solitude / sŏl′ĭ-too͞d″
The state or quality of being alone or remote from others.
•••
"Sorry. You were sleeping and I woke you up." Yona apologizes.
"It's not like I could sleep in the first place..." Hak says, remembering how awkward it was to have Yona's head on his shoulder.
"Huh?"
"Nothing." Hak turns around and looks up at the night sky. "So, swords again?" Yona clenches her fists.
"I know you oppose it, Hak. I've been practicing alone since then. But if I do it alone, there will be limitations. Never have I regretted my own powerlessness as I did this time..." Yona sighs.
"It isn't your fault that you couldn't help that child." Hak looks at the redhead.
"I've been thinking if I had more power..." Yona stared at her palms with a desire to fight. "If I had the power to save that child... if I had the power to loosen myself from those bandits... if I had the power to keep Shin-Ah from getting injured... more... more... more..." Yona looks at Hak and bows. "Hak. Please. I... teach me swo—"
"Stop!" Hak interrupts. "You are my master. A master should never lower their head for a servant!" He grabs her arm in frustration.
"What should I do?" Yona asks.
"You should order me. If you earnestly order me to do it... I can't refuse." Hak says.
Yona stares at him for a bit before clenching her fists. "Hak. Teach me swordsmanship. That's an order." Hak gets on his knees and lowers his head. He never wanted his princess to wield a sword, nor did he want her to wield a bow.
"As you command."
•••
I normally wake up early enough to watch the sunrise. At this time, nature is at its best. The golden rays of the sun give a bright color to the clouds and meadows, mountains, and valleys.
As the sun gets higher in the sky, the day's activity begins. Plants and trees feast on the rays of the sun. Late risers miss the beauty of the sunrise. It's a rare joy to be awakened at sunrise.
Jae-ha was still fast asleep, nuzzling his head into my neck. His snores were quiet enough for me to sleep, but when he had his arms wrapped around me, it made it impossible to.
We weren't in a romantic relationship, but I was still in an uncomfortable situation. Jae-ha acted as if it was normal, though I wouldn't be surprised if he had slept with other girls before me. And I mean that in multiple ways.
I turn my head to look at the warm colors in the sky. The sky was painted an array of red, orange. yellow, dark blue, and pink.
Jae-ha shifts a bit before opening his eyes.
"Since you're awake, can you let go of me?" I ask, even though his embrace was rather comfortable.
"I'm still sleeping." He closes his eyes.
"Yoon will wake you up either way." I sigh, looking over at Hak and Yona.
They were now sleeping a few feet away from each other. Yona was leaning in closer to the tree and further away from Hak.
Since Jae-ha woke up, his breathing has become heavier. Each breath sends shivers down my spine and makes me shut my eyes in nervousness.
Jae-ha looks at me, noticing my expression. "Himari-dear. Are you alright?"
"Don't add 'dear' to my name," I mumble.
Jae-ha chuckles before sitting up. Yoon wasn't sleeping which meant he was most likely foraging. Jae-ha grabs the orange ribbon that was beside him and ties it around his dark green hair.
I turn away from him. A tree with various marks woodpeckers left is all there is to see.
•••
"What? There's no way... the lord is going to get rid of bandits?" A government official asks.
"That's right. Since we're going to get rid of the bandits, we have arrived from Saika Castle. This is general Kan Soo-jin's son, Lord Kan Tae-jun. And I am his aide, Heuk-chi."
Tae-jun's assistant introduces. "I know this is sudden but... Lord Tae-jun is tired from the long journey from Saika. He is currently recovering.
Ever since the day Tae-jun watched Princess Yona jump off the cliff, his vision was grey. But when he closed his eyes, that person's burning light wouldn't disappear.
A few tears slide down his cheeks as he thinks about his mistakes and how he messed up that day.
"Mister Heuk-chi. Didn't Lord Tae-jun come here to get rid of the bandits?" A government official asks.
"Well, in a way," Heuk-chi responds.
"Then why is he just sitting and looking outside every day?"
"Because as you can see, he's a pitiful person."
"Don't give us a pitiful person!" The government official yells. "Lord Tol-bal has been dismissed! Not to mention we are behind on the tax collections. If he is going to be useless, you should just return to the castle!"
"Do those bandits really exist? Our current information is insufficient." Heuk-chi sighs. He wanted to go back to Saika Castle, but couldn't.
"Well, we haven't actually seen them but, there are definitely bandits that are attacking government officials." The official explains. "However, the information from the witnesses is a little hard to believe."
"What do you mean?"
"A man who has an arm that grows, a green-haired man that can fly, and a man wearing a strange mask and wig. To finish it off, the leader is some girl. The name of their group is also 'The Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch.'"
"Huh? Was that their name? The girl you were talking about sounds a bit attractive."
"Anyway, we need to quickly exterminate these bandits and quickly collect those taxes or higher-ups are going to start complaining..."
"Working for the government is tough work," Heuk-chi says and sips his tea.
All of a sudden, a black-haired government official hurriedly enters the room and falls onto the tatami floor. "They showed up! It's them! The Dark Dragon and the Happy Hungry Bunch! The bastards got in the way of our tax collecting again!"
"Dammit! They're making us look like fools! Lord Tae-jun! Now let's show those bandits—" a government official starts but sweatdrops when he sees Tae-jun.
"Please punish the sinful me!" Tae-jun looks out the window and begs.
"Lord Tae-jun is currently praying." Heuk-chi points at the man.
"Mister Heuk-chi! Please do something!" The government official begs.
"Lord Tae-jun. Lord Tae-jun. I stole a lock of hair from Princess Yona's ihatsu* that you have to Majesty Soo-won, Lord Kan Tae-jun."
Heuk-chi whispers. "Have you awoken yet, Lord Tae-jun?"
"Why do you have such a thing?" Tae-jun asks.
"Furthermore, I am currently carrying around the lock of hair," Heuk-chi says. Tae-jun screams in horror.
•••
"Look inside of the houses too! If there's anyone suspicious, bring them here!" The government officials yell as soon as they enter Katan Village.
"What are you doing? Stop it!" A villager yells but gets hit in the face.
"Move!" A government official orders.
"No elegance..." Heuk-chi sighs as a small pebble is thrown at Tae-jun.
"Get out!" The child who threw the pebble says, sweat dripping down her face. "Get out of Katan Village!"
"Don't! You have to go hide!" An apricot-haired boy covers the child's mouth and pulls her away.
The boy observes the man in front of him, realizing he's a high-ranking noble.
"I'm sorry I was born..." Tae-jun bows, confusing the boy.
"This person is currently sensitive so please don't say mean things to him," Heuk-chi says, placing a hand on Tae-jun's shoulder.
"I'm... I'm sorry..." the apricot-haired boy deadpans.
"Don't worry. I also want to throw rocks at him sometimes."
"What's with this conversation?"
"What's wrong?" The child asks, not understanding what's happening.
"Hey, you should go hide." The boy whispers.
"If I say it simply, he's lovesick," Heuk-chi explains.
"I'm not lovesick!" Tae-jun yells. "It's not love or any of those glittery feelings! Don't compare them! This feeling is... this feeling is..."
Tae-Jun covers his face with his hands. "I don't even know myself!"
"To be honest, you're annoying." The boy sighs.
"Please listen to this person's story in my place." Heuk-chi pushes Tae-jun towards the boy.
"We are barely getting enough food for each day. We can't afford to pay any more taxes. Please leave." The boy says.
"Taxes are part of a citizen's duty," Heuk-chi replies, angering the young boy.
"It's our duty to pay outrageous taxes for noble' luxuries and for a larger than necessary army?! Isn't it your duty to worry about our food supply and suck before your luxuries?!"
"Organizing the army is a way to protect the Fire Tribe's people."
"How misleading." The boy sighs.
"Well, it doesn't matter. I didn't come here to collect taxes. I came here to capture the bandits. Have you heard of them? It seems they are calling themselves the Hungry Bandits or..." Heuk-chi gets cut off.
"I found it!" An official yells. "The taxes that the bandits have collected are here! Like we suspected, they hid the taxes. Doesn't that mean the village is harboring bandits?"
"Not necessarily," Heuk-chi responds.
"You said that you are here to capture the bandits, right? Then it's about time... to get our work started, isn't it?" The apricot-haired boy says as a green-haired man leaps down from the trees and throws many knives.
"Thank you for your hard work... government officials." The green-haired man says.
An official tries to run away but bumps into a white-haired man.
"Where are you going?" He asks before showing his claws. "Weren't you looking for us?"
"They... they... they're here! It's the Hungry Bunch!" The official yells. "Monsters!"
Tae-jun stares at the beasts in front of him. He wasn't nervous, in fact, he was quite happy. 'A death god. A death god has appeared. Has he finally come to take my life? This is a fitting end for someone like me, father, mother, brother... in sorry I could not pay you back for your kindness,' Tae-jun thinks. 'I'll be sure to pay you back in my next life...'
He then extends his arms and closes his eyes. He waits for the death god to kill him, but nothing happens. Tae-jun slowly opens his eyes to stare at the death god and squeezes his hand.
"What's wrong, Death God? Can you please hurry up?" Tae-jun begs.
"What? No! Who is this Death God?" The white-haired man asks.
"You can take me with you right now! Tomorrow I might be too scared to go so you have to take me now!" Tae-jun yells.
"Who are you? Let go of my hand!"
The green-haired man stomps on Tae-jun's head, pushing him to the ground.
"What are you doing? He's asking so nicely, so why don't you send him off happily?" The green-haired man asks.
"I can't possibly attack an unarmed person! This hand is sacred!"
"Yes. As I suspected, Katan Village is harboring bandits..." the government official says.
"You idiot. This area is our turf. Of course, we would protect what we've stolen!"
The green-haired man smirks and leans on the white-haired man. They were obviously trying to look evil. "We have friends all over the Land of Fire."
"Lord Tae-jun. are you alive?" Heuk-chi waves.
"You brats! Hurry up and throw those guys out! The people in the village are afraid!" A feminine voice orders, and for a moment,
Tae-jun could've sworn he heard Princess Yona's soft voice.
Tae-jun struggles to stand up due to the weight on his head.
"Oh. Looks like he still has some energy left, Captain." The green-haired man sighs.
"Hey! You officer! Stop resisting!" The mysterious woman yells. Tae-jun trembles, wondering if the princess who should've died in the mountains was alive.
"Oh? Didn't know there was a person that could get up after being pinned down by my foot." The green-haired man says, a little surprised that Tae-jun was able to stand.
Tae-jun's body felt as if it was boiling. For some reason, his body was yelling at him to look at the person with the feminine voice.
"Hey, look. Lord Tae-jun... no way! That useless Lord Tae-jun is overpowering... that monster's strength?" A government official stares in awe.
Finally, Tae-jun stands up, sweat dripping down his face. He immediately went silent, listening for her voice, but was picked up and thrown a few meters away, causing him to faint.
•••
"Tae-jun! I'm so happy I've been able to meet you. I was so lonely... everyone forgot about me. I considered it no different from being dead." The crimson-haired girl says, tears streaming down her face.
Tae-jun stares. His Princess was crying. His princess was alone.
But it was all a dream.
•••
Hak and I lean against the trees, watching the fire in front of us.
The glowing embers leaped and twirled in a fiery dance, twinkling like the stars in the hot swirling air before cascading to earth.
Neither one of us said a word. We were in the zone.
I stared at my orange hair. I wasn't sure if it suited me, even though it was close to my original hair color.
Hak didn't notice, but Kija has given me weird looks. It's as if he knows that I'm a Dragon Warrior now.
I don't feel like one. I feel the same as always.
I haven't tested out that 'super speed' yet. I've just been standing around, waiting for something to happen.
And sure enough, something did happen.
•••
Words: 2316
*ihatsu means 'hair of the deceased.' The way it was used in this chapter was referring to Yona's lock of hair that
Tae-jun gave to Soo-won.
Yeah, a lot of description at the beginning.
I looked at many articles and reread a few books for ideas because I felt the need to add more description.
Feel free to vote/comment!
Thank you for reading Search For You, and thank you for almost 900 reads!