The Black Pirates

Eight

"Yunho, I'm Wooyoung." I smiled and he tilted his head some.

"Your magic is quiet." He said and I nodded.

"I've been placed under a locking spell. Seonghwa is looking for a way to break it-"

"I know how to break it." He said and I frowned.

"How?" I asked, but he shrugged.

"It'll require going East, to the Hot Lands." He said and I looked at Hongjoong, who shook his head.

"I am not running into RM, I'm sorry! No-"

"Then Wooyoung never gets his magic and you never get to use the device." Yunho said and I looked at him.

"Are you sure this will break the spell?" I asked and he nodded.

"I'm positive. The dragon there owes me a favor anyhow, he can promise to not cause us issues." He said and I frowned.

"You are owed a favor by a dragon?" I asked and he snorted.

"We're not as uncivilized as you humans! We do make trades and keep our promises." He said and I nearly wanted to point out that he was human too, but he was also a dragon so I held my tongue.

"Can you take us there?" I asked and he sneered.

"I hate the heat-"

"Please!" I begged and stepped closer then he eyed me, looking down his nose at me.

"I promise you, we won't hurt you!" I swore and he eyed the others.

"Tell the boy to put my diamonds back, I'll go with you!" He said and I turned to the pirates, but Innie rolled his eyes and threw the three diamonds back into the treasure room.

"Good. Now bag them up, they'll be useful on the trip." Yunho said and I looked at him with wide eyes again.

"Do you realize how many diamonds are in there?!"

"You've both got ships full of crew, I'm sure you can figure it out. Wooyoung, I'd like to speak with you." He said and I went to protest, but he took my arm and I yelped as he forced me to walk along with him, the first mates going to get the crews to begin collecting the diamonds. When we got outside, Yunho pulled me to the side and turned to me.

"Do you truly trust these pirates?" He asked, but I frowned.

"I trust them more than I trust the Faery Prince or you." I said and he smirked.

"Good, trust them. I've seen their hearts, they have no ill intent towards-"

"You can do that?!" I asked and he grinned, showing off his teeth.

"Dragon eyes can see the intents of all mens hearts. It's how I knew you truly just wanted the treasure you now clutch, how I knew they have no ill intention towards you or towards me. Towards the Faeries and Strickland Kingdom? They're murderous. To you? You are already a close friend to them and they are too scared of me to attempt ill actions." He said and I smiled as I set my hand on his arm, which was weirdly warm.

"I promise, Yunho, we won't ever hurt you!" I said and he nodded.

"I know. Come, let's at least pretend to help your friends move the crates." He said and went back into the cave then I watched as snow clouds formed around him, throwing out snowflakes as the storm grew. Then I realized he was changing to dragon form as he spread his wings, going to the treasure room. When I went over, I saw him laying down and looking at the others expectantly.

"He wants you to load the boxes onto his back, he'll carry them to the ships." I clarified for the pirates and they began to do as told, which sped up the process exceedingly as we finished in just three hours. When we had the last box on The Oddinary, Yunho flew into the air then hovered over The Destiny, the snow storm forming again. Then he dropped onto the deck and pushed his hair back, smiling as he stood on two legs.

"That was so badass!" San laughed and Yunho grinned.

"Thank you, Healer."

"You know my magic?!" San asked and the dragon man nodded.

"I am able to read the hearts of all men, and see their magic as well. It's how I saw Wooyoung's magic locked away."

"What's it look like?!" I asked and stepped closer, still holding the hourglass device.

"A ball of fire in your stomach, wrapped in burnt chains with no lock seen." Yunho said and I frowned.

"How do we unlock it then? You said the Hot Lands-"

"I know of a way, yes, but I can't promise this RM will be merciful should he realize there are two pirate crews intruding on his territory-"

"One. I'm sorry, Hongjoong, but we part here." Chan said and Hongjoong nodded.

"Take your half of the diamonds, as payment for your help." Yunho instructed and Chan snorted.

"You won't see me saying no! We'll see you in the waves, Shadow Captain."

"In the waves, Thunder Captain." Hongjoong bid the captain with lightening magic goodbye then I watched The Oddinary disappear.

"We should go, we need to get to the Hot Lands fast." Seonghwa said and Hongjoong nodded, ordering us to leave.

"How does my magic work with this device?" I asked Yunho as we sat on the deck of The Destiny, sailing back south then east.

"This device is powered by fire magic, the most rare magic in all the world. Even when magic was commonplace, fire magic was considered a rarity. This device here was crafted eons ago by the first dragon, a fire dragon, and made with the intention to kill all with Myth Magic. Centuries ago, a powerful dragon changed the device. He was originally a Faery, yet he'd been cursed by the Faery king of the time and took his revenge with this." He said and took the hourglass, his large hand encasing he end of it and holding it with a single hand.

"With his changes to the runes of the device, it was made as a device to kill all Faeries, half-Faeries, even quarter-Faeries-"

"Anyone with Faery blood." I whispered and he nodded, looking at me.

"The ritual to unlock your magic will cleanse this blood from you, protecting you from the device's effects-"

"Will it hurt?" I asked and he sighed.

"I have heard it can be painful, if the ritual rejects you. If it accepts you, then I have heard it is painless." He said and I eyed him.

"This might seem rude, but how old are you?" I asked and he grinned.

"Unlike other dragons, Human dragons live human lives. I am only twenty two-"

"So am I!" I grinned and he smirked.

"Yet, based on what I saw of your heart, I am older by a few months!" He grinned and I giggled some, taking the device back and lightly tracing the runes on the two pegs on either side of the glass.

"So this is basically an anti-faery device?" I asked and looked at him, seeing him nod.

"It is, and we're going to remove your Faery blood before ever activating this device." He promised and I nodded, happy he was willing to save me before we went to kill the faeries.