rabenhorst | [fic] Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi – SJM – The Path Untraveled

Title: The Path Untraveled
Author:

fonulyn
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi
Other characters: side!Han Geng/Heechul, Ryeowook, Sungmin, Siwon, a lot of brief mentions of others (suju and shinee, mainly)
Warnings: (overall) blood and violence, hunting etc.
Wordcount: ~37k
Disclaimer: I own no one, only my dirty imagination.
Summary: For as long as Kyuhyun can remember life has been the same in their village. Yet when their monotonous life is disrupted, when another pack settles on their territory, Kyuhyun can’t help but be drawn to them. Drawn to one of them especially. (wolf shapeshifters!au)
Comments: Here we go, this is the end! :D I hope you’ve enjoyed this.
Previously; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

“Shadow people!”

Someone breaks the silence and after that it’s chaos. Siwon manages to raise his voice and make himself heard, and be begins to bark out commands to get them in at least some kind of a defensive formation. At the same time Sungmin takes it on himself to bring the children to safety, helping the older ones to gather the youngest. It’s obvious that everyone is scared, or at the very least agitated, but they do their best to function nevertheless.

At first they can’t really see anyone approach. There are a few blood-curdling screams like the first one, but there no sight of anything that’d be out of usual. It’s the sounds that are completely off. The forest is eerily silent, not a single bird singing, not a single leaf fluttering in the wind. It’s like the world is preparing for what is to come.

The last warning they get is another screech, this time right above them, and then something white dashes into the village square, not minding at all that it’s filled with people. Someone cries out loud, and within seconds half of the pack is already shifting into their wolf form in an attempt to better defend themselves.

Everything happens so fast that Kyuhyun’s first instinct is to shift as well, go help his friends the best he possibly can. The uncomfortable hint of pain that stabs him from the inside out makes him stop, though, and at first he doesn’t understand where the feeling comes from. Then he glances at Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi is crouched down, curled up and trying to appear as small as he possibly can. His long arms are wrapped around his head in an attempt to somehow shield his ears, and he’s rocking back and forth on his spot. Now the pain makes sense, and immediately Kyuhyun kneels down next to him, carefully reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Zhou Mi? Where does it hurt?” Frantically he tries to check for wounds but there don’t seem to be any, at least ones that he could find. He can’t place any traces of the scent of blood either.

“It hurts,” Zhou Mi manages to breathe out, but he doesn’t get any further before his breath hitches in his throat and he makes a pained sort of a sound. It’s a high pitched whine, and Kyuhyun’s heart aches with it. Obviously Zhou Mi isn’t in any kind of a position to explain what’s going on, and the only thought that keeps circling in Kyuhyun’s mind is that he needs to get them to safety, he needs to make sure that Zhou Mi isn’t hurt physically on top of this.

It’s pure luck that Ryeowook spots them then, and stops to ask if they’re alright. “Is he hurt?” He asks, doing the exact same check Kyuhyun did just moments prior, trying to see if there’s blood or any visible injuries to treat. “What’s going on?”

“It’s in his head,” Kyuhyun says, unable to explain it any better. He glances up and the whole village square is still chaotic, people and wolves running to and fro, and in their midst there are currently two of the attackers. They’re taller than any of the pack, even taller than any person Kyuhyun has seen in his whole life. Their face is elongated into an exaggerated oval shape that ends in a sharp beak, and their arms do end in quite impressive claws. Their chest and back are feathery, and there are a bunch of feathers on the top of their leathery wings, along their arms, and Kyuhyun can’t help but curse himself that he didn’t warn his people when he found one of those.

It’s Ryeowook who pulls him back from his thoughts. “Let’s take him to the west side,” Ryeowook says, already gently trying to make Zhou Mi stand up. “The storages have thicker walls.”

Good thinking, Kyuhyun praises in his mind, but he doesn’t say any of it out loud. Instead he slides an arm around Zhou Mi’s back, under his armpits, and hoists him up. Zhou Mi barely walks on his own, so Kyuhyun ends up supporting most of his weight, while Ryeowook leads their way. It’s good to have him help, Kyuhyun thinks, as Ryeowook is good at spotting safe passages and small openings that he would’ve just ignored.

They manage to get out of the square easily enough, and the further they get into the village the more silent it gets. There are still distant sounds of the fight from the direction they came from, screams and roars, shrieks mixed in with growls and barks. It makes Kyuhyun even more anxious, but he can still feel the pain pulsing through the bond he shares with Zhou Mi and he can’t just abandon the other man now. Not like this.

Suddenly there’s a shriek much closer. Before Kyuhyun can react to that he gets a forceful blow straight in his face, a punch so strong that it nearly breaks his nose. Taken by surprise, he falls on his ass in the ground, along with Zhou Mi, and as he focuses on the attacker his blood runs cold in his veins.

The big reptilian bird is hovering above him, claws raised to strike, and he manages to roll to the side only in the nick of time. From the corner of his eyes he sees Ryeowook pull Zhou Mi to the side frantically, and his first thought is diversion. He needs to pull the creature’s attention to himself.

Kyuhyun roars, as loud as he possibly can, and allows the shift to ripple over him. He barely even notices the tinge of pain it causes this time, too overcome by agitation and adrenaline, and his palms are barely replaced by paws before he’s already jumping forward and into his attacker. He aims for the throat but misses by a good three inches, and the next thing he knows is that there’s something sharp sinking into his side, just below his ribs.

It probably hurts, but he doesn’t really know. There’s no time to focus on that.

Even though the creature is taller, Kyuhyun has the advantage of mass on his side, and he uses his considerable bulk to make them both fall on the ground. At first he manages to get his claws on the shadow creature, but it becomes apparent really soon that he isn’t going to win this fight on his own. He’s losing blood, how quickly he doesn’t know but the air is already heavy with the scent of it. That definitely can’t be a good sign. He feels the power lessen in his limbs as well, as it gets harder and harder to focus on every movement.

Suddenly, there’s a thumping noise and the creature screeches again. “Kyuhyun!” Ryeowook shouts, frantically gesturing towards the creature’s throat. He’s holding a spade that he must’ve grabbed from one of the sheds, and prepares to hit the bird’s head again.

It gives Kyuhyun just enough time to do one last leap. He gathers all the strength he can manage in his hind legs, jumping straight towards the creature. Thankfully, this time luck is on his side. His teeth sink into the soft skin and beyond it, until he tastes blood. He keeps biting, presses his paws against the creature’s chest and uses it for leverage, literally ripping their throat out.

The force of the movement sends him reeling backwards and he falls on the ground, the pain from his wounds finally exploding through him in one shocking second. He forces himself to keep his eyes open though, in case he gets attacked again, or even worse, in case Zhou Mi and Ryeowook get attacked.

Thankfully, nothing happens. The big bird is still standing, the white skin and feathers stained red and pink with the still flowing blood. It only takes a second before they collapse in a loud thump, and stay unmoving on the ground. Ryeowook takes a step in, as if to make sure they’re really dead, and before their eyes the creature begins to morph. The beak melts back into the face, feathers falling down on the ground, and bones readjusting into a completely different shape.

Eventually, there’s the bloodied body of a young woman lying on the ground at their feet. Her eyes are open as she continues to emptily stare into the darkening sky. The very sight makes Kyuhyun sick to his stomach, and Ryeowook doesn’t look any better, his face ashen.

Zhou Mi whines then, the sound ending in a faint sob, and that’s what makes the other two snap back into the moment. Kyuhyun lets the change ripple over him again, although this time it’s much more painful than what he’s used to. His clothes are ruined beyond recognition but it’s not like he doesn’t have more important things to focus on. He moves to help Zhou Mi up again, but Ryeowook beats him to it. “No, you’re hurt, Kyuhyun. Let me.”

There isn’t an ounce of fight left in Kyuhyun anymore so he just nods wordlessly. He’s not completely sure if he can manage to walk very far even on his own, so it’s for the best, even if a part of him is screaming in the back of his mind that he needs to help Zhou Mi.

Thankfully they’re not surprised again, at least not before they get into one of the storages carved inside of a tree trunk. It’s a small room, only enough to fit them all in, but it’s got a thick door that isn’t easy to get through and no windows, so they decide that it’s their best bet.

“Can you,” Kyuhyun manages to croak out as soon as they’ve barricaded the door to the best of their abilities. “Stay?”

Ryeowook smiles, but there’s no real joy in it. “How could I not?”

There’s sudden silence.

Zhou Mi opens his eyes wide, unable to first comprehend what’s changed. Then an intense wave of relief hits him, as he realizes what it is. The pain is gone. The sadness and the agony is gone, and in its place there’s nothing. It’s blissful silence, and although he can feel the worry emanating from someone close to him, along with throbbing pain, it’s still incredibly faint in comparison to what he’s just been forced through.

It takes him a moment to orientate himself, but then he finally manages to take in his surroundings. Ryeowook is looking at him, a small, hopeful smile dancing on his lips. “Are you alright? What happened to you there?” he asks, placing a soothing hand on Zhou Mi’s back. They’re sitting close together anyway, their knees brushing, and Zhou Mi is incredibly thankful for the contact. Without even thinking about it he falls forward, capturing Ryeowook in an embrace.

“I’m fine!” he says, the words turning into laughter at the end, just because he’s so relieved he cannot hold it in. “I’m fine now.”

“What was it?” Ryeowook asks again, hugging Zhou Mi back as tight as he can manage, as if they’ve both needed this for ages. They probably have, their nerves still frayed and on edge as they don’t know what’s going on outside their hideout.

“I don’t know,” Zhou Mi admits, “I think it was their feelings? It was… they were scared. Panicked. Desperate for something. I don’t know why, but they were so afraid. And their feelings… it’s not like ours. I can sense you like a faint ripple in the water, but they were like a storm. Or a waterfall!” He’s never really known how to explain his gift to others, but Ryeowook only nods, and he seems satisfied enough with the explanation. Confused, though, and sad, but he doesn’t ask for anything more.

It’s only then that Zhou Mi realizes that he can sense pain, and that it’s not his own. Instant wave of guilt splashes through him as he notices Kyuhyun on Ryeowook’s other side, lying on the ground completely still. He’s alive, Zhou Mi knows he would’ve noticed otherwise, but he’s completely out of it. “What happened to him!?” Zhou Mi scrambles to get past Ryeowook, kneeling down next to Kyuhyun as he carefully cups his cheek in his palm.

“Don’t worry, he’s going to be fine,” Ryeowook smiles. “He was going crazy with worry and I couldn’t risk him ripping his wounds open even more so I sedated him.”

“You what?” Zhou Mi looks up, surprised. Then he notices his friend is pointing at the small pouches that are lining the shelves in the room, and realizes they must be in the shed where all of the medicine is stored. It startles a laugh out of him, and relieved he sinks down to the ground again, sitting next to Kyuhyun. “Good. That’s good.” He traces the long cuts on Kyuhyun’s side with his gaze, acutely aware that those might leave scars. It’s not easy for their kind to scar, but with something as severe as this…

There’s clearly no immediate danger though, nothing that’d threaten Kyuhyun’s life. And right now, that’s what matters the most.

Eventually they emerge from their shelter and find out that the shadow people have all been killed. There were only seven of them, and the pack managed to overpower them with their sheer number. It’s a hollow victory though, and relief soon turns into grief as they notice that they’ve lost three of their own. Everyone else is fine, even if injured.

Already the following day they organize a funeral, a huge bonfire lighting up most of the village square as they follow the sacred rituals. Siwon prepares the bodies for the ceremony, and afterwards they only watch as the flames take care of the rest. No one speaks a word.

The bodies of the shadow people are buried in the forest, into deep graves so none of the animals can easily dig them up again. That’s all that’s spoken of them, as everyone seems dead set on never mentioning them anymore.

The village lives on. Yet everything is somehow muted.

“I’m sorry that I have to do this,” Siwon says, directing his words straight to Han Geng. They’re gathered in Siwon’s home, all of Han Geng’s pack along with Siwon, Sungmin, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun. It’s only been eight days since the battle took place, and no one has quite managed to settle it in their minds yet.

Han Geng nods. “It’s fine. We need to go forward anyway. The rest of us might be waiting.” He’s saying what everyone in the small pack is thinking, they’ve spent so much time here that they might’ve already missed their own pack, might’ve waited too long to never see them again.

“I’d offer you a place to stay until you’ve healed,” Siwon continues, glancing at Heechul’s bandaged leg and Jinki’s arm that’s still in a makeshift cast, “but some think you invited the shadow birds. I’m not sure if staying is a good option for you.”

Heechul snarls. “That’s absurd! How could we be responsible for that?”

“I know.” Siwon sighs. He obviously agrees with Heechul, judging by the frustration that is etched on his features, but he needs to do what’s best for his own people, and his hands are tied. “I promise you, no one will harm you as long as I give the orders here. But…”

Han Geng doesn’t let him finish. He places a placating hand on Heechul’s arm as he speaks. “But it’d be easier if we left.”

No one says anything to that. They all know it’s for the best. At this point, staying wouldn’t really gain them anything. Han Geng’s wounds might not have healed completely but he’s in a much better shape than he was when they were brought in, he can walk easily on his own and he can let the shift overcome him without fearing for the repercussions.

It’s time.

Zhou Mi has known to expect this, but at the same time hearing it, having it made concrete, makes his throat lace up. He wills himself to stay strong but a large part of him just feels like crying. It’s not only the melancholy he can sense from everyone around him, but it’s the fact that he knows this is where his journey changes. He can’t leave with his pack.

“I’m sorry,” Zhou Mi whispers, and everyone turns to look at him. He swallows the insistent need to cry, instead looking up and meeting Siwon’s gaze head on for a second, before politely bowing his head. “I can’t leave. I’m…” He glances at Kyuhyun, desperately searching for the words he wants to use, while none come. Letting his pack go on without him will tear him up inside, but leaving Kyuhyun… it’s simply not an option.

Kyuhyun steps forward, easily slips his fingers between Zhou Mi’s and gives his hand a squeeze. He looks up, and he doesn’t avert his gaze as it meets Siwon’s. “I ask for your permission to go with them.” He realizes that his words are met with surprised, stunned silence all around him, but he doesn’t let it bother him as he turns to look at Han Geng instead. “And I ask for your permission to join you.”

Han Geng glances at Siwon, who still has his eyes trained towards Kyuhyun. Eventually he speaks, and it’s only one word. “Why?”

Kyuhyun doesn’t even need to think of an answer. “He has to go. And I have to follow him.” It’s as simple as that.

Thankfully, it’s as simple to everyone else, as well. Siwon nods. “Okay.”

Zhou Mi all but throws himself into Kyuhyun’s embrace. If he sheds a tear in his shoulder, well, no one has to know.

The sky is dotted with stars. It almost feels like the world has opened up and expanded with the way they’re glowing, offering their light in the midst of the darkness. Kyuhyun’s breath fogs up as he exhales, and he’s momentarily distracted by the crunching of the leaves as they’re being approached. It’s only Siwon at first, but he’s soon joined by Sungmin and Ryeowook. Goodbyes have been shared already earlier during the feast, so everyone else stays away in respect.

“I hope we’ll meet again,” Siwon says with a soft smile, obviously sincere. “All the good luck for your journey.”

“Thank you.” Han Geng is the only one who speaks, but everyone else joins in the sentiment. They might’ve started off with problems but along with time, they’ve all gained valuable friends. Only time will tell if they really meet again, or if these goodbyes are final.

Nothing else is said, as the small pack shifts into their animal form, ready to start their journey. Ryeowook steps closer then, patting Kyuhyun’s head even though it earns him a playful snap of teeth. He’s smiling as he ties the sleigh on Kyuhyun’s back, and shows him a pouch the size of a man’s palm before hiding it amongst the supplies. “It’s just basic things. The ones you know how to use,” he whispers, patting Kyuhyun’s flank as he retreats. Meanwhile Sungmin has tied another sleigh to Donghae’s back, and they’re ready to take their leave.

They start off in a slow jog, and for the first few moments Kyuhyun keeps glancing back to the three figures standing at the edge of the forest, watching them go. There’s a lump in his throat as he has to leave the place that has been his home for all of his life, and for a second he doubts if he’s made the right decision.

Then Zhou Mi speeds up his steps and catches up with Kyuhyun. Sensing his melancholy he nudges the other wolf with his nose, huffing in what turns out to be a very comforting manner.

If Kyuhyun could, he would be smiling.

They speed up into a proper run as soon as they’re out of the thickest part of the forest. The ground is cold beneath their paws, a thin layer of snow covering the grass for as far as they can see. There’s a bird singing in the distance, another one soon joining in to the joyful tune. Kyuhyun can feel Zhou Mi’s presence right next to him even when he’s not looking, and with every step he takes he knows he’s on the right path.

The moon is full, and the sky is dotted with stars.

-

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This is it! I hope you’ve enjoyed this, it literally took me years to complete. I’d write a huge thank you note here, but I think I already covered all my bases in the first chapter. Still, I’m eternally grateful to everyone who’s supported me through this, and who has expressed interest in the fic! Thank you!

[fic] Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi – SJM – The Path Untraveled – Chapter 9/9