Days go by and look alike. But that day was the first John spent with them, through the day he kept glancing at Youngjae who felt shivers running down and up (and down again) his spine each time his eyes would meet his beastly look. He felt less scared on Hermes' back than standing next the werewolf's side. End of the end, they were all sitting around the fire, Junhong a bit aside writing in the logbook. John walked to the group of former friends and grabbed Youngjae by his arm putting him on his feet. Feeling his best friend's fear and not letting that happen a second longer, Daehyun stood up in a hurry drawing his sword in a same movement.

“The watchdog doesn't like when we touch his precious master,” Pan teased standing carefully behind Yongguk.

“YOU SHUT UP!!” the priest boy pointed his weapon toward the goat man and back to the werewolf after his outburst, “and you … release him. Can't you see you scare him? He doesn't want to be anywhere near you!” He threatened the beast which was easily two/three heads taller than him.

Even if he was the subject of the quarrel, Youngjae was being only the spectator of the scenery in front him. He was glad his friend defended him this way and as fervently but he found his words rude. It wasn't that he didn't want to be near John...

The werewolf answered Daehyun's threatening by showing his fangs to him and groaning, holding the peasant boy nearer to him, keeping him almost jealously. “You don't impress me.” Daehyun didn't lowered his sword which was directly in front the beast' s maw, reading to pierce through his head.

“Take back your toothpick before I make you swallow it … and not by your mouth!”

As each time it was question about imagining Daehyun in any situation, Youngjae couldn't stop himself doing so. Before it never annoyed him, until he discover some people/creature could easily see what he thought. He felt sorry each time he saw Junhong's red face. With the book he was reading, he tried exercises to control his thoughts he's sending to any mind-reading able creature -especially the thoughts about Daehyun he didn't want others to know- but it was quite difficult and he was only at the starter of his training. Every time it concerned Daehyun he couldn't control himself anymore and he couldn't hold back anything in his mind, which he had quite succeeded when he had tried during the day with Hermes. It was with a sorry look on his face that he watched Junhong when he was being dragged away from the decampment, not knowing how the quarrel had ended.

“J … JOHN !” Youngjae was running trying to catch up the fast walking of the giant beast, “John! Slow down! You're hurting me!” he managed to say panting, his arm still in the werewolf's paw-hand. John suddenly stopped and turned to the boy who bumped into him.

“Oh... Sorry … I … I easily get worked up ...” He watched down to the boy who was rubbing his hurting arm he had released. He resume his walking and the peasant boy tried to follow him the best he could, he didn't want to be left behind alone in the dark forest. Suddenly the beast which was scaring him becoming his only protection against any threat.

“Where are we going ?” he asked once he reached the other's side and after a moment of walking.

“Nowhere.” John answered pensively, lost in his thoughts.

“Then why-

– I just wanted to spend some time with you .. and without other people around us.

– Huh?” Youngjae wondered why the other wanted to spent time alone with him. It didn't look like he wanted to eat him and he sounded so lonely when he said that. John stopped himself and turned facing the boy.

“There's people you can't trust, but I want you to know I will always be by your side and never betray you.” He announced strenuously.

“Er … th … thank you? But I … I'm not someone you have to made allegiance to-” the peasant boy was rubbing his nape and stopped himself watching the other putting a knee on the ground and planting his sword in frond him. Youngjae had the impression he was knighting him. “J … John? What are you doing?

– I'm pledging allegiance to you.

– D .. Don't … I'm not a Prince or-

– You don't know about yourself, do you?

– Wh- what I don't know?” Youngjae knew people -more magic creature- knew things about him that he ignored, and yet no one ever wanted to tell him. Learning it only a bit of it each day, or at each creature he met.

“...guess if the warlock didn't tell you, there must be a reason.” He stood up and started to walk again.

“JOHN!!” Youngjae ran after him and stand in front the other. He felt ridiculous standing his arm-crossed in front the other as if he could stop him like this. And yet the creature stopped itself to look down sadly at the boy.

“I shouldn't be the one-

– Tell me! I deserve to know!” The peasant boy started to get fed up by all the mystery. In one hand his best friend telling him he could control his own fate, and on the other hand, all those magic creature he didn't even know who talked to him as if they all knew what his future was made of.

“The Gods predicted big things for you, young human.

– What is it?

– You'll be the one to stop the war between the two dominant species on Earth, which would determine the future of the planet : Humans and Magic Creatures.

– M-me? That's impossible! I'm not … I .. I don't … That's impossible … there must be a mistake on the people ...” the beast smiled weakly and put his paw on the boy's head to ruffle his hairs.

“Don't worry. We're all here for you.

– Not for me … it's for … for the … war ...

– Aren't people joining your troop because you're here?

– Not!

– Really?”

Youngjae thought. He found it completely ridiculous, but the chuckle of the other in front him, made him wonder. It's true that the creature seemed all amazed by him, but that was only because of what the Gods had predicted for him, and not because of him for who he was. “it's normal for my friends … but the magic creatures ...”

“ (…) it gives people faith and remove their fear.”

'You're very open to magic for a human, understanding and you bring hope and faith to your fellow beings.'

So it was the reason Hermes had /asked/ him to come...

They heard noises behind the trees and John put himself in front Youngjae, between him and the noises. Seeing the impressive mass in front him Youngjae felt secured -and who wouldn't?- having a mountain of muscles, sharp fangs and claws defending him. He felt like nothing would happen to him if there was that much people as strong as John caring for him. Maybe the prediction of the Gods won't happen. Maybe Gods themselves could get wrong … sometimes …

John started to walk toward the noises, followed closely by Youngjae who had grabbed quite naturally a pan of his coat. They reached the river which was strangely frozen whereas they were in summer. There was also snow around it. On the frozen river, a beautiful white horse was walking on it, a horse the peasant boy recognized to belong to his Prince, to Himchan. But he had something he hadn't compared to all the times he had saw it by the past : beautiful white and big wings.

Youngjae was full-minded into his admiration of the creature when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He startled grabbing John's arm turning around just to meet his caring friend smiling to him. “Ah, Himchan … you scared me...” he said breathlessly a hand on his fast beating heart.

“Sorry.” Himchan shot a small smile to young friend and walked to his horse. Youngjae followed him while John sat at the river's shore. Himchan caressed his horse's flank watching the young peasant boy joining him. “His name is Pegasus.” he said grabbing Youngjae's hand and made his caress his horse along with him.

“He's really beautiful.” The horse turned its head to the boy when he said that.

“He hopes you wouldn't be that afraid of him.” Himchan said sadly, reflecting the sadness of his horse. Animals could felt fear from the humans, but Youngjae couldn't help but to be afraid of horses and this even before he got forced on one of it by that guard.

“You can communicate with him?” Youngjae asked his elder, since he could communicate with creature himself, he never called animal or magic creatures 'it' anymore.

Himchan nodded, “I can feel what he feels, like you with Hermes I guess.” Himchan's voice was soft and peaceful. Which was the effect the horse did on him, to not feel alone anymore in his own head and heart. His smile was also as soft and Youngjae detached his eyes from the warm smile of his friend to look back at the horse.

“I'm sorry.” As to answer Pegasus rested his head against Youngjae's chest and Youngjae hugged him. The horse's fur felt like the tissue Himchan had offered him in his room.

“Nice isn't it?” The Prince could perfectly know what the peasant was thinking as he was doing the same face he did back in his room.

“Feel like silk.

– He said thanks.” Himchan chuckled and Youngjae smiled softly closing his eyes, enjoying better the softness of the -strangely- warm fur beneath his touches.

When he broke his hug, Youngjae turned to the shore to watch John and saw that Yongguk, Jongup and Daehyun had join him and were sitting next him watching them. Yongguk stood up and approached the horse to caress it too. Youngjae shivered feeling a murderous aura, he met the guard boy's killing eyes on Himchan once Yongguk had reached them. He watched him wondering what was going on between the three of them when he met Jongup's eyes who look away right after. This was really weird. The peasant boy watched back to his Prince only to see how sad he looked. He too … must have seen Jongup … He just hoped one day the guard boy would stop to act like this. They needed to be soldered. Now more than ever.

He was tearing off his gloomy thoughts by Yongguk smiling hugely and putting one of his arm on his shoulders, his other on Himchan's ones, “let's go warm all around a fire! Like when we were used to do in Mato!” he said joyfully and he dragged Himchan and Youngjae back to the camp, Jongup and Daehyun following them.

Hermes arrived when they left and sat next John, “you don't join them?” he asked, and John turned back to Pegasus to watch the one Hermes was asking that question to. Junhong was standing where Himchan was standing seconds ago, caressing the horse. He shook his head in answer, tears running down his face he started to cry silently. Never he would cry in front humans although they were the ones who hurt him the worst. A nymph appeared from the frozen water and gave him a tree lead to whip his tears. The young mage took it but it didn't really whip anything. The nymph stayed by his side rubbing his back before disappearing. Pan arrived with the elf and they sat next John and Hermes watching sadly the mage with the white horse. After all, Pegasus had always been the one to comfort him whenever he wanted to cry because of the harsh and painful words human used about him. Or each time he felt rejected. “If you don't tell them how you feel, they'll never understand.” Pegasus told him in his head resting his head against the boy's chest as he had done for Youngjae.

“I don't want to bother them with my problems...”

2098 words

Sorry I made you wait that long. Starting again is difficult but I'll try to update next chapter for next week :)

I missed you <3