The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 40: Preparations

Calista sought out Captain Gi-gan once they got back, offering Shin-ah a reassuring smile before she headed off. He didn't stray from her side at first, and it wasn't until she convinced him that she was alright now that he finally let her go, making his way over to the others for some dinner.

The hearty, seafood stew Yoon had made was wafting through the air in a tantalizing aroma, drawing quite a crowd. Pairing how much Shin-ah loved food along with his large appetite, Calista was quite sure that there was nothing else he wanted at the moment.

Hak was teasing Yona, and the sight of the fiery princess pushing back against her bodyguard twice as hard caused laughter to erupt from her chest.

"Go, go," Calista giggled, nudging Shin-ah towards the direction of their friends. The way Hani was trying to help Yoon was both hilarious and heartwarming as her little arms stretched high above her head to serve the food. "I'll be there in a minute, I promise."

He reluctantly joined the others, taking a seat next to Kija. His dragon brother gave him a big helping, before his face turned pale as something abnormal bobbed in his bowl.

"W-What kind of bug is this?!?!" He blubbered, sweating profusely as he picked up a strange looking claw with his chopsticks.

Jae-ha overheard his cry, smirking smugly when he saw what Kija was holding up, the latter's hand trembling in fear.

"It's a lobster." Yoon told him dryly, with a roll of his eyes. "You should follow Shin-ah's lead and eat whatever's in front of you."

Hearing that, Calista's gaze grew dark at the underlying message, spinning on her heel to find the absent captain.

As long as I'm around, to the best of my ability, none of them will ever go hungry again. I swear it.

Captain Gi-gan was hidden in the corner of the boat, towards the back, out of sight from most of her crew. The lighting here wasn't the best, but the soft glow from one of the torches casted a dancing shadow on the wood. Upon approaching the captain, Calista bowed respectfully, asking for her forgiveness for her earlier reaction.

Captain Gi-gan looked down on her, studying her closely. "I thought I told you that you didn't do anything wrong." She exhaled smoke, turning her head so that it would drift out over the calm water. "How long have you been like this, girl?"

Calista was unable to meet her eyes all of the sudden. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

Her feet scuffed the deck anxiously, gaze darting around to analyze their surroundings. Her body was wound up tight, like a coil ready to lash out at anything that moved. 

Captain Gi-gan recognized her attempt to deflect all too well. "That's exactly what I mean. You're from the underground, aren't you?"

The raven-haired assassin froze. There was no way she could've known about that. She was sure she was being careful enough to hide the scarring on her forearm. But that wasn't what gave it away.

"There's a fighting spirit in your eyes, girl." Judging by the younger's silence, she hit the nail on the head. Captain Gi-gan tapped her pipe against her shoulder. "Take the senjusou. Have the boy apply it to your wounds."

Calista had no choice, but to bow her head and accept her graciousness. The captain had granted her valuable resources, and she would be a fool to let it go to waste after all of that.

The assassin crossed an arm over her chest in a salute. "I will be there to help in any way that I can. I promise to be someone you can depend on."

Suddenly, Hani rushed into their hiding spot, bubbly laughter escaping her as Captain Gi-gan scooped her up, tickling her on the stomach. Calista stepped out of the shadows to see the pirates decked out around the ship, Yoon in the center of it all, finishing up dishing out dinner for all of them.