The Vow
Dragon Rider
The Vow
“I don’t know if I can do this, Lu.” Tao whispered as he walked behind his brother. Luhan stopped his walked and waited for his younger brother to catch up. Luhan could feel the tears build up in his eyes and he saw Tao hiccuping, tears falling down his cheeks. The red head grabbed his younger siblings hand and they walked slowly through the forest. He had to be strong.
Tao was only five, he could cry. Luhan reminded himself of that fact often. He was eight, he was the man of their family now. He thought about all those times his father would look him in the eye and jokingly say; “Look at who’s all grown up, eh? Looks like we have a new man of the household now.” Luhan never thought that would actually be true.
Luhan walked the path they had come to know so often, each a bag on their back. The path to his uncles’ home. The place they would be living now.
Walking in the same pace now. Tao stared at Luhan’s face, he never saw his brother so serious before. Luhan was always smiling and doing funny faces. It made Tao even sadder seeing his brother in such a depression like state.
It didn't take longer than twenty minutes to arrive at their uncle's’ cottage. Tao saw that as they walked up the stony path, his uncle Heechul was waiting for them on the porch. His long hair was in a ponytail and was wearing his casual tunic. He wasn’t wearing any makeup and his eyes were red and puffy. The house was quite small. Made out of stone with only a few windows and moss all over the stones. The windows had pastel stained glass around they’re openings and coming from the fireplace was smoke. It was warm. It was beautiful.
Luhan and Tao had been there many times. Since both of them were born, it had become a second home to them. They never thought it would be their actually home.
“Oh babies!” Heechul ran towards the boys arms extended. Without realising, Luhan began crying as Heechul wrapped his arms around the boys. “It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re here. It’s okay to cry.”
The young adult rubbed their backs and comforted them. Leeteuk walked outside and watched as his husband held the children. It didn’t take long after that to get the boys in the house, their things unpacked and their stomach filled.
They felt awkward in the guest room that they used to share with their parents. The room was an average size and had two beds. One for the children and one for their parents.
The redhead felt his brother stiffen when Leeteuk put the younger’s suitcase on their parents old red throw.
“Actually, if you don’t mind we’d still like to share the bed.” Luhan said, eyes on the throw. He remembered how his
father’s feet would always poke out from underneath the blanket. He would never pull it down because how tiny their
mother was.
“Daddy?” Luhan whispered poking his head out from the blue throw. The six year old
stared at his mother’s face as she slept her head on his father’s chest. She looked content. The
three year old sibling was asleep, he slept in a ball, drool coming out of hill mouth like a
waterfall.The redhead looked up at his father’s face. “Aren’t you cold, daddy?”
Then the little boy pointed at their father’s feet. The man chuckled quietly and shook his
head.
“No, I’m perfect like this.” He whispered wrapping his arms around his wife’s waist.
He stayed quiet just staring at the ceiling with the six year old. Luhan doesn’t remember how long
they were like that. He just remembered how quiet it was. But, not like an awkward sort of quiet,
more like a comfortable sort of quiet. Just enjoying each others company.
“Lu?”
“Yes daddy?”
His father smiled contently and looked his son in the eyes. “When you’re older and want
to get married, marry someone who always makes you feel warm.”
“What do you mean?”
“Someone who makes you feel special, someone who makes you feel like you’re alive and on fire.” He said his eyes on the ceiling. The six year old had turned his head to his father in confusion.
“So...like a witchlock with a fire affinity?” the six year old asked with eyes wide.
His father tried to suppress a laugh or two when he turned to look at his son. “No, Lu...not like that…” He smiled at the pretty boy. “You’ll understand when you’re older…”
Luhan blinked. Not too late after that he yawned, stretching himself. His leg hit Tao but not hard enough to wake him. The six year old moved underneath the blanket and closed his eyes.
“Daddy...does momma make you feel warm?” He asked quietly, the six year old falling asleep.
“Like a hot drink on a cold day.”
The first night Luhan held the baby panda as he cried himself to sleep. The elder whispering sweet nothings to him to try to calm him down. Luhan didn’t sleep that night. He stayed up staring at the ceiling feeling empty and lonely without his father there to stare at it with him.
The eight year old felt the water coming from his eyes but didn’t try to stop them. It’s okay to cry, that what Heechul had said. He thought that as he cried staring at the ceiling.
He cried himself to sleep every night after that.
It was six months after that when Luhan began to show his powers.
Him and Tao were fighting for who got the last piece of bread. Tao took the piece of bread out of Luhan’s hand and bit into it. The elder stood up and glared at his brother. Tao’s eyes widened and he spit out the bit of bread on his place. Except it wasn’t bread it was dirt.
Tao stared at Luhan and Luhan stared at the plate. “Did I…?”
Heechul began to laugh and got up. “My Lulu is getting his powers!” The long haired man ran to Luhan’s side of the table and hugged him. He rocked him back and forth with a grin on his face. “In no time we’ll be teaching you how to control them!”
Tao blinked as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.
The elder of the two stared at their uncle with a blank expression when finally he understood. Slowly, a smile grew on his face. The first smile in six months. He began screaming and jumping and up down.
Tao laughed at his excitement. The young panda remembered that day quite vividly actually. The way Luhan kept trying to turn his water into tea or how he tried to levitate his younger brother. It was funny actually, because it never happened and he would have a fit.
Years passed and Luhan grew quite skilled at everything magical. He was at least a much higher level than Tao. Then again according to Heechul, everyone was a higher level than Tao.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t good at magic per-se it’s just that he was in a family of prodigies. And when you aren’t one, you’re considered lesser, in a way.
In what Luhan was less skilled it seemed that Tao was talented. He was extremely gifted in amulets and runes like Leeteuk whereas Luhan took after Heechul. The only they both had in common was how they both strangely looked like their parents. Tao being the spitting image of their father and Luhan taking after their mother. So much that whenever they went into town some of the older villagers had mistaken him for a little girl on many occasions.
Them going into town wasn’t very common however.
The villagers were quite aware of their family was unusual.
It wasn’t that being a witchlock was a bad thing. A few hundreds years before that it was celebrated. But over time the magic started the thinnen and less and less children out of witchlock families would be found with the trait. Suddenly, only the children born in witchlock families could gain the trait.
Less and less witchlock’s married each other and suddenly witchlock’s became rare. Different. And common people fear diversity.
Because of that, growing up the siblings didn’t have friends. They would be approached one day by a nice child but not too soon after that the other children would come, the mean children, and then drive the other child away.
Luhan was always quiet because of it. He never brought out his loud side when they were in town, not wanting the mean children to come and bother them because of it. Tao became shy. He never wanted to talk to people after that, he was also very cold with people he didn’t know well.
They never had any other friends except for that boy Yixing who lived a few miles outside of town like them. He lived with his grandmother, and was very quiet. He was a witchlock with a healing affinity making him quite gentle. Sadly, his memory wasn’t the best.
In the eleven years that Heechul and Leeteuk raised the boys, they never created a fuss in town. Luhan wasn’t like the other nineteen year olds in the town trying to have with every other big ed lady and Tao wasn’t always getting into fights and coming home bleeding. They were the boys that every parent wanted. They never caused trouble.
It was when he was nineteen that Luhan finally made a friend.
Luhan, Yixing and Tao were in the town buying vegetables for their uncles’ stew when it all happened.
“Hey, you guys are from the witchlock families aren’t you?” all three of them had their backs turned away from the voice who was heavily accented.
Slowly, only Luhan turned around. He had told the Yixing and the panda to ignore everyone when they got into town.
The boy talking was dirty and had a busted lip. He looked like all those other delinquents in the town. His eyes widened when he took in Luhan’s appearance. He wore a purple tunic and a matching cloak that day, the ones that Heechul had made. He heard Tao say thank you to the woman handling the carrots.
He felt his younger brother move to the cabbage cart, Yixing in tow.
“Yes. We are, what of it.” he said his voice monotone. His face was like stone, no emotion. He looked at the boy and who he seemed to be with, just himself and three other boys staring at Luhan from a little bit farther away.
The boy tilted his head at him from after the initial shock and smiled. “Well aren’t you pretty...I didn’t know they had a lady witchlock out there…” He said with a glint in his eye. Luhan froze when the boy moved a strand of hair behind his ear.
When the boy pulled away. Luhan shook his head. “Are you finished now?”
The boy smirked, he seemed to be around Tao’s age. Not ugly, but to think that he could get into Luhan pants and think he was a female?
“I’m a man.” He said with a straight face. He smiled lightly as horror washed into the younger’s features. “Goodbye, now.” He waved lightly at him and his friends and walked away with smile on his face.
His brother was currently looking over the cabbages. The boy at the stall smirked as he he came close. “Good job.”
Luhan smiled at his brother and looked at the man selling the vegetables as he picked up
one of the nicer looking vegetables.. “You did great, my brother always needs a little embarrassment once and a while.” Luhan froze. He felt his face go red and his eyes widen. The boy in front of his was extremely handsome, his eyes were big and innocent and he had these cheeks that he knew Heechul would pull and pinch for days.
He smiled at Luhan as he dropped the vegetable and continued to stare.
Tao and Yixing stared at the older men. Tao with a confused look on his face and Yixing with a knowing smile.
The cheeky boy didn’t take his eyes off the beautiful boy as he picked up the cabbage he dropped and put it in Luhan’s basket. With a mischievous smile he put a stray strand of Luhan hair back into place. Except instead of being uncomfortable Luhan felt like he was heating up. “Take it, you already payed by making my brother squirm.”
Luhan stuttered to try and give a thank you but no sound would come out except for occasional squeaks. Tao gave him an odd look and bowed to the cabbage boy. “Thank you very much, we appreciate it.” Yixing said to the boy, watching him closely.
Though he smiled at both of them and bowed back slightly, his gaze kept returning to Luhan. His smile as gentle and sweet as he looked the redhead over.
It wasn’t very hard to get Luhan away from the boy, he was willing to leave. The only thing was that as he left the cabbage boy kept his gaze and smile on him, making Luhan start giggling and bowing over and over again until they left the market place.
Tao turned to his brother with a look of bewilderment on his face. “What the hell was that Lu?”
But Luhan was already walking ahead of them with a red face and a grin shining like the sun.
The next Luhan went to the market place, he went alone, which was probably a good thing since the cabbage boy
smiled brightly.
This encounter Luhan refused to look the boy in the eye, his cheeks red and heart beating frantically.
When he finally found the right cabbage and payed, Luhan looked up to see the unnamed boy staring at him. “What’s your name?” he said quietly, holding the money the panda had just given him.
Luhan’s eyes widen and his cheeks grow red. “Lu...Luhan…” he said quietly. The redhead wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t hear him. But he did.
The boy’s eyes widened and he gaped. Shaking his head a couple seconds later he returned to his composure. “Luhan…” He stared at the boy for another few seconds, making the redhead’s heart flutter. “Thats beautiful.”
Luhan felt himself freeze up again, he left saying goodbye with just a squeak and ran off out of the market place.
The cabbage boy’s eyes widened and he turned to the carrot cart not too far away from him. “Lara! Look after the stand for a few minutes okay?” he yelled at the older woman and began to chase after the redhead.
Luhan ran quickly out of the town and down the path into the forest. He stopped quickly at a tree and tried to calm down his breathing.
“Wait!”
Luhan froze and turned around quickly almost dropping his basket of vegetables. The boy who had been chasing him stopped and caught his breath.
“Min...Seok…”
Luhan blinked and stared at him confused.
The boy looked up and smiled sweetly. “Minseok.” He let out a puff of air and grinned. “My name. Just thought you should know.” Minseok moved closer to Luhan fixed the strand of hair behind his ear and began to run backwards.
The cheeky boy tripped a little and laughed making Luhan giggle but soon waved and turned forwards running back to town. “See you next week Luhan!”
Luhan could hear the glee in his voice and smiled sheepishly.
It was a month later that Luhan started sneaking into town to see Minseok. Not that the cabbage boy knew.
And it was a two weeks after that, when Minseok asked to meet him one evening. When we Luhan squeaked Minseok smiled and leaned close to the redhead. “I’ll take that as a yes.” he whispered to Luhan his lips grazing the boy’s ear.
After the first night, Luhan started to meet up with Minseok every other night, even Leeteuk’s disapproval. However, every time Luhan would leave the house saying he was going out and Leeteuk would groan or growl Heechul would hit him in the back of the head. Tao had to side with Heechul though. Luhan had never looked happier.
Whenever he would return he would have a smile on his face. Sometimes, he would even make the fire grow or the water boil without realising it.
One night, Minseok asked him if he could show him somewhere. That night Minseok brought him to a little remote area in the forest, it wasn’t close but it wasn’t far. There was willow trees surrounding a small waterfall flowing into a pond. The water was clean and clear so you could see the reflection of the stars and the bright colors on the coy fish. Behind the the waterfall were colorful stones of sorts making the waterfall have what it looks like a rainbow.
“Beautiful…” he gasped.
Luhan felt Minseok’s arms around his waist. “I knew you’d like it” Luhan felt the boys breath on his neck and shivered.
It was quiet for a second the both of them just stood there, feeling each others heart beat. Luhan closed his eyes and took deep breath, leaning into Minseok’s chest and enjoying the feeling of Minseok’s lips on his neck.
That’s was when Minseok let go of his and moved towards the pond holding Luhan’s hand.
“How about we go for a swim?” he asked a smirk on his face as he let go of the hand he was holding and takes off his shirt.
Luhan felt his mouth go dry and he looked away from Minseok, his face going red. The brown haired boy noticed and chuckled before jumps into the pond with a yell.
Luhan looked back when Minseok splashed the red head. “Well?” he said swimming away. “Aren’t you going to catch me?”
Luhan giggled and looking around to make sure no one was around, took off his shirt and cloak and jumps in laughing.
They spent the first few minutes splashing and joking around until Minseok pulled the boy in holding him by his waist, Luhan’s arms around his neck. Then they were chest to chest, forehead to forehead. Their breath mixing together just staring at each other.
Minseok took a deep breath and tightened his grip on Luhan’s waist. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Luhan felt his heart stop.
Before either of them knew it, their lips were on each others and Luhan felt like he had been electrocuted.
“Marry someone who always makes you feel warm.”
That’s what his father had said.
Later on that evening, Luhan looked down at his soaking pants and the goosebumps all over his body and smiled.
Because he finally understood what his father meant.
Luhan walked around the forest smiling like an idiot. He giggled as he let his hands run over the barks of the trees. He walked to their clearing.
Every few minutes he would start singing a different tune and spinning around.
“...I love him.” he said slowly testing it out. His eyes widened as his cheeks reddened. “I...Love him.” he said a little louder.
The boy laughed as he stopped walking and staring in front of himself. “I love him!” he screamed and span around.
Tao watched from behind a tree as his brother ran into the forest giggling and screaming as if no one can hear him.
It was a month later that Minseok asked his parents if he could get married.
He came back to Luhan the next day at the pond with bruises all over.
Luhan gasped and ran to the limping boy. “What happened?” he whispered. He sat the older boy down on the grass near the water.
Minseok winced and stared at the boy he had fallen in love with so quickly. He watch as the boy looked over his bruises.
“It doesn't look serious. Sadly, I’m not Yixing so I can’t heal all of them, but I can tr-”
“Don’t.”
Luhan stopped and stared at the boy. “...w-what?”
Minseok sighed and looked the redhead in the eye.
Luhan’s eyes widened. He could feel something was wrong. He could feel the anger and the heartbreak radiating from the elder.
Minseok saw the look on Luhan’s face, like a scared baby deer.
Luhan watched Minseok his entire body rigid. He felt as if the world was slow motion. As if the world had stopped.
“We can’t be together anymore.”
When Luhan came back that night he wasn’t the Luhan his family had gotten so used to seeing. Cheerful and happy. Always smiling and singing. He was a different type of Luhan.
The redhead had run into the house bawling. Heechul had been the first to run to him and begin holding him. Leeteuk had started to boil some tea by order of his husband and Tao had stood staring at his elder brother, confused.
Luhan was hysterical. He felt as if his heart had jumped out of his chest. His head was pounding. The older brother cried as he was asked questions. But he couldn't answer them. He felt as if there was a rock in his chest.
When the boy had explained what happened a few hours later, the pretty boy stared at a wall, as if in shock.”He...He said he never loved me.”
Leeteuk almost dropped his cup as Heechul’s eyes widened. “What?” his uncle asked quietly, as if trying not to scare away the baby deer.
“He...” Luhan felt the wetness continue to fall down his cheeks. “He said it was all an act. To embarrass me. His brother made him do it.” Luhan tried not to hyperventilate.
“He wouldn’t! Minseok isn’t his brother!” Tao said his voice raised, Luhan cringed and cried harder into his uncle’s shoulder.
But Luhan still cried.
And Tao watched him.
He watched as his brother cried all night.
He watched as his brother cried all month.
He watched as he couldn't cry anymore.
He watched as his brother turned into a empty shell.
Luhan didn’t go back to the market place.
And he most definitely didn't smile again.
I’m never falling in love. Tao thought. I never want to feel that pain. Ever.
Hello my darling little readers! Here is the chapter of Dragon Rider, my new baby.
In this story, I'll be trying out a new type of writing style then my others so if you compare it to A;LOS it will be way different.
Don't worry about our Tao and Luhan, they'll be meeting our knights in shinning armor soon enough (*cough next chapter*).
I'm hoping to have the next chapter out by next week because this baby ^^^ took a week (a.k.a four days with breaks in between) and I'm hoping to keep that pace but then again school is starting tomorrow so *fingers crossed*
Soundtrack (Chapter 1: The Vow)
Kirbey <3
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