The Painter Of Port Royal

Chapter 22

Ignoring Will's previous comment, Lydia readied herself to visit the small island that layed ahead of them. The Pearl sat and observed them as they reached the sandy beach, several crewmen shuffling around her as she stood next to Jack and Barbossa. Something else had joined them on the beach however, something Lydia wasn't sure she wanted to see.

Covered in flies and other creatures, a decaying kraken lied dead on the sand. It's body was green and lifeless, seagulls eating away at it's flesh. It was rather odd seeing the great beast after what happened, Lydia cowering behind Jack in case it could suddenly spring up and move. But it wouldn't, it's life had been sucked away, golden eyes still open and frozen. Pintel and Regetti climbed the vile thing, poking at it and making jokes about how they slayed the great kraken.

As Lydia looked up into Jack's eyes, they were glazed, something obviously missing. He appeared more tired than ever, his eyebrows furrowed together as he stared at the beast.

"Still thinking of running jack?" Barbossa approached them "think you can outrun the world? You know the problem with being the last of anything... By and by, there be none left at all."

"Sometimes things come back mate. Us three are living proof," He gestured to two stood beside him.

"Aye but that's a gamble of long odds, ain't it?" Barbossa said "there's never a guarantee of coming back. But passing on, that's dead certain."

Gaze falling to the ground, Lydia's thoughts ran to her parents. How they didn't want to come back at all, even after all they could have done together. It seems like Jack and Lydia never were gone at all, sprung back into the same action filled chaos as before. Nothing had changed, just a few newer faces joined the crew. They had changed, her and Jack, but everything around them seemed to fit right back to what things were, giving them barely anytime to process the effects of coming back.

"Summoning the Brethren Court, then is it?" Jack wondered.

"It's our only hope, lad," Barbossa cleared.

"That's a sad commentary in and of itself," Jack said as Lydia rested a hand on his arm.

"The world used to be a bigger place," Barbossa replied solemnly.

"The world's still the same," Jack chuckled defeated "there's just... Less in it."

As Jack walked in to the natural spring they were after, Lydia held back with Barbossa, wanting to talk to the man for once without any distractions.

"How about you lass? I'm sure you don't want to be following Jack to the heart," Barbossa pondered.

"No I don't. We had prior arrangements that I guess have to tended to another day," Lydia trailed on.

"Your treasure?" Barbossa asked.

"Yes. Sorry that sounds awfully selfish-"

"No no lass I get ye. All sorts of commotion has gotten in ye way recently your crew has told me all about it," Barbossa smiled.

"Yeah well there's more important things right now than where my so called treasure is," She chuckled back.

The jungle path lead them through a vivid green trail, the crew walking one behind the other to reach the spring.

"You'll get yer time lass. That's a guarantee," Barbossa said.

Lydia didn't reply but smiled and nodded to the older man as they found the spring in question. They had to have had the wrong place as this was not what Lydia had in mind. Sprawled out in the water lied a pale body soaked of its colour, head down in the water. Barbossa splashed a finger inside and tasted it, spitting it out straight after. How he could just take a taste Lydia had no idea, choosing to stay behind Jack.