Jongho was hurt, visibly so, but no inch of his body was ready to give in. With Mingi by his side, he climbed along the wall with his jaw tight, and his face settled into an ongoing frown. Sometimes, little grunts of pain escaped him anyway when he had to put weight on his injured shoulder, but he didn't let himself get pitied. Same as always, he forced through, and Yeosang once more admired him for his strength and durability. Even San was impressed with their friend from Zey, especially since he had never seen the upper part of the two cities. San had no idea how rough Zey could be and why Jongho's resolve was as steely as it was, but he respected him for it.

With the tension between the two of them dropping more and more, Yeosang was also at ease. He felt less as if caught between two beasts that snapped their teeth at each other with every diplomatic conversation they had.

That, and today, in particular, his body thrummed with energy. In the morning, San and Mingi had gone out to scout once more, and they had finally found the point they had been searching for. A little hut nestled between the narrow walls of the canyon. By now, the gorge had thinned to the point that they could barely climb back to back with each other since their backpacks tended to knock into each other. So they scaled one wall, San going first, Yeosang next and with Mingi and Jongho at the end.

And finally, their goal was in sight. The hermit's hut, as expected, had been challenging to find, but it promised sanctuary.

Yeosang couldn't see much of the tall building in the darkness and with San in front of him. Rather than spreading out as Qam did, this home grew in height to accustom to the steep walls. The rooms inside must be tiny, but they stretched out over several stories since there was no other way to save space.

Unsurprisingly, their group also got noticed before they even arrived at the tiny step in front of the narrow door. With the solitude that the canyon offered this far in, the house owner greeted their noisy lot even earlier. Yeosang missed the moment when he appeared in the doorstep, but his voice travelled over the scratching noises of their climbing and their laboured breaths anyway.

"What brings you to a place this far from home?"

His deep voice oddly fit the canyon and its distant rushing of water. It seemed to hold the same depth and the same eerie stillness that hid so much more.

"I am afraid we come bearing trouble. May we enter?"

Yeosang didn't dare peek around San to catch a glimpse of the man. He was too busy clinging onto the cold rock in front of him that numbed his fingers.

"I'd like to dodge trouble, but since you came this far, I won't leave you outside. My door is open for you to transgress."

San muttered a relieved 'thanks' under his breath. Yeosang wanted to reach out and hug him to spend some comfort, but it was not the time. They all liked to forget how much of a burden they were to San, and how he played the most considerable part in this expedition. His confidence could be scary sometimes, but Yeosang was no fool. The whole trip gnawed on San's sanity just the same.

So for now, they made sure to finish their long journey over steep terrain. Once San had safely reached the hermit's home threshold, he put his backpack down to reach out for Yeosang. Similar to what Jongho once did, he collected Yeosang off the rock as if he weighed nothing to him. All too happily, Yeosang sunk into his arms.

For a moment, they remained pressed together with Yeosang's heart nervously beating in his chest from how close they were. Then, the relief of having arrived flooded him.

San gently petted his hair.

"You did well, Yeosang. Here, let me help Jongho."

With a nod, Yeosang stepped aside. They had to shuffle further back in the narrow room to make space for the others. As they did, the librarian got a first look at the hermit who promised the answers to many of their questions.

Next to Yeosang stood a tall man, but not as tall as Mingi, Yeosang supposed. Despite the abyss he lived in, his skin was naturally tan and contrasted with his dark hair. It hung into his eyes shaggily and badly cut, but he looked young still. Younger than Yeosang had expected. The hermit was no old man with too much bitterness to share himself with the people of Qam. Furthermore, he seemed like a rather healthy man, and not unlike Jongho. They carried a similar air that Yeosang believed to recognise as being from Zey. He was different from San.

Their eyes met fleetingly when the hermit helped Yeosang remove the backpacks and put them further in the back so San could get Jongho in. Stiff, they nodded at each other.

The man's looks were young, but his eyes were old. They had seen a lot in his life, and Yeosang didn't doubt that not all those sights had been enjoyable.

"How many of you are there?"

"Four."

With a nod, the hermit pointed Yeosang up the stairs. He hurried to carry his and San's things up. The hermit followed halfway, but remained on the steep and worn stairs to overlook the entrance beneath. Meanwhile, Yeosang spread out in what he assumed to be a living room. A tiny table with just once chair and a cooking place joined here at once. There was barely any place to sit, but he found a little space to pile their things in. He was careful so he wouldn't knock a few nocturnal plants and jars from the shelves around him.

Generally, the home was dark. Even though dimly lit so the hermit could see, it was made of dark wood and had little indications about its owner. It was like a bear's cave. It had a few things the bear needed around, but nothing of particular value or importance.

Yeosang awkwardly stood to the side. His ears picked up on a pained groan from Jongho, then of the door falling shut. Only then, feet shuffled up the stairs. The dark hair of the hermit appeared first, then San's bright head. Jongho followed, and he was pointed to sit on the chair immediately. With a quiet exhale, he dropped onto it.

"Sit down, make space if you have to. I'm curious to hear your story."

Yeosang found a place squeezed next to Mingi on the stairs leading up. San stayed on the upper edge next to the winding stairwell downward. The hermit leaned against the wall near Jongho.

"First of all, thank you for letting us in. After all we've heard, we expected dismissal."

The hermit chuckled at San darkly and without real joy behind his expression. His intelligent eyes kept swiping over their group as if he searched for something.

"You're the kid from Qam, aren't you? I remember the mayor of Blagbarrow complaining about you."

San rolled his eyes, but his lips curled amusedly.

"Damn old geezer. He has nothing to complain about. But yes, my name is San. These are my friends from beyond the canyon." San gestured to the lot of them. Mingi and Yeosang smiled brightly if worn. Jongho silently glared through his fringe.

"People from Asorazey don't normally come here. What could have urged you to seek out my humble home?"

"This friend right here." San pointed vaguely at Yeosang. The gesture was odd enough that it might as well have suggested Mingi. Unsure, Yeosang didn't give himself away.

"You might have heard about the death of crown prince Seonghwa."

"Is this the dead crown prince?" The hermit's eyes burned on Yeosang's as if he knew exactly who he was.

"No. But he has been tasked by the said prince to search for something. Something, that is supposed to be lost in the canyon. Asora is waging war, and this item is essential to keep said war from happening. We do not know what it is that we seek. But we are willing to aid the prince's wishes."

The hermit hummed pensively. Finally, his eyes left Yeosang's. As if a shackle had been taken off him, Yeosang breathed in deeply. Those eyes knew what to search for. No doubt, if anybody had noticed a particular item in the depths of this canyon, it must be him.

"Can you vouch for the prince's will? Does he yearn for glory or for peace?"

This time, it was Yeosang who answered. Anything else would be wrong. He was Seonghwa's brother; he had dragged his friends out here. And he was the one who knew what Seonghwa had been planning for so long.

"We seek peace. We want to restore Asorazey back to its old glory and stop the king's hasty advances. Seonghwa's goal is to unify the people after two hundred years apart."

The hermit looked at him for a long while. No indication of what was going on behind his forehead crossed his features.

"Yet you have no idea what it is you seek. If it were as easy as that, don't you think that somebody would have tried before? The prince seems to dream big," he murmured without real malice behind his words. Yeosang lowered his eyes.

"It's not as if we have any other bet. We have no army to fight, and neither do we want that. We want this item that is supposed to end the war."

Yeosang composedly rested his shoulder against Mingi's. The tall man's presence nearby him considerably calmed his nervous heart. He feared rejection from the hermit, and he feared that their mission might fail. He had yet to prove that it hadn't been his father who had turned against Seonghwa, and he barely had any arguments.

"I will take you to it, then. And once you find it, once you know its true meaning, we will know what you think. From then on, your intentions will be out in the open for me to see. Only then I will tell you what I think of that plan."

As rough as his words were, they were more than the group had expected. The hermit gave them an opportunity at least, and he didn't make a judgement yet. They could still gain his trust.

"What is your name if I may ask?"

San's voice had gotten even gentler, and when Yeosang glanced at him, his features were soft. He felt with Yeosang.

"Yongguk. But it is no name you need to remember."

San nodded easily before he looked around the room. Jongho had sunken against the backrest of his chair. His eyes were just open to suspiciously regard his surroundings, but his head had heavily dropped against the wood. Yeosang's eyes burned with the need to rest, and Mingi's weight against him desperately held both of them up.

"May we find a corner to sleep here? We can do with anything you offer."

Yongguk nodded kindly. Then he jerked his chin towards the ceiling.

"I will sleep upstairs. Two of you may reorganise this room to find a spot, and two can sleep in the corridor downstairs. Tell me if you need anything." With that, he sidestepped the lot of them to disappear upstairs. The others glanced at each other searchingly.

"Mingi, join me downstairs. We will guard the door if anything were to happen. Yeosang, I trust you can take good care of Jongho," San decided swiftly. At Yeosang's eager nod, all of them dispersed. Mingi and San's conversation travelled downstairs and made for a soothing white noise while Yeosang rearranged the room. He took two of their blankets to spread out one on the floor to lay on, the other one to protect themselves against the rather chilly temperatures. Once he was done, he helped Jongho out of his gadgets for the first time in a long while. Jongho felt safe enough here without them, and since they mostly bothered him in his sleep anyway, he was glad to get them off.

Yeosang checked on his shoulder once more before they went to sleep. It hadn't gotten any worse, just as Jongho had promised, but it also had yet to heal. Ultimately, they could only wait and hope to spend enough time in Yongguk's home until it was good to go.

When they finally laid down, Yeosang placed his body near Jongho to share their blanket and some warmth. He fell asleep before his head had hit the ground.