----.ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎.----
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
°･:*✧✧*:･ﾟ
:・ﾟ
･ﾟ✧
'

ㄥ|爪|ㄒㄥ乇丂丂

✧*:･ﾟ✧

ch²¹-destination's direction

---.ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎.---

Woken up early in the morning by Jungkook gently shaking me into conscience, I start packing up for the journey. Food items that have the ability to last longer, water, clothes, camping supplies and first aid medicines are all prepared gracefully by Aunty-Il, for us to take with. Jungkook's injuries have been taken care of.

Farewell follows the sunrise, and tears are shed, yet it is mainly an exchange of the best of wishes. Aunty-Il pulls me into a tight embrace.

"Stay safe, my darling." She peppers my forehead with sweet and warm motherly kisses, and pulls back to move closer to Jungkook. She grabs his larger hands in her nimble, delicate ones, caressing them with her thumbs.

"Take care of my daughter, son."
She brings their joined hands to her lips to place a chaste kiss.
"Keep yourselves safe and healthy, otherwise I'll be grabbing you both by your ears, understood?" Her little warning was meant to be stern, by comes by as words sewn over shaky breaths, met with heavy tears barely containing themselves in her eyes.

We chuckle lightly, covering up the gloss in our own eyes, giving her an even tighter and reassuring embrace.

As Byeong pulls Jungkook aside to speak with him, Aunty-Il keeps me by her side for the little time we've left with her. She cups my face with her loving and caring hands, caressing either of my cheekbones.

"You promise me HaeJin, that you'll be back with Tae and Rae and little Jun, all healthy."

I smile at her demand.

"I promise, Aunty. We'll try to get back as soon as the situation falls out of this chaos. I know it may take a while or so, but we would, I-"

She sighs.

"I know, my child. I wouldn't ever want you to get into danger. But you send me a letter that you made it without harm, as soon as you reach there."

"I will."

She smiles, and taking a step back, she digs through her dressing robes to present an item wrapped in cloth to me.

"Take it."

"Aunty, what-"

She unfolds the wrap, revealing a sheathed dagger to the eye. The sheath is embellished with the carvings of blossoming flowers, the petals embedded with red jewels and swirling green leaves over silvery little branches. The hilt consists of solely emerald, which glows like radium, when sunlight passes through it.

She takes my hand to turn it over to place the graceful weapon on my palm.

"Unsheathe it, my darling."

Hesitantly bringing my free hand to the hilt, I pull it out, and the rays of light falling on it almost scatter into seven, when they fall on the surface of the blade. The blade, is made out of pure silver, and the intricacy of the carvings and minute inscriptions over it are otherworldly.

The sheath lays heavy in my grip, but the dagger loses half of its weight without it. I run a finger down the edge of the blade, following a zing sound as I do so without cutting myself. I admit it though, that it has been a while since my hands last held a weapon.

"The hilt is entirely emerald, and the blade, pure silver. One of a kind."

Looking up from the sophisticated piece of weaponry, I eyes fall into her experienced ones. She smiles and nods towards the dagger.

"'Was your father's."

A wave of surprise floods me. I never knew Father could possess a weapon. I had never known him with one. Father was a man who held a strong belief in peace and non-violence.

Reading my expression, she answers to the rising questions inside of me.

"You remember that one time when your father had been summoned by the King?"

I do. It had happened just a few months earlier than the War had commenced. Father had visited Aunty and Byeong on his journey too.

I nod.

She looks back at the dagger with a knowing smile.

"It was then, that he'd handed me this. He had asked me to keep it safe, and to let unconditionally no one know of its existence." She pauses for a bit, then continues, "He asked me to bequeath it to his children when they reached maturity, positively."

She sets her eyes back on me.

"I fulfilled your father's wish. It is your responsibility now, HaeJin. Take good care of it," she says, "if any odd circumstance be, God forbid, protect yourself with it."

Filled with gratitude, I smile at her in appreciation, pulling her into an embrace.

"Thank you Aunty."

She just holds me tighter.

"HaeJin,"

We pull back at the call of my name.

"Are we ready to go?" asks Jungkook beside Byeong with a curve on his lips.

Glancing back at Aunty-Il, I gain approbation with her nod.
"Of course, we are."

-

It is yet again through the woods, that we have to go on our way to our destination. It would take us about four days to get to the Camp. We could've taken the public transportation, a bullock cart, or gone on the mapped path, the shorter route, but we have our odds. Jungkook is a soldier, and though he isn't loyal to the enemies, he still is a man who comes from across the borders. And it wouldn't be welcomed that we carry a bag full of weapons with us too. The time of War called for additional measures to secure every town and every village of the kingdom, to filter out any foes who managed to trespass. Therefore, each and every gateway to a village or town is guarded by a handful of soldiers, who check thoroughly through the lot of people who wish to enter. The woods, although have, definitely offer lesser chances to come across those checkpoints.

The woods turn thicker and thicker by the metre, untouched by the man, flourishing at the mercy of nature; thicker than the woods that stood around our land and home, because of course, the soil of here hasn't been touched once by an evil shell. The birds chirp and the hares hop carefree and gleefully, and for a moment it feels as if all the chaos and anguish of the world is a lie. But it is not, as it is going on as we breathe.

It has been about eleven hours since we set off. I had not known of the bag of weaponry we carried, until only a few hours ago. When I'd asked about them, I'd only received a 'better be prepared than to regret' as a reply. Although I'd been a bit reluctant to carry around a bag full of short and broad swords, daggers and handguns, there was no turning back. Also, I have now a reason to put my faith in Jungkook fully, so there are no doubts about his intentions.

Jungkook halts as we reach a small grassy clearing, getting down the black horse, Raven, who'd been gifted to him gracefully by Byeong Cheol.

"Let's settle here for the night, it's only a few minutes to sunset."

With winter fast approaching, the days have started to become shorter and the night longer.

I nod in agreement, and get down Grey, who inspite of the few breaks made from earlier, seems equally exhausted as well. I pat his mane in gratefulness and appreciation, and he neighs sweetly in reply.

The fire is produced first and foremost by Jungkook, while I unload what we'll need. Bringing both horses to the nearest tree, Jungkook ties them both loosely and caresses their heads briefly, before coming back to the fire, leaving the two horses to get along.

The sun sets just before we could begin with our meal, but thankfully our surroundings still stay lit with the fire Jungkook produced.

Dinner is a short affair, consisting of prawn pickle, a few fruits, and dry fruits. The horses are fed with a few carrots each, and water.

As there is nothing more to do for the day, we spread our blankets and sheets abreast, respectively, to sleep early, and then wake up early the next day too.

"Are your injuries fine? Do you need them checked? Or any balm applied-" I ask as I lie down in my makeshift bed.

"I'm feeling just fine, Hae. Aunty-Il really worked her magic well." He chuckles, turning to me, and I follow.

"She always does."

He sighs.

"I'm glad to meet such good people, Hae. I felt loved after such a long time, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be. I owe it to you." He smiles softly.

"Well, you should get used to it, Guk. Shouldn't expect any lesser now, especially." I whisper at the end.

Though his smile falter a bit, his eyes twinkle even brighter than they naturally do, when he hears it.

Laying as he is, he just brings our hands together to them a squeeze.

-

Sometime along the night, a change in the air stirs me awake. The breeze is cooler than it was earlier, and it is surely due to the ripening night. A slight burn in my arm at the site of my inkling brings me back to consciousness. My eyes flutter open, and instinctively roam around the surroundings. Everything is as quiet as it can be at nighttime, but it is a breathy, quiet laugh that is extremely out of place. My head snaps to Jungkook's place to alert him and wake him up, but his sheets lay there cold and unoccupied, leaving me in a pool of confusion and trepidation.

Grabbing one of the lit lamps, I stand up without a sound to warily follow the source of the misplaced sound.

It is just a few trees that pass, when I come across Jungkook, sitting on the grassy floor against a tree bark, whispering into a conversation with-

"HaeJin?"

Jungkook calls out to me.

Unlike the other times, the entity stays, its form of a butterfly shining brighter than the flame in the lamp.

"You aren't sleeping? Is something the matter?" He asks casually yet concerned.

"I-the breeze turned a bit cooler, it woke me up..." I reply with uncertainty towards the situation.

"It's alright, Hae. Come here, sit with us," he pats the floor beside him, "let me reintroduce you to him. Jeonghun."

✧*:･ﾟ✧

1735 words.

[A/N: Well, that was LoNg. Things are just getting started and I've finally got my entire storyline together. Phew! Btw, I'm including magic and all, so I'll have to add a 'supernatural' tag too. Nothing over the top tho.]

----.ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎ᴥ︎.----
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
°･:*✧✧*:･ﾟ
:・ﾟ
･ﾟ✧
'