The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 48: All Too Innocent

Calista groaned in pain as she regained consciousness. It felt like she had been dragged across the world through a rocky path that was smooth enough not to cut skin, but still bruise it. Everything hurt, except for her back coincidentally. That was pretty ironic, seeing as how her biggest issue for the longest time were those scars that ran the length of her upper body. Now, it was the only part of her that felt soothed.

Her tunic was still wrapped around her, but torn beyond repair in various places. As she shifted, she felt the top of her back rub against the blanket she was laying on, but for the most part she was still covered.

The last thing she remembered was fuzzy at best, but as she became more aware of her surroundings, it started to come back piece by piece. Finding Yona and Yoon, the firework, and then the battle. But right after she was separated from Shin-ah and Jae-ha, she couldn't recall a thing.

Geez, how many hits did I take? She internally winced as she sat up, rotating the stiffness out of her shoulders. Her muscles ached, and not the kind that she felt after a good training session.

Her arm was bandaged where that one mercenary had sliced into it, and the other surface injuries within view were covered with small plasters. She could feel the crusted blood underneath her clothes and was relieved that no one had taken them off.

That revelation had eased the last of her worries, knowing she had to be in the care of Yoon. Only he had enough respect for her preference to not be treated by people other than herself, and if he left them alone, that meant the injuries weren't life-threatening.

Preference or not, if it was dire enough, he would treat them to save her. That much she knew for certain.

"Good, you're awake." Yoon spoke as he marched into the tent that he had set up specifically for her. It was small but it would do. "How does the balm feel?"

Ah, so the coldness was coming from his ointment. 

That explained it. She felt battered all over, and wanted to say so many things. How worried she was for him, how badly she wanted to scold him for his reckless decision to challenge the mercenaries, but ultimately how proud she was of him.

And maybe ask why her throat was so dry.

"Ah..." Yoon frowned, preparing a concoction beside her as he saw her trying to speak. "Captain Gi-gan gave me some dried senjusou for you to take once you woke up. It should heal your throat and enable you to talk again."

Calista tried to push him away as he held it out to her, wanting to tell him to save it for the pirates and anyone else who was injured. He caught on the hint right away, glaring at her in disapproval. 

She was too predictable.

He rolled his eyes, ceasing his attempt to get her to drink it long enough to persuade her that it wasn't going to waste. "It's fine, everyone's alright. Jae-ha took a hit, and the others only had minor wounds thanks to those rare beasts. You're in the worst condition."

Calista wanted to retort that he didn't look the best either, the scratches on his arms making her blood boil, but she chose to save it for later. The boy still had welts and bruises on his face and it made her want to tear Kum-ji apart.

Kum-ji.

Did they even get him?! They had to have, right? Or else the mood would be very different. She wanted to run out of the tent and ask, knowing that all she would have to do would have to do would be to analyze the atmosphere and she would know instantly. 

She secretly wondered if they had all failed the mission and they were trying to keep it from her. But Yoon wasn't that good of an actor, even if he was a genius, but she couldn't say for sure if they had succeeded or not based on his words alone.