|| CHAPTER ONE :
- to taste the triumph blood of a werewolf

///

The bask afternoon sun casted a celestial, honey-saccharine, umber lustre upon the eerie forest floor and the approaching dusk between the tree-like canopy clicked, glowed, and fluttered.

Eyes narrowed in determination, Jeongguk tucked a tousled strand of overgrown ebony locks behind his ear and tightened his grasp on the thin ochre leather satchel strap slung around his shoulder as he trudged through the dense, never-ending woodlands.

Soft hairs of grass tickled his toes, tiny twigs and sharp stones pricked here-and-there, and autumn leaves crunched beneath his bare feet-he had been too short a penny to afford a new pair of clogs (the pervious pair having been stolen). After twisting around branches, pushing away vines, hopping over stumps and thick tangled tree routes, the derelict cobblestone path he took from his small cottage vanished into the forest edge.

Although the journey was troublesome, due to the fact that he lived on the other side of the forest away from the other, more affluent, villagers. He was headed towards the village centre.

The heavenly fragrance of wildflowers wafting through the immaculate forest zephyr and the bittersweet taste of the fresh fruit he intermittently picked from the trees sent ease down his spine. Occasionally, he would encounter a bunny and pet the fluffy creature. Nature: it was a healing place he called home.

The gentle hands of the wind combed through the evergreen leaf canopy above him, tousled tree branches, and his overgrown hair. It snuck beneath his brown threadbare mantel, which grew airborne in the draught wind, and hugged around his concaved waist.

"Almost there," Jeongguk uttered between spurts of air. His exquisite chocolate glazed irises lit up upon the seeing the exit of the unforgiving forest. As to most, the forest brought terror upon him. It was rumoured to be supernatural, almost. If one were to be inside the dense woodlands during nightfall, they would be trapped, taunted by darkness, and never returned after-presumably deceased. It was deemed to be cursed and bombarded with witchcraft. The mere thought of being trapped alone in the iniquitous forest sent uncomfortable chills down his spine.

A triumph grin tugged at the corners of his rosy lips once he saw the light at the end of the forest.

"Finally!" He exhaled and stretched out his aching limbs. Although he visited the village almost daily, his body remained numb and fatigued. Once he caught his breath and adjusted his shaggy appearance, he pulled his satchel up his gaunt shoulder and sprauchled along the cobblestone footpath towards the vivid village centre.

The village buzzed with endless banter. Villagers crowded various food stalls, baskets clasped in their hands as they exchanged their coinage for fresh goods. Jeongguk lowered his head shamefully as he strolled through the hordes of people.

In the autumn zephyr, women's long ankle-length tunic gowns swayed and strands of their hair stuck out from their wimples. Men walked beside their partners with raised chins and their tailored suits flaunted their wealth along with the top-hat atop their heads.

Struck by a sharp pang of jealousy, Jeongguk gnawed on his bottom lip. He wished to boast about a tailored suit of his own one day. He knew it was highly unlikely, given his situation. The man could not even afford a pair of shoes nor fitting trousers! Afraid of their judgemental glares, he pulled the hood of his mantle over his head. He stood out like a sore thumb amongst these nobles, for he was but a mere peasant.

Behind him, the protruding thunder of hooves resonated. He spun around and watched as a lone stallion, Cornelius was his name, galloped through the bleak, sunbathed, village centre. The magnificent animal's muscles rippled from under its freshly groomed pelt and its long muscular legs propelled it forward. Cornelius's wispy black mane whipped like raging fire in the wind. The horseman tightened the reins attached to the horse's bit and led the beautiful creature into a trot, pulling it to a halt beside Jeongguk.

"Good day, Jeongguk-ah," said the man, Hoseok, who sat atop the embellished leather saddle. The horseman pulled back the embroidered royal blue hood of his cape so that Jeongguk could see his face more clearly. The loose strands of his coiffed raven hair fell over his almond eyes gently.

"Good day to you too, Sir Jeong," Jeongguk beamed brightly with a bow.

Hoseok had been granted an honorary title of knighthood by the head of the village for his bravery against predators and rivals.

"What brings you here at this hour?" Hoseok asked. The knight was handsomely dressed in a gambeson jacket, luminous boots, and armour. A cruel, arrogant, tilt to his chin-presumably because he came from a long bloodline of heroes.

"Well, you see, I had overslept and when awoken, realized my food supply had depleted," Jeongguk scratched his nape sheepishly. Hoseok nodded and dismounted the beautiful black stallion, stroking its chiselled face which somewhat resembled his own.

"You better hurry on then," Hoseok glanced at the daunting sun that brushed along the horizon. "It be best you return home safely before nightfall." Although his gruff voice dripped with concern, he omitted physical display of his perturb behaviour.

"Do not fear, my friend, I will make it back in the nick of time!"

The edge of Hoseok's lips moulded into a heart-shaped smile which displayed all his pearly white teeth.

"I see you still lack the warmth of clogs," Hoseok gestured towards Jeongguk's bare feet. The ebony-haired boy eluded his gaze and drew his feet together, cheeks set ablaze

"I have plans to purchase some soon, but I have not the money."

"The time I see you next, I shall gift you an old pair of boots. Granted my word."

Jeongguk's doe-like eyes glimmered. A pair of boots? That was far better than a worn pair of clogs. And he did not even have to pay a single penny. "Thank you, thank you so much, Sir Jeong!"

"Granted my word." Hoseok nodded and adjusted the shiny sword in its brown sheath. "I must be getting. You take care now, will you?"

Jeongguk nodded and bid him farewell, watching as he led his horse through the village centre towards the weapon smith's stall to purchase a new crossbow.

The sun shone down upon the market mercilessly. Jeongguk weaved through the crowds, edging though the dense flow of people with his satchel tight in his grasp until he ultimately found the pottage stall. After a few minutes in queue, he walked to the front and from his satchel produced a few pennies, which he exchanged for two servings of pottage. He thanked the shop owner and strolled away content with his purchase.

The sun gradually crawled behind the distant hills, hiding away from the awaking moon. Jeongguk chewed his lip. He would have to return home quickly. To travel home through the ominous forest with a leaden sky was not something he anticipated. Not quite. He heaved out a sigh, only for it to be caught in his throat.

He flinched when, in the distance, cheers erupted like an auditory volcano. He quirked a brow and peered at the excited shouts, watching hordes of people huddle together down the wide avenue.

A frown engraved onto his face, he tightened his hold on his weighted satchel strap and turned towards one of the store owners. "Excuse me!" He piped a caught the attention of a maiden behind a fruit stall.

"Good day, sir. What may I help you with?" The woman with pretty freckles dusted upon her rosy caramel cheeks, asked. She forged a content beam, curly sepia strands of hair peaked from underneath her white wimple.

"Good day, madam. Sorry to bother," he gave a polite tilt of his head. "Have you any knowledge of the commotion happening down there?" He gestured towards the assemblage that moved like a multi-headed beast that shared only one brain.

What could possibly be so confounding?

The woman's hazel eyes lit up in astonishment. Most men neglected her presence or scolded her of her 'rebellion' against societies enforced edict, rather than to buy goods from her. 'Woman were nothing but nurturers and childbearing dolls', they claimed. Those claims, those men, made her blood boil. Women were just as independent and strong as men! Why could they not be equal?

"Why yes! A righteous hunter had recently slain a great beast!" The woman leaned over the wooden counter, eyes widened with a sense of youthful exuberance.

Jeongguk gave her a perplexed look, "It's been ages since we last caught a wolf!"

It was extremely rare for one of the village hunters to successfully hunt down a wolf. Most cases of wolf hunts resulted in food shortages and...death.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Jeongguk dashed down the streets towards the jostling, clamorous, mob, after he thanked the woman of her time. Perspiration ran down his forehead. His heart palpitated, anticipation scourged through his veins, and his blood roared in his ears. He shoved and swerved through the masses until he ultimately stumbled to the front.

However, whatever excitement he once had, ceased to exist. His face contorted in horror, he gasped and shuddered at the sight of the deceased beast that laid comatose at the centre of the crowd. The slaughtered wolf was as cold as the ground it laid on. With its mouth ajar, its golden eyes were open but unseeing, tawny-black fur matted by fatal wounds gushing crimson. The effluvium cruor of its coat ruffled in the wind.

Jeongguk clasped his hand over his mouth and forced his eyes shut with optimisms to block every sight out. His head spun, nausea twisted in his stomach and his eyes became glossy to the point he could not see. He gagged. The putrid stench of blood pestered his nostrils. This was inhumane. He wished to un-see that image, but the memories branded his mind with hot metal until they engraved into his pupils.

"I, Hunter Kim Namjoon, have slain this wild beast during my session in the woods," announced the tall man who stood proudly over the tawny wolf's bloody corpse. Dimples were deeply pressed beside the corners of his mouth as he spoke egotistically. The crowd roared loudly and stared at him with awestruck accolade.

"There comes a day where I shall slain a wolf." Hoseok muttered coldly from the crowd, his face poised in a dyspeptic scowl.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes at that. Hoseok always wanted to slaughter a wolf, he was obsessed with the thought, even. He claimed it was his duty as a night-more so a hunter.

Everyone applauded, whistled and cheered at Namjoon's accomplishment with their fists raised in the air. A catch like this was worth a fortune and sure to grant immense recognition.

Despite the unsettling sight, Jeongguk could not help the small smile that crept across his hollow-cheeked face. This was a major achievement for their village. This meant that they were back on the food chain, perhaps even at the top for successfully hunting down a great beast! However, his smile faltered after he made eye contact with a stranger from across the roaring crowd.

Unlike the other villagers, the unfamiliar man's lips were pursed in a crestfallen scowl as he casted his dark hood over his grim visage. The ivory skin between Jeongguk's eyebrows scrunched together as the strange man lowered his head and disappeared into the crowd.

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Decided to republish this book. It'll be revamped. Hopefully, it doesn't flop. シ

For chapter headings, should I keep it "01 | HUNTING THE HUNTED" or should I change it to the chapter names, for example, "01 | To taste the triumph blood of a werewolf"?

Here's an example of what the women usually wore during Medieval Times:

Here's an example of what noblemen wore in Medieval Times:

안녕히 가세요, 모니 보라해요~