Chapter Text
Hansol's lungs burned, screaming for him to catch his breath. His eyes watered as he focused on the path ahead of him. He couldn't look around to see if Seungcheol was still keeping up but he could still hear his brother's footsteps running just as fast as his own, somewhere nearby to his right.
At least, he hoped those were Seungcheol's footsteps.
Hansol couldn't take his eyes away from the path before him. As the forest grew thicker, the trees were so close together he risked crashing into one if he wasn't careful. Surely they would lose the hunter here, he thought to himself as he pushed himself to keep running. He worried his older brother may not be able to keep up as he heard the nearby footsteps grow more faint.
There must be a place to hide soon. Please gods, let there be a place to hide.
Hansol lost himself in the thought for just a split second, but it was enough time for him to lose focus and he didn't notice the ditch until he was tumbling straight into it. A choking grunt leapt from his lips as he threw out his hands to catch himself, rolling roughly into a shallow creek. A few seconds later he heard a familiar yelp and turned just in time to see Seungcheol fall into the creek a few yards away. As Seungcheol braced himself against the cold water he looked up and met Hansol's intense gaze. Some distance behind them, the two brothers heard sticks and leaves crunching beneath the horse's hooves.
"Stay down!" Seungcheol commanded in a breathless growl, nodding toward a tangle of large roots sticking out of the side of the ditch near where Hansol was crouching. Hansol scrambled behind the roots and pressed his aching back against the cool earth of the creek bed. He watched Seungcheol carefully as he tried to regulate his breathing. His heart pounded and sweat poured down his face and neck but he didn't dare move another muscle to wipe it away. Not until he knew they were safe.
Seungcheol dug the toes of his boots into the creek bed and carefully raised his head above the edge of the ditch to look back toward the sound of horse hooves. After taking a quick look he glanced back at Hansol once more, gave a quick and decisive nod, and closed his eyes. Seungcheol took a few deep breaths and opened his wide, dark brown eyes once more, watching his hands begin to glow red and orange as flames began to dance across the surface of his skin as if they were simply seeping out of his pores. He turned to his left and raised his hands above the ditch, and with an intense, focused stare, conjured a ball of flames between his palms and threw it as far as he could manage, making sure to aim low so the hunter wouldn't see. About thirty yards away the brush suddenly erupted in flames. Seungcheol dropped back into the creek bed, wiping sweat from his brow and pushing his soft black hair away from his forehead with his now flameless hands.
Seungcheol and Hansol waited in breathless silence and finally heard the horse come to a halt, whinnying loudly. After a few seconds and as the fire began to crackle more distinctly, the horse's gallop could be heard traveling in the opposite direction. Hansol let out a silent sigh of relief as Seungcheol carefully picked his way down the creek toward him.
"We should walk in the creek for a while until we find somewhere to hide for the night," Seungcheol suggested, pointing in the opposite direction from the fire he had used as a distraction. Hansol nodded, his mouth too dry to speak. As Seungcheol turned to lead the way, Hansol stooped to cup some water in his hands and take a drink and splash his burning face. He wet his hands again and ran them through his wavy light brown hair. Steam rose from the cool water each time Hansol dipped his hands into it. Once he felt more refreshed he quickly caught up to his older brother.
"Cheol," he whispered once he'd gotten close enough for the elder to hear him, "why are they hunting us?" A weary look briefly crossed Cheol's face, but by the time his eyes met his younger brother's, they showed nothing but strength.
"Dragons are becoming rare," he replied, carefully watching Hansol's golden brown eyes for their reaction. "There are a lot of people who would pay a fortune to have us captured just to keep us captive and use us for our magic."
Hansol's lower lip quivered so slightly it would have been imperceptible to anyone other than Cheol. Cheol placed his hand on Hansol's back and rubbed it slightly.
"Don't worry," Cheol said softly, reassuring his brother as he had all of their lives. "I'll protect you like I always do."
They walked further up the creek in silence, except for the splash of their boots in the shallow water. Hansol felt as if he had never been so exhausted in his life, and prayed once again for a hiding place. Just as he thought he couldn't walk any further, Cheol stopped suddenly and silently reached an arm out to stop Hansol.
"Thank the gods," Cheol whispered, pointing Hansol in the direction of the mouth of a small cave just above the creek bed. Hansol blinked back relieved tears and carefully followed his brother towards the cave. Seungcheol easily vaulted himself up and over the side of the ditch, then reached down to pull Hansol up. They made their way toward the cave, looking carefully around them.
"It looks empty," Hansol whispered, following Seungcheol into the shadows of the cave.
"Looks can be deceiving." A smooth, gentle voice came out of nowhere behind them. They hadn't heard a single footstep.
"Don't turn around," the voice commanded in the same gentle, yet firm voice just as the boys were about to turn to face the voice's owner. Both Cheol and Hansol tensed as they heard a sound they instantly recognized as a sword being pulled from its sheath.
"Who are you?" Cheol asked, trying his best to keep his voice steady.
"I'll be asking the questions," the voice replied. "Now both of you put your hands up where I can see them."
~ Seungcheol gasped for breath as he sat bolt upright, suddenly wide awake. His heart was pounding. Sweat was running from his soaked hair and down his neck. Every muscle in his body felt tense and sore. After catching his breath and letting his eyes focus he carefully looked around. Nothing seemed out of place in the dorm. Jeonghan and Jihoon were sleeping soundly in their beds. The sun was rising beautifully over Seoul. He could smell food cooking and heard Mingyu and Minghao arguing in the kitchen.
It was just a dream. Cheol reassured himself, tossing his blankets aside and sliding over to sit on the edge of the bed. He waited for a moment before getting up, resting his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his eyes vigorously and looked back and the peaceful, sleeping faces of his roommates. Jeonghan as angelic as he was when he was awake. Jihoon looking even younger and more childlike in his sleep. He rubbed his eyes one more time as he got up out of bed.
Thank goodness, it was just a dream.