Sehun struck the trunk of a tree with a sword before grabbing an axe on the ground with his other hand and throwing it at an invisible enemy. The axe flew through the air, hitting the center of a second tree.

Then, allowing his sword to fall to his feet, Sehun pulled a knife from his pocket and turned to look for another invisible enemy.

Some bushes shifted at his left side and Sehun, agile as a fox, ran up to them. He felt a shadow pass next to a tree and stuck the knife in the trunk of the same, missing Kai’s ear by a whisker.

The brunet gulped in shock and Sehun gave him a tough look.

-What are you doing here? – He asked in a rough voice.

-I-I was watching your training. – He gaged in a somewhat embarrassed way. – You… You are really good with weapons.

-Yes. – Sehun agreed. – I could have hit you though, and I almost did, thinking you were some kind of animal! I always tell you not to pop out of nowhere, don’t I? And to think you teleporting people were supposed to be fast. For Christ sake, be careful next time…

-I will. – Kai smiled, his heart slowly coming back to its normal pace, and he pressed his lips against the blonde’s in a quick kiss. – Anyhow, I came because Suho gave you permission to go into the tree of life’s temple. We can go tomorrow if you want an…

-Let’s go now. – The man turned around to collect his weapons.

Kai raised an eyebrow at him. – In such a hurry...?

Sehun shrugged. –Who knows what can happen tomorrow, right? Besides, I’ve finished training and it’s not like we have much to do now anyways.

-If you say so. – Kai agreed, showing his excited self again. – Let’s race to the castle, the loser has to grant a wish to the winner.

-Sure. – Sehun stretched his arms lazily. – But no teleporting, you hear me?

Kai pouted, but nodded. – And no using the wind to help you either.

-I won’t. – He said in a mocking solemn voice.

-I see you later then. – Kai smiled and scampered out of the forest.

-HEY! – Sehun followed in a hurry. – That’s not fair! KAI!

He cursed the man, but reached him easily and soon was passing him.

-Há, that’s because you are a lazy teleporter! – He yelled over his shoulders. – If you moved just a little bit more maybe you would be able to…

-To do this? – Kai fastened his running and quickly passed the blonde.

Sehun tried, but he couldn’t reach the brunet before he stepped into the castle’s patio.

-I won! – The brunet jumped around while a breathless Sehun crossed the patio’s portal. – You have to grant me a wish now, Sehunnie.

-That’s not fair, you cheated.

-But I did let you pass me, didn’t I?

Sehun snorted. –Ok, you can ask me for something later.

Kai agreed and both of them approached the guards in the palace’s entrance and asked to be announced to the king.

-The king is preparing for receiving visitors, the sovereigns of S just arrived at the kingdom’s gates. - the man explained. - I'll be the one taking you to the tree.

They followed the guard to the door of a large, beautiful temple near the castle. They thanked the man and Kai pushed the door carefully with the tip of his fingers. It opened with a light metal noise and they stepped into the big hall.

-This is the tree. – Kai stepped aside so that Sehun could see it.

The blonde found himself in front of the oddest tree he ever saw. It had a gold color in her trunk and it had not only green leaves, but also a whole branch of blue and red ones, besides a lonely branch of golden yellow that competed with its trunk.

Sehun stepped towards the tree, dazzled by its beauty and glow.

-It’s amazing! – He stuck an arm to feel the golden crust, but stopped and dropped his arm. Was he allowed to touch it?

-It’s all right. – Kai approached and the trunk. – She likes it when people touch her. When we do, she grows stronger.

-She likes it? You mean like it can feel?

Kai laughed.

-Of course. If this was a common tree, she wouldn’t be shining like this, would she?

Sehun raised his hand again and touched it at last. So this tree, besides being alive like all the others, also had a conscience?

-And what does it do? I mean, what makes her so special besides it’s looks?

-She is the one that keeps our kingdom alive. – He explained. – If she wasn’t here we wouldn’t have forests with fruits and plants to eat or water to drink. If this tree dies, probably all of us would too. Or we would find a way of adapting, but I don’t think we would be able to last that long…

Sehun’s chin dropped. What was this story about that tree maintaining the life in K? That didn’t make any sense and didn’t match with anything Kris or Eeteuk said about it.

But Sehun was used to trusting Kai now, since the man seemed to be quite honest about everything, and he was willing to believe what the brunet just told him.

-This is incredible. – He said truthfully and Kai nodded.

-But what makes people want it so much is that her leaves can cure pretty much any disease there is. - Kai explained. - We don’t use them, unless we have to save an young king or something, ‘cause when you take a leave out, it doesn’t grow back. It makes the tree die a little bit and, by consequence, something nature around it dies too.

-But what if someone tries to take it away?

-I don’t know. – Kai shrugged. - It will probably die, I guess. And along with her would go every kind of vegetation we know.

Sehun gulped and Kai smiled at his discomfort.

–You don’t have to worry about it. – He assured the blonde. – There’s no way that’s going to happen anytime soon. Suho protects this tree like it was a part of himself. He is a great king.

-Yes, of course. – The blonde still wasn’t convinced. – But what if an invasion happens? Even a war, maybe?

-Stop being so pessimist! – Kai laughed. – Nothing is going to happen.

-Of course not... – And Sehun did his best to smile at his friend. Was there any chance that nothing would happen?

><><><><><><><><><>< 

The young man fled through the castle hallways reaching for the throne room, where Suho expected him. His locks of long and blonde hair kept falling over his eyes, making him blow them in exasperation.

-They are here! – He burst into the room, running past the soldiers and positioning himself behind the royal family. – They are right in front of the castle…

Suho nodded and ordered the guards to let them in. Finally the door was opened and through it entered the royal family of S and their entourage of servants and soldiers.

-Welcome to K. – Saluted Suho, extending a hand to a swarthy, muscular man, whose crown was the tallest.

-Thank you. – The man smiled, then introduced himself. - I’m king Jonghyun, and my power is to control the rain. And this... – He said, and a blonde man with bangs that fell lightly on his eyes stepped forward.– This is my husband, Key. He has the power of herbal vitality.

-And my father, king Onew, was coming along with