Chapter 7

When Prince Jongin Finally Came to the Rescue and Sorcerer Do was not Too Fond of the Outcome

The green fluorescent light shone brighter and brighter, getting angrier as time went by. Sorcerer Do looked up, running his eyes at the dark blanket of leaves and limbs above him. An uncomfortable silence overpowered his surrounding, reeking of an upcoming danger.

He fished out his watch pendant from inside his robe. The little beads of crystals sparkled when he brought it closer to him, illuminating his face with a pale twinkle of silver; there were three small gold arrows on the pendant watch, one significantly shorter than the other two. The longest arrow moved around in circular motion, steadily yet at that time could not be more threatening for him. Checking his watch, he realized he didn't have more time. In a matter of minutes the energy would burst from the Phosporus Mirabilis stones and get entangled with the spell he had casted upon the forest. Sorcerer Do flinched at the possibility of the catastrophe it might cause. With Prince Jongin's being with him, he could not afford to take any risk; he ought to destroy the lightning stones no matter what it would take him. The sorcerer's face darkened. Suddenly the small round of metal felt heavier in his hand. He slipped it back carelessly with a sharp sigh.

Sorcerer Do took a harsh breath and held his stick tighter in his hand. Feeling the energy throbbing faintly under his fingers he felt more calm and relaxed. It was only another task for him, he assured himself.

"Back off," the sorcerer murmured under his breath without looking behind. Prince Jongin opened his mouth to refuse, but upon seeing Sorcerer Do's expression he held his tongue and complied. He took a step back, a reluctant effort it was, as he was only willing to move less than an arm's length.

Sorcerer Do was too deep in his thought to hear or to see anything around him. His mind pondered fast, thinking of the most efficient way to destroy the stones, as many as he could. "Aliquam," he murmured, ordering his stick to surrender what it held. The wooden stick became warmer in his hand. Obeying his order the sorcerer's stick broke the barrier between them; its energy pulsating into him, ready to be used with any command.

He moved his gaze around. The time was near. Sorcerer Do, ignoring Prince Jongin behind, walked into a shady glade. His robe rustled against the wind, the twigs crunching under his feet. Silently Prince Jongin followed after him.

Sorcerer Do breathed deeply and started to chant the spell he had prepared. "Perdere in obice," he uttered firmly, pointing his stick toward the lightning stones. Nearly at the same time the stones shone blindingly bright, their green light engulfing him fast, whirling an angry hum around him. Sorcerer Do could feel the energy within his stick rushing out. It headed right toward the rocks, destroying them one by one, taking away their eternity. The Phosporus Mirabilis stones exploded with a violent burst of energy, wrapping him with their blindingly bright shades of green for the last time, before vanishing eternally. At every stone he destroyed his stick got lighter. The stick hummed faintly, reminding him softly that soon it would not have any energy left to carry on its duty, and his spell would start to take his.

"Aliquam," he ordered firmly, ordering it to continue. The magic stick complied, and using it last strain of energy it crushed more stones it could manage to destroy.

"Ah," Sorcerer Do hissed softly when he felt his energy beginning to be pulled out from him. His stick was cold in his hand. Not even half of the stones had been taken care of, and he was determined to destroy the rest until his body and soul could not take it anymore.

Sorcerer Do looked behind to have a glance at Prince Jongin. The most obnoxious prince he knew, and the sweetest person he had ever met. To think that Prince Jongin's life was at stake had filled him with a foreign source of power. He dropped his stick to the ground and held his hands up.

"Ocius!" he yelled loudly, urging the spell to work faster. A massive green light engulfed him and with a big blast it vanished, leaving hundreds more stones for him to tame.

 A huge surge of energy had left Sorcerer Do, causing him to go weak at his knees. He might have fallen down if he hadn't predicted that much; and that didn't go unnoticed by Prince Jongin. The prince walked heavily against the unseen barrier, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the overwhelming light.

"Kyungie!" He yelled.

Upon hearing Prince Jongin's voice Sorcerer Do's body stiffened. His eyes darted behind, and then shifting again to concentrate on what he was doing. "Go away!" he yelled back.

Without a word, as if he didn't hear the desperate demand, Prince Jongin proceeded in determination. He was pushed back by the strong surge of energy wrapping around him, but he carried on nonetheless. After a few more steps Prince Jongin managed to reach where Sorcerer Do was. He placed his hands on the sorcerer's shoulders, a smile tugged on his lips. "I know that you are in danger and I won't ever leave you to be on your own," he stated, matter of factly.

Sorcerer Do returned the prince's gaze; his eyes filled with regret. "I can't hold it anymore," he whispered weakly.

"Then we will face it together," Prince Jongin lightly said. "Take my energy too. Let me be your source."

Sorcerer Do laughed sharply, hysterically. "It doesn't work that way. If human start to use his other as an energy meal, no living thing will survive and the world will end in a blink of an eye."

Prince Jongin wrinkled his eyebrows. "Then.... Then what about the power of love? I remember you mentioned that before. Love...," he paused briefly, "Love is a magical thing, right?"

"It needs a huge amount of undying love for it to have a magical effect," Sorcerer Do snapped impatiently.

"Show me the way, then," Prince Jongin unwaveringly said. "There's nothing to lose, correct? We can't be more dead, anyway," he went on lightly, a smile adorning his lips. He gave Sorcerer Do a reassuring squeeze on the shoulders.

With a sharp sigh Sorcerer Do dropped his hands. He could no longer held his hands up, but he would never admit that. "Fine!" He gave up with a grouch. "We need to connect with each other, skin to skin. Hold my hand." He urged Prince Jongin to take his hand.

"What? And let my self be mocked by the 'Sealed With a Kiss' society?" Prince Jongin gasped in horror, purposely hiding the fact that he was never in that silly SWAK society anyway. Without waiting for the answer he wrapped his hand around Sorcerer Do's and pulled him into a hug, quickly concealing any protest that might come with a kiss.

Sorcerer Do's hands floated in the air, he tried to push Prince Jongin away but the toned arms around his waist refrained him from doing so. His eyes widened at the feeling of soft full lips against his. He felt numb and weak, but every cell of his body said otherwise. It's embarrasing that his body was practically singing in joy, as he felt a surge of energy replacing his lost one and restoring it two folds. Or maybe ten. And a half.

Prince Jongin molded their lips together, slowly as if they had all the time in the world. What! His mind screamed at him. They don't have time for- Oh. He went blank when Prince Jongin deepened their kiss.

Prince Jongin tugged his upper lips softly, caging them lips between his teeth playfully before diving back into their heated kiss. Sorcerer Do could not think. Prince Jongin tasted like cherries in his mouth and oh his lips felt so perfect against his, as if they were created to kiss and to be kissed. He could feel every crevice of his body yearning for the touch more and more. Okay, it's embarrassing. Apparently he could still think too well. How to not think clearly? Could he stop thinking now?! For the love of Zeus he would die of embarrassment in a few seconds.

If there was anything that was about to explode, it was Sorcerer Do's brain.

Prince Jongin smiled between their kisses, "Stop thinking too much," he murmured under his breath. Opening up his eyes, he looked at Sorcerer Do tenderly. Giving the smaller male a playful wink he then closed his eyes, catching the sorcerer's lips back to have another kiss.

At every kiss and touch he felt his self-perseverance crumble. Sorcerer Do obliviously curled his arms around Prince Jongin's neck and stood on his tip-toes to kiss better (at last he was successfully able to not think, therefore, being honest would not bring him pain.) Their body melting to each other, one surrendered his life to another. At that moment Sorcerer Do agreed on what Prince Jongin had said earlier; everything would be alright as long as they have each other.

Serene calamine light was formed between their connections: lips, hands, and bodies, wrapping them in its warm protection. Some of the energy flew toward the remaining of Phosporus Mirabilis stones; pink, warm color met the angry green one. It soothed the wild energy, coaxing its power to willingly cease. The angry blaze dimmed down, surrendering its vast amount of energy until the stones were left with luminous green light.

***

"My beloved sorcerer, I know that you're not specialized in potion, but can I ask you something?" Queen Key asked Sorcerer Do. It was the day after, when they were safely and relaxingly seated in the royal dining room. Well, not all. Sorcerer Do was agitated, he kept having those little jumps in his seat.

"Certainly, your Majesty." The reply was given out fast. The sorcerer snapped a warning glare to the smiling prince sitting next to him, and when he sensed an unwelcomed hand gliding toward his, he swatted it fast cold bloodedly. Prince Jongin's grin remained. He kept his hand to himself for a short while, and then he tried once again only to have another swat.

Queen Key arched an eyebrow. Sensing pairs of curious eyes on him, Sorcerer Do cleared his throat. "What might be the problem, my queen?"

"Well, I keep having this nauseating feeling every time I drink my 'Nothing To Lose' potion. I don't always take the potion, of course, but sometimes I feel as though my stuff was missing but then I will find it in the next morning. The feeling is upsetting, really. A small cup of the potion will help me not to lose stuffs." Queen Key shifted his head to his Royal Advisor behind, "You remember about my Faerie L'occitane lotion, right?" 

Royal Advisor Byun Baek's face was as pale as Bulbul's doo-doo. He swallowed the lump in his throat, offering Queen Key an innocent grin. Prince Jongin owed him big time.

Fortunately Queen Key didn't pursue the matter and carried on with his question, a worried look on his face. "What do you have in mind about my condition? Is it dangerous?"

"I assume that you don't drink any generic brand, hence it should not bring that kind of effect to you, your Majesty. Nonetheless it's harmless. The potion is relatively safe, anyway," Sorcerer Do explained firmly, reassuring the queen. "Safe within a certain range, of course. Its possible side effects may include restlessness, muscle aches, inability to move on after a break-up, and death."

An awkward silence reigned over the room after Sorcerer Do's done with his explanation. Sorcerer Do looked around, his eyes blinking owlishly. Feeling that he might have said something wrong, he hurriedly added, "I don't know if it's true, but there is a belief that after a painful break-up, we will feel as if a huge part of us died, thus come the precaution. They need to write down every possible effect to avoid any lawsuit, I suppose; there are more than 200 precaution and possible side effects on its label, including 'failing at weight lost', 'swollen-headed syndrome', and 'constipation'. As for the nausea, just don't take the durian flavor and Your Majesty will be just fine."

Still, no one made an effort to break the ice. Sorcerer Do offered a nervous smile, and to maintain his pride as a mighty sorcerer he began to shove food into his mouth to have an excuse from talking.

"So, mother, we were saved by the magic of love," Prince Jongin eventually was able to say something, but the topic did not quite make the situation any better for the poor sorcerer; his food burst out from his mouth, and the cookie crumbles sputtered all over Royal Advisor Byun Baekhyun who happened to stand near him. As the Royal Advisor of the Year, Byun Baekhyun had to be prepared for anything; in reflex he had managed to pull out a white napkin and covered his flashy uniform with it before any bad occurrence could take place (chocolate stain was hard to wash).

"Happens all the time, sire," he reassured Sorcerer Do in a professional tone.

Prince Jongin giggled inwardly, his mouth twisting into a smile which he managed to sweep off of his face before anyone could see. He maintained his nonchalant face and went on, "Now, about the magic of love-"

"It's not true, your Majesty!" Sorcerer Do interrupted the prince, squeaking in panic.

Prince Jongin raised an eyebrow, "Not true?" he asked in an accusing manner, biting his lips to hold back the laugher.

"W-well, maybe it is from your part!"

"what 'part' do you mean?" Prince Jongin sing-songed.

"T-that part!" Sorcerer Do refused to explain further.

Royal Advisor Byun Baekhyun cut out their conversation, "Correct me if I am wrong, sire, I'm assuming that what you mean by 'that' is 'love'. And please forgive my limited knowledge, but, doesn't the magic of love only work if it's both ways?" he cleared his throat, realizing that the term he chose was not royally grandiose enough.

"I mean, 'two souls which have the mutual falling-drowning-involuntary feeling'," he stated gallantly. "Speaking of which, I remember a story of a prince from Faraway Kingdom who successfully managed to break the curse of a princess who was suffering from a hundred years of sleep. They then got married and supposedly lived happily ever after." Byun Baekhyun shook his head in awe.

"They should have had a strong bond, no? But not even they could use their power of love to do the simplest task; I heard they eventually managed to lift a small Maple leaf, although I always suspect that there was nothing magical involved for that matter, as the princess indeed had such broad, healthy arches of air passage."

"Shh, my beloved Royal Advisor, that was hardly the same case. You will lose a big chunk of love too if you happen to have a chatty wife," Queen Key chimed, shaking his finger elegantly at Royal Advisor Byun Baek.

"Well, I cannot blame her; to not be able to speak for years is indeed rather unpleasant. It's not her fault that she then could not stop talking. I heard Prince Charming begged a sorcerer to put a sleeping curse on him."

Feeling that he had been provided a way to escape his situation, Sorcerer Do quickly said, fast yet elegantly, trying to not look as if he was directing their conversation to a whole different topic.

"Well, yes, uh-oh okay yes. Speaking of which, when will I be excused to leave, your Majesty? I have had my spell fixed, so there won't be any problem in the future."

"No! Kyungie!!" The response from a particular prince came as fast.

Ignoring his son, Queen Key answered with his fairy-tone-like voice, "Why do you want to leave so soon, my dear sorcerer? Why don't you stay for a few more days or years, or maybe get married to one of our finest people, such as my son," he advised kind-heartedly.

"What? No!!" Realizing that he might have been too straight-forward to the most powerful person in the Jong Kingdom (King Jonghyun was completely whipped by his wife), Sorcerer Do softened his voice, "Uh, no, I mean that cannot be possible, my Queen. My work is done here, and soon I will be assigned to another job. And as for my future spouse, I am afraid that Prince Jongin is way too young for me," he explained with certainty.

"Oh? How old are you if I may know?" Queen Key stared at Sorcerer Do, seemingly interested.

"519 years old this year, my Queen," Sorcerer Do answered confidently.

"I see. You must have experienced a lot of things, during those hundreds of years," Queen Key commented lightly, unflinching at hearing the rather shocking statement.

"Uh, yes, my Queen. By books I have," Sorcerer Do finally gave his answer, after a pause. He could feel his confidence seeping out of him. "Sorcerers' age are counted from our first ancestors," he muttered faintly. "I might be older if I dig up more, but the thing is, sorcerers are not allowed to have spouses younger than their age," he added fast, flicking his eyes to Prince Jongin to emphasize his saying.

"Why didn't you say so," Queen Key said with a little laugh. Sorcerer Do was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Queen Key continued, turning his back to Royal Advisor Byun.

"How old is Jongin, my Royal Advisor?"

"1021 years old, my Queen. And yours will be-"

Queen Key narrowed his eyes at him, and as he was afraid for his life, Royal Advisor Byun Baekhyun decided that it would best for him to not finish his explanation.

Queen Key shifted back his attention to Sorcerer Do, smiling gracefully. "Our age are counted from the first time since the establishment of our kingdom. I hope you don't mind to have a 500 years older spouse, though," he chirped delightfully. "And as for your job, worry no more, my child. I have made the arrangement with the head of sorcerers; you'll get to spend the rest of your OTJ here."

Sorcerer Do's eyes opened very wide, like saucer pans. "I-I beg your pardon, your Majesty?" he squeaked, flustered.

"OTJ. On The Job training. You're not fully a sorcerer yet, correct? I believe you still have 8800 hours of the apprenticeship remained, and now, you can spend them all here, how splendid is that!" Queen Key clasped his hands in blithesome, beaming at the (apprentice) sorcerer.

"You can't have your sorcerer license if you haven't reached the age of 21, anyway. Of your actual age, I mean. How old are you?"

"Nineteen..." The answer came in a defeated whisper.

"Marvelous!" Queen Key clapped his hands. "Our Jongin is 21."

(Apprentice) Sorcerer Do slumped in his seat. "Kyungie, say ahh~" A spoonful of pudding was offered to him by the eager prince next to him. Peering his eyes at Prince Jongin, he saw the prince's lips and he regretted it right away. He could feel the heat rising into his cheeks and his heart thumping wildly against his ribcage.

I shouldn't have sent that harpy to the head of sorcerers, he mourned. He buried his face in his hands and began to chew.

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A/n:

Thanks @kyudos2you for the beta ;A;