Yeosang's thoughts are tied to his mind while his mouth is strapped with strings that only allow him to breathe the outermost necessary air he will need. At least, that is how he feels in the knights' stables, where he stands at the given time. His fingers shake when he lifts them to buckle another strap on the saddle around Harmony. His throat burns from every inhalation, and he bites himself in the cheek to keep his nervosity from breaking out under his skin. His mind already stands in the middle of war.

About a few meters from the stall, he sees Yunho coming by, his hands are filled with equipment, but he notices Yeosang anyway.

"So, are you excited?" the stable worker asks him from afar, his eyes not leaving the living animal he situates the equipment on.

"No, far from that.. why does everyone expect me to be that..." the boy whispers to himself as his hand goes across his horse's neck while trying to ignore the high pressure that lays on his shoulders.

For the time after San has introduced him to Yunho and Mingi, he has seen them almost every time he has entered the stables, and therefore small conversations with both stable workers have become normal for him.

"Hm?" Yunho hums when the answer from Yeosang does not seem to be loud enough for him to hear. The tall guy turns his head in Yeosang's direction yet another time, eyes looking at him rather attentively, before he chooses to say something else.

"Don't be so nervous Yeosang, I know of the hours you have spent on your training, and those will surely show their worth at some point. Trust me."

The boy stares at him while he carefully goes through each of the stable worker's wordings, and he slowly replies, "How come you are so sure?"

He sees how Yunho darts his eyes away for a short moment before he bends to fasten the harness around the brown horse he stands with. His long hands are quick while they work with the buckles, showing off years of experience. Yeosang can only stand and wait as he has finished tethering his horse's equipment, and he lets his hand run through Harmony's long, black mane. Then he hears the stall door from the other horse close, and Yeosang turns his head to see how the tall man now stands by Harmony's stall, looking down at the boy with a somewhat grim smile that he never has seen him with before.

"When I came here to the fortress, I was brought in training just exactly as you were. Be glad that your guidance counselors at least had a little respect for you, mine was Park Xalvador, and he didn't mind me even the slightest," Yunho says, a dry chuckle coming from him as his eyes hold memories of struggles," I despised him deeply, but still, when I finally took part in one of the crusades.." he inhales between his words, "I can never thank him enough for what he managed to teach me. It saved my life."

Yunho reaches for Yeosang's shoulder and gently squeezes it as he tells him his last words, "Just remember to restrain your eyes from glancing into the depth of the dark, then you shall do good. I trust you to return safely."

He hopes Yunho is right, for his strong belief has the boy trusting it to the point where he nods his head agreeing and Yunho pulls his arm to his body again with a broad smile.

"Good luck," he tells him before he leaves the stable for other duties than helping knights with their destriers. His footsteps are not to be heard among the noises of horses and men, and Yeosang only sees him disappear with his eyes.

From the other end of the stables, a yell storms through the building, and suddenly everyone rushes out with their horses, making panic flare in the boy. His hands clamp around the reins as he waits for room to be cleared for him to follow the magnificent group of knights. Hoofs clatter against the stone floor, and continue outdoors, where the cloud-full sky greets them all. Yeosang's eyes are wide while he struggles with Harmony to keep his nose from smelling the other horses that stall close to them. Looking around over his shoulders he watches how the other knights ascend their horses, and he hurries to do the same.

Yeosang let go with one of his hands around the reins to settle it around the saddle before he lifts one foot to put into the stirrup. But instead of standing still, his horse takes a step back, and he jumps the last way up as he exclaims a noise in surprise. The boy fights the last way up in the saddle and turns Harmony before he backs into anyone. His horse is far too smitten by his unsettling nerves, and Yeosang swallows thickly. He scouts around the courtyard to search for Jongho, instead his eyes strand on the onlookers watching the knight's getting ready to leave. He remembers the last time where he was in that position.

His head turns around to the loud and clear voice of Park Seonghwa, flinging through the air, "I say it semel once. All trainees find their guidance counselor before we take off."

The vassal's head is held high, his shape sitting galant on his horse while his eyes count his knights. Yeosang wonders where Emma may be in the masses of people, but before he reaches any solvation, a voice appears by his side.

"Yeosang, follow me."

His eyes dart to the owner of the words, and he sees Jongho steering his horse between every other, signaling for him to come after him. Quick with nudging his horse to follow, they move to the front of the troop, and there Yeosang suddenly realizes how he most likely will situate in the front.

_____

Yeosang's thighs hurt from the long day in the saddle, and he is more than happy to finally come to rest. They are camping in the outskirts of a green forest, protected by the many trees and bushes, but still with a great view of the broad expanses. The boy has just tied his horse to a tree when he walks over to the tree he can see Jongho rest by. Calm conversations blend in the air, and Yeosang can see that Jongho is part of a talk with all the commanders. Looking through the dusk, he finds someone glaring at him with deep threatening eyes. He knows that those can only belong to none other than Park Xalvador. At the sight, a shudder runs down his spine, and he wishes that he could find a way to hold Jongho's sleeve. But he cannot do so.

While he slumps down beside Jongho, he listens silently to what is said in the conversation.

"Frater, you must remember that our inimicos might already be completely out of it. We cannot trust ourselves that a strong front may be the way to victoria. Those creatures are way keener than what we may think," Seonghwa says, his face directed at his brother but after that trails over the rest of the men around him.

"I suggest splitting up into smaller troops will be better. We have our commodum in that they probably have no weapons, which makes our archers a central piece in this fight. What do you think, Sander?"

Yeosang's face lightens up at the mention of San's name, and he steers his eyes around to find the blonde man between the heads of commanders. His happy demeanor is nothing to not notice when the whole atmosphere suddenly seems to brighten with only a gentle smile. Only San can do that.

"Brilliant! If my group goes first, I will guarantee you that a third of them will be down before combat will be an option," San glees, his eyes crinkling from his smile.

But suddenly Yeosang feels unsure when a thought strikes him, and he turns his body to look questioning at Jongho. The specific word Seonghwa had used about their enemies being creatures, made his memory go back to the day he was knighted. Those drawings.. His head is spinning in different directions when he comes to think of one exact thing.

A while after the discussion among the commanders, Jongho brings Yeosang with him to a place away from the rest. They settle down by the tree where Jongho has bound his horse, and Yeosang cannot strain himself from asking the horrifying question that he has kept in mind for the passing time.

"Jongho, I need to ask you about something," the boy whispers to the other, as he looks himself above the shoulders to see if anyone may be close to them. The knight hums to him as an answer, tracing his hand around Yeosang's wrist in the cool darkness.

"You... no, we cannot!" he suddenly erupts when he can feel where Jongho drags him to, "What if- if anyone sees us-!"

"Sssh, they will not.."

Yeosang sights with blown eyes into Jongho's while he is pulled onto his lap to rest, his fingers braided in the warmth of Jongho's hands as he is silenced with a kiss. The boy closes his eyes while he enjoys the little moment of delight.

Jongho exhales when they separate again, Yeosang's head falling to rest in the crook of the knight's neck. "You may ask me now."

For a short time, Yeosang cannot seem to remember what has just been rolling around in his head, and he lies without saying anything until the thought chooses to come back again.

"Who are we actually going to fight? I... I saw something in the commanders' building the day I was knighted, and I surely hope for you to deny those revolting imaginations.."

Yeosang's heartbeats quicken when he does not hear any answer from Jongho.

"Jongho?" he repeats, pulling slightly away from their embracing position as he tries to search for the other's eyes. They are watery.

He draws in a long breath, and Yeosang can see how he attempts to escape his thoughts, "This is why I did not hope for you to go on this exact crusade," he tells him, voice mushy.

Yeosang's eyes follow the direction the other knight looks in, as he can feel how Jongho with his gentleness caresses his hands with his thumbs. He waits anxiously until the other says something else.

"We discovered them on our last crusade. Seonghwa has told me that he never had seen them himself before but only had heard of them from the order's smaller fortresses. I am not sure of how to describe them best, but I will tell you, that those creatures are out for blood. They kill for their living, and they do it great," Jongho's whisper is tense, and Yeosang pulls himself a little closer, "Fairly, I did not know they would possibly be our only victim for this trip, but if they are, I am afraid, that Seonghwa underestimates our enemy, a lot."

"They are stronger than what they seem. I believe they are called vampires."

_____

Yeosang raises his torso from the ground when the coolness pulls at his clothes. The sun is far from rising on the sky, but single stars twinkle down from it instead, together with the moon, they illuminate the forest floor a little, enough for him to see where Jongho is. He sits himself up and feels how the urge to lay against Jongho swells in his whole body. But somewhere in the dark, he knows he is being watched. It could be a flock of the other knights, who finds his position beside a higher-ranked knight annoying, Yeosang thinks. But it could also be Park Xalvador.

The boy gets up to stand as he leaves their resting place and searches for his way back to the tree where he has tied Harmony. A soft rumbling can be heard between the impatient animals, and Yeosang is greeted happily when his horse sees him.

Smiling softly, he reaches his hand out to calmly stroke the horse, "Hello my boy.." He holds out his hand for Harmony to smell it, but instead, he feels the wetness of a tongue and he wrinkles his brows as he lets the horse lick his hand. After a while, he retreats and crouches to find the sword he has situated on the ground along with his small satchel.

When his fingers meet the sheath and sword under his satchel, he is quick to lift it from the weight and attach it to his belt where it originally belongs. A deep-rooted startle runs through his body when he feels the pull from multiple hooves stamping against the soil as if fear filled the air. The boy turned his eyes around to look at the sudden panicking animals that tear their heads around the trees they are bound to, trying to get away from the place.

Yeosang rushes to take a grip around Harmony's reins, as the black horse steps to the side, looking fearfully around as he aggressively pulls at the bridle with prickly eyes.

"Easy there, easy boy," Yeosang says as his head goes to edges it should not. He darts his eyes into the darkness where many other horses are tied, something is definitely wrong, he thinks, while looking back at Harmony who has not calmed down any bit. His feet cannot find rest where they stand and Yeosang's nerves flicker beneath his skin, forcing his heart to run fast. Biting his lip, he contemplates if calling Jongho's name would be mistaken now, but all his thoughts are chased away when ruby, glowing dots appear in between the trees. He does not even remember why he had been doubting his instincts now.

The skies are dripping with the purest blood-red color, and the young knight yells the other's name like it is a last saying. At the sound of a bone-shaking scream coming from one of the knights, Yeosang turns on his feet and lets go of the reins for pulling out his Crusader sword instead. And the screaming only escalates.

"PER IMPETUM!!"

He gasps as shadows surround their camp faster than multiple can grab their weapons. Yeosang trembles and his eyes whip around as he tries to find Jongho, but he is nowhere to see and he forces his ground-rooted legs to move towards the place they both rested a short time before. Blaring blades fill his head, and he does not notice how one of the knights stumbles his way before he hits him, and Yeosang falls backward to the ground. His insides lose all air, and for a moment Yeosang can only feel the pain flow through his body until his head is pushed harshly down into the soil. His eyes quiver until he suddenly can see the dark creature hissing down at him with long, white fangs - a fluid dripping from its mouth and landing on Yeosang's cheek.

His mind goes blank.

When it dives closer to his throat, the boy moves his free hand to give it a strong push away, but sharp nails are already digging deep down into his clothes and the attempt does nothing. Yeosang throws his head back as he screams when the nails grind into his bare skin and his chest rises and fall faster than his heart manages to keep up. Soil melds with his back as he twists his body in any direction to come away from the creature holding him down to the ground. The warm liquid slides down his neck and the sensation has the boy acting in panic as he lifts his hand and shoves his sword through the creature's side. A slick sound follows every part of the body his weapon goes through, but soon the nails drilling into him retreat and the creature falls to the side, leaving the boy to stare in dread at his sword that has disappeared deep inside the flesh he just has penetrated.

His limbs quiver from the impact the sight pulls on him, but Yeosang still reaches forward and grasps the grip with both his hands, pulling the sword out again. With an unstable breath, he follows the trail to where he sees another one of the creatures attacking a knight without any weapon. At a distance, he sees the fright running across the other knight's face as the creature pushes him to the ground harshly, and Yeosang sets into a run. Ducking the last branch, he grits his teeth and wields his sword against the vampire biting into the unarmed warrior. Missing greatly when the creature moves, he only manages on slashing his weapon across its back, making it turn away from its prey to look at Yeosang with glowing, red eyes. The young knight gives no other glimpse and stabs it in the stomach, making blood splatter out from its roaring mouth and hitting the ground before it falls lifeless down.

The other knight stares up at him with scared eyes, quickly pushing the creature off him with his boots as he lifts a hand to touch the gory bitemark covering his neck. "Thank you," the knight whispers to him, and Yeosang feels pride makes him grow in a way he never has felt before.

The pain first hits him way after his sight flutters along with the moving trees, and the hind of his head lands against a harsh surface making him drop his sword before it all comes to a stop.

"How prideous of you, let me continue your play" a voice hisses him into the ear as a hand clenches him around his throat until he can not breathe any air.

Yeosang widens his eyes in horror as he victimizes how those white sharp teeth go down his skin until he goes numb. The boy has never felt any greater pain than the agony those deathly fangs put him into and for a moment his whole body cramps until the contractions make it look as if he tries to flee his own death. Yeosang cries out loud despite the strong thumb pressing down onto his airways and his hands fly up to defend himself hopelessly. The creature has him drowning in the sensation that lets his head only think of the clean strike of pain that makes him slip from reality. His screams silently subside the air, making only the tears staining his face be the only noise coming from him while the vampire swallows his blood.

Before his eyes, he watches how a sword slides through the vampire's neck, and detaches its head from its body, making stinks of blood hit the young knight's face as the head rolls from the body and hits the ground rather nauseatingly. Blood rushes out the throat's horizontal surface and vessels visible still throbs with life before the body is pushed to the side by a pair of well-known hands.

The boy's knees wobble underneath him and he collapses without knowing. Sitting against the tree, his eyes rake the forest floor, smelling of blood and death.

Gentleness reaches for his face and Jongho looks into his eyes with dread as his voice dances around his head, "Yeosang! Yeosang, breathe slowly." But the boy's insides do not seem to hold the air he breathes, instead making him force even more in.

Jongho's cheek has stains of blood on it, the pattern running across the ridge of his nose and onto the other cheek. His eyes look down at the appalling sight in front of him, a hand is lifted to touch the wound only to have more blood oozing out. Yeosang has no sensible pain left, and he waits dazed for the other to do something while he slowly lets his breathing fall normal again.

No screams are left, and silence is ruling over the forest with an odd red tint. Jongho has dragged Yeosang with him to where his horse is bound. His hands fumble with things from his satchel until he pulls a thick piece of strap he binds tightly around the boy's chest and neck where he covers the wound.

"Jongho!"

Yeosang's eyes are heavy when he steers up at the owner of the voice, seeing the worry on the blonde knight's face as his eyes catch sight of Yeosang's physical state.

"Please, do not say that.." San's voice trails off, as he stalls beside them both.

Jongho shakes his head as he pulls another fabric out and drags it around Yeosang's shoulders and back. The cover feels soft.

"No, it was not a bite. He was hit by an arrow."

San exhales as he raises his hands to his forehead, relieved, "Thank God, I started thinking we would have to kill him."

The broad knight runs a hand over his face and wipes the stains of blood off him, "Alright, how far are the others?" he asks the other as he starts pulling Yeosang close to himself before he stops himself in the motion.

"They may finish soon. I think we will travel back to the fortress, there is no need to continue now," San spells sadly before he leaves to find one of the commanders.

_____

Among the hundreds of knights, multiple horses are left without any in the saddle while they travel. Yeosang clings to his own saddle with one hand as his face is distorted in pain from the movements. His horse is bound to Jongho's horse who stays on his side, face expressionless but clothes covered in dirt and blood.

The boy pulls Jongho's blanket closer around himself before tumults of shouting erupt a group of knights further back in the row. Jongho stops his horse at the same time Seonghwa turns his around in front of them.

"Higher Commander Park! Someone here is bitten!!"

Yeosang turns his head to see the space made around the quarreling knights.

"Eònan, no please!" the knight holding a bloody hand to his neck says. He swallows thickly and turns to look in the direction of the commander, "Do not listen to what he says, it is not true."

Seonghwa's eyes are cold as steel when he leaves the front and moves down the row with his horse. His posture holds a pinch of annoyance as he reaches the clearing. Yeosang does clearly hear what the man says to them both.

"One of you is lying. I do not like mendaces," the commander spits, his hands clenching around his reins, "Move your hand away from the wound."

The knight suddenly feels cornered and tries to avoid the order, "B-but it needs the pressure-"

"I said move your hand!"

Hesitantly, the knight lets his hand slip for everyone to view the teeth marks planted deep down his skin. Suddenly Seonghwa descends his horse, leaving it as he steps nearer the bitten knight.

"No, no I beg thee! I will do everything to have you let me live!"

Hands from other knights pull at the bitten and he falls from his horse. The vassal grabs him by the hair and yanks his head closer to his own while he pulls his sword with his free hand.

"Please," the trapped knight whimpers, his eyes scared of what will come.

Seonghwa inhales and smiles sourly, "Memento mori. I will not spare a liar's life anytime, and this bite of yours will only turn you into one of those monstra."

Drawing his sword close to the knight's chest, Yeosang watches with round eyes how the bitten closes his eyes before Seonghwa kills one of his own, without as much as a wince. Pulling his sword back he twirls to look at the rest of the knights who witnessed the cruel kill.

"Others of you who feel as if they have betrayed Him with any sin?" he shouts for everyone to hear.

Yeosang turns his head to look at Jongho, his heart feeling unhealthily unrestful.

⚔︎