*The realm of Pactolus is a realm of misery. Humans that have managed to enter this dimension have either never made it out, or came back out of their minds. Any human that dares cross over will face the same fate.
To cross into this dimension without fear of going mad you will need one of two things.
1. A demons scale.
or
2. An angel's feather.
For those who acquire one of these items, you will need to keep them close to your heart at all times while inside the realm of Pactolus.
But even then you may not be able to avoid all the troubles that lay in Pactolus...**
That was all that was written in the first chapter of the book Jonah had sent to me. No other details at all...
"So we should have a small team go into the realm." Hongjoong says after reading the book. "Seonghwa, who all do you think should go?"
The silver haired quartermaster seemed to think deeply about who should go. "Well... I would like Yunho, Jongho, Wooyoung, and Yeosang to come with me. We only need Katerina to open the dimension for us and after that the ones to go in carry a feather as the book said." Seonghwa concluded.
The captain nods along with his friends' words. "Sounds like a plan. You can take two days worth of food and water just to be safe as well." Hongjoong added.
They had no idea yet how long it would take for them to find the piece of the hourglass they seek.
"Wait, I have to at least cross over long enough to activate the map remember?" I remind them. I would rather not have to go into Pactolus, but I would need to long enough to write on the map with my blood.
This whole process is weird... I have no idea why it all had to revolve around my angel side. But then again the other dimensions were meant only for angels to cross over, demons were able to cross over because they were once angels.
"She's right. Okay, Katerina, Mingi, and I will cross over in the other rowboat long enough for her to activate the map, then we will cross right back over." We all nod our heads in understanding. "Go get some rest crew, we will be crossing over before mid-day."
We all bid the captain a goodnight as we leave the quarter room for the second time that evening. Everyone heads their own way as we walk to the main deck. Instead of heading straight to my room, I wander around the ship. My nerves were eating at the pit of my stomach. I was feeling very anxious about tomorrow, so I knew I would not be able to fall asleep anytime soon.
Lost in thought about what could go wrong tomorrow, I don't notice I had stopped in front of sickbay until a head of pink hair comes into view.
"Kat? You okay?" San was headed to sickbay from the kitchen when he had seen the dark haired girl just standing there with a far off look on her face.
"Oh, San. Hey..." I snap back to reality, "I'm fine... just a little worried about tomorrow, so I was walking around trying to clear my thoughts. I don't know why my feet led me here." I scratch my cheek in embarrassment.
"It's okay. Come in, let's talk." He opens the door inviting me in.
As soon as I step over the thresh hold, the scent of herbs hit my nose. I take a deep breath filling my nerves begin to ease already.
"So what's troubling you Kat?" San and Wooyoung both seem to have given me official nicknames.
"Tomorrow... what if something goes wrong? What if I can't figure out how to cross over? What if my feathers aren't enough for everyone going into the dimension? I am half human... what if-"
"Calm down." San reaches out grabbing my hands that were swinging wildly in the air as I spoke. "Have faith in yourself, and in the crew. We will get through this okay?"
I nod my head. Then a thought pops into my head. "Why are we going into this dimension?"
I had yet to ask why we were even trying to cross over into these dimensions. How could I forget to ask?
"We are seeking a piece to an hourglass.." The pink haired man pulls me over to a bed to sit.
"Why?" I knew we were going after a piece of an hourglass, but I did know the reason.
He looks down sighing. "I mean we have to tell you sooner or later, right?"
"Tell me what..?" He picks his head up to meet my eyes. His dark brown eyes were filled with sorrow.
"The whole reason why you're on this ship."
San explains to me how they had gone to take a powerful hourglass that would allow them to cross from dimension to dimension. He tells me the only reason they wanted the hourglass in the first place was to get to the island of The Mist. The island that held the answers to all the seas across every dimension. They wanted power. But a woman named Ester stopped them from getting what they wanted by breaking the hourglass into 8 pieces, scattering the pieces across 8 different dimensions to prevent them from getting the power they wanted. And then Ester had cursed them to become monsters if they could not gather the pieces and make it to the island of The Mist before a year's time. They had no hope in the beginning but they eventually heard whispers about my existence. And once they found me, hope filled them once more.
"Now we don't even care if we find the answers to the sea, we just don't want to be cursed to sail the seas as monsters.." San sits upright as he finishes telling me how this all came to be. "You have only been on this ship for a little over a week, but I see the crew already changing because of you."
"Me? I haven't done anything.."
"Yes and no. You may not have done anything intentionally but your kindness, and willingness to help out the most feared pirates has made us see that there is more out there than useless gold and rare trinkets."
"But like you said I haven't even been around for that long, how can I really be helping change you guys?" I was lost, how can me being here for a little over a week change them already?
"I can't explain it Kat, but just being around you fills us with hope. Well, at least I know for a fact that's how I feel when I'm around you, I can't say exactly say how the rest of the crew feel when they are near you. But I do know that they have been calmer and kinder since you came aboard."
"It's probably because I'm your guy's only hope in lifting the curse." I chalk it up to that. No way in hell I could change the ruthless pirates.
"Maybe you're right, only time will tell I guess." The surgeon sighs in defeat. "Would you like some tea?"
"Please." He nods before heading out the door to get some hot water from the kitchen.
I stare at the floor, lost in thought once again.
It's way too soon to say any of us have changed one another in even the smallest of ways. Things like that take time. I had blamed my feeling and actions of being deprived of human interaction, and Jonah pushing for me to stay and help them. Now as for what San was claiming I blame that on me being the only person alive that could help them. If it was someone else other than me they would probably feel the same about them as they do me.
---
"Kat... time to get up." Came a sweet gentle voice, softly pulling me away from the bliss of sleep.
I roll over with a groan. "A few more moments please..." I pull the cover over my head, causing the person to laugh.
"We have to get ready to cross over soon." The gentle voice reminds me. I roll back over popping an eye open. Sitting on the edge of the sickbay bed I had fallen asleep on was San.
After we had drunk the tea he had made, we sat there chatting about different herbs that we liked. San had vast more knowledge about herbs than I did though.
I ended up getting lost in him explaining how he uses certain herbs for his medicines and teas that he likes to make. His soft voice had my eyes fluttering shut, and my head falling onto his shoulder. The first time my head touched his shoulder I tried to sit back up but was stopped by his hand.
"Rest, you need it." He whispered removing his hand from the top of my head and wrapping it around my shoulders to keep me stable. And that was all it took for me to pass out.
--
We all sit in silence, nerves eating at us all as we try to prepare our minds for the worst.
Right after we finish eating we get called into the quarter room.
We all pile into the small room at the same time. Wooyoung pushes San, who then falls into me, I get thrown forward by the force. A pair of arms catch me by my waist.
"Thank you." I look up meeting a pair of grey colored eyes. Seonghwa offers me a smile before looking over my shoulder to send San, and Wooyoung a scolding look.
"So we have everything gathered, we just need your feathers now Katerina." Hongjoong looks up from the table.
"Aye sir." I walk over to the more open area of the room, where the very same blonde haired man had forced my wings out a little over a week ago. But I held no anger towards him for that anymore. "Can you all turn around?"
They all quickly spin around besides the annoying green eyed boatswain, he raises a brow at me before turning around slowly.
I let a sigh out as turn around facing my back to them. I undo the buttons on my off white shirt. I twist around to undo the buttons on the back where I had made holes for the base of my wings to fit through. Once my wings were out I would need someone to pull the shirt around the base of my wings and hook the buttons.
I let my shirt slide down past my shoulder blades to make sure my wings did not rip it. Then in the next moment, my wings burst through my skin, painless now that I have been doing it so often at night when I'm alone in my cabin. I then pull my shirt up, redoing the buttons.
"Okay." I fold my wings against my back as I turn back to them.
I walk over to the table. "Would one of you mind doing these buttons for me?" I turn around showing them the way I had made the shirt to go around my wings. It was silent for a moment before I feel someone's fingers brush my skin as they grabbed the fabric of my shirt.
"Thank you." I turn around once I feel they were done with the last button.
"You're welcome." The hazel eyed captain clears his throat, nodding before making his way back to the head of the table.
I slightly unfold one wing, reaching my opposite hand over I grab a random feather before yanking it out.
That hurt... I think as I lay the pure white feather on the navigation table.
I pull a feather out for each member that would be crossing over into Pactolus today. Yeosang then takes them, tying a string to the end of the feather so they could wear them around their necks, allowing the feather to fall right over their hearts as the book had suggested.
I was going to keep my wings out until we crossed back over, just to be safe.
"Alright crew, make sure before we cross over that your feathers are still secure." Hongjoong reminds his crew before dismissing us to go load what we need into the rowboats.
--
"You got your throwing knives just in case?" Yunho pops up beside me as I waiting for Hongjoong by the rowboat he and I would be taking along with the mastergunner.
"Yes sir." I smile patting my belt where the silver knives lay.
"Good. Be careful Katerina." He pats my head sending me a small smile.
"Don't worry about me silly. You have to actually go father into Pactolus. You be careful." I step up on the rail between the side of the ship and the rowboat to pat his head like he had done to me.
His face was priceless. His bright blue eyes wide, mouth open in pure surprise.
"You are something else, Katerina." The dark haired man says as his face breaks into a bright smile.
"That she is!" Wooyoung walks over holding his stomach from laughing at his mate's face. The green eyed man had been watching the whole thing.
"You saw that?" Him bursting into another fit of laughter was enough of an answer for me. I huff as I hop off the railing.
"Well, you lot seem to be in high spirits." The quartermaster comments as he joins us by the rowboats.
"You missed it!" Wooyoung yells out, before explaining what had happened to the silver haired man. Even going as far as to stand on the railing and pat Yunho's head like I had done a moment ago. Yunho scolded him and slapped his hand away before it could touch his hair. Seonghwa just shakes his head and laughs at us.
"What's going on here..?" The dark haired navigator asked as he slowly walked over to us, San not far behind him.
Once again Wooyoung explains what had just occurred moments ago, all while fighting off fits of laughter.
"We ready crew?" Hongjoong and Mingi finally come to join us all by the rowboats.
"Aye sir!" We all course at the same time.
"Good, let's get this over with."
We all climb into our respected boats, I sit on the middle seat. Mingi takes the seat behind me at the front of the boat to help with rowing, while Hongjoong takes the seat at the back. I look back up to the ship to see the pink haired surgeon waving to us as the boats touch the water.