Chapter Text
“With golden string
our universe was clothed in light.
Pulling at the seams,
our once barren world now brims with life,
that we may fall in love
every time we open up our eyes.
I guess space, and time,
takes violent things, angry things
and makes them kind.”
Sun - Sleeping at Last
The woman arrived to the village when the sun was at its highest peak in the cloudless firmament, so not a shadow was cast on the ground. Her traveling shoes sounded with every steady step she took. Her soft voice hummed an old song that had been long forgotten. Her humble cloak danced in the air around her. She was like a tiny bird wishing to perch on the branch of a withered tree.
Despite the easygoing demeanor, she looked all around her with the utmost care. This happy hummingbird was curious like an owl. She observed the poor houses and the people outside. Even though she ignored the slight stench and the filth, she couldn't help but think there was less misery than she expected. She could hear lively conversations far away. Of course, this was a good thing.
She heard a groan. Several steps away from her, a weak-looking old lady was sitting on the ground, her back leaned against a wall. The traveler ran towards her without thinking twice. She crouched in front of the elder, and then she removed her cloak's hood to make eye contact.
"What's wrong, grandmother? Are you feeling unwell?"
The traveler's face was youthful, in the ambiguous age range of a late teenager or an early adult. Short dark hair framed her head right until the jaw line. Her big eyes were full of concern and compassion.
"I see," she added after she touched the old lady's forehead with the back of her hand. "A low fever and a jaundiced skin."
She asked the old woman if she had a certain list of symptoms, and got replies with movements of the head for each of them. The traveler ruled out illnesses in her mind until it was clear which option was correct.
"I know that disease, and how to treat it. By the colors of your skin I'd say we're in time, thank the Heavens." She smiled with kindness and lit up the mood in a way that the heat of the sun could never do. "Let's get under a roof if possible. Do you have a house?"
"Yes," the lady answered, "but I don't want my grandchildren to catch it... There's a clinic, child. I just need... to get there. But I'm... My legs are weak."
"A clinic? Oh, that's perfect! Tell me where it is, and I'll carry you there."
"Oh, thank you, my dear... But can you...?"
"It's okay! I'm sturdier than I look!" The traveler grinned wider. She bent her right arm with her fist directed at her own face, as if she were showing off muscles. After chuckling, she turned around so the old lady could hug her neck and get a piggyback ride to the clinic. The girl grabbed her legs and moved according to the directions she was given, but the weight of the large bag that hung from her shoulder was screwing with her balance.
"Are you sure, sweetie?" The lady said.
"It's fine, it's fine! We can do this. We just have to walk slowly but steady." And so she continued to tread forward. "As a fellow young girl, you know how strong we can be. I'm pretty sure I'm even stronger than my man most of the time, actually."
The old lady giggled in amusement.
"Just like my late husband. The poor thing was tall and strong like a bear, but he was so weak for some things. I had to chop the wood and set the fireplace every time."
"You could chop wood, madam? With an axe?" The lady nodded, and the girl beamed wider. "You're amazing!"
"I know I am. And I did until my hips started to complain, dear."
"Ah yes, that's the problem with joints. At some point, they can get older than your heart. But when you get cured from this disease --because you will since you're a strong, beautiful lass-- I can teach you a brew made with herbs from the area that's great for those aches."
"That sounds great. I'm La-rae, by the way."
"It's a pleasure."
Good, the traveler thought. The conversation had lifted the woman's low spirits. They were still wobbling as they advanced because of the bag's weight, but the patient was distracted and happy so it was a fun ride instead of an inconvenience. Eventually the building, larger than the rest of the houses and obviously constructed too recently, was in plain sight. What surprised the traveler were the military officers moving around the area. Were they raising taxes? No, some were talking to other villagers in a friendly fashion. That was unusual.
"Is that a patient?" The traveler looked forward. The voice belonged to a soldier who ran toward them. He was a young, handsome man donning the typical armor of Fire Tribe officials and had his shoulder-length hair tied in a half bun. Bandages covered his left eye.
"Yes! She suffers from the Yinhu fever," said the traveler, "early stages. Is there a free mat for her?"
"She's in luck; one just got freed and cleaned. Let me take her from here."
The official took La-rae in his arms, releasing the traveler from the burden. She straightened up her back, stretched her arms, and rearranged her bag on her shoulders. She followed the two inside of the clinic.
Once she was in, she understood it was a government office turned into an impromptu hospital. Two rows of sick villagers lied down on the floor, while four frantic soldiers tended them. How curious. She studied the scene while the man put the lady down and covered her with a blanket. She sat next to her, opened her bag, and took a small mortar and ingredients from its inside.
"Thank you, sir. I'll work on her medicine now."
"Are you a nurse, girl?" The one-eyed man asked. Although her glance was on the mortar, she knew the whole clinic was watching her with curiosity now.
"You could say that," she smiled. "I'm a wandering healer. I'm traveling through the whole country to learn new medicines and to help others."
"Oh, I thought you were one of the doctors from Saika that Lord Tae-jun called," said another man, a black-haired officer with a round face and small eyes. "What's your name?"
"No, I'm not from Saika. And I'm Kaya!" She bowed her head while she still mashed herbs together. "I hope I'm not intruding here."
"On the contrary!" Said a different, deeper voice that belonged to a burly man with sideburns. "We need all the doctors we can have! Especially if they're cute!"
"You still miss Yoon, don't you?" Another soldier mocked.
"We all miss Yoon," said another one, "even the patients do too! I wonder where he and the dancing boy went."
"Yeah, what's up with this town and cute people showing up to help?" The one-eyed soldier mused. "First Yoon and that other guy about a week ago, now Kaya right here."
"Well, I'm not complaining!" The sideburns man laughed. "Cute people are welcome!"
Kaya smiled politely but her mind was whirling with thoughts. She knew about a Yoon who fit the description, but the name was quite common in the Fire Tribe so she couldn't be sure it was the same child. More importantly, why were soldiers in that town? Why the clinic? They had mentioned orders from someone who had to be Kan Tae-jun, the second son of the current General. She always made a point to remember the current noblemen and noblewomen's names of the Tribes she visited. But why was a noble, especially a Fire Tribe noble, interested in the health of poor people? Why were the military men so happy to oblige?
That was good news, at least! People helping people were always awesome! Nonetheless, it was an enigma. The Kan clan had been detached from the reality of their territory, yet here one of them was a philanthropist. Had it been Her doing --and thus that person named Yoon wasn't a coincidence-- or was it elaborate charity work?
Oh well, she could think about it later. The medicine was ready! It was time to give it to her lovely, strong patient. Kaya sat La-rae down and made her drink it. Fortunately they had some water, and they gladly give them some of it to pass the bitter remedy down. She left the lady lying down with a wet cloth on her forehead, who was checking out the better-looking soldiers with a discerning eye. Kaya laughed and took her bag with her. She had work to do with the other patients.
She talked to them with a jovial, optimistic tone. She hummed the old song and kept the cheerful attitude as she made new medicine and friends. The soldiers hovered here and there, but instead of getting in the way they were quite helpful. They asked about the ingredients and the preparation, eager to learn a thing or two.
That was refreshing, she thought. What a contrasting breeze with the dry heat you could find everywhere else.
About an hour later, a young man in a modest but clean outfit came in, carrying a basket of recently washed clothes and sheets. The two soldiers who weren't doing anything at the time ran to their positions. The chubby black-haired official approached him as soon as he saw him.
"Lord Tae-jun."
"Yes, Heuk-chi?"
"Kil-sung found a wandering healer who just came to the village. She offered to help us while the doctors don't arrive."
"Oh, that's great!" The man's face lit up. "Where...?"
"In here!" Kaya interrupted, and put on an innocent-looking face that showed no recognition of his identity. She stood up and went to the group of two. She made a bow. "Nice to make your acquaintance, sir. I'm Kaya. I know I seem too young, but I assure you I'm experienced in all kinds of diseases and wounds."
"How do you do?" Tae-jun said politely, staring at her. Kaya liked the shape of his earrings, the only luxury left on him. "It's okay, the boy who taught my men medicine a week ago was even younger than you, so no one will doubt your skill because of age. How much do you want as payment, Kaya?"
"Ah, I don't need payment! It's an act of love and a desire to learn from my part. I can only accept a roof to sleep under, and maybe some water to keep myself and my clothes neat so I don't spread anything."
"Are you sure? Not even food?"
"The villagers need your supplies more than me. If you can afford to feed an employee, use my ration to feed a child or two instead." After all, she didn't need food or drink to subsist. She loved eating, but she knew the value of a meal in the region and she would gladly stand the pain of hunger. If anything, she might eat something poisonous from the forest to fill her stomach. It wouldn't kill her or cause heartburn for too long.
"I see..." Tae-jun didn't seem disappointed. There was even understanding in his almond-shaped eyes. "Well, welcome aboard, Kaya. I insist you join us for dinner tonight, though."
"Master Heuk-chi hunted a bear this morning," said the youngest soldier, a boy with black hair. "We're having a stew party for the whole village." Behind him Heuk-chi nodded, his cool expression never changing, but his eyes gleamed with pride.
Kaya laughed and accepted. After all, she was intrigued to learn why a nobleman was doing laundry in the poorest parts of his father's domain.
Kaya put her scarf on before leaving the clinic. She left her cloak inside; her tunic dress and trousers were warm enough for the cold wind of the night and comfortable enough to kneel on the ground during work. The soldiers and the villagers who weren't bed-ridden were hanging out at the center of the hamlet. The man called Heuk-chi was in front of a cauldron, serving to both soldiers and civilians. Children ran around and tried to juggle tiny balls made of cloth, as parents watched over their bundles of joy. The elderly were sitting down and they chatted and enjoyed themselves.
Such a nice atmosphere.
She sat between two kids --who happened to be La-rae's precious grandchildren-- and next to a few soldiers, holding a bowl she had been offered. She put her lips on the edge and drank the stew. It tasted like heaven after so many days of roots and mushrooms for lunch. With a smile much warmer than the meal, she gave her regards to the chef. Heuk-chi just nodded as thanks. Kaya restrained the desire to eat it whole and handed it to the smallest child she saw, as she felt he needed meat the most to grow big and healthy.
"Hey, Kaya," asked the official with the sideburns. "Can you cook?"
"I can, but I'm only great at two or three recipes I really like. The rest I know, I'm average. Normally I let my husband do the cooking, 'cuz he's a bit better than me."
The man buried his face in his hands, the ribbons of his bun swaying like flags of defeat. His mates snickered.
"She's married already?! I've been rejected before I could even ask her!" He wailed.
"I'm so sorry." Kaya tried not to laugh. She patted his back in apology. "You seem sweet. It's not your fault you're late." Thousands of years late, she mentally added. "I'm sure you'll find the love of your life soon."
"What a nice, cute girl. Your guy is so lucky." He smiled back at her when he looked up and wiped his tears. "Is he at your home? Why did he let you travel alone?"
"No, we have no home." Her cheerful face didn't change, but her hands twisted her scarf. "We normally travel together, but he's at the service of his master right now. I don't want to intrude on his job yet and many places need a doctor anyway. So for the time being, I'm doing my thing and he's doing his thing. I do miss him a lot... But we can handle it!"
"And he's okay with letting you travel alone?" A villager who was listening to the conversation asked. "It's dangerous for a young lady to be on the road."
"He's aware, but I'm in equal danger no matter how many people are around me. I know self-defense and have a dagger hidden on me! I'll be fine," Kaya winked and flexed her arm. The soldiers couldn't help but swoon and call her cute once again. She giggled. Those kids were too adorable to be in the military. The little girls started to imitate Kaya's movement, and one took a tree branch as if it were a concealed blade. Oh, she was already an influence!
After supper, everyone gathered to dance and sing traditional songs of the Fire Tribe. Kaya knew the lyrics of most of them, so she joined in. It was curious how she had learned some of them centuries ago, and she hadn't sung one of them in forever, yet her brain could still recall the majority of the words immediately. She asked the guy with sideburns for a dance, as a sign of friendship. It was strange to have a partner with a pronounced height difference, but they had fun.
It was time to socialize with the young master. She found Tae-jun sitting against a tree, looking at the beautiful mountains across the horizon. The locks of long grayish brown hair that weren't tucked in his bun fluttered in the air as if mimicking the dancers on the ground. His mind was obviously elsewhere, so she cleared her throat.
"Don't you want to join in, mister?" Kaya broke into a smile.
"Eh? Kaya, was it? I'm a bit tired from the laundry and carrying the sick. Oh... although you danced. You walked today to get here and then worked hard, and you still danced. It might sound like I'm making excuses to you."
"No, not at all. Every person has their own limit. I happen to have supernatural endurance!" She hit her own chest with a fist. She sat down, legs crossed. "Master Tae-jun is amazing, though. I never thought a high-ranked official would be washing hospital clothes. It's even admirable."
"It's not. And it's not like I like doing that." He admitted. "But it must be done to keep everything clean."
"Doing things you don't like because it's the right thing is admirable, I think. May I ask why you and your troops came to Enri? Or is it top secret?"
"Ah. Ahahaha. We're... looking for a group of bandits." Tae-jun was avoiding her eyes and cackling to himself. There was something he wasn't telling. "Intel told us they were here, but they were gone before we arrived. We cannot stay in a filthy place infested of plague, so we're cleaning up while we're looking for them. That's all."
"A group of bandits? What's their name? I might've heard something in my travels."
"...The Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch."
Kaya covered her mouth to restrain a cascade of giggles, with no avail. From that bad taste in naming and the reference to dragons, she had the suspicion she knew the identity of those wanted criminals.
"D-Don't laugh!" Tae-jun cried, with an offended expression. It only made Kaya chortle harder. That boy had a hilarious demeanor. Despite his silliness, he looked a lot like his father when he was around his age, or so Kaya pondered. She remembered when she and her husband saw General Soo-jin decades ago on their journey. The resemblance was there. She would've be able to tell Tae-jun was his son just by their face, without even an introduction.
"I'm so sorry. No, it's the first time I heard that name. My man and I were in the Earth Tribe until maybe a month ago."
"It doesn't matter." He waved a hand. In the distance, everyone had started singing The Fire God. Ah, yes, that song. She really liked it, despite the hidden propaganda. She hummed it with everyone else, and so did Tae-jun. An adorable bearded old man clapped in joy.
Let's call the Four Dragons
Bow our heads
Let's bow our heads
To the Fire Dragon
"When I was little," Kaya said when the ballad was over, "kids play-pretended to be the Four Dragon Warriors and Hiryuu. It's always been a popular game in our land, hasn't it?"
"You're from the Fire Tribe, too? I thought you were Earth. Yes, when I was a boy I always wanted to be Hakuryuu. My older brother didn't want to play with me, however."
"Every boy admires Hakuryuu's arm! They fought over who got to be him. I think he was also my husband's favorite."
"Nowadays," Tae-jun sighed and flustered, "I've been admiring Hiryuu the most. But not the way Father does. I don't think he aimed for a castle or a throne..."
"You're quite sharp, young master! I agree about that vision of the Red King. A selfless leader who loved their folks is someone to respect. Hiryuu would be my second favorite, but I might be biased."
"Then what's your first favorite, Kaya?"
"Ouryuu." She stared at the green and purple mountains. They looked the same way they had been centuries ago, maybe even millennia. "No one wanted to be Ouryuu too badly in those children's games, but he's amazing to me. Because he's the Protector, the one who defends and shields what's important. We should all aim to be more like him."
"The one who protects... I see. Yes, I want to be that. Make her proud." Kaya wasn't looking at the nobleman's face, but there was an undertone of a revelation behind his words. Meanwhile, all that conversation about dragons made her heart ache. She closed her eyes and saw her love smiling at her, golden hair and eyes of summer. She felt the power of his life running through her veins, the gift and curse of infinity.
Take this, Kaya. It's a really good medicine. They told me it will definitely cure your disease!
It tasted like blood to her, but the panacea had been more than effective…
...
"Kaya?" Tae-jun made her wake up from her stupor by shaking her shoulder. She had even forgotten where she was. For a moment, she was back in her old hut. "Sorry, you were out of it."
"Hahaha, I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was."
"No wonder." He made a pause. "You know, I was just thinking that you seem familiar."
"I do?" She beamed, pretending naivety. "I've never met you, sir. Must be that Yoon guy that visited before I did. Your men keep comparing me to him because he was also an intelligent young nurse who came out of nowhere."
"Hmmm, I can see that. And you're almost as kind as this girl I deeply care about. But that wisdom beyond your years is more similar to this juggling brat who came with Yoon."
Kaya's grinning face blushed.
"Is that a compliment?"
"I'm not sure." Tae-jun grimaced. "He was so weird."
Zeno, she thought. That had to be her Zeno. Then the nurse lad was the one who traveled with the Princess. Lord Tae-jun had to know Her well. He had just mentioned a girl, right after discussing King Hiryuu. She wondered if this youth knew who the bandits really were. There was too much of a coincidence going on.
"I'm going ahead," Tae-jun excused himself. "Tomorrow we're checking if the village's crops can be cultivated again, so I need to go to bed early."
"Please do. Master Heuk-chi didn't let me sleep at the clinic, so I'll stay with La-rae's family in the end. Let me know if there's an emergency with the sick."
Tae-jun nodded before he left. When he was gone, Kaya stared at the tree behind her. It was one of their accorded trees. There was a chance... She stood up and checked around. She found a small parcel wrapped in paper and leaves, tied to one of the branches with thread. In another branch, someone had tied a roll of parchment. Awww. Zeno had left her a hidden letter in case she passed by the village.
Kaya would go back later to retrieve them. She couldn't wait to read about his adventures with his girl king and his baby brothers, but she wasn't in a hurry anyway.