Eight makes one crew

Past of Princes

"So where exactly are we going?" Kai leaned against the railing of the ship, looking over at Mingi.

"I'm not sure" Mingi admitted, seeing no reason to lie to this kid. Kai had been one of the only on the entire ship to actually be nice to him. Beomgyu mostly just avoided him and since Mingi had practically insulted Kai, Taehyun refused to talk to him. Which was fine. Mingi was in no hurry to have the kid's sword pointed at him again.

"To the ends of the earth most likely" Taehyun scoffed, cleaning his sword with the edge of his shirt. A rock sat on the rail in front of him. Mingi took a moment to admire the kid's ability to sit completely balanced on the rail, sitting criss cross without so much as leaning to one side or the other. It was quite dangerous to be sitting like that, especially since leaning too far to one side could result in being lost to the sea.

"What makes you say that?" Kai wondered.

"I've heard that's how far people will go for someone they're desperate to find. For someone they love" Taehyun looked up at Mingi from under his bangs at the last part, understanding in his eyes.

"Do you think we'll ever find someone like that?" Kai questioned. Taehyun stared at Mingi for a moment longer and then got to work sharpening his sword.

"I'm sure you will someday" Mingi promised him. Taehyun scoffed, sliding the rock across his blade while looking at Mingi.

"Don't fill his head with nonsense. We're sworn to this ship and to each other. We won't abandon our promises for something as ridiculous as affection" Taehyun explained, setting his sword on the deck and leaning on it, sharp tip down. 

"Affection and love are not ridiculous and I did not abandon my crew. They sent me out here" Mingi argued.

"You left them. I know Soobin and Yeonjun would be devastated if one of us was to leave" Taehyun pointed out, looking at Mingi in such a way that it made the older pirate feel as if the kid was staring into his very soul. What he said next had Mingi briefly wondering if Taehyun was fully...human?

"Especially if we left without telling them" Taehyun added, standing up and sheathing his sword.

"Don't scare him, Taehyun. He's our guest" Kai scolded gently. Taehyun ignored him, continuing to look at Mingi before turning and walking away. Mingi just stood there. He had never mentioned that he left without saying anything to Hongjoong so how did Taehyun know that? Had they been spying on him? But that didn't make sense, Mingi had sought them out himself and they were at least four islands away from where Yunho went overboard when Mingi did finally track them down. Mingi did not get the chance to question himself more as Yeonjun and Soobin came up from below deck and looked down upon the other three with a certain air of sophistication that Mingi remembered possessing when he was still a Prince. Obviously, that same feeling had never left these boys. 

"We're getting ready to pull down the sails and let the wind steer us. Do you have an idea where to go next? Perhaps back to where your friend was lost?" Yeonjun walked over, stopping beside Mingi.

"He wasn't lost!" Mingi argued.

"I didn't mean any offense. I'm just asking" Yeonjun assured him. Mingi sighed and looked back out at the sky ahead of him. He was getting so paranoid the longer he was away from his own crew and ship. Perhaps this had been a bad idea, coming out here and finding these kids to help him.

"Sorry, I'm just...on edge" Mingi admitted, looking down this time. Yeonjun turned the opposite direction as him, now facing Mingi and leaning against the ship's outer rails.

"Taehyun scares me too" He stated. Mingi turned to him, confused. He didn't think it was evident how much the younger kid creeped him out.

"Taehyun and Beomgyu were both taken when they were nine and ten, shortly after our parents died. We didn't see them until about three years ago and that's when I bought this ship and we set out together, swearing ourselves to this ship as a sign of our brotherhood. I don't know what happened to them during those three years, neither of them will speak of it, but I know it changed both of them" Yeonjun explained. Mingi hadn't asked but obviously this was important so he listened anyways. 

"Taehyun became more subdued, he was different after he came back. With Beomgyu, the differences weren't as evident. But one thing was clear that had changed about both of them. They became like little hound dogs, sniffing out anything that was lost. That's why we started this little business in the first place. It got us rich, and it keeps them occupied and not causing trouble" Yeonjun shrugged at the end. Mingi was slightly horrified. It sounded an awful lot like the two kids were being used for their inhumane abilities. 

"Of course, we could just be imagining things and the two of them were just blessed with keener observation than the rest of us. But I'll never feel right not knowing what happened to them during those three years they were gone" Yeonjun brushed it aside.

"Did you never try to find them?" Mingi wondered. Yeonjun turned around, now facing the horizon before him.

"We tried but didn't find much. After our parents died, the King's Men threw us all in an orphanage and left us there, out of sight out of mind. When I was fifteen, we ran away and that was the same time that Beomgyu and Taehyun showed up, so we just left. Made our own living, haven't gone back since" Yeonjun had enough of the conversation so he stood up, turning to Mingi.

"Where did your friend go overboard?" He questioned.

"The Dark Sea" Mingi answered, knowing what reaction that would get. Yeonjun had his arms raised above his head but he dropped them now, mouth hanging open in shock. 

"You want us to go to the Dark Sea!?" Yeonjun's voice rose in pitch, alerting the other four to the predicament.

"I was hoping no one would know" Mingi snapped at him. Yeonjun leaned in closer.

"Forget your friend, we can't go there. If he went overboard in the Dark Sea, even the sharks will be lucky to find him" Yeonjun whispered. 

"You said that your two guys could find anything. You promised me that, so what am I paying you for?" Mingi grabbed Yeonjun's arm, pulling him closer to prevent anyone else from hearing. Yeonjun just stared at him.

"Your crazy" He commented, shaking his head. Mingi gave him a pleading look so Yeonjun gave in. He was going to regret it and it was going to take a lot of pleading and bartering with the younger four to get them on board but he could do it. He hoped.

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Todoro
Yeonjun-18
Soobin-17
Beomgyu-16
Taehyun-15
Kai-15