The Dragon of Life | Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction |

7 | The Market

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            I was steadily walking beside Yona when Kija turned around to check on us. "How are you two doing? Not getting too tired, right?"

            "I'm fine," Yona answered without so much as blinking. She looked at me with sincere purple eyes, her candy-red hair shining beneath the sunlight. "What about you? Feeling okay?"

            I gave her a swift nod, but not without mentally grimacing when my sandal stubbed a rock that'd been sticking out of the soil. It scraped against my toe, causing it to throb and redden for a moment.

      Strangely enough, the pain didn't last all that long. It was gone almost as soon as it came.

     My thoughts tried to travel back to the night where I'd walked on glass without injuring my feet, but I blocked the memory out before I could truly concern myself over the implications of it. The experience only reminded me of the hut and how concerned Ayame probably was about my disappearance . . .

            We'd been traveling for about a day and a half. Hak had mentioned something about us getting close to the village Yona wished to stop at, but I could hardly find it in me to be excited over the news.

Despite my immunity to things like scratches and cuts, the muscles in my legs were sore from walking and hiking. I'd always liked looking at the mountain ranges around my old village, admiring them from afar as I sat on my comfortable little cushion, but climbing up them was an entirely different story.

            I don't even think these trails are as difficult as the ones we'll have to go through after stopping at the village, The idea of it was so intimidating. I felt like curling up into a ball and never unfurling from it. I'll be lucky if I can keep up with them at this rate. I'm so weak . . . It's incredibly petty.

            Shaking the thought away along with the leaden feeling in my limbs, I continued to trudge my way up the old trail, keeping close to Yona and Yoon.

I might've been physically weak, but who said I couldn't improve my mental strength? If I kept to it, then surely I'd be able to keep going regardless of my fatigue. It was only a matter of being diligent.

            I can do it. I know that we won't be at the market for long, but I'll take the time to rekindle my energy for the final stretch to Ik-Soo's cabin. I'll make it even if it's the last thing I do!

            My little rant came to halt when I saw someone walk up beside me, matching my pace.

I tensed a bit when I saw that it was Jae-Ha. I'd only known the Dragons for about two days, so obviously I wasn't very familiar with them yet, but Jae-Ha was the one I was least closest to. He was a walking talking mystery to me. The only thing I knew about him aside from his Dragon leg was his unholy tendency to coddle people in his sleep. I was almost glad I woke up surrounded by plants every morning . . .

            "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" He asked with a sense of nonchalance, and I nodded at him. It really was nice outside. The air was crisp and the sun's path was clear of clouds. It was a morning I'd seen a million times but had never experienced in person before. Jae-Ha's eyes squinted in a smile as he peered down at me. "You agree with me, but something about your posture tells me otherwise . . . Are you sure you're not tired from all this walking?"

            My joints stiffened at his observation. My facial expression didn't change, but I knew he'd caught onto me. Apparently Shin-Ah wasn't the only one with an attentive gaze . . .