"It's morning!" Calista heard Yona holler excitedly, causing the assassin to groan tiredly. "Kija, how are you feeling?" The princess asked, bounding over to the rising dragon.
The assassin yawned, rubbing her eyes. As she slowly came to, she realized that sometime during last night someone had braced her up against a tree.
Shin-ah...
She ran a hand over the white fur that blanketed her form, and looked around for him, only to realize that he was lying not too far away from her feet. He was curled up in a ball, and her small smile twisted into a frown as she saw him shaking. He was cold.
Mentally scolding him in her mind, she secured it to the back of his mask just as he was beginning to wake up.
Calista adjusted the fur over his shoulders so that it flowed down his back. "You did this?"
He nodded, rising to his feet.
"Thank you." She said sincerely.
Shin-ah wordlessly held out his hand to her and she accepted it, letting him help her up to her feet. When he pulled up, she almost collided into him again due to his strength, but managed to catch her footing in time. She beamed up at him in thanks.
As she flaunted over to the others, she failed to see the blush creeping up his neck.
"Kija?" Came the question again, and this time, Calista turned her gaze to him, eyes landing on his form staring off into the distance.
"..I sense.. Ryokuryuu..." He murmured.
This oughta be good...
The group packed up quickly, Yona ensuring Kija was well enough to travel, with Hak not straying too far from her side. Calista slid over to her brooding brother as he watched the princess and Hakuryuu interact.
None of them had forgotten about what happened yesterday, but a full night's rest had done them all good. She was feeling unusually refreshed.
"Your face is going to freeze like that." She teased him lightly, and Hak just scowled. Noticing his sour mood, she prodded, "Did something happen last night?"
Hak's shoulders deflated. "She asked me to call her princess, even though everyone else can call her by her name." His hand reached up to tug on his dark locks. "She asked me not to forget that she's King Il's daughter."
That must've happened after she fell asleep.
"You seem a little upset." Calista commented gently.
"I will never forget that she's His Majesty's daughter." He responded, looking up at the bright morning sky.
He didn't say anything further, but Calista knew better than to tease him right now. She had spent enough time observing people to know that he didn't want to admit what he was feeling to himself, let alone to her. Calista slowed her steps, letting Yoon take her place as he directed the Thunder Beast where he wanted to go. She fell in stride beside Shin-ah.
"Did you sleep okay? You weren't too cold, were you?"
He shook his head and she gave him a disapproving look, knowing that he was lying.
"You were shaking last night."
He tripped, and she caught his arm to steady him. "Are you alright?"
"...let's take a detour along the mountains. Shin-ah!" Yoon called from up ahead, diminishing the opportunity for him to answer her. "Can you see if this road is clear for us to travel on?"
He hesitated, looking back at her, but then dipped his head, climbing up a nearby tree to get a better view with grace. Calista's mouth curved up into a grin, impressed. He was pretty versatile. They all looked up at him as he scanned the area.
"Shin-ah, is anyone there?" Yona called.
Jumping back down, Shin-ah shook his head at the princess.
"Nobody?" Yoon clarified. "Then let's go."
They walked down the path. "The ability to see far away is great!" Yoon exclaimed excitedly. His energy was contagious, and it spread to all the others. "It's nice to search for places where people aren't around."
Kija's blue eyes sparkled as he gazed admiringly at Shin-ah. "That is very useful, Shin-ah!" A soft smile appeared on his face. "I'm glad Calista granted you a name. Cherish it."
Shin-ah watched as Calista patted Yoon's head affectionately, who laughed when the pretty boy swatted her away, immediately scolding the unusually relaxed fighter. He nodded to Kija, who smiled back happily at him.
Yona gazed fondly at the two dragons. Calista noticed and walked over, nudging her side.
"Oh!" Yona exclaimed, eyes softening as they turned back to Kija talking animatedly to Shin-ah, who was accepting all he had to say silently. "It's just that Kija looks pretty happy that he became friends with Shin-ah."
Calista smiled, nodding her head in agreement. The two dragons had been reunited for the first time in centuries. Yona turned to her friend. "I'm glad he seems to trust you too."
Calista shuffled awkwardly. She didn't know how to feel about that. Most of her skillset was based on mastering deception.
Not very trustworthy by any means.
"I will become someone worthy of your trust, Your Highness." She promised under her breath. "Of all of theirs."
As the group continued their trek through the scenery, they stumbled across an abandoned Fire Tribe village.
Calista closed her eyes in sorrow as she saw the nearly vacant village. The mood instantly turned grave. The houses were no more than buildings of crumbling dust, the infrastructure barely held together by a crude construction job.
She put on her mask, then lowered her arms, preparing for the worst as she slid her daggers into the palms of her hands. There was no telling what this place would bring. Abandoned villages were prone to lurkers and undercover fighters in broad daylight, and they were susceptible to looting from scavengers.
The group's pace slowed to a crawl as they approached it. Yona was gripping Hak's sleeve tightly in her hand, knuckles turning white as her eyes landed on the few people scattered around the barren area.
Women and children weren't spared. The desolation was suffocating, and it made Calista tremble in anger.
"This place..."
Yoon's face was blank as he spoke, and she wanted nothing more than to rush over and hug him, but that wouldn't fix anything. They both knew it.
"It's a village that was abandoned by the general and the king."
Calista's jaw locked and Shin-ah tensed behind her at the youngest's words.
"This area hasn't cultivated crops for years, and there's no water."
Calista shook her head grimly, putting it together. "The soldiers."
Yoon nodded in confirmation. "All the able-bodied men were most likely taken to the capital to be trained as soldiers."
Kija had a hand clapped over his mouth, a lone tear falling down his face. Hak averted his eyes.
"The village I was born in was like this, too. The land of the Fire Tribe is vast, but almost all of it is impoverished."
The raven-haired girl's head snapped to Yoon at this new information. Come to think of it, she had no idea of the misfortunes he had been through. But it all made sense.
His hatred of those in power, with no idea of the life that their citizens live day to day, she understood it. People who grew up in those areas had to advance themselves, lest they be lost to the cruelty of the outside.
The sadness in Yona's gaze was too much for her to contain. She turned to her in dismay, helplessness swimming in her eyes.
"We can always do something." Calista whispered to Yona, whose hands then clenched at her side in determination.
Yoon ran over to an elderly man who was sprawled out on the floor as he began coughing. He placed an arm in front of Yona to stop her once she got far enough.
"You shouldn't get too close. You could get sick." His eyes narrowed slightly.
But Calista's words had given her courage, and rekindled her spirit. So, Yona ignored him, choosing to lift some water up to the parched man's mouth. The corner of Calista's mouth lifted up at her display of bravery.
She would never get tired of seeing it. Yoon helped the man sit up so that he could drink it easier, and she saw the flicker of admiration in his eyes at Yona's action.
He talked about the old king, and Calista saw the princess freeze out of the corner of her eye. She abruptly stood up, rubbing her eyes and excusing herself quickly.
Calista caught Hak's eye and nodded, following after her slowly. She turned the corner and found Yona curled up on the ground.
"Oh..." She knelt down beside her, drawing her in closely. "I'm so sorry."
The way that Yona sobbed into her shoulder reminded Calista of when she awoke after they first got to Fuuga. The grief was still just as fresh as it had been that night.
They didn't say anything. She stayed there while Yona poured all her grief and despair into her tears, rubbing her back soothingly.
Just before they left the village behind, Calista unclasped her cloak, fastening it around the sleeping child in his mother's arms. Her bare arms darted into view, and Hak's eyes narrowed. Her tunic had long sleeves when they left Fuuga, but now it was sleeveless. The threads were threatening to come undone from where it looked like it had been ripped off at the seams.
The woman looked up gratefully, but her head fell back against the stone wall as that small action proved to be too much for her.
But as the scars on her arm were revealed as her overcoat came off of her shoulders, the woman's hand shot forward, grip tightening around her wrist and yanking her down to eye level.
Shin-ah and Hak both stepped forward, but Calista waved them back, her eyes filled with sympathy towards the stranger. They both halted reluctantly.
"These markings..." The ill woman muttered, stroking the scars. "You're one of them."
"Yes."
A week ago, she would have hesitated to confirm her suspicions, but this woman and her child were dying. She couldn't imagine the pain the mother was going through to be aware that her child was in pain.
"Tell me the truth." She hissed, fingers digging into her flesh so hard that Calista winced. Shin-ah gritted his teeth, moving to free her from the grip, when he was stopped by Hak. His cobalt eyes were stormy with rage, but he didn't move.
Although he wanted nothing more than to take her away from it, he knew he couldn't hold her back from facing it. And she would signal him if she needed help.
All they could do was support her through it.
"Are you fully bound?"
The terminology made her cock her head to the side. Only those involved in the underground talked like that. Her silver eyes flashed in anger, and she refused to answer.
"They're responsible for what happened here, for what happened to us." The woman spat.
"I know." Calista chose her next words carefully, doing her best not to antagonize her further. "I will do all that I can to save others."
The woman finally retracted her hand, satisfied with her answer.
Calista took her leave, absentmindedly massaged her wrist. Hak held himself back as the companion by his side strode out to meet her.
When Shin-ah reached her, the corner of his mouth pulled back in displeasure as he saw the bruises beginning to form on her forearm.
"I'm alright." She reassured him as his thumb lightly brushed over the discolored skin but he didn't look convinced.
Hak's jaw clenched, reminded of the bruises encircling her wrists the very first night she came back to the castle for Yona's birthday. The princess picked up on his dismay for the very first time.
"What's wrong?" She asked curiously.
Her bodyguard's eyes grew dark. "It's not the first time."
Yona was bewildered. "What?"
Hak shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Princess."
Her eyebrow knitted, but they ceased their brief conversation as Calista and Shin-ah caught up to them. Yoon threw the Thunder Beast a knowing look, letting him know that he had heard them.
"Let's go." Calista didn't question the tense atmosphere, figuring that if it was something they wanted her to know, then they would tell her.
They all followed her obediently, and she wanted to laugh. It was so unlike them, but after what they just saw, she could understand why. It would be enough to send anyone into shock.
She skipped ahead of them, disappearing from view in a matter of seconds. They became frightened, all except for Hak, who had seen her do this before. She had a knack of vanishing into thin air when she didn't want to be found.
"Don't worry," Hak said easily. "Give her some time. She'll be back."
True to his words, she emerged within minutes, leaving them to wonder where she went. She had taken her mask off, and it was hanging back around her neck.
They walked for another hour before settling down for the night. Calista agreed to stay close to them for another night, caving into Yona's request. She settled on a compromise: she would be up in a tree the closest to them. She got her tree and Yona got her presence.
Everybody won.
Calista woke up in the middle of the night when she heard the thunking of arrows hitting wood. She cracked one eye open, and saw red hair out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head inconspicuously, taking a few seconds to orient herself.
Yona was practicing her archery, but it was in the dead of night. Her strokes were measured, and calculated, even though Calista could clearly tell that she was tired.
She sat up in the tree, watching her attentively. She saw the patience as she pulled back on the bowstring and waited for several moments before releasing it.
A sob erupted from the princess, and Calista's eyes clouded over at the sound. It was heavy with heartache, echoing through the trees and reaching every corner of the world.
It was the piercing sound of a daughter crying out for her father, in hopes that somehow he would hear her, and spare her from the suffering that she had been through.