Magma
Title: Magma
Author: theirblinggirl
Rating: PG-13 I guess it won't usually go over that
Pairing: General, hints at Kaisoo and BaekYeol
Word count: 2713
Summary: Second, altough this time much more concrete attemt at AION/Exo Crossover. This time it's Exo K.
Warnings, sort of: You might have heard of Aion recently beause IU has become the new face for their ads. But it's probably hard to understand this fic without knowing the basics of the game universe. I know for a fact that there are people who are into both other than me bc I ran into a character named Chanyeol once WHERE ARE YOU?
„Bad news, Junmyeon. Real bad news…” Baekhyun says as soon as he lands in front of the others, just inside the outer gates of the Fortress. „An entire horde of rats are on their way… must’ve heard of the siege and figured it would be vulnerable… an easy target after a freaking Dredgion.” He continues, graceful features carving into a scowl, nose hunched with disgust. “Also… I think they noticed me. Well, one of them. I was hiding, but those freaks see through solid rocks or something, I dunno.”
“It’s fine, Baekhyun. They surely didn’t think we left the Fortress unattended… re-enforcements should be here in about an hour or so, we’ll just have to keep them occupied a little, right?” Junmyeon pats the still frowning Ranger on the shoulder, turning to his other four men around him, as if for reassurance, but he gets none.
“When I said on their way, I meant pretty fucking close. Like, they’ll be here in ten minutes or so… We won’t stand till Teminon gets here.” Baekhyun shakes his head furiously, and there is panic in his eyes. Junmyeon sighs, because he knows all of them must be at least a little afraid - maybe except for Jongin, Jongin simply doesn’t know fear - but Baekhyun was never one to hide his insistence to life.
“I could summon us a gate to Sanctum… let’s get the fuck out of here, General” Sehun suddenly says, his lean fingers already playing along the edges of his tome, but Junmyeon’s face darkens.
“We can’t give this Fortress up to the Asmodians. After that last break-in into Teminon we need every single fucking fortress we can put our hands on, every single artifact that is strong enough to kill or heal as much as a single ant, we can not let them get close to Teminon once again…” Junmyeon’s voice is underlined with anger and the others murmur in understanding because the news of an Asmodian Assassin breaking through all of the main Fortress’ - the Elyos sanctuary of the Abyss - Teminon’s defenses, murdering a high-rank Radiant Ops officer and actually getting away unharmed after, brought dark black clouds on the sky of every Elyos daeva’s future.
Only Sehun remains silent, but nobody notices. It’s not unusual for him to keep his thoughts for himself anyway.
“They say he was from this newly emerged Legion… Legion M, or something. Nobody knows what M stands for, but certainly not a usual name for a Legion even in Asmodae… it’s too humble, too neutral even for them.” Chanyeol chirps in, always eager to share his informations that Aion only knows where he gets from; though Jongin swears they must be from the shugos. Chanyeol’s voice tones down to whispering as he continues.
“They also say some of them are really old... Like, from-the-Cataclysm-old. But their General is a young kid, barely ascended… they say he served under the General of the Legion that destroyed Hellion. Some bitch that woman is, with her ridiculous Legion of freaks, but M’s General was never a member, he only served under her guiding wings in the army.” Chanyeol’s eyes are glittering with excitement, almost as if he was not fully aware of the weight of his words, which, Junmyeon guesses might actually be true.
The fall of Hellion was a great blow to entire Elysea - the loss of a great hero people looked up on and drew strength from, and a long-time friend of Junmyeon himself.
“Not now, Yeol” he stops the boy before he could continue with his endless rambling that, surprisingly enough, not only Baekhyun follows attentively this time. Junmyeon guesses it might be time he gives his men a little time off.
“As long as we still have our kisk, everything should be fine, right?” Sehun asks, and as if the fearful Lord of Fate wanted to play a prank on him especially, that is the exact moment when they all feel it - a sharp, painful stab somewhere in their chest, like something has been cut clean off of their soul, which is actually dreadfully close to reality.
“I hate to be the one to say it out loud, but they’ve just destroyed the kisk.” Kyungsoo says in his usual, quiet tone, and Junmyeon notices not only Baekhyun and Sehun, but even Jongin shudder.
“I am too far from my obelisk… we all are, aren’t we” Jongin says more than asks, and with each agreeing nod he receives, his shoulder sinks a little. They clearly need a break from all of the shit of the war, Junmyeon decides, after they survived this - if they even survive. Because if they die now, with no kisk and way too far from any obelisk to return to on the edge of life and death, as is their final, most basic instinct, they will be dead and gone for real, like Hellion is, mocking the supposed immortality of a daeva. He clears his throat and pulls his staff from where it hangs on his back in a swift, graceful motion, not letting the ghost of that last thought show on his face.
“Well, gentlemen, it looks like we’re standing against a siege.”
“Jongin, I need you to stick as close to Kyungsoo as possible” Junmyeon tells the young Gladiator, and Jongin nods, already by Kyungsoo’s side, polearm ready to block the path of anyone - anything - that would want to find it’s way to the healer.
“Till my last drop of blood, General” Jongin grins, but it never reaches his almond eyes.
Kyungsoo sighs and lowers his head - Jongin swears to protect Kyungsoo not only because their only chance of survival is him and his skills, but also because of hundreds of other reasons, and the small, soothing hand he runs down Jongin’s back that everybody voluntarily ignores - the surrealistically worried glance Jongin sends Kyungsoo that everybody pretends not to see, not to notice; those are only two of them. But he was not trained to protect. Jongin is a Gladiator, he was not just trained but born to fight, to break and crush and kill, to be the first that throws himself into the core of the battle, to tear flesh and get drunk on the screams of his enemies in the heat of the fight, and now he has to stay back and play bodyguard, play against his instincts simply because he is the strongest.
They don’t have more warriors.
Sehun and Baekhyun are already positioned above the main gate, hiding in the shadows of wide, hickory pillars. Baekhyun’s hand is still and steady as he puts three arrows on the string of his bow, but Sehun’s fingers fidget with the pages of his tome.
Junmyeon stands in front of the gate, beautifully and personally carved staff hanging in his hand and looks at Chanyeol by his side.
“Look, I know… I know you said you’re not able to summon Tempest, but please, I beg you, Chanyeol, try, try for us… we need Her, nobody ever needed Her as much as we do now… Maybe you’ll succeed this time?” the Brigade General sighs.
Somewhere above his head, unseen by his comrades, Baekhyun’s hand, the hand that never missed a target in his entire life, the steadiest hand in the lower part of Atreia, trembles so hard he actually drops an arrow.
His eyes go wide with terror as he mouths a silent no, but Chanyeol bows his head.
- - four years earlier - -
“I think I can finally do it, Baekhyun! I… I feel it in my veins, somehow…” Chanyeol plops down on Baekhyun’s bed, and the Ranger sets the small blade he’s been sharpening beside himself to grab his friend’s hand excitedly.
“Have you succeeded yet? Summoning Tempest? Good Seraphims, this is awesome, show me!”
“No, not yet, but… but I just know I finally can. Wind’s grown yet again, and Fire tells me I have to try… come with me?”
The smile fades a shade on Baekhyun’s face - he’s never really understood the way Chanyeol communicated with his companions from the Spirit World, but he knows how much they mean to Chanyeol, how they are part of his existence, Fire, Wind, Earth and Water, spirits of the four elements, bond to every living entity and free of this world at the same time.
Spiritmasters, like Chanyeol himself, are barely ever seen without an accompanying spirit, and Baekhyun knows that Fire is the closest to Chanyeol, having been by his side and looking out after him, albeit first only from the Spirit World, appearing in his dreams since he could remember.
Chanyeol tells him everything he knows - feels - sees - about spirits and the Spirit World, often saying how he wishes he could take Baekhyun there to show him, and Baekhyun never tells him how happy he is that he can’t go, because he doesn’t want to disappoint Chanyeol.
Somewhere in the very, very back of his mind, he thinks he would go anyway, if Chanyeol asked.
So he grabs his trusted bow - just in case, he never feels safe to leave home without it - and follows Chanyeol outside, spreading his pearly wings and racing the Spiritmaster to the gates and above them, out of the city and behind the huge walls, just below the hills that border New Heiron Gate from the East.
“They probably wouldn’t appreciate Her appearing next to the warehouses” Chanyeol laughs as they land on soft grass.
“Yeah, guards’ve been giving us all these weird stares lately… I don’t think they like us stationed here” Baekhyun shakes his head, but he is also grinning wide. “Now come on, nobody sees you here, huh?”
“Okay okay, here I go…” Chanyeol sighs, smile melting off his lips, and he bows his head.
His words start out quietly but Baekhyun’s stomach already trembles. It’s always so enthralling, watching Chanyeol summoning a spirit - he is partly gone into their world, not quite there yet, but not entirely here anymore either. Baekhyun knows how incredibly vulnerable the other is during these few moments, and it strangely excites him as well as it makes him feel privileged, because Chanyeol never hesitates for even a mere millisecond to go into summoning in front of Baekhyun, trusting himself entirely on the Ranger.
This time it takes a little longer than usual, and although Baekhyun recognizes a few familiar words here and there - the language of magic having always been an ungraspable thing for his senses - all he knows is how powerful, commanding and confident they sound. It sends strange shivers down his spine.
Soon a dark form starts materializing in front of Chanyeol’s outreaching arms - and in the next moment, it is there, hovering a few inches above the ground between Baekhyun and the Spiritmaster.
Baekhyun takes a few involuntary steps back as he eyes the huge creature, a buff, incredible beast of onyx rock and black and red flames that almost reach the top of the wall as it stands. It burns hotter than Baekhyun has ever felt before, but the grass does not even go a littlest bit yellow under it.
“I’m… I’m no expert, Chanyeol, but I… I don’t think this is how Tempest Spirit is supposed to look like…” Baekhyun whispers, readying his bow, not sure if the other hears him.
Apparently he does, however, because he looks up on Baekhyun a second later, and something - something is different in his eyes.
“What is this - I will crush it - let me crush this tiny, unworthy thing - what have you called me here for, child - you have made a mistake, my child - I will crush and burn and consume this small thing that reeks of disrespect” echoes in Chanyeol’s somewhat still hazy mind, but his hand moves on his own, stopping the spirit before He can make a move to kill Baekhyun, which He would undoubtedly be able to.
“This is… Baekhyun, allow me to introduce you the Magma Spirit, Emperor of the Spirit World. I called and He answered my humble commands.” Chanyeol whispers with trembling lips, and when he finally manages to catch Baekhyun’s gaze, he knows the other understands.
He dismisses Magma as quickly as he can, thanking him with a small bow - which he is not required to, but feels like doing anyways.
“I dunno, I dunno what’s wrong with me… What’s wrong with me Baekhyun…” he mumbles, as soon as the spirit is gone and he is collapsed against the wall. Baekhyun immediately rushes to him, but stops his hand hesitantly before he could touch Chanyeol.
“I called and called and kept calling for Tempest but She never answered… it’s like She wasn’t even there, like She never existed, I reached out and couldn’t feel Her at all… But then suddenly everything went on fire, and Fire was there and Earth was there and they told me to bow and I have no idea… He just appeared and He bowed, He bowed to me and said He heard my calls and… He’s supposed to only answer to Asmodians, Baekhyun, I… I am not even supposed to see Him in the World, but instead… the only one I can’t see is Tempest, what is wrong with me…” he keeps going on, words falling from his lips in an unstoppable flow and Baekhyun is kneeling in front of him now, gripping his shoulder tightly and running a steady hand through his hair.
“It’s gonna be fine! Hey, Chanyeol? I promise it’s gonna be fine. We just… You can’t tell anyone, you hear me? Nobody can know and it’ll be fine…”
“Not even Jongin?” Chanyeol looks up through tears of frustration.
“Especially, definitely not Jongin” Baekhyun shakes his head with a tone of finality, and pulls Chanyeol up to get him back in his room, in his bed as soon as possible.
- - present - -
The words that leave Chanyeol’s lips are terrifyingly familiar to Baekhyun, even though he only heard them once - they’ve haunted his nightmares enough for him to know them by heart now.
Just like years back, Magma appears again, the roaring flames of his enormous body louder than the blood rushing in Baekhyun’s ears.
He raises his incredible monster-arm, as if in a mock-greeting, and four loud gasps leave four mouths.
Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way Kyungsoo’s fingers curl around Jongin’s wrist soothingly, how he brings Jongin’s hand up to his lips for a brief, calming kiss - he knows how the young Gladiator has barely survived a meeting with Magma once, and how even Kyungsoo wasn’t able to heal some of the burnt scars he still carries on his otherwise perfect body.
When he is sure that Jongin is not going to attack Magma - or even worse, Chanyeol himself -, he lowers the arrow he didn’t even notice he readied, and looks around to see the reaction of the others, but nothing really surprises him. Both Sehun and Junmyeon stare at Magma in instinctual fear, mixed with curious awe, and for a long, long moment, everything is deadly silent except for the burning flames of the Spirit Emperor.
To everybody’s surprise, it’s Sehun who finally breaks the silence.
“Woahh, this is the coolest shit I’ve ever seen!” he exclaims with a huge grin, and Baekhyun is unspeakably thankful for the Sorcerer, even though he has no idea why the other would react like that. Nevertheless, his words seem to put the others off and they come back to their senses with quick blinking, putting aside the indigestible happenings.
Only a few minutes later Baekhyun notices the first black wings in the distance, and a familiar excitement runs through his veins as he raises his bow, saving one last glance for Chanyeol and Magma by his side.
Junmyeon’s loudly chanted prayers fill his body with strength, and Baekhyun kisses the tip of his first arrow before sending it on its way.
A black-winged figure falls from the sky, the glowing red of their eyes burning out before reaching the ground.
When they get close to actually see the forms of humans, Chanyeol opens his wings that dully reflect the flames of Magma, and he sends a last, warning glance towards Baekhyun.
As the Asmodians get close enough, Baekhyun covers his ears, and the Spiritmaster shrieks.
Author: theirblinggirl
Rating: PG-13 I guess it won't usually go over that
Pairing: General, hints at Kaisoo and BaekYeol
Word count: 2713
Summary: Second, altough this time much more concrete attemt at AION/Exo Crossover. This time it's Exo K.
Warnings, sort of: You might have heard of Aion recently beause IU has become the new face for their ads. But it's probably hard to understand this fic without knowing the basics of the game universe. I know for a fact that there are people who are into both other than me bc I ran into a character named Chanyeol once WHERE ARE YOU?
„Bad news, Junmyeon. Real bad news…” Baekhyun says as soon as he lands in front of the others, just inside the outer gates of the Fortress. „An entire horde of rats are on their way… must’ve heard of the siege and figured it would be vulnerable… an easy target after a freaking Dredgion.” He continues, graceful features carving into a scowl, nose hunched with disgust. “Also… I think they noticed me. Well, one of them. I was hiding, but those freaks see through solid rocks or something, I dunno.”
“It’s fine, Baekhyun. They surely didn’t think we left the Fortress unattended… re-enforcements should be here in about an hour or so, we’ll just have to keep them occupied a little, right?” Junmyeon pats the still frowning Ranger on the shoulder, turning to his other four men around him, as if for reassurance, but he gets none.
“When I said on their way, I meant pretty fucking close. Like, they’ll be here in ten minutes or so… We won’t stand till Teminon gets here.” Baekhyun shakes his head furiously, and there is panic in his eyes. Junmyeon sighs, because he knows all of them must be at least a little afraid - maybe except for Jongin, Jongin simply doesn’t know fear - but Baekhyun was never one to hide his insistence to life.
“I could summon us a gate to Sanctum… let’s get the fuck out of here, General” Sehun suddenly says, his lean fingers already playing along the edges of his tome, but Junmyeon’s face darkens.
“We can’t give this Fortress up to the Asmodians. After that last break-in into Teminon we need every single fucking fortress we can put our hands on, every single artifact that is strong enough to kill or heal as much as a single ant, we can not let them get close to Teminon once again…” Junmyeon’s voice is underlined with anger and the others murmur in understanding because the news of an Asmodian Assassin breaking through all of the main Fortress’ - the Elyos sanctuary of the Abyss - Teminon’s defenses, murdering a high-rank Radiant Ops officer and actually getting away unharmed after, brought dark black clouds on the sky of every Elyos daeva’s future.
Only Sehun remains silent, but nobody notices. It’s not unusual for him to keep his thoughts for himself anyway.
“They say he was from this newly emerged Legion… Legion M, or something. Nobody knows what M stands for, but certainly not a usual name for a Legion even in Asmodae… it’s too humble, too neutral even for them.” Chanyeol chirps in, always eager to share his informations that Aion only knows where he gets from; though Jongin swears they must be from the shugos. Chanyeol’s voice tones down to whispering as he continues.
“They also say some of them are really old... Like, from-the-Cataclysm-old. But their General is a young kid, barely ascended… they say he served under the General of the Legion that destroyed Hellion. Some bitch that woman is, with her ridiculous Legion of freaks, but M’s General was never a member, he only served under her guiding wings in the army.” Chanyeol’s eyes are glittering with excitement, almost as if he was not fully aware of the weight of his words, which, Junmyeon guesses might actually be true.
The fall of Hellion was a great blow to entire Elysea - the loss of a great hero people looked up on and drew strength from, and a long-time friend of Junmyeon himself.
“Not now, Yeol” he stops the boy before he could continue with his endless rambling that, surprisingly enough, not only Baekhyun follows attentively this time. Junmyeon guesses it might be time he gives his men a little time off.
“As long as we still have our kisk, everything should be fine, right?” Sehun asks, and as if the fearful Lord of Fate wanted to play a prank on him especially, that is the exact moment when they all feel it - a sharp, painful stab somewhere in their chest, like something has been cut clean off of their soul, which is actually dreadfully close to reality.
“I hate to be the one to say it out loud, but they’ve just destroyed the kisk.” Kyungsoo says in his usual, quiet tone, and Junmyeon notices not only Baekhyun and Sehun, but even Jongin shudder.
“I am too far from my obelisk… we all are, aren’t we” Jongin says more than asks, and with each agreeing nod he receives, his shoulder sinks a little. They clearly need a break from all of the shit of the war, Junmyeon decides, after they survived this - if they even survive. Because if they die now, with no kisk and way too far from any obelisk to return to on the edge of life and death, as is their final, most basic instinct, they will be dead and gone for real, like Hellion is, mocking the supposed immortality of a daeva. He clears his throat and pulls his staff from where it hangs on his back in a swift, graceful motion, not letting the ghost of that last thought show on his face.
“Well, gentlemen, it looks like we’re standing against a siege.”
“Jongin, I need you to stick as close to Kyungsoo as possible” Junmyeon tells the young Gladiator, and Jongin nods, already by Kyungsoo’s side, polearm ready to block the path of anyone - anything - that would want to find it’s way to the healer.
“Till my last drop of blood, General” Jongin grins, but it never reaches his almond eyes.
Kyungsoo sighs and lowers his head - Jongin swears to protect Kyungsoo not only because their only chance of survival is him and his skills, but also because of hundreds of other reasons, and the small, soothing hand he runs down Jongin’s back that everybody voluntarily ignores - the surrealistically worried glance Jongin sends Kyungsoo that everybody pretends not to see, not to notice; those are only two of them. But he was not trained to protect. Jongin is a Gladiator, he was not just trained but born to fight, to break and crush and kill, to be the first that throws himself into the core of the battle, to tear flesh and get drunk on the screams of his enemies in the heat of the fight, and now he has to stay back and play bodyguard, play against his instincts simply because he is the strongest.
They don’t have more warriors.
Sehun and Baekhyun are already positioned above the main gate, hiding in the shadows of wide, hickory pillars. Baekhyun’s hand is still and steady as he puts three arrows on the string of his bow, but Sehun’s fingers fidget with the pages of his tome.
Junmyeon stands in front of the gate, beautifully and personally carved staff hanging in his hand and looks at Chanyeol by his side.
“Look, I know… I know you said you’re not able to summon Tempest, but please, I beg you, Chanyeol, try, try for us… we need Her, nobody ever needed Her as much as we do now… Maybe you’ll succeed this time?” the Brigade General sighs.
Somewhere above his head, unseen by his comrades, Baekhyun’s hand, the hand that never missed a target in his entire life, the steadiest hand in the lower part of Atreia, trembles so hard he actually drops an arrow.
His eyes go wide with terror as he mouths a silent no, but Chanyeol bows his head.
- - four years earlier - -
“I think I can finally do it, Baekhyun! I… I feel it in my veins, somehow…” Chanyeol plops down on Baekhyun’s bed, and the Ranger sets the small blade he’s been sharpening beside himself to grab his friend’s hand excitedly.
“Have you succeeded yet? Summoning Tempest? Good Seraphims, this is awesome, show me!”
“No, not yet, but… but I just know I finally can. Wind’s grown yet again, and Fire tells me I have to try… come with me?”
The smile fades a shade on Baekhyun’s face - he’s never really understood the way Chanyeol communicated with his companions from the Spirit World, but he knows how much they mean to Chanyeol, how they are part of his existence, Fire, Wind, Earth and Water, spirits of the four elements, bond to every living entity and free of this world at the same time.
Spiritmasters, like Chanyeol himself, are barely ever seen without an accompanying spirit, and Baekhyun knows that Fire is the closest to Chanyeol, having been by his side and looking out after him, albeit first only from the Spirit World, appearing in his dreams since he could remember.
Chanyeol tells him everything he knows - feels - sees - about spirits and the Spirit World, often saying how he wishes he could take Baekhyun there to show him, and Baekhyun never tells him how happy he is that he can’t go, because he doesn’t want to disappoint Chanyeol.
Somewhere in the very, very back of his mind, he thinks he would go anyway, if Chanyeol asked.
So he grabs his trusted bow - just in case, he never feels safe to leave home without it - and follows Chanyeol outside, spreading his pearly wings and racing the Spiritmaster to the gates and above them, out of the city and behind the huge walls, just below the hills that border New Heiron Gate from the East.
“They probably wouldn’t appreciate Her appearing next to the warehouses” Chanyeol laughs as they land on soft grass.
“Yeah, guards’ve been giving us all these weird stares lately… I don’t think they like us stationed here” Baekhyun shakes his head, but he is also grinning wide. “Now come on, nobody sees you here, huh?”
“Okay okay, here I go…” Chanyeol sighs, smile melting off his lips, and he bows his head.
His words start out quietly but Baekhyun’s stomach already trembles. It’s always so enthralling, watching Chanyeol summoning a spirit - he is partly gone into their world, not quite there yet, but not entirely here anymore either. Baekhyun knows how incredibly vulnerable the other is during these few moments, and it strangely excites him as well as it makes him feel privileged, because Chanyeol never hesitates for even a mere millisecond to go into summoning in front of Baekhyun, trusting himself entirely on the Ranger.
This time it takes a little longer than usual, and although Baekhyun recognizes a few familiar words here and there - the language of magic having always been an ungraspable thing for his senses - all he knows is how powerful, commanding and confident they sound. It sends strange shivers down his spine.
Soon a dark form starts materializing in front of Chanyeol’s outreaching arms - and in the next moment, it is there, hovering a few inches above the ground between Baekhyun and the Spiritmaster.
Baekhyun takes a few involuntary steps back as he eyes the huge creature, a buff, incredible beast of onyx rock and black and red flames that almost reach the top of the wall as it stands. It burns hotter than Baekhyun has ever felt before, but the grass does not even go a littlest bit yellow under it.
“I’m… I’m no expert, Chanyeol, but I… I don’t think this is how Tempest Spirit is supposed to look like…” Baekhyun whispers, readying his bow, not sure if the other hears him.
Apparently he does, however, because he looks up on Baekhyun a second later, and something - something is different in his eyes.
“What is this - I will crush it - let me crush this tiny, unworthy thing - what have you called me here for, child - you have made a mistake, my child - I will crush and burn and consume this small thing that reeks of disrespect” echoes in Chanyeol’s somewhat still hazy mind, but his hand moves on his own, stopping the spirit before He can make a move to kill Baekhyun, which He would undoubtedly be able to.
“This is… Baekhyun, allow me to introduce you the Magma Spirit, Emperor of the Spirit World. I called and He answered my humble commands.” Chanyeol whispers with trembling lips, and when he finally manages to catch Baekhyun’s gaze, he knows the other understands.
He dismisses Magma as quickly as he can, thanking him with a small bow - which he is not required to, but feels like doing anyways.
“I dunno, I dunno what’s wrong with me… What’s wrong with me Baekhyun…” he mumbles, as soon as the spirit is gone and he is collapsed against the wall. Baekhyun immediately rushes to him, but stops his hand hesitantly before he could touch Chanyeol.
“I called and called and kept calling for Tempest but She never answered… it’s like She wasn’t even there, like She never existed, I reached out and couldn’t feel Her at all… But then suddenly everything went on fire, and Fire was there and Earth was there and they told me to bow and I have no idea… He just appeared and He bowed, He bowed to me and said He heard my calls and… He’s supposed to only answer to Asmodians, Baekhyun, I… I am not even supposed to see Him in the World, but instead… the only one I can’t see is Tempest, what is wrong with me…” he keeps going on, words falling from his lips in an unstoppable flow and Baekhyun is kneeling in front of him now, gripping his shoulder tightly and running a steady hand through his hair.
“It’s gonna be fine! Hey, Chanyeol? I promise it’s gonna be fine. We just… You can’t tell anyone, you hear me? Nobody can know and it’ll be fine…”
“Not even Jongin?” Chanyeol looks up through tears of frustration.
“Especially, definitely not Jongin” Baekhyun shakes his head with a tone of finality, and pulls Chanyeol up to get him back in his room, in his bed as soon as possible.
- - present - -
The words that leave Chanyeol’s lips are terrifyingly familiar to Baekhyun, even though he only heard them once - they’ve haunted his nightmares enough for him to know them by heart now.
Just like years back, Magma appears again, the roaring flames of his enormous body louder than the blood rushing in Baekhyun’s ears.
He raises his incredible monster-arm, as if in a mock-greeting, and four loud gasps leave four mouths.
Baekhyun doesn’t miss the way Kyungsoo’s fingers curl around Jongin’s wrist soothingly, how he brings Jongin’s hand up to his lips for a brief, calming kiss - he knows how the young Gladiator has barely survived a meeting with Magma once, and how even Kyungsoo wasn’t able to heal some of the burnt scars he still carries on his otherwise perfect body.
When he is sure that Jongin is not going to attack Magma - or even worse, Chanyeol himself -, he lowers the arrow he didn’t even notice he readied, and looks around to see the reaction of the others, but nothing really surprises him. Both Sehun and Junmyeon stare at Magma in instinctual fear, mixed with curious awe, and for a long, long moment, everything is deadly silent except for the burning flames of the Spirit Emperor.
To everybody’s surprise, it’s Sehun who finally breaks the silence.
“Woahh, this is the coolest shit I’ve ever seen!” he exclaims with a huge grin, and Baekhyun is unspeakably thankful for the Sorcerer, even though he has no idea why the other would react like that. Nevertheless, his words seem to put the others off and they come back to their senses with quick blinking, putting aside the indigestible happenings.
Only a few minutes later Baekhyun notices the first black wings in the distance, and a familiar excitement runs through his veins as he raises his bow, saving one last glance for Chanyeol and Magma by his side.
Junmyeon’s loudly chanted prayers fill his body with strength, and Baekhyun kisses the tip of his first arrow before sending it on its way.
A black-winged figure falls from the sky, the glowing red of their eyes burning out before reaching the ground.
When they get close to actually see the forms of humans, Chanyeol opens his wings that dully reflect the flames of Magma, and he sends a last, warning glance towards Baekhyun.
As the Asmodians get close enough, Baekhyun covers his ears, and the Spiritmaster shrieks.