[ʌɪən]

A strong hard magnetic silvery-grey metal, the chemical of atomic number 26, much used as a material for construction and manufacturing.

The paradox of its uses.

Water's touch can kill and acid's burn will restore.

There was no way for Donghae to describe what had happened. After all, he had only been privy to his aural and tactile senses at that moment. All he knew was that a burst of searing heat had filled his whole being; even hotter than what had been generated by his earlier teleportation spell, that he felt as though he were being scorched to death. Bomi's hand had fallen from his face but he was still blinded by the heat and the fatigue that gripped his core.

Everything glowed white then faded, allowing his surroundings to blur into existence. A back faced him; broad and a startling emerald green of the cape over his shoulders which fell in folds over his frame. Donghae couldn't make out his face as it was covered by his blonde hair which, though it didn't reach his shoulders as Donghae's did, was longer than the standard style in Elsiriad. He bent over in front of Donghae's sprawled form in a stance that was both protective and defensive.

Was he guarding me? He caught sight of Bomi crumpled on the ground a few feet away from between the man's legs, covered by the weight of her extravagant clothes.

"Don't touch him." The man spoke lowly, threateningly; his words piercing Donghae's soul as he felt a sudden sense of nostalgia. Are you alright? He wasn't sure where the words came from and he clenched his fists and stared up at the man, taking in every detail of his back and the way his hair fell in waves and skimmed the nape of his neck. Even the warmth seemed familiar. It radiated off him in waves and Donghae could taste it as he breathed in that intoxicating heat.

It seemed that Bomi was able to sense it as well as she slowly rose and inhaled deeply before turning her head carefully until she faced the man. Her eyes seemed to bulge in greed and she gave a hoarse scream of delight and fear and Donghae swore that he saw her her lips in craving for all that raw heat and power.

No, Donghae thought weakly, He's mine. He wasn't sure where this realisation had come from for he had no claim over this man he had never seen before and certainly had no kind of relationship with him. All he knew was that Bomi couldn't touch him or take him. His warmth was Donghae's. His and his alone. His eyes flared at the thought of anyone else touching the man, absorbing his heat, and he staggered to his feet, clutching at the wall as his legs shook with the strain

"Well," Bomi breathed, "I never thought it would be like this. I would never have guessed it would be you." Her grin grew slowly and she gave a harsh chuckle, "There's only one person who would be able to harness that much power. I should have realised. The Mastarierd is searching everywhere for you. You should have realised that they would find your little mouse sooner or lat-"

"Don't touch him." The man snarled again and Donghae felt an invisible force grip at his chest and pull him forward until he stood only a few inches from the man; the heat more overwhelming than ever before. "If you touch him again, I'll cut your head off and rip your heart out through your neck."

The image was a disturbing one but Bomi only laughed and threw her head back with amusement. "Why? What would you do with it? You only needed one, after all. You've chosen your little mouse, now you must dispose of his before taking mine." Her dark eyes glittered with hunger. "Don't be greedy, Eunhyuk. You know what I'm here for."

Donghae had no idea what they were talking about and contented himself with simply taking hold of a fold of the man's cape. The fine fabric slipped between each finger and his touch seemed to have spurred the man into action as he whirled around and grabbed Donghae's shoulders with a secure, yet gentle grip. Bomi screamed in rage and Donghae caught a flash of her eyes glowing a startling yellow and a dark purple haze began to seep across the room with surprising swiftness.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me, Eunhyuk! You cannot keep that rodent away from me and you know that! You won't always be there and I'll find him then! Just as I will when he opens his eyes!"

A piercing green light emanated from the man and Donghae could feel his rage in its very aura. It surrounded them and stabbed through the dark haze as it approached Bomi with lightning speed and accuracy. He caught a flash of red from the corner of his eyes and stared into the man's eyes as they watched him flatly, glowing with a red sheen not unlike his brother's when he draws upon his magic.

But his brother's aura was a piercing blue. This man's eyes were glowed bloody red.

"You won't be able to touch him while his eyes are open." His voice was as soft as a whisper that Donghae was sure only he could hear it. His hold on the man tightened and he in that overwhelming warmth as they were whirled away into darkness; Bomi's howl of pain and rage echoing in his ears.

The shouts of the crowd grew louder and Donghae slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the blinding light which filled his vision. The ground was hard beneath him though his cloak gave him a little relief. The hood was pulled over his head and he raised his head from his slouched position against the side of a wooden fruit cart.

"Had a lovely nap, have you Mother?" A deep rumbling voice broke through Donghae's disoriented state and he twisted around to stare up at a heavyset man donning an apron staring back down at him. The curl of his moustache rose up and the wrinkles of his forehead rose with surprise. "Well," He scratched at his beard and peered closer, making Donghae lean back cautiously, feeling as though he were being inspected like a cut of meat or piece of fruit, "My apologies lass, I thought you were an old woman, what with your thick cloak and skinny little ankles and wrists."

"I'm not a lass!" Donghae cried out in indignation, despite himself, "Why, I'm a boy!" He crawled up and scrambled a little ways away so as to take the huge man in fully.

"Well," The man roared with heavy laughter and fixed a large eye on Donghae, "I can see that now. You're just a mere child, not much taller than my daughter." He gestured at a young girl who appeared to be a few years younger than Donghae. She glanced up from her conversation with a customer, caught his eye and shot him a small smile. "A real cutie isn't she, my little Minzy?"

Donghae opted to agree that yes, his daughter was 'a real cutie' while keeping to himself the fact that it really was a relief she had not adopted her father's thick frame. His words caused the man's russet moustache to curl up again with delight and he picked up Donghae clear from the ground with a hand the size of a small watermelon and with the other, proceeded to dust him off as best he could before finally setting him back down.

Donghae took another few steps back, feeling rather violated, and decided that the man couldn't possibly be a Blood Hunter. After all, Blood Hunters don't spend the day selling fruit and showing off their daughters to boys mistaken for old women. It just wasn't right.

"Now, what's your name, boy." The man winked cheerily, "I could really use a nice young lad like you to introduce my Minzy to a few of his friends.

"Dongh- oh, wait." Donghae quickly caught himself and spluttered as he internally berated himself for nearly giving his true name away. One's true name was a dangerous thing to know.

Usually, people opted to cling to their given name but his brother had discovered his true name and given him this gift. This curse; the knowledge of his own true name. He should have been more careful. With his true name, the man could control Donghae's thoughts and actions and bend him to his will.

Thankfully, the man seemed to have misheard. "Dong Houwei, huh. Well, I'm Shindong. Pl