For the rest of the night, Ji-ah ignored all other questions directed towards her. Well, it wasn't so much 'ignored' rather than deflected. They'd start asking questions, and Ji-ah was somehow able to steer the direction of the conversation completely away from the original topic without anyone realizing it. At least until it was already too late. 

You can imagine Yoon and Yona's surprise whenever they finally came to the realization that they had been played. 

Even though Yoon wasn't too fond of Yona's naivety (and he had definitely made the girl aware of that), the two, at the end of the night, shared an understanding glance at being victims to Ji-ah's deflections and mysteries.

Anyways, everybody had gone to sleep at this point except for Ji-ah herself. She was currently searching for Hak's spear (technically a Hsu Quandao). She knew that he never really went anywhere without it, especially if he was protecting Yona. However, it hadn't really crossed her mind when they had first found the two, so here she was. 

Luckily, it didn't take all that long as it had ended up being fairly close to where they had landed. 

She headed back to the hut with no delay, only pausing once she heard the sound of a bush rustling close by to her.

Ji-ah smiled. 

"Hello, Hak."

The man froze as he came across Ji-ah carrying his spear like it was nothing (he wasn't even going to question that part).

"Princess Ji-ah?!" His eyebrows raised in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on vacation," she smiled innocently, causing him to give her a deadpan stare.

"Your vacation spots are questionable," he told her. He knew that the old man had mentioned Ji-ah saying that they'd see each other soon, but he'll be honest, he didn't expect that soon to happen in the middle of a forest at the bottom of a valley. 

"Hmm, you think so?" She tilted her head questioningly before throwing the man his weapon.

"Most definitely." Hak caught the spear with ease. "And thanks, I was just about to go looking for this."

"Don't worry about it," Ji-ah told him as they started walking back. "Anyways, are you sure that you're well enough to be up and walking around?"

"Hm, oh, I'm fine," Hak told her. "I'm more curious about how—"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Yona yelling.

"Hak! Ji-ah! You idiots!!"

The two paused. 

"It would appear we've been dubbed as idiots," Ji-ah stated simply.

"So it would seem," Hak agreed with an irk mark and an annoyed smile.

"Hmm," Ji-ah tilted her head in thought before nodding as she came to a decision. "I'll let you deal with that."

"Eh?" Hak turned to look at her quickly but she was already walking away, waving a hand lazily in his direction. "Hey– Wait!"

"Try not to do anything that you wouldn't want me to know about~"

"Ji-ah!"

****

"Eh? The priest's house?" Hak questioned, stealing some food from Yoon's basket and stuffing it in his mouth. "This is it?"

"Yes."

"Wow, aren't we lucky," Hak drawled. "But since he's supposed to be living in seclusion, I thought that the priest's home would look more like a shrine."

"Wouldn't a shrine defeat the point of trying to stay under the radar?" Ji-ah was pretty sure that a shrine in the middle of nowhere would stick out like a sore thumb. 

"No, no," Hak waved her off. "Don't you see, it's because he's in seclusion that he can build something so conspicuous."

"I… I don't think that's how that works," Ji-ah sighed. "Also, stop eating Yoon's food. You'll spoil your lunch."

It was only then that Yoon noticed how much Hak had been taking. "Don't just eat whatever you want!" He scolded.

"Oh high priest, thank you for your hospitality."

"I'm not a priest!"

While Hak and Yoon were arguing (it was more so Yoon yelling while Hak stole more food), Yona looked around curiously.

Ji-ah walked up to her sister and spoke lowly so as to separate their conversation from the boys'. "If you're looking for Ik-soo, I think you will find him in his usual spot."

"His usual spot?"

Ji-ah smiled. 

"Follow me."

The two walked over to where the priest was on his usual ledge overlooking a waterfall. The sound of rushing water filled their ears as they walked up to the man who had either yet to notice them or was still praying and therefore refrained from turning around. 

"Lord priest?" Yona called out curiously, grabbing Ik-soo's attention as he turned around, tears streaming down his face. Yona looked at the tears in both alarm and surprise while Ji-ah simply went to go sit by the man's side. "What's wrong?"

"Oh," Ik-soo sniffled, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wipe the tears away. "I had a dream… about you. About you… and this world. Princess Yona," The tears are gone as an out of character serious and intense expression crossed over his face. "Would you like to hear the voice of God?"

Yona paused, staring at Ik-soo before she spoke, her tone just as serious as Ik-soo's. "Mundok told me that the priest could show me which path to follow. Is this path something that someone has to show me?" she asked. "I didn't do anything and thought of sitting around doing nothing, but we were pursued. Hak was nearly killed, and I almost died as well." Yona's expression became intense, and Ji-ah had to withhold a smile. It wasn't that the situation was amusing. There was just something about her little sister finally growing up and seeing the world without rose tinted lenses that made her feel just a bit more excited for the future. "I want to live. Whether it's my life or Ji-ah's life or Hak's life… I will never let anyone take it. Right now, that is all I want. To ask that of God is…"

"No…" Ik-soo said. "In the case of you wanting to live, it'll be different from living a normal, peaceful life. If you live on, the land of Kouka will tremble and be swept into the tempest…"

"Lord priest?"

As Ik-soo continued to speak, both Hak and Yoon began to approach the trio. The two of them held curious expressions as the priest continued. 

"If you just desire to live straight on ahead…" Ik-soo started. "If you want to live… in this unstoppable scorching wave of bloodshed," Ik-soo put his hands up in a praying motion. "I will convey the voice of God to you."

Yona spared a quick nervous glance at Ji-ah, who only gave her an encouraging smile and nod. She looked back at Ik-soo with a bit more confidence. 

And so the priest began to speak the words of the heavens. 

"Darkness has fallen upon the land.
The blood of the dragons will revive once again…
And the ancient pact will be kept.
When the four dragons are gathered…
The sword and shield which will protect the king shall awaken…
And the red dragon shall restore the dawn at last…"

Ik-soo stood motionless for a few seconds before slumping over onto the ground

"Conveying the voice of God really takes a lot out of me…" Ik-soo huffed out tiredly. 

"What a bothersome old man," Yoon told his eyes as he began poking at him. 

"This thing about dragons and God…" Hak started before he began to cast a suspicious glare. "I don't understand it at all. I'm not buying anything this crackpot dishes out. No matter what it is."

"He's not selling any," Yoon and Ji-ah said in unison. 

"That prophecy just now," Yona started, ignoring Hak. "Was it referring to the red dragon which appears in the legend about the king?"

"That's right," Ji-ah said, surprising everyone but Ik-soo, who seemed fine with letting her take care of the explanation. "Yona, do you remember the stories I used to tell you as a child?"

Yona smiled in remembrance and nodded. Those times had been some of her favorite moments with her sister when they were little. "You would always add weird little bits that were never in the original story," Yona mentioned with a slight giggle. "And you even completely changed it in certain places, too."

The only reason she knew that was because she was often told the original story by her father. Yona remembered that whenever she mentioned the changes that Ji-ah had made to her father, he would only chuckle before briefly saying 'she would know better, I suppose.' 

Yona never really understood. 

"I suppose I did, didn't I?" Ji-ah smiled fondly, also remembering those peaceful times. 

"But…" Yona furrowed her brows. "The legend of how the country was created… what does it have to do with me?"

"You said you wanted to live, right Princess Yona?" Ik-soo asked, continuing for Ji-ah. He waited until he had gotten a 'yes' from Yona. "But you can't live alone. If you leave, those after your life will pursue you again. The person who is by your side and is supporting you is Hak, but at this rate, Hak will die."

"Wait just a minute," Hak interrupted. "Don't go killing me off as you please. I didn't hear the voice of God say tha—" he fell over as Yoon punched his back, but he still continued talking with a dangerous grin. "I'm not giving you any alms, no matter how you threaten me."

"As you can see," Ik-soo gestured towards Hak. "It's really dangerous for the two of you right now." It was almost funny how neither of them noticed that he hadn't been including Ji-ah. "You need other comrades."

"But who...?"

"Go and search for the four dragon warriors," Ik-soo told her simply.

Yona had stars in her eyes. "You mean the four dragon warriors exist?!" Yona asked excitedly. 

"Impossible," Hak said. "They're just legends."

"All legends come from somewhere," Ji-ah sighed. "The legend of the dragon warriors just so happens to be a slight bit more accurate than most."

Hak narrowed his eyes at the princess. He didn't normally doubt her, but they were talking about stories: legends and myths. There had never been any evidence to point in the direction that they might be real. 

"How exactly do you know about them, anyways?" He asked. Yona had already informed him about Ji-ah's apparent excursions throughout the years, but that didn't explain why she would think that four dragon warriors from the tale of the country's founding were real. 

He was only slightly irked when Ji-ah simply smiled at him in response.

"Even now," Ik-soo continued as though the interruption never occurred. "They live in this country, silently living with the inherited blood of the dragons…"

Ji-ah sweat dropped. 

She could think of quite a few of the dragons' descendants who hadn't really lived very 'silently.' 

Also, if her information was correct, the current green dragon wasn't exactly being the most inconspicuous at the moment, either. 

"They may lend you their powers," Ik-soo told Yona.

"Lord priest, I don't want Hak to die," Yona looked down, clasping her hands together. "But would the dragons of legend lend their power for such a personal reason?"

"It's a miracle you narrowly escaped with your life that night," said the priest. "It's a miracle you were able to escape from the castle. It's a miracle you fell from these cliffs and are safe and sound. I think it wasn't just a miracle but fate that led you here. If you can find the four dragons of legend, it won't be due to your personal reasons but because of fate. However the heavens can only show you the path to take. Whether you walk that path is up to you."

The seriousness of the conversation was immediately broken as Ik-soo slumped over once more. 

"I've talked a lot…"

"You talk too long with God, old man," Yoon told him. 

Ji-ah kept her face directed in the direction of Yona. The younger girl currently looked to be in thought, and Ji-ah sighed at the girl's hesitation. 

"Yona," everyone's heads snapped in Ji-ah's direction. "You don't have to decide right now, but whatever path you decide to take, you'll never be alone. And if you're that worried that the dragons won't join you or that you won't find them… well… let's just say that if it's you, I'm sure there won't be a problem. 

You can trust me on that."

*****

2136 words excluding A/N

Hak and Ji-ah are a brotp.

Finished - November 17, 2021

Bye ~