Chapter 53:Ryokuyuu Village's Punishment


The Ryokuryuu village didn't seem like much of a village when Yona and her friends entered it. There were no children running in the streets laughing, people seemed afraid as you passed them by and the watch towers left you with the feeling of being a prisoner. It felt stifling and left one feeling...dirty. Next to her she watched Jae-ha pull the hood of his cloak a bit tighter over his head. On her other side she saw Kija pulling the sleeve of his haori over his dragon hand once more. Behind her Hak kept his eyes on those around them. His dark eyes carefully watching each person and calculation whether they were a threat or not. Yun pointedly ignore everyone and kept his eyes on the map in his hands, while Shin-ah kept a hand on the young man's shoulder, just in case he needed to move him quickly. Zeno walked in front of the whole group with a smile on his face. His sunny deposition wasn't going away for anything or anyone, especially when he knew these people were about to experience what was coming to them.

A large man with dark hair and a scar over his left eye had them pausing in their walk through the village. Jae-ha had a flash of memory of the man with Garou and them yelling at each other and then witnessing his supposed guardian taking a sharp knife across the man's face and eye. He remembered asking who had been only to get a death glare from his predecessor. He swallowed hard as his fingers played with the dagger hidden up his sleeve as he had his hands crossing over his chest. "Who the hell are you people and what are you doing in my village. Outsiders aren't welcomed here." He demanded, his voice sending chills down Jae-ha's back.

I really don't like this. He thought as his fingers grasped the hilt of the dagger in his sleeve.

Yona watched Jae-ha and kept an eye on him. "We're here to speak to your elders." She said strongly, her voice carrying to those around them. The people seemed to pause in what they were doing and were watching them.

"Who's wanting-" he began before Zeno spoke up.

"The ruler of this land. " Zeno stated. "The crowned Princess and soon-to-be Queen Yona."

The man looked taken aback. "Queen?" He asked before looking over the group. The young woman was certainly dressed as a noble in the red kimono and floral pink silk haori of hers. A small crown sat on the bun on top of her head. The man took a step back before saying. "The Queen would never-"

"Soon-to-be Queen." Yona instructed the man with a pointed figure held up. "I am still young and will not be crowned Queen for another two years. I am going through my land and helping those needing help and taking care of justice where none has been before." Her eyes began to gleam with a spark of her inner fire.

He growled at her for having coming here. "We don't need your help!" He snarled. "We've done just fine without your kind here!"

"My kind..." Yona smiled. "You don't know what my kind is, yet."

Yona saw Kija stiffen and saw a group of old men walk towards them. On their hips were swords. "Kenro, enough." The one male with a green diamond tattoo on his right cheek spoke. "Our guest is a royal. You cannot dispute that our village has been in decline since he left. Perhaps our soon-to-be Queen can bring prosperity back to us."

"It all depends on how you answer my questions." Yona said sweetly.

"Of course." His eyes darted towards each of her guards. The one on the far left seeming to be familiar. "Perhaps you'll want to talk privately."

"It's too late for that." Yona said as she stepped forward out from between her guardians. It was then the elder saw the short katana sword on her hip for the first time. Rarely was it ever seen of a woman to carry such a sword. "I have heard many things of this village, all of which are not good. I had hoped that when I arrived that I wouldn't see the evil I feared lived here; but it is not to be. You're people live in fear, why? What has been done that you no longer allow your children outside? Where is the joy that should be here on such a beautiful day as today? Why does your village reek of death?"

Zeno, Kija, Shin-ah and Jae-ha all stared at her in shock. They hadn't sensed such things before, but now that she pointed it out, there were no children. There was no joy anywhere in the village. The scent of death was on everything and everyone. Jae-ha looked into the hallowed eyes of the women and saw pain, sorrow and fear in them. No. They wouldn't. He thought as a great fear grew within his gut. He swallowed thickly.

"What has been done is to protect us." Another elder spoke.

"Protect?" Kenro inquired with a raised eyebrow before he threw back his head and laughed. "You want to know why there are no children Queenie?" He asked with anger etching his voice. "It's because there are no children!" He pointed at the old men. "They've ordered that no children are to be born in this village again and if any are conceived, people like me are to get rid of the problem." Yona looked at him with horror as what this implied. "Shocking?" He asked her, an evil glint entering his eyes. "It's to prevent one of those creatures from ever being born again."

"Kenro you've said too much!" One of the elders yelled.

"Why?" He asked as he nodded towards the men enclosing from behind Yona and her group. "It's not like they'll be allowed to leave." He pulled his jagged sword from his hip. "You want to know what kind of creature we're preventing from being born?" He asked lifting his head smugly at her. "A dragon. To be specific. The Ryokuryuu." He chuckled at her downcast look. Her hair hid her eyes. "Are you shocked?" He chuckled darkly causing the women nearby to hide themselves and weep internally for their losses.

Yona felt her blood boil with anger meanwhile Jae-ha felt such pain for those that were innocent being harmed because of him and the blood he carried. Suddenly the boiling point was reach and Yona's decision was made. Quickly, before any could react, Yona pulled her sword from her sheath, raced forward and cut Kenro through. Blood sprayed from the deep wound that went from around his belly to his backside. Yona standing behind him. "Shocked?" She asked those nearby who took a step away from her and their downed companion. "Did you think you could do such things without punishment?" She felt tears wanting to fall but refused them. She wanted to be angry. "On top of harming the one you were meant to love and protect, but harmed instead; you also murdered the innocent, the defenseless, children of your village!" Her eyes began to burn with her anger. "To stave off the next generation of the Ryokuryuu, you threw away the next generation of humanity like they were garbage."

"Yona." Jae-ha said feeling her sorrow and pain like an arrow through his heart. He pushed his hood off of his head. "I said this was a bad idea."

Gasps from around them were heard. "Y-You!" Another elder cried out as he took a step back.

"You are the reason for our-" another tried to say but was interrupted by Kija.

"Your misery is no one's fault but your own." He growled lifting his clawed hand. "You mistreated Ryokuryuu!"

"You chained him, beat him and starved him." Shin-ah stated as he lifted his masked face towards them.

Zeno glared at the villagers. "He was a child innocent of anything but being born and yet you treated the one meant to protect like dirt." The golden haired man's eyes narrowed towards the elders.

"You have been punished by the Kami, as your land is withering, your wells are drying and your children are being murdered." Yun said causing the group to look at him. "It's what Ik-su would say." He defended as he looked away from his friends.

"However, you have gone without punishment by me; and those souls are crying out for justice." Yona said. "Your village will be burned down. Those who have done these deeds will be punished accordingly. The innocent will be removed from this place and taken to Hakuryuu village where they can heal and start anew."

"You're just a few." A dark skinned man said with a sneer. "What makes you think you can take us all on?"

Hak smirked at this. His dark eyes gleaming as he looked at the man darkly. "What makes you think we can't?"

It was the tattoo faced elder than made the first move by throwing a throwing star at Jae-ha in hopes of killing him. Jae-ha reflected the attack with his kunai knives that he pulled from his sleeves, his cloak falling off as he blocked the attack. Next arrows were shot from the watch towers towards the group. Hak deflected them by swiping his weapon in the air above them. Kija's clawed hand grew in size as he swiped at a group of men advancing from the left. Shin-ah charged at the group behind them as Zeno grabbed his sword from his hip and blocked an attack from another elder. Yona engaged a large spear wielding man as he went to attack Jae-ha from behind while her husband was busy defending Yun from the arrows, the young man yelling out with way the enemy was coming from. In minutes those who had been behind the plot to kill off the line of the green dragon were all fighting the group of seven people who would do anything to protect those that were innocent.

Yona dodged the man with the spear once more and almost tripped on her skirts when the man lifted his spear the hit her when he froze. One half fell one way as the other half fell the other revealing Shin-ah behind the man. Blood sprayed everywhere as the body fell. Yona moved quickly and joined Shin-ah. He grabbed her wrist, moving her out of the way as a series of arrows were shot at them. One arrow going through his hand causing him to drop his sword. His eyes widening as more came towards him. "Shin-ah!" Yona cried out as he tore the arrow out of his hand. He then grabbed her and pulled her under his body and was expecting the around to hit when he heard a grunt and then the splattering of blood hitting the ground. The two looked up to see Zeno standing over them arrows peppering his chest were also covering his back. Blood trickled down out of his mouth. "ZENO!" Yona cried out causing the group to look towards him. A man with and ax came out of a hut and took a swipe at Zeno. Ouryuu's eyes turned in time to see the man as the ax came from behind him and cut his head right off.

The result was instant. The dragons became frantic with their anger. Kija slashed and tore body parts off like the people were made from rags. Jae-ha kicked one man's head right off his shoulders and Shin-ah, screamed with his anger and pain at the sight of seeing his brother die like that. Seiryuu pulled his mask off and released his inner dragon, suddenly people began falling as if they were paralyzed. They hurt Zeno. They hurt Jae-ha. Shin-ah thought. They're going to hurt Yona. I won't let them! A ripple effect occurred as people fell like dominos. Some gasping for breath as they grabbed at their throats at the invisible hands that were choking them, while other curled in on themselves as they grasped their chests as if something was squeezing their hearts and then it was over just as quickly as it had begun. People laid dead in the streets, blood flowing like a small stream from the village.

Slowly Zeno sat up and began to rub his neck. "Zeno hates it when that happens." He said causing everybody to look at him in shock. "What?" He asked his skin now covered in golden scales. It was then he noticed the limp form of Seiryuu being held by Yona. He smiled. "Brother Shin-ah used his power." He said.

"I'm...a...mon..ster." Shin-ah gasped as his body became paralyzed because of his power. Tears began to fall freely from his eyes. "They...hurt...my fam...ily." He gasped.

Zeno lifted the young man's chin up. "You're not a monster." He stated firmly as he looked at the tear-filled eyes. "You are a great protector."

"Mmhmm.." Yona agreed. "You protected us Shin-ah." She felt Kija suddenly picked him up out of her arms.

"Rest brother." Kija said. "We've got it from here." Ao clamored up onto Yona's shoulder as Kija took Shin-ah somewhere outside the village to rest.

Jae-ha looked at his crimson haired wife. "Now what?" He asked her.

"We burry the dead, Kija takes the women to his village and then we continue onward towards Shin-ah's village." She stated as she looped her arm around one of his.

He smiled down at her and wiped the blood off of her cheek. "Okay." He said as he leaned his head against hers. He was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. However, before he left there was one thing he had to do. His eyes turned towards a lone hut on top of a hill that the village surrounded. One last stop before he buried the memories forever.


M-Angel: I had this chapter done since Tuesday. I forgot to post it then. My bad! Okay, so Jae-ha's village turned out to be far worst then he thought it would be due to their fear and hatred of the Ryokuryuu blood. Next will be the Seiryuu village. That one will be interesting to do.