hanyeol unrolled the map of the kingdom onto the large wooden table he sat in front of. He pointed at the northern most village. Rosecreek. That would be the easiest location to infiltrate at. Weakly defended and complete with a direct route to the capital of Chunyu, if lost, the kingdom was lost with it.

He turned to his co-commander, Huang Zitao. “What do you think? Rosecreek…what are the chances that this will be the location that Shanxue choses to attack?”

Zitao held up three fingers. That stood for absolute. The man never spoke. But it was alright because over the years Chanyeol had learned to interpret Zitao’s cryptic signals. Even though Zitao never spoke, never uttered a single word, he was the only man who had any right to serve at Chanyeol’s side.

The man was calculative and his calculations were never wrong. If Zitao said the Shanxues would attack Rosecreek, they would attack Rosecreek. In the years that Zitao had been at his side, Chanyeol had never gone wrong. It was rumored that the mysterious man was bestowed the gift of sight and prophecy at birth, but in exchange gave up the ability to speak. Chanyeol wasn’t sure how true that was…most of the time he got a feeling that Zitao was capable of speaking, but just didn’t want to.

Regardless, he respected the man’s reasons.

“We will leave for Rosecreek at once then. How many troops do you think we’ll need?”

Zitao glanced at the window for a minute, settling his eyes on the dark night sky. Chanyeol continued to wait for a signal. Usually Zitao would hold up a certain number of fingers, each finger stood in representation for a hundred men. But Zitao only shook his head.

“Zitao? Why are you shaking your head? Are you trying to tell me something?”

The Co-commander placed his index finger onto the wooden table and traced a character. It was the character for death. An immediate chill came over Chanyeol. Death? Was that why Zitao refused to give a number?

“You see our troops losing this fight?”

Zitao nodded, face void of any emotion at the dim future he saw.

“How do I prevent it?”

The only feature on the face of the Co-commander that revealed any emotion were his eyes. There was a tinge of sorrow in Zitao’s orbs as he regarded Chanyeol. It made Chanyeol feel as if the male was crying over what he saw in the Commander’s future.

For a moment Chanyeol considered staying behind. If Zitao saw such dark things in his future it would be foolish for him to go to battle. But then Chanyeol remembered that he was brave. It didn’t matter what Zitao saw, Chanyeol would go. He had promises to keep.

“I will take three hundred men with me then.” Surely that was enough to defend a small village. Chanyeol doubted the Shanxues would send many during the first strike. They would most likely start out small and slowly increase the size of their troops as they advanced into the interior of Chunyu. Too bad they wouldn’t, Chanyeol would stop them before they could.

“You may go now, Zitao. I’ll see you at dawn; that is when we will leave.”

After the man left, Chanyeol rose and approached a small stand that was in the corner of his room. A chest lay on top of it. He took it in his hands and unlatched the lock. A long silver chain lay inside, around which was strung a ring carved out of agate. It was a gift that Chanyeol had given the object of his affections years ago.

Chanyeol smiled at Baekhyun, grinning like an idiot as the boy spun his sword in a poetic dance under the pale silver moonlight. The sword swung upwards and twirled in large circles, spinning the air around Baekhyun into a furry of blue metal. Chanyeol brought his fingers to the guzheng¹ that lay across his lap. His fingers pressed against the cold strings as he plucked at the instrument. Clear, cutting notes flew into the night, complementing the dance of Baekhyun’s sword.

Moonlight encased the two in a wispy shine. As Baekhyun’s white robes floated in the arm with his flips and turns, Chanyeol’s fingers moved at a speed that blurred their shape. The two complimented each other in ways that few could. The mixing of sword, dance, and music blended into a magic that could not be described with mere words.

Heaven’s perfection was but this.

When Chanyeol’s finger plucked the last note to their song, Baekhyun’s sword came back to his hand and was returned to Baekhyun’s side. Even their end was perfectly in sync.

The cold wind whipped between against them but did not chill. Both were too busy grinning at the perfection they had just completed. Both were out of breath with excitement.

“That was amazing, I’ve never-” Chanyeol started.

“Done anything so beautiful!” Baekhyun finished for him.

Baekhyun came closer and sat down by Chanyeol’s side. He placed his hand near Chanyeol’s on the guzheng¹. “Such a beautiful instrument.”

“And such a beautiful sword,” Chanyeol added.

Baekhyun laughed, his voice full of wonder, “It’s amazing how we are able to be so free when you are training to be a general and I am but observing you.”

Chanyeol shrugged, eyes drifting to the sky above them, focusing on the moon and stars. “It’s not amazing, Baekhyun, it’s fate. The moon and stars, they are our witnesses in this night.” Chanyeol turned to Baekhyun and unclasped a necklace from his neck. He leaned over and re-clasped the necklace around Baekhyun’s neck instead.

Baekhyun finger held the ring that hung from the chain curiously, running his fingers over the cold stone. “What is this?”

Chanyeol pointed at the stone ring. “This, is agate. It’s said to protect from danger, to give a brave heart, to bestow strength. It has been passed down in my family for generations. I want you to have it.”

Baekhyun’s hands quickly went to the clasp but Chanyeol grabbed them, stopping the man. Baekhyun looked up at him, eyes opened wide.

“I can’t take this. It’s too valuable!”

But Chanyeol only shook his head, his voice quiet, “No, I want it to protect you, I want you to stay safe forever. I love you Byun Baekhyun, let this be proof of my love for you.”

Before Baekhyun could respond, Chanyeol leaned closer, pressing his lips against Baekhyun’s. Warmth spread between the two, emphasized by the biting cold in the winter air. Chanyeol moved his lips slowly, relishing in the softness and fire present in Baekhyun’s. He had wanted to kiss the man for a long time now.

When Baekhyun’s hands intertwined in Chanyeol’s hair and when Baekhyun’s lips started to move against Chanyeol’s, Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun had accepted him. He kissed back with more relish than before, pressing Baekhyun closer to him. Fire burned between the two as the kiss turned from sweet to real, from real to passionate.

In the darkness of night, they lit each other aflame.

Chanyeol had thought that after that night they would be together always. But they were not. Just a few days later, Baekhyun suddenly disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the necklace. The emptiness that occupied Chanyeol’s entirety after Baekhyun’s vanishing still haunted him to this day.

Chanyeol removed the necklace that he had not touched since that day and placed it back around his neck. The cold of the agate burned against his skin.

“Baekhyun,” he whispered to the night, “if I die on the battlefield like Zitao predicted, then at least I die with this around my neck. Because even though you left, this ring still stands as evidence of our love.” I will continue to be brave, I will continue to be strong so that I can protect you.

That was his only goal. To be brave. To be strong. To protect Byun Baekhyun.

This story is turning out to be very enjoyable to write. I hope it is the same to read. Comment your thoughts ^^

¹Guzheng: an ancient Chinese stringed instrument (more information)