Tesco [9]

Mary's anger blazed like a raging inferno as she confronted Tesco, an evil grin playing upon her lips. "I'll never grant ye forgiveness for the atrocities ye've committed. But answer me this, ye scoundrel. What fate befell me mother? How did she meet her end? Did ye truly love her, or did ye bring harm upon her?"

Tesco's lips curled into a wicked smirk, his laughter echoing in the air. "Yer mother, lass, she was entangled with a pirate admiral, a secret she kept hidden from me long before ye entered the scene."

Mary's shock was obvious as she had always seen her mother as a paragon of goodness, someone who strived to do what was right and avoid wrongdoing.

Her fury surged like a tempestuous storm, her voice resonating with anger and disbelief. "That be a lie! Ye be a deceitful snake, always spewing falsehoods," she shouted, her cutlass grazing against the rope in a menacing display.

She issued a chilling threat, her eyes ablaze with vengeance. "Speak the truth, or I'll sever this rope. The blade shall plummet, takin' yer wretched head along with it."

Tesco's response dripped with apathy, his voice devoid of remorse. "Ye need not believe me, lass. It matters not anymore what she did. I've achieved me goal and seen to the admiral's fate meself. Ye see... Admiral Cain, he had hair as dark and blue as the depths of the sea. Neither yer mother nor I possessed such a hue. Do ye grasp the implications of this revelation?"

Mary slowly retracted her cutlass, its blade grazing against the wooden plank as she stood there, mouth agape in a mixture of disbelief and shock.

"Nay, nay, nay! Me mother would never stoop to such treachery. She was always righteous, far superior to the likes of ye." Her words dripped with a potent mix of defiance and conviction.

Tesco laughed and continued, raising his voice slightly, "Arr, the seething resentment that coursed through me veins when I overheard her dalliance with Admiral Cain, while she was keepin' me company... It be a storm o' betrayal that engulfed me soul. I too had the same notion as ye, lass, that she be a fine and noble woman. But alas, the truth be a different tale altogether."

He continued his confession, his voice tinged with bitterness, "When I overheard the scurvy dogs whisperin' 'bout her and that cursed Admiral Cain. I was lost amidst the howlin' winds and merciless waves for months, me heart adrift on a sea of doubt, until I finally stood before her. She had no choice but to spill the truth, admittin' that I wasn't yer true father. And in that moment, rage consumed me very soul. I seized her by the skull, me grip like a vice, and repeatedly crashed it against the unforgivin' wall, the timber weepin' crimson. No remorse be found in me black heart, no remorse for how I treated ye. For ye and that deceitful wench, ye be naught but the cursed spawn of that vile sea dog and his treacherous mistress..."

Thump!

Tesco's head thudded onto the platform, rolling forward before dropping off the edge. Consumed by rage, Mary had cut the rope, letting the blade fall.

She wiped away a few tears, her voice resolute as she shouted, "CAPT'N, I'M DONE."

Jack and Mel swiftly retreated while facing the guards, then ascended the platform stairs.

Running along the platform, Jack caught a fleeting glimpse of Tesco's headless body before pressing forward without pause.

They leapt off the platform, darting into a narrow street, closely pursued by the relentless guards. The fortress alarm bells rang out, spreading the warning of danger throughout the island.

The navy personnel had previously sent someone to alert the fortress and sound the resounding bell, ensuring that the chaos would be known far and wide.

As they all scurried, Jack cast a cautious glance over his shoulder, assessing the proximity of the pursuing guards. To his dismay, they were closing in, their boots pounding the ground with urgency.

A few bounds away, his gaze darted to the right, catching sight of a bustling pigpen. The oinking creatures were in a frenzy, their porcine ears perked up by the sound of previous loud bangs.

The pigpen's entrance was guarded by a sturdy wooden gate. With a swift halt, Jack's hands instinctively reached for the latch, only to find it secured with a tightly bound rope.

Without hesitation, he drew his gleaming cutlass, its blade glinting in the dim light. With one decisive stroke, the rope was severed, and the gate creaked open, unleashing a stampede of swine.

The pigs darted towards the narrow street, their trotters clattering against the cobblestones as they mingled with the townsfolk. Jack quickened his pace, sprinting once again to rejoin his comrades in their daring escape.

...

Upon their arrival at the bustling trade dock, Mel expressed his gratitude, his words laced with a tinge of regret. "Once again, I must extend me heartfelt thanks to ye both. If I had a chest of gold, I would gladly repay ye for yer kindness, but alas, me pockets be empty."

Jack nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "No need to fret, me heartie. We be pirates, after all. We don't sail the seas seekin' gold alone."

Mel's eyes gleamed with admiration as he spoke, his voice carrying a note of determination. "Captain Jack, Thunder, I shall etch yer names into the very fabric of the ocean, spreadin' tales of yer bravery far and wide."

Returning his smile, Jack nodded in agreement. "Aye, matey, ye may do as ye wish. But I must be off now, me own path awaitin'."

With a final farewell, Mel departed from the dock, leaving only Mary and Captain Jack behind.

Observing Mary's somber demeanor, Jack's keen mind pieced together the puzzle, connecting her sadness to the headless Tesco and the secrets that lay buried in the depths of their shared past.

"Mary, let's make haste," he commanded, beckoning her to follow as he strode towards his awaiting ship.

Once aboard, he deftly adjusted the ship's course, steering it away from the dock. With the wind absent, their progress was slow, the vessel inching along a mere twenty meters from the shore.

Entering the captain's cabin, he found Mary indulging in a swig of rum. The weight of the handcuffs in her raised arms prompted her to inquire, "What be our plan fer these shackles?"

"I'll see see what I can do," he replied, drawing near to examine the restraints.

After a thorough inspection, he surveyed the cabin in its entirety, only to slap his forehead in frustration. "Mary! I be a fool! I forgot those Navy scoundrels held more than just our freedom. Me trusty leather pouch, brimmin' with Nords and precious gold, be gone."

Mary sighed, realization dawning upon her as she finished her wooden cup of rum. "Aye, I be forgettin' about our belongings too. Too much be happenin' in these troublin' times..."

"Blimey! And me skeleton keys were within that pouch," he lamented.

"Skeleton keys?" she questioned, her curiosity piqued.

"Aye, picklocks they be, capable o' opening nearly any lock or door if ye know how to wield 'em," he explained.

She nodded in understanding.

Suddenly, a familiar voice reverberated outside the cabin, near the door, "I may have something that could serve as a makeshift skeleton key."

Mary's instincts sharpened, prompting her to snatch her pilfered cutlass and assume a defensive stance.

He swiftly lowered her weapon, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "I reckon I know who it be. Enter!"

The door creaked open, revealing a young and captivating lady with long, wet blonde hair cascading down her back. Her striking yellow eyes pierced the room as she stood there, clad in an oversized men's shirt and breeches, clutching a leather pouch in her grasp.