The sun had begun to set. The sky ever so slightly taking in splashes of orange, yellow, pink, and red. The color red was prominent that day. There was red in the field, originating from bodies of allies and enemies. Soldiers lay covered in thick, red blood all around, motionless and unbothered by what was happening. Yona's red hair shone brightly in the sunlight that was gradually disappearing, but that was not the only red on her. Hak's blood stained her clothes and covered her hands. She was on the grassy field, holding him close to her, making sure his warmth would not leave. Her right hand supported the back of his neck, while the other was placed on his abdomen, holding together the bandage she hastily put on him to stop his bleeding. Red had invaded his person as well, his blue cloak, sash, and clothes were covered in blood, from his own and from those he cut down. Hak hadn't opened his eyes in a while, but every so often a small breath came out from his mouth, and his eyes would move ever so little, which slightly calmed Yona.
Kye-Sook and his mercenaries loomed over the couple on their horses, spears and swords aimed at them. Yona thought it unnecessary, what could they do in their weakened state? If they had found themselves in this situation thirty minutes ago, their predicament might have been different, but everything happened so fast.
Yona and Hak had found themselves separated from the Dragons and Yoon. They were part of a different fighting squad, meant to protect the villagers from the oncoming attack from the Kai Empire, while Yona, Hak, and a few Fire Tribe soldiers were meant to provide backup for the Sky Tribe. Something went wrong in the process. The Sky Tribe never showed, only Kye-Sook and a group of roughly fifty mercenaries. Yona and Hak wondered if Soo-Won had only decided to send a few of his soldiers, as it was rumored that the Kai Empire attack was done by a small band of 100 men. Everything appeared normal for a little while, until Hak questioned why Kye-Sook was sent to lead the charge rather than the Sky Tribe General, Joo-Doh. Silence fell in the group as more and more mercenaries began to appear. The small group of Fire Tribe soldiers made no sudden movements, understanding the situation they were in. Hak put his arm in front of Yona in a protective manner, as they all prepared to fight. The mercenaries on horseback made the first attack on the Fire Tribe soldiers, taking out a few men in one hit with their long spears. Blood came flying out of their wounds, covering their allies and the ground in the thick red liquid. Those not hit by the initial blow began fighting back. Hak, fearing the worst could happen, told Yona to run away, but immediately she refused. Taking out her bow, Yona began firing shots at the mercenaries, while Hak stayed in front of her, slashing those who got too close to them. When an opening for them to run appeared, Hak took Yona by the hand and headed towards an area with scattered trees. It was a last ditch effort to get Yona to safety. He was unsure whether this would change their fate, but he had to try, for her. Tears started to run down Yona's cheeks, turning her face into a soft red. Hak's wounds began to get to him, a large gash on his abdomen bled profusely, draining his energy. They had to stop running. Hak had to crouch, holding his wound, and he urged Yona to continue without him, yet again she refused. She ripped part of her skirt to wrap around Hak's wounded body, a soft smile appeared on her face as small tears fell from her eyes when wrapping the bandage. While it wasn't much, she was helping Hak, the person whom she loved dearly. Hak's eyes grew smaller with fatigue, he wiped the tears off of her cheeks before drifting away. A part of him hoped that this wasn't the end, he wouldn't let himself think otherwise. Yona held him close to her body, listening for signs of life.
The battle went on behind them, with the mercenaries wiping out all of the Fire Tribe soldiers. The soldiers and Hak managed to take out half of the mercenaries, but they were outnumbered. This was the only outcome. Kye-Sook looked for the couple, once seeing them, he pointed his group over to where they were, surrounding the two.
"Why are you doing this? Is this Soo-Won's doing?" Yona questioned with rage, yet her voice trembled anyways. Kye-Sook looked down on the girl and the person she was holding, and spoke in his monotone manner.
"You are a dangerous person, Princess Yona. Many people would follow you after all the aid you and your group have provided. I cannot allow you to continue and ruin the work that the King and I have done for this country... But no. This is not his Majesty's idea. Purely mine."
Fear and dread filled her mind. Yona could only wonder if the Kai Empire was even attacking, and if it was all made up by Kye-Sook. Are Jae-Ha, Zeno, Shin-ha, Kija, and Yoon alive? Did they know what happened here? Yona decided not to bring them up, in case this was the only group of mercenaries sent to attack. Tears filled her eyes once again, but rage was the primary emotion that she felt at this very moment. She felt rage that she couldn't do anything to save the Fire Tribe soldiers. Rage that Kye-Sook pulled an attack. Rage that she couldn't help Hak in his time of need.
"So then, how does this end? What do you want from me?" Yona asked angered, wiping the tears from her eyes. The previously dried blood was now smeared across her cheeks.
"Your demise." Kye-Sook replied without missing a beat. Yona's eyes widened, letting out a small gasp in the process. Instinctively she held Hak closer to her, fearing that they wanted to end his life as well. Hak remained in his unconscious state. A part of the red headed girl wished that he would conveniently open his eyes at the mention of her death, and that the two would fight together once again to escape and see their friends.. It was all just a fantasy. Even if Hak did open his eyes, in his weakened state he wouldn't be able to fight against the remaining mercenaries. Nor could she provide much help.
"If you come with us without a fight," Kye-Sook started, "Then we will spare the Thunder Beast.." The King's advisor knew that this was the easiest way to get the Princess without more of a struggle. Kye-Sook also knew that without first aid the Thunder Beast was just as good as dead. Killing two birds with one stone, the situation couldn't have gone better for him. Yona didn't speak for a while. She was processing what the King's advisor had just told her. Her life for Hak's. She knew that Hak wouldn't last much longer without proper care to his wounds. She knew that was what Kye-Sook knew as well. Touching his wound, Yona felt more tears fall from her eyes, and onto his bandage.
"If I give myself to you... You will spare Hak's life. Correct?"
"Yes." Kye-Sook sighed. This was taking longer than he expected.
"I'll agree on one condition," Yona looked dead into Kye-Sook's eyes, a fire burning within her own, "Allow me to apply first aid to Hak's wounds." She gave the King's Advisor a look that told him she knew what he was thinking. The makeshift bandage that Yona had placed earlier was now soaked in red.
"Very well. I will allow you ten minutes to do what you need on the Thunder Beast." Kye-Sook sighed once again. He wanted the least amount of struggle possible at this point. He wondered what kind of aid the red haired Princess could even provide for someone this injured.
The mercenaries no longer pointed their weapons toward Hak and Yona, but surrounded them nonetheless. Yona sighed a shaky breath. This was it. The ten minutes she was granted to help Hak's wounds. With all her might she wished that the Dragons would appear out of nowhere to save the two. But once again, it was just a fantasy that would never happen. Yona ripped a larger part of her skirt, and took off the first layer of her top. Carefully removing the previous bandage she fastened it onto Hak's wounds, she began talking to the unconscious Thunder Beast, "Hey Hak..." Yona said in a quiet voice, "I'm not sure if you can hear me, but you're going to be okay. I'm making sure of it." She then put pressure on the wound with her top, and wrapped it securely and tightly with her ripped skirt. She did it just as Yoon would. This bandage was more secure than the other one, but she made it look sloppy to prevent Kye-Sook and his mercenaries from finishing off Hak after. After tying a knot on the bandage, Yona brushed the hair out of Hak's face, memorising every detail on him. He was still breathing, it was soft, but it was something. Holding the back of his neck again, she slowly ran a finger along his jaw. No tears fell from her eyes this time. While time was fleeting, she enjoyed looking at his features and touching him. She wouldn't allow herself to think about how this was the last time, giving into those thoughts would make things even worse than they already were. "Hak," Yona said again, "I hope you can hear me." She leaned in close to his face, "I love you." Yona whispered so only the two could hear her speak. The red haired Princess kissed him, her shaking mouth moved onto his. While he remained still, Yona felt a small twitch come from his bottom lip. Deep down she wished he wouldn't wake up. Wake up and see her being escorted away only to be killed moments later. This was the only wish of hers that was granted.
Yona placed Hak's head gently on the grass, and then she stood up. Her hair shone exceptionally red at this very moment. Reflecting the sun, reflecting the sky that was now a deep red, and reflecting the rage that she had for Kye-Sook. She stepped away from the person she loved dearly, looking back only once at his resting body. His arms were laid sloppily across his chest, and his head facing away from her. Yona made herself think about how calm he looked, about how he was just sleeping. He was going to be alright. She made sure of it.
Two mercenaries took hold of the red haired Princess, holding her arms tightly behind her back. While she made no sound, her face showed signs of pain and discomfort. They moved the Princess back to where the original battle was held, where the bodies of the Fire Tribe soldiers lay. Kye-Sook descended from his horse, his curved sword in his right hand. Disregarding her pain, Yona looked upon the man with burning hatred. With his left hand, Kye-Sook took hold of Yona's face, aligning their eyes. His cold black eyes met hers, showing neither delight or sorrow for what he was doing. "Think of this as a way to help the Kingdom, Princess Yona." Kye-Sook spoke in a normal manner. How could he be so calm at a time like this? Doing a thing like this? This made Yona's heart sink deep into her chest, it began to beat as fast and as hard as it ever could. Her body shook in fear, yet the red haired Princess kept a collected face. Right as the King's advisor let go of his grip on her, Yona wished for Jae-ha to come in from above and save her. She wished for Kija to swipe the mercenaries away, for Shin-Ha, Zeno, Yoon, Hak, anyone to come to her rescue.
Those thoughts left her mind immediately as Kye-Sooks curved sword came slashing down onto Yona's body. Her clothes ripped, to reveal a gash that lead from her breastbone down to her stomach. The pain was unbearable. The feeling of her skin being torn open felt like fire going up and down her body. All she could do was to let out a staggered scream that took her breath away, easing the pain only for a brief second. Yona's natural reaction was to try and put pressure on her wound, but with both her arms held behind her and she could do was struggle. She felt her blood leave her body, and fall on the grass, turning it dark red. Her warmth was leaving her, which eased her pain a little. Yona had no more energy left. She slumped her body, her head hung, where she looked her wound. The red substance was oozing out of her at an alarming rate. Yona's breathing began to be painful, resulting in her taking slow shallow breaths. She tasted blood in her mouth, and after doing so she saw it drip out onto the ground. This was the end.
"Finish her." The King's advisor demanded to the mercenaries holding her. Pulling out a sword, the mercenary to Yona's right took a fistful of red hair and pulled her head back. The cold metal on her neck shocked Yona. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, well knowing what would happen next. The motion of the mercenary's sword was deep and fast, tearing open the Princess' throat like it was nothing. More pain was added to Yona's suffering. More burning, more blood, more certainty of death. This time she was unable to let out a scream, as she choked on her own blood. The mercenaries let go of her, where her body fell heavily onto the blood soaked ground. Able to move in her last few moments of life, Yona shakily reached out in the direction Hak's body lay. As she felt her blood engulf her, she felt its warmth, and suddenly the pain was beginning to go away. Yona's dawn was over, her sun was now setting on her life. Her last few thoughts were of Hak, and her friends. She never thought about how devastated they were going to be. In her last moment Yona felt tired, so she closed her eyes and thought about the Happy Hungry Bunch together and happy again.
Yona's body was on its front, in a pool of blood. The path of tears was visible on her face from where it wiped blood from her cheeks. Her eyes were slightly open, and a hand was extended toward the west.
Kye-Sook and his remaining mercenaries left to return to the castle, keeping their word about leaving the injured Thunder Beast alone.
Hak awoke in a cold sweat with a searing pain on his torso. Propping himself on one elbow, he saw a wound on his abdomen, that was hastily wrapped. Looking around his surroundings, Hak was able to remember the battle from a few hours ago. Panic set in as he recalled that the Princess was with him before, and now was nowhere to be found. Hak looked back down at his bandage, recognizing the fabric used to stop his bleeding, was Yona's top and part of her skirt. Hak tried his best to quickly stand up, wincing in pain several times while doing so. He leaned on his glaive for support. His legs were shaky, but he began to look around for Yona. Doing so was incredibly hard. The moon was currently in its stage where it shone no light down upon the Earth, and to make things worse a light mist covered the area. Heading in the direction of the battle, the bodies of the Fire Tribe soldiers began to appear. Hak worried that one of these bodies might be that of his Princess. Fear and anxiety filled his mind, forming a pit in his stomach that made his body even harder to move. As he saw more and more bodies of those who were there to help him and Yona, his breathing became unsteady and his heart beat nearly through his chest. There was no way that Yona would be among these bodies, after all, she had healed his wounds...
Off in the distance was a smaller body than those of the Fire Tribe soldiers, a body that seemed to match that of Yona's. Upon looking at the small body Hak's heart stopped while he fell to his knees. Dropping his glaive, Hak ran towards the body, ignoring all the pain he felt before and ignoring his wound reopening. Fresh blood began to appear through his bandage once again. No.. No.. Please don't let it be her.. Hak's mind went wild, fearing and somewhat denying what was reality. Tears streamed down his face, drying before they could reach the ground.
Upon reaching the small body, Hak's worst fears came to life. He saw Yona's motionless body, same as all of the other Fire Tribe soldiers he saw previously. Her body lay in a pool of her drying blood, so much that Hak knew what it meant and started to cry even harder. He crouched down in front of her body, turning her over in the small chance that she could be alive somehow. When she was turned over he saw that his wish of the red haired girl being alive vanished. Holding her body Hak could feel how cold she was. Her head was slumped away from him, revealing the large cut on her throat. The gash on her torso wasn't easy to miss either, and was still wet to the touch. Hak made this mistake by touching her stomach, and removing his hand immediately upon feeling her wound. Hak let out a blood wrenching scream into the night, as more and more tears fell down his cheeks, which now reached his and Yona's bodies. The scream echoed for a few seconds before the air was filled with the sounds of sobbing. He held her body close to his, not realizing that his blood was getting everywhere. Seeing that her eyes were still open, Hak placed a shaky hand onto them and closed them gently. Sobbing more and more Hak could only wonder how something so horrible could have happened. Remembering the bandage on him was made from Yona's clothing, he came to the conclusion that she has protected him. This thought only made him sob more, and wish that he could have protected her in return. Now she was gone, and he could only feel that he had failed his Princess.
The mist surrounded Hak. His skin began to turn pale, and now unable to cry, his body trembled and ached. Currently he thought about the Dragons and Yoon, and how utterly devastated they were going to be, just as he is. In his mind he heard their cries of anguish, their loud sobs and their anger towards the man who did this. He also worried for their safety, having the same thought as Yona, that the Kai Empire attack was faked. He had to go check on them... But he couldn't leave Yona. Leaving his glaive behind, Hak took Yona's body in his arms, carrying her as gently as if she were still alive. Every step he took hurt, only now realizing that his wound had reopened. Nonetheless the Thunder Beast continued forward.
Hak had made it quite far before his legs gave out. He sat down, still holding Yona's body close to his. He had hoped that he got far enough to where Yoon and the Dragons were that they would eventually find him. Feeling the life slipping out of him, Hak released a shaky sigh. If he could, he was certain that he would still be crying, yet his body could produce no more tears, only pain. He leaned against a tree, and watched the night sky turn into pale pastels of what it once was due the sun rising. The dawn was here again, but he could barely keep himself from closing his eyes. Exhaustion and fatigue swept over his body faster than he had imagined. Looking down at the Princess still in his arms, he decided to write the name "Kye-Sook" in the dirt next to them. Even a small task such as that drained him. Upon completion he let his body go limp. Feeling one last tear roll down his cheek, Hak fell into an endless slumber, the same which his Princess did so many hours ago.
EPILOGUE
Yona sat in a field of white flowers. She held onto her knees, watching the flowers move with the wind underneath the sunrise. The sky was a light blue with pastel pinks and yellow coloring the horizon. The sun begin to appear, when she heard movement in the field coming from behind her. Turning around slowly, she saw Hak standing above her, with a small smile and tears in his eyes. Yona stood up and gasped, tears beginning to well in her lilac eyes.
"Hi." The red haired girl said.
"Hey." Hak replied in a joyous voice.
The two stood looking at each other, delighted to see one another again, but still distraught at the circumstances that brought the two together once again.