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[ the katai ]
by kHo

Will waited outside the shop, as he was instructed to, and watched the passers by. When Jack emerged, sheathed sword on hip and in hand, Will frowned at him. “Jack. You bought a sword?’

Jack nodded, looking around, practically vibrating with excitement. “Aye, Will, I did.’ Swinging his arm around Will he grinned at him and started to walk them down the street. “Back to the Pearl now.’

Will stopped, causing Jack to nearly spin around him. “Jack, are my swords unsatisfactory?’

Jack laughed, stepping close to him. “´Course not, William. What makes you ask that?’

Will gestured to the ornate sword in his hand. “I make your swords for free, Jack. You just spent money you didn´t need to.’

Jack frowned down at the sword. “Will you misunderstand. This sword is special.’

Will rolled his eyes and started walking again. “Special. Does it talk Jack? Does it point north?’

Jack laughed. “No, William, it doesn´t point north.’ He looks at it. “Nor south, nor east, nor west. Unless you guide it that way, that is,’ he added, grinning a little and falling into place by Will´s side. “This sword is special in strength.’

“Special in strength,’ Will said derisively, giving Jack an odd look. “Pardon me if I´m wrong, Jack, but I was under the impression that metal was metal.’

Jack looked aghast at him. “Were I a swordsmith such as yourself, I´d not speak so callously as that for fear that Hephaestus might strike me down.’

Will rolled his eyes. “Of course,’ he said, deciding that appeasing Jack was easier than reasoning with him. “Of course not all metal is the same. But a sword, Jack, when forged with good metal, can be no stronger than any other sword forged with the same quality of metal.’

Jack shook his head at him, draping his arm once again about his shoulders. “Sweet, daft William. I will explain how wrong you are again,’ he said, giving him a pointed look. “When we are in safe harbor.’

Will stopped again, abruptly. “Jack.’

“Aye,’ Jack asked with an arched brow.

“You paid for that sword, did you not?’

Jack looked at the sword in his hand. “I paid for a sword, Will,’ he said, looking up at him. “Not my fault the shopkeeper doesn´t keep accurate record of what swords he has on hand.’

Will sighed, brushing off Jack´s arm and walking faster. “Jack, I swear, if we´re chased yet once again because you got your hands dirty for a sword--’

“Not to worry, love,’ Jack said with a grin, skipping ahead of Will and walking backwards to face him. “With this sword, they´ll not lay a hand on us.’

*

Will watched Jack run his fingers over the blade of the sword, the moonlight reflecting off it´s shiny silver surface, glinting in the night. “Are you familiar with the Samurai, Will?’

Will blinked, ripping his gaze off of the blade and shifting his eyes to meet Jacks. “Of course.’

Jack smiled, looking back down at the sword. Lifting it up he examined it, running his hand along it´s length. Will watched him, wanting to mimic the movements. It certainly was a finely crafted sword.

“Legend says that this sword belonged to the Katai,’ Jack continued, his voice uncharacteristically reverent, soft in it´s seriousness. “It´s said to be the strongest sword ever made, forged in Mt. Fuji.’

Will frowned. “Mount Fuji?’

Jack nodded, locking eyes with him. “Tell of this sword is that it would cut anything in two, Will. Anything. Meat, food, human flesh.’ He paused, looking back at it. “Bone. With one flick of the wrist, Will, if legend is true, this sword would cut you in half.’

Will raised his eyebrows. “Then please. Keep it over there.’

Jack laughed, looking at him. “The Katai never used this in battle. Whispers of this sword had the bravest Samurai fleeing from battle, eager to get out of it´s path.’ He lowered the sword to his lap, turning his attention to Will. “But the strongest of the Katai turned on them. Consumed by greed, rage, or madness, he made his way through, killing everyone and everything it his path.’

Will sat down on a barrel across from Jack, now completely engaged in the tale. “Why?’

Jack frowned. “Were you not paying attention? No one knows why. But what turns most men, Will? Greed, rage, and madness.’

Will smiled, nodding. “Go on.’

“When all but one man remained standing, that man got this blade,’ Jack said, picking up the sword and holding it for Will to take. Will took it, feeling the weight of it, balancing it on his fingers as he waited for Jack to continue. “When he turned this on the mutineer, he cut him in two, William.’

Will´s eyes widened, and it briefly flashed in the back of his mind that he really shouldn´t believe this. Jack was known for his tall tales. But he was a good storyteller, so Will didn´t let it bother him. “It cut him in half.’

“It did indeed,’ Jack said, his eyes running over Will´s face.

Will frowned, staring down at the sword. “And why did you want this,’ he asked, looking back up at Jack.

Jack´s smile was grim, and it sent a chill down will´s spine. “Because, Will,’ Jack said, standing and walking over to stand in front of him, crouching to meet his eyes. “No man, woman, or child, will ever take my ship again.’

Will swallowed, looking down. “And if they tried--’

“Yes,’ Jack said, taking the blade from him. “If they tried, I´d cut them in half with this blade.’

Will looked up at him. “Jack. I don´t doubt that you would, but… Why this sword? What makes you think you need this sword to protect your ship?’

Jack smiled softly, walking over to the corner and stashing the sword behind some clothes. “I don´t,’ he said finally, turning back to face Will. “But it´s such a pretty sword.’

Will laughed, watching Jack walk back towards him. “So you made it up.’

“No, Will,’ Jack said, reaching the bed and bending his knees, straddling Will as he lowered himself on top of him. “The story is true. Or so the legends say.’ He reached up and ran his fingers down Will´s neck, eyes caressing his face. “I like to believe in these things Will,’ he said softly. “I like to think they´re true.’

“So you like the symbolism,’ Will asked softly, wrapping his arms around Jack´s waist, pulling him closer.

“They ran in fear at the mere whisper of the sword´s existence, Will,’ Jack said softly, eyes meeting his, drawing him in, rendering him motionless. “I like the sound of that.’

Will nodded, leaning forward and capturing Jack´s lips with his. “It could be true, you know,’ he whispered, lowering his mouth to Jack´s neck, licking a wet stripe up it to his ear. “Sometimes myths are only myths through the retelling.’

“An´ what makes you say that, love,’ Jack asked, his fingers tangling in Will´s hair, grinding his hips down in a slow arc against him.

Will looked up at him, lust flashing through his eyes. “Because you were a myth one, Jack Sparrow,’ he said softly. “But it turns out you´re man, just like I am.’

Jack pulled back, his eyes going wide. “A mere man,’ he scoffed, lowering his eyebrows and glaring menacingly at him. “That´s no way to speak to your captain, mate.’

Will just grinned and kissed him again.

Request:
Must have: a scene at night, a scene on land, a neat historical fact
Can't have: Jack's speech so piratee that you you can't understand
what he's saying, the death of either main characters (ie. Jack or Will),
dialogue quoting key/well known lines form the movie

Notes:
Honestly, I´m not sure if the legend of the Katai is a real legend, or a Smallville fabrication. It appears in the third season episode titled “Slumber,’ and when I watched it a while back, listening to Lex tell the story, I thought “my God, Jack Sparrow would fucking LOVE that.’ So. If this isn´t what you wanted by “a neat historical fact’, I apologize. I thought it fit nicely with Jack´s.