It took three big mugs of coffee to finish this chapter. xD Thank you to everyone that's been a fan of the story so far. I hope you'll continue stay with me on this wild ride. ♥ And a HUGE shout out to Toddcrevan on here, who has graced us with wonderful fanart for my fic. He posted the link in the comments, but just incase anyone missed it, I'll link it again here: https://twitter.com/Tova_nori/status/1043273039423524864

Thank you Todd, and everyone else that continues to read my crazy ideas. ♥

The sound of heavy breathing permeated the sticky air. One punch, two, three, miss, miss, miss. Yongsun gritted her teeth in frustration at the smirk Byulyi wore on her face.

"Come on, Sister, you'll never land a hit aiming like that," Byulyi teased, her calloused hands easily deflecting the young woman. 

Beads of sweat slowly made it's way down the priestess's fair skin, the droplet clinging to her chin before disappearing into the collar of Byulyi's tunic that she wore. The loose fitting fabric allowed her to move more easily as they sparred. Annoyed, Yongsun made to move away from the thief, but was abruptly stopped by the hand that shot out towards her. Byulyi easily twisted her right arm behind her back and tightened her grip, causing the priestess to cry out slightly in pain, her shoulder on fire. She was effectively locked into place by the other girl, her left hand swatting back at her awkwardly.

"It's not good to leave an opening like that," Byulyi leaned in to whisper, her breath warm against the blonde's ear. 

Yongsun knew Byulyi felt her shiver in response, and felt the heat coming off herself in embarrassment. She wanted nothing more than to slap the smug grin off the other girl's face that she knew had to be aimed at her right now. An exasperated sigh escaped her as she struggled in Byulyi's hold. 

"Let go, you're hurting me," she groaned out, her mind already calculating how this would go. 

Byulyi instantly let go, and was about to step away when Yongsun suddenly rounded on her, surprising the other girl. She locked her leg around Byulyi's like she had shown her earlier that evening, and used her weight to knock the thief to the ground, her arms reaching up to keep her pinned down. They were a tangle of limbs, breathing hard against each other, their faces much too close. 

Yongsun looked down at the thief, a triumphant grin on her face. 

"How did you like that, Moon Byulyi?" the priestess boasted, feeling incredibly pleased with herself that she managed to get the upper hand. 

The thief's gaze was locked on the taunting brown eyes above her, her easy grin already starting to appear much to Yongsun's dismay. 

"I'll have to let you surprise me more often if this is how we'll end up," Byulyi replied, her eyes dancing at the disgusted groan she got in response. 

Pushing herself off the other girl, Yongsun made sure to punch her shoulder for good measure before returning to camp, leaving the thief still sprawled out on the ground.

Four days had passed since Byulyi had started to train her, and the priestess liked to think there was at least a small bit of improvement. Byulyi wasn't professionally trained in any particular fighting style, and instead taught the blonde how to use a version of hand-to-hand combat that could only be learned from time on the streets. It was rough, unconventional, and surprising, much like the young woman that taught it to her. The thief had started to teach her simple knife maneuvers, but promptly stopped once she realized Yongsun might be more of a hazard to herself from her own blade. Her ears still burned at the memory as she approached camp. She'd have to prove herself. 

Myon gave her a small nod as she walked passed him to rummage through her pack. Inside she found a simple washcloth and the last bottle of cleaning solution. She'd have to make sure to buy more in the next town. Supplies in hand, she notified the guards that she would be down at the nearby stream to wash, and to make sure a certain thief stayed away. The Captain gave a hearty laugh at the warning for Byulyi, and made sure to pass it along if the girl returned soon. Kyu hadn't returned to the camp yet, but Yongsun knew he had left to collect firewood, and wouldn't have a need to go towards the stream. Confident that she would be left alone, the priestess practically sprinted the remaining length. The gentle stream was a safe enough distance away from camp that she would be offered some privacy, with nearby trees along the shore adding to the protective screen. 

Byulyi's damp tunic was swiftly peeled off her sweaty body and tossed to the side. The remainder of her clothing met the same fate soon after, and the priestess slowly approached the edge, her toe dipping into the water to judge the temperature. Thankfully the warm summer night left the water comfortably cool, and she made short work of submerging her body beneath the welcoming current. The water was deep enough to come to a stop at the top of her shoulders, and she closed her eyes for a moment, letting the flow of the stream softly run across her tired muscles. She missed the warm baths back home, but there was something exhilarating about bathing underneath the stars. 

Moving back to the shore after a few moments, she grabbed her supplies and got to work washing her hair and body, thankful that she could at least be granted this luxury while out on the road. Several minutes passed before she was satisfied that she was thoroughly cleaned, and dunked herself under the water to remove the remaining suds. Upon emerging, she felt the soft hairs on the back of her neck raise. She wasn't alone. In the shadow of a nearby tree was a young man, his body casually leaning back against the rough bark. Yongsun's breath caught in , the anxiety from before suddenly rushing back with full force as she stared in his direction, feeling extremely vulnerable. 

The man noticed her looking straight at him, and pushed himself away from the tree, his slow walk towards her feeling like it was stuck in a time loop. Yongsun took a step back, only able to retreat so far before her body would be exposed above the water. As the moonlight lit up his features, she realized it was one of the guards, Kyu. Anger melted away the cold that had started to crawl through her chest, and in its place burned furious disbelief. 

"Kyu?! What are you doing out here? Were you watching me the entire time?" exclaimed the priestess, fuming at the guard for thinking it was ok to watch her bathe. 

Upon reaching the shore, the young guard hunched down, his arms resting casually against his legs as he regarded the woman in front of him. 

"I'm sorry to intrude, Sister. I was out gathering firewood and saw you jump into the water. You'll have to forgive me for being unable to tear my eyes away from such a sight," he replied, his tone as light as if they were sitting around the fire having a chat about the weather. 

Yongsun protectively hugged her arms across her chest, uncomfortable with the turn of events. What did she know about the young man, exactly? He hadn't come across as the type to be a ert, she saved that title for a certain thief that was unfortunately, as this moment, too far away for Yongsun's liking. Kyu was only a few years older than herself, and had taken to often observing the group as they traveled. Yongsun thought nothing of his eyes always following herself and Byulyi, thinking it was just part of his job as their protector. He had helped her rescue Byulyi on that night almost two weeks ago, and she felt indebted to the young man, but right now, with how he watched her in the moonlight, she wanted nothing more than for a hole to open up beneath him and swallow the guard up. 

"Please don't do something like this again, and if you'll excuse me, I need to finish up and return to camp," she attempted, hoping her words would send him back to the others so she could leave this awkward situation behind. 

He remained where he was, his face unreadable in the darkness of the night. 

"I think-" he started, but was interrupted by Byulyi shouting in the distance. 

"Yongsun! You've been gone for a while, are you ok? The guards said I can't go over there, but if you accidentally drowned yourself I'll have to come get you!" she yelled, shattering the fragile air between the pair at the stream. 

Kyu abruptly stood up and walked away without a word, his back disappearing into the gloom of the trees. 

Yongsun let out a pent up breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her eyes didn't leave the area Kyu had disappeared into for several moments, still feeling like she was being watched. She couldn't stay in the stream forever, though, and didn't want Byulyi to catch her out here . She drew in several deep breaths to calm her racing heart, and quickly sloshed out of the water and dressed, unable to shake the feeling something was chasing her as she ran back to camp. 

-----

Byulyi had just sat down with her dinner when Yongsun rushed up to their campsite, her face taking on a sickly color as her eyes darted around the clearing as if in search of someone. Did something try to bite her in the water? The unease coming off the priestess felt heavy as she sat down close to Byulyi, her bent leg pressed up against other girl's. The thief raised an eyebrow at the physical contact, and was about to tease the priestess about it to ease the tension, but the words caught in at the look on Yongsun's face. Her eyes were tilted down towards her lap, and she fidgeted with her fingers, avoiding the other girl's concerned gaze. 

"...Yongsun? Did something happen?" she leaned in close and whispered, unsure of what to make of the current situation. 

The priestess just shook her head, not wanting to talk about it, as she accepted the bowl of soup Myon offered her. Byulyi could see the other guards watching the priestess curiously, but Byulyi shrugged her shoulders at them, just as confused as they were. No one spoke as they ate, the soft crackle of the campfire and chorus of insects filling the silence. They had just finished eating when Kyu reappeared from the shadows, a bundle of firewood cradled in his arms. She could feel Yongsun's fidgeting increase tenfold at the sight of the young guard.

Frowning, Byulyi looked over at him, thinking about how he had been gone when she returned from sparring with Yongsun. Had something happened between them? She had spoken with Kyu on occasion during their travels, and didn't find anything unusual about the young guard. He was more on the quiet side, preferring to watch more than speak, but Byulyi didn't think that made someone a bad person. The fact he had helped to save her life was still fresh in her mind, conflicting with the suspicion that was building up inside of her.

She noticed how Yongsun avoided looking at him, and excused herself to bed early, claiming she wasn't feeling well. The blonde girl wasn't a very good liar, and Byulyi didn't believe a word of it as her eyes followed the priestess, watching as she gathered her bedroll and pack and moved them to the opposite side of where Kyu had his gear. The simple action confirmed her suspicion that something had happened between them, and she found herself shamelessly staring at Kyu, taking in his every movement. 

The young man appeared to be at ease, acting like he always had as he stoked the fire, the warm glow causing shadows to dance across his sharp features. Feeling Byulyi's stare upon him, he turned his face to meet hers, something questioning in his gaze, almost taunting the other girl to say something to him. Her expression settled into a calm mask as she waited for him to look away first, their gaze stretching out for a long moment before he finally turned his attention back to the fire.

Yongsun approached her then, embarrassment coloring her cheeks lightly as she made a quiet request of the thief. "...Will you sleep beside me tonight?"

Byulyi knew she meant nothing intimate by it from how her eyes would glance over at Kyu before moving back to her, the hint of desperation tinting her demeanor.  The request had tugged at the thief's heartstrings as she nodded before collecting her own belongings and placed them next to Yongsun's. With their bedrolls placed beside each other, the pair settled down for the night. Byulyi was snuggled up against Yongsun's back, and dared to throw a protective arm over the blonde, which thankfully wasn't pushed aside.

The priestess only seemed to press further back against the thief in response, Byulyi's face nestled against her soft hair, breathing in the clean scent that was uniquely Yongsun's. Holding her close, she felt the blonde soon drift off to sleep. The thief unfortunately wasn't as lucky, as Byulyi found herself wide awake still, her thoughts sifting and weaving around the image of the young man on the other side of the fire. She wanted to take comfort in the fact the other three guards were nearby, and she had no reason to suspect them of anything.

You had no reason to suspect Kyu either, her thoughts mocked her, threatening to turn her into a paranoid mess. Mentally beating that line of thought into submission, she focused her attention on the sleeping priestess currently nestled against her. She would make a point to speak to Yongsun privately tomorrow and find out what happened. She didn't like not knowing, the taunting suspicions, the paranoia that threatened to take hold.

Her early mindset of this being a liberating trip across the countryside had been doused back in Gimhwa. The evil they were meant to face had made it's presence known in the small hamlet, and Byulyi wondered when it show up again, as it was only a matter of time. She felt goosebumps form along her arms as she glanced over her shoulder, finding Kyu's eyes on them. The thief was in for a long night.

-----

Yongsun awoke to Myon gently shaking her shoulder. Groaning, she buried herself deeper against the warmth enveloping her, unaware that she had rolled over at some point in the night, and was currently snuggled up beneath Byulyi's chin. The safe space she found herself in threatened to lull her back to sleep until she heard a man's voice. Kyu was talking with the Captain about their next course of action, and the young man's voice was all she needed to snap awake. Eyes wide, she finally noticed the compromising sleeping position she found herself in with the thief. Her heartbeat quickened as she pushed away from Byulyi, startling the other girl awake. 

"Wha? What's wrong?" Byulyi slurred out, her voice deep from the tendrils of sleep. 

The younger girl stretched and yawned for so long that Yongsun was convinced her jaw was going to break. Unfocused eyes found the priestess sitting up watching her, and a sleepy grin fell across the other girl's face. It was too early to deal with Byulyi's antics, and Yongsun made quick work of knocking Byulyi back down onto her bedroll before getting up. The thief remained there sprawled out, content with getting a extra moment to close her eyes, and was asleep again moments later. 

As Yongsun packed up her belongings, she made a mental note to not allow Kyu to intimidate her. She didn't know what game he was playing, but she would have none of it. If she couldn't deal with a questionable guard, how would she handle saving the world? Shoulders squared, she felt more confident as she thought positively about herself and how she would deal with what was to come. At the very least, she knew Byulyi would be there for her, and a small smile appeared as she looked over at the sleeping girl. They'd be behind schedule if she didn't wake up soon, and took delight in being the one to wake her up again. 

"Byulyi, quit drooling and get up already. I didn't know you were so lazy," she said, partially joking as she poked at the girl's face. 

Byulyi's hand came up and closed around Yongsun's as she was about to poke her again. 

"Is this a nightmare?" the thief mumbled out, still holding onto Yongsun's hand.

"It's your worst nightmare, Moon Byulyi," she teased, her voice turning stern as she pulled her hand away, "Now get up." 

"Scary..." Byulyi sleepily groaned out as she sat up, her long fingers brushing through her hair. 

The group had a short breakfast of dried fruits before they were packed up and on the road once more. They still had another two days of travel before they would reach their next destination. Yongsun had noticed Byulyi's questioning glances as they rode throughout the day, but had no intention of talking to her about what had transpired. She felt this was something for her to deal with on her own, and brushed aside Byulyi's attempts to talk to her about it. She could feel the thief's annoyed gaze on her, and took the opportunity to ride ahead to where the Captain led them. 

"Can I help you, Sister?" the older man asked, aware of the young woman now riding next to him. 

"I was hoping you could tell me more about Namji. I've only heard a few stories about the temple. Is it true that the forest surrounding it is haunted?" Yongsun wondered aloud, not easily scared by the supernatural, but also not particularly looking forward to a forest full of spirits. 

The Captain nodded grimly, a hand rubbing against his gray speckled beard. 

"That it is. I've heard it's a test of faith from the Gods. Pilgrims from all over head to Namji to pray and give offerings, but not everyone makes it to the temple grounds. The cloister there is very secretive from my understanding. Not many seem to know what goes on beyond their walls," he explained, noticing the growing look of distress on the priestess's face. 

"But not to worry, Sister. I'll make sure we arrive there safely, and besides, Kyu has made me aware that he's been to the temple before. He claims to know a better route to take," the Captain reassured, attempting to comfort her, but only offering the opposite as his words settled uncomfortably in Yongsun's chest. 

"I see, thank you," the priestess said, eyes seeking out the object of her discomfort that rode nearby. 

He hadn't said a word to her since their encounter the night before at the stream, and acted like nothing had happened between them. It both infuriated and relieved the priestess. She found it irritating how he had the nerve to act like he hadn't behaved inappropriately the night before, but was also thankful that she could avoid the situation between them. The blonde wasn't the best at expressing her thoughts, and knew she would have to explain herself to the others if she attempted to speak to Kyu about it, which would undoubtedly result in her attempting to beat him with her medicine pack. She wanted to avoid that entire conversation all together, and looked away from the young man as she moved back to Byulyi's side. 

-----

The thief had been listening in on the conversation between the priestess and Captain. She directed her attention to the blonde as she rode alongside her once more.

"So Namji sounds like a great vacation spot," she joked, attempting to break the permanent frown that appeared to be etched onto Yongsun's face since the moment they left camp hours earlier.

A short noncommittal hum was all she received in response, but the thief didn't let that deter her. With the questionable guard up front with the Captain, Byulyi used the opportunity to try and speak with Yongsun once more about the growing issue.

"So, about Kyu..." she started once more, hoping the priestess would eventually crack and speak to her about it. She didn't understand why she was being so stubborn and keeping it to herself. 

Yongsun drew in a sharp breath and directed her irked gaze at the younger girl, "Byulyi, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to talk about it? Just drop it," she lashed out, feeling a headache forming at the other girl's incessant questions. 

Frustrated, the thief clamped shut and fell back far enough in the line that only Chul remained nearby, the large man protecting from the rear. He thankfully hardly ever spoke, and allowed Byulyi to become lost in her thoughts once more. That night neither girl offered to train the other, nor did Yongsun ask Byulyi to sleep with her again. The thief still slept nearby as a protective measure, but otherwise the silence between them started to fester and grow. The following day and night passed in much the same manner, and wasn't broken until the night of the following day, when they came across their first sign that the forest was rapidly approaching. 

The old trail they had been following became progressively choked with weeds as gnarled trees sprang up around them, blocking out almost the entirety of the moonlight. A heavy fog had blanketed the area hours before, and only grew thicker the deeper they went. Their horses became skittish, and took a lot of coaxing to get the sturdy beasts to continue forward. Byulyi was disliking this by the second, and she couldn't help but to think Kyu had lead them astray by taking his "shortcut" he had called it. Lanterns were tied off along their saddles, and on more than one occasion Byulyi swore she saw a face in the mist. Every time she tried to focus on it, it would disappear into the fog, causing her to question her own sanity. 

Yongsun seemed to be lost in a prayer of some sort as she rode ahead of the thief, her soft incoherent words battling with the unnatural noises coming from the forest. As they continued on, Kyu at one point motioned for Chul to switch places with him, claiming that he thought he had saw some sort of beast ahead, and wanted the muscle of their group to take the lead. Byulyi eyes followed the young guard as he rode past Yongsun, the subtle look he sent her way almost undetectable if she hadn't been so intently watching him. Brows furrowing, the thief's trust in Kyu was almost nonexistent now as wild speculation ran throughout her mind. 

"Did you see that?" he quietly said to her suddenly, causing Byulyi to hold up as the others continued on, unaware of the exchange. 

"See what?" Byulyi asked suspiciously, raising her lantern to try and slice through the blanket of fog. 

"I thought I saw something over this way," he motioned to the right, a glowing light in the distance catching the thief's attention. 

She watched the glowing orb hover above the ground for a long moment, trying to understand what exactly she was looking at. It almost appeared to a glob of light from someone's lantern, but it floated too low to the ground to be that, nor did she see anyone holding onto it. In fact, it seemed to be quickly approaching them. 

"We should tell the others-..." Byulyi trailed off when she looked back and realized Yongsun and the three guards were nowhere in sight. 

"Damnit, we lost them," the thief grumbled out, annoyed she let herself be distracted.

"Yongsun!" she yelled out suddenly, hoping to catch the priestess before she traveled too far ahead. Deafening silence greeted her, and in that moment she felt as if the eyes of the entire forest were now directed on her. 

She looked back in the direction of the orb, but the light seemed to have vanished, swallowed up by the swirling fog. A prickly sensation ran down her back as she looked over at Kyu, the young man silently observing her once again. She thought she saw the smallest hint of a smile on his lips before he motioned her forward.

"Follow me, I know the way," he said, not looking behind to see if Byulyi followed. 

The thief didn't have much of a choice but to the follow the guard unless she planned to wander disoriented and lost in the sinister forest. The temperature steadily dropped as they continued on, reaching to the point where Byulyi could see her breath puff out into small clouds in front of her. Shivering, she rubbed at her arms in an attempt to warm up, becoming increasingly worried when strange whispers started to fill the silence. If she strained hard enough, she could almost make out what the words said, the strange language just on the edge of her mind. The voices ranged from lamenting to open hostility, and not for the first time did the thief wonder if she had lost her mind. Kyu seemed to be unaffected by it as he rode ahead, his dark back the only thing Byulyi had to latch onto through the fog. 

She had no idea how long they continued through the mist, her sense of time lost from being unable to see the night sky. It felt like they had been in the forest for hours, but Byulyi knew that couldn't be right. The sun would have surely risen, and yet the darkness seemed just as menacing as when they first entered. She hoped Yongsun was alright, and took comfort in the fact she had the three other men with her. If either of them were to be stuck with Kyu, the thief was thankful it was her instead of the priestess. She still had no idea what had happened, but better for her to deal with him than the blonde girl. Byulyi's hand unconsciously brushed against the knife on her belt at the thought. 

Kyu came to a stop as he pointed ahead to a large cavern that materialized into view. Byulyi eyed the entrance warily, the jagged rocks hanging from above making it look like the gaping maw of a large beast ready to devour her.  

"This doesn't look like a temple to me," she said, suspicion evident in her voice. 

Kyu dismissed her concern as he climbed off his horse and motioned for her to follow. 

"I don't know about this... Why would a cave be the way into the temple? Shouldn't the others be here if that were the case?" she reasoned, not wanting to leave her horse and be left in an even more vulnerable position. 

She wasn't allowed to disagree for long, though, before a loud wail behind her pierced through the fog. Startled, she turned around and saw the glob of light had returned, but this time it looked like several dark shapes were crawling across the ground with it. 

"What the hell?!" she cried out, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. 

"Hurry, inside!" Kyu frantically motioned, practically pulling Byulyi off her horse as she stumbled down, the animal bolting off into the distance wih her belongings.

Cursing, the thief chased after the guard into the cave, thankful when he lit a torch hanging nearby. Pulling the torch free from its resting place, Kyu lead Byulyi deeper into the cave, the young woman glancing everywhere, ready at any moment for something to pop out. She spared a look behind her, half expecting to be met with whatever ungodly thing had been outside, but nothing jumped out to eat her, or at least as far as she could see from the dim light. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that clung to her the deeper they went.

The lack of Yongsun or the other guards being at the cave, if this were indeed the correct place to be, troubled her. At the thought of the priestess, she remembered how they could see where the other was through their brand connection. Concentrating, she tried to summon up the image of the blonde like she had done in the past, but nothing appeared within her mind. She tried several more times before giving up. Whatever force was at work here seemed to have denied her the ability of her brand, and she noticed in the flickering light that even her crescent moon no longer softly glowed. 

As they neared the back of the cave, Byulyi saw that a stone doorway had been carved into the wall at the very end. A red rune of some kind had been crudely painted above it, causing a sense of dread to settle inside the thief's chest. She didn't recognize the symbol, but whatever it was or stood for, Byulyi didn't like it. Kyu's eyes were almost impossibly black in the torch light as he turned to look at the thief. 

"We've arrived," he said with a finality that the young woman didn't miss. 

He then walked up to the stone slab of a door, inserted a key into a hole that Byulyi hadn't even noticed, and watched the door rumble open for a loud moment. The dark void on the other side seemed to call out to the thief, the abyss tempting her with sweet release from her troubles. 

"After you," he waved, unperturbed by the look directed his way.

"You can go first," Byulyi cautiously said back, not trusting what was behind the door, or wanting Kyu behind her at that.

Shrugging, the guard went ahead with the thief following in his wake. The stone door rumbled shut behind them with a deafening slam, as if the entrance to a tomb had been forcefully closed. Byulyi barely had time to register that she was now trapped inside the cavern before Kyu's torch went out, the darkness engulfing her.