The Dragon of Life | Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction |

21 | Close Contact

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| Chin-Sun |

I woke up to the distinct sound of arguing.

My eyes groggily opened, red and swollen from the crying I'd done the night before. My head also ached a bit, which surprised me given my usual resistance to pain. It seemed not even a Dragon descendant could escape the aftermath of an all-out sobbing session.

My focus feebly shifted to the banter going on a short distance away from me. A hard squint revealed the angry faces of Yoon and Kija. They were both yelling about something unimportant. I could see that Yoon's medicine bag had been knocked over. I assumed Kija was the culprit . Nothing new there.

I silently stretched my arms over my head and sat up from my flower bed, pink hair a mess and clothes looking jostled. I'd slept so deeply that I was having a hard time fully waking up.

"Good morning, Chin-Sun!" Yona said when she noticed my movement. She was sitting in front of her little tent fixing the fletchings on her arrows. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," I yawned as I looked around our makeshift camp. "Where are the others?"

"They're doing some scouting. Nothing dangerous. Kija stayed behind to help Yoon organize his medicine since you were still sleeping, but they ended up having a silly feud instead."

"It is not silly," Yoon paused in his argument with Kija to add. "He ruined some of the herbs I'd been collecting for fever and colds. The weather will only be getting cooler in the coming weeks, and I was preparing those for any unnecessary illnesses!"

"It was an accident," Kija fumed with his arms crossed over his chest. "After all, can't Chin-Sun summon some new herbs using her powers? Not to mention she could probably heal a common cold just by touching someone!"

"We don't know that for sure, so we should still be prepared," Yoon huffed. "Who's to say she can't get sick too? Then what would we do?"

"Don't worry yourself, Yoon," I tried to reassure him. "I can make more herbs. I can even help you organize them like usual. It will just take some time."

"You have training to do," said a stiff voice behind me. "You should grow those herbs now so we can get to work sooner."

My senses jolted awake as I turned my head. There stood Shin-Ah, fully recovered from his paralysis. Maybe it was my due to me still sitting on the ground, but he appeared taller in my eyes . . . Maybe manlier?

"What are you talking about?" I shook the thought away with a query. "Training for what?"

"Physical combat. Something that you can use in times of emergency when using your powers isn't an option," he said emotionlessly before firmly grabbing my arm and lifting me up to my feet. "This is something we need to establish before we move forward with the turnover of the nearby army. Let's make haste."

I was very awake suddenly. Shin-Ah was going to be training me? In physical combat of all things?

"Let me eat first. Then we can go-" I began frantically before Yoon tossed me a medium-sized burlap sack.

"That has both of your meals in it. Should get you through to the evening. We'll see you later!"

"The evening?" I gaped. "Why did I not hear about this sooner?"

"Off we go," Shin-Ah said plainly before walking away with me in tow, his grip on my arm stern but gentle.

"Bye Chin-Sun~" Yona sang innocently as she continued with her tasks. "Work hard for us!"