Unbound
The entire ship was deep asleep; docked in a peaceful bay. Lining the shore and boardwalk, were burnt out corpses on display and heads on pikes. A warning to any vampire who set foot here to stay hidden or steer clear.
Jack shimmied up a rope on the side of the Pearl; silently marveling at the new and improved boat. She was longer and stronger than her previous incarnation; and had the skulls of hundreds of vampires lining her railings and windows. That part he avoided looking at.
Crawling over the railing, Jack sprinted below deck, quiet as a cat. A silver lined cage sat in the center, and chained within in, forced to be sitting up, was an utterly broken Armando Salazar. This collar was even more brutal than the last one he had seen. Kept upgrading the torture. Salazar looked gaunt and exhausted.
Jack approached the bars, getting out chain cutters and tools to remove the collar. Salazar paid him no mind. He didn’t react at all when his old enemy unlocked the cage.
“Salazar….hey…..Spanish… I’m gonna do what I should have done at the start. Get you out of here…I can help you find your crew….”
No response, save for a slow blink. People in asylums were livlier. Good God the others had done such a number on him. Jack snapped his fingers.
“Sparrow…..” The voice was a ghost of what it had once been.
“Yeah, it’s me, your Knight in shining armor…”
The vampire didn’t react as Jack cut the chains one by one. He didn’t make even the slightest move to get out of the cage.
“Why are you….here….mi familia and my crew are dead…. there is nothing for me in the world anymore….leave me, Sparrow….let me die….”
Jack felt a searing stab right in his soul, but composed himself.
“That is not true! Your family is alive! All of them, Spanish! And your crew as well!”
Pale yellow eyes shut tight and a dry sob came from Armando.
“I would love to believe you, pirate…you have no idea how much I want to take your word for such a miracle….”
“They are out there as we speak! Please, Salamander…Get your arse out of that cage, or I will drag you out!”
Jack grabbed a hold of the vampire’s shoulders and shook him.
“Pull yourself together! You can have your life back, you can even return to chasing me all over the seven seas! I would love that! Anything, but a continuation of what has happened… please…please mate….”
Salazar heard, and smelled the guilt and the sadness within his sworn enemy. Jack was just as broken as he was. A pirate having sympathy for his plight almost set the vampire over the edge. He didn’t deserve Jack’s kindness or sympathy…but the Sparrow was offering both, no strings attached.
Salazar was crying quietly now, hating how Jack was seeing him like this. But the pirate did not judge him for it; only went on to remove the hellish collar.
Jack winced as he saw the withered and burnt flesh under it; the ring of wounds was festering and black blood and puss oozed.
He helped the vampire out, Salazar having to lean on him for the first few steps as the two slipped away from the Pearl and off into the night.
“Gracias, Sparrow….gracias…”
“You can thank me when we get your crew back…”