Broken Glass - Taekook

31

The seven of us pile into the cart, and once we're all settled, Jimin says something to the animals from where he sits at the front. There's a pause, and then they surge forward, beginning our trek across the Yarolian Plains to Queen Arlayna, somewhere within. 

We seem to fly across the earth, unburdened by the trees that slowed our journey before. The horse and wolves don't appear to get tired, as I would expect them to. Instead, they speed up the further we go, moving away from the evidence we left at the edge of the Rymateri Forest. It's a thrilling journey, in a way, the wind pushing against my face as the cart accelerates, the wooden wheels creaking below us. 

Nobody says anything, too busy processing what happened at the edge of the forest. The body we abandoned in the earth. The tactics we used to finish the battle as quickly as possible. The face we saw, crying blood into the dirt from eyes that were no longer there. 

The gruesome image remains in my mind as sunset approaches, the sky revolving from blue to gold to orange above us. There's no clouds, no moon, and for a while, no stars. When the first few diamonds begin to glow in the west, we slow down, but don't stop. The horse and wolves run through the night, Jimin sitting awake to guide them through the plains, his hands grasping onto ethereal reigns that take on a luminosity of their own in the fading light. 

As the sun begins to rise, and the rest of us begin to wake up, Hoseok's eyes briefly flash gold, and he smiles a little. "The queen is expecting us." I tilt my head at him for a moment, and he must see the confusion in my expression. "I called out to her during the fight. She was too far away to help, but she welcomes us with open arms, and apologises for not being there to protect us." 

"What does she make of the presence of the king's forces, this far out?" Namjoon asks curiously, leaning forward and then regretting his decision as the cart rocks slightly with its movement. Hoseok pauses, and then shakes his head. 
"She didn't say. I think we will have to ask that kind of thing in person. It does not do well to say names of power until we are in a safe space," he responds thoughtfully, and the mage just nods in understanding. 

Taehyung and Jimin sit together at the front of the cart, as the sun rises slightly behind us, as we head to the west. They're talking, too quiet for me to hear over the repetitive squeaking of the wheels, the rhythmic sound of hooves and paws hitting the ground in tandem. After a while, I see Jimin nod slightly, reluctantly, and pass the reigns to Taehyung. The pixie then scoots backward, curling into Hoseok's lap and drifting off into sleep. 

The alchemist just smiles, looking fondly down at Jimin as he rests, running a hand through his partner's hair. "Driving the cart this whole way must have tired him out," he comments. "I was worried about that, to be honest. I knew it was necessary, but it was dangerous." He glances over at Taehyung. "He chose the right replacement, though. Tae is also closely attuned with nature, so he will be able to properly guide us through the plains." 

"How do you know which way to go?" I question suddenly, and Hoseok's eyes flicker over to me for a moment. 
"A mixture of an understanding of the layout of the kingdom, and the stars above, and the guidance of the river. We can sometimes ask it to flow on the ground before us, leading us in the direction we should take." 

"Like my dream," I realise, remembering the trails of golden light that curled around and pointed me towards the faerie city in the middle of the Yarolian Plains. Namjoon just nods in confirmation, his eyes drifting closed for a moment, as he leans against the side of the cart.

I take a moment to look at my friends, and this is when I realise what their efforts have done to them. They're exhausted, faces paler than usual, and I'm not blind enough to see the stress in their hunched shoulders, their quiet conversations. Taehyung's hands are almost white as he grips the reigns between his fingers, the hold weakening every so often.  They may have had the night to recover, but this isn't exactly the most ideal of circumstances.