Desert • Flower | TaeJin || BOOK 3#

XVI. Not so desirable solutions

"Ugh... Ummm..."

"My lord!"

Taehyung looks around with some difficulty. It's as if his right eye is not able to see anything. I can't feel half of my face, hands and part of my legs. It's unpleasant how stiff he is no matter how hard he tries to move. It hurts him to try, Taehyung has the feeling that if he does, he will break; even if that is impossible. Taehyung notices that around him there are several workers of the house and Jin too, who looks more relieved than the rest; not to say that he is more aware of what is happening. Taehyung tries to get up without any success and Jin presses him to lie down again and not to try to move.

"Don't do that my lord. If you do that you might break something."

"Br-break something?" repeats Taehyung with difficulty. One of the workers brings a mirror closer as Jin asks and it fastens them in front of Taehyung so he can see himself.

Half of his face is turned to rock, somewhere between gray and strange brown; his hands above the savannah have the same texture and look deformed, almost monstrous, like a half-made sculpture not well chiseled. He assumes the same is true of his legs, where he feels the same. Taehyung starts breathing fast, scared, this has never happened to him before, what is supposed to happen? He gives a whimper of distress.

"Don't get scare my lord. It's natural with what you've been doing" Jin says. He returns the mirror, goes back to Taehyung's side and takes his hand giving light touches, they don't cause him pain. "I can assume that up to this point, you are never had to force yourself this much, but if you uses his dragon this much you will most likely end up wasting away in the element he is able to create and manipulate."

"Dh-since... wh-when...?"

"It's always like that. It's the consequences of abusing the gift you have" Jin clarifies. "You really didn't know? This is why we lose so many soldiers. They are consumed in fire, air, wood... you aren't going to be able to move for a while, but I can ease his pain."

"What to bring?"

"Is there anything else to prepare?"

Taehyung can barely stay awake. He struggles with no way he can help it or understand it. Jin gives instructions on what he needs. The lord's eyesight dims to faintness. He could barely understand that Jin will take over his care until he can feel minimally better.

~ * * * ~

"I want to send a letter to the capital, we need support here. We're not going to be able to survive if we're attacked again."

"I don't think that's a good idea, my lord, they'd ask for you for conscription and without you-"

"It won't happen. What will happen is that we're all going to die if we don't ask for help. There are not enough of us and even if that barrier exists, we can't abuse Jin's ability either."

Fortunately, and thanks to the treatment Jin gave him, his whole face is back to normal; unfortunately, his hands and legs are not. Nevertheless, there is progress and he is not going to complain. What worries him is that there have not been three other attacks during his unconsciousness. Jin has taken care of himself. Everyone thanks him and so far, there hasn't been any problem, but he knows that just like him, Jin can't abuse his power. If he does, who knows what will happen to him. Because if it is the same for everyone, it will hurt a lot to become a plant.

It is a process he has already started, he has seen his hands become porous and full of divisions; as if he was turning into a flower. As good an actor as he is, it is impossible to be able to tell if he is in pain or not, he hides it just like everything else.