The Lost Continent

Chapter 32

Sail, swim, but walk not,

There is no safety in the sky,

Row beneath the roots,

And make sure to tell no lies.

Kirishima reads the next verse out loud. The crew should be thinking about this, too, now that the first step is finished.

"The first part is clear, as usual." Bakugou says. "Don't get in the water."

"But the sky isn't safe, either." Kirishima says.

"My guess is that there's going to be a tunnel or cave of some sort when we reach the proper entrance. It might look daunting but my guess is that it's the safest way to go. The crap in the last line is beyond me."

Kirishima nods. "Maybe it'll make more sense when we see it."

It doesn't make any more sense when they see it. They followed the oyster path to a small cove of the island- and a good thing, too, because rocks suddenly sliced through the waters all around them, and if the sun had set any sooner before they reached the bay, they'd have been goners. The clue they secured was the only thing keeping them from sinking the ship, as far as Kirishima can tell.

But now, with a narrow tunnel ahead of them, even in the morning light so dark they can't tell if the Crepitus will fit, their journey has reached yet again a standstill. And Bakugou is getting impatient.

"Why didn't Might just fucking tell us where the treasure is !" he roars, slamming his fist onto the side of the ship.

"Relax!" Mina screams back at him. "The poem says to row that's fucking clear enough! Let's get in the fucking rowboats and move in!"

"We don't know what the last line means." Bakugou says, seething through his teeth. "And we aren't going to waltz on in and die on the third paragraph."

Kirishima tunes them out. They really would get nowhere at this point, but until Bakugou made the call, no one was gonna move. Times like this really made Kirishima wish Mina was his Quartermaster instead. He sits on the deck with Sero, looking up at the lush forest that grows around them.

"It's really nice." Kirishima says aloud.

Sero hums. "Strange though."

"Yeah, I guess so." Kirishima says.

"No birds."

Kirishima listens, and finds he's right. There aren't any calls. No chittering of animals. He stands up and looks over the edge of the ship, eyes scanning the water. "No fish, either."

Sero shivers. "Think the water's poisonous?"

Kirishima pouts his lip in thought. The trees seem fine, but maybe they're used to it. "Maybe something is scaring them away."

"Mina was rambling about something like that at one point." Sero grins. Kirishima smiles back, nodding. "Anyways, -"

"We're moving out." Bakugou shouts over him, bitterly. Mina is standing nearby, not even trying to hide her content grin. She must've won him over good.

"Quartermaster's orders?" Kirishima lifts an eyebrow at her as he goes to help ready the rowboats.

She throws back her head and laughs. "I like the way you think, Kiri. I'll see if Bakugou would ever give me that raise."

"Maybe wait to ask after we've gotten the treasure." Kirishima laughs.

"Smart man." Mina nods.

The rowboats are quick work. Mina, Bakugou, Hatsume, and Shouji are in the first. Kirishima rows behind them, the quiet, newest recruit Kouda sitting beside him. He's with Sato and Sero, making nine in their crew in total if they're counting Shouji's blackbird.