The shackles around his wrists hurt, pinching at already bruised skin as he was herded through the murmuring crowd.  Their voices were frightened, angry, subdued.  One of Gunwoo’s eyes was nearly swollen shut but he could see it in their faces when he stumbled by, guided with the assistance of the guards who so clearly wanted to be done with him.  While the people didn’t know what to think about him, a seemingly normal man who’d been soundly beaten after his capture, it was quite clear the figure at the top of the platform did.

                Ignoring the milling masses and the way the gauntleted fingers dug mercilessly into his arms, Gunwoo tossed the clumped strand of hair out of his face with a shake of his head and glared proudly at Elder Patriarch Han standing next to his “holy” lapdog executioner.  Pristinely garbed in silk robes of royal purple and gold, there was no doubt in Gunwoo’s mind that the man revered himself as equal to the King who allowed such hubris.  Both were idiots, though the one he currently faced had a glib tongue and charisma enough to charm a rusty lock apart, even if he was as ugly as a cur’s .

                “Please tell me you’ve got a plan,” Seyong’s frightened voice at his back interrupted his observations.

                “Nope,” Gunwoo huffed through his teeth, careful to keep his mouth partially closed since it hurt to open it too much.  Damn ham-fisted guards.

                Despair was a palpable feeling and he expected the nearly panicked, “I don’t wanna die, Woo.”

                ‘No one does,’ came the unbidden thought, but Gunwoo kept himself from speaking, swallowing his nerves when they reached the bottom step of the stairs.  His legs complained with the change in pace, courtesy of the tender mercy of his keepers these past few days.

                “Looks like Patty’s making a show of it,” he muttered over his shoulder with another glance at the Patriarch.

                Seyong made a strangled sound in the back of his throat and lurched forward, surprising the guards enough to slip free so he could bump into Gunwoo.  “Do something!” he cried, knocking the trio forward while guards caught up and punched him in the gut, expelling the air in his lungs with a painful whoosh.

                “Like what?” Gunwoo growled when his helpers steadied him, throwing murderous glares back at Seyong as they all paused on the steps.

                “Problem?” the Elder Patriarch raised a bushy brow, hands regally folded before him.

                “No sir!” the Captain of the guard leading their procession announced quickly, stepping back to grab Gunwoo by the hair so he could drag him forward faster.  That wasn’t fair…

                They made it two steps before he heard Seyong again, “She’ll die if you don’t!”  The words were low and pained but more than loud enough for Gunwoo to hear.

                He grit his teeth against the sharp sting yanking at his scalp and nearly collapsed when he was unceremoniously yanked forward in front of the Executioner who merely looked down at him through the slits of his mask.  The man’s identity was scrupulously kept unknown so as to further foster fear in those around and prevent any retribution against him for his hand in the countless deaths of those the Patriarch condemned.  But looking into his dark eyes, Gunwoo could have swore the tall, lanky figure was familiar.  He blinked in confusion, positive the male smiled at him behind the mask, and then tore his gaze away to spear the Patriarch with his eyes.

                “Where is my sister?” he growled, fingers flexing on the metal over his wrists.  They’d been careful to make sure he couldn’t pick them.  For once, his captors had actually done well.

                “The witch will be dealt with shortly,” Han replied smugly, keeping his distance from Gunwoo’s haggard, filthy form.

                “I’m gonna kill you!” Gunwoo snarled, lurching forward only to be pulled up short when the Executioner lowered his weapon to bar his progress, giving the guards a chance to catch up and manhandle him back into place where a post hammered into the platform was just high enough for him to kneel and rest his head upon.

                “Gunwoo!” Seyong shouted, pain and fear thick in his voice.

                With his head forcefully held against the chopping block by the guards, Gunwoo couldn’t even look to see his younger companion.  “Sorry Chae.  Looks like I’m in trouble,” he whispered through clenched teeth, fingers trembling as he looked out over the crowd of people, watching their reactions.

                Quiet murmuring died down to absolute silence as the Elder Patriarch began to speak.  “Good people of Merovia!  The men you see before you have been found guilty of willfully consorting with and aiding the decried witch Chaerin, whose very presence threatens the peace of every man, woman, and child in our kingdom!”

                Gunwoo snorted at the lie and heard the people respond with uncertainty and nervousness.  She was no more a witch than he was.  And he would be damned if he wouldn’t help his sister.  She was all the family he had left thanks to that murderer.

                “They have conspired to assassinate myself.”  Okay, so that was partially true but only because he was trying to kill them first.  “And overthrow his majesty, King Shin!”  Dammit.  Another lie.  All they ever wanted was peace for themselves. 

                “He’s lying!” Seyong screamed defiantly, earning another beating to silence him.  The kid still hadn’t figured out when to keep his mouth shut.

                The crowd’s murmuring rose at the sight and fell into silence again when the Patriarch spoke once more: he had them completely cowed.  Poor bastards.  “Today, we witness the will of gods in their holy proclamation to rid the world of such evil and its conspirators!”  That announcement was followed by a weak cheer from the crowd.  Gunwoo could have swore it was mostly because they were expected to, though he could tell some of them were hearty believers as well.  Stupid sheep.

                He’d long believed that, and just when they’d been so close to finding out how to make things right with his sister… this had happened.  Damn that traitorous Captain for leaving them when they needed his help most.  Not that he could blame Insoo or Joonkyu for that matter.  After all, he and his companion’s had been the reason the Captain’s boat was lying at the bottom of the sea and the rest of his crew had deserted him.  There was no reason for either of them to stay.  Despite the friendship he thought they’d managed to forge between them.  Just went to show you could only rely on your own strength and people would always let you down.

                “Executioner.  Whenever you are ready.”  Gunwoo flinched at the words.  This was it.

                He pursed his lips and took a deep breath, feeling the hair on the back of his neck rise when footsteps shuffled close.  Gunwoo tensed his muscles, ready to try anything.  There was no way he was going down like this without some sort of struggle.  Sunlight glinted off the broad blade of the halberd and it paused level with his head, drawing his gaze for the sheer, erse curiosity of it.

                Faintly scrawled on the reflective surface was the salt-crusted word: Relax.

                “Insoo?” Gunwoo whispered, brow furrowed as he blinked with the certainty that he was seeing things.  The blade rose out of view and he scanned the crowd quickly, feeling his pulse race at the prospect.  No, no, no, wait…  Dark eyes locked onto a short but solid figure wearing a sturdy cloak and long, dirty hair, but the face was infinitely familiar, etched into his memory from weeks of shared travel and hardship.

                The figure smiled, offering him a sly wink.  Gunwoo gasped.  The Executioner’s blade hissed in the air and Gunwoo forgot about moving, transfixed by the fact that Insoo had actually come back.

                With an ear-splitting shriek, the halberd connected with something and Elder Patriarch Han screamed.  For an impossible heartbeat, no one moved and then all the under realms broke loose.  “Now!”

                Gunwoo lurched to his feet in time to see the Executioner looking stunned with his halberd lodged in the Patriarch’s chest even as the elder male fell back, taking the weapon with him.  Guards surged towards them both and the head covering came off in a hurry, revealing a blue haired Joonkyu, dumbfounded by the occurrence before he was bodily tackled.

                “Seyong!” Gunwoo yelled, pivoting to try and find his companion but the floor under his feet rebelled.  Wood groaned and splintered beneath the surface, pitching him forward when the platform collapsed on one side as the supports were hauled free, tumbling him to the ground amidst a roiling crowd of confused and panicked onlookers, outraged guards, and baffled prisoners.

                “Gods, that kid is clumsy,” an achingly familiar voice whispered at his shoulder while hands lifted him up and steadied him.

                “You’re here,” Gunwoo blinked in dumbfounded amazement now that he could see Insoo was actually at his side.  In the flesh.  Not a product of his imagination.

                “Relax.  Of course I am,” he grinned, flashing a confident smile before his sword came free to defend against the nearest guard who sprinted at them with his weapon drawn.  “Watch out!”

                Still stunned from the ongoing rescue and weak from his captivity, Gunwoo stumbled around behind Insoo when the other male dragged him back, leaving him torn as to what he should do.  He needed to get free.  He needed to make sure Seyong was alright.  He really needed to find his sister.  Raucous shouts across the yard drew his attention to a small band of what he would have to classify as vagrants, or pirates, storming the wall.

                “Ow!” Insoo shouted when a metallic clang sounded after he punched the guard in the face with his fist.  “Bloody metal heads!”

                “Like you’re one to talk,” Gunwoo couldn’t help but throw back, finally gathering his wits about him.  Insoo tossed him a perturbed look that did nothing to quell the relief he felt just then.  Without wasting another breath, Gunwoo back stepped, fumbled at Insoo’s waist with his hands blindly, and yanked the dagger he’d been hoping would be there free.

                “Shouldn’t you buy me a drink first?!” Insoo snorted, keeping his attention otherwise diverted to his target who had been joined by two others, leaving him outnumbered and short of breath.

                “Not a chance!” Gunwoo shot back, nearly falling over when the crowd surged unexpectedly, practically taking him with them.  “e!”  Picking the lock became a secondary concern short of keeping his footing.

                “Woo!”

                He knew that voice too.  “Seyong!” he shouted back, heaving himself in the direction of the speaker.

                “Hands!” came the sharp cry.

                Gunwoo fought for purchase on the ground, steadying himself for just a moment.  “Are you su-?!” the question was interrupted as he heard the snick of metal through metal and felt a jolt against his wrists.  “-re,” he finished, stumbling around to see Seyong holding a borrowed sword, though his hands were free, if still manacled.  The same could be said of him too though.

                “Guard!” the younger man warned, pointing quickly so that Gunwoo could turn to take him on.

                Glad to have a target he could finally fight, Gunwoo threw himself at the armored opponent with a vengeance, fueled by anger and desperation.  The sword attack was stronger than he could hold against so he had to deflect the blade, sliding to the side as the weapon screeched away from his dagger.  His opponent recoiled to strike again, metal covered elbow swinging at Gunwoo’s head.  He lurched back out of range and then grabbed the top of the plate so he could yank himself too close for the guard to hit with his sword.  Before the other could react, Gunwoo growled and rammed the short weapon under the guard’s chin, impaling the unprotected skin and stabbing upwards to the hilt.  The guard jerked, gurgled a wet, unintelligible response, and fell away, staining Gunwoo’s hands with his blood before he was gone.

                “e man,” Seyong gaped at his back, mesmerized by the ferocious attack.

                “Move!” Gunwoo commanded, back in control of himself and his purpose once more.  He scanned the shifting masses and saw Insoo finishing off his opponents with Joonkyu giving him a hand.  Other fighters milled around the yard, bearing some similarities to Insoo in terms of clothing, and he couldn’t help but wonder who they were.  So long as they were helping them at the moment, it didn’t matter, except that one group was rushing inside where he was certain his sister was being kept.

                A small explosion rocked the upper level of the wall, sending a burst of smoke rising into the air and drawing attention from everyone.

                “Chaerin!” Gunwoo howled, shifting his sights to the smoking juncture with fear turning his veins to ice.

                “Stop them!  Kill them all!”

                Further alarmed, Gunwoo whirled to stare at the still alive Patriarch picking himself from the ground, bloody and angry but more active than he should be.  “Insoo!” he shouted, seeing the other male closer to the risen figure.

                Insoo looked up to see who was making so much noise and screamed in reaction, paling at what he saw; one did not just get up from a halberd to the chest.  He grabbed Joonkyu and with a final kick to one of the guards, they retreated back towards Gunwoo and Seyong, regrouping immediately.  “Why is he still alive?!” Joonkyu gasped, eyes wide and frightened.

                Gunwoo ignored the question and focused on Insoo instead.  “We have to get my sister!”

                “Captain Mika and his crew are on it!” Insoo promised glibly, drawing Gunwoo along with a hand on his back to guide him.  He wanted to ask who that was but his companion spoke before he could.

                “What about us?” Seyong panted, hugging close to them while he tried to avoid the panicked throng of people that was finally beginning to clear out as they fled.

                “Captain JR and company are working on that!” he explained, nodding back towards the other fighters keeping things busy while they hurried towards the entryway that was currently barred, leaving little path for the civilians to escape from except side passages and typically closed doors.

                “Soo!  The gate’s still down!” Joonkyu yelled, pointing at the obvious, the rush of combat clear to hear in his voice.

                Their small group cleared the crowd, fighting off three more errant guards, though Seyong deflected more than anything until Insoo and Gunwoo took care of the majority.  With their backs braced against the giant, metal grate, Insoo looked up.  “Any time now, Boa!”

                A very unladylike shriek punctuated the air above them and a guard went flying through the almost too narrow, stone window slat, landing with a metallic crash at the bottom, just in front of them.  “Holy e,” Seyong blinked while Gunwoo looked between the dead man and the window where another head poked out from the exit point.

                “Captain Insoo!  It’s rude to rush a lady!” she snapped, though her eyes danced with mirth from within the frame of long, dark hair hanging over her shoulders.

                “Oh.  So now you want to be a lady!” he quipped back, rolling his eyes.

                “When it suits me,” she winked, pulling her arm back to send a throwing dagger at a guard in the crowd.  “Dammit!”  A muffled voice somewhere above said something and she laughed once.  “Of course I got him.  But my aim was off.”  Another muffled comment earned a, “Wench!  Shut yer trap and get that cursed gate open!”

                Gunwoo looked at Insoo and tried to catch his breath.  “Another Captain?”

                Insoo nodded in amusement and shrugged.  “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

                Gunwoo scoffed and finally reached out to pull the wig that had somehow miraculously stayed on Insoo’s head in the fight.  “Take that rat’s off your head.”

                “Hey!”  Insoo reached to retrieve it and a clang above reverberated through the stone around them.  Gears screeched and something else hissed before the counterweight failed and the group looked at each other worriedly.

                Female voices shrieked above them.  “You idiot!”  That had to be Boa.

                “I’m sorry!”  This time, the other speaker was loud enough to be heard clearly.

                “Aish,” Insoo exhaled with his shoulders slumping.  “Dara.”

                “Plan B!  Move it!” the Captain roared.

                “But we don’t have a Plan B!”

                “Time to go!” Insoo waved, urging them off the gate again and back into the dying throng where more soldiers were appearing, wearing down the efforts of Captain JR and his crew.

                “A little help here!” the short young man at the front urged, fending off two other fighters though he sacrificed ground to do it.

                 As if that was the cue for backup, a large chunk of the wall where smoke was still pouring from exploded, raining debris and stone on the courtyard floor.  Smoke swirled and dissipated quickly, revealing an ethereal Chaerin, whole and unharmed, but obviously angry.

                “Chaerin!” Gunwoo gasped.

                “She’s okay,” Seyong beamed, thoroughly smitten by her appearance.

                “Told you guys Mika could take care of- holy e!” Insoo yelped when Chaerin wasted no time in leaping from the hole.  The distance was at least the height of five or six men.  “There’s no wa-” again he was disproved when she landed without pausing and bolted for the Patriarch with single minded determination.

                Unfaltering, she rammed a path through the few guards who rushed to meet her, falling away like so much refuse she had no time for.  A sword went flying as one went down hard and she hopped off another, using him as a launch board.  Someone else screamed from a broken arm and a metal helmet went rolling when she knocked it off with a running jump kick.

                Gunwoo had seen her fight dozens of times before, but like all the rest, he was entranced by her performance in this setting, leaving them all open.  Just as she was nearing the Patriarch, whose face reflected pale fear and sweaty uncertainty, Seyong cried out, lurching forward with a split back and blood already soaking his shirt.

                Chaerin faltered, her head whipping around to hone in on his voice.  Bright eyes narrowed once, thinking, and then she lunged at the Patriarch.  He howled in abject terror, backing away as fast as he could.  Chaerin was faster.  She clawed at something on his person, snatching it away with scraps of his clothes, and kicked him hard, sending the aging male rolling backwards head over feet.

                “No!” Gunwoo howled as he turned away from the spectacle, rounding on the small group of guards that edged into place behind them.  Viciously, he punctured the armor at the bend in the guard’s arm, forcing him to drop the sword before he used a backhand stab and his momentum to drive the point through the metal protecting his neck.  Blood spurted when he pulled the blade free and the guard stumbled back, muscle control wavering.

                Their opponents surged to counter but before they could, a furious group of angry, female attackers jumped on them from behind.  “Yah!” they screamed in tandem, taking most of them down in a matter of heartbeats.  The last man standing didn’t even know what hit him when Chaerin seemingly appeared in their midst, picking him up with one hand and tossing him away like he was nothing.

                “Chaerin,” Gunwoo exhaled, surprised by his sister’s appearance.

                She didn’t hear him, or at least chose not to acknowledge, and moved to help Seyong where Joonkyu was trying to provide support and assistance.  Chaerin didn’t speak, but she clutched something close against her chest and slid into place beside Seyong, her other arm wrapping around his waist to hold him up with unnatural strength.

                “Um…” Insoo blinked, looking between the two siblings.  Gunwoo was just as stunned himself.

                In the middle of the yard, the Patriarch stumbled back to his feet, a hand to his gut.  “Get them!” he commanded breathily, an edge of desperation evident now.

                “Time to move guys!” the women at their back urged, rushing them to join up with the still retreating JR and company.  Off to the side, the intensely blue-eyed Mika and two crew members rushed to regroup, all nursing some degree of wounds, though none appeared fatal.  Yet.

                Collected in a group, they bunched together closer, weapons at the ready like a bristling circle of death: theirs or the guards remained to be seen.  “We’re trapped,” Joonkyu murmured through his teeth, greater height giving him an advantage in seeing over some of the men.

                “I noticed,” Insoo responded without missing a beat, eyeing their opponents.

                “Was this part of your plan?” Gunwoo asked, shoulder to shoulder with the shorter male.

                “Eh,” he shrugged, looking back to the rest of their group.  “Mika?  JR?”

                The two captains exchanged glances and nodded.  “Husky.  Send the signal,” Mika commanded with a nod towards the smoking wall.

                “Aron!  Give Baekho the heads up,” JR nodded, edging closer to fill in the gap when the two men eased back, protected by the people around them.

                Gunwoo was about to ask what they were doing until a sharp whistle nearly made him deaf as something spit and sparked while it streaked through the air towards the wall, exploding upon impact and leaving a large blotch of red powder smeared on the surface.  While his ears were still ringing, Gunwoo jumped again when another shrieking device zipped straight up, arching towards the same wall near the top.  It peaked, trailing green smoke as it went, and exploded at the top, blurring the air with a puff of dark green dust before it faded away too.

                For a few breaths, no one knew what to expect, including the guards who waited with baited breath uncertainly.  When nothing happened, the Patriarch pointed at them, shrouded by ill-disguised anger and fear.  “Kill them!”

                Still glowing with the otherworldly power, Chaerin handed Seyong to Joonkyu and moved to step in front of Gunwoo and Insoo, ready to defend them from the Patriarch’s command.  She held one arm back to stop them from coming to join her, the other poised at the ready in the front.

                A shadow flickered over the ground then.

                “Heads up!” came the cry from above.

                “Karam!” Mika’s team cheered with their fists raised as all eyes turned to the sky where two young men were perched inside a strange flying machine.  One long plane of wood framed cloth helped keep the contraption gliding while another pedal powered set of “wings” above provided additional lift.

                The pair cheered, seated on a dual tiered setup that had the person peddling on top and the other young man below him where a small carriage allowed them to carry supplies.  “Let her go, Jay!” Karam cheered from his seat while he aimed straight for the red mark on the wall.

                Right on cue, Jay tipped the carriage over where something large fell free.  A rope attached to the flier kept it from falling straight and when it reached the end, the item jerked and started swinging towards the wall, still attached.  “And,” Jay shouted, hand resting on a lever with his eyes tracking the object.  “Now!”

                He pulled the switch and the ball detached, arching through the air beautifully before it hit the wall just below the red mark.  It didn’t matter that he was slightly off for the explosion ripped a hole through the entirety of the section, leaving a weak bridge at the top and debris at the bottom.  Shattered fragments rained down on them all, knocking the guards nearest the wall down and pelting even their group with shards, none of which dimmed their enthusiasm.

                “Yes!” they cheered as one, needing no orders to figure out what they were supposed to do then.  As a group, they surged forward, trampling over the recovering guards without concern.

                “Stop them!” the Patriarch commanded, voice raised to a shrill quality.

                Not one of them paid the man a second glance.  “Bom!  Minzy!” Boa called, falling to the back with her two companions purposefully, the three shadowed by Dara who pulled a slingshot from her belt and aimed it at the nearest guard.  With surprisingly good aim, she pitched a pebble into his eye and reached for another shard of debris, buying heartbeats for the girls to stall at the edges just long enough to set something into place.

                “Clear!” they shouted together, grabbing Dara by the arms when she wanted to shoot one more time, bodily dragging her along.

                Just past the mouth of the opening, two small explosions rocked the remaining framework jostling the overhead bridge just enough to convince the structure to fall in on itself, filling in the hole with a makeshift plug.  “Take that, Patty!” Dara shouted, pointing at the dusty remains with a wide grin.

                Gunwoo couldn’t say anything since that was what he called him too.  Now they just needed to figure out what to do- “What in the world?” he blinked upon seeing a string of huge, brown cart horses pounding over the uneven terrain in their direction.  The ground actually vibrated with their approach and at their back was a young man perched on the top of a massive wagon.

                “Somebody call for a ride?” the baby-faced young man beamed, pulling the large, snorting creatures up short, mindful of their tossing heads and pawing hooves.

                “Baekho!” JR cheered with the rest of his crew, the likes of which led the charge to scramble into the back.

                To the best of his knowledge, Gunwoo could only surmise it was a cart meant for carrying supplies at the shipyard: either for cargo or transporting supplies to build the things.  “You gonna stand there all day?” Insoo urged, dragging on his arm with a firm tug.

                “Hurry up, Woo!” a back-to-normal Chaerin called, still at Seyong’s side and helping the wounded and pale young man along.  Joonkyu remained hand stolidly and with the help of several people already in the cart, they managed to get him on board without trouble.

                “Coming!” Gunwoo exhaled, rubbing at his manacled wrists while he held onto the dagger he’d borrowed from Insoo.

                “Hyah!” Baekho cried at the front, muscular arms bared and flexed as he flicked the reins to get the horses moving along again.  Everyone lurched with the starting motion and then settled down, finding more comfortable positions now that they were in the clear.

                Energy was still high with their successful escape but Gunwoo hardly felt it himself.  He was glad to be alive for sure, though his sights were set on Chaerin and Seyong.  Maybe it was just because of the situation itself, but she’d chosen Seyong over him and he didn’t know how to feel about that yet.  Seyong was unconscious but it looked as if the wound itself wasn’t going to kill him.  At least he hoped that was the case.  And Chaerin was clutching something close that he couldn’t see but he knew it was probably what had come from the Patriarch before they’d escaped.

                What was more, Insoo had come back when he would have been well within his right mind to simply abandon them.  The reminder made him glance over at the other male, giving him a sidelong look as he pursed his lips.  “Here,” he urged, handing the dagger back as nonchalantly as possible.

                “Thanks,” Insoo smiled, accepting the weapon and putting it back into place at his belt.

                Neither spoke again, as if they were unsure of what to say, and for the moment, they were happy enough to let the others carry the conversation for them.  Captain Mika explained that Karam and Jay would be joining up with them when they landed and were able to store the flying machine.  Captain JR had volunteered the use of his boat as the launch point for them all so they could enter and exit without having to worry about the other ships.  Boa was keen on that plan seeing that she and her crew had a thing for explosives too.  It was probably best that no one might chance blowing them up on accident with unfamiliar crew members aboard.

                Husky, one of Mika’s men, pooled his knowledge and skill with that of Minhyun, another member under JR’s command, and both focused on keeping Seyong among the living.  With him stabilized, they were able to turn their focus to the other less pressing wounds.  When Boa was questioned about her lack of healer, she had to explain they had one but he was a greenie and not even remotely battle worthy yet.

                “Chaejin can pull his weight in patching us up but we’ve got a lot of work to do with him before he’s ready for field missions,” she laughed, slapping Dara and Bom on the shoulder as they reminisced about the kid fainting the first time one of them came back with a really nasty wound.

                And by the time they got to the boats, Gunwoo and Insoo still didn’t know what to say to each other, other than the latter’s phrase of “Relax,” though at least Seyong had finally come around and he was trying to regale Chaerin on the deck of the ship with the events she hadn’t been present for.  Gunwoo didn’t have the heart to correct him when Seyong put a little more emphasis on his personal role than was probably necessary.  For her part, she smiled and waved at Gunwoo but seemed content to remain by Seyong’s side when she was assured her brother had come out alright.  Despite the fact he knew she was still holding onto whatever she’d stolen from the Patriarch, she had returned to normal and looked unchanged for the contact or her imprisonment.  For that, he was glad.

                But, he was miffed at being replaced again.  Gunwoo folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the cabin wall on the top deck, watching JR and Boa and crews sail away.  For the time being, they were taking refuge on Mika’s boat until they could find a port more hospitable to them, a boat of their own, or could convince the captain and his crew to lend them a hand in the next leg of their journey.  He wasn’t sure which option it was going to be yet, but until then, they were all going to be uneasy bedfellows as it was.  Including the unreadable Captain Insoo.

                Gunwoo grimaced and shifted when the manacles still on his wrists pinched, making him grunt in irritation.  The sound of footsteps nearby made him look up to see Insoo approaching him.  “You should have said something,” he chuckled with a slight shrug, eyeing the metal bands disapprovingly.

                “It didn’t seem important,” he shrugged in return, eyeing the blood crusted things with distaste.  He moved to pat his person down for something to pick the locks and stilled when Insoo came forward to do so instead.

                “Here.  Let me,” he urged, grabbing the first wrist and holding firm when Gunwoo immediately tried to pull away out of surprise.  Insoo didn’t look up and simply set his gaze to working the lock free, using the tip of his dagger as the pick.

                Gunwoo wet his lips with his tongue and murmured softly, “Why did you come back?”  A smart man would have left them alone the first time.  In truth, he’d thought Insoo had gone, a decision he would have agreed with himself, so his return was doubly confounding.

                One brow rose when Insoo looked up to meet his gaze and he laughed once, refraining from speaking before he caught the other wrist in his hands.  “Did you think that I would just forget everything that we’ve been through together and run away?”

                Yes, Gunwoo had thought that, but he didn’t care to admit it and so said nothing.  He sniffed and shifted in place, taking the opportunity to observe Insoo work.  His hands were strong but gentle, the fingers nimble and effective at angling the dagger tip just so without wrenching the metal around it so he wouldn’t cause more discomfort.  Sun kissed, dark hair was lighter than it had probably started off as and he had a lovely tan spanning the entirety of his exposed flesh.  Well, the non-scarred portions, some of which he could attribute to the day’s events.  Recent wounds had mostly been tended and nothing had required stitching, fortunately, but they would take a few days to heal.

                “I see,” Insoo chuckled when Gunwoo jumped at the sound of another manacle falling to the floor loudly.  “You didn’t think I’d rise to the occasion,” he hummed, fingers carefully tracing over torn and bruised skin without looking up.

                “What do you expect me to say?” Gunwoo asked tiredly, confused himself.  “Thank you for saving us?”  Insoo looked up but remained silent.  Waiting.  Though he did reach as if to touch a bruise coloring on Gunwoo’s jaw.  “Well thank you then,” he grumbled, exhaling once as he reactively warded the contact away.  “I didn’t ask you to, you know.”  Damn his stubborn pride.

                “I know.”

                “A smart man would have just stayed away.”

                “I know that too,” Insoo chuckled in amusement, still holding onto Gunwoo’s wrist with one hand.  “You should probably have Husky take a look at these later.  They could probably use some help.”  With a hint of reluctance, he finally let go and started to step away, clearly troubled by something.

                “Insoo,” Gunwoo called, surprised and mildly alarmed that the other male was just walking away.  Insoo paused and looked back, his expression unreadable.  “Is that all?” he asked, feeling as if something else needed to be said.

                “You’re welcome?” Insoo shrugged, voice carefully schooled to not give anything away.

                When he turned to walk away again, Gunwoo pushed off the wall and went after him.  “What do you want from me?” he demanded in a tense voice, filled with nervousness.  He didn’t know if he wanted to hug Insoo or punch him in the face, really.

                Insoo stopped and turned around on his heels, coming back to stand well within Gunwoo’s personal space.  He had to look up but that didn’t make him any less a force when he stared him straight in the eyes.  “Against the better judgment of myself and my crew,” he explained gesturing towards the boat as a whole, “I came back for you.  I might have been able to get you out with just my people but because I knew you wouldn’t leave without at least one of them,” he jerked his head towards the young woman who was just as oblivious to their low spoken conversation as most of those present, though they’d caught a few eyes with their interactions.  “I called in most of my debts to get you all out.”

                “I saw,” Gunwoo swallowed, taking a shallow, steadying breath.  He couldn’t say that he would have done the same for anyone but his sister at the moment, though there was no denying the extremes Insoo had gone to in order to get them out.

                “I saved your life, Gunwoo.  I don’t do that for just anybody,” Insoo added pointedly, challenging the other male to deny his words.

                Gunwoo searched Insoo’s face, finally gaining a measure of understanding at what he saw there.  “So what do you want me to do about?” he asked as a slow smile graced his lips.

                “Give me something, Woo,” Insoo responded, grabbing the collar of Gunwoo’s shirt to give him the barest of shakes.  “Give me something to know that I’m not just wasting my time and that I didn’t just-”

                Gunwoo stopped the impassioned stream of words by kissing him hard on the mouth, smiling more at the undignified, surprised sound it produced.  Insoo pulled his shirt to keep him close and relaxed considerably, the tension bleeding out of him in heartbeats.  They both heard the surprised squeak from Seyong and pulled away long enough to see him staring their direction with a strange mix of perplexed surprise.  Chaerin glanced at him, made a face and covered his eyes with her hand before she looked back at them and shrugged with a bemused smile.

                Insoo and Gunwoo laughed softly at the result and looked at each other again.  “Is that enough?” Gunwoo murmured in a low voice, nearly close enough to press his forehead against Insoo’s.

                “It’s a start,” the Captain smirked, letting Gunwoo go so he could step back.  His smile widened into one of more genuine affection and he nodded, adding a theatrical bow towards the other man.  “And I’ll take it,” he cheered, standing up and turning around to head for the helm.

                “Where are you going?” Gunwoo laughed, slightly confused but curious now.

                “To speak to a man about a ship!” he flashed a bright grin over his shoulder and headed off to where Captain Mika was currently manning the wheel.  “We’ve got an adventure to finish!”

                “Huh,” Gunwoo tilted his head to the side, looking back at Seyong and Chaerin, the former of which was talking to his sister very animatedly.  So long as she was still on his side, he was fine with whatever Seyong needed to work his head around.  Another glance at the confident, proud back of Insoo made him shake his head.  “Pirates,” he scoffed with a shrug.  He’d never understand them.

(a/n: As mentioned in the description, this is going to be an ongoing collection of oneshots.  Each will be connected in some way, shape or form and the blanks will be filled in little by little over time.  Please be patient with me in forthcoming updates, but thank you for stopping by.  I hope you enjoyed it!)