The sky gets completely dark when the royal expedition team arrives at the designated place. They have no choice but to reduce their speed when moving through the dark forest with extremely low visibility. Yet, to the expert taskforce, bringing the princess and her acquaintances out of the forest in one piece after such a horrifying incident proves their experiences are priceless and their harsh training pays off. Hongki decided to send a signal to the protection squads patrolling nearby to help setting up the campsite when they can reserve the human resources to cook and help the patients.

Eunbi has exhausted the quota of her magic power to illuminate the road in addition to 8 big torches, or else, they won't be able to get out of the forest until tomorrow. After she unmounted First Snow, she has to sit on the ground and rest. She suddenly feels cold and lonely. She has been so used to surrounded by different people all her life, and she has taken it for granted, she never thinks that there will be a time when she has to face adversity alone.

"Princess, do you want to have some snacks first? Dinner will need some waiting." Nako walks into Eunbi's sight with some cookies and a water bag in her hands. "Eat before you go stitch up Saku, please."

Kura...Eunbi suddenly feels her heart stung by a needle.

"Oh, yes, thanks!" Eunbi pulls Nako to sit down by her side and puts her head on Nako's shoulder. "Unnie, you are the only one I have now."

Nako smiles. After serving the Princess for 7 years, she knows exactly what Eunbi needs when she calls her "unnie".

"What are you talking about, honey bee?" Nako immediately pulls the once little girl into her embrace and soothes her back. "Oh dear, you are shivering. You must be exhausted. Eat now."

Eunbi nods. Nako takes Eunbi's hands and wipes them with a damp towel. Eunbi munches the cookies obediently like a child.

"Don't worry, they are just sleeping. Everything will be fine by tomorrow."

Eunbi nods silently. Despite her petite size, Nako's vibe is always calm and mature as a big sister.

"Do you want to have some freshly cooked rice tonight? I can also make porridge for Chaewon unnie if she prefers liquid food."

Eunbi nods and raises her head and pulls herself from Nako's arms gently. Her eyes meet with the dark blue sky; the moon and stars have never looked so bright...

***

Trying not to disturb Chaewon, Eunbi moves Sakura to the other side of the wagon with the help of Hongki and removes her bandages carefully.

To Eunbi's surprise – well, maybe she should not feel so surprised – not only have Sakura's wounds stopped bleeding, they have closed up and are starting to heal. According to Eunbi's judgment, there is no need for further medical intervention.

"Your Highness, are you sure?" Hongki talks in a whisper as Eunbi re-bandages the wounds.

Eunbi nods.

"Is he a Merit Class?" Hongki feels a bit anxious since he doesn't know Sakura's background.

Eunbi doesn't answer but just signals Hongki to help her put Sakura back in bed.

They meet Jaeyeon who is resting beside a campfire. His right arm is in a sling but looks like he is in high spirit.

"Hey, buddy, how is your arm?" Hongki pads Jaeyeon's shoulder gently.

Jaeyeon grins, "can definitely kill a tiger tomorrow."

"Why don't you help me do the autopsy for the wolf?" Eunbi says while waving her bag of surgery instruments, "I need a tent and a few lanterns."

It is a wise decision that Eunbi performs the autopsy before dinner, and she is glad to be accompanied. When soldiers from the protection squad help carry the wolf corpse into the tent, it doesn't look stiff as a normal dead body. Bravery is part of Eunbi's training, so she just cuts open the body without hesitation. Both mage and warriors gasp when they found that all the rib cage of the wolf was totally crushed, the internal organs that are linked with the ribs, including the digestive system, all become a mess. If Eunbi is to describe the situation, it will be an internal explosion that has taken place within the wolf's torso. Eunbi digs through the mess and confirms that the spine and all limb joints were broken. But the most bizarre part is that the skull is intact. After a few hours, the skin around the wide-opened eyes and the mouth shrinks a bit, making it looks like the wolf is staring at them with an eerie smile.

Hongki is the first to rush out of the tent and throw up. Jaeyeon looks so pale that Eunbi decided to drive him out too.

Left alone with the mess, Eunbi is immersed in her thoughts. Several dots connected in her mind and a bigger picture emerges – she immediately leaves the tent and walks directly to the soldiers.

"I have finished. Let the vultures take care of the body but keep the head." Eunbi orders and turns to Hongki who seems to have recovered from the shock, "Hongki, I know there is an art that can preserve the animal skin and bone."

"Yes, Your Highness, there is a taxidermy studio in the Magic Town. We can bring the wolf head there as soon as we arrive tomorrow."

"That will be great," Euni says and steps aside for the soldiers who are moving the body out of the tent. They are all covering their mouths. A soldier dry retches so hard that he has to squad down. As if it is a cue, Eunbi suddenly, or to be exact, finally smells the stench from the wolf's body. She immediately turns her back and pukes out everything in her stomach.

***

Nako's freshly cooked rice proves to be the panacea for the deeply troubled souls and bodies. Eunbi has been silent through dinner and only starts to speak after the hearty meal.

"You must have lots of questions," Eunbi asks when staring at the ground.

"Yes." Hongki and Jaeyeon reply at the same time.

Nako stands up, "I am going to prepare unnie's dinner."

Eunbi nods.

Hongki decides to ask first, "Your Highness, do you have a conclusion on how did the Alpha wolf die? Was it killed by some lethal weapon that is unknown to us?"

Eunbi shakes her head while Jaeyeon looks straight at her, "I am the closest witness. Shall I give my testimony?"

Eunbi nods, "Hongki is the team leader, he is here to protect us, I think he should know what had happened."

Jaeyeon thinks a bit and starts. "When I finished up the wolves who attacked me, I saw the giant wolf was attacking Saku, so I ran to help. The wolf was so smart it diverted my attention by biting me on the arm, forcing me to drop the sword. As I picked up the sword again, he was already biting Saku's head from behind. So I used all my strength to stab it in the back. I stabbed several times, and then I suddenly felt an enormous force coming from the wolf that pushed me off onto the ground, and the next moment I could remember was when you came to me."

Hongki frowns. "How can the wolf emit such a strong force after it was stabbed several times on the back? Are you sure the force came from the wolf? Did you see another person on the site throwing a bomb or something?"

"The force was from Saku," Eunbi decided she should spell out what is in her mind. "When he is in extreme fear or when he thinks his life is being threatened, a force that he has no control of will be released from his body. How strong the force is, depends on how adverse the situation he is facing."

Although Jaeyeon has some prior knowledge of Saku's force, he still feels Eunbi's conclusion inconceivable.

Hongki looks dumbfound. "You mean the boy possesses a force that can kill others automatically? That's totally absurd!"

Eunbi stares at Hongki for a few seconds before she turns to Jaeyeon. "I was actually very near to where you were. I was busy hitting bolts around, but I could still 'see' my surrounding through my other senses. I am absolutely sure that there was no unknown person around. When I heard Saku screamed, I saw you were thrown away together with the wolf. I literally felt the force, and it was not my first time."

And she tells Hongki the whole story, from buying a slave girl from the Marketplace and the first examination to the testimony of the horse dealers. Jaeyeon also reports the newest result from Kang Kwangbae's investigation.

It takes Hongki a long while to comprehend and make sense of the information. He rubs his face and thinks hard, "so young people, you just told me you bought a slave girl who was re-sold because she killed her master who ually assaulted her? And now you dressed her up as a boy – why? Because you want to protect her? You even bring her along to the expedition...My dear Princess, it is the biggest security risk I have ever faced in my life!"

Eunbi is not happy. But Hongki has raised a point she never thought about.

"Chaewon unnie has asked me similar questions but eventually she thinks Saku is fine. Unnie said he has a pure and kind soul. He is harmed but not harmful, and at least he is not a Cistumon spy."

Hongki sighs. He definitely won't challenge Chaewon's judgment.

Jaeyeon suddenly raises his hand like a schoolboy. "There is something I forgot to tell. Last night, Saku had a nightmare. After I woke him up, the first word that came from his mouth was 'wolves'. He told me that the wolves were trying to take him away. At first, I thought that he was just stressed out, but now I don't think the attack is coincident."

"What do you mean? He can predict the future?" Hongki raises an eyebrow.

"He is a horse whisperer, he can talk to animals. Maybe he could feel the energy of the wolves...if I have taken him seriously..."

"The result will be the same – unless we can teleport and don't have to cross the forest." Eunbi shrugs.

Jaeyeon chuckles, "That's the question Saku has asked many times."

"The answer is simple," Eunbi shrugs again, "I don't have that ability."

Hongki rubs his temples and tries hard to analyze, "Aish...how come every answer to a question is another question? The dream, the attack, the force – and Saku is the highest common factor. Who is he? What is he? I am sure he is not a commoner."

Eunbi rolls her eyes, "He can be a warrior, but what's the point? It is not so uncommon in Tokkiz to be a non-commoner."

As Eunbi feels complacent with her ability to play with words, Hongki shakes his head.

"You mentioned yesterday that Saku is an Arukasian. Do you know there a legend in Arukas about a mysterious guidebook called the Cheonin Bimil? It means 'Celestial Secret' in Tokkizan. It is believed that the book has contained the method of the most powerful martial arts in the world that can transform a commoner into a celestial. No one knows or has ever lived to tell how it is like, and skeptics doubt if there is really such a form of martial art or if the guidebook exists at all, so I cannot judge – but don't you think there is an invisible connection in between?"

Jaeyeon and Eunbi look at each other with a blank look, so Jaeyeon asks, "Seonbaenim, what is the connection in your mind?"

"I am thinking, the power Saku possesses maybe the legendary Cheonin Musul (celestial martial arts), and he may be from an Arukasian celestial class."

Eunbi frowns, "what makes you jump to such a conclusion?"

"It just a guess." Hongki looks a bit over-excited. "You all know Arukas and Tokkiz have a similar but different social order. We have 3 different classes but they have 4. Arukasian divided their society into celestial, priest, warrior, and commoner. According to the legend, Cheonin Bimil is the secret weapon of the Arukasian royal family to stay in power. Arukasian royals are all born to be celestial class, and only a celestial can study the book. However, it was lost after a chaotic war hundreds of years ago. The rumor is, if you can obtain the Cheonin Bimil and practice it well, even a commoner can become a celestial and you can obtain the Arukasian throne."

"You are informative," Eunbi wrinkles her nose, "but your information is contradicting. The Arukasian royal family has been staying in power for a few hundred years until the Cistumons wiped them out – only 10 years ago, so it means that they have been reigning even without the book – if this book exists at all. And you just said, it is a guidebook for martial arts, when one became the strongest person on earth, he or she can conquer the whole world! Why only the Arukasian throne then?"

Hongki gulps in embarrassment, "well, Your Highness, that is just a legend."

Eunbi feels a bit impatient. "Hongki, don't you think you are a bit too imaginative? He is only 12. The whole celestial class of Arukas has perished and the only survivor is Yuri seonsaengnim. And she is just a half-blood."

Hongki shakes his head seriously, "I can be very sure he is not an ordinary human, you can tell by the healing speed of his wounds."

Jaeyeon blinks curiously, "my wounds heal very fast too."

Hongki slaps his own thigh, "That's the point. Only people from the Merit Class can do that."

Eunbi gets silent. She doesn't think Hongki's point is an issue at all.

"You have any new thoughts?" Jaeyeon asks gently.

Eunbi takes in a deep breath, "if you really want to determine what social class he belongs to, then he must be from the priest class."

"How can you be sure?" Hongki asks.

Eunbi stands up abruptly when she sees Nako walking towards the wagon with Chaewon's meal in her hands, "I got to see unnie."

***

When Eunbi draws the curtains apart, she found that the wagon is dimly lighted, meaning Chaewon is already awake and has resumed her magic power.

"Unnie, are you awake?" Eunbi asks quietly.

"Yes," Chaewon opens her eyes and Eunbi quickly helps her to a sitting position.

"How do you feel? Hongki says you need to rest for a week."

Chaewon laughs softly, "Eun-chan, that was many years ago. I have practiced hard and improved a lot. I feel fine now and I will fully recover by tomorrow."

"Did Saku wake up?" Eunbi asks while sitting down on the bedding carefully.

"Not at all. He sleeps like a log."

"Good." Eunbi then reports everything that happened tonight when Chaewon eats. Chaewon finished the whole bowl of rice porridge before she speaks.

"I think Hongki has a point, but he has gone a bit too far. Why would a slave child have the chance to learn such powerful martial arts?"

"He wasn't born a slave," Eunbi says. "Saku told me he stayed with his foster parents in Arukas until his father died when he was 5 before he was sold – maybe he is a child prodigy and he learned the sophisticated skills before he turned 5?"

Chaewon chuckles, "Even children have excellent flexibility, they lack the physical strength that is needed for martial arts. Moreover, I have observed Saku a lot, I don't think he knows martial arts at all. He may know some gitteoldo – his body feels very light, but he cannot fight at all. So I think his power is inborn."

"Does that means he is a celestial class?"

Chaewon shakes her head, "Not necessary. Arukasian celestial class focus on spiritual practices and not the physical. Supernatural power may come with these practices, but I rather believe Saku is one of his own kind."

Eunbi purses her lips, "is it possible that he belongs to the priest class?"

"Why, Eunbi?" Chaewon arches her brows, "Why are you so persistent in the idea that Saku comes from the priest class?"

Eunbi presses her lips together and thinks a bit before she answers, "unnie, there is something I need to tell you. Saku is a hermaphrodite, do you know that?"

Chaewon looks a bit surprised. She lies down again and rolls to her side, puts a hand on Sakura's lower abdomen, and closes her eyes. She stays motionless for a long while before opening her eyes again.

"Eun-chan, you are right. Saku-chan has a complete and perfect body. His male vibe is stronger but he embodies both the essence of masculinity and feminity. Yes, Arukasian children born in such rare bodies are destined to be the High Priests – but it is not absolute. He can also be a warrior or celestial."

Eunbi frowns, "I still have a question. If unnie insists he is a boy, why did his foster parents bring him up as a girl? Saku is registered as a girl in the official papers – also, there is another thing I have not told you."

Eunbi gets to the other side of the bed and rolls Sakura's body over until the girl lays on her stomach (while Sakura continues to sleep). She carefully flips the back of Sakura's ear and shows it to Chaewon.

"What is it?" Chaewon sees something flickering behind Sakura's ear but no matter how she adjusts her position, she cannot see it clearly. She further dims down the light and sees something like the tattoo of a totem illuminating in the dark. She presses it, brushes it, and rubs it, but the tattoo is still so blurry she cannot read it clearly.

"It seems that the tattoo doesn't want to show itself deliberately."

Eunbi feels relief now that even Chaewon cannot read the tattoo.

"Glad you bring him along. He is such a mystery that I think only the Great Yoonjung can have the answer."

Eunbi smiles and relaxes. She takes that as a compliment, and she suddenly has an idea, "Unnie, can we keep Kura with us tonight? I can share my blanket with her."

"Kura..." Chaewon smiles at the childish expression on Eunbi's face. "Then we are going to sandwich him?"

Eunbi nods, "yes. So that she won't dream of wolves again."

"Sure," Chaewon says and moves further to the side.

As the mages roll Sakura back to a proper sleeping position, the girl suddenly whimpers and jerks involuntarily.

Eunbi and Chaewon look at each other and break into a silent giggle. They lie down by each side of Sakura and put their palms on her chest and stomach respectively. The girl soon relaxes and falls back to deep slumber.

A few meteors cross the dark blue sky that night, but the humans underneath it slept through the night peacefully.

Author Notes:

You may have noticed. I finally started to construct the cosmology of the 48 Dimension Earth. Now both Tokkiz and Arukas have their own social order based not on power, wealth, and talent but on merit. This may be hard to understand but this is my dream for a utopian world.

Let me try to explain. In Tokkiz and Arukas, the merit class is the ruling class. Only those who possess a pure and altruistic heart (mage or celestial), those who can connect heaven and earth (priest), and those who are courageous, wise, and compassionate (warrior) can be qualified as a merit class and eligible to rule or take up important roles in society.

The invasion of the Cistumons is breaking down this social order and replace it with the selfish, greedy, and un-compassionate practices of "winner takes all" etc. The mission of our protagonists is to expel (or destroy) the barbarians, restore peace, and to rebuild the world order. How does this sound?

Recently I learned about the framework of Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey" and I think it fits Precious Salves well. So, is this fic developing into a new 12 warriors adventurous story? Please tell me how you think. Give me comments! Thank you!