Song of the Sea

///

A low keening floated from the direction of the ocean, and Baekhyun knew that, somehow, another human was being sacrificed into the ocean.

The crashing of waves on the shore covered any sounds after that.

Baekhyun continued his hike up the hill, carrying his bag of food and supplies bought from the marketplace. He could hear the sounds of his older brother laboring in the fields, his younger sister feeding the animals and yelling at them. It was a practical day in the farm.

As practical as it could be with the wild water horses running wild on the island.

Baekhyun tried not to think about the water horse he’d barely dodged in the shallow woods lining the way up the hill and the small farm on top of it. The lips pulled back in a snarl, the wide red eyes, limbs longer and stronger than any horse, seafoam green in color…

It was the stuff of nightmares.

Baekhyun knocked and pushed open the heavy wooden door, his mother calling a greeting to him.

“Baekhyun-ah, you’re back!” Mrs. Byun was a round, smiling middle-aged lady, hands wrinkled from years of chores, too-old face way too wrinkled for someone her age, but smile lines crinkled her face as she watched her youngest son walk into the kitchen. “What have you bought?”

“Hey, mom.” Baekhyun placed the groceries on the kitchen counter, pulling out bottles and cans. His mother hurried over and started helping him, arranging the containers into shelves.

“I got beans, meat, tofu, spices, the usual.” Baekhyun counted the tins of food he bought, subtracting the prices from the money he’d brought in his mind. “In total it’s sixty pieces of silver.”

“Oh, my darling, you needn’t have bought so little, you know we’re not lacking in money.” Baekhyun knew his mother was lying through her teeth, with the prices going up for imported spices and the death of one of their cows. They lacked money, but Mrs. Byun didn’t want Baekhyun or the rest of her children worrying. Especially with six mouths to feed.

“Mom, you know I’m thrifty.” Baekhyun didn’t mind another white lie. He actually loved spending money, buying extravagant things to prove he could, but for his family he held the urge in, preferring to count out budgets and spending accordingly.

“It’s alright, dear, now go help your father in the fields.” Baekhyun’s mother pushed him out the door, shooing him away and closing the door. Baekhyun smiled, putting on his boots, and striding across the field, where his father and brother stood, plowing the wheat fields.

Just a normal, ordinary day.

/

“Hear ye, hear ye. His royal Majesty Kim Jongdae and prince consort Kim Junmyeon hereby declare that the sixtieth Water Races are to be held on the island of Cammira, three weeks from today, and each family with one man of age is required to send a participant to enter the races. Females are forbidden from racing, and winners will be sent to the royal palace. Losers will receive honor, but cheating means death.” The pompous herald recited from his scroll, then snapped it closed and jumped on his horse, galloping down to where the ship awaited him at the harbor.

Baekhyun processed the news quietly.

The Water Races were held once every four years, to celebrate the triumph of the human race against the water tribes. Humans would capture the ferocious water horses and ride across the shores, and the winner would be the one who was fast enough not to get trampled or carried ito the sea by the uncontrollable beasts.

The riders for the races were men from the place chosen to host the races. The last time Cammira had been chosen to host was sixteen years ago.

And now, with Baekhyun, Kyuhyun and Taehyung, three grown men in the family, they stood to lose another son, another supporter of the family, when they were already on the brink of poverty.

Baekhyun choked at the thought.

“You alright?” His best friend, Sehun, clapped him on his back and offered him some water.

“I’m fine.” Baekhyun straightened, accepting the water with a nod of thanks. Sehun’s tunic was stained with oil as usual, his toolbelt carrying the same bottle and tools he carried every day. He smelled like the smoke and fumes from his father’s forge.

“I guess one of you is gonna race.” Oh Sehun, freshly seventeen, was one year away from being of age, unlike Baekhyun, who just turned eighteen last month. “I wonder if Taehyung is going to race, or Kyuhyun.”

Or him.

Sehun didn’t mention Baekhyun’s name. And for that, Baekhyun felt grateful.

He wondered which would hurt more. Taehyung dying or Kyuhyun dying in the races.

Baekhyun didn’t let his thoughts wander further.

Sehun grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the crowd, as screaming women clutched at their husbands and wailed loudly. Women with older husbands and strong young sons cried as the thought of losing them, and the cheerful marketplace minutes ago turned into a cacophony of wails and sobs.

Sehun hurried away from the marketplace, instead heading into the quieter part of town, where the library and smaller shops held smiling flower girls and gentle old ladies. This part didn’t have any of the hustle and bustle of the noisy marketplace uptown.

“Look, Baek, I know what you’re thinking.” Baekhyun nearly tripped when Sehun skidded to a stop and hurled the words at him. “You can’t be thinking of racing, can you?”

Baekhyun’s heart leapt at the thought. It was true, he hadn’t thought of the possibility of racing himself, but Sehun had just given him the idea.

He quickly dismissed the thought. “Of course I wouldn’t race. You should know me too well to think that.”

“Good.” Sehun let out a breath Baekhyun hadn’t realized he was holding.

Baekhyun erased the ridiculous thought of him racing from his mind. There was no way that he would be racing.

Was there?

/

“I’ll go.” Taehyung, the second oldest in the family, shoved Kyuhyun backwards as he stepped forwards, golden blond hair bleached white by the sunshine glinting in the meager light. Baekhyun made no move to stop his brothers, watching them bicker back and forth.

“I’m the oldest son, Tae, I’ll go.” Kyuhyun protested, pushing his younger brother down on a chair. “It’s my duty to protect my brothers.”

“The family needs you, hyung!” Taehyung stood, fighting to stand up against Kyuhyun’s brute strength holding him down. “You always help father tend to the crops, but I’m only there to count the animals and sell them!”

“You’re still young, Tae, you can learn.” Kyuhyun cast an expectant stare at Baekhyun. “Baek can learn to sell our products at the market and you can take my place.”

“What’s so different if I go and Baekhyun still takes my place?”

“Mother loves you more.”

“Enough.” Their father entered the room, deep voice echoing in the small kitchen. His tunic and stockings were stained with mud from the fields, and he reeked of dung. But it didn’t cancel out the strong power he radiated wherever he went. The power of the father of a household.

“I decide who is to go and who is to stay.” Mr. Byun took a seat at the table, Kyuhyun and Taehyung falling silent. He looked around at the three men surrounding the table, dark eyes flashing when they met Baekhyun’s brown ones.

“Why are two of my sons fighting over who is to die, when one sits, content to watch?” Mr. Byun questioned, raising an eyebrow at Baekhyun. Baekhyun felt something cold run up his spine, an uncomfortable feeling washing over him.

“Father, he’s the youngest. He shouldn’t be doing this.” Kyuhyun spoke on Baekhyun’s behalf. Baekhyun couldn’t help but feel relief at his brother’s defense of him.

“Why should he not?” Their father tapped the table impatiently. “I’m not a cruel father, to be able to send one my own blood off as a sacrifice, but my patience is wearing thin at a person who does nothing but do errands instead of steady work.”

“Father, he’s younger, let him enjoy his youth, he’s barely into manhood!” It was Taehyung’s turn to protest.

“Let it test him, then. Let us see whether if he is worthy of being called a man.” Baekhyun couldn’t tear his eyes away from his father’s scrutinizing glare. His father’s eyes spoke louder than any words needed. It was as much a test for the family as it was for him.

Baekhyun found himself at a loss for words for the first time in his life, no ready retort at the tip of his tongue to deflect his father’s harsh words. His brothers stared at him and their father, waiting for Baekhyun to retaliate, but were only met with silence.

Soft, unending silence. Expectant, waiting, for the choice to be made.

“Father, please, don’t…” Kyuhyun’s soft pleading broke through the stillness. Everyone in the room turned and looked at him, who merely cocked his head and glared back in return.

“Father, you know as well as all of us that Baekhyun does not possess the skills and strength needed to race.” Kyuhyun balled his hands into fists at his sides. “I’d rather die with honor than let a coward bring shame to our family.”

“You would go to such lengths to protect your brother?” Their father countered, standing and rising to his full height, towering above the three of them. “I say Baekhyun races, and so he shall race.”

Mr. Byun left the kitchen in a restless quiet, leaving no room for further argument.

Baekhyun felt the late feeling of doom descend upon him, an invisible weight of oncoming death washing over all three men sitting helplessly in the once-bright household.

/

“You’re still riding.” Was Taehyung’s first words to Baekhyun as they stepped out of the suddenly stifling house. Baekhyun kept his shock and fear in control, not letting any of it show on his face as he turned to face his older brothers.

“We have to find you a steed, something fast and tame enough for you to come out alive.” Kyuhyun supplied, and Baekhyun understood. The Water Races were infamous not for the thrill and danger, but for the fact that there would only be one survivor, and that would be the winner.

The corpses of the rest were mutilated so badly they were rumored to be unrecognizable. The sea washed blood from the shores of the host cities after the races, leaving no trace that such gore and innocent blood had been spilled on it.

“We’ll do what it takes for you to survive, Baek.” Taehyung assured him, grabbing his boots and strapping them on, his powerful body flexing with muscles from years of hard labor. “Mom and Taeyeon are waiting for you to come back alive.”

Baekhyun could only nod mutely as his brothers strode into the forest, blond and black hair drifting in the night breeze, pale moonlight illuminating the quiet silhouettes of the two men.

Baekhyun wondered if they would catch him a water horse tonight.

Or tomorrow.

Or never.

/

Baekhyun tossed in his bed, watching the empty beds of his two brothers. It had been hours, and they still hadn’t returned. The wind howled outside the closed window, glass panes shaking and sending shivers up Baekhyun’s spine.

A crash sounded from the doorway, and Baekhyun flew to his feet, dashing out of the bedroom and to the living room. Taehyung stood in front of the open door, panting, soaked from head to toe. Kyuhyun was directly behind him, hair damp and reeking of mud, but both unharmed.

“Nothing.” Baekhyun let his brothers in, leading them to the kitchen and making hot tea. Taehyung was gasping through words. “The forest is absolutely empty.”

“No sign of water horses, and we even tried following tracks.” Kyuhyun gulped down the tea, not caring that it was scalding. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Baekhyun’s insides churned, thinking of the wait tomorrow, and the signing up for the races. He should’ve felt relief that Taehyung and Kyuhyun had returned unscathed, but all he could care about was the fact that tomorrow would be the most grueling day of his life.

Baekhyun was still sitting at the table when Taehyung and Kyuhyun left the room, the single candle still burning its wavering flame on the wooden table, a single drop of wax sliding and dripping to the table.

/

Maybe it was fate, or just plain luck. Baekhyun went and drew lots for colors, and got silver, the very color that symbolized safety and peace.

“You’re coming with us.” Taehyung didn’t say anything more as he dragged Baekhyun from the crowd surrounding the tables, and headed to the edge of the woods, where Kyuhyun waited, a bow and arrows slung over his shoulder, similar weapons lying on the ground beside his feet.

“It’s your horse we’re hunting, and only you can know what feel it is that you want.” That was Kyuhyun’s explanation for bringing him along. Baekhyun followed silently, watching the woods with wary eyes. Anything could come charging out at any moment.

Baekhyun thought he saw the glint of obsidian eyes blinking at him from the bushes, but he dismissed it when it vanished a second later.

Taehyung led the way into the dark woods, meager sunlight filtering through the thick branches of the gargantuan trees rising so high the tops couldn’t be seen. Cold sweat beaded Baekhyun’s brow, his brown tunic and pants feeling not warm enough in the chilling forest wind, insecurity wrapping around him like a cocoon.

A rustle of leaves startled the trio, all three turning in unison to face the direction of the sound. The clearing was empty, a phantom wind carrying up fallen leaves and swirling them up. Baekhyun tried to calm his wildly beating heart, nausea welling up in him. The forest had never seemed as terrifying as it was now.

Taehyung drew a dagger from its scabbard at his belt, slashing a tree trunk and marking a trail for them to follow home. Kyuhyun picked up a stray branch, impaling the place where Taehyung had struck and angled it so it pointed at the direction where they came from.

Baekhyun supposed he should feel grateful for them, be grateful that he had brothers like them. But all he felt was cold anger and disgust that his father forced him to partake in this nonsense although there were other people perfectly willing to take his place. Why was his father so cruel?

Another rustling broke through the silence that enveloped them, followed by the clopping of hooves hitting the ground. The wind whispered through the leaves, raising the small calling of insects and other small creatures. The light in the forest suddenly seemed to dim, the air colder somehow.

But nothing, nothing, could compare to the beast stepping out from the shadows, tossing its proud mane and stomping, its cry a surprisingly melodic whinny.

Its hide was a stunning shade of midnight black, mane white as the pure moonlight shining down every night, not a single piece of dirt marring the flawlessly smooth skin, powerful legs rearing and lips pulling back to reveal teeth, no, canines unnaturally sharpened. Intelligent obsidian orbs looked at them, the magnificent beast stronger and swifter than any ordinary horse, towering over all of them like no ordinary horse could. It screamed, the birds on the treetops scattering at the high-pitched echo.

A water horse, and a powerful one at that.

It tossed its head, rearing again, muscles in its legs bunching as it charged—

And the ropes already twirling in Taehyung’s hand looped around its neck, dragging it down and rendering it immobile. The beast thrashed, breaking through the ropes that seemed fragile holding down the robust body. But it was already too late as Taehyung slammed the pommel of his sword down on the beast’s head, knocking it out cold.

Baekhyun only watched dumbly as his brother took down the monstrous water horse in mere minutes. Taehyung’s skilled hands saddled the beast, looping reins around its muzzle and locking the bridle tight. The bit was put into the water horse’s mouth, avoiding the sharp teeth and biting into the tender skin at the edge of its mouth.

“You want to lead it back?” Taehyung handed the reins to Baekhyun, who didn’t accept, staring numbly. “It’s your steed.”

The sunlight again lit up the clearing, a beam falling on the creature unconscious before them. The hide of the beast shimmered in the light, like liquid night. Enormous eyes fluttered open, mouth opening in a snarl, finding itself bound down.

“It’s been tamed.” Kyuhyun reassured him as the beast got to its feet, but made no move to attack, only baring it teeth and snorting, pawing the ground impatiently. Taehyung kept a firm grip on the reins, giving a sharp tug whenever the water horse fidgeted too much.

Baekhyun stepped forward reluctantly, taking the reins gingerly from Taehyung’s hands, and pulling lightly on them. To his immense surprise, the water horse moved, trotting and following Baekhyun’s lead. Baekhyun took another step, and it followed meekly, snorting as if to say I’m not stupid, you know.

“It will follow.” Kyuhyun laughed softly, wonder lighting up his eyes as he watched his youngest brother take small steps and the horse following. “It understands.”

“Father will be waiting at home, Baek, but there’s time for a test run, if you’d like.” Taehyung immediately regretted saying it when he saw the pure terror flashing in Baekhyun’s expression.

“I won’t ride this thing unless I ab—” It seemed the water horse understood what Baekhyun was going to say, and protested by stomping the ground hard and huffing hot air into his face. Kyuhyun barely controlled his laughter at Baekhyun’s shocked face.

“-solutely have to.” Baekhyun finished his sentence.

“It has a sense of humor.” Taehyung observed.

“Yeah, and?” Baekhyun retorted, gripping the reins so tightly his knuckles went white. “It’s a beast, like all the others.”

He strode off, and the water horse behind him wisely didn’t give any other reactions other than to toss its mane out of its eyes and follow mildly. Taehyung and Kyuhyun didn’t comment further, merely following the trail they left that led home.

Nobody noticed the almost humanlike gleam in the water horse’s eyes.

/

Baekhyun just about threw the reins back to Taehyung when they reached the farmhouse. Taehyung caught them neatly, gave Baekhyun a pointed glare, then stalked into the stables, preparing to settle the beast in for the night. His body disappeared from Baekhyun’s point of view, and Baekhyun sighed, heading into the house.

Kyuhyun had already vanished into the fields, saying something about finding some food for the water horse.

“Talk about a bunch of .” Baekhyun muttered as he slammed the bedroom door behind him, stripping out of his muddy clothes and grabbing clean ones, heading into the shower. He the water, shivering as the icy cold hit him, savoring the feel of cleanliness that came with it.

He poured some shampoo from the bottle on the shelf, lathering his thick brown hair and cleansing it thoroughly. He rinsed off the bubbles in his hair, then rubbed his body with a bar of soap, washing and cleaning himself.

“Why me, of all people.” Baekhyun murmured to himself as he dressed, shaving and heading back to his room, watching keenly for any sign of his brothers. “Why here, and not somewhere else?”

Baekhyun swore to himself that this was the worst life ever.

Especially when the muzzle of the oversized water horse popped out outside his window, looking inside with large curious eyes. Baekhyun nearly screamed when the horse poked its head in through the open window.

“What the—” Baekhyun scrambled away from the window. He’d forgotten one crucial fact. His window was right next to the stables. And it wasn’t hard to imagine Taehyung purposely putting it here