San has led him to an indoor room, where they can talk in privacy. The morning has been hectic, and Yeosang is thankful for San's coming explanation of those running circumstances that have all the knights darting around the fortress as it depends on their lives. The summer rain trickles down the old rusty squared window glass and the boy watches as a drop of water leaks in from a crack in the gasket and rolls down the window sill and chalked wall until it hits the stone floor.

"I am sure that you know what this order handles, but I will allow you to ask me whatever you desiderates."

Yeosang is sitting on a bench, white and brown sheepskin fur covering the wooden furniture and making it softer to sit on. Beside the boy sits the blonde knight with his one foot brought up on the bench and his chin resting on his knee. He resembles a little innocent boy.

He looks down at his hand which he runs back and forth the soft fur as he tries to think of what to query first. Yeosang has so much held back in question that he feels as if he starts to ask, he will never stop again. But he knows that San is waiting as he can feel the knight's resting eyes on him and he seemingly has to begin somewhere.

"For how long have you been here?" Yeosang has turned his head to look at San when he asks.

A small smile grows on the knight's face while he listens to the boy's first question.

"Oh?" he exclaims, "So you spend your chance to ask me about everything in this situation, but you want to know more about me? Are you not interested in the declared war?"

Yeosang keeps his lips silent and does not answer though his eyes stay looking into San's. The knight chuckles and lets his foot fall down to the floor again as he shifts closer to Yeosang while he starts to explain.

"Well, I came here years ago, when I was still a child. At that time Choi Sander had no sense of what world he was about to enter, but he was stubborn and strong-willed, and not even his own father was able to force him away from his risky dreams of becoming an immense and mighty knight. But Sander was different from all the other children in the town he lived in, for every time they saw him beside his twin sister, they believed he was cursed. Instead of the same dark hair and brown eyes as her, Choi Sander's eyes were blue and hair blonde. No townspeople had seen that type of appearance before and he was said to be pure witchcraft."

San closes his eyes and Yeosang can feel the pain through the story.

"He wanted to prove them wrong, that he could be strong and independent despite his different face, therefore Sander traveled a long way from home to a place he had heard stories of miracles about. But his sister would not let him go. She pleaded him to stay but he was certain about this decision, and she must let him go. What he did not know was that she followed him to the fortress," San stops and breathes in for air," The people here were kind and understanding regardless of their name, and my sister and I's age of only eleven, as long as no sin was implemented, we were under their wing," San finishes while his eyes rest heavily on Yeosang's face, many emotions present.

Things stay unclear while the boy furrows his brows and bites the inside of his cheek when San is not smiling, "Choi Sander..?"

San sighs as he leans back into his seat, "Yes, that is my name by birth. But I prefer using 'San' instead."

Slowly, Yeosang nods at the piece of information and straightens his back a bit in the seat. He catches sight of the rain dripping from the window and how the pool only has broadened. No matter how he attempts to, Yeosang cannot see how San should be of any kind of evil.

He admires the blue orbs and soft face gold plated with his blonde locks of hair. Rather than any monster, San looks like a pure angel where he sits though his attire is dark in color and his face showing signs of years of sorrow. Yeosang already wants to reach out and take the knight's hand comfortingly, but he dares not. Instead, he clasps his palms tightly together and swallows tensely.

"This is a Knights Templar fortress, but even if our order stands churchly, we still have adversaries who wish more than anything else to fight us - and that is what is happening southern with other Knights Templar fortresses. Unbelievers are attacking our lands and that is why Lord Aitòre wants some of us to turn those madmen down before they conquer what belongs to God. We do not want them to spread among our own people with their sinful taste."

San squints his eyes fixed at Yeosang's gazing eyes, "Does it makes sense?"

His father has sent him to lands far away from home, forcing him to take part in knightly orders and worshipping of God, but this is how far Yeosang has understood of the situation. The time here has been so muddled, that he has not come to the part of thinking what training with a sword held in his hand actually means when what everyone has been talking about so far is exactly what is the mind of having him here. The boy flutters with his eyes before he eventually nods at the question.

"Good, I hope as well as I believe that you will find more purpose in your new life here rather than what stayed in your past. I know that serving Him is not easy and can be difficult but it is worth doing," the blonde knight states as he falls back into his seat and looks down at his hands that hold history.

Yeosang does not know what to say and turns his own face to the rain still running in from the window. An odd atmosphere spreads in the room and the boy is thinking about what San has told him. How his life must have been before he came here. Never could he think that San is the outcome of any darkness, not when he is of such a kind soul.

His tongue presses against his front teeth while urging himself to ask the knight another question, and Yeosang turns around again to watch the untold dull person that San has become after giving him a taste of his story.

Yeosang clears his throat rather awkwardly and San's blue eyes pull up at him, "I have another question for you."

San raises himself up from his fallen bearing and tells the boy to continue.

"Who is your sister, then?"

The knight perks up at the words and a sudden small smile grow on his face again while he answers, "Well, you have already met her," he says, and Yeosang does not fail to notice the smirk playing in the shadow of his expression.

"I have?"

"Veracious you have, her name is Emma, Choi Emma."

Choi San's twin sister is the woman who has treated his illness and kissed his guidance counselor, Park Seonghwa. She is one of the healers.

_____

Yeosang looks down at the cross that he holds in his hands. Lightly, he brushes his thumb across the surface as he wishes to haul it off and throw it away. But he does nothing while he stands outside of the church, a light brown cloak pulled up around his head and down his shoulders to keep him from getting wet. But the steady rain slowly seeps through the fabric and touches his clothes underneath. He awaits for San to egress the church as he tries not to have any eye contact with the knights passing in and out of the sanctuary.

"Yeosang! Come on, let us head back to the fortress," San calls at him from behind.

The knight's strands of blonde hair are hidden under a broad leather cloak, shielded for all water falling from the skies. Unlike Yeosang's. San's gleaming expression can still be seen through the layers and he gently grabs the boy's shoulder when he reaches him. Yeosang feels cold and lets the knight pull him towards the path up the hill. Like Seonghwa had spoken, are many of the knights staying in the church for their gifted blessings to the battles, but despite that, has Yeosang not been excluded from his daily prayers and still had to go do them.

He despises them.

San directs his eyes at Yeosang and views how contracted he seems to be following the visit to the church. The boy can feel the eyes on him, but he ignores them while he takes the last step up the stairs. He glances up at the rain falling down and by the move, water drops hit his face as they create patterns down his skin. He cannot imagine how cruel it must be for the knights who have to travel in this kind of weather.

"It may not be my place to do so, but you must know that I am a good secret holder, as well as a good talker. I have never burst a secret before - you can trust me with anything."

The boy angles his head down again and considers the words of kindness. San is a keeper at heart, and Yeosang wonders how this man has ended up in such a place when his soul sings angels' melodies of warm hearts and tenderness. A string of a very missed mellowness caresses the boy's chest and he smiles sadly.

"You remind me of someone dearly close," Yeosangs tells San who watches him with putting blue orbs as Yeosang can see how he cerebrates what to say.

Yeosang pulls in a breath of humid air and proceeds with his spoken words, but before he has the chance to open his mouth, a familiar voice penetrates the dim weather.

"Choi Sander!!"

A figure is running towards them, her hands clutching her dress to avoid any contact with the wet cobblestones and a mantle pulled around her head and upper body. When she stops in front of them, she nearly slips on the slippery ground and San catches her dearly before she falls. His hands are holding her firmly around her waist as he peers at her from under his leather cloak.

"Thank you, thank God," she heaves for air and wraps her hands around San's, and pulls herself into his embrace.

When her mantle falls down her head, San pulls it up again and pushes her body closer to his. Yeosang sees how a smile plays with his lips and a fondness twinkles in his eyes. The woman pulls away and lets her eyes linger worrying at the knight.

"I have already heard of the news, but Seonghwa was definitely not someone that I could pull any answers from. I pray to Him, you will not be going, will you?"

Emma's eyes are wide open while she asks and her hands are braided trembling in front of her, "Your wounds are not even healed yet from last crusade, and I do not wish for you to be any more harmed. I was so terrified when you came home from the latest trip!"

"I thought you were dying, and I-"

The knight tells her to stop her rambling before she is not able to breathe any air. He grins a bit at her expression but she slaps his chest half-heartedly.

"I am no fun making here!"

San shakes his head, "Emma, calm down. I am going nowhere this time," the knight gestures over at Yeosang, "Instead, Seonghwa gave me the quest to guide Yeosang until they come back again."

Quickly, the woman eyes Yeosang and the sight of him seems to reassure her. She sighs and turns back to San, now looking at how the rain runs down his cloak.

"Good, good. Let me treat you two to something warm to drink. Yeosang, you must be drowning in those fabrics," Emma says before nudging at San to follow her to the healers' quarters.

Yeosang's teeth clatter and he freezes until he has changed into something dry and warm to wear. Emma's offer is perfect.

⚔︎