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chaseatinydream · 3 years

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pirate king (35) || atz

You’re standing on the forecastle deck of the ship, watching as bow slices through the waves.

The ship skims over the choppy waters smoothly, but you’re so lost in thought you don’t even notice how some of the boys are lingering at the forecastle deck stairs, glancing at you worriedly as they speak in hushed voices.

You haven’t said a word since you woke up from unconsciousness a day ago, heading straight to Captain’s cabin and begging him to let you travel to the spot the map indicated. Hongjoong hadn’t hesitated to agree, but he couldn’t help but be concerned at the heavy look on your face, as if there was a massive weight on your shoulders.

Confusion settles on your mind like sea fog that refuses to lift. You have so many unanswered questions that confuse you to no end.

Golems were supposed to be made out of clay, but you were made of flesh and blood. You didn’t know how it was possible, perhaps the heart that the man had given you in your dreams did truly change you into a human being, but then why would he do so?

He warned you about something… How they didn’t understand? Who was they? You remembered from your dreams your previous self had said something about not telling them because they wouldn’t understand, but who was they and why would they not understand? Why would they think you were trapped?

What was the plan he had been talking about? Did your previous self agree to something with him? And why was he so happy that you had gotten a name? Your previous self must have had a name as well. How did he make you forget what he was? He…

Then you pause in confusion at your own train of thought.

What he is… not his name.

Why did you think such a weird thing?

“Chin Hae?”

You’re startled out of your thoughts to see your master standing at your side, Yunho and Wooyoung trailing behind him like lost puppies. The air is starting to get cold, you realise, and you shiver a little. Wooyoung takes your hand and puts it in his pocket, fingers stroking soothingly along the back of your hand.

“Thanks, Wooyoung-hyung.” You say. The head gunner is obviously worried, but he forces his face into a cute pout as he looks at your unbound hair flying with the wind, one hand reaching up to brush the errant strands from your forehead.

“You’ve stopped wearing the hairpin.” He says a little sadly as his hand falls back to his side, the shackles on his wrists jingling slightly. You feel guilty for a moment, fingers brushing the hairpin where it’s secured in your belt once more.

“Yeah… after that kid stole it, I’m not sure I dare to wear it in my hair. I can’t afford to lose it.” You tell him and he gives you an uneasy smile, torn between understanding why you want to keep it safe and wanting to see you wear it. Before he can say anything more though, Yunho glances at the expanse of sea before you.

“We’re reaching soon, aren’t we?” His voice is unusually grim. You can see the sky starting to darken, way too fast for it to be any sort of natural storm. The sea waves are starting to get more choppy and rough, and the deck is pitching and rolling more dangerously than what you’re used to. San almost loses his balance at one violent heave of the deck but Yunho catches him with the reflexes of a cat, sharp eyes focusing on what lies ahead.

Sharp, rocky outcrops break the horizon just slightly, black shapes jutting out from the sea. You swallow nervously as you glimpse the lightning flashing above head, before the rolling thunder startles you into a jump. Wooyoung steadies you by the arms before you pitch yourself into the sea in fright, wincing himself against the volume of it. It sounds like cannonfire right next to your head and for a moment, your ears ring as if there are bells swinging back and forth in your skull.

San gulps as he looks forward. “So… that’s the sea witch’s lair, huh?”

“Yes.” Yeosang answers from behind and all four of you whirl around to look at the navigator, who’s just joined you on the forecastle deck, boots stepping unevenly on the deck as he fights to keep his balance. He grips the railing tight, surveying the jagged rocks before you with a grim expression. “I can’t believe that map was right. No one has ever made such a detailed map of the sea witch’s lair before.”

You chew your lower lip as you recall who exactly had given you the map. Who on earth is that mysterious man? How did he know where the sea witch’s lair would be? How can he change form, from a man to a boy? What exactly is he?

“Only people in great desperation can find the sea witch, as her lair lies hidden in a magical realm of the sea in which mortals cannot find. The entrance is rumoured to be off the coast of several uninhabited islands in the Atlantic, guarded by the sirens and fierce tidal straits rip through the waters, smashing any ship that dares pass through.” Yeosang recites from memory, fingers tightening around the bulwarks. You can see the muscles in his shoulders wound tight from nerves. “Well… this definitely fits the description.”

You’re terrified too.

Wooyoung squeezes your hand tightly. We’ll be fine.

You nod, trying to calm your racing heart.

I hope so.

The island draws closer and suddenly tumultuous winds are whipping around the ship, unbridled and unchecked like wild horses, causing the ship to heave to the side. Your heart drops in your chest as you hear the creaking of the main mast and you whirl around to stare at it in horror.

“Wooyoung, Yunho, Chin Hae, to the ropes! Lower the mainsail before our mast breaks!” You hear Mingi shout over the storm gale, and just when you open your mouth to answer him, you taste rainwater on your tongue.

You glance upwards in shock and the heavens open, rain slashing down upon you and drenching you to the bone in mere seconds. The ship pitches and rocks side to side like a toy boat being tossed about on the waves, but Wooyoung manages to catch onto the bulwarks, pulling you into his chest.

San isn’t so lucky, however. Your mouth opens in a scream as you watch your master nearly get tossed over the side to the waves before Yunho catches him by the back of the shirt. Relief floods you, but you know this storm is far from over.

“Thank you!” San screams over the sharp whistling of the wind, but Yunho shakes his head grimly, sopping wet hair plastered to his forehead.

“Don’t thank me just yet.” He says in a sombre tone, face just as dark as the sky above him. He turns to you and Wooyoung. “Can you two manage the sails while I make sure San and Yeosang get to the sickbay safe?”

Wooyoung nods, body swaying with the violent movements of the ship. “We got it.”

You see the navigator clinging onto the railing, much like you and Wooyoung are, shivering from the freezing winds. Yunho grabs Yeosang by the scruff of the neck as well, holding two humans under his arm as he drags them down the forecastle deck stairs.

Then the ship pitches wildly once more out of nowhere and you hear a crash on the main deck, followed by shouts of pain and surprise from Yunho, Yeosang and San. You wince in sympathy.

“Ouch.”

Wooyoung shakes his head, yanking you forward by the arm. “Now’s not the time to worry about that!” The two of you dash across the deck, slipping and sliding on the wet floorboards and struggling to stay on your feet from the bucking motions of the ship, but you eventually reach the main mast, panting for breath.

Your partner glances back at you as his hands secure themselves tightly to the rigging. “You alright, Chin Hae-”

But before he can finish his squestion, the ship is rolled by a mountainous wave. A wall of water crashes into your body and you feel as if you’ve been punched by a giant fist, for a moment you briefly wonder if the ship has already capsized as you’re submerged in the sea. Through the chaos and unearthly, ghostly screams you hear, your fingers cling on tight to the rigging, refusing to let go.

If you do let go, you’re dead.

Then the water falls away and you’re gasping for air like a fish out of the sea, completely exhausted from the experience as you wipe your eyes with the back of your sleeve and spit seawater from your mouth. The deck floods and foams with water and you see several other of your crew mates struggling to gain their bearings as they recover from the massive wave.

“The sea witch’s magic must be interfering with Captain’s blessing.” Wooyoung spits, before he reaches over and shakes you. “Chin Hae, we need to get to furl the mainsail! Hurry!”

You snap out of your shock from the near death experience and immediately begin scaling the rigging as fast as you can. Hand over hand, you fall into the familiar motion of climbing the mast, even if this time the ropes are whipping around beneath you. Wooyoung is much faster, sliding up the ropes with so much ease he looks like he’s gliding, but even you can see the way his knuckles are clenched tight, the tight set of his jaw shows you the strain he’s under.

When he reaches the top, he reaches down to help you up, and then the two of you are clinging to the main mast as it swings about violently in the wind.

If you thought the deck had been pitching around like mad, it was nothing compared to the top of the mast. For a moment, nausea crests in you and you nearly throw up, but then you force it down and glance at Wooyoung.

He shouts something, but it’s lost over the roar of the storm. You see another wave crest over the ship and sweep across the deck, nearly washing a man overboard. Your captain stands at the wheel, battling the fierce undercurrents as he fights to keep the ship on course.

The sea is black and boiling beneath you, white froth outlining the massive waves as they pummel the ship from all directions. You’ve never seen the ocean act this way in all your time at sea, but then again, this must be the fearsome work of the witch.

“-hin Hae! Chin Hae!” You hear Wooyoung’s voice and glance at him, his face is pale and bloodless but his jaw is set in determination. “We’ve got to undo the ropes! You take one side and I’ll take the other!”

You nod grimly.

Then the two of you move to the halyards, knowing that you have to unsnag the ropes caught there to drop the sail. The wind howls in your ears, blocking out all sound, but you focus on your goal and continue inching towards the block and tackle, drawing a short knife from your belt to cut the rope free.

Your fingers are numb from the cold and from terror, but you put the blade’s edge against the rope and saw as fast as you can. The wind tugs at you and your clothes, a thousand invisible hands trying to pull you into the sea. You can only brace yourself the best you can and continue your work, to your elation, you feel the fibres snapping one by one beneath the knife.

Finally, the rope splits and the yardarm drops, the sail furling of its own accord. You and Wooyoung meet each other’s eyes and exchange sighs of relief, but it’s short lived.

Because the ship is hit by another massive wave, bigger than the first two, and you’re jerked off the yardarm.

For a moment, you’re suspended in mid air. The ship. The sky. The sail. The sea. They all swirl around you as you plummet down, and in your ears, like a distant cry, you can hear Wooyoung scream your name.

“Chin Hae!”

Then something catches you roughly by the shirt and drags you into the rigging, which your hands instinctively grab onto, your heart racing a million miles an hour as you try to snap out of your shock.

“You’re lucky I caught you!” Yunho shouts over the roar of the wind, clinging onto the ropes right next to you. You barely manage a nod, still lacking the capacity of mind to form words to thank him properly for saving your life. You’ll be grateful later.

“Let’s get down.” The battlemaster calls and you nod, desperate to get back to the relative safety of the deck. You slide down the ropes as fast as you can, holding onto them desperately. Your feet touch wood and it takes every ounce of self control not to kiss the deck out of sheer happiness.

Then Wooyoung is next to you and pulls you into his chest, arms wrapping around you tightly as you finally start to sob, your tears mixing with the rain until you can’t tell which is which, he whispers soothing words into your ears as his hand strokes your hair. Yunho joins the two of you, hugging both of you to his chest, glad that you’re both alive.

All of a sudden, the storm stills.

It’s as if someone has cut off everything. The rain stops instantly, the wind stills, the sea is no longer trying to capsize the ship, even if they are still battering it from all sides. For some reason, this unnerves you more than the storm itself, because who could possibly have the power to control the seas at their mere will?

“What’s happening?” Yunho breathes, letting go of the two of you to survey the surroundings for a moment. The rocky island is growing ever closer, and from here, you now see it’s the entrance of a massive cave in the middle of the ocean.

The sea witch’s lair.

There’s murmurs of relief around you as the crew almost collapse onto the deck, exhausted from their battle against the ocean. They’ve only survived because of the ocean’s mercy, not because they were strong enough to be victorious over it.

The ocean is truly terrifying.

You hear the click of your captain’s boots as he descends from the quarterdeck, studying the seas before them. His mullet is plastered to the back of his neck from the rain and his red jacket is soaked, but his eyes are still gleaming fiercely as he fixes his eyes on the island. A scowl twists on his face.

A curse escapes him.

“Why the long face, captain?” Yunho nudges him worriedly. Usually the battlemaster says that as a joke, but he can feel the tension in the air even without his captain speaking. Hongjoong clenches his jaw and you lean forward, wanting to know exactly why your captain is so on edge.

“Yunho, go to my cabin and get the earplugs.”

At that, Wooyoung stiffens behind you as he glances at the sea in horror. You whirl to face him, utterly confused at why you would need to plug your ears. “Wooyoung, what is it?”

You don’t think he could look more venomous if he tried.

“Sirens.”

Yunho runs back to his captain, distributing all the earplugs in a small bag. Wooyoung takes his, turning to explain to you fully as he puts one earplug in. “We’ve encountered sirens once, before you joined us. They’re dangerous creatures, with seductive bodies and fish tails that lay in wait for sailors on rocky shores. They don’t usually physically attack people, but they sing with hypnotic voices to entice people into jumping overboard and swimming for them, before the sea pulls them under and they drown.”

You shudder at the description of them as you place one earplug in. “And so these earplugs are to stop us from hearing their voices?”

Wooyoung nods grimly. “It’s going to be difficult to sail the ship like this, but it’s miles better than having us drown.”

You glance at your captain, who strides over to you and Wooyoung. “Are the two of you alright?” He checks in with the two of you, eyes softening slightly as he glances over your exhausted faces. Wooyoung nods when Hongjoong pats him on the shoulder gently.

“We’re fine.”

You realise he doesn’t have any earplugs of his own and fear runs through you at the thought of your captain being lost to the waves. “Captain, what about your earplugs?”

At that, Hongjoong manages a small smile, shaking his head. “Maybe it’s my blessing… but the sirens’ calls don’t affect me. Don’t worry about me.”

With that, he turns and moves back to the center of the deck.

You swallow nervously, glancing up at the brewing black sky above you. The deck is pitching back and forth violently, the waves beneath you brutally battering the sides of the ship as if trying their best to sink you and drag you to the bottom of the sea.

But that’s the least of your worries.

“Remember, everyone!” Your captain shouts over the howling of the wind fiercely, eyes stony with determination. “No one is to remove their earplugs until I give you the signal, alright?”

“Yes captain!” The crew responds with a resounding agreement before all of them plug their ears and move to man their stations, all intent on surviving this sea against all odds.

You glance towards the sea before you, right before the earplugs block out all sound from your ears.

A jewel green tail breaks the surface of the water, right before it disappears once more beneath the waves. They might look beautiful, but they remind you of sharks circling their prey right before a kill.

Fear seizes your chest as you clutch onto Wooyoung’s hand tightly.

I’m scared.

He doesn’t respond, pulling you into him and burying your face into his shoulder.

I know.

You can see them now, men and women with jewel toned tails flickering in the seas, diving beneath the waves and splashing around playfully. Their faces are ethereal, inhumanly beautiful, their vibrantly coloured hair pinned back with delicate seashells and pearls. Their sheer beauty is out of this world, and when they open their mouth, part of you just can’t help but wish you could hear such gorgeous creatures sing.

But Wooyoung grips your hand before you can move, shaking his head and snapping you out of your daze.

No.

You exhale nervously, nodding as you hold on tight to the ropes. You realise how dangerous these sirens actually are, you couldn’t even hear their voices and yet they were already seducing you to your death. Yunho pulls on Wooyoung’s shoulder to get his attention and gestures to a tackle that is trapped against a mast, causing the sail to flap unevenly in the wind.

Wooyoung nods once, before glancing at you in concern.

Can you handle yourself?

You nod determinedly. You’re on guard now. You’ll be fine.

Wooyoung reluctantly lets your hand go, before moving to scale the mizzenmast with Yunho to fix the sail.

You close your eyes against the sight of the beautiful sirens before you, resolute on not moving an inch until this entire thing is over and your captain comes to get you himself. There is no sound in your ears, nothing in your sight, and for a second, you’re relieved.

Nothing can possibly get you here.

Come back to us.

A voice, as sweet as sugar and as smooth as silk echoes in your mind. You jump a little in shock, eyes flying wide open as you glance about you, searching for whoever had said those words.

Please, we miss you so much.

A shiver runs down your spine. It’s another voice this time, just as honeyed as the voice before, caressing your ears gently like a lover’s kiss. You know that voice. You know all of their voices.

But Wooyoung and Captain said-

Who’s Wooyoung? And a captain? You bow to nobody.

Warmth seeps into your bones despite the freezing winds and it’s as if every thought in your mind has been erased into nothingness.

Everything fades into a gentle, pleasant haze as you await their next words.

Take off those human things and hear our voices in the air, love.

As if in a trance, your fingers rise to your ears.

The ocean roar fills your ears once more, the sound of the waves and the sky swirling above you like a reunited friend. You see the sirens in the ocean before you, smiling with the richest, most beautiful smiles you have ever seen, their mouths opening once more.

“Come to us.”

“We love you.”

“Return to us, our pearl.”

“Our queen.”

“Our treasure.”

Their voices blend together into an unearthly harmony, so beautiful and rich that it sinks into your mind and empties out every other thought. They call for you so desperately, with so much longing and yearning, you can feel yourself being pulled to them.

Wait, you want to tell them as they sing once more for you and only you. I’m coming.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

You walk towards the side of the ship in a daze, boots tapping lightly against the floorboards. The earplugs falls to the deck and roll away under your feet, but you don’t care.

“Come.”

You hear someone behind you cry out ‘Chin Hae’ faintly, but it doesn’t register in your head, merely blowing across your ears like the wind. You merely falter a little in your tracks, pausing slightly.

Chin Hae?

“No such human name is worthy of you.” The voices shift and rolls like the gentle waves of the sea, beseeching you to continue to move forward and you do.

You reach the railing of the ship, swinging one leg over the balustrade as the sirens swimming under you smile so sweetly. You hang from the railing, feet just balancing on the outer hull of the ship as you sway with the wind, staring at the sea beneath you.

“Chin Hae!” The voice is louder, more desperate this time, but your eyes are fixed on the sirens, their hypnotic jewel like eyes drawing you in.

“Jump.”

And you do.

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