My Faire Dragon [prompt #6] 1/2
Title: My Faire Dragon
Prompt: #6
Length: 14k
Rating: PG-13
Warning: some cursing, lots of dorkiness, horrible songs and singing, and way too many smiles.
Summary:Yifan is the most famed wizard of the kingdom, sent to defeat the evil lurking in the forests, preventing the Valentine Faire from happening.
Notes: This was supposed to be short and cute…then it grew into an evil beast. A full barrel of roses to my beta for dealing with my extreme whininess during the creation of this fic.
The Valiant Wizard and his Lively Apprentice
Once upon a time…
The Great Wizard Wu Yifan and his oh-so-unhelpful but pretty apprentice Luhan head into the Lost Forest. It is named as such because everyone who goes in is lost and if they’re not, they lose and change their ways. This isn’t so bad sometimes.
The Lost Forest isn’t a dark and creepy forest, full of scary unknowns waiting to pounce on unsuspecting travelers. No. This is a nice forest. Bright sunlight filters through the deep green canopy above, and occasional glimpses of pale blue skies and wispy clouds can be caught between the leaves. Birds keep a lively background tune that mixes with the babble of brooks and the rushing of rivers that cross the landscape. The soft breezes come down from the nearby mountains, and keep the grasses and trees dancing as the wizard and his apprentice walk down the forest path.
Lyre in hand and heart as light as a maiden in love, Luhan strums a few notes and lets them drift in the air for a moment before starting up a quick ditty.
Trudging off we gooo~
Down the forest trail, we gooo~
To hunt evil spooks!
That will make us look!
Like the finest knights to booooot~
Yifan groans. “Merciful gods, save me.”
Hunting off we gooo~
To the baddies we will shooow~
That there’s reason to fear!
The greatest wizard to appear!
In a hundred million yeaaars~
“Lies,” Yifan mutters, picking out a leaf that had fallen on his shoulder. “It’s only been a hundred years.”
To the end we now approooach~
Of this silly and happy soooong~
Yifan will not rest!
Until this beast is slayed!
And like heroes!
[dramatic pause]
We find our way back hooooooooooooooooooome~
After the last note fades, Yifan pulls his hands away from his ears and sighs. Why had he taken on an apprentice in the first place? Oh yeah. After months of refusals to the offer of taking a pupil, the king had finally not asked anymore, but ordered Yifan to take Luhan under his wing. Or, to be more precise, under his wizard cape. The problem was-and still is-that Luhan rarely stays still long enough for Yifan to teach him anything.
Yifan sighs. “We certainly won’t find the beast now.”
“What? Why?” Luhan’s rosy lips push out in a pucker. It’s like he’s five and not five-and-twenty. Yifan is only two years older and he would rather throw himself in the castle’s crocodile infested moat than to be caught acting cute.
“Because your horrible singing just scared every living creature out of this forest,” Yifan snaps. He punctuates this with a dramatic flip of his wine-red cape over his shoulder and keeps on stomping his brand new, tall boots.
“I am bored and I am cold,” Luhan says, hanging his lyre by a string on the side of his leather pack once more. “How else should I pass the time?”
Yifan shrugs, an elegant roll of his shoulders that makes his cape rustle and fan out to showcase his tight leather pants and dark-blue tunic. He’d practiced the move many times to get the desired effect. “You’re always bored.”
“Whose fault is that?” Luhan grumbles and crosses his arms.
Yifan glances at his apprentice, narrows his eyes and points at the very outlandish outfit Luhan had insisted on wearing ever since they left the northern regions. “And the cold is your own fault for wearing a skirt.”
“It is not a skirt!” Luhan yells, gripping the edges of said skirt and jerking them down. “It’s a kilt!”
Yifan rolls his eyes. “Kilt. Skirt. What’s the difference? You’re still freezing your sacks.”
Luhan leers at him. “You should try it some time. Get them out of those tight leathers. Air them out. Maybe you’ll stop being so uptight!”
Yifan waves his hand sharply and a burst of wind buffets his apprentice who screeches when the kilt goes up and slaps him on the face. A drawn out string of curses follows, as Luhan fights to disentangle himself from the long length of plaid cloth.
Yifan continues walking and covers a smile behind his fingertips. His apprentice is unhelpful, loud, and never knows when to shut up, but he makes for great target practice when Yifan is bored or annoyed. Plus, he made their travels lively.
Luhan catches up to him soon though, all red in the cheeks and huffing. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“The Great Wizard Wu desires a date, and he shall not permit some evil beast and his army of silly forest creatures to prevent the Valentine Faire from happening!” Yifan proclaims in a grandiose tone. It’s a tone that portrays the perfect amount of superiority, courage, and outrage.
Luhan exhales loudly. “I hate it when you talk in third person.”
“It’s a great confidence booster,” Yifan says. “And since you are not serving your apprentice duties and showering me with glorifying words-”
“Oh, for gods sakes! You are the most famed and acclaimed wizard in the entire kingdom,” Luhan practically yells. “Everybody wants you. Of course you will get a date! I, on the other hand, could use a bit of help-”
“Do they, Luhan? Do they really love me? The real me,” Yifan pounds his chest with a hand, “and not this superior magical person that they all see me as.”
Luhan shoves his pinky in his ear and wiggles it around. “I’m sorry. For a moment there, it sounded as if you had feelings, as in real ones that could get hurt.”
Yifan ignores the comment. “The Valentine Faire needs to happen, Lu. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a date?”
“Years, centuries, eons,” Luhan says, biting his lip to keep from smiling too wide. He is the worst apprentice ever.
“Exactly! I dedicated so much time to my wizard studies. I didn’t have time for distractions.” Yifan shakes his head mournfully. He does have feelings, dammit. Ones he keeps well hidden inside all the glory his name comes with, but that still bruise easily. “Now that I have my title and cape, now that I have time for myself…I can’t wait to find the one.” These last two words are said with the utmost reverence, because there really is nothing in the world that Yifan wants more than to find romance.
Luhan rolls his eyes. “What does that even mean? The one. Personally, I wouldn’t mind finding more than one-”
Yifan shakes his head. “Your views on love are appalling.”
“I would say adventurous,” Luhan says. “Speaking of adventure, did the king tell you what we are up against this time?”
“Nope.”
“Greeeeaaat,” Luhan exclaims with false cheer. “I hope it’s something easy, like a cerberus or a wyvern. Maybe one of those peacock serpent things.”
“A quetzalcoatl, Luhan,” Yifan says. “Have you been slacking in your studies?”
“Your chicken scratch is hard to read!” Luhan puts his small notebook away after he has copied down the correct word for chicken serpent. “Cyclops are easy too. You take a sling, get a nice rock, and bam! Down they go.”
Yifan shakes his head. “You read too many books and listen to too many tales if you think it’s that easy. Of course, for me it’s no problem at all, but for other mere mortals and young wizards such grand schemes are highly dangerous-” He carries on his explanation, knowing full well his apprentice is getting annoyed by the second, as they make their way deeper into the woods.
Sometime after, when Yifan is done talking, Luhan is too dazed by his monologue to even try and make conversation. In the resulting quiet, Yifan smiles and breathes in the forest-the scent of newly bloomed flowers, the clean waters of a nearby river, the loam and grasses. Ah. The peacefulness of his lone traveling days comes back like a bittersweet memory.
It’s while he’s enjoying this peace that Yifan catches a flash of white at the edge of his vision and he turns his head towards it. In between the trees there’s a boy with raven black hair and skin as luminous as the sun. He smells the pretty yellow flowers on a bush with his eyes closed and a tiny smile on his lips.
Yifan’s steps slow down. The longer he looks, the faster his heart beats. Then the boy’s eyes open up and look straight at him. A hush settles all around as they stare at each other, and then the boy’s lips turn up into a dimpled smile. Yifan’s heart sort of leaps, stops, and restarts out of sync. Just as fast, he blinks and the boy is gone. Was it a phantom? A mirage?
A hand waves in front of Yifan’s face.
“Helloooo? Are you in there?” Luhan waves harder.
Yifan pushes the hand away and moves closer to the tree line. A beautiful trick of the light?
Luhan comes to stand at his side. “Did you see something?”
“I don’t….” Yifan shakes his head. “No. It’s nothing.”
Yeol the Troll and The Water Elemental
Around noon, the wizard instructs his apprentice to find them a clearing to settle down for lunch. The only roaring beasts they’ve encountered so far are their hungry stomachs, and if they don’t slay them now, it will be a problem when they do find a real creature to slay.
Luhan hums a tune as he spreads out a blanket and brings out their rations. The sandwiches are cold and a bit soggy-Yifan reprimands Luhan about his failed preservation spell-but it’s the only food they’ve had all day and it tastes like heaven. At least the wine is good.
“So, what are you hoping to find in this perfect partner you keep dreaming about?” Luhan asks before glomping half his sandwich in one bite.
Yifan raises a brow. “Can’t we just enjoy the quiet?”
Luhan, his mouth still full of bread and cheese, says, “I could start singing-”
“The Great Wizard Wu wishes for a partner that is as grandiose as he is,” Yifan says abnormally loud. “Someone at his level. Someone who appreciates him and is not intimidated by all this.” He motions to his entire figure with one hand.
“You’re disgusting.” Luhan bites the other half of his sandwich and continues speaking. “It seems that you just want another ass kisser. I thought I was here for that.”
Yifan levels him an unimpressed look. “You’re disgusting. You eat like a pig. I can’t stand the sight of you.”
“Oink oink.”
Yifan scowls and tries to remain unaffected. Only Luhan presses the tip of his nose upwards, does the piggy sound again, but ends up choking on his food and coughing. Yifan can’t help the laughter that bubbles out.
“See? You can’t get rid of me,” Luhan says once the coughing stops. “No one else can make you laugh like this. Your face will freeze into that haughty and pinched look you get if you don’t laugh often.”
“It’s my signature wizard face,” Yifan says, picking up his goblet of wine and taking a long drink. “Besides, it goes so well with the cape and the magic. A cape which you will not get if you keep acting like-”
A monster-like wail of despair makes the earth tremble underneath him.
“-a big child.” Yifan pauses. Blinks. “That was not you, was it? Because if it was, you just proved my point.”
However, Luhan’s eyes are wide and full of fear. “What the hell is that?” he asks in a tiny voice.
Yifan stands, fixes his blue tunic, and dusts his cape before clasping it once more about his broad shoulders. It seems that they won’t have to travel anymore since the foul monster has found them. His smile widens. “Let us find out.”
“How about no!” Luhan screams.
But Yifan is already off.
The wizard follows a trail down to the nearby river and tracks the beastly sounds down the grassy bank. It’s around the second river bend where he finds the source of all the wailing and earth trembling. The creature is two-horses-tall in size, quite ugly, and stinkier than Luhan’s undergarments after a long day of travel.
Yifan snaps his fingers repeatedly at Luhan when his apprentice finally catches up. Luhan fumbles in his pack and brings out a worn, leather notebook. When he finds the right page, he reads the information.
Troll
Attack: +5
Magic: -3
Habitat: forests, caves, under bridges.
Weakness: magic, furry animals and other cute stuff, being made fun off.
Danger Ranking: Lame.
Notes: They’re duh-umb.
“I really don’t think this is the super evil beastie we’re looking for,” Luhan says, closing up his notebook and placing it back in his pack.
“It’s not,” Yifan says. “But we can’t just leave it here causing such a ruckus.”
“Then I think the best plan of attack is to blast him with water,” Luhan says, eyeing the troll critically. “If anything, that will clean him up and then we can attack up close.”
Yifan tuts and shakes his index finger. “Ah-ah. You forgot something.”
“What?”
“That they are kind and sociable creatures. There’s no need for violence, Luhan.” Yifan shakes his head, thoroughly disappointed in his apprentice’s tendency in starting fights. Yifan turns to the troll and calls out. “Greetings!”
The troll stops crying and turns his watery eyes on them. He hiccups. “H-hello?”
Yifan winks at Luhan, and continues showing him how things are done. “What is your name, gentle creature?”
The troll sniffs loudly, sucking up the mucus running out of his nose back in. “Y-Yeol.”
“Yeol. I am the Great Wizard Wu.” He sweeps his robes to the side and bows at the waist, before rising, his signature smile on. “This is my lowly apprentice Luhan, who just failed his assignment on properly dealing with trolls.”
Luhan peeks from behind Yifan, before fully stepping out. “Hi. Stop crying. You look hideous. I mean, more than you are already.”
The troll’s lower lip trembles and it seems it’s about to wail again so Yifan quickly says, “What he means is, why are you crying?”
“The knights came and kicked me out of my home.” Yeol wipes his tears with his dirt-stained fingers, leaving smudges below his eyes. “They said…they said I was too ugly to be in or near the faire!” At this, the troll starts sobbing again. His big loud wails make Yifan and Luhan cover their ears.
“He’s really sensitive about his image,” a new voice says.
Yifan jumps, startled at the person standing right beside him. He pedals back on his feet, one hand extended forth in case he needs to cast a spell. But instead, Yifan freezes at what he sees.
It’s the raven-haired boy. More like a young man, really. He’s dressed in a white cotton tunic, pants, and worn sandals. It hadn’t been a trick of the light or a ghostly vision after all. He was real.
The boy smiles, dimples forming and eyes turning into crescents. There’s a cute tilt to his head that makes Yifan’s insides melt a bit. Or a lot. “Hi.”
Yifan is struck speechless by the young man’s presence. The longer he stares the more his heart speeds up, like a horse rampaging down a road. He’s never had this reaction before, a mix of fear and excitement rushing inside his chest. It’s very peculiar.
“Hi, creepy person who just came out of nowhere,” Luhan says, and if Yifan weren’t star-struck, he would’ve smacked his apprentice for being so rude. “Who are you?”
“I’m Lay,” the young man says, never losing the smile even faced with Luhan’s rudeness. “Nice to meet you.”
His apprentice narrows his eyes momentarily, before returning the smile. “Luhan. And the silent specter beside me is my master, the Great Wizard Wu.”
“I’m sorry,” Lay says. “I didn’t mean to scare him.”
“I’m not…I don’t….” Yifan clears his throat and straightens. He fixes his cape and adjusts his leather pants, then stands in a more dignified manner. “The Great Wizard Wu is never scared. I was…silently contemplating the mystery of your sudden apparition.”
Lay’s smile widens and he winks at Yifan, like he knows exactly how much Yifan is having trouble to be coherent.
Once again, Yifan fumbles on what to say next, because Lay is very pretty when he smiles and that wink just about destroyed Yifan. “B-Before I question you about this sudden apparition feat, I must try to calm Yeol.”
At the sound of his name, the troll sniffles loudly. “I want to go back home. I want to go to the faire.”
“Fear not, sad troll,” Yifan says, getting into his savior role again. “The Great Wizard Wu will help you find a new abode which to call home. As for the faire, we are deeply sorry, but the king has requested that no magical creatures attend.” A troll would take up considerable space on the faire grounds, not to mention, stink up the place.
Yeol thumps his boulder-like fists against the ground as he yells. “I WANT TO”-thump-“GO TO”-thump-“THE FAIRE!”
“Now you’ve done it!” Luhan yells at Yifan.
“Perhaps a compromise?” Lay pipes in loudly. “Trolls love bridges, yes?”
Yifan nods. It’s basic knowledge.
“Build him one to live under!” Lay opens his hands as he presents his grand solution. “Yeol can guard it and greet the guests that come to the faire. That way he feels part of it without being in the way of everyone else.”
Yifan is impressed with Lay’s quick thinking. It’s a great plan. Both sides win. And most importantly he can get on with his hunt of the monster that is wreaking disaster on the faire preparations.
He casts an immobilize spell on the troll, and blessed quiet descends. Yifan repeats Lay’s suggestion to Yeol who is now frozen with one arm up and his mouth wide open. “Is this agreeable to you?”
Yeol blinks fast until Yifan releases him. The troll then dries his tears, wipes his snot, and nods. “But you have to promise to bring me sugared webs.”
“Lu, take note,” Yifan says. “You must bring Yeol his candy once the faire starts.”
Luhan grumbles something, but bows to Yeol. His apprentice might suck at many things, but Luhan always does the tasks he’s assigned.
“Excellent! Now, stand back and be amazed.” Yifan spreads his arms wide and starts to wiggle his fingers. It’s all for show. An experienced wizard like himself doesn’t need the aid of wands or big hand gestures, but the people love a good magic presentation and Yifan loves to impress.
“Wait!” Lay grabs hold of Yifan’s hands and pulls them down. “We must ask the guardian first.”
Yifan is both affronted at the young man’s dare of stopping him mid-spell, and having trouble controlling the impulse of closing his hands around Lay’s fingers to feel their warmth. “What guardian?”
“The river guardian,” Lay says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Yifan sighs. He knows of wizards who deal with the elemental forces and believe in tales of spirits, but he’s never been one of those. However, he decides to humor Lay. “And how do we contact this…creature?”
“You must dip your toes into the river.” Lay pulls him to the water’s edge. “Wiggle them around while calling his name.”
Yifan steps away from the water. “Luhan-”
“No!” Lay grips Yifan’s hand tighter. “It only works with strong magic casters.”
No matter how much his reluctance is crumbling away under Lay’s gaze, Yifan still protests. “This is ridiculous. Are you absolutely sure this is necessary?”
“Oh yes. Very sure,” Lay says.
Luhan giggles.
Yifan gives up. He takes off his boots, his cape, and tries to roll the bottom of his leather pants as far up as he can. When he finally dips his feet into the water, he yelps at the cold. He settles down at the edge of the water and sighs. He feels silly.
But Lay is looking at him and smiling. “Wiggle your toes,” he prompts.
Yifan wiggles them.
“Now, call the spirit.”
Yifan puffs out his chest and calls in a deep voice. “River spirit, heed my call. Come forth. Show yourself!”
“Is he always so dramatic?” Lay asks Luhan.
“So dramatic? Yes,” Luhan says.
Yifan’s call is answered and water starts to rise in a column, swirling around and taking shape. The guardian’s body remains amorphous from the waist down, but his chest is finely sculpted by transparent waters. His arms are lean muscles which ripple like waves, and his face is a delicate oval with pushed back hair and luminous eyes.
“I am Suho, the guardian of this river,” it says. “Why have you called, wizard?”
Yifan closes his mouth with a clack, because an elemental spirit has not only appeared in the most awesome way, but now it’s talking to him. “I…That is…We. We wish to build a bridge across your waters, Suho,” Yifan says. “A place our friend the troll can use as a home and the people of the kingdom can use to reach the Valentine Faire. Will you allow this?”
“No.”
“Thank yo-excuse me?” Yifan shakes his head. He’s not used to hearing the word no when he asks for things. No one refuses the Great Wizard Wu. “Did he just deny my request?”
Luhan snickers. “I believe he did.”
Yifan throws him a dirty look, but then softens it when he sees Lay standing nearby. He breathes and focuses back on the river guardian. “Is there a reason why you do not want a bridge?”
“The bridge is not the problem,” Suho says. The waters under him splash about when he speaks, like the vibrations go through his entire form. “It’s the troll.”
Yeol wails at this.
“Trolls are walking messes that stink up the atmosphere,” Suho says. “They like to hoard things under bridges and I do not wish to have my waters polluted. And his foul odor will keep princesses away from admiring themselves in my clear reflections.”
Yeol sobs harder.
Yifan ponders this setback. It’s not like Suho is wrong. Trolls are a mess to live with. But maybe an agreement can be made? “What if Yeol promises to wash often and keep the bridge clean?”
Suho crosses his arms. “I also have other demands, like no keeping small critters against their will and calling them pets. No charging a toll to cross the bridge. No loud crying that disturbs my melodical cascades-”
“Perhaps!” Yifan interrupts, “you should speak directly to Yeol and tell him your requests?”
Suho’s luminous eyes turn on the troll. “Very well.”
Yeol and Suho move to the side to discuss their new co-habitation arrangements. The water spirit wastes no time in splashing the troll with a big wave, leaving him semi-clean in one swoop. The troll grins and claps his hands.
Yifan takes his feet out of the water and grabs Lay’s hand when he offers it. There’s a tingly sensation that remains when the young man lets go. It almost feels like magic.
“Well? Go on,” Lay says, giving him a little push. “Build that bridge.”
Yifan opens his mouth to say something about a wizard doing things at his own time, but Lay is smiling and he can only respond with a tiny twitch of his lips. He faces the river once more and gathers his magic. No show this time, Yifan simply raises both hands and roots erupt from the riverbanks on both sides. They knot and twist and twine, forming a wide and steady bridge with enough space underneath for the troll to lie down and sleep.
“Woah,” Luhan says and furiously takes notes. The spell is too advanced for him yet, but Yifan likes the enthusiasm.
After Yifan puts his boots back on and grabs his cape, he searches around for Lay. But the young man is nowhere to be seen.
“Lu, did you see where Lay went?”
Luhan is too busy writing and drawing the newly built bridge to answer. He was probably too distracted to even notice anyways.
Lay has vanished once more and Yifan is absolutely mystified.
Before they leave, Yifan approaches Yeol and Suho. He still has a task to complete. “Do you know anything about an evil creature living in this forest? One that is disrupting the faire’s preparations?”
Yeol shakes his head.
Suho blinks. “There are no evil creatures in this forest.”
The cryptic remark is all the water spirit says. So, they leave Yeol the Troll sitting calmly on the riverbank and chatting with Suho. Of all the things Yifan’s seen through the years in his many travels, this sight counts as one of the weirdest.
Temperamental Gnomes and Giggling Fairies
The steady breezes die out as the sun begins its slow trek down from the skies. The wizard and his apprentice have stepped out of the main forest path in the hopes of finding the wayward evil beast intent on destroying the faire. But so far, they’ve had no luck.
Luhan is strumming his lyre, something soft that goes with the haunting mood of the forest. It’s gotten quieter all of a sudden, the air hotter. Luhan’s lips are pressed in a thin line, and he is shooting daggers with his eyes at Yifan. His fingers flick the strings harder.
Under the melody, Yifan detects something and motions Luhan to stop. “Do you hear that?”
Luhan opens his mouth, wiggles his tongue, but no sound comes out.
Yifan snaps his fingers and removes the silence spell.
“OH MY GOD. DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN. I SWEAR I WAS GOING INSANE!” Luhan screams and then pants dramatically as if the spell had deprived him of breath as well as sound.
Yifan waits for his apprentice to settle before asking again, “Do you hear it?”
“The murmurs?” Luhan asks. “I thought those were just the voices in my head ready to whisper me another song.”
Yifan stops and stares. He raises a finger.
“It was a joke!” Luhan rushes to say. “Now stop looking at me like I need fixing.”
Yifan frowns. “I always look at you like this.”
“Exactly.” Luhan goes off in search of the murmurs.
Yifan follows him, letting his apprentice take the lead for once. Luhan pokes at bushes, prods the trees, looks under rocks, whispers spells into the underbrush to uncover hidden bugs. It’s absolutely unnecessary because the murmurs are growing and Yifan can pinpoint the direction they’re coming from already.
He leaves Luhan to play around and heads the opposite way. The voices grow louder the nearer he gets to a big wild berry bush. Yifan peeks behind it and sees a small clearing where two gnomes are arguing.
“There’s no fucking way we’re going to have those fucking roses on time!”
“We have to do it, Soo.”
“No! I refuse! The king can shove the fucking roses up his ass, thorns and everything!”
The red-headed gnome laughs. “He won’t be able to do that if we don’t grow them.”
“Argh! You suck, Minseok!” Soo moves forward, pulls Minseok’s suspenders, and lets them snap back.
More laughter.
Yifan grunts when Luhan jumps onto his back and peeks over his shoulder. “Gnomes? Oh my god, they’re so cute. Look at their little hats and their colorful suspenders and shorts and-”
“Luhan,” Yifan snaps.
“Hold your horses,” Luhan says and climbs down from Yifan’s back. He brings out his notebook.
Gnomes
Attack: +10
Magic: +1
Habitat: Inside trees, underground.
Weakness: ?
Danger Ranking: Highly irritable and grumpy.
Notes: Meet one.
“No weakness?” Yifan asks.
“I couldn’t find any information-”
“You fail once again.” Yifan taps his chin with two fingers. “I think you owe me a full scroll detailing the weaknesses of gnomes.”
“How about a song?” Luhan deadpans.
Yifan taps his fingers against his chin. “How about we forget the whole thing?”
Luhan grins. “Perfect.”
Yifan massages his temple and takes a deep breath. He pushes his cape back, steps into the clearing, and settles his hands on his waist, taking a stance. “Good evening, kind gnomes. What seems to be the problem?”
Soo settles his pointy gnome hat further down his head, so that his black hair presses onto his forehead. He arches a brow and looks up, up, up at Yifan. “Who the fuck are you?”
Yifan puffs out his chest and looks off into the distance. “Behold! I am the Great Wizard Wu!”
Minseok throws an arm around Soo and clings. The two are at level with Yifan’s tall boots. Small but wider and tougher. “Are you with the Valentine Faire circus?”
Luhan cackles. “Good one.”
“I am in charge of making sure the faire goes on smoothly,” Yifan says. “We were told of an evil beast making this impossible. Has the beast caused you trouble as well?”
The gnomes glance at each other and smile. “We don’t know of any beast, but we are having a fucking hard time growing our roses in time for the faire,” Soo says. “You see, some asshole knights decided to use our gardening grounds to set up the faire booths.”
“Ah, so you’ve been left homeless as well?” Yifan frowns at this. It was one thing to have a faire and remove a stinky troll, but these gnomes were harmless. And they were providing the flowers for the event. It wasn’t right that they’d been kicked from their lands.
“Ah, no.” Minseok ruffles his rust-colored hair. “They actually gave us quite a big space to move to, only-”
“It’s full of fucking rocks!” Soo explodes, stomping his tiny feet.
Minseok nods. “It’s unusable. We told them so and they threatened to remove us from the forest if we didn’t have the roses delivered on time.”
“What the hell?” Luhan scowls. “We were sent to kill a beast and instead find the king’s knights are the ones behaving like beasts?”
Yifan didn’t like it either. The king had sent him to smooth things over for the faire, but it seems the faire was only causing trouble for those who lived in the forest. Not even doubting this is the right thing to do even if it’s not the one he was tasked to complete, Yifan asks, “Is there something we can do to help?”
Soo shakes his head. “Unless you can find a way to grow five fucking hundred roses for tomorrow, then no.”
“There has to be a way.” Luhan pouts and Minseok moves closer to pat his hand.
“Fairy dust!”
Yifan screams and jumps back, tripping into the wild berry bush and getting entangled in it. This time he recognizes the voice. “How do you keep doing that?”
“Secret,” Lay sing-songs, dimples showing. “And it’s fun.”
“He’s right, too,” Luhan comments going through the pages in his notebook. “About the fairy dust, not the scaring-you-is-fun part. Though it is.” His apprentice chuckles. “It really really is-”
Yifan growls. “I will silence you again-”
“ANYWAYS…fairy dust would make the roses bloom by tomorrow,” Luhan says. “Just in time for the faire.”
“What about the rocks in our field?” Minseok asks.
“I’m sure the Great Wizard Wu can handle that,” Lay comments and turns to Yifan. “Can’t you?” Lay pulls at the sleeves of his white tunic. And by the gods, can anyone be this cute and innocent, yet not? Because Lay is flirting with Yifan. He has no doubt about it.
Yifan wiggles his way out of the bush, stands up and fixes his robe, swatting away the few leaves that got stuck. “O-Of course I can! But unless any one of you know any fairies around, I don’t know how we’re going to get fairy dust.”
“I do,” Lay says, swinging back and forth on his feet. “Know some fairies, I mean.”
Yifan blinks. “Oh…well that’s….”
“Convenient,” Luhan says, eyeing Lay from top to bottom. His apprentice doesn’t seem to like the mysterious young man, but Yifan is completely mesmerized.
“Let’s go then.” Yifan extends a hand to the side, opening the way for Lay. “After you.”
Lay laughs. “You’re so silly.”
He grabs Yifan’s hand and pulls him along. They break into a run, like they’re little kids playing some game. But while Lay is smaller and limber, Yifan has trouble not smacking into trees or getting entangled in more bushes. He yelps and grunts as he hits rocks and gets tripped by roots. He does everything but ask the beautiful young man to stop.
Lay’s laugh is as musical as the forest sounds. It’s a live thing that seduces its way into Yifan’s heart and warms it up. He wants to know Lay, to discover everything there is to know about him, because what Yifan has seen so far, he likes. Lay is making him feel things he’s only ever heard of before-the heart palpitations, the fluttering in his stomach, the rush of something very pleasant electrifying his body. Luhan will probably say he is a crazy fool, but Yifan thinks this could be the beginnings of love.
Eventually they slow down and stop.
They’re both panting-Yifan more than Lay, because who has time to keep fit when there are hundreds of wizard spells to learn. Lay draws closer and settles his hands on Yifan’s waist, looking up at him. His mouth is slightly open, rosy lips looking as inviting as ever. Yifan’s heart is about to pound its way out of his chest. His hand hovers close to Lay’s cheek, afraid to touch, but wanting nothing more.
“Who are you?” he whispers.
Lay bites his lower lip. “The one you’re loo-”
“Guys! Where are you?” Luhan yells
Lay kisses Yifan’s chin quick and then pulls away with a secret smile on his lips. Yifan feels as if he could combust right then and there. He also wants to shoot a fireball at Luhan for killing the most romantic moment he’s ever had in his life.
“Ah! There you are.” Luhan appears. He picks an edge of his kilt and fans himself with it. “So where are the fairies?”
“They should be around here.” Lay scratches the back of his head and stares at the branches above.
“I have an idea.” Luhan brings out a bunch of grapes from his bag. He takes them in his palm and whispers a spell. A sweet smell starts to swirl outwards and into the air all around.
There’s a faint rustling and two fairies buzz down from the branches of a nearby tree. They’re the size of Yifan’s hands, maybe a bit bigger, with oversized heads and clear translucent wings.
“Lu-”
“Yes, I know. I know.” Luhan reads the stats.
Fairies
Attack: +1
Magic: +10
Habitat: Trees, flower beds.
Weakness: Games, sweets.
Danger Ranking: Tricksters.
Notes: Bring bribes.
“Excellent work, Luhan,” Yifan says. “There is hope for you yet.”
Lay waves excitedly. “Hello, Baek! Chen!”
“Hi!” the fairies say in chorus.
“Greetings, tiny fairies!” Yifan says. “We have need of your assistance!”
Chen buzzes closer to Luhan and picks up a grape from his apprentice’s hand. The faerie licks it twice, before letting it fall to the ground. “Who’s this?”
Lay points at Yifan about to introduce him, but the wizard beats him to it.
“I am the Great Wizard Wu!” Yifan says and bows with a flourish.
The two fairies look at each other and start laughing, their voices like mocking chimes. Yifan has never had a reaction like that. He’s quite confused as to what is funny.
“Be nice,” Lay says, and the fairies stop. “He’s my friend and he could really use your help.”
Baek zooms around Yifan’s head, before stopping in front of him. “What can we do for you?”
“We need fairy dust to help the gnomes grow their roses,” Yifan says. “They will be forced out of the forest if they don’t deliver them tomorrow for the Valentine Faire.”
Baek snorts. “That faire has been nothing but trouble for us forest creatures.”
“It’s true. We fairies have no fairy dust left,” Chen says, coming to hover next to Baek. “Not after the king asked us to charm all those pendants they’re going to sell at the Valentine Faire.”
“Gods be damned,” Luhan says. “This has to stop! The king can’t-”
Yifan settles a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Luhan. We’ll fix this. Tell us, tiny fairies, is there any way you could make more fairy dust?”
“We’d need an elemental source or magical item to create more dust,” Baekhyun says.
“Magical items are expensive,” Yifan says. “And rare.”
Chen shrugs his little shoulders. “Then you’ll have to wait until we naturally regain our magic. It can take days.”
They can’t wait so long. The faire is in one day! Yifan hasn’t even confronted the evil beast. He’s spent the day helping magical creatures get ready for an event they can’t even attend. It’s not fair. And he will have an audience with the king about it as soon as he slays the evil beast.
For now, he has to figure out how to get fairy dust.
Or a magical item.
Luhan, as an apprentice, can’t use magical items, so he has none. They could go back to Yeol and ask if he’s hoarded anything magical, but that would take too long. Lay carried nothing except the clothes he had on. And gnomes had just been kicked out of their homes so they wouldn’t have anything either. Stars above! What to do?
Yifan runs a hand through his hair and stops mid-motion when he feels Lay’s gaze on him. The young man is smiling at him for some reason. Yifan, unable to resist, smiles back.
Lay raises his hand and wiggles his fingers.
What?
Lay points at Yifan and wiggles his fingers once more.
Yifan copies the motion and frowns a bit. “I don’t-”
“Rings,” Lay says. “Your rings aren’t magic, but you’ve casted spells with them on. There’s magical residue that’s been absorbed into them.”
Oh! Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of that? Would one be enough or did he need to part with all of them? He takes off the smallest one and presents it to the fairies. “Will this suffice?”
Baekhyun flies closer and grabs the metal band with both hands. “If you give us one each, yeah, I think we could manage.”
Yifan relinquishes possession of a second ring.
The four of them head back to the gnomes’ rocky gardening grounds. He finds Luhan laughing with them, as easy as if they’d known each other all their lives, and not a moment ago. Yifan could never find that affinity or be that comfortable with someone he just met.
Though with Lay….
“All right! Let’s get to work!” Lay turns to him with a smile. “Ready, Yifan?”
With Lay he felt at ease.
“I’m ready.”
Yifan goes first. Since his audience is bigger, he goes for the grand show, spreading his arms wide and speaking words of magical power in his native tongue. The earth trembles beneath them and the rocks on the long field start to sink into the ground slowly. When he drags them down deep enough, he shakes the ground harder, until there’s nothing but fertile soil on top.
Soo and Minseok go next. They grab their packs and high-five each other. The grins on their faces look full of mischief and fun. In the blink of an eye, the gnomes dart away with super speed. Their forms blur up and down the plowed field scattering the rose bush seeds. No wonder they’re made for excellent gardeners.
When they’re done, they return to where Yifan and the others wait. Minseok slumps on the ground beside Luhan and Soo gives the fairies a thumbs up.
Baekhyun and Chen nod and set off. They have Yifan’s rings around their tiny bodies and as they gain speed, their wings start to glow. Particles of fairy dust start to fall over the field as they fly by. The soil sparkles with magic before it’s absorbed by the seeds. When the fairies are done, tiny little rose bushes have begun to grow.
The sun dips in the horizon over the tree line while the fairies, the gnomes, Lay, Luhan and Yifan watch the magic happen in silent awe. The roses will definitely be fully grown in time for the Valentine Faire. They’ve all worked hard and cooperated, so Yifan feels it’s more than right that they attend the faire.
“The Great Wizard Wu thanks you all for this great service,” Yifan says. “I’m sure the king won't mind if you and all your friends attended the faire.” He’ll deal with the king’s wrath later if the old man doesn’t like it.
For now, it’s enough that the gnomes, fairies, and Luhan cheer upon hearing the invitation.
Yifan searches around to tell Lay he’s invited too, only to find the young man is missing once more. “Where’s Lay? He was just here….”
“I get the feeling he’ll find us again,” Luhan says, coming to stand by his side. “Did you ask them about the evil beast?”
“Oh, yes!” Yifan kneels before the forest creatures. “I was sent to stop an evil creature living in this forest? The one destroying the faire’s preparations. Have you heard of it? Do you know where we might find it?”
Minseok frowns.
“Who the fuck is evil?” Soo demands.
Baek lands on top of the gnome’s head. “There is no evil in the forest.”
Yifan sighs. “Yes, we’ve been told that, but-”
Chen flies close to Yifan. “The guardian of the Lost Forest finds you, not the other way around.”
This is all their new friends will say about it. So, the wizard and his apprentice say goodbye to everyone and set off into the darkening forest once more.
“Goodbye, manly Lu!” Minseok shouts.
Luhan waves and then beams at Yifan. “Did you hear that? He called me manly!”
Yifan flashes a tight smile, but he is too busy thinking of Lay. Where had he gone? Or more importantly when? Yifan hadn’t seen or felt him leave the clearing. Though if the pattern is right, it wouldn’t be long until Lay appeared again, scaring Yifan half to death and then making him flustered with easy smiles and casual touches.
Yifan couldn’t wait.
“Oie! Don’t leave me talking to myself!” Luhan runs after his master.
(part 2)
Prompt: #6
Length: 14k
Rating: PG-13
Warning: some cursing, lots of dorkiness, horrible songs and singing, and way too many smiles.
Summary:Yifan is the most famed wizard of the kingdom, sent to defeat the evil lurking in the forests, preventing the Valentine Faire from happening.
Notes: This was supposed to be short and cute…then it grew into an evil beast. A full barrel of roses to my beta for dealing with my extreme whininess during the creation of this fic.
The Valiant Wizard and his Lively Apprentice
Once upon a time…
The Great Wizard Wu Yifan and his oh-so-unhelpful but pretty apprentice Luhan head into the Lost Forest. It is named as such because everyone who goes in is lost and if they’re not, they lose and change their ways. This isn’t so bad sometimes.
The Lost Forest isn’t a dark and creepy forest, full of scary unknowns waiting to pounce on unsuspecting travelers. No. This is a nice forest. Bright sunlight filters through the deep green canopy above, and occasional glimpses of pale blue skies and wispy clouds can be caught between the leaves. Birds keep a lively background tune that mixes with the babble of brooks and the rushing of rivers that cross the landscape. The soft breezes come down from the nearby mountains, and keep the grasses and trees dancing as the wizard and his apprentice walk down the forest path.
Lyre in hand and heart as light as a maiden in love, Luhan strums a few notes and lets them drift in the air for a moment before starting up a quick ditty.
Trudging off we gooo~
Down the forest trail, we gooo~
To hunt evil spooks!
That will make us look!
Like the finest knights to booooot~
Yifan groans. “Merciful gods, save me.”
Hunting off we gooo~
To the baddies we will shooow~
That there’s reason to fear!
The greatest wizard to appear!
In a hundred million yeaaars~
“Lies,” Yifan mutters, picking out a leaf that had fallen on his shoulder. “It’s only been a hundred years.”
To the end we now approooach~
Of this silly and happy soooong~
Yifan will not rest!
Until this beast is slayed!
And like heroes!
[dramatic pause]
We find our way back hooooooooooooooooooome~
After the last note fades, Yifan pulls his hands away from his ears and sighs. Why had he taken on an apprentice in the first place? Oh yeah. After months of refusals to the offer of taking a pupil, the king had finally not asked anymore, but ordered Yifan to take Luhan under his wing. Or, to be more precise, under his wizard cape. The problem was-and still is-that Luhan rarely stays still long enough for Yifan to teach him anything.
Yifan sighs. “We certainly won’t find the beast now.”
“What? Why?” Luhan’s rosy lips push out in a pucker. It’s like he’s five and not five-and-twenty. Yifan is only two years older and he would rather throw himself in the castle’s crocodile infested moat than to be caught acting cute.
“Because your horrible singing just scared every living creature out of this forest,” Yifan snaps. He punctuates this with a dramatic flip of his wine-red cape over his shoulder and keeps on stomping his brand new, tall boots.
“I am bored and I am cold,” Luhan says, hanging his lyre by a string on the side of his leather pack once more. “How else should I pass the time?”
Yifan shrugs, an elegant roll of his shoulders that makes his cape rustle and fan out to showcase his tight leather pants and dark-blue tunic. He’d practiced the move many times to get the desired effect. “You’re always bored.”
“Whose fault is that?” Luhan grumbles and crosses his arms.
Yifan glances at his apprentice, narrows his eyes and points at the very outlandish outfit Luhan had insisted on wearing ever since they left the northern regions. “And the cold is your own fault for wearing a skirt.”
“It is not a skirt!” Luhan yells, gripping the edges of said skirt and jerking them down. “It’s a kilt!”
Yifan rolls his eyes. “Kilt. Skirt. What’s the difference? You’re still freezing your sacks.”
Luhan leers at him. “You should try it some time. Get them out of those tight leathers. Air them out. Maybe you’ll stop being so uptight!”
Yifan waves his hand sharply and a burst of wind buffets his apprentice who screeches when the kilt goes up and slaps him on the face. A drawn out string of curses follows, as Luhan fights to disentangle himself from the long length of plaid cloth.
Yifan continues walking and covers a smile behind his fingertips. His apprentice is unhelpful, loud, and never knows when to shut up, but he makes for great target practice when Yifan is bored or annoyed. Plus, he made their travels lively.
Luhan catches up to him soon though, all red in the cheeks and huffing. “Why are you in such a hurry?”
“The Great Wizard Wu desires a date, and he shall not permit some evil beast and his army of silly forest creatures to prevent the Valentine Faire from happening!” Yifan proclaims in a grandiose tone. It’s a tone that portrays the perfect amount of superiority, courage, and outrage.
Luhan exhales loudly. “I hate it when you talk in third person.”
“It’s a great confidence booster,” Yifan says. “And since you are not serving your apprentice duties and showering me with glorifying words-”
“Oh, for gods sakes! You are the most famed and acclaimed wizard in the entire kingdom,” Luhan practically yells. “Everybody wants you. Of course you will get a date! I, on the other hand, could use a bit of help-”
“Do they, Luhan? Do they really love me? The real me,” Yifan pounds his chest with a hand, “and not this superior magical person that they all see me as.”
Luhan shoves his pinky in his ear and wiggles it around. “I’m sorry. For a moment there, it sounded as if you had feelings, as in real ones that could get hurt.”
Yifan ignores the comment. “The Valentine Faire needs to happen, Lu. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had a date?”
“Years, centuries, eons,” Luhan says, biting his lip to keep from smiling too wide. He is the worst apprentice ever.
“Exactly! I dedicated so much time to my wizard studies. I didn’t have time for distractions.” Yifan shakes his head mournfully. He does have feelings, dammit. Ones he keeps well hidden inside all the glory his name comes with, but that still bruise easily. “Now that I have my title and cape, now that I have time for myself…I can’t wait to find the one.” These last two words are said with the utmost reverence, because there really is nothing in the world that Yifan wants more than to find romance.
Luhan rolls his eyes. “What does that even mean? The one. Personally, I wouldn’t mind finding more than one-”
Yifan shakes his head. “Your views on love are appalling.”
“I would say adventurous,” Luhan says. “Speaking of adventure, did the king tell you what we are up against this time?”
“Nope.”
“Greeeeaaat,” Luhan exclaims with false cheer. “I hope it’s something easy, like a cerberus or a wyvern. Maybe one of those peacock serpent things.”
“A quetzalcoatl, Luhan,” Yifan says. “Have you been slacking in your studies?”
“Your chicken scratch is hard to read!” Luhan puts his small notebook away after he has copied down the correct word for chicken serpent. “Cyclops are easy too. You take a sling, get a nice rock, and bam! Down they go.”
Yifan shakes his head. “You read too many books and listen to too many tales if you think it’s that easy. Of course, for me it’s no problem at all, but for other mere mortals and young wizards such grand schemes are highly dangerous-” He carries on his explanation, knowing full well his apprentice is getting annoyed by the second, as they make their way deeper into the woods.
Sometime after, when Yifan is done talking, Luhan is too dazed by his monologue to even try and make conversation. In the resulting quiet, Yifan smiles and breathes in the forest-the scent of newly bloomed flowers, the clean waters of a nearby river, the loam and grasses. Ah. The peacefulness of his lone traveling days comes back like a bittersweet memory.
It’s while he’s enjoying this peace that Yifan catches a flash of white at the edge of his vision and he turns his head towards it. In between the trees there’s a boy with raven black hair and skin as luminous as the sun. He smells the pretty yellow flowers on a bush with his eyes closed and a tiny smile on his lips.
Yifan’s steps slow down. The longer he looks, the faster his heart beats. Then the boy’s eyes open up and look straight at him. A hush settles all around as they stare at each other, and then the boy’s lips turn up into a dimpled smile. Yifan’s heart sort of leaps, stops, and restarts out of sync. Just as fast, he blinks and the boy is gone. Was it a phantom? A mirage?
A hand waves in front of Yifan’s face.
“Helloooo? Are you in there?” Luhan waves harder.
Yifan pushes the hand away and moves closer to the tree line. A beautiful trick of the light?
Luhan comes to stand at his side. “Did you see something?”
“I don’t….” Yifan shakes his head. “No. It’s nothing.”
Yeol the Troll and The Water Elemental
Around noon, the wizard instructs his apprentice to find them a clearing to settle down for lunch. The only roaring beasts they’ve encountered so far are their hungry stomachs, and if they don’t slay them now, it will be a problem when they do find a real creature to slay.
Luhan hums a tune as he spreads out a blanket and brings out their rations. The sandwiches are cold and a bit soggy-Yifan reprimands Luhan about his failed preservation spell-but it’s the only food they’ve had all day and it tastes like heaven. At least the wine is good.
“So, what are you hoping to find in this perfect partner you keep dreaming about?” Luhan asks before glomping half his sandwich in one bite.
Yifan raises a brow. “Can’t we just enjoy the quiet?”
Luhan, his mouth still full of bread and cheese, says, “I could start singing-”
“The Great Wizard Wu wishes for a partner that is as grandiose as he is,” Yifan says abnormally loud. “Someone at his level. Someone who appreciates him and is not intimidated by all this.” He motions to his entire figure with one hand.
“You’re disgusting.” Luhan bites the other half of his sandwich and continues speaking. “It seems that you just want another ass kisser. I thought I was here for that.”
Yifan levels him an unimpressed look. “You’re disgusting. You eat like a pig. I can’t stand the sight of you.”
“Oink oink.”
Yifan scowls and tries to remain unaffected. Only Luhan presses the tip of his nose upwards, does the piggy sound again, but ends up choking on his food and coughing. Yifan can’t help the laughter that bubbles out.
“See? You can’t get rid of me,” Luhan says once the coughing stops. “No one else can make you laugh like this. Your face will freeze into that haughty and pinched look you get if you don’t laugh often.”
“It’s my signature wizard face,” Yifan says, picking up his goblet of wine and taking a long drink. “Besides, it goes so well with the cape and the magic. A cape which you will not get if you keep acting like-”
A monster-like wail of despair makes the earth tremble underneath him.
“-a big child.” Yifan pauses. Blinks. “That was not you, was it? Because if it was, you just proved my point.”
However, Luhan’s eyes are wide and full of fear. “What the hell is that?” he asks in a tiny voice.
Yifan stands, fixes his blue tunic, and dusts his cape before clasping it once more about his broad shoulders. It seems that they won’t have to travel anymore since the foul monster has found them. His smile widens. “Let us find out.”
“How about no!” Luhan screams.
But Yifan is already off.
The wizard follows a trail down to the nearby river and tracks the beastly sounds down the grassy bank. It’s around the second river bend where he finds the source of all the wailing and earth trembling. The creature is two-horses-tall in size, quite ugly, and stinkier than Luhan’s undergarments after a long day of travel.
Yifan snaps his fingers repeatedly at Luhan when his apprentice finally catches up. Luhan fumbles in his pack and brings out a worn, leather notebook. When he finds the right page, he reads the information.
Troll
Attack: +5
Magic: -3
Habitat: forests, caves, under bridges.
Weakness: magic, furry animals and other cute stuff, being made fun off.
Danger Ranking: Lame.
Notes: They’re duh-umb.
“I really don’t think this is the super evil beastie we’re looking for,” Luhan says, closing up his notebook and placing it back in his pack.
“It’s not,” Yifan says. “But we can’t just leave it here causing such a ruckus.”
“Then I think the best plan of attack is to blast him with water,” Luhan says, eyeing the troll critically. “If anything, that will clean him up and then we can attack up close.”
Yifan tuts and shakes his index finger. “Ah-ah. You forgot something.”
“What?”
“That they are kind and sociable creatures. There’s no need for violence, Luhan.” Yifan shakes his head, thoroughly disappointed in his apprentice’s tendency in starting fights. Yifan turns to the troll and calls out. “Greetings!”
The troll stops crying and turns his watery eyes on them. He hiccups. “H-hello?”
Yifan winks at Luhan, and continues showing him how things are done. “What is your name, gentle creature?”
The troll sniffs loudly, sucking up the mucus running out of his nose back in. “Y-Yeol.”
“Yeol. I am the Great Wizard Wu.” He sweeps his robes to the side and bows at the waist, before rising, his signature smile on. “This is my lowly apprentice Luhan, who just failed his assignment on properly dealing with trolls.”
Luhan peeks from behind Yifan, before fully stepping out. “Hi. Stop crying. You look hideous. I mean, more than you are already.”
The troll’s lower lip trembles and it seems it’s about to wail again so Yifan quickly says, “What he means is, why are you crying?”
“The knights came and kicked me out of my home.” Yeol wipes his tears with his dirt-stained fingers, leaving smudges below his eyes. “They said…they said I was too ugly to be in or near the faire!” At this, the troll starts sobbing again. His big loud wails make Yifan and Luhan cover their ears.
“He’s really sensitive about his image,” a new voice says.
Yifan jumps, startled at the person standing right beside him. He pedals back on his feet, one hand extended forth in case he needs to cast a spell. But instead, Yifan freezes at what he sees.
It’s the raven-haired boy. More like a young man, really. He’s dressed in a white cotton tunic, pants, and worn sandals. It hadn’t been a trick of the light or a ghostly vision after all. He was real.
The boy smiles, dimples forming and eyes turning into crescents. There’s a cute tilt to his head that makes Yifan’s insides melt a bit. Or a lot. “Hi.”
Yifan is struck speechless by the young man’s presence. The longer he stares the more his heart speeds up, like a horse rampaging down a road. He’s never had this reaction before, a mix of fear and excitement rushing inside his chest. It’s very peculiar.
“Hi, creepy person who just came out of nowhere,” Luhan says, and if Yifan weren’t star-struck, he would’ve smacked his apprentice for being so rude. “Who are you?”
“I’m Lay,” the young man says, never losing the smile even faced with Luhan’s rudeness. “Nice to meet you.”
His apprentice narrows his eyes momentarily, before returning the smile. “Luhan. And the silent specter beside me is my master, the Great Wizard Wu.”
“I’m sorry,” Lay says. “I didn’t mean to scare him.”
“I’m not…I don’t….” Yifan clears his throat and straightens. He fixes his cape and adjusts his leather pants, then stands in a more dignified manner. “The Great Wizard Wu is never scared. I was…silently contemplating the mystery of your sudden apparition.”
Lay’s smile widens and he winks at Yifan, like he knows exactly how much Yifan is having trouble to be coherent.
Once again, Yifan fumbles on what to say next, because Lay is very pretty when he smiles and that wink just about destroyed Yifan. “B-Before I question you about this sudden apparition feat, I must try to calm Yeol.”
At the sound of his name, the troll sniffles loudly. “I want to go back home. I want to go to the faire.”
“Fear not, sad troll,” Yifan says, getting into his savior role again. “The Great Wizard Wu will help you find a new abode which to call home. As for the faire, we are deeply sorry, but the king has requested that no magical creatures attend.” A troll would take up considerable space on the faire grounds, not to mention, stink up the place.
Yeol thumps his boulder-like fists against the ground as he yells. “I WANT TO”-thump-“GO TO”-thump-“THE FAIRE!”
“Now you’ve done it!” Luhan yells at Yifan.
“Perhaps a compromise?” Lay pipes in loudly. “Trolls love bridges, yes?”
Yifan nods. It’s basic knowledge.
“Build him one to live under!” Lay opens his hands as he presents his grand solution. “Yeol can guard it and greet the guests that come to the faire. That way he feels part of it without being in the way of everyone else.”
Yifan is impressed with Lay’s quick thinking. It’s a great plan. Both sides win. And most importantly he can get on with his hunt of the monster that is wreaking disaster on the faire preparations.
He casts an immobilize spell on the troll, and blessed quiet descends. Yifan repeats Lay’s suggestion to Yeol who is now frozen with one arm up and his mouth wide open. “Is this agreeable to you?”
Yeol blinks fast until Yifan releases him. The troll then dries his tears, wipes his snot, and nods. “But you have to promise to bring me sugared webs.”
“Lu, take note,” Yifan says. “You must bring Yeol his candy once the faire starts.”
Luhan grumbles something, but bows to Yeol. His apprentice might suck at many things, but Luhan always does the tasks he’s assigned.
“Excellent! Now, stand back and be amazed.” Yifan spreads his arms wide and starts to wiggle his fingers. It’s all for show. An experienced wizard like himself doesn’t need the aid of wands or big hand gestures, but the people love a good magic presentation and Yifan loves to impress.
“Wait!” Lay grabs hold of Yifan’s hands and pulls them down. “We must ask the guardian first.”
Yifan is both affronted at the young man’s dare of stopping him mid-spell, and having trouble controlling the impulse of closing his hands around Lay’s fingers to feel their warmth. “What guardian?”
“The river guardian,” Lay says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Yifan sighs. He knows of wizards who deal with the elemental forces and believe in tales of spirits, but he’s never been one of those. However, he decides to humor Lay. “And how do we contact this…creature?”
“You must dip your toes into the river.” Lay pulls him to the water’s edge. “Wiggle them around while calling his name.”
Yifan steps away from the water. “Luhan-”
“No!” Lay grips Yifan’s hand tighter. “It only works with strong magic casters.”
No matter how much his reluctance is crumbling away under Lay’s gaze, Yifan still protests. “This is ridiculous. Are you absolutely sure this is necessary?”
“Oh yes. Very sure,” Lay says.
Luhan giggles.
Yifan gives up. He takes off his boots, his cape, and tries to roll the bottom of his leather pants as far up as he can. When he finally dips his feet into the water, he yelps at the cold. He settles down at the edge of the water and sighs. He feels silly.
But Lay is looking at him and smiling. “Wiggle your toes,” he prompts.
Yifan wiggles them.
“Now, call the spirit.”
Yifan puffs out his chest and calls in a deep voice. “River spirit, heed my call. Come forth. Show yourself!”
“Is he always so dramatic?” Lay asks Luhan.
“So dramatic? Yes,” Luhan says.
Yifan’s call is answered and water starts to rise in a column, swirling around and taking shape. The guardian’s body remains amorphous from the waist down, but his chest is finely sculpted by transparent waters. His arms are lean muscles which ripple like waves, and his face is a delicate oval with pushed back hair and luminous eyes.
“I am Suho, the guardian of this river,” it says. “Why have you called, wizard?”
Yifan closes his mouth with a clack, because an elemental spirit has not only appeared in the most awesome way, but now it’s talking to him. “I…That is…We. We wish to build a bridge across your waters, Suho,” Yifan says. “A place our friend the troll can use as a home and the people of the kingdom can use to reach the Valentine Faire. Will you allow this?”
“No.”
“Thank yo-excuse me?” Yifan shakes his head. He’s not used to hearing the word no when he asks for things. No one refuses the Great Wizard Wu. “Did he just deny my request?”
Luhan snickers. “I believe he did.”
Yifan throws him a dirty look, but then softens it when he sees Lay standing nearby. He breathes and focuses back on the river guardian. “Is there a reason why you do not want a bridge?”
“The bridge is not the problem,” Suho says. The waters under him splash about when he speaks, like the vibrations go through his entire form. “It’s the troll.”
Yeol wails at this.
“Trolls are walking messes that stink up the atmosphere,” Suho says. “They like to hoard things under bridges and I do not wish to have my waters polluted. And his foul odor will keep princesses away from admiring themselves in my clear reflections.”
Yeol sobs harder.
Yifan ponders this setback. It’s not like Suho is wrong. Trolls are a mess to live with. But maybe an agreement can be made? “What if Yeol promises to wash often and keep the bridge clean?”
Suho crosses his arms. “I also have other demands, like no keeping small critters against their will and calling them pets. No charging a toll to cross the bridge. No loud crying that disturbs my melodical cascades-”
“Perhaps!” Yifan interrupts, “you should speak directly to Yeol and tell him your requests?”
Suho’s luminous eyes turn on the troll. “Very well.”
Yeol and Suho move to the side to discuss their new co-habitation arrangements. The water spirit wastes no time in splashing the troll with a big wave, leaving him semi-clean in one swoop. The troll grins and claps his hands.
Yifan takes his feet out of the water and grabs Lay’s hand when he offers it. There’s a tingly sensation that remains when the young man lets go. It almost feels like magic.
“Well? Go on,” Lay says, giving him a little push. “Build that bridge.”
Yifan opens his mouth to say something about a wizard doing things at his own time, but Lay is smiling and he can only respond with a tiny twitch of his lips. He faces the river once more and gathers his magic. No show this time, Yifan simply raises both hands and roots erupt from the riverbanks on both sides. They knot and twist and twine, forming a wide and steady bridge with enough space underneath for the troll to lie down and sleep.
“Woah,” Luhan says and furiously takes notes. The spell is too advanced for him yet, but Yifan likes the enthusiasm.
After Yifan puts his boots back on and grabs his cape, he searches around for Lay. But the young man is nowhere to be seen.
“Lu, did you see where Lay went?”
Luhan is too busy writing and drawing the newly built bridge to answer. He was probably too distracted to even notice anyways.
Lay has vanished once more and Yifan is absolutely mystified.
Before they leave, Yifan approaches Yeol and Suho. He still has a task to complete. “Do you know anything about an evil creature living in this forest? One that is disrupting the faire’s preparations?”
Yeol shakes his head.
Suho blinks. “There are no evil creatures in this forest.”
The cryptic remark is all the water spirit says. So, they leave Yeol the Troll sitting calmly on the riverbank and chatting with Suho. Of all the things Yifan’s seen through the years in his many travels, this sight counts as one of the weirdest.
Temperamental Gnomes and Giggling Fairies
The steady breezes die out as the sun begins its slow trek down from the skies. The wizard and his apprentice have stepped out of the main forest path in the hopes of finding the wayward evil beast intent on destroying the faire. But so far, they’ve had no luck.
Luhan is strumming his lyre, something soft that goes with the haunting mood of the forest. It’s gotten quieter all of a sudden, the air hotter. Luhan’s lips are pressed in a thin line, and he is shooting daggers with his eyes at Yifan. His fingers flick the strings harder.
Under the melody, Yifan detects something and motions Luhan to stop. “Do you hear that?”
Luhan opens his mouth, wiggles his tongue, but no sound comes out.
Yifan snaps his fingers and removes the silence spell.
“OH MY GOD. DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN. I SWEAR I WAS GOING INSANE!” Luhan screams and then pants dramatically as if the spell had deprived him of breath as well as sound.
Yifan waits for his apprentice to settle before asking again, “Do you hear it?”
“The murmurs?” Luhan asks. “I thought those were just the voices in my head ready to whisper me another song.”
Yifan stops and stares. He raises a finger.
“It was a joke!” Luhan rushes to say. “Now stop looking at me like I need fixing.”
Yifan frowns. “I always look at you like this.”
“Exactly.” Luhan goes off in search of the murmurs.
Yifan follows him, letting his apprentice take the lead for once. Luhan pokes at bushes, prods the trees, looks under rocks, whispers spells into the underbrush to uncover hidden bugs. It’s absolutely unnecessary because the murmurs are growing and Yifan can pinpoint the direction they’re coming from already.
He leaves Luhan to play around and heads the opposite way. The voices grow louder the nearer he gets to a big wild berry bush. Yifan peeks behind it and sees a small clearing where two gnomes are arguing.
“There’s no fucking way we’re going to have those fucking roses on time!”
“We have to do it, Soo.”
“No! I refuse! The king can shove the fucking roses up his ass, thorns and everything!”
The red-headed gnome laughs. “He won’t be able to do that if we don’t grow them.”
“Argh! You suck, Minseok!” Soo moves forward, pulls Minseok’s suspenders, and lets them snap back.
More laughter.
Yifan grunts when Luhan jumps onto his back and peeks over his shoulder. “Gnomes? Oh my god, they’re so cute. Look at their little hats and their colorful suspenders and shorts and-”
“Luhan,” Yifan snaps.
“Hold your horses,” Luhan says and climbs down from Yifan’s back. He brings out his notebook.
Gnomes
Attack: +10
Magic: +1
Habitat: Inside trees, underground.
Weakness: ?
Danger Ranking: Highly irritable and grumpy.
Notes: Meet one.
“No weakness?” Yifan asks.
“I couldn’t find any information-”
“You fail once again.” Yifan taps his chin with two fingers. “I think you owe me a full scroll detailing the weaknesses of gnomes.”
“How about a song?” Luhan deadpans.
Yifan taps his fingers against his chin. “How about we forget the whole thing?”
Luhan grins. “Perfect.”
Yifan massages his temple and takes a deep breath. He pushes his cape back, steps into the clearing, and settles his hands on his waist, taking a stance. “Good evening, kind gnomes. What seems to be the problem?”
Soo settles his pointy gnome hat further down his head, so that his black hair presses onto his forehead. He arches a brow and looks up, up, up at Yifan. “Who the fuck are you?”
Yifan puffs out his chest and looks off into the distance. “Behold! I am the Great Wizard Wu!”
Minseok throws an arm around Soo and clings. The two are at level with Yifan’s tall boots. Small but wider and tougher. “Are you with the Valentine Faire circus?”
Luhan cackles. “Good one.”
“I am in charge of making sure the faire goes on smoothly,” Yifan says. “We were told of an evil beast making this impossible. Has the beast caused you trouble as well?”
The gnomes glance at each other and smile. “We don’t know of any beast, but we are having a fucking hard time growing our roses in time for the faire,” Soo says. “You see, some asshole knights decided to use our gardening grounds to set up the faire booths.”
“Ah, so you’ve been left homeless as well?” Yifan frowns at this. It was one thing to have a faire and remove a stinky troll, but these gnomes were harmless. And they were providing the flowers for the event. It wasn’t right that they’d been kicked from their lands.
“Ah, no.” Minseok ruffles his rust-colored hair. “They actually gave us quite a big space to move to, only-”
“It’s full of fucking rocks!” Soo explodes, stomping his tiny feet.
Minseok nods. “It’s unusable. We told them so and they threatened to remove us from the forest if we didn’t have the roses delivered on time.”
“What the hell?” Luhan scowls. “We were sent to kill a beast and instead find the king’s knights are the ones behaving like beasts?”
Yifan didn’t like it either. The king had sent him to smooth things over for the faire, but it seems the faire was only causing trouble for those who lived in the forest. Not even doubting this is the right thing to do even if it’s not the one he was tasked to complete, Yifan asks, “Is there something we can do to help?”
Soo shakes his head. “Unless you can find a way to grow five fucking hundred roses for tomorrow, then no.”
“There has to be a way.” Luhan pouts and Minseok moves closer to pat his hand.
“Fairy dust!”
Yifan screams and jumps back, tripping into the wild berry bush and getting entangled in it. This time he recognizes the voice. “How do you keep doing that?”
“Secret,” Lay sing-songs, dimples showing. “And it’s fun.”
“He’s right, too,” Luhan comments going through the pages in his notebook. “About the fairy dust, not the scaring-you-is-fun part. Though it is.” His apprentice chuckles. “It really really is-”
Yifan growls. “I will silence you again-”
“ANYWAYS…fairy dust would make the roses bloom by tomorrow,” Luhan says. “Just in time for the faire.”
“What about the rocks in our field?” Minseok asks.
“I’m sure the Great Wizard Wu can handle that,” Lay comments and turns to Yifan. “Can’t you?” Lay pulls at the sleeves of his white tunic. And by the gods, can anyone be this cute and innocent, yet not? Because Lay is flirting with Yifan. He has no doubt about it.
Yifan wiggles his way out of the bush, stands up and fixes his robe, swatting away the few leaves that got stuck. “O-Of course I can! But unless any one of you know any fairies around, I don’t know how we’re going to get fairy dust.”
“I do,” Lay says, swinging back and forth on his feet. “Know some fairies, I mean.”
Yifan blinks. “Oh…well that’s….”
“Convenient,” Luhan says, eyeing Lay from top to bottom. His apprentice doesn’t seem to like the mysterious young man, but Yifan is completely mesmerized.
“Let’s go then.” Yifan extends a hand to the side, opening the way for Lay. “After you.”
Lay laughs. “You’re so silly.”
He grabs Yifan’s hand and pulls him along. They break into a run, like they’re little kids playing some game. But while Lay is smaller and limber, Yifan has trouble not smacking into trees or getting entangled in more bushes. He yelps and grunts as he hits rocks and gets tripped by roots. He does everything but ask the beautiful young man to stop.
Lay’s laugh is as musical as the forest sounds. It’s a live thing that seduces its way into Yifan’s heart and warms it up. He wants to know Lay, to discover everything there is to know about him, because what Yifan has seen so far, he likes. Lay is making him feel things he’s only ever heard of before-the heart palpitations, the fluttering in his stomach, the rush of something very pleasant electrifying his body. Luhan will probably say he is a crazy fool, but Yifan thinks this could be the beginnings of love.
Eventually they slow down and stop.
They’re both panting-Yifan more than Lay, because who has time to keep fit when there are hundreds of wizard spells to learn. Lay draws closer and settles his hands on Yifan’s waist, looking up at him. His mouth is slightly open, rosy lips looking as inviting as ever. Yifan’s heart is about to pound its way out of his chest. His hand hovers close to Lay’s cheek, afraid to touch, but wanting nothing more.
“Who are you?” he whispers.
Lay bites his lower lip. “The one you’re loo-”
“Guys! Where are you?” Luhan yells
Lay kisses Yifan’s chin quick and then pulls away with a secret smile on his lips. Yifan feels as if he could combust right then and there. He also wants to shoot a fireball at Luhan for killing the most romantic moment he’s ever had in his life.
“Ah! There you are.” Luhan appears. He picks an edge of his kilt and fans himself with it. “So where are the fairies?”
“They should be around here.” Lay scratches the back of his head and stares at the branches above.
“I have an idea.” Luhan brings out a bunch of grapes from his bag. He takes them in his palm and whispers a spell. A sweet smell starts to swirl outwards and into the air all around.
There’s a faint rustling and two fairies buzz down from the branches of a nearby tree. They’re the size of Yifan’s hands, maybe a bit bigger, with oversized heads and clear translucent wings.
“Lu-”
“Yes, I know. I know.” Luhan reads the stats.
Fairies
Attack: +1
Magic: +10
Habitat: Trees, flower beds.
Weakness: Games, sweets.
Danger Ranking: Tricksters.
Notes: Bring bribes.
“Excellent work, Luhan,” Yifan says. “There is hope for you yet.”
Lay waves excitedly. “Hello, Baek! Chen!”
“Hi!” the fairies say in chorus.
“Greetings, tiny fairies!” Yifan says. “We have need of your assistance!”
Chen buzzes closer to Luhan and picks up a grape from his apprentice’s hand. The faerie licks it twice, before letting it fall to the ground. “Who’s this?”
Lay points at Yifan about to introduce him, but the wizard beats him to it.
“I am the Great Wizard Wu!” Yifan says and bows with a flourish.
The two fairies look at each other and start laughing, their voices like mocking chimes. Yifan has never had a reaction like that. He’s quite confused as to what is funny.
“Be nice,” Lay says, and the fairies stop. “He’s my friend and he could really use your help.”
Baek zooms around Yifan’s head, before stopping in front of him. “What can we do for you?”
“We need fairy dust to help the gnomes grow their roses,” Yifan says. “They will be forced out of the forest if they don’t deliver them tomorrow for the Valentine Faire.”
Baek snorts. “That faire has been nothing but trouble for us forest creatures.”
“It’s true. We fairies have no fairy dust left,” Chen says, coming to hover next to Baek. “Not after the king asked us to charm all those pendants they’re going to sell at the Valentine Faire.”
“Gods be damned,” Luhan says. “This has to stop! The king can’t-”
Yifan settles a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Luhan. We’ll fix this. Tell us, tiny fairies, is there any way you could make more fairy dust?”
“We’d need an elemental source or magical item to create more dust,” Baekhyun says.
“Magical items are expensive,” Yifan says. “And rare.”
Chen shrugs his little shoulders. “Then you’ll have to wait until we naturally regain our magic. It can take days.”
They can’t wait so long. The faire is in one day! Yifan hasn’t even confronted the evil beast. He’s spent the day helping magical creatures get ready for an event they can’t even attend. It’s not fair. And he will have an audience with the king about it as soon as he slays the evil beast.
For now, he has to figure out how to get fairy dust.
Or a magical item.
Luhan, as an apprentice, can’t use magical items, so he has none. They could go back to Yeol and ask if he’s hoarded anything magical, but that would take too long. Lay carried nothing except the clothes he had on. And gnomes had just been kicked out of their homes so they wouldn’t have anything either. Stars above! What to do?
Yifan runs a hand through his hair and stops mid-motion when he feels Lay’s gaze on him. The young man is smiling at him for some reason. Yifan, unable to resist, smiles back.
Lay raises his hand and wiggles his fingers.
What?
Lay points at Yifan and wiggles his fingers once more.
Yifan copies the motion and frowns a bit. “I don’t-”
“Rings,” Lay says. “Your rings aren’t magic, but you’ve casted spells with them on. There’s magical residue that’s been absorbed into them.”
Oh! Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of that? Would one be enough or did he need to part with all of them? He takes off the smallest one and presents it to the fairies. “Will this suffice?”
Baekhyun flies closer and grabs the metal band with both hands. “If you give us one each, yeah, I think we could manage.”
Yifan relinquishes possession of a second ring.
The four of them head back to the gnomes’ rocky gardening grounds. He finds Luhan laughing with them, as easy as if they’d known each other all their lives, and not a moment ago. Yifan could never find that affinity or be that comfortable with someone he just met.
Though with Lay….
“All right! Let’s get to work!” Lay turns to him with a smile. “Ready, Yifan?”
With Lay he felt at ease.
“I’m ready.”
Yifan goes first. Since his audience is bigger, he goes for the grand show, spreading his arms wide and speaking words of magical power in his native tongue. The earth trembles beneath them and the rocks on the long field start to sink into the ground slowly. When he drags them down deep enough, he shakes the ground harder, until there’s nothing but fertile soil on top.
Soo and Minseok go next. They grab their packs and high-five each other. The grins on their faces look full of mischief and fun. In the blink of an eye, the gnomes dart away with super speed. Their forms blur up and down the plowed field scattering the rose bush seeds. No wonder they’re made for excellent gardeners.
When they’re done, they return to where Yifan and the others wait. Minseok slumps on the ground beside Luhan and Soo gives the fairies a thumbs up.
Baekhyun and Chen nod and set off. They have Yifan’s rings around their tiny bodies and as they gain speed, their wings start to glow. Particles of fairy dust start to fall over the field as they fly by. The soil sparkles with magic before it’s absorbed by the seeds. When the fairies are done, tiny little rose bushes have begun to grow.
The sun dips in the horizon over the tree line while the fairies, the gnomes, Lay, Luhan and Yifan watch the magic happen in silent awe. The roses will definitely be fully grown in time for the Valentine Faire. They’ve all worked hard and cooperated, so Yifan feels it’s more than right that they attend the faire.
“The Great Wizard Wu thanks you all for this great service,” Yifan says. “I’m sure the king won't mind if you and all your friends attended the faire.” He’ll deal with the king’s wrath later if the old man doesn’t like it.
For now, it’s enough that the gnomes, fairies, and Luhan cheer upon hearing the invitation.
Yifan searches around to tell Lay he’s invited too, only to find the young man is missing once more. “Where’s Lay? He was just here….”
“I get the feeling he’ll find us again,” Luhan says, coming to stand by his side. “Did you ask them about the evil beast?”
“Oh, yes!” Yifan kneels before the forest creatures. “I was sent to stop an evil creature living in this forest? The one destroying the faire’s preparations. Have you heard of it? Do you know where we might find it?”
Minseok frowns.
“Who the fuck is evil?” Soo demands.
Baek lands on top of the gnome’s head. “There is no evil in the forest.”
Yifan sighs. “Yes, we’ve been told that, but-”
Chen flies close to Yifan. “The guardian of the Lost Forest finds you, not the other way around.”
This is all their new friends will say about it. So, the wizard and his apprentice say goodbye to everyone and set off into the darkening forest once more.
“Goodbye, manly Lu!” Minseok shouts.
Luhan waves and then beams at Yifan. “Did you hear that? He called me manly!”
Yifan flashes a tight smile, but he is too busy thinking of Lay. Where had he gone? Or more importantly when? Yifan hadn’t seen or felt him leave the clearing. Though if the pattern is right, it wouldn’t be long until Lay appeared again, scaring Yifan half to death and then making him flustered with easy smiles and casual touches.
Yifan couldn’t wait.
“Oie! Don’t leave me talking to myself!” Luhan runs after his master.
(part 2)