DragonHeart | Minsung

XXIV

As the sun rose, its rays began to shine through the fabric of the tent. Jisung reluctantly opened his eyes after he woke, the crisp morning air creeping into his nose.

He slowly came to his senses, and realised that he was alone, despite them having slept together again that night.

Jisung couldn't help but worry about Minho's whereabouts. Sure, he could've just left to pee, that was most likely the case. Despite that, his mind raced with ways that he could've gotten hurt, or captured. He quickly got up and crawled out of the tent.

Minho was just sitting near the fire, heating up food for them, completely fine. Jisung let out a sigh of relief, and felt a bit embarrassed about how dramatic he'd been.

Minho looked up when he noticed that he was there and gave him a warm, caring smile. "Morning," he said. "Hungry?"

Jisung smiled back at him. "Yeah," he said, walking to side by the fire with him.

"Did you sleep well?" Minho asked as he handed Jisung his share of food.

Jisung nodded. "Mmhm, and you?"

"Me too."

The two of them began to take down their camp after they finished eating. With everything packed up, they continued, following the trail down the river.

They eventually came across a bridge, which they'd need to cross to get back to the main road. It was old, and looked like it was ready to collapse any minute. The horses needed some coaxing, but they did make it across safely.

There were no signs of any other people on the main road once they got there. It was close to Gimpo, they could see the mountains in the distance now that there were less trees to block the view. Not many humans would travel this far, still driven by fear, so it would be unlikely to meet any humans that could slow them down.

"What do you think your father thinks of you leaving?" Minho asked as their horses walked alongside each other.

It was a subject that they hadn't quite touched on yet, and Jisung honestly hadn't thought delved into it himself.

"I- really don't know...we were never close, so I doubt that he cares much," he said with an awkward chuckle. "He's probably more worried about our family image...I mean, a Prince abandoning his duties won't sit well with the kingdom."

"They'll understand once they know the truth," Minho replied.

"I'm not so sure if they'll ever know that..." Jisung mumbled.

Minho was able to reach over and pat his shoulder. "They will...we'll figure it out, Jisung."

Their conversations shifted back to less serious topics; food, hobbies, and childhood memories. They even raced a bit to pass the time, Jisung and Bbama winning, which elevated his ego for a while.

Minho stopped them at another clearing. "Let's stop here for tonight...the border is about a mile down the road, we should wait to cross tomorrow."

Jisung agreed, and they went about the usual routine of setting up the tent, building a fire, and cooking food.

"We're running low on supplies, Jisung...we'll need to hunt or find something else soon," Minho said. They'd been snacking too much over the past few days, and it was catching up with them.

Jisung nodded. He wasn't good at hunting, or gathering, so he knew he couldn't provide much, but he was willing to learn.

As night descended, they gathered around the fire, savoring their dwindling supplies. Jisung glanced up at the sky, trying to map out the constellations that Minho had pointed out the night before.

"We should get some sleep," Minho suggested, watching the embers glow.

Jisung agreed, and they retreated to the tent. The night air was cold but the comfort of the tent and the warmth from each other's embraced overpowered the chill.

As they settled in, Minho spoke in a softer tone, "When we're in Gimpo, you might need to see me...dragon me, more often. I know it makes you uncomfortable, but I can keep you safer that way."

After Minho's father died, a new leader was never chosen, so there was less order among them. Even though most dragons still held their roots to their vow of protecting humans, some hostile rouges still roamed Gimpo. Many dragons had also decided to live solitary lives, which brought fighting for territory and resources. It could be dangerous for two humans to be out, but a human and a dragon added more security.

Jisung nodded, "I know...and you don't have to hide yourself from me..." He would still need some time to adjust, to erase the horror stories he was taught, but he knew Minho wasn't a real threat. They were bonded after all. He wanted to embrace that part of him too.

————

"Sir, it's been over two weeks..." Changbin said, standing in front of the Incheon King in his chambers.

Changbin had become increasingly worried as days passed with no signs of Jisung. He knew that his survival skills were severely lacking, and it could be dangerous for a Prince to be wandering around by himself.

Nobody was addressing it. The King never told the people that Jisung was missing, and nobody within the castle was speaking about it either. They mourned the loss of the Queen and the knights lost, but nothing for the Prince.

"With all due respect, sir...we should be looking for him," Changbin said.

The King was hard to read. His face was stern, emotionless, and Changbin expected him to just order him to leave. However, he did nod his head in agreement.

"He needs to come home before word gets around," he said.

"You can leave tomorrow...you can go alone."