Prince of Shells

4. Weigh Anchor

Seonghwa was sitting behind Mingi with the needles in his hand and a piece of cloth held between his teeth when the call for land sounded. Mingi sleepily picked up his chin from his chest at the sound of boots starting to thump around above them, blinking at Seonghwa disoriented.

With a chuckle, Seonghwa wiped his back clean, putting the needles back in their satchel.

"It seems like we will have to postpone this. You sit down for a bit, I'll go give them a hand." He rose to swiftly jump up the steps to the main deck. With practiced elegance, he weaved his way through the pirates that were running around like a bunch of hectic ants. Hongjoong was yelling orders at them from the helm, but there was no time for Seonghwa to admire his blood-red hair in the wind or the bits of his body he exposed. Hongjoong had spotted him by now.

"Seonghwa, I want ye-"

"Between me legs!" San interrupted immediately, his high-pitched giggle gleeful as he swung around the masts on some rope adventurously. Hongjoong threw an apple at him and missed.

"On the sides! An' San, I will not 'esitate to spear yer tongue with a 'arpoon if ye keep this up!"

San did not mind him.

Seonghwa threw Hongjoong an empathetic smirk and then jumped down over the railing. His hand effortlessly found purchase on the thick nets framing the flanks of the Precious, pulling his body close. As soon as his feet were settled securely on the ropes, Seonghwa leaned away from the ship. With experienced eyes, he checked the waters for reefs, not minding the sea spray hitting his body.

The thrill of approaching an island with no port never ceased to make his heart beat wildly in his chest. Seonghwa loved it way too much.

"We got a reef starboard!"

"Reef starboard!" Dahan relayed he message quickly and the ship turned when Hongjoong altered course with a rough jerk of his arms. Seonghwa could not see him from his current position but he knew exactly what Hongjoong looked like. He was not the gentle lover with a knack for biting right now. He was a pirate, wild and free and controlling all of their lives with his small hands.

Seonghwa had drawn him from memory countless times like that. Their glorious captain fully in his element.

"Reef portside!"

"Hwa, take care of your hands!" This time it was Hongjoong yelling personally, the path they were taking narrowing between the treacherous rocks in the water.

Just like Seonghwa knew, Hongjoong knew too. He knew how Seonghwa was hanging there, unbound between the ship he was steering and the turbulent waters. Usually, both of Seonghwa's arms were outstretched, one holding his body on the net, while the other reached out for the ocean, feeling it splash over his fingers. Hongjoong normally let him, but not when some jagged cliffs might be near.

So Seonghwa pulled back, holding closely onto the net with both hands while his clothes got soaked with the spray.

"Keep course!"

Again, Dahan repeated the order.

From Wooyoung on the portside came no further complaint either so they just went right at the island that lifted out of the water in front of them like an ancient monster. It looked positively tropical, explaining the extreme weather conditions around here. As far as Seonghwa would guess it was also not civilized. There might have been some native tribes on there that ate humans for diner but that was nothing new.

They went as close as possible before the Precious would scrap on the shore. The order to weigh anchor was Seonghwa's signal to let go.

He plummeted into the cool water without hesitation, coming right back up. He only had to swim a few hundred feet before he could feel the ground beneath his boots and rose out of the water like a nightmare come to life.