Broken Glass - Taekook

51

At the end of the third day, we finally make it to the river, where we'll spend a day or two resting in preparation for the next leg of our journey. By this point, we're more than a little exhausted, tired of hacking through vines to get through the forest, longing for some indication that the sun still exists somewhere above us, however dramatic that may sound to outside ears. It's hard to believe, but after the openness of the Yarolian Plains, it's weird to suddenly go back into a much more closed environment, no matter how much we longed for it when we were trekking through the savannah. 

But when we hear the gentle sound of water droplets falling, the quiet rush of slowly moving water, and notice small clues of past floods, a fresh wave of energy washes over us for a moment. Yoongi in particular perks up a lot, his eyes lighting up a little as he realises we're not far away from our next minor destination.

The Wasarundo River is a wide, remarkably tranquil body of water, that runs through the entirety of the Imbaka Forest, dividing the place into two halves. The surface itself seems to glimmer with an inner power and peace, that only grows stronger the closer we move towards it. It's surrounded by a mix of weeping willows that drape their leaves into the river, young birches that lean out of the earth around us, and tall reeds that wave gently in the breeze, dead seed heads shifting and rustling with every moment. 

This place seems to have a hidden energy, one that follows the flow of the water as it slowly heads towards the sea. In the back of my mind, I find myself wondering what could possibly reside here, in order to create such a strong impression. But my friends don't seem particularly worried, so I have to assume that there's no danger to be found here. As we head closer to the riverbank, however, something moves in the corner of my vision.

I freeze completely, genuinely scared. 

Taehyung glances over at me, baffled, and I hold one finger to my lips, the other coming to slowly pull that old knife from my belt. I could unsheathe the sword at my waist, but that would create a more obvious sound. I can't risk that. If we can sneak up on whatever's nearby, then we'll have the upper hand. And we need that right now. 

As my friends slowly glance over at me, realise that I'm armed, they begin to make similar preparations. Yoongi pulls out his two daggers. Jimin readies a dart. Hoseok carefully takes out his own sword, masking the sound somehow, by timing it with the rhythmic swaying of the reeds. Seokjin unhooks the axe he uses for firewood, hefting it over one shoulder and waiting for something to happen. 

Between us all, the faintly glowing form of Aphelia floats, lighting up the space around us a little, until Namjoon takes out the pouch used to keep her safe. She floats into it slowly, and he ties up the bindings, so that not even a small part of her glow is visible. For a moment, we stand in stasis, staring around at the surrounding forest as if expecting it to attack at any moment, as if challenging the universe itself. 

And then Yoongi's hard expression falters, softens a little, and his gaze flickers round the rest of us for a moment. He pauses for a moment, as if processing something, and sheathes one dagger carefully, leaving the other exposed. He beckons the rest of us forward, and we follow with bated breath, wondering what he's found. Namjoon's expression is distrusting, however, and I understand his caution. 

We've all heard stories of mind control or body control. Even I have by now, thanks to my conversations with these guys. The idea that someone can just take over, and force another person to do their bidding, for no apparent reason other than for the sake of using that power.

And this could easily be an example of this, a Karulian Knight or other agent using our trust in Yoongi to bring us to an untimely death or harsh interrogation. It could easily be another creature, a malevolent force, that revels in the king's special brand of madness, or just doesn't want us crossing over its territory. And there may not be much we can do to fix it.