Heart of the Ocean | Pirate!ATEEZ x reader

7: The Art of Combat

Joining a renowned pirate crew to fulfil your quest to save the world from eternal doom had not exactly been how you expected everything to turn out.

Truthfully, none of it went as you thought it would go. Everything that had happened so far seemed to have crawled its way out of the void of the unexpected, and you were unsure what you thought of it all. Many feelings clouded you; fear, hope, despair. Conflicting thoughts that only seemed to break your mind were the things that kept you busy. It had already been a long journey, and still, it only felt until now that you had taken a step closer to reaching your end goal. Even though you were glad that Hongjoong and his crew had joined you at your side of defeating the Sentinels, you were unsure where it would leave you. It was already by a miracle that you managed to escape Aequor alive under the eyes of one; who was to say that you would have survived the entire journey alone?

Still, you were surprised that you were even alive after the time that had passed since your departure from the Citadel. A place that you had called your home ever since you were a child which now had turned into a mere memory. You still remembered the day the Elders came to you. You felt their harrowing panic when they showed you the necklace and requested you to bring it back to where it came from, and even when months had passed by, the feeling that they had made a mistake by choosing you seemed to linger. You knew you hadn't been an easy child ever since you became one with the Faith. You were familiar with their ways of scolding, but this seemed like the final nail in the coffin. The quest of the Cordelia felt like the ultimate punishment for all the hardships you had given the Elders, and now you were paying the sole price.

Except, that wasn't exactly true, for you were sharing the bargain with the pirates of Paradigm. For some reason, you were blessed with an opportunity, and ironically, it came to you when all seemed lost. The memories of Aequor and how you had gotten there were blurry, but you could remember the tavern you were hiding in when the necklace was stolen. You could still feel the sheer panic you felt as you realized the jewel was gone. It was foolish of you to leave it unattended when you had gone off to arrange a room to sleep for that night, and when you went back for it, it wasn't lying on the table anymore. It was then that you heard the commotion, and then you saw them. It seemed ironic to you that at that time, they were mere strangers to you, and now they were your allies, some even your friends. Aequor seemed to carry a bad name throughout the Empire, but to you, it might have brought the biggest miracle you could have ever wished for.

And now, you were sailing right back to it. Hongjoong's explanation had been vague, but whoever there was to be found in Aequor seemed to carry the knowledge that you were looking for. But the harbour carried many other things as well. It was a strange and dark place, one that even the Carriers of the Faith seemed to avoid. No one dared to venture into the heart of the harbour, for many grim things were to be found there. It seemed to rival the dangers of the lands that went against the feudal law of magic prohibition in the northern regions of Deltora Empire, and that without the people in Aequor even using dark sorcery to begin with. It was simply one of the worst places to be, and even dead you wouldn't want to be found there. Moreover, the Sentinels seemed to have reached that place as well, as the last time you were there, you were sure that one had been chasing you. Who was to say that the place wasn't infested with more?

Nonetheless, there was nothing that you could do about it. The Aurora was set out to sail to the harbour, whether you wanted to go or not. You could only hope that Hongjoong was right about the woman whom he claimed knew something about the Cordelia and perhaps even the connection it had to you. Countless questions were racing through your mind ever since you were burdened with the necklace, but none of them compared to the one revolving around you and the necklace itself. There were too many strange things, so many details that seemed off. The markings on your body, the power that you had felt. None of it seemed to be like the Elders had told you, and you wondered if there was an Elder in the Citadel who possibly knew more about this supposed connection. Perhaps the Citadel could be your next halt, as it wasn't that far off from Aequor. Still, it would require for you to be alive at the end of your journey through Aequor to get to that point. Even though you were frightened for the things that could be awaiting you in the harbour, you were glad to have the crew by your side. The Sentinels were unknown territory for them, but they were capable of great things, that you knew.