Fine strands of the rope were quickly tearing. Kai was not at the top and the noise that the trapped inhabitants made was tremendous.

“WE’RE GOING TO DIE WE’RE GOING TO DIE!”

“SHUT UP KEY SHUT UP!”

Chorong just tweeted feebly. Naeun shifted in her cage. She glanced up at the sky. “Oh no, it’ll be sunset soon.”

The love bird nodded. “But if you can’t touch the water then…” Naeun realised she was right. They could crash to their deaths before she had the chance to transform. They heard running and panting. All of a sudden Yunho pushed through some bushes, clothes torn from thorns and his hair tossed.

“We’re saved!” Key and Myungsoo started to chant. “We’re save—ahhhhhhh!”

The final strand had broken the rope dropping down towards the water. Key and Chorong’s cage slid off the end dipping into the rushing blue first with Myungsoo’s and Naeun’s following.

Kai saw the empty rope and let out a cry of exasperation. “DAMN IT!”

“Wait,” he glanced around and then noticed Yunho who was standing in the water waist deep. He waded towards one of the cages that had gotten caught in some rocks. Myungsoo’s clumsy habit had finally come in handy, his horns had become stuck in the small gap. With some grunts he pulled the buck’s cage free and back on land.

Myungsoo shook his fur and shivered, “it’s cold it’s cold.”

Kai’s mouth fell open. “Wow it talks.” Myungsoo ignored him and started pushing at some of the bars which had been bent. He turned behind him to look at Kai.

“Don’t just stand there! Kibum and Chorong are still there!”

Yunho had spotted Naeun’s cage that was close to falling off the edge at the other side and had found a way to cross over before grabbed it by the loop at the top. She lifted her head up to peer at Yunho.

“Who are you?”

“Jung Yunho, head son of the Jung family, older brother to Jung Eunji.”

Naeun nodded and then asked another question unexpectedly, “where do you live Jung Yunho?”

“In Kwangju,” he looked surprised when she looked downcast, as though she was dejected. “Why, why does that matter to you so much? Are you alright?”

“You’re talking to a swan!” Kai called out from where he stood, soaking wet. Chorong and Key sat in their cage by his feet. “How can you be asking that?”

Yunho bent down to the cage. “Don’t mind him, he means well. Is there something about where I live that bothers you?”

Naeun shook her head. “Your sister… She is Taemin’s love isn’t she?”

That question floored Yunho. How did she know his sister was close to Taemin? Did the spell upon her give special powers as well? Scratching the back of his neck where the fine hairs sat he struggled to understand what had just happened.

“Ah they… No it’s anything romantic.” Naeun’s eyes widened. “She told me just before that there was no romantic interest and I believe her.”

Naeun was quiet but appearing to think over this news. She had been wrong, it was clear now that she had been deceived by Jonghyun. Kai was prying the bars apart with his bare hands, a difficult task for someone of his level of strength.
“Hold on, I almost have it.”

“Hurry up hurry up!” Key chanted jumping up and down making the cage bounce. Kai’s face twisted in concentration of his remaining stamina.

“Almost… There.”

Chorong glanced up and then started squawking furiously. Key’s scales turned an off white as if he had lost colour from fright.
“LOOK OUT!”

Kai swung around and the dragon’s mouth opened grabbing him. The animals screamed as Kai yelled out, the teeth digging into him from almost everywhere but his head. Yunho stared up in shock, the others completely watching in horror. The dragon’s mouth closed slightly and Kai’s agonising yells grew louder.

With one to the side the dragon released him and he dropped into the base of the waterfall. A moment later he resurfaced and floated to the side of the stream. His body lay against the bank, not moving, not breathing.
“JONGIN,” Yunho drew his sword, a cutlass in case the dragon was going to attack but it left him and the others. Naeun stared at Kai who was showing no signs of life and bleeding heavily.

“Taemin,” she yelled out in desperation. “Taemin, please find us…”

Birth, learning to walk, his first scraped knee and his first crush on one of the palace maids; all of these flashed past Taemin’s mind. Seeing his brother’s coronation, finishing education, playing with Kai, Minho and Kwonho who was away, all of these were important.

A face flashed before him as well as his own words echoing back in the same exact tone they had been shared with. “I think I love her.”

Naeun! His mind screamed at him and his eyes opened. Peering around, he realised that he was drowning. Quickly lifting his arms he pushed up towards the surface, kicking his legs to assist in the propelling. His lungs felt like lead balloons about to burst and his whole body was struggling against the huge intake of water. Still Taemin kept on swimming, refusing not to give in.

His head rose out first letting him get a big breath of air. Choking he glanced around the area as he bobbed. Pain came through the wound that had been created and he saw the dark red being diluted through the water. Unable to inspect it closely Taemin bit his lip and started to swim to the edge.

Dragging his body out of the lake took a lot of effort and when he was out he just rested against the grass, panting. However it wasn’t long before his stomach decided to get rid of the excess liquid and he vomited until nothing remained.

“Naeun,” Taemin said to himself as he wiped his mouth. “Naeun where are you?” Slowly and sluggishly he got to his feet, staggering towards the battle field. The wound in his side trickled a crimson trail behind him.

Minho lowered his bow as he saw something coming in the distance towards them. When he recognised his own brother his face changed, “TAEMIN!”

“Brother,” Taemin tried to run but this aggravated his injury. He dropped down and Minho sped over to him.
“Let me help,” he insisted as he put an arm around Taemin’s shoulders. Taemin pushed him away. Minho didn’t understand, “Taemin… What are you doing?”

“I have to help her,” he said through short, heavy breaths. With a sloppy motion Taemin drew out his final resort, a dagger. “I have to save Naeun.”

“It’s no use,” Minho exclaimed as the dragon set fire to trees around them. “It’s too powerful; besides that weapon is going to do nothing against the dragon. Haven’t you been paying attention--”

Taemin cut him off by shaking his head. He stared at the knife, not caring he was trembling as his body began reacting to him losing a lot of blood. “I… I don’t care… Naeun tried to give up… For my safety she kept away… But I won’t let her go. Not now and not ever.”

Minho saw that nothing he could say would convince Taemin to cooperate with him. He watched his brother with care and concern. The effects of his very near drowning and the blood loss had affected the complexion in Taemin’s face. With no more to say Minho nodded, taking his bow out again and following Taemin who ran towards the dragon letting out a yell which went up a few octaves.

“Hurry Yunho,” Chorong called out to Yunho who was struggling to pry the bars of Naeun’s cage open. She and Key were watching him after they had managed to wriggle loose from one of the bars being dislodged. “She needs the water to transform.”

“I’m trying,” Yunho answered. “How is it that her enclosure managed to stay intact while yours broke?”

“Can you pick the lock?”

“With what exactly,” Yunho heard soft footsteps and Myungsoo was next to him. Bending his head down to the lock Yunho understood what the buck wanted to do.

“It may break your antler.”

“Please do it,” Myungsoo replied, as though it didn’t matter to him. Taking the antler in his hand Yunho placed it in the lock and twisted it around. Key and Chorong glanced at Myungsoo, their hearts aching for their friend.

It clicked and the lock fell off along with a part of Myungsoo’s antler still stuck. Yunho opened the door for Naeun and she fluttered out flying to the bottom of the water fall where she sat on the surface. A bright light came on the area and those close by covered their eyes as Naeun transformed out of her bird appearance.

Going to the side she stood with water dripping from her dress. Some of her skirt had been torn from getting bashed around in the cage and one of the arms of her sleeves was gone, a large bruise forming on her forearm.

“Naeun,” she searched for the voice until she found Yunho and the other animals peering down at her. “Find Taemin, tell him those three words!”

“I will,” she said and began to run, letting her dress drag instead of picking it up like she may have done in the past. Hurrying to the lake Naeun came across the sight of many men, covered in blood or deep marks. The smell caught her off guard and she struggled against the desire to be physically sick.

The dragon had got Taemin in his sight as the young but foolish prince slashed its nose with his dagger. Indeed as they had expected the wound affected the beast that let out a pain driven screech that rattled the ears of everyone still alive.

Naeun lifted a hand to to call out to Taemin until she saw it… The dragon opening its mouth at him, fire in the back of the throat swirling around before the flames darted out fast at him.

The fire hit him straight in the face and he only just closed his eyes as he was caught in the intense heat. Sinking to his knees Taemin raised an arm to try and block further fire from his face while everything had a fierce pain like a thousand needles pricking at once.

“Taemin,” Naeun said. The flames started to flicker and broke up into nothing. He dropped his arm along with his chin and he collapsed, eyes closing shut.

What’s going to happen to Taemin? Is it too late for our beloved couple?!