover, savvy?"

"Says
the man who once tried to trade my life for a ship. Bah, you don't know anything
about love, you don't care about people. You only care for yourself."

Jack
was sure he didn't deserve that; that wasn't fair and most of all it was wrong.
He wasn't that selfish, he just wasn't blindly trusting. He wasn't insensitive
either but cautious, and cramming his feelings in the backmost corner of his
mind didn't mean he had none- he only hid them well. Nevertheless he played it
down now like he usually did, snapping. "And you don't know anything about
ships, lad."

Perhaps
that hadn't been the right answer to calm down an injured and deeply worried
young man like Will Turner. He sat up with a start now and glared angrily at the
pirate. "That's nothing to be proud of."

"Sshh.
Lay down again." Jack pushed him back in the pillows. " There's no
need to fret and waste yer strength."

"But
I've got to save Elisabeth and since you're not willing to help me..."

"Never
said that."

"Then
let me go."

Jack
sighed. "Boy, we've been through that before. Where d'ye wanna go? We're at
sea. Ye can't swim faster than a ship sails let alone in the state yer in. Ye'd
probably collapse before reaching the main deck so ye won't be much use anyway.
Stay in bed, drink yer tea and don't even think about doing something incredibly
stupid, savvy?"

Will
shot him a wary look. "What about Elisabeth?"

"Hey,
ye've forgotten one very important thing, mate." The pirate pointed his
index finger at Will's chest and smirked. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Ah,"
the younger man grimaced in frustration, "how could I forget that."

"Well,
ye've been badly wounded, maybe that's why. But don't worry, I've got everything
under control so I'll bring yer bonnie lass back to ye."

"You
swear?"

"Aye-
ye have me word, mate."

"The
word of a pirate�" Will didn't seem too impressed. Though he knew that
deep in his pirate heart Jack was a good man, it was hard to trust him when it
came down to his beloved wife. He sat up once more, clutching Jack's arm. "Once
you've asked me how far I'd go to save Elisabeth and I've answered I'd die for
her, do you remember?"

"Aye.
But since ye haven't died for her then there's no reason to die for her now,
savvy?"

Somehow
this conversation was tiresome. Apparently Will was keen to prove his courage-
which no one doubted- but he only proved he was being a stubborn fool. Perhaps
he had had something to prove because by choosing him Elisabeth had married far
beneath her rank and he wanted to compensate that by protecting her with his
life even if it was needless to risk his life.

"You
don't care about Elisabeth�" Will insists defiantly but luckily- at least
for Jack- the tea began to show its effects on him. His lids felt heavy so that
he could barely keep his eyes open. "�I have to save her�"

"You
have to sleep now." Jack grinned, when he saw that the young man had
actually fallen asleep. That was good. Will could be very demanding sometimes.
He got up and glanced at M'leh. "Keep a sharp eye on him. Don't let him do
anything heroic yet incredibly stupid."

Suddenly
the rattle of the anchor-chain was to be heard therefore he didn't wait for
M'leh's replied but just patted his shoulder briefly before rushing on deck.

Though
Jack definitely loved being at sea, the endless horizon ahead, reaching a new
shore also held great attractions to him A glow at eastern the horizon was
already announcing a new day, painting the nearby coast with warm, golden
colours, but a few fading stars were still in the sky. The air smelled of dry
earth mixed with the salty taste of the sea and somewhere in the distance a
rooster greeted the morning with his crow. Other birds joined in, singing,
chirping or croaking, wings where spread to roam the sky, and from the Black
Pearl Parrot answered them with a joyful, "Land ahoy! All hands on
deck!"

Rowan
had chosen their anchoring place well. The rocks of Great Goat Island hid the
pirate ships from any unfriendly eyes out to sea, and the landward guns were run
out as a precaution. She gave orders to double the watch, reminding her crew
once again not to shout but remain silent, when Parrot croaked: "Yo ho!
Silence is golden!"

"'n
ye're dead soon if ye don't shut up." She hissed, looking around for
something to throw at Parrot.

"Fancy
poultry for breakfast, luv?" Jack teased her.

Before
she could answer that he should have a better control of his crewmembers,
Santiago appeared on deck. He looked much better today, refreshed and full of
energy, and his complexion had lost the pale grey tone. Beckoning Jack and Rowan
over to him he informed them about his plans.

"I
thought about it and came to the conclusion that the chalice might be the key.
If I manage to transform its evil powers and free all enslaved souls�"

"Wait,
ye wanna go to Port Royal and nick the chalice from under the eyes of Ratbone
and the whole Royal Navy?" Jack cut him short but it wasn't obvious whether
he was impressed or appalled by Santiago's plan.

Santiago
rolled his eyes. "Why do you never hear me out? I never said I'm gonna
'nick' the Chalice of Doom; I just want to transform its power so Anirvan can't
raise an army of grey-clad marionettes against us."

"But
ye don't wanna go there alone, d'ye?" Rowan interjected.

"Well,
my dear girl, you surely have many qualities but dematerializing
yourself is definitely none of them, therefore I will indeed go there on my own.
It would be far too dangerous for you."

Though
Rowan pulled a face she kept her thoughts to herself. She couldn't forget the
exhausted impression Santiago gave yesterday and even if she didn't know a thing
about magic she knew very well that he had been so worn out because of using
magic.

Santiago
stroked her cheek. "Don't worry. A short distance teleport across land is
far less demanding than a long distance travel across the sea while focusing my
mind on a target in motion."

"Good
to know."

"Yep.
And because you don't know anything about magic you had better stay aboard until
I'm back. �Estamos?"

"Si."
Rowan replied, but as soon as Santiago walked down the companionway to prepare
for his mysterious way of travelling through time and space unseen, she gazed at
Jack and their eyes locked, both having the same idea.

"Well,
he didn't say we have to stay aboard, he just said we better stay
aboard, aye?"

"Aye."
Jack agreed and flashed her a broad, golden grin.

Rowan
flung her arms around his neck. Nibbling at his ears she whispered. "Though
I could think of many naughty ways to spent this day 'til Santiago returns from
his 'mission' we could as well use the time to� um, let's say check the
surroundings."

"Exactly
what I have in mind, luv."

"How
far is it to that cave?"

"'Bout
a five mile walk through the hills." His smile faded a bit, especially when
he mentioned that they had to walk there. Though he liked being ashore sometimes,
he preferred to stumble from one tavern to the next then, having a drink or many
more, enjoying the company of doxies� but taking a walk in the countryside had
never been his favourite pastime.

"Hmm,
what d'ye say? We check the surroundings of that cave and see if there's any
chance to get Elisabeth out there so we might end up with two trump cards in our
hands instead of only one- provided that Santiago's able to carry out his part,
of course."

Jack
opened his arms in one of his big gestures. "Ah, that's my woman."

-

Port
Royal had once been called the wickedest city on earth; it had been a den of sin
and vice, and a safe harbour for pirates- or, more accurately, Privateers.
Recruited in Tortuga and vested with Letters of Marque they had become, sort of,
Port Royal's Private Navy. Their ships had protected the harbour and it had been
their military base for attacks on Spanish ships, and the King of England had
been kindly disposed towards them. Now, a sign at Gallows Point read 'Pirates ye
be warned' and the bones of three executed men made it unmistakably clear that
things had changed.

Santiago
snorted contemptuously- wasn't it ironic? The formerly welcome ally had fallen
in disgrace because England wasn't at war with Spain anymore- at least not at
the moment- and at once it was forgotten that Port Royal owed its prosperity to
the pirates. The town wouldn't have boomed if the Privateers hadn't spent their
share of the booty in the numerous taverns and brothels here, thus attracting
many merchants or craftsmen to set up shops.

Yet
most ironic was that one of the greatest villains of that time, the infamous
Henry Morgan, had been knighted and appointed as Lieutenant Governor. He himself
had signed many death warrants to solve Port Royal's pirate problem, and it was
only after his death four years ago that the rapid advance of an ambitious
officer called James Norrington had started. Santiago would have loved to see
this strange couple working hand in hand, knowing that Norrington despised all
pirates� But of course a pirate was only a pirate without the Letter of Marque,
so no matter what dreadful things Morgan had done as a Privateer, he'd done it
in the name of the Crown, therefore Norrington might have regarded him as a
nobleman.

Bah-
being knighted can't cover up the fact that he was anything but noble. He was a
cruel man and helping Jack to sign up with him on his Panama trip was a horrible mistake. I
wish I could turn back time�

Today
Port Royal lacked some of its earlier charm since rich plantation owners set the
tone. All the freethinkers and artists that had come to Port Royal in the wake
of the pirates, creating the town's very special atmosphere, had left. The
shabbiest drinking holes had been closed, many whores were cast out of town or
sold into slavery- a very lucrative trade nowadays. While whoring was considered
immoral enslaving or working people to death was an honest form of commerce.
Whoever felt guilty about that could go to one of the many churches and unburden
his conscience. Now, Port Royal resembled any English harbour town where poor
people were oppressed while the rich wore the latest fashion from London.

Santiago
surely didn't mind the lack of taverns or brothels but he missed the creative
and open-minded folks Port Royal was also famous for. But he wasn't here for fun.
As soon as he sent his mind roaming the town he could sense the Chalice of Doom.
Any magically unskilled soul wouldn't have noticed what he saw in his mind's eye.
Whirling clouds of impenetrable blackness lingered above the town that had its
source in a plain golden goblet. It was calling for souls but the call was still
feeble yet, almost inaudible during the day. At night, especially in a moonless
night like the one to come, it would call out louder and many would follow its
call lured by the chalice like moths to a flame. Santiago was here to stop that,
to transform the magical power of the Chalice and release all the enslaved souls

Covered
in a cloak of invisibility he headed towards the mansion on the hill overlooking
the harbour. Of course he could have teleported himself there but that would
have been like shouting Hello, I'm here to Anirvan since any magician
could clearly sense the presence of another and the more that one used his
magical skills the more he risked detection. Therefore a teleport right into the
lion's den would have been far more conspicuous than just covering up with
invisibility, which also demanded less energy.

No one
noticed Santiago creeping through the house and the wing of the building he
headed for wasn't very crowded anyway. Finally he reached the room where the
Chalice was hidden. The door was locked- as he had expected- but he hadn't lived
among swashbucklers and scallywags for nothing. Every street urchin knew how to
pick a lock, and while fiddling around with his picklock he remembered little
Jack Sparrow showing him how to use it.

"No,
no, no- it'll never work that way." Jack shouted impatiently, taking the
picklock off my hands. "Ye have to feel it, see." The door snapped
open and I felt like a clumsy old man. That boy could easily unlock almost every
door and he seemed to be quite content that there was something he could
teach me. Well, at least he'd enjoyed that much more than our Latin
lessons- no need to fear for my well hidden and alleged safely locked magical
books since he couldn't read them anyway�

Now
get a grip on yourself. It's not the right time to dwell in memories, he told himself. Santiago concentrated on the lock again and soon
the door sprang open. It was almost too easy. Then he sensed that there was
indeed a protection charm but only to alert Anirvan in case of any magical
attempt to enter the room. Apparently he hadn't expected someone to simply pick
the lock.

Santiago
didn't need to search for long for the Chalice of Doom since he could hear its
call clearly now; it came from a shabby looking cupboard. He opened it and saw-
to put it in Jack's words- a simple golden wine mug. It really didn't look
spectacular but he knew that there was much more to it than meets the eye. That
plain goblet was a remarkable and very evil magical item. He reached for it,
noticing at once its eager wish to enslave all souls that came close enough. Now
he knew why Anirvan hadn't taken precautions to keep thieves away- the Chalice
would have swallowed their souls as soon as they'd laid hands on it. But with
Santiago it had no chance. He definitely had the stronger willpower and he was
the one who preferred to set up the rules. Using his very own magical skills he
forced the Chalice of Doom to literally spit out the souls it had enslaved.

The
Chalice shrieked in protest, almost sounding like a wounded animal.

"Ah,
shut up." Santiago cursed when suddenly someone tsked. He turned around,
not surprised to see Anirvan watching him from an armchair. The magician was
clad in the same charcoal-grey brocade coat
Rowan had mentioned.

"Well,
well the Spaniard. I'm quite pleased to meet you." Anirvan rose from the
chair and came to greet Santiago, acting like a fine English nobleman who
invited an old friend for tea. He also looked like a fine English nobleman- that
might have helped him to win Norrington. His skin was pale, untouched by the
Caribbean sun, and he wore the latest fashion from London except for his brocade
coat. Though fabric, cut and colour were rather trendy, the embroidered symbols
just looked ridiculous. Obviously he badly needed pointing out he was a magician.

"You
appear to be denying your origins, Anirvan."

The
magician winced scarcely noticeably- it had been a long time since someone
called him by his real name- and he was caught totally unawares when Santiago
took his outstretched hand. That hadn't been his intention. Actually he'd only
wanted to demand the Chalice of Doom back.

Santiago
knew that it was never wise to shake hands with another magician, nevertheless
he did and it was very interesting. For an instant Anirvan had to reveal his
real face, that of the handsome Indian lad he'd once been, but then the vision
changed and he got a brief glimpse on what had become of the Indian lad�
he saw blue skin and fangs.

"Don't
push it too far, Spaniard." Anirvan hissed, not in the mood to pretend to
be polite anymore. "Associating with pirates has definitely not improved
your manners. Now, would you please be so kind and hand over the chalice immediately."

Santiago
just shrugged, doing him that favour. Smirking he watched the other magician
caress its golden form until he suddenly noticed that there was something wrong
with it.

"What
have you done?"

Does
he really expect me to answer that?

"It's
almost empty!"

Aye,
actually that was my intention�I only wish I could have freed all souls�

"You
bloody bastard have manipulated my chalice!"

"Now
then! Where are your good manners?"

Anirvan
snorted and shot the Spaniard a dangerous glance. "Your arrogance will wear
off soon enough."

Somehow
Santiago doubted that. It surprised him that Anirvan couldn't undo the
transformation and break the spell he had cast upon the chalice. He seemed to be
much stronger when they 'met' first, fighting a mental battle. Then it stuck him
that that had been at night and Anirvan had once eaten a human brain to become a
Rakshasa, a night demon, Could it be that he lacked strength during
the day? Santiago wondered.

"See!"
Anirvan projected an illusion in the room showing Jack and Rowan walking around
the Hellshire Hills. "My loyal servant Norrington is already on the way to
kill them."

The
problem with illusions was that you never knew whether they represented reality
or something that might happen and sometimes it won't happen at all. Well,
it's very likely that Jack and Rowan have ignored my advice to stay aboard but
that doesn't necessarily mean they're in deadly danger. Stupid kids- why do they
never do what I tell them? Slightly annoyed Santiago whisked the illusion
away and Anirvan growled.

Growled?
Santiago's eyes widened. Anirvan might lack strong magical powers at day but he
definitely had very impressive fangs� now snapping at him. He jumped aside,
trying to avoid four blue-skinned arms and hands with cut-throat razor claws. It
was time for a retreat before ending up as demon lunch. He decided for the good
old cat-and-mouse game, making Rakshasa chase him all across Jamaica and through
various dimensions in the hope of playing with him until he tires- or gets
hungrier- but at least it would distract him from Jack and Rowan.

-

The
Hellshire Hills were a totally uninhabited peninsula southwest of Port Royal.
There were white sand beaches and salt ponds but the upland region was made of
rough limestone hills covered with dry forest, thorny scrub and cactus. The
porous rocks were pitted with sinkholes in which you could easily break through
into one of the many caves that terrain was undermined with. Some of the caves
had been used for ceremonial purposes by the Tainos before the first Spaniards
had come and wiped them out.

The
sun was almost at its zenith, burning hot from a blue Caribbean sky, and the air
was filled with the monotone cheep of cicadas, when Jack wished once more that
they had gone by boat. The way seemed to be endless; for each hill they climbed
a new one had appeared, doubling the estimated distance of five miles.

Of
course he knew that they couldn't unobtrusively approach the cave by boat but
damned- he was a pirate and creeping through the jungle was simply incongruous
for a pirate. He let out a deep sigh.

"I
wish we had horses." Rowan felt equally fed up with wandering the hills.
She reached for her water bottle and took a swig before handing it to Jack

"Aye,"
he agreed. Lost in thoughts he drank; then he noticed what he was drinking and
would have spat it out again if the water hadn't been more refreshing than a sip
of rum. He also noticed what he had said and quickly corrected himself. "I
mean no, no horses. They're really evil animals with nasty teeth and dangerous
hooves. No pirate should have to
deal with them, savvy?"

"Ah.
So which part of a horse did ye happened to come into contact with?"

Jack
grimaced. Though she had figured him out once more he just walked on. Rowan
hurried to keep pace with him when he abruptly stopped again and she bumped
right into him.

"What
the hell�"

"Apparently
there's a dragon blocking the way."

She
looked over his shoulder and saw a big reptile that had been dozing in the sun,
now gazing rather unfriendly at them. But no matter how you looked at it, that
creature was definitely no dragon. She elbowed Jack's ribs.

"That's
an iguana, stupid. Besides, dragons are seen as symbol of luck in Asia, ye
should know that."

"Ah,
ye're such a bloody smart ass sometimes, ye know?"

Rowan
was about to give him a mocking reply when she suddenly saw what they'd failed
to notice before. After hours of walking up and down the hills they had finally
reached the other side of the cape. Below them the blue waters of a bay sparkled
in the sunshine and if they looked further to the northeast they could also see
Port Royal in the distance.

"The
cave must be somewhere near." Jack stated and circled left to avoid the
presumably sharp teeth of the iguana though the poor reptile was certainly more
shocked to meet a swaying pirate with jingling pearls in his long dreadlocks.
"There are many entrances hidden all about in this area�"

Rowan
wondered whether she should inform him that iguanas were vegetarians, therefore
wouldn't like the taste of salt- and rum-soaked pirate flesh anyway, when
suddenly there was a rustle in the scrub and Jack disappeared before her eyes.
She could hear him crashing down a hole in the ground- then silence. Now, the
iguana had definitely enough of crazy humans and waddled off as fast as his
stumpy legs could carry him.

Minding
her steps Rowan walked closer to the hole, silently cursing Jack and worrying
about him at the same time.

"'ello
luv! Found an entry."

She
rolled her eyes when she saw him looking up at her, brushing off his coat and
adjusting his hat. With much more grace than he'd shown she began to descend but
couldn't avoid kicking off some loose rubble.

"Be
careful. The way down's a bit risky." Jack warned her.

"Now,
which of us is a smart ass?" She hissed in a lowered voice. Despite teasing
Jack she was very well aware of the fact that they were on hostile ground now,
and he knew it too.

"Shh,
we have to be very quiet now."

And
who's the one that came crashing down here, making lots of noise? Rowan
wanted to reply but he put a finger on her mouth, gently tracing along the shape
of her lips. Smirking conspiringly he pointed his chin towards a tunnel that
interconnected this cave with others.

Hand
in hand they walked on. First, Rowan wished she had taken along a torch but
after her eyes had got used to the dim twilight down here she noticed that it
wasn't completely dark in the tunnel. The rocks were so deeply fissured that
there were many smaller or bigger openings through which rays of light could
fall in, therefore a torch probably would have only given them away. She was
quite sure about that when she suddenly heard voices in the distance, drowned by
the sound of waves crashing on rocks. Apparently they had almost reached the
cave they'd been looking for.

Jack
gestured Rowan to stay behind him while he cautiously slunk around the corner.
He saw three grey clad members of Norrington's marionette army guarding a prison
cell- and in that prison cell Elisabeth was held captive. Jack began to realize
that Norrington must have planned this a long time ago- probably right after he
got under Ratbone's influence- since a proper prison cell wasn't put up in a
cave within a day. So Elisabeth had always been part of his evil plan. It was
like Rowan had said therefore it had been very wise of her to send the Turners
away from Port Royal. She had already sensed danger then, without even knowing
how things would proceed, but she surely hadn't expected things to turn out that
way. Looking at it from that point there was also another meaning to Captain
Escobar's murder. Probably he had to die because Elisabeth was not, as assumed,
aboard the Gavina and the Spaniard didn't want to give away where she was
instead. But the only thing that really mattered now was the promise Jack had
given to Will Turner. I'll bring yer bonnie lass back to ye.

So,
why waste time waiting for the opportune moment when the opportune moment had
already come? After all, there were only three guards and they seemed to be
distracted with discussing why they were here at all when no one would ever dare
to thwart their master's evil plans anyway. Well, they'd forgotten a very
important thing- he was Captain Jack Sparrow.

Jack
had been a loner for too many years now; he wasn't used putting his cards on the
table and sharing his plans with anyone had only led to a mutiny. Therefore he
simply forgot Rowan's presence and was already on his way to rescue Elisabeth
before she even noticed what he had in mind.

Damned,
he's either much too full of himself or daft,
Rowan thought when she saw him creeping towards the prison cell. Best of all she
would have liked to pull him back into the shadows by his dreadlocks but he was
already too far away to grab him without giving up her cover. All she could do
now was to watch him, ready to interfere when things went wrong- she didn't need
to wait long for that.

"You!
What are you doing here?" One of the guards had spotted Jack sneaking
towards the prison cell and aimed his bayonet at him. Nevertheless Jack managed
to crack a smile.

"Me?"

"This
cave is off limits to civilians." Another guard barked, equally threatening
Jack with his gun.

Rowan
wondered whether she should help him now but decided to wait a little longer.
Maybe Jack could talk himself out of that. It appeared to her that he still had
the situation under control.

"Ah,
I'm sorry. Didn't know that."

"What
do we have to do now?" The taller guard asked his smaller and more
corpulent companion. "Shall we shoot him?"

"I
don't know�"

"Gentlemen,
I'm sure we can solve that problem. See, I'm just an archaic... anarchist�
archaeologist- that's the right word, I'm an archaeologist." -
and." Jack was glad that Murtogg and Mullroy were under the influence of
the Chalice therefore they didn't remember him and he could continue spinning a
yarn. "I explore the caves of Jamaica for Taino artefacts. They were really
skilled craftsmen, these Tainos." He rattled the iron bars of the prison
cell. "See, solid as a rock."

"Well,
actually Master has built that cell�"

"Don't
tell him. We don't know if he's telling the truth."

"Do
you think he's lying?"

Jack
rolled his eyes. The influence of the Chalice had definitely not improved their
cleverness.

"Just
shoot him." The third guard interjected. "Master had given orders. We
serve and obey."

"Master
had said shoot all pirates but he's an archaeologist. At least that's what he
said." Murtogg considered.

"Shoot
him!"

It
seemed to Rowan that the third guy was an obsequious devotee of Norrington while
the fat and the stupid were just- daft. Anyway, she wasn't in the mood to wait
until these three marionettes had decided whether to shoot Jack or not, so it
was time for a little action.

Mullroy
saw her creeping closer and shouted, "A woman!", like he'd never seen
one before but then it was already too late for Norrington's hardcore fan to
react. She kicked the gun out of his hands and the shot meant for Jack hit the
roof.

"Sorry,
gents, 't was nice chattin' with ye but�" Jack grabbed Murtogg and
Mullroy by their collars, unceremoniously banging their heads together.
"�now I've got other things to do."

While
they sank to the ground he threw a quick glance at Rowan to see if she could
handle her opponent- she did- then he headed for the keys of the prison. They
hung on a hook on the left side of the cell as he'd already noticed.

"Don't
worry Lizzie, we'll get ye outta here."

The
young woman stared at him with big eyes, obviously overwhelmed to see him- or
she was simply in a state of shock. When she finally managed to utter a word it
was only the name of her beloved husband. "Will?"

"He's
alright. He's in bed where he belongs and I'll bring ye back to him where you
belong�" "I wouldn't be so sure about that!" A sharp and very
cold sounding voice bellowed echoing through the cave, Norrington's voice.

Concentrated
on fighting the guards in order to free Elisabeth, Jack and Rowan had neither
heard the sound of approaching horses nor noticed Norrington plus at least
twenty of his grey-clad servants entering the cave.

"Well,
well, if that isn't the infamous Jack Sparrow." Norrington said cynically.

"Captain�
it's Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?"

"Ah,
how could I forget that?" The Commodore faked a smile but even that died
when he spotted Rowan.

Harassed
she looked around, realizing quickly that they had no chance. Though she had
learned a lot about martial arts during her years in Asia, she had also learned
when it was time to give in. Nevertheless she didn't like it.

"You
again! Has no one ever taught you that a decent woman ought to stay at home
where she belongs, caring for her man?"

"But
I do care for my man, that's why I'm here." Rowan dared to say when
his fist suddenly hit her like the famous bolt from the blue and knocked her
out.

"Clap
him- no, clap them in irons." Norrington barked at his men before
contemptuously looking from the unconscious woman to a very outraged pirate, an
evil smile on his lips. "Well, since your whore is so keen in seeking
trouble it would be a shame not to see her hanging next to you, Captain
Jack Sparrow. You two have an appointment with the gallows accompanying the
ceremonies of my promotion as Admiral of the whole Caribbean."

-

Being
chased by an angry and very blood-thirsty Rakshasa, Santiago reached Blue
Mountain Peak. From here he had a roundabout view across the whole island of
Jamaica. He saw green wooded hills, white beaches and the blue of the sea
melting with the sky at a distant horizon, but he saw more than that, more than
meets the eye of the usual observer. The Spaniard could also see plantations and
villages, the people who lived there, the Maroons who hid in the jungle, the
birds in the trees. He saw the two pirate ships anchoring near Great Goat Island
and sensed that Jack and Rowan weren't aboard. Of course not. A vision is not
always a lie but part of a truth that might come true though it wasn't
obligatory, he told himself and sent his spirit roaming the Hellshire Hills
until he found them. In his mind's eye he witnessed the events taking place in
that cave; he saw Norrington approaching and wanted to shout, "Watch
out!"- but they wouldn't hear
him anyway. He felt helpless and at the same time very angry. Why do they
never listen to me? But no, they chose to ignore any advice like it is just a
nuisance to them, and then they land themselves in a mess again. Now their
defeat is Norrington's triumph and there's nothing I can do about it at the
moment�Rakshasa's near�

Santiago
could smell the demon's foul breath before he heard him growl or saw his
cut-throat razor claws flashing in the sunlight. Just in time he ducked, cursing
himself for his failure to notice Anirvan's presence earlier because he was much
too distracted thinking about Jack and Rowan. Stupid kids. Ah, they shall
stay in prison for a while, at least they can't do anything stupid there. I have
no time for them now, Anirvan's claiming all my attention�

Though
he couldn't die he wasn't resistant to pain. A hot, throbbing wave of pain shot
through his thigh where the sharp claws of the Rakshasa had cut his flesh.
Santiago had to flee and seek shelter for a while; the wound would heal soon but
dusk was closer to falling with every passing minute and he didn't know how
strong Anirvan would really be at night. He sent out a loud mental call to the
blonde tousle head.

Marris
moved a little bit closer to Anamaria and put an arm around her shoulder. They
got along so well today so he thought it was time for more proximity. She didn't
seem to mind, instead her dark eyes almost encouraged him to become even bolder
and her full lips just longed to get kissed by him. So he did. First he kissed
her slightly but when she flung her arms around his neck the kiss became more
passionate and it felt perfectly right to him until�

MARRIS!

He
jerked away from Anamaria and almost fell out of the bed, cringing as if someone
had punched him hard in the stomach, or- more accurately- shouted deafening in
his brain. Unfortunately Marris wasn't skilled in answering Santiago only
on a mental level, therefore he hissed. "Ah, piss off, that's not the
opportune moment."

Of
course Anamaria misunderstood the whole situation and took it very personally
since she could still remember clearly how Jack had pushed her aside not so long
ago. She started to swear at Marris but even her worst curses seemed to make no
impression on him. Now she was really infuriated.

Listen
to me, lad. Jack and Rowan have been caught by Norrington although I told them
to stay aboard. You should have informed me about their plans immediately.

"I'm
never gonna deceive Rowan�"

"Ye
bloody son of a mangy bitch, how dare ye? Rowan- huh?"

Marris
felt slightly overtaxed. Santiago shouted mentally at him while Ana did audibly,
alas he couldn't understand what either of them said. He made an attempt to
cover his ears when suddenly he got slapped hard across the face.

"I'm
not gonna make a fool of me just because of you."

"Ouch!"
he shrieked, not aware of what he'd done to deserve that.

Stop
whining and get
a grip on yourself now. A little slap is hardly painful�

For an
instant Marris could feel Santiago's pain. Wincing he saw a nasty gash in the
thigh but even in that short instant he could also see that the wound was
healing rapidly; the edges began to close in a mysterious- magical- way. Well,
if the Spaniard could take care of his own why was he bothering him? And why was
Anamaria so infuriated? But most of all Marris wanted to know why everybody had
to shout at him.

"Shut
up now! All of you!"

Anamaria
froze in her tracks. She'd been about to storm out off her own cabin but then
she stopped and looked at Marris like he'd gone mad. Relieved because of the
agreeable silence he managed to crack a weary smile at her.

"I'm
sorry, dear. Santiago's voice is roaring in me head and I can't stop him from
doing so. Please gimme a second to hear him out and then I'll explain ev'rything
to ye, savvy?"

That
sounded just too weird to be just a flimsy excuse so Anamaria nodded, arms
folded across her chest. Meanwhile Marris tried to concentrate on what Santiago
had to tell him, hoping that it was of importance and not only slagging off.

Since
I'm just playing tag with a Rakshasa I really appreciate that you're willing to
share your precious time on my unimportant behalf. Am I allowed to speak now?
Santiago 'asked' cynically- as if anything would have stopped him from
over-flooding the Marris' mind with all the visions, emotions and information
that were on his mind.

In the
end the pirate was up-to-date. He could also sense that Santiago had withdrawn
the link to his brain and sighed with relief.

"Dunno
why the Spaniard's using me as his mouthpiece recently but I definitely don't
like it." Marris shrugged, looking at Anamaria. He wished they could just
continue where they'd stopped but unfortunately Santiago had given him a
contrary task. "Well, apparently Santiago's chased by a demon and our
captains are in Norrington's captivity, so that leaves us to do something about
it, don't ye think so?"

"Ye're
telling me that ye hear Santiago's voice in yer head and ye can talk to him
though he's not there, right?"

"Aye."

"So
you're either mad or a magician." She shot him a wary glance that could
also be seen as a warning.

"Hmm,
I'm definitely no magician though there had been a shaman in my mother's family
once�" Marris fell silent before he could mention the reindeer bones
again- since he'd already said that he wasn't a magician Ana might come to the
conclusion that he was actually mad. Wasn't he? Lately he himself was wondering
about that

Anamaria
stared at him with narrowed eyes but then she sighed. Oddly enough she seemed to
be convinced that he was telling the truth. "Well then, the supernatural
might be in yer blood."

Marris
grimaced and cursed the reindeer bones again. He could do without Santiago
roaring in his head as a habit, especially not in moments of intimacy.
Shooing the thought of Ana's full, soft lips away he informed her what Santiago
had asked- ordered- him to do. He should gather a small group of approximately
six pirates and head towards the cave where they were supposed to wait for the
Spaniard.

And
no ill-considered solo runs this time, Santiago had emphasized particularly.

-

Rowan
came to her senses with a throbbing pain in the head. Instinctively she wanted
to touch her head but she couldn't move her hands because they were chained
behind her back. She moaned frustrated, remembering what had happened. It didn't
improve her mood very much to see Jack's face only inches away of hers when she
finally opened her eyes. He looked worried. Now that's no surprise, after all
he landed us in this mess. If only he'd bothered to talk to me but- nah, why
should the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow share his great plans, she thought
cynically.

"Ye're
awake!" Jack commented cheerfully, totally unimpressed by her narrowed eyes
since she couldn't possibly be directing that fuming look at him.

"Thanks
for noticing." Ungraciously she gazed at him, wishing that bloody headache
would wear off. She shifted a bit to find a more comfortable position but that
wasn't easy with chained hands. "Ah, ye really did such a brilliant job of
giving us a nice little break."

"Well,
I'm sure ye'd feel better if ye had shut up instead of trying yer best to
infuriate the Commodore though I liked the part that ye do care for me."

"Shouldn't
have said that."

"Why,
is there something wrong between us, luv?"

"No.
It's always been my secret desire to end up in a prison cell with you."
Rowan rolled her eyes but that only caused her head to ache even more. Silently
she cursed her head, Jack, her own stupidity, Commodore Norrington, and men in
general. Since that didn't help much either she sighed. "Well then, let's
try and see the positive aspect in our current situation; at least we can have a
better eye on Elisabeth now. Er� where is Elisabeth by the way?"

With
Jack squatting right in front of her, her visual field was slightly limited but
when she made an effort to look all around him she had to see that they were
alone in this cell.

"Being
dressed for the ritual- though I'm not sure if dressed is really the
right word." While moving aside to give her a better look, Jack lost
balance and landed on his butt. Yet that and his clumsy attempt to gain a more
dignified position again- somehow he reminded Rowan of a beetle fallen on its
back- was only half as hilarious as the sight she got then.

In the
middle of the cave stood a dressing table. It was monstrous white thing, richly
embellished with flourishes and a golden mirror. The stool in front of that
dressing table was also white with an upholstered seat of pink velvet, and on
that pink velvet sat Elisabeth. A devoted lady's maid worked on her hair with
curling tongs- all under the sharp eyes of several grey clad servants and
Norrington himself. Apparently the Commodore had become an expert in style since
he criticised the maid now and then, showing her what he wanted Elisabeth
to look like. Now that was the strangest part of all because he obviously wanted
her to look like a mixture of whore and Indian princess. Rowan chuckled and
agreed with Jack on the issue that dressed was definitely not the right
word to describe Elisabeth's state. Those tiny scraps of cloth were hardly meant
to conceal more than just her breasts and private parts, no matter whether they
were embroidered with golden threads and tiny mirrors, and no matter how much
transparent gauze caressed her slender figure. Her get-up was simply meant to
arouse the sexual fantasies of men who dream of a whore dressed up as an Indian
princess, and even worse, the pale pink of her dress was surely not her colour
at all, especially not with that make-up. Khol rimmed eyes looked good on Jack
but not on her- or the dark crimson on her lips was just too much. Nevertheless
she didn't protest. Actually, Elisabeth just sat spineless on that stool and let
things happen as if she wasn't involved.

"What's
wrong with her? I wouldn't let them tart me up like that, and Elisabeth is
definitely a more decent woman than I am." Rowan wondered aloud.

"Aye.
She's a fair lady using hairpins like decent women should."

Rowan
looked at him like he'd gone totally nuts. "Um, have I missed something?
Did ye get a knock on the head too?"

He
grinned broadly and reached out one hand to put a finger on her lips. "Hush
now. Ye've got such a vicious tongue, luv."

It
occurred to Rowan that there was something wrong with that gesture and when she
got it her eyes widened. His hands weren't chained anymore. Now she also
understood his talking about hairpins- he must have used one of Elisabeth's
hairpins as a picklock. She knew that that did work sometimes though she'd never
found out how.

"Ye've
gotta show me that trick one day." She whispered while Jack fiddled about
with her chains.

"Shh-
no foolish actions now. We better behave unobtrusively and wait for the
opportune moment."

Rowan
threw a glance at the scenery. Norrington just reprimanded the lady's maid once
again, not satisfied with what she did to Elisabeth's hair. Obviously he didn't
want a neatly curled hairstyle but a more dramatic one, and the young maid
appeared to be slightly overtaxed in accomplishing his wishes since she'd never
learned to do anything but neatly curled hairstyles. Also, it didn't really help
to improve her self-confidence that at least a dozen grey glad soldiers watched
her at work; her hands began to shake and Norrington began to shout at her,
calling her nasty things no gentlemen should ever address to a woman no matter
how low her rank was.

"What're
ye up to?" Rowan used the general mess to ask Jack about his plan though
she already knew that he had none but to wait for the opportune moment and then
do something that was too typical Jack to understand his reasons. Probably that
did work most of the time as the stories about him proved, nevertheless she
hadn't become accustomed to his very own special ways yet. She had never been
the one to sit back and take it easy; she needed action. Alas, she had to admit
that they alone couldn't possibly eliminate a dozen devoted followers of
Norrington.

Meanwhile,
Norrington had lost patience with the lady's maid and ripped the curling tongs
of her hand before he himself worked havoc on Elisabeth's hair, accompanied by
the cheers of his men. And Elisabeth stoically let it happen.

"Dunno
why he's making that much fuss when all he wants is to screw her." Jack
commented shrugging. "They gave her a potion that's why Elisabeth appears
to be a bit out of it. Perhaps it's better for her not to know what Norrington's
up to." He paused and looked thoughtfully at Rowan. No, I better don't
ask her if she was dressed the same when she was supposed to be
sacrificed to Nirrti� though it would be interesting to know. But it would
also be like turning the knife in the wound and she'd probably kill me for that-
understandably- because after all, it's still a very delicate topic for her.

"Great,
so we've got not only a dozen marionettes-soldiers plus Norrington to deal with
but also a drugged Elisabeth. What's yer plan then? Wait for the opportune
moment to give all of them a good beating- you take the six on the right and I
take the six on the left- before we snatch Elisabeth and run?"

"Shh-
not so loud. We wanna behave unobtrusively, remember?"

Rowan
pulled a face. Jack noticed that she was slightly annoyed, restless, and
definitely not in the mood to sit back and take it easy, therefore he quickly
changed his plan. Perhaps it would make sense to get reinforcement by some of
their fellow pirates though he knew as well that strength wasn't measured in
numbers only.

"Now
listen, luv, I've got an idea- let's say, a very special task for
ye. D'ye think ye can manage to sneak past Norrington's men while they're still
distracted, hurry to our ships, gather a couple of trustworthy sailors and then
come back before the worst is gonna happen?"

She
glared at him with narrowed eyes. A very special task� well,
well. Of course she believed herself capable of managing that but that was not
the point. It was the way he had pronounced it that made her wonder whether that
was only meant as an attempt to get rid of her so he could carry on with an as
yet unmentioned plan. "What about you?" she asked warily.

"I'm
gonna stay here, keep a sharp eye on Elisabeth, and try to prevent the worst
happening- just in case, I mean." Jack put on his trademark grin.
"Of course I'd rather come with ye, luv, but- alas, an empty cage is far
more conspicuous than one with an infamous jailbird in so it would take them a
while to notice that the prettiest bird has flown, savvy? Now gimme a kiss and
tell me that this is a great plan."

Rowan
leaned over to quickly brush his lips with hers but she didn't do him the favour
of telling him that his plan was a great one. "Well, try not to do
something stupid."

Jack
just tsked. While he opened the door in next to no time, she let her eyes roam
through the cave. Elisabeth looked like something had exploded on her head when
Norrington was ready with her hair and then he topped his work by attaching a
diadem with a long transparent veil. His devotees cheered; they clapped hands
due to his brilliance and therefore proved their lack of good taste or the
meaning of style. Nevertheless, they were distracted and that suited Rowan well.
She slipped out of the cell and moved stealthily along the wall towards the main
entrance of the cave. Still unnoticed she slunk around the corner.

The
sun was already sinking when Rowan left the cave, and she felt a fresh breeze in
her face. It smelled of the sea, of sun-touched earth and dry woods, and� of
horses. Actually, there were more than a dozen horses tethered nearby.

She
wondered whether it was wise to borrow a horse since the Hellshire Hills where
hardly the perfect terrain to go riding- yet it was such a tempting idea. Also,
the horses were unguarded� well, at least almost. There was one man supposed
to be on guard but he was too busy with peeing to notice her. He had leaned his
musket against a rock like an invitation for thievish hands and Rowan could
definitely use a weapon even though a musket was not her favourite choice.
She had just picked it up when he suddenly became aware of her and turned
around, shocked. Immediately his hands were up in the air.

"Don't
shoot me." He wailed.

"Ugh�"
Rowan looked away, thinking about whether she should simply shoot him for
molesting her with that sight. But she felt merciful today- and, to be honest,
she didn't know exactly how to handle a musket- so she barked, "Hands down
and pants up!"

"Aye, Sir� um,
Mylady...?"

"Captain."

Obviously
he was slightly overtaxed with that situation. Blushing he covered his private
parts with his hands before he remembered that she wanted him to put up his
pants but then he would have to take his hands away and that would be very
embarrassing.

Rowan
rolled her eyes and aimed the musket at him in order to make him hurry up.
Meanwhile she had recognized him as one part of the fat-and-stupid-duo, him
being the fat one, though both of them had been quite daft indeed. Nevertheless
he might be useful as soon as he had his pants on.

"Ye're
my hostage now." She informed him- just in case he hadn't got it yet- after
he was properly dressed again. "I want you to show me a fast and secure way
to cross the hills on horseback, savvy?"

"Aye,
Madam!"

"Captain.
It's Captain- not Madam or Mylady. Keep that in mind and I won't shoot ye."

Though
Mullroy nodded obsequiously, he glanced at her kind of confused and suddenly it
dawned on him that she was a pirate; she even reminded him of someone. That
brought up a couple of questions. Could women become pirate captains? Well
obviously they could or she was lying to him. But if she was telling the truth
why could she ride a horse then? And, more important, could he ride a
horse? And did that matter at all when she poked his belly with the barrel of
the musket to make him move? He decided that it was better not to annoy her more
than she was anyway and quickly climbed in the saddle- at least he thought
himself being quick but Rowan could swear she had never seen anyone mount a
horse that clumsily. Shaking her head she picked
the best horse for herself and shooed away all others so that she couldn't be
pursued by Norrington's men so easily.

Master
wouldn't like that,
Mullroy thought and then he wondered, Master? I'm an honourable soldier of
the Royal Navy, I serve the King of England�What am I doing here? Where's
Murtogg? There were so many memories floating through his head that it made
him feel almost dizzy. but he could not remember anything clearly, except- and
he was very proud of it- that there was indeed a way leading through a valley
and past a salt marsh to the other side of the peninsula. He only didn't know
how to get the horse in motion.

"Come
on, we don't have all day!" Rowan got impatient and gave his horse a good
smack on the flank and it lurched into a slow trot.

Mullroy
clung to the mane, bouncing up and down in the saddle with the grace of a wet
flour bag, nevertheless he shouted enthusiastically, "Follow me Ma'am
Captain!"

-

Santiago
was beginning to get tired of being an angry Rakshasa's favourite prey though he
had voluntarily chosen to become one in order to distract Anirvan from Jack and
Rowan. Till now, he had succeeded well- despite that small scratch he had
incurred. What once had been a nasty gash in his thigh had already healed by now
and he could focus his attention on more important things again. For example, on
far too many souls that were still enslaved by the Chalice of Doom. He had to
get back to that room in Port Royal and force it to spit out more souls, at best
all of them. Anirvan would be a much easier challenge without his
marionette-like allies�

Only
an instant later he had materialized himself in the same room where the chase
had started, holding the golden chalice in his hands once again. It was still
pulsing with captured souls though there weren't that many as before, when he
had first tried to set them free. Now he could almost distinguish each single
one of them and he was really appalled to find out that Elisabeth had also
become a victim of the Chalice. He concentrated on her soul but couldn't get
hold of it, it literally slipped though his hands�

The
Rakshasa laughed. It was a nasty sound, like a laughing hyena but with a
growling undertone.

"Did
you really think it would be that easy? You are much too full of yourself,
Spaniard, and you seem to have underestimated my power. Your magic is like a
tiny firefly compared to the blazing glory of mine. Better surrender or I'll
tear out your heart and eat it raw."

One
blue skinned paw knocked the chalice out of Santiago's hands, the second one
caught it, while a third one shot forward to dug its sharp claws into his flesh
but Santiago saw it coming and dodged quickly. He would never underestimate a
demon with four arms. Nevertheless, if the Rakshasa did hunger for his heart he
had to be faster. He was surely an impressive creature, standing twice as big as
the average human, showing his fangs that dominated a grim blue face with
reptile eyes like glowing charcoals; they were in fact all black with a hint of
sparkling red. But he was also very bulky and that meant he definitely lacked
speed.

Growling
dangerously the Rakshasa hurled himself at the Spaniard, equally sick and tired
of chasing him all across Jamaica and back, he was hungry and blood-thirsty.

Santiago
drew his sword. If he could kill him now while he was all animal instinct and
less a magician, exhausted from the hunt� Yet fighting a four-armed demon with
his sword would be like tilting at a windmill- rather ineffective. He had to
concentrate on a magical attack and he had to get that chalice back. Blocking
sharp claws with his sword he hurried to bring the table between him and the
Rakshasa though that didn't stop the demon going after him. Unceremoniously he
shoved the table aside with one of his big paws; it went crashing against the
wall and broke apart.

Why
is he still that strong when he should be tired by now?,
Santiago wondered and then he knew why. The sun was down. It was night and he
was regaining his strength the darker it got. He had to do something, at once.

The
Rakshasa came closer and the foul stench of his breath was- well, breathtaking.
Was there any spell against stench? Unfortunately not, but there was one that
made the demon froze to the spot so that Santiago could change position and
attack him from behind. Though he'd never thought it fair to stab an opponent
from behind the end justifies the means, and the evil wasn't allowed to win. But
that damned beast was already stronger than he had expected him to be and
apparently he'd been able to break the spell without much effort since he
whirled around now, four hands with cut-throat razor claws aiming at his prey.
The Spaniard raised his sword in defence, hoping to cut off at least one of
those hands but instead he just gave the Rakshasa a free manicure. Nevertheless,
he had dropped the Chalice of Doom.

It
fell to the floor twisting and rattling as if some drunk had dropped it before
passing out, actually looking just like any ordinary wine goblet as it lay there
on the floor. Jack would have never picked it in the first place if it hadn't
called to be taken along, Santiago pondered and yet he was still very well
aware of every movement the Rakshasa made, ducking just in time when his claws
shot up for another attack.

"Shelter!"
He demanded, and an invisible protection shield spared him the worst. He felt
the claws scratching the air above his back but not his back itself as he crept
closer to the Chalice and laid hands on it. Now it would be wise to leave the
scene discreetly but he had not reckoned with the Rakshasa's highly motivated
ambitions to keep him from exactly doing that. At once he sensed a strong,
foreign magic that froze him to the spot. He couldn't move, let alone
teleport himself to a safer place, and it got worse. None of his magical charms
worked anymore, they seem to bounce off the Rakshasa as if he was suddenly
immune of them. Santiago tried to crawl backwards when he saw the claw coming
but this time he couldn't get away and his shelter had simply dissolved into
nothing. Then he felt a sharp pain. The claws had torn open his chest and he
knew that the gash was running from his collarbone to his stomach without even
bothering to look at it; he just knew it. He was tired, very tired and weak
since the blood was streaming out of him in fountains- at least that was what it
felt like before he lost consciousness.

The
Rakshasa laughed his hyena laugh but contained his thirst for blood as he
transformed into a well-clad magician again. Humming he ran his fingers through
his hair and took a look in the mirror, quite content with what he saw. Still
humming a merry tone on his lips he picked up the Chalice, polished it with the
sleeve of his brocade coat, and then unceremoniously stepped over the dying man
on the floor without even batting an eye on him. After all, he had an
appointment to keep and he was late. Nevertheless he had the nerve to collect a
few more souls in his precious Chalice while making his way to the Hellshire
Hills and a very special cave.

-

There were many people that considered
Captain Jack Sparrow as a drunk and a fool; they said he was daft, eccentric,
and a bit out of it most of the time. They'll never comprehend that sitting in
bars, drinking rum, wasn't always meant to get drunk but an easy way to do a
little eavesdropping- and it was amazing how often a well kept secret slipped
off a sloppy tongue when the speaker misjudged an apparently drunken man dozing
at the table nearby.
Some people called him an insufferable
nuisance, a notorious scoundrel, the worst or the best pirate they'd ever seen-
depending on the state of his affairs, whether he still held all the cards or
had put them on the table already. But all of them would agree at once that
Captain Jack Sparrow was a hard man to predict. So much was disguised by his
unique style, the jingling beads in his hair, his dark, khol-rimmed eyes, his
golden smile, the way he slurred and swayed. That was what most people saw since
that was what he wanted them to see. They simply believed in the face
he showed them without bothering to look further. Only a very few people had
ever sensed that there was more about him than meets the eye but no one really
knew the man behind the legends. He just didn't like to give away his reason and
least of all his feelings, and he'd become much more cautious in guarding them
nowadays. Mister Gibbs had once stated he's close as a vest and he was right
with that. Rowan might have thought she'd figured him out because he'd let her
take more than just a glimpse at his soul but she was still far away of knowing
all about him. Even Santiago didn't although he was a magician. There was so
much more about Captain Jack Sparrow no one but himself knew.

Also-
in contrary to the general acceptance of people who
judged him only by the way his hands danced in the air, constantly
gesticulating, underlining his words- Jack was indeed a very patient man. Ten
years he had waited for the opportune moment to get back his Black Pearl, and in
all those years he had even managed to keep that single shot in his pistol that
was meant for Barbossa only. Other men would have tried to rush things but he,
he had just waited. He had been sitting in bars, his hat pulled half over his
face, apparently dozing and yet picking up every little bit of information,
every rumor about Barbossa and his crew of miscreants.
Same he did now, only that he was
sitting behind bars this time. A fact that, however, didn't bother him much.
From under the rim of his hat he scanned the cave with dark watchful eyes,
taking in every stone in his surroundings. He also spent some time with
bat-watching- clever little creatures they were, flapping through the darkness
without ever knocking their heads. Then he watched the Commodore again and
noticed that his attention was still fixed on Elisabeth. He also noticed that
there seemed to be less of his grey-clad vassals around although he had seen
none of them leaving. It was as if they had the dissolve into nothing. Now that
was really interesting.

-

Marris
looked over the rail of the Black Pearl to where his boat was supposed to be-
only to notice that it wasn't there anymore. Well, he was quite sure that he had
moored it securely when he got here to pay lovely Anamaria a visit.

Quickly
he scanned the faces of the crew for hidden smiles, thinking they had played a
trick on him, which wouldn't be surprising at all. Actually, good-natured
practical jokes had been on the agenda while they had anchored in Tortuga,
getting to know each other, drinking together� He had to lower his eyes in
order to gaze at Marty since said pirate was definitely the shortest one he'd
ever met. Standing only about 4 feet tall he was easily to overlook if he
wouldn't be such a funny little man indeed. He was always the one to laugh the
loudest when someone called him a midget or a dwarf and he really had a very
peculiar sense of humour, which Marris liked a lot.
Nevertheless, his expression gave no hint that he was the one responsible
for a missing longboat.

They were ready to row ashore in one
of the Pearl's longboats when Marris suddenly got aware that he was the only one
of the Jewel's crew aboard. He wished that at
least one of his fellows would be accompanying him since it felt really strange
to rely on strangers only when it comes to rescue his Captain as well,
and he was also very well aware of the fact
that neither Gibbs nor Anamaria liked Rowan Scarlett
at all
Nevertheless, he grabbed the oars and
started rowing, glad to do something that kept him busy or else his thoughts
would have driven him mad. Too much had happened recently, making him wonder,
and he could still hear Ana asking him whether he was a magician. Well, though
he'd answered that question with a definite 'no' and would even underline it if
necessary, there was no doubt about it that
something had been happening to him lately. It surely wasn't by accident that
Santiago's voice rang in his head� and it couldn't possibly be by accident only that
he saw one of the Jewel's longboats down at that beach they were heading to.

Marris frowned. Given that Marty
really wasn't to blame for that- unlikely, unless he had rowed it ashore only to
confuse him since the current wouldn't have carried it there- he came to the
conclusion that somebody must have nicked it
in order to steal himself away. So who would be daft enough to do exactly that?
He could only think of one person�

-

Rowan
reined in her horse, startled by a rustle in the undergrowth. Well, probably
that was just an iguana� but no iguana would flung itself onto a rider in
order to steal his horse. Mullroy yelled for help so she hurried to his rescue.
She got hold of the horse thief's collar and was about to knock him out when she
suddenly realized who he was. Though it was very tempting to knock him out
nevertheless, she contained herself and gave that daft fool a good shaking
instead.

"What
the hell ye think ye're doing here?"

"Good
Lord, he's the Governor's son-in-law!" Mullroy stated superfluously since
she had already became aware of that fact.

Will
Turner writhed under her firm grasp and gave her a defiant look. "I've got
to save Elisabeth."

"Miss
Elisabeth is in danger?"

"Shut
up!" Rowan looked daggers at Mullroy before concentrating on Will again. If
there had been a patch in his face that wasn't bruised, swollen or crusted with
blood she would have loved to smack him but, as a rule, she was not going to
smack a man who was hardly able to stay on his feet. "Listen lad you should
be in bed, and no- don't tell me you've gotta save Elisabeth 'cause ye're
simply not in the state to do so, savvy?"

Will
opened his mouth to protest but then even he himself had to admit that she was
right. Immediately he was slouching, feeling helpless.

"Ah,
ye've come to yer senses? Great! So can I rely ye won't do anything rash that'll
only mess up Jack's plan or do I have to tie ye up to that cactus over
there?"

"Can't
do that Ma'am Captain. It has nasty pricking spines!"

"Thanks
for reminding me, daftie, though that is actually the reason I threatened to tie
him up there." She growled without deigning to look at him. It was wiser to
keep a sharp eye on Will since he still had a defiant look on his face. "So
boy what are ye up to now? Will ye behave or do I have to get nasty?"

"Jack's
got a plan?" He asked hesitantly, a glimmer of hope
flashing up in his eyes.

"Yep."
Sure he's got a plan, Captain Jack Sparrow always has a plan he's just not
willing to share it- she thought cynically. Nevertheless she trusted him
since a man who had managed to sack Nassau port without firing a single shot was
to be trusted.

"And
where is Jack?"

"Pardon
me..."

"No!"

"...
but you're not talking about Jack Sparrow, do you?"

If
looks could kill Mullroy would be dead. Rowan was extremely pissed off by
now and she felt the urgent desire to strangle both men because they kept her
from getting reinforcement, and Jack was still in that cave with mad Norrington
and his men.

"We're
wasting precious time with stupid questions." She hissed impatiently,
pointing her index finger at Will's chest. "I swear, if anything happens to
Jack�"

"Jack?
Elisabeth's the one in danger. I highly doubt you have to worry about Jack
Sparrow." Will dared to say but according to the fuming look she shot him
he better shouldn't have said that.

"Don't
tell me whom I have to worry about, boy, or you can see to it yerself how to get
to China and to find the monastery where yer father is."

"That's
blackmail. You can't make me decide between my wife and my father."

Rowan
rolled her eyes. Apparently he refused to understand a single word of what she
was saying but since she doubted that he was as daft as Mullroy she blamed it on
a fever attack or something like that. After all, the young man was anything but
healthy looking. Also she could understand his worries about Elisabeth to a
certain extent because they definitely weren't without reason- she just hoped
he'd never find out what exactly Norrington had in mind with her. So to avoid
that happening at all she should better ride on and fetch the needed
reinforcement, hurry back to the cave and�

"Pirates!"
Mullroy shouted suddenly.

Rowan
turned around to get the most ridiculous sight since she had stumbled across
that Royal Navy guy. He had drawn a cutlass and positioned himself between her
and the approaching group of pirates in order to- do what? Protect her? An
honourable soldier of the Royal Navy tried to protect her- a pirate captain-
from her pirate fellows. That was hilarious! She gave him a slight smack on the
back of the head and took the cutlass from his hands before he could hurt
himself. Then she smiled at the pirates. Never before had she been so glad to
see Mister Gibbs although he obviously didn't feel the same about her.

"Where's
Jack?" he asked gruffly.

She
wanted to answer but then Marris gave her a hug, and for a moment she couldn't
even breathe. Of course Anamaria didn't like that at all, while Will tried to
use the moment to sneak away. He didn't get far though. Rowan whirled around and
got hold of his collar once again, jerking him back to the illustrious round of
pirates where he would have collapsed if a man called Silvers hadn't caught him
just in time.

Seeing
that Will was being cared for, Rowan addressed Gibbs. "Alright
mate, you don't like me, I don't give a damn about you- we're square. But
let's end our hostilities for a moment and for Jack's sake. We've gotta stick
together now."

The
elder man looked at her with narrowed eyes and noticed that in spite of her
casual tone she was really serious; he also noticed her worries. His glance
softened a bit. "What about Jack?"

"What
about setting off first and while we're on our way back to that cave I'll fill
ye in with all ye need to know? Agreed?"

"Agreed."

-

When
the pirates finally reached the cave the first they heard was the beating of
drums and Rowan knew at once that the unholy ceremony had already started. She
hurried further, suddenly blinded by the light of many torches and candles that
were lit in the cave. Marris grabbed her waist and dragged her back in the
shadows.

"Hush
now. We're supposed to wait for Santiago. Besides, ye don't wanna rush things
like our dear friend William, do ye?"

Silently
she shook her head. No, she wouldn't be that foolish although she felt panic
rising within her when she had to
watch that scenario in front of her. The dressing table had been removed by now
and was replaced by some sort of makeshift altar on which the Chalice of Doom
stood. She could sense its hungry cry for souls but somehow she didn't feel
invited to join them, neither did any of the pirates accompanying her.

Nevertheless,
her heart was thumping and the scenario made her feel nervous since it reminded
her of a ceremony she had had to witness; a ceremony in which she had been about
to become a sacrifice for her Maliciousness, Nirrti.

The
drums were beating faster now and her mind flipped back to another time, another
place. She was at the crematorium ground again� dressed in silk like I'd
attend a wedding, my own wedding, but the wedding ceremony soon gets
perverted by priests with black masks� I want to run
away, anywhere�

"What
exactly is Norrington up to do with Elisabeth?"

Will's
worried voice jerked Rowan back into reality, to here and now. She gave him a
puzzled look, wondering how to answer that question without scaring the wits out
of him, so she simply said. "Ye don't wanna know that, believe me."

Unfortunately,
Will wasn't so easily to fob off with that so he stubbornly tried to dig deeper.
"Elisabeth is my wife. I've made a vow to protect her therefore I've got
every right to know what that Norrington has in mind."

Rowan
sighed. She was tempted to tell him but Marris reached for her hand and stopped
her from doing so, also trying to calm down her increasing unrest. But the drums
were beating faster than her heart now and she felt the urge to put an end to
that perverted ceremony at once.

Ratbone,
or Anirvan, or whatever he preferred to be called now, was clad in his charcoal
grey brocade coat, looking every inch the mighty magician he was, as he led
through the ceremony that would soon set Nirrti free. Rowan suddenly panicked,
remembering how Nirrti had appeared to her in a blurred crimson vision once,
smiling at her, content with her sacrifice, with Nirrti's chosen. She
wouldn't be satisfied with Elisabeth if she could have me instead, a voice
within her cried alarmed.

Yet
while she crept deeper in the shadows in order to remain unseen, Will did the
contrary. Apparently he'd figured out by himself what Norrington was up to-
well, almost, since he definitely lacked any perverted fantasies of what was
really going to happen here. Nevertheless, what he'd recognized so far didn't
suit him at all. This was kind of a warped wedding ceremony and he wouldn't let
that happen, under no circumstances.

"Stop!"
He yelled.

Anirvan
did do him that favour only to look daggers at Will and the group of pirates
that immediately gave him encouragement by gathering up straight behind him,
therefore supporting him in his
stupid action.

"Ah,"
the magician snarled. "so who of you miserable creatures is going to try
and stop me? Look at
yourselves. There's a man who can hardly stand on his own feet, two girls, a
midget, an old man and a very unskilled would-be magician. Now, that's
ridiculous- don't you agree? I
could squash you like annoying insects and feed your hearts to her Evil Highness
if I'd even feel like bothering with such unimportant little human souls
that you are."

"Well,
well, mate. But you've forgotten a very important thing�" A familiar was
to be heard and all heads turned to take a look at the swashbuckling splendour
of Captain Jack Sparrow who stood on a rock, overlooking the cave.

"I
wonder what �"

"No,
no, no- don't ask that, Master." Norrington interrupted though it was
already too late for a warning, and he was still surprised that the damned
pirate wasn't in his prison cell anymore.

"�
that might be?"

"I'm
Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?" Jack
put on his trademark smirk. For an instant Rowan could see that he held
something in his hands- a statue.

"Pleased
to meet you, but your reputation won't stop me from killing you." Anirvan
growled unimpressed before tilting his head to his grey clad allies.
"Shoot him!"

Rowan
froze. She heard shots echoing through the cave and noticed a disastrous light
ball flashing up in the magician's hand, aimed at Jack. He set it off before she
could even think of anything that
would hinder him. Suddenly she saw Jack stumbling backwards, swaying, loosing
balance. Then he fell and disappeared from her sight. She screamed his name.
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The Chalice of Doom