Chapter 36: We Meet Again

Yona's eyes opened blurrily to the morning light. Wiping the sleep from her eyes she saw that someone had brought her aboard the ship. She was surrounded by all her sleeping friends. Everyone is still fast asleep. She thought as she spotted Hak and Jae-ha both asleep with their backs against each other to keep themselves in an upright position. Covering her mouth with her hand to stop herself from giggling, Yona tip toed passed the two. They must have drank too much. Turning towards the rising sun, she smiled at it beauty. The sky is so beautiful this morning. I think I'll take a walk. She turned to leave the ship but froze when she saw Zeno hanging upside down in front of her.

"Miss wasn't going to leave without me, we're you?" he asked quietly.

Yona gave a light giggle. "Want to join me on a walk?"

Zeno grinned widely before releasing his legs from the low sail he was hanging from. "Of course!" As the two quietly left certain eyes watched them from afar.

The town was seemingly empty as the two walked in silence. Zeno walked with his hands behind his head. His demeanor was relaxed and made Yona relaxed as well. Peering around another corner she realized that nobody was awake in town. It's so quiet. Like yesterday didn't really happen.

"It's too quiet." Zeno's voice caught her off guard.

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Zeno looked down a main street. "All the people should be awake going about their day, but not even the baker seems to be awake." He then went from a serious look to smiling. "Miss really has relaxed their worries."

"I did that?" she asked gaining a nod.

"They have been living in fear for so long but yesterday's celebrations have given them a moment to rest. Their fears have dwindled away." He looked at her intently. "He could do that too." Her eyes widened. "When Hiryuu first began his campaign to unite our nation there had been so much chaos. People were always in a state of fear. Once the others and I joined him in bringing peace, for a week after the celebrations nobody worked. It was as if they knew they were safe. They had no reason to fear. That happened once again when he was crowned our king." Zeno was looking off in the distance as if he could still see those celebrations happening.

Yona smiled happily at him. "I think we should return." As she said this, Yona grasped his hand.

Zeno looked down at their joined hands before looking back at her. "Yeah." As they turned the corner towards the way they had come the two felt themselves come into contact with another.

"Eep!"

"Ouch!"

"Oop!"

The three had collided with each other. It would have been a funny moment if it weren't for the fact that three suddenly went stiff with fear and worry as they all recognized each other. Zeno quickly got to his feet, pulled Yona behind him with one yank and pulled a knife out from his tunic in a means to protect themselves as the not so stranger stood revealing himself to be King Su-won.

"Su-won." Yona said in fear gripping Zeno's back. Her eyes going wide as tremendous fear began consuming her.

"Yona?" His own eyes were wide with shock. "You're…dead."

Zeno's eyes narrowed as he pressed Yona further away with his back and other hand. "Go away Little King." Zeno said this with a dark tint to his voice. "Otherwise Ouryuu Zeno will be forced to end you before your time."

Su-won's eyes focused more upon Zeno now than Yona. Ouryuu? "I don't believe in the gods."

"Doesn't mean they don't know of you and your sins." Zeno stated his happy-go-lucky demeanor was gone as his grip tightened on the knife. He didn't want to have to fight Su-won but if it came down to Yona's safety he would do anything to keep her safe.

"Lord Su-won!" The three turned to the footsteps of a group of soldiers as they rounded the corner.

Ju-doh! Yona thought as the General of the Sky tribe appeared. She could see that he recognized her immediately. He grasped the hilt of his sword and pulled it from it's sheath.

At that moment though suddenly Jae-ha fell from the sky, kicked the General and his two soldiers away and into a nearby building. "My, my Yona dear. You know how to find trouble."

"You!" A snarling gruntled voice caught their attention. Hak stood with his weapon pointed at Su-won.

"Hak." Su-won spoke his once friend's name softly. He would have said more when suddenly something large and white hit him causing him to fall near where Ju-doh and his men had ended up. Quickly returning his attention back to Hak he saw that he and the group had vanished.

Around the corner Kija held Hak with his enlarged hand as Yun had a hand over Hak's mouth. The strong man was pissed. Yona was being held by Jae-ha, as both Zeno and Shinah were peering around a house to ensure their escape had not been seen.

Meanwhile Ju-doh stood and quickly grasped his sword before exiting the building he had been kicked into. "Lord-"

"I'm alright." Su-won assured his guard as he stood up. "They're gone."

"Who were those people with her?" Ju-doh asked never having seen the green haired man before. He was fast. Ju-doh thought. Very fast.

Who indeed. Su-won wondered. He had seen the other one as well. The blue haired man and the green haired one. An image appearing in his mind as a memory played of child Yona telling him about the dragon warriors of myth. "It's just a story." he muttered quietly. "They're not real."

"My Lord?" Ju-doh heard him mutter something under his breath but hadn't heard it completely. "Begin a sweep of the area!" He yelled out causing the nearby group to panic.

"No." Su-won said as he held a hand up to stop them. "We're leaving." He touched Ju-doh's arm. "They're gone." He began to walk away forcing the soldiers and general to follow after him.

Whoever those people are, they're keeping her safe. He thought with relief. Good.

Zeno sighed as he gave the all clear. "They're leaving." He stated as Shinah confirmed it from the roof. When Hak was released by Kija he stalked off with his weapon. Anger coming off him in waves. Yun gave a sigh that at least Hak wasn't going after the other group. He had never seen the other man so angry in the months he had known him.

"So," Jae-ha began as he was still holding Yona in his arms. "who wants to tell me who that was?" Oh he wasn't actually asking who that person was. He knew. What he was asking was why was the new King their enemy.

Zeno was the one to speak. "Su-won killed Yona's father. She saw it. He wants her dead to ensure secrecy. Hak and I got her away from him." Zeno looked at Yona who had her face buried into Jae-ha's neck. Tears streaming down her cheeks as she shook in the other's arms. "That's why she needs us." He walked over to Jae-ha and motioned for him to release Yona. Jae-ha looked at the frightened girl clinging to him. He didn't want to let her go. "But you don't need to be bothered by this brother Ryokuryuu." Zeno said. "After all, we're just a bother to you." Jae-ha felt his shoulders fall at that allowing Zeno to take Yona.

"I didn't know."

Zeno ignored him as he bent over to wiped Yona's tears away. Standing straight up he took Yona's hand and led her away.

Jae-ha looked over his shoulder looking to where Su-won's group had disappeared off to. I didn't know she needed protection from him. The image of the strong woman killing Yang Kum-Ji with a single strike vanished from his mind and was replaced by the scared girl he had seen clinging to Zeno's back like he was the only one who could protect her. His chest ached. She was so scared. He hadn't seen he like that. Not even when she had forced herself to move along the cliff to get the senju herb. She needs me. With that thought Ryokuryuu Jae-ha made his mind up. Jumping into the sky the green haired man flew off into the sky like a free bird and returned to the ship. He would need to gather some things before following after his red haired master after all.

M-Angel: Yay to me for being able to update. Just a couple of more chapters are left.