Jongin couldn’t help but think that his situation was eerily familiar; waiting for his parents to fall asleep so he could sneak out without them knowing about it.  His thoughts were vastly altered this time around though…  Yixing would be able to tell him more on the matter than any of the villagers could, so long as he agreed to talk to him.  And it would be good to see him again.  Truly.  They’d parted on particularly poor terms but… he missed him.

                Minseok and Kyungsoo, and even Luhan to an extent, had become good friends, reminding him of those he’d left behind, who he also owed a visit to, but he’d found no one that even came close to Yixing.  The time had flown by and yes there was distance between them, but the stupid demon was never far from his thoughts.  All he ever had to do was look at the sword he’d given him and that was more than enough to prompt a plethora of memories.  More than that, if he even just closed his eyes the demon’s image wasn’t difficult to conjure.  That had been the case since he’d left and while he knew it wasn’t particularly normal, it never felt wrong either.

                Even the women he’d slept with stirred nothing close to the sort of attachment he felt when he thought about the times he and Yixing and spent together, training in the woods or simply talking, sharing each other’s company.  He debated telling him of those same women, but immediately felt guilty about it.  The womenfolk outside the tavern weren’t that different from the ones he’d left behind, which he figured Yixing would be amused to hear.  But he was reluctant to tell him of Sunny, or any of the other barmaids who had shared their bodies and their beds with him.  It wasn’t like he’d betrayed the demon or anything, but he still felt off about it.

                For a long time, he stared at the ceiling, listening to his parents breathe on the bed next to his sleeping roll on the floor as he wrestled with his conflicted thoughts.  At least it helped to keep him awake…  He’d refused to let them give up their bed since they’d gotten rid of his once he’d left the village but the hard surface also kept him restless and uncomfortable, an additional deterrent to sleep.  At last, he judged them sufficiently oblivious enough to move and he felt strangely like that six year old little boy who snuck out to investigate the demon the first time he’d gone searching for him.

                Just in case there actually was another demon around, he took Demon Killer with him and made sure no one else was awake or nearby to see him heading into the woods.  He didn’t expect anyone to be up at this hour and they never kept a watch but it didn’t hurt to be careful.  He couldn’t banish the specter of believing he felt eyes on him anyway, but seeing nothing obvious, Jongin figured it was probably just his imagination.  Moving as quietly as he could, he jogged through the forest, feeling all manner of memories come back to him.  His blundering attempt to find Yixing’s pond as a boy; hunting trips with his father like the one that had ultimately led him back to the demon;  adventures with the guys to find the mystery man in the pond; combat practice and sparring matches with the demon in question…  Everything led back to Yixing.

                It was strange how the passage of a year could change his perception of a place so much as well.  He remembered being very frightened of the woods at night, even when he knew Yixing was the only thing he really needed to be even remotely afraid of.  Not so much anymore.

                After his adventures beyond the village, it wasn’t as alarming as it used to be and he cast about with confidence as he searched for the pond he was absolutely certain he would find the demon at, noticing the stray tendrils of fog curling around the bases of the trees like his father had mentioned.  It made it harder to recognize where he was going and he was forced to wander a bit more than he recalled the last time just to look around.  It had been a while after all, but he finally managed to locate the body of water sparkling serenely in the moonlight, wreathed in a mist of fog rising from the surface, partially obscuring the rest of it from his sight.  He approached it cautiously, looking up and down the surrounding trees for any sign of the demon.  “Yixing?” he whispered uncertainly, kneeling to tap on the water as he waved away some of the mist, feeling very much as if he was asking for permission to enter someone’s house.  It was a far cry from the angry onslaught he’d performed the last time he’d seen it.

                The barrier that had been keeping him out then was gone, allowing his hand to slip through the surface effortlessly and he trailed his fingers through the cool water with a pensive expression, regarding the fog with mistrust.  He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not…  Standing up, he padded around the edge, investigating what he could in the poor lighting.  Like his father said, there were also some strange tracks that vaguely resembled a horse’s hooves but they had weird ridges around the edges.  Not like toes exactly but scalloped as if there should have been.

                He saw regular human prints and all manner of the expected tracks from the resident woodland creatures as well though.  Some were remarkably recent too.  Whatever was making the odd tracks obviously wasn’t scaring much of anything else away and there was no sign of additional disturbance near the water, as if anything had been attacked either.

                “Yixing?” he tried again, feeling slightly nervous now at the demon’s absence.  What if there was another creature and it had done something to Yixing?  Was that even possible?  Where was he?  “Come on,” he sighed in frustration, looking around and feeling… lost.  He had fully expected to find the familiar demon as soon as he got here.  But now… with this damn mist swirling around, making him see flickering shadows on the edges of his periphery…  It felt like he was being watched but there was nothing there.  “Where are you, Xing?” he asked dejectedly, feeling his shoulders slump at the complete lack of the other’s presence.  He was always here…  Where would he be if he wasn’t here?

                Jongin froze in his tracks when the terrible thought occurred to him that maybe he just wasn’t here after all.  He’d never said he would stick around or leave when they argued.  What reason would he even have to stay in the area unless he was going to go back to sleeping like he had before Jongin had woken him?  Was he sleeping?  Without even pausing to think about it, Jongin turned and dashed into the water, swimming below the surface and into the gloomy, chilly depths.  It wasn’t a deep pond and he’d explored it on various occasions in his youth, but pawing around the bottom revealed nothing more than slimy grass, agitated fish and the odd frightened turtle.

                He stayed down as long as he could on a single breath and broke the surface of the water gasping for air, struggling somewhat to keep his head above water as the weight of his clothes and his weapon tried to pull him down.  Muttering to himself, Jongin trudged back onto dry land, shaking the worst of the water off, in more of a foul mood for the useless, unproductive dunking.  He lifted the guilt inducing reminder to peer at it more closely and pursed his lips, narrowed eyes glaring at the weapon.  It wasn’t like the blade could point him in the right direction or anything.

                Sighing, Jongin let his eyes scan the area once more before he shook his head and turned around to return home.  Well that was useless…  Still taking care on his way back, since he didn’t know the actual status of the potential demon that wasn’t Yixing, he kept his eyes swinging back and forth in a wary search pattern, feeling the chill of the evening settle into his soaked clothes while his nerves stretched thinner and thinner the more the fog grew, playing tricks on his mind.  He hadn’t quite reached the tree line when he saw something shifting in one of the shadows, wreathed in fog as it appeared to wave a limb through one of the patches.  It was too tall to be a normal creature and it looked vaguely humanoid in nature, leaning against the trunk.

                Was it one of the villagers maybe?  It couldn’t be the demon could it?  Yixing…?  Gathering his courage, he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and called out, “Hello?”  The figure looked up, alerting him to the fact that it had been facing him the whole time.  He gasped when he saw a pair of shining silver eyes peering at him from the darkness, the features of its face otherwise indistinguishable in the dark.  “Yixing?” he asked in confusion, eyes widening when the thing just blinked at him and then turned around to run towards the village.  “Hey!” Jongin yelled, feeling alarm and confusion race through him.

                That couldn’t have been Yixing, could it?  So that meant there was another demon right?  !  Pulling his sword free, he sprinted after it, feeling his jaw drop open slightly when he saw the creature was already almost at the village.  Damn it was fast; like Yixing was...  Sprinting as hard as he could, Jongin tracked it into the village, looking around for the creature and any sign of where it had gone.  Nothing.  In the poor lighting, tracks were impossible to make out amidst the remains of those already left by the villagers in a normal day.  Breathing hard, Jongin bolted for the stables where Kris was staying.  He had to know!  He had to let him know the demon was here.

                “Kris!” he yelled, bursting through the doors, further startling the animals that were already milling about noisily as he jarred his body in the process.  “Kris!  Wake up!” he called, sheathing his sword so he could ascend the loft ladder without the risk of impaling himself.  “Kris!” he yelled again, reaching the top of the landing.

                “Huh!” the taller male gasped, sitting upright in a flurry of hay as he reactively reached for his sword lying beside him.  “Jongin?” he asked through narrowed, wary eyes.

                “The demon’s here!” he gasped, clenching tight to the ladder.

                “What?  You saw it?” he demanded, clambering to his feet awkwardly.

                “Yes!  In the woods near the edge of the village.  It was definitely a demon,” he agreed, waiting until he saw the other hunter approaching the ladder before he slid down and hurried out into the village yard again, looking around worriedly.

                “Come on!  Show me where you saw it,” he urged, clapping Jongin on the shoulder while they both rushed towards the forest again.

                Together, he and Kris examined what they could in the poor light, noticing human-like footprints that were slightly larger than Jongin’s.  Kris knelt to examine them closer, tracing the edges with his fingertips and measuring distance with his palm.  Details were hard to make out and torches wouldn’t help more than a little bit so they both eventually agreed they’d have a better chance of figuring things out in the morning.  It wasn’t as if anyone was going to disturb the site before morning anyway.

                At least they had confirmation though, which only served to unsettle Jongin even more.  If there was another demon in the area, what had happened to Yixing?  Or even worse…  What if that demon he’d seen was Yixing?  Why wouldn’t he acknowledge him though?  Was it possible he was mad enough at Jongin to take it out on the rest of the village?  And where had it disappeared to after it ran into it anyway?  That was just as baffling…

                More confused, frustrated and worried than he cared to admit, Jongin reluctantly bid Kris good night, waving his inquiries off when he finally noticed and commented on his damp condition.  Chilled and weary with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, he retreated to his parent’s house, slipping back inside without them the wiser.  While he had to retrieve a dry pair of clothes from his travel bags, he changed outside quickly and left the damp ones hidden behind the perpetual stack of firewood.  He’d deal with them later.  Even eleven years after the fact, he still felt like the guilty little boy who snuck out when he wasn’t supposed to.

                First he couldn’t find Yixing; then he saw a demon that may or may not have been Yixing; and now he couldn’t get rid of a deeply ading sense of guilt.  Why?!  It was all so stupid…

                In the morning, a dry, ill-rested and still annoyed Jongin explained to his parents what he’d discovered last night, keeping the details somewhat vague, including that he’d gone by himself.  Obviously he mentioned his inspection of the tracks and the sighting of the demon but they certainly didn’t need to know about his swimming foray or who he was actually looking for.  Understandably, they were annoyed with him for sneaking out but they were also nervous about the confirmation of a demon being the culprit in the case of the strange tracks.

                Without argument, they agreed to help spread the word to the rest of the village, just as soon as they’d all been fed.  His mother argued that everyone reacted better and thought with a clearer head when their stomach was full.  Jongin couldn’t argue her logic and while he would have gone to retrieve his companion after breakfast, his parents insisted he go find Kris to invite him to dine with them immediately, a chore Jongin was reluctant to do.

                When they chided him for being uncharitable, he grudgingly went to retrieve the taller male, annoyed at his ability to sleep when he wasn’t yelling his name in a hurried panic in the dead of night.  How did an adventurer survive the outdoors by himself if he slept so heavily…?  After various attempts to wake the slumbering giant, each one more firm than the last, Kris finally came around and blurrily agreed to breakfast with his parents, trudging along behind Jongin, a fact which made the space between his shoulder blades itch fiercely.  Great…  Now he could add being paranoid to the list.

                To Jongin’s dismay, despite the confirmed presence of a demon nearby, his parents were their usual charismatic selves as they pestered Kris with all manner of questions.  He answered a few, most of which weren’t exactly new to Jongin, but he definitely got uneasy when his companion shifted the questions towards them and invariably the younger male’s childhood, which he had specifically avoided on the road.

                His mother was only too happy to tell Kris the story of how Jongin became enamored of being an adventurer after she’d read him the story of the Demon in the Woods.  She even got up to retrieve the book so she could show it to him personally.  Kris smiled in amusement and listened with rapt attention as she gave him a very brief overview of the tale and some of Jongin’s antics as they related to it, making the younger male grumble all the while.  He wanted to smack the smile off Kris’s face every time he looked over…  It was so embarrassing.

                “Ya know.  It was also right aroun that time Jongin said he saw a man in the water in this pond in the woods,” his mother added, gesturing towards her son.  “He always did like ta make up stories.”

                Jongin’s eyes grew wide in his face and he sat up, waving his hands in front of him dismissively.  “Yeah, but it was just my reflection like you guys said.  You know how my imagination was back then,” he forced a laugh, ducking his head and hiding his face, hoping no one else could see how bad that lie was.

                “How cute,” Kris chuckled dryly, giving his mother a warm smile as he nodded at his father.

                “Yeah.  Speakin of the pond though,” Jongin’s father raised his finger, shaking it in the air while he thought of something.  “I was tellin Jongin the other day there have been some strange tracks there.  I’ve seen em around the woods too but they’re easiest ta see at the water.”

                “Oh yeah!  I forgot to tell you about that,” Jongin flailed, forcing another laugh as he looked at Kris.  “I checked it out last night.  They are a bit odd and the fog was present like you said but there was nothing else unusual there when I looked,” he shrugged, waving his companion’s concern away.  “Whatever it is, it’s not bothering the local animals either.”

                “Jongin!” his mother chided as she looked between her son and Kris, picking up very easily that he had been by himself last night when they had both been under the impression the hunters had gone together.  “Ya never said ya were alone!” she reprimanded him with a frown.

                “I do this sort of thing all the time, momma,” he reminded her, glancing at Kris uncertainly.  “I don’t usually have anyone with me when I do go out on missions.”

                “Yes, but…” she trailed off, looking to his father for support.

                “Yer mother’s right, Jongin.  It’s not safe with a demon about,” he shook his head.

                “It’s not like I knew it at the time,” he grumbled, stabbing the remnants of his food with his fork in annoyance.

                “If possible, I’d like to see the pond,” Kris suggested, gesturing towards the table, playing politely diplomatic.

                “I already said I checked it out,” Jongin reiterated just short of a groan, feeling his pulse quicken.  He did not want Kris anywhere near where Yixing might be.

                “True, but it sounds like the best place to get a look at these tracks,” he explained, thoughtful and collected.  “I’ve seen some before and it would be good to check if they’re similar or not.  In broad daylight at any rate.”

                “Good idea,” Jongin’s father nodded in agreement.  “Ya may want ta take some of the men out with ya too.  They’ll be antsy with the news of the demon in the area.  Some of em have seen the tracks too but it’d be good if ya could go with em.”

                Jongin stifled another groan and nodded mutely instead.  “I’ll take them by later today,” he grumbled, pushing his plate away, mostly finished.  “In fact, I’ll get started talking to them now,” he added, standing up and heading on, snagging his sword on the way out.

                “Jongin!” his mother called sharply, disappointment laden in her tone.

                “Ma’am?” he asked, turning around to see her pointing at the plate he’d left on the table.  His lips thinned into a line and he nodded curtly, picking up the plate to take outside so he could dump the remains of breakfast before he washed it off with water and then returned inside to set it back on the table.  He steadfastly made a point not to look at Kris all the while, though he felt the taller male’s eyes on him anyway.

                “Thank ya,” she nodded in satisfaction, smiling back at Kris as they resumed their conversation, getting ready to head out slowly themselves as she began taking care of the meager bits of leftovers.

                Jongin looked at his father for some sort of aide and the older male just smiled apologetically and shrugged, leaving his son to fend for himself.  Thoroughly annoyed, Jongin retreated outside and stalked away, heading for his nearest friend’s house.

                A quick stop at most of the residences he was at least remotely familiar with in the village showed that Joonmyeon now had a newborn son and what looked like another child on the way.  Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Jongdae were in the process of courting or already expecting, as in the former’s case, but Jongin was relieved to see that both Sehun and Tao were unattached at present.  He felt considerably more at ease speaking to them since they listened raptly to his adventure stories and weren’t constantly pulled away by a nagging wife, betrothed or needy baby, even if they did still live with their parents.

                Eventually, his own parents emerged with Kris and they managed to contact the rest of the village, with no small help from Sehun and Tao who were glad for any excuse to get out of additional chores.  Most of the residents who saw Kris for the first time regarded him with at least some awe since he was taller than Chanyeol and most everyone that lived there had figured he was as tall as they got.  Then again, Kris’s aura wasn’t nearly as welcoming as Chanyeol’s either, hence the additional awe…

                Annoyed, Jongin shouted sharply to get their attention.  “Yes!  There is a demon nearby and no I don’t know where it is.  Kris and I are in the process of finding it but in the meantime, it’s important that all of you stay alert.  If you have to go somewhere, do not go alone and be armed at all times.  I’m not sure what it’s capable of but it’s best to be safe instead of sorry.”

                “It’s funny how there wasn’t a demon until ya showed up,” Jongdae pointed out cynically, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for a good answer.

                Jongin winced but his father came to the rescue for him, “It’s true we hadn’t seen one, but we’ve been seein the odd tracks of late.  They ain’t normal and ya all know that,” he reminded them firmly, steadfastly standing by his son.

                “It’s likely the demon got nervous when we arrived.  It knows we’ll find it,” Kris promised with a confident, predatory grin, drawing approval from the crowd even as he stole Jongin’s thunder.

                “How?” Baekhyun asked, just as skeptical as Jongdae, though he at least looked to Jongin before Kris started speaking again, recapturing his attention.

                “We’re still working on that, but first things first,” he responded easily with his hands raised to quell any mutterings.  “Our plan is to investigate the pond where the most tracks have been sighted and go from there.  In the meantime, it’s best to do as Jongin suggested and stay together.  Don’t go into the woods unless you absolutely have to and not by yourself.”

                Quiet agreement met his statement and Jongin stepped back up, trying to reclaim their attention once more.  “Like Kris said.  We’re heading into the woods shortly.  If there are any of you that want to come, you’re welcome to join us but you don’t have to.”  Not surprisingly, Sehun and Tao volunteered immediately, raising their hands at the same time and stepping forward, shoulder to shoulder.  His father wasn’t far behind and some of the older males in the village agreed to go as well.

                Those who were newly married or expecting were more hesitant to go and he nodded at Joonmyeon and Chanyeol in particular to let them know it was fine.  He didn’t want to put them in any more danger than necessary, for which they appeared relieved and grateful.  Honestly, he’d much prefer to be heading out alone but Kris was determined to go with him and if he could make the others more aware in the process, that was… better than not.

                It didn’t take them long to get ready and as a group, the nine volunteers they’d gained headed into the woods.  Jongin pointed out again where he’d seen the demon the night before, but this time, instead of the human-like prints, the area was largely marred by the tracks Jongin had seen closer to the pond.  There looked to be some very slight differences, with what appeared to be the beginnings of claw marks etched into the dirt in conjunction with the print, but everything else was conflicted and impossible to make sense of.

                “Hmm,” he hummed quietly to himself, glancing at Kris who grimaced at the discovery and shook his head in mute agreement not to make a big deal about it with the newcomers.  “See here?” Jongin pointed the tracks out, confirming the hoof prints were more prominent and obvious.  “You may have already seen them but these are the tracks we’re looking for.”

                The announcement made the group a little bit edgy since it was the first time seeing such evidence for some and for the others, the tracks were closer to home than they cared to acknowledge.  Tensely, they waited for instruction and then followed Jongin into the woods, hovering near each other as the two hunters spread out in the front, hands resting with wary caution on their weapons.  The rest of the villagers had a random array of common improvised weapons such as pitchforks, wood chopping axes and even a handful of short swords which they clung to nervously as they walked.  When they got to the pond and had the chance to see Kris inspect the tracks there, nodding with quiet understanding, they shifted their attention largely to him as the present expert on the matter.

                Why they wanted to believe Mr. tall, dark and annoying, Jongin didn’t know, but at least someone was getting the point across.  It wasn’t like Kris was that much older than him…  He was only three years his senior after all as they’d discussed on the road.  And even though he wasn’t familiar with these types of tracks, he figured if anyone was an expert on demons here, it was him.  He tuned in again when he caught part of what Kris was explaining.

                “I think it’s probably similar to the one that I am familiar with,” he nodded sagely, his finger tapping against his bottom lip while his gaze remained on the pond itself, thoughtful and almost too perceptive, posture unusually stilled.

                “I thought you said you didn’t get a good look at the demon you faced,” Jongin questioned, watching the taller male with interest, frowning at his continued focus on the pond itself.  Lazy tendrils of fog continued to rise in wispy strands from the placid surface but there was nothing else obvious or even worth noting.

                Kris smiled and laughed, “I said it kept changing form so I couldn’t tell what it looked like specifically but some of the tracks it left resembled these.”  He gestured at the prints around the pond and Jongin grumbled to himself in irritation.  While the taller hunter turned to speak to the rest of the group, Jongin let his gaze swing around the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Yixing, and at the same time praying he didn’t.  Where was that stupid demon?  His eyes dropped to the sword again and he sighed slightly, battling the gnawing concern that refused to leave him alone.

                “Jongin!” Tao called, running up to smack him on the shoulder.  “We’re headin back,” he nodded towards the rest of the group as Sehun lingered close and nodded in agreement.

                “Coming,” he assured him, looking around one more time before he exhaled and brought up the rear of the party, keeping an eye on the back trail.  It felt like Yixing should be nearby but there was nothing and he could only assume it was the presence of the rest of the party that was keeping him at bay.  Resentfully, he glared at the group, letting his eyes linger on Kris’s back for a moment longer before he blinked in surprise when the taller male looked over his shoulder, meeting his gaze as if he was well aware Jongin had been watching him.

                The other adventurer’s attention drifted almost immediately when someone asked him a question but Jongin couldn’t help feel a little unsettled by his reaction.  Resolutely, he tore his focus from the group and resumed staring  at their surroundings, hand tightening uncomfortably on his sword hilt as he looked for the demon he wasn’t willing to admit might not be in the area at all.

                Swallowing his resentment, he wasn’t entirely sure what made him pause when the rest of the group moved on, oblivious to his hesitation.  It was a feeling as much as anything else and Jongin blinked quickly, holding his breath as he turned where he stood to glance over his shoulder.  His eyes widened in his face and froze when he noticed a horse-like creature standing at the edge of the clearing he could still just make out in front of the pond.

                Hidden mostly by the trees, the blue hide was easy to see through the brown and green foliage while silver eyes stared at him knowingly as tendrils of fog drifted around its legs, curling up to caress the lean body lazily.  The distance was great enough he couldn’t be certain but as he finished turning around with his hand on Demon Killer warily, he thought he saw what appeared to be a black horn sprouting from its forehead.  It was a demon alright, but not his…  Or was it?  He’d never seen Yixing’s demon form; only the silver eyes that regarded him now to set him apart from other humans.  There was something about its eyes though as it took one hesitant step in his direction…

                He was startled from his silent observation when the demon’s focus shifted slightly and he heard shouts behind him.  “There it is!”

                Jongin coughed in surprise when he was suddenly knocked aside by Kris as the taller male flew by him, sprinting towards the demon that immediately turned to run, remaining silent in its retreat.  “Hey!” Jongin yelled, recovering awkwardly as he steadied himself and made to run after them, only vaguely aware of the way the villagers yelled from behind but didn’t dare to take the lead from him as they ran along in tandem.  “Kris!  Wait!” Jongin called out, struggling to catch up to the slightly longer legs of the elder male as he maintained his lead even as the demon pulled away quickly, fog rising up to swallow its blue form effortlessly.

                The other demon hunter pulled up short near the pond and glared after the area the demon had retreated into, fists balled tightly at his side as his jaw clenched in restrained fury.  His expression contained thinly veiled anger as he regarded Jongin with eyes that flashed darkly.  “I suppose you were waiting for an invitation then?” he sneered, leaning closer to the shorter male with every evidence of furious disappointment.

                “No!” Jongin denied immediately, glancing at the encroaching villagers who caught up to them at last, bewildered expressions searching the area.  “But I wasn’t sure.  It wasn’t attacking me!” he defended himself at Kris’s deadpan expression, much to the annoyed grumblings of his fellow villagers as well.

                “Because it was probably sizing you up,” Kris told him flatly, letting his eyes trail up and down Jongin’s body in a manner that said he was too.  “Judging how much of a threat you might actually pose,” he added in a quiet murmur, focused gaze locked on the younger male, disregarding the rest of the group that clamored near them.

                 That was not what it had felt like…  Summoning his own resolve, Jongin clenched his fist tightly and leaned back into Kris’s space, bringing their faces perilously close together as he glared right back at him.  “And I suppose that’s what your demons did then?”

                “Guys…” Tao cautioned with one hand partially raised though neither reacted accordingly, focused intently upon the other.

                Kris’s expression actually evened out and his lips pulled up into the semblance of a smirk as he blinked at Jongin, nonplussed by his counter.  Leaning even closer so that Jongin tried to take a step back to maintain their space, he found himself gasping in surprise, held in place when Kris gripped the top of his armor to hold him still.  Pulling him closer, he brought his lips right to Jongin’s ear, warm breath teasing the outer shell, and whispered quietly, “You have no idea.”

                Jongin exhaled shakily when Kris pushed him back, once more in full control of his expression as if the anger had never been there.  Shaken by the exchange, he glanced around the partial ring of villagers and swallowed, trying to offer the barest of explanations, “It wasn’t… being aggressive.”  It wasn’t like he could very well tell them he was looking for Yixing, the most peaceable demon he was aware of.

                “Come on then!” Kris called, drawing attention back to his person as he examined the tracks it had left behind before standing up to collect the rest of their party.  “It’ll be back.  Don’t worry.  When it is, we’ll get it,” he promised them firmly, letting his gaze linger on Jongin who pulled his shoulders back and met his stare evenly, though it was harder than usual.  Every instinct in his person told him he should run or at least get ready for a fight and the moment Kris looked away with a disagreeably smug expression, he could breathe normally again.

                Taking several steadying breaths, Jongin remained where he was standing long after Kris and the rest of the party headed out.  He noticed Sehun and Tao in particular lingering as long as they could to keep an eye on him but in the end, he was the only one left to his solitude with nothing but the memory of the equine beast staring at him and the strange tracks on the ground.  No matter what Kris said, the demon had not meant him harm.  He was certain of it.  Whether it was Yixing or not was another matter entirely, but it had not meant to hurt him today.

                Kneeling next to the pond, he placed his hands against the ground and gently ran his fingers over the tracks once more.  Horse shaped prints with strange scalloped edges; the same he’d been seeing around and at the edge of the forest, though these lacked the odd claw marks in them.  So either it was Yixing in his natural form or it was some other… peaceful… demon wandering around making a nuisance of itself.

                Jongin sighed to himself and roughed his hair up with his left hand, grimacing at the situation.  Neither was entirely probable and he still couldn’t figure out why Yixing might not make an appearance to him directly.  If Kris’s reaction was any indication, that was a good bet, but Yixing had been living in this area for at least eleven years, if not longer.  Based on that, he couldn’t be the same demon Kris was searching for… not that the other hunter would know that exactly.  Dammit.  He couldn’t very well plead Yixing’s innocence in this either.  It was equally frustrating when he couldn’t get in touch with the demon to confirm what the hell was going on anyway…  Stupid Yixing.

                Grumbling under his breath, Jongin got to his feet with a frustrated glower in the direction the demon had fled.  Demon and Kris: one.  Jongin: zero.  This was so not a good way to start off the search.  “Argh!” he grumbled in discontent as he threw his hands up in frustration and stalked off after the retreating party, wholly unsatisfied with how things had developed so far.

(a/n: So sue me that I wanted to put another post out.  lol  Though you can certainly thank one of your fellow readers.  hehe  Our first confirmed sighting!  And it looks like it could be our dear Yixing.  ;P  And not the best of scenarios for Kris and Jongin there at the end.  Hmm...  Though they did get a bit close.  haha  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and that you look forward to the next update!  Thanks for reading!  <3)