After helping everyone move inside, Chanyeol does his best to help patch everyone up. Zitao is the most difficult and his injuries are the worst. He works silently alongside Yixing, trying his best to calm Zitao down until Yixing has the massive gash across his chest bandaged. After the sting of the ointment subsides, Zitao is significantly calmer, tired though, and Chanyeol hands a few bandages and ointment to Jongin with as reassuring a smile as he can manage. Yixing looks at him curiously, seconds away from protest until Chanyeol runs his thumb underneath Yixing's bangs and pulls away with blood on his fingertip.

"Let me take care of it before you really pass out," he says, pressing a gentle hand to Yixing's knee. His injuries are bad, but he refuses to be helped until everyone else has been taken care of. It's met by Jongdae's strict protest and a deep seated worry in his eyes. At that, Yixing stills and pushes the pail of water towards Chanyeol.

After gently washing out the gash on Yixing's forehead that pushes past his hairline, he patches it up as best as he can. Yixing has a few small, but deep gashes across his back, but they're taken care of quickly.

He breathes a sigh of relief. At least the worst of it is fixed.

Once Yixing has been bandaged up, Chanyeol moves on to Jongin while Yixing fixes up Jongdae and Luhan. Jongdae and Jongin are the least beat up of them all, and Chanyeol presumes it's because Yixing and Zitao took almost all the hits. Luhan's injuries are minor, and after his head is bandaged, Jongdae presses a cool cloth to his forehead. As Yixing recalls the fight, the witch had effortlessly removed Luhan from battle- tossed him like an old toy- and he'd suffered damages upon his head connecting with a tree. Jongdae's wounds are few, yet Chanyeol notices the subtle tremble of his hands and the way he stiffens upon Yixing's gentle touch.

But Chanyeol turns his focus to Jongin before him, who is still desperately holding on to Zitao. He remains quiet as Chanyeol works, focusing solely on Zitao- whose forehead is pressed to his shoulder to hide his shaky breath. It's intimate reassurance between them, silent but comforting just the same. Jongin doesn't speak out until he flinches violently when Chanyeol presses at a cut along the back of his neck.

Jongin's voice is soft, a scared whisper. "The witch forced Jongdae and I into a nightmare realm." He breathes in and tries to speak again. "I don't think you can fix that scar."

Chanyeol's hand hovers above Jongin's skin for a moment, but he still presses ointment to the scar and Jongin doesn't flinch this time.

"Before I came here, my past was so dark." There's a slight tremble to Jongin's voice. Chanyeol doesn't want him to continue, and he holds on to Jongin's shoulder to stop him, but Jongin doesn't stop. "I grew up on my own after being abandoned. I struggled to survive on my own, and when Minseok found me, I lashed out at him too."

Jongin heaves a sigh. "I hurt him so much and he hid all his pain from me. I still regret it to this day."

Chanyeol presses his lips together, placing a bandage over the scar.

"I saw everything I feared and everything I regretted. I saw the people of my past drag me back to the loneliness I've known all too well. I saw myself lose control and kill without restraint. I saw myself hurting Minseok and Zitao, and hurting you as well. And I saw that everyone, even Zitao, would turn their back on me and leave me again." The tears roll down Jongin's cheeks. He breathes in, and Zitao leans up against him, gently wrapping his arms around Jongin's neck and pulls him in close. His next words are muffled against Zitao's skin, "I can't be alone again."

It's heartbreaking to see the dragons so broken like this without their trainer. And Chanyeol feels their pain all the same. The scars on their bodies have cut deep into his heart and it's nothing any bandage could fix. Minseok was the glue that held them all together, and now that he's gone they're all beginning to fall apart.

Chanyeol finishes bandaging Jongin up in the mournful silence that had settled upon them heavily. He grabs all the medicine bottles and bandages and tidies up the kitchen. It's a moment he gratefully takes alone, takes the peace to steel himself before he faces the somber faces of the dragons again. He clenches his fists by his sides and grits his teeth, for this is only the beginning of the battle.

"Okay," Chanyeol starts upon entering the living room, "When Luhan comes to, we are going after the witch."

It takes a moment for the dragons to look up at him, the pain of losing Minseok after protecting him for so long still settled in their solemn features. But Chanyeol can see the glimmer in their eyes return.

"We are not just going to sit around here and wait for some magic to happen. Steel yourselves and prepare for the battle ahead, whatever it may be. As soon as Luhan is ready, no matter the time, we are heading out."

And with that, Chanyeol turns on his heels and heads outside to give the dragons their space. But as he cools off from his speech and he sits down on the porch, legs weak underneath him, he takes in the tremble of his hands and the shakiness of his heart. His words were spoken with more confidence than he'd felt; he's now more drained than he expected, but he'd brought some hope back to the dragons and maybe a little for himself.

He cradles his head in his hands and firstly calms himself down. Then, once Jongdae and Yixing step out of the house, he devises a plan with them that lasts through most of the night- until Yixing is drifting off against Jongdae's shoulder and Chanyeol finally relents and forces everyone to bed. Luhan is resting in Minseok's bed, Zitao and Jongin are in another room for themselves- already asleep because they needed it the most- and Yixing and Jongdae split the floor whilst Chanyeol takes the couch. Exhaustion settles in fast, despite Chanyeol's mind still trying to refine their plans, but soon the weariness takes over and he drifts into a dreamless sleep haunted by shadows of guilt.

Luhan comes to by morning and he takes immediate notice of Minseok's disappearance. As soon as he's filled in up until the previous night, the rage boils under his skin and he nearly punches through the wood of the wall. It takes a lot to calm him back down, to cool the blue fire in his eyes, but upon Yixing's touch and his stern words, Luhan is calm though antsy being cooped up in the house.

"Why didn't you all just leave me here and get him!" he yells, still in a state of disbelief and still coming to the realization. He folds his knees up into his chest and props up his chin, frown deep on his face. But after that, he doesn't push the topic any further upon the sheepish, sullen looks of his friends.

Once everyone is awake, Chanyeol pulls them all into the living room and sits them around the papers he'd laid out the notes of the plans they'd come up with. It brings back reassurance that they can save Minseok despite the doubt that still sits heavy in their hearts.

"Since Yixing can track Minseok's scent, we're going to track it down. My guess is that Minseok is being kept in a tower or castle on the farthest outskirts of the Enchanted Forest." Chanyeol points to his crudely drawn map. There are circles drawn through where Chanyeol had marked places the witch has held her treasure before, and it's evident that there is a large gap in the map where she's never been. "To the northeast is a mountain range, which I'm guessing is where she'll be because of the numerous beasts to protect her castle. No one would dare venture so far into the freezing temperatures because of the beast guarding her there. Plus," he glances at the intent faces of the dragons, "the barren ice lands of the north would be a big weakness to a pack of dragons."

Luhan's gaze is intent, bottom lip caught between his teeth. Jongin and Zitao glance between themselves, nudges and small growls shared between them. Chanyeol worries for Zitao the most, but when Jongin has finished, Zitao looks up at Chanyeol with the glint of mischief back in his eyes.

Finally, Chanyeol exhales, they're slowly coming back together.

Chanyeol continues, anxiously tapping his knee with his fingers. "Here's our plan. The witch is most likely going to guard the tower with an ice beast by her side." Chanyeol pulls out a crude drawing of a massive beast of ice with jagged limbs and a ferocious mouth. "This is the Ice Colossus. It should be easy to take out with fire as its entire form is composed of ice. However, with the witch behind him, this will be no easy battle."

Luhan picks up the drawing, examining it closely. "You're not that great of a drawer," he chides, pointing to crudely drawn, gangly legs and a face none too ferocious. "But we get it. Take out the monster to take out the witch."

Chanyeol huffs, running rough fingers through his hair. "If that's all settled then, we will set out after all preparations are made." He gathers up his drawings and makes to stand when Jongin grabs his hand.

"We can do it," is all he murmurs, squeezing Chanyeol's hand in reassurance. "We'll get Minseok back."

They will, Chanyeol knows. He won't stop until they do.

Chanyeol only packs up one satchel and ties it to the spare saddle. It's filled with emergency medicines and bandages, a little food, and water. He stuffs all the papers of their plans into the satchel and ties it all up securely.

First things first: Chanyeol needs his weapons.

They start out into the forest not long after the bag is packed and the saddles are set. Chanyeol is the last to leave, and grabs Minseok's silver arrows stashed behind the front door, knowing that they'll be the witch's biggest weakness. Luhan leads them out of their home and no one looks back. They walk deeper into the forest, Zitao holding Jongin close and keeping a hand clamped tight around the other dragon's. Jongin shivers at his touch but still smiles for the support. Through this part of the forest they trek through, the forest floor is thick with the debris of iridescent green leaves. Rabbits and chipmunks skirt around their feet, unafraid as they pass through. Luhan and Jongdae break through the branches that block their path until they reach the clearing. It's still filled with burnt trees and the proof of Chanyeol's desperate attempt to get out and Jongin's will to survive. Just the sight of the dent in the tree in front of him brings an old ache back into his shoulder.

He quickly spots his mythril sword and sheathes it in his belt before any of the dragons feel its effect. Slung across his shoulder is a bag filled with Minseok's own silver arrows. He glances around for his bow, poking behind a few bushes. Upon turning around, he finds his bow into his face, held in Yixing's hand.

Chanyeol smiles nervously and takes it from the dragon, keeping his eyes downcast. It feels awkward to carry around these weapons again after he'd been without them for so long, but at least they are being put back to their proper use once more.

Now that Chanyeol is armed, they set out onto a different path into the forest. Luhan leads the way once more, though Chanyeol soon finds that he knows this path by heart. The trek through the darkest parts of the trail are no longer fearful, and Chanyeol only has the determination set ablaze within him to get Minseok back.

Everyone is silent until they reach the clearing- each one spreading out so they can transform. Jongin moves closer to Chanyeol, heaving the saddle over his shoulder and dropping it between them when Chanyeol approaches him.

"I'm the least injured right now," he says with determination, fists clenched at his sides. The same fire-red eyes Chanyeol had been so afraid of now provide him hope for their quest. "You'll ride me so we can attack the witch together."

Jongin makes a valid point, and his gaze shows that he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer anyway.

"Okay," Chanyeol sighs. He ruffles Jongin's hair fondly. "Transform. I'll get the saddle set up."

Jongin is the last to transform of the group, the other dragons flying in circles overhead- no doubt anxious to start moving. Chanyeol is still fumbling with the belts on the saddle around Jongin's hind legs when the dragon growls at him and blows fire in his face. At least it gets him to start moving faster.

He finishes tying up the belts and he's barely tied into the saddle when Jongin starts to take off. Chanyeol's heart is pounding as he desperately ties up the last belts as Jongin's wings beat heavy. One, two, three heavy beats of Jongin's wings and they're off the ground and are heading towards the circle of dragons above.

Yixing leads the dragons to the northeast, Jongdae and Luhan in-line behind him. Jongin flies alongside Zitao, growling at him every so often. Chanyeol listens as the dragons communicate with each other along the way, wishing he understood because a sudden odd sense of loneliness overcomes him. It clenches tight around his heart and refuses to let go. The last time he'd flown, Minseok had been around to tell him what the dragons spoke about. Minseok would fly atop Zitao and fly in loops around him with a brilliant smile on his face. Or he'd stand on his feet as he rode Yixing through the clouds that rolled like the waves of the ocean. Thoughts of Minseok keep flashing through his head- the time they'd raced upon Luhan and Jongdae or when they'd both rode upon Zitao. Minseok's smile seems imprinted upon his eyes because no matter how many times he shakes his head and tries to rid himself of the image by blinking, it seems to drive the ache deeper through his heart. A ghostly hold of his waist fills the cold void around him. He clenches his fists tighter on the edge of the saddle, nails brushing against Jongin's scales.

Suddenly the air seems so cold, cuts across his skin like knifes testing the edges of his sanity. He shivers violently with the frigid air that wraps around him and holds him like Minseok had. Then Chanyeol feels his anxious thoughts take over. He shouldn't have let this happen to Minseok- he'd promised to protect him no matter what was thrown their way. He should have taken care of the witch long ago because now the village has been thrown into an eternal rest. There must have been something more he could do to protect everyone, even though he only has two hands and he is only one person.

Jongin's chest rumbles underneath him, a growl resounding in the sky. He blows out fire before he dips from one side to the other- as if to shake Chanyeol off his back. It's as if Jongin could sense his sudden distress. Snap out of it, he imagines Jongin saying. It's a little reassuring for Chanyeol to realize that someone else knows he'd done the best he could, but he simply doesn't have enough arms to take care of everyone.

Their flight continues for what feels like an eternity. The sky doesn't darken through their journey, even once Chanyeol finally wraps his cloak tighter around him and presses closer to Jongin's back upon feeling the sudden frigid cold of the north. The landscape has changed from the dense trees of the Enchanted Woods to a grassy plain- which then morphs into the beginnings of a snowy wasteland. The snow slowly encroaches the mountain side, crawling through the landscape and blurring the ground below.

Their search continues further over the mountain ranges, the cold slowly beginning to affect the dragons. Zitao dips dangerously, leaning too far to the left on a turn and would have taken a dive for the mountain rocks if Jongin hadn't swooped under him and created an up-current for Zitao to ride up. Jongdae nearly flies too close to Yixing and almost takes him out. The cold is settling fast in Chanyeol's own bones and his fingers are beginning to feel the frigid temperatures.

But Yixing suddenly lets out the signal that the castle has been spotted, blowing out a stream of fire in front of him and leading the formation down towards the mountains. It's like a breath of fresh air when Chanyeol finally spots the castle. All his focus is set on the castle nestled in the valley between mountains.

As they start to fly in close, the ground beneath them begins to rumble. Chanyeol frantically glances around for the source but sees nothing. None of the other dragons have yet noticed.

"Circle back!" he yells at the top of his lungs, and luckily Jongin and Zitao manage to turn back but Yixing, Jongdae, and Luhan are still heading straight for the castle. Chanyeol grips the saddle tighter in anticipation.

Just as Yixing approaches a castle window, the ground below the castle begins to tremble and break apart, splitting into a deep darkness below surrounded by snow. Chanyeol watches, appalled, as the Ice Colossus screams from beneath the ground. An icy, jagged hand reaches out from the darkness and slams upon the land alongside the crevice.

Jongdae and Luhan luckily sense the danger and instantly fly off to the side to avoid the beast climbing out of the valley. Yixing instead flies behind the castle and hovers above the ground as the Ice Colossus crawls out from the valley. It's long, jagged ice arms both reach out of the hole and hoist it's massive torso out of the darkness. It's sharp, icy teeth grit together in a growl, the air around it rippling and sending them all back a few feet. Chanyeol grips onto the saddle tighter as the strong gusts of wind begin to push them back. When Jongin is righted, the Ice Colossus stands to rival the height of the castle, long arms the length of castle and the garden combined and legs the height of Junhee's tower.

Chanyeol glances around, looking frantically for sight of the witch. She stands out amongst the snowy background, the black of her clothing fit tight around her body making her stand among the chaos. She floats in the air, as if standing above the clouds.

"Song Qian!" Chanyeol screams, drawing gripping the hilt of his sword nervously. "May this be the last time you act of evil!"

She laughs, wicked- it's a sound so grating like nails screeching down a chalkboard. Her beauty is almost ethereal, and yet her jealousy and anger are consuming of any beauty she may have. "So you think you can finally beat me?" she asks, voice chilling. She acts as though she isn't challenged.

"I won't let you slip away! Not this time!" Chanyeol preps his bow, aligning up a silver arrow but holding it down.

Song Qian snaps her fingers and a wand appears from thin air. "Try your best! But this prince is the pure heart of light I need to gain eternal life."

Chanyeol's breath catches for a moment, but Jongin snaps into movement and he's zooming straight for Song Qian and easily passing the Ice Colossus. He puffs out fire to scare the witch, but with a flick of her wand she's got her defenses up and not even the heat of the fire passes through the barrier.

But their attack against the witch finally begins the battle. Fire begins to light up the sky as Yixing, Jongdae, Luhan, and Zitao try and attack the Ice Colossus. Their fire does most of the damage, slowly melting the jagged hands of the beast, but the wide swings of the beast's arms nearly take out Luhan. Yixing nearly escapes the next swipe of his hand, and the ice the beast blows out catches onto Zitao's tail and would've sent him plummeting towards the ground if Yixing hadn't been close to melt it quickly.

Chanyeol pulls out his sword and swings, but it once again hits the witch's barrier and rebounds back at him. She smirks from within the safety of the bubble, her lips as if to tease. It instead sends shivers down Chanyeol's spine.

"We need a new plan," Chanyeol murmurs, resting a hand on Jongin's scales. Jongin seems to understand him and flies away from the witch, increasing their distance and hiding behind the towers of the castle. Behind them, the battle continue with the Ice Colossus. His arms have melted away and his legs are almost bringing him to collapse with the continuous stream of fire from Luhan and Jongdae. Yixing and Zitao serve as distractions, zooming around the beast's head and directing his ice blasts out of the way.

Chanyeol knocks up a silver arrow and holds it poised, aimed straight forward. He manages to balance himself as Jongin dives down, keeping them hidden behind the castle. His breath puffs out in clouds as they wait for the witch to drop her guard.

"On my signal, swoop down and fly at her from under," he whispers, for who knows what ears the witch has around them. Jongin puffs out smoke in assent and keeps himself afloat, trying to keep himself out of the Ice Colossus' reach.

Zitao then lands a well aimed hit to the beast's head, driving his claws into the ice and bringing the beast down to the ground. The beast screeches as it collides with the ground, unable to right itself. It allows Luhan and Yixing to time their fire right and melt away the beast's mouth to stop the sonic screeches.

Chanyeol watches the battle go down from the corner of his eye, still trying to keep focus on where the witch may be. He sees the beast’s arm swing wildly and catch a surprised Yixing from behind. His voice clogs up in his throat as he tries to warn the dragon, but it’s already too late. Yixing is plummeting for the ground fast, transforming back into his human shape midway. Luckily, Jongdae swoops down and catches Yixing, howling and blowing fire right back at the ice beast.

Chanyeol knows they’ll be okay, but Jongin’s growl refocuses him. His goal is the witch. The dragons can take care of themselves.

"Okay, Jongin," he murmurs, setting the bow for his target. He steadies his shaky hands and steels his sight. "Go."

Jongin dives down and swoops low around the back of the castle. Song Qian still seems focused on the Ice Colossus, healing him and repairing his ice limbs to allow him to fight. When she's in sight, Jongin flies straight up, aiming for her heels floating in the sky. Chanyeol, plants his feet flat on the saddle, holding on desperately as Jongin flies up. Once Jongin starts spitting fire at the witch's heels, blocked by the barrier, Chanyeol jumps.

Arrow knocked, bow drawn, Chanyeol has one shot while the witch is occupied with both Jongin and the ice beast. It's only a split second where Chanyeol has an open window to victory.

He draws the bow and fires.

The silver arrow breaks through the blue of the sky, slips into the gap of the barrier, and sinks into the shoulder of its target.

Song Qian gasps, the arrow through her shoulder finally registering. She screams, the sound grating to the ears as the poison spreads through her body and all her defenses drop. Black bleeds from her wound, spilling over her hands and dripping down from the sky where she stands. She tries to heal herself but the silver poison spreads too fast and her magic stops bursting from her fingertips and she drops. Sudden. Her screams echo as she falls into the dark abyss below.

Chanyeol, for a moment, relishes in the victory. Until he realizes that the momentum of pushing off Jongin's back and leaping into the air for the shot is dying out and he's slowly beginning to plummet into the abyss below.

"Jongin!" he yells as he falls, picking up speed until the dragon catches him halfway to the ground. He lands with a thud on his feet, desperately grabbing for the saddle and holding tight. He eases down shakily into the saddle and sinks bonelessly as Jongin evens out his flight.

Just as the witch is finished, the final screech of the Ice Colossus rings out as it melts away into the abyss. The crevice magically closes up, sealing both the ice beast and the witch away.

For now, and Chanyeol hopes forever.

Jongin flies up to meet Luhan and Zitao midway, leading them in a flight around the castle. Jongdae, with a wounded but relieved Yixing on his back, fly in formation from behind, following their path as they circle around the castle. Chanyeol squints through the glare of the snow and looks for Minseok in all the windows, beginning from the bottom until Jongin circles all the way up to the tallest spire of the castle.

"There!" He points out a small room, the only room lit on the highest floor. Chanyeol does his best to steer Jongin close towards the window to look more carefully inside.

And inside, upon a bed decorated for royalty, is where Minseok sleeps.

Chanyeol carefully steers Jongin close to the window, when he's as close as Jongin can get, he stands up on the dragon's back on shaky legs and carefully steps closer to the window. He takes in a deep breath, clutching at his chest to calm his nerves.

"Here goes," he murmurs, starting a mental countdown. On the count of three, he takes a nervous glance at the dragons surrounding him. By the count of two he leans back on his heels and focuses on the window. When he counts to one, he braces himself and jumps straight for the window, shattering the glass and toppling into the room.

He lands hard on his shoulder, feeling pain flare up from the landing. Glass slides from his clothes and his hair as he stands, littering the floor around his feet. The room, which had been warmed by the fireplace, is suddenly hit with a burst of cold from the open window, and yet Minseok hadn't stirred from the commotion. His face is serene as he sleeps, red lips parted in an exhale as he continues to dream. Chanyeol has seen him asleep like this many times, and it is at least a little comforting that the witch had only stopped here, had only cast a curse. Minseok is not hurt, and finally his heart can feel at ease.

He brushes off the last of the glass and snow still on his cloak and steps forward towards the bed. As soon as he approaches, sits down at Minseok's bedside, he suddenly feels nervous. Doubt still creeps into his heart- that Minseok would be like the rest and there was someone who had always been waiting for him to be rescued.

But Chanyeol knows that it isn't true. Minseok had said it so himself. He would never be like the other princes and princesses because he had felt something upon first sight of Chanyeol.

Love at first sight. Chanyeol would have laughed at the notion before, but now he's sure that it exists.

He closes his eyes, calms his heart, and leans over until his lips meet Minseok's in a kiss. It's a chaste kiss, but it means the world to Chanyeol. It means that Chanyeol will finally have his happy ending.

Minseok stirs, eyes slowly blinking open as his vision clears. His chest rises and falls steadily as he looks up at Chanyeol, warmth swimming in his brown eyes.

"I never imagined I'd ever be a prince in need of saving," he breathes, slowly pulling his hand from the cover. Chanyeol catches his hand and squeezes it, pulling it into his lap. "I thought I'd never care about being in love after being cursed, outcasted, and had spent years living with five dragons."

Chanyeol smiles, rubbing his thumb in circles over the back of Minseok's palm. "Having five dragons does make it hard." From the window comes a burst of fire into the room- most likely Luhan's doing.

But it brings a smile out of Minseok. With Chanyeol's help, he sits up in bed, leaning against the headboard and cradling his head until his vision clears and he can meet Chanyeol's eyes again. "I'm glad you came crashing through the forest, Chanyeol. I could only ever dream about a day I'd find a love like the one I've got with you."

Chanyeol blushes deeply, helping Minseok out of bed and over to the window. The dragons are growling loudly from the window, and Minseok's smile is glowing as he calms down his worried dragons and teases them about their worries.

They board Jongin from the window, Minseok going out first and Chanyeol falling in step behind him. He fits his hands at Minseok's waist, holding Minseok close against him as they fly away from the castle and back towards their home. Chanyeol himself had never dreamed that a love like this would come, that he'd ever get the ending he'd watched so many times with Junhee, Kyungsoo, and Sehun. He'd never dreamed that he'd be someone's Prince Charming. And though his fairytale ending may not end in a wedding fanfare and a parade through the village, it ends happy all the same.

Chanyeol presses a kiss to the back of Minseok's head, sliding his arms around Minseok's waist and pulling the trainer back against his chest. He mumbles, "I love you," and he feels it about to burst from his chest.

Minseok turns around and kisses him, and though it's awkward, Chanyeol imagines that they have a lifetime ahead of them to spend together. Minseok is about to whisper the same words in the breath between their lips, but the moment is quickly ruined by Jongdae spitting fire at their heels behind them. It brings a chuckle out of them, and a promise from Minseok that they'll have the rest of their lifetimes to love.

They fly home amongst the dragons, finally free of curses and worries that anything will stop them from being in love.