The Land of the Gems

Part 5

          Your eyes flutter open slowly, your body feeling heavy from yesterday's events. You look around the carriage to see the majority of everyone still asleep. Alex has a sheet thrown over him while a leg sticks out, to which Jimin hugs closely to his body. Jin rests next to you with the bunny, Moon, sleeping on his chest. Taehyung is curled up with Grace in his arms, her head resting lightly on his chest. You look out the doors of the carriage and see Jungkook resting in the grass, looking up at the sky. Slowly, you toss the sheet covering your form to the side and slide out of the carriage. Your legs fight against you, not wanting to move from the exhaustion rattling your body.
          "Jungkook?" You mutter, sliding onto the grown with little to no grace due to the pain you were still in. Your entire body was sore and you are sure you'd be feeling like this for the next couple of days. Jungkook looks over to you before laying back on the ground, patting the spot next to him. You lay back as well and look up at the sky, smiling as the sun rises just above the trees, an orange hue dancing across the sky.
          "You're staying here while we go to town right?" You hum lightly, sitting up once the sky becomes too bright for you to stare at.
          "Yeah, I don't have the energy to walk around." Jungkook jumps to his feet, offering his hand out to you, helping you up gently before walking back over to the carriage where a few others were beginning to stir.
          "You're up early." Jimin rubs the sleep out of his eyes while he looks over to you and Jungkook.
          "I always wake up early." Jungkook mutters back, sliding into the carriage and waking up Jin and the others. You smile from the entrance of the carriage before helping Grace out. She holds her bunny close, scratching its ears and smiling whenever it nibbles her shirt.
          "Hey Grace, want to help me gather some berries?" Grace nods enthusiastically, tugging on your shirt for you to lead her. You thought it'd be fun to entertain her and just get some snacks to munch on. You turn back to the others and wave at Jin. "See you when you get back!"
          "Don't get too lost. I instructed the bunny to let you know if anything is poisonous!" Jin shouts out at your retreating form. Taehyung chuckles as he watches his sister excitedly lead you into the forest.
          "Annnnd she's gone." Jin mutters, shaking his head. Jungkook laughs, putting on the mask from Wiedergeburt.
          "Lets head out now. We should gather supplies and return before it's dark out." Jimin nods and follows after Jungkook. Jin looks back at at where you disappeared, worried about you. You were always so weak after you used your magic like that. While he asked the animals to look after you he still worried. What if you ran into something out there? What if those soldiers knew where you all were and ventured into the forest.
          "Don't worry, I'll protect them if anything happens." Taehyung smiles at Jin, holding his hand over his heart. "I swear on my life."
          "Then you better hope nothing happens because I'll hold you to that." Jin nods his head before turning and following after Jimin and Jungkook. Taehyung looks over to Alex. Alex smiles sleepily, still tired from being healed. When he was first healed, he had a burst of energy but after a few hours he crashed. Jin and you laughed at him, explaining it was a draw back of the magic.
          "Jin doesn't joke around does he?"
          "I get him though, I'm the same way with Grace." Alex nods, sitting down in the carriage, his legs hanging over the side. While the two males talk about Alex's power and what he's seen while traveling in the circus, you and Grace managed to find another clearing full of berries. A few berries were rejected by Moon while quite a few were accepted.
          "Woah, I wonder what this one tastes like..." You mutter before holding it up to Moon. He sniffs the berry lightly before eating it. "Guess these are good to eat." You throw one in your mouth and your eyes light up.
          "Is it good?" Grace looks up at you and you nod, sliding a few berries into her hands. She munches them happily as you begin to fill a small sack with them.
          "I think these should be good, what do you think?"
          "Can we try those blue ones?" You stand up straight before looking at the blue berries. They hung low from a tree nearby. You pluck one off, purple goo oozing from it. You hold it in front of Moon and he turns his head away.
          "Looks like these might be poisonous." Grace pouts but you just hand her a couple more berries from the sack and pat her head. She accepts them happily before both of you head back the way you came. It takes you a good twenty minutes to get back to the clearing with Alex and Taehyung. Alex was fast asleep, still tired from the magical process. Grace runs into the carriage with Moon, her hands full of berries you gave her. You smile and walk over to Taehyung, handing him a few berries to snack on.
          "You've got quite the collection."
          "Yeah, we gathered as much as we could. It was fun and tasty." Taehyung laughs before looking back at Grace. She had woken Alex up and was proceeding to feed him berries. You laugh as she throws another one up in the air for him to catch in his mouth. She was having a blast and Alex just found her giggles adorable.
          "She's so sweet. Really." Taehyung smiles at you, throwing a few more berries into his mouth.
          "Yeah. Sometimes though she gets really sick. It comes out of no where and these deep black veins appear on her skin." Your eyes widen before you jump up and grab your satchel. You pull out a large book, Taehyung watching you in curiosity.
          "This is a magician book." You flip to the section on Gem Keepers. "Look, it says here that if a Gem Keeper is taken away from their gem, their blood will turn to tar. It'll slowly kill them..." You look up at Taehyung. His eyes were wide as he looks back at Grace. His vision becomes blurry as he stares at her laughing form. What would have happened if he didn't agree to go with you guys? What if he was selfish and kept her hidden? He would have been the reason she died...
          "I'm such an idiot... I should have known." You shake your head, placing the book back into your satchel. You grab Taehyung's hands and rub your thumbs over his knuckles.
          "Hey no. You didn't know. It's not your fault. My great grandfather Ten gave me that book. It's a forbidden book, so most people don't even know about it. There's no way you could have possibly known." Taehyung wipes his eyes, smiling at you sadly.
          "Thank you." You nod and jump as a berry is thrown at you. It bounces off your cheek and onto the ground.
          "Darn it, I was aiming for your forehead." Alex laughs out, sitting down before the two of you. Grace laughs and throws herself onto Taehyung's lap, sitting contently as he runs his fingers through her hair.
          "You have a horrible aim then."
          "Ouch. That hurts." He laughs out before leaning back on his hands. "Do you think you could teach me some more stuff?" You nod at him before standing up. Alex jumps to his feet as well, feeling a lot better than before after some berries and a power nap.
          "Okay, I'm gonna teach you how to do some offensive things with your magic."
          "How- all I do is bend light." You smile and move his hands and arms out. You make sure his elbows are straight and his palms face forward.
          "And what can light do?"
          "Umm let us see?" You laugh and whack his shoulder in annoyance. You part his feet so they are lined up with his shoulder, allowing for a proper offensive stance.
          "No smartass, it heats things up. Ever used a magnifying glass on an ant or a sheet of paper?" Alex nods, not quite understanding where you were going with this.
          "I'm not sure what you're asking me to do though..."
          "We're going to do that. Focus all of the light onto a specific part of that tree. Feel the heat from the light radiating until if causes a flame." Alex nods again, focusing on the tree before him. He feels a rush of energy flow through his veins and towards his palms. He stares at the tree, taking in every detail, ever fiber until he pin points his focus on one stretch of bark. Slowly, he feels his body heat up as it absorbs light before projecting it onto the tree. A small flame emits from the tree, which is quickly put out by a small cloud of rain formed by you.
          "That was so cool! I wanna do it ag-" Alex stumbles lightly and you catch him.
          "Easy there tiger, you're still tired from the healing process. Lets not push it." He smiles sheepishly before you lead him back to Taehyung and Grace.
          "That was so cool Alex!" Grace cheers, her eyes lightning up. Alex smiles and pats her head before stealing a few more berries. The four of you just fool around and chat for an hour or so before a rustling is heard from the other side of the clearing. You, Alex and Taehyung jump up in alert, ready to run if it isn't the others. Jungkook appears first, immediately causing the four of you to relax. Jimin comes next but the third person causes you to pull Grace close to your side, her face burying into the side of your stomach.
          "What is that soldier doing here?" Alex calls out, anger clearly showing across his features. Jin holds his hands up before signaling you to all calm down.
          "It's okay, he is warning us." You eye the soldier before he bows before you all.
          "My soldier title is J-hope, but you can call me Hoseok. I came to warn you about the Pirate King. He wants (y/n)." You blink at the soldier in surprise. You recognize him as the kind one from before, but was he really all that kind to warn you or was this a trap?
          "Why did you bring him here?" Taehyung growls out, hiding you and Grace behind his form.
          "I didn't want him to be here." Jungkook eyes the male suspiciously before Jin and Jimin breath out. Jimin raises his hand shyly.
          "It was my idea. I just had this gut feeling..." Alex rolls his eyes before whacking Jimin. Jimin lets out a whine before holding his head in a hurt manner.
          "Idiot." You let out a sigh at their bickering before handing Grace over to Taehyung. You step forward and cross your arms.
          "Why warn us?"
          "Suga. He's taken an interest in you after the power you displayed. His magic is shadow. He can find you anywhere. You aren't safe. You have to keep moving." Jin stands next to you, concern gracing his features once again.
          "Suddenly you're on our side?"
          "You don't understand. I always have been." You take a step back, the familiar feeling of being pushed away from your own body surfacing. You blank out, seeing your body move and touch Hoseok's forehead. RM had taken over. His voice overlaps with yours, surprising the others once again.
          "Test of faith. Lie and your head will combust." Hoseok's eyes widen slightly at the change in your voice. "Fear not, I am RM god of Weather and Storm. As long as you hold no ill intention you will be fine." He relaxes before taking a deep breath.
          "I was raised in the main city of the Pirate King. My family and I were taught nothing but to respect him and his ways... but then... my little sister, Malak, was revealed a Magician... they promise they won't make her fight as long as I serve as a soldier." You frown deeply as you watch from above. The kingdom really had no mercy for anyone did they? RM nods removing your hand from his forehead. You stumble as you are thrown back into your own body. Jin holds you gently, steadying you, as Hoseok watches in wonder. There was  more to you than he thought there was.
          "He didn't combust so he's telling the truth." Jimin mutters. You all nod before Jin looks over to you and Jungkook. He eyes Hoseok once more before heaving out a sigh.
          "This isn't my call. This is up to you guys." You look back at Taehyung and he nods at you.
          "I don't care. (Y/n). Has a good sense of judgement. I trust them."
          "I'll do whatever. I'm down to destroying him if he tries anything." Alex winks in Hoseok's direction. Grace tugs on your shirt and smiles, holding Moon close to her.
          "You'll make the right choice Miss (y/n)." You pat her head before looking over to Jungkook. The two of you almost exchange secret words before he turns away with a huff, slightly annoyed with how easily he caved.
          "Whatever. Just make the right choice..." You stand before Hoseok, your eyes scrutinizing every inch of his form, he shuffles under your intense gaze, looking anywhere but in your eyes.
          "Hoseok..."

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Also as a side thing- when I imagine them all in my head they all look the same as in real life but idk, Hoseok doesn't... idk why 😂