once upon a dream (1/5): A Cottage in the Woods

[jinwann]

Pairing: Chanyeol/Minseok, minor Tao/Jongin & Yixing/Jongdae, ultra minor Sehun/Baekhyun, Kyungsoo/Irene, Joonmyun/Kyuhyun
Rating: PG
Word Count: 34090w
Summary: Chanyeol is the Prince Charming of fairytales. He's saved princesses and princes from the wrath of evil stepmothers and witches and broken curses with a kiss, but they've never been his true love. However, he hasn't given up hope yet- even when he stumbles upon five furious dragons.
A/N: Originally written for the_exordium. maybe someday i will finish all those other ideas i started for this longfic challenge and never finished ^^;;;



It was a dark and stormy night.

Chanyeol inhales, bringing his horse to a stop in the center of a clearing. The trees surrounding him creak with a gust of the wind, leaves crinkling and crackling. The leaves that have fallen are dead. They skitter across the ground and crunch beneath his horse’s hooves. This pathway is only lit by the lantern he holds that threatens to blow out. The eerie, erratic light makes the trees seem like monsters in the dark, snarling, growling, howling monsters with the sharpest of teeth and the foulest of breaths. Chanyeol looks around, left, right, and behind, and ensures that he’s completely alone. He clenches the reins tighter as the wind whistles through the trees, making their gnarly smiles sicker, more terrifying. This isn’t the first time Chanyeol has traveled through this forest, and he isn’t afraid, but the shiver that runs down his spine keeps all his nerves on edge, fraying as the forest never seems to end before him. It seems like there’s no way out behind him or around him.

“Come on,” he murmurs, gently tugging on the reins of his horse. He pulls up his hood, keeping his head tucked down and cradles his lantern as thunder suddenly cracks through the sky. “The sooner we get out of here the better.”

The horse whinnies in response, kicking up his heels and pushing into a full gallop as they speed through the haunted forest. Chanyeol grits his teeth as the wind blows harder, sinking deep into his bones. He feels the hilt of his sword smacking against his side, a comfort in the face of danger.

Thunder cracks, lightning blazes the sky, and the trees take on faces of monsters engraved into the bark of their trunks. Chanyeol had been more frightened the first time he'd had to cross these woods on a worse night, darker and it poured like the skies mourned at the time. But these woods are still frightening when he trespasses in the night.

"Come on," he says, tugging on the reigns of his horse. "We're almost there."

And he's not sure who he's trying to assure with that.

The wind whips ferociously in his eyes, the tree branches sharp like knives as they split the cloth of his cloak and skim the flesh of his arms and his cheeks. The forest grows darker the farther he pushes through, and at some point he has to wonder if he's lost his way- if the witch had turned him around. But he feels that the end to the darkness is near, and the worst of his fears are almost over.

Then again, this wouldn't be the first time the witch had played him into a false sense of security. He'd saved a princess named Junhee just a few months ago and the witch had assured that he get turned around in the forest, wandering deeper and deeper every time he was sure he'd found his way out. He'd nearly died of starvation before pixies had come to his aid and showed him the way out.

And he’d thought that the struggles of the journey had been worth it upon sight of the princess. Junhee was beautiful upon first glance, long golden hair hung from the highest tower Chanyeol had ever laid eyes upon. She sang from her window, songs about the lanterns that float into the sky once a year. She sang and laughed from her tower, braiding her hair with the brightest of flowers and smiled upon Chanyeol when he'd rung for her hair.

The battle for her had been hard, the witch was unforgiving this time and had wanted the power of Junhee's hair- to live at the height of her youth forever- so desperately that she was willing to kill for it. Chanyeol left with more than a few scratches, a busted lip, a broken wrist, and a broken heart to match. But it was nothing new for Chanyeol who saved princesses and princes in distress and hoped that he was someone's Prince Charming.

The wind relents for a heartbeat, and Chanyeol knows he's found his way out. He whips the reins of his horse, taking up full speed into the darkest section of the grove where the trees look the most ferocious. After blowing out the lantern and tucking it away, he unsheathes his sword and begins to swing it, cutting away at the bramble and branches that block the exit. It's tough to break through, but he thanks that at least the blacksmith had thought to upgrade him with an mythril sword- stronger than anything he's ever wielded before.

After all, the blacksmith had told him with a sincere grin, saving princes and princesses was the toughest job in the country.

With a final swing of his sword, Chanyeol cuts through the last of the barricade and races through the outskirts of the forest. Night turns into day, the thunderstorm ends, the trees lose their grimaces and frowns and the leaves turn into the shimmery green of spring. The anxiety that had gripped his heart finally loosens its vice grip, his lungs expand and it feels like taking in the first breath of spring. Beyond the treacherous forest blooms flowers of all colors, fields of them line the ground beneath his horse's hooves. Everything is peaceful once again.

Chanyeol sheathes his sword and slides his hood off, taking a glance around at the scenery. How something so beautiful could be at the end of a forest so treacherous for the villagers and royalty that dare to wander through it is far beyond him. It's calming to finally be out of the forest and into a land Chanyeol has never really ventured into. He's saved his share of princes and princesses, but the forest is huge and there are so many lands beyond it that he's never seen before.

"Well the sooner we save the prince the sooner we go home," Chanyeol sighs, nervously fiddling with the reins around his wrist. His horse turns around and puffs air at him, nonplussed. Chanyeol can't help but laugh, patting the flank of his horse.

"I know the forest freaks you out. But I think I'm getting used to it--"

Another puff of air in his face hits, accompanied with the spit of his horse that douses his cheeks. He slowly wipes off the slobber, incredulous.

"Ugh, sick," he groans, shaking off the liquid away from him. But of course his horse simply whinnies and trots along like his job is only to mock Chanyeol instead of serve him.

Chanyeol bites his tongue and simply follows where his horse leads him. He's learned better than to retort when he should keep his mouth shut.

The sun rises higher in the afternoon sky, the birds chirping as Chanyeol continues wandering through the forest. He soon approaches a clearing, a field of wildflowers that fill his visions with every color. Chanyeol tugs on the collar of his shirt- it's hotter in the clearing without shade from the trees of the forest, but the field of flowers is nothing like he's ever seen before. Flowers of shades of blues and purples and pinks he's never seen before line the path of his horse's tracks, dancing in the wind that blows the seeds of dandelions away. Chanyeol inhales, taking in the scent of daisies and roses, wishing for a moment he could stay a bit longer. A place as magical as this is rare to come by in the Enchanted Forest.

But the pleads of pixies and dwarves fills his head and he swallows the guilt- vile in his mouth. There is no time to waste, he supposes. He is here for one purpose only.

He pushes through the field of flowers, pushing through the next patch of trees so tall the sky is obscured by the branches and leaves the size of Chanyeol's head. He hears squirrels and chipmunks skittering across the leaves, disappearing in trees and dancing around the path of his horse. The birds duck into their nests, chirping beside him as he passes. The wind brushes past, a breeze so gentle it barely moves the leaves of the trees, but it lets Chanyeol know he's close- so close to the end of the forest.

When he finally breaks through, the first thing that comes into view is a home of wood, small in size and thatched with hay. There is a small yard where the laundry hangs, small patches of flowers that grow in the colors of the field Chanyeol had passed through. He glances around but no one is in sight- no dwarves, no pixies, and no witches.

His eye catches a patch of flowers surrounding a glass box. It's a little ways off, closer to the edge of the forest. The bottom is engraved in gold, designs of flowers amidst swirls and the signs of royalty.

The glass dome houses a bed of flowers, atop which a prince sleeps. Chanyeol dismounts his horse, gripping the sword strapped to his side as he approaches the box. Sehun, the prince within that the pixies had told him about, has the reddest lips he's ever seen, akin to the deepest shade of a rose. The prince's cheeks are flushed pink, his face pale but his hair the darkest of night. His eyelashes are long, fanning against his cheeks as he sleeps peacefully. He holds a rose between his slim fingers, stark in color against the blue of his robes. He fits the description Chanyeol had been told, but the prince is more beautiful than he could've imagined.

He takes in a deep breath and lifts open the glass cover. The scent of the flower bed hits him, strong but still pleasant. Sehun lies still, almost as though his soul had passed, and though Chanyeol knows that the witch had only put Sehun to rest, the fleeting worry of death still passes through his mind.

He gets down on one knee and leans in close to Sehun's lips, close that they're only centimeters apart, but he stops short for a moment. He stares up at Sehun's eyes and takes in the sharpness of his cheeks and the way he looks so young asleep like this, chest a little tight, before he snaps back into his task. He closes his eyes and kisses Sehun, feeling the softness of the prince's lips and counting the seconds until he feels the prince stir beneath him.

Sehun groans, slowly moving his fingers, his legs, breathing before he slowly opens his eyes. He blinks at the harsh light of the sun, closes his eyes for a moment longer. His thin lips part as he takes in an inhale and takes in the feeling of being alive again.

"What... happened?" he whispers, voice raw and thick with exhaustion. The rose between his fingers rolls off of him and joins the bed of flowers beneath him.

"You ate a poisoned apple," Chanyeol says, clicking his tongue and calling his horse over. He rummages through the satchel swung over the saddle and pulls out sandwiches he'd packed beforehand. He pulls one out and offers it to Sehun. "Hungry?"

The prince nods, groaning as he sits up. He gratefully takes the sandwich from Chanyeol and eagerly takes the first bite. "I remember that," he murmurs, crumbs caught in the corner of his lips. Chanyeol runs his thumb across, swiping away the bread. Sehun manages a shy smile around the mouth of the water canteen Chanyeol hands him. "Did I sleep?"

Chanyeol nods. "You've been asleep for two weeks."

At that, Sehun stills, sandwich held before his mouth. He shows no outward surprise, but that's just how Sehun is. From what he's heard, Sehun is kind despite the feeling people get from his outer, hardened appearance.

"It's okay now," Chanyeol says, wrapping the half of his sandwich left and packing it back in the satchel. He stands up and stretches, feeling his spine crack as he twists around. "The army has pushed the witch back temporarily."

"And the dwarves?"

"The dwarves are fine- they were the ones who came to me and-" Chanyeol exhales, wringing his fingers in his horse's mane. His fingers tremble slightly beneath his gloves. "Prince Baekhyun is waiting for you."

Sehun stands up too fast, vision consumed suddenly by darkness and knees locking but Chanyeol is lucky to catch him around the waist. He leads Sehun back to the golden box and steadies the prince. Sehun has his head caught in his hands, willing for the blackness to fade.

Chanyeol waits.

"So Prince Baekhyun is waiting for me?"

Chanyeol nods, fists tightening by his sides. "He's been worried all this time," Chanyeol murmurs, trying to keep out any hints of malice by gritting his teeth, "so we should head out soon."

Sehun nods, sending Chanyeol a look for help. He stands up more steadily this time, works through the creaks and the stiffness of his muscles to get back onto the horse. Chanyeol puts his foot in the stirrups and swings himself onto the horse, sitting behind Sehun and passing him the reins. "Think you've still got it?"

Sehun smiles, and it's something almost brilliant. The gleam of mischief briefly clouds his eyes and he snaps the reins of the horse, turning them around and heading back through the forest now drenched in daylight.

Chanyeol spends the ride home with his hands hooked loosely around Sehun's waist, thinking. Prince Baekhyun isn't a bad guy, and he'd been so worried about Sehun. Chanyeol saw how he'd been sleepless for days, how little he ate, and how he'd soon become something of a skeleton compared to what he formerly was. He lead the battle to the witch, suffered a broken leg, and begged Chanyeol, begged Prince Charming, to bring his love home.

He saw the desperation, the sadness. And he saw that bringing Sehun home could restore Baekhyun to king, the role he rightfully deserved now.

They burst through the center clearing of the forest when Sehun turns around, glancing at him over his shoulder. "Something up?" he shouts over the roaring of the wind.

Chanyeol shakes his head, shifting uncomfortably in his spot. Sehun is beautiful, he thinks, and he imagines what it would be like if Sehun were his- if he finally saved a prince or a princess who picked to marry him instead of another. He wishes, for just a moment, that there was a prince who'd love him after he'd traversed the perils of the witch and saved him with a kiss. But the thought is fleeting, brushed off by the wind caressing his shoulders. His age old title of Prince Charming holds no meaning anymore- not when the world of fairytales has been changing so drastically around him.

"I'm fine," he murmurs, loosening his grip around Sehun's waist. "I'm just... tired."

Sehun snaps the reins of the horse, bursting out of the forest and into the edge of the village where the farmland lines the pathway to the castle. "Don't worry," he says, smile brighter yet than Chanyeol's seen before, "we're almost home."

Chanyeol plasters the fakest smile he can manage to his face. Jealousy is a nasty thing, Chanyeol knows, but he allows himself just this moment to envy the sweet love that Prince Baekhyun and Prince Sehun are sure to be graced with.

The marriage falls nearly as soon as Prince Sehun and Prince Baekhyun are reunited, and the ceremony is beautiful. People from all villages around make travel to the castle to witness the wedding. Both princes are dressed in robes of white and decorated in gold. Sehun wears a thin, gold crown of interlaced leaves around his head, vibrant against the black of his hair. Baekhyun wears the larger crown, the king's crown with the symbols and jewels of all nations. The streets are lined with lanterns laced in the branches of the trees and people are bustling in their fanciest clothes, smiling and laughing and cheering as the princes make their vows and kiss before them.

Chanyeol watches the festivities from the preparations to the princes' carriage disappearing over the rolling hills to the tropical island they plan to spend the next week together. He watches with a heavy heart because he's grown used to this, watching those he'd loved at first sight break his heart. Princess Junhee had soon married Prince Minho. He'd saved a merman named Kyungsoo, Prince of the Sea, who had married to a cute mermaid named Joohyun as soon as he was free from the clutches of the witch. He'd saved Prince Yifan from the clutches of his evil family- oh how they'd worked him like a slave- but the way he'd looked up at Chanyeol made his heart beat even harder and faster than he'd ever felt it. But he'd soon run away to explore the world after leaving Chanyeol behind with a kiss goodbye.

Chanyeol has grown so used to this that he'd figured there's always someone or something better out there for everyone. One day he'll find the true love he's been looking for, and he has to remind himself that today simply isn't that day.

As soon as the festivities die down and the streets begin to clear as people travel back to their villages, he strolls through the streets and through the farms to his home. He picks up an apple from a vendor stall near the castle walls, smiling at the old woman sweetly as he tosses her a few extra gold coins from his pocket than the apple's worth. He bites away at the apple, feeling satisfied at the crunch and the sweet taste of the apple against his tongue, but after only a few bites he feeds the rest of it to his horse as he saddles up and rides out.

The shoreline is not far by horseback from the castle. Chanyeol rides out for what feels like only minutes, speeding through the forest that lines the village surrounding the castle until he breaks through and hits a small sandy beach. He shields his eyes from the setting sun as it hits him suddenly, squinting at the ends of the beach and along where the waves crash against the bank to find not a soul in sight- at least, not above the water.

He heads out for a more secluded section of the beach, a small outcrop sectioned away by boulders stacked upon each other like a wall. Chanyeol swings off his horse and leaves him on the beach while he clambers over the rocks. He kicks up sand as he lands, boots leaving tracks as he makes to sit closer to the water. There's a small whistle shaped almost like a shell he'd tucked into his pocket, one he generally keeps in his satchel so he doesn't lose it. He holds it between his fingers, passing it between the tips of his thumb and his index finger until he looks out into the ocean and blows it. It's soundless to his own ears, but not for what lives out in the ocean.

"I figured today of all days you'd at least have something better to do than come bother me."

Chanyeol smiles wryly, tucking the whistle back in his pocket. "And I figured you'd at least have a few comforting words for me since I've come out all this way to see you, Kyungsoo."

The merman huffs, water rippling around his face. He kicks his shimmery red tail up, scooping up water and aiming it for Chanyeol. The water bomb hits its mark and Chanyeol is soaked head to toe, sputtering out sea water caught in his mouth.

"Right, you were saying?"

Chanyeol spits out the salt water gathering in his cheeks and pushes his damp bangs over his forehead. "I can't come see my best fish friend--"

"--I am not a fish!--"

"--without going back looking like a drenched pup?"

Kyungsoo huffs, kicking up his tail again and splashing a bit more water into Chanyeol's lap. He pushes his hair from his eyes and sinks a little deeper into the water. "If you'd wanted to come see me so casually, you wouldn't have come in your finest wedding clothes just after the royal wedding."

"So?" Chanyeol mumbles, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I figured you needed reminding about how wonderful I am."

Scoffing, Kyungsoo hauls himself up to the shoreline, pushing himself back onto the sandy bank until he's comfortable beside Chanyeol. His tail stretches out into the water, fins breaking the incoming waves. "Right," he sighs, "as if I'd ever forget how wonderful you are."

Chanyeol bites down on his lips, resting his chin on his knees.

"Well," Kyungsoo says, "if you're here to remind me that you're a wonderful friend, I think you've already messed that one up. I left Joohyun babysitting her 3 baby nieces alone and, needless to say, she has no previous experience even holding a baby. Imagine trying to keep track of two baby mermen and a mermaid who already swim far too well for their own good."

Kyungsoo looks out into the ocean, leaning back on the palms of his hands. "And if you're here to find comfort for feeling like you're missing out on love again, I only have the same words of advice I've been giving you for months."

Chanyeol looks over at his friends, squinting at the sun setting behind the merman.

"What are you waiting for?" Kyungsoo says. "Why sit around waiting for love?"

"Easier said than done," Chanyeol exhales. He kicks off his shoes and digs his toes in the sand, pressing his cheek harder into his knees. "You haven't kissed so many good looking people."

Kyungsoo scoffs, "As if. You're far from my level."

Chanyeol manages to crack a smile. He shifts a little uncomfortably, resting his chin back on his knees. "So what should I do?" he sighs. "What am I doing wrong?"

Smiling, Kyungsoo begins inching back into the water, eyes reflecting the shining glint of his tail as he glances back at Chanyeol. "Well, you have two options," he says, already waist deep into the water. "You can keep sitting on your ass and hoping that love will come find you, or you can venture out and find the love you're looking for."

"But what if--"

Kyungsoo kicks up his tail, splashing Chanyeol once more. "Figure it out," he says with a smile. "You can be sort of smart when you're not being stupid all the time."

"Why do I even consider you a friend."

"Because let's face it: you need someone smarter to think of these things for you."

"Hey!"

Kyungsoo chuckles, almost fully submerged in the water again. Only his head peeks out from the ocean water. "We all find love in the end, Chanyeol. Don't forget that."

Chanyeol huffs, watching his friend disappear beneath the waves soon after. The sun is low in the horizon, and he should be leaving now to make it home before it's completely dark, but the rhythmic, constant breaking of the waves on the shore is comforting in a way and it's hard to pull away from it. But he doesn't fancy spending a night in the forest so he dusts the sand off his wet clothes and hops over the rocks and back onto his horse.

He supposes Kyungsoo is right, but it's nothing Chanyeol hasn't already told himself before. But he'd hoped Kyungsoo saying his thoughts aloud might shed a light in his own mind. Yet, there are still questions left unanswered. What is he so afraid of anyway?

The rest of the ride to his home behind the castle is silent, even the crickets and cicadas seem to be lost in their own thoughts that they've forgotten to come out and chirp. It's a restless night for Chanyeol in the silence he comes home to and the darkness that swallows him up.

Everything is quiet in the village for a couple weeks. It gives Chanyeol some time for himself, to hunt for enough food to last him the rest of the month and spend some time helping around the village. Days pass by lazily, the same every day, and Chanyeol eventually forgets his worries as the village children drag him to the swings and crawl on his lap and ask him to play ‘Save the princesses and princes from the dragons’.

Every day passes the same until Chanyeol comes home from his hunt one day to the Jung sisters sitting on his doorstep, waving at him frantically.

"Uncle Chanyeol!" Soojung yells, waving both her arms over her head. Her pigtails bounce on her shoulders as she jumps up and down, only quelled by her sister's hand on her dress.

"Uncle Chanyeol! Papa needs your help!" Sooyeon yells.

Chanyeol shifts his catch of small animals into one hand and opens the door. "Why don't you girls come inside and tell me what's up?"

The sisters nod, timidly holding hands and stepping inside the household. Chanyeol's home is not big nor is it really furnished, but he doesn't spend too much time at home anyway. This home is simply a place for him to sleep and eat.

Chanyeol puts his catch into the sink to wash and clean for later. He cleans up his hands, then goes to the cupboard where he keeps the chocolate chip cookies he buys from the market for the kids who come by. Sooyeon and Soojung look thrilled when Chanyeol hands them each a cookie.

"So what does your papa need help with?" he says, sitting on his knees so that he's eye level with the eight and five year old.

Soojung is still trying to process the massive bite of the cookie she'd taken while Sooyeon eats a bit more peckish. "Our sheep are missing!" she exclaims, waving her hand with the cookie around so that the crumbs spill all over the floor. "I counted the sheep and we have thirteen but when I came outside to count them again after I did my school work, there were only twelve!"

"And then it happened again!" Soojung chirps, mouth surrounded by cookie crumbs and chocolate remnants. "I counted twelve sheep and then when I came back from playing 'Dragon and Princess' with Sunyoung and Jinri there were only eleven sheep!"

Chanyeol purses his lips in thought. The girls aren't ones to cry wolf if there's no danger, but there's nothing that comes to his mind immediately as to why the sheep would go missing- unless it was something so simple that they'd wandered into the nearby forest or into someone else's farmland.

He stands up with a groan, knees cracking as he moves to grab his bow and bag of arrows. "Let's go back to your papa and I'll see where I can start looking for the sheep."

"Can we ride your horse today, uncle?" Sooyeon asks, bouncing on her heels. "Please, please, pretty pleeeeeeeeease?"

Chanyeol can never say no to children pouts, and the Jung sisters have a particularly fatal technique down to a tee. His smile already has the two girls jumping up and down. They're out the door before him as he's running his mental checklist to make sure he's brought everything to go hunting.

As he closes the door, he considers bringing his sword. It's heavy, but whatever is causing the sheep to disappear can't be a good thing if they've gone into the forest. He decides it's better to be safe than sorry and quickly straps the sword around his waist.

The girls are already out by his horse, petting as far high up as they can reach. Chanyeol hoists them up first, Soojung in the front and Sooyeon behind her. Then he grabs the reins around them and takes the horse slow. They don't live far apart from each other so he doesn't mind being safer and ensuring no one slides off the horse. The ride is short but filled with excited squeals by the girls and the endless questions they have for him about saving princes and princesses and fighting dragons (which he has never actually done but the girls seem so enthusiastic that it's hard to get 'no' through their heads).

"Uncle!" Soojung exclaims from the front. "Uncle, our black sheep is gone!"

Sooyeon starts wiggling in her spot, and Chanyeol puts a protective hand on her waist to keep her from toppling off. "But Jaju is our favorite sheep!" Sooyeon says, trying to look at Chanyeol over her shoulder while keeping her balance. "You have to find him, uncle Chanyeol!"

Chanyeol sighs. "Alright, stay calm. You never know if your black sheep is just playing hide and seek."

Both girls turn to look at him, unamused and lips downturned into a frown.

"Okay, I'll help look in the forest for him," he says, stopping the horse close to the backdoor of their home. He hops off first, then lets both girls down. The girls burst into the house, pulling their papa out by the hand to tell Chanyeol about the mysterious disappearances of their sheep.

In the midst of discussing the topic, Sooyeon suddenly points to the sky. "Look, papa! There's a big bird with our sheep!" Chanyeol whips around and looks to find a large black shadow disappearing from sight.

"I'll go track it- find out where your sheep have been going," he says, clicking his tongue and calling his horse a bit closer. He hops on easily and starts riding out. "I'll let you know what I find!" he yells out behind him, the Jung sisters waving behind him. His focus now is solely on the bird and where in the forest the bird is flying off to.

He follows behind as closely as he can to the shrinking dot in the distance, urging his horse faster and faster until they burst into the forest, hot on the bird's tail. It doesn't strike him odd that the bird seems to grow larger and larger the closer they get, nor why the bird would take an animal as big as the sheep. He focuses on avoiding the trees, directing his horse through the maze of the forest until they reach a clearing, close enough to the bird that he has a chance at shooting.

He makes quick work with the arrows first, dumping the vial of poison he keeps with him over the tips of the arrows before lining it up to the string of the recurve bow and resting the body of the arrow on his hand. He points up, taking aim at the shrinking shadow of the bird and firing.

The arrow whizzes through the air, string vibrating against his ear and shaking the wood of his bow before swinging just shy of the bird. He curses- now he's alerted the bird to his presence. The bird is already beginning to panic, frozen in the air before attempting to fly off as fast as it can. Chanyeol does not have much time before he almost loses sight of the bird and in his haste, dumps the entire vial of poison over his arrow before taking aim, squinting at his target and positioning his arrow, before drawing the string, aiming, and firing.

He does not miss the second time. He watches as the arrow zips through the air, bursting into the cloudless sky to hit its mark at the underside of the bird's belly. He watches with enthusiasm and fascination as the bird crumples, the sheep falling from its grip before it plummets deeper into the forest. Chanyeol yells the command at his horse to push forward and race toward where he predicts the bird had fallen. It takes longer than he expects, the bird must have been farther than he predicted, but he comes to a clearing of snapped tree branches and a growing pile of fresh underbrush from the broken trees.

He hears a pained growl and stops the horse in its tracks, the horse rearing back at him in light of the sudden stop. He pets the horses mane, pleading it to calm down as he dismounts, tossing the bow aside and clinging to the hilt of his sword at his belt. He tiptoes through the brush, trying not to let it creak under his feet as he pushes away collapsed tree trunks and strewn branches.

He finds the sheep- dead from the fall, because the pained growl did not come from the silent black sheep.

It instead comes from the massive leathery set of ruby wings crumpled over a man just meters from the sheep.

He holds his breath and attempts to back away, realizing the danger that he might be in should he be spotted by whatever it is that had stolen the sheep, but his feet crunch over the fallen tree branches and suddenly the winged form is startled, wings jerking in reaction to the sound.

Chanyeol is frozen as he watches the scarlet wings unfold, pushing away until they reveal a man underneath- one who looks as though he can't be older than Chanyeol. The messy mop of brown hair falls into the man's burning red eyes as he yells out, hand gripping underneath him as he struggles to stand, pulling himself up from the ground and letting his wings be dragged lifelessly behind him. The messy mop of brown hair is un-matching to the man's weak stance, because the glare of the red eyes Chanyeol accidentally looks into has him trembling.

The man stumbles back, crying as he clutches his stomach, and Chanyeol can see that the wings are attached to the man's back, breaking through the tan, smooth skin. His shaky exhale is caught in his throat, hand frozen over the hilt of his sword as he tries to get his mind around the situation. The man rolls over onto his back, crying with the most heart wrenching scream Chanyeol's ever heard, to reveal his hands pressing fiercely into his stomach, drenched in the darkest blood, surrounding the golden feathered arrow lodged in his abdomen.

Chanyeol's arrow. Chanyeol's poison tipped arrow.

He takes another step back, heading for his horse, cringing as he once more steps over the fallen branches. The being is once more alerted to him, and Chanyeol remains still with his fingers frozen over the hilt of his sword, ready to pull it from his side at a moment's notice.

He can't help but cringe as the man stands once more with the arrow lodged in his abdomen, as his grip tightens and loosens with each drunk sway of his body, as the color floods in and out of his face. Chanyeol pulls his sword further out of its sheath, fingers frozen on the hilt as he cautiously steps away with each step forward the beast takes.

But the beast looks up at him, enraged, growling to convey both his pain and his anger. His eyes alight in a bright red, brighter than the maroon of his wings and reminiscent of the hottest fire. He steps forward and Chanyeol falls back, he takes two steps forward and Chanyeol, with fear gripping tightly around his throat, can only take one step back.

He screams as fire alights before his eyes, crawling up the underbrush and licking the ends of his shoes. The wall soars up above him before it disappears, the beast closer than before as it snarls and stumbles forward. The beast closes in quickly, wings outstretched around him, broadening his figure, sending fear shooting into Chanyeol's veins until he's falling, tripping over his own feet. From where he sits, the beast looks ready to kill.

He scrambles for his sword, fumbling to get the blade out and cursing as his clumsy fingers drop the sword from his grasp. He panics, struggling to pick up the sword and stand ready. Fire alights before him, closer, burning hotter as it singes the ends of his clothes. He quickly aims the sword out in front of him and locks in on his target, praying that the sudden sway of courage will keep his hands steady.

"I'll do it!" he yells, but the beast's cries swallow it up, silence him. "I'll swing!" But the beast's hand fists the collar of his shirt and hoists him up off the ground. He comes to face piercing red eyes, completely locking up his throat. He clenches the hilt of the sword tighter, struggling to force his limbs to work though he hangs midair, above the winged beast.

But with an effortless toss, the beast throws him aside. His back crashes against a tree, and all he can feel is a shooting pain radiating from his shoulder where it had hit the trunk. He clenches his eyes shut and groans, watching his vision fade out to black and his consciousness fade momentarily. The beast is approaching him, maybe to ensure that he's passed out or dead, but Chanyeol doesn't let this chance pass up. He discreetly switches the sword to his uninjured arm and as soon as the beast is close enough, so close that Chanyeol can feel the beast's breath on his neck, he swings the sword and stabs the beast.

The beast howls in pain, crumpling to the ground on his side in a heap of his wings. His body looks more frail than ever as he clutches at it desperately, crying out in pain once more. Chanyeol can't stand the sound, how the beast's cries are so maddeningly sad, so human, the pain is almost tangible what he feels. Once his vision clears, he watches the beast before him. Like a newborn deer, the beast stumbles forward on its weak legs, trembling under the sudden weight of his body. A hand remains clutched desperately at his abdomen while the other gently cradles the wing around his frail body, bleeding out over his palms and dripping into the underbrush. The sword had struck through the beast's wing, singeing the area around it and burning it, increasing the size until Chanyeol imagines he could stick his entire fist through.

The sudden movement of his shoulder makes him wince, jaw dropping in a sudden yell as his hand raises to cradle his shoulder. While it isn't sore to the touch, any simple movement causes a sharp pain to ripple throughout his shoulder. He's sure it's dislocated, thankfully not nearly as difficult as a problem as the beast's.

The beast hunches over, down on his knees, retching into the dirt of the forest floor. The poison is starting to take its effect. It's enough to kill an animal, but it's only strong enough to make a person sick to their stomach for days. Chanyeol isn't sure which will happen to the beast, but for the safety of his life, he hopes it's the former.

Because if there are other beasts around, he will surely not see the lights of his village outside of the forest again.

"Jongin!" The shout comes from nearby. Chanyeol can hear the crunch of footsteps over the branches, quick in succession as multiple people approach. He makes to stand, find his horse, and make his escape out of his forest but his dislocated shoulder slows him down just long enough. He manages to stand, chest heaving for air by the time he's leaning all his weight on the tree behind him, before anyone shows up into the clearing. He scrambles for his sword and tries to leave, and he isn't sure whether it's his guilty conscience or fear that slows him down, but he loses his chance to flee when he comes face to face with three men, two shorter than himself- both with anger in their eyes, and one nearly as tall as him, dark gaze unrelenting and harsh.

"Jongin!" One of the shorter men call out, bursting past Chanyeol into the clearing behind him where the beast he'd slain still clutches his wounds, retching into the dirt and howling, crying in pain. The last man, icy blue eyes wide in anger fists the collar of his shirt and tugs him down to his eye level.

"What the fuck have you done," he whispers, voice almost murderous as he strikes a chord of fear in Chanyeol's body. And while he is certainly not as scared as he was facing a beast- a monster- he is nevertheless caught in the hands of fear once more.

"Look, it was an accident- I didn't mean to-" and he glances back at the beast, crying out in pain as the two men who'd come to assist him try to hoist him up. With no energy left, the beast sinks back to the ground, crying out as his wound opens even more.

"Luhan, we have to get him to Yixing!" the shorter man yells, trying to remain strong though the subtle tremors of his voice convey a deep-sunken fear. He continues to take survey of the damage, noticing the hand pressed against his abdomen and cringing at the sight of the torn wing. Chanyeol can't hear what else the man says whilst he's knelt before the beast, cupping his face in his hands. The shake in his hands is noticeable, even for Chanyeol, but that doesn't stop the man from taking control and helping to lift the beast from the ground as painlessly as possible. He takes the brunt of the weight, and would probably carry the beast on his back had there not been an arrow in the beast's side. Instead, he helps hoist the limp body into the tallest man's arms, hooking an arm around his back and one behind the bend of his knees, speaking in more hushed whispers.

"This man has to be the cause of it!" the man who Chanyeol presumes is Luhan yells, fisting the collar of his shirt tighter, nearly clawing his shirt. Chanyeol looks into the man's icy blue eyes, if not even darker than the beast's red eyes, and his whole body freezes.This man has to be another beast- they all have to be! He'd been caught by a horde of them and at this point, it seems unlikely he'll escape their clutches. Were they going to keep him captive? Ransom him for money? Eat him?

"Luhan, go help Zitao take care of Jongin. I'll take care of this guy."

Luhan sends a last glaring look at Chanyeol, who is still struck by fear of the entire situation at hand. It comes as a shock when he feels the heat of fire- and then sees the flames right before his eyes that he stumbles back into the ground, crying out as his shoulder moves further out of place. Still dazed by the fire, he stays frozen in shock on the ground until the beast is out of sight.

"Your hair's on fire."

Chanyeol blinks once. Twice. Three times. He looks up at the last man with him and then looks down at his hand. He doesn't think it could be possible to be any more shocked than the is, until he lifts a hand up to his curly hair to feel a small flame licking at his palm.

"Ah!" Chanyeol exclaims, blowing where the flame had burned his good palm before licking his thumb and index fingers and stamping the last of the flickers of fire in his hair. He heaves out a sigh of relief, hoping his hair won't look any different than when he'd entered the forest. He doubts it, but something good has to go for him today.

He heaves a sigh, struggling to stand again. He uses his good hand to dust the dirt off his trousers, wincing as his bad shoulder shifts a little. His horse must have run off with the noise because he can't hear his horse's indignant whinnies. Now that he looks around, and the reality of the situation really sinks in, he isn't even sure where he is in the forest.

"Now what," he huffs, frustrated and shoulder becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The afternoon sun is high over his head, beating down on him, but he doesn't know when he'll make it back to the Jung's farm.

He flinches with the gentle press of a hand to his arm, glancing down at the last man to remain. The man has warm brown eyes, which eases a bit of the tension knotting in his chest. At least he can hope that the man is actually a human, rather than whatever Blue Eyes and Red Eyes are. His face is round, youthful and flushed red from exertion. His lips are a full red, raw most likely from chewing on it in his anxiety. Chanyeol can see the man is still worried about what had happened, and if Chanyeol hadn't known better he wouldn't have noticed the man was even afraid. The brave front he puts up is almost believable.

"Why don't I help you with your shoulder?" he asks. Chanyeol can see the way he cringes at the sight and he can only imagine how grotesque it must look. But if he wants to make it out alive from the forest, it's probably better that he gets to know the man so that he can show him the way out.

"That would be great," he sighs, kicking out a patch of the dirt. "Thanks." He quickly searches for the sword or the arrows he'd brought, finally catching sight of the sword near the tree he'd been thrown against, but he doesn't take more than three steps towards it.

"I suggest you leave that there," the man interjects, and the anger comes flooding back into his voice so as to make Chanyeol shiver, "if you'd like to leave the forest as you came."

The chilling warning is enough to get Chanyeol to turn around and start following the man through the forest, though the sword is his best and his bow had been his father's. And explaining how the ends of his hair are burnt or the claw marks in his shirt, the dirt in his skin and the visible fear that's still written on his face will be no easy task without freaking everyone in the village out.

He follows the man quietly, being careful to step where the man steps because he warns about traps he's set up to catch food, the holes he's dug to catch anything from rabbits to bears. It's not so easy living in the forest, especially when you have five other ravenous mouths to feed.

Five, Chanyeol blanches. Five beasts to feed. He almost trips with the sudden clutch of fear that takes a hold of his throat.

"So, tell me what happened just now," the man says, stopping in his tracks. Chanyeol nearly runs into him but manages to catch himself in time. "If you want me to help you, I want you to tell me everything."

Chanyeol pauses. "Well-"

"-Minseok-"

"-Right, Minseok," Chanyeol sighs, anxiously tapping his fingers against his thighs. "I'm Chanyeol."

Minseok does not make a sound. They continue on their trail through the forest, the crunch of forest floor under their feet ringing louder in his ear. If he listens closely, he's almost sure he can hear the howls of the beast he'd injured. Something vile gets lodged in his throat, making him gag. "I watched a sheep being taken from a farm, and so I came to hunt a bird-"

"-Jongin-"

"-I'm sorry?"

Minseok looks up in him, a subtle fury burning under his skin but he doesn't convey it. Instead he looks more unamused, a frown creasing his brows. "That 'bird' you shot down is Jongin, part the last of the dragon race, and you have the nerve to mistake him for a bird?"

Chanyeol clenches his teeth. Minseok is furious.

And then the notion hits him. Dragon. He shot down a dragon.

An actual dragon.

"Well how was I supposed to know?!"

Minseok glares in his direction, crossing his arms over his chest. "You weren't. That's the point."

Chanyeol falls silent. There was nothing in the legends, nothing in all the stories he's read that dragons were still alive- or could shapeshift into various forms of human. Dragons had all been a silly story parents told their children to make them do their chores, never an ounce of truth to their existence.

They continue their walk in silence for a bit until Minseok continues to urge what had happened out of him. "Well," Chanyeol sighs, trying to keep his voice low in hopes that Minseok will be mad at him less, "I took Jongin down with a poisoned arrow-

"What kind of poison?"

Chanyeol swallows thickly, keeping eyes down. "It won't kill him. Since he's half human, he'll probably just be sick for a few days."

He hears Minseok's exhale. It calms him down a little.

"I tried to escape after that but Jongin grabbed me and threw me against the tree- hence the shoulder," he continues, trying to keep his eyes off of said shoulder. Minseok looks back at his shoulder as if trying to quickly assess the damage. "I freaked out after that. I thought I was going to pass out and Jongin was approaching me."

"So you swung your sword," Minseok finishes. "By the damage, I'm presuming it's mythril."

Chanyeol nods, trying his best not to look Minseok in the eye. He feels absolutely horrible at this point. He's never one to swing his sword if he doesn't have to, but now he can only imagine the pain the poor dragon is in and Chanyeol feels absolutely rotten.

"Well you managed to hit Jongin with a dragon's biggest weakness," Minseok sighs, wringing his hands together. "He'll heal though, so don't worry too much."

Chanyeol nods silently. He still feels awful, but he can't think of a word to say that would convey to Minseok just how sorry he feels.

The walk feels far too long, the afternoon sky is already dipping into dusk and the walk seems unending with how awkward and tense the atmosphere has become. Chanyeol wants to say something, anything to ease the anxiety squeezing his heart, but anything at this moment would feel empty. He could only guess how Minseok feels. If he were in the same position, he wouldn't really want to talk to the person who harmed, what Chanyeol presumes as, his best friend.

A small cottage shrouded by trees starts to appear before them. It's in a small clearing of burned trees and dying brush, the scent of smoke permeating the area. The lights are turned on in the house and Chanyeol can't see anyone from the window, but that doesn't ease the anxiety burning hot in his chest. Who knows how fast a dragon could roast him alive.

"Take a seat on the porch, I'll grab some things to fix up your shoulder," Minseok says, pressing a gentle hand to Chanyeol's shoulder. He disappears into the house, shutting the door quick enough that Chanyeol can't hear anyone talking, or cursing at him, inside.

He sits on the top step of the porch, shaded by the deck. He cradles his shoulder, straining to both keep his curiosity at bay and listen at the commotion inside. Chanyeol can't hear a thing inside, so he sits on the porch and watches the sun set. Maybe there's some way he could apologize to Jongin.

The door creaks open and Minseok comes back outside with a box of medicines and a cloth shirt in hand, but he doesn't come back out alone. There's another person following him, same height but with broader shoulders and bright green eyes. As kind as Minseok's face has become from how furious he was before, the newcomer's face is the exact opposite. His green eyes are fierce,angry. Chanyeol swallows thickly as the other man stands before him, arms folded over his chest and gaze threatening to burn through Chanyeol's very heart.

"Don't just stand there and stare, Jongdae. Come help me with this," Minseok says, clicking open the medicine box and fishing through it. Jongdae huffs, a grey cloud of smoke puffing out from his mouth. He grabs the cloth Minseok holds out for him and tosses it carelessly into Chanyeol's face.

"Bite it," he seethes.

"Jongdae."

Said man- dragon?- huffs and turns his back to Chanyeol. "I don't have to be nice with him. He'll fuck off soon and we won't have to see his face around--"

"Jongdae!" Minseok says sternly, smacking Jongdae lightly on the calf. He pulls out a pill bottle and shifts to better stand before Chanyeol. "You don't have to be rude." But even that doesn't sound unkind from Minseok's mouth.

He couldn't imagine it before, but Chanyeol feels even worse than before.

"Take this," Minseok says, holding out the bottle. It's filled with a strangle liquid Chanyeol can't really tell the color of. It looks way too suspicious but he doesn't think upsetting Minseok in front of a dragon would be a good idea so he takes the bottle and takes as much as a sip. Surprisingly, it doesn't taste too horribly, mostly of mint and other spices that warm up his chest. He takes a little more as the warmth spreads through, more until Minseok has to force the bottle away from his mouth.

"What was that," he murmurs, tongue thick and heavy in his mouth. He feels as if he's talking with his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

"Anesthetic," Minseok replies, handing Chanyeol the cloth. "Bite it. This should be over in a minute."

Chanyeol warily takes the cloth and bites down on it. Jongdae is still glaring at him, maybe imagining what his roasted body looks like if he'd burn it to a crisp in revenge.

Minseok presses gentle fingers along his shoulder, pressing gently until he hits a spot on the back of Chanyeol's shoulder that makes him grit his teeth and groan. Minseok prods around the area a bit more, maybe finding how far the pain spreads out or maybe just torturing Chanyeol for as long as possible. When he's finally satisfied, he grips Chanyeol's shoulder and inhales.

"This will probably still hurt," he whispers. "Just be lucky we still keep anesthetic around."

Chanyeol smiles meekly. How lucky indeed.

"I'm going to count back from five and then pop your shoulder into place. It'll only hurt for a little bit."

Chanyeol takes a deep breath and nods. He shuts his eyes tight and digs his nails into the fabric of his pants, wringing the fabric tight.

"Five, four, three--" and Chanyeol suddenly feels an immense amount of pain, flooding his shoulder like a sword had just sliced deeply into the bone. He cries out, biting down harder on the cloth in his mouth and yelling out around it. It hurts like pins and needles being pushed through his shoulder and deep into the tissue around the bones, like fire licking at his shoulder, melting the bones Minseok had snapped back into place.

"You should be fine tomorrow," Minseok says, standing up and dusting off his trousers. "It may be sore a bit but it'll wear off.

Jongdae is still seething, green eyes burning brighter with fury. "You're lucky you just escaped with that. I wish I could give you Jongin's pain tenfold just so you know how it feels."

Minseok looks far too exasperated to even warn Jongdae anymore. He holds out his hand and helps Chanyeol stand, holding him steady as he regains his balance. "Come on, I'll show you the way out."

Chanyeol nods dumbly, still feeling the anesthetic in his body. He turns around to look at Jongdae once more. The dragon watches him walk away, sending a shiver down his spine. And as soon as they've walked far enough, Jongdae disappears back into the house.

Chanyeol sighs, trying to keep his mind off of today and trying to remember the way they're traveling. It's difficult to find, he has to admit. The trees in this area are all enchanted, they all look the same, and it's difficult for Chanyeol to keep up with the twists and turns Minseok keeps making through the trees. The fact that the sun has almost set and the forest is so dark, lit up only by fireflies and pixie trails, makes it even harder. His mind starts wandering as soon as he feels like he's lost track of where they are, or maybe they're closer to the village lands than he'd thought. He hopes his horse has made it home, safe and is not too startled. The scare the poor Jung sisters must have had if his horse had run straight to their home without him. Just the thought of tears running down their faces makes his heart ache. First thing he'll do is see them, tell them it's nothing to be afraid of and that their sheep shouldn't go missing anymore.

Hopefully.

"We're almost there," Minseok says, pushing aside a low hanging tree branch. He makes his way through a section of low hanging trees and high raised grass. It's almost like a fence to the pathway, Chanyeol muses, using his good arm to hold the branches away from his face. He's still too wary, pain still too raw, to move his other arm.

They walk a few more meters forward, and Chanyeol makes sure to keep count of the time it takes, before Minseok comes to a stop before an oddly shaped bush. It looks similar to a mushroom, Chanyeol thinks, but he keeps the landmark in mind.

"Just walk a few yards straight from here and you'll reach the village by nightfall." Minseok shifts anxiously on his feet, trying hard not to look Chanyeol in the eye.

"Is there anything I can do or say to apologize?" Chanyeol murmurs, taking Minseok's hands between his. He's not sure why he does so, or why his heart feels like it might punch through his chest, but he wants to come off as being sincere. "It's really not my intention to hurt anyone. I'm really, really sorry about today too. Jongin," and Chanyeol inhales, "he might be sick for a couple days- I've seen the poison make a person retch a few times while they're sick- so just... make sure Jongin gets enough fluids. He won't be able to keep much else down but it's just a temporary sickness." Chanyeol bites down on his lip, feeling a bout of nervousness surge up to his throat. He runs his hands through his bangs harshly, trying to think through his worries and the anesthetic clouding his mind. "I guess I can't say I'm sorry enough."

Minseok manages a smile and untwines his hands from Chanyeol's, patting the taller's arm gently. "It's okay. We'll manage like we've always done. We're tough out here."

The silence that falls feels terse. Chanyeol feels like he hasn't said enough, he hasn't apologized enough and he really hopes that all the dragons, especially Jongin, can forgive him. He'd hate to have to stay away from something so magical so close to him. He's sure the dragons are fascinating, at least when they're not considering ripping his esophagus out of his chest.

“Thank you, Minseok. At least for taking the time to fix my shoulder.” Chanyeol shyly rubs the back of his neck.

Minseok nods in his direction, a small smile crossing his features. “I know you were probably just scared. Don’t think too much on it.”

And after that, there isn't any more that Chanyeol can say or do that would fix anything today. He keeps his lips pressed together, giving Minseok a nod in his direction as he leaves. Minseok nods back at him and disappears in the other direction before Chanyeol has taken twelve paces forward. His heart aches then for reasons he doesn't understand but what he presumes to be guilt.

He follows Minseok's directions and walks straight ahead until he hits the edge of the village. He's not far off from where he'd burst into the forest earlier on his horse, and it's only a few moments more, after the sun has dipped behind the mountains and the moon is beginning to appear over the trees, that he appears in front of the Jung household, knocking on their door after changing into a shirt without dragon claws ripped through it.

To his surprise, there are two princesses standing at the door, arms crossed with the remnants of tear tracks down their faces. Chanyeol smiles wryly, getting down on one knee to face the two sisters.

"I must have worried you, princesses," he murmurs, keeping his head tipped down. "I've hopefully ensured that your sheep aren't to be stolen again."

Soojung is the first to break, frown turning down even more into a sad pout as the tears start to roll down her cheeks again. She surges forward into Chanyeol's chest, hiccuping into the fabric of his shirt. "I was so scared!" she sobs. Sooyeon immediately follows, breaking out into tears and pulling herself into Chanyeol's chest. "Your horse was so scared and we thought you wouldn't come back!"

Chanyeol sighs, heart wrenching as their tears soak into his shirt. He wraps both arms around the little girls and brings them into an embrace. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, pressing kisses to both their heads. "I won't scare you again anymore." He shushes them and rubs their backs, waiting until their sobs subside before he takes a girl into each arm and carries them into the house. He sends their father an almost embarrassed look, but the haggard, tired man pays him no mind and smiles kindly as he wanders back into bed.

He tucks the girls in and stays with them until they fall asleep. As soon as he's sure Soojung won't wake up once he untangles his hand from her death grip, he tip toes out of the house, gathers his horse from their stable, and walks back to his own home.

Looking at it now, it looks terribly lonely. There are no lights turned on, not a peep stirs from within the house, and from the looks of the outside, there's barely a hint that anyone lives there at all. Chanyeol thinks back to the forest, Minseok especially, as he sheds off his clothes and changes into the sleep clothes he keeps hung on his bedpost. He can't keep his mind off of today. The more he tries to sleep, the more he thinks about the dragons. The guilt keeps him up so late, tossing and turning until the moon shines bright in his window.

The stress of the day finally overtakes him and he drifts into sleep. He'll find the dragons again and he'll apologize to them, but the last thing on his mind is his imagination running wild with images of the curve of Minseok's eyes and lips if he'd earnestly smile up at him someday.

PART 2 >>>