The Night Flyers *redux* 1/2
Pairing: BangUp
Rated: PG13
Length: 10.6K
The best part of being a Night Flyer was the quiet. You could fly for hours and not have to hear anything but the beat of your own heart and the whoosh of air through the wings of your bird. Yongguk had known from the first time he ever saw the sky streaking with the Flyers that his only purpose in life was to be one. To have ten thousand pounds of pure fury below him as he kept guard over his village was the best thing he would ever do. Night Flyers weren’t just responsible for the air safety of the village, but they were also the first level of defense in case of attack. The king himself depended on the Flyers more than any other level.
“We haven’t been attacked in over two hundred years. I’m sure we could live without your little group of over compensators.” His brother sucked the remaining globs of cake batter off his whisk and rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately we can’t do without the castle’s chef, so if you don’t mind moving off my counter so I can feed the six hundred people that work here?” Junhong shoved him off with no remorse, not caring one iota that Yongguk was having a philosophical moment about his job. “Maybe the reason we haven’t been invaded is that other villages just don’t care?” A final shake of the pan to even out the cake and Junhong shoved it into the oven, turning around to start on his fifth cake of the hour. “We’re not the richest kingdom, we don’t have anything others don’t have. Even our dragons are old and out of shape.”
Yongguk growled at the rudeness to what he considered his baby. His bird may have been easing in on six hundred but Taeil’s was over twelve-hundred years old and was still flying proudly in the skies. They still had plenty of years left before they would need to be retired to the caves at the edge of the forest.
“How is the old princess anyways?” Junhong smiled gently so that Yongguk would know he wasn’t intentionally being rude tonight. “I haven’t seen her in a few months. You need to bring her by one night to say hi.”
Tanit had been Yongguk’s sole dragon since he had turned sixteen and had been old enough to visit the dragon sanctuary for the first time. Only potential Flyers were allowed to visit and most left in tears at not being chosen by a dragon. But the second Yongguk had laid eyes on the green and gold colored beast with the silver eyes he had known she was his. They weren’t allowed to train together until he had completed his schooling and two years of battle training, but visits were encouraged. The bond between the Flyers and their birds had to be strong or flight would be near impossible. Neither would trust the other to take care of each other in the sky if they were strangers.
“She’s still as beautiful as ever.” Yongguk puffed his chest proudly because he knew Tanit was the most spoiled dragon in the sanctuary. “I found out she has a soft spot for rabbits. I damn near gave Kyung a heart attack when I told him to build another rabbit hutch in the stables.”
Junhong snorted imaging the face their old schoolmate made when asked to do extra work. Everyone knew he cried when the animals he had raised by hand since birth were slaughtered for their meat and hides. “I will never understand why a vegetarian is the castle’s top animal keeper.” He shifted his newest cake into the oven and cracked his back before adding the pile of cut vegetables on the counter to the stew brewing over the fire. “So you never told me why you were in the castle. Business or pleasure?”
They both knew Yongguk never came to the castle for pleasure. He said the fifth floor harem was “incestuous and full of diseases not even a physician could name”.
“Business.” He grabbed a carrot out of the stack in Junhong’s hand and chewed on the end. “Taeil said a messenger came for me while I was putting on Tanit’s dressings. Something important if the king’s general wants to see me.”
“Hmm. Well it’s surely nothing bad. You’re like Super Flyer. I have no doubts you’ll lead the entire level by the time you’re thirty.”
That helped push Yongguk’s uneasiness at being called before the general away. He squeezed his brother’s shoulder and headed towards the general’s office.
---
General Zico greeted him warmly when he entered his small weapon-covered office, easing a little bit more of Yongguk’s brick-filled stomach. “Pleasant evening for flying, right? I saw a few out the window earlier getting a head start on the guard duty. Sorry to call you in here when you were about to set off, but I wanted to go ahead and give you your new assignment.”
“Assignment?” Yongguk wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. Assignments were for school children, not Flyers. “I don’t understand, sir.”
“New transfer.” Zico pushed a scrap of paper across the desk to him. “He’s the queen’s nephew so he was pushed ahead of the waiting list. I think he’s scheduled to arrive tomorrow.”
Transfers were rare in the kingdom. So rare that Yongguk didn’t personally know of any in the Flyers level.
“I’m not sure if the sanctuary has room for a new dragon, sir. And I’m worried they may not accept one after being together for hundreds of years.”
Zico waved his worries away. “He doesn’t have a dragon yet. Hell, I don’t even know if the kid will even bond with one. She wants a member of her court in the Flyers though and threw a bloody fit to get him brought over.” His normally friendly brown eyes turned into the lethal ones that Yongguk knew had helped him become general at such a young age. “It’d be a shame if he didn’t bond with a dragon, Yongguk. A damn shame. For everyone involved.”
He gulped, the ink on the paper probably smeared from the sweat appearing in his palm. With a murmured assent he quickly bowed and backed out of the room before anymore life or death assignments were handed to him.
Jongup.
Yongguk read the name on the paper with a snarl on his lips before dropping it to the stones below his feet and ground his heel into it, relishing the way the name disappeared under the mud from his boots. This kid was going to ruin the purity of the Flyers. You didn’t choose to become a Flyer. It chose you.
---
The sun was just appearing over the mountains when he dismounted Tanit with a well-practiced jump, landing in a slight crouch, head bent for the careful flicking he knew he would feel as Tanit used her tongue to check him for injuries. The dragon’s always made sure their riders were safe before leaving them for the sanctuary.
“I’m fine, sweetheart.” He turned his head and gave her a teasing wink, hissing at the steam she snorted through her nostrils. “Go see your mate. Tell him I’m waiting patiently for grandkids.”
The red-hot burn he received on the nape of his neck was probably deserved, but he still hollered in pain when she took off again into the air.
“Wait! I still haven’t taken off your dressings!”
“Excuse me?” A shy voice broke him out of his curses at Tanit’s tail. “Are you Yongguk?”
Yongguk sighed before turning to face what he knew must be the boy he was forced to work with for the sake of peace in his kingdom. The king’s new wife must have been more paranoid over their marriage than was whispered if she was now trying to insert her old court into their lives.
“That’s me.” The boy was older than he thought he’d be, at least eighteen. That was two years older than every other boy in the kingdom was when they were given their future roles. He was dressed like royalty, his tunic and pants cream colored and free from any smudges. Those wouldn’t last five minutes in training. The only reason Yongguk didn’t snap at him was because of the youthful naivety on his face that said he would probably burst into tears if Yongguk raised his voice. “You must be Jongup.”
The boy nodded, golden skin reddening with nervousness. “I apologize for being thrust upon you like this. I know it’s an inconvenience.” His words lifted at the ends the same way the queen’s did before the king forced her to tone her light accent down to fit in with the kingdom better.
His shy demeanor and terrified voice chipped away a little at Yongguk’s brusque edges. He felt the stirrings of pity roll up in his gut at how Jongup must have felt. Being shuffled away to another court as a teenager and forced into a job you might not want was probably frightening the wits out of him.
“It’s no problem.” Yongguk replied gruffly, reaching behind his back to undo the ties of his breastplate. “Can’t be helped. Let me take my armor off and I’ll take you to the sanctuary.”
Jongup nodded and jumped out of his way. “I’ve never even seen a dragon up close. I was a scribe in our kingdom.” If he thought Yongguk was the type who enjoyed making small talk then he was going to be sadly mistaken. “I wrote all of the royal messages since I had the nicest calligraphy. I thought my aunt would send me there when I arrived but she informed me I was to ride a dragon and I don’t think I’ve ever even wanted to ride a dra-“
“Jongup?” Yongguk stopped their trek to the sanctuary and rubbed his thumb into the furrow between his eyes. The court physician should have some freshly ground herbs for head pains. They always kept a supply on hand for the queen’s nightly complaints. He’d go there once he was through with this. “It’s pretty obvious neither of us are happy about this arrangement.” He didn’t catch the hurt look in the smaller boy’s eyes. “But I’m under strict orders to make you a Flyer and I actually enjoy my job. So if we can just quickly get through this so that I can go back to my regular job and cross baby-sitter off my list, I’d be real happy, okay?”
They were both silent as they entered the large sanctuary the dragons lived and stayed in while not in use. The commons area was only half-full since many Flyers were still just arriving back in the kingdom after a night of patrolling.
“Oh!” Jongup breathed out slowly and Yongguk felt a stab of pride for his work. Seeing the dragons this close and in such a large number was a sight not many got to see and it was a shame because they were breathtaking in a way that everyone deserved to see at least once in their lifetimes. Their colors and patterns differed from breed to breed, but most had been handpicked generations ago from the Reaper breed. They were middle-sized and built more for fighting and less for flying. Sometimes Tanit refused to patrol when her heavy body and razor-tipped tail felt too much for her that day.
A lithe red dragon with a fiery tail sang out happily to him when he entered and he waved at Taeil who was trying to sweet-talk it into taking its vitamin pill that was the size of Yongguk’s thigh. Taeil was the only current Flyer on a different breed. Their sole dragon from the flying breed had taken a shine to him and they had bonded together.
“They can talk?” Yongguk didn’t want to admit it, but the pure wonder and awe in the other’s eyes made all the trouble he was causing almost worth it. “And recognize you?”
“Of course. They’ve been around for hundreds of thousands of years. You don’t think that shows intelligence? They don’t speak in the same language we do, but they can still interact easily with humans.” Yongguk pointed up the hill towards a small den enclosed in a handmade cave. “That’s my bird. Name’s Tanit. And that’s her mate. Velos.”
“Y-You name them? And why a bird?”
He headed towards Tanit with a scowl on his lips. “I am very disappointed in you, young lady.” He scolded, shaking his fist towards the pair. “Now I have to carry all of your dressings back to storage.”
The sound Tanit made could only be compared to a chuckle and it made Yongguk more annoyed as he eyed the hundred pound saddle still crossed over her back.
Her eyes dilated with curiosity at the newcomer behind him. They rarely saw anyone besides the Flyers and the day staff so a new face was exciting even for a six hundred year old dragon.
“That’s Jongup.” Yongguk caught her look as he reached up to her chest to start undoing the three dozen latches that kept him attached to her every night. “He just got transferred here to be a Flyer.” He pushed Jongup away and towards the dozen or so lone dragons spread around the commons area. “Go look around. Introduce yourself. See if anyone takes a liking to you.”
Jongup swallowed nervously, obviously scared but wanting to please his new leader.
Tanit raised a scaled antenna at the boy’s retreating back. Her question was obvious.
“He’s the queen’s nephew.” Yongguk informed her. “She’s a little worried about being in a court all alone. Sent for a familiar face I suppose. Now I’m stuck with him until he’s considered a full Flyer.”
After he removed her dressings (with no help from Tanit, Yongguk grumbled to himself), the three of them watched Jongup stumble around the sanctuary and get as close as comfortably possible to all the dragons that didn’t already have a Flyer attached to them.
Yongguk’s sigh was loud enough for even Velos to notice. He leaned back against Tanit’s leg and stretched up to scratch her flank. “General Zico pretty much told me that if he doesn’t bond with a dragon then it’s my head on the line. Which means you better be nicer to me, you evil old bird. Never know when I might stop coming to take care of you every day. No one else would give you an extra rabbit for supper.”
Over his head Tanit and Velos’s eyes caught and they held a silent conversation for a moment. With a pained breath, Velos lumbered to his feet, tail whipping Yongguk’s head as he sauntered by.
“What’s Velos doing?”
He couldn’t believe his eyes when Velos sidled up next to a slumped shouldered Jongup and flicked his tongue against him.
Yongguk quickly called out for Jongup to stand still when he noticed him tensing up with fright. “He’s sniffing you out for bonding!” Yongguk pressed a kiss to Tanit’s lowered muzzle. “You’re a good girl, sweetheart. Tell him thank you for me.”
Jongup was still as a statue when Yongguk got to him, eyes clenched shut and face pale. “Is he going to eat me?” He muttered through white lips.
“He’s chosen you as his Flyer.” Yongguk gave Velos a thankful bow as the ancient beast headed back towards his mate. “You just landed yourself one of the oldest and most experienced dragons in the kingdom. Your training starts this afternoon before my patrol shift. Meet me in the practice yard after you get settled in and rest up some. You’ve got a very long training schedule ahead of you.”
Zico had made it obvious that he wanted Jongup in the air as soon as possible which meant the two year training course had to be condensed into a much shorter time period.
Yongguk collapsed on his bed the second he got to his quarters. He had a very busy, very annoying few months ahead of him.
---
Jongup proved to be an interesting Flyer to say the least. The next several weeks were filled with nonstop training and Jongup had jumped at every challenge Yongguk had thrown at him. He tried his hardest and Yongguk had to give him at least a little bit of credit for that, but he had virtually no warrior skills to speak of and Yongguk was a little bit worried for Velos’s safety if Jongup ever got on him. His sword play was weak and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t quite get how to sheath it while on the wooden practice dragon.
“You have to learn where the holster is without using your eyes!” Yongguk hollered up to him. “Feel it on your waist, it’s in the same position every time.”
Jongup grunted in pain when the wooden sword once again poked him in the ribs. His side was probably peppered with blunt bruises from the hours they’d spent practicing this one move. If Yongguk couldn’t trust him to defend himself while in flight then Jongup being a Flyer served no purpose.
He finally ordered him off, noticing the hiss of air when Jongup landed. “You’re hurting.”
“It’s nothing.” Jongup wasn’t one to complain about his injuries, another side of him that Yongguk respected. “Once I get that move down it will go away.”
“Let me see.” He ignored Jongup’s protests that he was fine and shoved his tunic up his chest. Dozens of thumbprint sized bruises spread down his ribs and formed a dark smear of pain. “I can get you some salve for those. Let me run and see if the physician has any.”
Jongup sat himself gingerly into the seat Yongguk pulled up to him and smiled thankfully upwards. “I know you didn’t want to take me on as an apprentice, Yongguk. I’m sorry my aunt threw me on you. But I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
The wall in his chest was broken down by a few more bricks. Yongguk had spent his entire life with one purpose, to be a Flyer, and he hadn’t had time for any of the other things he deemed unimportant. One of which was companionship. Junhong didn’t quite count, he figured. They had to stick together because they were blood. Taeil wasn’t really someone he would consider himself close to either. They shared a mutual love of the beasts, but always went their separate ways when patrol was over.
But Jongup? Jongup asked him every morning without fail how his day had gone, if he had slept well, how patrol went. He sometimes brought half of his lunch ration with him to share because he had learned the hard way that training on a full stomach wasn’t wise. When they had fought hand to hand combat once and Jongup had actually gotten a hit on him he had grown so apologetic and morose that Yongguk had to tell him to go home for the afternoon and calm down.
“I care about you.” Yongguk finally replied slowly. Those were words he’d never had reason to say before now and they felt odd in his mouth. “I’ll go get the salve. You stay put.”
The physician thankfully had an extra bottle on hand and refused Yongguk’s offer of payment. “I know you’re taking care of the queen’s nephew. I’ll add it to her ledger.”
Jongup was slumped against the side of the seat when Yongguk came back, eyes closed and head already bobbing to the side as his exhaustion tried to pull him under. Yongguk watched him sleep for a moment longer, guilt heavy in his chest at having to wake up someone who looked so peaceful. But he knew the queen was waiting for updates of progress so he reluctantly shook him awake so that he could pull his tunic back up and see the damage.
They were silent as Yongguk brushed slick fingers down his ribs, smoothing across the marred flesh as gently as possible. It was only when he was finished that Jongup let out a deep breath and gave him a genuine smile. “Thank you, Yongguk.”
“I’m starving.” He blurted back in response. “Do you want to go to the kitchen with me and find something to eat?” Why was he saying this, it was practice time! They didn’t have the luxury of fooling around when the queen expected a full-fledged Flyer in barely three months’ time.
Jongup blinked in surprise before nodding. “Okay. Yeah. I’m a little hungry, too.”
They made their way through the castle hallways with ease. Even if Jongup was still getting used to the castle, Yongguk had been at home there for years and could find his way to the kitchen blindfolded.
Junhong was decorating a platter of roasted pig with different vegetables and flowers when they entered. He raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, but Yongguk was thankful that Junhong was discreet enough to ask questions later and not embarrass him.
“You want some bread?” He pointed behind him to a tray holding a large chunk of bread and cheeses. “I didn’t have time for lunch so it’s just going bad sitting there.”
Yongguk and Jongup devoured the tray with relish, their stomachs both feeling unsettled by what happened outside and food filling it up made them both relax.
“Open.” Yongguk ordered, shoving a piece of cheddar into Junhong’s mouth so that his brother wouldn’t go hungry for the sake of the royal supper. “Where’s your helper?”
Junhong rolled his eyes as Yongguk placed another bite of food on his tongue. “He thought he’d help by going out to the woods and picking some roots. You’d think he would be smart enough not to eat them until I told him if they were poisonous. So I’m alone until his stomach stops strangling him and he finishes vomiting it all up. I put in a request for a temporary worker so hopefully in a few days everything will go easier.” He pushed the platter of pig to the opposite end of the wooden counter and pulled another one towards him to decorate. “What are you two taking a break for? I thought you said you didn’t have much time to train him.” At Jongup’s confused glance he leaned around Yongguk and shot him a friendly grin. “Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I’m Yongguk’s brother, Junhong.”
Jongup bowed awkwardly and mumbled hello, looking to Yongguk for guidance.
“We needed to regroup before starting again. Jongup needed a sword timeout. And the sword needed desperately to get a timeout from him.”
Junhong nodded, handing his brother another platter, this one full of bite-sized cakes. “Take a couple for you both and get out. You’re distracting me.” He stopped and watched as Yongguk led Jongup out with a firm grip on the elbow. “Interesting.”
---
This time when Jongup sat on the makeshift dragon and pulled his sword out he looked more confident. A much needed break and a full belly made an obvious difference in his demeanor. “I’m not getting down until I do this right.” Yongguk didn’t have the heart to tell him he had a piece of chocolate on his cheek.
And after eight more tries and eight more bruises Yongguk knew would need to be salved, he finally managed to insert his sword into the holster without using his eyes.
The glee on his face was something Yongguk hadn’t viewed before and it brought a smile to even his own lips. And when Jongup jumped down and flew into his arms with a whoop, well, Yongguk might have hollered for him a couple times, too.
“You might be a Flyer after all.” Yongguk murmured, squeezing his waist one more time.
“You’re a great teacher.” Jongup whispered against the collar of his tunic. The supper bell rang and they pulled apart regretfully. “I need to go change before I enter the dining hall. My aunt is expecting me to sit by her and I can’t come like this.” He pulled the dirty tunic away from his chest with a grimace. “Practice again tomorrow?”
Yongguk nodded, not trusting his voice to reply. He could still smell Jongup on him and the chocolate was now smeared across his own dirty skin and he wasn’t expecting the dry throat the innocent and oblivious boy was giving him.
Pondering the meaning of his sudden surge of emotions would have to wait until after patrol though. He needed to grab something to go from his bunk and then head towards Tanit. Over the years she’d become his personal physician. Most nights they flew in silence with just the sound of wind between them. But when he needed to talk she was always the one he came to.
A laugh filled with fire was his response when he asked her what his new thoughts meant. “That’s not very helpful, Tanit.” He chastised, scratching her teasingly over the eyebrow. “How would you feel if every time you were mad at Velos I just rolled my eyes?”
The reason dragons were so sought after (besides the obvious advantage of flight and fire), was their ability to send images to whoever was touching them. Dragons were known to be killed and cut open by scavengers searching for the cause of their unique gift. Sometimes Tanit sent him ancient memories of the lands, thick forests of trees and frightened eyes of long ago humans. Once she amused Yongguk for an hour with the sight of rolling waves of water that stretched far into the distance as far as she could see. He didn’t think such a place of immense water was possible but she sent him dozens of memories of it and he trusted her more than he trusted anyone.
Jongup suddenly popped into his head. Pictures of him stroking gently down Velos’s muzzle as he rubbed his cheek across the leathery skin.
“When was this?” Yongguk frowned, not knowing Jongup had been visiting with his dragon. “Is he trying to speed up the training by luring Velos out of the sanctuary?”
Tanit shook her head, giving him another knowing glance. This time Jongup was facing her with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. His hands were outstretched with dried meats and fruits that Yongguk recognized as being from the Queen’s former realm. The vibrant colored fruit and spices dotting the meats were ones their kingdom didn’t have and Yongguk wondered where Jongup had gotten them and why he was so willing to give up his bounty to one of the beasts.
“Does he come there often?” A nod from Tanit. “Daily?” Another nod and Yongguk felt even more confused than ever. He knew Jongup had no experience in the field of dragons and felt a spark of pride that his apprentice was going the extra mile and trying to insert himself into his bonded dragon’s daily life. Even if Velos didn’t want the bond to begin with, Yongguk knew that once it was started it went both ways. Your dragon was as attached to you as you were to it and Jongup had to be feeling the pull towards the ancient beast every second they were apart.
“You’re a sap, old bird.” Yongguk smiled as he rubbed the antenna coming off of one of Tanit’s horns. “You take care of him when I’m not around, okay? He’s a good kid.”
---
The new helper in the kitchen was cheery. Way too cheery and upbeat for kitchen work. He should have been in the main hall entertaining the guests and not elbow deep in flour and yeast and working that night’s bread into a manageable heap.
“Do you think we should add more herbs, Junhong?” The soft voice was accented in a way that was familiar to Yongguk.
“You’re from the queen’s kingdom?” He broke in before Junhong could reply.
A pair of bright blinking eyes turned towards him in the doorway. “Hello.” The newcomer didn’t look surprised to see him. “You must be Yongguk. Junhong has told me a lot about you. I’m Jaehyo.”
He looked accusingly at his brother, not appreciating being spoken about when not there to defend himself.
“He asked me about you.” Junhong shrugged as he threw a bag of herbs towards the other boy. “Jongup must have told him we were brothers.”
Jongup ran in behind him, chattering excitedly to Yongguk. “Yongguk! I practiced all morning by myself and I think I have the sword sheathing down and can move on t-“ He caught sight of Jaehyo and froze. “What are you doing here?”
Jaehyo cocked his head to the side in surprised innocence. “I work here now. Cousin.”
“You two are cousins?” Yongguk noticed the waves of uneasiness rolling off of Jongup and tried to subtly move the younger boy behind him. “The queen really wants her kingdom represented doesn’t she…”
A sandwich of day old bread, hard cheese and sliced pork was held out by a still smiling Jaehyo. “I made this for you in case you two needed a snack.”
He reached forward greedily because he was starving and hadn’t had a meal since before patrol the night before, but just as his fingers touched the crust he was pulled back, Jongup’s hand trembling as it gripped him. “We’re fine, Jaehyo. Thank you.”
“What was that about?” Yongguk could almost taste the delicious looking salty pork on his tongue and even his stomach growled in anger. “What is wrong with you, Jongup?”
Jongup was still shaking as they reached the entrance to the castle. It was only when the sun beat down on his clammy face was he able to take a deep breath. “Don’t trust him. Warn Junhong. Jaehyo isn’t as gentle as he seems. Something’s wrong, Yongguk.”
“What are you talking about?” Yongguk finally got ahold of Jongup’s shoulders and held him still, eyes boring in patiently into the others. “Why can’t Jaehyo be trusted?”
“He’s not…” Jongup’s face scrunched up in though. “He’s just not right, Yongguk. When we were younger and lived in the castle together, I had a pet. A puppy named Adineas. She was a sweet puppy and she never even barked. But Jaehyo hated her. I saw him kick her and pick her up by her ears and no one would believe me because he had those giant eyes and looked like an angel, but he’s bad. He’s bad, Yongguk.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s still like that. Kids are bullies.”
“I found Adineas outside my door with her heart cut out.”
Yongguk took a step back in surprise. That went far past being a silly child and into scarier territory. “Why would your aunt bring him to our kingdom then?”
Jongup closed his eyes and shook his head tiredly. “I don’t know. But if any more family from my realm show up then you should worry, Yongguk. Worry and plan.”
---
It took two more weeks for another member of Jongup’s kingdom to appear. This time in the infirmary where the physician’s assistant suddenly grew sick and needed to be replaced. Luckily the queen had only the day before sent for another nephew to come live in the castle. And this nephew happened to have years of study under their own kingdom’s physician.
Jongup watched as Himchan laughed at something Yongguk said to him, hand resting gently in the crook of Yongguk’s arm. His own brow was furrowed and lips were tight. No one else thought it was strange that so many important positions in the castle were starting to be taken over by his family. The queen had seven brothers and sisters so he had numerous cousins that could show up at any time. He’d heard rumors of a new girl in the harem that the king had his eye on. A new girl that suspiciously sounded a lot like another cousin.
Not even Yongguk believed him that something was wrong. His trainer had taken to the newest member of their kingdom like a bee to honey and thought Himchan was “funny and sweet”, a description that Jongup knew personally was only partially true. Himchan was a follower and had been closest to Jaehyo growing up.
“He’s adorable, Jongup. I don’t know why you won’t go see him or take supper at the queen’s table anymore. He said he missed you.” Yongguk helped Jongup saddle up the dummy dragon with an expression that had a slight tint of annoyance. “The queen is only trying to settle in comfortably and having her family around her makes her more at ease. You’re not a child anymore so grow up.”
Jongup had protested until his throat was sore but Yongguk never took his worries seriously. He said that since Jongup was still yet a teen that he just didn’t understand. Immature, he had called him.
The word still bounced around in his brain and infected every piece it touched with anger.
But Jongup could feel it in his gut that black clouds were coming. The sparks of family appearing like lightning in the castle were just the pre-show. Pretty soon there would be thunder and then the real storm would begin.
“You need to prepare the other dragons.” He whispered to Velos and Tanit as he stroked them behind the ears. “No one is listening to me but things aren’t right. The queen is plotting and she wants something from me.”
Velos shared a look with Tanit that went unnoticed by Jongup. He closed his eyes as Tanit showed him the royal wedding that the Flyers were ordered to show up for. The large smile on the queen’s face when she kissed her new husband.
“I know it sounds crazy. I know I’m just a child in everyone’s eyes, but I feel it.” He lowered his head so they couldn’t see the sharp pinpricks of water in the corner of his eyes. “Please just trust me. I don’t want you to be hurt. Any of you.”
Velos flicked his tongue against Jongup’s neck in comfort and assurance that they would do whatever he asked of them. Jongup muffled a sob as he wrapped his arms as far around Velos’s neck as he could reach. The last few months had taught him more than just the basics of patrolling. He had bonded with a thousand year old beast that had probably only been touched by no more than two dozen humans in his lifetime. He had chosen Jongup, he had agreed to start the bonding with him just because his mate cared for Yongguk. Jongup wasn’t stupid, he knew Velos had forced the bonding, but regardless it had happened and he was so concerned for his bird so much that the mere thought of him brought a smile to his face.
“I love you, Velos.” He murmured against his ear. “Take care of Yongguk for me if I’m ever not around, okay?”
Tanit barked out a laugh that she tried to smother. Her muzzle pushed playfully against Jongup as he cuddled against Velos. Her boys were all idiots.
---
General Zico obviously wasn’t happy as he stormed into the sanctuary. His chin was jutted out in anger and he immediately sought out Yongguk and Jongup as they rubbed salve into Tanit’s cracked and bleeding hide. The air had been cooler than normal and the high altitudes of flying made everyone’s skin dry and sore. Yongguk had taken to wearing a cloth wrapped around his face to protect him from the sharp winds of autumn.
“Something the matter, General?” Yongguk lazily wiped his sticky hands on his tunic and left Jongup to finish the grooming.
“The queen seems to be under the impression that you are the reason her nephew hasn’t been dining with her.” Zico curled his lips, feeling it was beneath him to be a messenger when his duties were only supposed to be war and the lack of it. “I’ve been told to issue a mandatory invitation for the both of you for dinner this evening.”
Yongguk raised an eyebrow. “Why would the queen want my company? I’m just a Flyer. Jongup can eat with whomever he pleases. I’ve never forced him to eat outside with me, it’s his choice.”
Zico took a deep breath, his mind still back in his office where he had been planning a new blocking strategy for the castle moat before he was pulled away. “I’m just an errand boy today, Yongguk. I don’t know. I was told to deliver the message personally and I’ve done it. Good day.” He strolled off with his back straight and head held high. Always the soldier.
“Something wrong?” Jongup’s shoulder was pressed against him and Yongguk leaned against him comfortably. Fingers stroked through Yongguk’s black hair, pulling the leather cord away so that it fell out of the ponytail and onto his neck. “He looked angry.”
“We’re supposed to sit at the queen’s table tonight.” Yongguk growled when Jongup’s hand stilled on his head. He didn’t continue until the movement began again. “She seems to believe that I’m the reason you won’t join your family for meals anymore.”
Neither noticed the two dragons carefully moving out of their space until they were left alone in the field with Yongguk’s eyes closed as Jongup massaged his scalp. Jongup had found out quite by accident that it was the one spot on his trainer that made him relax when he had found Tanit scraping her scales against him after a long night of patrol. The completely blissful expression on Yongguk’s tired face had made Jongup want to be the one to put it there next. At first Yongguk had found it odd that Jongup kept finding excuses to stroke through his hair but had eventually given up when he realized how good his touch felt.
“I told you that I don’t trust them.” Jongup chose his words carefully. He knew how close Yongguk and Himchan had grown and he tried not to show how that pained him because it always caused an argument between him and Yongguk. “I choose not to eat in the dining hall for my own reasons.”
Yongguk dropped his head to Jongup’s shoulder as the warm touch moved downwards over his nape. “You worry too much.” He breathed, breath causing goose bumps to appear on Jongup’s skin. “Do you not trust me, too?”
“You’re the only one here that I do trust.” Jongup replied honestly before tugging harshly on the long hair that was falling around his lips. “Sometimes I worry that I think more of your opinion then you think of mine. I listen to you whole-heartedly but you never hear a word I say.”
His words proved true, much to his displeasure, as Yongguk didn’t even notice his statement, too content to close his mind off and just concentrate on his apprentice’s soothing touch and the sweet smell of his flesh.
Jongup knew things were going to come to a head soon and they would both be forced to make difficult choices, but he still worried if he would make the right one or blindly follow Yongguk into whatever decision he made. Because that was the way it looked right now and that frightened him more than his aunt’s plotting could ever do.
---
“Well, well, well.” Jaehyo smirked from behind a mug of wine at the table. “Hello baby cousin. And baby cousin’s master.” He slid down a spot, seating Yongguk between him and Himchan. “Jongup you can sit by our aunt. She’s been wanting to speak to you.”
Jongup gulped at the empty seat beside the queen’s elaborate gold and ruby covered one. He wanted to stay near Yongguk, where he felt safe, but to go against the wishes of the queen would be a fool’s mistake. He reluctantly seated himself and waited for the trumpet to announce the entrance of the royal court. First the crowned prince entered, Daehyun never turned down a reason for all eyes to be on him and took advantage of it by walking cockily towards his seat, crown slipped halfway over his head. Then the queen and king made their way to the table, the queen a few steps behind him as was customary. Her eyes should have been aimed at the ground to show submissiveness but she haughtily looked straight ahead. An omen only Jongup seemed to notice.
“Hello Jongup.” Her sickly attentive voice made Jongup’s skin crawl. He made a promise to himself not to let his guard down no matter how the queen acted towards him. Appearances were deceiving and even a snake could be beautiful. “I was starting to worry you were avoiding me.”
“Of course not, Auntie.” His smile was fake and unfaltering. “I’ve just been so busy with training that it seems easier to take my meals on the run instead of coming to the dining hall.”
The lie slipped easily off his tongue and thankfully she had no reason to think him deceiving so she nodded, content that her favored nephew was telling the truth.
“We’ve been missing you, the cousins and I. We’ve had lots of enjoyable family gatherings and have been hoping you’d show up for them.” The fact that they had been meeting alone sent a chill through Jongup’s body. There was no reason for the queen to meet with anyone if the king wasn’t present. It just wasn’t done that way. “Perhaps you’ll be there tomorrow? We hold them just after sunrise when all the Flyers have retired for the day.”
They were meeting when there was no one up to protect the castle. The day guards were merely for looks, most attacks were known to have happened at night so that’s when they put out their best patrols.
“O-Of course.” He had to know what was happening during these secret meetings. He owed it to his new kingdom (and his family, because Yongguk and their dragons were his true family now), to see this through and find out what was happening. “I will be there after I visit at the sanctuary.”
Her eyes flickered over to him with curiosity. “So you’ve bonded with your dragon a great deal I presume? And he’s trustworthy? He will listen to your commands?”
Help, Yongguk. “Yes.” He swallowed his bread without even tasting it. “Velos is a wonderful beast. We think very highly of each other.”
She smiled as she took ladylike sips of her stew. “That’s very good to hear, Jongup.”
---
Velos could sense his human’s restlessness and it was coming across in the absentmindedly way he rubbed his muzzle. Jongup had been peering off into space for the last half hour, his hand rubbing the same spot the entire time.
He huffed in annoyance, burning the top of Jongup’s knuckles with his breath.
“Ouch! Sorry!” Jongup jerked his hand back in pain, blowing on it to relieve some of the heat. “You could have just moved, Velos!”
His beast’s tongue rolled out to soothe the ache. He didn’t want to hurt him, just meant to get his attention. It had been so long since he’d been bonded with a human he merely forgot how fragile they were sometimes.
“I have to meet with my aunt and cousins in a little while.” Jongup sat down on the grass next to Velos and rested his head on his knees. “They shouldn’t be having meetings like this, Velos. It’s against the queen conduct. She should have her advisors with her at all times.”
Velos had picked up on a disturbance in the peaceful kingdom and was now worried that his human was correct to be frightened. If a war started then he would be expected to take the queen’s side, which meant Velos would be on the opposite side of his mate. That would not do.
“Yongguk will think I’m a part of the coup. He’ll think I was in on it the whole time even though I warned him repeatedly that something was brewing.” Jongup was near tears and Velos wished his mate was there for comfort.
“Jongup?” Yongguk led Tanit up the hill moments later as Jongup scrubbed the tears off his ruddy cheeks. “It’s a little early for you to be here.”
He jumped to his feet and blinked the wetness away so that he looked once again like the nonchalant apprentice Yongguk had come to expect. “I wanted to visit with Velos before I had the family meeting. Excuse me.” He patted Tanit as he walked past her, but wasted no more time in conversation with Yongguk.
“He was in a hurry.” Yongguk gave Velos an annoyingly bewildered expression and the ancient dragon would have rolled his eyes if Tanit hadn’t saw it coming and hissed at him.
Idiots. All humans were idiots.
---
“How is training coming?” Himchan pulled Jongup down beside him on the plush velvet couch and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. A year ago this movement would have been welcomed, reciprocated even because Himchan was the only cousin he had that was only frightening when in a group, but now Jongup felt uneasy with everyone’s eyes on him awaiting his answer.
“It’s going wonderfully. Yongguk is an excellent teacher and he hopes to have me doing practice rides with Velos in a week or two.”
His aunt clicked her tongue and shook her head. “That’s too much time, sweetheart. Jaehyo’s watched your practices and says you’re just as good as the rest of the Flyers. You should ask Yongguk to let you start riding immediately.”
He didn’t know why he needed to push Yongguk’s rigid training schedule but he knew better than to argue with the queen. And there was no reason for Jaehyo to be checking up on them.
“You seem very fond of your trainer.” Himchan smiled knowingly down at him. “Does our little cousin have a crush?”
Jaehyo scoffed and kicked at Himchan’s boots. “I think the only person with a crush around here is you. Oh Yongguk, you’re such a great Flyer! You’re so funny! Tell me another joke, Yongguk!” He raised his voice in imitation of Himchan before screeching at the thump on his kneecap.
“Stop it boys.” Their aunt halted the spat in its tracks. “We will let Jongup have the Flyer.”
“Oh no, that’s not necessary, I don’t think h-“
She rung the bell next to her chair, ignoring Jongup’s stammers. “We’re ready for our coffee.” The servant bowed at the order. After waiting for him to leave she turned back to Jongup and put the caring smile he knew was faked back on her lips. “It’s good that you are so close to your Flyer. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other when I’ve observed the practices.” Jongup didn’t even know she had been near any of them so she must have been watching secretly. Another reason not to trust anything she said. “He is quite fond of you, too. It would serve you well to keep it that way.”
In what way would it serve him well, Jongup wondered. What happened between him and Yongguk was no one’s business but their own and it made him feel like he was covered in dirt to know someone had been sneaking peeks at their private practices.
“Yes ma’am.”
---
Yongguk wasn’t sure that Jongup was ready to attempt flying with Velos yet, but he trusted the younger not to push himself to do things he didn’t think he could do. It took a long time for Jongup to stop going overboard with the training and trust Yongguk to only give him what he was capable of at the moment. So when Jongup came to him after their regular practice time and asked to start flying lessons, Yongguk gave in easier than he wanted to admit.
“Remember, Velos already knows how to fly. You don’t have to try hard to steer him or lead him away from danger. He’s been flying for a long time now and does that himself. You just worry the most about staying upright on his back and not falling off.” Yongguk watched Jongup mount the giant dragon with worry. He knew Velos would take care of Jongup but it still made him so nervous that he could feel the hives breaking out across his skin.
The second Velos lifted off the ground, spider webbed wings spreading out and beating as he gained air, Yongguk finally cracked.
“Ok, that’s enough! Bring him down.”
Jongup waited for Velos to land before he jumped to the ground in confusion. “Was I doing it wrong?”
“Yes.” It was a complete lie but Jongup never needed to know that. “Maybe you should ride patrol with me on Tanit before you attempt Velos on your own.”
Tanit scratched her tail across Yongguk’s arm to let him know she knew he was bullshitting every word out of his mouth.
“Okay.” Jongup agreed easily and patted Velos on the muzzle as he left him to walk towards Yongguk and Tanit. He used Yongguk’s hand to pull himself up behind him in the saddle, arms resting easily around Yongguk’s clenched stomach. “Like this?”
Yongguk licked his dry lips and nodded. “Y-Yeah.” He used the reins to pull back on Tanit and let her know she could lift off. “Hold on tight. Tanit is a fast riser.”
Jongup scooted impossibly closer to his back, so close that Yongguk could feel the heat from his breath hitting the nape of his neck and he mentally thanked himself for pulling his hair off his neck into a ponytail.
This was the first time Jongup had ever been in the air and he let out an excited gasp of joy when they reached their altitude and Tanit’s body leveled out. The sky was clear and the moon was full giving them a bird’s eye view to the millions of stars dotting across the night sky. Jongup leaned his head back and closed his eyes just to feel the rush of wind across his face and hair.
“This is amazing.”
Yongguk knew the exact feeling the other had, he still got it every time he flew. The exaltation flying gave you was second to none and he pushed Tanit even harder so that Jongup got the full effect of having a younger (in some sense of the word) dragon under him.
“I can’t wait to do this every night.”
“Every dragon is different though, don’t forget. Velos might be a slower riser but he soars easier than Tanit so you might not go as fast but the ride will be a little smoother.”
Jongup laughed excitedly, his grip around Yongguk getting tighter in his glee. “I don’t care. This is the greatest thing I’ve ever done!”
They patrolled for hours together with few words passing between them. The need to speak didn’t seem to matter when you were this close. Jongup felt like he was joined soul to soul with the older man and he could feel what he felt and thought what he thought.
It was when Yongguk landed them back at the storage stable that the effects of their night finally hit the two. They were both noticeably uncomfortable as they removed Tanit’s dressings. She watched the two dance around each other with what could only be a smirk on her face.
“Go on, sweetheart. We’ll be in there after we put the saddle up.” Yongguk watched her fly off with an indulgent smile. “You did great up there, Jongup. Maybe you really are ready to go up on your own.”
The guilt ate away at Jongup’s stomach. He knew Yongguk was right that he could do it on his own but it still made his chest ache knowing he only asked to move the schedule up because his aunt asked him to. And if he told Yongguk that the other wouldn’t think anything of it even though Jongup knew for a fact it was a very big deal.
“Yeah.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes, but Yongguk was too busy taking care of Tanit’s saddle to notice. “Great.”
---
Himchan had been following them through the castle for days. Every time Jongup turned around his older cousin was there with a shy grin and a wild wave that Yongguk seemed to eat up with a spoon.
Jongup hated him more than he had ever hated Jaehyo.
“What are the chances of you taking me up into the skies with you one day?” His fingers lingered a little bit too long on Yongguk’s arm and his body was a little bit too forceful in pushing Jongup behind them. “I heard my baby cousin gets a ride every night.”
If Yongguk was bothered by the obvious sexual tone in his voice he didn’t let it show, if anything it just made the happy expression on his face brighten a little.
“I’m not allowed to take anyone on my bird besides fellow Flyers or trainees.” He shrugged apologetically. “Jongup could start flying Velos but he wants to get used to Tanit before moving to a solo flight.”
A sigh escaped Himchan’s lips and he had the shamelessness to even pout a little up at Yongguk. “You can’t bend the rules? Not even for me?”
Yongguk laughed as he wrapped an arm around Himchan’s shoulders, the both of them completely ignoring Jongup fuming behind them. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t in good manners, but he had half a mind to shove Himchan into the granite floor and inform him that the queen said that Yongguk was his.
“Well if you ever get bored of dragging the kid around and are looking for some adult company,” Himchan winked playfully, “Then just give me a yell. I’m always around.”
Once Himchan had turned the corner of the hall, Yongguk chuckled under his breath, resuming his path to the kitchen. “Your cousin is a piece of work. He’s not subtle in the slightest.”
“You mean you could see what he was doing?” Jongup tried not get his hopes up that Yongguk was seeing right through his cousin, but he couldn’t stop the little flip-flop his heart made.
Yongguk nodded, pulling Jongup towards him as a servant nearly collided into them in his haste to get a pot of hot water into the queen’s coffee mug. “Jaehyo told me Himchan had been trying to sweet talk me, but it wasn’t hard to notice.” His arm stayed snug around Jongup’s slim waist even when they were alone again so Jongup made no move to shrug it off. “I’m not as slow as everyone seems to think I am.” He grinned down at Jongup, lips barely inches away from his forehead. “You really don’t like your cousins being here, do you? You can practically see the steam coming out of your ears when they’re around.”
He didn’t think Yongguk had even noticed his anger and had a twinge of smugness that he had seen what Himchan was up to and wasn’t swayed by his seductive voice and innocent face.
“I told you I didn’t trust them.” He didn’t want to start another argument between them. Not when Yongguk was attached to his side and his fingers were absentmindedly stroking across Jongup’s hip. Nor when Yongguk’s cheek was pressed against Jongup and his long black hair was tickling his nose. Jongup needed to change the subject before Yongguk grew frustrated with him again and moved away. “Does Junhong know we’re coming? He might be busy.”
“He always saves me something to eat. If I don’t come in to get it then he has a servant bring it out to my bunk for when I get off patrol.” Yongguk’s lips curled up in Jongup’s hair. “You don’t have to worry all the time, Jongup.” His arm slipped back to his side when they got closer to the kitchen. “Relax and let me take care of everything.”
The worry had been eating at him for days. Every morning when he came back from patrolling with Yongguk and Tanit he was so frightened to go to sleep that he barely got any rest, coming to practice later with dark under his bleary eyes. Yongguk had fussed over him for half the night during their previous patrol and forced him to ride in the front in case he fell asleep. Sure enough, he’d fallen into a deep sleep halfway through patrol and only Yongguk’s tight hold had kept him from plummeting hundreds of feet back to the ground below.
Junhong was laughing over something with Jaehyo when they entered the kitchen and Jongup instinctually put himself behind his trainer. No matter the amount of time his cousins were a fixture in the hospital he would never feel safe in a room with one of them. Having a barrier was the only way he could handle Jaehyo’s sly eyes and mischievous smirk.
His fingertips were gripped tightly by Yongguk’s, as if he knew Jongup was needing comfort. That was one of the main traits he liked about Yongguk the most: that he knew when to stay silent and just offer Jongup the stability of his presence.
“Come on.” Yongguk placed his wrapped supper inside the pouch over his tunic and laced his fingers with Jongup’s as they left the kitchen. Jaehyo hadn’t spoken to either of them but Jongup could feel his eyes boring into his back as he gratefully followed Yongguk outside. “You want to eat in the castle or outside?”
“Outside.” Jongup was grateful to get back into the darkening air. Being in the castle made him feel stifled and he knew Yongguk understood his need to be outside. A year ago he would never have believed that he would be such a big fan of the outdoors, but since he became a Flyer trainee he ate up every second he breathed in the fresh air.
“You’re starting to get more obvious with your dislike of them.” Yongguk calmly sat on the ground and opened the paper on their meal. “You want to talk about it?”
He shook his head, eyes trained on the setting sun over the mountains in the distance. Talking never got him anywhere. Every time he tried to share his concerns with Yongguk he was just brushed off as over-worrying.
“You can tell me, you know.” A chunk of bread was pushed into his hands as Yongguk scooted to his side. “I may not understand why you’re so upset over it but I’ll always be here to listen.”
But he wasn’t, he hadn’t been, and he couldn’t be trusted with Jongup’s real worries. Jongup’s eyes opened wide in shock as the realization suddenly popped into his head. Yongguk was close to Himchan and because of that Jongup knew that he couldn’t talk about what was so wrong with his family.
“I’m not hungry.”
The bread was held back out towards Yongguk who took it after a moment of hesitation. “Jongup…”
“I’m going to go visit Velos before patrol. I think I’ll take him out tonight instead of riding with you and Tanit.”
“But we-“
He smiled at Yongguk but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get it to reach his eyes. “Let me know when you’re ready to go.”
Velos and Tanit were the only trustworthy beings in the kingdom as far as Jongup was concerned. Everyone else could be tainted by his family. Even Yongguk.
Especially Yongguk.
Jongup stopped halfway to the sanctuary and held a hand over his chest, willing his heart to slow down so he could calm his breathing.
Anyone but Yongguk, he pleaded to the heavens.
---
The news that the king was sick came as a surprise to everyone but Jongup. He had figured his aunt would start to set whatever her plan was into motion sooner rather than later. She had never been a patient person and the frequent family meetings she had planned only made him more suspicious. Maybe he should have been going to them to keep abreast of the situation but to be honest he was scared of what he’d find out. If he was wrong then it meant Himchan actually liked Yongguk and he knew there was no competing with his more graceful and sweet looking cousin. It also made him look stupid for worrying for nothing.
But if he was right (and he knew without a doubt that he was), then he could be implicated in their plan and he’d never be trusted in the kingdom again.
“The king’s been put on bed rest.” Yongguk’s brows furrowed as he thought the situation over in his mind. “He’s been vomiting blood for the last two days.”
Poison, Jongup confirmed in his head. Their kingdom back home was well-known for their physician’s great strides in that field of work. They’d managed to poison away four types of beetles that attacked their crops and had caused two years’ worth of famine. “And the queen?”
“She’s taken over until he recovers.”
Jongup nodded, pretending to be absorbed with strapping the saddle onto Velos. He didn’t want to appear too interested in Yongguk’s news because it would only backfire and Yongguk would tell him once again that he was overreacting.
It took her four days to put a stop to the nightly patrols. In her defense that was three days more than Jongup thought it would take.
“We can’t defend the castle if we don’t have eyes out at night!” Yongguk was in a panic, the grass under his feet already showing a line of pacing. “The day guards have their scopes and can see all around the kingdom for miles, but without the Flyers we have no protection in case of a night attack!”
General Zico was watching him calmly, but Jongup had seen him enough to know that the thin lines around his mouth showed his repressed anger. The calmer Zico grew the more rage he was holding back.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, Yongguk. The queen is the king’s proxy and as such has the power to do pretty much whatever she feels like. She says that the king was paying you Flyers more than was deserved and that nightly ground patrol can do the same job for less gold.”
Yongguk turned towards Jongup and advanced with a snarl. “You… You don’t seem surprised at all.” Jongup found himself shoved hard against a tree, the bark digging into his thin tunic and leaving blood trails. “You knew she was planning something. You knew this was coming! All this time you were pretending to be worried just to throw us off!”
He tried to breathe, but Yongguk’s fists were tight against his throat and all he could do was gasp until Zico pried the trainer off of him.
“Arrest him for treason!” The accusation hit him harder than Yongguk’s grip on his throat had and Jongup slid to the ground, the welts on his back not even registering in his brain.
“I told you.” He rasped, blinking back angry tears. “I’ve been telling you for weeks, months! I tried to warn you, Yongguk.”
The betrayal in Yongguk’s eyes and the disgust on his face was all the signs he needed to know his trainer, his friend, would never believe him. And when Yongguk and Zico left him alone, battered and broken-hearted, he wasn’t surprised.
Part Two
Rated: PG13
Length: 10.6K
The best part of being a Night Flyer was the quiet. You could fly for hours and not have to hear anything but the beat of your own heart and the whoosh of air through the wings of your bird. Yongguk had known from the first time he ever saw the sky streaking with the Flyers that his only purpose in life was to be one. To have ten thousand pounds of pure fury below him as he kept guard over his village was the best thing he would ever do. Night Flyers weren’t just responsible for the air safety of the village, but they were also the first level of defense in case of attack. The king himself depended on the Flyers more than any other level.
“We haven’t been attacked in over two hundred years. I’m sure we could live without your little group of over compensators.” His brother sucked the remaining globs of cake batter off his whisk and rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately we can’t do without the castle’s chef, so if you don’t mind moving off my counter so I can feed the six hundred people that work here?” Junhong shoved him off with no remorse, not caring one iota that Yongguk was having a philosophical moment about his job. “Maybe the reason we haven’t been invaded is that other villages just don’t care?” A final shake of the pan to even out the cake and Junhong shoved it into the oven, turning around to start on his fifth cake of the hour. “We’re not the richest kingdom, we don’t have anything others don’t have. Even our dragons are old and out of shape.”
Yongguk growled at the rudeness to what he considered his baby. His bird may have been easing in on six hundred but Taeil’s was over twelve-hundred years old and was still flying proudly in the skies. They still had plenty of years left before they would need to be retired to the caves at the edge of the forest.
“How is the old princess anyways?” Junhong smiled gently so that Yongguk would know he wasn’t intentionally being rude tonight. “I haven’t seen her in a few months. You need to bring her by one night to say hi.”
Tanit had been Yongguk’s sole dragon since he had turned sixteen and had been old enough to visit the dragon sanctuary for the first time. Only potential Flyers were allowed to visit and most left in tears at not being chosen by a dragon. But the second Yongguk had laid eyes on the green and gold colored beast with the silver eyes he had known she was his. They weren’t allowed to train together until he had completed his schooling and two years of battle training, but visits were encouraged. The bond between the Flyers and their birds had to be strong or flight would be near impossible. Neither would trust the other to take care of each other in the sky if they were strangers.
“She’s still as beautiful as ever.” Yongguk puffed his chest proudly because he knew Tanit was the most spoiled dragon in the sanctuary. “I found out she has a soft spot for rabbits. I damn near gave Kyung a heart attack when I told him to build another rabbit hutch in the stables.”
Junhong snorted imaging the face their old schoolmate made when asked to do extra work. Everyone knew he cried when the animals he had raised by hand since birth were slaughtered for their meat and hides. “I will never understand why a vegetarian is the castle’s top animal keeper.” He shifted his newest cake into the oven and cracked his back before adding the pile of cut vegetables on the counter to the stew brewing over the fire. “So you never told me why you were in the castle. Business or pleasure?”
They both knew Yongguk never came to the castle for pleasure. He said the fifth floor harem was “incestuous and full of diseases not even a physician could name”.
“Business.” He grabbed a carrot out of the stack in Junhong’s hand and chewed on the end. “Taeil said a messenger came for me while I was putting on Tanit’s dressings. Something important if the king’s general wants to see me.”
“Hmm. Well it’s surely nothing bad. You’re like Super Flyer. I have no doubts you’ll lead the entire level by the time you’re thirty.”
That helped push Yongguk’s uneasiness at being called before the general away. He squeezed his brother’s shoulder and headed towards the general’s office.
---
General Zico greeted him warmly when he entered his small weapon-covered office, easing a little bit more of Yongguk’s brick-filled stomach. “Pleasant evening for flying, right? I saw a few out the window earlier getting a head start on the guard duty. Sorry to call you in here when you were about to set off, but I wanted to go ahead and give you your new assignment.”
“Assignment?” Yongguk wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. Assignments were for school children, not Flyers. “I don’t understand, sir.”
“New transfer.” Zico pushed a scrap of paper across the desk to him. “He’s the queen’s nephew so he was pushed ahead of the waiting list. I think he’s scheduled to arrive tomorrow.”
Transfers were rare in the kingdom. So rare that Yongguk didn’t personally know of any in the Flyers level.
“I’m not sure if the sanctuary has room for a new dragon, sir. And I’m worried they may not accept one after being together for hundreds of years.”
Zico waved his worries away. “He doesn’t have a dragon yet. Hell, I don’t even know if the kid will even bond with one. She wants a member of her court in the Flyers though and threw a bloody fit to get him brought over.” His normally friendly brown eyes turned into the lethal ones that Yongguk knew had helped him become general at such a young age. “It’d be a shame if he didn’t bond with a dragon, Yongguk. A damn shame. For everyone involved.”
He gulped, the ink on the paper probably smeared from the sweat appearing in his palm. With a murmured assent he quickly bowed and backed out of the room before anymore life or death assignments were handed to him.
Jongup.
Yongguk read the name on the paper with a snarl on his lips before dropping it to the stones below his feet and ground his heel into it, relishing the way the name disappeared under the mud from his boots. This kid was going to ruin the purity of the Flyers. You didn’t choose to become a Flyer. It chose you.
---
The sun was just appearing over the mountains when he dismounted Tanit with a well-practiced jump, landing in a slight crouch, head bent for the careful flicking he knew he would feel as Tanit used her tongue to check him for injuries. The dragon’s always made sure their riders were safe before leaving them for the sanctuary.
“I’m fine, sweetheart.” He turned his head and gave her a teasing wink, hissing at the steam she snorted through her nostrils. “Go see your mate. Tell him I’m waiting patiently for grandkids.”
The red-hot burn he received on the nape of his neck was probably deserved, but he still hollered in pain when she took off again into the air.
“Wait! I still haven’t taken off your dressings!”
“Excuse me?” A shy voice broke him out of his curses at Tanit’s tail. “Are you Yongguk?”
Yongguk sighed before turning to face what he knew must be the boy he was forced to work with for the sake of peace in his kingdom. The king’s new wife must have been more paranoid over their marriage than was whispered if she was now trying to insert her old court into their lives.
“That’s me.” The boy was older than he thought he’d be, at least eighteen. That was two years older than every other boy in the kingdom was when they were given their future roles. He was dressed like royalty, his tunic and pants cream colored and free from any smudges. Those wouldn’t last five minutes in training. The only reason Yongguk didn’t snap at him was because of the youthful naivety on his face that said he would probably burst into tears if Yongguk raised his voice. “You must be Jongup.”
The boy nodded, golden skin reddening with nervousness. “I apologize for being thrust upon you like this. I know it’s an inconvenience.” His words lifted at the ends the same way the queen’s did before the king forced her to tone her light accent down to fit in with the kingdom better.
His shy demeanor and terrified voice chipped away a little at Yongguk’s brusque edges. He felt the stirrings of pity roll up in his gut at how Jongup must have felt. Being shuffled away to another court as a teenager and forced into a job you might not want was probably frightening the wits out of him.
“It’s no problem.” Yongguk replied gruffly, reaching behind his back to undo the ties of his breastplate. “Can’t be helped. Let me take my armor off and I’ll take you to the sanctuary.”
Jongup nodded and jumped out of his way. “I’ve never even seen a dragon up close. I was a scribe in our kingdom.” If he thought Yongguk was the type who enjoyed making small talk then he was going to be sadly mistaken. “I wrote all of the royal messages since I had the nicest calligraphy. I thought my aunt would send me there when I arrived but she informed me I was to ride a dragon and I don’t think I’ve ever even wanted to ride a dra-“
“Jongup?” Yongguk stopped their trek to the sanctuary and rubbed his thumb into the furrow between his eyes. The court physician should have some freshly ground herbs for head pains. They always kept a supply on hand for the queen’s nightly complaints. He’d go there once he was through with this. “It’s pretty obvious neither of us are happy about this arrangement.” He didn’t catch the hurt look in the smaller boy’s eyes. “But I’m under strict orders to make you a Flyer and I actually enjoy my job. So if we can just quickly get through this so that I can go back to my regular job and cross baby-sitter off my list, I’d be real happy, okay?”
They were both silent as they entered the large sanctuary the dragons lived and stayed in while not in use. The commons area was only half-full since many Flyers were still just arriving back in the kingdom after a night of patrolling.
“Oh!” Jongup breathed out slowly and Yongguk felt a stab of pride for his work. Seeing the dragons this close and in such a large number was a sight not many got to see and it was a shame because they were breathtaking in a way that everyone deserved to see at least once in their lifetimes. Their colors and patterns differed from breed to breed, but most had been handpicked generations ago from the Reaper breed. They were middle-sized and built more for fighting and less for flying. Sometimes Tanit refused to patrol when her heavy body and razor-tipped tail felt too much for her that day.
A lithe red dragon with a fiery tail sang out happily to him when he entered and he waved at Taeil who was trying to sweet-talk it into taking its vitamin pill that was the size of Yongguk’s thigh. Taeil was the only current Flyer on a different breed. Their sole dragon from the flying breed had taken a shine to him and they had bonded together.
“They can talk?” Yongguk didn’t want to admit it, but the pure wonder and awe in the other’s eyes made all the trouble he was causing almost worth it. “And recognize you?”
“Of course. They’ve been around for hundreds of thousands of years. You don’t think that shows intelligence? They don’t speak in the same language we do, but they can still interact easily with humans.” Yongguk pointed up the hill towards a small den enclosed in a handmade cave. “That’s my bird. Name’s Tanit. And that’s her mate. Velos.”
“Y-You name them? And why a bird?”
He headed towards Tanit with a scowl on his lips. “I am very disappointed in you, young lady.” He scolded, shaking his fist towards the pair. “Now I have to carry all of your dressings back to storage.”
The sound Tanit made could only be compared to a chuckle and it made Yongguk more annoyed as he eyed the hundred pound saddle still crossed over her back.
Her eyes dilated with curiosity at the newcomer behind him. They rarely saw anyone besides the Flyers and the day staff so a new face was exciting even for a six hundred year old dragon.
“That’s Jongup.” Yongguk caught her look as he reached up to her chest to start undoing the three dozen latches that kept him attached to her every night. “He just got transferred here to be a Flyer.” He pushed Jongup away and towards the dozen or so lone dragons spread around the commons area. “Go look around. Introduce yourself. See if anyone takes a liking to you.”
Jongup swallowed nervously, obviously scared but wanting to please his new leader.
Tanit raised a scaled antenna at the boy’s retreating back. Her question was obvious.
“He’s the queen’s nephew.” Yongguk informed her. “She’s a little worried about being in a court all alone. Sent for a familiar face I suppose. Now I’m stuck with him until he’s considered a full Flyer.”
After he removed her dressings (with no help from Tanit, Yongguk grumbled to himself), the three of them watched Jongup stumble around the sanctuary and get as close as comfortably possible to all the dragons that didn’t already have a Flyer attached to them.
Yongguk’s sigh was loud enough for even Velos to notice. He leaned back against Tanit’s leg and stretched up to scratch her flank. “General Zico pretty much told me that if he doesn’t bond with a dragon then it’s my head on the line. Which means you better be nicer to me, you evil old bird. Never know when I might stop coming to take care of you every day. No one else would give you an extra rabbit for supper.”
Over his head Tanit and Velos’s eyes caught and they held a silent conversation for a moment. With a pained breath, Velos lumbered to his feet, tail whipping Yongguk’s head as he sauntered by.
“What’s Velos doing?”
He couldn’t believe his eyes when Velos sidled up next to a slumped shouldered Jongup and flicked his tongue against him.
Yongguk quickly called out for Jongup to stand still when he noticed him tensing up with fright. “He’s sniffing you out for bonding!” Yongguk pressed a kiss to Tanit’s lowered muzzle. “You’re a good girl, sweetheart. Tell him thank you for me.”
Jongup was still as a statue when Yongguk got to him, eyes clenched shut and face pale. “Is he going to eat me?” He muttered through white lips.
“He’s chosen you as his Flyer.” Yongguk gave Velos a thankful bow as the ancient beast headed back towards his mate. “You just landed yourself one of the oldest and most experienced dragons in the kingdom. Your training starts this afternoon before my patrol shift. Meet me in the practice yard after you get settled in and rest up some. You’ve got a very long training schedule ahead of you.”
Zico had made it obvious that he wanted Jongup in the air as soon as possible which meant the two year training course had to be condensed into a much shorter time period.
Yongguk collapsed on his bed the second he got to his quarters. He had a very busy, very annoying few months ahead of him.
---
Jongup proved to be an interesting Flyer to say the least. The next several weeks were filled with nonstop training and Jongup had jumped at every challenge Yongguk had thrown at him. He tried his hardest and Yongguk had to give him at least a little bit of credit for that, but he had virtually no warrior skills to speak of and Yongguk was a little bit worried for Velos’s safety if Jongup ever got on him. His sword play was weak and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t quite get how to sheath it while on the wooden practice dragon.
“You have to learn where the holster is without using your eyes!” Yongguk hollered up to him. “Feel it on your waist, it’s in the same position every time.”
Jongup grunted in pain when the wooden sword once again poked him in the ribs. His side was probably peppered with blunt bruises from the hours they’d spent practicing this one move. If Yongguk couldn’t trust him to defend himself while in flight then Jongup being a Flyer served no purpose.
He finally ordered him off, noticing the hiss of air when Jongup landed. “You’re hurting.”
“It’s nothing.” Jongup wasn’t one to complain about his injuries, another side of him that Yongguk respected. “Once I get that move down it will go away.”
“Let me see.” He ignored Jongup’s protests that he was fine and shoved his tunic up his chest. Dozens of thumbprint sized bruises spread down his ribs and formed a dark smear of pain. “I can get you some salve for those. Let me run and see if the physician has any.”
Jongup sat himself gingerly into the seat Yongguk pulled up to him and smiled thankfully upwards. “I know you didn’t want to take me on as an apprentice, Yongguk. I’m sorry my aunt threw me on you. But I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
The wall in his chest was broken down by a few more bricks. Yongguk had spent his entire life with one purpose, to be a Flyer, and he hadn’t had time for any of the other things he deemed unimportant. One of which was companionship. Junhong didn’t quite count, he figured. They had to stick together because they were blood. Taeil wasn’t really someone he would consider himself close to either. They shared a mutual love of the beasts, but always went their separate ways when patrol was over.
But Jongup? Jongup asked him every morning without fail how his day had gone, if he had slept well, how patrol went. He sometimes brought half of his lunch ration with him to share because he had learned the hard way that training on a full stomach wasn’t wise. When they had fought hand to hand combat once and Jongup had actually gotten a hit on him he had grown so apologetic and morose that Yongguk had to tell him to go home for the afternoon and calm down.
“I care about you.” Yongguk finally replied slowly. Those were words he’d never had reason to say before now and they felt odd in his mouth. “I’ll go get the salve. You stay put.”
The physician thankfully had an extra bottle on hand and refused Yongguk’s offer of payment. “I know you’re taking care of the queen’s nephew. I’ll add it to her ledger.”
Jongup was slumped against the side of the seat when Yongguk came back, eyes closed and head already bobbing to the side as his exhaustion tried to pull him under. Yongguk watched him sleep for a moment longer, guilt heavy in his chest at having to wake up someone who looked so peaceful. But he knew the queen was waiting for updates of progress so he reluctantly shook him awake so that he could pull his tunic back up and see the damage.
They were silent as Yongguk brushed slick fingers down his ribs, smoothing across the marred flesh as gently as possible. It was only when he was finished that Jongup let out a deep breath and gave him a genuine smile. “Thank you, Yongguk.”
“I’m starving.” He blurted back in response. “Do you want to go to the kitchen with me and find something to eat?” Why was he saying this, it was practice time! They didn’t have the luxury of fooling around when the queen expected a full-fledged Flyer in barely three months’ time.
Jongup blinked in surprise before nodding. “Okay. Yeah. I’m a little hungry, too.”
They made their way through the castle hallways with ease. Even if Jongup was still getting used to the castle, Yongguk had been at home there for years and could find his way to the kitchen blindfolded.
Junhong was decorating a platter of roasted pig with different vegetables and flowers when they entered. He raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, but Yongguk was thankful that Junhong was discreet enough to ask questions later and not embarrass him.
“You want some bread?” He pointed behind him to a tray holding a large chunk of bread and cheeses. “I didn’t have time for lunch so it’s just going bad sitting there.”
Yongguk and Jongup devoured the tray with relish, their stomachs both feeling unsettled by what happened outside and food filling it up made them both relax.
“Open.” Yongguk ordered, shoving a piece of cheddar into Junhong’s mouth so that his brother wouldn’t go hungry for the sake of the royal supper. “Where’s your helper?”
Junhong rolled his eyes as Yongguk placed another bite of food on his tongue. “He thought he’d help by going out to the woods and picking some roots. You’d think he would be smart enough not to eat them until I told him if they were poisonous. So I’m alone until his stomach stops strangling him and he finishes vomiting it all up. I put in a request for a temporary worker so hopefully in a few days everything will go easier.” He pushed the platter of pig to the opposite end of the wooden counter and pulled another one towards him to decorate. “What are you two taking a break for? I thought you said you didn’t have much time to train him.” At Jongup’s confused glance he leaned around Yongguk and shot him a friendly grin. “Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I’m Yongguk’s brother, Junhong.”
Jongup bowed awkwardly and mumbled hello, looking to Yongguk for guidance.
“We needed to regroup before starting again. Jongup needed a sword timeout. And the sword needed desperately to get a timeout from him.”
Junhong nodded, handing his brother another platter, this one full of bite-sized cakes. “Take a couple for you both and get out. You’re distracting me.” He stopped and watched as Yongguk led Jongup out with a firm grip on the elbow. “Interesting.”
---
This time when Jongup sat on the makeshift dragon and pulled his sword out he looked more confident. A much needed break and a full belly made an obvious difference in his demeanor. “I’m not getting down until I do this right.” Yongguk didn’t have the heart to tell him he had a piece of chocolate on his cheek.
And after eight more tries and eight more bruises Yongguk knew would need to be salved, he finally managed to insert his sword into the holster without using his eyes.
The glee on his face was something Yongguk hadn’t viewed before and it brought a smile to even his own lips. And when Jongup jumped down and flew into his arms with a whoop, well, Yongguk might have hollered for him a couple times, too.
“You might be a Flyer after all.” Yongguk murmured, squeezing his waist one more time.
“You’re a great teacher.” Jongup whispered against the collar of his tunic. The supper bell rang and they pulled apart regretfully. “I need to go change before I enter the dining hall. My aunt is expecting me to sit by her and I can’t come like this.” He pulled the dirty tunic away from his chest with a grimace. “Practice again tomorrow?”
Yongguk nodded, not trusting his voice to reply. He could still smell Jongup on him and the chocolate was now smeared across his own dirty skin and he wasn’t expecting the dry throat the innocent and oblivious boy was giving him.
Pondering the meaning of his sudden surge of emotions would have to wait until after patrol though. He needed to grab something to go from his bunk and then head towards Tanit. Over the years she’d become his personal physician. Most nights they flew in silence with just the sound of wind between them. But when he needed to talk she was always the one he came to.
A laugh filled with fire was his response when he asked her what his new thoughts meant. “That’s not very helpful, Tanit.” He chastised, scratching her teasingly over the eyebrow. “How would you feel if every time you were mad at Velos I just rolled my eyes?”
The reason dragons were so sought after (besides the obvious advantage of flight and fire), was their ability to send images to whoever was touching them. Dragons were known to be killed and cut open by scavengers searching for the cause of their unique gift. Sometimes Tanit sent him ancient memories of the lands, thick forests of trees and frightened eyes of long ago humans. Once she amused Yongguk for an hour with the sight of rolling waves of water that stretched far into the distance as far as she could see. He didn’t think such a place of immense water was possible but she sent him dozens of memories of it and he trusted her more than he trusted anyone.
Jongup suddenly popped into his head. Pictures of him stroking gently down Velos’s muzzle as he rubbed his cheek across the leathery skin.
“When was this?” Yongguk frowned, not knowing Jongup had been visiting with his dragon. “Is he trying to speed up the training by luring Velos out of the sanctuary?”
Tanit shook her head, giving him another knowing glance. This time Jongup was facing her with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. His hands were outstretched with dried meats and fruits that Yongguk recognized as being from the Queen’s former realm. The vibrant colored fruit and spices dotting the meats were ones their kingdom didn’t have and Yongguk wondered where Jongup had gotten them and why he was so willing to give up his bounty to one of the beasts.
“Does he come there often?” A nod from Tanit. “Daily?” Another nod and Yongguk felt even more confused than ever. He knew Jongup had no experience in the field of dragons and felt a spark of pride that his apprentice was going the extra mile and trying to insert himself into his bonded dragon’s daily life. Even if Velos didn’t want the bond to begin with, Yongguk knew that once it was started it went both ways. Your dragon was as attached to you as you were to it and Jongup had to be feeling the pull towards the ancient beast every second they were apart.
“You’re a sap, old bird.” Yongguk smiled as he rubbed the antenna coming off of one of Tanit’s horns. “You take care of him when I’m not around, okay? He’s a good kid.”
---
The new helper in the kitchen was cheery. Way too cheery and upbeat for kitchen work. He should have been in the main hall entertaining the guests and not elbow deep in flour and yeast and working that night’s bread into a manageable heap.
“Do you think we should add more herbs, Junhong?” The soft voice was accented in a way that was familiar to Yongguk.
“You’re from the queen’s kingdom?” He broke in before Junhong could reply.
A pair of bright blinking eyes turned towards him in the doorway. “Hello.” The newcomer didn’t look surprised to see him. “You must be Yongguk. Junhong has told me a lot about you. I’m Jaehyo.”
He looked accusingly at his brother, not appreciating being spoken about when not there to defend himself.
“He asked me about you.” Junhong shrugged as he threw a bag of herbs towards the other boy. “Jongup must have told him we were brothers.”
Jongup ran in behind him, chattering excitedly to Yongguk. “Yongguk! I practiced all morning by myself and I think I have the sword sheathing down and can move on t-“ He caught sight of Jaehyo and froze. “What are you doing here?”
Jaehyo cocked his head to the side in surprised innocence. “I work here now. Cousin.”
“You two are cousins?” Yongguk noticed the waves of uneasiness rolling off of Jongup and tried to subtly move the younger boy behind him. “The queen really wants her kingdom represented doesn’t she…”
A sandwich of day old bread, hard cheese and sliced pork was held out by a still smiling Jaehyo. “I made this for you in case you two needed a snack.”
He reached forward greedily because he was starving and hadn’t had a meal since before patrol the night before, but just as his fingers touched the crust he was pulled back, Jongup’s hand trembling as it gripped him. “We’re fine, Jaehyo. Thank you.”
“What was that about?” Yongguk could almost taste the delicious looking salty pork on his tongue and even his stomach growled in anger. “What is wrong with you, Jongup?”
Jongup was still shaking as they reached the entrance to the castle. It was only when the sun beat down on his clammy face was he able to take a deep breath. “Don’t trust him. Warn Junhong. Jaehyo isn’t as gentle as he seems. Something’s wrong, Yongguk.”
“What are you talking about?” Yongguk finally got ahold of Jongup’s shoulders and held him still, eyes boring in patiently into the others. “Why can’t Jaehyo be trusted?”
“He’s not…” Jongup’s face scrunched up in though. “He’s just not right, Yongguk. When we were younger and lived in the castle together, I had a pet. A puppy named Adineas. She was a sweet puppy and she never even barked. But Jaehyo hated her. I saw him kick her and pick her up by her ears and no one would believe me because he had those giant eyes and looked like an angel, but he’s bad. He’s bad, Yongguk.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s still like that. Kids are bullies.”
“I found Adineas outside my door with her heart cut out.”
Yongguk took a step back in surprise. That went far past being a silly child and into scarier territory. “Why would your aunt bring him to our kingdom then?”
Jongup closed his eyes and shook his head tiredly. “I don’t know. But if any more family from my realm show up then you should worry, Yongguk. Worry and plan.”
---
It took two more weeks for another member of Jongup’s kingdom to appear. This time in the infirmary where the physician’s assistant suddenly grew sick and needed to be replaced. Luckily the queen had only the day before sent for another nephew to come live in the castle. And this nephew happened to have years of study under their own kingdom’s physician.
Jongup watched as Himchan laughed at something Yongguk said to him, hand resting gently in the crook of Yongguk’s arm. His own brow was furrowed and lips were tight. No one else thought it was strange that so many important positions in the castle were starting to be taken over by his family. The queen had seven brothers and sisters so he had numerous cousins that could show up at any time. He’d heard rumors of a new girl in the harem that the king had his eye on. A new girl that suspiciously sounded a lot like another cousin.
Not even Yongguk believed him that something was wrong. His trainer had taken to the newest member of their kingdom like a bee to honey and thought Himchan was “funny and sweet”, a description that Jongup knew personally was only partially true. Himchan was a follower and had been closest to Jaehyo growing up.
“He’s adorable, Jongup. I don’t know why you won’t go see him or take supper at the queen’s table anymore. He said he missed you.” Yongguk helped Jongup saddle up the dummy dragon with an expression that had a slight tint of annoyance. “The queen is only trying to settle in comfortably and having her family around her makes her more at ease. You’re not a child anymore so grow up.”
Jongup had protested until his throat was sore but Yongguk never took his worries seriously. He said that since Jongup was still yet a teen that he just didn’t understand. Immature, he had called him.
The word still bounced around in his brain and infected every piece it touched with anger.
But Jongup could feel it in his gut that black clouds were coming. The sparks of family appearing like lightning in the castle were just the pre-show. Pretty soon there would be thunder and then the real storm would begin.
“You need to prepare the other dragons.” He whispered to Velos and Tanit as he stroked them behind the ears. “No one is listening to me but things aren’t right. The queen is plotting and she wants something from me.”
Velos shared a look with Tanit that went unnoticed by Jongup. He closed his eyes as Tanit showed him the royal wedding that the Flyers were ordered to show up for. The large smile on the queen’s face when she kissed her new husband.
“I know it sounds crazy. I know I’m just a child in everyone’s eyes, but I feel it.” He lowered his head so they couldn’t see the sharp pinpricks of water in the corner of his eyes. “Please just trust me. I don’t want you to be hurt. Any of you.”
Velos flicked his tongue against Jongup’s neck in comfort and assurance that they would do whatever he asked of them. Jongup muffled a sob as he wrapped his arms as far around Velos’s neck as he could reach. The last few months had taught him more than just the basics of patrolling. He had bonded with a thousand year old beast that had probably only been touched by no more than two dozen humans in his lifetime. He had chosen Jongup, he had agreed to start the bonding with him just because his mate cared for Yongguk. Jongup wasn’t stupid, he knew Velos had forced the bonding, but regardless it had happened and he was so concerned for his bird so much that the mere thought of him brought a smile to his face.
“I love you, Velos.” He murmured against his ear. “Take care of Yongguk for me if I’m ever not around, okay?”
Tanit barked out a laugh that she tried to smother. Her muzzle pushed playfully against Jongup as he cuddled against Velos. Her boys were all idiots.
---
General Zico obviously wasn’t happy as he stormed into the sanctuary. His chin was jutted out in anger and he immediately sought out Yongguk and Jongup as they rubbed salve into Tanit’s cracked and bleeding hide. The air had been cooler than normal and the high altitudes of flying made everyone’s skin dry and sore. Yongguk had taken to wearing a cloth wrapped around his face to protect him from the sharp winds of autumn.
“Something the matter, General?” Yongguk lazily wiped his sticky hands on his tunic and left Jongup to finish the grooming.
“The queen seems to be under the impression that you are the reason her nephew hasn’t been dining with her.” Zico curled his lips, feeling it was beneath him to be a messenger when his duties were only supposed to be war and the lack of it. “I’ve been told to issue a mandatory invitation for the both of you for dinner this evening.”
Yongguk raised an eyebrow. “Why would the queen want my company? I’m just a Flyer. Jongup can eat with whomever he pleases. I’ve never forced him to eat outside with me, it’s his choice.”
Zico took a deep breath, his mind still back in his office where he had been planning a new blocking strategy for the castle moat before he was pulled away. “I’m just an errand boy today, Yongguk. I don’t know. I was told to deliver the message personally and I’ve done it. Good day.” He strolled off with his back straight and head held high. Always the soldier.
“Something wrong?” Jongup’s shoulder was pressed against him and Yongguk leaned against him comfortably. Fingers stroked through Yongguk’s black hair, pulling the leather cord away so that it fell out of the ponytail and onto his neck. “He looked angry.”
“We’re supposed to sit at the queen’s table tonight.” Yongguk growled when Jongup’s hand stilled on his head. He didn’t continue until the movement began again. “She seems to believe that I’m the reason you won’t join your family for meals anymore.”
Neither noticed the two dragons carefully moving out of their space until they were left alone in the field with Yongguk’s eyes closed as Jongup massaged his scalp. Jongup had found out quite by accident that it was the one spot on his trainer that made him relax when he had found Tanit scraping her scales against him after a long night of patrol. The completely blissful expression on Yongguk’s tired face had made Jongup want to be the one to put it there next. At first Yongguk had found it odd that Jongup kept finding excuses to stroke through his hair but had eventually given up when he realized how good his touch felt.
“I told you that I don’t trust them.” Jongup chose his words carefully. He knew how close Yongguk and Himchan had grown and he tried not to show how that pained him because it always caused an argument between him and Yongguk. “I choose not to eat in the dining hall for my own reasons.”
Yongguk dropped his head to Jongup’s shoulder as the warm touch moved downwards over his nape. “You worry too much.” He breathed, breath causing goose bumps to appear on Jongup’s skin. “Do you not trust me, too?”
“You’re the only one here that I do trust.” Jongup replied honestly before tugging harshly on the long hair that was falling around his lips. “Sometimes I worry that I think more of your opinion then you think of mine. I listen to you whole-heartedly but you never hear a word I say.”
His words proved true, much to his displeasure, as Yongguk didn’t even notice his statement, too content to close his mind off and just concentrate on his apprentice’s soothing touch and the sweet smell of his flesh.
Jongup knew things were going to come to a head soon and they would both be forced to make difficult choices, but he still worried if he would make the right one or blindly follow Yongguk into whatever decision he made. Because that was the way it looked right now and that frightened him more than his aunt’s plotting could ever do.
---
“Well, well, well.” Jaehyo smirked from behind a mug of wine at the table. “Hello baby cousin. And baby cousin’s master.” He slid down a spot, seating Yongguk between him and Himchan. “Jongup you can sit by our aunt. She’s been wanting to speak to you.”
Jongup gulped at the empty seat beside the queen’s elaborate gold and ruby covered one. He wanted to stay near Yongguk, where he felt safe, but to go against the wishes of the queen would be a fool’s mistake. He reluctantly seated himself and waited for the trumpet to announce the entrance of the royal court. First the crowned prince entered, Daehyun never turned down a reason for all eyes to be on him and took advantage of it by walking cockily towards his seat, crown slipped halfway over his head. Then the queen and king made their way to the table, the queen a few steps behind him as was customary. Her eyes should have been aimed at the ground to show submissiveness but she haughtily looked straight ahead. An omen only Jongup seemed to notice.
“Hello Jongup.” Her sickly attentive voice made Jongup’s skin crawl. He made a promise to himself not to let his guard down no matter how the queen acted towards him. Appearances were deceiving and even a snake could be beautiful. “I was starting to worry you were avoiding me.”
“Of course not, Auntie.” His smile was fake and unfaltering. “I’ve just been so busy with training that it seems easier to take my meals on the run instead of coming to the dining hall.”
The lie slipped easily off his tongue and thankfully she had no reason to think him deceiving so she nodded, content that her favored nephew was telling the truth.
“We’ve been missing you, the cousins and I. We’ve had lots of enjoyable family gatherings and have been hoping you’d show up for them.” The fact that they had been meeting alone sent a chill through Jongup’s body. There was no reason for the queen to meet with anyone if the king wasn’t present. It just wasn’t done that way. “Perhaps you’ll be there tomorrow? We hold them just after sunrise when all the Flyers have retired for the day.”
They were meeting when there was no one up to protect the castle. The day guards were merely for looks, most attacks were known to have happened at night so that’s when they put out their best patrols.
“O-Of course.” He had to know what was happening during these secret meetings. He owed it to his new kingdom (and his family, because Yongguk and their dragons were his true family now), to see this through and find out what was happening. “I will be there after I visit at the sanctuary.”
Her eyes flickered over to him with curiosity. “So you’ve bonded with your dragon a great deal I presume? And he’s trustworthy? He will listen to your commands?”
Help, Yongguk. “Yes.” He swallowed his bread without even tasting it. “Velos is a wonderful beast. We think very highly of each other.”
She smiled as she took ladylike sips of her stew. “That’s very good to hear, Jongup.”
---
Velos could sense his human’s restlessness and it was coming across in the absentmindedly way he rubbed his muzzle. Jongup had been peering off into space for the last half hour, his hand rubbing the same spot the entire time.
He huffed in annoyance, burning the top of Jongup’s knuckles with his breath.
“Ouch! Sorry!” Jongup jerked his hand back in pain, blowing on it to relieve some of the heat. “You could have just moved, Velos!”
His beast’s tongue rolled out to soothe the ache. He didn’t want to hurt him, just meant to get his attention. It had been so long since he’d been bonded with a human he merely forgot how fragile they were sometimes.
“I have to meet with my aunt and cousins in a little while.” Jongup sat down on the grass next to Velos and rested his head on his knees. “They shouldn’t be having meetings like this, Velos. It’s against the queen conduct. She should have her advisors with her at all times.”
Velos had picked up on a disturbance in the peaceful kingdom and was now worried that his human was correct to be frightened. If a war started then he would be expected to take the queen’s side, which meant Velos would be on the opposite side of his mate. That would not do.
“Yongguk will think I’m a part of the coup. He’ll think I was in on it the whole time even though I warned him repeatedly that something was brewing.” Jongup was near tears and Velos wished his mate was there for comfort.
“Jongup?” Yongguk led Tanit up the hill moments later as Jongup scrubbed the tears off his ruddy cheeks. “It’s a little early for you to be here.”
He jumped to his feet and blinked the wetness away so that he looked once again like the nonchalant apprentice Yongguk had come to expect. “I wanted to visit with Velos before I had the family meeting. Excuse me.” He patted Tanit as he walked past her, but wasted no more time in conversation with Yongguk.
“He was in a hurry.” Yongguk gave Velos an annoyingly bewildered expression and the ancient dragon would have rolled his eyes if Tanit hadn’t saw it coming and hissed at him.
Idiots. All humans were idiots.
---
“How is training coming?” Himchan pulled Jongup down beside him on the plush velvet couch and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. A year ago this movement would have been welcomed, reciprocated even because Himchan was the only cousin he had that was only frightening when in a group, but now Jongup felt uneasy with everyone’s eyes on him awaiting his answer.
“It’s going wonderfully. Yongguk is an excellent teacher and he hopes to have me doing practice rides with Velos in a week or two.”
His aunt clicked her tongue and shook her head. “That’s too much time, sweetheart. Jaehyo’s watched your practices and says you’re just as good as the rest of the Flyers. You should ask Yongguk to let you start riding immediately.”
He didn’t know why he needed to push Yongguk’s rigid training schedule but he knew better than to argue with the queen. And there was no reason for Jaehyo to be checking up on them.
“You seem very fond of your trainer.” Himchan smiled knowingly down at him. “Does our little cousin have a crush?”
Jaehyo scoffed and kicked at Himchan’s boots. “I think the only person with a crush around here is you. Oh Yongguk, you’re such a great Flyer! You’re so funny! Tell me another joke, Yongguk!” He raised his voice in imitation of Himchan before screeching at the thump on his kneecap.
“Stop it boys.” Their aunt halted the spat in its tracks. “We will let Jongup have the Flyer.”
“Oh no, that’s not necessary, I don’t think h-“
She rung the bell next to her chair, ignoring Jongup’s stammers. “We’re ready for our coffee.” The servant bowed at the order. After waiting for him to leave she turned back to Jongup and put the caring smile he knew was faked back on her lips. “It’s good that you are so close to your Flyer. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other when I’ve observed the practices.” Jongup didn’t even know she had been near any of them so she must have been watching secretly. Another reason not to trust anything she said. “He is quite fond of you, too. It would serve you well to keep it that way.”
In what way would it serve him well, Jongup wondered. What happened between him and Yongguk was no one’s business but their own and it made him feel like he was covered in dirt to know someone had been sneaking peeks at their private practices.
“Yes ma’am.”
---
Yongguk wasn’t sure that Jongup was ready to attempt flying with Velos yet, but he trusted the younger not to push himself to do things he didn’t think he could do. It took a long time for Jongup to stop going overboard with the training and trust Yongguk to only give him what he was capable of at the moment. So when Jongup came to him after their regular practice time and asked to start flying lessons, Yongguk gave in easier than he wanted to admit.
“Remember, Velos already knows how to fly. You don’t have to try hard to steer him or lead him away from danger. He’s been flying for a long time now and does that himself. You just worry the most about staying upright on his back and not falling off.” Yongguk watched Jongup mount the giant dragon with worry. He knew Velos would take care of Jongup but it still made him so nervous that he could feel the hives breaking out across his skin.
The second Velos lifted off the ground, spider webbed wings spreading out and beating as he gained air, Yongguk finally cracked.
“Ok, that’s enough! Bring him down.”
Jongup waited for Velos to land before he jumped to the ground in confusion. “Was I doing it wrong?”
“Yes.” It was a complete lie but Jongup never needed to know that. “Maybe you should ride patrol with me on Tanit before you attempt Velos on your own.”
Tanit scratched her tail across Yongguk’s arm to let him know she knew he was bullshitting every word out of his mouth.
“Okay.” Jongup agreed easily and patted Velos on the muzzle as he left him to walk towards Yongguk and Tanit. He used Yongguk’s hand to pull himself up behind him in the saddle, arms resting easily around Yongguk’s clenched stomach. “Like this?”
Yongguk licked his dry lips and nodded. “Y-Yeah.” He used the reins to pull back on Tanit and let her know she could lift off. “Hold on tight. Tanit is a fast riser.”
Jongup scooted impossibly closer to his back, so close that Yongguk could feel the heat from his breath hitting the nape of his neck and he mentally thanked himself for pulling his hair off his neck into a ponytail.
This was the first time Jongup had ever been in the air and he let out an excited gasp of joy when they reached their altitude and Tanit’s body leveled out. The sky was clear and the moon was full giving them a bird’s eye view to the millions of stars dotting across the night sky. Jongup leaned his head back and closed his eyes just to feel the rush of wind across his face and hair.
“This is amazing.”
Yongguk knew the exact feeling the other had, he still got it every time he flew. The exaltation flying gave you was second to none and he pushed Tanit even harder so that Jongup got the full effect of having a younger (in some sense of the word) dragon under him.
“I can’t wait to do this every night.”
“Every dragon is different though, don’t forget. Velos might be a slower riser but he soars easier than Tanit so you might not go as fast but the ride will be a little smoother.”
Jongup laughed excitedly, his grip around Yongguk getting tighter in his glee. “I don’t care. This is the greatest thing I’ve ever done!”
They patrolled for hours together with few words passing between them. The need to speak didn’t seem to matter when you were this close. Jongup felt like he was joined soul to soul with the older man and he could feel what he felt and thought what he thought.
It was when Yongguk landed them back at the storage stable that the effects of their night finally hit the two. They were both noticeably uncomfortable as they removed Tanit’s dressings. She watched the two dance around each other with what could only be a smirk on her face.
“Go on, sweetheart. We’ll be in there after we put the saddle up.” Yongguk watched her fly off with an indulgent smile. “You did great up there, Jongup. Maybe you really are ready to go up on your own.”
The guilt ate away at Jongup’s stomach. He knew Yongguk was right that he could do it on his own but it still made his chest ache knowing he only asked to move the schedule up because his aunt asked him to. And if he told Yongguk that the other wouldn’t think anything of it even though Jongup knew for a fact it was a very big deal.
“Yeah.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes, but Yongguk was too busy taking care of Tanit’s saddle to notice. “Great.”
---
Himchan had been following them through the castle for days. Every time Jongup turned around his older cousin was there with a shy grin and a wild wave that Yongguk seemed to eat up with a spoon.
Jongup hated him more than he had ever hated Jaehyo.
“What are the chances of you taking me up into the skies with you one day?” His fingers lingered a little bit too long on Yongguk’s arm and his body was a little bit too forceful in pushing Jongup behind them. “I heard my baby cousin gets a ride every night.”
If Yongguk was bothered by the obvious sexual tone in his voice he didn’t let it show, if anything it just made the happy expression on his face brighten a little.
“I’m not allowed to take anyone on my bird besides fellow Flyers or trainees.” He shrugged apologetically. “Jongup could start flying Velos but he wants to get used to Tanit before moving to a solo flight.”
A sigh escaped Himchan’s lips and he had the shamelessness to even pout a little up at Yongguk. “You can’t bend the rules? Not even for me?”
Yongguk laughed as he wrapped an arm around Himchan’s shoulders, the both of them completely ignoring Jongup fuming behind them. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t in good manners, but he had half a mind to shove Himchan into the granite floor and inform him that the queen said that Yongguk was his.
“Well if you ever get bored of dragging the kid around and are looking for some adult company,” Himchan winked playfully, “Then just give me a yell. I’m always around.”
Once Himchan had turned the corner of the hall, Yongguk chuckled under his breath, resuming his path to the kitchen. “Your cousin is a piece of work. He’s not subtle in the slightest.”
“You mean you could see what he was doing?” Jongup tried not get his hopes up that Yongguk was seeing right through his cousin, but he couldn’t stop the little flip-flop his heart made.
Yongguk nodded, pulling Jongup towards him as a servant nearly collided into them in his haste to get a pot of hot water into the queen’s coffee mug. “Jaehyo told me Himchan had been trying to sweet talk me, but it wasn’t hard to notice.” His arm stayed snug around Jongup’s slim waist even when they were alone again so Jongup made no move to shrug it off. “I’m not as slow as everyone seems to think I am.” He grinned down at Jongup, lips barely inches away from his forehead. “You really don’t like your cousins being here, do you? You can practically see the steam coming out of your ears when they’re around.”
He didn’t think Yongguk had even noticed his anger and had a twinge of smugness that he had seen what Himchan was up to and wasn’t swayed by his seductive voice and innocent face.
“I told you I didn’t trust them.” He didn’t want to start another argument between them. Not when Yongguk was attached to his side and his fingers were absentmindedly stroking across Jongup’s hip. Nor when Yongguk’s cheek was pressed against Jongup and his long black hair was tickling his nose. Jongup needed to change the subject before Yongguk grew frustrated with him again and moved away. “Does Junhong know we’re coming? He might be busy.”
“He always saves me something to eat. If I don’t come in to get it then he has a servant bring it out to my bunk for when I get off patrol.” Yongguk’s lips curled up in Jongup’s hair. “You don’t have to worry all the time, Jongup.” His arm slipped back to his side when they got closer to the kitchen. “Relax and let me take care of everything.”
The worry had been eating at him for days. Every morning when he came back from patrolling with Yongguk and Tanit he was so frightened to go to sleep that he barely got any rest, coming to practice later with dark under his bleary eyes. Yongguk had fussed over him for half the night during their previous patrol and forced him to ride in the front in case he fell asleep. Sure enough, he’d fallen into a deep sleep halfway through patrol and only Yongguk’s tight hold had kept him from plummeting hundreds of feet back to the ground below.
Junhong was laughing over something with Jaehyo when they entered the kitchen and Jongup instinctually put himself behind his trainer. No matter the amount of time his cousins were a fixture in the hospital he would never feel safe in a room with one of them. Having a barrier was the only way he could handle Jaehyo’s sly eyes and mischievous smirk.
His fingertips were gripped tightly by Yongguk’s, as if he knew Jongup was needing comfort. That was one of the main traits he liked about Yongguk the most: that he knew when to stay silent and just offer Jongup the stability of his presence.
“Come on.” Yongguk placed his wrapped supper inside the pouch over his tunic and laced his fingers with Jongup’s as they left the kitchen. Jaehyo hadn’t spoken to either of them but Jongup could feel his eyes boring into his back as he gratefully followed Yongguk outside. “You want to eat in the castle or outside?”
“Outside.” Jongup was grateful to get back into the darkening air. Being in the castle made him feel stifled and he knew Yongguk understood his need to be outside. A year ago he would never have believed that he would be such a big fan of the outdoors, but since he became a Flyer trainee he ate up every second he breathed in the fresh air.
“You’re starting to get more obvious with your dislike of them.” Yongguk calmly sat on the ground and opened the paper on their meal. “You want to talk about it?”
He shook his head, eyes trained on the setting sun over the mountains in the distance. Talking never got him anywhere. Every time he tried to share his concerns with Yongguk he was just brushed off as over-worrying.
“You can tell me, you know.” A chunk of bread was pushed into his hands as Yongguk scooted to his side. “I may not understand why you’re so upset over it but I’ll always be here to listen.”
But he wasn’t, he hadn’t been, and he couldn’t be trusted with Jongup’s real worries. Jongup’s eyes opened wide in shock as the realization suddenly popped into his head. Yongguk was close to Himchan and because of that Jongup knew that he couldn’t talk about what was so wrong with his family.
“I’m not hungry.”
The bread was held back out towards Yongguk who took it after a moment of hesitation. “Jongup…”
“I’m going to go visit Velos before patrol. I think I’ll take him out tonight instead of riding with you and Tanit.”
“But we-“
He smiled at Yongguk but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get it to reach his eyes. “Let me know when you’re ready to go.”
Velos and Tanit were the only trustworthy beings in the kingdom as far as Jongup was concerned. Everyone else could be tainted by his family. Even Yongguk.
Especially Yongguk.
Jongup stopped halfway to the sanctuary and held a hand over his chest, willing his heart to slow down so he could calm his breathing.
Anyone but Yongguk, he pleaded to the heavens.
---
The news that the king was sick came as a surprise to everyone but Jongup. He had figured his aunt would start to set whatever her plan was into motion sooner rather than later. She had never been a patient person and the frequent family meetings she had planned only made him more suspicious. Maybe he should have been going to them to keep abreast of the situation but to be honest he was scared of what he’d find out. If he was wrong then it meant Himchan actually liked Yongguk and he knew there was no competing with his more graceful and sweet looking cousin. It also made him look stupid for worrying for nothing.
But if he was right (and he knew without a doubt that he was), then he could be implicated in their plan and he’d never be trusted in the kingdom again.
“The king’s been put on bed rest.” Yongguk’s brows furrowed as he thought the situation over in his mind. “He’s been vomiting blood for the last two days.”
Poison, Jongup confirmed in his head. Their kingdom back home was well-known for their physician’s great strides in that field of work. They’d managed to poison away four types of beetles that attacked their crops and had caused two years’ worth of famine. “And the queen?”
“She’s taken over until he recovers.”
Jongup nodded, pretending to be absorbed with strapping the saddle onto Velos. He didn’t want to appear too interested in Yongguk’s news because it would only backfire and Yongguk would tell him once again that he was overreacting.
It took her four days to put a stop to the nightly patrols. In her defense that was three days more than Jongup thought it would take.
“We can’t defend the castle if we don’t have eyes out at night!” Yongguk was in a panic, the grass under his feet already showing a line of pacing. “The day guards have their scopes and can see all around the kingdom for miles, but without the Flyers we have no protection in case of a night attack!”
General Zico was watching him calmly, but Jongup had seen him enough to know that the thin lines around his mouth showed his repressed anger. The calmer Zico grew the more rage he was holding back.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, Yongguk. The queen is the king’s proxy and as such has the power to do pretty much whatever she feels like. She says that the king was paying you Flyers more than was deserved and that nightly ground patrol can do the same job for less gold.”
Yongguk turned towards Jongup and advanced with a snarl. “You… You don’t seem surprised at all.” Jongup found himself shoved hard against a tree, the bark digging into his thin tunic and leaving blood trails. “You knew she was planning something. You knew this was coming! All this time you were pretending to be worried just to throw us off!”
He tried to breathe, but Yongguk’s fists were tight against his throat and all he could do was gasp until Zico pried the trainer off of him.
“Arrest him for treason!” The accusation hit him harder than Yongguk’s grip on his throat had and Jongup slid to the ground, the welts on his back not even registering in his brain.
“I told you.” He rasped, blinking back angry tears. “I’ve been telling you for weeks, months! I tried to warn you, Yongguk.”
The betrayal in Yongguk’s eyes and the disgust on his face was all the signs he needed to know his trainer, his friend, would never believe him. And when Yongguk and Zico left him alone, battered and broken-hearted, he wasn’t surprised.
Part Two