The Dragon Prince's Warrior

Friends or foes?

Yun and Mei, who were exhausted after losing an entire day without finding a path leading to the Fenghuang monument or any trace of her children, halted their steps upon hearing voices engaged in conversation. They had heard what that man said, although it sounded somewhat unintelligible as they were moving away to continue their journey. In reality, they had only stopped to drink water when they stumbled upon that burly man.

Mei nearly screamed in fright, as her experience with the other kidnapper seemed to have left her wary of anyone they encountered on the road. She simply placed her hand on Yun’s shoulder to feel protected.

Yun remained motionless at this and didn’t comment; that man was occupying his thoughts. Since they had come across him hunting some sort of deer, it was evident that he possessed great strength, and perhaps he could be an ally of the man who had attacked them the previous afternoon. That was why Yun had approached him with friendliness.

He would prefer a thousand times to be amicable and gain some trust from the people they encountered on the way; it would ensure a quicker ascent to the summit without major conflict. When the stranger pointed out the direction they should follow toward the monument, the two of them turned quickly but refrained from getting any closer to see what was happening.

Despite being in a hurry, the young prince remained watchful, for even though he was pressed for time, he wouldn’t want any innocent person to suffer, at least not in his presence.

Suddenly, Mei’s hands tugged gently at the fabric of Yun’s sleeve, which struck him as quite odd. Such closeness from the widow didn’t sit entirely well with him. Nonetheless, out of respect, he refrained from saying anything, simply shifting slightly to subtly ease himself away so as not to make her feel uncomfortable.

“What’s the matter?” Yun inquired.

“It’s just that I wouldn’t actually want that man to see where we’re headed. Even though he provided us with directions, I didn’t find him all that reliable, to be honest,” Mei murmured in a low voice.

Yun analyzed Mrs. Mei's words and thought that he had already encountered enough distractions on his journey. He didn't need more as they continued their way. He knew that without Siu, things were much more complicated. They had circled the same path three times in a row. With the new coordinates the fisherman had given them, Yun was confident they would reach the Fenghuang monument.

"She's right, let's continue our path," Yun said with determination as they turned into a rather dark stretch they didn't remember having seen before.

The fishing man, who had taken hold of the brunette archer's quiver, softened his gaze in an instant. The girl he held with his large hand was someone he knew well, and she appeared wounded and greatly affected. He immediately lowered her down gently.

"Miss Siu?" the man said in surprise, feeling quite embarrassed by his earlier actions.

Aside from noticing she was injured, he also realized at once that she had blood splatters on her face and her qipao dress. Siu watched helplessly as her comrades moved away, but then, upon hearing her name, she widened her eyes and relaxed her arms upon recognizing that familiar voice.

She had thought of kicking him, but the truth was, she was too exhausted, both physically and emotionally. What did prove true, though, was that she recognized the man when she heard the sound of his voice.

"Gao?" she inquired, still surprised due to the obvious height of the young man. She certainly remembered him being shorter, but it had been years since she last saw him in the village.

"I'm sorry, Miss Siu, I didn't recognize you," the young man apologized with a bow. "I've actually been on alert, as these places have been filled with malevolent beings."

"And I haven't seen you in a long time. We all thought you had moved away from here," Siu responded, very surprised.

"In fact, we thought you had drowned."

Gao hesitated to speak.

"The truth is, I don't like talking about this, but I've been distant from people. In fact, I've..."

Gao couldn't continue speaking. Siu had become unsteady, having lost a lot of blood against those monsters that had devoured or replaced her parents.

The young man carried her in his arms and laid her on a fallen tree trunk. Siu lost consciousness and the sense of time and space. Soon, she began to dream once again. In her dream, she could see Yun tirelessly walking in the wrong directions.

She started running after him to catch up, but no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't even get close to him. Something on his arm lit up; it was a rather peculiar image, but she was too far away to see it clearly.

Mei had appeared right by Yun's side and didn't leave him. Siu could observe how the young widow turned to look at her and smiled in a... sinister way? She couldn't decipher the vibe of that smile, but something didn't quite add up. Mei seemed like a good person, greatly suffering due to her children's a*******n, but there was a possibility that something similar to what happened to Siu's parents had happened to her.

Soon, she could see another scene of the forest, the path to the Fenghuang monument was illuminated with a golden, serene, and peaceful aura, only to suddenly dim and reveal how those secluded places were filled with those beings she had fought against, pretending to be her parents.

Fear filled Siu's heart, and her dream shifted to where she lay. She couldn't move, and breathing was difficult, but at least her pupils could glimpse the surroundings.

Gao was by her side, wearing an eerie smile. That sent shivers of fear down Siu's spine. After what she had experienced, she didn't want to trust anyone, even though Gao had shown in the past to be a kind and respectful person.

"How accurate are my dreams? The ones I dream of with those malevolent vibes, will they be friends or foes? I need a sign, something that guides me towards good and away from evil. Yun... I need to tell him about the dreams, I need to share what I've experienced. If not him, then who can I tell all this to?"

In the blink of an eye, Gao began to approach Siu, studying her intently, and she couldn't do anything at all. He had crossed the boundary of respect, if what she was witnessing was indeed real. Siu could feel his breath brushing against her face, and it felt eerily realistic.

That man's large hand was inching closer to her body, and she was powerless to stop it. Her body was paralyzed, numbed by the impending threat of fainting. She felt utterly alone, with no one to witness this, let alone offer assistance.

"For all the gods, I want to wake up from this nightmare. Please, I need help."