Black Stones

An Old Friend, And A New Betrayal

I wake up the next morning, woozy and hung over, passed out on the floor of the tavern. All at once the events from the night before come rushing back, and I leap to my feet, then race towards the harbor. I sprint towards the Dauntless, her repairs just finishing.
"Amos!" I yell, "Amos she's alive!" Amos walks down from the gangplank, a smile on his face.
"Captain," he says, "it's nice to see you-"
"Amos," I say, cutting him off, "Ann is alive." The frown fades from his face, replaced by a look of concern.
"Captain," he says gently, "I know it's hard-"
"No!" I yell, "she's alive, and being held captive by Jack Cerberus!"
"Will," Amos pleads, "don't do this to yourself."
"I'm not crazy!" I yell, "I saw him last night! He came to me, to taunt me! Thorn was there too, Jack is the man with a hook! He is the one behind all this! Why won't you believe me!?"
"I believe you," a small voice speaks up. I glance at the top of the gang plank, where Benedict stands, looking down at me. Behind him stands Smitty.
"I believe you as well," he says. I stand silent for a moment, and absorb the trust they are putting in me. For the past week I had been a drunkard, neglecting my duties and wallowing in self pity. Then I come back with a crazy tale of my love still alive and held captive by someone who is also supposed to be dead. Amos is right, It is an unbelievable, crazy story. Yet they still trust me.
"Well," Amos says finally, "if this were to be true, then where would we start?" I feel myself deflate instantly. Where would we start? It is a large ocean, he could be anywhere.
"I suppose we would need to look for a place to hold her," I say finally, "a castle, or a prison. Someplace owned by his father perhaps. Anyone know a place like that?" Based on the long silence, I assume no one does.
"Well," Smitty says finally, "I can't think of a place like that. But I can think of a place we could go to find out."

"Is that it?" I ask Smitty from the quarter deck. It has been about a week since the discovery of Ann's survival, and her captor. In that time I had stepped back into my place as Dauntless's captain, where I should have been all along. It had taken some searching, but we have finally found the island that Smitty had lead us to.
"Aye," Smitty says behind me, "that be it all right. The Isle of the Dead."
"And you're sure that I will find what I need there?" I ask. Smitty shrugs.
"I ain't sure about nothin cap'n," he replies honestly, "all I know are what the rumors say. But if they're true, then ye will find what you need." I figure that is as good of an answer as I was going to get, and walk over to the whale boats.
"I want to come with you captain," Amos says.
"So do I," Benedict adds, walking up behind him. I smile at them sadly, proud that they are so willing to help, but knowing that they need to stay here.
"I'm sorry," I tell them both, "but only I can face my ghosts. I have to do this alone." They aren't happy, but they also understand and help lower the boat away. I row to the island, the cold fog sapping my strength. Finally, the boat hits sand, and I am ashore.
It is a dark and desolate place. Though covered in lush greenery and plants, like every other island I had visited, these ones have an air of menace around them. They loom over the top of me, casting eerie and frightening shadows all around. I fight my way through the foliage, cutting vines and leaves with my sabre, until I find the cave. It's dark and threatening, and seems to radiate an unnatural power that sends shivers through my bones. Nevertheless, I walk inside, thinking that I was prepared for any evil demos that this cave might put in my path. I was wrong, because nothing could have prepared me for what awaited in that dark cave.
Crawling inside, I expect to find frightening nightmares, or worse, just an empty grotto. Instead, I find a bar. There's a rather large man serving drinks to the three customers, who sit around a table recounting the stories of their pasts. It is a familiar sight, bringing tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart. The name Poseidon's Dagger hangs above the bar, just over Little Tim's head. Sitting at the table in front of him is captain Fitzgerald, with Rachel making herself comfortable in his lap. And on the other side of them is an old grandpa, handsomely dressed in a fine blue coat and tricorn hat, happily sipping his tea and laughing with them. Then he catches sight of me, and gives me a big grin.
"Hello Will," Ben Crowley says with a smile, "it's been a while."
"Far too long," I reply, choking back tears as I see my mentor again. I don't say another word, just run over and embrace the grumpy old pirate I had loved and lost, all those years ago.
"What? No welcome back from the dead for us?" Rachel asks from across the table, feigning insult.
"I'm glad to see you both too," I laugh, happy to see that even in death, Rachel hadn't lost her sense of humor.
"It's nice to see you lad," Fitzgerald says, then glances at the lady sitting in his lap, "but the present company wasn't too bad."
"I..... I didn't think I would ever see you guys again," I say, slightly overwhelmed by the happiness that was filling my heart. I hadn't felt like this sense.... Well, since Ann disappeared.
"Oh no, now don't get all sappy on us," Rachel says, wrinkling here nose. I laugh, amazed at how despite everything, Rachel is still her old lovable self.
"I imagine that you didn't just come here to make chat though, correct?" Ben asks me. I nod.
"Yes, you're right," I say, "Jack, he's taken Ann. I need to find where." Their happy smiles disappear. They glance nervously at one another.
"What's wrong?" I ask, "do you know a place where he would take her?" Finally, Ben sighs.
"Yes, I know of a place where he might have taken her," he says, "but I can not tell you." I stare blankly at Ben for a long time, in able to find my voice.
"What?" I ask shocked. Fitzgerald and Rachel are suddenly very interested in their drinks, and Little Tim is somehow even more quiet than usual. Ben looks sadly at me from across the table.
"It's the curse of the dead," he says simply, "I know where Jack is. I know where he's holding Ann. I've watched what he did to you, had to stand idly by while he tore out your heart. And I know what will happen. I know what traps will be sprung, I know who will live, who will die. And I can't breath a word of it."
"But why?" I demand.
"Because if I say anything, it will ruin everything," Ben says sadly.
"Ben, I need to know where Ann is. Please!" I beg.
"The answer is right in front of you, but you won't learn until it is too late," Ben mutters. I watch in horror as he begins to fade, along with Rachel, Fitzgerald, Little Tim and the bar.
"No! Wait!" I plead, "what do you mean? Ben! Why won't you help me!?"
"So much pain," Ben whispers, fixing me with a look of pity, "you will face so much pain. I only hope that you are strong enough to endure."
And then he's gone, leaving me alone in an empty cave, with no more answers then I came with, and many more questions.