Jun-Weeping Woodlands – Shadow Lands

"Hyung, let me help you with that"

"Sure, thanks" Jun gratefully smiled to the younger taller nether, as he heaves a few of his and Minghao’s rucksacks on their respective griffins. Mingyu beamed him a smile in return and started to gather their things, tying them up on the beasts back just like how Junhui would do it. 

Packing their things didn't took long to finish with the nether helping him. In fact, Jun could've done it by himself. They really didn't have much, just a sack of their clothes and a few pots for cooking. However, he enjoys the company of the younger nether, or even the other men other than his brothers from the middle grounds. 

With them, he feels free. He found a new kind of comfort in the few tensed days that he has spent with them and to Jun it was liberating. It sounds crazy and Jun would admit to it but, out of the three realms and beyond the unknown, Junhui finally felt grounded. 

Back in their huge manors, Jun would always get reprimanded for his bottomless amount of energy.

"Jun my dear child, would you please settle down and stay on your seat"

"Junhui! Goodness! Look  at you!  How many times do I have to tell you that you should not play with the children outside of the manor?! Look at you! You look like a commoner." 

" This is not how a noble like you should behave Junhui. Nobles are models, so you must be in your prime condition all the time." 

But out here, he can be himself.

""Wow Junhui you're amazing. How can you be so good in hunting?"

He can do whatever he wants.

"I will be the next white panther of the tribe! So I have to be the best! And besides, you promised to be by my side forever, so in return I promise to keep you safe all the time. I'll be the best for you Hao."

He is free.

"Is that all hyung?" Mingyu asked as the nether tied the last knot. Jun didn't realize he was rigidly standing without anything at hand, musing at dreams he shouldn’t be thinking as of the moment. Thank goodness Mingyu was not looking.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Mingyu." The middle grounder replied as soon as he got his bearings.

"No problem hyung, just call me if you need any help." Mingyu replied innocently with a smile readying himself to walk back to the cave and give a helping hand to anyone in need.

"Likewise," the older replied with a smile before remembering something.

"Say Mingyu, would I be a bother if I help you with making the food?" The older asked hesitantly.

"I mean just looking at you cooking a heap of food the night before by yourself seems tiring. " Jun continued, defending himself even if there was no need to do so.

"And, I've really wanted to learn how to cook but there wasn't really any opportunity for me." And there it goes. The real reason why he wanted to help was because he was interested in cooking as well. 

Jun has always been interested in cooking. However, his parents wouldn’t even let him stand near the kitchen, saying that a noble like him doesn’t fit in doing such lowly job of cooking. They said that since he is a noble and is destined to rule the realm together with the other nobles, he does not need to learn such lowly skill.

"No worries hyung, I may not be the best cook out here, but I'll try my best to teach you." Mingyu replied with a smile brighter than before.

"And your duty starts tonight." The younger added with a smile before walking back to the cave.

Jun heaved a sigh at the retreating sight of the younger nether. Things where literally looking good around now. The forest once covered with kalypdry trees was now starting to blossom with life. The toxic trees that once covered it all wilted in an instant as soon as the gigantic demon beast died. After the gruesome happenings, small trees started to grow. Then another day passed and the forest is covered again, but now with normal trees of different varieties. 

The black water running through the Syn river started to clear up as well. As the hellish inhabitant of it perish, so is the toxic essence of hell. The water gradually cleared up. From the black murky water, it slowly turned crystal clear. It was even safe for drinking, though the astrals said it would be better if they still cleanse it. Jun heard Jisoo said it was better to be safe than never, however, he also heard the man said that life will comeback to the once pristine river in no time.  

By the morning, for the first time in the few days he had stayed in the forest, he finally heard birds chirping. And if he saw Seungcheol stumbling out ungracefully of the cave to check if it was really real, he promised the older to not say a word about it.

However, with all the good things that happened to them comes the strange dreams that Jun couldn't figure out. They come in snippets, all in different scenarios. Some are light, leaving Jun to feel happy and at ease. Yet, there were some that wakes the middle grounder with cold sweat in the middle of the night.

As Jun sat himself on a small boulder outside the cave waiting for the others whilst trying to distract himself, the man let out a groan as he saw the trudging figure of Minghao carrying a sleeping mat on his back.

"Hao, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be resting?" The older asked concerned and slightly pissed by how the younger man doesn't seem to have any regard for his health.

"Hyung I'm not a child, and besides, my wounds are nothing but small scratches now." The younger huffed but his gaze was anywhere except for Jun.

"And should I also ask the same thing to you? You were heavily injured, yet here you are doing all the things we should be doing by ourselves." Minghao added, still not looking.

"Hao, I was injured, that is true. However, it wasn't as bad as you, Soonyoung and Chan had. I've completely healed, which gives me no excuse to just sit and watch you all struggle when I can do it by myself. And besides I was never alone doing it, I had helping hands." The older reasoned out, this time much calmer.

"Bu-but"

Minghao was not able to reply as the younger felt Jun softly but firmly cupping his face to look at him. "You worry for me too much Hao, and I appreciate it a lot. But now, let me be the one to worry and take care of you this time."

"Uhmm, Junhui-ssi, Minghao-ssi we'll be heading out in a few moments. I just wanted to ask if everything is set in your end." Seungcheol bashfully asked whilst Jun almost stumbled, first to the ground if not for his instant reflexes that allowed him to firmly wrap an arm around the younger middle grounders shoulder.  

"Uh yes Seungcheol-ssi." Jun stuttered a reply.

"And we would be really more comfortable if you will just call us by our names. Makes it sound more friendlier I guess." The older middle grounder added, letting out a hesitant laugh in between. 

"Then in return, just call me Seungcheol hyung instead." The older nether replied before patting the shoulders of the middle grounders and walking back to the cave. 

"Basing from Hansol and Minghao's dreams the mighty one is leading us to the East. And if our interpretations of the dreams that Minghao and Hansol have is correct, then that means we will need to find a small burned out town and the last surviving person in it." Jun listened to Seungcheol thinking out loudly as the rest of them mount on their respective traveling beasts. 

"And basing from the map here, there is indeed a small town deep within the forest. It can be found beyond the cliffs. They call it as "Trahir." Wonwoo added as he studies the crumpled map on his hands.

"How long do you think will it take for us to reach it?” Soonyoung asked while grunting as he positions himself comfortably. The middle grounder was still having a hard time sitting himself from all the bandages wrapped around his torso, not to mention the once wrapped around his back where he broke a few bones on his wings from his bad landing. Jun was about to jump down from his beast to help his friend but Jihoon beat him to it.

"About a day or two. Depends on how we travel. If our beast travels by foot it will take quite longer compared to if they fly." Wonwoo answered, still looking at the map on his hands. 

"I know that we are in a hurry, yet, if we fly, there is a higher risk that Lilith’s underlings might see us. We cannot risk that.” Seungcheol said as he let his gaze travel around the others.

"Also, the others are not completely healed, it will be very dangerous if any of Lilith’s minions sees us.” Jeonghan added in a soft voice. 

Everybody agreed that it will be safer for them to travel by land. With the tall trees covering their tracks, the heroes started their journey once again to the unknown. Stopping for a few moments to give their beasts short breaks before continuing again, in less than two days they reached the cliff.

“Hyungs is that the cliff we are looking for?” Chan said as he squints his eyes to see clearly. The rest of the men perk up on their saddles, and even Jun who was about to fall asleep on top of his griffin suddenly shoot up.

The heroes immediately made their way to the cliff, ready to find their way down and look for the destroyed town.

However, they immediately halted on their tracks as they saw a boulder. On the foot of it lies a human skeleton, most of it is covered with moss. 

"Forgotten by men and cursed by God,
Those who look shall find none,
Death will follow,
And to hell you will all be gone,
Only whom she betrayed,
Shall seek her out."

Facts about the Fic:

• Deep down the Syn river, there is really no portal that allows the demon beast to come through unlike the popular stories that has been passed since the old times. The reason why the Weeping Woodlands was filled with dark miasma is because of the mere existence of the demon beast that has taken refuge in its once clear waters. The demonic creature is one of the few special species that Lilith created when she still had her full demon abilities. Yoon Jeonghan, heir to the astral family of Yoon, together with Jeon Wonwoo heir to the nether family of Jeon, decided to take notes and study these special creatures through their travels. As of the moment, from the observations of the two, not much is known about these creatures other than that they have the ability to pollute a large sum of land by emitting dark miasma. They have long slimy bodies, with some parts of it covered in thorn-like appendages. They might also have the ability to shape-shift but there is not enough evidence to prove it. For now, the two will continuously study these beasts for the betterment and safety of humanity.      

Who do you think is next???

I actually planned to post this last sunday, since I kinda made sunday as my unofficial update day but, this chapter was waaaay beyond ready so here it is after 2 days. Also since classes are suspended and there are no students to teach because of the corona virus (we're in a community lockdown right now ), I have more than enough time to write more updates before the next school year starts since I've got nothing to do (I haven't really finished summing up my students final grades, but that can wait a little). So y'all can expect more updates in the following days.

On the other hand, I hope you guys like this update. I know it's still a filler chapter but it let us see deeper into the lives of our heroes. I didn't want you guys to just see them as the 13 dudes who are fighting a demon just because they were destined too. They are more than that and I'll try my best to show it to y'all in the next chapters.

Byeeeee and God bless us all. I hope none of y'all contracts the corona virus. Stay healthy, take your vitamins and drink a lot of water.