Jeongin and Chan seemed to get along just fine, as soon as the initial tension washed off. Felix glanced over his shoulder to see the two of them tail behind him and Woojin, chatting about something. Chan was smiling fondly at Jeongin as he explained something in a rather animated way.
"I didn't think they would warm up to each other this quickly," Woojin said and Felix snapped his head back to look at Woojin who was walking beside him. "Not after that first encounter."
"I think we're all just... on edge," Felix said slowly and Woojin hummed, nodding his head a little. "I don't think Chan meant to distrust you as a person it's just-"
"Because I'm a human," Woojin cut him off and Felix licked his lips before nodding slowly. "It's fine," Woojin said, turning to look at the road ahead of them and Felix followed suit. "I don't expect any of you to trust me blindly," he continued. "Thank you for... I don't know, not killing me."
"You don't..." Felix sighed, brushing some of his dark hair away from his forehead. "Don't thank me. I think I speak for both me and Chan when I say that we both just wants to get across Tremorndin without much bloodshed." Woojin nodded and Felix sighed, shoulders dropping. "There has been way too much bloodshed over this war already."
"I couldn't agree more," Woojin said, sighing heavily. "My father was drafted into the army when he was younger and he was lucky to make it out alive... He has told me some of it and..." He trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip. "I just pray there will be an end to this madness soon enough."
"I hope so," Felix sighed, glancing over to Woojin.
"I hope you don't mind me asking..." Woojin began slowly and Felix just raised an eyebrow. "Are you human?"
"I'm not..." Felix replied, studying Woojin's expression closely. Woojin didn't reply, he just nodded slowly. "I'm a half elf," he continued, raising a hand to brush his fingers over the jagged edges of his ears.
"I see," Woojin murmured. "Did you live among humans?" he asked and Felix nodded, pressing his lips together. Woojin, seemingly realizing that Felix wasn't fond of this subject, did not ask anything more about it. There was a pause as they walked along the road, just staring at the road ahead of them and the mountain range that was starting to peek above the horizon line.
"What path have you planned to take across the mountain range?" Woojin asked, breaking the silence and Felix chewed on his bottom lip, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"I actually..." he trailed off, adjusting the tight and high collar of his shirt a little. "We haven't... decided."
"No?"
"No." Felix shook his head. "Chan has never travelled over Tremorndin, save for flying and neither have I... I'm afraid we do not have a map either."
"Well then," Woojin said and Felix could see a small smile begin to stretch on Woojin's lips. "You're lucky. Because I have a map with me," he said, grinning as he patted his bag.
"You do?" Felix asked, eyes wide as he looked at Woojin. "Wow we sure are lucky," he continued, a relieved laugh slipping past his lips. Woojin's grin just widened. "Thank you."
"No problem," Woojin said softly, patting Felix's arm gently. It felt weird, honestly. Two weeks ago, Felix had been all alone in his cottage in the middle of the forest and now he was traveling towards the unknown in the company of a dragon, a phoenix and a human.
Fate seemed to have something special in mind for them.
"Can I ask you something?" Jeongin asked as he and Felix were sitting by the campfire. Chan and Woojin were sleeping, soft snores coming from them. Felix, eyes lingering on Chan's relaxed face, hummed.
"Ask away," he replied, brushing some of Chan's hair away from his forehead before looking up at Jeongin. Jeongin was looking at Felix with curious eyes, fire flickering in his red irises; Felix wasn't sure if it was the innate flame from Jeongin's heritage or if it was a reflection of the warm, gentle campfire.
"What happened to Chan?" Jeongin asked softly, glancing down at Chan and then back at Felix. "I know he's injured but... it looked really serious."
"It is," Felix murmured, looking back down at Chan. They had been lucky, avoiding more infections and fevers but Felix knew the wound was still not healing as it should have had, had Chan just rested. "He was... he was hit by a ballista bolt," Felix explained slowly and Jeongin nodded. "He managed to get away from the battlefield but ended up getting disoriented and fell from the sky above the Bonamore woods."
"This war..." Jeongin mumbled, rubbing his face. "I never... Sure I thought about it and it was always present in my life, as it's been going on my whole life... but I never really thought about it until recently? I mean, I've lived 20 years thinking I'm just a human." He shrugged. "I didn't have to suffer until..." He gestured to himself, pointing at his hair. "Until things started to happen."
"You didn't know you were..?" Felix trailed off and Jeongin nodded, fiddling with his fingers.
"It just surfaced one day," Jeongin whispered, chewing nervously at his lower lip. "I was out in the forest and everything just... changed. I don't know." He swallowed hard, adam's apple bobbing.
"What did you do?" Felix asked carefully, still brushing his fingers over Chan's hair. "When you found out? Did... did your parents know?"
"No, uhm," Jeongin trailed off, glancing over at Woojin. "My mother left when I was very young and my... my dad was accused of witchcraft," he whispered, shoulders dropping and Felix could see the tears welling up in his eyes. "I was left alone for maybe a year. I lived in a very small house, helped out at the blacksmiths place in town... then this happened."
"I'm sorry," Felix said, sighing heavily as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm really sorry, Jeongin."
"Thank you," Jeongin murmured. There was a pause as Jeongin looked down on his hands, fiddling nervously with his fingers. "I told Woojin the day after."
"Oh."
"He's... He's a childhood friend of mine," Jeongin explained. "He's the son of the blacksmith... I trust him, I trust him with everything I have. When I told him..." He licked his lips before taking a deep breath. "When I told him... he abandoned everything. He gave up his whole life to get me to safety."
Felix looked over to Woojin, sighing heavily. "That's... very nice of him. He seems very kind."
"He is," Jeongin confirmed, smile stretching on his lips. "I wouldn't be alive without him."
Felix nodded, not saying anything else. Neither did Jeongin. The two of them just looked out over the open fields around them, watching as the sun began to rise in the far east.
