With time, practice, and better equipment Jongin finally started to carve an established name for himself with a string of hard won successes against all manner of opponents.  He earned more than a fair share of stripes on his hide going solo, but he was too new for anyone to trust him in the first couple months, and it allowed him to afford decent gear and a mount for when he needed to travel out further from the city.

                Some missions took him a couple days on horseback and he was always grateful for the mount on the return trip.  Easy or not, fighting continued to remain tiresome work, especially since he didn’t want a partner.  With Demon Killer at his side and Yixing’s training to fall back on, virtually any target short of a demon itself was fair game for Jongin.

                While he had yet to face off against any demons like Yixing, his accomplishment included a myriad of slain monsters.  Trolls were nasty pieces of work, hellhounds usually came in packs, harpies were vile, foul-mouthed creatures, and there was always the run-of-the-mill bandit gang or group of thugs that needed handling.  Jongin would be the first to say he wasn’t a cold-blooded killer, but when going up against other humans in such a job, it was kill or be killed, with few exceptions.

                On the bright side of things, there were some considerable perks to his chosen profession as well.  Lorrelstown had constant work, proved to be a steady, reliable base to depart from, and the townsfolk knew him and were well aware of his prowess.  His peers and older individuals granted him respect in the form of nods or well-meaning waves and those closer to his age were much more inclined to buy him free food or drinks on a job well done.

                Vendors and merchants in the area treated him fairly, so long as he kept his head, and he stopped running into thugs who thought he was an easy target.  In point of fact, the unsavory sorts avoided him if he so much as looked their direction, a welcome change for sure.  Surprisingly, he found women considerably more eager to make his acquaintance, offering ‘freebies’ at the tavern or inn he lodged at instead of asking for payment, depending on his latest successful run.

                Still curious and goaded by his all too helpful friends, Jongin was given the perfect opportunity to become better acquainted with one, especially when he was unable to keep the mystery of his status just that, a mystery…

                “You’re doing it again,” Minseok advised, working hard to smother a laugh as his eyes drifted from Jongin to Kyungsoo and back, lips pursed determinedly.

                “Doing what?” Jongin asked, blinking as he sat up with a jerk and took another sip of his ale, holding the cup close with both hands as he tried not to look guilty.

                “Staring,” Kyungsoo pointed out, narrowed eyes glaring at the younger male while he leaned forward with his elbows perched on the table, a mostly empty cup between his hands on the sticky surface.

                “No I’m not,” Jongin denied, dropping his gaze to the contents of his mug as his face disappeared behind the bottom when he raised it for a large gulp.

                “You only do it when you’re drinking anymore,” Minseok shrugged as if that was explanation enough.

                “Ow!” Jongin yelped, setting his cup down when he felt a toe connect with his shin under the table.  Halfway between a pout and a frown, he reached to rub the sting away and glared at Kyungsoo.  “What was that for?”

                “If you don’t stop staring at my eyes, so help me, Jongin,” he scowled with only a marginal amount of slurring, pointing his finger at the wilting warrior.

                “Calm down, Soo,” Minseok chuckled, reaching over to pat his aide’s arm in a comforting gesture.  “Besides.  I’m curious what our Jongin is so intrigued by,” he added with an amused smile, leaning onto the surface of the table with his forearms while he regarded the adventurer.

                “Eh…” Jongin murmured while his brain ground to a halt.  He looked between both males for some sort of reprieve but they weren’t giving him anything and in his already muddled state, it was harder than usual to come up with any sort of clever retort.  He gestured at Kyungsoo as if the answer was there and exclaimed, “But they’re so big!”  And shiny when the light caught them just right, giving them a silver sheen for the briefest of moments…

                Kyungsoo snorted and rolled his eyes, “I bet you say that to all the boys.”

                Minseok about choked on his drink and Jongin flushed bright red at the implication, going stiff as a board in his seat.  “Uh… no I don’t,” he responded clumsily, flustered.

                Confused, Kyungsoo looked between his two companions until he realized what he’d said and laughed at himself.  “Ah!  Girls then,” he grinned, pointing at Jongin knowingly with a nod.

                “Sure?” Jongin added with a tense half-smile.  He supposed that was right.  Minseok and Kyungsoo looked at each other and then back at Jongin, piercing gazes holding him in place.  “What?” he asked, leaning back from their respective focus.

                “At first I thought you were just bashful in that department,” Minseok explained, shaking his finger at Jongin while the younger male blinked with wide eyes, not entirely sure where he was going with his statement.  “You’ve never been with a woman have you?” he asked point blank, folding his arms over his chest while he leaned back to wait.

                “What?” Jongin scoffed, feeling his face flush even harder as he tried to brush the question off.  “Come on, guys,” he gestured, messing with his cup.  “Have you?” he asked Kyungsoo awkwardly, one brow raised in inquiry.  At Kyungsoo’s nod, Jongin groaned and wilted in his seat.  “No.”

                “Seriously!?” Kyungsoo gasped with a tipsy flush in his cheeks, thoroughly taken aback, and even Minseok seemed a bit surprised by the confirmed, alcohol induced admission they’d wheedled from their resident heroic adventurer.

                “What?!  Shut up…” Jongin grumbled, flushing while he tried to hide behind his mug, both hands cupped around it with his chin on the table, his lengthy bangs swinging forward to hide most of his face.  It wasn’t his fault that coupling outside of betrothal or marriage wasn’t done or spoken of in a small village where no one’s business was private.

                “Min…” Kyungsoo whined at the elder Lieutenant, the use of the shortened name as good an indicator as any that he was well on his way to being drunk.  “We have to help him,” he insisted to Jongin’s further mortification while he glared at the large eyed male with no small amount of concern.

                Minseok saw the expression on his face and laughed, clapping him on the shoulder in assurance.  “Not like that,” he promised with a wink, far more stable than either of his companions.  Eyes narrowed in thought, he looked through the crowd of people, marking the familiar presence of the barmaids, and he smiled upon seeing a diminutive young woman with a beaming smile who was a ray of sunshine on even the worst of days.  “I know just the thing,” he grinned with another amused glance at Jongin.  “Sunny!” he called, voice cutting right through the din of noise to draw her attention as she turned with a warm smile.

                Kyungsoo practically zoned while he watched her saunter over and Jongin further tried to become one with the table, keeping his eyes averted as he plastered himself against the stained surface.  “Lieutenant,” she giggled, placing a dainty hand on his shoulder while she twirled a strand of short blonde hair around her finger at the base of her neck.  “What can I do for ya?” she winked, flirting with him playfully as she glanced at Kyungsoo and then Jongin in quiet amusement.

                “Jongin’s got a problem we thought you could help him with,” Kyungsoo babbled in a merry tone, flushing when he realized he’d said more than he intended.  He yelped as Jongin kicked his shin under the table and reached to rub the abused appendage with a pained grimace.

                “Oh?  Our dear Jongin has a problem that little ol me can help with?” she asked, leaning close when Minseok waved her to his level so he could whisper into her ear.  Her lips parted in bemused uncertainty as she looked at him to make sure he wasn’t just pulling her leg.   “I see,” she giggled after a moment, eyeing the still hiding young man in thoughtful speculation, giving him a smile that made his ears turn bright red under the fall of his hair.

                “He did just slay a troll today.  Is that not worthy of some kind of reward?” Minseok asked aloud with a raised brow, amused by his companion’s further discomfit.  “For me, Sunny?” he smiled, playing the cute card without shame as he blinked at her.

                She scowled with amusement at his effective bribery and traced her fingers under his chin in a gentle tickling gesture, “Ya are terrible, Minseokkie.”  He grinned at her and she giggled in response, sauntering around to where Jongin could see her from behind his cup, ersely fascinated by the exchange.  “Maybe just this once,” she smiled, curling her fingers around Jongin’s hand as she slipped her slender digits between his palm and the cup.  “If the adventurer wants to an all,” she added, leaving the decision up to him.

                Gathering his courage, Jongin picked his chin up off the surface and gulped loudly, blinking at Sunny with hazy eyes.  “Yes?” he answered, thoughts muddled by the effects of the alcohol and his body’s eager response to such a proposition, even if Minseok and Kyungsoo were having far too much fun with it.

                “Come on then, hero,” she beckoned in a husky tone with a wink, giving his hand a little tug.  It was just enough to get him up and stumbling after her with a dazed expression on his face.  They made their way through the crowded, noisy establishment amidst random conversations and the occasional congratulatory call from other patrons who recognized the walk and were aware enough to comment.

                While Sunny just smiled and waved at them flirtatiously, Jongin kept his head ducked, face flushed and eyes glued to the hand holding his as his heart hammered painfully in his chest.  There were private staff rooms on the second level and she took him to one in the back, shooing a pair of younger children, a boy and a girl who looked no older than five, away with a quick gesture and a smile.  Blinking after the giggling duo, Jongin followed their path with his eyes, thinking the little girl looked a lot like Sunny, before he was pulled into one such tiny room.

                Sunny closed the door behind him and guided him to the bed when he seemed uncertain of what to do.  “Just sit down, hon,” she smiled, pushing him back until his legs bumped the edge of the bed and forced him to settle on the cushioned surface, hands dropping to steady himself on either side of his hips.

                “I don’t…” he trailed off into a breathless whisper, watching her hands work at the weapon belt on his waist, removing the sword with practiced fingers as his breathing and heart rate increased while he felt a growing tightness in his pants.

                “It’s alright,” she encouraged, setting it aside on the single chair in the room before she crawled onto his lap, straddling his thighs as she took his hands and placed them on her waist, the fabric of her skirt stretched taught over her legs.  “Just relax,” she crooned, caressing his cheeks with her fingers as she kissed his lips.  Jongin responded slowly as her hands worked down his chest to pull at the hem of his shirt while he started to slide his palms over her body, exploring the slender frame with curious wonder.  “There ya go,” she giggled, peering at him with playful eyes before she pulled the shirt up, revealing the plethora of marks across his toned torso.

                “You’re really pretty,” he mumbled when the shirt cleared his head, blushing furiously at the embarrassing attempt at a compliment.

                “Thank ya,” she giggled, tracing her fingers over some of his scars with delicate care.  “Are ya sure this is yer first time?” she eyed him for a long moment, since the number of scars usually indicated otherwise.

                “Y-y-yes,” he stammered, flushing harder at the stumbling admission as all pretenses to pretend otherwise flew out the window.  Almost as if he was afraid she’d change her mind, his hands tightened on her waist, fingers pressing into the supple flesh.

                Sunny just giggled delightfully and pushed his shoulders back, easing him to the bed with gentle pressure as his torso flexed; he was putty in her hands.  “Goodness ya are cute,” she told him, trailing her fingers down his bare abdomen before she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it up, easing it over her head.

                “Oh…”  Jongin’s eyes went wide in his face and he was unable to keep himself from staring at her pale, bare, feminine body, still not entirely sure this wasn’t some strange ale inspired dream.

                Sunny smiled at him again and leaned over his prone form, brushing her s against his chest and kissing his lips as she murmured, “Don’t worry, hon.  I’ll take real good care of ya.”  She winked before her soft lips pulled away to trail down his heated, tingling body.

                His experience with Sunny showed him the beginning of the pleasures to be found in the company of a woman.  They were all good at taking care of him with his successful reputation earning him time in their company at will.  All of his encounters were purely physical in nature, little more than a temporary distraction, which both parties understood; adventurers lived a life of danger and the women enjoyed their company while they were around.  Jongin though, had to wonder if they’d be as friendly if he stopped being a hero.  Not that he was inclined to find out exactly.

                So, when he desired company, he accepted them for the fun, physical diversions they were.  He wondered at the lack of attachment or connection but brushed it off in light of their mutual pleasure instead.  Still… even now, he couldn’t help but wonder what Yixing would think about the way he’d changed since he left his home village.  Nothing was as he’d learned in the fairytales and Jongin was starting to get tired of the perfect depictions shattering every time he turned around.

                Like any other successful night after a completed mission, Jongin found himself unwinding at the local tavern in town.  His target had been a crazed dryad that was harassing a group of tree cutters in the woods to the south.  He dealt with it well enough, but the thing had nasty claws and he’d earned another few scars down his left arm and back.  Due to the damage, he had to replace his armor and see his resident healer again since the talons cut clean through his defensive wear but at least they were mostly superficial wounds.

                Not that such a relatively easy escape granted him a reprieve from Luhan’s snide comments but it was better than it could have been.  ‘You know, Jongin.  I should honestly just start calling you Patch, because that is all I do.  Patch you up,’ he’d grumbled with a customary roll of his eyes, though Jongin knew there was no actual anger or complete annoyance in his tone.

                He’d accepted the berating treatment, tipped Luhan well as usual, and found himself relaxing with two of his close companions, barring any of the newer adventurers who’d only arrived for work or were just getting started, nursing a tankard of ale.   “I’m telling you,” Jongin shook his head, hand wrapped around the handle of his mug as he raised it in toast.  “That was a good fight today.  There was no pattern to the creature’s attacks.  It was just… angry.  Hard to predict.”

                “You did well,” Minseok congratulated with a nod, sipping on his ale as opposed to Jongin’s gulping pattern, enjoying their after-hours leisure in the nicer drinking establishment where the noise level was just shy of overpowering and it smelled only somewhat of stale alcohol and unwashed bodies.  Plus, the barmaids were infinitely easier on the eyes.

                “Actually, your successes have drawn us additional attention and we’ve been getting more requests lately,” Kyungsoo shrugged, toying with his cup, the contents having been drained some time ago.  “We’ve tentatively sent out a couple other adventurers, mostly in pairs or more, mind you.  You do seem to have uncanny good luck though,” he smiled, blinking rapidly in the bright light of the tavern.  “Your scars notwithstanding,” he added, gesturing to Jongin’s person as a whole.

                “Maybe,” Jongin shrugged confidently, leaning back in his chair.  He sat up when he heard someone at his right side.

                “Mind if I join you?” the stranger asked, looming over Jongin.  He had to lean back to get a better view of the tall male who could have rivaled Chanyeol in height.  That was no easy feat… or comfortable to be seated next to.

                “Sure,” he agreed skeptically, taking in the short, dark hair, small mouth, and perceptive dark eyes as he pulled up a chair with very large hands and folded his lean form into the sturdy wooden seat next to him.

                “Nice sword you’ve got there,” the stranger smiled with a nod at the hilt that extended from Jongin’s left hip, nestled between him and Kyungsoo.  The newcomer seemed oblivious to the cold water he’d thrown onto the table as Jongin’s companions fell silent, watching him and the stranger closely.  At Jongin’s suspicious look, he smiled disarmingly and asked, “Family heirloom by chance?”

                “Parting gift,” the young man answered dryly, feeling an unwelcome pang in his gut at the reminder as he gripped the scabbard and hilt tight with his left hand, shooting an uncertain glance at his companions.

                “Ah.  That explains it,” the stranger nodded, signaling for a barmaid to bring him a drink without paying the weapon any further attention.

                “Explains what?” he inquired, shifting in his seat to keep a better eye on the newcomer.

                “Huh?  Oh.  Just that whoever gave it to you must care about you very much to part with something so valuable,” he nodded, accepting the drink and taking a sip with relish, acting very much as if inserting himself into the conversation of a random group of people was something he did on a regular basis.  For him, maybe it was.

                “Do you make it a habit to inspect other people’s weapons then?” Jongin asked, still on edge.  After everything he’d been through, he liked it even less now when people paid attention to it.

                “When they’re attached to a fellow adventurer, I do,” he grinned, leaning close enough for a better look but not so far as to be threatening.  He pointed at what he could see of the hilt, “You see, it has augmenting sigils etched into the hilt there.  I couldn’t tell you what they mean but I know they don’t show up on every fighter’s weapon,” he assured the younger man, nodding at Kyungsoo and Minseok as they leaned closer to peer over the edge of the table as well, getting a closer look at the aforementioned etchings.

                Jongin regarded the stranger for a long moment, glancing down at his weapon.  He’d always thought the markings were odd though he’d never questioned them, but listening to the other male, it made sense…  “And you are?” Jongin asked, keeping his eyes narrowed while he glanced at Minseok and Kyungsoo again, both of whom seemed at a loss for what to say.

                The stranger laughed and set the drink down in obvious embarrassment.  “Where are my manners?” he chided himself, reaching across his body to offer his massive hand in greeting.  “The name’s Kris and I’m just another adventurer passing through.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but you must be Jongin, right?” he smiled, waiting patiently for the younger male to accept his gesture, holding his gaze.

                “Right,” Jongin nodded, accepting the handshake with caution as he looked him over with a keener eye.  There was controlled power in his grip and he was inexplicably put on edge by Kris.  He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the stranger made him nervous and he didn’t know why.  It didn’t help that he called himself an adventurer but lacked any obvious armor or a weapon…  Granted, Minseok didn’t always carry his around either and maybe for Jongin it was because he didn’t want to let Demon Killer out of his sight, but he never went anywhere unarmed.

                “I’ve heard your name floating around lately.  What, with all your successes and such.  Sorry, Lieutenant,” he apologized towards Minseok and his aide.  “I won’t interrupt long but I was wondering if you had caught wind of any rumors of a demon stirring in the east?”

                “Demon?” Minseok asked, sitting at attention.  They had plenty of requests to take care of run-of-the-mill monsters but demons were another matter.  While Kris’s focus shifted to Minseok, Jongin fell quiet and listened to the response, his body growing tense at the mention of a demon in the east.  He’d heard nothing during his time adventuring but he knew of one that existed in that direction.  Or at least he had the last time he’d seen him… almost a year ago.  Had it been so long already…?

                “Yes.  Only rumors so far,” Kris waved his hand dismissively, taking another sip of his ale, “but I figured it was worth looking into.  They are nasty creatures after all and I’ve been trying to follow a trail this direction for a while,” he shrugged, glancing over at the unusually silent Jongin.

                “What sort of rumors?” Jongin asked, unobtrusively pushing the rest of his drink away, his attention sidetracked.  It shouldn’t be Yixing but he still had family in the east…

                “Oh.  Just the usual I think.”  When all he got was a blank stare from Jongin, he smiled and nodded in understanding.  “I’ve only heard about strange sightings the villagers can’t explain.  No actual deaths but people have been talking about an unusual, equine beast and also of something human like with shining, silver eyes.”

                Kyungsoo piped up as he blinked quickly, “Don’t most demons have silver eyes?  I thought I read that somewhere,” he shrugged, looking around the table for confirmation.

                “Aye.  Most of the time,” Kris nodded in agreement, letting his gaze touch upon the other three to gauge their familiarity with the information.  He took another sip and leaned forward, “I’m not sure what sort of demon it is, or even if it’s the one I had a run in with a while back but the only good one is a dead one.  Right?” he asked, patting his side where they could only assume an injury lay hidden beneath the folds of cloth, his smile widening when both Minseok and Kyungsoo nodded with him in hearty agreement.

                “Of course,” Jongin agreed by rote, his attention otherwise occupied.  Yixing had silver eyes…  It didn’t sound like Yixing, but if there was one to the east, might it be a threat to him?  Or his family?  It couldn’t be Yixing…

                “Jongin?” Kyungsoo asked, patting the table in front of him with his bare hand.

                “Hmm?” he asked, sitting upright and coming to full attention, blinking as he realized he’d been lost in thought.

                “Is it something you’d like to look into?” he asked, placing his palm on the younger male’s shoulder.  “I’m not sure about the reward right now,” he explained with a glance at Kris who seemed just as uncertain, “but if you could take down a demon…” he trailed off at the thought, a smile on his face.  “That’s huge, Jongin!”

                “Oh, umm…  Yeah I guess,” Jongin agreed with a nod of his head, forcing his hand to relax on his weapon.  “Might as well,” he chuckled, glancing at Kris.  It couldn’t be Yixing but maybe if he went home, he could at least catch up with the stupid demon and perhaps he’d know something else about another one in the area.

                “Good.  Care to travel together then since I’m already heading that way?” Kris asked, giving him a sidelong glance while he took a sip of his drink.  “We can cover more ground that way and if we do run into something, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

                “I take it you’re hunting this demon already then?” he asked, well aware adventurers didn’t usually share rewards unless they were familiar with each other and agreed upon it ahead of time.

                “I am.  Been following snippets of leads for a while but I think there might be some truth in this one,” Kris nodded with a shrug.  “And demons are nasty creatures.  Only the truly confident or truly stupid go after them alone,” he explained.  “I heard about you and thought I’d ask.  Otherwise I planned to see if I could get close enough to figure out what I was dealing with and go from there.  If I can find the damn thing,” he added with a roll of his eyes.

                Mildly flattered by the consideration but not eager to throw his lot in with him just because, Jongin could find no polite way to turn him down, especially since he had every intention of looking into those rumors.  “Fair enough,” he admitted begrudgingly.  “Why not?” he shrugged, forcing a smile and picking up his mug to take a swig.

                “Excellent,” Kris nodded, clapping him on the back, nearly causing Jongin to spit his drink out at the unexpected force.  He coughed and covered his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to swallow the rest of it down his reluctant throat.

                “Easy, Jongin,” Minseok urged with a wince, pulling his drink close with his hand over the top so his companion wouldn’t accidentally spit in it.

                “I’m okay!  I’m okay,” he choked, pushing the drink away with a wince.  “But I think that’s my cue to call it for the night,” he laughed with another hearty cough to clear his throat, diverting his attention to Kyungsoo and the Lieutenant.  “Have a good night,” he waved, smiling warmly.  “And… I guess I’ll see you… in the morning?” he asked, eyeing Kris.

                “Right around dawn,” the taller male nodded in agreement, draining his cup and ordering another without batting an eye.

                “Dawn it is,” Jongin nodded, getting up and paying for his tab before he headed out.  He found it difficult to avoid looking at Kris on his way out, feeling edgy when he wasn’t able to keep an eye on him.  Before he made the door, he had to wave off the unwelcome proposition from the well-endowed but not desired barmaid, keeping a tight hold on his sword as he departed.

                “But Jongin,” she purred, pressing close with one hand running over his chest as she gave him bedroom eyes.  “Ya look lak ya could use some help in gettin rid o some o tha tension darlin,” she smiled seductively as her palm slid lower down the plane of his torso, heading south until he trapped its progress against his abdomen.

                “And you look like you’re mistaken,” he told her, in no mood for games, his expression lacking the resultant flush that had accompanied such gestures in the first weeks when they’d occurred.

                “But baby…” she pouted, clearly put off, though she pressed her ample bosoms against his body harder, as if in doing so she could change his mind.  It had only moderately worked against him before and tonight was not one of those times.

                “I said no,” he reiterated pushing her back gently but firmly.

                “Heh!  If yer offerin!  I’ll take ya up on it, wench,” another intoxicated adventurer Jongin was only passingly familiar with leered, stepping to grab her around the waist and pull her close, staring unabashedly down at her cleavage.

                Jongin blinked at the exchange and his lip curled in slight disgust when she considered the switch in partners as she debated if he was worth it.  He didn’t stick around to find out how the rest of her encounter was going to end up, preferring the fresh air outside.  He wanted no company that evening; especially when his thoughts were centered invariably on Yixing, a silver-eyed demon that lived to the east.   It had been less than a year since he’d seen him; not that long at all and yet it felt an eternity in that moment.

                If there was even a sliver of truth to what he said about the demon sightings, then Yixing was a possible culprit.  Or was there another demon living in the same direction with silver eyes?  He didn’t know if that option was more or less worrisome, to be honest.  “Yixing…” he sighed once he made the clear of the cool night air, staring down at the sword the demon had given him.  “Be safe you idiot,” he grumbled, scratching his hair in agitation before he hurried off to the local inn to call it a night.

(a/n: Okay!  I would like to make it clear and reiterate that this story is taking place in the middle ages where you were considered an adult around the age of fourteen or so.  Jongin is currently sixteen/seventeen and in this setting, he is considered an adult.

In terms of Sunny, ion was an accepted profession then as well.  Even if she wasn't paid for her services directly, part of her job was also to keep the patrons happy so they'd stick around longer and spend more money on food, drink, and lodging.  You could also assume that Minseok paid for her attention behind their backs which is equally likely.  Often times, if you were a single woman working in the tavern/inn industry, there wasn't much you could do to say no anyway and children out of wedlock weren't unheard of.  Any children would typically just stay in the back and help when they came of age enough to offer steady assistance with prep work and/or cleaning before and after hours.

And for the story, all of EXO have been introduced!  Haha!  But it looks like Jongin is set to head back home again with this rather interesting stranger.  heh  Any thoughts on the matter?  ;)  If not, that's fine and I hope you just enjoyed.  Please look forward to the next update and I'll catch you on the flipside!)