~Chapter 34~

War Declaration

Taemin's POV~

            I didn’t sleep well last night at all. I wish I had a better reason either than my overthinking. I couldn’t fall asleep because I kept thinking about Minho hyung and my decision for not telling him the truth. Is it too selfish of me…or is it selfless? Ahh I don’t know and it’s so frustrating. I wish God can just appear and tell me what I should do. It would be much easier than me trying to figure things out myself. “Hyung, are you okay?” Kai asks. I shake my head and sigh. My head is pounding and my body feels exhausted. I guess everyone has days when they feel like just resting.   

            Kai squats in front of me and pats his shoulder. “Get on.”

            “You can’t be serious,” I say. “I can’t make you carry me.”

            “You’re not making me do anything. Get on hyung, you’re wasting time by negotiating with me.” Kai turns around and smiles at me. Do I look that exhausted? You can’t even see my face because of my mask…

            “I feel bad,” I sigh.

            “Well I’m not moving if you don’t get on,” he says. I sigh again and hesitantly get on his back. He quickly gets up before I change my mind and catches up with the rest of the team. “We are just casually walking back so if you want, just sleep, hyung.” Kai sure is kind. Even as a demon (A/N: he referring to Angel Wings) Kai was always there to help me. I don’t think I do as much for him as he does for me. I feel so bad, yet I can’t refuse his help. Thank you for always being around, Kai. Before I realize it, I drift off to sleep.

            I jerk awake and notice that I am dripping with sweat. I had that nightmare again. After Minho hyung helped me calm my nerves, I haven’t had that nightmare for so long (A/N: this is referring to chapter 8 where Taemin was tortured and had nightmares about Onew. Minho was the one that helped him get better). I put my head in my palms and try to calm my breathing. I close my eyes tighter as I see those images again. Arrows. Blood. My lifeless eyes. I shake my head to try and clear my mind. Where am I?

            Everyone but Baekhyun hyung is asleep around a campfire, who I assume is on duty. Wow, I must have been exhausted. I slept through an entire day of traveling. Poor Kai, he must have regretted telling me to sleep. He carried me all this way…I look at Baekhyun hyung who is looking at me worriedly. He must have noticed how disoriented I seemed. “Finally awake?”

            “Yeah,” I reply. “Did Kai carry me this entire time?”

            “He and Minho rotated,” Baekhyun hyung explains. Minho hyung? He wasn’t mad about what I said? He even carried me? “You usually are really good with sensing things around you, I’m surprised that you didn’t wake up.”

            “I guess I was just tired…which is odd.”

            “I mean you are human, it makes sense.”

            “No…it doesn’t,” I get up and think deeply. “Something has to be up.”

            “I’m not sure what you mean.”

            “Like you said, I am very sensitive. If they moved me around, I should have woken up, not to mention with this fire near me. I usually would help sensed danger and woke up.”

            “But you’re tired.”     

            “Not tired enough to let my guard down that easily,” I say. “It’s like I shut down for a day.” I even had that nightmare… “Is something wrong with me?”

Kai’s POV~

            I need to sneak out without anyone noticing. We haven’t encountered any monsters for the past few days and I can feel my bead dissolving more and more. I need to steal more beads but someone is always around. Last time I was desperate and I’m sure Minho hyung noticed. If people find out I am harvesting monsters’ beads to replenish my own, there’s going to be a problem. Many monsters that steal beads and feast on humans turn into demonic creatures. If anyone finds out, they might think that I am trying to do the same. Baekhyun hyung and Taemin hyung are talking right now so I can’t run off. If it was just Baekhyun hyung, I can get away with it, but Taemin hyung would catch on. I guess I just have to hold off another day or two so I can sneak out the palace and steal beads then…It’s just that the stolen beads only help me mask the pain and the progress of my bead. Without the monsters’ beads, I’m in a lot of pain and it’s hard to not expose my animal-like traits. What if my claws appear without my control? This is getting harder and harder…I snap out of my thoughts as a long, red cloth nearly tears my head off. I roll around and quickly stand up, along with everyone else. Madame Red?

Jonghyun’s POV~

            Her Majesty has not shown her face once and I am starting to wonder if I am actually protecting someone. Key keeps running in and out of the palace completing errands for the king and he doesn’t let me come in case I distract him. The crown prince leaving with the White Masked Hero, Kai, Minho, and Baekhyun is starting to stir some rumors in the palace. Some are saying the heroes are temping the crown prince to be a rebel. Some day that the crown prince is trying to tour around before he becomes king. Some say he is asserting his dominance by showing them that they have no control over him…I’m just annoyed that they get to go out while I have to stay in this quiet and lonely palace waiting for Key to return once again. I thought I was going to have fun with Key all day since we got assigned the same area to guard, but I guess things never go as I plan.

            Joon hyung and Onew hyung are being very cute as they are inseparable and are interacting nicely. Apparently, once, Onew hyung was extremely tired because he had to train the guards and guarded the palace for four days straight that he fell asleep while training his team. Joon hyung dismissed his class that day— which he apparently never did before— and carried Onew hyung bridal-style all the way back to his room and took care of him. All the palace maids were fangirling since Joon hyung was very considerate and caring for Onew hyung. Everyone that saw the scene all ended up either shipping them, wanting Onew hyung for themselves— for looking so soft in Joon hyung’s arms—, or wanting Joon hyung— for being so strong yet so gentle to Onew hyung. I WANT RUMORS LIKE THESE TO SPREAD ABOUT ME!!!! I WANT TO BE CUTE WITH KEY TOO BUT NOOOOOOOOOO I’M NOT ALLOWED TO FOLLOW HIM AROUND BECAUSE I MIGHT DISTRACT HIM!!!! Eh hem, can you tell that I am fired up? I’ll try to calm down now…

            “Jjong,” Key come running into the queen’s headquarters. Speak of the devil…

            “Key~” I perk up immediately. I may be grumpy, but I just love being around Key~

            “We have some trouble.” Immediately my smile drops and we head to the throne room.

            I sigh to myself after hearing the news. The crown prince and his crew have returned and brought back terrible news. Villagers have been poisoned by Peacekeepers and while they were resting, Madame Red and her minions attacked them. She gave them a letter to pass to the king and it stated that the dark clans have a banquet prepared for the king…more like the king has to go see them and if they can’t negotiate, they’ll kill him then and there. If His Majesty does not attend the banquet, then that would be a true declaration of war. If he goes to the banquet, a war can still rise and he would be trapped in their territory. Either way, it’s going to be hard for us.

            The king decided that he will attend the banquet as there is still a chance for them to negotiate. The dark clans may not declare war and it’s the risk he is willing to take. The problem is, if the king leaves the palace and goes to the dark clan, that would leave the throne unoccupied and gives them a change to invade the palace as well. That means we may lose our king and lose the throne and palace to the dark clans. As this is by means a formal banquet, the king is only able to bring a limited amount of people to protect him and they are not allowed to be armed. This is one difficult situation…

            “I’ll go,” the crown prince says. “I will go in lieu of Your Majesty and attend the banquet. The country cannot go a day without their king and it is too much of a risk.”

            “You are also the future king of this country,” the king says. “I cannot allow you to do something so risky.”

            “I have the greatest warriors of our time by my side, I am not afraid. Please, let me prove myself and honor you.” The king does not immediately reply as his subjects chimed in. Some claimed that it is much too dangerous to attend the banquet while some said it was more dangerous to declare war. Some are taking the prince’s side while some claimed that the king should go instead and the prince shall guard the throne. Either way, the debate is going nowhere and it was time for the king to make his edict.

            “I have decided. I entrust the crown prince to our great heroes. In three days’ time, the crown prince and his party shall set forth and attend the banquet. May the heavens protect you all.”

            It has been decided that the Baekhyun shall attend the banquet with the crown prince and a few servants. The White Masked Hero, Minho, and Jimin are to position themselves far enough to not be detected, but close enough to come when help is needed. Kai, Jongkook hyungnim, and I will meet them half-way with the clan members, while the others are guarding the palace. Even now, we are not sure who the main warriors of the dark clan are and they know very well what our fighting style is. Last time when the couple flew over with the flame-throwing bird, I nearly died on the tower (A/N: chapter 23). We are clearly at a disadvantage.

            Onew hyung is currently making as many arrows as he can. Because the arrows he makes are blessed, they need them to ensure the most accurate and precise arrows in case monsters are used in battle. Joon hyung and Key are going over last-minute formations with the guards and the crown prince’s crew are going over precautions. Originally, Baekhyun wasn’t allowed to go because that is another person to protect, but the crown prince insisted that he must go to record the incidence. I think he’s silly to think that they dark clan don’t have the intention to fight. What’s the best way to threaten the king than to capture the crown prince when he’s completely defenseless? I have a bad feeling about this...

Taemin’s POV~

            “You finally paid me a visit,” Heechul hyung’s master says while his beard.

            “I’m sorry, but I came to ask for a favor.”

            “I know,” he says and walks me toward the pool of water. “It is time for your face to make a comeback.” I smile to myself as the master saved me a long explanation. I need to change my face in order to disguise myself, as ridiculous as it sounds. Everyone knows that the White Masked Hero has a ruined face, so now if my face is healed, I can pretend to be someone else.

            I kneel down and dip my two hands into the cloudy liquid. The coldness seeps into my bones, making me almost want to pull back my hands. I bend lower and bring the liquid to my face. “Wait,” he says. I turn and look at him and notice that his expression is one of concern. “Changing your face back will open the door to even more calamities. Are you willing to face the consequences? I cannot ensure anything in the future.”

            “I guess…this is the fate I chose.” I dip my face into the liquid in my palms and immediately fall over. I writher on the ground as my face feels like it is being burnt and torn to pieces. I cry out and roll around in agony as my face reshapes itself. It hurts. Please, someone make the pain go away. Ahh! I put my hands into fists to avoid myself from clawing at my face, in hope to remove the painful potion. I need to take the pain…

            Slowly but surely, the torment dissolves into nothingness. I pant rapidly as I try to recover from the outburst of pain. “Ow,” I groan and crawl over to the pool. I peer over to look at my reflection in the liquid and let out a breath of relief. I bring my shaking hands to my smooth face and laugh to myself as I admire the flawless reflection. I’m back. Lee Taemin is back.

~Comments are loved~