The Golden Dragon [Akatsuki no Yona]

Chapter 20: Hot Spring

"You're the girl from yesterday," I called out to the blue haired female on the ground. Knew that we would meet again.

"What a coincidence. We run into each other a lot," Lili replied. "Me? I'm planting trees in Shisen."

"You're the suspicious one Lady Lili," Tetora sighed. Lili got up and asked why we were gathered in a place like this. I thought our tent was rather self-explanatory.

"Um... We didn't have enough money and had to leave the inn. We camped out here last night," Yona replied.

"You're kidding..." Lili said.

"It's true," Yona replied.

"The poor are incredible!" She gasped in shock.

"We're not that incredible," I happily said with Zeno as we bowed in thanks.

"She's not praising us," Yun said.

"I don't believe you! You're a girl right?! How can you camp surrounded by all those men in a place like this?!" Lili asked.

"Um, Yona has Lynlet and I and we are capable to taking care of the boys if they tried anything," I raised my hand as I spoke.

"It's fine. We're all friends," Yona replied.

"We're safe and stable men," Yun said.

"I wonder about that," Jae-ha laughed.

"Quit joking around," Hak sighed.

"But...! There are bugs and the bedding is hard!" Lili protested.

"This is pleasant compared to the mountains," Yona replied. "Besides, I was worried about the conditions of the people who rioted yesterday. Want to come?"

"I will come too!" I exclaimed and grabbed Lynlet's arm, pulling her along.

"All right," Yona replied with a smile.

+++

Along the river were the tied up men. A couple of them were picked up by their families, but there were still a couple left. Yona held a cup of water for one of them and Lynlet and I id the same for the rest.

"Aren't you scared?" Lili asked. "This person is the one who pinned you down yesterday, isn't he?"

"This person... He was having hallucinations of killing his own family last night. He's been crying," Yona replied. "That's why... Even if their frail hearts are being controlled by Nadai. I want to cure them... I really don't want to tie them up, but there were times they got terribly violent."

The male who was just fed water by Yona started murmuring for his mother and crying. He kept apologizing.

+++

"How did they get their hands on Nadai?" Lili asked when we had returned to the tent.

"There are several reasons, to say the least, but we think the people who drank it at a store called Suirei... Either did it without their knowledge or were forced," Jae-ha replied.

"What will you do while your friends are out?" Lili asked us.

"We'll stay here," Yona replied. "We can't leave these people like this..."

"They will be safe in the care of the clinics of this town. They can't be tied up here forever, right?" Lili asked

"What?! But... There are too many addicts in this town. They can't accept them all," Yun replied.

"Ayura," Lili called out. "For now, I'll give the clinics the money they need. You guys will loose at the inn I'm at."

"Why?" Yona asked. She was confused at her generosity.