Mors Per Mare (ATEEZ FF)

2

"Pirates?" You whispered, almost unbelievingly. At the lack of response, you looked up towards the woman but she was gone. "Ifera?" You asked the empty space. Nothing.

Why would she disappear? What had she said earlier?

I can only speak to you when you are alone.

Then you remembered why her saying the island was still uninhabited had sounded so wrong to you. The old man that you'd seen on the beach. He had to be nearby. You looked out into the tunnel, everything was quiet. No one was there. A shadow overhead then told you where the man had to be.

A boat floated on the surface of the clear blue water above the cave. You watched the old man peek over the edge, then he threw three things into the water. They sank down until they fell through the water ceiling and into the small cavern, suddenly dry. You approached them cautiously, trying to figure out what they were.

An underdress, a corset and an overdress. It was nothing too extravagant, but you were incredibly grateful. The old man leaned over the side once more. It was hard to see through the water but you watched his mouth move repeatedly in slow motion. When you finally understood, a chill crept up your spine.

Be careful. They're coming.

What the Hell was that supposed to mean? Who's they? A million questions ran through your head as the old man rowed away. Now that you were alone, you took the chance to change. The corset was slightly difficult to put on yourself but you managed. You figured though, because you'd put it on yourself,  you were probably a lot more comfortable. Finally, you managed to tug the overdress on. It was a little tight on you, but not too bad. What shocked you most was it's weight. All those layers were heavy... and hot.

You were fanning yourself lightly when you heard the noise. It was faint at first but kept getting louder. You walked into the middle of the cavern to hear it more clearly, and that's when you heard the unmistakable sound of splashes. It was like someone was running into the water, and then you heard the previous noise again. It was much louder now, and you could almost recognize it. But then, you saw the silver speck zoom through the water above the cavern and you realized they were gunshots. You backed away slowly, until you reached the wall of the cavern. You craned your head up to see if you could spot the shooters.

And then it hit you, they were shooting at the old man.

Be careful. They're coming.

He was wrong, they were already here.

Gathering your skirts into your hands so you wouldn't trip, you sprinted across the cavern to the tunnel entryway. Then you stopped, turning back and grabbing the tome that you'd dropped while changing. You then continued in your escape. You slid into the tunnel sideways, scooting along it's wall as quickly as you could. When you got to the entrance, you pushed against the stone and it slid away. You raced out as soon as you could fit through it and ran along the beach as fast as you could.

The gunshots were quieter now, but the island was small and you could still here them if you strained for it. And then you slid to a stop. Floating about a mile off shore, there was a ship. You'd run the wrong direction, they would be coming back this way. And that was if the anyone on the ship hadn't seen you.

You whirled around to run but found yourself face to face with a group of men. Each man wore almost identical outfits. Of course they had the standard old-timey clothes, but each man wore a deep blue coat. They had to be members of some Royal Navy. You froze, noticing both the guns and swords at their side.

You knew they were a specific kind of sword of course, but you couldn't remember if it was a saber or a cutlass. Was that really what was on your mind in this situation? You would've laughed at yourself if you weren't scared shitless.