Chapter Text
Tall serrata oak and red pine cast fleeting shadows on Mingi’s muscular form as he strolled through the diverse forest. He breathed in; the deep woody aroma had subtle notes of salt from the sea. A light breeze rustled the leaves overhead and swept his short hair away from his face. The melodic tweets of the local birds reached his ears. He had long ago left behind the cypress trees and crashing waves that could be found along the rocky coast where the crew’s ship, the Horizon, was docked.
The crew of rowdy pirates had decided to lay low after their recent escapades - they were certainly due a break with how hectic their last few weeks were - and restock their dwindling supplies at a seaside village not far from San’s hometown as they happened to be in the area.
For days, San had been prattling their ears off in excitement about the local cuisines he missed most, especially the little speciality cakes that the man favoured, and the beauty of the region and how calm the rural area was and how much he missed the smell of citrus in the air and and and. The man was quite enthusiastic. Clearly irked by the repeated mention of the cuisine, Wooyoung’s offended screech as he asked San if what he cooked wasn’t good enough for him was so loud that even Mingi heard it despite being below deck at the time. Seonghwa – as both the captain and the eldest of the crew, and at that moment feeling every single one of his years - once again had to break up the bickering pair and ensure they stuck to their duties so they could reach the coastal village in a timely manner.
Mingi had to agree that the view of the rocky coast as they approached was breath-taking, especially compared to the cluttered city where he grew up as a young boy. The bright azure hue of the cloudless sky allowed the full beauty of the diverse forest covering the rolling hills and the gentle waves crashing into the sea cliffs and stacks to be seen. Still, even Mingi grew a bit tired of San waxing lyrical about his hometown after a few hours. Everyone understood the obvious longing San had, even if not all of them left their hometowns with positive experiences, so the crew let him be instead and tuned him out, offering occasional hums of affirmation in response to any pauses in San’s raving.
Once they were finally fully docked at the small port, their infamous flag notably missing from the main mast, the crew had gone into the bustling village focused on restocking the Horizon with various supplies: Wooyoung and San - attached at the hip as they usually were - were in charge of perishable and non-perishable foods, with Wooyoung leading the charge as the ship’s cook. Mingi could hear their playful bickering fade as they left the ship. Yunho had joined Yeosang to help search for first-aid items as they were running low on bandages, painkillers, herbal remedies and usable suture needles. Half the ship had caught a terrible illness shortly after they departed the last town they visited - it had left several of the crew bed-bound and meant the rest toiled around the ship to pick up the slack while Yeosang’s healing supplies ran dry. The eldest and youngest of the group were looking for general ship repair materials. The young boatswain was concerned about their low canvas and tar supplies in case of an emergency and procuring some more wood wouldn’t hurt. Meanwhile, Mingi had stayed back at the ship to look over his numerous navigation maps to chart their next route. He worked in the rare quiet on account of his crewmates’ absence, attention focused on the portolan charts he had scattered about.
By mid-afternoon, after the ship was replenished, the crew dispersed to do whatever they enjoyed while on land. Mingi, taking the opportunity to be relieved from watch, had immediately set out for the village he had not been to yet and walked through the still busy market set up in the centre, curiously peering at what each of the jam-packed stalls sold. Despite clearly not being a local, the villagers were friendly as Mingi enquired about their wares and happily engaged in light conversation, their dialect noticeably similar to San’s.
The tall pirate light-heartedly haggled with an ajumeonim that sold little sweet citrus cakes. The short market woman explained the citrus used was from local orchards and was a local delicacy. Curious from San and the ajumeonim’s descriptions, the pirate handed over the necessary coins in exchange for the little treat and thanked the lady as he continued to browse the market. He took a large bite and hummed in satisfaction at the burst of citrus flavour mixing with the creamy texture. Mingi finished off his snack and wiped his fingers clean on his sea-stiff clothes by the time he reached the end of the market where he carried onwards to the peaceful forest he now traversed.
The rhythmic buzzing of cicadas swelled the further he walked from the little patch of civilisation. The oak and pine grew dense the further the lone pirate continued and, lost in thought as he was, he did not notice the little dirt path he was absently following had reached an end a while back. Shrubs and foliage covering the floor had become more frequent, as did low hanging branches that Mingi kept having to mindlessly duck for or brush out of the way with his hands. The unbearable summer humidity had Mingi’s linen shirt sticking to his skin despite the cooling shadows of the trees.
He was startled out of his wandering thoughts when he clumsily tripped over a thick tree root that jutted obnoxiously out of the ground and fell forward. Mingi instinctively threw his hands forward to brace his sudden fall. A groan left the man’s lips as the breath was knocked out of chest from the harsh landing.
Now collapsed on the forest floor, cushioned by leaves, moss and branches, Mingi groaned again - this time in embarrassment. He felt his face redden and he took some deep breaths, the strong scent of earth and wildflowers calming him down. Mingi internally thanked the Moon that no-one had seen his blunder, not that it would be the first time the crew would have seen him faceplant the floor or do something else embarrassing.
As he took some more deep breaths, Mingi realised he could no longer hear trills and chirps, or the buzzing of the cicadas. Not even the faint sound of leaves rustling from the breeze. The forest was eerily quiet. A shiver raised goosebumps on his sun-tanned skin as he next noticed the abrupt drop in temperature compared to the stifling heat of summer that could be found before. Mingi tentatively raised his head from the dark moss beneath him and surveyed his surroundings.
Directly in front of his calloused hands stood a cluster of mushrooms with greenish-brownish caps and white stems. It had a sickly-sweet honey smell emanating from it. As his gaze moved, he noticed the cluster of mushrooms continued on both sides, forming a perfect ring of off-white mushrooms.
A fae ring.
Mingi’s breath caught in his throat and he stilled with dread. A cold sweat dripped down his back.
Mingi’s eyes widened as he realised the protruding tree root was the only thing that saved him from walking absentmindedly into a fae ring and handing his entire being over on a silver platter to a powerful malicious creature. To what may be the most dangerous creature in all the lands.
Cautiously, and deeply aware of the mushroom ring directly in front of him, Mingi shifted his scraped hands back and slowly pushed himself off of the forest floor, raising himself to a standing position from an awkward half-crouch. His wide eyes darted around the eerily silent and still woods, the bead of sweat still trailing its way down his back. When nothing changed after a moment of hesitation, he tentatively hoped he was still alone and could make it back to the ship rapidly with no further issues. Mingi gave one last long look at the unsettling fae ring before he turned to, hopefully, face the way he came.
The tall man took a shaky breath and dusted himself off with slightly trembling fingers. He reached up to displace a leaf caught on his loose linen shirt before taking a step forward, and therefore away from the cursed mushroom ring, when a melodic voice called out behind him.
“Surely you were not thinking of leaving without even a greeting, right?”
Mingi’s heart sank into his stomach. He could feel the blood rushing in his ears as he swallowed down a gulp.
“Some would consider that rude.” The voice dripped cruel amusement.
The crew will never let him live this down if he makes it back, Mingi thought despairingly. The lone human frantically tried to recall all his knowledge on fae in hopes of surviving the encounter. Never give a fae your name, it grants them complete power over the unfortunate individual. Never enter a fae ring, else you’ll be trapped forever at the whims of the fae – Mingi almost messed that one up already, oh Moons. Do not be rude. Do not thank or say sorry to or accept gifts from the fae. And definitely don’t make any deals with the fae, they are cunning creatures that will ensure any deals end with them having all the power. Mingi was sure some more fae rules escaped his panic-struck mind but the passing seconds felt like rushing sand grains in an hourglass as his silence stretched and he was sure leaving a questioned unanswered would also be counted as rude.
“I meant no offense; I was not aware there was anyone else here,” Mingi managed to respond in a weak voice as he slowly turned back around to face the creature that was undoubtedly fae and bow down in deference. The hair on the back of his neck stood straight and his fingers turned pale as he gripped the bottom of his shirt.
A breath once more caught in Mingi’s throat as he laid his eyes on the fae. It stood in the centre of the ring, posture loose and facing Mingi. The otherworldly creature looked ethereal and unbearably pretty, skin like porcelain and short hair a wavy chestnut brown with seemingly not a strand out of place. Despite being shorter than Mingi It had a presence that made him feel small and insignificant in comparison. It had a small nose with a slight slope above rosy lips that were curved upwards at the corners, showing a hint of perfectly aligned white teeth that came to a deadly sharp point. Its ears, typical of hearsay descriptions of the fae, were elongated at the top and came to a point, forming an arched shape. The ears were decorated in numerous pieces of silver and off-white jewellery starting at the lobe and travelling up the helix that dangled and clinked against each other. Mingi eyed the off-white pieces suspiciously, vaguely aware of fae’s supposed penchant for organic materials. The creature’s eyes were a pool of shadows scrutinising Mingi’s trembling form.
The fae was dressed in a primarily obsidian black elegant hanbok accentuated with the bright hue of decaying autumnal leaves at the bottom of the wide sleeves and the pleated ankle-length skirt. The silk skirt split open from the left hip to reveal matching black loose-fitting shorts beneath. It was barefoot but did not have a speck of dirt on Its skin. The fae’s dainty hands were embellished in more fine jewellery and Its nails were tapered, with one on each hand oddly painted an inky colour.
The fae giggled at the pirate’s reply, eyes glittering with mischief as It gestured theatrically with Its accessorised hands, “Well, why leave now, you have only just arrived,” Its grin stretched as It continued, “and you are yet to introduce yourself. May I have your name, Princess?”
Mingi’s eyebrows furrowed together at the unexpected pet name and he stood straight once more. He chose his words carefully, wary of committing some sort of social faux pas according to the fae or accidentally babbling himself into servitude.
“You may not have my name, but you may call me Min. I have people waiting for me, I did not mean to be gone for so long.”
The fae’s head tilted and Its expression drooped in mock-sadness. Its presence was so intense it felt like a physical pressure on Mingi’s figure. His head started throbbing in mild pain. “Going so soon, Princess? How disappointing, and here I thought I made a new friend.”
Mingi practically felt his sluggish thoughts stutter at the nickname and the pressure surrounding him, “Uh, sorry, but I really need to get goi-”
The creature leapt on the pirate’s slip of the tongue and Its expression instantly turned to glee as It cooed sickeningly-sweet at the pirate, “Oh? You are sorry? In that case, I really cannot let you go, Princess. Look at you, lost and trembling in fear. Do you even know the way back? You just need someone to take care of you, you cannot be trusted to look after yourself, can you?”
Mingi’s breath hitched and his eyes started glistening as he realised his stupid, stupid, so stupid mistake, oh Moons he’s never going to see the others again, never going to see Yunho’s puppy-like smile, hear Wooyoung’s teasing, feel San’s affectionate hugs, fall asleep to Jongho’s soothing voice, be looked after by Seonghwa or stargaze with Yeosang on sleepless nights.
The fae laughed cruelly at Mingi’s distress. Its eyes had a calculative glint as It continued Its condescending cooing, “Oh, no need to be so upset, Darling. I suppose I could consider your debt paid if you visit again tomorrow and bring me a suitable gift. What do you think, Princess?”
Teary eyed, the human clutched at the uncharacteristically gracious offer, “Yes! I, um, appreciate the offer, I will come back tomorrow!”
The creature’s considering gaze felt like it burned as it roved over Mingi’s figure. It fluidly raised a silk-covered arm and gestured in a specific direction behind Mingi as It giggled lightly once more, “I am sure you will, Princess, and do not forget the gift. That is the direction out of the woods, do not get lost again, hm?”
Not wasting another second, Mingi pivoted sharply in the indicated direction and broke into a run, batting away low-hanging branches that were in his way. The fae’s wind-chime-like mocking laughter followed Mingi long after he had left the fae behind. Fuelled by adrenaline, the pirate continued to run for what felt like an entirely too long time before he broke past the final few trees and entered the village that was much quieter now.