The following morning the three awoke to find that the Chinese army had retreated, the loss of their warlock a huge blow to their power. Hoya was adamant that they would regroup and come back, and so with a bit of discussion, he and Sungjong decided to split up. Hoya would go back to speak to the Korean army while Sungjong and Myungsoo, who the fiery Seeker insisted on calling L, would stay there at their camp and keep watch that the Chinese didn't return. A last line of defense until Hoya could bring the Korean army back, so to speak. Almost as soon as the older Seeker left, though, Sungjong turned to Myungsoo with a wicked grin and drew him into the large tent to have his way with him.

Several weeks passed as they waited for Hoya's return, with no signs of the Chinese army on the horizon and plenty of signs between the two of them that they were happy to explore. Myungsoo found it almost scary how easily everything seemed to fall into place between himself and the pretty Seeker; their personalities seemed to fit as if made for one another, their bodies like puzzle pieces. It was frightening how quickly he was falling for the Seeker, but he could see in Sungjong's eyes that the powerful immortal felt the same about him.

He woke to a dreary rain, almost three weeks after Hoya had left them, an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ever since that fight against the warlock he felt a pit of dread in his stomach, a strange, unsettled feeling that something was deeply wrong. The man's last words scared him, honestly, and finding this connection with Sungjong was not enough to clear that fear from his mind.

Glancing down at Sungjong's sleeping face, he allowed a smile to creep onto his own. The Seeker was cuddled up into Myungsoo's side, his face pressed into the warrior's chest and arm draped over his waist as he slept. Lifting a hand, Myungsoo brushed Sungjong's long black hair out of his eyes, taking in every line of the other's beautiful face. He still could hardly believe that they had found such comfort in the other; it felt unreal and yet so right, like this was exactly where he was meant to be. Ducking his head, he dropped a kiss to Sungjong's forehead, and when he lifted his face away he saw the Seeker's eyes on him, his lips curving into a smile.

"Good morning," he said softly, reaching up to touch Myungsoo's cheek, the removal of his arm across the other's stomach leaving the cool air to run a chill through the warrior's body. He shivered even as Sungjong gave him a light kiss on the lips, and suddenly that feeling of trepidation returned. His own eyes popped open just as Sungjong sat up abruptly, the blankets falling around him forgotten as he stared in the direction of the tent flap.

"I feel it too," Myungsoo breathed, and he saw Sungjong's shoulders drop. The Seeker pulled himself to his feet, mindless of his though Myungsoo enjoyed the view as he dressed quickly. He caught the wolfish look in the mortal's eyes as he reached for his shirt, though, and laughed softly before picking up Myungsoo's own pants and throwing them at him.

"Get dressed, we've a battle to fight."

With a groan he did as the Seeker asked, getting dressed quickly before grabbing his swordbelt and buckling it around his hips. He fumbled a bit with the clasp, his fingers already cold in the autumn air, the rain brooking no help for the chill. Sungjong came over to him as he finished up, the taller man's cloak in the Seeker's hands, and as he wrapped the cloak around Myungsoo he tipped his face up and kissed him deeply. "Stay safe," he said, his dark eyes shining with something that Myungsoo almost wished he would say, but the mortal himself only cleared his throat and smiled.

"And you," he said, and then they exited the tent to the worst sight Myungsoo had ever seen.

A line of black stood facing them, the rain coating the inky figures and blending their edges to shape them into one mass, sticky shape before the two warriors. Sungjong's sharp intake of breath belied his own nervousness, the Seeker's hand lighting up with his power as he readied himself for battle. Myungsoo pulled his sword into his hand, fighting back the fear that threatened to bury him as he realized th