CHAPTER TEN

 

Each step was heavy, against the damp soil of the lands. Every move creates rustling sounds of his clay coloured pants, feet bare on against the earth. His breath has been stable, his chest moving up and down normally, however that half dead muscle inside his chest drums in anticipation. The closer he gets, the wider his grin gets.

Just a little more time…

 

Chanyeol climbed the mountain of Nava, that twin mountain on the right of the castellum, giving him the perfect view of the kingdom he’s going to destroy the next night. In darkness the mist of scarlet surrounds his arm, sparkling light dancing with it.

His tattered upper garments open in the middle, exposing a tattoo of a fiery bird on his chest. Sleeves ripped from the red, red robe, edges that reached his ankles burnt and threadbare. His long wavy blonde locks almost covers his once bright and smiling eyes. But now he they were nothing but a pair of misery, a reflection of pain and betrayal, the soul of his torn being , the image of his remnants.

 

As he stood at the top of the tallest tree, with the moon above slowly reaching its apex, the man took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

Baekhyun has always been his life, his happiness—now he doesn’t have any reason to laugh at all. His existence was taunting him, how everything in his brother’s life seemed to be a perfect image of fairy tales, full of love, joy and peace—while he was here, barely hanging on to the memories his mate had left him with.

 

Behind him were the wolves he had gathered—the wolves who held grudges to the same kingdom. They wanted to join him, to avenge the death of their family that they lost when the Halkovian died twenty years ago. Because it wasn’t just him who imprinted on one of those light haired splendours…

Some of these packs worshipped him more than they worshipped his brother. After all Chanyeol, the Wolf of the Raging Fire symbolizes love, warmth and devotion, one thing that the wolves had and will always have for their other half—however, it can also be associated with fury and war.

 

“Tomorrow night, kill as many as you can,” he said to the wolves. “…let them feel the pain you did when they killed your family, your friends, your lovers!” he exclaimed, pair of garnet eyes standing out in the dark, a spark of scarlet glow ignites the boiling of his blood, “Let them fear you… let them beg for you to stop,”

“No! Baekhyun come back here!”

“Let them cry out their beloved’s name…”

“No one’s  going to hurt my little brother, Chanyeol!”

“Let them see how blood oozed from their wounds,”

In speed of light, that steel sword passed through the flesh—blood splattered on the ground, on the face of that five year old little boy who should’ve been in the place of his lover—

“See how the life slowly fades away from their eyes…”

“No…no Baekhyun no…”

“L-Luhan…is safe...” the young man coughed out the thick crimson liquid, “Baby brother’s safe…” he whispered over and over…

Yes he is… Chanyeol had wanted to tell him. He is alive and breathing…but you are here, holding in the thin thread of life. Baekhyun’s garnet eyes barely focused on him, but he was smiling, as if he wasn’t suffering, as if he wasn’t dying. Chanyeol begged, he almost kissed the ground and prayed for the heavens not to take him away, he held on to the only thing Baekhyun left him with, a lifeless body just in time his lover whispered words of love, of apologies, and wishes that would never come true.

“We could’ve g-gone to the top of the highest mountains, w-watch the moon reach its apex…by then I will drink your blood,” he had said, “It’s as if we’re getting married right Ch-Chanyeol?” tears fell from the wolf’s eyes, his lover’s blood smeared in his hands, his own body, even on his own chest when he had embraced him.

“Baek…” he had whimpered…”Baek don’t leave me please…”

“I love you…wasn’t enough to convey what this bleeding heart feels”

 

Sharp yet sparkling garnet eyes, soft and healthy light blonde hair with streaks of magenta, flawless and smooth pale skin, cute button nose thin and kissable lips…Chanyeol would never forget that face—those laughter and his singing voice that cradled him to sleep every night. Those nimble fingers that combs his hair as he lied on his lap, that small ball of fire that Baekhyun learns to create on his palm, and how Baekhyun’s image of a perfect wolf’s mate in his head whenever the man closes his eyes, the ring of fire enveloping his body while he summons a familiar that even Kyungsoo, a century year old mate had yet to master.

 

“Look Chanyeol! I summoned it!”

“That’s unfair why can’t I summon mine?!”

“Haha, I’m better than you gramps Kyungsoo!”

“Bite your tongue brat, that is not funny, how are you even doing that?”

“Well maybe because I am Chanyeol’s mate.” Baekhyun stated the obvious.

“Touché”

 

 

Chanyeol wished to go back in those times. Where he was happy, watching Baekhyun plays with fire, where he and Kyungsoo bickers from dawn to dusk, from where he would lay his head down on Baekhyun’s lap and wait for another day that would come before he’d see his mate again, hear him again, touch him again.

But now that he had opened his eyes, he realized that he couldn’t. And those images would be nothing but a small patch of memory.

And that was what driving him mad right now.

 

 

 

 

Yixing woke up earlier than the rest. He found Kyungsoo curled up by Kai’s embrace. He watched them with fondness and—okay, maybe a bit of envy, but he knew that Suho would come anytime soon.

The sun had yet to rise, but the sky slowly brightens up, giving him the way to the nearest lake he had saw before they come here. Just as before he left though, he put a blanket on Chen’s sleeping figure, patting his head before walking its way into the forest.

Not a quarter hour later, he had found the place, the water glimmering against the light of the sky. Quickly he knelt beside it, pulling his sleeves up and dipped his hands in it. Ah, just right in temperature.

Yixing found a good spot to sit on before he settled on dipping his feet on the water. This made him relax a bit. Closing his eyes, Yixing drifted off and wondered how Luhan would feel if he knew that this war didn’t start just with Chanyeol—that this war started because his elder brother—Baekhyun—died in his place.

It would hurt his friend so much. Luhan was just five then, a sweet innocent child. Kyungsoo knew that—he told them that Luhan wasn’t at fault, Baekhyun chose it, and Chanyeol chose to be eaten with hatred and envy.

 

 

Water heals, Yixing remembers, but not the unseen wound, not the pain that wasn’t caused by blade, by an arrow or by anything physical. Because if it could, Suho would have healed his brother’s anguish—Suho could’ve dried those tears and prevented this from happening.

What was the point of revenge? Can’t Chanyeol see that killing the cause of his lover’s death wouldn’t bring him back? That Baekhyun would only frown from heavens upon seeing how his wolf had become.  Baekhyun would surely blame himself.

 

Yixing was still in deep thought that he had failed to notice the light footsteps from his back. It was only when a pair of hands covered his eyes, and soft velvet voice whispered right next to his ear that his breathing stopped, his lips stretched into a wide grin.

“Guess who…?”

Yixing took the hand and turned around, eyes landing on pair of emerald ones, just like his own. His smile widened more as he threw his arms around the man, “You’re here!”

Suho sighed upon feeling his mate’s body against his, “Just as I promised…” he whispered, wrapping his protective arm around his mate. “Just as I promised…” he echoed.

 

Travelling through the forests and crossing mountains had been tiring for the water wolf, however it all disappeared once he saw the back of his beloved, obliviously sitting by the lake, feet dipped in the water. Suho have been hungry and thirsty—for he didn’t even stop a second to take a break—but it was quenched with his lover’s voice.

He had left him when he was eighteen—the moment Suho had imprinted on the young man. Chanyeol forced him to leave Yixing, if not Chanyeol would kill his whole village, including his other half. Suho didn’t want to fight with his brother, and he didn’t want Yixing to die in his hands as well.

Sacrificing his happiness and his own wishes, the water wolf left the North Alfaran. Visiting his beloved from time to time in his dreams, he thought he could live with that. But that was a big fat lie Suho had ever told himself.

 

Pulling away just to take in how beautiful Yixing had become over years, up close and clear, Suho’s lips stretched into a thin yet genuine smile. “You’re so beautiful…” he whispered, resting his forehead on the other’s,

Yixing on the other hand sighed at the feeling of Suho’s breath against his face. His heart was drumming violently, and he couldn’t help but brush his lips ever so slightly against the water wolf’s pair, “You’re still as beautiful as I remember… So mystical, so enthralling… “ he whispered back.

Suho pulled his mate on his lap, Yixing’s legs bent and resting on other side of his thighs. The latter could only wrap his arms around the wolf’s neck, “How have you been?” he asked, nuzzling close to the human’s shoulder, as if inhaling his scent could make up the lost time they could have spent together.

“I’ve been good…healthy…but lonely…” the healer admitted, chin propped on the crown of the wolf’s head.

 

“I’m sorry…” was all he could say. He couldn’t think of any other phrases that could mend the heartbreak he left Yixing with, not that two words could though. Yixing shook his head, humming a soft no when he realized Suho wouldn’t able to see.

“It’s not your fault… none of these was your fault.”

“But I left you—“

“And I completely understand why…”Yixing sighed, pulling Suho’s head out of its resting place. Looking down, he smiled at the water wolf, thumb grazing at the corner of those damp eyes, “And I don’t harbour any hatred for you … I am just glad that you’re back…”

Nodding, the wolf tightened his embrace on the younger male, burying his face on his chest and sighed, “I won’t leave this time—Chanyeol had to wake up from his nightmare—he had to stop…”

“We will stop him…” he reassured his mate.

“How, Yixing… I don’t want to hurt my brother…”

Smiling, Yixing shook his head and kissed the crown of his head once more, “No one’s going to hurt anyone. We’ll talk to him, convince him… tell him that Baekhyun will not like what he was doing… “

“Will it even work?”

At that, Yixing pursed his lips, “We’re not sure but…we could always try…”

 

 

 

 

 

“Hold your feet on the ground, twist your hips, that’s it—Keep your eyes open and kick! Yes!” Kai dodged the attack as Kyungsoo started kicking with his left then his right feet, putting it back down before turning around, left leg swinging for a round house.

Kai smirked the moment he lifted up a flexed muscle beside his ear, his head, to dodge the kick that came.

Kyungsoo gasped when Kai grabbed his ankle that he had to twist his body up in the air to release it.

“I see that your bones are still intact grandpa,” smirked the wolf, much to the smaller male’s annoyance.

Panting, Kyungsoo shook his head and wiped off his sweat on his forehead.

“You’re forgetting that you’re older than me, you rascal.”

The wolf displayed another infamous smirk, one that Kyungsoo had gotten used to since he had known the other. He walked closer to him, reaching out to ruffle his hair like he was still some kind of kid back then when they first met. He swatted them away, like he always used to—

“Don’t you ing do that—I’m not a kid, Kai. Do you still see me as a kid you met for what—a hundred years ago or so?”

Kai sighed and grabbed the other’s bicep, gently but firmly holding him in place.

“We’ve talked about this before right Soo? You’re not a kid in my eyes, you are my mate, my other half—you’re a man in my eyes and that will not change—“

“Then stop treating me like one Kai.”

“How am I treating you like a child, come on tell me.”

“Just by training me like this as if I can’t protect myself!”

 

 

Chen rolled his eyes upon listening to the two bicker like an old couple. Kai kept telling Kyungsoo that he might be trained enough to fight well in battle, but to the war they were facing right now, his knowledge and ability wasn’t enough for him to let him on his own.

“Kai—I even killed Prince Kris that time—“

“It doesn’t count Soo. Kris was distracted because he wasn’t supposed to stab Baekhyun—he was there to kill Luhan!”

“And I am more than glad to shove my sword in his chest too.” Kyungsoo hissed back, the memory flooding into him. “If I could have I should have ripped off his head too and he would be nothing but a begging mess on the ground—“

“Can’t you two just shut up?!” bellowed the human.

Chen stood up from his spot beside the resting stallion with a snarl—“Can’t you just shut up and stop talking about killing like it was some kind of everyday night time stories in front of my face? Like blood dripping from one’s chest a topic to be discussed in broad daylight?

You keep on blabbering there when we should be going on our ways to meet Luhan and Sehun to wherever it is we should be going.”

 

Flat silence—Kyungsoo and Kai gawked at him like he had grown a big head, or worse, a tail and pair of ears—

Chen had never been so angry like this, much more to lash out like this on them.

But then the tension suddenly washes out when a soft chuckle came out from the right, Yixing riding on a light furred wolf, surrounded by green mist surrounding his paws, walking gracefully to their direction.

 

“Chen I know you missed Luhan…but you don’t have to so angry at them right now.” Yixing says as he jumps down the wolf.  The said man huffed and turns away, blushing and looking down.

“You don’t have to be so frustrated because you’d see him once again today—“

“No!” Chen glowered, “You don’t understand anything.”

Frowning, Yixing went closer to him and tried to reach out—but Chen slapped his hands away. “Luhan is all that I have left—“ he started, “he was there when I don’t have anyone, when my father died—he helped me forget the bad memories—but now that I… that I know Sehun was with him—I –I would be left out…”

Kyungsoo and Kai shared a knowing look and Yixing still didn’t know what to do when suddenly Suho shifted, unabashed by his bareness.

 

“It doesn’t mean that if he had found his mate, anyone that matters to him would be casted away…” he explains rather carefully, choosing the right words before uttering them, “Luhan won’t forget about you…”

“What do you know about me? Huh?” Chen glared at the water wolf, but Suho just smiled at him, unaffected by his rudeness, “I may not know about you… but I know Halkovians, like Luhan, just like wolves—they are filial creatures. Once you’re a part of their family, you’d never be a stranger to them…”

 

 

Taken aback, Chen clamped his traps shut, looking away and thinking solely to himself. What the wolf said was true, he realized. Luhan, despite him meeting Yixing and Kyungsoo, he never felt being left out. Even if he’s the only human there without a wolf mate—a commoner, no other than a son of a dead merchant, Luhan never thought of him as useless or no one.

Luhan trusted him so much to have him by his side. In fact, it was him who was with Luhan longer than Kyungsoo and Yixing. He shouldn’t have doubted him just because Sehun appeared in the picture.

But there would always be that envy bubbling in his stomach, nonetheless Chen learned to swallow it up.

 

“Well since you are here now, brother, we should get going. Sehun will meet us in the plateau.”

Suho frowned, turning to his brother. “Why there?”

Kai’s face hardened, gaze locking with the elder, “Chanyeol will burn this Kingdom, tonight, when the moon reached its apex.”

“But are we just going to leave the people here alone?” Suho shook his head, “Some of them were innocent—they don’t deserve to die like that! Sehun’s never thought of anything besides what benefits him—“ the eldest growled, “I’ll deliver a message to him right now—“

“Suho—“

“We’ve ran away enough from Chanyeol—we shouldn’t hide from him now that we got our mates on our backs to protect. He can’t harm them as long as we’re here.”

Kai sighed and nodded, “Then I guess, I’ll be leaving up the talking to you.”

“If that brat ever listens…”

 

 

 

 

“Sehun what are you doing?” Luhan chuckles when he was placed on the ground, eyes covered by soft and cold hands. His legs crossed, arms resting on his knees, sitting like he was about to meditate. Sehun asked him to do this before hovering his hands like this over his eyes.

“This is not a game Luhan. Don’t ing laugh, I am serious.” Hissed the man behind him.

“Well you’re not very convincing! Just tell me what we are going to do.” He complained.

Luhan tilted his head upon hearing nothing from the air wolf, calling out his name after several seconds. “Sehun?”

 

“We might face Chanyeol tonight, or maybe not but soon, we will have to. And Luhan you can’t face him without knowing the truth. You can’t face him knowing nothing.”

Laced with those words was every ounce of worry that Luhan had memorized from the wolf back then when he was a kid. It’s funny how he remembered that too. But Sehun has given him back those memories right? What is there to find out still?

“I need you to go back Luhan. I need you to remember him… I need you to tear down that wall you have built because of guilt.”

“What are you talking about Sehun—“

“Relax…” breathed the voice, “Remember that time, those times before you met me. Those times when all was better, all were perfect…you should remember Luhan. This isn’t a choice—“

Sehun’s voice seemed to drift further as the wolf kept encouraging him to picture something Luhan couldn’t even understand. But he dig into his head, thinking back what Sehun might be talking about—

The time before he met Sehun?

But he met Sehun on the night of the massacre—

 

Before that… what is there to remember?

 

Luhan was about to laugh at this ridiculous thing they were doing right now when he suddenly thought magenta streaked hair, squared shape smile and garnet eyes.

“Shise~!”

The silver head gasped, hearing his own little voice from distance.

“Luhaan~ oh you sweet little ball of cuteness! Let’s play tag shall we? Wanna play tag with your pretty Hyun‘se?”

“Yesh! Hyun-‘se pretty!”

“Haha! That’s my boy!”