“ it started with once upon a time.”

The wooden boat was docked on shore,
as men prepared the nets.
A little boy aged eight,
waved to his father and bid his trip to be safe,
while his hand held a brother 2 years younger than he was.

“Hyung, will papa come back with a whale?”
The little one asked,
brows furrowing,
curiosity taking the best of him.

‘Sungyeol –ah aniyo.”
The older replied, calm as the sea in front of them.
“The whale is guarding the sea with the sirens,
we cannot take it out of his home.”
The brilliance shone from the boy.

“Sunggyu, Sungyeol, come my sons the table is set.”
They heard their mother’s voice,
two boys running away from shore.
The laughter was heard as the two buys ran,
their tiny legs bringing them further away from the shore.

“Sunggyu Hyung!”
The younger shouted as he fell on the sand,
a wooden plank had him down.
The older looked back and picked him up,
helping him towards their humble hut.

“be more careful Sungyeol-ah,

you can’t fish like papa if you are clumsy.”

His brother reminded the little one

who puffed his cheeks and suddenly wept.

‘I will be like papa,

brave and strong.

I will pull the nets filled with fish

and I will reach the depths of the sea!”

The younger had put on a smile,

the older was sure his brother would do well instead of him,

whose heart was fragile and body is weak.

“I know you’ll do well dear brother.”
He patted the younger’s raven locks.
“Because you are papa’s son.”
He remarked.

“are you not papa’s son?”
Little Sungyeol asked.

“The first born son?
Of course I am.”
The older replied.

“Sunggyu! Sungyeol!”
They heard their mother’s cry.

“Coming!”
The brothers shouted.
And they continued to ran towards the humble hut,
Laughter leaving their mouths.

The majestic sun bid his goodbye,
The moon bloomed along with the stars.
Amidst the roaring crowd,
the two boys spotted their father at last.

“How was the trip papa dear?”
The little one inquired.

“Very well my dear.”
The voice was full of glee.
“See the nets full of fish?”
He pointed to the catch aplenty.
“we must thank the gods of the seas.”
He uttered as he took a basket and filled it with prime fishes
While the two kids watched with curious faces.

“Why must we offer the big one papa?”
Sungyeol asked.

“ah, my curious child
Of course we must give the guardians the best that we have.
For they bring in the finest catch,
Without them,
the boats will be empty
and our people will be hungry.”

The wise words of their father
Sunggyu will always remember.
The first born son had never looked up a person with such fervor
He wished to be a father like him too.

“You are a great man papa.”
The eight year old muttered.
“I wanna grow up like you.”

“In due time my dear Sunggyu, You are to be a father to many sons.
You will break your back to make a living
While your wife tends the house you will build.”
The tone was placid as they place the fishes on a woven basket.

“She will welcome you home with a smile,
And your children will run to you to kiss your cheek.
The joy of being a father, you will experience it when you grow.”

“Let us thank the East Sea for a bountiful catch,”

“Thank you great East Sea.
For the catch aplenty.”

---

Out on the shore to find some crabs,
The brothers spotted a peculiar sight
Off the coast is an island,
Yet only now was it visible
They did not know why.

“Sungyeol-ah, do you see?”
The older pointed out to the sea.

The younger squinted his eyes
And looked out towards the distance.
“Oh my hyung an island!”
The younger was jumping with glee.

“We must tell papa!”
The younger remarked
The older nodded
And both ran back towards their hut.

The sight before them was a surprise
The people gathered, holding on to their sons.
The chieftain was in front and facing the sea,
While worried eyes darted at every side.

The waters stirred and the wind blew,
The fire atop the cliff ablaze
The ground trembled softly,
And the moon had covered the light of the sun.

“The time has come dear friends
The Guardians are bound to request
Whoever name was called
Submit your fate for our land’s cost.”

The words were practiced,
And they knew what it meant.
Yet the east were always at luck,
As it wasn’t annually.
Once every few decades
The guardians appear along with the island they call home.
And they request for company,
A sacrifice great and pure:
Five souls to keep the land safe and abundant
A bargain fair to both parties.

As the wind blew in gentle gusts,
It whispered a name only one could hear.
From the corner of Sunggyu’s eye he saw,
His best friend dared to walk up to the shore.

He saw the boy knelt beside the chieftain
While his parents tried to hold back the tears.
Then he saw another friend walk towards the shore,
The handsome boy whom he knew was Sungyeol’s best friend.

But his stomach churned when the next boy walked,
It was the youngest of them three,
His brother Sungjong.
The four year old walked with small steps
Before his brother Sungyeol followed

Sunggyu swallowed nervously,
Why does his parents did not stop them?
His eyes were wet with tears,
when he heard his name being called by the wind

“Sunggyu ah, do not be afraid.”
The voice was a melody,
No harp can ever replicate
“I do not intend to hurt anyone.”
Came the voice.
“walk to the front and be with me.
I’ll gift your family another son
Just stay with me.”

Sunggyu was in a trance,
As his little legs carried him up front.
“The guardians had chosen,
Sacrifices be made.
Prepare the boats and light the candles,
The boys shall set sail to the island.”
The chieftain announced

“We will not take the precious lives of young ones
Let them live till the youngest is of age.
Then shall we collect them
Until that time treat them as sacred
Keep them pure as the lamb you offer.
And when the island appears in seventeen summers,
Set the five on sail.
Keep your promise and we shall shower you aplenty
Break it and a curse shall be bestowed upon thee.”

The sun shone again,
And the island disappeared,
The boys were still kneeling
Yet each had a mark on their napes
Symbols of the guardians who had chosen them

“The winds had chosen thy child,
Woohyun of the Nam clan shall be the one.
The fire shall be kept ablaze by Myungsoo,
The Kim’s youngest son.
The Earth shall flourish in the hands of Sungjong,
While the waters shall be tamed by his brother Sungyeol
The light will shine bright to guide us all
Sunggyu, the eldest, would bask and glow.”

“For seventeen summers you five shall serve this land
But the rest of your lives, you must serve the guardians.
Do not disappoint your mother soil.”
The chieftain took steps away from the shore
The people followed, dispersing on their own.

“what will happen to us papa?” Sunggyu asked

Their father smiled a little too fake
“It will be alright,
my son you’ll make us proud.”

Then and there the five knew,
seventeen summers they would live
Then the future is unclear.

---

a/n: yeah I know that it is quite boring but then again.. I wonder where the story will take me ^^ updates will then be a little slower now, as I will be updating my other FF ~ till the next update!