Broken Glass - Taekook

15

(get a tense song going if you can: Maybe an orchestral cover of one of the more hype BTS songs? It'll make this more fun to read, trust me)

Exactly a week into our stay in the valley, we wake up to a thunderous crack, a muffled sound that seems to come from a long way away. The very corners of the world are starting to brighten with the familiar sign of dawn, and the valley is still asleep when it comes. The ground shakes slightly underneath us. Aphelia lets out a warning hum, flashing bright green, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on. 

Shylrennor, the Cursed Tower, has fallen. The Karulian Knights are back. 

We need to move. Now. 

Hoseok curses under his breath, shoving random tools into his pack, messily rolling up a sleeping mat and shoving it in as well. Jimin is sat staring in the direction of the noise, frozen still with terror, his face pale and his eyes wide. When Namjoon reaches forward, the pixie jolts, his wings smacking Namjoon in the face and shoving him backward by accident. The mage winces at the blow, but doesn't seem to blame Jimin for it. And I don't think any of us do. 

Taehyung and I sort out Jimin's sleeping mat, find the cloak he wears to cover his wings, and hand his entire pack to Hoseok, who nods gratefully at us both. I strap my sword to my waist, the unfamiliar weight uncomfortable but necessary, and I catch everyone else frantically sorting things out so that we're able to escape. Aphelia vanishes into a pouch in Namjoon's pack, floating there herself out of some instinct that's hidden deep within. 

Yoongi fills all of the water skins we have, his eyes glowing light blue in the process, and Seokjin grabs all the dried meat, the flatbread, pushes it into his pack until there's nothing more. Anything left over is thrown into the dying fire, to burn, or tossed to the rest of us as a meagre breakfast. 

In his mind, at least, we can't give the Karulian Knights any advantages, any evidence that anyone existed here. Food is one of them. It's a clue that someone was there before. And that someone is running away,

When we're ready to leave, Hoseok approaches his lover, places a hand on his shoulder. "It's time, Chim." The pixie just nods, standing up automatically and taking his cloak, tying it around his waist for now. He takes his pack from his lover, offering Taehyung and I an empty smile, and joining the rest of us. 

His personality, the cheerful identity I'm used to seeing, is gone completely, replaced with a shell of his former self. His eyes are dull, but his movements are precise. As he joins hands with Hoseok, a spark jumps between them, and a large quantity of stone falls, surprisingly silently, directly onto their old shelter. 

A single tear falls down his left cheek, as he regards the destruction of all they knew, the work they'd put in to create a life worth living in a kingdom hellbent on erasing them from history. Then he rolls back his shoulders, takes a deep breath, and nods slightly. "Wavasti, vahnil tavi." 

He kisses the first two fingers  of his free hand, raises them towards the ruined alcove, and then lowers his hand. "Let's go," he says quietly, seeing that the rest of us are watching him with sympathetic eyes. "We don't have time to waste. We'll have to run for a while, but we should be okay. When the Knights find this place, they'll want to investigate. Hopefully, they won't find our trail." 

Hoseok squeezes his hand, and they share a glance. "Namjoon, I know you have been in charge of direction thus far. And I would never want to undermine the work you've done. But will you allow us to show you the most hidden way out of the valley?" The mage just nods, a sad smile crossing over his face like a shadow before he hides it again. "Thank you. It's this way." 

He gestures to a small gap in the cliff, right beside where their shelter used to sit tucked into the wall of the valley. "It seems small, but follow us exactly, and we will be able to climb up the face where it seems impossible. We can then climb over land which will lead us to a forest, and eventually we will pass another village. Depending on the situation, we can pose as merchants or travellers." He pauses. "We've done it before. The villagers here will recognise us as merchants. They don't know what we really are, of course. That wouldn't be safe."