Found | Nomin

Chapter 18: Red Hilt

The king waved Haechan off with a smile. The nymph smiled back as he retreated into the castle once more. The king has no doubt about where the young boy is headed off to.

He sighed, sitting down upon an old stone bench in the south garden. It was not quite midday. The skies were clear and the air was silent, nothing bar a few tweets from a robin here and there. The king still had a few minutes where he was free of his royal duties. He planned to spend those blissful moments here, in this peaceful garden.

Suddenly, the sour stench of anxiety whirled around his nostrils. He slightly gazed to his left where the unpleasant smell was coming from. It was Dongmin. The human appeared to be on edge, more than usual. The king silently watched the other creep throughout the garden as if looking for something or someone. Whatever it was, he did not look as if he wanted to be caught doing so.

"Dongmin." The king called the human. The other's eyes snapped directly at him like a deer startled by a predator. The king merely smiled at him as he beckoned him over with a waving hand. He hesitantly went over. "Take a sit." The king gestured beside him. Dongmin once again hesitantly did as told. "You look like you're looking for someone. May I ask whom?"

"I was looking for Mark." Dongmin informed, "I need to talk to him."

"It must be dire if you look so uneasy talking with me at this moment." The king chuckled. Dongmin laughed along but the king knew he was just humouring him as the sourness still reeked his scent. "Oh," The king began, eyes widening as if he remembered something, "I've been meaning to ask you a favour."

"What may that be?" Dongmin inquired with a frown.

"Well, you see, Haechan had described to me the armour of the one who had taken Jaemin the night he was abducted. Lucky enough, we do have some confiscated human armour. I showed him them and he was able to identify the armour he had seen." The king told him and the sourness seemed to peek, "What I'm getting at is I'd like you to give me some information on the armour and who wears such a thing in the human military."

"What does it look like?" Dongmin asked.

"It's silver like all of them but it has two... what are they called... s-swards. No, swords. Yes, swords. It has two swords on either side of the shoulders both with red handles." The king informed the other.

"It's called a hilt not a handle." Dongmin corrected him stoically although a hint of frustration lingered in his throat.

"Ah, yes, well, two swords with red hilts were on either shoulder. Do you know whom would wear such armour?" The king inquired.

"Why are you asking me? Why not Mark or better than that, Jaemin?" The human questioned defensively as he stood up, "Are you accusing me?"

"I am merely asking you because you are the army general of the human military, are you not? Who better to ask than you?" The king explained with a smile. Dongmin's body had seemed to stiffen. The king however, continued to smile as he too stood up. "I will ask you another time. I'm sure we both have things to attend to." He nodded to Dongmin with assurance as he patted the human's shoulder and left the garden. Dongmin wasn't sure why, but he felt as if the king knew everything.

_

"He got you that?" Mark questioned in disbelief as Jaemin showed off his new bracelet to the other. The two were in the younger's chambers. It was a lovely day like most days had been while they were in the wolf kingdom. However, they decided to just relax in Jaemin's chambers for a while. They had not spent their time with each other like this since they were in the human kingdom.