FIFTEEN

            After walking such a distance through the stairs and seemingly endless path, only footsteps could be heard, over the dead torch, with the light comes from the tiny holes made by the rats, the big, ancient, old door is the only thing they could see. Jongdae walks pass by them, opening the door with all his strength until it creaks with a shrieking sound. Then, they are welcomed by a huge, vacant, hall.

The castle is magnificent, with countless of round pillars, is crafted by Phoenix and fire, their symbol of the Kingdom, supported the high ceiling. Up there was what they thought as a story of how the Kingdom is found, made by colorful crystals with a Phoenix in the center of it, although it is now hidden by a big, endearing moon. The orange-yellow lights peeped from the hundred windows decorated the whole walls which reflected to the mirror at each corner. Everything seems perfect, seems great.

Baekhyun feels like home.

“Any idea where we should find them?” Kris asked, looking at all of them and added “If you ask me to look for them with this form, I am sorry I couldn’t. Need to transform, and I don’t want to destroy any of these magnificent artifacts. So?”

“The King of Northern Earth Kingdom” Jongdae called and then smiled “As you pleased-”

“Fine, cover for me” Kyungsoo said

            In the opposite of Baekhyun, Kyungsoo didn’t like here. He feels suffocated, with all the warm colors, the light and the fire, moreover the revenge he feels towards the castle. He bended down, put his hand on the ground as he closed his eyes, mind is concentrating to find such some energies.

“I feel them, two people. Chanyeol and he are here” Kyungsoo then mumbled but still closed his eyes for more information

            Tao, back on his King, already took out his weapon to the opposite direction. Just like Kyungsoo, he didn’t know why but he feels suffocated in here. Even worse, he feels it since he steps on the woods. He feels something is weird going inside the castle, absolutely not good for them to stay.

“Where are them?” Jongdae narrowed his eyes, swords on his right hand, already to attack when Kyungsoo gave no response

            Kyungsoo started to sweat a lot, making the others panic, especially Jongin. The latter didn’t feel anything bad in the castle since he didn’t remember anything. Even opening the portal to here is such luck, perhaps with the help of Kyungsoo itself.

“Oh damn, !” Kyungsoo widened his eyes real fast as he stood up and lifted his hand at the same time “I am sorry for the castle” as he shouted that, the ground in front of them broke and lifted, making a shield out of the stones to cover them

            Kyungsoo still lifted his left hand, maintaining the shield of stone when his right hand moves backward, circling on the air, making a really huge hole behind them. He gritted his teeth as, suddenly, the windstorm of fire arrows started to attack them mercilessly from unknown. He couldn’t help not to lower the protection in front to cover them from the upside attack, leaving the shield down as everyone widened his eyes in horror to see the scene in front of them.

            Men with the black robes were screaming and shouting, determined to approach them. All kind of weapons were clanging on their hands, the swords, the axes, the chains. It is definitely not a friendly approach, not when they realize what are attacking them. Behind the black robes were skeletons, without any flesh meat, all with the same blank expressions, easy to fall and to stand again.

Eyes wide open. They are not just a dead people. They are bunch of machine weapons which didn’t have heart and mind to operate. Definitely wouldn’t feel hurt and wouldn’t mind to loss one or two bones in their systems.

By now Kris has already spread his wings again, eliminates most of the fire arrows those seems unlimited, destroying the Kingdom even more by his flapping wings. Kyungsoo has lost his protection upside, deciding that he needs to reform the shield in front of them and trust the upside with Kris. The ceiling has long falling, leaving Kris to be able to see the spread his wings wide and see what the worse is happing down on him. Jongdae and Tao weapon himself, with Minseok followed behind them, making a circle to keep the others safe.

Just a second, before they realize the castle started to get burn. The windstorm of fire arrows seems has no limit, breaking the luxurious windows those now are scattered into pieces of glass. Kris definitely couldn’t handle all of them. The ground filled with broken bones, unused weapons, broken crystals and fire. Even worse, the fire by now are sizzling to them, are burning everything into ashes. Smokes are everywhere. The soldiers of skeletons are not much different from the fire arrows. They are limitless and keep coming to attack them.

Kyungsoo couldn’t believe his eyes and what welcome him in the Southern Fire Kingdom. He keeps motioning his hands, didn’t aware that he has been separate with the others. Once he turned around, he widened his eyes only to see Jongdae with his great Thunder Sword.

“Where are the others?!” he shouted in panic, trying to get silhouettes of Suho, his guardians, or the others

            Jongdae, just as clueless as Kyungsoo, widened his eyes. He slashed one of the skeletons before approaching Kyungsoo and stood by him, sword still up in front of his chest.

“Aren’t they here seconds ago?” Jongdae’s facial expression isn’t much different from Kyungsoo, filled with horror “Oh, geez! Half of them couldn’t even lift their fists moreover handle a fight!” he yelled for nobody but himself

Kyungsoo bit his lips real hard before looked up, he pointed at the wings those keep waving even from fire and smokes surrounded it “Look, it is Kris! We should ask him instead. He has greater vision” he said, looking around as he ordered “Cover for me”

“What? What are you-“

            Jongdae didn’t even finish what he said as Kyungsoo bended down, once again. He immediately cut the stubborn skeletons which keep coming to them with killing weapons. Jongdae cut down most of them, leaving Kyungsoo concentrated fullness on the ground below them which suddenly swayed and lifted. Jongdae stabbed his sword to the ground in surprise, in order to stabilize his position. Unaware the motion has called thunders those strikes the skeletons surrounded him by meters. He widened his eyes at the result and lifted his sword to cover Kyungsoo’s head from the thunder hurriedly.

            Oh, he just misses millisecond before the thunder strike on Kyungsoo’s head.

“Yah, are you crazy? Want to kill me desperately?” Kyungsoo yelled at him

Jongdae snorted, put the sword back on his lap as he said breathlessly “It isn’t intentional. Thus, you learn how to warn someone before lifting the ground from his feet. But never mind, I got what you planned. Where is Kris again? He just there bef-“

“Here, I am here. Yah, are you nuts? You almost burn my wings” Kris protested as he flapped his wings, which isn’t as white as before but filled with smokes and bloods, he added “I saw you suddenly call the thunder and hurriedly fled away. What is happened with coming to ask me nicely? Are you sure you didn’t want to kill me?”

Jongdae rolled his eyes “Gosh, it wasn’t intentional, how many times I should repeat that?”

“Whatever” Kris stated and landed down on the ground beside Kyungsoo “But the others, I could see them separated from us by force. Suho is fine, water protects him nicely. Tao with Baekhyun and I could see Jongin is near. Yixing shouldn’t be that much far I supposed. But, I don’t think Minseok is fine fighting by himself though. He started to run out of his ice, the fire is slowly killing him again.”

“Where is he?” Jongdae hissed, force his eyes to see below his feet

            He couldn’t see anything. The ground is lifted too high and smokes is everywhere. Kris eyes sparked once before pointed at certain direction. Jongdae is ready to jump if only Kyungsoo didn’t catch him right on time.

“What are you doing? Minseok needs help!” Jongdae protested

 “I know but wait. We need a plan, listen” Kyungsoo glared as Jongdae keep rebelling “I have told you we need a plan. BE CALM” he shouted, grab another fire arrows on his bare hands and broke it into two before throwing it randomly, earning a smirk from Kris “Listen, I have got a plan” he waited for Jongdae being calmer and said “Remember I make a hole to the basement? Gather everyone there. It is there, behind the ruins I just make. So, your task is- get everyone there, safely. You help us, where are the others again?”

            Kris nodded, pointed at random direction when he could spot them easily. After listening to Kyungsoo’s plan, Jongdae immediately jumped out of the ground and went straight to Minseok. He did ask Baekhyun because he feels responsible with the boy, but Kris mentioned that the boy is with Tao, he would safe them. Thus, Kris fled away to them, leaving Kyungsoo which memorized the other’s position and concentrated back to the ground, lowering it down and running straight to the others.

***

            Minseok is ruined.

            That is the last weapon he could produce before his hands couldn’t make any ice again. He tried to concentrate at the hand, thinking of anything cold as he needs to make a weapon, but he is ruined. The fire surrounds him didn’t help at all, as he feels even hotter.

            When the skeleton comes to get him in the head with an axe on its hand, Minseok lowered his body. He falls right on the , groaned a bit, but didn’t have time to feel pain as the axe already fell down on his left. Minseok widened his eyes, crawling to the right as he desperately avoided the skeleton with axe.

            Oh, how he hates the fire so much.

            The ground feels hot, making him panic and all. It burned here and there thus he couldn’t even think of anything cold. He has put down the hope of making any new weapon. He groaned when he saw another skeleton with sword on fire approaching him.

“”

            He cursed as he turned around only to be face with the skeleton with axe before. Oh, it is now or never. He ran towards the skeleton with sword on fire. The skeleton of course lifted his sword, welcoming Minseok with sword on fire ready to slash his flesh meat. Minseok closed his eyes tightly, throwing himself to the ground with a loud bump and pain on the chest when the swords swing above him, cutting the other skeleton with axe which has caught him from earlier.

            The plan is success to eliminate one skeleton, but not with the problem above him. Minseok slowly lifted his head to see the skeleton above him is already swinging his sword to him. He didn’t have time to hide, Minseok accept his fate just like that.

            When nothing is happened, he thought that he is already dead. He didn’t feel pain or anything, such a pleasurable death. Apparently, he is wrong.

He opens his eyes only to be faced with grinning Jongdae “Thought that I would die, oh my God” Minseok almost cried with it

“You won’t. Not on my watch” Jongdae smiled, throw away the skeleton which attacked Minseok after took out his sword from its chest “Let’s go, the others are waiting for us”

            As Jongdae offered his hand, Minseok nodded. He didn’t know but just moment before, he feels Jongdae is so cool. He knows that it is not the right time to feel this, but his heart beats faster when he saw Jongdae this close. He bit his lips, hiding his smile as Jongdae grabs his hand and at the same time escorted him out of the fight.

***

“Gosh, they won’t stop” Tao spin his stick those stabbed two skeletons on each side, he pulled Baekhyun closer “Please, don’t take is as an offense but don’t stay away from me. You haven’t learned how to fight yet” he said, not even turning to face Baekhyun “Did you see the others, by chance?”

            Baekhyun shook his head, covered his head with both of his hand when one of the skeletons throw him with the chains. Tao turned around at the right time and blocked the attack on Baekhyun. He looked at Baekhyun in disbelief, but his hands still protect them from the raging skeletons.

“Really?” Tao frowned “If you do that, you will lose your hands. Here, take this” Tao throws unused sword on the ground to Baekhyun “At least this would help you, kay?”

            As he said that, he turned around again to fight the other skeletons. Baekhyun shyly nodded, tried to remember how Jongdae hold his sword as he did the same. He secured the sword on his hands, trying to cut the skeletons which attack him, as much as he could.

***

            Kyungsoo sighs, looking at the pounds of water on the ground which leads to the ruin in front. He could see the corpses are broken into pieces, scattered everywhere by the biggest rock in the ruin. A sob could be heard from there, thus Kyungsoo letting out a deep breathing and approached him.

“Hyung” Kyungsoo called

            At first, there is no response, thus why Kyungsoo called again.

“Hyung, it is me. Kyungsoo” he said

            When he couldn’t hear any sob, he paused at his track and saw how down Suho’s shoulders are.

“Hyung, you did great. Don’t cry anymore, okay? You did great” he ensured

But then, Suho turned around, his eyes are darker than usual, terrifying Kyungsoo who tried to stay still on his position “Hyung?” he called once again

Suho, with his darker orbs, breathing is not as stable as before, shouted “Great? You said that I did great? What part of this-“ he pointed at the broken bones around him “I said, what part of this-“ he repeated his words and hissed “-is great?! I killed all of them with just my mind. It is not anything close to great!” he shouted to Kyungsoo

            The water on the pounds started to waver. Kyungsoo gulped. Oh, what a great day, being attacked by two Kings at the same day. He lifted both of his hands on his chest, ensuring Suho that he did no harm.

“I know, you must be surprised, but this is what we supposed to do” Kyungsoo said, trying to soothe the other “Listen, we are in the fight. Of course, something like this would be happened. And they are already dead. It is not because of you”

“Dead? Are you sure?” one time Suho is calm, o