Chapter Text
The burning rawness of where rope met skin on Yoo Joonghyuk’s wrists were nothing compared to the flames that poured out of the buildings that surrounded him. The roof of the church had collapsed upon impact from the rounds fired, and the building that used to serve as the headquarters for the military police were nothing more than wood planks and cracked bricks scattered across the ground.
Yoo Joonghyuk pulled at the binding that kept his arms behind his back one more time. The knot doesn’t so much as budge. His wrists must be bleeding from the excessive struggling by now.
The attack on the village had been unprecedented, though most assaults from pirates were. Rounds of cannon balls and exploding shells had knocked out any and all portside houses and businesses. Citizens evacuated in a panic as the attacks drew nearer to the central part of the village, and the filthy pirates disembarked from their ship.
Lieutenant Yoo Joonghyuk, true to his reputation, kept a level head as he aided in the evacuation of the village members. They fled deep into the harvesting grounds of the forest, hopefully scattered enough that it would be too much effort to kill them all. Weeping mothers and trembling children thanked him as they ran, expressing their gratitude for his bravery and selflessness. Yoo Joonghyuk could only nod stiffly in response to the praise. The battle wasn’t over yet.
Then, as he was performing one last sweep of the village, he opened the wrong bedroom door and was greeted by the unmistakable blade of a pirate’s sword, pressed gently to his throat. The woman holding the other side of it grinned as their eyes met. She was holding his life in her foul hands, and he had no choice but to surrender.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands were bound, and the woman pressed the point of her sword to the center of his back and led him to the east corner of the village. Bodies littered the ground like crimson leaves in autumn. A shiver ran down Yoo Joonghyuk’s spine as he identified almost every single one of them. His subordinates, his colleagues. Every single military police that he could name was laying dead around him.
Another woman approaches, long brown hair pushed away from her face as she jogged over. “Sooyoung! What did ‘ya find?”
Yoo Joonghyuk inhaled sharply, and immediately began choking on the smell of smoke and gunpowder that filled the air. He was going to die here.
These pirates had rounded up every military officer they could find to kill them in a twisted display of their version of justice. It was really just anarchy. What was humanity, if not law?
“Some jag-off civilian trying to play hero,” the first woman answers. “Caught him in the houses a few streets over.”
Yoo Joonghyuk felt his eyebrows pull into a frown before he cast a glance down at his attire. He wasn’t in uniform. Then why was he brought here? Yoo Joonghyuk struggled against his restraints again, still to no avail.
Aside from the boisterous chatter between the two pirates, the village was eerily silent. There was only the muted crackling of the church, as it was reduced to mere ashes. Even the animals that resided in the forest did not dare to make noise. It was the kind of silence that could only be accompanied by death.
“You there, the hero.”
The voice snapped Yoo Joonghyuk out from his haze. He followed the sultry, tenor voice back to the man standing tall in front of him.
“What’s your name?”
“Yoo Joonghyuk,” his throat narrowed around every syllable.
Behind the man, the two pirates have fallen silent. They are watching him with careful expressions.
“Yoo Joonghyuk,” the man repeated, like he was savoring the taste of the name in his mouth. He crouched down, meeting Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes with fever. “Tell me, hero, did you manage to save everyone? Have you protected everything that you wanted to protect?”
“I”m not a hero,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, then spat in the man’s face.
Both pirates behind him took a step forward, swords drawn, but froze as the man raised a hand. He stood up, and drew his own sword from the scabbard on his waist. Yoo Joonghyuk, too, froze when he saw the expression on the man’s face. He did not appear to be angry at all. Rather, there was this dark, dark look in his eyes that did not reflect even a glimmer of the flames that faced them.
“My name is Kim Dokja. I am the Captain of the Unbroken Faith, leader of the crew Salvation.”
The name had Yoo Joonghyuk’s heart in his throat. Kim Dokja, Demon King of the Dark Sea. He was the top target of the marine forces, and had enough bounties on his head that the man to kill him would never have to work another day in his life. Even as military personnel, Yoo Joonghyuk was more than familiar with his long list of gruelling crimes.
There was no doubt that Yoo Joonghyuk was about to die. The Demon King of the Dark Sea was famous for many things, the brilliant white masts on his ship that resembled the wings of a demon as they flew proudly across the sea, the pure efficiency and complete demolition of his attacks, the hundreds of villages left barren after he robbed them for everything they are worth. Sparing lives was not what put Kim Dokja on the map as the most notorious pirate that the eastern seas had ever seen.
Kim Dokja placed his sword under the dark fabric of Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyepatch and flipped it upward. The half-blind eye took a moment to adjust to the dim light. He gazed at the injury, at the short scar that ran from below his eyebrow and onto his eyelid.
His lips curled up at the sides in a vile smirk, as his expression fell even darker.
He pulled his sword away, then winded his foot back briefly before he sunk his boot straight into Yoo Joonghyuk’s abdomen. Pain rippled through his stomach as bile rose up his throat. Yoo Joonghyuk spat the vomit out in front of him, but refused to crumble and let out a noise of agony. He had suffered through worse, and he wouldn’t give this criminal the satisfaction of seeing him writhe in pain.
“That was for spitting in my face,” Kim Dokja grinned, as he raised his sword once again. The blade rested on the jut of Yoo Joonghyuk’s collarbone. This was it.
“Why do you close your eyes, hero?” he then asked, a hint of something oddly similar to compassion in his voice.
Yoo Joonghyuk squeezed his eyes shut harder.
“Dying by your hands is the most miserable death I could imagine. I wish only not to be forced to see your disgusting face in my final moments, too.”
The sword was suddenly lifted from his skin, and the noise of a blade being drawn back through the air flooded the silence of the village. Yoo Joonghyuk flinched when he heard the thump of the blade making an impact. For some reason, when the dust settled, he still found his head attached to his shoulders.
Yoo Joonghyuk peaked his good eye open to find that the sword was lodged in the tough ground beside him. His gaze snapped to Kim Dokja.
The man’s lips were practically trembling with cruel excitement, like a hunter who liked to toy with his prey a bit before consuming them whole. As soon as their eyes met, laughter ripped from Kim Dokja’s lips. Yoo Joonghyuk had never heard such an unnerving sound in his life.
“My, what a mouth you’ve got! Someone might think that you’re the pirate between us two!”
Yoo Joonghyuk felt his jaw tense inadvertently. Somehow, being strung along like this was worse than death. The muscles in his shoulders and triceps burned from struggling in his binding, and his lungs heaved from inhaling dust and smoke as he evacuated citizens. At least Yoo Joonghyuk would finally be allowed to rest once that sword ran across his throat. Dragging it out any further than necessary was a form of torture.
“You think that my face is disgusting, hero? Take a look at your own. I can’t imagine that many women enjoy seeing that nasty scar of yours. It’s why you cover it up, isn’t it? You’re ashamed.”
Yoo Joonghyuk pulled against his restraints again. If he was somehow spared in this situation, he was going to kill this bastard.
Kim Dokja’s manic laughter eventually subsided, and he studied Yoo Joonghyuk’s seething expression before spinning on his heel.
“Are Jihye and Namwoon done with the collection?” he asked the two female pirates.
The one with longer hair takes it upon herself to answer, “Yes, Captain. We should be set to leave now.”
“Good.”
Kim Dokja cast one last look over his shoulder at Yoo Joonghyuk’s trembling body.
“We’re taking him with us.”
The women turned to each other with matching stunned expressions.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t even have the opportunity to protest before the shorter woman swung a wood plank at the side of his head, knocking him out cold.
A gentle sway of the ground shook Yoo Joonghyuk awake some days later. He had no idea how much time had passed. He had a dull, ringing headache, likely from being knocked unconscious with such blunt force. Upon inspecting his surroundings, Yoo Joonghyuk recognized himself to have been thrown in the brig of a ship. The smallness of the cell immediately made him feel a bit claustrophobic, like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin and through the thick, rusted bars that kept him contained.
The bindings had been removed from his arms, replaced by layers of bandages, wrapped neatly around his wrists where he had rubbed his skin raw. Yoo Joonghyuk tore them off, hissing as his flesh met the cool air around him. What did his well being matter to these pirates, when he had been taken hostage on their ship?
The question that Yoo Joonghyuk could not conjure up an answer to, no matter how hard he tried. Why had that bastard Kim Dokja chosen to kidnap him anyway? He had no idea of Yoo Joonghyuk’s skills, or affiliations. Yoo Joonghyuk was absolutely sure that if Kim Dokja had realized his lieutenant status, he would have been cut down without another word. The only reason he could even begin to process was the possibility that Salvation was desperate for more laborers on board.
Yoo Joonghyuk spent days, or maybe weeks alone in the cell. He quickly discovered how time folded and creased when there was no sun to tell him the time of day. He slept more often than he stayed awake, and his moments of consciousness were all dedicated to crafting an escape plan. Every time that Yoo Joonghyuk woke up, there was bread and occasionally eggs, and some water with rum. There were always fresh bandages on his wrists, no matter how many times that he would rip them off.
Seven meals after he started counting, Yoo Joonghyuk was woken from his sleep by the hushed whisper of multiple voices.
“Is he really the Captain’s type?”
“He has to be. Why else would he be here?”
“I think that it matches. Under the whole locked-in-a-cell patheticness, he’s got that dark and brooding thing goin’ on.”
Yoo Joonghyuk sat up slowly and turned his head toward the voices. He was met with three pairs of eyes, fixed keenly on him.
“He’s awake,” the smallest one whispered, a girl with short brown hair no older than twelve.
On each side of her stood another girl with long, dark hair and a boy with white bangs that hung low over his eyes. They both appeared to be in their late teens.
“Who are you?”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice sounded like a footstep fresh gravel. It was the first time he had spoken since the attack on his village. Honestly, he had no reason to ask this question, other than to quell his own disbelief. It was evident from their attire and the snippet of conversation that he caught as he woke up: they were pirates.
The formidable Salvation crew was run by a bunch of children .
The older girl took it upon herself to do some introductions anyway.
“I’m Lee Jihye. The little one is Shin Yoosung, she’s been bringing you food for the last few days. This guy with a mop on his head is Kim Namwoon.”
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced down at his hands.
“And the bandages?”
Lee Jihye’s eyebrows raised, “Ah, that was Seolhwa. She’s our surgeon. Pretty pissed at you, by the way. You’re never going to heal if you keep ruining all her hard work.”
“Wait,” Kim Namwoon interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Rejecting something that would undoubtedly help him? That’s the Captain’s special. You’re right Jihye, it’s perfect.”
The two girls stifled laughs as Yoo Joonghyuk glanced between them in confusion. There was a lightheartedness to their interactions that shouldn’t reach so deep in the brig.
“I told you!” Lee Jihye exclaimed. “I’m never wrong about these kinds of things.”
Once the rowdiness subsided, Shin Yoosung spoke again, “The captain is trying his hardest to take care of you, so please try to get better soon.”
Yoo Joonghyuk felt a dry chuckle escape from his lips. Kim Dokja, who locked him in a cell and sent his lackeys to provide the bare-minimum living necessities, was taking care of him? Kim Dokja, who had children watching him like a captive animal while he rotted away?
“Where is your filthy captain now?” he asked. “While I suffer a fate worse than death, where is he?”
All eyes snapped to Yoo Joonghyuk. A stillness filled the air, drastically completely opposite from the atmosphere before.
“The captain is a busy man!” Kim Namwoon barks back. “Who the hell are you to make demands?”
Lee Jihye delivered a swift kick to the back of Kim Namwoon’s knees, sending him jolting forward with a hiss of pain. She held a complicated expression on her face. The guilt was evident, but there was something almost resentful, too. She sighed and placed both hands on her hips, drawing attention to the scabbard resting on her hip.
Salvation was composed not just of children, but of armed children. Even better.
“Listen, we’ll talk to the captain. Just answer us something, ‘kay?”
“What is it?”
“What exactly did you do to the Captain? No one can get the full story out before they break down in laughter. Then tears.”
That was it? Yoo Joonghyuk shrugged, “I spat in his face, and when he had his sword to my throat, I closed my eyes, and told him that I would rather not look at his ugly face upon my death.”
All three children shared a silent look, as if they didn’t believe the story at all.
“Did ‘ya beg?” Kim Namwoon asked.
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned, “What?”
“Beg for yer life.”
“Of course not,” Yoo Joonghyuk spat. He would never stoop to such levels.
While Shin Yoosung looked like she saw a ghost, and Kim Namwoon looked like he saw a god, Lee Jihye managed to let out an exasperated laugh. She ran a hand down her face, and took a step away from the cell.
“Yer a funny guy, mister hero,” she said, before taking her final step out of the brig. The other two children followed silently behind her.
A few more meals arrived without any sight of the children. Yoo Joonghyuk had a creeping suspicion that they weren’t supposed to talk to him in the first place. After being offered this sliver of humanity, Yoo Joonghyuk had realized that it was entirely possible to form emotional connections with these pirates. If he managed to get close enough to them, it would be entirely possible to take them down from the inside, both escaping and ending The Demon King of the Dark Sea’s reign of terror in the process. He could return home to his village, and help rebuild the military forces. His Lieutenant title would be history, as Yoo Joonghyuk would receive a rather hefty promotion.
All he had to do was keep his head down, and try to blend in with the other crew members. A few weeks should do it. Once he gained access to their route plans, he could send a letter to naval units and organize an ambush. With a man on the inside, taking down Kim Dokja would be a breeze. The rest of Salvation would crumble without their fearless leader. As long as no one realized his true identity, he had no dangers in this plan. That was, if Kim Dokja really wasn’t planning on keeping him locked in this cell forever.
Seven more meals later, Yoo Joonghyuk was jolted awake by the noise of keys jingling. He rose quickly to his feet, as he rushed to clear the sleep from his eyes and see who was standing on the other side of the bars.
To his surprise, Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes landed on the stark white coat of the one and only Kim Dokja. They locked gazes silently as Kim Dokja continued jimmying the key around in the lock. Eventually, the door to the cell swung open. Though he was granted an open door to freedom, Yoo Joonghyuk found himself unable to step out of the cell.
Kim Dokja crossed his arms and let out an exasperated sound. “Come on now. I don’t bite.”
Yoo Joonghyuk placed one foot in front of the other, and eventually found himself at Kim Dokja’s side. He stood a few inches shorter than Yoo Joonghyuk. Why had Yoo Joonghyuk felt so small before him back in the village?
He silently followed Kim Dokja out of the brig and onto the main deck. The smell of saltwater immediately washed over him as he surfaced. There weren’t many other crew members on deck. Two older men, perfectly juxtaposed in their lanky and round bodies sat in the corner playing cards. A girl, likely Shin Yoosung, was perched at the top of the crow’s nest, peering into the vast blue waters through what appeared to be a skyglass. None of them acknowledged him.
The Unbreakable Faith was undeniably an impressive boat. Cedar planks lined the floors and walls of the ship, and the brilliant white sails were tied neatly to the towering masts.
Almost unsure of what to do with his newfound freedom, Yoo Joonghyuk approached the edge of the ship and peered into the dark sea below.
“If you jump, you’ll definitely be dead,” Kim Dokja crooned from behind him. The faux kindness in his tone made Yoo Joonghyuk sick to his stomach. The warning was obviously a well-masked threat. Yoo Joonghyuk’s life was not safe as long as he was on this ship.
“What makes you think that won’t encourage me further?”
Kim Dokja hummed for a moment, then spoke again. “I just know. But anyway, Yoo Joonghyuk, I’ve got a couple of kids buggin’ me to let a certain jailbird stretch his wings a bit.”
The slip of formal speech has Yoo Joonghyuk’s brain screeching to a halt; Kim Dokja had been unbecomingly well-spoken for a pirate, and it hadn’t occurred to Yoo Joonghyuk until now that he was simply using a dialect to mask his usual speech. For some reason, hearing a hint of the sea bound accent made him much less intimidating.
Kim Dokja cleared his throat and spoke again, “Many of the crew members share tasks around the ship. I’m sure that no one will have a problem giving one to you. Tell me, Joonghyuk, what skills do you offer?”
Yoo Joonghyuk was highly skilled in combat and battle strategy, which were both invaluable to a pirate crew. However, revealing this would both enable further success of Salvation, and cast suspicion onto Yoo Joonghyuk’s true identity. Passing as a carpenter would be easy enough, but the work would be grueling. Yoo Joonghyuk was a hard worker, but he held no affinity toward slave labor.
“I can cook,” Yoo Joonghyuk supplied, before his prolonged silence could cause any unwanted prodding into his career.
Kim Dokja fixed him with a rather cagey look, and pointedly looked his body up and down. Yoo Joonghyuk tried to shrink in his frame. He didn’t have the same sculpted muscles from a few weeks ago, but he was still far too filled out to pass as a simple chef.
“I worked in the fields on my off days. Summer harvest just ended.”
A sharp exhale is huffed through Kim Dokja’s nose, “Did it now?”
Yoo Joonghyuk met his sharp gaze, and held it unyieldingly for a few moments. There weren’t only words exchanged. The only sound heard was the muted thumping of waves thumping against the ship.
“Very well,” Kim Dokja said, finally. “You can take over for Lee Hyunsung in the kitchen. I’m sure that he’ll be quite relieved to have the burden taken off of his shoulders.”
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded. He felt that they should do something to commemorate this deal, but it was an indisputable fact that if Yoo Joonghyuk held out a hand to shake, Kim Dokja would not hesitate to spit on it.
“Sadly, the crew has already been fed for the night. I’ll have Hyunsung show you around the kitchen tomorrow, instead.”
“And until then?”
“Until then,” Kim Dokja grinned wider than before. It sends a cold shiver down Yoo Joonghyuk’s spine. “You will have the privilege of rotting away in the brig. 'Suffering a fate worse than death', was it?”
“But you said--”
Kim Dokja grabs Yoo Joonghyuk’s jaw harshly, digging his blunt fingernails into the soft flesh on his face. Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t hide his wince of pain. Like a bucket of water dumped on a bonfire, a dark aura began pouring out of Kim Dokja in waves. How such a man could switch demeanors like night and day, chilled Yoo Joonghyuk down to the bone.
Yoo Joonghyuk had faced his share of destruction, the unrelenting cruelty of war and death. None of it could compare to the paralyzing kind of pressure that Kim Dokja was applying to him right now. This, this was the power of a true demon.
“I said that I would let you stretch your wings. Yoo Joonghyuk, do you know what happens when a hero is set free?”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s jaw remained clamped shut. Kim Dokja wasn’t expecting him to, anyway.
“He sinks.”
There was a beat of silence, then Kim Dokja released his grip and rolled his shoulders a few times. The thick atmosphere lifted immediately.
“Forgiveness is something to be earned, Joonghyuk, wouldn’t you agree? You’re going to have to work a bit harder.”