Long Journey || ATEEZ

The Terror Of The Seven Seas

"So where did Hongjoongie-hyung say the supplies were?" Jongho asked as he trotted alongside Yunho in the busy town.

"Just down this road, I think," the older pirate said. "Apparently they provide carts for us as well so we can carry them down to the ship easier."

"Sounds convenient."

The two pirates headed off down the road.

"Are ya the pirates that ordered our supplies?" a plump man with a glass eye, circular face, and a considerable amount of facial hair asked as the shapeshifter and the demigod approached.

"Yes," Yunho replied in heavily accented Inji.

"Awright then – you're free to take yer stuff."

"Thank you," Yunho bowed and the two began to load the crates onto the carts the merchant had set out for them.

"Do we have to bring carts back?" Jongho asked.

"Nah, I'll come collect 'em later."

"Oh, okay."

The pair took a moment or so more to secure the crates onto the carts, before they both bobbed their heads and thanked the merchant, then headed off along the cobbled but wide streets.

Not much happened as the two pirates hauled their carts through the busy streets, apart from the rather drunk man who had slammed into one of the trolleys, and demanded some kind of compensation for his so-called injuries. Thankfully, though, as Yunho and Jongho had awkwardly tried to make amends, his husband showed up to bring him back home, and had fervently apologised as he dragged the drunkard away, scolding him under his breath.

They reached the port with only no more setbacks, and as they arrived, voices drifted over from atop their great ship, the ATINY.

"'Terror of the Seven Seas'? Isn't that Mariynne's title?" the pair heard Wooyoung's distinctive voice say. As they each picked up a couple of crates and started to move them onto the deck, they spotted a group of people gathered on it – and not just people of their own crew.

Yunho and Jongho carefully set down their crates on top of the deck and made their way over to the crowd, joining Hongjoongie-hyung's side. The captain was facing a group of pirates, rowdy and boisterous and aggressive.

At the front of the group stood a woman, almost as tall as Hongjoong himself, her dirty-blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail at the back of her head. Her arms were crossed as she regarded the other group of pirates with sharp azure for an eye, and a long, jagged scar ran from the top of her cheek, across her lips and down to her chin. Her other eye was a stark and deep sea-green – like the colour of a tropical ocean. It was unsettling. She also had an arrogant smirk, though it was soon wiped off her face by Wooyoung's comment.

"You know my mother?" she asked, her stark eyes flashing with a startlingly intense fury.

"Mariynne's your mother?" Wooyoung stuttered aloud.

In a flash the woman's sword had been drawn, and it scraped at the base of Wooyoung's neck. The holin yelped.

"Hey," Hongjoong said sharply, pushing the blade from Wooyoung, who stood at his right side. "Mariynne was our mentor for a while, that's all there is to it," he clarified, glaring at the other pirate captain. "Anyway, you haven't answered my question yet – what do you want?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," the captain said, relaxing now the topic had moved on, and returning to her arrogant swagger as she sheathed her sword. "I just wanted to check out the other pirates docking here – you guys're newbies, correct?"