~Chapter 17~

Face to Fate

Gun Tae’s POV~

            “Help! Somebody come!” I scream as loud as I can as I attempt to shake myself out of the tight chains.

            “There’s no use little man,” the kidnapper cackles. “No one can save you now.”

            “Who are you and what do you want with me?”

            “We want you to be our little slave.”

            “I am no one’s slave. If you want me to go against my clan then dream on! You’d be better off killing me!”

            “Don’t worry, you won’t have to worry about going against your morals. By the time I am done with you, you won’t have a choice.” Darkness.

Key’s POV~

            “He was talking to me. All of a sudden, his breath hitched and he became unconscious,” Minho says through the sniffs. He has been crying. “Jiyeon’s claws hurt him too deeply. I’m afraid…” Minho stops talking and closes his eyes. “I’m afraid he won’t make it past tonight.”

            “Healing from an injury caused by a supernatural being isn’t simple. Sometimes, your body is too weak to fight off the natural poisons in the creature’s claws.” Joon hyung explains. “Has Taemin been sick lately?”

            “No, but he was injured. I remember he had Jiyeon come into his room to bandage his chest,” Minho says.

            “Well, did you know what happened? I swear, Taemin loves keeping things from us,” Joon hyung says. “Has he always been like this?”

            “No, he was a very sweet kid before we came back in time. I bet all of the killing and getting enslaved has affected him,” Onew hyung says with a frown.

            “Not to mention being hated by his hyung that he thought of as a brother,” Jonghyun hyung huffs.

            “Drop it,” Joon hyung says. “He regrets it enough.” I see Joon hyung reach toward Onew hyung’s hand and holds onto it, under the table.

            “Is there a way to help Taemin out? I mean, looking at the flesh, it seems as if he was poisoned,” I point out. “Maybe he was poisoned by Jiyeon?”

            “There’s only one way to find out,” Joon hyung says. “Interrogate her.”

            We got nothing out of her. She wouldn’t talk and the minute we stepped near her, she would try to bite our faces off. She is one feisty were-gal. I am no detective, but for some reason, I feel as if she is part of the Lunar Shadow clan. They are a well-known martial arts clan that uses poisons and darts to hurt their opponent. I never heard of them being allied with monsters, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be in charge of this.

            Maybe I should consider the Peacekeepers? I know they are known for manipulation and taming monsters. Maybe they teamed up with the dark clans to take over the martial realm. Does this mean they are the ones I need to hunt down and kill? The last time I sent a letter to His Majesty, I remember telling him that there was a lead, but I never told him what. If the dark clans are teamed up with the Peacekeepers who originally wanted to kill the queen, maybe they will harm the king as well. Does this mean Heroes’ Rebellion is not part of the dark clan? If not, why would they dark clans send people here and even poison us? Have I been killing innocent people this whole time?

            “I’m so worried right now,” Jonghyun hyung sits down next to me and buries his face in his palms. “If Taemin dies, he’ll die forever. So much for trying to save the past to fix the future…If he dies now, there is no future for him.”

            “Don’t worry too much. Taemin has escaped death before. I don’t think this time would be any different.” I try to comfort him.

            “Thanks Key; you always know what to say.”

            “What can I say? I just have skills with these things.”

            “Do you have any leads? Do you think we can find an antidote and save Taemin?” I bite my tongue and hold back the truth. If I tell Jonghyun hyung what I am thinking, he would act rashly and go retrieve the antidote. If it isn’t true, then he would risk his life and even if it’s true, Jonghyun hyung isn’t use to this kind of task. He might die and Taemin won’t even be saved…

            “No idea. Jiyeon didn’t talk so we can’t assume anything,” I say. Jonghyun hyung’s face darkens.

            “Oh.”

            “I think you should go rest, you look tired.”

            “No, I can’t, not when Taemin is unconscious like this.” I rub the rib of my fan under my clothing. Should I go and get the antidote for him? Taemin is a sweet kid and Jonghyun hyung loves him like his own brother. Even if I risk a few injuries, it’s worth it. I don’t like seeing everyone sad like this. Taemin has impacted us. I get up and walk into Taemin room. I see Minho holding Taemin’s cold hand and crying. I step closer and look own at his face. The blood seemed to have drained out of his body and his skin is now a sickly shade. I look to the side and see Onew hyung leaning against Joon hyung, crying.  I turn back around and see Jonghyun hyung sitting on the stairs solemnly. I step back outside and enter Kai’s room.

            Kai looks at me with a shocked expression and turns away, wiping away his tears. “Sorry, I forgot to knock,” I say.

            “It’s okay,” he sniffs. “Is he getting better?” I shake my head. “I can feel the power of my bead weakening inside of him. Although I have recovered, the bead isn’t. It worries me a lot…”

            “Kai, can I borrow your sword?”

            “Sure, but why do you need my sword? Don’t you have one?”

            “I don’t have a sword.” He passes me his sword and sits down next to me.

            “Why not?”

            “I never needed one,” I say while rubbing the hilt.

            “Then why do you need one now?”

            “Because there is always room for a change…”

            I take out a scrap of paper and brush on a fake note.

Visiting sick parents; be back in a few.

            Minho is use to this note. I always tell him this when I am on a mission except this time, His Majesty is not the commander, I am. For Taemin, for Minho, for Onew hyung, for Kai, for Jonghyun hyung, and everyone else, I am going to invade Lunar Shadow and get that antidote.

            I dress myself in full black and cover my face with a black face covering. I check the sword that is hung on my waist sash and fix the wrap around my hand. I never show my hands when I am on a mission. I wrap the lace around my ankle and my wrists, fastening the straps. I jump onto my horse and hold onto the reign tightly. I kick its side and the horse dashes forward into the woods.

            Tittup. Tittup. Tittup. I whip my head around and see Jonghyun hyung dashing toward me on his horse. “I knew we you were up to something,” he yells as he catches up to me. “If I didn't go and check on you, I wouldn't have known to follow you in time. Luckily you didn't go too far.”

            “Why do you think I didn't tell you? You shouldn't have followed me. You could die.”

            “Why should you care?”

            “I am a friend. Of course I care about you risking your life.”

            “Then why can't I care about you?”

            “At least cover your face.” I rip off a piece of my clothes and throw it over to him. He wraps the cloth around his face. By the crease of his eyes, I can tell that he is smiling.

            We stop our horses and get off of them before we reach the clan. We hide behind the trees and look at each other. “How did you know their location? This is in the middle of nowhere!” Jonghyun hyung whispers loudly.

            “I know things,” I say and tighten the knot of my face covering. “Stay here; I'll go get the antidote.”

            “Uh uh, I am not letting you go in there by yourself,” he says. “Either we go together or I charge in by myself.”

            “Or I can tie you to a tree and come free you after my job is done.”

            “You are not.”

            “Want to bet?”

            “Oh come on, don't be like that. I want to help Taemin as much as you want to.”

            “Taemin dying is worrisome enough. I don't want to bring you back dying as well.”

            “And how do you know that I won't be any help?”

            “I just don't want to see you hurt.”

            “You have to trust me, Key. I want to help. I don't want to be a lousy hyung who can't help out his dongsaeng.”

            “It's the thought that counts. He doesn't need you to risk your life to know you care.”

            “I didn't follow you all this way to not end up helping you.”

            “You won't take no for an answer will you?”

            “You know I won't.”

            “Fine, stay close,” I say in defeat. “Don't make me regret this.” I hold onto his hand and we both enter the clan.