He had sent him out again to search. Outsiders were like cockroaches, as soon as one came, more would arrive. Time here had taught him that much. He pressed a hand against a cooling stone collum as he stepped close to the edge, looking out upon the barren canyon and further out towards the grassy plains, eyes narrowing as he caught sight of a figure moving over the plains, too far away to make out. "Another rogue." he tsked as he turned away.

The flame upon the sleek stone alter was dancing dangerously with the breeze. He sighed heavily, he'd have to add more wood...and let down the curtain of furs he'd created to block the wind, busying himself with those tasks as he waited for his colossi, Celosia, to return. 

He could see something moving upon the waters edge, coming closer, water rippling and parting over it as it moved just under the surface. Two figures sat upon its head, barbed bones jutting from its back. He tracked it from above, moving slowly upon the cliffs edge as he stalked the pair...until the cliff became too steep and he could move no further without loosing his vantage point.

With a yelp, Heechul lost his footing and fell back on his , unable to catch himself with his hand in time. "God damn it!" of all the times Celosia to send him an image, "Your timing ." he groused. "Two figures...." he mused, not close enough to distinguish features, but he only knew of one colossus that swam within the river. It had been a while since he'd had company, but who was he to deny his favorite Junior a visit? Picking himself up, he dusted off before moving briskly down the winding darkened hallways. Years of navigation so ingrained he could avoid the strewn rubble easily like the back of his hand.

From the distance he could hear Celosia's roar reverberate through the canyon and paused. That wasn't how his usual companion was normally received. A quick glimpse into Celosia's mind, and he jerked, changing his path quickly.

"Celosia, Celosia, stop! Stand down!" Donghae cried as the tiger collosi's eyes blazed orange, a massive stone clawed paw coming out to swipe at them.

Donghae's own collosi slithered back, coiling tight as it raised its head out of the water, Eunhyuk scrabbled to grab hold of anything he could, fighting to stay atop. There were his arrows and if he could just get his footing he could maybe chance letting a few loose, but as Donghae's stone serpent gave a hiss, body rocking, it didn't seem likely. Around them the water sloshed violently, splashing high to fall back down like a torrent of rain and white foamy bubbles chruning with each violent twist of the serpentine body. If Donghae didnt bring his beast to heel, Eunhyuk could foresee several deaths rising to greet him, and none of them pleasent. "Donghae, I'd like to die in my sleep!" he called out.

If Donghae heard, he gave no indication, his hands gripping the slick mossy fur on his colossi's back tightly. "Hang on!" Donghae roared as the colossi lurched to the side. Eunhyuk couldn't even so much as scream before the colossi's head slapped upon the water, diving down sharply before lunging back up. 

Donghae moved swiftly, taking every opportunity he could to get higher up a higher vantage. He only had one good shot at this, and he wasn't about to waste it carelessly. Along the shoreline, Celosia acted as sentry, darting up and down the rocky shoreline. "Steady." Donghae whispered, he had to do this just right.

From further below the beasts back, Eunhyuk watched, transfixed. One second, Donghae was crouched low, one hand gripping the slick fur tightly to steady himself, and the next, for a brief moment, he was soaring, falling-right atop the armoured tiger's back. Celosia reared leapt, bucking, body shaking as it worked to dislodge Donghae from his back. 

"Donghae!" Eunhyuk called, jumping off as the beast swam closer to shore, he gave a strangled yelp as he slipped, landing harshly in the dirt. Picking himself up quickly, he brushed himself off, acting quickly as he pulled an arrow from the quiver to rest it upon the notch, just as the aggressive Colossi turned its fiery orange gaze upon him. 

Standing on a smoothed road carved into the side of the cliff hidden by the looming shadow of canyon, Heechul kept his gaze on Eunhyuk, seeing him through his colossi's eyes. /Tear him apart./ he ordered before disengaging to truly watch as Celosia's manged to throw off Donghae.

Donghae forced himself up slowly as the world spun, watching as Celosia charged, rampaging. "Heechul." Donghae wheezed. How could he? This isn't what they were supposed to do...."Heechul!" he roared. The other was somewhere nearby. He knew it.

"A little help here, Donghae!" Eunhyuk roared, having managed to pull himself up on a fallen pillar, Celosia watching him closely as it stalked by, sizing him up.

Donghae cursed as he raced into the open, Celosia didn't spare him so much as a glance, eyes intently focused upon Eunhyuk as it raised itself up, taking a swipe with an angry growl. 

"My arrows!" Eunhyuk called. It had been careless, spilling so many of them as he had, but it couldn't be helped, given the circumstances. Donghae scanned wildly, spotting several arrows.

/Stop him!/

Celosia spun away from the fallen pillar, a snarl pulling from its stone throat as it changed targets. "No you don't!" Eunhyuk roared. He hadn't bothered to think,as he leapt down off the pillar, snapping Celosia's attention back to him.

"Eunhyuk! The bow!" Donghae called, hand tightly clasping onto an arrow.

/Get them! Stop them!/

"Catch!" Eunhyuk called, flinging the bow as far as he could as Celosia seemed to make up its mind and hone back in on him. 

Donghae whistled shrilly, that split second of distraction giving Eunhyuk the time he needed to slip back up the stone pillar as Celosia turned its gaze back onto Donghae, stone paws clawing the ground, crouching down, but it never sprang, lurching up instead with a bellowing roar as Eunhyuk leapt onto its back.

/No!/

Celosia bucked and shook, working to dislodge Eunhyuk from its back, charging blindly.

Donghae waited, arrow poised and at the ready as Celosia turned towards him, and he let loose the arrow. Two screams pierced the air, one high and inhuman, the second sharp, but familiar, as Celosia reeled back from the direct hit to his eye, dislodging Eunhyuk from its back. 

"Come on!" Donghae urged as he raced over to Eunhyuk, grabbing his wrist as he pulled him harshly to his feet. "To the cliff!" Donghae directed. Celosia wouldn't have as easy a time tracking them. It was a colossi meant for the ground, quick and agile, but weighted down, climbing was no easy feat for the beast, but Celosia wouldn't reel from the pain of the strike long.

"Why are we slowing down? We aren't high enough." Eunhyuk protested after they'd heaved themselves up.

"Celosia can't jump for . He'll pace and bellow, and look for a better way up."

"And is there-"

Donghae gave a heavy snort. "of course, but by the time he cools down enough to get to it, we'll have tracked down the one in charge and put an end to this." Donghae panted.

"One in char....you don't mean...another? Of you?" Eunhyuk balked, stopping in his trek briefly.

"Yes. You didnt think I was it did you? Besides, you heard the second scream. Heechul's here, and he's close." Donghae stated firmly, crouching down near a footprint. "Come on." Donghae prompted. There was no need to truly track Heechul, if he had been stupid enough to enter into Celosia's mind when Donghae had fired the shot, he'd still be reeling from the phantom pain, and the places Heechul would go were limited.

"this place is familiar. I recognize this!" Eunhyuk balked as they made their way into a familiar looking room, the flame still burning strong atop its stone tomb. He whirled around, this was it. "this is--"

"Heechul!" Donghae bellowed into the room. "Come out!" he demanded. "I know you're here!" he snarled.

"Donghae." a voice hissed as a figure slowly pulled out of the shadows, lips twisted in a snarl, one hand covering his eye-the same side the arrow had struck Celosia, his other hand hidden by the sleeves of his tattered robes. "You have some nerve."