Author's Note: Thank you, everyone. I am overjoyed at how much support this story has gotten. Hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

VampireSiren- Haha. He may be enjoying it a little too much. He must be very happy to be near her. I can't blame him. The strange mark is foreshadowing something but I will not spoil it. ;) You will find out in later chapters. But for now, enjoy this chapter!

Silvia-kotomi- Hi! Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad to 'hear' that you like my story and my OC's abilities. They will be more so once she's able to tap into their true power. But that won't be anytime too soon. She's already affected some of the story and will continue to do so. Hope you keep enjoying the adventures of Skye as she travels with the Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch! I will not keep you waiting for the next chapter so here it is!

Enjoy!

Chapter XXXVI

Calling Out Your Name

"I guess it can't be helped then," Yona said as she sighed in disappointment from his sitting position on my left side. The others had gone away to different villages to guard them against the Fire Tribe officers, leaving Shin-Ah and I to protect Yona. I could tell she was not happy with the arrangement. She had tried to argue with them into taking her along with them but ended up having to stay with us instead.

I smiled at her, "Is it really so bad being with Shin-Ah and I?"

Her head snapped in my direction, "Oh no. That's not what I mean at all!"

I let out a short laugh, "It's okay. I was only joking."

"Oh," she calmed down and resumed to pout, "I just feel useless waiting around here."

I leaned back on my arms and looked up at the sky, "Think of it as we are protecting the villagers that are here while the others are away."

"Oh yeah," she said, "I guess that is a good way to look at it." She paused, "Shin-Ah, will you practice swordsmanship with me?"

I turned to look at him as he frowned at her, "No. He wouldn't like me too…"

"You mean Hak?" He nodded his head. "Oh, it's fine! It won't matter to him." He seemed to be thinking it through before he shook his head. He looked in my direction before looking ahead. I knew that he was doing it because he respected Hak too much to go against something he would want. "Can I at least watch you practice?" There was silence for a few seconds before he stood up, unsheathing his sword to start practicing. "Wow," she breathed out as she watched him, "His sword style is fast and elegant."

I smiled as I watched him slash and move effortlessly around. He was very impressive to look at. I couldn't help but feel pride in my chest as my eyes followed his every movement. It was hard to pull my eyes away from him. "Yeah. He is pretty amazing."

Yona giggled at me, "Of course, you would say that."

I turned my head to look at her, blinking, "What does that mean?"

"Oh nothing~," she was smiling brightly as she giggled again.

I puffed out my cheeks feeling slightly irritated but let it all out with a sigh, "Whatever." We continued to watch him train. His body gliding as if he were in a deadly dance. I could only wish I'd become this far in my own training.

"Shin-Ah," Yona started after a few moments, "Why did you first start learning the sword? You already have the power of the dragon eyes."

I bit my lip as his body become rigid. I could only imagine the thoughts going through his head. I quickly got up to rush to his side. His knees had become weak and he fell to the ground. I caught hold of his upper body and pulled him into my embrace to comfort him.

"Shin-Ah," I called his name as his head was hidden on my shoulder. He stayed frozen in place. "Hero." I shifted, placing my hands on either side of his face to pull his head up to look at me. I smiled gently at him, "I'm here. I'm right here." I placed my forehead against his to send him some form of comfort.

"But I…" his lips thinned as he trailed off.

"I'll always be with you," I told him. Knowing exactly what must be running through his mind. I heard movement from beside us and I pulled my head away from his to see that Yona was kneeling beside us with an apologetic face.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I won't ask again."

I looked between the two of them, thinking it be best for them to be alone, "I will be back." I smiled at Shin-Ah to reassure him. "I will leave you guys to talk. I won't be too far." He sent me a curt nod before I stood up and left the two of them to patch things up. I felt that it was important for them to get closer. Shin-Ah needed to know that there were other people that would accept him. It was good for him. And in a way, this gave me a chance to look at my right arm. I had hardly had the time to check it seeing as there was almost always someone around.

I stopped somewhere that was vacant. I slid the glove down just below my elbow as the glove went all the way to my upper arm. I was shocked to see that the black vines had reached just about half way up my lower arm. Whatever it was, it was spreading. I quickly pulled the glove back on and went back to the busy parts of the village.

XX

(3rd POV: Meanwhile with Shin-Ah and Yona)

"I'm really sorry that I have caused you such distress," Yona said to the Blue Dragon, feeling guilty to have made him so upset. "I did not mean to."

He shook his head, looking down at the ground, "No... It's okay... You don't have to apologize, Yona." He couldn't help the past creeping up at him from the question. It was a reminder of what he was. That he was a monster. That he could kill someone just by looking at them in the eyes. A reminder that Skye deserved more than him. She deserved much more than a monster like him. Yet, she had comforted him and told him that she would stay by his side. It made him happy to hear that. More than she would ever know.

Yona smiled at him, "You know. I'm sure Skyrah would love it if you smiled at her once in a while."

He looked up at the redhead once she called Skye's name, "...Smile?"

She nodded at him, "Yes. She would love it. And I think it would be lovely to see as well." She made a demonstration of a smile. "It would make her so happy."

"Make… Skye… Happy?" he liked the thought of making her happy but he never really smiled before. Had he? He couldn't remember. He looked at Ao, trying to figure out how to smile. He used his fingers to pull up his lips. He had seen Skye smile all the time. He knew how much he enjoyed seeing her smile. He never thought that she may like it if he smiled at her too. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he had hardly noticed when Yona left to go shoot down a bird for a little village boy. He was also so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed two other village kids creep up to him. He was so shocked that they had the time to take his sword from him and run off with it. "Wait…" he said but his voice did not reach them. He sighed as he stood up. He needed to go look for his sword before those kids would get hurt by playing with it.

XX

(Skye's POV)

Just as I was walking through the village to head back towards Shin-Ah and the others, I spotted two kids running with one of them holding a large, familiar sword. That's… I thought as my eyes followed them. That was Shin-Ah's sword. How did those kids get a hold of it? I turned my body to follow after them. "Hey! Hold on a second!" I called out to them as I ran to catch up. I stopped a few several feet away to see several large men with menacing faces looking down at the two boys. This can't be good. I slowly unsheathed the two daggers, gripping them tightly in my hands and ready to strike if they so much as tried to hurt those kids.

"Yo, boys," a man with a scar running across his nose greeted with a sinister smirk, "we want all the alcohol and meat this village has. Go grab your parents."

So, these are real bandits then… I turned my eyes to the two boys as they looked at each other. I need to step in before those two do something stupid. I took the extra steps as quickly as I could so that I stood in front of kids. Then men regarded me as their eyes looked me up and down.

"Leave," I told them as sharply as I could. "You aren't wanted here."

The man with the scar looked at his men before they all started to laugh in my face, "Look, Sweetheart. We don't take too kindly to orders especially ones coming from a woman like you," he spat at me with a smirk.

My hands tightened around my daggers as I moved into a fighting stance that Hak had taught me, "Then I will make you leave." I talked over my shoulder to the two boys, ignoring the bandits' laughter, "get out of here and give that sword back to its owner."

The one with the sword shook his head, running towards the man with the scar. My eyes widened as the man easily kicked the kid in the gut and effectively disarmed him. Now the bandits had Shin-Ah's sword in their possession. I quickly sheathed my daggers and went by the boy's side. He was bleeding from his mouth. I had no doubts that he was bleeding internally. Why hadn't he just listened to me?

"Tae-Sik!" I heard one of the villagers cry out. "Tae-Sik!" A woman was at my side as she cried, shaking like a leaf. No doubt this was the kid's mother. She was holding on to his body for dear life.

I could hear his faint breaths. My hands turned into fists as I moved to touch him, "Please. Let me." The boy's mother looked at me with red-stained eyes in confusion before nodding her head at me. She placed her son down on the ground and I placed my hand on his forehead, focusing my energy to transfer it into him. I had to save this kid's life. He didn't deserve to die.

"What is the wench doing?" I heard one of the bandits ask. But I ignored them and everything around me. I could feel some of my energy draining. Soon, I could feel the boy move again. I opened my eyes to see that he was staring up at me.

"Wha…? What happened?" he asked in a daze. I smiled warmly at him before taking my hand away. His mother pulled her son into her tight embrace and called his name over and over in relief as she now cried tears of joy that her son would be okay. I was feeling relieved that I was able to save him.

I suddenly felt someone pulling me back by my hair. I let out a yelp as they moved me around so that they were now holding me up in front of them by the collar of my shirt. They held me too tightly that I could hardly breathe. I struggled to get them to let me go. Even so much as using my nails to scratch him off me.

"You got a neat little trick, Little Girl," the one with the scar said to me as he held me up with his outstretched arm. "It'll be useful to us. Don't you think, boys?" There were shouts of agreement from all of them.

"Like hell…" I breathed out in gasps, "I would ever help you."

His face twisted, "You don't have a say. Where is all that fight I saw in ya earlier?" Unfortunately, I was tired and unstable after sending the boy some of my energy. Maybe if I hadn't I'd have been able to smack this bastard in the jaw.

I felt myself falling to the ground before I heard Yona's voice yell from on top a roof, "Leave her and the villagers alone!" I coughed as I tried to breathe normally again. I looked up at her as her eyes landed briefly on my own. She had shot an arrow to the man's arm to force him to let me go. And here I thought I was the one that was meant to protect her.

"Yona!" I called her name in horror. I watched as she fell to the ground unconscious after being pushed by one of the bandits that had sneaked up behind her. I tried to get up to get to her but an arm wrapped around my middle and a blade was at my throat. I went to unsheathed my daggers but realized that the bandits must have disarmed me when I was caught in the air. "Let me go!" I yelled, looking desperately towards my friend that was most likely injured from the fall. I had to go to her.

"I'd stop moving if I were you. You wouldn't want me to cut that pretty little neck of yours. Now would you?" the bandits whispered in my ear, sending a chilling feeling run up and down my spine. "You and your little friend are coming with us."

"Shin-Ah!" I called out his name as if he would materialize right in front of me. One of the bandits had Yona on their shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I felt useless and powerless to do anything. I wanted to see Shin-Ah. To be in his arms. No one else's. I felt tears well up in my eyes. I wanted to be with him. I closed my eyes praying that he had heard me. Hoping he would come.

Shin-Ah.

Author's Note: Cliffhanger! What do you think will happen next?