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

How long does it take to buy something?!

"KURO WAKE UP!"

What the...

I sit up, and flare my wings, just in case we're under attack. 

"What?! Where's the enemy!"

Yun stands over me, poking my nose with a stick. 

"There's no enemy, we're leaving to find the green dragon."

"Oh." I say stupidly. "Oh. I, uh....I see. Right then."

I pull my hood back up, and stand up. "Well, I'm not exactly a morning person. Let's go, then."

We begin to walk toward the scent of the ocean, Shiko rolling around on the ground in laughter at Hak's dumb jokes as we go through the trees. It's like there's a convenient path just for us. I sense the green dragon moving very rapidly around the supposed port town. 

"The dragon is moving at a sickening speed. Almost as fast as I can fly." I say to the group. 

"Yes, he is, and we're getting closer to his location by the minute." says Kija. 

~*~

That day, we encounter a sickly man in a village on the way to the supposed port town. Yona gives him a bottle of water, and an apple to eat, for he looks very sick. The man has some very degrading things to say about King Il, Yona's dead father. 

"King Il wasn't the best king, I have to agree." I say once Shiko and Ao follow Yona. I can sense she's crying. "I know he was Yona's father. He was a very kind king, but he left many problems in our nation unsolved. For example, this village. I understand we have to sacrifice some things for the greater good, but a whole village is not one of them. There are innocent people living here. People who have done nothing to anger the king in  any way. I know this must sound strange, coming from a cold-blooded killer like me, but I don't enjoy watching other people suffer. I do it because I have no choice."

"That makes sense." says Hak. "I'm an ex-general. I've killed many people. I know how it feels to kill someone and feel bad about. But it's another thing to kill to protect someone you love."

"Yes." I think of Shiko. I would die if it meant he would be able to go on living. He's the only person in the world that I trust completely. 

Even less reason for me to trust this new king person. Su-won, I think it was. If he's not going to help, I'll kill him myself. To protect my friends. 

~*~

"So it is a port town." I say, making sure my hood is up, and my wings are covered. 

I walk up to the edge of the cliff with everyone else. 

"Ah!" says Yona. "It's so pretty! My first time seeing the ocean!"

"Me too! Me too!" pipes up Shiko. 

"My first time, as well." says Kija. 

Shin-ah just nods. 

I hear a little squeak, and Ao lands on my shoulder. 

"Hey, Shiko, come look at this."

He peers over my shoulder as Ao eats a little fish. 

"Where the fuck did he get that?" I mutter quietly. 

"Alright, well, I'm going into town." says Hak. "I need to buy something."

"I'm coming, too!" says Yona. 

"No. All of you, stay here. We don't know what this town is like."

"Fine. You'd better be back by nightfall, or else I'm coming to get you. I think Princess here will be very angry if you get yourself hurt in a strange village."

"Hm!" Yona agrees.

"Yep. Nightfall. You got it. Princess. Kuro. Shin-ah. White Snake. Yun. Squirrel. Shiko. Later." Hak says, walking off. 

As soon as he turns his back, I stick up my middle finger at him for breaking into my house. 

"Dumb ass." I say, covering Shiko's ears. 

Kija stifles a laugh, and slaps me on the back. 

"Nice going, sister."

"Do you have to call me that?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO!" I yell at him. 

"YES!" he yells back at me. 

"AAH! FINE! YA MAY AS WELL CALL ME-"

"Shh. Someone will hear you." says Yun. I promptly hit him in the head with an apple. 

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Shh. Someone will hear you, Yun! Be quiet!" I taunt.

"Oh shut it, Kuro."

After an hour of joking around with Kija, chatting with Yona, and trying to push Yun off the cliff, I flop down on the grass next to Shin-ah.

"Sooo...."

He looks at me. 

"How it going?"

He gives me a thumbs up. 

"Good. You don't talk much."

Shin-ah shakes his head, and Ao squeaks. 

"So, I don't know much about you. What was your village like?" I ask, forcing him to speak. 

"Cold. Dark. We live underground." 

His voice is different than I expected. 

"Oh?"

"Yes. The villagers were afraid of me. I am cursed."

"No you're not. Dragons aren't cursed. We're just different. Your villagers are idiots. My villagers were the same."

"People thought you were cursed?"

"Not necessarily cursed, just evil. But I'm not, and neither are you." I assure him. 

"KURO!" yells Yun from up in the branches of a tree.

"HOLY MOTHERFUCKING JUMPING JESUS ON A BREAD STICK WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU-" I begin as Yun jumps on me. 

Yona covers Shiko's ears as I continue to yell. 

"I SWEAR TO GOD I AM GOING TO THROW YOU OFF THIS CLIFF!"

"Jeez! Okay, okay!" he says, running to hide behind Yona. 

"Damn, Hak's been gone too long. How long does it take to buy something? I'm going to go get him."

"Be careful!" says Kija as I walk off to go bring the guy back. 

"Yeah. I will. Nobody's going to kill me today."

Despite our little argument, Yun looks concerned as I walk away. 

"Take care of Shiko." I say to Yona.

"Yes." she says. "I will."

As I look at her smile and her eyes, I realize she really is a special person. 

I will bring Hak back to you. I promise.