Of Fallen Wings & The Six Tails

 

4. The Man and the Girl

 

*****

(TW: Some fight scenes and violence in the middle of the chapter.)

 

Hyewon was sure of it, the distinct clatter of his earrings came from the port city of Pusan as she walked silently in its deserted streets. With her energy growing low again, she was going to hunt for another heart but hearing the sound of Sakuya’s earrings hours ago awoken her tired brain. Out of those 2 choices, he was the better alternative than killing another person for way less energy. It was way past midnight and most people slept already with a few drunk stragglers and night owls roaming the city in search of whatever. Just a few hours ago, she was resting in the nearby mountains miles away but the sound of his earrings sang to her as if it was a welcoming melody. But even so, there was only silence to be heard as she searched the city with no luck.

 

‘If only I could teleport ...or fly.’

 

As she walked, she could hear that the city had more dogs than before so she made sure to wash her scent off earlier and sprayed herself with a bottle of perfume she snatched from a person from another city ages ago. If there was anything to be afraid of for a Kumiho, it was dogs since their noses could detect them quite easily. Lucky for them, their ears have great hearing and most Kumiho could tell how far things are within 3 miles, a mile more than regular foxes.

 

‘Hmmmm, I detect a handful Kumiho in this city but they’re hiding pretty well. I can barely feel their energy...maybe there are some I can’t even detect probably. I guess some of the dogs and Hunters gotten some of them already which is why they’re doing this....’ she thought as she pulled her black hooded cloak over her head.

 

Even if she couldn’t find or hear him, being in a port city, the sounds of the ocean were pleasant at night and calm her nerves. She continued her stroll in the more isolated part of the city towards the place where she heard the last of the clinks of his earrings and as she rounded a corner, she finally saw there was a small building far away in the distance. As she approached it slowly, she could hear 2 people still awake since she could hear them speaking even this late at night. Walking around the building, it seemed like all the windows were obscured so she couldn’t see inside.

 

‘Oh well…..might as well stay and listen.’ she thought as she found an obscure place to sit in, not that anyone would see her anyway since she had a black cloak on along with it being the dead of the night.

 

“C’mon Yena! I’m just saying though, maybe the warning was for something else.”

 

“Why are we still talking about this? This was 2 hours ago and yet you keep talking about him and his warning.”

 

“That’s because I’m worried! Ever since the Elite Hunters from the Capital came, things feel different and more dangerous now. I’ve seen a group of Hunters fought this blonde foreigner a few nights ago and it turns out he was something called a Vampire! They said it the blood of humans through their necks!”

 

“A vampire? Sounds like something from a western tale.”

 

“Because it is a western tale, you idiot! I mean we have kumihos, gwisin and dokkaebi roaming around Joseon already, what makes this vampire any different? Also remember that stories we heard about that weird outbreak a couple months ago? When the deceased started walking again and started eating people....I mean what’s so hard to believe anything nowadays.”

 

“I mean I get it but what’s next? Are you going to say that dragons are real too?”

 

“Dragons? *Tsk* Of course not ...”

 

“Well all I’m saying is that I’m not moving my shop because some stranger with wings ‘warned’ us. He could be lying for all we know."

 

“Did you even see him leave? Did he fly?”

 

“Nope, but I think I saw him heading towards Geumjeong Mountain nearby. He must be crazy though since there’s a lot of bandits out there especially at night ...”

 

With that, Hyewon was satisfied with the info she just gathered and stood up. In the far distance in front of her was her destination a few miles away. As she began walking with it in sight, a smile appeared on her face knowing that she was close to the sneaky being once again.

 

‘Geumjeong Mountain huh? You better not run off again….’

 

--------------

 

 

The smell of the early morning dew filled Sakuya’s nose slowly as he watched the remnants of the night bled into a new dawn. Perched on a tall tree on top of a mountain overlooking Pusan below, Sakuya glanced up towards the disappearing stars above knowing his time was wasted yet again. Through the night, he waited restlessly to feel another pulse from the Dragon Pearl but nothing came ...not even one beat. His luck was far and between just like the morning mist that came with the sunlight...barely there.

 

“Kami sama ...spare me a good wind once in a while could ya?”

 

He let out a yawn as he stood up on the branch to stretch out his weary and fatigued body. For Sakuya, if he rarely used his powers, he could go days or even a week without sleep or rest and would mostly rely on meditation or small meals to conserve energy. Unfortunately for him, he has been searching for the Dragon Pearls for a few days without rest and now his energy was less than half of what it usually is.

 

“Might as well go catch some….fishhh?”

 

He sensed something wrong in the air and immediately moved his head to his right as the wind from an arrow ruffled the sides of his hair.

 

*fwwoooooooosshhhhhhhhh*

 

Another arrow whizzed passed by his head but he managed to dodge it in time just to find a few more coming his way like a swarm of angry hornets. With his keen sight, he spotted 2 people from quite a distance away hidden in the forest to the left of them, a man with a bow and arrow firing at him as a young woman watched. While the man was lining up more shots, he quickly sprang upwards 200 feet into the air above them and rocketed towards the man like a falcon on the hunt, crashing into the ground and causing debris to fly upwards. The morning haze dispersed from his impact as he stood up to face them, only to see more arrows coming his way but with a quick swipe of his hand, the wind blew in its direction and the arrows shot away from him.

 

“Not a nice way to greet a stranger in the morning….” Sakuya addressed as he watched the two in front of them with keen eyes. The man and young woman wore outfits that wouldn’t be uncommon with most commoners of the region as he inspected them further. The man was a bit stocky, average height with short black hair and wore a mostly black outfit with a pelt of a bear draped around his pants as a hip sash. Adorning his shoulders was a very peculiar looking cape that seemed almost see through...quite strange since Sakuya has never seen that type of material before. Lastly, a detailed yet well-worn pair of gauntlets as protected his forearms he continued pointing his bow at Sakuya’s head.

 

The young woman looked to be in her late teens/early 20s at most and was taller than the man by a head. Beautiful yet adorably cute face with long black hair that reached well past her shoulders. Sakuya took note that her legs would belong to a rabbit with how long they were. Like the man, she also wore mostly a mostly black outfit but unlike him, she had sprinkles of pink here and there to break the mostly monotone color. She wore the same kind of weird cape around her shoulders that seems to be see-through and those particular items started to intrigue Sakuya.

 

“Would’ve been better if the arrow pierced through your skull, demon.” the man answered as he kept his bow and arrow fixated on Sakuya’s head. The young woman stood behind him and watched him in awe, seemingly interested that he flew in the air.

 

“You’re one of those attack first, ask questions later types huh? If ya kill me, there are no questions to be told if I’m a demon or not ...and frankly, I’m not. Vile creatures those are, I dealt with a few in my day actually.”

 

“You say that with that devilish red mask you wear? A being who can fly and can create gusts of winds with just a swipe of his hands? I don’t need to ask you a question, I just want to know if I can kill a god.” the stranger stated. For some reason, the words made Sakuya chuckle as he leaned forward with laughter. He shoulders moved up and down which only cause the man to narrow his eyes even more.

 

“A god? Me? Kekekeke ...the ones that smite me would laugh if they heard that. Sure I have traits but no, I'm not.” Sakuya stated as he finished his laughter with a wave of his hand in dismissal.

 

“Doesn’t matter, all I know is that you don’t belong here.”

 

“Are you a hunter?”

 

“A Hunter? Those fools? They’re a nuisance just as you are. I’m here to take anyone out who I see as a threat and you just climbed my list…..or shall I say, flew up my list.”

 

“Then what are you? Why do you fight?”

 

He didn’t answer as he looked back towards the young woman and raised his hands for her to not get involved in this fight. She nodded in understanding which caused the man to turn back towards Sakuya with eyes full of determination. Sakuya rubbed the back of his nape, put his other hand with palms facing forward and shook it.

 

“I’d rather not fight you know? In fact, I was about to catch some fish to eat. We can tal-”

 

*fwwoooooooosshhhhhhhhh*

 

His words were cut short as the man came running towards him at full sprint. He put up his bow behind him and took a sword out of its belt sheath as he glared at the rather nonchalant Sakuya. 

 

“So, I take that as a no? Just my luck again huh Kami sama?”

 

The stranger sliced at Sakuya with a downwards swipe and the pressure from the swing surprised him as it sent leaves flying a short distance away. Sakuya’s brows drew close as this was no ordinary man attacking him as they locked eyes just inches away. As the man swing at him, Sakuya swayed in close and ducked, causing the attacker to whiff completely and hit the ground with a loud ringing clang. The earth itself shook the ground beneath them which startled him as he finally sees the seriousness of this man’s mission to kill him. He tugged on his earring and pulled outwards on it, transforming it into a khakkhara, a long ringed staff, as he took a defensive stance against the attacker. 

 

“I see that you’re quite serious about this. Maybe I should use this as practice...” Sakuya stated confidently as he started spinning himself and the staff around his body like an expert bo staff user. The stranger grew weary to attack as he saw no opening from Sakuya’s expert arm movements of the long weapon as its rings pierced his ears with all its clatter. A sudden stop and of his weapon forward, he slammed it against the stranger's chest causing him to fly backward 10 feet from where he stood. Sakuya then stood tall and struck the staff into the ground as he watched the man quickly got back up on his feet and brushed himself off.

 

“Would you like to eat some Mackerel? The sea around Pusan has really big ones if ya didn’t know already.” Sakuya moved his hands apart as if he was measuring something, seemingly oblivious that his rather playful nature started irritating the man even more.

 

“And would you at least talk when you try to kill me? I mean my stomach is doing better at it then you are.” announced Sakuya as he rubbed his stomach in a circular motion and ended it with a few beats like a drum.

 

With a mighty roar, the man ran forward and as he neared his foe, Sakuya kicked his staff that was stuck into the ground, causing a loud ring to come from it. The man held his ears to block the sound but he saw Sakuya stomped on the ground, transforming the earth to rise up where the staff was. He looked as it grew and once it finally stopped around 5 meters tall, the staff shone brightly from its height and in an instant, Sakuya teleported on top of it as he looked down at the man.

 

“I suggest that you cool down a bit.” with those words, a stream of water shot out from beneath the staff as it overflowed below like a waterfall as the man watched in bewilderment. The water continued gushing and grew rapidly into a fast stream as it swept the man off his feet and off of a cliff nearby. The woman who was watching the action ran yelled in terror and jumped after him but luckily it was only a short drop from where they were into a hollowed-out open valley. As the water continued rushing him into the center, he quickly found footing and held onto nearby shrubs while the water started to decline in power and volume. As it slowly disappeared, the woman came to help the stranger up but he held his hand up to stop her. Wet and furious, he punched the muddy ground in anger as he slowly stood back up.

 

“There’s no use in needless fighting. Save your strength for something worthwhile than wasting it on the wind passing by.” a voice above him echoed in the air as he looked up. There Sakuya was, floating in the air with his arms crossed as he stared at the man below. The man spat on the ground and pointed at him as he shouted.

 

“Those in power shall fall! From those corrupt power-hungry maniacs who look down upon the weak, to beings such as yourself who’ve never suffered clawing their way up from the bottom of society. I’ll take them all down, even if they have the power of gods!”

 

“Finally talking? And who’s to say that I haven’t suffered already…?”

 

“A being like you? Doubtful.”

 

Sakura floated down and stood a meter away from the man and was noticeably taller than him as they gazed at one another from up close.

 

“I'm not going to argue with you nor will I bore you with my history but I’m willing to show you that your view on me is twisted by your own past conflicts. I don’t have much to offer besides my hand in peace so would you kindly accept it and let go of this misunderstanding?” he offered as he put his hand forth in front of him. The stranger’s eyes didn’t leave his own as his hand was smacked away in retaliation.

 

“I’ve heard that story many times before from people just like you. Don’t think of me as a fool who’s only dreamed of the peace in your hands when it was never there in the first place.”

 

Sakura opened his arms and spoke once again. “Shall I show you instead? I’m more than willing to help those who need i-”

 

“I don’t need your help…...I need you dead.” the man spat. 

 

“I see…….I guess that means that I shall take my leave then. Goodbye and farewell sir….no use in being here to prove one's point.” Sakuya began floating upwards slowly as he gave him a salute goodbye.

 

“...........fox.”

 

“.....hmmm?”

 

“...........fire.”

 

With a wave of the man’s hands, Sakuya’s mask caught on fire that blinded his vision in an instant. The fire itself was no ordinary fire as it glowed a bright and eerie purple as he quickly closed his eyes and tried to put it out with his hands. With his mind focused on the fire, he felt an arrow pierced through his shoulder, going completely through his back and felt that it had a metal rope attached to its shaft. He felt the rope twisted around him in an inhuman speed and after a few spins around him, he was pulled and thrown onto the ground face first with a force no human could ever muster. It didn’t end there as he found himself being pulled yet again and swung around like a ragdoll in the air for a few moments until the rope released, slamming him into the trees above the valley where they once were before. Body aching from the impacts, he lay there and felt his shoulder rapidly getting hotter as it slowly spread throughout his chest.

 

‘That arrow was poisoned?!’ he pondered as he used his might and broke loose from the metal rope binding him and the arrow that was in him. He quickly tried to stand up but he felt a clawed hand grabbed him by the neck and felt a knife forcing its way into his belly as he yelped in pain. The hand dug into his throat with sharpened nails and the knife was beginning to curve and was about to disembowel him but he swiftly kicked the man away as he took off the rapidly burning mask and made it vanish from his hands. He spat a large amount of blood on the ground and gazed upon the man a few meters away but his eyes grew in size at what he saw: his irises were now a bright glowing yellow with slanted pupils and his ears were now that of a fox.

 

‘A-a male Kumiho?’

 

He held his bloodied stomach in one hand and made hand signs on the other which turned a bright white color as he placed it against his severely opened gash. The wound slowly began to close but he felt the same burning sensation in his stomach like he did his shoulder and knew that the knife must have been poison-tipped also.

 

He spat blood again and his eyes grew into a glare as he looked at the man and spoke. “That tactic was beyond dirty Kumiho....so much about talking about being at the bottom of society.” he croaked out in ragged breaths as his wounds began to slowly heal from the technique he used.

 

“You know nothing about us! We suffered through humanity's hunger for power for centuries while being hunted endlessly. Unlike you who seem to be given your powers, we Kumiho must go through tireless tasks to become more...or to become human. Once I get my last tail, I’ll be sure to make Kumiho rise from the shadows while taking out everything that gets in our way...” the man yelled with vigor, anger clearly present in his voice.

 

As Sakuya tried to concentrate, the poison was mostly gone but traces kept creeping slowly in his veins as it throbbed like a heartbeat.

 

‘...this poison is affecting my nerves more than I thought. Regular poison shouldn't affect me but this one is noticeably more toxic and would've killed a human in seconds. A kumiho made poison maybe? This was definitely made to kill higher beings…..even my mind seems scrambled at the moment.' Sakuya figured as he tried to fight it off in his mind. The man in front of him was definitely more dangerous than he expected to be and took him by surprise.

 

“For one who talks about power hungry humans and beings, you seem to be power hungry yourself.” Sakuya countered.

 

“You don’t think I know that? A leader must make sacrifices for the betterment of their people. What is a leader? Someone who leads, guides or inspires others. Power means the ability to do something...anything. A leader without power is just a fool.” The man finished his narration and took a stance again, ready to fight.

 

Sakuya pointed at the man and shook his head dismissively. “A cutthroat like you as a leader? I’m surprised that the young woman even follows you.”

 

“She’s an orphan and has nowhere to go so I trained her to survive. If anything, she’s my daughter.” the man informed as nodded towards the young woman who was watching from afar. She kept her eyes on Sakuya and seemed lost in thought.

 

“Then I feel bad for the parents who lost their child to end up with you.” Sakuya remarked with a frown as his eyes narrowed.

 

The man pointed his knife at him and threatened with a gesture of cutting his throat. “Silence…..that’s what you’ll permanently speak in the next few minutes.”

 

Sakuya began walking forward in a confident stride. “Kekekeke....you want to know how it feels to be struck by lightning?”

 

“Don’t speak, show me.” the man challenged confidently as he did the same.

 

Sakuya chuckled and stopped. Suddenly raising his arm in the sky as he rose up into the air, he was now directly above the man as looked down with a scowl. His red eyes now glowed brightly in its color as red static began to form and jolt around his body like crickets in grass. His skin began to bleed as it covered his body completely in crimson while his hair grew in length and transformed completely white as snow. His once playful face grew into a menacing snarl.

 

“Never challenge a Tengu, for we will have no mercy for the wicked and arrogant. If you wish to continue watching the orphaned girl in the future, then I suggest you move from my sight before death comes.” Sakuya’s voice was now deep and had a guttural quality to it as he pointed towards the blue morning sky. The man watched as the surrounding blue turned into a bright red while thick clouds above started moving away from a bright light that was headed towards the area they were in.

 

“30 seconds.” Sakuya announced.

 

The man, once confident, now began to back away with a scowl on his face as he turned and ran. As he ran towards the woman who was watching Sakuya, she raised her hand towards him as the man tilted his head, confused at her sudden action.

 

“We must leave now!” he yelled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a sprint. Running past shrubs and rocks along the way, his hair began standing on end as he felt the pressure of the air being from his lungs. As 15 seconds passed, the distinct sound of thunder roared loudly above in the distance as the sky grew redder than before...a literal Hell on Earth in the area he was in.

 

5…..

 

4….

 

3...

 

2..

 

1.

 

*THHHOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM*

 

The red lightning bolt struck the ground and shook the earth violently and made them stumble towards the ground while covering their heads in fear. Never has he felt or heard thunder as strong and loud as that so he covered the young woman’s ears as she continued watching the area of impact. Even when he closed his eyes, the light from it was so bright that it came through even his eyelids and filled his mind with nothing but white. The next few moments, the roar of thunder lessened it’s growl and the light finally began to fade as he opened his eyes once again. He looked at the area where they were once was and he only saw the devastation in its wake. The only thing left was a hollow crater where it once was green and full of life, now blackened and charred...only the power of gods could produce such a result. As he scanned the air above it, there was his enemy floating in the air with traces of blackened wings that appeared from behind him. His enemy still had the skin of the devil with the whitened hair of a god as he saw it pointed at him.

 

“Never ask for death ...for it will come quickly for those who wish upon it. Challenge me again and you will feel its wrath first hand.”

 

With that, he disappeared into thin air with a clap of thunder as a reminder of his foolish challenge earlier….

 

He continued staring where his enemy vanished and only determination grew in his thoughts. Slowly rising up to inspect the damage, he spat on the ground below.

 

“......gods can fall ...I'll make sure of it.”

 

--------------

 

She heard it once again...that familiar and distinct sound of ringing in the early morning of a tall and heavily forested mountain.

 

“He must be close...I need to find him…” her voice a little desperate as she searched frantically towards the tree tops in hope of finding the Enigma that was Sakuya.

 

The reddened sky that appeared an hour ago scared her as she ran towards its location but she continued on. Never has she felt such energy or heard something so loud in her life and she was sure Sakuya had a connection with it. As she ran and jump from trees in search of the familiar Enigma, her heart began to pound loudly hoping that nothing terrible has happened to him. Upon a clearing in the forest, she saw him a few hundred yards away in the air as he surveyed the surrounding area. She ran as fast as she could on her tired legs and once she was within yelling distance, she began her call to him.

 

“SAKUYA!! SAKUYAAAAAAA!” she yelled until her voice cracked. Thankfully her voice was heard as he turned in the air to look at her. She noticed that he had on his frightening long-nosed red mask from the first time she saw her but now it looked like it was badly charred.

 

“To whom calls my name?” he answered with a voice serious and low in its tone.

 

“Sakuya? It’s me!” she yelled again, hands pointed to her chest and tapping it excitedly.

 

“Who?”

 

Hyewon’s expression instantly slid into a frown as she answered. “......Sakuya…..it’s me, Hyewon,...the Kumiho you saved.”

 

“…..Kumiho...”

 

“D-did you already forget me…..?” Hyewon felt a bit bewildered that she even had to ask that question.

 

“Hyewon……..?”

 

The silence grew within her and it unconsciously stung her with a sense of dread. Just hearing him question her name made her feel a bit empty inside ...like an unnecessary memory that made her feel forgotten. There has to be a mistake or reason for this she thought as she gazed at him with her frown growing deeper.

 

“.......Hye...won? Hye.…...Hyewon!” he shouted, now with enthusiasm unlike the confusion from before.

 

Upon saying her name one last time, he immediately took off his mask and it vanished from his hand instantly. His face was noticeably weary yet he had a wide smile on his face that, while seemed genuine, made Hyewon question how he could’ve forgotten her if he smiled like that. She noticed that his clothes had remnants of fresh blood near his stomach and suspicion immediately arose in her mind.

 

‘Was he fighting? And how did he forget me that easily?’

 

This was already their 3rd time meeting and while it felt long to her due to her current situation, it was not a long period of time at all. ‘It took him a few moments but he remembers me now? What is this? Does he have a really bad memory or maybe it is something else...?’ she thought as she kept it in the back of her head and just played along.

 

“Hyewon! How did you find me?” he asked, seemingly oblivious to what occurred.

 

“I can hear you from 3 miles away…..near Pusan actually."

 

“What? You can hear me from that distance?”

 

She pointed at her ears and tapped at it. “Your earrings make a distinct sound and I am a fox you know? We're good at hearing...”

 

Upon hearing that, he shook his head causing the earrings to ring in its distinct sound.  “Kekekekeke it does doesn’t it? Yabai na…..”

 

“Can you come down here now? It’s important….” she gestured with her hands for him to come to her.

 

He looked at her with concern growing in his eyes. “Are you hurt? Shall I take you someplace more comfortable?”

 

‘Hurt? Aren’t you the one who’s hurt?’ she thought as she focused on the ripped and damaged parts of his shirt covered in blood.

 

“Just get down here...”

 

“Why?”

 

Growing frustrated, she put her hands on her hips and raised her tone of voice. “It’s rude to talk while looking down on someone you know?”

 

“It is?”

 

“..........you do not know?”

 

He places one hand behind his head and started scratching it unconsciously. “Forgive my ignorance on my part, I guess it’s something more common with Humans than my kind....”

 

“So.........can you come down here now?”

 

“You’ve said that like 5 times in the span of 40 seconds….” he said with a tilt of his head.

 

“....t-that’s because I haven’t seen you in awhile! Can’t you come down and greet a friend? I missed you actually...” she said as she brushed a side of her hair and place it behind her ear.

 

“Kekekekeke….missed me? But we’ve only seen each other 2 times before.”

 

Fed up and too starved, she finally glared at Sakuya and stomped her feet.

 

“This is wartime Sakuya! You are one of the only warm faces I see when most of the other faces are trying to kill me! How do you think I feel seeing a friend return?!”

 

Admittedly, he didn’t think of that and felt guilty that he didn’t read into the situation sooner.

 

“Well?”

 

“Uhh….I have to do something! Bye!” he said with a small wave and then disappeared in less than a second.

 

“NO YOU DON’T!”

 

Frustrated that Sakuya disappeared once again, she let out a loud groan and fell to her knees and laid her head on the ground. She felt defeated ...like the world has just ended for her.

 

“NOOOOOO!!! Whyyyyy....I-I don’t have much time…...”

 

She could feel the corners of her eyes tear up a little as she started to pound the soft ground beside her head.

 

“Don’t have much time? For what?” the familiar voice asked from behind her. Her eyes widened as she raised her head and looked behind her to see him, his brow now furrowed.

 

“S-Sakuya?!”

 

“I was just doing a quick change of clothes…..but you said you don’t have much time? What do you mean?”

 

He was right, he changed his clothes into new ones and the bloody shirt was now gone. She got too desperate she thought. Her secret that she didn’t want to let out was still safe so she decided to dismiss it passively.

 

“....it’s...it’s nothing.” she ended as she stood back up and tried to quickly wipe the corner of her eyes.

 

“I sensed desperation in your voice and the actions you showed is full of frustration and despair. What is going on?” he questioned, tone just as serious as when he saw her earlier.

 

“.....I ...I can’t tell you.” she answered as she tried to get away from the subject.

 

“If it is nothing, then I shall-”

 

“No! Please…...just….”

 

“Just what? I’m all ears.” he put a cupped hand near his ear as he leaned towards her.

 

“If I tell you…….you are going to leave me.”

 

He looked at her with worried eyes and with that, he went to grab her hand and then teleported away.

 

As she blinked, they were now on top of a cliff overlooking the mountain range they were just at. It was quite a sight to behold to her weary and tired eyes and made her feel at peace despite her situation.

 

“Why are we here?” she asked as she looked him stretch out his body and neck. She could see the weariness in his eyes as he had a slight eye bags underneath. ‘He must’ve been up for awhile she thought as she studied his tired movements. He then walked over to the side of the cliff and look down. After a few seconds of staring at the peaceful view below, he answered.

 

“Because nobody can come up here. I’ll take you back down after we finish talking…..okay? So, exactly what is happening Hyewon?”

 

“.....................”

 

“......well?”

 

She tried to change the subject and whispered. “Do you know why the sky turned red and a loud boom was heard about an hour ago?”

 

He looked at her with a vacant stare, not sure how to answer her. 'Success' she thought as her mind high fived itself.

 

“I…..I...don’t know.”

 

‘He definitely knows…..I guess I’ll just ask him something else.'

 

“Okay. How about why were you gone for so long?”

 

“Long? How long has it been?” he quizzed as his eyes started to dart around.

 

“Are you not aware of how much time was passing by?”

 

“I’m sorry Hyewon, I’ve been moving so constantly that I haven’t noticed how much time has passed. The days and nights are just a blur to me...” again, his eyes shot from here and there, not knowing exactly how long since they’ve seen each other. He brought a hand to temples of his head and squeezed them gently in thought.

 

“I thought you’d only be gone for a few days but it’s been well over a month now.” She stated, her voice now had a hint of anger. His eyes shot back up to her in surprise as he tilted his head.

 

“Over a month? Really?”

 

Seeing his surprised face and subtle movements showed he was true in his reaction. “Yes! It’s been almost a month and a half if I'm to be more honest! Are you really not aware?”

 

“N-no! As I said, these days have been a blur to me and I’ve barely stopped moving. It just feels like the days are all stitched together...” he answered truthfully.

 

She took a few steps closer to put her hand on his shoulder. “Is that why you look so tired right now?”

 

He didn’t answer immediately since he just fought in a short but tiring battle with the Kumiho man just an hour ago. Having been up for a few days and then fighting out of nowhere took a toll on him as he released a short sigh.

 

“Well.....I suppose so, I haven't gotten a proper rest for a while.” he stated.

 

“Then rest here if you must...”

 

He gave her a small smile and shook his head. “......I’m sorry but I can’t. Time is of the essence.”

 

“Then how long do you think time will pass if you see me again?” she asked, now worried that he would leave soon. With her one hand still on his shoulder, she started massaging it slowly to relax him a bit.

 

“I’m not sure...”

 

“And what were you doing?”

 

“........searching ...as always.”

 

Her brows narrowed. “Amusement like last time?”

 

“No, it’s something important.”

 

“And?”

 

“It’s a secret. Now, I mus-”

 

She placed a finger on his lips causing him to stop. Hearing those words, she knew she had to get his energy here and now. She hated that it had to be this way but it was the better option for her than to continue killing people.

 

“Okay, I’ve made my decision.” she stated as she put her other hand on his remaining shoulder.

 

“Huh? Your decision? On what?”

 

She stared at his lips as he watched her with a questionable expression. A smile grew at the corner of as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his worried ones.

 

“This.”

 

She immediately grabbed into Sakuya’s neck and clung to him as she plunged into his lips in a desperate attempt to regain energy. She was too starved to think of the backlash from before and forced her tongue into Sakuya’s mouth and letting her beads go in. Sakuya stood there in shock, not knowing what to do as his face turned beet red. The way she moved her lips against his was rough and full of hunger as she pushed him against a tree overlooking the cliff nearby.

 

This was the 2nd time Hyewon kissed him in this weird ritual and he still didn't know why. His hands were in the air beside her and like before, he didn’t know what to do in the current situation as it lasted longer than the peck that was before. Since she had her arms around his neck, he just naturally lowered his arms slowly and held her by the waist.

 

As Hyewon continued kissing him, now deeply, she could feel herself regain her lost energy in just mere seconds and now she started getting an excess of it as it flowed into her. She noticed that there was no sudden backlash as it was once before and that was only just 2 seconds compared to this, which now lasted over a dozen and kept going. Maybe it because she was prepared this time and her mind was just starved but she continued onwards. Despite that, she noticed that he didn’t seem to flinch at all and actually started kissing her back, holding her tighter as he brought her body closer to his. Internally, she smiled since she got what she came for but now it began growing into something more as he started dominating her lips in surprise. Feeling that her beads are full of his energy now, she made sure to her beads back so she didn’t take any excess energy. She just took what she needed to survive for the next few months and that was it.

 

Hyewon broke their kiss off for a few moments to gasp for air for a bit but unexpectedly to her, he went back in to continue as he tilted her back with his hands and he leaned into her body more. To him, this ritual was weird at first but having experienced it two different times now, it felt more natural now and he liked how it sparked his tired mind like a jolt of energy. He felt her hands began going up into his shirt and touch his slim but muscular body and honestly, it heated him up as he felt her delicate fingers rub against him here and there. As their kisses became more and more intense, so did Hyewon’s hands as it has gotten a bit friskier. Knowing that she might turn this steamier than it already was, she suddenly stopped what she was doing and broke the kiss off even though she didn’t want to. With faces just millimeters away, they marveled at each other's eyes, one a vibrant red and the other striking coral. Their hot breathes bounced against each other as they felt themselves stuck in this trance they couldn’t get away from.

 

“.........you are surprisingly a really good kisser once you get into it you know?” Hyewon admitted, causing Sakuya’s brows to raise with intrigue.

 

“Kisser? Is that an occupation...like a soldier or merchant?” he asked innocently. After a few moments of being dumbfounded, Hyewon head shot back as she burst out in genuine laughter at his answer. Absurd she thought. After cackling like a maniac for a few moments, she then leaned forward in the crook of his neck to hide her completely amused face in.

 

He didn't get it but feeling her head so close to his, he instinctively leaned on it as he brushed her silky raven hair in response. He didn’t know what it was but something about that moment felt right as a feeling of happiness washed over him. He smiled gently as he kept brushing her soft hair, not wanting to change the position they were in for anything. Hyewon stopped her laughing soon after she noticed his actions and relaxed her body into his as he held her close. Like him, something clicked in that moment and she just wanted to stay like this for the rest of the morning...but she knew that wouldn’t happen.

 

“It could be…..but only if you’re it.” she whispered in a more affectionate tone that felt different from her usual one. The slight change in emotion in her voice clung to his ears like a sweet melody, soothing him and his tired body. For some reason in his head, it felt very very oddly nostalgic ...like a flash that appeared for a nanosecond in his mind.

 

‘W-what…..what was that?’ he thought briefly until he felt movement from her.

 

She raised her head and faced him again as she searched in his eyes. If there was a skill she was good at, it would be reading a person’s eyes.

 

“Are yo-”

 

“Was that what you wanted?” he asked, cutting her off unexpectedly.

 

“..............”

 

“I’ve noticed something as we were kissing….”

 

Hyewon instantly felt her body get tense as soon as she heard his words. Did he feel his energy being taken away from him? She was sure to the beads back from his body so he wouldn’t be too drained...or was it too much she thought.

 

“.........w-what was it Sakuya?”

 

She started blinking rapidly in response and bit her lower lip. ‘Have I been found out?’ she thought as she started second guessing herself on what to do and if she should tell him.

 

“That you managed to take my breath away...”

 

Surprised, Hyewon closed her eyes and burst out in uncontrollable laughter yet again, this time with tears at the corner of her eyes as she leaned back into his neck.

 

“W-what? What’s so funny?” he quizzed with confusion shown clearly on his face as looked down to her head. He felt her pat his face as she finally looked back at him with a wide smile.

 

“Did you actually try court me with those words?” she asked, curious to hear his answer. His face stayed the same as he questioned what she meant.

 

“.......to court you? What does that mean? Like the human court where they...uhh...talk and stuff? About important topics?” he asked seriously as he frowned, very uninformed on the subject at hand.

 

She couldn’t help it and wanted to laugh but instead, she dove into his lips once again as he watched, still confused from her words. For her, Sakuya was too cute and naive and she loved that about him since it was different from the guys before who obviously lusted after her looks. Sakuya was like a new experience for her since was he was obviously dumb about kissing, relationships and intimacy. Again, she didn’t feel any backlash or after-effects so she continued to kiss him while thoroughly enjoying teaching him the art that she mastered so well. She slipped into his mouth with her tongue again and taught him silently as he mimicked her actions to a T. As she got more heated in their kisses just like before, she just wanted to just take him here and now but held against it. After one last deep dive into their kiss, she broke it off…knowing fully that if she continued on, it would be way more intimate than just kissing.

 

She backed away with a smile on her face and could only see a guy as red as a cherry staring at her in a euphoric state of mind. He gave her an awkward smile as he looked away, obviously embarrassed at the situation.

 

 “Y-you know......I…..I can take that kissing role...”

 

Hyewon’s ears opened at his words but she couldn’t hear anything as her vision started to go dark again. Her eyes started to glaze over once again and Sakuya saw this all at once. He quickly grabbed and picked her up as she laid in his arms and looked for a place to lay her down. After finding one, he laid her down and placed her head on his lap as he wondered why it happened yet again. He questioned if it was because of the kissing itself or was it something else? As he tried to gather his thoughts, he felt it...the tightness in his chest.

 

“.............of all the times.”

 

He looked down at her and traced the edge of her beautiful face with his fingers. Again, it felt oddly nostalgic but he couldn’t put a finger on why he felt that way. There was something in the back of his mind that seemed to remember something but he just couldn’t reach it. With a shake of the head, he focused back on the woman on his lap.

 

“I’ll wait till you are back ...that's the least I can do.” he announced to her as he closed his eyes to start meditating. With meditation, he could at least slow down his condition for a bit….

 

Hopefully…

 

--------------

 

An Hour earlier....

 

Across the ocean in the Land of the Rising Sun, a pair of friends relaxing on the beach soon had the hair on the back of their necks stand up as they felt a presence from far away.

 

A petite platinum-purple haired woman stood up on her feet as she looked towards the ocean. Her eyes widened at the feeling as the other rose to her feet as well. "Oi Hitomi...did ya feel that?! That energy….that’s...tha-"

 

Blonde, mochi cheeked and a bit taller than the other, the woman named Hitomi replied back. ".....is that from the ocean? No, it’s a bit further away."

 

"Wait…..that's from The Kingdom of Joseon?!" the petite women's movement stiffened as thoughts started to shoot into her head in shock.

 

"The country across the sea? Most likely I guess?"

 

"Then we must go!" the petite woman spoke again as she grabbed the other woman’s hand. She looked at her with pleading eyes which caused Hitomi to tilt her head in confusion.

 

"Ehhhh? To see the energy source? Why Nakochan?"

 

"Because I haven't felt that energy in almost 2 centuries...." The petite woman named Nako then looked back where they felt the energy and slowly grew into a frown. 

 

"W-what do you mean?"

 

Her eyes began to glisten slightly which alarmed Hitomi greatly. If there’s one thing she hasn't seen Nako do, it’s to shed a tear from anything.

 

"That energy….it’s from my brother...Sakuya."

 

Hitomi leaned forward trying to understand why it bothered her so much.

 

“You haven’t seen him in a while?” she asked. Nako didn’t answer immediately like she usually does and Hitomi could see her thinking deeply as her eyes shot from here to there.

 

Nako finally raised her head and looked at her straight into the eyes and finally answered.

 

“........he died.........175 years ago.”