Seonghwa owed his life to the frenzy of the kobold robbers that led them to battle Hongjoong first. They jumped him, three or four at a time, to cling and stab at him, but Hongjoong had none of it. The powerful swishes of his tail and wings swept the small bodies off their feet and his gruesome claws slashed through their spears as if through paper. He wreaked destruction at a pace so terrifying that the gnomes slowed their advance. Reconsidering their tactics, they surrounded the gargoyle with a ring of their spears.

By his side, Jongho had drawn his shiny sword with the winged grip. The massive blade evoked awe from the gnomes and whenever it fulfilled a singing circle through the air, they pushed farther back.

The lead gnome faced Hongjoong with a snarl on his lips. He wielded double daggers as an infinite supply of them had replaced the one he lost. While still smug about the hit he had landed on the gargoyle, his brow was furrowed in displeasure that their surprise initiative hadn't worked. Hongjoong didn't stagger, and his hellish eyes burned brighter despite the wound.

Seonghwa got discarded outside of the circle of the fight, but he gladly exchanged his safety for supporting his friends.

"Please don't fight! You see that you are no match for us!" He called. A group of gnomes threw scornful glares his way, but he overlooked their tainted souls. His attention stuck to their leader.

"Shut up, preacher. This is a matter of honour."

"What is honourable about attacking wanderers on the street? Let's not spill any more blood," Seonghwa pleaded.

The gnome rolled his eyes.

"Everyone, surprise attack!"

With that, the swarm of wicked gnomes charged again. They fuelled each other with their evil laughter as one of them threw a bottle at Hongjoong's feet, waiting for it to explode in smoke or poison or both.

Hongjoong's tail whipped forward and against the bomb. It flung through the air and shattered in the face of the leader gnome, who stumbled in his attack. A thick grey mist made him gag and choke as the trap fulfilled its purpose.

With a powerful beat of his wings, Hongjoong maintained the circle around him. Groaning gnomes landed on the earth and complained in their whiny, shrill voices. If their weapons weren't so sharp, their persistent confidence would have been comedic.

The coughing leader regained his bearings and wiped the tears from his reddened eyes. His glare got more ferocious as he contemplated the gargoyle with a sneer. Agitated, his henchmen crowded around Hongjoong and Jongho and waited for another order. Several of them littered the ground around Jongho's feet with their hands pressed to their superficial wounds.

Seonghwa's heart ached and stabbed in his chest as his panic for his friends sent it into hysteria. Still, he clutched his arms to himself and ignored his nausea as he prayed for peace.

"Let us pass and we will leave you be!"

"This is not about you leaving us be, but about us robbing you! Drop all your defences and hand over your bags!" The gnome brandished his dagger at Hongjoong, but the demon looked most unimpressed.

"You're the losing party here. If you wished to win this fight, you would have needed to bring more than those laughingstocks," the gargoyle growled.

The ears of the leader kobold became as red as his hat in his rage.

"How dare you say that to us?! Men, death before dishonour!"

With that, they charged again with the same type of unintelligent rage as before. Hongjoong fended them off in the same way as before, and Jongho's steps securely danced their deadly dance as he led his blade.

A few moments passed, then all the gnomes sat on the ground, groaning and begging for a break. Hongjoong battled the relentless leader gnome but soon all of his daggers were stripped of his figure and he was forced to his knees. Hongjoong stood above him like a figure of nightmares. His claw was lifted, ready to plunge into the gnome's chest to rip out his heart.

When the gnome pulled out yet another secret knife to stab at his ankles, Hongjoong kicked it off without a care for the offended yelp of his enemy.

Jongho and Seonghwa neared slowly. The crusader kept watch over the fallen kobolds, but none of them looked as if they would get back up anytime soon.

Seonghwa checked on Hongjoong's wound when he came to stand next to him. It wasn't dangerous, the deep cut ready to mend together without effort. Still, the sight of his black blood woke pique in Seonghwa. He crossed his arms.

"So, what kind of clown are you?" Hongjoong shook the gnome's shoulder when he threatened to slip off. Indignant, their opponent reached for his red hat and straightened it on his head.

"You won't get answers from me!" He yelled, ever so block-headed. A few weak cheers from the ground replied to him.

"Are you certain?" Hongjoong flexed the claws on his free hand. Before Seonghwa could reach out and ask him to be less violent, the gnome let out a triumphant laugh.

"You underestimate me!" With that, he became invisible. From one moment to the next, he was gone, and Seonghwa stared at the grass as if he had never even been there. Hongjoong's claw hovered in the empty air where his shoulder had been.

Jongho sucked in a breath. The smug giggles of the assembled gnomes forebode nothing good.

"I can still feel you," Hongjoong pointed out. His claw squeezed, and a whine sounded from the void in front of them.

Begrudgingly, the kobold made himself visible again to scowl at them. Hongjoong eased his grip but didn't let go of him. In mutual inflexibility, they stared each other down.

"Who are you?" Seonghwa repeated, gentler this time. The kobold threw him a distrustful gaze and then lifted his chin defiantly.

"I'm your certain doom."

"Yeah, and we are terrified. Now talk. What is this magical absurdity?" Hongjoong growled. His claws dug into the kobold's shoulder until he conceded with a wail.

"Fine, fine! Why do you accompany such a barbarous creature, priest? Vile, thoroughly vile. And extremely unfair." He scowled anew, but it became more of a pout when Hongjoong growled warningly. The heat of his body by Seonghwa's side made the priest woozy.

"My name is Wooyoung, and I am a highwayman by profession. Now you have to tell me what you are, too!" He crossed his arms with a challenging gaze. Unsure how he profited from that answer, Seonghwa replied.

"I'm a priest. This is my bodyguard, a gargoyle."

"Damn you, gargoyle." Wooyoung shook his fist at the demon, but Hongjoong didn't even bother answering.

"And what is this dwarf deal you have going on?" Hongjoong swirled his claw to underline the man's small physique. Under his felted red hat with the pointy tip, Wooyoung looked even more offended.

"Don't point out a man's size like that, crude gargoyle! Nobody comments on your freaky horns either!"

"You just did."

Wooyoung's mouth snapped shut, then it thinned into a white line. He grumbled, muttered under his breath about those 'damned tall people.'

"I'm a lutin," he conceded ultimately and beckoned to his companions. "We all are. We are known for our vicious tricks and the trails of corpses we litter on the road after every raid." Proud, he stretched his chest out.

"Every successful raid, you mean," Hongjoong smirked. Wooyoung returned to his glowering.

Seonghwa sighed.

"I think we can let him go, Hongjoong. He isn't dangerous."

Hongjoong turned his head. His intimidating horns threw shadows over his shoulders when he studied the priest. His unforgiving, burning eyes woke horrible images in Seonghwa's head.

"He almost got you."

"Nothing happened. They are no risk to anyone who remotely knows how to defend themselves."

Hongjoong shook his head, unyielding.

"I suggest we have him for dinner. Lutins taste best roasted over an open fire."

Wooyoung heroically tried to hide his gulp. His loud 'HAH!' made Seonghwa flinch.

"You wouldn't dare! Your priest leads you around like a dog and he holds the leash in his hands! Allow me." He wormed out of Hongjoong's grip and shifted to kneel in front of Seonghwa. His big, shiny eyes blinked up at the priest like emeralds as he batted his lashes at him.

"Please, your worship. Spare the lives of these silly highwaymen. We didn't know who you were. We would never dare do anything brutal."

Hongjoong's tail swished behind him, ticked off.

"What about the corpses you litter on the road after every raid?"

"Shush, dog." Wooyoung's glare returned to his begging expression within the split of a second. "Please, your excellency. Your honour. Your serene highness. Your high-born-"

"I'll make a fire," Hongjoong announced. He was about to stalk off when Seonghwa caught his arm. His pleading eyes appealed with kindness.

"Give him a chance." The lutin was so small, so passionate in his defence. Seonghwa couldn't help but regard him as a fumbling youth.

Hongjoong halted in his step. He exhaled before his eyes bore into Seonghwa's.

"Your naivety almost killed you another time. If you let him and his spawn live? You are no more but a blind moron. Stop this already. You can't save the entire world."

Nervous at the looming gargoyle so close to him, Seonghwa fiddled with his hands.

"But I can save him. Please, Hongjoong. At least let us talk to him more. We have to camp in the area anyway and we would be unwise to monger war with his people near their hideout."

Hongjoong stared down at Wooyoung, full of spite. Then he stepped closer to Seonghwa and inclined his head to mutter at his ear. Heat radiated off his body and a stab of remorse hit Seonghwa's chest as his eyes fell onto the oozing wound in his abdomen.

"Do this and you lose my last respect. If all you seek is self-destruction, then I see no more reason to have any pity for you."

Anger rose in Seonghwa. As if Hongjoong had any right to a discussion about morals. As if he hadn't done so much worse, and Seonghwa was forced to forgive him. As if he had any respect for Seonghwa.

When Seonghwa's eyes grew cold, Hongjoong backed off. He walked away with his hand pressed to his flank to tend to his injury. Seonghwa stared after him for a moment before he focused on the lutin. Intrigued by the exchange, Wooyoung glanced between Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

Seonghwa sighed and stretched his hand out for the lutin to take.

"Let's be cordial with each other. We won't kill you and in return, you answer some questions and make sure no other lutins attack us, alright?"

Wooyoung groaned to himself, but seized Seonghwa's hand.

"Bet he wouldn't have done it anyway," he claimed. He dusted his knees and shoulders off once he stood. Behind them, the other lutins helped each other to their feet. Jongho sheathed his sword and picked up some from the ground.

"He is right that you are very trusting, you know? Others wouldn't hesitate to kill highwaymen for the practice and the bounty."

Seonghwa gently shook his head.

"It's not in my nature to be violent. Hongjoong may not like this decision, but I am the one who chooses."

"What if I prove him right?" Wooyoung smirked wolfishly, and Seonghwa gave him a glare.

"Then I will let him cook you for dinner. I am patient, but not a saint."

It was a lie. Seonghwa would like not to kill anyone.

Wooyoung snickered as he helped the rest of his fumbling henchmen to their feet. Seonghwa didn't see Yunho and hoped he hadn't got swallowed by the river. Maybe he had lured part of the group away to heighten their chances at a win.

Jongho looked pleased with Seonghwa's decision. He gave him a relieved smile as they accompanied the lutins over the bridge and followed Hongjoong's wings as he picked a resting spot. In the meantime, Wooyoung checked on his people and sent most of them home to treat their wounds. The rest wanted to stick around, but he explained it was a matter of honour to heed his promises. The others were free to go, and soon the group thinned out. Only Wooyoung and his red hat remained.

Seonghwa couldn't tell if he had more tricks up his sleeves and if his friends would fetch further reinforcements. Still, he trusted he had saved another life. As soon as he found the time, he could apologise to Hongjoong.