The dark shape of a new moon stood hidden between the darkness of the night, dark storm clouds curled over the lonely shape and camouflaged it against that dark glimmering night sky. With the last warrior to come back from a border patrol, now every creature in Fire Tribe was sound asleep, the hollow was like a deserted area with the darkness that loomed above the hollow, and the loud and piercing cry of a woman was the only thing to break that eerie peace. . .
Every female warrior that shared a den with Yeonghon was startled awake. Their once drowsy eyes, glowed amber as they stared with astonishment at the young warrior that had woken them, not only because of the scream but because of the scarlet liquid that dripped like an ongoing monsoon from her throat.
"Yeonghon, what. . .?" Yeonghon heard her sister's voice from within the darkness. Her voice was slightly dipper, but as she caught sight of what was going on with her sister, Yeonghyeon's voice turned into a high-pitched exclamation that was filled with horror. "Some go call Hwajae. NOW."
As Yeonghon struggled not to choke on her blood, she felt her sister hold on to her, making sure that Yeonghon was on her side to minimize the choking. And despite feeling dizzy with both pain and weakness, Yeonghon managed to hold herself up with her elbows, her head bowing as she coughed up more of her pooling blood.
She felt fear, so much fear. . . She couldn't help but close her eyes and blackout as a headache struck her head. Everything went dark for a while, a while in which a loud maniacal laugh rang inside her ears, deafening her and horrifying her even more as she fought against falling into that dark pit.
"You can't escape this destiny Yeonghon. . ." The voice growled lowly. "I've finally found you. And I am not letting you go. . ." There was another laugh that taunted Yeonghon, piercing her ears even more. "Not unless I get what I deserve. . . My Angelite."
As the laugh got louder and louder, Yeonghon forced her eyes open wide, bringing her back to her tribe and hearing Hwajae, Yeonghyeon, and Mishil converse with one another. All of them were equally concerned although her sister was more than desperate to save her.
". . . He'll know what to do." Yeonghon heard Mishil say, her voice grave. "If he knew what to do as a mere cub, he'll know what to do now."
"I'm not asking for help from any other tribe." Hwajae growled back, his voice firm. "Not again. We don't them."
"Maybe not during other times, but we do now!" Mishil shot back, her voice hardening even more than her mate's, reminding Yeonghon even more about how she'd managed to win the leader's heart. "Look at her! Do you know how to heal her? Because I don't fire will be useful here."
Yeonghon's eyes began to focus now, seeing how Mishil gripped Hwajae's arm and, despite having eyes of an emerald, her irises shone with the gold flames of fire. "If we stand here and do nothing. She'll die, Hwajae."
As Mishil spoke her truth, Yeonghon felt her sister's grip grow tighter around her, her fear reflecting in her voice. "Please, Sunbaenim! Let me bring her to Jingu. Mishil's right, he's gonna know how to treat her,"
Jingu!
Were they crazy?
Yeonghon's eyes grew wide with dread, and despite her pain she managed to sit up, shaking her head. She didn't want to go to Earth Tribe. . . Not because of Jingu or because she was afraid of asking for help, but because of someone else; someone whom she'd vowed not to speak to again for as long as she lived.
Yeonghon clung to her sister, smearing a bit of her blood onto Yeonghyeon's hanbok as she desperately looked at Yeonghyeon with eyes that pleaded to her.
Yeonghyeon looked down and immediately knew what her sister meant and why her glazing eyes shone so brightly. She carefully moved her hands from Yeonghon's throat as she'd previously tried to contain the bleeding, and held the left side of her sister's cheek as she whispered. "I know. . . I don't have any desire to see him anymore than you do. But how else are we going to get you help?" Yonghyeon then sniffled, lovingly caressing her sister's cheek as she pressed her forehead to Yeonghon's. "If there's anyone I won't be able to live without is you, Yeonghon. Nothing will happen to you, I'll go with you. I'll keep you safe."
And though her grudges and resentment told her not to listen to her sister, Yeonghon couldn't help but trust her sister's words. If there was anyone she could trust, it was her. Not only because they were the two wholes of two tribes, but because Yeonghyeon had suffered in the same way that Yeonghon had.
As Hwajae agreed to the ordeal once Yeonghon gave her consent, he carefully but firmly wrapped an arm around her back while placing the other under the back part where her knees bent. Carefully, he lifted her away from Yeonghyeon and directed himself to the exit of the tribe's hollow.
"Toto!" The leader roared while he trotted away from the den, his voice resonating against the silence of the moon.
Suddenly, the sky brightened as a ball of flames lit up the sky. Spirals of fire spread over a small portion of the canvas as a bird-like figure maneuvered his way between the tall trees and the mountain rocks, flapping alongside the darkness of the night until he stopped. His wins spread elegantly at either side of his fire-covered frame, angling two long talons towards Hwajae and gracefully landing on the leader's right shoulder.
The phoenix quickly tidied his firey plumage and tilted his head, listening carefully to his leader's command. "Did you need me, Master?" The phoenix tilted his head, tucking in his wings and blinking in concentration.
"Fly to Earth Tribe's hollow. Tell them it isn't intruders, but that it's an emergency." As the phoenix finished comprehending what the leader had said, he nodded and opened his wings wide, setting the sky ablaze once again. "Sir, yes, sir!" And with that, the phoenix hopped off Hwajae's shoulder and into the night sky, swiftly disappearing between the trees of the jungle.
"Wait! I'm going as well." Yeonghon suddenly heard Mishil's call as they exited the hollow.
Her call was answered immediately by her mate. "Absolutely not. Not when you're in that kind of a shape." When Mishil placed her hands on her hips indignantly, Yeonghon saw how despite the darkness, the outline of her growing belly showed prominently beneath her silky hanbok.
And though she would've also loved to have Mishil, someone whom she thought of as a close friend, she agreed with her leader. The future mother had a lot of trouble with past pregnancies, either by having the island claim her little ones' lives before they were born or right after their birth, stripping both Hwajae and Mishil of the wish to have a larger family. It was best if Mishil stayed behind and rested.
"M-Mom?" As Mishil prepared herself to argue, Taehyung took everyone by surprise by joining the conversation.
He'd slipped out from the hollow without being detected by anyone, not even by his father; a good ability that he's mastered from him. The fourteen-year-old apprentice stood at the exit, his long hair fell over his shoulders as the warm breeze brushed his ebony strands, and his eyes shone amber as they fixed upon his mother.
"I'm. . ." Taehyung began rather timidly as if the matter embarrassed him, his foot scrapping the dirt below him as his hands slowly went behind his back. "I'm kind of scared of the dark. . . Can-can you please stay with me?"
As Taehyung's sweet little eyes moved from staring at the ground with embarrassment to his mother, Mishil froze. As her gaze fixed upon her mate, who was already several steps away from her, Mishil gave up on the matter with a sigh before quickly turning to her cub and going over to him.
As drowsiness began to fill her again, Yeonghon watched from half-lidded eyes how Mishil hugged her little one, placed her hands on his cheeks, and kissed each side of his face as she murmured comforting words to Taehyung. Then as Mishil placed her arm on Taehyung's back and slowly rubbed it while she directed him back to Hwajae's den, a strange warm feeling settled inside Yeonghon's heart.
She didn't dare dive to find what that feeling was, however, because she knew it'd scare her as that warmth she felt when Jingu was near. . .
~
"There. I'm almost done." Yeonghon suddenly winced as Jingu's hands gently pressed the clothed bandage around the slit on her neck, making sure that the poultice he'd made would stick to the wound and help it heal.
After a ten-minute walk and a few trips between consciousness and unconsciousness, Yeonghon had been situated inside an Earth Tribe den specialized for Jingu's ability. The little yet welcoming enclosure had a few crafted knives the young warrior had made, a few coconuts and mangos, and a bunch of aloe vera leaves as well as other jungle leaves and flowers Yeonghon didn't care about. The den had also a lot of comfortable blankets made from the silk of silkworms, which Yeonghon had thought of as gross as well as really cool, she also had to add how comfortable she felt with those silks.
Now she still felt drowsy with pain, though she was able to sit up properly without Yeonghyeon's support, who had stayed outside of the den with Hwajae as the two talked with the leader of Earth Tribe, Hajoon.
Hajoon. . . Even the thought of her father's name made her want to disappear. It was already uncomfortable enough to be a visitor in the tribe, let alone be just a few feet away from the absentee that was her father.
Hajoon was one of the causes for Yeonghon's resentment, distrust, and almost disgust towards half the blood that ran through her veins, not only because he'd decided to abandon Yeonghon and her sister, but because he'd denied fathering them after his mate had died during Yeonghon and Yeonghyeon's birth.
She could understand the pain of a bond could make a creature do things a they wouldn't do while sane. . . But Hajoon never acknowledged or even tried connecting with them during their cubhood and teenage years, leaving the responsibility of raising his daughters to Fire Tribe and, in a way, Hwajae since he'd fought to keep them when her father's relatives had tried to take Yeonghon and her sister away from Fire Tribe to be raised as Earth Tribe warriors.
Hatred made Yeonghon narrow her eyes as she gazed at the tall creature with brown eyes identical to hers and dark red hair. A hatred that made her lash out at Jingu, pushing him away when the young warrior touched her throat again.
"Can you stop?" Jingu glared at her annoyed when she hissed at him. "I'm only trying to help. Plus, you're the one waking me up at two in the morning." He grabbed an empty coconut shell and threw in some aloe vera, which he'd stripped clean before spitting into the bowl. "I know you don't like it, but can you at least work with me?"
When he fixed his green gaze on hers, and when Yeonghon saw a hint of both worry and hurt, Yeonghon couldn't help but lower her gaze. Any hint of hostility and anger seemed to seep away as she lowered her head, managing to rasp an "I'm sorry," to the young warrior trying to help her.
"It's okay, don't worry. . . It's just. . ." A little silence filled the enclosure until Jingu sighed, looking down at his shell as he mixed everything. "You're always so. . . Angry." Jingu suddenly whispered, his hand coming slowly to a stop as he released the tool he was using to mix the poultice, and slowly touched Yeonghon's cheek with the back of his palm. "You don't have to be angry all the time, Yeonghon. And if. . ." Jingu bit his lip slowly as if he were thinking about what he was about to say. "If I'm the reason you're angry, you can always tell me. . . O-Or if anything else makes you angry, you also tell me! I'm great at listening if you haven't noticed yet."
When Jingu let out a little giggle and playfully made his ears prick up, angling them in Yeonghon's direction, Yeonghon couldn't help but giggle alongside him.
She opened her mouth willing yet, but nothing came out it as she immediately closed it.
She had nothing to tell Jingu. . .
How could she? She barely knew or trusted him except for the fact that she knew his name, his healing powers and that they had a shared taste for ambition. Besides that, he was a total stranger to her.
"It. . . It hurts." Yeonghon rasped softly instead, her hands instinctively going up to hold Jingu's face when he got too close while examining her wound as soon as the sentence left her mouth.
Similarly to the first she had held him like that, Jingu's cheeks reddened slightly as his doe eyes fixed on her brown orbs instead of her now bandaged wound.
"I know. . ." Jingu's hands went upwards to touch hers, gently moving his thumbs to soothe her. "It--It does hurt sometimes. But you're with me." A little smile spread over his rosy cheeks as he removed her hands from his face and held them in his instead, taking Yeonghon slightly aback. "You'll heal in no time under my care, I promise you that."
The two stayed like that, one holding the other's hands, looking at each other as if everything else had disappeared around them. There was a strange warmth in Yeonghon's heart; a warmth that both confused and scared her as the thought of Jingu's gaze intoxicated her mind. When she felt her heart do a whole fluttering flip, she immediately shook Jingu's hands off and placed her own on the safety of her lap instead. She then looked away from those doe green eyes and began to play with a lock of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder.
Did he notice?
Most likely not. . . How would he know?
Jingu looked away too, gulping nervously as he focused his attention back on the coconut shell. He tried to ignore the flowers that bloomed from inside his being, and prayed that his throat didn't become clogged by their petals.
Had she noticed?
Yeah, most likely. . . It was probably too obvious.
"A-Anyways. . ." Yeonghon looked up again when Jingu cleared his throat, mixing a little bit of honey into the poultice, avoiding Yeonghon's eyes this time as her gaze intently fell upon him. His hand slowly came to a stop and he removed the tool he'd used to mix the poultice away once more, placing the shell right in front of Yeonghon, who grimaced when she looked down at it.
"I don't want to miss any injuries from inside your throat or to your vocal cords, so here." Jingu grabbed a little wooden spoon, which was also crafted by him, and placed it right beside the shell.
Eh. . .?
Yeonghon stared dumbfounded as her gaze looked over at the coconut shell, almost gagging as she saw the greenish color and grainy texture of whatever he wanted her to take. Was he being serious right now? Yes, Jingu had a great talent that she truly admired and respected him for, but she had limits and this was too much for her. . . Too far.
As Yeonghon pushed the shell away from her, Jingu's eyes slowly found their way back to hers. He blinked twice in her direction and then at the shell before sighing, his back slowly slumping. "Come on. I know it looks weird, but I promise it's not that bad." He grabbed the spoon and dipped it into the substance, which made Yeonghon's body shiver as he scooped part of the mixture and lifted it for Yeonghon to see. "I mixed a little bit of mango in here. You see, they have a very prominent flavor from the feedback I've received, so I know it's not gonna taste awful. Plus, who doesn't like mangos? They're quite nutritious and delicious."
As Jingu finished trying to explain himself to her, Yeonghon arched her brow at him, fixing him with a brown glare that spoke a thousand words as she nodded at the questionable substance and then at Jingu, taking the spoon from him and pointing it at him. Although she could only express with her glare, Yeonghon knew that Jingu understood what she meant very well, especially as the slimy substance began to slide and fall off the spoon, landing on the rest of the substance in jiggling mess.
In return, Jingu gave her a fake laugh and glared at her, grabbing her wrist and making her lower the spoon. "I'm not eating it to prove my point."
"Hmph!" Yeonghon crossed her arms, and whipped her head to the side, clasping her mouth shut like a small cub refusing to eat deer meat for the first time.
This made Jingu pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Come on, you're not a cub!" When Yeonghon moved her head shoulders up and down and hummed in a low pitch to mock him, Jingu finally let out a groan and massaged his temples, praying to the moon so he could have some patience to deal with her.
How could he convince her?
What could even be more gross than what he was already asking her to do?
As if the moon itself had spoken to him, an idea lit up in Jingu's mind at that question. . . An idea that he knew Yeonghon would turn down immediately; just like anyone else he's given the option to, popped into his head and gave him a new sense of hope.
"You know what? Fine!" He suddenly exclaimed, making Yeonghon whip her head back to him, her eyes growing wide with interest as a little mischievous smile appeared on her face.
Jingu pointed at her with the spoon. "No. I'm not trying it, stop it. It's either you take this or you make contact with the magical source itself." He followed by smacked his lips together and raised his brows at her. "I'll have to kiss you better."
Now, the young warrior was the one crossing his arms proudly. A triumphant smirk appeared on his face and his chin was raised smugly as he waited for Yeonghon to answer.
Every time he'd even suggested kissing his patients, even as a joke to light up the mood for them, everyone had declined the option immediately. Not because he wasn't appealing, since he was quite the charmer to the ladies in his tribe, but because the simple nature of kissing was something unheard of in Earth Tribe unless it was between Promises and mates.
Yeonghon blinked once then twice, and when she pursed her lips to think about it, she guessed it wouldn't be a much of a task to do. Fire Tribe warriors were open to things such as afection, to them it was a way to get close to anyone in their tribe, so they weren't afraid to do so. And although Yeonghon found it rather normal, the matter was still treated as sacred and quite intimate.
It didn't matter however, because eventhough the idea of doing something so intimate with a warrior from another tribe, a tribe who vowed not to be involved with, made her grimace in itself, she agreed with herself that it a much better option than. . . Well, whatever Jingu wanted her to do in the first place.
The color seemed to drain from Jingu's face as he watched how Yeonghon shrugged her shoulders and uncurled her arms away from one another, pushing the shell away and gesturing for Jingu to come closer to her.
"Y-Y-You're not. . . You're not going to actually do it. . . Right?" Jingu began to stammer, feeling frozen at Yeonghon's invitation. He swallowed nervously as the scenario he had played in his head shattered as this reality settled in, making him lose his composure and letting panic surge through him. "R-Right?!" He then went on, clearly growing shy as he played with his hands. "I-I-I mean, w-well. I did suggest kissing, b-b-but that doesn't mean that you have to. Like, it's not like it's my first kiss or anything, but I just don't know if--if. . . Well, I don't even know your favorite color yet, or your favorite food, or your favorite flower! And I'm not sure if you're comfortable, because you're injured a-and. . ."
Yeonghon watched with furrowed eyebrows as the younger warrior rambled on and on. Part of her found it cute about how care he putting into her well-being while the other part wanted him to just shut up altogether because that was starting to make her uncomfortable. So, without any remorse or hesitation, Yeonghon rolled her eyes and clasped her hands around Jingu's upper arms, pulling him forward to her. And before he could ramble a little bit more, hers and her healer's lips met in a rather. . . awkward kiss.
Yeonghon had closed her eyes, though she was as rigid as the stone walls around her, while the younger was too astonished to even register that his eyes should be closed as he stared into the nothingness of their enclosure.
Although his mind was now a river of astonishment at the boldness of Yeonghon's character, Jingu's shoulders began to relax slightly and he was able to close his eyes and tilt his head slightly, putting two-and-two together and deepening their kiss.
As he did so, Yeonghon loosened her grip on Jingu's strong arms, taken aback by his matching proximity before gripping his hanbok instead, bringing him even closer to her.
It felt weird to Yeonghon. Not because of the bittersweet taste of jungle leaves mixed with honey and mango, or the light tingling effect that his lips were leaving on hers, but because there was something strange about the way that she felt in regards to this one kiss in particular.
Jingu hadn't been the first she'd kissed in the same way that she wasn't his first kiss either. The two of them had the same shared experience since they'd both had time to mess around, yet they had the same thought that this kiss was bringing emotions none of the two had known about, or could quite comprehend right at this very moment.
And though Jingu had only meant the kiss to be just a quick peck, he let it last longer than he should have. He only broke away from Yeonghon when he realized his thumping heart couldn't take the sweet dose of adrenaline, and when he realized the initial purpose was to help her heal. . . Not whatever they had turned it into.
As the two young warriors stared at each other, Yeonghon realized with wide eyes that her back was against the wall of their enclosure and that both of Jingu's arms were at either side of her head with his hands pressing against the walls, hovering over her. As Jingu's eyes widened with that same realization, he laughed nervously and quickly got away from Yeonghon, sitting back down with cheeks that burned red and an embarrassed gaze that he fixed on the ground and away from his patient.
Yeonghon moved away from the wall, smacking her lips and grimacing at that bittersweet after taste that still lingered. "Gross, and you wanted me to drink whatever you gave me?" She suddenly let out sharply, which made Jingu snap his head at her. His ears had flattened as he covered his mouth. "D-Don't you look at me like that!" His cheeks still burned red and he huffed, looking away from her again when her gaze bore into him. "It's either that or you lose the ability to talk," As he said those words, he raised his head with surprise as he slowly turned to her again. "Talking, which. . . You're doing now."
"Oh, I guess so." Yeonghon cleared her throat, realizing that it wasn't hurting any longer. She tried growling, which didn't affect her either, finally concluding that the younger's powers had done their magic proficiently.
As Yeonghon began to tear the bandage to see if the outside had healed as well, Jingu quickly intervened, shooing her hands away from the bandage. "Hold on, hold on. Let me do it." He grumbled as he took the loose end of the fabric, slowly uncurling it away from Yeonghon's neck carefully and tactically. "You can't just tear it away, you have to do it carefully or else the wound might re-open. And we don't want that now, do we?" As his eyes met hers, Yeonghon shook her head slowly.
Once the bandage was off, Yeonghon shivered when she felt Jingu's hand on her throat, near her trachea where the wound had been placed. Despite the roughness of the skin on his fingers, Jingu did it in such a gentle manner that it was as if a puff of cloud just merely brushed over the area. Then, Yeonghon ended up slapping his hands away when he pressed his finger against her neck, pushing until she coughed and choked on her spit.
"Great reflexes!" Jingu exclaimed before a smirk spread over his face. "Consider yourself healed by Jingu, your throat is now working just fine."
"Please. . . Don't say that again. Or don't say like that." Yeonghon grimaced at him, not impressed in the slightest bit as Jingu shrugged, standing up and stretching. A few of his bones made a crack with a nice pop, which he then shook off as he extended his hand for Yeonghon to take. "You should be good now. Come on, I'll take you to Yeonhyeon and Hwajae. They're probably expecting you by now."
Yeonghon looked directly at Jingu and then at his hand. She hesitated for a good minute until she let out a breath and placed her hand in his, accepting the help as he quickly pulled her to her feet and walked her to the exit of the den, lifting the lichen that hung from the opening.
The pair then walked out from the den, where Yeonghon realized that a few of the Earth Tribe warriors had woken up. Dread began to fill her as Yeonghon noticed that their eyes were fixed on her and Jingu, and that some of them were even mumbling and whispering as they watched them. Most of them were retired warriors and young apprentices, though the look that stood out most from the others was the glare of a single female warrior hidden within the darkness of another den.
The girl was standing and leaning against the curve that was the entrance to the den, she had her arms crossed and her gaze was locked on Yeonghon, giving her a piercing gaze as she looked at Yeonghon up and down, as if she were sizing the warrior before a fight.
If she wasn't so tired right at this moment, Yeonghon swore that she would've fixed the warrior with a glare too.
What was up with these warriors?
As if the warrior had heard Yeonghon's thoughts, she lifted her head and called to the silver-haired healer beside Yeonghon. "Jingu, are you almost finished? Remember, we have to sleep since we have that patrol at dawn! I'd hate to go without your presence."
Immediately, Yeonghon felt how Jingu became rigid as his ears flattened to the sides of his head at the warrior's voice and the mention of that patrol. "I forgot about that--" He mumbled to himself before lifting his head to answer he,r, a timid smile spreading over his face. "Don't worry, Dae. Just go rest, I'll be there in a bit!"
Yeonghon watched as the warrior gave Jingu a little smile, her eyes becoming bright as her gaze fixed upon Jingu's tall frame. In return, Yeonghon's eyes narrowed and her eyebrow arched as quickly as she realized what was going on. "Oh, I see." She said slowly. "You go around kissing others me with a Promise waiting for you? My, the nerve you have."
"Huh?" Yeonghon guessed she caught him by surprise as Jingu's eyes widened and he turned to look down at her, his ears flattening with embarrassment. "I-It's not like that, I swear." He then cleared his throat, going more quietly as Yeonghon gave him an incredulous glare. "I mean, she did ask me once during our coming of age, but I declined. I don't have time for things like that, at least not for now." He then rolled his eyes as he mumbled almost to himself. "Though, that doesn't stop her from acting like we're a couple."
Yeonghon shrugged, feeling the little mischivious urge to sink her claw into the wound. "I don't know. She sounded pretty convincing, you could really tell she's into you. HEY DAE, JINGU LIKE Y--"
Her yowl was cut off when Jingu's hand flew to her mouth, covering it with ease. "Shut up!" When Yeonghon almost stumbled backward, he removed his hand from her, realizing his roughness. "You really like to place me in uncomfortable situations, don't you?"
"I wouldn't done so if you had told me you had Promise--"
"Darn it, she's not my Promise! I don't even like her!"
Jingu immediately covered his mouth as they reached the leader's den where Hwajae, Yeonghyeon, and the leader of Earth Tribe were waiting patiently. The three individuals whipped their heads towards the pair, their expressions unreadable due to the darkness from within the dwelling, though Jingu had already caught their attention by yelling.
If it hadn't been for an excited squeal that came from her sister, Yeonghon swore she would've melted at the hot feeling of her embarrassment. However, as Yeonghyeon was about to hug her sister, she noticed something rather peculiar. She looked down and then back at Yeonghon before tilting her head. "Am I missing something?" A playful spread over her face and Yeonghon couldn't figure out what was wrong until Yeonghyeon pointed downwards, making Yeonghon realize that hers and Jingu's hands hadn't let go of one another.
Jingu also followed Yeonghyeon's finger, and when he noticed, he gasped and quickly shook Yeonghon's hand off. His ears flattened again and his face began to turn red as he quickly took a few steps away from Yeonghon, quickly mumbling an apology. Yeonghon also stepped away, eyeing the Earth Tribe warrior as her own face began to blush, making her look away from Jingu.
Stupid Earth Tribe warrior. . .
"Yeonghon," Hwajae's voice made Yeonghon snap away from her embarrassment as she looked up to find her leader stepping over to her, gently brushing his hand against her cheek. "Are you better, how do you feel?"
Yeonghon couldn't help but laugh slightly when Hwajae then cupped her face and lightly lifted it, trying to see if her wound had completely healed. "I'm alright, Sunbaenim, don't worry." She affirmed, making Hwajae finally let her go. Yeonghon stayed quiet for a moment until her eyes were directed back to Jingu, who was trying not to look at her.
In the past, she would've probably gotten offended, but now she understood it was part of the way he carried himself. He was a formidable warrior and had many things that he could boast about, yet he was nothing but awkward shy, and humble, and in a way, those qualities warmed her heart.
"I'm grateful for Jingu, though. Because if weren't for him I don't him. . . I gues you wouldn't hear me talking right now," Yeonghon began, finally being able to catch Jingu's eye again. "The moon has blessed Earth Tribe with such gifted warrior." This time, Jingu looked away again though it was only because he wanted to hide the little smile that Yeonghon was able to draw on his face.
Jingu cleared his throat rapidly, trying to find a way not to ramble on like he usually did when someone complimented him. "Well, I wouldn't call it a gift, I'd say it's more like-" However, efore Jingu could finish his sentence, the leader of Earth Tribe stepped forward, quickly standing beside the warrior and placing his hand on the youngster's shoulder.
"Oh, quit being so humble. You're fine, alright." He then gazed over at Hwajae, straightening his back arrogantly. "He's our best warrior in the tribe, no one is truly like him." Yeonghon narrowed her eyes when the leader's grip seemed to tighten on Jingu's shoulder, making the young warrior flinch uncomfortably.
The leader's eyes then found their way toward Yeonghon's fixing her with a penetrating gaze. "Not only do our warriors rely on him, but also warriors from other tribes." A dark shadow seemed to settle over the leader's eyes, making them even darker as they flitted between the gazes of his two daughters. "One good example is yourself, Yeonghon. I almost thought that becoming a warrior would mean that you'd stay out of trouble with our tribe, yet here you are. Quit irresponsible, don't you think?"
Tension began filling the den as Yeonghon and Yeonghyeon stood side by side, meeting their father's gaze and the venom he seemed to spit at them despite their shared blood. A low growl rumbled in Yeonghon's throat and her eyes shone with orange fire. A slight burning sensation settled upon her hands as she fought the urge to let herself become a tiger and launch herself at the snake that rattled in front of her. She wasn't the only one with that urge however, as the same thing seemed to be happening to Yeonghyeon as she became tense beside her sister.
The moment of tension was only broken when Hwajae set himself ablaze, turning himself into the form of a large and mighty tiger. He stepped elegantly between his two warriors and their father, his tail raising and lashing a warning. "Yeonghon and Yeongheyon are amazing Fire Tribe warriors, Hajoon." He said lowly, his eyes then switching to Jingu to see if the little warrior had anything else to add, but Jingu could only stand awkwardly beside his leader with his head hanging low.
Hwajae figured Jingu felt uncomfortable, so he let his gaze soften.
Hwajae then slowly blinked at the warrior and then turned back to Hajoon, knowing that Jingu wasn't taking his leader's side. "Please tell me, isn't too hypocritical to call my warriors irresponsible. . . When their father ran away at the slight scent of responsibility when his cubs were born?" Hwajae then tilted his head innocently. "Or when he refused to step up when they begged him to? I don't think that's too honorable, Hajoon--a father and a leader, to be boasting about a warrior who isn't part of your bloodline and leave your daughters in the dark."
When the claws of his words cut through Hajoon's throat, silence was the only thing that could be heard inside the den until Hwajae gave the leader another long glare and finally began to walk away, flicking his tail for Yeonghon and Yeonghyeon--who quickly turned into tigers as well, to follow him back to their tribe.
As Yeonghon followed behind her sister, she lowered her head and fixed her gaze on her paws. She felt satisfied with the fact that Hwajae had stood up for them in such a straightforward yet polite manner, yet. . . Why did she have such a great urge to cry? Her neck had been slashed open and all her father could do was blame her for it. . . Had he always been that way? Because she couldn't believe her mother had been willing to bond with such a dreadful creature.
Yeonghon was about to leap over a fallen branch and disappear into the jungle with Yeonghyeon and Hwajae until Jingu's voice made her halt.
"Yeonghon, Yeonghon wait!" As Yeonghon turned around, she saw the warrior trotting out of Hajoon's den and sprinting to where she was. As he came closer, she turned herself back and arched her brow at him as the two stood right in front of one another.
"You're not gonna ask for a goodbye kiss now, are you?" Yeonghon tilted her head and let out a laugh when her comment made Jingu choke on his spit. As she gazed up at him, the young warrior fixed her with a glare, his lips pouting. "You're not funny."
Yeonghon shrugged. "Whatever. What do you want?"
Jingu seemed to hesitate at the question as he opened his mouth and then closed it again when whatever he meant to say didn't come out. He let out a sigh and crossed his arms. "Nevermind. Just make sure you drink honey if your throat gets sore. You know, just in case."
Yeonghon stared at him up and down.
Was that it?
Gosh, he was dramatic.
"Okay. . . I will." Yeonghon finally nodded, beginning to turn around until Jingu called again.
"W-Wait. I'm not done yet!"
Yeonghon bit back a groan. Could he hurry up? She had to go, she couldn't stay and have her sister misunderstand her absence for something other than Jingu taking too long to deliver a message.
Plus, what could be so important for Jingu to-
"Please, take care of yourself," Jingu said softly, his eyes grew big as he met Yeonghon's gaze. "I'm. . . I'm not gonna be available all the time to heal you," He then giggled, which pinched Yeonghon's heart. "Even if you want another kiss from me, I can't have you being hurt all the time."
After that, the two warriors looked at one another for another half-second before the two burst out laughing. A small purr left Yeonghon's throat once she was done laughing, completely forgetting about her encounter with her father as she caught her breath once again.
Yeonghon dipped her head. "Oh, don't worry. I will." She then playfully grimaced. "You taste awful anyway."
In return, Jingu now smiled widely and gave her a fake laugh before glaring at her with a straight face, making Yeonghon snort with laughter again. "You're still not funny, Yeonghon."
Yeonghon shrugged, winking at the younger. "Whatever."
The two gave each other one last glance before saying their goodnight's to one another as the moon began to dip downwards so the sun could start its reign over the sky. Before the milky light of dawn could light up the dark patches of solitude and eerieness, a tall shape wandered from within the darkness of the jungle.
The shadowy figure stalked Yeonghon in the same way that he had stalked Jingu, walking in their dreams and haunting them with that maniac laugh of his. And as the wind blew, and as the branches and the leaves so the trees above whistled, the face of malice smiled. His eyes glowed a bright shade of green and blue against the ebony blanket that fell over the jungle, lighting up his features.
Who could've thought that fire and earth were fated yet. . . doomed.
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Have we spotted any parallels yet? 👀
I'm still figuring out the scheduling of these chapters. . . I'll probably just publish on Tuesdays and Fridays at this point 💀💀
Thank you so much for 50k reads guys, the story wouldn't have gotten this far without your support 💙💛💚💙💛💚!!!
Run Away keeps coming in strong 💪💪
Like always, if you are enjoying the story and want to continue supporting, please vote, comment, and the story to your library if you haven't yet!!
Thank you much, my angels 🫶🫶
(Got me kicking my legs frfr)
~Will you run away with me?