contest entry
At the last minute... my entry. I hope you like it, beacuse it was certainly fun to write!
Title: Black Power
Fandom: Pangaea/Pirates of the Carribian
Rating: Uhh... PG-13, of death and a bit of gore?
It's my firm belief that Jack Sparrow would love Machra-la, and that's really there all this comes from. Not that he gets the chanse to enjoy it very much...
And now, onwards!
Black Powder
”Jack, where ARE we?” Jack smiled drunkenly at Will’s wailing. “I told you, boy, that I could find my way to Tortuga in any weather, vessel or *hick* condition.”
“This is not Tortuga!” Will gestured to the city gleaming on the shore and the hillsides above. “I have no idea where we are! And WHY can’t you keep sober?!”
While bickering occurred on the deck, the small ship drifted closer to the Machra-la harbour. None of the occupants took any notice of it, or of the boat approaching from the docks.
Two heads turned at a sound from the side of the ship. A head in a strange-looking helmet appeared over the railing. The owner grunted as he climbed aboard. Both Jack and Will studied in silent awe and confusion his short skirt, ornate belt and wide necklace. This was beyond even Jack’s outlandish fashion sense. Then Jack reacted. “What are you scurvy dog doing on my ship? Get off!” Before Will could stop him, the drunken captain had yanked his gun from his belt and was waving it in the air before the strange man.
The man eyed Jack with suspicion, but he did not try and avoid the gun. Instead, he straightened up and donned an official-looking face. “I’m constable Garm of Machra-la Harbour Watch Force. Please, state your ship’s name and home port.” Then he had to duck for the barrel whistling past his head. Desperately Will threw himself forwards, grabbing Jack’s arm and trying to wrestle the gun from him. “I’m sorry,” he shouted to the watchman. “He’s drunk!” The guard gave him a look clearly stating that he was very well aware of the fact. Jack yelled incoherently and struggled in Will’s grip. He was strong, and suddenly managed to yank the arm with the gun free. He aimed it at the guard, who incredibly did nothing to get out of the way. Will screamed a warning just as the captain pilled the trigger. The railing next to the guard’s hip exploded into splinters and then all hell broke loose.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Will yanked at the chains around his wrists and gave Jack a scratching glance. “Any good ideas, Captain? Jack only moaned and buried his heads in his arms. “Why not try and shoot the port officials again? Why not try and fight with another boatful of guards? Why not resist arrest and refuse to give name and home port and then tell the captain he can go fuck his mother where the sun does not shine?” He swept his gaze around the small basement cell. ”Why, they might give us an even grander lodging if you try!”
Jack lifted his head and looked at Will with bleary eyes. “Lad, can we take this in the morning? Me head is killing me, and I think I need a bucket.” He collapsed back down with a pitiful moan. Will however, was not in a forgiving mode. He kicked the empty bucket in the corner over to Jack’s side. Then he leaned back against the wall and stared into the small light from the candle on the floor. “Machra-la,” he mused. “They called this city Machra-la. Have you ever heard of it, Jack?” “No.” The sound was muffled by Jack’s arms. “I have not, and such a grand city one should have heard of, yes? We must have lost course early on, and sailed far from any water I’ve ever seen.” Will snorted. “No wonder! Why can’t you leave the rum alone?”
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Constable Garm squirmed where he stood at attention behind his captain in the Grand Hall. He had never been there before, and would never have gotten here now if not Lord Lapus Lazuli had taken a personal and in the constable’s mind rather fickle interest in the commotion in the harbour. Most of his interest, however, was directed at the wood-and-metal object placed on a pillow before him, the same one the man on the ship had used to blow a hole in the ship’s railing with. A foot to the left and it would have been in the constable. He suppressed a shudder. The Lord was currently talking to the captain, after questioning Garm at length about the object and the ship’s passengers. The handsome man frowned at the object. “It sounded like thunder, you say? And hurled out metal balls?” The captain nodded and added “Might it be magical, My Lord? Some object of Emeja?” Lord Lazuli shrugged, not giving any answers. “Take those men to me. I want to see them for myself.”
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
The city truly was grand. Its buildings almost seemed to shine in the bright morning light, and graceful towers rose over the elaborate houses and palaces along the way. It was like nothing Will had ever seen, something that reminded him of the images conjured up in his mind by “A Thousand and One Nights” then he was a child. But he had seen the other part of town, the one by the water’s edge, as they had been transferred from their ship to the cell the day before. Shacks and barges in the bay seemingly serving as homes for the hard-eyed inhabitants. This city had its contrasts, two sides of its coin just like any other city he had ever seen. They were being brought somewhere, on a small wagon pulled along by an even smaller donkey. It had already bit two of the guards and trampled another on the foot. It hade made Will smile. Jack, however, was still suffering the effects of his drinking the day before. He sat bent almost double at the waist, pitifully clutching the bucket in his arms. He only finally looked up then the cart pulled to a halt outside the most impressive building Will had seen so far. Tall, gleaming and sporting carvings, pillars and sculptures all over its façade, it must be some kind of official building.
The chains prevented any kind of easy movement, and the guards finally had to lift Jack down from the cart. Will suspected at least half of it was playing- Jack could recover fast then he wanted or needed to. As soon as the captain was standing on his own two legs, they were ushered inside.
It was a grand hall, grander than anything he had ever seen. The light illuminated the room from large windows high up near the ceiling. It streamed down into every corner and surrounded the man sitting on the throne in the other end of the room like a halo. Will stared. Quite apart from the fact that the man had long BLUE hair, he was wearing even less than the watchman in the harbour had. The skirt around his waist was almost transparent and only a few pieces of elaborate jewellery were shattered over the rest of his body. The rest of his tanned skin was bare for the entire world to see. Well could feel his cheeks burn. The indecency! Beside him, Jack stared just as intently at the man on the throne.
The blue haired man studied them silently as they were brought forwards. They must be making quite a pitiful sight, the blacksmith reflected dryly. Jack was still clutching his bucket to his chest and their clothes were stained and rumpled from the last day’s adventures. Then he saw Jack’s gun lying on a pillow in front of the throne and groaned mentally.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Lazuli felt a thrill of excitement as the prisoners were brought in. He had never seen such clothing before, and their coloration, dark hair and rosy, pale skin, was unknown to him. Coupled with the strange and exotic objects fund aboard their ship, they made up quite an interesting challenge.
And they were both very handsome, too.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
By the time they were made to kneel before the dais, Will’s stomach was full of fluttering butterflies. With trepidation, he saw how Jack’s eyes were glued to the gun before them. Why, why couldn’t he be more discreet? All of this was a catastrophe waiting to happen. He started, chains rattling, as a man behind the throne bellowed out “Lord Lapis Lazuli now sits in judgement! Kneel and be judged!” Suddenly, his throat was as dry as tinder. The silence stretched out around them, filling the great hall.
Finally, the blue haired man spoke. “Welcome to Machra-la, gentlemen. It seems you’ve caused quite a stir in the harbour the other day. Maybe it’s your first time in our city?” The tone of his voice implied no one ever cased that kind of havoc twice.
Will fidgeted. He was sure everything he could say only would make matters worse. Jack, however, had no such inhibitions. “Why, certainly! There we were, adrift with no land in sight for days... say, is this place close to Tortuga? On account of us heading that way, you see, yer highness…” Jack swayed a little on his knees. Will was sure at least some of it was an act. The difficult part was to calculate how much. The… governor? King? frowned. “Tortuga? Such a place I’ve never heard of.” He leaned back to speak in hushed tones to the officials behind the throne. “Is it a small island? I’m afraid we got quite a lot of those.”
Who the hell had never heard of Tortuga? Then again, Will had never heard of any place called Machra-la. Could they be in Asia? He had heard all sorts of fantastic stories from that continent.
Jack seemed just as confused. “Not really, lordship. Tortuga is a port, sweetest of all the ports in the Caribbean!” This didn’t seem to ring any bells with their audience either. Will made another try. “What continent is this, sir? Are we in Asia?” Lord Lapis shook his head, then smiled a feral smile. “You two REALLY seem to be lost. How interesting.” A smooth, bejewelled hand reached down to pick up the gun. Will froze. That thing was still loaded! “And this, is this an object from your Tortuga as well?” Will didn’t like the look in those smiling eyes.
“That’s a gun, that is!” Jack again. Will wanted to kick him. Hard.
“A gun.” The lord tasted the unfamiliar word. “How does it work, this gun?”
This was seriously bad. Will certainly didn’t like the idea of there people finding out how to make guns, seeing how they seemed to unfamiliar with the technique. If they didn’t find out, they wouldn’t be able to shoot them once they tried to escape. Jack seemed to realize the same thing, because he’d fallen silent and wouldn’t meet the bluehead’s eyes. An uncomfortable silence filled the hall.
“Well.” Will looked up into the face of Lapis Lazuli, and had a swallow at the hardness he saw there. “And we were getting along so fine, too.” He nodded to the guardsmen standing behind the kneeling pair. A hard hand grabbed Will’s hair and pulled his head back. He felt the coldness of a blade resting against his throat. “Shall we try again?” Lazuli raised the gun. “What. Is. This?”
A spike of fear shot through Will. Glancing over at Jack, he could see a small drop of blood sliding down his throat. The look on Jack’s face ought to kill the lord on the spot. “It’s a weapon,” Will blurted out. “It fires bullets.” Lapis Lazuli turned to him, eyes narrowing. Quickly, he continued, “You put gunpowder into that small hole on the top and put a bullet - a small metal ball- into the pipe, and then you make the powder explode and the bullet goes out really fat, like an arrow.”
“So it’s a kind of bow?”
Will shrugged. “I guess you could call it that.”
“But so small, and so light…” Lazuli mused, a light shining in his eyes. “This powder. That’s it made of?”
“Uhh… coal, I think, and sulphur...” His voice trailed of. Gunpowder was not something he knew a lot about. Helplessly, he turned to Jack, who looked just as lost as himself. “Aye, coal. And saltpetre and sulphur. But ye have to get the mixture just right, or ye’re dead.”
One of the guards behind them spoke up. “There were some barrels of black powder on their ship, my Lord.”
Lazuli’s already feral some turned positively lethal. “Show me.” He rose from his throne, gliding over the floor and following the captain towards one of the ornate doors. Jack and Will sighed with relief as the daggers were removed and they were roughly dragged to their feet. Stumbling on their chains, they followed the lord through the door.
Eventually, the walk ended on a balcony overlooking a walled-in courtyard. In the last rays of the sun, they could see the chests, caskets and sacks spread out over the ground below. More guardsmen walked among them. With sinking heart, Will recognized their possessions from the ship. The captain leaned over the banister and shouted to the men below. “Bring up that barrel of powder to Lord Lapis Lazuli!” One of the guards turned around and approached the assembled barrels. Will saw his lower his torch and lean down to inspect the contents.
“Get down!” Jack already throwing himself down behind him, Will threw himself at Lapis Lazuli and dragged him with him in the fall to the floor just as the world turned white. For a moment, there was no sound. Then, the roar of the explosion hit him as the balcony shook and the building groaned.
Will lay still, savouring the feeling of being alive and able to appreciate the cuts and bruises for debris and fallen stones. He could feel the pulse of the Lord still trapped below him, and Jack’s curses were like music to his ears.
Guards soon appeared and pulled him Lapis Lazuli, pushing him back against the wall. He watched as Lazuli rose and turned to stare over the railing at the smoking pit littered with charred wood and torn dead bodies was that all that remained of the courtyard below. Will averted his eyes. Suddenly, the lord was in front of him, so close Will could feel his breath against his cheek. “That… was the gunpowder?” His blue eyes were hard as granite. Mutely, Will nodded. Lapis stared one more moment at the destruction behind him before turning back. Will closed his eyes, certain his last moment had come.
“Release them.” Will’s eyes snapped open. Lazuli was gesturing to the guards. “He saved me from the explosion. Such bravery should be rewarded.” Speechless, he sank back against the wall ads the manacled were removed. Lazuli winked at him. “You must be a quick one, to reach me so quickly.”
Before Will really knew how it happened, they were seated on soft pillows before a magnificent feast and the lord himself were pouring red wine into their goblets. Shaken to the core, he took a deep draught, watching Jack out of the corner of his eye as he tossed back half the cup in one gulp.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Lazuli watched the two men as the effects of the drugged wine took hold. Then he was sure they were deep in the truth-potions grasp, he gently began the questioning. The answers were slow in coming, aided by drugged minds, but finally he had that he wanted. Hw leaded back against the pillows. The gods aloe knew how these two had made the journey from their own world to here, but here they were. Their Caribbean seemed like a wondrous place. He’d very much like to visit one day… especially if all the inhabitants were as attractive as these two. With a sigh, he turned to more practical matters. It would be a shame to kill them, really. Perhaps he could keep them for a week or two? But Rion would soon be visiting and divert all of his attention anyway. Still, the bravery of the young one SHOULD be rewarded. Noticing that his two guests had finally succumbed to the effects of the drug and fallen asleep, he called for his priests. Perhaps they could find a way to send these two home.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Groaning, Will opened his eyes and blinked in the harsh light. Had he fallen asleep on deck? It seemed to be no better. His mind was a bit hazy, and the memory of strange dreams filled his head. Not far away, jack sat up and buried his head in his hands with a whimper. All around them, the sea glittered unbroken to the horizon. “Lad, remind me to never touch a drop of rum again!” Will chuckled at Jack’s complains, rising and making his way to one of the hatches. “Want some water, Jack?
“Thank ye, Will. That dreams I’ve had tonight! You’d never believe me. There was this blue haired lovely creature...”
Listening with half an ear, Will undid the lock and opened the hatch. He froze as he stared down into the hold. “Jack. Get over here.”
Something in his voice got the captain moving. Silently, they stared down into the hold, on unfamiliar baskets and barrels, filling the air with exotic smells. Jack broke the silence. “You don’t think…?” He reached down to his belt. “Me gun! The bastard stole me gun!”
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Lapis Lazuli Leaned back against the headrest of his bead, Rion a warm sleeping weight against his chest. It had truly been a fascinating last few days. The strangers had managed to throw the entire city into an uproar, rumours and speculation flying like birds through the air, and he prided himself on being able him keep on top of it. Such a shame he had not been able to make more of their powder, though. Try as he might, he could not find the substance they called “sulphur” anywhere, a yellow powder smelling of rotten eggs. If there was such an appalling thing in this world, surely someone would know of it. But, he thought as he snuggled closer to Rion, Sparrows strange weapon now rested in the small hidden compartment within his throne’s armrest, loaded with the last surviving scrap of the black powder in this world. Just as a last resort. He smiled into the night. It was good to be the best.
--the END
Title: Black Power
Fandom: Pangaea/Pirates of the Carribian
Rating: Uhh... PG-13, of death and a bit of gore?
It's my firm belief that Jack Sparrow would love Machra-la, and that's really there all this comes from. Not that he gets the chanse to enjoy it very much...
And now, onwards!
Black Powder
”Jack, where ARE we?” Jack smiled drunkenly at Will’s wailing. “I told you, boy, that I could find my way to Tortuga in any weather, vessel or *hick* condition.”
“This is not Tortuga!” Will gestured to the city gleaming on the shore and the hillsides above. “I have no idea where we are! And WHY can’t you keep sober?!”
While bickering occurred on the deck, the small ship drifted closer to the Machra-la harbour. None of the occupants took any notice of it, or of the boat approaching from the docks.
Two heads turned at a sound from the side of the ship. A head in a strange-looking helmet appeared over the railing. The owner grunted as he climbed aboard. Both Jack and Will studied in silent awe and confusion his short skirt, ornate belt and wide necklace. This was beyond even Jack’s outlandish fashion sense. Then Jack reacted. “What are you scurvy dog doing on my ship? Get off!” Before Will could stop him, the drunken captain had yanked his gun from his belt and was waving it in the air before the strange man.
The man eyed Jack with suspicion, but he did not try and avoid the gun. Instead, he straightened up and donned an official-looking face. “I’m constable Garm of Machra-la Harbour Watch Force. Please, state your ship’s name and home port.” Then he had to duck for the barrel whistling past his head. Desperately Will threw himself forwards, grabbing Jack’s arm and trying to wrestle the gun from him. “I’m sorry,” he shouted to the watchman. “He’s drunk!” The guard gave him a look clearly stating that he was very well aware of the fact. Jack yelled incoherently and struggled in Will’s grip. He was strong, and suddenly managed to yank the arm with the gun free. He aimed it at the guard, who incredibly did nothing to get out of the way. Will screamed a warning just as the captain pilled the trigger. The railing next to the guard’s hip exploded into splinters and then all hell broke loose.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Will yanked at the chains around his wrists and gave Jack a scratching glance. “Any good ideas, Captain? Jack only moaned and buried his heads in his arms. “Why not try and shoot the port officials again? Why not try and fight with another boatful of guards? Why not resist arrest and refuse to give name and home port and then tell the captain he can go fuck his mother where the sun does not shine?” He swept his gaze around the small basement cell. ”Why, they might give us an even grander lodging if you try!”
Jack lifted his head and looked at Will with bleary eyes. “Lad, can we take this in the morning? Me head is killing me, and I think I need a bucket.” He collapsed back down with a pitiful moan. Will however, was not in a forgiving mode. He kicked the empty bucket in the corner over to Jack’s side. Then he leaned back against the wall and stared into the small light from the candle on the floor. “Machra-la,” he mused. “They called this city Machra-la. Have you ever heard of it, Jack?” “No.” The sound was muffled by Jack’s arms. “I have not, and such a grand city one should have heard of, yes? We must have lost course early on, and sailed far from any water I’ve ever seen.” Will snorted. “No wonder! Why can’t you leave the rum alone?”
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Constable Garm squirmed where he stood at attention behind his captain in the Grand Hall. He had never been there before, and would never have gotten here now if not Lord Lapus Lazuli had taken a personal and in the constable’s mind rather fickle interest in the commotion in the harbour. Most of his interest, however, was directed at the wood-and-metal object placed on a pillow before him, the same one the man on the ship had used to blow a hole in the ship’s railing with. A foot to the left and it would have been in the constable. He suppressed a shudder. The Lord was currently talking to the captain, after questioning Garm at length about the object and the ship’s passengers. The handsome man frowned at the object. “It sounded like thunder, you say? And hurled out metal balls?” The captain nodded and added “Might it be magical, My Lord? Some object of Emeja?” Lord Lazuli shrugged, not giving any answers. “Take those men to me. I want to see them for myself.”
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
The city truly was grand. Its buildings almost seemed to shine in the bright morning light, and graceful towers rose over the elaborate houses and palaces along the way. It was like nothing Will had ever seen, something that reminded him of the images conjured up in his mind by “A Thousand and One Nights” then he was a child. But he had seen the other part of town, the one by the water’s edge, as they had been transferred from their ship to the cell the day before. Shacks and barges in the bay seemingly serving as homes for the hard-eyed inhabitants. This city had its contrasts, two sides of its coin just like any other city he had ever seen. They were being brought somewhere, on a small wagon pulled along by an even smaller donkey. It had already bit two of the guards and trampled another on the foot. It hade made Will smile. Jack, however, was still suffering the effects of his drinking the day before. He sat bent almost double at the waist, pitifully clutching the bucket in his arms. He only finally looked up then the cart pulled to a halt outside the most impressive building Will had seen so far. Tall, gleaming and sporting carvings, pillars and sculptures all over its façade, it must be some kind of official building.
The chains prevented any kind of easy movement, and the guards finally had to lift Jack down from the cart. Will suspected at least half of it was playing- Jack could recover fast then he wanted or needed to. As soon as the captain was standing on his own two legs, they were ushered inside.
It was a grand hall, grander than anything he had ever seen. The light illuminated the room from large windows high up near the ceiling. It streamed down into every corner and surrounded the man sitting on the throne in the other end of the room like a halo. Will stared. Quite apart from the fact that the man had long BLUE hair, he was wearing even less than the watchman in the harbour had. The skirt around his waist was almost transparent and only a few pieces of elaborate jewellery were shattered over the rest of his body. The rest of his tanned skin was bare for the entire world to see. Well could feel his cheeks burn. The indecency! Beside him, Jack stared just as intently at the man on the throne.
The blue haired man studied them silently as they were brought forwards. They must be making quite a pitiful sight, the blacksmith reflected dryly. Jack was still clutching his bucket to his chest and their clothes were stained and rumpled from the last day’s adventures. Then he saw Jack’s gun lying on a pillow in front of the throne and groaned mentally.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Lazuli felt a thrill of excitement as the prisoners were brought in. He had never seen such clothing before, and their coloration, dark hair and rosy, pale skin, was unknown to him. Coupled with the strange and exotic objects fund aboard their ship, they made up quite an interesting challenge.
And they were both very handsome, too.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
By the time they were made to kneel before the dais, Will’s stomach was full of fluttering butterflies. With trepidation, he saw how Jack’s eyes were glued to the gun before them. Why, why couldn’t he be more discreet? All of this was a catastrophe waiting to happen. He started, chains rattling, as a man behind the throne bellowed out “Lord Lapis Lazuli now sits in judgement! Kneel and be judged!” Suddenly, his throat was as dry as tinder. The silence stretched out around them, filling the great hall.
Finally, the blue haired man spoke. “Welcome to Machra-la, gentlemen. It seems you’ve caused quite a stir in the harbour the other day. Maybe it’s your first time in our city?” The tone of his voice implied no one ever cased that kind of havoc twice.
Will fidgeted. He was sure everything he could say only would make matters worse. Jack, however, had no such inhibitions. “Why, certainly! There we were, adrift with no land in sight for days... say, is this place close to Tortuga? On account of us heading that way, you see, yer highness…” Jack swayed a little on his knees. Will was sure at least some of it was an act. The difficult part was to calculate how much. The… governor? King? frowned. “Tortuga? Such a place I’ve never heard of.” He leaned back to speak in hushed tones to the officials behind the throne. “Is it a small island? I’m afraid we got quite a lot of those.”
Who the hell had never heard of Tortuga? Then again, Will had never heard of any place called Machra-la. Could they be in Asia? He had heard all sorts of fantastic stories from that continent.
Jack seemed just as confused. “Not really, lordship. Tortuga is a port, sweetest of all the ports in the Caribbean!” This didn’t seem to ring any bells with their audience either. Will made another try. “What continent is this, sir? Are we in Asia?” Lord Lapis shook his head, then smiled a feral smile. “You two REALLY seem to be lost. How interesting.” A smooth, bejewelled hand reached down to pick up the gun. Will froze. That thing was still loaded! “And this, is this an object from your Tortuga as well?” Will didn’t like the look in those smiling eyes.
“That’s a gun, that is!” Jack again. Will wanted to kick him. Hard.
“A gun.” The lord tasted the unfamiliar word. “How does it work, this gun?”
This was seriously bad. Will certainly didn’t like the idea of there people finding out how to make guns, seeing how they seemed to unfamiliar with the technique. If they didn’t find out, they wouldn’t be able to shoot them once they tried to escape. Jack seemed to realize the same thing, because he’d fallen silent and wouldn’t meet the bluehead’s eyes. An uncomfortable silence filled the hall.
“Well.” Will looked up into the face of Lapis Lazuli, and had a swallow at the hardness he saw there. “And we were getting along so fine, too.” He nodded to the guardsmen standing behind the kneeling pair. A hard hand grabbed Will’s hair and pulled his head back. He felt the coldness of a blade resting against his throat. “Shall we try again?” Lazuli raised the gun. “What. Is. This?”
A spike of fear shot through Will. Glancing over at Jack, he could see a small drop of blood sliding down his throat. The look on Jack’s face ought to kill the lord on the spot. “It’s a weapon,” Will blurted out. “It fires bullets.” Lapis Lazuli turned to him, eyes narrowing. Quickly, he continued, “You put gunpowder into that small hole on the top and put a bullet - a small metal ball- into the pipe, and then you make the powder explode and the bullet goes out really fat, like an arrow.”
“So it’s a kind of bow?”
Will shrugged. “I guess you could call it that.”
“But so small, and so light…” Lazuli mused, a light shining in his eyes. “This powder. That’s it made of?”
“Uhh… coal, I think, and sulphur...” His voice trailed of. Gunpowder was not something he knew a lot about. Helplessly, he turned to Jack, who looked just as lost as himself. “Aye, coal. And saltpetre and sulphur. But ye have to get the mixture just right, or ye’re dead.”
One of the guards behind them spoke up. “There were some barrels of black powder on their ship, my Lord.”
Lazuli’s already feral some turned positively lethal. “Show me.” He rose from his throne, gliding over the floor and following the captain towards one of the ornate doors. Jack and Will sighed with relief as the daggers were removed and they were roughly dragged to their feet. Stumbling on their chains, they followed the lord through the door.
Eventually, the walk ended on a balcony overlooking a walled-in courtyard. In the last rays of the sun, they could see the chests, caskets and sacks spread out over the ground below. More guardsmen walked among them. With sinking heart, Will recognized their possessions from the ship. The captain leaned over the banister and shouted to the men below. “Bring up that barrel of powder to Lord Lapis Lazuli!” One of the guards turned around and approached the assembled barrels. Will saw his lower his torch and lean down to inspect the contents.
“Get down!” Jack already throwing himself down behind him, Will threw himself at Lapis Lazuli and dragged him with him in the fall to the floor just as the world turned white. For a moment, there was no sound. Then, the roar of the explosion hit him as the balcony shook and the building groaned.
Will lay still, savouring the feeling of being alive and able to appreciate the cuts and bruises for debris and fallen stones. He could feel the pulse of the Lord still trapped below him, and Jack’s curses were like music to his ears.
Guards soon appeared and pulled him Lapis Lazuli, pushing him back against the wall. He watched as Lazuli rose and turned to stare over the railing at the smoking pit littered with charred wood and torn dead bodies was that all that remained of the courtyard below. Will averted his eyes. Suddenly, the lord was in front of him, so close Will could feel his breath against his cheek. “That… was the gunpowder?” His blue eyes were hard as granite. Mutely, Will nodded. Lapis stared one more moment at the destruction behind him before turning back. Will closed his eyes, certain his last moment had come.
“Release them.” Will’s eyes snapped open. Lazuli was gesturing to the guards. “He saved me from the explosion. Such bravery should be rewarded.” Speechless, he sank back against the wall ads the manacled were removed. Lazuli winked at him. “You must be a quick one, to reach me so quickly.”
Before Will really knew how it happened, they were seated on soft pillows before a magnificent feast and the lord himself were pouring red wine into their goblets. Shaken to the core, he took a deep draught, watching Jack out of the corner of his eye as he tossed back half the cup in one gulp.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Lazuli watched the two men as the effects of the drugged wine took hold. Then he was sure they were deep in the truth-potions grasp, he gently began the questioning. The answers were slow in coming, aided by drugged minds, but finally he had that he wanted. Hw leaded back against the pillows. The gods aloe knew how these two had made the journey from their own world to here, but here they were. Their Caribbean seemed like a wondrous place. He’d very much like to visit one day… especially if all the inhabitants were as attractive as these two. With a sigh, he turned to more practical matters. It would be a shame to kill them, really. Perhaps he could keep them for a week or two? But Rion would soon be visiting and divert all of his attention anyway. Still, the bravery of the young one SHOULD be rewarded. Noticing that his two guests had finally succumbed to the effects of the drug and fallen asleep, he called for his priests. Perhaps they could find a way to send these two home.
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Groaning, Will opened his eyes and blinked in the harsh light. Had he fallen asleep on deck? It seemed to be no better. His mind was a bit hazy, and the memory of strange dreams filled his head. Not far away, jack sat up and buried his head in his hands with a whimper. All around them, the sea glittered unbroken to the horizon. “Lad, remind me to never touch a drop of rum again!” Will chuckled at Jack’s complains, rising and making his way to one of the hatches. “Want some water, Jack?
“Thank ye, Will. That dreams I’ve had tonight! You’d never believe me. There was this blue haired lovely creature...”
Listening with half an ear, Will undid the lock and opened the hatch. He froze as he stared down into the hold. “Jack. Get over here.”
Something in his voice got the captain moving. Silently, they stared down into the hold, on unfamiliar baskets and barrels, filling the air with exotic smells. Jack broke the silence. “You don’t think…?” He reached down to his belt. “Me gun! The bastard stole me gun!”
*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*’*
Lapis Lazuli Leaned back against the headrest of his bead, Rion a warm sleeping weight against his chest. It had truly been a fascinating last few days. The strangers had managed to throw the entire city into an uproar, rumours and speculation flying like birds through the air, and he prided himself on being able him keep on top of it. Such a shame he had not been able to make more of their powder, though. Try as he might, he could not find the substance they called “sulphur” anywhere, a yellow powder smelling of rotten eggs. If there was such an appalling thing in this world, surely someone would know of it. But, he thought as he snuggled closer to Rion, Sparrows strange weapon now rested in the small hidden compartment within his throne’s armrest, loaded with the last surviving scrap of the black powder in this world. Just as a last resort. He smiled into the night. It was good to be the best.
--the END