Aztecs' Curse

Chapter 23

First off, as the author, I want to genuinely apologize for not updating this story in a long time (nearly a year, huh?). I'm so terribly sorry. My life has been awfully distracting, and I started focusing more on original works as well as my irl job (I'm even a shift manager now!). Most weeks I've been working six days out of the week, so you can imagine how tiring it gets (I hardly wanna focus on anything, even as much as I love writing). But, all in all, thank you so much for sticking around!

Despite Elizabeth's attempt of distraction, it was only enough to capture their father's as well as Victoria's fiance's, and whomever else had been nearby at that moment. Everyone else, however, was still focused entirely on the pirate about to be hanged, and the executioner was all too focused. Though she was frightened, her breath catching in her throat as she sped up, desperate to get to Jack before the boards beneath his feet could disappear, she faltered when she heard Will shout at the crowd, and turned just in time to see him throw his sword as hard as he could with admirable precision -- and all just as the trapdoor under the Captain's feet vanished, sending him into the air, the noose tightening around his neck.

Though she was firmly planted on the ground, her own breath was knocked out of her, and her head spun at the sight of the man she was still falling for just barely hanging by a thread. Fortunately, Will's sword was just barely at the proper placing, and Jack fumbled to stay balanced atop it, coughing at the tightness around his throat.

Hollering joyously, Victoria followed Will to the top of the platform, flourishing her own sword as the two of them warded off the executioner -- who began attacking them with his ax by that point. Luckily, Will had a second sword upon him, as Victoria was sure that she would be unable to fight on her own. Unluckily, however, every time Victoria tried to cut Jack free from the rope, either Will or the executioner's ax would get in the way. Finally, however, one or the other of them had hacked at the post that maintained that rope, and Jack went tumbling to the ground below.

Exclaiming excitedly, Victoria jumped through the trapdoor just as Jack sliced himself free, using the sword that Will had launched under his feet, startling him, though he was quick to give her a big grin. "Hello, stranger." Before she could do more than greet him like so, the executioner was shoved off the platform by none other than Will, of whom flipped through the air, and landed gracefully on his feet.

"No time to get sentimental," Will said, and the two quickly followed after him, Jack whirling the rope-end of the noose over to him, which he caught without hesitating.

Though the two acted quickly, Victoria knew they had the same idea, and so she kept her distance as they used the rope to their advantage, watching with raised brows as they managed to trip a couple of groups of soldiers that tried to attack the trio before they tossed their nonlethal weapon to the side, and the three of them quickly rolled across the ground just as swords went swinging at their heads.

"Oi!" Jack hollered as they got to their feet. "We have a Swann in our midst, men!" Though Victoria wanted to slap him upside the head for saying such a thing, she felt oddly comforted that he would say whatever he could to protect her at least somewhat.

Of course, saying such a thing was to no avail, and they were bombarded by more soldiers, the three of them whirling around one pillar after another, trying to keep their backs against the bricks, before they were cornered, swords pointing at them from every direction. Though it was obvious they had no way of slipping past a single guard before them, Will and Jack took their stances on either side of Victoria -- who huffed -- as they spun in a circle, swords clanging gently against the bunch that were pointed at them. Then, someone stepped up.

Norrington.

He gave Victoria a look that made her cheeks flush with shame. She was to be wed to him, and yet there she was, attempting to break loose a pirate who seemed to only be stealing her heart. But, even if that wasn't the case, she knew that she still would've attempted to save him purely out of the belief that Jack truly was a good man deep down.