The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Introduction

A cloaked figure stood on top of a cliff, overlooking a ravine, gazing down at the mass number of soldiers that had gathered there. They were heading towards Kuuto, the capital of Kouka Kingdom, and by the looks of their armor and weapons, they weren't expected guests. Behind her, seven figures stood, awaiting her orders. The one with dark hair adorned in blue robes stepped forward, his glaive resting at his side.

"Princess Yona, let us depart."

The man with white hair brandished his claw, and next to him, the boy with feathers in his hair crossed his arms confidently. The one wearing a mask over his eyes adjusted it as another flipped his green ponytail over his shoulder, purple eyes glowing with excitement. The short yellow-haired boy rested his hands behind his head with a wide smile, beaming in happiness. A dark figure dressed in black unwound something from her wrist and reached behind her head to secure a cloth around the bottom half of her face.

"It is cold here." Yona's breath was visible as she exhaled.

"It does border the mountains." The dark-haired general replied, somewhat cheekily, as the sun rose behind the group.

The princess closed her eyes, reminiscing. They've come such a long way since then. It certainly was nothing like her life in the castle. She felt a hand on her shoulder, jolting her out of her memories. Looking up, she saw grey eyes etched with worry. Yona offered her protector a reassuring smile, before turning back to her comrades.

"Let's show them," Violet eyes blazed with fire. "Not to mess with Kouka Kingdom!"

Green hair flashed past the masked assassin as he leaped up over the ravine. With a nod of approval from the princess, the rest of them quickly dispersed, aside from the pretty boy and the golden-haired ball of joy. Clamor rose from the soldiers as they spotted the green-haired man flying above them. With a flick of his wrist, he showered the soldiers with a deadly rain of steel.

"S-Shoot him!" One of the commanders atop of a horse cried out fearfully.

The soaring man smirked, landing in a crouch next to the white-haired man who had just appeared. Extending his right hand, his claw grew twice its size. Green hair fluttered as he landed beside his comrade, sent another torrent of blades towards the new wave of soldiers, and white dashed forward, striking downward, causing the shock waves from his hand to knock several ranks of soldiers off their feet. A commotion arose behind the soldiers ranks, and the commander turned his attention back, watching as a dark-haired man swept through his ranks of soldiers as if they were bugs.

Terror continued to rise among the invaders. "A-Another one?!"

No one dared get any closer to the abnormal men. One stepped up to challenge the general, getting sliced in half as two masked figures descended from the sky. Grey eyes lit up in excitement and the masked man smiled slightly at her playfulness. They cleared out several soldiers, side by side. He drew his sword back and forth, the white fur draped across his back moving gracefully with him. Her lips drew back in a grin as she noticed the squirrel, his ever-faithful companion, tucked safely in the front of his shirt. She drew two daggers, curling her hands into fist, keeping the deadly steel flattened against her forearms to block the incoming attacks against her. Darting forward, she forced the soldiers on the defensive as she struck their vitals with the hilts of her blades.

Back of the head, neck, eyes, ankle...

She listed in her head, counting as the men around her fell to her precise strikes. Noticing movement from behind her, she whirled around, bringing her arms up to deflect the incoming arrow. Not missing a beat, she spun lightly on the balls of her feet, letting the two swords aimed for her chest glide past her body smoothly. Catching one of the soldiers as he propelled towards her, she struck the back of his knee, breaking it, before bringing up her knives to slash at his chest.

They all fought together, keeping an eye on each other's backs, as they became a blur of deadly blades.

"Leave Kouka Kingdom quietly!" Came the sharp command from above. The soldiers froze as they looked up at the figure stark against the sun. "I will not let you run this kingdom!"

They all paused in their fighting, and the dark-haired general leaned against his weapon, blue eyes glowing with pride at the princess' unwavering determination.

"D-Damn you!" The commander cursed, pulling an arrow out of one of the soldiers at his feet. Nocking it with hardened eyes, he let it fly.

The general growled, grip tightening on his glaive, but as he stepped forward, the masked girl held out an arm in front of him to stop him. As he turned to look at her, she pointed towards the princess, and they all watched as the arrow grew closer and closer to its target, until it was intercepted by a strong wooden shield. She smiled underneath her mask as she saw golden hair flicker into her vision from behind the barrier.

The group watched as Yona reached calmly behind her, drawing an arrow from her quiver and pulling it back from her bow. Then, she released the tension and the arrow soared, finding its mark and burying itself deep in the heart of the commander.

Chaos ensued after the death of the commander, and the masked assassin's silver eyes glittered dangerously. Beside her, her comrades were readying themselves for the onslaught of desperate soldiers. As he drew his black blade, the masked man glanced as his companions, and the green-haired warrior smirked in response. Then they all dove back into the thicket of the battle, to finish what was started.