“Welcome, King of Thermos, to the Palace of Areon.”

Jaejoong nodded to the greeting as he gently stepped onto the levitating island, the ground soft under his feet. He followed the other ruler closely, pushing his moving bangs from off his forehead so he could better take in the beautiful landscape. His eyes raked over the island’s many hills, the tall grass rolling in the passing wind like an endless green sea. He also admired the nicely tended garden as they passed. The bountiful yard was filled to the brim with menxos in full bloom, the plant showing in a magnificent baby blue that matched well with clear sky over head. Areon and its various colors were truly beautiful, especially to someone that was constantly surrounded by grays and storm clouds.

Jaejoong continued to follow the other as he was lead into the palace. The floors were covered in marbles, the high domed ceiling painted in blues and the fixtures gilded in gold. Leeteuk then turned to face the other, his silver robes flowing around him as he did so. He gave a mirthless smile before gesturing to a white couch for the king to sit. Jaejoong did so, tucking his own raven robes under him. It seemed that Leeteuk wanted to skip the pleasantries today.     

“I would give you a tour,” the blond said, “But you’ve seen it all before.”

“I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing it again,” Jaejoong said his words only partially fabricated. While he would love to take in the colors that he so rarely sees in Thermos, he could really use the time to think of the best way to approach Leeteuk about the leaders hiring Xitian. While the man was usually mild-tempered, his husband had the tendency to bring the worst of out him.  

“I’d rather if we got to the point,” Leeteuk said before smiling softly, “You can visit once the dust settles. You know that Areon is always open for Thermans and their king.”

“I just wonder for how long,” Jaejoong answered. Though the two countries had no strife between them, with Areon’s hot-headed king there was no telling when he’d decided that Eriagon wasn’t enough for his bloodlust.

“If our children succeed,” Leeteuk began, “Than hopefully for many years to come.”

Jaejoong paused at Leeteuk’s answer. He wasn’t expecting it.

“So I can assume you agree with the rebellion,” Jaejoong asked although he already knew the answer.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Leeteuk said, “I would say that I just respect my son’s decision.”

That was the answer that Jaejoong expected from the other. Leeteuk was a lover a peace. Rumor says that no matter how much he was provoked, the queen never fought back. Leeteuk might believe in the end, but not the means.

“I see,” Jaejoong nodded, “That must leave you in a sticky situation. I’m sure Kangin doesn’t ‘respect your son’s decision’.”

“No,” Leeteuk said as he gave another mirthless smile, “He doesn’t. He calls Sehunnie weak, easily swayed. It’s like he doesn’t know his son at all.”

Jaejoong frowned, “What do you mean?”

Leeteuk gave a genuine smile this time before saying, “My eldest son is the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. No decision comes easy to him. So for him to decide to do something so drastic, something monumental must have force his hand. Sehun is anything but ‘easily swayed’ and the boy is anything but weak. He’ll turn mountains into rubble and rivers into oceans to make it happen. He will devastate all of EXO to make it happen. All of them could.”

“You think they can succeed,” Jaejoong concluded with a smile.

“I’m already planning your next visit,” Leeteuk smiled in return, “I think I’m going to invite Ryeowook as well. He seems like a gentle soul.”

Jaejoong laughed. If there was one thing that all of Areon’s royal family shared, it was their unshakable ‘confidence’. Though some may call it arrogance.

“I might even bring Yunho,” Jaejoong added.

“Please do,” Leeteuk said before giving the Therman king a sly smirk, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen all of you together as a family.” Jaejoong paused. “Thermans aren’t the only ones to know things,” Leeteuk said.

“So it seems,” Jaejoong frowned, “But we can’t declare victory without a fight. You’ve heard of the rumors, correct?”

Leeteuk instantly sobered up, “They aren’t rumors, Jaejoong. Kangin’s with them now.”

“Why let him go,” Jaejoong asked, “Don’t you want the boys to succeed?”

“Of course I do,” Leeteuk began as he looked out to the distance, “I always want to protect Sehun, but the one person I can never protect him from is his father. But it’s ok. You see, what Kangin didn’t know when he took Sehun out to the battlefield all those years ago, was that he was creating something to be feared. I don’t need to protect Sehun. Sehun can protect himself.”

“Even against Xitian,” Jaejoong stated.

“He’ll kill them,” Leeteuk said with so much certainty that it startled Jaejoong. “Xitian might be feared for their ruthlessness but they can’t touch the monster my husband created in my son.”

“You’ve seen it before, haven’t you,” Jaejoong asked though already knowing the answer. It must have been the monumental event to force Sehun’s hand. Jaejoong couldn’t help but wonder what Leeteuk say. What pulled out the ‘monster’ in the prince?

Leeteuk nodded solemnly, “It’s a shame too, because Sehun wasn’t always that way.”

“Naturally, no person is,” Jaejoong said.

“But Sehun was sweet,” Leeteuk continued before giving a bitter laugh, “I remember when he destroyed his first test dummy. He sat alone for hours just staring at it. When I went to get him, I remember him turning to me with such dead eyes. He asked me if he could ‘put it back together’. I didn’t know what to say, so I let him. I let him stitch it back together. He spent all night on it, too.”

“I wondered what happened when he realized that he couldn’t put humans back together,” Jaejoong scoffed, “If the kid could get pass that-”

“Exactly,” Leeteuk said, “I don’t fear anything my husband throws at Sehun. He trained that boy to be able to handle it. So let Xitian come. Sehun will be waiting.”

________________

“It’s good to see you again, Yesung,” Yunho said.

The two kings walked alongside one another, taking a stroll along the Ling River in the depths of Eriagon’s royal forest. Yunho could feel the tip of his wing dip into the river’s shallow waters, almost touching the riverbed. For some reason, he remembered the river being deeper than this. He could also remember the forest being denser, the trees greener, and the sky bluer. Of course Eriagon was still beautiful. The sturdy stone of their structures reminded him of the castles that stood strong in his own home. However, here they were covered in overgrowth, vines and leaves creeping along their walls. It was as though the buildings were a part of the forest they were built in. The merging of man-made and nature always fascinated Yunho, but Eriagon wasn’t the same anymore. The constant battles were killing their beloved nature.

The Anegilian king looked to his companion and he could see the despair on his face. His features were in a constant frown as his eyes flickered from one rotting tree to the next. He knew that Eriagon was dying too. Yunho wondered what the other was going to do about it.

“Do you think the rebellion will make the trees grow again,” Yesung asked.

Yunho paused at the question, “I think you’re skipping a few steps, but yes I believe so. If the wars stop, the trees would strive most likely.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Yesung nodded, looking at the trees all the while, “Do you think that’s why Kyungsoo betrayed me?”

“What,” Yunho asked. Talking to Yesung always confused him.

“To make the trees grow back,” Yesung continued, “Do you think he left to stop everything from dying?”

“Yes,” Yunho answered again, “I think he’s tired of the death.”

“Ryeowook says that it’s because of Yixing,” Yesung said.

“Why Yixing,” Yunho asked. He knew that the two were friends, but not to the extent to start a rebellion for one another.

“Plenty of reasons,” Yesung said. He then stopped before placing a hand on a rotting tree, touching it tenderly, “But I believe that it runs deeper than that. He’s changing, growing, transforming.”

“I see,” Yunho said as he nodded, “All children go through that a kind of metamorphosis.”

“I know,” the other said, “But I don’t think that I’ll like who he will transform into. I feel like I have to stop him.”

“Is that why you agreed to hire Xitian?”

“Yes,” Yesung said, “It’s my job to keep Kyungsoo on the honorable track and discipline him when he slips.”

“And you think that this is the ‘honorable track’,” Yunho asked as he gestured to the dying forest around him.

“My son doesn’t think so anymore,” Yesung responded, “That’s why I have to bring him back. I have to see which one of us is right.”

“I don’t understand.”

“No,” Yesung said as he finally turned from the tree and finally faced Yunho, “But Kyungsoo will. Now if you excuse me, I have a meeting to attend to.”

“With Xitian,” Yunho growled, “Do you know who they are? They will kill your son!”

“If my son lets his will die so easily then he deserves the dishonorable death he receives,” Yesung said.

“How can you say that about your own son,” Yunho asked flabbergasted.

“Look,” Yesung frowned, “I know you came to talk me out of sending Xitian, but I’m not changing my mind. I don’t need you to ‘understand’. Kyungsoo will understand.”

“This is insane,” Yunho called after the other king’s retreating back.

“Maybe,” Yesung answered, “But he will expect no less from me.”

--------------------------

Tao sat with his back pressed against his deep blue seat, his father and brother sitting in similar chairs to his sides. He watched as a small fish of a matching color swam around in a large tank that took up the entirety of the opposing wall. It, with its shocking color and fluid movements, held his attention much more than the two men that sat across from him. He wiggled his long fingers in the gloves he wore as he felt the uncomfortable tension in the air. Never has he seen two people that were so alike, yet as adverse to one another as the two people that sat in front of him. Then, he supposed, that was the way of greedy, selfish men.

They continued to sit in silence, both waiting for the other to speak before the door opened and another walked in. The newcomer took a seat next to the puppy-eyed man that sat in the center. His eyes, that were barely visible from underneath his onyx hair, roamed seemingly uninterestedly around the royal blue office. Tao could tell that this man was different as he watched him pick at his scared fingers. He was neither greedy nor selfish, and Tao found himself wondering why he was here with the other two. What role did he play?

“It good that you could finally join us,” the biggest man of the three commented sarcastically.

The newcomer just smirked darkly before saying, “I had some business to take care of. I don’t like leaving my work to others.”

The man gave the other a dark glare, “I just know where my true work lies.”

“Look, we didn’t come here to argue,” the one in the middle said.

“Exactly,” Tao’s father responded, “So king of Areon, Zeveria and Eriagon, how can Xitain help you?”

Tao looked to his left when his father spoke. The man was fiddling with his treasured pocketknife, also seemingly uninterested, but that was the way his father was at all their dealings. The man would just sit there, moving that same pocketknife deftly between his fingers. It was engraved with a single word, ‘Heenim’, along its blade. He remembered always wondering what the word meant but he was never bold enough to ask. His father’s past was not something that was talked about. 

“I’m sure you know what’s going on here,” the biggest one said.

Tao’s father gave a charming smile, “I always find it funny how people assume that their problems are significant to me. I have clients around the galaxy, your majesty. I don’t have time to worry about what’s happening on EXO.”

“I see,” the puppy-eyed one said over the other’s angry growls, “Let me fill you in, then. The six princes from the six nations of EXO has gone rogue and disappeared. We want them back.”

“Back,” Tao’s brother spoke as he raised a confused eyebrow, “We don’t do ‘back’, ‘gone’ maybe, but not ‘back’.”

“I know,” the middle man said, pausing to get the other’s name.

“Zhoumi,” Tao’s brother answered.

“Zhoumi,” he continued, “But we are willing to pay you handsomely if you make an exception.”

“I also find it funny,” Tao’s father spoke again, “That people always think that they are going to be the exception. We are assassins, King of Zeveria. If you want a delivery you should hire a carrier.”

“Look,” the bigger one growled, “We sent out others! My kid beheaded them before he even left the damn planet! We’re hiring you because there’s no one else who can handle them.”

“They’re off planet,” Zhoumi asked, “Where?”

The room paused in silence as the question hung heavy in the air. “You don’t know where they are,” Tao’s father asked.

“Earth,” the middle one spoke and the two sitting on either side of him turned to him in awe.

“You know where they are,” the one with the raven hair asked. It was the first time he spoke since the meeting officially started. “How?”

“Life-force,” the middle one answered and Tao could tell that the answer was hard for him to say.

“You forced Hyukjae to tell you, Donghae,” the raven asked incredulously, “How could you?”

Tao paused at the accusing tone, finding himself once again intrigued by the man. He had morals, limits, yet he was willing to send assassins after his son just like the others. It didn’t make any sense to him.

“I had to Yesung,” Donghae answered, “It had to be done.”

The raven, Yesung, sat back after the answer, eyes no longer uninterested but very disappointed. “The life-force connection shared between a Life Knight and his child is supposed to help them ensure their loved one’s safety. You just used it to ensure his demise.”

“I know what I’ve done,” Donghae said, “But it’ll be worth it in the long run.”

“We don’t have time for your morality self-righteous bull,” the last king said.

“Kangin,” Donghae reprimanded but he was ignored.

“Are you going to bring them back or what,” Kangin asked instead.

“So that means that the kid is a Life Knight too,” Tao’s father asked to which Donghae nodded, “Sounds like quite the bunch.”

“You do know that a Life Knight would cost you extra,” Zhoumi said, “I heard that they were hard to take down.”

 “Nothing that we can’t handle, Zhoumi,” the oldest assassin said as he put his knife away. He was interested.

 “I just hope you’re right,” the biggest one said, “My son’s no push over.”

“Neither are we.”

“Then it’s settled,” the Tao father said, “We’ll accept your mission.”

“We’ll pay only for their safe return,” Donghae said before sharing a look with the lead assassin “Unless otherwise stated.”

“Understood,” the man said.

With that everyone stood to leave the office but Yesung stayed in his seat. He had a contemplative look on his face and again Tao felt his interest piqued. Why was this man so different from the others?

“I heard,” he said, “That Xitian’s youngest member can tell the future. Is it true?”

Tao blinked at the other man after being mentioned, his family doing the same. Again, Tao felt that the other was odd, but he still nodded to the man’s question. He slowly returned back to the sea blue table and, to the surprise of both his father and brother, pulled his glove off before reaching towards the other man. He didn’t use this power often, feeling it too personal an experience to share with a stranger, but he couldn’t help but be intrigued as he wondered just what he would see. Tao wondered if his visions would help him understand the man better.

“I have to touch you to read you,” Tao explained with his hand out, “Though I have to say that you’ve heard incorrectly, I can’t tell the future per say. It’s more like I can see the most important moments in your life, no matter if it’s the past, present or future.”

Yesung doesn’t respond to the explanation but simply takes Tao’s hand. Tao irises bled white when their hands met, the young assassin feeling an oppressive force pushing him through time and space. The once royal blue room flashed white before clearing to a magnificent forest where a river ran calm and deep through the middle.

“Goodness, Yesung,” a voice sounded in the vast forest, “Your hands are a bloody mess.”

Tao turned to the noise, spotting a younger version of Yesung along with a smaller man. They both seemed comfortable as they sat close to one another, knees touching and Yesung’s hand nestled gently within the other’s. The stranger had a fond smile on his boyish face, his chocolate hair curtaining his high cheeks.

The modern day Yesung stepped beside Tao, watching in awe. “Ryeowook,” the man questioned, “What is this?”

“This is something very important to you,” Tao responded, “Something happened on this day – something life-changing.”

“You have to be more careful,” the younger Ryeowook continued chastising but his loving smile showed that his anger wasn’t sincere, “You’re always coming home so banged up. You make me worry, you know.”

“Well it is war,” the younger Yesung commented shrugging, “It’s better to be banged up than anything else.”

“That’s true,” the smaller man frowned, “But I still wish you’ll be more careful.”

“If it bothers you so much, why don’t you fix them,” Yesung said as pink flushed across his face. The man awkwardly shoved his hand more onto Ryeowook’s lap, his eyes on the water instead of looking at his friend.

Ryeowook flushed pink as well. He knew what this meant to an Eriagon, especially one as reserved as Yesung. Ryeowook felt honored that he could take care of something that held so much importance to the warrior. “You want me to,” he asked, “I’m not anybody special.”

“Why would I ask you if you’re not somebody special,” Yesung said genuinely confused.

Ryeowook smiled as he silently took Yesung hands and began to carefully bandage the fingers he damaged earlier. He gently took each one and wrapped them in bandages, placing soft kisses on each as he finished. He then pecked the entranced warrior on the lips, sharing their first kiss before he placed the finished hand back into Yesung’s lap.

“Then I’m glad I could help,” Ryeowook said as he smiled softly to the other, “But try not to get hurt again.”

Yesung pecked the other back before saying, “No guarantees.”

“I fell in love with Ryeowook that day,” the older version of Yesung said as he watched the scene unfold before him, “I nearly forgot.”

“Your heart never did,” Tao responded.

“So this is what your power does,” Yesung asked, “Show us what our hearts remember?”

“I show you what you find most important,” Tao answered, “The moments that make up who you are.”

Tao began to explain more but was cut short when he was hit again with an overwhelming force, the scenery changing once more. He opened his eyes to found himself deep in the middle of a dense forest, the river from before long gone. He looked above to only see that the sun was barely visible through the surround foliage. The surrounding shrubbery felt soft under the young assassin’s feet and fruit bearing tree branches hung over his head. The two stood in silence, waiting, before a black figure sped pass them. The dark silhouette moved quickly from tree to tree before landing softly in front of them.

A young Yesung smiled brightly, his deep hair windswept across his face. On his shoulders was a small boy, his chocolate hair just as wild and smile just as bright.

“Kyungsoo,” the older Yesung spoke. Tao could hear the betrayal that lied there, but he could also hear the longing of a man that deeply missed his son.

“Again Daddy,” the young Kyungsoo screamed as he bounced on his father’s shoulders, “Again!”

The younger Yesung laughed as he took the wiggling boy from off his shoulders. “Sorry son,” the man said as he place his boy on the ground and ruffled his hair, “But I can’t. We have to meet with Uncle Hyukjae and Uncle Donghae soon. They have someone they want you meet.”

“But Daddy,” the young boy whined, “Just one more.”

The younger King paused for a moment, running his finger on the top of his lip before giving the boy a sly smile. “Earn it,” he said as he squatted down to be his son’s height, “I’ll give you a ride back to the palace if you can get a fruit from the tree.”

The small boy of no more than three looked up at the gigantic trees overhead with a frown on his chubby face. “But I can’t climb that high,” he said.

Again the king smiled, “I know. You’ll have to do it another way.”

The boy frowned again, stomping his feet for good measure, “But the trees don’t listen to me Daddy! They never do what I tell them to do!”

“That just it, Kyungsoo,” Yesung said before he went to the tree and placed his palm upon it, “You don’t tell – you ask.” The tree them bent to the elder’s will, placing a fruit into his outstretched hand.

“I don’t get it,” Kyungsoo frowned and Tao could tell that the boy wasn’t upset because he couldn’t get what he wanted but was upset because he couldn’t be like his father. He couldn’t make him proud.

Yesung kneeled once more, “Have you ever tried to boss your mother around?” Kyungsoo shivered before shaking his head. “Think of it that way. We have to respect nature just as we respect our love ones, love nature just as we love our family. We are not nature’s rulers, son, but their guardians and their family. We stand as equals, just as your mother and I. Just as you and the person you’ll love someday as well.”

“I have to love the tree,” Kyungsoo asked, his little face scrunched up in confusion until his father nodded. His face then relaxed as he had a moment of clarity. He knew exactly what to do.

 He walked up to the tree, placing his small palm upon it just as his father had before him. “Mr. Tree,” he said, “I was going to ask you to please give me a fruit, so I can play with Daddy more. You see, Daddy’s gone a lot because he has to stop the bad guys from hurting everybody. I’m okay with that and one day I’m gonna do it to, but I still miss my Daddy. I didn’t get why Daddy fought so much to keep the trees safe, but I get it now. You’re family just like Mommy and Mommy says that families hug each other to show that they care. So, Mr. Tree, I don’t want a fruit anymore. I want a hug. Can I hug you Mr. Tree, to show that I care?” 

Not waiting for an answer, the small Kyungsoo wrapped his little arms as tightly as he could around the tree. The boy even nuzzled his face into its bark. He held on for a moment before backing away but he was stopped short when he bumped into a branch that was curled around him, its leaves caressing his back as if to rub small circles into it. Yesung, both older and younger watched on in amazement.

“I did it, Daddy,” the young Kyungsoo yelled in excitement, “Mr. Tree listened to me!”

“And all you had to do was ask,” the Yesung of the past said as he kneeled down next to his son and hugged his arm around him while nuzzling his hair, “I’m proud of you, son.”

The young boy smiled up brightly to his father, his chubby cheeks squishing up and his round eyes squinting. Yesung could barely contain himself as he snatched his son into his arms and rubbed their cheeks together before rubbing his finger along his upper lip. He sat the boy on his shoulders once more as he started to head to the palace but Kyungsoo wiggled about and forced Yesung to put him down.

“What’s wrong son,” the young Yesung asked while the older just smiled because he already knew what his son was about to say.

“I didn’t get a fruit,” the boy answered, “You said you’ll carry me if I got a fruit but I didn’t.”

“But you got the tree to listen to you and that’s all I wanted.”

“No, Daddy,” Kyungsoo fussed, “No fruit, no ride! I wanna be a man of my heard!”

“You mean ‘a man of your word’,” Yesung corrected.

“Right!”

“Ok,” Yesung nodded but you can tell that the man was still wondering what ‘a man of his heard’ looked like, “Fair enough but let’s hurry so you can meet Yixing.”

“Yixing?”

“You’ll see once you get there.”

Before Tao could watch the two speed off together, they were once again surrounded by a flash of white, the scenery changing for the final time. They were still deep in the forest when the white cleared but this time the trees were less dense, their branches no longer holding any fruit. The shrubbery that was soft under Tao feet not too long ago was now dry and dead, crackling and breaking with his every moment. Smoke filled the air and the ground underneath was cracked and lifted, both signs of a battle. Tao and Yesung shared a look – there was a fight going on near here.

The two walked further away from the trees, hoping to find the source of the destruction. It was eerily peaceful until the trees cleared away to a clearing. Tao eyes quickly raked the area, falling on a group of young men around Tao’s age standing off to the side. They watched on anxiously as the two just beyond them faced off. Tao was ready to dismiss the group, since Yesung wasn’t a part of them, but paused when he saw his face among them. He was standing close to a taller man, the other’s raven wings in front of him as if to protect him from the surrounding smoke and debris.

“Kyungsoo?”

Tao snapped away from the crowd once Yesung spoke. He wasn’t here for his future. He instead turned to see two Yesungs, both of them staring down a much older Kyungsoo than the one in the previous vision. The two kings didn’t look much different in age, the only noticeable difference being the blood dripping from the future one’s head and lip. The future Kyungsoo was just as banged up, blood dripping into small pools from his hands and arms, his lip and cheek dripping as well. Tao figured that this was the final confrontation between the two. This was what bringing the princes back to EXO led to, but this was just one of many outcomes.

“It doesn’t have to be like this, Dad,” Kyungsoo called to his father.

The battled torn Yesung gave his son a bitter smile, “You know it does, son.”

Kyungsoo deflated from his battle stance, looking to Tao like the small child from the previous vision that couldn’t make his father proud. “I don’t want to fight anymore,” Kyungsoo sighed, “I’m tired. I know you are too.”

Yesung also deflated. “It doesn’t matter if I’m tired. We have to keep fighting, Kyungsoo,”
 the man said as he gestured to the decaying trees around them, “For our family.”

“No Dad,” Kyungsoo began before he started yelling in frustration, “Don’t you see that it’s the fighting that’s killing our family! It has to stop. There’s has to be a better way!”

“Is that what you truly believe, Kyungsoo,” the King asked to which Kyungsoo nodded, “Then defend your belief. Stand strong in your stance.”

“But Dad-“

“Is your faith in your ideals that weak, Kyungsoo,” Yesung yelled as the earth ripped up around him, boulders the size of buildings floating effortlessly in mid-air.

“No,” Kyungsoo growled before punching the ground, chunks of earth exploding from the impact and floating in mid-air as they wait for Kyungsoo guidance, “No! I can’t let this go on anymore! I believe with my heart that I’m doing the right thing and not even you can stop me!”

Yesung nodded at Kyungsoo’s declaration and Tao could see the pride in his eyes before they turned sad. “I feel the same way,” Yesung said calmly, “Kyungsoo I just want you know that I’m not doing this because of your desertion. I’m not doing this out of anger or betrayal. This is just simply a clash of wills. We are just two men whose ideals just seem to oppose one another.”

Kyungsoo melted at his father’s words, his eyes going misty but his stance never changed. He nodded before saying, “I understand.”

“As men,” Yesung asked as he closed his fist, his boulders taking aim.

“As men,” Kyungsoo responded before he forced the surround stones to cover his bleeding forearms and fists. He then charged directly towards his father.

When Tao blinked he found himself back in the present. The royal blue office stood completely still with only the lone fish from earlier moving in the middle of its tank. The other occupants in the room silently watched Tao and Yesung in confusion, staring as the two sat in front of one another with their hands still intertwined. Tao knew that to the others that time hasn’t passed but the change in their expressions was enough to clue them in that something that the others weren’t privy to just occurred.

“What happened,” Kangin asked as he looked on but Tao ignored him.

He instead looked to the Earth King feeling even more confused than before.  He was right in his earlier assessment. He wasn’t greedy, nor was he selfish. The things that were most important to him involved the family that he clearly held dear. So the question still remained. Why was he here? Why was he associated with these other men?

Tao reached out to touch the man once again, hoping to get a better look, but the older raven pull his hand back.

“I think I’ve seen enough,” Yesung said, his eyes distant as if he never left the last vision.

Tao moved forward again but slipped his glove back on this time. “You do know that the vision of the future in only one of many possible futures. No one can predict fate. I can only show you what might happen. You might not see you son again.”

“I see,” Yesung nodded.

“That’s all you have to say,” Tao asked still so confused, “You obviously love your son! Why would you send us after him? I don’t understand.”

“But Kyungsoo does,” Yesung said as he shook out his hand and walked towards the door, “Just like I knew he would.”

The king then stood and left his mind clearly on other things. His ‘partners’ quickly did the same but not before making sure that their terms were clear. Tao reminded silent as he watched them close final deal and uncaringly signed the contract. His mind was still on the man that could send the galaxy’s most dangerous assassins to possibly kill his son and still claim to love him and still have that claim be the truth.  

It wasn’t until Tao was aboard the ship that he called home that he finally spoke, his brother and father turning to listen to the frowning youngest.

“That man was really weird,” he said.

His father then gave him a fond smile as he once again toyed with his engraved knife, “Most people on EXO are.”

AN: My goodness! I am so sorry that this is so late! June was a rough month for me, plus I couldn't get any inspiration at all for this chapter. I wanted to go back to the princes on Earth so bad! However, I knew that I had to at least introduce Tao and I wanted to progress the over-all plot before I get back to the individual romances back on Earth. Now that this chapter is over I can get the Taoris on the roll and break-up the KyungLay (which is really hard for me because I now low-key love this couple). Anywho, I hope you guys like this chapter.