The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 115: Patching Up

Calista ensured Yue was with them until they were deep in the forest. Out of breath and out of energy but not a moment too soon as her vision grew blurry. They came to a stop near a Giant Sequoia tree, Yoon and the triplets collapsing out of sheer exhaustion.

Once everyone was accounted for, the dragons and her brother finally allowed the tension to leave their bodies.

Remarkably, Yona didn't seem to have a single scratch on her, which relieved her friends to no end.

Calista was pretty sure that if any one of them so much as saw a single drop of blood, they would all be going back and exacting revenge on whoever had dared hurt her.

As Yona got the supplies Yoon needed to treat everyone, she missed the way Hak's weary gaze followed after her.

Calista wanted so badly to say something about it, to tease them both to help transition things back to normal, but she had no energy after a fight like that. Dropping down to her knees and keeping all weight off of her left arm, she panted hard as her brain started to finally catch up to what happened.

I'm safe. I'm out of danger. They're all okay.

Slowly but surely, the fragile illusion of control that had held itself together when she needed it most dissipated as the threat passed by and she was left to deal with the remaining anxiety and hyperawareness.

Instead of fixing it now, Calista yanked her mask down and her hood off. It would have to wait. She was needed.

Unfortunately for her, her patient refused to sit still.

"Opal, if you don't get back here this instant," Calista threatened through clenched teeth, suppressing her nerves for everyone's sake, hands on her hips with the most intimidating look she could muster at the moment. "I'm going to make sure Tae-jun hears about it."

Shooting down at the speed of light, he finally sat still long enough for her to assess the gravity of his wounds. He and his brothers only sustained mild injuries, much to her relief, but the same couldn't be said about the dragons.

"Yoon, how are everyone's injuries?" Yona asked worriedly from beside him, fishing the ointment he had asked her for out from his medical bag and passing it to him.

He subtly winced at her question, winding gauze around Kija's arm. "Well..."

"I'm already healed!!" The white dragon shouted deliriously, popping up only to be smacked back down by the fretting pretty boy.

"Liar!!" Yoon snapped with a scowl etched on his face. "You're the most injured and fatigued. Rest!!"

"You're horrible at using your strength, Kija." Jae-ha commented from around the tree, mustering up a sly smirk.

Kija's affronted expression made Calista crack a smile across from a fidgeting Opal. "What?! Why would you say that?!"

"You always stand in the front and attack with all your strength." Jae-ha told him, smirk turning into a small frown. "If all you do is overexert yourself, you'll die."

But Kija's determination didn't falter. "If I can protect the princess like that, I'll gladly die."

The other didn't react, but the defeated exhale made Calista peek up at him, gaze straying from her task to study his body language. If he noticed her watching him, he didn't say so.

Cocking his head to the side, Jae-ha lifted an eyebrow at the yellow dragon who had happily hopped over to him. "Still, I'm surprised Hak and Zeno have so few injuries."

Fingers poking his cheeks as a wide smile split across his face, the radiant, energetic boy rallied exuberantly, "Zeno was just cheering everybody on!!"