solis | svt au

7

Chan gasped with shock and delight as he entered Vernon's boat. It wasn't what he expected at all. On the outside, it had seemed like your average boat, sturdy, but rather small. However, the inside was much bigger than the outside. Chan took a moment to process this as his mind struggled to understand. Repeatedly looking inside and outside of the cabin entrance confirmed that some sort of magic was at work and that it wasn't a hallucination on his part.

After attempting to ask Seokmin about it, all he got was a vague answer about it being "borrowed" and a "long story". Vernon's response was no clearer, and he decided not to push it. 

Nonetheless, he was overjoyed at the thought of an adventure. Seungcheol and Seungkwan had set him off with a lot of well wishes and bone-crushing hugs, and he was nearly nauseous with the excitement. 

The excitement quickly wore off when they set off though. As it was the first time he had ever been on a boat, he couldn't have known, but he soon discovered that he got incredibly seasick. Spending countless hours hanging over the side of the boat, even Seokmin's concoctions didn't help, and he often felt like he was choking up his insides. 

Fortunately, they soon reached their first destination, one that Vernon said they could get help from.

Rosavicus.

-

The streets were nothing like Chan had seen before (of course he didn't go out much, but that's beside the point). Every building was of an old style, several corners decorated with statues worn with time. Laundry hung from roof to roof in the alleys and thin fabrics created a colorful canopy above. Shopkeepers displayed exotic goods from all over the kingdom and imported from across the Great Sea, featuring colorful silks, smelly fruits, dried bugs said to have medicinal properties, and more.

All of this Chan took in, mouth hanging open as the other two laughed lightheartedly at his amazement.

Suddenly, a shop owner seemingly popped up out from behind a stall they were walking past. "Welcome travelers!" he said, his smile making his eyes crinkle into small slits. "I'm Soonyoung! Would any of you be interested in any of my wares?" 

Chan's eyes instinctively followed the movement of his hand gesture to the items displayed. Strange furs with black and orange stripes immediately caught his eye. Noticing his interest, the shop owner was quick to explain what it was. "This, dear customer, is a very rare commodity indeed! You have a very good eye sir," he said. "It's the fur of a tiger - very rare and only found across the Great Sea. Also," he added, "My personal favorite."

Before he could continue talking however, Seokmin interrupted, "Sorry, but we're actually in a hurry right now,"

The shop owner nodded amiably, "Of course! No worries, no worries. If you do need anything, don't hesitate to stop by and safe travels!"

Chan waved at Soonyoung as they walked away. He rather liked him.

"Where are we going?" Chan asked, jumping up and down as they continued. 

"You'll see," was Vernon's only reply.

Walking through the colorful streets of Rosavicus, they soon reached their destination, a secluded area in an abandoned alley. The alley was long abandoned with no signs of life save the occasional rat. It stank of old junk and rotting garbage, but after they walked past the worst of it, they approached their true destination: a faint blue circle, carved into the ground. 

"Come on," Seokmin said, holding out his hand. "Step inside the circle; there should be more than enough room for all three of us."

Chan hesitantly complied, wondering what they were doing. Once they were all standing inside, Seokmin took a crystal, bright blue in color and the size of his fist, from his satchel, and closed his eyes. There was a moment of complete silence before Seokmin suddenly opened his eyes again, his eyes glowing the same blue as the crystal. Startled, Chan nearly exited the circle, fortunately stopped by Vernon.