Going Home
Title: Going Home
Rating: PG
Fandom: U-Kiss
Theme set/prompt: Fantasy/04 - witches
Summary: Among the elves. It's a bit odd. And even there, people aren't what they seem.
Author's Notes (optional): I hope no one kills me for this....
Disclaimer: Not Mine, Not true
Inspiration from 10_what_ifs
Previous: One, Two, Three, Four, Five
"I'm hijacking your boys," Xander said.
"What?" Kibum asked, leaning over his scrying bowl, hardly paying attention. He didn't know if it were him or that the connection to the mirror was bad. He didn't know just exactly what Xander had said. It just wouldn't sink in.
"Actually, just Eli," Xander went on. "But I don't think SooHyun will allow him to go off alone."
Kibum shook his head, trying to clear it. He needed to focus on this. "Wait. You're taking them?"
"Diverting them. Kibum, what's wrong?"
"I know who's doing all this."
Xander stared at him. "Who?"
Kibum didn't answer for a moment, finding it hard to believe himself. "HyungJoon."
He'd never actually seen Xander speechless before, but Kibum was too disturbed over the news to actually enjoy it. "You're sure?" Xander asked after a moment.
"Eli saw him. DongHo saw him. Kiseop was able to recreate the man they saw and get the image to me. I'm sure." He hesitated, then slumped. "Yes. Take them. They will be safe among your people while I figure out what to do."
"I'll watch out for them," Xander promised.
Kibum nodded and released the spell. "And yet, someone made off with your nephew," he murmured to himself when he was sure the connection was broken. "Maybe you can find out who. And maybe I can find out what my dear brother is up to."
"Welcome," Xander said. "I'm glad you could come."
He stood in the middle of the road, between two large trees that started a lush forest. He looked and sounded so much like he stood in a doorway, inviting them to his home.
SooHyun stopped his horse, and the rest came to a ragged stop behind him. "Kibum sent us," he said. "He didn't say why."
"No, he wouldn't," Xander said. He beckoned and a tall bay horse stepped onto the road, and Xander mounted. "Follow me. Stay close."
Eli had stopped when SooHyun did, but he didn't exactly know how to act. Or if he should. Or....
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Hoon said as he began to ride past Eli, the last of the group. Eli had barely noticed that the others had gone on. "He did say to stay close."
Eli started and nudged his horse into motion, catching up to Hoon pretty quickly. "No, not a ghost." Xander had left the cave and gone home once the swelling went down on Eli's hand, but before Eli had the chance to figure out what it all meant. And before he could ask any questions. He had a lot of questions.
"No? What then?"
Eli shrugged. "Answers. Maybe."
"Maybe?"
Eli laughed softly. "When does anyone answer questions from us?" he asked, and Hoon laughed his agreement.
They left the horses comfortable in what Eli might loosely call a stable, contentedly munching on grass or some kind of fodder (if it was hay, it was like no hay he'd ever seen), and followed Xander to something that looked much like the stable where they'd left the horses, if more furnished for people. "Your things will be safe here," Xander said. "As will you. Settle in and relax. I'll check on you again in a while." He bowed to them and left before Eli could catch him to ask questions.
It was nice, green, and soothing. Eli washed up with the others, glad to get the dust of the road off. He lay back against the trunk of one of the largest trees and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation. It was amazingly comfortable.
He hadn't been there long when he felt a... tugging, a summons of some sort. Languidly, he got to his feet, walking past Kiseop without registering Kiseop's white face or his grip on AJ. Eli mumbled something at them, where he was going, but as he didn't know, he didn't make it very clear. Neither of them seemed too interested, and that should have set him off, too. Instead, he walked on, climbing a staircase to a broad landing, stairs going up in the three directions facing him.
"Thank you for coming," a smooth voice said, and Eli stopped walking. The voice penetrated the haze a little, and he blinked slowly, trying to shake it off, just now realizing it was there. "I was surprised to see you alive. KyuJong said he'd left you in the desert." The name startled him, not expecting to hear it here, of all places. The man paced around him, but all Eli could see was dark hair pulled back at the nape of his neck and the flowing clothes all the elves wore around here (at least that he'd seen). "You take after your father," he continued. "That's why I had to get rid of you. She didn't need the reminder."
Eli struggled to say something, anything, to ask what he meant, but nothing came out. He couldn't move.
"And yet, here you are again. I can't let her see you alive."
Her? Her who?
"Hey! Let him go!" he heard, above the sounds of running feet.
SooHyun. Eli fought to turn toward him, but he still couldn't move.
"Oh, don't worry," the elf said, almost mocking. "You'll be okay."
SooHyun didn't answer, and Eli tried again to turn to see what was going on. A touch on his cheek brought him back to see the elf - pretty, this one, more so than Xander - standing in front of him. "I'm very disappointed. You weren't supposed to come back."
"What did you do to them?" Eli demanded, although that he could surprised both him and the elf, if his eyes going wide meant anything.
Then the elf sighed and gestured. "They're right there," he said impatiently. "Unharmed. One of your witches there is trying to fight me."
The gesture allowed Eli turn to look. The rest of them were caught behind a barrier of some sort; it shimmered, but he thought he only counted five. DongHo was gone, probably looking for a way around the barrier. "Let them go."
"They don't have to stay there," the elf snapped. "They just can't come up here. Or hear what we're saying."
"Why? I don't understand!"
"No, you probably don't understand what an abomination you are," the elf said. "It's my duty to get rid of you. And see? I can't trust humans. They're so fallible."
"Who are you?" Eli asked, clenching his fists.
The elf's lip twitched, curling up in a sneer. "Your mother's nephew. And the only family member willing to do something about this... travesty she brought into our family." He gestured at Eli.
"My cousin, then," Eli said.
"NO!" the elf spat. "You are no relative of mine." He grabbed Eli by the throat, and Eli couldn't move to try to shake him off. "I don't think you quite understand...."
"But I do," Xander said, and Eli could move again, the haze completely gone from his mind. He shoved the elf away, turning to the others in time to see Kiseop go down, in spite of AJ's attempts to keep him on his feet. The barrier was gone as well. "You disappoint me, YoungSaeng."
"You know it as well as I do what an abomination he is!" YoungSaeng got to his feet and stood in Eli's way when he started toward his friends.
"He is not," Xander said flatly.
"Ellison," a soft, half-remembered voice said, and Eli, almost to his friends, stopped as if struck. He turned around so fast he nearly fell over.
The elven woman who'd called his name - he'd remembered it as soon as he heard it - was easily the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The confused demands for explanation behind him went silent. "You are Ellison," she said - not a question - walking toward him.
Eli couldn't move, staring at her. Speech was impossible.
She came to a stop in front of him and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Yes," she murmured, and smiled. "It is good to see you again."
Eli found his voice somewhere. "Again?"
Sadness clouded her eyes. "You were too young to remember."
"Watch out!"
DongHo's shout - from the wrong direction, so he had gone looking for another way through - jolted Eli out of his daze and he turned to find the threat.
Xander had taken care of it, one hand wrapped around Youngsaeng's throat, the other gripping the hand holding a knife raised to strike at Eli. "Victoria," he said conversationally, "why don't you go and get to know your son? I will take care of mine."
"Thank you," she said, and took Eli's arm. "if you will come with me? Your friends will be cared for."
Eli turned to look at her, still trying to process that, but followed when she started up the wide staircase.
Table
Rating: PG
Fandom: U-Kiss
Theme set/prompt: Fantasy/04 - witches
Summary: Among the elves. It's a bit odd. And even there, people aren't what they seem.
Author's Notes (optional): I hope no one kills me for this....
Disclaimer: Not Mine, Not true
Inspiration from 10_what_ifs
Previous: One, Two, Three, Four, Five
"I'm hijacking your boys," Xander said.
"What?" Kibum asked, leaning over his scrying bowl, hardly paying attention. He didn't know if it were him or that the connection to the mirror was bad. He didn't know just exactly what Xander had said. It just wouldn't sink in.
"Actually, just Eli," Xander went on. "But I don't think SooHyun will allow him to go off alone."
Kibum shook his head, trying to clear it. He needed to focus on this. "Wait. You're taking them?"
"Diverting them. Kibum, what's wrong?"
"I know who's doing all this."
Xander stared at him. "Who?"
Kibum didn't answer for a moment, finding it hard to believe himself. "HyungJoon."
He'd never actually seen Xander speechless before, but Kibum was too disturbed over the news to actually enjoy it. "You're sure?" Xander asked after a moment.
"Eli saw him. DongHo saw him. Kiseop was able to recreate the man they saw and get the image to me. I'm sure." He hesitated, then slumped. "Yes. Take them. They will be safe among your people while I figure out what to do."
"I'll watch out for them," Xander promised.
Kibum nodded and released the spell. "And yet, someone made off with your nephew," he murmured to himself when he was sure the connection was broken. "Maybe you can find out who. And maybe I can find out what my dear brother is up to."
"Welcome," Xander said. "I'm glad you could come."
He stood in the middle of the road, between two large trees that started a lush forest. He looked and sounded so much like he stood in a doorway, inviting them to his home.
SooHyun stopped his horse, and the rest came to a ragged stop behind him. "Kibum sent us," he said. "He didn't say why."
"No, he wouldn't," Xander said. He beckoned and a tall bay horse stepped onto the road, and Xander mounted. "Follow me. Stay close."
Eli had stopped when SooHyun did, but he didn't exactly know how to act. Or if he should. Or....
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Hoon said as he began to ride past Eli, the last of the group. Eli had barely noticed that the others had gone on. "He did say to stay close."
Eli started and nudged his horse into motion, catching up to Hoon pretty quickly. "No, not a ghost." Xander had left the cave and gone home once the swelling went down on Eli's hand, but before Eli had the chance to figure out what it all meant. And before he could ask any questions. He had a lot of questions.
"No? What then?"
Eli shrugged. "Answers. Maybe."
"Maybe?"
Eli laughed softly. "When does anyone answer questions from us?" he asked, and Hoon laughed his agreement.
They left the horses comfortable in what Eli might loosely call a stable, contentedly munching on grass or some kind of fodder (if it was hay, it was like no hay he'd ever seen), and followed Xander to something that looked much like the stable where they'd left the horses, if more furnished for people. "Your things will be safe here," Xander said. "As will you. Settle in and relax. I'll check on you again in a while." He bowed to them and left before Eli could catch him to ask questions.
It was nice, green, and soothing. Eli washed up with the others, glad to get the dust of the road off. He lay back against the trunk of one of the largest trees and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation. It was amazingly comfortable.
He hadn't been there long when he felt a... tugging, a summons of some sort. Languidly, he got to his feet, walking past Kiseop without registering Kiseop's white face or his grip on AJ. Eli mumbled something at them, where he was going, but as he didn't know, he didn't make it very clear. Neither of them seemed too interested, and that should have set him off, too. Instead, he walked on, climbing a staircase to a broad landing, stairs going up in the three directions facing him.
"Thank you for coming," a smooth voice said, and Eli stopped walking. The voice penetrated the haze a little, and he blinked slowly, trying to shake it off, just now realizing it was there. "I was surprised to see you alive. KyuJong said he'd left you in the desert." The name startled him, not expecting to hear it here, of all places. The man paced around him, but all Eli could see was dark hair pulled back at the nape of his neck and the flowing clothes all the elves wore around here (at least that he'd seen). "You take after your father," he continued. "That's why I had to get rid of you. She didn't need the reminder."
Eli struggled to say something, anything, to ask what he meant, but nothing came out. He couldn't move.
"And yet, here you are again. I can't let her see you alive."
Her? Her who?
"Hey! Let him go!" he heard, above the sounds of running feet.
SooHyun. Eli fought to turn toward him, but he still couldn't move.
"Oh, don't worry," the elf said, almost mocking. "You'll be okay."
SooHyun didn't answer, and Eli tried again to turn to see what was going on. A touch on his cheek brought him back to see the elf - pretty, this one, more so than Xander - standing in front of him. "I'm very disappointed. You weren't supposed to come back."
"What did you do to them?" Eli demanded, although that he could surprised both him and the elf, if his eyes going wide meant anything.
Then the elf sighed and gestured. "They're right there," he said impatiently. "Unharmed. One of your witches there is trying to fight me."
The gesture allowed Eli turn to look. The rest of them were caught behind a barrier of some sort; it shimmered, but he thought he only counted five. DongHo was gone, probably looking for a way around the barrier. "Let them go."
"They don't have to stay there," the elf snapped. "They just can't come up here. Or hear what we're saying."
"Why? I don't understand!"
"No, you probably don't understand what an abomination you are," the elf said. "It's my duty to get rid of you. And see? I can't trust humans. They're so fallible."
"Who are you?" Eli asked, clenching his fists.
The elf's lip twitched, curling up in a sneer. "Your mother's nephew. And the only family member willing to do something about this... travesty she brought into our family." He gestured at Eli.
"My cousin, then," Eli said.
"NO!" the elf spat. "You are no relative of mine." He grabbed Eli by the throat, and Eli couldn't move to try to shake him off. "I don't think you quite understand...."
"But I do," Xander said, and Eli could move again, the haze completely gone from his mind. He shoved the elf away, turning to the others in time to see Kiseop go down, in spite of AJ's attempts to keep him on his feet. The barrier was gone as well. "You disappoint me, YoungSaeng."
"You know it as well as I do what an abomination he is!" YoungSaeng got to his feet and stood in Eli's way when he started toward his friends.
"He is not," Xander said flatly.
"Ellison," a soft, half-remembered voice said, and Eli, almost to his friends, stopped as if struck. He turned around so fast he nearly fell over.
The elven woman who'd called his name - he'd remembered it as soon as he heard it - was easily the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The confused demands for explanation behind him went silent. "You are Ellison," she said - not a question - walking toward him.
Eli couldn't move, staring at her. Speech was impossible.
She came to a stop in front of him and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Yes," she murmured, and smiled. "It is good to see you again."
Eli found his voice somewhere. "Again?"
Sadness clouded her eyes. "You were too young to remember."
"Watch out!"
DongHo's shout - from the wrong direction, so he had gone looking for another way through - jolted Eli out of his daze and he turned to find the threat.
Xander had taken care of it, one hand wrapped around Youngsaeng's throat, the other gripping the hand holding a knife raised to strike at Eli. "Victoria," he said conversationally, "why don't you go and get to know your son? I will take care of mine."
"Thank you," she said, and took Eli's arm. "if you will come with me? Your friends will be cared for."
Eli turned to look at her, still trying to process that, but followed when she started up the wide staircase.
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