The dehydrated boy cowers when another figure appears before them.    Jimin frowns at the man.    "Did you accept their water?" The man asks the boy in a harsh tone. The boy shakes his head rapidly.    "No. I only take what's on the land."   The man eyes the muddy spot where Yoongi has poured the water, and then looks back and forth between Jimin and Yoongi. Finally he says, "Who are you two?"   "I-"   Jimin grabs Yoongi's arm, squeezing it firmly.    "We're passing by," Jimin says. "We're looking for a place to crash the night, and happen to get here."   "There's no place for visitors here." The man says. "We're having some difficulty. We can barely feed ourselves, let alone welcome strangers."   "What's happening here, may I ask?"   The man yanks the boy up by his arm. His condition isn't so different from the poor boy. He grunts. "This area is suffering from drought."   Duh, Yoongi turns to Jimin. His eyes urge Jimin to ask more.    "Has it been long?"   "Long?" The man scoffs. "Boy, I don't know what to tell you!"   Jimin feels his pendent throbs. This only means one thing.    "Dark energy," he whispers to Yoongi. Yoongi nods.    "Can you provide us a place to stay the night? We promise we won't use any of your resource."   The man grunts again, but simply signals them to follow him.    -   When they walk into where the people reside, Yoongi has to stick close to Jimin and hides his face in Jimin's shirt because he can't bare the stare he's getting. The man walks them to a cottage, and they thank him.   

"This place doesn't feel safe." Jimin says as soon as they're inside. He peeks outside and sees that many are still surrounding their cottage, whispering. 

  "You need to help them."   "I can't."   "Why do you keep saying you can't?"   "Because I can't."   "Why?"   "Because!" Jimin peels Yoongi's hand off his shirt. He sets his backpack on the ground and peeks outside again. There's nothing inside their cottage. Literally nothing except a mat laid out on the ground. "I don't even know how or why this is happening to this place. I can't just show up and declare I can help."   "Then find out what it is."   "It's not that simple."   "Why not?"   Jimin pinches his nose bridge lightly. Yoongi asks a lot and it's starting to get on his nerve.    "Because, Yoongi, this world is complicated. You haven't been around for so long, you won't understand."   "Explain to me, then."   Jimin shoots him a look. This curiosity and stubbornness has got to stop at some point, but for now Yoongi doesn't seem like he'll back out anytime soon.    "Help them." He insists again and Jimin resorts to kicking air to let out his frustration. He gives up.   "I'll see what I can do. But how about you go back to the castle and wait there? When I'm done here, I'll go get you."   Yoongi sits up straight at that. His movements remind Jimin of an alarmed cat. "Why though?"   "I don't want any harm to get to you. And staying here brings a lot of harm."   "No. I'm staying."   "You're always this obstinate?" Jimin makes a gesture of strangling Yoongi. Yoongi decides to ignore that. Instead he says, very calmly,   "I know you feel responsible for my safety, but I'm deciding for myself and you have to respect that. I'm staying here."   "Yoongi, you're not an invincible creature anymore. If