It had not taken Kyuhyun long to realize what it was that Enrhyll had been doing to Eleanara.  Especially since he had stopped and addressed her directly, “I am the god Enrhyll.  Do you know why you came here?”

                With a confused expression and a weak voice, Eleanara had looked at him for a long moment, as if searching for the answer, and finally murmured defiantly, “To stop you.”

                The answer had displeased him and he took her head in his hands once more and she screamed again, the sound tearing at Kyuhyun as he was powerless to stop it.  The fire elementalist concluded that Enrhyll was using shadow as Kharin had to that patrol they had faced on their way here; he was covering her memories in shadow.  When at last the tyrant turned his attention upon him, Eleanara seemed completely lost and confused.  She recognized Kyuhyun but that was all and was severely disoriented for several moments after he left her alone.

                As for Kyuhyun, though he could not recall why it was so important that he agree with Enryhll when he asked him why he had come here, he had simply said, “To see you.”  It had been true enough that he could remember and as much as he wanted to hurt the man in front of him, he felt that there was a reason why he should not just yet.  Disoriented by whatever it was that Enrhyll had done, he could recall nothing of what had happened recently.  Pleased by his response, Enrhyll had released him and they had sat down to enjoy a bounty of food.

               The fire elementalist was confused by everything at that meal.  He did not know when he had gotten there or why he couldn’t remember putting the clothes he wore on; he knew he didn’t have any like them.  More to the point, he didn’t know why Eleanara was acting so oblivious and only wary of Enrhyll when he was still very much their enemy.  Everything about this place was unfamiliar, including the man and woman who kept eyeing them carefully.  In fact, the last thing he recalled was that gathering they had with Henry and Zhou Mi after that big rain storm…  What had happened between now and then?

                Remarkably, he was able to maintain his mask well enough for Enrhyll who didn’t even question his silence.  It appeared that he expected it in fact and was more than happy to amaze Eleanara with his ability to conjure elements at will.  Seeing that Kyuhyun knew he had the ability to call flames and knew that she could conjure light, he didn’t understand why she acted as if she couldn’t.  He was inordinately relieved when that incredibly long breakfast was over and was further perturbed when Kwan and Hana, the man and woman he didn’t know, insisted on escorting them back to their rooms.

                The fire elementalist was concerned by the open animosity that Hana showed both of them when they were out of Enrhyll’s sight.  “What’s your problem?” he finally asked when her expression grew dourer the further they walked.

                “Nothing,” she snapped, glaring at him fiercely but then returning her angry eyes to Eleanara as she caressed the blood stained sleeve over her forearm.

                That was a lie…  And where did the blood come from?  The more Kyuhyun looked around, the more confusing things became, especially as both the escorts seemed to know them.  Desperately, he needed to talk to Eleanara to see if she could help him puzzle it out but he did not wish to do so in front of these two and he didn’t know why.

                “Are you alright, Kyu?” Eleanara asked softly as she placed a hand on his arm and looked up at him, her eyes shadowed.

                He grunted and raised a brow.  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

                “I don’t know,” she responded, ducking her head and removing her hand from his arm.  “You just seem distracted,” she admitted, oblivious to how closely the other two were listening to them.

                Kyuhyun did not miss their interest and he hurried to create an excuse.  “It’s just…Enrhyll is something else,” he inclined his head with a shrug.

                “That’s lord Enrhyll to you,” Hana was quick to correct, her annoyance obvious.

                The fire elementalist looked at her out of the corner of his eye but did not respond, though he certainly wanted to.  There was too much he didn’t know about them and she felt odd…  It felt like being around Summer when she was using her neutralizing power.  He had to fight very hard not to let his expression change as he came to a frightening conclusion.  Hana was Enrhyll’s Neutralizer…  he remembered there was one at his side.

                “I agree lord Enrhyll is,” Eleanara nodded, smiling as she recalled his ability to use the elements that they might one day inherit.  Wait…  What was she doing outside the monastery?  It wasn’t time for them to leave.  No longer distracted by the power of Enrhyll, she was finally able to start sorting out what she didn’t know too.  She paused as they were walking and the rest of the group stopped with her, looking at her questionably.  “How did we get here, Kyu?” she looked up at him with confused eyes as she struggled to remember what had brought them here.

                “You don’t know?” Hana sneered, clearly enjoying her confusion.

                “I feel like I should,” she told the frightening young woman, “but I just don’t…  And where are the others?” she questioned, aware that the rest of the group she had grown up with was missing.  That was doubly alarming as she always knew where they were…even if it was just based on their schedules at home.

                “What’s the last thing you remember?” Kyuhyun asked softly, just as concerned as she.  He didn’t know how they had gotten here either but he remembered a part of their journey heading towards the capitol.  What happened to the rest was beyond him as well and it worried him.  They would not be alone without good reason.

                Eleanara frowned when she felt herself coming up against an invisible wall as she tried to comb through memory.  “I was studying in the monastery,” she murmured, remembering the very book she had been reading.  It had detailed the possibilities of using her power if she ever came into it.  Panic started to sweep across her face as she could not recall anything after that.

                Kwan stepped forward and bowed slightly, a polite gesture, “I’m afraid you were attacked on the way here.  It might have given you some memory loss,” he explained sadly, his expression genuinely troubled by the possibility.

                “Both of us?” Kyuhyun asked quickly, his sharp eyes focused on Kwan.

                The other man nodded his head once and apologized, “I am sorry.  We were careless and the roads are not as safe as they used to be.”  His answer was greeted with suspicion from Kyuhyun and disbelief from Eleanara.

                “And maybe it’s just better if you forgot what happened anyway.  It couldn’t have been good,” Hana drawled, a slightly malicious smile on her face.

                “Hana,” Kwan warned softly, making her glare at him but she sighed heavily and looked away.  “I’m sure your memories will come back in time,” he assured the pair, his expression still somewhat sad, though it was hard to tell since his face tended to wear a stoic look more often than not, so far.  “Come.  I’m sure you must be weary,” Kwan urged, gesturing down the hall again.

                Eleanara nodded slowly, the alarm still easy to read in her expression.  She drew closer to Kyuhyun and planted herself at his side, feeling more lost than ever before.  Kyuhyun was dealing with a similar feeling but he had at least a bit more than she did.  She didn’t even know she was an elementalist anymore.  The very thought irritated him to no end; that something could remove that much of their memories.  He did not think it was amnesia in the slightest and as he let his eyes slide back over to Hana, her twisted expression helped to solidify that thought.  Oh no.  She was mad at them for something and he would give much to know what it was.

                The pair were led back to their rooms and after a brief argument between Kwan and Hana, it was decided that Eleanara could stay with Kyuhyun for now, given her loss of memories and obvious discomfort.  They settled themselves at the large table in their room and spoke quietly to each other.  It did not take Hana long to become bored with their dialogue and start pacing the room.  Kwan, on the other hand, remained near at hand, his expression thoughtful, though he did not continue to observe them directly.

                With a nervous glance at Hana, Kyuhyun leaned close and whispered, “You don’t remember that you’re an elementalist?”

                Eleanara’s eyes widened and she shook her head slowly.  “I have no power,” she denied, the mere possibility frightening at present.

                “Yes you do,” he assured her softly.  Silently, he cursed the loss of their amulets which he knew they did have at least up to a point.  It would have helped to give her some sort of proof.  “You just don’t remember it.”

                “What…what do you remember?” she asked him shakily, urgently needing some sort of assurance.

                In a very abbreviated fashion, he filled her in on the major points of their journey, casting frequent glances at Hana who continued to glare at them from afar but maintained her distance.  He dismissed Kwan who had left them alone and was continuing to do so.  When he got to the part where the fire and earth construct had managed to injure them, she carefully lifted up the one side of her robe to reveal a scar that matched the injury he had told her about.  After that, her expression changed as he continued with what he knew.  She believed him, had believed him before, but now she was equally disinclined to think that it was mere amnesia that caused their loss of memory.

                When he had finished speaking, she met his gaze and asked, “So what do we do now?”

                Kyuhyun shrugged uncertainly and grimaced.  “We need to get our memories back and find the others,” he sighed.  “Then maybe we can do more…”

                Eleanara chewed her lip nervously and reached out to take Kyuhyun’s hand in hers.  “I’m scared, Kyu,” she confessed, her grip tightening reflexively.

                “Me too,” he agreed after a pause, holding her hands gently but firmly.  They felt so very fragile still.

                There didn’t seem to be much else they could do at that point except try and piece things together further.  Unfortunately, they weren’t going to be given much of a chance.  Hana interrupted them, as she seemed quite happy to do, and informed them, as before, that Enrhyll wished to see them again.  Judging by the passage of time and their stomachs, it was likely about time for the afternoon meal.  Feeling decidedly shaky, the pair moved along, holding to what they remembered and what they had been assured of, fiercely determined to retain as much autonomy as possible.

                When they arrived back in the throne room, another table of food greeted them for an afternoon meal.  As before, the spread was extraordinary and quite beyond anything the elementalists had ever seen.  They couldn’t help but feel that he was trying to impress them with the array and it left them floundering.

                “Welcome!” he greeted with a charming smile as he stood up and opened his arms wide to draw attention to the splendor of the room.  The throne room was even more opulent than the rest of the palace they had seen so far and was absolutely filled with portraits of Enrhyll in nearly every pose imaginable, all smiling smugly.  Given half a chance to look around, that alone made them edgier around him.  “I trust the rooms are acceptable,” he spoke as if stating a fact and not requesting their opinion.  “I approved of them myself.”

                More used to speaking with pleasant platitudes, Eleanara forced a smile and nodded, “They are very nice.  Much more so than the ones we have been used to.”  That much was true enough at least and considering she didn’t feel as if he was her enemy outright, it wasn’t as hard to say.

                Enrhyll smiled at her in a patronizing manner and shook his head, “I will let it go this time, but I am to be called Lord Enrhyll or my lord when you are in my presence.”

                Again, it was easier for Eleanara to say, “My lord,” in response but Kyuhyun managed to choke the words out with a semblance of a smile on his face.  Hana seemed suspicious of his response but Enrhyll continued to wear that satisfied smile as he heard exactly what he wanted to.

                “Sit,” he gestured, pointing at the two chairs on either end so that they would be facing each other and perfectly able to see him as well.  As soon as they had taken their seats, he went through a great deal of effort to explain how each item on the table was very hard to get a hold of and that they should be honored by his magnanimous nature.

                While the pair nibbled on the food enough to quiet the pangs in their stomachs, they listened to him speak and observed.  He elaborated on his power and when Eleanara asked him about how he came into it, he launched into an elaborate tale of how the other gods had chosen him for his perfection to stand as a god among men.  He stated that a divine dream had guided him to the six gifts they wished to bestow upon him and when his father had dared to stand in his way, he had risen above him in glorious power.  “Don’t you see?!” he asked them both animatedly.  “I was meant to unify this land under my rule and to wipe out the dissenters.”

                “And the dissenters would be who?” Kyuhyun asked shrewdly, flinching when Enrhyll eyed him severely.  “My lord…” he added as an afterthought, appeasing the tyrant somewhat.

                “Anyone who opposes me,” he answered simply, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.  Well that certainly went in line with what Kyuhyun remembered and it was startling for Eleanara to say the least.  “But you two.  You two are different,” he smiled, pleased.  “I knew the Elementalists would understand.  That you would recognize my greatness because you have some power too.”

                When Eleanara shook her head in denial, he was confused by the gesture until Kwan stepped close and quietly explained, “She does not remember what she is.  Only that she was last in the monastery.”

                The admission surprised Enrhyll as he looked at the young woman thoughtfully.  A slow smile spread across his face as a new thought occurred to him.  He had done too well in making her forget such horrendous lies about his person but she had only forgotten she had been made an Elementalist.  He did not want an Elementalist who thought she was a mere human.  She had the power still, but if he ‘gave’ her that power…  Yes.  “Do you want such a gift, my child?” he asked softly.

                Immediately, she was torn by the desire to use what she had been training for all her life and the knowledge that Kyuhyun had given her that she already had such a power.  Though, if Kyuhyun was to be believed, then Enrhyll could not give her that ability so it would not hurt her to agree.  She looked over to see her companion watching her intently and he nodded his head ever so slightly.  If he thought it was an acceptable idea, it made her feel that much better about it.  “I do, my lord,” she answered, sliding the honorific in as an afterthought again.

                Gracefully, he stood up and smiled down at her as if she were a mere child.  “Close your eyes, Eleanara.  Accept what you were meant to have.”  Enrhyll placed both hands on either side of her shoulders and cast them both in the glory of light.  It was completely useless for anything other than show but this should do just fine.

                Eleanara felt his hands press on her shoulders, the action reminding her vaguely of something she had felt before.  Her brows furrowed in thought as the familiar light washed over her.  She knew that feeling…  When the light faded and she opened her eyes, she could see Kyuhyun looking at her expectantly.  While she didn’t know what he was expecting, she gave him a small smile and looked back at Enrhyll with a belly full of nervous tension.

                “Now.  Eleanara.  Call the light,” Enrhyll urged, conjuring one for her benefit.

                Countless times, she had read the books on what she could do and how to summon her powers.  It was as easy as breathing to conjure a ball of light above her but the fact that it felt new, filled her with a conflicting sort of joy.  She believed Kyuhyun when he told her she had such power but it was hard not to feel at least a little bit grateful to Enrhyll in just that moment.  It was new and familiar at the same time which was both thrilling and confusing.

                Enrhyll gave her another patronizing smile, the expression beginning to grate on her nerves, and took his seat again.  “Kyuhyun.  Shall I restore your power as well?” the tyrant asked.

                If Hana had not been watching him so alertly, he would gladly have allowed Enrhyll to come that close, but if she was aware of his intent, she would just stop him again…  Instead, he wanted to keep the tyrant away and shook his head slightly.  “I am still gifted…my lord.”  Those words were harder and harder to keep saying.  He smiled through a grimace and conjured a small ball of flame into his palm.

                Enrhyll actually appeared slightly put off that he had not forgotten as well but he hid his disappointment.  Instead, he gestured at Hana and she neutralized both powers with a glance.  “Well then.  So it would appear.”  He mused thoughtfully as he contemplated what to do now.  “Considering we are similar,” the statement said in such a way to indicate that he was the better of them at the table, “I imagine you would have no problem with assisting me in unifying this land.”

                The pair was startled by the words and it showed, though Enrhyll saw their surprise as nothing more than uncertainty with how to accept his offer.  “The humans are so lost,” he continued.  “Just like you were before I found you,” he explained slowly.

                Eleanara and Kyuhyun frowned at the word usage.  They were only lost because they couldn’t remember, but Kyuhyun at least knew that the others were coming, or at least were on their way.  “Would we be with the rest of our friends?”  Enryhll started to answer and then raised a brow at him.  “Erm…lord,” Kyuhyun mumbled as he dropped his gaze.

                For a moment, the tyrant just looked at the elementalist and weighed the resistance still in him.  That one had more pride than was good for him.  “Yes,” he finally drawled out, his expression neutral.  “They should be here soon,” he smiled then, a fairly gleeful expression.  He had felt a fair number of his constructs blink out of existence just before he had arranged to have the two elementalists here join him for lunch, but when he looked in on the ones he could still follow, he could clearly see that his creations were carrying two persons back to him; the blonde haired young man and the red haired young woman.

                “Who?” Eleanara asked before Kyuhyun could.

                “You will see soon enough,” Enrhyll teased, enjoying the amount of power that little tidbit of information gave him over them.  By their expressions, it was clear they wanted to argue the matter.  “Go away now,” he waved dismissively.  “I have other matters to attend to.”

                Kyuhyun’s face darkened and even Eleanara seemed offended by the ease with which he disregarded them.  “When will they be here?” Kyuhyun persisted stubbornly.

                As Enrhyll’s face clouded over from the impudence, Kwan stepped in and firmly directed Kyuhyun away from the table and back out the door they had entered.  “Lord Enrhyll said soon, didn’t he?” he queried rhetorically.

                Eleanara squeaked in surprise when Hana took a firmer grip on her than was necessary to prompt her to exit after her companion.  “You have been dismissed,” she muttered crossly, her grip tight enough to leave fingerprints on the smaller woman’s wrist.

                Eleanara yanked her arm away from Hana and looked at her with narrowed eyes.  The young woman was slightly taller than her and a bit more solid, but she had a nasty attitude and the light elementalist had no idea why.  Nor, she realized, did she care.  “I can see the door,” she stated plainly before moving herself after Kyuhyun and Kwan to Hana’s consternation.

                The fire elementalist smirked over his shoulder, amused by Eleanara’s spirit.  He couldn’t resist one final glance back at Enrhyll though who seemed rather preoccupied by something else entirely.  The façade he wore in their presence had slipped and he seemed annoyed more than anything.  Oh, how he wanted to know why that was the case…

                When the others had departed the throne room, Enrhyll swiped a bowl off the table, dumped the soup that was in it and filled it with clean water before he focused on what he had felt a moment ago.  More constructs had been destroyed, each one alerting him to their death before they vanished entirely.  His annoyance vanished as he saw what they had managed to accomplish.  Two more elementalists were in their thrall and heading back this way.  So only one was missing then.  His glee dampened as he realized he could not find him…her.  He was missing one of the women…  How could that be?  In obvious frustration, he threw the bowl away from him, rolling his eyes when it bounced away and couldn’t even stop properly.

                Hastily, he brushed his hands off and stood up.  The constructs moved considerably quicker than his patrols did and with them moving through mediums where they would not be obstructed…  Then they should be here even sooner.  This pleased Enrhyll greatly.  A glance down showed him in an outfit he was already bored with.  This would not do for greeting his newest guests at all.  With a confident stride, Enrhyll departed from the throne room to get himself better prepared.

(a/n: Okay...I know I said things get busy at the end of the month and they really do, but I also get a little caught up in my work sometimes.  I just had to get this update down.  ^_^  I am anxious to know what you thought so if you don't mind, could you possibly leave a comment or even send me a message?  It's just getting to the point where everything is coming to a head and I really do enjoy hearing what you, my wonderful readers, have to say or think about the story progression thus far.

If the memory wipe is a bit confusing, I do apologize.  Overall, I am very excited to be getting to some reunions coming up really quickly.  Happy!  Thank you as always to my readers, silent and otherwise, and I hope that you've enjoyed this update!  As a side note, I wanted to thank my newest subscribers who have put me at the 30 mark!  Huzzah!  Uber excite!  <3 and have an awesome day!)