𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐒

#.. SIXTEEN

seungmin and jiseok did a fight to test out whether jiseok was able to feel an earthbender's attack. they'd need it, when fighting against the earth king and the soldiers.

"i'm sorry if i accidentally hurt you" seungmin apologised in advance, getting ready into battle stance.

jiseok did the same, trying to locate seungmin's position by feeling him breathe. "the same applies to you, too" the elder said with a slight smile.

but seungmin disapproved. "that'd be good. you have to test out your strength, i can recover if i'm hurt, that's fine. we have jooyeon, just in case."

and with that, their match started. seungmin took a deep breath, slipping into the role of his father, who would definitely try to hurt jiseok by confusing him with an earthquake.

so that's what seungmin did, performing the move, the prince stomped down on the floor, causing a crack rip through the floor towards jiseok as the ground around him started to shake.

before the airbender could fall down, he pushed himself up with an air gust, but because he couldn't fly like his older brother could yet, he pushed himself towards a safe place on the ground, where he didn't feel any air moving.

just a few moments later, he felt something fly towards him - by the sheer size of it, jiseok quickly figured that it was a huge rock.

he split it with an air slice, holding the two chunks in the air, before sending them back towards seungmin, slicing the chunks into smaller, more pointed pieces.

hearing seungmin grunt along with the sound of crusting earth made jiseok smile. he managed to hit seungmin. then he realised: he hit seungmin.

"oh my god, are you okay?!" the airbender squeaked, running towards the place seungmin was lying on.

the said boy just groaned and jiseok could feel him nod, even though his staggered and shallow breathing told him otherwise.

seungmin stood up, obviously restraining any moan of pain. "yeah, yeah, i'm fine. it just scratched me"

only if jiseok could see the pointy rock that was stuck in seungmin's abdomen. he put his hands on the place that was penetrated, trying to stop the bleeding.

"lets search for jooyeon."

[...]

"do i really have to undress...?" seungmin mumbled, looking at the fifteen year old in shock.

jooyeon just sighed and nodded. "yeah, unless you want all your clothes stick to your body for hours after that."

good argument. jiseok helped him undress, still not knowing how serious the injury was. until his hand suddenly bumped against the rock.

"seungmin..." the prince sighed. "didn't want to worry you." yet before he could say anything else, jooyeon grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the river source.

the seventeen year old's naked body was now floating in the cold water, the rock stake still buried in his abdomen.

jiseok was sitting on the shore as he felt them drifting away further and further. the whole process must hurt, seungmin let out a few hisses and grunts.

he was then accompanied by hyeongjun, who sat down next to jiseok. "how's it going?"

jiseok had no answer for that. he was still not used to not seeing anything, but on the other hand he couldn't remember how it was like to see.

"i think it's okay?" he then replied, scratching the back of his head. "i accidentally hurt seungmin while practising, though. feels pretty bad. i don't know how i'm supposed to fight against the earth king."

the spirit sighed, wrapping his arm around jiseok's shoulder. "i believe in this case, you have to separate the king and the prince" hyeongjun remarked.

"the only thing they share is one last name. king oh is brutal, relentless and bloodthirsty. crown prince seungmin on the other hand..."

the two didn't notice how seungmin and jooyeon slowly started to return. jooyeon heard the said thing, freezing.

"what."
the attention was on their youngest now. he was just standing there, his clothes dripping wet as he looked in seungmin's direction, who was putting on his clothes.

hyeongjun and jiseok immediately sat up, looking at jooyeon with widened eyes - they forgot that they didn't tell him.

jooyeon walked towards seungmin. "is it true?" he then asked the elder, who was currently adjusting the shirt. "huh?"

"don't play dumb" jooyeon exclaimed, tears in his eyes. "are you the king's son?!"

should seungmin tell him? he deserved to know his true identity. sooner or later it would be revealed anyway.

"we didn't want to tell you.." seungmin mumbled, too ashamed to look at jooyeon.

oh seungmin, crown prince of the earth kingdom. other people would die for this title, yet here seungmin was, so ashamed of it.

jooyeon's brows furrowed, he looked desperate and angry at the same time. "you... you.." he couldn't find the right words.

taking a deep breath, seungmin then looked up, trying to look confident. "i'm oh seungmin, the earth kingdom's crown prince. despite that, i decided to flee the kingdom with my best friend and one of the last airbender.

despite being the son of a brutal monarch, i decided to help you guys on your fight against my father.

i know he's done you harm, no words and actions will replace the emptiness my father's doing left in you, but please. i am not like him."

jooyeon just teared up, rage filling his body as he clenched his hands into fists. "you- you bastard!" he shouted, his body trembling as he tried his best to not attack him.

"i trusted you! just to find out that your dad killed my parents?! how can we be sure that we can trust you?! you're probably a fucking spy!"

jooyeon took some of the river's water, the huge droplets levitating above his hands. he'd genuinely hurt seungmin, so hyeongjun shot up and walked towards jooyeon.

"i'm sorry.." seungmin muttered once again, that made jooyeon even more angry. "sorry? that's all you're able to say?!"

hyeongjun put his hand on jooyeon's shoulder, smiling softly at him. "shall we take a walk?" he asked friendly, patting jooyeon.

the youngest just sighed, letting go of the water as he took a deep breath, nodding as he followed hyeongjun away, leaving seungmin and jiseok behind.