Chapter 21: Threat

It turned out Yona didn't have to wait long to go help Yun and Zeno. Looking towards the cave wall next to her, Yona let out a scream. A pair of bloodshot eyes stared back at her through the walls. Quickly standing, Yona retreated to the entrance of the room. Both Kija and Hak were standing, both ready to fight whatever or whoever had startled her. "There are eyes in the wall!" she screamed, sounding absolutely terrified.

"Eyes?" Kija asked in bewilderment .

Hak looked at the cave wall, picked up his weapon and slammed the blade into the wall, which came crumbling down. Inside they found a man whose mask fell from his face. He had scars on it that looked as if he'd been burned by fire. The man cried out in fright and fell to the ground.

Zeno suddenly appeared behind them, having come running as soon as he'd heard Yona's cries. "Miss, what happened!?"

Yona threw her arms around Zeno's neck and cried out. "There were eyes behind the wall!"

Zeno frowned. Eyes? He looked to the gaping hole and saw a frightened man on the ground. Zeno felt someone push passed him and looked over to see it was the Seiryuu. He pushed passed both Kija and Hak as well.

The man screamed, "Monster! Devil!" The Seiryuu paused for a moment, before pulling his blade out.

"You've been warned before!" Seiryuu yelled, his voice slightly trembling and cracked lightly from not using it.

The man grasped a stone from the ground and threw it at Seiryuu. "You bastard, die already!" Anger filled the man. He had been caught again staring lustfully at a beautiful lady. So what? This cursed bastard had no right to try anything against me. The large stone hit its intended target full on. Suddenly Seiryuu lost his balance, the mask and the covering fell from his head. He fell to one knee and grasped his head in pain. The man screamed again, this time not because he had been caught but because now the Seiryuu's eyes were uncovered. Standing quickly the man ran. "Cursed bastard!"

"Cursed?" Kija inquired before looking at his downtrodden brother.

"Get him up." Yona suddenly yelled. Both Hak and Kija stood the Seiryuu on his feet before bringing him over to where Yona had been sitting moments before. Yona grabbed Yun's bag just as said boy returned. She grasped a rag from the bag before rushing over to Seiryuu and wiped the blood from his head. "He's hurt." Yona felt her blood boil. She was angry that his own village seemed to treat him like an outcast. Calling him cursed. Seiryuu turned his face away from her, afraid she'd see his eyes. It wasn't just that though, a voice sounded in his head as soon as she had touched him. His blood felt hot in his veins and his eyes; they burned!

"Don't." Yona told him sternly as she grasped his chin, forcing him to look at her. She saw the golden eyes widen at her in shock. The skin beneath her fingers trembled slightly as moisture gathered in his eyes. "Your eyes are not cursed. I don't care what that man called you." She then turned her head towards Yun. "Do you have something to stop the bleeding Yun?"

Yun opened his triffled through bag and began looking for a certain jar. Finding it, he opened the had to revealed a cream colored substance. "This should do it."

Yona took the had and took some of the salve with her finger before rubbing it in the wound, which stopped bleeding almost instantly.

"Why?" Yona stopped rubbing the ointment on his sound and looked at him. "Why are you helping me? Why does my body hurt from looking at you? Why do you care!" By the end he was yelling at Yona. Hak wanted to hit the kid over the head for do such when suddenly a tiny animal jumped out of the kids clothes into Yona's shoulder. Golden eyes widened. "Ao."

"I care because nobody should be treated as you have." she stated as she petting the tiny creature. "I originally came here to ask you to help me, but I can see how it is you who needs our help. After the storm leaves, if you want us to go away and leave you alone, we will. Or, you can come with us."

The young man's already wide eyes seemed to get larger. Help me? Why? "I'm cursed..."

"Why? Because you bare the eyes of the Seiryuu?" Yona inquired. "Seiryuu gave those eyes to your ancestor so he could protect those he cared about, including the first King of our nation. Those are not cursed, but are for protection." Yona smiled softly at him.

"Abi would cry endlessly if he knew his own descendant was being treated like a cursed object." Zeno said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Yona looked at Zeno. "I'm guessing he cried a lot, Zeno?"

Zeno laughed lightly. "Abi was an emotional person. He wasn't a born warrior, but he would be considered noble. He hated loud fights or yelling. Shuten and Guen would fight just to get him all riled up."

Hak grinned. "Sounds like some good friends."

"Sounds annoying to me." Yun mumbled as he cleaned the mess up that was created in his bag.

Seiryuu cocked his head at their words. "Who is Abi?"

Kija looked horrified that his brother knew nothing of his ancestor. "Nobody has taught you of the first Seiryuu?"

"I think white snake is going to faint." Hak mumbled under his breath to Yona who covered her mouth to stop a giggle.

Kija turned viciously towards Hak. "Dragon! I'm a dragon, not a white snake!"

"Hak, why do you keep pulling his tail with that joke?" Yun inquired exasperated with the same tease being used again.

Hak grinned at the younger boy. "If he didn't react I wouldn't use it." was his answer.

Seiryuu felt the corners of his mouth tug slightly. "Pykyuu!" The tiny squirrel made a noise causing him to look down at his companion. These people were the first not to shun him best of his eyes. They didn't see him as cursed. They wanted to help. Do I want to leave? He wondered what Ao would say if he heard these people's words. Would he go? Should I go? Seiryuu wanted more than what he had. Then there was the red haired woman. Something stirred in him at the sight of her. He wanted to know more about her. Why did she come looking for him? What was she running from?

Seiryuu looked towards the entrance of the cave. He could see some of the older men with his eyes. They were converging together and coming towards them. He knew they would try to stop these people from leaving due to them having seen him. Placing his mask back on, he pushed passed the group and stood in the elders way.

The oldest amongst them approached Seiryuu. "You know they cannot leave."

Seiryuu could feel his heart beating wildly in his throat and chest. He wasn't scared of the elders, he was scared of the situation. "I-I am leaving with them." He stated, his words coming out with a stutter.

"You cannot-" one began with anger in his voice.

"He can!" Zeno yelled out. "You neither want him nor need him here." He pointed at their group. "We do."

Seiryuu turned towards Yona. "I will go with you."

M-Angel: Yay! I finally got around to posting this chapter! Sorry it took so long. Having been working on my cosplay for a con and have been doing job interviews. I think I may have gotten one! Woohoo!