Chapter Text
(4 years ago)
The noise of this godforsaken inn makes Seonghwa's head hurt even before he steps over its threshold. Every face in the establishment turns towards him and his men—the silent scene follows next, almost too fragile to be true, until the pirates realize who this man is and rise from their seats, grabbing their weapons. The Officer sighs at their bullheaded stupidity.
"Hand us your captain, and I promise that the Governor will keep your heads intact," Seonghwa suggests, but his last words get muffled by the sudden outcries of enraged pirates running his way.
It always ends like that. Every time he tries to be lenient and give these people a chance, but every time they reject his generous offers, thinking that they can force it their way. The cacophony of a dozen blades dancing in the air deafens him for a second as his men react instantly, entertaining each of the scoundrels who dared to raise their swords in the faces of the renowned Royal Fleet Officers and the Head of the Marine Guard of the Pool himself. Seonghwa's face is unfazed when he assesses the hall of the inn, calculating its layout and figuring where the wanted man may be right now. It is as if gods themselves have heard his pleas, as the much-desired one-eyed muzzle steps out from the door that was hidden behind a black screen in the back of the inn.
The captain's expression is hard to read—probably due to his eye patch that covers a good half of his face—but as soon as he locks his eye with Seonghwa, his lips form a pleased smirk. He unsheaths his sword the next second, helping his crew members fight off the guards despite knowing that they probably came for him exclusively. Had he fled the establishment that very moment, they would have probably followed him and left the crew be, but, let's be honest, one pirate—no matter how lucky he is—will not survive in a battle against a dozen guards.
Smart ass.
Seonghwa makes a grip on his sword tighter when he proceeds through the inn straight to his objective. The swordswork of this man is praiseworthy: he easily leaves one of the guards in shambles, knocking the weapon out of his hands and pushing him straight onto the table, which breaks in half under his weight and buries the guard in the splendor of various refreshments. The small blond boy who was fighting with this guard before smiles brightly at his captain and bows to him with his head alone, but to Seonghwa, there is nothing cute in this scene: one of his men got hurt so easily because of this outlaw, and he can't just leave it like that.
The moment he appears behind the pirate's back—the moment when the blond boy's eyes widen and his lips barely form a hasty "Behind you!"—the world slows down. He notices how the captain's back tenses, how his blade glistens in the persistent sun rays that flood the inn through the dirty windows, and then... Only blinding flashes remain before his eyes, followed by a stinging sensation on his chest.
The time stops entirely around them when Seonghwa looks down at himself and sees his shirt cut into pieces, his skin bleeding in the places where the blade cut through the fabric. He would applaud the man for his incredible skills had he not basically humiliated him in front of his whole team with such a straightforward gesture. The pirate stills as well, biting his tongue and scrunching his nose.
"Please, accept my sincere apologies. I never meant to hurt you, Officer," he bowed slightly and added with a smile: "Just hated that shirt of yours."
"Don't bother," Seonghwa bites back. "Because I intended to hurt you tonight."
"Oh, let's hope that won't happen then."
This time, when Seonghwa knows what to expect, he blocks the attack immediately. Evidently, the pirate was holding himself back when fighting before, but with him, he decided to show his real, unrestrained abilities, and oh, did they make Seonghwa intrigued! It is understandable that any common pirate would have a much better fighting experience than most of the guards who spend their days on the land, leisurely patrolling the streets from time to time, but to what extent? How many battles did this man have to go through to reach that level of mastery?
This fight resembles a dance; a wild pasodoble where an agile and skillful matador tries to reason with an enraged bull. Or does he? It seems to Seonghwa that this man tries particularly hard to drive him even more insane than he already is, running around him and making the Officer's head spin instead of taking a fight properly. When he already feels sick to his stomach from their never ending battle, Seonghwa swings his sword powerfully around the opponent's blade, hitting it with all his might and making it fall to the ground with a loud thud.
"Oops," the pirate smiles sheepishly, hugging his injured arm. "Guess I'm at a disadvantage now... YEOSANG, NOW!"
The blond boy swishes his sword in an attempt to slash the Officer's back, but luckily, Seonghwa turns just in time to meet his attack with his sheath. Dirty trick. But, well, what was he expecting from pirates? Even if the boy is not as skilled, he is certainly a distraction that will win his captain some time, so the main outlaw rushes into his room the very second the Officer gets occupied with his crewmate.
"He is in the back room! Follow him!" Seonghwa orders, kicking the boy right in the stomach and watching as he slides down the wall, unconscious.
A couple of his men run towards the room, so their opponents turn their attention to Seonghwa, making him lose more of his precious time. But... it's practice, right? Yes, let's call it like that. He doesn't waste anything. His boys will take care of it.
When he reaches the room, he is already exhausted because of the noncompliant criminals, but his determination is unwavering. His boys managed to almost corner the pirate, but the vile fire in his eye told Seonghwa that he still had aces up his sleeve, and he couldn't let that happen that easily. He sees the huge hook on the ceiling, right above his head, which is probably used as a prop for some performances, and contemplates whether it will be able to hold his weight.
Ugh, to hell with it. He has only one chance.
He jumps up and grabs the hook with his hands, the amplitude setting the mechanism in motion and bringing him right to the opposite wall where his target stands, oblivious to the surprise that will hit him in just a few seconds.
"Get back!" Seonghwa screams, and his guards jump away instantly. The pirate, in turn, gets so overwhelmed when he turns his head that he stays glued to his spot just a second more than he should’ve, letting the Officer land straight on his shoulders and pin him to the floor with all his weight afterwards.
This crunch that he heard better be the sound of the wooden tiles and not this man's ribs, or he may kick the bucket even before his execution takes place.
Seonghwa ignores the pain in his ass due to an unlucky landing and quickly readjusts his limbs, blocking the pirate's arms with his shins and placing a sword at his neck.
"Three against one. That's a bit unfair," the disheveled man looks up at Seonghwa, carefully studying him with his right eye—the one that is not covered by an eye patch—and huffs lightly. His smile looks satisfied for some reason. "I guess it doesn't feel too bad to lose like that. It's a pity, though, that this fight was so short."
"If it isn't the notorious Pirate King himself," the gray-haired man completely ignores his words and only makes a grip on his sword tighter. "You have the last wish, Kim Hongjoong? I'm afraid no one will cater to your needs in the prison cell."
"What I wish for, huh?" the pirate smirks before swallowing a lump in his throat; the sharp blade grazes his Adam's apple. He never breaks eye contact with the Officer, only nods at the table and asks quietly: "May I have my last shot, Officer? I'm feeling a bit thirsty all of a sudden."
"Quenching thirst with liquor... How dumb," Seonghwa comments but still extends his left arm towards the small powney filled with dark alcohol to the brim and brings it to the pirate's lips, holding his chin up with one finger so as not to spill a drink.
The alcohol burns his throat and mouth, but this feeling somehow sobers him up, making him get back to reality faster. When the last drop escapes his mouth and travels down his lips and chin, he licks it up immediately, meeting the leather of the Officer's gloves with his tongue, and the sensation of it scorches him harder than the drink itself.
"I agree, Officer. I'm still thirsty," he mumbles under his breath and adds: "But I guess nothing can be done; I have wasted my last wish already. What are you going to do to me? Will you chain me up and take me to your cold dungeon now?"
"Dungeon?" Seonghwa repeats. "Oh, dear, I'm afraid they will not calm down until they see you headless."
"Oh... I will not look cute headless. It's my best decoration after all," Hongjoong pouts. "May I ask the Officer to be gentle with me?"
Seonghwa scoffs.
"It's not me who you need to be bargaining with. However, I suppose that nothing will be able to save your head anyway."
***
He is lucky to have Yunho in his life. It may be the peculiarity of his job, but Seonghwa comes off as quite a bold and cold type. He can easily pave the way with his power alone, but such a tactic works only on the battlefield. In real life, the almighty Fleet Officer needs someone more down to earth to carry on with mundane chores.
"Sir, what about this one?" the dark-haired young man asks with a smile, poking his finger in the direction of the tenth shoppe they passed this day.
Seonghwa purses his lips in displeasure.
"No, I don't want any adornments on it."
"But it's a fashion statement!"
"It's a fashion catastrophe, Yunho," the Officer shakes his head. "The simpler, the better. A classic silk one will do. No frills, no strings, no extra fabric. I should be able to easily concentrate on my work when I wear it, not think about the looks."
The shirt, yes. That pirate bastard tore it to tatters with his blade, leaving Seonghwa with an incomplete set of his uniform. Of course, as a guard, he was fully provided with clothing according to the country's standards, but the very second that new hemp shirt touched his skin, he felt a rash spreading through his whole body like a forest fire. He needed a new, nice piece as soon as possible, or he would lose his mind.
"Have you found it, sir?" Yunho asks out of context, his voice suddenly quieter than usual. "The thing that that pirate was meant to have."
"I did not," Seonghwa exhales warily, his fingers running through the chrome silver of his pomaded hair. "The intel was incorrect after all."
"So... what will you do next?"
"I suppose I should take a leave for a while and just go for it anyway."
Yunho stops in the middle of the street, completely shocked by a sudden, crazy revelation that he has just heard.
"Just go?!" he screams, attracting the attention of the passers-by. Seonghwa shushes him immediately. "But, sir, it's very dangerous! You don't have any idea where exactly the objective is situated. Besides, even if you are an experienced marine, traveling alone is unheard of!"
Seonghwa smiles after hearing his small tirade; it is unusual for him to feel like someone cares for him. The Officer turns into one of the alleys, where he sees a particularly civilized shoppe with almost no crowd around.
"Have I ever said that I would go alone? Naturally, I will find the crew first," Seonghwa assures his subordinate.
Yunho immediately strengthened his back.
"I will follow you, sir! Please, let me help you in your quest. It is only thanks to you that I could become a guard, despite being from a lower class. I want to return the favor. I— I will even help you search for the crew; there're some people I already have in mind."
"Alright," Seonghwa smiles. "I don't think I will find a better Boatswain than you. I trust your judgment, Yunho. But... wouldn't it be too easy for you to return the favor like that?"
"Easy, huh?" Yunho doubts, but slowly realizes: "You have received some other piece of intel, sir?"
"Hm... You may call it so."
The thin dress shirt, a perfect shade of white that will compliment his skin tone just right, catches his eye, and Seonghwa decides to take off his gloves and hang them on his belt to feel the fabric with his fingers. The silky material is soft and light, which will suit him well, and the price of it doesn't even faze him when he realizes that soon he will be able to finally breathe properly with no rash distracting him.
He raises his eyes, and his gaze stills on the tailored white coat that hangs on the opposite wall, its waistline accentuated with a black corset. Simple. Comfortable. Strict. Even somehow unusually attrac—
Seonghwa can't even finish his thoughts when he feels a sudden blow of wind that is followed by the sound of someone running. He looks down and notices that his gloves are gone, lost in the grip of a skinny boy who runs away into the next alley, hoping that the man won't follow him.
"The audacity!" growls the Officer and immediately follows the thief.
The chase is short; Seonghwa's long legs let him catch up with the boy in a few minutes. He kicks the outlaw in the rear, making him fall and kiss the ground. The Officer turns him on his back forcefully, tugging at his gloves in the boy's hand, but meets a sudden resistance: the thief has an iron grip and doesn't want to let go of his loot that easily. So Seonghwa unclasps his fingers, which makes him fall down again and hit his head painfully, and instead steps on his chest, beating all the air out of his lungs and pinning him to the ground.
"You have something that is mine, kiddo."
The thief only scrunches his nose in pain and opens his mouth in a silent plea to let go. His face is bony with prominent cheekbones and hollow cheeks, and the dark, raven hair that falls on his forehead bears a single stroke of light silver on his left side. The boy, barely of age, is clearly malnourished and poor; even his hair is already turning gray from the life he lingers on. Too pitiful even for a thief...
Seonghwa unsheaths his sword, and the boy tries to crawl back to avoid the attack, but the Officer never lets him retreat. The tip of the blade almost touches his chin when it gets caught by another pair of hands.
"Sir, please, don't hurt him!"
The voice belongs to a different boy who has just hidden the thief behind his back and has been trying to get ahold of a sharp blade in his palms. This one looked much more presentable, with flashy clothes and colorful makeup that emphasized his big chocolate eyes. Seonghwa would think that he was a young master of some wealthy family, wasting his adolescence in drinks, dancing, and the company of the most beautiful escorts of the town, but he wasn't blind. The boy's outerwear was tidy but clearly worn-out, the hemline of it was threadbare, with the print losing its initial colors. His hands were callous and dry, and the sweat-covered skin was nicely sun-kissed, shattering all the initial "affluent" allegations.
These two probably work together. The thief and the con artist. He has to be careful. But first...
"Give my gloves back," Seonghwa orders.
As soon as he pronounces these words, his eyes light up, the gleams of silver lingering on his irises for a mere second and disappearing quickly, followed by the boy's silent offering of his accessory. The thief's eyes look terrified; he stares at his hand in disbelief, as if it acted on its own accord, fully complying with the Officer's request. The other boy seems to notice his shock too, but when he turns his head towards Seonghwa, he finds only a satisfied smirk on his face. Yunho finally catches up with them, and the presence of another man gives the boy sudden confidence.
"Sir, there must have been some misunderstanding," he starts again. "He never meant to steal anything from you."
"He snatched it from my belt, didn't he?" Seonghwa hides his sword in the sheath, cleans his gloves from the dust, and puts them on. "Quite a bold move for a misunderstanding."
"Officer, I'm afraid they are right," Yunho coughs, trying to catch his breath. He swallows a lump in his throat and adds: "I saw him pick up something from the ground before you ran away. I suppose he thought someone discarded them..."
From... the ground?
Seonghwa was too immersed in his own thoughts to notice whether his things had indeed ended up on the floor. Could it be that these two really did not mean any harm?..
The Officer steps back, pursing his lips, and the "wealthy kid" immediately helps his friend sit up while dusting off his clothes.
"Why would anyone even take stuff from the ground?" Seonghwa mumbled to himself, but the skinny boy heard him anyway.
"I thought I could sell them. They... looked expensive."
"To sell an old cloth?" The Officer's eyebrows rise in shock. He tsks at them contemptuously. "If you want money, you have to work for it. Didn't your parents teach you that?"
The second boy's eyes light up with frustration for a second, but he quickly lowers his gaze so as not to offend the man by accident.
"We don't have parents, sir. But it's not like we don't have a job either," he answers through his teeth. Seonghwa must've hurt his pride with his comment.
Yunho bats his eyelashes a couple of times, coming closer to the pair of "con artists", and suddenly gasps.
"Sir, I've seen this boy before. It must be Young, the street performer! Wow, he is the talk of the town nowadays!" the guard seems to be extremely excited, as if he saw the King himself. "Young" only smiles back sheepishly, bowing slightly.
"Young"—what a cliché of a stage name... Calling yourself a "dragon" while looking like this is either a rather bold bluff or a pathetic joke. But then again, it may be just a part of his real name, or the hanja may stand for a whole different thing, so Seonghwa shouldn't get angry at him just for having the audacity to call himself like that.
"And what does he do? Con-tricks?" Seonghwa raises his eyebrow. In turn, "Young" keeps his eyes down, deciding not to provoke the angry guard even more.
"Sir, have you not seen his shows? The tightrope walking, the acrobatics, the juggling, even the fire eating—he can do it all."
The happiness in Yunho's eyes is so sincere that anyone can conclude that it's probably the best day of his life. Are these performers so popular nowadays? Is that how youth like to spend their free time? Of course, Seonghwa wouldn't know, being too lost in his training and administrative work.
"Are the shows not doing well these days? Why would you resell another man's belongings for a living?" the Officer asks with irony in his voice.
"Make hay while the sun shines," the performer concludes philosophically.
"So, are you saying that you are searching for some other job at the moment?" Yunho asks carefully and turns to the Officer, his expression suddenly exceptionally thrilled. "Because I have a job offer that you wouldn't be able to refuse."
"I refuse," Young answers straight away.
Seonghwa, who immediately understood his subordinate's intention and was firmly against this idea, got offended by such a quick response.
"You don't want a real job?" the Officer inquires.
"No," the boy bows politely.
"Why is that?" Seonghwa clenches his jaw. Is this kid trying to offend him with his refusal?
"Last time they asked me that I ended up on my knees in front of some oldfart, who San"—he nods at the boy behind him—"had to beat up for me. I can't injure my arms, or I will do badly during the performance."
Both guards freeze in their spots, trying to digest the information. Yes, the life of an orphan is rarely an easy one, but to hear such details with your own ears is more unsettling than casually discussing some juicy rumors with a cup of liquor in the hand.
Seonghwa clears his throat to attract attention.
"But you still put yourself in front of my sword without thinking just minutes ago," he reminded. The performer bit his lip, staring at his palms, which thankfully did not have any signs of cuts on them. "I suppose I should apologize for being so hot-tempered. I would never intend to hurt any of you, but when you appeared out of the blue, I could've injured you without realizing it. Let's forget about this incident."
The boy nods in turn, and Seonghwa adds indignantly, "And, by the way, how could you even assume such things about me? I'm a Royal Guard! Such a noble person would never stoop so low."
Both of the boys tsk in unison, as if they were in the exact same situation before.
"You will be surprised to know how much the power erodes the human soul, Officer," smiles the performer bitterly.
"Nah, Officer Park is not like that; don't worry about that," Yunho assures him and jokes, "I mean, the only time he will need you on your knees is when you will be scrubbing his deck clean."
Young bats his eyelashes, perplexed.
"Scrubbing your dick clean?"
"Deck. On a ship," explains Seonghwa, massaging his glabella in irritation. "Yunho, why are we even continuing this dialogue? It was a bad idea from the start. They probably can't even read or write; how would they serve on my ship?"
"Hey, did you just call us stupid?" San raises his voice, making some of the townspeople lean from their windows to witness the entertaining scene in their alley.
"Shut your mouth, puppy!" Seonghwa barks at him instantly. They already attracted way too much attention for his liking. "Didn't know you had such a loud voice. And quite sharp eyes for details as well, if you fell for my gloves. Hmm, maybe I could hire you after all, as a lookout for my crow's nest. Are you scared of heights?"
"How much do you pay?" licks his lips San, clearly nervous. Yunho smiles shortly and comes up to him, whispering something in his ear. Judging by how the boy's eyes became rounder and bigger, the wage was more than acceptable.
"We agree," nods Young. "But I still need to find some suitable gloves for myself. I'm afraid I will hurt my hands on your ship and won't be able to sustain myself anymore when our agreement comes to an end."
It was easy. Way too easy, actually, but a sudden idea revived Seonghwa's spirits, making him smile with anticipation. He realizes that he knows exactly who he wants on his ship.
"Not a problem," he answers. "I will provide you with anything needed. And... I have a pretty big collection of gloves, so I will give you the most expensive pair out of it as an apology."
Two pairs of eyes look at him with confusion, but he never grants them another glance. Instead, he leaves all the boring negotiations and explanations to Yunho and leaves the market with confident steps.
Yes, this person. Bingo. He will bring Seonghwa exactly where he wants to be.
***
The air here is especially humid. Seonghwa feels his lungs fill up with horrid smells of rot, fungi, and filth. This place smells like death. Like a cold breath of the recurring nightmare that clings to you with all its might, never letting its iron claws unclasp and set you free from its clutches.
Its residents are dead already. They still breathe only because they can't break this habit. Although some of them try to.
"What a lucky man," the prisoner says, his lips forming a sly smile when he sees the shadow of his visitor. "You must have heard that my cellmate joined the majority just an hour ago. Took my clothes without permission when I was sleeping, made a nice tight rope out of them, and threw it over his neck. Must be a pleasant feeling: being able to take full control of your life. He died anyway, but it was on his terms."
"Do you envy him?" Seonghwa raises his eyebrow.
The man behind the bars huffs ambiguously. He straightens one of his legs while sitting on the dirty floor and looks the figure of the guard up and down before his lips curl upwards.
"I like your corset, Officer. Looks much better on you than that plain shirt of yours. I must've ruined it for good that day."
He never answered his question. Such an easy one, and yet this man denied him his curiosity anyway.
But Seonghwa still bites his cheek at such a plain attempt at compliment.
"Didn't know pirates cared about fashion."
"Huh, can't pirates have hobbies? It gets quite boring sometimes when you get lost in the sea, so we gotta find something to do to pass time," the outlaw laughs and fixes his eye patch. His right eye never leaves the guard's body, as if he carefully mulls over something in his head. "Do you want some advice, Officer? That leather of your gloves should be paired with something. If I were you, my next tailored uniform would include a leather corset instead of a fabric one. It will be more thick and tough as well and will hug your waist just right, giving it extra protection."
The last thing Seonghwa expected from this meeting was a fashion lesson from a pirate. Kim Hongjoong is a peculiar fellow—a strange one, but extremely intriguing.
"Thank you for your valuable opinion," the guard answers indifferently. "Now, I have an offer for you."
"An offer?" the man inquires, his voice full of irony.
"You are free to refuse, of course," nods Seonghwa. "There is a ship that lacks a talented captain. I will help you escape the guillotine if you lend me your hand with the small journey of mine."
"Why would a renowned Fleet Officer ask for something like that of a filthy sea wolf, like me?" The pirate's voice is calm and quiet, and it almost sounds uninterested, as if he already knows the answer, just wants the guard to verbalize it.
"Because pirates don't ask questions."
Hongjoong smiles so brightly that he almost resembles a little, carefree boy for a second. He raises his arm in the air as if he wants to make a toast and bows his head lightly.
"It will be my pleasure to lend you my hand, Officer," he answers and nods at Seonghwa. "Will I get that sexy uniform of yours too?"
"I'm afraid you won't," the Officer huffs.
The pirate pouts for a second as he rises to his feet and comes closer to the gate, leaning on it on his forearms; his persistent one-eyed gaze lingers on the guard's frame just a bit too long than it would be deemed appropriate.
"That's a pity. I really like that corset."
***
Ever since Seonghwa was a child, he had this recurring dream: the huge waves of water were enveloping everything in their way, swallowing the people, the animals, the trees, the mountains, the whole lands with their famished mouths. He saw it time and time again, and at first, he was scared, but after witnessing it almost every other day, he got more intrigued than afraid. However, no one had answers to his questions.
He grew up in the suburbs of the Ridge, accompanied by an old couple that he called grandparents, although he was aware that they weren't related in any way. "Nanny" told him this when he was ten years old, but Seonghwa knew it even before that because they were different. They didn't have that silver in their eyes; they spoke in a dialect when they thought that the boy wasn't listening to them; and they never... talked to mountains, although they were surrounded by them.
When Seonghwa heard the rocks sing for the first time, his eyes turned wet from the emotions he thought he wasn't capable of. It was a sad, barely audible trill, like a swan song about losing something they could never get back. But as soon as he told his caretakers about it, thinking that they could help him save the mountain and spare it from its pain, they looked at each other intensely, as if having a silent dialogue.
It was not until his fifteenth birthday that his "grandpa" gifted him the book. It was an old, slightly torn manuscript that he initially thought was just another fairy tale that his caretakers liked to recite. It was about some country that had kings and queens, just like theirs, but they were so exceptional and the stories about them were so fascinating that Seonghwa couldn't stop himself from swallowing the whole book in one day. The ending was an unfortunate one: corruption, erosion, and God's retribution—it almost resembled these religious texts when he read about the Great Flood, and famine, and rebirth of the new nation.
...religious, huh? He surely read that somewhere else. Wasn't it one of the paragraphs of his old history book that had this excerpt about the Dragon Kingdom?
When he asked "grandpa" this question, he coughed awkwardly and handed him the last pages of the book Seonghwa was still holding, and it gave him the answers to all the questions he ever asked. He instantly remembered the tides that he saw in his dreams, the water that swallowed his home, his dreams, and his life, and the next thing he realized was that the mountains were never whipping about their loss but about his.
"It's your first life, Seonghwa," the old man smiled, wiping the stray tear on the boy's face. "Regardless of the choices of your parents, I can't keep you away from yourself for eternity. So if truth is what you seek, I shall let you go with a light heart."
The dry hand got lost in his light hair, and he saw his nanny's wrinkled face that was curling her lips in a soft smile.
"Find them," she nodded. "Those rocks covered with water. They will whisper to you and lead you to where you belong."
Breathing in the salt of the sea of the Pool and feeling the sunlight warm his eyelids now is probably the only thing in this world that still manages to bring him comfort. It is weird how this very water was also the one that flooded half of the Pool ages ago, along with his distant relatives' home, buring it six feet under. On the other hand, he knows that the sea is not to blame: it was simply washing away the sins of previous generations.
"What a beauty!" Hongjoong whistles yet again, caressing the polished wood of Seonghwa's ship. His next question makes the Officer successfully return to reality. "What's her name?"
"I don't know," Seonghwa answers genuinely after a while. "I bought it straight from the carpenter, so it had no name inscribed yet. I was short on time."
"Aurora," the pirate says matter-of-factly. "The beautiful goddess of dawn." *
The Officer crosses his arms over his chest, intrigued.
"Why?"
"Because of your hair."
"Huh?" Seonghwa ran a fist through his silver locks and asked again, "What is wrong with my hair?"
"It's gray. Don't you know the legend?" Hongjoong tsked, rolling his eyes, and continued without waiting for a reaction. "Aurora fell in love with a mortal, so she asked for him to be granted immortality. But she never asked for eternal youth, so when her lover started to age, she decided to save him from the torture she brought upon him unintentionally and turned him into a grasshopper."
"It's my natural hair color. I don't plan to die any time soon," Seonghwa explained. "And I don’t plan to dye either."
The Officer was so full of himself because of this quick-witted joke, but Hongjoong's mouth corners instantly dropped.
"Yeah, old man. I can already imagine how much fun I will have with you on this journey," he mumbled, kicking the sack with his belongings. "Show me my cabin, will you?"
"Pardon me, but due to the small size of the ship, I can't provide each member of the crew with their own cabin," he explained, bowing his head slightly. "You will share it with me. After all, I still have to keep an eye on you, so it's even rather convenient."
The pirate smirks in turn. Of course, this man wouldn't let him do whatever his heart desired. Even if he saved his ass, it was only because of a lucky coincidence, so it would be strange of him to expect that Seonghwa would suddenly change his principles as soon as they shook hands.
"Yes," he hisses quietly, accepting his fate. "Yes, Officer, please keep your eyes on me. I will be deeply hurt if your gaze wanders elsewhere in my presence."
"Sir."
Hongjoong reluctantly turns on his heels, willing to see who it is behind his back, and notices a quartet of men with a tall marine officer in the front. "Yunho". Although he never got into details, Seonghwa mentioned some of them previously, but the pirate knew for sure who this boy was. There was something about him, either in his demeanor or in his persistent eyes, that made him so exceptional.
"All of our people have arrived," Yunho reports to the Officer and nods behind his back. He puts his hand on the shoulder of another guard and introduces him. "You know Jongho already, sir. He will be our extra Navigator for this journey. Our Captain must be unaware, but this boy has a fantastic memory! Even Governor Kim was shocked with his abilities when he got to know that our Jongho had memorized all the nautical charts and maps of currents in just a week. We are lucky to have this prodigy on our team."
Seonghwa purses his lips, seeing the "prodigy" lower his eyes and bow politely to him without uttering a single word. Indeed, he is familiar with Jongho, and he was the first to notice his talents and hand him to Yunho for additional training. However, time passed, and the boy was getting more and more recognition; this is when he noticed how close he was to Kim Jaehwan, the Governor of the Pool. It hadn't been a day since he didn't spend at least an hour in the Governor's study, but no one knew what exactly these meetings were for.
However, Seonghwa has a guess.
He sees it in the Governor's eyes during his reports on the Great Hall meetings. He hears it in his caustic remarks to every Seonghwa's word. He feels it on his skin when this man passes by him. The coldness, the threat, the jealousy.
Seonghwa is sure that no one knows about his peculiar descent that dates back to the golden age of the ancient Dragon clan, the representatives of which were blessed with the gift of Divine Order due to which everyone recognized them as legitimate rulers, capable of submitting anyone to their will simply by looking into their eyes. By "no one", Seonghwa, of course, means "no one but Yunho" because he was careless enough to slip in his presence. He still remembers the fear in his eyes when he couldn't move a finger the second Seonghwa said, "Freeze!" to him. The sound of the metal clinging against the marble floor and the quick steps of someone running away sobered both of them back then, so the only thing the Officer could do was abuse this power once more and order the boy to catch the spy that was hiding behind the curtain and saw everything.
Jongho. It was this very boy who saw him show his true colors that day. Was it also him who told Seonghwa's secret to the Governor during one of their special meetings? Is he the main reason why Kim Jaehwan sees him as a threat now?
It's okay, though. If Seonghwa succeeds in this journey, he will vanish from their lives forever anyway.
"I instructed Wooyoung and San on the minimum they need to know, so we won't lose any precious time on that," Yunho smiles politely, and the Officer notices two pairs of cautious eyes behind his back.
"Good. I have only a week for this journey, so it was very convenient of you."
"You're the Head of the Marine Guard, sir. It's only natural to be reluctant about letting go of such a high-ranking officer for too long."
Indeed. The most precious dogs should always stay beside their owners. But the same goes for the most dangerous ones. And Seonghwa can literally feel the tug of a leash around his neck.
"Th-the Head?" Young, or should we better say Wooyoung, bats his eyelashes in astonishment. Yunho smiles with genuine pride for his senior, but the next boy's phrase wipes it away instantly. "Hey, then you could've paid us in real estate! Now I feel like I got scammed!"
"He is joking, sir." The other boy, San, hides his friend behind his back as soon as he sees the Officer's eyes light up with a familiar angry glint.
"I love your team already," Hongjoong laughs his ass out at this skit and steps up closer to the newcomers, squeezing Wooyoung's shoulder lightly. "I'm sorry, honey, but the most valuable asset on this ship is me, your Captain; thus, my remuneration is the biggest. But I'm sure our noble Marine Guard will tip you nicely after a successful mission. So, let's work together for it to manifest into reality quickly."
Wooyoung smiles sheepishly at the pinkie finger that the Captain offers him to seal their cute little deal, which he does, just because this man seems like a cool older brother to him. Hongjoong gives a high-five to the other boy too before his attention shifts to the most quiet one, Jongho, whom he lightly taps on the shoulder to get his attention.
"So, you must be my Third Mate," the Captain chuckles, looking at the serious chocolate drops of the boy's eyes. "I suppose we should have a meeting to make sure we are on the same page and plan our route properly. Let's leave all the boring rigging to your seniors and have a talk, shall we?"
Jongho nods uncertainly, casting a quick glance at Seonghwa as if asking for his permission, and the Officer clears his throat immediately, making Hongjoong turn his attention to him.
"Don't you think you forgot something?"
"Did I?" the Captain wonders.
"Your crewmates."
The only thing that Hongjoong asked for (apart from the share of the loot they would stumble upon) was to bring his two trusted men with him. The Surgeon and the Carpenter—the most vital crewmates that can save your ass in the most shitty situations you may find yourself in. Although he had no problem with their Carpenter being a pirate, Seonghwa was certainly reluctant to let an outlaw be their Surgeon. But Hongjoong insisted that the boy has saved his life more than once, and he can trust no one but him for this job, even though he had no formal training or hospital experience. They were doomed.
"Ah, my boys?" the Captain smiles. "They are already here. You didn't notice?"
"You were right, Captain! It's the most beautiful ship I ever worked on!" the low voice was heard above their heads before its owner jumped off the mast and landed right in front of them. "Would be a pity if it got scratched along the way, but I promise that I'll keep it afloat anyway."
The orange-haired young man smiles widely and stretches his calloused hand towards Seonghwa for a handshake, but as soon as he notices the barely concealed disgust on the Officer's face, he coughs awkwardly and already wants to withdraw his hand when Yunho shakes it instead.
"Thank you," the Boatswain answers. "I'm sure we will have a safe journey thanks to you."
"Mingi is sure as hell talented, but first and foremost, you will have a safe journey thanks to my Yeosangie," Hongjoong breaks their handshake with his palm and whistles loudly, making a small blond boy instantly appear from the cabins.
That's him. The little rascal who Seonghwa beat up that night when he arrested "the Pirate King" and his crew. Of course, he seemed weaker than other pirates: he wasn't a fighter but a doctor. "Yeosangie" made a polite 90-degree bow to all the men on the deck before introducing himself quickly and hiding behind the Captain, as far as possible from Seonghwa's scorching gaze. Thus, they were done with introductions, so there was no need to waste any more time on chit-chat: the quest was there to be uncovered, inviting them into its tempting iron embrace.
***
"Wow, this is so cool! I can't even move a finger. You must be insanely good at macramé!" Mingi wonders excitedly when he sees how easily both of his arms can be bound and immobilized with just a single roll of rope.
"Macramé... Yeah," Yunho chuckles in turn, his tone full of irony when he ties the last knot and lets the other man inspect his finished work.
With Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Jongho taking shifts at helm, the only rigger that could assist Yunho with sails was Yeosang. But the two of them were not fast enough for Yunho's liking, so when Mingi volunteered to learn the basics of rigging, the Boatswain was more than delighted to spend some time teaching him a few tricks and tips. They didn't want to disturb Jongho on his duty and mess up the sail tuning, so the only thing that was left was to improvise.
"Alright, let's review what we have learned today. Name at least three types of knots that I just did," Yunho asks.
"Ughhhhhh," the redhead hesitates. "I can't really point to anything in this state, so would you mind doing it for me?"
The Boatswain lets out an awkward laugh, realizing how dumb his request was, and tugs at the rope around the other man's left wrist.
"This one," he asks.
"Oh, I know!" Mingi exclaims excitedly. "It's a clove hitch. The 'x' shape is too peculiar here. Captain uses it for fender whips."
"Well done," Yunho smiles in turn and immediately points to another one. "What about this?"
"Easy! It's two half hitches. But I call it a 'bagel'. You put it over a clove hitch, and it keeps it even more secure."
"A bagel, ahahaha. Alright, thus far, your memorization methods are working nice."
Yunho's laugh suddenly halts when he notices someone with his peripheral vision. Wooyoung, who was fishing all day long, has finally washed, scaled, and sliced all the catch, a portion of which is now resting comfortably on the tray in his hands. He comes up to the pair of men, raising his eyebrow with a silent question, but Yunho gives him exactly the same look, nodding at his feet before the boy even manages to say a word.
"Why are you barefoot?"
All day long, and even now, Wooyoung is still ignoring the basic rules that the Boatswain informed him of before boarding the ship. Wearing shoes and a hat were among them, but both were rejected and forgotten instantly.
"It's comfy," the boy shakes his shoulders.
"It's dangerous," Yunho rolls his eyes, but Wooyoung mirrors him, tsking.
"Cutting the blood flow is dangerous."
"He is relaxed. It will be okay."
"Huh? Should I be tense?" Mingi suddenly straightens his back, but Yunho soothingly taps on his knee and shakes his head with a soft smile.
"What I mean is that most of the knots that I demonstrated are used by sailors because they easily tighten when pressure is applied to them. The more you struggle, the tighter the knot is. Works perfectly for sails, which are always trying to wriggle away due to the wind."
Mingi opens his mouth in a silent "ah" and tries to move his arms a bit more to feel what Yunho has told him about. But as soon as the rope actually tightens, the "ah" can stay silent no more.
"Dummy," Yunho whispers softly, snatching a knife from his sheath and cutting the tight piece of rope. The red line on his forearm is quickly covered by the Boatswain's thumb, which rubs away the unpleasant sensation.
Wooyoung's face is the epitome of "I told ya", but instead of nagging, he picks up a piece of sashimi from the tray with chopsticks and offers it to Mingi, who instantly munches on the chef's compliment.
"How is it? Not too bland? Should I add more salt?" the boy wonders.
"No, it's perfect," Mingi tries to show thumbs up but belatedly remembers that his arms are bound, so he just smiles sheepishly in turn.
"Can I have a taste too?" Yunho bats his eyelashes childishly, and Wooyoung smirks at him.
"Of course! Say 'ah'."
Yunho opens his mouth, like a little birdie waiting to be fed, so Wooyoung twirls the next piece of fish in the air, but as soon as it reaches the Boatswain's face, it changes trajectory and flies towards Mingi again. The Carpenter has no objections, so when his piece ends up in Mingi's mouth, Yunho's face turns unimpressed.
"Wow, didn't know that you were a bully," the guard pouts.
"You're just too cute. Here," Wooyoung smiles widely and finally feeds Yunho too. The satisfied look on his face lets the cook know that he indeed did a good job. "I'll give you more only after you untie him. Be quick; dinner is waiting."
The boy quickly retreats, taking the tray with him, and Yunho's stomach instantly grumbles, so he turns to his student with a smile and starts to undo the knots.
"We will continue after the meal," he promises, but the last bit of his sentence gets drowned by the sudden skirmish.
The voices of their Captain and the Officer are trying to outcry each other and get louder and louder until both of the men appear on the deck. Hongjoong steps back with a usual smirk on his face and a whole crate of alcohol in his arms, while Seonghwa stays unimpressed by both and snatches one of the bottles in order to inspect it properly.
"I don't think that it's rubbing alcohol," he comments critically. "What is a box of rum doing in our surgeon's supplies?"
"Officer, don't you know? Rubbing alcohol is long forgotten. Rubbing rum—that's the new black!" Hongjoong laughs out loud and adds, "I prefer rubbing it between my chest and back, if you know what I'm talking about."
"I don't condone alcohol on my ship. Throw it away. Right now."
"Oh, c'mon!" the other man whines. "I have a stressful job. Last time, I almost got beheaded! I need to cope with it somehow."
"You can meditate instead," Seonghwa comments caustically, tugging on the crate and trying to snatch it away from the pirate.
"Me?" Hongjoong screams. "I don't have time to sit down; what are you talking about?"
"I will hire you a herbalist when we return," Seonghwa promises.
The tug of war doesn't take long because a couple of bottles sneak away from the crate, falling on the deck and smashing into pieces. Seonghwa takes advantage of the Captain freezing in his spot in pure shock and rips the box from his arms, instantly throwing it overboard. Hongjoong already opens his mouth to express all his indignation, but Wooyoung interrupts their skirmish by running up from the cabins.
"What's the fuss abou— FUCKING HELL!"
The boy doesn't finish his question, stepping right into the shattered glass and falling on his ass, unable to stand still anymore. It is only now that Seonghwa notices that Wooyoung was barefoot, so the couple of sharp pieces get easily stuck in his sole, coloring his skin red.
"Don't touch it!" Seonghwa orders, getting closer to the boy and checking whether only his foot got hurt. Wooyoung clenches his teeth to stop himself from crying, but thankfully he doesn't make any rashed motions anymore. "Yeosang, come here with your kit! Quickly! San, get down here too! Clean the deck! Fuck, why would you... Ugh, nevermind."
The Officer shakes his head. There's no need to reprimand after everything happened; Wooyoung must've already learned his lesson, so additional nagging is of no use. Seonghwa wonders whether it will be comfortable for Yeosang to tend to him here, so he puts the boy's arm around his neck and lifts him up on his arms, bringing him to the bench instead and sitting him on it.
"What happened?" Yeosang asks, but waves his hand as soon as he sees Wooyoung. "I told you, dear. You don't listen to your Captain or to his mates, then listen to the doctor at least."
"You're not even a doctor," Wooyoung hisses, his teeth still gritted.
"Huh?" the blond raises his eyebrow. "Should I leave these pieces in your foot then?"
"Shut up and do the job," Seonghwa bites back instead of Wooyoung, and the Surgeon quickly lowers his head, not daring to go against his order. The Officer notices how San awkwardly stands behind his back, trying to make sure that everything is fine with his partner in crime, but Seonghwa hisses at him too. "And why are you standing still? I told you to clean up. Do you want someone else to get hurt as well?"
San's shoulders droop, and he reluctantly staggers away to pick up the mop. The wording of that last question was off: it almost seemed like it's San who is responsible for this incident, when in reality it is all Seonghwa's fault. He could've dealt with the shattered glass immediately; he could've been more agile and prevented the bottles from falling in the first place; he could've proved himself to be more authoritative in Wooyoung's eyes and persuaded him to listen to all his words as if they were Holy Scripture; he could've ordered him at the very least.
"It's not a big trauma, sir. There's no need to be burning a hole in me," Yeosang notes, taking the last piece out and cleaning the wounds. "You see? Just a couple of cuts."
Everyone is probably now thinking that he made a fuss out of nothing. What's wrong with having a box of rum on a ship led by a Pirate King? What's so serious about glass cuts when no one is dying of blood loss? Yes, they may be right. But this ship belongs to Seonghwa. And this crew was gathered by him. So he expects them to follow his rules from A to Z.
"San?" Seonghwa calls the "cabin boy" once again.
"Yes, Officer," he flies to the man instantly.
"Bring his shoes."
With his foot nicely treated and bandaged, the boy already wants to stand up, but the Officer pushes him back on the bench and takes the pair of shoes from San, putting them on Wooyoung and diligently working on the shoestrings.
"Sir, you don't need to do that. My hands are fine; I can tie them myself," Wooyoung mumbles cautiously.
"No," Seonghwa refuses. "I will tie them so that you won't be able to take them off easily."
"Huh? Do you want me to sleep in shoes too?"
The Officer rises to his feet, evaluating his work, and hums, satisfied, stepping away from the boy.
"I will untie them only before bedtime," he ensures Wooyoung and then turns to his Boatswain. "Yunho, don't you dare teach him anything that concerns rigging. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," the guard nods.
"Now, I suppose everyone learned the lesson today," Seonghwa turns to his crew, looking into all of their faces one by one. "When I say you should do something, you do it. No questions asked. No objections posed. Am I clear enough?"
"Yes, sir," the men agree in unison.
He stays silent for another second, making sure that everyone understands the importance of this pep talk, and then turns away, tapping their Navigator on the shoulder.
"Jongho, you may rest. I shall take the post."
The dinner passed without any accidents: in fact, everyone was too quiet and well-behaved for their own good that Seonghwa even started to get annoyed by it. Wooyoung turned out to be a talented cook, and the rest of the crew didn't forget to praise his fishing and scaling skills before shyly stealing more pieces of chewy sashimi and gulping it with an additional portion of rice.
It is when Hongjoong suddenly gets up that the Officer wonders, "Where are you going?"
"To the town," he answers and pats Wooyoung on the head as a thank you. "There's this tavern that I like, so it would be unforgivable of me to not visit it while we're still on this island."
"A tavern? Aren't you on duty tonight?" Seonghwa raises his eyebrow.
"Yeah, but my most precious crewmate, Yunho, agreed to switch our shifts," the pirate blows a kiss to the guard, who smiles in turn and nods quietly. "Thank you, kind soul, once again."
Unbelievable! He has just lectured them about abiding by the rules, and the first thing they do is bend them to their liking! Not to mention that going to the tavern would first and foremost mean "getting drunk". This man wasn't able to sneak liquor on the ship, so he decided to do it the old-fashioned way. What the—
"Have a good night, everyone!" Hongjoong waves them goodbye, and Yeosang shouts at him to bring something tasty on the way back.
With Hongjoong gone, the atmosphere turns even more grim, so Seonghwa excuses himself and leaves after thanking the cook. Yunho finds him on the deck in a minute, and his eyes show genuine surprise.
"You won't follow him?" he asks, and Seonghwa understands that he's talking about Hongjoong.
"Follow? Why?"
"Aren't you afraid that he will run away at the first opportunity?"
The edge of Seonghwa's lips lifts up slightly, almost resembling a smile.
"No," he reassures his subordinate and counts on his fingers. "First, his teammates are still here. Second, he is motivated to stay. Third, he has nowhere else to go."
"Why are you so sure about that?" Yunho still wasn't convinced.
"Haven't you read the report?" the Officer raised his eyebrows. "His previous crewmates wanted to overthrow him. That night, when we came to book them, they actually waited until the Captain would get drunk, so they could cut his throat and change the leader, who wouldn't be as soft during their raids as him."
Oh, that explains a lot. The first thing that seemed so weird to Yunho was the way Hongjoong never showed any desire to flee, as if he wanted the Guard to teach his crew some lesson and get them arrested as a cherry on top. On the other hand, the crew didn't care about his well-being either, saving only their own butts during the fight: Yeosang was the only one who dared to face Seonghwa in order to protect the Captain and give the Guard a bit of a hard time.
"You think he knew about their plans?" Yunho huffs in realization.
"The only person he saved out of all those men was Yeosang. I suppose he was the one who told him," the Officer confirms his assumptions. "And that's one of the reasons why he didn't run away: he used us to avenge them. Now, all of them have their little fingers cut off and are unable to wield swords anymore, but he is still a Captain, safe and sound, on a ship of a respected Marine Guard. He couldn't sleep on that opportunity, and he won't trade it for anything else in the future either."
On the way back to his cabin, Wooyoung tugs Seonghwa on his sleeve, nodding at his shoes, so the Officer spends another couple of minutes untying his laces in deafening silence, which is interrupted only by Wooyoung sulking that the elder doesn't let him watch this process and learn new things. He overhears how Seonghwa huffs in slight amusement when he rises to his feet to take the blindfold off the boy's face, which he tied just in case this sneaky little bastard would memorize his movements. The man steps back and nods goodbye silently, but as soon as he turns around, he notices San in the doorframe, who looks like he's daydreaming, his eyes completely unfocused, before he bats his eyelashes and steps out of the Officer's way to let him leave.
Seonghwa nods at him too, lightly pulling on the doorknob once and twice, and thrice, but the strange door doesn't shut no matter how much he tries. What is that? Should he call Mingi to check whether some deformation occurred there?
"The door won't close. It's okay, Officer. Just leave it like that," he hears San's voice from the inside of the room. "It's easier to breathe at night when it's open anyway."
Right. They don't have a window in this cabin, so it must be quite inconvenient. Huh, wait, what is he even thinking? They should be thanking him for being provided with their own space! Any other person in his shoes would have saved up on accommodation, but he was kind enough to choose a ship with four individual cabins instead of one huge hold!
Seonghwa is so caught up in his thoughts that he remembers that he doesn't need to leave the hold only when he has already opened the door. So he shuts it back and turns on his heels, ready to head straight to his cabin and get lost in the myriad of maps, when he hears Wooyoung's voice.
"Fascinating."
This one little word makes him freeze in his place and get as quiet as possible, hoping that these two won't notice that he's still there, just at an arm's length from their door.
"What?" San asks, and the sound of the springs tells him that the boy has just sat on his cot.
"How easily these marine fellows can complicate your life just by moving their fingers a couple of times," Wooyoung explains with a smirk in his voice. "Have you seen what Yunho was doing today?"
"Do you mean their rigging session with Mingi? Yeah, I watched them from the crow's nest."
"Didn't it make you want to learn it as well?"
"Why? To untie your shoelaces behind his back?"
His? Were they talking about Seonghwa in the third person? And why does it feel so uncomfortable to listen to it? Yes, he should definitely stop doing whatever he is doing now and work out how to leave unnoticed.
"I don't think that Yunho was thinking about sails when he tied Mingi's arms," Wooyoung snickers. "He can fool him, but not me."
The springs squeak yet again, and Seonghwa can hear someone shift on the bed, followed by San's caustic mumbling, "Don't tell me that him tying the strings got you excited as well."
"If that's what you want, my lips are sealed."
...
...
What? Did he just..?
"I would never want that," the other boy answers, and his last words get muffled by a wet kissing sound. "Besides, I do feel you. Such a gorgeous man on his knees for you: anyone's heart would flutter."
It's not that Seonghwa is unaware of his being objectively attractive and accomplished, but hearing about it in such a sultry tone definitely was not something he would expect. Would any of them ever dare say it to his face, though? Probably not.
"I liked seeing him care about you. Maybe he really is a misunderstood softie," San wonders in a murmur.
"Wow, that would be exactly my type," the other boy giggles and then adds in a lower tone, "But I gotta say, when he lifted me up, his body felt quite hard for a softie."
San huffed loudly.
"Are you trying to make me jealous or envious?"
"Why not both?"
"You're my nightmare," the brunet sings with a soft smile. "I love you."
The moist sounds of kissing and clothes ruffling are enough for Seonghwa to conclude this eavesdropping session and tug on the main door to the hold, opening and closing it with a loud thud, as if he just returned and hurried through the hall to his cabin, trying not to glance at the seductive opening of the first door to the right.