Pond, Phuwin had accompanied Joong, Kot, Jeng and Pok on their quest to save Dunk. They brought a team of warrior elders from their nest to assist them in their fight. They had insisted that they were fully healed. Their guilt didn't allow them to sit back.
They observed the abandoned manor that they were certain Dunk was in. The location spell had indicated so. They saw 2 neonates stationed at the front door. Their heighten hearing allowed them to tune in on their conversation, despite the distance.
"Why do we need to go through so much for a fledgling?" one of them asked.
"Who knows, only the boss man knows. He's having his fun by the sound of it. That kid can really scream, can't he? They are on the second floor, we all the way down here." Pond and Phuwin held Joong down.
"Ja yen yen (calm down). We're here to rescue Dunk. Not get ourselves killed." Phuwin reprimanded Joong. Pond and Phuwin started strategizing with their warrior elders.
"The four of you will follow me straight to the second floor. We'll go straight to Dunk. Pond and the warriors will take on the rest." Joong nodded at their plan.
***
The 2 gossiping neonates at the front were unprepared for what was to happen. Both of them were shocked to find a hand thrusted through chest cavity of one of them. As the body of his comrade flopped to the ground, he was shocked to see Pond. He was smiling, his fangs gleaming under the moonlight. His claws reach forward, slashing the neck of the other. Phuwin, Joong and the rest rushed inside. The warrior elders flanking them, taking anyone in their way.
They were on their own once they reached the second floor. It was a little too quiet to Phuwin's liking. When they opened the door, they saw an unconscious Dunk dangling by his wrist. Joong rushes forward before Phuwin could warn him. His heighten senses and lightning speed aided him as he narrowly avoided the attack from the attackers who tried to jump him. Joong snarled.
It was bloody and gory as the five of them fight their way to Dunk. Dunk was within Joong's arm reach before he saw the claws reaching for his throat. Both of them were thrown across the room by an unidentified force before any harm could be done. Joong shook his head as he tried to get his barring. Phuwin, Jeng, Pok and Kot were panting, exhausted from the fight as they disarmed the last of their opponents.
Poom had recovered faster than Joong, "F*cking blood oath, Zo really knew what he was doing"
Poom had a silver blade on Dunk's neck before any of them could move forward. Dunk hissed at the touch of the silver blade.
"Oh, you are awake, baby boy. Look who's here." He angled Dunk's head so he meets Joong's eyes.
"Phi Den..." he whimpered.
"mei mi lai (it's okay), Dunk. I'll get you out of here." Joong tried to comfort Dunk.
"I won't be so sure if I were you." Poom laughed.
"Let him go, Poom. Whatever beef you've got, it's with me. He's innocent." Joong tried to persuade Poom.
"Oh, you remember, don't you? You knew I love Nita. Why would you allow her to mate with another!" The hatred obvious in Poom's eyes.
"It doesn't work that way, Poom. She didn't love you. Mating is for eternity. Both of you be trapped in a loveless mating for an eternity." Joong may not like Poom but he's playing the empathy card at this point.
"It didn't matter, as long as I have her." Joong realized that it wasn't love. Poom was obsessed with Nita. Poom continued with his speech.
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Since you took my mate away from me. It's only fair that I took yours. How did you like my gift?" Joong's eyes widen in realization.
"You killed Zo?!" Kot shouted. The anger rising within him. Poom laughed as he looked towards them then back towards Joong.
"Technically, he killed himself. I told him I'll let the Aydin nest go if he took the stake. He made me take the blood oath to not harm you or the nest. He was thorough I guess." He shook his hand as it ached from the force before.
"I'm giving you a choice, Joong. Either you take the stake like your mate or I decapitate him. I was kind enough to leave you a full body of your mate. But since he's just a fledgling, it wouldn't matter, would it?" He droved the blade deeper into Dunk's neck and blood was seen trickling down the blade.
"No! I'll do it, I'll do it." Joong position his hand in a surrender to appease Poom. Poom threw a stake across to Joong. Before Joong could pick it up, they heard footsteps.
"This wasn't what we agreed on, leech" Alan walked towards Poom.
"Slayer..." Phuwin muttered.
"You betrayed our kind?!" Joong shouted. Poom broke Alan's neck and was back to where he was with his blade on Dunk's neck before any of them could move.
"It's all a business transaction. They had what I want. How do you think I could overpower Zo, a family elder? They made me stronger, faster than before. It was convenient that they wanted Zo dead. This kid is just an added bonus. I couldn't believe my luck when he became your fledgling. Revenge is so much sweeter." Poom grinned.
"Wiping out the Vihokratana nest was part of your revenge?!" Phuwin exclaimed.
"They were stubborn. They wouldn't give the kid to me, so it can't be helped. They were just collateral damage. Enough of all of this debate of morality. Where were we? The stake or decapitating the kid? Make a choice, Joong." Joong picked up the wooden stake.
"No, Phi Den. Please don't" Dunk cried.
"It's okay, Dunk. It's okay." If his death will spare Dunk, he was willing to do it. As Joong positioned the stake, Dunk thrashed in his cuffs.
"No, no, noo!! Phi Den, Phi Deeennn!!!" Dunk shouted. Before Joong could drive the stake towards his heart, a blinding light filled the room.
~Please vote if you like this EP. It drives me forward. Khoorp khun na kha~
Do comment to let me know your thoughts. 😊😊
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A/N: Alai niia?! gert alai kuen? (What is this?! What just happened?!)...Ja yen yen na kha (calm down)... will update soon.. etto... can't decide whether to update another chapter of this series or go back to the ties that bind us tomorrow 😣😣
chaawp mai? (Do you like it?)
**Poom and Nita's back story: So basically Poom is from another nest who asked Joong's permission to mate with Nita (from Joong's nest) since Joong is the family elder. And it goes without saying that Nita told Joong that she doesn't like him and had fell for another. so Poom targeted all his hate at Joong after he rejected the proposal on Nita's behalf.
*Alan is First from moonlight chicken.