(Y/N), Hak, and Yona were about to head out and leave the Wind Tribe, but Mun-deok stopped them in their tracks and told them where they should go.
"A Priest?" Hak and (Y/N) asked in unison, staring at their grandfather with a questioning look.
"That's right. Since ancient times, there have been priests in Kouka who gazed into the Kingdom's future. It's said they live somewhere in the land of wind." Mun-deok pointed towards the direction of the 'Priest'.
"If you're unsure of what you should do, you should consult them, Yona-hime. They are sure to show you the right path." Mun-deok turned to face Yona, giving her a smile to show her to trust him.
• • •
3rd POV
The three best friends were standing at the Northern Mountains, following the path that Mun-deok told them that would lead to the Priest. Yona was sitting down on the ground, her back facing the rocky wall of the mountain. Hak was standing in front of the two, trying to search any sign of where the Priest might be staying. (Y/N) had her back leaning against the hard wall on the Princess's right side, her right hand beside her sword's handle to prepare for an attack if an ambush were to happen.
"Hak? Do you see anything?" The princess asked impatiently, since all that they've been doing were going to random places of the mountain and look for the Priest.
"Not a thing. Seriously, old man? How are we supposed to find someone if we don't know where he is?" Hak sighed in annoyance, his patience starting to run low from their journey to find a missing person.
"I actually heard that they used to live in the temple of the Royal Palace. That they were once a powerful force in national politics." (Y/N) told the group, her eyes looking up at the sky.
"But when Lord Yu-hon cracked down on them, they all left. Now they live in remote areas in secret." Hak continued, turning to the group when he thought he had enough searching.
"And yet we don't even know if the 'Priest' is even alive to begin with, so we might be searching for nothing." (Y/N) pointed out to the two with a bitter expression on her face.
Of course, she trusts her Gramps words, but it just seemed like they really had nothing to hold their hopes on to. So they might just be looking for the Priest because they were desperate for help, or that they could possibly get out alive and well with the Princess.
"We came here because it's so remote, but can anyone really live here?" Yona-hime was starting to lose faith because of (Y/N)'s words.
The princess knew (Y/N) to be someone that was willing to look on the bright side of things, no matter how dark the situation was. So it really shocked her when she was the first to lose hope in their journey. (Y/N)'s optimistic facade was starting to crack from their journey, it really shows that the events that led them to that point are taken differently by everyone. (Y/N) hearing Yona's words made her regret to speak up, the last thing she would want was to see broken Yona again because of her. Hak sensed the females hopelessness, he immediately spoke up to remove the growing tension in the air by what was said before.
"Well you would probably fall off a cliff, Princess. But sure, living here is possible."
"If you look over there Yona-hime, you can see a river." (Y/N) tried to redeem herself from before by cheering up the hopeless Princess, feeling her disappointment in herself by what she had done.
"No one could survive these cold mountains..." The Princess stood up in front of them as she still couldn't believe what they were telling her, it's hard to make her believe in something that was so foreign to her.
"The land that the Fire Tribe controls is even more desolate. Spots like this where no one will bother you can be surprisingly good places to live." Hak informed the Princess, seeing her take in all the information that the two have given her already.
(Y/N) noticed Yona to be in deep thought, but the expression on her face was becoming more glum as she was still contemplating. (Y/N) took it upon herself to ask the Princess a question to change the topic at hand once again.
"By the way Princess, if we want want to search the area thoroughly, we'll have to sleep outside. Are you okay with that?" (Y/N) asked the younger red headed female, giving her a smile as they walked beside each other a few feet forward, with Hak walking in front of them.
"Sleeping outside? I started getting used to it." Yona answered with determination, (Y/N)'s attempt on making Yona focus on something else was successful.
"This isn't like the mountains behind the Castle. It gets bitterly cold out here." (Y/N) retorted as she was still walking beside her.
"Then I'll sleep in your arms and stay warm." Yona said casually making (Y/N) almost trip on their path.
But she was immediately seen hugging Yona from behind with her arms wrapped around her neck and her chin on the top of her head.
"You are just so adorable Princess~" (Y/N) cooed as she pressed Yona to her chest in affection.
"(Y-Y/N), stop..." Yona mumbled in embarrassment at the treatment she was getting.
"If you just wanted an excuse for me to hold you, then you should've asked." (Y/N) was smiling at Yona, as she kept on babying her because of how cute her reaction looked to her.
"Wait. Do you feel that?" Hak asked as he stopped in his tracks in front of the two.
"Hmm?" (Y/N) hummed in reply as she removed herself from her hold on the embarrassed Yona.
Hak crouched on the ground as he placed his hand on the floor. The two girls silently paying attention to the point he was trying to give.
"Footsteps... Forty- No. Fifty. They're after us." (Y/N) then realized what Hak was trying to tell them.
"I thought they'd lose interest, but if that many people are after us- They mean business." (Y/N) said in annoyance, knowing that their pursuers wasn't giving up on them.
(Y/N) turned her attention towards Yona, frowning when she saw she had a scared expression at what she and Hak were talking about.
"Princess..." (Y/N) wanted to comfort her, but she didn't know what to do at that moment.
Hak then took the hood of Yona's robe and covered her head down to her eyes.
"You can't sleep on anyone's arms if you could just easily crush them by your weight." Hak said as he walked off many feet away from them with Yona on his trail.
"What are you babbling about?!" Yona exclaimed as her mind wasn't focused on being scared anymore, making (Y/N) happy to see that Hak was able to help Yona more than she could.
After (Y/N) walked up to them, she stood beside Hak as Yona was behind them in their protection.
"Now...that I'm nice and warmed up, it's time to get to work." Hak said with a knowing smirk on his face, his glave ready to be used.
"The game is on." (Y/N) said as she gave a mocking smile to the people hiding in the trees around them, her sword out of its sheath as she was casually holding it.
"Stay close to us, Yona-hime." The two partners in crime said in unison with a grin of their own.
"Grahh!" The soldiers came out of their hiding and attacked them all at once.
Hak and (Y/N) were able to kill all of their opponents in one fatal swing of their weapon, without a twinge of regret as their lifeless bodies fell limply on the ground around them. Blood splattered everywhere from their attack.
'Soo-won once said... Hak fights like lightning! While (Y/N) fights like a deadly swan! If either one of them fought with me seriously, I would be beaten to a pulp. Even at a moment like this, I still remember your face.' Yona thought as she stared at her two best friends in amazement and hidden sadness.
"Fire Tribe, huh?" Hak said as he saw Kang Tae-jun approach them with much more soldiers by his side.
"That's what I figured." (Y/N) scoffed as she saw the person trying to attack them, making her put her left hand out for Yona to hold, in which the Princess gladly did.
"I see the Thunder Beast is feeling lively, General Son Hak. And his lover, Mortal Hakuchō. Who looks to be injured from your long trip here, am I right Lady (Y/N)?" The two glared at Kang Tae-jun as they did in front of Yona protectively.
(Y/N) still had the bandages wrapped around her head from being beaten by the Fire Tribe people, which she glared at the leader who ordered to attack her that was behind Tae-jun with a smirk on his face.
"...And Princess Yona." Yona gave him an annoyed look.
"Because of Lady (Y/N) being General Hak's lover, you are the person I am still seeking for. I, Kang Tae-jun of the Fire Tribe have been waiting for this moment."
"Look Princess!" Hak pointed out to the mountains in the distance.
"There's a lot of wildlife in these parts." (Y/N) said to Yona beside the two, completely ignoring the young Lord.
"General Hak is— Wait, what?!" Kang Tae-jun exclaimed in disbelief when their attention was focused elsewhere.
"Don't bird watch while I'm talking to you!"
"Oh, were you talking to me?" Hak questioned as he turned himself to face Kang Tae-jun.
"Thing is, I'm not a General and my name's not 'Son'. Sorry for the confusion."
"No, no; it's fine. As long as you understand. Wait. You're not a General?!"
"And I no longer have any connection to the Wind Tribe or take the role as the new General." (Y/N) spoke seriously as she was also entertained by Tae-jun's reactions.
"What do you mean?!"
"Just that. I'm Hak a simple man of the road, (Y/N) a passing traveler. Nothing what me and (Y/N) do, has anything to do with the Wind Tribe." Hak said with a serious face as he stared at him.
"I'm sorry to break the news for you, General Kang's second son." (Y/N) with a sly smile on her face as she was still holding Yona's hand protectively while standing in front of her.
She already knew about this information Hak shared. He told her after they left the Wind Tribe, while Yona was resting. (Y/N) was mad that he didn't even told her or asked her opinion before he decided to remove his title as a General and her own title as the assistant General to him. She was even more angry when Hak told her he doesn't carry the name of 'Son' anymore. It took (Y/N) longer than she needed to calm down, she was able to understand as she knew that he did it for the Wind Tribe. Even though he said he wasn't a Son anymore, she was sure that he still called himself Son Hak and would bring the name with him forever, but just not display it publicly. However, she was going to take everything with a grain of salt for the next following days.
"I see. But I couldn't care less about the Wind Tribe. I'm going to kill you." Tae-jun said with a smile as he raised his sword.
"Because I have business with the Princess there!" As soon as he raised his sword, multiple arrows came raining down on the trio.
(Y/N) reflexively held Yona towards her as Hak was able to cut or knock the arrows around them with his glave.
"Don't let him catch his breath!" Kang Tae-jun ordered as his soldiers ran up to them.
Yona held on (Y/N) as she was still able to carry her with her left arm while she helped Hak fight off the soldiers.
"Stop them!"
(Y/N) mostly kept on dodging attacks from the soldiers, but she still moved around with no problem to kill her enemies. While Hak defended the two, because of the fact that Yona can't fight and (Y/N) was still injured.
"No! Not like that!"
The other soldiers that were fighting Hak turned to (Y/N) as they thought they could beat her because she was carrying Yona around.
"Don't get into close quarters-" (Y/N) easily slit their throats when they were cocky enough to approach her from behind.
"Release the arrows!"
The arrows came flying towards them, (Y/N) covering Yona from the arrows while Hak knocked the arrows away from them like before.
"You're really heavy Yona-hime." (Y/N) tried to keep Yona's thoughts away from the situation as she teased her.
"Oh shut up (Y/N)." Yona huffed in annoyance that she still had room to tease her.
"Let's run for it." Hak said to them, (Y/N) nodding her head as she placed Yona's feet to the ground; the three sprinting away from the soldiers.
Yona ran first in front of the two as they were killing off soldiers or knocking arrows away from the Princess and themselves. Looking frightened when a soldier was hit in the face by their own arrows, killing him at once in the process.
'I'm scared! Arrows and soldiers are coming at us from every side. Even (Y/N) and Hak... Can't handle this!' Yona was still running away, but she tripped on the rocky ground.
She fell on the floor with dread written on her face, knowing that she was at a moment of weakness.
"Aim for the Princess!" The cocky bastard from the Wind Tribe shouted as another soldier aimed an arrow at the Princess.
Yona embraced herself to feel the arrow pierce her, but was shocked to feel someone hugging her back. She turned around and saw that (Y/N) was in front of her to cover herself from the arrow.
"(Y/N)!" She exclaimed as she was scared for her friend.
"The...arrow." (Y/N) went wide eyed as she realized something.
She quickly looked behind her to see Hak standing over them, and the arrow wasn't on (Y/N)'s back.
"You idiot! Why the hell did you take that arrow for me?!" She shouted at Hak as she was now the scared female.
Hak just took the arrow out of his back as he grunted from the pain.
"Stop fussing over me. It's creepy."
"You're-" (Y/N) wanted to scold him more, not being able to do so when Hak grabbed her and Yona to him.
Hak leaped above the group of soldiers ready to attack them, landing behind their back as he placed (Y/N) on the ground and ran away from all of them.
•
•
•
After just a few minutes of running, Hak and (Y/N) were able to find a small cave that was covered in vines and leaves. Hak placed the Princess down as he was sure that the Fire Tribe didn't follow them or knew where they were.
"Hide here, don't move a muscle." Hak told the Princess.
"Hak... You're bleeding." (Y/N) pointed her index finger on his back.
Hak saw that (Y/N) had a pained look on her face, knowing that she must be blaming herself for Hak taking the shot.
"It's their blood." Hak said as he didn't show that he was lying through his teeth.
(Y/N) didn't believe him, so she just turned her attention to Yona.
"Just stay here Princess, and don't come out of the cave."
"You're also staying here."
"What?" (Y/N) said as she looked at Hak with a confused face.
"I'm going with you, whether you like it or not. I am not going to let someone go on a suicide mission. I am not going to lose you too!" (Y/N) pleaded as she didn't want Hak to die too, she wouldn't be able to live with that fact.
"I'm not going to die, they can't kill me that easily." Hak said dismissively as he walked away from them.
"Hak, liste—"
"Just protect Yona. See you soon." Hak gave a final goodbye as he ran away from the cave before (Y/N) could convince him otherwise.
(Y/N) saw Hak leave in a hurry, her fists clenched tightly beside her as she could feel tears pricked her eyes. She wanted so badly to just kill Kang Tae-jun for what he did to them. Knowing that he was the main reason that Hak had to go through the battle alone. Yona was worried for (Y/N) when she still hasn't said anything, she stared at her friend as she just ignored the heat increasing in the cave.
"(Y/N)... You should go." Yona said seriously before she saw the (H/C)ette look at her in disbelief, the heat in the air decreasing slowly.
"What?"
"You should go help Hak. I'll be fine here on my own." Yona reassured her with a smile.
(Y/N) looked back and forth to the entrance and Yona. She can admit that she really wanted to help Hak deal with them, but she was still concerned for Yona's safety if she were to be found.
"Just go (Y/N), before you're too late."
When (Y/N) heard those words come from Yona, she then knew that she had to leave her in order to make sure that Hak can be by her side as they protect Yona from the dangers they will face together.
"Be safe Yona." (Y/N) gave her a nod as she ran away from the cave to help Hak.
Knowing where the soldiers were at when they ran away from them. (Y/N) saw that Hak was still able to put up a good fight. Her eyes went dark when she saw the cocky bastard sneak up behind him and raise his sword, she had a flashback at the moment where the exact same thing happened to Yona. She held the handle of her sword in a burning grip and in an instant, the bastard's head was rolling on the ground far away from them. She didn't felt pity or regret by what she did, she was mostly glad that he will never be able to do what he did to herself to the Princess.
"Why are you here?!" Hak exclaimed at (Y/N) while he was at her side, fending off the soldiers that were so desperate to get his head.
"I told you, I'm not losing you too." (Y/N) said as she thrust her sword in the neck of a soldier.
"Do you want to die that badly?!" Hak let his anger out by killing five soldiers around them.
"If my life is on the line to save you and Yona. Then I'll gladly die." (Y/N) sliced the necks of four more soldiers as she gave a side glance to Hak.
"You are really annoying, you know that?"
"When did you ever not say that?"
The two stood side by side as they protected the other while attacking the many soldiers desperately trying to attack them. It didn't seem like it, but Hak was badly injured before (Y/N) arrived. The (H/C) haired female was rusty with her attacks and blocks, resorting to just badly injuring them enough so they wouldn't attack. (Y/N) could feel the bruises in her body, but she was able to pretend that it didn't hurt as much as she was leading on.
As the two guards of the Princess were trying to survive, they didn't notice that another arrow was pointed at them. But it wasn't on Hak that already got hit, it was meant for (Y/N). In their eyes, it looked like (Y/N) was more safe in her health; which was what she was trying to show them and the opposite of what she was actually feeling. As the man beside Kang Tae-jun readied his arrow to pierce through (Y/N)'s stomach while her attention was on the people she's fighting.
Before the arrow could be shot on (Y/N), the man holding the bow was pushed off the cliff they were on. (Y/N) and Hak still didn't notice the man falling to his death and were able to not get shot. But Hak and (Y/N) were shocked to hear the familiar voice shouting from above them.
"I may be a naive Princess. But I'm not foolish enough to listen to anyone who acts so senselessly!"
(Y/N) cursed under her breath when she saw that Yona didn't stay in the cave, but (Y/N) wasn't aware that Yona saved her from a poison tipped arrow.
"You idiot!" Hak exclaimed as he was siting on top of the dead bodies of the Fire Tribe soldiers they fought.
"Why did you reveal yourself?!" (Y/N) shouted towards Yona as she gave a harsh glare at Tae-jun as she was standing beside Hak on the bodies, not caring that she could feel some bones crack under her weight.
Soldiers immediately attacked them when their attention was on Yona-hime. (Y/N) was able to block their swords with her own as Hak finished them off for her. (Y/N) was about to tell Hak to follow her up to Yona, she became wide eyed when Hak started swaying in his steps. While (Y/N) was distracted from her worry on Hak, her back was slashed by a sword from a soldier.
"Ah!" (Y/N) winced in pain as she moved to her side to avoid getting more injured.
When (Y/N) saw that Hak was slashed in his front when he was unknowingly weak, she jumped for him as he fell far backwards off the mountain side.
"(Y/N)! Hak!" Yona screamed for her friends, worried for their lives when she saw them fall down.
(Y/N) grunted in pain while holding onto the edge of the cliff, feeling Hak's heavy weight as she was holding onto him by her left hand.
"Geez Hak, your thrice as heavy than Yona."
"Wow, I couldn't tell since we're hanging off by a cliff."
(Y/N) just gave a short chuckle, trying to ignore the fact that just by one wrong move, they could fall into their untimely demise.
"No! Make sure that Lady (Y/N) lets go of him. Do not make her fall off." The two friends that were hanging on their lives by an edge could clearly hear what Kang Tae-jun was telling his men near them.
"If you're going to listen to your lord, then know that I am never going to let go of Hak." (Y/N) declared to the soldiers nearing her, giving them the same harsh glare she was giving to the people that pissed her off.
"Striking down General Son Hak, the greatest warrior in Kouka!" (Y/N) was trying to think of an idea to help Hak, seeing that the soldier before her was using his sword as a spear to point down on Hak and let it pierce his head.
"Don't you even try." (Y/N) spoke with venom laced in her voice, the temperature in the air increased instantly that made the soldiers and Hak start sweating like pigs.
The soldier hesitated when he saw (Y/N)'s glaring eyes start to flicker from (E/C) to gold. He just shook the fear he felt and was about to harm Hak.
"This is truly an honor—"
"Get away from them!" Yona ran between (Y/N)'s hand and the soldier as she pointed her sword towards him, with her hair was cut short to her shoulders and wasn't long anymore.
"I said, get away from them!" Yona gave the soldier that tried to kill Hak a look of hatred.
As the soldier was surprised by Yona's presence, she took that chance to swing her sword to him.
"Stay back!"
"Calm down Princess—"
"Stop! Don't harm her!"
(Y/N) could only hear what was happening, as she couldn't see the situation that Yona was in. Unbeknownst to them, the rising heat was gone by the scene.
"Princess!" (Y/N) shouted as she still couldn't believe that Yona would do something so reckless.
"(Y/N)! Hak! It's my turn to save you!" Yona grunted as she started to pull (Y/N)'s arm that was holding on the edge for dear life- up to her.
"You idiot, run away!" Hak yelled from below as he still had a firm grip on (Y/N)'s hand.
"You can't do this! Hurry up and run away—" (Y/N) pleaded to Yona, but was cut off by her.
"No! Never!" Yona shouted back as she desperately tried to pull up her only friends that were left.
"If you die... I'll never forgive you!" (Y/N) stared in shock at Yona at her crying face, the tears falling from her purple eyes on (Y/N)'s fair cheeks.
(Y/N) removed herself from the shock of Yona's words and focused on the situation. She tried to pull herself and Hak up, but she failed. (Y/N)'s hands that was starting to lose grip, made Yona hold on her wrist when she let go. Yona desperately gave her best attempt to pull them up, but she was too weak and made herself get pulled in by their weight, slowly yet rapidly falling into their deaths.
Hak didn't have any time to think as he pulled (Y/N) and Yona to his chest, making sure to try to stop their fall by holding onto every branch that they could come in contact with. Yona passed out from falling off the ravine as she was in Hak's arm. (Y/N) tried to remove herself from Hak's hold to use herself as a cushion for their fall, but Hak had a tight grip on her and the Princess as he was holding on new branches that kept on snapping from their combined weight. Three more branches later, they fell with a loud thud on the ground. Hak and (Y/N) getting immediately knocked out from the impact of their fall. The three were lying lifelessly on the floor, none of them showing any sign of movement or survival...
•
•
•
"Long, long ago~" A boy with short apricot colored haired was walking down the path, tossing the apple in his hand in the air and back to his palm.
"The great, red sun was devoured~ And when the world went dark..." The male stopped in his tracks as he took a bite from his apple.
"What a pain..." He said as he was standing in front of the unconscious bodies of a tall black haired man, (H/C) haired female, and a red headed girl.
"A bunch of corpses."
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Published:
7/24/20
I'm sorry that I'm a day late again. I just keep forgetting Wattpad and this story exists since I'm on a break in this app.
Hope y'all are ready for the A/N I'll be posting next week regarding the book, just try to ready yourselves for the worst.
Please give me feedback by voting or commenting, it helps me sleep at night— I mean it helps me know what you think of the chapters and it lets me know if you're enjoying it. Here's an ice cream if you've already done that: 🍦
Remember to stay safe (especially in these times), sleep well, and keep shining my lovely starlights!