The Map

Amor Vincit Omnia

At first Nell thought that it was making no difference; that they had failed. The monks were still converging on the crew and it was with a cry of horror that she realised she could no longer see Jack or Hock in the melee taking place - monks were swarming everywhere and had now been joined by the islanders and dead crew. Nell's courage faltered and almost deserted her but she took a deep breath, holding the crosses high, refusing to back down. Three of the monks in front of them turned and Nell almost backed down when she saw their un-natural black eyes glaring at her. They began to advance towards them and Nell knew that if the crosses failed there was nothing on earth that could save them now. She watched as they drew closer, swords raised, mouths twisted bitterly; she fell back a step, her legs were shaking so much that her knees gave out and she sank to the sand. She raised the crosses higher, almost level with her face, until the sun hit the surface of the gold and a glint of light refracted from them. It sent a beam of light in a wide arc, sweeping over the monks and the result was instant - the light making the monks scream and back up, trying to get away from the blinding light and flinging their arms up to cover their faces. Nell blinked, at first her brain was too shocked to register what she was seeing; she was completely unable to look around for Elizabeth or Will, they didn't even enter her mind; the only thing that filled her mind was the monks in front of her.

"They can't take the light!" Elizabeth cried, a bit un-necessarily but Nell found the sound of her voice comforting and galvanising. She staggered to her feet, seeing Elizabeth and Will, who was now on his knees holding one cross up in front of him, the sunlight reflecting onto the islanders that were in front of him. Nell staggered forwards the light sending the monks backwards from them and felt rather than saw Elizabeth fall into step with her, but Nell had only one thing in mind and that was finding Jack. The glint from the three crosses shone out in a brilliant arc of light that spread over the retreating forms of the monks, creeping slowly over them, shinning far beyond what normal sunlight would reflect. Their cries were agonised as they dropped their swords, raising their hands to cover their eyes against the blinding glare. Nell could feel the heat from the cross in her hands scorching her palms and moving up her arms but she refused to let go as she searched through the sea of brown for any signs of Jack. The monks retreated further and with a cry of joy mixed with horror she saw Jack and Hock on the ground a few feet in front of her. Jack was on his front, his hat knocked from his head, one arm stretched out, his hand still clutching his sword, his other arm underneath him with Hock beside him, motionless and also on his front but his arm was across Jack's back, the cross still clutched in his hand, pressed into Jack's coat as they lay so completely still that Nell's heart went cold. The sound of the monks was drowned out by her fear that she was too late. Surging forwards once more, the cross clutched tightly in her hands, the sunlight keeping the monks at bay, she shouted his name.

"Jack? Jack!" Nell wanted to throw herself down beside him, shake him until he woke, but she couldn't let the crosses lower for fear she'd lose the reflection that was glinting from them. At first there was no reaction from either of them, but then slowly she saw Jack move his head and relief washed over her, making her breathing hitch. Hock twitched and Nell saw the cross suddenly catch the sunlight and cast its own beam upwards and then Nell knew for certain that this was their salvation; nothing natural and nothing tangible, but their salvation none the less.

Jack lifted his head, shaking it vigorously sending his beads swinging around his face. He looked sideways at Hock who was coming around also and with an angry grunt he staggered to his feet, reaching to help Hock to his feet too. He looked at Nell, his face already bruising on one side, blood dripped from a cut across his cheek.

"You look like an angel," Hock muttered blood dripping down his own face and his hands.

"We need...." Nell's voice was croaky as she looked around her feverishly, knowing that the monks were not defeated. Jack stepped forward again, lifting his sword watching as the monks cowered back from the glint of the crosses, but never completely backing down.