King of Stars Volume 1 (An interstellar ATEEZ Hongjoong fanfiction)

Part Fourteen: In Which The Star King is Asked to Make a Sacrifice

                           ~Hongjoong's POV~

The suns beat down upon the ocean waves that stretched out far beyond what the eye could see. Everything that surrounded us was a beautiful ever changing world of water. My hair fluttered in the wind blowing in from the horizon as I deeply drank in the smell of the salt and sky. Being here reminded me of a life I dearly missed but had nearly forgotten with the steady passage of time. Spray from the water blew over the sides of the weather worn platform we stood on misting our skin and soaking through our boots. In this moment I felt as if I had finally found something my soul had been yearning for...

Then my reminiscing was interrupted by someone loudly retching over the side.

Seongwha had his hands on his knees trying to steady himself as he swayed back and forth. He looked pale and sweat broke out over his neck and face as he wiped his mouth.

"I fucking hate the ocean..." He growled under his breath before he was wracked with even more gagging.

Everyone else stood on the other side of the platform trying not to watch as he vomited, quite violently, into the froth.

"Ugh, I think I'm going to die out here..." Seongwha moaned morosely. Then he nearly fell in as we were rocked by a large wave. San ran forward and grabbed onto his waistband to keep him aboard while Seongwha continued to dry heave.

"Where the hell is everybody... I can't do this anymore!" He yelled.

San had his nose plugged and responded. "We've only been waiting for five minutes Seongwha..."

As if summoned by his outburst our transport emerged from beneath the waves. The giant eye of a sea creature looked glassily in our direction. All iridescent scales and seaweed colored fins its head disappeared beneath the warm cerulean water.

"W-What the hell is that thing?" Mingi asked timidly.

"It's a Leviathan." I responded. I saw a lifetimes worth of scar tissue crisscrossing over its massive body as it glided beneath the waves. It's pain was something hot and sharp I could feel burrowing into my nerves just under my skin. I closed my eyes as I let it roll over me. "They're taken as hatchlings and 'conditioned' to do their masters bidding. This one is no doubt property of Yuyaga's..."

Mingi rested a hand on my shoulder, amber eyes filled with concern. "Is your second sight bothering again Hongjoong?"

"I'll be alright in a bit Mingi." I replied. Sometimes my ability blindsided me and left me reeling if I wasn't being careful. Though over the years it had proven to be useful skill, like when I had to initially calm Cerber down back at the ship.

The Leviathan's presence made the floor bob up and down which earned another miserable groan from Seongwha. A glass dome that was affixed along its back crested the water and the occupants within it regarded us stoically. Yuyaga's men opened the hatch while salt water cascaded in foamy rivulets down the glass. With a hydraulic hiss it opened up and they stepped out onto the platform.

All three creatures were undoubtedly Aquacerian natives with their unusual looks. The first one, the largest of the three, had a vermillion colored armored body and muscular arms with deadly
pincers in place of hands. The lackey after him had only one bloodshot eye that studied my crew inquisitively. He had slick gray skin that glistened in the light and a huge finned tail that wetly slid along with planks behind him as he walked.

Their leader, who I knew went by the name of Fang, was the last to emerge. He was the most humanoid in appearance of them all, covered head to toe in ochre colored scales that adorned his multiple fins. His eyes were milky as he looked around at my crew then smiled, showing rows upon rows of jagged teeth.