I heard the sound of dripping water as it trickled beside me, at least that’s what I thought it did. My mind was wide awake but my head told me that I wasn’t in any condition to get up. My eyes were still shut tight like someone put super glue on them and my arms and legs weren’t listening to the call of my brain. So basically I was just another corpse. My dragon, which I had summoned earlier, had disappeared leaving me alone, trapped in this body. I tried to twitch my fingers, but they didn’t move. The continuous sound of water dripping beside me made me mad. It would calm me on a normal day but in times like this, it just reminded me that I was a finite being. I couldn’t do everything. It pissed me off.

A series of trickles and a few drops of water dampened my face causing my eyes to flutter open.

Ok that worked.

My eyeballs just darted around the dark and wet cave wondering if I was still miles underground or I was somewhere above ground. The rocky demeanor of the terrain told me I was still underground. Dammit. Now for my legs if I could just get them to- ah ha!

Just like that, my feet started to move as I accorded and then my hands, and soon I was upright and sitting on the wet cave floor. I heaved a heavy sigh remembering Joongie’s fox flame.

“Master Yunho!”

Right on time.

Apparently the flame had softened the blow to my head, seeing there was no flesh wound. It bound to me like a mantel and rematerialized as soon as I woke up.

“Can you light the way?” I asked the kindled flame.

“Yes I can, please follow me Master Yunho!”

Some part of me leaped for joy because I would have freedom in less than 24hours but the other part was terrified of what was up ahead. Nevertheless, I followed the flame bravely like a Shaman should. Just like that, I trotted deeper into the strange cave hoping to find a light at the end of the tunnel. Not another pun intended.Ha.

A cold gust of wind mused up my hair and I murmured under my breath, pushing it back into place but that was just the least of my problems as a flock of ugly black crows flew right into me, feathers, beaks and all giving me no choice but to duck for cover under my hands. They flew past me like nothing happened when a black figure appeared in front of me.

I peer from under my hands and spotted a big toothy grin.

“Uh… Can I help you?” I asked. Like that would help.

A hand reached down, almost to grab me; I think when Joongie’s kindled fox flame roared to a fiery mirage causing the hand to pull back. I heard a series of snorting and a hiss then a flutter of wings.

When I got up, the figure in the dark was still there, grinning like nothing had happened. I saw a slip of a red mask on his head and black nails.

“I’m so glad you fell in here.” The partially masked figure announced calmly.

“Yeah and I’m so glad I fell in here.” I replied sarcastically brushing off the dust from my hakama¹. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to find my way out of—!“ I duck again as a huge wing swept my way.

The figure steeped forward a little and under the shade of the cave I made out what looked like an angry and distorted face carved to the mask, a long nose attached to it and a frown to finish off it’s not already mad look. I knew immediately who I mean what I was facing.

“What’s a tengu doing down here?” I asked composed. “Shouldn’t you be in some shrine telling the future? Isn’t that your job? Not hiding all the way down here?”

“Silence!” The creature bellowed.

I sighed and scratched my forehead. This was going to take longer than I thought it would. If I had to fight this tengu it would mean one less harbinger, not that I really thought it was necessary. However it seemed this one had strayed from his purpose. Thought they were normally disruptive, they kinda served a purpose of telling the near future. Well ok I have a vampire to do that. Anyway…

“I’m tired of doing such things when I’m destined for something far greater!”

“Which would be-“I paused in midsentence raising a brow at the tengu.

“Capture a Shaman and eat him!”

I took a step back a little listening to his impressive nonsense talk. However I knew the tengu wasn’t in the kidding mood. In my years of training in my hometown with my grandmother, I’ve watched countless tengus in the form of birds of prey pick on small children and adults alike. Those were probably the strays of the tengu society so my grandmother and her followers (me included) had to drive them out of the village and put a stop to them once and for all. Who knew one mutilated one would end up down here and looking for me?

I grimaced. “Whilst I’m glad you have such a great ambition, I’m not here as your dinner.” I don’t know why, but tengus to me weren’t as strong as they looked and seemed to be so I had the tendency to turn my back on the demon before searching for an opening.

I heard him spit at the back when long clawed fingers grabbed round the front of my neck causing me to dodge out of the way.

“Hey! That’s rude!” I exclaimed.

I think I infuriated him because he gritted his teeth and dove for me again claws extended and ready to tear flesh.  A few slashes, a few dodges from me and an uppercut sent the tengu tumbling back, clutching his jaw in pain.

“Formidable opponent.” He observed.

“Oh yeah- That’s right. I’m not just formidable; I’m your worst nightmare.” I smirked reaching for my back pocket and pulling two slips out. “Now either out of my way, or I make you get out of my way.”

Of course the tengu didn’t back down to that threat. He charged at me all arsenals at the ready. This was going to be the longest day I would have experience. I wish Joongie was here.

Sigh.

-JaeJoong POV-

I think I sniffed out where Yunnie was because as soon as I trampled over a clump of grass, his scent was the strongest and it just stopped there, like he was doing something. I bent over to touch the patch lightly and felt vibrations underground. Yunnie was fighting? With who?

“Gumiho sama!” I heard as my flame materialized beside me.

“Where’s Yunnie?” I asked tilting my head.

“Tengu!”

“Ehhhhhhhh??!” I replied a little astonished.

ChangMinnie landed beside me and gave me a worried look. I did the same.

“Min min I’m going down there!” I announced.

“What?! No! Are you crazy? You can kindle fox flames underground!”

“B-but Yunnie is down there!”

“He can handle himself, he’s a Shaman.”

“But!”

“I’ll go, you stay here.” He said firmly fist on the ground before exerting the biggest punch ever on the ground which split the earth open, creating a crater. “See ya later.” He said diving into the ditch.

Pouting I sat on the surface worried and wondering if both Min and Yunnie were going to be safe. Just that thought made me pout again, twitching my furry ears. Deciding I was going to help, I kindle another flame and sent it after the falling Vampire. If I couldn’t be there in person, I would be there in flame. Yay!

I didn’t realize there were eyes watching me from a distance.

-----------------

-ChangMin POV-

The wind rung beside my ears at the speed I was falling, I hoped I got to YunHoe in time. Yeah YunHoe. He’s such a hoe I really wanna smack him in the back and call him a hoe. I still don’t know why I was going to save twinkle toes but he made me grow fond of him over these few months and looking at Gumiho hyung being so lovey dovey with him I can’t help but think there’s more to him than meets the eye. Hey why am I praising him? He’s just another Hoe. There I said it.

The fall was pretty long even with my heighten sense. I stared at the pitch black bottom. It wasn’t so pitch black since I could see in the dark. I only saw two landings. A jagged spiky grave or a rocky one. I sighed and dug my fingers into the earth to stop my fall. I descended the rest of the way into the cave by leaping.

When my feet touched ground, I realized the cave was tunneled but I picked out the smell of the Shaman immediately.

To the right!

I delivered a five ton blow to the side of the connecting tunnel, blasting the wall apart creating a hole.

---------------

I nearly got a shock because something blast from behind me messing up my perfectly spiked hair again. I mumbled a curse only to realize that it was just ChangMin as he walked out from the dusty debris smirking.

“I hope I didn’t wet your pants.” He joked.

“Can you not diss me every time you lay your eyes on me?” I asked groaning.

“No, your face is too funny not to diss.” He grinned.

I uttered swear words under my breath when the tengu howled at me.

“Well someone’s not happy with a reunion.” ChangMin pursed his lips.

“No, especially when the reunion is on the opposite side.” I replied matter- of- factly.

“Hah, go figure.”

A kindled flame floated through the hole ChangMin created and boy was I glad to see it. It meant Joongie had found me again but then there was a menacing laughing which followed which caught both our attentions.

“What so funny?” I asked with authority.

“I see a fox flame.” The tengu observed.

“So what?”

“Which mean, the fox is has 1 less to defend himself.”

“What?”

The tengu took a step back shrugging and stretching out his hand. “You don’t realize it but that was my plan after all. To get you and that-“He turned his vision to Min. “Blood er out of the way, so the Gumiho would be on his own without anyone watching his back!”

When I realized what he was talking about, my hair stood on end.

“So that was why so many demons were coming to Seoul.” ChangMin murmured under his breath.

I turned to the Vampire who seemed paler than usual. His eyes were dilated like he had seen a ghost and bead of perspiration formed on the side of his forehead. He stumbled backwards before backing out the hole he created.

“Min!” I shouted chasing after him but the Vampire was gone so was the tengu.

It dawned on me something catastrophic was about to happen. Joongie was going to be the center of it and I was going to be the one to stop it. On top of that, Seoul University was going be the last battle ground.

Not good.

A wave of my hand and my golden dragon roared to live, coiling around me.

“Take me to the surface!” I commanded.

When I arrived, the bright lights of the forest blinded me for a moment, but as soon as my vision cleared, I saw Min, sitting on the ground, palms on the ground, looking utterly terrified. Making my way to him he suddenly snapped up and grabbed the collar of my hakama and stared at me.

“We’re in big trouble! They got JaeJoong hyung; they’re heading for our school! I didn’t stop them in time!” He hissed.

“W-wait! ChangMin! Slow down!” I tried but he fisted my collar harder before breaking into a sob. It was something I saw for the first time, something I wouldn’t wanna see again- the utterly dejected side of Min.

I grabbed his shoulder. “We are going to save Joongie! I promise!”

“That’s not the point!”

“Then what is?!”

“You don’t know what Joongie was like before you met him! They’re gonna turn him back! That’s the only way to open the portal for a rampage!”

I paused for a while. Something in the back of my mind turned me back to those moments. Those moments when the other demons would blurt out that Joongie was different from what his is now. They said he was… terrifying.

Terrifying…

I nearly broke down but Min had already done it in front of me and I wasn’t going to let my feelings get in the way.

“We’re going to save Joongie. Are you with me or not?!” I pull Min forward and staring at him.

“If it means saving JaeJoong hyung.” ChangMin nodded. He’d stop crying and was no determined to stand by my side.

“So much for happy days.” I groaned.

============================================================================================

The little creature book 101

Tengu (天狗, "heavenly dog") are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion and are also considered a type of Shinto god (kami) or yōkai (supernatural beings). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon (Tiangou), the tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. Known as Harbingers of war and disruptive creature.

Hakama : The shaman's outfit

Hi!!! Yes!! I finally updated! And this would be the 2nd last chapter for this fic before I move on to the other fic which I've meant to do quite a long time. It's a horror theme fic, I think. I'm not good at horror but I'll try and yes it's angst fic with in it. U do want to know what it is right?

And therefore here's a sneak preview of the Fanart ---> M.I.N.E

However it would be under the Coming soon status since I'll be starting work in 2 weeks time.

Still I'll write if I have the time

Joongie is in trouble.

Comments please!!!!

Love,

DragonKnightYunJae