Their New Home (Yona Of The Dawn X Oc)

Chapter 13

When Aiko opened her eyes, she was met with the unfamiliar sight of bars.

She stared in confusion for a few seconds before recalling what had occurred: the members of the White Dragon's village had seemingly drugged and captured Aiko and Yoon, throwing them in a small cage.

'Are you kidding me?'

"HEY, LET US OUT!" She boomed, causing the nearby villagers to flinch, "What the hell's wrong with you? We're human beings not animals!"

Yoon, who was previously unconscious, awoke to her yelling and stiffened in shock at her harsh tone.

Aiko was typically easy-going, however, being in such a cramped space made many unpleasant memories resurface and she couldn't help but act out.

Yoon attempted to turn around and face her, only to notice their hands were bound together, "What the hell? Do you people have no manners? You seriously threw us in a cage?"

"YEAH, YOU BASTARDS, LET US OUT! I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!" Aiko added, thrashing against the rope.

"Hold on," Yoon hissed, "I know this sucks but they'll never cooperate if you threaten them."

Despite understanding his point, Aiko couldn't bring herself to relax - her thoughts were such a scrambled mess that the only thing she could do was scream her lungs out.

"I'm sorry, Yoon," she gritted out, "I don't know whether I'll be able to hold myself back if they do release us."

"That'll get us killed, you know! I don't know what's gotten you so worked up but don't forget I can't fight and you don't have your weapons!" He scolded, ensuring his voice was low enough for no one else to hear, "Everything's gonna be fine. The other two will find us and once these people see the princess they'll let us out. Just bear with it for now."

Aiko didn't reply but she remained silent, a sign that she was going to listen to his words for the time being.

"Hey, I know we got off on the wrong foot but we really are telling the truth about our companions. They'll be super mad if they see us tied up like this! I know it's hard to resist capturing me due to my insanely good looks but at least let my friend go," Yoon attempted to bargain, only to be immediately shut down.

"You'll be released when we decide you're not a threat," the villager guarding their cage replied coldly.

Yoon sighed in irritation, tempted to resort to Aiko's tactic of yelling in their faces, "Look, I didn't wanna resort to threats but harming me could lead to divine punishment. I've got a priest on my side!"

"Our dragon decides who will receive divine punishment," the villager retorted.

The boy tutted before going silent, consumed by his thoughts.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Aiko whispered, desperate to find something to distract her from her panicked thoughts.

"Well, I'm trying to come up with an escape plan. And a backup just in case the others get in trouble. I just hope they haven't gotten caught..." His voice trailed off.

"And to your left is a statue of the White Dragon," a new voice stated, with a strikingly different tone of voice compared to the other villagers.

Aiko was about to ask what was happening, only to hear Yoon yell, "What the hell are you two doing playing tourist while we're locked up? What's with the unfair treatment?"

"Oh, hey guys, what's up?" Yona asked casually, causing Aiko to sigh in relief at her familiar voice. 

"WHAT'S UP IS MY BLOOD PRESSURE!" Yoon didn't share his companion's joy.

After realising Aiko and Yoon were the redhead's companions, the villagers released them from the cage, apologising profusely.

Aiko immediately scampered to her brother's side, feeling too uncomfortable to be near any strangers.

Meanwhile, Yoon scolded the villagers for the way they treated their "guests", only calming down when Yona stepped in.

"Let's continue the tour, shall we?" She suggested, dissipating the tension altogether.

"Of course! This is the village where the first White Dragon resided after war. For generations, we protected the White Dragon's power from bandits and other evildoers. We take great pride in that. We cannot let outsiders come and go as they please," the villager explained.

"That makes sense but... What's the meaning of this?" Hak demanded, carrying Yona in his arms whilst staring dumbfounded at the situation they were in.

Many other villagers have suddenly swarmed around the quartet, reaching out towards Yona in awe.

Due to the suddenly growing crowd, Aiko and Yoon were awkwardly squished together, finding it much harder to remain balanced compared to Hak as they were smaller in stature.

"From being trapped in a cage to being trapped in a crowd, what the hell is wrong with this place?" Aiko grumbled, glaring intensely when she was shoved to the side.

The villagers didn't seem to care about the girl's frustration and instead showered Yona with praise. The redhead, being especially weak to compliments, was practically glowing.

"Hak, did you hear that? They think I'm beautiful!" She exclaimed, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Yeah, your hair," Hak retorted. Thankfully, Yona was far too distracted by the compliments to bother fighting her bodyguard. 

"Can we please go somewhere else?" Aiko begged, tugging her brother's sleeve aggressively, "This whole situation's creepy! Who knows what these people will do to us!"

"You needn't worry. After all, your companion's red hair is a sign of good fortune. We wholeheartedly believe she is the person we've been waiting for all this time," the villager in charge of guiding them explained, leading the group to a quieter area of the village.

"And if she isn't that person, then what?" Yoon inquired. When his question wasn't answered, he exclaimed, "What's with the silence? Oi, Aiko, Don't forget to protect me if something happens!"

The girl merely nodded silently, far too annoyed to say much. This caused the other three to stare at her in bewilderment - Aiko never usually missed an opportunity to say something dramatic.

The villager instructed them to wait for the White Dragon and finally left the group alone to allow them to speak privately. By then, Yona had decided to pull her hood up to ensure no one makes a fuss.

"This feels so ridiculous," Yona sighed, sitting on the cold ground next to Hak, "Who knows how long this village has spent protecting the White Dragon's power, ensuring that it gets passed on no matter what. And yet here I am trying to use it so selfishly."

"You having second thoughts?" Hak asked. Yona merely smiled sheepishly, a sight the Thunder Beast rarely saw.

He was nearly ashamed at how his heart skipped a beat.

Meanwhile, Aiko was strapping her swords back onto her belt; when the White Dragon's village captured her and Yoon, they dropped their belongings. Thankfully, Hak held onto them the second he found the pile of stuff.

In her concentration, Aiko didn't notice the tall figure approaching their group, with long white hair and striking light blue eyes. The most notable trait of this man was, however, his right hand which was abnormally large and coated in white scales.

That man was the White Dragon.

A/N
And Kija enters the scene! This chapter's given a little teeny hint of character development for Aiko but fear not, all shall be revealed in due time! As always, I hope you enjoyed and have a nice day. <3