Kai turned to Sehun hesitantly, knawing anxiously on his bottom lip. 

   "Are you sure you'll be able to handle teleporting once more?" he asked his brother nervously. It would be their seventh cycle this time, for Kai was skeptical of whether they would reappear in the correct spot and wished to go nearer, where he would have a better perception of where to teleport to. The short round had made Sehun quite breathless indeed. Kai stared worriedly at his brother's pale face. 

"I'm fine," Sehun said, huffing heavily. He leaned strongly against Kai's shoulder, using him as support. "Just make this fast, before the sunset is over." 

   Nonetheless, Kai remained uncertain of Sehun's answer. 

   "We could rest a bit longer - " 

   "Yah!" Sehun yelled, startling Kai. The wind suddenly blew a strong gust at the two of them, chilling Kai's arms and face. "I am positive that I won't have the mindset to do this again once I'm laying down to rest. It's best to do it now, when I cannot think straight." 

   Kai frowned at his brother's stubbornness. How could one be so stubborn in the first place?

   It had only been the night before that Sehun had first teleported along with Kai. His body was not yet accustomed to his ability. When Kai was a child, still adapting to his newfound power, he could only teleport two or three times before collapsing. Although Sehun's body was strong, Kai was unsure whether he could manage one more cycle. 

   He sighed and looked to Sehun once more. "Are you sure?" he asked demandingly. He forced Sehun's face to his and looked him straight in his eyes. "Are you certain?" 

   Groggily, Sehun nodded. "Let us please get this bloody over with." 

   Kai let out one more sigh and gave Sehun a brisk nod. "Then let us do just that." 

   And they vanished - 

   - and reappeared in the shadows behind a small grocer's hut. The sky was already dark; the sun had fully set the moment they'd materialized. 

   Instantly, Kai could feel Sehun sag in his arms, legs falling limp. His head lolled back on his shoulders, his eyes rolling back in his head. Kai grasped at his brother's back, holding him up. 

   "Sehun!" Kai said without thinking. Anxiety and worry attacked his mind. "Sehun, wake up!"

   "Who's there?" a gruff voice spoke. 

   Kai's heart began to pound. This is what happens when I don't work alone...

   He felt his skin begin to tingle as he prepared to teleport again, when he remembered Sehun. 

   It would surely not be wise in the least to use his power to transport him and Sehun another time directly after the previous one. Sehun would inevitably get much worse. He might probably even...die.

   Swiftly, Kai swept up he and Sehun's bags on one arm and hoisted his brother up onto his shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he began to run.

   Chanyeol let out a loud belch and pounded a fist against his chest after taking another swig of the liquor he'd purchased from Baen. 

   He knew that he shouldn't still be in town at this time of day, but at the moment, he didn't really care much at all. The girl he had taken favour in for a month already had just turned him down, and all Chanyeol could think about was the possibility of him growing old without a wife or children. 

   He wished to speak to someone, but Baekhyun wouldn't understand, since he'd never obtained feelings for a girl before, and Grandfather would just get angry at him for not buying tools from Tybal the blacksmith and instead buying alcohol again. 

   Chanyeol loved to drink. He loved the burning feeling of the beer flowing down his throat, coating his lips. It always seemed to ignite him, make him feel more alive, like how flames rose higher when it came in contact with alcohol of any sort. He could drink a dozen mugs of beer and not be drunk. Instead, he would feel the most rejuvenated a man could ever feel. 

   There was no one outside at this time of day, only the occasional guard that he slowly crept around whenever one showed up. Because of all of the recent attacks from Jaezin, the citizens of Araesia were instructed to stay in their homes after sunset, for safety measures. And Chanyeol did not feel like facing the consequences that came with being caught breaking the law. He'd had to deal with such things far too much already. 

   Legs tiring, Chanyeol walked towards a nearby grocer's stall and sat down against its back wall, closing his eyes and taking another gulp of beer from his flask. He did not feel like walking all the way back to their barn once more. He just wanted to stay here and mope. 

   "Sehun! Sehun, wake up!" 

   Alarmed, Chanyeol's eyes popped open and he bolted upright, turning in the direction of the anxious voice. He saw two male figures in the darkness, a circle of bags surrounding them. 

   What are they doing out here at this time?

   "Who's there?" 

   A guard. 

   Chanyeol's eyes widened and he faced the two males once more. One was holding the other up. From what Chanyeol could tell, the other was unconscious. 

   Don't do it, Chanyeol thought as he watched the conscious one scoop up their bags on one arm and throw the other onto his back. Don't get involved in this. It won't bring any good.

   Chanyeol gaped as the male started running in the other direction, right into the area where five other guards were stationed.

   "You! Come here!" another rough voice yelled. The image of a guard suddenly appeared, arduously pursuing them.

   Chanyeol ground his teeth together and let out a soft groan. I can't believe I'm doing this.

   He took one last gulp from his flask and then flung it at the guard. It bounced off his head with a thunk.

   Startled, the tall man looked back and spotted Chanyeol, eyes narrowing in fury when he registered who it was.

   "Chanyeol," he muttered furiously.

   Chanyeol grinned at him. Then he broke into a run, ambling as fast as his long legs could take him.  He felt his heart begin to thump rapidly with his newfound adrenaline, his body heat amplifying. Before he even knew it, he felt his hands and arms engulf themselves with fire. 

   He could see the two unknown males in front of him now, almost in sight of the guards ahead. He felt another burst of energy shoot through him like an angry wave, and he pumped his legs even faster, catching up to the two. 

   The conscious male, slightly shorter than Chanyeol with dark hair and skin, was shocked at his appearance. He looked him up and down in the matter of a half second, not concealing his sudden wonder at the flames that ate at his sleeves and enveloped his hands. The comatose male on his back bounced lightly on his companion's shoulder as they ran, his light blond hair fluttering in the wind. They couldn't be much older than Chanyeol himself, he realized.

   "Guards," Chanyeol said hurriedly, "ahead!"

   Then without any warning he roughly bumped the two males into an empty shack and ran ahead of them. 

   Hurriedly, he began to conjure as much fire as he could into his hands, until the flames grew to his own height. 

   "There! What is that?!" he heard a low voice bellow in the back of his mind. 

   Sweat beading upon his brow, Chanyeol began to morph the flames into the form of a tall male, one that resembled himself entirely.

   "It's Chanyeol! It must be that hellion!"

   Finished with his flame impersonator, he closed his eyes and concentrated, concentrated until all he could feel was the heat of the flames around him and inside of him, smell the smoky scent of it in his nostrils, taste the tendrils of its burning light on his tongue. 

   Then he opened his eyes. They glowed bright gold, almost as bright as the powerful beam that Baekhyun could conjure. 

   "Go," he whispered to the flames. 

   And it began to run straight into the guards' station, its running form leaving behind a trail of flame on the dry grass.

   "There he is! Get him!"

   Chanyeol felt the gold seep out from his eyes, the adrenaline abandoning his body. He stumbled heavily to his side and stopped himself before he could fall, then ambled back towards the empty shack he'd pushed the two males inside moments earlier.

   He bumbled inside, almost tripping over one of the two strangers' bags. 

   "Hello?" he whispered wonderingly.

   Vaguely, he made out the form of the unconscious blond, lying unanimatedly on the wooden floor before him. 

   Concern suddenly filled Chanyeol, and he knelt down before the young man, reaching out a hand to elevate his head, letting the other feel his pulse.

   "I wouldn't do that if I were you," a dangerous voice said from behind him. 

   Shocked, Chanyeol whipped his head around to see the other male boring a hole in his face with his glare, a dagger positioned directly under his chin.

   Luhan rapped lightly on the Princess's bedroom door. In his hand he held a mug of hot chocolate, the Princess's favorite.

   Eunhee, please open the door.

   It opened right away, and Luhan entered by himself, gently shutting it closed behind him. 

   The Princess resided in the exact same spot as Luhan had seen her last. The only difference was the fact that the literary works that floated around her seemed to flutter less animatedly that Luhan had remembered, and that her movements were a bit lethargic. 

   "You should get some sleep," he advised her, taking a seat in front of her on the blanket. He set the mug in front of her. "You don't look too well."

   She waved away his concern with a wave of her hand, using the other to cover a yawn. 

   "When I am making this much progress? Preposterous." She picked two papers from the air and set them down beside her, then picked up her water bowl. 

   "Are you going to try and scry them again?" he asked. 

   "Yes," she answered. "But this time, a bit differently. "

   "How so?" Luhan inquired, raising his eyebrows as she lifted one of the papers she'd retrieved to her face.

   "Instead of scrying the present, I will scry the past," she said simply. "As you instructed earlier, I should know the nature of his presence here before I attempt to befriend him. Or them, in this case, since he has a companion."

   "So you wish to know some background information," Luhan clarified. 

   "Exactly so," she said with a smile. 

   Luhan nodded and watched her work. She picked up the hot chocolate and took a delicate sip, as to not burn her tongue. Then she set the bowl in front of her, and shut her eyes. Instantly, Luhan heard something whistle past his ear and land straight to her hand. 

   "Is that alcohol?" Luhan asked, eyes widening at the dark bottle in her grasp.

   "Precisely," she responded. She smiled at his shocked, disapproving expression. "Don't worry, it's not for me. You know I am unable to stomach alcohol of any sort very well. Just watch." 

   She uncapped the bottle and poured a small amount into her water bowl. Then she looked to Luhan.

   "Do you have any matches, perhaps?" 

   Luhan furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes, in my pocket, but why - " 

   All of a sudden, his matchbow flew out from his pocket, making him jump in surprise. Eunhee laughed delightedly, and picked it from the air. Then she opened it and extracted a single match. 

   Luhan watched as she lit it against the side of the box and set the tiny flame to the bowl. The surface of the water lit up with fire instantly. 

  "That is quite swell, I must admit, but how will it help you scry?" Luhan questioned. 

   The Princess narrowed her eyes at him. "Why must you have so many questions?" 

   Luhan laughed and shrugged. 

   "Well, if you must know, scrying the past is best used in flame," she responded. The paper she was reading earlier floated closely to Luhan's face. "It says right there."  

   Luhan read a few lines and blew it away once he was satisfied. It took flight lazily amongst the others. 

   "Very well. Proceed." 

   She smiled and closed her eyes once more. When they opened, they were glowing a pale gold. 

   Luhan watched with wonder as the fire began to twist and alter before his eyes. They began to grow higher above the bowl, until they reached the height of Luhan's head. 

   I wonder...what sort of past this boy possesses...

   Kai stared down the tall boy as he cowered in front of him. He was obviously not yet a grown man, rather a lanky adolescent, with light brown hair and pieces of hay lining his rumpled clothing. Nonetheless, there was no pity or gratefulness in Kai's gaze, just suspicion and mistrust.

   "I swear, I wasn't going to do anything!" the boy said urgently, still keeping his voice low. In case of passing guards, Kai presumed. "He seems ill, so I thought to try and elevate his head a bit!"

   Kai remained suspicious. "Why did you help us?" he asked, keeping his voice as dangerous as possible. "What sort of reason could you have to assist two strangers you have never set eyes on until this night?" 

   To Kai's surprise, the boy scoffed and raised his eyebrows. 

   "I go through all of that, just to be interrogated by the one I'd rescued in the first place?" he asked incredulously. "A simple 'thank you' would suffice!"

   Kai let out a breath and brought the knife closer to the boy's neck. 

   "Are you going to answer my question or not?"

   The boy let out a long sigh. "Because I'm foolish and I am incapable of ignoring helpless people like the two of you!" he spat at Kai, eyes flashing. "But thank you for this. Now I might think before I commit another senseless act like tonight's." 

   Kai stared at him for another long moment. He could kill this boy without another thought and leave with Sehun. But then what would he do afterwards? Guards littered the area wherever he looked, and he could not simply teleport away because of Sehun. 

   The boy looked up at him contemptedly. "I know what you are thinking right now," he said, sounding annoyed by what he was about to say. "You do not know where else to go, and taking your companion will merely slow you down. Fortunately, I know an easy escape away from here. It is a place where your friend can get some rest and find proper medicine. That is, if you will accept my help, which you don't have much of a choice of at the moment."

   Kai didn't answer. Could he trust this person? Every part of him screamed that he should not, that he should just kill him or knock him unconsious and make an escape his own way. 

   But then there was the subject of his younger brother. If Kai were to escape without assistance from the strange boy, there was no guarantee that nothing wrong would happen to Sehun. Or that they would not be caught. 

   Suddenly the sound of multiple voices began emanating from outside of the shack. 

   "That boy tricked us again." 
   "He won't get away with this next time..."
   "That knave threw a flask at my head!" 

   "You should decide quickly," the boy said, a slight grin tugging at his mouth. 

   Kai let out an exasperated breath and sheathed his dagger. 

   "Lead the way. But I am watching you." 

   The boy grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. 

   "I wouldn't have it any other way. My name is Chanyeol, by the way, if you are the least interested." 

   Kai didn't answer him. 

A/N: Thank you for reading the fifth chapter! The next two updates will be the next weekend :) Please don't be a silent reader and leave
                            feedback at the bottom! Until next time, chingus ~