Dragon Prince - Chapter Sixteen
Dragon Prince
Chapter Sixteen
“Take care of Haneul for me?” Hyunjoong asked Soojin the next morning.
She must have seen the worry on his face because she smiled and nodded. “She will be more then safe with me.”
Hyunjoong nodded, satisfied. “Thank you,” he told her earnestly before he moved to his horse and climbed on it. When he was mounted, Youngsaeng stepped forward.
“This is for you,” Youngsaeng told her, holding out a flat stone as big as his palm. On its surface an elaborate diagram was carved with interconnecting lines. Hyunjoong had only seen something like it once before when his father had showed him his battle armor. Soojin accepted it from him carefully.
“It will keep the clan safe. Every evening ride to the back of the clan and pour two drops of this on it,” Youngsaeng handed her a plain wooden box as well. She didn’t open it to investigate its contents as she accepted it from him.
“If you need to hide quickly, use this,” Youngsaeng pulled out a small black rock. Carvings snaked all over its surface. “Five drops on it will last you for a few hours.” He handed the rock to her and produced one more thing from his pocket.
It was a glass bottle, short and fat. Over the surface of the glass ran a series of cracks. It looked as though the bottle could shatter at any moment. Upon closer inspection the cracks seemed to be forming a pattern over the clear surface surrounding the deep red liquid inside. “When you reach the lake, throw this into it. It will work quickly and not last very long so you must get everyone into the water as quickly as you can. Be sure that no one is in before you throw it or it will not work on them. It will take you to the place where we will meet.”
He passed it to her and she tucked all of the items safely into the pouch at her waist. Then she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. “We will meet you there,” she said gently. “You and your people.” Soojin took a step back from him and he nodded then turned and mounted his horse, settling in front of Kyujong.
“Fly free,” she told them.
“Run free,” Youngsaeng replied.
“Protect the skies,” Soojin continued.
“Secure the ground,” Youngsaeng returned with a nod.
“Find peace in the night,” Soojin said softly.
“Take joy in the day,” Youngsaeng replied.
“May your winds be swift.”
“May your strength be long.”
“For when the day rises anew,”
“We shall meet again as one,” Youngsaeng finished gently.
“Good luck,” Soojin told them. Then without another word she turned and began making her way back to the clan.
“A human remembers?” Arunika asked, her voice filled with wonder.
“Yes,” Youngsaeng replied quietly, watching Soojin’s retreating back. “They remember.”
“Am I the only one completely lost?” Jaejoong asked suddenly.
“No,” Yoochun muttered.
Jungmin laughed. “It’s an old saying that used to be said between dragons and humans. Apparently it was supposed to wish both parties well as they parted.”
“Yes,” Arunika confirmed. “There is magic in it, magic of protection.”
“Interesting,” Hyunjoong mused.
Youngsaeng smiled to himself but made certain that it couldn’t be seen before he spoke again. “Let’s go. Arunika will lead.” She nodded and turned her horse, spurring him into action, her husband just after her. A moment later their horses settled into a steady walk in a loose group just behind her.
A few minutes later Hyungjoon sighed. “Does anyone know some travel games?” He asked hopefully. His request was met with laughter all around.
“Well when we are riding out for one thing or another, we always play word games,” Yoochun replied.
Hyunjoong smiled. He had played many a word game with his friends and guards in the past, but that wasn’t what he was interested in at the moment. The prince pulled his horse back, forcing it to slow and drop from the front of their little group and to the back where Youngsaeng was riding with watchful eyes.
“You gave Soojin dragon magic,” Hyunjoong said after glancing at the pair on horseback.
“Yes,” Youngsaeng answered simply.
“Why? I thought that was your most closely guarded secret,” Hyunjoong asked.
“It was and is. I believe when she is done with them that she will destroy the things I gave her so that no one can use them for ill will.”
“Why?” the prince asked again.
“I trust her,” Youngsaeng said simply and Hyunjoong found that there wasn’t much he could say to that, so he said nothing.
‡†‡†‡†‡†‡
Hyunjoong had found traveling with the clan of gypsies fascinating and enjoyable, but he found traveling with their little band even more so. Even though the thought of where they may be heading was looming over them, the prince was enjoying being surrounded by his friends. Although it was not the first trip he had ever been on with his guards, it was the first he had been on without a full regiment of soldiers in tow.
It was almost more amusing then anything to watch his guards relax as they rode, becoming more and more the people he knew behind closed doors. They knew more about the world then he did, but as they rode he told them about his experiences in the clan and they absorbed it like sponges. By the end of the first day, his guards were dispersed amongst his new found friends and they were chatting relaxed as if they had known each other for years instead of mere days.
Despite how enjoyable they found their trip, not a single person in the party forgot where they were going. What they could find, weighed heavy on the prince’s mind in his free moments, almost as heavy as the question of what was happening to his dear friend Changmin.
It took them three days to reach the edge of the location that the prince had pointed out on the map. As soon as they were near, Arunika and her husband took to riding a ways ahead, with Youngsaeng still bringing up the back of their little band.
The last leg of the journey was slow, not because of any roughness in terrain but because Arunika seemed to be preoccupied with something that none of them could see. Not a single person was willing to interrupt her to ask what she was doing despite the slower pace.
Midway into the afternoon she pulled her horse to a stop and waited until their party had ridden into hearing distance. “I found it,” she said quietly. “It’s off that direction about half a day’s ride. I doubt they will have been able to see us yet.”
There was a pause as the prince realized that everyone was waiting for his command. “He glanced at the area and thought for a moment. “Let’s wait until evening falls. Then we will put our plan into motion.”
‡†‡†‡†‡†‡
“Hey look at that,” a man said tapping on the smooth surface of a plate of glass as images formed in it. “Looks like we have someone approaching.”
Another man leaned over and glanced at the glass as well. “Looks like humans and a dragon?” he said, puzzled.
“Was the King scheduled to make a deposit today?” the first asked.
“Not that I know of.”
“I’ll go see what is going on,” the second man declared. He turned from the glass and walked briskly though the hall, gesturing for a few of the men standing guard to follow him as he went. They walked through a stone tunnel dotted with small glowing crystals, until it spilled out into a larger hall. The ceiling in this hall was much higher and the walls were spread much further apart, as if to allow something large to pass between them.
In the large hall he turned to the left with the rest of the men he had gathered just behind him. They took several strides before the hall dead ended into what appeared to be simply another wall. The man walked up to it and took a small vial out of his pocket. He stepped up to the small pedestal situated in a corner. Removing the stopper from the vial, he poured its contents onto the top of the pedestal. Red liquid flowed out and sluggishly moved to fill deep groves carved into the surface. When it had completely filled the groves, it flashed brightly and a low rumbling began.
The large wall split down the center and each half began to slide to an opposite direction, opening the wall. From the outside it would look as though the very side of the hill was opening up. The men didn’t wait for it to complete, instead they climbed the incline up into the night, with their hands on their swords.
It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the dim of night, but their guests were riding up with glowing crystals hanging from their saddles. At their head was a man dressed in rich colors, with what looked like a vine leading from the dragon behind him to the saddle of his horse. The young dragon, judging by its size, was wrapped tightly in vines leaving its legs free enough that it could hobble along, but pinning its wings securely to its sides. Around it were men, dressed as members of the royal guard would be. If all of that hadn’t told the men whom they were dealing with, the coronet around the leading man’s head would have.
“My Prince,” the man said when the riders drew close enough. He dropped to one knee in a bow and the others followed. “We had not heard you were going to be here tonight, or we would have prepared for your arrival. In fact sire, we thought you had been taken by gypsies.”
“Rise,” the prince said loftily. “I was taken by filthy gypsy scum but look at what I found there,” he said gesturing to the dragon behind him.
“He seems rather docile for a beast, if I may say so my lord. Usually they come in fighting,” the man replied.
“He was quite the handful until we drained him of almost all of his blood and his magic, or so I am told,” the prince said as he dismounted from his horse.
“To bleed a dragon for the first time on your own,” the man said with wonder. “You truly are your father’s son.”
The prince gifted him with a smile and then jerked sharply on the vine attached to the dragons head. It let out a pained cry and staggered forward. “Kindly tell me where we can put this beast. I long to be rid of it.”
“Of course,” the man said rising. “This way my lord. We can care for your horses,” he told the prince as he gestured for his men to do just that. The guards dismounted smoothly and fell in around the dragon just as they had been when they were riding.
“This way your highness,” the man said, turning and leading the prince and his catch into the underground fortress.
‡†‡†‡†‡†‡
‘Steady,’ Arunika’s voice echoed inside his head, reminding him that for now all he could do was keep his head down and act broken.
Youngsaeng hobbled along after the prince, cursing the vines that were tangled around his body. He felt them constantly pulling his energy from him, only for it to be channeled right back. If they had been vines made from any other magic then Arunika’s, they could have been deadly to him. As it was he hated every moment he spent in them.
As they moved down the large hall, Youngsaeng did his best to ignore the men around him. The men that ran this place of torture were ahead of him, with the prince. Just behind him were the prince’s personal guards. Slightly behind Youngsaeng were the only people he would ever let into his blind spots: Hyungjoon, Jungmin, and Suk-chul all dressed in the garb of a royal guard. Arunika and Kyujong were safely tucked one under each wing where they couldn’t be seen.
Although it seemed as though the prince was caught up in every word the guards were saying, he could tell that he was acutely aware of what was happening around him. Still Youngsaeng couldn’t help the feeling of being trapped and he hated every moment of it. He fought the urge that was raging through him to grab Hyunjoong and escape from this place immediately. Instead he focused on something that could keep him distracted: the underground chambers around them.
Although Arunika’s vines dampened his magic he could still use his senses. He reached out with his mind feeling for any form of water. In short order he found pipes carrying water to all parts of the building. He followed the flow with his mind and the entire underground prison became visible in his mind. He was glad to find that it matched the map Arunika had drawn for them that afternoon.
He was startled from his perusal of it when they entered the next room. The stench of dragon magic, fear, and desperation was so strong that he had to fight not to bolt from it. As he was led into the room he surveyed it with his eyes. It was a large room, brightly lit with crystals that were known as sun stones for their imitation of sunlight. There were plants and foliage everywhere in the room so much so that it looked like a forest instead of an underground cavern.
Scattered amongst the foliage were large black shapes. Most of them were his size or slightly larger than him, all covered with bushes, plants and flowers. In the center of the room was a large black shape roughly five times his size. Over the top of it a massive tree grew, its roots curling around and holding fast. Youngsaeng was transfixed by it and paused to stare, until a sharp tug on the vines connected to him reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing. He listened for Hyunjoong’s voice and used it to ground himself in the task he was supposed to perform.
“Is this all of the water dragons?” Hyunjoong was asking his guide.
“Yes,” the man told him. “We used to have a sister base to this one, but it was destroyed somehow from within. We managed to save a few humans from inside, but no dragons.”
“There must be more somewhere,” Hyunjoong insisted.
“I’m sorry sire; we are the only complex like this. This is the first dragon that has been brought in for months.”
“How many dragons are in this place?” Hyunjoong asked as if he was simply curious.
“52,” the man replied.
Youngsaeng froze at the statement of the number and felt his legs give out from under him. Each tribe had numbered in the hundreds. He had expected to find a fraction of that, but not this small of a fraction. Hyunjoong tugged on the vines sharply but Youngsaeng couldn’t find the strength in him to rise.
“He looks like he is out of energy my lord,” the man said with a snicker. “We can just leave him here for now. The vines will hold him.”
Hyunjoong shrugged and dropped the vine he was holding. “So tell me,” he asked easily. “How many water dragons are in here?”
“Seven, not including the one you brought in. We have been having a problem keeping these beasts alive. They eat normally but somehow they just die on us.” The prince must have indicated that he was upset because the man hurried to continue. “But we have a few young ones that we are working on training and we are trying to perfect a hatching program. Both look promising. Would you like to see our work?” he asked eagerly.
“I suppose,” the prince replied casually.
Youngsaeng didn’t watch them leave but he heard the heavy door shut behind them leaving him with the remaining members of his tribe. Sorrow weighed heavily on his soul and he threw back his head and released a sorrowful keening wail. A moment later seven dragon voices joined him in his cry.
Chapter Seventeen
Masterlist
AN: I meant to have this done so much sooner but events got the better of me... Hope it was worth the wait but I'm afraid most of you will be very unsatisfied at where it leaves off. Ah well you all should be sort of used to it by now. ^^;
Chapter Sixteen
“Take care of Haneul for me?” Hyunjoong asked Soojin the next morning.
She must have seen the worry on his face because she smiled and nodded. “She will be more then safe with me.”
Hyunjoong nodded, satisfied. “Thank you,” he told her earnestly before he moved to his horse and climbed on it. When he was mounted, Youngsaeng stepped forward.
“This is for you,” Youngsaeng told her, holding out a flat stone as big as his palm. On its surface an elaborate diagram was carved with interconnecting lines. Hyunjoong had only seen something like it once before when his father had showed him his battle armor. Soojin accepted it from him carefully.
“It will keep the clan safe. Every evening ride to the back of the clan and pour two drops of this on it,” Youngsaeng handed her a plain wooden box as well. She didn’t open it to investigate its contents as she accepted it from him.
“If you need to hide quickly, use this,” Youngsaeng pulled out a small black rock. Carvings snaked all over its surface. “Five drops on it will last you for a few hours.” He handed the rock to her and produced one more thing from his pocket.
It was a glass bottle, short and fat. Over the surface of the glass ran a series of cracks. It looked as though the bottle could shatter at any moment. Upon closer inspection the cracks seemed to be forming a pattern over the clear surface surrounding the deep red liquid inside. “When you reach the lake, throw this into it. It will work quickly and not last very long so you must get everyone into the water as quickly as you can. Be sure that no one is in before you throw it or it will not work on them. It will take you to the place where we will meet.”
He passed it to her and she tucked all of the items safely into the pouch at her waist. Then she stepped forward and pulled him into a hug. “We will meet you there,” she said gently. “You and your people.” Soojin took a step back from him and he nodded then turned and mounted his horse, settling in front of Kyujong.
“Fly free,” she told them.
“Run free,” Youngsaeng replied.
“Protect the skies,” Soojin continued.
“Secure the ground,” Youngsaeng returned with a nod.
“Find peace in the night,” Soojin said softly.
“Take joy in the day,” Youngsaeng replied.
“May your winds be swift.”
“May your strength be long.”
“For when the day rises anew,”
“We shall meet again as one,” Youngsaeng finished gently.
“Good luck,” Soojin told them. Then without another word she turned and began making her way back to the clan.
“A human remembers?” Arunika asked, her voice filled with wonder.
“Yes,” Youngsaeng replied quietly, watching Soojin’s retreating back. “They remember.”
“Am I the only one completely lost?” Jaejoong asked suddenly.
“No,” Yoochun muttered.
Jungmin laughed. “It’s an old saying that used to be said between dragons and humans. Apparently it was supposed to wish both parties well as they parted.”
“Yes,” Arunika confirmed. “There is magic in it, magic of protection.”
“Interesting,” Hyunjoong mused.
Youngsaeng smiled to himself but made certain that it couldn’t be seen before he spoke again. “Let’s go. Arunika will lead.” She nodded and turned her horse, spurring him into action, her husband just after her. A moment later their horses settled into a steady walk in a loose group just behind her.
A few minutes later Hyungjoon sighed. “Does anyone know some travel games?” He asked hopefully. His request was met with laughter all around.
“Well when we are riding out for one thing or another, we always play word games,” Yoochun replied.
Hyunjoong smiled. He had played many a word game with his friends and guards in the past, but that wasn’t what he was interested in at the moment. The prince pulled his horse back, forcing it to slow and drop from the front of their little group and to the back where Youngsaeng was riding with watchful eyes.
“You gave Soojin dragon magic,” Hyunjoong said after glancing at the pair on horseback.
“Yes,” Youngsaeng answered simply.
“Why? I thought that was your most closely guarded secret,” Hyunjoong asked.
“It was and is. I believe when she is done with them that she will destroy the things I gave her so that no one can use them for ill will.”
“Why?” the prince asked again.
“I trust her,” Youngsaeng said simply and Hyunjoong found that there wasn’t much he could say to that, so he said nothing.
‡†‡†‡†‡†‡
Hyunjoong had found traveling with the clan of gypsies fascinating and enjoyable, but he found traveling with their little band even more so. Even though the thought of where they may be heading was looming over them, the prince was enjoying being surrounded by his friends. Although it was not the first trip he had ever been on with his guards, it was the first he had been on without a full regiment of soldiers in tow.
It was almost more amusing then anything to watch his guards relax as they rode, becoming more and more the people he knew behind closed doors. They knew more about the world then he did, but as they rode he told them about his experiences in the clan and they absorbed it like sponges. By the end of the first day, his guards were dispersed amongst his new found friends and they were chatting relaxed as if they had known each other for years instead of mere days.
Despite how enjoyable they found their trip, not a single person in the party forgot where they were going. What they could find, weighed heavy on the prince’s mind in his free moments, almost as heavy as the question of what was happening to his dear friend Changmin.
It took them three days to reach the edge of the location that the prince had pointed out on the map. As soon as they were near, Arunika and her husband took to riding a ways ahead, with Youngsaeng still bringing up the back of their little band.
The last leg of the journey was slow, not because of any roughness in terrain but because Arunika seemed to be preoccupied with something that none of them could see. Not a single person was willing to interrupt her to ask what she was doing despite the slower pace.
Midway into the afternoon she pulled her horse to a stop and waited until their party had ridden into hearing distance. “I found it,” she said quietly. “It’s off that direction about half a day’s ride. I doubt they will have been able to see us yet.”
There was a pause as the prince realized that everyone was waiting for his command. “He glanced at the area and thought for a moment. “Let’s wait until evening falls. Then we will put our plan into motion.”
‡†‡†‡†‡†‡
“Hey look at that,” a man said tapping on the smooth surface of a plate of glass as images formed in it. “Looks like we have someone approaching.”
Another man leaned over and glanced at the glass as well. “Looks like humans and a dragon?” he said, puzzled.
“Was the King scheduled to make a deposit today?” the first asked.
“Not that I know of.”
“I’ll go see what is going on,” the second man declared. He turned from the glass and walked briskly though the hall, gesturing for a few of the men standing guard to follow him as he went. They walked through a stone tunnel dotted with small glowing crystals, until it spilled out into a larger hall. The ceiling in this hall was much higher and the walls were spread much further apart, as if to allow something large to pass between them.
In the large hall he turned to the left with the rest of the men he had gathered just behind him. They took several strides before the hall dead ended into what appeared to be simply another wall. The man walked up to it and took a small vial out of his pocket. He stepped up to the small pedestal situated in a corner. Removing the stopper from the vial, he poured its contents onto the top of the pedestal. Red liquid flowed out and sluggishly moved to fill deep groves carved into the surface. When it had completely filled the groves, it flashed brightly and a low rumbling began.
The large wall split down the center and each half began to slide to an opposite direction, opening the wall. From the outside it would look as though the very side of the hill was opening up. The men didn’t wait for it to complete, instead they climbed the incline up into the night, with their hands on their swords.
It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the dim of night, but their guests were riding up with glowing crystals hanging from their saddles. At their head was a man dressed in rich colors, with what looked like a vine leading from the dragon behind him to the saddle of his horse. The young dragon, judging by its size, was wrapped tightly in vines leaving its legs free enough that it could hobble along, but pinning its wings securely to its sides. Around it were men, dressed as members of the royal guard would be. If all of that hadn’t told the men whom they were dealing with, the coronet around the leading man’s head would have.
“My Prince,” the man said when the riders drew close enough. He dropped to one knee in a bow and the others followed. “We had not heard you were going to be here tonight, or we would have prepared for your arrival. In fact sire, we thought you had been taken by gypsies.”
“Rise,” the prince said loftily. “I was taken by filthy gypsy scum but look at what I found there,” he said gesturing to the dragon behind him.
“He seems rather docile for a beast, if I may say so my lord. Usually they come in fighting,” the man replied.
“He was quite the handful until we drained him of almost all of his blood and his magic, or so I am told,” the prince said as he dismounted from his horse.
“To bleed a dragon for the first time on your own,” the man said with wonder. “You truly are your father’s son.”
The prince gifted him with a smile and then jerked sharply on the vine attached to the dragons head. It let out a pained cry and staggered forward. “Kindly tell me where we can put this beast. I long to be rid of it.”
“Of course,” the man said rising. “This way my lord. We can care for your horses,” he told the prince as he gestured for his men to do just that. The guards dismounted smoothly and fell in around the dragon just as they had been when they were riding.
“This way your highness,” the man said, turning and leading the prince and his catch into the underground fortress.
‡†‡†‡†‡†‡
‘Steady,’ Arunika’s voice echoed inside his head, reminding him that for now all he could do was keep his head down and act broken.
Youngsaeng hobbled along after the prince, cursing the vines that were tangled around his body. He felt them constantly pulling his energy from him, only for it to be channeled right back. If they had been vines made from any other magic then Arunika’s, they could have been deadly to him. As it was he hated every moment he spent in them.
As they moved down the large hall, Youngsaeng did his best to ignore the men around him. The men that ran this place of torture were ahead of him, with the prince. Just behind him were the prince’s personal guards. Slightly behind Youngsaeng were the only people he would ever let into his blind spots: Hyungjoon, Jungmin, and Suk-chul all dressed in the garb of a royal guard. Arunika and Kyujong were safely tucked one under each wing where they couldn’t be seen.
Although it seemed as though the prince was caught up in every word the guards were saying, he could tell that he was acutely aware of what was happening around him. Still Youngsaeng couldn’t help the feeling of being trapped and he hated every moment of it. He fought the urge that was raging through him to grab Hyunjoong and escape from this place immediately. Instead he focused on something that could keep him distracted: the underground chambers around them.
Although Arunika’s vines dampened his magic he could still use his senses. He reached out with his mind feeling for any form of water. In short order he found pipes carrying water to all parts of the building. He followed the flow with his mind and the entire underground prison became visible in his mind. He was glad to find that it matched the map Arunika had drawn for them that afternoon.
He was startled from his perusal of it when they entered the next room. The stench of dragon magic, fear, and desperation was so strong that he had to fight not to bolt from it. As he was led into the room he surveyed it with his eyes. It was a large room, brightly lit with crystals that were known as sun stones for their imitation of sunlight. There were plants and foliage everywhere in the room so much so that it looked like a forest instead of an underground cavern.
Scattered amongst the foliage were large black shapes. Most of them were his size or slightly larger than him, all covered with bushes, plants and flowers. In the center of the room was a large black shape roughly five times his size. Over the top of it a massive tree grew, its roots curling around and holding fast. Youngsaeng was transfixed by it and paused to stare, until a sharp tug on the vines connected to him reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing. He listened for Hyunjoong’s voice and used it to ground himself in the task he was supposed to perform.
“Is this all of the water dragons?” Hyunjoong was asking his guide.
“Yes,” the man told him. “We used to have a sister base to this one, but it was destroyed somehow from within. We managed to save a few humans from inside, but no dragons.”
“There must be more somewhere,” Hyunjoong insisted.
“I’m sorry sire; we are the only complex like this. This is the first dragon that has been brought in for months.”
“How many dragons are in this place?” Hyunjoong asked as if he was simply curious.
“52,” the man replied.
Youngsaeng froze at the statement of the number and felt his legs give out from under him. Each tribe had numbered in the hundreds. He had expected to find a fraction of that, but not this small of a fraction. Hyunjoong tugged on the vines sharply but Youngsaeng couldn’t find the strength in him to rise.
“He looks like he is out of energy my lord,” the man said with a snicker. “We can just leave him here for now. The vines will hold him.”
Hyunjoong shrugged and dropped the vine he was holding. “So tell me,” he asked easily. “How many water dragons are in here?”
“Seven, not including the one you brought in. We have been having a problem keeping these beasts alive. They eat normally but somehow they just die on us.” The prince must have indicated that he was upset because the man hurried to continue. “But we have a few young ones that we are working on training and we are trying to perfect a hatching program. Both look promising. Would you like to see our work?” he asked eagerly.
“I suppose,” the prince replied casually.
Youngsaeng didn’t watch them leave but he heard the heavy door shut behind them leaving him with the remaining members of his tribe. Sorrow weighed heavily on his soul and he threw back his head and released a sorrowful keening wail. A moment later seven dragon voices joined him in his cry.
Chapter Seventeen
Masterlist
AN: I meant to have this done so much sooner but events got the better of me... Hope it was worth the wait but I'm afraid most of you will be very unsatisfied at where it leaves off. Ah well you all should be sort of used to it by now. ^^;