017

DAMNED

Chapter 17. 

 

Mark’s eyes widened. Jaw dropping as he looked turned to look at Jisung and Chenle. This was different. This changed things.

Jaehyun wasn’t in danger in the Damned’s land because he could fall ill. No he was in danger within his own clan, because if he fell ill and woke up… They’d kill him.

 

 

Mark suddenly looked at Renjun who was trembling as if he was cold. “Then you need to help us.”

  “What do you mean?” Haechan asked. Renjun looked away from Mark’s gaze.

  “He’s dying.” Mark said with a nod in Renjun’s direction and Renjun shook his head, eyes glistening with tears. He coughed and it sounded violent. Shaking his small frame. Jeno crouched down to hold the other when he realized what Mark was saying. If Renjun woke up from death, he’d have a short second life.

  “Come with us.” Mark pleaded to Haechan who looked lost. Haechan shifted his gaze from Renjun to Mark. Finally Mark reached out to hold onto Haechan’s lower arm. Haechan didn’t tear it away from him. “You’ll be safe with us.”

  “We have no rules.” Chenle said with a grin. “Only power.”

  “Taeyong and Mark can protect you.” Jisung assured them. Chenle frowned and turned to look at Jisung.

  “What about me?”

Jisung blinked. “Oh yeah, you too, I guess.”

Chenle huffed. “I guess?” He repeated in disbelief. Mark ignored their little quarrel. He felt the arm touching Haechan’s trickle with energy. Haechan ran his fingers through Jaehyun’s damp hair.

  “You sure?” He asked Mark. It was a personal question. Not directed at Chenle or Jisung. “Can you protect, us all? Jaehyun. Renjun. Jeno?”

  “And you.” Mark promised. Haechan pressed his lips together.

  “Then hide here.” He stated and got up, helping Jaehyun up with admirable strength. “Get some rest; we leave at dawn before the town wakes.”

 

 

 

 

Mark lay wide awake on the couch in the living room. There was a picture on the wall, the date was old. Way before the Last War. Mark kept staring at it. At the small yellow flowers, how many there was, and those three red flowers on the bottom. One fully bloomed, one reaching towards the table and another one closed, probably withering. He thought the day through, somehow still reminded of Haechan’s brown eyes. He shook his head, trying not to worry too much about Renjun coughing upstairs, or Jaehyun falling asleep immediately when Haechan put him to bed. There was a bond between Haechan and Jaehyun. One Mark probably should’ve guessed. Johnny and Jaehyun seemed inseparable, and if Johnny mentioned the other in moments of agony. It meant he missed him greatly, that Haechan was important to him. Mark frowned, re-adjusting his position and trying to focus on the breaths falling from Jisung’s lips. The other lied right below him.

The curtains had been pulled out to cover the small windows. Dust had risen into the air, slowly moving towards the floor, floating like small sparkles in the candlelight. Jeno had looked grumpy as he did this. Mark had wondered why the other hadn’t gone home yet, why three kids were living in this house.

The stairs going to the level upstairs looked more like a ladder. Mark eyed it when he heard the floor creaking above him. Two sock-clad feet shifted between descending the stairs and Mark closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

The feet crept across the floor, the sound so low, steps so careful that Jisung and Chenle slept through them. Mark held his breath, they stopped beside him. Mark opened his eyes. Haechan stood above him.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right in this moment.”

Mark felt a pull at the corner of his mouth. “Because you won’t be able to.” He told the other simply. Somehow he felt able to challenge Haechan, feeling that the other wouldn’t suddenly get angry. That there was space for challenges, for play.

  “Try me.” Haechan said with an expression matching his words. Mark noticed the other’s dagger that he’d tried to hide behind the back of the couch.

  “I’m from Clan 7.” Mark found himself explaining in a soft voice, careful of not waking Jisung or Chenle. “One of the last to die. One of the last to wake up.” He said honestly, a clenching in his chest when he remembered his home. “My best friend and brother went with me, to deliver me to the Damned’s land… but everything didn’t go as planned. Three Damned came at us. My clan members ran. Ten and I ran.” Mark was looking at Haechan as the other took in his words. The dagger wasn’t lowered yet. “We ended up here.” Mark said. “I kept my eyes closed. Jaehyun and Johnny were the ones meeting us. They were taking too.” Mark noticed Haechan’s dagger go higher. He swallowed deeply before continuing. “I defended them with my life. When I found out about Jaehyun’s condition I protected him from danger. Johnny pushed him out of the Damned’s Land when he got the chance. Yet it brought Johnny in danger. My brother Ten too. I killed for them.” Mark didn’t like the spite in his words, but he felt angry. Haechan shouldn’t doubt him. He hadn’t worked so hard to receive doubt. “Now I’m here. To check up on Jaehyun, but of course it didn’t went as planned. I am not known for being lucky.”

Haechan had put the dagger back in its sheath. He removed his gaze from Mark and looked up at the wall behind Mark.

  “I’d kill again.” Mark then said. Haechan shifted his gaze to Mark as the other said those words. Haechan lowered his gaze to the ground. “I can protect them. I can take you to Johnny. He misses you.”

Haechan looked at Mark, now Mark noticed the other’s eyes. There was little light, but the faint light that fell upon a window was caught in a tear settling in Haechan’s eyelashes. “He mentioned me?” He asked, if Mark wasn’t entirely wrong, he heard a bit of anger.

  “Only your name. Only once.” Mark said.

Haechan nodded, sniffling and blinking rapidly. Mark waited for the other to say something, but Haechan only pressed his lips together before moving upstairs as silently as he had come down. Mark moved his gaze back to the painting of the yellow flowers.

He hoped this meant that Haechan trusted him. That now the leader would be on Mark’s team. They couldn’t afford being hostile with one another. There was too much to lose.

 

 

 

It was still dark out, just before the break of dawn, when the healthy came down. Chenle and Jisung had been playing card games. Chenle insisted on keeping it, while Mark told him to ask first. There were traces of the past here. Things that had survived the Last War and the many years that had passed since. Mark was amazed by it; walking around and appreciating art and things that probably had been everyday stuff, but it seemed so foreign to Mark.

  “Rise and shine!” Chenle grinned when Haechan came down, helping Jaehyun who looked better after a nights rest. Mark wondered if Jaehyun had slept enough since he came back. Because now he looked like he’d finally slept. Mark gave Jaehyun a smile, and Jaehyun looked relieved at the sight of him. Haechan was packing food with the help of Jeno. Renjun looked very ill and Mark would even say Jaehyun looked better.

  “Renjun,” Mark spoke softly, knowing how the other was cautious with the three Damned even when he thought they were travelers. “Do you feel well enough to travel?” He asked. Renjun was sitting by a table near the kitchen window, face in his hands and in pain. Mark was thinking of how to bring Renjun to the Damned’s Land the easiest way. He’d maybe have to ask someone to carry him, his small frame wouldn’t be too heavy for Chenle or Jisung.

Jeno appeared in between Mark and Renjun, leaning in to cover Renjun from Mark’s sight. “What?” He asked, voice harsh. “You’re suggesting he shouldn’t come with us? That he should jus-”

  “Jeno!” Haechan’s voice was firm. Jeno turned to glare at Haechan.

  “What if he got sick after meeting them?” He asked and Haechan’s eyebrows flew up.

  “Sure! In one ing day!”

Mark eyed Jaehyun who looked like he was used to this. He was eating some porridge for breakfast together with Jisung and Chenle.

  “Ah! You like him!” Jeno suddenly said with a smug look and Mark’s eyes widened. Jaehyun looked up from his porridge at Jeno and then Haechan. The auburn haired boy had wide eyes too, but right now Mark couldn’t tell what his reaction would be.

  “I trust him.” Haechan said in a quiet voice, but it was dangerously quiet. Jeno seemed to shrink in size, knowing he had crossed a line. Haechan stood with a towel in his hands and he was gripping it harshly. “Do you trust me?” He asked challengingly.

  “Of course,” Jeno stammered. Renjun turned his head to look at the two. He looked like he wanted to speak, but didn’t have the energy to do so.

  “Then you have to trust Mark too. I’m sure he only means to know if we have to be cautious of Renjun passing out. Maybe we should carry him from the start or let him walk on his own first?”

Mark nodded, Haechan gave Mark a look and Mark tried to show that he appreciated Haechan standing up for him. Haechan looked at Jeno as if he was analyzing the other, reading him. “Renjun is either gonna die or wake up like them.” He said and pointed at Chenle, Jisung and Mark. It was more of a wave of his arm, but in the direction of where the Damned stood in the room. Jeno was looking at his feet now. Mark noticed Renjun was holding onto Jeno’s hand. “Let’s all hope he’s gonna wake up again. Better than not here at all, don’t you think?”

 

 

 

 

Mark walked around helping them prepare for the travel, while admiring Haechan and everything he did. If Haechan was around his age or maybe younger, he sure was wise.

Before the sky grew light they left the house and went into the woods. Renjun was being supported by Jeno, he wore a thick scarf around his face in order to muffle his coughing. Jaehyun walked on his own, only having Mark’s arm loosely around his waist. Haechan led the way and Jisung and Chenle circled around the group, checking paths and corners, making sure they wouldn’t be ambushed.

Jisung climbed up and went slightly ahead. They saw better in the dark than the others and Haechan didn’t seem to like how well Jisung and Chenle had it compared to them. Mark noticed Jaehyun was rather quiet, and Mark wondered what had left him so speechless. Was it the anticipation of going back? Was he planning his conversation with Johnny? With Taeyong? Mark wasn’t sure if he wanted to be present when Jaehyun unleashed his frustrations. He just hoped they would find some peace in their situation when they were all together again. That Taeyong would know what to do, that Lord Win would have a new plan, that he had something for them to strive for.

A branch snapped ahead of them, maybe 20 feet ahead. Everyone froze while Chenle quickly moved to the front. “Jisung.” He said but Mark reached out a hand to grip onto Chenle’s arm. They had been moving for about an hour, nearing the edge of the fifth clan and soon crossing the river. Yet this noise was large. Mark hadn’t heard Jisung fall, which was odd. If he had miss-stepped and fallen, they would’ve heard his voice.

Mark picked it up. The sounds nearing them. The brushes against leaves and the larger movement that shook the trees. Chenle’s eyes widened. Mark reached forwards his fingers curling around Haechan’s jacket and he backed Jaehyun and Haechan away and to the side before hiding behind the trunk of a tree. Haechan grabbed onto Mark’s arm staring at him with reading eyes when he also picked up on the sounds. Jeno was quick to pull Renjun with him. Chenle backed off, ready to face whatever came at them. Mark made sure Jaehyun stood steadily as he pulled at the handle of his dagger.

Jisung came out of the trees, he flew, fast, way too fast to predict a good, safe landing and he crashed onto the ground, but rolled off the weight and turned around to face whatever was following him. He looked pale.

The sky was lighter now, yet it was still twilight.

Everybody yelped when the huge creature came through. Mark’s grip on the handle of his dagger faltered when he saw something big with sand colored fur, yet large gaps of raw skin and awkward bones shaping what would have been a mountain lion. Mark had heard of them in the stories of the time before the Last War. They had thrived in this land. Now they were Rox animals, mutations of what they once were, larger and wilder. Jisung threw himself backwards in order to avoid the large jaws of the creature. Chenle didn’t wear a smile at the moment.

Haechan pulled out something from his waist, and Mark eyed him only to widen his eyes. It was a horn and Haechan blew it without hesitation. Mark slapped it away from Haechan’s lips. “What are you doing?!” He hissed, coming forward to tower over Haechan. “Calling for help?” He asked before Haechan could answer. The other was glaring at him. “That monster is big enough of a problem we don’t need people with weapons meant to kill us!”
Haechan inhaled through his nose, ready to retaliate when his eyes flickered to the side and Mark sensed it coming. He felt Haechan pull at him while Mark threw himself down, both of them avoiding the claws that had come for them. They lied side by side, staring up at the yellow eyes of the Rox lion.

  “Hae! Mark!” Jaehyun screamed in fright, and Mark and Haechan fought to detangle themselves from each other. Mark rolled to one side and Haechan to the other as the animals tried to claw at them. Mark ended up closer to the creature but used his agility to avoid the attacks and create distance.

  “Keep going!” Mark ordered the group. “You need to cross the river!”

Jisung threw a rock at the creature to steer it away from the others and Chenle attacked the Rox lion to keep it from crushing Jisung. Haechan looked at them as if that was the last thing he wanted to do, but they had two people who wouldn’t be able to fight for their lives and so Haechan hurried onwards. Mark grabbed Jisung’s arm. “Go with them!” He said through gritted teeth, eyes on the creature. “Get them safely across the river.”

Jisung’s hair was messy and covering his face and eyes. The red glow made his angry expression even more intense as he separated his lips to protest.

  “Go!” Chenle ordered him. “We can handle a little cat.” He assured Jisung with a grin and then jumped up on the trunk of a tree, flinging himself through the air to avoid an attack. Jisung cursed beneath his breath but still ran. Mark used the trees to avoid the claws of the Rox lion.

  “They’ll be here soon.” Chenle stated. Mark knew it too, a group of people were nearing them.

  “How do we kill this?” He asked and then felt a claw almost get him, tearing open a gap in his shirt.

Chenle threw a knife and the blade dug into the creature’s back leg. “From above.” He said and as the two of them kept moving in order to confuse the creature. Mark climbed up again and Chenle tried to distract the Rox. The lion reached out and caught Chenle’s lower leg before Chenle was quick enough to get out of range. Mark watched in horror as the smaller was dragged closer over the ground. The creature raised a clawed paw and Mark knew it would cut Chenle’s torso open if it . He jumped; dagger raised high and legs read to land on the back of the creature.

They did live in peace with animals, but if animals broke their peace they were allowed to fight back. Mark saw Chenle cover his face with his arms, but before the Rox animal could strike Mark’s dagger pierced its neck and he pulled out the dagger, immediately puncturing another spot, drawing blood. The animal released a roar of pain at the first stab, but then a gurgling sound came from its jaws as blood invaded its throat. Chenle looked up at it with a grimace of horror, now not in fear but before he could crawl away blood gushed out upon him. Mark who was clenching his thighs around the beast to stay still as it fought against his attack, tried to end the creatures pain by forcing his dagger through the Rox animal’s skull and into the pain, it convulsed once but then it collapsed and Chenle moved away before he was crushed beneath its large body. Mark rolled off of it as it fell, not having enough energy to bounce off. He still went against his aching limps by standing up immediately, wiping off his bloody dagger. Chenle had blood covering his shirt from his neck and down, his jaw was smudged too in his attempt to wipe it off. Mark felt a tickle on his face and wiped with the back of his hand. Chenle laughed at him.

  “You made it worse.”

Mark looked at his arm and saw blood all over it. “Great.” He muttered in displeasure but then they heard the people nearing and Mark only had to meet Chenle’s gaze shortly before they both left the clearing.

 

 

 

A/N:

Welcome new subs!

I am enjoying having the dreams in the story! Chapter 18 is done and will be up soon.
Work is taking up a lot of time and now I may be changing to another job so yeah, I am a busy woman. 

Hope you're all having a wonderful holiday time. <3

Love,
Emma <3

    

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!
Tripping-Panda
DAMNED; I just noticed we're almost at 1000 subs!! :oooo That is insaaane! Do remember to subscribe to GIFTED the continuation of the story so that you don't miss out on all the new things! <3 Chapter 9 is going up this weekend! <3

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
niwo-chan #1
Chapter 41: I'm very grateful that you're writing such long and complicated fics <3
ImHereForExoFics #2
Chapter 1: This is so interesting!
KimmyNurry
692 streak #3
Congrats on the bid! ^^
DreamyGongju
#4
congrats on winning the bid!
Lost_Pharaoh
#5
just woah
Ghad20
12 streak #6
Congratulations
dreamshun
1813 streak #7
congrats on winning the bid <3
Nothingtolose
#8
This should be published as a novel because the story line is just *chefs kiss* like I bet someone publishing company would be dying to publish this
UltimateFangirl2306 #9
Chapter 50: This is a great story but I hope Taeil and Jungwoo are in the sequel lol it would be sad to have every other nct member and not them