The Humans immediately took charge.

The Balrog watched interestedly. He had heard the Humans singing, and wanted to see what kind of people they were, to say such things about his kind.

"Ikhan, you're best at negotiation," said Shinwoo. "Go see what his terms are."

Ikhan sighed. "I suppose I'd better." He looked aside at Regis and Seira. "Last time Shinwoo negotiated, he just attacked and we fought for a good half-hour before finding out that the terms were a simple toll," he explained.

Yuna giggled at the memory.

Seira looked to Suyi, who stood at her left. "I thought you said Balrogs were made of fire?" she looked a bit unsettled.

Suyi shrugged. "Most of them are. But you do see lightning, occasionally."

Seira was confused. "I didn't think lightning was an element."

Suyi snickered. "Want to try telling him that?"

Seira gave a weak smile at the thought, and they both turned to watch Ikhan as he gave Regis his cloak of protection, which he had removed as a gesture of goodwill, and walked forward to meet the dark figure.

"Hello!" said Ikhan brightly.

The Balrog nodded and flicked one of his whips, absently. "These are my terms, Human: I get the blood spilled by ten of my lashes from one of your number. Then, you all may pass."

Ikhan tilted his head. "Those are the only terms you'll accept?"

The Balrog nodded.

Ikhan backed away, slowly. He took his robe back from Regis and stuck his arm into one of the sleeves."Let's go," he said to his teammates.

They did turn around and start walking, but Yuna, Suyi, and Shinwoo were groaning and complaining the entire time.

"It's been half a day since the last fork..."

"Of all the dumb luck!"

Suyi just sighed and swung her sword about in frustration.

"We're not going to fight?" Regis was curious.

Shinwoo shook his head. "Nah. Lightning Balrogs are usually stronger than the fire ones. Fire, you can sometimes fight your way past, if you don't like the toll. But get into a fight with a lightning Balrog and you'll probably die."

Regis nodded, and started to consider something which he very much didn't want to consider.

He knew he and Seira could probably defeat this creature, but doing so would put his comrades at risk. True, they hadn't been a team for more than a fortnight, and Regis couldn't say that he didn't find the four of them annoying, but their party was also the only group of Humans to treat them decently. So fighting it was not an option.

He also knew that the other choice would be unpleasant, and that submitting himself to an avoidable indignity was inelegant... but these were his allies, and he could make things easier for them, if he did this. After exchanging a glance with Seira, he stopped walking and took a breath."I could fill the terms, you know," he said. "It wouldn't be much of a sacrifice for me."

The four Humans stopped walking at the unexpectedness of this and turned back to look at him. The overly-dignified Elf was the last person they would have expected to make such an offer. For a moment, no one said anything. Then, Suyi and Yuna smiled fondly at him. They moved back so that they were standing on either side of him, and they then did something which Regis did not expect: they hugged him. After a moment, they each took one of his hands and led him away from the Balrog.

Shinwoo clapped him on the shoulder once they'd caught up."Thanks for the offer, Regis, but it's probably better to take the long way around."

"You said it was an extra half a day's travel," the Elf pointed out, not wanting them to think he was weak.

"Well, yes," Ikhan said, "and if time were important, any of us would be willing to take the terms. But, honestly, we're more or less meandering about as it is. We wasted, what, three days at that trade festival?"

Regis sighed in relief. "I suppose," he said. Even if the terms wouldn't have been much for him, long term, they would have been no less of a multi-faceted pain-fest.

"Besides," pointed out Shinwoo, "you and Seira are our strongest fighters. We may run into something unavoidable next time, and it wouldn't do us any good to save half a day's travel if it meant weakening one of our strongest members before a crucial fight. We'll just take the Kright bridge. It's only two day's travel from the fork, and that one's guarded by Ijom. She'll accept a sparring match with one of us. You've got first dibs on that fight if you want it, Regis"

"I'd like that," said the Elf.

Soon, the group was out of sight, and the Balrog was left staring at the road ahead of him.

These weren't your average heroes, then, he thought, as they seemed to have a bit of sense between them. It was amazing how much warriors seemed to hate turning back, even if going on meant doing something painful and stupid.

It also wasn't often one saw Humans and Elves traveling together, now that he thought about it. Especially ones so young. And it didn't seem to be an unequal relationship either. He'd seen the two species of the team exchanging words and gestures of affection like it was nothing. Not to mention the fact that they had turned back, not out of an unwillingness to endure pain for the greater good, but out of mutual concern for their comrades.

The whole thing had been a test, of course. The Balrog done this many times, and the conditions were well-controlled: anyone who looked like they were in a hurry got off with a toll; everyone else got the blood terms. That was the whole point—to see what they'd do when convenience was the only stake. He'd seen many different ways of deciding the one to pay: drawing straws, forcing the weakest member, a volunteer.

It was the choice that mattered, of course. After they'd made that (and he'd made sure they were going to go through with it) the experimental groups also got off with a toll. But it was the extreme minority who decided to avoid the test altogether.

Chuckling at the unexpectedness of it, the Balrog dutifully grabbed a scroll and a pen from behind a rock and began to write down a description of what happened to send to his boss later.

Before rolling up the parchment, he signed his name with an extreme flourish. If one didn't already know that his name was 'Tao' it would have been hard to distinguish the three letters amongst the numerous underlinings and decorative loops.

He grinned to himself. Here was something you didn't see every day: Elves with some degree of humility, and Humans who weren't afraid of power. Perhaps these kids would be able to help them accomplish their goals. God knew Raizel was due for some luck.

He had to tell the wolf and the sharp-shooter about this...