Ch.10
It's been a day and you were off to visit the castle. Youngjo said you didn't need to come so often now that Namjoon has guests staying with him, but that's precisely why you needed to come check on them. Hopefully, all of them were safe and acting civil. Namjoon, preferably in human form! But you'd have to visit them in order to see. So as soon as you woke up, you got dressed and prepared enough food to last the gentlemen a few days. Then you were on your way with Youngjo up above and you on Malakai. The horse was running on the familiar path, getting closer to the gates that shocked you.
Tugging back on Malakai's reins, he stopped just a couple feet away from the gates. No longer were they rusted at the hinges or covered in webs. One gate was also not dragging on the ground anymore. When did this happen? With wide eyes, you slowly guided Malakai inside. Everything on the outside appeared relatively the same. You got off of Malakai, walking up the steps to enter the castle. That's where you gasped to see the entrance had gotten a makeover. The curtains were fixed and the place was dusted. Not everything was cleaned up, but it was a clear difference that even took Youngjo aback.
"Good morrow." Namjoon appeared at the top of the stairs.
"What happened?" You were still in complete awe.
"That elf you brought over is quite handy. Said he couldn't sleep until he got some work done on the castle." Namjoon nodded. "Seokjin tried helping by dusting."
"That's amazing!" You bounced on your toes. Namjoon put his hand on the railing as he walked down to you. "I also made as much food as I could for you and the others." You held the basket out to him. It almost surprised him, but he gave you a grateful look for it. He brought up his hand which you thought he was going to take the basket. Instead, he gently placed his hand on your head.
"Always thoughtful of you, Miss Caeton." Namjoon smiled softly at you. He took the basket from your hands as you blushed from head to toe.
"Food!" Seokjin shouted from up above as you coughed awkwardly. You needed to pull yourself together.
"Did someone say food!?" Hoseok came running out. His smile was beaming to see you and the food Namjoon held. He waited at the top for you to see Seokjin come out on his own. His movements were slow, but you clapped excitedly. Seokjin wore two leg braces and held onto crutches for balance.
"(F/n), I can walk!" Seokjin cheered.
"I made them myself. He can use them all on his own." Hoseok looked proud. "Figured that would get Namjoon to be less angry."
"I'm not always angry." Namjoon huffed.
"That's a lie." Youngjo wasn't the only one unconvinced. Seokjin and Hoseok exchanged glances which only irritated Namjoon more.
"Alright! Let's dig in on the food. I'm sure all of you are starving!" You quickly stepped in to prevent anything from escalating.
At least food could get the guys to settle down. From the looks of it, Hoseok and Seokjin were getting along smoothly. They're both friendly so it wasn't too shocking to see them acting as friends already. They were both in similar boats since they were new to this castle and had no idea what was going on. You still felt bad about that, but you promised them to give it time. It was just Namjoon who could work on his people skills. He treated them more like servants. That also wasn't anything new to you. He basically saw you the same way and you were working with him on that. Namjoon luckily doesn't have an issue with you calling him by his name anymore. You think he chose to give up seeing as how the rest of the creatures you'll be bringing to his castle just call him by his name too.
Namjoon was putting up with a lot. You're glad he was doing better than you initially thought. Hoseok too! Even though you randomly asked him to come stay at the castle, he seemed comfortable here already. He had a roof over his head and made sure to work in order to keep it that way. Not only that, but he was getting free food thanks to you. Seokjin was feeling the same way. They felt like this place was paradise despite it being covered in cobwebs with outdated décor and so many things falling apart. Only Namjoon thought he needed better service—that wasn't going to happen.
"Trust me. This place may not look how it must have years ago, but this is way better than the old cave I used to live in." Hoseok tore his bread in half.
"You lived in a cave?" Seokjin's brows jumped. "I just slept wherever I wanted on the floor with all the fishes."
"Yeah, my cave was underneath a tree. It was at the side of a mountain and this large tree was there just above a small edge. If you went under the tree, you'd find an entrance to a cave that opened up to many different areas underneath the mountain." Hoseok nodded his head. "I shared it with other elves. It was spacious and yet cramped at the same time. It was alright, but the gnomes would always try fighting with us on territory."
"Oh, that's no fun." Seokjin frowned.
"It's okay. They're short so it was easy to kick them." Hoseok chuckled, causing you to nearly choke on your food. Namjoon didn't say anything, but he was obviously listening in. "They're annoying but living here is much better."
"What else do you plan to fix up?" You cleared your throat.
"There's a lot." Hoseok took a look around the dining hall. "It'll be hard getting to it all."
"Judging by (F/n)'s past habits, she'll be bringing you more help soon enough." Namjoon sighed. At this point he was just accepting the strangers in his home.
"I'll do my best to get better at walking!" Seokjin bounced in his seat. "I'll be helping you as much as I can."
"I think you're better off cleaning," Hoseok said.
"How come?" You asked as you gave a piece of bread to Youngjo.
"He's as clumsy as the prince, but more clueless," Hoseok explained. Seokjin took no offense to it as he just laughed. "Which is almost impressive."
"How is it impressive?" Namjoon scoffed.
"Nothing. Forget what I said." Hoseok had a grin on his face. He returned his focus on his food as an exasperated sigh left Namjoon. The two hardly knew each other, but Hoseok seemed to be doing well. Nearly lost his rights to live here, but otherwise he was managing.
"What do you plan to do today, (F/n)?" Seokjin looked over at you. Eyes traveled to you which you didn't expect. You had only been giving Youngjo your bread and now you were flustered. For a quick second, your mind was blank until you pulled yourself together.
"I need to get my horse more hay! Yes, I plan to do that." You scrunched your nose slightly from how loud you started off. "I'm in no rush to search for other creatures. I'll see if I can talk to Jungkook and if he's been keeping his eyes on any."
"Be safe, (F/n)," Hoseok warned. "Not all creatures desire peace with humans. Some want to cause harm to anyone. They live with no morals."
"I'll do my best to be careful." You nodded.
"You should listen carefully, (F/n). Creatures are more vicious than wild animals," Youngjo added. You only gave him a small smile to let him know you heard. They meant well, but you were aware of it yourself.
"I've been stuck in this castle for so long and I have never met another creature besides these two. But I have no doubt that there are creatures out there who are complete savages," Namjoon spoke up. "I would have a guard accompany you if I could. A fair maiden such as yourself shouldn't be putting themself in danger so often."
"He talks funny," Seokjin whispered to Hoseok before giggling. Instantly, Namjoon looked over at them with a scowl.
"Me? All of you are ill mannered! What has come of my kingdom?" Namjoon tsked at them. They were going to bicker on this for a while. It'd be better if you got up and left.
Seokjin didn't see the problem with his words. He was in his own world as he giggled and smiled. He was having a good time just being seated with all of you. Hoseok was more aware and handled it the way he knew best. Rambling about what he plans to fix next before Namjoon gets a chance to start an argument. Now the prince was struggling to get a word in. They'll be fine. Excusing yourself from the table, you left the dining hall with Youngjo on your shoulder. The two of you left the castle together on a good note. Malakai was waiting outside and huffed through his nose. You could see the warm air that escaped into the cold air. Rubbing your hands together, you walked over to Malakai when Youngjo flew onto the horse's back.
"You're going to have to get the hay yourself." Youngjo's words didn't shock you.
"I don't let you go to the village with me anyway." You crossed your arms.
"Well, yes. But I figured I should tell you so you don't miss me."
"Okay. Be safe."
"Back at you."
You watched Youngjo fly up into the air. He let out a loud caw before disappearing above the treetops. It was going to be just you and Malakai. Grabbing onto his saddle, you hopped up onto Malakai's back and hurried out to the forest. The path to the village was basically a long straight dirt road. It didn't turn to cobblestone until you got to the center of the village. There was where the market was and a majority of cottages. All the businesses, schools, and so on. Where you got your hay was towards the end of the village on the opposite side. The road turned to dirt over there as it led to all the fields for farming.
As soon as you made it to the village, you held tighter onto Malakai's reins. He was well behaved around others. It was just you feeling awkward and hoping no one bothered to talk to you much while you were out. All you needed was hay and then you would be on your way. You passed by other villagers, forcing yourself to greet them anytime you accidentally made eye contact. How come you felt more confident talking to a random creature in the forest than other humans? Maybe you are weird. That wasn't so hard to believe if you were being honest. With the way others stared at you sometimes, you felt like you had a sign on you. No matter how hard you tried to mind your own business, life was never easy.
Misfortune and trouble liked to tease you. It played with your emotions so easily. It made you act meek in the village. You were quiet and doing your best not to get in anyone's way. Not many people had the same mindset though. Some wanted to cause trouble and you were the perfect target for it. By the time you were getting closer to the edge of the village, you lifted your eyes to see Elias looking annoyed. He looked ready to start a fight with just about anybody. He sat in the back of a wagon with a large tarp over it. When his eyes met yours, you instantly looked away and hoped that would be the end of it. Considering how your last interaction with him went, he felt like the two of you had much to talk about.
"Where you going all by yourself, (F/n)?" His voice sent a shiver down your spine. "I know you saw me. Don't act like I don't exist."
Malakai stopped walking as your heart started beating faster in your chest. Elias hopped off the wagon to approach you. He wasn't in a good mood so why was he trying to talk to you? He barely knew you to begin with. You felt like you were hardly breathing when Elias forced you to acknowledge him. The way you were shaking put a smirk on his face. Your little nervous fidgets and scared expressions entertained him immensely. He loved seeing the power he had over you, scaring you to your core. Your mind was blank as you struggled to speak. All it took was his presence to make you feel so incredibly powerless. It didn't make sense.
"What are you doing?" Elias asked.
"...g-going to get hay," You answered. Why did you have to stutter? Your throat felt painfully dry as you did your best to look Elias in the eyes.
"You didn't come to visit me?" Elias raised a brow. Nothing came out of you, unsure whether he was serious or not. The back of your neck was growing hot as he laughed to himself. "You're not in a hurry, are you? My uncle runs the little museum right there. I can give you a tour."
"...I'm kind of busy right now–"
"Aw, can't even spare a couple minutes?" Elias let out a groan. "It's cool. We collect things about creatures so we can study them and figure out how to kill them before they kill us."
"Oh...but not all creatures want to harm us," You said. That immediately made him scoff.
"You're really naive, aren't you?" Elias crossed his arms. He looked you over as you sat on Malakai, making you tempted to just whip the reins and escape. However, you didn't want to upset him anymore. His eyes on you felt uncomfortable. "Creatures have no morals like us humans. That's what makes us different most of all."
"You think so?" You watched him nod. Although you heavily disagreed with him, you knew better than to make a man with a history of violence angry. Elias glanced back at the wagon before looking at you.
"Come here. I'll show you our latest capture." Elias was already walking to the wagon.
"Capture? What do you mean?" You guided Malakai closer to the wagon. You still made sure to keep some distance in case there was something strange under the tarp. But when Elias lifted it up, he showed you two jars specifically. What was inside made you gasp.
One jar had a fairy inside. His hair was blonde with blue tips. The fairy was staring at you with frightened wide eyes. Its wings were clear and thin. There were specks that twinkled in his wings. His clothes were white and flowy. Fairies looked like small humans aside from the wings and the pointy ears. They were a bit longer than an elves'. He was a small, beautiful creature that you never expected to see here in the village. Certainly not trapped in a jar. His small plump lips were in deep frown. The one in the other jar shared the same terrified expression except it was a pixie.
Pixies were different from fairies. They were mischievous creatures that lured humans to their deepest desires and tricked them. Those were the stories you always heard so seeing one in front of you was mind boggling. The tips of his ears are much pointer than the fairy's. All of his hair was blue with leaves woven in. His skin was a pale blue with dark blue freckles. Then his clothes were made from a leafy looking material. Compared to the fairy, he didn't look like a small human with wings. The pixie's wings seemed to have moss growing on them. He was mesmerizing in his own way. You didn't know what to think.
"I caught them for my uncle." Elias covered them with the tarp again. It snapped you out of the shock right away.
"What's going to happen to them?" You hated the way he grinned.
"They'll be cut open and eventually hung on the wall with the rest." Elias chuckled, causing you to feel sick.
"I should get going." You had enough. None of what he said was amusing to you. Tugging Malakai away, Elias frowned to see you so eager to leave.
"So suddenly?" Elias grabbed onto the reins. "You're not going to stick around?"
"Please let go." You pleaded. He wasn't listening to you to your dismay. "Is Verona busy?"
"Don't mention that b*tch." Elias glared at you. Looks like the two were fighting again. You didn't want to make things worse, but somehow you were. "(F/n), don't be like that and stay. We can have fun."
"Elias, I told you–"
"Elias! She's telling you that she has to go." Another voice interrupted. You felt relief wash over you to have support from someone else. Elias gritted his teeth to see Florian coming over on his own horse. With the dirty look Florian was giving Elias, you suspected everyone in their friend group wasn't on good terms with him. Florian came closer to separate Elias from you.
"Can't mind your own business?"
"You do nothing but disappoint people. You'll never change, will you?" Florian huffed. That made Elias silent. Finally, Florian looked over at you and motioned for you to go on your way. "You're free to go."
"T-Thank you." You continued to move forward and did your best not to look back. The two were still arguing loud enough for you to hear.
"Verona needs you most now and you left for what reason? She's scared–"
"Do I look ready to be a father?"
"Elias–"
"She's annoying and won't shut up! I'm glad we're over and for good now. I'm not changing my mind, so why don't you join the others in leaving me alone?"
"I would if I didn't catch you looking at (F/n) the way you were. You never learn, you pathetic excuse for a man."
Their fight was too personal. It was nothing you needed to be hearing, so you made Malakai move faster to get out of earshot. After encountering Elias like that, a quiet walk on the dirt road would be exactly what you needed. The nerve wracking village shows stay behind you. The sight of tall corn fields and wheat swaying with the wind was relaxing. You were calming down by the time you heard the sound of extra hooves on the ground. Curiosity got the best of you as you looked over your shoulder to see Florian catching up with you. He gave you a smile as his horse caught up with yours.
"Hi, sorry about Elias. Are you alright?" Florian asked. He wasn't intimidating like Elias. The air around him was friendlier and brighter, but you still had a hard time acting natural.
"I'm fine." You sighed. He took that answer with a small nod.
"Your horse is beautiful by the way." Florian's eyes were filled with admiration. "What's his name?"
"Malakai...I like naming animals with human names. I think it's funny." You wanted to smack yourself. Why were you saying so much? As embarrassed as you felt, Florian chuckled with no judgment.
"I like it. My girl here is named Blume." Florian patted his tan horse. She had gorgeous blonde hair that was braided.
"I like her hair." You pointed out, doing your best to respond and be social. Why did it have to be so difficult for no reason? Anything that came out of your mouth, you heavily chastised and screamed at yourself for. Though it never got a negative reaction from Florian.
"I can style Malakai's hair if you'd like. I'd be more than happy to." Florian was able to put a shy smile on your face.
The sun must be burning brighter today with the way your face was heating up. The plan to buy a bundle of hay managed to slip your mind. Instead, you found yourself talking to Florian about horse care and eventually gardening. Little by little, you found yourself loosening up on the walk. It was relaxing just riding through the fields. Florian also did his best to make you comfortable. It was hard not to feel safe around him. At least you could count on him to be a good person. Though what you didn't expect was to find yourself at his farm after getting so absorbed in your conversation with him. It didn't occur to you until a dog was barking at the both of you, its tail wagging energetically to see a familiar face and a guest.
"Hey, Kuchen!" Florian waved at the shepherd dog. "That's my dog. She helps with herding the sheep and cows."
"We're at your farm?" You blinked in surprise.
"I guess so. I didn't mean to take up so much of your time." Florian rubbed the back of his neck. "Was there something you came to the village for?"
"Oh! Just hay! I've been needing more for Malakai," You explained.
"Hay? I can help you out with that." Florian hopped off Blume. You were confused on what was going on. "I'll load up a small wagon and bring it to your cottage. I feel bad for making you come all the way here when the sun is up for only so long."
"You don't have to!" You didn't want to take advantage of Florian's kindness so much. He didn't mind though. He was happy to help and carried on with his plan.
"You can go home if you'd like! I'll drop it off there!" Florian yelled over his shoulder.
A sigh left you. This was not the plan at all, but it was too late to stop Florian. He was already off getting you hay. Seeing as he told you that you could go home, he might take a while. Was it really okay for you to leave? Malakai began to turn around and soon you were riding him back to the village. It felt a little strange leaving without Florian, but you kept going. He would be joining you later anyway. You were trying to comfort yourself when a flash of light appeared in front of you. It caused you to flinch and it didn't help that it startled Malakai. His whiny was loud as he stepped back. You leaned closer to Malakai in hopes of calming him down.
"It's okay, it's okay." You rubbed his neck.
"Sorry." Jungkook gave you an awkward smile. You looked over at him and sighed. "I didn't think I would scare your horse so much."
"He's okay now." You straightened your back again. Now that Malakai could see Jungkook, he had relaxed. "What made you come see me? Is everything alright?"
"More than alright. Walk with me." Jungkook gestured to you to keep riding towards the village. "Through your necklace, I saw that a human showed you creatures."
"Right...he captured them. I feel so bad for them. They looked so scared, Jungkook." Your heart was aching just thinking about them.
"I can only imagine. But that's where you come in!" Jungkook was already spouting out ideas that made you nervous. "Distract the human and take the fairy. I think he'll be an excellent addition. What do you say?"
"...I mean, I can try," You said. Jungkook looked ready to fly out of joy. "But what about the pixie?"
"What about the pixie?" Jungkook's joy came to a halt.
"Can't I bring him with me too? It's just that he looked so scared and they're both helpless. I don't want anything awful happening to them!" You were spilling all the thoughts in your head. None of it was convincing Jungkook though as he shook his head.
"You're a kind girl, (F/n). You're more thoughtful than most humans in your village, but you're innocent and lack experience with the bad creatures in this world." Jungkook's words left you stunned. They were things you heard before yet you didn't think you would hear this from him. Not in that low tone that warned you. "As much as you desire to help everyone, it will only harm you in the end. Not all sacrifices lead to rewards."
"But Jungkook–"
"No more of this. Listen to me when it comes to this, (F/n). Pixies are dark creatures and getting acquainted with one will bring you no good." Jungkook insisted. "Rescue the fairy only. I'll meet you at the castle with the others."
"...yes, Jungkook." You didn't bother arguing with Jungkook. He was content with your obedience as he flew up and vanished.
Your experience with creatures was incredibly limited. Jungkook wasn't wrong with thinking you were naive and he knew about creatures more than you. Still, it made you feel awful knowing that you would have to leave a pixie there after finding out what would come of it. You tried not to think about it as you rode Malakai back to the museum. Since Jungkook gave you a mission, you would do your best to complete it. The fact that you had to possibly interact with Elias again made you feel sick. He wasn't a good person and Florian managed to get him off your back. You knew that Elias wouldn't listen to you.
When you arrived back in the village, you kept your distance at first to check the area. Elias was by the wagon yet the tarp was completely removed. He was slowly carrying everything into the shop. That made your job harder. If only you had enough time to snatch the fairy while Elias was inside. Unfortunately, he took both the pixie and fairy inside. You winced to see them banging against the glass before disappearing into the building. You need to figure out how to get in without getting noticed. Should you use a spell? You slowly climbed off Malakai as you went over spells in your head. Hopefully, you don't get caught or else you could end up getting hanged.
"This is fine. I'm fine." You took in a deep breath. "Stay where you are, Malakai. I'll be right back."
The horse listened to you and stayed put. He had to watch you try to be sneaky. You did your best to get as close as you could without getting caught. Carefully, you made it by the wagon while Elias was inside. You waited for him to come out as you began muttering the spell. This one would hopefully let you stay alive. By the time Elias came out again, the spell shot out to him. He didn't even realize it. You began to stand up while Elias got another box to bring inside. This time you walked out and he went right past you. It worked! The spell allowed you to be invisible only to him. It was temporary too so you had to work fast.
"Uncle, where do you want these boxes?" Elias shouted.
You followed him into the museum with your eyes peeled. Elias disappeared into a different room meanwhile you chose to go down the hall in search of the fairy. Others could still see you so you needed to be alert. You were basically walking on your toes and holding your breath. Each open room you entered was not it. They were either cluttered offices or rooms that made you shudder. Never did you want to see other fairies hung up like trophies. Everything this museum possessed disgusted you. Especially when they went out of their way to hunt for them like sport. It only made you more eager to find this fairy and escape. The time was ticking away.
At least the museum wasn't large. That was the only reason you felt like you could pull this off. All the doors you had opened were not successful until you made it to the backdoor. As soon as you opened it, your eyes locked on the two jars sitting on a desk. They were surrounded by rusted tools and aprons with dried blood. The smell inside the room made you feel lightheaded. You hurried to the jar, spotting the fairy who was staring at you in confusion. That was when you noticed a cotton ball was now inside the jar with them. What was that for? The fairy pounded his fists against the glass when you glanced at the pixie. He looked like he had given up as he sat down in the jar with his head down.
"Please spare us!" The little fairy cried out. His voice was muffled and incredibly soft.
"I'm not here to hurt you. I want to save you, but–but you have to promise me that you won't leave me, okay? I won't hurt you, but I desperately need your help. Can you do me that favor?" You did your best to sound stern. Truthfully, you felt awful for trying to strike a deal with him when he was in a stressful situation.
"I promise! Please! I'll do anything!" The fairy nodded. Biting your lip, you opened the jar and watched him fly out. He didn't escape right away like you hoped. Instead, he stood outside of his jar to look back at the pixie.
"Let's go." You motioned for him to follow except he didn't move.
"Can you free him too? Please?" The fairy looked back at you with pleading eyes. "The cotton ball is making him weak. Please release him and I'll go with you! Just please, he's my closest friend."
"..."
"I beg of you. I can't live with myself if I leave my brother in a place like this." The fairy was near to tears. He didn't have to say anything more as you rushed to open the jar. The fairy hurried to pull the pixie out, allowing the pixie to sit outside of it. He looked painfully exhausted. Your heart was aching when the fairy gave you a sad look. Your lips parted to speak only for the two to suddenly fly past you.
What?
"Hey! We made a deal!" You turned around, running after them.
They were too fast! Neither of them were looking back or saying a single word to you. They used you to escape! It made you feel like an idiot, but you were stubborn. They weren't going to get away that easy. You got out of the museum and headed straight towards Malakai. The fairy and pixie were small, but you had your eyes locked on them. You refused to lose them as you whipped the reins on Malakai to run after them. They were headed straight towards the forest. Other villagers were baffled with your haste, shaking their heads due to your rushed apologies. The road began to turn to dirt when a raven swooped low near you.
"What's going on?"
"Youngjo! Get those two creatures!" You yelled. His sharp eyes spotted the fairy and pixie immediately.
"Dead or alive?"
"Alive!!" You watched him fly past Malakai's running speed in seconds.
A loud crow left Youngjo as he headed straight to the two creatures. They thought they could get away until they realized a bird was on their tracks. Whatever reason you needed them for, Youngjo was going to make sure he got them for you. His caws were leaving the creatures terrified for their lives as they attempted to lose Youngjo in the forest. However, flying in zigzags wasn't enough to trick the intelligent raven. If anything, the two were only tiring themselves out trying to play this game. Youngjo held up his talons as he flew closer to the two. He was above them when he finally grasped the two in his clutches and brought them to the ground. They struggled in his grip, the both of them panicking as he leaned closer.
"Please don't eat us!" The fairy shouted.
"We're not food. Release us!" The pixie demanded, faking his confidence.
"You think I want to eat you two? Don't gross me out." Youngjo leaned close to crow threateningly.
"Y-You don't want to eat us?" The pixie was trembling now. That caused Youngjo to blink and tilt his head.
"You can understand me?"
"Of course! All fairies and pixies can speak to animals. You didn't know?" The fairy put on a smile. "Let's talk this out, shall we?"
"No."
"And why not?" The fairy huffed, doing his best to push himself out of Youngjo's grip to no avail.
"Because (F/n) gave me the order to stop the both of you." Youngjo saw them furrow their brows. "The human girl you were both flying away from. She is my mate and her wish is my command."
"Your...mate?" The pixie questioned.
"What?" Youngjo looked ready to make the pixie lunch.
"N-Nothing!!"
"Youngjo!" You called out as you got closer.
He was a fast flier, but luckily you managed to keep up. Youngjo was an easier target to keep an eye on. Despite flying off the trail and between the trees, you made it just in time. You could always rely on Youngjo to help you out even if it's last minute. The creatures were frozen to see you arrive on a black horse. From where you sat high up, you intimidated them. It didn't help that Malakai's huff through his nose in the cold air looked like smoke. You hopped onto the ground before slowly making your way to the three of them. Youngjo held onto the two creatures tighter just in case. You crouched down to inspect them as their hearts pounded violently inside their small forms.
"Thank you for stopping them, Youngjo." You pet the raven.
"Anything for you."
"You can understand him?" The fairy's eyes widened. "Who are you?"
"And w-what do you want from us?" The pixie swallowed hard.
"The only reason you're both alive is because of her. Be grateful. Otherwise, I would have ripped you both to shreds."
"Youngjo, stop that." You clicked your tongue. They were paling from his words and they had gone through more than enough. Youngjo only listened because it was you. He leaned away from them, allowing you to view them better. "I'm (F/n). Do you have names?"
"I'm Jimin. Why?" The fairy pursed his lips.
"...Taehyung," The pixie answered.
"You wouldn't ask for our names if you planned to hurt us...unless you're cruel." Jimin was doing his best to figure you out. "You wanted me to come with you earlier...for what?"
"I told you that I don't want to hurt you. Neither of you." You knew that was hard for them to believe when they were trapped. "I'm a sorceress. It's the reason I'm able to talk to Youngjo and it's the reason I want to try breaking the curse on Concordia." Everything coming out of your mouth must have sounded like nonsense to them. By this point, you were getting used to being stared at like you were crazy. "I'm working with an angel and he says I have to work with creatures to further develop my magic."
"An angel said that?" Jimin questioned. He exchanged glances with Taehyung before facing you again. "...and do you really need my help?"
"Desperately."
"I'll only go with you if Taehyung comes. Otherwise, I'd rather die!" Jimin claimed, causing Taehyung to panic.
"D-Don't say that!" Taehyung shook his head profusely. "Go with her and be safe. You'll be protected there, I'm certain."
"I don't care." Jimin narrowed his eyes on you. "I left the faerie realm with Taehyung in order to be his friend, (F/n). I'm not abandoning him where he's prey to animals and judged by cruel humans. You take the both of us or no one." Jimin was sticking his ground. He couldn't care less about the consequences compared to Taehyung who was anxiously staring at you. His expression alone was telling you to spare Jimin. They really didn't have to get so worked up over this.
"I'll take the both of you. It's okay. You'll both be safe where I'm taking you guys," You said as they stared at you in surprise. They almost couldn't believe it.
It's not like Jimin had to fight hard to convince you about this idea. From the beginning, you were open to accepting Taehyung with open arms. It didn't matter to you that he was a pixie. Their reputation wasn't great yet him as an individual so far from what you've seen–he appeared harmless. More than anything, he seemed terrified of the world. One wrong move and he would be trying to hide. Taehyung stammered more often than Jimin and lacked confidence compared to his loud friend.
The fairy did most of the talking on the way to the castle. He may have been half a foot tall, but there was a big personality in him. Jimin was undeniably protective over his friend and was ready to risk his life for him. The strong side of him made him admirable to you. Plus, his outgoing nature made talking easier on the ride to the castle. Jimin was spitting out questions left and right about what was required of him, where you guys were going, and who else was at the castle. You did your best to answer everything, but he would discover it all soon enough.
Taehyung didn't say much the entire ride over even with Jimin doing everything to keep him included. It was interesting having others understand Youngjo in his raven form. It would definitely be helpful having these two in the castle. And when you arrived in front of the tall gates, the small creatures stared in awe. They had never seen anything like it. Their mouths were open as Malakai brought all of you towards the entrance. You got off and got them to follow you inside. The place still needed some tweaking, but it would be their new home. Now they just needed to meet their roommates.
"Right this way." You went towards the dining room. That's where you heard familiar male voices coming from. Pushing open the door, you smiled to see all the guys seated at the table including Jungkook. It looked like the guys were getting more acquainted with the angel. "Hi everyone! I brought two new friends."
"Friends?" Taehyung's brows jumped.
"Hello! My name is Jimin and I'm a fairy!" Jimin flew onto the table, striking a confident pose. He was thriving with the attention on him. Automatically, the others leaned closer to view him.
"He's small!" Seokjin pointed out the obvious. "I'm Seokjin and I'm a merman. (F/n) gave me legs just recently!"
"How'd you manage to catch a fairy?" Hoseok rubbed his chin. He examined Jimin's wings when the small one chuckled.
"Nice glasses."
"Thanks. I made them myself." Hoseok tapped them. "I'm Hoseok and an elf as you can tell."
"What about the other one?" Namjoon couldn't ignore the other small creature that stayed by your side. Taehyung was flying by your shoulder, close to clinging onto you until the spotlight was on him. Hoseok and Seokjin were enthusiastic with the new faces. The only one who didn't look excited was surprisingly not Namjoon, but Jungkook. The serious expression on his face made you feel like you did something wrong. Was bringing a pixie to the castle that bad?
"That's my best friend, Taehyung!" Jimin grinned. He was more than happy to put the spotlight on his friend. It's just that Taehyung hated it. "Come on, Tae! Get over here!"
"I don't...um...hello." Taehyung forced himself to fly to the table to join the others. "Nice to meet you all."
"You look different than your friend." Seokjin was tempted to touch Taehyung's mossy wings.
"Ah, it's because I'm a pixie." Taehyung looked down at his feet.
"That's interesting! We're really collecting quite the group here, huh?" Hoseok chuckled. "Don't hesitate to ask for anything! We're all friendly here even if Namjoon is kinda grumpy and scary."
"He just yells, but it's kinda funny." Seokjin shrugged. He had a large smile on his face despite making Namjoon's eye twitch.
"(F/n) said we'll be safe here! I look forward to working with all of you in breaking this curse. Maybe things will be easier for us small creatures once humans get off this island." Jimin put his hands on his hips. "You should have been there to see how (F/n) rescued us!"
"Oh really?" Seokjin was instantly hooked.
"What happened?" Hoseok's eyes looked huge through his lenses.
Without even trying, Jimin had the two eating out of the palm of his hands. He was quite the storyteller. Taehyung supported his friends, but he chose to do it on the sidelines. He quietly shuffled over to Namjoon who had an intimidating aura, yet Taehyung was certain Namjoon wouldn't overwhelm him with questions like the elf and merman. Jimin was in the middle of dramatic storytelling and questions were being tossed into the mix as well. Youngjo decided to sit on the table to hear it all out. That was when Jungkook got up from his seat to quietly make his way to you.
"Can I speak with you privately?" Jungkook whispered. Nodding, you stepped out of the dining room with Jungkook and walked down the hall until he finally stopped to face you. He looked stressed to your dismay. Jungkook sighed heavily, doing his best to give you a comforting smile like he had always done in the past. "You brought the pixie, (F/n)."
"I know, I know. But Jimin said he wouldn't come unless I brought Taehyung," You stated. This didn't seem to make the angel any happier. "It doesn't look like Taehyung will cause us any problems. I honestly think I can learn from him too!"
"Learn from a pixie?" Jungkook couldn't believe what he was hearing. "(F/n), he's not a light creature. What he can teach you can potentially harm others...learning from him will only ruin your goal. I'm saying this because I worry for you. Humans already don't take kindly to magic or creatures. This is something you should be careful about."
"I...I understand that." You felt bad for worrying Jungkook like this. He's already done so much for you. "I'm doing everything I can to be careful. Really, I am."
"(F/n)."
"I promise that Taehyung isn't a threat! Why would a light creature like Jimin be so passionate about protecting a dark creature like Taehyung? I think we shouldn't be quick to judge Taehyung so harshly for being a pixie. We should give him a chance and maybe we could all be friends–" You felt like you were grasping at straws. Still, you were doing everything you could so Jungkook wouldn't kick Taehyung out of the castle.
"Your heart is so big, (F/n)...I fear for you." Jungkook took a step closer to you. He brought a hand up to your cheek as you looked into his eyes. It felt like he was peering into your soul. "It truly is a miracle no creature of the dark has latched onto you when your soul is untainted. I'd like to keep it that way."
"...I have you. And the others and my magic as well." You assured him. Jungkook nodded slowly before sighing once more.
"If you say so." Jungkook brought his hand down to the necklace he gave you, inspecting the white gem. "A human's soul should remain pure–especially yours if we intend to break this curse successfully."