Chapter 1

Monsters &

“My feet are wet through.” Yeojin complained trekking through a wasteland of mud the squishy feeling inside her boots doing little to quell the feeling of disgust within her. Considering her best boots couldn’t handle the marsh they were in either really spoke about the disgusting place Kim Lip had dragged her to or how awful the quality of the boots were. It was probably both considering these weren’t even her boots, oh no, her boots had been stolen by someone who decided to leave their own boots behind in some type of fair trade. Well it wasn’t fair, definitely not fair in Yeojins eyes, as she was now stuck trekking through the mud daggers in hand waiting for Kim Lips signal.

FWEET!!! a shrill whistle cut through the air stilling the girl as she looked before her, it would be easy to mistake the mound before her as an incline to walk on but if you looked close enough you could see a slight rise and fall. And so with bated breath Yeojin stood there daggers at the ready as her friend jumped from the tree she was on, on to the back of the beast. We better get paid extra Yeojin thought running at the beast.

“That’s not all our money!” Yeojin yelled as the towns councilman handed over the sack barely full of any coin.

“You see we agreed on 2 days you arrived here in 3.” The man replied waving a hand at the younger girl as if she were dust. “You should be happy I gave you something after you failed to come in on time.”

“You should be happy we took care of that thing.” Yeojin retaliated ready to punch the man if Kim Lip hadn’t stepped between the two.

“I’m awfully impatient with bloods, guts and mud all over me and I probably stink like a sewer so either give us the full amount or we can just gut you the way we gutted that thing.” Kim Lip threatened smirking at the man’s quivering legs.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Test me.” Kim Lip dared standing closer to the man who recoiled at the smell putting a hand over his nose as he filled up the sack in Yeojins hand before shooing the two away threatening to never do business with them again. However the two paid him no heed after all nobody else was willing to do the work, the royal guards only looked out for the people within their walls, villages like this on the outskirts needed people like them. He’ll need them next time and next time he’ll know to pay them in full.

The tavern they stayed at smelt no better than them so they did little to worry about what they looked like as they requested two hot baths and food. Though Yeojin was disgusted by Kim Lip who was eating before cleaning the muck off of her, but the girl only shrugged her shoulders as the younger one bounded her way up to their room.  The tavern was as full as ever with travellers all trying to make their way to wherever they were going, people making small talk as they tried to alleviate the burden of lone travelling a scoff escaped Kim Lip at the thought. Lone travelling had been fun in her eyes but when you befriend an exiled princess on the verge of death things change, travelling was now a lot more interesting to say the least, things played out differently, people acted differently, and people reacted differently in whole Yeojin just made her whole life different. Not to say it was a bad different just different. After all nobody knew Yeojin was the former Princess of Tsume, sister of Queen Haseul and sister in law to Queen Vivi of Prynthia, a foreign country with an army so strong it made Tsume one of the strongest military forces to be reckoned with. She had been exiled four years ago and had grown a lot since then, well she hadn’t gotten taller Kim Lip chuckled but she had become mature. Though her hot hotheadedness did land them in a few more spots of trouble than either would have liked though secretly Kim Lip thinks Yeojin does enjoy the trouble.

“You stink go and clean yourself.” Yeojin ordered bringing her plate of food to the table.

“You’re such a nice girl.” Kim Lip said sarcastically finishing off her drink as Yeojin ignored her instead focusing on the food before her, it had been a draining fight on the younger girl as she was slowed down by the mud and the cold but she fought through it expending all her energy to take down the best. Nobody knew where the beasts surrounding the kingdom had come from but they had always been there, the strongest leaders of each area had concocted plans to rid the beasts. In these efforts the 4 kingdoms had been born and sacrifices were made the biggest being the fact any living being with magic had been killed in the war. Magic users were the first line of defence and the strongest fighters against the beasts so all the Kingdoms’ had placed every man woman and child on the front lines that had any semblance of magic. It was a stupid plan in Kim Lip’s mind leading to the extinction of magic but the Kingdoms had rid many beasts through this method, due to the heavy losses the kingdoms only took care of the beasts that lurked around their borders, towns like this where Kim Lip and Yeojin were staying hardly had any protection the forces of guards here were smaller and not trained like guards in the kingdoms.

It wasn’t fair was all Kim Lip could think bitterly as she made her way to the bath waiting for her the kingdoms left towns like this to be ravaged so they’d have less to deal with, it was revolting, just another reason to hate royalty she thought lightly tracing a scar on her abdomen. Royals never cared for anyone but themselves everyone was just fodder the girl thought sinking into the warm water pushing the negative thoughts out of her head. She needed to enjoy this bath, she needed to enjoy something and just ignore the scars left on her.

“I think we should go north.” Yeojin said as they sat eating breakfast their job was done they could move on now, they’d been here a week and from the money in their pocket from last night they could stay a little longer but a nagging feeling had the younger girl wanting to get out.

“North? Further north there’s a single village and then the borders of Tsume.” The girls choice of direction causing the other girl to sigh as she recalled the past few years with the younger girl.

“I don’t know why but there’s something north.”

“Well there’s your sister, your guards, your sister in law.” Kim Lip supplied earning an annoyed huff from the girl sat opposite her.

“Don’t.” Yeojin muttered looking away from Lip remembering all she had to leave behind.

“You tend to want to go north during this time in winter it’s fine to admit you still miss…”

“No I don’t.” Yeojin yelled earning a few glances from nearby patrons taking a few deep breaths she tried to calm herself from remembering.

“You were exiled around this time Yeojin, for the past few years we’ve come to this town at the same time and you’ve said the same thing.” Kim Lip explained earning silence from the usually talkative girl but it was understandable she was probably recalling all that led her to that exile. She was called useless both by her family and her kingdom she did little to assuage the names thrown at her when she lived there and from useless she became an embarrassment now they don’t even remember what she looked like, maybe they forgot she even existed.

“What have you said to the poor girl?” A crunchy voice asked breaking the insurmountable silence that built up between the duo, a blonde head of hair sat next to Yeojin bringing her in for a hug a loud tut by Lip’s side signalled the others partner sitting beside her.

“Whatever you said you should take it back.” Olivia Hye advised leaning back in the seat watching as Yeojin caved into Gowon for contact, as the new girls both kicked Kim Lip under the table for whatever she said to upset the youngest girl. A sigh escaped her as she looked at the younger girl nestled in to Gowon’s shoulder, winter was the time the exiled princesses father and mother both passed away, an incurable disease of the lungs they both had, as much as she didn’t like them Yeojin had wished to see them one last time but she had been turned at the gates.

“What are you two doing here?” Kim Lip asked changing the subject.

“We were in Avent but the king and queen were assassinated.” Olivia Hye replied noting the confusion on her two friends face she continued. “They had gone missing a night before but then their heads were delivered to the royal palace.”

“News hasn’t spread so far north yet, we set out the very day it happened to deliver the message to Tsume considering we’ve only made it this far it’s not a surprise you guys haven’t found out yet.” Gowon explained feeling Yeojin tense up at the name of her previous kingdom.

“So you’re now working for Avent?” Lip asked a slight bitterness overtaking her tone.

“No we’re doing the princess a favour she’s just been a whole kingdom her forces are ready for blood you know how they get.” Gowon brushed over but Kim Lip could vividly remember how bloody the forces of Avent could get. “Her forces can be unpredictable courtesy of her father’s training.”

“She trusted us to make it to Tsume without murdering the next person we meet thinking they killed their king and queen.” Olivia Hye finished taking a swig of her drink.

“Any idea who it was?” Lip asked earning a shake of the head from both girls. “She’s well liked let’s see how she handles it.” Kim Lip recalled hearing tales of how kind the princess was in comparison to her parents but she never cared to hear anything else about the girl it wasn’t like they were ever going to be friends she’d sooner jump off a cliff. Though Gowon and Olivia Hye both said the princess was fun to be around and she was just being dramatic after all Gowon was also an exiled princess that spent a lot of time in court with the other princesses.

“We should get going now we’ve rested long enough.” Olivia Hye said pushing her mug on the table. “There were rumours of a few contracts in Wolvershire sounds like the place is going to hell.”

“Well where there’s hell there’s Yeojin and Kim Lip.” Yeojin said joyfully pushing the sadness she felt, Kim Lip was right she did the same thing every year she needed to change that Haseul never tried to reach out to her so why was she trying to do so every year. The laughs from Olivia and Gowon and the smirk from Kim Lip made her feel like maybe she was making the right choice not following them she was now a fighter for the people even if they didn’t know.    

“I don’t like the smell of hell.” Yeojin said as they rode their way through Wolvershire, the city was once bustling with people from all parts of life visiting however that soon changed when a hoard of beasts had clamoured their way through the city and destroyed it piece by piece. It had taken two years to rid the city of all that plagued it no help coming from the kingdoms who saw the damage inflicted and thought better of sacrificing their forces. The battle of Wolvershire had been the first battle Kim Lip had been in the place bringing about a strange sense of nostalgia as she touched the hilt of her sword in remembrance; it had been six years since the battle, six years since her last visit. It hadn’t changed much the smell of death still lingered in the area, the area grey and muddy the once colourful buildings now pale and cracked ready to topple.

They made it to the centre where a board was plastered with various notices, stepping off their horses they looked over each one noting how some couldn’t even offer to pay instead they give them prayers. Some had been on there so long the writing had begun to fade.

“This is terrible.” Yeojin muttered as she traced a hand over each note.

“This is hell.” Kim Lip replied taking each note plastered on the notice board ignoring the echoes of roars and pleas of forgiveness as people met their end on the very spot she stood. Blood was forever stained on the cobble path they stood on there will never be any escape from Wolvershire’s past and for that Kim LIp pitied the people who lived here as they scraped by on nothing including remorse from the big Kingdoms.

“So what’s the plan? Do we take them all down with our mighty fists? Do we summon the power of the gods? Oh or do w…”

“First we eat.” Kim Lip interrupted thanking the woman who delivered their food it wasn’t anything fancy or even tasty if the duo were honest but the people here had hardly anything to go on, rumours in the tavern even suggested people ate the meat of the beasts. Some think it had supernatural qualities the thought causing Kim Lip to scoff as her mind tried to run away with her thoughts. Not now, not here she reprimanded taking a forceful bite out of the stale bread.

“I think we should adopt a frog.” Yeojins voice cut through Lip’s internal drama.

“A frog?” The girl had to ask slowly thinking she heard her friend wrong.

“Yeah a frog imagine how fun they be run around with I mean jump around with.” Yeojin stated leaving Lip baffled once again.

“Jump around?” Lip asked cocking a brow at Yeojin.

“Of course what else are you going to do with a frog?” Yeojin questioned leaving the other girl speechless she could count on Yeojins randomness to snap her out of her thoughts.

“We’re not getting a frog.” Kim Lip shook her head earning a pout.

“But there’s the story of the girl who kisses a frog and gets her prince what if my frog is my p…”

“You’ll end up needing a doctor and I’m not taking you to one if you kiss a frog.”

“Why?”

“I’m not explaining to a doctor you kissed a frog thinking it’d turn in to a prince.”      

“Well what if it’s a princess.”

“That literally makes no difference.” Kim Lip exclaimed a pterodactyl scream escaping her lips much to Yeojins amusement it wasn’t many times the girl could wind Kim Lip until she let out her famous scream.

“Just you watch.” Yeojin said finishing off the last of her food.

“You and your frog can live far away from me but before that we need to do these notices.” Kim Lip said putting the papers on the table. “We’ll start from the oldest looking one and work our way forward.”

“Where do we go tomorrow?”

“West of here at the crossroads most of the writings faded but seems like they have a bandit issue.”

A bandit issue would be the best way to describe it Kim Lip thought as she saw Yeojin mouthing off with the leader, there were five of them and they all seemed better armed than the guards from the city. Probably stole all the guards gear Lip thought as the ringleader took out his sword, jumping off her horse she stood in front of the smaller girl sword in hand glaring at the face of the smug ringleader.

“You want a proposition how about this, the two of us have a duel you win you kill us I win I kill you, your friends can’t interfere.” Lip propositioned earning a hearty laugh from the bandit who instantly agreed turning to look at his friends who whooped and hollered in encouragement.

“I’ll watch your back I don’t trust them one bit.” Yeojin whispered earning a grateful nod.

Swords drawn in the middle the bandit lunged first, he wasn’t quick but he had power behind his strikes. Each strike ringing in the air ready to chop off an arm or head but Lip had beaten meaner men and with a feint to the left she punched the man before driving her sword up his chest the four other men charged at Lip but Yeojin was there to buy her time, standing back to back the duo fought. Steel clanging against steel they weren’t as quick or as powerful as the leader but they had gusto. Gusto that eventually wore off when Yeojin dodged a strike throwing a dagger at the man and then driving a sword up the other bandit, the other two looked at the smaller girl in fear she didn’t look like a fighter but she was clearly a firecracker.

“You really shouldn’t have interfered.” Kim Lip said driving a blade through the two men. “Let’s find their hideout and take all the stuff to the city’s guards.”

“What if guards steal the stuff?”

“The guards do what they can here they’re only a small force something like handing out lost valuables is something they do quite often.”  

And so the duo didn’t need to search for long as they found the hideout in a nearby cave under the hill giving them a good view of travellers who would be passing the crossroads. The place was full of valuables they looted many people, more people than Kim Lip had thought the group could even be capable of but to be fair the group did look intimidating wielding the guards weaponry.

“We should give the guards location and they can get the stuff themselves.” Yeojin stated earning a nod from Kim Lip as they got on their horses and made their way back to the centre where the guards were located.

“Hello what can I help you with?” The guard at the desk spoke an unmistakable tiredness in her voice.

“We took care of the bandits notice.” Kim Lip replied taking out the notice paper, grabbing the quill off the guards desk. “This was their hideout, peoples valuables are there as well as the guards.” Handing over the directions of where the hideout was.

“Tha..Thank.. you” The guard sputtered standing up in surprise at the duo.

“Don’t worry just here to do our part.” Yeojin said voice beaming with pride as the woman turned to smile at her, gratitude overtaking her voice.

“Not many people do things like this I’m just extremely grateful.”

“The important thing is it’s done just make sure everything reaches its rightful owner they took a lot from the people.” Kim Lip said earning a salute from the woman before she turned around to march in to the back office. “Next we’ve got a herd of wild wolves.”

“Wolves in Wolvershire makes sense.”

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Jung_SooyeonBD
#1
Chapter 5: this is AMAZING
Itssilver #2
Chapter 12: this story was an absolute diamond in the rough
windowless #3
Chapter 12: epic story thank you for writing :)
windowless #4
Chapter 10: thank you for the updates i really look forward to them :) one of my favorites
taelcr #5
Chapter 7: I absolutely love this story, hands down going in the favorites
windowless #6
Chapter 7: thanks you for the update :)
Moonlighter13 #7
Chapter 7: Thank for your hard work :)
stakes
#8
Chapter 6: Okay, I'm really liking this story. It's so interesting! (i see hints of yeorry 👀)
CarolCarmo #9
Chapter 6: This story is really enjoyable and I hope it gets more attention!! I’m wait for the next chap 😊😊
windowless #10
Chapter 4: Like the story so far :) looking forward to updates