Beautifully Untamed

Chapter One

Present Day

“Don’t touch that.”

A young dark haired man blinked, turning his black eyes towards the elderly male that sat on the other side of the desk that separated them. There were familiar features between both of them. Handsome and pure features that would make anyone stop and stare. It was easy to tell that they were related.

“What is that, father?” the young man asked causing the elderly man to sigh in desperation, while shaking his head.

“You really do let your mind wonder, don’t you little brother,” another young male scoffed, knocking his fingers over the slightly younger man’s head. “Dad just said that they were Dragon Orbs, Seung Hyun,” the man forced a smile despite the look that his younger gave him.

“You don’t have to hit me, Siwon-hyung” Seung Hyun glared, rubbing his forehead, before turning his eyes back to the luring round shaped glittering rocks. They were called orbs because of the way that they were shaped, but it was easy for Seung Hyun to see that they were actually binding stones- seals. Stones made to bind supernatural forces into them, more powerful than shrines of the olden days. At least, that was what he had always been taught.  

Siwon hummed, glancing at the stones as well.

“They say that they came from the heavens, rained down in a shower of fire that spewed through the air back in the past, before the earth was fully formed,” their father continued to tell the story he had been before he had stopped Seung Hyun from touching the Dragon Orbs.

“They?” Seung Hyun asked with confusion.

“The Dragons,” His brother grumbled.

Their father continued. “Our Ancestors say that out of all the dragons that were born from that day, several were killed. The dragons were completely driven out of existence because, humans were not about to let them survive. But amongst the bloodshed a young one had survived.”

“You expect us to believe this, really dad?” Siwon scoffed, taking the seat beside Seung Hyun’s. “You expect us to believe that scaly big dinosaur looking things, which might have breathed fire and had wings actually existed back then?”

“Siwon, you are to shut up and listen closely. Our family has not passed these stories down over the years to be laughed at.” The elderly man snapped. Siwon didn’t even flinch. Seung Hyun on the other hand kept his eyes fixated on the Dragon Orbs. He was always easily distracted by beautiful things, no matter whether person or object. But he couldn’t decide whether the shine of the stones or what it was that actually lured his attention this time.  

“What happened to the dragon that survived?” Seung Hyun asked out of nowhere, causing both his father and brother to turn sharply on him. Seung Hyun snapped his head up, looking back and forth between both men, feeling judged. “What is it?”

Their father chuckled, before sighing and shaking his head. “The dragon was slashed across its chest, and was locked away with a very strong spell, one that stripped him of his powers. Powers they say are still locked on these Orbs.” He patted the two rocks, “Since then it was never seen, and these Orbs that remained were forever kept locked, in hopes that it would never return.” Seung Hyun watched his father with slightly widened eyes, “They say a dragon without its powers is doomed to parish, for it cannot survive. I have no doubts that it would never return,” The man finished off in an eerie way. Both Seung Hyun and Siwon found themselves holding their breath as they stared at the look that crossed their father’s eyes.

The fireplace suddenly cracked, and the man let out a hearty laugh when he saw both his boys jump as they were startled.

“Talk about scary,” Siwon said, getting to his feet. Seung Hyun sighed, looking towards his brother before looking back to his father.

“Father, this story…”

“It’s just a story little brother. Dad just wants us to know, nothing special.” Siwon waved his hand away carelessly as he walked out of the room. Seung Hyun glared at his brother’s retreating back before his attention was called back to his father when the man cleared his throat.

“Your brother is sort of right I suppose. The story is just a story, but it’s special because it’s a story only within our family,” the father said, “its stories to remember from our roots.” He stood up, grunting; “Now this old man will go on and get himself to bed.” He started to move away when he paused and looked at Seung Hyun again, “I heard from your mother that you will be graduating soon, I expect to sit front row on your day my son,” the old man patted Seung Hyun’s shoulder.

“Yes father,” Seung Hyun murmured. His father hummed, closing the lid on the stones and then slowly made his way out of the room.

Seung Hyun sighed as his thoughts turned back to reality. He was graduating soon with a major in graphic design and another in theatre. He also had a safe job, seeing as his internship had turned into more and he had been hired. He was doing well. Not what his parents expected from him as they wanted him to be a doctor like his brother, but Seung Hyun didn’t feel like he had the potential for that. His ideas always ran creatively.

Just as Seung Hyun was going to get up from his seat as he remembered that he should get to working on his final project, he felt a strange tug deep in his chest. A sort of pulse that pulled on his heart strings and left him a bit suffocated. Seung Hyun turned his head back to the box on the table.

It seemed to hum with a lure and his fingers itched to pull the top off. His mind went blank and his hand moved on its own accord, reaching out. His fingers had barely brushed the box when the door opened and his brother ran in, sounding excited.

“Seung Hyun! The girls are here, come”

Seung Hyun gasped and turned his head. “What?”

Siwon narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his brother before sighing. “Remember, the pretty blond Chaerin, and the fair red head Bom, she’s mine by the way,” Siwon smirked, “And they’ve brought their pretty friends.” That was all Siwon said before he rushed back out the door.

Seung Hyun jolted upright, forgetting the box with the Dragon Orbs and moved to chase after his brother. “Who said you get to choose!” he called out as he ran out to the living room. As soon as he was out there, the girls turned to him, showering him as much attention as they were Siwon.

Besides finals, and any other work that had to be done, Christmas was soon approaching, and that meant shopping.

Heavy black boots crushed the snowy ice underneath them.

Bright brown eyes gazed wondrously at the white powder that covered the land around him. He had watched it start falling that morning, but now everything was covered in it. It was really a wondrous sight.

To anyone passing around him, he was nothing but a thin, average sized, young man, wearing knee ripped jeans, and a black leather jacket. The maroon colored scarf around his neck covered half his face, going around his head, and the black beanie over his head covered what seemed to be blond hair, and he was out walking his dog.  “What is this stuff?” he softly asked. He knew he had seen it before, but for one reason or another, the name escaped him.

The small puppy at his side looked up at him, giving him a pouting look and a small whine. As soon as people moved away, the small puppy opened his mouth. “Don’t talk to me in public,” it said in a gruff male voice. “I’m only here to guide you, not answer all your questions, Ji Yong. The Gods told me never to tell you too much…”

Ji Yong smiled at him, before sighing. “I feel like I’ve just woken up from a very bad nightmare again Gaho. I have no memories of my past, nor do I know my purpose here. All I know is that this is not the first time I’ve woken up to search for what I’m looking for, but ironically I can’t help but to think. How can I search for something when I don’t even know what it might possibly be?” he asked.  “I know you know, you’re an angel with a lot of knowledge, and yet, you won’t answer my questions,”

“There is no way that I will believe that you have forgotten the snow, Ji Yong,” Gaho deadpanned.

“That’s what it is,” Ji Yong snapped his fingers and realization seemed very clear on his face. Gaho sighed, looking away from his charge.

Ji Yong was both stubborn and did as he pleased.

If he wasn’t bound by the God’s rules, he would be causing mischief all around. Not that it stopped him from much.

But the God’s had fated him to be the guide and guardian of this unruly being.

See, Gaho wasn’t always stuck in the body of a puppy. He was an angel in heaven who happened to fall in love with a beautiful human girl named Jolie. There was a reason why Angels and Humans couldn’t be together. And that was because no matter how powerful love could be, rules weren’t meant to be broken, and she had ended up dying for his mistakes. She was forgiven, but Gaho had known better, and as punishment he now served to guide lost individuals to where they belonged.

He had been charged to Ji Yong long ago.

Ji Yong was an immortal who long ago had been stripped of his powers by humans. But he was also stripped of his memories, because he had to pay a price for the wish that he had made. Gaho knew the pain his charge felt every time that his search failed him. He knew the pain that he might be doomed to forever roam the earth on his own, with no way of getting back to where he belonged.

Gaho knew better than even Ji Yong seemed to understand. If he didn’t find what he needed to find soon, so his wish could be granted, the time limit will finally be reached, and the thing Ji Yong was searching for would disappeared. Once that happened, Ji Yong would truly have nowhere to go, but roam the earth in lost despair.

Gaho lost everything when he lost Jolie. There was no way that he was going to fail Ji Yong and let him lose everything in life as well.

Looking up, the small puppy sighed when he saw his charge looking up at the sky, and at the new falling snow. His fingers reaching to try and touch the falling crystals, when he gasped, his eyes widening a bit- “Ji Yong, are you alright?” Gaho asked, concerned growing in him when he saw that Ji Yong was slightly trembling.

“I feel something,” Ji Yong said, before reaching for his head with both hands. “It hurts. My head. The pain…” it felt like he had a splitting headache, and then it was gone as soon as it had come. Ji Yong breathed fast, shaking.

What was that…

This feeling…

“Ji Yong” Gaho called, before freezing when he saw people approaching, and started to bark like a dog instead.

“Aww, such a cute puppy,” it was a few girls that walked passed them, giggling to themselves and whispering.

“Ji Yong, what’s wrong?” Gaho asked, growling a bit. His paw was over Ji Yong’s left boot, and brown eyes blinked at him with slight confusion. Gaho didn’t know how many times he would have to tell Ji Yong that a talking dog was not something normal in the human world. That being here in public was a bad idea.

“We have to get out of here.” Ji Yong suddenly said making Gaho look at him with a questioning gaze. Ji Yong paid no attention to the confused look. “The thing I’m looking for, I think it’s that way…no, I’m sure, it’s this way” the blond pointed to the south, and Gaho gapped at him. “We will travel this way this time,” Ji Yong voice was painted in confidence.  

“The south, are you sure?” Gaho asked, perplexed, “We’ve traveled all through the north; you said that the path was there. Are you sure you want to follow the south now?”

Ji Yong nodded his head, the seriousness in his eyes something that Gaho had not seen before. “I’m very sure.”

Sighing, Gaho nodded, “for your sake, you’ve got to be.”

“Are you going to date one of them?”

Seung Hyun and his brother were in the kitchen, eating their dinner. The girls had left already. Chaerin and Bom were sort of childhood friends. Bom had been a girl that had tutored Siwon in math when they were younger. She was two years older than Siwon. And Chaerin was just Siwon’s age, slightly older than Seung Hyun. Bom and Siwon had become great friends and then she had allowed him to meet Chaerin when he allowed him to meet his younger brother, Seung Hyun. But despite it all, Seung Hyun always wondered if his brother just liked Bom’s friends, or if he was going to date one of them.

He was always saying that Bom was his, but at one point he was going to have to admit if that was just a joke he told or if he was being serious. Seung Hyun could see that Bom liked his brother a lot. But his brother had said that he wasn’t into dating yet.

He himself was not particularly interested in dating anyone. He’d never been. But he knew that he liked blond hair, so he enjoyed spending time with Chaerin. She was a smart girl, and a good friend, but that was just about it.

“I don’t think so,” Siwon responded to Seung Hyun’s question. “I’m not really looking for a relationship. I don’t want to be tied down to one girl. Especially Bom, she’s…not wife material,” he said, and stood up to open the fridge. “Do you want some apple juice?”

“Yeah,” Seung Hyun said, and bit into more rice. “But then you and Bom…”

“Just friends Hyunie,” Siwon placed two glass cups on the table, and poured juice into them. “There is nothing more. Guys and girls can be friends.” He handed a cup to Seung Hyun.

Seung Hyun gratefully took it, “If you say so, but with what Chaerin says,” he shrugged his shoulders, taking a drink.

“Are you going to date Chaerin?”

“No,”

“Then, don’t go on saying things. You are friends with Chaerin, I am friends with Bom, but…” Siwon said, pausing to take a drink. “I’m not looking for a girlfriend.  You aren’t either. Being with someone is not that important really, if you can’t learn to care for yourself.” Siwon smirked, “At least not until I’m done playing around for a bit,”  

Seung Hyun nodded in agreement. “And father?”

Siwon frowned, “What about him,”

“The thing he was telling us earlier…” Seung Hyun started but stopped the moment that his brother gave him a sharp look.

“You need to grow up,” Siwon sighed, “Look, there were things going back then that made no sense. They are stories probably to entertain themselves because they had no television. They were so bored that they had to invent vampires, ghouls, scary dragons,” He then patted Seung Hyun’s head, giving him an affectionate smile “But if it worries you so much little brother, why don’t you heed the warning and just keep to yourself. Don’t go around touching or letting the monster nor the dragons out,” his brother joked, picking his plates up to place them in the sink. “I’ll see you later Seung Hyun,”

Seung Hyun felt like an idiot again as he watched his brother go. He was right, they were just silly stories that his father had decided to tell them. Finishing his meal, he decided to go upstairs to his room and do some work of his own before heading to bed.

No more getting distracted.