"JIN NII-CHAN! JIN NII-CHAN!"
Jin turns, being in the garden with Taehyung who asked him for a new arrangement to make it more beautiful. In addition to make it suitable for the adult alpacas that will soon have mating season. The adult pair is surprised. Yune comes running, but her hair is no longer black: it is blonde. A shade so pale that it makes her look more delicate than usual.
Yune comes between excited and scared. She stumbles and because of Seok she doesn't hit the ground. The earth dragon sniffs her to make sure it is indeed her and there is nothing wrong with her. In the process, its snout collides with something and it releases her from fright. A small snake-like dragon comes out from between the clothes. It sticks its nose out steadily.
"It's... it's a light dragon." mumbles Jin in awe approaching Yune to shake the dirt off her and see it from every possible angle. The dragon leans against the girl's head.
"Is there any information in the records about light dragons?" asks Taehyung to one of the servants.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be in the mayoral records, my lord." Taehyung nods and advances toward Yune and Jin. The kisaeng remains holding her face and the lord holds back a slight laugh.
Funny, just a few days ago he was honoring the memory of a light and today he happens to be holding one. Taehyung is hoping that maybe, this will give him one more motivation. That it will cheer him up. Just a little. After the surprise has passed.
. . .
"I'm not very knowledgeable about dragons, so I went to investigate at the mayor's office" he communicates to Jin who walks beside him. "It happens to be very common that light dragons don't come from birth or exhibiting their true attributes... Is there anything you want to say about that?" Jin bites his lips and tries not to look at him. "Jin, you know you can tell me without fear. I'm not going to tell on you or worse."
"She asked me not to talk."
"Uh. I see... Maybe I can assume it and you don't have to talk directly! It'll be like I figured it out on my own" Jin looks at him with suspicion and annoyance. "I've seen more than one dye their hair black. After all, it's the 'usual' shade for non-dragon people and with that, feeling more accepted or normal. I can assume that the empress was blonde because of her dragon and hid it."
Jin doesn't say anything, but from the low whine, Taehyung takes it for granted that he got it right.
"Curious, this means his son isn't albino, he's just blond like his mother... Or maybe not" Taehyung muses thoughtfully with a hand on his chin. Seok looks around, he feels strange vibes. "I'll take it for granted that she was very strong. The bigger the light, the paler the hair. There have been those who have it white. Amazing don't you think?"
"It's not if they think you're weak for it."
"They think you're weak because of your pink hair?" Jin nods slightly. "I thought it was the opposite."
"Cherry trees don't last long. Their blossoms fall off soon. I'm not a tree, I'm a flower" Jin clarifies. "I'm something that gets pushed out once the tree doesn't want to keep me there. Having it so pink just shows that my nature is more flower-like. Hence, it's a weak one."
"I doubt that is the case with you."
"My lord, what a fool you are."
"What I mean, is that you're a desert flower. What's stronger than that?"
Jin snorts. How hateful Taehyung is. He opens the door to the room to go inside and prepare tea. However, he is violently interrupted by something stabbing into his chest. He coughs blood and looks at the person in front of him who slowly becomes visible. The dragon with iridescent scales engulfs him. Clearly a camouflage dragon.
"JIN!"
Taehyung holds it up before it falls, the kisaeng starts convulsing and the attacker runs off the other way. Seok chases after him in a hurry, he feels him extra due to passing through the garden, i.e. on the ground. He catches it in one leap, pinning it with his paws and biting the dragon so that it can't move at all.
"Jin, Jin, d-don't get scared BRING THE DOCTOR! FAST!" he orders the servants who because of the commotion approached and now run to the village, as he is on his day off. "Hold on, please" He lays him on the ground and checks. The wound is not only bleeding profusely, the skin is slowly turning black. As if it's rotting and the biggest risk of this, being in the chest, it's very likely to reach his heart in no time. "You're going to be fine. Look at me, look at me, don't be distressed, you're going to be fine." he promises. Jin's eyes filled with panic and even his inability to move.
The doctor arrives and orders him to be taken to a better place to be treated.
. . .
"This is a very serious poisoning. There are few ways to prevent the damage from being fulminant" announces the doctor. Jin compunces the expression amidst unconsciousness. "Closing the wound with thread could cause the poison to worsen because it has no exit route."
"Is there no way to get it out? What to do?" questions Taehyung, worried.
"We have to make it drive him out. We don't have anyone with a water dragon to help us" Taehyung bites his lower lip. If that boy, Jimin, were here, he could help. Shit. "However, I consider there is another alternative. Fortunately this is someone who possesses a bloom dragon. They are used to dealing with poisons. That's why they are able to expel it themselves in the form of flowers."
Taehyung looks at Eunji who resolves on the floor, lying on a blanket and covered by a thick blanket. Seok gives her constant cuddles to help her stay calm.
"Dragons do their best to take care of their users. What you should do is simple," the older gentleman begins to say: "Place it directly on big, fertile soil. It will absorb nutrients while expelling harmful components. You must remove the flowers that come out" Taehyung thinks at full speed how to do that. What kind of soil to put in a room. "Careful that they don't release the poison. Make sure it is well hydrated and gets sunlight. Other than that you will need to give him medicinal infusions to ease the discomfort and heal the tissue."
Taehyung thanks him and coordinates all her servants to make arrangements, shopping and so on.
"Will Jin nii-chan be alright?" asks Yune and Taehyung smiles at her level.
"Of course he will. He'll be just fine and you can help him."
"REALLY?! I want to help. I want to help!" she exclaims excitedly. Her face still swollen from crying thinking Jin was going to die.
"You're going to be with him aaaaaaaand" Taehyung pats her hand lovingly. "You're going to give him lots and lots of light Yes? You know flowers need sun to grow?" Yune nods. "Well Jin is the same way! I'll make a comfortable garden for him and you be the sun."
"OK!" Yune exclaims with a huge smile.
~ * * * ~
"Are you okay dear?"
"What happened?"
"An assassin sent to finish off the emperor attacked you. It was a miracle and lucky my brother-in-law was around."
Jin blinks repeatedly and squints at the woman sitting next to him. He reaches out his hand from under the sheet and Empress Eunji takes it. She gives an affectionate squeeze and smiles faintly toward the dozing kisaeng.
"Nor did he do mortal harm or any direct attack for which you will have scars in the future" she announces. Agust enters the room, taking a seat beside his mother. "You can go back to sleep. I will be here every time you open your eyes." states Empress Eunji.
"Jin is a flower. So with sunlight she heals faster. Mom is a sun." explains Agust simply. The blonde hair tied in a delicate way revealing the round face with the red scar.
"Won't it get you in trouble?"
"Don't worry about me. Rest."
Even asleep, he could feel the grip on his hand. Perceiving that she fell asleep with him for a while and only when he was really well did she leave to let him sleep peacefully.
~ * * * ~
"NII-CHAN!"
"Nono, don't crush him."
Jin has a hard time looking. Being that the small, glowing dragon is so close to him that it dazzles with its glare. It takes a few seconds for it to subside. He tries to sit up, but is prevented from doing so by Taehyung who makes him stay lying down.
"You're not quite cured yet. It is better if you stay lying down." indicates the nobleman with a soft gesture. Jin takes a deep breath. Unaware of all the black petaled flowers around him. "I don't know if you remember, but you were attacked and poison entered through the wound. You're still recovering."
"Are you going to be here?"
Taehyung smiles weakly, takes his hand and gives it a squeeze. The scratchy texture and wide hand is different from that delicate, feminine one in his memories.
"Of course." Taehyung kisses his knuckles and Jin falls unconscious again, but calm and with more black flowers suckling as his skin loses that dark coloration.