They were getting closer, fast. Not only had they constructed a lair in an impressive amount of time, but they'd made one that allowed them to travel even faster than his previous one had.

Huang stopped as they came to a large opening and glanced around the dark area. There wasn't much in terms of bioluminescent creatures yet, since the lair was brand new. He could see the beginnings of little colonies dotting the walls and flickering in the air, though. The area would be alive and well very soon.

I'd like to return here if we end up succeeded with our plan. This place will be beautiful once it is given a chance to flourish.

"Then we will return once our task at hand is complete," Lee Shaan said before looking over his shoulder and raising an eyebrow, drawing Huang's attention in that direction, too.

He wanted to look away immediately, because he wasn't really one for watching others' shows of affection, but they were quite limited on time.

Let them be. We may not all come of this situation with our lives, Lee Shaan thought to him.

Huang looked away from where Han Qi had Zen pressed up against the wall, his mouth gently moving against his little guard's. He understood that they wanted some time, but they honestly didn't have much.

"We do not have days, but we do have hours," Lee Shaan said as he reached over and slid his fingers into Huang's hair, then pressed his palm against the left side of his face.

Huang scowled but didn't pull away from his touch. He wasn't used to hesitating in order to have a little more time before entering a dangerous fight... and they had one hell of a fight waiting for them at the palace.

"All the more reason to enjoy this calm before that storm," Lee Shaan said with an uncharacteristically-warm smile.

Pursing his lips, Huang turned and finally walked away, making Lee Shaan's fingers slip from his cool skin.

"I am enjoying the peace and quiet of our walk," he said as he tucked his hands behind his back.

He heard Lee Shaan's footsteps following him, but ignored him until the man was at his side once again.

"I forgot to thank you for unsealing prince Qi's spiritual abilities right before we got to Zen," he said, making Lee Shaan grunt quietly in acknowledgement.

"He's a healer. There is little I have to worry about as far as his offences go, so it was the wisest decision to restore his powers at that time," he said nonchalantly as they ducked into a smaller walkway. If they did survive their upcoming battle, there was definitely a good bit of work to be done in their new lair to keep him busy for awhile.

If I survive, I might just work down here for a while before I decide to end my life.

His glass tarantulas would definitely like the darker atmosphere, and there seemed to be plenty of areas that had higher ceilings that would be perfect for building large webs. He was just looking up to observe one such area when he felt a strong arm wrap around his middle and tug him backwards abruptly.

He was just about to growl something unpleasant over his shoulder at the man holding him firmly against his broad chest when he heard it.

That's not possible...

He felt Lee Shaan press him closer with one hand as his other lifted to settle over his mouth. It took the other man no time at all to cast an invisibility spell on them both, and thank the gods for that, because not a moment later, general Ashong appeared with a long trail of men behind him.

Huang was just about to think something but caught himself right before the thought could come to fruition and possibly give them away, since Ashong could also sense thoughts quite easily.

The group of men were nearly silent as they moved, no doubt the effects of a spell Ashong had cast upon them. He was incredibly worried for Zen and Qi, but he couldn't risk moving until the line of men had passed.

So, they waited with baited breath as they moved past them in a double line. By the time the end of the group was in sight, Huang's heart was thrumming hard against his ribs with worry. They hadn't heard any sounds coming from the back tunnel area where they'd left the other two...

The second the last set of soldiers disappeared around the corner he forced his way out of Lee Shaan's hold and turned to head back toward Qi and Zen. Of course, he had to stop at the corner and could only risk peeking around it.

They're still marching calmly?

He was just about to cast his own invisibility spell on himself so that he could follow, but Lee Shaan grabbed his arm, stopping him before he could try. Frustrated, he whirled around on the man, but then immediately felt his anger dissipate and become replaced with surprise.

"Little guard..."

Zen stood right next to Lee Shaan with his arms crossed over his chest and a pleased grin on his face.

"H-how?" Hang asked, his voice barely audible from shock.

Zen's grin cracked into a full-on smile as Qi responded to his question from... above?

Huang looked up, his eyes widening when he saw the man seemingly floating in the air.

Wait a minute. That position looks familiar...

He narrowed his eyes and focused on the minimal light in the passage. That's when he realized what had happened.

"Zen?"

The young man before him looked almost embarrassed as he pursed his lips, but couldn't manage to hide his proud smile as he wrote in the air before him.

"They will come when called, even if you have no voice to offer," he wrote, his words similar to what he'd told him so long ago.

My glass tarantulas...

They had not only heeded Zen's silent call for help, but had dug through the spiritual realm and into their newly-created lair to do so.

Huang couldn't help himself as he hurried forward and pulled Zen into a tight hug.

You are truly a gift.

He held the younger man for a few more seconds before he felt fingers slip into the back of the belt wrapped around his waist and tug him away.

"We need to go, now," Lee Shaan said as he released him before quickly climbing up onto a second glass spider.

Huang scoffed at being tugged away from Zen, but didn't say anything as he followed Lee Shaan up onto his creation. He gave the giant spider an appreciative pat before directing it upward, back into the hole it had previously dug. He had no doubt that Ashong would figure out how they got out once he doubled back and realized the extra dirt in the two specific areas of the tunnel, so they needed to get going immediately.

He gave the two arachnids stern directions to take them to the palace as quickly as possible once Zen had returned to sit beside Qi on their own arachnid. Thankfully, the beasts had seemingly come from the direction they needed to go, so they didn't have to dig nearly as much as they would have to obey his command.

"We should be there within a few minutes at this rate," he said after about twenty minutes of riding.

His body was growing more tense by the second until something broke his focus. Lee Shaan's fingers pressed against against the back of his neck, making Huang fidget.

Is he going to put the collar back on?

The hand retreated immediately, drawing Huang's eyes over to Lee Shaan's.

"I'm not going to put it back on. I'm just nervous about possibly being separated. It is not just a tool for keeping people hostage," he said, drawing a frown to Huang's face.

He did understand that, but it was obvious that the man had used it in a negative way with them. In fact...

"If you no longer intend to use it as a negative tool, then break Qi's tether, too," Huang said as he lied down on his belly on the giant spider's back to get a bit more comfortable for the remainder of their ride.

He felt something brush against his left side almost immediately before feeling Lee Shaan's hand settle overtop his own. The man had lied down, too, and right up against him!

"I broke it earlier," he said, making Huang turn his head to look back at him abruptly.

"Earlier? You broke his earlier?"

He wanted to shove the man right off of his spider for not telling him something so important, but knew that he couldn't risk accidentally injuring him before the biggest fight of their lives. So, he just decided to turn his head away and try to ignore him...except, Lee Shaan was clearly not interested in such a reaction. The man's too-warm hands found their way to his chin and slowly guided him to turn his head back toward him.

"I removed his earlier because I am not worried about him leaving me any longer. I was infatuated with him for a very, very long time, but I did not realize that he wasn't the one that I truly wanted by my side until I began helping my physician nurse your stubborn self back to health. It just... it stresses me out knowing that I do not have the ability to bring you back me without that cursed tether upon your neck. You could simply up and leave, and I would have no way to even find you if you chose to disappear."

Huang glared at the man in the darkness, but couldn't find words to speak yet as bits of cool dirt began to dust them from overhead.

"If... if you are so determined to win me over, then why have you cast such a deadly spell upon me?" he asked, his curiosity bringing the words to his lips.

Lee Shaan brushed his fingers over Huang's cheek before lifting them until they could sift through his long hair.

"I cannot say, for your safety, but I will never use it against you."

The same promise from before, but no explanation.

"We are almost there," Lee Shaan said, making Huang return from his thoughts and look up ahead.

I can see a tiny bit of light...

"Prince Yuen, royal curse master of the kingdom of Han..."

Huang was about to scowl back at the man but hesitated when he felt his warm hand settle back overtop his own. When he felt Lee Shaan lean his head against his own, he felt his face warm the slightest bit.

"I know that I am likely not your first, second, or third choice as far as love interests go, but if we both make it through this battle alive, would you, perhaps, consider this stubborn tribesman?"

Humph, if we somehow manage to survive against my father and his men, then I will just kill you myself so that I don't have to even consider your offer.

The deep laughter that he heard after his thought made Huang really want to scowl, but he couldn't bring himself to do so any longer. Instead, he tilted his head the slightest amount against Lee Shaan's.

"You realize that that means you aren't allowed to die unless it is by my hands, then," he said, his words just barely loud enough to be heard over the noise around them.

Another deep chuckle sounded from Lee Shaan before he felt the man's head lean forward and down, turning as it did so. Huang was just about to lean away when he felt the man's lips press against the crook of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

"I swear to you that my life belongs only to you. No one else may have it, nor take it."

Huang was tongue-tied, but thankfully words were no longer necessary as their spider began ascending upward, forcing them to hold on tightly or risk falling off its back.

The soft glow of early evening greeted them as they climbed higher and higher. He narrowed his eyes on the growing light above as his heart hammered in his chest and his palms grew sweaty.

This is it. This is our one and only chance to set everything right.

And that's exactly what we're going to do, Lee Shaan added, earning a stern nod from Huang as the two braced themselves for what they knew they'd face once they breached the surface.