treasure || bang chan

part 9

Haseong had told me that treasure would foster greed in me. The thrill of the pursuit, the pride in possession. I understood now, in a way. I wanted the keys and I wanted what they unlocked. But more, I wanted it for him. I wanted to make him happy.

It wasn't the only thing gnawing at me. I hadn't fed in over a week; the flames in my throat were only getting worse. (It didn't help that Fei had dried blood on her dress and refused to change into a spare sailor uniform like I had.) I was standing at the very edge of the ship, breathing deep breaths, hoping the ocean air would ease the fire.

"Are you feeling okay?" Haseong came up next to me.

"Er, yes, fine. The air is... refreshing."

"Are you sure you're not thirsty?"

"You could tell?"

"I took a guess. Your eyes are black."

"It's... bearable. I don't want to stop just to hunt."

"I respect self-sacrificial resolve, Mr. Bang," Fei called from the helm. Of course she was listening.

"We should stop," Haseong said. "We can't afford to be weak and distracted at the last destination."

"I advise against it," Fei said. "We're making good time, why lose momentum for no reason?"

"I turned only a few weeks ago — I'm thirsty as well. We'll anchor, hunt and be back within the hour."

My mind was restless but my body was relieved. We dropped anchor, rowed to shore and ran into the forest.

"I suppose this is as far as you'll need to go," Fei muttered. "What are vampires like you called? Civvies, isn't it?"

"You're welcome to try it for yourself," I said, very much hoping the answer would be no.

She laughed flatly. "Humour. No, I am not in the habit of depriving my body of the sustenance it needs to perform efficiently."

"Meet you on the shore then." I hunkered to the ground and searched desperately for any trace of warm-blooded animal.

"Humans," Haseong murmured. "I've only smelled their blood from afar."

Both Fei and I heard the curiosity in his voice. "You've haven't fed on one?" she asked. "Not even once?"

"No. I woke and followed Chan's lead."

"Hm. How sad. Join me in town, Captain. You should experience your options before you blindly commit."

Haseong looked down at me. "Would you mind?"

"You're asking him for permission?" Fei said skeptically. "What are you, his pet?"

"Just go." I was too thirsty to haggle or adjudicate, my mind was barely functioning. "Meet on the shore."

They nodded in unison and darted northward, gone in a second. The rest of my hunt was a blur — a scent hidden in the grass, the forest floor flying beneath my feet, skin tearing between my teeth.

Then the fog had lifted, my mind was clear. And Haseong and Fei were off on a murder spree. I wouldn't have stopped him from going, but I would have preferred to be there. Fei obviously had convictions that skewed to an extreme, the polar opposite of mine, and I had to admit that Haseong seemed better suited to her side of the aisle.

Immediately I wanted to know what they were doing, what they were talking about. The expedition, plans for future, something else entirely? Maybe she had magically conjured another dozen keys from her girdle already.