Okay so I put up an introduction to this chapter until I could get this edited. But I feel so bad for not updating for like.....a year that I had to post the whole chapter. So read on and my apologies for the lack of editing.....

I hope you all enjoy it~

RECAP~

Hyunsu, a human girl, found herself in the grasp of the monsters of the world. It was revealed that she was not actually a human but rather a Nymph. She was taken in for six months where she learnt the Fae language and culture. Dongwoo, the fiercest of them, was her teacher. He hated her and that never changed. The girl was brought back to the village after Sungjong took her to the forest floor. After being told she was to marry Hyoheon, the village jerk, she escaped on her own back to jungle deciding to live as Yeonjung (the name the Fae gave her upon integration). Now L and Hoya are still in the village after helping her escape and Sungyeol is with her showing her a mysterious "secret" that led to her being maybe possibly intangible. Who really knows~

With a yelp, Yeonjung fell forwards. Her body jolted as a set of arms wrapped around her, holding her in place. Her eyes misted as if unable to register the wooden base in front of her. Her chest was heaving, as if it didn’t register that she was breathing, and was attempting to fill her lungs with as much air as it could.

‘Are you okay?’ Sungyeol’s breathe tickled her ear as he spoke from behind her.

‘What-’ Yeonjung faltered, her mind stalling as she tried to come up with what to say. Her fingers reached tentatively towards the wood as she started to feel her crossed legs beneath her. She hadn’t moved, but, she had. ‘I moved,’ she said slowly. Sungyeol laughed as he slowly let go of her, once he knew that she wouldn’t fall. ‘What did you see?’ She could hear his clothes rustling as he pushed himself against the tree beneath him until he was in front of her.

  ‘No, wait.’ He held a hand up in the air as he grinned at her. ‘Don’t tell me. Not yet.’

Yeonjung’s eyes widened as she tried to comprehend what just happened. She knew Sungyeol could see her confusion, yet he refused to say anything. He just stared at her with his shining eyes and secretive smile.

‘Remember,’ he said as he leaned in towards her. ‘Don’t tell Sunggyu.’ With a wink he stood up then held his hand out to her, offering help. With a hesitant smile she took his hand and let him pull her up.

‘I don’t even know what I would tell him.’ She said with twisted lips. Instantly, Sungyeol laughed then gently rested his hand on her shoulder.

‘Good.’ Sungyeol continued smiling and his body seemed to shake with barely contained excitement. ‘This is exciting.’ He breathed out. ‘Hoya and L will be back soon, and-’ Yeonjung stared at him with furrowed eyebrows as he continued to speak, not noticing her body sway.

‘I need a moment.’ She whispered, grasping his sleeve. Her head was spinning and her senses felt odd, she couldn’t explain it but something felt different, wrong. In that moment, her body felt lacking, she knew something was missing.

‘What’s wrong?’ He barely turned around in time to catch her body as she fainted. Sungyeol’s mouth fell open then he scanned the area with wide panicked eyes as he picked her up. He sighed heavily then carried her to the infirmary for the second time that day.  His whole trip to the infirmary, he was cautiously looking over his shoulder.

‘Sungyeol.’ Instantly the Fae jumped and looked behind him, wincing when he saw Dongwoo.

‘Brother.’ He said with a small smile. His expression became flustered as the older Nixes eyes trailed to Yeonjung and stared at her with a speculative expression before he looked back at Sungyeol.

‘What did you do?’

‘Why do you think it was me?’ He tried to look offended, but he knew it was pointless. Dongwoo’s eyes were already hardening. His cheeks flexed as he clenched his jaw and glared at Sungyeol.

‘You are an idiot.’ His words came out in a growl as he walked past Sungyeol. ‘We need to get her to the infirmary as soon as possible.’

‘You know what’s wrong?’ Sungyeol followed after Dongwoo with wide eyes. The young Nix had no idea why she had fainted, he had no way of knowing that he could have killed her. But Dongwoo knew, and was unwillingly cleaning up after his younger brother, once again. Sometimes, it felt like that was all he and Sunggyu did. Not that Dongwoo could claim they were any better, the seven of them were all energetic and caused chaos. But the eldest were required to clean up the messes.

‘Yes, and so will Sunggyu. So unless you handle this properly we will both be in trouble.’ Dongwoo said with a low voice as he stormed his way into the infirmary, going through multiple bottles and labeled containers as he went. ‘I don’t even know if we have what we need. We never try to prepare for this. We have no reason for it.’ His slender fingers picked through the next cabinet, the veins flexing on his forearms as he moved each item around.

‘We don’t have to prepare for anything. It’s simple to do! Nobody gets hurt!’ Sungyeol snapped, his cheeks flushing with indignation. He jerkily laid Yeonjung on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

‘We don’t get hurt, they do.’ Dongwoo growled back as he dropped his arms to his side. ‘You better hope they get back soon, you might have just killed her. Go get mother. Now.’

‘Killed her?’ Sungyeol gulped and looked at Yeonjung guilty.

‘Go!’ Dongwoo said as he shoved his brother towards the door. Sungyeol stumbled and stared at Dongwoo disoriented, still trying to figure out what was going on.

‘Okay.’Sungyeol whispered once he regained his stance. With a final look towards the pale girl, he ran out of the infirmary, hoping that Dongwoo was exaggerating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 'We're getting out of here.' The leader of the caravan adjusted his glasses as he stared down Myungsoo and Howon. 'The villagers are serious about making war.'

 'What about your signs, you said we would leave tomorrow.' Myungsoo's fingers flexed, a physical sign of his longing to corrupt the land of the humans. He had barely done anything, nothing had been sabotaged. Wordlessly a letter was handed to Howon who read it gravely before passing it to Myungsoo, whose face paled instantly.

 'If you want your friend to die, we will remain. However, I believe there are things to balance.' Hwijae's words hinted to the job of the highest of the Fae, hinted to what they had to learn. He was not a man to leave before the omens said, but such things bested omens. Omens could only be relied on when essence and the physical of the world were in balance.

 'How soon.' Myungsoo's hand reached to his pocket where the has-been Nymph's pendent was, the pendent that now belonged to Hyunsu. His lips pressed into a line as the name of the human crossed it. No, she was no longer Hyunsu. She had been Yeonjung for quite awhile, the letter was proof.

 'I am clearing it with the lord of the village now. Our special add-on will be back soon with the answer.'

 'I refuse to travel with that scum.' Howon's lips curled as he spoke, the mere thought of the gumiho filling him with disgust. If he had the way he thought would make balance, he would have the creature tied to a pole and beat in penance for his crimes.

  'Balance does not always mean violence. That is something the Fae have yet to understand.' The caravan leader looked at Howon knowingly, not shrinking when the Nix's cruel gaze fell on him.

 'What would you know, you are of the protected. You are not the protector, we are.' Howon said stepping towards the Nix.

 'Leave him.' Myungsoo said as he rested his hand upon his brother's shoulder. 'We are still young. The Balancer's have always taught us that protection comes from many things, I have no doubt he knows what he is saying.'

 'If he knew he wouldn't make us consort with the gumiho! We will leave earlier today to leave the fight behind, but the fox will make sure the caravan is mauled on its way out the gates!' His hissed words went from the human tongue to Nymphean in mere moments.

 'That will not happen.' Hwijae shook his head, the beads in his short braids knocking together with light clunks as he did. 'I trust in the Lord of the village, and I trust the Gumiho will not betray us. He may be a mischief maker, but he would not be so fast to betray someone who helped him.'

 'Yeah, helped him steal a piece of Nymphean essence.' Howon's words were thick with disgust as he thought about the pendant that was handed off.

 'That is not what happened.' He said as he shook his head. 'I will not explain myself to you, not when you are unwilling to listen. We leave as soon as the fox returns.'

 'Thank you for allowing us to travel with you.' Myungsoo nodded his head to Hwijae respectively and the Nix looked at him blankly but waved his hand in the air in a friendly manner.

 'It was my honor.' With those words he turned and walked away, his multicolored tunic brushing against the caravans as he navigated through the small area. With a sharp nod to the mans back Myungsoo headed to the caravan he and Howon stayed in, getting ready to pack his goods. The elder Fae watching his brother go, then clenched his molars tight as he imagined their exit as not only a betrayal of their kind, following the lead of that fox. But also seeing it as a weakness, not staying to schedule for the simple reason that the humans were getting excited, leaving as though they feared the vermin.

 By the time the Fae had managed to follow the caravan out of the village, it was nearing evening and the only sound was the laughter of the women the gumiho was entertaining. 'We must move faster.' L whispered to Hoya. His hooded eyes never once looked back at the human village, leaving behind the persona of Myungsoo without any grievance.

 'I doubt our beloved caravan leader would allow that.' Hoya said sharply, his fingers clenching the belt of his tunic with whitened knuckles. L narrowed his eyes at his brother before sighing and shaking his head.

 'You cannot blame him for everything. The point to remember is that we are making our way home. We will continue our war, and we will win.' The duo only relaxed when their shins were free of the tall waving grass, and their boots were stepping upon the dirt of the forest.

 'Soon we will be parting ways, hm?' The gumiho used his wily smile as he slung his arms over Hoya and L's shoulders making his way between them.

 'Get off me.' Hoya shook his shoulder and in moments had the Fox pinned against the tree. The girl's the gumiho had been flirting with gaped and grabbed their skirts as L rolled his eyes and stared. 'I couldn't be happier to leave your tailed carcass behind.'

 'My y tailed carcass-' The gumiho smirked, his eyes glittering with his sure confidence. 'Won't be de-animated by a child like you. Put me down Fae.'

 'It would be right for me to put you down.' Hoya snapped, imagining snapping the neck of the fox. 'The world would be all the better.'

 'I'm sure it would.' The gumiho leaned forwards, his nose inches from the Fae's. 'But you won't. Because you can't.' As Hoya moved to smash in the head of the fox, he disappeared from Hoya's grasp leaving only a stick. Hoya's grip snapped the stick in two as he swiveled around to find the fox, instead his eyes met Hwijae's.

 'I believe it is time for you to depart.' The caravan leader crossed his arms looking at the Fae with clear disapproval.

 'We will. I apologize for my brothers actions.' L closed his eyes and sighed, pretending he wasn't ready to do the same thing to the fox that had tried to play around with them.

 'I understand them. But we have no space for that. You two should get back to your war.' Without waiting for an answer Hwijae turned away from and led his caravan away from them.

 'Time to get home.' L pulled a pair of gloves on and laid his palm on the trunk of a tree, breathing out in relief as he felt the world around him spin normally again. Nothing was contorted or blurry like in the human village. His job was clear, and he had only one thing to attend to.

 Instead of responding Hoya watching the fox walk away with the caravan of humans, a sneer pulling at his lips. Shaking his head Hoya jumped and grabbed at a branch, his arms flexed as he pulled himself up and started following his brother up to the canopy village waiting for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyunsu spun, her ratty stockings catching on the wood planks in her room. Each spin assaulted her nose with the scent of medicinal herbs and dust. Her lips twitched as she imagined a noble man spinning with her, his fingers entwined with hers. She could feel clothed palms brushing her skin, feel warmth from the body near her.

 There were no words spoken between them, but the faster they spun the more she could hear his voice echoing in the silence of the room, asking if she was ready, if she was with him.

 Her eyes closed and she let out a heavy sigh. As she breathed in she choked on the tangible taste of blood that coated her tongue. She could feel a palm on her back keeping her close, a palm over her eyes keeping her blind.

 'I'm protecting you.' His voice shook her as they spun faster. It was too fast. She could feel her stomach in protest, tightening in apprehension. 'Will you protect them?' As he spoke she felt her feet slipping on the wood planks, on mud. Leaves stuck to her feet, her stockings tearing away from branches. Hyunsu opened , feeling tears wetting her cheeks, ready to answer, then she slipped.

 Yeonjung gasped and wiped at her moist cheeks as she shot up in the bed. Her fingers grasped at the soft blanket covering her. Her relief was cut off as Sungyeol clutched her into his chest. His breath fast and excitable as his smell penetrated her senses. greedily up air, desperately trying to banish the copper taste, replacing it with the crisp smell of flower petals and sanded wood. But it didn't work.

 'You're okay. You're okay.' He spoke with obvious relief, only pulling away when he was sure that she was living.

 'I don't understand.' Yeonjung spoke slowly, her eyes going to her feet. They were clean but she could still feel the mud in her toes, the branches scraping at her feet.

 'You have been cured.' Dongwoo said as he dropped clothes into a fire in the room. She could see him wiping something gold off his hands as he did, his eyes focused on the coloured smudges. As she stared at him she noticed something. Like a child reaching for treats too far away, she couldn’t find what it was. Her knowledge was just out of reach.

 Hoya's boots scraped against the floor of the medical room as he stepped forwards. 'Congratulations.' His voice was weary and eyes heavy with consideration. She could see his quivering lips and the fierce pull of his thick eyebrows. She could see something tugging at him, like a long ignored child. A taint that refused to be forgotten any longer

 'You're back.' Yeonjung's voice wavered as she spoke and she looked over at Sungyeol, mentally questioning when he had arrived. Instead of answering the Nix looked away and said nothing.

 'I am.' Hoya drew her attention back as he nodded.  'I'm glad you're okay.'

 'You can go.' Dongwoo slid off of the bed as he stared Hoya down. Hoya nodded then walked out. Sungyeol continued sitting as if he were exempt but Hoya's sudden grip on his shoulder told him otherwise.

 'The humans are planning on attacking us.' Dongwoo walked towards her bed, his shoulders weighted with what he was about to say. 'What will you do?'

 'I don't understand.' Yeonjung spoke softly looking away. Her eyes focused on the fire burning in the center of the room. The smoke that danced to the ceiling.

 'Yes you do.' Dongwoo sat down beside her and he looked at her, his eyes foreign to her. The expression he held was one she had not seen on his face before. 'You can't fight. You don't know how. Sunggyu thinks it is too soon for you to be involved. I agree.'

 'You’re acting like I will support you.' Yeonjung wanted to glare at him, she wanted to clench her jaw and be as ferocious to him as he had been to her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the energy. Her body felt as if it may collapse in on her.

 'You will. I know you will. You swore to.' Dongwoo's gloved fingers ran through his hair slowly before a smile pulled at his lips. 'You're one of us.'

 'You never believed that before.'

 'Neither did you.' He said before his eyes widened in a friendly way and she realised that for once his guards were down. 'You weren't before. I know that for sure. You were a human.'

 'You said I wasn't.' Her eyes warmed as she stared at him with confusion. Dongwoo was telling she was a human, she always had been. Her family really was her own.

 'No, they said you were a Nymph.' Dongwoo pulled out the pendant she had lost in the village. Sooki's pendant swung in the air as he handed it to you. 'This pendant only shows designs when held by one of us. When humans hold it, its face is blank and holds no status.' His thumb traced one of the lines. 'Each line says something about the Nymph or Nix holding it. That’s why it's blank when humans hold it, they don't have the information to show.'

 'But, it shows for me.' She took it into her hand and stared at the golden lines twisting and connecting across the face of the pendant.

 'Your friend gave up all that was left of her and put it into this pendant. When she gave it to you, she became human and that pendant became yours.' Dongwoo's eyes darkened as he stared Yeonjung down. 'The only way that is possible is if your parents gave up rights to you. They gave you up as their daughter and placed you under the woman's care.'

 'They made me a nymph.' Yeonjung stared at him with confusion and disbelief. Her parents were so desperate to marry her off that they had taken away her race? It seemed inexplicable to her. It made no sense. How could they give her up like that? They wanted to protect her, but they tossed her away to do it.

 'No. The pendant simply thought you were the Nymph, you were still human.' Dongwoo shook his head. It was why he was so hostile to her. She was walking around his home, and she was exactly why they fought to keep away. They wanted to keep all of the humans away, stop them from tainting the world. But they had accepted one in.

 'You're going to send me to the humans.' Yeonjung felt her chest tighten at the thought. She had given up so much to get back to the Fae, but now that she was discovered as human, she was going to be sent back, or even killed.

 'No, you don't belong with them. You’re no longer human.' Dongwoo shook his head and his sharp eyes narrowed. 'You gave that up, you changed yourself.' Yeonjung's lips parted as she stared at him, in disbelief. 'Nymph's can be made humans, and humans can join us as well, become part of the Nix. You did that. Yeonjung, it was your own choice.' He touched the pendant. 'Your friends essence, what she was, is now part of you.'

 Yeonjung stared at the stone, her fingers grasping the rock tightly. She had done more than give up her home, she gave up her humanity. Now, the humans were going to attack her new home to get her back. People were going to die because of her. Her eyes widened and she stared at Dongwoo in horror. 'It's all my fault.'

 'Yes it is. You chose to come back.' Dongwoo said before smiling. 'But our job is to protect our kind, to protect everyone hunted by humans. We will protect you and then, you will protect the others. It is the way it goes.'

 'You won't protect humans.' She faltered as he scowled.

 'Never.'

 'You'll harm them, torture them.' Yeonjung said with a shaking voice as she remembered the one time she had gone with them.

 'We'll do what we have to.' He stood up as he spoke. Both societies had their faults, and this was the fault she chose. 'You don't have to watch.'

 'Please don't hurt them.' She grabbed his arm, his bicep tightening underneath the cloth as if he were trying to scare her away, show his strength. 'I grew up with them, they aren't all bad. Just like you're not all monsters, neither are they.'

 'Don't beg me to be kind. It's not my decision.' He pulled away from her. Dongwoo form seemed to droop before he pulled her into a hug. 'We're family now. I won't treat you the way I used to. None of us will.'