Part VIII

                Siwon and Heechul made their way through the city. The sun reflected off the pristine white walls of the buildings and glared off the glass of the display windows in various shops that they passed. Time was of the essence to Siwon, but Heechul insisted that he be patient. How was he going to find this Taemin if he kept rushing? So he did as he wished and slowed down. For now.

                They were walking past a great stone spurting water when his eye caught something. Kyungsoo. He and some of his own clansmen were here. He remembered that they too were looking for Taemin. He tugged on Heechul’s arm towards them.

*****

                Xiumin tapped Kyungsoo on the shoulder as they waited for Kris and Onew. Kris had to teach Onew how to properly use a toilet, and it was taking forever. He leaned over listened intently as he whispered into his ear. He looked up.

                Siwon. But, who was that with him? It definitely wasn’t Taemin. Honey colored locks graced his shoulders; big, brown eyes surveyed them as his full lips curved into a frown. Whoever he was, he wasn’t in the mood for their company. Kyungsoo walked forward, quickening his pace, just in case he tried to run.

                “Siwon, is that you?” he asked. Siwon looked up. His tired eyes seemed relieved to see a familiar face.

                “Kyungsoo!” he exclaimed as he ran forward. “Have you found him?” he asked. Kyungsoo grimaced.

                “Yes, and no.” he said. Siwon seemed quite puzzled.

                “What do you mean by that?” he asked. Kyungsoo took a deep breath.

                “We found him, but we aren’t entirely sure that he wants to leave.” Heechul held back a triumphant smirk. See? That boy didn’t care about him at all. He should stop wasting his time. Siwon thought for a moment.

                “Heechul says his friend Hangeng might know where to find Taemin. We should try to find him. Perhaps if we do, he’ll talk to us. Me, I mean.” They nodded. Kyungsoo turned to Heechul.

                “You must be Heechul; it’s nice to meet you.” He said, flashing a polite smile. Heechul’s face stayed as stone.

                “Hello.” He said in barely a whisper. Kyungsoo nodded. Not the sociable type. He wondered how the two met. He turned and saw that Onew and Kris had finally made their way back. Onew’s eyes were hopeful as he saw Siwon, but his face fell when he realized he wasn’t with Taemin.

                “Leader Siwon, what are you doing here?” he asked tentatively.

                “For the same reason you are, I too am looking for Taemin.” He said, his hand gripping Heechul’s tighter now. Onew bowed his head.

                “So, we’re to head to this Hangeng’s house?” Minho piped up. He nodded and looked over at Kyungsoo.

                “Are you all prepared?” he asked. Kyungsoo looked at the others.

                “What do you mean?” he asked. Siwon shrugged.

                “I don’t know what to expect. I just want to make sure you do.” He explained. Kyungsoo nodded. Heechul cleared his throat.

                “Let’s go then, we should get there before he gets too busy.” He said. Siwon nodded and held fast to Heechul’s arm.

*****

                Taemin and Hangeng walked through the back streets of Delfia. They were on their way to Hangeng’s mentor’s house. He was bringing him some homemade soup and tea. The man was elderly, and needed help taking care of his friend often. His friend was in a wheelchair.

                From what Taemin had gathered, the men had been in a war of some kind. They circled around an old bookstore and walked through the back. They had to climb an old staircase in a cramped space. As Taemin ascended the stairs, his heart raced. There was a smell. A familiar smell. It gave him a headache just thinking about it. They finally reached the landing. Hangeng took Taemin’s hand and stepped forward.

                Hangeng knocked on the door. There was shuffling and the sound of a chair scraping against the old wooden floorboards. The knob jiggled for a few seconds before it was heaved open. Hangeng had told him that the men were elderly, but this man looked no more than thirty-eight, forty at the most.

                “Ah, Hangeng, you’re back, and you’ve brought a friend.” The man looked over at him and froze. There it was. That smell again. Where was it coming from?

                “Yes, this is Taemin, I found him wandering around town. He came from the woods.” Hangeng explained, putting his free arm around Taemin’s shoulders. The man nodded.

                “You don’t say,” the man’s long, dark mane covered most of his face, which Taemin could tell was heavily scarred. “Come in,” he said, moving aside to make room for them. Taemin’s body tingled violently as he passed the man. Something was very odd about him.

*****

                Heechul led the boys to the house they had seen several nights before. Onew crossed his arms and stayed as far back as Minho would let him. Heechul knocked and knocked on the door. He called for Hangeng for several minutes, even peeping in the windows. He turned to them.

                “I’m sorry, but he’s not here.” He said, giving a shrug. Siwon sighed.

                “Where would he go at this time of day, usually?” asked Kyungsoo, trying to keep their options open. Heechul thought for a moment, scratching his head.

                “Well, he does help these two crippled guys. They wandered out of the woods years ago and settled in the annex behind the old bookstore on Main Street.” He explained. Xiumin gave him a weird look.

                “Out of the woods? What happened to them?” he asked. Heechul shrugged.

                “We don’t know. All that was explained to us as children was that they had been in a brutal fight, and that we should let them be. They usually just stay inside, and Hangeng runs errands for them when they need it.” He explained. Kris and Kyungsoo exchanged suspicious glances.

                “Alright, let’s go.” Said Kyungsoo. Heechul raised an eyebrow.

                “Now?” he asked. Kyungsoo nodded.

                “Yes, it might be the best bet of finding Taemin. If not, we’ll be chasing him all day.” Heechul shrugged.

                “You might be doing that anyway, you know.” He pointed out. Kris nodded.

                “We know, but this way, we can rule it out, if necessary.” He nodded and sighed.

                “Well then, follow me.” He said, leading the way once more.

*****

                Taemin looked around the room. There was a small desk with an open journal and an ink pen. A small desk lamp clung to the side, spotlighting the man’s work where he had stopped. He looked around. There was a small wire bedframe with a simple mattress and bedding. There weren’t any decorations or curtains; nothing shielded them from the outside world. He looked around the corner, seeing another door he turned to the man.

                “Is that where your roommate lives?” he asked. The man perked his head up.

                “Yes.” He answered hoarsely. Hangeng smiled.

                “I’ll just let you two get acquainted; I’ll put this stuff in the kitchen and prepare your lunch.” He said, taking the baskets of food into the other room, and closing the door. Now it was just Taemin and the strange man. The man seemed to be staring straight into his soul.

                “Look at me.” Said the man. Taemin shyly lifted his eyes. The man shook his head.

                “Seriously, Taemin, I expected your memory to serve you better, I haven’t changed that much.” The man lifted his chin and forced him to look into his eyes. They were rather round, as was his face. He had full lips, and he could see a familiar smile beneath the scarred tissue where a handsome face once stayed.

                “L-l-leader Heejun?” the man smiled sadly.

                “Hello, little Taemin. My, how you’ve grown.” Taemin’s mouth dropped. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe. All he could do was stare.  Heejun was alive. But, they had heard him…back in the woods… He shook his head.

                “But, I thought-” Heejun put a finger to the boy’s lips.

                “It’s okay, now Taemin. Calm down.” he said, placing his hands on his shoulders. He smiled at him. “I’m glad you’re safe. How many others escaped with you? Are they alright too?” he asked. Taemin slowly nodded. He felt everything slow down.

                “Jonghyun, Key, Minho and Onew came with me.” He said. He looked up. “How did you know I escaped?” Heejun looked back at the door. Taemin slowly stood up, and walked over. His hands shook as he reached for the handle. He took a deep breath.

                The room was dark, only a sliver of daylight was showing through the dark curtains that shaded the room. The figure on the bed turned and smiled at him. “Hello, my pet.” Taemin gripped the door handle. Kangta.

END OF PART VIII