Chapter Text
“Did we lose them?” Nayeon whispered not-so-very quietly while peeking over Momo’s shoulder. After not receiving a response from her, Nayeon began to repeatedly poke her back. “Are they gone? Hey. Hey. Hey.”
“Will you quit it!” Momo hissed, turning to Nayeon with an annoyed expression. However, it quickly shifted once she noticed the growing shadows along the walls of the alleyway.
They both looked at each other, Momo bringing a finger to her lips. Nayeon made a gesture as if she were zipping her own shut. The two closed their eyes, bodies pressed against the wall to conceal themselves as much as possible. With belated breaths, they heard their footsteps getting closer and closer. Nayeon tightened her hold around their sack of stolen goods.
Don’t turn left. Don’t turn left. Don’t turn left. Nayeon repeated in her head.
I’m going to kill Nayeon. I’m going to kill Nayeon. I’m going to kill Nayeon. Momo repeated in her own.
Momo opened one eye and let out a sigh of relief when she noticed the shopkeepers’ shadows going farther and farther down until it completely disappeared. She nudged Nayeon and tilted her head, signaling that the coast was clear and they had to go.
Once they made it to their little hut that was located in the poorer side of town, Momo groaned as she slid into a chair and began to stretch her arms and back. Nayeon dropped the sack near the table and grabbed two mugs out of their cupboard whose hinges were holding onto the wall for dear life. She slid a mug towards Momo and poured them both a drink.
“Here’s to another successful raid!” Nayeon cheered, lifting her mug.
Momo rolled her eyes, but clinked her mug against Nayeon’s anyway.
“Your loud mouth almost got us caught,” Momo said, taking a sip of her cider.
“But we didn’t.” Nayeon countered, gulping down her drink and slamming the mug on the table. “Besides, even if we had, I would’ve used this bad boy.” Nayeon unsheathed her dagger from her belt and started swinging at the air, wshhh noises leaving her lips.
Momo was unimpressed.
“We haven’t been caught once since we started. And I wouldn’t have liked to ruin that streak over some stolen apples and oranges.”
“Speaking of stolen items, how about we aim bigger?” Nayeon raised her eyebrows and leaned her body over the table.
“Bigger how?” Momo questioned, a bit hesitant.
“Bigger as in a guarantee to a life full of riches.” Nayeon’s eyes were twinkling while making a grand gesture with her hands.
Momo decided to humor Nayeon. She wouldn’t be able to get her to shut up if she didn't listen to what she had to say anyway. And Momo wanted a night of peace and quiet without having Nayeon bugging her every second until she got it off her chest.
“Okay…and how will we do that?”
Right when Momo finished her sentence, a newspaper was shoved in her face. Momo recoiled and blinked in surprise.
“Like this!”
Momo snatched the paper from Nayeon’s hands and quickly began scanning its content.
“The king is sending knights to rescue the lost princess. So what?” Momo didn’t see where Nayeon was going with this. “Where did you even get this?”
“Stole it from the news bulletin. Now read the last part.” Nayeon was now looming over Momo’s shoulder.
“Are you crazy?! Actually scratch that. You are crazy! But this crazy?!” Momo flailed her arms around. “This is a death wish, Nayeon. We’re not knights. We’re peasants!”
“Which means we have nothing to lose,” Nayeon said, shrugging her shoulders. “We just have to be quicker than them. We save the princess from the dragon, bring her back to the castle, and the King will reward us by showering us in riches. Easy peasy.”
“But it says whoever saves the princess will take her hand in marriage.”
“Even better!” Nayeon clapped her hands. She pulled Momo towards the window which had a clear view of the huge castle that sat on top of the highest hill in the kingdom. “That could be ours, Momo. Think about it.”
“I actually want to live, you know? I don’t want to get eaten by a dragon.”
“Just trust me.”
-
Momo told herself that she would never go along with Nayeon’s ridiculous plans ever again, especially after the incident with the witches Kim Dahyun and Chou Tzuyu. Nayeon had the bright idea of stealing a few of their potions and of course, Momo was forced to tag along. Let’s just say Momo had to take care of the bunny version of Nayeon for a few days until the effects wore off.
And now she found herself in a small wooden boat with only a single bag of food, water, and two swords lended by their blacksmith friend Jeongyeon, on her way to a distant island to save the princess from a dragon. Momo didn’t even know how they were going to slay a dragon with two simple iron swords. No other knights were successful in bringing the princess back even with full armor and the best weapons in the land. She had even heard that some never came back and those who did end up living to tell the tale, came back wounded with severe degree burns. So the fact that she and Nayeon were going into this blind, made her very nervous. And although Momo was against this whole thing, she wasn’t going to let Nayeon go alone.
Nayeon doesn’t even know for how long they’ve been sailing across the sea for. She didn’t even have the heart to tell Momo that she didn’t even know where the island was located. If Momo knew that Nayeon didn’t have a map and was going at it relying on dumb luck, she wouldn’t be surprised if the woman suddenly threw her overboard. So when she saw an island in the distance, Nayeon couldn't help but sigh in relief. It would be cooler to die at the hands of a mythical beast rather than Momo's.
“Momo, wake up!” Nayeon bent down and slapped the rim of her hat further down.
“Huh…what?” Momo immediately sat up, her eyes still glazed with sleep.
“We’re here.”
As Nayeon stepped onto the beach, she looked over the greenery that overlooked the ocean. Momo was busy pulling the boat onto shore, glaring at Nayeon in the process. It wouldn’t kill to get a little help here.
Nayeon inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, glancing at Momo for a second.
“You smell that Momo?”
“Salt?” Momo said with furrowed eyebrows as she stood next to the other girl.
“No!” Nayeon threw her arm over Momo’s shoulder and pulled her to her side. “The smell of victory and gold!”
“Sure.” Momo hummed and dropped their crate of supplies into Nayeon’s arms.
Nayeon wobbled from side to side, almost losing her balance completely. She noticed Momo walking ahead and followed after her.
“Why do I have to carry this?” Nayeon whined.
“I don’t necessarily trust you with a sword, Nayeon.” Momo quipped as she started to slash the dense vegetation to make a path.
—
The sun began to set, making it harder for Momo to look where she’s swinging her sword. Nayeon had a few slaps to the face from some of the plants Momo had missed. After many complaints from Nayeon, Momo couldn’t take her whining anymore. To Nayeon’s contentment, Momo suggested they should stop and rest for the night. Momo slashed through the surrounding vegetation and made a clearing big enough to set up camp.
Nayeon dropped the crate with a huff while Momo dragged over a large chunk of wood to use as a bench.
“I’m beat.” Nayeon stretched her arms and wiggled her aching fingers. “I need a nap.”
“We can’t rest yet. We need to collect some wood to make a fire,” Momo said.
“But I’m tiiirrrrred .” Nayeon slumped her shoulders, lips turning into a pout.
“If you want to sleep in the cold, then be my guest.” Momo shrugged.
Nayeon watched her friend dig their raggedy blankets out from the crate. Nayeon cringed at the sight of them—at the sight of the tears and loose threads. Okay, maybe she can sacrifice a couple more minutes of manual labor. She was going to freeze to death if the only warmth she was receiving was from those scraps of cheap fabric.
“Fine.” Nayeon nodded. “Hand me your sword.”
“Nope.” Momo quickly shot her down.
“Well how am I going to get through all of these plants?” Nayeon crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the dirt.
“Use your dagger. I don’t trust you with a sword.”
Nayeon rolled her eyes, but complied. So while Momo set up their temporary beds and tried to prepare a decent meal for them, Nayeon ventured out to get some fire wood—or at least anything that was flammable.
Nayeon had many sticks and decent-sized chunks of wood under her arm by the time the moon began to reign over the sky. Nayeon thinks Momo would definitely be proud of her. She just about spotted another chunk of wood a few feet away from her and decided this would be the last she picked up before she headed back. This was enough wood for a fire that would last enough to allow them to sleep comfortably for a few hours.
As Nayeon bent down, she bumped her head against a hard surface. Nayeon winced and brought her hand up to rub the spot. With a tilted head, she stepped forward and blindly reached out her arm, smacking the air until she felt a cold and rough exterior. It felt like a stone wall.
Nayeon picked up the last chunk of wood and ran back to camp with excitement. Momo was crouched down in front of a ring made out of small stones, using her hands to dig a hole to keep the fire in. The older girl dropped the wood next to her, startling Momo and making her fall back on her elbows.
“Hey!” Momo looked up at Nayeon. “It’s disrespectful to sneak up on someone.” Momo grunted, stood up, and brushed the dirt that stuck to her arms.
Nayeon ignored her comments and began to smack her shoulder.
“I found something!”
Momo saw the genuine excitement in Nayeon’s expression. She excused the assault on her shoulder for now, deciding to at least hear her out before ripping her a new one.
“I bumped into a wall or something. It could be a building.” Nayeon jumped in her spot. She was a thief. Nayeon liked to think she had a natural radar for valuable loot, and she had a hunch that they were near their one way ticket to wealth.
“We’ll check it out in the morning,” Momo simply said, giving her a nod.
“That’s it?” Nayeon thought Momo would at least be a teeny bit excited.
“What?” Momo questioned, confused.
“Can you at least pretend you’re happy?”
“Woohoo! We’re gonna be sooooo rich! Ahhhh.” Momo sarcastically said, waving her hands around with little to no energy. “Better?”
“Sure.” Nayeon rolled her eyes but smiled when she noticed Momo trying to contain her laughter. She bumped Momo’s shoulder with her own and the two got ready for the night.
Momo lit the fire and both girls talked amongst themselves while eating some fruit Momo had cut up earlier. When they finished, Momo gestured to the spots they were going to sleep on. Nayeon noticed a third blanket, and another blanket laid out on the other side of the campfire that looked shorter as if it was torn in half. She turned to Momo, question at the tip of her tongue.
“Take that one.” Momo gestured to the spot with two blankets. “Don’t want you sleeping on the dirt.”
“But–”
“No buts. We want you looking nice and clean for the princess, right?” Momo sent Nayeon a wink.
Nayeon stared at Momo and shook her head, lips curling into a small smile.
“Goodnight.” Nayeon whispered after getting comfortable and snuggling into the very thin blanket.
“Night.” Momo whispered back, scooting as close as she could towards the flames.
—
Nayeon woke up Momo at the crack of dawn and didn’t even give them the chance to eat breakfast. She was already handing Momo her sword, eager to lead Momo to what she had found last night. Now that the sun was out, Nayeon was curious to see what she actually bumped into.
Momo gazed up and sure enough, it was a tower of some sort. She hoped the princess was actually here. Momo wanted to get off this island as soon as possible. As poor as they were, at least their little hut back in the kingdom was warm. Momo was drowsy because she couldn’t sleep due to the freezing air. As much as she clung to the thin piece of fabric and curled into a little ball, the cold still stung her skin. After tossing and turning all night, she finally got a wink of sleep—well, until Nayeon woke her up.
As Momo and Nayeon walked along the edge of the tower, the curvature soon transitioned into a straight wall. Momo gazed up and swung her sword to give themselves a clear view of the top. It looked like the building was more than just a simple tower, but an old, run down castle. After walking around the perimeter for a while, Momo’s wrist aching after swinging at the vegetation continuously, Nayeon noticed a part of the wall that looked a little out of place.
Momo sheathed her sword and extended her palm to Nayeon.
“Dagger please.”
Momo stabbed the area with the blade and a stone quickly fell. She mustered some more strength and started going at it crazily. Even Nayeon stepped back, a little afraid.
This tower had an entrance.
Momo peeked inside, Nayeon peeking over her shoulder. There was a staircase that spiraled to the top of who knows where. Nayeon clinged to Momo’s back as they walked up the stone steps. It was funny. Momo should be the one shaking in her boots right now. Nayeon put her in this situation—taking her to an unpopulated island that allegedly housed a dragon just to get out of poverty. But as always, it was Momo putting on her big girl pants and taking the lead. Besides, she too was a bit afraid but she had a reputation to uphold.
They walked onto what looked to be a second floor, but the walls were either turned to rubble or barely standing. Even one of the towers was just a pile of stone. There looked to be a third floor door and the tower across from the one they had come out of contained the entrance that most likely led there.
“More stairs? Are you kidding m–” Nayeon shrieked when she was suddenly pushed behind Momo. She noticed Momo’s defensive stance, hand on her belt, fingers near her sword. “What–”
The castle began to shake.
A purple dragon emerged from behind the tower, claws hooking onto the walls. Nayeon froze while Momo shakily unsheathed her sword. The creature let out an ear piercing roar, and Momo had to utilize all of her body weight just to not fall back from the force while also having a hold on Nayeon. The younger thief made eye contact with the dragon’s gray eyes, trying to mask her fear. This sudden staring contest felt like an eternity until purple mist started to circle around it like a tornado.
Gone was the giant beast on the tower and the cloud of purple lowered itself onto the stone floor. Momo and Nayeon stood unmoving, watching the cloud disperse.
Momo pointed her sword at the unfamiliar girl that appeared out of nowhere. The light breeze blew through her brunette locks and it was hard to not notice the pair of purple horns sitting on top of her head.
Before the two thieves could process what was happening, with a bounce in her step, the girl rushed towards them and shoved Nayeon out of the way.
“Minari! This human is pretty, can I keep her?!” She exclaimed, gazing up at the tower’s window.
Momo struggled in this girl’s hold, panicking over the fact that her hands were squishing her cheeks together. She turned back to Momo and grinned, gray eyes gleaming with delight.
“What’s your name, Cutie? I’m Sana.” This girl— Sana— batted her eyelashes.
“S-Stand back.” Momo managed to get Sana off her. She backed away slowly and cautiously, and stopped until she was back at Nayeon’s side.
Sana seemed unfazed at the sword being pointed at her. Instead, she cooed and clapped her hands.
“Ohhhhh, feisty.” Sana bounced in her spot. Wings sprouted from her back and Sana scooped Momo into her arms. “I’ll be taking your friend here and have Mina deal with you.” Sana directed her attention to Nayeon who just blinked back at her. “And I’ll be taking this.” Sana took a hold of the sword just as Momo swung it. She examined it, taking in the sight of the feeble iron blade and wooden handle. Sana snorted and tossed it into the blanket of green that surrounded the castle. Sana launched herself into the air, Momo’s high pitched scream fading the further Sana flew into the sky.
Nayeon’s jaw dropped. Her best friend was just abducted by a crazy dragon girl.
A girl emerged from the tower’s entrance, and Nayeon was rendered speechless once again. She wore a simple, but elegant dress. Her long black locks of hair fell like waves over the light blue silk. However, Nayeon’s eyes focused on her face the longest. Even as said girl marched her way over towards Nayeon with her arms crossed, quite visibly upset, Nayeon sported a goofy smile on her face. The girl’s mouth was moving, but Nayeon was still in another world, connecting the moles on her face as if they were stars forming constellations.
“Are you listening?”
Nayeon was brought back to reality when a pair of snapping fingers invaded her line of vision.
“Huh?”
“Why are you here?”
“So you must be Mina.” Nayeon ignored her question. “Or should I say, Princess Mina.” The thief raised her eyebrows.
“Don’t call me that.” She eyed Nayeon’s ragged clothes. This girl was obviously not a knight…or someone of a high status. “You don’t work for my father,” Mina said, eyes narrowing.
“Correct.”
“Why are you here?” Mina questioned again.
Nayeon figured there was no point in beating around the bush.
“I have come to save you, m’lady.” Nayeon bowed. After a few seconds of silence, Nayeon gazed up at the princess only to find her looking back at her with a lack of interest. Mina's eyes trailed over Nayeon’s figure once again and snorted.
“ You ? Save me?” Mina was amused. Nayeon couldn’t help but feel a little offended. Before Nayeon could defend herself, the princess spoke again. “I don’t need saving.” Mina rolled her eyes and began to walk away.
Nayeon ran after her.
“Where are you going?”
“None of your business.” Mina replied, hoping Nayeon would just go away, but alas, the thief was right behind her. “You know, you’re lucky Sana took a liking to your friend. I would have had her burn you guys to a crisp.”
Speaking of friends…
Momo.
Nayeon totally forgot about Momo. It was crazy what pretty girls did to the brain.
“Where did she take Momo?”
“Her cave.” Mina shrugged. “She’s not going to hurt her, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
—
“Please don’t hurt me!” Momo pleaded, scooting away. Her back met the jagged surface of the cave wall.
“Why would I hurt something as beautiful and treasurable as you?”
Momo opened her eyes. Sana was standing over her, head tilted to the side. If Momo weren’t so afraid right now, she’d focus on the fact that Sana kind of looked like a puppy. Sana pulled Momo onto her feet and gently held her face. Momo followed Sana’s eyes. It was weird, being so deeply analyzed.
Sana believed she had the largest gemstone collection in all the land. She was a dragon after all. Being a hoarder was her specialty. She definitely loved to collect pretty and shiny things. This human, though, was the most extraordinary thing she had come across in all her years of living. Even the shiniest and largest diamond she owned was incomparable. This human had no flaws. She was perfect .
“Are you going to tell me your name or am I just going to have to keep calling you Cutie?”
Momo gulped. Sana’s face was so close. She could feel the warmth of every breath she exhaled against her cheek.
“Momo.” Her voice was low. “My name is Momo.”
“Momo.” Sana tested the name on her tongue.
The dragon let go of her face, her hand lowered until she reached Momo’s fingers and tangled them with her own.
“Momo, you make all of these gems around us look like boring old rocks.”
Sana’s gaze was intense. Momo found it difficult to maintain eye contact with her. It was even more difficult to prevent the blush that was now spreading across her cheeks.
—
By the time lunch came around, Nayeon and her friend were still here much to Mina’s dismay. Getting rid of Momo was an impossible task at this point. Sana appeared to be very smitten by her. The sight of Sana lounging on Momo’s lap when there was an empty seat right next to her was enough evidence of that. Unfortunately, that also meant getting rid of Nayeon was just as impossible. From what Mina had observed, Nayeon and Momo were very much a package deal.
“Why are you so nervous?” Sana questioned in a teasing tone, as she trailed her fingers along Momo’s arm up to her shoulder.
“No reason,” Momo said, hyper aware of the feeling of her touch against her skin.
“You sure?” Sana was batting her eyelashes now.
“You’re just too pretty is all…” Momo shyly admitted.
Sana cooed and patted Momo’s cheek.
Yeah…getting rid of Momo and Nayeon was not happening anytime soon.
Mina picked at her food, trying to ignore the gag inducing couple-to-be. She felt a nudge to her side and turned to Nayeon with a scowl.
“You see that, princess?” Nayeon nodded towards the other two. She cringed at the sight of Sana feeding Momo, before facing Mina again. “That’s going to be us.”
“I would rather die.” Mina rolled her eyes for maybe the hundredth time today.
“Oh, we won’t be as gross as them…if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Mina laughed in disbelief. This girl was unbelievable. So… shameless .
“You’re delusional.”
“I’ll show you just how much of a catch I am, Princess Mina. Wait and see.”