Reine stumbles back a few more steps, struggling to stay on her feet as the mist continues to form around her. Intense heat radiates from it, and she finds it difficult to take clear, deep breaths through the hot air swirling around her and the red fog.

Slowly, it pulls together, and Reine can see the shape of a kneeling man forming before her. Her eyes stay locked on the man as she hears Jimin yelling out in anger and frustration. He continues to keep the basilisk as far away from Reine and his brother as possible until the Horseman of War is able to fight with him. Though he knows it is useless, he shoots his arrows at the snake, trying to keep its attention on him. He can't hurt it with his arrows anymore, but he is doing his best to annoy it enough to make it want to kill him instead of going after Reine.

The Queen keeps her guard up as she watches the man, now fully formed, stand straight and stretch his muscles, groaning in relief as he flexes his fingers and adjusts the red leather guards on his forearms.

His eyes glance and they catch Reine's apprehensive stare. His eyebrows shoot up slightly while Reine's mouth opens as she tries to think of what to say to him in this moment when she needs to say a hundred things at once to explain who she is, why he has been freed and what he needs to do.

His deep red hair is short on the sides and back, the longer hair on top pulled into a messy bun as the stray hairs around his forehead blow in the slight breeze left behind by the opening of his box. A large scar going down the left side of the man's face from his forehead to his jawline is only one of the many indications on this man's body that he has fought many battles; there are numerous scars littered across his body, evidence that he is, and always has been, a warrior.

A red leather shoulder plate matching his forearm guards covers his right shoulder, strapped onto his muscular body around his chest and back, the straps connecting together on his left side. Bronze accents his red armor, the metal glimmering brightly in the sun's light as he continues to stare at Reine, his stare half curious, half surprised.

Aside from the few pieces of armor on his forearms and his right shoulder, his torso remains bare, his exposed skin revealing the numerous scars Reine's eyes keep shifting to as she tries to keep her chin held high in front of the intimidating man with glittering, dark eyes staring right into her apprehensive green ones.

His lower half is covered with black leather pants, his leather boots being covered in a thin layer of sand as he stands, his face slowly shifting from one of curiosity and surprise to one of amusement.

"Hello there, beautiful," the man says in a tone deeper than his brother's, his grin instantly turning his intimidating demeanor into something much more charming and inviting.

Reine opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out as her brain scrambles to find a way to balance out everything screaming in her mind at once.

She has freed the second Horseman. She is halfway to having the army she needs to avenge those she loved. She is also concerned about Jimin's safety, and knows she needs to make this man realize that his brother is currently fighting against a beast he cannot handle alone.

The thought of Jimin getting hurt snaps her back into a logical state of mind, and her hand comes up, a shaky, burned finger pointing in the direction of Parish.

"Your brother needs your help," Reine manages to say, and the man's eyebrows raise again before he turns, his back turning to her as he takes in the sight behind him.

Reine's eyes can't help but to wander to the man's back, seeing an empty holster on the back of the shoulder guard he is wearing. She also sees two large scars on his upper back, one being mostly hidden by the guard on his shoulder. She realizes that these scars must be where his wings once were when he was an angel.

Now, he has two scars to remind him of yet another battle he went through but was not able to win. She has only known this man for a few minutes, but she assumes that he doesn't lose many fights, and when he does lose, she can tell that he doesn't accept that defeat so easily.

She only needed one stare from those intense eyes of his to realize this about him.

Reine sees other scars on his back, and she idly wonders why he doesn't wear more armor since it is obvious that he gets into a lot of fights.

"Where is my sword?" the man asks, turning to look at Reine with a questioning expression on his face, which is greatly contrasted to the panicked look she has on her face as she tries to remember to focus on only one thing right now: saving Jimin from the basilisk. She pushes everything else out of the front of her mind, deciding to ignore the dizziness, exhaustion and pain in her hands as she forces herself to focus on what this man is asking of her. She finds it difficult to focus, though, as the world seems to be spinning around her, and she blinks a few times to attempt to clear her blurry vision.

"What?" Reine asks, her eyes reluctantly flicking to meet his gaze, his dark eyes dancing with amusement behind the urgency in his voice.

"I can sense that it's right here. Do you have it?" he asks, holding his hand out and Reine shakes her head, showing her hands to him to prove she doesn't have a weapon for him.

His eyes widen slightly as he takes in the burns on her hands. "You did that while freeing me?"
Reine swallows harshly, remembering Jimin's earlier words.

"You have to be confident in yourself and be willing to put us in our places when need be."

"Now is not the time to boost your ego, Horseman," she snaps, straightening her shoulders and pursing her lips as she manages to get a better grip on the task at hand. She inwardly scolds herself for letting this man see her weak and confused, and she forces all thoughts of her pain and exhaustion away as she glares at the Horseman. "Find your weapon and help your brother. I command you as your Master."

The man laughs, holding his exposed abdomen as he shakes his head. "I like you. Does that tone usually work with Jimin?"

Reine ignores his comment, snapping her fingers at him as a gesture for him to hurry, and he sighs, wiping his eyes of tears before he closes his eyes and straightens his own shoulders. After clearing his throat, the smile disappears from his face as he holds his hand out, palm down, and takes a deep breath in before Reine hears a rumbling sound. She glances at the hole she had been digging, and yelps in surprise when a large sword unearths itself from deep within the sand, beneath where his box was buried.

As soon as the weapon comes into contact with the man's hand, his eyes open and he grins at the sword in his fingers, turning it to stare at it with admiration in his dark gaze.

"Horseman!" Reine yells, getting the man's attention. "I know this is a lot to take in so soon, but Jimin cannot keep that beast at bay forever. Focus on helping him first, and you can celebrate your freedom for a moment before we move on."

"You're on a first name basis with him?" the man pouts, sticking out his bottom lip slightly. "How about this: I save my brother and we can have a little chat about exactly who you are and why you're freeing us."

"Deal," Reine says, nodding her head and the man grins wickedly, throwing his sword into the air and catching it effortlessly, his fingers wrapping around its bronze handle as the blade gleams in the harsh sunlight.

The man grins at her one last time, the charm in his presence leaving Reine feeling flustered and not at all like Parish makes her feel. She has always been able to not only resist his attempts at charming her, but she also nearly always has a comeback to whatever he throws at her.

With this man, Reine can see exactly what Jimin described to her: he is similar to his brother with their demeanors and the way they both seem to be relatively upbeat people, but the way he approaches things seems far more charming and direct than the witty, devil's advocate approach Jimin always prefers.

Reine watches as the Horseman of War turns and runs toward his brother, who is still locked in battle with the basilisk. He has run out of arrows at this point, all of them lying uselessly in the sand or buried into the beast's eyes to destroy its ability of killing with its stare.

"It's about damn time!" Reine hears Jimin yell as he sees his brother approaching, and the man laughs before swinging his blade nonchalantly in his hand as he watches his brother holding the snake back by shoving his bow into its mouth to avoid the fangs threatening to sink themselves into his skin.

"Did you and the girl set this up for me?" his brother asks as he approaches Jimin, looking at his blade and blowing off a few specks of sand. "Is this a welcome back party? Is this my gift from you?"

Jimin groans as his muscles bulge in the effort it is taking him to hold the monster back, his hands gripping onto the bronze bow as it stays clenched in the jaws of the basilisk.

"If this bastard breaks my bow because you're taunting me, I'll kill you myself," Jimin says through clenched teeth.

His brother grins at him, rolling his eyes playfully as he walks backwards. "You and I both know these weapons can't be broken. Otherwise, the asshole angels would've destroyed them the second they put us away."

Jimin rolls his eyes, his feet scraping against the sand as he's pushed backwards from the strength of the snake. "Either way, you're not one to stand by idly during a fight. Why aren't you helping me, you ass?"

"I'm assuming you haven't been free for long," the man explains as he takes a few more steps backward, shrugging his shoulders. "You could use the exercise to wake those muscles, am I right?"

Jimin scoffs as the strength of the basilisk sends him falling to his knees. "I've had plenty of exercise. If you could kindly help me out, I could fill you in on what I've been doing and who that girl is."

"She's beautiful," he comments as Jimin frowns at him.

"Don't," Jimin says, grunting as he pushes one leg so he's only kneeling on one knee now.

"I missed this," his brother says as he grins, pointing the sword and gesturing between the two men. "I missed you, brother."

"Help me, you fucker!" Jimin yells and he knows that Reine must be watching from near the hole she dug, desperate to scold him for his foul language. He smirks at the thought of her tapping her foot and crossing her arms over her chest, but he can't afford to look away from the basilisk for even a second, so he has to assume that's what she is currently doing.

Reine watches from a distance, barely able to hear their conversation now that they're closer together so they don't need to raise their voices to be heard by the other. She watches in confusion, wondering why the man with the sword isn't helping his brother, but the two are having a seemingly casual conversation while Jimin holds his own against the basilisk. It uses every ounce of strength it has to try to snap the bow in its mouth, the pure desperation to kill Jimin evident in the way the basilisk is relentless in its determination.

Reine hears a couple of snapping sounds, and she realizes that the snake is so desperate to reach Jimin and kill him that it is breaking its teeth as it clamps its jaw around the bronze bow that is refusing to break, blood trickling out of the basilisk's mouth as it presses further onto the man holding the bow as a shield. Jimin groans as he feels his muscles nearly ready to give out, and he glances over at his brother, the teasing and annoyed mood in his eyes now gone as he stares at him with genuine desperation. He can't hold on any longer, and he knows if he shows his brother he is genuinely in trouble, his fellow Horseman would do anything to save him.

The man sighs as he finally stops walking backwards, now a fair distance between his brother and the basilisk. He holds his sword out away from him, twisting his body away from the monster before turning back towards them, the momentum swinging his arm as he throws the sword as hard as he can, watching with glee as it slices through the air and slices straight through the scaly skin of the basilisk.

The sword lands in the sand, and the Horseman of War casually walks toward it to collect it, ignoring as the bottom half of the basilisk falls uselessly into the sand and the top half finally lets go of Jimin's bow and joins its other half in the sand that is now glistening with its blood.

Jimin collapses onto his hands and knees, dropping his bow into the sand. He huffs as he tries to catch his breath, his head dangling forward in exhaustion as he reaches and pulls his mask. The man grabs his sword, inspecting it as he takes in the crimson substance dripping from its blade. After wiping it off on his thigh, he places the sword into its holster on his back and he walks over to his brother, who is still kneeling in the sand.

"Geez, you fossil," he says, reaching out a hand to help his brother stand. "I thought you said you were in outstanding shape."

"Never said that," Jimin says, taking his brother's hand as he stands. "I said I was getting exercise. I was never the one known for amazing endurance. That's why I'm better with fighting at a distance."

"I know, I know," his brother says, smiling at him as he pats him on the back. "Get your arrows and we can go catch up with each other. You can tell me about that beautiful girl staring at us."

The man begins to walk away, but only a few paces later, his hand moves to grab his sword from its holster and with an inhuman speed, he turns and holds his sword in front of his face as an arrow comes at him, and his blade deflects the weapon before it can even touch him. It falls to the ground uselessly as the man glances at it for a moment before turning his attention to his brother.

"What was that for?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at Jimin, who lowers his bow and scowls at him.

"That's for taking your sweet ass time helping me," Jimin snaps as he grabs the rest of his arrows, sighing in annoyance as he picks up the one he shot at his brother.

"Too bad your arrows are no match for me," the man says, trying but failing to hide his smirk as Jimin cleans off the arrows that were previously buried in the snake's eyes.

"I get it. Your weapon is cooler," Jimin says, rolling his eyes as the two men walk back to Reine, who seems to be fighting a million different thoughts inside her mind.

"What's with you?" Jimin asks as he walks to her, frowning in concern as she watches them with a look neither of the brothers can figure out.

Reine takes a deep, shaky breath as she holds up one finger.

"Firstly, I am glad you are alive," Reine says, gesturing to Jimin before she turns to the other man and holds up a second finger.

"Secondly, I am thankful for your assistance, though it was delayed."

The man with the red hair tilts his head forward, smiling widely at the two people standing with him as Reine holds up a third finger.

"You will watch your language when you are in front of a Queen," Reine snaps, frowning at the two men in front of her.

"Ah," Jimin says, nodding his head. "I was wondering when that would come up."

"Queen, huh?" the man says, quirking an eyebrow upwards as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"Lastly, and most importantly," Reine says, letting her hand fall limply at her side. "I think I am going to faint."

"Oh," Jimin and his brother say together.
Reine sways in her spot; the heat, exhaustion and dehydration are hitting her harder now that the adrenaline is leaving her system, and before she can say anything else, she feels her legs buckle beneath her and she falls forward.

The red-haired man reaches her first, catching her before she can fall into the sand. "That's unfortunate. I didn't even get to introduce myself to her yet."

Jimin sighs as he watches his brother pick Reine up, holding her in his arms.

"We need to get her somewhere cooler," Jimin explains as he reaches over and makes sure Reine's face is protected from the sun by the hood of her cloak. "Somewhere she can rest, cool down and get a decent amount of water into her system. She's only a human; she can only take so much before her body can't take it."

"It's gonna get dark soon," his brother explains as he recalls his knowledge of his home's territory. "It'll cool significantly, but I know a place a few miles from here with a source of water and maybe some shade."

"Let's get going," Jimin says, ushering his brother forward. "I'll fill you in on all the details along the way."

Reine groans in the man's arms, shifting slightly as her eyelids flutter back open, though her gaze remains unfocused and faraway.

"Hey there, sunshine," he says, smiling at her as she stares at him in confusion. "Remember me?"

"There is not much to remember," she says in a quiet tone. "We only met, Horseman."

"You call Jimin by his name, so you can call me by mine," he says, tightening his grip on her as he walks, his brother trailing behind him as he places his bow on his back. "My name is Yoongi."

"Reine Dubois, Queen of Cendres," she responds, her eyes fluttering closed for a second before she forces them to open again.

Jimin laughs, rolling his eyes at the formality of Reine's introduction; even though she is only half conscious, she is still determined to remain prim and proper.

"That's a mouthful," Yoongi says, laughing a bit as Reine takes a shaky breath.

"You will refer to me as Your Highness, though," Reine says, managing a stern look in Yoongi's direction.

"Of course," he says, looking ahead as he grins. "I can't imagine treating you as anything less than the Queen you are."

"That was fucking disgusting," Jimin snaps.

"Language," Reine warns before unconsciousness takes over again and her head falls limply against Yoongi's scarred chest.