(Rewrite) Life & Death | Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction

Chapter 07: Rice That's Red

The man's growls turned to heavy gasps as he leaned back and stared blankly at the sky. Blurrily, he listened to the retreating sounds of bandits fading out behind him. The wood cracked back into his mask, and the wisps of snow fled to reveal his dark features.

The blood didn't.

As he glanced at the corpses around him, he wondered why he did this again. This charade.

Whatever.

With a loud sigh, he flicked his arms to rid himself of the wisps and blood. He spat bitterly as the red on his face dripped down towards his mouth.

A cloak was nudged to his arm, offered as a towel. He returned to his sister a small smile.

She mumbled that the bandits were persistent this time. They even knew about the sacrifices.

He hummed blandly as he dabbed at his bloodied face with the small, thin fabric. Muttering, he mused that the villagers didn't really hide it well though. Softly, she agreed.

Face clean, the man picked up his discarded ax and faceted it to his side. He spared a glance at Yona and her group as they gathered back up their own weapons. His sister followed his gaze as he huffed.

"They're still here," he said, frowning, "That's a record, huh?"

She hummed. "The masked guy saw me today." He paused.

"He's seen all of us, Eichi said. Dragon warriors or something." As the red head turned to them, she agreed. "Best distract them before we head home."

As the woman flicked out a dagger, Yona started to call to them. Yun smacked her hand down and dragged her back.

"Are you crazy?" he whispered, furiously hissing, "you saw what they did, didn't you!?" Yona tried to argue only for Hak to butt in.

"Listen to Yun, princess" —she snapped to him— "I mean it. Let's leave while the villagers are distracted." The dragons agreed, watching the siblings closely.

The man glared back.

He gasped as some villagers thrusted torches and tools in his face. "There! You got the blood you need, didn't you? Now back to the ruins—"

His sister yanked him away, grunting as a pitchfork jabbed into her arm in the confusion. As she hissed, the villagers scrambled back. They cursed at the guy who held the bloody weapon.

"Now you've done it! They'll kill you for sure!" The man threw the tool from his hands. Similar, his fellow people scrambled away from him.

He looked to them as they did, offering the sacrifice. "Wait. Please— I, I didn't mean... please!" Their eyes lost all color as they stared.

It had to be this way. It was the only way.

It had to be. Had to be. Had to b—

"Mori!" They froze as the man rushed to his sister. Despite her efforts to hide it, he noted the blood seeping through her glove as it clutched her arm. "Let's go. Eichi can..."

He stared at the villager that trembled to his knees. Then, he glanced at the others that voided from him and the siblings. And finally, his eyes fell to the pitchfork between them. The blood on its tips.

He cursed, hand snagging to his ax.

His sister grabbed his wrist. "Yami. My arm."

"Your arm!"

A voice overshadowed hers, and she looked up as red hair leaned to her. A hand feathered over hers, and she blinked.

So warm.