Victoria had come to fetch up Sehun and the group to them in the early morning of the next day towards one of the fairy rings that would let them towards the country that was once South Korea.  From their they would make their way towards the location where Jeno, Jaemin and Lucas got teleported away from. He wore his black shirt, his gray jeans and his light black coat, the clothes he had Tír na nóg to begin with. If he would show up in on earth with elven clothes, his friends would laugh at him. Probably. Most likely.

Again she could smell Anri way before she actually arrived. She wore a muted dark blue tunic, black pants and her brown boots. 

Another person accompanied her. That person emitted an aura that just screamed ancient and wisdom. He had very light brown hair that he wore in typical elven way long. He also wore something rather inconspicuous but he would stand out on earth even in this getup.

As soon as Anri saw him, a big grin lit up her face. She nearly skipped towards him, joy clearly in her eyes. Sehun raised his hand as a greeting but she completely ignored it and kissed him instead. He was just as surprised as his friends who stared at him as if he had grown a second head. Taemin wiggled his eyebrows and Sehun gave him the finger.

“Thanks again for yesterday. It was the best gift someone has given me in forever,” she whispered in his ear, which made Sehun happy. It was a joy to see her bright and full of childlike happiness. The three younger Vampires were whispering among each other while glancing at Sehun and Anri until Chanyeol smacked each of them over the head with a grunt.

Anri brushed her hand over Sehun’s cheek before she turned towards the other elf. “This is Iston, he’s my aunt’s personal healer and he will accompany us. You can also call him old man because he’s… ouch!”

She grabbed her hair, that Iston had pulled and looked at him like a child would look at a scolding parent. “Anyways. My aunt send him because he knows earth and has seen it.” Sehun and the healer shook hands and just for a moment he had the feeling that the healer was inspecting him closely. When he let go of Sehun’s hand, there was a slight prickly residue left in palm. 

“I take you have been briefed?” Taemin asked the healer who nodded. “I have to warn you though, and maybe lower your expectations. Earth has changed a lot since the last time your people walked the lands. There were a lot of wars and, well, you will see.”

The warning was also mostly for Anri to not get her hopes up about her visit to earth since she probably only has ever heard about it from older elves. “Beware, not everyone will take kindly to strangers. Stay close to the group and don’t stray from it.” It was a last warning from Sehun before he gave Victoria the sign to activate the fairy ring. The mushrooms started to glow faintly before it got stronger. Sehun could feel a pull at his body and it felt like someone tried to tear his bones from his flesh but then he could feel Anri’s fingers searching for his. Automatically, he closed his hand around hers and gave it a soft squeeze. He could feel her pulse quicken through his fingers on her wrist. Maybe it was excitement. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was both.

The light turned blinding for a second and everyone closed their eyes. The familiar smell of decay and rust hit Sehun’s nose and when he opened his eyes, the he could see empty streets and mountains. There was an old, rusted car not too far away from them, but it was already so broken down that they couldn’t use it. Anri stared at it in awe. Of course she never would have seen something like a car in her life. “Remember, don’t go off running,” Sehun reminded her and she nodded. He could see that she was very curious but she was holding herself back. Though she couldn’t other than turning her head at everything and inspecting it closely.

“So, where are we now?” Chanyeol asked. There wasn’t any threat around as it seemed they were in a largely remote area. “We are just outside Old Seoul. We would need to travel about 2 hours from here. I think it would be best if we get a car,” Jaemin explained. He started walking and the group followed. They moved fast, the three older Vampires guarding them. Iston was walking at the end of the group but Sehun was sure that the ancient elf didn’t need any protection.

Anri had let go of his hand but she kept close. She seemed amazed by the ruin and destruction but also the wild growing nature. Soon enough they left the remote area and approached a small looking village. Taemin signed them to stop. “Let’s not approach the village like this. Jaemin, you come with me, we are getting those cars fast. The less attention we have on us the better.” 

The two Vampires disappeared in a flash of a second and Anri stared after them. “I know you want to go but it’s a human village. They haven’t seen any elves in centuries. They probably don’t even know you guys exist, but what they will see is a beautiful woman and people expect beautiful women like you to be a Vampire. We are not generally liked, especially not in remote areas.” He was now standing behind Anri who immediately leaned against him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “I understand.”

They were waiting a couple of minutes without any sign of Taemin and Jaemin. Iston was sitting on the ground now, his gaze distant. “The last time I was here this was still a bustling city,” he said to particularly no one. Sehun only had been to this part of the world twice and then it was only for a short time. But even then this part of the world had been laid to waste and nature had only recently started to grow again. Now everything was overgrown with green and humans had returned. 

From afar two cars where approaching them and Sehun could recognize the drivers fast. The cars stopped in front of them and Taemin waved them to get in. “Quick. The humans weren’t too happy when they heard the cars’ engines. Chanyeol, you go with the pups.” Jaemin growled but Taemin only rolled his eyes. 

Anri looked at the car warily and Sehun had to assure her that it was just a vehicle for transport. “It will not eat you,” he teased but he spoke in his usual, dry and emotionless voice that he wasn’t sure that she would notice it. There was a deep frown on her face while she eyed the door that Sehun had opened for her. Since Taemin told them to hurry up, Sehun gave her slight push so she stumbled into the car, while he slipped next to her on the backseat. Iston had less problems getting into the passenger seat, and Taemin immediately took off while the other car with Chanyeol was following them. “If anyone of you guys could mark our scents, it would be greatly appreciated,” Taemin growled. 

From his reaction Sehun knew immediately that there must have been something else than just the humans. “I can help with that,” Iston offered. He turned back towards them but his gaze was focused on the road behind them. His ember eyes started to glow, as well as his hands. Sehun’s skin prickled as he could feel the magic flowed passed him. “I hid the scents from all of us from the moment we got into the car. Why did you want me to do it?”

Taemin looked into his rear window before he gave the other car to take the lead. “There were only humans in the village but something absolutely didn’t feel right. It made my neck hairs stand up. Whatever it was, I hope it doesn’t follow us.” Iston hands glowed stronger for a while before it died down eventually. “Just to be sure I masked us completely. If whatever was there can still follow us then it must be really powerful.”

There was no question that Iston was powerful, and not just a very gifted healer. Someone as old as him would only stand in Niamh’s shadow when it come to power. 

Anri was clinging to his arm, her eyes wide. She had been silent the whole time while she stared out of the window. When Sehun gently rubbed her hand she shuffled closer. “It’s so… fast. I mean, not as fast as you guys running but it feels weird.”

Right. She also has never sat in car. Sehun felt a bit bad that she had to go through this now but they had no other choice. “We could have ran there as well but we need to conserve energy. Who knows what will happen,” he explained while lifted his arm up on the headrest so she could scoot even closer. Her scent enveloped him and but he was too alert to get distracted by it. Only after a while he relaxed, and Anri as well. “Your majesty, are you alright?” Iston asked while glancing at the rear mirror. “Yes, yes. I was just… too excited, I guess?”

She had looked rather scared of the car than too excited but Sehun didn’t say that. Instead he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and she smiled. “You seem fine though, Iston?”

The healer smiled ever so gentle. “I’ve sat in cars alread