The young boy hadn't woken yet. Yunho had lugged him to a clearing where they set up camp and Seonghwa had tended to him and checked for injuries. He had been startled to find that the round features of the man had yet to blossom fully into adulthood. As his pale complexion subsided, he looked healthy, and, most importantly, he carried the sigil of the crusaders at his belt.

All the while, Seonghwa prayed for his soul and kept Hongjoong far from the fragile man. Whatever mischief the demon was up to, Seonghwa didn't allow him. Thankfully, Yunho busied the demon with meal preparations. The way Hongjoong crushed the heads of rabbits and squirrels in his fists was brutal, but he helped along in his way.

Seonghwa still hadn't eaten, too worried to stomach food. He cowered by the boy's resting spot until, finally, after almost two hours, he opened his eyes. They were still red and wide with terror as they flicked through the air unseeingly.

When the knight sat up all of a sudden to reach for his neck, he knocked into Seonghwa. The priest rolled off onto his side and Hongjoong lifted his horned head to watch as the crusader looked around, lost. His lips dropped open when he spotted the three men watching him, but no sound escaped him.

Seonghwa dusted off his tunic and sat up.

"How do you feel? Your throat took some damage, so you might struggle to talk, but you're in safety."

He didn't ask the glaring question. The boy had been alone in that tree and he had been the one to take the jump. The depressing circumstances were clear, and they weighed on Seonghwa's heart.

The crusader didn't talk. His mouth snapped shut and his round eyes narrowed in suspicion. Nervous eyes kept returning to Hongjoong.

"You need not fear him. He is with me. I'm Seonghwa, a priest. What is your name?"

When only silence met him, Seonghwa helplessly glanced at Yunho. The adventurer shrugged.

The wordless man lowered his eyes to his lap. They were void of all emotion as they stared unseeingly. He was awake and breathed, but the glint of life in his eyes had died out.

Saddened, Seonghwa reached for his water bottle. He put it next to the man with cautious gentleness.

"Drink, if you want to. We have enough food to share."

No reply came back, so Seonghwa got to his feet and joined the other two by the fire. From time to time, he threw a glance at the crusader to find he had laid down again and stared into the starry sky with his empty gaze. He didn't try to end his existence again, but his spirit had detached from it.

"Any prayers to fix that?" Yunho whispered as he handed Seonghwa a bowl of stew. Depressed, Seonghwa dug through it. He wasn't hungry.

"He might have lost his connection to god if he tried to end his life. I doubt he wishes to listen to me right now."

"Could have left the man the decision to die when he wished to. If he is mad at your god already, being saved by a priest will not improve that sentiment," Hongjoong pointed out. He rolled his eyes when Seonghwa glared at him.

"We couldn't just let him perish!" He hissed under his breath. Another glance, but the crusader laid motionless, as if he were truly dead. In fear, Seonghwa attended to the rise of his chest for a few breaths.

"He wanted it," Hongjoong replied, just as curt. He was upset with Seonghwa's involvement, so Seonghwa stayed wary of Hongjoong's proximity to the crusader. Like the priest, the holy knight would only get corrupted by the demon.

"Let's find out what happened to him first. Perhaps there is another way to help him than letting him end his life," Yunho mediated. He nodded at both of them in understanding and they quietened down.

The crusader didn't change his behaviour throughout dinner. He didn't drink, didn't eat, and didn't even bother peering at them. Like an empty shell, he laid on Seonghwa's furs and stared into the sky.

Seonghwa neared him again after supper was finished. Yunho had taken Hongjoong dish-washing at the river and provided time for Seonghwa to tend to the stranger.

The priest sat at an appropriate distance from the motionless man and wrapped his arms around his knees. For a moment, he looked at him full of pity while he searched for the right words.

"Something terrible must have happened. Did you get deserted by your squad? We met other crusaders earlier, so we might bring you to them if you wish."

The boy didn't talk, but his expression changed subtly, like the wind in Seonghwa's hair. Fear and unwillingness flicked through his eyes almost imperceptibly. Accommodating it, Seonghwa changed his approach.

"You don't have to go back, of course. I don't know what led you into that tree, but whatever it was should be fixed first before you go to war again. If you wish, I can seek guidance with the Lord for you. He'll understand whatever troubles you, for you are a precious servant of His."

Empty silence. Seonghwa shifted to his knees to clasp his hands together in prayer.

"O God, who through the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, dost pour the gift of love into the hearts of Thy faithful people, grant unto us health, both of mind and body, that we may love Thee with our whole strength, and with entire satisfaction may perform those things which are pleasing unto Thee this day; through Christ our Lord. Amen."

He kept his head lowered for a moment to bring his sincere hope that the stranger would get better across. After a moment, a thin and scratchy voice broke the spell.

"God left me."

Seonghwa looked up to find the stranger's face still void of passion. His eyes were wet again and a thin trickle of tears fell toward the earth.

The pain shared in Seonghwa's chest bore into his heart.

"How has He left you, child?"

The stranger had fallen mute, as if he couldn't hear Seonghwa. He had closed off from any prayers, so Seonghwa left him alone. Perhaps Yunho could soothe the pain of this crusader's heart. A priest wasn't what he needed at the moment.

Seonghwa gnawed on his fingernails while he waited for the other two to return. He was scared for his brother in faith, who had strayed off the right path. What had happened to a man so young to make him lose his principle altogether? Did he truly believe God abandoned him despite his loyalty?

By the time Yunho and Hongjoong returned, Seonghwa had mutilated all of his fingernails to sad stumps and paced around the camp. He was undecided about what to do with the crusader. Clearly, he was in no position to be left alone, but the naked fear in his eyes when Seonghwa had suggested bringing him back to his people had been chilling.

As Yunho's tall frame appeared in the distance and Hongjoong's wings took shape in the dark, Seonghwa joined them at a safe distance from the crusader's ears that may or may not listen in to their discussion.

"I got him to talk. Whatever keeps him silent isn't permanent," Seonghwa whispered as he joined them outside of the warm ring of light from the campfire. He tugged his coat around his frame when he shivered, still impressed by how Hongjoong was immune to temperatures.

"What did you find out?" Yunho asked and shushed Perie when her claws scraped over his leather vest as she climbed all over his back. The wyvern stilled and split green eyes blinked at Seonghwa.

"He was very averse to being brought back to the camp, so I believe he vacated his mission. He also mentioned that God left him, but I didn't find out what he meant with that."

Pensive, Yunho glanced over Seonghwa's shoulder at the boy. Hongjoong made a sound of understanding.

"Something must have happened that convinced him a made-up god isn't worth killing and fighting for. Perhaps he questioned what he was doing, slaughtering people for their beliefs, and thus lost his faith. Now all that remains is a broken man."

Seonghwa hissed at him through his teeth, but the gargoyle challenged him with cynical eyes to prove him wrong.

Yunho diffused the situation, as always.

"You might be onto something. He must have lost guidance on whom he was serving. I don't know how crusaders deal with deserters, but I agree that sending him back might seal his death warrant. We don't want that."

Helpless, Seonghwa turned to look at their guest.

"So, what will we do with him?"

A moment of shared silence passed between them. Seonghwa didn't want to leave the boy alone, for he feared he might attempt his life again, but they couldn't stay until he had recovered from whatever chained him down.

"Let's take him with us," Yunho suggested out of the blue. At the same time, Seonghwa and Hongjoong whirled around to face him. Hongjoong stared in contempt, Seonghwa in surprise.

"Another weakling? Don't we have our hands full with one pitiful invalid?" Hongjoong sneered. He gave Seonghwa a glare, and the priest glared right back.

Yunho lifted both palms to calm them down. His fingers wriggled at them.

"Did you forget? We have more hands available now. It's a reasonable guess that Seonghwa might lead him back to light. Whenever he feels weak, I can have an eye on the newcomer. It would be too cruel to leave him after we robbed him of his courage to die."

"I can fix that for him," Hongjoong growled. He set foot in the crusader's direction, but Yunho caught him by the shoulder. He grinned even when Hongjoong's tail whipped his hand away.

"What do you say, Father? Is he worth the hassle?" Expectant, Yunho faced Seonghwa, who fiddled with his aching fingers. Hongjoong halted to wait for orders, as well.

Troubled, Seonghwa regarded the empty soul in their midst. He didn't know if he had the energy and compassion to tend to him. He weakened by the day and soon, he would barely be able to live his own life anymore. How could he make it worthwhile for another person?

Yet, the thought of leaving him empty and dejected hurt Seonghwa's heart even more.

"Everyone deserves salvation. If he trusts us with it, I will try to lead him back onto the path of light," he concluded. A grin spread across Yunho's lips and he let go of Hongjoong's shoulder. With large steps, he pranced over to the crusader to brief him of their decision and try to get an agreement out of him.

Seonghwa remained with Hongjoong and a weight lifted off his burdened shoulders. He had chosen wisely.

Hongjoong, on the other hand, scoffed.

"You don't even know what he did. Why trust him? He's a knight. All he does is kill."

"He's a man of God," Seonghwa replied without hesitation. "And everyone deserves a chance if they are willing to take it." His voice ended in a whisper when he was reminded that Hongjoong would never take this chance and would never accept forgiveness. He festered like a cancerous growth and he enjoyed it.

"Your foolishness will kill you one day. Or better said, it already did. You are just making the ride to death smoother." Hongjoong shook his head and wandered off to melt into the shadows of the woods. Seonghwa guessed he either squashed cute animals or kept out an eye for the crusaders that would skim the nearby forest for their lost companion.

Easily convinced to leave the gargoyle time to calm down, Seonghwa joined Yunho by the fireplace. He talked animatedly to the still crusader, but Seonghwa believed to see some intrigue glimmering deep in those eyes like a dying flame. When he sat down next to Yunho, the knight's eyes flicked to him briefly. Hongjoong's absence seemed to soothe his distress.

"Any news? Will he tag along?"

Yunho shrugged, as clueless as everyone else with the silent man. Unbothered in his patience, Seonghwa smiled at the stranger.

"You can take your time and decide. We would gladly offer our help."

He got no smile back, but he wasn't disappointed.

After a long night that Seonghwa spent rolling around in bed with his hand splayed over his throbbing heart and plagued by nightmares, dawn greeted them with a fresh start. They rolled up their furs and gathered their items, ready to be on their way.

The crusader lingered at first and watched them from shadowed eyes. The markings of the rope showed on his neck and disfigured his tanned skin.

When the trio picked up their bags to leave, he got to his feet. Silent like a ghost, he followed behind them at a distance, but without ever leaving them from his sight. Yunho and Seonghwa smiled at each other and didn't address his ghostly presence.