Vanished [ATEEZ]

end of the beginning

"Your majesty! An entire armada is heading toward the island! The flags are raised... They are pirates!"

The concerned one turned his head towards the shore. Dozens of ships were approaching dangerously, some having even lowered the rowboats.

His eyes widened, his louse speed up and after long seconds of silence his voice echoed in the courtyard.

The rest of the nobles who had not fled, ran at full speed to barricade themselves in the palace.
While this crowd of nobles fled like the cowards that they were, a second crowd rushed into the battle. Dozens of soldiers, gradually turning into hundreds, had just disembarked in the enclosure of the castle.

For a moment, everything seemed to unfold in slow motion, the bullets flew above their heads, the incessant clash of weapons against each other only increased, the blood almost completely covered the sand at the front of the court, the liquid mixing with the sand had created hard and dark blocks and the screams of agony could be heard in the entire island.

<<<

The longboats finally touched the sand. Dozens of men, women, young, old, combatants or not, all rushed towards the palace animated by the hope and the rage which had been killed in their hearts.
They were pirates, they always had been. The Royal Navy had taken away their right to be who they were, they had taken away all their rights, all their liberties and they had broken everything that attached them to their values...

They had lost everything, absolutely everything...

They had abandoned, abandoned all these people they had promised themselves to protect, all these people who had seen freedom and determination in them. They had stopped fighting for years, but they knew it ... everyone knew it ... even the gods knew it! This time was different, everything was different and things were going to change, no matter in which direction or to which party this change would be favorable, things were going to change and if freedom would not overcome then those who carried it would at least hope that their sacrifices went to awaken the people.

Their heavy and deafening footsteps rang like death bells in the ears of those barricaded in the palace.
The cries of war soon joined those of the villagers still fighting for their lives and their rights.
Soon the pirates set foot on the ground from the court strewn with corpses and blood.
The bodies had fallen between the two camps although the lack of weapons on the side of the villagers was felt.

The fight was going to become more fair...

Cannon fire like howls of pain raged in every direction.
The sky seemed to open in two, the pouring rain and the lightning twisting the sky, drawing luminous but terrifying reflections among the clouds as if Zeus himself had joined the battle.

In the middle of all this mess a young man filled with hope and determination was fighting like a wild bear, making his own way in the battle. Covered in blood, his own or another he couldn't even know, siding his shadow who already saved him more than once.

-Hongjoong!

The young man barely had the time to catch the voice that he was tackled to the ground, the sound of a shotgun crazing him. Another shadow had just saved him from the shooter strategically placed on the roof. Around twenty guards were standing on it, forming a perfect line, looking like pawn in a chessboard. His blood was boiling, wanting to tear off the crown of that stupid king and end all of this.

From the corner of his eyes Hongjoong caught sign of seven silhouettes, standing intimidatingly at the gate of the court. He didn't even noticed the dozen and dozen of pirates who had entered the court, all he saw was his friends, who didn't last long before jumping into the battle, looking like lions in the middle of hyenas. Their swords piercing the bodies around them, blood staining their tunics and dripping from their weapons. Only a few months ago Hongjoong would have never imagined to see his friends like this. Them who were so kind, jovial and inoffensive...