The Prophecy [Book 1] {POTC} (Jack Sparrow)

Six

Aboard the Black Pearl, Thalassa stared at a bucket of sea water and felt something odd.
She was always drawn to the sea. It was as if the waves were speaking her name. But this feeling was more powerful.

Pintel and Ragetti, the bigger and skinnier pirate duo, approached the girls with dresses in their arms. "You two will be dining with the captain and he requests you wear these," said Pintel.

A purple dress was shoved into Elizabeth's arms and a blue dress was shoved into Thalassa's. Well you may tell the captain I am disinclined to acquiest to his request," Elizabeth replied.

"He said you'd say that. He also said if that be the case, you'll be dining with the crew...and you'll be naked." The pirates chuckled as they looked the girls up and down.

"You pirates are absolutely filthy," Nessa snapped. "We'll be dining with the captain, thank you."

The girls helped each other into the dresses that smelled of dirt and felt damp to the touch. "What do you think he wants with us?" Asked Elizabeth.

"Probably nothing. If anything, he'll be playing mind games with us," Nessa replied.

A feast was served in the captains quarters. Barbossa sat at the end and Elizabeth and Nessa sat across from each other, each on one side of the captain. Thalassa did not trust anyone on that ship. She looked at the delicious smelling food with disgust. Elizabeth ate with good manners and posture. She carved the meat with a knife and took small bites.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony," said Barbossa. "You must be hungry." Elizabeth stared at the food. She couldn't handle it anymore. She dropped her fork and began eating the meat with her hand. She ate the dessert and some fruit. She was indeed very hungry, her stomach shouted at her for more food.

Thalassa studied the piece of chicken on her fork with skepticism. She watched Barbossa out the corner of her eye.

"Have ye heard of the Prophecy of the Child of Poseidon?" Asked Barbossa. The girls shook their heads. "The prophecy is that one day a child, Poseidon's own flesh blood, will take control of the seas. From pirates, from sailors, from monsters, mermaids. He'll take it back and the sea will be his once again," Barbossa explained. "It's said the child will one day appear after a wretched storm. And soon after, he will fight for the sea."

"A child will fight for sea? I don't believe in fairytales," Nessa scoffed.

"Fairytales, you say? Tales of the seas are more than fairytales," Barbossa said with a chuckle. "Here, try the wine." He gave each girl a chalice with some wine. Nessa smelled the wine and then watched Elizabeth hold the cup to her mouth.

"Don't drink it!" Thalassa shouted. "It could be poisoned." Barbossa laughed at her.

"There would be no sense in killing you, Miss Turner."

"Then release us. You have your trinket," said Elizabeth. "Neither of us are of further value to you."

"You don't know what this is, do you?" Barbossa asked as he took the medallion out of his pocket. "Well here's another fairytale for you. This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a chest to Cortes himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the fee of Cortes was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed a terrible curse on the gold. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."

"Like Nessa said, there's no such thing as fairytales or ghosts," said Elizabeth who unamused. "It's simply just folklore. A tale to children before bedtime."

"That was exactly what we thought of the tale when we were first told of it. Buried on an island of dead that cannot be found, except by those who already know where it is. Find it we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. We took em all. We spent em and traded em on food and pleasurable company. The more we gave them away, the more we came to realize the drunk would not satisfy. The hunger would not go away. We are cursed men. Once compelled by greed, we are now consumed by it." His pet monkey screeched at the girls, distracting Barbossa.

Elizabeth glanced at Thalassa and then slipped a knife from the table and gripped the handle as she held it by her side. Nessa gave her a look of approval.

"There is one way we can end our curse," Barbossa continued. "All the scattered pieces of the gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye," Barbossa gestured to Elizabeth. "We have the final piece. And thanks to ye," he gestured to Thalassa. "We have the blood to be repaid."

Elizabeth and Nessa exchanged frightful glances. Then, Thalassa stood on her feet and pushed her chair backwards. She kicked Barbossa towards Elizabeth who stabbed him in his back, pushing the knife as far as it could go. They heard a strange cracking noise and watched Barbossa laugh and he pulled the knife from his back. There was no blood on the blade.

"I'm curious: after killing me, what were ya to do next?"

Thalassa ran outside from the captains quarters. The entire crew was made of skeletons as they worked under the moonlight. Elizabeth screamed as she ran across the deck, getting teased and tossed by the undead pirates.

Thalassa was backed into a wall by Pintel and Ragetti. She understood why they all smelled of death, they were death. Thalassa held in her cries as her back pressed against the wall.

"Don't believe in fairytales or ghost stories you say," Barbossa grumbled from behind Ragetti. "Well you better start believin missy." He walked into the moonlight to reveal his skeletal form. Nessa held her chest and felt her heart rapidly beat. The pirates laughed at her and then left her sitting against the wall. Nessa gripped both sides of her head and closed her eyes.

"Oh Will, please tell me you're on your way," she whimpered.

***

"So this is your able bodied crew," Will said. He was hesitant about the line of men that stood before him and Jack.

While Jack spoke to a few of the men, Will felt a strange breeze in his short hair. He turned and looked at the sea. "The wind suddenly changed directions," he muttered. It was a perfect day to be sailing, the winds were in their favor. Gibbs noticed Will's confused expression and looked at the sea as well.

"Aye, the sea is in our favor," said Gibbs.

The men set sail.