He Went On A Long and Difficult Journey
Dragon's BloodSuho, D.O., and the kids, bolstered by the warmer weather, were walking ahead, the younger two dragging Chanyeol along excitedly.
I smiled at the five of them, my heart feeling much lighter after my talk with Chanyeol. The soft crunch of snow next to me told me that Luhan was now walking alongside me, and out of the corner of my eye I could see that he was watching my face with curiosity.
"You do that a lot, don't you?" Luhan asked before I could inquire about his stare.
"Do what?" I frowned in confusion, glancing at the blonde.
"Separate them in that way. The younger ones, the older ones."
I was suprised to say the least, it was as if Luhan could read my mind.
Before I could open my mouth, he held his hand up. "Don't ask, it's an Exo thing."
I made a face but nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess I do."
"You see them as kids, Kai and Sehun," Luhan said, sounding more like he was making an observation than posing a question.
I made a face, realizing that he was speaking the truth. I hadn't noticed my habit of characterizing the two in such a way until now. "It's just that they're younger than the rest of us... D.O. is younger too, but he acts so mature sometimes, it's hard to remember that Chanyeol is older than him."
"Kai and Sehun and Chanyeol. They're much more responsible than you think, you know," Luhan's voice was soft, and as he spoke I could feel myself relaxing. Although with his words he may have been chiding me, I felt as though he was soothing me instead.
"I just worry about them, sometimes. I guess I do see them as kids, like I should be protecting them, making sure they're okay and making the right choices..." As I spoke I started to feel more and more like their parent, and I wondered if my thoughts had translated into actions.
"It makes sense that you always want to take care of them, I notice Suho and D.O. do it too. But you have to let them do things on their own. If they do make bad decisions, it's alright because at least you'll be there to help them out of it, right?"
I couldn't help but wonder if Luhan was talking about the way I treated the three of them, or making an allusion to the incident with Kris, but I realized that he was right. After all, I couldn't protect them from everything, the same way I couldn't protect Chanyeol from getting sick in the first place.
"You're a great friend, Baekhyun, for caring so much. But remember that they're going to make mistakes, just like you do, and you have to trust that if they do need your help, they'll ask for it."
I sighed, feeling weary all of a sudden. "Yeah, I guess."
"Besides, they aren't that much younger." Luhan smirked.
"How old are you?" I asked, suddenly feeling curious.
"Oh only a couple hundred years older than you," He answered with a shrug. "Although if I were to speak about my physical age, I would say about two years older than you?"
"What?!" I stared in shock at his youthful features and round eyes, unable to believe that he was older than me, older than Suho even, as he laughed and walked on ahead, nudging Chanyeol and starting up a conversation with the tall boy.
I stood frozen for a few seconds, trying to decide if he was telling the truth, then decided that people from Exo were most definitely weird. I picked up the pace again, focusing on the mountains ahead.
***
"Just over those mountains, he says," Kai mimicked in a high pitched voice that sounded much more like his mother's than Luhan's, in my opinion, but I couldn't help but share his sentiments.
The sun had risen and was now setting on us once again, marking the end of our first day in Exo. I figured that we were making pretty good progress in the scheme of things, but I worried more and more for my sick friend. The fire that sparked in Chanyeol from our conversation about Kris seemed to be slowly dying as he was drained of energy, and the boy was once more struggling to keep up.
Luckily, we had just about reached the other end of the ocean, and the moment we stepped on the sand, the ice and frost melted around us, leaving us on a balmy beach once more. I briefly wondered if the rock with the ice symbol would turn over again by itself, but figured that there was no other option. However, that thought brought up a few concerns, it felt as if we weren't alone on this journey, as if the river and the ocean, both frozen in their own way, weren't mere devices of the land. Luhan had mentioned Chanyeol and Kris having friends, could it be that we were being helped? The way Luhan had been able to make the icy weather more bareable only raised more questions, and I decided to talk to the blonde about it when everyone else was resting tonight. I didn't know how much the babyfaced elder would be willing to tell me, but I hoped that he would at least be able to answer a few of my questions.
We fell into similar sleeping positions as earlier, but before Chanyeol's feverishly warm body could curl into my side, I pushed the boy down onto the sand. "I'm going to talk to Luhan for a sec, okay?"
Chanyeol eyed me suspiciously, but fatigue was stronger than curiosity and the lanky boy quickly succumbed.
As I stood and made my way over to Luhan, I heard Sehun's grumbling complaint. "I'm gettind sand in my pants."
"Then them off," Kai replied, yawning and closing his eyes.
Suho quickly scolded the boy for putting such words in the youngest's head, and reassured Sehun that he would be able to brush it out when he woke up, before lying down himself and falling fast asleep.
This was like the worlds longest sleepover and I wondered what our parents would think. I realized with a jolt that none of us had bothered to consult them after our decision to chase down Kris, we had all been too wrapped up in our quest. I hoped that my mom wasn't calling the police on us.
"Time flows differently here," Luhan said as I neared him. "It may very well have been two hours or even two seconds on your plane."
"What about two months?" I asked, trying to get used to Luhan's sudden knowledge of my thoughts.
"That too," He said, offering a shrug.
"How can you tell?"
"I don't know, really. It's all Exo's decision. Sometimes it's like the land speeds up, and you humans are living in slow motion. Sometimes it takes us centuries to complete an Earth year."
The way Luhan spoke about Exo, as if it were alive, suprised me, yet I found it oddly fitting.
"Luhan," I asked, remembering my earlier question. "It feels like we're being helped... Those 'friends' that you talked about.."
"Yes, that's them," Luhan said with a smile. "They're eager to have Chanyeol and Kris reunited."
I nodded, feeling more at ease that we had clearly powerful people on our side, but I still wondered. "Why aren't they coming to talk to us? I'm sure they could help more if they were actually here."
Luhan looked down, immersed in thought, before finally meeting my eyes again. "They aren't allowed to show themselves, nor to help us directly."
"What do you mean?" I raised en eyebrow in confusion.
"I spoke to one of our friends earlier, the one who helped us with the ocean." Luhan gestured towards the body of water with his head, but I was more preoccupied with the fact that Luhan had called them 'our friends'. It made everything much more reassuring. "When Kris returned, he was furious. Angry that Chanyeol would betray him, he locked himself up in his home. When he heard that we were crossing over, he ordered everyone to stay away in the hopes that we wouldn't be able to make it to him. He underestimated the power of friendship of course." Luhan finished with a grin, but his words made my heart sink into my stomach.
Kris didn't want us here, it seemed, would he even be willing to take Chanyeol back?
"He loves him," Luhan said, as if I'd spoken my words aloud. "He's just hurt. Trust me, the second he lays eyes on Chanyeol again, he'll be wrapped around that kid's finger."
I grinned.
"I hope."
The grin fell.
Luhan shrugged and laid down, yawning. I remembered that he hadn't slept at all during our earlier break, and felt guilty for keeping him up. "It'll work out for the best, Baekhyun, Kris will come around."
I nodded, standing and making my way back over to my friend who was slowly transforming into a space heater. I curled into the warmth, feeling guilty for enjoying it when I knew it was a sign of his impending doom, but before I could think about it any more, the heat lulled me to sleep.
***
"Baekhyun, Baekhyun wake up!" I opened my eyes to the sight of a frightened Chanyeol, shaking me frantically.
"Wh-what's going on?" I rubbed my eyes, noting that the moon was still high in the sky. I couldn't have slept long, why were they getting up already?"
An alarmed shout drew my attention to the side, where I saw what looked like a group of men clad in black attacking the other four.
One of the men, his face, like the others, obscured by a black mask that only revealed his eyes, was grabbing at Sehun. He wore a hood and jacket, both black to match his pants and shoes. It seemed that they all wore the same outfits, the dark color doing well to camoflage them in the night. Suho, upon seeing the youngest being attacked, acted quickly, throwing himself at the attacker. It wasn't the best plan, but it got the man off Sehun, sending the two tumbling into the sand.
"Chanyeol, stay here," I said, pulling Chanyeol behind me and away from the actiion, as I leapt in to help my friends.
Luhan was with Kai and D.O., keeping three men away from them. While he was doing well to defend the others, I could tell that even he was having difficulty with the battle, and after a brief debate, I went to help him instead of the two tussling on the ground.
Luhan saw me coming and shook his head. "Get Chanyeol up the mountain!" He shouted, deflecting a punch to his head from one of the men.
I turned back, seeing Chanyeol watching helplessly, his fists balled up at his sides.
The blonde boy suddenly let out a pained yelp as he fell to the ground, one of the men delivering a swift kick to his side as he was distracted with me. I quickly grabbed the man before he could hurt the boy any more, earning a punch to the side of my face.
"," I hissed, not having any experience with hand to hand combat whatsoever. These people were trained in martial arts, I realized in fear, and unfortunately I couldn't say the same for any one of us. Kai was a dancer, and that was as far as our athletic training got us. It seemed to work out well for him, however, as I watched his quick reflexes and nimble body save him from many attacks, dodging this way and that. "Kai, Sehun, D.O., get Suho and go to Chanyeol," I called out, punching my attacker back with a hit that I hoped caused him more pain than the sting in my fist.
There were four men all together, and with Suho taking care of one, Luhan and I could distract the other three, giving the youngest enough time to run.
D.O. looked reluctant to leave me, but grabbed at Kai's arm, trying to lead him away to the tall boy behind us.
The younger, however, refused to budge as he grabbed at one of the men, taking him down and wrestling with him.
I tried to locate the last man, but my opponent kept distracting me as I attempted to dodge his blows. It wasn't working as well as I hoped, however, as more times than once I felt a fist or foot connect with my body, leaving me aching all over.
In the corner of my eye, a flash of movement was seen from D.O. running forward to help Kai. I glanced at them to make sure they were okay, but as my concentration was broken, a sharp kick to my ribs had me on my back, gasping in pain. Nothing was broken, I was sure, but I felt very winded, and the soreness of my body prevented me from getting up as quickly as I would have liked. Before I knew it, the man's foot was on my chest, keeping me pinned. From this point of view, I saw the missing fourth attacker keeping Luhan busy, and it seemed like he was the most skilled of them all, delivering sharp and precise blows to the increasingly weary blonde.
The man looked at me and we made eye contact, the glint in his eyes betraying the fact that there was most likely a smug smirk hidden beneath the mask, and he pulled a knife from his belt. The metal glinted in the moonlight and I felt my heart lurch. He took his foot off me, fear keeping me rooted to the ground, as he brought his arm down in an arc, aiming straight for my chest.
"Baekhyun!"
I'd been scared for my life earlier, but the sight of Chanyeol launching himself at the knife weilding man had me terrified. "Chanyeol!" I shouted, watching the two fall to the ground, Chanyeol straddling the man as they fought for control over the weapon. I was about to run forward to help them when another flash of light caught my eye.
The man had Luhan in a chokehold, and was brandishing a knife quite close to the pretty boy's face.
Torn between running to his aid and helping my friend, the decision was made for me and I watched in shock as Sehun, the only one who wasn't currently preoccupied, leapt onto the guy's back. I was about to yell at the youngest, tell him to be careful, when he did something that neither me nor Luhan's attacker was expecting. With a ferocious shout, Sehun opened his mouth and sunk his teeth into the man's shoulder, causing him to drop Luhan with a cry of pain.
Luhan's jaw was slack as he gaped in awe, and Sehun pulled back immediately, scrunching his face up. "Blech," The young boy said, sticking his tongue out with distaste, before resuming his attack on the man. Luhan quickly jumped in, and with Sehun detaining his wrists, Luhan was able to disawm his opponentr
Confident that the two could take it from there, I turned my attention to Chanyeol, glad that he hadn't died in the few moments I hadn't been watching him. In fact, he was faring pretty well, all things considered, using his strength and leverage to push the knife closer to the man's throat. They both gripped the weapon, but Chanyeol's position gave him an advantage although he was weaker, and soon the blade was pressed to cloth covered skin.
With the man distracted by Chanyeol, I made my way over to him and delivered a sharp kick to his temple, the blow harder than I intended. The man was out cold, and Chanyeol and I made eye contact, both shocked. I helped him up. "You okay?" I asked, eyes runnning up and down his body.
"Yeah, you?" He was breathless, but other than that fine, and for that I was glad.
"I'm good," I turned my head to Kai and D.O., ready to help them too, and almost laughed at the sight of Kai pinning the guy down with his knees, delivering punch after punch to his face while D.O. watched in awe, holding the knife that he seemed to have obtained to his chest protectively. "Kai," I called to the eager youth, "I think you got him." I wasn't sure if the man was unconscious, but when Kai stood after hearing my words, he didn't move, his head simply falling to the side.
"Jesus, what did you do?" Chanyeol gasped, peering over at the body.
"He slapped D.O.!" Kai's words came out as a whine, sounding more like a complaint than anything else, and I saw D.O. pount defensively.
"It was a hit, not a slap," He grumbled, embarassed at having the second youngest come to his defence. Suddenly, his already large eyes, widened by the excitement of the fight, seemed to bulge from his face. "Suho!"
I whipped my head around, having completely forgotten about the man, and my heart sank to see him not faring so well against his opponent.
They had gotten to their feet, attacking each other and moving quicker than I could keep up with in the dark, especially with all the adrenaline running through me.
The man threw a punch at Suho's head which the short man blocked with his arm, but the attacker's other hand moved simultaneously for his thoat, Suho too distracted to notice the movement. In a second, the man had Suho by the throat and pulled him close, whipping out his knife before any of us could understand what was happening and sinking the blade deep into our friend's side.
"Suho!" I shouted, running forward.
I was flanked by Kai, D.O. and Chanyeol as we all rushed to Suho's defense, Sehun and Luhan having completely taken down their opponent and now turning to us in confusion. Kai and Chanyeol pulled the man off the short boy, D.O. supporting Suho as he fell back once the grip on his neck was released.
Sehun's and Luhan's eyes widened when they say the damage, both coming to help me as I attacked the man, pure rage and fear for Suho's life driving my movements. I was like a man obsessed, his surprised eyes and bloody blade, both reflecting the moonlight and glinting in my vision, the only things that I was able to pay attention to.
Punch after punch, I delivered viscious blows to the man's stomach, Kai and Chanyeol holding his arms back with great force, twisting them perhaps too much behind his back, although I doubted that that was an accident. I was like a man possessed, all the fatigue and soreness in my muscles fading from my mind as my eyes trained on my victim and my ears on D.O.'s voice, calling to our injured friend, trying to soothe him and keep him awake all at once.
I heard Luhan's breathless voice telling D.O. to lay Suho down, then ordering Sehun to help him stop the bleeding.
I couldn't take in much more of their words as the blood rushing through my veins and the pounding of my heart overtook my auditory senses.
"Baekhyun! Baekhyun that's enough!" Luhan's voice roused me, and I wasn't sure how long I'd been pounding into the man's limp body with my shaking fists, but now the blonde was trying to pull me back.
Kai and Chanyeol were breathing heavily, dropping the man to the floor. I saw tears in Kai's eyes and fear written all over Chanyeol's face and I remembered the reason for my intense rage.
"Suho," It was Sehun this time, calling to the oldest member of our group.
Suho was lying on the sand, his head supported in D.O.'s lap, while Sehun pressed his balled up sweater to Suho's side. In the darkness it was hard to tell, but I was sure that the cloth was shades darker from the fluid soaking it. Suho was paler than usual, looking up at the youngest boy with pain etched onto his face.
"We need to get him up the mountain" Luhan muttered. "I can't help him here."
I stared at him incredulously, how did Luhan expect us to climb up there with the injured boy? Especially now when we were all extremely tired. Chanyeol seemed to have a hard time just keeping upright, while Kai was trembling from exhaustion. But as I glanced at my injured elder, I realized that we had no choice, and now two lives were on the line. We had to move quickly.
"I'll carry him," Sehun offered, placing Suho's hand over the sweater and telling him to apply pressure as he hoisted the short man onto his back.
I was amazed at how mature the kid looked in this moment, how much responsibility he was taking on, and I couldn't help but feel pride in all of them. Glancing at Chanyeol and Kai rushing to Sehun's side and helping him, I knew that Luhan was right. They were much more responsible than I'd initially believed.
Patting a hand on the blonde's shoulder, I sent him a small smile and we all made our way up the sloping path, hoping that the rest of the journey would move quickly.
"Who were those guys?" I asked, letting the others go up ahead as I stayed by Luhan's side.
"Enemies of Kris, terrorists who would like to watch Exo be destroyed," Luhan said bitterly. "They take every chance to harm us, they must have found out about Chanyeol and now they want to stop us before we reach Kris. If Chanyeol does get his Phoenix powers back and him and Kris are together, it'll be a lot harder for them to cause problems here."
I nodded grimly, irritated that there were more obstacles for us to go through.
"I'd be wary though, those four were relatively weak compared to some and we barely survived that attack. I'm sure there are more on their way to try and stop us. So we'd better move fast."
Luhan's ominous words were echoed by a clap of thunder, and I both wanted to laugh at the comedic irony of a storm starting now, and curse at our luck since it would most definitely hinder our progress. Streaks of electricity spread through the dark sky, providing useful as they illuminated our path for us. No rain had started yet, and although I found it weird, I hoped for this bizarre Exo weather to continue, at least until we got to the top of the mountain.
Whoo another chapter out!! Trying to write much faster to make up for the long waits for past chapters. Closer and closer to Kris, but poor Suho :( But I thought this fic needed a bit more action..
Thanks for reading and keep up the comments! They make writing so much more fun :) Oh and to the comment about the pairings, yes I suppose I'm throwing in a few hints towards some but nothing is really defined as of yet ;)
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