Somewhere around dawn, Suho finally turned to human form and the first thing he did was scream in pain. His arm was broken and lay at an odd angle as he curled in on himself. The barrier dissolved and Sehun as swift as the wind, scooped his whimpering brother and held him close.

“Take us to the healer prince!”

Jongin leapt up and held Sehun arm that was wrapped around Suho on his left and Xiumin on the right and teleported them all to the healing wing of the main castle.

There Sehun laid down Suho and roughly pulled a passing healer demanding that he treat his brother. The healer perhaps saw Jongin behind him and immediately got to work. Suho was sedated first and then it took over an hour of careful restructuring to set his bone. It was more difficult as the bone had broken when he was a dragon and when he transformed, the pieces of shattered bone had moved around. But thankfully, Suho was mostly unconscious.

BY noon, Sehun sat right next to Suho’s bed, laid his head on Suho’s bed and napped. Xiumin and Jongin sat to one side whispering quietly.

“He is so strong as a dragon but as a human, he is just like any of us.” Jongin observed.

“Actually, he is weaker than us. Suho constantly wears power limiters and that is not good for him because it suppresses his element, water.”

Jongin looked surprised, “What’s happening to him?”

“A lot. His metabolism is haywire so he doesn’t eat much, he often invents excuses like hunting in the wild and eating raw meat, but truth is, we never know when his body will rebel against food. That’s why he never eats in the presence of anyone other than Sehun and I. His bones are weak, because they are part dragon. While in dragon form, his bones become as strong as tungsten but in human form, he can break them easily. Because he doesn’t eat very well and because he always carries titanium manacles, he is always tired. He can’t walk too much either. He sometimes sleeps for days without waking up once. And then there is the slow madness that he is giving into every time he changes to dragon form.”

Jongin felt an overwhelming sense of sadness for Suho.

“So why does he change to dragon form. He can live like us.”

Xiumin patted Jongin’s back with a sad smile.

“You are naïve my prince. Suho is one of the only two princes who can take the dragon form. The other being your boyfriend. As such they are the only defence against the Werden’s mechanical dragon line. They are the single most precious pair of war machines in the world. And unlike your boyfriend, not enough people care about Suho to worry about what happens to him. How many times has Chanyeol taken dragon form to go to battle?”

“He has taken dragon form a few times, but never to go to battle. So, why is it that Chanyeol doesn’t need limiters and Suho does?”

“Chanyeol does wear a limiter. You have seen his heirloom ruby earring on his left ear right? That’s his limiter. “

Jongin’s eyes widened. He remembered his boyfriend’s handsome face. The crooked mischievous smile, the luxurious silver hair and yes, the ruby that shone like a drop of blood against the silver strands.  He had not known that the beautiful tear drop shaped ruby dangling from Chanyeol’s right ear was his limiter. All he knew was that it was an heirloom from Chanyeol’s mother. Thinking about Chanyeol also brought in the image of a majestic serene dragon with flaming bronze and ruby scales. Bright yellow eyes the color of citrine and fire itself that somehow looked unearthly and at the same time adoring.

Jongin had seen Chanyeol’s dragon form over a dozen times over the years. Chanyeol had taken dragon form for the first time when he was 15. His transition was fully regulated. He had been on medication to stabilize his transition for years by then. His mother from whom he inherited the dragon form guided him through the entire process. And his transition was celebrated throughout the Southern lands and all the princes and kings and queens were present at Prost for the festival. Jongin remembered looking for Suho but he knew no one of the Northern entourage and had soon forgotten about him in the fun and games.

An unease fell on Jongin. Chanyeol and Suho are closer to age and Suho would have also transitioned at more or less the same time as Chanyeol but there had been no celebration of his transition that he had heard of.

“When did Suho transition? We didn’t get an invitation for the celebration I think.”

Xiumin looked troubled, “I don’t know, I wasn’t there for his transition.”

“I was.” Both Jongin and Xiumin turned around startled. Sehun stood behind them, angry and red faced but he looked cute as well because his bed hair looked funny and his face was puffed from sleep. He walked up to them and sat down on the empty chair next to them with arms folded.

“Do you want to know how Suho hyung’s transition went?”

“Tell us.” Xiumin implored.

“Not that it matters any more but someone other than me should know the sordid tale.”

Sehun leant forward and began.

“I was maybe 12 when Suho hyung transitions. He should have been around 15 or maybe 16. Suho hyung ever since he returned to us from Chronus had not been keeping well. His mind would play tricks on him. He saw shadows every where and had nightmares all the time. I remember he was small for his age and no matter what my mother fed him, he remained gaunt. We wrote to the king a number of times but any medicine we received had no impact on hyung. Then one day he fell so ill that he couldn’t perform even the most basic water magic. He became bed ridden and the fever he suffered did not let up for 10 days at a stretch. We thought he was dying. We sent word to the Northern king but he had gone to live with the queen in the Aldulin sea. No one responded to our messages or our messengers. We sought local doctors and shamen and all was in vain until one the 11^th day, Suho hyung stopped breathing. We thought he died. My mother not knowing what to do, prepared to take hyung’s body to the capital. But just as we crossed the border of our village, Suho hyung heaved and keened in pain. My mother brought us home again and we put him on blankets on the floor because hyung twisted and turned and rolled in pain. He couldn’t eat or drink and on the morning of the 12^th day, he transitioned into dragon form. A thin reedy and weak dragon who finally rested in exhaustion. Mother was scared and was running here and there looking for someone to help. But I wasn’t afraid. I knew hyung will live or somehow I will make him live. I was okay if he was going to eat me and live but then I wouldn’t be there to help him when he needed me. So I killed a sheep for the first time and dragged it to hyung. Hyung did not respond but when I went to clean myself, and came back with a bowl of water, hyung was weekly ling on the blood of the sheep.

That afternoon my mother returned exhausted, but she came with help. The villagers were afraid but kind. I told her what I did. She smiled and patted my head saying how proud she was. We killed a sheep every day for the next 7 days. Suho hyung allowed only me and mother near him but the villagers sat around and spoke to him and told him stories. They guarded him and made sure to take a message to the capital through the village administration with their official seal so that no one doubted the authenticity of the message.

Hyung frequently cried in pain at night but calmed down when I laid on top of him. I cried every time I listened to his lonely mourning call and if I could, I would have burnt down the entire world that did this to hyung. In the evenings, mother and I would sit down and talk to him. On the eight day Suho hyung turned back to his human form.”

Sehun sighed and rested back. He laughed.

“Celebration? Yes, we had a celebration in a barn. We bled sheep for seven days and told gossip about Sera hyung’s warts and Dindin noona’s illegitimate child. My mother made maze and barley gruel, lamb stew and rice cakes for the visitors. The villagers gifted hyung, bales of hay, home made medicine for his aches and extra blankets to keep him warm. And I…, I sat around unable to help the most perfect brother I could have asked for as he screamed in pain for help.”

Sehun had tears in his eyes, so did the others.

“Ironically, like the naïve fool I was, I thought things would get better for hyung after that. I thought mom and I and the villagers would take care of him forever. “ He looked straight at Jongin and asked with hatred in his eyes.

“Have you wondered why Suho hyung is going mad every time he transitions while your precious boyfriend has no problem taking dragon form? Huh? You know why?” Sehun asked in a feral voice.

“Sehun, no. Don’t.” Sehun pushed aside Xiumin who was trying his best to calm him down.

“No hyung, he has to know. This bastard pretends that he cares. Well it’s time someone told him the truth. Listen precious. Hyung is the way he is because of you. Yes, you and your nasty blood clan and kingdom. And also because of our indifferent family and the rest of the indifferent world, but its mainly because of you.”

Jongin was shaking now. Every word Sehun bit out shook him to the core and he shrank back in fear. But Sehun had a painful hold on his knees.

“Remember when you chased my hyung out of your kingdom? Did you stop to think why he was there in the first place? He was here to get ready for his transition. Your kingdom is the only place where the dragon lore lives. You had the medicines, you had the knowledge, you had everything to help hyung transition to dragon form without his soul being splintered. And what did you do? YOU CALLED HIM A MONSTER AND CHASED HIM AWAY IN THE RAIN!”

“I… I don’t understand, what are you saying.” Jongin whispered confused.

Xiumin pulled aside Sehun.

“Sehun, that’s enough. Go out and cool your head now.” Sehun refused though and he pushed him aside.

“You stay out of it hyung, I know you don’t care about him. I won’t be patient any more. If I don’t do something now, I will have to bury hyung here and go home empty handed. Politics be damned, war be damned, you entire lot be damned. I won’t let Suho hyung die. I hate you. I hate you all. I will kill all of you in a heartbeat if it means it will help Suho hyung. But that won’t help him.”

Sehun had tears streaming down his eyes. He looked more like a child lost in a festival, afraid and looking for his parents at that moment. Xiumin pulled his half brother into a tight hug

 “Don’t say I don’t care Sehun. I care, I care a lot more than you think. I am here aren’t I? Calm down Sehun. Do you want Suho to wake up and see you like this? Go, go and sit with him. He needs you now.”

At the mention of Suho, Sehun’s anger drained away from him and with a sob, he collapsed on the chair. After a moment, he looked at Xiumin and said, “you promised we will save him. We don’t have time for our original plan any more. Tell him now or I will.”

“What is going on. I don’t understand.” Jongin whimpered.

 Sehun’s voice cracked at the end and he stood up abruptly. Xiumin tried to hold him but he pushed him aside.