The sound of horse-powered carriages dragging across the dirt roads and stirring up unnatural dust storms through the dump ridden streets, and people chattering here and there, everyone trying to be heard and so they just became louder and louder, obnoxiously so. Luckily the bookstore was solid enough to keep the noise out to an insignificant background buzzing and the dust from soiling the precious books sitting on the shelves that filled the single spaced room. There also might or might not have been some magic involved; after all, it wasn’t just an ordinary bookstore. In an era where magic was considerably more accepted, Taekwoon and Wonshik had no problem making a living like this. To everyone else they were brothers who had practiced magic all their lives (well it wasn’t a lie). How that term came around was unknown to them. They weren’t even sure if they were brothers at all but they’d just decide to accept it. Dragons now were thought to have gone extinct centuries ago so the idea of human-like dragons, or dragon-like humans (whichever was preferred), though conjured in stories and myths, would never have occurred as anything but a fiction. It was the perfect cover despite having nothing to hide from but they had nothing to lose by being extra cautious.

The bell that hung above the door tinkled in greeting and informed Taekwoon, who stood dutifully behind the counter, of the newly arriving customer. He’d been marking their stocks on a stack of papers, books piled against the counter and wall in an organised fashion. His concentration broke at the light, merry sound; it was somewhat ironic because his stomach leaped to his throat with the same airiness. At the doorway stood a man he had thought he’d lost to the hands of malice years ago. Not once did that man leave his mind or his heart and Taekwoon liked to have think that the time he sacrificed hoping had finally paid off. It was different though; the sun-kissed male looked up and smiled but there was no form of recognition on his face as he continued inside to browse. Taekwoon couldn’t even speak as he watched the other man disappear behind the towering shelves in search for a book or two or few. Wonshik came down from the staircase, sensing the other’s apprehension from their living space in the level above. 

“Taekwoon,” the blue-haired male shakes the said man’s shoulder but his eyes remain on the shelved where the particular customer was hidden behind. Taekwoon responds with a simple “Hakyeon” making Wonshik’s brows furrow in confusion at the sudden burst of, as Wonshik interprets it to be, reminiscence. He soon learns that it wasn’t what he thought it to be when, indeed, Hakyeon appear from around the end of the shelf and Wonshik is left equally as stoked as Taekwoon was. It was as though the two were stuck in a theatre, watching the memory of the diligent human moving around; seeing but being unable to touch. They watched as Hakyeon pulled out a battered watched and quickly pocket it again, rushing out of the store but not before giving the two shop owners that addictive smile of his that rekindled the flames of their heart, warming their fallen souls and breathing life back into their spirit.

Surprisingly the two had managed to get a glimpse of Hakyeon every day following. He’d started talking to them the day after but only to purchase a book; unfortunately Taekwoon was on the counter again that day and had been too ‘shy’ to say anything back, choosing to just nod (but Hakyeon seemed to understand as he always did). They picked up a pattern on the types of books that Hakyeon bought – they all had something to do with a sickness of the blood. It was Wonshik who finally asked what he and Taekwoon were worried about.

“Are you sick?” The words feel like their mauling Wonshik’s throat when he asks but Hakyeon is quick to respond with a shake of his head. “No, it’s my mother. The doctors said that there’s nothing they can do for her but… I don’t believe them. If they won’t help her then I will.” Perhaps to another, Hakyeon’s reply would have seemed too quick but Wonshik’s mind was numb and oblivious with the immediate relief that came knowing the smaller male wasn’t suffering. Wonshik smiles and nods at the alleviation of his concern, doing it moreso for himself, but it catches Hakyeon’s attention and causes the blood to rise to his cheeks, painting them with a youthful pink tint. Wonshik’s eyes are drawn to the attractive blotch of colour and decides to tease the other male. “Is it hot in here?” he leans forward with his arms resting across the counter and a smirk pulling on his lips. Hakyeon shakes his head quickly and stutters a jumble of incoherent syllables before he squeaks out a short “goodbye” and leaves, more flustered than before. It makes Wonshik laughs, and as happy as Taekwoon is to see the other this joyous after a seemingly endless period of mourning, he still hits the younger dragonoid upside the back of his head to lightly scold him for teasing the human.

The moment Hakyeon reaches his shabby attic ‘home’ he goes into a violent coughing fit. Though his body was trying to rid of something it had felt like his lungs were filling and he was drowning from the inside. Red was soon covering his palm and dripping between his fingers, the vivid colour almost taunting his weakness and rejoicing its freedom from his frail body. It made Hakyeon tremble and soon tears were running down his cheeks. Despite having close to nothing to live for he didn’t want to die yet. If he had more time he could make a name for himself, find someone to love, travel the world and see the wonders of nature that he’d only heard about from other people’s conversations or read about in books. “Please,” Hakyeon falls to his knees and begs; to whom, it’s unknown.

It’s almost closing time when Hakyeon turns up at the bookstore the next day. Both Taekwoon and Wonshik are there, simply enjoying a light conversation between themselves beside the counter and tallying their sales for the day as Hakyeon carefully slips through the small gap in the door he made when he opened it. His intention had been to come in quietly but the bell that hung above was merciless and still sang quietly as he entered; even the bell mocks me, Hakyeon thinks morbidly. The two males turn their head, pleasantly surprised to see Hakyeon, who, flinches at the sudden flood of attention towards him and grins awkwardly. They stand in stasis for a few moments, the brothers waiting for Hakyeon to walk around the bookshelves out of their sight (or else they wouldn’t be able to look away) and Hakyeon mustering up some courage to finally speak. “Can you help me?” Hakyeon wanted to hit himself for sounding, and probably looking, so pitiful but he’s grateful for a lifetime when the two nod simultaneously. Hakyeon knew that this place practiced magic, and he guessed that the two owners did so too; if normal methods weren’t going to work then Hakyeon was willing to resort to even this to continue living.

“Of course,” Taekwoon and Wonshik both agreed instantly, indulging in the light that beams of Hakyeon’s smile at their reply. The human ran forward on a whim (Hakyeon really wasn’t thinking when he did it) hugging Wonshik first since he was the closest and then going around to hug Taekwoon in his arms equally as thankful. He did linger a little longer on Taekwoon though, but only because Wonshik had come around and hugged him from behind. Hakyeon hoped that whatever they were, they wouldn’t be able to hear how his heart suddenly began pounding against his chest faster. He found himself nuzzling his cheek against Taekwoon’s broad chest, breathing in the taller male’s scent and feeling an unknown sense of reminiscence gently pour over him. Once again, the three of them had found themselves in a moment on intimacy; and though Wonshik and Taekwoon had no clue as to how this came around they were willing to move on from the past to embrace the moment they had.

“The cure,” Hakyeon gasps suddenly, his primary reason for coming back into his mind. The two males embracing him don’t move but they’re giving him all their attention; it makes Hakyeon flustered again. “It’s a disease of the blood,” he begins, thinking that they needed an explanation before they could even prepare to help him, “if I-… she. The blood will just come out, like it’s trying to escape. From the nose, mouth, ears; sometimes it seeps through her skin and it scares me…” His voice grows softer towards the end and Hakyeon can only hope that they didn’t figure out that he had been talking about himself. Luckily, they didn’t catch on. The two brothers only looked at each other for an elongated moment, both trying to think of a solution around the presented problem. Almost comically, they sighed at the same time as well when they could think of answer to what Hakyeon had told them. It wasn’t hard for Hakyeon to guess that even they were clueless about this issue so he just smiled and tried to wave it off. It was too much of him to ask of anyone really. As though sensing the drop in the smaller man’s mood, both dragonoids were quick to say that they could definitely find something if they looked around hard enough. In all honesty, Hakyeon still felt like this was a burden on them but the two males looked quite determined and Hakyeon wasn’t going to pull back his request while they wore such an expression.

That night was spent going through every book about illness and blood, none of the three males wanting to miss even the slightest possible lead to a cure. It took them much longer than a mere night though and Hakyeon had ended up moving into the top living space once shared by only the two dragonoids. It wasn’t as if he had anything valuable where he was staying, or anyone waiting, or anyone who would care. At least here he was able to wallow in the warmth of the two bigger bodies during the nights, allowing him a gentle lull to slumber; and then awaken to the comfort of arms holding him firmly, but not too tight, the radiating heat soothing his sleep ridden body and fuelling his determination for the day. As much as he loved that feeling however, things seemed to take a turn for the worse when they couldn’t find even the smallest sliver of something. Hours of the night and day, almost non-stop, seemed to result in nothing.

The last book closed and Hakyeon’s hand, which remained resting atop the back cover, began to tremble once again. It really had been as hopeless as he thought and now he couldn’t even face the two who had helped him fruitlessly. “I’m sorry,” Hakyeon speaks out first, breaking the silence; he had thought they were waiting for him to say something but really, they had just been as disappointed in themselves as he was in the whole situation. “Don’t be,” Wonshik reaches out and places his hand over Hakyeon’s, Taekwoon following the younger dragon and covering the slender hand with his own as well. It worked to an extent but Hakyeon still looked close to tears as he raised his head, switching his gaze between the two males as he wracked his mind for something else to say. But what else was there? To say or to do? – Nothing. It hurt and scared Hakyeon a thousand times more knowing this; when he’d finally found someone to be with he knew that there was no way of being with them for as long as he could.

“We can do magic,” Taekwoon speaks up, breaking the tense silence floating amongst them. Wonshik had known that Taekwoon would say that. The look in his eyes had been a warning for him not to speak out but Taekwoon wasn’t willing to spare the slightest chance. The guilt had always been gnawing at him since he held Wonshik back that time they let the villagers take Hakyeon away. Sometimes he would think that they might have had even the most miniscule of chances but they hadn’t taken it… now look where they were: with Hakyeon in their arms once again but it was no better with him gone when despair was etched into his face like an engravement on a block of stone. Magic, no matter who the user was, was extremely unstable. Yes, the two dragonoids had used it before, on various occasions even, but the harmless spells were always on inanimate objects and anything on a living being has always been offensive (due to a lack of choice in tight situations). They could try but… was it a risk they were willing to take?

One look at Hakyeon was enough for them to answer – anything done for the sake of their human lover was a risk worth taking. They both nodded and Hakyeon stood up to that, the action startling the two men beside him. Hakyeon’s lips parted to speak but his brain bested him with its logical thought (a rare occurrence). His mother wasn’t around for them to try it on. They’d see right through his lie if he couldn’t take them to ‘her’. Luckily, Hakyeon was knowledgeable enough about magic to conjure another, so-called, harmless lie. “Could you try it on me first? Just in case…” he began, but then trailed off. Their relationship hadn’t been distinctly defined yet Hakyeon already knew of their protective nature. The unpredictable nature of magic would definitely not be allowed anywhere near Hakyeon. That itself was evident on the hardened look that crossed and settled on Taekwoon’s and Wonshik’s face. Pulling his bottom lip between his teeth, Hakyeon slowly sat down and waited; preparing for the “no” that he knew was to be expected. Hopeless, again.

Something rose from his core, however, when he caught sight of Wonshik’s lips moving and forming the syllables to refuse his suggestion. If, if, just the tiniest bit worked then Hakyeon could admit the truth and maybe they would help him. “Please,” he gasps, both hands grabbing onto Wonshik’s forearm and squeezing lightly, “please, just a little bit. If it doesn’t seem to work at all, you can judge that; if it doesn’t even look like it has any healing properties then I won’t ask anymore. I promise. Just this last, last time.” It was pathetic for Hakyeon to be begging but the human couldn’t care less about his pride (he wouldn’t have any if he were dead). It looked anything but pathetic to the two dragonoids however; no, in their eyes, they were the ones who were pathetic to push Hakyeon to beseech them in such a manner. “Okay,” it’s Taekwoon who speaks and stands up, beginning to clear the books from the desk. Wonshik stands wordlessly to help Taekwoon, clearing as large of an empty space as they can before they even begin anything. If the magic were to affect anything except Hakyeon, which they were going to do without a clue as to how it would work, then the potential harm to their precious lover would arise.

Hakyeon remained on the chair though, sitting and waiting. A lookover of the room proved satisfactory to the two creatures and they kneeled in front of Hakyeon, each taking one of his hands in both of theirs. The dragon blood that ran thick through their blood was pure magic, similar to a force that could be both seen and invisible. Their intention was the key element in deciding what their magic would do. Both had a flurry of emotion in their hearts, but fear was a substantial one – fear of the consequences; fear of losing Hakyeon again. But they swallowed down the oblique shadow and pushed it away. It posed too much of a setback and a risk. “Are you ready?” Wonshik asks, and Hakyeon, whose hearts feels like it’s about to lurch from his throat from the way it pounds in anxiety, nods stiffly and keeps his eyes focused on the empty space of floor between the two kneeling users.

If Hakyeon had been watching he surely would have been amazed at the synchronisation of the two dragonoids: the way their eyes closed at the same time, and their breathing levelled so it was as though they were sharing the same breath. It really wouldn’t have been surprising at all, in that case, if their pulses were beating along to the same rhythm. It felt like a rapid heat wave storming through every nerve and tissue fibre in his body, a slight stinging sensation but not so much that he would describe it to be painful. It was a sensation that live for a second, perhaps a bit more or a bit less; Hakyeon was a more than a little surprised, his eyes moving off the floor and looking at the two male’s before him, whose eyes eventually opened to look back at him. In all honesty however, besides the minute surge of magic that ran through him Hakyeon felt no different than he had before.  “I think I’ll take a short walk. You guys have to manage your store anyway right?” Hakyeon stands up, pulling his hands out of their grips and walking out on them without a second glance. It wasn’t hard to tell that the human wasn’t in his right mind, one of the major factors playing being that it was far too late for the store to be open. Both dragonoids held back the urge to chase after Hakyeon, sharing the thought that he needed some time on his own to think.

The weather had far to go before it even saw winter peaking over the horizon but all of Hakyeon’s breaths felt cold and crisp in his lungs. It was piercing but not painful, just uncomfortable, and nothing compared to the empty hope that dragged his once blazing heart further into the shadows. In the shadows he crouched and made himself smaller, whereas others waited and lurked, the malice in their souls reacting to the lingering pure magic that clung to the surface of it skin as it slowly filtered out of his system. A brush against Hakyeon’s arm had him thinking that it was merely an accident, but the hand that reached out and covered his mouth, muffling his screams, was no simple unintended incident. There was no warning for Hakyeon not to scream or not to struggle, not that he would have listened anyway. Neither action was very effective however; no one came out to help, probably unaware or purposely avoiding what the deemed as unnecessary trouble upon themselves. Being already weak, it didn’t take very long for Hakyeon to run dry of his energy at the high rate he’d burned it trying to escape or find help. He was somewhat lucky that he hadn’t wandered off too far from the bookstore. Since he’d stopped thrashing as much his eyes caught sight of the familiar building. Again, he tried to scream, this time succeeding in catching one of the brothers’ attention. Wonshik’s baby blue hair contrasted with the sandy-bricked building as he looked around furiously, trying to find the source of the troubled sound. Hakyeon’s eyes showed relief when Wonshik’s ones found his; quickly turned into panic when he was into a pressurised vortex.

A primal snarl rolled off Wonshik’s lips as he jumped out through the window and stood stiffly on the spot where Hakyeon and his kidnapper had disappeared. Taekwoon, alerted by Wonshik’s sudden outburst, was quick to follow and pad up behind the younger male. Although he hadn’t seen what happened it wasn’t hard to guess with the way Wonshik seemed to be right on the edge. His own gaze hardened with a mixture of determination and fury as he placed his hand on the younger’s shoulder and nodded, showing that this time he was going to be on the same side. “Let’s go.”

Finding Hakyeon proved easier than they had thought. It seemed like the perpetrators had intentionally left an ample amount of magic in their wake to allow both Taekwoon and Wonshik to trace them. They weren’t too secretive about their static location either. From inside a port-side warehouse were glowing lights from the windows and boisterous shouting and yelling. Upon closer inspection it was revealed that the lights from within were actually flickering with patches of shadows from bodies and the flickering flames; and the screaming was of fear and disgust. It only made the two dragonoids much more apprehensive, Wonshik acting quickly and ruining the warehouse’s massive doors with a single blow so that the two could rush inside much quicker. What they saw was blood, not a whole lot, but it had spread around quite a bit. Not on the floors, or the walls, or the ceiling, but splatters and rivulets over the bodies of the lifeless that were strewn over the dirt floor. A thud and weak cough brought their gaze over to a more salient body curled up on the ground, surrounded by those who survived and learned, kicking the already-beaten male with high boots and thick working pants.

A violent flutter struck the air as two pairs of scaled wings snapped from their inner restraints and spanned out with hostile from the backs of the two furious dragons. Those that took joy in hurting the innocent human turned to look with an exultant grin on their other-wise foul faces. Trolls. Greedy for more. It was obvious they had targeted Hakyeon only to lure the two brothers to them; if the way they easily abandoned the dying human in favour of the two stronger beings was anything to go by. Killing the small crowd would have been easy, perhaps taken care of in a few minutes, even seconds. However, that time was precious; they had to get to Hakyeon first. The burst of speed had enough momentum for the two bodies to break through the rushing crowd and surround the fallen human with the expanse of both their wings and bodies. “Hakyeon ah,” Taekwoon and Wonshik call out for their beloved at the same time, only managing to draw a small whimper and a cough which sprayed blood from Hakyeon’s mouth. “Take him,” this time only Taekwoon speaks, to which Wonshik nods and carefully takes the limp man into his arms. Only when Wonshik has Hakyeon secure in his arms does Taekwoon turn around to face the inhumane creatures that had been futilely clawing at the almost impenetrable scales of his wings, desperate to get even a scrap of his pure magic. If that was what they wished for, then Taekwoon would gift them generously.

Wonshik held Hakyeon’s body as close as he could to his, trying his best to keep the human alive. “Hang in there,” it’s hard for the dragonoid to speak when the sadness was stuck in his throat but he forced himself to be strong, “I’ll show you a beautiful place when you get better. The vegetables and fruits are so fresh it’s impossible to find a taste as delicious anywhere else; and- and the water, it’s so clear and sweet. Can you believe that?” A laugh rumbles off Wonshik’s chest but it’s obvious that it’s forced. Being so close, Hakyeon listened despite the deathly ache all through his body, though his eyes caught sight of a sudden blaze erupting in the distance; large, deadly, yet beautiful in its own way. “Taekwoon,” Hakyeon’s lips move as though to say the other dragonoid’s names. As if he had heard, Taekwoon came up beside Hakyeon, giving relief to the human. “I want to go now,” it’s barely audible, almost like a scratchy whisper of the wind. Taekwoon doesn’t quite know but Wonshik does; Taekwoon just follows.

Oddly enough, despite the oblique darkness of the night, the moon and the stars provide plentiful lighting over the modest farm. It was quite a shock for Taekwoon and Wonshik for they had not returned since they had last lost Hakyeon; the farm was in pristine condition. “Hakyeon,” Taekwoon calls out, the human having closed his eyes on the way. They open now, though barely, and his two lovers try their best to stand in a way that their shadows block nothing of the memory-inducing scenery. “It’s beautiful,” Hakyeon thinks, unable to say much at this stage. His fingers twice lightly as though to grab hold of Wonshik’s ragged shirt and tug it, wanting to be set down. The movement is almost undetectable but the two are so focused on the human that it’s impossible to have missed. Wonshik is reluctant to let the other go but a gentle and assuring touch to his arm, from Taekwoon, has him kneeling to lay Hakyeon on the grass. There was no doubt that a guardian lay their blessing over this place – the grass grew to bed Hakyeon, making his passing much more comfortable. Though he’d asked to see this place, the last of the light in his eyes were shone on the two dragonoids; a light of warmth and love. “Again,” Wonshik’s voice trembles as Taekwoon reaches out to close the now-dulled eyes. “Why? Why?!” His voice grows in volume and Taekwoon, despite knowing that it was disrespectful to the dead and the place, could not find it in himself to stop the younger dragon. He too was mourning for the second loss of their lover.

“Do not mourn,” a velvet voice speaks from behind. Both brothers turn with a vicious snarl, but it fades the moment their eyes set on the radiant figure – a spirit of purity. The male continues to walk on, taking no offence to the defensive behaviour that had been displayed. He kneels down on the other side of the deceased male and merely smiles, brushing his hand over the cooling body. The grass grows, enveloping the human’s body and shrinking the figure as though it absorbed him. Both Wonshik and Taekwoon are stricken and then grew maddened, but the male in front only smiles. It seemed impossible to harm him. “Your love is as pure as his soul. Do not mourn or worry. Follow me,” every word is comforting yet vague. They had no reason to trust this stranger yet they did; standing up and following the spirit towards the river.

What they had once thought was water was no more. Instead of a distorted reflection of themselves on the rippled surface, the river now seemed like a lengthy translucent bathroom mirror. From the other side stood two figures, obviously waiting for their arrival. “Please,” the spirit speaks once again, hands motioning for them to step through. Taekwoon braves the first breach, then quickly followed by Wonshik who wouldn’t dare allow his life companion to pass through alone. The transition was smooth, though they did get a little damp and thus an apology. The man that stood before them looked quite young, though with magical creatures like them, appearance was by no means an indication of age. Despites the youthful grin on his face and the ethereal being that took his place beside him, the man’s words spoke to them much deeper than his voice did, “he will return to you.”