Challenge Fic - Windmills and Dragons
“I saved your life, you save mine, we’re square.”
They had come full circle, with the daring rescue from the gallows. And so, the pirate saved the princess who saved the pirate who saved the prince. Now that the prince had saved the pirate and won fair lady’s heart, they should have all lived happily ever after.
Or, at least, that’s where it ends in the storybook version.
But the fairytales are also full of dragons and other terrible beasties, fearsome creatures that roam over the land and lurk beneath the calm surfaces. And like in the stories, there was again, the gallant knight errant, on a quest once more to save the damsel in distress.
Yes, this brave knight was prepared to face the perils and pitfalls, to complete the tasks required to free the princess from her prison walls. He did not know he would have to brave all, and lose all, before claiming the prize he longed for most.
And so, this gallant prince donned his armor, his protection from the dangers he would face. He wore them well: an enchanted sword of finest metal and a coat of dragon skin, a heart of purest gold and nerves of hardest steel.
Unwavering in his quest, undaunted by any threats or dangers, the brave knight would soon descend into the acrid, dark depths to retrieve the magic talisman that unlocked the secrets of the hidden chest.
Yes, they should all have lived happily ever after.
Everyone would’ve been better off it it’d all just ended right there. But fairy tales are just that, and the truth was far more complicated.
****
Jack was unusually taciturn on the passage to the Pantano River. So much so, that he’d not said a word before slamming the door shut behind him on his way to his cabin, and that was the last anyone saw of him. Until…
Having agreed to help find the key, Will had spent the rest of the trip taking his turn on the crew. After his watch, he’d retired to find a bundle in his hammock, the contents of which contained a long leather coat.
Puzzled, Will had asked the crew, to no avail, of its origins. Curious, he’d made his way to the captain’s cabin, where he found Jack in a pensive mood.
“I found this in my bunk,” he’d said without preamble.
Jack glanced at the coat briefly. “It’s yours.” The blunt statement hung in the air.
“No, it’s not.” Will furrowed his brow, trying to pinpoint what was wrong.
“Obviously, it is.” Jack irritably waved away Will’s protest. “Why else would it be in your bunk?”
“What’s obvious, is that someone put it there.”
“William! Answer me this. Did you have a coat when you came aboard?”
Will scowled. “No.”
Jack sat back and smiled crookedly. “Well, now you do. Satisfied?”
Will felt a shiver run up his spine. Still unable to tell what it was that was off, he only nodded, and could not get out of the cabin fast enough, after the smile on Jack‘s face had turned into fear.
Will went back to his bunk, where he found Gibbs, wearily turning in for the night.
“Best not argue with the Cap’n,” he told Will, offering sage advice, saying nothing more.
Will sighed, and laid back in his hammock, letting the rocking of the ship calm his frayed nerves. He suspected there was more to the story of the coat, but decided he’d be better off just accepting it, no questions asked.
When he finally fell asleep, he dreamt of windmills and dragons.
****
They had come full circle, with the daring rescue from the gallows. And so, the pirate saved the princess who saved the pirate who saved the prince. Now that the prince had saved the pirate and won fair lady’s heart, they should have all lived happily ever after.
Or, at least, that’s where it ends in the storybook version.
But the fairytales are also full of dragons and other terrible beasties, fearsome creatures that roam over the land and lurk beneath the calm surfaces. And like in the stories, there was again, the gallant knight errant, on a quest once more to save the damsel in distress.
Yes, this brave knight was prepared to face the perils and pitfalls, to complete the tasks required to free the princess from her prison walls. He did not know he would have to brave all, and lose all, before claiming the prize he longed for most.
And so, this gallant prince donned his armor, his protection from the dangers he would face. He wore them well: an enchanted sword of finest metal and a coat of dragon skin, a heart of purest gold and nerves of hardest steel.
Unwavering in his quest, undaunted by any threats or dangers, the brave knight would soon descend into the acrid, dark depths to retrieve the magic talisman that unlocked the secrets of the hidden chest.
Yes, they should all have lived happily ever after.
Everyone would’ve been better off it it’d all just ended right there. But fairy tales are just that, and the truth was far more complicated.
****
Jack was unusually taciturn on the passage to the Pantano River. So much so, that he’d not said a word before slamming the door shut behind him on his way to his cabin, and that was the last anyone saw of him. Until…
Having agreed to help find the key, Will had spent the rest of the trip taking his turn on the crew. After his watch, he’d retired to find a bundle in his hammock, the contents of which contained a long leather coat.
Puzzled, Will had asked the crew, to no avail, of its origins. Curious, he’d made his way to the captain’s cabin, where he found Jack in a pensive mood.
“I found this in my bunk,” he’d said without preamble.
Jack glanced at the coat briefly. “It’s yours.” The blunt statement hung in the air.
“No, it’s not.” Will furrowed his brow, trying to pinpoint what was wrong.
“Obviously, it is.” Jack irritably waved away Will’s protest. “Why else would it be in your bunk?”
“What’s obvious, is that someone put it there.”
“William! Answer me this. Did you have a coat when you came aboard?”
Will scowled. “No.”
Jack sat back and smiled crookedly. “Well, now you do. Satisfied?”
Will felt a shiver run up his spine. Still unable to tell what it was that was off, he only nodded, and could not get out of the cabin fast enough, after the smile on Jack‘s face had turned into fear.
Will went back to his bunk, where he found Gibbs, wearily turning in for the night.
“Best not argue with the Cap’n,” he told Will, offering sage advice, saying nothing more.
Will sighed, and laid back in his hammock, letting the rocking of the ship calm his frayed nerves. He suspected there was more to the story of the coat, but decided he’d be better off just accepting it, no questions asked.
When he finally fell asleep, he dreamt of windmills and dragons.
****