When Azumi's eyes fluttered open, she fully expected to be on the cold hard floor of that man's floor in Katan village. The rope was digging into her so wrists that they were rubbed raw, blood beginning to sleep to the surface. The familiar presence of her blades in her boots was absent, a rope tightly pulled against the corners of her mouth, successfully gagging her. Azumi felt like a five-year-old again, tied to a column in the back of the house, at the mercy of someone considerably older than herself. To open her eyes, Azumi sat there for a couple of minutes just thinking reassuring thoughts to remind herself that she was no longer in that situation and she was now free. King Il had said so, Jae-ha had said so, Mundok and so many other people had said so.
Azumi's eyes fluttered open, finding herself in an unfamiliar setting. She was in a carriage, that much she knew. All around her, people were strewn across the carriage, half-conscious or silent. Everyone in the carriage was tightly bound, however, Azumi was the only one not under the effect of Nadai. Eyes flickering around, Azumi found no windows and no air vents, along with no proper seating for the people shoved inside. She counted ten other people, all men who were shady looking, which meant that were also stolen during the brawl at the black market.
Azumi quietly cursed herself for letting her guard down back there, even for a second. That second caused her to be in this position, bound tightly to the side of a carriage, being transported to some unknown place.
The call of a coachman interrupted her thoughts, the horses outside drifting to a halt. Not even a second later, the doors were violently thrown open, and a soldier screamed at everyone piled inside. The men were dragged outside first, blinking at the sudden brightness in a dazed stupor. The soldier then dragged Azumi out, untying the ropes before yelling at all the newbies to go in a line. Without a sound, Azumi joined the line and watched the soldier flick his whip straight at anyone who made a sound.
"Listen up! You where all brought to Sei as slaves, to build this fort! A slaves job is simple! Keep your heads down and quietly do the work, as long as you do what you're told, you will be released! Now, everyone put your belongings in a pile here! Hurry up!" The soldier ordered, watching all the men hesitantly step forward and beginning to strip their possessions. Azumi waited until last, taking a shaky breath before pulling off the clasp to her cloak. Flicking it around her, she folded it up neatly and put it amongst the other's possessions. She then pulled out her small purse and any other extra possessions, placing it in the pockets of her cloak before rising and turning to the soldier watching her with hawk eyes.
"You. Are you an adventurer?" He asked, pointing his whip at Azumi. Azumi raised an eyebrow at his sudden question, before glancing down at her outfit. She guessed it was unusual, after all, she was wearing pants. Women were expected to wear dresses, which was a pain to hike in, so he must have guessed from her attire.
"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" Azumi asked, glancing up only to flinch at his glare.
"Don't ask questions. Now get to work" he growled, making Azumi frown slightly, but nod without any verbal complaint. She hurried over to the pile of wood that needed to be transported and picked up a few of the large planks and hefted them onto her shoulder without difficulty, making the surrounding people sweat drop. They were all struggling, but she did it with ease. Walking forward, Azumi began to work without another word, keeping her eyes on everything around her. For now, she would have to work without complaint. Her friends probably had no clue that she was here, so it was too risky to wait for them to come and help. But she couldn't leave all of these people here, defenceless and worked until their deaths...
Azumi would just have to wait...
~Time skip~
Two days later, a new bunch arrived. Her mind was numb and her throat was sore, for as soon as she realised they only offered Nadai, Azumi had forced herself into a shell so she could work with less sustenance. This was why she had been ignorant of Yona and Lili's arrival at first. However, she finally noticed them when she heard a loud shout and looked over to find Yona standing in front of Lili, blocking her from a blow with the whip. Azumi's eyes widened however a soldier who thought she got distracted hit her, so she could not rush over to help.
"Keep on moving!" The soldier yelled, making Azumi nod and go back into her subdued state. All-day she worked, keeping her head low so she wouldn't distract Yona and Lili so that she wouldn't put them in more danger. However, as the day wore thin and the work for the day slowed its pace, Azumi could not avoid them any longer. As she entered the bedrooms, her gaze flickered over to Yona and Lili who sat on their bedside by side, quietly comforting each other. A soft smile spread across Azumi's lips, relieved to see them still in high spirits after such a gruesome day. Azumi trailed over, kneeling at their bedside and placing a hand on their shoulders. They both blinked, glancing over only for their eyes to widen.
"Are you two alright? It must be difficult for you both" Azumi sympathised however she flinched as she watched the two tear up.
"Azumi... You're safe..." Yona whispered in relief, clutching the cloth of her heart and letting her shoulder droop in relief. Azumi chuckled, leaning back on her haunches and sending the stunned Lili a wink.
"As good as I can be. I've been here for 2 days now and let me tell you. I have a good physique, but my muscles are getting sore and throat dry" Azumi snickered, only to be interrupted by Lili leaping at her. Azumi's eyes widened as she fell back, Lili clutching onto her tightly while sobbing.
"You're here, thank god you're here. I was so scared" Lili sobbed, Azumi's expression softening as she returned the embrace and muttered reassurances into her ear. Azumi gestured Yona to join the hug, and so the three sat together, huddled close to each other and giving each other silent support. Then, once it had reached bedtime, Azumi stepped away with one last comforting smile, before disappearing to her bed.
For the next two days, it was a blur for Azumi. She was seriously dehydrated, especially in this weather, and her body was beginning to work on overdrive. One morning, as Azumi was beginning to lose her sanity, she made a startling realisation. Yona and Lili were gone. As she worked that day, she heard the soldiers mumbling about the two slaves escaping after killing a guard. Azumi couldn't stop the smile spreading across her lips, glad that they had got out of this hell. Azumi flinched when a whip was suddenly cracked across her back, glancing over to find that same soldier from the first day standing there, glaring at her.
"You, keep on moving. If you stop again, I'm going to make an example out of you" He growled, grabbing the end of the whip and holding it out in a threatening manner. Azumi merely nodded, dipping her head before turning around and continuing to push the wheel-burrow. However, as she rounded the corner, Azumi couldn't help but stop dead. Her eyes widened at the sight of Jae-ha, Ayura and Zeno squatting under a hut, hiding from the guards.
"What the hell are you three doing here?" Azumi asked before she could think it through, making them all glance up. Their eyes widened at the sight of Azumi, without her iconic cloak. She was covered from head to foot in the dirt, her ponytail messed up from her hair being grabbed, bruises covering her face and cuts in her tunic from places she had been whipped, blood dried to the area.
"Azumi, this was your idea of gathering information?" Ayura deadpanned, making Azumi snicker and shrug it off. She glanced over her shoulder to find a guard staring at her directly, so she turned away without answering Ayura and kept on walking. Once she had placed down the wheel burrow and had picked up some planks, she walked back to the hut and slid beside Ayura, who was currently talking about someone seeing Yona and Lili and how they had escaped.
"It's true" Azumi spoke up, making all of them flinch in surprise.
"The miss keeps on appearing out of nowhere!" Zeno giggled, making Azumi smile at him softly. She then glanced at Jae-ha, who was staring at her intensely. She knew that once this was over, they would have a very serious talk. Azumi then glanced over to Ayura, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling weakly.
"You should be proud of Lili. She defended herself and worked through this heat with no water. Both her and Yona where very strong," Azumi comforted, making Ayura relax slightly.
"And where are they now?" She asked, shifting slightly to gaze completely at Azumi. The brunette frowned at the question, glancing over the edge of the hut to make sure no guards had noticed their disappearance yet.
"If I knew, I would tell you. One night I went to sleep and the next morning I wake up to find them gone and a guard dead. Knowing Yona, she would have done anything to come back and get me. So she must have been in a tight situation where that was the only way to get out and getting me would have put Lili in danger. They put up too much defiance against the guards, so they would have been killed on the spot. Along with that, they've sent out soldiers in search of them... A large party too..." Azumi reported, making Ayura grit her teeth and frown nervously.
"...Can you go, Ryokuryuu?" Zeno asked, turning to the green-haired male who had already risen to his feet.
"Of course" Jae-ha grinned, sending one last glance to Azumi. Azumi nodded, her face filled with a determination that spurred Jae-ha into action.
"Eh? Where are you going?" Ayura asked, flinching in surprise at the sudden change of plan.
"Naturally, I'm going to find Yona dear and Lili dear" Jae-ha grinned, sending Ayura a look over his shoulder. A burst of wind fluttered by, making his hair twirl dramatically. Azumi almost rolled her eyes at the sight, turning to her old friend with a reassuring smile.
"The miss is still alive" Zeno comforted with a wide grin, making Azumi nod in confirmation.
"That child wouldn't stay here and wait obediently to be killed. It would be impossible for her. Using these legs of mine, I'll find them. I'll be back soon. Everyone, wait here," Jae-ha comforted, before turning to leave.
"Ok-" Zeno began with his wide beaming grin, waving at Jae-ha with Azumi as his side, also waving with a cheeky grin on her lips.
"Lord Zeno. You should go too. I'll find a chance to report the situation to Lord Hak and the others. I'll leave our Lady Lili to you," Ayura said, frowning seriously. Zeno grinned, nodding and patting her head with a wide grin. Jae-ha and Zeno then ran off, and Ayura was about to follow when a loud snicker sounded. Azumi froze, as she turned around to find the soldier who had a vendetta against her since she had arrived grinning widely in triumph.
"I found you~" He cooed, grabbing Azumi's ponytail and tugging on it. Azumi gritted her teeth, automatically grabbing at her scalp. Ayura tried to speak up, however, the soldier was already walking out, dragging Azumi after him, and calling out for everyone to stop. He dragged Azumi to the stage in the centre of the fort, calling everyone over to watch. Once everyone was around, including the guards, he grinned wickedly and pulled Azumi's ponytail to show her face to the crowd.
"I have decided to show everyone what happens when you disobey our orders, multiple times! This one here helped two slaves escape and ignored orders multiple times. So as punishment, she will have 20 lashings!" He grinned, making the guards around the area cheer. Despite many of the slaves knowing this wasn't true, none of them had the confidence to speak up.
Azumi glanced up to find Jae-ha frowning and moving to stop this, however, she narrowed her eyes at him. They met gazes as she silently begged him not to, before glancing up to the sky as a gesture to get a move on. Jae-ha frowned, looking torn between his two options. Azumi sent him a harsh glare and broke all hesitance. He turned and jumped, Zeno jumping onto his back before he could completely disappear. Azumi watched as they sailed off into the sky, dimly aware of her vest and shirt being pulled off, leaving her only in her undershirt. Azumi lowered her head as she was pushed onto the floor, reminding herself that this was for Yona and Lili. Despite these words that she chanted in her head as the soldier rant and raved about the policies of slaves, she knew that she was too weak to fight against it, anyway. She had been in this place for 5 days now and was reaching her limit. Dehydration was getting to her-
A sharp pain flickering across her back interrupted Azumi's thoughts as she winced, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes as she heard a loud cackle. The whip cracked across her back once again, blood beginning to dribble to the surface. Repeatedly, the whip broke the first couple layers of skin, digging into the same places multiple times and leaving Azumi immobile. Azumi felt her eyes dim as she slowly lost consciousness, pain overriding her system and leaving her a doll. Once the benchmark was reached, her ponytail was grabbed once again, pulling her to her feet and turning her around, showing the wounds off to the crowd. Azumi didn't hear the taunts said after that. She was only aware of the man dropping her ponytail and her dropping along with it. She sunk onto the floor, her head lowered as she took a deep breath, struggling to keep conscious.
"Get moving! Don't stop your work again!" he ordered, kicking her in the back and digging his heel into her wounds. Azumi bit her tongue to stop the scream from escaping her lips, barely able to keep up her facade any longer. When the soldier finally left her alone, she felt soft hands caress her face. Ayura lifted Azumi's face, gazing at her with sadness. She felt tears welling in her eyes, seeing her good friend so weak and beaten. Grabbing the shirt and vest from where it had been strewn, Ayura dressed Azumi while Azumi stared out at the sky blankly.
"Thank you, thank you so much Azumi. You continue to sacrifice yourself for Lady Lili, and it means the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you" Ayura whispered, pulling Azumi into her embrace and patting her on the head. Azumi let her head rest on Ayura's chest, relaxing for the first time in five days.
"If it's for Lili and Yona... I would take as many lashings as it takes, so do not thank me. This is nothing" Azumi mumbled, before dragging herself to her feet. Ayura stared up at her in a mixture of awe and horror, watching as Azumi strode over to the pile of wood with as much strength as she could muster.
"Please... Come back soon..." Ayura mumbled, gazing towards the sky that Jae-ha and Zeno had disappeared in. Ayura could not supply the support Azumi needed at this moment, the only one who could was Jae-ha.
~Time skip~
Azumi sighed as she finally got to sit down, settling down beside Ayura. The two females watched silently, wondering why everyone was called to the plaza deep within the fort. Even during Azumi's public humiliation, only that small section of the fort was called. So why were all the slaves and soldiers here? A soldier suddenly grabbed Ayura's head, pushing it down and making her wince.
"Lord Kushibi is almost here, kneel on the ground and welcome him!" A soldier ordered, making Ayura's eyes widen. She glanced over to Azumi, only to find her already bowing, her face blank of emotion. She had been majorly like this ever since she had been made an example, and she was worried for the brunette. However, she had no time to act upon her concerns and instead bowed as well. The large lines of soldiers slowed to a stop, as a large and well-clothed man stepped out of his carriage. He smiled down at the sight of so many bowing to him, before turning to his soldiers.
"Bring the prisoner forward for the public execution" Kushibi ordered. Ayura glanced up, only to shoot to her feet in shock at the sight of Lady Lili being dragged towards the gallows.
"Don't move! Behave yourself, or you'll be executed too" The soldier warned, shoving his blade into Ayura's face. Ayura stayed in place, her face pale in horror.
"She's the one to be executed!?" She asked, staring at Lili who kept her face down.
"Well, she did try to escape" The soldier reasoned, finally getting a response out of Azumi. Azumi glanced up and narrowed her eyes at the sight of Lili by her self amongst the ranks of soldiers.
"What's wrong? Why don't you hurry with the executions?" Kushibi complained, leaning back in his throne-like chair.
"I'm very sorry, Lord Kushibi. Right now there are invaders from Kouka attacking the fort..." The soldier explained, flinching at being addressed by possibly the most powerful man in Sei.
"I heard. It seems with just a small group of people they could destroy Hotsuma's fort. They're probably just family members who want to rescue the slaves. Hotsuma's reputation will be destroyed, and I'll be the one that gets to defeat those invaders. This is a great opportunity for me. Quickly, bring those invaders to the execution grounds. They won't be able to do anything. We hold the lives of all the slaves in our hands" Kushibi grinned, a cruel expression on his face. He then watched as Lili was ordered to step forward, only to be interrupted by Ayura jumping into a soldier and stealing his weapon. Azumi glanced up at the woman's unusually rash actions but took the chance for herself. She jumped to her feet and ran out of the area, running straight towards the hallways. A couple of guards chased after her, and when they entered the hallway and out of Kushibi's sight, Azumi was there to attack them. In a blur of movement, she hit all of their pressure points and they were on the floor immobilised before they could defend themselves.
"Sorry boys, I have someone to save" Azumi smiled, stealing a bow and arrow from one of the soldiers and running for the closest staircase. As she ran, she heard a ruckus soon begin outside. It seemed that there truly were reinforcements, and they chose this moment to attack. Azumi surfaced at the top of the wall and ran to the closest archer. She quickly subdued him and ran along, pulling them back from the edge and quickly immobilising them. However, because she was so weak and wasn't killing them, they soon overpowered her. Before she could act, a familiar face jumped over the face of the wall and killed several archers in one clean swipe.
Han-dae landed without a sound and gaped at the sight of Azumi, she also staring at him with wide eyes. A second later, Tae-woo was at his side, blinking in surprise. Azumi merely sent them a shaky grin and a lazy salute, before gesturing to the shell-shocked archers behind her.
"I have an important lady to go save, have you got this?" Azumi asked, making the two males nod and grin cheekily. She smiled at them, before rushing past the archers to an advantageous spot where she saw the guard kick Lili down and then drag her to the noose. Azumi took a deep breath, pulling out an arrow from the quiver, ignoring the ripple of pain that made her muscles spasm. She pulled the bow up, placing the arrow against its string and pulled back in the perfect position to shoot the noose.
"Hang her!" Kushibi screamed, making everyone freeze up. However, just as the lever was pulled, and the floor began to open up, there was a loud whistle. Everyone froze as an arrow whistled through the air at a fast speed, severing the rope just as Lili began to drop. All jaw's hit the floor as Lili dropped through the floor and into Hak's arms.
Azumi slowly lowered her arms, feeling her body burn as all eyes turned to her, staring up at her in shock. Pulling another arrow from the quiver, Azumi turned and aimed the arrow straight at the lord who stared straight up at her with dilated pupils. The battle continued to rage on around them, Geun-tae coming to save Hak and Lili from some guards. However, Azumi's eyes did not leave the lords. Her eyes were blazing with absolute fury, and when she released the arrow, her shoulder spasmed so much that she dropped the bow. The arrow shot straight through the silk of his clothing and into the back of the chair, pinning him in place.
"K-Kill them! Now! Those people under the gallows, and that female up on the wall! All soldiers kill them!" The lord ordered, uselessly tugging at the arrow pinning him to the chair. Instantly, hundreds of soldiers charged at Hak and Geun-tae, only to be defended by Mundok. Azumi sighed, her body almost collapsing underneath her. Dropping down the length of the wall, Azumi landed on the elevated level beside Soo-won, making him flinch and turn to her with wide eyes. Azumi slightly shifted to her feet, gritting her teeth to stop the cry of pain.
"Give me your sword, I can't endanger you by being up here. So quick, give me a weapon and I'll run away" Azumi said, turning to Soo-won. His eyes widened even further at the side of her damaged body, and he lifted a hand to stop her. Azumi's hand shot out first, grabbing onto the hilt of his sword and pulling it out of its sheath.
Azumi then jumped over the wall, landing on the floor only to be instantly surrounded by hundreds of soldiers. Azumi wiped her mouth with her dirt-covered sleeves, glaring up at the soldiers swarming around her. Out of the corner of her, Azumi watched most of the others run over to Hak's side, protecting Lady Lili. This made Azumi grin and spit out the blood, moving into an offensive position.
"You are lucky that you chose me as an opponent, I am considerably more merciful than my comrades over there" Azumi grinned, before disappearing. She flickered between the soldiers, ignoring the excruciating pain that racked her entire body. She fought with the remaining strength that her failing body possessed, holding herself back from killing the soldier but dealing wounds that would make sure that they could not fight back. Soon, the 1000 soldiers that Kushibi had brought with him were on the floor, destroyed. Azumi watched as Soo-won moved from his position over to Kushibi, who was still pinned to the chair by Azumi's arrow.
"Lord Kushibi... I presume...?" Soo-won asked, walking right up to the lord who had his heads in his hands, his face in shadows as he tried to process what just happened.
"...Indeed. I am Lord Kushibi. Who are you?" Kushibi muttered, refusing to meet the gaze of the blonde who stood over him, radiating an aura of power.
"The king of Kouka kingdom. My name is Soo-won" Soo-won said simply, making a jolt go through the lord's body. His head snapped up to stare at Soo-won in utter shock, shell-shocked at the situation he had placed upon himself.
"Nonsense! That's utter nonsense! For the king himself to come here with this mere handful of troops!" Kushibi denied, shaking his head wildly as if to shake off the dream that was his new reality.
"Mere...? Four of the generals of the tribes of Kouka kingdom stand before you. Our strength was not lacking, was it?" Soo-won asked, his expression emotionless as he stared down upon the man who caused pain and suffering for an unprecedented amount of people.
"That makes it all the more unbelievable! Why do you have such a team gathered...?" Kushibi cried, gripping onto his hair in horror, and his whole life crumbled around him.
"The woman you attempted to have executed earlier is the daughter of the head of the water tribe. She is a dear friend of mine as well... You unjustly kidnapped and decided to execute that woman. Even if you head were to roll right now, you... No, this country... Couldn't object, could it?" Soo-won asked, taking the sword Joo-doh passed and held it to his throat, glaring down at the man whose entire body slumped in utter defeat.
"...I-I understand... I will accept your demands..." Kushibi muttered, looking physically drained despite having been pinned to the chair the entire battle.
"...Is that so? Then to start, please dismantle this fort and release all persons taken from the water tribe. As for the details of our conditions, let us meet together with King Kazagumo and discuss them at a later date. Until then, I would have you stay at Kouka kingdom. Do not forget. We, with a 'mere handful of troops', triumphed over a thousand soldiers. And that means what you saw today was a mere fraction of Kouka kingdom's power," Soo-won spoke, officially ending the battle at Kushibi's fort.
Azumi sighed, slumping against the wall in defeat as her wounds and dehydration finally caught up and beat her adrenaline. She watched as all of her friends reunited and Hak ran over to them, falling onto his knees to hug Yona who had fallen over while trying to run to him. Azumi let out a deep breath, lifting the blade in her hands to gaze at the sword embroidered with gold and other rare jewels. However, her reminiscing was interrupted by the call of a familiar general's name by a familiar voice. She glanced up to find Joo-doh with his weapons in hand, glaring over at Hak. Dragging herself off the wall, Azumi grumbled to herself as she stumbled her way over.
"...Oi. The battle is over. What's with the rising blood lust?" Geun-tae asked, frowning at the other general from behind.
"The real question is why you are so relaxed. The man we should be most wary of is sitting right over there" Joo-doh argued, glaring over at Hak who shifted in front of the stunned princess, glaring right back at him.
"He gave us a hand in saving Lili. I understand your position, but at least for today..." Geun-tae tried to barter, frowning down at the ground when he was ignored.
"If you're not on my side, then be quiet. The matter of general Joon-gi's daughter has nothing to do with this" Joo-doh growled, clenching and flexing his hands over the shaft of his sword in preparation to charge the thunder beast.
"I can't do that. Without his help, Lili would have..." Geun-tae began, only to be cut off by Joo-doh.
"You don't know how terrifying the thunder beast can be!!! He will threaten his majesty's life! We have to do something before that happens! We have to kill him! Acting all friendly like this temporarily..." Joo-doh screamed, before faltering at the very end.
"General Joo-doh... Please stand down" Soo-won muttered, taking his hand to stop him.
"You still cannot throw away your personal feelings!?" Joo-doh screamed once again, making no effort to throw the majesty off him despite his words.
"You misunderstand... Have you not noticed it? The bloodlust directed towards you..." Soo-won muttered, making the general look somewhere else besides Hak. The three members of the wind tribe stood there, glaring at the general with a rising amount of bloodlust.
"The five tribes have finally been reunited. It would be unwise to make enemies of the wind tribe right here at this moment. Also..." Soo-won continued, turning the general to face the other group. The dragons of legend all stood before Hak, all prepared for battle as well. However, what was most shocking to him was Azumi, standing several paces before the dragons with Soo-won's sword poised for battle. Azumi stared straight into his eyes, meeting his dark gaze with her own empty one. Joo-doh suddenly had a flashback from the earlier years, when Azumi was a child. He was lucky enough to be one of the few who saw her training, and it was forever burned into the back of his mind.
Right now, despite the extensive injuries Azumi harboured, she was the most dangerous. And yet, she was no threat to the king or himself. She was only protecting the thunder beast. How could he have forgotten that such a lethal foe was standing in this very fort, how could he let himself fall prey to the tsunami that was her rage?
"General Jood-oh, I suggest you sheath those blades of yours. Kushibi and the Sei army still must be apprehended, and you must take the lord into custody. There are much more important matters than this," Azumi warned, shifting her foot back and dragging up her sword in preparation to charge him. Joo-dohs eyes widened and his hands began to shake so much that he almost dropped his sword.
"You're prepared to fight for the thunder beast? Despite your ties to the king...?" Joo-doh muttered, making Soo-won sigh and turn around, walking away without another word. Azumi did not watch the king's departure, only keeping her eyes on Joo-doh.
"Take a look at the lashings on my back. I think that answers your question the most clearly" Azumi answered, narrowing her eyes at him. Joo-doh narrowed his eyes as well, before sighing and sheathing his blade. Azumi also lowered her stance, chucking the sword towards the general. Joo-doh caught it, glancing down to find it was the kings, before glancing up at her with a frown. He then turned around and followed the king without another word.
"Whoa, Azumi~ That gave me chills" Guen-tae teased, walking towards her and patting her roughly on the head. Azumi growled, glaring up at him and shoving a foot at him which he easily dodged.
"I don't want your praise, you adult-sized baby! Does it look like I care!?" Azumi yelled, swooping left and right to avoid his hand that he tried to pet her with. He snickered widely, amused by her mood swings.
"Azumi" A familiar voice spoke, making Azumi glance over. Mundok stood there, having just risen from bowing, and sent her a soft smile. Azumi's facade instantly dropped, and she sent him a shaky smile that held the pain she was feeling.
"Mundok" She greeted back, only to be interrupted by Han-dae charging over to her and leaping onto her. Azumi winced, gritting her teeth to stop a yelp of pain, but still reciprocated the hug.
"This looks like my cue to leave. I'll look after Lady Lili, don't you worry about a thing," Guen-tae spoke up, making Azumi send him a smile over her shoulder.
"It seems I owe both you and your wife a bouquet now" Azumi grinned cheekily, making him scoff and roll his eyes.
"Give me a duel and I'll call it a deal" He responded, making Azumi sigh. She could give him that much, after all he had done to help her dear friend. She merely nodded, making Guen-tae whoop loudly before walking over to the general of the wind tribe. Mundok then appeared at Azumi's side, peeling Han-dae of her and brushing back her fringe to look into her eyes.
"You're heavily dehydrated and wounded... Would you like us to take care of your wounds for you...?" He asked softly, making Azumi smile and take up his hand, clutching to her chest as if to comfort herself with his presence.
"Yoon wouldn't sleep at night if he was not the one to look after me and make sure everything is done to perfection. Plus, I promised to return to them this time. I already broke my promise to wait for them by the village gate, I cannot break another..." Azumi mumbled, making Mundok softly smile at his daughter like figure. He dragged her into a hug, and with a couple of comforting words, the three wind tribe soldiers departed. The next second, Zeno was running towards her and grabbing her hand, tugging her after him towards the group.
"Zeno!" Hak said in surprise, while Zeno jumped straight onto Yona, dragging a wincing Azumi after him.
"Little miss! I'm back!" He cheered, making Kija smile and bend down to observe his brethren.
"Welcome back. Good work, Zeno" He answered, while Yoon burst a nerve from right beside him.
"Ah! Zeno, your clothes are covered in blood again!" Yoon screeched in horror. Zeno merely laughs, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Zeno came flying from a dangerous place for me," Yona commented, making Jae-ha sigh.
"Was it 'flying' or was it 'falling'?" Jae-ha sighed, shaking his head slightly at the boisterous dragon.
"I honestly tried to take care of my clothes..." Zeno confessed, only to be cut off by Hak glomping him. The whole group flinched in surprise, while Azumi merely smiled softly at the sight. It seemed Hak was finally opening up to the group.
"Wha- What's up, mister?" Zeno asked, returning the hug while staring at Azumi with wide eyes. She merely shrugged, pretending not to have an answer to his odd actions.
"A reward" Hak muttered into his shoulder.
"Haha! This is a reward? Yay! Wait, mister, I can't breathe...!" Zeno cheered, before slowly beginning to choke as Hak tightened his grip. Hak then let go and turned around to Azumi, only to glare at the sight of her being.
"Where have you been?" He growled, glaring at her. Azumi sweat dropped as all eyes turned to her, finally noticing how injured she is.
"I know, I broke my promise. I'm really sorry, I can make it up-" Azumi began, only to be cut off by Hak hugging her. Her eyes widened, but her sheepish smile dropped and she began to tear up, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tightly.
"I-I'm so sorry, I-I really t-tried but-" Azumi stuttered, only to be cut off by Hak bringing a hand up to the back of her head and petting her softly.
"It's alright, you did all you could" Hak muttered softly, making the tears well up in Azumi's eyes. Azumi nuzzled into Hak's shoulder, muffling the quiet sobs that began to escape her lips. Hak merely sighed, pulling her head tighter against him and also letting his head fall onto her shoulder, taking a deep breath to finally release the pent of stress that had piled up ever since Azumi departed on her own and never returned.
"You did well..."