Yona was pacing around the fire back at the camp, huffing as she crossed her arms. "I should have gone with Yoon and Shin-ah, what's taking them so long?"

"Don't worry little miss, Zeno is sure they are ok." Zeno said with a smile. "Blue Dragon can protect the lad and track down Green Dragon at the same time."

"Zeno's right, I'm sure they'll be fine." Kija agreed. "What could possibly happen?"

"Even if Droopy Eyes drank so much he fell asleep, Shin-ah can just carry him. The most trouble could be if Shin-ah hesitates on entering and they don't let Yoon in because he's too short." Hak suggested a few possible complications.

"Arrrgghhh Hak leave it to you to just make me worry more!" Yona stomped her foot, putting her cloak on and raising the hood over her head. "I'm going. I can't just sit here waiting."

Hak just shrugged with arms crossed under his head, leaning back and relaxing by the fire. "If it's stressing you out that much, then go..."

"But not alone. I'm going with you." Kija offered immediately. "For your protection, of course."

Yona smiled at her White Dragon. "Thanks Kija, at least someone is being helpful unlike Hak." she stuck her tongue out at the Lightning Beast.

Hak raised one hand to wave to her, then lowered it again. "Try not to cross paths and miss them." He added.

"How could that happen? It's a straight path from the camp and back." The Hakuryuu asked. "Not to mention the fact that I could feel they're getting closer as Shin-ah would sense me before any chance of us missing each other."

"White Dragon has a point there." Zeno pointed out.

"Through a big forest at night. Good luck." The Thunder Beast replied.

"Even then Shin-ah would see us from afar and immediately try to meet up." Yona pointed out. "He could see the town from the campsite remember?"

"... Yeah, that's true." Hak agreed, then just shrugged.

"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to keep you here." Kija put his non-dragon arm on Yona's shoulder. "We'll find them, and we'll bring back that smug fool even if I have to lift and drag him back to camp myself."

"Somebody's antsy to use his powers again." Hak teased.

"Only when the situation calls for it when the princess needs me!" the Hakuryuu returned immediately.

Yona giggled at that. "Thanks Kija, after all that dragon hand is real handy." her smile softened then. "You guys probably think I'm being over worried about him, but I just can't help it after last time, you all are so important to me I can't stand the thought of losing any of you... I'm just selfish I guess, I want to keep you all to myself."

"It's not your fault at all, it's his fault for being so irresponsible and careless." Kija had sparkles in his eyes from the redhead princess' confession.

This time, Hak uncrossed his arms and lifted his head a bit, his elbows supporting him so he could look at Yona better. "... You know I've promised to guard you with my very life. Don't make me repeat that promise." He sounded proud but grumpy at the same time.

Yona flushed a bit at Hak's words, then turned to smile at him. "I know, you often complain to me how I made you come with me. And I've told you many times over I don't want you to lose your life over protecting me so let the dragons help out too."

Zeno just smiled as he leaned back against a tree. "The little miss is right mister, you shouldn't be rash." he then turned to the princess. "Even the Crimson Dragon King used to say he felt selfish for keeping the Dragon Warriors to himself, when it wasn't a bad thing as he was the reason we all were together in the first place, including Zeno." he was nostalgic it seemed recalling his past with his dragon brothers.

"It is our purpose in life, our calling. There's no place I'd rather be, instead of right by your side." Kija had a flair for the dramatic when it came to his loyalty to Yona.

"That's why I'm not worried. You'll find them, surely." Hak crossed his arms and leaned his head back again.

"As I said I can find Shin-ah and Jae-ha easily, even with the darkness I that won't stop me from sensing them." Kija said with determination.

Yona smiled at that. "Come on Kija, let's go." she started to head for the forest.

"That is true- Oh speaking of which." Zeno twitched as he seemed to sense something, he looked towards the direction of town.

Kija turned his head there too. "They're coming back right now."

Hak just smiled. "Told you so."

Shin-ah came out of the bushes, carrying Jae-Ha slung over his shoulder, still paralyzed. "We're back." The Blue Dragon reported simply.

"Shin-ah!" Yona gasped, running up to the Blue Dragon. "What happened?"

"The dumbass was being a pain and didn't want to come back at first." Yoon grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest. "So Shin-ah paralyzed him with his powers."

"Ahhhh Green Dragon doesn't like to sit still does he?" Zeno chuckled.

"Are you ok Shin-ah? I know your power can be a double-edged sword..." Yona reached out and grabbed his hand.

Shin-ah's free hand was stiff in the princess' grasp, showing that the backlash had only effected his arm. He then just nodded and promptly dropped Jae-Ha to the ground where he stood. This made the Ryokuryuu groan. "I'm not a sack of potatoes!"

"My arm was feeling a bit of the backlash…" Shin-ah replied.

Hak chuckled, but said nothing. Kija sighed instead. "You should've known better than to make the princess worry, and sneaking away like that..."

"I'm a grown man, remember? And a free spirit besides." Jae-Ha retorted, still not getting up, even looking mildly uncomfortable in the position he landed in, lying on his side with his face pressed against the dirt.

Yona couldn't help but giggle at the Ryokuryuu's comment, then leaned down next to him. "Sorry Jae-ha, but I was worried and they insisted on going instead of me..." she frowned and pat his shoulder. "I just wanted to check on you."

"You were about to start crying with over worry, of course we had to drag his ass back here." Yoon snapped.

"I was not!" Yona protested, her cheeks burning.

"Little Miss is not the greatest liar." Zeno chuckled.

"You can't deny it, Princess." Hak agreed.

Shin-ah and Kija both nodded, which made Jae-Ha laugh. "You were worried about me. I'm so touched. Still, I wish that this paralysis wore over soon."

"It's not up to me." Shin-ah said. He could paralyze someone, but he didn't control how long they stayed that way, not to mention how it sometimes backfired on him, even. Which he was feeling that right now as he kept his arms to his sides, unable to move them fully.

Yona huffed at them and turned back to Jae-ha, turning his head so he wouldn't be face-down in the dirt anymore, she ruffled his hair from his face and smiled. "Just don't sneak off like that ok? At least tell me so I don't worry about you, that goes for everyone here. I meant it when I said I don't want to take your freedom away but I still don't want anything bad to happen to any of you."

"Ey, I make no promises." Jae-Ha replied, but blushed from Yona's petting all the same.

"We should just tie him to the nearest tree for the night so he doesn't sneak off again." Yoon suggested.

"But didn't Green Dragon enjoy it last time you tied him up?" Zeno brought up.

"Was he where we thought he'd run off to, anyway?" Hak asked, to which the Seiryuu nodded. "Heh, of course."

"I won't understand why he keeps going there." Kija pursed his lips like he'd just bit into a lemon.

"You could come with me one time, then you'd understand." Jae-Ha offered.

"No way! I have no such interest!" the Hakuryuu refused.

"Says the guy who was worshipped like a god when we'd found him in his village." Hak brought up.

"EEhhhh Zeno tried one of those about 1,500 years ago... Wasn't that interesting." Zeno casually replied.

"Leave it to the old man to have seen everything..." Yoon sweatdropped.

"Actually I was just telling Yoon I'd love to see this Red Light District sometime, after all these girls must be nice company for you to constantly want to see them, I'd love to meet one once." Yona giggled, which everyone went silent with how innocent she was.

Hak, Kija, Shin-ah, Zeno, Yoon and Jae-ha went silent, and after a moment, all started shaking their heads... but then, Jae-Ha remembered he'd promised to introduce Valerie to the group. "Well, there is someone I met tonight that was curious about meeting, well, all of you."

"Someone you met? In the Red Light District?" Hak picked up.

"It's not what you're thinking. In fact, she was another customer." Jae-ha pointed out.

"Really?" Yona blinked.

"Ooohh Zeno usually didn't see women be customers." Zeno chuckled.

"Oh you must be talking about the red headed woman that took care of your bill." Yoon brought up. "I thought she was a rare sight, she's the first person besides Yona I've ever seen with crimson hair."

"Yeah, I was surprised too... her name's Valerie." Jae-ha said.

"With such red hair... she could be mistaken for Yona." Hak narrowed his eyes.

"It seems that was pretty common, actually." Jae-Ha agreed. "However, she's under the impression that the princess is dead, and Yona simply shares a name with her."

"That does make sense... The rumor that got spread that Hak and I died at the cliff did reach all over the kingdom, and Soo-won never did correct it even though he knows we're alive." Yona muttered in thought.

"Then you probably shouldn't let her know that Yona is the princess if you run into her again in town when we go to get supplies tomorrow, unless we know we can trust her." Yoon brought up. "Fuuga isn't too far from here and we don't need someone running off to tell Soo-won where she is."

"Why would we want to trust her, anyway? We don't even have to meet her at all." Kija announced.

"Oh, come on. She's not a bad person." Jae-Ha disagreed.

"You seem pretty sure of someone you just met today." Hak pointed out.

"Hey, I like to fancy myself a good judge of character." The Green Dragon replied, smirking. "... she's been through her own share of suffering. She also reminds me of my old pirate crew and what we've faced together."

"Really? That makes me want to meet her even more then." Yona brightened up.

"Yona... We really don't need the extra trouble, I only agreed that we'd meet her since she did clear up pervert's bill here..." Yoon groaned, jabbing a thumb at the Ryokuryuu.

"Meeting the people of my kingdom and hearing our their suffering is why I'm on this journey in the first place." Yona reminded them. "If finding out there is suffering in more parts of this kingdom it is my duty as King IL's daughter to correct his wrongs. My father seemed unaware of the things that were happening like in both the Fire Tribe and Awa." she had that determined look like usual.

"But princess, this isn't the same case as that. If she's visiting the Red Light District, and as a customer there, she's got the money to afford it, she can't be in that much trouble." Kija argued.

"Especially when she's a customer." Hak agreed. "I'd say you're more interested in hearing what someone who's somewhat similar to you has been through."

"She was nice. She even pet Ao." Shin-ah said, petting his squirrel too now.

Jae-ha started twitching, with the paralysis slowly wearing off, he rolled over to lie on his back but remained there, his hands and feet shaking. "You guys should know by now that when Yona dear gets an idea in her head, you can't convince her otherwise."

"She listens to reason. Unless she's convinced she's got the right idea all along." Hak countered, only to throw in that comment as well.

"You guys don't have to come along with me if you're that much against meeting her, I just need Jae-ha with to find her if I have to... Or Shin-ah, as he's seen her already once." Yona offered right away, that determination hadn't faded one bit.

"Zeno will go with the little miss!" Zeno stood up and smiled. "The lady sounds nice and Zeno wants to meet her!"

"Ugh. You are such a pain sometimes Yona..." Yoon groaned and held his head. "You know these dumbass beasts won't give in easily about going with you for protection."

"They just have an overblown imagination, always thinking of things going wrong." Hak said in a dismissive voice.

Kija shook his head. "That's not true. My imagination is perfectly fine, I simply won't allow the Princess to expose herself to unnecessary danger. This could all be a trap."

"You're the trap." Jae-ha laughed, then relaxed a bit and said. "You're overthinking this. I don't see how Valerie could do any harm to Yona."

"I will go." Shin-ah offered.

"Nah, I got to go too, I promised that much to her." Jae-ha brought up.

"You mean, if your paralysis lets up by that point?" Hak pointed out.

"It's wearing off already, there's no way it won't be over by tomorrow." The Green Dragon returned.

"Unless you earn yourself a new one, by making the Princess worry again." The Thunder Beast summed up. "Think about it, you've already pushed your luck tonight."

"Hak knock it off already!" Yona snapped, smiling at Jae-ha. "I'm sure Shin-ah won't have a reason to do that again, he so rarely uses his power since he thinks it's a curse."

"Yeah it was unnerving seeing him suddenly use it, Jae-ha must had either really pissed him off or he was that eager to get back to Yona..." Yoon muttered.

"... it was taking too long." Shin-ah summed up shortly, which could be read either way: that he was that eager to return to Yona or that Jae-ha exhausted his patience.

Zeno chuckled. "Abi often used to bicker with Shu-Ten until blue dragon would just paralyze him too, especially when they'd argue over Yay-… Things." He suddenly changed what he was about to say halfway through.

"Like I'd ask for that again, you think I like being unable to move?" Jae-ha asked.

"Well you seemed to enjoy getting tied up." Hak brought up. "In other words, I really think the Princess will be fine with just Shin-ah by her side."

"And me." Kija added.

"Fine, and you by her other side, if you're that eager to visit the Red Light District, White Snake." Hak retorted with a grin.

"That's not why... I'm only doing this to protect the Princess, and you know it!" the White Dragon denied, stung by that accusation.

Yona just laughed at that. "Alright then, Hak and Yoon will stay here since it seems all the dragons want to stay by my side."

"Yay! Zeno looks forward to going with little miss to see the lady!" Zeno cheered.

"Ehhh fine, Lightning Beast and I can take care of camp while you guys are gone, and at least if you're going into town buy some supplies then!" Yoon groaned, handing Yona a list.

"Sure thing Yoon." Yona giggled.

"Good..." Jae-ha said with a relieved sigh.

"That works, I guess." Kija crossed his hands, Shin-ah just nodded, and Hak merely shrugged, lying back with his arms crossed under his head.

"Good, we all reached an agreement then... Now!" Yona started pulling on Jae-ha's arm.

"YONA WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Yoon shouted.

"He's still paralyzed! Someone needs to get him into his tent!" Yona protested.

"I'll do it." Shin-ah offered, picking up the Ryokuryuu again, once again slinging him over his shoulder and taking him to the tent.

"Good..." Kija grumbled, his dragon arm shifting its fingers, suggesting that if he tried lifting Jae-ha now, he might crush him. Accidentally, of course.

"Thanks Shin-ah." Yona smiled as she turned to the others. "Well we better get a rest then... Maybe I should stay with Jae-ha to make sure he's ok..."

"Yona that's a bad idea!" Yoon shouted out right away.

"Well Green Dragon is paralyzed so he shouldn't do anything too badly to little miss." Zeno muttered out loud.

"YOU ARE NOT HELPING ZENO!" Yoon growled.

"Princess, if he's paralyzed then he can't escape anyway, and it's not like something would come into the tent and seek him out specifically." Kija argued.

"Besides, he'll be safer with ALL of us watching him." Hak pointed out, since the guys all slept in one tent - to keep each other in check, after all. "Unless you have some other reason to want to share a tent with Jae-ha, eh?"

Yona flushed a bit at his words. "No of course not, I'm just worried about him ok?" she huffed and turned her head. "Why do you always have to be so weird Hak?" she stomped off to her tent. She merely huffed as she went into her tent and sat on the blankets. "What the hell is wrong with that stupid Hak?! It's not like it's that weird that I worry about everyone..." she grumbled and quickly lay down. "I mean…. That's all it is right…?" she whimpered as she felt her heart tighten in her chest. "… What has been wrong with me lately…?"

Zeno just stared at the direction the princess had stormed off to her tent, breaking the silence as he spoke first. "Little Miss sure didn't like the mister's tease just now."

"... Nice one Lightning Beast." Yoon nodded in approval this time of Hak's teasing. "That was a close one..."

"Too close." The Thunder Beast agreed.

"Yeah, the Princess was really determined this time around." Kija joined in. Shin-ah just shrugged and pet Ao some more, after returning from dropping Jae-ha off in the tent.

"... and, look, I know I'm not going, but please look after her while she'll be there." Hak addressed all the dragons.

"You know I will, even without you telling me." Kija seemed bugged by that request.

"I hope so, although I don't know how you'll react to the attention of so many ladies that will be there." Hak grinned.

"I've been refusing the advances of countless suitors to serve the Crimson Dragon Lord, why would I falter now?!" the Hakuryuu blushed a bright red at the accusation. Shin-ah just stared at them with no idea what they were arguing about.

"Puuukkkyuuu!" Ao purred as the Seiryuu pet her.

"Lightning Beast, I highly doubt either Kija or Shin-ah would be distracted by those kind of women, they're too busy ready to throw themselves in front of a bear to protect Yona with their lives to notice another woman." Yoon chuckled, getting up to check on his supplies in case he needed to add to the list he gave to the princess.

"Zeno will protect the little miss! Just like when he served King Hiryuu!" Zeno exclaimed, extending his arms out. "The pretty ladies won't be enough to falter Zeno's job at all!"

"Probably because gramps here has seen it all by now he doesn't need too, that or girls don't meet his standards." Yoon teased, cleaning up the dishes from their dinner earlier, he had stopped doing that to go find Jae-ha after all. "I'm surprised with how long you've been around you only had ONE wife."

"ENOUGH ABOUT MY AGE ALREADY." Zeno grumbled a bit, but he smiled when he thought about Kaya. "Because one was all I needed, all I want is to return to her in heaven, but sadly the Yellow Dragon cannot die... So I'll never seen Kaya again." he chuckled when he felt the mood might get heavy from him bringing that up, realizing he was slipping his cheerful character. "Not that Zeno wants to right now, the little miss needs Zeno right now and gives Zeno purpose in life again!"

"Me too." Shin-ah added simply, petting Ao some more, smiling because she clearly liked it.

"She gives us all our purpose." Kija stated.

"You say that, but I'm not sure about Jae-ha." Hak brought up.

"He's the same way, even if he's hiding it." Kija replied.

"You mean, he's deep in denial?" Hak grinned.

"Wouldn't surprise me with the way he melts under Yona half of the time." Yoon brought up.

"Green Dragon is very obsessed with freedom, being attached to the little miss must threaten that." Zeno chuckled.

Shin-ah nodded, only adding his take on it. "He's struggling."

"If by struggling you mean he's trying to be loyal like a real dragon but still failing, then I agree." Kija summed up.

"Well, you know that saying, don't you? Old habits die hard." Hak followed up.

"Yeah, remember when we met the guy he was a pirate and head strong about not joining the Four Dragons and their mission, even told Yona straight out he wouldn't serve her and to just leave." Yoon brought up, finishing putting away everything. "... But then he changed his mind, and followed us for a while until Shin-ah revealed his hiding place."

Zeno chuckled at that. "Sounds like Green Dragon got seduced by the miss's charm, once she got a hold of him, he couldn't keep running." he joked. "The little miss seems to have that way about her, just like King Hiryuu. While he was not as adorable as little miss is, the four of us admired him greatly and would easily die for him, he was what brought and kept us together..." he seemed nostalgic again for his lost brothers. "Just like the little miss is, she is the reason we are all here, yes?" he smiled.

"Pyyuuukkkuuuu!" Ao squealed, as if agreeing with the Ouryuu.

Yoon sighed but nodded. "Yeah, that is true..."

The others bowed their head in agreement. Then, Shin-ah spoke up, short as usual. "Goodnight."

"You're heading to sleep already?" Kija was a tad surprised.

"Yes." The Blue Dragon left it at that, keeping Ao on his shoulder and retreating into the tent, where he'd take up position over Jae-ha, lying on his back behind him, watching his back so-to-speak, with the Green Dragon feeling his stare on himself and not daring to turn around and face him.

"He seems to have the right idea." Hak commented. "Now that you've brought back Droopy Eyes, there's no point in staying up much longer. We'll need our strength to guard the princess on her trip tomorrow."

"You mean you're heading to sleep as well?" Kija asked, to make sure.

"Well, not immediately. I'm on night guard duty right now." Hak pointed out, since they took shifts waking each other up to keep guarding the camp throughout the night. "And next it's your turn, so hurry to sleep before I need to wake you up to switch with me." He added.

"Don't rush me, Lightning Beast." Kija narrowed his eyes, but headed for the tent as well, where he took position on the other side of Jae-ha, lying with one arm under his head for support and staring in his face with eyes full of suspicious and disapproval.

Ao curled up right against Shin-ah's chest as she purred a bit before drifting off to sleep.

"Zeno is tired too..." Zeno said he as headed to the tent, chuckling at he saw where all the dragons lay. "White and Blue Dragon are so sure to make sure Green Dragon doesn't sneak off again and worry the little miss, eh?" he asked as he took the bedroll next to Kija.

The Hakuryuu nodded. "Someone needs to keep him in line."

"You're saying this about the man that's still paralyzed and couldn't get up if he wanted to." Jae-ha remarked, his eyes closed as he was trying to sleep off the paralysis.

"You still could try to sneak off again when you wake up, this way Shin-ah and I will be able to tell." Kija countered. "I'm not allowing you to worry the princess any further tonight with your shameful actions."

The Ryokuryuu grumbled at that. "I thought Yoon was the mother of our group? Are you trying to take his place Kija or are you just trying to keep me for yourself?" he flashed a perverted grin as he opened his eyes.

"GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER YOU PERVERT!" Kija growled, smacking him with a pillow.

"Take it easy Thunder Beast." Yoon said as he put out the fire. "I'll go check on Yona, hopefully she's already asleep." he usually shared the tent with Yona, as it was safer for the princess to have someone by her side and Yoon was trustworthy as he clearly didn't have the crush on the crimson haired girl that all the other guys obviously had, so he never tried anything.

Hak just nodded at the boy genius, resting with his arms crossed behind his back, staring at the fire. "... It doesn't bother me, does it?" He thought outloud, mulling over what they'd just heard from Yona. How she didn't want to lose any of them... and that included him, of course, a promise she made several times in the past. But that was then, and this was now, when he was only one member of their group, put into a strange competition against the dragons. "No... not really." He denied it, but when he imagined Yona choosing the winner of that competition, standing alongside one of the other guys, he felt like someone punched him in the gut, then left him knocked out and alone while she moved on without him.