“So, what brings you here?” Prince Baekhyun was riding his bird a few feet in front of the teens,. He was only a few feet elevated from the ground. Gorgioh was flapping his wings slowly and gently in order to fly at a pace matching the Elementals’ walking speed.

“We’re here to-“

Sehun cut Sowon off. “That’s a secret, unless you tell us what exactly you do. You said you were a Yang Prince, yet why aren’t you trying to get back your rightful crown? Also, how do the Yin tolerate you? I’m pretty sure Xiumin would want to kill you and eliminate a potential threat.”

Prince Baekhyun laughed. “You’re pretty smart.” He lapsed into silence for a while, and then spoke. “Don’t think I’m not trying.” His voice became serious. “I’ve been trying to gather the surviving elites of Yang in order to stage a rebellion with enough potential to get back at that Dark King. It wasn’t easy the past few years; we were too few and most were too scared. I’ve even lost a close friend in the process.” Now his voice had a grim note to it. “Also, for the second question – I’m pretty sure Xiumin thought I, the heir to the Yang Kingdom, was caught in the huge metal shower during the Great Battle.”

“The metal shower?” Sowon asked.

“It was a drastic weapon Xiumin had prepared to take most of us out. He used his Metal power (you do know he’s a Metal Elemental, right?) in order to make heavy pieces of metal rain on the Yang. A… lot of Yang died because of that. He must’ve gathered a lot of metal before he staged the attack,” Prince Baekhyun said, sadness in his voice.

Sehun threw a questioning glance at Chanyeol. Xiumin was currently trying to collect lots of gold in the Real World. What was he planning? Sowon understood the exchanged glances and turned pale.

“Well, I disguised as a Native and I eat Meriwinkle Berries on a constant basis in order to hide my Yang Aurora. They’re rare berries that grow only in the Garden of Bor, if you didn’t know.” Suddenly, the Prince threw a small satchel over his shoulder and Chanyeol caught it with a surprised look on his face. “Talking about Meriwinkle Berries, you three should have some. Just in case there are prowling Yin around.” Chanyeol obediently gave the two girls a handful of berries each. Each berry was bright pink and a perfect sphere. “You just need to eat one each. It lasts a week,” the Prince called out. Sowon placed one in and stored the rest in her own satchel. It tasted tangy and sweet, but had somewhat of a bitter aftertaste.

Prince Baekhyun turned his head slightly to stare at the three. “To tell you the truth, when I saw you three from the sky, I had a feeling that you were here to help us Yang who are still fighting. Call it the sixth sense, but it is known to run in the Yang royal family.” He seemed serious. “You know, my late aunt was a Dreamer who saw the future sometimes in her dreams. Anyways, that’s why I didn’t eliminate you all at once as spies.” Sowon shuddered. He may look benevolent, but he seemed to be someone like Kris. “I have heard from the Yang who sneak to the Real World at intervals that there was a force there working to foil the plans of the Yin, although I didn’t put much importance on it then. You don’t look like the tan-skinned Natives or the Yang survivors who disguise as Natives. Normal Yang citizens – there are only a few now, for most turned into Natives – wouldn’t risk escaping the Kingdom.” He narrowed his gaze.

Sehun stared at him with equally serious eyes. Then she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and began to speak, the guarded look gone from her face. “Actually, your implicit deductions are correct.” Sowon assumed that Sehun had finally begun to fully trust the Prince. “We are Yang Youth Team, a group of five Elemental Yang who are against Xiumin and his Yin. We did execute missions to stop the Yin in the Real World, but due to an incident where our identities were unveiled, we had no choice to come here. Two of our members had to stay because of… various reasons.”

Prince Baekhyun turned in his sitting position one hundred eighty degrees so he was facing backwards at the children. “Ah, five, you say?” He arched a thin, black eyebrow. “Who knew all the Elemental Yang were in the Real World? So which one of you is the legendary Wood Yang?”

Sowon blanched, and Prince Baekhyun’s eyes immediately focused on her. “The legendary Wood Yang?” she murmured.

Prince Baekhyun seemed to study her. “You don’t know? Before my late aunt passed away – you see, she was the only Dreamer in the Yang Kingdom – she had a dream about the wind flowing between a white sun and a black moon. The Royal Academics, Yang whose expertise is the Yin and Yang, claimed that there would be a young Wood Elemental who would be neither Yin nor Yang, or maybe both, who will have a great impact on both the Yin and Yang. Her prophecies were never false.” At the Prince’s words, Chanyeol and Sehun glanced at Sowon with wide eyes.

“Well, she is a Wood Elemental who controls the wind,” Chanyeol said. “And she doesn’t have a mark on her cheek when she uses her power. That’s weird – why would she be both a Yin or a Yang or neither?”

“Who knows.” Prince Baekhyun sighed. “The magic behind the two worlds are abstruse and unpredictable. Time will only tell us what she will end up doing.”

It dawned on Sowon why the Yin was trying to search for the Wood Elemental – her – so fervently. Elementals were extremely powerful, and they would want her to be on their team than a helper to their enemy rebels.

Gorgioh landed softly on the ground and as Prince Baekhyun slipped off of it, it folded its wings. “What’s wrong?” Sowon asked, breathing heavily from walking without a break. By her calculations, they had walked at least five miles. The Prince pointed in front of him.

They had been walking up a hill. Sowon stumbled to the top and immediately she could spot stone walls clearly in the distance. The walls were a light gray and they seemed to surround a large, circular area the size of a big town. A tower of the same color peeked out from the tall walls, and Sowon could detect the tops of a castle of white, gleaming marble. She wondered how exactly far away it was and inwardly sighed. Right now, her feet were telling her that she would want nothing better than to collapse on the grass.

Prince Baekhyun lifted his head and squinted at the horizon, where the sun was dipping into the ground. “It’s nearly Sundown,” he said in a grim tone. “Soon it’s be Nightfall, the time of the Yin.”

“The time of the Yin?” Sowon repeated.

“The Yin’s power is the strongest during Nightfall, when the sun goes down and the moon appears. During Daylight, the Yang’s is strong,” Chanyeol explained. “That is, only in the Other World.”

Sowon frowned. “Then are our powers significantly decreased in strength or something?”

“Actually, I think that’s only part of it. Your tornado may end up as a breeze. That is, may. Also, it’ll be harder to call your Element even if it’s near, so we must use Marbles.”

Sowon glanced at Prince Baekhyun. “Is that why we’ve stopped? Because if we go on into the Kingdom, the Yin who may be able to recognize us will attack and we’ll be in a serious disadvantage?”

He placed a hand on the wing of his bird. With the other, he tapped his chin. “That is one reason. Also, we have to think about how to smuggle you three into the Kingdom without the Yin guards knowing. Although you all may be children, you look nothing like Natives and as I said before, Yang wouldn’t risk leaving the Kingdom – too many questions.”

“They can’t leave with a waterbird?” Chanyeol asked, glancing up at Gorgioh.

The Prince laughed, and then turned somber. “Gorgioh’s the last of the tame waterbirds. The Yin made sure to kill all of them. The only reason they allowed me to keep this one was because they thought I was a Yang sorcerer. In other words, a hermit who practices and studies ancient magic – they’re extremely rare. I guess they didn’t want to kill off anyone who may be of use to them. Though Xiumin has yet to call on me.”

“They don’t suspect you or anything?” Sehun asked, raising an eyebrow.

Prince Baekhyun shook his head. “Some are very suspicious and keep a close eye on me, but none have them have proof that I’m part of the rebellion. None of the Yin saw me associate with a Yang so far. And since I don’t have an Aurora, they think I’m a Native – I guess none of them know about the berries yet.” He showed his white teeth in a grin.

Chanyeol nodded. “So, what’s the plan?”

“I could take one of you on Gorgioh and enter the castle using the Tower of Stone. I’ll say that you’re my apprentice."

“I think that Sehun should go first. Although with his permanent scowl he might arouse suspicion the moment he sets foot into the Kingdom.” Chanyeol smirked at the said boy.

“I won’t be able to leave the same night after I drop him off in a safe place,” Prince Baekhyun said, half to himself. He turned to Sowon and Chanyeol. “There are also the sewer passages. The Yin wouldn’t dare enter them.” Chanyeol made a face. “Or you could catch a ride with one of the merchant Natives bringing their goods in late. However, it would be risky since you would be going directly through the gate where the main guard Yin are. They might check the goods.”

Chanyeol grabbed Sowon’s hand. “We’ll go with the second choice,” he said.

Sehun frowned at him. “This is not a game, Chanyeol. If you two get caught, especially Sowon, it’ll be irreversible.”

“Then all we have to do is not get caught,” Chanyeol declared, confidently. Sehun’s eyes narrowed.

“Can’t we wait here until morning comes?” Sowon asked the Prince. Chanyeol and Sehun simultaneously shook their heads.

“It certainly wouldn’t be wise to try to hide about in near the Kingdom at night. Night is when the Yin come and go. Who knows; maybe tonight Chen will decide to check on the Kingdom.” Prince Baekhyun grimaced when he said the name “Chen,” as if the word itself tasted bad.

“Chen?” Sowon repeated. There were so many things and names she didn’t know. She felt like a parrot every time she heard something for the first time and asked about it.

“He was Xiumin’s top general during the Great Battle. A heartless, cruel man who could rival Xiumin himself. He’s even an elemental: an Earth Yin. He’s now become Xiumin’s chief advisor in matters of controlling the Yang Kingdom, so he frequently visits to find out about any rebellion risings. If you chance upon seeing him, either run in the opposite direction or hide – you may not be able to escape with your life if he sees you.” Prince Baekhyun’s voice had a harsh quality to it, as if he had a personal grudge against that person.

“If you decide to hide in the merchants’ carts, I advise you to hide out near the White Gate and wait for a rich merchant comes by with a load of goods. You’ll be able to get in before it becomes completely dark,” the Prince said as he faced Chanyeol. He led Sehun to Gorgioh. “Good luck, young ones,” he called as the two seated themselves on the bird. As the bird lifted its massive winds, he called, “Ask the way to Leaffall Inn. I’ll be waiting. You mustn’t call me by my real name; I go by Hyun.” The bird took off, a wondrous sight of bright blue in the light of the setting sun.

Hello, readers! It's finally spring break! I hope to update sometime next week too! Enjoy! ^.^