Wyrms were one of those fantastic beasts that were revived by the magics of the Sanritem. They were reintroduced to the native world of the Adamah when Oscuridaon was wont to recreate the land as he saw fit. Myungsoo was well accustomed to them. During his forty years of training he feasted on their bodies as though they were cattle.

Most of these writhing primordial creatures were no longer than six feet, although reports of bigger ones, namely females, weren't unheard of. The slightest quaking of desert grounds always portended to a wyrm burrowing underneath not too far below, navigating through the maze of tunnels it called its home. It's appearance was that of a dragon, reptilian with a single slitted eye on the top of its scaly head, a long tail that always lashed about when above ground, and two forelegs with sharp talons that curved inwards, these it used to dig. Its nasty head boasted an overbite with rows of sharp teeth and a horn of ivory that poked out right above its single eye. Its scales were pale like white sand but iridescent under the moonlight.   

Myungsoo should by all sense of the word have collapsed by now. He was fighting back the two immemorial adversaries of man that were always asive and unforgiving regardless of social class or pedigree: hunger and thirst. His mental fatigue made him feel weaker than usual, too, but the thought of feasting on meat stimulated his survival instincts. Death would have to sharpen its wiles and fortify its own thews before it claimed Myungsoo's life.

There was no way he would breathe his last and expire before he even managed to escape the treacherous desert wastelands. There was no way he would die before his sword tasted the blood of Oscuridaon. He had to outlive his present struggle in order to reach that point. This wyrm was a way out. It's meat would be a foretaste of what was to come when his blade would devour Oscuridaon whole as a serpent swallows the vermin that flee it's hypnotizing eyes that flicker with the flames of hell.

The youth, Dongwoo, still uncertain of what kind of being his eyes would behold, clutched his weapon with a clammy sweat. A bead of perspiration, not from the heat of day that was now giving way to a cool evening, trickled down his forehead. Small beads of the liquid that ejected out his skin gathered right above his lip.

He was experiencing a nervousness that reminded him of the nights he heard inhuman caterwauling echoing not far off from his cave. He diligently sought its source with his weapon in hand but never found it. It would vanish and come again on cold nights, it was the eerie mocking of nature that reminded him that he was still vulnerable to fear although his muscles boasted a capability unmet by most men.

His eyes were drawn to Myungsoo's stance, admiring his form. His muscles were unmoved by terror, his breathing was quiet and controlled, his eyes, determined and focused with his mind clear and unfogged by danger. He was like a wild beast that crouched behind the bushes, under the shadows of giant trees in anticipation of a prey entering the glade unawares. Soon enough his prey would be a mangled mess in his paws. He saw Myungsoo as a lion, the mythical creature spoken of in his revered scriptures.

 Glancing at his visage gave Dongwoo a feel as to what type of man he was. His trained senses bespoke countless years of experience, yet his gloomy aura conveyed something beyond his ken. This was the first Adamah besides his own mother that he had met. He was still a long ways off before he could comprehend the diverse thoughts, emotions and slew of troubles others possessed. He, in a very real way, was still a babe, clumsily and awkwardly walking his first steps in an alien world, the world of relationship and interaction.

Myungsoo was a man in his eyes, just what kind of man, he did not know. But the scars that covered his body, the way they had a distinct sheen to them which made them pop although the sky was now darkening, gave him some clue as to what breed of men he belonged to: he was a warrior. He wondered if he had ever shed the blood of men, or only demons like those his golden blade brutally punished last night. The thought sent shivers down Dongwoo's spine; he was, to a degree, frightened by Myungsoo.

 "Don't get in my way"

Dongwoo blinked and was speechless for a moment. "I'll do as you say."

 "Good! Although, if you stray and meet the kiss of my sword, even if by accident- your death is on your head."

 Dongwoo nodded. He was still trying to figure Myungsoo out.

The ground beneath their feet began to shake. Myungsoo was standing firm, his legs becoming like the thick trunks of oaks that have their roots running deep under fertile loam. Dongwoo, contrariwise, lost his footing as well as his cool, falling flat on his rear. Dongwoo experienced what it felt to be embarrassed for the first time in years, for the first time with someone other than his mother, his face flushing with an unwelcome heat. He was glad that Myungsoo paid him no heed. Before he could get up, Dongwoo saw the ground begin to cave in some yards ahead of where the ebony-haired warrior stood. 

 "What's happening, friend?"
 
  Myungsoo briskly shoved him down and leapt up into the air, his sword casting an almost blinding luster that flashed with beauty as beams of moonlight reflected off of it. Dongwoo stayed sitting down, too helpless and dumbfounded to attempt anything. 

Myungsoo stabbed his sword into the center of the depression that stretched some feet across the desert sands. He twisted and turned his blade with a grunt of effort until the screeching of a demonic entity pierced the dead silence of the wastelands. The timbre of agony and miserable hurt sounded like a gentle flute to his ears. His food had been claimed. A proud smile hanging on his face, Myungsoo held his sword aloft.

The green blood of the wyrm slowly flowed from the pointed tip of the blade to it's hilt, small droplets of it splashing on his contorted face of happiness. He dug his hand deep into the sand and ruthlessly pulled out the dead wyrm, it's body still twitching and writhing until it abruptly came to a sharp stop. Tossing the five foot length of the dead creature across his shoulder, he aimed his vision squarely at Dongwoo who seemed lost. 

 "This is my food!"

 Dongwoo curtly nodded in reply. Yet his hand instinctively reached for his holstered weapon and immediately shot at a shadow that loomed over Myungsoo. Myungsoo twisted his body in a quick and sudden motion of wickedness that resembled the death roll of the alligator. The beam of light Dongwoo shot out nearly grazed his cheek. It failed to injure him, but did smolder some stray strands of his ebony hair, the smoke of which lingered for a trace second or two before vanishing with a gentle wind. Myungsoo's breathing was that of a wild animal, his eyes holding a savage quality to them. Nothing lurked behind him, at least not at head level.

Down below, a second wyrm was taking its last view of life as sporadic convulsions shook its dying body. Dongwoo had killed the wyrm with expert precision. Angry that he had failed to sense its presence, Myungsoo crouched on the ground and fitted his hands inside the mouth of the wyrm, after which he tore its head apart by violently tugging its jaws until the whole head separated from off its body. 

Wiping the blood on his thighs, he glanced at Dongwoo. The jungle boy hadn't spoken a word since he saved Myungsoo. He was much too unsure of what to do. Should he boast? No, he quickly decided. What he did next irritated the daylights out of the savage warrior.

Dongwoo's slitted mouth formed into a gummy smile, the likes of which resembled the unabashed smile of the chimpanzees. "Glad you're safe!"

 Myungsoo snarled and lifted the dead wyrm off the desert sands by the tail. Tossing it in Dongwoo's direction, he muttered, "Your keep."

 Dongwoo was a bit appalled by the dead beast, green blood flowing from its gullet and whatnot. He was not familiar with this breed of animal. Yes, it was similar in appearance to the snakes of the jungle, but no snake he knew of bled a green liquid, nor were they as ugly. On a better day, he might've liked their appearance, but tonight was a night of twists and turns, the last thing he wanted to do was admire a creature that nearly killed his only friend.

He earnestly believed Myungsoo was warming up to him, that they were moving past the point of strangers to friends. After saving his life, why wouldn't he want to be around him? Surely he was grateful. 

Not wanting to get on his bad side, Dongwoo hesitated but finally picked the wyrm by the tail, much as Myungsoo had done, and slung it over his shoulder, also like Myungsoo had done. He ran for a pace until he finally caught up with the bitter warrior. He still had no clue where they were going. Myungsoo was quiet, his stride consisting of hasty steps that always caused sand to jump some inches off the ground. He wanted to be alone, no interaction, nothing. He just wanted to fill himself up with the vision of the night and dark gloom.

Dongwoo eyed him every now and then, secretly trying to look at his eyes and begin a conversation; he did want interaction. Being in the same space as another of his kind, a bipedal soul with intelligence and a heart capable of feeling emotions like he did, excited him. He was eager to talk and share a bond with him, a friendship. All the friends Dongwoo had up until now never reacted to him the way he would've liked; they never said "good morning" , "happy you're here", or "you're fine? You look sad today?" Dongwoo was always alone. But not any longer. He did not know what tomorrow would bring, what kind of day life would wrought, but he was almost certain that it would be a day spent without solitude.

Myungsoo stopped, causing Dongwoo to trip over his own feet. Just before he fell into another pit of self-inflicted mortification, he caught himself. He saw Myungsoo drop the dead wyrm and tear two pieces of its scale off it. 

 "What are we doing?"

 Myungsoo grunted, "We?" he added a slight chuckle before continuing, "I'm starting a fire."

 "Why?"

 "Why? To cook my meat."

 Dongwoo grinned after becoming aware of his own stupidity. Why else would he be kindling a fire, if not to cook? he mused. His curious eyes were glued to the sight of Myungsoo rubbing the two scales against each other. He had placed a third one, along with some of the wyrm's fat, on the ground and began to aim the spark which jumped off the scales on the pile. 

After watching Myungsoo fail at igniting a fire, Dongwoo removed his light-ray shooter and nonchalantly shot a small beam at the pile. A fire was kindled. Dongwoo replaced his weapon in its holster and stared back at Myungsoo who seemed disgruntled. "I thought I could help."

 Myungsoo grunted and supported the body of the wyrm over the fire using the two long fangs it had. The meat began to roast and its scent was a tasty combination of charred goodness and a sweet hint of vanilla. Dongwoo was intrigued if not impressed by its smell, but he wasn't keen on tasting it.

In the space of ten minutes or so, the meat was fully cooked and the barbarian quickly picked it up by its ends without regard of the heat and began to sink his canine teeth into it, savagely taking large chunks of it with every bite. Dongwoo always ate in quite a similar fashion, but seeing another person feast in such a wild practice fascinated him. 

 "You cook yours! I'm not sharing."

 Dongwoo silently agreed with a nod and placed his wyrm over the fire, copying Myungsoo with scrupulous exactness. While adjusting the wyrm a little, he noticed Myungsoo take out a small organ that he had left off to the side- he had failed to spot this and thus left the organ cook inside the wyrm. Standing, Myungsoo squeezed the organ over his wide-opened mouth and drank the clear liquid that squirted out of it- it was water. The wyrm is similar to the camel in that it deposits some of the water it collects into a store inside its body. Myungsoo finished drinking the last remaining drops and cursed for the lack of it.

The jungle boy was quick to reach inside his satchel and pulled out an odd-looking fruit. With his hand extended, he offered it to Myungsoo.

 "What is that thing? I've never seen it before..."

 "A fruit with good juice! Take it and drink."

 Myungsoo was reluctant but relented after a short pause. He bit into its tender and succulent flesh and his eyes widened with a satisfied look. Its nectar was a liquid dream; Myungsoo had never tasted such a juice ever before despite his long life and distant journeys. Where had this boy got it from? His existence became more of a mystery to him. He mused why he had appeared just in the nick of time before he died; twice he had saved him, although he hated to admit it.

The whole thought of it, their sudden encounter, seemed too outlandish. It almost felt preordained, as if destiny decided to dig its ghoulish fingers into his life, as if an entity had already decided the two would meet, as if a divine being meddled in mortal affairs. Could it have been Nesher? 

"No!" Myungsoo shook off the thought with audible denouncement. Dongwoo looked up at Myungsoo wagging his head, his whole attention was fixated on the sight. Myungsoo glared back and snarled like a feral wolf, while Dongwoo, on the other hand, smiled like a very happy dog after eating a nice meal.

While the second wyrm was cooking a silence fell over them, making it seem as though time had frozen for the lone pair. When the wyrm finished roasting, Dongwoo reached out to grab it in the same manner Myungsoo had grabbed it, but his hand recoiled the moment his first fingertip made contact. Dongwoo immediately stuck his finger inside his mouth; the action was more of a reflex than one carried out with premeditated intentions. His finger, still hot from contact, burned his tongue a little, and just enough of a sting had been dealt to have caused him to leap off the ground and run in circles. He spoke incoherently as he ran, a mumbled language of syllables and indistinct sibilance.

For the first time, he had made Myungsoo smile, though its form was more of a sadistic smirk to be exact. Had Dongwoo noticed, he would've felt accomplished but he didn't, his attention being drawn to the sting of the burn.

Dongwoo eventually retook his seat and wiped the sweat off his brow whilst catching his breath. 

With his eyes fixed on the fire, Myungsoo listlessly remarked, "My hands are calloused- toughened by war and forged by more vehement fires, the fires of hell. Your hands are soft- the padding of a small dog."

Dongwoo, now starry eyed after hearing Myungsoo talk to him, interjected, "Mines are calloused too, from scaling trees and-"

 "I never meant to start a conversation."

With a small nod, the jungle boy asked, "Oh...that's fine... Where are we going tomorrow?"

 Myungsoo sighed and rubbed his face, "There is no we- why are you following me?"

 "Friends always walk together, no?"

 "We are not friends. What gave you that idea?"
 
 "I saved you twice."

 Myungsoo sighed again, frustration crystal clear. "Do you want me to thank you for that?"

 "You owe me your life two times over, but I just ask for your friendship."

The barbarian, stupefied by Dongwoo's request scoffed. "If it weren't for me, then the wyrms might've killed you. You didn't know of their existence and they might've sneaked up on you had it not been for me!"

 "We don't know that. But one did sneak up on you. And that's when I saved you the second time!"

 Myungsoo sighed once more. "That's different! It sneaked up on me because -" Myungsoo grunted as he caught himself engaged in idle talk. His companion exchanged a smile, eagerly anticipating Myungsoo to finish his sentence, but he was too irritated by his unique brand of expressive joy that he dug his face into his palms. Myungsoo didn't like this.

Something about his grin- the unhindered and indiscriminate connotations of an unadulterated joy of simply existing in the same space as he- reminded him of Myungeun. It irritated him. The last thing he wanted was to be reminded of his dead sister.

 "Look," Myungsoo pressed, "I don't know about you, I don't care- but stop following me."

 Dongwoo stared on and pursed his lips as if to frown, but immediately changed the motions of his mouth to form another grin, albeit a subtle one. His hands quickly tugged out one of the fangs that supported the dead wyrm, in turn causing the meat to fall on top of the small fire, quenching it in the process. After picking up the second fang from the smoldering pile, he used the two as picks to pry apart the meat from the scales and then used them as eating utensils, picking up bits and pieces of the roasted delicacy.

It's scent, the allure of it successfully convinced him to eat it despite his preconceptions. It tasted good, better than anything he would've expected. The way its juices oozed out with every bite prompted him to think about all the other culinary mysteries he was missing out on.

Myungsoo laid back on the sands, folding his arms underneath his head, and feigned sleeping. His trained eyes had duly noted Dongwoo's faulty mimicry and supposed he would do the same. He did after quickly finishing up his meal. Myungsoo slowed his breathing and his heart's pulse; anybody who would've looked at him would think he was fast asleep, except he wasn't. He was waiting for the source of his irritation to fall asleep so he could leave him behind without a fuss. Still, the stunt only frustrated Myungsoo more, The devil am I doing this for? When have I ever needed to trick a simple dog? I ought to-

Opening one eye with a strong curiosity, he stared off to the side and expected to see Dongwoo asleep after what felt like an hour, instead he met his bright and clear gaze.

 "You can't sleep? My mother would sing lullabies..."

 Myungsoo ignored him and closed his eye again. After waiting a long time, the sound of snoring pierced his ear. Dongwoo had finally entered dreamland. Myungsoo quietly sat up, making no more noise than a cat would do. Presently, he stood looming over the dreamer and placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. In a mental debate, he argued why he should let him live, why he should bother with his antics when a single slash could end it all here and now. Again, he was met by the familiar fantasm.

His sister appeared to be crouching, shielding Dongwoo with her slender and dainty arms of milky hue. Myungsoo grinded his teeth and rescinded his base desire. Dongwoo with an eye slitted open, no more than hairbreadth of view offered, was able to see Myungsoo sit back down in his spot. He sat there musing where he should go and it was at this time that Dongwoo thought to share his mission. He sat up and coughed to get the barbarian's attention. Before he could speak a word, Myungsoo eyed his golden cuirass and asked, "Where did you get that?"

 "This?" Dongwoo stammered, "My home. The jungle of Laroo." He wondered if its bright sheen attracted Myungsoo the same way it attracted some of the jungle animals. He seemed dazzled by it, and Dongwoo found it somewhat funny how it seemed to him that Myungsoo stared at it with such a profoundness and intrigue that he thought to himself, He thinks it talks?

 "Where is this Laroo? I've never heard of such a place. Its name eludes me."

Dongwoo tossed aside his earlier thought and answered without questioning whether Myungsoo had ulterior motives. "Far off, but not by much. A week's journey brought me here."

 Myungsoo asked himself why Dongwoo specifically said "here". This desert is ruthless and notorious for claiming many of the lives of those who venture through it, whether by its infernal heat or by the animals and monsters that call the place home. Why did this anomaly of a man come here? With what purpose? The shining luminance of Dongwoo's armor stole his attention. Where was this Laroo and what other wonderful secrets did it hold? Maybe it had the answers he sought. It was at that moment that he decided.

"Take me there."