The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

1K Special: Calista's Knives [Oneshot]

[A/N at the bottom. This scene takes place between Chapters 30 and 31 in my story. I hope you enjoy it!!]

They were wandering around a market. Kija was still a little feverish, and Yoon wanted to see if he could get something to bring it down faster. Calista couldn't contain her excitement as she ran from stall to stall, gathering up all the blades she could carry. It would've been comical if not for the pretty boy stomping in after her, yanking them out of her hands.

"No knives for you!!" Yoon shouted, pulling her away from the weapons stall. "Remember what happened last time?"

They had gotten jumped on by a lone group of bandits looking to plunder whatever resources they had. But during the attack, they had touched Shin-ah's mask.

So, she might've gotten a little testy.

Actually, that was an understatement. She wiped them all out in mere minutes, blood dripping off her blades, grinning maniacally once she finished exacting her revenge. Switching from deadly assassin back to the clumsy girl they all knew and loved made Shin-ah's head spin.

At the time, he was speechless. Even now, he didn't know what to say.

Calista pouted innocently, silver orbs rounding into irresistible puppy eyes. "But Yoon, they were asking for it."

Yoon cursed her and she grinned at the string of colorful words that left his mouth, Hak nodding subtly in approval. She flounced over to Shin-ah, who was dumbfounded.

"Yoon... is mad?"

"Maybe a little." Calista grinned devilishly, grabbing his hand and making a break for it as the enraged pretty boy closed in on them.

Shin-ah kept pace with her easily and Calista tried to ignore how perfectly her hand fit in his. She ducked behind a stall, pulling him behind her as she crouched down.

Of course, She rolled her eyes. You just had to pick this spot.

It was small. It could barely fit her, let alone her and Shin-ah. The blue dragon's build was broader than hers, and suddenly, she felt self-conscious of how close she was to him.

She was pressed flush against him.

Calista bit her lip, forgetting about how they were evading Yoon momentarily, trying not to get lost in her thoughts of the gentle Seiryuu. He was so careful with her. Her definition of soft changed once she met Shin-ah.

"Is he coming this way?" She asked him, hoping to the heavens that he couldn't hear how fast her heart was beating.

"No..." He murmured against her ear, and this time, she couldn't stop the shiver that shot down her spine.

His arms weren't around her, and she didn't quite know how to feel about that.

"Hey! If you guys aren't here to buy anything, get out!" The merchant of their makeshift hiding place yelled, catching Yoon's attention.

"Time to go." Calista mumbled, taking off in the opposite direction with Shin-ah in tow. They passed Yona and Kija on the way, and she shouted hurriedly over her shoulder, "Yoon's mad, I gotta go, I'm taking Shin-ah with me!!"

The princess giggled as Seiryuu tripped over his feet, righting himself at the last minute.

Calista led him to a tree, climbing up it with ease. Shin-ah stayed on the ground, looking up at her curiously.

"Come on!!" She urged, but he continued to stay down there. Shifting on her feet to lean over so that she could see him better, realization washed over her. "You don't know how to climb a tree?"