Chapter 23: Awa Port

Yona looked out from the cliff to the shining water below. The sun was out and the sea looked like glittering diamonds. So beautiful. The town in the bay seemed to be large and she could see people walking around, but there was something about the town that seemed…off. The skin of her arms had goosebumps on them as the breeze from below the cliffs rushed upwards at her. Her gut was telling her there was trouble in the town below and they really shouldn't be there. An arm went around her shoulder. Looking to her right, Yona saw Zeno standing next to her. "Are you okay Miss?"

Yona shook her head. "No Zeno." she stated as she began to share her observations with him. "The town below is large enough to have several hundred people living there, but from what I've seen this morning is only a few dozen, at most." She paused before continuing. "The children, there are barely any children here, nevermind the very few young women I've been able to see from this vantage point."

"Miss is more observant than she lets on." Zeno's voice took on a serious tone. "Awa Port is being looted by a very evil man. The things he's taking are not possessions but people. He is selling Kouka's people into slavery."

Yona's eyes widened. "Human trafficking?" she inquired gaining a nod for her answer. "I remember father talking about this to a few governors but I didn't know where-"

"What's going on?" Yun's voice interrupted Yona. Yona turned towards his voice. Upon seeing him and Shinah, Yona suddenly realized a couple of their members were missing.

"Where's Hak and Kija?" her question about one was quickly answered when they heard Kija give out a cry of fright. Rushing towards his voice they found Kija on his bed mat with a rather large spider crawling on his chest.

"Pikuyuu!" Ao cried out as the tiny animal rushed out of Shinah's headdress. Landing on Kija she snagged the insect before it could crawl away and proceeded to eat it. Shocking Kija.

"Ao's hungry." Shinah stated nonchalantly.

"No kidding." Yun said in a deadpan voice as he turned to walk away.

"Is Kija going to be okay?" Yona asked Zeno who was trying hold back his laughter. Kija still looked completely shocked that the tiny creature had killed his sworn enemy so easily.

"Yes." Zeno said with a grin. Still, this left Hak as the one missing from their group. Knowing the dark haired youth, Zeno was certain he had gone down the investigate Awa Port. As Zeno sat down, he just prayed that the boy stayed out of trouble.

Hak pushed the hood of his cloak over his head, letting the sea breeze play with his dark hair. The citizens of Awa appeared to be lively; however, Hak could see there was more to this town than what laid on the surface. The dark circles that the townsfolk had under their eyes told him that something was worrying them. The fact that the children were being kept inside told him that parents were afraid to let them out of their sight. There was a brothel on every corner with loose women showing off themselves easily and without shame, but even they seemed to be worrying about something.

A woman's scream caught Hak's attention. Two guards were roughing up a woman. One grasping at her chest, while the other was laughing as her dignity was being destroyed.

Balling up his fist, there was one thing Hak couldn't stand was corrupt guards. Rushing at them, he jump kicked one in the face. At the same moment the second man got the same fate as a stranger with green hair appeared next to Hak.

"T-Thank-you!" The young woman bowed in thanks before rushing off.

"Yeah." Hak acknowledged her thanks as he looked at the man before him. The green hair was what really got him. Nah. It couldn't be this simple. he thought as the man went on and on in talking to him. Really though. It couldn't be. Could it? Next thing Hak knew was he was in a brothel with that man whilst women were cooing all over the strange man.

"Jae-ha, do you want some more?" A dark haired vixen asked the man Hak now could identify as Jae-ha as she held the sake vase up to pour more.

Emerald green eyes look lovingly at the vixen. "Only if later I can have you."

Smooth. Hak thought. This guy couldn't be the Ryokuryuu because if he was Hak was going to have to beat this guy on a daily to keep him from touching Princess Yona.

As expected the vixen melted at his words. Jae-ha believed he could recruit Hak into helping him, unfortunately he could feel that flame coming towards him and he could also feel the others too. His time was growing shorter by the second. He made a quick exit before being caught, after all there was always tomorrow to seek Hak's help.

M-Angel: Sorry for the long wait everyone. I've had a busy month. Only reason this is getting posted is because I'm in quarantine for 5 days. Yep. I caught it again. Not as bad as the first time but still no catwalk.