Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

Tyunning- Marked at Birth

"The one who will be your downfall was marked with your initials on his right wrist. He will not know the significance but you will. Do not underestimate him as he is your equal."

Taehyun looked at his own wrist and saw two initials he didn't recognize. "B.C" was branded into it after he took the potion. He looked at the young dewy eyed man in front of him and asked "are these his?"

The young master replied "B.C? I suppose it could be. This is an oddity."

"Meaning?"

"Well... several before you have taken the potion yet none were branded such as yourself."

Taehyun looked at the human Bambi with cynicism and demanded "guess the significance."

"I don't want to tell you something false dear Prince."

"Then list the possibilities."

"Very well. They could be who was just marked. They could be another who will be significant to you in some way. It could also be the location of who you're looking for. Either way, they'll lead you to someone with great importance."

Taehyun looked at his wrist again. "B.C" didn't sit well in his mind because he couldn't think of anyone or anywhere with those initials. If they weren't the same people then he had another person to search for. A task that also didn't sit well with him. According to the oracle, his downfall was going to come by his next birthday. While his birthday was nearly a year away, he figured it was better to find this person now rather than give them more time to prepare.

"Pardon me. I don't mean to interrupt your thoughts but is there anything else you require today?"

Taehyun took a hard look at the black haired man and decided he wanted company on his journey. "I would like your services into the foreseeable future."

"With all due respect... I do have other clients who count on me."

"I'm sure they'll understand. I can make it worth your while too. Will gold or a seat at my table convince you?"

"Neither is necessary."

"Then what do you desire sir...?" Taehyun looked around for a nameplate somewhere. There wasn't one to be found. Finding this guy in general seemed to be a miracle. He could only be located by a single card with coordinates on it. Coordinates that changed frequently for numerous reasons. The rumor was, according to Soobin, that he never stayed anywhere longer than a month. "May I have your name?"

The stranger slightly frowned at the thought. "You may create one for me to be used by you and you alone."

"May I ask why you're so private?"

"I find that few things in life truly need to be shared with others. I share my services and in return, I ask for anonymity."

"Very well. I'll call you Hyuka. How does that sound?"

"If it's suitable to you then it's suitable to me. Who am I to reject a name given by a Prince?"

Taehyun smirked while offering his hand. The taller truly did remind him of Bambi. Innocent in appearance but he could tell something dark happened to him when he flinched from first touch. "It's lovely to meet you Hyuka."

"Pleasure is mine dear Prince. Might you come back tomorrow? I need time to close up and to notify my other appointments of my absence."

"Appointments? I wasn't aware you accepted them or else I would've made one."

"You are a Prince. There's no need."

"Do I intimidate you that much? You don't need to be so formal unless my parents are around."

"I apologize. I've never met royalty before."

Taehyun became even more confused than he already was. Soobin was his older step-brother. The first in line for the throne. The royal he got Hyuka's card from in the first place. "Surely you've met Prince Soobin Choi?"

"I can't say I have. Although... the Choi name does sound familiar."

"Familiar?"

"Yes!" Hyuka snapped his fingers when he remembered who the mystery Choi was. "He was about your height. Perhaps a bit taller but not by much. He came in here asking for a potion to revive his brother. I told him there was no such thing."

"And?"

"And he insisted I was hiding something though I wasn't. I simply gave him the strongest healing potion I had and sent him on his way."

"And you didn't catch a first name?"

"One moment." Hyuka grabbed a rather large leather bound book from a secret compartment in his desk and plopped it onto the table near the Prince. The aged parchment pages were flipped until he found who the name he was looking for.

Taehyun leaned over to see what Hyuka was pointing to. The name read "Yeonjun Choi". The book didn't list when he came in, what he bought or how much he paid. That information was as confidential as the potion master's real name. "Yeonjun? And you said he was looking to heal his brother?"

"Correct."

"Did you catch his brother's name?"

"Never came up. I apologize." Hyuka watched the Prince's eyebrows scrunch together in thought. Even without magic, he could tell what he was thinking. That the brother is most likely who he was looking to find and that he was going to be dragged on a very long journey to find him. "I don't mean to interrupt your thoughts but may I ask why you believe I've met Prince Soobin?"

"He was the one who gave me your card."

"That's odd. His name isn't in my book nor do I remember meeting him."

Taehyun stared at the four inch thick book then looked back at Hyuka. "How could you possibly remember everyone you've met?"

"I'm gifted with names."

"I see. Well, I intend on coming back at dawn. Is that suitable for you?"

"It is. I'll see you later dear Prince."

Taehyun walked out while staring at his wrist again. "B.C" haunted him. He had no idea who that was or where to find them. So many questions ran through his head. If that was the brother then how would a dying man be his downfall? Was that even the person destined to be his downfall?

The winter breeze nipped at his heels as he hopped onto his horse. Back at the castle was the answer to one question he could get an answer to. How Soobin got Hyuka's card.

Hyuka peaked out of the window until he was sure the Prince was gone. When he was, he created a small portal and tossed all of the irreplaceable things into it. The rest of the cave was burned. Fire looked electric against the crystal white snow around him. Within the heat, he could feel his own mark burning on his wrist.

"K.H" was scarred into his skin as a baby. He always assumed those were his initials but his memory was wiped when he was seventeen due to a spell gone wrong.

Hyuka didn't make potions for profit. He made potions in hopes that one day, he'd get his memory back.