The crew of the rocking ship had gathered inside the spacious Captain's quarters, creating a protective circle around the Siren who lay in their midst. The creature's modesty was now preserved by a piece of cloth that draped over its body. Yeosang, dressed in San's old clothes and sporting a shell necklace that belonged to Siyeon, stood amongst them. The necklace helped regulate his body temperature, which was particularly sensitive to changes in the environment. Unlike Seonghwa, who was impervious to such fluctuations, Yeosang was vulnerable to sudden shifts in temperature. The cold air that felt warm to others was harsh and uncomfortable for him, while warmth was a prelude to fever and illness.
Despite the initial unsteadiness, Yeosang found his sea legs quickly and adapted to the ship's rocking motion with ease. He moved across the deck with the confidence of a seasoned sailor, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The fish that swam around the vessel seemed to sense his presence and glided gracefully along the ship's shaky surface, almost outdoing Hongjoong in their nimbleness. The atmosphere was tense, but the crew remained resolute, knowing that their mission to transport the Siren to safety was of paramount importance.
Hongjoong was seated at his desk, the cold Elf Seonghwa standing beside him, his hands calmly resting on the smooth surface. The rest of his crew stood nearby, their hands at the ready, fingers brushing against their weapons in case of danger. Jongho stood protectively beside his precious fish of a cargo, guarding it from any potential threat that could arise from the crew.
Hongjoong's eyes blazed with an intense anger that seemed to consume him, yet his face remained eerily calm as if he were wearing a mask. He let out a deep sigh, and a chilling grin slowly spread across his face, causing the crew to shudder with fear. They knew all too well what that expression meant - the danger was imminent.
"Captain," Jongho's voice was warning. "I suggest ye wipe that grin off ye face. I made me-self clear on Yeosang."
Hongjoong's grin disappeared.
"Ahem," Yunho spoke up, standing tall as he walked toward Hongjoong and Seonghwa. "I don' really know what be goin' on...but, if the Siren knows something, we don...I think that be a good reason to keep 'em."
"Aye," San agreed, taking his hand on his pistol and raising his hand. "We really be needin' the Eclipse's power...we have to save 'em, Cap."
Hongjoong stayed silent as more people agreed, leaving Mingi neutral on the situation. The Captain leaned forward, leaning his elbows on the desk and resting his chin on the hammock he made with his hands.
"I get that, I do," Hongjoong shrugged, looking at the fish. "But what I don' get is why he be choosin' to help...Jongho. He must know why we need 'em, but chooses to stay? I don' get it."
The Siren opened his mouth as he would speak but snapped it shut and motioned for Jongho to lace his ear to his mouth. The boatswain nodded, listening closely to the fish before looking directly at Hongjoong.
"He says even if it nearly impossible for him to shed a tear for it be forbidden in their Kingdom, for their race, he wishes to help me help ye."
"The fuck does that even mean?"
Sighing, Yeosang raised his hands gracefully, moving them in motions that Hongjoong did not know. The Captain stayed quiet, letting the fish do what he wished. Once done, Seonghwa took a deep breath and looked at Hongjoong.
"I will translate for you, Hongjoong," Seonghwa said, moving himself closer to Siren as if curious. "He said, 'During the time I've spent with Jongho, I learned many things.'" The Elf looked at the Siren, still keeping a safe distance. "I learned more about the human race, but mostly, the meaning of a connection."
The Siren's vitiligo cheeks were painted with rouge as he sheepishly looked to the side. The green had faded with his tail, leaving his long black hair almost matching Seonghwa's length. A pearl-like headpiece still rested on his forehead, but the central pearl was missing. His eyes were still sharp like he was still cautious about the crew...and Hongjoong couldn't blame him.
"And that friendship is essential to me," Seonghwa said as if he was disgusted with simply repeating Yeosang's silent words. "I have bonded with your Boatswain, and once we Sirens bond with another, we are never to leave their side...no matter what."
Once Seonghwa finished, Hongjoong noticed Mingi's eyebrow raise but decided not to follow up on it.
"So," Hongjoong cleared his throat. "Thank ye, bunny, for that-."
"Stop calling me that."
"-But, I am still confused about how all this could happen so very...quickly."
"That I ask the same," Seonghwa nodded. "Sirens take almost ages to bond with another, and it is always with another Siren. How is it a creature such as you," he scoffed, earning a deadly glare from the Siren. "Bonded so quickly, with a human no less?"
Yeosang opened his mouth, and a weird low-like sound like a mixture of an enraged scream and clicking escaped his frowning scowl.
"I don't speak Siren, you low-life," Seonghwa spat back, crossing his arms and his ears pinning back like an angry horse. "Pugaeko."
"I...don'...speak...snob..." Yeosang's lips twitched into a grin. "Ye bunny."
"You little-!"
"Okay," Yunho stepped between them. "No more of 'em name callin' until we finish whatever this be."
"Aye," Hongjoong tried to hide his smile, clearly enjoying the banter between the two creatures. "So, let's get this straight, shall we? The Siren is staying because it has bonded with Jongho and knows the way to this 'Heaven's Door' that our lovely bunny," he winked at Seonghwa, seeing his anger grow. "Failed to explain to us. So, let put aside whatever grudges we be having toward each other to get the Eclipse...but there be one more question I be dyin' to know."
Hongjoong slowly stood up, leaning on his desk to look the deadly Siren directly in the eyes. He noticed his pupils were sharp, like a cat's, but softened once Jongho placed his hand on the fish's shoulder.
"What do ye really want from us?"
Yeosang raised an eyebrow, moving his hands once more.
"He asked, 'What do you mean?'" Seonghwa translated, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his hips.
"Now," Hongjoong giggled, earning a stern look from Jongho. His boatswain used his eyes to warn him not to go too far. "I might know the whole thing with the bonding shit, but I do know that no Siren would just up and leave their home for a 'myth' like an Eclipse. So, pray to tell, what would ye want to follow a bunch of deranged pirates who would do anythin'," he moved toward the Siren, using a pen he grabbed from the desk to lift his head to look at him.
Jongho gently pushed the Captain's hand away, narrowing his eyes as Hongjoong raised his hands in surrender and grinned before stepping back.
"I ain't gon hurt 'em," Hongjoong chuckled. "Just wanna know what he truly wants."
The Siren blinked a few times before sighing. He moved his hands gently out and showed Hongjoong is palm. The crew all stuck their head out a bit to see, except Jongho, as if he knew already. Seonghwa moved closer, his disgusted face turning to be more empathic.
"Your home..." the Elf started. "It's fading, too?"
The Siren's hand was slowly turning Grey, like puss on an infected wound. It festered in the middle of his palm with scratch scars as if the fish tried to claw the grey of his hand.
"Aye," Jongho answered for the fish. "Like yers, his kingdom is being poisoned for the moon's powers to grow weaker."
"Artemis is not happy..." Yeosang muttered out. "She is fightin' with Poseidon...Don' know what be happenin'."
"Your gods are always bickering," Seonghwa scoffed. "If you follow Ewa, you don't have to pray and serve more than one god. Ewa is Goddess of all, our power, from the earth to the sun."
Yeosang's eyes twitched, signing something quickly that made Seonghwa scoff. "Tis not my fault I have a better Goddess than those children you call gods! The king mates with everything he sees!"
At first, he agreed with his facial expressions that Zesus was...proactive in his pleasures, but Yeosang signed another thing and another.
"I do not care if I am Poseidon's 'territory,'" Seonghwa rolled his eyes. "Ewa protects me from his childish wrath."
"What is goin' on right now?" Wooyoung asked, slowly chewing on an apple he got from God knows where. San noticed he had an apple, grabbed Wooyoung's hand to his lips, and took a bite. The cook did not bat an eye, only taking another bite from the fruit himself.
"Just make a decision, Cap," Jongho spoke up, his tone telling him to make the 'right' one.
Sighing, the Captain leaned on his desk and crossed his arms. "The Siren stays. Ensure the crew doesn't bother the fish; Jongho, ye will be in charge of it. Got it?"
"He," Jongho stressed the word as to tell him the fish was not an 'it.' "Will be under my care."
"Ight," Hongjoong nodded. "Bunny, ye are not to try and harm the Siren, got it?"
"Stop calling me that," Seonghwa frowned but nodded. "But yes, I will not cause harm to the fish."
"His name is Yeosang," Jongho cut in.
"Look, I do not care if his name is Harry, Liza, or Peter," Seonghwa narrowed his eyes. "I only agreed to not cause harm to it. I am not a part of whatever," he circled his arms to motion toward the crew. "This is."
Yeosang touched Jongho's arm gently, shaking his head and calming the boatswain down.
"Fine."
"All in favor?" Hongjoong asked, his grin only growing bigger.
"Aye!"
-----
With the ship sailing north into the cold water, everything slowly returned to normal. Yeosang, Seonghwa, and the crew worked together to map out a way toward the first step into getting the Eclipse with time gnawing on their asses.
They only had so much time before the next Eclipse happened and needed to hurry.
As Hongjoong stepped onto the balcony overlooking the deck, he found Jongho showing Yeosang how to tie a proper knot. They were laughing; Jongho laughed as Yeosang gave silent chuckles.
The Captain quickly found out the fish only talked to Jongho; everyone else got sign language. That and Siyeon has taken a strong liking to the fish, often taking him down to her "kitchen," as she calls it. Hongjoong didn't know what they were doing and didn't want to know.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" A calm voice appeared beside him. Hongjoong turned to look, finding none other than the Elf looking out onto the balcony. "A creature known for death and chaos...gently living amongst its number one food source."
"Aye," Hongjoong nodded, turning his gaze back onto the fish. "I don' trust the fish...but I trust Jongho. I know my Boatswain."
"I wish I could say the same," Seonghwa sighed. "Just be careful of it. Sirens are known as sly creatures for a reason."
"Then why haven't ye not try to kill it?" Hongjoong asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The pearl," Seonghwa pointed at the Siren's headpiece. "The main one is missing. That's how I know he has truly bonded with Jongho."
"How do ye know so much bout Sirens?" Hongjoong asked, tilting his body toward Seonghwa. "I mean, ye knew shit that even the books didn't say."
"Please," Seonghwa sniggered. "I am an Elf. To beat your enemy, you first must know your enemy." The Elf looked at the Captain as if it was common knowledge. "We know more than your average "Mythology Book" for Sirens. We have centuries of history of them. I studied for most of my life about almost all of the creatures of the world."
"How 'bout humans?" Hongjoong smirked, eyeing him up and down. The Captain did not wish to do anything with the Elf; he liked it when Seonghwa angrily flustered. "Learn everythin' 'bout 'em?"
Seonghwa's sharp eyes narrowed in concentration as they trekked North, scanning the icy terrain ahead. The frigid winds whipped his long, snowy blonde hair around his face, but he seemed unfazed by the cold. The sun was just behind him, casting a warm, golden glow that illuminated his striking features and created a radiant halo effect around his head. Despite the serious expression on his face, Seonghwa looked almost ethereal with his pointed nose, high cheekbones, and piercing purple eyes that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Hongjoong couldn't help but smile at the sight of him, feeling a sense of awe and admiration for the cold Elf. At that moment, it was easy to believe that Seonghwa was a powerful and otherworldly snow god who quickly ruled over the frozen landscape.
"Yes, Captain Hongjoong," he sneered, turning to look at Hongjoong in disgust. "I know very well how Humans work. They are not too different from Elves and Fairies."
"Really? How so?"
"Well, everything is mostly the same despite Elves and ten times more powerful in our sense. That, and some few other things that I will not like to discuss," Seonghwa stood still, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. He shook his head slightly as if trying to shake off a fleeting thought. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp, chilly air. As he raised his head, he could feel the cool breeze caressing his face and ruffling his hair. He stood there for a moment, savoring the moment of tranquility and solitude, before opening his eyes and turning his gaze back to the horizon. "That and we have two hearts."
"Aye, I get it-, what?" At first, Hongjoong's tone was teasing but it soon stopped when he heard Seonghwa's little fact. "Ye have what now?"
"Yes," Seonghwa finally smiled a bit, his cold demeanor softening. "We Elves have two hearts! Did you humans not know?" He gave a teasing smile.
Ah, there it was. The thing that made Seonghwa happy.
Talking about his knowledge and whimsical facts.
"How be that even possible?" Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. "Ye pullin' on me leg?"
"No," he chuckled softly, moving closer to Hongjoong and pointing at the Captain's hand. "May I?"
"Um...aye?"
Hongjoong's eyes widened in surprise as Seonghwa took his hands and placed them on his chest. He could feel the Elf's heartbeat, slow and steady at first, but then he felt another pulse, just a fraction of a second behind the first. Confusion and amazement washed over Hongjoong as he realized that Seonghwa had not one but two hearts. How had he never noticed before? Despite the limited information on Elves, Hongjoong couldn't help but wonder why having two hearts was not widely known. The sensation of Seonghwa's two hearts beating in almost perfect unison beneath his hands was both mesmerizing and perplexing. Hongjoong couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence toward the Elf, knowing he possessed such a unique and mysterious trait.
"You are wondering why no books have been written about this, right?" Seonghwa chuckled, looking at Hongjoong's perplexed face. "Do you notice how the pulse doesn't exactly beat simultaneously?"
"Aye," Hongjoong gave his chest a slight squeeze, earning Seonghwa to push him away with an annoyed look.
"Hoongjoong."
"Sorry."
"Ahem," Seonghwa dusted his hands off and touched his touch. "Like Sirens, Elves have their own version of 'bonding.' We call it 'Linking.' We Elves are fated to link with one another; once we do, our second heart matches the beat of our partner."
"I see," Hongjoong nodded, crossing his arms as the sound of music softly played in the background. "And how do ye know if ya even 'link'?"
"Well," Seonghwa leaned against the railing. "I haven't experienced it for myself, obviously, but your second heart slowly changes its pulse to match the lover. Once it entirely changes, you feel this sharp pain in your chest, your legs go weak, and your hands sweaty. That's when the Elf is linked with another. Once linked, if the other person dies, that heart slowly becomes dull and is coughed out by the Elf."
"What?"
"It often leads to death, but only some have survived, but not for long."
"Excuse me?"
"Yes," Seonghwa nodded eagerly, happily explaining the Elves' Linking process. "With it comes the ability to know the other's emotions and sometimes thoughts if the link is robust. However, together, it's like they work in perfect harmony," he smiled brightly. "I've seen it, you know?"
"See what?" Hongjoong asked, now even more confused than a few moments ago. He also wishes he would time-travel back when he thought he knew everything.
"Linking," Seonghwa sighed in contentment, slightly tilting his head to the side as he watched Jongho and Yeosang. "A few friends back home Linked a hundred years or so-."
"A hundred what now?" Hongjoong eyes grew wide. He knew that Elves used to be immortal but now only lived for a long time, but it was still a shock to hear about.
"A hundred years," Seonghwa repeated as if Hongjoong was a slow child. "We are quite old, Hongjoong—you and your crew and practically children to me."
"Right," Hongjoong frowned. "But I have lived more lives than you ever have, Prince Bunny."
It was Seonghwa's turn to frown.
"Stop calling me that."
"Never."
"Argh," he sighed, running his fingers through his silky hair and pulling it over his shoulder. "Anyway, linking is like what humans call a fated lover. Linking is like love, but more powerful than anything before. It is a beautiful thing, really," his soft smile appeared again, as he slowly braided his hair. "How a pair could work in perfect harmony—so flawlessly."
"Now, that be a sight for sore eyes," Hongjoong chuckled, returning his gaze to the fish and his sailor.
"Oh, it is truly beautiful!" Seonghwa sighed, closing his eyes to take the breeze. "And Linking assures no cheating, so it is even more powerful."
"Oh?" The Captain's ears grew ten the size. "How so?"
"If you Link with another, the only person you can mate with is that person. It is physically impossible to even try and no one wants to," Seonghwa said with a straight face as if he was trying not to get embarrassed. "Us Elves are not the promiscuous type. Sometimes, even Linked Partners choose not to engage in such acts."
"In such acts?" Hongjoong repeated, grinning as he saw the Elf's cheeks grow flush. "How 'bout ye? Do ye wanna engage in such acts?" He asked, moving closer to his elbow touch his.
"Pardon me!" Seonghwa scoffed, quickly moving his arm away in disgust. "It is rude to ask such a thing to the Prince-."
"Ye technically brought it up first, mate."
"-Of the-! To teach you, you ape!" Seonghwa stomped his foot down. "Do you always make such beautiful and natural things so lewd and promiscuous?" He huffed.
"If it be so natural..." He smirked, looking at the blushing cheeks on Seonghwa's pale skin that was slowly showing signs of tanning. "Then why ye so flustered?"
"Argh! I am trying to teach you!"
"My bad, mate," Hongjoong took a step back, noticing how his ears were pinned tightly to his head. "Didin' mean to upset ye."
"Yes, you did."
"Aye, I did."
"You know," Seonghwa took a step forward. "If you weren't so-," Seonghwa's sentence was cut off by the sound of a guitar.
As they both turned their gaze downward, they noticed Jongho standing in the midst of a group of children and a handful of adults. In his hands was a beautiful guitar, which he strummed with such precision and skill that it seemed to captivate everyone around him. The Siren appeared slightly taken aback by the scene at first, but his confusion quickly turned to a gentle smile as Jongho's music grew louder and more enchanting. The children, in particular, seemed to be absolutely mesmerized by the talented musician and his magical instrument. It was a heartwarming sight to behold, and one that would surely stay with them for a long time to come.
As the day drew to a close, a magnificent sight unfolded before Hongjoong's. The sun, now low in the sky, was casting a warm and luminous golden glow that gently illuminated the world around it. The clouds, which were scattered across the sky, were dusted with a delicate shade of pink that perfectly complemented the deep blue of the sea below. The air was crisp and cool, but the colors that filled the sky provided a sense of warmth and serenity.
As the sun continued to set, the stars gradually began to appear, twinkling like tiny diamonds in the sky. Their flickering light resembled pixie dust, adding to the enchanting atmosphere. The golden sky was slowly transforming into a deep and royal shade of blue, signaling the imminent arrival of the moon, which would soon take its seat upon the throne of the sky. The stars grew brighter with each passing moment, their light illuminating the world below, and creating a sense of magic and wonder that filled everyone who laid eyes upon its hearts.
Seonghwa grew wary of the Siren, watching him chuckle as he whispered something into Jongho's ear. With a nod, he starts to play a tune that was unfamiliar to Hongjoong...but by the looks of Seonghwa's face, very familiar to him.
The Siren slowly stood up, moving his hands up, his hair slipping away and revealing his blooming flower-like ear that strongly resembled an angel fish. Its eyes twinkled as he smiled at the children warmly and slowly started to hum the same tune Jongho was playing.
If angels could sing, Hongjoong would say it was nothing compared to the voice he heard from the Siren. However, he did not feel 'tempted' with sin, no, but as the Siren started to sing, he felt nothing but emotions of loss, joy, pain, and suffering all at once. He noticed Seonghwa start to move down the stairs to get to Yeosang, his ears upright like a horse curious of a predator. The Elf's eyes grew wide and teary as he slowly moved toward the crowd around the fish.
Hongjoong quickly followed, becoming inches behind the Elf before stopping in his tracks as he heard the Siren sing.
Before he heard Heaven come down to earth.
"A young man walked through the forest, with his quiver and hunting bow~."
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I love the schedule publish things, makes it seem like im active or smth ha lmao