Chapter 3
Word count: 5k
Warnings: Creepy Creatures, graphic violence
Masterpost
A/N: As always, thank you to @mamavanheat for being my biggest hype woman and pirate lover. To @gretavanfleetposts for always checking my grammar and to @gretasmokerising for giving me so much love and motivation. It’s the chapter some of you have been waiting for, so buckle up.
“I don’t know how long the cap'n expects us t' deal wit' the strumpet… I just want me gold.” The voice was almost unhealthily deep in tone, the scratch coming from years of cigar smoking. Yet it was a voice you’ve heard plenty of times upon the ship.
You hadn’t had the best of sleep, anxiety picking away at every inch of skin as if you were covered in mites. It had been a few days since the lotus incident and things had quickly gone back into equilibrium.
Not many of the men were upset with the loss of their fellow crew men, though you know some of them hid their emotions rather well. They knew their captain wouldn’t have the tolerance to deal with such foolishness. Emotions.
So as you woke before the sun, you pressed your ear against the inside of the cabin door, listening in closely to the conversation much more exciting than staring out the ship window.
“HAR! As if the Cap will give our fair share. Ever’one gets equal rations 'n it’s rat shit. We be workin’ the hardest. We deserve most.”
Another familiar voice, and to your surprise the exact opposite as the previous man. This one was small, puny and almost a whimper. As if he were too scared to say what he was thinking, like a small little mouse asking the cat for a favor.
Carefully, you cracked the door open, just enough to let your gaze fall between the sliver of light.
Flynn. Flynn was the tallest member aboard the ship, with the stature of a Red Wood tree. His hair was as dark as the branches, skin just as rough as the century old bark. He was slower with his size, but he was strong. Sturdy. He was a man for the frontlines, a barricade that enemies could only attempt to move. The deep voice came from him.
To his right was Louie. Or, lazy-eyed Lou according to everyone else on the ship. While you never jumped along the bandwagon, knowing it was something he couldn’t control, many of the crew mates picked fun at him.
Lou was small and agile, quick and nimble. He was the first to crawl up the rope of the sails, rather quietly at that. There wasn’t a moment where you saw him without his bow hoisted over his back, his arrows wrapped tightly around his right thigh. Now, he stood fidgeting with the thread, looking up with his neck fully strained towards the taller individual.
“Wha' are ye proposin'?” Flynn scratched at his scraggly beard that had grown a bit messily around his neck. Little white fluffs fell like snowflakes down to the deck.“We rob the Cap’n?”
“Aye. More like get the share we be deserv’n,” he raised his hands from his side, elongating his elbows to exaggerate his point. “I reckon if we work together ain’t nothin stopping us.”
Lou threw a playful punch to Flynn’s arm, one which did absolutely nothing to the burly man’s flesh. “…I ain't seein’ why not.”
There was a silence, one of which you broke by flinging the door open as if you had freshly awoken. The two men immediately turned to meet your gaze, their eyes wide. “Good morning men,” you called out to them.
“Mornin’,” they responded in unison, separating themselves to allow you a path through.
“Might you know where the Captain may be?” You bounced between the two of them as they stared at you in silence. “Is that a no?”
“Uh. I reckon he’s at the wheel. Been fiddlin with that compass o’ his.” Flynn finally spoke up, his deepened voice from the silence nearly startling you.
As you fully stepped out onto the deck of the ship you couldn’t help but to take a moment to admire the sunrise. Hues of purple and gold swirled within the clouds that lightly dusted the sky. Not a single cloud looked dim, all of them having a lovely fluff and almost fluorescent white color.
“Captain, may I have a word?” You may have interrupted his train of thought, but the sight of him was enough to derail your own thoughts.
While it was morning and the sun wasn’t quite awake, the heat still burned down upon the ship. Jake had counteracted that heat by unbuttoning his white undershirt down to only two bottom buttons. The ruffles of his neckline were pushed away from his skin, exposing his collar bones.
The shirt was tucked into his black trousers that were flowy at the thighs but came down tight around his ankles with a few buttons up each side. A small drop of sweat traversed from his jaw bone and down his exposed chest, the journey ending once it absorbed into the waistline of his pants.
He heard you, yet instead of turning back to look at you he responded with his gaze upon his compass. “But you already had six of them.”
“Fine then. Stay ignorant to the mutiny. After all, I have nothing to gain from speaking out.” You went to turn from him, but before you were completely turned his hand wrapped around your wrist.
Jake’s eyes dug deep within your own as the sunrise reflected off his chestnut irises. “Mutiny, you say?”
Although being grabbed would have never blown over before, the warmth of his palm upon your skin coaxed you to stand still. “Do you not know the meaning of that word, Captain?”
He clicked the compass back together and stuffed it down into his pants pocket, taking a step closer towards you. “Do you take me for an idiot?” His hand remained upon your skin.
“In all fairness,” you glanced down at your wrist, breaking eye contact with Jake, “you are a pirate after all. Your kind doesn’t tend to have many scholars on board.”
He scoffed and released your hand, leaving you alone and longing for the warmth to engulf you once more. There was a second where your arm remained still, aching for him to reach back and take hold of you again.
“Have I hurt the feelings of the undefeatable Captain? Little ol me?” you teased, watching the way his eyebrow raised towards your words. You were cautious with him, his body language, and knew you could only push him so far.
It was the way he swiped his tongue across his bottom lip and flashed you a half witted smile that you knew just maybe you had gone too far. “This boldness encompasses you nicely, my treasure.”
A surge of blood rushed to the tip of your cheeks, warming your skin with a tingle of security. A different warmth than that of the sun.
“This boldness has always been within me. It only emerges in the presence of idiotic men.” You persisted, and though you tried to stand tall, his confident silence slouched your posture.
“Now go on, about the mutiny.” He kept his attention locked upon you and the burn of his gaze slowly diminished your vocabulary.
It felt as though your chest was about to collapse, that at any moment your next inhale would be your last. The way your eyes remained locked to his was sending you into a spiral.
“Um. Lou. Lou and Flynn,” you took a pause to look away from his eyes. Jake disapproved of this, reaching his hand up to grab hold of your chin and pull your head back to its original position.
“Go on.”
“They spoke of taking their fair share of treasure, of stealing from you and the others.”
Jake tapped his thumb against the hollow of your cheek as he thought through what his next move was. “Lazy eye Lou?” He huffed, a sly smirk growing upon his face.
“And Flynn.” You found yourself leaning in a bit closer to him, to his touch. And then it was gone.
The fingers that were once touching your skin were now tracing the grooves of his sword handle. “Let them.” He began, catching you off guard. “If greed is fueling them, let them have it. Riches aren’t the only thing I’m after.”
“Wha-“ you began to ask yet instead found yourself with sealed lips. Your head tilted to the side, “isn’t that the whole point of this journey? Of being a pirate?”
“No.” It was dry, short and to the point. It wasn’t an answer you would expect of the man that’s killed so many who have betrayed him.
“Well what if their message spreads to the others?” You took a step closer to him as he closed down into himself mentally, a rigid exterior building within his posture.
He rested his palm on top of the sword handle, tapping his fingers against it rhythmically. “Well then they would all be idiots. If everyone was a part of the plan, what wealth would they have to gain?”
The silence was deafening, and Jake was the one to break it. “What do you think should be done?”
“I think they should be stopped. Even if you do not care about the gold, you shouldn’t make yourself look weak to the others. You obviously need them under some sort of control to get whatever it is you want.”
He turned on his heels, walking down the set of wooden stairs to reach the main floor of the ship. “Louie.” He shouted from the depths of his stomach. “Get o'er here now.”
“Aye Cap'n? Wha' can I do fer ye Cap'n?” He came running to his call, sliding to a halt right before his feet. You could see his hands trembling from behind his back where they held one another.
“I’ve heard o' a greedy wee traitor amongst us. 'ave any information?” Jake stood his ground, making Lou tremble like a mouse trapped by the cat.
“A trader? Oh Cap’n no! I ain’t heard of such a story.” As if in an attempt to vouch for himself, he took a step backwards and looked around the deck as if seeing if he could spot the so-called trader.
Jake’s hand lurched out to grab hold of Lou’s sweat stained shirt. Louie yelped loud enough you could hear it past the distance. “They say ye was destined to be a bowman. Birthed with hands placed as though ready to release the thread. What say you if I removed those thieving hands?"
There was a switch that flipped within Louie, releasing his aggression as if he were a rabid dog. “And was it the wench who told you?” He fought back and reached for his bow, only to be thrown to the ground, Jake kneeling above him.
“A wench?” He snapped back with clenched teeth.
As Jake’s anger swirled around him, the clouds above began to do the same. The once perfectly calm seas grew angrier, rabid. Large waves began to crash against the side of the ship, flowing up and almost over the edge.
Dusty clouds covered the sun, turning the sky as black as night. Large strikes of lightning scattered out down towards the water. The thunder rolled soon after, shaking your chest and sending the crew down into a crouching position.
Then came the rain, with droplets so large it felt like hail as it bounced from your scalp. The slaps against the wooden floor echoed across the sea. Chaos was the term that came to mind. Chaos springing forward from the content. You reached your hand out to grab hold of something just to steady yourself.
Jake looked up towards you, ensuring your safety before allowing his gaze to return to the trader. Though Lou was once confident and angry, his face had turned white and dull. His eyes grew as wide as saucers as he looked past his Captain and towards the sky.
A large shadow emerged from the foamy waves, growing taller until it reached the clouds. The shadow took the form of a human silhouette, growing broad shoulders. Sounds of the crewmen grunting in fear grew alongside the shadow.
The only defining feature was its eyes, completely white and nearly glowing as it looked around the ship. Wherever its gaze landed a spotlight followed.
“Captain!” you hollered, an attempt to get him to turn to look behind himself.
The shadow swooped a hand downwards to slap at a wave, throwing it at full power into the ship, knocking the crew backwards.
The wind whistled around you and the water followed in its path, knocking you down to the ground. You attempted to stand on your feet but instead decided to crawl down the stairs, grasping at anything you could to keep yourself in place.
Reluctantly, he released Lou and ran to your aid against the blow of the wind. “Any ideas, treasure?” he spoke up just loud enough for you to hear.
As the rain fell against your eyelids you tried to rapidly blink them away, and at the same time look up towards the shadow for any sign of what this may actually be.
The shadow reached up towards a cloud and grasped it firmly, sending down a bolt of lightning that missed the ship by a hair.
“I have a few.” You called back to him, leaning close so your lips were just brushing his ear. “Can we get down to storage?”
“Yer gonna have a hell of a time getting to it.” With an eyebrow raised he watched as a swirl of water wrapped itself around one of the crewmen, forming a helmet that began to drown him. “Let’s go.”
He reached for your hand in anticipation for you to grasp it, and with the ship creaking to and fro you happily took hold.
With a yank in his direction you were pulled forward, fighting the motions of the ship to stay standing. Your clothing was drenched and the ground was slippery. With every step you fought your feet as they slipped out from under you.
Through it all, you stayed upright. Not once did you trip or stumble as your anchor was the Captian. Jake held you firmly, countering every stumble with a movement of his own. The two of you traversed the obstacles thrown at you.
A loose chord flew down from the sails, whooshing past your head with a deep whistle. Jake pulled you in closer to him as it swung back in for another shot to hit you. “We’re almost there!” he promised.
The shadow wasn’t backing down, instead it grew angrier at your avoidance. It grew desperate. The crew had migrated down to the cannons, trying anything in their power to slow this sea-spirit down. With each blow of the gunpowder, your ears rang, deafening you for only a split second before the background ringing silenced.
The cannonballs soared right though the figure, leaving it unbothered and rather amused by the attempts to sedate it.
The door to the storage was before you now, and Jake took initiative to open the door and pull you inside. The muffled screams of the crew were still audible from above. The waves sounding like white noise instead of a catastrophe.
“Why did you drag us down here again?” Despite the question, he wasn’t questioning your judgement and it was apparent in his tone. That was something you had grown to appreciate from him.
“The sea-spirit out there is extremely powerful. He is the Priest of the sea.” The breath was heavy between words, and during your sentence you tried to regain the air you had lost in your venture down to the storage level of the ship.
Jake stared at you, having never heard of such a creature before. He was intent on listening, eyes locked upon yours though you were frantically looking around elsewhere. “How do we stop it?”
“From my research, the Umibōzu demands an empty barrel. Why? I am not quite sure but it’s been a few journals I’ve read. It resides around Japan, so I don’t know why he’s here now.” You began going around and trying to tip over barrels to see if they were empty, each and every one you tried were still filled with rum.
“I told you, Treasure,” Jake began, joining you in your search. “This eighth sea is protected by everything imaginable. It has abilities that no creature would like to share.”
Suddenly the ship rocked harshly, knocking you down to the floor with a force so great it knocked the wind from your chest. When your eyes finally opened after the impact, Jake was laying above you just as winded. He planted his hand firmly beside your head and pushed upwards to remove his torso from yours.
Your chest rose as you slowly regained the ability to breathe, though your breath was no longer your focus. Glancing over to the side, you saw Jake’s forearm holding up his weight. His artery protruded and pulsed with adrenaline. An odd yet comforting silence filled the room as the two of you stayed still, just staring upon each other.
A glistening drop of rain fell from his forehead down upon your nose, only needing to travel a foot before it kissed your skin. You hyperfixated on the feeling of that raindrop, knowing that it had touched his skin so gently.
While you fixated on that, Jake was taking you in. He got lost in the way your neck swelled as you swallowed in air and as he got lost in your subtle movements, his hand that wasn’t supporting his torso rested upon your hip. He let his thumb softly rake back and forth across the fabric of your hip, raising those digits inch by inch until he was at your waist.
Almost as if in a trance, the connection of your eyes broke you from the interaction. Jake stood before you, offering his hand for you to take. You let him pull you to your feet and though you were soaked, you attempted to wipe down your dress.
Without a single word, Jake continued searching for a barrel and was inevitably the one to find it. With a singular kick it came crashing down with a hollow thunk. “Got one,” he looked over his shoulder to ensure your attention had been captured.
Holding a thick piece of wood you had found on the floor, you approached the barrel and beat in the top of it, wood splintering around you as it cracked and fell inwards. “...The only crew that survived the Umibōzu…” you wacked at it once more, “did so because they confused it.”
You flipped the barrel over, cracking in the other side of it until it was more of a tube. “ Once it gets the barrel it craves, it typically kills everyone instantly, using it to throw water on the ship and drowning them.
“The truest definition of a trader…” Jake chimed in, watching in awe as you didn’t require his help.
You lifted the wooden tube from the ground, the Captain instantly reaching in to help. “But if you confuse it just enough, with an open ended barrel, you have time to get away before it can do anything.”
The two of you carried the item up back to the deck, stood towards the spirit and held up the barrel. It peered down upon you, bringing its lengthy shadowy fingers up to grasp the wood.
For the first time a line opened up beneath its glowing eyes, curving into a smile that shined just as brightly. The crew cheered but Jake quickly redirected everyone to begin pulling at the sails in an attempt to use the storm winds for a quick get away.
The spirit reached the barrel into the water, and raised it quickly towards the ship. It expected to flood you out like a child playing with a plastic ship. To its dismay nothing came from the barrel.
While it inspected the item your distance grew further and you could see as it held the tube up to its eye, the shine of the light exiting out the bottom. Frustrated, it tossed the empty barrel towards the ship and receded back into the waters, bringing with it the whirlwind of a storm it had created.
You were safe. The wild waves around you grew calmer, still. There was a glance that Jake shared with you in the moment. A glance of appreciation and sincerity. He nodded toward you, knowing fully if it weren’t for you his journey would be over.
The sky cleared to reveal a glorious and deep purple sunset. The day washed away faster than it came but you took the calm moment to peer out into the ocean. The lilac sky kissing the horizon line as a flock of birds flew in the distance.
As the last true ray of sun shined across the sky, it brought with it a gentle rainbow you admired in the distance.
Jake was walking up to you, taking in the movement of your hair as the breeze ran its fingers through it. “What a day.” His words broke the silence you were relaxing within.
You turned your head across your shoulder to address him before returning back to the rainbow ahead of you. “Maybe the end of that rainbow is where your treasure lies Captain…”
The rainbow began by one of the lone clouds just floating through, it arched downwards and though it had an end your body blocked Jake’s view of where that end would be.
Jake smiled as you blocked his view. “Aye… maybe it is.” He approached you and rested the palms of his hand upon his ship.
“May I ask you something, Captain?” You began, seeing his nod allowed you to continue. “If the gold isn’t what you’re truly searching for then what is?”
He brought a hand up to run it through his hair, tracing it downwards to grasp inside his pocket. The compass he admired earlier was now within his hand and he flicked it open.
There was a golden button on the side of the compass and he pressed it inwards, opening up a hidden compartment below the dials. Once in hiding, sat a golden yet dulled medallion. Intricately carved details lined the border which led to a ruby planted firmly within the center.
The medallion looked as though it was smeared of a rusty red substance, dusty and old. Yet the longer you stared the more you saw what resembled a fingerprint within the darkened smear.
“The power of the eighth sea doesn't just hold fortunes. It holds magic. A magic that can do anything imaginable if treated the correct way.” He swallowed so harshly it nearly squeaked on the way down.
You reached out your hand to take hold of his arm, giving him support to carry on with his story.
“I lost someone. Someone dear to me that I never thought I’d have to live without so soon. Treasure, this journey is much more valuable than any gold in the sea. Much more needed than the best barrel of rum. You have to understand, I wouldn’t have taken you out of greed and greed alone.”
Unsure of how to comfort him you simply nodded, looking intently in his direction to solidify the fact you were listening to every word he had to say. “So all of this,” you motioned your hands around the ship, “all of this danger is for the person you lost?”
“…Every ounce of peril will be worth bringing him back to me.” His gaze softened, almost as if he was being reminded of the person. He seemed to get lost in the memories of it all before snapping the compass shut.
“I understand… I would do anything to have my mother back again. I know there was a reason for her death, leading me into the life I have now. I just wish I could have just been able to say goodbye.” Your shoulders sunk in a bit at the memory of her.
It was never something you tried to do, relive what happened that night. Yet for some reason you felt comfortable expressing your pain in regards to your mother around Jake. Felt like you were heard.
“I hope one day you feel inclined to tell me more about her story.” He spoke up after stuffing the compass back inside of his pocket. There was sincerity in his voice that brought you relief. Most people asked about your mother out of pure nosiness, but Jake seemed so genuine.
You took a step closer towards him, your hand still resting upon his arm. “I didn’t expect you to be so…” there was a pause as you searched for the correct wording.
“So what? So narcissistic and vain? So selfish?” These are words you could tell he had called himself already, a tinge of anger laced between each vowel.
“So compassionate. Dedicated. Invested.” There wasn’t a doubt in your mind about the words you used to describe Jacob. His reaction to your words showed you that maybe, just maybe, you had been the first to think that way.
“This whole time, you have done nothing but treat me fairly. Give me the respect many from my home could not even fathom.” Jake moved his arms closer towards you as you spoke.
“…But you are my prisoner. I captured you, how can you say such things.” You watched as his hand slowly scooted over to where yours rested, letting his finger bump against yours.
“I may be your captor but I certainly feel free.” Your voice grew into a whisper, “I have never felt such a sense of being alive before. The sensation of being so needed.”
His ring coated fingers finally made their way to your hand, slowly snaking up your arm until it found home in the crook of your neck. “And I make you feel needed?” His voice matched the delicacy of yours, yet rasp still intertwined within it.
You weren’t sure when it happened, but you didn’t quite remember your face being so close to his a few moments ago. The two of you bounced timidly between looking towards the others lips, wondering if this would be the right move for your adventure.
His forehead was the first thing to touch your skin, as he pressed it against yours. “Tell me. Tell me that you mean the words you’ve said. Tell me that I make you feel like you belong. Tell me this isn’t some ruse.”
“Captain, I am not one to be deceitful. I mean the words I have spoken.” You were nearly shaking as the tip of his nose pressed against yours, and his exhale of relief brushed past your cheek.
You’d be lying if you said you never thought about what a kiss from a pirate would be like. You were convinced, actually, that everyone had daydreamed about it before.
Your daydreams were wrong. While his mustache did tickle against your skin, what you focused on most was how delicate and timid his lips were. The way they just hovered against yours for permission, asking instead of taking.
With the way your heart thumped within the walls of your chest, you were certain it was affecting the waves beneath you. Pushing you inwards with more desperation than you’d admit.
And as you finally pushed pressure against his lips your body finally fully relaxed. The tension of the day seemed to drift off with the wind. Jake pressed his fingers against your neck to hold you still as he pushed deeper into the kiss.
And you felt a softened line upon his lip of a scar from his travels and though that scar came from violence, it no longer lived in such energy with your lips pressed against it.
Slowly your hand moved upwards to cup his cheek into your hand, refusing to break free from this moment for even a second.
Jacobs' other hand looped around your back, pulling you in closer against him as he readjusted and went back in for a few more long and drawn out kisses. He was reluctant to pull away every time. Scared that if he did, you’d disappear into the sea foam.
The air grew crisp as the sun finally left to give you some privacy, but to your dismay Jake was the first to pull away. He stared down upon you, eyes begging for more but with a self control you didn’t expect.
He ran his fingers through your hair, “you know… I never did get back around to Lou after all this mess.”
His topic change didn’t succeed at taking your mind off of what you had just experienced. Adrenaline was coursing through your veins and you felt invincible. “And Flynn. Don’t forget Flynn.”
There was a shine upon your lips, and as you responded Jake used the pad of his thumb to wipe them dry. “I think it might be time to get us some sleep, rest all of today’s troubles away.”
You wanted to speak, you truly did but all you could do was nod in agreement before walking towards his quarters. You couldn’t hear the click of his boots behind you, so you simply turned to look towards him.
Jake was now the one looking out towards the sky, his finger running back and forth across his bottom lip, almost as if to save the feeling for a little while longer.
So you continued back to the bed, and began to undress into your nightgown. As the dress slipped off, your hands traced every spot you had felt his. First your neck, you rubbed at it to replicate the warmth of his hand. Though yours were too soft to do his hands any justice. Then you traveled down to your waist, where you attempted to wrap yourself in a hug that just didn’t feel as warm and comforting as he did.
While you were sure your dreams would relive the experience as you slept, you would yearn for more once you would awake.
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