a/n: Written for Chenpionships Round 2016. There are mama powers and it's set in a pirate setting so I hope everyone enjoys :) (Also I really couldn't resist sticking that krisho plotline in there...whoops)

 

 

 

Sweet Prince, Beckon Me (With Your Wiles)

Jongdae smacked his lips sleepily and winced as he realized how much his hips ached from lying on the hard stone ground. He’d been locked in this cell for three weeks now, all on his own. He wasn’t too worried though—he knew he would get out of this place eventually. If there was one thing the crew of the El Dorado was infamous for, it was for getting their mates out of prison.

Granted, Jongdae had been around to pioneer most of those rescue adventures. But still, he had faith that his shipmates would be back for him eventually.

Jongdae sat up and stretched his arms over his head, relishing in the crackling and popping of his spine. He perked up with interest when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps and jangling keys approaching his cell. Was his jailer bringing him food?

To his surprise, a tall slender man dressed in chainmail with a knife in one hand and a torch in the other stopped in front of the door. From what Jongdae had been able to discern, the food distributor was a shorter, muscular man who dragged around a cart with trays of steaming slop. Jongdae didn’t try and stop his lips from tilting down into a pout; his stomach was aching, and he had been hoping to get something to eat.

The guard peered into the cell, and Jongdae couldn’t help but notice that his belt had a keyring covered in an incredibly loud, jangly mass of keys. “Are you awake?”

Jongdae blinked at the politeness of the guard. He was used to being thrown around and yelled into submission. “Yes, I’m awake.” He slowly got to his feet, carefully used his handcuffed hands to balance as he stood up.

“Don’t even think about putting up a fight,” the guard warned. “As you can see I’m armed. My build says nothing for my strength.”

Jongdae snorted. “I believe you,” he allowed. “I won’t try anything fishy.”

Despite Jongdae’s assurance, the guard entered the cell warily with his knife extended before him. Before Jongdae could react, the guard pulled a sack from his belt and threw it up and over Jongdae’s shoulders, obscuring his face and eyes.

Jongdae didn’t move to defend himself, and forced himself to stand still, his heart hammering in his chest. What was going on? Was he being sentenced to an early, silent execution?

“Don’t try anything on me,” the guard said warningly, and Jongdae flinched when he felt a smooth hand on his arm, pushing him out of the cell. “You’re being moved.”

“Okay.” Jongdae walked blindly forward, guided only by the guard’s nudges in the right direction. He lost sense of time and space as he continued stumbling blindly forward, until at last, the guard dragged him to a stop.

“I said we should’ve just gotten rid of you to make room for the new prisoners,” the guard said mockingly. “Fortunately for you, the head jailor has decided to give you a roommate.”

Jongdae was suddenly shoved forward, and he cried out and twisted so that he landed on his back and not his face. The guard laughed at him, shoved the door shut with a clang and marched away, his keys jangling on his hip.

Jongdae groaned and lay very still on the floor as his back exploded with pain. He’d taken a hard fall.

“Hello?”

Jongdae flinched and twisted towards the source of the voice. “Who’re you?”

“Hold on, let me get this off you. Don’t move,” the voice said softly. Jongdae flinched when he felt the burlap sack being dragged off his face, but he obediently lifted his head up to get the sack off his shoulders.

He couldn’t help gaping in amazement at the person hovering over him. His eyes twinkled with a mischievous light, his skin looked soft and clear, and he had very, very nice fingers.

“Are you alright?” The man above him gazed down at him with concern. “You took quite a fall.”

Jongdae blinked and slowly sat up. “I’m alright now. I just needed a moment.” He internally shook himself; what was he doing? Just because his cellmate looked beautiful didn’t mean anything. The most malicious temptresses and thieves were renowned for their looks, which completely belied their true natures. Besides, that guard had seemed nice and polite, and look where he was now. “Who’re you?”

“I’m Baekhyun.” Baekhyun sat back on his heels and brought his cuffed hands up to rest on his knees. “Who’re you?”

“I’m Jongdae, Captain of the El Dorado,” Jongdae responded. Baekhyun seemed harmless as prison cellmates went; his body was relaxed, and his face was open. Jongdae shuddered as he remembered the very first guy he’d been stuck in a prison with; the guy had been a huge, muscular beast of a man that glared at Jongdae every time he tried to crack a joke to break the silence. Later, Jongdae had found out that the man was in prison for murder, and he’d tended to keep to himself since then.

But something about the innocent light in Baekhyun’s eyes made him curious. “Is this your first time in prison or something?” he asked.

Baekhyun snorted. “I wish. It’s my second.”

“Huh.” Go figure. “What’re you in for?”

Baekhyun hesitated. “Ransom,” he said at last.

“Oh now that’s interesting,” Jongdae said, perking up a little bit. Having his own jail cell had its own perks, but he’d been dying of boredom. “Is there a story that comes with that?”

“Maybe,” Baekhyun shrugged. “What about you?”

Jongdae gaped at him in shock. “I told you I’m the captain of the El Dorado,” he said slowly. “Do you not…know what that is?”

Baekhyun blinked. “Nope.”

“We’re a pirate ship.” Jongdae gave Baekhyun a look. “You’re far away from home if you don’t know El Dorado’s name.”

Baekhyun just shrugged, and Jongdae resigned himself to Baekhyun’s reticence. “Thanks for taking that sack off, by the way.”

“You’re welcome.” Baekhyun smiled at him, and Jongdae felt a little bit of hope flare up in his heart. Maybe his shipmates were taking their own sweet time to bust him out, but things couldn’t be so bad with this bastion of light and innocence by his side.

 

 

 

 

Three days had passed. Jongdae tried to sleep his way through them; it took his mind off of the hunger and thirst he experienced. Every so often, he and Baekhyun would be awakened by the heavy footsteps of a guard, or the flap in their door slamming shut when someone came by with food and water. Other than that, nothing. There were two buckets in the cell, and that was it.

Jongdae was pretty sure that he reeked. It had been too long since he’d last cleaned himself, and the combined scent of their piss-buckets wasn’t helping anything. It was taking too long for his mates to come bust him out. He was going to have to think of something on his own.

“Say, Baekhyun.”

“Hm?” Baekhyun looked over at him from across the cell.

“How would you feel about trying to escape?” Jongdae propped his head up on his hand.

To his surprise, Baekhyun shook his head at him. “I don’t know if it’s possible. I already checked the cell for any kind of hidden passageways, and the guards don’t seem to come on any regular schedule.”

Jongdae stared at him in surprise. “I thought you said this was only your second time in prison. I didn’t pick up on escape strategies until at least the fourth time.”

Baekhyun laughed softly. “I learned a lot that first time. Anyways, you’re welcome to inspect the cell. If you find something, then maybe.”

“Hmph.” Jongdae got to his feet and began inspecting the back corners of the cell. It was hard to inspect the walls with his hands cuffed together in front of him, but Jongdae did his best, tapping and listening against the rough black stone.

After what felt like hours of tapping and shuffling around, Jongdae came to the same conclusion as Baekhyun. It didn’t seem like there were any hollow spaces or entrances in the cell. He was also going to trust Baekhyun’s conclusion that the guards didn’t seem to come at regular intervals; his sense of time had been completely skewed by that burlap sack.

But, Jongdae wasn’t going to give up. Even if things were looking bleak, he kept up the hope that he would be able to plan an escape. He was going to have to start observing the guards more closely.

The sound of jangling keys sounded in the distance and Jongdae moved closer towards the door. “Speak of the devil,” he murmured.

“What?” Baekhyun sounded completely nonplussed.

Jongdae waved a dismissive hand at him and kept his eyes trained on the hallway. Their cells were built so that the only part of the hallway they could see was the segment right outside their door, no matter how they twisted their necks and bodies to see more.

A guard slowly limped past the door and came to a stop. Jongdae raised an eyebrow at the guard’s short stature, and mentally noted that his armor seemed a little too big for him. Why had the guard stopped though?

To his surprise, the guard stepped up to the door. “Jongdae?”

Jongdae felt his heart lift at the sound of a familiar voice. He stepped out of the shadows, grinning enthusiastically. “Junmyeon!” He approached the door and grinned. “I knew you would come for me.”

“You know each other?” Baekhyun had risen to his feet, a wary expression on his face.

“Who’s he?” Junmyeon stared past Jongdae.

“My roommate.” Jongdae turned back to face Baekhyun. “This is my first mate and dearest cousin, Junmyeon. He’s our ticket out of here. Are you in or not?”

Baekhyun nodded without hesitation. “Take me with you. Please.”

“He’s been a good companion.” Jongdae turned to Junmyeon and nodded. “He comes with us.”

Junmyeon bit his lip. “I think this might still work,” he said at last. “But I won’t jinx myself.” Junmyeon carefully inserted a key into the lock of the cell, and Jongdae resisted the urge to crow with delight as the door swung silently open.

“What’s the plan?” Jongdae’s voice dropped to a whisper, and he jerked his forward to indicate Baekhyun to join them out in the hallway. “You wouldn’t happen to have keys for our handcuffs, would you?”

“I actually do.” Junmyeon gave him a small smile as he picked out a key and carefully unlocked Jongdae’s manacles. He hesitated over Baekhyun’s and glanced at Jongdae. “What’s he in for?”

“Ransom,” Jongdae muttered, gingerly rubbing his chafed wrists. “I won’t blame you if you don’t unlock him right away.”

“Hm.” Junmyeon gave Baekhyun a calculating look. “I have the key to the handcuffs, and I’ll unlock you when we get out of this godforsaken prison.” Junmyeon removed the key from the loop on his belt and stowed it in a pouch at his waist.

“How can I trust you? You’re a pirate, aren’t you?” Baekhyun frowned uneasily.

“What other plan do you have?” Junmyeon asked coolly. “It’s either us or nothing.”

Baekhyun shifted uneasily, but stayed silent.

“What’s the plan?” Jongdae glanced at the corridor nervously. “Hurry up, this small talk is making me anxious.”

“I’ll Baekhyun out of the halls dressed as a prisoner. I’m going to tie your hands in a rope slipknot. When we get above ground, make a run for it. Chanyeol’s got a distraction. Yifan’s waiting in the harbor to pick us up if anything goes wrong.”

“You’re collaborating with Yifan on this?” Jongdae hissed. “You know I don’t trust him.”

“We didn’t have any other choice,” Junmyeon said softly. “We needed his help. When the warden got you, they blew a good-sized hole in our ship, and it’s still being repaired. Yifan offered to take us.”

Jongdae sighed. “Hopefully he won’t betray us,” Jongdae muttered. “Alright, tie me up and let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Keep your heads down,” Junmyeon instructed them. “Cover your faces as much as possible. Jongdae will have a heavy price on his head; it’s over if someone notices us before we get above ground.”

Jongdae shook his head so that his hair was hanging over his face, and Baekhyun did the same. Junmyeon herded them out of the cell ahead of him and began leading them out of the maze of corridors and prison cells. As they passed, some prisoners came to the doors and banged and yelled filthy insults at them, but Junmyeon ignored them and simply chivvied the two of them along.

Surprisingly, they made it out of the maze and emerged into a dreary, grey courtyard.

“Chanyeol must’ve made a good distraction,” Jongdae murmured.

Junmyeon chuckled. “You have no idea,” he murmured. Jongdae tugged his wrists free as Junmyeon turned to Baekhyun and removed his handcuffs. Junmyeon then turned around and began rummaging behind a stone bench. “Yifan’s docked in the prison harbor. Follow the stone path, you’ll know his ship, Jongdae.”

“And what have we here?”

Jongdae’s heart leapt up into his throat, and he whirled around to see a group of three guards advancing towards them menacingly.

Junmyeon straightened up, two grey cloaks in his hand. “Ah.” He dropped the cloaks on the bench. “Not much use for these then.”

“Who the hell are you?” The guard in the middle asked Junmyeon. “And what the hell are you doing with the captain and the prince?”

“The prince?” Jongdae repeated, confused.

“Don’t play the fool,” the guard sneered. “Are you trying to escape with the prince just so you can take him ransom for yourselves? Your best bet is to stay here with us, pretty boy. We’ll only bruise you up a little bit before sending you back to your cell.”

Baekhyun took a step back, and Jongdae instinctively took a step forward to stand in front of him.

“I’ve got this.” Junmyeon drew his sword out of his scabbard. “Run.”

The three guards drew their swords, and Jongdae his heel. He grabbed Baekhyun’s arm and began dragging him away down the grey stone path.

“What about him?” Baekhyun asked, his eyes wide with fear.

“Don’t worry about him, he can hold his own. Let’s go, or do you want to get caught?” Jongdae snapped.

That seemed to get Baekhyun’s attention, and he began sprinting without any hesitation down the path.

To Jongdae’s relief, no other guards leapt out of the bushes to try and stop them as they ran pell-mell towards the harbor. Jongdae inhaled a breath of tangy sea air, and he knew they were getting close. Baekhyun had started to slow down a little, but Jongdae knew that every second was precious. He put a firm hand on Baekhyun’s wrist and kept dragging him forward.

They emerged onto a small dock. The black waters of the bay were relatively empty, save for four large ships. Jongdae already knew which one they wanted, and he turned to Baekhyun, who was gasping for air.

“We’re going to have to swim to the ship,” he said bluntly. “Can you swim?”

Baekhyun nodded, dropping down into a crouch as he struggled to gain control of his breathing. “Yes,” he gasped out. “Which one?”

Jongdae pointed. “Lucky One. The one with the grey sails.”

Baekhyun nodded and wiped at his mouth.

Jongdae turned back to the harbor. The ship was the closest one to them, but it would still be a bit of a struggle, especially considering how winded Baekhyun was. Jongdae took his shirt off and threw it on the ground. He yanked his shoes off of his feet and turned to face Baekhyun.

Jongdae shook his head. Baekhyun had the sense to remove his shoes, but his shirt was still on. “That’ll slow you down. Quickly, they’re going to catch up with us.”

Baekhyun’s lips twisted in a grimace, but he pulled his shirt over his head. Jongdae looked over Baekhyun’s shoulder, and he could see two figures hurtling down the grey pathway towards them.

Jongdae turned back to the bay and dove in, not waiting to see if Baekhyun followed suit. He surfaced for air briefly, his chest seizing up from the frigid coldness of the bay, but then he started swimming in strong towards Yifan’s ship.

He didn’t know how long it had taken him. He just swam like his life depended on it, ignoring any sounds or distractions as he headed towards the ship. As he approached, he glanced up and saw one of his crew members throw down a rope ladder from the side. His hand bumped against the edge of the ship, and Jongdae scrambled for a brief moment before seizing the ladder and swinging himself up.

He glanced back, and was relieved to see Baekhyun a few yards behind him. The relief vanished when he saw two small boats full of angry-looking guards coming in behind Baekhyun. Baekhyun had a lead, but he was going to have to hurry.

Jongdae scrambled up the ladder and collapsed onto the deck. His youngest crewmate, Sehun crouched down beside him and draped a dry cloth over his shoulders. Jongdae stared, waiting until at last, Baekhyun too had thrown himself up over the side and someone was scrambling to hoist the ladder up. Sehun stiffened beside him, and Jongdae opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but he was stopped by the sound of a volley of arrows flying out over the side of the ship and striking the incoming soldiers. Jongdae glanced behind him and saw Zitao and Luhan standing with bows in their hands and arrows on their backs. Luhan dropped his bow and ran to the other end of his ship while Zitao continued shooting, his arms a blur with the speed of his shots.

The ship began to move, and Jongdae looked around wildly. “Where’s Junmyeon?”

Sehun put a thin arm around his shoulders. “Don’t worry. He and Yifan are on their way, I can see them. They’ll make it.”

Jongdae nodded and sagged down with relief. A sharp wind howled across the deck, and he winced as his hair blew into his eyes.

At least his hair was relatively clean now. Nothing like a dip in the ocean to get some of the grime off of his back. Jongdae shook his hair out of his eyes and turned around just in time to see Yifan come flying down to the deck with Junmyeon in his arms.

Jongdae narrowed his eyes when he saw Junmyeon’s arms locked around Yifan’s neck. He was wary of anyone who got too close to Junmyeon, and Yifan being one of the most ruthless pirates on the high seas made him even more anxious.

Jongdae turned around when he heard Baekhyun gasp, and he felt a pang of alarm when he saw how pale Baekhyun’s face was. The wind howled and the ship surged out of the harbor. Jongdae saw Minseok standing at the other end of the deck, and he heard the crackling noises of ships being stuck and ice forming over the surface of the bay. Salt water was difficult to freeze, but Jongdae figured that Junmyeon had managed to purify a layer of water at the surface for Minseok to work with. Yifan’s crew and his own had really gone all out to get them to safety.

“Baekhyun!” Jongdae walked over to Baekhyun and firmly patted his cheek. “Are you okay?”

Baekhyun glanced at him, and Jongdae recoiled at the panic in his eyes. “I didn’t know you meant the Lucky One when you pointed us to this ship.”

“You know Lucky One’s reputation, and not El Dorado?” Jongdae grumbled.

“Thanks for getting me out of there, but I can’t stay here.” Baekhyun lurched to his feet, but before he could take another step, Yifan was striding towards them, Junmyeon close behind.

“Not so fast, little prince.” Yifan caught Baekhyun’s arm in a strong grip, and Junmyeon hurried to Jongdae’s side.

“Oh that’s right. The guard called you a prince as well.” Jongdae folded his arms, his eyebrows raised in interest. The wind died down as the ship was safely out in open waters, and the whole crew turned to watch Yifan towering over Baekhyun. “But you told me you were in jail for ransom.”

Yifan laughed. “He was the one being ransomed no doubt.” He yanked Baekhyun forward and peered down at his face. “You’ll all be pleased to meet his majesty, Prince Baekhyun, the youngest prince of the Land of Two Moons.”

“.” Jongdae stared. The Land of Two Moons was known for their royalty, who carried magic in their bloodline. But Baekhyun was up against his match, because the crew of the Lucky One and El Dorado were infamous because of each member of the crew had their own unique magic.

“He’ll fetch us a pretty price.” Yifan smiled down at Baekhyun, and Jongdae shivered at the sheer malice emanating from Yifan’s smile. “You weren’t thinking about jumping overboard, were you my prince?”

“What if I was?” Baekhyun shot back. It would have been more admirable if Baekhyun wasn’t trembling so obviously.

Yifan threw his head back and laughed. “Where would you go?” he sneered, and gestured around them. “We’re out in the middle of the open sea. Besides, my crew would catch you within five seconds if you even thought about jumping overboard.”

Jongdae watched as Baekhyun swallowed hard.

“Don’t worry, we’ll treat you well. Play nice with us, and we might be nice to you. You’ll be back to your palace in no time.”

Baekhyun shot Jongdae a pleading look over Yifan’s arm, but Jongdae shook his head. There was nothing he could do—he, too, was fully at Yifan’s mercy.

“Yixing?”

“Yes, Captain?” Yixing, the ship healer, stepped up beside Yifan.

“Take Baekhyun to my quarters while we make arrangements for his stay. Make sure to take care of his injuries.”

“Yes Captain.” Yixing gently removed Baekhyun from Yifan’s grip and lead him below the deck. Activity on deck slowly resumed as Luhan, a telekinetic, maneuvered ropes through the air around the mast and Minseok followed Yixing and Baekhyun down below.

“I thought I wouldn’t be seeing you again for a while.”

Jongdae turned to face Zitao, a martial arts expert and a member of Yifan’s crew. There were rumors going around that Zitao could stop time, but Jongdae had yet to see any proof of it. “I thought the same way. You are hardly the first crew I would have gone to for help.”

Zitao chuckled and tossed his bow from one hand to the other. “Yifan hardly gave Junmyeon a choice. The moment your poor wreck of a ship pulled into the bay, he swooped in.”

Jongdae raised an eyebrow at Junmyeon. “Swooped in, did he?”

Junmyeon gave him a look, and Jongdae patted his elbow apologetically. “It’s good to see you Zitao. Where’s the rest of my crew?”

“Chanyeol and Kyungsoo stayed back at the port to look after the repairs on the ship.” Zitao smiled at him. “You’re sharing a cabin with Junmyeon. I’m sure you could use a rest after all that adventure.”

Jongdae nodded and pulled Junmyeon after him below the deck. They went down the ladder and went to a familiar room on the right-hand side of the corridor.

Jongdae pushed the door open and flopped down onto the bed while Junmyeon shut the door behind them. “Well, isn’t this familiar.” He sat back up and looked at Junmyeon. “

Junmyeon tentatively settled down on the second bed. “You’re angry with me.”

“Damn straight!” Jongdae lashed out and slammed his fist against the wooden bedframe. “What were you thinking, bringing Sehun here with you?! He’s our youngest, least experienced crewman!”

“It was the only way I could convince Yifan!” Junmyeon said desperately. “Yifan was practically glued to us, and no one else would help us with him on our tail. I had to beg for help, and he only conceded when I told him that Sehun could give us wind to get us safely out of the harbor.”

“You should have waited,” Jongdae growled. “You know me. You know I can look out for myself.”

“You were trapped in the Warden’s top-security prison,” Junmyeon snapped back. “It would have taken you too long.”

“Junmyeon.” Jongdae sighed. “Did it never occur to you to stay under Yifan’s protection, and wait for me to break myself out? It would have taken time, yes, but no one would have dared to approach any of you with Yifan looming over your shoulders.”

“I didn’t want to put us in debt to him. If I had waited things out, who knows what kind of favors he would have forced on us for granting us protection.” Junmyeon folded his arms.

Jongdae gave Junmyeon a wry smile. He knew that Junmyeon had done the best that he could. It must have been a terrifying situation—their ship had a huge smoking crater in its side, his captain was gone, and the most dangerous man on the high seas had attached himself to their group. In Junmyeon’s shoes, he wasn’t sure he would have done anything any differently.

“Yifan’s up to something.” Jongdae leaned back, and Junmyeon’s eyes softened, aware that he’d been forgiven. “That’s why I’m so anxious. Kyungsoo would’ve been ideal to be here in this situation. Let’s hope Sehun keeps a cool head.”

“I know.” Junmyeon frowned. “I’m worried. Yifan didn’t seem surprised at all, that Prince Baekhyun was locked up in the warden’s prison.”

“Prince Baekhyun.” Jongdae frowned. “That’s so weird.”

“What?” Junmyeon stared at him.

“It’s just…royalty are supposed to be cold, aren’t they? They’re always sending their wardens after us. Princes hate pirates. But Baekhyun was kind.” Jongdae shook his head.

“I think we have a direr situation at hand than Prince Baekhyun’s personality,” Junmyeon said testily. “Captain, why did the warden even have Baekhyun in his prison?”

Jongdae shook his head. “The warden may be corrupt. Or the warden may be a fool, and picked the prince up from his abductors and hoped he could turn a profit.”

“He wouldn’t have been a fool if we hadn’t shown up.” Junmyeon frowned. “I’m still troubled…”

“There’s not much we can do. Unfortunately, we know Yifan won’t show his hand until he’s ready.” Jongdae sighed. “How did we even get involved with this man in the first place?”

“That would be your own fault,” Junmyeon said drily. “Or did you forget when we first met him because he had to come fetch Luhan after your one-night stand?”

“Shut up,” Jongdae muttered. “Like you said, it was a one-time thing.”

Junmyeon hummed, and Jongdae knew that his cousin hadn’t meant any real harm. “Speaking of lovers,” Jongdae said abruptly, “how did it feel being in Yifan’s arms today?”

Junmyeon stared at him, genuine shock flashing in his eyes. “You can’t be serious,” he said incredulously. “We’ve just spent the past ten minutes discussing how we don’t trust the man, and you’re asking me if I’m in love.”

“I didn’t say anything about love.” Jongdae raised an eyebrow.

Junmyeon rolled his eyes. “You know I like to play it safe. Just thinking of the repercussions if things went south has me saying no. I would never want to place our crew in danger like that.”

“Hardly comforting, considering where we are now,” Jongdae snorted.

Junmyeon’s eyes flashed with frustration. “I told you—“

Jongdae raised a hand, and Junmyeon shut his mouth, his face dark with anger. “Listen to me,” Jongdae said firmly. “Consider this. Why did Yifan attach himself to the crew the moment you pulled into port?”

Junmyeon scowled. “He needed us to get to Prince Baekhyun. He must’ve known the warden had him. Having extra crew to pull off the heist and rescue you was just an adage.”

“Exactly. He’s using you! He’s using all of us! We can’t place an ounce of trust in him!”

“I don’t!” Junmyeon shouted. A surprised silence fell over the two of them, and after a moment, Junmyeon repeated himself in a calmer tone. “I don’t trust him. I’m sorry that things ended up like this. I have no idea what his plan is, but rest safely in the assurance that I have no faith in Yifan.”

“Good.” Jongdae glared at Junmyeon, who glared right back at them.

Their argument was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Enter.”

To his and Junmyeon’s surprise, the door swung open to reveal Yifan in the doorway. “You’ve barely made it back, and you and your first mate are already up in arms. How charming.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes, unaffected by Yifan’s snide remarks. “How can we help you?”

“I hope the two of you will join Prince Baekhyun and me for dinner tonight.” Yifan smiled coldly.

Jongdae had known Yifan long enough to no longer be afraid of the coldness in his expression; it was just Yifan’s natural resting face. Instead, he looked for the light in Yifan’s eyes. Usually, Yifan’s true feelings lay there.

Yifan’s eyes were light and friendly. He was guarded, but Jongdae saw no malice. “We’ll be there,” he said at last. “Thank you.”

“Excellent.” Yifan glanced over at Junmyeon, and then shut the door behind himself once more.

Jongdae let out a slow breath.

Junmyeon pouted. “I hate this tension,” he muttered. “But with some luck, and Sehun’s help, we should be back at the port with our ship by the end of the week.”

“A week will be too long for this,” Jongdae muttered, “But it could be worse.” He stood up and flopped into Junmyeon’s lap.

 

 

 

Dinner with Yifan, Baekhyun and Junmyeon was a tense affair. Baekhyun was pale and barely ate anything. Junmyeon studiously looked down at his plate for the entire meal, while Jongdae caught Yifan staring at Junmyeon more than once.

Jongdae, on the other hand, tried to make conversation to break the tension. He avoided straight out thanking Yifan for saving him; he would wait until his crew was safe in the port before he did anything that might result in Yifan asking for a favor. Instead, he tried to catch up on the news he’d missed while he’d been locked up.

The conversation drew Junmyeon out of his shell briefly when Yifan and Jongdae were discussing the alliances in the port they were heading to.

“Rumor has it that The Wolf has been rearing its head again lately,” Junmyeon said quietly.

Jongdae stiffened. The Wolf was a mysterious figure, believed to be a man. He would take on a lover, lure them in with false promises and sweet words, and they would be found dead in the morning with a hexagon inscribed in blood on their chests. The Wolf hadn’t struck for months, and Jongdae had been hoping that he had been gone for good.

Yifan seemed amused by the suggestion. “Where did you hear such a thing? I heard that The Wolf has been lying low for nearly a year now.”

Junmyeon flushed under the gaze of the table and returned his gaze to his plate. Jongdae eyed Junmyeon suspiciously; normally, Junmyeon wasn’t this quiet.

Jongdae glanced at Baekhyun, who looked confused.

“Prince Baekhyun, The Wolf is a serial killer with a nasty reputation on the coast.” Jongdae cleared his throat and turned back to Yifan. “Sometimes old stories can be stirred up by gossip. Perhaps if we hear more at the port, you’ll be more inclined to believe it.”

Yifan hummed in response, and the four of them sat in silence. “Well, if we’re all finished here, I’ll Prince Baekhyun back to his quarters and adjourn for the night.” Yifan got to his feet, and Baekhyun slowly got to his feet as well. Baekhyun had gotten slightly better at hiding his fear, but his uneasiness as he followed Yifan out of the room was borderline painful.

Jongdae turned to Junmyeon as they left the room. “You were quiet.”

Junmyeon shrugged. “I just didn’t have much to say.”

“Yifan was staring at you,” Jongdae said quietly. “Be careful, Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon gave him a wan smile. “I will,” he promised. “I’m tired, I’m going to catch some sleep. Wake me if you need anything.”

Jongdae nodded, and Junmyeon disappeared into the depths of the ship. Jongdae leaned back against the wall and listened to the wood of the ship creak and groan. He made up his mind, and made his way towards Baekhyun’s “cell”.

He didn’t pass Yifan on the way there, and Jongdae felt a small beat of relief. He wouldn’t want Yifan to think he was conspiring against him to get Baekhyun off of the ship. He approached the door and knocked lightly.

There was a pause, and then the door slowly creaked open. Jongdae smiled when he saw Baekhyun peering suspiciously out of the room. “Hello.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun looked surprised. “What do you want?”

“Look.” Jongdae sighed. “I am sorry about this. I didn’t know Yifan would try and ransom you.”

“Out of one prison and into the next,” Baekhyun chuckled bitterly. “I shouldn’t have trusted you and your friend so blindly. It was my fault.”

“Hm.” Jongdae studied Baekhyun for a moment. “You’re not what I thought you’d be.”

“I felt the same way about you,” Baekhyun admitted.

“Felt?” Jongdae asked.

“I’m not sure what I think anymore,” Baekhyun said quietly.

“Fair enough,” Jongdae shrugged. “Again, I apologize for the situation. If it had been only my crew rescuing us, I would have dropped you off at the port even if you are a prince.”

“Would you really?” Baekhyun raised an eyebrow.

“I believe in forming alliances. Besides, like I said—you’re not like any royalty I’ve ever met,” Jongdae admitted. “I would’ve expected hate and disgust from you when I told you I was a pirate.”

“Hm.”

There was a creak in the hallway, and both Jongdae and Baekhyun stiffened.

“I appreciate you coming to tell me your thoughts,” Baekhyun said quietly. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Jongdae turned around as Baekhyun shut the door and hurried away. He frowned when he heard raised voices ahead. He rounded the corner, and was surprised to see Yifan and Junmyeon standing in the hall.

Junmyeon looked surprised to see Jongdae, and Yifan turned around.

“Is everything alright?” Jongdae stuffed his hands in his pockets. There wasn’t much he could do if everything wasn’t alright; he was a guest on Yifan’s ship after all. But why would Yifan be arguing with Junmyeon?

“We’ll talk more later,” Yifan said to Junmyeon, and he stormed off. Jongdae shivered; that had been real anger shining through Yifan’s eyes.

“Are you alright?” Jongdae followed Junmyeon into their room.

“I’m fine,” Junmyeon said shortly. “I’m going to sleep.”

Jongdae hesitated. He wanted to remind Junmyeon that they had to keep things friendly if they wanted a chance of arriving safely in port, but he also knew that Junmyeon didn’t really need that reminder. He’d already scolded Junmyeon and about Yifan today, and doing it again would probably make Junmyeon even angrier. Sighing, he stretched out on his bunk and closed his eyes. He would ask Junmyeon about it tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Jongdae woke up to an empty room. He rolled out of bed and adjusted his clothing before strolling out and up to the deck of the ship. Unsurprisingly, he found Sehun at the helm of the boat, his eyes closed in concentration.

Jongdae sighed and took a step back. He wouldn’t break Sehun’s concentration and risk the speediness of their return for now. He saw down on a chest at the edge of the ship and closed his eyes as wind ruffled his hair and the fresh sea air filled his lungs.

He opened his eyes after a moment and watched Luhan manipulate some ropes at the head of the mast. Luhan was a valuable asset to The Lucky One’s crew, because there was little need for someone to risk their neck and manually climb the mast every day to adjust the rigging when Luhan could do it from safely below.

Jongdae often cursed himself for that one night he’d had with Luhan. The had been amazing, but having Yifan’s crew and reputation follow him from the moment they’d met was extremely stressful, and Jongdae knew he would be glad of the day he could rid himself of this strange partnership he had with them.

Junmyeon emerged from below the deck and came to sit with Jongdae. Jongdae studied his cousin closely.

“What?” Junmyeon asked without looking at him, staring out towards the horizon.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jongdae offered tentatively. With Junmyeon, it was hard to tell how far he could push him. Junmyeon flat out yelling at him yesterday had been a shock.

Junmyeon sighed. “No.”

“Alright,” Jongdae said softly.

“Also, Yifan expects us for dinner again tonight.” Junmyeon stretched his arms over his head. “Jongdae…”

“What?” Jongdae frowned. Junmyeon was acting very oddly today.

“Let’s pray this blows over,” Junmyeon said at last. “You…you haven’t been wrong about Yifan. I know he wants me. The rest of the crew warned me at the very beginning, right after you were captured.”

“And?” Jongdae frowned. “Was I also not wrong about you trusting him?”

“You were wrong about that,” Junmyeon snapped. “I don’t trust him. But…” Junmyeon hesitated, and Jongdae frowned. Junmyeon was being so vague, and it was worrying.

After a small silence, Junmyeon shook his head. “Just pray that this will pass,” Junmyeon said quietly, and got to his feet. Jongdae watched him go, his fists clenching with worry as Junmyeon went back beneath the deck of the ship.

Jongdae flinched when he felt a pair of lanky arms throw themselves around his waist. “Captain!”

“Hello Sehun.” Jongdae reached up to ruffle his youngest crew member’s hair. “How’re you holding up?”

“I’m fine. Trying to get us home as soon as possible,” Sehun mumbled. “I’m worried though. Looks like we might hit a rough patch up ahead.”

Jongdae frowned. “Will it slow us down?”

“Definitely,” Sehun asserted. “I can guide us through the storm, but it’ll be much slower than we’re going now.”

Jongdae sighed—and just when Junmyeon had suggested that he and Yifan were having some kind of conflict. “Go report to Yifan. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yes sir!” Sehun gave him one last squeeze and vanished below the deck. Jongdae turned his eyes back out to sea and sent an internal prayer to the gods of the ocean. It had barely been two days on Yifan’s ship, and he was already unsure of whether he, Junmyeon, and Sehun would arrive at their port in one piece.

 

 

 

Clearly, the gods had some kind of grudge against Jongdae and his crew. Jongdae banged his head against the wall of the cabin and groaned. How had things come to this?

“There’s no use banging your head against the wall.” Baekhyun folded his arms and sighed. “It won’t do you any good.”

Jongdae ignored him. “How did this happen?” he whined under his breath. “I honor the gods. I leave offerings at their shrines. I donate to their priests. I obey their rules.”

“You’re a pirate,” Baekhyun said incredulously. “Don’t tell me you live a life of good.”

“True,” Jongdae conceded. “But I don’t think I deserved this.”

“If I recall, you said I was a good cellmate in prison.” Baekhyun unfolded his arms and lay back in his berth. “We’ll get along just fine.”

“Never in my life would I have expected this from Yifan.” Jongdae sat down on the ground and cradled his head in his hands.

“It’s been obvious, even to me, that Yifan’s patience was wearing thin with your cousin.”

Jongdae looked up, and scowled when he saw that Baekhyun was talking to him with his eyes closed.

“Listen. The most dangerous man on the high seas has given my cousin the ultimatum of being his lover, or selling Sehun and me into slavery or worse. This is a serious issue!”

“I’m not saying it isn’t.” Baekhyun rolled on his side and looked down at Jongdae. “I wouldn’t despair too hard. Yifan needs Sehun to get back to the coast. At least he’ll be safe.”

“Yifan knows that Sehun can do his work injured. He wouldn’t be above harming either of us if it meant Junmyeon would cave.” Jongdae stumbled to his feet and walked over to sit beside Baekhyun. “How did it come to this?” he repeated, staring down at his hands.

They’d been doing so well. It had been five days since their rescue, and Sehun had successfully navigated them through a storm. They were estimated to arrive at the port within another five days, when Yifan had finally lost his patience with Junmyeon.

It had been a rather impressive shouting match, out on the deck. It had drawn everyone to them, including Baekhyun who was being accompanied by Zitao above the deck for a bit of fresh air.

Jongdae had been afraid that Yifan would draw his sword and slice Junmyeon’s head off right then and there, but luckily, Yifan didn’t move towards violence.

“I want an answer from you!” Yifan shouted at Junmyeon, his eyes full of fire and desperation.

Junmyeon glared up at him. “What answer could you expect from me? I know you’re The Wolf!”

“What?” Jongdae said at the same time as Yifan.

“You’re The Wolf,” Junmyeon said again, his voice shaking with rage. “I know you are. You always know what The Wolf has been up to. All of those people who are dead had alliances with you in the past. Your crew has been at every port these killings have occurred at.”

“Someone’s been doing their research.” Yifan leaned back a little, and the anger simmered down in his eyes. “But I’m not The Wolf.”

Junmyeon sneered, and Jongdae felt the audience collectively flinch at the amount of disdain rolling off of Junmyeon’s body. “Prove it.”

“He’s not The Wolf.” Jongdae turned to look at Luhan who stepped forward to stand behind his captain. “Actually, I am.”

Jongdae and Sehun instinctively moved backward, and Jongdae felt a flash of admiration when Junmyeon stood his ground.

“A likely story,” Junmyeon said coolly. “I know how far Yifan would go to convince me.”

“It really is me.” Luhan flashed a razor sharp smile. “I gave important information to those people, but they betrayed us. I tracked them down, one by one, and killed them all.” Luhan’s eyes were cold, and Jongdae quietly moved to stand in front of Sehun. “They never saw it coming. Zitao would help me sometimes, when things got tricky.”

Junmyeon threw his head back and laughed. “Even better. Fine. Suppose it is really you. Why would I place my family in danger?”

Luhan smirked, and Jongdae saw Junmyeon’s eyes widen. “Perhaps you should consider what will happen to your family if you don’t.”

Suddenly, there was something sharp pressed his neck and Jongdae froze. What was happening? He’d been standing in front of Sehun moments before—was Luhan using his powers to control Sehun’s body?

No. That wasn’t the sound of Sehun’s breathing, nor the feel of Sehun’s body behind him. But Zitao had been standing next to Baekhyun on the other side of the deck moments before.

“Jongdae!” Junmyeon turned to him, panic evident on his face. Jongdae heard Sehun grunt behind him, but he didn’t dare turn around, the cold metal pressing sharply against his skin.

“Don’t even think about moving little Prince.” Zitao’s voice sounded from right behind him. Jongdae looked up to see Baekhyun pause, three inches from the edge of the rail. “You gain nothing by jumping overboard.”

“I don’t want to be a part of this,” Baekhyun said slowly, his eyes darting between Junmyeon and Yifan.

“You won’t be,” Yifan said coldly. “Junmyeon, I offer you this: give me an answer, or see what happens to your captain and your shipmate.”

Zitao began dragging Jongdae below the deck, and the last glimpse Jongdae caught of Junmyeon was Junmyeon staring back at him, horror and terror curled up in his eyes.

“Where even is Sehun,” Jongdae muttered. “I told Junmyeon he shouldn’t have brought him. Yifan was probably just waiting to use Sehun to twist Junmyeon’s arm.”

“Is Junmyeon particularly fond of Sehun?” Baekhyun shifted his legs to give Jongdae a little more space.

“Sehun is like the baby of our crew,” Jongdae muttered. “Sweet Neptune. I don’t know if we can get out of this one.”

There was a moment of silence. Jongdae cradled his head in his hands and thought of Junmyeon, alone against the crew of the Lucky One. He didn’t know what Junmyeon would do; he knew that Junmyeon was a proud man, and Yifan threatening him would push all of the wrong buttons. But he and Junmyeon both didn’t doubt that Yifan would go as far as he needed to until Junmyeon broke.

“You know, you’re really something else.”

“Am I?” Jongdae lifted his head out of his hands to look over at Baekhyun.

“When I first met you and you said you were a pirate captain, I didn’t believe you,” Baekhyun admitted. “Your bone structure is too elegant for such a rough life.”

“Huh?” Jongdae reached up to pat at his cheeks.

Baekhyun continued. “Then, you were kind to me, offering to take me where I needed to go, and coming to apologize when Yifan locked me up in here.” Baekhyun blinked lazily. “You don’t seem like the pirate type.”

“Hmph.” Jongdae gave Baekhyun a look. “Don’t underestimate me. I’m a pirate through and through.”

Baekhyun smiled, and Jongdae saw a glimpse of that innocence he’d seen in the Warden’s prison. “I won’t,” Baekhyun promised. “You’re really something, Captain Jongdae. I didn’t expect to see you so worried about your cousin and your crew.”

Jongdae frowned. “Pirate or not, family is still family.”

“But Sehun?” Baekhyun pressed.

“My crew is like a family,” Jongdae muttered.

“Many of the criminals I’ve come across are hardened. They have few values. Rarely do I meet someone who leads your kind of life who values friendship and family.”

“I suppose that’s probably the only thing Yifan and I have in common,” Jongdae sighed. “We value our crews dearly.”

Baekhyun hummed in response.

Things were quiet after that. Yixing would occasionally come by with food, but he wouldn’t answer any of Jongdae’s questions about Junmyeon.

“Yixing?”

“Yes?” Yixing looked over at Baekhyun. Jongdae pouted and resisted the urge to whine.

“How close are we to the port?”

Yixing studied Baekhyun for a moment. “We’re quite close,” he said at last. “We’ve dropped anchor quite close to the coastline.”

“I see.” Baekhyun stared down at his hands. “Would it be possible for me to go above the deck for a short time?”

“Certainly. Would you like to go now?”

“Yes, please.” Baekhyun got to his feet and followed Yixing out the door. He winked at Jongdae just before the door closed, and Jongdae frowned. Was Baekhyun up to something?

An hour later, Baekhyun was back, his face flushed and his hair tousled from the wind outside. “Jongdae, how do you feel about trying to escape?”

Jongdae leaned forward in his chair. “I’m listening.”

“They’ve got Sehun tied to the mast above the deck. He’s tied pretty tightly, and when I was there, there didn’t seem to be any one crew member guarding him.”

Jongdae growled under his breath. “Those bastards,” he muttered. “Still making him work for them!”

“Yixing was truthful. We’re not extremely close to shore, but if we jumped off the side, we could make it.”

“What about Sehun? Did he look in any condition for a swim?”

“He seemed alright. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him,” Baekhyun admitted.

Jongdae frowned. “But we’re locked in here. And what if someone is guarding the door?”

“As far as I know, there isn’t. They seem to trust their locks just fine. Junmyeon spoke to me.” Baekhyun hesitated.

“Is he alright?” Jongdae asked cautiously.

“He seemed tired,” Baekhyun said quietly. “But other than that, he seemed fine.”

Jongdae nodded.

“Yixing let Junmyeon take me around the deck a couple of times. Junmyeon told me he could get our door open tonight and that we could escape.”

“Did he say what his own plans were?” Jongdae frowned.

Baekhyun shook his head. “This may be our only chance to go before Yifan decides he wants to do something to you and Sehun.”

“I can’t just leave Junmyeon here.” Jongdae groaned and leaned forward in his chair.

“You’d have a better chance of escaping and rescuing him than doing anything from our cell. This is your only chance, Jongdae.”

“Fine.” Jongdae scowled and got up, moving to stand nose-to-nose with Baekhyun. “Say this is my only chance. What do you gain by convincing me to escape?”

Baekhyun wrinkled his nose and pushed Jongdae’s face to the side. “Your breath reeks.”

“Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun smiled. “Our plan requires the use of my powers to get us off the ship. In exchange for those powers, I want you to take me home.”

“You think that the Land of Two Moons will let a pirate ship, especially a ship with our reputation, just sail into its bay without consequence?”

“You need only get me to Port Exodus.”

“That’s too close,” Jongdae said flatly. “We’d have admirals and wardens firing at us within minutes.”

Baekhyun frowned. “I thought Port Exodus was frequented constantly by pirate ships.”

“No, that’s Port 365.” Jongdae stared at Baekhyun. “If I left you there, you wouldn’t last more than an hour.”

“I can promise you safe passage into Port Exodus.”

Jongdae laughed. “Like I haven’t heard that one before.”

“You said I wasn’t like any other royalty you’d ever met.” Baekhyun lifted his chin. “I’ll keep my word.”

“Listen, Prince. You can promise what you like, but your royal navy won’t miss the chance to put a hole in my ship and hang the bodies of my crew and me in the harbor.”

Baekhyun faltered.

Jongdae sighed. “I can promise that my crew and I won’t ransom you, but that’s all I can give you.”

“I can tell you where the Black Pearl is,” Baekhyun said abruptly.

Jongdae froze. The Black Pearl was one of the most desirable jewels of all time whose location had been lost to mystery and time. “How could you know where that is?” he said at last.

“The Land of Two Moons is not without secrets.” Baekhyun watched him closely. “I could give you the location.”

“I can’t leave you at Port 365,” Jongdae said flatly. “Another pirate crew would snatch you up for ransom again within seconds.”

Baekhyun tilted his head. “Why do you care what happens to me?”

Jongdae flushed and looked away.

“Get me to Port Exodus.” Baekhyun’s eyes glinted triumphantly, and Jongdae vaguely wondered where that innocence and simplicity he’d once seen in Baekhyun’s face had gone. “I can promise you safe passage into and out of Port Exodus in exchange for the location of the Black Pearl.”

Jongdae sighed deeply. “Fine,” he said at last. “Fine.”

Baekhyun smiled victoriously. “We’ll have to wait for Junmyeon’s signal in a few hours.”

Jongdae nodded. He had a knife hidden in his boot that he could use to saw through Sehun’s ropes if he had to.

Time passed. Jongdae played a few rounds of cards with Baekhyun, both of them anxiously listening for Junmyeon’s signal.

Junmyeon’s signal turned out to be more of a visit than an actual signal. Jongdae and Baekhyun had put away the cards and were waiting on edge when the bolt clicked and the door swung open to reveal Junmyeon.

“We don’t have much time.” Junmyeon’s eyes had dark bags beneath him and his hands were trembling. Jongdae moved forward and gave Junmyeon a quick hug.

“Go above deck. I’ve loosened Sehun’s bonds already, and you should be able to pull him free. Jump over the side and don’t look back, no matter what you do. I’ll keep Yifan distracted.”

“What are you going to do?” Jongdae caught Junmyeon’s arm. “We can’t leave you here.”

“Don’t worry.” Junmyeon tried to give Jongdae a comforting smile, but Jongdae was struck at how the corner of Junmyeon’s mouth trembled. “I have a plan. I should be in the port within two days. If I’m not, wait three more days before you try anything stupid.”

Jongdae scowled. “You don’t mean to give in to Yifan?”

Junmyeon sighed. “He has many demands of me, but some I can meet.” Junmyeon put a rough hand on the side of Jongdae’s cheek. “Don’t worry Captain. Just be ready because we might have to make a quick getaway.”

Jongdae nodded.

“Prince Baekhyun, thank you for helping me.” Junmyeon let go of Jongdae and turned to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun shrugged. “It wasn’t free of charge,” he said lightly. “When should we go?”

“Go now. You know what to do.” Junmyeon turned to Jongdae, gave him one last hug and hurried off into the darkness of the hallway. Jongdae and Baekhyun went in the opposite direction.

They emerged above the deck without incident, but froze when they saw Luhan standing out on the deck, his arms folded. Luckily, he was facing the other way.

To his surprise, Baekhyun crept up onto the deck, his body in plain view. Jongdae silently flew to the side to hide behind a pile of crates, furiously gesturing for Baekhyun to join him. Baekhyun ignored him and approached Sehun. Jongdae watched as Baekhyun gently shook Sehun awake, a finger over his lips. Luhan still hadn’t turned around. Baekhyun quietly began undoing Sehun’s bindings.

Halfway through, Luhan turned around and Jongdae tensed, drawing his knife from his boot. Luhan looked at Sehun, but didn’t respond. Jongdae watched in astonishment as Luhan simply yawned and turned back around.

Jongdae took a risk and quietly slipped across the deck to the mast. Luhan never turned around, and Jongdae approached Baekhyun and Sehun to help with the rope. Sehun quietly shimmied out of his bindings. Baekhyun put a finger over his lips again and Jongdae and Sehun nodded.

Baekhyun lead the way to the opposite side of the ship. Jongdae looked back and saw Luhan look at the mast and look away.

Jongdae held his breath. Maybe one of Baekhyun’s powers was creating illusions—that would explain why Luhan hadn’t responded to Sehun’s escape.

Baekhyun gathered them close behind a pile of crates.

“I can’t control what Luhan hears,” he whispered. “We’re all going to have to go over together. Stay underwater for as long as you can. Hopefully it just looks like we’re some driftwood that fell over the edge if Luhan comes to look. Swim as hard as you can and don’t look back. When we reach the beach, make for cover as fast as you can.”

They nodded, and climbed to the edge of the rail. Baekhyun leapt off and Jongdae and Sehun followed after him.

Jongdae felt a wave of shock when the cold sea water hit his body, his entire body convulsing as he tried to stay beneath the water and strike forwards.

Eventually, he had to come up for air, and he felt a bit heartened when he saw the beach drawing nearer. He continued swimming as hard as he could until his legs hit land, and he crawled up onto the beach.

He struggled to his feet and threw himself behind a large sand dune. He peeked out from behind it and gaped in horror when he saw Sehun flailing his limbs a few feet above the shore. He frowned in confusion when he saw Sehun fall back beneath the water, disappearing from view. A few moments later, Baekhyun emerged from the water onto the beach and ran to join Jongdae.

Finally, Sehun’s head came back above the water and he ran towards them. Baekhyun’s eyes were narrowed in concentration as Sehun rushed towards them, until at last, Sehun threw himself behind the dune as well.

Baekhyun gasped for breath alongside Sehun, and Jongdae peered anxiously out at the ship. He didn’t see the sign of any rowboats being lowered over the side yet, but when he peered at the deck, he didn’t see Luhan anymore.

“We’ve got to keep moving,” Jongdae said, getting to his feet. “They’ll send someone out to search for us soon.”

“Right,” Baekhyun coughed. Sehun slowly got to his feet, and Jongdae lead them away from the beach and into the jungle behind it.

“What did you do back there?” Sehun asked Baekhyun. “I thought Luhan had me for sure.”

“I couldn’t concentrate well enough to keep up the mirage,” Baekhyun sighed. “I bent the light so that his power wouldn’t be focused on you and he would drop you. I wasn’t even sure if that would work because I didn’t know how Luhan uses his powers. Luckily, it did.”

“We should be able to make it to the port within a few hours. There’s a trail through the jungle that can take us there.” Jongdae lifted a vine out of the way and gently pushed Baekhyun and Jongdae into the dark. He took a deep breath and followed them without looking back.

 

 

 

 

They arrived in the port city at the break of dawn. “Do you know where the others are staying?” Jongdae asked Sehun.

Sehun squinted at a street sign and nodded slowly. “They should be close by, assuming they haven’t moved.”

Jongdae chuckled softly. “They probably won’t be too happy to have us knock on the door this early in the morning.”

“They’ll be overjoyed to see you. They didn’t like being left behind.” Sehun lead them threw the quiet streets, his pace increasing when he seemed to spot a familiar landmark.

“I’m sure Junmyeon convinced them to stay behind.” Jongdae felt his stomach twist at the mention of his cousin. He had to hope that Junmyeon was alright.

After a few minutes, they arrived in front of a small shack. Jongdae had to raise an eyebrow. “You four were staying here? We have immeasurable wealth and you choose a small shack on the side of the road.”

“We were hoping to throw any unwanted guests off our scent. It didn’t work out too well,” Sehun said bitterly. He raised his fist and knocked on the door.

Jongdae turned to Baekhyun, who had an uneasy expression on his face. “You’ll be safe here,” he assured him. “We made the deal.”

“Right.” Baekhyun’s expression cleared.

Sehun shot a questioning look at Jongdae, but the door opened to reveal Chanyeol standing inside, his eyes bright and alert.

Jongdae yelped when Chanyeol yanked him forward into a tight embrace and started sobbing. He heard the vague sounds of Sehun and Baekhyun coming into the house and shutting the door behind him as he whacked at Chanyeol’s chest.

“I can’t breathe you idiot!” Jongdae wheezed.

Chanyeol set him back on his feet and rubbed at his eyes. “Sorry Captain,” he muttered. “We were just sure that the Warden had got you for good.”

“Junmyeon didn’t have a chance to send word. We went straight from the prison to this port.” Jongdae peered around, but saw no sign of Kyungsoo.

“Who’s he?” Chanyeol pointed at Baekhyun.

“Meet Prince Baekhyun of the Land of Two Moons,” Jongdae said distractedly as he walked further into the hut. A wax candle illuminated one side of the shack, and he could see Chanyeol’s cot and a lump of blankets that must be Kyungsoo. How Kyungsoo was still sleeping, Jongdae had no idea.

“You look like a prince,” Chanyeol said bluntly.

“You look like a pirate,” Baekhyun said weakly. “Muscles, tattoos and all that.”

Jongdae didn’t have to look over at them to know that Chanyeol was puffing up with pride.

“Do you have spare bedding? The three of us are exhausted.”

Chanyeol shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped suddenly. “Where’s Junmyeon?”

The lump of blankets to their right finally stirred, and Jongdae smiled down when Kyungsoo blearily sat up. “Captain?”

“It’s me.” Jongdae squatted down to pat Kyungsoo’s back. He knew that Kyungsoo didn’t really do hugs.

“Where’s Junmyeon?” Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes at Baekhyun. “And who’s this?”

Jongdae sighed. “That’s Prince Baekhyun of the Land of Two Moons. Yifan got impatient with Junmyeon and was holding us hostage on his ship, but Junmyeon helped the three of us escape. He said he should be here within two days and that we should be ready to make a quick getaway.”

Kyungsoo blinked. “The ship’s ready when he is.”

“The ship may not be fast enough. I’ll have to call on another one of my cousins,” Jongdae sighed.

“Why is Prince Baekhyun here?” Kyungsoo frowned and yawned. “Are we ransoming him?”

Jongdae grimaced. “Actually, Prince Baekhyun made me a deal. We’ll take him back to Port Exodus in exchange for some information.”

“How do you know he has said information?”

“It was too good to pass up the chance,” Jongdae shrugged. “Besides, he’s entirely at our mercy until we get to the port.”

Kyungsoo hummed and said nothing else.

“Please rest, Captain,” Chanyeol said. “I’m going out to the bay to check on the ship.”

Kyungsoo sighed and slowly got to his feet. “I’ll be out front in case Yifan gets word to the port and someone comes to find you three. Rest.”

His two crew members shuffled outside, and Sehun unceremoniously flopped onto one of the cots. He was passed out within moments.

“I can sleep on the floor,” Baekhyun whispered, eyeing Sehun’s sleeping form.

“Nonsense. We’ll share—can’t have you running off in the middle of the night anyways,” Jongdae grunted. He climbed onto one side of Kyungsoo’s cot and Baekhyun reluctantly lay down beside him. There was little space between them, and somehow, looking at Baekhyun’s closed eyes Jongdae again saw that same kindness he’d seen back in the prison. He put a firm arm around Baekhyun’s waist and closed his eyes, ignoring Baekhyun’s flinch. He quickly fell asleep, comforted by Baekhyun’s presence beside him.

He woke up to the sun shining through the crack beneath the door. Jongdae quietly sat up, trying not to disturb Baekhyun sleeping beside him. Sehun was still passed out as well when Jongdae slowly slipped out of the shack.

He dumped a bucket of cold water over his head behind the shack and stumbled back inside, rifling through Kyungsoo’s things until he found what he needed. He knew that Kyungsoo wouldn’t mind too much.

He beamed when he saw his hat hanging on the wall. He took it off a nail, blew some dust off and put it on his head at a jaunty tilt. The white feather settled gently over the brim, and Jongdae checked to make sure that his rapier and his knives were secure at his waist before stepping out into the street.

The last he’d heard, his cousin Jongin was living on the far side of the port. He struck out, whistling merrily when men in the streets stopped what they were doing and stared at him with open mouths. Word had probably gotten around that a Warden had gotten to him; they were all probably wondering how on earth he’d managed to get out.

Another proud achievement to add to the reputation of the El Dorado. Jongdae stopped by a vendor selling bread and bit into a fresh bun as he continued down the street. He always forgot how much he missed fresh bread until he had some.

It was high noon by the time Jongdae reached his cousin’s house, and he stopped to wipe some sweat off of his brow before knocking on a small green door on the side of a small white house.

The door swung open to reveal a lovely young woman whose eyebrows shot up when she saw Jongdae’s face. “Jongdae!”

“Irene,” Jongdae said warmly. “A pleasure to see you again.”

“I’ll go call Jongin. Come in.” Irene turned and left Jongdae to shut the door behind him and wait.

A few minutes later, a man with sun-tanned skin and floppy black hair strode into the hallway. “Jongdae!”

“Jongin.” Jongdae hugged his cousin tightly. “How’ve you been?”

“Fine.” Jongin released him and took a step back. “Last I heard, you were locked up on the Warden’s island prison.”

“With some help, I was able to escape.” Jongdae followed Jongin into the kitchen where Irene was pouring tea.

“How’s Junmyeon?” Jongin handed Jongdae a cup of tea and settled down at the counter.

Jongdae hesitated. “He’s…”

Jongin took a sip of tea. “Last time I saw him, Captain Yifan was glued to his side.”

“You saw him with Yifan there?” Jongdae frowned.

Jongin snorted. “I saw him on the other side of the town square.”

“Oh.” Jongdae sighed. “That’s actually what I’m here about.”

“You’re upset that Junmyeon has taken Yifan for a lover?” Jongin took another sip of tea and Jongdae choked.

“What?”

Irene quietly left the kitchen while Jongin looked surprised. “So he hasn’t then?”

“Of course he hasn’t!” Jongdae snapped. “Junmyeon isn’t that stupid.”

Jongin sighed. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t trust a man like Yifan,” Jongdae said flatly.

Jongin shook his head. “So what’s up with Junmyeon?”

“Yifan was getting impatient with Junmyeon on our way back from the prison. He threatened Junmyeon by imprisoning Sehun and me. We escaped with Junmyeon’s help, but Junmyeon is still trapped on the ship. He should be here within the next few days, but he warned me that we might need a quick escape.”

Jongin put his tea down. “You want my help.”

“I wouldn’t ask for anyone but Junmyeon.” Jongdae took a sip of his tea. “I know what Yifan has done to you and Irene.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jongin asked in disbelief. “Yifan hunted me for three years because of my power. Irene and I have only just managed to settle here for the past year. You’re asking me to upend our lives once again.”

“For Junmyeon.”

Jongin snorted. “Don’t try and fool me. It’s for you and your crew.”

Jongdae shrugged. “They’re my family. They’ve been through so much already.”

Jongin shook his head. “Irene and I have been safe here. Even when Yifan was barely a stone throw’s distance away, he never found us.”

“You can come with us. Make yourself a new home where you take us.” Jongdae leaned forward on his elbows. “Jongin, you know you’re my last resort. I just want Junmyeon to be safe.”

“Does Junmyeon want to be safe?” Jongin challenged him. “How do you know that he doesn’t want to be with Yifan?”

“He told me himself that he doesn’t trust Yifan. Why would he plan to return to us if he wanted to be with Yifan?” Jongdae rolled his eyes.

“Maybe he feels like he doesn’t have a choice. Would you let him join The Lucky One’s crew if he wanted to?”

That made Jongdae pause. Would he let Junmyeon, his best swordsman, his second in command, leave the crew? “Maybe,” he said at last. “If it was what Junmyeon truly wanted.”

“Hmph.” Jongin downed the last of his tea. “Irene won’t be happy.”

“Tell her it’s for Junmyeon.” Jongdae got to his feet.

“I haven’t used my powers in a long time,” Jongin warned. “What’s your plan?”

“I was thinking the ship and my crew.” Jongdae raised an eyebrow. “Think you’re up for it?”

Jongin sighed in resignation. “Just don’t get angry at me if we end up on the open sea with half of your supplies left floating in the port bay,” he warned.

“Thank you.” Jongdae paused at the door. “You know how much I didn’t want to ask you to do this for us.”

Jongin nodded wearily. “I know. But if Junmyeon wants an escape, then I’ll do it for him.”

Jongdae nodded and went out the door, shutting it behind him. “Brat,” he murmured under his breath. “I always knew that he liked Junmyeon best.”

 

 

 

 

 

Three days passed, and Jongdae was on the edge of his seat. The ship was loaded up with supplies. It was all set and ready to go, and Jongdae definitely hadn’t given the ship a loving pat over the areas that had taken the worst hits when he’d been captured.

They were basically living on the ship, waiting for Junmyeon to return. Jongin and Irene had shown up in the dead of the night dressed in all black, their faces hidden behind a black veil and a black mask. Irene had pursed her lips at Jongdae and spent most of her time belowdecks, staying hidden. Jongin had flat-out glared at him, and stayed on the deck with his back against a pile of crates, waiting patiently for Junmyeon to come.

There was a commotion out in the port and Jongdae straightened up, peering out from the dock. There had been no sign of Lucky One arriving in port; did that mean Junmyeon hadn’t escaped?

“What is it?” Baekhyun stepped up beside him.

“I don’t know,” Jongdae said slowly. “It’s too far away for me to tell.”

Kyungsoo, Sehun, and Chanyeol had gathered behind them. Jongin got to his feet, making sure to stay behind the crates.

Jongdae could see the chaos spreading from the stalls up toward the port. He instinctively put a hand on his blade and waited, his eyes narrowing against the sunlight as he tried to see what was happening.

There was a thud on the deck behind them, and Jongdae whirled around, his knife in hand. He felt his heart sink to the bottom of his boots.

“Well, well, well.” Yifan smirked. “What have we here?” Yifan levitated for a moment and then settled back down on the deck.

Jongdae looked back from the corner of his eye and saw that Jongin was no longer standing by the pile of crates. He could only hope that Yifan hadn’t noticed him.

“I was impressed that the three of you managed to escape the ship.” Yifan smirked at Jongdae, Sehun and Baekhyun. “Luhan sends his regards by the way.” Yifan winked at Baekhyun. “You made such an impression on him, you might even be next on his list!”

Jongdae could feel Baekhyun shaking beside him.

“Where’s Junmyeon?” Jongdae asked, trying to shift Yifan’s attention away from Baekhyun.

Yifan’s eyes darkened, and Jongdae suppressed the shiver that ran down his spine. “He’s on his way, I’m sure.”

“You have a lot of nerve, showing up here alone.” Jongdae raised his knife over his shoulder, ready to throw if Yifan so much as flinched.

Yifan sneered. “Oh yes. A very impressive crew,” he laughed. “Kyungsoo can move mountains, but he chooses to live his life on the sea. Sehun only has enough control over his power to direct something as large as a ship. As for Chanyeol, what sea captain hires a fire user? You could all burn in your beds! And Junmyeon isn’t even here yet, but he can only control fresh water,” Yifan sneered. “Why should I be afraid? Besides, you don’t even use your powers anymore—if you even have any, Captain Jongdae.”

Jongdae felt his ears redden. “You won’t find a better crew than mine,” he said coldly.

Yifan laughed. “My crew could beat yours within an inch of your lives,” he sneered.

“Where are they anyways?” Jongdae shifted his stance, and he saw Kyungsoo, Sehun and Chanyeol fan out to the sides from the corner of his eyes.

Yifan grimaced. “When this is over, and Junmyeon is back with me, I’m going to find you and rip your ship apart piece by piece,” he growled.

“So you truly are alone?” Jongdae asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “How foolish.”

“Captain!”

Jongdae resisted to turn around at the sound of Junmyeon’s voice. There was the sound of heavy footsteps racing up the gangway and onto the deck of the ship. Junmyeon came to a skidding halt beside Jongdae, and Jongdae glanced over to see Junmyeon red in the face and gasping for air.

“Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Junmyeon wheezed. “We need to get out of here. Lucky One is—“Junmyeon stuttered to a halt when he looked up and saw Yifan.

“Junmyeon.”

Jongdae would almost be moved by the tenderness in Yifan’s voice if he hadn’t known Yifan’s true nature.

Jongdae turned his head to look at Junmyeon’s face, and felt shocked when he saw the open pain and fear in Junmyeon’s eyes.

Jongin appeared over Yifan’s shoulder and pointed silently at Yifan. Jongdae knew what Jongin was saying; Yifan had to get off of the ship.

“Why are you here?” Junmyeon asked suddenly, and Jongdae flinched at the raw emotion in Junmyeon’s voice. “I gave you my answer.”

“Did you think I would just let you leave?” Yifan took a step forward, and Jongdae instantly threw his arm back, his knife ready to fly through the air and pierce Yifan’s heart.

“Not another step forward,” Jongdae said steadily. Yifan and Junmyeon turned their faces towards him, as if they’d forgotten that they weren’t alone. “Yifan, I’ll only tell you once. You’re hopelessly outnumbered. Get off of my ship.”

“Not without Junmyeon.”

Jongdae felt a burst of irritation. “You aren’t in a position to bargain,” he said shortly.

Yifan smirked. “Aren’t I? What will you do? I can evade any attacks you throw at me—and what you can throw at me will only risk great damage to your ship.”

Jongin inched towards Yifan, and Jongdae glared at him, trying to tell him no, no, no don’t touch him—

Yifan turned his head and Jongin vanished, teleporting behind the mast where Yifan still couldn’t see him.

“What childish game are you trying to play?” Yifan scowled at Jongdae. “Look me in the eyes when you threaten me.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes. “Get off of my ship.”

Yifan launched himself into the air and swooped towards Junmyeon.

“NOW!” Jongdae screamed and flung himself at Junmyeon, the two of them falling backwards into Baekhyun, and all three of them falling to the deck of the ship. Yifan’s long arms reached towards them, and Jongdae felt a bolt of fear when Yifan’s grasping fingers missed them by inches—

And then his body was folding, collapsing into a two-dimensional piece of paper and expanding outward once again.

Jongdae shuddered and sat up, taking in a deep breath of brisk ocean air. Baekhyun groaned feebly from behind him, and Jongdae got on his knees, gently pulling Junmyeon off of Baekhyun. Junmyeon’s eyes were still closed, and he groaned when Jongdae gently shifted him to the side.

Jongdae got to his feet and saw Kyungsoo standing on wobbly legs while Sehun and Chanyeol were lying flat on the deck.

“Jongin!” Jongdae jogged over to his cousin, who had collapsed onto the deck. He heard hurried footsteps and Irene emerged from below. Jongdae yanked the black mask off of his cousin while Irene put a finger on his throat for his pulse.

“He’s alive,” she said shortly. “He’ll need rest.”

“Thank Neptune,” Jongdae breathed, gently caressing Jongin’s forehead.

“I’ll need someone to help me carry him to his berth.”

“I’ll help.” Kyungsoo came over and pulled Jongin over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold as Irene lead the way back down.

Jongdae got to his feet again as Sehun and Chanyeol began stumbling towards the rigging, hoisting themselves up to adjust the sails. Jongin’s teleportation was always distinctly uncomfortable, and it took a moment to get used to normal movement when it was over.

Jongdae went back to Junmyeon and Baekhyun. “Are you alright?” Jongdae crouched down by his cousin.

Junmyeon slowly sat up. “I’m fine,” he said quietly. “I’m…I’m fine.”

“Was the Lucky One about to pull into port?”

Junmyeon nodded. “You got Jongin to save us.” A faint note of wonder sounded in his voice. “I thought he’d given up the use of his powers.”

“You were always his favorite.” Jongdae smiled softly. “Of course he would do this for you.”

Junmyeon nodded slowly. “I’m going to go check on Kyungsoo and Jongin.” He got to his feet. “Thank you for waiting for me, Jongdae.”

Jongdae clapped him on the back and let him go. He looked over at Baekhyun, only to see Baekhyun watching him.

“Are you alright?”

“That feeling of teleportation was disgustingly uncomfortable, but I’ll be fine.” Baekhyun shivered and got to his feet.

“Yifan basically said that you were on The Wolf’s target list,” Jongdae said quietly.

“I know.” Baekhyun sighed and brushed some dust off of his shoulders. “But he’ll have to catch up with us to get me, won’t he?”

Jongdae snorted and smiled. “That’s right,” he agreed. “And if Jongin got us to the right spot, we should have a huge lead on them.”

“I’m reassured,” Baekhyun said lightly. “Thank you.”

Jongdae hesitated. He glanced around and no one was watching them, and no one was. He leaned forward and pulled Baekhyun into his arms, just for a moment. Baekhyun stiffened, and before he could do anything else, Jongdae let go.

He got to his feet, his cheeks slightly pink. “You should go belowdecks. The crew and I will have to get the ship set on course.”

Baekhyun blinked, his eyes still wide with surprise.

Jongdae his heel to go help Sehun with the rigging, and a small smile bloomed on his face.

 

 

 

 

 

The entire crew was tense as they sailed around the Butterfly Peninsula. By Jongdae’s calculations, Jongin had gotten them seventy kilometers away, which was a good start on The Lucky One judging by Junmyeon’s knowledge of the speed of the ship and its past location. Sehun was working hard to manipulate the wind in their favor, which helped things along.

Jongin and Irene spent much of their time belowdecks, telling Jongdae that the entire port was sure to have seen their escape, and anyone and anything could be out and about looking for Jongin now. They had requested to be let down a short ways before the El Dorado pulled into Port Exodus, and Jongdae had immediately agreed.

Junmyeon was also spending most of his time belowdecks. He refused to tell Jongdae what had happened on the Lucky One, and told him that it would be a while before he would be able to talk about it.

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were out and about quite often manning the ship and checking on their supplies. Luckily, Jongin had only missed a very small amount of their supplies in the teleportation, and they would be set for the first leg of their journey.

Baekhyun also liked joining Jongdae at the helm of the ship. Even now, as they stood together, quietly letting the sea spray blow across their faces and ruffle together, Baekhyun was quiet and his face was peaceful as he looked towards the horizon.

“Baekhyun?”

“Yes?” Baekhyun turned towards Jongdae, pressing their elbows together.

“You haven’t told me how you actually ended up in the Warden’s prison.”

Baekhyun chuckled bitterly. “It’s not much of a story.” He turned to face Jongdae. “I got kidnapped by a group of bandits hoping to get ransom for my older brother and I. My brother escaped when we were transferred to a ship. They put me in the brig, and I didn’t know much of what was happening until a group of soldiers stormed the hold. I thought they would take me back to my homeland, but they laughed in my face and told me that the Warden would take my ransom instead.” Baekhyun’s eyebrows knit angrily at the memory. “I’d been there for about two weeks before they brought you.”

Jongdae shook his head. “The Butterfly Peninsula’s navy is absolutely corrupt. They make deals with sailors all the time—the crew that was holding you hostage probably got set free in exchange for your ransom money.”

“I just hope that my kingdom didn’t pay it—especially since I escaped.” Baekhyun frowned. “I was able to send a message saying that I was heading home on my own, but…”

Jongdae shifted. “Well, you’ll find out when we get you to Port Exodus.”

Baekhyun hummed in acknowledgement.

“Where were you when the bandits caught you and your brother?” Jongdae leaned slightly towards Baekhyun.

“We were in The Kingdom of Moonlight. I was on my way home from meeting a potential fiancé, and my brother was with me for moral support.”

Jongdae raised an eyebrow. “Fiancé?”

“You sound surprised,” Baekhyun said, amusement glinting in his eyes. “Even if I am the youngest son, there is an alliance that might be made of my marriage.”

“I see.” What was this sinking feeling in his stomach?

“I couldn’t stand the other prince though.” Baekhyun wrinkled his nose. “He…just rubbed me the wrong way. Very intensely. So it didn’t work out…but my brother seemed to getting along nicely with a duchess, so I may be arriving home to wedding bells either way.”

“Prince?” Jongdae repeated. “You prefer men?”

“Ah.” Baekhyun looked startled. “I do. I assumed it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“It isn’t,” Jongdae said quickly. “I do as well. And you can guess that Junmyeon does too. We don’t have an aversion to it on this ship.”

Baekhyun smiled, and Jongdae softened when he saw the gentle creases forming around Baekhyun’s eyes. “You’ve put me at ease,” Baekhyun said gently. “Thank you.”

“Hm.” Jongdae looked out at the horizon. He narrowed his eyes at the horizon and smiled slightly when he made out a mass of dark clouds. “Looks like a storm’s coming.”

Baekhyun blinked. “You look happy.”

“I enjoy storms.” Jongdae stretched his arms over his head and sighed.

Baekhyun shivered. “The only storm I’ve experienced at sea was the one Sehun guided us through. I can’t say I enjoyed it.”

Jongdae smiled and let his arms fall back to his sides. “I live my life on the sea. You live your life on land. It’s not suprising.”

Baekhyun let out a startled laugh. “A pretty face, good with a weapon, and now a poet? You never fail to surprise me.”

Jongdae just raised an eyebrow and left Baekhyun standing at the helm, alone.

 

 

 

 

To no one’s surprise, Jongdae had been right. By the end of the day, Chanyeol had called out that they were approaching a storm, and Jongdae grinned. The crew set about tying things down on the deck, and everyone retreated below as the rain thickened, except for Jongdae.

Jongdae tied a rope around his waist and secured it around the base of the steering wheel. He sighed in content as the ship rocked and groaned as the ocean waves rose higher and higher, and the rain fell harder.

The storm was dark, but faint moonlight shone through a gap in the clouds, and Jongdae smiled as he gazed around him and saw nothing but the vast, open sea. Sehun had done his best work, and if they got off course, Jongdae knew that he would be able to redraw their course to get them back on track. Tonight would be the first night in a while that he would be able to enjoy a sea storm, all to himself.

The rain poured down even harder, and Jongdae let out a wild laugh as the ship tossed and turned, thrown wildly about by the waves. The tension in the air thickened, and Jongdae felt his power starting to stir within himself.

Jongdae blinked in surprise when he saw a small silhouette stumble through the hatch.  “Who…?”

The figure stumbled and forward and Jongdae raised his voice. “What are you doing?” he yelled at the figure. His whole crew knew better than to come up for air in the middle of a storm.

The figure righted itself for a moment, and Jongdae realized that it was Baekhyun.

“Grab a line and come here!” he shouted as the ship tilted wildly, and Baekhyun lost his footing, nearly falling into the sea. The fool would be lost forever if he didn’t secure himself quickly! “Come!”

To his relief, Baekhyun obeyed him quickly and stumbled and slid his way up to the wheel.

“Are you an idiot?” Jongdae scolded him, looping Baekhyun rope securely to his own. The ship rocked wildly, and Baekhyun clung to Jongdae’s waist as Jongdae struggled to complete the knot securing them together.

A moment later, the ship had righted itself, but Baekhyun clung firmly to his side, his eyes wide with fear.

Jongdae sighed and put a firm arm around Baekhyun’s waist to keep him from slipping as the boat creaked and groaned, and the wind howled around them. “What are you doing up here?”

Baekhyun shivered and pressed further into Jongdae’s side. “I wanted to know what you were doing,” he admitted, his grip tightening further when a huge wave crashed down to their right.

“You’re afraid,” Jongdae said, rolling his eyes, unfazed by the wild storm raging around them. “You should’ve stayed below with the others.”

Baekhyun opened his mouth to respond, but yelped and buried his face in Jongdae’s shoulder when a huge wave crashed over the helm of the ship and soaked them both in freezing briny water.

Jongdae kept his arm around Baekhyun’s waist and groaned quietly when he felt the pull of his powers in his gut. It was almost impossible to ignore, but with Baekhyun here with him, he couldn’t be sure…

Baekhyun slowly loosened his grip on Jongdae’s back, but kept his face hidden in Jongdae’s shoulder as the storm continued to dance around them. Jongdae surveyed the air and decided that yes, he would be able to keep Baekhyun safe.

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae said, his lips brushing against the shell of Baekhyun’s ear.

Baekhyun shivered, and Jongdae felt something warm stirring his gut, but he pushed it down. “Look,” he said quietly.

Baekhyun turned his head to look, and at that moment, Jongdae summoned a bolt of lightning. There was a bright flash in the sky, and a moment later, thunder rattled the entire ship.

Jongdae whooped and grinned, his power surging through him, calling more bolts of lightning to the sky as the storm raged on.

Rather than trembling and hiding in fear, Baekhyun had turned slightly in his embrace and was watching the sky. Jongdae couldn’t see his full expression, but he could see the slight upward tilt to Baekhyun’s mouth.

Baekhyun leaned into him, and Jongdae gasped when Baekhyun shifted his hips and rubbed against his .

Baekhyun froze, and Jongdae forced himself not to stiffen, not to cage Baekhyun in his arms. It was up to the prince if he wanted this or not, and if he didn’t, then Jongdae wouldn’t hold it against him.

And then Baekhyun was turning around, a mischievous smirk on his face as he pressed them closer together, his hips grinding firmly into Jongdae’s.

Jongdae groaned and tried not to lose his bearings as the ship rocked heavily from side to side. He was vaguely aware of his power surging through his body, and flashes of light lit up the night as he lost his footing, and Baekhyun pinned him to the deck of the ship, his handsome face illuminated by the flashes of lightning, riding out the storm.

Baekhyun’s hands were reached for the hem of his trousers, but Jongdae forced himself to put his hands over Baekhyun’s. “Wait.”

Baekhyun looked down at him, surprise and uncertainty flickering through his eyes as he stopped.

Jongdae took a deep breath to try and get himself to calm down as Baekhyun shifted his hips. “We…we could get hurt during the storm. If we do this now.”

“Oh.” Baekhyun blinked numbly, and lightning flashed overhead as power surged through Jongdae’s fingertips and tingled through his whole body, his magic picking up his wild desire to touch Baekhyun and have his way with him, right here right now, and lightning danced wildly in the sky. “Do you…?”

“When the storm is over,” Jongdae said gently. “Then we can.” He sat up and winced when the boat rocked to the side, flinging him and Baekhyun across the floor, the rope tightening drastically around his waist. He groaned and clung onto Baekhyun, preventing Baekhyun from hitting the side of the deck too hard. “You see?”

Baekhyun laughed nervously, and they both struggled to their feet, stumbling back to the wheel and clinging onto the wood of the ship as the storm continued to rage wildly around them. “Oh. That’s what you meant.”

Jongdae frowned. The pull of his powers was slowly starting to lessen, and the lightning began to flash less frequently. “You seem nervous.”

Baekhyun stared at him intensely, the wind whipping his wet hair, his clothes clinging to his slight frame as rain beat down on both of their heads. “Do you want me?”

“Yes,” Jongdae said instantly, pulling Baekhyun closer to him.

Baekhyun relaxed a little. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

Jongdae held Baekhyun close as the storm slowly started to die down around them. His magic, left to run wild, slowly died down too until at last, as the rain came down in a fine drizzle and the waves the rocked the boat grew smaller and smaller, Jongdae was left with a satisfied tingling in his gut from the release of his powers.

Baekhyun nuzzled innocently into his shoulder as the storm lessened, and Jongdae softened against him, bringing his hand up to gently card through Baekhyun’s wet hair.

“Your hair is getting quite long.”

Baekhyun looked up at him, his eyes warm and gentle. “Is it?”

“I had mine cut back at the port.” Jongdae went back to carding his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair. It was starting to obscure his eyes. “You should ask Chanyeol if you want to cut it. He doesn’t do too bad of a job.”

“Hm.” Baekhyun sighed as the waves died down, and all that remained of the storm was a damp drizzle that trickled down their faces in fat drops as Jongdae finally moved to untie the ropes binding them to the wheel and each other.

Jongdae turned around to see Junmyeon cautiously poking his head through the hatch. “Captain!” He climbed up and carefully walked across the slippery deck to join Jongdae and Baekhyun. “I told you not to come up here,” Junmyeon scolded Baekhyun. “But I see that Jongdae kept you safe.”

“Not without some effort,” Jongdae admitted. Part of the reason why he stayed out during storms was to exercise his power over lightning, which he rarely got to do on land; but the other reason was so that he could protect the ship from any hits as well. “How did Jongin fare through the storm?”

“Hm.” Junmyeon gave Baekhyun a reproving look. “He’s fine. Irene and I stayed with him, and made sure that he didn’t get tossed around too much. He’s well on his way to recovery.”

“Good.” Jongdae turned back to the rope. “We’ll have to wait for the storm to clear up before I can retrace our course.” Jongdae fumbled with the knot, and it finally gave, the rope loosening as he untied Baekhyun’s rope from his. “But we’re through the worst of it.”

“Understood.” Junmyeon stepped up to the wheel. “Go downstairs and dry off. The others should be up soon, and we’ll let you know when we can see the stars again.”

Jongdae nodded and grabbed Baekhyun’s hand, gently guiding him across the deck until they reached the dry steps beneath the hatch. Jongdae turned around and saw Junmyeon watching them, a hint of surprise on his face.

Jongdae shrugged at him, and the corner of Junmyeon’s mouth lifted in a soft smile as he disappeared back below the deck.

He grabbed Baekhyun’s hand and pulled him towards his cabin, grinning when Baekhyun’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Did you think I forgot?” Jongdae , gently tugging on Baekhyun’s hand. “Come with me.”

Baekhyun followed him without hesitation, and Jongdae felt his excitement build as they headed to his cabin.

 

 

 

Jongdae awoke to a polite knocking on his door. Jongdae slowly sat up, blinking at the sunlight that was streaming through the portholes of the ship. He looked down at Baekhyun’s sleeping form; Baekhyun looked painfully beautiful in the soft morning light, and Jongdae allowed his hand to drift over and cup Baekhyun’s chin.

There was another knock, and Jongdae dragged himself out of bed. He cast around for his clothes, pulled on his pants, and went to the door. “What?”

Junmyeon stood on the other side, looking vaguely amused. “Have a good night?” He raised an eyebrow.

Jongdae blew a stray hair out of his eye and beamed when he saw Junmyeon glance at the red and purple marks littered over his chest. “Yes.”

Junmyeon coughed into his arm to try and hide a laugh. “The clouds have finally cleared, and Sehun says that he doesn’t expect us to hit another storm by nightfall.”

“Good.” Jongdae smiled at his cousin. “I’ll be up on the deck soon.”

Junmyeon nodded, and Jongdae shut the door, setting about to find his shirt. He cast one last glance back at Baekhyun. Baekhyun was still sleeping, his mouth slightly open as he lay on his side. Baekhyun let out a soft mewling noise and rolled over. Jongdae laughed quietly and left his cabin to go check on his crew.

He emerged on the deck and helped Kyungsoo and Chanyeol adjust the rigging before climbing back down the mast and checking in with Sehun. There was no way to confirm their course just yet because they had opted to sail around the coast with a wide perimeter to avoid wardens, ports, and most importantly, The Lucky One.

To his surprise, Baekhyun stumbled up from below, his hair sleep-ruffled, and his face still a little puffy from sleep. He wandered over to the side and leaned against the ship rail, taking in a deep breath of fresh air.

Jongdae turned back to Sehun. “I may have some adjustments for you to make after I rechart our course.”

“Yes captain.” Sehun smiled at him.

Jongdae hesitated. He hadn’t addressed his entire crew, because he knew that they all had thick skins—but he just had to make sure. “Also, what Yifan said. Disregard it. You’re a valued member of this crew, alright Sehun?”

Sehun looked surprised, but then his whole face lit up, and Jongdae felt a wave of fondness for his youngest crew member swell and crash in his heart. “Yes captain!”

“Good.” Jongdae ruffled Sehun’s hair and went around the deck making sure that everything had been attended to.

After his round, he approached Baekhyun and slid an arm around his waist. Baekhyun didn’t move away, and Jongdae felt a pang of pleasure. “Hello.”

“Hi.” Baekhyun turned to him and smiled, and Jongdae smiled back. He looked out at the ocean, and his smile faded a little bit. Assuming that the storm hadn’t thrown them too far off course, they should be within a week’s journey of Port 365, and from there, a two-day journey to Port Exodus. It wouldn’t be long before they would part ways.

But, be that as it may, Jongdae allowed himself to enjoy this moment with his prince. He’d had his fair share of good-byes between his bedmates. It was true, he was growing fond of Baekhyun and his soft smile and his gentle manner; but he wasn’t so foolish to let himself fall completely.

That night, Jongdae sat in the moonlight on the deck, surrounded by charts and his trusty compass sitting in his lap. By his calculations, the storm had done them a favor and pushed them ahead on their course. He would have to ask Sehun to control the wind and direct them eastward, back towards the coast tomorrow morning. He pocketed his compass and began rolling up the charts, neatly placing them back in their satchel and going back belowdecks. He could hear his crew sharing a meal in the galley, and he smiled as he heard their chatter.

Things were going well. Jongin was on his way to recovery. Irene was still rather tight-lipped around him, but she was slowly warming up. His crew was happy to be reunited once more. Jongdae still worried about Junmyeon, about the hurt and the heartbreak that he must be going through, but Junmyeon had asked for space, and Jongdae had acquiesced.

And then there was Baekhyun. Jongdae let out a low sigh and headed to his study to put the charts down. Baekhyun loved kissing, telling Jongdae that he loved kissing the corners of his mouth and the way they curled up.

“You’re really too cute to be a pirate.” Baekhyun gently traced the edge of Jongdae’s lip with his finger.

“And you’re too kind to be a prince.” Jongdae propped himself up on his elbow and leaned down to kiss Baekhyun.

He hadn’t missed the flash of—something—in Baekhyun’s eyes before he’d closed them.

Jongdae wasn’t a fool. He had never forgotten that Baekhyun was royalty, and he’d never forgotten about the deal that currently bound the both of them. As their days together dwindled, Jongdae knew that he was going to have to push Baekhyun to reveal his secret.

 

 

 

Jongdae sat in the galley with his crew, Jongin, Irene, and Baekhyun enjoying the meal they’d all worked on. (Not really all of them—Jongin had cheerfully observed the proceedings from afar, Junmyeon and Sehun had been relegated to doing dishes, and Jongdae had spent most of the time feeding Jongin scraps throughout the process. Baekhyun had surprised them all and told them that he could “cook a little bit”, but Kyungsoo had given him one distrustful look and delegated him to chopping, which Baekhyun did with an air of cheerful relief about him.)

Jongdae decided that if there was a time, it was now. Baekhyun was a prince, and no matter how innocent he looked, or how kindly he acted, he was royalty—and royalty were as wily as they came. It would be best to act now, in front of the whole crew, rather than when they were alone.

“Baekhyun.”

“Yes?” Baekhyun turned to him, smiling brightly. Jongdae smiled back at him and reached out to wipe a smear of sauce near his lip.

“We made a deal, when we escaped from Captain Yifan,” Jongdae said clearly.

“Ah.” Baekhyun’s shoulders tensed as the entire attention of the hall turned to them. “Yes. We did.”

“We would take you back to your kingdom, in exchange for the location of the Black Pearl.” Jongdae looked steadily at Baekhyun. “Wasn’t that right?”

“That’s right.” Baekhyun looked back at him, equally steady, equally unyielding.

“When were you planning on revealing the location?” Jongdae sat back in his chair. “Surely not when we were anchored in Port Exodus, ready to let you off.”

Baekhyun blinked. “I would’ve been foolish to assume such a thing,” Baekhyun said, a hint of dryness in his tone. “I wasn’t expecting to reveal my secrets in the harbor of Port 365.”

“We set sail once more within the hour,” Jongdae said patiently. “From here, it is only a two-day journey to Port Exodus. Don’t you think you’re close enough?”

“And if I reveal my secret now,” Baekhyun said slowly, “How do I know that once I tell you, you won’t turn on me and try and ransom me?”

Jongdae laughed. “Come now,” he said gently. “Didn’t I tell you that I wouldn’t do that?”

“How can I trust the word of a pirate?” Baekhyun shot back.

“Have we not proven ourselves trustworthy so far?” Jongdae asked patiently. “I’ve helped you escape Yifan twice now. I could’ve easily left you behind for Yifan to snatch up at Transformer Bay.”

Baekhyun deflated a bit. “That’s true,” Baekhyun said slowly. “But pirates are known to be backstabbers, betrayers.”

Jongdae snorted. “You always tell me that I’m not what you expect. I told you, I seek to make alliances rather than enemies. I would gain little from trying to ransom you. You’re resourceful—for all I know, you’ve been hiding in plain sight, watching how we run this ship, formulating your own plan for escape if we you.”

Baekhyun stayed silent.

“I have more to gain by giving you back to your kingdom than by ransoming you.” Jongdae leaned forward in his chair. “Tell us the location.”

Baekhyun sighed and sat back, and Jongdae grinned.

“I’ll give you the first part of my information,” Baekhyun said slowly. “I’ll give the first part to you now, and I’ll give you the rest tomorrow night.”

Jongdae raised an eyebrow. “Fine,” he said at last.

“In The Land of Two Moons, there is a children’s rhyme.” Baekhyun straightened up in his seat and looked away from Jongdae to the rest of the crew. “Our religion states that the same rhyme is the key to the location of a sacred temple. Long, long ago, it is said that the High Priestess of the order stole the Black Pearl from her lover and hid it away in the temple in a bid to protect him from the greed of others. The location of the temple was removed from any records, and it is said that the High Priestess left this poem to the temple’s location. The poem goes like this: High-flying wings encircle the sun. Twelve come together and act as one. Sweet rain falls when the storm joins the light; wind and madness dance into the night.” Baekhyun looked around expectantly, but didn’t see any light of recognition in their eyes. “Have you never been to the Land of Two Moons before?” he asked, a slight frown on his face.

“We don’t tend to frequent ports on this side of the Butterfly Peninsula,” Jongdae said calmly. “And we rarely speak with children. What does it mean?”

“This is only the first half of the nursery rhyme. You’ll get the second half and the interpretation tomorrow.” Baekhyun folded his arms, and Jongdae rolled his eyes.

“How do we know that he’s not making all of this up?” Junmyeon asked skeptically, his eyes intent on Baekhyun’s face.

“I guess we won’t. But I’m sure that Prince Baekhyun can imagine the consequences he might face if he is.” Jongdae smiled his most dangerous smile, and he felt a flash of satisfaction when Baekhyun shrank back slightly. “Alright, crew. We set sail within the hour.”

The crew finished their meal, and Jongdae went back above the deck to join them. “Do you sense something up ahead, Sehun?”

Sehun shook his head. “There seems to be a patch of rain somewhere around Port Exodus, but there aren’t any heavy winds. It shouldn’t be a problem to deal with.”

Jongdae nodded. “Junmyeon, have you sensed anything following us?” Junmyeon could only manipulate fresh water, but when they were on the ocean, Junmyeon could also use his powers to detect what was in the water, close to the surface. He had saved them time and time again when he’d sensed an enemy pirate ship tailing them, or a royal navy crew approaching them in the cover of night.

Junmyeon grimaced. “It’s hard to tell here, with so many boats around us. But before we approached the port to dock in the morning, I didn’t feel anything.”

Jongdae nodded and sighed through his nose. “Very well. Sehun, you know what to do. Chanyeol has already unfurled the sails and adjusted the rigging. We should be all set.”

“Do you have a plan for what we’ll do after we reach Port Exodus?” Junmyeon asked softly as Chanyeol scampered down the mast, and Kyungsoo came to join them from the other end of the deck.

“Jongin and Irene also wish to leave us at Port Exodus. They don’t think Yifan will dare to follow them into a royal port, and they might be safe.”

“Yifan thinks Jongin would be the crowning jewel to his crew. I don’t know if the royal navy would stop him if he really put his mind to it,” Junmyeon said, a worried look on his face.

“I think they plan to venture inland.” Jongdae let out a sigh. He loved Jongin dearly, but “It will make it harder for us to see him,” he said quietly.

“Well, it might be for the best,” Chanyeol piped up. “We do seem to bring trouble and danger with us whenever we see him.”

Kyungsoo punched Chanyeol in the gut and trapped him in a headlock as he wheezed for breath. “He’s their cousin you insensitive—“

“It’s fine, let him go Kyungsoo. But thank you.” Jongdae cleared his throat and schooled his face into a determined expression. “We also need to lay low for a while after we leave Prince Baekhyun. I don’t know whether Yifan will choose to let Luhan and Zitao loose to go after Baekhyun or not, or if he’ll choose to follow us, but he seems…intent. I think it would be a good idea to head into the Thunder Archipelago.”

There was a beat of silence.

“You’re insane,” Junmyeon said, finally finding his voice. “If Yifan doesn’t kill us all, then the Thunder Archipelago will.” The Thunder Archipelago was a string of islands infamous for their unpredictable weather patterns and shallow waters, sure to damage or even destroy any unwary ships.

“I think we might make it. Sehun can guide the ship through the wind, and you can tell us if we’re about to hit a sand bar or a reef.” Jongdae smiled winningly at them. “I also called won a bet against Captain Yunho a while back, and he gave me instructions for a safe route.”

“Currents and wind patterns change. That route might not be valid anymore.” Junmyeon folded his arms.

“It’s our only bet. We can’t go back to the east coast of the Butterfly Peninsula for a while yet,” Jongdae said patiently. “Besides, we could take some time to regroup ourselves. Leave the Thunder Archipelago and go about terrorizing new lands, stealing treasures from new islands and new ships. Let Yifan think we died trying to enter the Archipelago, and then we can re-emerge from hiding after a few years when Yifan has sailed back to his home on the other side of the peninsula.”

“There’s nothing less…drastic?” Junmyeon asked hesitantly. “Why not continue up around the peninsula and go into hiding in Overdose Gulf?”

“It’s too close,” Jongdae shook his head. “Yifan would find us within months.”

Junmyeon bit his lip and stayed silent.

“Do you want Yifan to find us?” Sehun asked suddenly.

“No,” Junmyeon said immediately, reaching out to touch Sehun’s shoulder. “Definitely not.”

“Maybe not just us, but…maybe just you?” Sehun asked carefully.

Junmyeon stilled. “What has Jongin been saying to you?” he asked lightly, trying to laugh it off. “No. I don’t want to join Yifan. Sehun, no matter what—no matter what misgivings I might have, I only ever know one thing. El Dorado is my home,” he said gently. “I don’t want Yifan to find me, or any of us.”

Jongdae looked at Junmyeon fondly along with the rest of the crew.

“If that’s settled,” Jongdae said quietly, “then that’s my plan. We’ve stocked up on supplies, and it should be enough to get us from Port Exodus to the archipelago.”

The crew nodded in agreement. The ship slid smoothly through the black ocean water, and Jongdae went to the helm of the boat, letting the sharp sea breeze calm him. Trying times were coming ahead for himself and his crew, and he was going to have to be ready for it.

 

 

 

 

 

The next night, true to his word, Baekhyun divulged the rest of the information to Jongdae privately. “High-flying wings encircle the sun. Twelve come together and act as one. Sweet rain falls when the storm joins the light; wind and madness dance into the night. Time stops turning, flight stops yearning, ice creeps over the land. Cross deserts in moments, shake mountains to sand; set fire to flame and free the man. Look to the sun and the bird in flight; the pearl has returned, and so has the fight.”

“Set fire to flame?” Jongdae repeated. “Flight stops yearning? Cross deserts in moments?”

“It sounds a little fantastic,” Baekhyun admitted, “but we have interpreted the poem to something else. The symbol of our holy order is the phoenix rising towards the sun. The shape of our altar is a ring of twelve pillars, symbolic of the twelve winds meeting as one in the center of the altar. These are signs of our religion that must be looked for.” Baekhyun stopped and gave Jongdae a serious look. “This is one of the greatest secrets of my kingdom. I will show you exactly where we believe that the Black Pearl is located.” He pointed at a spot on Jongdae’s map.

“The Island of Luck?” Jongdae repeated.

Baekhyun nodded solemnly. The island lay slightly off of the northern coast of the Kingdom of Two Moons. It was said to be full of wondrous and rare herbs and flowers; but it was protected by a savage band of natives who killed any who dared to trespass.

“Why the Island of Luck?” Jongdae asked.

“It is a timeless place. An island where it is rumored that the native tribe has discovered the secret of immortality. A font of magic, for all of the native males have wings sprouting from their backs.”

Jongdae hummed thoughtfully. “There are other unsolved riddles in the poem, though.”

“Exploring the Island of Luck is not a venture that my kingdom has put much manpower into. Scholars have confirmed the location, but the royal family has yet to set out an expedition to the island. You will most likely beat us to it, if you go. Perhaps you will discover the answer yourself.” Baekhyun watched intently as Jongdae slid a red pin into the map.

Jongdae turned and leaned into kiss Baekhyun. “You’ve kept your word,” he murmured gently. “I hope you’ve kept your word about safe passage as well.”

“I have,” Baekhyun said quietly. “I promise.”

Jongdae smiled and leaned in to kiss him again, more hungrily. “Let me worship your body for one last night,” he murmured against Baekhyun’s mouth.

Baekhyun clung to him tightly. “Yes,” he whispered softly against Jongdae’s lips. “Please.”

Jongdae began kissing at the pale column of Baekhyun’s throat, smiling when he felt Baekhyun tremble in his arms.

 

 

 

The next morning, Jongdae and his crew assembled anxiously on the deck of The El Dorado as they approached Port Exodus. So far, no naval ships had showed up with their guns at the ready, but Jongdae wasn’t taking any chances. They’d already let Jongin and Irene off of the ship on a raft with as many supplies as they could give them, and had said their sweet farewells. Jongdae had watched them make it to the shore and turned away, unable to bear the thought that this was probably the last time he would see his cousin.

Jongdae had a ready hand on his sword, and Junmyeon and Sehun were lined up at the cannons, ready to load and fire just in case. Baekhyun stood at the helm with Jongdae, ready to show his face and signal to any naval ship who tried to attack.

They sailed closer and closer to the port, and Jongdae let out a strangled breath he’d been holding as they sailed into the mouth of the port and made for one of the docks. They weren’t being attacked. Baekhyun was truly holding to his word.

Baekhyun turned to Jongdae. “Thank you. For everything,” Baekhyun said softly.

Jongdae softened for a moment and put his hand on the small of Baekhyun’s back. “Of course. Let me know if you need rescuing from pirate prisons or crews again,” he said lightly.

Baekhyun gave him a tender look, and Jongdae’s heart skipped a beat. “I will,” Baekhyun said quietly.

They threw down their anchor at the dock, and Jongdae guided Baekhyun to the side of the ship. Just as Sehun had said, there were clouds in the sky, and Jongdae could feel his magic singing quietly in his veins. A light rain began to fall overhead as Junmyeon cast down the rope ladder.

“Well, this is you.” Jongdae patted Baekhyun’s back one last time and stepped back, waiting for Baekhyun to scale the rope ladder down to the dock.

Baekhyun smiled at him beautifully, and turned around. “Captain Jongdae?”

“Yes?” Jongdae tilted his hat back out of reflex.

“I’m so sorry.”

“What?” Jongdae stared at Baekhyun blankly, his words completely at odds with his smile, but it was too late. As if from nowhere, ten soldiers appeared on the deck, their uniforms red and gold—“the colors of the royal guard,” Jongdae said slowly. “Baekhyun? What is this?”

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun said again, his voice slightly desperate. “But this was the only way.”

“The only way for what?” Jongdae felt Junmyeon at his back, and then Sehun, and then Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. They stood in a ring, facing the ten invaders who were armed with swords, guns, and Jongdae felt his stomach lurch when he saw one man holding a large coil of rope.

“Everything I told you was true, about the prophecy.” The ten men began to inch forward, and Jongdae and his crew held their ground.

“Prophecy?” Jongdae repeated.

“It’s true about the Island of Luck,” Baekhyun continued, “But I lied about the symbols of my religion. The line twelve come together and act as one has no bearing on the structure of our altars. The prophecy calls for twelve men, to act as a unit of one.”

“Why does that matter right now?” Jongdae gritted out, his whole body tense as he waited for the guards to make their first move.

“I didn’t realize it. I thought I’d done something against the gods when I was kidnapped and ransomed—but now I realize I’ve been blessed by them. The twelve of us are the twelve men that the prophecy calls for.”

“Twelve of us?” Jongdae repeated. “There are only five of us here.”

“No. Me, you, Junmyeon, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Sehun, Yifan, Minseok, Luhan, Zitao, Yixing, and Jongin.”

“Jongin,” Jongdae repeated. “But we let Jongin off early.”

“There were guards waiting for him in the jungle. We have him now.”

Jongdae felt sick as he watched Baekhyun shrug impassively, and his guards grew ever closer. “And Yifan and his crew?”

“I tipped them off when we escaped. I told them to come here, to Port Exodus, if he wanted to catch Junmyeon. I was worried when they caught up with us at Transformer Bay, but luckily, Yifan was still willing to try anything to get Junmyeon. They got here yesterday, and the guards have taken them into custody. You’re the only ones left,” Baekhyun said simply.

Jongdae barked out a laugh. “You expect me to believe that The Lucky One passed us on the ocean without our knowing?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “I’m sure Yifan has his ways.”

“You also expect me to believe that you captured Yifan and his crew, six men who are renowned for using their powers to fight?”

“What are six men against the entire navy?” Baekhyun asked.

“You’d be surprised,” Jongdae muttered. “Besides, you were with us the entire time. How could you possibly know this?”

“If everything has gone according to plan, then that is what has happened,” Baekhyun said simply. “Besides, I never showed you this, but…” Baekhyun opened his palm, and Jongdae blinked in surprise when he saw a small orb of pure light. “My powers allow me to produce light as well as manipulate it. I’ve been communicating with passing ships and my navy this entire time.”

Jongdae stared at Baekhyun, and wondered how he had ever once found kindness and simplicity in Baekhyun’s face. “You’re exactly what I should’ve expected,” he said hollowly. “Forcing our hand…”

“There was no way you would have agreed if I had told you that Yifan was necessary to our expedition,” Baekhyun said calmly. “This was the only way.”

“You could have persuaded us,” Jongdae said angrily. “You could have bargained with us, convinced us. Instead, you turned to brute force.”

“Could I have?” Baekhyun asked thoughtfully. “I don’t think so.”

“Possession of the Black Pearl is every pirate’s greatest dream,” Jongdae said evenly, even as the guards crept closer and closer. He couldn’t let his crew get hurt. “We might have surprised you.”

“Hm.” Baekhyun shifted. “Alright, that’s close enough. It’s your choice—you can come with us peacefully, or we’ll have to knock you out.”

Jongdae’s heartbeat thundered in his chest. He glanced over at Junmyeon, whose face was inscrutable. He didn’t want any of them to get hurt, but he also had a feeling that Baekhyun would go to nearly any length to get Junmyeon back if Jongdae managed to create a diversion to try and spare his cousin.

“Why does the Land of Two Moons want the Black Pearl so badly?” he asked.

“People have been invading our lands for centuries, ripping our lands apart, inflicting senseless violence on our temples and communities, all in search for this…this jewel,” Baekhyun said. Jongdae felt surprised at the amount of vehemence in Baekhyun’s tone. “We want it out of here. When we find it, you can have it. We don’t want it.”

“Why should we trust you?” Junmyeon asked, his voice strained. “You’ve just betrayed us.”

Baekhyun shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll come up with plenty of reason to trust me soon enough. Now, your decision Captain Jongdae?”

Jongdae struggled not to flinch. Baekhyun had never called him “Captain”—not in their jail cell, not on The Lucky One, not on The El Dorado. Everything was about to change. He would be putting his crew in grave danger, he was going to endanger his entire family—

But Jongdae saw no other choice. They were surrounded. There was little hope for their escape. “We’ll come peacefully,” he said at last.

“Guards, bind their hands.” Baekhyun raised his hand when Jongdae opened his mouth to protest. “We’ll release you when we reach the palace.”

“My ship,” Jongdae asked as a guard came up to him and roughly began tying his hands.

“Will be protected by the Royal Navy,” Baekhyun said firmly. “No one will touch it in your absence.”

Jongdae felt a pang of gratefulness for the fact that they’d unloaded all of their illegal cargo back at Port 365. He felt his magic singing in his blood, and he couldn’t help the bolt of lightning that flickered out by the entrance of the harbor, and the clap of thunder that followed. A guard pulled them roughly into a line as two others extended a gangway down to the dock. Jongdae and his crew were lead down to the dock and up to a set of black carriages. Jongdae watched as his crew was lead off in pairs. Baekhyun joined him and Junmyeon in the last one.

“You must be proud of yourself,” Jongdae said coldly. “Fooling all of us, all along.”

“To be fair, I think Junmyeon was starting to suspect me,” Baekhyun said lightly. “But don’t sulk for too long. You’re part of something big now. Bigger than you could even imagine.”

Jongdae didn’t really know how to feel as he sat in the bouncing carriage, his hands tied tightly behind his back. Junmyeon’s shoulders were jostled against his, and across the carriage, Baekhyun was staring out the window with a distant expression.

Jongdae had never wavered in his intent, in his pure trust in Baekhyun. He’d been a fool, and now his whole crew was in danger.

“Luhan and Zitao.”

Jongdae flinched when Junmyeon spoke suddenly.

“What about them?” Baekhyun asked.

“You aren’t afraid they’ll kill you?” Junmyeon asked.

Baekhyun gave him a small smile. “Of course I am. But there are precautions I’ve taken.”

The carriage lapsed into silence, and Jongdae stared at Baekhyun. Where was the kind man who had lifted the bag off of his head in the jail cell? Where was the man who trembled in fear under Yifan’s gaze? Where was the warm, gentleness Jongdae had experienced during the storm? It all seemed so far away in the face of Baekhyun’s cool, collected demeanor now.

Had it all been a lie? A dream, too sweet to ever be real?

Jongdae sat back in his seat. He’d been a fool. How could he have trusted a prince? And now, his crew, his friends, and his family were all going to pay for his mistake.

The End

a/n: Ahaha. So...that ending /hides. This fic took up almost all of my summer and I am currently considering pursuing a sequel at the end of this year when i'll have more time to write. However, until then, this story will be marked as complete. I hope all of you enjoyed and comments and feedback are highly appreciated! See you all in another story~