Chapter 12: Big Brothers

Green/violet eyes slowly opened expecting the world around them to be the same as it had been for the last ten years of its life. However, the sight of white fluff surprised the ten year old boy. The fluff turned out to be white hair of a young boy. It was then he noticed the second boy with dark hair as well. Both had their heads on his chest, effectively pinning the green haired child. Confusion was running rampant in his mind until the events of the night before finally caught up with him.

"What are you going to do with me?" He asked the one eyed stranger.

"Take you to a place you will not be thought of as a curse." The stranger answered.

Disbelief filled him. "Does a place like that even exist?" he asked sadly.

He was surprised when he felt a heavy cloak suddenly placed over his cold body. Turning his head towards the stranger he was greeted by a serious look on the older man's face. "That is something you'll have to decide on your own."

After that he had gone silent until they'd reached an encampment where he'd met two other boys. He was introduced to them, learning their names as Hak and Kija. At the time he'd been too tired to notice how different Kija was to Hak and when asked what his name was, he'd given it to them instantly and without thought.

"Jae-ha. My name is Jae-ha." he had told them.

After introductions had been made, he'd been brought over to the fire of the camp. Given a bowl of hot stew. Both of the obviously younger boys had sat next to him on either side and eaten along with him in silence. He did however listen to the old man speaking with the others as they ate. Turned out they'd been looking for him and that Kija had been the one to lead them to him. What he wanted to know was, why? Were they after the power that he supposedly had? Did they want him because of this curse? Whatever it was, he wanted no part of it.

Bringing his thoughts back to his current situation, Jae-ha was at a loss at how he had ended up sleeping with the two younger boys. After eating I had just listened to the conversations around me. He thought as he tried to recall everything from the night before. But I was so tired and Garou hadn't fed me in days, so my strength was mostly gone. He remembered being given a second bowl by the dark haired boy. Looking down at the younger boy he wondered why such an act would make his heart clench. It felt like he was accepting me. He thought. Were these people accepting him for who and what he was or expecting something in return for their kindness? It was baffling him. He was about to give up in frustration when the white haired boy sunlddenly began to awaken, the dark haired boy followed soon after.

Kija yawned and stretched his small body out as he woke up from his deep sleep. He could hear Hak doing the same thing. It took a moment to realize that his head was on something that wasn't his pillow. Moving his head and eyes upwards he spotted his new green haired brother was wide awake and starring at him. "S-Sorry!" He apologized quickly as he pushed himself off of Jae-ha.

"Huh?" Hak's sleepy voice questioned as he sat up before looking at what he'd been sleeping on. Ah, I guess that makes sense now. he thought as he remembered dreaming of beating drums which more than likely had been Jae-he'd heartbeat that he'd heard all night long. "What's with the droopy look?" he asked the green haired older boy. "Are you sad or something?"

"Hak!" Kija yelled at him.

Hak jumped in surprise at the chastised tone. "What?" he asked innocently.

Jae-ha blinked in surprise at how the two acted with him there. Sitting up in bed, Jae-ha inspected both boys. From Hak's dark hair to the fact Kija had longer silvery white locks. To how they acted like siblings. It was during this that Jae-ha saw Kija's white dragon claw. His hand had moved without thought as he snatched up the limb to inspect it. "You're cursed too?" he asked without realizing it had come out of his mouth.

Kija blinked in surprise. "Cursed?" Kija asked before giving Jae-ha a soft gentle smile. "It's not a curse to have these scales. " he answered with sincerity. "To me, it's a blessing."

"Tch." Jae-ha said with disgust. "What kind of blessing is this that we'll be forced into servitude to a master because of these scales." He sounded angry and perhaps he was. If people understood what his life had been like until now. "For all we know, he'll be a wicked evil man and once we're in his grasp we'll be his slaves forced to do whatever he says!" He looked away with anger still boiling in his veins.

Kija chuckled. "Princess Yona's not like that." He answered causing Jae-ha to turned his face towards him with a shocked look plaster across it. "She's just a toddler, younger than even Hak."

"Hey!" Hak complained at this. "I'm not a toddler!"

Kija looked at him. "I said she was younger than you!"

"But you're making him believe I'm some sort of baby!" Hak yelled angrily.

"You are when you act like this." Kija complained gaining a glare from Hak.

"Then tell him what Princess Yona calls you, White Snake." Hak teased.

Kija's cheeks flashed red at the tiresome nickname Hak loved using. "I'm not a snake!" Kija yelled back. "I'm Hakuryuu! The white DRAGON!"

"Sound like a snake to me." Hak grinned at getting under Kija's skin.

"Why you...". Kija flew across Jae-ha at Hak, tackling the younger boy who laughed in glee.

Jae-ha stared as the two ruffed each other up with Hak ending up on top. "I win!" he announced as he thrusted his fists into the air before leaving the tent.

"Ugh!" Kija groaned into the blanket that his face had landed on in Hak's victory. "It's too early for this."

Jae-ha couldn't take it anymore. He burst out laughing at what had just happened. Kija just smiled as he waited for the other to calm down. "What kind of Hakuryuu are you that you loose to a normal kid?" Jae-ha asked afterwards.

Kija gave him a wide grin. "A big brother." he answered in all honesty. Lifting his dragon arm up, Kija inspected the sharp talons. "I love being a big brother and Hak loves roughhousing. So I've learned how to do both without using the full strength of this arm." He then took the blanket that he'd been using before when he'd slept and thrust his arm through it, causing rips and tears to appear in the fabric. "My claws are sharp and I do know how to use them if they are needed."

"So, you just let him win?" Jae-ha asked with a bit of confusion in his voice.

"Yeah." Kija answered. "I do it because that's what big brothers do. That and one day I will kick his butt." He grinned at the last part. "But that won't be until he can handle me at full strength."

Jae-ha nodded. "I see."

"Of course you'll need to learn this also." Kija states as he stood up.

"Eh?" Jae-ha asked looking at the younger boy with confusion.

"If you're going to be our older brother, you'll need to learn to hold back when roughhousing too." Kija explained.

Jae-ha shuddered at the idea of having anyone call him bif brother, but having others look up to him, that was another thing entirely. Sighing, Jae-ha fell back against the mattress he was laying on. His realized that his life would never be the same.

A small smile graced his lips at this thought.

M-Angel: So I decided to post another chapter to this story this week. I really want to write more now that I'm getting use to working again. I'm hoping I'm able to continue updating on a regular basis now. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!