"Like snow shall the blood fall, darkening the world and yet freeing the Light." - The Prophecies of Light

The sun was already almost at the horizon when Jeonghan finally held up his hand to indicate that they were near the Well. They'd ridden in among the crags, and the shadows of the giant peaks stole any warmth that the sun would have offered.

Hyesung motioned for the immortal to stop, though, and turned to Seungcheol and his passenger. "Lady Heo, we are going to have to leave you here. No, don't argue with me," he cut her off with a raised hand. "You do not want to be a part of what will happen when we reach the Well. I will weave a spell around you to protect you from the elements and from notice by anyone but me, but you will have to wait here."

The woman looked as if she would argue, but she must have realized that Hyesung was right. What they were expecting to be going into, she did not want to be a part of. Seungcheol dismounted from his horse to help the older woman down, and once she had found a comfortable enough spot there in the rocks, Hyesung began. He murmured what sounded to be several different spells, his fingers moving in tandem with his words, his concentrate complete on what he was doing. 

Seungcheol noticed a crease of concern appear between Jeonghan's brows when he looked at the mortal Mage, and when he caught the blond human looking, Jeonghan mouthed something about tiring himself out. Seungcheol could understand that that was a concern, but at the same time, the whole reason that they did not have the Choi army chasing them into the crags was because of Lady Heo's son. The least they could do in return was keep the woman safe in the interim. 

Hyesung seemed to agree, because he finished up the spells and gave Youngae a nod. "There you are, my Lady. Now," he said to the others, mounting back onto his black horse. "When we get there, you four get to the Well. Let me deal with Dongwan. Now let's go see what we are up against."

There was still a small part of Seungcheol that had hoped that they were wrong. That had desperately wanted the guessing and the sightings to be completely off base. But when they rounded a hulking black rock, they found themselves faced with their enemy, and his heart sank.

It was Dongwan, after all, standing there in front of the gaping mouth of a cave, leaning on a tall, double edged bardiche. "I see you all made it," he called, his voice as calm as if meeting someone in the street.

Thinking that Dongwan was the traitor was not the same as knowing, and Seungcheol saw Hyesung's face twist in barely concealed pain. He could empathize, because his own heart had twisted at seeing the ArchMage's face. "Why?" he called out, trying to place a reason to the madness, but Dongwan merely shrugged.

"I am glad you're here, Seungcheol," he said instead. "And you other three, Seals, all of you."

"And me?" Hyesung spat out, anger and pain making his words sharp. Dongwan gave a flinch at that and shook his head in seeming regret. 

"You were not meant to be caught up in all of this, love. But you just wouldn't let it go! You were so determined to chase the prophecies and decipher them, that this was simply inevitable. I-"

His words cut off as Hyesung shouted out a casting, sending a streak of pale blue power racing across the snow toward Dongwan. The ArchMage deflected it with one hand raised, but following right behind the bolt of power, a knife cut through. A thin strip of blood opened across the ArchMage's cheek, and he gave a small sound of shock that he was the first to bleed.

Seungcheol would have been confused about where the knife came from, except that he saw Wonwoo with another knife already in hand, moving around the base of the rocks. Mingyu was off of his horse as well, looking as if he would join the thief, and Jeonghan was already near the mouth of the cave, though he did send a questioning look at Seungcheol. 

Who hesitated. 

Hyesung and Dongwan were throwing power at one another now, seemingly locked in their own private battle, but Seungcheol could tell that Hyesung was going to lose. The High Mage already had sweat breaking out on his brow, while Dongwan still looked as calm and pristine as ever. Except the cut high on his cheek. Seungcheol took another glance toward the cave to find that Jeonghan was already inside. "I can't," he breathed, and instead of dismounting, he turned his red warhorse toward the Mages where they battled. 

Mingyu followed the other two into the cave, though he took one last look back at the battle. Hyesung looked as if he were losing, but since Seungcheol was determined to join the fray, Mingyu thought that they would have everything covered. If the two of them could not defeat Dongwan, then at least they might buy time for the other three.

Shaking his head, he turned and moved into the darkness after the immortal and the thief. Wonwoo still had a throwing knife out, and Mingyu couldn't help the swell of pride at the thought of how close Dongwan had come to losing an eye. Wonwoo was impressive, for sure. The mercenary's own sword still lay in it's scabbard, but he kept his left hand near the hilt just in case he needed to draw it. Surely the ArchMage wouldn't be the only line of defense...

He shouldn't have thought those last few words, because no more than a heartbeat later, Je