HOUSE OF TRAITORS [hyunlix]

TWO

"I'm willing to work with them," Jin stated shortly.

Bang Chan nodded his head.

"Anybody else?"

To everyone's surprise, Jeongin was the one to answer him.

"I'm not doing this, before seeing my mother."

Hyunjin and Yongbok agreed with him quietly, while the rest accepted it without a word.

"That's fair."

"I'm... unsure," Seungmin spoke up next. "The idea is tempting, but they told us no plan. No details were given if they even have one."

"There was also nothing said about what would happen to the Kingdom after that..." Yongbok's deep voice revealed his uncertainties.

"I suppose we could try to ensure having an upper hand, but it's really unpredictable at this point," Changbin thought out loud.

"I agree, we need more information"

There was a moment of quiet after Hyunjin's words. That seemed to sum it up – they had not enough knowledge of the pirates and their ways to make a definitive decision for now.

"Anyone wants to add something?" Chan asked once again.

The six boys shook their heads.

"Alright, then I'll share what we think is the best solution for now."

Minho stood up, when he started talking and he continued to pace through the room during his explanation.

"We should meet with them when they come back. I have seen odd things starting to happen around the castle, shadowy figures in the halls, and I'm afraid they might be connected to the pirates showing up now."

The witch thought about the old women walking with the king, speaking in whispers. When they looked at Minho, their eyes were sharp like falcon's claws. He had his suspicions, that the king may not despise those who wield magic as much when they work for him, but that meant nothing good. He didn't want to suspect the worst, at least not now, so he shook his head and spoke again.

"We need our questions ready, because the pirate will be ready to talk his way out of anything and everything. If their answers will be satisfactory, we'll tell them that we need time to make out final decision. You'll visit your families. If we all agree to join them, we meet with them again. If someone will still have doubts... We'll see, what the best choice will be."

The men listened to the witch carefully. Their brows were drawn together, some crossed their arms.

"Do you think the king will let us leave?" Innie asked.

"He can't really stop us from leaving. We've been staying here because it was the most beneficial thing to do, but if we decide to go through with this... It won't be necessary anymore," Chan said.

The youngest nodded at that. He understood the games they had to play quite well by now.

So, it was decided. They shall await the damn pirates now. They should grace them with their presence any day now.

...

The ship was covered in darkness like every night. The sea seemed frozen to its core and the sky was wrapped in a thick layer of clouds, forbidding any stars from shining. It was late enough that the deck was dead quiet. Not even one crew member was up. Instead, they hid in their beds, under blankets and furs, finding comfort in their weight and warmth.

Seonghwa woke up abruptly, feeling the cold sweat on his skin. His room was cold, making him shiver, when the protective layers slid off his arms. Little clouds left his mouth when he breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down. The vision was still fresh in his mind as he blindly reached for matches, trying to light a candle on the table next to his bed. It wasn't the first time he woke up this way. The younger him would pass it as a nightmare. He knew better now.