Their New Home (Yona Of The Dawn X Oc)

Chapter 19

"HOW ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS?" Yoon's bewildered exclamation echoed around them, scaring off a flock of birds.

The legend of the four dragons was a tale known by many but believed by none - it was strange to see someone immediately accept their existence.

"I read a lot," was her only explanation.

Kija, perplexed by her attitude asked, "Are you not frightened? You are in the presence of one of the legendary dragon warriors. This sacred claw holds power beyond your wildest dreams and-"

"Why should I be scared? You're an airhead who has no experience in the real world." She replied with a blank expression that made the insult all the more scathing.

"AIRHEAD?"

Hak burst out laughing, taking any opportunity he could to ridicule Kija. Aiko, on the other hand, at least attempted to hide her laughter, causing her face to turn bright red.

"Anyway, that doesn't matter. I'd rather you didn't burden yourselves with prioritising me over your original goal. I'm sure meeting legends, no matter how oblivious they may be, is much more urgent than returning a nobody to a port town miles away." Sumi dove right back to business, somehow able to compliment and insult Kija simultaneously.

"Then why don't you help us find the closest dragons?" Aiko suggested, having somewhat composed herself, "Surely one of the dragons would be near the Earth Tribe so I'm certain we'll pass by Awa anyway."

"HELP US?" Kija exclaimed, dramatically recoiling. He did not want to spend more time around her than necessary.

Yoon pondered over the situation for a few moments, "It would be nice to have extra help but... It'll also put you in danger. It's bad enough you could be seen with us on our way to Awa. Who knows what other trouble we'll run into before then?"

"We have two capable fighters and a white snake in the group already. We can easily keep her safe," Hak pointed out.

"Hold on," the White Dragon interrupted, bringing the group's attention to him, "We can't possibly consider asking an outsider for help! We don't even know her, how are we supposed to trust she won't betray us?"

"You sure you're not just salty about the airhead comment?" Aiko inquired, feigning an innocent expression when Kija glared at her.

"Besides, ain't that hypocritical? You're new to the group too. Are you that petty? How childish of you, White Snake," Hak taunted.

Kija didn't hesitate to begin arguing with Hak once more, something that happened so often that no one batted an eye.

Ignoring the bickering men, Yona frowned in deep thought and then held Sumi's hands tightly, "I know it's unfair of me to force you into another journey but... Can you please come with us?"

Sumi gaped, bewildered at how this stranger was so willing to trust her. Having spent so long around the scum of the earth, she almost forgot what it was like to speak to good people.

Perhaps that integrity was exactly what she needed. What Awa needed.

"In that case, I'll do my best to be useful to you." Sumi bowed her head, a gesture she normally despised but found fitting for the situation.

Aiko couldn't contain her admiration, "SO COOL! Argh, I wanna say that one day!"

Hak visibly twitched at the sight, frustrated that despite making the same declaration, he somehow didn't bond with Yona the same way Sumi did.

'Holding hands after just meeting? What the hell is this? We've been friends for years and she's never willingly come to me-'

Clearing her throat, Sumi said, "Let's get on the same page first. You guys are a group looking for the four dragons, led by Kouka's princess for some reason. So, my first question: have you been kicked out of the palace? Is King Il dead?"

"Y-you knew I'm a princess?" Yona blinked in surprise.

"Well yeah, your red hair is a trademark, Your Majesty. You guys are also terrible at keeping secrets. So, what happened at the palace?"

Hak straightened, schooling his face to remain calm despite the horrific memories he recalled whilst explaining the situation to the woman, catching her up on how they were chased out of the castle. He then went on to summarise their encounter with Ik-Soo, along with the prophecy Yona was entangled in.

"Got it. Where are you going next?" Once again, the woman didn't ask more questions than was necessary.

Yona deeply appreciated how calmly Sumi was taking things, unsure whether she could keep a clear head if a fuss was made about the king's death.

Kija finally decided to involve himself in the conversation, although he was still pouting, "I have the ability to detect the other dragon warriors. We'll track down the nearest one and get him to join us."

When the woman asked where the dragon was, Kija pointed in the vague direction the group was travelling in. This caused her to frown instantly.

"Do you not have a more specific location? For all we know, the next dragon could be in a different kingdom," Sumi commented.

Aiko laughed nervously and answered before the dragon could say something rude, "We were kinda just planning on... Walking and seeing where we end up."

"Thunder Beast, are you seriously okay with such a flimsy plan?" The woman directed the question at Hak, her face turning paler by the second.

The lack of response was all she needed to realise the group was completely hopeless when it came to strategy.

"Do you at least have a map?" She asked defeatedly. Yoon rummaged through his rucksack and pulled out the parchment, causing Sumi to sigh in relief.

At least she wouldn't have to start from scratch.

She then settled down between Kija and Yona, gesturing for the other members of the group to move closer. Unfurling the map, she began speaking once more, "We shouldn't waste time wandering around. Let's narrow down our options before we start travelling. Can I have something to write with?"

It was surprising how quickly Sumi took charge, almost as if she was used to being in a position of power. Even the way she held herself, implied she wasn't an ordinary person.

Yoon and Hak adapted quickly to the shift in tone. They had the most experience with planning ahead and therefore were able to help Sumi plot out their next steps.

Meanwhile, Aiko watched the whole thing in awe. She was far too impatient to deal with planning and preferred to go with the flow, a fact that often got her into trouble. She was admittedly jealous of the three strategists but would rather die than vocalise those thoughts.

"I'll scout the area for any danger," Aiko announced when the conversation became too boring. She shot up and reattached her swords to her belt.

"Right now? It's late and we're in the middle of something important," Yoon frowned disapprovingly.

The girl smiled sheepishly and replied, "I'm too stupid for this conversation so I need to feel useful."

"I'll join you," Kija volunteered, feeling just as restless as the girl.

Although the pretty boy genius didn't want to, he allowed the duo to go, muttering, "Don't go too far then."

"Aye aye!" Aiko saluted, before dragging a surprised White Dragon behind her by the arm enthusiastically.

What she wasn't able to see was Yoon's scowl deepen at the sight of them so close.

It took a while for the boy to notice the strange emotion that temporarily clouded his thoughts but when he finally snapped out of it, he blinked in confusion.

'Wait, why am I so angry right now?'

A/N
Another chapter done along with a whole load of planning. These dorks really went into everything blind and it's a miracle they didn't die yet. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a nice day. <3