Vanished [ATEEZ]

maybe

The boys had an hard time awakening the next morning. Their night was fun and they felt truly happy. Just as everything had restarted.
Yunho stretched, still in his bed. The villagers had given them one of the houses still inhabited, up in the village. Yunho had slept like a baby. He was the first one to wake up and decided to go get some air. He went down the path, appreciating the sounds of the nature. The early morning was calm. Just a few people were crossing the way. Yunho greeted them with his prettiest smile and all of them returned him. He calmly walked near the beach, followed by a pretty butterfly that he had encountered earlier. He was nearly arrived when he heard someone's voice.

-Yunho! Called Edward.

The man came to him and smiled. He put an hand on Yunho's shoulder and started talking again.

-So, not too tired after last night? Laughed the man.

Yunho smiled as he remembered last night. They had drink a lot and sing and dance with the other pirates. They had a great night.

-No, chuckled the young man, it's was really fun.

-Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't come with you I had work to do.

-No problem, another time? Asked Yunho playfully.

-Without any doubt, replied Edward. I was coming to the shore, wanna come with me?

-I was too. Continued Yunho still smiling.

The two men had reached the shore, sitting there, watching the calm sea. They had talked about everything and mostly nothing interesting. Just joking around. Edward was a fun and kind person. He seemed tough and cold at first but he was also caring and wearing his heart on his sleeve. Yunho knew that he could learn a lot from him. He was patient and motivating. After a long moment of just looking at the endless sea, Edward broke the silence between them.

-So, now that you returned here... what are you gonna do? He spoke softly.

-I don't know... What are we supposed to do in this prophecy? Yunho asked.

-The prophecy as been told more than eight years ago. It had the time to evolve from lips to lips. Replied Edward. Not a lot of person remember the exact prophecy the sage had told. Before the guards had the time to stop him, he said a lot. Hearing the voices of the gods and transcribing it for the humans...

-We need to find him. Suddenly spoke Yunho.

-What? Questioned the man a little confused.

-If that man was able to communicate with the gods, that mean that the gods had keep talking to him during all those years. He surely knows what we need to do! Yunho was motivated, he knew that this man was their key.

-But Yunho... started the man a little bit of by the sudden enthusiasm of his friend, he's probably dead now. When he said that, the smile of the young man disappeared. The Royal Navy must had killed him just after his speech. It would be too dangerous for them to keep him...

The two men then stayed silenced for a while, looking down as both of them were thinking. But Yunho opened his mouth in a perfect "o", his eyes shining from his thoughts. He goes near his friend and put an hand on his shoulder. The man looked at him completely confused.

-No! Started Yunho, he can't be dead. That would be too big a loss! His friend arched his eyebrow, trying to understand the young man. Look, if that man is the one who know the most about this prophecy, if he's one of the few people who can communicate with the gods. Wouldn't it be more interesting for them to keep him as a prisoner?

Edward's eyes widened as the thought of that came to his mind. It wasn't idiot at all and for a moment he cursed himself for not having thought about it before. The sage was such an advantage for the Royal Navy. They wouldn't had killed him. They needed him for the informations, to be far ahead of.
He ran toward the square, nodding to Yunho to follow him. Edward arrived at the square the first, and met the clueless eyes of his quartermaster.

-Ade! Tell everyone to come in the square! He shouted to him.

-Yes Sir! Replied the man before running upon the village.

❈───────•✦•❅•✦•──────❈

The entire adults of the village had reunited in the square, debating about wether or not trying to locate the sage was a good idea. For a lot of them it was way too dangerous and completely out of mind to think that he could still be alive. They would had too much to loose at this point. Everybody was talking at the same time, a huge hubbub taking the square. Edward tried to calm them all softly. But unfortunately no one was listening to him. Siding him, Hongjoong was looking at them all, trying to understand what they were all talking about. Edward had enough, he grabbed his pistol and raised it in the air. Hongjoong's eyes widened just before the man pulled the trigger. The bullet flew in the air, splitting it in half in a huge noise, making everyone flinched. They all stopped, eyeing their provost. Edward sighted and lowered his pistol.

-Thank you, he said, now calm down, we need to talk not to shout at each other. I understand your apprehensions about our claim, but imagine... imagine if that was true. This quest is gonna be dangerous and for sure we don't know if at the end we're gonna be rewarded. He continued, walking between his villagers. But if it's real, if he's still alive, if we succeeds... THIS, he accentuated the word, this is what's gonna save us. That prophecy. The sage is the beginning of the prophecy. And without him we can't do anything... Having the sons of the piracy with us is completely useless if we don't know what we need to do.

A long silence took place. Everyone looking at each other, thinking. No one dared to speak. They were all weighting the pros and cons. They knew their provost was right but the fear of loosing everything their had was way to big.
One man walked toward Edward, his hand place near his heart. He looked at him for a few seconds before his voice raised in the air.

-My saber will always be by your side captain.

Yunho recognised the one that Edward called earlier Ade. He was practically sure it was a diminutive of his full name. Ade was the quartermaster of the Jackdaw, Edward's ship.

Edward smiled putting an hand on his shoulder.

-Thank you Ade.

Another man walked toward them, saying the same thing. Then another, and another... The people all agreed with the thought of their provost. They trusted him with their lives. It would be dangerous of course, they all knew it. But they needed to be strong.

The gods will helped them.