Jaebum hurried, rushing quickly as weeping willows brushed harshly pass him. He clutched his lance within his fist, his knuckles white around the gold center. His chest flared again. He was close. He knew it. He picked up speed, not even bothering to separate the branches as he passed. Stumbling clumsily through, he pushed further within the trees and surrounded himself with forest. He looked around him. The sun was setting behind the foliage, a soft breeze flowing between the hanging branches. “Wait,” Jaebum mumbled. The dragoon paused. That wasn’t a breeze. The trees moved, but his usually malleable hair didn’t. Something was there with him. 

The lancer’s first thought was to jump to higher ground, however that was out of the question. The trees were too plentiful to break through, yet their branches were too flimsy to land on. Instead Jaebum clutched his lance tighter, the weapon pointing horizontally as he circled the trees. “Come out,” Jaebum ordered. He knew that might not have been the best idea, considering he left behind his armor as well as his mage back at the inn. “Now,” Jaebum insisted. He also knew that he would not let anything get in his way. 

A lithe canine exposed itself from behind a curtain of branches. From the low growl the beast emitted, it was ready to put on a deadly performance. “Warg wolf,” Jaebum mumbled. The wolf pulled back his lips in return, leaving his maw agape. His legs were tight with anticipation. Jaebum noted that the long appendages were nearly the height of his own. He knew that if the creature were to stand on its hind-legs, it would be twice the size of him. However that didn’t stop Jaebum from menacingly approaching the beast. He’s killed many of them on his way here. Their laid-out corpses must have been the trail the wolf followed to lead it here. It didn’t matter to Jaebum. He pressed his hand over his chest and ignored the pain that ignited there. This thing will die just as everything else that separated him from his dragon. He held his lance over his shoulder and circled the wolf calmly – as if it was his prey.  

The canine instantly noticed the change of dynamics. Though it continued growling, it began to back way and show fear. Jaebum didn’t let it get far. Using the nearby trees as leverage, he pushed himself off of one of their trunks and leapt onto the wolf’s back. He imbedded his lance into the back of the other’s neck, piercing through fur, skin and bone. The lance finally resurfaced on the underside of the wolf’s jaw. The beast released a hideous howl in pain, running in panic with Jaebum still firmly settled on his back. The dragoon then leapt in front of the raging beast, using his imbedded lance to drag it face-down into the dirt. The two of them slid and tumbled across the forest floor, staining it red with the wolf’s blood. With the lance still inside the wolf’s neck, Jaebum stood. He harshly pushed the horizontal lance downward. A sickening crack echoed throughout the willows as Jaebum shattered the wolf’s neck and spine into pieces. The canine instantly slumped lifelessly upon the forest floor; another corpse to add to the others. 

Once he was sure that the other was dead he roughly snatched his lance from its body. Blood sprayed in a maroon fountain, some even staining the dragoon face. He impassively wiped the liquid off before doing the same to the blade of his lance. Jaebum turned to continue but paused, his heart stuck in his throat. “I’m sorry,” he whispered lowly to dead ears. “I know that you’re only trying to defend your home,” Jaebum continued. He turned back to the corpse and kneeled beside it. He ran his fingers through its blood covered fur. “I understand,” he began before he stopped once again, passing his hands through his own raven hair. He sighed heavily. “What am I doing,” he questioned himself. 

Jaebum knew that what he was doing was wrong. He was losing himself. He knew. He wasn’t blind. He knew that he led the people that trusted him astray. He knew that coming to Windale would put them in danger. He knew that there was a chance that Imperial officers were still stationed here. Yet, he also knew that his dragon was here. 
After a year he finally felt him. He felt his dragon’s pain, the agony that raged within his chest, and everything else seemed to matter so much less. He knew he was sacrificing them, betraying them. He broke their trust. He knew. Yet he no longer cared.
He wanted to tell them, but he also knew that none of them would understand. None of them could comprehend the utter emptiness he’s felt for the past year. They couldn’t relate to the stark loneliness he felt. They would never feel the blinding anger that bubbled in the pit of his chest every single day – every time he remembered what he’s done. They couldn’t even fathom the soul-retching guilt he felt for leaving someone he loved so much so defenseless. 

Jaebum closed his eyes, fist forming at his thighs. He would forever regret the day he placed his dragon within someone else’s hands. None of them could understand that type of regret, and what it felt like to live with it. So the dragoon had to lie. He had to scheme. He had to do everything he could to fix what he had done.  

He jerked away from the warg wolf, whatever affection he held towards it evaporating in the heat of his anger. He couldn’t turn back now.
Before he could walk away, his chest exploded in a searing hot pain. He screamed from the force of it. Clutching his chest, he gasped as the pain heighted. “Ifrit,” he muttered through clenched teeth, “What are they doing to you?” He then stumbled to his feet, his vision blurring as he shifted. “I’m coming,” he declared, “No matter what, I’m coming.” He’ll morn for his actions later. Now, he had to save Ifrit. Jaebum broke from the trees, leaving the forest and his mistakes within their branches.

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The brick building was in the middle of a clearing. It sat surrounded by flattened willows and rotting foliage. It was small in stature, obviously cheaply made and not well kept. Cracks ran up its walls and the roof was caved due to fallen debris. From afar it seemed unassuming.  It gave the impression that it was an abandoned relic from a time long pass. However, Jaebum knew better. He knew that the real structure was housed underneath. He knew that his dragon was housed underneath. 
He walked carefully to the structure, his movements minimalistic but well-trained and certain. “Remove yourself from here.” Jaebum tensed, his shoulders held to his ears. He was not expecting that. He held his lance within his nimble fingers, his chin touching a raised shoulder as he eyed his surroundings. “You don’t belong here,” the voice started again shrill and child-like. The sound sent a chill down Jaebum’s spine. He instantly swallowed the unsettling feeling. He knew there weren’t much in this forest that he should fear. Instead the former commander remembered his training and looked around himself carefully. The clearing was empty except for the fallen trees that littered the ground and the dilapidated brick building that sat eerily still in the center. “Remove yourself, NOW,” the voice screamed in a panic.

Jaebum snorted. “If you want me gone,” he answered, “You’ll have to remove me yourself.” The dragoon continued to hold his lance by his side, his stance causal but his grip tight. Nothing was going to keep him away from his dragon. “Come out,” Jaebum ordered. His voice was nearly conversational as he awaited their response, when he received none he repeated himself. “Come out,” the dragoon then growled from deep in his throat, “so I can finish you quickly.” His deep timber echoed along the clearing, vanishing into the darkened sky. Then, just as the dragoon commanded, the lumber beneath his feet began to rumble and the voices’ owners came to meet him.  

Slowly they emerged from the clearing floor, limbs untwisting as they stood. Sickening cracking sounds reverberated across the clearing as they shoved their bones back into place. Five child-like bodies surfaced from the fallen willow branches. Jaebum swallowed thickly, shock and fear bubbling within his chest. Just what the hell was he up against? “Remove yourself,” the closest figure bellowed, the sound loud enough to disturb the birds in the forest behind them. Despite the words, Jaebum noticed that the creatures had no mouth to emit the sound from out of. 

“What are you,” Jaebum questioned. The dragoon didn’t get an answer. Instead low murmuring rumbled through the forest – a constant sound. “Chanting,” Jaebum breathed confused. “Wait,” he backed up and held his lance across his chest, “A spell!”

Dozens of tall fire towers erupted from the fallen trees, lighting the entire clearing on fire. Jaebum deftly leapt out of the way, jumping high and disappearing into the night sky. The fire pillars followed. They reached high enough to wrap around the length of his ankles, struggling to pull him to the ground. The dragoon easily ignored the of fire and landed powerfully on one of the creatures. The two slid across the blazed clearing, Jaebum with his lance held across the other’s throat. The child-like body crumpled under his weight, falling instantly to the ground in a jumble of mangled limbs. The dragoon held the other down, but as he parted his lips to speak heat erupted across his back and within his chest. The fire burnt Jaebum’s clothing; his tank was left in shreds, but his skin was completely unscathed. “Different,” the creature under him spoke.

Steam slowly wafted up the dragoon’s back, his shirt flayed, but Jaebum didn’t even flinch. “Stop,” he ordered. He pinned the other further down, nearly burying him within the rubble. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he continued. The clearing sat in silence after Jaebum spoke. The empty air was eerie, lifelessly still. Then chanting began beneath him. “Stop,” Jaebum ordered again. However the chanting just rose in volume. The others began to join in. “Your spells won’t work against me,” Jaebum continued. He was nearly shouting now. Yet the chanting didn’t stop. Pain flared in Jaebum’s chest, burning and writhing uncontrollably. “Stop,” the dragoon bellowed. They didn’t. Another fire pillar erupted across his back, leaving his skin unscathed but his chest enflamed. The dragoon growled loudly before he finally pulled his lance back and unthinkingly slashed the creature’s throat. Blood sprayed violently across his face and Jaebum felt his breath catch. “No,” he whispered, “No.” Killing wolves was one thing, but killing something that resembled a child was something else. “Stop,” the dragoon muttered dejectedly to the dead body below him, “Why didn’t you stop?” He pulled off the body, his lance limp in his hand. What has he done? 

His chest seared in blinding pain again, and the dragoon dropped his loose hold on his lance to grab his chest. Pain traveled from his pecks and up his throat. It felt as though he was moments away from spitting flames. However, it never hurt like this before. In the distance, the dragoon could hear the chanting growing louder. He could feel as fire pillars erupted around him, trapping him. Sweat beaded along Jaebum’s forehead and holes were beginning to form in his cargos. The pain danced within him, blooming in his head, through his fingers, behind his eyes. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. Then it all stopped. 

Ice – once Jaebum opened his eyes again all he could see was ice. The once raging fire was doused in frost. The surround trees and debris were covered in snow. The child-like creatures were frozen solid in blocks of towering ice, their chants abruptly ceased. “Blizzaga,” the dragoon asked as he continued to look around. It was as though the clearing was hit with a mighty blizzard. Snow piled up to his ankles, ice dangled from the branches of fallen trees. It was unlike anything he’s ever seen before. Although he asked, Jaebum knew that no blizzaga could do something like this. He picked himself up along with his lance, not even noticing that he was on his knees. “What happened?”

“Blizzaja,” a voice sounded from behind the dragoon. The raven snapped at the sound, turning to see Jinyoung as he emerged from the forest. The mage was surly a sight for sore eyes. He crossed the frozen clearing with poise, gracefully weaving between frozen fire pillars to get to the dragoon that staggered in between them. “Much stronger than some silly blizzaga,” Jinyoung finished. He stood in front of Jaebum, so close that the dragoon could easily see the worry still etched upon his features. “Good to know that you’re not dead,” the black mage commented off-handedly.

Jaebum sighed, though he didn’t know if it was due to relief or frustration. “What are you doing here, Jinyoung,” he asked as he stumbled on his feet. The mage did not dignify the question with an answer, instead placing a hand along Jaebum’s back to steady him. “I asked you to trust me,” Jaebum continued. The mage gave him a wicked smirk for his blatant hypocrisy, and the dragoon knew that the deserved whatever the mage was about to give to him. 

“Trust,” Jinyoung snorted. The word sounded disgusting on his tongue. “You dare lecture me about trust,” he continued. He laughed into the night, the sound full yet so very bitter. He paused for a second, getting a tighter grip on Jaebum’s torso. He dug his lengthy fingers into the other’s ribs – let his nails dig moons into the other’s skin. “If you want me to trust you,” he began menacingly and low, “Then I need for you to trust me.”

Jaebum frowned. “I do trust you,” the dragoon mumbled. He settled into the mage’s arms; he let the other dig into him as they stumbled across the snow. He could see Jinyoung’s anger from the corners of his eyes. He could see his hurt. He didn’t know that he meant so much to the other. Jaebum was still confused on where their partnership exactly stood, but in moments like these, he could see himself meaning something to Jinyoung. He could see Jinyoung meaning something to him and that was the scariest thing of all. “I told you to stay,” he continued more clearly, “Not because I don’t trust you, but because I do.” Jinyoung stopped then, the paused so sudden it nearly cause the two of them to face plant into the snow. “I trust you to look after the people that I couldn’t,” Jaebum finished, “The people that needed it the most.” He could feel Jinyoung’s eyes on him. They were unsure and suspicious, yet the mage still rolled them. Then Jaebum knew that they were fine for now. There will be many questions later. There will be many doubts, but he’ll handle those when they come. 

“It seems like you were the one that needed it most,” Jinyoung smirked. Jaebum snorted in kind. It was the mage’s way of saying that he’ll focus on saving Jaebum’s dragon for now. The mage didn’t say anything more. He didn’t ask why he left, and he didn’t ask why he lied. The dragoon was sure that the mage already knew the answers to those questions and Jinyoung didn’t like asking questions he already knew that answers to. He just followed, and Jaebum never thought that he’d be the person that Jinyoung would just follow.

“Thank you,” Jaebum muttered. Jinyoung simply nodded. He didn’t need to go into detail on what he was grateful for. If he did, Jaebum wouldn’t know where to start. He only hoped that the mage’s forgiveness would be on that list. He let things fall into silence soon after, the two heading toward the abandon building. “You saved my life,” Jaebum finally spoke again, “That was rather heroic of you. You may become a hero if you’re not too careful.”
Jinyoung laughed. It was full and free of bitter – genuine. “I doubt if I’m saving little girls from Behemoths anytime soon,” the mage laughed. “Besides,” he continued, “You saved my life.” He turned and looked Jaebum in the eyes, deep wrinkles creasing around his as he smiled. “I can offer you a little gentleness,” he smiled, “You’re one of the few.” 

They walked in silence again, letting their words mend their bond, before Jaebum paused as they came upon one of the frozen corpses. Red oozed from within the ice. More blood slowly gushed out from a crack in the sculpture. “Wait,” Jaebum said. He broke from Jinyoung’s hold in order to get closer. The slice in the creature’s neck showed clearly from this vantage point. “I slit his throat,” the dragoon exclaimed. The dead eyes, the silenced voice – Jaebum was sure that the thing was dead. “I killed this one.”

Jinyoung looked from over the other’s shoulder. He could also see the wound, skin slowly overlapping the cut while still in the ice. “It’s healing,” Jinyoung stated. He placed his hand onto the iced incasing, the frozen block slowly liquefying under the mage’s touch. “We should go,” he said as he took his hand away. The eyes behind the ice followed the movement. “They’ll thaw soon,” he finished. 

“But I killed it,” Jaebum mumbled. He back away from the frozen creature, its eyes following him as he moved. “What’s going on,” he asked. He then forced his eyes away, facing Jinyoung. The black mage had a hardened look in his eyes. His delighted wrinkles were long gone.  

“What the Imperials wanted me to become,” Jinyoung answered. The words set a chill down both of their spines.  -

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AN: For my ff fans,  I know that Ifrit isn't a dragon, but imagine him as a dragon and that's JB's dragon. Thanks for reading and for your patience.