“Keep north, said the wolf. We’ll reach a cabin eventually,” Jongdae sighed, “I should’ve known better.”

“Wait,” Chanyeol paused to ask, “What’s a wolf?”

“The canine that Yixing was just talking to,” Jongdae deadpanned, “They’re a species of animal that dwells on various planets across the Milky Way Galaxy.”

The other five boys stopped and stared at the tactician.

Jongdae blinked, “You guys really don’t read do you?”

“I was just making sure,” Chanyeol whispered with his head lowered.

“Of course you were.”

The six princes continued to trek through the woods, Yixing and Kyungsoo leading the group. The sun was high in the sky now, hours seeming to have passed as they walk. There was still no end of it in sight. Jongdae gave a heavy sigh and swiped harshly at a passing bug.

“Where are we even going,” Jongdae whined, “Do we even know anymore?”

“Look,” Kris piped up as he hopped over a fallen tree trunk, “You were the one that suggested for us to listen to Yixing, or did you suddenly decided to forget that.”

“Of course he would suggest listening to Yixing when it comes to animals,” Sehun said with an eye-roll as he scraped his calf on a fallen branch for the fourth time.

“Navigation not so much,” Jongdae said.

“I swear,” Kyungsoo sighed tiredly, “I’ve never met a group of people that complains as much as you guys do.”

Jongdae frowned at the back of Kyungsoo’s head before returning his attention to Kris. “I have no problem listening to Yixing,” he began as he tried to shake a bug that climbed up his hand with a yelp, “My problem is the fact that we’re listening to a random wolf we found in the woods on a foreign planet. You have to admit that this is not one of our most brilliant ideas.”

“Then, tactician,” Kris said, “What do you suggest we do?”

“Getting out of these woods would be a good start,” Jongdae snapped as he swiped at a passing fly again, “And if another bug flies in my face again I swear to EXO-“

“There it is,” Yixing said as he pointed to a medium sized cabin, “It seems that Taecyeon was right after all.”

“Well, well, well,” Kyungsoo said with a smug smile, “Anything you’ll like to say to Yixing, Jongdae.”

“Yes actually,” Jongdae said before turning to the healer, “Can you ask for estimated travel time the next time you use your animal GPS?”

“Jongdae,” Kris growled in warning.

“Fine,” he sighed, “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“It’s no problem, Jongdae. Living the lives that we have, I don’t blame you for not trusting me,” Yixing said with a gentle smile, “Trusting others is a hard lesson for us to learn.”

“You’re easy to please,” Jongdae mumbled.

Kris, ignoring Jongdae continued, “But a lesson that must be learned in order for us to unify and bring peace to our planet. We have to trust one another if we want others to trust in us.”

“Nice speech and all leader, but can we please have it inside,” Sehun asked before smirking deviously at Kyungsoo, “I feel uncomfortable surrounded by all of this dirt.”

“What’s so wrong with it, Sehun,” Kyungsoo said as he rolled his eyes, “Giving you bad flashbacks of all the times I’ve slammed you and your poorly ran army into it?”

“Alright you two,” Kris sighed, “Let it up.”

“Sorry,” Sehun continued as if Kris never spoke, cupping a hand to his ear, “I can’t hear you over the screams of your poorly trained taskforce.”

“They were enough to make you and your rusty old man retreat,” Kyungsoo growled as he stepped in Sehun personal space.

“Boys, stop,” Kris tried again, “We don’t have time for your petty fights right now.”

However neither was listening to him at this point. The two were too busy giving each other hard stares, both of them no longer rivals but enemies out for blood. The two harbored hatred that years of war and being set against each other created.

“Oh you mean the same way your father went running to the woods during the middle of a fight with mine,” Sehun growled.

Kyungsoo eyes flared with anger at the words, the trees bending and the ground below rattling, “He only fled because you sneaky, underhanded and dishonorable Areons started to attack civilians! What kind of cowards would attack peaceful people and children?”

Sehun eyes grew cold as strong currents whipped his raven hair around his face, “You should know, you filthy Eriagon.”

“Boys,” Kris finally snapped as he stood between them, grabbing onto Sehun to calm him down, “Stop it, now.”

“But, Kris,” Sehun began to argue, however the hard look in Kris’s eyes caused him to stop with a sigh, “Fine.”

“Thank you, Sehun.”

Yixing rubbed on his friend’s shoulder as well, “Kyungsoo, he’s right. Calm down old friend.”

“Not this time, Xing.”

“Kyungsoo,” Kris ordered, “Stand down.”

“No,” Kyungsoo barked, “He went too far, Kris.”

Kris turned to pat Kyungsoo shoulder as well, “Let it go, Kyungsoo. It was only jokes.”

“Oh,” Kyungsoo snorted, “So watching the men that I trained with die is all s and giggles now? I grew up with some of those people.”

“I get it, Kyungsoo,” Kris said, “But now is not the time for this. I know that it’s hard to work alongside someone that you were trained for all your life to see as your enemy, but that was the battlefield. I told you before to leave you prejudices on EXO. If we are to survive this and help our planet, I need for us to work together. So please let it go.”

“He’s right,” Chanyeol spoke strongly, “Let’s vow right here and now. No mentioning of former battles between one another. You’ll only begin what we’re trying to stop.”

“Chanyeol,” Kris questioned. He’s never heard the other speak so confidently. The other was usually absentminded and silly. It was very rare to see Chanyeol behave so seriously.

“I mean it,” Chanyeol said, the temperature slightly rising with his anger, “I didn’t leave behind my brothers and betrayed my parents to watch you fight. If that was the case, we could have just stayed the way we were. So vow now.”

“I won’t make any promises that I can’t keep,” Sehun began before saying, “But I can try.”

Chanyeol smiled, “And you Kyungsoo?”

“As long as the airhead keeps my name out of his mouth,” Kyungsoo said, his eyes still spitting fire, “I’ll do the same.”

“I suppose that’s the best we can do,” Jongdae shrugged.

“It’s good enough,” Chanyeol said as he calmed, grabbing onto Kyungsoo’s shoulders and beginning to steer him towards the cabin, “Now let’s go inside. I’m starving.”

“Wait,” Sehun paused, his anger replaced with confusion, “What do they even eat on this planet?”

“What the hell is that,” Sehun asked as he stared at the foreign figure behind the desk.

“I honestly have no idea,” Yixing said as he scratched his cheek, “Kyungsoo?”

“Nope,” the small man answered, “Never seen anything like it.”

“What are those on its chest,” Sehun asked once more.

After following Yixing given advice of secrecy, the boys sent Kris to the skies above and entered the inn to only be met with a long-haired creature that they’ve never seen before. It seemed like them, though softer in structure and with two sacs on its front.

“You guys are ing idiots,” Jongdae whispered before walking towards the front desk.

“Jongdae wait,” Sehun whispered with his hand stretched, “You don’t know what that thing is.”

Jongdae paused, his face somewhere between annoyance, anger and amusement. However before he could comment, Chanyeol began to laugh loudly. He was bent in half, giggling into the palm of his hand like a five year old. The tall scientist only laughed louder when the three clueless princes snapped their eyes to him.

“Calm down,” he said through his chuckles, “It’s only a woman.”

The three boys shared a bewildered look before Yixing turned and asked, “What’s a woman?”

Jongdae rolled his eyes while Chanyeol began to explain, “A woman is a gender. Some planets have two or more genders that each has one role in reproduction. Unlike ours which only has one gender that can interchange between the roles as needed.”

“Did,” Sehun began as his face contorted in disgust, “Did we just get ‘The Talk’ from Chanyeol?”

“And this is why you guys should read more often,” Jongdae said and he made a grandiose gesture with his hands, “So we don’t have to have awkward conversations like this.”

“I’ll be picking up a book soon then,” Kyungsoo mumbled with a gag.

Ignoring the three knuckleheads, Yixing smiled towards Chanyeol, “I didn’t know you were so knowledgeable, Chanyeol,”

Chanyeol blushed pink before sheepishly scratching the back of his head as the others turned to him as well, “I traveled with my parents a lot. It’s no big deal. I just know because I’ve seen one before.”

“Anyway,” Jongdae said, “We need to get a room. Since it seems that only Chanyeol and I are able to look at a woman and not stared like she’s some freak of nature, we’ll handle speaking to her.”

“Fair enough,” Yixing nodded, “Taecyeon did suggest that discretion would be the best plan of action.”

“And it’s something that the wolf and I can agree on,” Jongdae said, “Come on Chaneyeol.”

The two boys walked towards the desk. However Jongdae paused just before reaching it, the taller scientist looking at the other in surprise as he stopped as well. Jongdae pulled the other to closer to him, making sure that the others would think of it as the two coming up with a plan and the lady at the desk would think that they were checking their belongings.

“What’s up,” Chanyeol asked as he digged his hands in his empty pockets.

“You don’t have to lie,” Jongdae commented as he looked down to his pants and unnecessarily patted his pockets to keep up with the act as well, “Only the Milky Way has two genders on their planets and the last I checked, your little device was the first on EXO to ever allow convenient travel to different galaxies. Matter-of-fact, intergalactic travel is so inconvenient that only exiles and prisoners are sent away to different galaxies. There’s no way you could have seen a woman during a simple business trip with your family. The only reason I know of them is because I read works from authors from this galaxy. So how about you cut the act, Chanyeol. You’re not fooling anyone.”

Chanyeol paused, eyes wide and hands still on his thighs from when he was following Jongdae.

“What are you-“

“Come on, Chanyeol,” Jongdae smirked, “I’m a genius and so are you. You’re much more than just the ‘goofy son of an inventor’ act that you put on. I’ve seen some of your blueprints, Chanyeol. Some of your creations can change life on EXO as we know it. Intergalactic travel, instant transmitters, oxygen powered engines.”

“I-“

“Finonia’s very structure was created by you, Chanyeol. Cities and winding freeways over a 100 stories in the sky, only a child could think of that.”

“W-Where’s your proof, Jongdae? That’s merely speculation,” Chanyeol whispered his words sharp but his voice soft and unsure, “My parents enhanced Finonia.”

“According to your blueprints,” Jongdae added, “You can deny all you wish and you can fool the others into thinking that the device that got us here was a fluke, but I know better. What I don’t know is why deny it. Is it to keep your parents in power? Maybe it’s to keep you safe from people that want to kidnap you? Still, why do that? Your parents have world changing inventions of their own and you have both your fire powers and your treaty with the Anegilians to protect you?”

Chanyeol looked up then before looking down, no longer able to meet Jongdae’s eyes. His words hit home for the scientist.

“Wait,” Jongdae continued before looking up himself, “Anegilians. You stay hidden to protect Kris, don’t you?”

“Drop it Jongdae,” Chanyeol whispered once more, “It’s not even any of your concern.”

“Fine,” Jongdae shrugged. He looked to the sign in desk with a feigned worried face before returning to Chanyeol with a smirk, “I don’t really care about your deceit other than it piquing my curiosity. However, I wonder how the others will take it. How would they feel if they knew just how world changing their little egghead really was? You’ve seen what happened to my people. As soon as the others saw how powerful Thermans really were, we were outcast and treated as threats. Is that what you’re truly afraid of, Chanyeol? Are you afraid that Kris and the others will treat you differently if they knew what you can really do?”

Chanyeol gave the desk a frown as well before giving Jongdae a hard stare and a cold voice, “We’ll never find out, will we? I’m the only one that can get us off this planet. If you ever want to see EXO again, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”

“I suppose I will,” Jongdae said as he began to walk to the desk once more, “But take it from someone who knows, Chanyeol, it’s better to be powerful and hated than to be seen as a joke and only kept for the laughs.”

Chanyeol followed with a frown. Jongdae was a force to be reckoned with. Chanyeol now understands why his father was willing to break a century old alliance with the Anegilians to make the Thermans their allies instead. Their intellect was a much more menacing weapon than anything the Anegilians could ever hope to wield.