Black Pearl

Part III

                Taemin’s ears hurt. There was so much noise. Humans were quite loud creatures. Some stood on the sides of the road in front of the stone and wooden fortresses, yelling about something being “for sale,” others shoved past Taemin, like he was invisible.

 People were rushing in and out of buildings, getting into great beasts that roared and ran fast. Their feet were quite queer; they spun round. Minho had mentioned something about these beasts; they were made of ‘metal’ and were called, ‘cars.’ He didn’t care much for them.

He dodged people, weaving in and out of this person and the next, aimless. He turned down an alleyway, lined with old plant pots and closed off by a pristine white wall cutting the street off from the cliff. He wandered about, kicking loose garbage out of his way. He looked up.

A few feet away, a tall, thin man stood at the wall. He was looking down, his hands pressed to the shining stone. He had a strong narrow face and sharp eyes. His short brown hair blew softly in the summer breeze. Taemin stared in awe. He wore a white dress shirt and tight black pants. He looked over at Taemin, quite perplexed.

Taemin looked away, blushing a bright red. He didn’t realize that he had been staring. He began walking back the way he came when he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. “Hey,” the man turned him around. “Are you okay?” he asked, “Are you lost?” Taemin couldn’t find the words to answer. He was struck dumb. He just looked down at his feet. The man smiled.

“That’s alright, you must be new. My name is Hangeng, what’s your name?” he asked.

“T-T-Taemin.” He managed to stutter. Hangeng smiled and took Taemin by the shoulder.

“Here, come with me, you look like you need to rest.” In all actuality, that’s exactly how Taemin felt. He was tired and hungry, but most of all, he was afraid. Of what yet, he didn’t know.

*****

Kris, Minho, Kyungsoo and Onew had been walking for some time now. They were now in Lycan territory. It was light out, and Kyungsoo thought that it felt nice, being able to feel the sun on his human skin after so long.

He looked over at Onew. He seemed completely out of his element. He flinched at birds flying out of the canopy, and fluffy little bunnies hopping around the forest floor. He put his hand on his shoulder.

“It’s alright, Onew, don’t be scared.” He said reassuringly. Onew scoffed.

“I don’t need your sympathy, thank you very much.” He said, quickening his pace to catch up with Kris. Minho put his hand around Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“It’s alright, he’s just frightened. Taemin is his best friend, and like you, Taemin is the one hope for our tribe to have children. It’s put a lot of stress on everyone.” Kyungsoo nodded.

“Not as much as Taemin though, and I should know.” He said, thinking of his own tribe and how far they’ve come. Minho nodded as they walked on in silence.

Kris looked over at Onew. Poor Onew, his best friend had run away from home, and it just so happened that his best friend was also responsible for the future of his tribe. “Onew, are you alright?” he asked. Onew glared over at him.

“Like I told Kyungsoo, I don’t need any of your sympathy.” He shot back, looking at the winding path before them. Kris nodded.

“I’m not offering my pity,” Kris retorts coldly. “I was merely asking if you were mentally stable. Obviously, you are quite shaken. Who wouldn’t be? Did you ever stop to think how we felt when Kyungsoo and Tao were gone and brought to your village, that perhaps we too felt the way that you feel now.” Onew turned his head.

“I’m just hoping that Taemin is safe. He doesn’t like being alone since, since what happened to us.” Kris raised an eyebrow.

“What, what did happen to you?” he asked. Onew sighed.

“Our clan was wiped out by hunters.” He said, looking over at Kris with sad eyes. Kris let out a small gasp.

“Oh, I,” Kris looked down. “Sorry.” Onew shrugged.

“Everyone was killed, everyone but Jonghyun, Key, Minho, Taemin and myself. I led us from our bloodstained home into the wilderness. We had walked for days.” He sighed. “Just when I thought we’d die of exhaustion, Leetuk found us. He brought us to his tribe, and Leader Siwon took us in with open arms. Their tribe too had suffered greatly at the hands of the hunters. Once the remnants of our two tribes merged, we were sure that Taemin and Siwon would soon wed.” he looked back at Kyungsoo.

“But that’s not what happened, and I think we both know why.” Kris nodded, looking back at Kyungsoo, who was deep in conversation with Minho. “Our tribes are very similar, in size we may differ, but when it comes to basic mannerisms, we are practically the same. We need our alpha male to conceive first before the rest of us have children.” Tears stung at his eyes.

“Do you know how hard it is to hear your children from across the river, knowing very well you may never have any?” he asked, holding back the sea of tears that threatened to cascade down his cheeks. Kris looked down at the ground.

“Not from that perspective, no.” he said. Onew’s shoulders shook ever so slightly as he tried to calm himself down.

“Of course we tried to get Taemin to talk to Kyungsoo about marriage and being an alpha female. But he wouldn’t listen. He said it was Kyungsoo’s fault anyway, because he and Siwon were bonded, and Siwon couldn’t let him go at the time. Now he feels like second place.” He looked over to Kris. “Kyungsoo never had that problem, did he?” he asked. Kris shook his head.

“We had our own set of problems. Curse, hunters, the barrier, human friends…” he trailed off. Onew cocked his head.

“Curse? What sort of poppy is that?” he asked. Kris turned to him.

“Well, spell, curse, what would you call it? Our former pack leader told us of a spell that protected Kyungsoo against the wolves, and it would only be broken on his 21^st birthday, or if he came of his own accord. Then when he was injured, he couldn’t come back in, not until we put on the necklace that Kai had given him. What would you call that?” he asked. Onew scrunched up his nose.

“Folklore, happenstance, bad luck. Any number of things. I believe that he was protected against your tribe. He did tell Taemin that Kai’s father came for him several times as a child, so I could understand that. But…I’m sorry, whoever taught you your craft, was full of .” He blurted out. Kris stopped for a moment, stunned.

“Excuse me, are you telling me that I was lied to?” he asked. Onew nodded. He turned back to Minho.

“Minho, to your knowledge, do werewolves, our kind or theirs, have they ever practiced dark magic?” he asked. Minho looked at Onew like he needed a doctor. A very well licensed therapist to be exact.

“No, we practice medicine. That is the only ‘magic’ I have ever encountered, besides fortune telling, and even that is practiced with caution.” Onew turned back to Kris.

“Ask the woman when we arrive, ask her yourself. You’ll see that you too have been lied to, as Kyungsoo was.”

*****

Taemin sat across from Hangeng at his kitchen table. It was painted a bright cheery yellow; sky blue tiles dotted the floor in a swirling pattern. The cupboards were a crisp white, which matched the soft billowing curtains caressing the open windows.

Hangeng had set a teacup in front of Taemin. Not ever having used dining ware, he looked down at the cup, unsure of what to do. “What’s wrong, do you not like tea?” asked Hangeng. Taemin shook his head.

“It, it’s not that, it’s just…I’ve never used this thing,” he said, pointing at the cup. Hangeng smiled.

“A cup? You’ve never used a cup?” he asked. Taemin nodded shyly. He flashed Taemin a kind smile. “That’s alright, I’ll teach you.” He said, taking the cup and placing Taemin’s hands around it. He put two of Taemin’s fingers through the handle, and used his other hand to cradle it. “There, now you drink out of it.” He instructed. Taemin took a sip, and winced. Hangeng let out a laugh, stifling it rather quickly.

“Have you ever tasted tea?” he asked. Taemin shook his head.

“No, just water.” He said.

“Your entire life?” he asked. “Where are you from, the woods?” he asked. Taemin tilted his head down.

“Um, yes.” Hangeng stopped laughing.

“Oh, well, that would make sense, I suppose.” He said. He looked at him up and down. “I, I wonder, if you’ve lived in the woods all your life, how did you happen upon such clean clothes?” he said. Taemin blushed, looking down into his cup. Hangeng nodded in understanding. “Well, at least you didn’t give the neighbors a fright.” He said. Taemin let out a sigh as Hangeng headed over to the sink.

Taemin took another sip. Upon a second taste, it was rather sweet, and it had a small bite at the end. Before he knew it, all that was left of the tea were the dregs of tea leaves at the bottom of his cup. He tried not to look too surprised as he set the cup down. Hangeng turned to him and smiled.

“Why don’t we get you some clothes that fit, hm?” he asked, taking Taemin by the hand and leading him out the door.

They were down the bustling street, Taemin was holding onto his hand, as to not be swept away by the ocean of people that seemed to glide past them without a care. He brought him into a store with shirts and other dressings upon faceless and armless people.

“What happened to them?” Taemin asked, pointing to a black faceless, armless woman wearing a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Hangeng smiled.

“She was demoted.” He laughed. Taemin’s eyes grew wide. Hangeng shook his head, forgetting that Taemin had lived in the woods his entire life. “It’s plastic; it’s not real, like a sculpture.” He said. Taemin nodded. It was just a sort of statue, then.

Hangeng led him to a person wearing a white shirt and a red vest. “I need you to measure him, he doesn’t know his own sizes.” He said to the associate. She nodded and took a tape measure to his neck and arms. He pulled back at first, but was reassured by Hangeng, and let the woman do her work.

*****

They came upon a small cottage at twilight. The purple hue of the sky gave the home a haunting sort of feel to it. They each looked at one another, wondering which one would knock. But there was no need, as the woman came from behind her house, a basket of flowers in tow. “Ah, you again.” She said, looking directly at Kyungsoo. “Come, all of you. I have been expecting you for some time now.” She said. They all cautiously walked through the stone garden path, into her home.

 It was warm, and Kyungsoo was actually relieved to finally be in a structure with four walls. Living in a cave was okay, but it did nothing for the biting cold of night when it rained, or during the day when it was hot.

“Follow me, children.” She said, waving them to a room off to the side of the sitting room. They were led into a dark room. Several chairs now circled her table as she took a seat, motioning for them to sit as well. They all did so cautiously.

“You are seeking your friend, the one that came to me with the auburn hair.” She said. Onew’s eyes widened.

“Yes! Have you seen him since?” he asked. “Where is he off to?” she put her hand up.

“He left the wood, off in search of answers. Into the outside.” She said. Onew’s heart dropped. He already knew this, but hearing it from her made the pain rip his heart open again. “Why, do you too wish to go to the outside world?” she asked them. Kris cleared his throat.

“We, we wanted to try to talk him into coming back with us.” He said. The old woman shrugged, adjusting her beads.

“Well, that is completely up to him. If you wish for a charm or spell to get him back, I’m afraid I can’t do that. He must make his own decisions, and live with the consequences of his actions.” She said. She turned to Kyungsoo.

“It has been a long time since I last saw you, dear boy. How is life treating you?” she asked. Kyungsoo nodded politely.

“Fine, thank you.” He said. She nodded.

“Not what you expected, was it?” she asked. He shook his head.

“To be honest, I thought I was going off to become a sacrifice.” He said. She smiled.

“No, of course not. I couldn’t tell you what lie ahead. I may be a fortune teller, but there are some things that the universe doesn’t let me reveal. People must find their own way, blaze their own path, so to speak.” He nodded.

“When you said ‘he’ would come for me, you mean Kai, didn’t you?” he asked. The fortune teller shook her head.

“No, there were two men after your heart. Of course, the past leader of the wolf tribe had claimed you in the name of his son, but the Lycan too claimed you. Either way, you would still have made your way into the woods, with my warning or not. Everything boiled down to the choices you’ve made.” She said. Kyungsoo nodded in understanding. She turned to Kris.

“You want to know if what you have been taught is nothing but lies,” she said. His eyes widened in shock as he nodded slowly. She took a deep breath and stiffened.

“While it is not in my nature to speak ill of the dead, may Heaven rest their souls,” she said, grasping a tiny golden cross hanging from a chain on her neck. “But your teacher was a coot, a sham, in simpler terms, he lied to you.” She turned back to Kyungsoo.

“Wolves are very distrustful, especially of Lycans. The feud between Lycans and wolves has gone on for centuries. But that silly feud isn’t what matters now. No, what matters now, is the truth.” She cleared . “It is true, however, that the humans put up the barrier to protect themselves against them. It is true that the Red Moon not only presents a great opportunity for both your kind to make your clans stronger, while at the same time taking down your defenses, exposing you to danger. It is also no secret that hunters have taken a toll on both your tribes, or should I say, all three.” She looked from Minho to Onew.

“You two are connected, but you are a part of a tribe that was meshed together, is that so?” she asked. They both nodded, quite dumbfounded. She turned back to Kyungsoo.

“There was no curse upon you, my dear. It was a tale told to the Wisemen of the wolf tribe, handed down two generations, in hopes that they would receive you instead of the Lycans, and it worked.” She said, looking to Kris. “It is not your fault; it is the fault of your predecessors. What you could do now though, is mend your fences with each other, and start anew.” She said, motioning to them. They all looked at each other.

“I see that you have already begun that process, in order to find your friend.” They nodded.

“Excuse me ma’am,” Kris piped up. She turned to him.

“Yes, child?” she answered.

“There was no test then? How could he not pass?” he asked. She smiled.

“The power of will, of course. He was taken out by hunters. This did nothing to him, because he was human. At the time, he could go in and out as he pleased. Fear clouded his mind. With a clear mind, all things are possible.” She said, turning to Kyungsoo.

“You mean to say,” started Kyungsoo. “I couldn’t go back in, because my mind was clouded in fear, and if I had stopped to calm myself, that I could have gone back in without the necklace,” he said, touching the pendant dangling from his neck. She nodded.

“Precisely.” He nodded. How foolish they all had been. Thinking that they had to hurt themselves and tire themselves out for days over an amulet, and all he would have had to done was calm down. He shook his head. “All things that have happened are because of choices that someone has made, a choice to run,” she said, eyeing Kyungsoo, “a choice to learn,” she turned to Kris and Minho, “a choice to believe,” she turned to Onew. “Life is full of choices. They are neither wrong, nor right. It is what you do with those choices that make that distinction for you.” She turned to them.

“Do you think that you have made the right decision, going after your friend?” she asked. They turned to each other. Onew cleared his throat to speak.

“I want to know if this is what he really wants, even if in the end its bad for us, I want him to be happy. I want him to know that I support his decision, whether I or anyone else agrees with it or not.” She nodded. She looked over to them.

“Is this too, what you wish?” she asked them. They nodded.

“I have no other reason, and can see no other reason,” answered Minho. She nodded.

“You are most wise, Lycan. Tell me, were you not human before?” she asked. They all turned to him, as he slowly nodded. “You know much, more than you,” she turned to Kris. “But you can only learn so much as a pet.” She said. He nodded. She turned to Onew. “You seem to be the only one that lacks human knowledge, is that so?” she asked. He nodded.

“Learn from them, my stubborn child.” Onew blushed. Dratted woman, calling him stubborn in front of everyone! “You may close your mind to many things, but if you truly wish to help your friend, you must open your mind to fresh knowledge.” He nodded. He didn’t want to, but he would. For Taemin, if for no one else.

“I have no other amulets to give. Instead, I have a spell.” She said, turning to a table of trinkets. She took a silver bowl of orange powder, and a small silver pot of green. A tin of black dust was brought over as well. She took a shallow wooden bowl, and measured out the powder, gently tossing it together. “It will last for a few weeks. Less than the amulet, but enough time to speak.” She said, standing up.

“Winds of Change and Circumstance,

With a bit of luck and happenstance,

Let these beings wander out, and search

The world and seek about

A boy who is now lost to them, so that

They may find and help their friend.”

The dust lightly settled onto their scalps and skin. Kyungsoo felt the urge to itch, but thought better of it. She turned to a grandfather clock that was tucked away in a nook in the corner of the room. “Go now, children. Your time is more limited than his own. But remember, we are all masters of our own fate. Let him choose his own path.” They nodded.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Said Kyungsoo, bowing to her. She smiled at him.

“Oh, dearest Kyungsoo, you do make me feel old by calling me that.” She said, adjusting her scarves. “Call me Mother Shiva.” He smiled.

“Farewell, Mother Shiva, until we meet again.” He said, turning to leave, and went out into the sunlight to follow his party.

As they approached the edge of the forest, Onew stopped. Minho looked back at him. “Onew, will you be alright?” he asked. Onew shook.

“I, I just, Taemin, and….” Minho walked over to him.

“It’s going to be alright. Just remember, we’re going to talk to him, if he wants to stay, we have to let him. It’s his choice. We have a few weeks. Just calm down.” They turned back to the party, only to be greeted with a pale faced Kyungsoo.

“What’s the matter now?” asked Kris. Kyungsoo looked over at him. Minho shook his head.

“We’re , Kris, how will we look going about the city in the ?” he asked. Kris blushed. Kyungsoo turned to Minho.

“I have an idea,” he said. “We are going to need to get a hold of a phone, however, and without clothes, I don’t know how we’ll do that.” Minho thought a moment, looking outward onto the city.

“Let’s leave now, and stay on the outskirts of town until dark. Once dark, we’ll go in, and as much as I don’t want to, we’ll have to take some clothes, and then we’ll begin our search for Taemin.” They all nodded. It wasn’t a fool-proof plan, but it’s all they had at the moment, it was worth a shot.

END OF PART III