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.
Reluctantly, she finally drank the medicine. It slid down smoothly, and was actually quite sweet, much to her surprise. She eagerly finished the rest of it and Yoon looked at her, astonished that she drank it so willingly.
Calista smacked her lips together, preparing herself for the worst.
"Is he dead?" She whispered.
Yoon nodded solemnly and she exhaled shakily. "Yona killed him."
Her throat still felt scratchy as she talked softly, but she pushed on. She had to know. "Is she alright? Kija didn't overexert himself again, did he?"
"They're all fine. Actually, that's an understatement." He complained irritably. "They had too much energy, I couldn't get them to leave so that you could rest. They finally left about an hour ago. The tent was so crowded that I couldn't—"
Calista scrambled to her feet, ignoring Yoon's vehement protests that she needed to sleep. She pulled the tent flap open, and paused when she spotted the ugly discoloration encircling her wrists. She lifted them up to her face, inspecting them carefully under the glow of the sunset.
Taking a deep breath as an old memory flooded back to her, she turned to the boy behind her, extending her hands out quizzically.
He sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Kija got them off."
She ran away before he could stop her, tripping over her feet in her haste to see them. She had a vague idea of where they would be, picking up on the distant notes of their voices. She needed to see them and determine for herself if they were truly okay.
As she burst into the clearing, several heads snapped towards her at the abrupt entrance.
Calista held up a hand in apology, rubbing the back of her neck as she smiled sheepishly. Scanning them quickly, she sagged in relief as she saw that there wasn't a scratch on any of them. A shrill scream broke through the shocked silence, and she barely had enough time to catch the princess that barreled towards her.
Her chest vibrated with light chuckles, patting Yona's hair softly as the younger began blabbering,
"A-Are you okay?!?! Yoon told us that you weren't going to wake up for another day!!"
His faint scoff could be heard from behind, along with several short pants. Even wounded, the fighter was still quick on her feet. "Yona, I said she might not."
The red-haired princess didn't pay attention to him, continuing to let out an endless stream about everything that had happened, Calista occasionally nodded to it, only relaxing fully after she looked the girl over. Aside from a couple tiny scars, the princess looked like she was in peak condition.
Kum-ji was dead and Awa was finally freed, but the disheartened looks on everyone else's faces made the older girl gently ease out of Yona's hug.
She approached her brother, Kija, and Shin-ah, who had been nothing but silent since her arrival. Jae-ha was nowhere in sight, but she figured that he was probably celebrating their victory with the rest of the pirates aboard Captain Gi-gan's ship.
Calista bent at the waist, bowing curtly. She swallowed thickly, raising her head slightly.
"...Hey..." She rasped softly, hand shooting up to cover her mouth in embarrassment at the noise that came out. In her aim to talk louder, she had sacrificed the steady tone that Yoon had heard earlier.
Kija burst into tears right in front of her, and her eyes widened in shock at his reaction. They weren't that close, or so she thought. Upon a closer look, she noticed that his face was bright red, and then her eyes drifted to the bottle of clear liquid near him.
So they already started the party, huh?
Shin-ah looked stoic, and didn't look like he had any to drink. Hak's eyes were downcast so she couldn't tell what her brother was thinking. She knew he could handle his liquor, but still readied herself for the unpredictable. She knew what people under its influence could do, and even saints weren't spared from its effects.
Yona ran over to comfort the crying Hakuryuu, and so did Yoon after he didn't show any signs of calming down. The alcohol sure made the sensitive Kija even more susceptible to his emotions.
Calista cautiously took a step forward, trembling a bit in place as her brother strode towards her to crush her in an embrace.
"Don't ever do that again." His voice cracked at the end, and she choked back a sob, burying her face into his shoulder. She couldn't put into words how hearing his voice made her feel. The grief, regret and shame was at an all time high.
"I-I'm so sorry..." Her apology was cut off by violent coughs that racked her body.
Hak peered down at her in concern but she waved him off. She had just gotten back, and even though her injuries were substantial, Yoon had reassured all of them that he got to them in the nick of time.
The senjusou would revive her vocal cords that Kum-ji had done damage to, but only if it was dried so that the boy could grind it up for a medicine to be taken orally. There was Yona's batch from her task, and it had only been a couple days since it was freshly picked, not nearly enough time to dry out all the way.
Luckily, the captain had a couple dried sprigs on hand.
He worked quickly to prepare the medication for when she would wake up, waiting until she came to before he finished it so that it retained most of its herbal properties.
Once Hak had satisfied his checkup of her state, he let her go and she nervously turned to Shin-ah, who still hadn't said a word.
"Shin...Shin-ah..." She wheezed with the effort, her cheeks heating up at the horrendous sound that left her lips. She wanted to slap a hand against her forehead in embarrassment. She swore that she was never speaking again.
Three strides and he was in front of her, so close that every time he breathed out, it hit her forehead in soft puffs. His hand trailed down from her arm to her wrist, pausing before he held her hand in his. Calista closed her eyes, releasing a breath she didn't know she had been holding in.
She jumped a little when she felt his fingers reach up to gently rub the expanse of bruised skin on her throat. Unlike before where he would normally pull away the instant she showed discomfort, he did something she didn't expect. Her hair was pushed back carefully, and his hand shifted to hold the base of her neck.
What he did next, nobody saw coming.
Something soft pressed against the tender skin and her eyes shot open, but all she could see was the top of his mask and white fluff. His body being so close to hers heated it up uncontrollably and she bit her lip to stifle a gasp as he gently pressed a butterfly kiss to her throat.
Her mouth dropped open at the sensation, sending tingles down her spine.
He finally pulled away after a few seconds, readjusting her hair to cover it from view, then looked over her shoulder and stood as if nothing happened.
The clearing was in shocked silence.
Kija, who was drunk out of his mind, yelled, "IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!"
Hak was speechless, Yona had her hands clasped against her chest, eyes radiating joy and Yoon's expression was disturbed, the tips of his ears coloring pink in embarrassment.
As for Calista, she couldn't process what just happened. Her brain short-circuited after his kiss. "W-What??"
He tilted his head to the side and it would have been as innocent and adorable as usual if her thoughts weren't spiraling out of control after what just happened. She could hear her own heart beating rapidly, and she told herself that she couldn't even dare to hope. That this was nothing. But by the way she was flushed, she wasn't doing a very good job at hiding how it affected her.
"He..." Everyone leaned forward in anticipation of what he was going to say. "... said it would... help the pain."
"Who?" Hak demanded.
"... Ryokuryuu."
Yoon smacked a hand against his forehead, and Hak's aura became murderous as he stomped off to find the much too charming dragon to make him pay for Shin-ah's out of character actions. Yona looked strangely disappointed with his answer, but gave the shy dragon an encouraging smile, knowing that it was easy to fall for Jae-ha's tricks. She had been a target of his teasing too many times already.
Kija was a giggling mess off to the side, a blush prominent on his cheeks, pointing the two of them in hysteria. "Shin-ah!! I'm sooo proud of you!!"
Then he fell over, landing on his flat on his face.
Calista shook her head, trying to clear her head, despite noticing Shin-ah's obvious puzzlement. She didn't have it in her to explain why everyone was reacting the way that they were. She tried not to be disappointed with his answer. In reality, she didn't know why she got so hopeful. He was trying to make her feel better.
By kissing the part that was injured.
And that said part was her neck, which was incredibly sensitive.
She shook it off, trying to distract her thoughts from wandering. There was no way Shin-ah could've known it was seen as such an intimate gesture. She swayed unsteadily, forehead falling into the palm of her hand as the pounding in her head silenced her thoughts.
Yoon rolled his eyes. She clearly needed to sleep. "Go to bed, you stubborn fighter."
Calista refused, delirious with exhaustion. "But I want to be here with all of you..."
Hak straightened, studying her eyes closely. He had given up his mission. They had just gotten back from a brutal one, he could wait a day before he hunted down Jae-ha.
Her sister's eyes were clear, not cloudy. He stepped back, mildly puzzled. She wasn't normally this candid with them, but perhaps the strain of recent events had gotten to her.
Yona chattered excitedly to Calista, who was feeding off of her spirit in heaps. Pretty soon, the tired fighter had tricked herself into thinking that she had energy and was a hyperactive, bouncing mess. Yoon had to separate the two of them despite the puppy eyes and identical pouts thrown his way.
He threw his hands up in frustration at their adorableness, and caved, leaving the task to the Thunder Beast and Seiryuu. Kija couldn't be bothered, and was fast asleep. Yoon rolled him over to his side so that he didn't suffocate.
Hak tossed Shin-ah a knowing look, one that baffled the two girls.
"Hey, wait— Hak!! Put me down!!" Yona protested as her bodyguard advanced, slinging her over his shoulder and carrying her into the forest. Her lips formed a petulant pout as she was whisked away. The last thing Calista saw was the princess thumping her fists against his back.
"Of course, Princess." He agreed despite doing the exact opposite. He may have consumed a little alcohol, but his mind was clear.
Mostly.
Calista giggled, then yelped as Shin-ah took her hand and led her away. She dug her heels in the ground out of instinct. He didn't force her, but gently encouraged her until she chose to sit down in the shade of a large oak. They were still within eyesight of the camp, which set her at ease greatly.
"Hani?" She asked quietly, but worriedly. She didn't see the energetic little girl around anywhere and she just hoped that she was safe.
"She's with... the captain."
Calista breathed out a sigh of relief, slumping against the tree. Kum-ji hadn't gotten to her. Hani was going to be okay. They all were.
Shin-ah rearranged her comfortably against the tree, just how she liked it. So he was slightly alarmed when she reached out to him.
"Come sit!!" She chirped almost childlike.
He was confused, but didn't argue. Settling down beside her, he was startled when her head plopped on his shoulder. Mumbling incoherently, she lifted it up slightly to look him in the eye.
His heart stuttered and he felt like his throat was closing up at the beautiful sight of her silver orbs. They seemed rounder than they normally were, and it was making her appear so innocent and cute.
He didn't know what to do with her.
"Earlier..."
Calista tilted her head, prompting him to continue when he didn't finish his sentence.
"...Did I... do something wrong?"
Her cheeks heated up as she remembered his kiss. The pure blue dragon was completely oblivious, but she didn't blame him. It wasn't like his village accepted him enough to teach him about things like this. She crushed her feelings, hammering it down until they were almost nonexistent in order to give him a somewhat level-minded response.
"No, no, you didn't. It's just..." Calista grimaced, not really wanting to have this conversation with him right now. She had no idea how to go about telling him which places were off limits to touch as friends without making it weird between them. Even if she did like it and really wished he would do it again.
Shin-ah picked up on her apprehension.
"What's... wrong?" He asked hesitantly, as if he was afraid he said something wrong.
"Nothing, nothing... Let's talk about this later, is that okay?"
He still had so many questions, but yielded because she looked so uncomfortable. They sat in an awkward silence for quite some time until a chuckle floated through the air.
She smiled wistfully, still in disbelief that Kum-ji really was gone. The man that held so much power over her was finally dead. It was strange, she thought that it would bring her more peace, but it was almost as if nothing had changed.
"You noticed me at night, didn't you?"
His eyes widened. He thought for sure he checked that she wasn't looking. Ever since he had joined them on their travels, he had noticed she never slept at night. And when she did, it wasn't ever for very long.
Calista chuckled softly, leaning back against him. "It's alright, I'm not mad. I had hoped to be more inconspicuous so that I didn't worry you."
She felt him tilt his head to the side and she laughed lightly, then the air turned from light-hearted to a quiet somber.
"I have trouble sleeping at night. At any time, really." She admitted quietly. "I heard it's called insomnia. Not sure if that's what it is, but it's always been hard for me to sleep, especially for long periods of time."
Shin-ah didn't say anything for a moment, absorbing what she had just told him. It matched his observations, but he still didn't understand.
"Why...?"
Calista sighed in defeat. "I... I don't know. Something about it just terrifies me. Kija has his fear of bugs, and even though it seems like such a ridiculous thing to be scared of, I've got no room to judge. I'm afraid of sleeping of all things!! I feel so foolish."
She hid her face in her hands self-consciously.
Shin-ah frowned when he couldn't see her facial expression anymore. Slowly, he reached up and urged her hands down, turning her around so that he could meet her eyes. The sight of her tear-stained cheeks made his heart twist painfully in his chest.
"I'm sorry... I didn't..." He gulped. "Mean to... make you sad."
Calista tried to give him a reassuring smile, but he didn't feel any better.
"You didn't, I promise you didn't, okay?" This time, her smile was a little more genuine. "I just have a hard time talking about it, I think."
His arms dipped down slightly, maneuvering her form so that she was sitting on the ground with her legs draped across his. She curled into him, feeling that all too familiar siren call to go under.
She yawned, eyelids drooping with exhaustion. "Hey, Shin-ah..."
He was in the middle of studying their surroundings, but paused his surveillance to look at her. She was fiddling with her thumbs nervously, unable to meet his gaze.
"Can I see your eyes again?"
He nodded after a beat, not even bothering to untie his mask. He chose to push it up so that if anyone else were to come by, he could slip it back on quickly. The bright beam he received as her eyes locked on his joyfully was dangerous enough to make his heart race.
Her forehead thumped against his shoulder, adorably trying to maintain eye contact with him even though it was obvious she was starting to drift off.
"Sleep." Came the soft command, leaving no room for argument, and Calista couldn't do anything else except obey.