Broken Glass - Taekook

21

There's a silence, one that seems to stretch out over the space between us all. People fighting on different sides, some of us still halfway through a grimace of pain or determination. Some of us are still in the middle of a blow. Despite the crying, the screaming in the distance, the crackling of fire on thatched roofs, it suddenly feels remarkably quiet. Compared to the loud clanging of fighting, it's like the world is muted. 

A moment of calm in the chaos. 

I don't know what to do. I really don't. I expected everything to fit into place, for instinct to take over at some point. But I'm still running on my own ideas, still trying to figure out how the hell I'm going to get out alive. Right now, I'm the only person who can move, aside from the Karulian Knights. 

If I do something too dramatic, I'll be dead in seconds. If I don't, we all will. 

Somewhere far above, past the crying, past the shouting, the crackling of flames, I hear the call of a crow. The sound is harsh, almost forced in nature, and my chest tightens for a moment out of fear. Then the Karulian Knights turn back to stare at their commander, seemingly lost as to what to do. 

The crow calls again. The commander turns on their heel, vaulting back onto their horse. They raise a single hand, and a dark shape darts through the air, landing expertly onto a gloved fist. For a moment, all is still. Then the crow opens its beak, crying out from where it stands. The commander's horse begins to walk away, and the Karulians follow slowly behind, leaving the dead bodies of their comrades on the pavement. 

Is it over? Is that really it? 

I meet Taehyung's eyes, and we share an uneasy glance. It doesn't make sense, really, why the entire group would just leave, unless they were needed elsewhere. The bird must be some sort of messenger, because its presence is literally the only reason the Knights left. I don't understand it. I'm just glad to be alive. 

The moment the Karulians are gone, Taehyung turns around, kneeling on the pavement beside the motionless form of his brother. His pack slides off of his shoulder as he leans forward, gently moving Namjoon onto his back, so that he can properly assess the damage done. 

"Hey." I jump slightly, caught distracted, as the guard from earlier walks over to me, nodding at me as he says the greeting. Seeing my jolt of surprise, he manages an apologetic smile, gesturing towards the two brothers. "Will he be alright?" I pause, and then shrug. 
"He's got the best person here to help him, so I have faith. What about you guys?" I gesture to the woman who threw stones at the commander. She's pale, shaking slightly, and someone's draped a spare cloak over her back. "Is she okay?" 

The guard takes a deep breath, glancing behind him for a moment. "She's in better hands than myself," he responds, offering me a wry smile. He tilts his head then, regarding me with a sort of respect I didn't expect to see from anyone. "You've got balls. That was brave. How did you know that would work? Who even are you?" 

I chuckle a little. "I'm nobody, like I said. But we couldn't walk past and let them hurt your village without sticking our noses in. It wouldn't be fair." The guard raises an eyebrow, and then nods in understanding. 
"Still. Thank you. You may call yourself 'nobody', but you've made yourself somebody to us." He gestures back at the other villagers, and then to my friends. "You all have. Rushgrove would've been dead without you." 

"Kook!" I turn at Taehyung's call, see him beckoning me over, and I send an apologetic glance to the guard guy, who just smiles a little. 
"Go where you're needed. We can begin to put out the fire now that those intruders are gone. They're likely to return, but hopefully we can now begin to rebuild. Maybe we will move north. I don't know yet."