Sword of the Red Dragon (Akatsuki no Yona)

Chapter 2

       

From the stall keepers in the market, Yona and the others learned that the woman who had tried to attack Yoon was named Lady Ahn Eun-ah.

"You were lucky she didn't have that girl of hers skewer you, boy," said one grumpy old woman as she laid out a few more fish at her stall, "Lady Ahn's about as forgiving as a wall of granite and more dangerous than a chair made of razors."

"Sounds lovely," Hak said. He was leaning against a wall behind the stall while the others talked to the woman. His eyes constantly roved, making sure the woman didn't send anyone back to take care of the job that the girl had refused to do. Like Jae-Ha, he had noticed the cuffs on the girl's wrists and ankles. Going against her master's orders wouldn't result in anything positive for a slave.

"Oh, yes, she's lovely all right," the old woman said. She slapped a fish down on a wooden cutting board and chopped its head off with one quick, violent motion. The head flew off, and Jae-Ha had to tilt his own head to the side to dodge getting smacked in the face. "Lovely and deadly. Like a pit viper." She waved the knife around angrily. "She and that husband of her's are the reason why this island has gone to the dogs."

"What do you mean by that?" Yoon asked, leaning back to avoid her knife. 

"You don't know?" The old woman gave a dark chuckle. "Thought even foreigners would've heard of Lord Ahn. He runs this island now, and he's the one in charge of that nasty slave trade." She shook her head and dropped the knife into a slot in the table. "Brings slaves in, ships them out. His business keeps the island running, but the price..."

Jae-Ha and Yoon glanced at each other before looking at Yona. There was a flame of determination and revolution burning in her eyes, familiar to their entire group but probably somewhat intimidating to the old woman.

"Eh? Eh?" She peered at Yona, narrowing her eyes. "What's gotten into you, girlie? Look like you swallowed a hot coal."

"Where do these people live?" Yona asked, "Where's their home?"

"That gaudy mansion? It's like a crow's house, covered in baubles and jewels they stole." The woman waved a hand covered in discarded fish scales down one of the nearby lanes. "Take that road to the Gold District. Their place is the biggest eyesore you've ever seen, surrounded by a monstrous wall." She shrugged. "Don't know what you want you the place, they'll kill you all if they see you again."

"We'll make sure to only visit if we develop a death wish," Hak said, shooting a frown at Yona that she totally ignored. Stubborn princess.

"Are you lot going to buy anything?" the old woman demanded, waving half a fish at them, "You're gumming up my shop like a bunch of useless guppies!"

After buying enough fish to satisfy the old lady and feed their group that night, the four of them headed off in search of the others.

"Now we know who we're up against," Yona said quietly as they walked through the town. She noticed that half of the people kept their gazes down and wore the same kinds of cuffs around their wrists and ankles that the bodyguard with Lady Ahn had been wearing. Those were slave rings, weren't they? So many people...

"And that's all we know," Yoon said, shaking his head, "We don't have nearly enough information to do anything just yet."

"Then we'll have to do some investigating!"

"And what're you planning to do, princess?" Hak asked, glancing over at Yona, "March up to the Ahn household and demand they tell you all about their business? Solid plan."

"No," Yona said, "But I think we could find someone to talk to. Like that girl Lady Ahn had with her."

"The one who almost stabbed me?" Yoon asked, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead.

"She's also the one who kept you from getting whipped," Jae-Ha said. He looked over at Hak, his eyes dark. "Which certainly won't turn out well for her."

"You think she'll be punished, don't you," Yona said, "For disobeying Lady Ahn."

"Doubtlessly," Jae-Ha said, "She went against her master openly, which is almost certainly forbidden. So we wouldn't be able to talk to her anyways, Yona dear."

"They probably won't kill her, but she'll most likely be locked up somewhere or beaten. Or both," Hak said, "I'd say both." He hated exposing Yona to that kind of knowledge about the world, but she deserved to know the truth. It wouldn't be easy to stop a slave trade, something he had told her multiple times on their journey there. Slave trades were lucrative for the bastards who ran them, and they kept themselves well protected. It was a dirty business run by the worst of people.

"We need to save her, then," Yona said, "We should rescue her or something."

"Yona, Hak just said she'd probably be locked up," Yoon protested, "And hurt. How're we supposed to rescue her?"

"We'll figure out something," Yona said, lifting her chin in determination. "We'll come up with a plan."

Hak sighed. "Princess, I know you want to help her. That's noble and good. But we're at a disadvantage here, and you'll put yourself and her in danger if you rush into this."

"I don't want to allow her to suffer, Hak," Yona said, "No one should have to be kept like that."

"Yoon and I will go tonight and assess the situation," Jae-Ha said, "If that makes Yona dear feel better. And then we can figure out a way to rescue her after we know more."

"How come I'm going?" Yoon asked.

"Because your brain will be useful," Jae-Ha said. And also his ability and skill with healing herbs and his gentle hands would be useful if it came to the worst scenario, the one that Jae-Ha thought was likely.

"You'll have to be careful," Hak said.

"Oh, Thunder Beast, you do care!" Jae-Ha exclaimed, which got him a quick jab in the side from Hak.