7 The Magic Compass

-Shen Wei-

The third Prince wake up in search for Zhao Yunlan's warmth, but as he moved his hand to reach for him, he found the place where he should be, empty. A bit startle, he open his eyes and look around, sitting over the bed. Zhao was nowhere in sight, but his presence was near, yet far. Then he looked at the floor beside the bed and saw the enchanted scroll wide open and Yunlan's essence inside it.

He panic, sensing not only the Captain presence, but also that of the guardian close to his. Without thinking it twice, he go out of bed and jumped inside the scroll, hurrying to the pagoda in the middle of the lake, just in time to catch Yunlan as he had suddenly appear out of the floating scroll.

He held him close and almost snarled at the guardian, as he took Yunlan in his arms, knowing he was in pain, but it turn out that the old dragon had decided to grant Yunlan all the remaining location of the magic compass, then he took the Captain back to his room, to let him rest, but as he place Zhao over the bed, Yunlan grab him and kiss him, taking him by surprise for a few seconds.

Then, he respond Yunlan's kiss, demanding Zhao to give him more. He make Yunlan part his lips, so he could explore and play with the Captain's tongue in a pleasurable dance. His kiss was a hungry one and he celebrate the fact that his dragon blood had neutralize the poison while he slept, so he could kiss Zhao Yunlan without worries.

Soon, he loose notion of everything around them and Wei fully sat over Zhao's lap, pulling him up. His intoxicating sent was making his senses go crazy and his eyes turned a shade darker of red with a passion he didn't know he was holding back. There was something primordial as he roughly kissed the Captain that did scare him, yet he couldn't help himself, because Yunlan was too good at kissing and eager to give him more.

Suddenly, Shen desire raised and he go for Zhao's neck, testing his skin after removing Yunlan's jacket out of the way, sliding one hand under the shirt to explore until he reached a nipple. Zhao moaned as Shen playfully rubbed it, while with his other hand, the third Prince was holding his back, possessively.

"My Prince... Shen Wei..." Zhao whisper in his ear, grabbing his long hair to claim the Prince mouth again in a hotter kiss. Then he hear it... that growling sound of Shen Wei's dragon language. There was something magical about what he mutter and he wonder... was the third Prince trying to claim him right there?

"Shen Wei... what...?" But then, Shen looked shocked and let go of him, removing himself from his proximity, then going out of the room.

"Shen Wei!" Zhao yelled and follow him in haste, taking him by the arm shortly after.

"Wait..." Zhao stop him.

"Let go of me Zhao Yunlan, you are playing with a fire that will get you burn. You barely know me, you just had no idea what I can do to you, even if you are a descendant of a god." Shen said.

"I know more than you give me credit, you were going to claim me, right?" Zhao whisper, holding his intense gaze.

"So you know about it." It wasn't a question, but an affirmation.

"Yes, I know about the mark and the bond." Zhao confirmed him.

"Then stay way, don't temp me like that again. I'm not here to claim a mate, I'm here in a mission to keep the magic compass for showing the Imperials the way to the Moon City. I can't lose my focus and you... you... you are awakening my inner instinct, that shouldn't... Ah, never mind." He said and turned to get away, but Yunlan still had a hold on him and pull him close instead.

"Shen Wei, I'm not tempting you to amuse myself. There is a reason you feel the impulse to claim me, even when you barely know me... the gods play with us all and I'm sure they brought us together with a purpose in mind." Zhao said.

"I don't have time to play games Yunlan... not even the god's." Shen whisper and Zhao dared to put one finger over the Prince soft lips.

"Don't enrage the gods, Shen Wei. They have more power over us than you believe. I have the location of the other pieces now and what's better, I can even destroy the beast tree for you." Shen gave him a deeper look, trying to determine if he was lying.

"No one can, many had tried before but none could."

"I promise, I can and I can even show it to you if you need proof. The guardian of the scroll you were entrusted had even confirm it when he urge me to go inside the second scroll." Shen sighed.

"Yunlan, that was reckless... you shouldn't have go in. You give me quite the scare when..." Zhao silence his protest with a kiss that Shen was unable to refuse nor resist.

"It was worth the risk." Zhao smiled and gave the Prince a soft kiss before letting go of him and walk pass him. "Come my Prince, the next piece it quite far away and we need to talk with the rest of the crew before flaying there." Zhao added.

"Yunlan, about..."

"I wasn't lying when I told you I'm not playing with you. If by the end of this journey you still want to claim me, then I'm yours to take. I will even dress in fancy red robes for you..." Zhao joked, winking at him and Shen couldn't help but smile and follow his lead, back to the deck, in which the others were having a discussion of their own.

The crew went silent in the moment their Captain show up in the deck, closely follow by the mixing Prince. Zhu Hong was glad that the heated discussion was now over, because it was giving her quite the headache. It was not like they haven't done reckless things before, heck, the only thing they had been doing was nothing but troublesome, so she saw no difference taking on this new job in comparison with their last ones.

"It was about time you show up." Old Chu said angrily.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Thanks for asking..." Zhao said sarcastically, which make the shy Guo smile, behind the angry Chu.

"Don't mind him Captain, he is always in bad mood." Wang said.

"No kidding." Zhao reply.

"Well? What the hell is this all about?" Chu pressed.

"Saving the world, what else you expect?" Zhao asked back calmly. He knew Shen was tense behind him, probably wondering if he should snap at the grumpy Old Chu, for showing such disrespect to his Captain. He was beginning to learn about the Prince instincts, which will always protect his chosen one first of all.

"What do you mean?" Lin asked. The Captain had promise answers before, but he was out for a few hours, making them wonder in his absence.

"We are going to destroy the Yěshòu Shù, better known as the beast tree in the Moon City." Zhao said casually. The reactions of his crew were few, Gou cower behind Old Chu, who laughed loudly, Lin looked confuse, perhaps because the beast tree was an old legend, rarely spoke of these days, Zhu simply sighed, massaging her forehead, Wang was shocked and Sang as clueless as Lin, while Da Qing... well, he was nowhere to be seen.

"You are kidding me, right? The beast tree is nothing but a legend." Chu said finally.

"Nope, not a legend. I just had a close encounter with it, I assure you is as real as you and me..." Then it was Shen's turn to patronize him.

"Yunlan! It's that what you were doing inside the scroll? Putting yourself in such dangers on your own? I told you..." But Zhao turned to put a hand over his shoulders and calm him down.

"I wasn't in any real danger. The dragon knew I have the protection of the living stone, which can be used to destroy the beast tree..." Zhao said, then he directed himself back to his half shocked crew.

"I had been granted the remaining location of the magical compass, which must of you know, it the legendary compass that will guide you to whatever place you desire, including the Moon City. The Imperials already had one piece of the compass with them and you all had already witness what an imitation of the beast tree can do to an airship, not to mention to innocent people all around the world."

"Oh, so that was an imitation of the forbidden tree?" Lin asked curiously.

"Yes. The Imperials, somehow were trying to recreate the tree roots and even if they are not the real thing, just imagine what those can do into our cities." Shen intervened.

"By the way, where is Da Qing?" Zhao asked. Looking around.

"You should know... he is down inside the Mermaid's underwater city. They love to play with the damn cat..." Zhu answer.

"Oh, that's perfect. Guo, call out the mermaids, we all will go down. We need supplies for our journey and to be honest, I can have a word or two with his majesty, king of the north sea." Zhao said.

"Wait! Where are we going next?" Sang asked a bit afraid of the answer.

"To the feared lands of giants." Zhao reply with a wide smile, as most of his crew shiver, one in annoyance (Lin) two in excitement (Old Chu and Zhu) and the rest in pure horror.

AN: LOL. Those in pure horror are obviously, Guo, Wang and Sang. Thanks for reading, this crew will also had wonderful, yet dangerous adventures.