The Legend of Magic Island | taejun + sookai

part 13: a shimmer in shadow

The crew began to board the ship, when suddenly the waves on the beach grew violent. They thrashed back and forth, splashing against the sides of the ship.

The crew looked up anxiously, seeing the forest had been completely engulfed in the shadow which belonged to the cat. Beomgyu faltered, running for the anchor and quickly hoisting it.

"Held me push the ship into the sea!" He exclaimed. "Before the cat gets to us first!"

The shadow slowly inched onto the beach, tainting the sand into a pitch black color. It's presence alone was daunting, tearing into their souls and sparking a shiver down their spines. Taehyun hurriedly rushed to the sails, propping them in place.

Captain Soobin looked over the side railing of the ship, seeing the ship had been caught onto a couple rocks near the shore. He looked at his crew, then back down at the rocks which held the ship in place.

"BEOMGYU!" he called the boy over. "Hand me a knife!"

Beomgyu finished raising the anchor, turning to the captain with a smile on his face. "Which one?"

Captain Soobin glanced over the edge once more. "It doesn't matter! Just hand me one!"

Beomgyu rushed to his captain's aid, looking over the side railing and scoffed. "That's it? Just a couple rocks?"

He reached into his coat pocket and hurled out a set of three knives. They scraped against the rocks, slightly budging them aside and strong enough to scratch it's surface.

The shadow had begun to inch closer to them, the inky black sand nearly reaching their ship as the cat's silhouette towered over the ship.

Beomgyu clenched his teeth, reaching into his coat and pulling out another set of three knives. Captain Soobin took them quickly, gesturing below deck.

"I've got things handled here, get below deck and fire the cannons," he ordered. Beomgyu nodded eagerly, hurrying off below deck. Hueningkai peered over the edge of the ship, the only thing standing in front of them was a pair of blue and green eyes.

"Captain, hurry!"

"I'm trying!"

Soobin squinted, chucking the shorter dagger at the rocks below. It collided with the stone, knocking it aside and freeing the ship. The cat towered over the ship, a faint static noise following it as the water began to swirl beneath them.

It still wasn't going to let them go that easily. Captain Soobin clenched his teeth, holding the remaining knives Beomgyu had given him. He swiftly hurled them at the cat.

The knives barely grazed it, slicing through the shadow and causing it to falter and retract. The ship slowly began to free itself, drifting into the sea. There was a loud explosion which suddenly rang below deck, a cannonball firing from the side of the ship.

The cannonball slammed into the shadow of the cat, earning a low yowl from the feline. It retracted itself further. Beomgyu quickly loaded another cannonball, striking a fuse and lighting it quickly before his target could escape.

Beomgyu had fired multiple out of the cannon, each blow striking the cat fiercely and earning a hiss of anger from the shadow. Captain Soobin smirked, tightly gripping the railing of the ship as they slowly drifted further from the island. Now, there was a line of water between the two. Where the cat couldn't reach them, but the crew could.

Taehyun rushed to the helm, gripping the steering wheel tightly and Yeonjun seated next to him.

Beomgyu fired a few more, before rushing back to main deck and grasping the shrouds.

"That should keep the cat down for awhile!" Beomgyu said proudly, putting a hand to his chest and feeling his pounding heart.

The cat's eyes seemed to focus on the ship, the shadow charged forward but was unable to pass over the clear water which stood between them. Beomgyu laughed, running a hand through his hair.

The ship was moving, slowly but surely. Unable to go any faster than they already were. They could face the sunrise which stood proudly in front of them. The sun shone towards Magic Island, the light building a shield and pushing the cat back.

The cat yowled, retracting itself and slowly backing away back into the forest as the light threatened it more. Captain Soobin plopped on the deck, sighing a breath of relief as the other crewmates rejoiced.

Beomgyu watched as Magic Island disappeared from their view, jumping off the shrouds and back onto the deck. He pulled out the treasure chest they had found before, setting it down gently on the deck.

"Did we ever find out what was in there?" Captain Soobin wondered aloud, tilting his head curiously. Beomgyu shrugged, looking at the heavy padlock on it. Beomgyu took out a knife from his pocket, gently fitting it into the lock.

He fiddled with it, unable to hear any click or any sign that he had picked the lock. Beomgyu tugged on it, then gave up and slumped his shoulders.

"We should find a locksmith next time we go into town," Beomgyu mumbled, holding the box carefully. Captain Soobin sighed, looking over his shoulder and back at the island which disappeared in the distance.

"I'm sorry everyone," he mumbled, resting his chin in his hands. "Is everyone okay?"

Captain Soobin took out the bottle that had been sitting in his coat pocket. It was now covered with dirt and scratches, the once clear glass was now cloudy. The paper inside was also worn out, torn around the edges and crinkled.

Soobin carefully uncapped the bottle once again, unfurling it once more and looking over it. He sighed sharply, gathering himself a quill and ink. Slowly he began to sketch more onto the map. Hueningkai peeked over his shoulder, leaning his head closer to the captain.

"Whatcha drawing?"

Captain Soobin scribbled onto the blank portion of the map, scribbling the faint outline of the cat. He carefully sketched the forest of pale trees and etched in the graveyard with unlabeled headstones.

Dipping his pen back into the ink, he was immersed with drawing what he had seen back at the island. Hueningkai gasped lightly with shock, smiling happily at the little drawings Soobin had made.

"Could I add something?" Hueningkai asked quietly.

Soobin smiled softly, handing Kai the quill pen. Hueningkai scribbled along the bare outline of the island, drawing the sandy beach they had previously come from. He looked up, seeing the island slowly being concealed in a thick fog.

Captain Soobin looked over the map once more, his eyes looking over the intricate drawings and the different handwritings on it.