“So you’re saying the ‘thing’ comes out at night to prey on men?” ChangMin asked as he clasped his palms together, sitting down on an old rocking chair. We had taken shelter in an abandon house just next to a rundown church building for the day, or evening as I noticed the darkening skies above us. The man nodded still shivering with fear while his eyes watched me pace up and down the vacated living room. I peeked from behind the curtains to the outside, watching for any sign of what we might or would be encountering in our trip. I wasn’t hopping for that though.

Joongie disappeared into the back of the house and I sat on the ripped couch next to the Vampire.

“How long did this go on?” I questioned looking around the area. The curtains were ripped and the floor boards were bent. It didn’t seem like something which happened for one or two days.

“A month.” The man mumbled burying his head in his hands. “We tried to get rid of it but it keeps coming back.

“We?” I tilted my head.

“Yunnie.” The Gumiho called from the kitchen and I snapped my head up. Rising up from the couch I went to join Jae where I was taken aback by the terrible smell. I cringed as my eyes rested on three corpses, semi decomposed.

“They were killed—“The man muttered in the back ground. “By it.”

Not being able to take the grotesque sight anymore I covered my mouth and left the kitchen where I took my seat back on the couch, eyebrows furrowing.

“So….” Changmin began. “Are we expecting guest tonight?”

The man remained silent not wanting to answer the question in fear that he’s big mouth might actually bring about something he didn’t want. He turned around and hid in a corner.

“ChangMin.” I said, shaking my head.

“Swell—“The vampire sighed. “We’re just gonna sit around here and wait for whatever we are waiting for to show up.”

I shrugged, resting my head on the couch’s neck. If we were to go head to head with something that caused this kind of destruction, I needed some shut eye and that’s what I did. It wasn’t until a few hours later which I heard banging on the door of our abandon shed. My eyes fluttered open, wondering what the ruckus was all about but my the time it hit me, a girl burst through the front door screaming at the top of her voice ‘demon!!!!’

ChangMin was already there even before I could get to my feet holding her shoulders firmly asking her to calm down.

“What happened?” I asked.

“It’s trying to kill me!” She gasped and I saw fear in her eyes. She immediately hid behind me away from the arch like it was going to come through the front door any minute. “Protect me please!”

“Calm down!” I told her. “No one will harm you here!” I assured her. She screamed again when Joongie emerged from the flight of stairs.

“K-kyubbi!” She gasped.

Joongie nearly blinked, confused at what just happened. “Unng?”

I took another few minutes to calm her down and man, calming someone down was mentally exhausting as well as physically. All right, a scared out of his wits man and a hysterical girl, still no sign of our special guest. I was starting to think this was just mass murder.

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The Gumiho sat with his knees between his arms on the couch watching the wood at the fire place burn. Yunho was on the second floor fast asleep, and ChangMin was out ‘patrolling’ the vicinity. He made soft whining noises to himself and curled his toes on the couch before closing his weary eyes. The outside was already too dark for a normal human to go out but Joongie didn’t want to leave Yunho so he voted to keep watch in the house.

Just as he was about to doze off, two hands wrapped around his shoulder and a voice cooed into his ears before those hands slipped off again.

“Yunnie?” He asked as he lifted his head only to find the girl from just now smiling down at him. The Gumiho looked at her puzzled.

“I thought you were scary.” She admitted still smiling at him. “I guess I was wrong.”

JaeJoong keep perfectly quiet, as he continued to stare at her smiling form. It was weird on one hand because he’d never seen a normal human being so not afraid of him. He was after all a nine tailed fox demon who could in any point of time wreak havoc and destruction. A dead silence befell both of them and then Joongie spoke up.

“Yunnie isn’t scared of me.” He whispered.

The girl took a step forward. “And neither am I—!” She all but hissed and the next thing the Gumiho realized was that the girl had already pounced at him fangs bared, eyes burning. Of course reflexes took over and Joongie tumbled backwards, hissing in return with all fur on his nine tails standing. Joongie hissed again, as he crouched into a predatory pose. The girl leaped at him again and ledged her long nails into his shoulder.

Jae whined when a subtle pain intruded his arm and he swung around, trying to get her off him. It was a battle of strength and apparently no one was getting the upper hand with both demons clawing and biting at each other. Flinging her backwards, the Gumiho stopped the girl in her tracks as he wrapped his tails around her limps paralyzing her. However that didn’t deter her from getting any further as she grabbed the furry appendages yanking Jae forward, full of sharp teeth, she bit down hard on Jae’s arm causing him to let go as he winced in pain and by the time he snapped his head up, she was gone, just like that.

Morning came, and no one had noticed the tussle between Jae and the girl the night before.

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“Joongie?” I called from upstairs.

“Down here.” I heard before I made my way to Joongies’ side. He smiled at me and watched as my eyes wondered down his form. He darted his arm backwards hopping I didn’t realize a bandage that wrapped around his wrist.

“Joongie?” I questioned again, reaching for his arm. He pulled it back and wondered out the door quickly even before I could ask him what happened.

“Well…” ChangMin shrugged as I exited the door. “Same old same old.”

“Nothing came last night?” I asked.

“Nope, other than spooked cows, nothing.” ChangMin sighed.

Joongie was quite far from us, lingering near the door of the old church. I got curious and got over to his side.

“What’s wrong?” I asked and watched as he froze on the spot. It was strange for him since he would all over me by morning whining for me to wake up but today was different. He seemed, distant and spaced out like something happened the night before. “Joongie?” I called again. He turned to me and gave me that sweet innocent smile again he gave me before his lips pulled back down into a straight line as he stared at the big arching door. Deciding it was just his way of getting into the game, I let it go.

“Joongie’s been acting strange all morning.” I mumbled beside ChangMin who was digging through some books on the shelves.

“How strange? Isn’t he strange?” Was the remark.

“No, no, no, strange as in strange strange.” I my chin while I watched him pull out a book on Japanese folklore. How strange for a home to have that, maybe they were interested in mythological creatures. Huh.

“It’s just Joongie hyung—“ ChangMin suggested. “He gets into these ‘hunting’ modes when we’re searching for stuff.”

“But—“ I protested.

“Nah, you think too much Jung.” The boy cut in. He brushed the cover of the book and blew dust off it before flipping to a page where he was sure to find an answer. ‘Succubus’. He muttered to himself from lines out of the book and I sat down pondering over what happened. Joongie was back in an hour or so and he sat shuffled off to the kitchen without even taking a glance at me which made me even more curious. I left my seat to follow the fox, leaving Min in the living room, buried in his reading.

“Joongie?” I asked as I reached to take his hand. He pulled away and I missed. I got more curious so I tried to take his hand again and he turned around to hiss at me before turning away and out the backdoor. Did my precious Joongie just hiss at me?

“Yunho hyung—“ ChangMin called from the living room so I had no choice but to abandon my quest for Jae’s hand to pay attention to what the Vampire had to say.

“What is it?”

ChangMin turned the book to me and showed me a page where there was a drawing of a woman with long flowing hair, in , rows of sharp teeth, with a trickle of blood on the sides of . Her eyes were burning and she looked hideous in all sense of the word ‘hideous’.

“Er…” I prompted.

“This is what a Succubus should look like.” He told me. “The Japanese call her  ‘Hinoenma’.”

“Uhhuh?” I asked.

“She feeds off the blood or soul of a human man and leaves him hanging. Her beauty is something that would kill and well, she can take them under her trance.” He continued. “That explains the men at the train station.”

I sighed, taking in the information. Then my mind drifted off to Joongie. Why he was acting so strange I never knew, I heard a scream from nearby. Both of us shot up immediately. It wasn’t a human girl scream but it sounded more animalistic in nature I turned to Min who nodded.

“D-don’t go!” The frightened man begged. “She’ll just entice you and kill you all!”

“No she won’t.” I assured him pulling out my charms. “For your information, I happen to be an Exorcist Shaman. Stuff like this doesn’t scare me.”

“B-but!”

“Stay here.” I told him firmly and bolted out the door along with ChangMin.

“Where’d it come from?” I asked turning my head around to pin-point the exact place the sound came from.  ChangMin tapped me on the shoulder.

“Hyung—“He hissed under his breath directing my attention to the direction of the old church building. Both of us spotted Joongie disappearing into the depths of the building.

“Joongie Hyung!” ChangMin exclaimed taking a step forward.

“See what I told you?” I reminded him. “Strange! As in strange strange.”

ChangMin swatted my arm. “Yeah, yeah I get you.” He said creeping quickly after the fox. I didn’t know what was going on by this just screamed fishy and I wanted to know what was going on. Joongie had never been so secretive up until now and the fact he hissed at me this morning was even more nerve wracking. ChangMin daringly kicked the door open without even warning me of his plan and I scurried after him into the depths of the cathedral. There I spotted the menacing figure, the Succubus, but no sign of my fox. She smiled with all her sharp teeth and then in a screech, she leaped for us. ChangMin took my place pushing me back as he warded her first attack off throwing her backwards onto the broken pulpit behind. She snarled and threw herself forward again gnashing at the Vampire who smirked crookedly before grabbing her hair and yanking her forward. She howled in pain as ChangMin bit down on her neck. So much for being a vampire.

As her limbs fell limp beside her he tossed the Succubus aside like a rag doll before turning around and grinning at me. “I win.” I rolled my eyes, a little crooked grin hung on my lips as well.

“N-not yet…” We heard as the Succubus struggled to get off the floor. She shot us a glare and then a smirk which sent chills down my spine. “I have my own trump card—“She heaved.

“It’s over.” ChangMin retaliated as I took a step forward to survey the interior but before I could take another step something flew at me so quickly had I not dodge in time, I would have ended up as a headless horseman. I stared wide eye at a familiar shade of black and brown in front of me and gasped as I came face to face with Joongie.  

“H-hyung.” ChangMin uttered. I heard his voice quiver and looked back at the Gumiho standing motionless in front of me, but there was something off. His eyes were not gleaming, either did they show any kind of emotions. It was like his body was there but his mind wasn’t.

“Joon-!” I duck even before I could finish my sentence as he threw me a slash out of the blue. I leaped backwards beside ChangMin and heard hysterical laughter.

“He can’t hear you! Hahahahahaha!” She cried. “I’ve got him under my control!”

“You what!” I cried angrily as I charged towards her, drawing my dagger from under my shirt. Even before I could do run the blade through her, Joongie flopped in front of her, blocking me and shielding her. I cursed as he clawed at me again.

“Hyung!” ChangMin cried getting to me side. “It’s not use.”

“What do I do?” I asked, desperate for an answer. Why was Joongie acting like that why was he trying to kill me why—

“Ah, I forgot.” ChangMin prompted. “They can control whoever they bite.”

My eyes shot open and the flash back of Joongie pulling his hand away from me replayed in my mind. He must have been bitten but when where how? A series of questions ran through my mind. Joongie Joongie Joongie.

“How do I release—“

“You kill her.”

I turned back to the Succubus who was standing behind Joongie grinning away. “That would be my greatest pleasure.” I growled and leaped forward.

Sorry to pause the story for a while, yeah, I don’t like it when someone has strings pulled on my Joongie. I can’t forgive anyone who hurts him; well he doesn’t either so you get it… anyway moving on…

I tried to swing my dagger in her direction but Joongie just blocked me in mid swing and I curse at every single time I hard to stop in order not to hurt the fox. He was my Joongie after all, being under control. I cursed under my breath as I dodged out of the Gumiho’s reach slipping under his legs before finally going up against the Succubus.

“I’d like to be nice and ask you to leave but apparently you made me mad.” I warned raising my dagger. She stared at the blade and smiled. Joongie grabbed my hand and threw me backwards sending me flying to ChangMin who caught me in midflight.

“J-Joongie.” I winced.

“Kill him for me will you?” She asked her face close to Joongie’s ear.

“Ah, that’s not good.” ChangMin commented.

“No, what’s worse is I’ll have to fight Joongie.” I groaned rising to my feet as I watched the Gumiho charge at me.

I couldn’t bear to raise my hand to him, not when I loved him like my own life and as I watched him lunge head-long for me, I cringed and held my position. I heard Changmin shouting for me to get away but I ignored it and stared at the advancing Gumiho. I gritted my teeth. You will hear only my voice.

“Joongie!” I shouted as he leaped for me.

ChangMin squeezed his eyes shut not wanting to see the end result.

“Paw.”

There was a deafening silence as he reopened his eyes to find the fox standing in front of me, his hand in mine. I smiled, closing my grip on Jae’s hand.

“Welcome back.” I cooed pulling the fox into a long hug.

Joongie squirmed in my hold before relaxing totally. When he pulled back, he looked around confused. “Yunnie?????”

“You were out.” I told him off handedly.

“Out????” He looked down at my other hand. “Yunnie why are you holding my dagger?”

“Long story.” I sighed happily, but it didn’t last long as the Succubus screeched and charged at us. This time, Joongie turned back and smacked her in the face, sending her thru the pews.

“You bit my hand!” He whined.

“Hyung—“ChangMin urged me.

“Right.” I nodded, whipping out three charms before placing them on the unconscious demon. “Go back to whence you came.”

The day was over and the sun had risen in the east. I looked up at the cloudless sky and watched as the men who were previously zombiefied come back to ‘life’. I heaved a sigh as the town seemed to go back to normal. The man who had hid himself in the run down shed came to us panting.

“Oh thank goodness!” He exclaimed hugging Joongie unconsciously. The fox wiggled and whined so I had to separate them. I smiled as he laughed awkwardly rubbing his neck and looked to Joongie who seemed to have no idea what happened, though deep down I bet he felt a spark of what went on. ChangMin was busy rejoicing with Jae and I was exhausted.

“Yunnie???” The fox scooted over to me as he reached for my hand. “Joongie is really sorry.”

I stared at him. “For what?”

He paused a while and lowered his head. “For trying to attack you.” He pouted and I knew there and then I couldn’t resist his cute apology so I stuck out my hand to rub his hair.

“It’s ok.” I cooed as I pulled him into my embrace.

So much for the adventure in DaeGu! Remind me never to do this again. I’m going back to Seoul. Sometimes I just wondered why I took on the role of a Shaman, gosh. Speaking of which, I’ll let Joongie tell his side of the story again!

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I took a break and I'm back with the next chapter! Sorry for the long wait and woah the fight scenes have been running around in my mind since last week. I just need to get the together to make a good plot. Anyway sorry its a little short. I was going to make it longer but my fingers were stubborn hahahaha!!!

Comments please!!

Love

DragonKnightYunJae