The Dragon of Life | Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction |

18 | Imprinted

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| Chin-Sun |

I was mindlessly gazing at the clouds rolling above the trees when my foot caught on something hard and unmoving.

"Oh!" I yelped when the earth came toward me in a rapid blur of natural colors. A small part of me found the dizzying image rather beautiful, but my quick descent made any rational thought escape me, hence my cry and my pathetic arm flailing.

I squeezed my eyes shut when my collapse seemed inevitable. Here we go again, Chin-Sun, I groaned to myself. Always daydreaming enough to where I don't even know where I'm placing my own two feet.

A long moment passed. I knew I wasn't on the ground but I also knew that I should have been. I fearfully opened one of my eyes and then the other when I saw my new predicament.

It looked as though the earth had reached out to grab me. Tree roots had twisted up and out of their home in the soil to support my waist and shoulders. They were gnarled yet friendly.

"What just happened . . . ?" My mouth was slightly hanging open as I removed myself from the mess of tree life and back onto my feet. Looking at the roots on their own only made my confusion flux. I couldn't refrain from jumping when they all began to curl down towards the place they belonged. When movement ceased it looked as though the tree hadn't mobilized in decades.

How peculiar, I thought as I rounded closer to the area where I'd fallen. Even though I was being careless, this forest was still watching over me and willing to lend me a hand . . .

The rustling of leaves and crushing of branches made my attention turn from the soil and back to the world above.

A short blink revealed that Shin-Ah was jogging my way, his aura a bright and stunning blue.

"Chin-Sun?" He called my name from an area behind me. I knew his eyes were sharp but my crouching probably hid my pink head of hair from sight. When I stood to my full height he instantly spotted me and slowed to a brisk walk in my direction. "Are you alright? It sounded like you were hurt . . . Or startled."

"I'm just fine," I quivered as I looked into the holes of his mask. I wondered how he could've heard me all the way from camp. I thought I'd walked far enough to where no one could hear my fumbles. "I only tripped over something . . . But the forest kept me from hitting the ground."

Shin-Ah quickly made it to my side. At my mention of the forest's assistance he subconsciously tilted his head to the side like he always did whenever something seemed off to him.

"The forest helped you?" He asked dryly. "How?"

"W-well, you see . . . "

My explanation was dreadfully poor and the more I tried to backpedal or elaborate the more certain I became about my horrid awkwardness around the tall Dragon. It was too potent to ignore and as I felt his stare bore into me even more I couldn't help but wonder why I was so hopeless around him.

Obviously I felt comfortable in his presence. He'd helped me many times before and so had the other Dragons. But I always found myself contemplating his actions more than naught. I'd seen him as a mystery since I first laid eyes on him . . .

It must have been because of that. I'd only known him for a short amount of time and there was still so much to learn about him. Of course I would be a little more observant than usual. He was my friend and I hadn't had one of those in a very long time. The little things were precious to me and so were the Dragons in their entirety, Shin-Ah included.

"Ah, so that's what happened," the bluenette said after I finished rambling, his gaze fixed on the ground that I'd pointed to. "The forest must really like you . . . "