"Land ho" Came Yunho's shout from the crows nest.
The crew burst into smiles and cheers when they hear that. Most ready for a nice fresh meal, or ready to feel solid ground under their feet after so long. Most haven't left the ship in a month.
I sit on the main deck with my back against the mainmast watching the crew do their thing. I wanted to do something to make myself useful but Seonghwa had told me yesterday that I would have to ask the captain if there was anything for me to do.
I still haven't gathered the guts to go up on the quarter deck where he was at most the time the past few days, steering the ship. No instead I had wondered around the ship, making small talk with a few crew mates here and there, before I end up resting against the mainmast. I mainly watched the crew as they went back and forth doing their jobs, sometimes stopping to joke around before setting back to work. These pasts few days of sailing were beyond boring for me. I was used to always being busy on my small island.
But when I had lost interest on watching the crew I let my blue eyes wonder up to the helm. Yeosang was sat on the rail chatting with his captain. I couldn't hear what was being said but it must be something serious by the look on Hongjoong's face. I guess he could feel my intense staring because mid sentence he turned and met my eyes. I snap my eyes away feeling embarrassed for being caught staring at him.
--
"I cannot wait to have some fresh meat." I jump as the lively boatswain comes sliding down from the riggings.
"That's all you ever think about when we step on land." Yunho says as he too comes sliding down from the riggings. Those 2 seemed like they had lived their whole lives amongst the ropes. I had watched them swinging back and forth while we were docking.
"What are you looking forward to Katerina?" Wooyoung turns away from Yunho, setting his green eyes on me.
"Oh... I'm not sure if I can even leave.." I trail off looking up to the quarter deck where Hongjoong had been.
"I'm sure captain will let you come as long as we promise to keep an eye on you."
"But what about the compass?" It's the whole reason we had even came here. For the only compass that can work in all the dimensions.
"Captain and Seonghwa are getting that later ton-" Wooyoung gets cut off from Yunho's elbow that came and knocked him in the side. "Hey! What was that f-"
"What are you three talking about?" I see Wooyoung's mouth form a 'o' shape as his captain walks up beside us.
"Just asking Miss Katerina what she wants to do while we're here." Wooyoung covers quickly.
"If she's allowed to go..." Yunho comments carefully.
"Depends. Are you going to try and run?" His sharp eyes cut over to me.
I shake my head no as quickly as possible. "No sir."
"We'll keep a close eye on her." Wooyoung throws an arm over my shoulder sending me a wink.
"I guess it will be okay for her to go with you two..." He trails off running his thumb over his chin. "But if she even tries to run I will lock you all in the brig for a week." He sends a smirk as we all gulp at his words.
"Aye captain." The 2 men say causing their captain to laugh at them.
"He is scary.." I whisper as the blonde haired man walked away.
"Nah, he is a total softy once you get to know him. He just likes to act tough." Wooyoung says while turning me to the gangplank, heading off the ship. I then take notice to his arm still resting on my shoulders, I swat it away making him pout and his rub his arm.
We all turn as we hear a few people laugh behind us.
"Mind if we tag along?" The navigator questions as they walk up to us.
"Not at all." I nod along to Yunho's words.
After they join we set off into town. Merchants lined the cobble stones lanes, trying to sell 'rare' treasure to anyone that would pass by. Some more pushy then the others.
"Miss! This would look lovely on you!" A old man with few teeth left in his mouth marched up to me as we walked by. I bring my arms to my chest shying away from him.
"No thanks." Yeosang said as he pushed the old man away. "Make sure to stay close to us please." He adds as we head deeper into town.
We end up heading to an inn to get a fresh meal. The place was filled with pirates drinking and having a good old time. We sat at a table in the back corner away from the most crowded part of the room. But it was still a fight to walk around.
I sat shoulder to shoulder with Jongho and Wooyoung as we ate. The food tasted amazing to say the least. The beef was cooked and seasoned just right, the vegetables were so fresh it tasted like they had been picked right from the ground before being cooked.
After eating the guys ordered a round of drinks. They offered me one but I had never drank in my life so I turned it down.
"How do you know if you don't like it if you've never had it?" Wooyoung had asked before Yeosang had told him to leave me alone. I have never been in an environment like this, and was honestly driving me crazy. I could feel my breathes starting to become more and more shallow the longer I sat in this room. The smell of alcohol almost making me gag.
"Can I get some fresh air..?" They all look over to see my face a few shades paler then usual.
"Yeah, I'll take you." Yeosang offers.
"Thank you." We stand to make our way out of the inn. In order for us to leave we have to push drunk pirates out of our way. One falls into me, knocking me into poor Yeosang. Said man sends the drunk that fell into me a death glare.
Poor guy actually. I think to myself as I see Yeosang glaring the man down. I would not want to be the one to receive that look.
I take creedy gulps of fresh air. "Thank you. I've never really been around so many people before..."
"It's no problem. I wanted some fresh air as well." He offers me a small smile.
We sit in comfortable silence for a while, both of us just enjoying the crisp night air. That is until the others come out in a drunk mess. Well Yunho and Wooyoung our drunk while Jongho just has an annoyed look on his face.
Once Yeosang sees his crew mates state he decides it's time we head back to the ship before they do something stupid- his words not mine.
Jongho helps Yunho down the street, while Yeosang helps Wooyoung. The street had a lot less people then before as we slowly make our way back to the harbor. I trail behind them not knowing the way back and also not wanting to be to close just incase they stumble, knowing my small self would easily be crushed by them if they fell onto me.
I was laughing at Jongho who was being pat on the head by Yunho, the taller man calling the first mate cute. I could see that it was taking a lot for Jongho not to drop Yunho on his ass. But my laugh get's cut short by a boy who ran into Wooyoung, before taking off down an alleyway.
"Get back here!" Wooyoung rips away from Yeosang taking off after the kid.
"Wait for me!" There goes Yunho following his friend.
"Fuck." Jongho huffs as he follows after them.
"Stay close." Yeosang calls over his shoulder as we take off after the 2 drunks.
Even in their drunk state they follow close on the boys trail down a maze of alleys. It takes a lot for me to keep up with all the twist and turns. I run out of an alley onto a street that has more people on it.
"Shit.." I whisper as I notice I lost sight of the 4 men. I stand on my tiptoes trying to see any of them over the heads of the crowd. But I was to short, I couldn't spot any of them. So I decide to head the direction we had been before, hoping to find my way to the ship and just meet them there. This was not a good time for anyone to be out alone.
My blue eyes dart from side to side looking for any sight of the Illusions crew. Thanks to me not paying enough attention to where I was walking I don't see the man waiting at the mouth of an alley.
I try screaming when I feel my arm get pulled to the left, but the scream gets cut off by a hand coming up to cover my mouth. My eyes snap shut when the back of my head makes hard contact with a stone wall.
"Well aren't you a jewel." I almost throw up in my mouth from the stench that came out of this mans mouth. I squeeze my eyes shut for a second longer before I snap them open. The man was wearing a hood over his head, casting a shadow over his face. But I could make out chapped lips and twisted black teeth. "Why would someone like you be walking around alone?"
I snap my head back as his other hand came up to stroke my face, making my head hit the wall again. I decide to get the fuck away before he does something. So even though he looked like he had many diseases, I bite down on his hand.
"You little-" I let out a high pitched scream, hoping someone would help. I manage one good scream before he slaps me across the face. I stumble to the ground from the impact. My cheek would definitely have a mark on it. But I don't take no mind to that as I scramble to get to my feet, taking off down the alley, away from the creepy man with bad breathe.
But bad breathe dude was quick on his feet, because next thing I know my opposite cheek meets the cold stone ground. I know that won't look good in the morning. I let out another scream as I kick and push at him. My next cry for help dies in my throat as he pulls out a knife, placing the cold metal on the thin skin of my neck.
"Now hush, and don't try anything else." He snaps pushing the blade against my skin. I could feel as the sharp blade broke the skin a little, leaving a thin red line. I don't listen to his words, because as he turns for a second pulling the blade away just enough for me to not worry about hurting myself I bring my knee up into his man hood.
He drops the knife so he could hold his damaged goods. I take that chance to push him off and take off. I run as fast as my short legs will carry me. Once out of the alleyways I run into a person. They fall to the ground cursing at me.
"Katerina?" I turn from looking behind me at the dark alley to see the 4 men I had been looking for. The person I had ran into was Jongho.
"Thank goodness I found you guys!" I shout throwing myself at Yeosang not caring about the fact that they had technically kidnapped me. At least they haven't really hurt me, and they defiantly did not have bad breathe like that creepy man.
"What happened?" He holds me at arms length to see my face.
"I lost you guys on the other main street, and as I was looking for y'all a man pulled me into an alley. I don't know what he wanted or was planning so I got away as fast as I could." I pant out, looking over my shoulder scared he was going to pop up again.
"Let's get back to the ship. Captain is not going to be happy..." Jongho says after getting up and dusting himself off.
"I'm sorry." I say for running into him, and for the trouble I caused. He just nods his head.
--
"I told you two to keep an eye on her! Instead you get drunk and chase after a kid, allowing for her to get hurt!" All 5 of us stand in a line as Hongjoong yells at us. "And you two." He turns from yelling at Yunho and Wooyoung to now attack Yeosang and Jongho with his anger. "How do you let her get out of your sight?"
"Captain." I pick my head up ready to defend them. But as his fiery gaze lands on me I lower my head back down.
"What?" I could tell he was grinding his teeth together to keep from yelling at me as well.
"It was not their fault. They told me to stay close. But I lost sight of them in the crowd. They were just trying to help Wooyoung...." I look up through my lashes, scared to make him even more upset.
"I don't care. They had orders and they failed to follow them." He turns to the 4 men. "Get out of my sight. I'll decide your punishment's tomorrow."
"Aye captain." They all say, heads still hanging low as they make their ways out of the door.
"And you..." He sighs pinching the bridge of his nose. "Seonghwa. Take her to see San please. I'll decide what to do with you tomorrow as well."
"Yes sir. Follow me."
"Please don't punish them to harshly." I say before turning and following the quartermaster out the door.
I follow Seonghwa's tall figure to the sickbay. Head still hung low.
"Don't take captains anger to heart. He just worries to much for his own good." Seonghwa says as he sees the girls head hung low.
"Yeah I guess." Is all I say as we stop at the door to sickbay. Seonghwa just sighs before hitting his knuckles on the door.
"Come in." Calls a voice from the other side.
"San I have a patient for you. See you tomorrow Katerina."
"Come sit down." I turn to see the pink haired man pulling a stool up next to a bed. I take a seat with my head still down. I was acting like a child that had been scolded by their mother for doing something dumb.
"So what are you here for?" The surgeon asked while scooting his stool infront of me.
I lift my head allowing him to see my poor cheeks. "That looks like it stung." He says as he grabs my chin, moving my face from side to side to get a better look.
"Just a little." I say quietly still feeling sour. I really hope Hongjoong isn't to harsh on the poor men.
"Hold on." San says before walking over to the corner of the room that held a desk and selves that were filled with different herbs and books. He grabs a small container off the desk, along with some bandages out of a draw. "This is my own invention. It's a wound salve, made with olive oil, coconut oil, lavender, calendula, tea tree oil, and a spot of honey. Don't tell anyone about the coconut oil I discovered it a few months ago while bored."
He smiles proudly as he grabs a rag and a dark bottle. He pops open the bottle allowing the sent of rum to fill the sickbay. "This may sting."
He then runs the rag over my scraped cheek. I dig my fingers into the side of the bed as soon as the alcohol touched the exposed under layer of skin. I suck it up knowing I've felt worse pain.
"Okay, all done!" He pulls away after applying the bandage over the majority of my right cheek.
"Thank you." I touch the bandage sending him a thankful smile.
"Now don't make this a habit. Okay?" He said with a teasing grin, showing off his dimples.
"Trust me I'll try my best to keep this from happening again. Though I do like it down here. The herbs make it smell so good." I take a deep breathe to empathize what I had just said. The herbs scents blending so well together, I could spend all day in here. It was like I was in my grandparents garden all over again. A innocent 10 year old girl that knew nothing about how cruel the world could be...
"Does it remind you of someone, or somewhere?" San could see the far off look in the girls dark blue eyes. Those same eyes snap to his dark brown ones. A small wistful smile spreads across her pink lips before a sigh finds it's way out of her chest.
"When I was younger I lived with my grandparents, They had a garden that I would tend to everyday. The herbs were my favorite because how they could be used for many things. Healing, cooking, warding off bugs, cleaning. So many things...." She trails off staring at his desk that had many pots sat on top of the wood.
"What happened..?" San was worried to ask, but at the same time he could hardly ever hold in his curiosity.
"They were killed when I was 10. Some robbers found our house while running from Royal Navy. Back then I did not know how to hide my wings... so they killed my grandparents and sold me off for gold..." Katerina didn't know why she shared that with the pink haired surgeon. Maybe it was because no one had ever asked her about her past before she was taken away and thrown into a cruel world.
"Well you can come here anytime you need to. My room is through that door right there." He pointed to a door on the far wall.