The World Is Bigger Than You Think: Zul-Laptra
Title: The World Is Bigger Than You Think: Zul-Laptra
Pairing: Kyusung
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm from Ohio...not too many hot korean idols to own or make money of off. So do you think I'm doing that with these boys?...didn't think so
Summary: Jongwoon is a traveler, but not an ordinary traveler. To keep himself busy, he begins to write about all the places he visits and the people he meets, including one unwanted traveling companion.
~
I knew this kid would be trouble before I even agreed to take him. Seriously, I think the only thing Kyuhyun knows how to do is get in trouble.
At first I was glad to be leaving Kon, I really didn't want to get mixed up in their problems any more than I already had. I knew Isa was right in the fact that Kyuhyun needed to get away and that was the only reason I finally agreed to taking him away. Even with the changes that were to come to Kon, it wouldn't be enough to help Kyuhyun. He had to get away. Just like I had to get away.
Now there is no way to actually choose what world I'll travel to next, but I don't think we could've ended up at a worse place.
Immediately after we arrived we were surrounded by lava. For a moment I wasn't sure that we would actually survive the next few minutes. Obviously Kyuhyun thought the same thing but wasn't able to hide it as well as I am. After a moment of studying the area, I noticed that the lava was all in contained streams and none of it seemed like it was going to hit us. In fact the area we were in was completely covered in grass like the volcano never hits it.
So we decided, or rather I pulled Kyuhyun along with me, into the forest away from the volcano since there really wasn't anywhere else to go. At that point I figured that if this world was inhabited, it would be a while before we reached any form of civilization. But leave it to Kyuhyun and his knack for getting into trouble to prove me wrong.
Not long after we entered the forest we found a well laid out dirt path that seemed like a good idea to follow instead of randomly wandering through the forest. Though of course Kyuhyun had to run off anytime he saw something mildly interesting which led him to being caught by an old fashion rope trap. When I found him, which wasn't hard considering how much he was shouting, he was hanging upside down from a tree, rope tight around his ankle. It wasn't long after that, that the locals showed up and forced both of us to their village. And apparently Kyuhyun doesn't understand the words 'let me do all the talking' as his first idea was to yell at the man who was noticeably the leader which landed us here in this prison as they decide what to do with us.
If I was a cruel person I would leave Kyuhyun here once I had the power to leave again, but I'm not.
~ Jongwoon (Why am I signing these? It's not like anyone else is going to write in them.)
"Are you seriously sitting there writing at a time like this? We're in a prison! A prison in a village of rather violent people who are most likely going to kill us in a place that will kill us if we take a wrong step! Speaking of which, how the hell did we end up here?" Kyuhyun was pacing in the small wooden prison they were in, occasionally pushing on a wall or the door hoping for a way out.
"Calm down." Jongwoon said completely unfazed at Kyuhyun's actions. He carefully put the journal away in his bag, which he was surprisingly enough allowed to keep, before actually looking up at the younger. "It's your fault that we're in here. You wanted to fight and argue with them so I'm not surprised that they threw us in here."
"They started it. They were the ones who came and pointed their weapons at us and forced us to their village. Besides you ignored like all of my questions, no changing the topic."
"I did no such thing. You did bring up the fact that we are in a prison and asked how we got here."
"That wasn't the here that I meant. I meant this place in general. How did we go from being in Isa's home to being near an active volcano and captured by villagers? What was that orb thing?" And that was the question that Jongwoon was dreading. How exactly do you explain a person who comes from a place with no form of magic at all that you can move between worlds with the help of magic?
"The orb is a device from my home world that contains the power to transport someone between worlds." Jongwoon explained, trying not to reveal too much. He wasn't even sure he would be around Kyuhyun long enough to need to explain anymore, not that he wanted to.
"Really? Then can it get us out of here?"
"No. It takes just over two days to recharge its power. That's why it's only a pale blue color and darker at the very bottom. If you paid any attention at all back at Isa's, it was completely a sapphire blue color." Jongwoon pulled out the orb as he spoke, showing Kyuhyun the very beginnings of the darker blue at the very bottom of the orb.
"So that thing is just completely useless right now?" Kyuhyun asked frustrated as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
"No," he sighed, this was becoming more than he wanted to explain, "it also translates everything anyone says. Language is not the same from world to world. I have had plenty of worlds where I couldn't read their language but the orb allowed me to understand what someone was saying as well as let them understand me."
"And my world? Did you understand our language? You were in Kon so I assume you saw it written."
"It has similarities to my original world so I could get a basic understanding of it. Or I assume I could since I didn't bother to confirm with anyone."
"Oh. So how do you plan to get us out of this stupid cell?" Jongwoon rolled his eyes at the sudden change of topic especially since Kyuhyun had yelled at him just moments earlier for supposedly changing the subject.
"With patience."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"That means you shut up and let me handle it without needing to get into a fight or possibly getting us killed." Jongwoon stared down Kyuhyun making sure he wasn't going to challenge him on that though that didn't stop Kyuhyun from waiting until Jongwoon looked away to question him.
"So how do you plan to do that?"
"We just have to talk to one of our captors and find out why they imprisoned us in the first place. Which often when societies like this capture someone they lock them up, then discuss what their plan is on what to do with their prisoners or how to begin interrogating them. Once a decision is made then it is brought to the prisoners."
"So we just have to wait for them to decide what to do with us?" Kyuhyun questioned initially but became even more curious after he thought more on what Jongwoon said. "And wait...how do you know so much about this stuff?"
"Well, not every society handles visitors very well. This isn't my first time in this situation." Jongwoon answered rather vaguely going back to his notebook in order to pass the time.
"Wait, we just have to sit here and wait? I've never been very patient."
"I’ve noticed. It shouldn’t be too long before they send someone to check up on us." Kyuhyun huffed as Jongwoon didn’t even bother looking up from his journal, leaving Kyuhyun to entertain himself. Instead of just sitting there Kyuhyun decided to walk around their cell. There was just one window in the cell just opposite of the door, however, it was too high up in the wall for Kyuhyun to see out. The door was a simple cross bar door that was made out of a material that resembled bamboo on Kyuhyun’s home world. It was opened only with a key and since the gap in the door were only big enough for an arm to fit through there was no way Kyuhyun could see to escape. Aside from that their cell was rather basic, not even having a cot of some sort to sit on, just the hay covered floor.
After a few more minutes of pacing their cell, Kyuhyun gave up and sat back down on the ground, angling himself to have the widest vantage point through the cell door. Kyuhyun had almost fallen asleep, not noticing when Jongwoon switched from his journal to a book he had in his bag, when someone finally came to their cell.
"Good evening." Jongwoon greeted having noticed the sky darkening from their window, though that was the only thing he could see out the window. The young boy jumped at the greeting but not as much as he did when Kyuhyun made a strange yelp when he noticed the boy in their cell. "It’s alright, you can just set the trey down there. You do not need to come any closer." The boy nodded and set the trey of food down on the ground right in front of him.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to be able to speak our language."
"I understand. May we ask you some questions? As the door creates no sound barriers, you needn’t stay in the cell with us if that makes you more comfortable." Jongwoon suggested to which the boy immediately followed, sitting just on the other side of the door.
"What the hell are you?" Kyuhyun asked, getting over his initial shock.
"Kyuhyun! I know you were kicked out of your privileged life but that doesn’t mean you should have lost all your manners. Or where they just not taught in Kon?" Jongwoon snapped at Kyuhyun while still trying to keep his voice down.
"I’m sorry, I don’t know if there were people with horns in your home but there sure as hell weren’t any in mine." It was true the boy did have a pair of short horns coming out of his thick brown hair and gently curving back. In addition to his horns, the boy had very small rolled ears similar to that of a goat’s. His nose was smaller than what would seem proportionate to his face and just ever so slightly darker, but otherwise the boy loomed human.
"In my home we have heard about people like this boy and we call them fans, but are you honestly telling me you didn’t notice them when we were taken?"
"No, I was too distracted by the fact that I was suddenly out of Isa’s home and in the middle of a forest with rivers made of lava and being attacked and taken prisoner."
"I’m sorry about him, we just met and he has never been out of his home town before so this is a lot for him to take in." Jongwoon explained, addressing the boy again and ignoring Kyuhyun freaking out behind him.
"I have never seen your kind in person. I’ve only heard stories that those who have been in battles have told."
"Your kind is only known to me through stories as well. May I ask, what is your name?"
"Ryeowook." Jongwoon gave Ryeowook a soft smile, glad to see the boy opening up just ever so slightly.
"Well, Ryeowook, I am Jongwoon and the one back there is Kyuhyun. I'm a traveler and Kyuhyun just joined me due to some difficult situations in his home country."
"You are not from Zul-Laptra?"
"Zul-Laptra? Is that where we are?" Jongwoon asked receiving a nod from Ryeowook. "Kyuhyun comes from a place called Kon and well I'm a long way from my home."
"Zul-Laptra is the name of the land, our people are called the Vralt."
"Would you by any chance know why were imprisoned?"
"Zul-Laptra is split in half, the Vralt control one half and are perfectly content with our land. However, the other side, the Komihn wish to take all of Zul-Laptra."
"And I take it we look like the Komihn."
"Yes."
"I see. Thank you for answering my questions."
"I believe the chief will be here to speak with you soon. I don't know what they will do with you." Ryeowook answered honestly, not wishing to give them any false hope. He gave them one last encouragement to eat the food he had brought them before leaving to take care of his other duties.
"SO we are in prison for looking like the people who want to take their land?" Kyuhyun asked finally settled down his earlier freak out and eating the food Ryeowook brought in.
"Yeah, looks like we ended up in another war of sorts."
"Kon wasn't at war."
"It wasn't a war in the immediate sense of the word, but it was one and whether it was going to take a turn for the better or worse is unknown. We would hope that with Cyrus being held by the people of the outer town that the wall would be torn down and the city would join as one and lives will be better. However, you don't know exactly how many supporters Cyrus had that may get back at the people of the outer city."
"Would it really turn into a war?"
"It could. I can't control where the orb takes me, well us now, next so if we ever travel to Kon again, I don't want you to think that things couldn't have gotten worse. It is a possibility and that's all it is. We may never know how it actually turns out."
"You're telling me, I left my home and it could've gotten worse for the people I was trying to help? If that's the case, then why the hell did you take me with you?" Kyuhyun was shouting at Jongwoon at this point who remained seated near the door not bothering to look at the younger.
"I'm sorry alright. I really did not want to take you with me. I've always been better and more comfortable on my own. I didn't want someone traveling with me."
"So why take me?"
"Because Isa wanted me to. She knew if you were to stay and things got worse then you would be killed. She wanted you to live and no longer be stuck in a place like Kon. You had no attachments other than your sense of justice and that was not enough to let you be killed. She knew what she was doing. She knew the risks and she didn't want you to suffer for them anymore so she sent you with me." Kyuhyun wanted to say more but stopped himself when he noticed a group of Vralt coming towards their cell. It was obvious to tell that they were older than Ryeowook as they all had much longer horns all curved differently. And while some of the men had beards, they all seemed to have what looks like a peach fuzz around the bridge of their noses and cheeks.
"Get up and follow us, the chief wishes to speak with you." The leader of the group instructed, unlocking their cell door and letting a couple of the others in to encourage Kyuhyun and Jongwoon out and to make sure they didn't run away on the trip to see the chief. Jongwoon held onto Kyuhyun's sleeve mildly worried that the younger might attempt something when they were out of the cell but luckily he didn't. They were led to another hut much like the one their cell was in, but this one was much more elaborate and inviting than the cold cell was. An elder Vralt sat in the center of the hut behind a small fire while others sat, lining the walls to the hut. Two cushions were set up on the ground in front of the fire opposite of the elder and Jongwoon and Kyuhyun were nudged towards them. Taking the hint, the two knelt down on the cushions waiting for someone to speak.
"I am the chief of this village and you have trespassed onto our land. Komihn are not permitted into this part of the forest." The elder on the other side of the fire from them spoke with a low and dark voice.
"Sir, if I may speak?"
"You may not. Most Komihn are killed on sight, though your clan has been quiet for a short while now and we may spare you if you inform us of your clan’s plans. We do not take well to spies so the council may not vote in favor even if you speak. How would you favor?"
"Sir, unfortunately we are not of the Komihn."
"LIES!" The elder shouted at Jongwoon, the fire flaring up as if reacting to the chief's voice. "There are only two civilizations in Zul-Laptra and as you are not Vralt then you must be Komihn."
"We are travelers from places outside of Zul-Laptra. We had only recently entered Zul-Laptra when we were taken captive by your men." Jongwoon carefully explained and was thankful that Kyuhyun stayed silent.
"I will not stand for these lies. Take them back to their cell while we come to a decision." The chief ordered and immediately Kyuhyun and Jongwoon were pulled up by the arm and dragged right back to their cell.
"SO what do we do now? Seeing as the talking our way out of it didn't work."
"We have to find a way to escape and hide out from both clans until we can leave."
"Why both, if we look like Komihn then why couldn't we just hide out with their clan?"
"Because although it's obvious that the Vralt do their fair share of the killing in this war, the Komihn seem to be the ones who start most of the skirmishes and if we are discovered to be hiding out with the Komihn then we might just change that. Besides, if we ran to the Komihn then it would look like we were actually lying."
"But wouldn't they assume we go to the Komihn anyways?"
"Well if we manage to escape and try to find a way the leads away from the boarder and we lose them then they will most likely guard the boarder very closely looking for us and if we never cross then they'll assume we are still in their territory. It's not a guarantee to keep them away but it's the only option unless they leave us here long enough for the orb to charge."
"How much longer until it's charged then?"
"Well seeing as it's the middle of the night and we arrived in the morning then I would say about another night if not a little longer." Jongwoon pulled the orb out of his bag to inspect it as it was about a third of the way darkened.
"It's needs to be completely dark, right?"
"Yes. When you use it to travel between two worlds it is drained of its power and that is shown through the loss of color. With time it builds its power back up thus returning the color to the orb when fully recharged."
"So we just need to make it through a day and we'll be able to move on?"
"Yeah. Hopefully they take long enough to make a decision that we won't have to hide out that long. It's late, go ahead and sleep, I'll keep watch for the night." Jongwoon suggested looking up at the window, just barely able to see this world's moon in the sky above the trees.
"You'll say the same thing tomorrow, wake me up after a couple hours so you can sleep too." He didn't. Kyuhyun shouldn't have been too surprised when he woke up to hearing Ryeowook visiting their cell with breakfast, but that didn't mean he wasn't annoyed. He wants to prove to Jongwoon that he can pull his own weight in these situations yet Jongwoon refuses to give him the chance.
"Are you certain? How much time do you think until they announce it?" Kyuhyun could hear Jongwoon and Ryeowook whispering near the door like they had the night before.
"Not very long. There are morning rituals that the council goes through. So it will most likely be just after that."
"That doesn't leave us much time does it?"
"No. Though after the announcement is made the preparations will be made in the center of the village. When an execution is performed, it is done as an example for the whole village. Either to show the village of the consequences or to prove that the threat is gone."
"And we're viewed as a threat because we look like the Komihn."
"Yes. I'm sorry I could not bring you better news. Even if you really were Komihn, you're still very kind and I don't wish for your execution."
"Thank you Ryeowook. You should leave before they suspect you of doing something wrong." He quickly sent the young Vralt away before they risked being scene.
"So what's going to happen?" Kyuhyun asked once Jongwoon moved closer again.
"Ryeowook says that from what he can tell from the bits and pieces he's heard, we're to be executed. He says it's traditionally done when everyone can watch us burn at the stake. The official announcement will be made in a couple hours and it will take only as long as it takes to make the preparations for us to be put on display for our execution."
"What do we do then?"
"We get out of here. Ryeowook explained the layout of the village to me as well as the area of the forest he knew and which directions the other villages were as far as he was aware. Being young, he's barely been out of the village."
"Well now that we have that bit of information, should be breakout now, or as they try to kill us?" Jongwoon pulled Kyuhyun over to the back corner where he had drawn up the layout Ryeowook had explained to him early in the night while Kyuhyun was asleep, in the dirt. Working quietly and constantly glancing back at the door to see if anyone was coming, they devised a plan. The hardest part of the plan was waiting until the proper time to enact their plan which would hopefully come at any time now as the official announcement had been made to the village already. Shortly after one of the guards informed them of the punishment, Ryeowook had stopped by to get the details of their plan and to prepare himself for when the time came.
"It's time." The captain, as Jongwoon decided to refer to him as, who had picked them up the night before for their meeting with the Chief was back with his guards. Ryeowook hung around the back as the guards escorted Jongwoon and Kyuhyun from their cell. Jongwoon's bag was snatched from him and shoved into Ryeowook's arms to hold onto. Jongwoon waited until the guards had all formed up and the captain was facing away from them to start their plan. With a quick glance back at Ryeowook and a nod to Kyuhyun, both elbowed the guards behind them and pushed them off to the side. Kyuhyun rushed straight for Ryeowook who was bringing up the rear in their lineup behind one last row of guards. Jongwoon kept the guards distracted enough for Kyuhyun to pull out the knife Jongwoon had pulled out of his bag and given him for this task specifically.
"Sorry Ryeowook." He whispered as he grabbed onto the arm that wasn't holding Jongwoon's bag and held the knife up to his throat. Jongwoon himself had pulled out a knife and was staring the captain down. Four of the eight guards were currently unconscious while the other four waited to see what their captain was going to do. This was Kyuhyun's first real chance to see Jongwoon in combat and yet he missed it in order to secure Ryeowook as their plan stated. Jongwoon took one look back from the captain to see Kyuhyun had Ryeowook and took a couple steps back towards them while keeping his gaze on the captain.
"You Komihn have stooped to taking hostages now? Cowards."
"Well here's the thing, we're not Komihn. And we would rather not be killed because you think we are."
"You expect us to believe you're not Komihn? You, who look and talk like them. We've been fighting them for decades now, I think I know a Komihn when I see one."
"We each come from places much further away than the Komihn land. Our resemblance is simply coincidence." Jongwoon argued still hoping to talk his way out, but it was proving to be useless. Kyuhyun and Ryeowook kept stepping back, leaving a short distance between them and Jongwoon and the guards.
"It's pathetic you think we would fall for that."
"Then you leave us no choice. Let us leave and the boy will be returned safely to you otherwise we cannot guarantee anything." Jongwoon stared down the captain and watched as he clenched his teeth in frustration before ordering his men to stand down. "Thank you." Jongwoon said still watching closely as they backed off into the forest.
"Sorry about that Ryeowook, I didn't hurt you, did I?" Kyuhyun asked the boy as soon as they were clear of the village and out of view of the guards.
"No, I'm fine. I'm just glad you told me what you were going to do ahead of time." Ryeowook rubbed his neck, still feeling the closeness of the blade even though Kyuhyun had put it away for now. "Oh Jongwoon, here's your bag back." He said the moment he noticed Jongwoon catch up to them.
"Thanks." Jongwoon grabbed it from him, securing it tightly to his back, still scanning the area for anyone who might have followed them.
"Are we in the clear?"
"For now, I don't trust them to not wait until Ryeowook is safely back in the village to send out a search party. We should keep moving, though I don't want Ryeowook to get lost on his way back so we'll send you back soon."
"I have a good sense of direction, so I should be alright. I'll stick with you guys for a while longer." Ryeowook knew that the longer he stayed with them, the better chance they had to get away and even if he got lost going home, he wanted to see this through. Especially talking to Jongwoon during the night, he knew there was no way they could be Komihn. Jongwoon told him about where Kyuhyun was from and a couple other places he had visited which could not have been near Zul-Laptra, they were just too different.
Jongwoon led them on, doing his best to keep an eye on all directions for any threats whether they be Vralt, Komihn or even just some form of wildlife. Being in the middle of a forest with at least one enemy and a countless possibility of other threats was not where Jongwoon wanted to be, but they had very few options, and none were any safer. He just hoped that the orb finished charging quickly and they could move onto a new world. And preferably the next one won't be in the middle of any wars or any kind. He got more involved in Kyuhyun's world than he would have liked and he's trying not to get pulled any further into this world's problems.
"This should be far enough." Jongwoon announced stopping in a tiny clearing. "We're a little over an hour outside the village, so we should have a significant head start assuming they will come after us."
"I can stay a little longer if you want."
"Thank you Ryeowook, but we should let you get back. Any longer and they'll come looking for you too. Also, I want us to change directions here, we've been taking a mostly straight path for you to follow back but sticking to it will backfire on us. You've been a great help to us and we don't want to repay you by letting you get in trouble with your village or getting lost and hurt. "
"I could stay here for a little bit longer, give you some extra time." Ryeowook suggested.
"If you do, remember that they will come looking for you assuming that you were killed if you do not return soon. They have to know that we kept our word and not that you helped us."
"I understand. You guys go on ahead. It was nice to meet you."
"You too Ryeowook." Ryeowook sent them off with well wishes that were returned wholeheartedly before they disappeared in the tree. He knew it might get him in trouble, but Ryeowook decided to sit down a wait for another half hour. He knew he couldn't wait any longer but he could still walk home slowly, anything to give them more time. Ryeowook was close when he heard the guards moving through the forest, Jongwoon was right, he waited too long. "Guards!" He shouted.
"I heard a voice."
"This way." He heard the guards say as the closed in on him.
"Mister Ryeowook, are you unharmed?" The captain asked once they found him.
"Yeah. I'm glad I heard you. They took me a little deeper into the woods than I had been so I wasn't sure I was going the right way."
"Which way did they go?"
"I don't know, they zigzagged all over the place, but the one was still able to point me in the right direction before he left me on my own."
"Let's get you home, the chief has been worried sick over you." The captain gathered his squad and led Ryeowook home, handing him some water and fruit on the way.
"Ryeowook, please tell me those Komihn did not harm you. We're organizing a couple of squads to look for them." The chief stated once Ryeowook was safely in the village square. "You should get inside and relax. You must have been frightened so I will not blame you if you take a little time off. I should've been more careful and known they would target my son."
"Father. There is no need to go after them. I am home safely, and I do not believe they knew I was you son." Ryeowook pleaded with the Chief, trying not to give away his part in their escape.
"Don't go after them? They take you as a hostage and you want me to let them go? They will take the information of our village right back to the Komihn. They will know where we are and all about our village. And the villagers will be unable to sleep at night knowing two criminals are out there and were able to escape our guards."
"But they're not Komihn!" Ryeowook shot back, not caring if he got in trouble any more.
"You dare to tell me they are not? You are still young boy with much to learn. A Komihn will say anything to get away or to get you to trust them. Anything they told you was a lie."
"Father, you have been fighting this war for too long that you believe anyone who looks even slightly like a Komihn is one. Who says we are the only two races on this world?"
"They have gotten into your head." The chief said in disgust. He called over two of the guards and ordered them to watch him and make sure he didn't leave the hut. Ryeowook could hear the chief gathering the squads to send after Jongwoon and Kyuhyun as he paced around his home. He couldn't sit there and do nothing, but it's not like he knew where they were headed to find them and warn them. And that was if he could even get out of his semi-imprisonment.
~
"A little longer and we can rest. I have some food and water in my bag that we can partake in. I don't know what's safe to eat out here." Jongwoon mentioned to Kyuhyun before he could even ask. They had been walking around for at least two hours since they had left Ryeowook, both hoping he made it home safely.
"I'm fine, you're the one who didn't get any sleep."
"It's not my first time going for a couple of days without sleep and still working. I don't know how long you lived outside of Kon's walls, but you grew up in a life of privilege. I did not. I've been working and going nights without sleep since I was probably younger than Ryeowook so this is really nothing to me anymore." Jongwoon explained.
"You know that's the first you've said anything about yourself. Sure it's still vague but it's more than the "I've done this before". It actually says something about you. I think I know more about your orb than I do about you or your world."
"That's because it doesn't matter. I don't ask about yours. Everything I know about you was already said and I've inferred the rest."
"But I want to know. I mean we are traveling together now, we should at least get to know each other better."
"Kyuhyun." Jongwoon attempted to interrupt but the other continued on.
"Seriously, I mean who wants to travel with a complete stranger. I mean I know you're stubborn and have experience in a lot of areas and you come from a place that has some really weird abilities, but what about stuff like family, friends, and the town you grew up in? Stuff like that."
"Kyuhyun." He snapped at him in a hushed voice.
"You know my family is dead and about where I grew up but,"
"Kyuhyun, shut the hell up." Jongwoon snapped at him, putting a hand on his mouth.
"Why?" Came the muffled reply.
"There are guards not far from here and your talking will lead them straight to us." He whispered and when Kyuhyun motioned to understanding, Jongwoon removed his hand and pulled him off away from where he was hearing the guards. Jongwoon led them into some thicker foliage hoping the extra coverage will keep them out of sight if the guards make it any closer to them.
"How did they catch up so fast?" Kyuhyun whispered leaning in as closely as possible to Jongwoon so not to be heard.
"Must be the detours around the streams that have kept us closer to the village than we thought."
"Well we could have just crossed them if half of them weren't made of lava." Jongwoon hushed him again, hearing movement nearby.
"I thought I heard something over this way." They heard one guard speak.
"Might have been a Chkariya. They're harmless but annoying little creatures and are common in the part of the forest." Another answered. They watched the little bit of the guards they could see while crouched down in the bushes, until they moved further away again. They gave a silent sigh of relief but remained where they were for a few more minutes just to be certain the guards were out of ear shot.
~
"I am so glad that father kept his maps at home. I think I know which way Jongwoon and Kyuhyun went now." Ryeowook said to himself as he ran quickly through the forest, following the path he took with the others earlier until he reached the clearing. Being the chief's son does has his perks as he was able to trick one guard into fetching him something leaving only one guard he had to knock unconscious with the help of a large book. Working around the village does help one's upper body strength too.
He knew the guards had a twenty minute head start on him, but he just hoped he made it to them before they did. The guards had obviously slowed down their pace once they made it deeper into the forest, spreading out to do a wide search for Kyuhyun and Jongwoon. When Ryeowook caught up to them, he worked carefully to keep himself hidden as well, yet not slow down. If nothing else, Ryeowook hoped to be at least a distraction for the guards but he really he wanted was to try and use his father's position as influence to stop them completely.
By the time he found them, they were pinned by the guards, backed up to one of the lava streams. Jongwoon had his knife back out ready to use it the moment any guards took a step closer. Kyuhyun was behind him in a fighting stance himself and yet he did not have his own knife out. Ryeowook stayed hidden for a few minutes, not sure if either group was going to make a move or not.
Finally the captain motioned to his squad and three guards, armed with short spears, lunged forward straight at Kyuhyun and Jongwoon. Ryeowook was amazed at how quickly both reacted, Jongwoon dodged the first attack by ducking to the left, catching the guy's left arm and kicking his feet out from under him, knocking him straight to the ground. He immediately blocked the spear coming at him with his knife shoving it to the side and breaking the guard's stance. Taking his free hand, Jongwoon pushed the guy over, bracing his foot behind him in order to trip in and knock him onto the first guard. Kyuhyun took care of the third guard, grabbing the spear as it came for him, shifting his weight and using the spear to throw the guard into a nearby tree successfully taking the spear from him.
"You know, it would be awesome if you had a sword in that bag of yours." Kyuhyun mentioned, preparing for the second wave of attacks.
"Right, sorry, I'll just grab the pocket sword I keep for emergencies." Jongwoon answered sarcastically taking out another guard.
"Do they make those? Because if they do, I want one."
"You make some money in a world that makes one, then go right ahead. Wasn't really in the budget the one time I saw one and otherwise a sword is not very convenient to carry around from place to place."
While the two were talking a second squad of guards appeared, surrounding Kyuhyun and Jongwoon again. Ryeowook noticed some of the first set of guards were getting up again and figured it was now or never as the captain was signaling for a full on attack since a couple at a time were not working. Ryeowook knew it was probably a stupid thing to do, but he did it anyways, running right past the guards to get in-between Kyuhyun and Jongwoon and the captain. Unfortunately, the guards didn't notice him fast enough to stop and hand a spear coming right for him. Kyuhyun and Jongwoon both noticed, immediately getting both their weapons underneath the spear, stopping it just in time as Ryeowook ducked underneath them.
"What the hell are you doing? You were supposed to go home and stay there where it was safe." Jongwoon yelled at him, pushing the guard away.
"I couldn't sit at home knowing my father was still going after you guys. You did nothing wrong and it's wrong of my father to condemn you."
"Your father?" Kyuhyun asked.
"My father is the chief of the village. I wasn't hiding it from you on purpose but I also didn't think it was something that I could just announce."
"Mister Ryeowook, please get away from the criminals." The captain ordered.
"No. These two are not criminals and I will not let you harm them."
"Your father has ordered these two killed. They are Komihn and even took you hostage in order to save themselves." Well if Ryeowook wasn't in trouble before, he is about to be."
"They did no such thing. I permitted them to use me as a fake hostage in order to help them get away. And you want to know what? The first thing they did when we were out of the village and your sight was to make sure I was alright and that Kyuhyun didn't accidentally nick me with his blade. They made sure I could get home safely when we went further into the forest than I was used to. It was my choice to stay with them as long as I did. I would have stayed longer if they would have let me."
"Mister Ryeowook, you speak of treason against your own people. And for what? Two Komihn that will more than likely take the information they learned whilst in our village and use it against us in an attack where they won't show you any mercy."
"QUIET. Quit saying they are Komihn. We've had Komihn in our cells before that we have condemned to death and these two are nothing like them. They are more civilized than any other prisoners we have taken and they knew nothing of our kind or the Komihn before I told them."
"Komihn lie. They trick anyone with a weak mind."
"The Komihn may lie, and I understand it could be hard to believe us, but we honestly entered your forest yesterday before you took us captive. And an added lame attempt to get you to believe us, I'm pretty sure that our clothes are very different from the Komihn." Kyuhyun suggested looking at Jongwoon's tight fitting, button up clothes compared to the loose draped style of the Vralt.
"We do not pay attention to the Komihn's choice of clothing."
"Well it was worth a shot." Kyuhyun shrugged. Jongwoon rolled his eyes at the younger, though had to give him a bit of credit for the attempt.
"Well talking is getting us absolutely nowhere. Ready to go, Kyuhyun?"
"Sure, I take it you have a plan then." Kyuhyun glanced over to Jongwoon, quickly going back to watching the guards, ready for any possible attacks.
"Yeah. Pass me your knife." Kyuhyun did as Jongwoon asked pulling the knife out and passing it up. He wasn't too worried about no longer having the knife since he was still holding onto the spear he stole from the first guard. Jongwoon smirked at Kyuhyun once the knife was in his hands and mouthed for Kyuhyun to be ready to run and motioned ever so slightly to his left so Kyuhyun knew which way to go. He knew if he wasn't paying attention, he would have missed the sign because before he knew it, Jongwoon spun back around and threw the knife right into the captain's shoulder with enough force to knock him back a step. While the guards were all taken by surprise with the sudden attack, Jongwoon and Kyuhyun immediately ran, knocking a couple other guards out of the way. Jongwoon kept Kyuhyun just slightly in front of him, giving slight instructions on which way to head. He didn't bother looking back as he knew the guards would be on them in mere seconds, so instead he pushed Kyuhyun forward as fast as he could go.
"Veer to the right slightly."
"Won't that take us right into the lava?" Kyuhyun asked worried but followed his instructions anyways.
"Yes, there is a broken tree we can use to cross it. I saw it before we got pushed into the corner by the guards. Don't think just run right across it once you see it."
"Will it even hold our weight?"
"We'll find out." It's not that he was expecting a different answer, but just hearing it was even more frightening than just the idea of using a broken tree to cross a burning lava stream. "Stop after you cross."
"What?"
"Just do it." Jongwoon shouted and Kyuhyun had no time for hesitation and ran across the broken tree. Once he stopped on the other side, there was no time for his heart to slow down as Jongwoon called him to the edge of the tree. "Wedge the spear under the tree and use it to pivot the tree up." Doing as Jongwoon said he shoved the tip of the spear right underneath the tree and pushed down on the other end as Jongwoon used the little bit of leverage to push the tree just enough that the loose soil of the edge took the tree the rest of the way down into the lava. "That should buy us a little time." Jongwoon mentioned just as they saw guards approaching the other side.
Nudging Kyuhyun, they set off once again in search of some place to hide. They were already half way through the day so hopefully they would only need to keep hidden for a couple hours. Anymore and Jongwoon wasn't certain they could keep it up. Once they found some place to lay low, they could actually look at the orb and see where they were.
"Jongwoon, there looks to be a cave down the hill there." Kyuhyun spotted
"Head for it. We'll see how much cover it gives us and make sure it's not otherwise occupied." Nodding, Kyuhyun altered his course slightly, heading down the hill as carefully as he could and right for the cave. The cave looked rather empty, no signs of any creature currently taking up residence so they decided to stay for at least a short while.
"How long until the orb is charged?" Wondering the same thing himself, Jongwoon pulled out the orb, along with his canteen which luckily was still rather full.
"Three hours, maybe. If it's much longer we'll have to verbally stall them again and do so until the orb charges. I don't think we can keep running and fighting like this for too much longer." He took a small drink from the canteen after putting away the orb and passed it to Kyuhyun. "Take a drink, but not too much, it needs to last us."
"Thanks."
"How are you holding up though? We've been relaxing in a cell for a while so it wasn't that bad on your injuries but all this running and fighting cannot be good for you, especially your ankle."
"I think all the adrenaline and urgency of the situation has just numbed the pain. I'll probably start feeling it again soon now that we've taken a break."
"I don't know how much of a detour they were forced to take to get over the stream but from here we should be able to see them coming across the hill and take action." Taking advantage of their lead and cover, the two rested, keeping their eyes on the hills and surrounding area. They watched as the orb slowly darkened, until they began to hear very faint noises.
"Should we run or just hide?" Kyuhyun asked getting to his feet, ready for either option. Jongwoon looked back at the orb and hesitated. It was so close, but the cave would be the obvious hiding spot, but who’s to say they won't just shoot them down if they try to run again. "Jongwoon." Kyuhyun tried to stay quiet, making sure they would not be heard beyond the cave.
"It's not long for the orb to finish charging but either option could see us dead before it finishes."
"And which is likely to give us those extra couple of minutes?"
"Can you run? I've noticed you wincing a couple times and you're not too steady right now."
"If I have to, I will."
"Then we stay. The minute we start running your ankle will buckle right under you."
"So we hide and stall." Jongwoon agreed, helping Kyuhyun a little deeper into the cave, sticking to the shadows. The voices slowly approached and Jongwoon kept his eyes on the glow of the orb, willing it to finish before the voices reach them.
"Please, will you stop? There is no need to do this. Just let them go." They could hear Ryeowook pleading with the guards.
"You should stay silent before you worsen the punishment the chief will have for you when we return to the village." Kyuhyun fidgeted, obviously wanting to help Ryeowook, but Jongwoon held him back. Ryeowook would be alright, but if they revealed themselves, they might not be.
"I do not care for whatever punishment will be served to me, I will not see innocent people killed for things beyond their control.
"You still believe them innocent. You are so naive. Search the cave." It was only moments before the orb would finish and yet it seems their luck has run out.
"I'll keep them at bay, you be ready with the orb. Once it is charged, we are gone." Jongwoon whispered passing the orb over.
"But I don't know how to use it."
"I hear something, captain. I think they are in here."
"Just have it ready. Hold it in your palm once it is finished. I will do the rest."
"Get them out here." The order came and Jongwoon stood at the ready, using the dim light of the orb to see the first couple of guards come through. Keeping the guards down when they came two at a time was not that difficult but the fights drew them closer to the opening, Kyuhyun stumbling behind. As the cave widened, more guards came in at once, pushing Jongwoon to his limits. Kyuhyun couldn't do much other than glance back and forth between the orb and Jongwoon. He hated this, he should have known that stopping would have made it impossible for him to help. The swelling on his ankle was probably worse now and all he could do was hold their only chance of escape.
"Jongwoon!" Kyuhyun shouted as he watched the last little bit at the top darken and the orb pulsed in his hand. Jongwoon took one glance back noting that it was time. He pushed the next guard back and ran over to Kyuhyun. He rested his open palm on top of the orb and it lit just as it had back in Kon. With their still free arms, they kept the guards at bay. As the glow from the orb and symbol bellow them got brighter the less they could hear the captain shouting orders and before they knew it, they were gone.
"Do you still want to tell me they were Komihn?" Ryeowook asked the captain once the two were safely gone.
A/N: Yay okay second part is written. First off, random members will show up in chapters, and they can appear in multiple chapters too. So you may see Wookie again and he may be of a different race next time. Which also means if you would like to see certain characters appear in a specific setting, let me know and I might just do it.
Kyusung day is coming up and I know this isn't romantic at all but still happy early Kyusung day. (If I'm lucky I'll get another fic out in time for it that's more romantic, but who knows.) ^^''
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and this world. Comments make me happy.
Thank you^^
^^ ♥
Pairing: Kyusung
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm from Ohio...not too many hot korean idols to own or make money of off. So do you think I'm doing that with these boys?...didn't think so
Summary: Jongwoon is a traveler, but not an ordinary traveler. To keep himself busy, he begins to write about all the places he visits and the people he meets, including one unwanted traveling companion.
~
I knew this kid would be trouble before I even agreed to take him. Seriously, I think the only thing Kyuhyun knows how to do is get in trouble.
At first I was glad to be leaving Kon, I really didn't want to get mixed up in their problems any more than I already had. I knew Isa was right in the fact that Kyuhyun needed to get away and that was the only reason I finally agreed to taking him away. Even with the changes that were to come to Kon, it wouldn't be enough to help Kyuhyun. He had to get away. Just like I had to get away.
Now there is no way to actually choose what world I'll travel to next, but I don't think we could've ended up at a worse place.
Immediately after we arrived we were surrounded by lava. For a moment I wasn't sure that we would actually survive the next few minutes. Obviously Kyuhyun thought the same thing but wasn't able to hide it as well as I am. After a moment of studying the area, I noticed that the lava was all in contained streams and none of it seemed like it was going to hit us. In fact the area we were in was completely covered in grass like the volcano never hits it.
So we decided, or rather I pulled Kyuhyun along with me, into the forest away from the volcano since there really wasn't anywhere else to go. At that point I figured that if this world was inhabited, it would be a while before we reached any form of civilization. But leave it to Kyuhyun and his knack for getting into trouble to prove me wrong.
Not long after we entered the forest we found a well laid out dirt path that seemed like a good idea to follow instead of randomly wandering through the forest. Though of course Kyuhyun had to run off anytime he saw something mildly interesting which led him to being caught by an old fashion rope trap. When I found him, which wasn't hard considering how much he was shouting, he was hanging upside down from a tree, rope tight around his ankle. It wasn't long after that, that the locals showed up and forced both of us to their village. And apparently Kyuhyun doesn't understand the words 'let me do all the talking' as his first idea was to yell at the man who was noticeably the leader which landed us here in this prison as they decide what to do with us.
If I was a cruel person I would leave Kyuhyun here once I had the power to leave again, but I'm not.
~ Jongwoon (Why am I signing these? It's not like anyone else is going to write in them.)
"Are you seriously sitting there writing at a time like this? We're in a prison! A prison in a village of rather violent people who are most likely going to kill us in a place that will kill us if we take a wrong step! Speaking of which, how the hell did we end up here?" Kyuhyun was pacing in the small wooden prison they were in, occasionally pushing on a wall or the door hoping for a way out.
"Calm down." Jongwoon said completely unfazed at Kyuhyun's actions. He carefully put the journal away in his bag, which he was surprisingly enough allowed to keep, before actually looking up at the younger. "It's your fault that we're in here. You wanted to fight and argue with them so I'm not surprised that they threw us in here."
"They started it. They were the ones who came and pointed their weapons at us and forced us to their village. Besides you ignored like all of my questions, no changing the topic."
"I did no such thing. You did bring up the fact that we are in a prison and asked how we got here."
"That wasn't the here that I meant. I meant this place in general. How did we go from being in Isa's home to being near an active volcano and captured by villagers? What was that orb thing?" And that was the question that Jongwoon was dreading. How exactly do you explain a person who comes from a place with no form of magic at all that you can move between worlds with the help of magic?
"The orb is a device from my home world that contains the power to transport someone between worlds." Jongwoon explained, trying not to reveal too much. He wasn't even sure he would be around Kyuhyun long enough to need to explain anymore, not that he wanted to.
"Really? Then can it get us out of here?"
"No. It takes just over two days to recharge its power. That's why it's only a pale blue color and darker at the very bottom. If you paid any attention at all back at Isa's, it was completely a sapphire blue color." Jongwoon pulled out the orb as he spoke, showing Kyuhyun the very beginnings of the darker blue at the very bottom of the orb.
"So that thing is just completely useless right now?" Kyuhyun asked frustrated as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
"No," he sighed, this was becoming more than he wanted to explain, "it also translates everything anyone says. Language is not the same from world to world. I have had plenty of worlds where I couldn't read their language but the orb allowed me to understand what someone was saying as well as let them understand me."
"And my world? Did you understand our language? You were in Kon so I assume you saw it written."
"It has similarities to my original world so I could get a basic understanding of it. Or I assume I could since I didn't bother to confirm with anyone."
"Oh. So how do you plan to get us out of this stupid cell?" Jongwoon rolled his eyes at the sudden change of topic especially since Kyuhyun had yelled at him just moments earlier for supposedly changing the subject.
"With patience."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"That means you shut up and let me handle it without needing to get into a fight or possibly getting us killed." Jongwoon stared down Kyuhyun making sure he wasn't going to challenge him on that though that didn't stop Kyuhyun from waiting until Jongwoon looked away to question him.
"So how do you plan to do that?"
"We just have to talk to one of our captors and find out why they imprisoned us in the first place. Which often when societies like this capture someone they lock them up, then discuss what their plan is on what to do with their prisoners or how to begin interrogating them. Once a decision is made then it is brought to the prisoners."
"So we just have to wait for them to decide what to do with us?" Kyuhyun questioned initially but became even more curious after he thought more on what Jongwoon said. "And wait...how do you know so much about this stuff?"
"Well, not every society handles visitors very well. This isn't my first time in this situation." Jongwoon answered rather vaguely going back to his notebook in order to pass the time.
"Wait, we just have to sit here and wait? I've never been very patient."
"I’ve noticed. It shouldn’t be too long before they send someone to check up on us." Kyuhyun huffed as Jongwoon didn’t even bother looking up from his journal, leaving Kyuhyun to entertain himself. Instead of just sitting there Kyuhyun decided to walk around their cell. There was just one window in the cell just opposite of the door, however, it was too high up in the wall for Kyuhyun to see out. The door was a simple cross bar door that was made out of a material that resembled bamboo on Kyuhyun’s home world. It was opened only with a key and since the gap in the door were only big enough for an arm to fit through there was no way Kyuhyun could see to escape. Aside from that their cell was rather basic, not even having a cot of some sort to sit on, just the hay covered floor.
After a few more minutes of pacing their cell, Kyuhyun gave up and sat back down on the ground, angling himself to have the widest vantage point through the cell door. Kyuhyun had almost fallen asleep, not noticing when Jongwoon switched from his journal to a book he had in his bag, when someone finally came to their cell.
"Good evening." Jongwoon greeted having noticed the sky darkening from their window, though that was the only thing he could see out the window. The young boy jumped at the greeting but not as much as he did when Kyuhyun made a strange yelp when he noticed the boy in their cell. "It’s alright, you can just set the trey down there. You do not need to come any closer." The boy nodded and set the trey of food down on the ground right in front of him.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to be able to speak our language."
"I understand. May we ask you some questions? As the door creates no sound barriers, you needn’t stay in the cell with us if that makes you more comfortable." Jongwoon suggested to which the boy immediately followed, sitting just on the other side of the door.
"What the hell are you?" Kyuhyun asked, getting over his initial shock.
"Kyuhyun! I know you were kicked out of your privileged life but that doesn’t mean you should have lost all your manners. Or where they just not taught in Kon?" Jongwoon snapped at Kyuhyun while still trying to keep his voice down.
"I’m sorry, I don’t know if there were people with horns in your home but there sure as hell weren’t any in mine." It was true the boy did have a pair of short horns coming out of his thick brown hair and gently curving back. In addition to his horns, the boy had very small rolled ears similar to that of a goat’s. His nose was smaller than what would seem proportionate to his face and just ever so slightly darker, but otherwise the boy loomed human.
"In my home we have heard about people like this boy and we call them fans, but are you honestly telling me you didn’t notice them when we were taken?"
"No, I was too distracted by the fact that I was suddenly out of Isa’s home and in the middle of a forest with rivers made of lava and being attacked and taken prisoner."
"I’m sorry about him, we just met and he has never been out of his home town before so this is a lot for him to take in." Jongwoon explained, addressing the boy again and ignoring Kyuhyun freaking out behind him.
"I have never seen your kind in person. I’ve only heard stories that those who have been in battles have told."
"Your kind is only known to me through stories as well. May I ask, what is your name?"
"Ryeowook." Jongwoon gave Ryeowook a soft smile, glad to see the boy opening up just ever so slightly.
"Well, Ryeowook, I am Jongwoon and the one back there is Kyuhyun. I'm a traveler and Kyuhyun just joined me due to some difficult situations in his home country."
"You are not from Zul-Laptra?"
"Zul-Laptra? Is that where we are?" Jongwoon asked receiving a nod from Ryeowook. "Kyuhyun comes from a place called Kon and well I'm a long way from my home."
"Zul-Laptra is the name of the land, our people are called the Vralt."
"Would you by any chance know why were imprisoned?"
"Zul-Laptra is split in half, the Vralt control one half and are perfectly content with our land. However, the other side, the Komihn wish to take all of Zul-Laptra."
"And I take it we look like the Komihn."
"Yes."
"I see. Thank you for answering my questions."
"I believe the chief will be here to speak with you soon. I don't know what they will do with you." Ryeowook answered honestly, not wishing to give them any false hope. He gave them one last encouragement to eat the food he had brought them before leaving to take care of his other duties.
"SO we are in prison for looking like the people who want to take their land?" Kyuhyun asked finally settled down his earlier freak out and eating the food Ryeowook brought in.
"Yeah, looks like we ended up in another war of sorts."
"Kon wasn't at war."
"It wasn't a war in the immediate sense of the word, but it was one and whether it was going to take a turn for the better or worse is unknown. We would hope that with Cyrus being held by the people of the outer town that the wall would be torn down and the city would join as one and lives will be better. However, you don't know exactly how many supporters Cyrus had that may get back at the people of the outer city."
"Would it really turn into a war?"
"It could. I can't control where the orb takes me, well us now, next so if we ever travel to Kon again, I don't want you to think that things couldn't have gotten worse. It is a possibility and that's all it is. We may never know how it actually turns out."
"You're telling me, I left my home and it could've gotten worse for the people I was trying to help? If that's the case, then why the hell did you take me with you?" Kyuhyun was shouting at Jongwoon at this point who remained seated near the door not bothering to look at the younger.
"I'm sorry alright. I really did not want to take you with me. I've always been better and more comfortable on my own. I didn't want someone traveling with me."
"So why take me?"
"Because Isa wanted me to. She knew if you were to stay and things got worse then you would be killed. She wanted you to live and no longer be stuck in a place like Kon. You had no attachments other than your sense of justice and that was not enough to let you be killed. She knew what she was doing. She knew the risks and she didn't want you to suffer for them anymore so she sent you with me." Kyuhyun wanted to say more but stopped himself when he noticed a group of Vralt coming towards their cell. It was obvious to tell that they were older than Ryeowook as they all had much longer horns all curved differently. And while some of the men had beards, they all seemed to have what looks like a peach fuzz around the bridge of their noses and cheeks.
"Get up and follow us, the chief wishes to speak with you." The leader of the group instructed, unlocking their cell door and letting a couple of the others in to encourage Kyuhyun and Jongwoon out and to make sure they didn't run away on the trip to see the chief. Jongwoon held onto Kyuhyun's sleeve mildly worried that the younger might attempt something when they were out of the cell but luckily he didn't. They were led to another hut much like the one their cell was in, but this one was much more elaborate and inviting than the cold cell was. An elder Vralt sat in the center of the hut behind a small fire while others sat, lining the walls to the hut. Two cushions were set up on the ground in front of the fire opposite of the elder and Jongwoon and Kyuhyun were nudged towards them. Taking the hint, the two knelt down on the cushions waiting for someone to speak.
"I am the chief of this village and you have trespassed onto our land. Komihn are not permitted into this part of the forest." The elder on the other side of the fire from them spoke with a low and dark voice.
"Sir, if I may speak?"
"You may not. Most Komihn are killed on sight, though your clan has been quiet for a short while now and we may spare you if you inform us of your clan’s plans. We do not take well to spies so the council may not vote in favor even if you speak. How would you favor?"
"Sir, unfortunately we are not of the Komihn."
"LIES!" The elder shouted at Jongwoon, the fire flaring up as if reacting to the chief's voice. "There are only two civilizations in Zul-Laptra and as you are not Vralt then you must be Komihn."
"We are travelers from places outside of Zul-Laptra. We had only recently entered Zul-Laptra when we were taken captive by your men." Jongwoon carefully explained and was thankful that Kyuhyun stayed silent.
"I will not stand for these lies. Take them back to their cell while we come to a decision." The chief ordered and immediately Kyuhyun and Jongwoon were pulled up by the arm and dragged right back to their cell.
"SO what do we do now? Seeing as the talking our way out of it didn't work."
"We have to find a way to escape and hide out from both clans until we can leave."
"Why both, if we look like Komihn then why couldn't we just hide out with their clan?"
"Because although it's obvious that the Vralt do their fair share of the killing in this war, the Komihn seem to be the ones who start most of the skirmishes and if we are discovered to be hiding out with the Komihn then we might just change that. Besides, if we ran to the Komihn then it would look like we were actually lying."
"But wouldn't they assume we go to the Komihn anyways?"
"Well if we manage to escape and try to find a way the leads away from the boarder and we lose them then they will most likely guard the boarder very closely looking for us and if we never cross then they'll assume we are still in their territory. It's not a guarantee to keep them away but it's the only option unless they leave us here long enough for the orb to charge."
"How much longer until it's charged then?"
"Well seeing as it's the middle of the night and we arrived in the morning then I would say about another night if not a little longer." Jongwoon pulled the orb out of his bag to inspect it as it was about a third of the way darkened.
"It's needs to be completely dark, right?"
"Yes. When you use it to travel between two worlds it is drained of its power and that is shown through the loss of color. With time it builds its power back up thus returning the color to the orb when fully recharged."
"So we just need to make it through a day and we'll be able to move on?"
"Yeah. Hopefully they take long enough to make a decision that we won't have to hide out that long. It's late, go ahead and sleep, I'll keep watch for the night." Jongwoon suggested looking up at the window, just barely able to see this world's moon in the sky above the trees.
"You'll say the same thing tomorrow, wake me up after a couple hours so you can sleep too." He didn't. Kyuhyun shouldn't have been too surprised when he woke up to hearing Ryeowook visiting their cell with breakfast, but that didn't mean he wasn't annoyed. He wants to prove to Jongwoon that he can pull his own weight in these situations yet Jongwoon refuses to give him the chance.
"Are you certain? How much time do you think until they announce it?" Kyuhyun could hear Jongwoon and Ryeowook whispering near the door like they had the night before.
"Not very long. There are morning rituals that the council goes through. So it will most likely be just after that."
"That doesn't leave us much time does it?"
"No. Though after the announcement is made the preparations will be made in the center of the village. When an execution is performed, it is done as an example for the whole village. Either to show the village of the consequences or to prove that the threat is gone."
"And we're viewed as a threat because we look like the Komihn."
"Yes. I'm sorry I could not bring you better news. Even if you really were Komihn, you're still very kind and I don't wish for your execution."
"Thank you Ryeowook. You should leave before they suspect you of doing something wrong." He quickly sent the young Vralt away before they risked being scene.
"So what's going to happen?" Kyuhyun asked once Jongwoon moved closer again.
"Ryeowook says that from what he can tell from the bits and pieces he's heard, we're to be executed. He says it's traditionally done when everyone can watch us burn at the stake. The official announcement will be made in a couple hours and it will take only as long as it takes to make the preparations for us to be put on display for our execution."
"What do we do then?"
"We get out of here. Ryeowook explained the layout of the village to me as well as the area of the forest he knew and which directions the other villages were as far as he was aware. Being young, he's barely been out of the village."
"Well now that we have that bit of information, should be breakout now, or as they try to kill us?" Jongwoon pulled Kyuhyun over to the back corner where he had drawn up the layout Ryeowook had explained to him early in the night while Kyuhyun was asleep, in the dirt. Working quietly and constantly glancing back at the door to see if anyone was coming, they devised a plan. The hardest part of the plan was waiting until the proper time to enact their plan which would hopefully come at any time now as the official announcement had been made to the village already. Shortly after one of the guards informed them of the punishment, Ryeowook had stopped by to get the details of their plan and to prepare himself for when the time came.
"It's time." The captain, as Jongwoon decided to refer to him as, who had picked them up the night before for their meeting with the Chief was back with his guards. Ryeowook hung around the back as the guards escorted Jongwoon and Kyuhyun from their cell. Jongwoon's bag was snatched from him and shoved into Ryeowook's arms to hold onto. Jongwoon waited until the guards had all formed up and the captain was facing away from them to start their plan. With a quick glance back at Ryeowook and a nod to Kyuhyun, both elbowed the guards behind them and pushed them off to the side. Kyuhyun rushed straight for Ryeowook who was bringing up the rear in their lineup behind one last row of guards. Jongwoon kept the guards distracted enough for Kyuhyun to pull out the knife Jongwoon had pulled out of his bag and given him for this task specifically.
"Sorry Ryeowook." He whispered as he grabbed onto the arm that wasn't holding Jongwoon's bag and held the knife up to his throat. Jongwoon himself had pulled out a knife and was staring the captain down. Four of the eight guards were currently unconscious while the other four waited to see what their captain was going to do. This was Kyuhyun's first real chance to see Jongwoon in combat and yet he missed it in order to secure Ryeowook as their plan stated. Jongwoon took one look back from the captain to see Kyuhyun had Ryeowook and took a couple steps back towards them while keeping his gaze on the captain.
"You Komihn have stooped to taking hostages now? Cowards."
"Well here's the thing, we're not Komihn. And we would rather not be killed because you think we are."
"You expect us to believe you're not Komihn? You, who look and talk like them. We've been fighting them for decades now, I think I know a Komihn when I see one."
"We each come from places much further away than the Komihn land. Our resemblance is simply coincidence." Jongwoon argued still hoping to talk his way out, but it was proving to be useless. Kyuhyun and Ryeowook kept stepping back, leaving a short distance between them and Jongwoon and the guards.
"It's pathetic you think we would fall for that."
"Then you leave us no choice. Let us leave and the boy will be returned safely to you otherwise we cannot guarantee anything." Jongwoon stared down the captain and watched as he clenched his teeth in frustration before ordering his men to stand down. "Thank you." Jongwoon said still watching closely as they backed off into the forest.
"Sorry about that Ryeowook, I didn't hurt you, did I?" Kyuhyun asked the boy as soon as they were clear of the village and out of view of the guards.
"No, I'm fine. I'm just glad you told me what you were going to do ahead of time." Ryeowook rubbed his neck, still feeling the closeness of the blade even though Kyuhyun had put it away for now. "Oh Jongwoon, here's your bag back." He said the moment he noticed Jongwoon catch up to them.
"Thanks." Jongwoon grabbed it from him, securing it tightly to his back, still scanning the area for anyone who might have followed them.
"Are we in the clear?"
"For now, I don't trust them to not wait until Ryeowook is safely back in the village to send out a search party. We should keep moving, though I don't want Ryeowook to get lost on his way back so we'll send you back soon."
"I have a good sense of direction, so I should be alright. I'll stick with you guys for a while longer." Ryeowook knew that the longer he stayed with them, the better chance they had to get away and even if he got lost going home, he wanted to see this through. Especially talking to Jongwoon during the night, he knew there was no way they could be Komihn. Jongwoon told him about where Kyuhyun was from and a couple other places he had visited which could not have been near Zul-Laptra, they were just too different.
Jongwoon led them on, doing his best to keep an eye on all directions for any threats whether they be Vralt, Komihn or even just some form of wildlife. Being in the middle of a forest with at least one enemy and a countless possibility of other threats was not where Jongwoon wanted to be, but they had very few options, and none were any safer. He just hoped that the orb finished charging quickly and they could move onto a new world. And preferably the next one won't be in the middle of any wars or any kind. He got more involved in Kyuhyun's world than he would have liked and he's trying not to get pulled any further into this world's problems.
"This should be far enough." Jongwoon announced stopping in a tiny clearing. "We're a little over an hour outside the village, so we should have a significant head start assuming they will come after us."
"I can stay a little longer if you want."
"Thank you Ryeowook, but we should let you get back. Any longer and they'll come looking for you too. Also, I want us to change directions here, we've been taking a mostly straight path for you to follow back but sticking to it will backfire on us. You've been a great help to us and we don't want to repay you by letting you get in trouble with your village or getting lost and hurt. "
"I could stay here for a little bit longer, give you some extra time." Ryeowook suggested.
"If you do, remember that they will come looking for you assuming that you were killed if you do not return soon. They have to know that we kept our word and not that you helped us."
"I understand. You guys go on ahead. It was nice to meet you."
"You too Ryeowook." Ryeowook sent them off with well wishes that were returned wholeheartedly before they disappeared in the tree. He knew it might get him in trouble, but Ryeowook decided to sit down a wait for another half hour. He knew he couldn't wait any longer but he could still walk home slowly, anything to give them more time. Ryeowook was close when he heard the guards moving through the forest, Jongwoon was right, he waited too long. "Guards!" He shouted.
"I heard a voice."
"This way." He heard the guards say as the closed in on him.
"Mister Ryeowook, are you unharmed?" The captain asked once they found him.
"Yeah. I'm glad I heard you. They took me a little deeper into the woods than I had been so I wasn't sure I was going the right way."
"Which way did they go?"
"I don't know, they zigzagged all over the place, but the one was still able to point me in the right direction before he left me on my own."
"Let's get you home, the chief has been worried sick over you." The captain gathered his squad and led Ryeowook home, handing him some water and fruit on the way.
"Ryeowook, please tell me those Komihn did not harm you. We're organizing a couple of squads to look for them." The chief stated once Ryeowook was safely in the village square. "You should get inside and relax. You must have been frightened so I will not blame you if you take a little time off. I should've been more careful and known they would target my son."
"Father. There is no need to go after them. I am home safely, and I do not believe they knew I was you son." Ryeowook pleaded with the Chief, trying not to give away his part in their escape.
"Don't go after them? They take you as a hostage and you want me to let them go? They will take the information of our village right back to the Komihn. They will know where we are and all about our village. And the villagers will be unable to sleep at night knowing two criminals are out there and were able to escape our guards."
"But they're not Komihn!" Ryeowook shot back, not caring if he got in trouble any more.
"You dare to tell me they are not? You are still young boy with much to learn. A Komihn will say anything to get away or to get you to trust them. Anything they told you was a lie."
"Father, you have been fighting this war for too long that you believe anyone who looks even slightly like a Komihn is one. Who says we are the only two races on this world?"
"They have gotten into your head." The chief said in disgust. He called over two of the guards and ordered them to watch him and make sure he didn't leave the hut. Ryeowook could hear the chief gathering the squads to send after Jongwoon and Kyuhyun as he paced around his home. He couldn't sit there and do nothing, but it's not like he knew where they were headed to find them and warn them. And that was if he could even get out of his semi-imprisonment.
~
"A little longer and we can rest. I have some food and water in my bag that we can partake in. I don't know what's safe to eat out here." Jongwoon mentioned to Kyuhyun before he could even ask. They had been walking around for at least two hours since they had left Ryeowook, both hoping he made it home safely.
"I'm fine, you're the one who didn't get any sleep."
"It's not my first time going for a couple of days without sleep and still working. I don't know how long you lived outside of Kon's walls, but you grew up in a life of privilege. I did not. I've been working and going nights without sleep since I was probably younger than Ryeowook so this is really nothing to me anymore." Jongwoon explained.
"You know that's the first you've said anything about yourself. Sure it's still vague but it's more than the "I've done this before". It actually says something about you. I think I know more about your orb than I do about you or your world."
"That's because it doesn't matter. I don't ask about yours. Everything I know about you was already said and I've inferred the rest."
"But I want to know. I mean we are traveling together now, we should at least get to know each other better."
"Kyuhyun." Jongwoon attempted to interrupt but the other continued on.
"Seriously, I mean who wants to travel with a complete stranger. I mean I know you're stubborn and have experience in a lot of areas and you come from a place that has some really weird abilities, but what about stuff like family, friends, and the town you grew up in? Stuff like that."
"Kyuhyun." He snapped at him in a hushed voice.
"You know my family is dead and about where I grew up but,"
"Kyuhyun, shut the hell up." Jongwoon snapped at him, putting a hand on his mouth.
"Why?" Came the muffled reply.
"There are guards not far from here and your talking will lead them straight to us." He whispered and when Kyuhyun motioned to understanding, Jongwoon removed his hand and pulled him off away from where he was hearing the guards. Jongwoon led them into some thicker foliage hoping the extra coverage will keep them out of sight if the guards make it any closer to them.
"How did they catch up so fast?" Kyuhyun whispered leaning in as closely as possible to Jongwoon so not to be heard.
"Must be the detours around the streams that have kept us closer to the village than we thought."
"Well we could have just crossed them if half of them weren't made of lava." Jongwoon hushed him again, hearing movement nearby.
"I thought I heard something over this way." They heard one guard speak.
"Might have been a Chkariya. They're harmless but annoying little creatures and are common in the part of the forest." Another answered. They watched the little bit of the guards they could see while crouched down in the bushes, until they moved further away again. They gave a silent sigh of relief but remained where they were for a few more minutes just to be certain the guards were out of ear shot.
~
"I am so glad that father kept his maps at home. I think I know which way Jongwoon and Kyuhyun went now." Ryeowook said to himself as he ran quickly through the forest, following the path he took with the others earlier until he reached the clearing. Being the chief's son does has his perks as he was able to trick one guard into fetching him something leaving only one guard he had to knock unconscious with the help of a large book. Working around the village does help one's upper body strength too.
He knew the guards had a twenty minute head start on him, but he just hoped he made it to them before they did. The guards had obviously slowed down their pace once they made it deeper into the forest, spreading out to do a wide search for Kyuhyun and Jongwoon. When Ryeowook caught up to them, he worked carefully to keep himself hidden as well, yet not slow down. If nothing else, Ryeowook hoped to be at least a distraction for the guards but he really he wanted was to try and use his father's position as influence to stop them completely.
By the time he found them, they were pinned by the guards, backed up to one of the lava streams. Jongwoon had his knife back out ready to use it the moment any guards took a step closer. Kyuhyun was behind him in a fighting stance himself and yet he did not have his own knife out. Ryeowook stayed hidden for a few minutes, not sure if either group was going to make a move or not.
Finally the captain motioned to his squad and three guards, armed with short spears, lunged forward straight at Kyuhyun and Jongwoon. Ryeowook was amazed at how quickly both reacted, Jongwoon dodged the first attack by ducking to the left, catching the guy's left arm and kicking his feet out from under him, knocking him straight to the ground. He immediately blocked the spear coming at him with his knife shoving it to the side and breaking the guard's stance. Taking his free hand, Jongwoon pushed the guy over, bracing his foot behind him in order to trip in and knock him onto the first guard. Kyuhyun took care of the third guard, grabbing the spear as it came for him, shifting his weight and using the spear to throw the guard into a nearby tree successfully taking the spear from him.
"You know, it would be awesome if you had a sword in that bag of yours." Kyuhyun mentioned, preparing for the second wave of attacks.
"Right, sorry, I'll just grab the pocket sword I keep for emergencies." Jongwoon answered sarcastically taking out another guard.
"Do they make those? Because if they do, I want one."
"You make some money in a world that makes one, then go right ahead. Wasn't really in the budget the one time I saw one and otherwise a sword is not very convenient to carry around from place to place."
While the two were talking a second squad of guards appeared, surrounding Kyuhyun and Jongwoon again. Ryeowook noticed some of the first set of guards were getting up again and figured it was now or never as the captain was signaling for a full on attack since a couple at a time were not working. Ryeowook knew it was probably a stupid thing to do, but he did it anyways, running right past the guards to get in-between Kyuhyun and Jongwoon and the captain. Unfortunately, the guards didn't notice him fast enough to stop and hand a spear coming right for him. Kyuhyun and Jongwoon both noticed, immediately getting both their weapons underneath the spear, stopping it just in time as Ryeowook ducked underneath them.
"What the hell are you doing? You were supposed to go home and stay there where it was safe." Jongwoon yelled at him, pushing the guard away.
"I couldn't sit at home knowing my father was still going after you guys. You did nothing wrong and it's wrong of my father to condemn you."
"Your father?" Kyuhyun asked.
"My father is the chief of the village. I wasn't hiding it from you on purpose but I also didn't think it was something that I could just announce."
"Mister Ryeowook, please get away from the criminals." The captain ordered.
"No. These two are not criminals and I will not let you harm them."
"Your father has ordered these two killed. They are Komihn and even took you hostage in order to save themselves." Well if Ryeowook wasn't in trouble before, he is about to be."
"They did no such thing. I permitted them to use me as a fake hostage in order to help them get away. And you want to know what? The first thing they did when we were out of the village and your sight was to make sure I was alright and that Kyuhyun didn't accidentally nick me with his blade. They made sure I could get home safely when we went further into the forest than I was used to. It was my choice to stay with them as long as I did. I would have stayed longer if they would have let me."
"Mister Ryeowook, you speak of treason against your own people. And for what? Two Komihn that will more than likely take the information they learned whilst in our village and use it against us in an attack where they won't show you any mercy."
"QUIET. Quit saying they are Komihn. We've had Komihn in our cells before that we have condemned to death and these two are nothing like them. They are more civilized than any other prisoners we have taken and they knew nothing of our kind or the Komihn before I told them."
"Komihn lie. They trick anyone with a weak mind."
"The Komihn may lie, and I understand it could be hard to believe us, but we honestly entered your forest yesterday before you took us captive. And an added lame attempt to get you to believe us, I'm pretty sure that our clothes are very different from the Komihn." Kyuhyun suggested looking at Jongwoon's tight fitting, button up clothes compared to the loose draped style of the Vralt.
"We do not pay attention to the Komihn's choice of clothing."
"Well it was worth a shot." Kyuhyun shrugged. Jongwoon rolled his eyes at the younger, though had to give him a bit of credit for the attempt.
"Well talking is getting us absolutely nowhere. Ready to go, Kyuhyun?"
"Sure, I take it you have a plan then." Kyuhyun glanced over to Jongwoon, quickly going back to watching the guards, ready for any possible attacks.
"Yeah. Pass me your knife." Kyuhyun did as Jongwoon asked pulling the knife out and passing it up. He wasn't too worried about no longer having the knife since he was still holding onto the spear he stole from the first guard. Jongwoon smirked at Kyuhyun once the knife was in his hands and mouthed for Kyuhyun to be ready to run and motioned ever so slightly to his left so Kyuhyun knew which way to go. He knew if he wasn't paying attention, he would have missed the sign because before he knew it, Jongwoon spun back around and threw the knife right into the captain's shoulder with enough force to knock him back a step. While the guards were all taken by surprise with the sudden attack, Jongwoon and Kyuhyun immediately ran, knocking a couple other guards out of the way. Jongwoon kept Kyuhyun just slightly in front of him, giving slight instructions on which way to head. He didn't bother looking back as he knew the guards would be on them in mere seconds, so instead he pushed Kyuhyun forward as fast as he could go.
"Veer to the right slightly."
"Won't that take us right into the lava?" Kyuhyun asked worried but followed his instructions anyways.
"Yes, there is a broken tree we can use to cross it. I saw it before we got pushed into the corner by the guards. Don't think just run right across it once you see it."
"Will it even hold our weight?"
"We'll find out." It's not that he was expecting a different answer, but just hearing it was even more frightening than just the idea of using a broken tree to cross a burning lava stream. "Stop after you cross."
"What?"
"Just do it." Jongwoon shouted and Kyuhyun had no time for hesitation and ran across the broken tree. Once he stopped on the other side, there was no time for his heart to slow down as Jongwoon called him to the edge of the tree. "Wedge the spear under the tree and use it to pivot the tree up." Doing as Jongwoon said he shoved the tip of the spear right underneath the tree and pushed down on the other end as Jongwoon used the little bit of leverage to push the tree just enough that the loose soil of the edge took the tree the rest of the way down into the lava. "That should buy us a little time." Jongwoon mentioned just as they saw guards approaching the other side.
Nudging Kyuhyun, they set off once again in search of some place to hide. They were already half way through the day so hopefully they would only need to keep hidden for a couple hours. Anymore and Jongwoon wasn't certain they could keep it up. Once they found some place to lay low, they could actually look at the orb and see where they were.
"Jongwoon, there looks to be a cave down the hill there." Kyuhyun spotted
"Head for it. We'll see how much cover it gives us and make sure it's not otherwise occupied." Nodding, Kyuhyun altered his course slightly, heading down the hill as carefully as he could and right for the cave. The cave looked rather empty, no signs of any creature currently taking up residence so they decided to stay for at least a short while.
"How long until the orb is charged?" Wondering the same thing himself, Jongwoon pulled out the orb, along with his canteen which luckily was still rather full.
"Three hours, maybe. If it's much longer we'll have to verbally stall them again and do so until the orb charges. I don't think we can keep running and fighting like this for too much longer." He took a small drink from the canteen after putting away the orb and passed it to Kyuhyun. "Take a drink, but not too much, it needs to last us."
"Thanks."
"How are you holding up though? We've been relaxing in a cell for a while so it wasn't that bad on your injuries but all this running and fighting cannot be good for you, especially your ankle."
"I think all the adrenaline and urgency of the situation has just numbed the pain. I'll probably start feeling it again soon now that we've taken a break."
"I don't know how much of a detour they were forced to take to get over the stream but from here we should be able to see them coming across the hill and take action." Taking advantage of their lead and cover, the two rested, keeping their eyes on the hills and surrounding area. They watched as the orb slowly darkened, until they began to hear very faint noises.
"Should we run or just hide?" Kyuhyun asked getting to his feet, ready for either option. Jongwoon looked back at the orb and hesitated. It was so close, but the cave would be the obvious hiding spot, but who’s to say they won't just shoot them down if they try to run again. "Jongwoon." Kyuhyun tried to stay quiet, making sure they would not be heard beyond the cave.
"It's not long for the orb to finish charging but either option could see us dead before it finishes."
"And which is likely to give us those extra couple of minutes?"
"Can you run? I've noticed you wincing a couple times and you're not too steady right now."
"If I have to, I will."
"Then we stay. The minute we start running your ankle will buckle right under you."
"So we hide and stall." Jongwoon agreed, helping Kyuhyun a little deeper into the cave, sticking to the shadows. The voices slowly approached and Jongwoon kept his eyes on the glow of the orb, willing it to finish before the voices reach them.
"Please, will you stop? There is no need to do this. Just let them go." They could hear Ryeowook pleading with the guards.
"You should stay silent before you worsen the punishment the chief will have for you when we return to the village." Kyuhyun fidgeted, obviously wanting to help Ryeowook, but Jongwoon held him back. Ryeowook would be alright, but if they revealed themselves, they might not be.
"I do not care for whatever punishment will be served to me, I will not see innocent people killed for things beyond their control.
"You still believe them innocent. You are so naive. Search the cave." It was only moments before the orb would finish and yet it seems their luck has run out.
"I'll keep them at bay, you be ready with the orb. Once it is charged, we are gone." Jongwoon whispered passing the orb over.
"But I don't know how to use it."
"I hear something, captain. I think they are in here."
"Just have it ready. Hold it in your palm once it is finished. I will do the rest."
"Get them out here." The order came and Jongwoon stood at the ready, using the dim light of the orb to see the first couple of guards come through. Keeping the guards down when they came two at a time was not that difficult but the fights drew them closer to the opening, Kyuhyun stumbling behind. As the cave widened, more guards came in at once, pushing Jongwoon to his limits. Kyuhyun couldn't do much other than glance back and forth between the orb and Jongwoon. He hated this, he should have known that stopping would have made it impossible for him to help. The swelling on his ankle was probably worse now and all he could do was hold their only chance of escape.
"Jongwoon!" Kyuhyun shouted as he watched the last little bit at the top darken and the orb pulsed in his hand. Jongwoon took one glance back noting that it was time. He pushed the next guard back and ran over to Kyuhyun. He rested his open palm on top of the orb and it lit just as it had back in Kon. With their still free arms, they kept the guards at bay. As the glow from the orb and symbol bellow them got brighter the less they could hear the captain shouting orders and before they knew it, they were gone.
"Do you still want to tell me they were Komihn?" Ryeowook asked the captain once the two were safely gone.
A/N: Yay okay second part is written. First off, random members will show up in chapters, and they can appear in multiple chapters too. So you may see Wookie again and he may be of a different race next time. Which also means if you would like to see certain characters appear in a specific setting, let me know and I might just do it.
Kyusung day is coming up and I know this isn't romantic at all but still happy early Kyusung day. (If I'm lucky I'll get another fic out in time for it that's more romantic, but who knows.) ^^''
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and this world. Comments make me happy.
Thank you^^
^^ ♥