Chapter 2 - Home

General POV

Niel headed home with the half-conscious Changjo, who actually fainted halfway due to exhaustion. He had no choice, but to offer him a piggyback ride. Niel was never physically strong, as he chose agility over strength. Therefore, to him, it was a very tough journey. When the two energy-drained boys finally reached the cabin, the others were already awake and having their breakfast.

Niel slowly opened the wooden door with Changjo still on his back, and shuffled into the cabin, attracting the four boys' attention.

"Oh, you're back!" L.joe said, still holding his best friend's slip of paper, before he widened his eyes. "Who's that?"

"I found him in the forests while following a Larkin."

"His hair! It's all black! Plus those blood stains and scratches on his face... Is he still alive?"

"Yeah... But I think I have to heal him. He was stuck in a tree and even attacked by a Larkin, weird enough." Niel responded before moving to his room. He gently placed the injured boy on his bed and covered him with his blanket. He held up his hands above the body and closed his eyes. The healing process started - green light swirls circled Changjo. Bit by bit, the scratches disappeared from Changjo's skin, but the blood stains remained. Niel uncovered Changjo's left limbs and checked on them. They were still purplish. He sighed, before sitting on the bed next to the boy and let the process continue.

"Is he alright?" Ricky entered the room with a piece of wet cloth, and stood beside the bed.

"I don't know, his limbs are still purplish and there's still no sign of his hair turning back to blonde. This is weird," Niel stared at Changjo with a worried face, "I wonder if that tree did something to him though. I've never seen someone trapped like that. Besides, I think he can't speak."

"He looks really weak..." Ricky mumbled and cleaned the blood stains on Changjo skin with the fabric. "Looks like the scratches are healing! Hyung you're so cool! I wish my race possessed Healing too. This is definitely the best skill to have."

"Ricky ah the Frost race powers are cool too! You'll just have to practice more so you can be like L.joe hyung," Niel touched Ricky's hair and chuckled, "Your blue hair is fading back to blonde... It looks odd."

Chunji and L.joe entered the room together with C.A.P following behind. Like Ricky, they stood beside Niel's bed and stared at the unconscious being.

"Niel I thought I told you not to go out alone! Those creatures are acting strange these days." C.A.P nagged, causing Niel to roll his eyes, "It's really dangerous you know, and you only left a note before leaving. You should've told me to accompany you!"

"And now you're bringing some random people here. You're lucky that you didn't get hurt!" Chunji added, before ruffling Niel's now half blonde and half green hair. "Nice hair though."

Niel stuck his tongue out at his hyungs before focusing on Changjo, who suddenly shot up from the bed. "Lie down, you idiot," Niel said jokingly before pushing Changjo down and covering his eyes. "It's gonna be very bright. I don't want you to be both mute and blind."

The light swirls started to brighten and went off after a dazzling spark. He touched his face to realise all his scratches had been healed. Changjo was stunned. He was stunned by the power of Tarians. He could move his left limbs comfortably, and his throat no longer felt sore and dry. He knew that he could speak, but he didn't dare to. He didn't know the Tarian language. The boys were taking him as a Tarian instead of a human - an intruder. He pretended to be tired and closed his eyes - but his body was actually exhausted. Very soon he left all his worries behind and drifted off to dreamland.

"Rest well, and welcome to our family. I'm hoping to see your blonde hair soon! I need to know your name too." Niel fixed the blanket and smiled warmly, before leaving the room with the others.

Niel laid down his bow and quiver on the table before collapsing onto the couch beside L.joe, "I'm tired."

"So what happened out there? How did you meet that guy?" L.joe asked out of curiosity. He tilted his head and while staring at Niel with a blank expression.

"I was hitting paper targets when an injured Larkin asked for help. So I used the chance to practice Healing and moved on afterwards." Niel said while playing with his fingers, "I saw the same Larkin hurrying somewhere so I got curious and followed it. That's when I saw this guy trapped in the tree half dead."

"So you got him out?" Chunji questioned, "How about the Larkin?"

"It was fighting another weird Larkin that had amber eyes and dark fur. I trapped the darker one and came home with him." Niel replied before putting an arm over L.joe's shoulders, "He was weak and I just couldn't leave him there. He even fainted halfway so I had to carry him here. He doesn't seem like a bad person to me."

"I know you're always helpful,” C.A.P said worriedly, “But by taking him here, we will have one more person to feed."

"Shouldn't we care about his life first?" Niel frowned at the older, "He is still lying there half dead."

"Hyung let's just wait till he wakes up. Maybe he'll just leave for his home." L.joe muttered, "I'll help you out during hunting. Stop your never ending nagging would you?"

"Keep your promise, you brat." C.A.P said, smirking at the younger before lightly hitting him.

"I'll join you guys. I need to take the responsibility..." Niel bit his lips and lowered his head.

"So... I guess I'll stay with Chunji hyung and look after him?" Ricky smiled and pointed at the direction of Niel's room.

"Well then let's just skip lunch for today. We'll set off at noon," C.A.P stood up before grabbing Niel's favourite fruit and handing it to him, "You haven't had your breakfast, idiot."

Niel smiled brightly at C.A.P and mouthed 'thank you', relieved that the older was not mad at him, before gleefully munching on the sweet ripe fruit.

L.joe and Niel followed C.A.P to the supplies room in the basement - it was stocked with weapons, food and all supplies they needed to survive in the wild.

"I don't think we have enough arrows." L.joe told the older before settling down on the worn out wooden stool at the corner.

"But hyung, isn't it your Last Day today? You can still use the Frost-powers, can't you?" Niel asked, while helping C.A.P to take the wood for arrow-making, "You don't need arrows yet..."

"Yeah, but we still have to keep stock right?" L.joe responded softly, and leaned against the cold wooden wall. Niel stared at his hyung while pouting, before nodding slightly and turning his attention to C.A.P. Why is L.joe acting so weird today?  Niel started to worry about his hyung - L.joe was his favourite hyung after all.

To not waste any more time, C.A.P and Niel started making the arrows, while L.joe just sat there watching his companions with a blank expression. C.A.P carefully but mechanically carved the tip of the strong and straight dowels, the thin sticks of wood that Niel managed to grow directly out of a random tree beside their cabin last Spring.

Ricky came up with this witty idea when he was told to cut wood for arrow-making, as a punishment for misusing the original stock as firewood. The encyclopedia that had been left untouched in the supplies room gave the boy this inspiration. Having the help from his kind hyung, Niel, they finally figured out this smart utilisation of the Lush race's powers.

Niel tried hard to hold back his laughter at the thought of how Ricky desperately begged him for help, before he took the sharpened dowels from C.A.P. He carefully cut the end vertically to form a cross-shaped slit for holding feathers in place. Then, he took the feathers acquired from aves they had hunted in the past few weeks, and swiftly slid them into the gaps.

The boring process didn't last long as C.A.P and Niel stayed highly focused and worked efficiently. They stopped after they filled up six quivers, which could hold six dozens of arrows in total. C.A.P smiled in satisfaction, and took two quivers with him before walking up the stairs.

"This is so tiring, and this is why I hate hunting with bows and arrows." C.A.P complained as he walked upstairs, "L.joe you better help us out next time, why were you sitting there doing nothing anyway?" Seeing no reaction from the younger, he simply told the boys that they'd be setting off within a stound [A/N: an hour on planet Tarius] and went back to the parlor for some rest before setting off.

After the older left, Niel slowly approached L.joe when he suddenly stood up from the stool and started to leave. Niel stopped him by pulling him into his embrace. L.joe froze but didn't resist the younger's sudden intimate action.

"Hyung... Did something happen? Why are you so down today?" Niel questioned, still holding his hyung from behind. "Niellie is always here for you," he singsonged, before snapping his fingers to produce a swirl of lime green sparkles that landed lightly on L.joe's left cheek like a gentle peck.

"It's nothing. I'm just a bit... Um... Disturbed by my dream last night. I'm okay." L.joe hesitated but still answered. He lightly squeezed Niel's warm hands on his waist to reassure the younger as well as himself.

"A nightmare? Byunghunnie need not be afraid 'cause Niellie is going to protect him no matter what." Niel teased but tightened his embrace, "What did you dream of anyway?"

"It's really nothing cool. I'm sure you don't wanna know." L.joe sighed as he recalled his terrifying nightmare, "Hopefully it won't come true like how my dreams often do..."

"It sounds interesting though?" Niel giggled and rested his chin on L.joe's shoulder.

"Hey I'm serious," L.joe said, "Let's not talk about this now 'cause I'm not in the mood."

"Okay then," Niel responded, "but you need to smile 'cause you look like you're half-dead now." Niel finally released the older from his tight embrace, and started equipping himself in preparation for the hunt.

Niel passed an arm guard to L.joe before wearing one himself. He then wore his gloves and took C.A.P's spear before leaving the basement. "Hyung, take your own bow and two daggers please, " Niel told his hyung.

"Hm," L.joe responded, "I'll come in a minute." He wore his gloves and obeyed the younger's order before pacing up the stairs to join the others. He sighed again at the thought of his nightmare, still praying that it wouldn't become reality. The sight of his beloved crying over his death was definitely not lovely.

Changjo sneakily peeped through the crack between the pillow and the blanket that he had pulled over his head since Niel left the room. No one's here, great. He enjoyed the scent of his 'saviour' a bit too much - he couldn't refrain from burying himself in the flowery scent and the softness of the bed like a puppy. What am I even doing... I can hardly recall how I ended up here.

After a few moments, Changjo finally realised the biggest problem he was facing - the language barrier. If he couldn't communicate with the Tarians, how could he even survive in this place? There were too many uncertainties and he just couldn’t risk going out alone where beasts were roaming around. He didn't want to put his life on the line - but what could he do? The Tarians will eventually discover his identity and that could surely bring him troubles, although they didn't seem evil.

What to do... Changjo ruffled his hair, feeling helpless. Maybe I should just stick to them for now... Suddenly, his eyes widened at the thought that he didn't retrieve the Globe from the forest. Oh damn what have I done- His thoughts were cut off when he heard footsteps approaching. He acted as if he was sound asleep, at the moment he saw the door open from the corner of his eye. He had to avoid any potential communication with the Tarians.

It was Niel who came to check on him. Niel slowly approached the younger, before he gently sat on the edge of his bed. He Changjo's jet black hair, causing the younger to tense up and frown. Niel let out a sigh. Why isn't he getting any better?  Although all of Changjo's wounds had been healed, his hair remained jet black, which was perfectly normal. However to Niel, the younger was still in a moribund state which truly worried him.

Having nothing to do, Niel again used emerald light swirls to embrace and heal Changjo's body. He watched the gentle light circle around the boy, and secretly prayed for his speedy recovery.

Niel went back to the parlor to join his hyungs. He smiled when L.joe handed him his dagger, and secured it to his quiver. He then refilled his bottle with fruit tea, as Changjo had finished it up in one gulp earlier that morning, and attached the bottle to his quiver after taking a small sip. He then pulled the quiver strap over his head and carried the quiver safely on his back.

“You guys ready? It’s been a while since you guys hunted with me - it’s always been Chunji.” C.A.P took his spear and a net.

“Honestly I’m kinda excited,” Niel moved towards the door, “but anxious at the same time.”

“I wonder what we’ll encounter later,” C.A.P looked out of the window beside him as he walked towards the door and lightly turned the knob, “I hope we don’t see some beasts acting weird.”

“I’m feeling a bit sentimental,” L.joe laughed lightly as he carried his quiver and took his bow, “Didn’t make full use of my powers this year, and now I have to wait another year till it’s my turn again.”

“I told you to, but you’re too lazy to even crawl out of bed!” C.A.P rolled his eyes.

“I’ll make good use of it today.” L.joe snapped his fingers before a volume of icy matter appeared out of thin air and bursted into millions of snowflakes.

“Don’t disappoint me!” Niel challenged L.joe by playfully hitting L.joe with his lime green sparkles.

“Ow!” L.joe yelped due to the impact and immediately responded by throwing a snowball he created at Niel.

“Guys save your energy for the hunt okay?” C.A.P didn’t stop the youngers’ playful fight as he was already used to seeing it. He smiled and exited the cabin.

“Hyung, stop it already!” Niel whined and shielded himself from the freezing snowball attacks with his arms, before he ran out of the cabin.

L.joe laughed at the younger’s reaction before taking a deep breath. “Guys, we’re going!” He shouted into the cabin.

“Don’t hurt yourselves!” Chunji shouted from his room.

“We will!” L.joe responded jokingly, and went out to join his companions.

Constant sounds of Striders, insects of Tarius, rang softly in the background as the trio rambled in the forest in search of their prey. C.A.P walked casually in the front while whistling; Niel rested his right arm around L.joe's shoulders as they followed their hyung.

Rustling sounds of leaves from above attracted L.joe's attention. He immediately shifted his vision upwards. "Wait." L.joe told the leader to stop, and quickly pulled out an arrow from his quiver before holding it up with his bow, aiming upwards. Seeing L.joe's actions, the others became highly alert and had their weapons held firmly in their hands.

"Get ready." L.joe dropped his bow and arrow, and quickly switched to his dagger. Niel obeyed what the older told him and aimed upwards. C.A.P also got ready and moved closer to the others. Cautiously, L.joe lifted his free hand and aimed his palm at the source of the sounds. Icy matter slowly appeared out of thin air and gradually formed floating crystal-like ice bolts with sharp pointed ends.

"On a count of three, two, one!" With a sharp fling, L.joe shot the floating crystals into the trees above at full speed. At that instant, the creature hiding behind the canopy dodged the sharp ice blades and spread it's wide and enormous violet wings, attempting to escape.

"Niel, now!" L.joe commanded, in which the younger immediately responded by shooting at the escaping ave. Unfortunately it was a slight miss and the Savanna managed to glide through the air just beneath the canopy. Without a second thought, Niel started chasing the flying creature and aimed at it with his free hand, followed by C.A.P who attempted to pierce its body with his spear, but it was out of his reach. L.joe sweared under his breath and immediately ran to retrieve his bow and arrow five metres away. By the time Niel reached the creature, L.joe already retrieved his weapon and fired. In a split second, the arrow pierced through the violet feathers of the Savanna and into the flesh of its left wing. The Savanna let out a painful screech and struggled in the midair.

From the soil directly beneath the creature, thorned vines shot up and instantly formed a net-like structure to surround it - it was Niel who took advantage of the situation. As he lowered his hand, the vines retreated back into the soil, pulling the struggling Savanna harshly to the solid ground with great strength and speed, thus trapping it within the strong net.

At once, C.A.P bolted towards the trapped creature, and with one blast, he hit its head with the back of his spear before it went unconscious. L.joe walked towards the others and with a proud smile on his face, he lightly patted Niel on his shoulder. He then crouched in front of the Savanna and carefully removed the arrow from its injured wing.

"I'm sorry." L.joe said before he slit its neck with his dagger.

"We're sorry..." Niel murmured with a look of regret.

"Come on that's what we eat every single day, you should be thankful instead," C.A.P ruffled Niel’s hair. “You guys did a great job so be proud!”

“Yeah, right.” L.joe stood up and secured his dagger to his quiver.

“I don’t think this is enough to feed the five of us plus your uh… New friend?” C.A.P stated before he suddenly took L.joe’s dagger from his quiver, startling him.

“Hyung…” Niel whined and frowned.

C.A.P  carefully cut the vines off from the ground, and scraped off the surface near each ending with the dagger to remove the sharp thorns. He then tied the endings together. “Now I realise how dumb I was to bring a net.” C.A.P laughed as he admired the tough net made of vines, before he stuck the end of his spear into the network of fresh green vines and carried the spear on his shoulder.

“Come on let’s go hunt for more okay?” C.A.P said before the three proceeded deeper into the forest.

The trio strolled in the peace of the forest looking for their next target. While they searched for their second prey, Niel picked edible wild berries plants along the way and carried them with a huge leaf he grew directly from a random plant. Some time later, they decided to separate as it would be better if they individually searched for preys.

“Hyung, maybe I’ll go with Niel. I don’t want him to get hurt, or lost.” L.joe told C.A.P.

“I can go alone - stop babying me!” Niel complained before pushing L.joe away harshly.

“Nah, I’ll go alone. You guys stay together and don’t get lost okay?” C.A.P instructed.

“Of course.” L.joe pulled Niel towards himself and gave the older a confident nod, with his infamous eye smile.

“Okay…” Niel finally accepted the leader’s command, “But where should we meet up maybe around two stounds later?”

“Perhaps that tree?” L.joe pointed towards the direction of the tree, “It looks kinda funny right? Kind of isolated too. We should be able to recognise it.”

Niel’s eyes widened when he saw the tree L.joe was talking about - it was the tree where he found Changjo. “Woah I’m here again.” Niel walked towards the tree.

“What?” C.A.P and L.joe said in unison before following the younger.

“I saved him here, he’s trapped here this morning.” Niel stated, before pointing at the large holes that he created to free Changjo earlier that morning.

“Really?” L.joe touched the tree with his mouth hanging open.

“There really is something wrong these days - that weird Larkin you met, plus this tree.” C.A.P said, “Chunji and I witnessed strange behaviours of some other creatures too, when we came out to hunt a few days ago.”

“I wonder if it’s related to the war… It’s been more than a year since the Outbreak.” L.joe reasoned, “Yet there are no further news from the Central.”

“I hope nothing bad’s gonna happen…” Niel sighed, “I wonder if this tree did something weird to that guy - he isn’t recovering even if I Healed him with my powers.”

“He will recover soon.” L.joe reassured the younger.

“Yeah, only if you get enough food for him!” C.A.P laughed and started to walk away, “Come on, let’s set off now.”

“Ah, sure.” Niel swung his arm over L.joe’s shoulders, “Let’s go.”

A/N: Hello readers! It's been a long time T-T I'm so so sorry for the long hiatus... It's all due to intensive school work. Blame school! haha

I hope you liked this chapter :) All Teen Top members are here now~ Do leave some opinions down in the comments section!:D I'll reply every comment heh

This chapter was originally more than 5000 words but I realized it might be a little long so I left the later part for the next chapter :) This chapter is already longer than the first one though haha since you guys said you like longer chapters. I promise to update in the near future! I currently have 1500 words for my next chapter, so I'll just add something more and upload the next chapter soon :)

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