Word Count: 8357

The next morning, Sehun woke up to Yixing's urging for him to submit to another session on his bones. Sehun hesitated. He didn't want to feel that pain again, but he knew he needed to. He rolled onto his back and gave his arm to Yixing. Kyungsoo showed up a few minutes later, yawning and rubbing the grit from his eyes. He sat next to Yixing and his fingers dug back into Sehun's arm.

"!" Sehun cursed, flinching back from the touch. Kyungsoo had found a very painful spot this time around and Sehun didn't want him touching it. It was unfortunate for Sehun that Kyungsoo refused to let go.

"I know it hurts," Kyungsoo said, voice soft and comforting as he kept his fingers in the painful area. "But it'll feel better in a minute. Bare it a little longer."

Sehun nodded, but this was worse than the tender spots Kyungsoo had found before. This rivaled the pain of having his bones smashed all over again. As it turned out, that thought was dangerous. Kyungsoo's fingers worked fast. While they worked, they glowed a green light to administer some pain relief, but it wasn't enough. Sehun screamed and the wind picked up. But it wasn't the wind on its own. Sehun's body started to radiate with crackling electricity.

"Back away," Yixing urged, pulling Kyungsoo back from Sehun. Yixing stayed where he was at Sehun's side. Sehun closed his eyes tight and tried to catch control of his power like he always did. But he hadn't started his training with Jongdae, yet. As always, he couldn't call his gift under control and he began to panic.

"Pouch..." he said, a shock of electricity running through him. He stiffened at the currents and his body arched off the bed. The wind started to grow violent, whipping Yixing's and Kyungsoo's hair in their faces.

Yixing didn't look away from Sehun, but he knew what Sehun was trying to say. After all, Sehun had placed the pouch next to his pillow. But in his current state, he couldn't reach it himself. Yixing reached for the little pouch, not breaking his gaze. He opened it up and emptied it of the single item it contained and finally looked away from Sehun.

He seemed to examine the item for a few seconds. But it seemed to dawn on Yixing what the item was a short time later. He reached forward with the little bracelet and was quick to wind it around Sehun's wrist. When he tied it off, everything seemed to go still.

As Prince Yifan and Chanyeol had told him, Sehun felt the discomfort. His body relaxed, but his mind began racing faster than it ever had. All the winds and breezes fell silent around him as his power stopped raging out of control. His body's state of relaxation seemed to dissolve as his thoughts jumped everywhere.

Kyungsoo, now that the wind had died, was back at Sehun's side. He leaned over him as Yixing placed a hand on Sehun's forehead.

"Calm down," Kyungsoo whispered, trying not to startle Sehun much more. "You're okay."

Sehun felt Yixing's grow warmer on his forehead and a wave of sleepiness swept over him.

"What are you doing?" Kyungsoo asked, looking to Yixing.

"Putting him back to sleep for a little bit," Yixing answered, not looking away from Sehun. "Rest a little more, Sehun. We will finish while you are asleep."

That was at least a relief for Sehun to hear. Whatever Yixing was doing to him, Sehun's brain continued to protest. But at some point, the protests grew faint and weak the way his consciousness waned. Soon enough, Sehun couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He fell back asleep.

-----

Sehun didn't know how long he was asleep, but he woke alone. His arm was back in bandages again and a sling kept it cradled safe against his abdomen. He looked down at his wrist and noted the absence of the bracelet. He could feel the familiar presence of his powers again, and it brought him some sense of peace.

He laid there for a while longer before he decided it was time to get up. The boat was still rocking beneath him, but he didn't feel the need to vomit like he had the prior day. He sat up, still feeling a little uncertain of his body. The pain was gone, but he still didn't feel quite stable or well. Still, he shifted his feet over the side of the bed and stood up.

Sehun took a breath and put his shoes back on. Then he looked to the space next to his pillow and discovered the pouch where he had placed it in the first place. He grabbed it, checked it for the bracelet, and put it in his pocket.

Leaving the room was uncomfortable, but that was only because of the sun. It was bright outside and Sehun's eyes were sensitive from being in the dark. He winced and blinked a few times, letting himself grow used to the brightness again.

"Finally up, I see."

Sehun turned to his side and spied Jongdae approaching him with that smile of his. Sehun crossed his good arm in front of himself, the only defense he had.

"Hey, I’m not going to touch you," Jongdae promised, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. Then he waited a moment before taking another step towards Sehun. "How are you feeling?"

Sehun didn't relax his posture, but he let his voice come to him. "Better," he answered, but he didn't elaborate.

"No more seasickness?" Jongdae asked.

Sehun shook his head.

"Have you eaten?"

Another shake of the head.

"Then let's get you something to eat," Jongdae invited, ushering Sehun to him. "Then we can start your training. Sound good?"

Sehun hesitated, but he was starting to think that he needed to stop being so scared. The prince's concern for him appeared to be genuine. Such concern led Sehun to believe he could address any problems encountered here. If any problems arose at all.

Sehun dropped his arm from his protective stance and made slow movements forward. Once at Jongdae's side, the knight wrapped a careful hand around Sehun's shoulder. The familiar touch filled Sehun with discomfort, but he took a few deep breaths and tried to push it away.

Finding food ended up being as uneventful as Sehun had hoped it would be. He gathered his serving on a beaten up wooden plate and they went back to find a seat on the deck. Jongdae let him eat in peace while he played with electricity on his fingers to occupy himself.

When he finished eating, Kyungsoo walked up to the two of them. He looked down at Sehun, some amount of relief in his eyes. He must have felt some amount of remorse for earlier.

"How does your arm feel?" he asked.

Sehun looked down at the sling keeping his arm still. It ached, but for now, it was tolerable. It was Sehun's stomach that was rolling with discomfort. Eating hadn't helped that, but he needed food.

"It's fine..." Sehun answered.

"Do you think he can handle training today?" Jongdae asked Kyungsoo.

"He should be fine," Kyungsoo said with a nod. "But be aware of his limits. That bracelet was a great help, but it sends him into panic attacks." Then he reached down to ruffle Sehun's hair. The affection made Sehun think of his father. He pulled away from the touch. Kyungsoo didn't appear too upset by the withdrawal. He dropped his hand and left with a few words over his shoulder. "Don't work too hard."

Though he wasn't confident, Sehun was feeling more energetic when he and Jongdae began. He felt like he could deal a little better with concepts of learning control now than yesterday.

Jongdae marked off a section of the deck where he said Sehun could work. It also told the other sailors on board the ship where they could not pass without warning. It would give Sehun his best chance at work without disruptions as well. Then he had Sehun face the sails on the ship. Those would be the easiest target for learning to control gusts.

"I'm going to teach you how to propel this ship faster with your wind," Jongdae explained. "I'm not asking you to pinpoint a small thing, so this should give you a nice broad control." Sehun nodded his understanding. "Now, as I understand it, you know how to call on your gift. It's knowing how to stop it or determine what power you need that is the real issue." Again, Sehun nodded. Jongdae smiled and gave him an encouraging wave of the hand. "Call on it for me."

Sehun turned to the sails and did as instructed. He reached into that familiar place inside him and called on his dear old friend the wind. It came immediately to his calls. Yet, with Sehun's reluctance, the wind was reluctant to give a strong gust. Instead, it only skirted the edges of the thick sail or ruffled it rather than fill it.

"Good try," Jongdae hummed. "But try to give it a little more push. You're hesitant because you're nervous about losing control. If you fear your power, you won't be able to control them. That goes the same for your newfound lightning gifts as well."

Sehun tried to breathe to relax himself into the flow of the wind. He hadn't tried to be this comfortable with his powers since he was very little. It was unnerving how out of practice he had become with time. The wind immediately picked up and he smiled as it pulled the sails taught. The ship gave a small lurch as it cut faster through the calm waters.

"Much better!" Jongdae cheered. "You need to stay relaxed if you want your powers to respond as you want. Now see if you can make it stop without instruction."

That was a little harder for Sehun. Even though Jongdae reminded him to stay calm, this was the part that made Sehun afraid. Years of difficulty dismissing his abilities had nurtured that fear. Calling them was easy. Getting the wind to settle after watching the destruction was not so easy.

Sehun tried to tell that familiar energy inside of him to stop, but the wind had picked up into a roar. Sehun could feel it slipping from his already loose grasp. The magic grew in strength and the range grew. Below them, the waters were becoming disturbed. He could feel the panic rise in him as the wind continued to pick up. Jongdae noticed immediately.

"Don't panic, Sehun," he urged, voice gentle and always calm. He placed a comforting hand on Sehun's shoulder. "Take back the control. This power belongs to you. It wants you in control of it."

"No, it doesn't," Sehun whispered, shrinking in on himself in defeat. The winds grew worse.

"Sehun, you're panicking," Jongdae noted, not leaving Sehun's side. "If your winds didn't want you to control them, then why are they panicking, too?"

Sehun looked up at the winds that tore at the sails, waiting for his approval. He hadn't heard it until now because he had been so ready to fall into panic. They whispered in his ear, asking as if they were children if they had done enough. Children seeking a father's blessing. It wasn't until Jongdae had said those words that he had heard them and realized he was right. His winds were panicking. Sehun had not given his approval with conviction. And because of no approval, like children, they often tried too hard. They were going beyond what he asked them for because they hadn't believed him when he said it was enough.

So, Sehun tried again. He reached for that energy inside of him that had become a wind. He had to raise his voice over the cries of the gale inside of him. He told it to stop again, and this time, it seemed to hear him. It was slow to respond, but the wind died around them, and the sails relaxed until they were empty of wind. Jongdae signaled with his hands for the crew to inspect the sails. Once they were moving, he returned his attention to Sehun.

Sehun swayed on his feet when it was all over. He hadn't allowed that much power to flow through him in such a long time. It would no doubt get easier again as he got used to it, but right now, it had taken all the energy from him. Jongdae gripped his shoulders and moved him over to the side of the deck to sit. Yixing and Kyungsoo seemed to appear from almost nowhere to take care of him.

"Make sure he gets some more rest," Jongdae instructed. "A few more rough days still lay ahead of him, but this is a good start."

Kyungsoo nodded his agreement. They weren't going to stop their voyage at the border of Eriand. The prince had already plotted a coarse down south to the ports of trade. What little Sehun knew of Eriand, he knew that they were likely headed to the capital city. That was where the royal family lived, and it seemed Prince Yifan was aiming to return home.

Sehun's recovery would have plenty of time to continue while they voyaged. The only problem in Sehun's head was that he was putting distance between him and his father. Every passing day made the possibility of finding his father that much smaller. Yixing felt sorry for that, but he had thoughts on how the two would reunite. He had spoken to Sehun about potential once. He had even said that if things went as they should, he was certain Sehun would make a name for himself. If that happened, his father would come running as soon as he was able.

Over the next few days, Sehun continued to recover and he no longer required the bandages on his back. His arm too much longer. Yixing worked to stitch his bones back together with magic and Kyungsoo set the bones. Yixing maintained that he could have done most of the work on his own, but it would be tiring. Kyungsoo helped to take some of the pressure off Yixing and to be sure the bones did not come together deformed.

The spells were difficult for Yixing to explain well. He had so many secrets and he didn't want to reveal them all, so he skipped over explanations all over the place. Sehun only knew the magic to be both soothing and painful at the same time. Each day he felt like he could do a little more.

His own magic had been different. Sehun had a hard time understanding the limits of his control. He didn't even know how he would go about expanding those limits over time. But it was the lightning he now possessed that gave him the most trouble.

Jongdae, Yixing, and Kyungsoo had once discussed where it could have come from. Sehun swore his mother only possessed the power over the wind. Also, Jongdae was the only person he had ever met that had any kind of gift of electricity.

"Could my appearance near you have triggered the awakening?" Jongdae suggested, glancing in Sehun's direction. "Would that even make sense?"

Sehun shrugged. He hadn't exactly had much information on magic growing up. He didn't know anything about the little things that came with it. Even Jongdae, who studied magic, was not familiar with this topic. Magic didn't seem to appear at random in someone very often. Or if it did, there was not enough information on it to study in the first place.

"That may be the only conclusion we can draw at the moment," Yixing hummed. He always seemed to be thinking about something, but he would never tell anyone what he was thinking. It all stayed under secure lock and key in his head. In this case, it didn't seem to matter. Even Yixing didn't seem to have the answer, despite the number of thoughts he might have. "He should learn to control both either way."

There was a collective nod. Sehun pouted and wrapped his good arm around his stomach.

"I still don't like this," he grumbled, feeling a flare of unease and nausea flow through him once more. That feeling of being close to vomiting was constant, but it was much better than the first day.

"You don't have to like it," Kyungsoo said. "But uncontrolled power leads to bad things, not only for the people around you, but for you as well."

"You don't think I know that?" Sehun bit back. "I almost brought a tree down on me in an emotion fueled windstorm when I was seven. I know what it does."

"Then stop fighting your second gift," Jongdae encouraged. "The more you fight it, the more dangerous it becomes. Wind in your face won't kill you, it's the things falling on you that does it. But a lightning strike will if you don't discharge it in the correct manner."

"I know..." Sehun said. "But I'm... scared."

"You shouldn't fear it," Jongdae said, offering that friendly smile of his. "I'm here to teach you. No one is better at handling lightning than me and you will get it soon."

Sehun appreciated the confidence in him, but it didn't help him much. He continued to struggle with controlling lightning for the rest of the voyage. He trained for the next fifteen days with Jongdae up until they could see the ports.

The colors of red and silver shone bright in the Autumn sunlight. The proud banners that hung from the city walls hypnotized Sehun. The walls were strong and built from stone and the houses were many. The cobblestone streets bustled with people and their carts and wares. He had never seen a city so huge in his entire life.

Having grown stronger in the recent days, Sehun had begun letting his arm loose from its sling. Kyungsoo forbade him from abandoning the sling all together but encouraged a few hours at a time. With those hours, Sehun began climbing around the deck as if he were a member of the crew. The rest of the men on board gazed with impressed looks on him. Many wondered how he was so quick to adapt to the boat when he had gotten so ill on the first day.

Another bout of sea sickness never came again, and Sehun was glad for that. Suffering through his broken arm was enough discomfort. The appearance of his lightning already made it worse.

So many things out here were new to him. On his third day on the boat, Sehun noticed the fish. There were fish in the water that he had never seen before. All the colors were so exotic, and the sizes were far larger than he could have imagined. Sehun only knew of the river fish that always seemed to elude his fishing rod. But when he looked into the sea, Jongdae had been able to name each one of them for him.

Kyungsoo told Sehun of plants for healing that he had never heard the names of before. He listed a few common herbs in Eriand used for medicines and told him their uses. He even promised to give Sehun time to look in his book of flora when they landed. Sehun gave Kyungsoo a tight smile at that.

When they came up to the docks, most of the sailors stayed to perform their final tasks. The prince and his friend were first to leave the ship as soon as someone laid the gangplank down.  The guards, like Jongdae, followed shortly after.

On their way off the boat, Yixing and Sehun thanked the captain for their rescue. He assured them it was no trouble and wished them better luck. Then Kyungsoo wished him well on his next journey across the oceans before he followed the two off the boat.

They were all stopped to register their visit to the Kingdom of Eriand. As guessed, there were questions for them all to answer. Sehun gritted his teeth and explained his situation for the customs officer. The man gave him a sad expression after hearing his story. Then he patted Sehun's shoulder in a manner meant to comfort. Sehun tried not to flinch.

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