He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little excited by the thought that they might actually try to sneak into Tiamat’s territory. Taekwoon had held his peace when Taecyeon asked the remaining riders if any would be willing to go on what likely amounted to a suicide mission in the off chance that they might be able to find a way to stop Tiamat. He wasn’t entirely surprised when Hyunseong’s hand almost immediately went up. That one still burned with rage over Jeongmin’s death. It was likely he was responding to his dragon’s anger too. Losing anyone was hard; losing a twin – a literal shell brother – was almost unimaginable.

            Taecyeon, however, did seem a bit caught off guard by the speed of the response. “That makes one,” announced steadily, keeping his eyes as neutral as possible as he looked around the rest of the riders.

            It took a moment for any others to work up the nerve or make up their minds. Either way, Chaerin followed suit, glancing at her kinsman before looking at Taekwoon, almost expectant. He held still though, waiting to see who else would rise to the challenge first. Subdued whispers rasped through the air, creating a general hum of sound that almost vibrated. When it seemed as if no one else was sure, Jinki took the opportunity to raise his hand.

            “I will go,” he announced deliberately, making sure all could hear him.

            Now Taecyeon looked completely surprised. “What? You cannot go. You are the Aerie Master,” he countered, shaking his head immediately.

            “Which is why I should go. If we do find the High Priest, we may need more to convince him to help us,” he explained simply, eyes blinking in slow measures.

            “But you don’t have a dragon,” the Wing Leader added with a frown.

            As Taekwoon raised his hand to volunteer, he corrected the other rider, “He has Jongup.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chaerin looking between them speculatively. While he would have preferred Jinki waiting to jump in, now that he had, Taekwoon would not leave him alone.

            Clearly at a loss, Taecyeon looked to Yunho with a helpless shrug. The Commander looked at the Aerie Master with a sour expression and hard eyes. Jinki met his gaze without reservation and eventually it was the rider that looked away first. He nodded once with a glance at Taecyeon. “It’s alright. I will stay,” he explained, voice bereft of emotion.

            “But…” the acting Captain trailed off, just as lost as everyone else.

            “He does have a dragon and where he goes, Taekwoon goes,” Yunho explained, shoulders slumping as he exhaled in reluctant defeat. “And it wouldn’t be fair for me, or anyone who lost their dragon, to go when so few others would have the same chance.” His voice broke as he finished speaking, but it was enough. He was done.

            Still unsure, Taecyeon tilted his head to the side with a mystified look and then inhaled. “Alright. That makes four then…”

            Taekwoon heard a quiet sigh nearby and turned just in time to see Insoo raising his hand, lips pressed together and one brow raised while he looked at the three riders in particular. “I’ll go. They are my wing mates after all,” he explained with a simple shrug before he crossed his arms over his chest to see what else would happen.

            “Soo,” Taekwoon whispered, not expecting the gesture. He was further surprised when he felt the mood shift and four additional hands rose in unison. “Guys…” he laughed once, a quiet sound with real gratitude.

            “Where Insoo goes, we go,” Jinyoung stated simply, nodding once at their Wing Leader before looking up to acting Captain Taecyeon. The motion was followed in turn by Wooyoung, Jungkook, and Taeyeon.

            “Foolish,” Insoo snorted once with a shake of his head but he nodded at them all the same and then looked expectantly at Taecyeon in turn. They were all a little banged up from their excursion to Kokoshir but everyone, including their dragons, were well enough to fly.

            “Huh,” the Wing Leader huffed, both confused and impressed if the conflicting emotions on his face were any indication. He paused for a moment as he looked at the volunteering wing and then shifted his attention to the rest of the crowd. “Anyone else?”

            Every rider looked around the group, clearly weighing the chances of going. Taekwoon knew that many wanted to go, and not just the ground bound riders. But he was equally aware they were afraid. If this venture failed, then they would likely meet whatever fate the volunteers were going to face – what those who had already lost their dragons had faced and perhaps worse - but they would have more time with their dragon and a possibility of escaping it for at least a little while. On the other hand, if the venture succeeded, they would have helped everyone. It was a tough choice for anyone, much less those who were bound to their dragons.

            “This is probably enough,” Jinki called out softly, expression thoughtful. “We don’t need too many. It’ll be easier with a smaller number.”

            That the statement was likely true didn’t make Taekwoon feel any better, especially since it had come from Jinki. Anyone else and it would have been normal… acceptable. From the Aerie Master, it was odd to say the least. Jonghyun seemed to agree with the thought as he hovered nearby, listening in intently.

            “We’ll leave it at that number for now then,” Yunho announced in a steady but quiet voice. “If anyone else wants to join, they can come see me or Taecyeon later,” he added, gesturing at the other wing leader without looking at him. With a nod in the other rider’s direction, Yunho stepped back and turned to rest against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

            “Right,” Taecyeon agreed, swallowing as he realized he was left to close the meeting. “Volunteers, please stay. Everyone else can go for now,” he explained, his lips quickly with a motion towards the dining hall doors. The room wasn’t fixed entirely but it was whole and large enough to hold all the riders.

            There wasn’t much resistance to leaving either. Oh, plenty of riders brushed by, speaking in quiet voices and hushed whispers. They had many thoughts and not all of them good. Insoo was approached by a couple other wing leaders and he spoke with them easily enough before waving them off. Taekwoon stayed at Jinki’s side and weathered looks aplenty but no one opted to talk with him before they left. He felt uncertainty and judgement in their gazes, the weight of questions they couldn’t bring themselves to openly ask but that they thought and felt.

            Jonghyun seemed to know more about what they were feeling. Dragons don’t mind. Know you are more dragon than most. But humans don’t understand. You make them nervous.

            I know, Taekwoon sighed, meeting the troubled gazes as evenly as he could. Probably better that I go anyway then, he almost frowned, keeping the expression from his face at the last moment, but he shared it with his dragon.

            The copper snorted through their bond. When working together, they forget. But now we volunteer. Acting strange again, he laughed, thoroughly amused this time.

            When are we not acting strange? Taekwoon wondered, though he couldn’t help glancing at Jinki out of the corner of his eye. He was slightly troubled when he got the impression his other half was covertly watching him. Oh, Jinki looked away just as he was turning so it could have been coincidence, but it felt like more. Granted, they watched each other often, but this was not the norm. You’re gonna have to help me keep an eye on him, he told his dragon as he reached a hand to brush against Jinki’s, lightly clasping their fingers together.

            Agreed, Jonghyun responded without hesitation.

            “Hey,” Jinki smiled as he turned his full attention to the rider.

            “Are you sure about this?” Taekwoon asked once more, searching Jinki’s face as if he might be able to see something that he’d missed.

            “Yes,” he nodded in confirmation, no hint of hesitancy present. “But I am glad you’re coming with me,” he added, suddenly almost shy in the admission.

            Taekwoon let the shift flow over him and snort once. “Leaving you at the Aerie was one thing. Letting you go completely into enemy territory without me would never happen,” he responded honestly, firm conviction strengthening his voice. That much at least was true. Whatever was different about Jinki did not change that simple fact. Where he went, Taekwoon did too – at least in situations like this.

            “Taekwoon. Jinki,” Taecyeon called, grabbing their attention as he waved them over where the other volunteers were already clustered together.

            “Coming!” the pair responded in unison, exchanging quick smiles before they hurried close and settled in.

            With the volunteers chosen, the next step was figuring out how to go about getting to where they wanted to be. A runner was called for and sent to retrieve a map for them to work with and once they had that, the discussion began in earnest. They had leagues of distance between them and Tiamat’s Aerie, likely hundreds of dragons to be aware of – wilds and rider or riderless dragons, and Tiamat herself to worry about. Getting to Bondsland likely wouldn’t be a problem, but getting to the Aerie probably would be, depending on the situation.

            For over a mark, they discussed options. The plan of going in on foot wasn’t bad but it would take too long and the dragons would be too conspicuous. Not to mention getting up to the Aerie from the ground would be near impossible without being detected. Trying to find a way to hide in plain sight was also a challenge. They could hide under cloth or something of the like but unless they could match the color of the dragon’s hide, it would stick out too much. Flying straight in would also be folly; the dragons would be taken if Tiamat was anywhere nearby and the wilds would attack anyone with a rider, to be sure.

            “But… what if we did hide in plain sight?” Chaerin eventually asked, a pensive look on her face and her thumb brushing at her bottom lip. All eyes turned to her but no one spoke, waiting for the rest of the explanation. “Supplies,” she added with a quick motion of both her hands. “I mean, normally supplies are sent by cart or wagon, but now, especially since Tiamat doesn’t like humans, that probably won’t be the case. Dragons still have to eat though and hunting might be a little thin with their numbers,” she explained, feeling her way with care.

            “So you think the dragons might be raiding supplies where they can find them,” Insoo followed up, finger pointing in her direction but eyes thoughtful.

            “Yes,” she confirmed, glancing around the circle.

            “That’s better than most of our ideas so far,” Jungkook agreed, nodding at Chaerin appreciatively. She gave a small smile and ducked her head in acknowledgement but waited to see how the others would react.

            “And actually doable in a short amount of time,” Jinyoung added, finger drifting around the group as he obviously tried to figure out how they would best be disguised.

            “What’s the rush?” Taeyeon asked. “Beyond the obvious,” she quickly added with a glance from Yunho who was still listening in.

            “We don’t know how long Tiamat will remain where she is,” Jinki shrugged, brow furrowed as he looked down at the map they were using to think about their next step. “And it’s debatable how long she might let Kevin live if he doesn’t have control over her,” he cautioned with a calculating expression.

            Insoo raised his hand to make a point. “I thought the idea was to get to Kevin with the idea that he could control or at least influence Tiamat.”

            “It is,” Jinki confirmed with a curt nod.

            “But what if he can’t?” the wing leader asked, brow raised and focus directed to the Aerie Master.

            Jinki blinked once and gave a minute shake of his head. “Whether he can or can’t doesn’t matter here. We don’t have much choice but to try,” he reminded the other man simply, as if his word was law.

            Insoo looked at Jinki questionably and then glanced at his other wing mates. They seemed just as uncertain as he was. “That’s not what we volunteered for,” he reminded him.

            Taekwoon didn’t like what was happening. There was some kind of power struggle beginning and tension was growing. It did not bode well for anyone. When Jinki opened his mouth to respond, Taekwoon grabbed his hand and squeezed firm to silence him. “If he can’t, then we will simply have to figure something else out. There must be something we can do to counter Tiamat,” he reminded them.

            Mate feels strange, Jonghyun murmured into the silence.

            I know, Taekwoon agreed, not looking at his other half as he tried to bolster the volunteers by sheer determination alone.

            “She might be a god but she was bound once before,” Chaerin reminded them cautiously. “She’s not invincible.”

            Insoo wrinkled his nose at the comment but it pulled his attention away from Jinki and Taekwoon. “True as that may be, we are at quite a disadvantage this time,” he commented dryly, sharing a hesitant look with his wing mates.

            “I agree,” she nodded, taking a small breath. “But we don’t have a lot of options right now.”

            Collectively, the group took a weary breath and nodded in slow agreement. “This might be nothing but a fool’s errand but it is the best chance we have for the time being,” Wooyoung exhaled heavily, clearly not happy but accepting of what was to come.

            “And since we have volunteered already, we might as well follow through,” Taeyeon shrugged, looking around the group.

            “That’s hardly a good reason,” Jungkook scoffed with a hint of amusement.

            Taeyeon shrugged and just looked around the circle. “I’m not happy about the possible alternatives either, but we’re together in this and as a wing, we’re not a force to be sneezed at,” she winked, forcing a smile that was bravado but also sincere.

            “You’re not wrong there,” Insoo agreed with a slightly crooked smile.

            Taekwoon let out the breath he had been holding and relaxed just a touch as he felt the energy shifting again. He stole another glance at Jinki but this time the other man looked subdued and slightly troubled. His hand was tense in Taekwoon’s and it was that more than anything that convinced the rider he was back to his true self. Taekwoon jiggled his hand just a bit to catch the other man’s attention. When Jinki looked over to see him, he offered a reassuring smile and a slight nod. His other half was slow to respond, worry dominant in his features. But then he took a breath and nodded back, the ghost of a wan smile tugging at his lips.

            “So… we’re back to the sneaky supplies idea then?” Jinyoung asked as he directed the conversation back to where they’d originally left off.

            “Yes,” Insoo nodded after a brief delay.

            “So with that figured out, more or less,” Taecyeon interrupted at last, finally speaking from his vantage next to Commander Yunho. “When would you be trying to leave?”

            The group looked at the Wing Leader and then at each other uncertainly before fixating on Jinki. He blinked and inhaled slightly in surprise, glancing at Taekwoon with widened eyes. The rider squeezed his hand again and nodded encouragement. After a heartbeat, Jinki offered, “We should probably leave as soon as possible. Just as long as we’re prepared.”

            “We could probably leave on the morrow then,” Insoo responded thoughtfully, one arm across his chest and the other hand framing his chin.

            “The dragons could carry barrels or sacks or we could try to find some in Talongrace,” Jinyoung suggested, waving one hand fluidly.

            Wooyoung shook his head and corrected, “We should take our supplies with us. After what happened at Talongrace, there’s no telling what will be available.”

            “Good point,” the other rider agreed with a quick nod.

            “Okay. We’ll take it from here, Commander,” Insoo explained as he turned his focus to the two wing leaders nearby.

            “I’ll let the other riders know,” he murmured with a dismissive wave.

            “I’ll speak with Junjin about supplies you might need,” Taecyeon offered in turn, conjuring as reassuring a smile as he could.

            “Thank you,” Insoo bowed, real gratitude obvious on his face. As the two headed out together, he turned his attention to Taekwoon and Jinki. “You should get ready for the morrow as well,” he suggested. “Especially you, Aerie Master,” he reminded, his gaze heavy.

            “I-” Jinki started to speak before Taekwoon interrupted him.

            “I’ll make sure we’re both prepared,” he promised firmly, taking a half-step forward as if he could somehow protect Jinki from… what, he wasn’t sure.

            “Good. I’ll check on you later tonight,” he finished, nodding before he turned to face the other two pseudo members of the wing. “Same goes for you, Chaerin. Hyunseong.”

            “Yes, sir,” they responded nearly together. “We’ll be ready,” Chaerin added as she drifted closer to her half-brother and placed a hand on his shoulder, nodding encouragingly while she took the opportunity to walk out with him.

            “We’ll head out too,” Taekwoon murmured, pulling on Jinki’s hand to get him moving.

            “Ah,” Insoo nodded, already turning his attention to the other four members.

            Taekwoon wasn’t upset that they were being left out of active planning. Insoo knew what he was doing and the others had been in the wing longer than he had so he wasn’t really bothered by that. He was almost grateful more than anything. Being essentially assigned to take care of Jinki put him more at ease with his own role, though he was undeniably concerned all the same. For anyone not familiar with Jinki, his reactions in the meeting might have been… acceptable. For Taekwoon… they were clarification that something was amiss. It was even worse because his other half didn’t say anything or react as Taekwoon led them through the Aerie.

            They got the customary looks of curiosity and wariness, but thankfully, more or less, they were left alone, though he could tell a friendly runner or two wouldn’t have minded stopping by. He caught Joy and Sanghyuk’s eyes and gave a subtle shake to ward them off this time. When they gave a questioning look, he nodded at Jinki just as subtly. Understanding dawned and they shrugged in mute acceptance. Sanghyuk smiled. Joy waved. And everyone continued on their original path, otherwise uninterrupted.

            It was only when they’d reached their room - thankfully still whole save for noticeable cracks in the interior - and Taekwoon had started to check and prepare the supplies that they would need, when he spoke again. “Jinki?” he asked softly, fingers holding lightly to his riding belt with straps.

            His other half jerked upright as if surprised by the sound and blinked in his direction. “Yeah?” he responded with a falsely bright smile.

            “Are you alright?” Taekwoon asked, setting the gear down and standing up straight.

            Jinki laughed in mild confusion as he briefly tried to wave the concern away. “Of course I’m alright,” he assured the other man, holding his gaze steadily for a moment. For that short time, Taekwoon wanted to believe. He really did. If Jinki didn’t say anything else, he might even be able to let it stick this time. But then his gut twisted and his hopes sank as Jinki looked down, the smile fading from his face. “I don’t know,” he admitted in little more than a whisper, starting to play with his fingers as he kept his head bowed.

            Taekwoon swallowed and took a small breath, trying to prepare himself for anything and everything. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he closed the distance and took Jinki’s hands gently in his.

            The Aerie Master didn’t look up immediately. He seemed fixated on their clasped hands. But eventually he started to speak. “I’m not sure,” he whispered, taking a small breath. “Other than the bruise on the back of my head,” he explained, freeing one hand to brush at the knot hiding under his hair, “I’m not hurt.” His fingers shifted to pause and rest against the side of his neck. “I don’t feel sick or in pain.” He shook his head and finally looked up to meet Taekwoon’s worried gaze. “I don’t know what it is but something’s not right.”

            Part of Taekwoon felt vindicated in that he had been right in recognizing something was off, but it was small and fleeting. The rest of him tensed up into a giant ball of nerves and he had to struggle to keep it from being overtly obvious. Forcing a reassuring smile to his face, he lifted his free hand to cup Jinki’s cheek. “What do you mean?”

            Jinki swallowed and took another breath. His brows furrowed and he his lips, teeth digging into the bottom one briefly before he tried to explain. “It’s more a feeling. And missing time,” he added with a heavy sigh. When Taekwoon frowned at the explanation, he wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “I kept trying to tell myself it was just stress. Or maybe shock. Or some sort of grieving response,” he mumbled, moving the hand on his neck to grab at his shirt lightly. “But I know it’s not. I keep losing small amounts of time. Like blinking for too long and then suddenly becoming aware again. Often at confusing times,” he admitted with a breathy exhale. “And there’s this feeling…” he trailed off, hand tightening on his shirt. “I need to go to Tiamat’s Aerie. I need to get to Kevin, but I don’t know why.”

            “Oh, my heart,” Taekwoon murmured, stepping close to fold the other man in a tight, protecting embrace.

            “I don’t understand it, and it scares me,” Jinki admitted with a quiet sniff, arms hugging Taekwoon’s waist hard and his chin resting on one shoulder.

            Taekwoon forced himself to stay calm as he cupped the back of Jinki’s head. “I know you already told me once, but do you remember anything else about Bahamut?” he asked carefully.

            Jinki’s initial response was simply to turn his face against Taekwoon’s neck and curl closer, effectively hiding. “No,” he grumbled in frustration. “I remember seeing him. I remember looking into that giant silver eye. I remember glimpsing the silver haired man in Trance. I know I started to say something to him but I don’t know what or what happened after that.” His fingers tightened on Taekwoon’s shirt, gripping hard. “I just know that when I woke up, he was gone and you were there.”

            Mate telling truth, Jonghyun promised without prompting. Mate feels it.

            I know, Taekwoon agreed without hesitation. He looked up at the ceiling of their room and silently wished he had a better understanding of what was going on. But he didn’t so the only thing he could do was his best for him and Jinki. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you,” he apologized again.

            “It’s not your fault,” Jinki responded automatically, the words tired but sincere. “We all had to do what we had to do.”

            “Still…” he trailed off, looking down at the man in his arms.

            “Besides, if you had been here, you probably would have lost Jonghyun and Jongup,” he reminded him, the mere thought making Taekwoon wince.

            “No I wouldn’t have,” he denied reflexively, even as he knew that was probably a lie. It was one that Jinki let him have with no argument though. “Listen. Whatever’s happening now and whatever comes next, I’ll be here,” Taekwoon promised, pressing his lips against Jinki’s hair. “Okay?” he asked, taking a breath as he waited for the response and fought the general helplessness that threatened to make his eyes misty.

            Jinki simply nodded and quietly sniffed again.

            Only when Jinki’s body relaxed did Taekwoon pull away. And when he did, he cupped his other half’s face in both hands and kissed him on the forehead tenderly. “It will be alright. Somehow,” he whispered with quiet, fierce determination.

            “You promise?” Jinki asked into the resultant silence.

            “I promise,” Taekwoon replied without pause, shifting his gaze to look into the other man’s eyes. Jinki gave a weak smile and leaned close to kiss the rider. He folded his arms around Taekwoon’s neck and shoulders and brought their bodies together. Taekwoon responded in kind, arms winding around Jinki’s waist and back. He was more than willing to give whatever Jinki needed right now. Nor was he against the gentle push to move them both towards the bed.

            It took them a fair bit longer than was necessary to get ready for the morrow, but Taekwoon was firmly of the mind it was time well spent. After their lovemaking, he let Jinki nap while he finished preparing for both of them, and then sought out Insoo so he could report early, cutting off any possibility of the wing leader waking his other half. He swung by the temporary kitchen where Junjin was working with two of his helpers to make the supplies for their upcoming journey.

            With his permission, Taekwoon snagged a hunk of bread, slathered it with the carefully saved drippings from the last bit of meat the cook had prepared, and then returned to his room. He woke Jinki up so they could share it together and then convinced them both to head to the personal washroom to clean up. The well water was cold but it was better than nothing. Their hot pools had been partially destroyed and it was taking time to fix and refill the pools accordingly.

            You two ready for tomorrow? he asked his dragon as they were finishing up.

            Of course, was the easy reply.

            Good. He brushed at Jinki’s still damp hair and smiled reassuringly. “I let Insoo know we’re ready. Our gear is good and all we have to do is put it on in the morning,” he explained.

            “Thanks,” Jinki smiled, grabbing Taekwoon’s hand and taking a breath. His grip was slightly tighter than usual, but his expression was at least genuine.

            “Let’s just take it one day at a time,” he urged, leaning to kiss the side of Jinki’s head firmly and offering another smile.

            “Good plan,” his other half agreed with a nod.

            “And in the meantime, sleep,” he laughed once. When Jinki didn’t say anything about food first, he knew neither of them was hungry.

            “Only sleep?” he teased playfully, all coyness but no actual sincerity this time.

            “Yes, only sleep,” Taekwoon laughed, slinging his arm around Jinki’s waist and pulling him close as they walked back to their room. It was a little early so not many people had returned to their rooms just yet, but that was fine by them. There’d be plenty of looks on the morrow, and plenty of reasons to start worrying about what might happen as well. But for now, there was tonight, the peace of sleep, and the comfort of shared company.

            He was glad that Jinki was able to fall asleep quickly. It was just annoying that he himself wasn’t. Jinki’s confirmation of something being off hadn’t reassured him at all. In fact, it was just one more thing to add to an already troubling pile. But he hadn’t been lying when he promised him it would work out. He meant it. Granted, he didn’t know how he was going to make it happen, but somehow, it would work out.

            Somehow.