Desert Heat
Title: Desert Heat
Rating: PG
Fandom: U-Kiss
Theme set/prompt: Fantasy/01 - Wizards
Summary: And on to the desert.
Author's Notes (optional): Eight. Thank you to all who are still with me in this horrible mess.
Disclaimer: Not Mine, Not true
Inspiration from 10_what_ifs
Previous: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven
Eli stopped his horse when he could see the sand - still way too close - and stared down at it. "I don't think I should go on," he said softly.
Kevin and AJ flanked him. "Why?" Kiseop asked from behind.
"Because he always knew where I was," Eli said. "Always. And as soon as we get close enough, he's going to know I didn't die."
"He already knows," Kibum said. He turned around to look at them, his jaw not as brilliant blue-black as it had been a week ago. "YoungSaeng told him before he lured you to the confrontation."
That didn't exactly make him feel better. "And YoungSaeng probably told him he was going to kill me," he said. "Which he didn't, but he won't know that unless I'm stupid enough to get closer."
SooHyun turned his horse around and urged it right close to Eli. "It won't matter," he said gently. "He's going to know we're coming anyway."
Eli sighed and nodded; as soon as SooHyun turned away, he urged his own horse after him.
"What's the problem?" AJ asked when they stepped into the sand early the next morning, and Eli shuddered.
"I've lived here... for as long as I can remember," Eli murmured, focusing on keeping his hands steady as they rode onto the sand. "I can't tell you how many times he left me out in the desert."
AJ glanced at him. "How old were you?"
"The first time I remember it happening, I was probably six, and it was... normal by then," Eli said.
AJ said nothing for a while. "How did you stay alive."
"I made it back. Somehow. Every time. Except the last. I don't know what he did, it didn't feel any different. I just... knew I wouldn't make it."
"And Kibum found your desperation, and here you are."
"Completely insane," Eli agreed, but he realized that his shoulders weren't quite as tight as they had been.
"Insane?"
"Yeah." He flexed his right hand. "The burn had nothing to do with why I was so glad to become an archer so I didn't have to spend any time in the forge. It was the heat."
"This is not as hot as that cave," AJ protested.
"It's early yet," Eli said, gesturing at where the sun had just started over the horizon.
AJ gave him an incredulous look.
"I know, it doesn't feel like anything yet. But it will. Trust me. The forge came way too close, but it's worse here."
"Worse?" DongHo asked, coming up behind him, pulling his horse next to Eli.
Eli glanced at him. "Certainly worse for me," he said. "But I wasn't in the same place you were." He looked up, and wished he hadn't. "That's it," he said.
Ahead, they could see a stone building, low to the ground. They could see little green around it, and no windows. "You lived there?" AJ asked.
"Yes," Eli said. "There's a well inside, although I'm pretty sure it's not exactly natural. And he doesn't welcome travelers."
"It doesn't look very friendly," DongHo said.
"But it's cool," Eli said. "That's more important."
The sun came completely over the horizon and in seconds, the heat hit. "Oh," AJ said a moment later.
"You weren't kidding," DongHo added.
"No," Eli said, and they rode on in silence after that.
They dismounted at the door, and Kibum did… something that sounded through the building. Moments later, the door opened.
"What are you…." His eyes widened. "You're not HyungJoon."
Kibum smiled. "Why no, I'm not," he said, and pushed his way into the building, the others crowding behind. Eli almost stayed outside, but SooHyun snagged his sleeve and pulled him in with the rest of them. He would have protested, but KyuJong knew his voice too well. "I'm his brother. I'd like to know where he is, though, and I have the feeling you can tell me."
KyuJong's eyes hardened, and Eli shrank back involuntarily, pressed against the wall. "Even if I could," the wizard said, "I wouldn't." He paused, his eyes roaming over the group, and then he smiled. "I see you brought my runaway back to me."
Soohyun laughed, but Eli heard no mirth in it. "He's not yours."
"No?" KyuJong gestured and Eli felt that same compulsion he'd grown up with. He wasn't that child anymore and he fought it, pressing his back harder against the wall to keep from moving.
"Leave him alone!" Kiseop demanded suddenly, looking between KyuJong and Eli.
Eli hadn't even seen Hoon move, but he stood behind KyuJong now, a knife pressed to his throat. "No matter how good the wizard," he said, his voice low, "a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style."
Kibum smiled. "I think maybe you should rethink that little trick," he said. "He's not the only one angry. Just the fastest."
DongHo's grimace lent truth to his words.
KyuJong dropped his hands, and the compulsion went away. Eli sagged against the wall and swallowed. As far as he was concerned, Hoon could have him.
"So," Kibum said. "Where do I find my dear brother?"
Table
Rating: PG
Fandom: U-Kiss
Theme set/prompt: Fantasy/01 - Wizards
Summary: And on to the desert.
Author's Notes (optional): Eight. Thank you to all who are still with me in this horrible mess.
Disclaimer: Not Mine, Not true
Inspiration from 10_what_ifs
Previous: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven
Eli stopped his horse when he could see the sand - still way too close - and stared down at it. "I don't think I should go on," he said softly.
Kevin and AJ flanked him. "Why?" Kiseop asked from behind.
"Because he always knew where I was," Eli said. "Always. And as soon as we get close enough, he's going to know I didn't die."
"He already knows," Kibum said. He turned around to look at them, his jaw not as brilliant blue-black as it had been a week ago. "YoungSaeng told him before he lured you to the confrontation."
That didn't exactly make him feel better. "And YoungSaeng probably told him he was going to kill me," he said. "Which he didn't, but he won't know that unless I'm stupid enough to get closer."
SooHyun turned his horse around and urged it right close to Eli. "It won't matter," he said gently. "He's going to know we're coming anyway."
Eli sighed and nodded; as soon as SooHyun turned away, he urged his own horse after him.
"What's the problem?" AJ asked when they stepped into the sand early the next morning, and Eli shuddered.
"I've lived here... for as long as I can remember," Eli murmured, focusing on keeping his hands steady as they rode onto the sand. "I can't tell you how many times he left me out in the desert."
AJ glanced at him. "How old were you?"
"The first time I remember it happening, I was probably six, and it was... normal by then," Eli said.
AJ said nothing for a while. "How did you stay alive."
"I made it back. Somehow. Every time. Except the last. I don't know what he did, it didn't feel any different. I just... knew I wouldn't make it."
"And Kibum found your desperation, and here you are."
"Completely insane," Eli agreed, but he realized that his shoulders weren't quite as tight as they had been.
"Insane?"
"Yeah." He flexed his right hand. "The burn had nothing to do with why I was so glad to become an archer so I didn't have to spend any time in the forge. It was the heat."
"This is not as hot as that cave," AJ protested.
"It's early yet," Eli said, gesturing at where the sun had just started over the horizon.
AJ gave him an incredulous look.
"I know, it doesn't feel like anything yet. But it will. Trust me. The forge came way too close, but it's worse here."
"Worse?" DongHo asked, coming up behind him, pulling his horse next to Eli.
Eli glanced at him. "Certainly worse for me," he said. "But I wasn't in the same place you were." He looked up, and wished he hadn't. "That's it," he said.
Ahead, they could see a stone building, low to the ground. They could see little green around it, and no windows. "You lived there?" AJ asked.
"Yes," Eli said. "There's a well inside, although I'm pretty sure it's not exactly natural. And he doesn't welcome travelers."
"It doesn't look very friendly," DongHo said.
"But it's cool," Eli said. "That's more important."
The sun came completely over the horizon and in seconds, the heat hit. "Oh," AJ said a moment later.
"You weren't kidding," DongHo added.
"No," Eli said, and they rode on in silence after that.
They dismounted at the door, and Kibum did… something that sounded through the building. Moments later, the door opened.
"What are you…." His eyes widened. "You're not HyungJoon."
Kibum smiled. "Why no, I'm not," he said, and pushed his way into the building, the others crowding behind. Eli almost stayed outside, but SooHyun snagged his sleeve and pulled him in with the rest of them. He would have protested, but KyuJong knew his voice too well. "I'm his brother. I'd like to know where he is, though, and I have the feeling you can tell me."
KyuJong's eyes hardened, and Eli shrank back involuntarily, pressed against the wall. "Even if I could," the wizard said, "I wouldn't." He paused, his eyes roaming over the group, and then he smiled. "I see you brought my runaway back to me."
Soohyun laughed, but Eli heard no mirth in it. "He's not yours."
"No?" KyuJong gestured and Eli felt that same compulsion he'd grown up with. He wasn't that child anymore and he fought it, pressing his back harder against the wall to keep from moving.
"Leave him alone!" Kiseop demanded suddenly, looking between KyuJong and Eli.
Eli hadn't even seen Hoon move, but he stood behind KyuJong now, a knife pressed to his throat. "No matter how good the wizard," he said, his voice low, "a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style."
Kibum smiled. "I think maybe you should rethink that little trick," he said. "He's not the only one angry. Just the fastest."
DongHo's grimace lent truth to his words.
KyuJong dropped his hands, and the compulsion went away. Eli sagged against the wall and swallowed. As far as he was concerned, Hoon could have him.
"So," Kibum said. "Where do I find my dear brother?"
Table