It had been roughly a year since the Captain of the Jolly Roger had taken the body of the traitorous hag, Milah, to shore and burned it to ash along with the name of Killian Jones. The man he became was dark, cruel, brutal, tyrannical and had a rather active libido, countless women either charmed into his bed or forced and all of them were broken. To the outward observer, this creature was the very soul of evil made physically manifest to torment all that was good in the world...yet to the crew of the Jolly Roger, their captain did possess a single soft spot...it couldn't even be called a weakness since said soft spot could actually best their captain every three out of five duels, a feat no other had been able to accomplish since the death of Clare Jones.
The fact that said soft spot held the last name of Jones often made the crew wonder if the two were related in some way, but none of them were brave enough to actually voice this question. After the destruction of Port Rhianna, their captain had changed drastically. No longer did he carry himself as a suave yet daring gentleman, but as a ruthless predator that had no qualms in killing his own crew...well he attempted to which was the incident that resulted in one Silver Jones joining the crew of the Jolly Roger as the chef. The Captain had met the oddly silver haired man several times before the fall of Port Rhianna so his interference was not unlikely but incredibly annoying...after a rather lengthy duel with the crew member's life at stake, said crew member was allowed to live and the lad that had so valiantly defended him joined his crew.
The tyrannical pirate was often found in the galley late at night, having quiet discussions with the level headed and always calm lad that actually had the gall to sass their captain on a regular basis, but the effect was highly noticeable to the crew because the silver haired man had brought out some sort of stability from within The Scourge of the Sea. He was less genocidal towards his crew and did not lash out at them as often. This calming effect had disturbed the master of the galley, Lawrence Hawthorne, and he was one of the few that the captain wouldn't kill instantly because the poor bloke, along with Black and even Jefferson, had been duped by the dark haired bitch...he brought his concerns up with the Captain and said captain took on a rather contemplative expression whilst waving him out of his quarters so he could think in peace.
James Hook had to agree that the ship's new chef did indeed have a certain aura about him. Every time he came near the lad, the chaos within him would settle down into gentle roar, still present but more easily managed. Not to mention that the boy's presence made the near constant ache in his head to go away. There was simply something about the young man that called to him on some deep yet unseen level, but there was no lethal intent, no tiny feeling in the back of his head...like with her...he growled as the storm of his darker and deeper emotions began to surge once more along with a massive headache. Even the bloody ship felt like it was being buffeted by something, almost like the sea itself was reacting to his pain.
There was only way to fix the issue, alleviate his discomfort, and to get the answers he needed to satisfy the efficient yet nagging annoyance that was the Master of the Galley. The dark haired pirate left his quarters before heading deeper into his ship, heading straight for the kitchen itself. He stopped just outside the kitchen and watched the boy work, a secretly pleasing past time of his. Mister Silver definitely knew his way around a kitchen which was rather surprising for someone his age to be so proficient in the art of cooking. Imagine his surprise when streams of water flowed through the air and into nearby pots on the stove. He continued to watch, noting that the lad excelled in finite control but not in raw power...something he had learned from his still missing friend, Emma Swan. Both she and what was left of her charge had mysteriously vanished, along with a good chunk of the island's inhabitants...yet another mystery.
The silver haired chef called out to him, asking him if he was going to join him in the kitchen or not. Now that got Hook's attention because the water wielding lad didn't even bat an eyelash at being discovered while using his powers. Silver simply smiled at him, his ocean spray colored eyes dancing in mischief and amusement, reminding the Captain of a certain adventurous woman that rendered him speechless since the very beginning. He entered the kitchen and leaned his left shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms and legs in a relaxed manner but clearly expecting an explanation. The boy chuckled softly and asked him why they always seemed to cross paths with one another all the time.
The pirate's answer to this was that they were meant to meet...something else he had learned from the blonde...meeting someone repeatedly was not mere chance. Silver responded that although the Captain was partially correct in his assumption, it wasn't the only reason. When Hook gave him a look that translated to Are you going to tell me or leave me in suspense, the man revealed that he was looking for his father. The reason why he kept running into the Jolly Roger was because his adoptive mother told him that his father was on board that specific ship. The Captain naturally asked about the mysterious woman that had told her adoptive son such a thing.
'Now that would be telling. *chuckles at the pointed stare from the somewhat frustrated brunet* The woman...she adopted me, raised me as her own, and punted my sorry ass towards the Jolly Roger...*laughs*...she doesn't actually know who my father is, she just knew that he was on this ship. How you may ask? My adoptive father was the one that told her and he would never lie to her and not because he didn't want to but because even if he did, she would call bullshit.
She always knows when those she cares for are lying to her and has stated quite clearly that if they couldn't tell her the truth then simply say nothing at all...oh and spoilers...which usually results in her sulking for the better part of the day. *Hook interjects saying the word rambling* Right sorry. It's a bit of habit that I picked up from my mum. She loves to talk and to run and to explore everything, to know the unknown, to help as many as she can, to give love to all the people willing to accept it, to do the impossible...like saving me.
The reason why my hair is silver is because she gave me second life. *sees the confusion on Hook's face* My mother has a very unique gift, the ability to latch onto the lingering life force within a person's body and essentially reversing time while pushing her own life force into them. *the captain was still confused*
Damn it, this is hard to explain on a good day and I'm not a wordsmith like my mum. Um...okay, say you chopped off a person's arms, legs, and head *the pirate's jaw clenched slightly*...my mother reattachs everything because if not...um, yeah not pretty. Anyways, she then *uses his water powers to pick up a shriveled up apple and hold it in the air* attachs her power to the core of that person. Then pushes life into them while reversing time to before they were killed. *uses the water to bloat up the apple before it explodes*
Sorry about that. I don't have my mum's time thing so...boom, but overall that's how she saves a lot of lives. She can bring back those that have recently died but it does have limitations like depending on how long they had been dead, how traumatic that death was, and the state that the body is currently in. The furthest she's been able to go is just over seven days and that's with an almost perfectly preserved body. *sees the question in the brunet's eyes and answers it before he could ask*
Less than two days...violently...let's just say that...um...it would have been very difficult to identify my...remains, but I was lucky. Turned out her daughter was my governess and was close enough to the area so that she could reach the town in time. I still remember...how I died...but I also remember my birth mother telling me that I needed to go back, that I had to protect my father...that the woman fighting so hard to revive me was worthy of being my mother...that and to have lots of kids, a whole brood. *watery laugh*
When I woke up, I was in the arms of my adoptive father who was carrying me to where my new mother was because she was just waking up too. Bringing me back, it almost killed her...she had to undo so much before could even begin the revival process...the only reason she survived was because of my adoptive father...he has the power to control water like I do...something referred to as a water elemental. Though mum always said that I was a child of the sea and snow. I'll explain that later if you want.
Anyways, when I heard her yelling, I jumped out of his arms faster than he could blink and raced toward where I heard her voice...and there she was, standing in the sun...she was beautiful, still is, but that day...eyes of the bluest blue and so vibrant too, crimson hair that shined like a golden fire in the sunlight. The moment she saw me, she ran towards me and I ran towards her. She hugged me a long time, practically sobbing because she had been able to save a single life on that horrible day and it was mine.'
Hook was honestly astonished...it was one hell of a story and he actually believed it. There was no way it couldn't be true...the boy's eyes had been completely unshielded and were storming with so much emotion. A thought occurred to him when he realized that his initial question never got answered but this time he asked about both of the lad's adoptive parents. The air within the kitchen became quite chilled, the temperature falling rather fast and the Captain could actually see his breath. He looked over at the silver haired chef and noticed that the things around him were starting to frost over. The brunet stilled completely upon the boy's next words.
'My mother is the Star Child, my father...her God of the Sea...her beloved Poseidon. I know what they say about her, what they call her, all the lies and rumors, all the complete and utter bullshit they're always spouting off about her. They call her a vile and wretched beast that would spread her legs for anyone or anything. They say that the Blood Guard are bound to her, especially those of the Prismata, that she breaks them, corrupts them, uses them, then brands them like cattle to always be at her beck and call.
They couldn't be more wrong. The Blood Guard, they're a family...brought together by the Star that shines so bright. She is good and kind and fair, way too forgiving, never gives up and by all rights, she should have so very long ago. The things she's witnessed, endured, and lost...she walks through history, untouched by time, and forced to watch as the very people she fought so hard for and loved so much grow old and die, everything turning to dust.
And that's just here...she has suffered far worse things before ever coming here. Even I don't know how much she has lost, I wasn't taken to the Hall of Memories like everyone else. All of this...stories told to me by Poseidon and other members of the Guard, their eyes spoke more than their words ever could...haunted...shadows and echoes of days long since passed but never forgotten and always felt.
They love her, each and every one of them, and just as each person is unique, so too is the bond of love she shares with them. No one is the same, no bond is the same, each love tailored specially for them, no greater or lesser than any others...though everybody knows that she favors the Prismata over the rest, and that's their fault because they use whatever means necessary to make her happy, even if it does mean that they have to monopolize her time just to keep her from having too much time to think.'
The temperature of the room began to rise as Silver started ranting about his mother thinking herself into a downward spiral of guilt, sorrow, and grief for the past and dread for a twisted future. The frost melted and the boy absent-mindedly waved his hand to clean the water up and it sloshed into a nearby bucket. The Captain interjected only once to remind him of his duties as a chef but allowed the boy to ramble away. It was clear that Mister Silver loved the Lady of the Blood Guard very much, but he was curious about the one called Poseidon due to his last name being Jones and thus the reason why Silver bore that name...though his mother had not been very original with naming the boy Silver.
After that day, the crew would always see their captain randomly go to the galley just to speak with the chef and many of them went bug eyed when the notorious Scourge of the Sea started cooking in the kitchen alongside Mister Silver. Admittedly they were afraid for their lives or at least their digestive tracks but after seeing the chef eat it himself and not...ya know...die or get outrageously sick, they started eating it as well...none of them noticed the conspiratorial smirks on the captain's and chef's faces...the next several days had been rather entertaining for the pair.
They had deliberately laced the main batch with a few herbs, the effects varying from person to person, and the hilarity that ensued...ah, it was definitely something that neither of them would ever forget...and the crew had to stay on their toes because although the Jolly Roger still pillaged and plundered, they had to be quite weary of their captain and their chef, especially while they were in the same room....pranking...the Scourge of the Sea and the self proclaimed Wave Rider that was Silver Jones...were constantly pulling pranks on the crew...no one was spared, not even themselves though no one but Silver dared to prank the Captain without having a one way ticket to Davy Jones' Locker.
It was during the late night meetings that the Captain had genuinely surprised Silver, throwing him for a complete loop. How you may ask...by making a vow to the lad that should the Star Child ever board his ship, she would be welcomed, accepted, and well cared for. He shocked the chef even further when the dark captain said that the Jolly Roger was as much her home as it was his and that she was to be considered the Lady of the Jolly Roger.
Then the silver haired man actually fell onto a nearby stool, his legs being unable to hold him when Hook declared that she and she alone would be able to counterman his orders and control the ship and its crew...it wasn't like he'd be able to stop her anyways...the Scourge of the Sea started laughing at the chef's bewildered state like he couldn't believe his own ears. The next day...he made it official...the entire crew on deck as he declared his standing orders in regards to the Star Child, the Prismata, and the Blood Guard...Silver gaping like a fish on dry land...priceless.
Things changed rather abruptly when they docked at a friendly port to restock the ship. A young man with dark hair and pale blue eyes boarded his ship without permission and when his men tried to stop him, they were flung back...by magic...the intruder's hand outstretched and his eyes flashing gold for a moment. Hook took a moment to assess the man; skinny, clothes plain looking but of good quality, the shirt was blue and the handkerchief around his neck was red...magic. The Captain said a name...Noel...and the intruder immediately gave him his attention and said intruder apologized but that it was absolutely vital that he speak with Silver immediately about a rather important and time sensitive matter.
Hook granted him passage, wondering what was going on and why the Archmage of the Blood Guard had to come personally. When the dark haired man returned topside, Silver was right behind him...with his belongings. The Captain descended the stairs and demanded to know what was going on, catching the boy's arm before he could leave the ship. Silver's ocean spray eyes were filled with panic and fear...he was scared and wanting to run...why? Noel ran back up the ramp and apologized again.
'I'm sorry but we don't have time to for this.'
The Archmage raised his hand, his eyes flashing gold but nothing happpened because a man in a simple black suit, wearing white gloves, had black hair, pale skin and seemingly glowing red eyes had one of his hands gripping the wrist of the warlock's outstretched hand, preventing the magic from being expelled.
'I must apologize for my associate's actions, Captain. He meant no disrespect but there is somewhere else that both you and Master Silver need to be. Unfortunately those two locations require you to part company for the time being. This is a rather sensitive and delicate...'
'Spoilers...seriously, if it's that important then say spoilers and go.'
'Spoilers indeed, my dear Captain.'
Silver and Noel ran off the ship like they were on fire, the silver haired man glancing briefly at the Jolly Roger before catching up with the Archmage. The mysterious individual in the black suit, placed his right hand near his left shoulder and bowed slightly in respect, his body disappearing into a darkened shadow at his feet until there was nothing left.
The Captain of the Jolly Roger was now thoroughly pissed that the one person that he could safely call friend had to leave, that bloody Archmage was going to attack him for trying to stop said friend from leaving, and even more pissed off that he didn't have any bloody answers as to exactly why his friend had to leave in the first place!
He barked out orders at his crew to get the provisions and cargo loaded in two hours then to set sail for open waters or he'll be finding himself a new crew. He then went below deck and into his quarters. Once alone he clutched his head as pain lanced through his cranium. This was why he didn't want the boy to leave. Whatever was causing these blasted headaches seemed to disappear when he was around the lad. He wasn't even gone five minutes and his head felt like it was about to explode. In a fit of rage, he shoved everything off the table which cleared it completely, but the motion of the action had made him extremely dizzy. He staggered about a bit before falling against a nearby cabinet, knocking several things to the floor. Why wasn't the pain going away this time?
The brunet pushed off the cabinet, the mirror on the wall above it almost falling from the vibration. He wasn't even halfway across the room before he fell to the floor next to his bed. He had started to roll over when he spotted something in the small space between the bed and the floor. He reached for it, his fingers grazing the object and for a moment the pain in his head lessened which allowed him to fully extract the object...a flute. Just a plain old flute but where did it come from? It took a few moments for him to recall the memory.
Liam...his elder brother had given it to him shortly after they had become orphans, told him to practice with it every day and that one day, it would guide them to their star. He sat up fully, his back against his bed. The pain in his head had dulled a fair bit but he was still breathing heavily. Why? Why did Liam always insist that they needed to find their star...even as he died...she shines only for you now. Wait...star...did he mean the Star Child but how....he hunched over in pain, his eyes watering from the intensity of the pain lancing through his brain. He really needed to stop thinking about this...just shove it all away...don't focus on anything...just breathe...
He looked up, only to discover that he was somewhere else completely and underwater. He was breathing the water like it was air...a dream. It had to be a dream.
'The Scourge of the Sea.'
He turned around to see the amber skinned woman once again, her body glowing in a golden light but barely piercing the darkness of their current environment. Pain lanced through his body and he tried to move away from her, believing that she was the one causing it to begin with.
'No, Captain. I am not the one harming you. There are two mirrors; one breaking and one that has already been broken. You are attempting to unshatter the mirror that is not yours. You are harming yourself and you do not understand why you are trying so very hard to save that which has already been broken...only that you must.'
She walked over to him and he actually grabbed her neck, her golden light flickering in and out like he was draining her or at least shutting her up. A force, feeling very much like a tidal wave, pushed him away from the blue clad woman. When he was back on his feet, he could only stare because it was him...it was Killian Jones. How did he know this...the eyes...that man had ocean blue eyes, but then he noticed something. He leaned a little to the right and he was honestly surprised. The man before him was simply a reflection...a reflection from a fragment...what did it mean?
'Even now and in such a state...you are still a child of the sea...still trying to protect those you cannot even remember.'
The pirate captain with mirrored obsidian eyes wanted answers, damn it, and he was going to get them, one way or another. He stalked towards the woman but was suddenly blinded when a blue orb appeared from her chest, shining with light and swirling like the sea itself. She walked towards him and he discovered that he couldn't move. Try as he might, he couldn't get away and whatever that thing was...it terrified him...why...it was powerful. It was a whole hell of a lot stronger than he was and he honestly believed that she was about to kill him.
'Do not be afraid, James Hook. You are just as important as he is. This...*gesturing to the orb*...will give you what you need but only once. Do not waste it, for such an opportunity will not happen again for a very long time.'
The orb was pushed into his chest, filling him up...he felt like he was going to burst. He screamed but not from pain. He had no words to describe whatever it was that he was being forced to absorbed but then he felt it...a heartbeat...it sounded and felt like a heart beating...but why? Blue...everything was blue...blue eyes...a woman with blue eyes...?
Hook awoke harshly, the flute clattering to the floor because of the sudden motion. It took him a moment to realize that the pain in his head was gone like it had never been there at all. He looked down at the flute briefly before picking it up. He managed to get on his feet, his neck and back popping in several places from sleeping on the floor. How long had he been out for? He noticed that they had already left the port which was good, he didn't want to be around anyone right now. He placed the flute on a shelf before heading towards the entrance of his quarters and demanding his evening meal be brought to him at once.
After he had eaten, he simply sat in the chair with a cup of wine in his left hand. He only drank rum when on dry land whether it be from his personal flask or at the tavern. He preferred wine while at sea because it didn't effect him nearly as much as the rum did which was a necessary component for one's survival when at sea. The stigma that all pirates drank rum all the time was just plain ridiculous, not to mention the difficulty of maintaining such a habit. Wine was easier to transport, store, access and in increased quantities than rum which was a far more troublesome beverage to contend with and not worth the headache. Speaking of headaches, now that Mister Silver was gone...he was more likely to gut the majority of his crew. The chef had channeled the captain's emotional intensity into something more benign and less destructive.
What was he supposed to do now? He did not want to think about what the disturbing man in the suit had said, but he also had nothing to truly occupy his time. He glanced briefly at the flute...he could and probably would but he would tire of it quickly. One of the many conundrums that a ship captain had to endure...boredom. As captain, all he had to do was delegate when aboard the ship or choose their next target. On land, he could cut loose a bit but his crew still did most of the actual pillaging. His obsidian eyes shined with an idea as he polished off the rest of the wine pitcher...a wench. He needed a wench but not just any woman would do...no, he wanted one with spirit, stubborn and strong willed. Yes...he wanted a woman that would not easily break but when she did...it would be glorious.
Artz: And Cut! That is a nice place to end, I should think.
Poseidon: Love, why don't you just write the novel already because seriously... *waving hand up and down at the article*
Hook: That would not be the best course of action because in this case, much of the content has yet to be fully finalized and is subject to change.
Anna: Not to mention that she doesn't want to get bogged down by getting caught up in all the details. She's trying to leave things loose and a bit ambiguous so that the readers *when she actually gets some* will draw their own conclusions or make suggestions and offer advice, etc etc.
Poseidon: She can at least do it in script format so that she can hold a decent conversation.
Artz: He's not wrong and neither are either of you. I'm trying some new stuff out. Ya know, poke at the ones and zeroes until my bank account runnith over.
Poseidon: *rolls eyes*
Hook: *shakes his head in a fond exasperation*
Anna: *downing coffee like it's going out of style before dive bombing her paints while laughing maniacally*
Hook/Poseidon: *glance at each other* Run? Yep. *flee like the wind*
Artz: *raises an eye brow* I wonder when they'll realize that they always run into the very thing they were trying to run away from.
Anna: *snickers as they hear the aqua lads squawk as both Light and Mars pull out their latest project, fully customized by King and Wolftech, and practically drown them in a wide variety of paints, glitter, feathers and...egg yoke* Did you seriously just pull off a Hook reference in an article about Hook?
Artz: *runs a hand through her hair, a smug yet satisfied look on her face* Yep, still got it.
Anna: *snorts* Like you ever lost it to begin with.
Artz: *giggles* Below is the scene with both the egg yoke and paint lost boy style.
Amazing post! Loved it! :)
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