Long Journey || ATEEZ

The Blessing Of A Sea God

"Give me the second map," Cezanne said, her grip on Yeosang tightening, her eyes wide and glimmering with an unhinged malice, "or I drop him off."

Yeosang spluttered, his legs kicking out as he dangled over the cliff edge, a multitude of jagged rocks and hungry sea waiting below.

Hongjoong's grip on the rolled piece of battered parchment tightened. Cezanne was crazy – what was she thinking, bartering with somebody's life?

But then again, such was the way of the pirate life – something Hongjoong was still getting quite used to. Out here, it was life or death, and only one's own best interest. So what was he to do?

Cezanne let her grip slide on Yeosang's neck, so that he slid down a couple of centimetres. The witch whimpered as the captain's fingers closed again just beneath his jaw.

Hongjoong gulped, stomach churning. His crewmate – a member of his family – was in danger.

He wasn't about to let him die just like that.

"Fine," the male captain said, glaring at the other. "I'll give the map over. Let Yeosang go."

"No, hyung! We need that map!" Yeosang choked out. "I'll be fine, just go!" he cried, though his fingers were trembling as he gripped onto the half-brute captain's wrist for dear life.

"Oh really?" Cezanne said, a curious little smile creeping onto her face. "Give it over, then."

"No," Hongjoong said. "Let Yeosang go first."

Cezanne smirked, seeing the fearful determination in the other captain's eyes. She knew she had won.

"Fine," she scoffed, throwing Yeosang back onto the grass. The witch crumpled to the floor, coughing violently as he felt at his neck and gasped for breath. "Give it over now, like a good little boy."

Hongjoong threw the scroll over, and the half-brute caught it easily, a satisfied smirk smothering her face. She turned slightly to face her crewmates that had assembled behind her.

"Let's go," she said to her crew, and turned to leave.

"Oh no you don't," Yeosang muttered under his breath, swinging forwards in one, fast movement. In the next second, his hand was at Cezanne's face, and ethereal purple lit up the air as a Magik circle materialised under his palm. Cezanne shrieked in pain, and her hands flew up to her face as her crew rushed up to her. Yeosang caught the falling parchment a moment before it hit the floor and sprinted over to his crew. "What are you waiting for?!" he cried. "RUN!"

ATEEZ were jerked out of their stupor, and jumped into action, running down the hill as fast as their legs would take them, making a beeline for the ATINY.

The thudding of boots behind them filled their ears as they flew down through the jungle of tall grass, sand and little pebbles flying up in the air and hair blown clean out of their flushed faces as breeze slapped at them and finally, the beach came into view.

With no time to waste, the eight members of ATEEZ rushed into their positions on their boats wordlessly, and with one word from the captain, they began to row away. At a swiftly increasing pace, arms pumping back and forth as the prow of the mini-boats sliced through the still waters, they speeded off towards the ATINY, as the other pirates spilled out onto the beach, crowding around the edge of the sand, screaming bloody murder and waving their fists as they watched the group of eight get further and further away.

As Hongjoong watched with steely eyes at the rapidly shrinking beach, he saw Cezanne push her way to the front, pushing aside brutish pirates with ease, and he caught the expression on her face.