Starsea - Part VI - Twilight of Life

Hey everybody and welcome back to the Realm! Last time ended pretty abruptly and the opposite will be true for this article because this is no longer about Hook...at least for the time being...but about the man once known as The Terror of the Deep, Killian Jones. There is actually a reason why he is known by that particular title and it's basically the ultimate joke. More on that in a future post. Venture forth into Part VI of Starsea!

He stood in front of the wall mirror, staring at the image depicted within. The image was of Killian Jones, Captain of the Jolly Roger. He had short brunet hair and eyes the color of the ocean but in his recent memories, those eyes had been different. Pitch black orbs that shined with lust and cruelty...he shook his head, trying to rid himself of such horrible feelings. He knew that for a time he had gone by the name of James Hook, The Scourge of the Sea. It was so hard to believe that he was ever like that creature.

The things he did...evil, just plain evil. He destroyed everything he touched, took whatever he wanted, killed all who got in his way, but it was the women that paid the ultimate price. Hook had captured and broken countless women and Killian knew that he would never do that. He had promised his beloved Clare and his Swan Lake to never go that far and yet for some reason he had. No! He was Killian Jones! He was not that monster, that abomination! He was not James Hook! He was not the man that murdered Alice! His tirade stopped abruptly as he remembered brief snippets of his time with the fiery woman that bore the same name as his mother.

He sank into his chair, one arm on the table and the other arm rubbing his face like he was in pain and utterly exhausted which to be fair, he kind of was. The Scourge had bedded and beaten Alice so fiercely and so often that his own body was paying the price. He tried desperately not to think about what that bastard had done to her...he enjoyed every bit of it; stripping her of her freedom, bending her to his will, reveling in her pain, and loving every single moment when he made her lose herself to pleasure, making her scream for more and beg for his touch.

Killian felt like he was going to be sick and moments later, he threw up in a nearby bucket that was placed in his room by his first mate, Mister Smee. He asked how he had become his first mate and the man replied that his former first mate, Simeon Black, had attempted to use Alice's godson as leverage to make her submit to him, Hawthorne, and Jefferson which had genuinely surprised him. Mister Smee explained that Hook didn't like the fact that someone else had touched his wench and sent them to a place where they would live out their lives in agony. He was then promoted due to his friendship with Alice because it guaranteed that his property would not be tarnished by another.

Killian rinsed out his mouth and splashed water onto his face, the blue box around his neck catching his eye. It belonged to the feisty redhead that went toe to toe with the Scourge of the Sea...until he killed her. The image of her cold lifeless body laying on a bed of flowers flashed across his mind's eye and he felt such horrible guilt. Hook used his body to kill that woman and the bastard had been so fucking sadistic that he actually used diluted Dreamshade to slowly weaken her until one day, shortly after he had finished using her body yet again, she died.

Hook was a disgusting and foul beast unlike anything Killian had ever experienced before. He had been possessed or infected with a terrible evil that made him commit countless atrocities against a single woman that had done nothing to invoke his wrath yet treated her like she was nothing more than inanimate object to be used however he saw fit. He thought back to when the shift had occurred and it initially started at Milah's betrayal but went into full swing after he had taken her body to shore and burned her remains. Did that traitorous bitch curse him from beyond the grave or did he simply inherit the combined evil of Augustus Torrin and his filthy bitch?

Time was meaningless to the younger Jones and he was honestly surprised that his crew hadn't turned against him from the lack of adventuring. They just kept on sailing the sea he called home, restocking as needed before simply departing yet again. William Smee was turning out to be an incredible first mate. He was the perfect choice for his second in command. The only reason why he had reverted to Black after Clare died was because he didn't know any of his crew well enough to not stab him in the back. Only for that very man to torment poor Alice, but it still pissed him off that Hook viewed the woman as nothing more than a play thing. She was his property, not his lover. He called her his wench, basically telling the world that she was a slut that spread her legs only for him.

There was so much missing from his time with Alice. In fact, the last year or so of her captivity was nothing but a blur of sex and sleep. He couldn't recall anything specific at all except the fact that the Scourge held no regard for her physical health because he just continued using her while her body practically caved in on itself. She had lost so much weight that her skin had sunken in and he could see almost every bone in her body. Her pale white skin had always been so cold and dry, the lack of proper nourishment and rest taking its toll. Sweet lord, the bruises...there had been so many of them.

He felt the nausea coming but managed to keep the contents of his stomach from erupting though his chest and throat now burned quite painfully from the lingering stomach acid. He remembered the changes to her hair most of all because his favorite color was crimson red followed ironically by sapphire blue, a dark sapphire at that. Her hair had darkened during her captivity, turning from the shining crimson he loved so much to a dingy and dull brown color with a few dark auburn highlights. It was so dry and brittle that it had started thinning out. Another year or so and she probably would have been bald.

There was one thing about the memories of those times that really confused him...her eyes. Those deep sapphire orbs, exhausted and in terrible pain, but they never changed. Her eyes were always warm and kind, open and welcoming, and full of an emotion that should never have been directed towards that beast...love. She had loved him...right from the start which didn't make sense because that would imply that she had met him before...met Hook before, but how could that be?

'To change the future is to change the past.'

That's what the blue clad woman had said in his dream after he had just found out that Clare had been pregnant with Erin.

'Lightning, it flashes bright then fades away. It can't protect, it only destroys. The sea makes for a much better shield than I could ever be. Find her...find our star...she shines only for you now.'

Liam...was the star he spoke of The Star Child? Is...was Alice the Star Child and he simply hadn't known it because he definitely recalled the times Hook spent with Silver Jones. How would the boy feel when he finds out about all the terrible sins committed against her by that monster? He wouldn't even be able to look the lad in the eye because his only excuse was that it wasn't him, but he had no physical proof of this. 

In fact, the only proof he had that Alice had been there at all was the pendant around his neck and a rather odd looking fob watch, a large one at that. It was a deep blue, almost black...very similar to the sea on a moonless night. The engravings were silver and in some kind of circular language that made his heart ache every time he looked at it, but the front of the watch was the most puzzling of all. At the center of the front side was a smooth circular stone that had an almost ethereal shine. It was extremely thin, so much so that he should have been able to see through it easily, but he couldn't...even if it went through the whole watch...it felt so deep like his beloved sea.

The former lieutenant was startled out of his thoughts, jolting slightly as there was a knock on the entrance of his quarters. He allowed the knocker entrance which turned out to be a rather excited and grinning Mister Smee. He asked the man what had made him so happy and his answer filled his stomach with dread and apprehension.

'Mister Silver is at the nearest port and is requesting permission to come aboard. It's been six and half years since we last saw him. Oh I bet he has a bunch of new dishes he wants to cook for us! Permission to head to the nearest port and retrieve Silver Jones, Chef extraordinaire of the Jolly Roger, Captain?'

The ocean eyed man nearly refused his first mate's request, but seeing his eyes so full of life and hope...he simply couldn't do it. So much pain and sorrow had occurred aboard this vessel already, no need to add to it simply because he was bloody petrified of their chef's possible reaction to certain events.

'Granted.'

He was taken off guard when the man hugged him briefly, having been too caught up in the moment before dashing out of the captain's quarters and informing the crew of a change in course. He heard quite a bit of cheering when William Smee told the crew that the Wave Rider was returning home. Killian sank onto his bed and stared blankly at ceiling. Was Alice the Star Child...he needed to find out before they reached the nearest port. Fortunately, they were still several weeks out, having decided to sail in deeper waters for a time.

In the coming days, the Terror of the Deep searched through the ship's library...an idea that Alice had come up with apparently and Mister Smee had implemented. Most of the books were more fact than mythos or even historical. The Star Child and her Guard held a very long history...eons supposedly. There had to be something! He swore his first mate could either read his mind or simply had the best timing in creation because he walked into the library carrying a stack of historical records and a bag with several large scrolls containing mythological tales.

'Oh...hello, Captain. Are you looking for something to pass the time or did you have something specific in mind?'

The pirate captain weighed the pros and cons of telling his first mate his suspicions...could he truly trust William Smee? All of a sudden his world spun and he found himself on the floor. There was a terrible ringing in his ears and he could not stop making the room spinning around. He was moments away from hurling, his stomach churning most mightily from extreme nausea. 

A gentle warmth spread through his body and the nausea faded. The warmth continued to move through his body until the room finally stopped going all over the place, but that's when he noticed that the palms of his first mate, Mister Smee, were glowing in a soft golden light that reminded him so much of his missing Swan Lake.

'Over exertion, lack of proper nourishment, dehydration, and a bit of liver damage but to be expected from someone that consumes alcohol on a semi-regular basis, but you have clearly been neglecting your personal health for the last seventeen months. That is unacceptable, Captain.'

His first mate's hands moved to his head and the ringing disappeared, along with a pressure that he hadn't even known was there, and out popped a woman's name.

'Kali.'

Killian Jones found himself once again in that golden field, but something was wrong. The sky had been filled with the light of the setting sun the last time, but this time...it was so dark and stormy...ominous.

'Kali!'

That was her name! The blue clad woman with amber skin was named Kali but where was she? She had appeared straight away last time yet now she was nowhere to be seen. The ground beneath his feet gave out and he was plunged into water. Fortunately this was a dream so he knew he wouldn't drown, but when he breathed in the water...he kind of wished he hadn't because the water around him brightened and could see everything quite clearly...including a very large sea creature with tentacles and glowing red eyes...and it was staring straight at him.

He stared straight back, trying to understand why he wasn't bloody terrified out of his mind. He was a bit uncertain, yes, but there wasn't any actual fear. Then he did something completely stupid and started talking to the damn thing like it could actually understand him.

'Something's happened to Kali. She didn't come to me when I called. I need you to find her or at the very least find out what happened. I may not understand everything just yet but I know that she is important to the ocean that I sail and that you call home. I also know that I'm not afraid you and by all rights I should be but I'm not.'

The tentacled creature let out a whale like noise as it raised one of its tentacles towards him and stopped a short distance from him. He hesitantly reached out with his right hand and touched the tentacle.

The Captain bolted upright, breathing heavily. His chest was bare and he was covered in sweat. What the bloody hell was that all about? After he had touched the sea creature, he had some kind of weird vision thing but it had felt more like a memory but it was impossible. Why because Alice had been there. Under normal circumstances, this would not be an issue but he had been a child in that vision and she looked the same as the day Hook captured her ship.

He looked up as his first mate entered his quarters, carrying what appeared to be fresh water and clean rags. How long has he been out for? The moment Smee saw that he was awake, he hurriedly set down the tray and rushed over to him, attempting to push him back down.

'You need to rest, Captain! You've been gravely ill for almost a month!'

Month? He didn't feel ill...just confused. He looked at his first mate, really looking this time and he could see the genuine worry, not mere concern, but actual worry in the man's eyes. 

'Tell me something, William Smee...do you view me as a friend?'

The only reason he was asking was because he was in desperate need of a willing ear, someone he could go to for advice without blabbing it to the entire crew, and then there was the fact that the man's powers felt similar to Swan's.

'No, Captain. You're family.'

Now that took him off guard. He hadn't expected the man to feel so strongly for him...especially after everything that had transpired with the Scourge of the Sea. He was broken out of his thoughts by his first mate, only to render him speechless.

'I knew that you wouldn't recognize me considering the last time I saw you was shortly after you met Her Ladyship. You and Liam were practically obsessed with her. For a long time, I was jealous and even angry because in my mind, she had stolen my only friends. When I became an adult, I decided to join the Navy so I could get as far away as I could and who was the first person I collided with...the daughter of the Star Child, the Magi of Light, Venus.

She sensed something inside of me, something that was trying to claw its way into being, devouring my soul in the process. Venus...she saved me. She drove out the creature within me but in order to keep me safe, she made me into a vessel of power...her vessel. She filled my entire being with her golden light and told me to use it only on you and her mother.'

'Alice...was Alice the Star Child?'

Bloody hell, why did he just blurt out his thoughts like that? Was it because they had supposedly been friends when they were children...why doesn't he remember William?

'Seeing as we'll be reaching port in a few hours, I'll answer that question and the answer is yes and no. The woman you knew as Alice was indeed the Star Child but Alice is not her true name nor is she dead.'

Killian's eyes widened in shock. Alice wasn't dead?! That was impossible! He...Hook had seen her lifeless corpse, had slept next to her as the warmth of life had faded away...it's impossible, absolutely impossible!

'There is a saying associated with the Child of the Stars. If something is impossible then she is definitely involved. Her Guard were able to successfully revive her, but it took her quite a while to recover and if I was a betting man, I'd say that when Silver comes on board so will she.'

His first mate left to get him something to eat and suggested that he make himself presentable. Wouldn't want to make a bad impression, now would he? The younger Jones followed the man's advice, getting cleaned and dressed. He reached for his coat, but then remembered how much Hook had loved that coat. He grabbed it and tossed it in the back of the closet, not wanting anything to do with it or him. He looked down at what he was wearing...too similar.

He went digging through his clothes, trying desperately to find something that didn't scream Hook. He was surprised when he found a trunk at the bottom of the closet...that hadn't been there before. He knelt down to examine it, looking very much like an ordinary trunk. He undid the latches and lifted the lid, smiling slightly at the rather foreign looking clothing. He remembered Swan wearing clothing of similar design, albeit surprisingly feminine for such a masculine style. He quickly dressed and took a look at himself in the mirror. Blimey, he looked good...exotic too.

Smee called to him, saying that they were about to dock, and he took a few moments to steady himself, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. He reopened his eyes and went above deck, watching his crew work diligently to tie off the ship and securing it fully to the dock. The Terror of the Deep put on a mask of calmness as the silver haired lad boarded the ship, more like jumped on the ship with a massive grin on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but Silver spoke first.

'Killian Jones, as I live and breathe. It's been a while since I last saw you. I had hoped to see the Captain again, but no use lingering on what was. There is, however, a slight problem in whether or not you remember the orders he left about my mother.'

So it was true...that part of the Scourge's memories was indeed accurate, but that conflicted with the beast that Killian remembered. The Hook in his memories would not have given orders like that, especially after how he had treated Alice aftet said orders were given. It was a moot point. That creature was gone and he was once more in control of his own body.

'Aye, I remember and I will honor his words.'

A cloaked figure came on board and the younger Jones had to keep himself from audibly gulping and balling his fists to hide his sweating palms. He was taken off guard when the cloak collapsed in on itself, falling to the floor, and moments later, a small weight disappeared from around his neck. He reached up and realized that Alice's pendant was gone, resulting in one very pissed off Captain demanding for its return.

'Oh do say please, you arrogant sod. Nice to know some things never change, little Killi.'

That voice...Alice! He looked up and caught the briefest glimpse before she started jumping about then pushed off from the main mast, spinning and flipping several times midair, before landing like a badass directly in front of him with a smirk that would have made the devil proud. Around her neck was the blue box that he has worn every day for eighteen and a half months.

His eyes soaked up every detail about her. Her hair was once more the majestic crimson he loved so much, woven into a single braid. Her dark sapphire eyes sparkled and shined, glowing with a light from within. Her skin held a healthy glow and her bones were no longer on display. He realized that she wore clothing that was far too similar to the Scourge's for his liking, specifically the vest and he wouldn't be surprised if it did once belong to Hook. She wore dark trousers similar to Clare's and a white long sleeved shirt similar to Swan's. It was like she was an amalgam of the people in his life. Even his brother was represented in the way her sword was attached to the back of the belt instead of to the side...though she carried two and they were shorter than the average sword.

He was broken out of his thoughts when the woman he had been silently analyzing for two minutes started kissing him and rather passionately at that. He wasn't entirely sure what to do; should he respond or should he push her away? At the very least, he wanted to know what to do with his damn hands?! Dear God, why was it always the most impossible women that were capable of rendering him speechless and unable to move?!

Fortunately she relinquished him, giggling at his shell shocked state. He stared at her with his hands slightly raised, very much like with Clare though less pronounced. He lowered his hands and cleared his throat before welcoming her aboard the pirate vessel known as the Jolly Roger. He gestured to his first mate, saying that he would get settled into her quarters.

'That won't be necessary, William. I'll be staying in the captain's quarters. *looks to Killian who is about to suggest that she would feel more comfortable elsewhere* Don't bother, little Killi. I happen to quite like them. Besides this will allow us to discuss private matters without having to constantly seek each other out.'

What did she mean by private matters? Oh he found out relatively quickly over the next few weeks. How you may ask...by preventing the woman from jumping his bones. She was rather adamant in her pursuit, her advances being quite passionate, but he refused her every time despite the fact that every part of him wanted her. For it was through Hook's memories that he had fallen in love with her which was all the more reason to stay away. 

The dark haired pirate refused to let that beast harm her anymore, but every time he denied her, the more frustrated she became, bringing her to tears quite often and making his heart break every time...but it was the only way he could protect her, to shield her from the darkness within himself...a force that was building inside him and he was fighting so hard to keep the monster restrained. It was at the beginning of her fifth week on board that he realized that if she stayed on board, the Scourge would rise again, so when they made port that evening, he told her to get off his ship and never come back. He kept his back to her so that he wouldn't see her face and she wouldn't see his pain.

'Killian...why are you doing this? Why are you pushing me away? I know what is in your heart Killian Jones, I've always known. Every day you wore my pendant, I could feel you and the love you have for me. That's why I chose to come with Silver, even though it meant acknowledging the fact that my Captain was no longer here.'

Killian snapped, his rage and pain fueling his words.

'How can you call that thing, Your Captain?! After everything he did to you, how much he hurt you?! How can you have any kindness for that terrible creature?! He beat you, used you, tortured you...he bloody murdered you! Tell me...tell me why, during that whole time, your eyes never changed!'

'Because he is my Captain. He has always been my Captain and he always will be. Oh and for the record, he didn't kill me...that was the trio of idiots; Black, Hawthorne, and Jefferson. They are the ones that killed me, not him...never him. Why because he loves me.'

'No, he doesn't and i remember quite clearly how he felt about you. He enjoyed every second of bending you to his will, using you like you were a toy to play with and nothing more. He hated you, despised you...I'll admit that he was possessive but that's only because he viewed you as his property, calling you his wench and declaring to the world that the Star Child was his own personal whore. 

He never loved you at all and you need to accept that because I won't be able to protect you from him forever. He's already trying to claw his way out and sooner or later, I will lose which is why you have to leave. I'll do whatever it takes to shield you from that monster!'

The look on her face, it was wrecking his heart and his resolve was wavering. His control was beginning to slip and he could feel Hook pushing even harder. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she begged him to release the Scourge of the Sea, to give back her beloved Captain. No! He refused to give up!

'CAPTAIN!!!'

He watched as she fell to her knees and just wept...he couldn't do this, but he didn't understand. Hook was a monster...wasn't he? The one single moment of doubt was all the Scourge of the Sea needed to fully extract himself from the best and Killian watched in shock and alarm as Hook emerged from his body...with a body of his own.

'On your feet, wench. *the redhead's eyes snapped upwards and she smiled* Your Captain has given you an order, wench, and you will obey.'

'As my Captain commands so shall it be.'

She rose to her feet, wiping away her tears in the process. Hook took a step towards the Star Child and Killian's mind filled with images...the memories of everything the monster had done to her. He shouted out No! before pushing the bastard to the opposite side of the ship. He had to push the ginger in the other direction to prevent her from going to that terrible creature. He drew his sword from its sheath and charged at the Scourge of the Sea, fully intent on killing him and not a single shred of doubt in his mind.

Hook: You just love dragging things out, don't you wench?

Artz: *sheepish* The article got a bit longer than I originally intended so that's why I'm stopping it here.

Poseidon: *staring at an image in her downloads file* Yeah nope, she's not dragging it nor is she going for suspense.

Hook: *walks over to him and looks at the image himself* Bloody hell, wench.

Artz: *giggles* Its perfect, I know.

Poseidon/Hook: Post...now.

Yuna: *punts them out of the article* What do you think she is trying to do, idjits!

Starsea - Part V - Nightfall

Hey everyone and welcome back to the Realm! This article will undoubtedly make you cry so you might want some tissues hand because it's a real tear jerker. This part of Starsea has existed from the very beginning, even before Hook and Poseidon were two separate souls as opposed to a dual personality. I can only hope I can do it justice without having to write up the full scene. Onwards into the storm!

Almost a year prior...Mordred bolted upright in his bed screaming out for his godmother. His mother was by his side in an instant, wiping the cold sweat from his ashen skin. She asked him what he had dreamt about and the boy refused to say but did comment that he needed to leave Camelot by morning, that if he didn't then the Captain of the Jolly Roger would never know that he still had a heart. What he didn't say was that worse still, the man known as James Hook would never understand what his godmother felt for her Captain because he would not have the assurance of where her true loyalties lied, having been betrayed both by a corrupt king and a traitorous woman.

His mother simply replied that she knew. She possessed the gift of sight after all and she was The Seeress of the Blood Guard. The year to come was in flux, constantly shifting within her sight. Her son's gift was different than her own...while she saw countless possible futures to better maintain her Ladyship's time line, her son's gift as of now only occurred while asleep and anything he sees within those dreams were fixed as in a fixed set of events that could never be altered. Mordred having a vision in his sleep had now solidified the future and she could see it clearly, the shifting images falling into a single path. She honestly wished that it didn't have to be that way, but to save the Blood Guard then Artz needed to be saved in the future which requires three very specific individuals that cannot be replaced...it must be them or all is lost.

That morning the boy set out for the Jolly Roger's next target, specifically crossing paths with one Simeon Black knowing that the man hated his godmother and would take him to her Captain. He stood there, watching his godmother shatter to pieces as her Captain ordered her to kill him, but he knew...he knew that the dark captain would stop his wench because he had seen it in his dream, but it also gave Hook the answer he was looking for and revealed that his heart was still there before promptly being stolen by his godmother.

During the next year, the Druid boy did his best to make that year wonderful and full of joy, knowing exactly how it would end. He used his pranking as an excuse to get into parts of the ship that he would normally not be granted access to and it was in one of the darker and harder to reach storage rooms where he found evidence of what appeared to be a rudimentary chemistry station specifically tailored towards the dilution of something. 

That was the one thing he didn't know...what was being diluted? He knew the who, the why, the when and technically the how, just not the what. The who was obvious...there was only one person on board with the skills and knowledge to build and utilize a chemistry station effectively and that was the master of the galley, Mister Hawthorne. Delivery of the what was easily handled by the supposedly clutzy Mister Jefferson who was a lot smarter than people thought, but he did possess a defect within his inner ears that caused him to be slightly unsteady but would not result in the theatrical behavior he oftentimes exhibited.

Then there was the one behind it all, their leader and commanding officer, Admiral Simeon Black. Upon Torrin's death, the title of admiral was passed to his second in command which was Black whom he had sent undercover aboard The Jewel of the Realm. When Captain Liam Jones was killed, he was to assume control of the ship because he was its commander but due to the crew siding with Killian Jones, he was forced to remain as a simple commander.

He did manage to inform his superior, the Butcher of the Royal Navy, Augustus Torrin, about what had occurred. The admiral promoted him to captain and ordered him to find a means in which to murder Killian Jones without drawing attention to himself, even better if he could get the crew to turn on their captain. Black knew that the crew would never turn against Killian so he paid a visit to Mister Hawthorne for a solution. Mister Jefferson had fulfilled a personal request of Hawthorne's while they had been within a certain realm and procured a specific item of great worth. It would take time to dilute its potency but if administered over time, it would drive the Captain mad, making the crew turn on him or cause his heart to stop and seemingly appear as a natural death.

It took years to dilute it, its lethal viscosity almost impossible to dissipate. By the time they were ready to begin, they hit a snag in the form of Silver Jones, appointed chef by the Captain and saw to his food and drink personally, which prevented any attempts at implementing their plan. To make matters worse, the Captain declared the Star Child and her Guard would always be welcome aboard his ship, that she should be treated with respect as The Lady of the Jolly Roger, and that should his life be taken, this ship and its crew were to declare loyalty and fealty to the Blood Guard.

This had royally pissed off the commander because unlike the others, he had met the Star Child. He knew what she looked like so when she was brought on board after capturing her ship, he neglected to mention her true identity to the slowly being poisoned Captain. He loved watching her being worked to exhaustion, then later to hear her cry out in either pleasure or pain as she was bedded or beaten by the Scourge of the Sea, but the circumstances changed and James Hook was somehow regaining his sanity. It took about another month to realize why. The Captain mentioned in a passing jest that he was never going to get his evening wine back because his wench kept drinking it.

Hearing this, Black had never been so happy in his life because it meant that she was intentionally poisoning herself to protect Hook, thereby weakening herself. He informed Hawthorne in a change of plans and to up the dosage in the wine, the master of the galley initially refused but soon did as requested after learning that the Captain's new wench was the Star Child and knew that the Captain was being poisoned so she drank it herself to protect him. 

After a year of drinking the higher dosage, Black was finally able to do what he has always wanted and that was to make the Star Child his bitch. She didn't have much choice in the matter because she was too weak to use her powers and if she did, the strain on her body would kill her which would leave her Captain defenseless. Every time the Captain was away, Black raped her and in time, both Hawthorne and Jefferson joined him...she was completely at their mercy, but the tide turned once more when the Captain lessened her workload and started bedding her more frequently until it finally reached the point where she never left his side which was extremely annoying. It left Black having to service himself with his left hand, using his memories of their activities to gratify himself.

It was just shy of four years of the wench being on board that Black crossed paths with a druid boy with very similar physical characteristics of the sorcerer that had barged onto their ship. Upon learning the boy's name, he smirked inwardly...the gods had smiled upon him for this boy was the godson of his bitch. Admittedly it was a gamble because he was a child and the destruction of Port Rhianna was still very much felt amongst the crew, but he brought the boy to the Captain and said Captain used the boy as a test of loyalty. 

The look on her face had actually made him come in his own trousers, creating quite a mess, but he was startled back into reality when she actually tried to fulfill her Captain's orders to kill the boy. She was a monster and if she hadn't been one before, she would be after she cleaved her godson's head from the rest of his body. This was bad...very, very bad. Breaking her was one thing but according to history, pushing the Star Child too far resulted in an emotionless state that transformed her into fearsome demon with an unquenchable bloodlust with nothing but death in her wake.

Fortunately the Captain of the Jolly Roger had stopped his wench but she still tried to fulfill his orders and attempted to kill the boy again. By the gods, what has he done? He never imagined that her loyalty to the bastard was so resolute that she would shatter her entire being for the man heralded as The Scourge of the Sea. Again the Captain managed to halt the woman's assault, rescinding his order to kill the boy at the same time. Said boy having just stood there, hadn't bothered to run away, almost like...like he knew what was going to happen.

He took a closer look at the boy as he walked by, the boy's eyes glancing at him briefly with a brief flash of gold that only he saw. Magic...the boy has magic. In that moment, it made sense...he knew why the boy had seemed so familiar to him. The boy's name was Mordred as in Mordred Pendragon; son of Morgana Pendragon, the currently reigning Queen of the kingdom of Camelot, the High Priestess of the Old Religion and the Seeress of the Blood Guard and then there was her husband and the boy's father, the most powerful warlock to have ever lived, the Dragonlord and the Archmage of the Blood Guard, Merlin of Ealdor...more commonly known as Yuel and Noel.

He was not at all surprised when he was stripped of his rank and duties, but losing his dominant hand came as a bit of a shock and he barely managed to tie it off to staunch the blood loss. Then that idiotic moron fully aligned himself to his wench and as Black picked up his severed hand, his eyes met Hawthorne's and the man blinked once before turning on his heel and walking away in a dignified manner as if scorning the former first mate, but in reality, he was nonverbally telling the now one handed officer that he agreed to his plan of action and would up the dosage immediately.

Black steered clear of the child and did not go anywhere near where he, Hawthorne, and Jefferson had been conducting their affairs with the Star Child which was not far from the hidden alcove where the Hawthorne's instruments resided. Jefferson, his idiot son that no one knew about, would constantly glare at her or trip and seemingly fall, only to bowl her over and sending her crashing into the wood rather harshly. He had been close enough a few times to actually hear bones breaking...which meant that she would be dead in under a year.

Hawthorne, on the other hand, was becoming far too paranoid about the brat and was actually calling attention to himself by disturbing Hook while he was bedding the wench...definitely not a good idea. Fortunately the Star Child kept the dark haired captain occupied, making certain that his attention rarely wavered from her. He had no doubt that it was to prevent him and his associates from forcing her to submit to them or they would simply find another way to kill her beloved Captain; however, the Druid boy was incredibly clever, cunning like his mother and gifted with his father's knowledge and magic, but he also had his godmother's persistence and stubborn will.

Through pranking, the child had successfully discovered the chemistry station and absconded with it, attempting to ascertain what was being diluted. Mordred honestly believed that if he could work out what kind of poison or venom was being used then he could save his godmother. Thus the reason why he had been constantly checking up on her, noting any changes in her condition to narrow down the list. He was close...so very close to having the answer, but will it be in time to save her, to spare her Captain such terrible pain?

The problem was that his godmother was showing symptoms from several different kinds of neurotoxins and poisonous herbs while the chemistry equipment was definitely used for only one toxin, herb, or venom...many of which his godmother already held an immunity to. In fact, she has been poisoned so many times and in so many ways that her body has actually learned, with proper food and rest, how to metabolize a vast majority of them. She showed symptoms from tetradotoxin, Ageratina altissima more commonly known as White Snakeroot, Oleandor, Rhododendron, aconite more commonly known as monkshood or wolf's bane, the rosary pea, and Atropa Belladonna.

After much deliberation and inconclusive experiments, he decided to ask Mister Smee for help. There was something he was missing, something vital, something so important, but for the life of him, he just couldn't see it because there were too many conflicting symptoms and not enough information. He showed Smee the instruments and the first mate frowned slightly while picking up a small and currently empty container. He told Mordred that he recognized it and that it had once been in Mister Jefferson's possession during their mission to Neverland.

The druid boy paled, all color draining from his skin and his eyes wide in alarm. He immediately grabbed his notes and starting rifling through them, making Mister Smee ask what was wrong. What was wrong was that Mordred did forget something...time. He forgot to factor in time, specifically the amount of time that Black, Jefferson, and Hawthorne had been on board and he knew for a fact that those three had been poisoning his godmother for years. That meant that they held some modicum of patience and when factored with Jefferson's supposed stupidity, Hawthorne's intellect, and Black's ambition... there was only thing it could be.

The papers slipped from his hands fluttering to the floor as tears rolled down his face. William Smee, to his credit, tried to remain calm but he had never seen little Morrie cry before. His godmother literally walking up to him to cut off his head or impale him with a sword...no problem. Hostile crew members with hidden agendas...no problem. So what was causing the boy that never cried to shed silent tears, his eyes filled with grief and guilt? Why? He got his answer the next morning when his captain shouted for the boy to be brought to him at once.

Mordred entered the Captain's quarters but he already knew what he was going to find because he had felt it when it happened. There stood the Scourge of the Sea, barely dressed in a shirt and trousers, with tears streaming down his face.

'Morrie...'

'I know. I felt it...last night, about an hour after midnight.'

About an hour after midnight was a less than ten minutes after the Captain of the Jolly Roger had confessed his love for his wench, his beloved Alice. He honestly didn't know how to feel because his mother had died young as well...had he cursed his wench with his mother's fate?

'It's not your fault, Captain, and no, you did not curse my godmother.'

'Did you just read my mind?'

'Of course. You're one of us now and you haven't been taught how to close your mind yet.'

'What do you mean by one of us?'

Mordred walked over to his godmother ...his dead godmother. Her body simply couldn't cope with the strain any longer. It was actually a good thing that the Captain had been bedding her so much. It had kept her alive long enough for her Captain to be claimed as one their own and one step closer to securing the timeline of the Star Child.

'What do you see, Captain, when you look at her? How does she appear to you?'

The dark captain looked at the lifeless corpse in his bed, but it didn't make any sense. She still looked the same way as she did when he first captured her ship and took her to his bed. He told the boy that her hair was a vibrant crimson, her skin held a healthy tan and she had all the right curves in all the right places. The boy took his left hand and held it, a soft silver glow coming from the back of his hand.

'Look at her now and tell me what you see.'

He did so and he was shocked, actually taking a step back but the child would not allow him to go any further. The woman currently in his bed looked nothing like the woman he had been with the last five years. Her hair was so dark that it was almost brown, a few highlights of dark auburn here and there, but it was dull, thin and brittle. There was a significant loss in weight as well and he could see a good portion of her bones quite clearly. Her skin was a sickly white color and countless deep bruises littered her body. 

Him...he had caused those bruises and they were piled up on top of each other, meaning that he had made new ones every time he had bedded her. His legs gave out and he sagged to the floor. He would have just let himself curl up into a ball on the floor and let the whole bloody universe pass him by but he could still feel the child's hand holding his. He looked up at the boy then noticed the glowing mark on the back of his left hand, the silver hook within the prism.

'The Prismatic star...that's the mark of the Prismata, The Prism of the Blood Guard. Why would I have such a mark? I'm not Blood Guard nor have I met the Star Child.'

'You have always been Blood Guard...even before she ever created the Blood Guard. She loves you very much and she waited such a long time...just to see you again. You were granted your mark when you accepted your name and who you are to her.'

'I don't understand.'

'Fourth Captain of the Blood Guard, Captain of the Jolly Roger, The Scourge of the Sea. You are Hook of the Prism Guard and you are her captain.'

The captain's head whipped towards his wench, staring at her body in a state of shock and denial. He ripped his hand away from the boy's, the mark fading away and once again, he saw the vivacious and vibrant vixen that he had wanted to break so badly, only to fall in love with her...only to lose her and to learn that she was the Star Child. He reached out to her, his hands roaming over her and brushing through her hair. 

It wasn't supposed to be this way! This was supposed to be her home! A place of refuge, a sanctuary, a place where she belonged and was respected, treated fairly with people that genuinely cared! He killed her...he killed his wench, his very soul lay dead before him, and then it hit him and hit him hard...he brutally beat, raped, and murdered the mother of Silver Jones...the young man that had never feared him, that he considered to be a dear friend...he really was a monster.

'Stop that. My godmother would slap you into the next century for even thinking that you're a monster. For starters...monsters don't cry and you're making your own damn sea. Secondly, those bruises were not caused by you. Do you have an idea how many times she has been bowled over intentionally on this bloody ship?! That's what caused and not you! 

You took excellent care of her and you didn't even know that you were. Your subconscious mind knew something was wrong so your body reacted and always saw to her needs which is why you started having sex with her almost constantly. Why because it's a highly intensive form exercise that helps my godmother metabolize any pollutants within her body...in this case, poison.'

'What? What poison? We shared everything together. I would be dead too if that were the case.'

'Not everything. You said it yourself...that you would never get it back and you were being poisoned but it wasn't enough to cause any kind of permanent damage...at least not yet...another few months and it would have been. My godmother has the ability to gain immunity to almost every toxin, venom, herb, poison, and chemical in existence. It's how so many lives have been saved because an antidote could always be produced from my godmother's blood, but only with proper food and rest. 

In order to metabolize the more lethal varieties, she has to keep ingesting it and have an insane amount of exercise. By you taking her to your bed all the time, she was actually being saved from the very poison that was meant for you. The reason why she's dead is because the dosage had been significantly increased.'

He stared at the boy, his mouth open and his mind going in circles. The boy walked over to the table where the remnants of the evening meal were still present and grabbed the wine cup. He dumped the contents of a plate into another so he could pour the remaining fluid out. The Captain stood, slowly walking over to the table. His eyes held confusion because the normally red tinted wine was an eery purple tinged in a sickly green. That kind of coloring he had only seen once...on the arm Liam Jones had cut with a certain poisonous barbed plant.

'Morrie...is that what I think it is?'

'Dreamshade and at its purest form. The reason she died last night was because certain individuals got tired of waiting for the diluted form to work, knowing that if she stayed alive long enough, she would forever gain immunity to it...and one day create an inoculation that would render dreamshade completely useless.'

'Who, Mordred? Who is responsible for this?'

'You won't find them, Captain.'

The Scourge of the Sea looked behind him but nothing was there. He felt a hand gently take hold of his ankle...a rather familiar looking gloved hand as he looked down. He was met by the rather creepy and glowing red eyes of the suited man that had prevented the Archmage from using magic against him. The figure removed his hand and it retreated back into the shadows.

'The three men responsible for my mistress's premature demise are currently in the care of myself and my two associates. I can assure you, Captain, that there are fates worse than death and they will most certainly wish for death...but it will never be granted. *turns his attention to the Druid boy* Young Master, your mother is waiting at the nearest port to Camelot. She will be taking custody of your godmother so that the extraction process may begin. She will need you to keep her Ladyship stabilized until the Dreamshade has been fully purged from her body.'

'She can be saved?' 

'Yes, Captain, but only because of your efforts and the joining of our ranks. She has gained a resistance to Dreamshade but will not be able to gain immunity to it. Any amount will inflame the permanent damage left behind and die in a matter of minutes, but aside from that, she can and will be successfully revived. Lady Yuel has foreseen this as has the Young Master. Now if you'll excuse me. My associates would like very much to give a proper welcome to our guests; Mister Simeon Black, Mister Lawrence Hawthorne, and Mister Paul Jefferson.'

The captain's shadow lightened as the red eyes vanished, but he was very far away from sanity or stability at that moment...Black, Hawthorne, Jefferson...these three were the ones that the wench had railed against the most. Looking back, he could see it. The reason why she had practically hung onto him all the time, not wanting him to leave without her...she was afraid of them. He spoke briefly to his first mate, telling him to make for the nearest port to Camelot which was a two and half day journey if the winds stayed in their favor.

When he turned around, he noticed that his wench was now on her back and was dressed in white that faded into a steel blue color at the ends, the style similar to the outfits worn by and an order known as the Confessors. It was a surprisingly good look for her though he hadn't kept much of a wardrobe for her in the first place. He had kept ripping her clothes off all the time until this past year where she rarely wore clothes at all because he was pounding into her on his bed.

He looked down at himself and realized that he should probably get cleaned up and dressed. He wandered about his usual routine of getting bathed and clothed, having to stop himself from trying to speak to someone who could not hear him any longer. By the time he was done, he was crying again but this time he was engulfed by rage, a blind rage at that because when he came back to himself, the entirety of the wall mirror along with a majority of glassware and liquor bottles had been shattered. Blood dripped from his left hand, glass shards embedded deeply in the skin, his hand was definitely broken as was his wrist, and it was throbbing like a bitch, but it paled in comparison to losing her.

He looked as a gold flash caught his eye, the pain in his hand easing away. The druid boy stood next to him and he realized that little Morrie had used magic to heal him. He watched the boy's eyes flash again and the damage he had done to the environment reset itself.

'I was right. You are Noel's son.'

'Yes, Captain. I am the child of the Seeress and the Archmage of the Blood Guard, Yuel and Noel, but you might know them by their birth names, Morgana and Merlin.'

Hook blinked at that because he had basically ordered his wench to kill, not only her godson, but the Crown Prince of Camelot. He swallowed when he realized that he and his ship were heading to the port where the boy's mother was waiting. He was about to have an upfront and close encounter with the bloody Queen of Camelot.

'You don't have to worry, Captain. My mother would never kill one of our own, but more importantly, she wouldn't kill my godfather...well one of them anyways.'

'Godfather...after...I don't deserve that title. I don't deserve anything except a very long a tortuous death. Everything I touch dies, Mordred...dies or leaves or breaks or was never there at all.'

'Sounds to me like you could use a vacation.'

'*bitter chuckle* I can't just stop existing, Mordred. It doesn't work like that.'

'Stop...no, but you can let him take control. Though it will be a bitch to come back out again.'

Him? Who was the boy talking about? His mind flashed to a dream he had shortly after Silver's departure from the Jolly Roger. In that weird seascape, there had been two of him but the other waa nothing more than a fragment...was it strong enough to take control?

'Not before, no, but you having constant contact with my godmother...a mirror once shattered has been made a new. He sleeps inside of you...the one known as Killian Jones...waiting to awaken.'

'But if the mirror has been reformed then what does that make me? An echo, a memory, the darkness...is that who I am? The darkness of Killian Jones; all his wickedness and cruelty, his lust and bloodlust, his rage and his hatred?'

'No...you are James Hook and you have a mirror of your own. You and Killian Jones are two separate beings trapped within the same body. You slept for a long time and became molded to his shape. Now that he has been remade, he must step into your shoes so that he may understand both you and himself.'

Hook glanced at the prone and still form of the woman that had claimed his blackened heart and had become the very light of his soul. She died for him. All of this pain and suffering just to try and protect him and he realized that if he did this, if he relinquished control to the brat...he didn't want to come back out. She died to keep him safe so he will gladly bury himself inside the brat's mind and never breach the surface again. He would protect her from himself but also from herself.

Two and a half days later, the Jolly Roger docked at the port and the Queen of Camelot boarded the ship, along with a bed of flowers. The Scourge of the Sea appeared above deck with the body of his wench and gently placed her onto it. He leaned down and kissed her goodbye, knowing that even if she returned, he would not be the one she would find but she would find the brat, one Killian Jones. He had spent the journey to the port editing his memories so that the boy would think the absolute worst of him and recoil away from Hook to become a different person entirely.

He stepped back as his eyes descended to the wooden flooring of the deck. He mildly surprised when the druid boy hugged him and saying that he loved him which caused the captain's jaw to clench as he fought the tears trying to flood his eyes. He did manage to hug the boy back and to stay in plenty of trouble...this earned a snort of amusement from his mother.

'Who do you think is always saving that idiot brother of mine and his so called elite knights? They would be dead a thousand times over were it not for my son or my husband saving them all the time.

*To her son* Gwaine has volunteered himself to ride with you. He has been saving up all of his notes on the new pranking ideas so off you go to get your head crammed full of ideas that I fully expect to be implemented once Her Ladyship has been confined to bed rest. She'll go mad otherwise.'

'Ya know, Mum, you could have just said Go away, Morrie, while I stay and watch your godfather have an identity crisis.'

His mother's eyes narrowed at her son before her eyes flashed gold, making the boy yelp in pain and rubbing the back of his head like he had just been Gibbs smacked. The child smirked, completely unrepentant before saying his final goodbyes to Mister Smee and the crew. 

The High Priestess of the Old Religion regarded the man known as The Scourge of the Sea...more like he wanted to drop into the sea and never come back up. The man before her was broken, splintered, but he had yet to shatter though that would change one day. The way he was looking at her, his eyes black eyes dull and clouded, like he was waiting for her judgment or perhaps to pass sentence on him. Sweet Menti Celesti...these people were hard work young and there was just so much...angst and emo bullshit.

'If you are looking for condemnation, James, then I suggest you seek it elsewhere because I have none to give. I bear you no ill will, no misfortune, nor do I carry any rage or hatred in my heart for you. In fact, my heart breaks for you. You are not the first she has died for and you most certainly will not be the last. I would ask you to change your course but I have already foreseen that you won't.

There is something I wish to give to you. You are the only person with the exception of her doctor and her truest believer that she would entrust it with. *walks over to Artz and removes her pendant then walks over to the silently crying pirate who doesn't even realize that he's crying.* 

You may not wish to ever return, but the same cannot be said of her. The exact moment is in flux but she will call out to you, crying and pleading for you to come back. I know that you love her, that she is your soul, so when that day comes, don't ignore her, don't hesitate, and this pendant will be your guide. *places the Tardis pendant around his neck* It is a physical manifestation of her soul and it's light will be a guiding star. She's not called the Star Child for shits and giggles.'

This comment made the captain let out a short bark of choked and wet laughter. Yuel gave him a small smile as she placed both hands on his face, cupping his cheeks and wiping away the steady stream of tears.

'Everything be alright...eventually but I know you're tired so I'm going to sing you a lullaby to make it easier for you to sail the land of dreams.'

Artz: And...CUT!!!

Light: Are you using Sleepsong for this one?

Artz: How the hell should I know? I haven't even picked out Yuel's or Noel's personal theme tunes either.

Light: But you did settle on mine, right?

Artz: Yep. Now enough jabber jawwing! We're literally stuck at a between stage where neither Hook or Poseidon technically exist or haven't you noticed that they haven't suddenly butted into this article?

Light: *blinks a few* Fuck me.

Artz: Must you always have sex on the brain, Light?

Light: It was a figure of speech but now that you mentioned it...

Artz: *punts him out of the article* Goodbye! Right then, back to work then I'll be posting this beaut asap.

Starsea - Part IV - Song of the Sea

Hey everyone and welcome back to the Realm! Not entirely sure if this article will be silly or serious because with the introduction of Mordred into the equation, he kind of turns things upside down a lot...and on purpose. He's a bit of a wild card because it throws a child in between Hook and the wench he beds on a daily basis, but he is more than just a test of loyalty. He has both magic and knowledge, both of which will come into play, and the end result is Poseidon and Hook. Now enough of my gob and on to the article!

The Scourge of the Sea, along with the rest of his crew, returned to the ship and he took a moment to watch his new first mate, William Smee. The second he stepped on board he had started directing the crew towards specific tasks; ship prep, storage, but his top priority was the crew themselves, instructing anyone who was injured to see the ship's doctor immediately...including Simeon Black. This had admittedly surprised him given his first mate's friendship with his wench, but this was also a good trait to have for a second in command.

He informed Mister Smee that he was heading below deck and that he wasn't to be disturbed, leaving his first mate to handle getting them under way. Aye aye, Captain...that was his reply and it actually made him laugh because Silver did the same thing. Yep, her instincts were far better than his. He went to his quarters but paused at the sight of his wench sitting on the bed and clutching her godson tightly to her chest, her eyes being closed but it did not stop her tears.

'Its okay, Godmother. I knew he would stop you.'

'I didn't...for a brief moment...'

His jaw clenched, his stomach churning with regret. He never should have done it. He should not have gone that far and he had to inwardly admit to himself that he didn't hate her, that he genuinely cared for her, and he was a bloody bastard.

'You doubted me, wench? Shame on you and before we get any further into this discussion, I'm giving you a standing order, an order that cannot be overturned. Under no circumstances are you permitted to kill a child or to hold a child captive and force them to watch atrocities unfold before them. Is that clear, wench?'

'As my Captain commands so shall it be.'

'Its an unbreakable law of the Jolly Roger and Black went against that intentionally. He's been relieved of his duties as first mate and of his left hand.'

'You cut off his left hand? *he nods* Now that is just some serious irony. *opens his mouth to ask why* Tell me, Captain, which hand did Black use as his dominant hand? *the left which was why he had cut it off to start with* Its also the hand he uses...excuse me...used for self service.'

She had glanced down at his crotch a moment before smirking like the cat that ate the canary. He asked her if they should be discussing such things in front of her godson, to which she actually raised an eyebrow.

'Afraid to give him ideas, Captain?'

That took him off guard, especially when her godson snorted in amusement, and actually had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing. His godmother bonked him on the head and told him to mind his manners whilst in the presence of their Captain.

'You may follow his every order, Godmother, but I won't because I'm a child. Kind of in the job description to be rebellious.'

The Dark Captain started laughing and rather heartily at that, making the wench stare at him. When he got control of himself, he asked her what and she just sort of blushed and looked away, leaving her godson to answer for her.

'Considering her reaction, I would say you don't laugh much or at least any sort genuine laughter and she finds herself even more attracted to you. *earns a brief scolding from his godmother which he ignores* If there is something that you can be certain of, Captain, it's my godmother's desire for your happiness so laughing the way you did made her very happy just now.'

He glanced at the redhead that was currently blushing as bright as her hair and he knew the boy spoke the truth. It didn't make any bloody sense whatsoever, but didnt make it any less true either. He told Mordred, who promptly told him to call him Morrie, to find Mister Smee to help him get settled in while he spoke to his godmother.

'You know, Captain, all you had to say was Get out, Morrie. Why because it means that you are about to fuck my godmother into next week.'

He watched the child practically bounced out of his quarters with a smirk on his face. He heard his wench mumbling something about manners and tact and how she was going to beat Morrie's uncle into the next century. As amusing as her ramblings were, he really did have a deep desire to bed his wench and bed her he did...for almost two days straight. He thought he had been ferocious with her before but after what had occurred with her godson, it was like a massive tidal wave crashed upon him and drove him to go faster, harder, deeper, and in countless positions. 

It was like he had been possessed or infected with this craving, a ravenous hunger that demanded appeasing. His wench didn't complain in the slightest. In fact, he recalled her screaming for more. Blimey, she had been insanely vocal and he was pretty certain the whole damn ship heard her. The reason they stopped was due to a different hunger...for actual food. He was never getting his evening wine back but it was alright because it always put on a smile on her face every time he reached or asked for it.

It was that day that he asked her what her name was and in turn she had said to give her a name and that is who she shall be. Seeing as how she had no intention of telling him her name without him making it an order, he decided not to press the issue but he did tell her that he didn't know if there was a single name or word that would do her justice at all. She giggled and told him to simply look at her and say the first thing that came to mind...Alice. Honestly he wasn't surprised that he had spoken that name for it was the name of his dead mother, a woman unlike any other. Yes, a fine name for his wench and he was certain that his mother would approve.

Time seemingly flew by aboard the Jolly Roger. Pranking had returned via a certain druid boy though it wasn't nearly as devastating to one's digestive track than their chef's antics. Then there was the fact their Captain had become quite the dancer. He knew how of course given his naval background but the red haired woman that was his wench just seemed to take it to a whole new level. Then there was the fact that he was constantly playing the flute for her, learning the songs from her land...he even started singing and somehow got them involved as well.

Life was good on board the Jolly Roger with a few exceptions. The animosity that Black and Alice had for one another was now considered full blown hatred for Black and a rather righteous fury for Alice. He was smart though and kept his mouth shut and steered clear of her and her godson. The same could not be said for Jefferson or Hawthorne. Jefferson glared at her all the time when she wasn't looking and always made certain to accidentally knock her off her feet at least once a day.

Then there was Mister Hawthorne and little Morrie. The way the Druid boy would stare at him with knowing eyes creeped the older man out and he actually had the nerve to barge into the Captain's quarters while he was bedding his wench to demand that the boy no longer be permitted in the galley or storage facilities.

'Afraid of what he might find, Mister Hawthorne? *goes to respond but she cuts him off* If my godson has become fixated on you then there is a reason and knowing him the way I do, it's not a good one. Now get out before my Captain finishes making up his mind about whether or not to fuck me or kill you then fuck me. Your choice.'

Things continued to deteriorate and that wasn't the only thing either. Many of the crew had begun to notice just how unsteady Alice had become. Her overall appearance also didn't help matters. Her skin was much paler than when she had first come on board despite the amount of time she had spent on deck working in the sun. Her crimson hair was once vibrant and shined with a golden light was now much darker, closer to a dark auburn, dull and brittle too. Her skin was like ice and she had lost a lot of weight. Her eyes still sparkled and shined yet they were always so tired like it was taking everything she had just to get out of bed...when her Captain let her that is.

Then there was Mordred's sudden silence and he ceased all of his pranking. He no longer laughed and carried on with Mister Smee as well. It was as if his entire being was focused upon but a single task of the utmost importance...and he was running out of time. It had something to do with his godmother because he was always seeking her out and they just stared at each other without saying a single word, but facial expressions made it appear as if an entire conversation was transpiring between them. 

Their Captain seemed utterly oblivious to her declining condition like all he could see was the feisty maiden he had captured over five years ago and not the barely recognizable shell she was now. Many of the crew requested that she be given more time to rest and relax which his mind translated to taking her to his bed as consistently as possible and almost without pause. Smee finally told them to back off, that things like this always happened for a reason. The crew did as they were told and life on board the Jolly Roger continued on.

Hook had constantly been with his wench for years and her eyes still haven't changed. The radiant blue orbs that had always been filled with an emotion that he could never fully comprehend...until now. It took him over five years to realize why she never hated him because she loved him. Every time she called him Her Captain was her way of saying I love you. Upon reaching this conclusion, he had taken her to his bed and made love to her, rather passionately at that. His body trying so hard to show through actions how he truly felt for His Wench, but it wasn't enough. He had to say it at least once out loud whether she heard it or not.

'You've ruined me, wench. Stolen the black heart of the Scourge of the Sea, the heart I thought I no longer possessed. I am your Captain and you are my wench...*takes a breath to steady himself* I love you. I hope one day that you'll trust me with your true name and how you came to love me, but for today, I vow that no matter where you go, I will always follow. You may have my heart but for me, you are my soul.'

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as he fell asleep, unaware of two very important things. The first was the appearance of a brand on his left hand, the silver hook within the prism, that faded away shortly after it had appeared and the second is what transpired less than ten minutes later, but he would not discover until the next morning.........and CUT!!!!

Hook: NO! No bloody way you are leaving it there, wench! That's too bloody cruel...even by your standards!

Artz: I wish I could say I was sorry but I'm not. I just love the suspense and I want to get the phrasing just right, so I'm posting this so they don't have to wait as long for an update.

Hook: *heartbroken* Oh just kill me now and be done with it already.

Poseidon: *pulls out his sword* If you insist...

Artz: Oi! That's enough, you two! *punts them out of the article*