The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 147: To Take Action Means Putting the Rest Aside

The next day, they went back to pick up where they left off.

They bidded goodbye to Botan for the day, the innkeeper, after he surprised them with a hearty breakfast to make up for their lack of dinner the previous day.

Calista hadn't been the only one that was shocked. The amount of food he prepared for them was astonishing and he had admitted to them that he had been rather lonely with the lack of business since the whole nadai thing started.

He had gotten fewer and fewer guests until everyone stopped coming altogether. And since he didn't have any wife or kids, he was all alone.

Left to shoulder the business all by himself and with a future that looked so bleak for the town he called home, it was so discouraging that he thought about leaving it all behind.

But he just couldn't bring himself to move someplace else.

This was the Water Tribe, his home. He wanted to see it restored to its former glory.

Not having the means or the strength to do it himself, he decided to educate them on what he knew about the nadai situation, its effects and the impact it has on those who chose not to take it.

It was hard. There was only a matter of time before the light was snuffed out.

He encouraged them to move quickly. Whatever it was that they wanted to do, they would have to do it fast before the tide could no longer be reversed.

Taking his advice to heart, the gang was roaming the streets of Shisen, looking for more clues to give them a clearer idea of how bad things were and how they could best help the people here. Yoon was conversing with someone outside an establishment and not willing to leave him alone, the rest of them followed.

Jae-ha was leaning against the doorframe, observing the exchange going down between the owner and the pretty boy but didn't interfere.

Zeno was showing Shin-ah something off to the side and Kija followed, curious. Hak stayed close to Yona, nearly invading her personal space in his efforts to bodyguard her well.

The princess tried to remain aloof and unaffected but was failing hilariously. Her nose scrunched up delicately, she held her hands up defensively in front of her to fend off the wall of muscle.

He was close enough to be hugging her and yet, he wasn't.

"Hak, you don't have to be so close." Yona mumbled under her breath shyly at the proximity, cheeks pinking.

Hak looked the other way. "Sorry, Princess. But I'm not moving."

It was only like that for approximately five minutes.

While Calista was the first to realize they were being followed, Shin-ah was the first to find the figures staring at them from a distance.

There were three of them in total, the one with the long dark hair the shortest out of all of them.

Calista swore she saw a tinge of that same shade of blue from the day before but it was impossible to tell with the sun glaring in her eyes. She squinted her eyes but they were gone.

The figures fled as soon as they saw Shin-ah pointing to them.

Though, the reason for that was probably more because every single one of the seven members in their group followed his finger as soon as he pointed them out. Having that many people staring at the group who was obviously trying to remain hidden was probably pretty intimidating.

"Yona... should I chase after them?" Shin-ah asked quietly as Calista watched their retreating backs, seeing if she could pick up any other traits other than blue hair.