Bricolage [2/20]
Title: Bricolage [2/20]
Author: ixjaydee
Pairing: Jongyu;; TaeSeob;; minor!Minkey;; minor!JongKyung
Rating: PG-13
Genre: drama;; action/adventure;; romance;;
Disclaimer: I own the world, just not the people in it.
Summary: Prince Jonghyun, ruler of the Kingdom of Carmadon had his work cut out for him already. In between taking care of the uneasy townspeople, and searching for a traitor in his midst, he must leave his kingdom in the hands of his younger brother and his royal adviser as he prepares to set out on a conquest to the Unknown World in search for a cure for the disease sweeping through the kingdoms.
The journey wouldn’t be easy. The Unknown World was riddled with shady characters: sorcerers, shape shifters, outlaws, assassins, bandits, monsters of every sort. As if that wasn’t bad enough, things get a little bit more complicated when he falls in love with someone that he should have never fallen for in the first place, a love that would bring the downfall of his kingdom.
AN;; I really need to get that reference guide up. Dead week this week, then finals next week. Oh lord. And to those of you wondering about Onew, he doesn't appear until chapter five.
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02
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They’d never ridden faster in their lives. Both horses could feel the urgency in the reins as they raced back towards the stables. Taemin jumped off of Minjung and pulled her inside, shoving the reins into a confused Doojoon’s hands.
“Stay inside. Be careful. We saw Anvilis coming this way. They were flying their colors of war,” Taemin explained quickly as Yoseob waited for him on Beast. He was antsy, and pawing at the ground nervously.
“Anvilis? War? What? I wasn’t even aware they had colors of war. Or an army,” sputtered Doojoon. “I know. I’ve studied enough Known World history to know what their colors of war are. Stay here and be safe.” Yoseob reached over and helped Taemin up onto Beast before whipping the horse around and galloping towards the town.
Many people shouted in alarm as Beast rode through the roads. Taemin shouted his apologies the best he could. They stopped at the entrance where Jonghyun and the knights were gathered, ready to head out to the stables.
Jonghyun looked alarmed when the large black horse thundered up to them. Yoseob pulled the reins back, stopping Beast before he got into the river. Taemin hopped off, looking frantically for his brother.
“Jonghyun! Anvilis! I just came back from the Dead Man’s Drop. They’re flying their colors of war and are headed straight this way!” Everyone fell silent as Jonghyun’s eyes hardened. “Anvilis? They have colors of war?” Taemin sighed dramatically. “I don’t have time for explanations. If we hurry, we can meet them at the flatlands before they enter the town.
“Sire?” Jonghyun’s eyes moved back and forth as he calculated his options. He heaved a sigh before running his hand through his hair. Minho turned back to one of his men. “Give your armor to prince.” He looked over at Yoseob, who was letting Beast take a drink from the river.
“We’ll go ahead on Beast. Everyone go through the streets and warn the citizens. Tell them to go inside and not come out until I say so,” Jonghyun said as he strapped on the various pieces of armor and weapons. “Taemin.” He turned to his brother and put both of his hands on his shoulders.
“Stay in the castle. Find Key, and tell him what’s going on. Stay safe. I’ll try to end this peacefully. In case I don’t...” Taemin gulped and hugged his brother. Jonghyun let go of Taemin and turned toward Minho, already on his horse. He helped Jonghyun up before turning and leaving for the stables.
The knights on foot followed after them. Taemin stood and listened to their shouts of warning into the town. He heard the yells of confusion. Women called for their children and ushered them inside. Merchants closed up their shops. People took refuge in their homes, the inns, the bars.
And in minutes, the town was empty.
Yoseob gripped Taemin’s shoulder. Taemin took in a deep breath and let himself be led to a boat. Yoseob called to open the gate as he shoved the boat off of the river bank. Taemin looked back towards the retreating backs of the knights. They almost disappeared into the horizon.
“He’ll be okay, Taemin.” Taemin turned to look at Yoseob surprised. This was the first time he’d ever heard the other man address him casually. He seemed to notice his surprise too. “I figured you could use a friend right now. Not an attendant.” The gates closed behind them with a loud crash.
--
Jonghyun jumped off of the horse before it stopped moving. He glanced around the empty stables. “Doojoon! Doojoon!” The attendant peeked his head outside of the horses stables and relief washed across his face when his eyes met with Jonghyun.
“Sire! You’ve been told the situation?”
“Yes, my brother told me.” He walked into the stable and headed straight for Lucifer, who neighed softly at him. Jonghyun grabbed the red reins and ran his hand along his horse’s jaw. “Hey there. Sorry I’ve been so busy. You forgive me right?” Lucifer nudged his nose under Jonghyun’s hand.
Jonghyun led his horse outside and mounted it. He could hear the footsteps and the shouting now. It was getting closer, louder. He pulled up next to Minho. The two looked at each as the rest of their knights approached from behind. They all watched the path anxiously. Lucifer pawed at the ground, nervous.
He was starting to sweat in the heavy black leather armor reinforced with steel. It made the material thin, and blows were felt intensely, but it stopped swords and other objects from piercing through, and a little bit of pain from the blow is infinitely better than recovering from an infection or a severed limb.
The thundering footsteps started to rumble up the path. Both Beast and Lucifer started to move around in nervousness. Jonghyun made hushing noises as he patted Lucifer’s mane. He kept his eyes on the path, and when the dense branches of the trees began to move, he nudged Lucifer in front of his men.
The first horse of a man came through, clad in armor and a helmet covering the top of his head. The royal flag of Anvilis blew behind him, a bright colored cloak on his shoulders. Their forces came through the trees quietly until the two leaders were face to face.
“Prince Jonghyun. Fancy meeting you here.” The man removed his helmet and ruffled his hair, giving him a cold look, something Jonghyun wasn’t used to. “Your highness, King Jiyong.” He smiled and gave him a curt bow. “My brother was warming up the horses for my knights’ practice today when he saw your forces flying your colors of war in this direction. Where else should I be? Why are you here?”
The knights eyed each other, unsure of what to do. There was a nervous tension in the air. Jonghyun was going to avoid a fight if he could. Anvilis and Carmadon had been on good terms for centuries, and he would hate to undo something like that without good reason.
“Why am I here? Do you not know of what is happening in Anvilis?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Jonghyun watched him apprehensively and shook his head slowly. “No. I have not recently heard any news of Anvilis.” The King of Anvilis gave a deep sigh, before looking back at him with tired and worn out eyes.
“A plague has reached our kingdom.” Jonghyun stiffed as he tried to hide his surprise and horror. “What... sort of plague?”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d tell me. Someone from your kingdom claimed to have spread the disease. A mad man. He took his own life before we could get any information. All he said in between fits of his mad laughter was to ask the, and I quote, ‘darling, precious, prince’ of the kingdom next to ours. So what say you, Prince Jonghyun? What is your hand in this? You know I have no quarrels with you or your people, but this time...” Jonghyun knew Jiyong was as hesitant to attack as he was. Anvilis was peaceful. Jiyong probably didn’t even know the first thing about war.
“Sire... I have no knowledge of any plague here. No knowledge of anyone gone mad in my kingdom. We have no reason to attack you. There have been centuries of peace between us.” Jiyong nodded gravely.
“But what... what exactly is this plague doing?” Jiyong got off of his horse and signaled for one of his men to take his horse. Jonghyun did the same, and walked up to meet the other man. His eyes darted around for a moment before they settled on something in the trees. He motioned for Jonghyun to lean in closer.
“I fear... that we are being watched. Is there a place where we can discuss this in private?” Jonghyun furrowed his eyebrows at the other man before he nodded slightly. His hands behind his back relayed signals to Minho.
Keep the men here. Do not attack unless blood is shed. Do not aim to kill, only to incapacitate. Minho whistled twice in acknowledgment before signaling his men to the stables. “We came down here to practice, not to stare!” He made his way over to who he recognized to be Anvilis’s captain.
“Would you like to join in our practice, Sir Youngbae?” His eyes darted over to his King who was still in deep conversation with Jonghyun. They met eyes for a moment before he nodded slightly. “Why not. Our troops could always use a little bit more training.” He signaled to his men behind him to head towards the stables.
“That’s a fine horse you have there... his name?”
“Beast. Only name fitting for something like him.” Beast pawed nervously at the ground again, the scent of strangers filling his nostrils.
“We’re headed to the castle now. Play nice!” Jonghyun shouted to them before he and Jiyong mounted their horses. They two of them galloped off across the town. Jiyong looked around the empty streets of the town and looked suspiciously at Jonghyun in front of him. Why was his town empty? A safety precaution? He couldn’t blame him, but he still had the nagging feeling in his head that something strange was going on.
--
Taemin paced back and forth in his study. He pulled books out from every shelf, everything that had anything to do with Anvilis was piled up on his desk and on the floors. His study was more like a private library. He enjoyed being locked up in the room, studying the history of the Known World. There were some texts on the Unknown World, but those were rare, and hard to come by because hardly anyone ever came back from the Unknown World alive or sane enough to talk about it.
Key opened the door to Taemin’s study and yelped as books fell over and fell on top of him. “Sire, I so wish,” he shoved some books out of the way, “that you would organize this mess in here.” Taemin peeked out from behind a stack of books. “It is organized. There’s a method to my madness.” Key rolled his eyes and kept a lookout for any more falling books.
“Any word from your brother yet?” Taemin shook his head. He looked up from the book he was scanning and stared off into the distance. “Someone say something about me?” Key fell into another stack of books, clutching his chest. Taemin turned around and stared wide eyed at his brother still clad in armor. He noticed the king of Anvilis standing behind him with an apprehensive expression. Taemin scrambled to his feet and bowed.
“Ah... the young prince. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I haven’t seen you since you were a wee lad.” Taemin smiled and looked nervously between the two of them.
“Key, would you mind leaving us for a moment? We have some private matters to discuss.” Key looked between the two of them before bowing and making his way towards the exit. Taemin turned to follow him, but Jonghyun grabbed his arm. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“With Key?”
“No, no. Your area of expertise is needed.” Jonghyun stepped into Taemin’s study, leaving Jiyong at the doorway, looking through the expanse of books with a look of slight horror on his face. “This place looks like a death trap... you wanted to talk here?”
“The best place for information lies in this room. If you want answers, my brother probably has them.” Jiyong looked around again for gingerly stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “The only dangerous thing in this room would be falling books. I promise. And even then they don’t mean any harm. Except for maybe my encyclopedia of herbs. But I keep that in the corner over there.” He gestured to a random corner before settling on a pile of books.
Jiyong stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed over his chest while Jonghyun leaned onto Taemin’s desk. “Tell him about the plague.” Taemin’s ears perked up before a worried expression appeared on his face.
“... Plague? Is there a plague in Anvilis? What’s going on?” Jiyong stared off into the distance before he started talking.
“Not long ago, about a month perhaps, a stranger came to our kingdom. He stood in the town, spouting nonsense about the plague. And how it was spreading, and there was nothing we could do to stop it. Of course, I thought him mad and had him locked up for disturbing the peace of the people.” He shifted his weight onto his other foot.
“Then something happened. A girl suddenly came down with an illness. The town’s healer had never seen anything like it. She was in bed with a high fever for days, then suddenly her temperature dropped. She was ice cold to the touch. The healer was ready to pronounce her dead when she suddenly gripped his arm and pulled him down to tear his throat out.” Jonghyun and Taemin moved slightly in horror. Jiyong was visibly shaking.
“She stayed hidden in the shadows of the house, growling and snarling with mad eyes at anyone who tried to approach her. I had no idea what to do. When word reached my ears, the town was already in panic. Then the unthinkable happened. She suddenly stopped moving and looked towards the sun. She stepped out into it, and her body fell into a pile of ashes on the ground.
“My first task was to calm the town. Then my men reminded me of the mad man in the dungeons. I flew down there to see him squatting in the corner, laughing maniacally. He asked me if it was starting, if I believed him now.” Jiyong heaved a deep sigh.
“How could I have known? How was I supposed to know?”
“How many times did this happen?”
“Five. Five times this has happened. People started to leave Anvilis. I still have no answer. Whenever I questioned that man, he just laughed that laugh and shook his head. All he said before he died, was that he was from Carmadon. His last words were something like a prophecy. ‘Heed the warnings of the plague. No longer shall the living walk under the sun-”
“-should they incur the wrath of the Gods, stricken ‘til the dead devour the day, plunging the world to darkness.” Taemin finished off Jiyong’s recitation himself with the utmost look of horror on his face.
“You’ve heard this before?” Jiyong asked in shock. Taemin shook his head frantically, but ran around his study, looking for one particular volume. “I... I... I’ve read this somewhere.” His fingers searched the spines of several books on his shelf before he suddenly stood up and whipped around towards his desk. He shoved several books out of the way before opening a drawer and pulling out a small, leather-bound journal.
He thumbed through it slowly, afraid to ruin the pages. “This is a journal of the Ancient Explorer Yunho, one of the only people to explore the Unknown World and come back alive.” Jiyong gave a start. “Explorer Yunho? Of the Fallen Kingdom? That journal must be hundreds of years old,” Jiyong said, staring at the journal in his hands.
“How did you get something like this?” Jonghyun asked with an eyebrow raised. “A traveling merchant was selling it in town one day... I happened across it and bought it for cheap. Well, cheap relative to its worth. The merchant still got a fair bit of gold for it.” He stopped on a page with a large heading. Jonghyun saw the word ‘Vampir’ scrawled across the top before Taemin started to read.
“Upon my travels, I came upon the Prophecy of the Forsaken. Such things are common here in the Unknown World. It is a disease, a plague if you will, that will turn the living to the dead, and give them a lust for blood which cannot be satisfied.” Taemin gulped.
“How the disease is spread, I do not know yet. I know of only the signs. A high fever, eyes turning black, flesh turning the color of grey, and cold as ice to the touch. These things are called the vampir by the inhabitants of the Unknown World.
“I am told there are two types of vampir. Those whose minds have been completely devoured, and they are reduced to nothing more than wild animals, hunting to feed their lust for blood and flesh. And there are those who have retained some shred of humanity, and have learned to cope, and harness their powers.” Jonghyun blinked a few times. “Does it say anything in there about a cure?”
Taemin thumbed through a few more pages before stopping. “There’s a part where he talks about a meeting with one of those vampir that retained some humanity. That’s when he discovers how the plague is transferred. It’s transferred through fear. Only the people who meet direct eye contact with someone who is already a vampir in absolute fear turn into vampir themselves.”
“That’s... complicated.”
“So there’s a... what did you say? Vampir? In my kingdom?” Taemin read through a few more pages before looking up. “That’s the only way you could have so many at once in such a short span of time.” Jiyong sighed again before running his hand through his hair. “How am I supposed to find something like this?”
“Is there... a cure?” Taemin closed the journal and looked over at Jiyong. “Explorer Yunho mentions that there is one. But he also said he never found out what it was, he only deciphered a cryptic message in some ancient language.” He opened the book again and turned somewhere towards the middle. “If someone wishes, to conquer their fear, and in turn the plague, they shall seek the being that defies the pull of the Earth. Only he has the cure, as old as Time itself.”
Jiyong furrowed his eyebrows. “There’s nothing more than that?”
“Nothing more than that,” Taemin said, closing his book again. Jonghyun shuffled uneasily. “Your highness, you mentioned something about feeling like you were being followed?”
“Yes, I...” He looked around the room again, feeling nervous. Jonghyun crossed his arms and stared off into the distance, expression grave.
“I believe... that the vampir might intend to make you its next victim. If it’s following you around like this, making you anxious on purpose until your fear builds it. It makes sense, does it not?” Jiyong swallowed. “I haven’t thought of that...” Jonghyun let out a breath and pushed himself up from the desk.
“I believe there should be people with you all the time. I don’t think it’s safe for you to return to your kingdom.”
“I cannot just abandon my duty to my people like that.”
“I know. I understand.” The two of them talked again for a little bit.
Taemin sat back onto a pile of books, clutching the journal in his hands. Legends. Prophecies. Tales of old becoming new again. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice when the two men left, thanking him for his information. Key knocked softly on the door as he entered the room again, very carefully as to not disturb any more books.
Taemin snapped out of his daze for a moment. “I think bad things are going to happen, Key.” Key frowned. “I know you were eavesdropping outside.” Key didn’t deny it. His expression was grave too. “Things will be okay, Taemin.” Taemin remained staring off into the distance.
“I’m not so sure... my hope. It feels... futile.”
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AN;; Anvilis = Ann-vuhl-EES ;; vampir = vam-peer
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Prev | Next
Author: ixjaydee
Pairing: Jongyu;; TaeSeob;; minor!Minkey;; minor!JongKyung
Rating: PG-13
Genre: drama;; action/adventure;; romance;;
Disclaimer: I own the world, just not the people in it.
Summary: Prince Jonghyun, ruler of the Kingdom of Carmadon had his work cut out for him already. In between taking care of the uneasy townspeople, and searching for a traitor in his midst, he must leave his kingdom in the hands of his younger brother and his royal adviser as he prepares to set out on a conquest to the Unknown World in search for a cure for the disease sweeping through the kingdoms.
The journey wouldn’t be easy. The Unknown World was riddled with shady characters: sorcerers, shape shifters, outlaws, assassins, bandits, monsters of every sort. As if that wasn’t bad enough, things get a little bit more complicated when he falls in love with someone that he should have never fallen for in the first place, a love that would bring the downfall of his kingdom.
AN;; I really need to get that reference guide up. Dead week this week, then finals next week. Oh lord. And to those of you wondering about Onew, he doesn't appear until chapter five.
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02
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They’d never ridden faster in their lives. Both horses could feel the urgency in the reins as they raced back towards the stables. Taemin jumped off of Minjung and pulled her inside, shoving the reins into a confused Doojoon’s hands.
“Stay inside. Be careful. We saw Anvilis coming this way. They were flying their colors of war,” Taemin explained quickly as Yoseob waited for him on Beast. He was antsy, and pawing at the ground nervously.
“Anvilis? War? What? I wasn’t even aware they had colors of war. Or an army,” sputtered Doojoon. “I know. I’ve studied enough Known World history to know what their colors of war are. Stay here and be safe.” Yoseob reached over and helped Taemin up onto Beast before whipping the horse around and galloping towards the town.
Many people shouted in alarm as Beast rode through the roads. Taemin shouted his apologies the best he could. They stopped at the entrance where Jonghyun and the knights were gathered, ready to head out to the stables.
Jonghyun looked alarmed when the large black horse thundered up to them. Yoseob pulled the reins back, stopping Beast before he got into the river. Taemin hopped off, looking frantically for his brother.
“Jonghyun! Anvilis! I just came back from the Dead Man’s Drop. They’re flying their colors of war and are headed straight this way!” Everyone fell silent as Jonghyun’s eyes hardened. “Anvilis? They have colors of war?” Taemin sighed dramatically. “I don’t have time for explanations. If we hurry, we can meet them at the flatlands before they enter the town.
“Sire?” Jonghyun’s eyes moved back and forth as he calculated his options. He heaved a sigh before running his hand through his hair. Minho turned back to one of his men. “Give your armor to prince.” He looked over at Yoseob, who was letting Beast take a drink from the river.
“We’ll go ahead on Beast. Everyone go through the streets and warn the citizens. Tell them to go inside and not come out until I say so,” Jonghyun said as he strapped on the various pieces of armor and weapons. “Taemin.” He turned to his brother and put both of his hands on his shoulders.
“Stay in the castle. Find Key, and tell him what’s going on. Stay safe. I’ll try to end this peacefully. In case I don’t...” Taemin gulped and hugged his brother. Jonghyun let go of Taemin and turned toward Minho, already on his horse. He helped Jonghyun up before turning and leaving for the stables.
The knights on foot followed after them. Taemin stood and listened to their shouts of warning into the town. He heard the yells of confusion. Women called for their children and ushered them inside. Merchants closed up their shops. People took refuge in their homes, the inns, the bars.
And in minutes, the town was empty.
Yoseob gripped Taemin’s shoulder. Taemin took in a deep breath and let himself be led to a boat. Yoseob called to open the gate as he shoved the boat off of the river bank. Taemin looked back towards the retreating backs of the knights. They almost disappeared into the horizon.
“He’ll be okay, Taemin.” Taemin turned to look at Yoseob surprised. This was the first time he’d ever heard the other man address him casually. He seemed to notice his surprise too. “I figured you could use a friend right now. Not an attendant.” The gates closed behind them with a loud crash.
--
Jonghyun jumped off of the horse before it stopped moving. He glanced around the empty stables. “Doojoon! Doojoon!” The attendant peeked his head outside of the horses stables and relief washed across his face when his eyes met with Jonghyun.
“Sire! You’ve been told the situation?”
“Yes, my brother told me.” He walked into the stable and headed straight for Lucifer, who neighed softly at him. Jonghyun grabbed the red reins and ran his hand along his horse’s jaw. “Hey there. Sorry I’ve been so busy. You forgive me right?” Lucifer nudged his nose under Jonghyun’s hand.
Jonghyun led his horse outside and mounted it. He could hear the footsteps and the shouting now. It was getting closer, louder. He pulled up next to Minho. The two looked at each as the rest of their knights approached from behind. They all watched the path anxiously. Lucifer pawed at the ground, nervous.
He was starting to sweat in the heavy black leather armor reinforced with steel. It made the material thin, and blows were felt intensely, but it stopped swords and other objects from piercing through, and a little bit of pain from the blow is infinitely better than recovering from an infection or a severed limb.
The thundering footsteps started to rumble up the path. Both Beast and Lucifer started to move around in nervousness. Jonghyun made hushing noises as he patted Lucifer’s mane. He kept his eyes on the path, and when the dense branches of the trees began to move, he nudged Lucifer in front of his men.
The first horse of a man came through, clad in armor and a helmet covering the top of his head. The royal flag of Anvilis blew behind him, a bright colored cloak on his shoulders. Their forces came through the trees quietly until the two leaders were face to face.
“Prince Jonghyun. Fancy meeting you here.” The man removed his helmet and ruffled his hair, giving him a cold look, something Jonghyun wasn’t used to. “Your highness, King Jiyong.” He smiled and gave him a curt bow. “My brother was warming up the horses for my knights’ practice today when he saw your forces flying your colors of war in this direction. Where else should I be? Why are you here?”
The knights eyed each other, unsure of what to do. There was a nervous tension in the air. Jonghyun was going to avoid a fight if he could. Anvilis and Carmadon had been on good terms for centuries, and he would hate to undo something like that without good reason.
“Why am I here? Do you not know of what is happening in Anvilis?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Jonghyun watched him apprehensively and shook his head slowly. “No. I have not recently heard any news of Anvilis.” The King of Anvilis gave a deep sigh, before looking back at him with tired and worn out eyes.
“A plague has reached our kingdom.” Jonghyun stiffed as he tried to hide his surprise and horror. “What... sort of plague?”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d tell me. Someone from your kingdom claimed to have spread the disease. A mad man. He took his own life before we could get any information. All he said in between fits of his mad laughter was to ask the, and I quote, ‘darling, precious, prince’ of the kingdom next to ours. So what say you, Prince Jonghyun? What is your hand in this? You know I have no quarrels with you or your people, but this time...” Jonghyun knew Jiyong was as hesitant to attack as he was. Anvilis was peaceful. Jiyong probably didn’t even know the first thing about war.
“Sire... I have no knowledge of any plague here. No knowledge of anyone gone mad in my kingdom. We have no reason to attack you. There have been centuries of peace between us.” Jiyong nodded gravely.
“But what... what exactly is this plague doing?” Jiyong got off of his horse and signaled for one of his men to take his horse. Jonghyun did the same, and walked up to meet the other man. His eyes darted around for a moment before they settled on something in the trees. He motioned for Jonghyun to lean in closer.
“I fear... that we are being watched. Is there a place where we can discuss this in private?” Jonghyun furrowed his eyebrows at the other man before he nodded slightly. His hands behind his back relayed signals to Minho.
Keep the men here. Do not attack unless blood is shed. Do not aim to kill, only to incapacitate. Minho whistled twice in acknowledgment before signaling his men to the stables. “We came down here to practice, not to stare!” He made his way over to who he recognized to be Anvilis’s captain.
“Would you like to join in our practice, Sir Youngbae?” His eyes darted over to his King who was still in deep conversation with Jonghyun. They met eyes for a moment before he nodded slightly. “Why not. Our troops could always use a little bit more training.” He signaled to his men behind him to head towards the stables.
“That’s a fine horse you have there... his name?”
“Beast. Only name fitting for something like him.” Beast pawed nervously at the ground again, the scent of strangers filling his nostrils.
“We’re headed to the castle now. Play nice!” Jonghyun shouted to them before he and Jiyong mounted their horses. They two of them galloped off across the town. Jiyong looked around the empty streets of the town and looked suspiciously at Jonghyun in front of him. Why was his town empty? A safety precaution? He couldn’t blame him, but he still had the nagging feeling in his head that something strange was going on.
--
Taemin paced back and forth in his study. He pulled books out from every shelf, everything that had anything to do with Anvilis was piled up on his desk and on the floors. His study was more like a private library. He enjoyed being locked up in the room, studying the history of the Known World. There were some texts on the Unknown World, but those were rare, and hard to come by because hardly anyone ever came back from the Unknown World alive or sane enough to talk about it.
Key opened the door to Taemin’s study and yelped as books fell over and fell on top of him. “Sire, I so wish,” he shoved some books out of the way, “that you would organize this mess in here.” Taemin peeked out from behind a stack of books. “It is organized. There’s a method to my madness.” Key rolled his eyes and kept a lookout for any more falling books.
“Any word from your brother yet?” Taemin shook his head. He looked up from the book he was scanning and stared off into the distance. “Someone say something about me?” Key fell into another stack of books, clutching his chest. Taemin turned around and stared wide eyed at his brother still clad in armor. He noticed the king of Anvilis standing behind him with an apprehensive expression. Taemin scrambled to his feet and bowed.
“Ah... the young prince. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I haven’t seen you since you were a wee lad.” Taemin smiled and looked nervously between the two of them.
“Key, would you mind leaving us for a moment? We have some private matters to discuss.” Key looked between the two of them before bowing and making his way towards the exit. Taemin turned to follow him, but Jonghyun grabbed his arm. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“With Key?”
“No, no. Your area of expertise is needed.” Jonghyun stepped into Taemin’s study, leaving Jiyong at the doorway, looking through the expanse of books with a look of slight horror on his face. “This place looks like a death trap... you wanted to talk here?”
“The best place for information lies in this room. If you want answers, my brother probably has them.” Jiyong looked around again for gingerly stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “The only dangerous thing in this room would be falling books. I promise. And even then they don’t mean any harm. Except for maybe my encyclopedia of herbs. But I keep that in the corner over there.” He gestured to a random corner before settling on a pile of books.
Jiyong stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed over his chest while Jonghyun leaned onto Taemin’s desk. “Tell him about the plague.” Taemin’s ears perked up before a worried expression appeared on his face.
“... Plague? Is there a plague in Anvilis? What’s going on?” Jiyong stared off into the distance before he started talking.
“Not long ago, about a month perhaps, a stranger came to our kingdom. He stood in the town, spouting nonsense about the plague. And how it was spreading, and there was nothing we could do to stop it. Of course, I thought him mad and had him locked up for disturbing the peace of the people.” He shifted his weight onto his other foot.
“Then something happened. A girl suddenly came down with an illness. The town’s healer had never seen anything like it. She was in bed with a high fever for days, then suddenly her temperature dropped. She was ice cold to the touch. The healer was ready to pronounce her dead when she suddenly gripped his arm and pulled him down to tear his throat out.” Jonghyun and Taemin moved slightly in horror. Jiyong was visibly shaking.
“She stayed hidden in the shadows of the house, growling and snarling with mad eyes at anyone who tried to approach her. I had no idea what to do. When word reached my ears, the town was already in panic. Then the unthinkable happened. She suddenly stopped moving and looked towards the sun. She stepped out into it, and her body fell into a pile of ashes on the ground.
“My first task was to calm the town. Then my men reminded me of the mad man in the dungeons. I flew down there to see him squatting in the corner, laughing maniacally. He asked me if it was starting, if I believed him now.” Jiyong heaved a deep sigh.
“How could I have known? How was I supposed to know?”
“How many times did this happen?”
“Five. Five times this has happened. People started to leave Anvilis. I still have no answer. Whenever I questioned that man, he just laughed that laugh and shook his head. All he said before he died, was that he was from Carmadon. His last words were something like a prophecy. ‘Heed the warnings of the plague. No longer shall the living walk under the sun-”
“-should they incur the wrath of the Gods, stricken ‘til the dead devour the day, plunging the world to darkness.” Taemin finished off Jiyong’s recitation himself with the utmost look of horror on his face.
“You’ve heard this before?” Jiyong asked in shock. Taemin shook his head frantically, but ran around his study, looking for one particular volume. “I... I... I’ve read this somewhere.” His fingers searched the spines of several books on his shelf before he suddenly stood up and whipped around towards his desk. He shoved several books out of the way before opening a drawer and pulling out a small, leather-bound journal.
He thumbed through it slowly, afraid to ruin the pages. “This is a journal of the Ancient Explorer Yunho, one of the only people to explore the Unknown World and come back alive.” Jiyong gave a start. “Explorer Yunho? Of the Fallen Kingdom? That journal must be hundreds of years old,” Jiyong said, staring at the journal in his hands.
“How did you get something like this?” Jonghyun asked with an eyebrow raised. “A traveling merchant was selling it in town one day... I happened across it and bought it for cheap. Well, cheap relative to its worth. The merchant still got a fair bit of gold for it.” He stopped on a page with a large heading. Jonghyun saw the word ‘Vampir’ scrawled across the top before Taemin started to read.
“Upon my travels, I came upon the Prophecy of the Forsaken. Such things are common here in the Unknown World. It is a disease, a plague if you will, that will turn the living to the dead, and give them a lust for blood which cannot be satisfied.” Taemin gulped.
“How the disease is spread, I do not know yet. I know of only the signs. A high fever, eyes turning black, flesh turning the color of grey, and cold as ice to the touch. These things are called the vampir by the inhabitants of the Unknown World.
“I am told there are two types of vampir. Those whose minds have been completely devoured, and they are reduced to nothing more than wild animals, hunting to feed their lust for blood and flesh. And there are those who have retained some shred of humanity, and have learned to cope, and harness their powers.” Jonghyun blinked a few times. “Does it say anything in there about a cure?”
Taemin thumbed through a few more pages before stopping. “There’s a part where he talks about a meeting with one of those vampir that retained some humanity. That’s when he discovers how the plague is transferred. It’s transferred through fear. Only the people who meet direct eye contact with someone who is already a vampir in absolute fear turn into vampir themselves.”
“That’s... complicated.”
“So there’s a... what did you say? Vampir? In my kingdom?” Taemin read through a few more pages before looking up. “That’s the only way you could have so many at once in such a short span of time.” Jiyong sighed again before running his hand through his hair. “How am I supposed to find something like this?”
“Is there... a cure?” Taemin closed the journal and looked over at Jiyong. “Explorer Yunho mentions that there is one. But he also said he never found out what it was, he only deciphered a cryptic message in some ancient language.” He opened the book again and turned somewhere towards the middle. “If someone wishes, to conquer their fear, and in turn the plague, they shall seek the being that defies the pull of the Earth. Only he has the cure, as old as Time itself.”
Jiyong furrowed his eyebrows. “There’s nothing more than that?”
“Nothing more than that,” Taemin said, closing his book again. Jonghyun shuffled uneasily. “Your highness, you mentioned something about feeling like you were being followed?”
“Yes, I...” He looked around the room again, feeling nervous. Jonghyun crossed his arms and stared off into the distance, expression grave.
“I believe... that the vampir might intend to make you its next victim. If it’s following you around like this, making you anxious on purpose until your fear builds it. It makes sense, does it not?” Jiyong swallowed. “I haven’t thought of that...” Jonghyun let out a breath and pushed himself up from the desk.
“I believe there should be people with you all the time. I don’t think it’s safe for you to return to your kingdom.”
“I cannot just abandon my duty to my people like that.”
“I know. I understand.” The two of them talked again for a little bit.
Taemin sat back onto a pile of books, clutching the journal in his hands. Legends. Prophecies. Tales of old becoming new again. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice when the two men left, thanking him for his information. Key knocked softly on the door as he entered the room again, very carefully as to not disturb any more books.
Taemin snapped out of his daze for a moment. “I think bad things are going to happen, Key.” Key frowned. “I know you were eavesdropping outside.” Key didn’t deny it. His expression was grave too. “Things will be okay, Taemin.” Taemin remained staring off into the distance.
“I’m not so sure... my hope. It feels... futile.”
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AN;; Anvilis = Ann-vuhl-EES ;; vampir = vam-peer
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