Death of the Kendo Dragon

Summary: 

In the ancient Provence of Busan, there is a tale of two legends. The first is known as the Warrior. He lives amongst the villagers of Nagtok River nestled in the mountains of Busan. The second legend is known as the Dragon, a sword wielding fighter who protects the villagers on the tiny island of Dongbaekseom on the Busan coast. The warrior is the protector of his small village and the guardian for his younger brother Kida. But when a strange white haired stranger known as the Kendo Dragon saves them from an attack by a gang of thugs, the Dragon and the Warrior quickly become more than just friends.

As love begins to blossom between them, they soon learn that Kida is carrying a devastating secret that turns their lives upside down. Together they must protect him, but at what cost? Will their love stand the test of time or will the crumbling circumstances around them destroy them? This one is purely for fun.

✅Complete

Author's Notes:

Helpful Notes:

This is a story of FICTION - Although I use some real phrases and mythological references, this is all made up in my head and it is not intended to be real or accurate. Enjoy

hankok - house
Imugi - mythical creature known as a dragon who brings protection, health and good luck
Jodo - Martial art defense against the sword
Hapkido - Weapons and throwing
Judoka - Jodo master
Kenshi - Kenda teacher
Kendo - the art of Japanese Samurai sword sparring typically with a wooden stick for practice and competition
Shinai - Wooden stick used for sword practice in the art of Kendo
Hakama - Trousers worn as part of the Kendo uniform
Dongbaekseom - Small island off the coast of Busan
Naktong - River that runs through Busan
Tabi - toe sox
Hanbok - casual dress clothes
Gyeongseong - The city known today as Seoul
Gatsin - Leather Shoes
Warrior Red Rage - A condition in which a warrior's instinctual duty to protect his family is triggered. Very animalistic condition of savagery where anyone who crosses him or gets in his way will be killed. It is a trait unique to those of warrior blood and I typically cannot be contained until the threat against his family has been mitigated.

The characteristics that I have given Jimin are actually those of a mythical creature from Korean mythology known as the Imugi. They are very powerful and blessed with omnipotent abilities and the ability to create anything. They have a tendency to always dwell around water, especially caves and caves with water. They are considered to be benevolent and peaceful. 

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Chapter One – The Quiet Alley

Jeongguk stumbled back as he took the third consecutive kick to his chin.  He fell to one knee, dazed, but quickly shook away the dizziness and pain and pulled himself back to his feet.  A lesser man would have died from the rapid fists pounding on him from the multitude of attackers, but not Jeon Jeongguk, the eldest son, the warrior of Naktong, protector of the mountain.

 “Look out,” Jeongguk’s brother yelled behind him.  Desperate for leverage, one of the twelve attackers attempted to sneak behind Jeongguk and strike him in the back.  Without even making a full turn, Jeongguk swept his attacker’s leg and then launched a roundhouse kick directly to his head, breaking all of the bones in his face. 

Jeongguk’s movements were akin to strikes of a cobra, fast yet slow, sudden yet traceable, and deadly; always deadly.   The first soul to approach him recoiled with two broken arms, a ruptured spleen and a fractured thigh and that was only from a single strike.  The second fool who dared challenge Jeongguk was dealt a similar fate as the loud crack of his broken ribs and crushed femur reverberated throughout the abandoned alley.

The lopsided fight of twelve against one seemed like an automatic win since Jeongguk was outnumbered, weaponless and ambushed; but shortly after the scuffle began, they realized that Jeon Jeongguk held the title of warrior for a very valid reason.  He was a fierce fighter who packed power beyond any normal human being.  The twelve shook with fear as they were methodically taken down one by one.  Random warnings rang out from the gang, “He’s a warrior, don’t let him fool you.” They flared against him desperately trying to overcome him. And even though they all swarmed upon him at once, they could barely get a fist on him. He was smooth, fast, deceptive and smart.   

The title of warrior had not been given to Jeongguk easily; it had been earned through years of training and sacrificial protection of the small village of Naktong - risking his life for the inhabitants who lived there, including his uncle and younger brother.  

The attack in the alley was not the first time that he and Kida has been attacked by the same game of thieves.  In fact, this was a second attack based more on revenge that the original intent of stealing their gold won.  This attack was personal.  The gang of five bandits known as the Shouniua gang had attempted to rob them initially a few weeks back.  They’d ambushed them on their journey home and demanded their gold won and all of the fresh meat they’d purchased from the market.  It was unfortunate for the thieves however, that sending only five men was not nearly enough to contain the flashing fists and power of Jodo and Hapkido trained Jeongguk.  After a brief encounter with Jeongguk, two of the attackers were sent back to their leader broken, beaten and defeated with no honor while three of them were left lying unconscious in the dirt with mangled broken legs and arms.

Jeongguk’s savagery was triggered by an emotion known as the red rage of the warrior.  Traditionally, when a warrior’s family is attacked, he loses all sense of compassion and restraint and unleashes his fury untethered.  In summary, Jeongguk didn’t take too kindly to thieves attacking him in the presence of his brother.  The gang of five were so embarrassed by their defeat that they vowed revenge against Jeongguk for their public humiliation.   

Fast forward to the current fight in the alley and the same attackers from the same misguided Shouniua gang were now back with an additional seven fighter’s intent on striking revenge against the one who destroyed them.  And again, the fools made all the same mistakes.

Kida, Jeongguk’s fifteen-year old brother, continued to hide behind a large wall of rotting garbage per his brother’s instruction.  He watched helplessly as his fearless brother was repeatedly attacked.

It soon became clear that even twelve fighters against Jeongguk was not a fair fight.  Despite being pummeled with kicks and punches, he moved with lightning flash precision knocking down his attackers to the left and to the right. Not even those who tried to surprise him from the rear managed to contain him.  His focus was sharp and his intuition guided him in anticipation of each punch from the crowd - that is - until his brother Kida broke free of his hiding place and decided to help.

Foolishly Kida yelled, “I’ll help you Ggukie!”  He emerged from his hiding spot and pummeled the leg of one of the attackers with an old broom handle.  

“Kida, get out of here,” Jeongguk demanded as he gracefully defended against his multiple attackers.  His movements were like cold pats of of butter against hot toast, melting with uncomplicated ease into the frantic flailing of his opponents.  He jumped four feet into the air into a scissor kick that landed with deadly force into the forehead of two of his attackers, simultaneously.  They both went down hard, never to move again.  Now there were ten - Jeongguk noted in his head as he moved like a graceful butterfly through the alley.  He launched himself into the air again, this time back flipping into another attacker and wrapping his legs around his neck.  With a twitch and violent shake, he cracked his neck, breaking his back and disabling him.  He disentangled himself and allowed the limp body to fall to the grown. Now there were eight.

Three more of his attackers fell when he lifted one of them and used him as a human shield as he advanced on the other two, finally launching his mangled body into theirs.  “Nine, eight, seven,” Jeongguk mumbled to himself, still fighting savagely against the naive men who thought they had a chance against him.  Bodies collected around him and all either writhed in pain or lay unconscious.  

His eyes were dark with anger and contempt, “How dare you attack me again before my brother!” He screamed.  Despite their fears, the gang continued to attack under the watchful eye of their leader, Pon, who stood in the shadow against the wall watching as his troops fell.  

They continued to storm him, trying everything to defeat him; yet they were no match.  The strength, power, training and anger within Jeongguk’s fighting style was like nothing they’d ever encountered, “I will kill all of you!” He screamed, wild and uncontrolled.  His rage at them for putting his brother, an innocent child, in danger for a few gold pieces was profound.   He moved through his kada throwing deadly elbows to their faces and thrusting knees into their guts.  There was no level of force that was off limits.  If they wanted to test his patience, then they would accept the consequences.   The count that he’d silently been keeping in his head suddenly became vocalized, “Six...,” he yelled as his fist sliced through the thigh of a small nimble man who’d attempted to sweep his foot.  “Five...” he roared as he did a three-step spin, pushing the heel of his foot through the larynx of a tall stumbling fool who approached him.  His long thick brown hair, no longer in a neat ponytail, fell messy over his face and down his back.  Sweat dampened the tips of his locks as they trailed through the air behind his furious kicks and punches.  He looked quite mad.

Pon watched the melee with confidence, initially.  But as the one they called “The Warrior” continued to make small game of his fighters, he became increasingly concerned for his life. Pon knew that once all twelve of his minions were disposed, Jeongguk would come for him and only Pon’s death would satisfy his thirst.  It was out of desperation that Pon did what he did.  From within a case that he held at his side; he produced a sword.  Taking up a weapon against an unarmed man was the most disgraceful thing a man could do.  He prayed for his ancestors to forgive him but he couldn’t sit idly by and allow his fighters to be disgraced by this single man who’d twice defiled them.  He crouched into position.  The undeniable sound of a steel blade slashing through the air gathered the attention of everyone in the alley.  

Jeongguk, despite the danger, scoffed at Pon, not at all concerned about his display of a weapon.  He smiled with perfect teeth and large circular dimples and said simply, “You’ve taken up a weapon against an unarmed man.  You realize this means I have to kill you, right?”  

Pon didn’t waste time talking.  He immediately lunged at Jeongguk with an elementary strike sourced from an untrained man.  The sword was heavy and not easily controlled, especially from someone like Pon who didn’t understand the efficacy of architecture of the steel beast.  His swing wobbled landing the tip of the sword into the ground.  As a courtesy, Jeongguk busied himself with breaking the neck of another opponent while Pon pulled the sword from the ground and regained control.  “Are you ready now?  Let’s try again,” Jeongguk teased.  He stabilized his back foot and faced Pon once again.  This time Pon charged him with the sword pointed tip first. 

Kida gasped and screamed when he saw the light glistening from the 91-centimeter sword as Pon charged.  Without thinking he emerged screaming from his hiding spot, “You coward!  YOU COWRD!  He’s unarmed!  You’re a disgrace to your class.”  Despite Jeongguk’s demand that he remain safely hidden, Kida ran full speed towards the pointed sword and dared to stand between Pon and his capable older brother. 

“Kida NO!”  Jeongguk screamed, grabbed him and then spun him around, taking his eyes off of Pon; a critical mistake by the fearless warrior.  His back was fully exposed as he pushed his brother to safety.

Pon saw his opportunity.  While the balance of his gang fell back, shrieking from him as he wielded the sword, Pon advanced with light skips across the dirt intent on plunging his sword into Jeongguk’s back.  

Jeongguk, still screaming at his brother to take cover, never saw Pon approaching.  With clumsy speed, Pon lifted the sword high above his head and whipped it hard through the air towards Jeongguk’s back.  

Only Kida could see the viscous, cowardly attack coming.  He screamed as he wrapped his arms around his brother, “Ggukieeeeeeee.”

A blurry grey shadow silently appeared.  Kida’s eyes filled with astonishment when he saw the mysterious white-haired figure flash his sword, intercepting Pon’s sword before it could strike Jeongguk.  Kida and his older brother could hear the deafening clang of steel upon steel, sending a chilling pitch throughout the alley. 

Jeongguk swiveled his head around in time to see more flashes of white hair sweep through the air.  The face of the figure was completely covered and Jeongguk had not idea of the identity of the man who dared to save him.  Sparks flew from the rapid clashes of the two battling swords.  The white- haired marauder moved with sleek efficient stealth, making slight powerful moves that contrasted greatly against the furious swinging of Pon.  Jeongguk watched his mysterious savior battle with ease against a terrified Pon.  He advanced again and again and again until Pon was pinned against the wall with the white-haired man holding his sword to his neck.  

Pon cried out, “D-don’t kill me.  D-d-don’t kill me.  I repent.  I was just protecting my men.”

The white-haired man hissed at the pathetic figure, “You draw a sword against a child and a defenseless man with attempts to smite them and now you ask for reprieve and beg for your life?  You really are pathetic.”  The man’s face was almost completely covered with the mess of his long wild white hair.  Only portions of his pale skin were visible around his piercing black eyes. 

Jeongguk, suddenly realizing how close he came to death, scurried to pick Kida from the dirt and push him once again to the safety behind the pile of trash. “Kida!” He whispered, “You almost cost me my life.  When I say stay hidden, I mean stay hidden!”  Jeongguk scolded him. 

“Hyung - Geukkie it’s him!”  Kida was breathless and could barely speak.  He stared wide eyed and opened mouthed at the white hair stranger who’d saved their lives.

“Him?  Him who?  Shut up Kida, get to safety before they resume the attack.”  Jeongguk gave Kida a not so polite push.  “You will die by my own hand if you disobey me again you hellion!”

“But Ggeukie...” Kida protested.

“Shut!”  Jeongguk collected himself quickly and turned to resume his fight; only when he returned to the dirt of the alley, it was empty.  He spun around to examine the area behind him and then did a 180-degree turn to anticipate another attack from his rear.  He looked up towards the rooftops and down past the alley entrance and stared into...nothing but a dense fog that had begun to gather over the night.  Everyone was gone.  The sudden appearance of the white- haired sword swinging hero had caused the attackers to flee without so much as a word of resistance.  

“You are a powerful warrior.  You should probably drop the kid though, he’s going to get you killed,” an unknown voice echoed against the outer walls of the honok’s that straddled the alley.   

Jeongguk resumed a fighting position, ready to fend against another attack.  With his head on a swivel he looked all around, searching for the origin of the delicate voice, “Who are you?  Why did you save me?  Who are you!”  Jeongguk called out.  No one was there and he appeared to be alone in the alley.  “Who are you, show yourself!”  He demanded again.  There was no response.  

***

Jeongguk anxiously hurried home with a talkative and awestruck Kida by his side.  He rambled on incessantly, interrupting Jeongguk’s focus as he tried to keep a watchful eye for the return of the bandits.

“This is the most amazing day ever!  Brother, do you know who that was?  Do you even know?  This will make us legends, just by being associated with the… legend.”  Kida jumped and swooped yielding the broom like a pretend sword.  He slashed through the air with his long broom handle, mimicking his folk hero.

“You continue to blubber even after I have asked you to be quiet,” Jeongguk tried to calm his brother into silence but it was a fruitless attempt.

Kida continued, “He’s a myth, a rare sighting.  He’s my hero Ggukie-hyung, my ultimate defender.  Unparalled. No one has ever seen him and lived to tell about it.  I hear he once killed 100 men in three minutes with a single slice of his sword.  He’s, he’s, he’s…”

“He’s what?  All I know is that some white- haired weirdo jumped into a battle that did not belong to him,” Jeongguk spat meaningless words.  In his heart of hearts, even he was intrigued with the heroic stranger, but Kida’s hero worship was beginning to annoy him.  In Jeongguk’s mind, he was always Kida’s hero and a short chord of jealousy was struck as he was forced to listen to his baby brother gloat over another.

“White-haired freak?  He saved our lives brother!  Take that back Ggeukie, surely you don’t mean it?”  Kida was indignant.  Hearing his older brother speak so casually and poorly of a hero was unacceptable.

Jeongguk ignored Kida’s scolding, “You’ve spoken just short of 5-million words since we left the alley Kida, yet you have still neglected to tell me who our white-haired visitor was.”

“You don’t know?  You really, really don’t know?”  Kida returned to the same conversation of old.

Jeongguk stopped and held Kida by the collar, pushing him into the rice paper wall along one of the hanoks along their path, “Brother, either you tell me now who this man is or we quash this conversation never to speak of him and his sword yielding madness again!”

Fifteen-year old Kida who was almost as tall as his brother, despite being the younger by eight years, smirked and said simply, “…he’s the Kendo Dragon.”

“The Kendo what?  Surely that is not his real name?  What is his real name, the one given to him by his mother and father and…and…and the Korean government?  That name, that is the name I would like to know please,” Jeongguk said frustrated.

“Hyung, no one knows his real name.  No one has ever really even seen his face until now.  He is a legend, a hero.  The greatest sword fighter the world has ever known.”  Kida shook his brother loose from his collar and then clicked his heels yelping with joy,  “Wait until the boys at Jodo hear about this.  They aren’t going to believe it.  They simply ARE NOT going to believe it.”  Kida noticed Jeongguk nervously checking their surroundings to make sure they were still alone.  “Oh relax hyung.  They won’t be returning.  The dragon did not kill them which means he wanted them to live as a warning to others to never bother us again.  They won’t be back Ggukie, they will never be back.”  Kida continued to skip along the dirt road that led up the mountainous path to their village.

Jeongguk wasn’t as confident that Pon and his gang would not return, which meant he had to ever be at the ready.  His eyes flickered to the alley beside them.  The street ahead was dark and still and practically abandoned with few people present, but his reflexes were on high alert.  Pon and his criminals had mysteriously fled in the midst of the fight and as long as Jeongguk and Kida were still on the street, they were in danger.

***

Jeongguk lay awake that night with his mind washing over the details of the white- haired sword fighter.  In all of the chaos of the attack, he never saw the man’s face.  Based on the long mounds of silver hair, he had to assume he was a much older gentleman, yet he moved gracefully and swiftly like a man of young age; a true mystery indeed.  Jeongguk decided in his head that under no circumstances was he going to refer to a grown man as some sort of mythical dragon yet, the more he thought about it, the more befitting the name became.  This stranger, whoever he was, had inserted himself at just the right time and instilled so much terror in Pon’s gang that they chose to run for fear of their lives instead of staying to fight with honor.  

Jeongguk punched the bottom of his yo 요 to fluff it a bit before rolling to his side.  Kida was right, maybe pride had made him dismiss what the swordsman had truly done for them, but now in the quiet aftermath of reflection, he had new appreciation.  Honesty and a humble heart changed his tune making his realize how important it was to find the man and thank him.  “Yes, I should thank him.  I must find him and thank him.  But…where do I even start looking for him?”  He flopped himself on his back again and stared at the dark ceiling.  He could hear the soothing sounds of the water from the fast-flowing river crash against the rock as it traveled through the gorge outside of their hanok.  The peaceful quiet of the night allowed Jeongguk to think more clearly as he contemplated how to find the white-haired man.

He kicked himself free of his blankets and rolled away from his yo 요. Careful not to wake the other members of his household, he tip-toed a few meters into the open space where his brother slept.  He slid to his knees and leaned over the boy, “Kida,” he whispered, shaking him gently.  “Kida, wake up.  I need to talk to you, this is important.”

Kida stirred and kicked Jeongguk as hard as he could in the knee, “Go away brother, I’m sleeping.”

“Damnit you little brat,” Jeongguk held his knee cap and continued to shake Kida awake.  “Listen Kida, it’s about the swordsman…the…” he cringed before saying it, “…the Kendo Dragon.”

Those words were potent enough to get Kida’s attention.  He sat up in his yo 요 and sleepily eyed Jeongguk in the dark, “Yeah, what about him?”

“You were right.  We owe him our lives.  I need to find him, to say thank you.  Where does he live Kida?  Where can I find him?”  Jeongguk continued to rub his sore knee.

“I have no idea.  Jeongguk he’s a folk hero and mythical celebrity, a mysterious unknown.  He probably lives in the clouds somewhere or on an island full of fairies.  You don’t just show up at a legend’s home with pan fried Bukkumi and a thank you note.  That’s like asking Medusa or King Tut on a date to a Kiak,” Kida rationalized.

“He’s a man, just like you and me.  He dresses in his Hakama and Koshiita one leg at a time,” Jeongguk smiled at the simplicity of it all.  Kida was a bit too enamored with the white-haired one to be of any substantive help, so it was going to be up to Jeongguk to investigate his true whereabouts, which he strongly doubted would lead him to any of the clouds over Korea.

***

The following morning Jeongguk took to a piece of parchment and charcoal to sketch together the image of his unknown rescuer.  His memory was fuzzy and his sightings of the man were limited at best.  Nevertheless, he drew a full-scale image of the mystery man, white hair and all. He took several opportunities to show his picture to Kida to make sure that both of their thoughts on the man’s appearance were represented.  The plan was to take the picture into town and show it around to the common folk where most of the dragon’s sightings had been reported.  Someone there would surely recognize him and tell Jeongguk where he could find him.

Sketchpad in one hand, he pulled open the hallow door to his hanok and exited into the fresh clear air of the dewy morning.  The neighbors who were headed to the river for early morning fishing, waved happily at him as he traveled back down the mountain.  

In the eyes of his small town, he himself, was shrouded in mystery.  The ladies of his fishing village found Jeongguk quite alluring yet, never had he been seen courting or showing any interest in them.  There were no arranged marriages queued up for him, and there appeared to be no woman in his life despite him being one of the most eligible bachelors in Busan.  Woman after woman begged their parents to align with his and offer dowries of untold riches, yet no one was ever successful with securing a deal for the married hand of Jeon Jeongguk.  

Jeongguk and Kida’s parents were peasant farmers who owned plentiful land outside of Gyeongseong.  They inherited the land from Jeongguk’s grandparents but didn’t want to uproot their entire family to move, so they allowed Kida, under Jeongguk’s guidance, to remain in Busan.  The distance was difficult at first, but after a few years, it became the norm.  

Jeongguk walked with a slow saunter of arrogance; head held high with bright glowing eyes that bore through whoever he set them upon.  His skin was fair with golden undertones that contrasted starkly with the sixty centimeters of long brown hair that hung down his back.  For expediency, he often pulled the top half of his luscious locks into a half bun to keep the burdensome strands from obstructing his view.  His prominent features were highlighted by the strong chiseled chin and pink palatable lips that floated below his elegant nose.  Deeply embedded within each cheek were oblong dimples that randomly displayed whenever he gesticulated in a certain manner; smiling being the most alluring.  Adding to his mystery was his predilection for dressing in all black, all the time with a different black hanbok for every day of the week.  Everything about him was intimidating and many feared him, not just because of his looks but because of his lethal fighting abilities.  For all of the talk of the Kendo Dragon, the Dark Warrior, as he was often referred, was a legend all of his own.

Jeongguk held a job as a martial arts instructor.  He was proficient in over 20 techniques and was qualified to teach even more.  But despite his willingness to teach everything he knew to the youth of Busan, no one was ever able to come even close to matching him in battle, thus adding to the mystique of the “Dark Warrior”.  The name was not far-fetched for Jeongguk was of warrior ancestry, but it was his training and years of instruction, under the tutelage of his mother’s brother, that raised him to legend status.  Despite his uncle living with them, Jeongguk was the defacto head of the household and leader of his small village beyond the river.  It was quite a responsibility for a man of only twenty-three, but he maintained the position well, with pride, integrity and honor.  Many times, Jeongguk had been called upon to eradicate squatters who tried to encroach upon their village and many times he sent them running for their lives, never to return.  It is for this reason that he became one of the most feared, but gentle souls in all of Busan.

As fortune would have it, Jeongguk had no lessons planned for the day which meant he could dedicate a considerable amount of time searching for the swordsman.  He began his investigation by cornering a few of the elderly ladies in the meat market, just off of the sea.

“Hello, Mrs. Kue, you do look lovely today.  Do you have a few minutes to take a look at my rendering?”

“Why hello Jeongguk.  Anything for you my handsome boy, show me,” she agreed.

“Do you recognize this man?”  Jeongguk asked.

“Ohh,” she strained her eyes and squinted to see the picture more clearly, “I’m sorry my boy, I don’t recognize him at all.”

He moved on to the next woman, “What about you, do you recognize the man in this drawing?”

“No,” she said.  “I wish I could help you Jeongguk, but no.”

He moved on again, “Mrs. Chong, could you take a look at this picture for me?  Do you recognize him?”

“Maybe, but probably not,” she smiled unhelpfully.

Jeongguk went from person to person practically begging for someone to recognize the picture and provide a clue.  

Jeongguk’s search for swordsman did not start off very optimistically.  In fact, by noon he had all but given up expecting anyone to recognize the figure in his drawings.  Despite his skepticism, he pressed on, questioning many in the market and then the fishing docks and finally the fruit orchards.  No one recognized the blurb of the face in his renderings.  After five hours and more than 27 miles covered by foot, Jeongguk was at a loss.  With a tired back and achy feet, he settled under the shade of a large Daimyo tree and took a rest.  Maybe Kida was right.  Maybe this white-haired dragon was some sort of mystical God who lived in the clouds.  He stared at his charcoal drawing and gently smudged the cheek, speaking quietly to the mystery man on his canvas, “I just wanted to say thank you.  Is that too much to ask?”

The branches of the large Daimyo tree above his head rustled loudly and then cracked.   Startled, he peered upwards through the dappled light of the trees and stared into the dense brush and heavy stems of oak to search for the source of the noise.  There was no wind, therefore no reason for the tree’s sudden grumbling.  The rustling grew louder before a storm of displaced leaves rained down upon him; and with them came a grey figure dressed in white that landed softly a few centimeters away.  Jeongguk bounced to his feet and stood ready with his back against the tree, he entered his kada stance and flitted his eyes feverishly around the small field.  A long thin stick pressed upon his Adam’s apple with heavy pressure as the image of the Kendo Dragon cleared into crisp focus before his eyes. 

“Why are you harassing my family?  What business do you have with me?”  The dragon asked bitterly as he prodded deeper into Jeongguk’s neck with his shinai.

With great restraint, Jeongguk punched the shinai away from his neck, causing it to fly into the air and shatter into pieces.  Jodo trained warriors were trained to disarm with deadly force if necessary.  The dragon, or whatever his name was, was very fortunate that Jeongguk was also Jodo because his next move by instinct would have been to choke him to death.   

The dragon chuckled as he watched his stick be destroyed. “Wow.  Such power in one single stroke.  You would be deadly...”

“I AM deadly,” Jeongguk interrupted, fists still clenched and body hunched over at the ready to ward off another attack.

The dragon spoke over him and continued, “...you WOULD be deadly if your heart were not so big.”

Jeongguk was a bit taken aback by the statement.  His overly tensed body relaxed before he immediately folded himself at the waist with a low grateful bow to the dragon.  “I did not intend to disturb your family.  None of the people I encountered today even admitted knowledge of your existence, let alone a familial bond.”

The dragon bowed as well.  Jeongguk released his bow and waited with baited breath to get a glimpse of the face belonging to his savior.  As the dragon rose from his bow and straightened his body, his long mounds of soft white hair fell to either side of his pale face revealing the soft delicate features of a man so stunning that Jeongguk stumbled back a couple feet balancing his back against the bark of the oak tree, “You - you’re not an old man!  You’re a - a - a - how old are you?”

“It’s a bit rude to ask a man his age isn’t it?  I am your elder, that’s all you need to know.” The dragon laughed.

“Elder?  By like three days at the most.  How old are you and why do you have the icy prints of an aged man?” Jeongguk held on to the tree behind him, still aghast at the beauty of the young man. 

“Why are you seeking me?  What is so important that you’ve combed through my village insinuating yourself?” The dragon produced a fresh red apple from his mother’s orchard and took a large bite then shoved it towards Jeongguk in a silent offer to share. 

“N-No thank you.  Again, my apologies if my presence caused you and yours any discomfort.  I just wanted to...,” the words were more difficult to speak than he anticipated.  The youth and beauty of the dragon were definitely something he didn’t expect and his mind raced with questions on how a man of that age could reach the status of mythical legend, “how old did you say you were again?”

The dragon rolled his eyes, sat with his legs crossed and faced the sea, “I didn’t.  Are you going to tell me what you want or am I going to have to behead you with my sword?”  He laughed with a mouth full of apple and used his hand to swipe away the juice that dropped onto his chin. 

Jeongguk smiled, “We’re on to beheadings now?  That escalated quickly. You don’t have much patience, do you?”  Jeongguk released a loud laugh that caused even the stoic dragon to smile. 

“I’ve shown you more patience than you deserve.  Typically, I would have killed you by now.”  The dragon sprung to his feet and in a flash of short movements threw the core of his apple full speed at Jeongguk’s face. Jeongguk responded just as quickly and within a millisecond extended his leg and used the tip of his toes to violently kick the Apple, obliterating it in the collision. 

“Shit.  That’s impressive.”  The dragon applauded. 

“Fuck!  Are we done with these foolish games?”  Jeongguk frowned at the juicy slimy mess over his gatsin, “Why are you so aggressive?”

“Why are you so - gorgeous?”  The dragon said honestly. 

The young Jeongguk flushed pink under the unexpected compliment from the dragon, “You know maybe we should start over.”  Jeongguk sighed and tilted his head.  His dimples exploded within the creases of his face as he presented a warm smile. “Hello dragon.  My name is Jeon Jeongguk.  You saved my brother and me last evening from a sword attack during a robbery.  I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your bravery.”  He bowed again.  “Ok, I’m done here.  I did what I came to do.   Thank you for finding me and allowing me to speak my peace.”  He smiled once again and then turned away.

“Jimin. Park Jimin,” The dragon spoke.

Jeongguk turned back and extended his hand for a handshake, “Dragon is a much cooler name.  But Jimin will do, I guess.”

“Tell me your truth Jeongguk,” the dragon spoke again with another annoying riddle.

Yet another test? Jeongguk wondered to himself, “Why do I feel like I’m being tested by you?  I didn’t seek you out for this reason.”

“Because maybe you are.  Now tell me your truth,” the dragon Jimin repeated.

“I’ve told you my truth?  What more do you want me to say?”

Jimin circled around him with his head bowed, “You searched for me on foot for more than five hours simply because you wanted to say thank you?  My instincts tell me there’s more to it than that.”

“Nothing more.”

“Are you sure?”

“My brother idolizes you...”

“Smart boy,” Jimin interrupted.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes and continued, “...and for his sake I felt it was important that we acknowledge those to whom we owe a great debt.  We owe you a great debt.” 

“Are you going to ignore my compliment?” Jimin fitted.

“The fact that you called me gorgeous? Yes, I’m going to ignore that.”  Jeongguk once again turned to leave.

“It was nice meeting you, formally, Jeongguk,” Jimin called after him, “and if you need to call on me again, I live on the shores of Dongbaekseom island.  Please visit me there instead of engaging in another Korean inquisition throughout the village.”

“Yeah. Yeah.  Bye.”  Jeongguk waved over his shoulder and hurried away.  

As much as Jeongguk would have loved to continue the highly charged banter with “Jimin” he needed to get home.  He’d spent so much time chasing after “the dragon” that he’d completely forgotten that his parents were due in from Gyeongseong at any moment.  His feet and legs were exhausted from the many traveled miles but he still managed to land home in record time.  As he walked up the mountain towards his tiny village, he watched with warm satisfaction while Kida and his Uncle Jin sparred playfully in the quad next to the fire pit.  The rapid downhill flow of the Naktong river sounded behind them. 

Jeongguk jogged up to them and positioned himself between them, “Your elbows are too low brother.  Raise them just above your chest and space them further apart, like this,” Jeongguk repositioned Kida’s body paying careful attention to the placement of his elbows, “details matter, as you’ve always taught me, right Uncle? Good afternoon.”  He bowed to his Uncle. 

“Rumor has it that you rose with the chickens and fishermen in search of the one who saved you.  Is that true Ggukie?”  Jin asked curiously.  

“It is true.  And I found him!”  Jeongguk lightly punched Kida about the neck forcing him to defend himself.

“YOU DID?  But how?  He’s a legend who lives in the clouds...” Kida sputtered wide eyed.

“Kida!  I told you yesterday brother, he’s just a man.  A peculiar man, but a man none the less.”

Uncle Jin rebuffed him, “The Kendo Dragon is more than just a man Jeongguk.  And I can assure you that the only reason you found him was because he wanted to be found.”

“Well that part seems to be true.  There seems to be a countless number of people in his village willing to protect him and his identity.  Kida, his name is Jimin by the way.” Jeongguk once again punched his younger brother, forcing him to defend.

“Jimin?  Wow what an amazing name! Jimin the Kendo Dragon.  Wait until the boys hear about this!”  Kida took off running towards the river’s edge to tell his friends what he’d learned.

“HEY!”  Jeongguk yelled to him, “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To tell my friends about the dragon,” Kida rejoiced.

“Uh no brother.  That can wait.  Did you forget that mom and dad are on their way home?  Today’s the 13th.  We have chores to do to prepare the place for their arrival. Now kindly march your butt inside to fold away your yo and sweep the floors.”  

Jeongguk gave Kida a stern look to which he immediately responded, “Yes, Hyung.”

***

Chapter Two – Ruby (and her sister)

For a second night in a row, thoughts of the strange visit with Jimin lay heavily on Jeongguk’s mind.  He felt an unbelievable draw to visit him again even though he knew it would be awkward to call upon the stranger for two consecutive days in a row.  Questions, questions and more questions lingered within Jeongguk’s mind leaving him yet unsettled, even though he’d already thanked the dragon for his help.

 

With his parents in town for the next couple of days, Jeongguk was free to wander away from the village on his own without his brother in tow.  The morning couldn’t arrive quickly enough and at the first peep from the rooster’s crow, he headed to the village bath house at the edge of the river for a wash before embarking on his trip.  Quietly, he wrapped a thin white sheath around his waist and scuttled along the rocky path to the river.  Along the way he met his Uncle Jin as he walked back to the house from the bath.

His Uncle slowed upon the path and paused to greet him, “Up with the roosters and the fishermen again, I see.  Let me guess, off to greet the dragon once more?”

“How did you know?”   

“I haven’t seen you this jovial in many moons.  What’s going on Jeongguk?  Anything you want to share with your uncle?”

“Jovial?  You act as if I am a brooding depressed old hag.  Of course, I’m jovial.  I have the love of my family and friends.  I love in a beautiful village with beautiful people.  I have a job that I enjoy. I have the perfect life.  Why would I not be jovial?”  Jeongguk smiled, much too happily for the situation.

“Why does it feel you’re about to break out in song?  This is definitely a side of you that I haven’t seen in quite some time.  Tell me. What is the cause of your euphoria?  It isn’t the dragon by any chance is it?

“Don’t be ridiculous.  Why am I not allowed to just be happy?  Is that some crime?  Your first instinct is to attribute my happiness to a man I met less than 24 hours ago.  Seriously, ridiculous uncle,” Jeongguk folded his arms and gave his uncle Jin a disapproving look.

Jin was suspicious.  Nothing about Jeongguk’s upbeat attitude was normal.  Nor was he falling for the ‘I love my life’ routine either.  Jin and his sister, Jeongguk’s mother, were of interesting heritage as well.  Both of them were generational Shaman from their Grandmother’s side.  It was where Jeongguk picked up his precarious abilities, including his spirit of the warrior.

Although both Jin and his sister possessed clairvoyant capabilities when they were younger, only Jin continued to hone the skill and refine his capabilities.  For many years, he sat by his grandmother’s side, learning the attributes of how to read people and interpret their thoughts, and actions.  It served him well as he became a great martial arts teacher because he was able to pass the skill of interpretive movement on to his many students, Jeongguk being the greatest of them all.  But it also allowed him to keep close tabs on his family and sense when there was danger.  Jin considered himself a “see-er” and he felt solidly that he could see the future with pin point accuracy, give or take a few pin points. 

Quickly, before Jeongguk could block him, he placed his palm flat upon the top of his nephew’s head and then closed his eyes.

“Uncle.”  Jeongguk folded his arms again and tapped his foot, perturbed, “You’re doing a spiritual reading of me again, without my permission.  Did it ever occur to you that some of us don’t want to know the future...” 

“Oh dear!”  Jin’s hand began to shake as it rested atop Jeongguk’s head.  Abruptly he pulled his palm away as if he’d touched a hot stove, he then opened his eyes.  His face looked as if he might choke on his words, even though he was not speaking.

“What?  What is it?  What did you see?”  The startled expression on his uncle’s face troubled Jeongguk.  Within seconds his attitude shifted from wanting to throw his uncle into the river for being annoying, to hanging on his every word, desperate to hear about his vision.

The uncle who had trained him since he was a baby, the uncle who’d provided counsel over him and helped raised him, the uncle who’d crafted him into the warrior he was, now stared at him with tears in his eyes as if he didn’t even know him.

“Damnit uncle, what is it?  What did you see?  Is it death?  Is it injury?”  The brave warrior grew anxious, “See this is why I never let you do reads on me.  This…this exact reason.”

Jin stood in silence.  He swept his nephew into his arms and whispered through tears, “Nothing.  I saw nothing.” With no further words, he turned his back and hurried quickly towards the warmth of the hanok.

Jungkook kicked a rock with his sandaled foot, “This is why no one in the family lets you do their spiritual readings uncle Jin.  Your visions are always rancid like uncured meat or day-old bread or twice fried rice.”

“None of what you said made any sense, son.  Besides, I rather like twice fried rice and day-old bread,” Jeongguk’s tepid insults towards his uncle were interrupted by unsolicited comments from an elderly fisherman of an adjacent village as she headed away from the river, “Good Morning Ggukie.”

“Mrs. Ku.  Forgive my language.  I didn’t know you were here.  Yes, we all love twice fried rice.  I meant no offense.”  Jeongguk tightened the sheath around his waist and held it in place as he bowed.  He stepped away from the path into the cold grass to allow Mrs. Ku to pass.  He waited.  Once she was safely away, he began sputtering profanities against his uncle again. “Great, now I have to worry about mortal danger the rest of my life.  I really HATE clairvoyants.”

***

Despite his unsettling encounter with his uncle, Jeongguk took advantage of his unencumbered time and headed back to the shores of Dongbaekseom island.  This time around, however, he hitched a ride on the back of a donkey carriage and sat in the open flatbed with a cage full of chickens.  With his trusty sketch pad in hand, he doodled more sketches using his charcoal pencil.  Of course, all of his renderings were variable iterations of the young beautiful dragon’s face.  He shuffled through the pages of his art work, surprised to find that almost all of his drawings were of the dragon, a figure he’d met less than 48 hours previous.  Now that he’d seen him up close, he’d become the perfect muse for Jeongguk’s imagination.  Drawing after drawing flowed from his fingers, each more beautiful than the previous one with the most brilliant feature being the soft white hair that accentuated his sculptured face.  The dragon – Jimin.  

The slow churning wooden wheels of the carriage crept along the dirt road as it traveled down the side of the mountain from the river villages into the city markets of Busan.  Jeongguk held on and propped his knees against the side of the wagon for stability.  He continued to sketch, shading in the negative around Jimin’s white hair.

The noise from his travel partners caused him to look up from his sketch pad.  Two of the chickens, the white one with the red beak and the white one with the pink beak were squaring off against each other inside of the cave.  The red beak fowl was the more aggressive of the two, she immediately launched a chicken foot into the breast of her pink beaked companion.

“Stop it you two.”  Jeongguk scolded them. “You two are sisters, you shouldn’t fight.  Family is everything.”

The red beaked hot head didn’t care for his lecture, she raised her chicken foot and once again shoved it into the chest of her sibling.  Jeongguk had an unusual power that was quite useful in situations that involved animals.  He had an ability to connect with them. Not through language or intimidation, but by a sacred energy that seemed to hold dominion over them.

“Alright, that’s it.”  He placed his hand between the grids in the cage and forced the lady fowl to separate while the other dozen chickens in the coop looked on lazily.  Now only did Jeongguk have a connection with animals, they also adored him.  Even as a small child, he was able to calm the wildest and most undomesticated of beasts throughout the village, 

“There is warrior energy in your touch.  They bow down to you.  They respect you,” his uncle Jin would say.

His magical touch never waned.  In his effort to usurp a chicken war, he transferred his hand to the back of red beak’s neck and pinched lightly using his thumb and forefinger. “I don’t know your name, but I love your beautiful red beak, so I will call you Ruby.”  He held the position until the red beaked chicken was once again sitting calmly, unbothered by her sister.  “Good girl.”  He smiled, then took the opportunity to introduce himself, “My name is Jeon Jeongguk of Naktong village.  It is a pleasure to meet you.”  He bowed to the entire cage of chickens and then settled in once again to continue his drawings.

The journey on the donkey’s carriage took more than an hour from the Naktong river to the shore of Dongbaekseom.  His feathered travel mates seemed to grow bored with his presence and by the time the carriage arrived, they were all asleep.  Jeongguk emerged from the flat bed a bit woozy from the bumpy ride but grateful none the less for the lift.  He searched through his purse and flipped a single gold won into the operator’s hand, “Thank you,” he said with a quick wave.

Another gold won to a fishing boat operator secured him a seat aboard the tiny vessel that would carry him the short distance to the island.  He rode for another ten minutes until he reached a row of modest hanok’s lined along the sandy shore.  He’d already been warned not to disturb the villagers with interrogations about Jimin’s whereabouts, so he decided to walk quietly along the shore, from hanok to hanok searching for the dragon on his own. 

The gentle grains of the warm sandy beach were very different from the muddy banks of his home along the river.  Jeongguk removed his shoes and allowed his bare toes to burrow into the smooth sand before stopping to take a seat.   The tempestuous sea cracked angrily before him with peaceful sounds that were pleasing but much more turbulent than the smooth flow of his beloved Naktong river.  The sea was alive under the command of the heavy winds as the white foamy caps rolled along the coastline rocking the boats that sat in the bay.

Coruscating lights bounced off of the surface of the water causing Jeongguk to cover his eyes intermittently as he tried to focus on the white figure in the distance.  In the middle of the sea, with sword drawn, stood the Kendo Dragon, stabbing and slicing at the waves as they pitched upwards into him.  A silent smile pulled at the corners of Jeongguk’s mouth, causing his elusive dimples to once again appear.

He stood to his feet and silently watched the dragon train.  It was an unusual training technique that Jeongguk had only read about in books.  The purpose, in theory, was to use the force of the waves against the sword stroke to increase the tensile pressure on the muscles, making it virtually impossible to complete the thrust of the sword - that was the theory at least -but it seemed to fall flat in the hands of the dragon.  

The dragon wore nothing but a pair of baggy white Hakama that clung to his legs within the wet sea.  His body glistened under the light of the sun and the layered muscles of his back transitioned rapidly between flat surfaced skin to angry knotted ripples that rolled along his spine.   His long white hair, darkened by the wet of the ocean, clung to his back, neck and chest like serpents constricting against him.  He waded further into the sea, still slashing at waves with his sword.   The shiny steel flashed under Jimin’s control, reflecting short bursts of blinding light.  

Fascinated, Jeongguk stood to his feet and waded into the water behind him.  As a dedicated student to the art of fighting, it was a rare opportunity to witness the secretive training regimen of a Kendo fighter, especially one as highly revered as Park Jimin.   Jeongguk carried his sketch book with him into the sea; holding it high to keep the water from tainting his page.  He began to sketch Jimin’s various poses with his charcoal pencil, narrowing his eyes to catch the find details of Jimin’s body.  Even the shape and curve of his sword were given special attention.  He glanced back and forth between his sketch and his subject until Jimin made a sudden turn revealing small black blotted symbols on his rib cage.  Jeongguk stopped sketching at once and stared at the garish marks that sullied the otherwise pristine body. 

Without turning around, Jimin called to him, “Why are you here Jeon Jeongguk?”  His voice was distant and his words could barely be deciphered over the noise of the sea.

“I’d like to talk.  I have questions,” Jeongguk yelled from the shallows.

Jimin released a long sigh followed by a confident laugh, “You’re intrigued with me.  Yes?”

“I have questions.  That does not rise to the level of intrigue.”

Jimin dropped his sword into a custom-made holder at his side.  He shook his long white hair and grabbed it with a single hand to push it away from his face, squeezing excess water from the strands.   He pivoted along the sea bottom and waded his way back towards the shore. 

Jungkook did his best to hold his eyes steady and not gawk at the black rib tattoo as Jimin emerged from the water.

“So we meet again, young Jeongguk.”  Jimin shook his hair again, sending beads of water all over Jeongguk’s face.  “Shall we step inside?”  He led his visitor to a colorful hanok that stood at the end of the row.

“Your home is lovely; the architecture is nice too.  You’ve got the sea in front of you to the east and the mountains behind you to the west, perfect.  Do you live here alone?”  Jeongguk took a seat on the floor. 

Jimin’s home was lovely indeed.  The space was largely empty with the only furnishings being a large steel cage on the laminate floor.  Inside the cage resided various tools and weapons; mainly Katana (swords) and lots of them – well over 300 by Jeongguk’s guess.  Ornately displayed primeval Hakama’s, Kendogi, Koshita’s, Tabi, and Bogu all hung suspended from wires within the steel enclosure.  Upon closer examination, Jeongguk realized they were all stained with blood.  Once again as a student of combat, Jeongguk was impressed with Jimin’s collection.  This guy is pretty cool, he thought to himself.

Jimin walked through his home wet and shirtless, looking for a towel to dry himself,

“I don’t typically have guests.  I assume the polite thing to do is offer you some tea?  And yes, I live alone.  My mother visits from time to time when she is not tending to her apple orchards on the main land.”  

“Tea would be nice.  I’ve been cooped up with a bunch of angry chickens throughout the journey here and I need to clear the feathers from my throat,” Jeongguk joked.  

Jimin allowed the comment to linger in the air as he pondered it’s meaning.  He decided to allow it to go unaddressed, but made a mental note to ask about it later.

The visitor continued, “I hope you don’t mind me visiting you again.  There are still some things that I need to clear up.”  Jeongguk watched Jimin carefully looking for any sign of annoyance.  Instinctively, his eyes dropped again to the markings across Jimin’s ribs.  

Jimin noticed the shift in Jeongguk’s attention and decided proactively to address his curiosity, “It is a brand, known in my birthplace of Samhan as a tattoo.  It was placed with a sketch and then colored with a heated needle of carbon and iron oxide.  This is the mark of the dragon; gifted to me at the age of thirteen.”

“Thirteen!  That’s just a couple years younger than Kida.  You were just a baby.  How could they mark you with anything at only thirteen years old?  What kind of savage treatment is that for a naive child?” Jeongguk was incensed.  His lack of cultural awareness for the rich history of Samhan was offensive, but Jimin allowed it.

He laughed mockingly, “Naive child? I’d killed seven men by the time I was thirteen, not by choice, but out of necessity. I had bravery that men twice my years did not possess.  It was hardly savage Jeongguk.  It was a coronation, giving me my rightful place amongst the ancestors.”

“KILLED seven men, by thirteen?  I don’t even know what to say to that.”  Jeongguk watched the dragon’s eyes carefully for warning signs of enjoyment in his talk of killing.  But thankfully what he found was just the opposite.

Jimin made certain eye contact with him, “Someone so young should never have to take a life.  It darkens your soul and burns your conscious into ash.  I took seven souls in one evening and I’ve never been the same since.  I feel as if such a burden has…,”

“…you feel as if you’ve lost your humanity?”  

“There are times where I don’t even know what that means,” Jimin said honestly.

“It’s too young.  Thirteen is too young for anything,” Jeongguk argued foolishly.

“I was not a naïve child.  I knew what I was doing,” Jimin countered.  Jeongguk moved to protest but was struck down by Jimin’s raised voice, “...and regarding your brother - Kida was it?  He is no naive child either.  Tell me what child of his age have you ever seen stand fearlessly against a wielding sword in order to protect someone he loves?  He looked Pon in the eye in the midst of an attack and dared him to hurt you.  He was prepared to fight to the death for you.  Is that just a naive “baby”?  He’s got your warrior spirit, don’t underestimate him.”

Jungkook directed a threatening gaze towards Jimin, “Don’t speak of my brother, you don’t even know him.  Besides, Kida is hardly a warrior.  He’s a snotty nosed kid with a smart mouth.”  Jeongguk thought for a moment and narrowed his eyes to peer at Jimin, “…and how do you know he stood against Pon?  Unless…wait a minute?  You were there weren’t you?  You...were watching? You saw the entire fight?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?  And you didn’t help?”

“You held your own.  You did not need me.  Besides, I did help remember?  I saved your life in the end,” Jimin reminded him.

“Yeah, but I took three kicks to the face and a knee to the nuts.  You couldn’t have intervened BEFORE all of that happened?”  Jeongguk feigned anger. 

“As I said, you held your own.  You did not need me.  It was too bad I didn’t have a quail of seaweed snacks because it was quite entertaining to watch you fight and almost single-handedly defeat twelve imbeciles with no weapon.  It was a marvel to watch, my cock got hard, that’s how much I enjoyed it.”

Jeongguk placed his hand over his heart as if shocked by Jimin’s forward speech.  Jimin regretted his honest words, for his intention was never to offend the younger.  As he opened his mouth to apologize, Jeongguk continued his thought.

“That was a ridiculously peculiar thing to say.  But – you are a man after my own heart.  You see, I too love the pornography of a good battle.”  He laughed loudly flashing a perfect row of white teeth as his head tilted backwards in hysterics.

Jimin decided to continue safely, “Too bad Pon brandished his sword but I have no doubt you would have handled that too – that is - if it weren’t for the interruption from your brother.”  Jimin gestured to Jeongguk to hold the punching bag so he could spar with it, “Since you are the fearless warrior, I am sure you won’t mind holding this for me?  You will excuse me if I continue my workout.  I did not expect a visitor during my training hours.”

“Uhh-sure.”  He jumped up and gripped the bag with his body, holding it steady for Jimin, “Seriously though.  Why did you intervene Jimin?  Why did you save me?  This was not your fight.”

“Was I to stand by and watch two defenseless men be killed?  Make no doubt, he would have killed you and your brother.  Even though murder is not in his heart, he would have preferred to carry that on his conscious than the humiliation of a second defeat.  Pon considers himself a warrior as well, of your same blood.  His arrogance would not allow him to lose to you a second time.”

“He’s a bit of a cry baby, isn’t he?”

“Yes.  I’ve known him since we were children.  He’s always been a bit of a cry baby - as you say.”  Jimin was now across the room swinging a sword at a tattered practice mannequin.  He thrusted it upwards creating a deep incision within the mannequin.  He then jogged across the room and gave two more punches and several heavy kicks to the bag that Jeongguk held for him.  Then he back flipped over to the mannequin and reclaimed his sword.

“They had no chance against me,” Jeongguk said with little humility.

“I agree.  As I said before, stans the interference of your brother, I am sure I would have witnessed quite an exciting show as you made mincemeat of the fool with the sword.  Jeongguk?”  Jimin said his name with strange emphasis on the Jeon.  “I must say, your style of fighting is quite unique.  I clearly recognized the Jodo but ...,”

Jeongguk picked up, “...My style is a combination of many, at the behest of my mother’s brother, I was trained in several different styles with the intention of melding them into something unique only to me.  Not to brag, but it worked.  No one in this region can battle fairly with me and win.”

“Jodo and Hapkido? Jimin ceased the attack on his practice mannequin and smiled proudly, realizing that he’d unlocked the key to Jeongguk’s dominating style of combat.  “That’s it isn’t it?  You merged the ancient with the modern?  That is...very clever.”

“Yes. It is.”  Jeongguk walked in circles with his hands held behind his back, pacing around Jimin and his tattered practice mannequin.

They both jogged back over to the punching bag, where Jimin launched several small powerful jabs.

“But Jodo is so peaceful and anti-weaponry as where Hapkido is just the opposite.  How do you reconcile the two?”  Jimin looked curiously at Jeongguk.  His long white hair was now pulled into a high bun that sat erect upon the top of his head, allowing him to clearly identify his target as he attacked.  

“Simple.  I disarm.”

“That explains why you knew you would have to kill Pon when he yielded the sword.”  Jimin stopped again and looked to Jeongguk for confirmation.

“He wanted to die and I wanted to kill him.  He attacked me with my brother in tow, a virtual child!  Only dead souls attack a child.  He needed to be eradicated.  I do wish you had killed him,” Jeongguk lamented.

“For Pon, returning home as a disgraced warrior is a much greater punishment than death.”  Jimin chuckled, “They won’t be bothering you again.”  Jimin confidently repeated the same mantra that Jeongguk had heard from Kida.

“How can you be so sure?”

Jimin smirked, “You really don’t know who I am do you?  That’s cute.” 

Jeongguk was distracted.  His official line of questions had been replaced by his acute curiosity, “What do you do for work?”

“I train and I kill and I train to kill,” Jimin said darkly.

Jeongguk sat still with his mouth slightly open in anticipation of his next words, “Mm. Ok.  And then what?  What do you do when you’re all done with your killing?  I mean let’s assume you kill ohh, three-four people a day.  What does that take - about fifteen minutes? Then what do you do with the rest of your day?”

Jimin couldn’t tell if Jeongguk was joking or if he fully expected the mystical legendary Kendo Dragon to have a part-time job at the local clothing market, “I’m afraid I don’t understand your question.”

“I’m a teacher.  I instruct the children of my village and teach them the ways of the ancient martial arts,” Jeongguk offered his occupation as an example, but Jimin still didn’t quite understand the purpose of the line of questioning.

“The people of this village, of this island depend on me.  I, much like yourself, am the protector of my people.  That, Jeongguk, is my work.”

Finally, a concept that Jeongguk could understand, “Very well.  I train long hours as well and I am also looked upon as the protector of my community.  But why does everyone consider you a legend?  What have you done to earn such a title?”

“I could take offense to you questioning my honor…”

“NO, no please, I didn’t mean it that way…I’m just trying to figure out…why my brother idolizes you so…” Jeongguk finally admitted.

“Ahhhhh - now we get to the truth.  You’re worried that you appeared fallible in the eyes of your impressionable brother.  Need I remind you once again that you alone, with no help, almost defeated twelve attackers?  Your brother watched you do this.  Trust me, that will remain with him for eternity.  You will always be his ultimate hero.”  Jimin threw several fluttering punches at the bag between he and Jeongguk.

The warrior chose not to answer.  Instead he used the safety of the large punching bag between them to hide his expression.   

Jimin pulled his last punch and searched around the bag to find Jeongguk’s face, the large brown eyes had grown sullen and distant in high contrast to their typical brightness.  

“He’s growing up,” Jeongguk confided, “and he is determined to be his own man.  Sometimes that means going against my will, even though he has not the mental capacity to survive his own boneheaded decisions.  It is a great responsibility to raise a child, especially one who is too eager to become a man.”

“If you continue to baby him and shelter him, your situation will only get worse,” Jimin offered unsolicited.

“What do you know? You don’t even have a job,” Jeongguk joked.

***

For more hours than they cared to count, Jimin and Jeongguk visited in the tiny hanok by the sea.  The conversation with Jimin helped to solidify one thing firmly in Jeongguk’s mind; the dragon was no mystic, he was just a man, a very kind and gentle man.

“The sun has lowered; I better be going.  I need to catch a ride back to my village.”  Jeongguk dusted himself off of the floor.

“You’re getting a ride back with the fighting chickens?”

“Indeed.  They’re sisters and they aren’t too fond of each other.  If they don’t have proper supervision, it could end in war.”  Jeongguk nodded.

Jimin wanted to laugh, but he hadn’t yet figured out Jeongguk’s sense of humor.  If he were serious about the great chicken war, the laughter from Jimin would be quite inappropriate.  He decided it was best to follow Jeongguk’s lead.  It was a great relief when the warrior burst into giggles.  It was only then that Jimin allowed himself to smile as well.

Jeongguk was several paces from the floor when he realized he’d forgotten something, “My sketch book.”

“I got it,” Jimin saw it on the ground and picked it up for him.  Imagine the surprise when he realized the first few sketches were of his face, “What’s this?”

Jeongguk snatched the pad from him, “Nothing, I needed to find you yesterday so I made a quick sketch to disperse at the market.  No big deal.”

“One sketch I can understand – three at the most - but your entire book is all ME.”  Jimin snatched the book back from Jeongguk and continued to flip through the pages.  Sketch after sketch of himself in varying stages of dress, some even nude, filled the sketch book.  “I never posed for these.  You’ve got quite the imagination.  Oh, but this won’t do,” He laughed and pointed to one of the nudes and then ran his finger along his own sketched penis, “and if you want your sketches to be realistic, you need to um, err, um, make that bigger...much, much bigger,” he laughed brazenly without blushing, “You ARE intrigued by me.  I knew it,” he said satisfactorily.

Jeongguk was pensive for a moment.  He reclaimed his sketch book and flipped through a few more of the pages himself.  “This one is my favorite,” he tilted the book to show the drawing to Jimin.  It was the picture he drew of Jimin in the water where his muscles rippled up and down his spine as he sliced through the waves with his sword.  “I won’t lie.  You are quite beautiful.  I can’t decide which I value more, the elegance and grace of your kendo or the elegance and grace of - you.”

“You are a true student of the battle dance, so for now, let’s just assume you like my uhh – kendo.”  Jimin smiled.  “Hey, is now a good time to bring up my comments or are we still ignoring that?”

“You mean the comment where you called me gorgeous?  Yeah, we’re still ignoring that.”  Jeongguk gave a playful salute and then bolted down the sandy beach towards his boat ride.  Jimin could hear him yelling back towards the mainland, “Ruby!  We already discussed this, leave her alone!”

Chapter Three – Kida’s War

As a budding teenager, Kida was a challenge, teetering the line between woefully defiant and desperately dependent, which oft times led to him challenging the older males in his village.  But it was always his older brother that he ultimately yielded to; no one could connect with him the way Jeongguk could.  

Kida looked very much like his older brother except he was quite tall, a trait he’d inherited from his Father’s side, but he was also thin and lanky without his brother’s brawn or strength.  At only fifteen -years old, he stood eye to eye with his older brother.  Although his hair was a bit shorter, it was a similar shade of brown but darker with no natural highlight.  They shared the same eyes, the same features, sans the dimples, and the same indubitable fighting warrior spirit.  The ladies of the village, distraught over the inability to capture the heart of Jeongguk, looked to him as the next target of their affections.  

Quiet as it was kept, Kida was also a skilled fighter, the best in the village, preceded only by his uncle Jin and his brother.  But that was to be expected from a youth who had such a talented foundation of idols as his teachers.  Alas no matter how much talent and fighting potential Kida displayed, Jeongguk still considered him a child and continued to repress his desire to branch out.  It was one of the reasons that Kida was so frustrated after the attack from Pon in the alley.  Kida felt that he should have been allowed to fight alongside his brother instead of being forced to hide behind a garbage heap.  Jeongguk’s disregard for Kida as a man was something that laid heavy on Kida’s chest.  He wanted to grow up but his over protective brother just wouldn’t allow it.

But there was more complexity to Kida than just his teenage angst; complexity that many in the village never even knew.  Kida had an illness – nothing life threatening – but an illness that required regular care to manage.  It was for this very reason that Areum and Seo made the trip from Gyeongseong back to Busan every month without fail, because Kida had to be treated with a special potion and it had to be administered monthly to keep him well.   Mystery surrounded the nature of his illness and even Kida himself didn’t understand what was wrong with him.  Despite being asked many times by Jeongguk, Kida, and other uncles and aunts, Areum and Seo weren’t talking.  When he was thirteen, Kida demanded to know why he was sick and why he needed the potion, still his parents refused to tell him anymore than, “it will keep you well.”  After a while, the other members of the family stopped asking and discussion of the entire matter eventually became taboo

***

“Happy Birthday you donkey’s ass.  I love you.”  Jeongguk threw a heavy package wrapped in brown paper and tied with rope.  There were small blossoms affixed to the bow for decoration and an identical sketch of Kida was drawn in charcoal across the top.

“Thank you Ggukie-hyung.”  Kida took a few moments to admire the picture and then ripped the package to shreds.  His eyes sparkled once he saw the contents, “WHOA!  Is this the war Tal that we saw in the market a few months ago?  My GOD brother are we rich and I did not know?  This must have cost a fortune!”

“It’s the traditional Korean Tal.  This is the one…”

“…the one to be worn during battle, it was considered a piece of the uniform for those in royal courts to keep evil spirits away.  Yes, brother I know!  I can’t believe it. Kida put the mask to his face and mumbled, “thank you,” from behind the intricately carved wood, “I will cherish this for the rest of my life.”

He ran to give his brother a hug but instead ran into the end of Jeongguk’s extended leg that he’d lifted into the air to use as a barrier between he and Kida. He held it suspended there as a sort of frozen kick and pushed it into Kida’s chest to stop him from approaching any further, “You are a boy of sixteen.  I would expect you to stop slobbering all over me at this age.  A handshake will do.”  Kida frowned.  He stepped back, bowed and then proceeded to extend his hand for a handshake.

Jeongguk accepted his hand and then pulled him violently to the floor and jumped on top of him to cover him in a loving hug.  They rolled around wrestling and giggling until their mother rang out with, “Will you let him go so he can open his other birthday gifts?”

Kida’s sixteenth birthday was indeed special.  Many came from neighboring villages to wish him luck and prosperity and to bring him treats and presents and of course more warm hugs.  It was a perfect day as far as Kida was concerned.  Not only did he get to spend time with his friends, but he had time with his mom and dad and that was what mattered the most.

***

The visit with Kida and Jeongguk’s parents was brief but heartwarming.  Hearing his father’s laughter again and feeding on his mother’s Naengmyeon and Bap and homemade kimchi caused memories of Jeongguk’s childhood to come rushing back to him.  Despite the trauma of his early years, Jeongguk did have a balance of happy memories.  It wasn’t all bad and for that, he was grateful.

It was unfortunate that Kida was being raised on simple ramen and steamed rice and did not get to experience his mother’s fabulous cooking as Jeongguk did as a child.  But to all, it appeared that Kida didn’t mind, and he was completely unaffected by the distance between he and his parents.  His focus was on training and becoming a warrior, protector that could eventually replace Jeongguk. For all of his silliness, Kida was as dedicated as anyone.  His studies and training were all coming along well, much to the delight of his parents who repeatedly thanked Jeongguk and Jin for the influence they maintained over him.

“Well, your brother is all set.  I think he had a good birthday.  Me and your dad must prepare to take our leave.  We have a long carriage ride back to Gyeongseong.”  His mother, Areum, squeezed Jeongguk’s cheek and gave it a peck.

“Already Mother?  But you just got here,” Jeongguk sulked.

“We’ve been here for three days.  You’re the one who disappeared suddenly and stayed away for a full day.  Uncle Jin tells me you have a new friend?” She smiled as if the news were substantial.

“Uncle Jin has no idea what he’s talking about.  He’s an old man who makes up things.”  Jeongguk smiled.  He was tempted to tell his mother about his encounter with the dragon, but hesitant at the same time.

She scolded Jeongguk by pinching him in the arm, “He’s eight years younger than me and your father.” 

“You’re old too,” Jeongguk broke into laughter.  Ironically his uncle Jin walked by at the exact same time, “your ears must be burning,” he snickered at his uncle.

“What?”  Jin said as he chomped on peanuts.

“Never mind.”  Jeongguk wrapped both of his large hands around his uncle’s neck and used them to pull him forward and kiss his forehead.  

Jin was confused.  He frowned at his sister, “I don’t understand these kids, Areum.”

Once Jin walked away, Jeongguk turned his attention to a more serious matter.  He knew it was a sensitive topic, but he broached it anyway, “Mom, is everything ok with Kida?  I mean the medicine you have to give him - I’m 23 years old and I still have no idea what it’s for.”

“It is not your concern.  I have this under control, always have.  Your brother is perfectly fine.  In fact, he is better than fine.  You’re doing a wonderful job with him Jeongguk.  I know it’s tough, but he worships you. Once he is older and reflects on all you’ve done for him, I imagine all of his first-borns will be named Ggukie.”  She smiled.

He didn’t question her further. If she stated the matter was under control, then it was not his place to continue to probe.

Seo entered the room and immediately kissed his wife, “What are you two talking about?  Looks serious.”

“No, nothing serious.  Jeongguk is making friends.  Did you know?” Areum winked at Seo.

“Good to know.  Are you ready to go honey?  We better get on the road.” Seo gently rubbed his wife’s back, probing her to move quickly.

Kida, Jin and Jeongguk walked Seo and Areum to their wagon and helped them load their supplies.  “I’ll see you in a few weeks my strong little man,” Areum smothered Kida’s face with a barrage of unnecessary kisses.

“Mom, you’re embarrassing meeeee,” Kida pulled away and wiped his mother’s kisses from his face.  

Every single kiss that Kida wiped away, his mother replaced by repeating the exact same act over again, this time more aggressively, “You obey your brother; do you understand Kida?”

“Yes mom,” he said begrudgingly.  “Wow I cannot get over how much you’ve grown; are they feeding you ox and buffalo every day?”  She laughed and gave her youngest one last kiss.

Jeongguk laughed teasingly as his brother, but he was not immune from her motherly kisses.  She grabbed his face and drowned him in pecks as well, “Take care.  I love you Jeongguk.”

“Love you too mom.” Jeongguk helped her into the front of the horse carriage.

“Jeongguk?”  She was now peering into his deep brown eyes, so much like his sisters.  “Kida.  He’s growing up.  He’s going to challenge you.  Rule with an iron fist, but allow him to spread his wings.  He’s changing and he’s going to want to explore more of – who he is.  Give him space, ok?”

“I understand mother.”  The warning from his mother tensed his shoulders and made him uneasy but he shrugged it off and glanced at his brother who was feeding the donkey a hand full of hay.  

The carriage was barely out of sight before Kida took off, “Bye Ggukie, going to spar with Bui, be back soon.”

“Hey, but uh – never mind.”  Jeongguk watched his brother disappear through the garden.  Something was different about him, but Jeongguk didn’t know what it was.  He stared at him, squinting his eyes.  Had he grown? No - that wasn’t it.  Was he tanned from all of his time training in the sun?  No…that didn’t seem like the answer either.  Had he gained weight?  Lost weight?  What?  What was it? Kida was different.

***

Bui and Kida tip-toed quietly behind the garden. Kida pulled open his bag and showed it to his friend.

“Whoa shit! Where did you get these Kida?  These are…shinai!”

“Shhh, keep your voice down.  I got them from a little cart near the docks.  They sell all different styles.”  Kida smiled.

“But your brother forbids weapons including Kendo.”  Bui touched the cold wooden shinai as they lay nestled in the wooden case that Kida had sewn together.

“I am a man of sixteen now.  My brother’s days of telling me what to do are over.  It is time for us to speak man to man.  I will tell him that I am learning Kendo and that will be the end of it.  I don’t need his permission to train Kendo and I know just the right person to train me,” Kida said confidently.

“Kida.  This is morally wrong and it goes against the entire Jeon family code.  You really think he is going to agree to this?” Bui reminded him.

Kida puffed his chest, “Yes.  Of course, he will.  I will talk to him like a man.  We need more protection in this village and I am going to be the one to protect us.  He will understand once he sees the value in my new skills.”

Bui laughed before Kida could even finish his sentence, he repeated his question, “You’re going to march up to your brother and ask to train Kendo?  Yeah good luck with that one.  He’s going to smite you where you stand.”

“He’s going to agree to it.  You’ll see.  Even he was impressed by the dragon.  He’ll say yes,” Kida said with confidence.

 Bui grimaced, “For your sake I truly hope so.  Do you really think it’s a good idea for him to catch you with these shinai?”

“Don’t worry he won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?” Bui questioned.

Kida looked down the mountain, “Because I’m not going to keep them here.  I’m going to store them someplace else.”

***

Jeongguk sat in the garden behind the village.  He flipped open his sketch book and proceeded to refine his latest sketch of nude Jimin, taking great care to enlarge the cock as Jimin had instructed.  The thought of it made him flash a bright smile down into his sketchbook.  “Bold dragon,” he whispered.  Smudges from his fingers soften the charcoal lines and blended the blunted tip of the phallus.  A grin of naughty satisfaction stretched across his face as he examined the amended drawing that now reflected a much longer hardened dick attached to the muscular dragon’s body.  

“Ggukie-hyung?”

Jeongguk jumped out of his skin.  Sweat beaded on his forehead and his heart thumped nervously.  He immediately slammed his sketch book closed and shoved it under his thighs them cleared his throat and attempted to act normal, “Yes brother, come.” 

“Hyung, may I have a word with you?  Man, to man?” Kida looked Jeongguk directly in the eye as a display of maturity.

“You mean man to child,” he corrected.

“NO, hyung, I mean man to man.  I’m sixteen now and I think it’s time we had this talk,” Kida emphasized.

“Sit down.  What has you so combative today?” Jeongguk asked.

Kida began, “I have been a good student for you and uncle Jin, would you agree?”

“Well yes, most of the time.” Jeongguk nodded.

“And I have earned your respect as a fighter, would you agree?”

“Yes, very much so.” Jeongguk playfully bowed to his younger brother, a rich compliment. 

“And with your respect comes my ability to have say in my training?  Would you agree?”  Kida nervously stuttered his last few words.

“Where are you going with this Kida?”  Jeongguk challenged him before agreeing any further.

“Ggukie- Hyung.  I want weapons training,” he said bravely.

“No.”  Jeongguk didn’t hesitate.

“Ggukie, hear me out.  The attack the other day made me realize that we need greater protection in this village.  You are a great fighter but even you would have been defeated if not for the dragon.   Ggukie, I want to train in Kendo. Please?”

Jeongguk’s eyes widened in anger as he stood to his feet, “NO, HELL NO! We are a village of INTEGRITY.  We do not teach torture by weapons.”

“Brother.  You’re being an ass.  Will you at least consider it?” Kida stood toe to toe with his older brother.

“I said NO!”  Jeongguk shouted, “and that is my final answer.”  He leapt from the garden wall and stormed toward the quad in the middle of the village where the other Hanoks stood.  His uncle Jin, curious about the noise, stepped out into the clearing to greet them.

“Ggukie.  Wait please.  Please!”  Kida called after him.

Jeongguk stormed by Jin, “No Kida! I said NO!”  It was a rare occurrence for Jeongguk to raise his voice.  Naturally the tense conversation drew a crowd.  

“You’re nothing but a hypocrite!” Kida yelled back.

“How dare you challenge me.  I am the leader of this village and I and the leader of this family and I say no weapons!  Especially Kendo, the most brutal of them all.  You’re just a child!”

“The Kendo Dragon was already a marked man by the time he was my age!”  Kida used a poor comparison.

“Where are you getting these fantasies?  Who’s feeding this to you? You are meant to be a WARRIOR; you can’t deny your blood destiny.”

“I DON’T WANT TO BE A STUPID WARRIOR. I’M MEANT FOR GREATER THINGS.  I can feel it.  You’re just jealous because HE had to save YOUR life!” Kida shouted.

“KIDA!”  Jin stepped between them. “Apologize to your brother.”

“He would not have had to intervene if you had kept your idiotic, disobedient, immature ass hidden as I instructed you to do!”  Jeongguk charged.

“I had a right to fight beside you brother! Not cower like some humiliated baby.  Uncle Jin, he’s a hypocrite.  Jeongguk is weapons trained, everyone knows it.  Yet he won’t allow me to do it?  He probably even knows kendo. Thank God the dragon showed up or else we’d be dead!” Kida was mercilessly accusatory.

“Kida! Stop it right now. Times were very different when your brother was coming of age.  It was a time of great war and famine and we had to learn to fight as our enemies did.  But that is no longer the world we live in.  He is our warrior and if he says no weapons, then NO weapons.”

“Don’t protect him uncle Jin, he’s a hypocrite!” Kida repeated.

Jeongguk fumed.  His entire faced burned with anger.  His every desire was to lay hands on Kida and smash his head into the ground, but he breathed deeply and calmed himself, “To the river. Twelve stones in each pale, twenty-six paces up and down the mountain NOW!”

“What!  You’re punishing me?  I didn’t even do anything?  You’re jealous!  You’re jealous of the dragon and you’re taking it out on me.  You’re scared of being challenged and you’re scared that I’m better than you!” Kida spat in anger.

Uncle Jin had had enough.  He pushed Kida in the chest, “KIDA!  You do not speak to your elders that way.  To the river now!”

Kida held his breath and clinched his fists.  He was so angry with his brother that it took all of his might not to attack him. Uncle Jin, for Kida’s own safety, ushered him quickly towards the path to the river.  He could tell by the look on Jeongguk’s face that his patience was wearing thin, so he scooted Kida away, “Go before your brother kills you with his bare hands.”  Jin said jokingly, but not really.  He’d never seen Jeongguk so angry.   

Jin trailed along the path behind Kida to make sure he executed his punishment.  Jeongguk needed some time to cool down and keeping Kida at the river for a few hours was in everyone’s best interest.  They walked down to the waterfall at the base of the mountain.  Kida grabbed two large pales and began collecting large river rocks to fill them per his brother’s instruction.  He threw them angrily into each pale, “One…stupid two…dumb three…asshole four,” he counted them with salty disdain.

“Kida!  Language,” Jin said gently.

“Sorry uncle Jin.”

Kida continued the rest of his count silently.  Once he’d gathered twelve large rocks in each pale, he began his first trek up the side of the mountain, carrying one pale in each hand.  He mumbled profanities at his stupid brother. The punishment was one that Jeongguk kept stored in his bag of tricks for times when Kida pushed the boundaries a bit too far.  The point of the punishment was to make Kida waste countless hours carrying rocks up and down a small inclined portion of the mountain.  It was a tiring exercise that typically ended in sore muscles and a few scrapes and cuts.  But Jeongguk’s purpose for the exercise was multi-faceted; for one it was a great way to add muscle to Kida’s lanky frame.  Despite being tall, he was still quite slight in the body and needed to bulk up.  Secondly, the chore gave Kida time to think peacefully about whatever he’d done to land him there.  In the end, it was an effective way to force Kida into a little self-reflection.

Uncle Jin watched, with some sadness.  He didn’t like to see his nephews fight but this situation was particularly difficult because he understood both sides.  Kida meant no harm with asking to be weapons trained.  He had no idea of the brutal past that soured Jeongguk so severely against the use of weapons in combat.  He settled on the river bank and watched as Kida headed up for his third lap.

“Kida?”  He spoke gingerly.

“Yeah Jin-Hyung.”  He continued carrying the heavy pales of rocks up and down the mountain side.

“Your brother has his reasons for keeping you away from weapons.”

“Whatever his reasons are, they’re stupid and he’s a hypocrite,” Kida replied.

“Neither of those statements is true. Kida?”  Jin looked at him lovingly as he struggled with the heavy rocks.  “did you know that I had two more siblings besides your mom?”

“What?  I didn’t know that.  Why have I never met them?” Kida stopped on his fifth lap up the mountain.

“And you had an older sister, Chunja.”

Kida was shocked at the mention of her name.  He dropped both pales and the rocks rolled down the incline into the water, causing him to give chase to retrieve them.  No one dared speak Chunja’s name, especially around his mother and father, so hearing his uncle Jin mention her was unexpected.  “Yes.  I know.  Mom and dad talk about her some, but not much.  To be honest, it’s a hard thing and I don’t know how to talk about it with them so we just never talk about it. But I know she was killed.  I wish I could have met her.”

Jin continued, “Not many know about your sister’s death. She was only ten years old when she died and she was tortured.  She was five years older than Jeongguk.  She and my brothers and countless others were killed during a raid on our village.  The injuries they sustained were horrific.  Swords, knives, chains, that sort of thing.  They suffered tremendously and your brother, just five at the time, watched them die.

Your mother, especially, bore the brunt of losing two brothers and a child; it changed everything.  I believe, although they will never admit it, that’s why they fled to Gyeongseong because there were too many painful memories here in Busan.  You and your brother were happy here so that’s why they left you behind, they didn’t want to blight your youthful joy with their eternal mourning.

“They said that?”

Jin sighed, “Not in so many words, no.  But I could sense it.  I could read their hearts.”

“You’re a clairvoyant uncle Jin.  Why didn’t you warn them of what was coming?” Kida asked Jin a tough question.

Jin teared, “I have to read you to see anything happening in your future.  I had no way of knowing that an innocent child could be harmed or my brothers.  I never did readings on family, so I didn’t know of her future or anyone else’s.  I should have, maybe?  I don’t know. 

All of this affected your brother in ways we can never imagine.  He was so young and impressionable.  But you should know that the stance against weaponry does not belong exclusively to your brother, in fact he’s carrying the torch of generations of moral thought on this issue within the Jeon family.  We have always taken the position that there is more nobility in the fist, than in a weapon.  The brutality that your brother witnessed reinforced that belief and he has taken it upon himself to honor that tradition and reemphasize it’s importance.  Yes, he is trained in weapons and even some Kendo, but he had no choice.  That training was forced upon him because at the time we thought it was the only way to protect our futures. But things change, and it’s not hypocritical.  Its called evolution – growth.”

“If weapons are so bad, why have father and mother told me stories of the Kendo dragon since I was a babe?  They’ve glorified him as a folk hero, and he wields a deadly sword.  Clearly they don’t buy into my brothers’ nonsense.”  Kida made a valid point.

“It is NOT nonsense; it is a strongly held belief almost like his religion.  It is rooted in deep generational moral perspective.  He’s not naïve, he knows he cannot alone eradicate that form of training.  He appreciates those who are skilled with weaponry, but the moral perspective from the Jeon’s is that we will not live in that manner.” Jin couldn’t understand why Kida wouldn’t understand.

“Well all I know is a bad ass with a sword saved his life.  And his “moral perspective” was no help at all.” Kida said angrily as he continued carrying his rocks.

“Kida that is the most disrespectful sentence you have ever uttered.  This theory did not start with your brother, it was passed down as part of our Jeon code.  You must respect him. And as for your fabled dragon, he is a different creature altogether.  His circumstances are completely different and cannot be compared to your brother’s.”

“Uncle Jin-hyung, my brother has killed before, many times.”

“Yes, but he kills with his hands, in his mind, that is more humane.”

Kida rolled his eyes, his back was starting to ache from the heavy pales of rocks, “Death is death.  Taking a man’s life is still taking a man’s life.  Why does it matter how you do it? He’s not superior because he kills with his hands and not a sword,” Kida said wisely.

“It’s the suffering that he looks to avoid. Don’t you understand?  There is a difference.”

Kida was silent.  He ignored his uncle’s words.  They all seemed like useless excuses to defend Jeongguk’s antiquated from of thinking.  Everyone always protected Jeongguk -he was the golden child who could do no wrong – even when he was wrong.  Kida huffed and continued back up the mountain to finish his punishment. 

***

“Hello ladies.  Please don’t look at me that way.  I know I preach to both of you not to fight because you’re siblings, but this is different.  We humans are much more complicated than you chickens.”  Jeongguk was surprised to see the two white hens he met on his visit to Dongbaekseom.  Somehow, they had found him in the garden as he paced and contemplated his fight with Kida.  “What are you doing here anyway?  How did you find me? Don’t you live three villages over?”

Ruby upended her butt as she reached down to peck at dandelion weeds that were growing in the grass.  Her sister sat about one meter away, napping.  Once satisfied that she’d had her fill of dandelions, she took up position behind Jeongguk as he paced back and forth in the garden.  He continued to speak to her as a confidant,

“He’s just so wild and thoughtless.  You have a lovely sister who just naps.  Unlike my brother who is stubborn, and immature and so many other words that I just can’t think of right now.  The nerve of him asking to train in Kendo.  What the hell would possess him to ask that Ruby?”

As Jeongguk turned to begin another row of pacing, Ruby turned as well, keeping several chicken steps behind him.

“He infuriates me.  I was going to hit him.  I came close.  I came this close,” he pulled his thumb and index finger to show Ruby how close he was to pommeling his brother.  “He even challenged me before our villagers. I am his elder.  What a selfish, idiotic…”

Ruby let out a loud crow that woke her sister.  Jeongguk wasn’t sure if she was trying to help him find the right words or if she was just crowing as chickens do.  “Thank you, exactly.”  He thanked her just the same.  She seemed solidly on his side of the argument.  Ruby’s sister, now awake strutted over to the garden where Ruby and Jeongguk were pacing.  Her sister gave her a kick to the chest.  She stumbled a bit and pecked her sister’s breast feathers with her beak.  Jeongguk stared at them both, “Can you go home?  Please?  I don’t need this right now.”

***

It was the first Gibbus moon of the new month, which meant his older brother would be isolated at the top of the mountain training and meditating for the next three days.  This left Kida the perfect opportunity to sneak away. 

Even though his brother was not to be disturbed, Kida knew that if he were seen visiting the markets alone, word would quickly travel to Jeongguk, even in isolation.  It seemed as if his clever brother had spies everywhere. As such, Kida knew he needed to be discreet.   He dawned a large sat gat and a dark mask across his face in an attempt to hide his identity.  Armed with a packed a lunch, river water and a few books, he headed off by foot, traveling quickly down the mountain to avoid detection.  The journey would take him half of the day’s sunlight, but the risk was worth it.

***

Later that afternoon...

Jimin jumped from rooftop to rooftop tracking the woman as she walked along the shore.   She was a beautiful female, even for her age.  It was apparent to all that she was the origin of Jimin’s good looks.  He laughed quietly as she swung a pale of apples back and forth in her hand.  He followed her quietly, preparing to pounce and frighten her as he always did when she made surprise visits. 

Sooyeon walked along the shore, staring out at the serene ocean, fully aware that her foolish son was watching her.  “The Great Kendo Dragon,” she laughed quietly.

Jimin readied himself.  He crouched low into a three-point stance with his toes curled over the edge of the rooftop.  He stalked, like a tiger and waited for her to reach just the right spot.  Quiet.  Quiet.  Any moment now, he would reveal himself.

“Great Kendo Dragon, for all of your ‘mystical’ powers, you will never be able to fool your mother.”  She called up to the undisclosed location where her son lay in wait.

Jimin erupted in laughter, “And how did you know I was here mother?”

“We are bonded heart to heart, flesh to flesh.  I am your mother.  I always know.”

“You’re being untruthful.  I frighten you every time,” Jimin insisted.

“Jimin, you’ve been playing this game since you were two years old.  You’ve never frightened me.  I’ve always known you were there.  It was just an act of love to play along.  I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”  She sighed and awaited her son’s response.

“What?  You’ve been toying with me all these years?’ He said indignantly as he jumped quietly to the sand from the rooftop.

“I’m afraid so my precious dragon.” She smiled at him.

The enduring dragon was hurt, “Well why tell me the truth now?”  

“Because you’re almost thirty and it’s about time, don’t you think?” Sooyeon said sassily.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust you again.” Jimin clutched at his heart and fell to one knee. He closed his eyes and then partially opened one of them to peek at her response.

“A bit dramatic, don’t you think?”  She laughed heartily at the son she adored.  “Take your apples.”  She thrust the heavy pale into Jimin’s chest.

He bounced to his feet with the quickness of a breath and began, “What brings you back so soon mother?  I didn’t expect you to visit again until next week.”

“I am here for the same reason I came last time.  Seems like you have collected quite a group of admirers.” Once again, she began to stroll down the beach with her son keeping pace.

“What do mean?” Jimin asked.

“Another Jeon is looking for you.  This one bigger, but younger.  He’s wandering through the market asking the whereabouts of a “white haired angel known as the Kendo dragon.”  She laughed again. “He’s visited your aunt’s market twice already.  She’s annoyed to say the least.  At least the other one had nice pictures.  This one is just loud and obnoxious.”

“Kida? The younger brother?” Jimin began to pace through the sand.  “What could he possibly want with me? Has something happened to Jeongguk?”  Jimin was worried.

“I don’t know sweetheart.  What would you like me to do?” She asked kindly.

“Tell him where to find me.  It’s important that we talk.”  Jimin stared back toward the mainland.

***

Kida flipped a gold won to the boat operator as he climbed out.  He’d barely taken two steps before he was face to face with Jimin.

“Dragon!”  Kida bowed deeply, and then bowed again, and again, and again, and again, until Jimin put out a hand to stop him.

“You’re going to make yourself dizzy and pass out.  Stop that.”

“The Kendo dragon spoke to me!”  Kida gasped for breath and began bowing again.

“Jeons.”  Jimin spat as if were a curse word.  He grabbed Kida by the arm and pulled him to end of the shore where his house stood.  “Young man.  Why are you here? Does your brother know that you made this journey alone?  Why are you here?  Where is your brother?  Is your brother coming?  Why are you here?”  Jimin was so perplexed that he didn’t even realize he was repeating himself.

“Dragon, I throw myself at your mercy.  Do not kill me, I come in peace.”  Kida dropped to his feet into a bow on his knees.

“Kill you?  You’re an idiot, get up from there.  Come inside.”  Once again, Jimin grabbed him and dragged him into his home.  “Why are you here and where is your brother?”  Jimin rounded angrily upon the kid who was a full 15 centimeters taller than he was.

“Oh great one.  My brother is up in the mountains on a retreat,” Kida answered.

“Retreat?  He’s training under the Gibbus moon?” Jimin surmised.

“Yes, how did you know oh great one?”  Kida positioned himself at Jimin’s feet again.

“It is a very ancient practice that allows you to balance mind and body through fasting, training, meditation and spiritual cleansing.  I did not know he engaged in that practice.” Jimin walked to the door and peered out over the ocean.  Thoughts of Jeongguk, running around naked, becoming one with the earth, and training until his muscles ached – was very stimulating.  “Please don’t call me great one again.  It’s creepy.”  He turned to the boy who had made his way over to Jimin’s cage of ancient artifacts.  “Kida, since your brother is away, does anyone in your family know you are here?  Did they send you?”

“These are priceless fighting weapons.  I can’t believe you have a collection this grand.” Kida reached his hand through an opening in the cage to touch one of the swords.  Before he could fully extend his arm, Jimin had him pinned against the wall with his hand gripped tightly around his neck, “You dare come into my home and touch my most valued possessions?  Why. Are. You. Here. Boy?”

“I-I-I,” Kida stuttered.  He didn’t want to cry in front of his idol but the tears broke lose despite his objections.  “I’m sorry, I just wanted to touch the blade.”

Jimin increased the pressure around Kida’s neck and pushed him harder into the wall, “Answer me.  What do you want?”

“I want you to train me.  I-I want to learn Kendo, great dragon.  Here, I can pay you.”  Kida removed a bag from his back and searched through for his purse.  Four gold won spilled to the floor from his shaking hands as he tried to offer his humble payment to the dragon.

“I don’t want your money.”  Jimin released Kida and walked away from him.

“Please don’t say no.  Please.  I-I-I’ve got everything we need.”  Kida once again searched through his bag pulling items from the depths and spilling them onto the floor.   His tools included a Gahb, Hy-myun, Tare and the precious Shinai that he’d shown his best friend Bui a day earlier.

Jimin gawked at the Kendo equipment all over his floor and shook his head, “Where did you get all of this?  Surely your brother doesn’t know you have Kendo equipment?  You are supposed to be training as a warrior NOT a Kendo fighter.”

“My brother is a stupid idiot.  He’s knows Kendo.  Did you know that?  Yet he refuses to train me.  In fact, he won’t give me weapons training at all.”  Kida crossed his arms in a childish tantrum. 

“Jeongguk knows Kendo?  I should have known.”  Jimin walked to his doorway again and resumed staring at the ocean.  If your brother says no to weapons, then you must respect him.  I am certainly not going to go against his wishes.”

“Listen to me please dragon,” Kida still sat upon his knees on the ground.

“Call me Jimin-hyung,” Jimin offered politely.

“Jimin-hyung, times are changing.  Fighters now-a-days must know how to fight multiple styles.  The days of being just a warrior are over.  Jimin, we would have been killed had you not shown up in the alley the other day.  Thieves of low morals don’t fight fair.”

“Why are you doubting your brother?  What has he done to make you stray from his teachings?”

“Dragon he’s old fashioned.  He’s 23 but his mind is that of a 70-year old.  He’s too cautious.  I realized that night in the alley, that he is the old guard.  You, dragon, you are the new guard.”  Kida bowed again to Jimin, this time his bow seemed to have a sinister betrayal behind it.

Jimin thought for a minute, “What was his reason for not wanting you to be weapons trained?”

“I think he’s scared.  Apparently, I had an older sister who was killed.  A couple of uncles too. The people who raided the village were brutal and they used knives and chains and everything to rob and pillage.  My brother was traumatized and vowed to never raise a weapon against someone.  But we were in a time of great turmoil and my uncle trained him anyway.  HE is trained, but he refuses to give that same training to me.  I think he’s jealous.  I am bigger and stronger and he’s afraid I’ll take his place in the village.”

“I have only known your brother for a short time, but I can guarantee you that his pride is not that boastful.  He would love nothing more than for you to become as great of a fighter as him, if not better.”  Jimin defended Jeongguk as best he could.

“He treats me like a child.  I am a man,” Kida proclaimed.

Jimin looked disgusted, “A man?  You cried when I scolded you for touching my weapons.”

“I was not crying, I had salt water in my eyes from the air of the sea,” Kida lied.

“Well there is one thing we can agree upon, you are brave.  When I was your age…”

“…you were already branded with the mark of the dragon.  I know,” Kida finished Jimin’s sentence.

“How do you know so much about me, where your brother seems clueless?” Jimin asked.

“My parents.  Since I was three years old they have told me all about you; who you are, what you are, why you are - a dragon.  I know everything.  It is because of them.  My brother never cared about such things and he would never listen.  He always relegated you to folklore, mythology, fantasy.  He even yelled at them once for filling my head with nonsense.  Now suddenly you show up in real life and he’s all interested in you. Funny how that works.”

“You never answered my question, did you get your brothers permission to come here Kida?”

“No.  And you won’t tell him, will you?”  Kida gave Jimin a pair of puppy dog eyes.

“Does anyone in your family know you are here?  Did anyone tell you to seek me out?” Jimin asked again, still trying to understand the boy’s sudden appearance.

“No.  I came on my own.  We have to keep this between us.”

Jimin paced back and forth.  His decision has already been made, but it didn’t make the reality of it any easier.  Kida’s request was a challenging one but it wasn’t anything he hadn’t contemplated before.  

On the one hand, Kida was right, Jeongguk treated him like a baby and it was time for him to learn to be a man.  On the other hand, he was relatively immature and doing this training behind his brother’s back would surely end in disaster.  But then on the other hand, Kida was special.  Jimin knew it from the first night he saw him in the alley.  He had warrior in his blood, true, but he also had something more - something raw and gritty that Jimin did not label.  It was something that resided deep within him.  Jimin took a full lap around his hanok thinking, contemplating, debating how to handle the shameless kid that had invaded his home.  

Very few native Korean’s knew the art of Kendo.  The violent nature of the bloody sword discouraged many from having any interest in the art form.  Even Jimin himself had to be sent to Japan to begin training in Kendo because of the rarity of the art.  His mother traveled with him, leaving her entire life behind to see to it that Jimin received the top training available in Kendo’s country of origin.  

If Jimin agreed to train Kida, he would be keeping the art he so loved alive, plus he would be bringing a new force to the region that could grow into a protector.  But he would also be infringing upon a bond between two brothers, something he had no right to do, “Damnit, why do the Jeons always bring so much conflict?” He thought about beheading the boy simply because he pissed him off, but he realized quickly that was too drastic.  

Kida smiled.  If Jimin was conflicted, it meant that he had a chance.  He seized upon the opportunity to strengthen his case, “I love my brother.  I never want to take his place; I just want to fight by his side.  It’s not fair that the burden of protecting his family falls upon his shoulders.  He didn’t ask to raise me, it’s just his stupid misfortune.  I want to be a man and do my part.”  Kida watched Jimin’s eyes.  BOOM, he thought to himself.  He could see it in the dragon’s eyes.  His last argument was the final nail and Jimin was now on the verge of of saying yes.

Jimin spoke after what seemed an eternity, “We have to hide it from your brother – at least until you are far enough along where you can show him the value of the skill.  I don’t know how he is going to react to this, but I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Kida remained composed.  Jumping and screaming would make him appear too childish, definitely not a good trait to display after just convincing the dragon that he was mature enough to handle the training.

“Listen to me Kida, this training is not easy.  There will be times when you are injured, possibly even with broken bones.  Your success or failure will depend on you and how much you study, how hard you work and how disciplined you are.  You will have to figure out a way to come here to the ocean, four times per week because this is where we will do all of our training.  I am not your friend.  I would rather kill you, then deal with a bad attitude.”

Kida gulped, “Kill me?”

“Kill you.”

***

Chapter Four – Chasing Water Falls

For six weeks, Kida crept back and forth between his home on the Naktong river and the beachie shores of Dongbaekseom island.  The training he did with Jimin was nothing like Jimin initially described it to be – because it was much, much worse.  True to his word, Jimin made sure that Kida controlled his own fate.  If Kida studied hard, practiced, and was obedient then he would go home uninjured.  But if on any given day he arrived unfocused, undisciplined or uncommitted, he would suffer the consequences.

Kida’s dedication was like no other. Other than himself, Jimin had never witnessed someone so stubbornly determined to succeed no matter the what it took.  He made for the perfect student and the perfect fighter because not only was he enduring hours and hours of tortuous training with the dragon, he was also returning home and completing his schooling and warrior training with his brother and uncle.  Add to that, a one-hour ride to and fro to meet Jimin on the beach and the unmitigated wherewithal to keep all of it a secret.  Jin and Jeongguk never suspected a thing.  Everyone in the village assumed Kida was off with his friends for the hours that he would go missing four days per week.

Most exciting was Kida’s natural affinity for the swinging of the sword.  He took to it like a babe to water with the intricacies of gripping techniques coming to him as second nature.  He was a tall statuesque fighter with long sleek lines that extended his reach beyond 1.8 meters.  With Jimin’s training, anyone who chose to battle Kida would certainly face death because Kida did not have the balanced heart of his brother.  He was quick tempered and a bit savage, much like the dragon himself.  Something about this boy was special.  Jimin’s once conflicted conscious about training Kida as a Kendo fighter was now boldly confident that it was the absolute right choice.  The boy was amazing - definitely Jeongguk’s brother.

“Your power is here,” Jimin jabbed Kida lightly in the ribs with his slotted hand,” no different from taekwondo, except this is where you wield your sword.  It is all here in the upper third of these muscles.  All from here,” Jimin paused and surveyed the distant landscape near the boat harbor.  For an instant, he thought he saw Jeongguk exiting one the boats.  Sadly, it was not him. With great reluctance, he abandoned his fantasy and focused his eyes back on Kida, “Tomorrow, we will spar with swords again.  I think you’re ready to begin basic striking techniques.”

 

“Striking?  Are you sure hyung?  I don’t want to accidently hurt you,” Kida said bright eyed.

Jimin looked once again at the spot where he thought he saw Jeongguk, he spoke without focus, “You won’t hurt me.  You won’t even get anywhere near me.  I’ll behead you first.”  

“Hyung.  You seem to find beheading quite humorous.  I should tell you; it is not.  In fact, I would advise you to retire that joke.  It can really spoil the mood of an otherwise lovely conversation once you threaten your companion.  I will make it my mission to find another joke for Hyung.  Yes?”

Jimin said grumpily, “Who says I’m joking?”

Kida gulped.

Jimin released a broad grin and struck Kida hard and fast in the stomach, “I’m joking...”  He struck Kida in the abdomen again, “...about joking.” 

Kida wasn’t sure if he should feel reassured or more terrified.  He grabbed his side where he’d been struck and took a deep breath, determined not show pain to his Kenshi.

“Good work again today Kida.  We are done.  It’s time for you to make the long trek home.” Kida turned to Jimin in a deep bow.  He watched as Kida favored his achy abdomen and moved to gather his things, “Um Kida before you go, I need to ask you something.”

“Yes Hyung?”

Jimin stalled just long enough for Kida to stop and peer at him, “What of your brother?  I mean is he well?”  Jimin asked reluctantly. 

“Why are you asking about my brother?” Kida smiled dubiously.

“I don’t care either way, I was just wondering if he’s at all suspicious of your absence. Or if he’s mentioned me.  I mean he wouldn’t mention me, but I did save his life so maybe he would mention me?”  The dragon said anxiously.  

Kido sat upon his knees and continued to gather the weapons around him into a neat pile, “May I tell you the full truth?”

“I would expect nothing less.”

“My brother is fine physically.  But...well...he hasn’t really spoken to me in weeks.  Since I accused him of being jealous of your talent.”

“You what?  You accused him of being jealous of me why?” Jimin slapped the back of Kida’s head.

“I was angry hyung.  I thought he was purposely trying to hold me back so...so...that I don’t replace him as the protector of the village.” 

“Oh Kida!”  Jimin used his open palm to slap Kida in the back of the head again.  “You said those awful things?  Did you apologize?”

“I’ve tried. Believe me, I’ve tried, but he won’t talk to me.  I challenged him in from of the other villagers.  It was very disrespectful and I’m not sure he’ll ever forgive me.”   Kida paused his packing and looked at Jimin, “I don’t know if he even loves me anymore.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”  Kida lifted his hands to his head to defend against another strike to the back of the head, but it never came.  Jimin continued, “Of course your brother loves you.  I should behead you for your stupidity.”

“Hyung,” Kida rolled his eyes, disappointed to hear the poor joke resurface again so quickly.

“...oh sorry I mean,” Jimin thought for a minute, “I should disembowel you.  Better?”

“No.  Not at all, but please continue.  You really think he still loves me?”  Kida, still upon his knees, dropped his head into his chest, ashamed of his own thoughts.

“I know he does.  I am willing to bet my life on it.  I suspect he is just teaching you a lesson – giving you a glimpse into a world without his doting protection.”  Jimin gave Kida a polite pat on the back.  “I am sad to know he’s hurting, however.”

“I hope you are right hyung.  He is my best friend and my confidant and my days do not feel stable without him.” Kida’s eyes glistened with heavy reflection behind them.  Once again, he continued gathering his weapons, “I have more truth to tell,” he teased, “want to hear it?”

“It depends?  What kind of truth?  Is this something you are authorized to tell me young one?” Jimin squinted and looked sideways at Kida with weighty contemplation.

“It’s something that I need to tell you.  Something that you NEED to know,” Kida said assuredly.

“Very well then.  Clear your conscious if you must,” Jimin managed to say it politely without threatening disembowelment again. 

Kida’s voice was excited, “He doesn’t know that I know.”

“Know what?”

“...that he draws naked pictures all day - of you.”  Kida smirked and hid his grin behind his large hands.

Jimin turned beet red.  As delighted as he was with the information, he was more than uncomfortable hearing it from a child.  He quickly looked away and pretended to be distracted by something floating in the ocean in the far distance.  He cleared his throat, “What makes you think it’s me he’s drawing?”

“It’s you.”

“Ok, you should go now. Goodnight.” Jimin gave an uncomfortable wave and tried to escape the kid’s presence.

“Hyung?”

“Damnit.”  His escape was foiled, “Yes Kida, what is it?”

“I don’t get involved in my brother’s personal business but I am also not dumb hyung.  I know things. For example, you are almost thirty yet you are not married, despite having half-naked women with very large breasts bathing daily in your ocean.  That would not be possible, unless you were not interested in those women.  It is something that I think you have in common with my brother.”  Kida watched Jimin, awaiting his response.  

Jimin stood still and continued to stare into the distant ocean, almost as if he didn’t hear the younger’s words.  

“I don’t ask questions.  And like I have said, my brother’s business is his own.  I love him and I always will, no matter what.”  Kida placed his equipment in the trunk behind Jimin’s weapons cage.  

He continued on a slight tangent, “My brother is very handsome.  And females from every village have tried to court him but - they have all failed, even the most beautiful ones.  My parents have been offered everything for his hand.  One of the villagers on the north shore actually offered up all three of his daughters and told Ggukie that he could switch them out every night to satisfy his loins.  They were freaks and my father made them leave...”

“Kida, boy, is there a point to all of this?”  Jimin finally found his words. 

 “...hm how do I say this?  Hyung- I think my brother prefers men.”

“And you know this how?”  Jimin rounded upon him.  He was awestruck to hear the young boy make such a bold confession on his brother’s behalf.  He was also a bit angry to know that Kida was revealing such information behind his brother’s back, “You should bite your tongue.”

“Please hyung.  It is important that I share this with you and only YOU.  I trust you with this information.”  Once Jimin seemed settled and once again willing to listen, Kida assumed it was safe to proceed, “I know this because of what I’ve witnessed with my own two eyes.  About three years ago, I caught him kissing another man from another village and - they were doing other things as well. “

“What kind of other things?”  Jimin grimaced but still asked the question.

“Things that a man typically does with a woman,” Kida shyly confirmed what Jimin was already thinking. 

“Really?”  Jimin raised a brow.

“Ggukie and this other man were very close, best friends, together all the time.  They would disappear into the forest together and train for days and days and return as if they’d be vacationing here on Dongbaekseom island.  It was a beautiful relationship, even my young eyes were able to appreciate it.  But then one day, the man just stopped visiting and the next thing we knew, he was married.  I think it broke my brother’s heart.  Since then he hasn’t shown any interest in anything other than teaching, fighting and eating.  That is - until he met you.”

Jimin listened intently.  A part of his cold, unyielding, static heart suddenly bounded with life and compassion; a sensation that he was definitely not accustomed to.  As someone who’d experienced a few unrequited loves in his own life, he could relate to the sense of heartbreak that Kida was describing.  If the warrior had been standing before him, he would have hugged him for comfort.  But Jimin was careful not to allow his feelings to reflect in his expression. He continued to listen to Kida’s sad tale without reacting.

“You must never tell him that I told you this.  He seems a bit obsessed with you.  In fact, I think he’s even been jerking off to your sketches while he’s alone in the bath.  Hyung, I think he likes you,” Kida concluded.

“Kida!  A man’s private orgasm practices should not be shared,” Jimin smiled again, absolutely delighted to hear the news that Jeongguk found his body attractive,  “besides,” Jimin broke into laughter, “if he likes me so much then why has he not called on me for over six weeks?”

Kida rolled his eyes, “Oh so many reasons; where shall I even start?  Let’s see…he’s shy.  He’s a dumbass.  He’s still reeling from heart ache that happened three years ago.  He’s a traditionalist. He’s probably trying to forget you.  He’s a dumbass…”

“Ok, ok, I get the picture,” Jimin was now laughing even harder.

“Let’s just say, I think you should make the first move.  Why don’t you go visit him? I think he would like that.”  Kida was finally packed up and ready to go.  In order to keep his uncle and brother from growing suspicious, he kept the majority of his training materials hidden at Jimin’s House.  “Well I shall take me leave.  See you in two days hyung.”

“Yeah, goodbye.  And Kida thanks for the information about your brother.  I know it wasn’t easy for you to share with me but you were right, it was information that I needed to know.”

“Do something useful with the info will ya?  Go see him.” Kida ran towards the boat which was launching into the water without him, “WAIT!” He yelled at the boat operator, “Damnit, I’m coming, wait!”

***

Jeongguk’s martial arts trainees ranged in age between the ages of four and ten.  His older students studied with Jin during the mornings while the younger students belonged to Jeongguk.  All 113 of them stood aligned in ten perfectly spaced rows within the dirt clearing of the quad.  Jeongguk walked past each, carefully studying posture, expression, breathing and technique.  He was as meticulous with his instruction as he was with his training. 

“Again hah, dul, set,” he commanded.

“UGH,” 113 little voices yelled simultaneously.

“Again, hah, dul, set.”

“UGH,” 113 little voices yelled again.

“Good again, hah, dul, set.”

Once again the little voices launched their kicks into the air, “UGH,” they screamed. 

“Hyunseok.  Is there a problem?  You don’t seem to be giving me your best effort.”  Jeongguk stopped just beyond the ten-year old boy who was new to his class.

“I’m tired Judoka.  I really don’t feel up to training today,” Hyunseok bowed to show respect despite his errant behavior.

Jeongguk nodded, “You poor thing.  That’s too bad.  Please step out of line and head back to your home to rest.”

“Whew.  Thank you, Judoka...,” 

Hyunseok was interrupted as Jeongguk completed his thought, “Uh before you go, please drop and give me 100 push-ups,” Jeongguk said as he continued to walk up and down the rows critiquing the other children.”

“One hundred push-ups?” Hyunseok repeated to make sure he heard correctly.  

“No, I’m sorry you misheard,” Jeongguk smiled from the front of the class.

Hyunseok released a relieved breath, “Thank goodness...”

“I said 150 push-ups.  Begin.”  A few giggles erupted from his students, “Unless you want to follow Hyunseok’s unfortunate example, I suggest you keep your giggles locked away.”  Jeongguk continued pacing along the rows, eyeing each of his students seriously.

***

Jimin wasn’t familiar with the area around Naktong village as this was his first time visiting so far inland.  The countryside was filled with greenery and scores of fruit trees, very different from the pale blues of his seaside origins.  The cattle were plentiful and the rolling green mountains stood majestically just beyond the river.  Jimin himself was not accustomed to such rich texture.  Having grown up in the sea, his food supply consisted of crabs, fish, larger fish, not quite fish, seaweed and the apples grown by his mother within her orchard.  

The journey to Naktong was quite arduous and his respect for both Kida and Jeongguk was heightened after experiencing the trip himself.  Jimin’s mother had been kind enough to loan him her donkey and carriage for him to travel the longest part of the journey, but the distance was still great and very time consuming.  A thought occurred to him.  His mother, who owned the family’s orchard on the mainland, was exactly equidistant between Jimin’s home on the shore and Jeongguk’s village on the river.  Maybe it was time for he and Kida to meet in the middle. “Yes.  I shall mention that to my young student next time we meet.  I’m sure mother won’t mind us practicing there,” he murmured to himself.

He entered the pathway that led up the mountain side towards the village where Jeongguk and Kida lived.  As he neared the dirt covered quad, he could hear Jeongguk’s not-so-sweet voice barking succinct instructions to his students. “Ah, the warrior is present,” Jimin smiled to himself. 

Heavy brush surrounded his feet as the path narrowed.  He stopped.  The cascade of the river could be heard in the distance as the dense trees swayed gently overhead, dropping small yellow buds from their leaves.  Jimin opened his hand to allow a few of them to drop into his palm.  The flowers were ornately delicate in appearance, but beautiful.  Jimin looked up through the trees, “Why do you cast your delicate sons away so casually?”  He was more than happy to have them.  He gave them a quick sniff and then placed them gently in his pocket, “I will consider these a gift from the village of Naktong, but I suppose my real gift still awaits me ahead.”  

The incline of the mountain grew exponentially steeper as he continued along the thin path.  At one point he was forced to use his hands to help propel him as the incline rose to almost a straight forty-five-degree angle.  But the challenging hike did not last long, for less than five minutes after he began hiking the incline, he emerged within the clearance of the quad.  

He walked slowly onto the grounds of the village where he spotted Jeongguk.  Despite his stark white tresses being tightly wound into a neat bun, and a few specs of dirt aligning his meticulously pressed white hanbok, Jimin’s regality still proceeded him.  All at once and all together, the swarm of soft whispers began, “It’s him?  It’s the Kendo Dragon! The Dragon?  Here?  Here in the village of Naktong?  I thought he lived in the clouds.  He does! He does live in the clouds.  Is he here to kill us all?  It’s him!  What has brought him here?  I think he’s going to kill us!”  The whispers of nonsense filled the air.  Jeongguk watched their faces and traced their frightened stares.  As they all collapsed in random bows, he turned around to survey the area behind him where they all seemed to be watching.

“Jimin!” Jeongguk exclaimed.  The smile that swept across his face was as pure and genuine as babies laughter.  He rushed towards Jimin with his hand extended, “What a surprise, so good to see you here.”  He gripped Jimin’s hand firmly and contorted it into an overly aggressive handshake.  “What are you doing here?  How did you even find me?”

Jimin reciprocated with a warm welcoming smile of his own, “You found me, I guess it was only proper for me to return the gesture.”

Hyunseok, now on push-up 129, paused his progress to utter, “Judoka!  You know the Kenda Dragon?  And you dare call him by his name?”

“I feel that my acquaintance with you has somehow earned me greater credibility.”  Jeongguk smiled and faced his students, “Yes. I do indeed know the Great Kendo Dragon.  He is very - special.”  Jeongguk said cautiously.  Whispers began again.  Jeongguk spoke over them.  “Excuse me!  Class has not yet been dismissed.  Hah! Dul! Set!” Jeongguk barked angrily.

“UGH!”  The boys and girls snapped to attention and reclaimed their fighting stances.

“For your inability to remain focused, you will be punished.  Fifty push-ups at the top of the mountain.  Hyunseok, go with them.  You will be responsible for making sure they all get through the fifty. And please add fifty more to your final count.”

Hyunseok minded his expression, careful not to show any disdain for his teacher’s punishment.  He gathered the other children and herded them towards the mountain trail, “Let’s go.  You heard Judoka.”

Jeongguk watched the children march up the side of the mountain until they were no longer in sight.  As soon as he could see them no more, he bounded towards Jimin with more questions, “What are you doing here?  This is a happy visit, I hope?  There is nothing wrong? Are you well?”

Out of an abundance of respect, Jimin gave a deep bow to his Maknae, “Great Warrior, it is good to see you too.  There is nothing wrong.  Can’t I pay a visit to a…friend?  I assume it’s ok to call you that?  A friend?”

“Yes.  Let’s use that word.  I like it.  You look like a teen-ager with your hair that way.  How old are you again?” Jeongguk grinned.  

“And so, it begins.  Shall we walk? I would love to tour your beautiful village.  I have never seen such plush greenery in all my years.  May we visit Jeongguk?”  Jimin said gently.

“Tell me.  How did you get here?  You would have had to leave well before dawn to get here this early in the day. “

“I cheated a bit.  My mother granted me the use of her donkey.  He is happily tied up inside one of your pastures at the bottom of the mountain.   He made the trip much simpler and much faster.  I’ll say, you do commit when you strike out to visit me.”  Jimin again marveled as they walked past the large tree with the yellow blossoms that he’d seen earlier.  He watched again as the elder tree once again dispersed it’s blossoms, except this time they fell aimlessly into the deep strands of Jeongguk’s hair.   The bright yellow contrasted starkly against the young man’s dark locks, causing Jimin to gaze dreamily at the vision.  He moved to grace his hands along Jeongguk’s hairline and remove a flower but Jeongguk instinctively blocked his reach.  “Relax my warrior.  I would never harm you.  You have beautiful blossoms in your beautiful hair.  I was just removing them.”

Jeongguk blushed, “Sorry.  Habit.”

“Good habit for a warrior to have. But I hope over time, you’ll learn to let down your guard with me.”

“Not likely...at least not until you tell me your age.” Jeongguk smiled sinfully.

“This again?  Are you ever going to get let this go?” Jimin could not allow the yellow blossom to remain in Jeongguk’s hair without the urge to touch it, but this time he asked, “May I?”

Jeongguk smiled again.  He leaned over to allow Jimin to remove the flowers from his hair.  Jimin lifted his hand and immediately grabbed the flower with his fingertips, but he allowed his palm to trail softly through the roots of hair that fell across Jeongguk’s face.

“How old are you?” Jeongguk persisted.

“I’m twenty-seven.” Jimin relented.

“You are indeed my elder, I guess I do owe you a certain respect.”  Jeongguk grinned again.  He placed his arm through Jimin’s arm and led him away from the path.  You like our trees?  Come with me, I’ll show you something really special.” 

Jeongguk led Jimin deep into the brush around the mountain.  The sound of the rushing river grew louder, the further into the woods they walked.  But the sky also grew darker, making it difficult for Jimin to see.  Definitely a dissimilarity to his bright sunny existence on the shores of Busan.  He gripped Jeongguk’s arm tighter and pushed the leafy trees away from his face as they traveled through the brush.   

“Where are you taking me?” Jimin asked calmly.

“Here.”  They emerged in the midst of a sea of massive trees that lined a grassy field adjacent to the river.   Jimin gasped.  Each of the trees housed a different color blossom that reigned down a rainbow of flowers on to their rooted feet.  

Jimin walked through the shower of flowers and allowed the blossoms to fall over him like snow, “Impressive.  This is quite stunning.”  He smiled a rare brilliant smile; one that he purposefully kept hidden for fear of projecting frailty.

The trees were so large that their overhang all but smothered the bright morning sun as it soared invisibly across the sky.  The two of them stood in the chill of the shadows, “I knew you would like it.  We call this place ‘Trail of God’s tears’ because the foliage is so majestic that surely this must be how God looks when he cries.  Fall is coming and every year around this time, these elder trees shed their blossoms in preparation for fall pollination.  It is very sacred to the people of Naktong village.

“I can understand why.”  Jimin still allowed the leaves to fall over him.  The two continued on, walking tree to tree and pausing at each one for further conversation.

“Your mother owns the apple orchard?”

“Yes.  At any given moment I can produce a pale of perfectly pitted, ripe apples for sharing.  It is quite a perk.”  Jimin teased.  “When I was a very young boy, I used to take them to town and trade them for trinkets and collectables.  Of course, that was always met with harsh punishment from my father.”

“And what of your father?  Does he operate the Orchard as well or...”  Jeongguk’s voice trailed off.  There was something in Jimin’s expression that caused him to pause.  “I’m sorry Jimin is that a sensitive subject?  Your father?”

“He’s dead,” Jimin said simply. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.  What happened if you don’t mind me asking?”  Jeongguk pressed.

“I do mind.   You of all people understand how things were back then, back when we were young children.  I don’t have to tell you that things were not nearly as peaceful back then as they are today,  Jimin said simply.  

“Say no more.  I apologize for the intrusion,” Jeongguk said sympathetically.  “I’ve tried to explain to my brother.  Life was so different back then.  We had to learn to fight with weapons or risk being annihilated.  We were constantly at risk from thieves and abductors, violators.  It was a horrible time. That is why our parents armed us so well with fighting styles. I lost my sister and two uncles during an attack when I was just a child.  But my brother just cannot understand how times have changed.”

“You lost your sister?  Well you do understand mourning, don’t you?  We have so much in common young Jeongguk.  Speaking of your brother - Kida?  How is he doing?” Jimin acted casually.  

“He’s difficult.  We aren’t on the best terms right now because I simply refuse to deal with his bullshit,” Jeongguk swore.

Jeongguk’s swearing caught Jimin off guard, “Tough words from the man who literally considers his brother a child.”

“He is a child.  He’s restless, petulant, impulsive, childish and a dumbass,” Jeongguk spat.

Dumbass.  Jimin thought.  The Jeon brothers were nothing if not consistent, “Clearly your brother is a sore topic which I will drop.  But before I do, let me just say this - I still believe he has more redeemable qualities than you give him credit for.”

“You always speak as if you know him.  You don’t know him Jimin,” Jeongguk said a bit tersely.

Jimin raised an eyebrow but maintained a blank visage, “I didn’t mean to upset you and I do hope that you two work things out soon.”  Jimin swiftly changed the subject to one that made Jeongguk less anxious.  “How are your drawings coming along?” 

Jeongguk thought for a moment.  He and Jimin continued to walk until they’d cleared the dark forest and were standing on the banks of the river.  Each of them took a seat on adjacent boulders that hung over the water.  Small droplets of wet splashed into their faces as the rocks and branches were swept into the maelstrom of the turbulent river. Jeongguk allowed himself the pleasure of a smile, “My drawings are good.  It’s my escape.”

“I’d like to see more of your work.  The small bit you showed me was quite good.  You know I was worried after our last conversation, that I’d said something to offend you.  I was afraid I’d never see you again.”  Jimin watched as the tiny droplets of water splashed into Jeongguk’s hair.

“I wasn’t aware that you wanted to see me again.”  Jeongguk grabbed the damp tips of his long hair and twisted it into a single braid that fell down his back.

“We have a lot in common warrior.   Men of our caliber should stick together.” Jimin found a convenient excuse to explain his wanton desire for seeing Jeongguk.

“Are you sure you don’t want to ‘stick together’ because you think gorgeous?”

“Yes!  Finally, we get to it.”  Jimin removed his shoes and allowed the passing water to bubble up on his feet.  He laid down on his section of the boulder and smiled up into the sky.  “I do think you’re gorgeous and if memory serves me, you think I’m beautiful.”

Jeongguk quickly corrected him, “I never said YOU were beautiful.  I said your body was beautiful, your lines and the way you fight; your sword skills.”

“So you don’t find me beautiful?” Jimin puffed his pink lips into a pout.  

Jeongguk felt the question was too dangerous to answer, “I haven’t come to see you but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about you.  I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, actually.”  Jeongguk jumped from his boulder over to Jimin’s and laid beside him. “There’s something so enchanting about you.”  He ran his finger along Jimin’s cheek.  

“So I’m beautiful and you’re gorgeous.  Now what?”  Jimin inched closer to Jeongguk.  

“Now what?  Now what.  Nowww what?” Jeongguk stalled, “I guess we visit the waterfall at the mouth of the river.  It’s both beautiful and gorgeous.”

***

Kida and Psi sparred with branches near the waterfall.  

“How are you so good at this?” Psi asked as Kida disarmed him for the fourth consecutive time.

“I’m a natural,” Kida gloated.  One of the conditions to Jimin agreeing to train Kida was that Kida had to keep it a secret from everyone, including his best friends. 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think that your brother is giving you Kendo lessons,” Psi teased.

“Don’t be silly, my brother doesn’t know Kendo,” Kida snarled.

“Yes he does. Father told me. He’s not the dragon but he knows,” Psi informed.

Kida and Psi could hear footsteps as four heavy feet crunched over the rocks of the bank.  Kida’s eyes traveled through the trees in search of the men who approached. He recognized the bunned white hair instantly, “Hide.”

“What?”

“Hide!  It’s my brother and ...”

“Kida what are you doing here?  You’re supposed to be up at the house doing your chores.”  Jeongguk said coldly.

“Jiminie-Hyung.  What- what an unexpected surprise.”  Kida winced, realizing his greeting was much too formal.  Jeongguk noticed too.  He eyed Kida suspiciously and then glanced towards Jimin.

“Whoa!  The Kendo Dragon himself!” Psi bowed, breaking the tension. 

Jimin stepped forward and angrily gripped Kida by the front of his Hanbok, “You dare disrespect me?  Kida - is it?  Well I don’t tolerate disrespectful behavior from sniveling little piss ants such as yourself.  I should behead you here in front of your precious little friend,” Jimin gave Kida a wink that was so subtle, he barely noticed it.

“Yes. Yes sir.  No disrespect meant Mr. Park- Hyung.” Kida bowed ten times before grabbing Psi and running off through the woods.

“I think you scared him shitless,” Jeongguk smiled, “good job.  He could use a little humility.”

Kida and Psi ran full speed until they were out of breath, “Oh my God.  The Kendo Dragon.  He’s here in our village!  And he almost beheaded you!  What a fantastic day. How do you even know his name?” Psi panted, full of glee.

“First of all,” Kida breathed heavily, “he was not going to behead me.  He doesn’t even have his sword you dumbass.  Secondly,” Kida leaned against a tree and tried to catch more of his shallow breaths, “I know his name because he and my brother are - close.”  Kida explained with pride and a bit of excitement. He was both surprised and thrilled that Jimin had kept his word and come to visit.  It was too soon to tell if romance was truly budding between the dragon and the warrior but one thing Kida knew for sure; for the first time in a long time, his brother looked truly happy.  

***

Jimin placed his hand underneath the cascading waterfall, “The power is tremendous.  It’s like the power of the ocean but all from this tiny river.  He began removing his clothes.

“Whaaa- What are you doing?”  Jeongguk placed a hand on Jimin’s back to stop him from disrobing.

“Going for a swim of course.”

“Jimin-hyung, nude?  You can’t swim here in the nude.”  Jeongguk looked around to make sure they were still alone at the bottom of the falls.

“You don’t expect me to get my best hanbok wet do you?  Where I’m from people bathe in the rivers all of the time.” Jimin ignored Jeongguk’s warnings and continue to strip. “You’ll join me, won’t you?”

“That is not a good idea,” Jeongguk looked around uncomfortably, “but you swim and I will keep watch.”

“Keep watch for what? It’s not like we’re fucking in the waterfall.  It’s just an innocent swim.  Come with me.  Jimin removed is pants to reveal a stiffened cock that was very much the size he’d bragged about.  “Oops, excuse me. Looks like our little walk has me a bit over-excited. I’m sure the cool water will calm it down.  Come on, don’t be a coward.  What are you waiting for?”  Jimin jumped into the gathering pond below the fall and swam until he was completely surrounded by the cascading water.

Something about the word coward brought out the worst him.  Maybe because it played on his internal insecurities, but it triggered him.  Before he knew it, he too was stripping from his hanbok, “How dare you call me a coward.  I am fearless.”  He removed his clothes swiftly, but even in his motivated state, he hedged when it came time to remove his pants.

A gang of tiny wet pebbles peppered his back.  He turned to face Jimin who was still attempting to coax him into the water, “Get in here.  Hurry, the water is fabulous.”

Jeongguk released his inhibitions and his pants, ran to the water’s edge and cannon balled directly into the water.  He waded over to Jimin who stood underneath the fall allowing the force to beat against his face.  Jimin’s naked body was like a sweet, savory treat for both his senses and his eyes.  He felt the tug between his legs when his cock slowly lurched upwards as it filled with heated blood.

Jimin leaned against a rock to allow the pressure from the falls to beat against his back. “This is exactly what I need after a long day of training.  You must love it here.”  Luckily, he was too enthralled with the beautiful surroundings to notice Jeongguk’s hard-on.   Suddenly Jimin called out, “There’s a cave behind the fall?  Can we go inside?  Is it safe?”

“It is mostly safe, if you have a guide.  Allow me to go first.  There are a few dangerous spots in there, but I can help you navigate them.  Stay close.”  To enter the cave, they had to pass through a wall of rushing water at the base of the fall.  Jeongguk held on to Jimin’s arm as they entered.  The crisp cool darkness of the tavern provided the perfect cover for hiding his erection.  “When we were kids, we used to hide in here when we didn’t want to do our chores.  Our parents always knew where we were because we would return soaking wet.”  Jeongguk laughed.  He could fill the tepid grip of Jimin’s hand around his arm.

Jimin rubbed his hand against the wall of the cave.  The water within the cave was waist deep but it was pitch black and the two could barely see anything ahead of them. “This is absolutely beautiful.  There’s gold in the walls, isn’t there?  I can see the tiniest bit of luster from the sunlight at the entrance.”  

“Very good observation,” Jeongguk said, impressed, “you don’t miss much do you?”

“I miss nothing, Jeongguk,” Jimin laughed.

It was then and only then that he realized that Jimin’s idea to come into the cave was purposeful.  He too understood that under the cover of darkness, the embarrassment of a hard cock could go unheeded.

The water within the cave was much cooler than the water underneath the sun.  All Jeongguk needed was a few minutes in the cool air to get himself together.  Instead what he got, was Jimin not so accidently brushing his tight thigs against Jeongguk’s stiffened manhood.  Jimin spoke in a saucy tone, “I see I’m not the only one – over anxious.  The feeling is mutual.  Very much mutual.”  He seized Jeongguk’s hand and placed it around his rigid cock, so that Jeongguk would understand that he wasn’t alone in his attraction.  Jimin thought he was being forward, but he was not prepared for the tables to turn.

Jeongguk greedily stroked Jimin’s member in his hand, and refused to let go.  In fact, his grip was tighter than what Jimin found comfortable.  Jeongguk continued to hold Jimin’s cock while walking him backwards into the cave wall, “You dare lure me into a cave, to what?  Seduce me?  You think I’m that naïve?”  Jeongguk said angrily, still tightly gripping Jimin’s cock in his closed fist.  “What kind of games are you playing?  You say you want me to let my guard down, but let’s be honest DRAGON, my warrior instincts are telling me not to trust you.  What is the purpose of this little charade?  My heart is not a toy.  If you want to fuck, say you want to fuck.  But don’t toy with me.  I don’t deserve that.”

The grip was tight and the harder Jimin’s dick grew, the tighter Jeongguk clenched and stroked.  It was the perfect balance between pleasure and pain and Jimin feared that he may cum at the most inappropriate time.  The warrior was clearly upset.  Jimin panted heavily.  Under no circumstances would he fold and ask Jeongguk to let him go, nor did he desire to be let go.  He reached both hands into the darkness and pulled Jeongguk’s face into his, “I can take the pain, it’s only going to make me cum harder.”  

Jeongguk pressed his forearm against Jimin’s neck in a semi-chokehold. Jimin could barely breathe.  Under different circumstances, he would have made one quick move and broken Jeongguk’s arm.  But in his current circumstance, he needed to understand more about the young Maknae.  He allowed him to proceed.

Jeongguk’s voiced echoed through gritted teeth, “I.AM.NOT.YOUR.TOY!”  He growled angrily.  At once, Jeongguk released him and walked back through the waterfall.  He pulled on his hanbok at the muddy bank and then disappeared.

Jimin swam out of the cave, pulled on his clothes and ran behind him, “Jeongguk.  Jeongguk!  I’m sorry, ok?  I’m sorry.  Please.  Stop.”  He ran in front of him and blocked him from progressing.

“Would you like to fight again dragon?  Is that what you want?  I don’t understand you.  Just when it seems we’re making progress; you do these strange things.  Even when we first met you wanted to pick a fight with me? Why, why?”

“My way of flirting I guess?”  Jimin made a joke.  

 

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, pushed him aside and continued to storm back towards the village.  Jimin ran after him again, “Jeongguk, wait.  Please. I’m sorry.  I was just having a little fun with you.  It was in poor taste and I didn’t expect you to take it seriously.  You’re over reacting. Say you’ll forgive me.”

Jeongguk hedged, “I’m not suited for those type of games Jimin.”  

“Noted.  But you still haven’t said the magic words. Do you forgive me?” Jimin smiled.  He released his soaked white hair from the bun so that his long tresses could dry in the sun.

Jeongguk found a large fallen tree and sat then gestured for Jimin to sit with him.  “Sit down and listen to me please.”

Jimin sat and eagerly awaited what Jeongguk had to say. 

“Maybe I did over react just a little.  But you need to understand that I have not had much success when it comes to love and relationships.   My heart has been broken more times than I can count.    My relationships have all been with- men -who never truly loved me the way that I loved them.  My worst experience was a few years ago.  I thought that he was THE ONE.  He told me he loved me and that we would be together forever.  But after two years - TWO FULL YEARS - together, he left me for a woman without so much as a goodbye.  He was just using me for my body Jimin.  He never loved me.  He wanted a young naive man he could fuck and that’s all he wanted. I felt so ashamed that I didn’t see him for what he truly was.”

Jimin gently touched Jeongguk’s hand, “Is he hear in the village?  Do you have to see him every day?  That type of pain is not sustainable.  I can kill him for you if you would like.”  Jimin’s offer was a joke but he was more than willing to act on it should Jeongguk give the word.

“No but thank you for the offer.” A hesitant laugh escaped Jeongguk’s chest.  “He and his wife are happily married now and living in another Provence.  But the pain he left behind lingers with me until this day.  I swore off love after that.”  

He took a deep breath and continued, “But when I met you, those strange tingling feelings began again.  Feelings that I’d sworn off forever.  You know...that tug deep inside when you meet someone and your stomach sinks and your mouth dries and you’re nervous in front of them and butterflies collide in your stomach whenever they’re around? That feeling.  That’s what I felt after meeting you one time and it only intensified after we met again.  I felt powerless to stop what was happening inside of me and I felt it was best to stay away from you. That’s why I never came back to visit again after our last encounter.  I could feel it happening all over again.  I was content to allow you to live as a fantasy within the pages of my sketch book, but never as part of my reality.

But when you showed up here unannounced today, I thought it was fate.   God’s way of telling me it was ok to open my heart again and just - try.   But your stunt in the cave made me feel as if I were just a warm body for your entertainment and that you were no different than the other men of my past. I won’t go through that again.   If you just want a fuck doll, please find someone else.”  Jeongguk stood and walked a few steps.

Jeongguk’s honesty was sobering for Jimin.  He addressed it as gingerly as he knew how, “I have a savage heart.  I’m very good at killing without conscious and protecting with great honor.  I’ve been cultivated into a violent, aggressive creature of war.  But this is not war - I have much to learn in the areas of love and compassion and basic intimacy with another human being.  

I’ve only been in love once and it ended in his death.  I understand your story and I should have been more sensitive.  I’m sorry.”  Jimin abandoned his position on the fallen tree and walked to where Jeongguk stood.  “I would be a fool if I let you walk out of my life.   There’s so much potential here.”  He opened Jeongguk’s Hanbok to reveal his wet, bare chest.  The calloused fingers of his hands found the left side of the Maknae’s flared chest muscle, and palmed the area directly over his heart, lingering until he could feel the pulse of Jeongguk’s heartbeat.  Jimin closed his eyes and pressed his lips against the younger man’s chest.  With a soft pucker, he kissed his heart, “I will protect you,” he spoke directly into Jeongguk’s chest. 

“Those are not the actions of an uncaring savage,” Jeongguk whispered as he stroked the tendrils of white hair that were attached to the most beautiful face he’d ever seen. 

Jimin was now locked in a gaze with Jeongguk, neither willing to relinquish their heady sensations, “I don’t want a fuck doll - well I do - but that’s not all I want.” They both laughed at Jimin’s honesty.  “It’s time to accept that God may be giving us another chance.  My heart’s been broken too Jeon Jeongguk, but sometimes it just comes with the territory and that’s the risk we take for love.  Will you take that risk with me?”

“And if I say no...?”

“I’ll behead you.” Jimin bluntly replied.

“That’s fair,” Jeongguk nodded, “let’s give it a try.”

“Say the magic words.  I need to hear them,” Jimin implored again. 

“Ok.”  Jeongguk simply and swiftly placed a kiss on Jimin’s cheek, “I forgive you.” 

***

What seemed like minutes passing were actually hours and before they knew it, the sun had begun to set over the village of Naktong.  The two of them, Jimin and Jeongguk, playfully bantered in the meadow with Jimin using his Kendo to attack and Jeongguk using his Judoka to defend.  They raced around breathlessly, attacking each other in a battle that would have appeared serious to the casual observer. 

“You are a good sparring partner.  Even without your sword, your hands are deadly,” Jeongguk panted.  “I could use someone like you when I’m training during my sabbaticals.”

“I could say the same for you,” Jimin breathed back, “A real fight between us would be disastrous.”

They blocked punches and kicks and the leaves and discarded blossoms danced around them.

“It would end in death for us both,” Jeongguk managed to sweep Jimin from his feet and throw him across the meadow, “Shit Jimin I’m sorry. I get carried away sometimes.”  

Jimin lay motionless with his long white hair sprawled on either side of him. “Jimin-hyung?”   Jeongguk ran to his side.  Jimin’s eyes were closed and he was not moving.  “I didn’t throw you that hard, did I?  What have I done?”

Jimin’s eyes flashed open while he simultaneously flipped Jeongguk onto his back, “You’ve fallen for my trap.  That’s what you’ve done.  Now I have you.”  Jimin laughed and laughed as he pinned Jeongguk to the ground and sat squarely on his chest. 

“Dragon!  Your jokes are not funny!”  Jeongguk yelled.  He had proper leverage to forcefully remove Jimin from his chest but he chose not to take it.  “Get out of my village.  You’re annoying me.”

“Sure.  I’ll leave but not without this.”  The long soft tendrils of white hair met Jeongguk’s face moments before Jimin’s lips arrived.  He kissed him like no man had ever kissed him, soft and moist and hot but smooth.  For the first time, there was no battle between them, only closeness and the sharing of one breath and one passionate moment.  The warmth of their loins melded under their embrace as they rolled along the cool grassy meadow.  Their sweet tongues darted across their lips while they savored each other’s taste.  There they lay, kissing, for the greater part of ten minutes before the distant sounds of talking shook them back to life. 

Jimin smiled as broadly as his face could accommodate, “I really should go.  My mother’s donkey has been tied up all day and he’s probably a bit cranky by now.”  

Jimin crawled off of Jeongguk and attempted to leave but was forcefully pulled back down, “May I come to see you tomorrow?”

“You may come to see me anytime,” Jimin answered within the passion of the moment, completely forgetting that tomorrow was his secret Kendo lesson with Jeongguk’s brother.  “I shall look forward to your arrival.  Goodbye warrior.”

“Goodbye Dragon.”

Jimin gave Jeongguk one final kiss before adjusting his hanbok and heading towards the path that led down the mountain.

Jeongguk laid on his back in the grass and propped his hands behind his head. He watched as Jimin disappeared through the heavy brush, “goodbye beautiful Jimin,” he whispered.

***

Chapter Five – The Dragon and The Warrior

“Jump.”

“Jump?”

“Jump,” Jimin repeated.

Kida did as he was told.  He arched his back, bent his knees and leapt from one rooftop to the other.  His legs stretched out behind him like the hinds of a flying frog.  It was all Jimin could do to hold his laughter.  Kida’s was large and growing bigger each day.  He already stood over 150 centimeters, but with the intensity of training both Kendo, and Jodo, the fine musculature of his body was developing quickly, affecting both his speed and flexibility.  Telling a growing boy to stop growing too fast was not an option. So Jimin’s methodology for working around it was to teach him how to use his large body to his advantage.  But first, he needed to work on his power and agility.

Jimin took a flying leap off of the rooftop and landed gracefully on the bordering roof.  He beckoned Kida to follow him.  Once again Kida bent his legs and prepared to jump.  “Bend your legs deeply, keep your back straight, not arched,” Jimin yelled, “focus Kida.”

Kida made the jump, only this time he didn’t land it.  His toes scraped the edge of the rooftop and he was unable to balance himself forward.  Instead, he fell backwards, sliding down the side of the hanok with stiff rice paper scratching his face.  He hit the weight bearing pole on his way down and was knocked violently to the ground.  Thankfully it was only a distance of about 2.2 meters but it stung just the same.  He twisted around in the sand and stumbled to his knees. “Kenshi, all due respect.  What is the purpose of this exercise?  Please help me understand,” Kida said respectfully as he massaged his sore shoulder. 

Jimin jumped from the roof, landing on the ground without a sound.  He walked over to where Kida was writhing in pain, “You are slow and heavy.  You move like a boulder on the bottom of the ocean.  Your brother is of similar size with three times your bulk, yet he flies through the air like a weightless Angel.  If we don’t improve your speed and agility, you will be easy to kill.” 

Kida, despite himself, smiled happily.  Hearing Jimin utter his brother’s name was exactly what he needed to brighten his mood.  

“Why are you grinning at me like some sort of crazed canary?”  Jimin, in a rare sign of compassion, extended his hand to help Kida from the ground, “Now let’s start again.”

They went around the back of the hanok and climbed to the roof again.  Kida took the opportunity to comment on Jimin’s visit to the river village, “My brother has been singing love songs since you left the village.  What ever happened between you two made him very happy.  And I can’t help but notice, you’re in quite a good mood yourself.”

Jimin glared at Kida.

Kida smiled again, “Yeah-yeah-yeah.  I know the drill.  I’ll say it for you,” in his best Jimin voice he continued, “Kida, if you continue down this path of conversation, I shall have no choice but to behead you and leave you bleeding on the shores of Dongbaekseom.”

“Correct.”  Jimin echoed seriously. 

***

For the next three hours Kida jumped from rooftop to rooftop of the small seaside village.  Sometimes his jumps were successful, other times he went crashing through the walls of Jimin’s neighbors.   But his technique improved with every pass and he finally understood Jimin’s intentions. 

As their practice session neared the end, Jimin stood upon the last rooftop waiting for Kida to complete his jump.  His eyes quickly scanned the shore and focused on the arrival of a tiny boat carrying cage after cage of chickens.  Too many times to count he’d hallucinated about seeing Jeongguk exiting the boat and running towards him.  It only made sense that the figure running towards him this time, was also a hallucination.  Except it wasn’t.  It was real.  It was real!  Jeongguk was running in a full sprint towards them as they stood upon the rooftop amidst their Kendo training, a training that was supposed to be kept a secret.

“FUCK – KIDA!  It’s Jeongguk!”  Jimin jumped down from the roof, again landing with no sound, and began looking around for equipment that needed to be hidden.

“What?” Kida yelled.

“He’s here.  I completely forgot that I told him he could come to visit today.” The dragon, possibly for the first time in his life, panicked, “You have to get out of here, NOW!”

Kida was already on the move, “My boat leaves for the mainland in twenty minutes.  You’ve got to keep him occupied while I sneak down to the dock and leave.” He swept up his shinai, swords, Hakama and other training tools and ran to the edge of the shore to hide.  For as slow and lumbering as Kida was, the fear of his brother catching him on the beach with Jimin, hastened his pace quite considerably.  Jeongguk was a force to be reckoned with when angry and despite Kida’s frequent assertions, he was deathly afraid of his more powerful hyung.  

To buy Kida a few more minutes to entrench within his hiding spot, Jimin jogged down the beach and met Jeongguk half-way.  His eyes sparkled and his heart began to dance when he saw the younger break into a toothy grin upon spotting him, “What took you so long?  The day is almost done, I thought that maybe you’d forgotten about me.”  Jimin fibbed because the truth was that he’d completely forgotten about his invitation for Jeongguk to visit.

‘I had classes today.  But I am all yours now.”  Jeongguk removed his shoes to allow his bare feet to fall gracefully over the sandy beach.  Although the two had shared a kiss less than 24 hours prior, there was a bit of apprehension in their greeting.  They were not officially a couple by any means, yet they were definitely more than friends, everything was still new.  With such rich complexity, what was the proper greeting?  Jeongguk solved for that rather quickly.  He took a knee in the sand and wrestled his small leather sack off of his back, “I have something for you,” he blustered.  The leather bag with the strong scent of fresh pine was misshapen by the large object Jeongguk had embedded within it.

Jimin looked on with amusement as his young mate wrestled to pull the jar free.  The jar was large, about the size of a small pale of apples and within it’s glass walls was a cornucopia of colorful blossoms from the trail of God’s tears in Jeongguk’s village. “I know how much you liked these.  They will be gone soon as the weather continues to change so I thought I would preserve a few for you.  They won’t last forever, but they will hold their color and shape for a while as long as they remain in this jar.”  Jeongguk looked up from his position in the sand and placed the jar gently into Jimin’s hands.

It was strange, even to Jimin, how a gesture so slight could mean to so much.  Jimin was moved, emotionally rattled in a way he didn’t know was possible.  He shook the jar of blossoms and watched them rise and fall as the colors mingled, creating a perfect rainbow.  With the jar clasped tightly to his chest, he looked down at Jeongguk and spoke meager words, “Somehow I feel my life has changed because of this.”

“That’s ridiculous.  It’s a jar full of flowers,” Jeongguk released another heart stopping smile as he clasped his bag closed.

“I wish you could see it as I do.  It’s much more than just a jar of flowers.  It’s like happiness in a jar, gifted to me from you, a metaphor for what you are in my life.”  Jimin caressed the chiseled edge of the warrior’s jawline.  

Jeongguk turned slightly with his eyes closed and kissed the inner palm of Jimin’s hand, “I would do anything to make you happy.”   He opened his eyes and stood to his feet, “Now -Sogarli time!”

“Excuse me what?

“I’m hungry.  I’ve trained all day.  My uncle says that the fresh ocean waters of Dongbaekseom are full of Sogarli, one of my favorites.  I even have a few special lures here so we can fish for them.  Let’s catch some and have them for dinner. Yes?”  

“That is a great plan.  I did not know you were a fan of Sogarli, they are one of my favorites as well.  We can clean them and throw them on the fire pit for quite a nice dinner.”  Even in his rainbow of Jeongguk euphoria, Jimin still had the foresight to realize he needed to stall a few more minutes in order to clear the way for Kida to catch his boat off of the island.  Jeongguk’s desire to fish provided the perfect detour for creating a distraction.  As the sun entered it’s third phase, Jimin grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the ocean, “…hope you don’t mind getting a little wet.  This should be fun.”   Leading Jeongguk out to sea for a while would clear the shore and allow Kida a clear path to escape, “You know, it is quite common for Sogarli to hug the shores, sometimes availing themselves to being caught by hand.  Follow me.  They wandered into the clear ocean water, far from the shore.

When they were in proper position, Jeongguk looked around at Jimin and folded his arms, teasing sarcastically, “Funny how I don’t you see rushing to disrobe for a naked swim before your village people like you did at my river.”

“This is the ocean Jeongguk.  I swim out here naked and a shark is liable to eat my dick off.  Different circumstances than bathing in the calm river.  Not the same.  Definitely not the same.”  Jimin answered just as sarcastically.

Jeongguk laughed so hard that he snorted like a school girl, which in turn made Jimin laugh as well.  They walked along the shore in chest deep water, fishing for Sogarli that they could snag by hand.  Jeongguk was the first to find one, “Oh Jimin, he jumped right into my hand!”

“Told you. They are not the brightest of fishes in the sea.  Looks like you have your dinner, now it’s time for me to catch…”

“…oh Jimin, another!”  Jeongguk beamed, now holding two Sogarli, one in each hand. 

“I am the seaman, not you.  How did you catch them before I could?”  Jimin scowled at the two wiggling fish trapped in Jeongguk’s paws.

“They’re on to you.  They know how you look.  I’m the handsome stranger they were curious to meet.”  Jeongguk’s strong powerful hands effortlessly gripped the fish within them despite their desperate struggle to return to the ocean.  He tossed them into his leather bag and continued searching for more.

“Let’s just call it beginner’s luck,” Jimin pouted.  

Considering the amount of time that it had taken to complete their fishing, Jimin was confident that Kida had made a clean escape off of the island which meant that he and Jeongguk were free to enjoy their time together.  

Greater than an hour later they emerged from the sea with six freshly caught Sogarli; all of them hand caught by Jeongguk.  Needless to say, his “beginner’s luck” wasn’t that at all.  Animals of all kind were drawn to him and even fish who knew they would greet him at their peril, made the sacrifice.  Jimin found it to be the most extraordinary yet endearing thing he’d ever seen.  However, his competitive side remained about as salty as the ocean floor, “You’ve bested me this one time, but it will not happen again,” Jimin warned with a silly smile on his face.

“Yes, it will.  It will always happen because I am a better fisherman than you,” Jeongguk mocked.

The soaked shirt that Jimin was wearing allowed the dragon’s black abdominal markings to become visible through the transparent fabric.  Jeongguk narrowed his eyes and stared.  He dropped his leather bag full of fish into the sand and moved ironically to strip Jimin of his shirt.

“What are you doing?”  Jimin tittered nervously.

The warrior settled on his knees as he pressed his face close to Jimin’s body.  Jimin stood there bashfully.  Jeongguk’s overly expressive eyes immediately found the markings along Jimin’s abdomen; only this time, he dared touch them.  Jimin allowed it but watched Jeongguk’s expression throughout.  His fear was that the markings repulsed his young companion and that made Jimin anxious.  

Jeongguk’s expression was that of a child who had just discovered a strange new animal.  He ran his fingertips up and down each of the letters, tracing the slightly undulated skin beneath the ink, “Beautiful,” he whispered.  “I have trouble getting these accurate whenever I sketch you.  Now that I’ve seen them up close, I don’t think I will ever be able to forget them.  Why are they raised, as if bruised?”

“The ink is branded into my skin with heat.  Otherwise, they would heal and disappear,” Jimin explained.

“So painful.”  Jeongguk’s eyes looked sad, he closed them gently while rubbing his lips over the symbols, “You don’t deserve pain.”

“It was honor.  The pain was insignificant,” Jimin reassured him.

Jeongguk continued to trace the symbols with his lips, he wrapped his arms around Jimin’s waist and hugged him.  Still on his knees, he smiled up into the dragon’s face, “Have I told you that you’re beautiful?”

Jimin again felt that unfamiliar emotional tug at his heart.  His markings, although his personal pride, often brought ridicule and rebuke from others who didn’t understand them, but not Jeongguk.  Somehow the kind warrior found beauty in them.  “Yeah, I’m in love already,” Jimin whispered jokingly.

***

Over the following weeks and months, a pattern emerged as Jimin was placed in the unenviable position of having to juggle visits from both Kida and Jeongguk without ever allowing them to encounter one another.

The days belonged to Kida but the evenings belonged to Jeongguk.  On days when Kida didn’t have Kendo training, Jimin would entice Jeongguk to arrive earlier, but on days when Kida did have training, he pushed him to arrive later.  Then on days when Jeongguk had no classes scheduled, Jimin had to figure out what to do with Kida.  The only relief any of them had was during the Gibbus moon when Jeongguk would leave for sabbatical and flee to the top of the mountain.  It was all just a big jumbled mess and Jimin was exhausted.  If Jimin wasn’t busy before, he was certainly busy now because navigating through the multiple visits from the Jeon brothers was a full-time job.  But for all of his irascibility, Jimin was the happiest he’d ever been in his life because the two Jeon brothers were his greatest joy – especially Jeongguk.

***

There is an ancient proverb that says, “When a tree burns, the scent of it’s broken heart lingers in the air, alerting everyone that it’s been scorned”.  Jeongguk was definitely a burned tree; he exuded the stench of his turbulent past, allowing it to control his present. Jimin tried everything he could to convince Jeongguk to relax and let go, but it was not an easy task.  

Ever so cautious with his words, his actions, even his touches, Jeongguk moved deliberately slow when it came to his relationship with Jimin because he was understandably terrified of falling in love again.  There was no desire greater than the desire they had to be together but Jimin could feel that something was amiss.  An emotional wall within Jeongguk’s fortress was blocked and Jimin could not break through it.  

Occasionally, Jimin would make the trek into town to visit with Jeongguk in his quaint village by the river, but most of their visits were along the sandy shores of Dongbaekseom, in the secluded part of the island where Jimin lived in isolation. 

October 13th, Jimin’s birthday.  As the balmy sun beat against their skin, Jimin and Jeongguk waded with heavy legs against the turbulent evening tide.  They sparred playfully within the rocky waves, manifesting sexual tension through mock battle; a uniquely erotic practice that spoke to both of them and their mutual love of physical combat.

“You know kendo warrior.  I know you do.  Why won’t you just admit it?” 

Jimin jousted his wooden shinai at thrust it at Jeongguk. It was no secret that skilled Jodo warriors such as the Jeongguk, had to understand the other side which was sword play.  It was a common sense conclusion, yet Jeongguk refused to acknowledge it. 

“There are secrets that a warrior never tells.  The more your opponent…”

“Opponent?  I am your opponent now?”  Jimin thrust his shinai again towards Jeongguk’s throat.

He casually fended off the strike and countered with a soft blow to Jimin’s wrist, “You are definitely my opponent.  I know what you’re trying to do here dragon.”  He smiled coyly, attempting to maintain seriousness.

“What am I doing?”  Jimin thrust again, this time in an upwards strike.  

Jeongguk blocked it again.  He spun around, gripping Jimin’s arm and pulled him forward, “You’re trying to steal my heart.  That makes you the enemy.”

Jimin lost concentration and dropped the tip of his bamboo shinai into water, “That was awful.  That was simply the most awful pun ever in the history of awful.  You will be punished for that.”  He lifted his shinai again, flipped it around his wrist and faced off against his warrior.

“Punished?  You think you can punish me?  Give it your best shot dragon,” Jeongguk welcomed the challenge with a wink and smile so seductive that Jimin felt faint.  

Large waves over 60 centimeters high crashed into their legs and separated around their waists.   The two deadly legionnaires stood facing each other, bare chested, wearing only linen practice pants and fighting gloves.  Their toes shifted in the moving sand as they braced themselves and stabilized their positions.

Jimin raised his stick in attack.  Jeongguk readied himself.  With the stealth fluid movements of a charging dragon, Jimin lunged.  He released a relentless flurry at stabs, strikes and swipes from his shinai – all aimed at Jeongguk.  Without missing a single strike, Jeongguk defended, popping his arms and fist up left and right as he was pushed backwards at a quickened pace over the shifting sand. Jimin spun into a pivot, left over right and released by crashing his shinai once again into Jeongguk’s waiting elbow.  Not a single strike could touch the warrior, he blocked everything.


The two moved with such speed that they appeared as blurs, shapeless apparitions dancing through the water.  There were no words, just breath and movement and the organic irony of two men falling in love through the act of battle.  Their eyes were locked into each other and no matter how their bodies contorted and shifted, the gaze could not be broken.

The attack transitioned from the center of the ocean, all the way across the beach until finally Jeongguk was backed into the outer wall of Jimin’s hanok.  He teased over the sounds of the clashing bamboo stick against his fists, “I can do this all day.  Can you?”

Jimin, not winded at all, countered, “Arrogance doesn’t suit you,” and with a nimble well-timed release, he threw the shinai into the air, grabbed Jeongguk’s wrists, spun him around and pushed him face first into the side of the wall.  His airborne shinai fell obediently into his hands and at once he pressed it against the back of Jeongguk’s neck. “Check mate, my gorgeous one.” Jimin pressed his lips against the back of Jeongguk’s ear and whispered seductively, “What?  No counter measures?”

Jeongguk closed his eyes.  The heat of Jimin’s loins pressed against his ass, aroused him.  The fight for dominance that contrasted against the soft touch of Jimin’s sweet lips drove him insane.  His desire for Jimin was so palpable that he could reach out and lick it with his tongue.  The breathy exhales from exertion transformed into breathy exhales of stimulation as he felt Jimin slide the bamboo stick from his neck, down his back and between his legs.  

From the rear, Jimin used the shinai to gently massage between Jeongguk’s inner thighs, searching for the cock that lay between them.  Showing no mercy, he kept him pinned against the wall, whispering filthy anecdotes in his ear, “Have you ever longed to feel me inside of you?” he whispered again as he massaged the shinai up and down the fleshy thighs of his young sparring partner.

Jeongguk could feel the growing mound of stiffness between his legs, “It’s all that I have ever longed for,” he whispered back.  He could feel the ties being loosened around his wet pants as they fell below his waist exposing his backside.  

Jimin used his shinai to rub between the cheeks of Jeongguk’s muscular ass, “If I shove my shinai into you, then what?”

The words were so filthy, so pornographic, that Jeongguk shuddered.  He inadvertently puffed out his ass as an invitation for Jimin’s “shinai”.  Short staccato breaths escaped as he anticipated the sparks from Jimin’s touch.  He could feel the dragon begin a soft circular grind behind him, pressing his exposed cock against the wet of his skin.  There was a sound, distant but audible, of Jimin dropping the heavy bamboo stick to the sand leaving his hands free to do whatever he wanted.  As if bound by invisible ropes, Jeongguk stood with his face still pressed against the wall and his hands behind his back.  He wanted Jimin to do whatever Jimin wanted to do.  

The sun began to fade while the wind blew traces of the seafoam caps against their skin.  As each moment grew darker, Jimin’s hands grew busier; first sweeping Jeongguk’s long brown hair to the side to expose his neck for sucking, second forcing his fingers along the crease of his burly ass cheeks in search of his tight entrance and third, stroking the length of Jeongguk’s cock with the strength of his free hand.

Jeongguk still had no words.  Being touched by another man after so many years was surreal, especially considering he never thought it would happen again.  Succumb. His body begged him, let him have you, it is the pleasure you deserve.  The voices from his loins, his heart and his body were all in agreement as they screamed, become one with him, enjoy him, love him. He began to sway with Jimin’s circular motions, anticipating a fuck he had desired for weeks. But suddenly, the voice of his conscious spoke louder than the others, you should not trust him- he is betraying you.  Jeongguk’s eyes snapped open.  He could feel the tip of Jimin’s cock as it stood prepared to breach him.

“Stop.”

“What?”

“Please stop.”  Jeongguk squirreled away from Jimin, pulling his pants up around his waist, “I need to go now.”

“So suddenly?  I thought we were going to spend the evening together?”

“Nope.  Not today.  I have early classes tomorrow.  Bye Jimin, Happy Birthday.”

Jimin held Jeongguk’s hand and refused to let it go, “No, please no.  You are NOT going to just stop …THIS…in the middle and then just walk away.  We need to talk about it.  Tell me what is going on in that head of yours.”  

“It’s the same thing over and over,” Jeongguk was close to tears, the anxiety of the conflict was killing him, “…I’m scared Jimin.”

“I’m not him Jeongguk.  You don’t have to be afraid of me.  You don’t have to be afraid of falling in love again.  It really is ok.  The fire of heartbreak has been extinguished; you can bloom again my timid elder tree.”

Understanding the reference, Jeongguk smiled, “…but it still smolders in my head.  Bye Jimin.”

Watching Jeongguk walk away felt like an unguarded kick to the chest.  He didn’t know whether to run after him and beg him to come back or to just let him go.  He made the difficult decision to let him go despite knowing that for the next few days Jeongguk would be on sabbatical which meant no visits, no hugs, no kisses, no him.  It was a painful pill to swallow, but he accepted it with the understanding that the young maknae just needed…time.

***

Jimin was understandably a bit cranky over the next week, but it was his inability to talk things through with his young love interest that seemed to haunt him the most.  And of course, the brunt of his irascibility was unleashed on Kida.  Sword play was not the best idea when wrought with frustration and Kida had to be on his toes or risk getting sliced in half because Jimin was very frustrated.  

Despite his best efforts and guarding and anticipating Jimin’s moves, he still wound up with quite a few knicks and deep gashes along his hands and wrists.  They were particularly painful, especially when the wind would blow traces of the seawater into them.

Jimin lunged at him, strike after strike at a dizzying pace, so fast that at times Kida didn’t know where he was.  It was as if he would disappear and reappear behind him, in front of him, tumbling over his head.  It was maddening.  In all of their months of training, Kida had never seen Jimin this aggressive or angy.

“Kinshi!  I need a break please,” he begged.  “I am covered in blood from my hands and I can’t even hold on to my swo…”

“ARE YOU A FIGHTER OR ARE YOU A SNIVELING CHILD? Fighters in the heat of battle do not get to retreat and nurse their childish wounds!” Jimin yelled as he rushed to press the sword against Kida’s neck.

“I am a STUDENT who is not in a real battle” he yelled back, “Surely you won’t allow me to bleed to death just because you’re mad that my brother won’t let you dick him!”  Kida immediately cupped his mouth and winced in regret.  For sure, he was about to be beheaded and he knew it, he deserved it.  He prepared for it.

Jimin released his sword and turned his back.  Kida could hear his distinctive laugh and watched as his shoulders relaxed.  He dropped his sword into the holder at his side and turned back to face Kida, “You have a mouth on you.  Why has your brother not yet killed you?”

“He’s too busy being in love and singing about trees and blossoms,” Kida said relieved.  “My apologies please Kinshi.  That was not my place and I was out of line.  Sometimes I am too perceptive for my own good.  I know what’s going on between you, but it was not my place to say anything.  The good news is that he’s back.”

“He’s back?  That was fast.  Did he cut his meditation short?”  Jimin kneeled to one knee to check Kida’s wounds.

“No.  But I think if you want to see him, now would be a good time.  Uncle Jin and I are traveling to see my parents.  Ggukie will have the run of the village to himself.  Plus, he is always at his best when he is fresh from a meditative state. Things are always very clear for him, if you know what I mean?”  Kida gave Jimin a wink and a highly inappropriate nod.

“These wounds are nothing.  You heal quicker than most, by the time you arrive back to the village, these will be but mere memories.  I will bandage them.”  Jimin wiped away the blood from the collection of cuts across Kida’s arms and hands., “Would you mind if I cut practice short today?  I need to go into the village to see your brother.”

“I would be delighted,” Kida obliged.  Distracted, angry Jimin was not a good sparring partner.  For his own well-being, he agreed with no hesitation.

***

Jeongguk laid his head on Jimin’s stomach as they both rested beneath one of the large oak trees along the trail of God’s tears, “I was surprised to see you in the village today.  I thought I was coming out to the shore to see you.  How did you even know I was back?  How did you know where to find me?”

Jimin thought about his answer, he couldn’t exactly say “because Kida told me.”  He pondered a bit and then responded, “I knew you were back because I counted the days.  From the moment you walked away that night until the end of the third day.  I knew where to find you because…I always know where to find you.  I was miserable without you.”  Jimin caressed Jeongguk’s long hair and twirled it around his fingers.

“You know…,” Jeongguk hesitated.

“…know?  Know what?  Say it,” Jimin urged.

“You can come with me next time.”

“Nope.  Not a good idea.  We would flirt and make kissy faces at each other for three straight days.  How productive would that be along your spiritual journey?”

“Point taken,” Jeongguk smiled.  “Something else too.”

“I’m listening.”

“I am so sorry for storming off the way I did last week.  I don’t know what got into me.”  Jeongguk looked up into Jimin’s young face encapsulated by the snowy white hair.  “Sometimes – not all the time but sometimes – I feel like I’m cursed.  Like I did something in a previous life that destined me for misery in this one.  Being happy is what triggers the curse.  As long as I am bruiting and lonely, things are fine but the moment I allow myself to feel, the destiny of misery surrounds me.”

“I –I,” Jimin had never heard such sad words from another human being.  He didn’t even know what words to say in rebuttal.

Jeongguk realized he’d stunned Jimin into silence.  He quickly moved to reassure him, “No. No.  It’s not that serious.  Just thoughts I have sometimes you know?  I’ve felt this way since my sister’s death.  I was five years old.  I was so happy all the time.  Immensely happy all the time and then I witnessed…”

“No need to say it again.  I already know.  Your pain is similar to mine.  I witnessed my Father’s death and that is something that one never overcomes.”

Jeongguk shifted a bit to make sure he could look into Jimin’s eyes, “I remember you telling me when we first met that he was – gone.”

Jimin was silent.  Jeongguk was on unstable footing because he didn’t really know how far he could go with the subject of Jimin’s father.  The last time he’d tried to bring it up, Jimin cut him short and became agitated.  But that was so many months ago, surely, he would be more open this time, “Do you want to – to talk about it?  As you said, if anyone understands, it’s me.”

A gust of wind whirled through the line of forest where they lay.  The wilted colorless blossoms swirled in a circular helix, sweeping up leaves and sprinkles of dirt into it’s vortex.   The playful interruption by the wind was the perfect pause that Jimin needed to think through his answer.  

He took a moment to smile into Jeongguk’s precious brown eyes, “I was thirteen,” he began.  

The fall leaves continued to prance around them, as if also eager to his story.  They danced in and out of the gaps between the trees, finally landing gently on the couple as they continued to lay.

“the brutality of the Geogaum militia was well known.  They were a ruthless army, bursting at the seams to conquer new land and new territory.  We knew they were ravaging the countryside.  They were the same gang that attacked your village.  So, I’m sure you understand the level of terror they reigned down upon innocent people.  But within our sheltered ignorance, we thought we were immune from their attacks.  Living against the ocean created a sense of peace and infallibility – a false sense of security.   When the attack came, we were not prepared.  We were in the middle of a celebration for my father’s birthday.

“He was killed on his birthday?  Oh Jimin,” Jeongguk dipped his head, uncertain if he even wanted to hear the rest of the sad tale.

“Yes.  That makes it all the more intriguing doesn’t it?”  Jimin said sarcastically. He continued, “They attacked all at once.  One moment we were celebrating my father and calling him old, the next moment…” Jimin stopped and took a breath, “…I’ve never told this story before.”

“And you don’t have to now.  Jimin you can stop my love.  You don’t have to say anymore.”  Even through the white tendrils that hung over his face, Jeongguk could see his elder’s pained expression.


Jimin sat in heavy contemplation, willing his tears not to fall, “I can do it...”

***

“Father, tell us how old you are,” thirteen-year-old Jimin squealed.

“I am old enough to be your father.”

“But you are my father; a great one too.  Are you too old for me to tell you I love you?” Jimin teased.

“Never too old,” Park Han laughed a deep hearty chuckle.

“Well I love you.  You have taught me so much father.  I feel brave because of you,” Jimin offered his hand in a handshake but his father tugged him into his side for a hug and then rustled Jimin’s neck length white hair.

“My son, that is the best compliment a man can get.  You are nearly a man young Jimin and one day, you will lead this village.  You and your sword will protect the shores of Dongbaekseom and maybe all of Busan.  There is no other like you.  Do you know that you’re special?”

“I do.  I don’t understand why me though.” Jimin rubbed the vertical tattoos along his abdomen.

“Because God himself implanted you with the blood of the dragon.  He chose you.  That is no mistake.  Hold your head high, Dragon,” Han spoke softly.

“I have cinnamon sliced apples,” Jimin’s mother emerged from the first hanok along the row with a pan full of fire cooked apples.  

“This is a treat indeed,” Han gushed.  He slid to the side to allow his wife to sit next to him in front of the fire pit.  Jimin stood, watching his parents endearingly, until they began to smooch other.

“Yuck.  I’ll never kiss a girl,” Jimin grimaced.  He grabbed a handful of hot apples, “Ooo-ouch-hot-hot-ouch!”  He bounced around from foot to foot juggling the hot apples in his hand.  Of course, his thirteen-year-old mind told him to eat them in order to stop his hands from burning.  He popped the hot apples into his mouth and once again, he yodeled in pain, “Hwat-hwat-ohhhh-ahhhh-hwaaaat.”

“That’s what you get.  Those are your father’s birthday apples,” his mother disciplined.

Jimin looked past the fire pit into the dusk of the moonless night.  What he saw confused him.  Hordes of black hooded figures swarmed the shore like ants, fleeing from a series of boats partially docked in the bay.  Before Jimin could even say a word, the peaceful village erupted in screams and chaos.  The attack was so swift and so violent that the men of Dongbaekseom barely had time to arm themselves.  Even the Dongbaekseom warriors, of noble blood fell like dominos as the masked marauders slashed their way through the village, attacking them in the most cowardly fashion.    

Han Park heard the commotion behind him.  The first words that escaped his mouth were, “Get your sword, protect your mother.”  Han never had a chance to even make a full turn before the bayonet was thrust through his chest, piercing his heart. He turned to Jimin; face pale with surprise and disbelief, bayonet protruding from his chest.  Jimin saw him whisper the words, “Kill them all, protect your motherrrr.”  He fell dead across the fire pit.  His clothes caught aflame but Jimin’s mother beat them out as she tried to pull him into the safety of the hanok.  

The man who killed Han retreated in terror once he saw the white glow of Jimin’s hair. He fled back towards the boat, slashing at anything and anyone who blocked his escape.

Jimin heard his mother’s scream – possibly.  That part was not clear.  What was clear, was that the mark of the dragon along his stomach burned hot.  The refrain played in his head, “Kill them all.  Kill them all.  Kill them – all.”  He lowered his hand to his sword which he kept in his holder, and pulled it free.  One of the savage marauders was now approaching Jimin.  The masked man pulled a bayonet and foolishly pointed it at the young boy. A whiff of air passed between them as Jimin swiped his sword so fast that is was virtually invisible.  Jimin used his index finger to lightly touch his attacker’s chest and the man’s entire head fell to the ground.  Jimin did a front flip to avoid the body as it fell.  His eyes searched wildly for his next victim, “Kill them all.”

He walked calmly through the field of battle; another whiff of air, another head.  Followed by another and another and another.  Within a span of five minutes, Jimin had killed eleven men.  “Kill them all,” he whispered again.  

A dragon, much like a warrior, is trained to show no mercy.  They are not given time to sulk, reflect or take count.  Their only mission in the heat of battle is to destroy.  

Jimin fought his way down the soft powdery beaches of Dongbaekseom island. Some men were killed, others were maimed and still others, were allowed to live to tell the tale.  By the time he reached the docks where the boats were cast, the remaining men of Dongbaekseom had armed themselves and begun to fight.  The cowardly marauders were never prepared for a fair fight and thus were crippled under the pressure from the warriors of Dongbaekseom.  

But even though the warriors were now beside him, Jimin refused to discontinue his fight because there was still yet unsettled business.  The man who’d gutlessly attacked his father still breathed, which meant the dragon was still on the hunt.   He located the coward hiding behind a group of children who’d been huddled there by their parents for protection.  They screamed when they saw Jimin coming towards them for fear they may be his next victims, “Quiet little ones, I wish you no harm.”   Jimin kept his eyes on his target and raised his sword prepared to strike.  The spineless man’s eyes bulged with terror because he knew this would mean his death.  He pulled a small child of five years old in front of him and used her as a shield.  Jimin proceeded as if he never even saw the child.  He continued to raise his sword.  Both the child and the coward released agonized screams of pending death.  With invisible flashes, Jimin’s sword skimmed the air and was back into his holster before either the child or the coward could blink.  He leaned down to one knee and beckoned to the child, “Come here little one, you’re ok.”  

She wriggled lose from the man’s grip and smiled at Jimin.  As soon as she took her first step, the coward’s body collapsed behind her into three bloody pieces, with his head rolling to the edge of the shore.

***

Twenty-eight-year-old Jimin’s hands trembled as he concluded his story - 

“By the time the smoke had cleared, I’d killed thirteen men.  One for each year of my life.  I was heralded as a hero, leading the battle with the largest kill count, even surpassing those of my elders.   But none of that was important.  When I came to my senses and realized where I was, my first thought was of my father.  I ran as fast as I could, hurdling over bodies, pushing away debris.  I could see the trail of his blood outside of our house.  The sounds of my mother’s screams were so clear.  I could hear every breath, every pause, every cry for help that she released.  My father was beyond help and she knew it, but it didn’t stop her from screaming.  Now that I think back, I wonder if she was actually screaming, possibly begging, for her own death.  

After my father’s death, neither my mother nor I could bare living on the seaside so we moved to Japan for a while to continue my kendo studies with the great Samurai of what is now Tokyo.

You know Jeongguk, a part of my soul died that day.  Not just because of the death of my father but because of the men I killed.  No child should ever be placed in such a position, but it was my father’s last wish that I protect my mother and the only way to do it was to kill them all.”

Jeongguk held both of Jimin’s hands to stop them from trembling.  He kissed them tenderly, “Your soul is fine.  We are trained killers Jimin, but we only lift our hands in defense of those we love.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jimin shook his head.

“It DOES matter!  Jimin it all matters.  Why do you think I’ve banned the members of my village from taking up weapons?  Why do you think I’m so repulsed by the idea of training another generation of warriors who could take up weapons against innocents? It’s because I don’t ever want anyone to experience what you and I did.  And as much as I admire you Jimin, I don’t want my brother or anyone else in my village to carry the burden of fighting as you do.  You will always be challenged because of your unique skill.  It is too heavy of a burden especially for a child. I will die before I let it happen again.”

Jimin looked away, nervous that his facial expressions might give away his secrets.  Jeongguk gripped his hands again and continued to press them to his lips.

“You kiss the hands of a killer.  A monster,” Jimin said modestly. 

“I kiss the hands of a great Dragon.  A man who saved his entire village while still a child.  Fuck- you’re a hero! I finally understand the Legend of the Kendo Dragon.  Kida was right, you are a bad ass.”  Jeongguk looked at Jimin as if he were the very deification of a man.

“I just told you the saddest story of my life.  Why are you smiling from ear to ear,” Jimin looked confused.

“Am I not allowed to be proud that I hold court with you?”  Jeongguk said bashfully. 

Jimin stared down into the younger one’s face and traced his dark eyebrows with his fingertips, “How is it that you’re more beautiful today than you were just last week?” Jimin asked.  

“How is it that you’ve fallen in love so quickly?”

“And you haven’t?” Jimin crossed his arms.

“Can you kiss me?  I think that may help me decide.”  Jeongguk gazed through the fallen strands of white hair that brushed against Jimin’s face and found his perfect, crescent-shaped eyes.   

Jimin leaned over, folding himself in half to position his lips against Jeongguk’s lips.  Jeongguk opened his mouth to welcome him and with each caress of his tongue, he felt his body pulse with pleasure.  Jeongguk reached up and pulled Jimin down, tumbling over the top of him.  They rolled body over body through the course colorless leaves draped along the forest floor.  The soft crunch of dried foliage cracked and popped under the weight of their bodies as they continued to roll through the forest, laughing and giggling and kissing.  

The band holding Jeongguk’s hair in a bun came lose and his brown tresses cascaded around his shoulders.  In the midst of tumbling like school children through the fall leaves, he had an idea.  He rolled Jimin one more time to allow himself to be on top, “Let’s go to the falls.”  

“The falls?  But the water must be freezing this time of year.”

“I’ll keep you warm,” Jeongguk’s eyes glinted.

“No thank you.  I don’t like for my balls to be cold,” Jimin chided.

Jeongguk touched Jimin’s nose with his own nose, “It’s not bad. I promise.  Besides, this may be our last few days of being able to take a decent swim before the weather turns.  What do you say?”

“Naked?”

“Jimin!”

“Naked or nothing,” Jimin crossed his arms in silly negotiation.

Jeongguk pursed his lips with a defeated face.  He took the opportunity while laying on top of his ethereal boyfriend to nuzzle his neck, kiss his chin and tap his lips several times with his own, “Naked it is.”

They raced the few meters to the waterfall, stripping away clothing as they went.  Jimin was the first in, fully naked.  He released his white hair and used his hands to pull a line of water through the front strands, pushing them away from his face.  Jeongguk stared from the bank.  After all this time, he was still amazed how Jimin could have the face of youth but the aged hair of the elderly.  It was a freak of nature that somehow added to Jimin’s mystique – and there was a lot of mystique there.  

The fresh morning sunrise and the victory of finally understanding Jimin’s past reenergize Jeongguk.  He felt the bonding somehow freed him, both of them, and allowed them to take a step forward emotionally.  It was far too much thinking for the moment, but Jeongguk couldn’t help but feel it was in some way symbolic.  He continued to watch Jimin as he disappeared under the water and reappeared soaking wet with his hair now shaded a misty grey.  The water stopped just below his waist which meant he was fully exposed and to no one’s surprise, fully aroused.  Jeongguk’s eyes trailed the fine lines of Jimin’s chest, the curves and mounds of his long muscular arms and the creases along his groin where the tiny hairs began to bundle around his testicles.  

“Mmmmmmm,” the sensuous sigh escaped Jeongguk without his awareness, causing Jimin to turn around and catch him staring.    

The sexy dragon in the water spoke no words, instead he let his body communicate for him.  With as little effort as possible, he collapsed backwards into the water and backstroked over to the heavy cascade of the waterfall.  Maybe it was a coincidence that his hard dick stood at full attention just above the water’s surface, or maybe it was fully intentional.  Either way, Jeongguk was not equipped to handle such ostentatiously delicious seduction.  His bright brown orbs swallowed as much of the fair skin dragon as they possibly could before he allowed himself to climb down into the tepid water.  

Jimin smiled when he saw him approach, “You were right.  The water actually feels really good. It’s not cold at all.”  His smiles were like tactical warfare; deadly in their beauty and intoxication.  Anyone trying to resist Jimin’s smile when he used it as a weapon, was destined to fail and Jeongguk was his latest target.  The gentle rays of the autumn sun danced through the trees as Jimin began to wash himself under the heavy stream of the fall.  He ran his hands through the length of his white hair from the root to the tip, placing it neatly over one shoulder.  By the time Jeongguk reached him, Jimin was slumped over under the fall, allowing the rushing water to massage his shoulders.  

“I’m sure the water was much cooler before you got it and raised it’s temperature,” Jeongguk walked in circles around him, watching him from every angle.  “Your hair?” he raised his hand and stroked the wet strands as they laid across Jimin’s shoulder, “I just can’t understand.”

Jimin’s visage grew noticeably more intense, “My hair…is a tale all of it’s own.”

“Tell me,” Jeongguk said greedily while wrapping the silky strands around his fist.  He used his other hand to caress the black inked tattoo that marked Jimin’s abdomen.  That is related to this, isn’t it?

“Yes.  I will share this with you, but it will be difficult for you to believe – accept.  You have experienced trauma at a young age, so fairytales are hard for you to believe.  Jeongguk, I am a fairytale, albeit a real one.  What they say about me is true – mostly true.”

“Explain.  I already don’t understand.”  

Jimin moved away from the loud rush of the water fall and walked to the calmer side of the bubbling river.  Speaking about his ancestry with someone other than his family was not a comfortable position for him.  The last time he’d told the truth about his origins to someone he loved, they labeled him a Demon and never spoke to him again.  It wasn’t without fear that he made his confession to Jeongguk, “I am what the ancestors call, Imugi, the blood of the dragon.  I was born with this white hair Jeongguk, directly from my mother’s womb.  It is a very rare marking and it is not a curse but a privilege.  It means that I have special “traits” with one of them being my natural propensity towards sword mastery.  Another being my white hair.  There are other characteristics as well, too numerous to name.  I was branded at such a young age because my training was complete while I was still young when I was at my most powerful.”  Jimin turned his back, nervous to watch Jeongguk’s reaction.  Could he really trust him to accept this information, or had he made a critical mistake with telling him the truth?

“Imugi?  That’s mythological fiction.  That is the tale of a creature, not a man.  Is this what you truly believe?” 

“It’s what I know,” Jimin said quietly.

“Imugi...”  Jeongguk continued to encircle Jimin as he searched the recesses of his mind conjuring every thing he’d heard historically regarding Imugi.  He spoke aloud, “...bringer of the clouds and the rain, good luck, magical powers, WHITE HAIR.  Legend has it that these are God’s chosen creatures, there is no genetic lineation, you are simply chosen or you are not.  Oh my God – It’s true.  How could I have not put this together before? This explains so much – your attraction to the water, your serpent like fighting style, your benevolence…even why you were so turned on by venturing into the cave.  You are Imugi.  My parents spoke of this when we were younger but I considered it nonsense, I never gave any credence to it.  I felt they were just conjuring stories for Kida.”  Jeongguk threw his head back and clapped his hands with glee.  “I understand so much now.”

Jimin grabbed his young warrior, “You do?  You don’t find me terrifying or some sort of demon?”

“What?”  Jeongguk was taken aback.  He waded over to the area where Jimin was standing and accepted both of his hands, “I could never think you were a demon, far from it.  Anyone studying ancient Korean history and the martial arts for as long as me has certainly heard the rumors.  Imugi are a cherished part of our heritage and there has always been speculation that they existed in human form…although, you are right, they are quite rare.   And look at me -I’ve gone and snagged one.” Jeongguk beamed with pride.

“Snagged one!  I’m not some fish you wrestled from the ocean,” Jimin tugged on Jeongguk’s wet hair just as a child would do to his crush.  “You haven’t snagged anything.”  

With a single hand still encircled around Jimin’s hand, Jeongguk began to back towards the rush of the waterfall, pulling him along gently, “Have I shown you the cave?”

“Yes.  I’ve seen it remember,” Jimin said blandly.

“Would you like to…see it again”

Jimin smiled, “No.  Too dangerous, I may get snagged or something.”

Jeongguk continued to pull Jimin back towards the cave, “I won’t lie, it could happen.”

They stepped through the loud plundering wall of water beneath the fall and entered the quiet black cave.

Their naked bodies greeted each other as if meeting for the first time.  Working his hands up and down Jimin’s back, Jeongguk pulled Jimin flush against him and wrapped his arms around his neck, “You are so beautiful my dragon.”

“It’s pitch dark in here.  How can you see my beauty?” Jimin mumbled as he planted small bite size kisses along the arch of Jeongguk’s neck.  He took great pleasure in arousing him as he kissed in all of his most sensitive spots. The dragon searched with his tongue until he found the excited buds along his boyfriend’s chest.  He took it under his tongue and bit lightly, teasing the nipple and cupping it with his warm mouth.  Jeongguk shuddered.  With a gentle graze, he tickled the shaft of Jeongguk’s cock and ran his fingers along the tip.  The hardy cock was warm, stiff and unyielding and Jimin could no longer withhold the filthy thoughts that came to his mind, “I want to feel THIS throb inside of my mouth, down my throat.” 

He gave the cock a hard pull and then another and another.  To his surprise, Jeongguk rotated his hips and thrust his shaft against Jimin’s hand as he panted and moaned, “…like that, I like it just like that, don’t stop…”

Water swirled around their thighs, enhancing the eroticism.  They stood toe to toe heaving warm breaths into each other before Jimin wrapped a lock of Jeongguk’s hair around his fist and forced his head back.  He whispered into his neck, “You like it like this?” he tugged harder along his lover’s shaft, showing no mercy, pulling and stretching the skin over the engorged muscle.  He could feel Jeongguk begin to hunch over as his stomach muscles tightened with every erotic pull of his dick driving him closer…and closer.  

Jeongguk opened his eyes amidst the darkness.  The faintest hint of light from the outside of the cave glimmered across Jimin’s face. He found the light in the center of his eyes and focused, making sure that Jimin knew he was gazing at him; he wanted him to see him, watch him, enjoy his face as he spilled his hot fluids into Jimin’s hand.  As his panting became heavier, he begged him with the lowest register of his voice, “...harder, don’t stop, watch me, look at me, watch me cum…”

Jimin stared back using only the glow of the distant light to track the eyes of his lover, “I’m watching.  I won’t stop.”

“Uhhh, you feel… so…” Jeongguk was now pushing his cock back and forth into the closed tight fist that gripped him so securely.  As his orgasm came, he entangled his quivering fists into the dragon’s long locks and held on.  The stream of cum that pushed out of his cock made a gentle rippling sound as it hit the surface of the water.  The eruption continued in small starts and stops until his nuts were finally barren.  He relaxed his back and stood straight again, still trying to control his trembling.

“I love you,” Jimin whispered timely.   With one single fluid movement, he twisted Jeongguk around to force his face into the cold, rocky wall of the cave, exposing his naked tight ass.  He admired it and then immediately began to grind against it.  By this time, his dick was as hard as the rigid shaft of a shinai.  The lusty tip of his cock eagerly set out in search of Jeongguk’s deep constricted entrance

Jeongguk was no tender virginal flower.  He knew how to give it and he knew how to take it, but taking it seemed to bring him the greater pleasure, “Don’t be gentle.”

“You like it rough?  I like that.  A true warrior indeed,” he spoke while simultaneously ramming his fingers into the waiting ass of his younger lover.  “You’re so tight against my fingers, what euphoria awaits me when you collapse around my cock?”

Jeongguk endured the tiny fingers as they crawled in and out of his slotted entrance.  He bit his lip and held his breath while Jimin stretched and explored with both his fingers and eventually his tongue.  

A large solid bolder within the cave rose about 30 centimeters above the water’s surface.  Jeongguk stopped Jimin’s ass play and led him by the hand to the rock.  In the darkness, he crawled on top of it and bent over on his hands and knees to allow Jimin full access to his deepest pleasures.  Jimin felt his way in the pitch black and lined up behind him; wetting his fingers in the river water before again submerging them into Jeongguk.  The wait was unbearable, his cock throbbed, desperate to plunge into the dewy warm ass. He gasped, “I can’t wait any longer, can I d-do it?”

Jeongguk didn’t acutely answer, instead he backed himself into Jimin’s member and lowered his head to rest on the rock while Jimin had his way with him.  Jimin stroked himself and then slowly worked his way through the entrance, first teasing with his dripping tip, then gently pressing until the head of his shaft was embedded.  Jeongguk clenched. 

“No – don’t, don’t, don’t move,” Jimin begged as if he were already losing control before even completing his entry.  

Jeongguk laughed a low, sultry, teasing laugh, “Am I too much for you?” He continued to rest on all fours as he hung his head low allowing his wet messy hair to completely cover his face.  Jimin closed his eyes tight and grabbed on to Jeongguk’s hips for stability.  The position was tricky, especially considering how violently he was already shaking. He took a deep breath and continued to push himself inside of the tight unyielding ass that beckoned him, “Fuck me dragon, fuck your little warrior.”

For a small fleeting moment, Jimin wasn’t sure who he was fucking.  This was not the same man who cowered at the slightest touch.  Or the man who fled a kiss for fear of his heart being broken.  Nor was he the timid, shy maknae who masturbated alone to errant nude sketches.  Who was this and why had Jimin never met him before?  Was this the sexual identity that he could look forward to for eternity?  The mere thought brought him closer to climax, “Shit!” he trembled.

 “Fuck me like you want it,” Jeongguk chattered incessantly both taunting and tantalizing his lover.  “Have I snagged myself a dragon?”  he moaned as he pounded back against Jimin’s thrusts.  

“Yes,” Jimin cried out.  He dug his fingers into the sides of Jeongguk’s hips, pushing and pulling in tight circular motions, opening up his lover and forcing himself deeper and deeper inside of him. He moaned again and again and again, each moan echoing against the sound of their clapping bodies from within the depths of the dark cave.  Finally, a low angry growl emerged from the pit of his chest, “Fuck, I’m about to cum.”

Jeongguk chose this moment to be silent.  He longed to hear the sound of his mythical Imugi reaching his peak, “yes…” was all he whispered.  

Jimin stood shakily as his body tensed under the stifling pressure of orgasmic relief.  He flooded Jeongguk’s swollen chambers with his salty rich fluid, and then used his hand to massage the wayward drips that leaked out onto his nuts.  He gritted his teeth and slowed his pace as his man hood pulsed in satisfaction. 

He withdrew carefully.  Jeongguk’s entrance was swollen and it refused to release him without a fight.  He inched his way, a segment at a time until his cock was free.  The cave was once again quiet.  Jeongguk flipped over and sat up, with one leg extended and the other bent and propped on the rock.  He let out a sweet laugh, “You’re no different that the fish in the ocean.  I have a way with animals, even dragons.”  He stood on the rock, jumped into the water and swam out through the water fall.  “Come,” he yelled back, “you must be hungry.  Let me feed you…food.”

They dressed quickly on the bank of the river.  Jimin did not say anything.  His thoughts wandered.  For most of his life, he’d been treated as evil, demonic, something repulsive because of his Imugi blood, but now suddenly here was someone who saw through it all.  Fate had delivered a confident, loving, astute man who cherished him because of what he was and despite it.  He couldn’t believe his blessings.  There was so much going on in his mind that he couldn’t even speak because of the flood of recognition.  The dragon for all of his ferocity had never felt so secure and desired as he did at that moment. “And now he wants to fix me lunch,” he whispered as he watched Jeongguk tenderly pull on the bottoms to his hanbok.  Tears welled in his eyes as the thoughts stirred within him.

“Are you ok?  You’re very quiet.”  Jeongguk smiled, a bit nervous about Jimin’s sudden withdrawal.

“I may have just had the fuck of my life with a man I love.  Forgive me if words are scarce,” Jimin appeared uncharacteristically meek.

Jeongguk released a sigh of relief. “Yes. It doesn’t get any better than pounding each other in a dark cave.”  He giggled and grabbed Jimin’s hand.  I would race you back to the village, but my ass hurts.”

Chapter Six – The Apple Crisis

They arrived back at the village and Jeongguk led Jimin to the garden where they sat for a few minutes enjoying the views from the mountain before eating.

“Your garden is lovely.  I would imagine this is why you don’t have to go into town much.  You have so much of your own food here already.  I love your village Jeongguk, I could live here,” Jimin praised.

“Could you now?  I will be sure to keep that in mind.”  He reached down and gave him a quick kiss before moving on to prepare the food.

“Hey did you see…?” Jimin pointed.

“What?”  Jeongguk looked around to try to determine what caught Jimin’s attention.

“Never mind…I thought I saw some chickens but they’re gone now.”

“Yes, never mind.  Ignore that please.”  The warrior cracked a smile that only he understood.

Jeongguk busied himself next to the fire, warming up various foods for lunch.  Jimin looked on, incredibly awestruck by the entire ordeal.  This was new for him.  He’d spent so much time alone in isolation, singularly focused on training, that being in an environment with another person and intimate interactions was overwhelming.  It was definitely a learning curve.  That pesky invisible force began tugging at his heart again.  This was definitely love, but it was more intense than just love, was it super love?  Adoration? Addiction?  A definition escaped him.  All he knew was that it felt so, so, so very good.

Jeongguk served him a lunch of ramen, twice fried rice (courtesy of his neighbor), and khori gomtang.  He plated it all neatly into ceramic bowls with hand-crafted, wooden chop sticks.  Everything was piled upon trays and placed in front of Jimin atop the garden wall.

“You cook like THIS?” Jimin’s eyes widened.

“It is not by choice.  When you raise a greedy dumbass such as my brother, you quickly learn to prepare meals that can sustain him.  Otherwise he will peck at your heals every ten minutes begging for more nourishment.”

“No wonder he’s growing so fast.  You really do spoil him.” Jimin picked up his chopsticks, and pondered where to begin.

Jeongguk, pointed towards the ramen, “Start here, it’s delicious.  Growing fast?  What do you mean?  You’ve seen him?”

SHIT, Jimin cursed in his mind.  He’d accidently allowed a small detail to slip, “Yes, I saw him in town at the markets a few weeks ago.  I don’t care for the boy so we kept our distance.  But I did recognize him as your brother,” Jimin recovered quickly.

“Well if you ever see him about and want to beat him up, just for the spirit of it, I don’t mind.”  Jeongguk nodded.

“Would you stop. You give him such a hard time,” Jimin laughed.  He gazed across the tray of food at Jeongguk and held his hand, “This is very special.  I think I fall deeper in love with you every minute.”

“Love.  Speaking of love – you know everything about my past.  Tell me about yours.  You say you’ve been in love before.  What happened?”  Jeongguk’s approach was so pure and genuine.  Even if Jimin did want to hide that aspect of his life, he couldn’t, not from this beautiful man who’d given him so much.

Jimin voided it all as quickly as possible, “When I was in my early twenties, not much younger that you, I was in love.  He was an amazing man and we had a good relationship.  I won’t say it was perfect because my origins disturbed him and it prevented him from loving me the way I deserved to be loved.  He was a fisherman and one day, desperate to catch food for the village, he took his boat into rough seas.  The boat was over turned and he drowned.  He was never a strong swimmer and I guess…,” Jimin cleared his throat, “…I guess the tide was too much.  His body washed ashore a few days after he disappeared.”

“I’m so sorry.”  Jeongguk pulled Jimin’s bare feet into his lap and massaged them as Jimin spoke.  

Jimin immediately felt a sense of relief and comfort.  Again, it was the first time he’d ever told the story to anyone except his mother, yet the information flowed so naturally from his lips to Jeongguk’s ears, “You really do have a way with animals – even dragons.”  Jimin smiled.

“Tell me more.  Is that the only time you’ve been in love?”  Jeongguk continued playing with Jimin’s feet, rubbing the high arch with his palm and then massaging the tips of his toes.

“I was a young shit prior to that.  I wanted to fuck and that’s it.  I wasn’t interested in anything serious because training was my only focus.  There were some men that held my interest, but they didn’t find me very desirable; the white-haired Imugi wasn’t very alluring to most.” Jimin nodded and stuffed more khori gomtang into his mouth, spitting the center bones over the garden wall.  

Jeongguk looked on curiously, “I think you are fibbing to me when you say that men didn’t find you desirable.  

“I wish I were,” the confident dragon suddenly wasn’t so confident.

Jeongguk used his palms to tickle the heels of Jimin’s feet, “You are the most beautiful creature to ever walk this earth, I’m sure of it.”

“Hey, whatever you’re doing to my feet,” he said with his mouth full, “it’s making my dick hard.”

Jeongguk laughed, “Good.  Feet are an erogenous zone.”

“Got it.  This sweet, innocent massage is not so innocent at all?”  Jimin swallowed hard.  He never knew that the warrior had this level of seduction within him.

“There’s nothing innocent about me dragon.  Why haven’t you learned that by now?”  

Jimin smiled, ecstatic, “What’s gotten into you?”  

“Well my hope is you…you’re about to get into me.  I’ve always wanted to be fucked in my garden.”

”

Jimin stopped chewing and coughed, “What?” he laughed.  Before he could react any further, Jeongguk was pushing him backwards over the garden wall.  They collapsed along a row of lettuce and fell hard to the ground with Jimin falling first and Jeongguk landing on top of him.

“In broad daylight?  In the middle of your garden?”  He giggled as he watched Jeongguk deliver a devilish grin.

Jimin laid flat on his back on top of the cool, fertile soil of the garden while Jeongguk wiggled his pants free.  He stared dreamily into the perfectly blue sky, watching the various shapes of fluffy clouds pass by on their trip to the ocean. The growing anticipation of what Jeongguk was doing caused him to take shallow breaths and clench his fists as he tried to hold his composure.  A brief sensation of exposure tickled his cock before it was immediately submerged by wet warmth.  The warrior’s head bobbled up and down over Jimin and he could feel his cheeks draw inwards as he used his mouth to consume his entire erection.   Jimin’s breaths became labored as he spread his legs to push Jeongguk’s head down further over his engorgement.  With both hands on either side of Jeongguk’s head, his eyes remained open, surveying the clouds until he felt the glorious build up gather in his groin.  At once the clouds became blurry, inconsequential because as his climax drew closer his desire was no longer to watch them, but to watch his warrior swallow him.  Jimin grunted and dug his fingers into Jeongguk’s shoulders, “What are you doing to me?” He cried out as he orgasmed.  

Jeongguk’s only response was to lean over and allow his hair to cascade over Jimin’s face, “…trusting you.”

***

The two spent the next two days together.  Despite Jimin’s attempts to leave, Jeongguk insisted that he stay.  Both Kida and Jin were still away visiting Jeongguk’s parents and it was the perfect opportunity for them to spend quality time alone in the village.  Most of their interactions took place on the island by the sea, so it was nice to linger in the quiet of the peaceful inlands.

There was another reason that Jeongguk didn’t want Jimin to leave.  Despite the amount of fucking they’d done already, after three days of fasting and training on the top of the mountain, sex was still the only thing on the warrior’s mind.  He was not quite done with his deadly dragon.

***

The faces of the passing villagers flushed red as they overheard the sounds coming from the Jeon hanok.  As they passed by walking to and from the river, they all pretended not to hear, but it soon became clear that their prized Jeonggukie had a visitor.

“Oh God, OH GOD, right there. Fuck me, fuck me,” Jeongguk was the mouthy one, “your dick is so big, push it deeper, deeper.”  

The graphic moans were unlike anything the villagers had heard before – well unlike anything they’d ever heard coming from the Jeon house.  Parents passing by with their children covered their ears, with most of them opting to take an alternate route to the river; one that kept them out of earshot of the blatant sexual profanity.

Two fishermen in route to the river overheard the commotion, “Who’s he got in there?” Asked one of the fishermen.

“He’s dating some elderly woman from the shore side; that’s what the rumor is anyway,” replied the other.

“Ewww, didn’t know he liked them older.”

“She’s much older.  Long white hair that she keeps in a bun.  He’s a kinky one that warrior.”

“Well it’s about time he found somebody.  Good for him.  Good for him.”

Inside of the small house, Jimin had Jeongguk pinned to the floor with both of his maknae’s legs thrown of his shoulders.  He grimaced and growled as he looked down at him, watching his every move.  Unlike Jeongguk, Jimin managed to keep his sexual screams contained to moderate whispers, “You like that don’t you?  You’re so naughty.  You want to cum don’t you?  What if I don’t let you?”

Jeongguk dared him with a threatening stare.  He refused to acknowledge Jimin’s threats which only heightened the fragile orgasmic tension between them.

Jimin slowed his grind and threatened again, “Beg for it, or I’ll stop.”

Jeongguk arched his back and moaned, “ohhh I want it, I’m so close…but I won’t beg you.”

Jimin smiled sadistically, “I’m going to make you beg for it.”  He did as he promised and pulled his dick free at the exact moment Jeongguk was about to release, “Beg me for it, and I’ll give it back to you,” he demanded.

Jeongguk’s entrance was left cold and empty, gaping open, desperate for the return of the hot cock, but he refused to beg, “Fuck you.  I won’t beg you,” he said teasingly.  They entered a stare down, the warrior vs. the dragon.  

Back in the days when they would spar on the beach, Jimin would always joke because they were so evenly matched that if they ever fought, they would surely kill each other.  But what of this battle?  This battle of sexual will - who would win?  Who wanted it more?  Who - would succumb first?

Jimin retreated from between Jeongguk’s legs and sat upon his knees, staring down at the gaping abyss of Jeongguk’s ass that he desperately wanted to reenter.  Their messy hair completely covered their faces, leaving them virtually blinded by their rogue tresses.  Jimin breathed heavily, fucking someone with the mass of Jeongguk was no easy feat.  He blew a quickened breath and his hair flitted away from his face before resettling in the same messy fashion, “I won’t give in.”

A rugged toothy smile crept from beneath the mounds of hair over Jeongguk’s face, “Neither will I.”  He pushed his legs open even further and arched his back, thrusting his hard cock forward as a reminder to Jimin of what he was missing.  “I will win this battle dragon.”

“So arrogant.”

The sexually charged standoff continued.  There was no rationale behind their behavior, other than that of two fighters showing dominance in yet another battle.  Jeongguk pushed the hair from his face and watched the glow of candle lit shadows dance across Jimin’s body.  His resolve began to weaken.  He wanted nothing more than to explode in ubiquitous bliss with his dragon’s cock inside of him.  But he was nothing, if not stubborn and was not going to be the first to give in.  He extended his fingers to touch Jimin’s glistening skin, but Jimin jumped and slapped his hand away, “Relax.” Jeongguk laughed, “You really aren’t very good at this are you?”

“So fucking arrogant!”  Jimin repeated, more upset this time.  Jeongguk continued to lay there in all of his perfection with his pink heart shaped lips and large burly chest and long hard cock.  Jimin had never been so in love and so angry in his entire life.  He tried to find a safe place within Jeongguk to lock his stare, but there wasn’t any.  His face was gorgeous, his body was divine, his cock was exquisite, suckable, fuckable.  There was no safe place.  He chose to stare at a tiny speck on the floor beneath them. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to hold him for a bit longer. 

Candle light continued to flicker across the dark room of the Jeon house.  The tiny town outside grew quiet as it’s tired inhabitants retired for the evening.  The sounds of the never- resting river rushed in the distance.  There was peace.  For a moment it felt as if he and Jimin were the only two people on the planet.  Jeongguk remained flat on his back and lowered his legs, leaving space for Jimin to remain upright. And then in a sudden turn of events, the warrior spoke, but not in the spirit of competition, but with tenderness and reflection.    

What he had to say would define them forever, “I knew from the moment I first saw you in the alley that I wanted you.  But something, I don’t know what, something wouldn’t allow me to trust you.  But I believe those were just old wounds trying to keep me from being happy.  The only curse that I am under, is the one that I have fashioned myself.  I wasted so much time.  You are the gold at the end of my rainbow.  I’ve let my past go Jimin and I…love you too.”

Jimin could not breathe.  The intensity of loving and being loved overwhelmed him.  He grasped both of Jeongguk’s hands and pushed them above his head and rammed his cock into his entrance once again.  They held hands tightly, clutching their fingers into unified fists as Jimin laid his head on Jeongguk’s chest; thrusting, digging, pushing and pulling his cock offering it to his lover in no uncertain terms.  They exploded together with one fused erotic voice; Jimin releasing his juices into Jeongguk’s dark depths and Jeongguk squirting streams into the space between them.  The warrior and the dragon mated as savagely as they battled.

***

The moans, groans and foul language continued through the early morning.  Stamina of the two men who desired each other like no one else, propelled them through a night of intense, albeit raucous, passion.  By sunrise, the patrons of the small village had grown accustomed to the noise and none of them had any further reaction.

Jeongguk squeezed Jimin from behind and kissed his left cheek, “Can I get you some river water or something for your trip?”

“No.  My mother will undoubtedly meet me with a pale of apples.  You know, I really don’t like apples that much,” Jimin frowned.

“My God, does she know?”  Jeongguk stood over Jimin and pulled his white hair up into a neat bun on top of his head, “There all done.”

“Thank you.”  Jimin felt his hair and kissed Jeongguk’s hand, “Even if she did, I don’t think that would preclude me from being forced to eat them.”

Jeongguk gazed at Jimin lovingly, “Do you really have to go?”  

Jimin turned to face him and draped his arms around the taller man’s neck, “I’m afraid I do.”

Jeongguk held Jimin’s hand and then slyly placed it on his hard crotch, “Do we maybe have time for one more…,”

“NO!  I have obligations back home,” Jimin’s laugh lit up the already bright room.

“What obligations?  We concluded that you don’t actually have work,” Jeongguk said sarcastically.

“Not we, YOU. You concluded that.  Besides, don’t you have classes to teach today?”  Jimin mocked him.

“I guess you’re right.  But I will still see you tonight, yes?”  The younger smiled.

“Yes, and I will be so very ready for you.”  Jimin said his goodbyes before heading down the mountain and back to his island home.

***

Love was timeless.  Before any one realized it, almost two years had passed since Kida, Jeongguk and Jimin first met in the dark alley behind the market place.  Jimin was now 29, Jeongguk, 26 and Kida 18

As the earth raced through space and time, once again, the summer blossoms gathered on the ground of the trail of God’s tears.  The two lovers continued to alternate visits between the island of Dongbaekseom and Naktong village.   Since the cave was a favorite of the Imugi, many hot summer nights were spent there.  Passersby would tell tales of hearing ghostly moans and mysterious claps that sounded like the colliding of two wet bodies – all emanating from the depths of the cave.  Little did they know, this was the preferred fucking spot of the warrior and his mystical dragon.

Jimin and Jeongguk grew more in love with every passing day.  Each thinking the other perfect and each grateful for the love and understanding they shared.  Inhabitants of both villages were so intimately familiar with the two lovebirds, that their relationship no longer stood out as odd or questionable.  It was accepted as matter-of-factly as the sun’s rise in the East.

Jimin continued the difficult task of keeping Kida’s training a secret, but as time went on, the schedules became easier and easier to manage with Kida being mature enough to do most of the tracking himself.  He kept very close tabs on Jeongguk, knowing where he was most of the time, which availed himself the freedom to schedule his training sessions when Jeongguk was least likely to suddenly appear on the island.

But with time and love and proximity, another obstacle developed; Jimin’s conscious.  As he and Jeongguk grew closer, the secret that he was keeping from him began to burrow a hole within his stomach.  He would often reflect on their moment in the forest where Jeongguk passionately recounted his sister’s death and how it changed him at only five years old.  How he vowed to never allow anyone in his family to brandish a weapon.  And how he would instantly kill any of the villagers who defied him.  It all weighed heavily on Jimin’s chest.

His reasons for training Kida were solid and he did not regret it.  His only regret was that he couldn’t tell his young lover anything about it.  Despite his deepest desire to share Kida’s progress and his skills with his prideful older brother, his promises and commitments just didn’t allow it.  All was not lost, however, because Jimin had a plan; given it was a long-term plan that would take several years to execute, but it was still a plan.  If he could just get through the most critical elements of Kida’s training, the plan could be put into action.  Time was all he needed.  Precious time.

And then there was Kida, the ultimate benefactor of all of the love and happiness between Jeongguk and Jimin.  He and Jeongguk had finally made amends and things were going smoothly between them.  They recaptured their brotherhood which Kida thought may never happen after their blow up the previous year.  Jeongguk was different and the influence that love had on his personality was profound.  Kida was so happy for him, that sometimes he would just randomly hug him for no particular reason.  But he was always careful not to give away any hint of knowing more than he should about Jeongguk’s relationship with Jimin.

For his part, Jimin was also a different person.  Still as brutal and cold as a King Cobra, but in a kindler, gentler way.  Things were so good that Kida couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been threatened with beheading.  Kida looked upon Jimin not only as a mentor, but also as another big brother that could mold him and shape him into the man that he wanted to become.  Despite their rocky student-trainer relationship, Kida thought the world of Jimin and took pride in knowing that he was courting – and in love – with his brother.

Another notable fact was Kida’s development within the art of Kendo.  His training was always intense, but as Kida became more skilled, Jimin became more ruthless.  But Kida shined despite the pressure, the pain, the long hours and the mental obstacles.  He was now over 185 centimeters tall, taller than his brother.  Although Jimin was quick to remind him that he was no Jeon Jeongguk despite his height.  His musculature had come along nicely too, as his abdomen and chest developed enough strength to increase his over strike speed.

The two were now sparring daily for hours with full swords up and down the beach.  Kida’s injuries were sometimes severe as sword play was not very forgiving of mistakes.  Jimin’s skills were unparalleled, and Kida could never keep up with him no matter how hard he tried.  Kendo was a Japanese originated art form, but the style that Jimin applied to it was uniquely Korean.  That was one of the reasons that no one in the region could even begin to touch him.  He was a true legend and he was selflessly committed to teaching Kida everything he knew.

Kida was aware of the legend of the Imugi, and when he was younger, he lived and breathed the mythological stories that spoke of Imugi walking the earth in human form.  But as he got older and more mature, he gave less credence to those fairytales and accepted them as just good stories.  It wasn’t until he saw Jimin in action with his own eyes that he opened his mind to the reality of Jimin being Imugi.  It was always rumored that the great Kendo Dragon actually possessed real dragon blood in his veins, but it was a silly story that was never believable.  Ridiculous. If they only knew, Kida thought.

Now and then Kida’s friends would steep themselves in the legend of the Kendo Dragon.  Kida would remain silent and pretend to know nothing more than they did.  But his secret was so fantastic that he constantly had to fight the urge to tell everyone; shout it from the rooftops.  His desire to spill his guts always waned when he considered the repercussion of his secret getting out.  Betrayal such as that could easily get him killed by his own brother. Under no circumstances could he ever risk Jeongguk learning of his Kendo training. Never.  Ever.

***

“Happy Anniversary,” Jimin kissed Jeongguk awake by nibbling on his cheeks.  The sea was fierce and the waves roared behind them making for a cold windy morning.

“Whaaa?”  Jeongguk blinked his eyes open and then shuddered from the cold.

“Two years ago, today, I saved your life,” Jimin sat on Jeongguk’s chest.  His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the lose strands framed his chiseled face.

“Oh that.  Wake me when it’s time to celebrate the first time we fucked.  Now that’s exciting news.”  Jeongguk smiled devilishly and pulled Jimin into a kiss.

“You mean our cave behind the waterfall?”  Jimin smiled, “That is where you first gave me your flower.”

“I gave you my ass.  Warriors don’t have “flowers” to give,” Jeongguk quipped.

“Get up.  You have to start home,” Jimin said seriously.  

“Nice to know I’m being kicked out…again,” Jeongguk complained.

Kida was due to arrive any minute, so it was imperative to get Jeongguk off of the island to keep them from accidently running into each other.  He gave Jeongguk another kiss, this one longer and more passionate and then pulled him from the floor, “If it were up to me, you would live here and we would spend every day together until eternity.  But it’s not up to me and we have lives to live, so get up.  By the way, there’s two chickens who have been walking up and down the shore since last night.  By any chance do you know anything about that?”

Jeongguk exhaled in frustration, “Ruby and her sister...I…”

“...stop there, that is quite enough,” Jimin didn’t want to hear anymore.  Just like the Imugi’s obsession with caves and water, the warrior and his propensity for crazy animals was something they all just had to endure.  It was a noble quality, yet annoying because many times his “pets” would follow him home, wreaking havoc along the shores of the quiet beach front, “can you please take them with you when you leave?”

Jeongguk laughed and laughed, holding his sides.  He could hear them already starting to fight outside of Jimin’s front door.

He dressed quickly and prepared to take his leave.  Jimin had already waded out into the ocean and was stepping through his “weighted sword” katas against the waves.  Jeongguk waded in after him, “I’m leaving now but before I go, I have a question.”

Jimin wasn’t exactly pleased about having his training interrupted, but he was more than forgiving when he saw Jeongguk standing there in his soaked hanbok, “What is it.”

“I know we’ve talked about this before, but it’s been two years now. Don’t you think it’s time we met our parents?”

“I already know my mom, thanks,” Jimin said sarcastically.

“Jimin.” Jeongguk shook his head as a sign that this was not a joking matter.  “I think I should meet your mother.  And I think you should meet my parents when they return next month.”

For many, many reasons, Jimin did not want an official meeting with Jeongguk and his parents, not yet anyway.  It was too soon, in Jimin’s opinion, and so many things could go wrong.  He’d been bucking against Jeongguk’s request for months, but he was running out of excuses so he said simply, “I don’t want to meet them.  Not yet. We are a male on male relationship and I am not ready to announce that.  You understand don’t you?”

“But Jimin they already know all about you. They know we are “interested” in each other.  But now I really do think it’s time to tell them that we are in love,” Jeongguk stated his case passionately.

“We can talk about it later.  Please, not right now.” Jimin turned and began swinging his sword again.

“Ok.  Ok.  Later. See you tomorrow.  I love you.” Jeongguk gave Jimin a quick peck on the lips and then headed off to catch his boat back to shore.  

“I love you too…and don’t forget to take those chickens with you,” Jimin yelled.

***

Another few weeks passed before Jeongguk broached the subject of parents again.  However, this time he decided to take a different approach.  If Jimin wasn’t going to introduce him to his mother, then Jeongguk would make the introductions himself.  And that was exactly what he chose to do one Sunday evening.

He knew of Mrs. Park’s orchard because he’d seen it from the road many times while boarding the fishing boat to Dongbaekseom island.    The beautiful orchard boasted not only apples but lettuce and cabbage as well.  The grounds overlooked the seaside and bordered the docks where all of the fishing boats casts their daily nets.  Her market where she sold her wares was in the center of the marina, just over the hills of the shore.

“Hmm.” Jeongguk paced up and down the aisle of the fruit market.  The apples all looked delicious but the choice of which one to choose plagued him.  He scratched his head and looked bewildered as he took one more pass up and down the aisle.

“Hello young man, may I help you?”  Sooyeon approached him.

“Uh yes.  I’m having a bit of an apple crises,” Jeongguk explained.

“There is no such thing.”

“I want apples but I’m unsure of which to choose,” he pouted. 

“Again, not a crisis.  Nothing involving apples is a crisis.”  She smiled warmly, even making herself laugh a bit.  Jeongguk instantly liked her.  “You look very familiar.  Have I seen you before?”  She asked. 

“Possibly.  I’m a friend of Jimin’s.  A close friend.  A very close friend.”  Jeongguk was careful not to be too over anxious with sharing his excitement over Jimin.   

“That’s right!”  She beamed.  “You’re Jeongguk, right?”  She gave him a tight loving hug, even though they’d just met.  “My son has mentioned you.  How did you two meet?  Ah let me guess, a fight no doubt?”

“Exactly.  You know him well.”  Jeongguk tilted his head back and released a hearty laugh.

“Yes, I do,” she laughed again, so full of joy and sincerity.  She was a petite woman, much shorter than Jimin with long black hair and thick grey strands throughout.  Her teeth were a brilliant white and her lips were thick like Jimin’s. She had his eyes and nose and subtle little dimples, yet her face remained uniquely hers, “You’re a Jeon?”

“Right again. How did you know?” Jeongguk began to expect Jimin’s mother to be a bit clairvoyant.  

“That adorable nose.” She booped his nose with her small finger. But it wasn’t just the nose that gave Jeongguk away.  Although she chose not to say it, there was another reason that she recognized Jeongguk and that was because he was the spitting image of his younger brother Kida; the boy that Jimin had been training.  Given the Jeon stance on weaponry, she was curious why he would allow his brother to train in the savage art of Kendo.  Her instincts however, told her it was best not to discuss such controversial topics at their first official meeting.

Jeongguk went bright pink and laughed loudly, “Why thank you - I think?”

“Definitely a compliment.  You are quite handsome.  Curious that you and my son are only good friends,” she said boldly. 

“My - my – my,” Jeongguk blushed, “I think you should take that up with your son.  Now back to my apple dilemma, is there a difference between the green apples, the gold apples and the red ones?”

“The green are very bitter and have just a hint of sweet.  The golden delicious are very sweet with a softer texture, still the red are the best of both worlds- a little sweet, small hint of tart and quite firm.  So, first, tell me which apple you most desire.  Second, tell me why you’re really here.”  She booped Jeongguk’s nose again.

Jeongguk smiled innocently.  He was busted and he knew it, “Jimin and I are good friends...really good friends.”

“You said that already,” she quipped.

“Yes, well considering that we are such good friends, I thought I should meet you.  Plus, I wanted to try your apples.” He shrugged and continued to walk down the aisle.

“Then why is he not here with you to make proper introductions?” She questioned.  Sooyeon was sharp and not much got pass her.  She walked along the aisle beside Jeongguk.  She was very suspicious about his visit so she decided to probe further, “Does he know you’re here?”

“...weeeell, not exactly...,” much to Jeongguk’s relief, a young boy, approximately thirteen, came rushing down the aisle of the market and interrupted their conversation.  

He looked around excitedly yelling, “Mrs. Park!  Mrs. Park!”

She spun around and stopped him in his tracks, “Hyunjae what is it?  You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“It’s Jimin!”

“What about Jimin?” she said calmly.

“He’s been attacked! He’s outnumbered and they have weapons and they’re – they’re – they’re attacking the fishermen...,” the boy could barely catch his breath.

“What?”  Sooyeon tried to calm down the little one called Hyunjae.  She was not understanding his jumbled incongruent sentences. 

Jeongguk however seemed a bit clearer on what the lad was saying.  He stood frozen for a few moments to allow the boy to finish.

“Thieves!  JIMIN -he was on his way here and a band of thieves were stealing boats from the marina and he tried to stop them and they swarmed him.  He’s outnumbered!”  Hyunjae talked so fast and so frantically that the two of them still had trouble understanding all of his words.

“You say he was attacked? How many are there?”  She asked casually. 

Strange question, Jeongguk thought to himself.

“At least 20 maybe more.  All of them against just him and all of them are armed! What do we do?  How can we help him?”  Hyunjae was close to tears.  

Finally, it sunk in.  What Hyunjae was trying to tell them was that Jimin was in trouble.  The boy was so frightened that he came running to them for help.  

“Oh my God,” Jeongguk uttered. His hands began to shake causing the pile of gold, red and green colored apples to fall from his arms and crash to the ground.  “I have to help him.  Don’t worry Mrs. Park.  I’ll help him. He’ll be ok.  You stay here and I’ll help him out of this.”  Jeongguk tried to console her but it seemed as if she didn’t require any consoling. 

She turned to him with a look of incredulity, “You are very kind to want to help your special friend, especially to join a fight that could be deadly.”  She smiled.  Despite the news that her son was in grave danger, she still smiled. 

You are a strange bird, thought Jeongguk, but he didn’t have the time to figure her out.  Jimin was his only concern, “I’ll make sure he’s ok. Don’t worry.”

He could hear her laughing as he ran through the aisles of the orchard.  She called after him, “I’m not worried.  My son handles himself very well.  By the time I wash the latest batch of golden delicious, his attackers will all be dead.”  She smiled very confidently and hummed while restacking the apples that Jeongguk had knocked to the ground.

 

***

By the time Jeongguk arrived at the docks, the scene was a chaotic mess.  People were screaming and flailing and running in every direction.  It was difficult to get a handle on the number of attackers and their positions because the scene was moving very rapidly.  The small town on the shore of Busan was a fishing village of mostly elderly people.  They did not have the wherewithal to fight like some of the younger villages in the area; making this an especially egregious attack.  Even though most of the militia groups in search of land dominance had been eradicated when Jeongguk was a child, a few gangs full of rogue thieves still existed, similar to Pon and his group that attacked Jeongguk and Kida a couple years earlier.  

As Jeongguk did a quick assessment, he was easily able to recognize that these were not Pon’s men.  This gang was more organized, skilled, disciplined and unnecessarily brutal.  They seemed to be working in one large group as a unit making them extremely difficult to take down because of the visual advantage they had on pending attackers.  Many of the brave elderly souls of the fishing village tried to fight, but they were kicked and beaten and thrown to the ground with no regard.

Jeongguk continued to scan the area as quickly as he could.  There was one person and one person alone he needed to find and until he located him, he was unsure which direction to run.  And then suddenly, there he was.  A flash of flowing white hair attached to a nimble grey haze, twirling and spinning while surrounded by a sea of dark figures.

Just as the boy had described, there were multiple attackers and all of them were converging upon Jimin.  However, after more careful examination Jeongguk noticed something.  Even though twenty or more men were surrounding the dragon, another fifteen already lay unmoving at his feet.  From his vantage point above the docks, Jeongguk could see clearly that Jimin had the advantage.  The dragon seemed to be slicing through them as casually as he did his morning stretches.  Jeongguk’s first thought was to rush to his side and immediately jump into the fray, but something told him to stand down.   

Jimin moved with lightning speed in a series of katas that Jeongguk had never seen before.  Although he still marveled whenever he saw it, the speed of Jimin’s movements were no surprise to him.  It was well established between them that Jimin could move so quickly that he rendered his sword invisible at times.  But something was different about this attack.  It was not familiar to Jeongguk and after months of sparring with Jimin, he thought he knew everything about his fighting style.  He narrowed his eyes, focused, refocused and finally, he saw it; the vision made him fall to his knees, “FUCK!” 

The mastery of wielding a single sword was a coveted skill that few people on earth possessed, but here was Jimin, the legendary Kendo dragon, the Imugi of Busan, the Samurai of Japan, wielding TWO swords at the same time, each spinning in wildly different directions as if two separate brains controlled them.

The artistry and beauty of the movements made Jeongguk skip a few breaths. He watched. Jimin dropped both swords into the holders at his side.  He stutter-stepped around one of the attackers and ran up the side of a boat, balancing himself as if walking up a wall.  He kicked into a back flip that landed him once again in the center of several fighters.  With his swords still safely tucked away in his holders, he used his hands as deadly weapons.  The first man he came upon, he twisted into a headlock, breaking his neck.  To elevate himself above the tight mob of fighters who crowded him, he ran up the side of a nearby hanok and once again propelled himself backwards into a flip over the mass below.  His white hair hung upside down as he ripped both of his swords free in mid-air.  The fighters below could do nothing but watch has he passed overhead.  Few had the sense of mind to try to grab him from the air, but he was too fast, just a grey blur that no one could catch. He landed on one foot and then immediately spun into a pirouette at a perfect 360 degrees, with both swords extended, slashing, devouring and killing.

By the time his graceful athletic spin ended, another four men lay dead at his feet.  Still more men charged at him.  He launched himself into the air again, using a series of flips, and kicks flying over all of their heads.  No one could keep eyes on him, he was an invisible target and it was not a fair fight.  With a landing as soft as a whisper, he ran full speed into the attacking crowd and slid on his side with his swords extended, cutting them all off at the knees. 

“FUCK!” Jeongguk said again.  This time he shamelessly cheered.  The need to join the melee was definitely not urgent.  In fact, Jeongguk joining the fight could have actually been a hindrance to the dragon because this was a one man show.  Every move was calculated and planned. He knew where every opponent was situated, every angle from which he planned to attack and every strike he wanted to make.  Jeongguk realized later that the reason Jimin was intermittently tucking away his sword was because some of the elderly villagers were mixed in with the mob attempting to fight and he didn’t want to harm them, so he would use his hands to attack instead.  It was all so incredible that Jeongguk was speechless.  It was a masterpiece of individual battle that Jeongguk felt blessed to witness. No wonder Jimin’s mother was unconcerned about her son’s fate.  She knew his deadly secrets better than anyone.

Jimin continued to move like a gust of wind, everywhere and nowhere at once.  Even those who tried to approach him from the rear, had no chance.  No one had a chance.   Jeongguk’s heart began to race and his body felt weak, not just because he was in awe but because THIS was the man he loved and who loved him; the man he made love to almost every night; the man who was so tender that he would kiss his eyelashes to wake him in the morning; the man who giggled when you kissed his feet.  The same man.  How could this be the same man?  It was almost unbelievable.

And then just as quickly as it started, it was done.  Jimin walked away unscathed, with not a single drop of blood on him.  Even his two swords which had slashed many, were clean.   He walked to the edge of the breaking tide where he stood ethereal, regal, and stoic amidst a pile of dead bodies, “Throw them into the ocean,” Jimin called to the fishermen who’d gathered to praise him for saving their lives and foiling the theft.  Children ran to him and kissed his hand.  Women hugged him and offered him prayers, and the elderly cried, and thanked God for granting him as their protector.  

Alas, after such triumph, there was no joy in the dragon’s face; only pain and heavy burden.  The death toll around him affected him profoundly because a piece of his soul remained with the dead.  The killing was always the worst part.  

Jeongguk could feel his dragon’s sorrow as if it were his own and the pain in Jimin’s eyes was too much for the his heart to bare.  He ran quickly to catch up with Jimin before he jumped on a boat back to the island.  Jimin saw him approaching.  He tucked both of his swords away and beckoned the boat operator to halt and wait.  Jeongguk walked through a few feet of water and climbed into the boat with him. The long white hair blew in the ocean wind as the foamy sea caps whistled behind him, he locked into Jeongguk’s eyes but said nothing.   An eerie, knowing stare existed between them and they held it all the way to the shores of Dongbaekseom island. 

***

The sun was setting with a blood orange hue over the tiny island.  As soon as the boat anchored, Jeongguk jumped out ahead of Jimin and headed up the sandy beach towards Jimin’s isolated stretch of the island.  He took a few steps and turned around to walk backwards as he watched Jimin trace sadly behind him through the sand. The chilled ocean air blew over them as the tide recessed back into the sea. 

Still, no words were exchanged.   Jeongguk faced forward again, continued a few more steps and glanced out into the ocean.  His thoughts were sharp and he knew exactly how to care for his sullen dragon.  The answer was in the water.  It was where Jimin’s restorative powers resided and he needed to feel the cold wet around him – yes - only the water could heal his dragon’s heart.  Once again Jeongguk turned around to walk backwards and face Jimin as he stared ahead with empty eyes.  He waited for the gentle piercing eyes to fall upon him and then, in Jimin’s full view, he placed his fingers along the knots that held his hanbok secure.  He tugged at them, causing the knots to relax and fall open, revealing his chest.  With a slight shake, he removed the top and dropped it to the ground, then continued to walk backwards with Jimin still staring, unblinking, directly at him.

Another few steps and they were back in front of Jimin’s hanok.  The silence between them had never been so loud.  The moment was one of complete understanding and total submission and they both knew it; surrendering to love above all else.  Jeongguk removed his pants and stood boldly, completely nude, presenting himself as a prize to his beloved.

In Jeongguk’s eyes, Jimin had never looked more beautiful.  By this time, the moon had chased the sun away and was hanging protectively over the island.  The light of the full eclipse reflected on the glowing surface of Jimin’s white hair while his full lips rested in a slight pout.

The warrior stepped forward and wrapped his hands around Jimin’s waist, removing the belt that held both of his swords.  They fell hard into the sand, heavy with the weight of death.  The dragon still stood silent, bathed in melancholy, unable to move past his own disgust. 

 Jeongguk’s manhood bobbed between them as he removed the clothes from his dragon, slowly, one article at a time, alternating between kissing Jimin’s lips and stroking his hair.

They both stood naked, still not speaking until a low pained voice came from Jimin’s chest, “How can you still love me?”

“I do. More than I thought possible.”

Jimin walked naked out to the sea.  He turned and waited for Jeongguk to join him.  They held hands as they walked into the crashing waves.  Jimin sat upon his knees and stroked himself, looking up at Jeongguk who stood over him with the full moon to his back.  His hair fell in soft waves over his face and the craters of his dimples caught the shadow of the moonlight.  The night was cold, but the stars were crystal clear and seemed to flash in conversation above them. 

Jeongguk turned and backed into him, then lowered himself over the dragon’s hardness and inserted him gently, pushing down until the entirety of Jimin’s manhood was inside of him.   He wrapped both of Jimin’s arms around him and held them tightly as they rocked together in tandem with the swirling waves.  

Feeling ever so undeserving of the love this man was giving him, Jimin buried his head into Jeongguk’s back – and cried.  Even with the knowledge of what he was, Jeongguk still loved him, even after witnessing him kill, Jeongguk still loved him, even after seeing him in his lowest form, Jeongguk still loved him.  At that moment Jimin knew they were inseparable and nothing could tear them apart.  They held on to each other as if they were the only two people to ever exist.  They rocked slow then fast, then slow again, moaning, clenching, voiding their deepest guttural passions; fusing themselves into one mind, with one sound and one body.  The angry waves crashed violently into their bodies as they crashed violently against each other.  Fucking each other with all of their available strength and holding nothing back.  Faster and faster, their bodies clapped until they could no longer contain themselves.  Together – as one – they climaxed.  Their passionate screams were drowned by the turbulent swirling of the ocean around them.

***

Sooyeon paced up and down the dirt path that ended at the front of her hanok.  Her small little house sat at the end of her Orchard overlooking the sea as well as the tiny island where her son lived.  She’d sent for Hyunjae over an hour ago and he still had not arrived, a fact that was annoying her to no end.  She peered beyond the trees in search of the little boy hoping to see him scurry down the path.  Her patience was waning and the urgency of their meeting weighed upon her.  All she could do was wait.

Fifteen minutes later when his little voice did speak, he startled her, “Mrs. Park?”

“Hyunjae! You’re here,” she rushed over to her little messenger, hoping for good news, “thank you for coming. Did you find him?” 

“Yes, I did.  I found the younger Jeon boy,” Hyunjae smiled.

“You did?  Wonderful Hyunjae.  Good job.  Is he coming?”

“Yes.  He will be here shortly.  He was still in the market hanging out with friends,” Hyunjae explained.

“That is good news.  As promised, here is a special treat for you.”  Sooyeon handed him a colorful pale full of apples.

“Thank You!” Hyunjae bowed graciously, “Mrs. Park, I thought you were calling me here to find out what happened.”

“What happened?  What do you mean?”  She was perplexed and not exactly sure of his reference.

“The fight.  Jimin’s attack.”  Hyunjae couldn’t understand why she wasn’t more concerned.

“Ohhhhhhhhh- the FIGHT!  Yes, that’s right.  The one you were so worried would end in my son’s death.  Let me guess…hmmm.  He killed them all.”  She smiled, with sadistic pride.

“YES!  He won.  Without any help.  Even the warrior didn’t have to do anything because Jimin sliced them up all by himself.”  Hyunjae grabbed the handle of a broom and wielded it as if it were a sword.  He danced around Sooyeon making slashing noises, pretending to be the Kendo Dragon.

 “I am not surprised to hear that Jimin won,” her prideful smile soon faded.   She looked ahead and caught a glimpse of another figure approaching along the dark path under the full moon.  She recognized at once that it was Kida.

“Little one, run along now.  Kida is here and I need to talk to him.”  She pressed the pale of apples into his arm and scooted Hyunjae along.

As Hyunjae ran past, Kida gripped the broom and playfully charged him, knocking him to the ground, “Surrender Kendo Dragon.  I am the master now.”  

Hyunjae giggled madly, “Bye Kida.”  He jumped to his feet and ran off.

Kida laughed fondly as the child disappeared.  His memory harkened back to the alley where he’d first met the real Kendo dragon.  Not too long ago, he was the child running through the streets brandishing a broom as a sword.  Now, at the age of 18, he stood as a Kendo fighter in his own right. What a turn of events he reflected.

“Kida!” Mrs. Park called to him urgently. “Kida.  I have a very important matter to discuss with you,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her.

“Hello Mrs. Park.  It’s nice to see you again.”  He bowed especially low as a show of respect to the dragon’s mother.

“Kida?”  She looked a bit frantic, “I had an interesting visitor today.”

“Really?  Who?”

“Your brother, the elder Jeon, Jeongguk.”

“My brother?  What would he be doing at your orchard?”  Kida questioned.

“My question exactly.  Kida, what is going on between your brother and my son?  I knew they were casual acquaintances, but Kida, the man who showed up today…was on a mission.”

“What kind of a mission?”

“He was trying to tell me something, Kida.  I think there could be something – more than friends blossoming between them. The elder Jeon may have “interest” in my son,” she said softly. She walked in circles around Kida, interrogating him.

“There is a bit more than interest there Mrs. Park, but yes, I am aware.”  Kida smirked knowingly, but did not divulge any details.

“So, I gathered.  Kida you’ve been coming around here for two years now training with my son.  Why did your brother give you and Jimin permission to train in Kendo weapons?  Why did he change his mind so drastically?  This goes against EVERYTHING that I have ever heard about the warrior Jeon family.”  She continued to pace in circles.

Kida looked away.  He dropped his head towards the ground and did not answer.

“Kida?  Did you hear me?  Why did your brother allow this?”  She searched for his eyes, “KIDA.”

He took a deep breath and bit his lip, “My brother didn’t exactly give his permission.  I approached the dragon and asked him to train me and that was that.  Jeongguk knows…knows nothing about this.”

“He doesn’t know?  How have you managed to keep this a secret all this time?”  Her stomach dropped at the news Kida was giving her.

“We are very careful.  Don’t worry Mrs. Park.  Jeongguk will never find out.  We know how to keep this a secret,” Kida tried to reassure her.

Sooyeon began wringing her hands. She looked at Kida one last time, “This is not wise Kida.  If our suspicions are correct and your brother has feelings for my son and THIS SECRET lies between them…OH GOD.  Your brother will never, ever, ever forgive you for this.  What were you thinking to defy him this way?  And now you have dragged my son into it.  Please go.”  She didn’t bother to wish him well.  She just wanted the wayward teen out of her sight.  

Kida tried one last time to explain himself, “Mrs. Park, you’re worried for nothing.  Kinshi and I have this under control.  Jeongguk doesn’t have to ever know.”

“GO KIDA!”

Kida held his head down.  He turned on his heels and walked quickly away from the fragrant orchards.

Sooyeon cried out, “My baby dragon.  What have you gotten yourself into?”

***

Chapter Seven – Last Man Standing

Sooyeon spent weeks speaking to friends and family of the Jeons, interrogating them as discreetly as possible about Jeongguk’s family history and his past. Person after person familiar with the events of Naktong village agreed that the senseless murder of Jeongguk’s sister traumatized him, shaping his steadfast stance against weapons.  The more she learned, the more convinced Sooyeon became that her son was in great danger.  Jeongguk may have appeared like a harmless, peaceful man, but he was a warrior by blood which meant he was capable of mass carnage if he ever felt betrayed.  How he ever befriended her sword wielding son in the first place, was still an open question.

Night after night, she lay awake tossing and turning, mulling over the possible outcomes in her mind.  Kida was not just learning weapons, but he was disobeying a direct command from his brother and sneaking behind his back to do so.  The shame and disrespect this would bring to Jeongguk as his elder was not to be taken lightly.  And her son, her hardened methodical son, was helping him to do it.  

As the celebration from the blossom festival continued outside of her hanok, Sooyeon was once again jarred awake by her anxious subconscious. She looked around her dark room terrified of seeing her dead son lying next to her dead husband both with swords through the heart.  The room was empty, but that did little to calm her fear.  “This deception cannot continue,” she whispered to herself.  Something had to be done about the situation with Jimin and Jeongguk but she had no idea what.  The only viable solution was to talk to her son – immediately.  She kicked free of her blankets, dawned her black shawl and headed down to the docks to catch a ride out to the island.  

***

The fire pit in front of the small isolated hanok burned hot with orange embers.  The hungry flames stretched towards the sky as the wood crackled beneath the black billowy smoke in the cool ocean breeze.  Dongbaekseom village was virtually abandoned as the residents celebrated the festival of blossoms on the mainland.  Two inhabitants, however, were not interested in the parties or food of the festival.  Instead, they chose to lay beside the warm fire pit, indulging in a festival of their own.

“Uh-uh-uh-oh Jimin,” Jeongguk made a series of grunts and hisses as he tried to hold it in.  He didn’t want to cum yet because he wanted to prolong the feeling of Jimin’s warm mouth suffocating his cock.  He grabbed a fist full of Jimin’s white hair and guided his head in circles, and then up and down over his cock.

Jimin laid on his stomach with his head bobbing in Jeongguk’s lap.  He messily slobbered all over Jeongguk’s hardened knob as he took the shaft in and out of his mouth, sucking him graciously while trying not to laugh.  His sweet warrior was not very good at managing his emotions when he was overly stimulated.

Jeongguk leaned back and clawed at the sand, he grimaced and gritted his teeth, trying so hard to hold on, “I don’t want to cum, I don’t want to cum, I don’t want to cum,” he chanted.

Then what is the point?  Jimin thought to himself.  Again, he held his laughter.  It was hard to suck a cock while giggling.

Jeongguk’s right leg began to shake, his breath became shallow and he puffed, filling his cheeks with air and then releasing.  He leaned forward again and hunched over, once again guiding Jimin’s head up and down his cock. “Ok, ok, ok, ughhhhhh!  GOD!”  His hips rotated and thrusted uncontrollably, forcing more of himself down Jimin’s throat.  His voice went silent as he climaxed, spewing a warm stream of cum into Jimin’s mouth.  He puffed again as his cock throbbed, voiding all of it’s contents.  “Oh Fuck!”  He exhaled in satisfaction, “Come here,” he growled, pulling Jimin to his mouth for a kiss.

Jimin finally felt free to release his laughter.  He let out a warm guffaw and rolled around the sand with Jeongguk on top of him, “That is absolutely my favorite thing to do to you, because watching you lose control is quite entertaining.”

Jeongguk sat up and folded his arms, “I – I – oh shit,” he stopped mid-sentence and began shoving his limp dripping cock back into his pants.  With a hard swipe across his mouth he muttered, “your mother is coming.”

“What?  Shit!”  Jimin looked behind him and sure enough his mother, resigned as ever was marching down the beach towards them.  “Do I look like I’ve been sucking dicks?”  He asked with wide eyes.

“Yes.”

“Well, ok then.” He wiped his mouth quickly and swallowed hard to rid his face of all traces of Jeongguk’s juices. Jeongguk gave an assist by pulling his white hair back and quickly wrapping it into a ponytail, “Do you think she saw anything?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Jeongguk shrugged.

Jimin was bare-chested.  He scrambled around looking for the top to his hanbok, but it was no use, she was already there.  

 

“Eh-hem.” Sooyeon cleared her throat, “Excuse me for interrupting.”

“Mother!  Hello.  I thought you would be at the festival this evening,” Jimin greeted casually.

“Mrs. Park, good evening.  Nice to see you again,” Jeongguk hopped to his feet and immediately bowed.

Sooyeon kept her eyes trained on the black ocean, in an effort to avoid peering at the partial nudity on display by her son.  “Nice to see you as well, warrior.”  She turned towards Jimin, “A little discretion would be nice son.”

“We’re adults mother,” Jimin dismissed her.

“Two MALE adults with very prominent reputations.  It is not exactly advisable to carry on in such a public forum.”  She said sternly.  “There was a bite to her tone, an indication that maybe she had seen a bit more than they realized.”

“Our apologies Mrs. Park.” Jeongguk spoke over Jimin to keep him from arguing with his mother.  “Jimin and I will be more discreet in the future.  He’s very important to me Mrs. Park and I don’t want to cause any trouble between the two of you.”  

“Jeongguk, I’m actually glad to see you.  You were in my orchard over a month ago and you left without your apples.  I expected you to come back to the market, but you never did.  I gathered these to bring to my son, but since you are here, I would love for you to have them free of charge, in honor of the festival.”  She handed Jeongguk a pale with gold, green and red apples.”

Jimin stared at Jeongguk, “You were in my mother’s market?

“I stopped by a few weeks ago.  We’d never been formally introduced and I felt it was time.”  Jeongguk sorted through the pail of apples as a distraction.

Jimin’s nostrils flared, “You introduced yourself to MY mother, without telling me?”

“Don’t you dare be angry with him,” Sooyeon interrupted, “I thought it was a very kind gesture.  I really don’t know much about him and he was trying to extend an olive branch.  Afterall, I hear you two are ‘really good friends’ yet I have heard nothing about it.”  She was terse and ostensibly agitated with the understanding that Jimin had been keeping secrets from her.

“This is so thoughtful of you,” Jeongguk bowed again.  He gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek, “thank you, Mrs. Park.  I really appreciate this.  Goodnight to both of you.  Jimin - I hope to see you tomorrow.”  

“You’re leaving?”  Jimin looked surprised.  

“My parents.  They arrive home tomorrow remember?  I need to prepare a few things.”  Jeongguk stood there somewhat absentmindedly.  The dragon and warrior’s goodbye-routine typically consisted of tongue kisses, hugs and a lot of cock grabs, but since Mrs. Park was present, Jeongguk settled for an awkward bow before turning back to jog up the shore.  He took a few steps and then turned around to face Jimin as he ran backwards. He threw several finger hearts and mouthed, “I love you,” behind Mrs. Park’s back.

Sooyeon waited until Jeongguk’s figure was far in the distance before she rounded on her son, “Jimin, we need to talk.”

“Mother, I already don’t like your tone.  What is it?”  Jimin finally found the top portion of his hanbok and wrapped it around his bare chest.

“Tell me the truth, dragon.  What is going on between you two?” She insisted.

“What’s going on? You know what’s going on.  He’s very special to me.  That’s an odd question mother.” 

“You know very well what I mean.  What are your feelings for that man?”  She looked back towards the area where Jeongguk had boarded the boat for the mainland.

Jimin paused for a moment before answering, “...I love him.  That’s what’s going on.”  He felt relieved to say it aloud.

“Have you been intimate with him?”

“Not exactly subtle mother.” Jimin threw sand on the fire.

“Have you?” She raised her voice.

Jimin stood and walked around the fire pit with his back turned, “I’m not comfortable talking about this with you.”  

“Alright, if you don’t want to talk, I will!”  She met her son on the other side of the fire pit and poked him hard in the chest.  She began pacing around him, “You are training his brother without his permission.  What you are doing to him is the ultimate betrayal!  That man is Kida’s guardian and keeper.  The only parent he really knows, yet you are keeping this secret from him.  He has a right to know what you are teaching his brother.”   

“We will tell him eventually, as soon as Kida is fully trained and can show the value of our teachings. We must preserve the values of Kendo and Kida is the perfect person to carry that torch.”

“You selfish dick!”

“Mother!”  Jimin stepped into her path and stared her down.

“You’re using that boy.  You don’t care about the values of Kendo.  You want to keep your protege so you can claim him as some sort of trophy.  Jimin, you’ve started something that you can’t stop and it’s charging out of control like a wild boar.  You think that if Jeongguk loves you enough, he’ll forgive you this sin?  Well guess what?  You’re delusional.  The deeper he falls in love with you, the more this is going to destroy him.  He’s a warrior Jimin!  Do you think he won’t kill you?” she said passionately.

“Kill me?  Mother we’re in love.  He won’t touch me.  Why is that I can battle one-hundred men alone and you won’t bat an eye, but when it comes to this ONE man, you are suddenly terrified?”

“Hell hath no fury like those who have been scorned.  When emotions are involved, the situation can become unpredictable. You have violated his sacred beliefs - with his brother no less!  He may have no choice but to kill you,” She raised her voice again. 

“I can handle myself; I am the Imugi, spirit of the dragon - the way of the sword...”

“And he is Jodo! He has trained his entire life to defeat the sword.  You have magical gifts my son, but so does he.  If this ends in a fight you will die. His duty is to protect his brother.  You have violated a bond that is so sacred that he may never forgive you.  Not to mention what this is going to do to their relationship.  Jeongguk didn’t just forbid his brother weapons training to be difficult.  He did it because he has a moral objection to the practice.  His sister was killed, his uncles were killed.  This is a moral line in the sand that he will not cross.  Yet that’s exactly what you and Kida have done - crossed the line. I don’t blame the boy as much as I blame you. You must tell him Jimin before you two get any more involved.  You can’t keep this secret any longer,” she talked until her voice cracked.

“Mother, you’re over reacting to all of this.  He will forgive me and it won’t end in some epic battle to the death.  He could never hurt me nor I him,” Jimin said concretely.

Sooyeon grabbed her son and pulled him to her chest, she cried out, “I never thought I would see this happen.  You.  YOU of all people.  The boy who trusts no one, who’d rather kill than have conversation - you’re being blinded by love?  Where is your rational mind?  Why can you not see…Oh MY GOD!”  Sooyeon cupped her mouth and her eyes widened with fear.  She backed away from her son as if he were a ghost, “It’s too late isn’t it?”  She watched Jimin’s eyes for confirmation, “You’ve already had him.  You’ve already been intimate, haven’t you?”  

“Mother!”  Jimin pushed her away, “This conversation is over.  I know what I’m doing.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!  HE WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS BETRAYAL.  I can’t lose you, not you too.  I won’t lose you.  Not you too.”  She fell to Jimin’s feet and wept.  

Jimin scooped her up from the ground and held her in his arms.  He spoke as softly and confidently as he could, “I’m not my Father.” 

The mention of his father caused his mother to weep harder, tears fell rapidly from her eyes as she clutched her son for dear life.

“Nothing is going to happen to me.  Mother, Jeongguk will understand.  He will understand.”  

Jimin nodded.

“You’re not of his blood.  When he has to make a choice…then what?  Do you think he will choose YOU?”

“HE LOVES ME!”  Jimin screamed at his mother in a tone she had never heard before.  His eyes welled with large tears and his lips trembled, “Despite all of my flaws he loves me.  I killed for the first time when I THIRTEEN YEARS OLD AND IT RIPPED MY SOUL APART!  I watched my father die on the same night.  I am a white-haired freak who is labeled a hero for MURDER.  I hated myself for years, until HE taught me how to love.  He has put me back together where I was broken.  Don’t you understand what he means to me?  Don’t you understand?”

She cried out, with tears falling so quickly she could barely see, “Oh Jimin, my baby dragon.  You have a soul, you have a heart, you’re the bravest most beautiful thing that God has ever given us.”  

“Of course, you think that mother.” Jimin glared at her, “Let’s not forget, I’m YOUR hero too.  Do you think I haven’t noticed how smugly you strut around the village knowing what your son is capable of?  You revel in the celebrity of being the dragon’s mother.  You and your sadistic pride.”  Jimin was quite crude.

Sooyeon slapped him so hard that a full red handprint was left on Jimin’s face.  “I WAS THERE TOO!  YOU DID NOT SUFFER ALONE, HE DIED IN MY ARMS!  Don’t you dare minimize my suffering.   Yes, I am proud of you and I will not apologize for that fact.  But not because you are a killer, because you are a strong, loving, proud, decent man who is fearless!  This Jeongguk didn’t teach you how to love.  You have always loved.  Love drives everything you do. Now tell him the truth Jimin!”

“I CAN’T!”  Jimin snapped, “I gave my word mother, I gave my word.”

“To WHO?  Kida?  He’s a child Jimin.  A stupid child.”

“I can’t talk about this with you anymore.  I love you.”  Jimin kissed his mother on the top of her head, released her and walked away.

***

The remnants of the full moon were barely visible in the overhead distance, but the emergence of the sun was just beginning.  Sooyeon readied her donkey for the long journey.  If she left before sunrise, she would arrive at the tiny village of Naktong with plenty of time to return before sun down.  As she loaded her donkey, she did so with a conflicted conscious, but in her heart, she knew it had to be done.  If her son refused, then she would bear the burden.  It was a highly risky decision, but she trusted her instincts.

***

Jeongguk flew across the quad, sliding to a stop in the dusty field.  He rubbed his shoulder and cracked his neck before bursting into laughter, “Good shot little brother.”  With a quick jerk of his back he did a kick-up and once again stood to his feet, “Again, harder this time.”

Uncle Jin sat in the shade of a weeping willow tree enjoying his break.  It wasn’t often that Jeongguk handled Kida’s lesson on his own.  But after months of tense relations and barely speaking, the two brothers had finally found common ground and they were again best friends.

If I hit you harder brother, I will go through your chest,” Kida boasted.

Jeongguk held his sides and laughed open mouthed at his clueless brother.  He abruptly stopped laughing and scowled at him, “Harder you little piss ant.”

“Ok, if you say so.”  For all of Kida’s kendo training, he was still painfully slow.  In kendo, his sword led every movement, so what he lacked in speed, he more than made up for in reach and ferocity.  But in Jodo, where tackling his opponents’ body was key to a successful throw, speed was of the essence.  He readied.  

Jeongguk stood silently, patiently waiting.  Even after years of sparring together, young Kida still took his brother’s powers for granted.  Jeongguk was such a student of the arts and so adept at fighting styles that he could, with almost pin point accuracy, predict the next move that Kida was going to make before he even made it. 

Kida lurched to his left to launch an elbow into Jeongguk’s face but before he even lifted his arm, he was already being tossed through the air.  He landed with a heavy thud and rolled around holding his knee.

“Didn’t quite make it through my chest, did you?”  Jeongguk laughed.  

Kida was feeling double pain.  Not only did his latest turbulent landing bruise his knee but he was also nurturing a sore pectoral muscle from his spar with Jimin the previous day, “There’s only so much my body can take,” he complained. 

“You have really improved brother.  I’m very proud of you.”  Jeongguk leaned over and tussled Kida’s hair while pulling him to his feet.  “Do you need me to look at your knee?”

“No. It’s fine.  What do you mean I’ve improved?  You just tossed me across the yard before I could even make a move.”

Jeongguk examined Kida’s knee anyway, “Your speed is much improved.  I feel like you’ve been working hard even outside of our lessons.  You actually got a hit on me for the first time.  But what I see most is your style of fighting.  I must admit, I had a little trouble anticipating your moves.”

“But you got me.  Before I even started, you had me in your grip,” Kida said, sounding defeated.

“Lucky guess.”  Jeongguk laughed loudly and kissed Kida on the forehead.  “I think you need some rest.  But Kida before you go...let me look at your breast plate.”

“What?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you’re injured?  How did it happen?”  Jeongguk opened Kida’s hanbok to survey the blackened bruise.

“Just playing around with a few friends.  Things got a little rough and well you know how it goes…nothing serious.”  Kida hoped his lie was convincing enough to keep Jeongguk from asking more questions.  

“There are cool rocks within the cave of the water fall.  Grab a few and rest them here on your chest.  Stay off of your feet for a few hours.  Do you understand?”

“Yes hyung.”  Kida bowed to his brother and headed off.

“Uncle?”  Jeongguk called to his uncle Jin.

“Yes?”

“Uh – never mind.”

“Uncle?”  He called to his uncle Jin again.

“Yes?”

Jeongguk thought for a moment and then once again retreated with, “…never mind.”

“Please say what is on your mind.  I don’t want to play this game all day,” Uncle Jin admonished.

Jeongguk tossed his hair behind his shoulders and then twisted it into a bun, “He’s injured.  Again.  Have you noticed?”

“Yes.  Although, the injuries seem to be less often now, but a few months back, they were quite bad,” Jin agreed.

“His speed is different, his style is different, his confidence is different…everything about my little brother seems different.  And don’t give me the ‘he’s just growing up speech’.”

“I’ve noticed it too.  But he is less than cooperative when I try to discuss it,” Jin explained.

“I’ll get to the bottom of it eventually.  But for now, I need to go and prepare for mother’s arrival.”

“I received word that she’s coming without your father.  Did you know?” Uncle Jimin announced.

Jeongguk began to gather the practice targets into a pile, “Yes.  She sent me the same message as well.  I worry about her traveling such a distance alone.”

“Your mother can handle herself.  Don’t worry,” uncle Jin reassured him.

“Whatever medicine Kida needs, I wish she would just tell me how to mix it myself.  That would save her and father a trip once per month.  It is such a burden on them,” Jeongguk reflected.

Jin placated him, “She keeps his potion a closely guarded secret.  She always has for as long as I can remember.   Whatever his illness is, it is serious.  I suggest you tread lightly if you plan on suggesting she hand the reigns over to you.”

Jeongguk turned to look at his uncle Jin.  Had he just been given a warning?  He nodded and continued to gather the practice equipment, “Noted.”

***

“Ggukie, Ggukie-hyung we need you.”  Two of the village’s smallest children located Jeongguk as he sat drawing sketches in the garden.  The girls were twins, Yi and Rhee and they were only six years old.

“If it isn’t the two most beautiful girls in the village.  How may I be of service to you today?”  Jeongguk hopped off of the garden wall and met the two enthusiastically. Even the babies were enchanted by their handsome village leader.  They both covered their mouths and giggled.

Rhee explained, “Ggukie-hyung, the baby lambs won’t suckle their milk.  They’ll starve if they don’t eat.  They haven’t eaten for two days.  They aren’t sick. They are just being assholes.  Can you go talk to them please?”

Yi punched her sister, “Mom says you can’t use that word Rhee-Rhee, especially in front Ggukie-hyung.  He’ll think we’re disrespectful savages.”

Rhee pouted, “Sorry Ggukie-hyung.  What I meant to say is,” she pondered for a moment, “he is a hole in the ass.”

Yi punched her again, “Noooo, that is not any better.”

“But I didn’t use that word,” Rhee protested.

“Ladies, stop.  How about we go and check on the lambs.  Deal?”

The two ran off with Jeongguk behind them.  Less than five minutes later they arrived in the animal pen where the sheep and cows grazed.  He stepped over the piles of hay until he located the two baby lambs who were refusing to eat.  Their mother stood over them protectively with her full breasts dripping milk over their heads.  Jeongguk knelt down on one knee to make eye contact with the mother lamb, “Don’t worry.”  He intuitively found a muscle on her leg, just above her knee, and used three fingers to gently tap her there.  He then cupped both of her ears in his palms and massaged the wooly hair between them.  She took several steps back exposing her little lambs to him.

“Now what seems to be the problem?  Surely you two are hungry?” He said to both of them.  Jeongguk once again tapped both of them in the same spot on the leg and both of the little lambs laid down and presented their feet.  “Huhh, oh no.  No wonder you two don’t want to eat.”  Both of the baby lambs had large wooden splinters embedded in their hooves.  “How did this happen? Stay still ok?”  Jeongguk grabbed the first splinter and pulled it quickly from the lamb’s foot.  He turned to her sibling and did the same.  “All better.  I know that hurt and I’m sorry.  He rubbed their ears again to lull their crying.  “Yi and Rhee, there is a pale of vinegar outside of my hanok, retrieve it for me ok?”  The two girls ran off.

Jeongguk took a few moments to closely examine the wooden splinters that he’d pulled from the lamb hooves.  The grain looked eerily familiar, like bamboo with the same granular pattern, very firm with heavy striations along the length.  “Hm.  This looks like…,” he stopped himself before saying it.  There was no way possible that shattered wood from a shinai would be anywhere near Naktong.  It was silly to even think such a thing.

The girls returned with the vinegar.  He poured it over both of the small wounds as the two lambs happily pounced back to their feet.  He nuzzled them both and then pushed them towards their mother who watched curiously a few centimeters away.  The two found their mother and immediately began to feed.

He smiled.  Rhee and Yi hooped and ran to give Jeongguk a hug.  They danced off into the forest to tell their mother what Jeongguk had done.  

He turned his attention back to the strange splinters, “What are these?  How did they get here?”

***

Hours passed and Jeongguk saw to it that his brother rested comfortably without disturbance.  He waited until Kida dozed off in a nap before sneaking over to him and pulling back his hanbok to re-examine his chest.  The mark at the center of the bruising had a distinct shape that Jeongguk found peculiar.  “What have you been up to brother?” he whispered over Kida as he napped.  There was something else that he found strange; at the time that he and Kida were practicing, the bruise was a deep purple, almost black, but now, just a few hours later, the swelling was receded and the injury was almost back to normal flesh toned coloring, “Fast healer.  Must be the blood of youth,” Jeongguk whispered again.

***

Kida was awake by mid-afternoon.  He and Jeongguk could hear the sound of the hee-hawing donkey as a carriage pulled into the center of the village quad, “That must be mother.  I’ll go and help her with her things,” Kida was up first with Jeongguk close behind.

By the time they made it to the quad, Sooyeon had exited her carriage and was standing there with her traveling shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders.  Kida’s mouth dropped.  She was the last person he expected to see in Naktong village.

 Jeongguk greeted her kindly, “Mrs. Park?  What are you doing here?  It is very nice to see you again so soon.  But this is quite a surprise.  In fact, we thought you were our mother.  She is due here any minute now.”

Jeongguk was very fond of Sooyeon.  He loved her son and by extension also loved her even though they didn’t know each other very well.  He watched her expression for signs of bad news, “Is everything ok?  Is Jimin well?”

“Jeongguk,” she greeted him by grasping both of his hands and holding them tightly.  She looked past him and glanced straight into Kida’s eyes, “Kida.”  She bowed.

“You’ve met my little brother?  I had no idea.  Well that saves me introductions.  How do you two know each other?”  Jeongguk said delighted.

Kida silently panicked.  He had no idea what Mrs. Park’s presence meant but her showing up unannounced without Jimin was not a good sign.  He thought quickly on his feet, “...apples.  We know each other through apples.  You know they are my favorite and I ventured into her market one day and that’s how we met.  I am a very good customer,” Kida grinned nervously.   All Kida wanted was for her to leave.  Unfortunately for him, there was a determined look upon her face as if she were there to deliver news, and she stood resolute before them eyeing them both.  

Kida ran through all of the possibilities in his head.  Maybe she had come all this way to invite them to dinner or welcome Jeongguk to the family.  After all, he and Jimin were courting seriously and exclusively.  Kida thought positively.  Surely, she would not accidentally reveal the truth. She knows what is at stake.  She knows how confidential she needs to keep the knowledge of his Kendo training.  She is a wickedly smart and savvy woman, so she wouldn’t dare let anything slip - but - why is she here?

Sooyeon looked between Kida and Jeongguk, “I won’t take much of your time.  I’ve come with news...and I’m sure after you hear what I have to say, you’ll ask me to leave anyway.”

“There is nothing you could say that would make us ask you to leave.”  Jeongguk held both of her hands again.

She smiled placidly, “We shall see about that.  Jeongguk.  I’m here to throw myself at your mercy and ask forgiveness on behalf of my son and - your brother.”

Kida released an involuntary yelp.  This was the worst scenario.  He knew what she was here to say.  He could see it in her eyes.  The mysterious meeting in the orchard the other night should have been a clue of what she was up to.  He attempted to stop her, “Mrs. Park why don’t I take you for a tour of our village. It’s quite beautiful.”

“ENOUGH KIDA!  I will no longer keep your secrets.”  She began to tear.  

“What’s going on here?  What secrets?  Why are you speaking to my brother in that tone?”  Jeongguk released her hands and instinctively stood in front of his brother as if to protect him from the woman.

“I beg your forgiveness.  Please don’t take it out on my boy.  He’s in love with you.  And you’re in love with him, I can feel it.  He’s conflicted and doesn’t know how to get out of it...”

“Please Mrs. Park.  Don’t do this please.  Lives are at stake,” Kida began to beg. 

“Don’t take what out?  On who?  Kida what is she talking about?” Jeongguk looked between the two of them.  Sooyeon fell to her knees, “Great Warrior, please don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt my Jimin.”

“Jimin?  What’s he got to do with any of this?” Jeongguk laughed uncomfortably.  His stomach began to churn and machinate with anxiousness and unease.  He attempted to lift Sooyeon from the ground but her body was stiff and unmovable as she wrapped her arms around his legs.  “What is going on here?  Mrs. Park, please get up from the ground.”

“Jimin has been training Kida in the ancient art of kendo, with weapons.”  She said it quickly.  Her anticipation of Jeongguk’s response was insufferable and she was so nervous that she could hardly speak the words, “At the time this started, he didn’t know – he didn’t know that he’d fall in love with you.  He was just trying to be there for the boy.  His intentions were noble.”

It is always the slow burning rage that is the most catastrophic and deadly.  An injured soul that lashes out immediately, instinctively can typically be tamed because the angry fire fizzles out quickly. But when rage builds, marinates and overwhelms, the consequences are merciless.  

Jeongguk took one step back so that Sooyeon was no longer touching him.  Like flashes of light, memories that were insignificant in isolation, became powerful and devastating when strung together and sequenced.  His thoughts:  Kida has gone missing for hours almost daily, his fighting style has morphed into a technique that uncle Jin and I did not teaching him, for months now he has been returning home with mysterious and painful bruises which he hides from me, I’ve seen him  carrying a large bag - of which the contents are unknown – shinai? Kida, has he been sparring in the woods?  Is that how the splintered shinai got to the lamb’s hoof?   

Jimin – my precious Jimin - the love of my life- he’s been so meticulous with planning when he and I can spend time together. Was it because he was juggling the presence of both of us Jeon brothers?  Jimin’s strange familiarity with Kida at the waterfall the first time they met; it wasn’t a coincidence at all.  “You spoil him, no wonder he has grown so much.”  The day in the garden, he knew Kida had grown because he’d seen him almost every day.  He knew him, even then, he knew him. But Jimin knows my deepest most passionate belief on the use of weapons within my family.  He knows the scars that I carry from seeing my sister brutalized.  He knows -he knows - he knows -yet he still betrayed me?  Impossible.  Impossible.  IMPOSSIBLE – he did not do this me.

The pieces fell together like a puzzle.  Which betrayal was worse - from his brother or from his lover?  Did it even matter? 

A red haze covered his eyes, through which the faces around him become spotted, distant, unrecognizable.  Heat surrounded his entire body and a crimson glow emitted from his skin.  He could hear himself screaming but…there was screaming around him…but…everything was numb...standing still…suspended.  His guts twisted and turned around and around inside out, upside down, while the contents of his stomach bubbled up into his mouth. He swallowed hard and forced it back down.  The putrid stench of betrayal burned in his nostrils as they flared with anger.  He hissed like an angry serpent.

The only sensation within his body was the pressure inside of his fist when it crashed into Kida’s chest.  If not for the calculated adjustment at the end of the punch, it would have killed his young brother because that was the deadly Warrior’s punch to the heart.  A punch which was a known to cause immediate death.  Even in Jeongguk’s rage, he was not able to go that far.  The force of the punch was so powerful that Kida’s chest collapsed.  He fell backwards to the ground, unable to breathe for almost twenty seconds; an event that frightened him so severely, that he scurried away on his hands and knees trying to escape his brother.  There was no doubt in Kida’s mind that he was about to die.

“I TOLD YOU NO.  I REPEATEDLY TOLD YOU NO.  I HAVE LOVED YOU AND NURTURED YOU AND PROTECTED YOU AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?  YOU GO BEHIND MY BACK WITH THE MAN I LOVE AND YOU CONSPIRE AGAINST ME?”

The commotion from the altercation attracted onlookers from the village, including uncle Jin, “What’s going on here?”

No one in the mix was able to speak to Jin’s question.  Kida still cowered from his brother and Sooyeon, stunned by Jeongguk’s attack, stood speechless and in shock.  

Anger, sadness, disappointment, confusion, humiliation – it was all there and all intermingling within the depths of Jeongguk’s heart.  He found his brother on the ground and pounced upon him, wrapping his hands around his neck, pinning him to the ground.

“I HAVE SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR YOU!  ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS CHALLENGE ME, DISOBEY ME.  YOU HAVE NO HONOR, YOU HAVE NO MORALS YOU HAVE NO INTEGRITY AND YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE MY NAME!  GET OUT!  GET OUT OF THIS VILLAGE AND NEVER COME BACK.”

Kida, still gasping for breath, choked out a strained whisper, “Hyung please.  No.  Where will I go?  I’m sorry brother, please.  This is my home, please don’t make me leave.”  Kida’s eye’s glistened with fear and disbelief.  He clutched at the tight fingers embedded within his neck.

Jeongguk picked Kida from the ground with one hand and lifted him into the air.  He threw him across the quad again and ran to him, kicking him the stomach.  Kida cried out and once again tried to scurry away.  Years of self-defense training vanished under his quaking fear of his older brother.

Jeongguk’s stare was cold, lacking sympathy, “THIS IS NO LONGER YOUR HOME YOU SNIVELING SNAKE. GET OUT.  GET OUT OF THIS VILLAGE.” Jeongguk gave him another kick, this time to his back.

“Don’t make me go brother, please brother, I’m sorry, please.” Kida struggled to breathe.  Jeongguk looked down into his face and once again drew back his fist but his punch was blocked.  

Jimin appeared and gently held onto Jeongguk’s fisted hand while he removed Kida from Jeongguk’s grip, “Let him go.  Your anger should be with me, not him.”  Kida ran for his safety, fleeing the village out of fear for his own life.

“Uggghhhhh- ahhhh!”  Jeongguk screamed with frenzy as soon as he saw Jimin.  He released a kick across Jimin’s face that was so brutal, blood flew from Jimin’s mouth and splattered across his mother’s shawl.  

“JIMIN!”  She screamed.  “No, please no Jeongguk.  We came to you freely.  We told you the truth. You love him, I know you do, please don’t do this.” She began running towards him, but Jimin stopped her and forbade her to come any closer.  

“Don’t mother.  I can handle him,” Jimin said reassuringly. 

“YOU DID THIS TO ME?  YOU LIED ALL THIS TIME?  WHERE IS THE LOVE IN THIS EVIL ACT JIMIN? I BEGGED YOU NOT TO BREAK MY HEART.  AND YOU CONSPIRED WITH MY OWN BROTHER?”  Jeongguk punched him again and then launched another flurry of kicks into the side of Jimin’s head, cutting his ear and causing blood to spill from the wound.

“FIGHT BACK JIMIN!”  His mother screamed, still frozen in place as her son once again held up his hand forbidding her to come any closer.

“No.”  He said simply.  “I will never.”  Jimin, now bleeding from his ear his mouth and both of his eyes, accepted yet another punch from Jeongguk- this one to his abdomen.

The furor that unleashed within the powerful Warrior frightened everyone.  Jeongguk’s uncle Jin, now slowly beginning to understand what was happening, gathered the villagers and hurried them back into their homes.  If a death was about to occur, he did not want them witnessing it.  He contemplated whether or not to intervene, but he knew that if he did, he would draw the wrath of his nephew.  This was a battle that had to take place and it was between two capable fighters.  Out of respect of his nephew’s honor, he stood pat and prayed that he didn’t witness – a death.

***

Kida ran down the mountain; chest aching from Jeongguk’s punch.  His mind was panicked and fuzzy before his thoughts finally landed on Jimin.  He’d left his teacher and closest confidant to be attacked by his out of control brother and he did nothing to help.  This was all his fault because Jimin would have never been involved if it weren’t for him.  Kida stopped running.  He had to do something.  If he didn’t intervene, it was likely that the two lovers would kill each other.  But how?  How could he stop this?  

He rushed to a large willow tree and pulled a bag that he’d kept hidden within the branches; inside lay his sharpened practice sword.  With shaky hands, he gripped the handle, uncertain of what he would do if he had to raise it against his brother.  Choices were few in his young mind.

“Kida, baby.  What are you doing down here?  Why are you holding your sword?”

“Mother!”

In the midst of the commotion, Kida had completely forgotten that his mother was traveling to visit.  She climbed down from the carriage and began tying her donkey to the feeding troth.  Kida began to cry and ran into her arms.

“My boy what’s wrong?  What could have possibly happened that has you tears?”

“Mother.  Mother I’ve done something unforgivable.  People could die, Jeongguk could die.  Mother I don’t know what to do,” Kida rushed his words.

“Calm down.  What is it Kida?” she said kindly.

“I’ve betrayed him mother.  I’ve betrayed my brother.  I know it’s forbidden…I know it.”

“What’s forbidden?  What has happened?”  She asked with great concern.

“I went behind his back and beckoned Jimin to train me in kendo.  Jeongguk discovered the secret and now he’s unleashed mother.  I’ve never seen him this angry – Warrior’s red rage.  I don’t know what to do.  Jimin defended me and protected me, but now he is fighting Jeongguk.  He loves him mother, yet I think I have destroyed their love,” Kida cried again.

His mother held him briefly, “This is not your fault.  I can stop this.  Quickly, we must go.”  She secured her donkey, grabbed her son’s hand and together they headed up the incline to the village.

***

Jimin spat blood and wiped his mouth.  He stood to his feet as if the powerful blows against him were nothing.  He could barely hear his mother screaming behind him, “FIGHT BACK JIMIN. PLEASE FIGHT BACK.”  

His sword was at his side.  But instead of unleashing it, he removed his belt and allowed it to fall to the ground as a show to Jeongguk that he was not going to fight,  “I’ll let him kill me before I lift a finger against him,” Jimin said weakly as he stood bravely and accepted another blow.  Blood puddled around his neck as his eyes began to swell shut, “I love you.  I know you can’t see it, but I love you.” The force of Jeongguk’s next kick caused him to fly two meters into the air and clear across the dirt quad, slamming his head into a tree.

Jimin’s words should have been enough to bring Jeongguk back to his senses, but they just weren’t.  It was not only the deception that enraged him, but also the dishonor and the humiliation.  Again, and again even as they lay as one, making love, Jimin kept this secret choosing Kida over him. 

“YOU DON’T LOVE ME.  YOU CAN’T LOVE ME AND DO THIS TO ME,” the Warrior raged on.

“Jeongguk!  Stop it you fool.  Stop this right now!”  His mother and Kida came running towards the clearing.  She wedged herself between Jeongguk and Jimin and placed both of her palms on her son’s face, trying desperately to drain the red rage from his vision. She had to stop him and bring him back before things went too far. Very few people had ever faced the red rage of a warrior and lived to tell about it.  Once it was triggered, death to his opposition was the only outcome.  Areum knew that if she didn’t get control of her son, and lower the temperature on his bedlam, he would not stop until Jimin and possibly everyone else around him was dead.

His mother’s touch cooled him just enough for him to breath normally again but he immediately ripped away from her, “HE BETRAYED ME!”

“NO, he didn’t,” she countered, searching for compassion within his eyes.

“YES HE DID! YOU KNOW NOTHING OF WHAT’S GONE ON HERE MOTHER.  YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF THE LIES AND DECEPTION BETWEEN THIS MAN AND YOUR SON!  HE HAS DISHONORED OUR FAMILY NAME!”

“I KNOW EVERYTHING!”  She screamed at Jeongguk as she fought to hold him back.  “He didn’t betray you.  I DID,” she screamed again.

For the first time since her appearance, he looked at her, “Mother, what – what are you talking about?”

“He’s protecting me.  That’s why he didn’t tell you.  Your father and I asked Jimin to train Kida.  He told us no 1000 times and we continued to beg him.  We offered him Gold won, land, everything, and he refused it all.  It wasn’t until he learned how much danger Kida was in, that he finally agreed.  We begged him for his help and then we begged him not to tell you.  We did this Jeongguk, not him.  Not him.”

“Danger?  Why would Kida be in danger?  His illness?” Jin asked curiously.

“Yes.” Areum confessed.

Silence.

Confusion.

Absorption.

Truth.

Kida broke the silence, “Mother, what are you saying?  I asked Jimin-hyung to train me.  Not you.”

“No, you silly child.  It was just a coincidence that you had the idea in your head.  Jimin, your father and I had already agreed months prior.   He needed a plan for how to approach you, but you solved that when you approached him first.  Jimin was our only hope, that is the only reason he did this,” she explained.

“Hope?  Hope for what?  Kida is a warrior with Jeon blood, why would you ask for help from an outsider, especially in the training of weaponry?  Why? Why would you…?”  Jeongguk’s eyes dug into her skin as if she were filth.  

She braced herself, “Jeongguk, baby.  Kida is an Imugi.”  

“I’m a what?”  Kida’s mouth dropped open.

Jeongguk shook his head in denial, “No – no that’s not possible.  He’s been by my side since he was a baby, I would have known…” 

“No, you would not have known.  Your father and I didn’t even know until he was three years old when his hair began to turn white.  We always thought he was of warrior blood too, but God had different plans.  He is a human dragon,” she looked at her younger son lovingly and smiled.

“What are you talking about?  This is impossible.  He doesn’t have white hair.  What lies has Jimin been telling you?  This sounds like his piece of shit fairy tale.”  Jeongguk raised his fist against Jimin again.

“It’s true Jeongguk.  It’s true.  It’s the only reason I agreed to do it,” Jimin whispered, seemingly relieved that the truth was finally out.  He nodded as he held the stitch in his ribs.

Areum called to her youngest son, “Kida, there’s a pale of vinegar that your uncle keeps near the front door, retrieve it and pour it over your head.”  

Kida dropped his sword to the ground with a heavy clank and disappeared then reappeared with the pale.

“Pour it over your head Kida,” his mother instructed, still keeping her position between Jimin and Jeongguk.  “The hair color is fake.  It is the closest we could come to the color of your hair. It’s a blend of black henna and carbon.  Dye.”

“DYE!”  Kida and Jeongguk said simultaneously.

Kida gagged, “This vinegar smells awful.”

“Just pour it over your head boy!”  His mother yelled.

“Here goes nothing.”  Kida closed his eyes and dumped the pale of putrid fluid over the top of his head.  Like magic, the dark creases of black dye gradually washed away and emptied onto the collar of his hanbok; revealing long, stark, white strands of hair from root to tip.

“MY GOD, another dragon?” Sooyeon called out with her eyes wide with wonder.

“HOLY FUCK!”  Kida cursed as he pulled at the wet strands with his fingers.  Had the moment not been so intense, both his brother and his mother would have punched him for his foul language.  “This is the potion that you apply to my head every month?  It’s just dye?  You’ve been dying my hair?”

“Every month, without fail, since you were three years old.  Kida, Jeongguk,” Areum looked at both of her sons, “we were terrified when we first learned what he was…we didn’t know what to do.  Your grandmother, God rest her soul, felt it was a sign of the Devil and she insisted that we hide it in order to protect him from judgement.” She held Kida’s hand.

“Let me understand, you’ve been dying my hair because you were hiding the fact that I am Imugi?  I’m not really sick?  You led me to believe I was sick so you could hide who I really am?”

“We didn’t know how to handle any of this Kida. We didn’t understand,” Areum held her son’s hand again after his failed attempts to shake it loose.

As Areum spoke, Sooyeon took the opportunity to run and be by her son’s side.

Jimin grimaced as he spoke, “He should have been trained years ago Jeongguk, when he was just a baby.  An Imugi with that power and no training is highly dangerous.  They’ve been known to accidently kill themselves because of not understanding their attraction to the sword.  I had to help him,” Jimin winced as the pain of his broken ribs throbbed beneath his labored breaths.

Areum turned toward Jeongguk again, “We held him back out of ignorance.  When we finally accepted the truth, we searched everywhere for someone who was qualified to give him the training that he needed, but human dragons are indeed very rare.  They are not even prevalent in Japan.  But when we heard rumor of one living here in Busan, we traveled to meet him immediately.  Jeongguk, my son, I know this is not what you wanted for him, but you can’t fight destiny.  He was born a dragon of the sword; we can’t deny that and pretend it doesn’t exist.  He was going to be drawn to the sword no matter how much you forbid him to.  He sought Jimin on his own, by instincts, without even knowing who he was.  He would have never defied you if it were up to his own conscious.  It was an attraction that he couldn’t control because it was what God intended.  The sword is in his blood and I know you feel it’s wrong to teach this, but YOU’RE WRONG!  There are exceptions, your brother and your -lover are two of them,”  Areum stressed her last few words.

Of all of the eyes that surrounded him, Jeongguk only searched for Jimin’s, “That night in the alley with Pon; it was no coincidence that you arrived just in time to save my life.  You were watching us – watching Kida?”

“Yes.  He is skilled Jeongguk but lacks maturity and confidence.  I could not allow him to fight without training, which is why I needed to keep a careful eye on him.  Protecting you and Kida was never an accident…but falling in love with Kida’s brother was.”  Jimin eyed him adoringly.

Jeongguk stared at the blood on his hands and then spoke to no one and everyone, “You all knew.  Jimin’s mother, a virtual stranger, had to be the one to finally tell me the truth.  My own family…you all knew yet you kept me in the dark and played me for a fool.  My own family, the people who I love the most,” he looked at Jimin.  “All of you BETRAYED ME!”  He fell to the ground on his knees and screamed a blood curdling tearful scream.

Areum spoke again, “Jeongguk, baby, we had no choice.  You would have interfered if you had known.  We would have never been able to get him the training he required.  This was the only way.  Please forgive us baby, we never meant to hurt you.  It was never about you.”

His body still shook with anger, “…because it was about HIM at MY expense.  It has always been about HIM at my expense.  You left me to raise him when I was only a child myself.  You left me to train him to be a man.  You left me to protect him.  I sacrificed everything for HIM always for HIM.  Chunja and Kida are not your only children!”  Jeongguk evoked the name of his dead sister, “You have another child mother! What about ME?  I almost killed the only man I have truly ever loved.  WHAT DID YOU EXPECT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS?  YOU KNEW I WOULD BE ENRAGED AND GO AFTER JIMIN, YET YOU ALLOWED IT ANYWAY!”

“No baby, no.  That’s not true.  We didn’t know this would happen.  We thought we had more time.  We planned to tell you. Jimin, your father me, we were all going to sit down and tell you and Kida the truth – after he was further into his training.”  Areum tried to console him and defend her decisions.

“SHUT-UP!  SHUT-UP!  SHUT-UP! I CAN NO LONGER TRUST ANYTHING YOU SAY!”  Jeongguk raged again at his mother.  He beat himself in the head and placed his hand over his heart before disintegrating into tears.

She cried out to him, “Jeongguk, no, please listen to me…” 

Areum was paused by Jimin who spoke from the ground with his mother still draped over him, “Mrs. Jeon.  Perhaps you better go, take Kida with you.  Give him some space.  Let me talk to him please.  Mom please go with her.”

“I’m not leaving you.  He almost killed you.  I am not leaving you two alone!”  Sooyeon declared.

Jimin sat up, bleeding profusely from the head, “Please. Mother.  I need to talk to him alone.  I can protect myself,”

“But you won’t. You love him so much that you won’t even protect yourself against him.  I can’t leave you in this state,” Sooyeon sobbed.

“GO.”  Jimin made himself very clear.

Sooyeon continued to shroud him behind her shawl.  Jimin was bleeding badly from his mouth, his ear and both of eyes.  He had two broken ribs and a broken arm, yet he sat casually in the corner, masking his injuries.  She looked pleadingly at Jeongguk, “My husband was brutally killed, your sister was brutally killed. You know how it feels to have someone taken from you! Don’t do that to me.  Don’t take him from me,” She cried as she plead for her son’s life. 

“Mother. I can take care of myself.  Now leave!”  Jimin didn’t want to be terse with his mother, but it was the only way to make her see reason. 

Tears fell from Jeongguk’s eyes.  He looked away from Jimin, unable to face what he’d done to him, “I won’t hurt him.  I promise. You have my word,” he croaked.

With nervous trepidation, the entire Jeon family decided to leave Jimin and Jeongguk alone to talk.  They huddled around Sooyeon and shielded her protectively as they left the village.  Jin led the way, checking Kida’s injuries as they fled.

Jimin tried to stand but coughed blood from the punctured lung caused by his broken rib.  He fell back to the ground and writhed on his back.

It was only after he knew they were alone, that Jeongguk allowed himself to look at Jimin.  He screamed, “What have I done? What have I done?  He scampered over to him and placed Jimin’s head in his lap.  He held him tightly and wept over him.

Jimin grimaced from the pain, “I’m fine.”

“How can you be fine?  Look what I’ve done to you.  I’m cursed Jimin.  This is a curse where I everything I touch is destroyed.  I am not meant to have love or be loved.  My own family doesn’t even love me.  I told you I was cursed,” Jeongguk cried.

“That is ridiculous.  There is no curse, because you are loved and you do love.  You love me.  I I love you and I forgive you.  I never blamed you even while you were kicking my ass.”  Jimin tried to laugh but the pain was excruciating. 

“JIMIIIIN!  JIMIN!”  He wept unconsolably and rocked with Jimin’s head in his lap, kissing away at his bruises until his lips and face were covered in Jimin’s blood.  “You can’t forgive me.  You can’t forgive me.  This is not human behavior.  Only an animal could do this to a man he loves. I will never forgive myself?”  Jeongguk gently placed Jimin’s tattered body back down to the ground and stood to his feet.  His face went expressionless, “I can’t.  I can’t live knowing what I’ve done to you.”

“Jeongguk, I’m fine.”  Jimin stammered to his feet.  There was something in his young lover’s eyes that frightened him.  He stepped forward as quickly as his broken body would allow him.   “Jeongguk.  Look at me my love.  I love you.  I will always love you.  This means nothing.”

Jeongguk took three slow deliberate steps to the center of the quad where Kida had dropped his sword.  “I’ve been dishonored by my brother, betrayed by my family, and I almost murdered you.  The curse against me is powerful.”

Jimin tried to smile casually, “Jeongguk, baby.  Look at me.  This is all fine.  We can get through this.  Please.  Listen, please listen, I’m not hurt.”  Strangely enough, Jimin was now walking normally.  “I am Imugi, remember those special powers I told you about? Remember? Look at me.” 

Jeongguk refused to face Jimin any longer.  He stared down at Kida’s sword as the sun reflected across the steel of the shiny blade, “I can never forgive myself for what I did to you.  I wanted to kill you.  How can I say I love you when I wanted to kill you?”

Jimin held his ribs and limped as quickly as possible to get as close as possible, “But you didn’t kill me.  Ok, we are fine.  I am fine.  I am perfectly fine.  Please look at me. LOOK AT ME!” Jimin screamed at him, desperate to get his attention and stop him from what he was about to do.

Jeongguk finally looked at him.  His eyes were filled with tears and his expression was like that of scared child, “I’m sorry Jimin.  I so love you.”  He stepped on the handle of the sword, causing it to rebound upwards into his hand.  He placed it up to his neck and in one fluid motion, he began to pull the sword across the span of his carotid artery.  But - before the blade could make even the most miniscule of contact with Jeongguk’s skin, the dragon, despite his own pain, sailed across the dirt and kicked the sword out of Jeongguk’s hand.  

The sword flew two meters into the air before spinning and falling back down, tip first, straight through Jimin’s heart.

***

Chapter Eight – The Mountain Between Us

Jimin slipped to one knee, listing heavily towards the right as he stared down at the sword that had impaled him.

“Shit, this is not good,” he stated calmly.  His eyes darted towards the trail that led to the incline; desperately searching for the one person he needed.  Blurry vision blotted with dark circular patches practically blinded him, warning him that death was near.  The pain crescendoed along the skin where his chest was slashed open, while the heavy sword rose and fell with each of his breaths.  The tip of the weapon protruded through his left shoulder blade, slicing through the crisp white fabric of his hanbok, and leaving bloody ribbons of blood splattered along the wound. 

Jimin tilted forward another few centimeters before falling to his side.

Jeongguk stood speechless, trying to process the gruesome injury.  It was surreal, impossible, not happening.  There was no way that his mind could accept this, therefore, it simply didn’t.  Instead, his brain chose to go blank, as a method of protecting him from he was seeing.  Physical shock.

Jimin, laying on his side and holding his wound, looked calmly into Jeongguk’s eyes, “Kida,” he gasped, “find Kida immediately, while my heart still beats.”

***

The entire banished group, including Jin, Sooyeon, and Areum walked aimlessly down the trail of the mountain.  A plan eluded them for they had no idea how to escape the deadly web they’d woven.  There was no way to control the emotional hurricane they’d unleashed upon the village of Naktong and all they could do was muddle in a troth of dread, regret and guilt.  For no matter how noble their intentions, the betrayal from each of them, superseded it all.

No one spoke as they traveled, no one needed to, because they all walked in tandem burdened with shame.  Even Sooyeon, who was steadfast in her decisions only hours earlier, was beginning to feel as if she’d made a deadly mistake.

As the remainder of them meandered through the forest, Kida fell behind.  Painful tingling radiated through his body causing him to feel weak, listless, almost as if he couldn’t go on.  And in fact, he couldn’t.  Without any understanding of why, he gripped his chest just above his heart and fell backwards to the ground.  The pain in his chest was hot, like lava coals had been zipped inside of is body.  He clutched at himself, leaving scratches along the surface of his skin as he dug his nails into his chest to try to relieve himself of the aching. There were no physical injuries of any kind, but the pain came from an intangible source that was just as strong, if not stronger, than his physical body.  The agony was unbearable.   But it was Jeongguk’s screams that pulled him to his feet and sent him racing, despite his pain, up the mountain back towards the village.  His name was being called over and over in a horrific scream.  The others quickly turned back and trailed behind Kida. 

The screams were not of this world.  Something was wrong, something had escalated to the point of causing Jeongguk to call out frantically.  Areum felt shivers along her spine because she had not heard Jeongguk scream in that tortured tone since he was five years old, witnessing his sisters brutal murder.  They rushed back as quickly as they could, listening as the wails grew louder and louder. Not a single one of them was capable of holding back their anxious tears.  They all wondered secretly in their heads, how could the situation get any worse?

Sadly, it was Sooyeon who saw it first:  Jeongguk was holding Jimin’s head in his lap.  The long single-meter sword was sticking out of Jimin’s chest and blood was everywhere.  The dirt below where he lay was so thoroughly soaked with his blood that the ground became dark crimson mud.

“NOOOOOOOO!  YOU PROMISED! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”  she released a blood curdling yowl, thinking the worst of her son’s lover.  “You promised you wouldn’t hurt him!” She located Jimin’s sword on the ground and out of desperation and grief, she executed a full 360-degree turn to separate herself from Jin and swooped down to grab the sword.  Before anyone could stop her, she had it pressed into the side of Jeongguk’s neck, with the full intention of beheading him.  

Everything moved so quickly; there were screams and gasps, but no one could take a step.  They all stood glued to their respective spots gawking at Jimin and the open wound in his chest.  No one could act swiftly enough to stop Sooyeon; that is no one, except Kida.  His instincts flared immediately when he saw his brother in trouble.  He knew exactly what to do and was the only one competent and steady enough to do it.  If there was one thing he’d learned well from his brother, it was how to disarm a wielding sword.  With almost no effort, he threw a gentle elbow into Sooyeon’s knuckles causing the sword to loosen.  He advantaged her slack grip, grappled the sword from her hands and threw it with all of his power across the quad, causing it to lodge tip first into the wall of a neighboring hanok.

Jimin could see the suffering in his mother’s eyes, but he was too weak to help her.  His last effort at protecting her was to make one final plea, “…stay back please Mom.”  He whispered, “Hurry Kida come close...hold the wound here.”  Jimin was still on his side, the pain from his pierced cavity was starting to making itself known and each word he spoke was becoming increasingly difficult to expel.

Kida dropped to Jimin’s side and did as instructed, “Ok.  Like this?”

“Yes,” Jimin’s voice was barely audible.

Their families looked on silently, still unable to react, unable to accept the images.  Was the powerful kendo dragon really dying?  Had Jeongguk enticed them away so he could kill him? Unimaginable thoughts swam through their minds.

Jeongguk mumbled incoherently as he once again held Jimin’s head in his lap, “How did this happen?”  He cried, “I should be the one dying, not you.  I love you, I love you.  Why did you stop me?  I told you I was cursed.  I told you.  Why didn’t you let me die?  This is my curse.  This happened because of me.”

No one around him could understand what he was saying or why.  They were too focused on Jimin and his strange instructions to Kida.

Jimin’s whispers were more like anxious breaths with little voice behind them, “Kida, Kida listen.  This is going to be difficult, ok?  But no matter how I scream, don’t let go of the wound.  Keep both hands over the wound no matter what, ok?”

“Ok,” Kida could barely see because his tears had begun to fall in buckets, but he smothered the gushing wound as tightly as he could according to his Kinshi’s instruction.  

Jimin gripped the blade of the sword with both hands.  His swollen eyes flashed closed as bloody tears dripped from both of them.  He looked at Kida and said one last time, “Don’t let go.”

Kida nodded.

Jimin closed his eyes, took a breath and pulled the sword from his chest, slicing his fingers on the sharp steel.  His piercing screams of pain were inconceivable.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!”  His mother’s frantic screams merged with his.  She tried to reach for him but Jin and Areum held her back.  

“Now Kida, concentrate.” Jimin cried as he convulsed.  The pain was unbearable.  He placed both of his hands over Kida’s and together they held the wound.  His lips puffed in and out through small gasps before a violent shaking swept over his entire body.  His eyes rolled to the back of his head before finally, he stopped moving.

“JIMIN!  JIMIN!  JIMIN!”  They all screamed his name in a symphony of frantic shouts and pleas for him to come back.  Jeongguk and Sooyeon were once again screaming for the one man they loved most in the world.  

Kida, the ever-obedient student, refused to let go.  He held the wound even more tightly, pressing his fingers into Jimin’s skin, “Don’t leave me, please, please.  Stay with us Kinshi, please!”  Kida begged, implored, demanded.

A soft illuminated glow appeared underneath the mound of bloody hands on Jimin’s chest.  The light started in Jimin’s palms and then passed through Kida’s palms and then entered Jimin’s chest where it disappeared.  Almost immediately, the bloody wet ground underneath Jimin began to dry up as the blood seemingly was drawn back into his body.  

Jeongguk, who was still in shock, watched the bouncing light disappear and reappear between their skin; passing between Jimin and Kida, “What is this?  What is this fire inside of him?  What’s happening?”  His face contorted with confusion. He looked to Kida for answers, but Kida did not return his gaze because he was too focused on smothering Jimin’s wound. “Imugi?”  His mind processed the answer.  He let out a loud gasp of understanding and once again stared at his brother.  With Kida’s face only centimeters from his own, he whispered the word again, “Imugi? You’re Imugi – this is why he wanted you!”

“What?”  Kida didn’t understand, he was still pressing against Jimin’s chest with all of his might and sobbing unconsolably.  

“Kida don’t let go,” Jeongguk said excitedly.

“I’m not.”

“Don’t let go.”  Jeongguk shook with nervousness.

“I’M NOT!”

“Jimin can you hear me?”  Jeongguk stroked Jimin’s blood soaked white hair and tried to stir him awake.  He watched as the blankets of blood that covered their fingers crawled away like bloody worms and disappeared leaving clean unwounded skin behind them.  Like a scene from a play being acted in reverse, more and more of the blood around them continued to vanish into thin air.  Where it went, no one could know.    

“Fuck.  It’s working. Don’t let go Kida.”

“I’m not, shut up!” Kida snapped at him.

There were noticeable changes in Jimin’s appearance as well.  The swollen, bruised eyes sunk back into proper position and his skin snapped back reflecting his natural porcelain hue. Kida’s light continued to dance under the space beneath Jimin’s broken ribs; fusing them right before their eyes and causing the surrounding area to reform. Even the dark purple bruising dissipated leaving perfectly flawless skin.   

Kida, as obtuse as ever, finally realized what was happening.  He watched the color return to the dragon’s cheeks and noted the ease in his breathing.

“Imugi, you’re a healer,” Jeongguk said again.

“WHAT?”

“A healer you idiot, a healer.”  Jeongguk said in frustration, “Don’t.Let.GO!   Imugi are healers, don’t you pay attention in Korean mythology class?  He needed you because he was too injured to do it himself. Don’t let go.”  The guilty sword, that was once covered in Jimin’s blood, sat sparkling clean on the ground as if fresh from it’s case.  Jeongguk spoke to Jimin, “You emerge from every battle without a scratch.  This is why it happens.  I get now, Jimin.  I understand.  You heal yourself!”  Even Jeongguk couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his own mouth.

Jin released Sooyeon who’d calmed considerably as she watched her son seemingly return from the dead.  

Kida’s face lit with understanding, “Imugi.  That’s right.  That’s right.  I’m one of those.  I remember him telling me about Imugi healing powers during training, but I didn’t know that I was one at the time.  I thought it was just foolish talk from a man who’d taken one too many sword tips to the head.”  Kida concentrated, closed his eyes and began chanting the words, “I will heal you, I will heal you, I will heal you, I will heal you...”

“Is that the official chant of healers?”  Jeongguk questioned.

Kida opened one eye and continued, “I will heal you, I will heal you, I made it up, I will heal you, but it sounds good, I will heal you, I will heal you, I will heal you, so let’s go with it, I will heal you, I will heal you,”  his answer was unhelpful. 

Amazingly, Jimin’s body looked unscathed, as if the fight and the impaling had never happened.   He took a heaving breath before his eyes began to flutter open and in a miracle of all miracles, he spoke weakly, “Good job boy.  I was going to have to kill you if didn’t save my life.”

“JIMIN!” Jeongguk held him to his chest and rocked with him in his arms.  “Oh GOD you’re ok.  You’re ok.”

Jimin tried to sit up but grabbed his chest and relapsed.

Sooyeon fainted dead away.  Jin caught her before she crashed to the ground. “I take it your mother doesn’t know about your healing powers?”

“No.  Only my father knew about it.  He swore me to secrecy for her protection.  If enemies learn what I can do for myself, they may try to get to me by attacking her, so I never told her about this. I guess the secret is out now.  Is she ok?” Jimin laid flat on his back with Jeongguk leaning over him.

“She’s breathing, just fainted I think,” Jin said comfortably.

Jeongguk continued to hold Jimin, “Take it easy.  Take it easy, don’t move.  How do you feel?”  

“Like I’ve been in a chicken fight with Ruby.”

“This isn’t funny Jimin.  None of this is funny.  Why didn’t you let me die?”  Jeongguk snapped, suddenly back to his morose self.

“What are you talking about let you die?”  Areum, not knowing about Jeongguk’s attempt on his own life, questioned his choice of words.

“Nothing Mrs. Jeon. He meant nothing by it,” Jimin chimed in, answering on Jeongguk’s behalf.

“Get away from me.”  Jeongguk seethed at her, “I almost killed him, because of you.  I will never forgive you mother.  I only pray that he can forgive me.”  Jeongguk took one last look at Jimin.

“I love you; I will always love you. I understand Jeongguk, please.  It’s not who you are. Let’s go and be alone so we can talk.  Please!” Jimin plead with him.

“It is who I am.  It is exactly who I am.  I am a warrior trained to protect my family and kill for them.  And that is exactly what I almost did.  Kill for them and none of them deserve it.  Kida?  Please watch out for him, make sure that he heals properly.”  And with his last words, Jeongguk sprinted away.

Areum screamed for him, “Ggukie, please don’t go.  You can’t hold this against us, please don’t leave.”

Jimin rolled on to his side, “He’s not in a healthy frame of mind.  He thinks he’s cursed.  He tried to kill himself, that’s how I got stabbed, I stopped him. I can’t leave him alone, I can’t leave him like this, I may never see him again, I don’t know what he’s capable of.”  Jimin rambled as he pushed through the lingering pain in his freshly healed body to try to stand, “I’m going after him.”

“No, you will not!”  Sooyeon was once again conscious and making demands. “You don’t know what he’s capable of and neither do I.  HE just tried to kill you.  I saw it with my own two eyes, you had a sword sticking through your heart! You cannot be with someone like that!”

“Shut-up mother.  If you had trusted me and just allowed me to handle this my way, we would not be in this position.  YOU set all of this in motion instead of allowing me and the Jeons to handle it according to our plan.  This is NOT who he is, he doesn’t want to kill me.  Can you imagine the rage and betrayal he must feel?  He thinks his entire family is against him, he thinks he carries some kind of curse, he thinks he’s a monster.  None of that is true and I have to make him realize it.  I’m going after him.”  Jimin grimaced in pain.

Kida helped him to his feet, “I’m going with you.”

“No.  You’re not.  I believe that we did the right thing here Kida, but still…he doesn’t see it that way, so you need to give him a little space.

“But I saved your life, surely that will make him forgive me…” Kida looked on with a sad childlike expression.  His white hair was now dried in tangled locks around his head.

Jimin nodded, “He will forgive you.  But give him space right now, just the same.  I have to go.  I don’t want him to be left alone.”

“But you don’t even know where he went?” Kida protested one last time.

“Trust me.  I know and you do too,” Jimin said confidently with a wink.

Areum approached Jimin and hugged him, “You didn’t deserve any of this.  I am so sorry Jimin.  I know you love him and he loves you, he’s uttered it from his own lips,”  She paused and looked briefly at Sooyeon who was beside herself with uneasy emotion, “I have no right to ask this of you, but I’m going to anyway…please help him.  You’re the only one who can.”

Jimin held her hand and looked into her eyes. “I promise, I will do my best.  Now that he knows the truth, I’m hoping he will listen to reason.” 

“Are you well enough to go after him alone?”  Kida asked.

“I have no choice.”  Jimin, reattached his sword to his waist and gingerly jogged up the trail, in pursuit of his lover.

***

Jimin didn’t want to share the information with the others, but he knew exactly where Jeongguk had gone; the top of the mountain.  It was not going to be an easy to trek to follow after him, but it was the only option available because Jeongguk was too unstable to be left alone with his own thoughts.

The more Jimin moved about, the more his body returned to normal.  Before long, he was feeling little pain which made the two-hour hike to the top of the mountain bearable.  As he rounded the stretch along the trail of God’s Tears, he could hear the rush of the majestic water fall.  His memories harkened back to he and Jeongguk making love in the hidden cave - so many times - too numerous to count.  They were so in love and it was a love worth fighting for, even though the fight would be difficult.

The sunlight was waning, so Jimin stopped at a neighboring house and borrowed a lantern to light the path for the remainder of his climb.  Along the way, he had time to reflect and it was necessary reflection because somehow when this was all over, he was going to have to explain why he’d betrayed the man he loved.  It was clear in his head, but how could he make Jeongguk understand?  

Jimin talked to himself as he continued the climb, “I can feel your sorrow my handsome warrior.  But how do I help you release the guilt and forgive yourself for attacking me?  That will be my greatest challenge.”  The self-talk helped him work through the problem in his mind, but it didn’t provide any of the answers.  

The question that burned him hotter than a sword through the heart was this: should he have told Jeongguk the truth sooner?  Once he knew he was falling in love or even shortly thereafter, should he have told the truth?  Would the result have been any different?  The entire situation was indeed a mess; a convoluted maze that could have been avoided if it weren’t for his interfering mother.  Jimin screamed a quick angry sigh into the cool evening air and then proceeded up the slick granite trail.  His anger towards his mother stung like the bite of one-thousand bees.  He should have anticipated her rogue behavior especially considering how skittish she was the previous night.  “What could I have done to change all of this?  How could I have handled it better?”  He spoke aloud to himself.  He continued to climb obstacle over obstacle along the grey granite mountain of Naktong.  

Concentration was critical because one poorly laid step could result in a tumultuous tumble towards the bottom.  Yet, his thoughts wove in and out between his dangerous climb and his regrets.  A small slip on a wet branch refocused him.  He spoke aloud again as he dangled with one hand from a large boulder that created a bridge over the stream below, “I can’t believe he does this shit every month!” He complained, referring to Jeongguk making the dangerous climb for his monthly sabbatical.  With the grace of a true dragon, he pulled himself back up to the main trail and then tiptoed along the treaded indentions on the slippery rock before emptying on the other side.  

He made good progress until suddenly the path abruptly ended.  It continued on the other side but there was a large gap between where he stood and where he needed to be in order to make the final trek up to the mountain’s peak.  A large group of low hanging branches covered the area and they looked overgrown as if they’d been there for many years, so he wondered how Jeongguk had managed to get around them.   The spot on the mountain was very high up, one wrong move and he would go crashing to the earth 200 meters below.  So he stood contemplating; pacing back and forth, “How warrior, how do you pass through this part of the mountain?”  Hundreds of ideas went through his mind but all, he concluded, would have ended in a catastrophic fall.  

As a dweller of the sea, Jimin was much more accustomed to flat earth.  The inclines, rocky terrains, trees and snakes of Naktong were all a bit new to him, beautiful, but definitely an adjustment. It was fortuitous that he knew his warrior so well because only by placing himself within his mind, was he able to glean the secret, “You’re kidding me, right?  Did you really just – JUMP?  This entire span?  What kind of beast are you?”  He took a step back, lifted a few of the trees in the obstructing pile of shrubs and shook his head, “Seriously Jeongguk?  You jumped this fucking far?”  He exclaimed as he examined the length of the gap to the other side.  He bickered with his lover even though he was not present, “Why do you make everything so difficult?  If I didn’t love you, I would kill you.”  Jimin’s legs were already tired, but having to hurdle the last few meters carrying his heavy sword was not something he wanted.  He looked around for another way, prolonging his final ascent.

And then as if his heart weren’t aching enough, he heard the soft sounds of sobbing coming from the mountain top.  It was undoubtedly the devastated warrior, drowning in his own sorrow.  The sound of his lover’s cries gave him all of the strength he needed, “I have to get to him right now, no more stalling,” he rationalized to himself.

Without the sword, he would greatly improve his chances of being buoyant enough to clear the heavy brush and the gap to reach the other side, so he removed it and tucked it under the fallen trees for safe keeping and decided to make the dangerous jump.  If he failed, well, there would be a very painful drop to the stream below.  But if he succeeded, it would be a story for the history books.  He backed away a few meters, took a running start and leapt gracefully, clearing the brush and the valley below.  He smiled to himself, both relieved and impressed, “Don’t cry warrior.  I’m coming.”

***

When he reached the mountain peak, he could see forever across the valley.  The entire Provence of Busan, even the tiny island of Dongbaekseom and vast ocean beyond, were visible from the vantage point.  The inhabitants below were just tiny glimmers in the dark because the only shining light was that of the bright moon that painted the sky.

He held out his lantern and spun around in every direction, trying to locate his lover.

A couple of meters away from the apex, he saw him huddled over, crouching on his knees and staring into the moon.  He spoke, “I laid the brush as a trap to stop intruders and those who would seek to interrupt my isolation.  Most men would have attempted to clear the brush giving me warning that they were approaching. You are the only one who has ever been clever enough to just – jump.”

Jimin, a bit grumpy, was in no mood for small talk, “I will be sure to share my legendary status with the people of Dongbaekseom.  For now, our first matter of business is to determine the true meaning of your tears.  Was it our betrayal?  Or the pain of knowing you wanted to kill me?”

“Why can it not be both?  I wanted you to fight me, and give me justification for killing you or maybe, I wanted you to kill me.  But you didn’t and that made matters all the worse.” He answered quickly which meant he’d given some thought to the matter. “Why would my parents not tell me about this, or Kida, or you?  Why was I the one given the least consideration?”

“Kida didn’t know either.  Jeongguk, we had a plan to tell you and him.”  

“What Jimin?  What was the plan?  Because anything that did not involve telling me the truth immediately, was a bad plan.”

“I was hoping to,” Jimin stalled before smiling, “marry you first.”

Jeongguk grew angry at the mere implication, “MARRIAGE? How can you speak of marriage? Clearly our love is not that strong; you have been lying to me for years and I just tried to kill you.  There should be NO talk of marriage between our cursed souls.  Marriage is not a plan.”

Jimin didn’t want to laugh, but he laughed.

“JIMIN!”  Jeongguk said with disgust.

Jimin held his arms up as indication of surrender, “I’m sorry.  Look, I’m sorry.  This could have all ended horribly, yes.  But it didn’t, proving that neither of us is cursed.  In fact, it is just the opposite, we are blessed to have found love in each other.”

  

Do you know why I didn’t fight back?  I didn’t fight back because I knew that any wounds you inflicted on me would heal in a matter of minutes.  If I had fought back, it would have escalated things much too far beyond our control because at some point, out instincts to kill would have been triggered and we may have actually hurt each other.  You weren’t going to kill me Jeongguk.  You had at least five fatal blows that you could have struck against me and you engaged none of them.  Now, the sword through the heart was unexpected, that could have ended very badly, but it didn’t!”  Jimin’s bright smile was incredible given the circumstances.

Jeongguk was still not convinced, “Why are you here?  Please go.  I want to be alone.”

“God why did I leave my sword?  I would use it to force some sense into you.  You’re acting like a child.”  Jimin suddenly grew angry with Jeongguk’s selfish brooding.  Enough was enough.  “Here are the facts Jeongguk, you can take them or leave them, that is up to you, but I will no longer sit here and watch you pout.  I did not tell you about Kida because your parents - YOUR PARENTS - asked me not to. My intention was never to betray you.  I didn’t even know you when they first addressed me about training Kida.  And, maybe it was a mistake not to tell you but I gave them my word.  They needed to talk to Kida first.  They did the best they could with the knowledge they had…how exactly do you tell your son he is Imugi.  It was different for me because I was born and presented at the same time, but he was three years old before anyone knew.  Forgive them for needing some time to figure it all out.  Honestly, this would have all been different if it weren’t for my interfering mother.”

Jimin sunk down to the ground next to Jeongguk to relieve his achy legs, “Jeongguk, you’re missing the most amazing part of all of this; your brother has a gift my love.  He’s Imugi!  This gift does not come with the convenience of lineage, otherwise you would have it too and we would all be related.”  Jimin frowned and went off topic, “As an aside all of us being related would have created an entirely new set of problems because you and I regularly fuck each other’s brains out and being related would have just been EWWW.”  He again hid his smile and proceeded along his original line of thought, “Indeed, this is a very rare gift and God gave it to him, surely you see how important that is?  All of our deception was worth it, because we had to protect HIM.  Kida would have picked up a sword no matter what because it is in his Imugi nature to do so.  You would not have accepted that because you are too stubborn.  Besides, would you have really wanted that clunky, lanky, goofy, clueless, pubescent kid wielding a sword with no guidance or training whatsoever?  Him wielding that thing like a maniac could have killed an entire village with just a sneeze.”  Jimin held another smile, hoping for a lift in the tensile air surrounding them.

No such smile came so he continued, “Jeongguk, you have always respected my sword and my Kendo art form, if I remember, you were even stimulated by it.  It’s what drew you to me in the first place.  Why now, is it not good enough for your gifted brother”  

After minutes of intently listening, Jeongguk spoke, “Are you saying that my sacred beliefs are not so sacred?” 

“I am saying that your stance against weaponry is important and it will change generations to come, but please realize that Kida is the exception.  We never meant to undermine your message which is why we were so discreet with our training.  But this had to be done.  Please say you understand.”  Jimin asked again, cautiously.

“I want to be alone now,” Jeongguk turned his back to Jimin and stared at the full moon again.

Jimin frowned.  That was not the response he’d hoped for.  His warrior’s stubbornness and wounded pride would not allow him to relent easily.  More work on the young one’s ego would be needed.  He blew a wet raspberry through his plump lips and looked around the rocky barren mountain top, “Well looks like we’re going to be up here for a while until you come to your senses.  I’ll grab a few sticks and get the fire started.”

“Leave Jimin,” Jeongguk croaked.

“Lucky I thought to bring the lantern.  I can use the flame to stoke a fire.  What do you do for food around here?”  Jimin thought for a minute, “ahhh yes that’s right.  I just remembered; you don’t eat.  You fast as part of your spiritual enrichment.  Noble.   So Noble.”

“Please leave Jimin.  Please leave me in peace,” Jeongguk croaked again, this time his voice sounding much weaker than the last.

Jimin continued, “…that little hut over there.  Is that where you sleep?  Hope it’s big enough for two.”

“LEAVE FUCKING LEAVE I WANT TO BE ALONE!”  Jeongguk screamed, finally having found his voice. 

Jimin combusted and with a teary-eyed confession he raced toward Jeongguk and screamed, “NO I WILL NOT LEAVE.  I WILL NEVER LEAVE.  NEVER.  DO YOU FORGET THAT YOU TURNED THE SWORD ON YOURSELF?  DO YOU FORGET YOU WANTED TO DIE BY OUR OWN HAND?  If I had slipped just a centimeter or hit the sword with the wrong angle...you’d be dead right now. Kida and I can heal ourselves and other Imugi, but we cannot heal you.  I cannot bring you back from the dead or heal your wounds, so I must protect you while you’re alive.  I cannot lose you.  I have never felt this way about anyone in my life.  You make my blood flow through my veins, you give me reason to live, you give me hope and happiness, YOU GIVE ME EVERYTHING!  NO Jeongguk, I will not leave.” The dragon who had been so phlegmatic and brave even in the face of his own death now bared his soul.  This was his breaking point.  The image of Jeongguk almost taking his own life terrified him and infuriated him at the same time.  He used his sleeve to wipe away the snot and tears that were both flowing down his face.

“I don’t love you like you love me,” Jeongguk sniffled.

“Yes, you fucking do.  You are just as in love.  You’re hurting so much over attacking me that you wanted to DIE over it.  Don’t speak non-sense,” Jimin rationalized.

“I could have never hurt you like that if I loved you.”

Jimin clenched his fists, “True warriors protect their blood; family comes before love every time.  You had no control over that.   It’s part of the red rage.  It’s why my mother was so concerned.  She knew that you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself. Even I saw it that night in the alley when Pon’s goons attacked you.  I saw the lengths you would go to, to protect your brother.  Today you were once again just protecting your – brother.”

“I was going to kill him too.”

“Again no, you weren’t,” Jimin let out a small sigh.  His mind and body were spent.  Healing himself, even with Kida’s help, exerted a lot of energy.  In addition, the two hour climb up the mountain was rigorous and his energy and strength were beginning to falter.  He laid down awkwardly on his back and gazed up at the stars, still wiping away tears.

His silence caught the warrior’s attention.  He spun around and was surprised to see him lying on the ground, “Jimin are you ok?  Are you in pain?”  He scurried to his side to check him.

“I’m fine.  But I’m very tired.  I think I’ll sleep now and we can continue this conversation in the morning.”

“You can’t sleep here in the elements.  I’ll carry you to the hut.  You can have my yo.”

“Only if you stay by my side,” Jimin warned, “hold my hand the entire night or else I will behead you.”

“My beautiful dragon you can barely walk, there will be no beheading for you tonight.”  Jeongguk lifted Jimin fully and carried him to the small hut.  Jimin was almost completely listless and his fatigue struck quickly.  

The rustic little hut atop the mountain was a single space large enough for a yo and a wool blanket.  Jeongguk had built the small hut when he was only fifteen, right after his parents moved to Gyeongseong, leaving him to care for Kida.  It was never meant to be shared, especially with someone he loved. The door was made of a single piece of bark from a dead tree and it was heavy but solid, providing great protection against the elements. He used his foot to slide it open and then helped Jimin down to the yo, “Is that better?  You can rest now.”

Jimin was already sleeping and snoring, which was all very comforting to Jeongguk because it meant that he was well.  As the dragon slumbered, Jeongguk held the light of the lantern over his head.  He examined every centimeter of Jimin’s face and ears to make sure he was truly healed.  Though Jimin’s scars from the attack were gone, the guilt of the action remained in Jeongguk’s heart.  He pushed back the white hair that surrounded Jimin’s face and gently kissed him all over, landing on his lips again and again and again.  He stood amidst the small space and pulled the heavy bark door closed.  The well-constructed frame of the hut stood firm as the wind began to whistle outside.  Lovingly, he spoke to Jimin in his sleep, “You’re right.  I love you so much that I would rather die than face the fact that I hurt you.  But if I kill me, you will kill me again when you wake up.  So I guess it’s best to just hold your hand as you demanded.”  Jeongguk smiled.  

There was really no place to lay in a hut meant for one that suddenly housed two, so he chose to simply lay on top of his beloved, and allow the sound of Jimin’s soft low breaths to lull him to sleep.

***

Jimin’s eyes sprang open.  The sound of water trickling over leaves could clearly be distinguished just outside of the hut.  He closed his eyes once again and allowed his mind to trace back through the events of the previous day to bring the current day into focus. Jeongguk, the secret, Kida, the sword against Jeongguk’s neck.  His eyes sprang open again as he remembered it all.  He bolted from the ground with a terrified scream, “JEONGGUK! WHERE ARE YOU?  OH GOD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”  The heavy bark door was laying on the ground a couple of meters from the opening.  He stepped outside, blinded by the bright light of the early sun and looked around feverishly for Jeongguk.  The sound of rustling leaves being hit by water could still be heard coming from behind the hut so he ran toward the noise hoping that Jeongguk was there.  The younger stood there with his eyes closed, cock out, freely spraying his stream of pee across the green ivory at the foot of the trees.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Bwwhahhahhh!!” Jeongguk jumped and sprayed pee all over, almost peeing on Jimin, “I’m peeing.  You scared the hell out of me.”

“You were supposed to hold my hand all night and not let go.  Where’s my sword?  Where’s my sword?”  Jimin looked around frantically only to remember that his sword was stowed below the mountain top.

“After the day we had yesterday, those threats are no longer funny.”  Jeongguk, resumed his pee stream.  “Besides, I did hold your hand.  All night, without fail.  I just got up to well -pee.”

“Oh…ok then.  Good.”  Jimin would have been embarrassed if he hadn’t been so busy ogling Jeongguk’s cock.  “I-Is everything ok, are you ok?”

“I’m fine Jimin.  I have no weapons to harm myself up here.  I realize now that maybe I was a bit dramatic in the first place.”  Jeongguk, feeling uncomfortable, stuffed himself back into the bottoms of his hanbok.

“GOD, is there anything to eat?  I’m starving,” Jimin slapped his forehead with recognition, “oh shit that’s right, you only fast when you come up here. This place is insufferable.”  He stretched, placing his hands on his back and arching backwards causing cracks and pops to echo from his sore cold joints.

“Insufferable huh?  Turn around and look at our view.”  Jeongguk broke a few sticks from a nearby garden of bamboo and began filing the sharp edges down on a rock.

Jimin watched Jeongguk casually for a few moments and then turned around to face the view.  The view the previous evening was nice even under the blanket of nightfall.  But the scene during the day as the orange sun peaked from behind the clouds, was stunning, “…amazing, I can see my entire village from here and the ocean is so beautiful.”  Jimin stood gazing over the horizon, drinking in the rich textures from the greenery of the Provence of Busan as it contrasted against the blue ocean.  

Jeongguk threw down his bamboo sticks and came behind him and gripped him tightly.  He nuzzled his nose and lips into Jimin’s white hair, sweeping it aside so he could barrage his neck with kisses, “I am so sorry for hurting you, for scaring you, for trying to hurt myself, for everything.  I love you.  You know that, don’t you?”

Jimin closed his eyes and savored the sweet touch of Jeongguk’s kiss, “You and I will survive this because I forgive you.  But Jeongguk, promise me that you’ll forgive yourself.”

“I will, I just… time, I guess.  Time will help,” he said honestly.

“What about your parents – your mother?  Can you forgive them?”  Jimin treaded lightly, unsure of how Jeongguk was going to react.  Despite all of them being complicit in the horribly deceptive plan, Jeongguk laid the majority of the blame at his parent’s feet.

“Can you forgive your mother?” Jeongguk countered.

Jimin stepped away from him, “This isn’t about my mother.  This is about you understanding what a difficult position this was for your parents. YOUR mother was just trying to protect her son,” Jimin emphasized.

“So was yours,” Jeongguk countered again.

“Your parents love you.  You have to find it in your heart to forgive them.”

“No.  I don’t.   Their lies almost led to us killing each other.  How can that ever be forgivable?”

“My mother had a role in this too, I had a role in this too, yet you’re willing to forgive us and not your own parents?” Jimin pleaded to Jeongguk’s common sense.

“You were protecting my parents.  I forgive you for that reason alone.  That is a true sign of how much you love me.  But Jimin don’t you realize, your mother was the only one who saw fit to tell me the truth, I will always be indebted to her for that.  My parents however, lied to me from a child into adulthood.  They came here every month dying his hair and hiding who he was.  They never trusted me with the truth about my own brother, yet they left me to raise him.  How can that be forgiven Jimin?”

“You’re angry about many different things and you are funneling it into this single issue.  There are things that you and parents need to work through, but this is not one of them.  They did the right thing.  Your reaction is proof that they did the right thing.” Jimin tried again to restore Jeongguk’s thinking to normal.

Jeongguk scoffed at everything Jimin had to say in defense of his parents.  He rushed to hold him again and whisper thank you’s to him for not being dead. Together, they watched the spectacular view of emerging light across the morning sky.  “Come with me.  There is a stream full of fish, but it’s about a ten-minute walk away?  Are you up to it?”

“Can’t we just go back down the mountain? It’s not your sabbatical, you’re just hiding up here to avoid your family,” Jimin said astutely.

“Fine.  You go back down.  I’m staying.”  Jeongguk headed across the rock to the entry of the forest and disappeared amongst the trees.

“Warriors are THE most stubborn humans on earth.”  He trudged behind him, rubbing his stomach as it growled angrily.


Powered by their hunger, they walked quickly to the other side of the mountain and slid down an embankment into a clear stream where fish were plentiful.  Jeongguk used the sharpened bamboo sticks to spear a few of them and headed back to their hut without speaking.  Jimin blew a heavy breath and once again trailed behind him.  

Jimin scaled the fish while Jeongguk built another fire.  Silence remained between them until Jimin became irritated, “Is this how it’s going to be every time I mention your parents?  I’m going to get shut out and get the silent treatment?”

Jeongguk continued to give him the silent treatment.

“Alright you stubborn ass, I won’t push you to mend things, just yet.  I will accept that you need time to process all of this.  But you need them and they need you.  I lost my father.  I am so thankful that I had a chance to tell him that I loved him before he left this earth.  Don’t lose too much time with them, life is too short.”

Jimin’s sentimental recounting of his father softened Jeongguk a bit to ask and at the same time emboldened him to ask a very hard question, “Do you sometimes…”

“Say it.”

“You have powers…and do you sometimes wish that…maybe for your dad you could have uh…,”

“Imugi can heal themselves and other Imugi.  They cannot heal regular humans.  Besides, my father was killed instantly, even if I could have healed him, it was too late.  He was dead before he hit the ground.  New life can only be breathed into you while the old life still exists.  Both of his lives were gone, sadly.”  Jimin cut his hand on one of the makeshift bamboo knives that Jeongguk had fashioned from a rock.”

“That’s why Kida had to get to you before your heart stopped beating?”

“Yes.” Jimin placed his finger over the cut on his left hand and the strange white light once again appeared bouncing around his palm, mopping up the blood and sealing the wound.

“I don’t think I will ever get used to seeing that,” Jeongguk kissed Jimin’s palm.  “Why did you never tell me you had this power?”

“Tell you?  Didn’t you ever pay attention in Korean mythology? I should not have had to tell you.  Once ou knew I was Imugui, you shoou have nonwI’m peculiar enough already don’t you think?  I mean the white hair, baby face, tendency to kill people.  I didn’t think you could accept any more eccentricity.  Even you have your limits my gentle giant.”

Jeongguk laughed.  A pure laugh.  A happy laugh.  Jimin clapped his hands, pleased to see that smile again.

Jimin grew serious again, his eyes glistened with moisture as he spoke to his lover, “Today we promise to never hurt each other again, to always be honest and you must promise me that no matter how bleak things may see you will never…,”

Jeongguk carried the remainder of Jimin’s words, “…try to hurt myself again.  I promise.”  They moved to kiss, but Jeongguk popped his head back and withdrew, “Your mother was going to behead me.  Are we going to talk about that or…”

***

The isolated patch of rock at the top of the mountain became their refuge for the hours that they retreated there because Jeongguk stubbornly refused to leave and Jimin just as stubbornly refused to leave his side.  They bathed and fished in the fresh water stream and tried to put the events of the previous 24 hours behind them.  Although the two of them took necessary steps to repair their fractured relationship, Jimin had no luck with convincing Jeongguk to grant his parents the same courtesy.

“Nature calls, be right back,” Jimin stepped out of the shallow stream and ducked behind a tree to pee.  He yelled back and Jeongguk, “Is it ok to pee here?  I noticed you only seem to pee into ivory bushes.”  He didn’t receive an answer so he pulled himself from his hanbok and cupped his shaft with his palm, pointing the tip towards the bushes.  For anyone else, the soft footsteps behind them would have gone unnoticed, but for the dragon with his prolific senses and intuition, the Warrior’s quiet presence was obvious.  

“Do you need any help?” Jeongguk asked innocently.

“Peeing?  No, I’ve done it since birth. I think I can manage,” Jimin teased.

Jeongguk eased up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, “Are you sure?  That seems like a heavy burden for you to handle all on your own.”  The offer of assistance was loaded with discernable sexual innuendo and clearly a reference to Jimin’s large cock.

“You’re most generous,” even Jimin couldn’t help but laugh.  He completed the emptying of his bladder and then raised both of his arms to allow Jeongguk to take over the “holding” duties. Of course, the holding was more like gentle stroking and cock play than relieving the dragon of any burden.  Jimin relaxed and used both of his arms to pull his hair into a bun on the top of his head; exposing his long shapely neck to Jeongguk’s lips.

“What did you mean last night when you said your plan was to marry me first?”  Jeongguk asked as he simultaneously stroked Jimin and nibbled along the back of his neck.

Jimin sighed as his cock began to enlarge beneath Jeongguk’s seductive touch, “Just random gibberish from a man desperate to save his relationship.”

“Oh – yeah, that’s what I figured,” Jeongguk’s voice was a bit raspy but the disappointment was evident.

Jimin closed his eyes as the pressure in his crotch began to build.  He reminded the Warrior, “You’re the one who said two such cursed souls should never marry.  I definitely agree.”

“I agree too.  I agree.”  His grip around Jimin’s cock loosened and he seemed to grow distracted.

Jimin held his laughter once again, “You’re not pouting are you brave Warrior?  A man who as young and handsome as yourself surely would not want to be tied down to a nomad like me.”

Jeongguk released Jimin altogether.  His hands dropped to his sides and he nodded bravely as if unaffected by Jimin’s words.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t continue to enjoy each other’s company. 

“Always.”

Jimin looked down, his exposed swollen dick was now even more alive with the sight of Jeongguk pouting.  “Why did you stop?  Do you not want me?”  He walked forward and pushed Jeongguk backwards until he stumbled and fell to the ground, landing on his back. 

 

Jeongguk giggled, “I always want you,” he crab-crawled backwards over the soft grass that grew at the edge of the stream. He quickly backed away trying to escape Jimin’s swarm.   

“Well then I think we should have each other.”  Jimin grabbed Jeongguk’s ankle and held it tight, causing Jeongguk to stop his backwards crawl, “don’t run from me.  I promise I’ll be gentle.”

“You are never gentle dragon.”

Jimin continued to hold Jeongguk’s ankle and began twisting the fabric of his pants around his fist, causing the pants to pull away from Jeongguk’s hips.  

The younger laid on his back staring into the beautiful face amidst the mounds of white hair, and watched as his dragon disrobed him.  A few tugs at the hem of his pants and they were off, laying beside him.  Another few tugs at the knots around his shirt and it too was tossed over his head.  Jimin removed his own shirt and dropped his pants to the ground.  Once again, he placed a firm grip around Jeongguk’s left ankle and then his right, holding his legs open like a pair of scissors and watching the slow twitching of Jeongguk’s darkened slit as he contemplated how to attack it.  Jimin’s cock throbbed with desire, so ready to take him, ready to show him just how much he loved him and how much he wanted to marry him.  He continued to spread Jeeongguk’s legs at the ankles and then gently pushed his knees into his chest.  The entrance to his tight ass grew wider and summoned Jimin to come inside, “How badly do you want me?”

“Very badly.”

Jimin knelt between his legs and took his lover’s cock into his mouth.  Jeongguk moaned as pleasure resonated through him at a clarion pitch.  After the drama of the last twenty-four hours all he wanted was to lose himself in the feeling and rejoice in the arms of his love.  The buildup came so fast that Jeongguk wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of intensity.  His vision blurred with brilliance, his muscles spasmed and jerked.  It was too fast, he wasn’t ready, he didn’t want to yet - he didn’t want to - he begged Jimin to slow down - let him breath -but he wouldn’t stop.  Jimin sucked him, swallowed him and licked him until Jeonggok’s shivers, became shudders that merged into greedy thrusts; eclipsed by passionate screams.  The cum boiled between his legs and bubbled up through his shaft, erupting in a violent stream that fled from his tip.  Jimin removed the cock from his mouth and stroked him, milking the cum from his body, watching passively as it exploded over his chest.  A steady trail of residue leaked between the cheeks of his ass, exactly what Jimin needed to get started.  While Jeongguk was still in the throes of his orgasm, Jimin poked his fingers into the hot of his ass.  He used Jeongguk’s own cum against him and lubricated the tight chambers preparing him for a gracious but necessarily hard fuck. By the time Jeongguk had recovered from his climax, Jimin was already inside of him, chasing his own.

He hissed, “I love you,” as he stroked for his life, savoring every turn and bump inside of the Warrior’s body.

Jeongguk’s mind was blurred, comfortable yet his body felt tired and limp, like sacks of crushed salt.  He felt so grateful for the force between his legs, the stiff dick that pushed into him and the pleasure that he gave to it.  He was excruciatingly close to tears.  He pulled his knees into his chest and grabbed Jimin by the roots of his white hair and pulled him to his lips, “I love you too.  Show me how much you love me my beautiful dragon.”

Jimin arched his back and raised his head like a wolf howling at the moon.  His arms shook unsteadily beneath him, so Jeongguk pulled him to his chest and held him there.  He circled him tightly with an unbreakable grip, sharing every shake and shiver that escaped his body.

“NICE!  I would have never figured you for a “taker” big brother.”

Both Jimin and Jeongguk recognized the voice immediately.

“HOLY SHIT KIDA!  What are you doing here?”  Jeongguk shouted.  He looked over to see his wide-eyed brother standing there, gaping at them, cheering them on as if he were at some Ssireum sporting event.  He panicked and reached into the wild disorder of clothes that lay strewn around them.  With a frenzied pace, he began dressing himself while throwing random leaves and brush over Jimin’s hard dripping dick to hide it from his brother’s innocent eyes.

“OH! Now you’re shy.  You were just taking it like a champion a few seconds ago; ‘Oh dragon show me how much you love me’,” he mocked.

“A few seconds ago?  How long have you been there?”  Jimin spat.

“Long enough.”  Kida grinned and nodded.  

“Where’s my fucking sword?”  Jimin mumbled as he sat up on his elbows to look around.

Jeongguk had never been so annoyed with his little brother in his entire life.  With his pants partially reattached and the shirt of his hanbok inside out, he grabbed a handful of rocks and threw them at Kida’s knees.

“Interrupting a man’s orgasm is an executable offense,” Jimin huffed angrily and swept the itchy leaves away from his privates.

Jeongguk, still concerned about Jimin’s nudity, covered him in leaves again, “Why are you here Kida. You know that it is forbidden to come here while I am,” he cleared his throat, “…m-meditating.”

“That’s some rough meditation.  Tell me brother…does it hurt? It looks like it hurts.” Kida grimaced and sucked through his teeth.

Jeongguk threw another handful of rocks at him.

Jimin banged the back of his head against the soft grass beneath them, “The Jeon brothers.  Someone really should have warned me about these two,” he said as he again pushed the leaves away from his cock and balls.

Kida looked serious, “I only came here to make sure you two were ok.  When you didn’t come home last night, Mrs. Park was sure that you’d killed each other.  I offered to come and check on you.  I never expected to find THIS.  I’m sorry for interrupting, but I am very relieved to know that you two are ok…better than ok…fucking ok.”  He gave them a reductive thumbs up.

Jeongguk looked up at his little brother and gaped at his appearance.  For the first time in full sunlight he saw his little brother’s long stark white hair.  It was an eerie scene that cemented the reality of who he was within Jeongguk’s consciousness.  He was no longer Kida the Warrior, heir apparent to the Jeon family, he was now Kida The Imugi, a fact that completely upended their relationship.  His mind stammered back to the present and he smiled at his little brother, “We’re fine Kida, ok?  You can leave now.  Tell Mrs. Park that we are fine and that her son loves her.  Now go away.”

“Go away?  Go where?  You mean make another two-hour trip all the way back down this forsaken mountain?  No way I’m staying. I’m tired and thirsty.  You two want to fuck, go do it over there, don’t mind me.”  Kida plopped down onvto the hard granite of the barren stretch of mountain and began to smack on seaweed snacks that he had in his pocket.

By this time, Jimin was resolved to the fact that Kida wasn’t leaving.  He quickly dressed, helped Jeongguk redress, and traveled the few meters to sit next to Kida.  Jeongguk followed and took a seat as well.

“How is everyone?  Are they all ok?”  Jimin asked kindly.

“Your mom is a nervous wreck.  Don’t be surprised if she shows up here.  You two should probably keep your clothes on.  I don’t know if she knows that you two …do that type of thing.” Kida wriggled his fingers made an awkward hand gesture to try to indicate intercourse.

“She knows,” Jimin laughed.

“What the fuck?” Jeongguk said with a bit of surprise.

Jimin rolled his eyes, “Don’t act so surprised.  She caught us fooling around the other night…plus she knows I’m in love with you.  It doesn’t take her long to figure out these things.”

“Well knowing you do it is very different than seeing you do it.  Trust me.” Kida shivered a bit with the thought.

“ANYWAY,” Jimin continued, “how is your mom and Kida how are you?”

Kida answered sluggishly, “I’m fine – a little stunned – but I’m fine.  Somehow, I wasn’t surprised.  It’s like I always knew something about was different about me.  Special in some crazy way.  Mom on the other hand, Jeongguk, please go and see her before she leaves.  She heads back to Gyeongseong tonight and with you knowing the truth, there is no need for her to return anytime soon.  Please don’t let her leave thinking that you hate her.”

Jeongguk’s upper jaw clenched tightly, “I don’t hate her, but I have no desire to mend things with her either.  If we never speak again, that’s fine.”

“You don’t mean that,” Kida lamented.

“Yes.  I do.”  Jeongguk sat resolute.

Kida glanced at Jimin who shook his head.  Kida moved to speak again, but Jimin gave him the signal to let it go.  Clearly, he’d already been down this path and with Jeongguk being as stubborn as he was, it was typical behavior.

  

Jeongguk rescued both of them from the topic, “How did you even get up here without triggering my alarm?”

“Ggukie, the alarm was never meant for me, remember?  You brought me up where when I was 8 years old, remember?  I helped you build that trap.  And then when it was all done, you put me on your back and then we jumped.  It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen.  The strength and flexibility it must have taken to jump that entire way with a kid on your back.  I knew then you were my hero,” Kida punched his brother playfully in the shoulder.

The conversation sparked the most beautiful memories in Jeongguk’s head, “You were so small. I didn’t think you would ever put the pieces together, yet alone remember them.”

“I was young, not stupid,” Kida insisted.

“Aren’t they both the same thing?” Jimin chimed in uninvited.

They both ignored him.

Jeongguk was still intrigued, “Is that how you knew how to get past the trap?”

“Yes.  I just – jumped.”

“How do you remember these things Kida?” Jeongguk petted the top of his brother’s head.

“Next to the news that I found out last night, that was one of the most important days of my life. I stayed up here with you for almost a week. It was when mother and father left for the first time and it was just you and me before uncle Jin came to live with us.  I’ve always looked up to you – you’re much more than just a brother.” Kida paused and furrowed his brow, “I am so sorry for deceiving you Ggukie.  Please say you forgive me?”  Out of nowhere, Kida burst into tears.

Jimin rubbed his eyes in frustration, “We have a lot of work to do with this one,” he kicked dirt at him and told him to do 100 push-ups.

Jeongguk laughed and glared at Jimin, “A bit harsh don’t you think?  He’s going through a rough time.”

“That is why they asked me to train him.  You will baby him until he’s sixty years old,” Jimin quipped.

Jeongguk wrapped his arms around Kida’s shoulders, “…of course I forgive you little brother.  I understand that there were certain aspects of this that you had no control over.  But Kida, no more lies ever.  Lies – never end well.”

“I promise Ggukie,” Kida wiped his tears and got into position to start his push-ups.  Jimin stood and put his foot on Kida’s back to apply more weight and pressure, “I hope you realize that we can’t stay up here forever, especially with the cry baby here.  There is no place for all of us to sleep.  We have to head back down now Jeongguk.  You have to face them.”

“Seven, eight, nine,” Kida counted between them, “please see mother before she leaves, ten, eleven, twelve.”

“Quiet.  No one is talking to you,” Jimin snatched the seaweed snacks from Kida’s gripped hand and ate them.  Kida sniffled and continued his push-ups without protest.

“I’ll go back.  But I won’t talk to mother.”  Jeongguk folded his arms.

“…but…” Kida tried to interrupt, but Jimin sat on his back and tugged on his white hair.

“Quiet.  No one is talking to you.” Jimin said, as he sat with criss-crossed legs on top of Kida’s back, enjoying the ride, “That is your choice Jeongguk.  I will not argue with you anymore.  But you’re making a mistake,” warned the dragon.

***

After another couple of hours, the three of them headed back down the mountain, back into Nangtok village.  What started as a light hearted, joyful journey home, ended with a heavy burdened sense of melancholy as they approached the quad where so much devastation had occurred the previous evening.  Although all signs of the fight were erased, the memories were so very vivid in Jeongguk’s head that he winced and held Jimin’s hand as he walked past the spot where Jimin once lay dying.  

Areum stood in the middle of the quad packing her carriage and feeding her travel donkey hay.  She sighed with great relief when she saw Kida and Jeongguk return and she ran to hug both of them.  Where Kida welcomed her into his arms graciously, Jeongguk rebuffed her and avoided her gaze.

“Jeongguk, you are as stubborn as this mule that will take me back to Gyeongseong.  I will not beg for your forgiveness any longer.  I will not be made to feel guilty for protecting my son.  I love you Jeongguk.  You are as precious to me as any of my children.  I am so sorry you cannot see it.”  She covered Kida in kisses and then turned toward Jimin, “You will continue his training, yes dragon?”

“Of course, Mrs. Jeon.  I suspect it may be a bit easier now that everything is in the open,” he stared at Jeongguk.

“I cannot thank you enough for caring for both of them.  Thank you for pulling him down from the mountain and seeing to it that he was unharmed.  He truly is very lucky to have someone like you who loves him so much,” she spoke of Jeongguk as if he wasn’t standing there.  Areum could be just as stubborn as her son and she was not going to bow down to him with empty platitudes.  She released Jimin and loaded herself into the seat of her carriage.  “I don’t know when we will be back.  Once I have told your father about everything that has happened here, he may decide we never need to come back.  But Kida my baby, you are always welcome to come and visit us.  You too Jimin…and especially you my sweet Ggukie.”  She waved goodbye to them as she pulled off with her donkey kicking and slowly laboring down the incline.

Jin ran out to salute his sister and yell a warm goodbye, “We will come to visit you soon, Areum.  Safe travels.”  

She blew a kiss towards her brother and disappeared down the incline.

***

Jeongguk had the difficult task of teaching his classes that day.  Jimin, with his big kind heart, still refused to leave Jeongguk’s side, even though he knew he was better.  He took the opportunity to complete the day’s training with Kida in the open for the first time within Naktong village.  Rumor spead like wildfire.  Town folk from several surrounding villages heard tales of the white-haired Kendo dragon sparring with another white-haired Kendo dragon.  Before they knew it, hundreds of people were crammed into the quad on Naktong, wathing the two of them in a sword battle.  

Kida was impressive, even Jeongguk had to admit it.  The strange skills and techniques that he formed against him now made perfect sense.  He dismissed his last class a few minutes early just so he too – could watch.  But soon the harsh metal sounds of the swords clanging against each other became to much.  Memories of his sister’s death began to play vivdly in his head, causing him to close his eays and cover his ears, desperately tryin got drown out the sounds.  It was an unexpected reaction that only Jimin could understand.  He glanced over and Jeongguk and watched him as he rocked back and forth covering his ears, grimacing from the sounds of metal upon metal as if they were digging into his skin.

“Hold it Kida,” Jimin raised a single hand causing Kida to freeze his heavy sword midair just before his strike,  “Let’s finish this tomorrow shall we?”

Kida bowed, “Yes Kinshi.”  He looked around and the crowd and puffed his chest, alright, alright, go back to your own villages and get out of here.  Show is over.  He saw one particular girl about eight-teen, tuck under her bonnet and smile as she walked away.  “Whoa!” he uttered.  He tucked his sword into his holster and jogged to catch up with her.  She was a beauty.  Her hair was long, much longer than that of the girls of his village.  She was a tiny thing, about 155 centimeters to his 185 centimeters.  She had deeply cratered dimples that exploded whenever she smiled at him and her eyes were just the slightest shade of hazel, not brown; unusual for villagers of the region.  He caught up with her, “Hi.  My name is Kida, I’m a Imugi.  What’s your name?”

“Jin Yi,” she removed her bonnet and allowed her long brown hair to flow down her back.  “I watched you fight Kida.  You’re amazing.”

“Yes. I know,” Kida replied with the worst reply known to mankind.

She giggled, “Will you walk me home, Kida?  I could use some uhh-protection.”  She looked down at his sword, both of them.

“My pleasure.  Tell me about yourself Jin…”

***

“Come with me?

“My home is here.  I can’t leave.

“Yes you can.  Kida and Jin re perfectly capable of protecting the village.  Stay with me just for a few days.  So I can keep an eye on you.”

“I already told you, I’m not going to do anything stupid.

“That is not why I want you to stay with me,”  Jimin said seductively, “You owe me a fuck to replace the one that your brother ruined.”  

Jeongguk tilted his head back and laughed loudly, “Nice to know that’s all I am to you.”

“You’re much,” kiss, “…much,” kiss-kiss, “...more than that to me.  Come home with me.  Let’s lay on the beach for a few days and put all of this behind us.  Jin can teach your classes.  Besides, I need to go visit my mother and I’m scared to go alone.  She’s probably a bit angry with me.  She’s a beheader too, did I ever tell you?”

Jeongguk laughed again.  He embraced Jimin and hugged him, not as just his lover but also as his best friend, “That is a story that I would love to hear.  She and I have a pretty good relationship I am sure I can protect you.”

“Does that mean you’ll come with me?”  Jimin asked with excitement.

“Yes.  I will come with you dragon, because I love you, and right now, there is no other place I would rather be.”

***

Chapter Nine - Retirement Feels Like Death

Yi hugged her wedding dress and spun about the small room. Her voice was a mixture of tears and giggles as she swung the beautiful crimson colored silk dress around and around and around.

“Mother it’s beautiful. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen. I’m going to be the most beautiful bride ever,” she ran to hug her mother who was also in tears.

“You look absolutely stunning my little Yi-Yi. I just can’t believe our fortune. You getting married…and to a Jeon no less. Do you know how many women would kill to have a man as handsome, and talented and special as Kida? I am so happy for you. It is what you deserve and what you were destined to obtain.” Yi’s mother wiped her tears and blew her nose on the small handkerchief that was stowed in her hand.

Along the seams of the dress were small puffy gold letters that sparkled in the light. Yi paused for a moment and fingered the intricate detail along the hem, “Mother what is this? It’s stunning.”

“Look closely, my sweet Yi-Yi. Those are names. It is a woven history of your ancestors. The names of all of the great women in your family have been spoken into your garment. You will carry us forward as you step into your new life with your new love, we will be by your side with strength and purpose,” Yi’s mother explained.

“Maaaaaaaaaaaaaa,” Yi fell into her mother’s arms again, overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude. She cried, “It’s the most beautiful thing ever!”

Jeongguk grimaced as he poked his head through the front door, “Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt but there’s a cow following me and I’ve been told that he’s yours Yi-Yi, or at least belongs in this village,” he blushed after interrupting what appeared to be a very tender moment between Yi and her mother.

“Ggukie-hyung! How are you? Come. What are you doing here?’” Yi gave her wedding dress to her mother and bounced over to kiss Jeongguk on the cheek.

“Jimin gave Kida his lesson in the village today, so I accompanied him. This cow was wandering up the main road and he had a small cut on his ear. I’ve mended it, of course, but now I don’t know what to do with him. He keeps following me. If I dare take him back to Dongbaekseom, Jimin will have my head. Anyway, the kids say he belongs to this village. Since we’ll officially be family in less than a month, I thought it would be appropriate to deliver him in person.”

“Thank you Ggukie-hyung. He is our prize possession. Please tie him up in the front and I will have father take him back to his pasture. AHHH - GGUKIE! Is that your new ring?” Yi gawked.

“Don’t tell me this is the first you’ve seen of it? Yes, this is my new ring. Jimin and I are officially married – as much as we can possibly be.” Jeongguk beamed. He stretched out his hand and isolated his left ring finger to allow Yi and her mother to take a good look. The ring was comprised of a large precious turquoise stone, set in a stainless steal 3-sided pave setting. “The steel is dragon steel. It is the same steel that is used to make Imugi swords. We had a matching set made, Jimin has the identical mate.” Jeongguk was so bright and full of happiness that he caused everyone else in the room to smile by default.

“Ohhhhhh Ggukie-hyung! I really do wish you had made it a bigger affair. Me and my family would have loved to have been there,” Yi lamented in a pout, “my family supports you and we always will.”

“Surely you understand – the circumstances – two men – it was best that we keep it private. It was uneventful really, just me, Kida, Jimin his mother and the Shaman who married us. We said a few words on the beach during the sunset and that was it. Nothing special. We needed to keep it private.” Jeongguk explained awkwardly.

“Are you sure it’s not just because you didn’t want to have to invite your parents? Tell me the truth Ggukie-hyung, how long exactly are you planning to stay mad with them? It’s been three years. Why can’t you find it in your heart to forgive them?” Yi overstepped.

“Yi, this does not concern you. Please, don’t interfere.” Jeongguk was quick to remind Yi that she was not yet a Jeon and had no say in such matters.

A hard knock came from the front door and Jimin stuck his head in, “Hello Yi, Mrs. Jin. Jeongguk, I am ready to head home. Please tell me you have disavowed this cow?” Jimin asked tersely.

Jeongguk pushed his head back in a hearty, joyful laugh, his perfect teeth glistening, “Yes, my dragon. He is officially back home. Yi confirmed that he belongs to them so he and I will part ways here.”

“Thank God.” Jimin rolled his eyes.

Yi gushed, “Jiminie-hyung, please come in. Good to see you.” She gave him a tight hug which he awkwardly returned, “So, tell me, how is my handsome warrior-dragon-soon-to-be-husband doing with his Imugi training these days?”

“Very well Yi. He is impressive when he is focused. I have not seen such a prolific student since…well…myself,” Jimin said boastfully.

“Jiminie-hyung, the rings are beautiful. I am so happy for the both of you. Hey listen, while you are both here, I have something to show you.” Yi ran over to her mother and gently tugged the wedding dress away from her hands, “Look, it’s finished. Isn’t it beautiful?” Once again, she began swinging around the room in circles with the delicate dress pressed against her chest.

“Quite lovely.” Jimin and Jeongguk both smiled politely. Neither were very learned in the category of trendy wedding fashion, so neither had much commentary to add.

Yi and her mother began to cry again as they looked upon the dress with heavy admiration. Jeongguk glanced at Jimin and shrugged, unsure of what else to say. However, Jimin did not return the glance because his attention was elsewhere. He was staring through the front door and squinting his eyes, “Hey um, ladies. Is Kida supposed to see that dress before the wedding? Because he’s coming up the road.”

“No NO nNnnoooO nO!” Yi absolutely panicked, “Hide it mother, hide it. He can’t see it. He can’t!” She ran frantically around the small space trying to find a place to stow her wedding dress, “ Jiminie-hyung stall him.”

“Stall him…but how?” Jimin curled his upper lip.

They stumbled around searching for a safe place, but the dress’ bustle was so wide that it didn’t fit into any of their regular closets, “Whatever it takes, just stall him please,” Yi yelled.

Jimin withdrew his sword, “Fine. I shall disembowel him, that should stall him for at least ten minutes while he heals himself. It’s quite messy though and very pain…”

“NO!” Jeongguk, Yi and Yi’s mother all yelled simultaneously.

Jeongguk shook his head in disappointment, “My sweet Jimin, we’ve talked about this. That is never an option, ever. That is never, ever an option. Repeat after me, we don’t disembowel people we love.”

Jimin refused to repeat after his husband, “I cannot promise you that.” He and Jeongguk shared a boisterous private laugh that only two husbands could understand. They stared at each other with so much love that Yi and her mother felt as if they were intruders even though they were in their own home.

Whatever plans they had of stalling Kida were moot, because within seconds, Kida was sticking his head through the front door, “My loooooove, your hot sexy dragon is here. Come jump into my lap and feel the heat of my long hard loins.”

“Kida!” Yi’s mother protested.

“Mrs. Jin! I am so sorry. I did not realize you were here. You are typically in the garden this time of day and I… um…I,” Kida flushed red with embarrassment.

Jeongguk scowled and whispered to Jimin, “He got that line from you. I know he did. You’re always inviting me to feel the heat of your loins.”

Jimin frowned, “Yes, but I sound much better when I say it, don’t I?”

“No, not really,” Jeongguk admitted. Again, the two collapsed in laughter from a joke that only they understood.

Yi stuffed her wedding dress into a trunk on the ground and rounded angrily upon Kida, “You almost saw my wedding dress Kida. We are too close to the wedding for you to pop up unannounced. A girl has to keep her secrets.”

Jeon Kida; now 21 years old, 185 centimeters tall, chiseled with muscles and lean, taught arms stepped into the tiny hanok. The room seemed to shrink under his presence. His long white hair was bundled messily into a half bun on the top of his head. He looked around, surprised to see Jimin and Jeongguk standing there, still giggling from some imaginary joke. “Hey what are you guys doing here?” Kida didn’t wait for their answer, he walked up to Yi right away, “Sorry my sweet one. I was just coming to bring you these.” He produced a small bouquet of yellow daffodils that he’d pulled from the chicken field.

“Kidaaaaaaa. You are the sweetest fiancé ever!” She wrapped her arms around him and gave him an innocent kiss on the cheek, then whispered naughtily, “I will assess the warmth of your loins later once we are alone.”

Kida grinned with a smile identical to that of his older brother, minus the dimples.

***

The evening horizon glowed a burnt orange as the sun receded over the quiet shores of the beach front. The secluded stretch of land that had once been Jimin’s solitude was now shared blissfully with his husband of eleven months. Dongbaekseom was largely abandoned as most of it’s inhabitants had moved to the shore to begin lives tending the orchards and fishing vessels. The serene peace of the island provided the perfect backdrop for the two lovebirds who seemed suspended in a perpetual honeymoon.

Three years had passed since the faithful night where Kida was revealed as Imugi by Jeongguk’s mother. Three years had also passed since the heart torn warrior, Jeongguk, had vowed to never speak to his parents again. Sadly, his stubborn will allowed him to keep that promise; not even telling them of his marriage to Jimin. It was only through Kida and Jin’s visits to Gyeongseong that the elder Jeon’s were able to keep tabs on their oldest son’s life.

Just as Jimin promised, Kida was now a Kendo dragon in his own right. He was a ferocious, fearless, dedicated Imugi with talent unlike any Jimin had ever seen. And to make him even more lethal, he possessed warrior blood which created a uniquely dangerous breed of creature. Jimin’s pride in his young protégé was paramount; similar to nourishing a first-born child.

Kida was now a grown man which meant he was fully capable of being the primary protector of Naktong; allowing Jeongguk to flee and became the newest resident of Dongbaekseom. Kida and Jin dutifully inherited the responsibility for protecting the small village as well as those surrounding it. And, with Kida being a sword carrying, highly trained dragon, the villages had never been in safer hands which meant Jeongguk could spend his days loving and making love to his own dragon.

“Extend your left leg, yes, just like that. A little more. A little more…perfect.” Jeongguk held his charcoal pencil between his teeth while his motioned for Jimin’s adjustments.

Jimin checked his position and then extended his leg again.

“Good, now lift your right arm just a little higher than the left one.”

“Like this?” Jimin stretched his naked body as it lay embedded in the sand.

“Ohhhh yeah, just like that,” Jeongguk moaned.

Jimin noticed that his husband was no longer looking at his sketch pad, “You don’t seem focused.”

“I am very, very focused. Open your legs just a little. I need to see both of them.” Jeongguk’s breathing became heavy.

“Both of what?” Jimin giggled.

“Both of your suck-able sweet nuts,” Jeongguk responded.

“This no longer seems like posing for an innocent picture,” Jimin opened his legs, exposing his balls and his limp dick as it lay peacefully on his thigh.

Jeongguk looked down to his sketch pad and scribbled a few shapes, then looked up again at once, “Open your legs wider.”

“My dear husband, you’re a filthy fiend.”

“I am. Open them wider and then touch yourself.”

“Ok, stop. How does touching myself help in any way?” Jimin mildly protested, breaking the pose that Jeongguk had so carefully crafted.

“A hard cock is much more enjoyable…I mean…easier…to…draw…” Again, Jeongguk paid no attention to his sketch pad. “You’ve ruined your pose. Now you have to start all over. Back into position please.”

Jimin repositioned himself to return to his original pose.

“That’s better.” Jeongguk leaned forward and opened Jimin’s hand. He licked the inside of Jimin’s palm and then gently placed the wet palm over the tip of his husband’s cock, “Now stroke yourself and make it hard.”

Jimin began to masturbate himself while Jeongguk once again began to sketch. He flashed a sinful smile at his husband as he watched the expression in his large yes, “How hard do you want it? Really hard or just a little hard?”

“Really, really, really hard,” Jeongguk yearned. The charcoal pencil was once again in his hand, but he seemed to be struggling with transferring the image to his page.

The day was hot and even with the sun going down, the steam coming from the sand sent warm waves into their skin. Jeongguk wore only a pair of shorts with nothing beneath them. His hair hung down over his shoulders and his tips were wet with the sweat from his chest and his back. He sat with his legs crossed and the sketchpad in his lap as he tried his very best to sketch a nude of his incredibly sexy husband.

“Take your hair down, let it trail into the sand,” he directed Jimin.

“I hope there is an actual drawing at the end of the strip show,” Jimin teased. He sat upon his elbow and released his white hair from the bun and allowed it to cascade down into the earth. “Done. Now what?”

“I didn’t tell you to stop touching yourself, did I?”

“No. You didn’t.” Jimin resumed masturbating himself. He was absolutely delighted with the seductive nature of it all, and relished Jeongguk’s reaction.

With the greatest discipline possible, Jeongguk returned to his sketch. He crossed his legs and shuddered as if struggling to continue. The charcoal pencil in his hand moved quickly in circles as he attempted to draw the tight ab muscles around Jimin’s stomach. He closed his eyes and looked away twice before beginning to sketch again.

“Problem?” Jimin asked, even though he knew exactly what the problem was.

“I think I’m going to cum just from watching you,” Jeongguk blew a deep breath.

“Warrior, after all this time? You’re still turned on by this?” Jimin slowed his stroke and held his cock in his wet hand.

“I am very turned on by that,” Jeongguk nodded aggressively.

“Mmm, I see,” Jimin began stroking himself again. The dull shine of his matching turquoise wedding ring shimmered in the light of the fire, “well if you want it so badly, why don’t you just ask for it?”

“Can I have it, please, please, please?”

“Sakes alive! Are you actually begging?” Jimin looked surprised. His stubborn warrior was notoriously stubborn- especially when it came to sex. Unsolicited begging was definitely not expected.

“Yes, I am beeeeegging. We are married now, which means I can beg.” Jeongguk threw down his sketch pad and began a slow crawl across the warm sand to where Jimin lay stretched naked, still rubbing himself.

“It’s really, really, really hard, just like you like it,” Jimin rustled, referring to his rigid cock.

Jeongguk slumped over, still on his hands and knees, and found the slope of Jimin’s upper lip with his ravenous tongue. He allowed his messy hair to fall over both of their faces as his tongue led them into a delicately teasing kiss. He breathed from the depths of his stomach as he chased the butterflies away; only the magical dragon could affect him so intensely. The beads of sweat from Jimin’s forehead dripped onto the ridge of his lips and lubricated their kiss with a bite of salty sweetness.

“I love you too much warrior.”

“I tried to kill you and then you married me. I would have to agree that you love me too much.” Jeongguk smiled as he playfully bounced his lips off of Jimin’s.

“How long has it been?”

“Over a week,” Jeongguk responded.

“A week? Since I’ve been inside of you? How did we survive a week?” Jimin smiled.

“Kida’s wedding plans. I’ve been back and forth between hear and the village, and then sabbatical, we just haven’t had time.”

“I guess I need to prepare you?” Jimin said thoughtfully as if conjuring the answers to a math problem.

“Oh yes please Great Kendo Dragon, please prepare me,” Jeongguk begged.

Jimin puckered his lips and then displayed his tongue, wiggling it back and forth in a licking motion, “Come sit right here. I’ll make sure you’re ready.” He laid on his back and waited for his warrior to climb on to his face.

Jeongguk peeled off his shorts and threw them next to the fire. He straddled Jimin’s face backwards and positioned his tight entrance carefully over Jimin’s mouth. The hard tip of Jeongguk’s cock bobbled over the edge of Jimin’s chin as he steadied himself upon his knees, preparing to be licked.

Jimin gripped the fleshy cheeks of his husband’s ass and pulled his slit close, until his tongue was comfortably seated inside.

Jeongguk moaned loudly as the warmth of Jimin’s tongue tickled his insides, lubricating him, preparing him to be fucked. He moved his hips slowly to meet the flickering of Jimin’s tongue. Chills ran through his body as he felt the moist drippings slide down his leg.

Jimin pushed him gently away from his face, forcing Jeongguk onto his hands and knees again. He circled behind him and entered him softly with a brief message, “I’m going to be gentle since it’s been a while.” Like a dog in heat, he mounted him and pushed himself deep until his cock was buried.

Jeongguk clawed his hands into the sand, gripping large mounds of dirt between his fingers. Still on all fours, his long hair scraped the surface of the sand as he peered between his legs to watch Jimin pound him from behind, “Fuck I’ve missed you,” he whimpered.

Jimin was too busy to talk back. He held Jeongguk’s thighs and began rotating his hips in circles, using his cock to expand Jeongguk’s entrance and allowing himself to penetrate even deeper. Jimin growled as he pushed and pulled, with the skin of his cock sliding back and forth over the stiff muscle, “FUCK JEONGGUK!” Suddenly, unexpectedly, he pulled out and released his husband.

“What is it?” Jeongguk pulled his hair back from his face and turned to look behind him.

“I-I love you too much. Your body is beautiful, your face is beautiful, your heart is beautiful and your sex is - is too much. I can’t even breathe. I can kill 100 men but can’t survive fucking you. How did God make such a perfect creature?” Jimin was serious and very overwhelmed.

Jeongguk’s joyful laughter rang out across the empty beach. “There are worse problems to have dragon.” He allowed Jimin to take a few deep breaths and then crawled into his lap and re-inserted his cock into his tight ass. “It’s ok. Hold me as tightly as you can. Let’s do it together,” Jeongguk whispered with the softest most loving voice possible. He began to ride up and down Jimin’s cock, gripping his shoulders to steady himself as he fucked his dragon into oblivion. He rose and fell, pushing his body up and down over Jimin’s shaft, running his fingers through Jimin’s mane of white hair, “Now, let’s cum now.”

Jimin’s mouth fell open as he rested his head against the curvy mounds of Jeongguk’s muscular chest. “Uhhh, shit it’s too good. I’m about to cum.” He opened his legs slightly to prepare to lose control as his body began to shiver and pulse. With his mouth still open, his hot orgasmic moans fell against the protruding bud of Jeongguk’s nipple, “Can you feel me throbbing inside of you?”

“Yes.”

“Yes? FUCK YES,” Jimin’s next words were inaudible. He walked his fingers along Jeongguk’s back before burrowing them into his lover’s sweaty skin. His hips were now colliding against Jeongguk’s thighs in a loud clapping that matched the rhythmic waving of the ocean. With penetrating orgasmic breaths, he sprayed his fluid like a water hose inside of Jeongguk’s walls.

His warrior responded in kind by squirting his load on Jimin’s stomach in slow steady pulses. He continued to ride him up and down, until he’d squeezed every drop of fluid from Jimin’s body.

***

The two laid nude on the beach through the late hours, staring up into the stars. Jimin held his head in Jeongguk’s lap and looked up at his husband, “How are you feeling?” Jimin’s hope was that Jeongguk was relaxed enough to have a serious conversation without getting upset.

“I feel great. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.” Jeongguk smiled down at Jimin and stroked his hair.

Jimin sat up, “Good because I need to talk to you.”

“Sure. What about?”

“Kida’s wedding.”

Jimin could feel Jeongguk tense a little, “Kida’s wedding. Ok. What about Kida’s wedding?”

Jimin’s mouth was suddenly dry. He searched his brain for the right words because the topic was a sensitive one. With a few blinks he asked, “Are you prepared to face your parents? You haven’t seen them in three years.”

Jeongguk stiffened his back and sat up completely. He wrapped his arms around his knees and stared straight into the fire, “I don’t forgive them Jimin.”

“No one is asking you to forgive them. I’m asking are you prepared to see them? Kida’s wedding is not the place to cause a scene.”

“I wouldn’t do that. This day is important to Kida. I won’t do anything to disrupt it.”

“But Jeongguk, they’re going to want to talk to you, hug you, congratulate you on your marriage. You can’t just ignore them.”

“Well you can entertain them. I’ll hang out with your mother near the rice cakes.”

“Ok see that’s the ridiculous shit I am trying to avoid. Jeongguk, they are your parents! It’s been three years. Not a word between you in three years. Surely a piece of you must feel incomplete?”

“No.”

“Fucking stubborn! Why won’t you just admit they were right about Kida? Yes, they went about it the wrong way...we all did, but look how things turned out. Jeongguk he’s amazing, a true miracle. Warrior, they love you so much, so, so much. Kida says your mother was in tears when she found out she wasn’t invited to our ceremony. Please reconsider?”

Jeongguk stood without saying a word and waded into the evening ocean, completely naked. He disappeared under a large wave and swam out to sea.

Jimin screamed at him, “So fucking stubborn! And how many times have I told you not to swim in the sea at night? If a shark eats your dick, don’t come running to me!” Jimin yelled, basically to himself because Jeongguk was nowhere to be seen.

***

The loud clinging of furiously clashing swords awoke Jeongguk with a start. He sprang to his feet and swiveled around ready to do battle, but to his relief, he saw the flashing of copious amounts of white flinging hair through the door of the Hanok. Jimin and Kida were training on the beach. He felt a tender throb in his backside and tried to stretch himself to relieve the discomfort. Despite Jimin’s claims of being “gentle”, his ass felt like he’d been run through with a Shinai. He grimaced a bit, shook it off and wandered outside to check on the two sparring dragons.

Kida’s hanbok was open revealing a bloody, slashed chest. There was a large seeping gash just below his dragon markings on his abdomen. Jeongguk still hadn’t grown used to seeing the black branded tattoo on his brother’s ribs and he definitely hadn’t adjusted to seeing him bloodied and scraped from the sword. It was all a bit - too much.

Too many feelings were triggered in the warrior, so he slipped back inside and gathered his things to head to the new bath house that Jimin had built behind the main hanok. He spoke to no one as he walked quietly behind them on his way to the bath. The clashing of their swords evoked his worst emotional reflex and he simply wanted to get away as quickly as possible. Even on a normal day, the sounds of sword battle were tough for him, but given the importance of this day, he just refused to deal with it.

From the corner of his eye, Jimin saw Jeongguk slip away.

Kida called to him, “Good morning Ggukie-hyung.”

Jeongguk gave a flippant wave and continued on without speaking. “He’s disturbed, isn’t he?” Kida asked.

“Yeah. I’m afraid so. Oh no, Kida you’re a mess. You’re bleeding everywhere. I can imagine that bothered him greatly. Clean up. Heal your wounds and let’s be done for the day,” Jimin said kindly.

“Done? But we just started,” Kida argued.

“Kida. Do you even know what today is?”

Kida looked on innocently and then shook his head.

“The anniversary of Chunja’s death. It’s been so many years Kida, why do you not give this day more reverence?”

“Kenshi, I – I – they don’t share these things with me. If you hadn’t said something, I would not have even known.”

“Well it’s time you start paying more attention. Your brother saw her murdered Kida, when he was just a babe of five. This day is tough for him and it’s time you start acknowledging it. He is never going to openly discuss it. Even I have to probe to get him to talk about it. It’s a trauma that is still with him till this very day,” Jimin explained well. He continued, “And, I imagine that walking out here and seeing his baby brother bleeding all over the place didn’t help matters. How could I have been so insensitive? I should have never cut you up that way where he could see it- not today anyway.” Jimin turned and watched his husband disappear into the bath house.

Kida placed a finger inside of his grey hanbok and began the process of healing himself. The small light in his fingertips went to work, erasing all of the slashes across his chest, “Ouch this is very painful. I typically let the wounds heal on their own since they heal so fast. But this HURTS.”

“Pain! You don’t know pain. Try pulling a sixteenth-century gilded sword out of your heart. It takes elephant balls to do that shit,” Jimin said referring to three years prior when he’d been stabbed through the heart. Jimin once again looked sadly towards the bath house, “I guess I should go and talk to him. My heart bleeds for what he has been through.”

“No Kenshi. Let me,” Kida offered as he watched the blood drain out of his Hanbok and be slurped back into his wounds, “we’ve avoided this topic for a very long time. I’m a man of 21, about to be married. I think it’s time for me and my brother to have a nice conversation about- my sister.”

“He would appreciate that Kida. You really have grown up, haven’t you?” Jimin looked at Kida, for the first time as an equal. “Tell him I will be in the orchards and I would love nothing more than for him to join me and hold my hand while we walk through the trees.”

“Yes Kenshi,” Kida bowed and watched for a few minutes while Jimin walked towards the docks to catch a boat to the main island. He checked his hanbok to make sure it was free of blood and then proceeded to the baths in search of his brother.

***

Jeongguk stepped out from the body of steamed water and stretched his neck and back. He dried himself with a thin towel and then slipped on the bottoms to his hanbok. He could hear footsteps approaching, but assumed it was Jimin.

Kida marched in quietly and jumped right into the matter, “You’ve never told me anything about her. Mom and Dad won’t talk about her...it’s like she never existed. Talk to me brother, tell me about Chunja,” Kida said inquisitively.

Jeongguk was surprised to see Kida standing behind him. He quickly pulled on his robe, “Where’s Jimin? Does he know you wandered away in the middle of a lesson? Kida, I won’t lie to you, he’s threatened to disembowel your three times this week. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold him off.” Jeongguk made himself laugh.

“Three times?” Kida looked worried.

“Three.”

“Well at least he’s moved on from beheadings.” Kida nodded.

“Nooo. No, he hasn’t,” Jeongguk corrected. “He’s Just expanded his repertoire.”

“I see.” Kida was still concerned but refocused, “At any rate, I am not that irresponsible brother. I would not “wander off” in the middle of a lesson. I am the blood of a warrior mixed with the blood of a dragon; I take my training very seriously. The dragon knows I am here, talking to you,” Kida said confidently.

“My apologies Kida,” Jeongguk said somewhat sadly.

Kida was relieved to have avoided a headlock from his volatile brother for speaking so directly. He blew a comforted breath and continued, “Talk to me please brother. What was she like?”

Jeongguk gestured for Kida to walk and they strolled down the isolated span of beach. To Kida’s surprise, Jeongguk seemed more than excited to talk about her.

“She was a better fighter than me. A warrior through and through. Not something we expected from a girl,” Jeongguk made a childish face when calling her a girl, “I would watch her spar with grown men who mocked her for her desire to fight them but she would always win. She was ten years old and could punch her way through bricks...and she was quite feisty too.”

“Mom and dad allowed her to fight at such a young age?”

“They had no choice. Fighting was her passion. Just like you and I. You weren’t going to find Chunja sewing clothes or soaking rabbit fur. She was a fighter, right alongside the men. No one dared mess with Chunja. She had moves Kida. Tactical. Brilliant. Even as a grown man, I still utilize them in battle and they are just as effective as when she did them. Do you know the spinning warrior? That is a Chunja original,” Jeongguk said proudly.

“What? Uncle Jin said he invented that one night when he was drunk off of Soju and trying to avoid a rabid fox!” Kida was appalled.

Jeongguk held his sides and laughed loudly, “Uncle Jin was drunk, that part is true, but he only knew that move because Chunja taught it to him. And the fox was not rabid, again uncle was just drunk.”

“Lying old man. You know he tried to give me a clairvoyant reading the other day,” Kida snarled.

“Oh no. Don’t allow that. He will never tell you his findings. I’m not so sure they are accurate anyway,” Jeongguk warned.

“You don’t have to remind me. I want no part in his clairvoyant readings. He cornered me in the garden and tried to palm my forehead. I pretended that I urgently needed to poop. That seemed to shoo him away. He has not tried again since,” Kida explained.

Jeongguk guffawed again. The conversation with Kida was definitely cheering him up.

“Enough about our crazy uncle. Please continue with Chunja,” Kida continued to walk down the beach with his elder brother at his side.

“You know Kida, I feel as if we have done you a disservice by not telling you more about her. Mother and father were in so much pain after her death that they tried to bury her very existence. I was so young that I followed their lead. It was wrong.

She was only ten and I was such a nuisance. I wanted to be everywhere she was. I followed her everywhere. We were inseparable. Her death left a hole in my heart that could never be filled…at least, not until you came along.”

Kida offered a warm hug to his brother, “No wonder you were so patient with me when I followed you around everywhere. Now I understand where it comes from. Mom says she was very smart.”

“Extremely. Not a dunce such as yourself,” Jeongguk teased. “She was the brightest star there was, Kida. She fought bravely the night she died, but she was outnumbered and they were armed and she was not. She was just a ten-year old child. The entire village was being slaughtered and we were all separated by the attack. Mom and dad could not reach us, so it was up to Chunja to fight and protect as many of us as she could.”

Kida looked distraught, “I never knew any of this. How did she look?”

“Like a frog face. At least that’s what I told her,” Jeongguk laughed again. “In realty, she was the most beautiful Jeon to ever live. She had your eyes, mom’s cheeks, my same nose and short brown hair. Whenever it grew past her ears, she would demand someone cut it. Even if it had to be me. Can you imagine allowing a five year-old to cut your hair with a skinning knife? I recognized her as beautiful before I knew what beautiful was. Her face still burns in my brain. I’ll never forget it.”

“Have you ever sketched her?” Kida asked brightly.

“No. Actually, I haven’t.”

“I would love a sketch of her for my wedding gift. I’ve never seen her.”

“What a great idea. I think I’ll do that. It will bring me great comfort, I think,” Jeongguk slapped his brother on the back and then continued with a slight pivot in conversation, “Speaking of your wedding. I think there are some …things we need to discuss?”

“Such as?” Kida stopped walking and faced his slightly shorter brother. He wondered what additional his brother had to say on the topic of his wedding. And when it came to him, he broke into laugher, “You want to talk about the wedding night, don’t you?”

“I think we should talk about a man and his bride and the expectations of making offspring.”

“Oh no Ggukie-hyung stop. Just stop.”

“Well someone needs to talk to you about these things and I have been derelict in those duties,” Jeongguk protested.

“Tell me when have you EVER been with a woman? Do you even know how those parts work brother? The last women who bared her breasts to you, you yelled, “ewwww” and threatened to vomit. So tell me, what do you know about SEX between a man and his bride. I’ll wait.” Kida smiled obnoxiously.

Jeongguk shifted uncomfortably, “I – um – know – enough? Love is love and it all works basically the same. You will need to use your penis to um – put it in her – well I’m not exactly sure where you put it. Those details don’t matter, I’m sure.”

“Ggukie! STOP!” Kida was laughing so hard that he was folded over, almost choking.

“My point is, be gentle with her. It will feel very good, I imagine and you will naturally want to be very aggressive, but you must avoid that. Use control. Treat her as if she is a precious diamond, with care and tenderness. Don’t be too rough and don’t hurt her.”

Kida was now on the ground, rolling around in the sand laughing.

“Kida, you are not taking this seriously.” Jeongguk crossed his arms in irritation.

Kida’s eyes were full of joyful tears of laughter, “D-d-don’t be too rough? Use control? I-Is that how it works with you and the dragon?” He fell to the ground on his back and kicked up his legs, “This coming from YOU?”

“What happens between the dragon and I is none of your business. I am TRYING to give you advice on how to make love to your beautiful wife during your first time together.”

“First time?” Kida laughed even more.

“What is so damn funny Kida?”

Kida was now on his stomach, pounding his fist into the sand to accentuate his laughter. Watching Kida laugh, made Jeongguk laugh. “Fine,” he giggled, “don’t want my advice, then fine. I don’t care. But if you break your brand-new wife in half during your first fuck, don’t blame me.”

Kida was now a bit more composed and standing to his feet again, “Ggukie-hyung, I appreciate the talk. I really do…but uncle Jin and dad already talked me through this. Plus…it’s not exactly my first time.” Kida looked down to the sand, desperate to avoid eye contact with his brother.

“You mean Yi – before marriage?” Jeongguk was shocked.

“No…not Yi. Let’s put it this way, there are very interesting ladies in Gyeongseong. You really should visit with me sometime.” Kida smiled devilishly.

“No thank you,” Jeongguk looked nauseous. “Well now that we are done with that unpleasantness, where did you say my husband wandered off to?”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot, he wants to fuck in the orchard,” Kida said uneventfully.

“What? He told you this?”

“No, to be exact he said,” Kida used air quotes, “he wants to meet you in the orchard and hold hands and walk amongst the trees.” Kida rolled his eyes.

Jeongguk gave it some thought and then nodded in agreement, “Yes. He wants to fuck in the orchard.”

They shared a laugh. Kida spoke again, “Kenshi wanted to come and talk to you, but I asked him to allow me to talk first. I hope you don’t mind. Jeongguk, as you so awkwardly pointed out, I’ll be married soon. Taking care of a wife, village and eventually children will be a big responsibility. I feel like the days of us being free to talk like this…are numbered. Ggukie-hyung, you’re my best friend. I don’t know how it felt to lose Chunja but if you loved her half as much as I love you, then...” Kida couldn’t finish his words. He grabbed his brother and gave him a tight hug. Tears began to flow and he sobbed.

Jeongguk hugged him back and smiled over his shoulder, “Kida?”

“Yes Ggukie-hyung,” he sniffled.

“How many push-ups does the dragon give you for crying?”

Kida wiped his eyes and blew a frustrated breath, “Gguuuuukie?” He whined.

“How many Kida?”

“Two-hundred,” Kida said honestly.

“Make it three-hundred, now get to it.”

Kida laughed, “You two have been together too long.”

***

At the last approach just before the peak of the mountain of Naktong, Jeongguk jumped from the carriage and ran towards the blond horse named Golden, “Good boy. That was a long trip and I bet you’re thirsty,” he gave the horse a big hug and a hefty pat between his ears.

Golden was the horse that they’d procured from Mrs. Park to make the long trip from Dongbaekseom to Naktong. With the death of her donkey a year prior, Mrs. Park had decided to upgrade her transportation by purchasing two travel horses that could lead carriages long distances. She gave one of them to Jimin and Jeongguk for their wedding; while keeping the other for herself to use for traveling to neighboring villages to sell her apples. The horse was decidedly faster than the old donkey it replaced and cut the travel time from Dongbaekseom to Naktong in half.

“I’m going to tie you up here for water and then get you some fresh hay. Is that good my little sweetheart?”

“Sweetheart!” Jimin croaked, “You treat these animals as if they’re your family.”

“They are family, in a way. I will be right back. Watch after her until I return.”

“Ok but hurry. I want to make a quick visit to the cave before the wedding guests start to arrive,” Jimin said honestly.

“The cave?” Jeongguk laughed at his horny husband, “Seriously dragon, is there ever a time when you aren’t primed and ready to fuck?”

“No.”

“If you take me into the cave, I’ll be too sore to sit at the wedding,” Jeongguk explained.

“No, I’ll be gentle.”

“Lies!” Jeongguk gave Jimin a quick kiss on the nose and then disappeared into a neighboring village to collect hay.

Jimin jumped down from the carriage and reached his hands out to pet Golden on the head. She sighed under his touch and nuzzled against his cheek. “You love Daddy more than you love daddy, don’t you?” He gave her a kiss on the snout and played happily with her ears. She was like family and both he and Jeongguk loved her very much. As he went to remove her reigns, he suddenly heard clucking noises behind him. He spun around to find Ruby strutting back and forth, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Ruby. He’s not here. He’ll be right...oh for fuck sake why am I talking to a chicken? Get out of here and go lay eggs or something,” he said dismissively.

Ruby didn’t appreciate his tone, “She clucked loudly and then nipped at his right ankle angrily.”

“You little ...” Jimin grabbed his ankle and hopped on his left foot. “The wound had already healed itself by his third hop.

He glared at her. She glared at him. It was the first human-chicken stand-off in known history.

“Don’t get me wrong Ruby, I like chickens,” he said casually before suddenly drawing his sword and placing it to her neck, “I like chickens just fine plucked and cooked on an open fire!”

Ruby clucked in disgust. Her sister stepped to her side, prepared to defend her if the situation warranted.

“What’s going on here?” Jeongguk walked upon the scene.

Jimin returned his sword and retreated at once, “Nothing. Not a thing.”

“Ruby. Did you come all this way to greet me? How did you know I would be in the village today?” Jeongguk dropped his pile of hay in front of Golden, and then leaned down to pet the two chickens. The pair, still a bit tense from the rile up with Jimin, decided to head back to their village after properly greeting Jeongguk.

Jimin was so tickled that he fell against the side of the carriage laughing, “What do these animals want when they come to find you?” He asked, keeping a close eye on the aggressive chickens as they strutted back towards their village.

“A warm touch. A loving smile. Just like anyone else would want. A friend. Well, except Ruby. I think she may have a bit of a crush on me. I told her that you were already my husband and she didn’t take it well. I would watch my back if I were you - the next time she comes around. Be careful,” Jeongguk teased.

“That explains it,” Jimin laughed.

“Explains what?”

“Nothing. Can we head to the cave now? We’ve only got a few hours before the guests start to arrive,” Jimin rationed.

“Yes, in a moment. Dragon, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and…I have a serious question for you.”

Jimin stomped his foot in the ground, peeved about yet another delay in heading to the cave, “Yes my love, what is it?”

“When my parents came to you five years ago and asked you to train Kida, what did they say to you?”

Jimin knew this was a serious matter. Jeongguk had never inquired into how his parents first approached him about Kida. For him to ask this question after all of these years meant that he was definitely going through heavy reflection. Jimin knew that his ability to explain their desperation would be key to helping Jeongguk forgive them.

“Let’s walk to the garden, shall we?” Jimin held Jeongguk’s hand and led him through the small village, a village that he’d grown to love and consider his own. They traversed the steep incline where they were emptied into the quad in the center of the village. Members of Yi’s family were scurrying about the grounds decorating for she and Kida’s wedding that would occur in a few hours. The warrior and dragon both bowed politely towards their soon-to -be in-laws as they strolled through the quad with the respect of royalty.

Jimin began his story at the beginning, “Your mother, dropped to her knees and hugged me about the legs as soon as she saw me and my white hair. She cried and kept repeating, “So much like Kida. He is true Imugi.” At the time, I had no idea what she was referring to. Your father had to be the one to put the story together for me and explain the reason behind their sudden visit.” They reached the garden and took a seat on the wall. Jimin removed his shoes and instinctively placed his feet into Jeongguk’s lap to be tickled. Jeongguk obliged. “No one has ever told you this Jeongguk. I imagine not even Kida himself…but Kida was growing troubled. He knew something was different about him, yet he didn’t know what. He’d begun sneaking shinai into the village and practicing with them even though he had no training. I am sure you noticed the many broken shards of bamboo littered in random spots about the forest?”

“Yes. I did. One of them even pierced the hooves of my lambs. I knew it was bamboo, but didn’t want to admit it at the time. But this was after he had started training with you,” Jeongguk rubbed the arches of Jimin’s feet.

“It was only a matter of time before you discovered what he was doing. He was not the brightest amongst us. Anyway, they were just so worried about losing him. Think about it from their point of view Jeongguk, it was rare to have a single Imugi in this part of the land, but now an Imugi with warrior blood, imagine him experiencing the red rage of a warrior but with the powers of an Imugi? It was a disaster waiting to happen. I told them NO many times because I simply didn’t want to be involved. But every month they would return until finally, your mother broke down and wept so sadly, that it unlocked my heart. You know how I feel when I look into your sad eyes, well that is what I felt when she cried on my shoulder, but ten times worst because I had the power to help her and wouldn’t. When I finally agreed to do it, they asked me to keep it a secret, I agreed because I didn’t know you. I didn’t care. I didn’t know how it would affect you. They never disregarded you Jeongguk, they planned to tell you within months of me and Kida starting to train, but YOU, you were the disruption that we never could have planned. I never expected to fall in love with you. In the end, I was not only protecting them, but they were also protecting me.

I will say this again as I have many times. You don’t have to forgive them, but don’t continue to cut them out of your life either. You will live to regret that one day and I don’t want to see it,” Jimin ended.

Kida ran past them, being chased by Yi, “Hey guys,” Yi yelled as she ran by.

“Uh – hello,” they both waved.

Jimin looked into his husband’s eyes, “No matter what you think of our beginning, look where we are now. He’s a wonderful man Jeongguk and it is all because of you. I cannot imagine how proud you must be of him. He’s getting married today. I mean SOMEONE ACTUALLY WANTS HIM!” Jimin looked past Jeongguk towards Kida, who now had Yi in his clutches, holding her upside down by her ankles. She giggled ridiculously, swatting at his hands to free herself.

“Aren’t you two supposed to be getting married or something?” Jeongguk yelled at them.

Kida now had Yi pinned to the ground, covering her small body with his. They kissed passionately, paying little attention to the activity around them. Jimin removed his sword and approached them, “Unhand her you beast. Just a few more hours and you can do as you please. As for now, show a little restraint. Your brother and I don’t want to see any of this. It makes us uncomfortable.”

Kida and Yi both rolled onto their backs and stared up at Jimin and his drawn sword. Kida laughed again, “Uncomfortable? Let’s talk uncomfortable, shall we? Uncomfortable is when my brother tried to talk to me about sex. That was uncomfortable. I would give that level of discomfort a one-thousand on a scale of one through ten.”

Yi roared with laughter, “I hope you took tips from your brother.” She turned towards Kida with her head still in the dirt. “Everyone knows they are the horniest and most satisfied couple that Naktong has ever seen. I mean, even I’ve heard the screams and I live in another village.” She and Kida exploded in laughter again.

Jimin nodded, “We are very good at what we do.”

“Very good,” Jeongguk echoed.

Jimin replaced his sword and offered a hand to help Yi to her feet, “Now you should run along and wash the dirt from your hair. Muddy hair is not the best wedding fashion, I am sure of it.”

Kida did a kick up and jumped to his feet. He towered over Jimin and leaned over him to give Yi one last kiss, “I love you madly.”

“Because you are mad,” she retorted. “Jeon Kida, I cannot wait to be your wife in a few hours.”

“Yes, because I believe WE deserve the title of horniest couple in Naktong,” Kida gave Jimin a sideways glance.

Jeongguk laughed from his position on the garden wall, “That will NEVER happen.”

***

The frequent rain had significantly increased the water level in the dark cave, raising the water to chest level. The slick upper portion of their fucking rock was still exposed, but both of them had to work harder to maintain their stability as they pounded each other in their passionate love making.

Jeongguk released a soft groan, his insides were relaxed and supple, allowing Jimin to plunge his cock into him with little resistance. “Tell me dragon. Why are your kind so drawn to caves?” He fought for grip along the slippery rock inside of the dark cave.

Jimin quivered and bit hard on his lip, “Because they’re dark and wet and mysterious, just like the depths of your ass.”

“My ass is no mystery to you. You’re inside of it every day,” Jeongguk whispered as he pushed back gently against Jimin’s thrusts. He fought through the tresses of their wet hair and found Jimin’s mouth for a kiss, “This feels very good dragon.”

Jimin held Jeongguk tightly in his lap with the strength of a man three times his size. He gripped Jeongguk’s hips from behind as he watched his husband rise and fall over his hard-throbbing cock, “Slower, you’re going too fast.”

“No. I won’t slow down. Do you like the smell of the cave? Does it smell like our sex to you?” Jeongguk continued to squat backwards over Jimin and push himself up and down the shaft from the tip to the bottom.

“Full blood dragons once lived in caves, of course I like the smell. I like everything about it.” Jimin whimpered his last few words. He was accustomed to Jeongguk’s game. It happened every time. Whenever they made love inside of the cave, Jeongguk would drill him about ancient cave lore, forcing him to talk to delay his orgasm. It was a game that Jimin should have hated, but instead, it only stimulated him more.

The game worked quite well until Jeongguk could no longer put together his sentences because of his own ecstasy, “Caves…,” Jeongguk clenched his stomach muscles and reached behind him to grab a handful of Jimin’s hair. “I love riding your cock dragon,” his words collapsed into guttural, orgasmic utterances.

***

By the time Jimin and Jeongguk made it back to the center of the village, guests were already beginning to arrive.

“Jimin, we’re late,” Jeongguk looked around at the well-dressed guests who were already in attendance.

“I see, exactly how long were we gone?”

Jeongguk leaned into Jimin and gave a half kiss, half whisper into his upper neck, “I came three times, that’s how long we were gone.”

“We shall make it a fourth if you continue to seduce me,” Jimin responded.

Jeongguk turned into Jimin and began to kiss him openly in front of the gathering crowd, “There will be a fourth and a fifth and a sixth and a…”

“I would expect you two to be dressed by now,” Areum, Jeongguk’s mother, said coldly from behind them.

“Areum!” Jimin exclaimed. He skirted around Jeongguk and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, “We shall greet each other properly once we are washed and dressed. Jeongguk and I decided to go for a quick swim before the festivities so we are a bit of a mess,” Jimin explained honestly – mostly – honestly.

“Hello Jeongguk,” she said hopefully. A hush seemed to come over the mingling crowd as they watched the two husbands stand soaking wet; facing Areum and Seo for the first time in three years. The tension was palpable. No one knew what to expect; not Areum, not Jimin, not Seo. Three years, without a single word, three years without a single hug or handshake. Three years.

Jeongguk avoided looking into his parent’s eyes, because looking into their eyes would have weakened his resolve. Instead his voice rang out, “Mrs. Park, you’re here already. How did Sour Apple do on the trip?” He walked past his parents and pushed forward towards Jimin’s mother who’d just arrived. With a gratuitous display, he held Mrs. Park’s hand, giving her a polite gentlemanly kiss across the knuckles.

“Sour Apple did fine during the trip. Your training for him is paying off. I assume Golden did just as well?”

“Yes, he did wonderfully,” Jeongguk responded. Jimin, still standing back with Jeongguk’s parents, released a heavy sigh; partially because of frustration with his husband’s stubbornness and partially because his mother inadvertently played into the ploy perfectly.

Mrs. Park eyed Jeongguk and her son, “Why are you two not dressed? The wedding begins in less than two hours. It’s going to take at least that long just for you to wash the cave muck from my son’s tresses,” she smiled. Having been no stranger to the rumors of what occurred in the cave between Jeongguk and her son, she immediately knew why they were running behind.

“Areum! Seo! You made it. I am so happy to see you again,” she gave a stern look to both her son and son-in-law as a silent order to get cleaned up.

***

Jimin, Jeongguk, Jin and Seo all gathered around Kida in the Jeon hanok in the center of the village. Kida was dressed in a stylish hanbok, all black, lined with silk along the bottom of his sleeves. Over his hanbok, he wore a black robe, synched together around his taught waist by a red belt inscribed with the markings of traditional Korean warriors. Lastly, he had heavy steel shoulder plates attached for regality and ornamentation. They had been given to him by Jimin to represent the Imugi blood through marriage and he wore them just as proudly as he did his warrior markings. His hair was exquisitely braided and coifed into a full bun that Jeongguk had arranged himself.

All four of the Jeon men, plus Jimin dawned similar robes with intricately woven patterns along the tapestry of the fabric, “We will change after the ceremony into something more comfortable, yes?” Jin asked as he pulled at the itchy fabric around his arms.

“Yes, uncle,” Jeongguk smiled at his uncle, while acutely avoiding acknowledgement of his father.

“I am very excited for you Kida and so very proud. Seems like only yesterday you were born and now here I am at your wedding. Sadly, the only wedding I was invited to,” Seo took a thinly veiled shot at Jeongguk as a silent protest to not being invited to witness he and Jimin’s union.

Jeongguk stared blankly at the floor. A small part of him regretted not allowing his parents to be with he and Jimin when they married on the beach. But of course, his ego and stubbornness would not allow him to admit it. Before making any further comments that he would regret, he chose to diffuse the situation, “We are all very proud of you Kida. And as your big brother, I love you very much.”

Timely, the Master of Ceremony arrived and broke the tension of the awkward moment by readying the group for the start of the ceremony, “It is time young man. Time to marry your beloved. Seo, Jin, Jimin and Jeongguk, please take your positions. Kida, the mothers are on standby, prepared to greet you and Yi and lead you down the aisle. Are you ready?”

“I am so ready,” Kida smiled with the greatest joy possible.

***

The Officiant called the kunbere to order and the ceremony began. Jimin and Jeongguk were the first two in position. They whispered to each other as they walked through the large crowd of guests who’d come to witness the first Jeon wedding that the village had ever seen, “You know,” Jeongguk whispered first, “once I got all of the cave muck out of your hair, you cleaned up quite nicely,” he smiled, flirting with his husband along the way.

“As do you,” Jimin countered. “Should my dick be hard again?”

“No. It shouldn’t. But yes, it should.” Jeongguk shook his head and then nodded conversely. They both giggled, not unlike school children.

“You did a great job on my hair.”

“Thank you. I love the hanbok’s you chose for us. I feel sexy.”

“You are sexy.”

Mrs. Park shooshed them from her seat in the front row. Jimin rolled his eyes, “She forgets that I am a grown man.”

“She does not forget. She does not care. There is a difference,” Jeongguk smiled so happily that the flesh around his cheeks bowed into massive dimples on either side of his face.

Yi’s mother lined up next to Areum as they led Kida and Yi down the aisle. Sniffles of joy and sighs of happiness rumbled through the crowd as Kida and Yi stepped down the aisle; with Yi wearing her elegant, richly embroidered crimson and gold dress.

***

The husbands stood quietly in the background as Yi’s parents and Kida’s parents threw chestnuts at the couple, trying to land them within the long stretch of fabric that Yi and Kida held between them.

“We are up to three, two boys and one girl,” Seo yelled.

“My son cannot handle three children,” Areum laughed. Kida and Yi giggled as the family continued to toss chestnuts at them.

Jeongguk whispered to Jimin, “You know, this event is just about over. We could easily slip away and go back to the cave to work on number four,” he said seductively.

“As much as I would like that, you cannot fool me warrior. You want to go back to the cave so that you can escape the inevitable mingling with your parents. Why must you be so stubborn?” Jimin turned his back on the wedding couple to get firmly in Jeongguk’s face, “This is Kida’s day. He has begged you to bury this disagreement with your parents. They love you; they hold no ill-will; this is all from YOU.” Jimin poked him in the chest. “You want to apologize to them Jeongguk, I know it. I saw it in your eyes when you heard your mother’s voice for the first time in three years. You can stop this at any moment and put it all behind us. How wonderful would it be if you did it on your brother’s wedding day? If you won’t do it for them or for me, do it for Kida…as a wedding gift. Just this once.”

As Jimin and Jeongguk bickered in the corner, the traditional ceremony continued. Jin placed the wooden goose, kireogi, into Kida’s hands. Kida in turn, handed it respectfully to Yi’s mother and bowed twice with a smile. She began to cry. She embraced Kida lovingly and cried out, “…a JEON! My Yi-Yi has a JEON!”

Kida and Yi opened a few of the gifts that had been given by the neighboring villages. However, it was the rolled-up piece of parchment from his brother that he most anticipated. He took a deep breath and glanced quickly at his mother and father before unrolling the paper. The sound of his fingers dragging along the porous surface as he revealed the sketch was loud enough to garner silence amongst the spectators. Everyone, it seems, could sense that the sketch was special. Jimin watched intently because even he had never seen the image of Jeongguk’s sister. Jeongguk, however, chose to look solely at Jimin. His face was the only face in the room that could bring him any comfort.

As the sketch was slowly revealed, Seo released a soft wail. He and Areum were both caught off guard by the image of their dead daughter and though pleased with it’s beauty, they could not deny the anguish that it reignited in their souls.

It was Areum who found the courage to speak, “It’s beautiful. It looks exactly like her. Over twenty years since you last saw her face, yet, you were able to draw her as if you’d just seen her yesterday. Even h-h-her hair.” Areum refused to cry because she was stubborn just like her son, but she was visibly shaken by the similarity between the sketch and her dead daughter. “You were only five, but somehow, you never forgot her face. What an amazing talent,” she spoke to her eldest despite knowing that he would never acknowledge her.

It was the wisdom of Areum’s brother Jin who decided it was time for music. He queued the quartet of musicians consisting of a piri, bipa, geomungo and percussion. They played a joyful gugak that considerably lightened the mood.

Sooyeon, Jimin’s mother, after one too many cups of Soju pulled Jin into a tight hug and waltzed him across the dance floor. Jin, far too polite and smitten with Mrs. Park to object, went along with the dance and gleefully spun her around. Jin and Sooyeon set the mood for what would be an evening full of laughter, drinks and dancing.

Areum spun around from relative to relative, greeting them with dance as they offered her congratulations on the marriage of her son. After several dance partners, she landed in the arms of Jimin who gracefully swept her into a waltz across the room. She embraced him as if he had always been her child, “I sleep well at night knowing he has you. I hope you realize that. You are the best thing that has ever happened to him in his difficult life.”

“Correction. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. We are partners in everything and I adore him. Sometimes I think I love him too much,” Jimin laughed uncomfortably.

“There is no such thing. Thank you Jimin…for everything you have done for him and for Kida. Thank you.”

“I only wish your son were not so stubborn,” Jimin frowned.

“Don’t hold that against him. He comes by it honestly. I am not the most amicable person in the world myself,” Areum made excuses for her son’s behavior.

Jimin changed the subject, “Well Kida seems very happy. We like Yi. She is young and playful enough to really bond with him, yet mature enough to help him grow.”

“I like her too Jimin, so much. She has a wonderful family. I can honestly say that both of my son’s picked the absolute best mates possible,” she kissed Jimin lightly on the cheek.

A tap came over the top of Jimin’s shoulder. He stopped dancing to look behind him.

“May I…cut in?” Jeongguk stood there looking peakish, waiting for permission to dance with his mother.

To avoid any embarrassment, Areum clarified, “With me or with him?” She smiled showing off a small set of dimples.

“Mother.” Jeongguk crossed his arms. The crowd silenced. Even Kida and Yi were temporarily pulled away from their wedding activities to watch Jeongguk and Areum.

Sniffles came from Jimin as he bowed to both Jeongguk and Areum before stepping away.

“Jimin,” Jeongguk teased, “don’t let Kida see you tearing up, he is chomping at the bit to get push-up revenge.”

Jimin shook his head to make the tears stop. The overwhelming nature of what was happening was too much for him. After three years of begging him to reconcile with his mother, his stubborn warrior was finally taking the first steps towards healing them.

Areum began to cry too. She held on to Jeongguk tightly causing him to have trouble breathing. She cried loudly into his shoulder before kissing him all over his face, “Too many times, I had prepared my heart to never hear your voice again,” Areum cried so hard that she shook in her son’s arms.

“I asked for a dance mother, not the reenactment of a Greek tragedy.” He kissed her on the cheek before swinging her around the dance floor.

Seo, Jin and Sooyeon looked on with delight. Sooyeon, fully drunk now, commented, “I have liked that boy since the first day he came into my orchard confused about apples. He is very good for my son.”

Jin interrupted her, “Didn’t you try to behead him?”

“Just a tiny misunderstanding. We’re very good now. Solid indeed,” she began to sing loudly to the music which technically had no lyrics.

As much as Jimin wanted to continue to watch the reconciliation of Jeongguk and Areum, he had his own mother to deal with. Her singing had become a bit too gleeful, causing him to rush to her side, “Ok, mother, that is about enough. You will be heading back with Jeongguk and I. You are in no condition to manage Sour Apple all the way back to the shore.”

Jeongguk gently led his mother in dance, “I am sorry mother. I am not sure what else to say without bringing up a past that really doesn’t seem to matter anymore…”

Areum stopped him, “…say no more. I love you Ggukie.”

***

Jeongguk sat in front of both of his parents, “We better get going. It looks like rain and we have a long journey ahead of us. How long will you two be staying? I would like to come back to visit tomorrow and maybe talk?”

“We will be here for two more days Ggukie and we would love for you to come back,” Seo offered.

“Have Kida and Yi left already?” Jimin asked.

“Kida used our donkey to take Yi’s parents back to their village. I believe Yi is back in the Jeon hanok preparing to spend her first night as a Jeon. I am sure she is very tired and trying to get some sleep,” Areum answered.

“Sleep?” Sooyeon giggled.

Everyone ignored her, “Where will you and uncle Jin be staying for the evening?” Jeongguk asked.

“We will all be with neighbors. Kida and Yi are building their own hanok and they will soon be moving out and giving the Jeon home to Jin, but in the meantime, we want to make sure they have ample privacy.”

“Let me tell you, the lustful bliss in their eyes tells me that you’re going to be grandparents in less than a year,” Sooyeon announced, unsolicited.

Jimin covered his face in embarrassment, “Mother, please be quiet.”

Areum held Sooyeon’s hand, “I hope you’re right about that,” she smiled at her friend, with no offense taken whatsoever.

***

Sooyeon drifted sleepily in and out of consciousness as Jeongguk taxied the carriage back to Dongbaekseom. Both horses, the blond one named Golden and the brown one named Sour Apple were at the helm pulling the buggy along the old dirt road. The carriage moved rapidly covering ground as it raced towards home. Rain had begun to fall with ominous lightning striking feverishly in the distance, creating an eerie impression across the Provence.

Less than an hour into their trip, they heard the thunderous galloping of another horse traveling fast behind them. Jeongguk slowed to allow the horse to pass, but instead of continuing on, it came to a grinding stop right in line with their carriage. It was Hyunjae, now fifteen. Even in the darkness, the travelers could see the terror across his rain-soaked face.

“Dragon, Warrior, there’s been, there’s been an attack. So many are dead, the village of Naktong has been attacked by savages. Your parents are fine. Jin rushed them to safety, but Kida-Kida…”

“What – what of Kida?” Jeongguk jumped from the carriage, desperate to hear the news of his brother. He pulled Hyunjae from his horse and pinned him against the side of the wagon.

“Kida has gone after them. Alone. These pillagers waited until you and dragon left and then attacked the Jeon house, hoping to catch Kida off guard on his wedding night, but he was not there and instead they found…”

“Yi?” Jimin said forebodingly.

“Yes. They sliced her up leaving horrible injuries. They got word to Kida and he immediately raced back to the village but…he was too late. She was still there in her wedding dress not moving. He refused to even look at her body, he just shook with rage…he’s out for revenge. He went after them, hundreds of them all alone.”

“Oh God, Yi.” Jeongguk looked at Jimin, “Sliced? They have weapons?” Jeongguk yelled over the increasingly tempestuous rain drops.

“Yes, massive weapons.”

Jeongguk had a flashback to the last raid on Naktong. He fell against Sour Apple as he tried to shake the familiar images from his mind, “It’s like dejavu, the exact same as when Chunja died. I can’t believe this has happened again and I wasn’t there to protect them.”

“It was a set up Jeongguk. They had to have been watching and waiting for you to leave. You couldn’t have known. Everyone was caught off-guard. It was the well-trained warriors, led by your uncle Jin and father Seo, that drove them away. They rallied and they battled against them, but most of the marauders escaped and continued pillaging nearby villages as they fled.”

“Who were they Hyunjae? They could not have been from this region,” Jimin asked.

“No one knows for sure. They all wore coverings over their heads and around their faces. But it is unlikely they were born or bred of Busan. Hurry please Jeongguk, you have to get to Kida. He needs you,” Hyunjae expressed his grave concern for Kida who had become his idol.

Jimin jumped down and began to feverishly remove all of the reigns from Golden and Sour Apple, “Hyunjae, take your horse and connect it to my carriage. You will take my mother home at once. Keep watch over her and do not leave her alone.”

Sooyeon stumbled awake, “What’s, what’s happening? Jimin where are you going?”

“There’s been an attack in Naktong village. Yi is dead and many others. The attackers have fled and Kida has gone after him. We have to go mother,” Jimin explained.

“Oh God Yi, that sweet child. Were the Jeons hurt?” Sooyeon quickly gathered her wits and began to help Jeongguk untangle Golden from her reigns.

“No mother, but Kida is in trouble and he needs us,” Jimin explained.

She worked quickly alongside her son to transition the horses. “Get your swords. They are in the carriage,” she stopped briefly to look into Jimin’s eyes, “This is what you train for dragon. I trust you to come back to me.” Sooyeon kissed her son and hugged him quickly. She did the same with Jeongguk and warned both of them, “...look out for each other.”

“We will mother,” Jimin promised.

Jimin pulled three swords from the back of the horse buggy. He attached his belt and stuck two swords in the holders at his side and one in a holder across his back. With one hop he mounted Sour Apple and turned her around. He gave his mother one final kiss.

Jeongguk pulled Golden away from the carriage and mounted her quickly, “Hyunjae, how many are there and which way did they go?”

“There are at least two hundred, maybe more. They hit several villages during the attack so it was difficult to get an accurate count. Jin, Seo and the others killed at least thirty of them before they fled.” Hyunjae was unhinged.

“Where did they GO Hyunjae? Which way?” Jeongguk asked again impatiently.

“Uh they were last seen headed north towards Ulsan, away from the region. Kida took the fastest horse available to catch up with them.” Hyunjae jumped into the carriage and prepared to carry Sooyeon back to the shore.

Jeongguk and Jimin got both horses settled, but before they could order them to move, Sooyeon stepped in front of their horses and called out to her two boys one last time, “Dragon, Warrior?”

They looked at her, “What is it mother?”

She stood wet and pale amongst the thick rain drops and whispered with indignation, “Fucking kill them all!”

***

The thunder cracked threateningly in the distance as the rain continued to pour over them. They galloped at top speeds along the coastline headed towards the border of Ulsan, eager to get to Kida before he came upon the gang of marauders. As they rode like lighting across village after village, they questioned witnesses along the way to make sure they were continuing in the right direction. At each encounter, they were assured that they were just paces behind Kida and that his fury was as untempered as they suspected.

“He killed five men right here in front of me. Simply sliced right through them with his sword,” one terrified villager recounted.

Despite the rain, Jimin and Jeongguk continued on; giving chase to Kida. They could tell by the fresh hoof prints that they were close. Kida was riding a horse named Busan. He was a black Thoroughbred with the fastest legs in all of the Provence. He would not be easy to catch, but the rain worked to their advantage because it slowed him down in the thick mud of the shoreline. The two Friesians, Sour Apple and Golden were accustomed to poor weather and they worked hard to make up ground between them and Kida.

As they rounded the hill, they could see into the valley beneath them. Jimin yelled through the cold rain, “There. I see him.”

And there he was indeed. Kida stood tall and fearless at the apex of the hill, peering over the dark undulated mounds around him. The lightning flashed, briefly illuminating his surroundings and revealing that the unmoving piles around him were actually dead bodies; men that he’d savagely and callously killed along his quest for revenge. In the flash of the bright light, ten, possibly twenty bodies lay motionless. He methodically walked up to each one and ran through their hearts with his sword to make sure they were dead. He screamed into the cloud covered moon and cried out the name of his dead wife.

Jeongguk jumped from his horse, “Kida? Kida. It’s ok little brother, it’s ok. We know what happened.”

With Kida in the midst of warrior’s red rage, Jeongguk thought better of approaching him hastily. Even Jimin took caution to hold Jeongguk back, keeping him a safe distance away from the volatile, grieving dragon. Kida turned on them as quick as a flash. It was Jimin who blocked Jeongguk quickly, to keep Kida away from him.

Kida growled almost incomprehensibly, “I will turn my sword upon both of you if you try to stop me. I must do what I must do to AVENGE MY WIFE!” His scream was chilling, terrifying and heartbreaking simultaneously, “Do not try to stop me!” He warned them fairly.

“Stop you?” Jimin said casually, almost joking.

“Why the hell would we stop you? We came to join you. These thugs thought they could kill our people and ambush Naktong’s leader and not pay a price? We will show them how wrong they were. Let’s avenge our village, shall we?”

Over the horizon in the darkness of the night, another lightning strike lit up the field just beyond them, revealing a countless number of marauders who were all armed and lined up for battle.

“Looks like we no longer have to hunt them down, they are coming to face us. That will save us so much time. How thoughtful of them.” Jimin said sarcastically. “Three against three-hundred. That’s a fair fight,” Jimin laughed as he withdrew both of his swords from his holders.

“I will flank left. Kida you take right and Jimin, you flank whichever way you wish my love.” Jeongguk said as a show of his deep respect for Jimin’s fighting abilities.

“Jeongguk listen to me,” Jimin said as he eyed the line of combatants growing closer.

“What is it?”

Jimin spoke to Jeongguk, but never took his eyes off of the approaching militia, “You have fought against the sword your entire life. But you have never fought alongside the sword. There are some basic tenants that you must keep in mind.”

“Yes. I know Jimin. I know your fighting style better than I know my own…”

“Just the same, hear me out. Kida is large, he has almost a 160-centimeter wingspan with his sword in his head, which means his swing is wickedly fast and broad. You must give him at least that amount of room to work if battling in close combat. I have two swords, so double that for me. I need at least 300 centimeters of space to stay clear of accidently injuring you. Do you understand?”

Jimin’s point was well taken. As trained as Jeongguk was at fighting against a sword, he had never in his life partnered with one. He grew slightly erect thinking about fighting beside his beloved.

“As for my flank,” Jimin was thoughtful for a second as he looked at the pathetic crowd of fighters, “I shall take the top.”

Both Kida and Jeongguk knew exactly what that meant. Without stalling any further, Jimin took off. He took two giant leaps, landing on the top of Sour Apples back, then used her height to propel himself into a flip over the top of the first wave of attackers. He held both swords perpendicular to the ground as he flew over, pulling his swords straight through the heads of the ten people who stood immediately below him. It was savage way to start the battle. All ten of them, basically split in half, fell to the ground in a clump. His first attack was enough to send another twenty men fleeing for their lives. “That takes care of about thirty, I would say. Two hundred and seventy remaining,” Jimin bragged to himself. He spun around again, with both swords extended, and waited patiently as the next wave of sycophants approached him…

Jeongguk’s style of engaging battle was quite different. He worked silently, in human stealth mode, low to the ground, spinning like a top with a single leg extended as he swept his attackers left and right, breaking their hips, femurs, and knee caps. Many of them didn’t even realize he was amongst them until they were already on the ground. Once they were floored, it was easy for him to send a quick punch to the chest, killing them instantly. He worked smoothly and swiftly under the cover of rain which made it difficult for his attackers to spot him before he attacked.

His hair was still pulled tightly into the bun that he had styled for the wedding and that allowed him the advantage of being able to see quite clearly despite the downpour that soaked the battle field. One after the other, he took them down, working in his deadly methodical King Cobra style. No one could get a hand on him, no matter how hard they tried. When he finally reached a clearing, more than ten men were dead behind him. He did a quick check to evaluate the opposition still ahead. The wave of militia that followed would not be as foolish as the wave that proceeded it. They were much more cautious and took the skills of the warrior very seriously. Jeongguk raised his fists and stood erect, carefully reading their fight styles and anticipating which move would come next…

Kida, the least experienced of the fighters proved to be the deadliest. As Jimin had warned, his sword swing was heavy and fast, not as fast as Jimin’s and definitely not as finessed, but he never missed his mark and never failed to cause extreme damage. Where Jimin killed men instantly, Kida made them suffer with gruesome injuries such as severed limbs, sliced arteries, or disembowelments – whatever was most painful – Kida provided. It was the difference in being an Imugi who killed out of necessity and a warrior who killed for sport. Kida was still a warrior inside and it made for a brutal heartless fighting technique. He used a unique combination of hand to hand combat fighting with his left hand, while swinging his sword Kendo style on the right. Even through his grief, his Jodo shined. The first man who approached him was lifted from his feet and thrown clear across the dirt into two other men who were battling with Jimin. Jimin took that as a sign to kill them, so he did. The next two men who attacked Kida were both wielding swords of their own. This was of interest to the young, inexperienced dragon because these were two fighters whom he felt were worthy of his battle. He faced off against both of them simultaneously. Despite their wildly swinging swords, neither of them appeared to be Imugi, so he felt confident that their skills did not match his.

The rain dripped from the blade of his steal sword as he held it suspended in air, ready to attack. But first, he needed to read their movements and understand their tendencies. Both were right dominant which meant they would likely move to their left for first strike. He waited patiently for them to make the first move. The first of the two men lunged to his left but unfortunately for him, Kida had already anticipated the weak move and his sword was waiting there for him. He was decapitated with one minimal swing. The second man was bit more clever, but not much, he spun to his left with his sword held against his body to protect against Kida’s strike, but alas, it was no use because Kida struck him so hard, that Kida’s sword cut straight through the sword of the attacker and sliced through the soft tissue of the man’s flesh, leaving a gaping wound from which the man would not recover. “Next,” Kida whispered as he leveraged his position to take out more of the enemy…

For three men with very different skill sets and very different methods of attack, Jimin, Jeongguk and Kida fought together seamlessly, working in a triangle formation that provided them with the advantage of unpredictability. Jimin worked almost exclusively from an aerial position, using everything and anything as spring boards to keep himself twisting and turning through the air. Jeongguk remained low and out of sight, blending in with the darkness of the wet muddy ground. And Kida - just killed everything - like a bowling ball, slashing through pins. But as they drew down the angry militia and worked closer to the back towards the leader, the opposing fighters became more challenging, more skilled. By the time they reached the middle of the pack, Jimin had taken several hits to the chest from a flail and two of his fingers were cut from the edge of an opposing sword. Minor injuries maybe, but for a dragon who wasn’t accustomed to being touched during battle, it pissed him off.

Kida also had injuries. He had a gash on the side of his head that was causing him considerable pain and dizziness. He struggled to maintain his focus and clear his blurred vision, and he swung viciously with his sword, injuring but not killing which meant many of his attackers continued to re-engage even after he had already struck them. It was a critical mistake that extended much time and energy, locking him into battle as opposed to allowing him to advance. Although Kida was much faster than his beginning days as a Kendo dragon, his height still created drag in his jumps and at times he faltered. In essence, as skilled as he was, his lack of experience in battle was costly. As he skirmished with four combatants at once, he slipped in the mud and fell to his back. Before anyone could strike him, a flash of white hair flew overhead. Jimin held his two swords against his chest in “X” formation, and then opened his arms to extend them mid-air, creating a flashing whip of steal that decapitated all four of Kida’s opponents at one time. He landed about two meters from Kida and immediately ran to place his lit palm against the side of Kida’s head for a quick healing, “This wound is deadly,” he warned loudly as the thundering rain continued to pour over the bloody battle field.

In less than a second, Kida was healed and back on his feet again, “You said there was no time to tend to wounds in the heat of battle,” Kida reminded Jimin of a particularly angry scolding he’d once given to him.

“Yes, baby dragon, but there is no time for dying either,” Jimin retorted. The two stood back-to-back, as another swarm of opposition charged them...

Unlike the strident slashing of thick skin and severed bones from the elite Imugi fighters, Jeongguk flowed through the crowd like a shadow, whisper quiet, neither seen nor heard. It was the misfortunate timing of a flash of lighting that revealed his position amongst of crowd of ten attackers. One of the men kicked him in the face, causing him to fly backwards into another. They circled him. His head swiveled left and right as he spun in a slow circle, ready for the first man brave enough to approach him. Another flash of lighting revealed that all ten of his opponents were armed. One of the men yelled, his voice carrying over the loud claps of thunder, “He’s got no weapons, kill him.”

Four of the ten men who had him surrounded, decided to attack him at the same time. It was an unfortunate decision. With just a simple step, Jeongguk avoided both of them, causing them to clash into each other, which he advantaged by lifting them both into the air and throwing them at least two meters into the crowd. The other two struck him with flails across the chest while he tossed several of them around. The blow to the chest was painful, but not enough to create even a slight pause in his attack. His fists moved with the speed of the wind, invisibly fast, almost magical and each of his punches exerted so much pressure that he sent each man flying across the dirt. But fighting ten men at one time had its disadvantages because the arms and legs were coming at him so fast, that he had very little time to make effective kills. The recycled nature of the attacks was exhausting. As soon as he knocked one away, another would return in his place. So mid-way through, he decided to switch tactics; it was time to knock them down and make them stay down, “I’m done playing around with you sons of bitches,” he threatened them. He summoned a classic move called the spinning warrior, something he’d learned at the tender age of five from his sister Chunja. It was a 360-degree spin done parallel to the ground that allowed him to use his feet and entangle victims by their necks, pulling them to the ground. He launched into his spin, over and over. Once he had them to the ground, he ended them with powerful warrior punch to the heart that stopped their hearts from being instantly. He repeated it over and over and over, until he’d tackled all ten men. They were powerless to stop him, because they couldn’t anticipate where the spin was going to come. He rotated too swiftly for them to contain him. The warrior devastated them all…

With the darkness covering the battle field, it was difficult for Jimin and Kida to keep tabs on Jeongguk’s whereabouts. They knew he was there because opponents continued to fly through the air from the epi-center of his location, gathering in death around him.

***

The rising of the Sun revealed that the three tired heroes were not fighting alone. As the rain dissipated, they could see an additional group of fighters joining the fray. Jin and Seo had gathered other villagers from Naktong to rally and join the fight after sunrise. The elder warriors from Dongbaekseom joined as well. It was a welcome sight for Jimin, Jeongguk and Kida who had been fighting for hours, tackling those responsible for the carnage in the village of Naktong. But even though the help was needed, the presence of additional men complicated the battle field. At times it was difficult to know who was friend and who was foe.

In addition, as the battle field collapsed into a smaller fighting area, the battles became much more intense one-on-one competitions of skill and intelligence rather than brawn. The fighters that were assigned to protect the leaders were the most talented. To Jimin’s astonishment, two of them were Imugi. In the light of the day, he could watch through his peripheral vision as Jeongguk battled closely beside him to his left and Kida struggled to his right.

The three of them knew to give each other space, but the well-meaning villagers of Naktong were not as knowledgeable and they often blocked the path for Kida and Jimin to make clean sword strikes. This meant that both of them had to adjust to a less effective fighting style, leaving Jeongguk as the only one who could safely take on the opposing Imugi. “I will handle the enemy white-hairs,” Jeongguk yelled confidently.

“My love,” Jimin spoke to him casually as if they were sitting under a tree along the Trail of God’s tears, “there are two of them. As confident as I am in your abilities, TWO Imugi are a bit much,” he said delicately as he ran his sword through the heart of a masked attacker wearing woven cloths as head gear.

“I have watched them as we advanced down the battle field,” Jeongguk wrapped another masked man under his arm, twisting him into a headlock and breaking his neck, “they are careless and untrained. Nothing compared to you.”

“Yes, my sweet Jeongguk, no one compares to me,” Jimin said arrogantly, “however,” he continued to protest which surprised Jeongguk, “there is something sinister there that concerns me. They will not fight fair with you my love,” Jimin warned.

“This is neither the place nor the time for an argument. If you want one, you can have one. Get to him on your own accord. Otherwise, they are both mine,” Jeongguk smiled before breaking the neck of a large man over 200 centimeters tall who was too clumsy and bumbling to be on the battle field in the first place.

The warrior lowered himself to the ground and crouched below the line of battle to get to the Imugi who were positioned a few meters away. They were startled by his sudden presence and didn’t know what to make of his bold attack. The first Imugi who was the older of the two became Jeongguk’s first target and before he had a chance to react, Jeongguk had already delivered several blows to the man’s chest, immediately engaging the sword swinging visitant.

Jimin, not to be outdone, yelled to the baby dragon, “Kida!”

“Kenshi?” Kida responded immediately.

“I need to get out of here. Get me to the Imugi on the left. Can you do that?” By Jimin’s calculations, he just needed a little push to help him land in the best position to take up fighting position next to his husband.

“I can do that,” Kida responded. The move was something he and Jimin had practiced relentlessly during their training. But there was one caveat, Kida would need cover in order to execute the move effectively. The young dragon was waning and his tangled white hair was filled with blood, sweat, dirt and debris that had collected throughout his long hours of fighting. His sword had grown heavy, slowing down his strikes and reducing the ferocity. It was only his warrior training that kept him alive but he persevered just as his hyungs had taught him. Helping Jimin would take a great deal of strength, but he was ready. Fortunately, his father and uncle were fighting together nearby, “Dad, uncle Jin,” Kida yelled to his relatives.

“Yes son!” Seo answered, blinded by furious fists being thrown at his face.

“Keep them off of me,” Kida yelled. He dropped his sword into his holder, leaving himself defenseless and then grabbed Jimin by the wrist. Simultaneously, Jimin stepped on the back of one of the fallen enemies, then zigzagged his feet and used the stunned body of another man to air walk up his back, spring boarding himself into the air. Once he was airborne, Kida assisted his trajectory by using his height and strength to swing Jimin as high into the air as possible. With Kida’s assisted lift, Jimin was easily able to clear the twenty men that stood in his way.

Jimin landed immediately next to the Imugi he intended to fight and just meters away from Jeongguk who was fearlessly battling his own stubborn Imugi opponent. Every blow that Jeongguk dealt to him healed almost instantly and the Imugi’s flashing sword kept Jeongguk from getting close enough to execute the warrior’s punch.

Jimin took note. “The heart my love, get to his heart,” he spoke calmly as he lured the second Imugi into a one on one battle. The enemy Imugi that Jimin engaged was young but very talented. Jimin guessed that he couldn’t have been more than 18 with short white hair draped around his ears. His movements were quick but staccato and held close to his body; definitely different from the long smooth whips of Kida. Jimin and the desperate Imugi’s swords clashed so angrily against each other that sparks flew with each strike. Jimin greatly respected the young dragon and hated to spill his blood, but the misguided youth had chosen the wrong side which meant he had to die. Jimin’s tactic was to battle him closely, exhaust him and keep him guessing until his fatigue would eventually leave an opening for Jimin’s deadly strike...

Jeongguk battled furiously. While Jimin was almost toying with his combatant, Jeongguk was fighting for his life. The Imugi that he’d chosen was much older and more experienced than the younger who fought Jimin. The elder Imugi had refined technique and it didn’t take him long to realize that Jeongguk was anticipating his movements. He began to move more spontaneously with the intention of getting one solid stab into the warrior’s heart. Jeongguk moved angelically, escaping every thrust of the Imugi’s sword, but the strikes were getting closer and closer which worried Jimin as he glanced occasionally at his husband’s battle. Jeongguk tried several sweeps to get the Imugi on the ground, but they were ineffective. Chunja’s spinning warrior move was too dangerous given the Imugi’s speed and even though the warrior’s fists fell heavily into the opponent’s flesh, they held almost no effect.

“Let me take him,” Jimin yelled nervously. This was a frailty because for the first time in his entire life, the impenetrable Kendo Dragon was distracted upon the battle field by – love.

“HE IS MINE!” Jeongguk growled angrily. He recognized that his dragon was questioning his ability to fight his own battle. It was a dangerous position for both of them because love had no place on a battlefield. Despite his will to conquer, Jeongguk was faltering and the hours upon hours of striking with his fists were beginning to show. His left hand was broken, and his right shoulder was displaced, but he allowed none of it to slow him down.

Where Jimin and Jeongguk were once the aggressors controlling the attack, suddenly now they were on their heels in defense mode. The younger Imugi who fought with Jimin took advantage of Jimin’s distraction. And the older Imugi who battled Jeongguk took advantage of Jeongguk’s fatigue. It was the turn of events that would change everything. Jeongguk made a critical blow to the older Imugi by breaking his right leg. The man crumpled to the dirt in pain, allowing Jeongguk to get close enough to unleash his fists into the man’s chest. But the angles were not right and although he struck him hard, he still could not get close enough for the warrior’s punch.

“Keep him down before he heals himself,” Jimin yelled, now paying only partial attention to his young opponent.

But then – before Jeongguk could hit him again, the elder Imugi raised his sword. Jimin could see everything that was unfolding. Jeongguk was dangerously close to the striking distance of the elder Imugi’s swing and Jimin knew it…

Kida rushed to pull his sword, while Jin and Seo proceeded to stifle the opposition surrounding him, “Thanks dad.”

“Anytime,” he smiled at Kida.

Over the hill came yet another wave of villagers from Dongbaekseom, this time they arrived in the hundreds. The exhausted opponents who remained on the battle field began to surrender in droves, lessening the effort and reducing the threat. Still, some refused to give up and those were the few who were taken by Kida.

As Kida continued to fight, he suddenly heard screams and warnings coming from the terrified voices of his uncle and father. He turned in time to see the elder Imugi swipe his sword across Jeongguk’s chest, creating a deep wound and knocking his brother to the ground.

Jimin abandoned his fight, turning his back on the young Imugi and began striking savagely against the elder Imugi who’d injured his husband, “YOU WILL DIE!” Jimin screamed.

“MY FIGHT!” Jeongguk ignored the wound across his chest and did a kick up to his feet. He rounded on the elder Imugi and unleashed his fists so rapidly, that they disappeared in the glare of the morning sun. But this time, instead of striking the elder in the chest, he struck him repeatedly in the hands and wrists, crushing all of the Imugi’s bones, and causing him to lose grip of his sword. At just the right moment, the furious warrior kicked the sword out of the elder Imugi’s hand, causing it to fly right into Jeongguk’s waiting fist.

He gave a slight smile to Jimin before unleashing with his new found sword. He twirled the handle through his fingers and tossed it behind his back to keep it away from the Imugi as he lunged to regain it. He executed Chunja’s twirl with the sword in his hand, driving it directly through the heart of the younger Imugi who was milli-seconds away from decapitating Jimin from behind. Jimin’s eyes widened as he turned behind him to see the man drop dead with a sword through the heart. The elder Imugi hobbled to his feet and attempted to fight Jeongguk with his fists, but his plight was doomed as well because Jeongguk was already spinning, once again being led by the sword. With one small slight of the wrist, the elder Imugi was decapitated by the elusive warrior.

“FUCK!” Jimin yelled.

“FUCK!” Kida yelled.

“FUCK!” Seo yelled.

“Yes, he can do those things,” Uncle Jin said calmly.

Kida jumped into the air, “I knew it! I knew he knew kendo! I fucking knew it!”

Jimin stood with his mouth agape, staring at the two dead Imugi at his feet and then staring back at his show-off of a husband, “You – you – you?”

Jeongguk gave one final twirl of the sword before stabbing it through the chest of the decapitated Imugi, “I told you this was MY fight.”

“I shall fuck you royally for this,” Jimin smiled so wide that his perfect white teeth gleamed in the sunlight.

Jeongguk touched the wound in his chest, “Easy boy. We still have work to do.”

Kida ran to his uncle Jin, “Uncle Jin, is he Imugi?”

“Of course not, he’s 100% warrior. But he was forced to train in so many styles as a child. This was just one of them. Of course having an Imugi husband as a sparring partner never hurts. Trust me, he will never use this again if it is up to him.” Jin looked around and took inventory of the men who were being carried off of the battle field.

A young man about the age of 17 approached Jin and Kida as they talked. He was sweating profusely, leading Kida’s thoroughbred, Busan, by the reigns, “Kida-hyung, you must get back to the village now. Your mother sent me to find you. It’s Yi. She is alive and awake and she is asking for you. She’s hurt bad, but she is asking for you.”

“What?” Kida’s eyes fell upon the boy. He searched for any sign of a joke or a trap or anything that would indicate he was lying but he found nothing; the boy seemed sincere, “That’s impossible. I saw her lying there bleeding, not moving. I saw it with my own two eyes,” Kida explained.

“She was unconscious and badly hurt. But she is alive…but Kida we don’t know for how long. You must get to her now.” The boy pushed Busan’s reigns into Kida’s hands…

Jeongguk fell to the dirt, wincing in pain, “We need to know why they attacked us.”

“How is your wound?” With the threat of battle now behind them, Jimin felt it was safe to examine his husband and take account of his injuries. He opened Jeongguk’s hanbok to see the slash across his chest seeping blood.

“It’s fine. I can barely feel it,” Jeongguk fibbed a bit.

“It’s going to leave a scar, a scar that I will kiss and suck daily,” Jimin pulled a handkerchief from his inner pocket and pressed it against the wound.

“Is now really the time for this?” Jeongguk laughed and pulled his hanbok closed again.

“We need to get you back to the village. This needs care Jeongguk…but you’ll live.” Jimin pushed Jeongguk’s hair away from his face and puckered his lips into a secret kiss.

Kida saw Jeongguk laying on the ground and ran to him and Jimin, “I have to get back.”

“What is it? Has something happened?” Jeongguk sat up.

“It’s Yi…she’s in bad shape but…she survived. I just received word from one of the villagers. She’s still alive Ggukie.” Kida’s eyes were filled with tears, “I have to go now.” Kida’s steed kicked behind him. “The leaders have been captured. But we need to know why they attacked the village. Will you two handle it from here?” Kida asked respectfully.

Jeongguk looked at his baby brother, still wearing the dress robes from his wedding and the special warrior’s belt that Jeongguk had given to him, “Brother!” He grabbed Kida by the shoulders and pulled him into his arms, “Brother…please go to your wife.”

With one smooth leap, Kida jumped on to the back of his horse, “Don’t you dare think for one moment that I will forget what happened here. You are not off the hook brother; you have much explaining to do,” Kida smiled as he kicked off and galloped down the hill.

“Yi – still alive?” Jeongguk shrugged.

Jimin shook his head, “That’s quite a blunder to think your new wife dead. He didn’t verify that before he ran off?”

They both laughed. Jeongguk shrugged again, “I guess not. But you know Kida, he’s never been very thorough.”

***

Hours after the battle ended, Jimin, Jeongguk, Seo and Jin along with the other villagers, rode into Naktong. Jeongguk was weak from his loss of blood, but was otherwise in decent shape. Jimin, as usual, emerged without a single scratch on him. Jin and Seo had a few bruises, but were also relatively unharmed. As they rode into town, the collection of dead villagers lined the dirt road. Amongst the dead were Yi’s mother as well as her brother and uncles who were visiting to attend the wedding. Random villagers did their best to collect the dead and return them to their loved ones. Scores of family and friends near to Jeongguk’s heart lay dead or dying in the aftermath of the attack. Jeongguk and Jimin’s eyes both began to swell with tears as they took inventory of the carnage.

The least notable of all of the victims, Ruby and her sister, also lay dead in the road. They had been run over by the speeding horses of the attackers as they stormed the village. Jeongguk wept for them too. He jumped down from the back of Golden and picked both of them up, then wrapped them in a blanket and carried them back to the village. Jimin watched his fearless, big-hearted husband care for the dead chickens and he couldn’t help but cry himself.

As soon as they reached the quad of the small village, they were bombarded by curious on-lookers wanting to congratulate them for defeating the evil doers. Sooyeon and Areum ran to collect their sons and pull them from their horses.

Sooyeon spoke immediately to Jimin, “I will never stop being amazed by you my fearless dragon.”

Jimin snapped his fingers, “Damnit mother. I forgot to bring you a head as a souvenir.”

Sooyeon smiled at him and pinched his cheeks, “I was drunk. I really did not want one of those.”

Areum and Jeongguk’s greeting was a bit more awkward, “Ggukie, I am so very proud of you.” She felt that was the best way to start their conversation.

“How is Kida? And Yi?” Jeongguk asked immediately.

“Yi is in bad shape, but the Shaman say she will live. Kida is by her side and they are talking. That is all we can ask for. Jeongguk, you are injured badly. You need medical attention right away.”

Jeongguk talked over his mother, “I love you so very much mother.”

Areum shook her head and began to wipe away tears. She hugged her eldest son and whispered back to him, “I love you too my boy. I love you too.”

As more villagers gathered to greet the heroes, Jin made an announcement to them all, “We have captured the leaders of this attack. This was an act of revenge with an attempt to capture our village. We found the organizers behind this. It was Pon. They have been organizing, preparing and waiting for five years to execute this plan. Once they found out about Kida’s wedding, they felt this would be the perfect time to attack. This was their final attempt to defeat the Jeon’s. They started as petty thieves, but soon realized that they wanted our fertile land. Their intention was to kill Kida and leave the village unprotected since they knew Jeongguk was away. But they failed to realize that Kida was the new protector and quite fierce in his own right.” The villagers all began to applaud just as Kida coincidently stepped out into the quad. Not realizing that the applause were for him, he clapped as well and looked around trying to figure out why everyone was clapping.

Areum held her clueless son’s hands, “Kida. They’re clapping for you.”

“Oh!” Kida took an unnecessary bow.

***

Jeongguk’s preference was to bury Ruby and her sister as quickly as possible, however Jimin and his mother both insisted that he first get his wounds stitched, and get his broken hand bound.

As Jimin, Kida and their parents recounted the epic battle that had taken place 24 hours earlier, Jeongguk snuck away with the bodies of Ruby and her sister under his arm. He ventured into the trail of tears and found a lovely tree, Jimin’s tree, where the yellow blossoms were once again falling to the earth. He chose that spot to bury his two friends. He said a quick silent prayer and threw dirt over them in their final resting place.

“How are you?”

Jeongguk swung around, it was his uncle Jin.

“If you’re worried about my conscious after killing with a sword, don’t be. I only did it to protect my husband who was about to get himself killed. Plus…those two Imugi were starting to piss me off.” He topped off the soil over his chickens and placed flowers over the mound.

“Yes. I was worried. But it is good to know that you are ok. I understand how you feel about these things Jeongguk and I just wanted to be here…you know…in case you needed to talk,” Jin said compassionately.

“Thanks uncle.”

“Well, that is all I wanted to say. I shall leave you to your…chicken funeral,” Jin smiled.

“Uncle Jin wait.”

Jin closed his eyes and paused, “Yes Ggukie.”

“That day on the way to the bath, where you did a reading on me. Did you see all of this? How much of my future did you know about? What did you see?”

“I saw you falling in love with the dragon and burying chickens.” Jin gave a single nod.

“Wait! That’s it? That’s all you saw?”

“I am clairvoyant, but I never said I was good at it. Forgive me if there were a few gaps.”

“A few gaps? You completely skipped over FIVE years.”

“I am flawed,” Jin shrugged. He hoped that his lie was convincing because he didn’t want Jeongguk to know the truth. The truth was that he’d seen it all; the attacks, the deaths, the marriages, the reconciling with his mother, all of it had been shown to him five years earlier when he pressed his palm to Jeongguk’s head. But telling Jeongguk about his future could have easily altered it and that was the last thing that Jin wanted. Jeongguk had an excellent future but only by keeping it a secret, could it remain that way. Jin bowed to his nephew, “You are a hero and my greatest student. I am so very proud of you warrior.” He walked away without any further conversation regarding his “vision”.

***

Five months later…

Fall was once again looming in Naktong village, and once again the large trees along the Trail of God’s Tears released their multi-colored blossoms. It was always a special time for Jimin and Jeongguk and they adored being in the village that time of year.

The husbands walked hand and hand through the forest, stopping under the foliage of the tree that dropped the yellow blossoms; otherwise known as Jimin’s tree. Jimin spun around in a slow circle as the blossoms dropped over him causing him to smile up at the sky that was dappled by the large branches, “This remains the most beautiful sight on earth,” he said. He took a few steps more before noticing the small dirt mound in the earth. It didn’t take him long to realize that it was the grave of Ruby and her sister. He pondered on it for a moment, but decided against bringing up the painful memory again. “You know, I really am saddened by everything that happened,” Jimin said as he looked towards the small grave.

“As am I. This didn’t have to be. We should have killed Pon, Jimin. We should have killed him when we had the chance. I knew he was trouble but I never knew his pettiness would rise to this level,” Jeongguk said bitterly.

“You know as well as I do that this wasn’t just about pettiness. This was about Naktong and it’s fertile land. Busan is growing and many are trying to stake their claim before legal actions are taken that officially grant this region to the Jeons. It is why protectors were assigned in the first place. The new council will help us guard against these attacks in the future and we will never have to go through this again. And anyone who steps out of line will have to deal with Kida,” Jimin smiled.

“Yes, they will. I have you to thank for that. He is an amazing fighter Jimin. There were times on the battle field that I couldn’t even believe he was my little brother.” Jeongguk’s laughter proceeded him, “Thank you for going behind my back to train him and make sure that he was ready.”

“Never thought I would hear that from you warrior. But this wasn’t just me. It took both of us and Jin…and GOD to get him to where he is today.” Jimin looked into his husband’s eyes, “How is Yi? I have not spoken to Kida in a while and…”

“Jimin she is much better. The scars of the attack will always be with her but she is expected to make a full recovery. In fact, I heard her yelling at Kida to remove his dirty hanbok from the floor as I walked past their new home this morning. I took that as a sign that she is well. Jimin, I appreciate you moving here to Naktong temporarily to help me care for them, but I believe our time has come.”

Jimin squeezed Jeongguk’s hand tightly, “Are you saying you’re ready to go back to our home in Dongbaekseom?”

“More than ready. We’ve been here for five months helping the families bury their dead and restore our village. We have done all we can do. Naktong will always be home, but this is Kida’s land now. My place is with my husband on the beautiful beaches of Dongbaekseom.” Jeongguk stroked Jimin’s cheek with the back of his hand. He released his gaze and continued to stroll along the blossom laden trail.

Jimin did not follow. He scowled at his husband’s back and then suddenly drew his weapon. Jeongguk could hear the sounds as Jimin’s sword whipped through the air. The steady, soft voice that followed sent shivers up his spine. He turned and as expected, Jimin’s sword was drawn and he held it against Jeongguk’s neck.

Jimin’s gaze was deliberate and intentional, even threatening, “We have unfinished business kendo warrior.”

“Have I ever told you how much I HATE your foreplay?” Jeongguk laughed and shook his head.

Jimin responded by throwing his second sword towards him. Jeongguk caught it but refused to raise it against his husband, “No Jimin. I won’t do this.”

“You owe me.”

“No.”

“Just one itty, bitty, tiny, little spar?” Jimin pouted.

“No.”

“Please?”

Jeongguk did a full back flip with the sword in his hand. He transitioned into Chunja’s spin, wrapping his ankles around Jimin’s neck and pulling him gently to the ground. And then within a flash, he dropped the sword back into Jimin’s holder, “I said no.” He pinned Jimin down and straddled him, then began to grind on him slowly while shaking his head and repeating, “You must learn the word NO.”

Jimin whimpered, “Fuck, that was hot.”

“There is only one sword that I am interested in dragon. The one that will pound my insides and slather your hot liquid warmth inside of me.”

“GOD YES. I am so fucking happy to be married to you.” They ripped at each other’s clothes, right there in the shadows of the weeping trees. Before long, they were naked with the rainbow of leaves and blossoms falling over their bare bodies. Jimin pushed Jeongguk gently into a large pile of leaves and slid between his legs, placing one leg over each of his shoulders and pressing Jeongguk’s knees into his chest.

Jeongguk’s opening twitched and nipped at the tip of Jimin’s cock, eager for it to enter. Jimin pressed his weight into Jeongguk’s chest, spreading his legs even further, making room for his wide, deep thrusts as he pushed his hardness inside of his husband. They wiggled and writhed along the forest floor, overly stimulated by the soft touch of the gentle blossoms against their bare skin. Their moans were sultry and rich; echoing through the trees of the empty forest. Jeongguk grabbed Jimin’s hips and rotated with them, careful not to squeeze Jimin’s dick too hard, “Uh dragon, I’m about to…”

“Already?”

Jeongguk didn’t respond, instead he arched his back and pushed Jimin away, allowing room for him to grab his own cock and stroke himself through the final stages of his orgasm. Jimin pulled out and fell back upon his knees to watch his lover explode. The vision was sublime. Jeongguk grunted and jerked himself hard, arching his entire body into a rainbow shaped convulsion. His juices squirted into the air, before falling back to his stomach. He immediately turned over onto his hands and knees and backed himself into Jimin, allowing him to enter him again and fuck him from the back.

Jimin’s cock was already dripping, only a few more strokes were needed for him to climax and release into his husband’s warm depths. Their bodies clapped against each other and Jeongguk called, “You fuck me so good dragon, cum inside of me.”

“Dirty mouth,” Jimin grunted. His orgasm was like an icy fire in his loins. He trembled uncontrollably, to the point where his entire body seized in suspended pleasure. Both of his arms wrapped around the tiny waist of his muscular, svelte husband as he emptied his nuts into his steamy ass. He collapsed across Jeongguk’s back, laughing through his exhaustion.

There was comfortable silence between them as they laid naked on the ground of the forest.

“This was risky. We could have gotten caught,” Jimin said as he dressed.

“But we didn’t. And so what if we did. You’re my husband. I have a right to fuck you whenever and however I please,” Jeongguk said flippantly.

“Such brave words. At any rate, I think we should prepare Sour Apple and Delicious for the ride home. I have a little surprise for you once we arrive in Dongbaekseom.”

“It’s not my birthday or anniversary, why would you need to give mem a surprise?”

“You saved my life, I think I can grant you a small surprise as a thank you. Just trust me.” Jimin winked.

***

Jeongguk awoke the following day with Jimin standing over him. The familiar sound of seagulls and the crashing waves of the ocean comforted him, reminding him that he was once again home.

“Good morning,” he said to Jimin, “Is everything ok?” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and lifted himself upon his elbows.

Jimin had a peculiar look on his face, which was typically a sign of trouble. He cleared his throat and gave an odd smile, “Everything is very well, thank you.” He showed way too many of his beautiful teeth for such an early morning greeting.

“Ok, what the hell? What is going on Jimin?”

Jimin giggled and squirmed as he stood there.

“This is not like you at all. What? What’s going on?” Jeongguk was now sitting fully upright.

“I have a surprise for you,” Jimin’s arms were bent behind his back and he continued to squirm as if being tickled.

“What is it?” Jeongguk pulled away slightly, concerned about receiving another one of Jimin’s “surprises”, because they typically were not pleasant and involved some sort of sparring battle or sword to the throat.

Jimin fell to his knees and then revealed what was in his hands.

“Jimin!” Jeongguk gushed, “Are they mine?”

“YES!” Jimin opened his hands to reveal two pale yellow baby chickens that immediately jumped into Jeongguk’s lap, “I knew they would love you as soon as they met you.”

“Jimin…I love them and I love you.” Jeongguk kissed Jimin on the lips and then kissed both of his new chickens.

“I am not trying to replace Ruby and her sister. They were never really yours to begin with, but I felt that maybe you would like to have some pets of your own. With you moving here away from the village, I know you will miss all of your animals.”

“This is so thoughtful. Thank you, dragon.” Jeongguk kissed him again.

“You’re welcome. Now, on to more important matters. My cock is throbbing and I want you right now, do you think it will traumatize them to see us fuck?”

***

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