Yangdong Village, Joseon Dynasty 

PANTING

Cho Nam-gil ran through the night on the dirt road chased by a horde of thugs. His chest began to hurt as he panted, Cho Nam-gil didn't know which was more painful, his chest that was burning from overexertion or the open cuts on the sole of his feet.

"Stop! You think you can outrun us! You are dead meat if we catch you!"

The band of slave hunters chased after Cho Nam-gil holding torches with spears and swords hidden in a pole by their waist.

Ryu Dal the head of the slave hunter had a deep scar on his face, the flame from the torches made him appear more terrifying at night. Ryu Dal led the search for the male slave in plain hanbok 'clothes' that was reported missing by one of the slave hunters under his command.

"Cho Nam-gil!!!!!"

Ryu Dal roared in rage, in the past many slaves like Cho Nam-gil had attempted to escape confinement only to be caught in the end, despite knowing that Cho Nam-gil will be no different, Ryu Dal was angry at being made to leave the pleasures of the Gisaeng 'prostitute' house to find a missing slave who was to be sold to a noble family.

The scrawny youth ran into the Seolchangsan Mountain located behind the village, surrounded by dark high dense trees. Jarring musical sounds could be heard coming from crickets as they call out to each other in the age-old mating signal.

"I must survive...I've heard that this mountain is cursed but what could be worse than being whipped every day? If I'm able to evade the slave hunters and hide in this cursed mountain, no one will be able to touch me...I can live a free man, rather than remain a slave and be beaten to death!"

Cho Nam-gil consoled himself with the thought of seeking refuge in the dark forbidden mountain whose tale had been spread by housewives of how a blood sucking creature lived there and fed on human flesh. Just like every tale, Cho Nam-gil decided that he would take his chance that the tale was false rather than being scared of what he hadn't witnessed with his own two eyes which by the way were raven colored.

"Come back! Don't think that we will not follow you there!"

Cho Nam-gil heard the voice of the men throwing threats at him but he continued to run blindly through the dark forests. As he ran, Cho Nam-gil's foot caught part of the forestry causing him to slip and fall from a substantial height down.

"HAAA!!!!!

Cho Nam-gil gave a blood curdling cry as he fell from a great height.

"Hyung-nim 'mob boss' Cho Nam-gil has fallen down! If he is dead, do we have to bring him back with us?"

"What use is a dead slave to his master?! Stop dawdling and see if he is really dead, take the rope and climb down!"

Two of the men volunteered to do the task, one held the rope for the other to climb down. They were all burly men which was part of the requirement to become a slave hunter.

"Cho Nam-gil is not going to make it! His breathing is shallow! Hyung-nim 'mob boss', should I bring him up?!"

"Do I have to tell you everything?!! Finish him!"

Cruel merciless eyes gave the command to end the life of a lowly slave who was badly wounded.

Pulling out a sword from the pole by his waist belt, the slave hunter struck Cho Nam-gil by the chest and hurriedly took the rope back up.

Pale faced with a skull that was cracked open, Cho Nam-gil fought to hold on to life.

"If there... is really a blood...sucking demon in....here! I want....to live! I..I'm willing to...pay...any...price....."

Although he could not find the strength to move the muscles of his mouth, his heartfelt promise was heard by a supernatural being that was both God and Demon, a Gumiho that oversaw the Seolchangsan Mountains.

"I do not interfere with the matters of humans, if it is his fate then it is out of my hands. Gok, stay still! What are you complaining about?"

Gok, the white ferret who was the pet of the royal, kept crawling about on the legs of its master. The two were watching from a high place as they saw the human tumble down to his death.  Ignoring the voice of its master the ferret sped to where the human was lying in a pool of his blood.

"Gok! I told you I don't want to get involved with humans!"

The gumiho prince in regal dark blue robes took to the air to chase after his pet. Without a care in the world the ferret crawled around in a hide and seek fashion on the body of the human that was presumably dead. Electric violet eyes dismissively took in the sorry state of the human to reach for his priced pet but at the last second, the gumiho felt a pull towards the human.

"Preposterous! I did not ask for this!"

A red thread found its way to the pinky of the gumiho and that of Cho Nam-gil. The gumiho saw the thread and knew what they meant, his body began to feel hot as his heart was beating at an alarmingly fast pace.

"I will not do as you wish! If you want to die then die!"

Angry that fate was leading him to a lesser being, the gumiho decided to abandon his pet that was acting willfully. But, fate wasn't done yet, the more he resisted, the stronger the pull was and without meaning to the gumiho retraced his steps and bent over Cho Nam-gil.

"Do not think that you mean anything to me! One of these days I will find a way to free myself of this cursed thing!"

Angrily the gumiho brushed his lips over the human to pass his fox bead, within seconds life returned to Cho Nam-gil as the healing power of the fox bead took effect. The once scrawny lad with cuts on his back from whiplashes and sores on his feet from constant piercing of sharp stones became healed. He was no longer emaciated and pale, his body now had a healthy glow to them.

Cho Nam-gil opened his eyes to see a man of exceptional beauty over him, without meaning to he raised a hand to touch the face of the man.

"You saved me, can I know your name?"

Seeing the human closely the gumiho felt his throat close as a heaviness settled on his chest. The need to protect Cho Nam-gil grew stronger and stronger by the minute.

"Jin Myeong."

Cho Nam-gil unconsciously licked his lips as the melodious voice made him melt inside. When Jin Myeong saw the pink tongue of the demi-human moving over his lips, Jin Myeong felt himself lose control and lifted the human to his lap and begun to kiss him hungrily on the lips, his tongue invaded that of Cho Nam-gil's as the two passionately exchanged kisses.

The ferret that was the catalyst to the fated meeting stood idly by and watched the intimate display from the side.

This marked the beginning of the eternal love between a human that became entangled with a gumiho.