Author's Note: So I have been reading a lot lately so I really haven't written or commented on anyone's works. I get new inspiration when I read a really good book so it helps me. Plus it breaks up the monotony of simply just writing.
I nearly broke my finger the other day. It's all nasty and bruised at the moment. The saddest part was I broke a ring I have worn every day for two years. It was sad to have to throw it away but I'm glad I didn't have to go to the hospital. I can always get a new ring. My finger? Not so much.
I also watched an entire drama in the week I was MIA. I watched She's So Loveable. It has so many different names but it's good nonetheless. It has Rain and Krystal Jung from (F)X as the main leads. I laughed so hard but cried a couple of moments, much to the unhappiness to my mom who was trying to watch television as well. It was good though.
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Baye walked into the city conference room with a mission. Jeongmin followed with the boys on either side. Their family vacation had been interrupted with a new development.
Their friends were missing and no one knew where they were. They had been on official business when it had happened. The information they had been given was lacking but everyone was still in shock.
A few hours earlier, Hyunseong had popped in with Woo Bin, Jun Pyo and Donghyun. Everyone had gotten quiet when Jun Pyo had demanded to see Baye. No one had argued with him. It had taken a while to get her there because her parents lived out of the city limits.
Jun Pyo hopped up so Baye could sit. Even though she was able to walk, she tired easily. It was an unspoken rule that she sit during any sort of meeting, or Jeongmin and Ji Hoo would come unglued. They had a few months ago when one of the higher ups had refused to yield his seat. It had almost been like Jeongmin had been back in college.
"Someone care to explain?" she asked. She looked disheveled with her wavy hair loose about her shoulders and her skin a deep gold.
"Yi Jeong, Hyuk and Leo went to the meetings in New York. Leo didn't want to go but Hyuk is too young to go alone," one of the New Zealanders said.
Baye waved a hand in front of her face. "I got that. How did we lose them?"
"They were sucked into a vortex," Woo Bin answered. She looked at him. "Someone of magic descent opened a vortex strong enough to suck five people through it, two of which shouldn't have been able to go through."
"What do you mean?" Donghyun asked.
"From what I understand, a wolf named Benji and Dasha Chan tried to save them. And you know wolves are nearly impervious to magic due to pack bonds."
"Who is she?" Baye asked.
"She's a hunter but more commonly she's known as the Hybrid. Her father was a powerful wolf and her mother a Guardian. She's the only one of her kind." Woo Bin flushed. "Well, until Hyun Joo…"
Baye ignored the last comment as she thought deeply. "I've never met her. When we find them, make sure I do."
She got up and went to the computer. The man sitting there got up and let her have his seat. She poked at the screen. "Can we track the vortex?"
"Not at this time. Our interplane technology can't track it for thirty-six hours. We haven't perfected it yet," Donghyun explained. "If magic is in use, it glitches the machine and gives false readings."
"We also haven't had it up and running very long either," Jun Pyo added.
Baye wasn't impressed. "We have to wait a day and a half to be able to find them. If I was on my own like that, the first place I'd go is for cover. There's no way you can track them with that technology. The electromagnetic waves would have killed any chances."
"What should we do?" someone else asked.
"Give me any and all information you have. I'm still new to this."
Woo Bin sighed and sat down. "We have a lot to explain. First what opened the vortex was maker magic."
Baye listened, filing away the information and forming a plan as her friend talked.
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Leo watched Benji care for Hyuk as they trudged through the now grassy plains of some random country. They had traveled a long time since they had arrived hours before and things weren't looking too good. The maknae was doing better than he had the day before but he was tired. They all were, but it was Dasha who looked worse than everyone.
The further they went the more they could see it. She adjusted her pack every so often to ease the pain in her shoulders. They couldn't see it often but she was limping as well. Yet she still kept leading them.
He wondered why she had saved his life the way she had. There was no doubt she had a least a couple of bruised ribs, if not broken. She hadn't had second thoughts about wrapping herself around him. Not many others would have done that. He was still considered taboo by many.
His thoughts trailed to Dasha's life. How had life been for her? She was a mix of wolf and Guardian. Had anyone ignored her because of it? She hadn't said anything to them about it, but he figured her life hadn't been easy. But she didn't talk about it.
They came over a hill and looked out. Yi Jeong laughed, his sweaty and sunburned face lighting up instantly. They had found a village or a caravan or something.
"That's a Moroccan caravan," Benji said. "If we can get into Spain, we can get help."
Dasha shook her head. "Not Spain. We need to get into Portugal."
"But Spain is right across the Strait of Gibraltar. It's nine miles away."
"It's also where the last pure blood line of the Makers resides. We're not certain it wasn't them that brought us here. Why would we bring three friends of the Wild Power so close to them?"
Benji turned to her, concern on her face. "Why are you so worried about this?"
"Something doesn't feel right."
Leo looked at her. She had this troubled look on her face. It was almost like she was reading him way too well, but she wasn't. She hadn't been in his head for hours. He could feel something very uneasy about the caravan.
Benji looked between the caravan and the other woman. "You don't look too convinced about any of this."
"I know we need to move, but there's something wrong about that caravan. They usually don't venture too far out of the desert." She was unsettled as she furled and unfurled her fists slowly as she looked over the group before them.
"Well I'm not going back to the desert."
She nodded. "Go back down. We need to eat and rest. We'll move out at daybreak."
"No fires?" Benji asked.
"No fires."
Dasha watched the other four as they went back down the hills. She cast a glance at the supposed caravan before descending herself. She checked on everyone as she moved through them.
She sat down with difficulty and pulled her bag into her lap. She opened it up and pulled out a bottle of water and a bag of freeze dried banana chips. Her stomach ached from the fall. Leo was not a light person. They probability weighed the same amount honestly.
Moving hurt. Her ribs hurt. She wanted to cry but all emotion was ripped away by a sense of urgency. She needed to find out who had created the vortex that had brought them here. It was part of her job. Protect and serve, and hunt. All of those went hand in hand with their society.
Her skin prickled with animal urge. Her animal side was trying to take over. She wanted to protect her human counterpart. She didn't want Dasha hurt. But Dasha knew that if she gave in, her animal side wouldn't allow the Guardians to stay. She would run them off.
She turned her thoughts inward and stroked her wolf spirit tenderly. She reassured her forever friend that she was sore but safe. She may not have the healing capabilities but she did have the heightened senses. She would be all right.
It took a few moments to get her other half to settle down, but she finally did. When Dasha opened her eyes, Leo was sitting beside her. He was overlooking the others as she returned to outward reality.
"Benji said you were zoned out for a moment. She told me to sit by you until you returned," he said.
"Did you eat?" she asked. She wasn't surprised Benji had sent someone over. Sometimes it took longer than a few minutes to come back.
"Mmhmm," he mumbled. She noticed he had a baggy. "These aren't the greatest but they are better than nothing."
Leo looked over when Dasha didn't say anything. She was looking at something in her bag. He watched her tuck her hair behind her ear, exposing her sunburned neck.
"You must hurt," he said.
"Not too bad," she answered distractedly.
He snorted. "I'm nearly one hundred forty pounds."
Dasha cast him a look. "I'm close to one fifty. I weigh more than you."
"You hit your back. You have to hurt." He spun around in the dirt and grass. "Let me see your back."
"I said I'm fine."
"Just do it."
He sounded angry so she did what he asked. The cooling air hit her back, making her shiver. But it felt good against the heat.
Leo stared at the blue and red colors on her tanned skin. He could see every outline of her ribs. She had hit harder than he had initially thought. Without accelerated healing she would carry those for days.
He ran his thumb along one particularly nasty bruise. She straightened her back as if he had hurt her. He pulled his hand away instantly.
Dasha's heart thundered in her chest. Benji glanced up as she tended the concussed Hyuk and tilted her head. Her friend shook her head as she turned to get her heart under control. No one had touched her like that before. They had all been required to learn how to deal with pain. First aid was one thing. Pain was another. And this was neither one of those.
She adjusted her shirt and repacked her bag. Benji gathered everyone together so they could take turns keeping watch. Benji offered to take the first watch so she could stay awake with Hyuk.
Leo watched Dasha prop herself up on the hills. She pulled her hood up, folded her arms and closed her eyes. At that moment she seemed exhausted. How many adventures had she had like this? She didn't seem used to this at all.
He tried to sleep but the silence of the rolling hills was getting to him. He wasn't used to it. He could easily tell what was going on at home he was so used to it and he knew all the sounds. Here he was at a disadvantage.
The shadows moved around him, driving him slightly nuts. The moon was almost full and they were all feeling its effects. Due to his concussion, Hyuk was disoriented. It was worse because of the moon. But Yi Jeong was the one at the most disadvantage. He could easily control the earth on which they sat on any normal night, but the three nights of the full moon he was tapped out.
Leo was starting to fall asleep when he saw slight movement in the shadows. He didn't move, but he didn't have to because Dasha was awake.
She slowly slipped out of the hill she was nestled and turned to go up it. Her movements were slow and steady. She moved almost as if she were a sloth. Her hands and feet were placed in exactly the right places to ensure the minimum amount of dirt and rock were shifting.
She crested the rise and looked around slowly. She took in everything she could without having to fully expose herself. It was a limited view at that angle but they couldn't chance it.
Leo saw a glint before he heard the clack of a round being chambered. They had been found and it wasn't going to end well for someone.
Slowly he looked up. There stood a man with a pistol aimed at Dasha's head. He said something in a language the Korean man didn't understand. With moves as fast as lightning, Dasha shot up the hill and all hell broke loose.