Chapter 19: The Calm Belt

go to my Patreon for advanced chapters

p@treon.com/LT_Ryuu_X

________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sea was unnervingly still. Not a single breeze disturbed the surface, which lay like a mirror reflecting the ominous sky above. Davy Jones stood at the helm of his ship, the Flying Dutchman, its ghostly crew silent as they navigated into the heart of the Calm Belt. This treacherous stretch of sea was notorious for being home to the massive Sea Kings—monstrous creatures capable of sinking entire fleets. Yet, it was also the perfect place for Davy to test the extent of his newly acquired powers.

As the ship glided forward, the water beneath began to ripple, disturbed by something massive moving beneath the surface. A low, guttural sound echoed from the depths, sending a shiver through even the most hardened souls aboard the Dutchman. Davy's eyes narrowed as he felt the presence of a Sea King approaching. He could sense its vast size, its ancient and primal hunger.

He raised a hand, the water responding to his command, swirling and rising as if alive. The Sea King breached the surface, its enormous head towering over the ship, jaws wide enough to swallow the Dutchman whole. But Davy was unflinching. With a gesture, the water formed a barrier around the ship, halting the creature's advance. The Sea King roared, but Davy's power surged, commanding the very sea that had birthed the beast. The creature hesitated, as if recognizing the new lord of these waters.

With a final wave of his hand, Davy sent the Sea King retreating back into the depths. The water calmed once more, and a grim satisfaction spread across his face. His powers were growing, and so too was his control over the sea that had once claimed him.

But as the Dutchman sailed on, a thick mist began to roll in, obscuring the horizon. Through the fog, the silhouette of an island emerged, shrouded in mystery. The crew exchanged uneasy glances—no chart had ever marked such a place.

Davy ordered the ship to anchor, and he stepped onto the island, the ground beneath his boots soft and ancient, as if untouched for centuries. The air was thick with the scent of moss and salt, and strange sounds echoed from the dense foliage—creatures unseen, yet palpable in their presence.

As he ventured deeper into the island, the trees seemed to close in, their gnarled branches forming a canopy that blocked out the sun. It was here, in the heart of the island, that he encountered the first of the ancient creatures. Massive, scaled beasts with eyes that glowed like embers watched him from the shadows, their breath misting in the cool air. Yet, they did not attack. Instead, they observed, as if waiting.

In a small clearing, Davy found him—a figure cloaked in tattered robes, standing beside a stone altar covered in strange symbols. The figure's face was hidden beneath a hood, but when it spoke, its voice was old and knowing, tinged with an accent from a time long past.

"You've come far, Davy Jones," the figure intoned, "but your journey is only beginning."

Davy's eyes narrowed. "And who might you be?"

The figure chuckled, a sound that seemed to echo through the very bones of the island. "Who I am matters little. What matters is what you seek… and what you must become."

Davy felt a strange pull, as if the island itself was alive, its ancient power resonating with his own. "And what is that?"

"More than a king of the sea," the figure replied, stepping closer, "you are destined to reshape the very world you tread upon. But beware—power comes with a price, and the sea is not the only force that demands tribute."

Davy could feel the weight of the words, heavy and foreboding. The island, the creatures, the figure—everything seemed to pulse with an ancient, almost malevolent energy. Yet, beneath it all was a hint of something more, something he could not yet grasp.

The figure turned away, fading into the mist. "Your destiny awaits, Davy Jones. Embrace it… or be consumed by it."

As the figure disappeared, the island seemed to breathe a sigh, the mist thickening once more. Davy stood alone in the clearing, the weight of the encounter pressing down on him. He had tested his powers and found them formidable, but the cryptic warning echoed in his mind. The sea was his domain, but there were forces at play far beyond his understanding.

And so, with a heavy heart and a mind full of questions, Davy Jones returned to the Flying Dutchman, leaving the island behind. But the island was not finished with him, nor he with it. The journey had only just begun.