Hey Guys~!

An earlier update than my usual weekend updates, because.....today is my birthday, and I would like to give you lovely readers a present. So, happy reading~! :D

Iola woke up to a gentle patting on her cheek. Her eyelids were heavy and she would like to sleep more, but the patting continued insistently, along with repeated call of her name. Frowning slightly she cracked an eye open, then the other one, to see Yixing staring down at her with a faint smile.

“Hey.”

Iola blinked sleepily. “Hey.” She tried to turn her head, wincing when she felt it stiff. “How long have I been asleep?”

He smiled wider, showing that dimple on his right cheek. “Quite a long time, actually; it’s passed twilight. You should eat now, Kyungsoo’s already making dinner.”

The thought of leaving the comfort of her bed was not appealing at all to Iola, but Yixing won’t take no for an answer until she groaned in surrender and slowly sat up. Apparently even after sleeping for so long the fatigue hasn’t leave her completely, evident by her swaying when she finally sat upright.

An arm caught her before she fall, steadying her. Looking over her shoulder, Tao greeted her with a shy smile as he settled himself behind her, pulling her back until she could lean back on his sturdy shoulder.

“You look like you’d fall down any minute,” he explained bashfully when she looked at him in question.

Iola grinned and leaned back into him more comfortably, grateful for the support. Looking up she saw Yixing’s frown, though he immediately smiled once he caught her gaze. The rest of the Guardians gathered around her once they saw she’d woken up.

“How are you feeling now, Iola?” Minseok asked as he plopped down besides her.

She nodded. “Much better, thanks. Just still a bit tired.”

“It’s so good to have you back again!”

“It’s good to be back too, Chanyeol.” She grinned at the wide-smiling Guardian before sneezing as the cold night air blew across them, leaving goosebumps raising on her arms.

A blanket was draped across her shoulder immediately and she looked up to see Luhan peering down with a bright smile. “The night is chilly here, don’t get cold.”

Kyungsoo came over bearing a makeshift plate out of leaves, hot steam wafting from it. Sehun and Jongin were behind him, each also holding a plate and began to distribute them to the others.

“Dinner’s ready.” 

Iola could smell the delicious aroma coming from the leaf plate Kyungsoo offered her but her stomach rolled protestingly in nausea. “It smells great Kyungoo and thank you, but I don’t think I can eat at the moment.”

The wide-eyed Guardian looked crestfallen but insisted, holding the food closer to her. “But you haven’t eaten anything since you got back Iola, and it’s been half a day.”

“But-“

A hand shot out to take the plate from Kyungsoo’s hand, deft fingers quickly tearing the meat to small bite-sized pieces before offering it to Iola. She stared at the offered food, tracing it up along the fingers and arm that holds it, up until she reached Yixing’s face.

He waved the meat in front of her. “At least try to eat some, you need it.”

Yixing’s eyes were as gentle as always but there was a steel edge to it that let Iola knows it was futile for her to resist. Sighing, she took the food and plate from him.

“Fine, I’ll try to eat.”

The wide smile that Yixing gave her was almost enough to made her swallow down any nausea she may have and she slowly chewed the hot meat, relishing the warmth it gave to her stomach. She managed to finish half the plate before she couldn’t take anymore, no matter how much pleading eyes Kyungsoo gave her.

The rest of the Guardians scattered around her enjoying their dinner, low conversation filling the otherwise silent night air and Iola was content to just let the low voices wash over her. Her eyes were beginning to get heavy; she was warm, full, and safe and would like to sleep again. Suddenly a gust of wind blew across the camp, the hum in her mind intensified in volume just slightly and she grinned as she blinked sleepy eyes open.

“Hello, Makani.”

The wind spirit grinned back as he floated ahead of her, arms crossed across his chest. “Nice to see you too, human girl.”

Iola struggled to sit up straighter, Tao’s arms steadying her. “How was everything after I left?”

Makani shrugged easily. “It was alright. Talini and I managed to drive the Teimans far away after you escaped, and then she brought down a snowstorm in Kahu so they won’t have a chance to come after you.”

“A snowstorm?” Iola winced. “But…the people in Kahu-“

“They’re fine.” The spirit waved a hand in dismissal and the dry leaves around them twirled softly in the air. “Talini made sure that the storm wasn’t too heavy but still enough to dispel them from pursuing you; they would be held indoor at least until tomorrow.”

Iola breathed a sigh of relief, before realizing the strange looks the Guardians threw at her.

“Iola….” Jongdae whispered, eyes roving about here and there. “Are you talking to a spirit?”

“It’s the wind spirit, isn’t it?” Sehun exclaimed excitedly. “I don’t know how, but…but it’s like I can feel it!”

Iola turned back to Makani. “Is there any way they could see you?”

“It depends on you, to be honest.”

“Me?”  She pointed to herself in confusion. “What can I do?”

“Humans won’t be able to communicate with us, they’ve forgotten how to. But you’ve been the bridge that connects us, so I’m assuming you can open their eyes, so to speak, if you want. Though I’d rather you won’t.’

“What? But why? That would make everything much easier.”

Makani had a heavy scowl on his smooth face, disapproval clearly visible in his expression. “Because you’re going to exhaust yourself again if you force yourself like that.”

“But it feels weird to be talking to you when nobody else can see you but me.”

“So? It’s not like it’s the first time they’ll be thinking that you’re strange.”

“Makani…”

“Oh, fine.” The wind spirit huffed, before pointing at Sehun. “If you still want to persist, then ask that kid to help you. He’s connected through his bond with me, so it’ll be easier if you link connection with him.”

“But how do I do that?”

“The same way you talk to us, the same way you’re able to connect to those glaistigs. You’ll know what to do.”

She grimaced in confusion but the spirit just waved his hand lazily, and Iola turned her gaze on one particular person. “Sehun, come here.”

The youngest Guardian looked perplexed but did as he was told, scooting around until he was besides her. Iola grasped his hand, holding it tightly.

“Help me.”

Sehun squeezed her hand back. “How?”

“Just….” She frowned hard, trying to think the best way to explain it. “You and Makani are connected, because your power came from his elements. Find that center in you, and hold it.”

Sehun looked a bit lost, but with an encouraging nod from her he closed his eyes. Her internal hum grew louder as she also closed her eyes. It prickles at every corner of her mind, burst of vibrant colors swirling underneath it all. She felt it then; the tangling presences all around her, long strings of threads tangling and intertwining all over. Her barrier stood strong though, keeping the threads from invading her personal core but she could feel her energy depleting rapidly.

Quickly she searched through the numerous threads, finding that it gets easier to find Makani’s since she was already familiar with it. Another search through the knots and she found another familiar one, a slightly paler grey than Makani’s but with the same siphons of winds thrumming through it. She tried to imagine joining the two threads and besides her, Sehun gasped as he squeezed her fingers so hard she thought he would cut off her blood circulation. When there were other exclamations and surprised yells all around her did she finally opened her eyes.

Makani was floating just ahead of her, grinning widely. Judging by how the Guardians all stared at him in a mixture of shock and wariness it seemed that now he wasn’t invisible anymore.

“Nice work, human girl.” The spirit smirked  before turning to Sehun. “You’re not too bad yourself, human.”

Sehun’s mouth was hanging open, before Jongin nudged him none too gently and he spluttered. “Uh…uh yes, thank you Sir.”

Makani guffawed and a strong gust of wind blew through the trees. “Did he just call me Sir? Oh, I think I’m going to like you, human.”

Sehun flushed bright red while Iola just chuckled. The rest of the Guardians seemed to wake up from their stupor, as Wufan coughed slightly and nodded reverently towards the spirit.

“It is nice to finally…uh…see you,” he spoke carefully. “My name is Wu-“

Makani cut him with a smirk. “Oh, I know who you are, Guardian. My friend, Yarah, told me all about you.”

“Y-Yarah..? I’m sorry, but who is that?”

“Spirit of the Water. She said that you secretly like to admire yourself in her river’s surface.”

Jongdae’s loud laughter burst through the air, quickly followed by the others’. Iola snickered even more seeing Wufan’s flushed face.

“I knew you have that narcissist side buried behind that stern face, Wufan,” Baekhyun sneered.

Wufan just glared some more, mouth opened ready to scold when the camp fire burned brighter and hotter, tongue of flames dancing high into the night air before settling down and a cheery, old man appeared in the middle of the flames.

“Seems like you’re all having a wonderful time.”

“Fintan!” Iola shouted in joy.

The fire spirit chuckled, eyes twinkling merrily. “I’m glad to see you too, kid, but first things first, alright? Get that kid to help you out here, before you ran yourself exhausted again.”

A quick look around told Iola that once again she was again the only one who could see Fintan, judging by the confused looks the Guardians threw at her. Without being told to Chanyeol had stepped forward, hand blindly reaching toward Iola’s. Iola gave him a small encouraging smile, before closing her eyes and again searched through the hundreds of threads intertwining in her mind.

Before long she could hear Chanyeol gasped in surprise besides her, and she opened her eyes to see Fintan burning brightly among the flames of the fire.

The spirit gave the Guardian of Fire a cheeky wink. “Nice work, kid. I’ll say, you’ve improved a lot since that time you almost burn down the stable at Sagiv.”

Chanyeol paled slightly while the rest of his brothers laughed out loud. “Y-you…you knew about that?”

Fintan just chuckled some more. “Of course I do. You’re using my elements, aren’t you? And that was one nasty fire that you almost got going on back then.”

Chanyeol just groaned in shame, hiding his face between his hands, muttering something that suspiciously sounded like ‘I was only eleven at the time, dammit’ as his brothers laughed again.

Yixing couldn’t help snickering too as he tried to explain when Iola looked at him in confusion. “Chanyeol almost burn down the town’s stable when we were still in training. Well, you know how he is.”

Iola snickered, easily imagining a younger, smaller Chanyeol with awkward limbs, trying to control his powers. Taking pity at the Guardian who continued to hide his face in embarrassment, she cleared , quieting the rest.

Fintan’s eyes glinted in merriment as he stared at her. “I’m glad that you’re safe, kid. That was quite a trick you pulled.”

“How are things back in Kahu?”

“Well, seeing that there’s a blizzard around Kahu even as we speak, the Teimans couldn’t even begin to search for you so you’re safe for now. Talini had stayed behind to ensure it will stay put until tomorrow, enough time for you to get away as far as you can.”

Makani snorted. “Let the snowstorm goes on; that’ll at least keep that wrinkly icy woman out of my hair until next time I have the misfortune of bumping into her again.”

“Aw, Makani,” Fintan had an amused yet mischievous grin on. “I know you secretly missed her.”

“I do not!”

“Don’t worry; I’ll be sure to tell her that.”

“You-“

Fintan ignored the other spirit, gazing faraway with a mocking fond look. “Ah…to be young and in love.”

Makani spluttered, muttering gibberish as a flush began to bloom on his face, which amused Iola to no end since his face was normally translucent so he must be really embarrassed to be blushing bright like that.

But the niggling thought of her previous kidnappers still weighted heavily in her mind.

“Fintan, what about….what about Zeev and Alik? Were they…Were Glasnant angry at them, for me escaping while under their watch?”

A tongue of flame burst higher from the campfire. “He was angry, alright. But he didn’t do anything to them. You know that he won’t. He was more concerned for your well-being anyway, seeing that the last they saw of you was of you falling down hundreds of meters. He was worried that you were injured.”

Iola nodded shortly. Deep down she knew that Glasnant wouldn’t vent his anger on his men; the ruler was too kind for that. But still, she couldn’t help but worry and feel rather apologetic for her actions.

She could feel the Guardians’ questioning gazes and shrugged easily. “I just don’t want them to get into trouble because of me. Like I’ve told you before, they’re not exactly bad people.”

Wufan raised disbelieving eyebrows and Joonmyun seemed unconvinced, but they didn’t say anything. Iola knew she