Hak's P.O.V
Quickly and without hesitation, I grab Rin and throw her over my shoulder. Yona approaches from the base of the gorge with a pale face. Her eyes scream with concern and worry. She tugs on my sleeve, pleading me to let her see Rin. I shake my head to return my response. She grits her teeth but remains quiet. She knows we must act now in order to save Rin's life. We run deep into the forest, where we will be less vulnerable incase the troop decides to counter-attack. Yun finds a spot behind a tall brush and begins to lie out his medicinal belongings. He pulls out a small vile containing a light gold liquid. "This medicine will slow the effects of the poison until I can create the proper antidote to counteract it." Yun hisses and pushes the vile towards me. Kija rolls out a blanket in order to make Rin more comfortable. I gently lay her down and hurriedly pull out the cork, but my unsteady hands cause it to tumble to the ground. I grit my teeth and grunt under my breath. I kneel down beside Rin and when I look at her I feel my breath catch. I purse my lips together. Please be alright. I slowly tilt the vile into Rin's slightly parted lips. Once the entirety of the mixture is gone we sit and wait.
Your P.O.V
I feel my chest set ablaze and I try to clutch it, but I am unable to move. I begin to cough and spit at the venom burning in my throat. Suddenly, my eyes shoot open and at first all I can feel is a bright light. The intensity nullifies and images emerge around me. The first person I feel is Hak. He kneels towering over me with desperation in his heart. He worried himself sick. As he sees the life come back to my still figure his face lights up with joy. He bends down and strangles me in his warm embrace. The sighs of relief and gratitude turn to giggles and chatter. "Looks like the mighty thunder beast was thwarted by the distress of his fair maiden." Kija taunts with an immature grin on his face. Immediately, a light pink dusts Hak's cheeks. Then, his brow furrows with irritation and he puts on a condescending smirk.
"I am only worried about losing a valuable ally, considering her ability to wield a sword." He jests and I know I should feel hurt, but I'm not. I know he doesn't mean it; he is just embarrassed. So, I burst into howling laughter. I wipe the tears from my eyes and smile at my comrades. No. My family. I feel happy for once.
"I hate to ruin this calm and comfortable moment." Yun pesters with agitation. "But, unfortunately I need you to gather some supplies for the antidote to give to Rin because she was just, you know, poisoned." The atmosphere shifts to seriousness and dread. Yun speaks again, but this time he commands. "Zeno, head south of the river and gather some heather from the wetland trees. Jae-ha head back to the East side of the gorge and scale the walls in search of an amethyst coloured flower. Kija head back in the direction of the village. The ground there is extremely fertile, so bring some soil back. Finally, Shin-ah, accompany Yona. Search the surrounding area for silver birch trees. Their bark is an extremely rare remedy. Go!" Everyone begins to head in separate directions. My mind is spiraling in a million different ways. This shouldn't be their priority.
"Wait!" I plead. "Have you all lost your wits? The enemy retreated and knows who you are. He will have returned to Hiryuu by nightfall and it is not hard to figure out who will accompany him for his return in the morning. King Soo-won. It isn't safe here. You must run as far from this location as possible." Before I can say more I am cut off by Jae-ha. Never have I seen his expression so grave.
"If we run, you die. You said it before. You're our family now and we WILL protect you. Stop pushing people away and pretending to be so strong on your own." He spits at me, but his words are true. I cannot fight back. I begin to cry and I shoot him a reassuring smile. With that, the others leave and head on their journey. Hak remains by my side. I am glad that he is here with me. His presence eases my nerves.
"Are you hungry?" He mumbles shyly. I nod my head no and blush slightly. We sit there in silence for tens of minutes while we wait for the others to return. Hak shifts his balance out of nervousness. He appears to have something to say, but the words are caught in his throat. Suddenly, he takes me by the hand. "Thank you." He mumbles.
"What?" I reply, knowing full well the words that escaped his lips.
"You know what I said, so don't think I'll repeat myself." He snaps and I pout with dissatisfaction. Though, I smile to myself with giddy. "You saved my life. Where did you learn how to fight like that?" He questions intently.
"Well, Mundok taught me swordplay when I was younger, but I was never skilled in it. I don't know what came over me. When I saw the people I cared about in danger, my whole being ignited and an immeasurable power rose inside of me." I state dumbfounded. "I guess this is the power I possess." Silence ensues. Everyone was shocked by my heroic episode. I try my hardest to take my power as a hopeful sign, but a feeling of unrest swells in my heart. I can feel the peril approach like the bite of a crisp wind. Our war is only beginning. I cannot afford to be careless or absent-minded anymore. Every decision I make from this point on will affect every one around me. I grab Hak by the wrist as he stands to leave. "Hak I need you to promise me something." He reassumes his seat beside me and nods hesitantly. "No matter what happens, I need you to believe in me. I need you to trust the decisions I make." He grits his teeth at my unexpected request, but I can feel the light in his eyes change. He, too, knows that perilous trials await us. He grabs me firmly by the hand and nods.
A few hours pass by and the sun dips below the horizon. Carefully, I try to sit up. Hak reaches his arms out to assist me, but I push him away confidently. Once I am sitting, I stretch out my arms and wheeze at the smell of my sweaty flesh. I am not used to combat with such heavy clothing. I press my palms against the ground in order to stand up. My arms shake furiously from my weakened state, but I push with all of my force. "Where are you going?" Hak questions with an utterly unimpressed look on his face.
"I smell disturbingly like you so I am going to take a bath in the river." I hiss at him. He begins to say something, but stops himself. Instead, he smirks evilly and raises one eyebrow. I growl under my breath and continue my mission to stand. After several onerous minutes of struggling, I am finally on my feet. I take the first step and stumble to the side. Hak watches pompously from a distance. I am able to take the next few steps with ease, but I step forward and my body goes numb. A tingling sensation pulses through my thighs and I begin to fall. Hak rushes to my side and catches me swiftly before I collide with the ground. I push him away furiously but my eyes shoot open with surprise. My arms go numb beneath my grip and I cannot muster the strength to grab onto him. I look up with pure dread in my gaze. He responds shyly.
"Please just let me help you." I look away. My cheeks flush a bright ruby. A pout ensnares my lips. I push my face into his chest out of embarrassment and nod. Softly, he lifts me up and walks towards the river.
When we arrive he sets me down on the damp grass. It feels like a rug under my tingling skin. He kneels down and leans in towards me. He grips both sides of the collar of my robe and brings his head close to my ear. In a gentle whisper he speaks. "I promise I won't look." I can feel my heart stutter and I begin to breathe heavily. I am embarrassed but I have no will for him to stop. He closes his eyes and begins to remove my robe. We are left alone, in an intimate embrace, with the subtle sound of rushing water and warm brilliance surrounding us.
Hak P.O.V
I begin to slide the robe off of Rin's frail shoulders. I can feel her body shake beneath me and I resist the urge to open my eyes. If Yun knew he would murder me. I cringe at the thought of it. But, all my feelings of fear are swept away by the fluttering warmth in my chest. My breathing becomes shallow and I purse my lips. Rin is beautiful, in every way. Her body, her eyes, her soul. I feel unconditional affection flow throughout my body, consuming every fiber of my being. I shake my head to remove the impure thoughts. I can't. Soon, I will have to tell her what she means to me. This is what Ik-su described. The incomparable feeling of love. I would give my life for this girl. I would give everything I have to see her find happiness. This is not my oath. This is my choice. Out of impulse I lean down and kiss Rin on the forehead and I feel her freeze. She inches away from my embrace and slides into the refreshing grasp of the summer stream. When I open my eyes her body is submerged and she faces away from me. I can tell she is blushing and I laugh under my breath. She is unbelievably cute.
I sit for a while, watching intently as she scrubs her skin clean. Desire builds in my heart, but I suppress my urges. Suddenly, Rin violently grabs the soft ground at the side of the river with one hand. Her other hand scratches at her chest, leaving rough pink lines against her pale skin. She turns to me and I can feel the desperation in her gaze. She reaches out towards me, her eyes struggle to remain open. She tries to mouth words but her voice cannot escape her lips. I scramble over to her and she falls into my arms. She grabs my hand with ferocious strength and I know that she is in pain. I want so desperately to make the pain stop, but I am frozen in place, unsure of what to do. She starts to cough aggressively, spitting up searing blood into my lap. I untie my robe and wrap it around her. I pick her up in my arms and sprint to Yun. As I arrive back at the campsite, I notice the others have returned. I am unable to see their shocked expressions through the tears that blur my sight. Without hesitation, Yun motions me to lie Rin back down and cover her with a blanket. Immediately, he works on the antidote using the supplies the group brought back. Before Yun leaves he speaks wearily. "The best thing you can do is comfort her and be with her for as long as you can. Incase we are too late." I cringe at his words. It hurts because it is the truth. I grab Rin's hand and plead for the gods to spare her. The others gather around me. Yona grabs onto me and sobs into my back. Kija and Jae-ha tear up. Shin-ah turns away. Zeno runs into the forest seething with anger. She is our family now. Everyone has fallen for this mysterious and incredible girl. If something were to happen to her, we would all be destroyed, so please return to us Rin.