Jongup didn’t know what he was more overwhelmed by: the floating castle Seunghyun had taken them to or the orb as big as his head currently resting in his palm.  He’d called it the Draconus Orb and it was the divine artifact that Ricky had given him before Odin destroyed Paranthir.  Right now it was dormant, but he knew by holding it and past experience, it was inordinately powerful.

                So why had Seunghyun never used it?  Or maybe he had… but no.  Jongup would have been able to feel it, or at least remember through contact, if that was the case.  He was tempted to search the memories lying within but a constant tug from Rune’s Fate told him that he still had a brother to find.

                For one blinding moment, none of it mattered when he felt something else disturb him and he realized Himchan or Daehyun was in trouble.  It was hard to discern them from afar but one of them was hurt… very badly.  He froze so that the orb and the sword trembled in his hand as his gaze stared straight ahead, locked in place.

                “Uppie?” Seunghyun asked, drawing near with a thoughtful expression as he placed a hand upon the Valkyr’s shoulder.

                Jongup exhaled shakily and gasped for breath, clutching to the items in his hands fiercely.  “I’m alright,” he panted, face as white as snow.  “It’s one of my brothers,” he explained breathlessly, eyes wide in his face.

                “Which direction?” Seunghyun asked, waving his hand at the space in front of them where they stood in his throne room, conjuring the image of a topographical map.

                Trying to control his racing heart, Jongup frowned at the shimmering picture.  He’d seen it many times from above, but trying to focus on where Rune’s Fate was attempting to point him was frustrating.  Trembling, he closed his eyes and raised the sword towards the picture, using the tip to point where he wanted to go, converting the weapon into a modified pendulum.  While he tapped into the memory, his hand drifted and then stilled.  “There,” he whispered, daring to crack open his eyes.

                “Just outside of Valinceburg,” Seunghyun hummed thoughtfully, one finger tapping his lip as he regarded the image.  “Very well.  Hold on, Jongup,” he urged, raising his hands to either side of him as he closed his eyes and focused.

                The Valkyr lowered Rune’s Fate and watched Seunghyun carefully.  What was he doing?  It didn’t take him long to realize the Lord of the Undead was summoning power, using himself as a funnel to distribute it to the rest of the castle.  Jongup groaned as the very stones beneath him seemed to vibrate while the air grew heavy and thick.  For a very brief moment, he felt lightheaded and dizzy before his world seemed to twist, making him tense up as he experienced the sensation of moving without actually going anywhere himself.

                “Ugh…” he groaned, sinking to the ground as nausea threatened to overwhelm him when the feeling stopped.

                “Sorry, Uppie,” Seunghyun apologized, squatting beside him as he wrapped both hands around Jongup’s shoulders, squeezing comfortingly.  “I forget it can be disorienting at first,” he explained, giving the Valkyr a chagrined smile when he finally looked up to meet his eyes.

                “What did you do?” Jongup asked in a dazed tone of voice, eyes blinking slowly.  If not for Seunghyun’s hands, he be swaying where he sat.

                “I shifted the castle,” he admitted with a small amount of pride, gesturing towards the conjured map.

                Instead of the distant, continent view it had been just a moment ago, he now saw a picture of a tall tower almost directly beneath them.  It took Jongup a moment to realize it was where the sword was pointing him.  “He’s here!” Jongup gasped, struggling to his feet with the help of the sword and Seunghyun’s hands under his arms.

                “Easy, Uppie,” Seunghyun urged, hovering close with a watchful eye.

                “I have to go,” the Valkyr insisted, eager to do something but baffled about which direction to head.

                “Wait,” Seunghyun urged, gaze turning distant as he appeared to feel or hear something Jongup didn’t.  “Something’s happening,” he admitted, waving his hand at the image again, changing it once more as he started to actively pan across the sky.  “There,” he pointed, eyes narrowing while he focused closer.

                Jongup gasped when the image was enlarged, much like one could do with the Eye of the Gods, and he saw his brother falling in the night sky.  “Himchan!” he screamed, lunging forward only to come up short when Seunghyun grabbed him and hugged the Valkyr close, keeping him from running into the image.

                “Easy, Uppie,” he soothed, bracing the shorter male against his body.

                “He’s hurt…” Jongup whispered, staring at the plummeting figures.  It was Himchan and he recognized Zelo and what appeared to be Youngjae, but the woman was unfamiliar, as was the body of the wolf.  He jerked in surprise when they clustered together and simply vanished from the air.  “Yah!” he cried, trying to break free again, but finding himself to be no match for Seunghyun’s strength.

                “They teleported,” the Lord of the Undead mused, gaze turning thoughtful.  “Is the tower trembling?” he asked, shifting the image again to get a look at the building once more.

                “What?” Jongup asked, very much confused.  He watched in growing concern as the tower itself shook, swaying in the air.  “We need to get down there,” he explained breathlessly, straining against Seunghyun’s hold once more.

                “Alright,” his friend murmured, relaxing his arms so that the Valkyr could step forward.  “Follow me,” Seunghyun instructed, gesturing for Jongup to come after him.

                There was no hesitation when Jongup rushed after the taller male, sticking close while he led the way to the entrance.  Seunghyun grunted once as they made the front gate and flung the doors open into the night air.  “Hurry!” Jongup exclaimed, clutching the orb and the sword tightly as he threw himself out, conjuring golden wings to catch him while he fell towards the tower below.  He felt rather than saw Seunghyun follow after him this time, though the other male passed him on the way down.

                When he landed, he noticed Seunghyun waiting at the edge of the stairs leading up to the tower.  “There’s a barrier in place,” Seunghyun admitted with his hand held out towards the building.  “I cannot breach it without a great deal of trouble.”

                “What?!” Jongup gasped, running up beside him to see for himself.  He knocked his fist on an invisible wall that tingled to the touch, using the hand that held the sword.  “No!” he yelled in denial.  “We have to get in!” he growled.

                “Try using the orb, Uppie,” Seunghyun suggested, pointing at the dormant globe in the Valkyr’s hand.

                “The orb?” he repeated in confusion.

                “Ne.  You should be able to use its power to breach or break the barrier,” the Lord of the Undead assured him confidently with a gesture, expression impassive though certainty radiated from him.

                “Oh…  Um.  I can try?” Jongup offered hesitantly, not feeling at all confident but he had to do something.  Tentatively, he raised Rune’s Fate up to the edge of the barrier, resting the tip against the invisible surface as he closed his eyes and focused on activating the orb.  He didn’t know what he was doing or even how to do it, but he needed it to work.  “Come on,” he breathed through clenched teeth, willing power to come to him.  “Come on!” Jongup commanded desperately, jerking when his left palm suddenly felt uncomfortably warm and power flooded through him.

                He choked as it streaked through his body and funneled into his sword arm, turning his right palm uncomfortably hot while he gripped the weapon.  Pressure filled him, like a vessel with too much water, and he groaned at the tight feeling that quickly bordered on painful.

                “Use the power, Uppie!  Break the barrier!” Seunghyun commanded as if from far away, his powerful voice echoing in the Valkyr’s ears.

                Jongup leaned forward, feeling resistance against the tip of the sword before his stomach clenched on a surge of strength.  Something gave with a sharp crack like glass shattering and suddenly he was stumbling forward, shaking with relief and nearly falling to the ground while the power of the orb dissipated in a burst of release.  “Ugh!” he gasped.

                “I’ve got you!” Seunghyun assured him, capturing the Valkyr in his arms before he could crumple to the ground.  “Easy, Uppie.”

                “Did it work?” Jongup asked in a daze, head still spinning from being the focus point of that much power.

                “Ne.  Now let’s go,” his companion confirmed before he steadied the Valkyr and pressed him forward toward the closed doors.

                Jongup moved as if he was in a dream.  The use of the Draconus Orb left him curiously drained and he felt somewhat disconnected from everything, even as he was guided up the steps and through the front doors.  If not for Seunghyun beside him, he wasn’t sure that he would have been able to move on his own and the inside of the tower felt surreal.  Books everywhere and a staircase leading up and down…

                “This way,” Seunghyun pointed, taking them towards the one heading down.

                “Okay,” Jongup blinked, struggling valiantly to regain a measure of his senses.  Eyes almost crossing, he stared at the orb and then ripped his attention ahead where something achingly familiar called to him.  It overrode his blunted senses and practically yanked him ahead, bringing him into range of raised voices.

                “Surely you have another lying around!” came the sound of a young man’s voice.

                “I need yours JaeJae!” a female voice shrieked indignantly.

                “Stop it!” roared another young man.

                “But mine broke!” the woman wailed angrily.

                “Enough!” growled what had to be Himchan, voice tense and filled with pain.

                That pulled Jongup faster than anything else could have and he lurched free of Seunghyun’s hold, reaching the bottom floor and pelting through the first open room without even glancing to either side of him.  “Channie!” he called plaintively as he stumbled into sight, blinking in confusion when he saw Youngjae, Zelo, the woman, Himchan, and then… Daehyun?

                “Yah!” the female mage shrieked, still holding onto Youngjae’s scepter while he wrestled with her, though they both jumped and turned towards the strangers.

                “Uppie!” Himchan gasped, lurching forward with a pained groan before he stumbled to reach his brother.

                Jongup ignored the others and met him halfway, sobbing quietly as he flung his arms around the taller male, somehow managing to hold onto the orb and the sword at the same time.  “I found you!” he cried, trembling with relief.

                “You’re alright!” Himchan exhaled shakily, voice heavy with threatening tears.

                They were both startled when Zelo yelled out, “Yah!  It’s Seunghyun!  Get back you!” he growled, hurtling past the Valkyrs with his sword in hand as he imposed himself between the Lord of the Undead and the others.

                “Ah!” Youngjae shouted right after the warrior, trying to yank his scepter free of Dara as he whirled to face him.  “He’s the Lord of the Undead!” he growled at her when she didn’t seem to understand his significance.

                “Oh my gods!” Dara yelped with wide eyes, clinging to Youngjae’s scepter as she sought to wield it in turn, well aware of his importance and ability.

                “Wait!” Jongup yelled, jerking back enough to awkwardly reach for Zelo before swinging his hand around at the others in turn.  “He’s a friend!” he assured them all, feeling caught up in a whirlwind of emotions.

                “It’s alright,” Himchan urged, keeping one hand on Jongup as he stepped towards the taller Einherjar, wrapping his fingers around his nearest arm while he focused on the familiar visage beyond him.  “Stand down,” he whispered in a pained voice, tension writ in his frame.

                “Guys?” Youngjae asked behind them, completely confused.

                “By the gods!” Dara gasped, drawing all their attention as she practically flailed in place, pointing spastically at Jongup’s hand.  “It’s the Draconus Orb!”

                “What?!” Youngjae yelled along with her, eyes wide in his face while he focused on it too.  “Holy Asgardian Wine!” he gasped, holding onto his scepter by rote.  Both mages were immediately torn between focusing on Seunghyun or the orb, heads darting back and forth with almost covetous gazes.  Granted, they were rather nervous and almost afraid when they looked at Seunghyun but it was equally obvious both wanted to get their hands on the orb…

                Immediately, Jongup clutched the orb closer and raised his sword to point at the mages, completely lost.  Then his gaze landed on Daehyun and he froze again, feeling his heart clench when he saw his other brother sitting motionless on the table.  He was alive, which shouldn’t have been possible, but something was definitely wrong.  “Daehyunnie?” he asked in a trembling voice, feeling tears well up when his brother didn’t react at all.

                Wincing in pain, Himchan shuffled around to his side, interposing himself between Jongup and the mages.  “It’s alright, Uppie,” he explained, placing a hand over his split armor with a grimace, exhaling slowly.  “We’ve got a plan to fix him,” he assured his brother, gripping his arm tight with his free hand.

                “And we can do it just fine with the Orb!” Dara yelled excitedly, shaking Youngjae in her enthusiasm.

                He groaned and tried to push himself away, eventually using the scepter to pry himself free.  “Yah!  Dara!” he snapped, smacking her in the arm with the head of his weapon as he stepped to the side, glancing between her and the others furtively.

                “Ow!” she yelped, rubbing the injured spot with a glare in his direction.  “Stupid!”

                “Silence!” Seunghyun roared in irritated annoyance, glaring at everyone so that they jerked in surprise with the exception of Himchan who simply glanced at the former Einherjar with a raised brow.

                “But he was destroyed.  I watched it happen,” Jongup blinked as he gestured towards his brother, still staring at Daehyun’s blank face.  It wasn’t quite Daehyun actually, with some of the features being slightly off, but it was close enough to resemble him so that he knew exactly who it was.

                “And Youngjae saved what he could,” Himchan explained, whispering into Jongup’s ear.  “Dara used the body of a homunculus to stop his degeneration and we’ve acquired the body of a god to get him back to where he should be.”

                “Eh?” Jongup blinked, utterly lost.

                “Youngjae!  Dara!” Himchan called fiercely, glaring at both mages while he ignored Seunghyun behind them, leaving Zelo out of the range of his ire.  When Sandara nodded at Youngjae’s scepter pointedly, the Valkyr rolled his eyes and took a breath before he conjured one for her as well.  “Here,” he muttered, pale from the expenditure and the pain it cost him as he handed the basic weapon off to her.

                Grinning from ear to ear, she accepted the staff and yanked on Youngjae’s sleeve to get his attention as they settled themselves on either side of the broken wolf body.  Jongup watched them for a moment and then he jerked when he realized that Himchan was still hurt.  “Channie!” he gasped, staring down at the tear in his armor where trails of dried blood stained the exterior.

                “It’s alright,” Himchan assured him with a gentle pat, though the tension in his face indicated he was still in pain.  “I’ve drunk a potion and I won’t die, but it’ll take a bit to heal is all,” he explained with a forced smile.  “Heimdall,” he added belatedly.

                Jongup’s mouth dropped open and he blinked at his brother.  He’d faced off against Heimdall and lived to tell the tale?  Holy Yggdrasil!  He might have said more if he hadn’t felt Seunghyun approach on his free side, close enough to touch but giving him just a few inches of space so as not to crowd Himchan on his other side.  “What are they doing?” Jongup whispered to no one in particular as he watched Youngjae and Dara raise their hands on either side of the wolf body, speaking oddly familiar words as they did so.

                “It’s a reverse transformation spell,” Himchan explained without looking away, gaze locked on the pair before him.

                “Oh…” Jongup nodded in understanding, not sure why they were casting it yet.  It was odd that he never really connected the ability to use magic with the tongue of the gods.  Briefly, he wondered if the mages were aware of it too…

                Then all thoughts promptly fled as he inhaled, watching a glyph appear under the wolf body, encasing it in a glowing circle as the scepters of the mages came to life.  The crystals attached to the ends pulsed in time with the circle while the body within began to glow in turn, floating up off the floor as a gradual transformation started to take place.  Its body straightened up and extended, limbs growing thicker and longer as the fur receded.  The head shifted nauseatingly, reverting to a human guise and Jongup stiffened when he realized he knew the visage of the god…

                “That’s Vali…” he whispered in horrified wonder.

                “Ne,” Himchan agreed flatly, making no effort to deny it.

                “What happened to him?  What did you do?” Jongup asked, taken aback.  The death of a god was no simple matter.

                “I merely retrieved his body for a better use.  Odin had him killed for Loki’s treachery,” Himchan explained with the barest of emotion as he looked on, bearing witness to all that transpired before them.

                Jongup felt sick to his stomach at the admission.  Odin killed Loki’s son?  And Himchan was using the body to fix Daehyun?  What?  He swayed slightly where he stood, grateful in the next instant when Seunghyun gripped his arms and held him steady with a quiet nod.  So much had happened that he didn’t know about…  It was overwhelming and saddening.  Why did no one tell him such things?

                “Ugh…” Youngjae groaned when the spell dissipated, leaving a human figure in the space where the glowing glyph had been a moment ago.

                “It worked!” Dara grinned, drained herself but ecstatic at their success.  “Now!  For the restoration spell.  Let’s do this, JaeJae!” she exclaimed with a long look at the orb still nestled in Jongup’s hand.

                Reactively, he turned his body to hide it from her direct sight and she craned her head to get a better look.  “I don’t like her,” he muttered to Himchan uncertainly.

                “Neither do I, Uppie.  But I don’t know that Youngjae can do this alone,” he admitted in irritation, glancing at Jongup, then Daehyun, and finally to Seunghyun who nodded at him once.

                “I’m ready when you are,” Youngjae took a breath and assured her with a confident nod, keeping his focus on the figure before them.  Vali’s body was pierced and torn but otherwise whole, though it needed to be healed before they could use it to replace Daehyun’s current form.

                “Will they have enough strength to finish?” Zelo asked, finally moving up next to Himchan with a furtive look over at the Lord of the Undead on the other side of them.

                “I believe so,” Himchan nodded, watching as the mages cast the restoration spell, which should have been simpler, all things considered.

                Breathless, the party watched while the wounds on Vali’s body healed over, returning to the smooth expanse of unmarred flesh that it had been before he was killed.  When the spell fell away, both mages gasped and slumped forward, drained at the amount of casting they’d had to do in so short a period of time.  Such spells were not simple and with everything that had happened of late, they were not easy or without cost.

                “What’s next?” Jongup asked, looking at Himchan for confirmation.

                Seunghyun answered instead, his tone speculative, “It looks as if they intend to merge the two forms.”

                “They can do that?” Jongup asked incredulously, blinking in surprise.

                “It’s possible,” Youngjae nodded in agreement, picking himself up with the belated assistance of Zelo as the taller male hurried to his side.

                “But not by ourselves,” Dara shook her head, focusing on Jongup again.  “We don’t have the power to do it as we are, but with the Draconus Orb, it’s definitely possible.”

                “What were you going to do before the orb appeared?” Himchan asked warily, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

                “Use your strength to power the merger,” she admitted nonchalantly.  Himchan just glared at her in response and even Youngjae looked at her crossly.  “So.  Hand it over,” she urged, raising her hand towards Jongup expectantly from her vantage on the floor.

                “No,” Himchan shook his head, placing his hand in front of Jongup to bar him from moving.  “You’re not touching the orb,” he told her simply with a frown.

                “But-”

                “No,” Himchan stated firmly again, shuffling towards her so that he could get her off the floor with a hand wrapped tight around her arm.

                “Ow…” she groaned, holding onto his wrist when he dragged her closer to Daehyun’s body.

                “So what are you- Oh!  I see,” Youngjae nodded in understanding, gesturing at Zelo to have them walk to the other side of the table.

                “You intend to act as the conduits for power while the mages cast the spell, do you not?” Seunghyun asked for confirmation, brow slightly furrowed.

                “That’s the idea,” Himchan agreed.  “I’ll partner with Dara and Jongup will partner with Youngjae.”

                “Himchan,” Seunghyun warned, glancing at Dara once before he focused on the Valkyr intently, searching the other male’s gaze.

                Jongup didn’t know what was going on and he looked between his brother and Seunghyun uncertainly.  “What’s wrong?” he asked, knowing he was missing something.

                Himchan sighed and focused on his brother, gesturing for Seunghyun to silence before the Lord of the Undead tried to answer in his stead.  “He’s worried, as I am, that if we act as the conduits, then the seals in place may be broken during the casting.”

                “As in…” Jongup’s brow furrowed and then his eyes widened in understanding.  “On our memories?!”

                “Ne,” Himchan nodded in agreement, seemingly surprised that Jongup knew about such a seal.

                “Isn’t that a good thing?!” he asked excitedly, grinning before he realized what it might mean with a glance at Daehyun.  “Oh.  Hmm…  Here,” he huffed, handing off the sword to Zelo distractedly.

                “That’s Yongguk’s sword!” Zelo gasped when he accepted it, face paling at the realization.

                “What?!” Himchan gasped, turning his attention to the blade with the same surprise.

                “Ne.  It led me here,” Jongup confirmed with a nod.

                “And Yongguk?” Himchan asked hesitantly.

                “Frigg said he was dead, but… his fate may not be sealed yet,” he admitted as he tried to recall what she had told him.

                “You met with Lady Frigg?” the eldest Valkyr gasped in slight awe.  Jongup nodded in agreement and smiled slightly.  “What did she…?  Never mind,” Himchan shook his head forcefully as he dragged his thoughts back to the task at hand.  “We can discuss this after we heal Daehyun,” he reminded them firmly, fixing his gaze upon their other brother.

                “I’m ready,” Jongup exclaimed enthusiastically, eager to help Daehyun.

                “Alright,” Himchan exhaled as he retrieved the eerily still Daehyun off the table and guided him in front of Vali’s body, waving Jongup over to join them.  “Youngjae.  Dara,” he called, waiting for the mages to get into place behind the Valkyrs.

                “Ready,” Dara called as she placed one hand upon Himchan’s shoulder and raised the scepter beside him.

                “Me too,” Youngjae agreed, mirroring the posture behind Jongup.

                The youngest Valkyr shivered at the contact but stared at the side of Daehyun’s face, lips pursed when the other male didn’t even twitch.  It was eerie and wrong and he didn’t like it.  Determinedly, he raised his hands on either side of Daehyun so that Himchan could press one atop the Draconus Orb and the other to Jongup’s, fingers threaded together.  “Come back to us, Daehyunnie,” he exhaled, holding his breath as the mages started to speak behind them.

                Standing directly in front of Daehyun’s body where the orb was located as well, Seunghyun watched with an intense gaze, jaw clenched.  It was clear he was ready to act if he needed to.

                Jongup felt power begin to hum around him, tickling his skin and filling the very air in the room.  Youngjae’s hand on his shoulder warmed up, followed quickly by heat flaring to life in the orb.  Even the ground under his feet became hot to his senses and it was soon uncomfortable being the conduit for such a spell and the power required therein.  “Channie?” he asked in an uncertain whisper, closing his eyes as he focused on healing Daehyun.

                “Be strong, Uppie,” Himchan responded, tightening his fingers around Jongup’s.

                Jongup took one measured breath after the next, eyes clenched shut.  He whimpered and trembled when he felt power coalesce between them, growing and swirling, feeling almost limitless in the confines of their arms.  Churning power began to circle through him, traveling through his right arm and into Himchan’s before it traveled around, passing through the orb and gaining strength when it entered his left hand.

                The power soon linked to Daehyun’s body between them, latching onto the form of Vali at their feet and dragging it into the circle as well.  Jongup’s body convulsed and he felt Himchan do the same through his hand as he felt something powerful vibrate within.  He was so focused on maintaining the circle that at first, he didn’t realize what he was feeling until he saw quite clearly Seunghyun’s face in his mind’s eye.

                It was almost the same as the one he had just met and yet it was slightly different… more familiar.  Before he could place it, the image whisked away to be replaced by Ricky, grinning face completely clear.  It too disappeared in a blur, followed almost immediately by other people and places that Jongup knew but didn’t know as his body continued to vibrate and shake.  His muscles tensed and his back arched, though he was only vaguely aware of such things.  Somehow, he managed to maintain his hold on Himchan and the orb, or perhaps it was that he couldn’t let go, but in the next moment, he was consumed by a continuous flow of memories that followed one right after the other.

                The stream seemed never ending, a blinding array of images he had not seen in centuries…  It felt almost too much to handle, threatening to tear him apart at the seams of his person with so many feelings and emotions, but somehow he stayed together.  Jongup knew he screamed at some point, could feel the vibrations in his throat as he trembled and maybe his memories alone would have conquerable, but then he felt Himchan’s awareness, pushing into his mind with emotions and pictures he’d never seen.

                He was drowning, gasping for breath and sinking deeper and deeper though he held onto his brother’s hands.  When he felt Daehyun’s consciousness merge with theirs, Jongup screamed again and fell away, losing all sense of himself in the process.

(a/n: As with many chapters, this one didn't go quite as expected and I'm not entirely sorry for leaving you on the cliffhanger.  lol  A little bit yes.  Hopefully, my homework and schedule notwithstanding, I'll get another update out asap!  We'll either be getting back with Yongguk or the other Einherjar or both!  Either way, stuff is going to happen.  A fair bit actually.  >.>

In the meantime, our boys are back together, more or less, and we'll have more to come in general shortly.  ;)  I hope you've enjoyed it thus far and that you're looking forward to the next update!  Thank you for reading and have a great day!)