The Dragon of Life | Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction |

8 | An Unlikely Fate

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            The trails that led to Ik-Soo's cabin really were more difficult than the ones that'd gotten us to the market.

            The slopes were steep, and there were hardly any plateaus to rest on. It was a constant climb, a never ending torture. My legs felt as though they were being crushed between giant stones. Stubbing my toes on rocks had become an obstacle of the past. Soreness had become my enemy.

            This is treacherous, I lamented as I dutifully tried to keep pace with Zeno. I wasn't the only person tired from traveling up the trails. Yona and Yoon were a bit fatigued, but their experience with tremulous walks definitely shined through as they continued to move forward. I paled in comparison to them . . . The other Dragons look completely unaffected by this. The only reason why Zeno is back here with me is because he keeps stopping to look at the flowers growing out of the rocks.

            "These are so pretty," he said as he leaned over to give a small bundle of yellow growth some special attention. Even though I wasn't as physically close to them as Zeno, I could still sense their appreciation for his comment. "It's impressive that they're able to grow up here. There's less soil on trails like this one . . . These plants must be very strong!"

            I was overwhelmed by the response the flowers had to Zeno's flattery. My skin tingled with traces of joy, and my heart seemed to soar a bit. It was as if there was an unbreakable pathway between the plants and myself, but my skepticism only caused a heavy fog to muddle it.

      I couldn't even begin to understand why I was able to harbor such an unusual connection in the first place. Sure, the things I was "communicating" with were alive and growing, but they weren't supposed to have emotions. They were supposed to be silent and unresponsive. It just wasn't possible . . . And yet I couldn't seem to apply such a reality to myself.

            I couldn't wait to meet Ik-Soo. Yoon and Yona talked as though he had the answers to everything, and I had too many questions to count. I just hoped that he'd be able to work his way around my inability to talk . . .

      "I think we're getting close," Yoon announced as he looked further up the trail. "I remember roaming down this path when I was younger. Whenever Ik-Soo hurt himself I had to collect many herbs to make remedies . . . He's probably still as klutzy as ever."

      "I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case," Hak said as he slung his blade over the back of his own neck. He utilized its position by resting both his arms over the dark handle. "I can't remember how many times that guy fell when Yona and I were under your care. He always managed to land directly on his face, too."

      Yoon's expression seemed to twang at the observation. "I hope he's been taking care of himself. That was one of the things I was most worried about when I left with you two."

      "I'm sure he's fine," Yona placed a reassuring hand on Yoon's shoulder. "He can seem hopeless at times, but he'd never let himself get seriously hurt . . . He loves you a lot, and he wouldn't want for you to be so concerned about him."

      "I know . . . " Yoon sighed before squaring his shoulders and looking straight up the path. "We need to keep this pace up. I know we're getting close, and I don't want make that crybaby wait any longer than he has to."