As Zhou Mi drove the cart steadily onward, he kept a careful eye on is passengers as well as the road ahead.  Patrols were common enough on the road and so long as he acted normal enough, it would not be thought odd that he had two persons resting in the back.  The fact that one of them was an elementalist would likely never cross their mind if they were aware at all.  It was probable that the regular patrols had no idea what was going on in regards to Enrhyll and his attempt to capture them.

                Another glance back made him shrug.  Even if they were aware, Eunhyuk was mostly hidden, tucked under Henry’s arm and hunkered down low in the bed of the cart.  Zhou Mi wasn’t sure if he was sleeping or not but if he was getting any rest, he was glad for him.  The minstrels had both agreed that while the elementalists had been charming on the whole, Eunhyuk especially had seemed to feel emotions more deeply than the others.  Henry had thought it might have been part of the reason he could feel the music as well as he did, but it left him decidedly vulnerable to less pleasant emotions in turn.

               It wasn’t hard to see that the capture of Summer and Hangeng had affected him deeply.  Henry’s injury during the attack had also given him cause for concern as he had worried over the wounds soon after they had resumed their journey again.  He had been shocked after the fight and now, Zhou Mi could only imagine that he was dealing with a large amount of guilt and self-recrimination.  Not that he could blame him.  To have the kind of power he did and still not be able to save them…it was not something he would wish for if given the choice.  No.  He was happy with his song and dance.

                Quietly, he sang a jaunty tune under his breath, making sure to smile and wave at the passersby that took notice of him.  It was easier to pretend nothing was wrong when there were people to perform for, even if it was just a ruse.  As he half expected, they did run across a patrol heading the opposite direction as them and he was briefly nervous when the captain seemed interested in contracting the minstrels for entertainment that afternoon.  With some fast talking, he was able to convince the man that due to a wild dog attack on his companions, they were in no condition to perform, unfortunately.

                The captain seemed genuinely crestfallen by the admission and understandably upset that any wild creature would have been so desperate as to attack them.  “We were careless,” Zhou Mi waved deprecatingly, hoping to avoid too many more questions.  “Had we been paying attention as we should have been, it would not have happened,” the minstrel laughed, allowing himself to flush in modest embarrassment.

                “All the same.  We shall keep an eye out for any further trouble,” the captain assured him fervently with a polite bow.  “Now you take care of your friends,” he chided the minstrel, grinning as he added, “And next time we expect a show.”  Behind him, his men cheered in agreement to Zhou Mi’s concern.

                Gently, he gestured for them to quiet down just a bit so as not to wake his companions.  Slightly chagrined, the captain bowed again and Zhou Mi smiled warmly.  “The next time you shall have it.”  The bow he gave in return was considerably more theatrical and hid a great deal more relief in his expression as the captain turned to lead his men forward again.  The minstrel exhaled slowly and then flicked the reins to get Lute moving again.

                As the cart ambled along as before, Henry laughed from the back, “Not bad, old man.”  Tired and pain filled eyes danced as he looked up at Zhou Mi who was surprised by the comment.

                Warmly, Zhou Mi reached back and placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder before giving it a reassuring squeeze.  “Awake are you?  How much did you hear?”

                “The last part about us being careless,” a subdued but relatively amused Eunhyuk murmured against Henry’s side.  Arguably, he should have sat up to speak with them better but it was considerably more comfortable where he was right now.  That and it was easier to let their presence and the physical contact sooth the distress he still felt at losing the others.

                Henry stirred next to him as he slowly reached for a pack nearby.  Easily, he fished through it and hauled out a travel roll before pressing it into Eunhyuk’s hand.  “Here.  You should eat something,” the violinist urged with a smile.  He was quick to follow his own advice and handed one up to Zhou Mi too who accepted it with a grateful grin.

                Eunhyuk looked at his roll for a moment before he took a tentative bite.  He didn’t feel hungry in the least but he knew quite well that he needed to eat.  Using their power required energy and they had to replenish it somehow.  After the first couple bites, his hunger returned swiftly and the food was gone in a matter of seconds after that.  With a bemused expression, Henry retrieved another roll for him while he was still working on his first one.  “Thanks,” the elementalist grinned sheepishly when he accepted the food.  He slowed down considerably with that roll and felt much better for having eaten when he was finished.

                “You know.  I’ve been thinking about the fight,” Zhou Mi eventually interjected into the silence when they had time enough to finish eating and get a drink.  “Well, the result of anyway.  Now don’t give me that face,” he chided the elementalist when his expression fell at the mention.  “You did remarkably well.”  The assurance was firm but his visage was very gentle.

                Henry nudged him lightly with his arm and grinned.  “Yeah.  I mean, those things were everywhere and you just…  Woosh!” he mimed the wind tunnel as it came down out of the sky and winced when the action pulled at recently bandaged wounds.  “Ouch!”

                “Don’t hurt yourself,” Eunhyuk couldn’t help but laugh lightly.  He reached out to steady the young man who grinned back at him impishly, gingerly holding his chest with one hand.

                “Just relax,” Zhou Mi chuckled as he ruffled the younger man’s hair affectionately, drawing an indignant response from him.  “But earlier, I noticed those creatures focused on you and Summer early, and Hangeng too.  What made them leave us alone for the most part?” he queried as he looked over his shoulder.

                Eunhyuk shrugged, briefly at a loss.  “I don’t know.  If they’re anything like us, maybe they could feel our power the way we feel them,” he suggested quietly.

                “I had thought of that, but Hangeng has no power,” Zhou Mi went on, his face thoughtful.  By now, he had both of their attention and he went on, feeling very much in the spotlight.  “What if they could recognize you too?  By appearance.  Is there perhaps some way that Enrhyll would know what you look like?”

                “No,” Eunhyuk started to say, but then their conversation in the shelter during the rainstorm came back to him.  “Unless…  Unless he was scrying us the whole time,” he muttered angrily.

                “Now that makes sense,” Zhou Mi stated softly.  “Up close, neither you nor Hangeng look anything alike, but you both have remarkably similar hair.  At least in color at any rate.  If nothing else, it’s possible that they mistook him for you or at the least were confused by the two of you so went after both.”

                Eunhyuk groaned at the possibility and leaned back against the cart heavily.  “They thought he was me?” he asked incredulously.  Not because he couldn’t see it, but because Hangeng was in a very dangerous position because of the elementalist.  What would happen to him when Enrhyll found out he wasn’t what he expected?  “Gods protect him,” he whispered while he covered his face with his hands.  When he felt reassuring hands come to rest on him, he took a few steadying breaths and scrubbed his face roughly before facing them again.  He still felt conflicted and the turmoil inside him was no less for his thoughts, but nothing he did right now was going to change anything.

                The minstrels seemed to realize that as well for Zhou Mi nodded in agreement and sighed, “The only thing we can do is get there as quickly as possible.”

                “At least we’re making good progress,” Henry nodded while he looked over the side to watch the ground pass by quickly beneath them, the wheels of the cart turning swiftly.

                “You’re right,” Eunhyuk admitted slowly, his gaze unfocused.  They had slipped from his grasp but somehow he would get them back.  Fervently, he hoped that the others were alright too.  Gods he wished he knew if they were alive at all.  Not knowing was the worst feeling and he desperately wanted the uncertainty to go away.  Tentatively, he flexed his injured arm as his thoughts turned introspective.  Mercifully, the minstrels left him to his silence as they spoke quietly.

                Content to remain in the back of the cart as opposed to riding up front with Zhou Mi, Henry retrieved a carefully wrapped book and an equally protected writing stick before he began jotting down notes on a blank page.  As Zhou Mi came up with another verse or refrain, he’d record it as requested but then resumed his own musical composition.  The rest of the afternoon passed by swiftly for the trio, the time whittled away by such activities and thoughts that kept them occupied.

                They pressed on as long as the failing light would allow them and finally made camp off the side of the road.  Near the end of the day, the amount of travelers had faded to almost nothing as they continued on, leaving them in relative solitude for the last stretch before they stopped.  Old pros at setting up camp, Zhou Mi and Henry got out the cooking gear and sleeping rolls.  While Zhou Mi attended to the soup that would soon be dinner, Henry volunteered to take care of Lute.  Unsure how to assist, Eunhyuk opted to follow the injured man and watched how he brushed out the horse, smiling uncertainly when he was offered the coarse brush.

                The simple activity helped to ease his mind so that he wasn’t still caught up in the concerns of the day.  It was undeniably difficult for the elementalist to not worry, but he could postpone the feeling for just a little while.  Easily, they picketed her near their camp site so she could graze her fill while Zhou Mi waved them over for their own food.  Even while eating, it was hard for the minstrels not to think about their profession.  Inspiration struck at the oddest moments and the book was not far from their hands as both paused a handful of times while eating to jot something down in the firelight.

                “You’ll see, Eunhyuk,” Henry grinned.  “We’ll give you an epic tale before this is over.”

                Zhou Mi tsked at his younger companion and then just laughed.  “It’s still in progress but we are working on a ballad or two,” he agreed after a moment.

                Eunhyuk couldn’t help but laugh in turn.  “If they’re anything like your other works, then they’ll have to be good,” he smiled before scraping the bottom of his bowl and finishing off the soup by draining the rest of the broth quickly.

                “But of course,” Henry agreed emphatically, another bright grin illuminating his face.  Distractedly, he tapped out another series of notes on his leg and then reached for the book that was resting between him and Zhou Mi.

                The taller minstrel watched his companion for a moment longer before he nodded at Eunhyuk, “You should probably get some rest.  We won’t be up too much longer ourselves,” he offered as he finished off his own meal and started to bank the fire, taking the pot off the travel stand and replacing the lid to cover the leftovers.  They could finish them up in the morning.

                “Are we setting a watch?” the elementalist asked, out of habit more than anything else.  A night watch had been one of the constants they had established on their journey and after their most recent events, he did not wish to be left unguarded.

                The minstrels looked at each other, slightly startled as the thought had not occurred to them.  Setting a watch was not something they had done often and whether by luck or simply because they were minstrels and unpleasant elements just left them well enough alone, they had yet to be bothered by more than simple pests.  Zhou Mi shrugged and agreed after a brief pause.  “We can split watches.  I will go first,” he stated firmly with a skeptical glance at the other two.  They had all been up since dawn this morning but he was the least injured of their group.

                “I’ll go next,” Henry volunteered quickly with a glance at Eunhyuk.  “You did a lot today,” he laughed with a friendly pat on the blonde’s shoulder when he looked about to argue.

                The elementalist couldn’t exactly argue so with a heavy sigh he resigned himself to sleep and curled into the new sleeping roll near the fire.  It wasn’t a cold night but the gentle light and warmth were soothing.  Once he was settled, it did not take long for sleep to claim him.

~~~~~~

                High above the ground, Hangeng shivered from more than the slight chill in the air as he was carried swiftly through the sky.  The wind construct that had grabbed him first was still wrapped firmly about his midsection so that his legs dangled uselessly beneath him and the light construct Summer had not been able to unravel clung painfully to his shoulder and arm.  Early on, he had been forced to drop his long sword when the nasty creature bit his hand, drawing blood.

                He was nothing more than a simple scout, an only child who had escaped to the small town ranger patrol when he had still lived over the sea in the village of Airden.  It wasn’t until he had caught a boat to Corley Port that he had really taken an interest in becoming a more skilled ranger, which ended up being interchangeable with the role of a scout.  As most young men with ambition, he had made his way to the capitol in search of adventure and found the Silverbergs and their talented patrol.

                He had worked himself into their service through skill and a bit of luck and in all his time that he had been in the service of the fairly famous family, he had never seen anything like this.  Everything he had been told of Enrhyll and his power had been mere hearsay and rumor, but this…being carried by physical manifestations of the elements themselves; this was absolutely terrifying.  Even worse than that was the knowledge that the creatures were taking him straight to Enrhyll himself.  The scout had no desire to meet the man face to face but it appeared he was not going to have any other choice.

                Hangeng had absolutely no idea how he was going to react when it came to light that he was no elementalist, which begged the question of why he had been taken in the first place and not any of the others.  “Why me?!” he screamed at the restraining creatures.  Uselessly, he flailed against the seemingly insubstantial form of the wind construct with his free limb.  “Damn you!  Why?!”  When they remained irritatingly silent to his demands, he stubbornly kicked at the construct whose neck was still stretched out in front of him.  The only thing he succeeded in doing was stubbing his toe on the deceptively firm surface.

                After that, he subsided to quietly railing against his current situation.  There was little else he could do except nurse the bloodied hand and alternate between grumbling discontentedly and fretting over what was to come.  The road beneath him passed by swiftly, as did the persons traveling on that relatively straight path and it was odd for him to recognize that they were moving faster than a horse galloping at full speed.  He even saw a horse and rider that he could compare himself with and they fell behind rather quickly, to his amazement.

                He noticed the familiar sight of Lornhaldt approach at a similarly amazing speed and felt his stomach knot in fear.  Without thought, he started mumbling to himself as the walls rose in front of him.  The constructs effortlessly floated him over the shops and houses nestled within the city, straight towards the massive structure he recognized easily as the palace.  Another wall and set of gates around the palace kept it completely separated from the surrounding buildings, enclosed and protected even more so than the rest of the city.

                The guards saw him coming and opened the main doors for him while the constructs passed through easily.  He was immediately overwhelmed by the grandeur of the interior of the place.  While he had seen the palace from afar many times, he had never been inside and the scale within was just as impressive as it was on the outside.  He cringed as they sped to the other set of doors at the end of the expansive hall and breathed a sigh of relief when they opened quickly in turn; a breath that lodged in his throat when he realized Enrhyll was just on the other side.

                His attention was immediately riveted on the man that he had heard so much about yet never actually seen.  The rumors did him little justice.  Hangeng would not have said he was perfect but he was definitely exceptional.  The scout was left in awe as the constructs brought him up to the imposing figure who had initially seemed pleased but then frowned.  Distractedly, he noticed two women on either side of him; one dressed in white with golden hair and the other garbed in a more simple style robe of a soft purple color and dark hair.  The former seemed confused upon seeing him while the latter continued to frown.

                Enrhyll stood up swiftly and captured Hangeng’s attention promptly.  “Who are you?” he demanded icily, his expression severe.

                The scout blanched and then stammered, “H-Hangeng, your lordship.”  He fell automatically into the respectful title and prayed this would be over quickly.

                Enrhyll narrowed his eyes at Hangeng, furious that this imposter was here instead of the elementalist.  “How dare you!” he growled, fiercely angry.  Hangeng was immediately confused and terrified in the same instance.  “How dare you trick them into believing you were an elementalist,” he growled, reaching up to grab the bright blond hair and yank hard.

                Hangeng cried out in pain and grimaced.  “I was just there, my lord!  I didn’t-”

                “Silence!” Enrhyll roared as he flung the man away, dismissing the constructs as he did so that Hangeng was released in midair.

                Unprepared for the change, Hangeng flailed and then connected with the carpet covered floor heavily.  “I didn’t do anything,” he insisted again, cringing on the ground.  That had hurt more than he had thought it would.  The stone floor beneath the covering had no give to speak of and he not been able to absorb any of the impact with a roll.

                “You didn’t want him to come here, did you?” the irate man growled, his ire plain to see.  When Hangeng looked up, he felt his face pale at the unreasonable anger there.  The dark haired woman was smiling smugly, seemingly amused by his plight, but the other one…she seemed equally confused and worried.  “Where is he?!”  The question was punctuated by a savage burst of wind that lifted Hangeng up and tumbled him back mercilessly.

                “Please, my lord!” Hangeng cried, scrambling to steady himself.

                “Stop it!” Eleanara screamed as she stepped closer to Enrhyll, thoroughly at a loss as to why he was so angry.  She stopped immediately when he fixed his gaze on her, the fury still present.

                “Why?” he snarled defensively.  “He is trying to make me look foolish!” Enrhyll growled, pointing a finger at the scout on the ground.  “And what’s more!  He’s pretending to be an elementalist!  He lied to me!”  With that final statement, he hurled a cutting shadow blade at the scout.

                Hangeng screamed and closed his eyes tight, certain he was about to die.  “No!” he heard instead as the woman in white reached out and he became aware of a force spring up around him protectively.  His eyes widened as he realized immediately that she was an elementalist like Eunhyuk and that the shadow blade had been deflected easily.

                Enrhyll’s attention shifted immediately from the imposter to Eleanara, his anger redirected.  “You dare to defy me?” he demanded, his voice deadly quiet.

                Uncertainly, Eleanara took a step back and raised her hands up slowly.  “He didn’t do anything,” she stated simply with a glance at the frightened newcomer.  At first glance, she had thought he was Eunhyuk due to the color of his hair but he did know her friend.  Of that much she was certain.  Now though, with Enrhyll’s rather unsettling focus on her, she wasn’t so sure of her actions.  And Hana was wearing a nigh on murderous expression too…

                “He tried to fool me,” Enrhyll snarled, the infraction reason enough for him.  Hastily he lashed out at Eleanara, the same shadow blade he had thrown a moment ago aimed at her.

                Desperately, Eleanara tried to throw up a barrier as she had for Hangeng but the power failed to respond.  For just a second, she froze before hours of practice took over and she put her ability to dodge to good use.  There was no time to shift her body to either side, so she let gravity pull her down.  She folded her knees and rolled backwards, gasping when she felt the sharp blade graze her hands as she partially held them out in warding, just the hint of a barrier shimmering in front of her palms.

                Heart racing madly in her chest, she rolled back to her feet, eyes wide and alert.  Shaken by the attack, she looked between Hana and Enrhyll, distressed.  Alarmingly, she came to the conclusion that Hana was a neutralizer like Summer so her power would be useless around her.

               As she watched them intently, Enrhyll’s expression changed while the anger washed away swiftly and he approached a very nervous Eleanara.  “See what you’ve made me do?” he asked her with a shake of his head.  Easily, he reached out and grabbed one of her hands before she could step away.  A quick look showed that her palm and fingertips were red from where the shadow blade had dragged across them despite her attempt to deflect it.

                “I didn’t do anything to make you attack me,” Eleanara defended herself quickly, yanking her hand back and taking a step away from the unpredictable man in front of her.

               Very much confused by what was going on, Hangeng remained on the floor, hoping fervently that he would be forgotten or at the very least, spared in the end.  He was, however, concerned for his defender as she did not seem to be so sure of herself anymore.

                Enrhyll’s face darkened once more as Hana stepped up next to the young woman, a frightful expression on her face.  With a very firm hand, she made sure her power was neutralized and stepped close to look down at the slightly shorter woman.  “If Lord Enrhyll said it was your fault, then it was your fault,” she snapped, her voice like steel.

                Partly annoyed by the intrusion, Enrhyll’s eye twitched and then he seemingly lost interest in Hana entirely.  Imperiously, he pushed a startled Hana aside and looked down at Eleanara, his body towering over her much like Siwon did when he stood next to her.  “Eleanara,” he began in a patronizing tone of voice at which she frowned.  “You will do what I say, when I say or I will take back the power I gave you,” he growled firmly, one hand reaching to grab her arm fiercely, making her gasp.

                She had nothing to go on but Kyuhyun’s words but she responded with conviction, even as she trembled for the fear he made her feel, “You did not give me my power.”  Eleanara wasn’t sure why she spoke as she did, but it certainly brought about a reaction in him.

                His nostrils flared angrily and he looked down his nose at her before he released her arm and abruptly backhanded her across the face.  “You ungrateful, impudent wretch!” he sneered.  Unprepared for the blow, she hit the ground hard and he felt that familiar rush fill him as fear filled her eyes when she looked up at him, one hand pressed against her cheek.  “If you will not love me as your god, then you will fear me,” he promised softly, his lips turning up slightly into a malicious smirk.  Carelessly, he waved his hand at her and Hana stepped in swiftly.

                The persistently frowning young woman reached down and grabbed Eleanara by her hair, hauling to her feet roughly to her discomfort.  “Get up,” Hana commanded with a savage yank.

               Eleanara grimaced severely at the sharp pain and then gasped when she was shoved forward towards the door where the guards were pulling them open swiftly, expressions carefully neutral.  With a bruise starting to form across her cheek already, the elementalist glared at Hana, certain now why she had not liked her to begin with.  She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else and headed out, careful to take one final look at the stranger still in the room.  Hopefully, he would be alright.  She did not wish ill on any who may have helped her friends.

                Enrhyll approached Hangeng smoothly.  The black haired lord looked down at him with a superior expression and sniffed lightly, his sensibilities offended.  He toyed with the thought of destroying him right there, but his anger had already bled away from earlier.  And if he killed him, then he would not get to see the fear that lingered there in his eyes.  With a sigh, he waved at the guards in the front, “Take this trash away.”

                As Hangeng was lifted bodily from the ground, he was simply grateful to be alive instead of insulted by the derogatory remark.  Wisely, he refrained from saying anything and half-walked, was half-dragged out of the room.  Wherever they were taking him though, he doubted it would be so nice as a room in the palace… 

(a/n:  Yay and hello to my awesome readers!  I wasn't quite able to fit the three segments in like intended but the next update is in the works.  Slowly but surely, we're seeing the others come together.  Since I can imagine arrival times are a bit confusing in so far as when the others are being brought in and because it was partly my fault in not going sequentially, I feel it needs (or definitely will at any rate) need clarification.

Leeteuk is the first to be brought by air (swiftest flying time with three constructs) followed by Hangeng, since the flyers are moving faster than the earth constructs.  No, the groups weren't equidistant apart from the city, but all things considered, they were close in traveling time.  Siwon arrives later in the day when it's starting to get dark (hard to get that from the previous update, I know  >.>) and Summer is yet to arrive.  Eunhyuk and Kharin are steadily making their way forward with as much haste as possible.  I hope this helps at least a little bit.

As always, thank you to my readers, silent and otherwise, for continuing to follow my story.  I greatly appreciate the time you spend in reading it and love your comments when you are able to give them.  <3  Take care and have a wonderful day!)