A.N. - Hello, everybody! Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my work, it really means a lot to me!

I hope you're all staying healthy and safe during these troubling times. Remember to wash your hands regularly; wear a mask around people; and social/physical distance when you can.

(Also for my international readers, as an American I would like to apologize for our insane and dismal response to the pandemic; please be patient with us and know that a lot of us are trying to stop the spread and get good leadership in our country).

Anyway, without any further ado, please enjoy!


So-ah's breathing came out in huffs as she struggled to keep up with Hu-ye's pace, nearly tripping over herself. Her hand was grasped tightly in his, and he was dragging her along the streets, sometimes stopping quickly to let her get her bearings or make an off-hand comment about the cloudless sky or a particularly striking flower, before hurrying on again. Their easy stroll had turned into a brisk run, and So-ah was getting tired of it.

Eventually, she ripped her hand away from Hu-ye's, righting herself when her momentum almost made her fall over. "Hu-ye! Enough!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong? Why does it seem like you're running from something?"

Hu-ye had stopped when he felt So-ah let go, and now he was staring back at her, seeming bewildered. They were in the middle of a shopping plaza, late-afternoon shoppers milling about them. The sun was still bright, and felt warm on the back of So-ah's neck, slightly wet from the sweat that had built up from their frantic walk.

Hu-ye's eyes darted around, as if searching for something. He looked back at So-ah and extended his hand towards her. "Please, So-ah, let's just go a little farther. A little more." He sounded nervous, his gaze pleading.

So-ah shook her head. It was annoying enough when the gods did random things and refused to tell her their reasoning; she wasn't going to tolerate her half-human friend doing it as well. Not anymore. She had a right to know what people were keeping from her, no matter if it was for her own good.

Hu-ye sighed and moved closer to her. His business suit was slightly rumpled, and his forehead shone with sweat. "I don't want to worry you," he began. So-ah merely nodded, waiting for him to continue. He sighed again, then leaned in close to whisper,

"I didn't want to worry you, but a god has been following us ever since we left your office."

So-ah blinked at him, then looked over her shoulder. Was that all? Had Hu-ye forgotten that she lived with a god?

"And it's not your water god," Hu-ye added. "I would have recognized him - and he certainly wouldn't trail quietly behind if the two of us went on a walk."

"Oh, Hu-ye," So-ah said, "it's alright. It's just Jin Geon." Then she paused, realizing she couldn't remember if Hu-ye had actually met Jin Geon - he was quite the mysterious minor god. "You know, Bi Ryeom's friend and assistant."

A troubled look passed over Hu-ye's face at the mention of the wind god, a mixture of pain and anger. "Ah. Yes, of course. I...we've met." He looked behind So-ah, as if trying to find Jin Geon. So-ah was surprised that he had been able to sense the minor god at all, but Hu-ye was part divine himself.

"But, why is he following us?" Hu-ye asked, brow furrowed in confusion. It was a cute look on him, So-ah thought, but she suppressed the bubble of mirth the thought caused, hoping to ease Hu-ye's concerns.

"It's alright," she repeated. "It's just - he's just watching out for me. Since the attack on my clinic."

"A god is? But why not Habaek? Wasn't it just thieves? Is he being overprotective?" Hu-ye's voice rose with each scattered question, and he moved even closer to So-ah, barely a hair's breath between them. A few people looked their way, curious or concerned, but when nothing happened they went about their own lives once again.

So-ah gently pushed Hu-ye back with her fingertips. Realizing that he was invading her space, he quickly backed up, almost stumbling, embarrassment written on his face.

"Let's go back to my clinic," So-ah suggested. "I'll explain everything there."

Hu-ye nodded, and they turned around, heading back the way the came.

When they arrived back in the lobby, So-ah closed and locked the door behind them, just in case. When she turned around again, she shrieked and nearly jumped out of her skin, for Jin Geon had suddenly appeared, perched on Sang-yoo's desk. Hu-ye instinctively put himself between her and the god, shoulders tense.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Shin Hu-ye," Jin Geon told the CEO. "I know enough that you are not a threat to Lady So-ah. And neither, I assure you, am I. I am here merely to protect Lady So-ah from those who would do her harm."

Jin Geon's words - more than So-ah had ever heard him utter - seemed to placate Hu-ye, because his shoulders relaxed and he allowed So-ah to walk around him towards the door that led to her office.

"Come on, you two," she said. "We'll talk in here."

The three of them walked down the steps to her office, even Jin Geon. Once both gods (half or otherwise) stood in her atrium, So-ah turned to Hu-ye and said,

"I'll alright, but the attack on my clinic wasn't thieves or even human intruders. It was a god." She paused as Hu-ye absorbed that information. His eyes grew wide and he glanced quickly at Jin Geon before focusing back on So-ah.

"A god? You're sure? But who? And why?" Hu-ye asked in a rush.

"They wanted to hurt me in order to hurt Habaek," So-ah explained. "It was a goddess from Sky Country, who's working for the Sky King to overthrow Habaek." She gestured to Jin Geon. "That's why Jin Geon has been following me, to make sure she doesn't try again."

Hu-ye's brown furrowed. "And where is Habaek now? Shouldn't he be looking after you?"

"He had to return to Water Country, to deal with the Sky King," So-ah answered. A pang of loneliness and worry struck her at the reminder that Habaek could be in danger right now.

"But are you sure that you're safe, So-ah? Is there anything that I can do? I - I know I'm not - but I have powers, too, I can protect you if you need me - " Hu-ye started.

So-ah gaze softened and she smiled at him. "No, Hu-ye, it's alright. This, right now, is what you can do - you can listen to me and be my friend. That's all I need from you."

Hu-ye closed the distance between them and looked into her eyes, searching. Eventually he sighed and backed away. "Well...if you're sure. But - you must keep me informed at all times, especially if the god that attacked you comes back! I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, So-ah." Then he paused and swallowed hard, as if he hadn't meant to say that. "I - I truly couldn't bear it."

So-ah reached out and took his hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Hu-ye," she said softly. "Jin Geon is here with me, and Bi Ryeom, and Habaek is going to win against the Sky King. Then he's going to come back to me and everything is going to be fine, just like before. Right?"

Her friend was quiet for a long time. Eventually he gave the smallest nod and replied, "Right."

...

Hu-ye insisted on escorting So-ah home, and she complied, allowing him to call for a personal car. He walked her up to her gate and they said their good-nights, and he watched as she entered the house.

Hu-ye stood there for a while longer, anxiously searching for shapes in the bushes or monsters in the shadows. When nothing seemed to be amiss, he finally accepted that he wasn't needed, and turned away. So-ah had asked him to be her friend, and that's what he would do, no more and no less unless she said otherwise.

Walking back to the car that was waiting to bring him to his own home, he suddenly pulled up short, fire springing to life in his hands. Jin Geon stood in front of him, half-hidden in the shadows of the alley that led to So-ah's place. He stared at Hu-ye, glancing only briefly at his burning hands. Hu-ye stood there, tense, unsure what to do. After a while of just standing there without the full god attacking, Hu-ye finally decided to douse his flames.

That's when Jin Geon decided to speak. And what he said was not something Hu-ye expected to hear,

"I owe you an apology, Shin Hu-ye."

Hu-ye reeled back, startled. "I - I don't understand, Jin Geon." Hu-ye was the one who should be apologizing, the least of which he should do - he was the cause of Jin Geon's brother's death, after all.

"I do not blame you for my brother's death," the god said, as if reading the CEO's mind. "You were a frightened child, and Bi Ryeom -" a pained look crossed his face, the first emotion Hu-ye had seen. "Bi Ryeom is a good friend, and a good lord, but he lets his emotions and desires get the best of him too often. I should not have let him torment you the way he did last year. It was cruel of him, and unhealthy, and unfair to both you and my brother's memory."

The minor god then tucked his hands into his side and bowed, shocking Hu-ye even more. "Please forgive Lord Bi Ryeom and myself for the pain we caused you."

"I - I -" Hu-ye stuttered. Eventually he breathed in deeply, and decided to return the bow, lowering himself to the same level as Jin Geon. "Even if you don't blame me, I am still responsible for your brother's death. So please allow me to apologize for that and somehow make amends. Thank-you for your kind words. I accept - your apology."

Jin Geon nodded, understanding the difference, and rose from his bow. Hu-ye copied him. They stood staring at each other for a moment once more, and then Jin Geon said,

"I assure you, I will protect Lady So-ah with my life. But even so, keep eyes and ears out among your godly contacts for Sky Country traitors. They may try to use you, the lord of fire, in this war, and I imagine you would want to avoid that, for both your and Lady So-ah's sake."

Hu-ye nodded. "Yes. I understand. Thank-you, Jin Geon."

But Jin Geon had already disappeared.

...
Water Country, Realm of the Gods

Water Country was just as he remembered it.

Habaek breathed in the air of his home, loving the slightly salty tang to it, the freshness of it. He stood on a wooden bridge that arched from the lower porch of his mansion to a small beach; underneath a brook bubbled merrily on its way to the ocean, not-so-far off in the distance. Seagulls cried out to their kin, and waves crashed against each other in beautiful harmony. The water of all the oceans, lakes, streams, swamps, ponds, and puddles called out to him, welcoming him home, ecstatic that he had returned. Brightly colored lotuses and water lilies drifted near to him, perfuming the air with their scent.

He wished So-ah could see this. The beauty, the majesty of his home. If only there was a way to have her with him always, in a way that she would approve. She loved her human world and her human life, and he respected that, but what he wouldn't give to have her live with him forever...

"Habaek." Mura's voice pulled him from his reverie. He turned to see her standing next to him, back alert, even as her hand lightly brushed against the strands of a willow tree that grew next the bridge. Her eyes bore into him.

"Habaek, I know how glorious it feels to finally be in the Realm of the Gods again after so long," she began, "but you know we must deal with the Sky King's threat as quickly as possible."

Habaek nodded. "Yes, you're right." Then he paused and gave her a small, teasing smile, still high off the euphoria of returning to his kingdom. "But I'm a bit surprised, Mura. I thought you would be convincing me to stay and enjoy our return for as long as we can."

Mura tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Hmmph. We'll have plenty of time to enjoy Water Country after we've dealt with that bastard. Bi Ryeom said he wanted to come back anyway, and maybe you can finally convince So-ah to come here for good, and then we'll finally all be where we belong."

Habaek chuckled. "Ah, sounds good to me." Then he grew serious. "But you're right. First we must deal with the Sky King."

The question, of course, was how to do that.

Suddenly, cutting through the bird calls and chattering waves, a voice called, "Habaek! Habaek!"

Habaek looked over to the side of his mansion, where from around the corner came a well-dressed, dark-haired woman. She was running, and when she saw Habaek her speed increased. Habaek immediately brushed past Mura and raced to meet the woman in the middle; the two collided and embraced.

"Oh, Habaek! My love, my heart, my darling! It's been too long!" the woman cried.

Habaek pulled back but still held her in his arms. With a wide smile, he said, "Mother, it's wonderful to see you."

Seowangmeo, the Queen Mother of the West and Habaek's adoptive mother, beamed up at him. Her jet black hair was coiled in a tight bun, and long gold earrings dangled from her ears. She wore a cream-colored wonsam with light green edging on the sleeves and light blue on the hem. Pictures of deer were embroidered on the sleeves while the hem was decorated with cranes.

"My son, it really has been too long," the Queen Mother repeated, her brown eyes searching Habaek's face, drinking him in.

"I know, Mother," Habaek said. He took one of his mother's hands and kissed her knuckles. "And I wish I were here under better circumstances, but unfortunately we both know that's not the case."

Seowangmeo pulled back, frowning. "What do you mean? What do we know?" She then glanced down and, with some surprise, said, "Oh, and Mura's here."

Mura had fallen to one knee, head bowed. At the sound of her name, she responded, "My lady Seowangmeo, it is a great honor to see you again."

"Yes, yes. You may rise." Seowangmeo fluttered a hand at Mura before turning back to Habaek. "Now, tell me, what did you mean? What's going on?"

Surprise flashed on Habaek's face. "Do you really not know, Mother? Has he not made it public, then?" His mother arched an eyebrow at him, and he continued, barely able to contain the anger in his voice,

"Mother, the Sky King has declared war on me. On Water Country. He plans to usurp the throne from me."

Seowangmeo stared at him for a long while, face blank. Then her eyes flashed dangerously, and she pulled Habaek into another embrace and clutched him to her, almost painfully.

"Don't worry, my son," she said into his ear, tone fierce. "Don't worry at all. Everything is going to be fine. That puny little god thinks he can dare attack you? My son? The future Emperor of the Gods? What a joke - I will turn him into dust for even thinking of such a thing!"

Almost unconsciously, Habaek softened into his mother's arms. Everything is going to be fine, she had said.

And with every fiber of his being, Habaek believed her.


A.N. - I hope you all enjoyed! Any constructive comments or criticisms welcome!

wonsam - female ceremonial topcoat in hanbok, traditional Korean clothing. It was usually worn by queens, princesses, and high-ranking noblewomen during the Joseon era. Royal hanbok were often sewn or embroidered with the "ten traditional symbols of longevity: the sun, mountains, water, clouds, rocks or stone, pine trees, the mushroom of immortality, turtles, white cranes, and deer."