[Crestshot]

Ahoy there, me mates! I've been a little computer silent for the past few days due to personal reasons, but thankfully, I'm able to come back to post this chapter! So, to continue the "flood", as Jackie calls it...

Battle of Wills



“You do not need to stay!” Kat shouted, slamming her hand roughly onto her desk for emphasis. Sarah and Charles stood unmoving at the thwack. “There’s no point to it! You two do not belong in this world! You belong in England, where it is safe!”

Sarah and Charles glanced at each other. “You should stop yelling before you irritate your side,” Sarah said simply.

Kat felt a snarl invade her face. “My side is fine!” she snapped. Her wound responded with a snap of its own, making Kat sink into her desk char.

Sarah gave her an ‘I told you so’ glance. “You shouldn’t lie to yourself, either,” she said, sitting in one of the chairs across from her sister.

Kat rubbed at her stomach gently. She looked at her siblings, at Sarah sitting straight-backed and Charles standing solidly behind her. They were so steadfast against her. She sighed. “Why must you fight me on this?” she asked wearily.

“Because it’s not just your world anymore, Kat,” Charles responded. “For the past few months, this has been my life as well, and there is no way I am just giving it up. I’ve never been happier. There is no way I am going back to tea parties every other day and a suit I can’t breathe in.”

“So you prefer to being broke and half starved?” Kat asked harshly. “That’s what this is, Charles! You want to scrounge for food and live off of rum? You prefer owing everyone a favor, because you didn’t have the power to do anything else on your own? Yes, it sounds absolutely marvelous, doesn’t it?” She asked her last question in a mocking version of her old self, the one these two had grown up with.

Well, she wasn’t that lady anymore, and as much as they claimed that they had grasped this concept, she knew they hadn’t.

“I got lucky. I had breaks. Truly, what you see of me is not what you would call a ‘traditional’ pirate life. Mine is much more glorified.” She stood and begun pacing, as she was prone to do when ranting. “I have met men who would kill you if you looked at them briefly the ‘wrong way’ out of the corner of your eye, and people around you wouldn’t bat an eye if it did happen. I meet men who grew up in pure poverty, in a pig pen, and have no other choice but to try and find a ship and pray that the seas are more merciful. There are people who have had their entire families torn apart by pirates, yet they continue with this life. It is not easy, yet you seem to believe that it is. I am the pirate that only kills when necessary, who has gold stashes on each island, that has respect on these seas after only a few years because I am not traditional. The only ones that I attack are the corrupt and evil, but there is so much out here that is exactly the opposite. And you choose to take this for your own?”

She saw that Sarah and Charles were deep in thought, mulling her words over carefully. They hadn’t expected this lecture, she knew. In fact, she was surprised herself at the words that had spilled out, a torrential flood that wasn’t stopped.
“That should mean we’re just that much safer with you, then,” Sarah finally said. Charles looked agreeable with this answer and nodded.

Kat threw her hands into the air in frustration. “Why can I not get this idea through your hard heads?” she cried.

Sarah rose from her chair and stood in front of Kat to stop her pacing. “Do you remember this, Katherine?” she asked, pulling the doll from her pocket. “And these?” She pointed to her bright violet eyes. “Do you remember what they mean? Sending me back to England would not make either disappear. In fact, if anyone ever found out, it would be straight to a firey, miserable death for me.”

Kat froze. She hadn’t even thought of that. “Here they call it voodoo, but there it is evil, wicked witchcraft. I wouldn’t last long at all,” Sarah said.

“But Sarah,” Kat said, softening as she took her sister’s hand, “I can see it in you the most. You would operate so much better in England. And what about Leonard?”

Sarah scoffed. “My world travelling, married-for-business husband? He doesn’t care. With what I have, this is where I need to be.”

Kat studied her sister for a long moment. She glanced down at the grubby clothes, and the scraggly hair tossed into a haphazard braid, finally landing on the sharp lavender eyes. Perhaps her siblings weren’t the only ones with the illusion of an image long gone.

“Very well,” she murmured. “You may stay,” she told her sister. Sarah responded with a dazzling smile, reflecting her beauty. “You, however.” She turned sharply to Charles’ optimistic face. “You’re going back to England.”

Charles’ hope quickly fell to outrage. “What?!” he shouted. “Sarah gets to stay, but I don’t? How does that make any sense?!”

“Father needs you in England,” Kat said sensibly. “He’s been grooming you for years to take his place in the company someday.”

“Oh, don’t feed me that line, Kat,” he said with disgust. “You don’t give a damn about that company, and you never have!”

“Nevertheless,” she said, trying to play it calm now, “it’s what is needed, for Father at the least.”

“Father wants me to take over about as much as he would like it if he found out you turned pirate!” Charles yelled. “He doesn’t know me! There’s some man over there he took under his wing that he treats as more of a son than me! I’m just an asset to him now, a pawn! I know you remember what that is like.”

Kat winced as she remembered her marriage. She hadn’t gone into that with all of her will, and she regretted not fighting it more. “That was different,” she claimed.

Charles glared intently at her. “What did Sarah say about lying to yourself, Kat?” he asked sharply. Kat returned the glare with as much hostility, her cool façade fading.

“I will be nothing over there. If you insist on me going back, I’ll just find my way onto another ship to the Caribbean. I am stepping into my own now.” He grinned slightly. “Besides, remember who insisted on your learning how to swim before coming here?”

Kat kept her glare strong. “I did not break The Code so you could brush with death again, Charles,” she said quietly, a hint of both anger and hurt behind the words. His grin slipped away again.

The three of them stood in silence as the battle of wills continued. Kat and Charles’ eyes were locked, each warring with the other above words. Internally, Kat was wondering when her brother had grown up as well, turning from a boy tearing the knees of his trousers open or jittering restlessly in the middle of church to a broad shouldered man with a gun at his side.

“Oh Kat, let him stay.” The voice came from the doorway, breaking the silence, and all three turned to it. Lawrence stood there, nonchalantly leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. He looked as if he didn’t have a care in the word, let alone one about butting in on their conversation.

“How long have you been standing there?” Kat asked him.

He shrugged. “Long enough.” He pushed off of the doorframe and walked towards her. “It’s pointless to argue with him, Kat. Stop being all emotional and just think.” He reached up and lightly tapped the side of her head. “He’s going to come back no matter what. Wouldn’t you prefer if it was under your eyes?”

Kat stared him down, angry at him for making her calm down. She preferred staying on the tip of her emotions, with only minimal thought. Things were simpler that way for her. Lawrence, however, knew it, and was far too used to it.

“Oh fine,” she finally muttered. She saw Charles stand a little straighter with hope. Their alike eyes met. “You can stay too.”

She was almost barreled over as Charles charged her in joy. “Thank you so much!” he cried like a child who had gotten a new toy. Kat awkwardly pat him on the back at first, but then shrugged and embraced him tight.

“I hate to break up this little family moment,” Lawrence interjected, “but I didn’t come here just to eavesdrop.” Kat and Charles released each other and paid attention to Lawrence instead. “Jenkins wants to speak to you, Kat.”

She sighed softly. The Navy captain still captured in the bowels of her ship had completely escaped her mind. Her thoughts went briefly to wondering if anyone had been feeding him, but it was a stray string that she didn’t bother to follow. “Sarah, Charles…go do something useful. Lawrence, come with me to see Jenkins. I have a feeling that this will be an interesting conversation.”

And interesting it was. “I want to become a pirate,” were the first words out of Jenkins’ mouth.

Kat’s eyes automatically narrowed. “Why would you want to do that, Captain?” she asked suspiciously.

Jenkins shrugged, as if the question didn’t bother him in the least, but Kat’s sharp eyes caught the tension in his shoulders. “It’s the old adage, isn’t it? If you can’t beat them, join them.”

Kat looked at the man closely. His clothes were covered in grime and filth, he had bags under his eyes, and what was once a neat beard and mustache had become matted and overgrown. He almost looked pirate now, but Kat met his eye, and there was something he was trying to disguise behind it…

‘Lawrence, let him out,” Kat ordered.

Lawrence gave her one of those looks that clearly asked what she was doing. The barest flick of her eyebrows told him that it was fine. She had a reassurance there of herself that he trusted. The entire silent conversation lasted two seconds and completely escaped the attention of Jenkins.

Lawrence hesitantly took the cell keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. They rattled in the lock, and the rusted door creaked as it swung open. “We need to announce to the crew. Up you go, Jenkins.” Kat motioned him towards the stairs, and he slowly walked up. It was clear that he was stiff and that his muscles were stretching after days trapped in the small space, but there was a confidence in his step. Kat intended to soon rid him of that.

“May I have everyone’s attention please!” Kat cried out on the top deck. The entire turned in her direction and fell silent. She let out a small smile. “We have a man here who would like to turn pirate!” she yelled. She turned to the confused Navy captain. “Tell me again your excuse, Kellan Jenkins!”

Jenkins looked uncomfortable being the sudden center of attention, and he was squinting in the sunlight he hadn’t seen for almost a week. “I feel as if it is pointless to keep fighting you,” he said in his clipped accent, trying to portray confidence, but failing with a slight shake to the end of his words. “You are obviously more powerful. I want to be on that side.”

Kat smiled slowly, menacingly. “Liar.”

Jenkins looked shocked and slightly flustered. “What? I’m telling the truth!”

Kat began slowly approaching the man, speaking as she walked. “No you are not, Kellan Jenkins. You believe that you can gain our trust, and then you shall eventually betray us. Do you know how I know this?”

He gulped. “No, I don’t…” he said softly, fear invading his voice.

Kat’s smile grew wider. “Because I have had it happen far too many times before,” she told him. “You see, Jenkins, these experiences have wizened me. I can see your deception in your eyes.” She was still walking him backwards.

His breathing was harsh. “I am not a liar,” he claimed, but he had begun shivering in the sunlight.

“Now, Captain Jenkins, do not be like that. Atone for your sins, and admit it. I’m sure God shall listen some.”

Jenkins shook his head wildly. “This is not the truth…” he whispered in terror.

Kat shrugged. She reached to her hip and slowly drew a black handled sword. “You recognize this, do you not, Captain?” she asked him, holding the blade up. “It is rather finely made, you know. Well balanced, and I am rather fond of this hand guard. Very intricate. Sharp. It is beautiful craftsmanship.”

“That’s mine…” he breathed.

Kat’s smile grew, tipping to one side. “Perhaps once, Captain.” His back hit the rail of the ship, and he gripped it with white knuckles, realizing there was nowhere for him to run. Kat approached him as slowly as she had been, putting her face threateningly close to his. “Shall you atone, Kellan Jenkins?”

He looked at her wide eyed. “No.”

In a move too quick for him to grasp, Kat stepped backwards out of his face, and the blade in her hand sung through the air. There was no help left for the man as it connected with his neck in a fast, fluid motion. Blood spurted out from the wound, creating a few stains on Kat’s clothes. The body began to fall forward towards her, but she pushed the limp shoulder away from her, and the Captain fell like a doll over the railing and into the ocean.

“Pity.”



If someone thinks that last paragraph is a little too much, just tell me and I'll edit.

Of course, even with that, I always appreciate feedback mates! Thank you for the reviews I have gotten this past week! Warms me heart more than rum. Thanks for Reading!

-Kat Crestshot