………Chapter 14…....

Four male servants of his with long wooden poles on their shoulders carried Leeteuk in his carriage to the home of the “healer.” They sat the lavish heavy carriage down on the ground. Leeteuk stepped out; he his teeth as he looked around. He was just at the edge of the woods, there was a small path leading up into the trees……

There he and Heechul followed it until they came to an old worn out Hanok (traditional house), his choga (a roof plaited by rice straw/a lower class roof) was falling apart on one side. A huge branch was drooping form a nearby tree, resting on top of the other side of the roof. Leeteuk scanned the premises “How quaint” he pursed his lips together but then smirked as Heechul walked up beside him. “Well, by these shambles of a home, I’m sure he is not a trusted healer anyways. This will do just perfectly.”  

“An outcast my Lord. Only the poor can afford him. I trust this is to your liking?”

“Let’s see after our chat with him.” They continued closer. As they approached a stout heavy set man came out from the door, standing in the doorframe.  He bowed but eyed them carefully. “Advisor-nim, and his lord.. Lord who?”

Heechul answered as he gestured to his master “This is Lord Leeteuk. May we come in to discus business?”

Shindong said nothing, sidestepping letting them in as he scanned the woods behind them: untrustworthy and cautious. The men were alone thus he shut the door behind them.

“Sit.” The Potions man offered. Leeteuk looked around the dusty room and probably termite infested wooden Hanok. “I’ll stand.” Leeteuk sighed annoyed Shindong would suggest he dirty his posh silky robes by sitting down on the crusty floor.  

“What brings you here? I have paid all my taxes.” He said shiftily.

Leeteuk smirked. “We aren’t here to investigate you for taxes you apparently owe Magistrate Lee. I couldn’t care less at the moment what you owe that family.  I am here to ask if you would be willing to work for me. The money I give you.. let’s just say Magistrate Lee will not be informed of it. Get my drift, Healer?” Leeteuk walked around the room, noticing little jars of herbs and glasses of liquid lining shelves along the room and drying plants hanging from their long stems from the ceiling in front of the back window and possibly a dead raven on a nearby Table. “Is this really your home? or a facade?”

“This is one of my homes. I can’t go flaunting my wealth can I? If I want to keep it secret. A secret wealth you my help me accumulate I presume? What’s the job?”

“I need seven bottles of poison.”

“Seven? Who are they for?”

Leeteuk looked to him, away from the strange things in the room, he locked eyes with him. “The less you know, the better.”

Shindong crossed his arms “Tell me or no deal.”

“Are your really in a position to ask that? You know I can force you right?”

 “Fine, what kind of poison do you need? To make ill? To kill? A spell or curse? A quick death? Painless? Painful? Slow and natural?” He raised a wicked eyebrow as he smirked “or slow and painful?

Leeteuk smiled and looked to Heechul “This is fun, oooh the choices.” He evilly chuckled. “How should I kill ‘em?” He asked excitedly to his advisor.

“A slow death would be great; more natural looking.” Heechul smirked just as sickly as his master. “And more fun to watch.”

“I like the way you think.” The elder smirked.

Shindong chimed in “It takes awhile to make custom poisons. Just so you know.”

“His highness’s death must be slow.” Heechul reminded, “Too soon would be suspicious perhaps.”

The healer tilted his head and cocked his eyebrow “Did you say highness?”

“Damnit heechul.” Leeteuk slapped him harshly on the cheek, the sharp sting caused the advisor to stumble back.

Shindong smirked “That will cost you extra if I am going to commit treason against the King.”

“I’ll pay anything. You’ll do it?”

To be honest the twisted man didn’t care it was royalty, the potions master loved torturing people; this was fun for him, he was excited to see who his victims could be, the fact it was royalty made it even more alluring, practically getting off on the fact he could kill such an important person and add to his long list of others he has made depart this world; he played it cool as he replied though. “I haven’t decided yet. Tell me..So who are the others for?”  The depraved man smirked.

Leeteuk finally divulged “His wife, the prince, the prince’s lover, the prince’s personal guard, the prince’s friend, and his advisor.”

ertedly smirking Shindong chuckled “Anyone else?”

“Do you dare laugh at me?” Leeteuk crowded into him, towering above him.

“N-no.”

Leeteuk did think about it a moment. He did want to get rid of the officials that would pass laws allowing this all to take place. He sighed and decided against it: can’t kill everyone. “This will be all. Explain to me in detail your potions. What’s this one with a dog on it?” He walked back to the shelf he had been previously standing near and picked up a glass vile, with a white label with a black silhouette of a canine on it.

Shindong smirked, more than happy to explain. The dirty old wooden beams creaked under his feet as he shuffled along the dusty floorboards to the shelves “It morphs one into the animal on the label. They start off really sick for 24 hours. Then on the proceeding night while sleeping the metamorphosis happens. I like to use that on people whom resemble the scum that they are.”

Leeteuk smirked “Kim Jonghyun, he is a dog, the dirt beneath my feet. I’ll take some of that for him. It suits the prince’s trashy friend. Don’t ya think? Low class in our kingdom, low class in the animal kingdom as well. ” He glanced at Heechul who nodded in agreement.

“Lord,” Heechul suggested “Why not turn them all to animals. If we never kill them, they can’t charge us of a crime can they? No treason if they can’t find a dead human body.”

“True, good point.” He turned to Shindong once more “Yes we will go with this for all 7 of them.”He glanced back to Heechul with a smile “An animal can’t tell on you either.”

“Well” Shindong began to explain “They can talk Hangeul for awhile until the transformation is complete. Takes a while sometimes even though they appeared to be animal.  Once it took 3 months; I had a guy muzzled for weeks until he finally couldn’t speak human and all I heard was barks from his foul mouth. The guy touched my woman, and now he is the he is and neutered.” He smirked. “Teach that bastard to touch things that belong to me.”

“Hey Heechul maybe you could use this on the Queen’s physician for slapping you and not giving you what you wanted last night.” The sick man joked before deciding on the rest. He perused the shelf. “Ah! This is perfect!” the mad man chuckled maniacally. “That Chief Guard of Jinki’s.. what’s his name?”

“Choi Minho my lord.”

“Yes, that’s it.” He snickered again while picking up a little vile “A  dart frog? See how well he protects Jinki and Taemin now as a small teeny tiny harmless frog.”   

“Yes also known as a tree frog. Highly poisons themselves due to their diet…well if they are fed the right diet of course.” Shindong winked. “Heck you could change him and feed him and then just have him poison the royals himself.” He laughed evilly “That would be priceless wouldn’t?”

Leeteuk grinned “I like this guy.” Heechul nodded.

Heechul picked one “Black kitten?”

“For Taemin?” Leeteuk asked and the other nodded again. “A kitten is a weak powerless animal just like him. I agree with your choice.” A bottle caught the devil’s eye “..Oh and this!... HAHA Our future leader a defenseless little bunny rabbit on a throne and his stupid royal spouse a vulnerable kitten. Aw how cute. Try and fight me with your fluffy paws.” A round of diabolical laughter roared in the dingy room. Leeteuk handed the healer the little glasses they had chosen thus far and continued to look around. “hmm, what about his advisor Kibum?” he thought aloud.

“May I suggest?” Shindong asked.

“Sure why not, I’m having fun.” The evil lord smiled.

“Well, this here Lord.” He set the bottles on a table and searched for what he was looking for..He opened up a drawer near the wall and scooted junk out of the way, little bottles and random odds and ends rolled around being swiped around in the drawer. “It’s something new I have tried recently. …  A ha! Here it is..” He picked it up and walked it over to Leeteuk.  “A fox!  They eat rabbits.” He winked.  “If the frog doesn’t get ‘em the fox will while the dog eats the kitten and tears him to bloody furry shreds in front of the bunny’s eyes as he himself is being eaten by the fox. It is beautiful.” A sinister grin graced the potion masters face.

“yesss.” Leeteuk hissed deeply as his greedy fingers took the small glass.

Heechul asked “My lord what about the King and Queen? We mustn’t forget them.”

“Yes yes, quiet right. The most impartant part. The most powerful man in the entire SHINee World…how about a mouse? Do you have a bottle of that?”

Heechul cackled “Maybe if we are lucky Taemin will eat the king!”

They all laughed maniacally together; Shindong’s eyes watered from laughing too hard; he wiped his tears from his eyes then patted their shoulders. “I’ll have to make that. I do not have it readily available, can take about a month and a half to make a mouse potion.  I’ll do that for free. And what about her majesty?”

“How about a mouse for her too. I love the idea of the three royals being the prey and not a predator animal; striped of all defense once they morph. Harmless.  Weak…”He sighed happily “This is simply beautifully insulting for them just like they have insulted our kingdom with their actions. Alright then it’s settled, we will return in a month’s time to check on things. You will be rewarded greatly if this all goes as planned. Once I am King of the SHINee World, you will work for me at the palace.” The black hearted man promised.

“Deal!”

“Now let’s go, we have already spent too much time here. This is where we leave you. Until next month.”

“Pleasure doing business you, your highness.” Shindong finally bowed respectfully to the men who then departed his company.