Hello! I made a playlist for this story!

You can listen to it HERE

Also i don't know if anyone noticed, but the edits give clues as to what is going to happen in the chapter...just saying!

Hope you enjoy!

He wakes up later in the day to a bowl of rose water and a honeycomb. Kyungsoo sits up and the sweet sap while Minseok and his helpers prepare a large bath outside. They had to make additional batches of perfume through the night.

They all sit with Kyungsoo and pray to the moon goddess, to keep his body pure and make it a good sacrifice to the monster wolf.

As the sun starts to set, Kyungsoo steps into the cold water collected in a large stone made basin and lets Minseok pour the perfume over him repeatedly. As another dukun prays and sings to the moon goddess, Kyungsoo has the perfume poured over his body in hopes he will be a perfect sacrifice.

When it is done he is handed a white tiger’s hide. They are rare animals, white as the moon, and only white is only for suci kado. Kyungsoo remembers briefly that the last suci kado had worn white fox fur. She had trembled under the wolf moon as gusts of wind flew by.

Everything is going well, Minseok even complimented Kyungsoo because he didn’t possess a single blemish on his fair skin. The dukun were pleased with how good he smelled after the bathing, and the white fur fit him like it was made for him. He’d laid down to rest, believing he’d finally found his calling. He lays in the hut that night and closes his eyes with a positive feeling.

Chanyeol’s face is what greets him in the middle of the night. The fire is out, the world is dark, but Chanyeol is hovering over him.

Kyungsoo panics, fearful that he has been tainted and shoves Chanyeol away. The taller boy falls but bounces back up, crawling back to Kyungsoo and doing the unthinkable. His lips press against Kyungsoo’s quickly and then they’re sitting there in the darkness, gasps of breath ghosting over the sacrifice’s face.

This is wrong, he should stay untouched, and this is the one thing he needs to do right.

“I wanted to be with you, I wanted you as my mate,” Chanyeol’s voice sounds weak but desperate and it stirs an emotion in Kyungsoo’s gut. He’d be lying to himself if he denied that there had been constant daydreaming about the possibility of being Chanyeol’s mate that he’d anticipated the day when he’d wear the tiger coat and kiss Chanyeol under a canopy with Ketua’s blessing.

“Tell me now, I’ll take you away.” are the words that make Kyungsoo’s heart freeze. The pencari has shaky eyes, trembling lips, and warm hands that hold the induk’s arms tightly with hope.

And for a moment the induk forgets himself, forgets his situation and tils his chin up as the hunter leans close. Their kiss is sloppy and wet, it makes Kyungsoo’s thighs quake. When Chanyeol’s tongue into his mouth Kyungsoo moans gently and feels his strength breaking. He should die for his people, he should be the good sacrifice he was meant to be. But he wants to be selfish as he runs his fingers through Chanyeol’s hair.

Chanyeol seems to be a little more skilled than Kyungsoo, who trembles under the hunter’s touch that opens up his robes and explores the soft skin. Wet hot kisses trail down his neck and at his collarbone. Never has he felt such pleasure before, it is seductive and overwhelming. Chanyeol's’ hands are so warm and rough on Kyungsoo’s soft skin, they are strong and hold him tight, his lips are hot and it feels like his mind is going insane with lust.

“Do you wish me gone?” the hunter’s deep voice is panting in his ear, they’ve paused and Chanyeol looks worried. He doesn’t want to force his best friend to do anything.

This is the one thing Kyungsoo is supposed to do right. He should be able to be a perfect sacrifice without any mishappenings. And yet here he was, failing again.

Failure. That's what he was. Always and forever.

“Stop.” Kyungsoo whispers. And Chanyeol immediately backs away. His warm touch is gone and the induk feels terribly cold. Kyungsoo pulls his robes up and covers his body. He lays down and curls in on himself.

“I will find a way to save you.” Chanyeol promises, heart hurting as he exits the hut.

Goosebumps rise on his skin when he steps outside. The air seems thin and crisp, little white puffs leave his mouth every time he exhales.

Kyungsoo’s fingers trace his lips and his heart skips a beat.

“Who touched you?” comes a sharp whisper. Minseok is waiting in the stone basin, knee deep and feline eyes watching him. The dukun looks perplexed, but not at all annoyed.

The young sacrifice is at a loss for words. How could the healer tell so quickly? Minseok answers his question before he can ask.

“There is a look about you, an atmosphere that has changed.” the dukun’s eyes seem to observe Kyungsoo from head to toe before he theorizes simply,

“Maybe you mated with someone.”

Kyungsoo chokes on air and begins shaking his head and rushing over, that is not at all what happened. And the dukun seems so calm about it all, but Kyungsoo is internally panicking. He is certain that his ity is still intact.

Now Minseok looks like he’s a bit confused, he holds out his hand to stop the pure gift from running at him, eyes small and analytical as he asks slowly, “Kyungsoo, are you sure your ity has not been tainted?”

And Kyungsoo quickly shakes his head no, because he’d told Chanyeol to stop and his best friend had done so. Minseok’s shoulders seem to relax with relief.

“Probably only a kiss then…” The healer mumbles under his breath, but Kyungsoo hears it and feels a blush rush to his ears.

“Good. Come on, get in. The flower moon will rise soon.” Minseok nods to himself and motions Kyungsoo come forward. The healer is bare with no clothes on, and Kyungsoo mimics the image and takes off his white tiger robe, letting another young dukun take it for him. Once again he has sweet perfume poured over him repeatedly. Minseok leans Kyungsoo’s head back and lets the cold water fall down his scalp.

A white cream is brought forward, a mix of lavender and oils, “To make your skin soft.”

Another dukun steps into the water and holds the bowl of cream, Minseok is quick and rough, there is no time to be embarrassed. Kyungsoo feels no worry because after all he is a dukun and is nothing but business like.

When he is mostly dry, and the tiger robe is put back on him, Minseok sprinkles him with pearl dust. It shimmers and rests on his hair, on his eyelashes and cheeks. His silver ceremony pieces are brought forward. The silver chains chest piece that connects to a blue jewel, and the pearl crown he’d worn on the night of his nomination.

“Is it terrible,” Kyungsoo speaks up while Minseok adjusts his jewels, “That I was touched?”

The dukun smiles gently, “You’re not the first. Not everyone is ready to die without the experience of love. Don’t worry. There have been impure sacrifices before you who have been perfectly good offerings, quick and easy.”

Quick and easy, as in their deaths.

Kyungsoo wishes to ask if it will hurt, if it will sting, what death will be like. But he cannot ask anyone of the matter. He is alone in this experience, in this death.

He can’t help but remember the words whispered to him the night before…

I will find a way to save you.

Chanyeol sits in his room alone, in the darkness and in his anger.

This is unfair. Kyungsoo was good, he was great, how could the village offer him to that thing?

“Hey hunter, want to go see the exile get his head bitten off?” Baekhyun’s cackling voice could be recognized anywhere.

“Go away.” Chanyeol growls. He sniffles and wipes away some of the stray tears on his cheeks.

But the young craftsman does not leave, he sits right down in front of Chanyeol with a smirk, “I heard the blood squirts everywhere, that the wolf is as tall as a tree and his teeth could rip someone in half. You don’t want to witness this?”

Chanyeol chooses to turn and face the wall rather than give Baekhyun the satisfaction of seeing him angry.

“No matter,” Baekhyun huffs, “the little weakling will be nothing but pieces of torn meat and a memory by morning. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

The pencari grits his teeth. He wished what Baekhyun said wasn’t true. But it was. What Ketua had declared was law, Kyungsoo was going to be offered to the Rakasa Serigala. Up the hills the village would walk, with candles, with songs for the moon goddess, and with Kyungsoo tied and dressed in lavish jewelry. As long as Kyungsoo died, the village remained protected by the monster wolf. The moon tribe would live in peace another month long.

Scrawny arms surround Chanyeol’s neck, “I may dislike everything the Doprajurits stand for, but I get it. Your best friend is dying tonight, and you hate it.” Baekhyun chuckles, no remorse in his voice at all.

The hunter elbows the craftsman off with an annoyed huff of air.

“Why does everyone envy their family so? All they have done is serve the village with loyalty and strength,” Chanyeol growls into his hands, “Of course I hate that Kyungsoo is walking to his death. I hate it so much I want to defy our laws!”

A sharp gasp comes from the craftsman, “You would defy Ketua? For Kyungsoo?”

Baekhyun sounds disgusted.

The hunter shoves the smaller boy away and stands up from the floor, “I would!”

He would, for Kyungsoo he would. Kyungsoo didn’t deserve to die like this.

“You’ve had no problem watching countless others be given to Rakasa Serigala! What makes him so special?!” Baekhyun’s anger is boiling, ready to burst through his skin.

Chanyeol frowns, “What are you talking about?” the hunter asks with annoyance.

“What about me? We used to be the best of friends! We were inseparable!” Baekhyun screams at the taller boy without restraint, “And that failure bats his eyes at you once and you shove me aside like nothing! You have stood by, voted, for all of the other suci kado but for him you would defy Ketua, our laws, face possible death, for him?”

A lot of pieces Chanyeol seemed to be missing for some time click into place. He never understood why the young tukang was so adamant on hissing at Kyungsoo all the time, at degrading him and talking down to the outcast since they were so young. It makes sense now.

“I love him.” Chanyeol confesses. Baekhyun makes a choking noise at the back of his throat.

They stand in the tension for a few moments, outside flickers of light dance over the trees and voices begin to rise in volume. Soon it will be time to present the pure gift to the Rakasa Serigala.

Baekhyun bites his lip and knows exactly what he is doing, “I know a way you can help Kyungsoo.”

Everything is alive, because the moon goddess provides.

Everything is alive, everything serves a purpose.

There are prices for protection, we offer our payment to our protector.

Each word is sung long and high, the Candra Suku sound like a fleet of angels moving through the forests. The light of the moon is peeking through the trees at them, twinkling and giving the land life.

Kyungsoo is carried in a woven hammock, it encases his body in warmth and swings him back and forth gently. Up the hills the villagers walk, singing and some even dancing. Kyungsoo didn’t see his best friend in the crowd, and therefore feels a little thankful. He would hate for Chanyeol to see him in his last moments like this.

The pathway to mati dolok, the dead mountain, is long and steep. The further up they ascend, the less trees appear. Off in the distance Kyungsoo can make out the sound of water rushing. Less of nature can be heard, and soon only the breathing of the moon tribe can be heard. Nothing else moves in the forest, nothing else is alive near the dead mountain.

When they finally arrive at the dead cave, Mati Kahaf, everyone falls silent. Here is where the beast sleeps, where it waits for its next meal.

The rules passed down through Ketua is that the moon tribe sings their song once loudly, and when they are done, a long howl from the beast is the signal. Then the sacrifice is to be left alone, and in the morning the villagers are free to come retrieve the leftover jewels and say their prayers for the dead.

“Thank you Kyungsoo, thank you for becoming suci kado.”

Each moon tribe member chants this to him thrice in unison, and Ketua sings their song in her beautiful voice, it reaches the heavens and all is calm.

Everything is alive, because the moon goddess provides.

Everything is alive, everything serves a purpose.

There are prices for protection, we offer our payment to our protector.

Kyungsoo is placed on the ground at the foot of the cave. He is left kneeling in the dirt, facing the black hole in the mountain. A hot rush of air hits him in the face, followed by the echo of a monstrous growl.

He has witnessed this scene hundreds of times. He’s stood in the crowd and watched the sacrifice panic at this point, being to sob and scream, to beg to be taken back.

The long howl comes flying fast at Kyungsoo, it hits him and is hot hair with a certain musk to it. That is the sign. This is the moment.

His mother’s crying reaches an all-time high, and he can picture his father holding her back. He wonders for a moment if his father will shed any tears, or will he be thankful that his failure of a son will be gone?

But Kyungsoo has not completely failed, he can at least be proud of this. That he will be able to do one thing correctly, one thing so well that it would help his family, his friend, his people live on.

He will die so they can live.

And he will not be afraid.

Ketua leaves him with a soft kiss on his forehead, and the retreating footsteps rattle the ground he sits on for a moment. But after a few seconds he is left alone in the dark forest, with nothing but the moon shining down on him.

The flower moon shall witness his death, she will look upon him proudly for his act of love. For Kyungsoo knows he was born an induk, and he truly believes their words.

Everything is alive, everything can be loved.

Kyungsoo sits with his back straight, in his white tiger robe and his silver dressings. He waits on his knees at the opening of the dead cave, for the beast that will approach and take his life.

Quick and easy, just as Minseok had told him, quick and easy.

Kyungsoo looks so small, so frail sitting on the dirt floor before the cave.

Chanyeol has the urge to run out now, to seize his best friend and run. But he knows that is not the plan. That would make Baekhyun’s weapon useless. And Chanyeol wanted to kill the beast once and for all.

The thick silver sword in his hands is heavy, it is sharp and smooth. It will cut through the fur of the monster wolf, penetrate its heart and kill it. This is how Chanyeol will save Kyungsoo. He knows he must wait till the beast shows its face.

But he can wait in silence, in the cold, and in the darkness. He is pencari, and their words are the truest.

Everything is alive, everything can be killed.

Chanyeol rests his back on a tree trunk nearby and watches his best friend sit and wait in the moonlight. He will wait for the right moment to attack.

Generations upon generations he has waited.

All of them afraid, all of them screaming, most of them impure.

Those that were impure needed to die, he had to feed and an impure one would not suffice.

Those that cried at the sight of him surely did not meet the call. Those that fought and kicked at him were not the ones he was looking for.

Generations. And not a single one was worthy.

But this one, this ripe young thing that sits patiently and quietly, that didn’t begin to scream for mercy when his people left him behind.

This one is special.

He was beautiful, with wide eyes and dark hair, plump lips and rosy cheeks. A sight to drink in, and he doesn’t cry or whimper. The final test will be when he is approached.

He may very well be the one Yifan has been searching for, the one he will learn to love.

And the yes, the wolf will finally make his grand appearance in the next chapter! 

I hope you guys can take a minute to listen to the playlist I made!  It's a miz of mellow acoustics, dreamy and y times, and I listen to it all as I write! So yeah please take a listen! Once again, if you have any questions, please ask! I will do my best to answer!

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Much love doves,

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