On the edge of the white sands, where the rolling dunes of the desert give way to the bare earth of the salt flats, the change of the seasons are few are far between. There is no spring, no autumn, nor winter, only summer and the rain. For those not born of the sands the weight of the summer heat brought by the coarse east wind can be suffocating. Like the languid roll of dunes it can seem to drag on endlessly until finally the sky cracks and thunder echoes over head; a deceptively welcome relief.

But the rains are no better. Heavy as the heat that proceeded them and sharp as the lightning that splits the sky it batters the desert, drowniing it in a merciless deluge.

As a child of the desert and a proud Jeo Bukto, Baekyun prefers the summer to the rains, but he is only one of few gathered today who can abide the blanket of humidity that has laid itself over the desert. On his right sits his Bata'ye, Jonghyun, a Namaneul who onced called the forests of the east home. Decades of summer just as unforgiving as today, have not softened the toll it takes on the ginger blonde as it paints an angry flush across his brow, wringing sweat from his pores.

From a pocket he'd sown into the lining of his tunic, Baekhyn draws a small cut of cotton. He offers it to the young Brethren, who gladly accepts it with a small nod, dabbing at the sweat on the back of his neck as he listens to his brothers discuss the fate of one of their own.

Brother Zhou, a Sun Ju hailing from the sea-spray cliffs of Jjang Nyi, is once again the centre of debate amongst his brothers. Across the circle of seated Brethren, opposite Brother Ryeo, who sits to Jonghyun's right, Brother Zhou sits head high and hands folded in his lap as he listens to grievences his brothers speak against him. His raised scar of his clans mark singing out proudly from the corner of his left eye. The Sun Ju have always een a proud lot, so proud that Baekhyun had yet to know of anything thing that could break it..Even today's gathering and the faults laided against him will not make him waver. It is not the first time words have been spoken against him and will not be the last.

Brother Han, seated three down on Baekhyun's left, vents his frustrations with his younger brother, pleading the Pyre, Brothers Kim, Jun, and Park, to free him from his obligation to Brother Zhou. For years he has held to his promise and cared for the needs of Brother Zhou, even after accepting Brother Zhang as his kin, He has fulfilled his duties to both, beyond what has been exxpected of him, but he can no longer do so. His kin, Zhang's, Cha'yi, Sehun is proving a drain on them both and Brother Han can no longer ensure the well-being of his kin  and fulfil his obligations to Brother Zhou.

As he pleads his case, begging for his brothers to release him from his oath, Baekhyun notices how pale and sallow Brother Han has grown in the past year. At his side, his kin, Brother Zhang sits, hand resting on Brother Han's thigh as he protectively cradles the sickly young boy, Sehun, in his lap. Like his impassioned kin, Brother Zhang is exhausted, whitled down to little more than bone. Sehun is taking his toll on both of them, but Brother Zhang refuses to give the boy up determined to nurse Sehun back to health whatever the cost.

Baekhyun wonders whether Jonghyun would do the same for him. He glances over at his Bata'ye, still sweating a river. The Brethren's brow furrowsand his lips press into a fine line - the two silver studs in his upper lip pertruding more than usual -  as Brother Han describes how, like a leech Sehun, drains the life from Borther Zhang faster than he can replenish it. "It takes all my strength to bring him back to consciousness, strength I can't afford to waste on Zhou Mi."

Brother Zhou snorts indignanty. "Waste? When did I last beg your strength? More than two months ago at least and yet you don't hear me sobbing to the Pyre and our brothers about how you willing starve me, because I know I should. Your oath to me is older than your oath to him and yet I don't complain because he is your kin."

"That's right! And he doesn't deserve how you would have me neglect him, because you chose to refuse a kin."

"Because I would have rather starved than bind myself to you."

"And yet you ar-"

"Silence." The First Pryre and oldest of the Brethren, Brother Kim, commands. "This endless arguement grates my ears. As I have said before, Brother Han, the oath I had you swear to Zhou Mi before your brothers was born out of necessity and that has not changed, Zhou Mi continues to be without a kin so the need that you fill remains. Yo-'

"Brother." The Brethren on Brother Kim's right, the Third Pryre, Brother Park speaks up. "Can you not see the strain his oath to Zhou Mi has put on him? Shouldn't we free him of it before it runs him into the sand?"

"I agree, Brother." Brother Jun, the second pryre on Brother Kim's right, adds. "It does none of them any good to continue to hold Han Geng to his oath. Not only does Han Geng himself  suffer, but his kin and his kin's Cha-yi suffer too. I believe it is time we called upon another to take Han Geng's place."

"Only if one among us will step forward, otherwise I will hold him to it. Brother Kim states, looking around the circle for a willing volunteer. "Are any of you willing to take on Han Geng's oath to Zhou Mi?"

A silence falls overe the gathering as Brethren and Cha-yi alike survey their peers, seeking out one who hold step forward to take on their brother's burden; all except Brother Zhou who waits patiently, eyes on the Pryre, for a decision to be made. As the silence draws out, no one comes forward. To take on Han Geng's oath is a burden none of them want to bear, especially since all of the Brethren present have kin to care for, except for Jonghyun.

On Baekyun's right Jonghyun shifts slightly, well aware that of all of them he is the only one not bound to a kin, the only one who could dedicate himself wholly and soley to Brother Zhou. But Baekhyun knows that his Bata'ye would have nominated Brother Zhou at his blood oath had he been interested in taking up the burden and accepted Brother Zhou as his kin. As it stands Jonghyun has no such interest, instead his eyes follow the Cha-yi of Brother Hyuk, a gentle soul by the name of Kyungsoo.

Han Geng's head falls as he realises that no one will come to his aid, but he does not blame them; commitment to kin superceeds commintment to brother. Though Baekhyun can see the sympathy on all of their faces, he knows that none of them will act.

Satisfied that a decison has been reached by virtue of silence, Brother Kim raises his hand. "It is settled the-"

"I'll do it." Heads turn and all eyes fall on the young Cha-yi, Henry, seated at Brother Ryeo's side. "I will take on Brother Han's oath."

Brother Kim eyes him for a moment, before he waves at him dismissively. "You are not yet Brethren, there is no way you can fulfil the duties that the oath demmands."

"Then I will take the oath of the Brethren and accept the blood of the fi-"

"Though your sentiment is admirable you cannot, unless your Bata'ye will speak on your behalf." Brother Jun points out, looking to Brother Ryeo for affirmation.

Brother Ryeo shakes his head. "Though Henry's heart is in the right place he is not ready. Chains of the past still shackle his mind."

"Bata-"

"Your Bata'ye has spoken. You are not ready to accept the blood and thus unable to take on the burden of Han Geng's oath."

"Then I will until he can." Brother Park announces. "I know Zhou Mi well and I would not wish to take on Han Geng's oath for what may be an eternity, but if it is until Henry becomes our brother than I will bear Han Geng's burden."

Brother Kim purses his lips at the turn of events, but accepts his brother's words regardless. "Fine, it is done. Han Geng you are no longer bound by your oath to Zhou Mi, instead Yoochun will take charge of his needs."

From Brother Park's side his Kin, Brother Sung glares at Brother Zhou. It is no secret amoung them that Brother Sung holds little care for his younger brother. Like many of the older Brethren he thinks Brother Zhou little more than a spoilt, petulant child. According to Jonghyun, if they'd had their way Brother Zhou would have been forced into becoming Brother Han's kin rather than be allowed to refuse. But Brother Kim was ademant that the freedom of choice be respected regardless of the problems it caused.

With a handful of words on other matters Brother Kim and the rest of the Pryre dismiss their brothers and Chan-yi.

"Finally" Jonghyun sighs, cracking his neck and shoulders as he stands. "Maybe now Brother Han might start perkin' up. He and Brother Zhang have been looking like death walking for the past three months. Though I can't believe Brother Kim was gonna let it keep going on like that." Jonghyun tosses Baekhyun the cotton square he'd lent him. "Should probably count myself lucky they didn't tell me to take it on though."

"Why didn't you? Except for Brother Zhou, you're the only unbound Brethren."

Jonghyun's expression drops and he looks Baekhyun in the eye as if he's insane. "Cha-yi, there's a reason why nobody wants Brother Zhou... he doesn't want anyone, Hell you've seen what he's like with Brother Han and they've been bound together by that oath longer that I've known them." Jonghyun steps back and glances over Baekhyun's shoulder where presumably Brother Han is. "If Brother Zhou doesn't want you and you force yourself on him, he will make your life as miserable as he can."

"Forgive me Brother Hyun." Jonghyun's eyes light up as Kyungsoo approaches them with a bow. "Brother Hyuk wishes to speak with you a moment."

"No doubt to chide me for not stepping forward and leaving it to an innocent Cha-yi." Jonghyun grumbles as he saunters off across the room to where Brother Hyuk and Brother Hae are talking.

"So what do you think?" Kyungsoo asks, once Jonghyun is out of earshoot.

'Think of what?"

"Of Henry essentially announcing his intention to nominate Zhou Mi as his kin."

"Oh," Baekhyun pauses taking an moment to think. "I guess I couldn't careless what he does." And he doesn't. Baekhyun by his nature as a Jeo Bukto, did not warm up well to city dwellers - or Gahjo as they were known in the free tongue - like Henry even if the stink of Yeo Shin that permiated the older boy's skin had all but faded away.

If there is one thing that Jeo Bukto cannot abide it is the rotten, sulfuric stench that hangs in the air around the Gahjo, though each city has it's own unique twist, a faint colour to the odour of their people that names them, as people of Yeo Shin or Seong Han or maybe even Chaljaeyeo. Baekhyun hates the way the smell of them burns his nostils right down to his lungs.

No, there was no way Baekhyun could ever abide the stench of the Gahjo.

"Surely you have to think something, or is it because he was Gahjo that you don't care." Kyungsoo prompts, hand propped on his waist as he watches Baekhyun.

"The later of the two."

"But he isn't Gahjo anymore, hasn't been for a while. He's one of us."

"He still stinks like one." Baekhyun retorts with a petulant  huff. "Once a Gahjo always a Gahjo." 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes disbelievingly. "You Jeo Bukto and your damn aversion to Gahjo."

"You Yeo Cheol and your damn neck rings." Baekhyun deflects with a gesure at the aluminium coils wrapped round Kyungsoo's neck. "Their the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. Worse than Namaneul Viper piercings."

"And you think those bar-bells in your eyebrows are any better." Kyungsoo laughs. He and Baekhyun have had this argument before. "At least I know that no Raum or Higan will be sinking their teeth into my neck."

"Doubt they'd want to. There's barely any meat on you and what there is is bound to be stringy." Kyungsoo punches Baekhyun in the shoulder.

"Alright boys break it up." Jonghyun calls as he approaches, his viper piercings glinting in his upper lip.. "Kyungsoo, Brother Zhang and Brother Han are going on a hunt they have asked that you keep an eye on Sehun for the next few days."

"Understood, Brother Hyun." With a bow Kyungsoo dismissed himself, but not before whispering to Baekhyun. "You've gotta ease up on the Gahjo, Baek."

Ease up? No way.

The chaos of the Long Night would fall over the world again long before Baekhyun would ever ease up on the Gahjo.

Famous last words.

-~-~-~-

Five years later

Baekhyun is absolutely fuming when he bursts into Kyungsoo and his Bata'ye Brother Hyuk's shared chambers, the damp in his wet hair 'almost turning to steam. "Gah", He screams in frustration throwing the door back into its frame. "I've had it. I can't take... It's everywhere, damn it!"

"What is?" Chen asks, looking up from the game of Eybulae he and Kyungsoo have been playing.

Without missing a beat Kyungsoo answers, with no quarter on his sarcasm, as he captures one of Chen's pieces. "The 'foul stench' of the Gahjo."

"You mean that runt Yoochun brought in?" Chen asks incredulously, looking back to Kyungsoo as the older young man tallied his current score.

"Bingo. It's been driving Baekhyun's sensitive little nose up the wall since Brother Sung walked into the main hall last month quote "reeking of rotten eggs and feces". Lovely image isn't it?"

"Exactly" Baekhyun growls. "No matter where I go all I can smell is that damn Gahjo. I' m even starting to stink. It's disgusting.'

"Really?"

"Yes 'really?' I've bathed three times today and still reek of Seong Han." As he spoke Baekhyun began unconsciously scrubbing at his forearms as though hoping to scrub the stench from his skin. "Of all the place-"

"Have Jeo Bukto always been such whingers?" Chen asks Kyungsoo with a quirked eyebrow, "I thought the desert nomads had thicker skin than this."

Baekhyun lashes out, with a backhand aimed at Chen's head but the younger Cha'yi dodges him easily, poking his tongue out for good measure the the silver-plated stud nestled in the centre of it winking at Baekhyun. "in' Tae Song."

"They are thicker skinned and thicker skulled than most tribes, but their noses are easily offended. Must be because of those masks they wear."

"Bastards. That's what the two of you are, bastards." In a final act of petulance Baekhyun takes a shot at the game pieces between Kyungsoo with a sharp kick sending them scattering across the floor.

"You're no better than a child you know that, Baek." Kyungsoo scolds, hands slapping down on his knees before he stands. "Don't get the attention you want, you throw a tantrum."

Baekhyun meerly crosses his arms with a huff, glaring at Kyungsoo as the older Cha'yi lays his hand on Baekhyun's shoulder. "What do you expect me to do? You know the code, a life saved is a life owed. Chan-..." Kyungsoo pauses.

"Chanyeol" Chen supplies.

"Chanyeol is one of us now and you need to accept that."

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Why should I? The Gahjo never accepted us. They closed their cities to our people so why should we embrace them?"

"True" Kyungsoo conceeds. "But my people have a saying that it takes a better man to lower their weapon and offer an open hand, than to strike."

"Then your people have forgotten that their ancestors were turned away at the gates and left to fend for themselves."

"He's right, Kyungsoo." Chen stands, the game pieces he'd been picking up still in his hands. "They wronged us first."

"So why then did Baekhyun take it on himself to stand guard over Chanyeol?" Kyungsoo asks innocently though the implication behind his words is clear to Baekhyun. If he hates Gahjo so much why...how could he even

Baekhyun pulls back, afronted. "To make sure he didn't run away, of course."

"You sure." Kyungsoo prompts. He's always been far to good at reading people and right now Baekhyun hates him for it. "Didn't his smell repulse you?"

"Of course it did." Baekhyun bit out, before turning on his heels and storming back out again.

"What's his problem?' Chen muses, flipping and looping the game pieces through his fingers distractedly.

"The smell of the Gahjo doesn't repulse Baekhyun as much as he thinks it should." Kyungsoo answers, knowingly.

"Meaning?"

Kyungsoo meerly shrugs, taking up his seat on the floor again. "Where were we?"

"I was in the process on kicking your , that's where we were."

-~-~-~-

Baekhyun was past livid by the time he got back to the room he shared with Jonghyun. The Brethren was out, no doubt busy preparing his brothers for their respective hunts. Who was it this week? Brother's Han and Zhang, maybe. But didn't they just return a fortnight or so ago? Baekhyun couldn't remember, Though of all the Brethren, Brother's Han and Zhang were the most frequent hunters. Chen said that his Bata'ye Brother Wu had once told him that is was because of Brother Zhang's abilities and Sehun that the pair needed to hunt more regularly than the rest of them.

Baekhyun was well aware of how much a drain Sehun was on his Bata'ye and he had heard hints about Brother Zhang, but nothing definative. From what he could gather it was something that drained him physically, but none of the other Cha'yi seemed to know much more than that and the Brother's were otherwsie tight-lipped. Even Jonghyun, who Baekhyun could often pry information from was strangely evasive. It's suprising really that Brother Wu had revealled as much as he had to Chen.

Maybe Kyungsoo knew more, he was always left to care for Sehun in the their absence. If anyone knew anything it would be Kyungs-

So why then did Baekhyun take it on himself to stand guard over Chanyeol?

Didn't his smell repulse you?

"Damn it." Baekhyun curses, kicking the trunk at the end of Jonghyun's bed. Of course the Gahjo's stench repulsed him. It made him nauseas, throwing his stomach into fits and burning the back of his sinuses til his eyes watered.

That first day had been the worst of course.

It had been years since Baekhyun had smelt a Gahjo, as fresh as the bloody bag of bones Brother Park had brought back. Sure Henry and some of the brothers were Gahjo too. But years, even decades in the walls of the Brethren compound, beneath the white sands of the deserts Baekhyun called home had stripped the worst of the stench from them till all that remained was a faint bitter tang to the air around them.

The Seong Han rat that Brother Park had dragged in was different. The stench rolled off him in noxious waves that lingered in the air well after the boy had left. It clung to the clothes of those around him, Baekhyun could smell him pn Brother Sung, long before word of the Gahjo's arrival had reached his ears. The shock of the foul acidic bouquet of Seong Han, like a backhand to the face, almost knocked Baekhyun from his feet.

It was even worse when Brother Kim had caught him in the halls as he tried to escape the stench that clung to Brother Sung and ordered him to seek out Brother Park. Baekhyun had considered accepting the lash on his back for disobedience rather than potentially face the source of the pollution. But his pride as a diligent Cha'yi and desire to be in Brother Kim's favour won out.

Following his nose he sort out Brother Park, where he met the source of his discomfort. With a well-schoolled, impassive face he greeted Brother Park, relaying Brother Kim's message as he surveyed the spindly boy at the Brethren's side. 

A faint whisper of soaps and oils hung over the boy, but they did little to mask the sour air leeching from his skin. Baekhyun was glad to be away from the boy once his message was delievered.

For the rest of the evening, Baekhyun wasted away his hours above ground, where the stench of Gahjo was at its weakest, watching the sun lay itself to rest in the west, behind the horizon on which, Baekhyun could make out the highest peaks of Seong Mountains where the city of Seong Han nestled at their feet. With the moon high in the sky and the Seong Mountains out of sight, Baekhyun called it a night, but not before spitting at the spot on the horizon where he imagined Seong han to be. "in' Gahjo."

Back inside, Baekhyun cursed the way the Gahjo's stench still lingered as he navigated his way through the dark labyrinth of corridors back to his room. As he drew closer to his room the smell grew thicker. Damn it, why did  Brother Huang's room have to be so close to his. There was no way Baekhyun would even be able to sleep with the stench hanging around his head.

Turning a final corner, the sound of bare feet beating against earth catches Baekhyun's ear. Up ahead he spots the back of the Gahjo as he flees to the end of the corridor. "" Baekhyun wishes he'd walked a little slower so he wouldn't have seen the Gahjo trying to escape, but now he'd seen him. He had no choice but to bring him back.

Chasing down the boy was easy, even though his legs were long he was running blind, no doubt exhausted already from the way his steps sometimes faultered. In less than a minute Baekhyun landed his hand on the taller boy's shoulder, turning him back, hard.

"What are you doing?" Baekhyun hisses lowly. The boy meets his hard glare with eyes blown wide. Baekhyun had no doubt scared the life out of him. ", I could tell from the look of you that you'd run.'

The boy says nothing in his defense, only tries to shrug Baekhyuns hand from his shoulder but Baekhyun won't let him. When this is over he's going to have to scrub his hands with a wire brush to get the smell off his skin. With a hard tug, Baekhyun pulls the boy down to eye level. "I said," He enuciates in common tongue. It feels like sand in his mouth. "What the hell do you think you are doing? If one of the Brothers caught you, Brother Kim's lash would be kissin' your skin faster than you can blink."

The boy fixes Baekhyun with a pleading look as his patients begins to wear thin. "What are you dumb? trust a city rat to have no idea 'bout anythin'" The hand at Baekhyun's side clenches. Did this boy have no sense? Why didn't he answer Baekhyun rather than 'looking at him like that? Wait..'

"Don't tell me you're mute." The boy nods a small hopeful glitter in his eyes. He lays his hand over Baekhyun's, tugging it gently.

"Na-uh" Baekhyun shakes his head, tightening his grip. "I ain't bein' held responsible for any flesh Brother Kim decides to tear off your back. You're going back where you belong."

The hope falls from the boys eyes and he begins pulling frantically at baekhyun's hand. Tha's when Baekhyun's free hand meets the boy's cheek. "Enough of that, you got it! I'm doing you a favour here, so show a little gratitude." Hand still on the boy's shoulder he drag's him back the way he came, back to Brother Huang's room. As they walk and Baekhyun's anger settles a silence falls over them. The boy seems to have given up on fighting, but Baekhyun doesn't trust him. Seong Han Gahjo can't be trusted. Like the toxic air around them they're rotten on the inside. Only those with a foul core could smell so...

Baekhyun's step faulters and the boy almost runs into him, but before he can Baekhyun has found his pace again. Something is wrong with the gahjo's scent. It still smells foul, but its different somehow and not as overpowering as it was before. Baekhyun against his instincts inhales deeply. There is a strange sweet undertone to the smell of the boy that wasn't there before, or maybe Baekhyun didn't notice it before. No, it wasn't there before.

By the time they reach Huang's door baekhyun still hasn't figured out why the boy's scent has changed, or why he finds the change so facinating and sweet. Frustrated Baekhyun opens the door and pushes the boy inside.

"Get in there" He hisses. "Don't think you can leave again 'coz I'll be waiting right here"

With that Baekhyun closes the door. What? Did he just...decide to stay here outside the boy's door, where his scent creeps out from beneath the door, sour at first but with an almost sweet after taste. Sinking to his knees, head in his hands Baekhyun, racks his brain. Plagued by a question that will soon come to haunt his nightmares and his waking thoughts.

Why?

Why doesn't the boy, Chanyeol, smell like sulfur anymore?

 

~-~-~-~

Glossary: 

Gahjo - a slang or derogitary word used by Waster landers (the free peoples) to describe people from the Haven Cities.

Jeo Bukto - one of the eight tribes of 'the Waste'. Members of the Jeo Bukto tribe are characterised and identified by piercings in their eyebrows.

Yeo Cheol - one of the eight tribes of 'the Waste'. Members of the Yeo Cheol tribe are characterised and identified by the aluminium coils wrapped around heir necks.

Namaneul - one of the eight tribes of 'the Waste'. Members of the Namaneul tribe are characterised and identified by Viper piercings (two piercings on their upper lip, see. snake bite piercing).

Kin -  a individual with whom one enters into an eternally binding blood pact, in which both pprties are wholly and solely responsible for the health and well-being of each other.

Bata'ye - a mentor and guardian charged with the care of a younger, uninitiated member of the Brethren, Cha'yi.

Cha'yi - an uninitiated member of the Brethren under the care of a Bata'ye.