Within the hour Junkyu returns with a black plastic bag in hand. Jongho who was cuddled into Wooyoung's side on the bed begrudgingly pulls away and gets up.

"You got it?" He takes the bag and spills it's contents on the bed. His coin pouch, rope, tape and a small knife comes falling out. He looks back up at the merman, a confused look on his face at the other 2 items.

"I don't know just in case we need them?" He says with a shrug.

Jongho simply nods once in understanding then picks up the neatly bundled up rope. He turns to Wooyoung who just looks at them with dull eyes. "Is this really necessary? I barely have the energy the sit up never mind try to kill anyone" He mumbles in a raspy voice.

"Better safe than sorry" Jongho says while unraveling the bundled rope.

Junkyu goes to sit down, a dull headache starting to make itself known. As a merman he could go at most a day out of the water before he began to get dehydrated. It starts with headaches then nausea, then pain, he would lose function in his legs before ultimately dying. Of course, this would all take place over the course of about 2 weeks and it had only been a little over a day since his last visit to the lake near the castle but it was still better to rehydrate as soon as possible.

It's one of the reasons why many merpeople in the slave quarters died. Waiting too long. And because they needed water so often they were allowed a short bath once every other day and that was it.

Before Junkyu had realized it Wooyoung was fully roped down to the bed by the wrists and ankles on all 4 corners. "I'll be quick," Jongho turns to the dark haired boy on the couch. "If anything happens just run out of the room. It's not worth getting yourself killed"

Wooyoung groans loudly on the bed. "You're so fucking dramatic" He says with a laugh which came out more like a dry cough.

Jongho only rolls his eyes at him in a playful manner before turning to walk out of the room leaving Junkyu and Wooyoung alone for who knew how long.

Suddenly he grew awkward and clears his throat as he makes himself comfortable on the old cushioned couch. He could tell Wooyoung was looking at him but he avoids his eyes, picking at his hand and counting all the little cuts from glass he could find, like it was the most interesting thing in the room.

"I'm sorry about your wrist. I seriously didn't mean to hurt you," Wooyoung's says hoarsely.

Junkyu looks up at him in mild surprise at the fact he was even addressing him. "N-no it's ok. You were really hungry. I shouldn't have been so reckless knowing how terrible a condition you're in. I'm sorry."

That causes Wooyoung to chuckle a little. It was scratchy but still the adorable laughter Junkyu had long missed hearing. The way Wooyoung smiles at him causes his heart to jump and the field of butterflies in his stomach to scatter. "You haven't changed a bit, koala. Always apologizing. Cute." Hearing Wooyoung call him that old nickname nearly made him burst into tears. Instead he smiles brightly and his cheeks turn a shade of red.

The room settles into another short silence before Wooyoung breaks it again. "Thank you for all the help. I know none of this must be easy and I promise I'll explain all I can to you and Jongho."

Junkyu shakes his head. "You don't owe me any explanation, prince Wooyoung. I told you a long time ago, didn't I? That I would do all I could to protect you. This is me doing that. I only wish I could've done something to prevent you from spending all that time in that.. place."

Wooyoung only gives him a small smile. "Loyal as ever. You couldn't have done anything, you shouldn't blame yourself for any of this."

Junkyu nods, looking back down at his hands with a shy smile. Then he remembers the dagger once he feels something digging into his hips. He quickly pulls up the corner of his shirt and pulls the dagger out. "I almost forgot. This was in your chest. I'm pretty sure that was what kept you in there."

Wooyoung stared wide eyed at the dagger, he sits up ever so slightly but winces when a pain in his neck shoots down his spine. "You brought it?" His brows was creased and Junkyu looks from the dagger to the prince with worry in his eyes.

"Should I not have?"

"Yes. I mean no. Fuck, does Jongho know about it?"

Junkyu shakes his head and Wooyoung sighs in relief. "Good. Don't tell him. Let's just... try to keep it between us. If he asks just tell him you left it back there" The merman immediately nods at his request, slipping it back under his shirt and in the hem of his pants.

"But if you don't mind me asking, why shouldn't we tell him?"

"I'm gonna use it on Jaejoong. And he'll just try to stop me" Wooyoung says with a different type of anger in his voice. Junkyu's eyes widen ever so slightly.

"The king? B-but he's your father..." his voice trails off once Wooyoung shoots him a fierce look that causes him to shrink back into the couch.

"He put me in that box for 4 fucking years and probably forgot about me. About us. He stopped being my father a long time ago" He says in reference to him and his mom. "After I feed and get my strength back and I'm going back for my mother then I'm going after him"

Junkyu stays quiet as his brain slowly caught up with what he heard. The king... was the one that did that to him? He didn't know what to even say.

"Sorry to spring this all on you" Wooyoung says with a sigh and Junkyu shakes his head, reassuring him it was ok.

"I-It's alright. You don't ever have to apologize to me for anything" The brunette says earnestly, a soft smile forming on his lips. Wooyoung returns it with his own half smile.

And then once Jaejoong is out of the way I'll come find you, San. So just stay in Lloth, I'll come to you. Even if I have to fight off an army of drows to hold you again, I'll gladly do it. He says to himself.

"I made it.." San mutters to himself as he stares up at what he was pretty sure is the entrance into Rowdows Covert. A large rusty looking arched gate with even more tall trees and forestry on the other side.

It was dark so he couldn't make out much but he knew this had to be it. He folds away his map and tucks it in his bag before slowly pushing the large gates. It gives out an obnoxious squeaking and San cringes. Awesome job alerting everyone within a 2 mile radius that you're here.

He slips past the gates and continued making his way in. Seonghwa who was still following, quickly runs just barely making it in before the iron gates slowly closed. It would be a pain trying to open it later without alerting anyone. Especially if it was going to make that exact noise again.

As a werewolf, stealth was practically ingrained in his DNA. I followed Mujin this far, no way am I getting caught now.

He spoke too soon because immediately after, he accidentally kicks a half broken rum bottle that was hidden in the grass. And because it was so dark he didn't see it till it was too late.

San, who was at first walking and completely oblivious to the fact that he was being followed, immediately freezes and snaps his head towards the sound.

Fuck. Seonghwa curses in his head, ducking behind a tree. Why the hell is there a fucking bottle out here?!

Though it was now silent San knew exactly what he heard. And that wasn't some squirrel. He slowly crouches and pulls out his knife from its sheath hidden in his boot. He was still in werewolf territory so he couldn't give away the fact that he's vampire so for now all he had as self defense was a small knife and his elementary level arcane abilities.

"Come out," He calls out, voice calm and unfaltering. "Come out now. I know you're back there"

Seonghwa considered making a run for it but he didn't think he'd make it very far with that giant gate in the way. Before he could come up with a plan San was already on him from behind. He tackled the werewolf to the ground and raised the knife as if ready to strike then he freezes once he saw who it was.

"Seonghwa?" His brows knit together in confusion and Seonghwa just looked back up at him, eyes large and speechless, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "What the fuck?" San quickly scrambles off him as his confusion slowly turned into anger.

"D-did you follow me all the way here?" His voice held disbelief.

Seonghwa sighs and slowly sits up, dusting the dead leaves from his top. "No. I mean yeah.."

"Well which is it?" San cuts, his hazel eyes turning darker and he looks at Seonghwa with a tinge of annoyance.

"I did," Seonghwa admits as he stands straighter after dusting himself off. "But it was just to make sure you're ok. That's it"

San scoffs at him. "Well I'm ok so.."

Seonghwa sighs at him, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "So what, you were just going to up and leave without saying goodbye? To the most dangerous part of Boulia at that, even after what I told you?"

"Do not make this about me. You followed me here like some... stalker" San raises his voice. If there's one thing he hated it's people being in his business.

"You're gonna get yourself killed" Seonghwa calls back, voice just as loud. "Why the hell are you even so adamant on coming here?"

"That's not your business," San snipes. He wasn't amused by any of this. Not even a little. "You wanna make sure I'm ok? Fine. But don't follow me?"

"I wouldn't have to if you were just honest with me instead of running off without telling anyone. Without telling me" Seonghwa says, obvious hurt in his expression. San sucks in a guilty breath but looks down at the dead leaves and dirt beneath their feet. Then he looks back up to meet Seonghwa's deep smokey grey eyes.

That's when he notices some movement in the background behind Seonghwa. He shifts his gaze to the movement and then everything felt like it was going in slow motion. He watches as a hooded someone comes out from their hiding spot behind a tree. They had some kind of large spear looking rod and raised their arm back as if ready to throw it at Seonghwa from behind.

San's eyes widen and he didn't give himself time to think. He immediately shoves the werewolf out of the way. Time seemed to resume it's normal speed and San must've pushed Seonghwa a little too hard because he goes flying, slamming against a nearby tree. He fell to the ground with a pained groan at the unexpected push, he winces at the fact that he'd roughly brushed his arm on the trunk of the tree creating a large bruise on his elbow but other than that he was ok.

"Mujin what the hell-" He looks up at the dark haired drow-vampire and that's when he freezes because San was stood where he was a few moments ago but with a silver spear pierced right through him, going into his stomach and out his back. San stares wide eyed down at the object sticking out of him and blood slowly comes spilling from his mouth.

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He's dead?!? 😱

Side note tho, San and his little sheer choker with the snapback... don't make me get violent 🤰🏾