Chapter Two; Of Mythical Medicine and Confusing Conservation

“Get rid of it before it even comes close.” Sehun was cold and rather bitter about the meaning behind a messenger tailing after him, for it was the limiting factor he had to reaching the lifestyle he has always yearned for: absolute normality.

“With pleasure.” Kai responded before heading off to find his company for the day.

He leaped off the tree in fast motion that it’s barely visible in the eye. Whatever he lacks psychologically his physical ability compensates.

As a Vampire, Kai had naturally obtained enhanced abilities from his parents. His eyes remained trained on Juno, who was on the run, whilst he tailed her, allowing the soft wisps of the wind to carry his feet.

Not long had passed and Kai was already only a several feet away from Juno. The latter was rather quick on catching up with the unusual disturbance and threw her handheld blade toward Kai, which he avoided by averting to the right and then used that opportunity to round Juno, so that he was facing her.

Juno abruptly stopped; her breaths came out as pants as she attempted to inhale the oxygen she had just lost. Her stance was wide with her knees bent and her guard up, both hands grasping tightly on her chained Kamas.

Kai, on the other hand, remained calm before her. His smirk was unfaltering, his eyes casting a quite a confident flicker. Juno’s assumptions were correct, his ability to conceal his presence was a giveaway to his identity but just by scrutinising him, she was able to validate her hypothesis through scrutinising him: the bite of beauty on him was aggressive and his eyes were of steely grey- far from the reach of norm.

“My, my,” Kai taunted, mockingly bowing before Juno, “what brings you here, my lady?”

Juno frowned beneath her mask. Her grip on her weapon tightened, symbolizing her great will to survive. She searched for signs of allegiance in Kai. He was a vampire, so surely he must be attached to the City of Moroii- the city of the Purebloods- which can potentially make the situation a lot less tense.

Her eyes scrutinised for that single symbol embedded on him somehow. If not on the neck, the bloom of Moroii must be on either of his wrists. Juno was right. Kai’s mark was placed on his right wrist on the base of his pulse, but that didn’t mean he was an ally, it just made him a potential.

“I came in search of Queen Theia’s heir, Prince Sehun.” Juno responded boldly, her eyes finally latching onto Kai’s mischievous dark orbs.

To further show how Kai was undermining her, he slipped his hands into the comfort of his trousers and stalked closer to Juno, who remained unmoving. Although his sneer had casted him a foolish image, his sharpened pupils in the dead centre of the grey pool of his iris gave out a spine tingling crawl down Juno’s back. He wasn’t to be underestimated.

“You found him and now,” Kai inched even further, “you must die.”

Using the close distance as an advantage, Juno held the closest armed hand to his neck with the sharpened curve against his neck whilst her other hand held the other knife on his nape, the scooping curve outlining his neck.

“You don’t carry the scent of royalty, peasant,” Juno hissed, her taunts coming out clear despite the sheer sheet above .

Kai raised an amused brow. His attitude toward the threatening position he was under was unusual. Juno was sure that Kai could smell the minty lethal medicine rubbed on her weapons .

“Ah, so that’s what it is,” Kai closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, “I knew it was weird of you to smell like the sea and mint at the same time.”

Juno’s brows furrowed. Kai’s senses were stronger than she had thought. To be able to smell a small fragment from the sea that she carried around as a valuable item showed how great Kai’s perceptions are.

“Ah, a Scyllac.” Kai provoked Juno even further.

At the mention of her kind, Juno’s strong guard stuttered, giving Kai the chance to use his ability to ship himself within a quick bypassing of seconds.

His sudden disappearance caused Juno confusion. There were Vampires that was this advantageously developed? She pondered and searched for every possible corner Kai could be. Her north, east and west were clear which left her the option to look south.

“Don’t force yourself, mermaid,” Juno heard Kai behind her, in response she spun around with a guard twice more intense than previously, “you’re as good as stew with me around.”

She overlooked the insult he was spewing and focused mainly on her main objective: to collect the Prince of Turia and sit his on his throne. But seemingly, it would be a lot more difficult than she had assumed.

Juno advanced toward Kai with such force that she ended up having to use the tree to support a spring in order to prevent her from crashing onto it. Kai was quick, as expected and he managed to avoid the whip of her Kamas during the moments she attempted for a hit, except one which barely slashed his left forearm.

“I come in peace. Hand over the Prince and we will leave without further conflict.” Juno offered, though she knew it was useless knowing she was against a professedly adamant fool.

“Peace, my . You’ve initiated both insult and attack on me and with peace you claim to have company with?” Kai hissed at his stinging wound. Normally, his senses would not even feel the pain of having wounds and he would have healed within two breaths, but Juno’s weapon was poisoned with medicine; a rare one which prevents the recovery of a creature in the specific area it was hit permanently.

 “It’s Ziva, you won’t be able to rejuvenate from that wound.” A devious smirk tugged on Juno’s lips, feeling the contentment in harming her opponent.

Kai halted. No wonder his wound refused to heal. He grabbed onto his bleeding arm and all mischief was dissolved from his facial features, those that remained held a high level of seriousness and the distressed keen for revenge. 

Juno witnessed the change in Kai; he was no longer sprightly and the cool dimness in his eyes was more outstanding. Her stance remained geared, welcoming any sort of attack Kai had in store for her and just as she predicted, Kai was more assertive this time.

He charged right at Juno with such speed that she barely had time to counter-attack Kai. His swiftness had been charged up, so as to that he was impossible to be marked. Luckily, Juno had been trained to counter the impossible and managed to save her life by shielding herself using her Kana.

Kai had the upper-hand in this situation and Juno was well aware of his advantage, upon her awareness she decided it was best to play defence and flee from Kai. She couldn’t afford the leisure of being dead; no, she couldn’t afford the relaxed attitude of the lifeless, at least not before completing her task and clearing any potential growth of disappointment and shame on her name. But Kai was far too strong, and it seems that luck had temporarily detached itself from her side as Kai’s sword almost reach the tip of her head, ready to bisect Juno.

Almost.

“Let go of her, Kai.” A familiar voice had made its entrance in the midst of the battle.

Kai was pulled away from Juno and his sword was automatically eased away from his head. Baekhyun stood before Juno. Kai’s friend’s action suggested protection which puzzled him. It was rare of Baekhyun to defend someone without a reason thus implying that the girl he had previously attempted to kill had a purpose and a value to Baekhyun. Knowing Baekhyun, it was difficult to penetrate through his wary and mindful shield let alone pull guardianship off him. 

Just who was this girl?

So I’ve decided to add Baekhyun to the character wheel because I simply couldn’t resist him- he’s a necessity to every fantasy fiction. Haha. I hope you guys don’t mind!

Thank you for the two upvotes and the subscription, by the way!

I wasn’t expecting any but I’m majorly thankful to those who had given me those upvotes! I will try to improve as I go along with this story!

Once again, thank you very much!