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WARNING: May contain some triggering content as well as mentions of blood. 

XXVII: Jungkook

Within ten minutes of the war starting, the infirmary has its first soldiers. The first one is a man limping into the white tent, supported on one side by his comrade. He has an arrow stuck in his left leg, and Jin quickly breaks off the arrowhead to prevent it from dragging through his skin. We lay him in one of the many cots, and Jin hands me a compress to cover the wound.

The soldier grimaces as I apply the healing poultice, but relaxes afterward. "Thank you. That's much better."

"How is it out there?" Jin asks as he unrolls a reel of bandages. "Bad?"

"Absolute hell. I've never seen such an aggressive war in my whole life. Vampires from both sides are falling dead like fleas. This infirmary's going to be packed by the time this is over. It'll be a miracle if London isn't burned to the ground."

"Have you seen Taehyung?" I ask, gripping onto the steel of the bed frame so hard my knuckles turn white. Please let him be alright. Don't let him be hurt.

"The King?" The soldier furrows his brow. "No. He's probably fighting closer to the heart of the war, while I'm an archer at the main gates. If it's this bad just at the edges, god knows what's happening in the center." Seeing my horrified expression, something clicks in his eyes.

"You're his soulmate, aren't you?" At my nod, the soldier clumsily salutes. "I'm so sorry for not realizing sooner, my queen. If you would like, I could go and check―"

"With that leg?" Jin shakes his head. "You're lucky you're not crippled for life. No way am I letting you go back out on the battlefield. That would be suicide."

"But if our king needs help..." His words are cut off by another soldier bursting through the door, panting hard.

"Jin! Where's Jin?" The second soldier asks, not even pausing to catch his breath.

"I'm right here," Jin pushes through the mass of patients, and I follow him. "What's wrong?"

"Lieutenant Kai is down on battlefield two. He hit his head while falling down a ravine. We need you immediately. He can't walk, and there's no one there to carry him. Please, come quickly!"

Jin curses, grabbing a roll of bandages and vials filled with different medicines. "How bad is it, do you know?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but he was losing a lot of blood. There was a nasty looking gash on his head and he said his ribs hurt. Probably a few broken bones too."

Jin nods. "Hoseok, you need to stay here. You're the only one besides me who isn't hopeless at medicine, and there'll be more wounded streaming in while I'm gone. Tend to them." Hoseok nods, giving a thumbs up.

"Where's Lisa?" Jin asks, turning around to look for the long-haired girl. Hoseok coughs. "You just sent her to healing center 3 to deliver more bandages. She won't be back for five minutes."

Jin groans. "Then who can I take? I can't do this alone!"

"Um," I step out. "I can go, if you want." Jin's eyes land on me, and I can see him having a mental battle about the decision. But then he nods.

"Gods, I'm going to regret this later," Jin mutters. "But I can't just let someone die. Come on!"

We run out of the healing center, the soldier directing us where to go. Just as we're about to pass the ridge which separates us from the city below, I think I see a winged figure at the edge of my vision. I turn around, eyes searching the sky for what I think I just saw.

"Tae!" My voice is drowned out by the noises of war raging below. The center of London burns like the pits of hell, and I can just make out a shape flying high above the wreckage. For just a fleeting moment, I think I catch a glimpse of big black wings silhouetted against the smoke. But as soon as I see it, the shape plummets downwards, disappearing into the cloud of angry redness.

"Come on Jungkook!" Jin's anxious voice has me moving, and I match him step for step as we race through the burned city. I have to duck and dodge embers that fall down from half-burned buildings, in this abandoned part of town. Finally, I start to see a ravine up ahead, and slow down to make sure that I don't slip and fall. Looking down the gully, I have to cut back a gasp when I see someone lying on the rocky ground, eyes closed and crimson blood pooling around him.

"Kai!" The soldier calls, and the man in the ravine slowly opens his eyes. "I've got help!" The man smiles slightly, but winces at the action. We quickly kneel beside him, and I feel queasy by just seeing the amount of blood which is gushing out of his numerous wounds.

"What happened?" Jin asks, as he mixes a poultice. "That's one nasty fall."

"I was getting pressed by a group of Shadow Valley soldiers, and I was just about to wipe out the last one when I fell down this ravine. I hit my head on the way down, and the Shadow Valley soldier escaped. It's h-humiliating." Kai winces as Jin ties a bandage around his head.

"One broken leg bone, six broken ribs, five fractures, and a bad gash." Jin murmurs, jaw tight. "I'm not going to lie, it's bad. But we can get you to the infirmary to be treated. Here, your comrade and I can support you. Jungkook, lead the way."

We walk through the London streets, much slower than before, with me clearing out some of the wreckage in our path and Jin and the soldier supporting Kai. Kai cringes with every step, but at least he seems no worse than before.

Suddenly, I hear the odd sound of something whistling towards us, and a prickle of heat passes through my body. I look around, confused, but Jin's eyes widen. He knows exactly what it means.

"Bomb incoming! Take cover!" Jin pushes my head down, and we both hit the pavement as a fireball explodes a mere 100 meters away. I cover my head with my hands as small bits of rock and wood rain down on us like sharp pointed missiles. The heat is so intense that I feel like I'm getting cooked alive, and the noise is deafening. I hear people screaming in the distance, and the nauseating scent of burned skin fills my nose.

The smoke finally starts to dissipate, and I cough, trying to dislodge all the acrid fumes from my lungs. Besides me, Jin starts to get up, cautiously checking his surroundings. Just then, a moan sounds from next to us, and Jin whips his head around.

Kai groans, the wound on his forehead now weeping blood and soaking through the bandage. Jin immediately kneels next to him, and his fellow soldier looks on worriedly. Rummaging through his bag, Jin frantically looks for more bandages, tying them around Kai's head in a desperate attempt to stop the blood. When he finally looks up, his face is ashen.

"Jungkook," Jin's voice is shaky. "He's been his by a piece of shrapnel. We need more gauze and yarrow. Also witch hazel. Do you remember what those herbs look like?"

"Yes, but―"

"I need you to go and gather some. Actually, you too," he turns to the uninjured soldier. "You've learned the very basics of herbs, right?" When the soldier nods, Jin sighs. "Good. There's none in the healing center, which means that you have to find some. I spotted some yarrow over there," he points towards a building in the distance. "And some witch hazel at the bottom of a tower a few minutes north. Can you two go and get them? In usual circumstances, I would tell you two not to split up, but now..." he looks down at Kai, who's turning greyer by the minute. "I need both herbs as fast as you two can get them. Go. now."

The soldier and I both stand at the same time, and he salutes. "Where should I go, my queen? The yarrow or the witch hazel?"

"The yarrow," I say, choosing randomly. "I'll go get the witch hazel." He nods, and disappears into the darkness, feet thumping as he runs. I'm about to go too, when I'm stopped by Jin's voice.

"Jungkook," I turn around to meet his eyes. They hold an urgency in them which tells me more than I want to know. "Be careful. Be swift. Don't get caught."

"I know," I say, "I'll be right back with your witch hazel."

Running through the streets ablaze, I keep my sight trained on the tower, begging my feet to run faster. The more time it takes me to get back, the less time Kai has. Turning another corner, I'm surprised to see that it's a dead end. I would have to backtrack my steps to get back. This was no time to become lost.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" I flinch at the loud, grating voice coming from behind me, and slowly turn around. Standing a mere five meters away from me, is a soldier dressed in pure black battle clothes, with a symbol of writhing snakes and an eye sewn onto his pocket. A sharp looking dagger is tucked into his belt.

The writhing snakes and eye.

The mark of Shadow Valley.

His gaze shamelessly rakes over my body, and I take a step back. My hand instinctively takes the bracelet off my wrist so that it transforms into a scim. The soldier doesn't seem fazed.

"I've heard rumors about how beautiful you are," the Shadow Valley soldier says, "But I have to admit, I didn't believe them until now."

"Get―get away―" I take a step back, holding my scim in front of me. The soldier glances at it, and amusement glints in his small eyes. "I bet ten gold coins that you have no idea how to use that sword, do you?"

My hand wavers. He's right. I can only do the basics of parrying and attacking. There was no way that I could hold my ground against a seasoned soldier born for battle. But I would have to try. Kai needed that witch hazel. Jin was waiting for me to come back. I couldn't disappoint them.

"Come now," he holds his hands out like I'm a sort of scared animal. "Those white battle fatigues don't suit you. I would prefer you in a loose tunic. Or better yet," his eyes glimmer with lust. "Nothing at all."

My back connects with the wall behind me, and true burning terror fills me when I realize that I have nowhere to run. I would have to take my chances and run towards the opening of the alleyway. But that meant getting past the soldier. And even though he only had a dagger, I was sure that he knew how to use it. But I had to try.

Dodging to my left first, I make a desperate attempt to get past him, holding my scim out. He catches me easily, one hand gripping around my waist so tight that I struggle to breathe for a moment. My sword clatters on the ground. His other hand grabs and rips through the upper part of my shirt, exposing my left shoulder and collarbones entirely. I struggle in his grasp, but he only leers at me, fingers tracing the length of my bare shoulder almost carefully. I shiver at his touch, closing my eyes in disgust.

"The Devil hasn't claimed you yet, has he? Too bad. I guess I'll just have to do the job for him," The soldier leans down towards my now exposed collarbone, and I kick at him viciously. I will not be marked by this vile man. I land a solid kick on his kneecap, and he hisses in pain. But my victory is short lived as he spins me around and shoves me into the ground. He leans towards my face, his weight almost crushing me.

"Shouldn't have fought, beautiful," the man says, smirking. "I would have gone easy on you. But then, I like a little spirit in the people I sink my fangs into." The dagger in his hand traces an agonizingly slow line on my cheek, and pain erupts on my face as he digs the knife in. I scream, thrashing around in his vice-like grip. He grins, revealing his sharp canines ready to sink into my flesh.

As quickly as his weight came on me, it's gone, as he howls in pain. Warm blood sprays on my face, and I quickly wriggle out from beneath him, one hand desperately trying to piece the fabric of my shirt together. Whoever my savior is, I doubt that he would be as willing to help me if he sees how little I'm wearing. But when I see the face of my rescuer, I feel like crying with relief.

Jimin stands over the soldier, scim buried deep into the man's backside. The man gurgles once, choking on his own blood that flows like a fountain from his mouth. He falls to his knees, hands clawing at his throat, before falling dead on the ground. His glassy eyes are fixed on mine, and his mouth is open in a silent scream, blood still dribbling down from the corner. Jimin yanks his scim out of the man's back, kicking the body once for good measure. He then turns his eyes on me, glancing at my now bare shoulder and collarbones, and the blood on my cheek. His eyes harden.

"That bastard almost raped you," He growls. "Gods, if Taehyung saw that... skies, help us all."

"J-Jimin," I can't control my shaking. "Why are you here?"

"Me? What the hells are you doing out here?" Jimin yells over the sound of the clashing of swords. "Taehyung will skin me alive if he knows you're out of the infirmary. Quick! Get out of here! It's not safe."

"Taehyung, is he―"

"He's fine," Jimin says, but I don't miss the flash of dread that fills his face. "More than fine, actually. I've never seen anyone fight like him before. I always knew he was great with the scim, but this..." He shakes his head. "Whatever. Go Jungkook! Run to the infirmary. I'll cover your exit."

Quickly getting up on my feet, I run towards the end of the street. Looking back once, I see that Jimin has already disappeared into the heat of the battle, scim flashing as it cuts through the air. I turn around and dash away from the fight, blinking away the searing heat of the fires which dry out my eyes.

More than once, I see the shadowy shape of a specter flit through the abandoned streets, but I don't pay them any attention. I pour more speed into my running, dodging the fiery embers that flash up from nearby buildings on fire. Finally, I start to see the familiar signs and streets, and know I'm close to Jin.

Just a few more minutes...

Suddenly, I feel a cold hand on my shoulder, fingernails digging into the flesh so hard that I know it's going to draw blood. Not again! I wriggle and thrash in his grip, but the hand only strengthens his hold. A sickeningly familiar voice fills my ear, and I catch sight of a malicious grin hidden underneath a silver mask. Oh gods no...

"Found you."