When the Tide Rolls In

by Susimau

Summary:

The Covenant of the Moon has sworn a vow of peace and serene worship to the moon goddess. Its temples offer shelter and guidance to all those lost at sea and shed their healing light upon those fearing the darkness.

Seonghwa's tabernacle saw various raids throughout the years. Fought off bandits and other burglars seeking treasure in sacred halls. Though no warriors, they always maintained the tranquil promises of the moon.

Under its blessing, they've been feeling safe for a while.

Until a foreign ship anchors at their harbour, sailing a black flag with a white skull on it.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Notes:

New pirate au!!! Hope you enjoy readiiing
Cover art is by melftoes on twitter, all the thanks to her~

The Red Hawk.

A name once known to every person on the eastern coast, young and old, rich and poor. Countless stories were entwined with this title. Some of which were told as bizarre legends, astonishing and magical, others which spoke in hushed whispers out of fear and terror. Some called the Red Hawk a hero. Others called him a monster, like those he hunted.

Yet all those stories knotted around the same person. A young sailor, born and bred into the life at sea. A rogue, despite any good deeds to his name, and fickle in his sense of justice and his greed for gold.

His title was granted to him by the locks of red that spilt over his forehead. Crimson, like the blood of his foes when his boots came thundering. Those who lived after encountering him rambled about crimson hawk feathers on his black hat, of seeing just that flash of colour and trembling in fear.

The Red Hawk was a pirate. A scourge of the seven seas. Feared by the Royal Navy and civilians alike. Posters depicting his face decorated plenty of inns, and though he had yet to meet his equal, he had as many admirers as he had enemies.

But where did he go?

The Red Hawk hadn't been sighted in almost two years. Neither by the bounty hunters, who had been on his tail for so long, nor by the navy, who swore an oath to protect all innocent from the plague of the sea. No one spoke of any raids anymore, and many breathed a sigh of relief since they hoped he would no longer appear in their harbours to spread terror and rob their belongings.

It was as if the Red Hawk had disappeared on the endless ocean, never to be seen again. Some speculated his ship had sunk; others hoped some beast dragged him into a lethal embrace. And yet others mourned his sudden disappearance, for his killing of other pirates was a good deed.

But a select few, the crew of his chilling vessel, The Crimson Lily, knew of his exact whereabouts.

The captain was still alive. But he was no longer the same as the stories knew him as.

 

Chapter 2: The Red Hawk

"Land ho!"

The captain's head snapped up. Red hair spilled over his shoulders, tangled in tiny braids and pearls and with a large red feather attached at the back that matched the one on his wide-brimmed hat. Sharp eyes sought the horizon; could barely peer further than two fathoms since the mists swathing them were so thick.

"This be it," he whispered, when he realised that there was no end to the coiling clouds of white. The waters lapped at the wooden hull of his Crimson Lily, silky and mellow and treacherously dark.

"The mists thickened on our path 'ere. This must be the source o' all 'em tales," his second in command agreed by his side. Their boots thundered down the staircase from the forecastle a moment later, joining the crew on deck. Despite their usual fearlessness, the men fidgeted warily today. Shifty eyes tried to peer through the cold mists, and their hands rested on their weapons since it had been eerily silent for too long.

They hadn't seen the sky for two days. Thought themselves forever lost in this maze.

"Buckos! Set anchor! Time to find booty!" The captain hollered over their clammy figures, shaking them from their dread. Cheers broke out as the crew got moving, rushing about under red sails.

With grim satisfaction etched into his smirk, the captain stood at the railing as they drew closer to the silhouette of land swathed in white. This was it. The heart of the mist. Untouched by any other. A land rich in bounty, if the legends were true.

These mists were the work of foul magic, never lifting in particular parts of the ocean, which made them a death trap since not even the most talented and wise navigator could map out the reefs under the water or estimate any potential risks along the way. Some spoke of whirlpools; others described monsters more frightening than even the most ludicrous of bards would fantasise about. Few returned from venturing into the fog to explore it. Impenetrable and deadly, those clouds had been a blind spot on every sailor's map since the age of seafaring.

Supposedly, the mists obscured a temple of pale stone, dedicated to Selene, the moon goddess. Her sanctuaries were ever-elusive. Some stories hailed their rare appearance and ethereal beauty, but few ever witnessed one in person. A location most fitting to be hidden in the eternal shrouds. Blessed with the light of the moon and sheltered from all dangers by its darkness.

Even fewer ever get to feast their eyes on Selene's worshippers, and her covenant was buried in mysteries and legends. Their divinity untouched, their temples sacred.

The Red Hawk had been set on finding treasure in the heart of that uncharted territory. Something no one before him witnessed. His greed drove him here, and he wouldn't leave without a reward.

After days of arduous travel, slow and vigilant of every shadow in the water, every ripple nudging their boat, the crew of the Crimson Lily finally set anchor. They had curved along countless concealed rocks and reefs, dodged a thunderstorm and felt something large tilt the entire ship to the side when it passed through the water below. But they didn't lose their calm compared to other sailors. Their captain kept their attention directed forward until their efforts bore fruit.

Rowing boats splashed into the water. The captain spearheaded the first of them, his sabre clutched in his fist as the crew rowed through the cold moisture settling on their grim faces.

The shape of a small island rose before their eyes, a rocky cliff side in the eerie water. The pale stone that ascended from its top soon shaped into a temple, and a wide grin split the captain's lips when the myths were confirmed.

After months of strain to get here, this would be the perfect reward for his depraved crew.

So they pulled their boats onto the shore of black sand. Climbed the craggy cliffs to halls of white. Guards were stationed before the open gate despite the elusiveness of the island itself. Their armour a shining silver, their capes a beautiful grey until splattered with red blood.

The thrill of the hunt made the captain's blood boil. As soon as the inhabitants of the temple realised the raid, there was no time to look around at the odd beauty of this place. There were people to hunt, chests to crack, priestesses to rape.

While his crew enjoyed their hard-earned bounties, something else seemed to spur the captain. Deeper and deeper into the sanctuary, bathing its floors with the blood of Selene's chosen. He was as if driven by madness, not sure what he was seeking, yet pacing the grand hallways in direct pursuit of something.

His mania drove him toward a tall set of doors. Carved with elegant silver swirls and moons, heavy to even think about moving. The captain stopped short before it, slew two other guards, and he knew that this place was important. This was where he would find his share of booty.

He had to stem his shoulder into the door to open it, and the groan of rock grinding against rock vibrated in his very bones. Once he stumbled forth, he found himself blinded for a long moment.

The room before him was empty. Round, with a pedestal in its midst, but scarce of any gold and jewels.

With suspicious eyes, the pirate stepped closer. Eyed the suspicious pedestal and the flat bowl on top. The source of light was encased in a silver metal structure that wove fluidly like a wave. Inside seemed to be a large, uneven rock, a gem perhaps.

Surely, this was the heart of the temple and its magic. The most prized of possessions. Rarer than any gold to the people outside this place.

The pirate gulped. His sandy boots shifted on the floor as both dread and greed consumed him. His gut told him to turn around and leave, to wash himself clean of the sins committed here tonight.

But a much more powerful force kept him. Had him stretching out his scarred, blood-smeared fingers for the soothing, hypnotising light.

With a cold touch, he met with the jewel.

And was struck by a wave of power so overwhelming that he was thrown off his feet.

For as soon as the Red Hawk touched the beguiling gem, Selene's wrath found its target. Accumulated through all the plundering, the killing, the harm brought upon her chosen. She lured the captain into her grasp, and she gave him what he craved.

Her light travelled through his fingers to tingle through every limb, down to the tips of his toes, his very marrow and every corner of his mind. It flooded him with a might so divine the simple pirate couldn't understand it, and it turned him into something else. Something cursed.

And since that day, no one ever saw the Red Hawk again. He disappeared from the wanted posters and soon, from people's minds. Swallowed by the sea, only his crew still haunted the oceans with their Crimson Lily, which stirred terror in all who observed it cut from the mists.

As for the temple, it disappeared back into the cradle of the fog, never to be found and plundered by anyone else, but its protective gem vanished with the cursed captain.

Now, almost two years later, the red lily of his blackjack had been spotted at the near harbours more and more often. Eerily scouring the river banks as if they had lost someone on the shore. The captain himself hasn't been sighted, and though fear spiked in the people once more when his sinister crew started wandering the towns, they didn't plunder and they didn't kill. Like ghosts, they moved among the people, as if driven by some invisible force.

And though no one ever dared to address them and wonder what they were seeking, they left a pattern among those they approached. Cartographers, navigators and soothsayers. Merchants and librarians. Their trail seemed erratic, and no one bothered to follow it, not even the navy, since the pirates no longer seemed concerned with any malicious misdeeds.

But once more, the crew followed a goal.

For the crew wasn't without leadership.

Their Red Hawk was alive. Even if he wasn't the same anymore.

Two years after their pillaging of the moon temple, the crew was sailing the mists again. With only one goal in mind.

"Moon temple ho! We did it, mates!"

Inside the big cabin of the forecastle, the captain stirred. Swathed in shadows and sunken in memories of his curse. When those words reached his ears, a shudder crept down his spine. He wanted to recoil, fearing the moon witch and her chosen, but they took long to get here. And time was running out.

He didn't join the crew, hidden even now, but his tension was tangible in the air as the crew got ready to anchor.

The vice-captain left his spot at the wheel as soon as the anchor had sunk into the sand near the shore. Left it to the men to ready a boat.

"Stay watchful o' the moon witch. Do nay let her vile magic touch you," he ordered the crew, the dark of his hair fluttering with the breeze.

It was a beautiful night. Clear of all moonlight, yet the crew was on guard in the ominous swinging of their lanterns. Learned to fear the wrathful deities of the skies.

As the crew passed each other to get ready, the vice captain stepped up to the closed door of the forecastle. Leant a muscular shoulder against the wall there, right next to the door. He could hear his captain breathing on its other side and he was relieved to bring the good news.

Because they were a loyal crew. A crew who admired their captain. They fought for this moment, and they all waited with bated breath until the phoenix would rise from its ashes.

"Jolly news out 'ere, captain. What do ye reckon?" The vice-captain grinned with a spring in his voice, but it was tinted with the same tension. Didn't intend cruelty. But they all dreaded this place.

"I 'eard," a voice drawled from within the cabin, tied to a formless shape. Sparking hope in their crew since they made it out once.

"Do nay trust the moon witch. Take what ye can get and leave. Do nay get yerselves cursed or in any other trouble," the captain continued, and his second in command pulled the crossbow from his back to snap the bolts into its holster. Readied the weapon for its purpose.

"We waited so long fer this day. Nay blunders now. We will finally get to spy ye 'ealed," he vowed ominously, and the captain inside his cabin sighed deeply, shudderingly. Rose through the darkness that engulfed him.

Their victory was so close now.

The rowing boat met the water surface with a splash. No bells tolled at the temple yet as it lay in silence, but the lookout had already reported having seen the priestesses moving about the marble halls. So many of them.

The anticipation mixed with the taste of the salt on their tongues. Turned it into something bitter and vile.

"I count on ye. Be aft smartly so we may set sail before that wench notices us," the captain ordered and despite all the time he spent locked away, despite his weariness and blurred vision, the crew was ever loyal to his call. Trusted him more than anyone else. They wouldn't stop now that they were so close.

"Nay to worry, Hongjoong," the vice captain muttered as he hooked the loaded crossbow back over his shoulder and rolled up his sleeves to expose scarred, muscular arms.

"We will take care o' it," he promised before he pushed off the wall to join the crew in the boat. Men armed to the teeth and steeled from the countless battles they won.

They set out for the small island with their eyes trained on their prize, just as they did two years ago. Practised killers and men mad with determination to fulfil their captain's murderous request.

Chapter 3: Sanctuary

"Our world has been created by the sun and the moon."

Shadows danced before the light illuminating the sanctuary. Pale fingers elegantly parted the darkness to point at the symbols carved into the stone walls. Dark robes shifted to showcase the orb of the sun, surrounded by sharp spikes. The silver embroidery on them caught the pale glow of the shining crystal in the centre of the room, enlightening a class of veiled children who listened to the tale in breathless wonder.

"The sun created our lands and gave the plants life. It grows our food and gives us the warmth to survive. It's the bringer of joy and the work that sustains us." The oracle spoke in a low voice, soothing and pleasant to listen to. Every word echoed off the vaulted ceiling, filled the ears of his audience as the light of the gem threw his shadow against the wall when his hand pointed at the sickle moon next.

"The moon created the oceans and the skies. Gives us shade to cool off in and guided the first life to our shores. It keeps our secrets and grants us a pleasant sleep." When he spoke, the bright paint marking down his lower lip and chin caught the light. It shone in the same silver hue as the chains and moons dangling from his robes. 

"The sun and the moon are siblings. Chasing each other across the skies night and day. Their protection of the earth switches ever forth, and once either of them falters, our world will plunge into chaos as well."

A veil covered the oracle's eyes, just like those of everyone else present. Their loose robes blended them into obscurity, and only the lower halves of their faces were bared to the night. The big hoods and dark lace covering their eyes blinded them and made them more attentive to their teachings. And despite the pale light of the moon crystal casting the old stone building with sinister shadows, they melted into the darkness comfortably.

The oracle lifted his hands to the gem now, bathing his skin in its soothing glow. It was a Tear of the Moon, blessed with the same light of the deity they worshipped. Shone on them in the darkest night of the new moon while their goddess wasn't watching over them.

"Our Lady Selene is our destiny. She shines our path through the darkness and soothes us with her blessing light. Her visage is the most beautiful. Her touch the most soothing. She isn't hot and blinding like the sun god. Under her guidance, we find peace," the oracle spoke reverently, and some of the kids hummed, taken by awe and admiration. They peered at the jagged crystal and were drawn to its light, which was visible to them even through their hoods. 

The oracle smiled at their passion. Bowed his head to the moon's shine.

"Only expose your faces to her light. Hide away from the harmful glare of the sun. And bring solace to all those who seek healing in our sacred halls, for Selene shall soothe them," he spoke to them, teaching them the values of this sanctuary. 

"Our temple guides lost sailors and wanderers. Trust our lady and her tides and find acceptance in darkness. Only then, her light may find you."

When he lifted his head, the kids also tensed. Knew the time was ripe for this lesson to end so they could return to their duties. 

And indeed, the oracle smiled at them in praise. Recognised the same impatience he once endured while listening to his teachers droning on about the moon and its disciplines. So he beckoned at them to rise, filled the room with the noise of their rustling and scraping.

"Walk in her light," he told them, and the kids beamed back at him, too young still to bear tattoos on their skin, but already growing into their robes.

"Walk in her light!" They chirped back before they filtered out of the room through the narrow passage. A light breeze blew in from there, announcing a balmy night. The kids would have plenty of time for their own fun in the yard. 

A few stayed behind to marvel at the crystal, awed by its presence and the tingle they felt down their spines when they stepped near. The oracle's smile praised their interest when he came closer, gently placing his hands to support their tense little shoulders as they peered at the mystical glow that drew them in.

"Did you learn something today, children?" He asked them, and enthusiastic nods replied to him. One of them wore her blindfold since younger children often struggled to understand and follow their duty to veil their sight. They would peer around and take off their hoods when they weren't meant to, but she would soon learn the peace of blindness.

"Yes, master! Can you tell us more about the sun god?" The other boy asked, and the oracle shook a stern head.

"He is not the one we need to focus on. He has his own faithful. We speak for Selene. Go study your prayers," he recommended, and they nodded.

"Walk in her light, master oracle!" They called before they dashed outside to catch up with their peers. Silence fell, and the oracle returned to his lectern to close the book that guided him through his lesson. It was an old and heavy tome, with pages yellowed from age and the leather binding worn. He was careful when he picked it up, tucking it close under his arm so it wouldn't get trapped by the dangling belts attached to the corset wrapped around his middle.

His light steps brought him out of the sanctuary and into the night. And though several towers bearing silver mirrors rose around the temple to reflect the light of the Tear of the Moon across the sanctuary, he felt heated without the moon's calming touch. As if something were amiss. 

His lady wasn't in the skies today, so the reflection of gathered moonlight in the crystal had to be enough. It guided the oracle's steps when his bare feet padded over the path of flat rocks in the grass. The temple surged around him with its serene wonder; the light bathing the pale marble in a silver shine. It was decorated sparsely, mostly overgrown by nature, but the shine of the moon was all they needed anyway. 

He knew all the paths around the sanctuary. Knew to listen for the echo of his steps to find the right door. Everyone moved quietly here, privately. Hushed in awe of the moon. Especially tonight, during the new moon, they were tense and without guidance. Everyone would wait and yearn to be united with their lady in their dreams. 

The library was at the end of the corridor that lined the courtyard. Quietly, the oracle opened the heavy door and slipped past, making sure it shut gently. 

Their library wasn't the biggest, but it was sizeable. A round tower full of books, two stories tall. It amassed writings from many oracles through the years. Studies of the world and its wonders, but also teachings of their lady and of her tranquil might. 

Light fingertips danced over the backs of the books lined on the opposite shelf from the door. Felt the symbols on their spines, the silver letters rising from the leather.

A moment later, he found the right position and slipped the tome back into its spot. Made sure it stood neatly among the others. 

He stayed for a while, looking through the materials for his next class and reading in the soothing light of the smaller crystal here, still charged from the Tear of the Moon. The complicated writing was exclusive to the Covenant of the Moon, a secret language only they studied. The letters easily formed words in the oracle's mind, whispering their meaning to him.

Perhaps he was lost in his readings for longer than he thought, because one of the other oracles came looking for him. When the door opened, he lifted his head from his readings, curious about the company. The light voice was familiar to him. One of his fellow faithful.

"Dinner is served, Seonghwa," she hummed, and he closed the book, had forgotten the time for so long. His grin was sheepish.

"I will be there in a moment," he promised, and she left him, ducked back out to return to their shared meal. 

Seonghwa hurried to participate. Hurried back into the sleeping chambers first, where he found his cot among the stone beds of the other oracles. His few belongings were lined in the nook inside the stone wall: the book he was reading before sleep, the small wooden moon carving his parents left him, his washing cloth and his hairbrush. Aside from them, the oracles slept on the bare rock, covered only by thin woollen blankets and straw pillows, since their goddess' touch lifted them onto the softest feathers either way while they slept through the day together with her.

No one else was in the sleeping hall currently, so Seonghwa huddled over their shared washing basin and lowered his hood, checked his appearance in the milky reflection of the silver mirror before him while he brushed the dark hair curling down to his shoulders. His dark eyes were tired from the long night without their lady, always restless during new moons when she left them to fend for themselves. His skin was a healthier tan than the constant moonlight made it seem. The pale tattoos on his forehead and cheekbones stood out all the more.

Seonghwa washed up only fleetingly, made sure his hands were clean after handling the dusty tomes. After tugging his hood back on, he felt refreshed enough to finish this night, so he slipped back outside. Glanced at the ocean beyond the near cliffs through the veils shading his eyes. It was stormy today, crashing its waves against the rock in a constant rhythm. 

Sometimes, Seonghwa wondered what was beyond the small island and the temple he grew up in. Wondered where the moon went when it wasn't in the skies and when it parted from them every day to disappear into the ocean. 

Everything he knew, he had studied in his books. 

His gaze dragged away as he hurried to the dinner hall. He would have time for distractions later. 

Faint rain drizzled down on him when he crossed the yard and slipped through another door. Everyone else had already gathered for their communal meal. Whispered to each other in cordial conversation. The kids sat with their families and peers, keeping their excited voices low as they shared the meal in the large room bathed in moonlight from their crystals.

There were only about two hundred of them. Cooks and guards and other helpers around the temple that were sworn to the moon lady but no oracles. They all ate together, and Seonghwa smiled at his peer, who had fetched him, when he sat by her side and found his bowl already prepared.

Their meals were simple. Stews of vegetables and fish, paired with water or fresh juice depending on the season. Today, they could have apple juice, and its sweet taste refreshed Seonghwa's lips when he took a sip.

"The lessons are finished for the day?" The same oracle from earlier asked, and Seonghwa nodded. He was one of the younger oracles, but he had already sent over his parents to the moon lady's cradle. So he sat with the elders, taken in by their community in the temple, which mattered more than blood ties. 

"Yes. I will tend to the gardens before bed," he announced, and she nodded serenely. Tomorrow, it would be his duty to check on the crystals and recharge those that needed charging in the central room, but the flowers were a soothing sight during a new moon.

Quietly, Seonghwa relished his stew, thinking about his lady and about her return from the darkness soon. He looked forward to another phase with her, watching her grow strong and beautiful and round before mysteries would swathe her once more.

Not aware that this would be his last night spent with her inside this temple.

Chapter 4: Thieves in the Night

The moon roses were in full bloom. Unfurled their gorgeous ivory petals over stalks blue like the night. They were a sign of the temple's blessing and fortitude, more gorgeous than those of many other temples.

Seonghwa tended the roses before his prayers. Ran his fingers over the velvety petals and freed them from any dead leaves. He made sure to water them so they could strive under the pacifying light from above and hummed a mindless tune in his rich voice to keep them entertained while he rustled through their leaves. 

Once he checked them all and found them free of diseases, he lifted to his feet proudly. The health of these flowers was a compliment to their temple. Other members of the Covenant of the Moon would blanch in jealousy at the blessing their goddess dedicated to their temple.

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Seonghwa wandered the path of moonlight. Every step was familiar to him, and the pale light from above illuminated his way once more. 

The bells had already tolled once, which meant that it was almost time for prayer. Seonghwa made his way to the heart of the sanctum as the breeze picked up and fluttered through his long robes. He wordlessly bowed when another faithful dashed past, and they greeted him back just as silently.

The temple was a home to them as much as it was a place of worship. Their respect for the moon cast them in silence outside of communal gatherings, even when they weren't sworn to be mute.

Tranquillity. Harmony. Worship. 

This was no ordinary place, hidden in a mystical, permanent fog surrounding the island and unable to be discovered by any who didn't know to follow the light of the moon to get here. 

His light steps carried Seonghwa through the darkness of the ancient vault. No soothing light followed him through the gap in the ceiling today, but the Tear of the Moon sustained their temple with its own shine that gleamed through the walls.

The rest of the covenant had already assembled. They sat around the massive bowl of water that reflected the empty husk of the moon standing at its highest above the building. Its dark presence fell through the open ceiling to tickle the surface of the water but without the usual glow of that mysterious silver shine they all craved like sustenance.

Seonghwa sunk onto the ground among the other oracles. His robes fanned out around him when he lowered his head and offered his flat palms in prayer. This was one of the rare occasions when their voices were needed.

Once one began the prayer, the others fell in. Offering their humble selves to ask their lady for her timely return.

Lady of the silver moon,

Blessed be your might.

As we are your loyal servants for tonight,

We will bathe in your pale shine,

And ache for you once you vanished from our sight,

Until our paths once again intertwine.

Accept this gift,

Your tears shall be our reward.

And we shall never drift,

Until our next tryst.

Lady of the silver moon,

Guide us through the darkness,

And anoint us with your light.

The gifts they brought today were plentiful. The most beautiful of their flowers, clipped from the gardens. Fresh fruit and water, shells from the near shore and a woven pouch to store everything in. Seonghwa had cut open the white hare yesterday, neatly washed and assorted its innards in bowls to offer the beautiful white fur separately.

The moon pondered their offerings, and though their Lady Selene was never too talkative in her replies, Seonghwa felt a shiver tingle down his spine when her gaze considered them and their daily worship. Felt the rush of her ancient power, mighty like the tides.

She liked their gifts. And the pool of water cradling her presence shone brighter when her teardrops gained in strength to bless it with more might.

The worshippers waited there, kneeling, until the moon left its watchful position and moved on to continue its melancholic journey through the night sky. Seonghwa mourned the moment her presence left him. Felt too warm on their little island, too bothered by humidity and human woes.

When their lady was present, everything felt right. Her cooling touch was the healing of Seonghwa's soul. His compass through the darkness. His first and only love.

The Moon Goddess was everything to him. As was this temple.

So when the bells suddenly tolled with alarm, he was up on his feet in a flash. Everyone else also got moving, rushing out of the sanctum in confusion to find answers for the sudden unrest. Usually, these bells warned them of high waves crashing into the near cliffs or storms migrating from the far sea.

But this time, the guardians of the temple scrambled over with much more dreadful news. Their boots trod heavier than the light feet of the oracles and even through the dark veil that took Seonghwa's sight, he could see the bright silver of their horrific spears.

"A pirate ship was sighted on the shore! The fiends are climbing the rocks and coming straight our way!" 

Immediately, murmurs broke out among the faithful. The spell of peace and bliss was broken as fear reached for them with spindly fingers. 

"Pirates?" One of the oracles whispered, and Seonghwa immediately whipped around to the guardians.

"How many? Can we fend them off?"

Their temple had never been plundered before. Had never witnessed fire and rape and death, like others so woefully described in their journals. Seonghwa remembered his own mother hiding him in a chest only once when he was younger, since some travellers suddenly picked up their arms, greedy for the spoils and women of the temple.

He wasn't foolish. He knew what pirates were and how cruelly they would treat this place of peace. Outside their blessed halls, many monsters did their misdeeds. They were frightening men with sickening grins and sharp blades who only cared about taking the belongings of others and chasing their own perverse pleasures.

And though fear stirred in his chest, Seonghwa wouldn't permit any pirate vermin to sully their sacred home.

"We will do our best. Flee to the tunnels," the guardian instructed before he ran off, gathering the other warriors that protected the temple and its oracles.

Seonghwa remembered his training vividly. And though he was no fighter, he would protect this place.

"Into the tunnels! The old and the children first," he yelled over the crowd of spooked worshippers. The dread rendered many of them mute, so they gladly complied when the ones with voices ordered them to flee instead of taking up arms.

The moon would guide them back to safety soon enough. Her trials were cruel but never impossible.

A heavy door sealed the underground tunnels from the temple. One of the elders rushed ahead with a key, and the robed worshippers followed. 

They moved quickly and in silence. Didn't rush off to gather any belongings since their survival mattered more than any material goods. 

Seonghwa stayed at the end of the group to beckon everyone over who missed the initial gathering in the yard. More apprentices rushed from the kitchen and the dorms, quickly gathering at the passage leading down. They had to be careful of the wet stone stairs soaked by the ebb and tide, but it was a safe getaway to the caves below. 

Temples had always been easy targets for all sorts of bandits and burglars. Their sacred items a source of mockery and riches. Seonghwa scowled to himself when they had to leave everything behind and flee. 

"Quickly," he whispered to another oracle when she tripped by his side, disoriented by the fear. He gave her his hand to steady herself, and she fearfully glanced back at the near temple walls. A cacophony of hollering men and clanging weapons disrupted the night, and the birds fled into the nearby forest to hide there. 

The oracle stumbled ahead, and Seonghwa quickly made to follow. Picked up the fallen shoe of a child to give it back once they were safe. His robes fluttered in the wind as he followed them toward the dark tunnels. Held the door for those who weren't there yet.

The sudden silence had him pause.

He turned his head, listening for the guardians. The dark veil before his eyes usually offered solace, but it was blinding and disorienting today.

Seonghwa forced himself to breathe when the panic threatened to take over.

He survived plenty of smaller issues. Sleazy travellers and wolves and merchants gone mad with greed. Once everyone was in the caves, nothing could open the magical moon seal on that door. Even during a new moon, when Selene's might was restricted, she would protect them.

Why couldn't he hear the fighting anymore? If the guardians won, they surely would have notified the worshippers already. 

No, the silence felt more ominous. Too threatening.

A rustle behind him had Seonghwa spinning. It was another oracle, and she ducked past him to get to safety. His hand protected her back when she skidded down the slippery steps to hide away. 

Seonghwa could smell their stench. Hear their brusque laughter and the mocking voices as they pillaged through the temple. Trampled the beautiful flowers and ripped painstakingly embroidered fabrics so carelessly. 

The pirates.

The moment he twisted to get downstairs, since he couldn't wait any longer for people who might have fallen to vicious blades already, heavy footsteps sounded on the yard. The raiders stopped bickering when they spotted the shadow of a person in the night, and their holler immediately carried over.

"Spied one! Smartly, before she runs," one of the pirates called, and Seonghwa immediately dashed into the hideout, following the distant voices of everyone else who had rushed ahead behind the heavy stone doors. The silver embroidery of his garments flashed as the sparse light reflected on the fabric. 

He thought himself quite quick. Winding into the shadows of the passage to lose the pirates in the maze below. And perhaps he never took pirates for runners because they sailed the ocean on their ships, but he underestimated them.

Heavy steps caught up to him within moments. Seonghwa's breath was stuttering in his chest as he gathered all his might, sped up to run as quickly as he could.

But the pirates were set on their prey.

When a strong arm packed Seonghwa around his waist, he cried out in fear. Immediately, he kicked and elbowed all around himself, tried to break free from their clutches. 

"Let go!" he yelled, terrified by how strong that grip around him was. It seemed to crush his ribs, robbed his breath and Seonghwa gasped for air as he was plucked off the ground like a child.

"Got one!" The person behind him laughed gruffly, and Seonghwa tried to spin, to dig his teeth into this stinky man's neck if need be, but he was trapped. His punches didn't seem to bother the pirate and landed on hard muscle.

"Jolly. Then aft to the Lily. We will nay wait until the witches recover," another voice replied, singing and far too calm for the terror they brought with them.

Something snapped inside of Seonghwa. Perhaps it was the fear he had been battling down, or the overwhelming stink of blood and guts that could only stem from the guardians who had so dutifully watched over the temple for so long. 

In a bout of strength, he hammered his elbow backwards and up. It proved successful when the pirate holding onto him staggered, his free arm coming up to his face. 

"Blimey! This one packs a punch," he commented, and cold satisfaction filled Seonghwa at the pain in his voice.

When the grip around his middle shifted, he hoped he might get dropped and dash behind the saving door. Saw it closing slowly from the corner of his eyes as the oracles argued among themselves to save him or protect themselves.

But instead, he was manhandled like a rag doll. He was flung onto the broad shoulder of his captor, dangled from it like a sack of potatoes. The sudden movement allowed him a glimpse below his veil, caught the blood-specked and muddy shoes of the pirates, their weapons and their clothing in beige and browns and reds. Red dripped from his captor's nose, and the person standing behind him stood with a frightening crossbow in his arms, scarred face firm under a dark head of hair.

"Heave now. Captain's waitin'," he ordered the snickering and guffawing crew, and a chill froze Seonghwa in his uncomfortable position.

What was happening? Didn't they come to kill and plunder? Did an even worse fate await him?

"Grab 'er wrists, will ye? Before she flings both o' us down the cliff," the one holding Seonghwa chuckled back, and he began fighting and kicking again, shouted at them to stop and just kill him here, but it was all for naught.

His wrists got seized in a bone-crushing grip so he would stop flailing. His captor wrung his arm around his legs to stop him from kicking. Seonghwa did his best to wriggle and fight back, relying on his instincts since his mind was so consumed by fear that he didn't even understand what was going on.

But he was rushed away. Carried over the blood-stained ground and down the path towards the shore, alive and robbed from the temple in the darkest night while his lady wasn't watching over him.  

Chapter 5: Stolen Away

The pirates moved swiftly and with planned calculation. Left the temple and its faithful to return to their ship resting at the shore as quickly as possible. They came with just a little boat hidden on the rocky beach, and they took Seonghwa with them when they piled into it. As quickly as they had come, they already picked up their oars to depart.

Only that they had a terrified oracle in their midst. 

"Stop it! Let me go, you villains!" Seonghwa yelled at them, winding himself in the grip of the ruthless pirate holding him.

His resistance was only laughed at.

"'ow be the nose, Yeosang?" One of the pirates snickered, and the one holding Seonghwa grunted out a huff.

"Need some strong rope fer this one," he replied, and the pirates guffawed nastily as they pushed off the shore. 

Seonghwa was close to tears, quivering with fear. Every movement hurt since the grip on him was so tight that it bruised his flesh, but he didn't stop struggling.

"Why are you doing this to me?! Let me go!" he demanded, but he had to watch helplessly as the beach grew further and further away from them. The temple Seonghwa spent his entire life at shrunk in the distance, and suddenly, he was further away from home than he had ever been.

An icy hand clutched his heart inside his chest. He didn't know what was going on, what would happen to him and why he was taken away. His resistance was futile, but he was the only one taken, so he didn't understand what the pirates might want from him.

Was he to be sold into slavery? A rare commodity?

Seonghwa's voice gradually died down the more his dread robbed his senses. He watched in mute terror as the pirate ship drew closer and closer. Saw its jagged masts lit by orange lanterns and the dreadful flag fluttering in the breeze.

Maybe they wanted something specific? Seonghwa didn't know how to deal with pirates, but he wouldn't be able to fight them. If he could talk his way out of this, he would do his best.  At the very least, they hadn't harmed his covenant and the temple otherwise. What was their goal?

But based on the ruggedness of the men who captured him, there was no hope of a regular talk. They seemed very pleased with their deeds as they pulled the boat to the flank of the ship to grab onto the soaked rope ladder there.

Spooked, Seonghwa looked for an escape, scared of the deep water and his foreign surroundings. He figured dying in the ocean would be better than to the whims of these pirates, so he tried a desperate jerk while the pirate holding him was up on the ladder. He stemmed his feet against the ship and tried to drown them both, hoping he could wring away in the ocean, but the movement was expected. The second he braced against the wood, his movement was intercepted and his legs pinned against the pirate's chest.

"Calm, witch. Bet ye can nay swim as fast as us," the pirate grumbled as he scaled the last few steps to reach the deck. Seonghwa was dragged helplessly along.

Arriving atop the ship was horrifying. An impending sense of doom reached Seonghwa almost immediately when he was dropped onto the deck of dark, rotten wood unceremoniously and he scrambled away from the savages, but they were everywhere now. Surrounding him like wolves their prey. Their chortling and their lewd comments hailed on Seonghwa like knives, but he had nowhere to flee. 

He scrambled when their dirty boots stomped closer, flinching away from the red glisten that clung to them.

"Is that the priestess?" One pirate barked, and Seonghwa cowered into himself, feeling cold despite his robes. The ocean winds tugged on him with their salty taste, made the sails above them billow. Why did they look so red? What were those spikes sticking out of the mast?

Terrified, Seonghwa avoided their ruthless stares as he coiled away.

"Blimey, if I knew. They all been very 'idden by their clothin'," said Seonghwa's kidnapper.

When a crude hand weathered from the sun and hard work packed Seonghwa by his cape, he turned around with a hiss. The pirates laughed, not intimidated by him. Even their laughter was like the howl of wolves.

"Let's unpack this one," the man frolicked, and Seonghwa tried to pull away from his grip, dug his nails into his hand.

"Stop it! Take your grubby fingers-" Before he got to dig his teeth into the offending limb, his robes were already yanked off him. More and more hands joined in to undress him, no matter how he yelled and tried to hide behind his hands. The beautiful lace ripped under their fingers; the embroidery was carelessly thrown on their dirty planks. Seonghwa coiled away from the light, from their brutish faces, when the veil was ripped off his dark hair. His blouse got stuck on his corset when they yanked open his collar, and the corset was his saviour because they gave up on its stubbornness. Instead, they stepped back to pause and take in their handiwork.

Humiliated, Seonghwa tried to gather his ripped blouse with his hands, hid the skin of his chest. He felt exposed without his hood, trembling on the floor as he feared how much further they would take it. The shame that choked him up at least kept him from riling them up again.

For a moment, they took him in. His shoulder-length dark hair, his round eyes and plush lips, the tattoos of a crescent on his forehead and stars dotting under his eyes. They squinted at the line running down his lip and chin, the soft pale hue of it all in contrast with his navy robes and the silver accessories. Some of the chains adorning his robes had snapped, but his silver circlet was still in place and dangled small gems and stars along his dark hair.

The pause was uncomfortably long, their stares very alert and curious.

Then, the crew pointed accusingly at the one who had grabbed him.

"A lad! Ye got the wrong one! The moon witches be wenches!" Someone shoved at the pirate's shoulder and Seonghwa flinched in his stead, cradling his clothes to his chest with pale cheeks.

They were seeking a woman? What for?

More dreadful ideas sprang into his head, and he curled into himself as the pirates bickered. They all looked horrifying. Scarred and rough and with huge weapons on their backs. One of them wore odd, colourful clothing, and another had hair like fire. 

Terrified out of his mind, Seonghwa just prayed for a moment he could slip away. If only his goddess were with him today. She wouldn't have let him fall into the hands of these rogues. 

"Nay, I swear by Davy Jones, I grabbed 'im from the temple. Plucked 'im right off the floor. 'e been wearin' the same curtains as everyone else!" His captor defended himself, and the person with the crossbow nodded. 

"I spied 'im usherin' 'em around, too. 'e be no mere powder monkey or bedmate o' the witches," he confirmed and Seonghwa flinched when they stared back down at him. Wound himself under those gazes. 

Did it matter that he was no woman? Might he be able to leave now? But what then? Would they kidnap a woman from the temple? Or were they looking for a specific one?

"Might 'e be a witch beneath 'is small clothes?" Another pirate suggested, and his grin was up to no good when he reached his hand out for Seonghwa.

Offended, Seonghwa smacked it away, even when he was trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Back off, pirate!"

More laughter was his response. The pirate pulled back as if he just made a joke, but Seonghwa felt bared by it all the same. Hated how they played with him like a cat with its meal. He was at their mercy, exposed and lost at sea, and their sinister grins were full of lecherous ideas, despite the issue with his gender.

"Such bite! Ye brought the captain a lovely one! Look at 'em deadlights," the one with the fiery hair cooed at Seonghwa, pinching his cheek, and Seonghwa snapped at him, both boiling with fury and out of his mind with fear. Nobody had pulled a weapon on him, but their mood might switch any second, so he didn't trust it. 

Though the pirate pulled back, more crude laughter followed.

"I reckon the lad will work just jolly if 'e be as cursed as the rest," the one with the crossbow said, and though his face was generally even and firm, the grin that coiled around his lips looked triumphant. Maybe that was even worse than the malice.

"What do you want with me, pirates?" Seonghwa demanded to know, trying to sound strong, but the tremor in his voice gave him away. As he sat with tattered clothes and nothing to defend himself or offer the pirates in return for his freedom, he looked more miserable than any weed in the temple gardens. 

But the pirates waved him off, not interested in dealing with him.

"Better our captain explains that. 'e knows all 'em fancy words," his captor huffed in response, before he dragged Seonghwa to his feet. His wrists got grabbed and seized behind his back. When Seonghwa twisted around, bewildered, they began dragging him toward a staircase leading to the ship's wheel and some wooden structure. Seonghwa wasn't sure where he was going, so he squirmed against the hold, dreading whatever might await him.

He didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Let's talk out here! Aren't you the captain?!" Desperately, Seonghwa turned to the man with the crossbow, sure he had heard him ordering around the others before.

But that mildly amused grin shook his head.

"Vice," crossbow corrected him. Then he passed their struggling group of people to knock on the only door leading into the wooden structure. 

Somehow, Seonghwa knew that nothing good awaited him in there. He kicked and yanked at his arms, used his full weight against the pirates, but they held him as if he were a child throwing a tantrum. The fiery-haired one even reached over to tug on the bindings of Seonghwa's corset playfully. When Seonghwa immediately recoiled and stilled his resistance, he earned a sunny grin that was terrifying in its friendliness. 

In the meantime, the vice-captain had poked his head through the door. Only darkness waited in the room behind, and not a single light source illuminated the pirate's face. Seonghwa was labouriously hauled up the stairs since he wouldn't stop struggling, but he caught bits of their conversation.

"Aye, captain, we captured one. Feisty lad, but 'e be wearin' the same garbs as the other witches. Ye want to interrogate 'im?"

Seonghwa stemmed against the grip on him. He couldn't hear the answer, so their captain might not be too invested in this ordeal, but Seonghwa still felt more and more panic rise the closer he was dragged. He was about to retch from the anxiety in his stomach, but no one cared about his sickly resistance. 

A moment later, the vice-captain turned around to beckon them in. Seonghwa scrambled, tried to flee by dodging in the other direction, but he was merely packed and lifted over the threshold.

Darkness consumed him. He couldn't see anything in this room, no shapes, no people. Only the far window, which was illuminated by the stars beyond, granting a wide view of the ocean. The moon had no access to this place, and immediately, it stifled Seonghwa and robbed him of his breath.

Seonghwa shook his head, and tears stung in his eyes. His wrists cracked warningly when he resisted against the grip on them.

"No! Don't lock me up here, let me go!" he shrieked, but the pirates shoved him into the dark room anyway. For only a split second, Seonghwa saw an iron key flash in the hand of the vice-captain. Then, their snickering voices quieted on the other side of the door when they slammed it shut.

Seonghwa shouldered at the door uselessly when the lock clicked, then they wandered off, not caring for his hollering and hammering on the wood. They left him in darkness to bark orders at each other.

"Lift anchor, mateys! We flee the fog before the moon catches up with us!"

No. No, no. He would never make it back. He had to return to his lady.

"Please let me out!" Seonghwa cried, felt his fingernails break on the rough wooden surface.

No one listened to him. 

Behind Seonghwa, something shifted inside the room. 

With a wildly hammering heart, he whirled around, alone in the darkness with the captain of this pirate ship.

Chapter 6: The Pale Captain

Seonghwa barely dared breathe. He was pressed with his back to the door, feverishly looking around for another exit. His eyes barely adjusted to the darkness, so he couldn't make out any weapons.

How many people were in here aside from him? Could he flee if an attack came his way?

The moon wasn't there to guide him, and without it, Seonghwa was blind.

Steps thudded across the wooden planks. The echo disoriented Seonghwa, so he tilted his head, strained his ear to figure out where it was coming from. No hasty movement. No hiss of a blade.

A cold touch drifted along his skin. Like mist or a slight breeze from the ocean.

Not that there should be any such sensation in a room with no openings.

When the low drawl of a voice spoke, it was right in front of Seonghwa, only a breath's spread apart.

"So ye be the moon witch they brought... A lad, ain't ye?"

Seonghwa flinched back with a yell on his lips. Only the door awaited him from behind, and an ache zapped through his shoulders when he roughly connected with it. Defensive hands shot out to shove at his attacker, and he met a male chest dressed in a firm leather vest.

Somehow, he felt ice cold.

"G-Get away!" Seonghwa cried, not thinking beyond his terror and his need to get out. He feared being struck down, but no pain met him. Instead, a thud met the wall beside his head. Spooked, Seonghwa froze, felt the coldness of steel graze his neck.

"Avast squirmin'. Let me 'ave a look at ye." The voice was not kind. It was sharp and dangerous, like the blade embedded in the wall, and Seonghwa immediately stood stiff as a statue. He barely dared breathe, and the coldness wafting around him penetrated his lungs, threatened to choke him up.

An icy hand touched his hip. Chilled him through his clothes. It patted up his waist and chest, grazed his bare chest with calloused skin. 

Shuddering, Seonghwa pinched his lips shut. Tears pricked in his eyes as he was assessed like ware, but he was too afraid to move. Why was it so cold in here?

The hand fell from him after thumbing over the crooked moon on Seonghwa's blouse. 

"Aye... Ye will do nicely," the voice murmured and with a jerk, the sharp blade left Seonghwa's face level. The coldness retreated, and Seonghwa staggered, gasping for breath. 

Would he get killed if he tried to fight back? Was there anywhere he could flee? Or would he just drown?

"W-What do you want with me?" He gagged out, nauseous with everything that was happening. By now, he could merely pray that this was all a bad dream. 

"Ye be me sacrifice to the moon," the voice replied nonchalantly, and Seonghwa pricked his ears. Tried to catch the silhouette moving through the darkness.

Another worshipper like him? An oracle even? Did the moon goddess ever ask for human sacrifices, though?

"The moon? Who are you?" Seonghwa straightened his shoulders, seeking kinship in the shapeless voice.

"The captain o' this 'ere vessel. An' yer owner while ye be sailin' with us." A mocking tilt carried in his voice, but he didn't seem as brutish as his crew. 

So there was sense to this kidnapping. Perhaps Seonghwa could find out what was happening. He wasn't above aiding piracy if that meant his freedom and return to his lady.

Just as he opened his mouth to suggest a nice and pleasant talk with mutual interests, a light flicked on. The match was far away from him even when he hadn't heard any more steps.

Goosebumps erupted across his skin.

Something was odd here.

The match dipped into a lantern, and an orange glow sparked. Pale fingers closed the little hatches before the pirate turned and their gazes met properly in the dancing light of the flame.

Seonghwa sucked in a breath. 

At first, he thought he looked death in its face. 

Sickly pale features stared back at him. One eye was missing in a face ghostly as the moon, the socket covered by a black patch. A scar split over the corner of the man's lips, almost snow white despite the orange light. 

His hair was a blur of silver, silky and long only in two long strands that fell to his chest while the rest ended around his face.

He wore dark clothing. A black vest over a dark grey shirt. The dagger he had just jammed into the wall was tucked into his belt, and tight black pants clung to his legs.

He was shorter than Seonghwa, but the stare from his misty grey eye was frightening. There was so much coldness in that calculating look. Not near as much amusement and heat as in the eyes of his crew and somehow, this was worse.

But Seonghwa could still feel a certain kinship with him. Recognised the hue of his skin for what it was.

Not death, but something infinitely more beautiful.

"Y-You have been touched by my lady. You are her chosen!" He realised with a gasp, and he was about to sink to his knees and do the bidding of this pirate since it didn't matter who he was so long as Selene chose him. But the ironic smirk on the pirate's lips had him hesitate.

"She cursed me, the damned wench! Cursed me an' ignored all pleas fer forgiveness. Yer goddess be crueller than Davy Jones, did ye know?" The pirate spat, making Seonghwa come up short.

"Cursed?" Wasn't he beautiful like the moon? Wasn't he her face, her child? Hidden in darkness, just like her. He found the way through the fog since he was blessed, surely. 

"I once been 'uman. 'ealthy. A monster 'unter revered an' feared. A free gentleman o' fortune. Now, look at me. At this monstrous shape." The pirate beckoned up to his face, where Seonghwa saw only the breathtaking beauty of Selene's chosen.

For so long, he yearned for her favour. Prayed dutifully and brought her only the most beautiful sacrifices.

Was this pirate truly cursed? Or did he merely not know what to do with his gift since he didn't believe?

"The moonlight draws me like an illness. Gives me strength while the sun saps it. I can nay take a caulk anymore, am losin' me sight if the moon ain't in the skies. My might wanes, an' all 'er gifts mock me fer it."

Seonghwa nodded quietly, trying to recall everything he had read about the chosen of deities in their records. They were granted incredible powers, supernatural and mythical ones even. But such might had a price, since the chosen were to be sworn only to their deity. Some died young from getting consumed. Others served the deities eternally. 

Did this pirate refuse his call?

"What's the problem with powers? You can sail at night, and the Moon Lady's favours are endless if only you pay respect to her," Seonghwa diagnosed him, but something dangerous flashed in the pirate's eyes. 

"I do nay intend to pray to the moon wench. An' yer mad babbling only proves me vision o' yer cult. Nay, I been foretold to die if I do nay sacrifice one o' 'er children to 'er cursed visage. An' no pirate dies to the moon wench if we can join Davy Jones' Locker instead," he harrumphed, and Seonghwa made sense of his speech despite the low effort of his pronunciation. 

As a pirate, he was already promised to another deity. Wanted to join the depths and his other cursed folk. He never promised himself to Selene.

So why did she bless him?

"I wonder how that might have happened," Seonghwa pointed out. He wasn't surprised that Selene wished for a sacrifice to let this pirate go. A life for a life. But should he truly pursue that?

The pirate bared his teeth, so Seonghwa stepped back, lifting appeasing hands. He understood now why he had been taken. The pirates must have assumed he would be a willing and fitting sacrifice to Selene.

But his purpose wasn't that. Not in death, but in worship. 

"Do nay mock me, fanatic. Ye do nay 'ave the guts to deal with me response," the captain warned him, but Seonghwa mildly shook his head.

"I am an oracle. I speak for my lady, and I believe I deserve to know what you did to my people and my goddess if you deem me your sacrifice. Perhaps I can understand your predicament."

The pirate stared at him through his single eye. With all that coldness that made Seonghwa shiver, but there was a shared interest between them now. And Seonghwa cared for nothing more than for his moon lady. 

With a sigh, the pirate rounded his table. It was cluttered with compasses, maps, books, spying glasses and other odd methods of calculating a course. A big wooden chair stood behind the mess, covered by a dark coat. When the pirate dropped into it, his boots came up to find the one empty spot on his desk to rest on. 

His fingers reached for the glass bottle on his table. A pretty one, with shapes on the sides that depicted mermaids. When the pirate popped the cork, the movement looked effortless.

He took a long gulp, throat bobbing as he didn't care to expose it to Seonghwa. Knew the frightened oracle had no way to fight for himself. 

When he set the bottle down, the clunk of it on the table made Seonghwa flinch. The pirate groaned out a sigh before he crossed his arms, studying Seonghwa from head to toe as he began speaking. The orange light danced over his hair.

"I robbed one o' 'er temples once. One dedicated to the moon. Meant to take the magical crystal that brings life to the place. I thought it trivial. But as soon as I touched the thin', 'er power coursed through me. Turned me into some ghost of meself. Took me ability to walk in the sun. An' what be a pirate without the sun?" He gritted out, clearly ashamed to be telling his part of the story.

Seonghwa levelled a disdainful look at him. Had suffered enough others like him. Dumb plunderers driven by greed. Unaware that the one they were enraging was a goddess, not a priest.

"Sounds like you deserved your fate," he replied frostily, not about to help someone who got himself cursed for a reason. 

But the pirate didn't ask for cooperation. 

When he suddenly lunged over his table, Seonghwa stumbled backwards, but his reflexes were slow. A hand packed him around the neck, and Seonghwa's leg painfully connected with some trunk on the floor. Useless fingers came up to paw at the pirate's wiry hand, shocked by the strength in his lean body. 

The coldness cut like shards of ice. No good will crossed the pirate's stare.

"Watch yer mouth. I can nay cleave ye, but I can shut ye up if need be," he hissed at the oracle, and Seonghwa nodded weakly, clawing at the hand pressing the air out of his lungs.

This man was a marvel. Didn't understand how the goddess chose him when she could have just killed him. He was a beautiful demigod; the being Seonghwa always longed to become.

But he was ungrateful for his gift. And Selene used her blessing as a curse on his ignorant self. 

"Me curse can only be broken if I sacrifice a child o' the moon in its favour. So do nay babble on the cruelty o' the moon. I know it best. An' ye will, too, since it demands its loyal one's blood to be spilled," the pirate explained to him, and the air around him seemed cast in a greenish mist that filtered out the light behind him. 

Seonghwa struggled, still unable to breathe. He heard his blood rushing in his ears, felt his eyes fill with tears. Held out for as long as he could.

"Ye be 'er sacrifice. Be 'appy, since ye mad lunatics enjoy givin' yer lives fer yer lady. Until that day comes, ye be a prisoner on me ship. With nowhere to flee, no temple to run to, savvy? Yer blood will be spilled to 'eal me," the pirate spat, and the fear crept back into Seonghwa's heart.

He dedicated his life to Selene. Would be hers even in death.

But madness shone in this man's eyes. He hated Seonghwa for who he was, and his intentions were not pure. 

Dying at his hand was not Seonghwa's fate. And despite the honour of dying for his lady, he was scared of being brutally murdered by a pirate.

"Stay nice an' quiet, then ye can keep yer tongue until ye meet her," the pirate warned him, before he shoved Seonghwa off just as dark spots started dancing before his eyes. He staggered, coughing and gasping for breath, but the pirate turned away from him nonchalantly to return to his desk. 

As the key clicked in the door as if on cue, Seonghwa knew he had to flee, since this man had lost his mind to the soothing light of the moon.

Chapter 7: Sacrifice of the Moon

 The captain didn't speak another word to Seonghwa. Shared no more of his story.

Neither did Seonghwa linger to listen to it. As soon as the lock clicked behind him and freedom offered itself, he dashed out of the suffocating lair. Breathed the sea air that both frightened him since he was out on the open water with no land and no home in sight but also offered some reprieve from the mists shrouding the cursed captain.

The crew was here; so many pirates that were still armed to the teeth and looking at Seonghwa with those predatory eyes, but they seemed easier to deal with than their cold and calculating captain. 

A sacrifice to the moon. 

Seonghwa wasn't sure if he was afraid of dying. Never had to think of it since the flow of time and his purpose was so natural in the temple. Life ran by with every night by his lady's side, and he never feared, since she was there to guide him. But the cruelty of any raiders and pirates, their sudden and brutal ways of ending lives, was unnatural. 

Seonghwa wasn't meant to be a sacrifice. And even more than death, he feared what might happen if that mad pirate went through with his plan and ripped Seonghwa from his destiny. Would the moon lady punish him for losing the path assigned to him, even if his end was in her name?

Steps neared him while Seonghwa still stood perplexed at the captain's quarters, flanked by the vice-captain, who had since got rid of his crossbow and just hovered with crossed arms that bulged with raw strength. The other pirates were drawn in by curiosity, but Seonghwa withdrew from their gazes. Found them too dark, too lecherous to feel safe. 

What would they have done to him if he were a woman? Could he even have survived for long enough in that case?

Lucky that it was him. That no woman had to suffer their whims.

"Ahoy, landlubber. Captain be most satisfied?" The one who had taken Seonghwa from his sanctuary asked, and some blood still clotted around his nose, filling Seonghwa's chest with cold satisfaction. He didn't understand half of what he learned just now, knew that the captain was mad from his moon addiction since he didn't understand how to believe and worship Selene, but these pirates seemed like regular criminals in comparison. 

Some other man spoke up before their vice-captain got to reply.

"Did 'e confirm it works with a lad? Can we be certain we do nay need to sail aft an' brin' a lass?" He eyed Seonghwa from all sides, glimpsing his bared chest to figure out whether there was a chance he was a woman after all. Uncomfortable, Seonghwa hid behind his hands. 

No wonder these folk were mannerless and brutish, just like their captain. The sea mania consumed sailors even if the moon didn't. As little as Seonghwa knew about pirates, he knew they were mad to consider plundering and killing as a pastime.

The captain only confirmed it, desecrating the moon's sanctuary.

Seonghwa's kidnapper glared back at his mate for questioning his pick. Another shoved his shoulder, but there was no brutality in the touch, even when Seonghwa tensed up. 

"Aye, certainly. They been impossible to tell apart, all dressed the same, doin' the same cultish stuff. Maybe fer the best. 'e can tough it out," the kidnapper huffed, and the others laughed as if in the best of moods. Not considering the terrified oracle in their midst.

The vice-captain was the calmest of them all. Eyeing Seonghwa from his peripherals to attend his reactions. Keenly aware of the intelligence in his eyes compared to the other fools, Seonghwa tried to keep his face blank.

He had knowledge about the moon they didn't have. Knew that this wasn't meant to be. And that they underestimated Selene's might.

A single crystal had cursed their captain. How did they not consider Selene's wrath for desecrating yet another one of her temples and stealing one of her worshippers? Where there was a sky, there was Seonghwa's goddess, inevitably. And the pirates happened to sail the oceans controlled by her.

Seonghwa had to flee this ship, no matter what it took. Couldn't die to the whims of the cursed captain, who refused his gift. The moon would show him the way and would punish the pirates accordingly.

Such was his sole hope. His anchor against his fear of the unknown.

But Seonghwa had to keep that to himself. The pirates seemed witless enough to assume that having him on their ship would be enough to chain him and save them. Blindly followed the prophecy when their captain was meant to die anyway since that was the price to pay for enraging a goddess. 

When Seonghwa stiffly held out against the scrutiny, the vice-captain turned to beckon at the crew to disperse.

"We'll keep 'im. Brin' 'im to 'is royal chambers," he demanded and Seonghwa turned to look at him, gathering all his courage to keep the gaze of a murderer. The darkness in those eyes chased a shiver down his spine, but he resisted submission. Stood strong among the pack of wolves even when his fingers clutched to his arms until his knuckles turned white.

"What will happen to me? What is that madman's plan? He doesn't understand his curse, or the will of my goddess. I am not to be her sacrifice," he stressed, assured of her will, but not of the brutal disruptions of foolish humans who thought it was their place to meddle in matters of life and death. 

But the pirate grinned at him, not concerned with his preaching.

"Does nay matter to us, bucko. She spoke 'er curse, nay else. We will sail fer a legendary island dedicated to the moon to deliver ye," he said, and some crew members nodded firmly, all on board with the idea. Hired for the entire quest, perhaps, or a crew that came together on their mutual interests of arson and murder.

Seonghwa's gasp was quiet among them. 

"The Crescent Shores? You know where they are?" 

He couldn't help how his eyes lit up at the prospect. Was this his fate after all? The Crescent Shores were a mythical place, lauded by myth and legend, yet no one had witnessed them in many decades. The tales spun about them were fantasy, as no one ever wished to return to tell the tale. 

The Crescent Shores were the moon lady's most sacred cradle. Her dwelling place shrouded in mists. A mere select few elected by her ever found the path, and the legends said they ascended to the stars to join her in the night sky and shine by her side.

Only her most beloved children would be invited to that place. So if this captain knew how to find it, he was certainly not cursed by her, but blessed.

The pirates pointed out the excitement on Seonghwa's features, muttering to each other how their mission would be much easier if he was so giddy to be sacrificed to the moon. How everyone won here. Not realising that some pirate's life did not have the same weight to Selene as that of her oracle.

The vice also looked triumphant when he turned to Seonghwa. His shirt dipped low on his chest, exposing a chest littered with pale scars, yet he was unafraid to show it. 

Not used to seeing that much skin out in the open, Seonghwa dragged his eyes away. Caught his cheeks heating. 

"Aye, we found 'em. There, on 'er most sacred altar we will spill yer life. An' our captain will finally be 'ealed from 'is curse," he unveiled and Seonghwa shuddered when he imagined a cold blade at his neck. His life bleeding out over the stone.

But if his lady was there, watching over him... If he was to join her... Wouldn't that make it worth his sacrifice? Only the pirate was a dark spot in an otherwise pure ritual. But Seonghwa would ascend to his lady's embrace.

"I never thought I would get to visit the Crescent Shores... What an honour," Seonghwa muttered to himself, deeply awed by the prospect.

Who were these pirates really? Friends or foes? Warriors of Selene who were just not aware of their purpose yet?

"It be yer lucky day, then," the vice chuckled before he beckoned Seonghwa to follow him across the dimly illuminated deck. He shuffled along hesitantly, playing innocent so they wouldn't grow suspicious of him until he had answers. In the meantime, he dragged his eyes across the rowing boats and fishing nets lined to the side of the ship.

"Did you think this through? What if your presence on her sacred island insults my lady? She cursed your captain for a reason. She might curse you too for trying to break the curse," he pointed out, much more anointed when it came to matters of Selene. 

But the pirate shrugged carelessly. With no respect for anyone but their moody god of the seas.

"She conveyed 'er prophecy. An' since ye talk like a man gone mad, ye will be the perfect pick fer one o' 'er own," he replied. 

Seonghwa wouldn't be so sure about that. But once he was reunited with his lady, he would get answers.

If his duty was to follow along with this plan to join her Crescent Shores and kill the pirate captain in her name there, he would be ready. And if he was taken unrightfully, he would flee or die trying. 

On the other side of the creaking ship was another door leading to another wooden structure. A steep staircase led down to the ship's belly from here, but the vice-captain opened the door leading to the same level as the main deck. 

Inside the spacious room was another chamber not unlike the captain's quarters, though less cluttered. A narrow bed filled the corner, and a desk offered space to write at. There was a trunk for clothes and a barrel in lieu of a nightstand. A lantern, a small, round window that was too tiny for Seonghwa to worm through, and bedding that looked silken. 

Surprised not be locked up in the bilge, Seonghwa peered at the vice-captain, but he was waved into this chamber to take over as his own.

"This... Is a very nice room," Seonghwa muttered when he stepped in, most desperate for his robes since all this light was overwhelming to him and he felt so exposed, but he had to make do for now.

The vice-captain watched him wander around, eyeing the lantern. He could spread fire easily on a wooden ship, doom everyone on board. In their frenzy, they might forget about him, and he might get away. 

An option if all else failed, since Seonghwa would need at least a boat to make his way back home.

"Our sickbay, aye. We need ye in peak condition fer our ritual. Ye will stay 'ere an' tell us if ye feel sickly or 'ave any needs. Yer kind be 'ard to come by," the vice replied, and Seonghwa understood what was going on.

The time of their captain was running out. He was in dire need of healing, and it took them so long to find one moon temple. They wouldn't find another. If Seonghwa was lost, their captain also was.

So they had to protect him. Had to follow his whims.

Which gave Seonghwa a lot of leverage over them. 

Keeping his face clear of any grin, Seonghwa nodded slowly. Didn't give away the plan that was mapping out inside his head. 

Before it came up, another person showed up in the doorway. Hen was the one who looked looked different from the other pirates. Exotic. His hair was pale blonde, almost white, and dangled off his back in a long braid. The angle of his nose was sharp, his eyes uneven. The grin on his lips was light, like the colour of his clothes, which wrapped around him in yellow and orange, a peculiar garb that exposed his stomach and then billowed in wide pants. He wore no shoes, and the clothing looked peculiar even to Seonghwa. 

Was he also a prisoner? One adorned with pretty golden chains and dangling earrings for the amusement of the pirates? 

The vice-captain nodded at him, and the other one nodded back merrily, moving freely aboard the ship. 

"This 'ere be Wooyoung. He does nay blabber our language, but 'e will be yer caretaker from now. Tell 'im if ye need food or medical care an' come to us with anythin' else."

Seonghwa wasn't too versed in other countries and their people. Didn't know if these clothes might be cultural and whether this person might be a sun priest or the such. But he looked warm. Kinder than the pirates. His smile directed at Seonghwa carried a certain sorrow, but it was gentle.

After the introductions were over, the vice-captain yawned into his shoulder. Glimpsed outside at the chaotic crew he had yet to command to settle.

"Just stay nice an' put. No need fer any rash decisions. The moon deserves our Captain's wrath, nay ye. We'll try to make it painless so long as ye stay on 'is jolly side," he promised, before he turned to leave. Wooyoung told him goodbye, and his voice was sweet and singing before he closed the door behind the exhausted vice, staying alone with Seonghwa and shutting him out from the odd crew and their frightening captain.

Chapter 8: Sun and Moon

Unsure how to react to getting imprisoned in a room with a stranger yet again, Seonghwa tensely waited in his corner. The pirate stood between him and the way outside, but there was only so far Seonghwa could flee anyway before he would run into more pirates or even their unpredictable captain.

So he stayed with this exotic man, wondered if he was the same as the rest of them. 

At least this time, no one outright attacked him. And if this was to be his room, he would live better than in the temple, where he shared hard cots with the rest of the oracles. Not that that would tempt him into staying. Material goods didn't matter to him. He merely needed a place to connect with his lady.

Curiously, the man before him tilted his head. His grin remained light when he spoke and though his voice was tinted in that singing, peculiar accent, his words were easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. Was he a musician they kidnapped?

"I am Wooyoung," he spoke, and there was some normalcy there. Not that names were used much in the cloister since anonymity and silence were the way of their temple, but Seonghwa enjoyed having a name to a face out here. 

"I'm Seonghwa," he replied, just to be fair. This person didn't seem pushy and cruel like the others. He kept a distance, and his smile seemed calming instead of vicious. When he nodded in understanding, Seonghwa tried to straighten a bit even when his arms kept covering his chest. Tried to look more in control of his situation.

"Are you... A prisoner here?" He asked the peculiar man. He couldn't tell if his clothes were those of a religious person or maybe a bard. Maybe pirates fancied having one member look fanciful for their diversion? 

But Wooyoung didn't understand that word. He tilted his head in question, curious eyes big as he tried to piece the sentence together. 

Seonghwa huffed an apologetic smile. Not used to dealing with those who spoke another language.

So he mimicked shackles around his wrists, pointing to himself.

"Are you trapped? Like me?"

This time, Wooyoung shook his head with a grin. 

"No," he assured, and Seonghwa's shoulders slumped. He wasn't sure whether he was relieved or disappointed. If Wooyoung had been a prisoner, they could have escaped together. But if he was here by choice, he might be as bad as anyone else, just in prettier clothing. 

"Then who are you? What do you do for the crew?" Seonghwa asked, beckoning for an elaboration, and Wooyoung mimicked a circling motion with his hand. Sprinkled something into his imaginary pot.

"You cook?" Seonghwa guessed, and Wooyoung nodded quicker now, having fun with their guessing game. 

Then he leaned his head back, eyes fluttering. The long, veiny line of his neck was exposed as he trailed a hand down his chest and a breathy whine escaped from his lips.

Clueless, Seonghwa studied the motion. Shook his head when he didn't understand. In response, Wooyoung circled his hips in a hypnotic motion of colours, and his abdomen shifted where it was exposed.

Somehow, it didn't seem proper to look at. Seonghwa's ears heated, but he shook his head again, not sure what this display meant.

Wooyoung waved it off with a giggle. 

He seemed fun enough. Calm and playful, at least while restricted in his speech. Seonghwa wouldn't know how he spoke when he was alone, but they might get along.  

"So... Where are you from?" Seonghwa asked him instead to play down his confusion. 

This one, Wooyoung could reply to.

"Serra," he beamed, and though Seonghwa knew little, he had read about the place before. A beautiful, lush country on the southern coast of the main continent. Far from his little moon temple, but hailed for its many spices and beautiful dancers. 

Was that what Wooyoung was? A beautiful dancer to entertain the crew? Perhaps he joined them willingly and offered his dances for a chance to see the world.

But why pirates of all people?

It would be hard to ask him that, so Seonghwa left. Instead, he stiffened when Wooyoung suddenly inched closer to him. His hands were outstretched in an offering gesture, empty and not meaning harm. When Seonghwa stiffly paused, one of them gently cradled Seonghwa's chin while the other came up to his tattoos. He didn't hold him, left him space to pull back anytime, and Seonghwa appreciated it, so he held still when a curious thumb caressed the sickle moon on his forehead and counted the stars dotting under his eyes. The sparkle in Wooyoung's eyes seemed awed. Perhaps he had never seen anything like it. Based on his accessories, he would like to try facial paint on himself, even just for its beauty.

"You are pretty. Very pretty. Sweet," Wooyoung told him with a firm nod, and Seonghwa couldn't help his smile.

He rarely heard compliments like this. Not that they mattered in the temple. His appearance was veiled anyway, and it played no role in his worship. Somehow, it was nice to know he was pretty. Even if he heard it in the unlikeliest of places. 

"Thank you. You are also pretty," Seonghwa told him, and it was true. Wooyoung had a unique look to him, but it was charming. Seonghwa found him beautiful compared to the rough exterior of the pirates. 

With a pleased grin, Wooyoung stepped back, but he kept studying Seonghwa's face, awed with the features that Seonghwa never thought twice about. 

"So, you are my helper. That's what the vice-captain said," Seonghwa continued. Did he have to imagine Wooyoung as his attendant like in the temple? Or was he meant to watch over Seonghwa and report to the pirates?

"Jongho," Wooyoung replied with a hum. So that must have been the name of the vice-captain. More knowledge, more leverage for Seonghwa later down the line. He might even be able to tell some city guards that he was kidnapped by pirates if he knew their names.

"The captain?" He asked, and Wooyoung pouted to himself. He looked troubled, a deep frown marring his face. Then he shook his head. 

"Ill," he replied, and Seonghwa knew that much. It was what scared him most: the madness wrought by his sickness. 

"His name?" He helped out as he slowly sank onto the bed behind him. The mattress was comfortable, not extremely soft, but cosy for a pirate ship. 

Wooyoung sat on the chair next to the table, not drawing too close but comfortable with Seonghwa. His fingers played with his necklaces, catching the lantern's light on their golden shine and many colourful little gems.

"Hongjoong. Red Hawk," he muttered, and Seonghwa did his best to ingrain that name into his mind. Hongjoong. Red Hawk? Nothing about him seemed red, aside from the sails on this vessel. But it might be a title given for another purpose. At least any official forces would know him by his title.

"Why is he a Red Hawk?" Seonghwa wondered, but Wooyoung blinked at him cluelessly. Probably hadn't been around for long enough to get used to the pirates' unhelpful speech patterns. 

So Seonghwa smiled at him instead, nodding his thanks. 

"Thank you, Wooyoung." To that, Wooyoung could beam back, looking like a little sun. Seonghwa could see why the pirates had kidnapped him. Though he was sworn to the moon, the sun had its own draw as Selene's eternal foe. Those sworn to it weren't too different from Seonghwa's faith.

Did Wooyoung play a role in the captain's schemes? Or was he merely a dancer?

The questions would have to wait for someone else, since Wooyoung's speech was restricted. Similarly, it would be hard to fool him into sneaking away. Seonghwa would need to converse with his lady to find out whether he was meant to be here and whether his sacrifice was her intention. She would know which path she put her chosen on, so the captain's plans might be exactly what she intended for him to do, but Seonghwa would have to make sure.

So how could he convince Wooyoung to leave him be if they couldn't communicate? Was a bat of Seonghwa's lashes enough?

When he lifted his eyes to the expectant boy, he made sure to smile, soothing any suspicion he might have. Wooyoung grinned back, much happier than the rowdy bunch outside.

"Can you bring me my robes? And food? Please?" Seonghwa tugged on his clothes to show what he meant, and Wooyoung nodded immediately. 

"Yes, wait," he grinned, and then he was off. Seonghwa heard him lock the door from outside for good measure. Not that Seonghwa could go far, between the watchful crew and the raging sea.

As soon as he left, Seonghwa jumped to his feet. He checked the window but found it unable to be opened. The glass was sturdy, framed by metal to resist the pressure of any waves crashing into the vessel. If he could break it, he might get stuck while trying to get out.

So, his better bet was the door. 

A quick search through the nearby chests and drawers produced no weapons of any sort. The lamp would come in handy if he wanted to create maximum chaos, but otherwise, it might worsen the situation for Seonghwa as well.

He needed information about the rowing boats. How to unhook them and whether he could steer one himself. The further they sailed from his home, the harder it would get to return by himself. 

But having Wooyoung as the cook at his exposal might come in handy. Because that might mean access to rations and even a knife for his defence. Wooyoung might make for a handy hostage until Seonghwa was gone, or he might become an ally if Seonghwa was lucky. 

Seonghwa's mind was plotting his escape diligently, even when his emotions were torn. When the fear still had him wondering if he could even do anything of the sort. The pirates might capture him immediately and tie him down to fulfil their sinister oath. Or the captain might cut the tongue out of his mouth to punish him. 

Seonghwa needed to be ready. Needed to get away or die trying if the captain really meant to break a curse created by Seonghwa's lady for a good reason. He couldn't succeed.

After he checked his entire room, Seonghwa sat down again. Tugged his skirt over his legs where the hem ripped somewhere in his scuffle. He scowled at the reminder of getting manhandled by the pirates, but at the very least, he was glad that nothing bad had happened to his temple. He would mourn the guardians and hoped that his covenant would send over their souls to the night skies, but the worshippers were safe so long as they didn't search for Seonghwa and trusted in their moon lady. 

Seonghwa would do the same. Be ready for any signal once her light blessed the skies again. 

When Wooyoung returned a few minutes later, he was balancing a bowl and an apple in one arm and held Seonghwa's robes and a mystery bottle in the other. Nasty rum like the captain drank it, most likely, but Seonghwa wouldn't be choosy. He needed energy. 

Wooyoung placed everything on the table and pointed out the items to Seonghwa.

"Fish stew," he called the bowl. "Apple," the apple. And "Drink" the bottle. His pronunciation wasn't perfect, but Seonghwa found it charming. Already found kinship in this man since neither of them belonged here. 

When he was handed his clothes, Wooyoung's face pulled into a frown. He winced when he showed Seonghwa where the beautiful fabric was ripped, clearly more aware of its worth than the brutes outside. But he brought a pleasant surprise. A sewing needle and some thread, not enough to do harm with as a weapon unless Seonghwa stabbed the captain in his good eye, but it would help him mend his clothes.

Surprised, Seonghwa smiled up at him, glad for the understanding gesture.

"From Sannie," Wooyoung murmured, and while Seonghwa didn't understand what he meant, he nodded all the same.

"Thank you. I can work with this," he promised, and Wooyoung looked giddy at his acceptance. 

While the sunny dancer perched down on the chair to watch Seonghwa eat and mend his clothes, Seonghwa got comfortable and continued spinning his plot so he would be back on his destined path again soon. 

Chapter 9: Under Her Light

Seonghwa had to spend three days on the pirate ship to find back to his lady.

After he had fixed his clothes, he stayed locked up in the sickbay willingly, didn't risk running into the crew or the captain. He trusted Wooyoung to bring him food and guard his door during the day when Seonghwa slept and while the crew was manning the ship. Their noise was deafening when they hollered orders at each other to reef sails, put a spring upon 'er and man the helm. Though Seonghwa remained hidden away for most of the day, he caught glimpses of the crew once he rose in the afternoon. They chuckled about his sleeping habits and asked if he liked their cuisine, but Seonghwa dodged most of their questions, knew they only meant to scare him or meant to feed their perverse delights.

The only one that irked him was a comment by the flame-haired pirate.

"Oh, 'e covered up again. Such a waste," he chuckled the day after Seonghwa had been captured and when he caught a glimpse of him upon Wooyoung entering the sickbay.

Seonghwa's voice had been sharp from among his robes.

"I won't let the sun burn me," he replied, but the pirate seemed unconcerned whether the sun or the moon put their hands on him.

"Eh, ye get used to it." With that, he had wandered off and Seonghwa had hidden away inside, baffled how the pirates would embrace both the burning touch of the sun and the cold soothing of his lady. How greedy those outside the temple were.

Wooyoung was a good companion during the time. He replied to Seonghwa's questions and kindly took care of him. He always locked Seonghwa in when he left to sleep himself, and Seonghwa found no way out of the cabin that didn't include fire so far. Since he didn't want to get himself tied down, tormented or worse, he stayed put. Didn't risk the pirates catching wind of his plans to escape.

Still, there was plenty to understand from Wooyoung. Seonghwa learned the names of crew members and their positions on the ship. Could map out how many there were and who posed the biggest risk if he were to fight back.

The man who robbed him from the temple and dragged him onto this ship so brusquely was called Yeosang. He was the quartermaster of this ship, which meant he took care of the crew. Wooyoung mimicked his strength with awe when Seonghwa scowled about his kidnapping, so he was a foe to behold.

The one with the hair of flames was called Mingi. Seonghwa had spotted him carrying around a huge red axe beforehand, and he usually hid under a big hat when the sun came out. So far, he had made fun of Seonghwa but hadn't overstepped any boundaries. Wooyoung called him an officer of arms, so Seonghwa assumed all his weapon wielding wasn't just for show.

There was also San, the surgeon, who dropped in occasionally when Wooyoung had to leave for his duties. A white mask covered the entirety of his face, making it as impossible to see his features as it was normally to recognise Seonghwa. He was rather quiet while he watched over the oracle, so Seonghwa mentioned it to Wooyoung once he returned from his duties, flushed from the heat outside. He zipped his mouth shut solemnly several times, so Seonghwa assumed San had taken a vow of silence. An honourable cause for a healer to focus only on his craft, but why would he work for pirates? Was every second crew member a victim of kidnapping?

The last one Seonghwa had yet to meet one on one was called Yunho, their navigator. Seonghwa always heard him grumbling orders outside and caught the red of his clothes dashing past before, but he was usually hidden in the crow's nest to map their surroundings.  

Aside from them, Seonghwa only saw bits of the ship during the daylight. Their sails were pale red, washed out from the salt, the ocean and the sun. Some sort of pale ridge was attached to their main mast, but Seonghwa had yet to figure out its purpose. And the crew operated fluidly, like one that had known each other for some time. Wooyoung mentioned the word 'hires', so some of the nameless sailors might only be paid for this venture, but Seonghwa couldn't be so sure.

He didn't see the captain in those three days, and he was glad for it. His curse unnerved Seonghwa, and he didn't risk being near his violent outbursts until the moon lady told him of his destiny. 

In return for all the information he harvested, Seonghwa offered some knowledge about himself. Told Wooyoung about the moon he worshipped and about his dedication to his work. Though the dancer didn't understand half of it, he kept smiling and nodding when he listened to Seonghwa talk, just pleased not to be the sole prisoner on this ship. Seonghwa liked to believe they got closer. That his good behaviour could get him some favour on Wooyoung's end. He made no trouble, ate his food and stayed quiet in his cabin. The vice-captain, Jongho, didn't seem displeased when he checked on Seonghwa every morning.

So after three days, when Seonghwa felt the pull of his lady nearing in the skies, he made use of the brittle trust the pirates put in him.

After all, he had only been hiding, waiting for his goddess to seek him. Now it was time for answers. 

"Could I go out tonight? I have to pray to my goddess," Seonghwa asked Wooyoung, mimicking a prayer with his hands and pointing up, but the pretty dancer just tilted his head at him, unsure of his meaning. 

"The moon?" Seonghwa tried, painting a sickle with his fingers and beckoning to the many moons dangling from his garments, but Wooyoung shook his head once more, troubled.

Before Seonghwa could ask again, Wooyoung dashed outside. The door fell shut behind him, and the hollering of the crew quietened when he addressed them. Seonghwa waited tensely until he heard two pairs of feet return to the door. The dancer had fetched Jongho, still frowning, and their bulky second-in-command crossed his arms when he stood before Seonghwa, waiting for him to speak.

"I must pray to my moon lady during the nights," Seonghwa told him, not bending under Jongho's hard stare. Ignored the tickle in his gut that begged him to hide away. The pirate didn't scare Seonghwa. Only their sinister plans towards his goddess did. But they underestimated how close Seonghwa was to her call. And they needed him.

"Who says ye ain't askin' 'er to curse us more? Hongjoong only did nay cut out yer wicked tongue because ye might bleed out, but ye possess enough magic to get us in trouble," Jongho argued. He didn't seem surprised, only suspicious of Seonghwa's intentions.

And rightfully so.

"My lady wouldn't bother with petty pirates. And I can pray from in here, as well, even just in my thoughts. Let me have my prayer. If the oceans swallow you, it's the fault of your god, not mine." Besides, Seonghwa couldn't doom them while he was still on board of this ship. Selene would know her will. He just had to follow her light.

Jongho seemed to concede that at least. He grumbled to himself, but ultimately nodded.

"Aye. Do yer prayers. Yunho will keep 'is deadlights on ye durin' the night," he decided, before he twirled on his heels to march back outside. They were all leery of Seonghwa, not sharing too much information about their group with him. They muttered the word 'witch' whenever they spotted his veiled figure and, despite their honesty about their intentions with him, they seemed strung with nerves. 

And Seonghwa would be too, if the moon lady was after him. She was a terrifying foe he would never want to cross.

So he accepted this opportunity to be himself. The pirates seemed too scared of getting cursed by him to refuse him, rather accepting witchcraft amongst them than try to shut him up. And even if they cut out his tongue, his silence would reach his lady.

When night fell, Wooyoung checked in with their guard stationed outside before he let Seonghwa go. Nowhere to flee; so the door to the outside world soon opened for him, and he was free under a starry sky.

It was the first time Seonghwa had come out at night, and his step faltered momentarily when Wooyoung left him to his devices, dashing off to spend time with the crew. 

The sky was so clear out here. Full of stars and colour. Veils of white, blue and purple swirled into each other in the unfathomable distance. The image above reflected on the tranquil water around the anchored ship. Twinkled back at Seonghwa from both sides.

The moon's slim sickle stood pale and beautiful, just barely starting to grow. Her image was doubled by the water surface as well, and Seonghwa had never witnessed her glory in this way from the stormy cliffs.

It was aweing. Impressive in a way he hadn't expected. He felt as if he were sailing among the stars, so close to catching up with his goddess but always narrowly missing her when ripples distorted her image.

His steps fell softly when he made his way over to the railing. He ignored the shadow perched at the main mast, carving some massive piece of ivory wood into unique shapes. The eyes of this pirate tracked Seonghwa's every move. 

For a moment, he leaned against the railing and angled his face so he could see this vision properly. Bared his face only to the moon, which reflected its sky back in his eyes.

The familiar shudder that tingled down Seonghwa's spine was so soothing. So welcoming. He breathed in her cold light, felt it absolve him of his worries and unravel the knots in his mind.

Yes, this was right. Under her watchful gaze, he was whole.

"My lady," he whispered serenely as he sank to his knees, offering his hands to her pale shine. Her light trickled through his fingertips and into his body, rejuvenating him. 

"I greet you from an unusual place; I am well aware. My lady, I have been taken from your sanctuary. Please guide my steps and tell me what fate you intend to bestow on me. What are your plans with this pirate? Am I to come into your embrace at the Crescent Shores?" 

He kept his head lowered, waited for some signal, a wink of light in the right direction.

But nothing. There were no water bowls nearby she could bless. No crystals to light to show him his path. 

Seonghwa kept his head humbly bowed.

"I haven't forsaken you. I am loyal as ever. If you have any way to signal me, please show me my path to find back to you," he mumbled, had no sacrifice to offer but himself. 

No answer. She was there, looking at him, blessing him and clearly not ignorant of his plea, but she didn't answer.

Why not?

Puzzled, Seonghwa lifted his head. Did her might only extend to the temple? No, she showed other sailors their path and cursed this captain for his misdeeds. So, why the sudden silence?

Seonghwa didn't hear any steps behind him. So he startled out of his skin when a voice spoke only an arm's reach away from him. 

"No answer, aye? I ain't surprised."

Seonghwa whirled around, automatically hiding his face below his veils again. He backed away from the captain, kept a mindful distance even when Yunho would definitely not pick his side if a scuffle broke out.

"How do you know that? Why isn't she replying to me? I am her oracle," he argued, no longer entranced by the view of the moonlight glittering on the water.

The captain peered at the moon from under the brim of his wide hat. His ghostly shine seemed stronger here, pale and silver and so strong with her touch. And though his remaining eye scowled in spite, the blessing of her light on his skin and hair was breathtaking. 

She loved him. Caressed him with her most gentle of rays. Swathed him in her mists. And he didn't understand the power that came with her obsession. 

"Nay while I be near. She would nay dare touch me ship after we cursed 'er presence so often," he replied in that grim drawl of his, shining like a Tear of the Moon himself. 

It felt so wrong, looking at him. Being so drawn to this light when it centred around a nasty criminal who robbed and harmed Seonghwa's covenant.

"How? You are addicted to her light, and she is all-encompassing. You can't hide from the sun or the moon," Seonghwa argued, confused by his faith since it seemed to extend to this chosen but also knew he was cursed. 

The pirate tapped scarred fingers on the wooden railing. Hid his smirk in the shade of his hat.

"She gave me power. Power enough to spite 'er. And to lift 'er curse." When he turned his head, the stare from that milky eye was dangerous. Bore right through Seonghwa and into the depths of his soul. Found vulnerability there, since he, too, was an aspect of the moon. One that Hongjoong had power over.

The realisation gripped Seonghwa's heart with an icy claw. 

This pirate was interfering with the bidding of Seonghwa's goddess. Was willing to kill her child and refute his course. Seonghwa wasn't meant to die in his stead. He wasn't meant to be here. His goddess couldn't protect him near this man.

Which only meant one thing.

He had to kill the cursed pirate captain and flee the ship before he would fall to the pirate's wrath.

Chapter 10: Blade of Bone

Seonghwa's preparations took place rapidly and in the dead of night. The moon watched over him, proud in its cold shine as Seonghwa put all the information he had amassed in the last three days to work. 

During the night, most pirates were asleep, but the captain was awake and more powerful than ever from the moon's blessing. So Seonghwa needed to move at dawn, while the pirates were still groggy from sleep and booze and the captain had already retreated to his misery. Wooyoung would be out and about early, already unlocking Seonghwa's door, but then busy in the kitchens and trusting that Seonghwa would have nowhere to go.

The boats could be levered over the side of the ship relatively easily. Seonghwa had seen the younger hires do it by themselves, and it looked doable. Before he killed the captain, Seonghwa would set a fire to distract the pirates and then flee with one of their boats. 

It was a risky plan and relied on the pirates finding their captain before the fire so it could spread enough until Seonghwa was gone. But Seonghwa knew that his lady would bless him by whatever means necessary until they could reunite, so he trusted her judgement. 

It was easy enough to battle down his fear. The pirates needed him. Couldn't kill him. And while some things might be worse than death, Seonghwa would never be alone. 

Obtaining a knife was the hardest part. Seonghwa never received one for his meals since Wooyoung cut everything for him in the kitchens already before the food reached the oracle. And though their surgeon left some utensils in the sickbay since he had no other dry place to store them, none of them were helpful. Strangling the captain with a bandage was too risky a play since he might just wring himself free before Seonghwa could bring him down.

Seonghwa had killed plenty of animals before. Knew the feeling of cutting through muscle and sinew. He could do it again.

Their quirky mast came in handy. Seonghwa approached it after his prayers one night, curious about the odd shapes he had yet to see properly. When he stretched out his hand to the peculiar ridge nailed to the wood, a giggle reached him through his hood. 

"Beautiful, ain't they?"

Seonghwa flinched back when he heard him so close, his heart jumping to his throat. 

It was Yunho, the guard stationed out in the night and their navigator. Today, as well, he was leaning against the main mast where he could overlook the ship, carving something with his long fingers and a small blade.

Yunho's stare always made him most uncomfortable. It seemed to follow Seonghwa across the boat, whereas the other sailors soon grumbled about witches and returned to their work after a glance. Yunho's stare carried madness. It was too intense, too full of unnerving signals. Seonghwa didn't know how to interpret it or the anxious knot in his belly whenever he noticed Yunho leering at him around a corner, but he was almost as afraid of this man as of their cursed captain. 

Fitting, to have him manning the deck at night.

"Do you like 'em? I made 'em," Yunho giggled with his mania, running his fingers over the pale ridge travelling all the way up the mast. 

Seonghwa tried to school his expression. Despite his hood, Yunho kept trying to peer below it, bending his tall body for a glimpse of the oracle's face. 

"What are they?" He asked instead, as a distraction, and it worked. Yunho immediately backed off, eager to show off his work. His pale pink vest looked near red in the light of the torches.

"Bones! Bones from our foes. Spines an' ribs an' skulls. I smashed 'em to pieces an' then put them on the mast. So pretty, ain't they? All me work!" Giddy like a child, he pointed up and Seonghwa blanched under his hood. His fingers fully withdrew from the macabre ridge.

Those were impossibly human bones, right? They were too large, too grotesque looking. But then what else could they be? Were there creatures with bones that big in the world?

"They match me sails, ye spy? Red, red, red, bathed in blood. Crimson Lily, this gave 'er the name. I could fashion ye a pretty red garment out o' the next one. It would suit ye so jolly," Yunho offered, coming too close to Seonghwa again with his excitement, so Seonghwa backed away. 

"N-No thank you," he stuttered, cautious not to tick this man off. His insanity was unbridled, and though Seonghwa had never seen him attack his mates, he wondered how stable Yunho truly was.

Yunho snickered as if they were in on a joke. Upon closer inspection, Seonghwa realised what the texture of his garments reminded him of.

He wore skins. Not leather, not furs, just skin sewn into jagged pieces of clothing. Entrails served as his belts and the pocket he carried around was yet another bone, perhaps a skull of some being.

Bile rose in Seonghwa's throat. He felt dizzy, only now picking up on the smell of flesh and rot over his numbness of the sea air. He stumbled back, and Yunho pouted at him, sad to lose his friend.

"Would ye like to have one, too? 'ere. Ye can try it fer yerself," he offered, eagerly handing Seonghwa the bone he had been carving. 

At first, Seonghwa wanted to jump away, wanted nothing to do with this grotesque hobby. But then he realised the convenient shape of the bone, its pointed edge.

So he stretched pale fingers from his wide sleeves to accept it.

Yunho crooned in praise.

"Ye will create beautiful pieces. I just know it," he whispered as if Seonghwa was in on it now, and Seonghwa just nodded hysterically.

"Sure," he whispered before he dashed away, making haste to hide his knife from Wooyoung's sight. 

Yunho waved after him.

"Come aft soon, bucko! We can make art together!"

Seonghwa quickened his step some more. 

-

With his knife in his possession, Seonghwa set out for the murder the very next night. He whispered his cruel plans to the moon, promised her to return to her cradle soon. Packed the breakfast Wooyoung brought him into a bundle instead of eating it right away.

As soon as his watchdog left to serve the crew, Seonghwa got ready. Knocked over the lantern and waited until the corner of the room caught fire before he closed the door and set out. He walked normally, with the blade hidden in his sleeve. Swathed the fear in his heart under his hood. To the sleepy hires milling about to ready the ship, he looked as if the captain had called for him since he was marching with such determination. 

Yunho had already retired for his hammock, luckily. He wouldn't have left Seonghwa alone otherwise. 

It would take some time for the fire to spread far enough that it could be noticed. Seonghwa paced himself, tried to keep his mind clear of anxious thoughts.

The door to the captain's quarters was unlocked, so Seonghwa slipped inside without knocking. 

Today, the curtains of the large windows wrapping around the entire back of the ship were drawn. The early morning sun shone through the heavy golden fabric, illuminating the room more than the last time Seonghwa had visited.

His heart jumped at the reminder of the last time. Dreaded getting attacked again. But he breathed deeply. The captain couldn't harm him. He was his sole chance at healing.

So Seonghwa slowly made his way in, peering between barrels full of weapons and a crooked wooden shelf lined with books. The desk was cluttered, like last time, but behind it and tucked into the corner of the room, the pirate had built his nest.

A wooden structure made him blend with the wall, blocking out the light from all directions but the one he rose in. It was a cosy alcove, hidden away behind yet another heavy curtain to match the ones on his windows.

When the captain heard the door and the accompanying steps, he stirred, but his voice was groggy and exhausted. He didn't dare step into the light.

"Who be there?" He croaked from his hiding place, so Seonghwa quickened his pace, lips pressed into a tight line.

He reached the bed at the exact same moment a pale hand appeared on the curtain to open it the tiniest sliver.

"San, what-" 

With a jerk, Seonghwa yanked the blade of bone from his sleeve and rammed it deep into the pirate's chest. 

A moment of silence fell between them. The captain stared up in surprise from his one milky eye, and Seonghwa's hand quivered around the blade, unsure if this was it. He had never killed a person before, only small animals for sacrifice, so he wasn't sure if one stab was enough. 

Seonghwa managed to yank out the blade, trusting his instinct more than his logic right now. But just as the blade sank into the pirate's chest a second time, his hand came up to wrap around Seonghwa's wrist in a bone-crushing grip.

A yell broke from Seonghwa's lips when he was yanked forward by surprising strength, didn't think the captain this mighty during the day or while he was already suffering from a wound. Seonghwa was wrenched onto the bed, tangling in the curtains and the sheets until they caught his body with a jerk on the groaning wood. His hood fell off when the pirate wrestled him down by his wrists, pressing him into his soft pillows and blankets robbed from the labour of others. 

Seonghwa heaved, his eyes blazing. He strained against the grip on him, kicked and shouted, but the captain held him like a vise, studying the bone blade and Seonghwa's wide, terrified eyes.

"Pirate-" Seonghwa gritted out, trying to angle the blade to cut the man's fingers off, repulsed by his weight on him, pressing against Seonghwa's body dedicated only to his lady. The touch of this vile man all over made him nauseous, but he was trapped, his fingers held down.

"Ye know who I be an' still, ye think that ye can battle me?" The captain barked back, his long hair falling over his shoulders to dangle over his chest. For the night, he only wore a loose shirt and some pants, so very defenceless. Such an easy kill. 

Seonghwa bit his lip, squirming below. His breathing had quickened with his heartbeat, and his stomach was in knots. He was getting antsier by the minute, needed to get out of here, of this dark lair he had been trapped in. The pirate smelled of soap and incense, but Seonghwa was about to go insane.

Why wasn't he bleeding yet? He had been stabbed twice and was still so powerful. Did Seonghwa miss the mark? Should he have gone for the throat?

The pirate gave him a grim smile, tracking his thoughts.

"I 'ave killed beasts bigger than towers an' with teeth larger than me body. I 'ave survived gettin' devoured an' gettin' sliced by countless claws. I killed the gruesome creations o' many gods. An' ye think ye will make a difference?" The pirate mocked him, and Seonghwa stopped squirming for a moment, sucking in a breath.

"You're immortal," he realised, almost dropping his knife onto the soft pillows. "My lady... She made you immortal."

Awed, he stared up at the ghostly pirate above him. Forgot momentarily how much he hated being here, touching another person more than he ever touched anyone before. Selene's benevolence stunned him time and time again.

"Would 'ave been too easy if I could end it meself, would it nay?" the pirate chuckled joylessly before he yanked the blade from Seonghwa's weakened fingers, flinging it across the room. He produced some rope out of nowhere, wringing it around Seonghwa's wrists.

When the oracle realised what was going on, he started squirming again, desperately kicking out, but the pirate's weight pressed him down. 

"I die a slow an' lonesome death. Ye need nay 'elp out. Once I sacrifice ye, I will live like a 'uman again, but before that, we be tied to each other." With that, the pirate wrung the rope around the headpiece of his bed, too sturdy for Seonghwa to break. In a panic, he cried out, begging the pirate not to do this. He would torment Seonghwa, would rape and break him, might cut out his tongue until he was barely enough to be sacrificed.

The fear almost made him black out when the pirate lifted off him and Seonghwa yanked on his hands futilely, helplessly tied by rope that was chafing his wrists.

"Stay 'ere today, little cleric. I will keep me deadlights on ye," the captain spoke as he rose from the bed, rubbing his chest just as the door to his cabin burst open.

"Captain! Fire!" someone yelled, but the pirate waved it off, dragging himself through his room with a rough cough.

"Aye, I apprehended the criminal. Put it out an' leave me alone," he grumbled back, sending his sailor running. 

Silence fell as Seonghwa remained trapped with the dreadful captain, a slave to his whims.

Chapter 11: Two for Two

Seonghwa twisted his wrists and broke off his fingernails in his futile attempts to loosen the rope around his wrists. His skin stung with every movement, but he stubbornly refused to lie down and accept his fate. He was taught to rather die than hand himself over to a pirate.

His scowl remained directed at the captain while he wandered about his cabin, stifling the occasional cough. He shrugged on a vest and called through the door to check if the fires had been put out. Unfortunately, the crew soon affirmed their safety. Seonghwa's plans had been foiled, and now, their supervision would only tighten even more.

Upset, Seonghwa searched the room for his knife. He didn't want to wait around and find out how the captain intended to punish him. Better he drowned at sea. 

He looked up when the door opened. Caught sight of the vice-captain slipping in, hastily closing the door before the light would hit their captain.

"Ye called?" He asked, and the captain beckoned over to Seonghwa on his bed, staring back full of rage. 

"'e laid a fire to use the moment to attack me," he explained, and Jongho sucked in a breath, glaring at Seonghwa now. The oracle fiercely stared back, not about to submit.

"Ah, blimey... I ought to talk to Wooyoung about this. Thought 'e 'ad it under control. Sorry fer the interruption, captain," Jongho sighed, but his gaze on Seonghwa was heated. Whatever acceptance he might have earned from the crew, he had forfeited it. 

"So much been expected by 'em cunnin' witches. Make sure Wooyoung knows about this. We do nay need 'im to get 'urt. If 'e is worried, Yunho can take over. 'e can take someone apart without cleavin' 'em." The captain said the last part looking at Seonghwa, and he caught the oracle shivering in his askew robes. Anyone but that fellow.

"I will let 'im know. What o' the witch? Shall I get the cat?"

Seonghwa tilted his head, unsure of what he meant. Surely, some ghastly pirate punishment and no animal, right?

But the captain shook his head.

"I'll get creative meself. I will call ye if I need anythin'."

Jongho bowed his head, accepting his captain's orders. Seonghwa's lips pulled into a sneer when he backed out of the door, dodging the light once more to return to the crew.

The oracle yanked on his bindings, wishing he could just break the bed apart.

"How do they respect you? You are the weakest member on board, can't even go outside to take care of your crew. Doesn't strength and the ability to lead make one a captain?" He challenged the man, levering him with his cold stare. He bravely didn't flinch when the pirate picked up a dagger from his desk, turning it between his hands. 

"What do ye know about me?" The pirate asked, and Seonghwa lifted his chin, gaze cold as steel when the pirate came closer in the dim light glowing through his curtains. His white hair was a reflection of the moon even during the day, ethereally beautiful on his scarred body. 

Once more, upset welled inside Seonghwa. How could this man treat the flesh he was gifted with like that? Any temple would worship him and read his every need from his eyes. But here he was, murdering and plundering and throwing his gift away. Despite all his misdeeds, there could be forgiveness. He could have anything, given to him by a goddess.

"I know that you are a fool. Abusing the gift my lady gave you. If you used it wisely, you could be much more powerful and influential," Seonghwa argued, hoped to make him see the truth, but this pirate was as stubborn as a rock. 

When he halted next to the bed, Seonghwa's eyes nervously flinched down the dagger. They came right back up, but insecurity filled his thoughts. It wasn't time yet for him to die, right? Would the pirate cut out his tongue as he had threatened? Seonghwa would make sure he died from the bleeding then. 

For now, the pirate stood still, staring down at Seonghwa from his one eye. Disdain tugged at the corner of his lips, as if he hated even the idea of touching the oracle.  

"An' that be what I desire? I merely wish to sail the briney deep with me buckos. None else," he pointed out, making Seonghwa scoff.

"A child playing pirate is what you are. What a joke. Selene's gift is wasted on you," Seonghwa spat, and he flinched when the pirate suddenly leaned in, too close. His scent filled Seonghwa's nose again, and the oracle leaned in the other direction, finding himself trapped in the sleeping alcove.

A cruel grin played around the captain's lips. As if he enjoyed playing his sick little games.

"Ye seem unaware o' the position ye be in. We be no normal pirates, an' I be no normal captain. If ye wish to carry the curse, ye are welcome to use yer magic an' take it right off me," he offered, eye glinting with a warning that would only come once.

Seonghwa gulped. He wanted to speak, but all his courage had dried out, leaving his tongue mute.

"Can nay? Ye know nothin'," the pirate sneered before he stretched his arm out. Seonghwa flinched back, but then the tension of the rope around his wrists snapped. Immediately, he snatched his hands towards his body, rubbing the chafed skin. 

The pirate loomed over him, blocking the sole escape route. Seonghwa glared up at him, angry at his beauty.

"I know that you knave are disrupting my lady's plans and intend to kill me. Enough reason for me to kill you or die trying," he argued, concerned about the wounds on his wrists since he was rarely ever injured and didn't know if they needed special treatment, especially out at sea.

He could just hope his voice wouldn't tremble.

"Nay. Ye will nay die until I kill ye meself. I can nay wait to slaughter a witch o' 'ers. Will laugh when she finally loses 'er grasp on me," the pirate smirked full of malice and Seonghwa's body itched to launch at him, to hit him with his bare fists until this monster was dead. 

"You're sick. She will always find you. Controls the tides you are sailing on. The sky above you," he spat back, but the captain only laughed at him. 

"Aye, an' so what? Will she come to fight? Or will she continue with 'er little ploys? I am a stubborn man. I will keep fightin' that witch." 

He was a sick man. Ill and wired with madness. But the ambition that glinted in his one eye was so real that it chased a shudder down Seonghwa's spine. There was so much energy in there. So much cruel intent.

Who would this man be if he weren't weakened by the curse? How many cruelties would he commit?

Before Seonghwa could tell him that he couldn't kill a god even with a blessing, the pirate stretched out his hand. Beckoned pale fingers at the oracle. Done with the topic.

"Now. Yer 'and," he demanded, but Seonghwa suspiciously pressed his fingers against his body, not trusting him. When he shook his head, the pirate placed a foot on the edge of the bed, leaning in to make Seonghwa withdraw even further into his corner.

"Unless ye want me to cut somethin' else off? Mutiny means death on a ship, moonshine," he threatened, and Seonghwa hesitated, terrified of the blade and the intentions of this man. This was no light scolding. No harmless spank on the behind. 

Seonghwa inwardly cursed himself as he lifted a trembling hand. He should have observed the crew for longer before he made his move. Should have known the captain wasn't easily killed if the moon gave him its blessing.

When the captain's frigid touch met his skin, both of them flinched. Seonghwa was about to tear his hand back, but the pirate caught him first, pressing the cold blade against the junction of his little and ring finger to his palm. 

"Two fer two," he grinned ominously and Seonghwa gulped, staring up at him in terror. He didn't dare withdraw since he feared it getting worse, but everything inside him yelled at him to do something. 

He could survive with two fingers less, yes, but the wound would cripple him for a long time. 

The captain scowled down at him. Nicked Seonghwa's skin just barely with the sharp steel. Warm blood flowed over their joined hands, and the sting made Seonghwa pinch his eyes shut and brace against the inevitable. Waited for the unimaginable pain of getting his fingers cut right off him. 

A long moment passed. Seonghwa quivered in the pirate's hold, praying to his lady to ease his suffering. 

Nothing happened.

"Rats..." The pirate dropped Seonghwa's hand as if he had burned himself, wiping his own fingers on his shirt. In shock, Seonghwa cradled his fingers against his chest, had never been more grateful to see them all intact. 

The captain scowled down at him as if their very touch had repulsed him.

"Behave from now on. Ye do nay need yer pretty little deadlights either fer me to sacrifice ye. An' ye so dearly wish to spy yer moon again, do ye nay?" he threatened, and Seonghwa nodded hastily, glad to have got away easy. 

He knew there wouldn't be another chance for him. If he wanted to kill the captain, he needed to succeed next time.

And to do that, he needed more information.

"Up," the captain commanded, and Seonghwa scrambled to his feet, almost getting tangled in the pirate's soft sheets. He was glad to leave his lair behind, nervously adjusting his robes when the pirate crossed the room to shrug on his long leather coat. He picked up a hat from his desk, wide-brimmed and with three stark white feathers attached to it, and pressed it onto his head.

Seonghwa watched him like a hawk. Tried to spot any weakness aside from the moon sickness, any hint that he was suffering from the stabs to his chest.

But the pirate moved with scary fluidity and precision. Was so different from anyone Seonghwa ever knew that it was hard to read him. 

"Follow me."

Seonghwa complied, but kept a cautious distance between them. His hand stung more from the pirate's vile touch than the wound there. Some blood had smeared on his robes, staining the glittering dark fabric, but he would wash it out later when he was alone. 

Though he wondered what that might look like now that he had almost succeeded in murdering their captain.

When they stepped outside, Seonghwa pulled his hood over his head to shield himself from the sun. The captain also made a displeased sound, tilting his head to cover his face with his hat. The crew members who had been milling about immediately perked up when they spotted their captain, and Yeosang, the villain, came running over. 

Seonghwa scowled at him from under his hat, hadn't forgiven his rude, grabby hands yet for touching the body that was promised only to Seonghwa's moon lady. 

"Captain? Ye jolly?" He checked in, and their leader just grumbled a sigh. 

"Get some grub ready. I'll join ye," he demanded, and Yeosang immediately rushed off to descend those steep stairs leading down into the ship. 

The captain followed slower, checking on the state of his vessel. Unfortunately, Seonghwa's fire had done barely any damage. His bed was blackened on one side, and some books had caught fire, but otherwise, it was just the corner and the lamp that were ruined. 

When the captain shot Seonghwa an ironic grin over his failed attempt, the oracle scowled under his hood. Next time, he would know better. None of those dirty folk would survive. 

The mute surgeon stepped in just as they were about to leave the sickbay. 

"San, if ye could check on 'is 'and? Do nay want 'im to die o' an infection," the captain said with a nod at Seonghwa and begrudgingly, Seonghwa allowed the surgeon to patch him up. Appreciated his oath of silence. His hand was soon bandaged and cooled by a herbal ointment. 

"What a miserable end fer a witch," Mingi, the officer of arms, chuckled in passing when he caught a glimpse of their little gathering. 

The pirates chuckled among each other before the captain beckoned Seonghwa to follow him once more and took him to join the rest of the crew in the belly of the ship.

Notes:

Check out melftoes on twitter to find character art for Seonghwa and Hongjoong!

Chapter 12: Blending In

The inside of the ship's belly was hot. The heat from both the crew and the sun stored in the wood and fed into a nasty stench of sweat and rotting fish. Seonghwa gagged on the note of alcohol when the unwashed bodies of the pirates squeezed past him in the narrow pathways between barrels and crates full of food, canvas and rum. 

Cannons lined the sides of the ship, ducked behind small rectangular hatches to open. The stench of seawater was constantly steeped into the creaking wood, travelling up even worse from further down the stairs.

But the captain was happy enough with these quarters, winding through the cargo bay to reach a door on the other side. The crew members dashing past greeted him, often surprised or even intimidated by his presence, and Seonghwa wondered if he had been a cruel captain before the curse. Or whether his illness turned him into a shadow of himself.

They entered a kitchen, where Wooyoung was leaning against a counter chopping up vegetables and fish to chuck them all into a muddy broth to boil together. Some ship hand was helping him out, and Wooyoung was laughing brightly with the boy, feeding him bites here and there. 

The main part of the room was taken over by a long table to fit all the pirates. The benches stood in disarray, and the table was spotty with leftovers of food and drink, but a bunch of crew members sat there nonetheless, chugging their nasty rum while they hollered for their meal. 

The captain steered right for the chair at the head of the table, so Seonghwa reluctantly followed, not about to eat with these brutes. He would rather sit among the ashes in his sickbay. 

But he supposed he had ruined his chances of eating in peace and unsupervised, because the captain promptly looked up at him as soon as he had dropped into his seat.

"Sit," he ordered, nodding his chin to the bench shared by the pirates.

For a moment, the noise died down to a mumble. The pirates leered back at Seonghwa, some full of disdain, others with seedy grins. A bunch of them immediately shuffled aside to offer seats next to them, all with ill intent.

Seonghwa shook his head. He backed away from their round, found it too loud, too uncivilised. He preferred a proper cell somewhere.

"I'm not going to-" 

Before he could finish, a rough hand clapped down on his back, sending him stumbling towards the bench.

"Captain says sit, ye sit. Nay too 'ard to understand, aye?" Yeosang grumbled by his ear. Flabbergasted to be manhandled again, Seonghwa allowed the two pirates closest to him to drag him between them. He recognised Yunho's dark hair and insane grin; the other one was Mingi, the one with the flaming hair. The latter's first move was to yank down Seonghwa's hood so he could properly face them, making the assembled pirates whistle about his beauty.

Seonghwa scowled at Yeosang across the table when the man sat down and sent him a merry grin, looking entirely too innocent for his actions.

"Nice to spy ye 'ere, cap," he turned to the captain right after and Seonghwa tried to listen in to gather information about the man he needed to kill, learning already that he usually hid away in his room and didn't come out during the hours of daylight often. 

However, Yunho's face in his peripherals was terribly distracting to the oracle. He had cupped his face in his palms and tilted his head, staring at Seonghwa with the heat of a thousand suns.

Uncomfortable, Seonghwa shifted in his seat. Wanted to hide under his hood again, but ripping it off him was the pirates' greatest joy. He felt the gazes on him, knew he stood out like a sore thumb.

Now more than ever, he missed his sanctuary. The pirates didn't know how to mind their own business.

Wasn't it enough that they wanted to kill Seonghwa? Did they have to torment him every step of the way there?

"Ye 'ave exactly 30 teeth," Yunho pointed out when he realised Seonghwa was watching him from his peripherals, too on edge to listen to the captain's drawl. 

The comment was weird enough that Seonghwa immediately broke character, leaning further away to face Yunho. The shock on his face made the pirate giggle into his hand.

"Pardon?" His tongue ran over his teeth, counting them since he hadn't even known how many teeth he had. How did Yunho find out?

"Teeth. Ye 'ave 30 of them. Healthy bite, huh?" He repeated himself and indeed, Seonghwa counted 30 teeth. 

He shuddered.

Why would Yunho pay attention to that?

"I-I'm not sure why you're counting my teeth," Seonghwa said, hoping to brush the obsession off, but Yunho merrily grinned back at him. Tried to peer between Seonghwa's pinched lips. 

"Pretty ones, too. Hmm, they would look nice, would they nay? Right, matey?" He giggled towards Mingi and Seonghwa never felt like he had to hide his teeth before, but now he wanted to. 

"Looked at the moon fer too long?" Mingi chuckled in response, not thinking much of Yunho's madness as he handed him a jug of liquor. Yunho happily gulped it down, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

"Feel like I know three moons now. Lookin' at 'im or the captain makes me just as mad," Yunho snickered, and Seonghwa uncomfortably hovered between them, not sure at which point he was in danger and should hide away. These people were so different from those he knew. So rough and unkempt and finding everything funny all the time. 

Seonghwa's saviour came dressed in his adorable swirls of yellow as he slammed his enormous pot down in the centre of the table. Immediately, the vultures dived in to get their food while Wooyoung nudged his knee at Mingi.

"Move," he demanded, but his voice made it sound soft. Mingi gladly scooted to the side so Wooyoung could slip next to Seonghwa and heal him with his soothing grin. He didn't seem resentful after Seonghwa's attempt to murder the captain, which might mean they were on the same side. Seonghwa breathed a sigh of relief to have him here. 

He ate the slop since he had no other choice, gagging down the fish that made him nauseous just like the sea stench. The pirates were somehow behaved, asking Wooyoung lewd questions as well, but the captain seemed to intimidate them enough not to act out. 

On the other hand, many of them harboured some genuine curiosity about Seonghwa. They waited for the right moment to address him, and after the first one broke the ice and asked his name, the questions kept piling up. Seonghwa was flattered that they wanted to learn about him and Selene. Perhaps there was a way to educate their ignorance after all. 

"What be it like, livin' in a cult?" was a question, and Seonghwa interlaced his fingers under his chin to give the sailor a stern look. 

"Religions recognised by the government don't make them better religions. Neither does the word 'cult' mean we are inherently evil. I like my home and believe in my lady. The sanctuary is my safe place and my calling, just as the sea is yours."

The pirates had to nod begrudgingly to that, conceding that Seonghwa might not be that different from them. And when a small smile spread on his lips, a few of them rubbed their napes as if feeling sorry now for their ignorant plundering.

"Did ye e'er get to spy yer goddess? As a wench, I mean?" Mingi wondered by his side, and Seonghwa made a face at the offensive word, would never use it to refer to his magnificent goddess. 

But it was wise to meet these pirates in the middle since they offered some understanding his way. So Seonghwa played with the moons dangling from his corset as he shook his head.

"She has no reason to take on a physical form. Nor is she tied to one. Her appearance is the moon. What we oracles hear is her voice."

"The moon 'as a voice?" Yeosang muttered in quiet awe, shooting a quick look at their captain to make sure he didn't disapprove of their excitement, but the man had removed himself from the table to stand in the kitchen with his second in command, holding a quiet conversation. 

"She's pretty," Wooyoung grinned when Seonghwa nodded solemnly.

"I can hear her will whenever she is in the skies. She sings like a siren, speaks so gently and softly, like a mother's caress," he described and some of the pirates looked jealous that they never got to hear such pleasant a voice, while others looked more on edge about Seonghwa's abilities again. By his side, Mingi thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

"So could ye nay just... Ask 'er nicely to remove the curse o' our captain?" Yeosang suggested, wincing the second Seonghwa's glare struck him. Even if they preferred the easy way out now, they had already forfeited their chance of asking. Seonghwa had already been kidnapped, and he had already made enemies with the captain by trying to kill him. There was no way back from here, only forward.

"Naturally, I agree with my lady's plans. You pillaged one of our temples and hurt members of my covenant, just like me. I find his punishment just, and I know that my lady made the wisest decision to protect us." And hence, he wouldn't rest after this failed attempt at murder. Seonghwa wouldn't allow the pirates to get their will and ridicule his goddess. 

He said it with such conviction that the pirates deflated, losing whatever sympathy that may have formed between their two parties.

"Still a lunatic," Mingi scoffed, and Yunho nodded wisely. Wooyoung smiled at Seonghwa since he didn't understand everything going on, and Seonghwa went back to eating. Some people needed a lifetime to understand how deities worked. With the pirates' limited brains, he would need patience if he wanted to bring anyone to his side. 

And while the captain was here, it might be impossible to find allies anyway.

The questions kept coming, some more stimulating and others far too direct. 

"Be there other lads in the temples or just ye?"

Yes, Seonghwa told him. Not near as many as women since Selene was likelier to bless her worshippers with girl children over boys, but others like Seonghwa existed. 

The pirates then also remembered the guardians they had killed outside, all men, and dodged Seonghwa's cold eyes.

"Do ye reckon Davy Jones can communicate with pirate oracles?"

Seonghwa had shrugged at that one. He never spoke to Davy Jones, but he assumed him just as real as Selene. Someone would have to take care of all the sunken pirate ships out on the ocean. And for those who knew how to connect with a god, he might appear.

"Ye a wench under yer clothes after all?"

That one had Seonghwa grimace. It came with yet another lecherous stare gliding down his front to take in whatever little shape of him was visible through his wide robes. The pirates were entirely too drunk and too comfortable with him, and while that meant that their tongues loosened, it also repulsed Seonghwa every so often.

"Tell me if you take prisoners often? Women more than men?" he asked back, and the pirate gave a drunken answer, telling Seonghwa of stories of plundering and rape and tormenting their prisoners. 

Despite some of those perverse questions, spending time with the pirates wasn't too bad. Seonghwa got to speak to them for a while, got to learn about their limited view of the world and at the same time gasp with wonder when they mentioned the many places they had sailed before.

He wasn't quite befriending the enemy, but gathering information came in handy. It made the ship feel warm and lively in a way Seonghwa wasn't used to, and he soon felt stuffy from the heat and the scent of alcohol in the air, but he wouldn't say he hated every part about it.

Perhaps the crew wasn't the real problem. They were just odd people who gathered to sail the oceans. Criminals for sure, and deserving of Seonghwa's wrath, but no odder than any other criminals.

Their cursed captain, however, was a different story.