Fortunately for the trio, the evening passed by without any disturbances and Eunhyuk was woken by Henry during the later part of the evening when it was still quite dark and there was a chill in the air.  The banked fire was a reassuring presence and Eunhyuk huddled near it as he listened to the sounds beyond his sight.  He summoned a few tendrils of wind to help him listen but the whispers he caught were nothing more than what he would have expected.

            In the dark of the night without the others around to help safeguard his thoughts, or the minstrels awake to distract him, Eunhyuk found his mind wandering.  He was well and truly alone now and it was not a feeling he was inclined to like.  The other elementalists were…well, he didn’t know and Summer was captured.  Hangeng had been taken and Henry had been injured because of them too.  Dejectedly, he curled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top of them, his arms wrapped around his legs tightly.

            He felt his throat get tight as everything just seemed to press down upon him.  It was up to him to get to the capitol and somehow make it up to the minstrels who really did not have to be here at all.  He knew that they were supposed to be back at Silverberg manor where they would be safe and unharmed; not out here on the road in the path of danger that seemed to follow him.

            Distractedly, he traced figures in the ground, wiping them away almost as soon as he was finished.  It was a huge relief when the sky finally started to lighten with the sun’s light, helping to chase away the prevalent gloom that clouded his thoughts.  Eunhyuk unfolded slowly, stretching out his legs and rotating his arms carefully.  He was still more stiff than he preferred to be, especially after the other day’s fight.

            “How was the watch?” Zhou Mi asked softly as he sat up and peered at the elementalist over the bed of coals that was their fire.

            “Quiet,” Eunhyuk responded immediately as he forced a smile and hastily got to his feet, wincing when some of his muscles complained bitterly.

            “I would hope so,” Henry murmured sleepily, one hand propping him up while the other scrubbed at his eyes, wiping the sleep away hastily.  Despite his attempts, he yawned hugely and laughed at himself, pressing a hand to his chest when the action made the wound ache.

            “Easy,” Eunhyuk was quick to say, moving over immediately to assist when Zhou Mi would have otherwise.

            “I’m okay,” the younger man assured him with a chuckle that faded to a grimace when his body decided otherwise.  Rest had given him more energy but it also allowed him to take better stock of the damage to his person.  Weariness made his senses dull and now everything was sharp again.  “Almost,” he amended quietly with a glance up at the elementalist.

            “Just rest,” Eunhyuk encouraged with a smile.  He placed his hand on the younger man’s shoulder and gently pressed him back.  “We’ve got a little time before we’ll get moving again.”  He looked over at Zhou Mi for confirmation and the taller minstrel shrugged and nodded in agreement.  They would certainly need food and there was always Lute to attend to.

            With practiced ease, Zhou Mi stood up and started to get their breakfast going.  Soups and stews were always good and seeing that the ingredients were easy to transport without them spoiling, it was no wonder he prepared them so often.  Nor did it take him long to get it going as he stoked the fire to life and kept an eye on the other two surreptitiously.  He could tell that something was bothering Eunhyuk but that was really only to be expected, given everything that had happened of late.

            The sun rose quickly as they all got moving finally.  Soup was dispensed among them and Lute was seen to with a bowl of water that she greedily made disappear, lipping around the bowl to see if there was any more to be found.  After a moment, she gave up and went back to cropping the grass she could reach.  When they had spared enough time to get things marginally clean, the trio clambered back into the cart after Zhou Mi hooked the reluctant Lute back into the traces.

            Without any more delay, the trio was back on the road, a few travelers already present as they plodded along at an easy trot.  Eunhyuk held to his silence tightly, his thoughts still troubled as he stared ahead, both worried and wary of what was to come.  He had no way of knowing what else might get thrown at them as they had already bypassed a patrol and fought off constructs.

            He couldn’t ignore the minstrels either though, who were carrying on a steady conversation about the history of this area and how things had changed.  Eunhyuk listened with some interest as he turned his head to catch their words better, but his gaze never left the road ahead.  The sun moved steadily, just as they did down their path save when they had to take a break.

            Their afternoon break was the time that Eunhyuk was most concerned about in fact, and he grew tenser the closer they got to pulling off for a quick bite.  They had been attacked around midday yesterday.  Would that happen again?  He stayed on the cart when they paused and wolfed down the roll he was given, smiling in embarrassment as they looked at him curiously.

            “Would you like another?” Zhou Mi asked politely, extending a second travel roll to the blonde.

            He laughed in response and waved his hand.  “No, no.  I’m good,” he assured the minstrel with an embarrassed flush across his face.

            “If you say so,” Zhou Mi shrugged and replaced the food back in the pack.

            Henry reached up to clap the elementalist on the shoulder from his vantage in the back again.  They had essentially traded places since Eunhyuk was seated with Zhou Mi in the front and he was now resting in the bed of the cart.  It was infinitely more comfortable than sitting upright on his own.  “It’ll be alright,” he assured the elementalist with a cheerful smile.

            “I hope so,” Eunhyuk smiled back slowly.  He wanted to believe that so very much, but he just couldn’t quite yet.  Maybe when he got to the capitol, but still this far out, he had nothing certain to go on.  Things weren’t even close to being resolved just yet…  Almost as if conjured up by his thoughts, Eunhyuk felt a familiar stirring down the road ahead of them and he sighed heavily.

            As he looked ahead, the minstrels followed his gaze, perplexed.  “What is it?” Zhou Mi asked softly, his brow furrowed in concern.

            “Are those what I think they are?” Henry asked quietly, a slight tremor in his voice as he squinted down the path.  He wasn’t sure if he was up to facing them head on again.  Not with the wounds he’d incurred from their last clash.

            Eunhyuk nodded with a determined expression.  “Constructs…”

            “Bugger,” Zhou Mi frowned fiercely with a concerned glance at his younger companion.  They had weathered the last confrontation well, all things considered, but he would not have them do so again with Henry in his current condition.  “Can we avoid them do you think?”

            Eunhyuk shook his head slowly.  “Not with me here,” he admitted softly as he looked over at the pair, a mixture of fear blended with the determination that was still prevalent.

            “Eunhyuk…” Henry started to say but then wasn’t sure what the words were supposed to be.

            “They feel me, just like I feel them,” the elementalist shrugged.  “At least the wind constructs,” he amended.  He couldn’t follow the other three types unless he could see them so he hoped the same could be said for them.

            “We can’t let you face them alone,” Zhou Mi stated hesitantly, clearly torn.

            “And I can’t let you be hurt because of me.  Not again,” the elementalist sighed with an apologetic look down at Henry.  “I’m pretty sure they’ll leave you alone if I meet them,” he breathed softly, his heart racing at the prospect.  As the wheels in his mind turned frantically, he was trying to formulate some sort of plan and while nothing solid was forthcoming, he had a few thoughts that might work.  His biggest concern was the earth constructs and he didn’t know how many he was going to be dealing with.

            Henry and Zhou Mi looked between each other even as the taller of the two reached under the seat for the swords they had replaced.  He held them gingerly, nervousness easy to read in his posture and expression.  “You mean to let them take you, don’t you?” he asked bluntly, forcing the elementalist to meet his gaze.

            “You can’t!” Henry denied immediately, looking ahead worriedly as the dots he had seen started to become more defined as they closed in.  Obviously, they couldn’t feel him yet, else they would be moving much quicker, but there was no mistaking they were heading this way.

            “Don’t worry,” Eunhyuk summoned up as much false bravado as he could and grinned at them enthusiastically.  “I’ve got a plan,” he winked as he slid off the side of the cart before they could say anything else.

            “Hey!” the minstrels cried in unison with a simultaneous glance at each other.  Neither liked the idea but seeing they had nothing better to offer and that the elementalist was quite determined in his course of action, there was little they could do or say otherwise.  They were frustratingly out of their league here and they knew it.  “Be careful,” Zhou Mi stated softly, torn in every which direction as he watched Eunhyuk go out to face them alone.

            “Good luck,” Henry forced a similar smile, giving what little encouragement he could, feeling quite horrid for allowing him to go anyway.

            The elementalist was glad they did not fight him too hard on his decision.  He wasn’t so sure he could go through with it for while he did have ideas…some better than others, he was absolutely terrified.  With anxious eyes, he scanned the ground, wary of the constructs that would be hidden there.  All he could see was Summer’s scared face before she had been dragged under.  Above all else, he needed to avoid that so he paid special attention to the ground.

            Eerily, he felt the moment they recognized him and his breathing sped up as he prepared himself.  The two shadow constructs were fast, heading for him at a frightening sprint.  He sent a prayer to the gods to make sure the minstrels were left alone as he had no time to spare for them now.  A glance to the sky showed three wind constructs and just the one light construct.  The fliers he dismissed quickly, focusing on the land creatures instead and light on his feet in case the ground tried to turn soft on him.

            “Come on,” he hissed to himself as he glared at the shadows sprinting at him.  Abruptly, he threw a gust of wind down at the first lupine creature, catching it full in the face so that the opposing force hefted it up and tossed it backwards.  The second continued as if nothing had happened, desperately trying to close the distance.  A hasty wind blade clipped it before it could get near, the sharp bite of wind cleaving through its side effortlessly.

            Eunhyuk grimaced at the effect his attacks had on him as well.  Even just these few attempts left him feeling weaker than the other day; proof enough that he was not yet recovered from the expenditure the day before.  For just a second, he spared a glance upward and noticed the four fliers coming down at him.  Almost too late he recognized the ground giving way under him and he threw a panicked gust of wind at his feet, helping to toss him away even as the ground was whisked away by the force of his reaction.

            The earth construct there flailed wildly, only partially destroyed by the attack.  Mesmerized, he watched as it started to reform the missing pieces as it shrank in size, becoming whole in a matter of seconds.  Instantly, he was back on his feet as the construct returned to the ground, disappearing in a heartbeat.  Worriedly, he looked back to the sky and barked a laugh to see the fliers reorienting themselves from the buffet of wind that clipped them too.  “Come on already!” he yelled at them angrily.  When he actually wanted them to get close, they took their damn time…

            He had to turn his attention away to deal with the restored shadow constructs.  Tactless creatures, they continued to bolt straight for him.  The wind blade he threw this time was considerably more successful, splitting the one entirely in half so that it dissipated almost immediately; its companion was bowled over again.

            Impatient and worried, Eunhyuk reached up at the wind constructs and grabbed for them, feeling their solidity easily before he yanked in an effort to bring them closer.  He would deal with the light construct later.  As he was focused elsewhere, the ground gave way again and he released them to throw another blast of angry wind straight down which had the effect, this time, of launching him straight up.  The tail wind of the attack had snagged the fliers and brought them within reach of him and he wildly grabbed for the nearest one.

            For just a second, the wind construct seemed confused about whether he was attacking it or whether it had captured him.  In the next instant, it wrapped its long, sinuous body firmly around the elementalist as it struggled to maintain its height in the air.  The other three fliers quickly caught up and set themselves about as additional support and escorts with the light construct latching onto the first shoulder it came across, his left, talons digging into the flesh.

            Alternately, Eunhyuk wasn’t sure whether to be elated or frightened as his plan had worked thus far.  He was away from the earth constructs and he was on his way.  A worried glance back showed that the minstrels were still where he had left them, watching after him intently, but the constructs had left them alone.  The shadow construct circled the spot Eunhyuk had just been before it ran past the cart, Lute spooking briefly at something underfoot.

            When they had gotten some distance on the minstrels, Eunhyuk began to examine his predicament closer.  The light construct hurt where it had grabbed him and he frowned in thought, unsure how the others might act if he should act against one of them.  The other problem being it was tricky trying to use his power this close to his person for any attacking purposes.

            Awkwardly, he reached around the body of the construct holding him and retrieved the sai from the right side of his body, sliding it from its sheathe quickly.  They seemed oblivious to him for the moment, having succeeded in their initial task, which was quite fine by him.  With a deep breath, he steadied himself and stabbed at the light construct’s legs.  They were slender enough that the center prong nearly severed the first limb completely, and with a quick twist, he was able to separate it completely.

            Immediately, the light construct snapped at him as the one foot disintegrated into the air.  Eunhyuk brought the sai up to deflect the jaws as the other constructs stirred around him, the one holding him tightening around his torso uncomfortably.  He set his jaw firmly and reached out with his power, forcefully commanding them to stop.  Reluctantly, the wind constructs halted in place, floating in mid-air, allowing him to divert enough attention to dealing with the light construct quickly.

            He summoned a gust of air that enveloped the group and caught hungrily at the outstretched wings of the dragon.  It flapped uselessly against the steady force, relinquishing its hold entirely when Eunhyuk caught the other leg with his sai.  Left with no anchor, the light construct tumbled end over end in the air, desperately trying to orient itself.  While it was distracted, the elementalist focused on the wind constructs as he held them steady and determinedly, he pulled at one of the two nearest him, fiercely trying to tear it apart.

            It was considerably harder than he had imagined it might be, holding them at bay and attacking the one at the same time.  He would not be able to keep this up for long and a quick glance down showed that he was so high up.  Nor could he discount the light construct making its way back towards him either.

            Faced with multiple concerns, Eunhyuk realized his plan was a bit rushed.  Hastily, he ‘shoved’ the wind constructs away, having a difficult time focusing on just two of the three creatures so while he was successful, the one that was holding him was also inclined to listen, albeit a bit slower.  The sinuous body relinquished its firm hold around his torso so that he slid through, scrambling to catch hold on something that allowed very little purchase.

            The tip of the sai dragged ineffectively against the creature’s body when he tried to stop himself and then he was falling.  Wind rushed past him swiftly, grabbing at his clothes and hair as he flailed in an attempt to right himself.  When he saw the ground approaching quickly, he panicked and reacted, summoning wind to his aid.  A huge gust caught him full in the face, dragging bits of debris and dirt with it, but the effect was enough to stop him and then send him flailing back into the air, overcompensating in the opposite direction.

            Out of control, Eunhyuk screamed as he lost sight of the ground again, tumbling through the air.  By blind luck more than anything else, he came into contact with the light construct, one of the wings brushing against him as he scrambled.  Desperately, he contorted his frame to face the creature and sank the sai into its back, anchoring himself in the air for the briefest time before the pain in his right hand became too much and his grip slipped.

            Again, he tumbled through the air towards the ground, but this time he had a better idea of what to expect.  His heart raced in his chest as he called on the wind again but instead of his all or nothing approach, he funneled it under him, attempting to direct the flow around his body.  Rather quickly, he came to a halt and found himself floating in the air as the wind howled around him.  He nearly lost his concentration when he saw the constructs floating around him, foiled in their attempts to reach him for the force of the wind that tossed them away as soon as they tried.

            “Hah!” the elementalist laughed, giddy with relief and triumph.  Splayed out in the air, he finally allowed himself to focus more on his surroundings as he jerked almost convulsively to keep his precarious balance.  They were still mostly over the road, though their escapades had sent them slightly off course.  The ground was clear save for a few travelers who were looking up in great confusion, drawn by the aerial acrobatics and the sound of his cries no doubt.

            Carefully, he tried to move himself forward, the command inching him ahead very slowly.  Impatiently, he tried for faster and found himself being catapulted forward, arms wind milling backwards in a frantic effort to slow down.  That thought ended up tossing him backwards into the following constructs who got caught up in the swirling winds so that the light construct collided with the wind constructs.  In the resultant tangle of bodies, one of the latter was torn apart when they violently attempted to break free from each other and the uncontrollable winds.

            Alarmed, Eunhyuk just wanted to stop and even that simple directive went awry as the winds around him died down, lowering him to the ground on the fading winds.  Weary with attempting to control something he did not yet understand, he allowed himself to continue falling, conscious enough to slow his descent so that he landed with a modicum of control.

            With a glance back at the pursuing constructs, he glared fiercely and the winds around him died completely.  “Go away!” he snarled, hurling biting gusts of wind at the pursuers, the sharp edges tearing at the fabric of the constructs.

            Unable to flee fast enough, the wind tore away at their bodies quickly, wearing them down until they simply fell apart.  Abruptly, he fell to his knees, feeling the full weight of the usage of his power as a feeling of lethargy stole over him.  He was aware of the travelers on the road as they skirted around him in a mixture of awe and some fear.  Amusingly, he also noticed his sai stuck in the ground ahead of him, having been freed when the light construct fell apart.

            For a moment, he just stared at it as he tried to collect his thoughts.  He had been flying…  That alone was exhilarating and alarming.  The amount of control needed was considerable as well and when distracted or tired, it was decidedly difficult.  Flying was not something he’d be attempting again before he had a chance to rest up, of that much he was certain.  Now though…he was at a loss as to what he should do.

             He knew he needed to move forward, but he had no supplies and he wasn’t sure how far the capitol still was.  It was also frustrating in that he didn’t know how far the minstrels were behind.  Maybe he could just sit here for a moment and take a break…  That certainly felt like a good idea when he pitched forward and curled up on the ground, quite oblivious to his surroundings.

~~~~~~

            As soon as the constructs had bypassed the skittish Lute and gone around the minstrel’s cart, Zhou Mi had snapped the reins to set them in pursuit of Eunhyuk as he was flown away by the constructs.  He wasn’t sure what the elementalist’s plan was but it was obvious that he had wanted to be captured, specifically by the flying creatures.  The minstrel knew from experience that he could control the wind creatures, or at least stall them out, so maybe he was going to use that.

            Almost recklessly, he guided the cart around the sparse traffic on the road, careful to avoid the persons on foot as they looked at him as if he were crazy.  Ordinarily, that would have concerned him, but he had bigger problems to worry about just now.  “Pot hole!” he warned to his companion in the back before the wheel hit the dip in the road, jarring everything painfully.

            Henry grimaced when the shock reverberated through his body and groaned in relief as they resumed their all-out gallop.  Determinedly, he kept one hand on the back of the front seat to help him peer over the edge but he remained reclined otherwise.  For at least a little while, they had been able to see Eunhyuk before he was taken out of immediate sight.  They knew where he was being taken though and could only hope that he would either get free soon or that it was his intention to be taken all the way there…

            Given their startling lack of understanding, it was both a surprise and a relief to find a small crowd clustered nervously around someone on the ground just off the side of the road.  For a brief, heart stopping moment, they both feared the worst until Zhou Mi pulled up Lute and practically threw himself off the cart, shouldering his way through the small group with abandon.  “Eunhyuk!” he called as he knelt next to the young man and quickly reached to feel for a pulse.  Relief flooded through him when he felt the steady beat under his fingers.

            “How is he?” Henry asked as he slowly limped over to join the group.

            “Alive,” Zhou Mi grinned giddily as he concluded that he had somehow managed to get rid of the constructs in turn.

            “Of course,” Henry stated as if he never had a doubt.  “Oh look!” he exclaimed in surprise when he caught sight of the sai sticking in the ground not that far from them.  Stiffly, he hobbled over to the weapon and retrieved it, wiping the prongs off before he carried it back to his companions.

            “Come on,” Zhou Mi urged as he awkwardly hauled Eunhyuk into his arms.  The elementalist seemed unharmed, but none of his brief attempts to wake him had yielded any results and that was at least some cause for concern.

            As he carried the young man back to the wagon, Henry stopped to speak with the remaining travelers…those that had lingered anyway.  From them, he was able to gain a vague understanding of the highly unusual and impossible events they had just witnessed.  If even part of what he gleaned was true, it was no wonder Eunhyuk slept as he did.

            Hurriedly, he made his way back to the cart and with some assistance from Zhou Mi, resumed his position in the back, beside the sleeping elementalist.  Quickly, he outlined what he’d heard for his companion’s benefit and took over tending to Eunhyuk while Zhou Mi resumed driving.  The remaining onlookers watched them go with various emotions etched on their faces.

            “Do you think he’ll wake up soon?” Henry asked speculatively while he settled one of the flatter packs under the other man’s head.

            “If what they saw was true…I highly doubt it,” Zhou Mi sighed with a backwards glance.  He had resumed a much more stately pace now that they had retrieved their wayward member and was trying to sort things out in his head.

            The minstrels had a great deal to think on in the meantime and for once, they were unusually quiet.  Since they had managed to elude the most recent batch of constructs, there was a good chance that they would either not meet anymore or at least have some time before they met again.  It was their goal to make the city or be almost there by the time night fell this day.

            Steadily, Lute pulled them onward throughout the rest of the day.  The travelers they passed along the way were like those they’d met prior to being separated, only more numerous.  They were fortunate in not running into another patrol either.  As the day wore on, they saw the city of Lornhaldt rise up before them and were infinitely relieved to have arrived about on schedule.  In the failing light, they pulled off to the side of the road to set up camp.

            It wasn’t that they didn’t have time to make the city before nightfall, but they did not wish for the guards to be looking too closely.  They were unsure how much those in the city knew about the elementalists and wanted to have at least a measure of preparation before they waltzed right in.  When they had set up camp, they were able to rouse Eunhyuk enough to have him eat and drink a bit before he fell right back into an exhausted slumber, content that he was safe in their company.

            “It’s going to be a long night, isn’t it?” Henry asked with an amused smile at the sleeping elementalist.

            Zhou Mi nodded slowly but then perked up considerably, “Yes, but at least it will give me time to work on that song we were talking about.”  Having said that, he went to retrieve the writing book while Henry settled himself on the other side of the fire, more than ready to call it a night.  As he drifted to sleep, he could hear Zhou Mi murmuring softly under his breath, humming a tentative bar or two as he scribbled hastily on a page.

(a/n:  Hello to my wonderful readers!  This one felt a little bit off to me and I do apologize, especially since it runs in a similar vein as the last one I just posted.  I am hoping to really start moving things forward fairly quickly in the next few updates as you've probably noticed that things have been building and coming to a head.  It is my goal to avoid rushing but forgive me if anything in the near future comes off that way.  I can only hope that you liked the most recent post and that you will continue to enjoy the rest of the story.  I am getting there; slowly but surely!  Thank you, as always, to my readers, silent and otherwise.  Take care and I hope that you all have a wonderful day!  <3 )