Memories of the Sea I BTS X OC I

Chapter 1 - The Truth Untold

The first thing she remembered was the sea - the taste of salt water in her mouth, and the ruthless push and pull of the waves. The girl was struggling against the tides, treading water, desperately searching for air, but at the same time, her mind was calm and peaceful. The downing girl was someone else, entirely separated. Her lungs burned with the lack of oxygen, but the pain was dull and distant. Her consciousness was fading, even though her body still instinctively fought against the inevitable end.

It was at this precise moment that she broke through the surface. The girl gasped and coughed as she took a breath that was half air, half sea water, but she managed to stay aloft. The waves immediately took hold of her again, throwing it's cargo this way and that way, but eventually, she managed to grab one of the wooden planks that were floating about, and she dragged herself onto it, out of the water. Splinters pierced her skin, but she couldn't care less. Her lungs felt raw, and every breath hurt, but she was still alive, against all odds. The only survivor, apparently.

The girl threw her head back, and laughed, a loud, rough sound that was swallowed by the raging waves. The sky above her head was dark, steel grey clouds towering over the sea, threatening rain and thunder. The wind was cool, and she shivered as the currents dragged the plank and its passenger away. The simple rags she wore were wet through and through, and stuck to her skin unpleasantly. She pulled her knees up, and wrapped her arms around them. For the moment she was safe.

It was, coincidentally, not Teahyung who noticed the slab of wood floating on the ocean waves, even though he was, as usual, manning the crow's nest and actually supposed to look out for things like this. Instead, it was Yoongi. He had been busy all morning, first working out the course "The Truth Untold" should take to make up for the time lost fighting the storm together with Hoseok, and then pouring over the logbook with the captain, making sure to mark all the cargo they had gained in the last raid. The admiral would be pleased to see the progress they had made against the Caelian Empire's fleet.

Yoongi smiled to himself as he climbed the stairs to the forecastle. All around him, the crew was hard at work, fixing the wear and tear the storm had caused, tending to the sails and exchanging jabs among themselves. They fell silent when he walked by, as usual, and he chose to pretend it was out of respect for their first mate.

He reached the bow of the ship, and stood there for a moment, just enjoying the breeze. The wind ruffled his hair playfully. It was then he saw the strange dot bobbing up and down, appearing and disappearing in time with the waves. In an instant, he had his telescope in hand. Through the glass, he could make out a wooden raft, and a human shape curled up on it. Yoongi couldn't say for sure if the person was still alive, but chances were that their boat had been sunken by the storm, and he couldn't leave them out there in good conscience. So he turned resolutely, already calling out orders to change the course. Whoever was out there, the "Truth" would come for them.

She awoke with a hoarse cry, and jerked back instinctively from the hands that held her. Somebody laughed, and before she could get a clear view of what was going on, she tumbled back into the ocean. The cool water enveloped her for an instance, and washed away the sleepy haze that had slowed her mind. Even underwater, she could make out the dark, elegant shape of a big sailing ship, possibly a brig.

Again, hands grabbed her, and this time, she couldn't escape. Two burly sailors pulled her out of the water, and into their boat. "You okay, Missy?", one of them asked curiously but not unkindly while the two of them began rowing the longboat back to the ship it belonged to. She nodded slowly, staring at the massive ship in front of her. It had two masts, and impressively large sails, that must allow her to travel at speeds even smaller ships only could dream of. The name "The Truth Untold" was written proudly at the bow of the ship, adding to the air of import the vessel seemed to carry.