Kyumin - The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons 3/?
Title: The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons
Pairing: Kyumin
Side pairings: Eunhae, Zhoury, Yunjae, Yewook, Kangteuk, Sibum, Yoosu
Disclaimer: If I owned DBSK and Super Junior, they would have made it big in North America already!
Summary: Three years after the unity of the canines and the felines, everything is going well. The land is prospering, the people are at peace and Kyuhyun and Sungmin couldn't be happier. Until the day they recieve word that the bears have been attacked by a force that nobody knew existed. And now, they must find a way to stop the attacks before that force can reach their kingdom. And if it does, the terrible dream that has been plaguing one of their subjects will come true. And that will mean the end of their empire. It's Chika ith a different username.
The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons
Stage Three: The Conquest
Sungmin poured over the endless amounts of papers that were stacked on his desk. Affairs of the state were semi-tiring and he could use a break right about now. He leaned back in his high-backed chair and relaxed for a moment.
People asking for more support for farming, payment, stock, property and guidance could wait for a minute. He closed his eyes, smiling. For all the work, appearances and commemorations, Sungmin didn’t mind being a monarch. It was nice to know that he was helping people and in charge of protecting them and keeping his subjects safe.
A few papers fell to the floor as a breeze blew from the open window into his study. Sungmin smiled as the wind blew his hair around his face. The breeze was warm and soothing. Summer was a beautiful time in the canine/feline lands.
“More beautiful that I remember,” a low voice pierced Sungmin’s consciousness. He laughed softly but didn’t open his eyes.
“Kyuhyun, you know that I am no more gorgeous than the desk that my work sits upon,” Sungmin responded but pleased all the same.
“Falsehoods,” Kyuhyun proclaimed, waving away Sungmin’s statement. “You are simply breathtaking.”
“What do you want? Flattery usually means you require something of me,” Sungmin opened his eyes and looked at Kyuhyun. The dark haired ruler was standing in the doorway gazing at him with a soft expression on his face.
“I require nothing but your signature. This document needs the approval of both of us,” Kyuhyun held out a piece of paper with gold embossed lettering at the top. Sungmin reached over and quickly scrawled his signature on the line required.
“What is it for?”
“It allows a set of felines to acquire the lands that they want. Simple and easy. Unlike all this difficult looking paperwork here,” Kyuhyun glanced down at the mounds of white on Sungmin’s desk. The feline made a weak gesture towards the mess.
“All I need to do is read and sign every document unless I do not concur. Those over there,” Sungmin pointed to the far side of his desk, “are the ones that do not have my approval.”
“What is all that?” Kyuhyun asked, looking at the torn pieces of paper.
“Those are Jongwoon’s requests for turtles for each child, Donghae’s pleas that every household should carry at least one fish and Heechul’s demands that Hankyung’s name be frozen and allowed to belong to him and him alone; no one else may use it,” Sungmin explained.
“Jongwoon wants a turtle for every child? And Donghae wants at least one fish per house? And I will not even comment on Heechul,” Kyuhyun picked up one of the ruined documents.
“…from Emperors Sungmin and Kyuhyun that the name Hankyung be restricted to him and him alone so that no other may use this glorious name for their inglorious child and therefore sully the name Han -,” Kyuhyun read. “He’s not serious?”
“I get at least three of those every morning, noon and evening,” Sungmin moaned.
“Why do you not tell him to stop? You are Emperor, you may revoke his rights to ask for such things,” Kyuhyun pointed out.
“What person in any frame of sane mind would willingly stop Heechul from doing anything?” Sungmin asked. “The consequences are too great. This is KIM HEECHUL we are discussing and you know as well as I that he is the most challenging feline to date.”
“He shall go down in history. Was he not the one who almost destroyed one of his own kind because the feline attacked a canine in order to bring us back to war? He wants peace,” Kyuhyun’s admiration for the feisty feline was audible.
“Yes, he knows what he believes in. That and the fact that if we were to go back to war, Hankyung would be drafted for the Feline Militia,” Sungmin looked sad for a moment. At one point in time, Hankyung had been hit by an arrow in the stomach and for a while, it looked as though he wouldn’t make it.
Heechul had been inconsolable. He had not cried, screamed, or even made a sound. Instead, he sat silently by Hankyung’s bedside, giving no sign that he heard anything spoken to him. Three days passed and Hankyung got better. He woke up and Heechul finally cried the tears he had kept in.
Then he had passed out as a result of going for so long without food or water. He was hospitalized himself and both Hankyung and Heechul nursed themselves back to health. It was the only time Sungmin had ever seen Heechul lose himself.
Sungmin was broken out of his thoughts by a swift kiss that was pressed to his lips. That brief taste of Kyuhyun sent his senses spiralling and his thoughts dissolved.
“Please do not look so sad. When my Jaguar Kitten is cries, the world cries with him,” Kyuhyun brushed Sungmin’s hair out of his eyes. The feline felt his face warm.
“I love you,” Sungmin murmured softly. Kyuhyun’s eyes softened.
“And I you,” Kyuhyun responded. Sungmin smiled at that. He leaned forward, ready to kiss Kyuhyun again when the door burst open and Jongwoon came rushing in, looking as though a whole regiment was after him.
“Your Majesties!” Jongwoon gasped before straightening and looking at the two of them. “Did I…interrupt something?” he asked carefully.
“No, you did not. What is of urgency? Kyuhyun asked, voice carefully controlled. Sungmin could detect a hint of frustration in his tones.
“There is something extremely unusual at the palace gates. A dead bear lies there,” Jongwoon reported. Sungmin looked at Kyuhyun.
“A dead bear?” Sungmin asked, slightly sceptical. Jongwoon nodded.
“Let us be gone. I wish to examine this bear,” Kyuhyun said. Sungmin stood up from his chair and walked around to Kyuhyun’s side. The two of them made their way to the front of the palace. Sungmin could see the crowd that had formed.
“Make way! The emperors are coming through!” Jongwoon announced importantly. Sungmin felt his body clench as he walked nearer. He had no idea why he was this tense.
The two of them waited as the gates opened and Eunhyuk and Donghae carried the body in. Upon first glance it was obviously a bear. In its semi-phased form, it had round fuzzy ears and long jagged claws. It was a grizzly.
The clothes were matted and bloody. They could see the pink strip of flesh where his skin had been ripped away to expose the muscle underneath on his forearm. There was a bite on his thigh that had torn the limb apart; flies descending rapidly on the wound.
The bear had died of blood loss. That was certain. The blood was still pooling on the ground where the two guards had placed it. There was a scent that was none too pleasant surrounding it. How long had it taken the bear to reach their lands? And how had it become like this?
“What happened to it?” Sungmin asked, his voice soft with apprehension.
“We’re uncertain of that, Emperor Sungmin. He was found staggering through the market place so a few of the subjects brought him here. Apparently he died as soon as he arrived. We have no theories on why he was in our lands and what might have killed him,” Donghae answered.
“The bites on his body might be an indication. What sort of bite is it? It is not canine or feline because the tooth structure is quite different,” Eunhyuk observed. Kyuhyun gazed at the dead bear.
“This is certainly odd. Is there anything else that we should know about this bear?” Kyuhyun inquired.
“According to the townsfolk, he kept mumbling, ‘They’re not real. They’re not real.’” Donghae told him.
“What isn’t real?” Sungmin looked at the pair of them.
“I’m not sure of that. But it looks like this bear has been through a lot. Perhaps the kingdom of the bears is in trouble,” Kyuhyun mused.
“Then we should set out to see what ails our ally. Jongwoon, saddle up two horses for us. We must get to Henry and Zhoumi posthaste! Who knows what aid they might -?” Sungmin was interrupted by a hand on his arm.
“No, we are not going,” Kyuhyun said firmly. Sungmin stared at him.
“Why not?”
“We do not have any idea what has happened. This might be the work of rogues, our people or another force. We cannot go into uncertainty.”
“But our friends might need our help!” Sungmin shouted.
“I know but we cannot go. What would our people do if we both set out and were both killed by whatever took the life of this poor bear?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Then how can we - ”
“We shall send a messenger. Eunhyuk, please dispatch an envoy to the bear territory. We must know if anything is amiss and if we can do anything to help them,” Kyuhyun ordered.
“Very good, sir,” Eunhyuk bowed and then marched off to find a messenger. Sungmin looked at the body of the bear. There was something unnerving about the injuries that had killed it.
“Let’s go. I cannot stand to look at the poor creature any longer. Donghae, please arrange the proper burial for this noble animal,” Sungmin requested.
“Very good sir,” Donghae saluted. Sungmin cast one more glance at the body before Kyuhyun steered him inside, leaving Jongwoon and the body in the bright light of the day.
“What has happened? What is this about a dead bear?” Ryeowook came running from the middle of the hall. He stopped and looked at their faces. “Is it that bad?” he asked.
“He’s covered in bites. He’s practically been stripped of all his flesh,” Sungmin shuddered.
“Can I see him?” Ryeowook asked timidly. Sungmin regarded him for a moment.
“Are you sure you want to?” Kyuhyun asked. Ryeowook trembled slightly.
“Yes, I do,” the ocelot said, his voice steady despite his quivering body.
The two of them led Ryeowook out to where Jongwoon was standing, protecting the body from the swarms of flies and scavengers. Blood had stained the ground red.
“What are you doing back out here? Should you not be inside?” Jongwoon asked, turning to see the monarchs. He caught sight of his mate behind them and relaxed.
“Ryeowook wanted to see the body,” Kyuhyun explained. Jongwoon stepped aside to reveal the ruined creature. Ryeowook took a step forward and stopped. His eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped his throat.
“What is it?” Sungmin asked, putting his hands on Ryeowook’s shoulders.
“It-it can’t be!” the feline gasped. He put his hands over his mouth and began to tremble. Tears began to pour out of his eyes. Jongwoon stepped forwards.
“Wookie? What’s wrong?” Jongwoon tried to pry Ryeowook’s hands away from his mouth.
“It’s not happening! It’s not happening!” Ryeowook shouted.
“What isn’t happening?!” Jongwoon asked.
“No! No! No! I refuse to believe it! It can’t happen! Not this!”
“Ryeowook, please…” Jongwoon trailed off helplessly. Ryeowook began to cry loudly, his sobs almost choking him in his intensity. They could barely make out the words Ryeowook was chanting slowly.
“They’re not real. They’re not real,” Ryeowook mumbled, tears streaming from his eyes. Jongwoon wrapped his arms around the smaller feline. He looked towards Sungmin and Kyuhyun who were staring at Ryeowook with the same amount of disbelief on their faces.
“Calm him down. Take him to the hot baths,” Kyuhyun ordered. “He must be overtired and overstressed.”
“Why do you think he acted that way?” Sungmin asked, watching Jongwoon carry a hysterical Ryeowook into the palace. Kyuhyun shrugged.
“I have no idea. Perhaps all that time with Heechul has finally taken its toll,” Kyuhyun suggested. Sungmin hit him lightly.
“Heechul saved the kingdom by keeping the peace. And you accuse him of Ryeowook’s breakdown,” Sungmin shook his head. Kyuhyun smiled.
“He did try to attack me.”
“That was only because of our misunderstanding.”
At that point, Donghae had arrived with those needed for burying the body. Sungmin nodded at them as they placed the bear tenderly on the mat that they would use to carry him to the mortuary where they would clean his wounds and make him look presentable.
“A horrible misunderstanding,” Kyuhyun sighed. Sungmin nodded.
“Yes. And now we wait. The messenger will have to cross the mountains. It takes at least half a day to get to the Bear Territory,” Sungmin said, looking towards the mountains that marked Henry and Zhoumi’s land.
!*!*!*!*!
The next day, the messenger still had not returned. The monarchs had had a ceremony for the bear and had given him the ritual that was usually reserved for high born people. Sungmin worried silently that perhaps, this was a larger problem than they had first thought.
For most of the day, Sungmin watched the grounds, looking for the messenger. It was not until near nightfall that the messenger returned. But barely.
“He is in the main hall. But his condition is fragile,” Eunhyuk cautioned. Sungmin followed him into the spacious area. He found the convoy in a chair, gasping as though afraid each breath would be his last.
“Alpha Mate Sungmin,” the messenger wheezed.
“Yes?” Sungmin asked. A few seconds later, Kyuhyun walked in, coming over to his mate’s side.
“What happened?” Kyuhyun demanded.
“Jongwoon went to buy fruits and found the messenger struggling into the city. He brought him here. Look at the state of him! He looks almost like the bear we found,” Eunhyuk said.
The two of them took a good look at the canine. There were bite marks everywhere and it was obvious that the cheetah was in much pain. His eyes were glassy and he was breathing erratically.
“What happened? Tell us what has happened!” Sungmin’s soft voice persuaded the man to speak.
“They’ve returned! The dragons are back!” The messenger gasped. Sungmin looked at his mate. What did that mean?
“Dragons? Mythical creatures?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Mythical no more! The legends have come alive……the fire from their mouths scorches the land. Their long claws…can dismember with a single blow,” the messenger coughed. Sungmin held the man’s hands, trying to calm him down.
“Did they attack you? How did you get this way?” Sungmin looked unflinchingly at the man’s face. It was scratched beyond belief. It was like looking at ruined meat.
“I came to the edge of their lands……I passed the Two Prong Mountain…and there…they set upon me…they are hungry……the bears have vanished……the palace is destroyed…there is nothing left for them to eat…” the man trailed off.
“Henry and Zhoumi!” Sungmin gasped. Suddenly, with as much force as he could muster for the man felt his life slipping away, he leaned forwards and pulled Sungmin close to him.
“Beware the Conquest. Beware of the Conquest!” the cheetah drew one last breath of air before he slumped over, deflating like a balloon.
“What did he say?” Kyuhyun asked. Sungmin looked at him, his face pale.
“He told me to beware of the Conquest.”
!*!*!*!*!
Well, stage three is now done. Yes, I know, I have a new username. To tell you the truth, I was getting bored of the old one. So I got a rename token and I renamed it. I like this one better, it suits me more. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! I’m sorry I’m late. I got sick. And I still am sick but am I staying home? Noooooooo. I’m out and about. o(^^)o I love all my readers!
Pairing: Kyumin
Side pairings: Eunhae, Zhoury, Yunjae, Yewook, Kangteuk, Sibum, Yoosu
Disclaimer: If I owned DBSK and Super Junior, they would have made it big in North America already!
Summary: Three years after the unity of the canines and the felines, everything is going well. The land is prospering, the people are at peace and Kyuhyun and Sungmin couldn't be happier. Until the day they recieve word that the bears have been attacked by a force that nobody knew existed. And now, they must find a way to stop the attacks before that force can reach their kingdom. And if it does, the terrible dream that has been plaguing one of their subjects will come true. And that will mean the end of their empire. It's Chika ith a different username.
The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons
Stage Three: The Conquest
Sungmin poured over the endless amounts of papers that were stacked on his desk. Affairs of the state were semi-tiring and he could use a break right about now. He leaned back in his high-backed chair and relaxed for a moment.
People asking for more support for farming, payment, stock, property and guidance could wait for a minute. He closed his eyes, smiling. For all the work, appearances and commemorations, Sungmin didn’t mind being a monarch. It was nice to know that he was helping people and in charge of protecting them and keeping his subjects safe.
A few papers fell to the floor as a breeze blew from the open window into his study. Sungmin smiled as the wind blew his hair around his face. The breeze was warm and soothing. Summer was a beautiful time in the canine/feline lands.
“More beautiful that I remember,” a low voice pierced Sungmin’s consciousness. He laughed softly but didn’t open his eyes.
“Kyuhyun, you know that I am no more gorgeous than the desk that my work sits upon,” Sungmin responded but pleased all the same.
“Falsehoods,” Kyuhyun proclaimed, waving away Sungmin’s statement. “You are simply breathtaking.”
“What do you want? Flattery usually means you require something of me,” Sungmin opened his eyes and looked at Kyuhyun. The dark haired ruler was standing in the doorway gazing at him with a soft expression on his face.
“I require nothing but your signature. This document needs the approval of both of us,” Kyuhyun held out a piece of paper with gold embossed lettering at the top. Sungmin reached over and quickly scrawled his signature on the line required.
“What is it for?”
“It allows a set of felines to acquire the lands that they want. Simple and easy. Unlike all this difficult looking paperwork here,” Kyuhyun glanced down at the mounds of white on Sungmin’s desk. The feline made a weak gesture towards the mess.
“All I need to do is read and sign every document unless I do not concur. Those over there,” Sungmin pointed to the far side of his desk, “are the ones that do not have my approval.”
“What is all that?” Kyuhyun asked, looking at the torn pieces of paper.
“Those are Jongwoon’s requests for turtles for each child, Donghae’s pleas that every household should carry at least one fish and Heechul’s demands that Hankyung’s name be frozen and allowed to belong to him and him alone; no one else may use it,” Sungmin explained.
“Jongwoon wants a turtle for every child? And Donghae wants at least one fish per house? And I will not even comment on Heechul,” Kyuhyun picked up one of the ruined documents.
“…from Emperors Sungmin and Kyuhyun that the name Hankyung be restricted to him and him alone so that no other may use this glorious name for their inglorious child and therefore sully the name Han -,” Kyuhyun read. “He’s not serious?”
“I get at least three of those every morning, noon and evening,” Sungmin moaned.
“Why do you not tell him to stop? You are Emperor, you may revoke his rights to ask for such things,” Kyuhyun pointed out.
“What person in any frame of sane mind would willingly stop Heechul from doing anything?” Sungmin asked. “The consequences are too great. This is KIM HEECHUL we are discussing and you know as well as I that he is the most challenging feline to date.”
“He shall go down in history. Was he not the one who almost destroyed one of his own kind because the feline attacked a canine in order to bring us back to war? He wants peace,” Kyuhyun’s admiration for the feisty feline was audible.
“Yes, he knows what he believes in. That and the fact that if we were to go back to war, Hankyung would be drafted for the Feline Militia,” Sungmin looked sad for a moment. At one point in time, Hankyung had been hit by an arrow in the stomach and for a while, it looked as though he wouldn’t make it.
Heechul had been inconsolable. He had not cried, screamed, or even made a sound. Instead, he sat silently by Hankyung’s bedside, giving no sign that he heard anything spoken to him. Three days passed and Hankyung got better. He woke up and Heechul finally cried the tears he had kept in.
Then he had passed out as a result of going for so long without food or water. He was hospitalized himself and both Hankyung and Heechul nursed themselves back to health. It was the only time Sungmin had ever seen Heechul lose himself.
Sungmin was broken out of his thoughts by a swift kiss that was pressed to his lips. That brief taste of Kyuhyun sent his senses spiralling and his thoughts dissolved.
“Please do not look so sad. When my Jaguar Kitten is cries, the world cries with him,” Kyuhyun brushed Sungmin’s hair out of his eyes. The feline felt his face warm.
“I love you,” Sungmin murmured softly. Kyuhyun’s eyes softened.
“And I you,” Kyuhyun responded. Sungmin smiled at that. He leaned forward, ready to kiss Kyuhyun again when the door burst open and Jongwoon came rushing in, looking as though a whole regiment was after him.
“Your Majesties!” Jongwoon gasped before straightening and looking at the two of them. “Did I…interrupt something?” he asked carefully.
“No, you did not. What is of urgency? Kyuhyun asked, voice carefully controlled. Sungmin could detect a hint of frustration in his tones.
“There is something extremely unusual at the palace gates. A dead bear lies there,” Jongwoon reported. Sungmin looked at Kyuhyun.
“A dead bear?” Sungmin asked, slightly sceptical. Jongwoon nodded.
“Let us be gone. I wish to examine this bear,” Kyuhyun said. Sungmin stood up from his chair and walked around to Kyuhyun’s side. The two of them made their way to the front of the palace. Sungmin could see the crowd that had formed.
“Make way! The emperors are coming through!” Jongwoon announced importantly. Sungmin felt his body clench as he walked nearer. He had no idea why he was this tense.
The two of them waited as the gates opened and Eunhyuk and Donghae carried the body in. Upon first glance it was obviously a bear. In its semi-phased form, it had round fuzzy ears and long jagged claws. It was a grizzly.
The clothes were matted and bloody. They could see the pink strip of flesh where his skin had been ripped away to expose the muscle underneath on his forearm. There was a bite on his thigh that had torn the limb apart; flies descending rapidly on the wound.
The bear had died of blood loss. That was certain. The blood was still pooling on the ground where the two guards had placed it. There was a scent that was none too pleasant surrounding it. How long had it taken the bear to reach their lands? And how had it become like this?
“What happened to it?” Sungmin asked, his voice soft with apprehension.
“We’re uncertain of that, Emperor Sungmin. He was found staggering through the market place so a few of the subjects brought him here. Apparently he died as soon as he arrived. We have no theories on why he was in our lands and what might have killed him,” Donghae answered.
“The bites on his body might be an indication. What sort of bite is it? It is not canine or feline because the tooth structure is quite different,” Eunhyuk observed. Kyuhyun gazed at the dead bear.
“This is certainly odd. Is there anything else that we should know about this bear?” Kyuhyun inquired.
“According to the townsfolk, he kept mumbling, ‘They’re not real. They’re not real.’” Donghae told him.
“What isn’t real?” Sungmin looked at the pair of them.
“I’m not sure of that. But it looks like this bear has been through a lot. Perhaps the kingdom of the bears is in trouble,” Kyuhyun mused.
“Then we should set out to see what ails our ally. Jongwoon, saddle up two horses for us. We must get to Henry and Zhoumi posthaste! Who knows what aid they might -?” Sungmin was interrupted by a hand on his arm.
“No, we are not going,” Kyuhyun said firmly. Sungmin stared at him.
“Why not?”
“We do not have any idea what has happened. This might be the work of rogues, our people or another force. We cannot go into uncertainty.”
“But our friends might need our help!” Sungmin shouted.
“I know but we cannot go. What would our people do if we both set out and were both killed by whatever took the life of this poor bear?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Then how can we - ”
“We shall send a messenger. Eunhyuk, please dispatch an envoy to the bear territory. We must know if anything is amiss and if we can do anything to help them,” Kyuhyun ordered.
“Very good, sir,” Eunhyuk bowed and then marched off to find a messenger. Sungmin looked at the body of the bear. There was something unnerving about the injuries that had killed it.
“Let’s go. I cannot stand to look at the poor creature any longer. Donghae, please arrange the proper burial for this noble animal,” Sungmin requested.
“Very good sir,” Donghae saluted. Sungmin cast one more glance at the body before Kyuhyun steered him inside, leaving Jongwoon and the body in the bright light of the day.
“What has happened? What is this about a dead bear?” Ryeowook came running from the middle of the hall. He stopped and looked at their faces. “Is it that bad?” he asked.
“He’s covered in bites. He’s practically been stripped of all his flesh,” Sungmin shuddered.
“Can I see him?” Ryeowook asked timidly. Sungmin regarded him for a moment.
“Are you sure you want to?” Kyuhyun asked. Ryeowook trembled slightly.
“Yes, I do,” the ocelot said, his voice steady despite his quivering body.
The two of them led Ryeowook out to where Jongwoon was standing, protecting the body from the swarms of flies and scavengers. Blood had stained the ground red.
“What are you doing back out here? Should you not be inside?” Jongwoon asked, turning to see the monarchs. He caught sight of his mate behind them and relaxed.
“Ryeowook wanted to see the body,” Kyuhyun explained. Jongwoon stepped aside to reveal the ruined creature. Ryeowook took a step forward and stopped. His eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped his throat.
“What is it?” Sungmin asked, putting his hands on Ryeowook’s shoulders.
“It-it can’t be!” the feline gasped. He put his hands over his mouth and began to tremble. Tears began to pour out of his eyes. Jongwoon stepped forwards.
“Wookie? What’s wrong?” Jongwoon tried to pry Ryeowook’s hands away from his mouth.
“It’s not happening! It’s not happening!” Ryeowook shouted.
“What isn’t happening?!” Jongwoon asked.
“No! No! No! I refuse to believe it! It can’t happen! Not this!”
“Ryeowook, please…” Jongwoon trailed off helplessly. Ryeowook began to cry loudly, his sobs almost choking him in his intensity. They could barely make out the words Ryeowook was chanting slowly.
“They’re not real. They’re not real,” Ryeowook mumbled, tears streaming from his eyes. Jongwoon wrapped his arms around the smaller feline. He looked towards Sungmin and Kyuhyun who were staring at Ryeowook with the same amount of disbelief on their faces.
“Calm him down. Take him to the hot baths,” Kyuhyun ordered. “He must be overtired and overstressed.”
“Why do you think he acted that way?” Sungmin asked, watching Jongwoon carry a hysterical Ryeowook into the palace. Kyuhyun shrugged.
“I have no idea. Perhaps all that time with Heechul has finally taken its toll,” Kyuhyun suggested. Sungmin hit him lightly.
“Heechul saved the kingdom by keeping the peace. And you accuse him of Ryeowook’s breakdown,” Sungmin shook his head. Kyuhyun smiled.
“He did try to attack me.”
“That was only because of our misunderstanding.”
At that point, Donghae had arrived with those needed for burying the body. Sungmin nodded at them as they placed the bear tenderly on the mat that they would use to carry him to the mortuary where they would clean his wounds and make him look presentable.
“A horrible misunderstanding,” Kyuhyun sighed. Sungmin nodded.
“Yes. And now we wait. The messenger will have to cross the mountains. It takes at least half a day to get to the Bear Territory,” Sungmin said, looking towards the mountains that marked Henry and Zhoumi’s land.
!*!*!*!*!
The next day, the messenger still had not returned. The monarchs had had a ceremony for the bear and had given him the ritual that was usually reserved for high born people. Sungmin worried silently that perhaps, this was a larger problem than they had first thought.
For most of the day, Sungmin watched the grounds, looking for the messenger. It was not until near nightfall that the messenger returned. But barely.
“He is in the main hall. But his condition is fragile,” Eunhyuk cautioned. Sungmin followed him into the spacious area. He found the convoy in a chair, gasping as though afraid each breath would be his last.
“Alpha Mate Sungmin,” the messenger wheezed.
“Yes?” Sungmin asked. A few seconds later, Kyuhyun walked in, coming over to his mate’s side.
“What happened?” Kyuhyun demanded.
“Jongwoon went to buy fruits and found the messenger struggling into the city. He brought him here. Look at the state of him! He looks almost like the bear we found,” Eunhyuk said.
The two of them took a good look at the canine. There were bite marks everywhere and it was obvious that the cheetah was in much pain. His eyes were glassy and he was breathing erratically.
“What happened? Tell us what has happened!” Sungmin’s soft voice persuaded the man to speak.
“They’ve returned! The dragons are back!” The messenger gasped. Sungmin looked at his mate. What did that mean?
“Dragons? Mythical creatures?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Mythical no more! The legends have come alive……the fire from their mouths scorches the land. Their long claws…can dismember with a single blow,” the messenger coughed. Sungmin held the man’s hands, trying to calm him down.
“Did they attack you? How did you get this way?” Sungmin looked unflinchingly at the man’s face. It was scratched beyond belief. It was like looking at ruined meat.
“I came to the edge of their lands……I passed the Two Prong Mountain…and there…they set upon me…they are hungry……the bears have vanished……the palace is destroyed…there is nothing left for them to eat…” the man trailed off.
“Henry and Zhoumi!” Sungmin gasped. Suddenly, with as much force as he could muster for the man felt his life slipping away, he leaned forwards and pulled Sungmin close to him.
“Beware the Conquest. Beware of the Conquest!” the cheetah drew one last breath of air before he slumped over, deflating like a balloon.
“What did he say?” Kyuhyun asked. Sungmin looked at him, his face pale.
“He told me to beware of the Conquest.”
!*!*!*!*!
Well, stage three is now done. Yes, I know, I have a new username. To tell you the truth, I was getting bored of the old one. So I got a rename token and I renamed it. I like this one better, it suits me more. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! I’m sorry I’m late. I got sick. And I still am sick but am I staying home? Noooooooo. I’m out and about. o(^^)o I love all my readers!