Aztecs' Curse

Prologue

     An impenetrable wall of fog cast itself around a large ship, which made it impossible for Victoria to see further than what little bit of water a young girl standing within it can make out around the large ship--the H.M.S. Dauntless, as titled, a British dreadnought, the Winged Victory maidenhead looming at the front. Beside this young girl, as she's leaning carelessly over the edge and attempting to force her eyes to make out what the fog won't let her, her little sister, Elizabeth, sings, her young voice sounding as precious as ever, and her strawberry blond hair fluttering every so slightly in what little of a breeze rolls off from the sea. In response to her words, Victoria joins in, almost unable to help herself, a sort of thrill starting up at the thought of singing such a song--a pirate's song--whilst aboard the ship of the very people who despised such. And yet, she couldn't help but find herself just as fascinated as her sister.
     "Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me. Yo, ho, yo, ho, it's a pirate's life for me...drink up me hearties, yo, ho..."
     Behind them, Victoria heard but little movement, and just as she cut off to look, a hand snatched at her shoulder--as well as Elizabeth's--causing the both of them to gasp as they whirled around. Fortunately, it was just Joshamee Gibbs, the old man who had been brought along with them. A sailor, perhaps? Even Victoria wasn't positive.
     Though Victoria visibly settled, despite her annoyance, Elizabeth's eyes widened as she stared at the old man, who then said, "You two ought to stay quiet! Cursed pirates sail these waters." His eyes indicated the fog around them before landing on Elizabeth's eyes and then Victoria's. "You want to call 'em down on us?"
     "Mr. Gibbs," a gentle--and yet demanding--voice called from behind him, and they all glanced over to see one of the Navy's most dashing of soldiers, Norrington, glaring at Gibbs--who released both of the sisters' shoulders--with a look of warning. Just beside him stood their father, the Governor, who remained silent as he narrowed his eyes at the scene before him. "That will do."
     "They were singing about pirates," came Gibbs' reply. "Bad luck to sing about pirates, with us mired in this unnatural fog--mark my words."
     Norrington's brows rose. "Consider them marked. On your way."
     "'Aye, Captain," he said, and paced away, though not before eyeing Victoria wearily as he spoke, and she frowned at his next words. "Bad luck to have a woman on board. And two, at that. Even miniature ones." That said, he returned to his deck-swabbing duties, taking a swig from flask as he cast another glance at the young girls.
     "I think it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate," Elizabeth said, practically taking the words out of Victoria's mouth, and they exchanged grins.
     "Think again, Miss Swan," Norrington told her, though his eyes also flickered to Victoria, making her frown and avert her eyes nervously. "Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag, or wears a pirates brand, gets what he deserves: a short drop and a sudden stop."
     Victoria glanced over just as Norrington finished what he was saying, opening her mouth to either complain or come up with some excuse as to what he could have meant when she saw Elizabeth's plain confusion, though her lips clamped shut when she saw Gibbs just beyond the soldier's shoulder miming a man being hung, which made her little sister gasp. In turn, she glowered at the man, her glare also turning to Norrington, who gave her an apologetic look as she wrapped an arm around Elizabeth's shoulders with a shake of her head.
     "These are the things that happen, Elizabeth, and nothing can come of it," she murmured into her ear. "Perhaps the future will be different." Her eyes had been on their father and Norrington the entire time as she spoke, to be sure that her words were hushed, and she was fearful that she had been a little too quiet, but Elizabeth nodded at her words, placing a hand over her own.
     "Captain Norrington... I appreciate your fervor, but I am concerned about the effect this subject will have on my daughters," their father said, causing Victoria to scowl, and he gave her a look that looked both apologetic and defenseless.
     "My apologies, Governor," the soldier responded.
     "Actually," Elizabeth said, "I find it all fascinating."
     "And that's what concerns me," the governor said, and when he gave Victoria a pointed look she merely scowled and looked away. "Elizabeth, Victoria, my dears... we will be landing in Port Royal very soon, and beginning our new lives. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we comport ourselves as befits our class and station?"
     "Yes, father," both sisters murmured in unison, and as Elizabeth turned away to look over the railing again, Victoria dropped her arm from her shoulders and stepped towards the two men, who had begun muttering to each other.
     "Why must you both be so straight forward with her?" the girl asked as she stopped in front of them, frowning up at them, and they both exchanged looks before looking back down at her. "Elizabeth is only but a child. She deserves her imagination, no matter where our status of reputation stands. Do you understand what I mean?"
     They both exchanged looks again, and though her father only gave her a look of defeat, Norrington stepped forth and bent down until his face was level with her own, and though his nearness unsettled her she did not step back. "You are only a year older than Elizabeth, Victoria. Have you forgotten that you, too, are a child?"
     She opened her mouth to respond before realizing that the subject was being altered somewhat, though just as she was about to angrily point this out instead, her little sister cried out, catching her attention. "Look! A boy! There's a boy in the water!"
     Her father, Norrington, and her all exchanged looks before racing over to the railing and peering over, frantically throwing their heads around before they finally spotted him, a boy looking to be around the girls' age lying on a plank of wood.
     "Man overboard!" Norrington roared before pushing away from the railing, and as Victoria followed where the boy floated she could hear her sister shout as well as the rest of the men aboard the ship. "Fetch a hook! Haul him out of there!"
     Victoria wandered over to where her sister stood, the both of them watching curiously as a young boy was pulled on board, and they sneaked closer to get a better look.
     "He's still breathing," Norrington called out.
     "Where did he come from?" Victoria asked just as Elizabeth opened her mouth, drawing Norrington's attention.
     "Mary mother of God," Gibbs' voice carried over to them from the railing, drawing their attention.
     Surrounding them, as the fog let up the slightest bit to allow for something of a view, was the remainder of a ship, bits and pieces from it littering the water--as well as bodies from the crew, which made Victoria cringe and grab onto Elizabeth's shoulder, wishing she was down below so as not to see such a sight. The wind died down, and it was silent for a moment, save the sound of hushed voices carrying throughout the crew.
     "What happened here?" the governor asked absently.
     "An explosion in the powder magazine," Norrington predicted. "Merchant vessels run heavily armed."
     "Lot of good it did them..." Gibbs muttered. Victoria looked over just in time to see her father giving him a disapproving expression. "Everyone's thinking it! I'm just saying it!" He glanced over the wreckage again before adding, "Pirates!"
     Though her skin felt like it was crawling at that instant, Victoria couldn't help but feel the sort of thrill she did before, when her sister and her were singing. Only, this time, it was stronger, goosebumps clear to see on what skin of hers was visible.
     "There is no proof of that," her father said dismissively, and his eyes lingered on her when he caught her intrigued expression before she looked away. "It could have been an accident. Captain, these men were protection. If there is even the slightest chance one of those poor devils is still alive, we cannot abandon them!"
     "Of course not, Governor," Norrington said to him with an obedient nod of his head before calling out to the crew, "Come about and strike the sails! Unlash the boats! Gunnery crew... jackets off the cannons!" He then turned back to the governor. "Hope for the best...prepare for the worst." Just as two sailors walked up to him, he said, "Move the boy aft. We'll need the deck clear." He stopped talking when he saw Victoria staring, and seemed to hesitate before giving her a firm nod, which she returned with one of her own before she turned to her father, who was pulling her little sister from the railing of the ship.
     "Elizabeth," he said, hands on her shoulders, eyes on hers, "I want you to accompany the boy. He's in your charge now. You'll watch over him?" When she nodded, he offered her a weak smile and turned to stride away just as she did. However, he paused when he saw Victoria, opening his mouth to speak. She, however, didn't give him a chance to, turning her back to him to follow after Elizabeth.
     They found the boy being set behind the wheel of the ship, and Victoria watched as Elizabeth knelt down beside him. "He's handsome," she offered, sure that it's what she was thinking.
     Sure enough, Elizabeth nodded in response to her older sister's words, reaching out and brushing strands of the boy's dirty blond hair from his face. Almost immediately, the boy's hand snatched out and grabbed Elizabeth's wrist, enough to make even Victoria jump, and she dropped to her knees beside Elizabeth just as she took his hand in hers, giving Victoria a look before turning down to face him and hurriedly speak before he could panic.
     "My name is Elizabeth Swann," she said, voice gentle, and gestured to her sister. "This is my sister, Victoria."
     "Will," the boy said, voice somewhat raspy, eyes flickering from Elizabeth to Victoria and back again, "Turner."
     Victoria frowned at the name, for some reason feeling that it ought to be familiar.
     "I'm watching over you, Will," Elizabeth said to him, and he nodded uncertainly before falling unconscious again. Just as she and Victoria were about to turn to face one another, the movement of his shirt from his head falling back drew their attention, wear they could see a chain hanging around his neck.
     "And what might that be?" Victoria mumbled incoherently, nodding when Elizabeth looked at her as if to ask permission, and watched as she pulled the necklace out from under his shirt. On the chain was a gold medallion, one side of it proving to be blank. The other side, however, bore something of an Aztec design--which Victoria most definitely recognized from her studies--with a skull at its center.
     "You're a pirate," Elizabeth gasped as she stared down at Will.
     Just as Victoria opened her mouth to speak, Norrington's voice drew closer, and she frantically smacked her hands at Elizabeth's arm. "Take it--you know what they do to pirates, Beth." Though, even she wasn't entirely sure that's what Will actually was.
     She nodded at Victoria's words, quickly pulling the necklace from around Will's neck, and she hid it behind her back with one hand, grabbing her sister's hand with the other to pull her to her feet as they stood together, and the both of them turned to see Norrington stepping up to them.
     "Did he speak?" he asked the girls.
     "His name is Will Turner," Elizabeth said as Victoria nodded. "That's all we found out."
     Norrington looked back and forth between them before giving them a single nod. "Very good." His eyes lingered on Victoria's for a single moment, making her freeze, then slipped away as he turned and strode off.
     "That was a close one," Victoria hissed at Elizabeth as she followed after her to the stern of the ship, where she pulled out the necklace and admired the medallion.
     "But imagine that, Victoria," she murmured, glancing over at her excitedly, eyes sparkling with wonder--which Victoria was sure matched her own perfectly, "an actual pirate."
     "Yes," she murmured in response, casting a glance in the direction of where the unconscious boy lay. "Imagine that..."
     There was a small whisper of wind, which caught Victoria's attention, and her eyes followed Elizabeth's as she looked up. Just in the distance, moving through the fog, and as silent as ever, was a large sailing ship. On that ship--black sails. Though her lips parted, she made no sound, and though she wanted to reach out and grab Elizabeth's hand, she found herself unable to move, mesmerized by the scene before them. Though the layer of fog is still thick, the skull and crossbones of the flag was all too visible.
     Victoria felt her eyes being drawn to the medallion in Elizabeth's hand, which she was looking at as well, and she didn't need to look at her sister to know she had spotted the similarities of the skull in her hand and the one on that ship. Elizabeth let out a gasp and squeezed her eyes shut. Victoria, however, could not stop staring, watching as the ship vanished into the fog, the black flag following soon after.