On the Island: Ceremony and Escape

[bringmethatnpc]

The sound of thunder rumbles through the air, heralding an approaching storm--

--no, wait.

That's not thunder; that's the beating of drums.

It's a beautiful clear day on the island, just perfect for a ceremony and celebration, as the tribe prepares to send their chief to the gods.

Comments

[bringmethatnpc]

Just another day with Captain Jack Sparrow, Gibbs thinks for a second.

"Cast off those lines!"

[bringmethatnpc]

The crew leaps into action. All things considered, having been in cages made of human bone and having been left in the harsh Caribbean sun for days with no food or drink...

They are in really rotten shape. It's a wonder they get the job done. But they do.

[pirate_jack]

"AAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

He's running as fast as he can, windmilling his arms for balance as he goes.

As Jack sees the crew casting off, his yell becomes a bit more startled--

"HEY!"

--and puts on an additional burst of speed, starting into the edge of the surf.

[bringmethatnpc]

Gibbs sees the captain is close enough that they needn't worry.

"Make ready to cast off!"

[pirate_jack]

Water fountains up around him as he splashes through the surf past the wildly barking dog.

I know that dog!

Startled, Jack turns to look at it, automatically saying,

"Good doggie."

He glances back over his shoulder to see if there's something new that the dog's barking so wildly at.

"AAH!"

Too close!

Jack whirls back around and goes leaping deeper into the water, making a final jump for the Pearl as she begins to move.

Almost... there!

He catches a rope and braces himself against her hull as he begins to climb.

[bringmethatnpc]

The natives, abandoned on shore, stumble to a halt, watching the ship pull away, beyond their reach.

The word here is crestfallen.

Maybe even bereft.

[pirate_jack]

He leans out, raising one hand in a gesture of benison as he calls back to them,

"Alas, my children. This is the day you shall always remember as the day you almost--"

SPLASH!

The wave crashes over him, drowning his words quite effectively as it drenches him.

Sputtering, Jack concludes weakly,

"--Captain Jack Sparrow."

And then, that said, he turns his full attention toward climbing aboard ship.

[bringmethatnpc]

The islanders appeal to their chief, shouting across the increasing distance, pleading with him to come back to them. Doesn't he remember his duty? Doesn't he want to return to the glorious world of the gods? Doesn't he want to help them with the divine powers he will have there, in return for the prayers and sacrifices they will grant him?



...The answer to all those questions, it seems, is a resounding no.

[bringmethatnpc]

And there's someone else abandoned on the shore, unnoticed by crew and natives alike.

Although that may not continue indefinitely, given the way he's wildly barking at all and sundry.

[bringmethatnpc]

The tribe's shouts falter and die down, gradually, as the ship pulls away with their chief. The feast is ready, the pyre is waiting -- but he never so much as looks back.

Well, crap, seems to be the general mood.

Which is about when the dog's constant barking penetrates, and -- one by one -- the crowd turns to look at him.

[bringmethatnpc]

The dog looks back.

There's a very large group of people. All staring at him.

And they don't much look like the jailors and seamen and British officials he's used to, either. Nor smell like them.

And they're still all staring.

The dog whines, backing up a step to paw uncertainly at the sand. Another moment, and then he whirls, dashing away down the beach.

[bringmethatnpc]

The natives -- particularly the shaman, and those warriors who have been honored enough to learn some of his secret teachings -- trade looks.



There are signs that distinguish a god trapped in mortal form. Some of them are obvious even to the untutored, and some aren't. But they all come down to this: a god is too big, too powerful, too other to fit inside a mortal body. The human (or animal) mind can't contain it, not wholly. There are signs.

Madmen are often possessed by gods, the shaman knows. It's one of the clearest signs there is.

Animals acting like no normal animal has ever acted. That's another sign.

And no normal dog carries a great iron ring in his mouth, as if the metal were food to him. He did let it drop to the sand when he started barking, yes, and it's still lying there while the dog scampers away down the beach, but all the same they half-noticed him carrying the thing earlier. That's as sure a sign as the old chief's babbling and swaying and irrationality and his magical metal teeth. A god inside a dog isn't as powerful as one inside a resourceful madman, usually, but... well, the resourceful madman is gone, and the god he carries inside is gone with him. But maybe he left this one to take his place. That's the only logical reason for the coincidence of this dog turning up just as the chief flees.



"Pe-la-la!" the shaman screams, gesturing at the dog. Yelling, the tribe gives chase.