Donghae had agreed to provide the distraction Jaejoong needed to be able to slip into the city and confront the Oracle because he didn't want any one to get hurt. As for the Oracle, Donghae believed that the Oracle was in no danger because she could take care of herself.

Jaejoong might be able to enter the temple but based on what Donghae had observed in the past three months, he was convinced that Jaejoong did not have the power or strength to defeat the Oracle. The only way Jaejoong would be able to defeat the Oracle was by trickery which was near impossible.

 As for Jaejoong dying...

Donghae had no control of that. Jaejoong's death would free him from the promise he made. But something inside Donghae knew that he would mourn the death of Kim Jaejoong because he had also begun to understand the situation the young man was forced into.

Han was the one who thought of the plan that would provide the distraction Jaejoong needed. Han's plan was simple. Set the tents on fire. Their target was the encampment near the eastern wall. The execution though relied on Donghae's archery skills. There were enough campfires to give him enough light to see his targets, and they need not set all the tents on fire. Just enough to cause chaos and noise that would get the attention of most of the city defenders and make their troops run to defend the eastern wall.

The problematic part was escaping. Both he and Han would be riding Salamander, the latter holding the reins while Donghae shot burning arrows at the tents. Han's magical torch was lodged on the rear end of the specially made saddle Jaejoong bought from Risine. Donghae could easily dip his arrows covered with oil-drenched rags on the torch's fire that now burned low yet never flickered even from the wind.

"You will live through this, Donghae," assured Han.

"Because you will protect me?"

"No, because Salamander is too fast for them to catch, even with both of us riding him."

"And what about the arrows they would be shooting at us?"

He raised his sword.

"You let me worry about those." He smiled.

 "You can't deflect and cut all the arrows coming toward us!"

"I know, so we dodge them. When I say down, tighten your legs on Salamander's side and lean backward. Don't lean forward because I would need the space to move my sword."

"And what about Salamander?"

"He and I already have an understanding. He would turn, jump, and halt at my orders."

 Donghae took a deep breath. He should not be worrying about Jaejoong dying tonight. Because that fate was looking more like his own.

"Don't think about dying, Donghae. Think about surviving. As long as you are alive, you could still change your fate."

"My fate had been sealed the moment Jaejoong made me follow him. I often feel that my destiny had become entwined with his." He sighed then looked up at the big warrior. "Why do you believe so much in him? Do you really believe that he deserved to be the king of Haldor?"

Han's dark eyes studied him.

"No. Jaejoong does not have the temperament needed to be a king. He is too stubborn. But that same stubbornness is the reason the Oracle could never influence him."

Donghae wasn't expecting such answer from Han.

"You, on the other hand, would make a good king." He smiled. "You just need training and a few more years of experience."

Donghae was dumbfounded.

Han mounted Salamander. He gripped the rein with one hand and held the other toward him.

"Let's go, Donghae! It's time to gain some of that experience tonight!"

The air balloon silently glided toward the City of Solaris. Even the burner that produced the hot air keeping the balloon floating was silent. The black metal box Jaejoong brought from Risine kept the fire from the burner hidden. It also muted the loud sound coming from it.

The only ones making noise that could attract attention where the two bickering occupants inside the air balloon.

"This is the third time we almost crashed on a tree!" said Dara’s irritated voice as she guided the flight of the air balloon.

"Almost means it didn’t hit!" insisted Jaejoong. He was having a headache trying to see all the obstacles before them using the power of his foresight. He tried to guide the air balloon before while navigating it in total darkness with disastrous results. They began hitting the sides of trees. Dara immediately took over the navigation and made him concentrate on seeing into future obstacles. The ease Dara flew the air balloon without any instructions verified Jaejoong's suspicion that she had indeed taken that ability from him too.

He thought he could do this since he was able to avoid Donghae’s arrows before. But it soon became clear that he could not effectively use foresight when his life wasn’t in grave danger. He needed that sense of danger to really focus his power.

"This plan of yours could get us killed even before we reach Solaris!" Dara berated him.

He grimaced. His plan was supposed to be perfect! The black paints he had bought in Gondola now covered the once colorful balloon and basket of the air balloon making them invisible in the dark skies. But because they must remain invisible, they could not bring any form of light with them.

Everyone who had ever flown in an air balloon knew that you never travel at night. No one in his right mind would ever fly an air balloon at night. Even with torches positioned around the basket, it would still be impossible to see where they were going or what obstacles lie in wait for them. Trees in Haldor had a tendency to grow more than a thousand feet above ground. And Risine's air balloons could never reach such heights, that's why people from Ferrest preferred the Gorge trains as mode of transportation rather than the air balloons of Risine.

Yet Jaejoong risked using the air balloon that night, because