Foxes & Dragons | Akatsuki no Yona

Episode 13

Frustrated, Hak looked to them with a malicious glint in his eyes. "What?!" He yelled at them, poison lacing his words.

With tight lips, an elderly woman said, "M-my son is trapped in there..!"

The ex-general clicked his tongue again, paying them no attention as he turned his back on them. With soft, yet angry words he said, "My companions got stuck in there while searching for the Blue Dragon. If there is any way to save them tell me or I'll kill you!"

Reluctance bubbled in the villagers' stomachs. Of course they didn't want to help an outsider, but as they continued to think about their children and the young and courageous men of the village, the caved into the traveler's request.

"This way, outside is faster." An elder motioned, leading the way.

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Resuming from Saya's PoV

Saya felt her adrenaline slip with every rock she slashed, fatigue gaining on her due to the many restless nights she had guarding the group's makeshift camps.

Kija was also ebbing on weary as he clawed at more of the hard stone. Weak and distracted, the White Dragon didn't notice as a large boulder fell from the tunnel sky, aiming for the red-haired princess that was too far to reach in his current mental and physical state.

"Princess!" He yelped, fearing the events that would come next, but winced and widened his eyes as he heard a wild whine and saw the boulder come in contact with a dust filled pelt.

Not believing it for a moment, he stared as the Blue Dragon, Yona, and Yoon made their way to the shallowly breathing immortal and the thought only began to seep through his unbelieving skull when Yona said, "Sae-Rin!"

In an instant, he was by the Fox Goddess's body. Her large chest lifting softly with red blood mixed with gold bleeding out of her side.

Yoon looked absolutely distraught as he said, "It's fatal. If we can't stop the bleeding soon she could bleed to death!"

"B-but Yoon..! She's an immortal, she can't die right?!" Yona reasoned, a small sparkle of fool's hope shining in her magenta eyes.

The strawberry-blonde boy-genius shook his head, "I don't know how to explain, but Sae-Rin will surely die if she remains in this state. Do we have anything to wrap the wound in?!"

Yona generously volunteered by was stopped by a muscular hand. The Blue Dragon ripped a large piece of cloth from his robes and handed it to Yoon who used it to wrap the bleeding wound.

"That should slow it down but we have to...--"

Suddenly the wall that the villagers, Yoon, Yona, Sae-Rin, Kija, and the Blue Dragon had been digging on bursted open with dust flying about.

A ginormous spear sliced through the dusty smog and Hak stepped inside he cave, immediately hugging the princess before looking around.

He stepped back when he saw the large, heaving body of a fox on it's side with a blood soaked rag on a not-visible wound.

"What happened?!" The ex-general commanded, kneeling at Yoon's side.

With a quick explanation, Kija said, "I'm sorry! In my moment of weakness I wasn't able to sense the rock about to crush the princess, but apparently the Fox Goddess did and she stopped the boulder with her body."

A bitter frown crept onto Kija's face as he glanced down at the ground with shame.

Hak's mouth pursed sourly as he recalled the words the crimson-eyed goddess had said to him before she left.

"I'll protect Yona with everything I have."

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Saya could feel she was dying, but, now she felt pressure on her wounds.

It made her thrash as the stinging became too painful to endure without resisting. She could hear surprised yelps and a mix of relieved sighs.

As the bleeding cut began to heal, the Fox Goddess fought against the darkness ebbing away in her mind.

"Sae-Rin?" Called a faint, sweet voice. It was low and soothing and very familiar. A glimpse of long, crimson hair glowing in the darkness of her mind caught Saya off until the voice began to blend with more frantic, high-pitched vocals.

"Sae-Rin?!" Yona asked desperately as the said girl groggily lifted her eye-lids, letting in unwanted torch-light.

With her shaky arm, Saya lifted a fraction of her body weight, shifting it to the right, and staring up and her tear-stricken and relieved companions (though Hak and Shin-Ah didn't cry, they were just the most relieved).

"H-huh..." she numbed, looking at the blood soaked piece of cloth sticking to her side. The crimson-eyed immortal looked up and smiled thankfully at Yoon. "Thank you, Yoon, for saving me. You truly are a genius!" She complimented.

"W-whatever.." the strawberry-blonde replied, turning away with a faint blush on his cheeks.

Suddenly, Saya flinched in surprise as a petite set of arms wrapped around her neck, precisely avoiding her injured side.

The goddess smiled warmly and began to stroke the short locks of curly red hair. "I'm sorry, did I worry you?" She asked into Yona's ear. Without a word the crimson-haired princess nodded her head up and down, silently saying 'yes'.

Two more pairs of eyes bore into her entity and Saya looked over at Kija and Hak. "Ahah.. sorry I didn't keep my promise." She said guiltily with a hint of amusement, trying to lighten the ex-general's damp mood.

The ocean-eyed 19-year-old furrowed his brows, deep in thought, and shrugged, walking away. Kija however began to bawl out onto the floor, kneeling at the silverette's side and continuously bowing in apology.

The White Dragon began to rant about how sorry he was and how he would take any punishment necessary until Yoon smacked him on the back of his neck, knocking the 20-year-old out clean.

Finally, Saya turned to the Blue Dragon, who was silently gazing at her with worry yet relief.

Motioning him over with a hand gesture, the Fox Goddess thanked the masked man for the cloth he provided her in her time of need. His eyes widened a fraction before he nodded slowly, his chubby squirrel hopping from his shoulder to the immortal's.

"Ptchuu!" Ao said as Saya took the Blue Dragon's hand in hers, her grip around it tightening gratifyingly. Seconds later, the young man squeezed back, a small ghost of a smile adorning his face and he gazed at the goddess, as if he could feel the warmth she emitted with just the look of her eyes.