Within this distant refuge, Jungkook aimed to make the most of the time remaining in his convalescence. On the initial day, he fulfilled his pact with his pharmacist, breaking the crystal dagger to signal his safety. The hours then unfolded with a blend of rest, meditation, and enlightening conversations with his hosts.

Then, he sought to revive his strength, and turned to the practice of wielding his elemental powers. Controlled bursts of fire and light fluid manipulation allowed him to wake his senses and test the pathways that were previously blocked for any complications. 

"I think I'm ready to be on my way again," Jungkook announced on the evening of the second day.

"Why don't you stay until you get a full night sleep and take off in the morning?" Gomin suggested. 

"I am on the hunt for a particular Air master, and I don't know when he will move from the location we know of," he explained. 

"Who may that be?" Gyunsung asked.

"Min Yoongi, an executive in the Agriculture Committee of the East," he replied. 

"The elemental mage," Gomin recognized. 

"I would even say strictly a mage," Gyunsung asserted, "His abilities go beyond the gray area in my opinion."

"Either way, you have nothing to worry about, the plans of his operations are usually extended over a dozen of months at least," Gomin informed. "He has quite the standing among his peers and is usually entrusted with consequential affairs despite his young age." 

"Do you keep track of all magic wielding citizens in Allegion?" Jungkook asked. 

"Those who catch our attention," he clarified. 

"Well," Jungkook sighed, "I suppose I could stay for a night, sir Park surely doesn't need my help," he conceded.

The morning of his departure, the father and son lent him their horse and showed him the best route to take, trading off distance for safety. Though it would require longer to arrive, he wouldn't have to face any foes as he is barely recovered and on his own. 

"Godspeed," Gomin nodded as he bowed curtly.

"We wish you safety traveller. Always remember, you are not alone," the father comforted. 

"You have my deepest gratitude," Jungkook genuinely responded, bowing back to them, and soon, he was on his way.

---

It was a new day in the village, yet the haunting notes of that unceasing lullaby drew him in. His curiosity stirred, Min Yoongi called for its owner as he wandered through the streets, searching. The voice, carrying both comfort and mystery had captivated him, and he couldn't shake the desire to discover the person behind it.

For over a day, he combed the village, his ears finely tuned to the delicate strains of the quiet song, while his eyes focused on the movements of the villagers' lips, reading them to solve his mystery and find the person muttering about his ability to control the weather. Yet, the singer remained a phantom, eluding him like a fleeting dream.

"Can you hear me? I will wait again at the East-most barn tonight," he said before returning to his duties in the Southern lands. 

In that same area, marked by the large rice fields stretching in acres, Jimin sat on a shallow hill, a parchment and quill in hand, writing away his reflections. The concerns of the day, like ink, flowed from his mind to the page. In the midst of his musings, a gentle breeze of romance swept through his thoughts. The inkwell of his mind seemed to spill over with sentiments reserved for one man in particular, and so he versed out loud before etching them on the paper.

Where the rhythmic undulations of the shallow flood blended with the symphony of rustling leaves, Min yoongi, with his weathered hands guiding the plow, traced arcs in the fertile soil as water buffaloes waded gracefully through the paddies.

"Behold, the contours of your face spring to life beneath my quill. The soft lilt of your speech, your ember-like glow, the way your eyes dance with mirth—these nuances... Each revelation bestows a depth to the portrait of my affections." The words hung in the air, seeming to emerge from the unseen corners of the vast landscape, a change from the lullaby he'd memorized by heart.

Pausing in his tasks, Yoongi turned, searching for the familiar voice of the enigmatic declaration. His eyes, a reflection of the very land he cultivated, scanned the surroundings. The tender words echoed in his mind, were they crafted for him? The question lingered. Who could hold such sentiments for him?

"Is something the matter, sir Min?" one of the men asked, disturbing his hearing. 

"What's beyond the rice fields in that direction?" he pointed. 

"Trees and trees, our activities in the area end here." The man shrugged. He closed his eyes and focused, yearning to hear from the stranger again, but nothing more was said. 

"Who are you..." he muttered again.

"I'm Myung Bongsu, sir." the man answered, louder than his ears were prepared for.

"Not-" Yoongi sighed, "Very well, I will visit the stables now, good work." he curtly smiled.

---

Later at the edge of the forests surrounding the village, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a pattern of shadows on the path beneath the traveller's feet. Wrapping the reigns of his new horse around his wrist, he approached the only guest house in sight.

"Good day sir, what may I do for you?" the lady inquired, squinting into his eyes to place the mysterious visitor, them being the only uncovered features of his face.

"I'm here looking for someone. Has a foreign man rented a room in the past two days?" he asked.

Understanding dawned on the lady's face. "You must be the one he's expecting," she spoke, "He requested that I give you the key if you asked for him. You may wait inside, I'm sure he won't be long," she added.

"Thank you," he curtly bowed and followed her directions. 

Jungkook navigated through the village until reaching the small house with the correct inscribed number. He felt a mix of nerves and anticipation as he waited, looking forward to seeing the Liquis and telling him he's discovered. The slow passing of time, marked by the weakening flame in the fireplace finally came to an end when the door unlocked, revealing the familiar silhouette of his pharmacist. 

"You're back," Jimin smiled, letting the blanket fall down on the low stool and rushing for an embrace. 

"How have you been while I was gone?" Jungkook asked after pressing a loving kiss on his temple. 

"I've been well. I thought you'd be gone a little longer," he responded. 

"Following sir Lee was in reality a great decision," he admitted. "I learned so much from him and his father," he informed. 

"Tell me everything," Jimin ushered before sitting besides him, curious about his side venture and listening to every story he told.

"So we need to travel to Hesu regardless?" he inquired. 

"I'm afraid so. Enough about that, did you find him?" Jungkook asked in turn, impatient to meet the Val after so long planning their search. 

"Not exactly, nobody came to find me. Could it be that he didn't grasp the message? Or maybe he was hiding from me?" Jimin wondered. 

"Hard to say, I'd need to listen for hints before moving on to asking around," he considered. "Should we experiment with that now or would you perhaps like to rest?" the Pyre suggested. 

"I'm too curious to rest," the Liquis denied, already balling the blanket back into his arms.

"What is that for?" Jungkook asked in confusion.

"Well I am singing a lullaby, I figured it would be less strange if I seemed to have a baby in my arms."

"Brilliant."

They fell into the recently adopted routine, strolling through the streets together while the Liquis sung the lullaby once more. However, this time, Jungkook was attuned not only to their song but also to the subtle reactions of the villagers, listening keenly for any signs of recognition or response.

...
Dreamer of weather's sweet ballet,
Rest now, till the break of day.

Amongst the meaningless whispers came forth a singular voice, stringing a sentence too precisely directed to be ignored. You're singing again, it said. Jungkook settled a hand on his pharmacist's shoulder to stop his strides and pointed to his own ear. 

Is it me that you envision in your tender verses? He heard the Val speak, and confusion overtook his expression at once. His brows knit down the middle and his eyes squinted, his mind making sense of the puzzling prompt. 

He turned to the Liquis and motioned for him to repeat the lullaby. Perhaps he was mistaken and eavesdropped on a private conversation. I reckon your melody aims to capture my attention; you know of my abilities, the same voice claimed, assuring him that his perception was accurate. Why have you not ventured to seek me, if you think so dearly of me? The man muttered. 

"What?" Jungkook interjected, perplexed. "Ask him where he is," he whispered in Jimin's ear.

"Where are you?" the Liquis did as told, sensing a lack of context to the request. 

Finally, you summon the courage for our rendez-vous, the distant Val sighed. I will be in the East-most barn, where I awaited you before. I hope you will show this time, he invited.

"Rendez-" Jungkook shrieked. One moment Jimin patiently waited for Jungkook to share his findings through his heightened hearing, and the next, he found himself being pulled along toward their rented room.

"Why are we back here?" he asked once the door was closed.

"What were you saying to him?" Jungkook inquired with a raised brow. 

"The lullaby we wrote together, what's the matter?" Jimin shrugged. 

"Only that?"

"Yes, it's not as though I could hold a conversation with a man I couldn't even locate," he factually responded. 

"Well he seems... I don't know to be completely honest," he sighed, shaking the disorienting thoughts from his mind. "I know where to find him, but I will be doing so on my own, at least this one time," he announced.

"Why suddenly?" It was Jimin's turn to be confused. 

"Because if he doesn't wish to cooperate, I will need you to go ahead with the contingency plan. Both of us being captured will leave our hands tied for good." he half-truthfully replied, choosing not to mention the romantic whim Min Yoongi seems to be in.

"I would carp about being able to protect myself, but our last encounter with strong Vals has me thinking twice," Jimin agreed defeatedly. "You'll take another crystal dagger however, will you?" he solicited. 

"Of course, my love. I will break it as soon as I deem it safe enough," he smiled, taking the cooler hand into his own and drawing him closer by it. "I've missed you," he sighed into his silver hair. 

"It's only been two days," Jimin chuckled, taunting him for the same thing he would've said if the other hadn't beaten him to it.

"I don't know how long our meeting will be, but I'll try to be back by nightfall," Jungkook promised. 

"What if he's not alone?" Jimin worried. If someone had discovered the secret of his crystal, he wouldn't be welcoming them with a warm teapot without ensuring their intentions were benign.

"He will be," the taller confirmed.

"You sound certain."

"It's a hunch," Jungkook curtly responded, bitterly recalling the mention of a rendez-vous.

---

"You're here," the Val announced, the resonance of foreign footsteps grabbing his senses. His eyes gleamed with anticipation as the stranger stepped before him, his appearance though, somewhat defying his preconceived expectations. 

The man approaching took deliberate and measured steps. The rhythm of his breathing remained steadfast and regulated, a metronome accompanying the precise cadence of his strides. On the other hand, the singer's breathing wasn't a perfect rhythm; instead, it ebbed and flowed with the changing tides of his emotions, an unscripted melody harmonizing with his lullaby.

"Afternoon, sir Min Yoongi." Jungkook greeted, confirming his doubts.

"Oh, excuse me, I was expecting someone," he shook his head. The timber of this man's voice wasn't even comparable with the other's. "How may I help you sir?" he asked with a tinge of disappointment.

"I know who you were expecting, and he will not be joining us today," he responded, causing an arch to form on his forehead.

"Who am I speaking to?" The Val's tone changed, now weary and skeptical. 

"You recognized yourself from the whispers. I suppose you must have an idea of why I am here," the Pyre said. 

"That's not what I asked," asserted the Val, throwing thread into the already tangling tension in the atmosphere. 

"I know," the other remained reticent. 

"I may seem alone but, so long as we walk beneath this sky, you should think twice about your actions," Yoongi warned, attempting to moor the stranger within the bounds of civility. 

"I am not looking for a fight," Jungkook clarified. "However, since I was able to hear your speak all the way from the village, I don't think I should disclose my motives out in the open," he stated. 

"Impressive. But I would only receive you inside my home if you agreed to uncover your face first," Yoongi demanded.

"I don't think that-"

"'Tis an unbending condition," the committee member stood his ground.

"Can I make sure there is nobody else in our vicinity?" he asked. 

"No one is-"

"Who is behind those horses?" Jungkook asked when he caught the crunching of hay under someone's foot.

"What horses?" Yoongi seemed dumbfounded as he followed the direction of the man's finger, pointing towards the grazing grounds where horses roamed freely. "I can't listen that far away, so I will assure you they can't either, let alone see you." he said, using his hand for shade to make apart the distant figure.

"How do you assess your hearing abilities as a Val?" Jungkook inquired. 

"Better than average," he shrugged. "Will you do what I asked of you now?"

"Again, I don't mean any harm," he prefaced while unwrapping the scarf.

"You're the-...You're insane," Yoongi mumbled, his body tensing, a mixture of disbelief and frustration evident in his furrowed brows and tightened jaw. "Leave this village immediately." 

"Would you care to hear what I have to say first?" Jungkook sighed in dismay.

"Absolutely not," he shook his head, beginning to walk to his small cottage.

"Give me a few minutes, you'll understand that I'm not here to stir any trouble," he negotiated.

"What are you here for then?"

"You," he responded. "A few minutes sir Min," he tried again.

Yoongi's eyes swept the quiet surroundings a lot more diligently to ensure secrecy, and once convinced of it, he relented, "This had better be brief." The lines of tension in his face betrayed a mix of suspicion and resignation as he opened the door, allowing the fugitive inside the dimly lit space. 

"Why have you come to find me?" he prompted.

"I remember you from the palace," Jungkook started.

"Really, I could've sworn you were falling asleep that morning," Yoongi hummed. 

"I was, no offense. Then you said something that piqued my interest and brought me to you today. I know you are masterful with your element, and I would like to ask you for a service," he claimed. "It may come as a challenge to your convictions. Are you privy to the circumstances leading to my sentence?" he asked. 

"I read the public notices, and I don't want to reap such consequences for myself as well. The authorities have become very sensitive to the taboo and take anybody they think might be committing it," he informed. 

"You'll have my protection; if anybody comes close to suspecting you, I will create enough diversion to lead them away," he promised. 

"Excuse my doubt, but I don't believe you'd throw yourself to the wolves for a stranger given what's at stake," he shook his head. 

"You have reason not to trust me, but I wouldn't put anybody in harm's way if I had a choice. I am left to walk on the thinnest bridges hoping they are steady enough," Jungkook responded, trying to express his desperation.

"What would you even need from me? I can't think of anything I'd be willing to do for you with your current circumstances." Yoongi squinted his eyes as he thought of different favors his skills would allow him to offer.

"Do you know anything about..." he started and stopped a word short. Deciding it was much too delicate a topic. He instead used his fingertip for a brush and painted letters of fire in the air to spell: Allura.

"It seems I am not at the end of my surprises," Yoongi huffed out a long breath as he pieced the information together, a look of bewilderment settling on his face.

"Of course you do," Jungkook sighed. "It feels as though I was born yesterday," he muttered.

"What about it," Yoongi asked knowingly.

"What if I asked for help? I must learn your ways if I am to fulfill my duties in this world, and I can't think of anybody else to teach me," he explained. 

"Teaching an evident Pyre, I might as well bind my own limbs and set myself on fire." The Val shook his head, pacing around the room as the realizations stimulated every neurone in his brain. "Or perhaps would you do the honors," he scoffed.

"I only need you to unlock that part of me. I will be out of your life as soon as I can," Jungkook promised. 

"And who knows how long that will take."

"I have managed to travel as far as I have thanks to a community I recently discovered, which I understand you are not part of. They have been spreading word of me far away from here to keep the soldiers astray, so I can at least promise that we have time before anybody comes looking." The Pyre explained, albeit reassuring, it wasn't enough to rule out the possibility of being discovered by the inhabitants of this very village.

"I am a Goryeo official, this is a government operation, do you understand?" Yoongi tried to dissuade again.

"I will remain isolated, my partner and I are travelers; it will be as though we'd moved on with our journey." 

"There are thousands of other Vals, I can't be the only willing one in this Kingdom," Yoongi resisted.

"So you are willing."

"And I also have a life, a family, and ambitions that I don't want cut short for this," he countered.

"I understand," Jungkook relented. "I will leave now as to not pressure you further, but I will remain in the village for one more day. If you change your mind, speak it and I will hear you. After that, I will be gone," he last said, taking the following silence as his cue to return to his pharmacist, leaving the other behind to a whirlwind of thoughts and worries and returning to his missed lover.

Their first night together in this rented room was initiated with a warm meal Jungkook had the pleasure to prepare, comforted by the other's presence and the distracting stories about his childhood, which later became a distracting embrace as they lay waiting for slumber.

"I must tell you something," Jungkook began.

"What is it?"

"When I was in the company of Gomin and his father, they mentioned something—or rather someone," he paused. "Gomin's father knew yours. In fact, they had a master-pupil relationship," Jungkook said. "While I laid on the operating surface, I noticed him using his element and felt my body react to it in an all new way to me, but when I thought deeper, it wasn't the first time something of the sort happened."

"What kind of way?"

"The reason I am back so soon is because Sir Lee used unconventional methods to help me," he emphasized, not to use obvious terms. "He said your father learned such a skill from him, and I began to find clarity about certain questions I had in the past," he pursed his lips. "I will be breaking the promise I made, but I believe the aftermath your father feared has no reason to be."

"What was it?"

"He made me swear not to tell that he volunteered for medical duty that year. When he lost his leg, he was exempt by the law from his role in any potential battle, and being his doctor and his friend, my father would have been firmly against the idea. However sir Park insisted, and if I didn't understand why at the time, I think I do now." he sighed.

"My most injured soldiers only needed days to recover, but I suppose it was due to more than expertise. He probably didn't trust me with such a secret, and I don't blame him; all I can think about is how selfless he was to give those men a chance at his own peril," Jungkook sighed. 

"So he wasn't taken from us, he left us behind." Jimin nodded regretfully. 

"I admit that his wishes aligned perfectly with mine, so I will always blame myself for not declining his request. I should have excluded him, maybe then I wouldn't have led him to his death myself." Jungkook disagreed.  

"The more I learn about my father the more regrets fester in my heart. He found a way to use his element for even greater good, and the first thing I did was weaponize it," he scoffed humorlessly. 

"Loss does that to Man," the Pyre consoled. 

"I was adamant on punishing you without knowing any of the truth."

"We all have sins to grapple with. I deserved punishment for mine no matter what you originally meant it for," he responded.

"You truly care for me don't you," Jimin smiled, his fingers gingerly settling on Jungkook's cheek.

"There aren't words for how I feel about you," the taller replied, his eyes telling all the truth there was, yet strangely reflecting an otherwise guilty gaze in the other pair. 

"Sometimes I wish I had died before you really knew me, so that I could remain beautiful," Jimin responded, surrendering to the regrets he spoke of.

"No," Jungkook breathed, and a frown followed. "You will always be," he assured, "Whether you believe it or not." Although he knows it to be difficult changing Jimin's mind once it is set.

"You seemed worried earlier; will you tell me what the Val said now?" the shorter asked, hoping to jump over his burdens to carry the conversation.

"I would rather wait for what he will say tomorrow. I like to think he will come to a different decision outside of the confrontational setting I subjected him to," he pursed his lips.

Then tomorrow came, and no further message from Min Yoongi reached his ears. He patiently listened for it, spending a great deal of his morning concentrated on the furthest points of his hearing range not to miss it, but in vain.

"I suppose he made his decision." Jungkook sighed in defeat. After focusing for hours on end, he was left with nothing but silence or the miscellaneous sounds from the village life. 

"We will find somebody else, don't despair." Jimin reassured, "Perhaps this wasn't meant to be, it doesn't mean you won't find a master eventually."

"You're right." Jungkook nodded, "We should get ready then, this place won't-" 

each you...

He turned towards the wall all of a sudden—the direction of Sir Min's barn, sure he heard his voice for a second. He waited, gesturing for the pharmacist to halt his movements. 

I will teach you. Can you hear me?

His face brightened, excitement and relief overcoming him until...

What about sir Park...May I meet him?

He looked at the Liquis, and just like that, the former emotions were disturbed by a mixture of doubt and possessiveness. 

"He will teach me," Jungkook informed.

"Great news, he really just needed time to think it over," Jimin smiled. "Settle a meeting place then."

"I will step out for a moment, he can't hear me at this distance, let alone through Val walls," he pointed out, wrapping himself and heading East before speaking again. "I hear you, thank you." he acknowledged, passing by the merchants and artisans in the small square. 

You said you will remain isolated. There is a cabin in the forests North of the village where you two may stay for the duration of the training. Meet me there at sunset.

As promised, they stood by their horses looking at the cabin they barely found in the thickening forest. Only as one draws nearer, the illusion of seamless integration begins to unravel, hinting at the deliberate placement of each tree, strategically positioned to conceal rather than reveal.

"This is it," Jungkook sighed, as if stepping into a sanctuary shrouded in secrecy.

"Something tells me this place was meant for hiding," Jimin nodded. 

"I hear footsteps nearing," the Pyre whispered. "Lead the horses to the rear until I confirm it is him."

It is me, he heard. 

"I suppose your hearing is quite above average in this case," Jungkook muttered, trying to find where outside the forest Min was.

"Or yours doesn't quite grasp distance very well," Sir Min responded, almost spawning behind one of the towering trees. "Vals are light on their feet. If you can hear them, it's too late," he explained. 

"You don't waste any time do you, Sir Min." Jungkook stated with an understanding nod.

"The sooner you learn, the faster you leave," he shrugged. 

"Whose cabin is this?" the taller asked, roaming his eyes on the wooden structure. 

"Does it matter? It's unoccupied and away from prying eyes, so go ahead and make it yours for now." the Val invited, gesturing for the Pyre to walk ahead. "Noise and conversations don't escape outside the cabin's perimeter, or at least natural Val hearing cannot catch them. You can be comfortable discussing sensitive topics within the confines of these tall trees," he elaborated. 

"I want to thank you again. I know this might not have been an easy decision to make. You even provided us with shelter and..."

Us. Yoongi's mind singled out. That's right, a third person is missing from the conversation.

"...I don't know how you'd prefer to go about this ..." 

He was listening, he was. Then, the footsteps he'd been tuned to for the past days caught his ears again, and his vision as well, when another figure advanced behind the Pyre's. There was no lullaby, but the air created that same melody flowing in and out of this man's lungs. 

"It's you," he interrupted in a breath, his eyes following the stranger's movements as he pulled his scarf down to reveal hidden strokes of God's artful image. The linen fabric rippled with the wind and light strands of hair flowed across his face; Yoongi wondered if they would break upon a touch like spider silk.

"Pleasure to meet you sir," the Liquis greeted.

"The pleasure is surely mine," he responded, the corners of his lips stretching into a soft smile. 

"Park Jimin," the Liquis introduced himself, extending a hand for him to shake. Soft and delicate, his pale fingers enveloped his own palm, their subtle chill nearly escaping notice.

"Min Yoongi" he said, reluctant to let the hand go, if not for the piercing glare in his peripheral view. 

"I was saying," Jungkook continued, "Perhaps we can discuss my training after we settle down," he suggested, aiming to break the strange connection forming ahead of him.

"Right," the Val nodded.

"Why don't you go ahead, my love," Jungkook stepped aside to let him through, his voice softening but the glint in his eyes remaining sharp as they watched disappointment paint itself on the Val's face.  

"Ember-like glow... Of course," Yoongi pursed his lips, embarrassed to have let his hopes up without reason.

"We won't need long-"

"Let's meet again tomorrow morning instead, very early." Yoongi changed his mind, choosing to stay away for the rest of the day. It seemed as though every revelation related to the runaway Prince cost him something in return. 

His pining for the Liquis had only begun recently, but it had been intense; his elegance had captivated him—now entwined with a fire wielder of all people. The former prince seemed the very antithesis of everything the water bender represented. How can he be with someone like that?

As dawn approached, the first light of morning brought no comfort for Yoongi. The new day meant facing his new pupil, who has laid a plethora of problems and concerns onto his life. He tried to focus on his duty, struggling to push aside the begrudging feelings.

"What is your experience with air?" Yoongi asked upon his sight, choosing to dive right into the matter.

"My brother is a Val, I've watched him practice a handful of times," Jungkook responded, ceasing his fire maintenance training for the moment.

"Did you give it enough attention to learn from, or as much as you'd given me during my meeting with his Majesty?" he scoffed.

"I wasn't who I am now at the time. All I know of air wielding is that it takes a great deal of focus and stability in one's heart," he responded.

"That is true. What of your brother? What is your judgement of his character?" Yoongi asked.

"He is caring, proud, and most of all a boy--no, a man of principles, but he is also mischievous and stubborn." Jungkook smiled at the thought of him. 

"Vals grow out of those two traits, unlike you lot," Yoongi rolled his eyes.

"Why are we speaking of my brother? Would you like to meet the whole family next time?" Jungkook clicked his tongue.

There is a strange tension between them, and Jungkook couldn't confidently say it was purely due to the Val's interest in his pharmacist. He can't seem to conceal this unexpected bitterness while conversing with the Val, and clearly neither can the latter. 

"The only Val you are familiar with happens to be your brother, which is a strike of luck if you ask me, as you seem to know him on a deeper level. You can now begin to understand what traits you need to nurture in order to be successful in your training."

"Did I fail to mention that my brother is also boring? I would rather be a tri-wielder only instead of that," Jungkook snorted. "You remind me of him now that you mention it."

"See? Another good thing about Val personalities is they can remain respectful even while talking to you," Yoongi huffed. "What I am getting at here is that you Pyres have certain emotions which are favorable to your element, and we have ours. Just like anger, aggression, and impulsiveness give your fire strength, our composure and moral reasoning guide the air through us and to our whim."

"We don't throw fire around as we please either, it is a great responsibility to bend a flame and we are aware of it," he found himself defending.

"Not all of you."

"And if you're as composed and righteous as you say you are, how is it justified to rob people of their breath instead of fight fairly?"

"Who said we wouldn't fight fairly?" Yoongi scoffed at the absurd claim.

"We had an encounter with Vals weeks ago, they tried to suffocate me; they were practically pulling the air out of me because they knew I would best them in combat," Jungkook described as they conversed before the rising sun.

"That is prohibited in Val law."  Yoongi responded, a crease forming on his forehead. "Do you recall anything about them? I could notify the authorities if you wish it," he proposed.

"No matter, they no longer live to be chased." Jungkook shrugged, stretching the crease into an arch instead. Murder isn't a topic of casual conversation where Yoongi was from.

"I'm teaching a killer. Wonderful," he huffed out a sharp breath.  

"It was self-defense I assure you, there is only so much mercy you can show on the verge of death," Jungkook explained, leaving out the detail of not doing the killing himself. "Did you say Val law?" he recalled.

"Indeed, it prohibits air element users from forcibly extracting air from any living being's lungs or utilizing air manipulation techniques in a manner that restricts or interferes with a person's ability to breathe freely. Among other things," he confirmed. 

"That's quite sensible of Vals," Jungkook nodded to himself. 

"The Elemental Restraint Act applies to all elements, of course we'd have rules specific to us too," Yoongi mentioned, expecting a look of recognition but seeing the opposite.

"Right..." the taller pursed his lips, ignorant on what's being discussed. 

"Pyres." Yoongi shook his head in contempt. 

"Well, spend time in war as long as I have, concepts of law and restraint become lost on you," Jungkook explained.

"Tell me I won't regret doing this for you," the Val mumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on the cabin as he seemed to reconsider his actions. 

"No, I promise, I won't cause you trouble," he confirmed.

"Alright... Let's begin then." 

While sir Min tested the Pyre's abilities with simple questions and wind manipulation techniques, he came up with an idea to make the training more efficient. He left the taller with an exercise and hesitantly walked towards the cabin, his hands clamming as he neared the door because of whom he was to meet on the other side. 

"Sir Park." Yoongi spoke up, snapping the Liquis out of the evident trance he was in. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to barge in, I knocked but..." he apologized. 

"That's quite alright, I needed the wake up call." sir Min dismissed.

"You seemed deep in thoughts."

"Cheerful ones," he smiled. 

"You...uh," the Val began, losing his words right away, or perhaps not knowing how to start the conversation he fantasized so much about. "I hear a Southern accent," he chose to say.

"Born and raised in the capital, it's hard to lose it," Jimin nodded, "Yours isn't as strong as other people's though," he pointed out.

"I've travelled a lot in my life," he responded. 

"Sounds wonderful, this is the most travelling I've done in mine," he arched his brows in amusement.

"You have a good travel guide if you find yourself in these beautiful parts," Yoongi jested.

"That I do," the Liquis chuckled, a sound Yoongi missed the second it stopped.

"Do you ever miss the south?" he asked, and only after noticing the faltering of his radiant smile did he realize, "I'm sorry that was insensitive-"

"Did you perhaps need something sir Min?" Jimin politely inquired instead, cutting the casual talk short.

"Sir Jeon's scarfs," he replied with a curt smile.

He left the cabin with his tail between his legs, worried he'd ruined all chances of getting to know the enchanting Liquis so fast, to then see the clueless Pyre laying on the grass, unlike what he'd instructed him to do. 

"I thought I said practice tuning your hearing," he reminded with a swift eyeroll.

"All tuned. There's a metronome ticking your barn, another somewhere in the village stables, and one in the rice fields." he listed. 

"There are five metronomes," Yoongi corrected. 

"That can't be right," Jungkook raised a brow in doubt, and watched the other walk to the nearest bush and pull out said device he completely missed. "I should've heard that one first," he stated in confusion. 

"Yet you didn't. When the wind traverses the dense leaves of the bush, it ruffles them just enough to interfere with the rhythmic ticking sound of the metronome. Try to find the last one now," he challenged. 

"Alright."

"Focus, listen through the noise," Yoongi guided.

"A little difficult when you're holding my attention with your words." 

"It shouldn't be." the Val shrugged and he sighed. 

The sting of being wrong lingered like a bitter taste in his mouth. He begrudgingly took on the task, hoping to breeze through it and restore his confidence. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance when the sound was nowhere around. 

"Wind chimes, really?" Jungkook huffed.

"You found it." Yoongi nodded. "Can you tell me how?" he requested. 

"You hid one in a tricky place so I assumed the last one as well, I just had to listen for sounds similar to a metronome and found it," he replied. 

"That was not the goal of the exercise, I'm not testing your intelligence." the Val shook his head in disagreement. 

"I understand, but you said it yourself, you put them in places where wind interferes just enough to mislead me."

"Because instead of using your brain, I wanted you to use your instinct. You cannot be a Val if you don't use the senses Vals have." Yoongi explained. "The goal was to listen to the wind, and understand how it interacts with everything around it, so as to discard the sounds you don't need and focus on the ones you do," he added and sat down on the grass. 

"Is that mine?" Jungkook asked, looking at the scarf in hand before it was thrown on his lap. 

"Blindfold yourself. Shutting one sense, enhances the others," he suggested. 

The practice went on for hours, Yoongi left to carry out his duties in the fields when activity began, and gave Jungkook the assignment of tracking his movements from the cabin, keeping a record of where he was located every time he said his own name 'Min Yoongi'. 

It was exhausting to say the least, the Pyre was left to listen for everything and nothing, his ears filling with the sounds of machines and agricultural devices, animals, and other loud tools. It was past noon when Yoongi returned, and his first greeting was all Jungkook needed to pull the blindfolding fabric down and rush towards the cabin.

"Are you two finished?" Jimin asked upon seeing him barge through the door. 

"I get to hear your beautiful voice now, God bless you my love," Jungkook sighed in relief before cupping the other's face and leaning down to press a kiss on his forehead. "You could have kept less quiet you know?"

"You needed to focus, besides, what would I speak up for?" the pharmacist smiled fondly at the gesture. "Is sir Min staying for lunch as well?" he asked.

"I don't know," he responded. "Sir Min? Where have you gone? Please stay for lunch," he invited out loud. 

He listened intently for any footsteps before cautiously peeking through the cabin door. To his surprise, the committee member stood against the cabin wall holding a bell, then flicked his wrist. The unexpected and close ringing of it was jarring, making it feel like his brain was being scrambled with each passing second.

"Noise shock is one of the first things Vals learn to overcome. Anything could happen at anytime, you need to build a tolerance for it," he said before stopping the clapper.

"It seems like sir Min can't stay for lunch," Jungkook grumbled while holding his head in his hands and making his way back inside. 

"Don't listen to him Sir Min, you are always welcome here," Jimin smiled, closing the door behind them and leading them to the table full of warm dishes.

"This must have taken time to prepare, sorry for your trouble," Yoongi smiled back; a first time for the facial expression in their company, and Jungkook finds it but disturbing.

"Please, I had all morning to occupy myself, I hope it is of your taste," he shook his head.

"It is divine," Yoongi responded, too shy to keep his eyes up and rather aiming them at the warm bowl of soup in hands. 

"I've made great progress by the way," Jungkook spoke up to make conversation around the silent table.

"Did you," Jimin nodded, listening as he told of the practice they had this morning. He doesn't deserve Jimin's undivided attention, Yoongi found himself thinking before being pulled back to the talk.

"I think I'll master air in no time, right sir Min?" Jungkook boastfully claimed.

"It isn't progress until you manage to move a breeze by at least an inch," he dismissively responded.

"But I am on the right track," the prince shrugged.

"You are on the track where you only do what you want to do, guidance be damned. That track doesn't lead very far," Yoongi said.

"Well I would welcome guidance if it were given, instead, all you do is leave me to my devices, listening on," Jungkook countered.

"All the more proof that you should do more listening, maybe then you'd realize that I am indeed offering it."

"What I should do, is be able to bend air by now," the Pyre said, boring his eyes into the Val's.

"You've been at it one day, I'd have more luck making that happen in such little time with a wild boar. Though come to think of it, it's not so different." Yoongi wittingly responded.

"I warn you sir Min, your slander may pull a rope on your life," Jungkook spoke, offended by the comment.

"Enough. We are sharing a meal, and I will not have it ruined with threats and such," Jimin interrupted, glaring at both men with equal irritation.

"For all it's worth, I meant that about Pyres in general, but I do apologize," Yoongi relented. "Thank you for the delightful meal Sir Park, but I must return to my duties now," he excused himself and rose from his chair.

"Will we see you at dinner?" Jimin asked.

"I'm afraid not, I'm tied up with something else tonight," he curtly smiled. "As for your training for the rest of the day, why don't you try to sway the wind to the best of your current abilities? Use what you know so far," he addressed the prince before taking his leave.

The cabin drowned into silence again, and given the look on Jimin's face, Jungkook knew best not to be the one to break it. 

"Must you let your ego on top every time?" Jimin disappointingly said.

"I was not in the wrong, he meant to insult me." Jungkook responded.

"But you forget that I know you. You must have started this somehow," Jimin shook his head.

"I did no such thing," Jungkook denied, "...Alright I might have called him boring but I didn't think he would take it to heart-"

"You are unbelievable," Jimin huffed as he settled his cutlery down, astounded.

"Something about him irritates me," Jungkook said.

"Oh you should know better than to give that excuse," Jimin defiantly rebutted. "You were the one insisting on being taught by this man, and not only is he qualified and worthy of trust, he is willing to give you the time of day on top of his own responsibilities, and shelter, a home for us as long as we are here," Jimin collectively reminded.

"I'm sorry," the prince nodded, admitting his faults as all he said was true.

"You need to get along with Sir Min, and although I didn't want to say this in front of him, it is true that you are not the best pupil one can have," he chuckled to ease the tension. "Trust him with your training, just like you trust me with it too." 

"I'll do my best," Jungkook smiled.

After helping Jimin clean up, off was the Pyre with his new task to bend the wind. How will he do that? He has not a clue yet, but Yoongi said to use the knowledge he has so far, and he has always been audacious enough to think he can achieve anything if he tried. It worked with water, and it surely won't stop him now, not when he thinks he has something to prove to the Val.

He breathed the air around him, felt it in his lungs, and pondered. He moved his hands through it, waved it towards his face. Granted, someone may think he's demented upon the sight, but if there was anything he learned in his water training, feeling the element usually grants the sensation you look for in its flow.

"This isn't working," Jungkook mumbled, dropping his shoulders and thinking some more. "What else do I know?" he pursed his lips.

He needs to think like a Val. 

Air wielders don't truly touch their element like Liquis do, they guide it, and in order to guide something, you should hold it by the reigns. Where are the wind's reigns? 

A breeze is like a snake, with a head and a tail, sliding through space. Or is it more of an eel curling and twisting in the water? Maybe it's a whip slicing through? No a whip is too harsh; rather, it's like a wave pulling and pushing the current to a fade--It's especially a waste of time, Jungkook thought when none of his metaphors objectified it as he wished.The point is, it has two ends, and I need to pull it by either one to move it as I wish, he concluded.

So he listened. He tuned his ears, not to a metronome, not to the sound of Sir Min's voice, but to the element itself. Acquainting his senses to the sound of it passing through the trees, to its low howling as it escaped through the dense leaves, eventually lifting the dead ones off the grass to twirl one more time after they'd fallen.

He followed them with his eyes to wherever the wind took them, noticing as another breath pushed them elsewhere, this one weaker. He reached towards the foremost tumbling leaf many steps away, and as though he could see the end of the thread, he pulled it. 

A gust of wind hit his face, pushing his hair away from it while his Allura mark challenged the afternoon sun with its light, and his irises were red again. He has wielded air.

A smile stretched his lips, turning into a chuckle, then a blissful laugh. It was one more step forward to meeting his destiny, to being of any help to anybody, to perhaps... returning home.

He stood and walked beyond the cabin perimeter, just outside the dense wall of trees giving them cover, and spoke, "Sir Min, I did it."

He continued pulling breeze after breeze, moving them until he lost control, becoming more and more accustomed to the feeling. It was sunset when he decided it was enough for the day; he still needed to do fire maintenance and water training before bed and chose not to spend all his energy in one place.

"Did you tussle in a bush? What happened to you?" Jimin snorted at the sight of him, leaves nestled into his hair and clothes. 

"Oh, this," he laughed, shaking the visible ones off before the other stopped him to do it himself. 

"Come," the Liquis pulled him to sit at his feet, undoing his hair to give it a brush.

"I succeeded Jimin, I've awakened the Val part of me," he announced. "It took what I learned through your training about feeling the flow, and some more of my own wits," he added.

"Only?" Jimin raised a brow.

"Yes," Jungkook hummed.

"Oh well, it seems we truly are wasting our time with sir Min. I take it you can figure it all out on your own now, no?" Jimin baited.

"We... might still need Sir Min, my progress would probably be slower if I faced this alone," Jungkook reasoned.

"Slower, or stagnant."

"Just slower."

"Sure?"

"...Almost stagnant," Jungkook caved. "Fine, I also used some of the advice Sir Mir gave me this morning," he admitted.  

"That didn't cost you a limb now, did it?" Jimin chuckled.

"You wouldn't know," the prince grumbled.

"Let's eat. You still have a lesson with me now, and I will not go easy on you just because you were out there rolling in the grass," Jimin laughed.

"That's not what I was doing!"

---

A new day marked a new page in Yoongi's book, one where he can do right by himself, by sir Park, and by—no that's all. He walked into the forest weighed with the objects in his hands, striding through the route he knew by heart and stopping once the cabin came into sight. A place which held memories he holds onto and wishes to forget all at once.

"Sir Min! You're so very punctual. Couldn't you be a little late in the future?" Jungkook jested as he walked out the door.

"In a chipper mood, aren't we?" Yoongi said, "Oh right, we've got a whole Val in our midst now."

"You heard that?"

"I hear everything."

"No you don't," Jungkook blankly responded.

"Your hearing might be superior, but your air skills are still inexistent for all I know," Yoongi countered.

"I'll tell you then, I've moved breezes and by more than an inch," he boasted. "What was that you said about a wild boar?" he challenged.

"Good job, you've surpassed a wild boar," he sarcastically praised. "Here's you present for it," he added and threw at his hands the curved wooden object.

"A Pan Flute? I don't play," he questioningly asked.

"You're about to start."

Leaving the prince to examine the instrument and figure out how it might be useful to his training, he walked towards the cabin with the second present, and with a knock, came out the pharmacist, still in his warm sleeping robe.

"I'm sorry to disturb you so early sir Park," he bashfully smiled.

"Good morning to you sir Min," he greeted. "Truth be told, after yesterday I doubted your return," he confessed.

"I have made a promise I plan to honor, I will see through the prince's training regardless of our... differences," he assured.

"Good to hear," Jimin pursed his lips, looking at him expectantly and reminding him of the purpose of his visit.

"Right, I..." the Val raised the small straw box in his hold before letting out a breathless chuckle. "I realized you might feel quite bored in this cabin all day while your companion practices, so I brought her," he prefaced, lifting the top to reveal the fluffiest white rabbit Jimin had ever seen.

"Heavens, she is beautiful!" Jimin cooed as his eyes filled with stars looking at the small creature.

"Indeed. I found her yesterday while strolling in the meadows, and she reminded me of you," he smiled softly, disguising the compliment in his words.

"I see," the Liquis shyly muttered, recognizing the intention and, frankly, not knowing what to make of it.

"Sir Min? This pan flute of yours?" Jungkook shouted from the small field after his ears caught the conversation.

Yoongi pursed his lips into a curt smile—his moment being ruined by the Pyre's aggravating voice—and said, "She looked quite lonely yesterday; perhaps you could keep each other company." 

"Much the thoughtful gesture," the prince commented once the cabin door was shut.

"I am an exceptional host," the Val fabricated a smile.

"Hm," the taller hummed, mirroring it with one of his own. "Now I suppose you have plans for this instrument, is that correct?" He asked, choosing to let the topic go.

"Yes I do. Now that you have somehow managed to move the air, I will need you to work on your precision." Yoongi nodded. "When blowing breath out of your lungs and through your mouth, you may aim it at your target by moving your head. That sort of control isn't available in nature, so you must gain it through practice using small wisps of air before you can even hope to sway the wind that has a will of its own."

"Alright," Jungkook nodded.

"First, show me what you can do now," Yoongi requested, and the other repeated what he's done many times the previous afternoon by closing his eyes to focus, only this time pushing the air towards the Val's face instead.

It was so weak Yoongi almost missed it if a stand of hair hadn't moved over his eye. 

"This? This is what you're proud of?" he asked with the flattest expression. 

"It worked better yesterday," Jungkook huffed, "Let me try again," he mumbled.

"That symbol on your face," Yoongi instead started, "Does it light up when you're using another element?" 

"Yes, same with my eyes," he replied, opening them for the other to see.

"Now that's a fitting color for a Pyre, I always thought golden was too soft," the Val commented, unfazed.

"Why won't it work!" Jungkook complained after more failed attempts at reproducing his achievement.

"It doesn't work because you were probably mistaking the strength of the existing wind as your own," he explained. "Today the air is almost still, nothing you can do will make a difference."

"So is that it? Vals' abilities depend on the weather? How useless," Jungkook laugh, "Pyres produce fire out of nothing and you-" he continued to mock before a strong air blow to the face shoved him on the ground several steps behind.

"I said nothing you can do will make a difference," Yoongi corrected, looking down at him with his purple irises. "And I only moved a finger for this while you're out here flexing every muscle you have," he scoffed.

"You dare raise your hand to me?" Jungkook muttered.

"You're not following, I only moved a finger I said-" Yoongi chuckled.

"No that felt like a punch, and it was deliberate on your part."

"It was a demonstration of an average Val's power," the other shrugged.

"You want to see real power? Let's have at it, Val and Pyre, one on one," Jungkook challenged. 

"Is everything a show of force for you lot?" the Val sighed, "Before you take my reluctance as weakness, understand that I don't wish to see this forest on fire anytime soon due to your reckless power."

"Hide behind that all you want, yes," Jungkook scoffed.

"Let's get back to the pan flute, shall we?" the other dismissed. 

---

Two weeks have passed, each day Jungkook thought it was his last practicing to be a musician, and each day he was wrong. Precision training with something invisible surely wasn't easy, and having the air blow only above the specific pipes was even more difficult.Sir Min always had something to say about the notes not being clear enough, and when they were, he would bring him a new melody to learn. 

"Well for all it's worth, Hima and I enjoy listening to you practice," Jimin consoled, "Right Hima?" he cooed at the bunny on his lap.

"I'm glad it entertains you, but today I'll be done with it I'm sure. I've practiced every single tune, every melody he brought my way, in fact, I have something up my sleeve as well," he proudly replied.

"You go show him," Jimin smiled. "When... Uh... When you see sir Min call him in for me too," he hesitantly requested, drawing a dismayed expression on the prince's face.

"Why?"

"I've finished preparing the herbs for his sick goat," Jimin responded.

"Oh sure then," he nodded.

"And I'd like to chat a little over tea," he added.

"Chat about what?" Jungkook squinted skeptically.

"Unlike you, I have come to enjoy sir Min's company the few times I had it," Jimin shrugged.

"I'm sure he has places to go this morning," the taller grumbled.

"I'd rather hear that from him then," he replied.

"You know, he doesn't refuse your invitations not to be rude but I'm sure they inconvenience him," Jungkook claimed. "I can chat over tea with you instead," he suggested.

"But we do that in all your spare time," Jimin pointed out.

"Do I bore you?" Jungkook's eyes dropped.

"No," the pharmacist denied, taken aback by the assumption. "No, you're right now that I think of it. I don't spend nearly as much time with you these days, practice can wait every once in a while," he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Tea they had, and chat they did, before the Val arrived to the cabin grounds and called Jungkook out to start the day. He had him show the fruits of his training, and as impressive as it was, Yoongi was more demanding yet again. 

"You've improved," Yoongi commented.

"But?" Jungkook sighed, awaiting the criticism.

"At this speed, all that's good for is the pan flute itself-" he began to push the goal post.

"I knew you'd say this," Jungkook scoffed. "Which is why I practiced all the melodies at twice the speed as well."

There was no denying it; the notes were clear, the higher speed was consistent, and the technique remained correct as Jungkook wasn't using any shortcuts. He controlled one singular wisp of air to travel across the different pipes, whereas it would have been easier to use multiple.

"Good," he nodded, "I think we are done with the pan flute as of today," he announced, making Jungkook throw a fist in the air. 

"Admit it, I've outsmarted you," he taunted.

"There are no smarts in play, you've simply moved ahead of schedule," Yoongi sighed, intentionally omitting the part where his original schedule for the pan flute exercise was cut down in half because of the Pyre's exceptional learning pace. He was already flaunting without knowing that, he couldn't imagine if he did.

"What now? Am I worthy of the wind, master Min?" he jested.

"Not quite yet," Yoongi said, "But I think the next step you'll enjoy a bit more," he claimed.

"If it's another instrument, I can tell you right now I won't."

"No," Yoongi chuckled at his defeated expression. "Target practice rather."

"Now that will be useful," he agreed.

"Use your precision to hit the tree trunks around you," he explained. "That said, speed can only do so much in terms of damage, so you'll have to work on your strength as well."

"Can you show me what a full power hit looks like?" Jungkook requested.

"I will not be using full power as I do not wish to damage the core of these trees, but I'll show you what I expect of you," he agreed. With a swift movement, a spear of air sliced through space toward the tree ahead and carved a neat half spear in the center.

"By the end of this training, you should be able to do the same, in different diameters. I want to see small stabs and large ones, don't forget precision." He added, "For reference, if this hit a person, it would leave a whole in their body. At full force, it could tear off a limb if unprotected."

"What if I manage to throw a full force blow?"

"You won't. Do you have a blade with you here?"

"Of course."

"Good, use it as a director."

"I don't need a director, air isn't nearly as unpredictable as fire," he scoffed.

"You'd be surprised, but the reason I am advising you to is because your air skills are at the level of a child Val, and children can't handle long distances as well as adults. The only thing your adult body will do is allow you to put in a little more strength than normal," he explained.

"Fine."

"I have a question," sir Min began.

"Hm?"

"Does sir Park stay in all day?"

"He does what makes him comfortable," Jungkook responded.

"I imagine there isn't anywhere to go when you're on the run..."

"He's not at risk as much as I am. So long as we're not walking together, he can go wherever he pleases." the Pyre pointed out.

"Does he?"

"He could if he wanted to. He used to go to the markets in our last village."

"Why won't he go to the ones here?"

"Why so many questions about sir Park?" Jungkook clicked his tongue.

"I'm just curious. He used to be town pharmacist, then palace pharmacist; he must enjoy being around people and working in an atelier," he replied. "I'm just surprised he enjoys this lifestyle as well," he mumbled.

Jungkook had never thought about it in this light. Since they left the palace, they had been cautious about their whereabouts and surroundings, a necessity due to the circumstances. Himself, he didn't mind it, he was accustomed to it from his past, but he rarely thought about Jimin feeling more isolated than he's used to.

He's been through so much in so little time, perhaps it isn't that he doesn't want to go out, but that something within isn't letting him. To make matters worse, the time he tried opening up again, Jungkook made it all about himself and his insecurities.

"You said you were an exceptional host, why don't you chat over tea with him every now and again?" Jungkook suggested despite himself.

"Oh I didn't think-" Yoongi stuttered. "That would be my pleasure," he said, looking thoughtfully at the cabin.

Of course it would, the Pyre thought to himself, his bitter expression going unnoticed.

"You know it's sort of why I brought that bunny and..." he rambled on, and Jungkook's eyes almost rolled to the back of his head.

---

Finally back with a new chapter in this story! I hope you guys liked it.

Yoongi is now part of the journey, but it doesn't seem to be going smoothly between him and the prince...

Let me know what you think! Love you.

- Aida -