bae joohyun is a dearly familiar name to the citizens of rosenview. the experienced alchemist have been the town's pride and joy for many, many years. the young woman's tenacity and intellect earns her a certified alchemist license years younger than the average passing age. that fact alone garners flattering, non-stop invitations from mayors all over the mainland who yearn to have even a slice of her service.

yet she chooses to remain in rosenview, and under her close and constant tutelage, the town and its surrounding eastern region prosper and see growths unlike anything before.

and so it is no surprise that the talented alchemist is often seen in the rosenview's mayor office.

the office not only house the head of town and her untiring town council staffs, it is also an outlet for the citizens' to share their worries and struggles, to get help.

and it is joohyun's job to provide an answer to them.

usually she would be more than eager to help the people. usually.

however, she knows full well today is unlike any other day.

the presence of another person not quite always in joohyun's meeting with the mayor drives her understandably mad.

from the way the same person bristles behind her tells that it is a mutual feeling. joohyun chooses to ignore her for now, opting to pay attention to the mayor speaking with such a heavy weight in her voice instead.

the mayor, to her credit, is completely aware what she is proposing is beyond madness, especially with how thick the tension inside her office is.

joohyun is the first to slice through it. "how many people know of this?"

"a very select few. the hunter pair who discovered it. the two of you, and i guess, myself," seungwan thinks, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the intricately sculptured table, a creation made by none other than the alchemist she is addressing. "no one else, i hope. i wouldn't want the people to be nervous."

"nervous would be a great understatement."

both joohyun and seungwan turn to the other woman standing at the corner of the office, and joohyun thinks of how fitting it is that she gives up her long drawn silence to rebut on that fact.

the taller woman peels away from the wall, toned arms falling to her side from its previous guarded cross over her chest, revealing the vibrant tribal cloth and emblems on the left side of her chest, colourful, proud. joohyun's inquisitive eyes eventually fall on the marble floors when she makes her way closer to seungwan's seat with a chary gait, the coat neatly thrown over her shoulders billowing with her calculated movements.

"this matter is not an issue of mine," she says, with a deep pause taken, sceptical but final. "i'm fairly certain that your city alchemist will be taken of your quest, and that she is fully capable of doing so alone."

leaning back on her plush chair, seungwan lets out a heavy sigh, rolling the feathers of a quill in her hand in an obvious fidget, a tell joohyun knows that it means she is thinking deeply, trying to make an impossible turn to a clear disadvantage.

after a moment of silence, seungwan stands up and makes her way around her desk, centered in the middle of the three women. she casts a look to joohyun first, her gaze wary, but it steels when joohyun meets her, and only then does she settle at the tribe woman

"i implore you, seulgi. joohyun can't do this alone. you know of this,” seungwan pauses, clenching her fists as she thinks. her voice gets a lot softer when she finally finishes. “you know her."

the fact that seulgi does not immediately storm out of the office gives both joohyun and seungwan hope. little of it, they are painfully aware, but hope is still that, hope.

they wait in silence for an answer, but seulgi remains mum, only the slight tilt of her head to regard joohyun at her side the only indication that she is still there, and listening.

"i assume you will allow me some time to think?" seulgi questions, already half turning to the door.

seungwan visibly perks up. "yes, of course. i don't think we have a lot of time to spare, but..."

"i understand." with that, seulgi stalks off, the sounds of her heavy boots pounding beyond the door and walls of the office until it tapers away to a welcomed quiet.

joohyun huffs, sliding down her beret to her chest, calming down the ceaseless beats of her fitful heart. "i must apologise for not making a better case out of this."

"that is not necessary," seungwan replies, the warmth she is so famously known for among her people prevalent in her tone. "this is not easy for all three of us. the two of you, especially."

joohyun drops to the couch situated at the side of seungwan's office, heavy and exhausted despite a lack of activity in her day so far. 

seulgi has always imposed a strict toll on her, no matter if the tribe chief is aware of it herself or not.

seungwan joins her, a hand placed on joohyun's bare upper arm in an effort to calm the familiar, but never quite acclimated tidings.

"oh, seungwan," joohyun sighs, eyeing the door from where a part of both of their lives leaves them yet again, estranged and unwilling. "when will we ever grow out beyond the shadows of our fathers?"

"i don't know, joohyun," seungwan gives an answer she wishes she could stop saying so honestly. "i don't know."

•••

"sooyoung," seulgi drags her tribe's best hunter when she sees her lounging outside a coffeehouse located close to the mayor's office all by herself, a stupid grin on her face, clearly waiting for seulgi to emerge, quite possibly so she could be the first one to tease the poor chief. "i think i am owed a rather overdue explanation."

seulgi ends up dragging sooyoung to a secluded backstreet, sighing as she scans the excitedly bouncing hunter from top to bottom, confused over how her her hunter did not struggle at all as she was dragged.

"gosh, where do i start...?"

"what about from the very start of you working together with a hunter from the city in secret?"

sooyoung waves her arms frantically in a defensive manner, her long, green tribe sash flowing along. "i was going to tell you, honest!"

"alright then, tell me."

leaning most of her weight on her left leg, sooyoung rests her arms on her hips, thinking and forming out her words carefully. "remember when i requested several healing salves from you, chief? about a few moons ago? i think it was an amount larger than i have ever requested. it was intended for an extended excursion of mine. a gatherer put in a request to drive away a herd of boars preying on a crucial herbs gathering location."

"yes, i do recall that. you went to see it alone because you didn't want the herbs to be ruined or your companions to be caught  in your traps should you travel in a party. i believe you told me you ran out of my salve some time in that task. i was really relieved you made it back safely."

"yeah, that quest. i, um, i actually got into some trouble... after... i ran out of said medicine."

seulgi nods in a bit of a surprise, registering the new information and silently urging sooyoung to continue when the hunter pauses.

"the herd was more territorial than i thought, and they didn't take a liking of me chasing them away from their main source of food with carefully placed traps. when i went to check on my setups, i was attacked," sooyoung looks up to the orange sky, already nearing dusk, and grins, thinking of the similar views and hues from when she was given another chance of life. "i don't know how long i was awake after the attack or how long i lost consciousness for from blood loss, but when i woke up, i was already in a bundle of thick furs and blankets and under a cover of a tent's canvas, all fixed up. the city hunter... she saved my life. we've been working together ever since."

"in the premise of you returning the favour of your life? surely you owe her much now."

"both yes and no, chief. i owe her that and more, i do intend to pay my dues. with this life she saved, i'm making the most of it being with and protecting her. i will not ask for you to understand, but...  i can't even imagine a life where i'm not with her from now on. i will not hesitate to fight anyone, even you, for her."

seulgi relaxes despite sooyoung's menace, moving her hands from her back - the familiar, stiff posture is often employed when she needs to be the chief of her tribe and not kang seulgi - to her sides, resting. "who is this hunter of yours? do i know them? how come you never told me about her when she is so important to you?"

blinking slowly, sooyoung struggles to clear up the jumble of thoughts in her mind. the chief is okay with this?

seeing that seulgi is waiting ever so patiently though, she makes do with it, duty bound to answer to her leader. "her name is kim yerim, she's new to the hunter's organization so i don't think you're familiar with her, or, not yet at least," sooyoung draws a deep breath as she meets seulgi's gaze. "as for why i chose to keep this a secret... well, i don't think anyone from our tribe would appreciate my teaming up with someone from the city. and i'm sure the same case goes for her."

"thus you hide your partnership by severely changing your hunting areas? you've been doing that more often lately. is it so that none of the hunters from our tribe or rosenview alike would ever find you with this... yerim?"

sooyoung meekly nods. give it to seulgi to figure her out so quickly.

"i knew you were up to something when you proposed your plan of hunting deeper in the woods to me, it was certainly uncharacteristic of you to endanger your life on your hunts, you're far too smart for that, but this is really not what i had in mind."

"what did you think i was up to?"

"honestly? a quick death."

"wow, chief, that's kind of morbid."

seulgi's lips is tight as she mutters out a fearful truth. "...such is our life as tribesmen."

sooyoung sighs, her hands moving to grasp the twin sabers strapped on her waist. she eyes seulgi from the crown of her hair to her boots, up and down, rather subdued, she lingers longest at the long coat draped over her shoulders, knowing enough of the secrets and responsibilities it wears. "yeah, i guess i can see why you'd think that."

"but you're my best hunter, so i knew you'll be able to handle yourself. i wasn't all that opposed to it. now that i know you have someone by your side all this time... i guess any worry of mine is unneeded."

despite everything, sooyoung cracks a smile. seulgi might be cold and ruthless as a chief, but she is genuine as a friend. "appreciate it, chief."

"when you're ready, i hope you will introduce this partner of yours to me."

"she's a bundle of energy," sooyoung gushes, grinning with utmost delight. "i think she alone has changed my view of their folks."

"aren't you lucky." seulgi does not mean to sound harsh in her tone, but it seems that is how sooyoung takes it, the certain and charming twinkle constant in her eyes replaced by rue in an instance.

"it's never too late to turn things around, chief, no matter how dire," sooyoung pats seulgi's shoulders with more force than what is appropriate for respect, but seulgi finds herself actually in need of it. "i know the mayor called you here to ask you to investigate that facility yerim and i came across, and considering that bae joohyun is just about to pass by this street..."

seulgi turns slightly, following sooyoung's stare and finding joohyun at the end of it. the other alchemist is walking by, unaware of their watchful eyes, slouched and obviously exhausted in her steps.

"...you're going to have to investigate it together with her, are you not?" sooyoung finishes, no longer looking like she is about to make seulgi's life a living hell with her teasing, eyes grim with resolution.

"yes," seulgi says, still watching the spot where joohyun merged with the crowd and disappeared. "the mayor, seungwan, she... she implored me."

seulgi keeps mumbling that word, seemingly in a trance.

with a low voice and a brave heart, sooyoung gets into seulgi's guarded personal space, whining purposefully to get seulgi out of the thoughts she could never quite escape. "you know, the medicine yerim uses is so much better than yours, chief. yours always just give me temporary relief and makes me vomit at the end of it..."

at that, seulgi's lips turns upwards, only ever so slightly, but sooyoung beams at it. "i never claim to be better than joohyun in synthesising medicines. that is her expertise, she is more of an apothecary alchemist than anything else."

"and you're just a glorified tailor with a hammer and a forge, chief. you're so boring."

seulgi hums, really turning now to leave their little hiding spot. "i guess you can find other alchemists when you need tanning solutions for your pelts, then."

"no, wait!" sooyoung gasps, running after her tribe's chief out of the backstreet to the main plaza, muttering apologies and proclamations of love in the form of glomps that seulgi repeatedly rejects.

•••

the swirls and light swishes of the purplish blue mixture in the cauldron is the only company in joohyun's quiet night.

the process to synthesis an item one of joohyun's many patrons requested is not a complex one, and it is one she has completed hundreds of times, so joohyun is stirring the mixture for a precise round amount rather absentmindedly. she could probably have it synthesised with her eyes closed at this point.

so there is an abundance of room in her mind to school other thoughts.

but it is not like she has much to think of except for a certain tribe chief whom is also a fellow alchemist like her.

the alchemy solution shifts to a darker hue, and joohyun ceases her stirring, fishing for the finished product. it bubbles out of the surface of the mixture in a form of clear crystal, and joohyun skillfully picks and packages it before throwing it with a careless flick to a growing pile of other completed synthesised items on her work desk.

joohyun eyes the parchment where she lists her current orders on the very same table, heaving a tired sigh when she realises that she is done for the day. she crosses out the final alchemy request, and then makes a beeline to the large bookshelf in the middle of her atelier.

dainty fingers trace the leather bound books, searching with a purpose. they end up on a rather beaten copy, and it is quickly whisked out from its resting place.

it is a precious book to joohyun, one could easily tell from its worn state - joohyun has read it so many times. it is a book detailing of a time that is so, so long ago.

the golden age of alchemy, a time when alchemy truly flourished. much discoveries, big and small, are found during that period, and the growth of the knowledge in itself is tremendous.

but like all forms of human knowledge, it is fickle, quite alike humans. alchemy lulls, becomes rare, and then finally, it is no longer practiced.

records of the olden age alchemists and their knowledge disappear, alchemy facilities and its practice are buried in the period of hundreds of dark years, until it is rediscovered by a fabled adventurer, fondly remembered as the father of the new age of alchemy.

more time pass, and the relics of the golden age become an attraction to researchers and treasure hunters alike.

ancient alchemy facilities are such relics. but none of these facilities have ever been found still active. most of them are shut and beyond decrepit, leaving very little to research or plunder.

yet the town of rosenview lies in proximity of an actual, active alchemy facility.

the possibilities from such a finding is enormous, and joohyun can not even think of where to begin pondering.

closing the book after a careful caress on a page, joohyun rests it beside her synthesis task parchment before dropping on a chair next to the table, eyeing the atelier's ceiling.

first of all, seulgi.

joohyun doubts that conducting further investigation of the alchemy facility is going to be easy, especially so if she has to do it alone.

without a doubt, seungwan's plan to recruit for seulgi's help is clearly the most viable solution for now, that she should investigate it with the next best mind for alchemy the town-- no, the whole mainland, really, has to offer.

at least that is so for joohyun. seulgi may not be a licensed alchemist, but that does not necessarily mean she cannot handle herself. if anything the only reason why she does not have the license is because she is far too tied with her tribe to ever consider leaving for central city in order to attend the alchemy license examination.

"but am i ready for that...?" joohyun murmurs tiredly, closing her eyes for a spell, in need of a short escape.

joohyun is not able to do so for long as there is a knock on the door to her atelier that wakes her from her quiet mulling, and she takes her time to leave her seat before shuffling over with a raised eyebrow when another series of knocks sound again. though they do not sound impatient, joohyun is not really expecting any guest for the late evening. she thinks that it is likely to be seungwan, here to discuss the impending task.

what greets her when her door fully opens however, is not the mayor, but the tribe chief, back turned with her head tilted up to the sky.

"seulgi...?" joohyun questions as she walks gingerly out of her atelier, joining seulgi by her side.

"good evening," seulgi greets, shifting her eyes from the night sky filled with the glimmer of stars, giving joohyun a small nod. even after all this time, joohyun knows it is her means of an apology. "i hope i'm not interrupting your work."

joohyun looks back to her atelier before shaking her head. "no, i was just finished."

"i see." with that, seulgi gazes up to the sky again, her profile shaded delicately by the shine from the moon and the stars.

joohyun follows, studying the visible constellations with a wonder that never quite grows old, and tries her hardest to ignore the painful tinge imminent deep in her heart.

stargazing had always been their favourite way to find peace, quiet while the rest of their world is loud. they would lie down and point out the stars, make up stories about them and claim ownership to the new ones they found, or the ones they find most beautiful.

but that was many years ago, and joohyun doubts anything will ever be the same since that incident. the twinkle that is always reflected in seulgi's eyes are not exempted.

seulgi's eyes used to be the brightest of all, quite unlike any other, but now they barely even shine anymore.

joohyun wonders if she is also just about the same way.

"what have you been working on?" seulgi asks, breaking the silence that momentarily blankets them.

joohyun is not sure if she should be thankful of that, because she is fond of silence when it is shared with seulgi, but she tries. "oh, just... you know, the usual stuffs. a lot of purifiers - for fresh water, soil... plant neutralizers... medicine for the hunters and bait crumbs for the fishermen..."

"you really keep yourself busy."

"it's the only thing i can do to help."

"and yet you are doing so much. i know it's entirely your doing that the people of rosenview have yet to starve. you found a solution to treat the poor soil. it could barely hold a single plant previously, but now barley, corn and wheat could be harvested in season... you are undermining your toil."

"if it weren't for your effort to keep the river pure and running, none of what i've done will be possible. i don't do everything, seulgi. not like what everyone thinks. you should keep your words to yourself."

seulgi's distant stare looks amused for a split second before she sighs, finally looking back down from the stars and finding joohyun's eyes. "but we both know these are all temporary fixes. the river is drying slowly over the years, and the soil needs constant neutralizers to be kept alive."

"yes," joohyun agrees with seulgi's take easily, knowing full well that no matter how hard she works, all of her efforts are still just temporary mends. "i have a feeling that we could find the answer we've spent years asking in that active facility."

"it could easily be the reason why this area of land is dying."

"then we put a stop to it."

seulgi shifts on her feet, understandably anxious. "we have no idea what's in there."

"it could either condemn us off the land for good, and you and i both know that's going to happen eventually, or we could finally find a solution to all our problems," joohyun tries, keeping her hopes high. "we could discover long lost knowledge of alchemy. we could find materials that are either rare or no longer exist. we could try and fix the land."

we could fix us.

joohyun bites her lower lip at the thought, looking down to the ground. she cannot afford to show any weaknesses. not now, not in front of seulgi. "we don't have a lot of time to spare. when yerim and a hunter from your tribe found the facility they triggered something by just approaching it. the grounds cracked open and trees fell. there was an earthquake."

seulgi stays mum, her hands held to her back and still.

"i'm going to investigate it with or without you."

seulgi does not respond or make any move, instead she just stares right into joohyun's eyes, her emotions completely unreadable, leaving joohyun a little nervous.

she decides it is best to question seulgi's sudden visit instead of waiting silently for an answer. "what are you doing here, seulgi?"

"sooyoung, the hunter from my tribe that found the alchemy facility with yerim you mentioned earlier... we both decided to go to an inn instead of heading back to our tribe when it's already dark."

"oh?"

"well, sooyoung has a hidden agenda, but i think it's smart not to head back, especially not when the monsters are even more unruly ever since that minor earthquake in the woods," seulgi kicks a pebble from the brick pavement patterned all around the town to the grass, scowling slightly. "except that sooyoung has yerim with her in the inn, and i couldn't settle fully with their combined snorings and sleep talking."

joohyun chuckles at that, light and airy. "i wondered how yerim was able to partner up with someone for her hunt when she is capable of waking a slumbering boar with how loud she is when she sleeps... turns out they're birds of the same feathers."

"i couldn't bear to wake and chase them back to yerim's place, they were all cuddled up. i gave up any hope on ever getting to sleep at that instant and decided to roam aimlessly around town, as it's been a while since i was last needed here,” again, she shifts a little on her feet. “without realising, my legs... they led me to your atelier."

seulgi goes silent again, and joohyun manages a small smile. "do you perhaps want to come in and crash on my couch? it isn't the most comfortable thing in rosenview but i don't doubt it will allow you to catch some winks peacefully."

"you're letting me in?" seulgi asks, turned a bit to the side to regard joohyun, who is running a hand through her hair, somewhat flustered. it feels a lot like seulgi is asking for more than just an invitation to enter the atelier.

opting to walk to the door of the atelier instead of answering seulgi's question, joohyun silently beckons for seulgi to follow her in, and she does, slowly.

once seulgi steps into the atelier however, she rids of any kind of common manners, studying the place intently, washed over by the familiarity of the atelier in all of its organized mess.

joohyun is busy clearing space from the single couch rested against the wall opposite of where the cauldron lies, it being occupied by several opened books and alchemy recipes, when seulgi finally speaks up. "this place hasn't changed at all."

joohyun looks up from dumping another book on an already tall stack, surprised by seulgi's words. "yeah... it's... it's still really messy. i like where things are, and even if i want to clean up, i never could find the time to do so."

"it's fine just the way it is." seulgi assures her, picking up another book from the couch and handing them to joohyun, helping her until all of the books are removed. joohyun quickly dusts the couch lightly with a feather duster. with the couch cleared, seulgi takes off the coat draped over her shoulders in a careful manner, neatly folding it and placing it on the hand rest of the couch, followed by the various tribal trinkets around her body.

joohyun chases her gaze away from any ogling as seulgi removes more clothing, finally leaving herself in a simple sleeveless undershirt and knee length tights to sleep. "that's not what seungwan thinks. she's more stressed out with the state of my atelier than she really should be, more than i ever would to be honest."

"i take that she has offered to clean it up for you?" seulgi questions with an easy smirk, her bare arms hugging her body, but this time, without any tint of aggression.

joohyun tries not to revel on how comfortable seulgi looks. inside her atelier. she would not have dared for this to ever happen again, and yet, here they are. "multiple times. increasingly so when we got older. if she cleans this place up it would honestly take me months to remember where everything is located, so i've been warding her off."

"you've been successful so far."

"yes, but i fear i will come back to a totally different atelier after leaving for the ancient facility."

"i have the same thought," seulgi says honestly, sitting down and stretching her legs. joohyun thinks she must have been walking around for quite a while before actually coming by. she then continues, "it's too bad i can't keep her in check either."

joohyun is not entirely sure she is successful in hiding her disappointment, but she hopes seulgi is not paying much attention to her reactions. "so you're leaving town and going back to your tribe?"

the look seulgi is giving joohyun is boggled. "no? i'm going with you to the facility."

"...what? you're what?"

"i'm coming along, joohyun," seulgi announces with finality, her hand patting the empty space beside her on the couch. "sit down? i think i wanted to talk about this when i decided to knock on your door."

joohyun leaves the stack of books she is still piling up alone, settling down slowly beside seulgi, her flustered mind adamant in reminding her on just how long it has been since she is this close to the tribe woman.

sweet little seulgi who is now taller than her, healthily tanned and mature, carrying a weight joohyun will never be able to fully understand because she is not, and never will be, a leader of the people.

"i lied when i said this is not an issue i should mind. i'm afraid my people is just as affected by this as the citizens of rosenview," seulgi starts with a critical, urgent tone. "if i don't see to a threat that could potentially put an end to my tribe, i will not be worthy of their hard earned respect at all."

"i see," joohyun smiles, a little bitter, yet understanding. she is doing this for her people. "...you will leave your tribe for this research. i don't even dream to guess just how long we will be away. is that really alright?"

"the elders will look after the tribe. my people are resilient and handy, i'm fairly certain that they will do quite well even without my leadership."

"...you're sure?"

"yes," seulgi rests her back on the couch, sliding down a little the more she leans. "it seems to be the fastest way to learn as much as possible about the facility."

"i, um, i could ask for a companion alchemist from central, you know, to investigate with me."

"you're not convincing anyone but yourself, joohyun," seulgi sighs, exasperated but clearly following where joohyun is coming from. "how long will the process take? just submitting application for their aid will cut days of progress we could make together."

joohyun clenches her fists at the word. together.

"then you'd need to wait for the assigned alchemist from central to arrive. unless they fly here with one of those expensive air balloons central is so proud to show off, the quickest time they could arrive here is in three weeks..."

joohyun is much too aware with how irritating and slow the process of appealing to the central government is. it does not entirely matter how dire their situation is, the long processing time is still there. she would know. they have been getting help from researchers from the central to find the solution to the dying lands all these years without any admirable results, after all.

"...we both know that's a risk none of us are willing to take."

huffing a heavy breath, joohyun lets her hand run through her hair again, already weary. "yes, you're right, seulgi. we don't really have a choice, do we?"

"no. central will know of our findings, i'm sure the mayor has sent a report, though i doubt we would see any assistance from them without a proper prompt," seulgi shakes her head a little sadly. "but we will have a steady support of our own. sooyoung and yerim have both agreed to make the journey with us."

joohyun's eyes bulged at the news. from what joohyun knows, the two young hunters are very capable. they are skilled hunters working by themselves, but together, they become nearly unstoppable. they have always been the ones to accept most of joohyun's more demanding material gathering requests from the hunter's organization, and they have yet to fail her in procuring the rare materials so far. honestly speaking, they are not exactly subtle with their closeness in joohyun's eyes. "they will? are you sure?"

"completely. in fact, they begged me to let them tag along. it's thrilling for them too. it seems fit to allow them to explore the place they themselves found. they are adventurers at heart, after all," seulgi shrugs a bit, studying joohyun's reaction. "unless, of course, you are opposed of their company. if you worry of what people will think of hunters from my tribe and your town working together, it is easy to see them as our individual guards instead."

joohyun quickly shakes her head. "no, not at all. i dearly welcome their offer. i bet we could work faster with more capable hands at the task. and it's fine, seulgi. i know they work as a pair more often than not."

"i'm glad you know, and you're fine with them accompanying us because i honestly don't have the slightest idea on how i could turn them down. it's hard to resist those young, excited eyes."

from the way seulgi perks up, joohyun is sure that she is sincere in her words. joohyun is not entirely sure where her sudden bravado is coming from but she is suddenly sputtering timid honesty: "you haven't changed even a bit, seulgi. i've missed you."

even stranger is seulgi's response to her sudden admission. "i've missed you too."

not prepared for any more of the mini heart attacks she is currently experiencing, joohyun quickly stands up from the couch, jumpy. she hurries to find seulgi a blanket. "you should sleep! uh, we... we have a long day to prepare for tomorrow. good night."

"thank you for letting me stay," seulgi says with a quick accepting nod, taking the offered blanket before joohyun could scurry away to her room adjacent to the atelier. "good night, joohyun. please sleep well."

•••

_{=to be continued=}