𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 ; the sea beast

chapter 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞.

ᵗʰᵃˡᵃˢˢᵒᵖʰⁱˡᵉ

🪼⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

[ stowaway ]

𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟. However, he was soon to squint them due to the sunlight cascading into his vision through the flourishing leaves of the trees above.

He groaned, fingers pressing into his eyes as the hangover from the night before hitting him like a bag of rocks. He felt a pressure on his shoulder, and glanced down, finding your head against it, snoozing away. Your arm was threaded through his as you lightly snored. 

Beside you was Sarah, who was also still sleeping, her hat tipped to cover her eyes, offering her a dark atmosphere. Jacob lifted his gaze from your sleeping face, towards the regal castle ahead. Its golden towers pierced the clouds, with green roofing and white structure. 

You awoke in the city, thanks to yells and cries of the children and citizens of the kingdom. You yawned, stretching your arms as the carriage rode through the castle gates. Soon, the double doors that reached the high ceiling opened, and you, Jacob, Captain Crow and Sarah were once again in the throne room of the king and queen.

"Well, if it isn't Captain Crow and his loyal mates," the king greeted. 

"Your Grace, as you can see, the oceans have offered abundant prey," Crow started. 

You watched as Jacob went to the large table, decorated with plates of mouth-watering foods. He grabbed a round cake dessert, sniffing it. Deeming it good enough, he turned to you, tossing you the treat. You thanked him with a chuckle and nod, taking a bite, enjoying the taste of rich chocolate.

"And I see you've taken a full-grown brickleback," the queen observed. "A specimen like that garners quite a bounty. But there's something I don't see. The horn of the Red Bluster. Admiral Hornagold has reported a rumor..."

"Admiral Hornagold?" the four of you said in sync.

"...That you spotted the Red Bluster but abandoned your pursuit because of a certain code."

"The royals don't pay you to honor such codes," Hornagold said, walking down the green-carpeted stairs. "They pay you to kill monsters. How many more ships will be lost because you let the Bluster slip away?"

The king and queen stood as you followed behind them to the elaborate balcony. "This was once a small kingdom with a big idea," the king told. "To send hunters out to repel the beasts from our shores and usher in a new era of peace."

"It's been hundreds of years since the Dark Times, but as long as the Bluster lives, people will still look to the seas with fear," the queen continued.

"So today marks the beginning of a new era." Your eyebrows furrowed as you all stepped to the edge of the balcony, finding a humongous ship, adorned with the royal colors. "The Crown will no longer support the hunters."