Bird Without Wings

Gumiho

In the days of her youth, Celine, thought everything was simple.

She, Hana and Yuna were born to kill the demons that tried to invade the human world and steal their souls. Now they were fighting a Gumiho. A huge nine-tailed fox that had already consumed many souls. Its fiery red fur was flaming. Its many tails were shields protecting its torso, and its wild roar knocked them off their feet. Celine swung her chul(fan), throwing the sharp and wind-splitting components of her weapon at the fox. While on the other side Yuna took aim with her gakgung(bow), ignoring the blinding dawn sun and releasing the bowstring with concentration. Unfortunately the kumiho noticed both attacks and defended with incredible speed with their tails. Both sharp weapons simply vanished in the otherworldly heat. But it was only a matter of time before he lost his caution. Cutting through the unbearable flames in her path, Hana found herself right in front of his blazing eyes. Ready to deliver the final blow with her hwando. It only took a second. The partners hoped for Hana, waiting for the end of the already protracted battle. Just a second, and the sharply sharpened hwando would cut the demon in half. But the fire in the fox's eyes rippled sharply, revealing the fear buried deep within. And Hana, began to hesitate. Just a little, but it was enough. For the moment to be lost. Opening a wide maw capable of eating a man in one bite. Gumiho let out a terrifying roar, throwing Hana dozens of meters away. If not for Yuna's quick help, the girl would have fallen to the ground. A bright flash, the glint of blades reflected in sunlight and then in demonic fire. And Selene had blinded the fox with two precisely thrown blades of her chul. The last thing the kumiho saw was the cold stare of the huntress. Yuna and Hana, finally coming to her senses, helped apply the finishing touch. The rich red flash that darkened the sky was the only reminder of the demon. Barely catching their breath, the huntresses moved towards the concert grounds. Kumiho was far away from Seoul, so they had to go straight to his elimination. And now, tired and covered in soot and ash. After a quick makeup session, they huddled in the dressing room. Fixed their hair and makeup and changed for the show. After the concert, late at night. The huntresses piled into the apartment and flopped down on the couch in one fell swoop. What a blessing to be able to rest, each of them thought. But the usual evening routine didn't take long. Celine was the first to get up and went to the bathroom. She was followed by Yuna, and the last to get up was Hana. Celine is lying on the couch in a robe and with a towel on her head. She is holding a glossy magazine with a picture of her and her team on the cover. Hana wanders around the room, holding her phone in her hands and staring intently at the text. Her face is tense and her feet are continuously running in circles on the soft carpet. - Yuna, stop circling and go wash your face. We have to get up early. - Celine said in a studied voice. Without taking her eyes off the magazine. The layout of the house divided all the rooms into three parts. Three bathrooms, bedrooms, walk-in closets, kitchens and living rooms. Except there was only one front door. - I read a message from my sister. - Yuna interrupted me. - And what does she write? - Celine asked. - She's doing well, she's settling in. And she really misses Korean food. - Yuna said the last sentence with a chuckle. Naturally, Yuna didn't voice the joy with which her sister wrote about seeing her father. And the worry for Yuna herself. After getting out of the shower, Hana heard the voices of her friends and quietly, not daring to disturb them, went to her room. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. - Hey, Hana, did you fall asleep? - Yuna's voice sounded. - No," Hana answered. Yuna entered the room, holding a first aid kit and ice in a bag. The girl sat down on the edge of the bed. - ‘We're all hurt,’ she said, handing the ice to Hana. - But you're hurt worse. While Hana was applying the ice and opening the first aid kit, Yuna asked. - Why did you hesitate? Hana didn't answer immediately: how to explain that the reason for her hesitation was a sudden feeling of pity? ... I mean, we never thought that demons could... feel? - If you mean uncontrollable hunger and bloodlust. - Of course I thought that. - No, that's not what I meant. - Hana objected. - Fear, sympathy, regret? Suddenly there was silence. Yuna thought hard, choosing her words. Hana could only hope for the best, but Yuna's reaction spoke for itself. - Perhaps they had felt this way before when they were human. But that's only one version of the origin of demons. - Yuna said and immediately added. - But what's important now is that they harm living people. And we must protect them. That was the end of the conversation. Celine had always felt a constant responsibility for the others. As the eldest, she had to enforce discipline. Checking the concert schedule, demon activity, and Honmun's condition. In each generation, the huntresses created a golden Honmun to hold the demons and their king, Gwi-Ma. Like weavers and seamstresses, they replaced insect-infested and rotted threads with new ones until they had woven an entirely new, magnificent, and strong fabric. One that would become a new shield for the human world for at least another fifty years. Their hour to create the new Golden Honmun drew nearer every day, and Celine couldn't help but feel excitement before the fulfillment of a lifelong goal. As for the rest of the participants, the girl couldn't say exactly what emotions they were feeling about it. But definitely the most positive ones. Sometimes the burden of leadership separated her from her partners, who were like sisters to her, even if not blood sisters. It was hard, but Celine felt she was doing the right thing. After all, the reason the huntress team could break up was either because of a loss of votes or the death of a member. And the leader of the Sunlight Sisters feared that more than anything. Losing Yuna or Hana was like tearing off a bird's wing, and losing both of them at once meant not being a ble to fly anymore.