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Yona woke up to the taste of citrus. With a blink, she quickly sat up in bewilderment. A young man with clear blue eyes and coral-colored hair blinked back, a squeezed orange in his hand.
"Good morning, lady. I'm Yoon." He said.
The magenta haired girl quickly composed herself and replied. "Hello. Did you help us? Where's Hak?" She looked around and saw her friend lying on a mat like hers, deep in sleep. With second glance, she took in her surroundings--a humble abode, really, with stone walls and a clay floor in a large room that led to an open yard.
"He's fine. More injured than you since he took the brunt of the fall. Man, you guys have some persistence, being able to survive a fall from a cliff and all."
"Who are you?" Yona asked rather rudely. "I'm Yona." She quickly added, as if trying to make up for her bluntness.
"Are you guys nobles? Nah...you guys must be from the palace. A princess then? Heard there was a coup d'etat and all. Sorry for the dirty place." The boy said dryly and with no apology.
Yona blinked in shock. How did he know? Yoon seemed to read her face, and chuckled. "I'm just a beautiful boy genius. Heh." He was indeed beautiful, in a feminine way, with long lashes the color of his hair, and eyes that sparkled with both intelligence and sapphire. "I live here with Ik-soo to take care of him. We're no one, really, but I'd say I'm something of a medic."
"Ik-soo?" As Yona repeated his name, she heard footsteps from behind her.
"Well now, we have guests?" An older man with blond hair that covered his eyes ducked into the home. He acted in surprise, but Yona saw that he was really not; in fact, he seemed to have a rather knowing aura about him.
"Oh, Ik-soo. This is the grand princess Yona right here, with her friend Hak." Yoon gestured to them vaguely.
"Yes, I know. Hello, I'm Ik-so-" Suddenly, tears began to stream from his eyes. Wells of them. Yona jumped in surprise and confusion. "I'm sorry-its just-my dear, how hard it must have been. My, to lose your father so abruptly--killed by your own cousin--my, my.." The man continued to sniffle.
Startled by how much the man knew, Yona immediately stood up. "How do you know all of that? Who are you? Do you work in the palace?"
Ik-Soo wiped his eyes. "I'm the High Priest of the Kouka Kingdom!" "Ik-SOo!" Yoon scolded in exasperation. "How mAny timEs do I hAVE to tell you NOT to just tell people that?!"
"Right right, sorry Yoon. I was exiled from the Imperial Palace you see, so now I live here with dear Yoon."
"Exiled? Why? What happened?" Yona questioned ignorantly, much to Yoon's annoyance and anger.
"You lived in that palace your whole life, and you don't know? Must be nice to be a princess like you, ignorant to everything." The boy said harshly.
Suddenly, Hak twitched from the corner of the room. Yona turned to look at him with concern. "Don't worry child. The God of Death has not arrived to take him yet." Ik-Soo said kindly. "Yoon, be nice. She has been through struggles we can not understand."
-------
The next morning, Yona slowly rose and made her way to the yard, where Ik-Soo sat in contemplation.
"There is a prophecy you see, and I believe you belong to it." The priest spoke.
"A prophecy?" Yona inquired. "What does it say?"
"Hm.
'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.'
It's something like a quest, you see, and you living right now has already kickstarted it."
Yona shook her head, still in confusion. "Whatever do you mean, me living right now?"
Ik-Soo smiled. "I foresaw your fate--if you remain alone from now on, with only Hak as your protector. He will die, my dear child. You must find the four dragons."
The girl could only stay silent in shock. "But will they follow me? Despite my selfish reason, to protect Hak? To keep living?"
The priest leaned back to gaze at the morning sky. "Finding them will no longer be for your personal reasons, Yona. It will be for your fate."
