Chapter Text
The sun was high in the sky, not quite noon, but getting close. The white, puffy clouds floated by in the light blue sky- It was perfect weather for sailing, and not a single boat was spotted at the pier. They had all gone out in the morning, taking advantage of the perfect weather. Near the water, on the wooden dock, two young men, Ryou and Malik, strolled along. They were there every morning, and all the fishermen and townspeople that lived near the pier knew and recognized them. It was their daily routine, excepting when the weather was bad, but it was inevitable they would be walking a perfect morning as it was.
Ryou and Malik were the type of friends everyone in the town wish they had. Their small town, known only for its reputation of being poor, was most certainly a struggling one. Many families just barely scraped by, and Ryou and Malik were no different. They had met as children, playing in the street and getting dirty, and since then never stopped. It seemed they were instantly inseparable, and spent more time together than they ever did alone. The two were a perfect tag team, always looking after one another. They helped each other as children, and continued to help each other as young men.
“I heard a ship was coming into town today,” Ryou said, looking out at the water from the pier. “I wonder if it’ll be a fishing boat.” He heard Malik snort, glancing over at his friend to watch him shake his head.
“Nah. There hasn’t been any food imports in weeks. I don’t think there will be any for a while.”
They sighed in unison. Their little island town was a long way from the trading routes. It and its people were forgotten about.
“It doesn’t hurt to be hopeful, though,” Ryou mumbled, coming to a stop as he saw the mentioned ship appear from the fog in the distance, almost as if on cue. “Huh,” Ryou hummed. “It looks a lot bigger than I thought it would be.”
The two exchanged similar expressions. Big, goofy grins with wide, hopeful eyes. Malik spoke first.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?”
And Ryou most certainly was. It was another routine of theirs to watch the ships come in to dock and anchor, and the two were already racing to their vantage point. Malik always won, for speed and agility was never Ryou’s strong suit.
Malik laughed as Ryou met with him atop an old pub, watching as his friend huffed and puffed up the ladder, taking a rest at his feet.
“You beat me,” Ryou mumbled. “Again.”
“Oh, don’t be like that. We’ll sit at the edge so you can rest, okay?” Malik grabbed Ryou’s hand and helped him up, walking them over to the edge of the roof to take a seat so that their legs were swinging over the edge. “There we go. Nice and comfortable, yeah?”
Ryou snorted, but he still held a smile, which meant that everything was okay.
It took the ship a long time to get to the pier. At least, according to an excited couple of eager lads. Ryou and Malik took the wait time as an opportunity to guess what the cargo of the ship was, or if it even had cargo at all.
“I wonder if it’s royalty,” Ryou said, noticing that the ship was just getting larger the closer it got. “I’ve never seen a ship that big before.”
“Royalty?” Malik scoffed. “They’d better have real good protection if it is. The whole town would surely riot if any more rich bastards set foot on this land. It’s a death sentence for them at this point.”
The town, having been forgotten about by their ruling king and queen, were quite resentful of their leaders. A couple of representatives had attempted to sail into the pier and, rather than greeted by their subjects, the townspeople, including Ryou and Malik, glared and silently followed the representatives to their place of business. The rich and wealthy were not welcomed until change would be seen in the town. At least, that was the way Malik saw it.
It was quiet between them after that. Neither wanted to think about the situation or reality of that concept, but it was inevitable for it to come up in conversation.
Ryou spoke up after a few minutes, softly and hesitantly. “Do you think we’ll be able to leave here someday?” He nervously chuckled, trying to make light of the heavy burden. “Maybe we could steal a boat or something and get out of here. Start new somewhere far away.” Ryou looked over at Malik, but his friend was looking out at the ocean. Then Malik’s eyes squinted.
He never answered Ryou’s question.
“What is that?” Malik asked, pointing out at the ship that was clear as day now, having gotten past the thick, grey fog. “That.. That flag. Is that-”
Ryou’s eyes widened at the sight. He’d done readings and research on them throughout his youth, and even now, but he never would have thought that-
“Pirates!” He exclaimed, standing up and continuing to point out at the flag. “Pirates! I-It’s a pirate ship, Malik!”
Malik, too, got up from his seated position, mostly to calm Ryou down so he wouldn’t fall off the roof. “What does that mean?” He asked, knowing Ryou might have some idea, but also doubted his question would be answered. Ryou seemed rather preoccupied with excitement.
“They must be here to-to get supplies or directions or something,” Ryou explained, his tone quick and a little shaky. “That’s so cool! Thieves of the sea right here in our own town!”
While most people would fear for their safety at the sight of a pirate ship, Ryou felt much different. Ever since he heard the word ‘pirate’ he was hooked. He had to know everything about them: The hierarchy, the ships, the Pirate Code, everything! To Ryou, pirates were heroes. As a boy that grew up scavenging and stealing, he sort of looked up to the lifestyle in a way. Of course, he knew it wasn’t necessarily the life that his father would have wanted him to have, but Ryou saw pirates as successful. Outcasts that would strike fear in their enemy’s eyes, adventurers on the course for finding treasure, and, especially, master thieves that knew how to get money.
That was both Ryou and Malik’s favorite part.
Malik didn’t get into pirates as much as Ryou, but he understood the lifestyle. He respected the guts it took to challenge royals and sink their naval ships.
“Come on, Ryou, let’s get closer,” Malik said, gently grabbing Ryou’s wrist and pulling him along.
Once again, the two ran back to a different vantage point: An old market stand with a perfect view of the ship.
They watched the ropes fly in the air and land on the dock. They watched men hop off the ship and men from town move in to secure the anchor and whatnot.
And they watched the crew, one by one, walk down the plank and onto the dock of their poor town’s pier.
It was the most majestic thing they had ever seen. The captain, tall and powerful, led the crew off the ship. Malik admired his extravagant hat, the beautiful golden cane, and even spotted kohl lining the man’s eyes. Malik couldn’t afford kohl, and he suddenly envied everything the captain was from his long, burgundy coat to the shiny gold earrings in the man’s ears. Malik sighed out loud.
Ryou, meanwhile, was listing off each crew member and guessing their position. He recognized the captain quickly, then the quartermaster, all the way down to the swab. His heart was beating with excitement, and Malik and Ryou watched them walk down into a pub on the other side of the docks.
Ryou took it upon himself to walk out from behind their hiding place, looking at the ship just feet away from them. His mouth hung open.
“Woah. It’s… That’s a big ship,” he murmured, looking over his shoulder when he heard Malik’s footsteps from behind. He had a smirk on his face, and Ryou knew he had an ulterior motive.
“What? Why are you making that face?” Ryou found himself mirroring Malik’s expression, not even realizing he was doing it.
“No reason. Just thinking,” Malik hummed, his arm snaking around Ryou’s waist as he walked forward, pulling Ryou along with him. “We’re going to sneak on that ship.”
“What!” Ryou gasped, but to his surprise he was going along with it. There was no struggle, and he let Malik lead him to the wooden ramp alongside the ship.
The ship was dark, black wood. It creaked as it floated atop the water and the sails flapped proudly in the wind. Ryou felt even more excited, especially when his foot touched the wooden ramp.
“Is this a good idea?” He asked, looking over his shoulder in the direction the crew had gone.
“No,” Malik replied, grabbing Ryou’s wrist and pulling him up the ramp. “But how often do we get the chance to go on a pirate ship?”
They walked right on, and it seemed so easy. Ryou was afraid that there would still be crew members aboard, but it seemed that everyone had left with the captain. Malik continued to lead Ryou over toward the quarter deck, where two doors stood before them. “So, Ryou. You’re the one who knows everything about these guys. Where’s the most likely place we can find some treasure?”
Ryou looked over at Malik, alarmed for a moment, but a grin quickly crossed his face. This was more excitement than he had experienced in his entire life! And it was all happening so fast.
Well, it better. Ryou wasn’t sure when the captain would return, and from first glance he wasn’t so sure he would ever want to be face to face with him.
“Left,” Ryou pointed to the door, then took the liberty of opening it, revealing a small set of stairs. “Below deck is our best bet for treasure. I read that pirates like to hide it as best as possible, so if the ship ever sinks it can’t be found by others.” Ryou winked at Malik before he turned around to creep below deck.
It was stuffy. There was a hallway in front of them and a huge empty space lined with wooden crates to their right. Ryou veered over to the right and motioned for Malik to follow. “Let’s see what’s in these crates and barrels,” He whispered, even though he didn’t really have to.
…
Ryou and Malik managed to explore almost half of the lower part of the ship, but Ryou realized it was much too big for them to explore entirely, and the treasure was nowhere to be found. Not that they even knew what they were looking for, anyway. “I think we should head back,” Ryou said, looking over at Malik and gesturing for him to follow again. “Pirates don’t stay in one spot for very long, and I don’t expect them to be here longer than they already have been.”
Ryou lead the way back to the door they entered and, as he walked up the steps, saw a flash of shadow from the other side before he panicked and threw himself to the floor.
They were too late! The pirates were returning! Ryou heard voices and footsteps, shouting and laughing, and before he had time to explain to Malik what was going on, he was pulled back to his feet and under the stairs.
“Shit!” Malik hissed, holding Ryou’s body close to his own with one arm around his waist. It was protective, and Ryou felt his face heat up with embarrassment.
There was certainly no time to be embarrassed, though.
“What do we do?” Ryou asked, listening carefully to the conversations above them, making sure that no one saw them or were alarmed by the door being open.
Malik shook his head, his silent way of showing that he was thinking.
Ryou thought, too.
He thought about how it didn’t feel too exciting to have to go back to town. He thought about how they didn’t know what they were going to eat that night.
He thought about the question he asked Malik earlier: “Do you think we’ll be able to leave here someday?”
Ryou answered his own question just then.
“Malik, I have an idea.” Ryou wriggled out of Malik’s tight hold, catching the other’s attention. “What if we stayed?”
“What?” Malik looked confused and angry. “What are you talking about?”
“I-I mean, what if we just… stayed on the ship? Think about it. There’s nothing in that shitty town for us. If we stay and, I don’t know, get them to accept us as a part of the crew, then we’ll never go hungry. We’ll never have to worry about where we’ll sleep. We’ll be together, too. Do you get what I’m saying?”
Malik stared at Ryou for a long moment. His jaw was tight and set into place, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “And what if they don’t ‘accept’ us, Ryou. Then what?”
Ryou offered a reassuring smile. “Then they don’t accept us.”
Just then, the ship seemed to have jerked back then forward, indicating that it was no longer anchored but on the move.
“What’s the worst that could happen? We get thrown off, we go back home, we die. We stay, we die. The worst that happens is we die, and dying is in both scenarios, so we might as well have a little fun doing it, right?”
Again, Malik stared at Ryou before letting out a long, heavy sigh. “I hate you,” He mumbled. “I hate that you’re always thinking. So fine. But I’m doing the talking. You just stand and look good, alright?”
Ryou chuckled quietly, crawling out from under the stairs, then followed Malik.
What was previously exhilarating was turning into something terrifying. His heart pounded in his chest, harder and faster.
When the two emerged from the stairs, every crew member stopped in their tracks, their eyes falling on the two stowaways. Malik stood in front of, and very close to, Ryou, attempting to keep him out of sight.
The silence was broken by the sound of rubber thumping against wood. It echoed, and the wood creaked. A clearer, more accented sound was made before each pair of steps, and Malik soon saw that it was a cane making the noise. The same fancy cane with what looked to be a gold ball on top. A sceptre looking thing.
As Malik moved his eyes from the cane, he saw a familiar color, and then a familiar hat. Ryou and Malik gulped.
“Oh my,” Drawled the man before them, licking his lips as he shifted his weight to the opposite leg. “What have we here? A couple of rats looking for some scraps, perhaps?”
There was a beat of silence, and the man looked at the two expectantly. It seemed he wanted an answer. Ryou lightly nudged Malik. The man’s eyes followed the movement, almost as if he knew it was going to happen.
“We, uh-” Malik cleared his throat. “You see, me and my friend here just happened to be passing by and-”
“And who might you be?” The man, who Ryou recognized as the captain, asked. “Tell me your names.”
“I’m Ryou, and this is Malik,” Ryou said clearly, earning him an elbow to the arm by Malik. This seemed to amuse the captain. It felt as though every movement, every word and action was giving him information.
“Yeah,” Malik redeemed, “That’s us. We were admiring your ship and we came on to find out if we could join you.”
The entire crew roared out with laughter. Even the captain laughed, then struck his cane against the wood, causing everyone to go silent. “I see. And, please boys, tell me why I should let two scrawny little rats waste my rations and resources? It would be easier to kill you and dispose of you right now.”
The captain raised his cane, the ball end of it slowly headed toward Ryou, but Malik slapped it away. The captain smirked and tilted his head, his eyes lidding. “Harsh.”
“Don’t touch him,” Malik said, irritation in his voice. “Look, frankly we can’t really offer you anything but a helping couple of hands. I’m pretty strong, and this one behind me is pretty tiny, so we can get any job you need done. We’ll steal for you, fight for you, cook for you. Hell, we’ll even clean for you.” Malik crossed his arms, staring the captain right in the eyes. He knew he needed to get this to work. Not just for his own safety, but for Ryou’s. Service to a pirate captain wouldn’t be too awful, right? “So? What do you say to that, captain?”
The captain licked his lips again and leaned back, having veered forward during Malik’s small speech.
“I say welcome aboard to my ship. I’m sure you’ll make a great fit here.”
Before Malik could say another word, the captain turned around, pausing before he walked off. “My name is Mariku, by the way, but I prefer to simply be addressed as ‘captain.’ Now, you’d better get started on dinner. My crew is hungry after such a long journey.”
Mariku walked away then, leaving Malik and Ryou to their new way of living.
As pirates.
…
Cooking was a lot harder than Malik and Ryou thought it would be. Ryou had found out that there were over two, nearly three hundred men aboard on Mariku’s ship. Malik and Ryou had to cook for all of them.
Apparently the other crew members that were cooks thought it would be hilarious to leave all the work to the two new members who were now being called ‘cabin boys.’ It bothered Ryou the most, because that was the lowest possible position one could have, but he refrained from sharing this information with Malik. He wouldn’t be too happy to hear that they were, still, the lowest of the low.
It took them nearly the rest of the day to make dinner, and Ryou and Malik weren’t even allowed to eat anything on the job. The smell of it was divine, for there were ingredients on the ship that neither of them could ever have imagined to cook with, or even hold in their hands.
The night’s menu consisted of a beef stew made with fresh meat the pirates had supposedly obtained earlier that day. The vegetables were crisp and fresh as well, and Ryou wondered how they kept it fresh like that. They must not have ventured far, and made plenty of supply stops.
That only meant one thing.
They were stocking up for a voyage. An adventure. Ryou held the idea in the back of his head for he didn’t want to get his hopes too high. How lucky would they be to have come aboard just as the crew was headed on an exciting excursion?
Once the food was done, Malik and Ryou were told to set the dining hall. Despite their desire to complain, they did as they were told and took their tired, borderline-malnourished bodies to set the tables.
The many tables. The many long tables.
“They’re doing this to us on purpose, you know,” Malik grumbled, setting the silverware down after Ryou set a tin bowl at each place. “This sucks.”
Ryou frowned. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but it was still only the first couple of hours. “Don’t be like that, Malik. It’s only the first day. Besides, I was waiting to tell you this, but I think they’re preparing for an endeavor. Didn’t you notice how their pantry was filled to the brim with supplies? They’re preparing for something.”
This seemed to have cheered Malik up in the slightest, and he shrugged. “I suppose so. I don’t know, I’m just ready to eat.”
Malik placed the last spoon at the last place on the last table. He and Ryou slapped their hands together in an accomplished high-five.
Before they had time to relax, the doors burst open, and in came the other cooks with the huge pots of beef stew. One of them yelled at Ryou to get out of the way, so him and Malik left the dining hall. On the way out, they were met with what was probably the entire crew huddled together waiting to enter. “Ah..” Ryou didn’t have a chance to say ‘excuse me’, for a strong hand was suddenly rested on his shoulder, causing him to go stiff and speechless.
“I see my two new cabin boys actually got the job done. I’m impressed.”
Ryou could feel Mariku’s hot breath behind him. He glanced over at Malik who was clearly bristled and irritated by Mariku’s other hand taking place on his shoulder as well. “That means you get to eat.”
Mariku pulled the two back into the dining hall, motioning for a cook to come over. “Unfortunately, though, cabin boys don’t eat here. It’s tradition on my ship to have the lowest member, or in this very special case, members, to keep watch for enemies. I trust you both will do a fine job.”
The cook handed a bowl of stew to Malik, and then to Ryou. Malik wasn’t impressed. “Well that’s a stupid tradition. Wouldn’t you want someone you trust to keep watch? It doesn’t make sense to have the lowest members do it.”
Ryou shot Malik a look and nudged him. Was he crazy? Who did he think he was talking back to the captain like that?
Mariku chuckled in response, a smooth, deep rumbling. The sound made Ryou tense and Malik lean toward Ryou.
“I suppose that’s a good point. However, I only think that would apply to someone who had real enemies.” Mariku inspected the rings on his fingers, his teeth biting his bottom lip. “I don’t have those. I don’t have threats. I just have people who get in my way. You’re starting to act like one of those, Malik. You’re not going to get in my way are you?” Mariku leaned forward before Malik had a chance to answer, which was surprising to Ryou because Malik always had a comeback. “I don’t need to explain myself to a cabin boy. A cabin boy does as he’s told--And what was it that I told you?”
Malik’s jaw visibly tensed, his teeth grinding together. He looked away and mumbled, “Keep watch outside.”
Mariku grinned, showing his yellowed teeth and nodding in approval. “Alright then! Get to it, cabin boy.”
Ryou was quick to lead the way outside, for he worried that Malik wouldn’t be able to control his temper. Mariku was clearly trying to rile Malik, but why? Malik didn’t do anything wrong.
“I hate that guy,” Malik ground out once they were on the main deck, a cool breeze welcoming them to the night. “I’ve only spoken to him twice and I already hate him. Who does he think he is? He can’t talk to me that way.”
Ryou smiled, placing a hand on Malik’s shoulder and guiding him over to sit on some crates near the edge of the ship. “Well, not to be technical, but he sort of can. He’s the captain, Malik. We have to do what he says.”
Malik scoffed as he sat down, but after a moment of silence, he let out a long, tired sounding sigh. “I know. I guess I’m just tired of being pushed around. Our whole lives, Ryou, we’ve been pushed around. Forced to accept it and maneuver around it. When you told me this plan, I had the slightest hope that maybe it would be a fresh start for us.”
Ryou stared at Malik’s bowl of stew, his brow furrowing as he shook his head. He set his own bowl to the side and shifted his body to give Malik his full attention. “It is. I would take this over our stupid lives back home any day, and not even just because I like pirates or anything. Malik, we didn’t have to think about whether or not we would be eating tonight. We don’t have to chase rats out of our living space. We don’t even have to worry about money here. I think I would take some belittling over starvation any day.” Ryou smiled then, leaning over to rest his head on Malik’s shoulder. He felt Malik stiffen, a sign that he wanted to make sure Ryou’s head didn’t slip. “Besides, we’re doing it together. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, and I certainly wouldn’t be here at all without you. You being my friend makes everything a hundred times better.”
Malik smiled then, a small curve on his lips. “Yeah. You’re right. Now get up you sappy goof. We have a stew to eat.” He nudged Ryou with his elbow so he would sit up, and Ryou did. Ryou picked up his bowl and set it in his lap, swirling the spoon around a few times.
“Malik?” He said, waiting for Malik to acknowledge that he heard. “I know this is silly and kind of stupid to say, but.. We’re always going to be friends, right? I mean, you’re sort of all I’ve got. I don’t really know what I would do without you.”
Malik was just about to shovel his spoon into his mouth, but he stopped still. He looked at Ryou and offered that same small, but reassuring smile. “Of course we will. I promise. Don’t forget that you’re all I’ve got, too. Now eat. We’ve had a long day and I don’t expect tomorrow to be any easier.” Before Malik started on his food, he ruffled Ryou’s hair, which earned him a glare and a shove. Then, as the two ate and looked out at the night sky, they found themselves chatting idly about the stars, sharing stories they probably have shared a million times before.
…
A few weeks went by, and Ryou and Malik were slowly but surely getting used to the pirate life. They often had different jobs: Malik mopped the deck while Ryou cleaned and tidied the canons. Ryou had gotten pretty dirty, and he joked with Malik one night about how he finally looked the part of a pirate. That was a tradition they had now. Since they were the lookouts, they met at the same spot at night and talked about the chores they did that day. It was odd not seeing each other every minute of every day, but at the same time it seemed to only fuel their friendship even more. They were excited to tell the other about the day they had, and they never had a night where they didn’t chat until they fell asleep.
Well, the weeks came and went, and one day, while both Malik and Ryou were mopping different parts of the ship, they heard a cry.
“Land ho! Land ho!”
Everyone on the ship looked up at the man in the crow’s nest, then out to where he was pointing. Malik raced over to where Ryou was mopping and pulled him to the edge of the ship. “Ryou, look! A beach! I see a beach!”
Ryou squinted and saw the beige on the horizon, with a mound of green in the background. “Is it an island? Are we getting more supplies or-”
Malik and Ryou looked at each other and grinned. “Treasure!”
Ryou heard a familiar thud coming from behind them, and he saw men scattering away and back to their positions out of his peripheral vision. That only meant one thing.
“Ah, look! It’s my favorite couple of cabin boys,” Mariku said, his cane tapping on the deck right before each step he took. Ryou and Malik turned around, and when they did Mariku was already pretty much on top of them. “Are you excited? I’m excited.” Mariku took in a deep, shaky breath. “I can feel it in my bones. We’re so very close. Do you know where we’re going, cabin boys?”
Malik bit his tongue and answered for the both of them. “No. Care to fill us in? Even though it seems a little late by now.”
Mariku chuckled and moved forward, putting each one of his heavy arms around the boys’ shoulders, turning them around so they were facing the view of the island again. Ryou could advocate for Mariku’s claim of being excited. He could practically feel the man’s blood rushing and his fingers twitching.
“We’re looking for something that belongs to me. Something I’ve been searching for for years. Your little town on the shore gave me just the lead I needed. That’s why I let you come, you know. You’re my good luck charms.” Mariku pulled the two in closer, and Malik was already wrinkling his nose and growing tense. “And I wasn’t wrong,” the captain continued, “Not once did we have bad weather, and now look! We’re here so soon! Looks like I made the right call with you two, which is why I’m telling you this now.”
Mariku dropped his arms and reached a hand into a pocket on the inside of his coat, pulling out a piece of paper. His hand shook with anticipation. “This.. This paper is very important.” He handed it to Malik. “It contains directions to a box. It’s a very special box. Since you’re both so lucky, I’m sending you on an excursion of sorts. You see, the directions are written in riddles, and I have no one on my crew who can figure them out. I have…” Mariku practically giggled, his tongue darting out of his mouth to lick his lips. “I just have a good feeling that you’ll be able to get it. You’re going to find my box and bring it back to me.”
Before either Ryou or Malik could reply Mariku turned around and began shouting and barking orders to his crew, walking away to make sure that every man was stationed and prepared to anchor. Ryou stared at the paper in Malik’s hand, his mouth wide open.
“Malik, do you know what this means?”
Malik looked up at him and grinned. “Our captain told us to find an important treasure?”
Ryou nodded fervently and nearly began to jump up and down. “Not only are we finding a treasure, but it’s our chance to prove ourselves, Malik! Maybe, if we do a good job, he’ll give us an upgrade or something! He can make us his official treasure hunters.” Ryou laughed, but he was hopeful. So was Malik. The constant chores were really becoming tiresome for them.
“Let me see those riddles,” Ryou said, standing close to Malik as he unfolded the paper and held it out for both of them to see. Ryou hummed as he read through the first few, then he laughed. “Heh, these are easy,” He said, earning him a surprised expression from Malik.
“Easy? They’re like, five sentences each! I read the first one and can’t make any sense of it.”
Ryou chuckled, leaning over to point at the words. “I only looked at the first two, but they’re in a code. The words are all scrambled and when you put them in the right spots, the actual riddle is formed. I’ve seen something like this before. It just might take some time to get the words in the right place.”
Malik laughed in disbelief, slowly shaking his head. “Boy am I glad I have a nerd for a best friend. Who would have thought that your obsession with games and shit would come in handy?”
Ryou laughed as well, shrugging. “I guess you just lucked out, huh.”
As the ship approached the shore of the Island, Ryou spent the time studying and rewriting the riddles on a separate sheet of paper. He figured it would be faster to do that part now, and then he could solve them when they needed the directions. It was fairly difficult, but by the time the ship had rocked forward and back, forward and back, Ryou had finished crossing the t’s and dotting the i's.
Malik and Ryou followed the crew out to the water and swam with them to the shore. Mariku had his men guard the perimeter of the island and had ordered others out into the forestry. Then, once Mariku seemed to feel secure (for which Ryou wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t feel safe on what looked to be a deserted island), he directed Malik and Ryou on their mission.
The two approached the leaves that would lead into the uncharted area, and they looked at eachother.
“Ready?” Malik asked.
Ryou nodded firmly, a determined smirk making an appearance on his otherwise soft looking face.
“Ready.”