Chapter 5: The Songbird’s Resolve

Jimin didn’t emerge from the brig until he heard the heavy sound of the anchor being dropped into the sea. He jerked upright, groaning at the stiffness of his neck and scrunching his nose at the sour stench of vomit that filled the dim room; he’d have to clean that later, lest it make him sick again.

No, he realized as he listened to the distant sound of pirates moving about up on deck. I won’t have to clean anything.

The only thing he had to do was escape.

Quickly, he unlocked the his cell and hurried out, gingerly stepping over the pile of sick he’d left next to the door, only to almost set his foot in something else as soon as he was outside the door. “Wha-” he exclaimed and barely managed to avoid it by almost losing his balance and falling to the side, and once he’d recovered, he blinked down at what he’d almost stepped in, a pang of unwelcome affection rising in his chest.

A plate loaded with potatoes and dried meat had been left outside his door at some point during the day, and already, Jimin felt his resolve crack. It was Taehyung, he knew; the blonde pirate had likely gone against his captain’s orders to bring him a plate of food, or then he’d given Jimin his own portion. Either way, it made him hesitate. No one but Jihyun would ever have done something like this for him, such a simple gesture, yet enormous in its own way.

“No,” he told himself sternly and walked towards the ladders leading up to the bunks. “There’s no going back.”

He had to escape.

Jimin felt tense as all hell as he climbed up onto deck. He could some of the pirates’ eyes as they stared at him, as if their gazes were real, physical touches against his skin. It sent a rush of goosebumps trailing across his neck, but he ignored it, instead turning his head to look around, and his eyes went wide at the sight of the island some two hundred meters from the ship.

From what he could see, it wasn’t very large, but a lush forest stretched out across the coast, its trees tall and beautiful and home to hundreds of birds, some of which Jimin could see flying above the green tops. Behind the small island, he could see several others, a cluster of land, and behind all of them, the mainland of Japan stretched out, reaching much further than the eye could see, taking up what seemed like the entire horizon. Jimin had never seen so much land before. All he’d ever known was the island of Jeju.

“The fuck you doing back up on deck?”

Jimin startled at the harsh voice and turned on his heel to find the man who’d almost killed him and Jihyun during the raid on his village standing behind him, an empty sack slung over his shoulder and a snarl on his face. Hisashi, Jimin remembered Taehyung calling him. “You should be down in your cage,” he spat, his voice a sharp hiss.

Jimin’s lips curled down into a scowl. “There are plenty of places where I should be,” he said hotly, “and this ship is the last of them.”

The pirate emitted a sound that was half a chuckle, half a growl. “Big words for a little bird,” he snapped, his hand moving to the katana at his waist simply to rest at the hilt, the simple act speaking volumes of his intentions. “The captain should’ve done you worse.”

A thrill of cold rage went through Jimin, who took a step forward. “Easy words for a coward,” he said shrilly, “who threw a tantrum because he didn’t get to kill a defenseless old lady.”

Hisashi’s rage was near palpable, but before he could do so much as curl his fingers around the hilt of his blade, someone appeared behind Jimin and put a hand on his shoulder, and the pirate visibly balked. “Do put your needle away, Hisashi Junji,” a smooth voice said, and when Jimin turned his head, he found a tall, beautiful man standing next to him, with broad shoulders and hair the color of hazel. “No one wants to see you wave it around in such closed quarters.”

Just like when Taehyung had interrupted him, Hisashi ground his teeth and did as told, bowing his head in a stiff gesture of salute before turning on the heel and storming off, hissing under his breath as he went. “Good riddance,” the stranger said with a huff. “He draws that needle so often, one would think he’s attempting to stitch himself a dress to go with his dramatic flare.”

His lips curled into a smirk before he descended into a fit of chiming laughter, and he moved the hand from Jimin’s shoulder to none too gently smack him on the back instead, too caught up in his own glee to notice Jimin’s confused stare. He had no idea who the man was; he hadn’t been anywhere in sight when Taehyung had taken him around for introductions earlier that day. The man also seemed to radiate some sort of grace that Jimin certainly didn’t associate with pirates.

“Ah, that was too funny,” the stranger said breathlessly when he finally sobered up, raising a hand to gently dab at the corners of his eyes. “Yet you didn’t laugh, canary. Did Yoongi manage to kill your sense of humor already?”

Jimin frowned at that, displeased to be reminded of the captain. “He didn’t,” he protested, although quite unsure why; when he thought about it, he came to the conclusion it was most likely the truth. “I’m just not in the mood for laughter.”

“And so you prove my point.” The man’s smile was almost warm. “Joon told me the canary had something akin to a death wish,” he mused, “walking around the ship and yelling at people he can’t defend himself against. First Yoongi and now Hisashi. How are you enjoying your life on the edge?” Jimin didn’t quite know what to say to that, but he didn’t have to rack his brain for an answer before the man heaved a soft sigh and shook his head. “That was insensitive of me,” he said and pursed his lips into a pout. “I’m sorry.”

“Wha- t-that’s not necessary,” Jimin said hurriedly, waving a hand as if to deflect the man’s apology. “But… who are you?”

The stranger blinked at that, quirking a perfect brow. “You don’t know me?” he asked in genuine surprise, and when Jimin shook his head, he heaved a frustrated sigh and adapted an expression of heavy disappointment. “I can’t believe these ungrateful fools who sail this ship. All day I slave for them, make sure they’re well fed with food they don’t deserve, and what do I get as thanks? Not even a single shred of-”

“Jin.” The name rose to his mind the very second the man mentioned food, slipping past his lips before he could stop himself. “You’re Jin, right?” he asked, and instantaneously, the stranger’s eyes lit up and he smiled in content, his irritation gone in the blink of an eye. “The cook.”

“The cook,” Jin echoed with a nod. “And you’re Jimin, the living, breathing thorn in Yoongi’s side. And now Hisashi’s as well.” He waggled his brow with an almost teasing smile. “You have a gift, canary.”

Vaguely, amidst Jimin rolling his eyes and pursing his lips, he realized how little he minded that his man, this pirate, called him by the same name his mother once had. The thought, however, made his gut twist, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain; there was something comforting about the cook’s mere presence, and that in itself was unsettling.

“Will you join us ashore?” Jimin snapped out of his thoughts and blinked up at Jin, who nodded towards the island. “We’re preparing to go ashore to get supplies,” he said by way of explanation. “Jeongguk, Taehyung, Hisashi – unfortunately – and Sungsin and I. We can fit one more, if you want to come.”

It took a conscious effort to not seem too eager. “I-if that’s alright,” Jimin said carefully, fighting the urge to curl his hands into fists to hide their sudden clamminess. “I wasn’t sure if I was… allowed.”

Jin observed him for a moment before sighing softly. “Well,” he said with a huff, “what Yoongi doesn’t know won’t kill him. He’s asleep at the moment, and we’ll be back before he wakes up.”

With that, he promptly walked past Jimin, curling his fingers in a beckoning motion as he headed for Agust’s starboard side. Jimin was quick to follow; it sounded like the captain had ordered for him to remain in the brig, and if that was the case, staying on the ship was the last thing Jimin wanted to do.

The rest of those going ashore were halfway through the process of lowering the dinghy to the water when Jin and Jimin walked over. “Boys,” Jin called, and the very second Taehyung turned around and his eyes fell on Jimin, he emitted a delighted shout and released his grip on the ropes steadying the rowboat, much to Jeongguk and Sungsin’s dismay.

“Chim!” the blonde pirate said cheerfully and, to Jimin’s immense surprise, pulled him into a tight, bone-crushing embrace. “Are you okay? You were down there for hours and the door was locked and you hadn’t eaten anything since sunrise, and-”

“I-I’m fine,” Jimin stuttered and reached up as best he could to pat Taehyung on the back. “Really, I’m fine, I just… I needed some time to myself. To think. And… and-”

“Why is he here?”

The tightening of Taehyung’s hold on him was so minimal, Jimin almost missed it as he turned to send a sour glare at Hisashi, who’d stepped up to the ship rail and tossed the sack he’d carried into the dinghy. “He’s supposed to be in the brig,” the pirate snapped, confirming Jimin’s earlier suspicions.

“He is here on my invitation,” Jin declared flatly, placing a hand on his hip and jutting out his jaw. “Just like the rest of you. We’re setting out to restock the pantry, my pantry, and unless you lot want to go without food until we reach Shanghai, you’d better be on your best behavior during this supply run. That means you stop glaring at each other like that.”

The last part of his scolding was aimed at Jimin as much as Hisashi, both of whom turned away from one another with an equally displeased expression. “Good,” the cook said and marched up next to Jeongguk to help him with the ropes Taehyung had abandoned. “Now let’s get moving. The sooner we’re done with this mariner-infested island, the better.”

They lowered the dinghy the rest of the way and climbed down, the six of them fitting nicely with room to spare for the supplies they would acquire. Jeongguk and Sungsin took charge of the oars while Taehyung and Jimin took a seat on the fore thwart, with Jin and Hisashi in the back. “I’ve never been to this particular island before,” the blonde pirate told Jimin in a voice filled with childlike excitement. “I’ve been to Hirado Island and Shimoshima Island, and the mainland of Japan, of course, but never here.”

Jimin listened in silence, apart from the occasional hum or sound of agreement; for every stroke of the oars, he was becoming more nervous, the knot in the pit of his stomach tightening almost painfully as they drew nearer his eventual escape. I have to go, he reminded himself over and over. There’s no life for me aboard that ship. It certainly didn’t help that he felt almost at ease when Taehyung threw an arm over his shoulder and pointed to something at the edge of the forest on Fukue Island’s coast, the touch so incredibly friendly.

For the third time since he’d left the brig, Jimin had to sternly tell himself to not falter in his mission.

He didn’t turn around until they’d reached the shores. While the others tied the rowboat to the closest tree on the coast, Jimin stood at the brink of the sea, waves splashing gently against his bare feet as he observed the Agust. Even from this distance, it looked as hauntingly impressive as it did up close; its sails were folded up as it was rocked by the ocean, and if not for the black flag fluttering in the wind on the highest point of the main mast, perhaps Jimin could’ve found the sight beautiful.

It only now dawned on him that this was the last time he’d ever see the vessel.

“Let’s go, Chim.”

Taehyung’s voice brought him out of his thoughts and he turned away almost reluctantly, his steps somehow heavy as he hurried after the others. “Goto Port is only a short bit away,” Jeongguk said with a nod in the general direction they were walking. “This island is as small as Jeju, if not smaller, but Goto’s a rather popular port for merchants and travelers on their way to China, so they have a decent stock of supplies to offer.”

“Not just travelers, however,” Jin said dryly. “Mariners. The eastern troops, who sail as far north as Russia and as far south as the Philippines, they tend to rest at Japan, be it on the mainland or these smaller islands. One of their warships is somewhere in these waters, so we have to be careful and not raise suspicion when we reach Goto Port.” He turned to glance at Jimin and Taehyung from over his shoulder. “Tae.”

The blonde pirate nodded and reached up to undo the bright blue scarf he’d tied around his head to keep his hair out of his brow. “I know,” he said lightly before retying it, this time around the lower half of his face, the cloth covering his nose and jaw, long enough to reach halfway down his neck. Like this, only his eyes were visible under the heavy fringe of his hair.

“Why do you do that?” Jimin asked, remembering the leather mask Taehyung had worn during the raid on his village. “Wear a mask? You don’t do it on the ship.”

He could tell the pirate was smiling even with his face almost completely hidden. “Yoongi’s orders,” he hummed. “I hide my face every time I step ashore, or whenever we go to battle. That way, no one can ever draw a complete bounty picture of me.”

“They call him the Unknown,” Jeongguk piped up, a fierce sense of pride and affection in his voice as he observed his lover. “They know who he is, but they’ve never seen his face.”

Taehyung chuckled brightly before looking at Jimin. “While my brother is wanted dead all over the world and will never be allowed to know peace,” he said softly, “he wants me to always have the chance to live a normal life, if I one day choose to leave the ship.” He laughed again, and the fondness in his voice made tightness in Jimin’s chest intensify. “That’ll never happen,” Taehyung mused, “but Yoongi makes me wear a mask either way.”

All Jimin could do was nod, holding his silence while the others conversed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t put together the image of Min Yoongi with the brother Taehyung described. A good man, the others kept calling their captain, kind and merciful unlike the rest of the pirating world, yet Jimin had never seen it. Not once had he seen even an ounce of kindness in him, not in his harsh, degrading words and his violent demeanor.

He is not kind, Jimin thought firmly, and the tension in him eased, steeling himself for what was to come. Not now, not ever. I will never be safe until I’m out of his reach.

True to Jeongguk’s words, it barely took them twenty minutes of walking before the outskirts of Goto Port came into view. The town was surprisingly big, which prompted Jimin to wonder if this was the only town on the entire island; they hadn’t passed any people or seen any houses during their walk, thus it was likely the island’s entire population lived here.

Suddenly, the lot of them came to a halt. “Alright, find me some rocks,” Jeongguk said and began peeling off his gloves, and Jimin was about to ask what on earth he would need rocks for, but the question died in his throat when the sailing master removed the mitt off his left hand to reveal another one underneath, however that one seemed to be made out of the purest gold, glittering in the afternoon sun.

“What…” Jimin began, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t find the words. Mutely, he watched Jeongguk repeat the process on the other hand, tucking his regular gloves into his belt before slowly working off the gilded ones. “What are…”

The navigator’s smile was almost tight. “It’s my blessing,” he told Jimin. “The Blessing of Gold. Everything my hands touch…” He left the sentence open and waved one of the golden gloves around in answer before letting it fall to the ground. “You have a blessing of Nature, right? Right, mine’s a blessing of Abnormality. Blessings of Abnormality affect and chang the body somehow.” He held his hands up much like a surgeon while he spoke, waiting for the others to bring him what he needed, and once they’d gathered a small pile of regular stones, Jeongguk reached down and took a few of them into his hands.

Jimin’s eyes widened in wonder as he watched the grey stones slowly take on the glimmer of gold, their value rising to the heavens with a single touch. They were beautiful, shining in the sun, and Jimin leaned forward for a better look, but a hand on his shoulder pulled him back.

“Careful,” Taehyung whispered and draped himself over Jimin’s shoulders as he watched his lover go about his work. “He’ll turn you into gold as well if you’re not.”

At first, all Jimin realized was that the reason why Jeongguk wore gloves, not one pair but two, was because his blessing wasn’t limited to inanimate objects; if he accidentally touched someone on the ship, they would be turned as well. They would die, by nothing more than a single touch from the navigator.

Then the gravity of the pirate’s words hit him, and it made Jimin’s heart ache. The two of them were deep in the throes of love, yet Jeongguk could never touch Taehyung, not truly. Whatever they did, he’d always have to be careful, and no matter how hard he tried, he’d never be able to feel his lover’s skin under the palm of his hands, to card his fingers through his hair. They could never hold the other’s hand without a layer of leather in between.

Jimin wasn’t sure why, but as he watched the navigator turn every stone into little chunks of gold, he felt his eyes fill with tears, his vision blurring. He bit into his lower lip and raised a hand to rub at his eyes, holding back any and every sound that wanted to escape his chest when he felt Taehyung tighten his hold on his shoulders. “The Hand of Midas,” the blonde pirate said softly and rested his chin on Jimin’s shoulder. “The mariners don’t even realize what an evil name it is for him.”

Jimin nodded silently, blinking hard against the sadness that wasn’t even his to feel. It was Taehyung and Jeongguk’s, but even the mere thought of how much it must weigh to them was more than enough to bring tears to his eyes.

By the time the sailing master was done, Taehyung had recovered, untangling himself from Jimin and skipping happily up to his lover as soon as Jeongguk had pulled his gloves back on, both pairs. “Good job, my love,” the blonde pirate chimed and kissed him, a quick and loud peck on his lips before sauntering past him, steering his steps towards Goto Port. “I’m so proud of my little goldmine.”

Jeongguk grimaced at the nickname, but the scowl melted into a grin within the second, and he was quick to pass half the gold over to Jin before hurrying after his lover. “Oh, young love,” the cook said with a sigh, a smile on his lips as he shook his head. “I remember when I was as foolishly enamored as those two.”

Jimin heard Sungsin emit a dry snort at Jin’s words. “You… you had someone special?” he asked carefully, not wanting to intrude on his privacy. “Someone you loved?”

“I did, and I still do,” Jin said firmly. “We were younger than Jeongguk when we fell in love, and loving one another aboard a pirate ship is difficult, but just like Joon and I, those two are making it work to the best of their abilities.” Jimin barely had time to widen his eyes in surprise at the name that fell from the cook’s lips before Jin nudged his shoulder and pointed after Jeongguk and Taehyung. “You go with them,” he said. “Sungsin, Hisashi and I will buy everything I need for the kitchen, so you three make sure to get everything else.”

Albeit somewhat dazed from Jin’s confession, Jimin nodded and settled into a run to catch up to the two others, racking his brain to process what he’d learned since stepping off the dinghy back at the shores. Love, he thought, love amongst pirates, amongst the ones the whole world knew to be cruel and heartless, utterly without empathy. They were ruthless, Jimin knew; after all, he’d watched Taehyung run a sword through Minjoon’s foot, he’d heard the blonde pirate confess to killing innocents, yet here he was, admiring the bond Taehyung shared with Jeongguk, one strong enough to persist even through the navigator’s blessing, a blessing that seemed more like a curse to them.

“Alright,” Taehyung huffed when the three of them stepped past the first lines of houses of Goto Port, grinning as if he was about to embark on the greatest of quests. “What’s our first stop?”

“Jin said they’ll take care of restocking the pantry,” Jimin said and looked around. “What else do we need?”

“Medicine and cloth for bandages for Hoseok,” Jeongguk said, bringing up a hand to count on his fingers. “Ropes and nails for Xiao, and parchment and ink for me and the captain.” He pursed his lips in thought. “New quills, too.”

Jimin felt himself tense at the mention of quills, his thoughts straying to the unfinished eagle feathers still waiting on the small table in his house. It seemed like an eternity ago that he had sat there, working the feathers with his little knife after a day out in the forest, after speaking to his mother’s grave, yet less than a full day had had time to pass since then. The raid on Jeju Village had happened during the wee hours of the night, and it was barely evening yet.

“Jeongguk.”

The gravity of Taehyung’s voice snapped Jimin out of his thoughts and he looked up to find the blonde pirate had come to a halt, his eyes trained on something a bit further down the main street. When Jimin followed his gaze, he found a group of four men standing outside what must’ve been the local tavern. They were conversing loudly, glee in their voices as they laughed; if not for the ultramarine uniforms and the steel swords at their waist, Jimin wouldn’t have paid them any heed at all.

“Shit. Mariners,” Jeongguk mumbled quietly, and Jimin’s heart lept to his throat. “They’re really here.” He gently nudged Taehyung’s ribs to get him to walk; openly staring at them could warrant their suspicion. “Should we go find Jin?”

“No,” the blonde pirate said, his voice uncharacteristically stiff. “No, a big group catches the eye quicker than a small one. Let’s just… let’s just find the infirmary and get what we need.”

Jimin’s eyes lingered on the mariners, burning the sight of them into his memory. Their uniforms were formal, of dark blue cloth and black leather, with white trousers and high boots of dark leather. The swords they carried seemed identical for all four of them; the only difference in their appearances was that one of them wore a broad hat with a large, beautiful owl feather, a clear symbol of his higher rank.

Mariners, Jimin thought with the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, not quite daring to believe his luck. They will help me get back home.

He thought about how he would reach out to them all the way to the infirmary, too caught up in his own plans to notice just how off Taehyung seemed from his usual self. Gone was his cheeriness and his rectangular smile. Instead, he kept his lips pressed into a tight line beneath the scarf, his jaw clenched, and if not for Jeongguk’s gloved hand holding his firmly, the quartermaster would’ve probably turned right around to do lord knows what to the unsuspecting mariners.

Jimin didn’t resurface from his thoughts until they were standing at the counter inside the little infirmary, his eyes widening in surprise as he listened to Jeongguk speak near fluent Japanese as he told the lady behind the counter what they were looking for. Jimin didn’t understand what they said, and he was content with simply listening until the apothecary turned her eyes on him and frowned as she spoke.

The navigator turned to him with a sheepish smile. “She’s asking if it was me or Taehyung who did that to you,” he said awkwardly and pointed to the left side of Jimin’s face, where the bruise still stood out, deep purple against his skin.

“If it was you who- no,” Jimin exclaimed in shock, quickly raising his hands to wave them in denial, fervently shaking his head at the lady. “No, no, it wasn’t either one of them, th-they’re my friends, they would never…” His voice trailed off into silence when he realized what he’d said, what he’d called these two pirates. The word had slipped past his lips with ease, hesitation rising only now, after it had already been spoken. “Th-they wouldn’t do that,” he finished meekly, his voice thin.

The lady seemed content with that and nodded before turning back to Jeongguk and saying something that must’ve been an apology, bowing her head while she spoke. The navigator emitted a nervous chuckle and shook his head, most likely to dismiss her apology before returning to listing the things they needed, and when Jimin turned away to try and gather his thoughts, his eyes fell on Taehyung, who was smiling at him, his joy obvious in his eyes.

Jimin could almost hear the crack in his resolve.

Don’t falter, he told himself sternly even as he returned the pirate’s smile with a cautious one of his own. You can’t go back to that ship. You can’t.

He told himself that, over and over, as he waited for Jeongguk to finish with their business. When the navigator paid for their purchase, the apothecary almost fainted on the spot when he placed a small chunk of pure gold on the counter, her eyes so wide they threatened to fall out of her skull as she stared at it. Once she’d recovered, she tried to protest, but Jeongguk refused to take it back, grinning happily, and the lady came around the counter to pull him into a suffocating hug, thanking him over and over and over again.

She was crying when she let him go, and the rift in Jimin’s resolve deepened.

He was clenching his fists so hard they were shaking when they left the infirmary, clasping his hands tightly behind his back to hide his tension. Taehyung seemed to be in a vastly better mood now, cooing and praising Jeongguk as they walked, his fingers toying with a lock of the navigator’s hair, and while Jeongguk batted his hand away several times, he was smiling as well, completely content with the repeated action. He carried the supplies in a bag over his shoulder, the soft chime of glass phials bumping against each other steadily driving Jimin mad.

You have to go, he cried inwardly, you have to go now!

They’d reached halfway to the carpentry by the time he finally found his courage, meek as it was. “U-um,” was all he managed at first, barely resisting the urge to shrink into himself when the two pirates turned to look at him. “I… I have t-to…” He cursed himself internally, cursed his hesitation, cursed the part of him that thought of Taehyung as his friend, as someone he’d be willing to return to the Agust for. “I have to, uh, to go… to go, uh…”

And when Taehyung willingly yet unknowingly gave him a way out, Jimin cursed his heart for almost breaking.

“You gotta go take a piss?” the blonde pirate asked, laughing when Jimin scrunched his nose in distaste at his crude words. “Then go find somewhere to relieve yourself, Chim. You want us to wait for you here?”

“N-no,” Jimin said and shook his head, hoping the smile he forced onto his lips was convincing. “That’s fine, I-I’ll find the carpentry after… after I’m done.”

Taehyung nodded, and just like that, the two of them turned around to resume walking, not a single ounce of doubt in Jimin’s return. The fact alone made him want to tell them, to shout at them that he was about to leave, that he would never see them again, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t do that, everything would be over if he did.

So he dug his teeth into his bottom lip and turned around, swallowing down his sorrow as he steered his steps towards the tavern where he’d seen the mariners.

They weren’t there when he arrived, and he felt a thrill of dread run down his spine at the possibility that they’d already left, that his opportunity had passed. They’re inside, he told himself and quickly made his way to the door, taking a deep breath before pushing it open.

The heavy stench of smoke and alcohol hit him full in the face and almost made him gag. The tavern was dimly lit and full of noise, rambunctious laughter and drunken shouts, both of which Jimin was far too accustomed to to be deterred by; he’d seen his fair share of drunken brawls back home. With a hand pressed to his nose, he moved into the tavern, his eyes searching for anything blue and white, his hope diminishing for every second that passed without him finding what he was looking for.

When he finally caught sight of a broad, feathered hat, his knees almost folded in relief. He quickly navigated his way past the multitude of customers until he reached their table, and without giving it much thought, he reached out and touched the higher ranked officer on the shoulder. “E-excuse me,” he said thinly, his breath thick in his throat when all four of them turned to look at him, their conversation interrupted. “I-I need your help.”

The man he’d touched arched an eyebrow at him, impatience obvious on his face. “We’re off duty right now,” he stated flatly before shrugging Jimin’s hand off his shoulder and taking another swig of ale. “Find someone else to help you, boy.”

Whatever Jimin had expected to hear, this certainly wasn’t it. “P-please,” he stuttered, alarm rising in his chest as his eyes darted from the commanding officer to his subordinates. “I-I really need your help. I’ve escaped from a pirate ship, I need your help to get away from them, please, I don’t know where I am or where I could go!”

He’d unintentionally raised his voice, gaining the attention of those seated closest, and that in turn caused the mariner to heave an agitated sigh, begrudgingly setting down his cup onto the table. “Fine, let’s hear it, then,” he huffed and fixated Jimin with an almost accusatory look. “Where did you escape from, boy? What ship? What crew?”

Jimin swallowed thickly. “I-I don’t know what the crew is called,” he said, the words heavy on his tongue, “but the ship is called the Agust.” The mariner stiffened visibly. “And the captain’s name is Min Yoongi, the-”

“The Black Fox of the East,” the officer finished for him, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes had widened to the size of saucers, a mix of dread and suspension settling over his face, an expression his subordinates all shared, and Jimin was beginning to worry he’d managed to paralyze them somehow when the mariner shot to his feet, both of his hands clamping down on Jimin’s shoulders. “Are you sure?” he asked fervently, his face so close Jimin could smell the stench of ale on his breath. “Are you absolutely sure it was him? Min Yoongi?”

“Y-yes,” Jimin said and tried to untangle himself from the man’s grip, but he was much stronger. “He, he’s dressed all in black, with black hair and pale skin, a-and he’s about as tall as me, and, and he struck me across the face with his left hand, it’s prosthetic, made out of metal a-and ceramic, I think.”

“It’s him.” The mariner looked almost manic when he straightened up, his lips moving as if he was speaking to himself. “Alright,” he said at last, turning to his men and flicking his head in a commanding motion. They all scrambled to their feet at once, one of them leaving a few coins on the table to pay for their ale before they made haste for the exit. “Alright, boy, you’ll be safe now,” the mariner promised and shifted his grip to Jimin’s arm instead. “We’ll take you to our warship so you can tell us exactly what happened. Our vice admiral will want to hear what you have to say.”

Jimin’s eyes widened at that, but before he could do more than exclaim in surprise, he was being jostled out of the tavern, the mariner pulling him along by his arm. “W-wait, there’s a warship nearby?” he asked, incredulous. “And a vice admiral? Here?”

“Yes,” the man said and nodded without looking at Jimin, his eyes trained on where they were going. “Sir Jukan wanted us to drop anchor here to gather information on pirate activities across the waters surrounding Japan, but this…” He looked like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. “This he certainly didn’t expect.”

There was something in his demeanor that prevented Jimin from feeling the sense of security he should; he was in the hands of the mariners now, the officers who fought to preserve the law across the seven seas, yet something about the man holding his arm was less than convincing. He seemed almost excited at the possibility that Min Yoongi and his crew were nearby, something Jimin felt was the last emotion one should experience under these circumstances.

He didn’t have time to ask any more questions before they reached the harbor, and Jimin’s eyes widened at the sight of the warship. It was enormous, nearly twice the size of the Agust, painted blue and black to match the colors of the mariner uniforms. The sails were pure white and pristine in the light of the evening sun, and at the tallest point of the main mast, a blue flag fluttered in the wind, proudly portraying their sigil in white; a sea eagle proudly spreading its wings, a sword in one talon.

“Come on,” the mariner urged, pulling Jimin out of his admiration and towards a gangway to board the impressive vessel. “Sir Jukan will be waiting.”

The man was greeted by every single deckhand they passed once they’d boarded, the recruits and swabbies pausing whatever it was they were doing to salute him. Jimin tried to count them all, but there were too many of them; too many mariners dressed in blue and white, and finally, he managed to grasp onto that sense of security. No pirates would be able to reach him here.

He was led to the quarterdeck, where the mariner finally released his arm and told him to wait out here while he spoke with the vice admiral. Jimin nodded, and then he was left alone, his skin prickling with the feeling of being stared at by the unfamiliar crew, a sensation he’d already experienced once in the span of one day. He kept his eyes trained on the doors to the captain’s cabin, his hands clenched tightly behind his back as he tried his best to not think about the ones he was leaving behind.

Taehyung and Jeongguk had probably began to get worried by now, wondering where he was and what was taking him so long. They would leave the carpentry to search for him and when they wouldn’t find him, they’d look for Jin and the others to help. After that, they’d be forced to return to the Agust without him, and stand before their captain and explain how Jimin had managed to slip through their fingers when he was supposed to be kept in the brig.

Don’t think about it, he told himself sternly. It’s not your responsibility, it’s not your fault. You don’t belong on that ship, even they have to understand why you’d leave.

Jimin had barely finished the thought before the doors to the captain’s cabin were opened and the mariner stepped out, for some reason feeling the need to grab him by the arm again and escort him inside. Jimin parted his lips to protest, to tell the man he was more than capable of walking on his own, but his words died in his throat when his eyes landed on the man waiting inside.

His posture alone was more intimidating than Jimin would’ve thought possible; he stood straight as a ruler, his dark uniform pristine without even a single crease. From his shoulders hung a heavy coat, reaching as far down as to his ankles, the white material lined with the same ultramarine blue as the rest of his uniform. Underneath the high collar of the coat, Jimin could see a flash of gold, a glimpse of the gilded shoulder boards he knew mariners were awarded upon reaching a certain rank, and this man, the rank he carried was one of the highest ones.

“You stand before sir Son Jukan, Vice Admiral of the Mariners,” the mariner announced. “Also known as the Son of the Sea, pride of the eastern ocean’s justice.”

Jimin’s eyes widened at that; he’d definitely heard the name before, spoken in deep reverence amongst the villagers of Jeju. The Son of the Sea, so named due to his incredible knowledge of naval combat, as if he was born out of the ocean to bend it to do his bidding whenever he clashed with a pirate crew. He was a highly respected officer in the ranks of the mariners, and now Jimin stood before him, asking for his help to get back to his home.

“S-sir,” he said tensely, lacking any sort of knowledge on how he should go about greeting such a highly ranked officer of the law. “Th-thank you for helping me.”

For several seconds, the vice admiral’s face was utterly impassive as he observed Jimin, doing nothing but stare at him until he felt his skin beginning to crawl in discomfort, and Jimin was on the verge of asking him what he was looking at when the vice admiral finally spoke.

“It is good to have you here,” Son Jukan said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, a coldness to them that dug a crack into whatever sense of security Jimin had managed to grasp onto. “I do hope you can provide me with sufficient information to finally bring an end to the Black Fox’s reign.”