ambrosia [NCT DREAM]

10. I Duel Huang Renjun

The small group made it to a spot in the woods away from the cabins, large enough to spar in. But today wasn't a normal day of sparring because Jaemin was about to get his ass handed to him. Butt? Kicked.

The entire Ares cabin decided to spectate the event. Even though the duel hadn't even started yet, they never failed to cheer on Renjun and scream about pride in their cabin. Donghyuck found it incredibly annoying and also didn't fail to complain about it equally as loudly.

Donghyuck and Chenle had followed and somehow Jisung had found them out here too despite not being nearby when he was challenged. Jaemin was relieved; if he died here, at least those three would witness it and not just the entire Ares cabin.

Renjun swung around a huge axe with two twin blades on the top of it. Jaemin couldn't tell if the red tips of the otherwise black and green weapon were blood or some kind of paint.

"Oceanic jade." Renjun smirked, pointing the axe at Jaemin. "Cuts cleaner then Celestial Bronze. I told you you're fucked."

"Renjun, you're not supposed to spar with real weapons. Those are for quests." Someone reminded, a worried frown playing on their puffy face.

"Fuck off, Sunoo. I got this." Renjun shot him a dirty look and swung the axe around again, behind his back and in front of his face.

"Flashy." Jaemin smirked, before Donghyuck kicked him in the shin and warned him to shut up.

"You don't get to be snarky, dude. A son of Ares is challenging you to a duel." Donghyuck hissed, reminding Jaemin of just how screwed he was. "With a jade axe, no less."

"Pick your weapon, newbie. Faster you do, faster I get to destroy you." Renjun narrowed his eyes, picking at his nails with the blade of the axe.

Another camper came carrying bows, swords, and other shiny objects that Jaemin had never even seen before. He eyed Jaemin up and down, before scoffing.

"Renjun, didn't we tell you to stop bullying the weaklings?" The older boy asked as Donghyuck and Jaemin scan the weapons in his arms. Renjun narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"It's not bullying if it's deserved, Jackson."

The little, puffy boy raised his hand, frowning in confusion. "How is it deserv-"

"Fuck off, Sunoo!" The Ares cabin chided, making Sunoo pout and quiet down.

"Dude! I've never fought anyone with a weapon before! Fistfights, yeah, but what the hell am I supposed to do against a battle axe?" Jaemin's voice was panicky, frantically looking to his own group for help.

"I dunno, but you'd better learn fast." Donghyuck whispered, shoving a sword into Jaemin's hands.

Jaemin looked down at it, feeling the cool, unfamiliar bronze against his skin. It felt odd, almost itchy. He wanted to drop it on the ground, it felt like his foot falling asleep or an eyelash in his eye. Except here, the itchy and stinging discomfort was in his palms as he hesitantly gripped the handle of the weapon.

Renjun's eyes were dark and murderous. A scar ran from his earlobe to his right eye and a dark kind of mark was visible on his hand as he gripped the axe as hard as he could.

Jackson pulled away, dropping the weapons with the rest of the Ares kids and sitting on the ground with them, all with amused faces.

Renjun and Jaemin stood still, facing each other with weapons in hand. This entire ordeal moved way too quickly, too fast to argue against. To be honest, Jaemin didn't want to duel Renjun at all and had no idea how. The uncomfortable tingling in his hands as he touched the sword made his head spin and for a moment he truly wondered what in his life led him to this situation.

He gripped the sword tighter. It felt like static, something under his skin that pricked him and made him feel that much more alert. It was uncomfortable and unfamiliar and he hated it.

The two stood in the little clearing, staring each other down. Renjun standing confidently, eyes never leaving Jaemin's.

And Jaemin, uh... is currently cowering in terror, shaking as he looked from Donghyuck, to Chenle, to Jisung, and back to the insane teenager in front of him. Really, he never expected his life to be cut off so short at a summer camp full of supernatural beings, but in that moment he realized that this sure as hell might be it.

The pair stood face to face. The air was tense and everyone was quiet. The Ares cabin stopped hollering and stood by excitedly. Donghyuck eventually groaned and their his hands in the air, breaking the tension.

"Get on with it already-"

Renjun didn't need any other invitation; before Donghyuck when stopped his groans, Renjun leapt and flung his axe forwards.

A slash down towards Jaemin's legs and he shrieked in terror, jumping and running around as of there were a bug on the ground. He ran around the clearing, not knowing what was going on, barely keeping his focus on the boy with the axe.

Renjun chased Jaemin around with his axe poised. The Ares cabin cheered and whooped in excitement again, watching their brother run like a chicken with its head cut off. Jaemin could only run around the ring of bushes, yelling and trying to evade the lunatic trying to behead him with a bloodied axe. Chenle yelled something loudly, but Jaemin couldn't hear it. He dodged Renjun, praying that maybe he could tire to other boy out or maybe that he'd simply stop and have mercy on Jaemin.

The smaller boy stopped in his tracks to eye Jaemin up and down, analyzing him. He spun his axe around his fingertips flashily, yawning as if he were bored with Jaemin. But his murderous glare painted the opposite picture because as he flipped around his weapon and showed off, he never took his eyes off of Jaemin.

He struck again, leaping at Jaemin with his axe in hand. So, in turn he hollered at the top of his lungs and flinched.

Honestly, he had no idea what else to do but scream (Jaemin cursed momentarily at his own body... so much for fight-or-flight, huh?). He yelped, holding his blade up sideways to try and block the strike, shutting his eyes as tightly as he could.

There was a cracking sound and a quick wind blowing through the woods, accompanied by shocked gasping.

Renjun practically flew backwards, a shocked expression on his face. He wasn't bleeding or anything, but he was certainly stunned. His axe was flung away from him, near Jisung's feet. The littlest boy squeaked as Renjun crawled over, grabbed his weapon, and pulled himself up to his feet.

Jaemin could only stare, having no idea how Renjun got all the way over there.

"Some god of war!" Chenle yelled out, making Renjun stand back up and point his axe at the younger boy.

"You want some too, little man?" Renjun threatened in another language. Chenle shook his head, smiling sheepishly and sitting back down on the mossy rock.

Renjun turned back to Jaemin with fiery eyes. "What the hell was that?" The short boy demanded, putting his axe down again and glaring at him. Jaemin's eyes widened, not knowing how to respond.

"I-I don't know! Why are you asking me?" Jaemin squeaked, dropping his sword on the ground. The tingling sensation was gone and he looked over at Renjun, afraid. He didn't want to hurt him, he just didn't know what else to do.

Renjun gripped his weapon tighter, not knowing what to do. His hair stood up on end and he looked as if he'd been shaken. He wanted to threaten Jaemin and figure out what just went on and what flung him backwards into the bushes.

Instead though, someone bounded into the woods, pushing apart the brambles excitedly. Everyone stopped to stare at them as they huffed and tried to regain their breathing. They suddenly yelled something at the top of their lungs with an excited smile on their face.

"YUTA AND SICHENG ARE FIGHTING AGAIN!"