The Other Dragon (Akatsuki no Yona/Yona of the Dawn fanfic)

Kuro and Shiko Itsuji

"Shiko, you can come out now." I say calmly, folding my blood-spattered black wings back under my cloak, and pull up the hood again to cover my horns. 

My little brother runs out from behind a corner, and hugs me tightly. He only goes up to my waist. 

I pat his head. 

Shiko is six years old. He has short white hair and the same blue eyes as I have. 

Unlike me, Shiko is a trusting person. He immediately sees the good things about people, and then trusts them until they prove him that they shouldn't have been trusted. It's never a problem for me, because I don't trust anyone. I didn't even trust Chia, the previous black dragon, who taught me the powers of the black dragon. In the end I got impatient, I wanted powers. Chia saw what I was becoming, and turned on me, but before the old lady could kill me, I killed her. I have never trusted anyone but Shiko. 

"I've told you, you don't have to come with me on my killing rampages."

"But those guys are evil. If you got hurt, I wouldn't let you die here."

Shiko is only six, but he knows of lots of medicinal herbs he can use to treat a lot of wounds. Shiko does the cooking for the both of us, while I do the fighting to keep us alive. 

I ruffle the boy's hair. 

"Thank you, Shiko. Let's go home now." I say as we begin to walk down the street, strewn with bodies and weapons. 

"Did you really kill Chia?" 

"Yes. She tried to kill me. I wouldn't have done it, had she left me alone."

"Where is her body?"

"I buried it in the backyard."

When we get home, Shiko goes immediately to pay his respects to the dead dragon. 

"Kuro, I wish I was a dragon." Shiko says as he walks back into our tiny hut. 

"Why's that?" I ask him. 

"I want to fly."

"But I take you flying all the time. You can fly then." I say, sitting down. 

"No I want to really fly. By myself, not you flying for me. I want to have my own wings."

"Shiko, if you were the dragon, our lives would be so much different."

"If I was the dragon, would the dragon master come for me? They're obviously not coming for you."

I laugh.

"Oh, Shiko, I don't know if they would come for you or not, but I certainly hope the never come for me. I'm perfectly happy here with you, even if it means fighting off the villagers for my entire life."

"So you'll stay with me, even if they come looking for you?"

"What would the dragon master want with an evil black dragon? I have no master. I follow my own path, I choose my own destiny. I'm a dragon. I do what I want. And Shiko, I want to stay with you."

Shiko smiles. 

"Thank you, Kuro." he says, and he lays down to go to sleep.

While Shiko sleeps, I sharpen my swords and knives on a rock inside the hut. 

Our house is small, not much of a place to brag about, not that we have anyone to brag to, but it's home. 

~*~

In the morning, I sense the presence of two people I do not want in my village. The white and blue dragons. 

"Shiko. Wake up." I demand. "The white and blue dragons are here. We have to fly away from here."

The small child rubs his eyes. 

"The dragons? Here? Have they come for you, sister?"

"Yes, I think so, they are approaching this house very fast. Grab your things, we're leaving. Hurry, please."

"But, Kuro, if the dragons have come for you, you should at least hear them out! You don't know what they want."

"I don't trust the dragons, Shiko. You know that. We have to fly away."

"Please, Kuro, I want to stay!" Shiko tugs at my cloak as I put it on, tears in his eyes. 

"Alright, Shiko. I will see what the dragons want with me. If they intend to hurt us, I will grab you and fly very fast."

"Thank you, Kuro." Shiko says, hiding behind my cloak as the dragons come closer to the house. 

What do they want with me?

I hold my katanas out in front of me in what I hope looks like a threatening position. 

The dragons' presences become even stronger as I hear someone step up to the porch outside. 

My heart pounds in my chest, alerting Shiko that I'm scared. 

What do they want? Are they here to kill me? Please don't hurt Shiko. If they've come for my wings, they're in for a surprise. Don't hurt Shiko. I won't let you hurt Shiko...