Jin followed the dark haired boy out of the cave, leaving Yoongi behind albeit reluctantly. The prince would admit he had developed a soft spot for the fallen king, but Jin's kingdom came first. He was already enough of a failure, and his people had suffered enough. He had to prioritize them no matter his personal feelings. Especially since Jungkook said the most terrifying words Jin had heard in a long time, and he wasn't prepared for the answers he was about to receive.

"Debrief me," Jin said in a pant as they ran through the water, hopping out the other side. Jungkook's sword was dangling by his side, likely because Jimin recruited him to the mission Jin assigned. But that was out the window now if this thing they found was dangerous.

"Namjoon was investigating the back of the castle, near the hill. He found bones, sir. Bones that aren't remotely human-shaped. It's nothing like we've ever seen before," Jungkook replied, his voice as out of breath as Jin's.

The man was covered in grime, his face sticking with sweat. His hair was greasy from days without wash, and Jin made a mental note to remind Jungkook to bathe when he could. There was also the added joy that Jungkook was wearing an elegant suit that wasn't meant for this type of work. It had gold laces tied into it, a black base. He seemed like he was going to a meeting rather than to sprint through the wilderness.

Jin couldn't think of anything else to ask, so he kept his mouth shut and endured the ache each step brought his untrained legs. Jungkook's run was contained. Natural. He pumped his arms and breathed out with each heavy exertion. He blew out a stream of air with his mouth shaped in an 'o', his eyes narrowed and focused on the sights ahead. Jungkook's form was fearsome and rivaled even the commander of Jin's knights himself, but Hoseok would likely beat the man simply because of experience.

However, Jin couldn't get over how Jungkook was donning such attire. A blazer with golden trims and laces knit into it, shoulder pads of the same shade contrasting the dark base of the fabric. It didn't help that the buttons trailing down his blazer were tight, holding on for their lives as Jungkook's chest muscles flexed and contracted. The pants he was wearing matched the top, only no gold, just black. Instead of the boots Jin was accustomed to seeing Jungkook wearing, he had pointed shoes that were certainly not intended for running, but he made it through regardless.

It took six minutes of running to get to the castle compared to the leisurely stroll Jin took to get to the edge of the kingdom to cook with Taehyung not long ago. It was a contrast Jin wasn't prepared for, but he didn't have a choice in the matter. He huffed out some air and followed the spy, Jungkook slowing his pace as they reached the hill that curved so steep, Jin wobbled before he could continue the trek.

Jungkook aided Jin as they climbed, reaching the back of the castle not long after. Jin glanced at the waterfall for a beat, knowing that stealing a second of serenity in this moment was a selfish desire. And yet, the waterfall brought him the peace he needed to keep his stamina up. With one deep breath, he allowed Jungkook to grab his hand and pull him up the rest of the way, his grip tight to the point where Jin thought his hand would go pale from the force.

"We're just about there," Jungkook said. Jin was panting while Jungkook appeared as though he recovered from their sprint already. Jin was jealous, then scowled at himself for feeling such a thing about his top man. No matter how thunderous his thoughts were in his mind, Jin had to grab their shrieking bodies and throw them into the abyss of his stomach, his breathing nearing a howl as he followed Jungkook to a group waiting outside the walls of the castle.

The first thing Jin saw was Jimin's wife, Raven. He had to do a double take. Jungkook was wearing gold and black, and Raven's outfit was near identical, only in a dress and not a blazer. Although, the dress seemed more like a cloak. It had a hood that was lowered and laying on her back, the skirt of the dress loose and scaly. Dark scales went downwards, solid lines at the very end of the fabric. Her sleeves were loose too, gold trims nearing the edges and going up to her shoulder, then down the center of the dress until a brunette corset covered her stomach. It was more like a belt, a pentagon shape in the middle bejeweled with golden minerals resting there.

"What's the issue?" Jin asked, Raven perking her head back. Her red locks were as wavy as ever, the length of them draped over her shoulders and down her breasts like she typically had them. Jin pointed to what they were peering at. "And what's this?"

"Bones," she said. Jimin was by her side, his gaze flickering between the pile of bones peeking out of the dirt and his wife. Ironically enough, Jungkook and Raven were matching while Jimin was wearing the opposite. His colors were bright, a white cloak covering most of his body while contrasting black, knee high boots were on his feet. "We're not sure what creature it came from. All we know is it's been here for at least a few months. Erosion must have buried it partially, but Namjoon noticed something jutting out of the surface and investigated. He went to get Jimin right after."

Jimin nodded, reaching over and holding her hand before addressing Jin. "My prince, I know you selected me for a mission, and I will still carry it out, but will this cause any delay?"

Jin ignored the question for now, waving it off as something he'd answer after a minute. He pitter-pattered across the surface of the hill, kneeling only a foot away from the pile of bones. What he thought would be a creamy white was actually a dark shade, specs of lime oozing across the surface of the bones. Some flesh - black flesh - hung off the tips of the pointed things, and Jin felt a wave of shudders pass over him.

"No... we can handle this. Bones mean whatever it was, it's dead. Did we locate a head?" Jin asked.

The small group consisted of people who were assigned to attend to the castle as maids and guards, and among them was Namjoon. He stepped forward and knelt next to the prince. Namjoon placed his hand on the dirt, not minding the particles covering his calloused hand, the hand with little scars littering the back of it.

"No, not yet. But that's not the concern. Look at the bone shape," Namjoon said, and Jin did. He had to admit the bones were odd, and not just because of the color and flesh. They were bent at 45 degree angles in some places, and there were tiny holes sheeting the surface of each item.

"Why are there holes?"

"Unsure. It doesn't look like it was caused by exterior damage. No, these are too precise. Must've been born with it."

Jin stroked his chin with his fingers, shifting to glance at Namjoon, who was a mix of Jungkook and Raven, and Jimin's attire. He had a long-sleeved, white shirt with a quarter of the buttons undone so his chest could shine. The cuffs of the sleeves tightened on his wrists, but they had a flowing look to them. They were like little umbrellas that covered his wrists and half of the backs of his hands. There was stains on the light attire, but Namjoon didn't pay it any mind. Besides, his dark pants and shoes were clean enough that he still looked sharp.

"The main problem is this," Namjoon said, pointing to one of the bones. It wasn't drastically different from the others. It was bent, holes on it, the same color. Jin tilted his head, Namjoon picking up on his confusion. "They seem small, especially considering how bent they are. It's like it was developing."

"And?"

"And that means there's a chance this was just a baby."

"So there could still be an angry mother and or father out there..." Jin said, trailing off as his eyes expanded. "Shit, could this be the creature that wiped out the old king's home?"

"It's possible, but we don't have any confirmed facts. Do you want to go get him and bring him up here to investigate?"

Jin considered the question, toying it around the depths of his mind before he ultimately shook his head. "I can try, but I doubt he'll want to leave the cave to come up here. The last time we reminded him of the death and destruction of his home, he got mad at us. I just made some progress with him today, I don't want to run in there and ask him to come look at something that potentially caused the worst day of his life." Namjoon went to speak, but Jin held up his hand. "I will do it. I know our kingdom comes first. But we haven't been attacked yet. Tell the people to lay low and keep themselves quiet. Talk but talk quietly. Give me a few days to win him over more. Maybe he'll start opening up about his past, and from there, we can get a better description of the creature at the very least. If I can get him to talk about the creature, then I'm sure I can get him to come up here and look."

"Are you sure, sir?" Namjoon asked, and Jin, for the first time in what seemed like his life, felt confident answering that with a nod. That caused Namjoon to sigh and agree, even if it was a bit reluctant. "Very well. I'll keep the townsfolk as quiet as possible."

"Thank you, Namjoon. Jimin, Raven, Namjoon. Take as much storage as you can with you to the other kingdoms. We have three neighboring us. North, which were the old enemies of this place, east, and west. They're all a long haul by horse."

"How long will this take us, sir?" Jimin asked, Jin standing to meet his steady gaze. The white cloak looked good on him, the hood down so his hair could be exposed. He had a chain necklace on that Jin could barely see since the cloak came up high on his neck, puffing out as if it were a scarf.

"Likely four days if you're stopping for breaks and sleep. Make sure you set up a night watch schedule while you're sleeping. And Jimin, don't pair yourself with your wife."

"We stay up all night anyway, sir," Raven said, Jin narrowing his eyes at her. "R-Right, make a night watch schedule. We'll get right on that, sir."

Raven and Jimin bowed and left the area, and in a way, they seemed like the Yin and Yang. Raven had the dark attire, Jimin the light. Which made sense, honestly. Jimin was an angel. Raven was a demon. It suited their tastes. Jin, despite the teasing, was glad to have a couple around that everyone could make fun of. Even the couple themselves poked fun at their relationship. Hopefully Jungkook and his 'friend' was next on the list.

"Would you like me to get a team to gather and preserve the bones, sir? Maybe we can look into it a bit. We don't exactly have any researchers, but I'm sure someone around here understands bones at least a little bit," Namjoon said, Jin waving him off.

"You go with Raven and Jimin. I'll worry about this."

"Are you sure?"

It was blaringly obvious that Jin wasn't sure, but he nodded regardless. Namjoon lingered as if there was another order Jin was yet to give. When no one spoke, Namjoon followed after the retreating Mr. and Mrs. Park, Jin keeping his gaze on the bones. There were a few others there, forming a circle around Jin. "Get back to work, I'll make orders when the time is right. For now, be careful and continue to make this kingdom our home. Bones mean it's dead, and even if there are parents, bones mean it's been dead a while. Which should mean the parents are long gone. Don't let anyone panic, we're still safe, okay?" The commoners agreed and left although a bit slowly. Jin sighed and bit his lip, letting his irises trace over each inch of the bones. He said they were safe to calm them.

He only wished he believed it.