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Jungkook has never passed through the forest at night.
It's not that it's particularly dangerous in the conventional way. Jungkook is fairly well-equipped to handle any aggressive wild animals, having hunted in the woods since he was a child. He knows his plants, can tell which berries are poisonous and which snakes are relatively harmless, knows how to navigate and how to follow the stars (when he can see them; the trees grow close together, and at night they're like a ceiling of leaves blocking out the sky). The hunt had been expected to last more than a day, so his saddlebags are packed with food.
Ordinarily, Jungkook is quite prepared to handle the forest.
Tonight, however, is no ordinary night.
It's the longest night of the year, and it's a full moon. Everyone knows magic is the strongest on a night like this one, and everyone knows the forest is full of magic. His grandmother had begged them to stay home that morning, to postpone the hunt for another day, but with his cousin visiting, it was Jungkook's duty to do everything in his power to make his stay a welcome one. Taehyung had wanted to go on a hunt, and Jungkook had no choice but to agree. He'd mentioned that their forest was a tricky one, but Taehyung was known for being the careless sort.
"Scared of a few ghosts, little prince?" he'd laughed, and the vein in Jungkook's temple throbbed like it did when he got particularly competitive, and that was that.
So they'd gone on their hunt, and the day had passed in their efforts to track a wild boar. They'd been on their way to find a good place to make camp when Jungkook had fallen behind. Even now, no matter how he puzzles over it, he can't quite think of how he fell behind to begin with. He'd blinked, and suddenly he'd been alone with the sound of someone crying for help in the near distance.
He'd followed the voice deeper and deeper into the forest, surrounded by an uncommon sort of fog, before the voice faded entirely. That's when he realized the voice might have been an unordinary one. Jungkook knows the forest well enough not to get lost, and he knows how to navigate well enough to manage even if he does lose his way.
But tonight's not an ordinary night, and Jungkook grows helplessly lost.
The fog and the trees hide the stars from view; suddenly there's no moss to be found on any tree, no matter how hard he looks. He no longer recognizes his surroundings. His horse whickers anxiously, and he struggles to keep him under control. He's praying to the gods that he'll at least stumble upon some sort of overhanging so that he can take shelter for the night when he realizes there are converging animal tracks on the ground, as if a number of different animals have come this way.
He slips off his horse and taps his booted feet against the ground; it feels softer, and there are more mosquitoes. He's near water, he's sure of it, so he continues on, leading Ganghae by the reins. The nearness of the trees lessens; they're spaced further apart, and as he continues he catches sight of a lake shore. The lake is mostly still, only rippling softly, and a few animals skitter away from the shore as he nears. He has a better idea of where he is, at least to an extent. He knows the lake's opposite banks where sits a tiny village part of his kingdom. But he's never traveled far enough into the woods to stumble upon this side of the water.
Someone's humming.
His steps grow quiet and more careful, avoiding stray branches and crunching leaves. "Shh," he murmurs, stroking his anxious horse's neck.
He can't imagine why someone would be in the forest at this time, so he moves with caution, hand on the hilt of his sword. Stepping past the sprawling branches of a large tree, he finally sees him.
There's a boy in the water.
He stands at waist-level, and he's naked. Now that Jungkook's broken free of the suffocating forest, he can see the sky again. The light of the full moon glitters in the water around the boy, glinting off the dip of his wet back. His hair's pink. Jungkook has never seen anyone with hair colored anything but natural black, save for a performer who came to court once with her hair auburn from an herbal paste. It's beautiful, bright and shimmering in the moonlight.
Jungkook can't see his face, but he knows the boy's beautiful, too.
He knows he's not human, either.
Clutching the trunk of the large tree, he uses its branches for shelter as he watches the boy fill what looks like a hollowed-out rock with water before pouring it over his head. It slides down his strong, slender back in rivulets, disturbing the lake with little ripples. Jungkook is entranced. He knows he shouldn't be here, shouldn't be preying on the private moment of anyone, let alone a magical creature, but he can't bring himself to tear his gaze away.
Ganghae's nervousness peaks; he throws his head violently, forcing Jungkook to let go of his reins, and takes three jumping steps backward with a panicked neigh.
Jungkook reaches out to placate him, but it's too late. The boy's head snaps around to look at them, his eyes wide.
"Who goes there?" he calls.
Jungkook swears under his breath, knowing it's too late to run. He gets Ganghae under control and steps out from behind the branches, leading him close to the water. "I apologize for disturbing your peace, creature of the forest. I've lost my way."
He bows deeply, straightening to stroke Ganghae's neck and keep him calm. The boy turns fully to face him, his head tilted curiously. He's beautiful, though Jungkook had guessed that much just from his back. He gazes at him with a face at once soft and sharp, slender jaw and full, thick lips. Jungkook tries not to glance below his neck for more than a second, but still he catches sight of a defined chest and abdomen, of sharp hipbones and small hands.
"Show me your face," he says. His voice is beautiful, too, sweet and musical.
Jungkook inclines his head out of respect and unwraps the cloth tied around his mouth and head. He lets the cloth fall around his shoulders and waits, his expression open and calm. The boy doesn't look like he wants to do him any harm, but they always say magical creatures are unpredictable. He doesn't want him to think he's a threat.
"Don't you know tonight's a magical night?" the boy tells him, annoyance clear in his tone. "What drove you to enter the forest on such a night?"
"The will of my cousin," Jungkook says wryly. "I was separated from my group just before nightfall. The forest seems to have led me here."
The boy wades a few steps closer to the shore; Jungkook keeps his eyes fixed resolutely on his face and not the inches of skin that are revealed by the move. "You think yourself important enough for the forest to have a hand in your fate?"
He hesitates, aware that he's misspoken. "I would never presume so."
The boy hums with thought, tugging his lower lip between his thought. "You're cocky," he finally says. "What's your name, human?"
"Jungkook."
"You're looking for shelter, Jungkook?"
"Yes."
"There's an overhanging by my lake. You can take shelter there for the night if you so choose."
My lake . So he's a spirit of the water, then. Jungkook slips into another deep bow, understanding that luck is well on his side for him to blessed with shelter by a magical creature himself. "That's very generous of you."
"Walk a quarter of a league that way." The boy gestures down the lake shore. "You'll find a place for shelter."
Jungkook begins to back in the direction he's pointed, still bowing, leading Ganghae carefully with him. "Thank you."
It's only when Jungkook has pulled out of a bow and turned his back to him that the boy speaks again. "I'd make it a habit not to spy on someone bathing from here on."
There's a hint of amusement in his voice. That's perhaps what drives Jungkook to turn around again, grin spreading wide on his face as he answers, "I couldn't help it. You're beautiful."
The boy doesn't look surprised that he's spoken back. The corner of his mouth curves into a little smile, and Jungkook can see the flush rise up his cheeks in the light of the moon and stars.
So water spirits are susceptible to flattery, too.
⚪
Jungkook wakes to the sound of soft crooning and the whickers of Ganghae, gentle like when he's satisfied. He sits up with his back aching from the hard ground and finds Jimin stroking Ganghae's neck, feeding him flowers from the palm of his hand. He himself is dressed in a robe that looks like it's made entirely out of flower petals.
"You're so pretty, Ganghae," Jimin's murmuring. "He must take good care of you, even if you are a captive."
"A captive?" Jungkook says incredulously, voice still rough from sleep. Jimin's head snaps to look at him, surprising registering in his eyes.
"You're awake."
"Ganghae and I grew up together. He's not a captive."
"He's domesticated." Jimin's nose wrinkles, proving what he thinks of that. "Of course he's a captive."
"He was born domestic. He doesn't know any better."
"Just because you're born into captivity doesn't make you any less of a captive."
He sounds rather imperious. Jungkook rubs his eyes in irritation. He's not used to people insisting that they're right, not unless it's his family.
"Do humans always sleep so long?" Jimin tilts his head in curiosity. He's so beautiful it's almost blinding: glittering eyes, smooth skin, soft hair.
"What do you mean?" Jungkook mumbles, still groggy.
"It's past dawn."
Jungkook straightens immediately, peering up into the sky to see the placement of the sun. He swears under his breath before hopping to his feet and dusting off his clothes. The others will have already packed up camp and set off for the day. "I'm late."
He saddles Ganghae and spins around, looking for his sword, when he realizes Jimin has already picked it up off the ground for him. He peers at the markings on the scabbard curiously, then his eyes narrow.
Jungkook holds his hand out, but Jimin turns a glare on him instead.
"This is the mark of the royal family." His tone has lost all the playful curiosity of before.
Jungkook takes a step back, suddenly wary. "What of it?"
"Who are you?" Jimin demands, and Jungkook had thought it was obvious. But he supposes a water spirit only knows so much about the human world.
"I - "
"Don't lie. I can tell you're going to."
Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he bows a little before saying, "I'm the heir of the Jeon family, Prince Jungkook. I apologize for misleading you if I did. I thought you knew."
"I'd have never offered you shelter if I knew," Jimin seethes. Jungkook's shaken by the abrupt change in his disposition. "It's your fault the forest is getting destroyed."
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean - "
"Liar." He tosses Jungkook's sword carelessly at his feet, the tilt of his head haughty. "You're not welcome here."
"May I ask for what crime you're judging me so harshly?" His voice has turned hard to match Jimin's, but he constructs his tone carefully even so. The last thing he wants to do is bring some magical doom upon himself for angering a forest creature.
"You care so little that you don't even know?" He's practically seething now, and Jungkook has to fight to keep from bending down to unsheathe his sword out of instinct. "It's the royal family who's been cutting down our trees."
Jungkook winces, awash with sudden understanding. It was his mother's idea, against the wishes of his grandmother, to begin clearing away parts of the forest's vast sprawl to create more farmland. Men and women from the surrounding villages had been working at it for months.
"The surrounding kingdoms have taken much of our land," Jungkook tries to explain. "Our people need more if they wish to farm enough to survive - "
"Selfish," Jimin spits. "You humans are always so selfish. Who cares for the creatures of the forest as long as you have enough to eat?"
He turns away, stalking down the lake shore until he begins to wade into the water. When he's knee deep, he glances back and scowls, as if he's surprised that Jungkook's still standing there. "Leave," he demands. "I told you: you're not welcome here."
Jungkook forces himself into a bow, gritting his teeth. "I apologize for the intrusion. Thank you for providing me with shelter. I'll be on my way."
He snatches his sword from the ground and mounts Ganghae, directing him back toward the woods. His skin itches with the desire to, but he doesn't look back. The back of his neck prickles as if Jimin might be watching him go, though he doesn't dare find out.
The forest has returned to its ordinary state, and he tracks down the rest of his retinue with little trouble. One of the servants catches sight of him first, calling out his title and alerting the others to his return. Relieved murmurs ripple through the group, and Taehyung breaks through to ride toward him, his expression melting into one of relief.
"By the gods, Jungkook, we searched everywhere for you. Was it a fairy ring?"
"I think I'd be in worse shape if I got trapped in a fairy ring," Jungkook mutters. "I got lost. Spent the night by the lake."
"And?" Taehyung knows him well to catch when he's holding back.
"Later," Jungkook says with a sigh. "I'll tell you everything later."
⚪
Since the very beginning of their six month endeavor, Jungkook's grandmother had been against it.
"You'll anger the forest and bring bad luck upon all of us," she'd said, but his mother had been adamant. They needed more farmland; their people were struggling. His grandmother may have been a well-respected member of the court, but in the end his mother was still the queen. Her way was law.
Once the project was underway, reports of strange occurrences at the work site came about. It was tough work already, chopping down trees by hand, but the men and women who had signed up to work needed the job. Still, once rumors started floating around that the magical world was upset with the humans, that it was a cursed undertaking, workers started to leave.
Even so, the queen persisted. "Our people need the land," she'd said, and Jungkook was inclined to agree. He wasn't superstitious like his grandmother, though of course he knew of and respected the creatures of the magical world. But he didn't see how cutting down a few trees was a curse .
Now he's not so sure.
"Do you even understand the significance of this?"
His grandmother is the first person he tells the story. He knows how much it'll mean to her.
"I do, that's why I'm telling you," Jungkook says wryly, perched on the armchair of her bedroom.
"A spirit of the water gave you shelter , Jungkook. They rarely consort with humans."
"Lucky me."
She shoots him a look. "Don't be disrespectful."
"Sorry, Grandmother."
He must sound a little petulant when he says it because her glare doesn't lessen. "And for him to warn you so explicitly about this nonsense your mother's doing - "
"Why do you always say your mother ? She's your daughter, too, you know. You make it sound like you're indirectly putting the blame on me."
"Don't be a child. Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"
"Yes, Grandmother."
"If we needed a sign that what she's doing is wrong, then we've got one. Straight from the mouth of a forest creature himself. Persist and bad luck will strike all of us."
"It's not quite that dramatic," Jungkook mumbles. "He didn't mention anything about curses or bad luck. He just wanted me to leave."
"Isn't that enough?" Her voice softens. "Jungkook, I know you want to do what's best by your people and by your mother, too. But some things are just wrong. Sometimes there is something greater at stake."
"What do you want me to do? I don't think Mother's going to be convinced by the irritation of one water spirit."
"Use that princely brain of yours to think of a way, then."
The thing is, Jungkook's still not exactly sure if stopping their endeavor to create more farmland is even a good idea. His people need the land. He doesn't know how else they're going to produce enough food to survive. Last winter was difficult enough, and this one will be worse. If they don't find a solution for the coming years, they'll die.
He mulls over it for the next few days, lies awake staring at his ceiling pondering over the pros and cons and alternative solutions. He comes up with very little. By the third day, he decides that he simply doesn't have enough information. He doesn't know exactly how badly their work is affecting the forest creatures. From his perspective, the forest is massive; there's plenty of room for them to survive. They're only cutting down a portion of it.
The best course of action, then, is to learn more.
That's how he finds himself riding through the forest at midnight again with Ganghae whickering nervously and his own hands trembling around the reins. After Jimin's clear dismissal, it might be unwise to set foot in the forest, but Jungkook doesn't know what else to do. And as the prince, the future king, he has to do something.
Finding the river again proves harder than he expected without the aid of the mysterious forces of the woods. He wanders from place to place, searching for a familiar sight, testing the ground for signs of water nearby, but his effort is fruitless. Some hours after midnight passes he pauses to rest, removing a loaf of bread from Ganghae's saddlebags to eat while seated under the bowing branches of a particularly large and beautiful tree. He rests his oil lamp carefully on the ground next to him, idly watching the insects that skitter toward it while he eats.
"Think it's time to give up yet?" he murmurs, stroking Ganghae's nose.
Then his lantern goes out.
His hand flies immediately to his sword, but as soon as he touches the hilt a searing pain runs through his skin like he's burned. He yanks his fingers away and leaps to his feet, grabbing Ganghae's reins before he flees out of sheer fright. Nothing's visible in the pitch black of the nighttime forest, the stars and moon concealed by the thick canopy of trees.
"Who goes there?" he calls, concealing the tremor in his voice as well as he can. "I mean you no harm."
"Why did you come back?"
He recognizes that voice. Sidling closer to Ganghae, he seeks comfort from his horse's warmth. "I came to find you."
"I thought I said you weren't welcome here."
"I know, and I apologize for the intrusion - I need your help."
The light returns to his lamp. Jimin stands by the trunk of the tree in his robe of flower petals, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. He looks upset but not murderous, and Jungkook's breath hisses between his teeth in relief. He relaxes his grip on Ganghae's reins.
"Why would I help you?"
"Because I want to help you."
Jimin's pretty mouth curves into a frown. "Explain.”
"You said we were destroying your forest, endangering the lives of the forest creatures. From our perspective, we chose a small part of a vast forest to cut down. It's a part with a lower abundance of wildlife than the rest - it has less to offer."
"Every bit of the forest has something to offer," Jimin interrupts, his frown deepening.
"What I mean is, we didn't anticipate we would cause so much of a problem for the creatures of the forest. But you made it sound as if our work is at a great cost to the forest."
"Because it is."
"How?" Jungkook says. "That's what I came here to ask. I want to know exactly what effect we're having."
A spark of interest glistens in Jimin's eyes, but he still looks suspicious. "And then what? You'll stop the destruction?"
He chooses his words carefully; he doesn't want to make a promise he can't keep. "Once I learn more about the situation, I can approach my mother with the knowledge and see if we can find a solution."
"Your mother. The queen."
"Yes."
Jimin bites his lip, the pink flesh turning white. "If I show you, you'll help?"
"I'll do the best I can."
Jimin stares at him for a long moment, as if trying to gauge whether or not he can trust Jungkook's word. He must see something reliable because finally, he nods. "Follow me."
Jungkook leads Ganghae by the reins with his lantern in hand as he steps carefully through the woods after Jimin's swift figure. He can see the essence of a water spirit in Jimin from the way he moves, smooth and graceful like he flows rather than walks. Jimin leads him to a clearing not far from where they are, and as they near it, a rustling sound grows more and more prominent.
"What is that?" Jungkook ventures to ask.
"You'll see."
When they're close enough to the clearing, Jungkook discovers the source of the noise.
Rat snakes.
Hundreds of them swarm the clearing, slithering over each other and onto the surrounding trees, the noise caused by their scaly bodies brushing against the floor of leaves. Jungkook has to take a moment to calm Ganghae.
"Don't come too close," Jimin warns, even though he himself stands just at the edge of the clearing, snakes moving inches from his feet. "They aren't friendly."
"Why are they congregating here?"
"They're dying." Jimin's words are blunt, his gazed fixed on Jungkook's. "Cutting down the trees is disturbing the homes of the rats. So many of them have died already. Without the rats, the rat snakes have little to feed on." He shrugs. "There are creatures in these woods that feed on rat snakes. They'll die now, too."
It's like a domino effect. Jungkook is sobered into silence.
"Come on."
Jimin sets off away from the clearing, and there's nothing else to do but follow.
They come upon the lakeshore where they first met before long, and Jungkook is almost annoyed at how easily Jimin finds it when he himself has searched all night. But the lake is, after all, Jimin's home. He takes him further down the shore to a great old tree with a hole in the base of the trunk; he can see the edge of a furry tail emerging from the hollow.
Jimin crouches before and says something Jungkook can't hear. Ganghae starts to stir out of fear again, and he strokes his mane, feeling rather guilty for all the stress he's putting his horse through. A snout emerges, followed by a body, and Jungkook stirs in fear, too. It's a wolf, a great white wolf with glowing eyes, and it's injured.
The wolf lays eyes on him and growls, revealing its sharp canines.
"He's the prince," Jimin says. "I've brought him to meet you."
"So I can tear his throat out?"
The wolf's snout doesn't move, but the words come from somewhere deep inside her. A shiver scuttles up Jungkook's spine. She's no ordinary wolf.
"He wants to help. Show him what they did to you."
The wolf growls for another moment before she turns away and waits. Jungkook can see something embedded in her flank. He leaves Ganghae to step forward, glancing at Jimin for approval, until he can make out what it is by the light of his lantern.
It's a bullet.
Guns aren't common in his kingdom yet. The kingdom that neighbors them to the North has begun using them with abandon, and that causes them a great deal of concern. But their kingdom simply doesn't have the resources for large-scale modern weaponry yet, and most of their warriors still fight with sword and bow.
But he knows his mother has a store of them developed and ready for use.
"You were shot," he says, and his voice comes out shaky. He kneels, sticks and rocks digging into his knees, so he can peer closer. "I didn't - no one has guns."
The wolf whips her head around to look at him. Her voice comes out like a snarl. "The woodcutters do."
He glances to Jimin, his eyes wide, and Jimin nods. "The woodcutters have guns in case of any attacks from the forest creatures."
Jungkook exhales in disbelief. He can't imagine that his mother would have allowed that, but he knows no one but her could have.
"This bullet is like poison," the wolf says. "I am going to die just as the others have."
"There have been deaths? Because of this?"
"You're an ignorant prince aren't you? You know so little about your own people."
He's shamed into silence. It's true. He hasn't paid enough attention to the woodland efforts, too occupied with other projects in the villages surrounding the palace.
“I’ll do something,” he finally says. “I’ll talk to Mother.” He turns to Jimin and repeats more firmly, “I’ll do something about this.”
Jimin stares at him for a long time, as if trying to discern how truly he means his words. “Do something, Prince,” he murmurs at long last. “Help us.”
⚪
Jungkook always forgets how difficult his mother is when he convinces himself he can stand up to her. He always remembers when he stands before her, struggling to string together a convincing sentence before her impassive gaze.
"Don't be naive, Jungkook," is the first thing she says when he's done constructing his argument.
He bristles. "I'm not being naive."
"We've given the woodcutters guns because they face almost daily attacks from the animals. We've had a woman lose her eye to a swarm of birds, another man nearly lose his leg from a wolf bite. Are you suggesting our people shouldn't be allowed to protect themselves?"
He falters. "No, that's not what I'm saying, I just - "
"Without more land to farm, our people will starve. Or are these vicious woodland creatures more important than the families we have dominion over?"
"Of course not."
The cool calm with which she faces him fades into a touch of force. "You are the prince of this kingdom, Jeon Jungkook, and you have a responsibility to its people. They're depending on you to help them survive."
"I know that."
"Then with what purpose are you asking me to stop this endeavor? Do you have an alternate solution, perhaps? A way to find more land without disturbing the forest creatures?"
He's hot with shame. It burns from his face down to his stomach, and he can barely look his mother in the eye anymore. He should have known better than to come before her without a real plan of action. He'd just wanted to help. The sight of the wolf with a bullet in her flank had driven him to baseless action.
"No, Mother," he says quietly.
"Do you think, if you were to announce now that we are halting our expansion efforts to save the forest, that our people would agree to it?" She shakes her head, a mocking set to her mouth. "They'd riot."
"Maybe you're underestimating them."
"And you said you weren't being naive."
Jungkook crosses his arms across his chest. "Fine," he says with a determined furrow of his brow. "I'll figure something out. If I come up with an alternative, will you consider it?"
"If it's a viable one, yes."
He nods. "Done. Thank you for your time, Mother."
⚪
Taehyung asks him why he's so determined to do something about the expansion just because a water spirit insulted him, and Jungkook finds he doesn't have a proper answer for him.
He supposes a part of him has felt a bit off about this project from the start because of his grandmother. She'd drilled the importance of protecting the spirits of the forest since he was a child, and he's always respected her and by default everything she taught him. So there was always that, and then there was the way Jimin had called him selfish, had accused him of knowing so little about what was happening in his own kingdom.
That's a sore spot for him. His mother's overbearing on the best days, and since he's grown of age, he spends most of his time in a power struggle with her. It's not that he wants to usurp her. He's not king yet, he knows he doesn't have the right. It's just that he's a prince, and he has a responsibility to his people, and he feels like he's useless when he can't fulfill that.
So he's determined. And he needs a plan.
Like the first time, he decides he needs more information. He sneaks into one of the larger villages only half a day's ride from the palace. Many of the villagers there know his face; he passes through often, helping out in the healer's shop or inspecting the granary. Whatever his mother's faults, she had always instilled a strong work ethic in him since childhood. A prince who doesn't bale hay alongside his people is a prince on his way to a future of avarice , she'd always say.
The people trust him, but he's still a prince, and he doubts they'll ever be as honest to him as they would be to each other. He rides there in disguise on a horse that isn't Ganghae, his face wrapped up and his body concealed in larger, looser clothes that any commoner might wear. He doesn't take his sword, choosing an old, unadorned one from the armory instead.
Like this, he enters the village tavern and orders a glass of cheongju. It's milkier than what he has in the palace, but he doesn't mind it. He spots a table of travelers whose faces he does not recognize and approaches them, greeting them and taking a seat at their table.
"You a traveler, too?" One of them asks.
Jungkook nods. "Just passing through."
"We were looking for work in the forest," one of the women says, and Jungkook's relieved at the easy conversation starter. "All the surrounding villages are talking about the queen's expansion."
"Ah, I've heard tell of it," Jungkook says. "Haven't there been accounts of strange things? Meddling from the spirits?"
One of the men immediately leans forward. "People have been spreading tales about that everywhere we go, but it must just be superstition. If it was true, would so many workers still be on board?"
"That's true," the woman says. "A little bit of meddling can't be so bad. The pay's good."
"I've heard rumors," Jungkook begins, "that the queen might be considering ending the project because of the harm to the forest creatures."
One of the men scoffs. "Never. The queen always looks out for her people. She knows how important this is."
"But if it's destroying the forest, perhaps it's not the best endeavor to pursue. Couldn't there be a better way to find more land?"
The same man laughs, and it's mocking. "What other way? No, the queen would never abandon us like that. Who cares about the needs of the forest when the rest of us will starve come winter?"
The others are nodding in approval, and Jungkook has nothing else to say. As always, his mother is right. He's being naive. The people are only concerned with themselves. And he can't say he blames them. If their families are in danger of starving, they aren't at leisure to worry about the pain the forest feels. They just want to survive.
He has to find an alternative solution.
He leaves the village sometime later after chatting with a few more strangers in the tavern he knows won't recognize him. At first he intends on returning to the palace, but he has the strange, unexplainable urge to pass through the forest instead. Maybe he'll run into Jimin again.
He doesn't run into Jimin.
He runs into bandits.
They come upon him from all sides, three of them on horses, with their faces covered and weapons in hand, when he's taking a break at the base of a pretty tree.
"Don't move," one of them says, sword pointed in Jungkook's direction. He raises his hands to prove he isn't about to try anything, gaze flickering between all of them to gauge what he's up against. They're all armed to the teeth, and Jungkook doesn't have much on him worth stealing besides a small pouch of gold. But it's the principle of the thing. He's not about to get robbed.
One of them hops off their horse and comes toward his to rifle through his saddlebags, and Jungkook makes a calculated decision as soon as his back's turned to him. He's close enough for Jungkook to lunge, and the others are far enough that by the time their swords reach him, he'll have his knife at the throat of the first.
He miscalculates.
He lunges for the first, but before he can grab hold of them, they spin around and drive a dagger into his ribs. He goes still from shock, the force of the blow knocking the air out of him. At first he doesn't realize there's a weapon, thinks he's just been punched, until he looks down and sees a steadily growing bloodstain on the light cloth of his shirt. Then the pain starts, intense and suffocating, blurring his vision and pulling a whimper from him. He crumples, clutching the wound to stem the blood but only succeeding in drenching his hands.
"Idiot," he hears one of them saying distantly. "Should have just stayed still."
They take his horse when they leave, and Jungkook watches the hooves of their horses recede from the forest floor. It hurts so much a part of him hopes he dies quickly so he doesn't have to feel it anymore. The edges of his vision grow dark, his head heavy and his limbs weak from blood loss.
He's still staring at the spot where he'd watch them ride away when unconsciousness takes him.
⚪
He wakes up with someone's mouth on his.
Ordinarily his first reaction would be to push them away, but he comes into consciousness in a slow and syrupy way, gaining control of his fingers and toes one by one before he becomes aware of the shooting pain in his body. He realizes then that the mouth on his is passing something to him, food, perhaps, and he accepts and swallows out of instinct.
His lashes finally flutter open. His vision's blurry at first, but once it clears he realizes the face leaning over him belongs to a very concerned Jimin.
His pink hair is ruffled, falling over his brow, and his hazy state, Jungkook fixates on it.
"Jimin," he finds himself murmuring, then he's out again.
The next time he wakes, the pain has receded markedly, enough for him to shift where he lies on the hard ground. As soon as he moves, beginning to gain awareness of his surroundings, Jimin's voice comes from nearby.
"You're awake."
Jungkook blinks slowly, turning his face toward the source of the noise to find Jimin sitting a few feet away brewing something in a hollowed-out stone over a small fire. He's in his robe of flowers, the light of the fire glittering in his eyes and the daytime sunlight making his hair shine. Jungkook realizes he's back under the same overhanging that he'd spent the night the first time they met.
"What - " His voice comes out hoarse, and it hurts to talk.
"Don't speak yet," Jimin says. He ladles a bowlful of whatever's in the stone and brings it to him, crouching by his side.
Jungkook moves to sit up, but Jimin stops him with a gentle hand to his chest. He slides his arm under Jungkook's head and tilts it enough so he can bring the bowl to his lips. The broth is hot, but Jimin blows on it to cool it and very carefully allows a trickle past Jungkook's dry lips.
It's bitter, but he swallows it dutifully.
"A spirit came to tell me she found you bleeding out under her tree," Jimin explains. "You might have died if I hadn't found you."
"Thank you," he manages to rasp, wincing at the way his wound clenches. He reaches down to brush a hand over it; he's shirtless, his torso bandaged and a dry spot of blood visible on the bandages. He's still too out of his senses to grasp the magnitude of the danger he's escaped.
Jimin feeds the rest of the broth to him before setting the bowl aside and bringing out a strip of tough bark. "It's medicinal bark," he says. "It's helping you heal. You need more."
He tears off a small piece and presses it to Jungkook's lips, who opens his mouth and tries to chew. It's too tough, and he's too weak, but he tries his best to chew it as soft as he can before he swallows. Even then, it's rough on his throat.
"Good," Jimin encourages, feeding him another piece. "You have to eat all of it, all right?"
Jungkook only manages about half the piece before he rests his head back, exhausted, and Jimin lets it slide. Tucking his head more securely against the bed of leaves and dirt, Jimin settles next to him with his legs crossed like he's keeping vigil.
Jungkook stares at him, blinking slowly, wondering what his grandmother would think if she learned a spirit of the water had saved his life. You owe the forest a debt now , she would say. Jimin stares back, his brow furrowed a little, the soft curves and sharper angles of his face catching the light.
"Why did you save me?" Jungkook murmurs, his voice little more than a whisper for lack of strength. "I thought you hated me."
Jimin's pretty mouth curves into a frown. Jungkook wants to brush it away, wants to see a smile light up his face instead. He wonders if he's gone a little delirious from blood loss. "Don't be ridiculous," Jimin answers. "You're our only hope."
"Right." He lets his eyes drift shut.
"And I don't want you to die," Jimin adds, his voice tiny and unsure.
Jungkook's eyes flicker back open. Somehow, he finds himself smiling.
"What?" Jimin mutters, defensive, turning away to put out the fire and take his bowl to rinse in the lake. When he glances over his shoulder, Jungkook's still smiling. "What are you looking at me like that for?"
"Nothing."
Jungkook closes his eyes again, but the smile doesn't fade.
⚪
The next time he wakes, it's to the sound of soft humming.
A gentle hand strokes his hair, and his head lies on something softer, warmer than before. He opens his eyes to find Jimin's pretty face leaning over him again, though he's staring off toward the lake. Jungkook's head is pillowed in his lap.
"You think he will succeed?"
The voice that speaks is no ordinary one.
It sends a shiver up Jungkook's spine and hastens his heartbeat. It's a warm, earthy voice, like it comes from the very ground around them, a hollowness to it like nothing Jungkook has ever heard before.
Jimin pauses in his humming to murmur, "I hope so."
Jungkook shifts, and Jimin startles at the realization that he's awake. His hand leaves his hair, and Jungkook misses the touch almost immediately.
"You're awake again."
Jungkook nods, pushing himself up onto his elbows so he can find the source of the otherwordly voice from before.
When he sees it, he nearly falls backward again. The head of a giant serpent floats in the lake, just enough to see the top and its dark, beady eyes. It looks like a massive python, but Jungkook knows enough of his grandmother's stories to recognize it as an imugi - a proto-dragon.
He'd always known their forest was a blessed one; everyone knows that. But to be so blessed as to be home to an imugi - Jungkook feels the urgency of his task even more acutely than before. Destroying even a part of the forest is wrong. He can feel it in his bones now.
He scrambles to sit with his knees folded beneath him, wincing at the pain in his ribs, so that he can bow properly, pressing his forehead against the dirt. After hardly a moment, he feels Jimin's hand on his back.
"You'll tear your wound open again."
"Rise, little prince," comes the imugi's deep, earthy voice.
Jungkook sits up, staring at the creature in the lake with unabashed awe. Jimin's hand doesn't leave the small of his back.
"I was drawn here by the smell of your blood," the imugi says. It's disconcerting to watch it speak when its mouth is concealed underwater still. "It's strong, loyal blood."
"Thank you." Jungkook inclines his head out of respect once more.
"The lake spirit tells me you wish to help this forest."
The lake spirit. Jimin. Jungkook glances at him out of the corner of his eye, and he's staring back, head tilted as he waits for his answer. "I wish to do the best I can."
"Your people have set off a chain reaction." The imugi sighs, and it's a sound that makes the ground shake. "I can feel the poison spreading through the very roots of this forest. What can one little prince do to remedy such damage?"
Jungkook clears his throat uncomfortably. It feels a hundred times worse than being interviewed by his mother. "I don't know if I can fix what's already happened. But I'll try to stop it from getting worse."
"I've lived a thousand years now," the imugi says, and Jungkook starts. If the stories are true, then, this imugi is close to becoming a yong, a true dragon of the sky. "And in all these years, I have seen all forms of human selfishness. Perhaps you will fall prey to it, too."
Jungkook bites his lip, glancing again at Jimin, who watches him carefully. "Perhaps. But I will do my very best to keep a strong will."
The imugi sighs again, and this time the water in front of its head ripples in response. "Goodbye, little prince. I will return to watching the skies for my own fate. Maybe the yeouiju will fall from the sky and grant me a wish in time for me to save this forest myself."
The imugi's serpent head slowly slips underwater until it's concealed entirely, and Jimin and Jungkook are alone again.
"Thank you," Jimin says, and when Jungkook turns to look at him, his gaze is soft. "Even if you don't succeed, thank you for trying."
⚪
Jungkook returns home to chaos, and it's not all for him.
Everyone's ecstatic to see him alive and well after three days of silence, and Jungkook doesn't hold back on telling anyone who asks that he was saved by the spirit of the lake. He's not sure if he's just being naive again, but a part of him hopes maybe they'll look upon the forest more kindly when they know one of its creatures is the only reason he's alive.
Once they've checked him over and informed the whole palace that he's alive, as well as sent out guards to capture the bandits who attacked him, Jungkook discovers the other half of the chaos.
The kingdom to the north has trespassed further into their land.
A failed military alliance is the reason Jungkook's kingdom has lost so much of their own land to the northern kingdom, and lately they'd begun to suspect that the northern kingdom was stirring again. A few weeks ago, some of their people had been caught well beyond the borders of their land hunting. They were sent back, but it happened again some days later.
And now, they've sent their warriors to protect the hunters beyond their borders. It's essentially an act of war, but Jungkook's people are in no shape to fight a war. Suddenly the concerns of the forest creatures seem distant. If Jungkook's people lose more of their land, if they have to go to war, their survival will be impossible.
His grandmother comes to him later. "He saved your life," she says. "Now you truly owe them a debt."
But he doesn't want to hear it. His people are going to die, and the forest is going die, and like always, Jungkook is no more than a helpless princeling who has stepped into shoes far too big for him.
⚪
Jungkook has just returned to his room after a tense meeting with his mother and her advisors when his grandmother knocks on his door.
"Not now," he says, after she opens it without waiting for his response. He can tell by the look on her face that she's here to lecture him. "I'm tired, Grandmother."
"They've caught a wolf spirit."
He straightens from where he sits slumped in his armchair. "What are you talking about?"
"The camp of woodcutters. They were attacked by a wolf spirit, and they've taken her captive."
It could be a different wolf spirit, but in Jungkook's heart he knows it isn't. You're an ignorant prince, aren't you? You know so little about your own people. He can hear her voice in his head as if she's right there next to him, the proud, dying wolf spirit who'd asked if she could tear his throat out.
A creature so proud and regal doesn't deserve a death in captivity. No one does.
Jungkook's on his feet before he can overthink it, snatching up his sword and beelining past his grandmother and out of the palace. He knows exactly where the woodcutter's camp is even though he hasn't visited it much since the beginning of the project, and he doesn't take Ganghae. He's put his poor horse through enough these past days.
He can hear the wolf spirit before he even sees the camp, hear her growling, snapping teeth. She's not going to go down without a fight, but she's already dying. She won't last long. By the time he draws near, catching sight of footprints in the dirt and stacks of logs, he hears another voice. A familiar one.
"Let her go!"
It's Jimin.
Jungkook breaks into a sprint, tightening his sweaty grip on the hilt of his sword. In the clearing up ahead, a group of men and women stand around a makeshift cage where the wolf spirit stands, snapping at the bars, her hackles raised. Jimin crouches beside her like he'd been trying to break her free. All of the woodcutters standing there have guns. One of the men is laughing; Jungkook knows him from the village, knows he was a jobless troublemaker until the queen's project began and he finally got his act together.
"Stop!" Jungkook shouts, and their heads shoot up toward him.
"Prince Jungkook?" one of the women says, surprise clear in her tone.
"Stand down," he orders, but he can tell by the looks on their faces that they may be too far gone to listen to him.
"This bitch tried to bite my arm off," says the laughing man, kicking a stone toward the cage. Jimin bristles, hopping to his feet with his hands clenched into fists by his sides.
"Let her go or I'll destroy every single one of you," he hisses, and Jungkook knows it isn't an empty threat.
Jungkook comes to a stop by Jimin and the cage, breathless, and faces the men and women with his shoulders straight and head high. "Let the wolf spirit free. You'll bring cursed luck upon all of us for this."
"Our luck is already cursed. Might as well take our revenge while we're at it." One of the other men raises his gun and points it at the cage. The gun's loaded, but he isn't going to shoot; his finger isn't on the trigger.
Jimin probably doesn't know enough about guns to know that.
He moves immediately, spreading his arms wide, and a glowing tingle spreads from the tip of his fingers up to his elbows and beyond. Jungkook stiffens. "Jimin, wait - "
The woodcutters' amusement shifts to fear, some of them pulling out their guns, others taking steps back.
"What the hell are you doing - " says the first man, voice trembling with fear.
Jungkook sees the second man's finger shift.
He moves before he can even register that he's moved, slamming into Jimin's side just as the ringing gunshot echoes through the clearing. His first thought is that at least the bullet doesn't land on his stab wound, catching him in the stomach instead. His second is that it doesn't hurt as much as he'd expected a bullet to hurt. If it weren't for the sound, he might not have realized he'd been shot at all.
That's until he falls, and he hears Jimin shout his name, and he looks down to see blood pooling from his stomach.
Then the pain starts.
⚪
Jungkook's dreaming.
He knows he's dreaming because the sky has three moons and he doesn't know where he is. He's walking through a forest that's not quite as dense as the one he knows; he can see the sky full of stars and its three bright moons quite clearly. It's only because he's staring so curiously at the sky that he sees it - a falling star.
It shoots across the sky toward a point in the distance, and it looks awfully far, but Jungkook finds himself running toward it anyway. He knows nothing beyond the burning desire to have the falling star for himself.
The distance that must be leagues upon leagues takes him mere minutes to traverse. He reminds himself that it's because he's dreaming. Once he's reached the clearing where he thought he saw the star fall, he begins to search, pulling apart stalks of grass and crawling behind bushes.
He finds it resting between two creeping flowers and discovers that it isn't an ordinary star after all.
It's a yeouiju, a dragon orb, round and glowing gold. He bends to pick it up with awed curiosity. It's heavy and warm in his hand, and it doesn't feel like it holds as much power as it does. This is what the imugi he met had been watching the skies for. It must have watched the skies every night for a thousand years, just waiting for the orb to fall from the sky so it could wish to be a true yong. So that it could be winged and powerful and free.
Jungkook could make a wish on it, too.
He could keep it for himself and wish for the survival of his people, who are dying from starvation and the impending war. He's always been helpless, but with the yeouiju in his hand, he feels powerful. A simple wish could solve all his problems.
But if he takes the yeouiju for himself, the imugi might have to wait another thousand years to become a yong. It's not his responsibility to take care of the serpent, but he knows what kind of power a yong would have. It could protect the forest for an eternity. It could protect Jungkook's people, too, if it thought they were worth it.
The imugi had called them selfish, but it had told Jungkook he had strong, loyal blood. Had asked him if he would fall prey to selfishness, too.
He doesn't want to.
He wants to be as strong as a prince of his lineage should be. And he wants to be helpless no longer.
Jungkook crouches and places the glowing orb back between the flowers.
He'll find another way to save his people.
⚪
When Jungkook wakes up, there's no pain.
He's in a bed, he realizes that right away, with a warm blanket and a soft pillow beneath his head. He doesn't feel like he's been shot and stabbed all in the course of three days; he feels refreshed.
"Jungkookie."
The relieved voice belongs to his grandmother. She sits by his bedside and reaches forward to clasp his hand between her wrinkled ones. He blinks at her and smiles. "Grandmother. Am I alive?"
She lets out a watery laugh. "My sweet child. You're alive."
Then he starts, the events leading up to his injury flooding back in a panicked wave. "Jimin - the wolf - "
"They are all safe. Your mother is dealing with the woodcutters as we speak. They'll likely be punished quite harshly."
He sighs in relief, leaning back into his pillow. Lifting up his blanket, he peeks at his bare torso and finds no sign of any wounds, not even a scar. "Are you sure I'm not dead?"
"I'm quite sure."
"Then where are all my wounds?"
She smiles a secret, mischievous smile. "That's not my story to tell. Speaking of which, someone is waiting to see you."
She steps out before he can question it, and after her steps in Jimin.
He wears traditional court clothes instead of his usual robe of flowers, and it's a strange sight. Even stranger is the hesitant, almost shy way he enters Jungkook's room, stopping a few feet away from his bed.
"I'm - glad you're awake," Jimin says, hands clasped behind his back.
Jungkook pushes himself to sitting, propping himself up against the wall and tucking his blanket around his hips. "Why are you acting so strange?"
"I'm not acting strange." Jimin's defensiveness bleeds into his tone immediately, and Jungkook finds himself grinning. That's the Jimin he knows.
"I'm glad you're alive," Jungkook says. "What happened? After I was shot?"
"About that." Jimin takes the seat left by his grandmother and crosses his arms over his chest, scowling. "How foolish can a person be? Why did you jump in front of me like that? What did you think you were doing?"
Jungkook shrugs one shoulder. "I was thinking about how much I didn't want you to get shot."
A pretty flush spreads over Jimin's cheeks. "Well, you were being an idiot."
"You're welcome."
"Thank you," Jimin murmurs, and it sounds sincere. He uncrosses his arms and lets his hands drop into his lap, where he stares at them, mouth twisting. "You were going to die," he finally says. "I didn't know what to do."
Jungkook tilts his head, considering. "Did you do something? Are you the reason I have no wounds?"
"I - well, yes." Then he glances up, imploring. "I had to do it. I didn't know what else to do, and I thought you were going to die, and I had to do something - "
"Slow down, Jimin."
"I had to save your life, so I used some of my life force to heal you."
Jungkook blinks. "I don't really know what that means." It sounds serious.
"It's complicated, but I suppose we're bound together now. I gave up some of my essence to keep you alive. I'm not exactly a water spirit anymore, not a full-fledged one."
Jungkook's eyes widen. "You're human?"
"Not entirely. Just a little bit."
"And I'm - "
"You might have some new abilities." Jimin shrugs. "I don't know how it works."
"Jimin," he breathes. "You gave up - you gave up so much to save me."
"I don't know why I did it," Jimin says quietly, returning his gaze to his hands. "It just. Felt right. Like fate."
He'd felt like that the first time they met, too, like the forest had a hand in their encounter. Perhaps he's right; perhaps this was all meant to be. "You didn't - how can I ever repay you?"
"You already did. You saved my life, I saved yours."
"It's not the same. You gave up half of yourself to save me. I don't even have a bullet wound to show for it."
"It doesn't matter. We're even."
He reaches for him, and Jimin offers his hand right away for Jungkook to lace their fingers together. His hand is soft and warm. "Thank you."
Jimin smiles, and it lights up his whole face. "Are you well enough to walk? I have to show you something."
Jungkook slips out of bed to test it. He wobbles a little, and Jimin hops up to support him, but after a few steps he finds his bearings again. Tugging on a shirt and shoes, he follows Jimin out of the palace, nodding his head to anyone who stops to express their gladness at his good health. Jimin leads him onto the palace grounds, and Jungkook grinds to a shocked halt.
Curled up on the grassy land is a yong.
Its long, serpentine body has scales of red and orange, its beard and tail flowing in the wind. In one of its four-clawed feet, it holds a glowing orb.
"Little prince," the dragon says, and Jungkook recognizes its voice almost immediately. "You did well."
Jungkook sinks into a bow, rising only when he hears the yong sigh. "Are you - was my dream not a dream?" He feels like a fool for asking, but the yong only inclines its head in acquiescence.
"You gave up the yeouiju for me."
"You've been waiting for it for a long time."
"I have, and now I am free to roam the skies as I please. You were true to your blood, little prince. An honorable human as I thought you were."
"Thank you."
"Out of respect for what you have done, I will protect your people just as I will protect the forest. Your people will no longer suffer for failing crop or outside invaders."
Jungkook nearly stumbles in his haste to sink into a bow again. "Thank you," he says before he even straightens. "I can't begin to express my gratitude."
"Keep your human destruction away from my forest," it says, "and that will be gratitude enough."
"I understand."
"Goodbye, little prince."
The dragon turns away and takes to the air, its lithe body slithering as it flies up to the clouds and off into the distance. Jungkook watches it go with a heart that, after so many days, is finally light with relief. His people are safe, and the forest is, too.
"You did it," Jimin says.
"With your help," Jungkook adds wryly, considering that he wouldn't have even survived the robbery without Jimin.
"Yes," Jimin acknowledges. "With my help."
Jungkook holds his hand out, and Jimin takes it without hesitation. "I suppose I should teach you to be human now."
The way Jimin bristles almost immediately makes Jungkook laugh, open and careless, the first time he's laughed so freely in days. "Like being a human is hard ."
"I dunno, you're already off to a bad start. You've tied your robes wrong."
When Jimin looks down to check, Jungkook flicks his nose lightly, grinning at the way Jimin starts in surprise, eyes crossed and wide as he stares at his finger. "What was that?"
"Just teasing."
"Teasing?"
"See," Jungkook says. "You've got a lot to learn."
Amid Jimin's protests, Jungkook laughs all the way back to the palace.