Kyumin - The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons 9/?
Title: The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons
Pairing: Kyumin
Side pairings: Eunhae, Zhoury, Yunjae, Yewook, Kangteuk, Sibum
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.
The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons
Stage Nine: Lee Jisung - Dragon King
Sungmin wasn’t sure what to do. War was inevitable now and it seemed like there was no way out of it. The palace was now busy with different meetings to discuss strategic positions as well as places that the dragons might attack from.
The Komodos had taken over the eagle and bear territories which bordered the canine/feline lands on both sides. They could be attacked on all sides except for the far border which ended at the ocean.
Sungmin sat on a window ledge, looking out at the green grass of the feline/canine lands. Times like this should be used for festivities, not for preparing their troops for war.
A hand landed on his head and he turned to see Heechul standing there and looking completely angered by something.
“Hello, hyung. What brings you here?” Sungmin asked, smiling at the effeminate man.
“Hankyung wanted to enlist for the army as a soldier. So we came here so he could enrol,” Heechul said, sitting down beside Sungmin.
“You know Hankyung only wants to protect you,” Sungmin responded, trying to refrain from rolling his eyes.
“I know. But who shall protect him? That is why I have joined the army as well. I shall be an archer. I do have training in that area before I followed Hankyung to help him teach dance,” Heechul said.
“You used to be an archer?” Sungmin asked, incredulous. Heechul looked down at the younger man, a small smirk on his face.
“Yes. I trained your brother in archery while you were being taught by Youngwoon.”
“I never expected that you were once an archer. I have heard that it is one of the harder arts to learn,” Sungmin stared in admiration at his hyung.
“Once the basic concept is grasped, it is not so hard. It is grasping the concept that is,” Heechul replied.
“That is understandable. So the two of you shall protect one another while in battle; is that the idea?” Sungmin prodded. Heechul nodded.
“Hankyung protects me and so I shall protect Hankyung. But do not tell him that I too have joined. He will only try to stop me. But I cannot let him walk into battle without me. Either we both go or neither of us do,” Heechul determined.
Before either Sungmin or Heechul could say anything more, Henry and Zhoumi walked into the room. Zhoumi was completely healed and Henry was exultant of this fact.
“What brings you here?” Sungmin asked.
“We have heard that Ryeowook had found the weakness of the dragons. They are susceptible to poison and one spot is uncovered of armour. Is this the truth?” Henry asked.
“It is. But we know not how long the poison will take to kill a dragon or what point is uncovered with their bodies. This we still need to figure out,” Sungmin sighed.
They had felt so jubilant at the news that the dragons could be defeated that they hadn’t thought of the details they were missing. Jaejoong and Yunho were in the libraries at the very moment, trying to find more information on the missing details.
“Because of the threat made against us and the killing of Jungsu, that means that we are at war, correct?” Zhoumi asked.
“Yes. In seven days, on the eighth of August, we shall go to war,” Sungmin nodded. At the very thought of it, he felt sick. Could there be no other way to solve this?
“The dragons are deadly creatures. They are completely covered in armour. Despite the added weight, they are still agile,” Zhoumi remembered.
“Their second forms are terrifying. Half man and half lizard things that run on their hind legs and snap with poisoned mouths,” Henry shivered.
“It seems that their strengths outweigh their weaknesses,” Sungmin murmured. “Can they truly be destroyed?”
“We must try. I refuse to let a Komodo, lounge in my house and burn my belongings and take over the land we have fought over for so long,” Heechul snarled.
“Therefore you shall be one of those to prevent them, correct?” Sungmin’s eyes crinkled in a smile.
“Only because I have to,” Heechul half-smiled.
And then Sungmin realized something. They didn’t have to go to war. They could have negotiated something between the races so that they could all live in harmony with one another.
If he and Kyuhyun sent a message to the Komodos, seeking an audience with the king, then they could negotiate with each other and be able to work out an agreement with all races that the dragons, eagles and bears would agree to.
If the Komodos wished it, then they could have more of the eagle and bear lands but still allow the two races to live on their lands with little fear of invasion. The canine and felines would have nothing to fear because their combined lands did not border the dragon realm.
“Why did I not think of this earlier?!” Sungmin shouted, startling Heechul, Henry and Zhoumi. The three of them looked at him carefully, as though secretly suspecting that he might be insane.
“What did you not think of earlier?” Henry asked apprehensively. Sungmin turned to him, a smile radiating from him.
“If you gave part of your lands up to the Komodos but got the rest of your land back, would you do it?” Sungmin asked. Henry and Zhoumi nodded. There might be a way to stop the war from happening and prevent lives being lost. There were too many of them gone already. Sungmin dashed out of the room to go find Kyuhyun.
!*!*!*!*!
“Kyuhyun!” Sungmin called. He had found his mate in a conference with Jaejoong and Yunho. The three of them had been discussing the same thing that he had been talking about with Heechul, Zhoumi and Henry. The three of them looked up at his arrival.
“Yes, what is it? Is there something wrong?” Kyuhyun stood up and walked over to the feline, worry in his eyes. Sungmin shook his head.
“No, I was just wondering, is war imminent?”
“It seems that we have no other choice. The dragons have given us a threat and shall attack us on the eighth of August,” Kyuhyun answered.
“What if we were to send a message to the dragons and ask for an audience? Then we could discuss ways in which to live in harmony and peace as well as ask for the lands of the eagles and bears back,” Sungmin said.
“Of course! Why did we never think of that? You are truly brilliant, Sungmin,” Jaejoong smiled appreciatively. Sungmin beamed back.
“We should send the message by serpent. One of the messenger serpents that Kibum carries because they too are reptiles. Would a reptile harm one of its own?” Sungmin pondered.
“This is a good idea. We may not have to go to war at all,” Kyuhyun grinned.
“Although, they may want part of your lands because they did used to control that territory,” Sungmin bit his lip as he looked at Jaejoong and Yunho.
“They may take what they used to control. There is nothing in that part of our kingdom. Our main cities are near the old feline border,” Yunho waved his hand dismissively.
“Then they shall be more likely to agree to at truce now that we have the permission of the eagle Captains and the bear Chieftains to give up part of their lands to the Komodos,” Sungmin said.
“Shall we send the message?” Jaejoong stood up.
“Let’s do so,” Sungmin smiled.
“Thank you for thinking of this,” Jaejoong hugged Sungmin tightly. Still in his heat, Sungmin purred and cuddled into the eagle. There was a soft growl on his left and he was tugged out of Jaejoong’s grasp.
“It appears that Kyuhyun is in heat,” Yunho tried to cover up his laughter in a cough. Sungmin found himself in Kyuhyun’s arms, looking up at the canine who was staring at Jaejoong.
“He is mine,” Kyuhyun tightened his hold. Sungmin gasped slightly as he was crushed against Kyuhyun’s body. But he craved touch and ignored the fact that he could barely breathe and cuddled into Kyuhyun.
“As you wish,” Jaejoong smiled.
“Will you be helping him with his heat?” Yunho tried to hide his smirk.
“When our heats coincide, we do not act upon it. With Sungmin’s need for touch and my need for Sungmin, we would never leave our bedroom if we did act on it,” Kyuhyun answered. Sungmin flushed bright pink.
“We need to send a message,” Sungmin interrupted.
!*!*!*!*!
“Has the serpent returned?” Ryeowook asked. He was sitting with Jongwoon on the terrace of the palace. Sungmin had joined them there, wanting company.
“Not that I have heard. Eunhyuk is on guard now. If there is a message from the dragons, he will tell us of it,” Jongwoon answered.
“I hope that the message comes soon. I do not wish to go to war,” Sungmin sighed.
“Nobody wants to go to war,” another voice said. The three of them turned to see Ahra standing there with her child on her hip. The three of them smiled at her and Junki who was cooing happily.
“Ahra, I have not seen you in some time,” Sungmin said.
“I have been teaching Junki the history of both canines and felines. It was only after I discovered that nobody had told me Jungsu had been killed that I realized now might not be the time for teaching,” Ahra glared at all of them as if they had been the ones responsible for killing Jungsu.
“He was a great person,” Ryeowook murmured.
“He was. He taught Junki about feline lore. If I am not careful, Junki will grow up believing he is a cat. Especially with all of you in his life,” Ahra smiled at her child.
“Emperor Sungmin! The serpent has returned and with it, the response of the Komodos!” Eunhyuk ran to Sungmin and held out a paper. The serpent which had delivered it coiled in his palm.
“What does it say?” Jongwoon asked. Sungmin unfolded the paper and scanned it, his eyes widening.
“Tomorrow, at the hour of ten, meet at the old eagle border. At the hour of twelve, we shall talk within my private chambers. You may bring two guards with you. They will be made to wait outside as we talk. Do not be late. Jisung: King of the Dragons.”
!*!*!*!*!
Kyuhyun and Sungmin walked along with Donghae and Eunhyuk. They had reached the eagle border half an hour earlier than they were supposed to and had been met by a retinue of dragons.
Now, they were being transported by the creatures to the Dragonrealm. The stories about the speeds of the dragons were true. They were fast. Sungmin barely had time to look around at the burned trees of the eagles when they were suddenly on barren dry land.
“We have arrived at the palace of the Dragon King. Here, he shall receive you,” the head of their retinue told them. The four of them looked around at the hot, baked wasteland.
“This is what the dragons live on?” Eunhyuk looked distastefully at his surroundings.
“I suppose so. It does not look all that desirable,” Donghae agreed.
“It is the palace that they live in,” Kyuhyun pointed out.
The palace was built of beautiful granite rock. Despite the dusty surroundings, it had a polished look. Sungmin’s eyes widened as he looked at the intricate designs that decorated the walls. The palace was huge and glinted in the harsh light of the sun.
A man dressed in a long black robe stood at the top of the steps that led to the large door of the castle. He was young and looked quite kind. But as he looked down at Sungmin, the Emperor saw the coldness of his eyes. He shivered involuntarily.
“Welcome to the Dragonrealm. I am Lee Jisung, King of the Dragons,” the man said. He bowed to them and motioned for them to climb the stairs. They did so and came face to face with the young man.
“I am Alpha Kyuhyun and this is my mate,” Kyuhyun introduced himself. Sungmin stepped forwards next.
“I am Emperor Sungmin and these are our guards, Eunhyuk and Donghae,” the feline gestured to the two behind him.
“It is a pleasure to meet you all,” Jisung said, his eyes travelling over the group. Sungmin heard the cold tone of his voice and wondered if this man had ever known kindness.
“We have come to speak with you about the situation regarding the races,” Kyuhyun continued.
“Yes, we shall speak in my private chambers. Your guards may come but must stay outside. Shall we go?” Without waiting for an answer, the Dragon King turned and walked into his castle.
They walked down winding hallways that were lit with torches and decorated with beautiful gemstones. They reached the rooms of the King who bade Eunhyuk and Donghae to wait outside while they spoke.
Once inside the room, Sungmin felt more comfortable. It was warm and inviting with the faint scent of incense hovering in the room. They settled themselves on comfortable cushions and cups of tea were placed in front of them by beautiful dragons.
“Now, tell me, what is it that you wish?” Jisung asked, pouring milk into his drink.
“We would like to request a truce. Instead of going to war, we should come to an agreement that would benefit all races,” Kyuhyun began.
“I see. And what do you propose?” Jisung asked, dropping a cube of sugar into his cup.
“The dragons have every right to be angry that the eagles and bears took over lands that weren’t theirs to take,” Sungmin cut in.
“Yes, they thought we were too weak to defend our borders. But they paid the price,” Jisung laughed cruelly for a moment. The servants who were in the chamber laughed along with him.
“If they promised to give those lands back, and you allowed them to go back to their original territories, then we would have no reason for war,” Sungmin finished.
“But the reason why we are going to war is because you refused to hand over the refugees that by law are ours to deal with,” Jisung stared at Sungmin, placing his teacup down on the table. The feline flushed at the Dragon King’s intense gaze.
“But if you allowed them to return to their previously owned lands while you retain what they took, we would have no quarrel and we would be able to co-exist in harmony with both the bears and the eagles,” Sungmin pointed out.
“Emperor Sungmin, what knowledge do you have of our race?” Jisung asked, turning the full force of his gaze on Sungmin. The feline flushed.
“Quite little. You were a great race at one time before corruption plagued your people,” Sungmin answered. Jisung stood up and walked over to him, looking down at the feline.
“Correct. And we have an idea, a goal if you will. It is called the Conquest and this goal is to take over the neighbouring lands so we become the sole rulers of the land. So that is why I cannot grant your request as much as I want to,” Jisung finalized. “It is a shame because if this is how the rulers of your people appear, then what beauty must your people hold?”
“So you are refusing our proposal?” Kyuhyun asked. Sungmin started. He had forgotten his mate was in the room. Those eyes of Jisung’s were hypnotising. Kyuhyun tensed as Jisung looked at him then went back to Sungmin with a look in his eyes that Kyuhyun didn’t like. His hands curled into fists as Jisung kneeled across from his mate.
“Yes and quite sadly too because it would mean the loss of your race. You see, your people have great beauty and that is something we prize here. This adorable feline would be of highest status in my court. His profile is fine as well as his body. I would not hesitate to make him my own,” Jisung reached out with one finger and gently traced Sungmin’s cheek.
“Take your hand from my mate,” Kyuhyun growled. Sungmin grew pink and slowly backed away from the Komodo.
“What a pity. In the Dragonrealm, mates do not exist. Why should we when there is so much beauty to share? We simply have constant companions,” Jisung looked over at Kyuhyun. “Are you so selfish to keep such a beautiful creature to yourself?”
“Yes, I am,” Kyuhyun snarled. Jisung placed a hand on Sungmin’s arm.
“I am not harming him. I am merely admiring his beauty. I know by his scent that he belongs to you,” Jisung turned Sungmin’s head slightly. The feline nearly stopped breathing. He looked at Kyuhyun with fearful eyes. A mouth that was filled with poison was so near his neck that it made him tremble.
“You are scaring my mate,” Kyuhyun’s voice was low and he was now on his feet. Sungmin wondered how he could remove the king without getting killed in the process.
“You have such delicate features. Your looks rival that of a woman’s. And such perfect hands. If I could, I would ask you to stay in my court as a consort,” Jisung murmured. Sungmin felt his skin crawl as Jisung put his hand on his face, cupping his cheek.
“I have a mate,” Sungmin whispered. Because of his heat, he felt the urge to cuddle into that touch. But the thought sickened him and he pulled away slightly. Jisung smiled at him and slid his hand underneath the fabric that clothed Sungmin’s shoulder.
Sungmin gasped and jerked back. He semi-phased out of instinct, ears and tail forming as his claws grew from his hands. Jisung didn’t seem to mind the change. Instead, it looked as though he enjoyed it.
“Your half form is exquisite as well,” Jisung commented. Sungmin had the feeling that the Dragon King was undressing him with his eyes.
“Take your gaze from Sungmin. My mate is mine alone,” Kyuhyun said, crossing the room and enclosing Sungmin in his arms. Immediately, the feline burrowed into him, his thumping heart beginning to slow.
“You are quite possessive, aren’t you Alpha Kyuhyun? But I understand it. If Emperor Sungmin was in my arms, I would keep him from the rest of the world too,” Jisung laughed coldly. Kyuhyun’s grip tightened.
“Rest assured, my possessiveness is a blessing. It helps me keep my mate with me and out of the reach of people like you. We are taking our leave. In seven days time, we shall meet in battle,” Kyuhyun growled. Then he leaned down and placed a soft kiss against Sungmin’s forehead.
Sungmin was steered towards the door. He felt relief at being able to leave. His whole body was tense and ready for attack. He still had not phased from his half form. As they were going, the Dragon King caught Kyuhyun’s arm and pulled him back.
“Rest assured, when I send my army in to conquer your lands, I shall make it a point to terminate you so I may claim your pretty little mate as part of my court. And I will not say no if any of the nobles wish to use him,” Jisung smiled darkly.
“Not even in your dreams,” Kyuhyun snarled back. Then Sungmin pulled him out the door and the four of them and their guards set off for the canine/feline lands.
!*!*!*!*!
Well, that was a chapter full of dramarama. I rather enjoyed it. Hopefully you guys liked it too. The next chapter will be up soon! I love you all! o(^^)o
Pairing: Kyumin
Side pairings: Eunhae, Zhoury, Yunjae, Yewook, Kangteuk, Sibum
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.
The Formphasers: Dirge of the Dragons
Stage Nine: Lee Jisung - Dragon King
Sungmin wasn’t sure what to do. War was inevitable now and it seemed like there was no way out of it. The palace was now busy with different meetings to discuss strategic positions as well as places that the dragons might attack from.
The Komodos had taken over the eagle and bear territories which bordered the canine/feline lands on both sides. They could be attacked on all sides except for the far border which ended at the ocean.
Sungmin sat on a window ledge, looking out at the green grass of the feline/canine lands. Times like this should be used for festivities, not for preparing their troops for war.
A hand landed on his head and he turned to see Heechul standing there and looking completely angered by something.
“Hello, hyung. What brings you here?” Sungmin asked, smiling at the effeminate man.
“Hankyung wanted to enlist for the army as a soldier. So we came here so he could enrol,” Heechul said, sitting down beside Sungmin.
“You know Hankyung only wants to protect you,” Sungmin responded, trying to refrain from rolling his eyes.
“I know. But who shall protect him? That is why I have joined the army as well. I shall be an archer. I do have training in that area before I followed Hankyung to help him teach dance,” Heechul said.
“You used to be an archer?” Sungmin asked, incredulous. Heechul looked down at the younger man, a small smirk on his face.
“Yes. I trained your brother in archery while you were being taught by Youngwoon.”
“I never expected that you were once an archer. I have heard that it is one of the harder arts to learn,” Sungmin stared in admiration at his hyung.
“Once the basic concept is grasped, it is not so hard. It is grasping the concept that is,” Heechul replied.
“That is understandable. So the two of you shall protect one another while in battle; is that the idea?” Sungmin prodded. Heechul nodded.
“Hankyung protects me and so I shall protect Hankyung. But do not tell him that I too have joined. He will only try to stop me. But I cannot let him walk into battle without me. Either we both go or neither of us do,” Heechul determined.
Before either Sungmin or Heechul could say anything more, Henry and Zhoumi walked into the room. Zhoumi was completely healed and Henry was exultant of this fact.
“What brings you here?” Sungmin asked.
“We have heard that Ryeowook had found the weakness of the dragons. They are susceptible to poison and one spot is uncovered of armour. Is this the truth?” Henry asked.
“It is. But we know not how long the poison will take to kill a dragon or what point is uncovered with their bodies. This we still need to figure out,” Sungmin sighed.
They had felt so jubilant at the news that the dragons could be defeated that they hadn’t thought of the details they were missing. Jaejoong and Yunho were in the libraries at the very moment, trying to find more information on the missing details.
“Because of the threat made against us and the killing of Jungsu, that means that we are at war, correct?” Zhoumi asked.
“Yes. In seven days, on the eighth of August, we shall go to war,” Sungmin nodded. At the very thought of it, he felt sick. Could there be no other way to solve this?
“The dragons are deadly creatures. They are completely covered in armour. Despite the added weight, they are still agile,” Zhoumi remembered.
“Their second forms are terrifying. Half man and half lizard things that run on their hind legs and snap with poisoned mouths,” Henry shivered.
“It seems that their strengths outweigh their weaknesses,” Sungmin murmured. “Can they truly be destroyed?”
“We must try. I refuse to let a Komodo, lounge in my house and burn my belongings and take over the land we have fought over for so long,” Heechul snarled.
“Therefore you shall be one of those to prevent them, correct?” Sungmin’s eyes crinkled in a smile.
“Only because I have to,” Heechul half-smiled.
And then Sungmin realized something. They didn’t have to go to war. They could have negotiated something between the races so that they could all live in harmony with one another.
If he and Kyuhyun sent a message to the Komodos, seeking an audience with the king, then they could negotiate with each other and be able to work out an agreement with all races that the dragons, eagles and bears would agree to.
If the Komodos wished it, then they could have more of the eagle and bear lands but still allow the two races to live on their lands with little fear of invasion. The canine and felines would have nothing to fear because their combined lands did not border the dragon realm.
“Why did I not think of this earlier?!” Sungmin shouted, startling Heechul, Henry and Zhoumi. The three of them looked at him carefully, as though secretly suspecting that he might be insane.
“What did you not think of earlier?” Henry asked apprehensively. Sungmin turned to him, a smile radiating from him.
“If you gave part of your lands up to the Komodos but got the rest of your land back, would you do it?” Sungmin asked. Henry and Zhoumi nodded. There might be a way to stop the war from happening and prevent lives being lost. There were too many of them gone already. Sungmin dashed out of the room to go find Kyuhyun.
!*!*!*!*!
“Kyuhyun!” Sungmin called. He had found his mate in a conference with Jaejoong and Yunho. The three of them had been discussing the same thing that he had been talking about with Heechul, Zhoumi and Henry. The three of them looked up at his arrival.
“Yes, what is it? Is there something wrong?” Kyuhyun stood up and walked over to the feline, worry in his eyes. Sungmin shook his head.
“No, I was just wondering, is war imminent?”
“It seems that we have no other choice. The dragons have given us a threat and shall attack us on the eighth of August,” Kyuhyun answered.
“What if we were to send a message to the dragons and ask for an audience? Then we could discuss ways in which to live in harmony and peace as well as ask for the lands of the eagles and bears back,” Sungmin said.
“Of course! Why did we never think of that? You are truly brilliant, Sungmin,” Jaejoong smiled appreciatively. Sungmin beamed back.
“We should send the message by serpent. One of the messenger serpents that Kibum carries because they too are reptiles. Would a reptile harm one of its own?” Sungmin pondered.
“This is a good idea. We may not have to go to war at all,” Kyuhyun grinned.
“Although, they may want part of your lands because they did used to control that territory,” Sungmin bit his lip as he looked at Jaejoong and Yunho.
“They may take what they used to control. There is nothing in that part of our kingdom. Our main cities are near the old feline border,” Yunho waved his hand dismissively.
“Then they shall be more likely to agree to at truce now that we have the permission of the eagle Captains and the bear Chieftains to give up part of their lands to the Komodos,” Sungmin said.
“Shall we send the message?” Jaejoong stood up.
“Let’s do so,” Sungmin smiled.
“Thank you for thinking of this,” Jaejoong hugged Sungmin tightly. Still in his heat, Sungmin purred and cuddled into the eagle. There was a soft growl on his left and he was tugged out of Jaejoong’s grasp.
“It appears that Kyuhyun is in heat,” Yunho tried to cover up his laughter in a cough. Sungmin found himself in Kyuhyun’s arms, looking up at the canine who was staring at Jaejoong.
“He is mine,” Kyuhyun tightened his hold. Sungmin gasped slightly as he was crushed against Kyuhyun’s body. But he craved touch and ignored the fact that he could barely breathe and cuddled into Kyuhyun.
“As you wish,” Jaejoong smiled.
“Will you be helping him with his heat?” Yunho tried to hide his smirk.
“When our heats coincide, we do not act upon it. With Sungmin’s need for touch and my need for Sungmin, we would never leave our bedroom if we did act on it,” Kyuhyun answered. Sungmin flushed bright pink.
“We need to send a message,” Sungmin interrupted.
!*!*!*!*!
“Has the serpent returned?” Ryeowook asked. He was sitting with Jongwoon on the terrace of the palace. Sungmin had joined them there, wanting company.
“Not that I have heard. Eunhyuk is on guard now. If there is a message from the dragons, he will tell us of it,” Jongwoon answered.
“I hope that the message comes soon. I do not wish to go to war,” Sungmin sighed.
“Nobody wants to go to war,” another voice said. The three of them turned to see Ahra standing there with her child on her hip. The three of them smiled at her and Junki who was cooing happily.
“Ahra, I have not seen you in some time,” Sungmin said.
“I have been teaching Junki the history of both canines and felines. It was only after I discovered that nobody had told me Jungsu had been killed that I realized now might not be the time for teaching,” Ahra glared at all of them as if they had been the ones responsible for killing Jungsu.
“He was a great person,” Ryeowook murmured.
“He was. He taught Junki about feline lore. If I am not careful, Junki will grow up believing he is a cat. Especially with all of you in his life,” Ahra smiled at her child.
“Emperor Sungmin! The serpent has returned and with it, the response of the Komodos!” Eunhyuk ran to Sungmin and held out a paper. The serpent which had delivered it coiled in his palm.
“What does it say?” Jongwoon asked. Sungmin unfolded the paper and scanned it, his eyes widening.
“Tomorrow, at the hour of ten, meet at the old eagle border. At the hour of twelve, we shall talk within my private chambers. You may bring two guards with you. They will be made to wait outside as we talk. Do not be late. Jisung: King of the Dragons.”
!*!*!*!*!
Kyuhyun and Sungmin walked along with Donghae and Eunhyuk. They had reached the eagle border half an hour earlier than they were supposed to and had been met by a retinue of dragons.
Now, they were being transported by the creatures to the Dragonrealm. The stories about the speeds of the dragons were true. They were fast. Sungmin barely had time to look around at the burned trees of the eagles when they were suddenly on barren dry land.
“We have arrived at the palace of the Dragon King. Here, he shall receive you,” the head of their retinue told them. The four of them looked around at the hot, baked wasteland.
“This is what the dragons live on?” Eunhyuk looked distastefully at his surroundings.
“I suppose so. It does not look all that desirable,” Donghae agreed.
“It is the palace that they live in,” Kyuhyun pointed out.
The palace was built of beautiful granite rock. Despite the dusty surroundings, it had a polished look. Sungmin’s eyes widened as he looked at the intricate designs that decorated the walls. The palace was huge and glinted in the harsh light of the sun.
A man dressed in a long black robe stood at the top of the steps that led to the large door of the castle. He was young and looked quite kind. But as he looked down at Sungmin, the Emperor saw the coldness of his eyes. He shivered involuntarily.
“Welcome to the Dragonrealm. I am Lee Jisung, King of the Dragons,” the man said. He bowed to them and motioned for them to climb the stairs. They did so and came face to face with the young man.
“I am Alpha Kyuhyun and this is my mate,” Kyuhyun introduced himself. Sungmin stepped forwards next.
“I am Emperor Sungmin and these are our guards, Eunhyuk and Donghae,” the feline gestured to the two behind him.
“It is a pleasure to meet you all,” Jisung said, his eyes travelling over the group. Sungmin heard the cold tone of his voice and wondered if this man had ever known kindness.
“We have come to speak with you about the situation regarding the races,” Kyuhyun continued.
“Yes, we shall speak in my private chambers. Your guards may come but must stay outside. Shall we go?” Without waiting for an answer, the Dragon King turned and walked into his castle.
They walked down winding hallways that were lit with torches and decorated with beautiful gemstones. They reached the rooms of the King who bade Eunhyuk and Donghae to wait outside while they spoke.
Once inside the room, Sungmin felt more comfortable. It was warm and inviting with the faint scent of incense hovering in the room. They settled themselves on comfortable cushions and cups of tea were placed in front of them by beautiful dragons.
“Now, tell me, what is it that you wish?” Jisung asked, pouring milk into his drink.
“We would like to request a truce. Instead of going to war, we should come to an agreement that would benefit all races,” Kyuhyun began.
“I see. And what do you propose?” Jisung asked, dropping a cube of sugar into his cup.
“The dragons have every right to be angry that the eagles and bears took over lands that weren’t theirs to take,” Sungmin cut in.
“Yes, they thought we were too weak to defend our borders. But they paid the price,” Jisung laughed cruelly for a moment. The servants who were in the chamber laughed along with him.
“If they promised to give those lands back, and you allowed them to go back to their original territories, then we would have no reason for war,” Sungmin finished.
“But the reason why we are going to war is because you refused to hand over the refugees that by law are ours to deal with,” Jisung stared at Sungmin, placing his teacup down on the table. The feline flushed at the Dragon King’s intense gaze.
“But if you allowed them to return to their previously owned lands while you retain what they took, we would have no quarrel and we would be able to co-exist in harmony with both the bears and the eagles,” Sungmin pointed out.
“Emperor Sungmin, what knowledge do you have of our race?” Jisung asked, turning the full force of his gaze on Sungmin. The feline flushed.
“Quite little. You were a great race at one time before corruption plagued your people,” Sungmin answered. Jisung stood up and walked over to him, looking down at the feline.
“Correct. And we have an idea, a goal if you will. It is called the Conquest and this goal is to take over the neighbouring lands so we become the sole rulers of the land. So that is why I cannot grant your request as much as I want to,” Jisung finalized. “It is a shame because if this is how the rulers of your people appear, then what beauty must your people hold?”
“So you are refusing our proposal?” Kyuhyun asked. Sungmin started. He had forgotten his mate was in the room. Those eyes of Jisung’s were hypnotising. Kyuhyun tensed as Jisung looked at him then went back to Sungmin with a look in his eyes that Kyuhyun didn’t like. His hands curled into fists as Jisung kneeled across from his mate.
“Yes and quite sadly too because it would mean the loss of your race. You see, your people have great beauty and that is something we prize here. This adorable feline would be of highest status in my court. His profile is fine as well as his body. I would not hesitate to make him my own,” Jisung reached out with one finger and gently traced Sungmin’s cheek.
“Take your hand from my mate,” Kyuhyun growled. Sungmin grew pink and slowly backed away from the Komodo.
“What a pity. In the Dragonrealm, mates do not exist. Why should we when there is so much beauty to share? We simply have constant companions,” Jisung looked over at Kyuhyun. “Are you so selfish to keep such a beautiful creature to yourself?”
“Yes, I am,” Kyuhyun snarled. Jisung placed a hand on Sungmin’s arm.
“I am not harming him. I am merely admiring his beauty. I know by his scent that he belongs to you,” Jisung turned Sungmin’s head slightly. The feline nearly stopped breathing. He looked at Kyuhyun with fearful eyes. A mouth that was filled with poison was so near his neck that it made him tremble.
“You are scaring my mate,” Kyuhyun’s voice was low and he was now on his feet. Sungmin wondered how he could remove the king without getting killed in the process.
“You have such delicate features. Your looks rival that of a woman’s. And such perfect hands. If I could, I would ask you to stay in my court as a consort,” Jisung murmured. Sungmin felt his skin crawl as Jisung put his hand on his face, cupping his cheek.
“I have a mate,” Sungmin whispered. Because of his heat, he felt the urge to cuddle into that touch. But the thought sickened him and he pulled away slightly. Jisung smiled at him and slid his hand underneath the fabric that clothed Sungmin’s shoulder.
Sungmin gasped and jerked back. He semi-phased out of instinct, ears and tail forming as his claws grew from his hands. Jisung didn’t seem to mind the change. Instead, it looked as though he enjoyed it.
“Your half form is exquisite as well,” Jisung commented. Sungmin had the feeling that the Dragon King was undressing him with his eyes.
“Take your gaze from Sungmin. My mate is mine alone,” Kyuhyun said, crossing the room and enclosing Sungmin in his arms. Immediately, the feline burrowed into him, his thumping heart beginning to slow.
“You are quite possessive, aren’t you Alpha Kyuhyun? But I understand it. If Emperor Sungmin was in my arms, I would keep him from the rest of the world too,” Jisung laughed coldly. Kyuhyun’s grip tightened.
“Rest assured, my possessiveness is a blessing. It helps me keep my mate with me and out of the reach of people like you. We are taking our leave. In seven days time, we shall meet in battle,” Kyuhyun growled. Then he leaned down and placed a soft kiss against Sungmin’s forehead.
Sungmin was steered towards the door. He felt relief at being able to leave. His whole body was tense and ready for attack. He still had not phased from his half form. As they were going, the Dragon King caught Kyuhyun’s arm and pulled him back.
“Rest assured, when I send my army in to conquer your lands, I shall make it a point to terminate you so I may claim your pretty little mate as part of my court. And I will not say no if any of the nobles wish to use him,” Jisung smiled darkly.
“Not even in your dreams,” Kyuhyun snarled back. Then Sungmin pulled him out the door and the four of them and their guards set off for the canine/feline lands.
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Well, that was a chapter full of dramarama. I rather enjoyed it. Hopefully you guys liked it too. The next chapter will be up soon! I love you all! o(^^)o