Watch out folks, this chapter's a bit of a biggie. But I'm pleased with it! This chapter was definetly one of the hardest to do, but I finally decided on a plotline which would carry on through with the rest of the story. I hope you enjoy this one!

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Yunsung charged. The soldiers braced themselves in fear, for they knew that this was a warrior most mighty. He slashed and swiped at them, spinning and lunging effortlessly, the evil soldiers falling like stones, as the people cheered and chanted "Yunsung, Yunsung!" He waved to his public regally, dismissing yet another soldier with a single kick to the head. When he reached the castle, he charged through it, shouting, "You will never defeat me!" He rescued many a woman, who each begged him to stay for "tea", but his wants were much higher than the mere peasants.

He kicked through the door at the very top of the castle, so he was out on the battlements. And there, was the cruel king, and he was restraining the beautiful princess. She was still very pretty, despite her white dress being tousled, and she was in distress. She muffled desperately at the brave warrior Yunsung, into the hand of the king. The King had a knife to her throat.

In one split-second, Yunsung, in an outstanding feat of skill, had thrown White Storm towards the king. It smashed into his head, and he staggered backwards, right over the battlements, "ARRRRRGGGHH!!" he fell, with a satisfying clump on the ground below.

The beautiful black-haired, big-eyed maiden launched herself into his arms. "Oh, Yunsung, thank you for saving me! I love you, my dearest!"

"And I you, lily of the forgotten lands..." said Yunsung softly, in a brash, handsome voice. He reached over to stroke her hair, but her hand seeped through and into her skull, as if it was as mashable as a pillow...The handsome scenery from the tower melted...the princess disappeared...

Yunsung woke up to find the dullness of his room in Ayutthaya to greet him. He had been having such a brilliant dream. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Today, Talim and him would be leaving, parting ways...it would be a long time before they saw each other again...he had to show her, today more than any other day, that he loved her. He knew this wasn't a fling like girls before. Talim and him had a bond, a bond so deep they didn't even have to hold hands or kiss to know it was there.

He glanced out his window. The sun was rising- it was early morning. He shoved on his clothes, and took off, out of the inn and into the town. He had to get her a gift...

oOoOoOo

Yunsung fingered the gift in his pocket. There had been no time to wrap or package it in some way, he just had it in his pocket with him. He had used most of his remaining money on it. It didn't matter really, seeing as he had enough left to pay for his boat expenses to and from, and that would be all he would need. He shoved the journey ahead to the back of his mind, don't think about that. Concentrate on Talim. He had been doubtful whether it would be enough for her, but he had a feeling, just a feeling that she would love whatever he gave her. And this was certainly him going out of his way. He put his hands by his sides, and strode into bar entrance to the inn.

As soon as he saw Talim, at one of the tables in the bar, he could tell something was wrong. Her eyes were reddened around the edges again, and Mina had her hand on her shoulder, comforting her, and chatting to her. Mina looked up, and saw Yunsung. She pointed instantly and cried, "Talim, look!"

Talim did at once. "Yunsung!!!" she cried, and threw herself from the table, launching herself into Yunsung's arms, just as she'd done in his dream. It was several hundred times better, though. He only had a second to cherish it, before she was telling him off; "Where did you go??? I thought you'd gone and left without saying goodbye!" and new tears of relief dribbled down her face.

"No-no, of course I wouldn't!" he said earnestly, wiping the tears from her face. "Never. I was away getting something for you."

"For me?" she said, curiously. Mina had wandered over to watch. Yunsung noticed she was looking determinedly and politely expressionless.

"Yeah." he said to Talim, ignoring Mina. "Turn around and I'll show you."

"Oh, this is some trick, isn't it?" she said jokingly, giving him a little push.

"Not at all. Turn around and close your eyes." Talim turned around, so her (elegant) neck, back and head were facing him. "Okay." she said, "I'm ready!"

"Your eyes closed?"

"Yes!"

"Alright. It's coming now."

Yunsung put a hand in his pocket and lifted out his gift. It was a necklace. The lace was made of string with gold segments around it. And the ornament was three golden birds, hanging from the end of the loop. Yunsung lifted it up for Mina to see, grinning, expecting for her to look surprised. Her eyebrows were raised at the gift, but her expression was otherwise unchanged. The birds clanged together shimmeringly as he lifted the necklace.

"I can hear metallic-y sounds!" said Talim, a note of excitement in her voice.

"Keep those eyes closed!" Yunsung commanded.

"Alright, but stop teasing me and show me it already!" she complained jovially.

"Here it comes!" Yunsung took the hook-clasps of the necklace and slipped them around Talim's neck, hooked them together ("Yunsung!"she sniggered, "That's cold!"), and then he swooped the necklace around on her neck, so the birds rested just above her chest.

"Ok, open your eyes!"

He stepped to her side to see her expression. She gasped as she saw the necklace, "Oh, Yunsung, it's beautiful! Look, Mina!" she showed it to her. She peered obediently, as Talim went on, excitedly, "It's gold- that's real gold! Wow! Yunsung!"she swept her gaze to Yunsung, who was feeling very pleased with himself, "Yunsung, I'm so grateful!"

"No problem." he said, "Just, when you're out there, look at it and think of me, alright?"

"I will!" she said, and give him a hug, her arms going round his neck. She sighed over his shoulder, resting her head. Yunsung had a view of Mina over the side of Talim's shoulder. She was not as pleased as he thought she would be- on the contrary, her lips were pursed together tightly as if she was forcibly restraining herself.

After a little while of Talim clinging onto him, Mina finally spoke, "Talim!"

Talim didn't bother to let go of Yunsung, just twisted her head as far as it would go and said, "Yes?"

"C'mere." she said, without the up-and-down tone her voice usually had, "I want to talk to you before you go."

Talim slid off Yunsung's shoulder reluctantly- he himself was looking a little perplexed. She smiled at him reassuringly, "Don't worry. She said she'd give me some girl advice for what's coming ahead."

"'Girl' advice?" he asked, scratching his head.

"That's for us to know and you not to find out!" she gabbled, and went with Mina a little way across the bar.

Suspicious, Yunsung followed silently, pretending to go up the inn stairs towards the dormitories, but instead doubling back and across to where Mina and Talim were whispering to one another. However, they had chosen a wide-open space in the bar, so Yunsung couldn't get close enough to listen, and he couldn't lip-read. He did see, however, that Mina was looking very serious, and that Talim appeared unsure, or even a bit hurt. They didn't notice Yunsung.

He watched until the conversation ended, upon which Mina gave Talim a firm pat on the back, which Talim looked unprepared for, and she stumbled forward a little. Mina glided towards the entrance. Yunsung quickly doubled back once more, going up the stairs, before casually walking down again, trying to conceal his lack of breath. Talim found him as he reached the bottom step.

"Just seeing if I forgot anything." he said, "So, what was it about?"

"Nothing. I told you." she said, her arms folded, looking disgruntled. They began to walk, stiffly side by side, towards the entrance to the bar. Then, out of the corner of her mouth, Talim grunted something which sounded like, "Beetroot."

"What?" said Yunsung. She looked at him, caught by surprise. "What did you say?"he repeated.

"Nothing." she said again.

"No, you definitely said something. What was it?"

Talim had a look on her face which denounced she had no escape. She sighed, "I said beetroot."

"Beetroot?"said Yunsung, pondering whether this meant something different in the Philippines.

"Yeah." she said,looking quite angry for some reason. She nodded her head towards the entrance, where Mina had exited, "She's a beetroot."

"Ah, right." said Yunsung- it must have been a euphemism for 'bitch'. He remembered she was a Shaman- perhaps she was not permitted to swear, "So, why is she a 'beetroot', then?"

"Oh...well..." she paused, "She asked me what perfume I used." she made a very girl-like 'ugh!' sound of indignation, "And I thought it was something important..."

"Oh, right. Girl stuff." he said, slightly put at ease. But the conversation between Talim and Mina looked too serious to be about perfume- why was Talim looking so upset about it? He had always been puzzled by these principles girls had, and it confused it even more because Talim was slightly more boyish and had less of these principles than it initially appeared. Then again, he had always wondered how she smelt so nice...

As they walked out the entrance, they each stared left and right,as if they were deciding where to go, though Yunsung knew the docks were to the right. He stared in that direction and was planning to go there, when something took him by surprise. Somehow, in the blink of an eye, Talim had appeared in front of him, and was kissing him tenderly on the lips.

Enraptured and hypnotized by the feeling of her own soft lips, his hands glided automatically to the side of her head and her waist. He caressed her head, feeling it move as they smoothed their lips across. He was quite amazed, but pleased, as he found that her tongue was the first to ask for entrance. He allowed it, and his taste buds slipped over her own, tasting the inside of her mouth as her own tongue pushed and danced with his, winding and wrestling slowly and softly.

She broke it."I love you." she said dearly, grabbing his waistcoat and taking a sharp breath, "You're the first boy I ever kissed and I love you!" she was in distress, her small hands going red and shaking with grip, and her face blushing up to fight tears, "Why?"she said tearfully, "Why do we have to go away??"

"Hey-hey!"said Yunsung, pushing her hands free, taking them in his own and rubbing them, and tears seeped from Talim's brown, constantly quivering eyes, her lip trembling, "Remember why we're doing this." Yunsung said, "For our own causes, okay? Remember your cause."

"My...my cause..."she whispered, catching her breath, her body crouched down slightly.

"Yes, your cause." he said gently, "Aim for it. You can do this, and I can do this, isn't that right?"

"I...can...I..." she was trembling all over, "No! No I can't!"

"You knew you had to say goodbye, when you set out, didn't you...?" he said, and then, was hit by sudden inspiration, "Talim, call on the wind!"

"The...the wind?" she said, as if she was so scared, she'd forgotten what it was.

"Yes." Yunsung said, kneeling down in front of her, so their faces were level, "Talk to the wind, say a prayer, it'll give you strength. You told me so."

She took a great, shuddering breath, and said "Okay..." and prepared to say a prayer. "Thats it, that's it..." Yunsung said soothingly, and offered her his arms, and she cuddled him. He decided it was better being level with her and cuddling her, as he was nuzzling into her chest now, which was an exciting prospect, but he laid it aside in the reverence he'd earned for Talim's prayer:

Wind, guide me

Don't bate my breath

Blow my future clean

for mine eyes to see

Let my mind behold

What the timely prophets decreed

Blow their blades

So I may not bleed

You say stop, I stop

You say go, I go

I go

Yunsung let her rest on him again for a little while as she breathed softly, getting calmer. She made a "Mmm..." noise, as if she was beginning to enjoy Yunsung again, and said, with a renewed character in her voice which made Yunsung's heart jump, "You're head's on my breasts."

He jerked it away as she laughed, "No-no, it's okay! You may as well, it'll be a while!" Upon this, re-invigorated, he made a monster-like roar, and made a lunge for Talim's chest. She made a little scream and jumped away, "No! Too far, mister! Too far!"

"You'll never be too far! I'll always want your breasts!" he said savagely, and made another lunge. Something very odd had occurred which had enlivened both their hearts. The sheer magic of the prayer made them feel happier about the predicament, even joke and laugh about it. As Yunsung had her one last chase around the town, he could almost feel the wind holding him back. Everything would come, he decided, in it's own good time.