The general sounds of camp in the morning woke Eunhyuk from a sound sleep while the enticing smell of fresh meat roasting over the small fire was even harder to resist.  He roused quickly as the mouth watering scent wafted over to .  “Good morning,” Henry greeted enthusiastically when he saw Eunhyuk stir from his slumber.

                “Morning,” the elementalist responded as he rubbed his eyes with his palms, blinking with blurry eyes at the speaker.  Sleepily, he peered around and noticed it was just beginning to lighten with the rays of the sun over the horizon.  For just a second, he was tempted to lie back down and go to sleep but then memory kicked in and he sat up straight, instantly alert.  “What happened?” he asked, very much confused by where he was and the presence of the minstrels.  Worriedly, he cast about as he searched for any sign of the constructs.

                “You are in camp with us,” Henry answered facetiously, a mischievous smile playing across his features.

                Zhou Mi chuckled softly at the answer and took pity on Eunhyuk’s bewildered and slightly panicked expression.  “We found you on the side of the road.  Of course we followed you,” he laughed when he saw the elementalist’s surprised look.

                “And if any of the stories we heard about your escape were true, then that would make a great story!” Henry clapped excitedly, earning a wry glance from Zhou Mi.  “What?” he shrugged.  It would make a good story…

                Eunhyuk looked fairly dazed as he slowly went over the events of yesterday, trying to organize and make sense of them in his head.  Eventually, the dazed look wore off to be replaced by a silly, excited grin and he laughed lightly.  “I was flying,” he grinned, remembering the feel of floating in air quite clearly.  Despite the presence of the constructs, even they couldn’t mar what he had felt upon using his power the other day.

                “See?” Henry gestured pointedly, a similar grin on his face.

                Without prompting, the elementalist started to recount what had happened after he had been flown away by the constructs.  He could see the curiosity in their eyes and really it helped him to piece everything together in his head since all of it was still fairly jumbled.  Animatedly, he described how he had gotten free and the terrifying free fall; his attempts to correct himself and how he had eventually landed on the ground to finish off the constructs with a broad attack before he apparently passed out.

Admittedly, keeping his person in the air was both easier and more difficult than he would have imagined.  Staying still wasn’t problematic but as soon as he tried to pick a direction, control became far trickier as overcompensation seemed to be his biggest concern.

                It was easy enough for the minstrels to relay how they had followed along and found him in turn.  His display had unsettled many of the travelers that had gathered around him so most weren’t compelled to try and do much of anything one way or the other.  In fact, the hardest part had been simply getting them to move back enough that the minstrels could get to him and whisk him away to safety.  “Oh!  I found this near you,” Henry exclaimed, reaching over to retrieve the sai they had kept nearby.  He had made sure it was cleaned and polished before they had called it a night so it glinted brightly in the morning light.

                Eagerly, Eunhyuk reached out to reclaim the lost weapon while checking his person for the other, sighing in relief when it was still present.  They had not decided to take it from him while he was sleeping.  Holding the pair in his hands, Eunhyuk felt better and more settled; the weapons acted as a reminder of how far he had come and he felt as if the one carried a bit of Tierne’s quiet strength in it.  Now, he had been able to get away from the constructs again and keep Henry and Zhou Mi from getting hurt, which had been his main concern.  He also had an idea for how to get inside the capitol if the minstrels didn’t.  It was probably a long shot, but it might well prove to be interesting.

                While they busied themselves with thinking up song and story ideas for Eunhyuk’s ability to fly, the elementalist looked ahead towards what was to come.  He could see the capitol from where they were and as the light of day grew brighter around them, more and more persons could be seen heading towards the capitol with a handful heading out.  Those that passed them paid them little to no mind, to his intense relief.  He would much rather avoid attention in general just now.  In fact, it appeared that most that were leaving were headed for the port city or somewhere already well under Enrhyll’s control to avoid the chance of being attacked or caught in the crossfire.

                Zhou Mi finished cooking while Henry jotted down more notes in the book they shared between them, trying to move as little as possible.  He was healing well but it would still take time; not that it kept him from composing notes in the air when the music came to him.  While he had remained in camp with Eunhyuk, Zhou Mi had managed to snare a hare with a ground trap.  That was what the elementalist had smelled roasting over the fire and it helped to supplement their porridge quite nicely.  Eunhyuk was not one to complain anyway and was more than happy with what they were able and willing to share.  He was only perturbed he didn’t have more to offer, but at least they didn’t seem to hold it against him, and were very gracious hosts, all things considered.

                He remained quiet until they had finished eating and then regarded the minstrels intently, waiting for their attention to shift to him.  He figured it would have been rude to interrupt their meal after all they had done for him.  Zhou Mi was the first to notice and he smiled politely with a nudge to get Henry’s attention, who had just scribbled another passage in the book.  “What’s on your mind, Eunhyuk?” he asked easily, settling himself to listen.

                The wind elementalist looked at the capitol nervously and then nodded to himself.  “Well, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on getting in the city.  Should I risk being recognized?”  He was very unsure about the whole thing and wanted their opinion first.  If he could get in with just their assistance, that would be preferable, but considering their situation, he had no idea.

                The minstrels leaned back and appraised him for a few moments, running through ideas in their head.  They didn’t really have any of their more flamboyant traveling gear.  That was usually reserved for the cooler parts of the year when extensive costumes became more tolerable.  Chances were good that the guards in the city would be on the lookout for the remaining elementalists if nothing else and they had no good way of disguising him.  Granted, it was possible they were ignorant of the elementalists in general but it was not something they would prefer to risk.  Supposedly, they might be able to secret him inside by hiding him under the cart but that would take some doing.  Like most carts, it did not have anything built in for that purpose.

                “We could certainly try to disguise you but I’m not sure how well it might work.  It depends on how closely they’re checking those who are entering the city.  And we do stand out a bit as is…” Zhou Mi added offhandedly.  Normally, that was a good thing but they wanted to avoid attention today…not attract it.  Animatedly, the minstrels formed and bounced tentative ideas off of each other, thoroughly caught up in their brainstorming.

                As the silence lengthened, Eunhyuk had been turning his own idea around in his head.  Since they had no answer forthcoming, he could only surmise that getting inside by normal means would be tricky or risky…  Frankly, he was quite tired of putting them at risk, even if they didn’t complain.  Carefully, he reached out to a spot away from the camp and slowly formed in his mind the image of what he wanted.  If Enrhyll could make those things, then so could he.

                At first, nothing really changed since he himself didn’t know what to ask his element to do, but as he kept trying, a creature began to take shape in front of him.  Into the thought, he poured what he wanted it to be like and imagined a creature that was not unlike Lute in temperament, but a bit more inquisitive instead.  Threads of wind weaved together animatedly as a long, sinuous body gradually came into existence, crowned by a dragon-like head that turned to peer at him curiously.  It was semi-transparent in appearance, visually a pale green color with deep green eyes.  Slowly, he smiled and reached out a hand to the construct, fingers trembling with excitement.

                Distracted by their own thoughts, the minstrels failed to notice Eunhyuk’s accomplishment until Henry glanced over to ask him a question and then noticed the construct floating nearby.  “Aya!” he yelled, scrambling back quickly as he searched for some sort of weapon.  Zhou Mi’s reaction was similar as he hopped up and immediately put himself in front of Henry, reaching blindly for some sort of defense.

                Their reactions startled the construct and it reared up and floated backwards, seeking to escape until Eunhyuk called out, “Stop!”  It was a command that halted both the construct and the minstrels as all three froze in place.  With one hand raised to his creation holding it in place, Eunhyuk looked back at the minstrels and soothed, “It’s okay.”  His smile was warm and happy as he met Zhou Mi’s gaze and then Henry’s who peeked around the taller of the two curiously.  There was nothing to be afraid of here.

                “By the Muses…” Zhou Mi breathed wondrously before he reached down to help Henry to his feet, never taking his eyes off the creature.

                The younger man allowed himself to be pulled up and then blinked rapidly at the construct that slowly returned to their group.  “Did you…?  How?” he asked, dumbfounded they hadn’t noticed it.  Not surprising since it hadn’t exactly made any sound that they could hear, nor did the wind blow particularly hard as it had been created.

                Eunhyuk laughed as his hand finally came into contact with the creature’s elongated face as it floated back down to his level, tentative but caring.  “I made him,” he answered at length, amazed by his success.  “I figured if Enrhyll could do it, so could I.”  The construct just floated where it was, seemingly needing no wings or assistance to remain airborne.

                “Can we touch it?” Zhou Mi asked, intensely curious.  He had seen the other constructs close enough but this one looked decidedly different.  Oh, the shape was the same and it even had the opaque quality the others had, but Eunhyuk’s looked much gentler and appeared to be more skittish in nature with a softer coloration.  Briefly, he wondered if it was because of the person that had made it that it seemed so different from the others.

                “Sure,” Eunhyuk encouraged, keeping one hand on the creature’s neck as he waved them forward slowly.  The construct remained motionless as it watched them approach, relaxed under Eunhyuk’s hand.

                Carefully, the minstrels stepped closer to it, looking up as the head rose above them while the body hovered closer to the ground.  Slowly, so as not to frighten it again, they reached out hesitant hands and paused when it lowered its head to peer at their limbs closely.  After a moment, it nudged their fingers with its nose and, seemingly satisfied, reared back up and looked down at them, its head cocked to the side.  It was silent, which was odd in and of itself, but they could tell it was definitely interested in them as they were in it.

                Henry grinned and managed to stifle most of his laugh.  “It reminds me of a dog.”  At Zhou Mi’s raised brow in his direction, he shrugged and added, “Not in appearance but you can’t tell me it isn’t acting like one.”  With the tacit permission, the younger of the two was the first to reach forward and place his hand on the surprisingly solid surface of its body.  The creature remained still as it felt the hand slide along part of its body.

                Not to be left behind, Zhou Mi quickly followed suit and grinned in pleasure at the sleek feel under his palm.  It felt smooth like a snake would but it was much cooler, with a harder body that had no give.  “It’s amazing,” he murmured appreciatively, marveling at the design.  It was very similar in appearance to the others, but if he wasn’t mistaken, the body was longer, and not quite as thick as the ones that Enrhyll had sent.

                “I can use him to get inside,” Eunhyuk explained after a moment in which he grinned at their awestruck expressions.  With the morning growing late already, he was more than ready to do something and since they hadn’t come up with anything yet, this would do quite well.  Since the others had no problem with carrying him, this one should be fine and since he could control it, presumably, it would be a much smoother trip than last time.

                “That’s brilliant!” Henry laughed excitedly, causing the construct to flinch but it settled down quickly, seemingly disgruntled by his lively nature.  It drifted closer to Eunhyuk as if seeking comfort and constricted its body, making itself appear smaller.

                Zhou Mi turned over the idea for a few seconds more and his mouth pulled up into a smile in turn.  “That is a good idea.  We’ll need to find something to cover that hair of yours when you get inside but that is good,” he agreed.  “It’s not as if the guard will know the difference either way,” he laughed.  That freed them up to get into the capitol as normal, to their relief.

                They were far enough away that the guards that would be at the gate would not be able to see them and the travelers along the way likely wouldn’t know what to think or say for that matter.  The ones that were passing them by were eyeing them with curiosity and alarm or stolidly ignoring them for fear of drawing their attention.  “Here,” Henry offered as he returned from the cart with a dark green cloth in hand.  “It seems we do not have a hat for you but I figure you can wrap it around your head,” he winked, shaking the fabric out.

                “That’ll do just fine,” Eunhyuk assured him, stepping forward to take the proffered cloth.  It took him a moment to situate it the way he needed but when he was done, with a little help from the minstrels, he had a wrap that covered most of his hair.  The fact that he was blonde was fairly hard to see, though it did peek through in some places, but was otherwise the effect they were going for.  The elementalist took another nervous look at the minstrels and pat himself down, checking to make sure the sais were in place and that he was as ready as he was going to be.

                “You ready for this?” Henry asked from where he leaned against the cart near Lute, rubbing her forehead soothingly as she continued to eye the construct and shift in place.  It wasn’t surprising that she was nervous about the creature since the others that had appeared had not been the nicest of things.  He glanced at the rising sun, noting it was drawing close to midmorning and by the time they were ready and could get through the gate, it would probably be closer to noon.

                Zhou Mi looked the elementalist over once more too, checking to make sure the cover was secure one additional time.  “Good luck, my friend,” he finally smiled and bowed deeply before standing back up and stepping away towards the cart.

                “I’ll probably need it,” Eunhyuk murmured to himself as he waved and moved over to the construct that was patiently floating in place, for all intents and purposes, waiting for him.  “Alright you,” he started uncertainly with no idea what to call him.  Tentatively, he placed a hand lightly against the construct’s neck.  “Let’s go,” he sighed, mentally instructing the creature on what he wanted.

                Easily, the construct coiled its length around his body, snug but not uncomfortable, and then lifted him from the ground.  Eunhyuk felt a trill of excitement run through him at being in the air again.  This time, he was more in control and it was fairly enjoyable, unlike the desperate flight he had halted just the other day.  With an excited grin, he waved down at the minstrels who waved back before turning their attention to the camp and getting everything packed and ready.  Undoubtedly, he would be inside long before them and would simply have to lay low until they arrived.

                “Okay,” he murmured to himself again, setting his gaze on the capitol city as the construct continued to float upwards slowly with no other directions given.  “Go,” he pointed firmly, urging the construct to follow suit.  Just like that, the pair was flying forward, the construct undulating gently in the air and bringing Eunhyuk that much closer to the others.  “I’m coming, Summer…Hangeng,” he breathed.  Though he did not mention the others, they were in his thoughts and he could only hope that if they were here, then they were well too.

                The outer walls of the capitol loomed up hugely, hiding the interior initially save for the palace that rose above the city, obvious and amazing.  The wind elementalist cringed as he saw guards standing on the parapets, weapons in their hands, but none of them rose up towards the pair passing above.  In fact, they lost interest soon after they had gone by, no longer any of their concern.  The buildings below were huge, much taller than he was used to, and there were so many of them…  Even more than what they’d seen in Fairwinter, this city was crowded, loud and filled with all manner of things that he could see from up here.

                “Slow down,” he instructed the construct, which immediately reduced its speed so that they floated languidly above the city.  Eunhyuk tried to find a spot that would be easy to disappear in.  Most of the places had a lot of people, some of whom were already peering up at them in confusion, but he was also trying to avoid the guards that wandered the area here and there.  There weren’t very many of them but they were spread out broadly.  At last, he found an area that he figured would be suitable; near the shabbier part of town where he would probably fit right in…he hoped.  Impatiently, he patted the construct’s neck and pointed, “Down there!”

                Right on cue, the construct angled down and dropped them out of the sky, startling the elementalist so that he held tight in reaction, stifling his cry.  The construct pulled up just short of the ground, causing quite a stir among those able to see them, before uncoiling from around Eunhyuk and depositing him on the ground.  At that point, it floated above him uncertainly while people around them panicked at seeing a construct in their midst.  Traditionally, they were harbingers of bad news considering they were sent by Enrhyll.  Eunhyuk started to panic at the attention the two were drawing and quickly turned at the construct, “Shoo!  Go away!  Hurry!” he waved at it exaggeratedly, genuinely torn.  He was comforted by its presence but he needed it to go away.

                Conflicted, it circled around the area swiftly three times and then darted down the nearest path and onto the main road, causing havoc where it passed.  Screams followed its departure and took the attention off of Eunhyuk…mostly.  Some eyes were still following him but mostly he was left alone.  Quite lost and confused, the elementalist hurried down a path in the opposite direction as the construct and promptly lost himself in the crowd of people moving up and down in either direction.

(a/n:  Yay!  A happy reunion!  I've been dying to write this update for weeks now!  Thank you to those who are still following me and I can only hope that it's a satifactory update.  ^_^  I very much enjoyed writing it and I felt we needed a bit of happiness just now.  I appreciate all of your patience while I get my head together in sorting updates out and will do what I can to get the next bit to you.  As always, thank you to my readers, silent and otherwise, and especially my commentors who help inspire me to continue forward.  <3

Update: 03/26/12 - For those just getting here, this chapter was touched up and redone slightly.  The next update was initially part of it but I felt I needed to alter it just a bit as the next update has additional info that was not in this one.  I hope you don't mind too much and thank you for reading!)