The first couple weeks for Jongin were the hardest.  While he had spent most of his childhood learning to take care of himself, thinking he was capable versus living and traveling by himself were two very different things.  On the road, his meager supply of funds ran out quickly, either from overpaying or his inability to bargain, both of which forced him to rely on his hunting skills for the majority of his food.  Cooking was problematic since he didn’t always have materials on hand and a campfire was never guaranteed.

                Nor was finding a place to sleep always easy either.  Safe and secure lodging tended to be expensive and unless he could work his bill off, curling up outside with his sleeping roll was the best bet.  He did have the option to sell his sword, but that was unacceptable, and while he could have found more diplomatic ways to say as much, ‘You must be sleeping with pigs if you think I’m going to accept that offer,’ was oh so much more satisfying.

                He learned very early on that if he had something nice, he better be prepared to fight for it and his lessons with Yixing came in more than useful at those miserable times.  Typically outnumbered by men who bested him in size and weight, dodging, learning how to fall without getting injured, and employing debilitating strikes were skills he became additionally proficient in.  Jongin was reluctant to draw his blade against common men but that faded quickly when it became a viable tool to bluff or defend himself with as needed.

                And heaven help any man that thought he might be something nice to enjoy.  His first run in with such despicable men had been when he was searching for a place to stay on another chilly evening.  The village was small but the inn doubled as a tavern and the noise coming from it was more than enough to catch his eye, though he knew he couldn’t afford it.

                Jongin stared at the illumination spilling from the entrance and the windows and bit his bottom lip before sighing and moving on.  He wouldn’t be able to work for food in such a place and a bed was out of the question.  In annoyance, he pursed his lips when he heard a small group of men depart from the establishment, voices slurred and boisterous, and their footsteps loud on the hard packed dirt as they meandered in the same direction as him.

                He thought nothing of it until he realized they had caught up to him, snickering over something.  Jongin hunched his shoulders with a hand resting on his sword as he picked up the pace, but he gasped when something heavy and uncoordinated hit him from behind, driving him hard into the wall of the nearby building.  “Ugh!” he groaned, sword trapped in its scabbard with the weight of his assailant pressing on him from behind, sour breath spilling over his shoulder and filling his nose sickeningly as he heard raucous laughter nearby.

                “Where ya goin in such a hurry little un?” the man laughed, pinning him to the wall so that his cheek pressed against the rough surface, giving him a brief glimpse of swarthy features: a flushed face and hazy eyes staring at him with a lecherous grin, several teeth missing in an already yellowed set.

                “Get off me!” Jongin growled through clenched teeth, testing his mobility in the stifled space while he stiffened further when he felt something hard pressing against his backside.  Was that what he thought it was…?

                “But yev got shuch a perty mouth,” the man leered to the general amusement of his friends who laughed, egging him on.  “Mehbe I shhhould teach ya how ta use it,” he snorted, shifting enough to grab Jongin’s with one large hand and give a rough squeeze.

                Jongin choked in the back of his throat and let himself become dead weight, sliding against the wall as the uncoordinated male tried to grab at him, creating space enough for him to move again.  Panicked and angry, Jongin lashed out, ramming the knuckles of his left hand into his attacker’s face with a hasty backhand swipe, feeling the sting as bone met bone which forced the older male to recoil.

                Howling in pain, the man grabbed his nose with both hands and stumbled back, drawing the immediate attention of his other three friends who converged around him.  Breathing hard, Jongin scrambled to his feet and yanked his blade free, pointing the tip at each male as he glared at them with flashing eyes.  “Touch me again and you all die,” he promised through a savage grimace, teeth bared and lips curled back stiffly.

                “Easy lad,” the one to his right gestured, sniffing with a phlegmatic sound that made Jongin’s stomach roil further.

                “Jus a bit of fun,” the one supporting most of the injured man’s weight explained with a pale expression, caught off guard by Jongin’s resistance.

                “Go!” he spat, swiping their direction with his sword.

                “Yah!” they flailed as a group, breaking apart in their panicked haste so that they left their injured companion to his groaning misery while he tried to blink watered eyes enough to get a better look at what had happened.  He stiffened and whined as the tip of Jongin’s sword moved to rest under his chin.

                Jongin grimaced in disgust when the man pissed himself, fabric growing dark with the liquid.  “Get out of here,” he muttered, putting careful pressure on the sword so that the tip pushed his chin up, nicking the flesh as a warning.

                His original assailant screamed and fled, gait awkward while he fought through panic and the remnants of his drunken haze.  His heart hammered against his ribs uncomfortably so Jongin took a steadying breath and leaned against the wall of the building, sheathing his sword with reluctant care.  That had been unexpected and much too close…  He was young, hungry and broke; not desperate enough for that, even if the bastard had intended to pay him at all.  It wasn’t unheard of back home but neither was it even remotely common…

                In other villages, women tried to tempt him, which he might have considered if he had the funds, but he didn’t and curiosity aside, his thoughts about the opposite gender still stood.  They called to him like hungry wolves and then ignored his person like yesterday’s leftovers when he couldn’t respond in kind.  It was nerve-wracking in a way that made him wish Yixing was at his side to support him as he always had.  But he wasn’t and the pretty faces only reminded him of the demon more on occasion, which severed to send him on faster.

                Then again, after a couple seven days of pitiful funds, he didn’t look like much of a catch to anyone with his already lean frame whittled down to little more than skin and bones.  His only substance came from the wiry muscle he maintained just by fighting to survive and his morning training routines, the latter of which was harder with his stomach gnawing at his backbone.

                He’d been hungry before, during some of the leaner times back home, but even the worst of those days didn’t compare to being on his own.  If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up with a skinny frame like Yixing.  He wasn’t sure what or when the demon ate, but he never seemed to change in appearance one way or the other.  It wasn’t that he was breakable, and maybe it was just part of being a demon, but he never put on any bulk either…  Looking back, even the not so happy memories were preferable to the misery he experienced on a daily basis, in search of his ‘dream’.

                Some days, the only thing that kept Jongin going was staring at the blade Yixing gave him, which never failed to remind him of the demon and his dimpled smile.  It was no normal sword for sure, since it never rusted and never needed sharpening, which needed some explaining that the demon hadn’t managed to do before they’d split.  Jongin couldn’t figure out why the demon had given him such an exceptional weapon, unless he wanted to make sure he was armed.  Or maybe, just maybe, it was so Jongin wouldn’t forget him.  Not that he ever could.  Stupid demon.

                He really did like him, for all that he was a demon, but he was damnably difficult to read sometimes.  He knew the happy face he always wore around Jongin was a mask, but he wasn’t sure what the demon had to hide.  Their last argument told him he should have stayed to find out, but… he hadn’t, so here he was.  Living out his life’s goal of becoming an adventurer like in the story his mother had told him.

                It was a bit ironic that his life bore some interesting similarities to the Demon in the Woods.  He was no Prince, to be sure, and as far as he was aware, Yixing was pretty much harmless, though still a demon, but he’d technically bested him in his lair; well, next to.  One might even be able to call Demon Killer a magical enchanted blade, if he sort of squinted at the details.

                Hah!  Even with the intricate markings, that was a laughable thought.  There was no way Yixing would give him something so valuable that he just happened to have hidden in his pond.

                Maybe he was some sort of water demon then, since he lived in a pond and never strayed far from it.  But… had he been in the pond the whole time?  He’d said that Jongin’s presence woke him up, so was he just taking a nap or had it been a longer slumber?  It was a valid question though Jongin was inclined to think it was the latter.  He had only become aware of Yixing’s existence after he’d met him at the pond and then the demon had stayed at hand because of how he felt about Jongin.

                Speaking of which…  How did he feel about Yixing?  He was attractive, for sure, but demons were supposed to be in their human form.  At least he thought so.  His dimple was adorable.  So was his laugh.  And Jongin could admit it was hard not to stare at silver eyes.  Especially when they were looking right back at him…  He couldn’t help but smile though at all the times the demon had drawn close, to in some manner.  It happened most when they were sparring but not always.  And he missed the way his slender fingers felt when they were drifting through his hair as he rested his head in Yixing’s lap…  Maybe he should have been bothered by those things, but it was Yixing.

                That didn’t mean he loved him though, did it?  Not like Yixing said he loved him at any rate…  Besides!  He’d never been in love so how would he even know?  The girls he’d grown up with were pretty but they were annoying the majority of the time.  Did he just like Yixing because he wasn’t annoying?  Well, when they weren’t arguing anyway.  Dammit.  He probably should have stayed to figure out what was wrong with him.

                Then again, thinking of all those things back home threw his current life of sleeping outdoors in rags and subsisting off what food he could find and/or hunt into a considerably less glamorous light.  Whoever said adventuring was fun obviously never did it themselves…  Maybe he shouldn’t have used a Prince as his role model; they never ran out of money.  If he could just get a start in the right direction.  That was all he needed.  Just a helping step up and a lucky break somewhere.

                Almost three months after he left the village, something finally turned up.  Victorious after another defensive brawl which had left one man dead and two others injured, not exactly an unusual occurrence for him, Jongin sought aide at a nearby worship hall where the young acolyte who couldn’t have been older than him tsked at his wounds.

                “Why is it always you young muscle heads who come in here, bleeding all over the place and looking for free help?” the angelic young man sighed, rolling his eyes under a head of wavy blonde hair.

                “Hey!  I’m older than you,” Jongin retorted, hissing when the acolyte tightened the wrap on his sword arm snugly.

                “No you’re not,” he shook his head, reaching for another cleaning rag to address the side wound the other male had incurred.

                “I’m ten and six,” Jongin stated brazenly, jabbing his thumb into his shirtless chest, wincing when he hit himself harder than he meant to.  The bloodstained, dirty garment was balled up beside him and he’d been ordered to remove it before his current healer would even consider helping him, revealing a patchwork effect of cuts, bruises, and various other abrasions he hadn’t managed to avoid since he’d set out from home.  When the acolyte just looked at him with his lips pursed, Jongin groaned, “No way…  You’re-”

                “Luhan.  And yes I’m older than you,” he blew a puff of air into his bangs.  “Are they sending babies on adventures now?” he sighed, layering medicinal gauze over the wound, silencing any retort his patient was going to make.  “Well?” he prompted when the young man continued to sit in silence, chewing on his bottom lip.

                “No one will hire me,” Jongin admitted quietly after a pause, keeping his eyes down.  “Mostly I just keep having to defend this,” he raised his sword and sighed, letting his shoulders slump forward, rather dejected.

                “Ah,” Luhan mouthed, eyeing the blade with a practiced gaze.  “You’ve a nice weapon, for one so young, but absolutely no armor to speak of.  Huh.  I honestly can’t tell if you’re dumb enough to have never had any or if you had to sell it to get by…” he stated dryly with a shake of his head as he eyed older scars.  “What’s your name?” he asked, almost tripping up when he forced himself to leave off the title of ‘kid’.

                “Jongin,” the wounded male answered, fingers clenching around his sword tighter in automatic defense.  He didn’t like it when people noticed it; it usually meant more fighting.

                “Well, Jongin.  Once you’ve had a chance to let some of your wounds heal up, I’d suggest you go and see Lieutenant Minseok at the barracks in town.  And if you can’t find him, ask for Scribe Kyungsoo.”  He shrugged and sighed, dusting his hands off in satisfaction at his handiwork.  “I can’t promise anything but if work does come up, they’re usually reluctant to send men from the guard.”

                “Oh?” Jongin replied curiously, not sure if that was a good thing or not.  “Thanks.  I think?”

                Luhan chuckled at the response and nodded, “You’re not as naïve as you look.  If there is work, it’s just as likely to get you killed as not so take it as you will.  Good luck though, kid.  Jongin,” he laughed with a twinkle in his eyes when the younger male glared at him in annoyance.  “You just might need it if these,” and he gestured at the recently patched wounds, “are a regular occurrence.”

                Carefully, Jongin stood up and tested his bandages.  Luhan had a deft touch for it and while they felt stiff, they weren’t restricting.  “Thank you, Luhan,” he nodded his head with respect.  “I don’t have any-”

                “Eh,” Luhan waved him off before he could finish the statement.  “Just don’t die out there.  Or if you must, be somewhere we can’t find your body.  It’s cheaper when we don’t have to bury you.”

                He wasn’t sure if he should be offended by the frankness of his statement or gratified he wasn’t sugar coating anything…  “I’ll do my best,” he nodded once, clutching his sword while he hobbled out of the worship hall with his dirty shirt in his other hand.

                As much as he wanted to follow up any leads as soon as possible, he wasn’t a complete fool and resigned himself to at least finding some sort of food and a bed before he tried Minseok and Kyungsoo on the morrow.  “Please let me find something to do,” he begged to no one in particular as he trudged off in search of cover for the rest of the day.  As much as he wanted to be an adventurer, the whole surviving before he reached that status was getting tiresome…

                Despite his reservations on the matter, Jongin discovered that both Minseok and Kyungsoo were far more disarming than he thought they’d be.  The former was shorter than him with a somewhat chubby face, black hair, brown eyes, and a very soft-spoken demeanor, though it was obvious if push came to shove, he wouldn’t hesitate to act.  Kyungsoo on the other hand, had some of the largest eyes Jongin had ever seen and he had a hard time not staring so he focused most of his attention on the Lieutenant.

                “You’re not here to sign up for the guard, are you?” Minseok asked Jongin skeptically when he reported to them to see what he could find out.  He took in the lack of armor, the hastily cleaned shirt, patched pants and shoes, and the oddly nice sword at his hip and waited for a response.

                “No,” he shook his head, mentally smacking himself in the face for showing how nervous he was before he forced a smile of false confidence.  “I was told to see if you had some work, actually,” he explained, glancing at Kyungsoo who seemed considerably more interested in the stack of parchment papers on the desk before him, large eyes focused on the tiny but neat script.

                “Ah.”  He didn’t say it out loud, but his expression betrayed reluctance in giving information since it was obvious he thought Jongin looked too young as well.  “Maybe,” he added after a brief pause, tapping his index finger against his lips before he strode over to the scribe.  “Do we have anything new this week, Kyungsoo?” he asked, placing his hand on the hunched over shoulder to draw the equally small male back to the present moment.

                “Huh?  Oh!  Actually,” he started to say, pawing through various slips of paper and peering at each one, discarding them in a frenzy until he found the one he was searching for.  “Apparently there’s been some sort of nuisance hassling Henry’s sheep recently.  The last fella we sent hasn’t returned yet,” he shrugged, glancing up at Minseok before giving Jongin a dubious and skeptical once over.

                “I can handle it,” Jongin assured them with brazen confidence, letting his hand tighten around his sword hilt.  He didn’t know what it entailed or what he’d be fighting, but he’d figure out some way to take care of it.  Or die try…  No.  He’d handle it somehow.

                “Hah!” Minseok laughed in amusement, charmed if nothing else, by the boy’s confidence.  “Alright.  Go speak to Henry Lau at the Veol Farm on the top of Bradshire Hill.  If you come back, you can see me about more work.”

                “Thank you, sir!” Jongin grinned, letting some of his excited energy shine through as he bowed to both of them repeatedly, grateful for the chance to prove himself.

                Jongin’s investigation at the farm led him to the presence of a hellhound which had been picking off sheep one by one for about a week.  It was damn near as big as a sheep itself, black as night with finger length fangs and creepy red eyes, but he managed to dispatch the creature without too much trouble.  Jongin thought it was easier than it should have been due in no small part to the sword being very effective against the dread beast.  Unfortunately, he hadn’t counted on its death cry summoning reinforcements in the form of a pack of hungry, frenzied pups.  They weren’t even close to full grown but all five of them were angry little bastards that did a number on Jongin’s unarmored self before he managed to slay the last one.

                The fact that he collapsed shortly after such a feat and had to be taken back to the worship hall for treatment by Henry was promptly overlooked in favor of his success in eradicating the menace.  “At least I didn’t die,” Jongin shrugged while he spoke to his resident healer.

                Luhan smacked him in the back of his relatively uninjured head and sighed, “I didn’t expect you to take it as a challenge to see how close you could get to dying without actually qualifying as dead.”

                “Hey!” Jongin grumbled, holding his scalp with an annoyed glare.  “It was my first mission and it’s not like I was expecting it to have backup.”

                “I take it back,” Luhan sighed with his arms crossed over his chest.  “You are as naïve as you look.  Lousy amateurs.”

                “Luhan!” he wailed plaintively, aggrieved the healer wasn’t taking more pity on him.

                “What?  I call it like I see it,” he reminded the younger male with a finger pointed at his nose, smirking when the action made Jongin’s eyes cross, to his annoyance.  “Aish.  You’re like one of Henry’s little lost sheep.  Fine!” he exhaled, throwing his hands up in the air.  “A word of advice for your book or whatever you keep,” he shook his head, gesturing towards Jongin dismissively at the thought.  “Always.  Get that?  Always expect there to be reinforcements.  That way you’re never surprised if there are,” he winked, patting Jongin on the head while the younger male looked at him with a deadpan expression, debating if it would be worth being thrown out to punch him in the arm.

                “Thanks…” he grumbled dryly, sighing at the treatment.

                “You’re welcome,” Luhan flashed him a practiced grin and proceeded to finish cleaning up the mess he’d made while tending to Jongin.  Again.

                Jongin sighed and quirked his mouth to the side in reluctant gratitude, “Seriously.  Thank you.”  Luhan paused long enough to give him a genuine smile this time and nodded in acknowledgment.

                When Jongin returned later that afternoon with monies from his reward, Luhan just shook his head at him and accepted the small token with a wry smile.  “I still think it’d be better if you stopped showing up here.  Please don’t take that as a challenge to die where we can’t find your body,” he added as an amused afterthought.

                “I won’t,” Jongin chuckled, looking less haggard in his first new shirt in months.  He waved at the healer and took a deep breath, feeling hopeful for the first time in far too long.  Maybe things were finally starting to look up for him after all.

                Firmly in Minseok’s good graces after such a successful assignment, Jongin found himself on the docket for more work, should he choose to accept it.  It wasn’t much, but it was a start and there was no doubting the rush he felt at completing his first adventuring task.