Beyond the Reef (POTC 3)

Chapter 10: Hoist the Colors

I climbed on board after Barbossa and I told Will, "we'll need to use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack," as we approached where Barbossa was standing.

"Oh, are we now?" Barbossa asked sarcastically.

"All right, Mrs. Fish, come on," I heard. I turned toward the middle of the deck where Tia Dalma was completely tied up in rope, carefully led out of the brig. It had become public knowledge that Tia was the true Calypso.

"What are you doing with her?" I asked. I had no idea that she had been down in the brig this entire time. That probably did not put her in our favor.

"We shall release the goddess herself, and she will be in our debt," Barbossa stated.

"Barbossa, you can't release her," Will said. Suddenly, he was grabbed and many guns were on him and I. I froze and glared down at the weapons.

"We need to give Jack a chance to stab the heart," I said.

"Apologies, your Majesty. I'm not putting all my trust into that man. Too long my fate has not been in me own hands. No longer." Barbossa grabbed my inherited piece of eight and snapped the necklace off my neck. They held the bowl full of all the nine pieces of eight in front of Tia, who was still tied up. They had collected them at the meeting.

"Be there some manner of rite or incantation?" Gibbs asked.

"Aye," Barbossa nodded, "the items brought together, done. Items to be burned... and someone must speak the words: Calypso, I release you from your human bonds."

"Is that it?" Pintel asked.

"'Tis said it must be spoken as if to a lover," Barbossa added. He lifted a sacred torch without a flame up and yelled, "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!" He placed the end of the torch into the bowl, and nothing happened.

"Is that it?" Pintel asked again.

"No, no, no. He didn't say it right," Ragetti said, "you have to say it right."

"Let's get the Frenchie to say it," Gibbs suggested.

"No, no. Let's not get the Frenchie to say it," I said, struggling under the grasp of whoever had my arms pinned behind my back.

"I've got it," Ragetti said. He turned to Calypso, "Calypso," he said softly and leaned into her ear. He spoke too softly for me to hear, but when he stood back, Tia's face was to the sky and she let out a soft moan as the bowl caught ablaze.

We backed away slightly but leaned forward to see the nine pieces of junk burn. The flame turned purple, and Calypso breathed it in.

Will tried to break free and he said, "Tia Dalma." When she didn't respond, he said aggressively, "Calypso."

Her head snapped to Will with a sharp exhale, and the bowl dropped to the floor.

"When the Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it that told them how?" Will asked.

Her head began shaking as she stared at Will.

"Who was it that betrayed you?" Will asked.

"Name him," she said, still shaking.

"Davy Jones," Will hissed.

Her lips trembled and her eyes got wide with the memory. She began gasping and arching her back, causing us to step away. She grew in her ropes as her sobs stifled through the air. The men tried to tighten the ropes, but she was too strong. The ropes were chafing their palms as the men tried desperately to hang on.

The ropes were slipping through their fingers, burning their skin. She grew, and got taller than the sails. The wood on the deck began to splinter and break at her weight. One by one, the ropes began snapping. All of us backed up and looked at her in both amazement, and fear.