As the mansion burned we took shelter in a cave in the valley, using what provisions we had managed to rescue before the place burned down to keep comfortable and we even made soup for Zeno to help him regain his strength. "Ah! I feel so alive!" He joked but none of us answered, all looking darkly at the ground. "Hm? Everyone's so gloomy! But look! Even after being cooked to a golden brown, my skin's all smooth now!" He tried to cheer us all up but I just shot him an angry look before hammering my fist down onto his head.

"That's for making me worry! You stupid idiot!" I yelled before throwing my arms around him in an embrace. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't mean it, I'm sorry Zeno I'm sorry…" I wailed, nuzzling into him as everyone else yelled at him too. I looked up to see Algira moping on the floor but when Yona asked him what was wrong, he just answered in a dead tone.

"I couldn't save the kitties from the fire…those poor things." I frowned at him.

"You mean those cats?" I asked then pointed to the group of kittens that were strolling around the place. Algira's eyes shot wide open and he looked up before jumping into the fray, hugging all the cats to him happily as Vold rolled his eyes.

"Idiot." I arched an eyebrow at him.

"You're the one that saved them, who's the softy now?" I pestered, poking him in the arm as he growled.

"I knew he'd complain if I didn't." He argued, feigning his lack of interest but I only smiled at the pair. They reminded me of myself and Hak, how we used to argue with one another, constantly competing against the other in every small thing. Everything went silent when Princess Tao stood, her head bowed in shame as she faced us all.

"I involved you all in something so dangerous, I can't apologise enough." She said meekly though Yona only smiled.

"Princess Tao, are you unharmed?"

"Yes…but only because of the strength and bravery of your companion." She said, glancing over to me before she bowed very low. "I'm so sorry! You risked your life for me, the princess of your enemy country, forgive me! Please forget about the matter of Xing Kingdom!" Everyone stared at her but before Vold could say anything, I stepped forwards and placed my finger under her chin, making me look up at me as I retained a soft but serious demeanour.

"Stand. You are a proud princess of the kingdom of Xing. You should not need to bow to anyone." I ordered and she did so. "Now stop crying. Wipe your face." She did so, using her sleeve to dry away her tears then took a deep breath, looking me in the eye levelly. "I have no enemies in Xing, so you are wrong. I did not risk my life for nothing, if anything, I risked it for a kind and gentle princess who wants what is best for her people." Reaching out I placed my hand on her head, looking down at her with soft warmth. "Now doesn't that sound like a person worth saving?" She stared at me slightly awe struck before she lifted her hand and rested it on her chest.

"You have the thanks of my people and myself, Tao, second princess of Xing, for risking your life to save my own. We owe you and your companions a debt of gratitude." She said formally so I bowed in reply, accepting her thanks gracefully as Yona smiled.

"That's just like you Ryo, you've always been a good diplomat when you're calm and not trying to use your fists." She said to me with a smile and I grinned in response.

"Someone has to be calm around you lot when you get into so much trouble." I replied before exhaling. "We should probably rest, it's still late and we have a few hours until dawn." I said wisely before I sat down against the cave wall, patting the ground beside me and both Yoon and Yona quickly claimed the spaces beside me, curling up and were soon fast asleep against me.

"Eh?! They fell asleep that quickly?" Tao blinked in surprise before chuckling behind her sleeve. "Yes, we should all rest. It has been a long day for us all." So she too looked around for a space to sleep, unsure of what to do so I inclined my head and she beamed, skipping over to me and curiously settled down with her head resting on my lap beside Yona, curling in close. "Strange, I've never slept like this before…it's quite a new experience." She murmured, eyes fluttered as the weariness came over her.

"Sleep well princess. Yoon. My lady." I murmured gently and soon, I too joined them in the realm of sleep whilst the others set up a watch and a rota so that there would always be someone on guard. Zeno woke me up briefly when he pounced on me, snuggling up next to Yoon and laying his head down on my legs also and Shin-Ah did the same, sweetly copying what everyone else was doing and Kija soon joined, not wanting to be left out until finally, I was covered in people wanting to rest against me. I couldn't help but chuckle.

They were all so sweet looking in sleep, covered in blankets which Vold placed over them and Algira grinned at me as he took watch alongside Hak. My fingers stroked through Yona's hair instinctively, keeping an eye on everyone until falling asleep once more.

I slept rather soundly, considering I was leaning against a rocky wall however when people around me began to stir I was woken up, though mainly because Zeno was snoring and had sleepily hit me in the face with his fist. "Zeno!" I hissed, giving him a glare before pouting to myself, Yona and Yoon stirring along with everyone else.

"Is it morning already?" Yona questioned, rubbing her eyes sweetly.

"You may go back to sleep if you wish princess, there's no need to rush getting up." I offered but she shook her head, giving me a smile of thanks as Tao continued to snore lightly, her mouth wide open and drooling slightly so Yona giggled then quietly wiped the drool away.

The boys got up and Yoon prepared breakfast, using some herbs he'd managed to find in the valley to make it taste a little nicer before serving dishes to everyone. When I reached out for my share, my hand brushed against someone else's and I was about to apologise when I realised it was Jae-Ha.

Before I knew what was happening I'd given a loud squeak and leaped back, entire face turning red hot like an iron in a furnace as I leaned my entire body away from him, staring blankly before I blinked, realising everyone was looking at me. "I just remembered…I was going to check the area before breakfast wasn't I?! How stupid of me!" I laughed forcefully, knowing I wasn't fooling anyone but I took it as my escape route and left the cave hurriedly, deciding breakfast wasn't necessary but then my stomach growled in protest. That's right, I didn't eat anything yesterday evening either.

"Damn it, this is just what I need. Better go looking for food." I muttered to myself just as Ao jumped up onto my shoulder for the ride, giving me a sweet look. "Hey there Ao, will you help me hunt for food?" I asked and she squeaked in response, licking her lips at the thought of food. I scouted the area and searched for food, growing increasingly irritated however when a flash of movement caught my eye I instantly went for a shuriken, watching as the rabbit hopped into view before I launched my throwing star at it.

It gave a sharp squeal as the blade pierced it's neck, causing the birds in the trees above to fly off from the disturbance but I claimed my prize victoriously, grinning with success as I held it by the ear. "At least we'll have meat for lunch!" I cheered as Ao scampered up and down my arm in excitement. I wasn't able to find anything else, so my stomach howled at me in anguish as I began to trudge back, however when I entered the cave I grinned. "Look guys, food!"

"Yay! Meat for lunch! Meat for lunch!" Zeno chanted, clapping his hands as Shin-Ah licked his lips. "Well done big miss, this'll make a tasty meal for us all!" He said whilst salivating, making me lift the meat out of his reach.

"Don't get your saliva all over the food Zeno, you'll contaminate it." I protested as he waved his arms, trying to grab it from me but I didn't let go until it was safely in Yoon's hands. He cooked up lunch whilst Hak sparred outside with Algira, however when Vold requested a match against Jae-Ha, he tried to decline but was forced to avoid the swordsman's attacks regardless.

"Please, let's not be so hasty!" Jae-Ha protested as he leaped back a further distance, however he misjudged his jump and landed right next to me, making me shriek and drop the supplies I had picked up to pack away, yanking my hood down over my head as I stuttered.

"I…uh-um…you…stupid dragon!" I finally managed to stammer out, gathering everything back into my arms at top speed before storming away, leaving a rather bewildered Jae-Ha behind.

"What's up with you? You're acting weird." Yoon noted to me as he stirred the stew.

"Nothing! I'm fine!" I answered overly cheerfully before wincing, realising I was trying too hard. Blushing profusely I turned my head away and diligently packed up the bags, fussing over even the smallest of details and folding things repeatedly until they were perfectly neat.

"Is the big miss feeling nervous about something? She's bright red. Perhaps she's still a little burned from yesterday?" Zeno questioned before touching my forehead. He then whipped it back, yelling loudly. "AGH! HOT HOT HOT!"

"Ssh! Try and be a little less dramatic Zeno!" I pressed my hand over his mouth to silence him but he tried to escape me, wriggling and waving his arms in protest as I threatened to wash his hair if he didn't watch himself. Yoon wasn't impressed and sent us back outside where Vold was still trying to prompt Jae-Ha to fight him.

"Please, all this sparring is unhealthy for my beautiful complexion. If you want a match, I'm sure Kija is willing to test your strength, or even our lovely Lady Ryo!" He suggested, making me freeze in place before I shot them both a dark look.

"I would never ask a lady to battle me, even if it were just gentle sparring, I may accidentally go too far and hurt them." Vold answered, making my eyes narrow further but I didn't argue, not particularly wanting to fight anyone anyway.

"Guys, food's ready."

"Food!" Zeno was first in line and I was close behind, my stomach making strange noises and my mouth was constantly watering. I ate my meal so fast I even beat Shin-Ah's record, swallowing it all down in practically one gulp before sighing happily. It was a good meal. Afterwards we packed up our things then went into the town, renting a room from the inn with Tao hiding away out of sight and not showing her face until she was safely inside the room.

New clothes were bought for Zeno and we stayed inside together except for Hak and Yona who went out to look around the town, leaving everyone else inside. "Mister Zeno, are the clothes comfortable enough for you?" Tao asked as Zeno kicked his legs happily, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, Xing clothes are so comfy!" He cheered, making Tao smile prettily.

"That's good to hear!"

"He'll just ruin them immediately, you should have just given him a straw shirt." Yoon said bluntly, making Tao gasp at the very suggestion of such a drastic idea.

"I could never!" She shook her head before standing to face all of us. "I am truly sorry for getting you all caught up in this. I would love to send everyone back to Kouka Kingdom as soon as possible however…there are many people outside during the day, so let us depart once it is dark." She said and I nodded my head in agreement. The less people knew about us the better.

"But if we just leave like this, we'd have a lot of regrets on our minds, you know." Jae-Ha said gently to the princess but she stubbornly shook her head.

"No please, forget about this." She insisted so I resigned to playing with Ao on my lap, avoiding eye contact with a particular person who was sitting only a few feet away. I could feel my chest constricting at his closeness and the confinement within this room didn't help either. I'd been particularly forbidden to leave on account of me being a woman, according to Vold and Tao had agreed with him. I don't think they understood exactly who I was, it's not surprise considering they hadn't heard of the Thunder Beast and Storming Cloud before. It irritated me to be belittled but I agreed when Yona implored me to stay and keep an eye on everyone.

Since it was Yona who asked me, I couldn't help but agree, so here I was watching the others dress Jae-Ha up in a turban furnished with random things they could adorn it with. "Miss Ryo look! We made green dragon a hat!" Zeno cheered, forcing me to look up from Ao and I gulped before looking away, pursing my lips pointedly.

"He looks ridiculous." I muttered, folding my arms across my chest.

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Yoon muttered and I shot him a look.

"For your information I barely got any sleep last night and I'm still hungry and now is not the time to be getting on my nerves!" I retorted back harshly before getting to my feet. "I'm going for a walk."

"But the miss asked us all to stay here!" Zeno called after me as I reached up and pulled my hood down to cover my face.

"I don't stand out like the rest of you. I need some fresh air, you guys are irritating me to no end and I'm sick of it." I snapped at them, yanking the door open then slammed it shut behind me. I felt guilty for disobeying Yona's request and guiltier for snapping at everyone but I couldn't help it, I needed to get away from them all just for a while, I could feel my body starting to yearn for more wine.

My fingers were trembling so I gripped onto my wrist with them, using all my strength to try and dismiss the trembling whilst my blood quivered inside me, making it difficult to breathe. I felt like scratching at the insides of my throat, my mouth going dry. Water. I need water. Searching desperately I found a jug sitting on a table overlooking the street so I grabbed it then poured it into my mouth, spilling most of it away but I didn't care, gulping down as much as I could handle before I dropped it, hearing it smash but I hardly noticed, falling back against the wall as I began to claw at my skull. I was desperate. Desperate for the wine. It had been so hard to conceal this withdrawal from the others that it made me physically ill.

"Miss?" Zeno's soft voice made my head shoot up from where I knelt on the ground, my hand hiding part of my face as I looked through my fingers at him. He looked sad but not pitying, in fact his expression could almost have been described as emotionless but I knew him too well for that. "The miss drank the wine, didn't she?" He guessed as I exhaled then drew in a sharp breath once more.

"Yes…" I whispered, starting to tremble again. "I drank it. I drank the wine. I was weak and I drank it…Zeno…I drank too much…I shouldn't have…shouldn't have done it…" I wanted to cry but somehow I couldn't, too wrapped up in my own mind to even remember how to cry as I fell onto my elbows, fingers clawing into the wooden floor. "What do I do Zeno? I can't do this, I can't handle it."

"The miss doesn't need to handle anything, at least not on her own. Zeno understands, he can keep the miss's secret safe." He said as he sat down beside me then pulled me into his arms so that I was laying on his lap. For a while I was surprised, unused to being the one coddled. Usually it was the other way around but instantly I felt comforted, Zeno's hand stroking through my long hair which had grown so much in the last few months that it almost reached my knees. "Just take deep breaths big miss, deep breaths and the pain will go away."

I obeyed, breathing in and out as deeply as I could, my body twitching and convulsing whilst being cuddled by Zeno's warm presence. He was like a ray of sunshine in a dark, cold cave, bringing light and nostalgic comfort with him. It felt as if I'd known him for decades, an entire lifetime though even in my previous life I'd only known him for a short while.

"Zeno?"

"Yes Miss Ryo?" He answered, looking down at me with eyes that looked ready to carry out anything I would have asked of him.

"In my next life…can I ask a favour of you?" I requested and he blinked before smiling serenely, nodding his head and this thick mane of hair bounced softly. "When we meet again in my next life, promise me you'll not let me turn away from my feelings. Don't let me run away from them. Teach me to be brave and not let my own stubbornness get in the way of how I feel." Zeno seemed slightly surprised by the request but nodded again, understanding completely as he reached out and held my hand.

"Zeno promises. He'll take good care of the miss in her next life, whoever and wherever she shall be. Zeno will always be here, he'll be waiting." I closed my eyes, feeling fresh tears finally coming as I thought about Zeno's fate and how selfish I'd been.

"It's not fair." I whispered, gripping onto his hand more tightly. "You will live forever and the others won't live long enough. What kind of cruel joke is this? Who wants that kind of fate forced upon them?" Zeno pulled me closer, sensing my distress as he tried to rock me gently, his smaller frame just about managing to hold up my upper body.

"The miss shouldn't worry about us dragons. We have happy lives now, we have the little miss and the boy, we have you and the mister too. We're very happy." Opening my eyes I looked up into his azure blue eyes again.

"Zeno, may I ask one more favour?" He nodded. "Even after we are all gone, please go to each village and teach them how to properly care for their dragons. Don't let them trap them. Let them go out and experience the world, teach them about their powers and how they're supposed to respect them, not fear them."

"Zeno will do his best, Zeno promises he will make the lives of all future dragons much better so that the miss won't have to worry." I closed my eyes again, nodding in thanks. "But the miss mustn't feel sad for Zeno, because the miss came back to him." He continued, giving me a smile as he patted my head cheerfully. "Miss Ryo isn't the same as Miss Kazue, but they feel and smell the same, you both smell like wildflowers and kitten fur." I arched an eyebrow at him.

"I think you've been spending too much time with Algira." I mused, making us both pause before we giggled together, touching heads as I managed to sit up on my own, the warmth from his brow washing over me as he continued to hold my hand.

"Zeno means it. The miss will not be the same, but the same love for Zeno will always remain, and that makes Zeno happy." He told me and suddenly I felt more settled, not so distressed by the entire issue. It still upset me but I was comforted by the knowledge that Zeno was happy to wait for us to return to him, no matter how many centuries or even millennia passed.

"Look after yourself Zeno when we're gone. Remember to wash and keep clean, try not to tear your clothes, brush your hair every morning and eat three healthy meals a day." I murmured, still leaning my forehead against his. "And be patient. Even if I have to tear open the heavens to get back to you I'll do it. I'll demand the dragon lords themselves bring me down if that's what it takes. I won't abandon you here alone Zeno and neither will Yona. We'll keep on coming back, time after time until we find a way to stay together forever."

"The miss takes way too much onto her shoulders, Zeno thinks she sometimes pushes herself too far." He said and I opened my eyes to see that his were watery but sparkling, smiling with love to me so I returned the sentiment. "Zeno will wait. He will wait forever."

"Ryo will come back. Ryo will always come back." I answered and the two of us smiled together.