disfunctionality | HwanHee ✅

Twelfth Toll

I winced as Keonhee had touched my slowly healing wound. "Looks like it didn't just scratch the surface...I'm sorry Hwan." "It's not your fault. It's those cougars'." He still seemed remorseful even after I had reassured him. "Where are we anyway? Do the areas have names?" "Unfortunately, no. I'll go explore a bit. Stay here." He walked off, leaving Nisse behind. "He should've left you." "Nisse, why are you being so mean?" "Because of you two, nothing has been going smoothly! You're both just extra baggage!" I watched Lutin and Nisse fight and wanted to break it up without hurting either. Nisse was soon enclosed in a bubble and sent inside of the cave.

"Hwan, let's go. We're clearly not wanted." He gently pushed me but yielded no results. I reluctantly got up and limped out of the cave. I looked around at the quiet nature around me and wondered where I would even go. I was sure we were too far from the abandoned refuge to go back to the portal. I didn't even know my way back home. Though, it's not like I could go back anyway. "We shouldn't just leave without a plan, Lutin." "I have one, but it's risky." "Risky...?" He placed his small hand on top of my nose then smiled. "I'm going to transport us out of here." "But I'm marked..." "I know, but, I wouldn't mind risking my life to help you and keep you safe." Risk his life? He couldn't mean that.

"Is what you're going to do possibly going to kill you?" "Yes. I only have so much power, and doing this requires a lot." "Don't you dare do it, Lutin!" I heard something come from behind me and knock me over. "Keonhee?" I looked up and felt my heart nearly stop. "Get off me!" I tried everything I could to break free, but it continued to sink it's teeth into me. "Hwan, hold on! I'm casting it." "No!" As much as I didn't want to do it, I started chanting the spell that temporarily releases your sprite. Before I could finish, the creature had disappeared and I saw Keonhee rushing towards me. I was surprised to see him looking me over then sheltering me.

"I'm okay..." It was a lie, but I didn't want to cause him anymore trouble than I already have. "You're clearly not. Why did you leave the cave?" "Because-" "Because they're weighing us down Keonhee. Now release me!" I looked up at Nisse still in his bubble who was also banging against it. "So you're the reason why. Nisse, I get it. You don't trust city dwellers, but I trust Hwan. He knows so little about me yet continues to follow me, especially with the rumors about us okapis." He wasn't wrong. I knew if I wanted to live, I'd have to trust him. At least, that was the case then. "And if he wanted to hurt us, he would've done so by now don't you think? And you've known Lutin for god knows how long." Nisse was silent then Keonhee turned his attention to me.

I could barely manage to raise my arm without pain coursing through it. "I'm sorry that I'm so useless, Hwan." "Just being able to take away some of the pain is helpful enough." It was nice that Lutin and I were becoming closer, but I didn't like the fact that it was only due to our situation. I heard Keonhee come back then rub something against my arm. It was a bunch of normal looking leaves, but it was getting rid of the dark mark and pain. "Are you a shaman or something?" "When you live in the forest all your life, you learn quite a bit." "It amazes me that you're healthy and fit despite being alone all this time." He let Lutin take over then sighed. "I didn't have family, but I was raised by someone. I haven't seen them since they deemed me worthy to fend for myself." I quietly listened to him talk about his past and felt that we were both becoming more comfortable with each other.