The elder dragon paled, even halted his steps, seeing Tao tilt his head from side to side before forming a defensive stance. Turning to get the aid of his in control dragons, he was angered to see Jonghyun and Joon not only being easily subdued, but fighting off his spell of obedience. Biting back a growl, he quickly turned to leave, but was stopped by not only Minho, but Kris as well. Scoffing, he sighed dramatically before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"And since when has he known that trick?" Jonghyun muttered, apologizing to Kris for trying to attack him.

"Eh, you owed me one anyway," Kris said back, helping him up from the ground.

"He's been hiding much from us, it seems," Joon said, looking past everyone to Tao. "For starters, how is he alive?"

"That, is a very long story. Let's sum it up and say-" Minho started, but Tao interrupted.

"The elder dragon isn't a dragon at all. He's a sorcerer. He'd been entrusted all these years to keep us dragons under control, and if we weren't, or appeared too dangerous towards any other race, he'd off us. He poisoned me those three years ago. I stopped time for myself when I realized what was happening, but apparently in my absence he tampered with Kris' mind. With his memories." All remaining dragons, excluding Kris who was rolling his eyes, stared at Tao as if he had grown a second head. He wasn't exactly known for talking when he was alive, at least not with them.

"How... on earth could you know all that when you've been like, dead, until just now?" Jonghyun asked, though he was more than happy to have Tao back.

"Well, if you ever find a mate, you'll know you're connected through everything. Just as I could see what was happening through Kris' eyes, he has been slowly going crazy from the poison that coursed through my veins, and now... Jinki's veins."

Not even realizing five sets of glowing eyes were on him, Jinki murmured wistfully, "Wow, having a mate must be nice." Looking up to see he was now the center of attention, he blushed and stammered, "I feel... fine...?"

"Maybe his healing magic will help ward it off. Otherwise, the only other way to get rid of it is to kill the spell caster."

"Done," Minho growled.






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"Done," Jonghyun mocked, beaten and bloody, sitting beside Minho and Joon. "Of course Tao and Kris would get away, the elder's scared less of Tao's abilities, and now he has Jinki. Face it. Your. Plan. ."

"How was I to know he was that powerful? We're full fledged dragons! Six against one shouldn't have even posed a problem."

"Well with his teleportation powers, not to mention all those dragon wards he can cast, what did you expect when the only one that could oppose him was Jinki? Not like he has any offensive magic that we know of."

"No... but I can give him some, theoretically."

"Yeah, with your mating bond. That apparently you haven't even told Jinki about," Jonghyun shouted. Joon was staying uncharacteristically quiet through the whole conversation.

"I haven't found the time. How do you explain to someone that hasn't even been a dragon for a week that he's already been mated to one? I don't even know if he can feel it or not like I can. He seems rather oblivious to everything most of the time."

"Guys, shut up and come look at this," Joon prompted from the corner he had been sitting in muttering to himself.

When they peered over his shoulder, a liquid surface gleamed, and though they couldn't see much but a ceiling, they could clearly hear Jinki's voice. The boy was singing...

"How the hell can you do this?" Jonghyun asked, Minho nodding in agreement.

"Just a perk of water powers I guess. I can use moisture in the air to form these sort of two way mirrors. We can hear what's happening there, but they can't see or hear us so in these kinds of situations, it's rather useless. I've just been trying to figure out the room he's been in for the past half hour."

Jinki's face suddenly popped into view on the shimmery surface. "Oh, hey guys!"

All three dragons jumped back. "Jinki, what the hell, how can you hear us, let alone see us?" Joon yelped.

"I don't know.. am I not supposed to?" Trust a brand new half dragon to be able to do things that shouldn't even be possible and not even realize how amazing it was.

"Nevermind that, where is the wizard keeping you hostage?"

"Hostage? He's been trying to undo this poison spell for the past few hours. He even remembers to feed me," he huffed. The dig did not go unnoticed to Minho.

"So, he isn't trying to kill you?"

"Listen, I'm fine. How are you guys, or better yet, where are you guys? Need me to come heal you?"

"He really needs to learn to have a little self preservation," Jonghyun muttered.

"Jinki, not to worry you or anything, but he plans on killing all of us." Jinki paled noticeably, but Joon continued. "But, Minho wants to give you some of his powers, so that you can off him for us."

"How would that work?"

"I'll explain it to you when you're older, just... keep an open mind, okay?" Jinki looked doubtful, but nodded nonetheless.

"Okay, for real, you need to tell him about that already," Jonghyun growled.

"If and when we survive this," Minho argued back. He then closed his eyes and let his powers seep through their bond. Fire was about the only thing he could give Jinki. Not like his hunting skills would prove useful, and Jinki was already fast... but would fire be enough to kill a seemingly all powerful sorcerer?

When the three stared into the mirror for what seemed like hours, they watched in dismay as Jinki shrugged and said, "I got nothin', but it sounds like he's coming back, so keep quiet."





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Jinki stood up from his crouched position to greet the.. dragon? Human? Sorcerer? He didn't know anymore.

"It's no use. You're going to die. I've tried everything. I didn't even think the poison could be transferred from one body to another, let alone be removed all together. It's not my magic in the first place. The dark fae gave it to me when they heard I would kill dragons if they got too troublesome."

Jinki merely nodded, intrigued. He didn't know why everyone was freaking out. He was fine. He'd be able to tell if something was wrong with him, just like he could tell when something was wrong with others, but he kept his mouth shut. No one wanted to listen to him anyway. "Are you really planning on killing the others?"

"Unfortunately. They won't let me guard over them now that they know what I am."

"They said you could alter memories, are Tao and Kris the only one's you've tampered with?" Jinki asked innocently, staring over at the shimmering water mirror that apparently only he could see.

He laughed bitterly. "Hardly. Jonghyun used to have a mate. Some hundred years ago. He was a threat. Could control metals, minerals, could quite literally move mountains. Joon used to be the dragon prince. I killed his father and took his place here. Not to mention Minho's little 'curse'. True he was once human, but I was the one that turned him into a dragon, not some witch. He wouldn't even have had to kill all those women if he'd just come back to me. I only made that a stipulation so he would give up and return to us. Stubborn little thing. I would have kept him alive for you.... if there had been some way to save you."

"And why would you do that? Because he made me?"

The sorcerer looked at Jinki for a split second before bursting into laughter. "And he didn't even tell you. That's priceless. Well, I'll leave it to the two of you to figure out together. C'mon then, might as well put you with the others."

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A/N: Wah, sorry for the long wait, everyone! But it's been busy and with holidays and work and all that, ugh, I apologize. The next part should be the added Taoris I've been promising (should prove interesting, seeing as how I've never written for that pairing before, woooo) A few more chapters and this is DONEEEEE weeeeee! Then I can hopefully get back into badass Jinki mode and my hiatus'd story that isn't posted here on AFF yet >.< And on a side note, Jonghyun, I love you so much in this. Sorry you had a mate at one time and I killed him off and you don't even remember him. My bad. I'll take full credit for that one xD

P.S. If any of you guys are interested in making a banner for this, message me and let me know! If I get enough people wanting to, I'll make it a contest and the winner will get some karma points ^^ (honestly, what the hell do I need all these karma points for anyway?! I'd rather have some kick banners!)