VOYAGE II: To Where You Are

Chapter 9

Crowstooth

Shinji leans her head on the ship's wall, eyes staring blankly at the corner. The footsteps from above echoed in the level where she was being held captive. Heels against the wooden floor, tapping and getting closer, stopped before her cell.

The metal hinges squeak as the door opened, and a tray of food was slipped in, before it was once again closed.
It had been two days since they took her, and kept her cooped up down the brig.

All by herself. Haiden had been coming by frequently, as the quartermaster was the one in charge of bringing her food, and fetching the empty containers. He'd silently slip the tray of food in, and leave without a word nor a glance.

Shinji stares at the serving of food laid in front of her, before pulling the tray close to her to eat. There wasn't much she could do, not eating as defiance wouldn't do anything and would only cause her to starve. Additionally, the food wasn't bad. Escaping seemed impossible too, if she were to get out of the cell, where would she go?

There's nothing but clouds outside, and a thousand mile drop if she were to once again fall and plummet into the vast ocean below.

She finishes her meal minutes later, and arranges the utensils on the tray before pushing the tray near the cell door. Shinji returns to her spot with a sigh.

How long am I going to be locked up here? I miss home.

Her mind drifts to Hongjoong, who was the target of all this. She worries what would happen if the two crews finally cross paths. What would happen to her once Hongjoong shows up. Everything was uncertain, yet it gave her a heavy feeling, that tugged at her chest.

She also remembered her companion back at her place, her little Hong whom she hoped was in good hands.
The pooch had kept her company for the last couple of months, and she has grown quite fond of the little guy.

Haiden's arrival to fetch the tray snaps her out of her thoughts."How long am I going to be here?" She found herself asking.

The white haired male, picks up the tray and locks the door."Not long. We're moving onto land soon."he smirked, before leaving.

Land? She wondered. So they're going to keep me on land somewhere.

***

Joong returns to his ship, and plops down on his chair, tossing the paper with his name on the table. His eyebrows meet, folded fingers coming to rest below his chin, as he wonders about how to find her.

Where could they have taken her? They must've left a clue.

He picks up the paper and eyes his name, turning it sideways, and even upside down, trying to finds anything he could've missed.

He lights the candle that stood by the corner of hus table and positions the paper before it. There, below his name, manifested a word, reveling itself like a freshly opened bud.

"Crowstooth."he reads to himself, bolting up from his seat and nearly flying out of his quarters.

He runs to the navigation room, barging in like there's no tomorrow, startling the navigator who was organizing his maps.

"Yeosang, where's Crowstooth?"

Yeosang sets the maps aside, sauntering towards the wide table in the center of the room, where a huge map was sprawled.

"Crowstooth is somewhere...here."he points at a tiny skylands next to other smaller ones, that were situated away from the capital skylands."It's not really a pretty place, it's creepy and there's lots of crows there. Sailors don't even go there, they just pass by. Why do you ask?"

"I think that's where they took her to. It's written here in invisible ink."he motions to the paper.

The navigator takes the parchment, scrutinizing the faint writing."Perhaps they have a hideout there, and that's where they plan on keeping Shinji to lure us in, especially you Captain."

Hongjoong's lips curb into a frustrated frown, worry reflecting in his eyes."I just hope she's doing alright in that ship."

Shinji, please wait a little longer...

***

The Black Voyager makes it's way through a maze of mossy and leafy rocks. The passage was slim, was big enough for ships to pass through.
The black ship halts by a floating mass of land, where a tower stood, protruding up to the filled with crows.

The anchor drops and the gangway slipped over the side of the ship, the sailors disembarking the vessel one by one.

Shinji is escorted down the gangplank by Haiden, her hands bound behind her back, as she took steady steps down the wooden board.

She eyes the ominous looking fortress, in both awe and concern, before feeling a yank on her bound arm.

"Let's get moving."Haiden says to her, urging her to continue walking towards the fortress.

She was lead though the main entrance, and later through a flight of stairs. They stopped in front of a door with a small barred window, that Haiden unlocks and motions for her to enter.

Upon entering the small space, the door was locked behind her, and she was once again alone. There was a small glass window across the small room, and a stone bench that was attached to the wall.

Shinji sits herself on the stone seat, her back against the wall. She was begining to get sick of being locked up, her eyes feeling watery.

Outside the confinement room, Haiden stood beside the door, the sound of her soft sniffles tugging at him.

Moments later he decided to check on the girl, through the small barred window of the door, only to see her sleeping.

With that, he left.

***

"How is our guest?"Grozen asked, as he stood on the wide balcony that overlooked the entire skyland he was currently on.

"She seems to resting, Captain."

"And Ateez?"he puffed a cloud of smoke from his pipe.

"No sign of them yet Captain, Luxio is still keeping an eye out at the watch tower."Haiden replied.

"Very well, remain alert. They'll be coming soon."

--
hi!! apologies for the lack of updates, yours truly caught up in uni things right now, every week is tiring and i can't find time to write😩

hope you guys are well, take care 💗