Soul of a Dragon

10

The ride to the new camp seemed all too long for one Kim Taehyung.

The squirmy youth in front of him had not stopped moving the entire trip, though if the stoic soldier were one to feel sympathetic, he would not have blamed him. Jungkook could not have his wounds helped along by the elvish magic, and would simply have to let them heal naturally. The thought that he was fortunate to not have sustained further serious injury flashed through Taehyung's mind and was gone just as quickly before he could question it.

The Equestrian's trotting gait was surprisingly smooth, but even so, the slight movement pained the boy, though he didn't let it show.

A signal went down the line to their spot closer to the back, with Yoongi and Jimin close behind leading the mage's lithe Arabian, that there was an obstacle that would have to be jumped in order to continue forward. Taehyung felt Jungkook tense in front of him, but he said nothing.

The 'obstacle' was nothing more than a small crack in the ground that ran lengthways across their path for who knew how far. It was only a few feet wide, easy for even a heavily laden steed, and effortless for the Equestrian. They wouldn't even need to change pace to make the jump.

Approaching the cleft, Taehyung let the Equestrian have its head on the peculiarities of the speed and such. He would have to get used to certain things concerning his new mount, as even though his destrier had been of above average intelligence, it could not make decisions like these itself. The reason the Equestrians were so special was that they could make such decisions, and with as level a head as few humans were gifted with.

Jungkook suddenly leaned back against Taehyung as the steed launched itself forward, ebony hair and warm, solidly contoured back pressed against his chest in such a way that were he not in his sane mind, he would have said was oddly comfortable.

Landing on the other side, the light jarring sent a shock wave through the youth's body that Taehyung felt through their connection, which was abruptly replaced with cooler air as Jungkook leaned forward to wrap a protective arm about his side, one hand on the saddle horn in front of him to keep him seated.

Showing a small bit of consideration, Taehyung paused long enough for the youth to regain his composure, then when he straightened, lightly tapped the Equestrian's side with his heels to catch up to their place in line.

...

"Um... I'm sorry about what happened earlier..." Jungkook muttered, seated next to Jimin.

The party had set up camp about an hour earlier, no other significant event having taken place during the short journey, and those that were able were set out as watchers.

The double circle now included the four humans and their fire, the injured set in the center closer to the fires, and periodically using spurts of healing magic on each other as their strength would allow. The end result would be a group of fully healed elves within a few days. One main reason for the group to be fully encircled was that if anything happened, then Taehyung was their only hope of survival. His almost brutal killing of the Vasillisk had brought him new respect in the eyes of all the elves. It was now as if their small group was no longer separate, but welcomed into the whole.

Jimin shook his head, a small smile spreading across his pale lips.

"Don't worry about it...really." He replied quietly. "It was not your fault...plus you made up for anything by helping us fight off those creatures."

A half smile crossed Jungkook's face. "Thank you."

Feeling the need to further the conversation, Jimin grasped for a topic.

"Erm...I don't mean to pry, but when I touched that...collar...it burned me." He paused awkwardly. "...but it doesn't seem to do the same to you." It wasn't really a question, but it was the first thing that had come to mind.

Jungkook frowned a bit, eyes hooded. He was silent for so long that Jimin almost feared he would not answer.

"It affects me the same way..." He said then, quietly.

The blonde's eyes widened a bit. "It...it does? But...why...I mean-" He stuttered.

"Why doesn't it seem like it?" Jungkook cut in. The mage gave a meek nod. "I've lived with it for so long...I can't remember a time without the pain. It doesn't physically burn me, but the feeling is there. The thing is, either I ignore it, or I go mad..." He said this like it was an everyday thing, and it shouldn't bother anyone.

It bothered Jimin.

"Do you know of a way to take it off?" He asked, concern darkening his hazel eyes.

Jungkook actually smiled at him.

"You think I would have kept it on this long if I knew how to take it off?" He said almost lightheartedly. "The earliest memory I have has this thing in it, but that doesn't ever seem too long ago. I remember waking up in an orphanage, and that's as far back as I can remember."

"Orphanage?" The mage asked, feeling as if he were getting somewhere.

"It was run by an older couple who couldn't have children of their own. The other children came and went but they sort of adopted me. The patriarch, Mr. Jeon, even gave me his last name." Jungkook smiled as he said this. "They said they'd found me outside their door, comatose, and with this collar already on me. They took real good care of me..." His voice drifted off, and Jimin could practically see the flashes of memory taking the youth away. And they turned to not so pleasant memories as his face contorted with sorrow for a moment.

"What happened?" The blonde asked quietly, not quite wishing to reawaken old hurts.

"The orphanage burned. They all burned..." Jungkook whispered, looking at the ground directly in front of him as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"How?" He persisted.

"A flash of light...and heat...I heard their screams...and then a loud roaring sound..." The suddenly broken speech was accented by an intense shaking that had taken the youth's body. "They were screaming...an...an explosion...or something...then...something black." His violet eyes were wide and unseeing, the horrifying images that played through his mind casting their shadow over his thoughts.

Jimin could tell something was wrong, and he quickly took hold of the boy's shoulders to deliver a waking shake.

"Jungkook!" He said in a commanding tone, pulling the youth's haunting eyes to him. "It' s alright. You're here. You're safe." He had to repeat that twice more before Jungkook seemed to snap out of whatever had taken hold of him, and his shoulders sagged forward, hands coming up to bury his face in. He was trembling badly.

Feeling awkward, Jimin gathered the youth to him, offering what comfort he could.

Eyes even then dry, Jungkook allowed himself to be coddled while the still bright images started to dim and dull in their startling vivacity.

"Sorry." The doe eyed younger murmured after a while, pulling himself out of the mage's area of security.

Jimin offered him a reassuring smile.

"No, don't apologize for something like that." He said. "It wasn't your fault...actually..." Here Jimin paused before voicing the thought that had suddenly entered his mind.

"Where was the orphanage located?" He then put forth.

Jungkook looked up at him.

"In...the foothills of the northern mountains..." He answered a bit hesitantly. "Why?"

Jimin was a moment answering him.

"Do you know why we are here? No, no one's probably told you yet." Jimin answered himself. "We were sent to hunt down a dragon-"

"That man said something about a dragon." Jungkook interrupted. Jimin blinked.

"That man?" He questioned. Jungkook pointed to where the stoic soldier stood at his post.

"Oh...That's Taehyung. He, Yoongi, and myself, as well as our elvish companions, are all hunting a dragon that's been terrorizing the plains for a little while. Now...I believe that the same dragon we hunt could have possibly been the cause of the fire in your orphanage...."