Calista had been chained to Yona's side ever since they returned to their camp, worriedly flitting about between the dragons, her brother and Yoon even though she was the only one who was physically hurt.
The rest of them just seem... extraordinarily tired.
The princess weakly pushed away the older girl who was still hovering over her, sighing softly when she wouldn't leave to get her injuries looked at. Yona couldn't even muster up the strength to speak, it was like her body just stopped working.
Hak had dragged his body over to her, gritting his teeth as an unfamiliar resistance worked against him. But resilience won out and as he thudded down beside the princess, he barely acknowledged that his sister had moved.
Yoon had no patience for this as Calista dodged his hundredth attempt to get her to stay still so that he could look at her ankle. Stomping his foot in vehement frustration, the pretty boy marched over to Shin-ah, demanding that he convince the stubborn fighter to hold still in place for one minute while he bandaged the wound.
Wordlessly, the blue dragon stretched out his hand for the roll of gauze and ointment. He wasn't completely clear either, his head felt fuzzy and his limbs felt heavy but he knew his priority.
After Yoon practically threw them at him, he left it to him, making his way over to Kija in order to assess his state. The white dragon seemed to be hit the hardest out of all of the dragons and the pretty boy couldn't figure out why.
"I'm sorry."
The group looked over inquisitively at the mournful girl hanging her head as Shin-ah tended to her ankle.
It stung faintly as he applied the medication, but Calista didn't acknowledge it, too caught up in the guilt that constricted her chest. "I should never have involved you all in this mess."
"Don't say that, Miss Notch." Zeno frowned sadly. "It's not your fault."
"The kid's right, Calista dear." Jae-ha interjected, a bit more collected from before. His eyes were still bloodshot, but she didn't know from what. She knew one thing for sure though, that look didn't suit the usually elegant and charming Ryokuryuu.
She hesitated, silver eyes cloudy with confusion and denial.
Hak knew that look and tried to sit up. "Bat-Ears, don't you even dare—"
He was cut off with a violent wave of coughing that alarmed the rest of them into forgetting what they were talking about. Yoon quickly took his temperature, but his brow furrowed when his forehead wasn't feverishly hot. Waving him off, Hak attempted to get up to his feet when he was being pushed back by a revived Yona.
Ordering him to stay put, the princess, not having the strength to stand just yet, crawled over to her distraught friend.
Calista forced herself to listen to her, resisting the primal urge to run away and lash out at anything that moved as Yona echoed the same things everyone else had been saying. Taking a deep breath, she trained her eyes on the attentive blue dragon at her feet and she cracked a smile as some of her anxiety faded away. Yona's light voice slowly disappeared into the background as she became entranced.
His fingers wound the soft cotton deftly, securing the end piece by tying it firmly. He stayed crouched down once he finished, and she couldn't take it anymore. She felt like she was going to suffocate if she stayed here any longer.
Sending an apologetic look to the princess was the only apology she could muster at the moment, but Yona's lavender eyes softened in understanding, knowing she needed some space for now.
After the initial wince as Calista abruptly stood up, she grabbed Shin-ah's hand and ventured further into the woods. The moon twinkled high above them, next to the shimmer stars that casted their light on the forest below.
The only quiet protests that escaped his lips were ones extremely concerned for her injured ankle and battered body. They fell on deaf ears as she continued to put weight on it, enduring it for a short while longer.
The fighter finally stopped once they were out of earshot of the others, and the pair arrived in a clearing vastly different than the one where the battle occurred earlier.
Shin-ah gazed curiously at their surroundings.
The small field was filled with flowers and fireflies scattered all around them. It brought comfort rather than a foreboding of death and he relaxed at the tranquil atmosphere. The clearing reminded him of when she had first come to meet him to give him his name. He would never forget it.
Sitting down on the grass, he crossed his legs and his mouth parted in surprise as a firefly approached and hovered in front of him.
He held out his hand, palm upturned and the small bug gently landed in the center, curling up snuggly. Ao squeaked from his shoulder as she regarded the tiny insect with unbridled wonder until it decided to fly away. Jumping off of her perch, she scampered away, disappearing in the tall fronds.
By the time he raised his head, he was startled to find Calista gazing at him warmly, wearing a shockingly soft, fond expression. When he wasn't paying attention, she had drawn her blades, and judging by the way she gripped them in her hands, they were the only thing currently grounding her.
He reached up automatically to untie his mask and she couldn't stop her heart from catching in her throat as she recognized how comfortable and at ease he seemed to be with letting her see his eyes.
Her nostrils flared for a second as she caught his golden gaze, jaw clenching as she remembered why she brought him here. For a little privacy.
And for a request.
"Shin-ah," Calista started, coming to sit on her knees across from him, placing her blades on the ground in front of her. "Will you teach me how to fight with a sword?"
He tensed at how blunt it was delivered, furiously shaking his head, remembering the crimson that stained Yona's hand as she tried to wield his black sword. No way. He wouldn't be one to hurt her. He made a promise.
Never in a million years.
Her hand reached out to clasp his, a desperate attempt to try to make him understand where she was coming from.
"I'm no use in a battle. All I can do is pick off targets one at a time, and it's not enough. I'm not fast enough." The hand left in her lap curled into a tight fist as she seethed angrily through clenched teeth at her uselessness. "I'm not equipped to handle brute strength."
She tacked on that last part with such a helpless reservation that it had him leaning forward to comfort her. Her eyes halted him. Not yet. She didn't want it yet. If she lost her commitment to this now, then many more days would pass before she got the courage to ask him again.
And who knew what could happen during that time.
Inhaling deeply, Calista drew out the exhale as it passed her lips, heartbeat normalizing as much as was possible in that moment.
"I want to learn swordsmanship from you, Shin-ah." She stated with unwavering conviction, the determination coming through crystal clear.
The weight of her sentiment wasn't lost on him. He knew she could have easily asked Jae-ha if he would be willing to spar with her in order to broaden her skills or Hak if he would teach her alongside Yona, but she asked him.
She wanted to learn from him, not just because of how his style was so similar to hers, but also out of respect for their relationship.
He was the only one she would listen to if it passed her limits. She had yet to listen to herself, always pushing and pushing until she broke and even then, she didn't learn. He knew her better than she knew herself.
Learning how to fight was difficult. There was always a line between what was considered training and what was considered too much. Since she crossed it more often than not, Jae-ha and Hak weren't ideal mentors to learn from. She needed someone to balance out her stubbornness and the only one who ever got through to her was Shin-ah.
He knew what she was asking of him and he knew what it had cost her.
Scooting closer with her permission, Shin-ah swiftly reached up to cradle her face with his hand as he rested his forehead against hers.
"Shin-ah..." Calista murmured, closing her eyes, subconsciously curling into him.
His breathing was staggered and weighed down by an uncontrollable fear. "... I am scared... of hurting you..."
"I know, but I have to do this." She told him quietly. "I need to learn. I have to adapt. He had such an advantage over me, and if it wasn't for you guys I would have lost."
There was nothing she could do to deflect his sword as she watched it come down on her, slicing the flesh faster than she could stop it. Things could have gone a lot worse tonight than they did. They were lucky to only escape with bumps and bruises.
Shin-ah swallowed the lump in his throat that rose at her words, mouth twisting into an incredibly displeased frown, eyebrows knitting in dismay. She shouldn't have to worry about being strong enough. He wanted her to rely on them. On him.
"I do, probably more than I should."
It was then that he realized he had said that last part out loud.
Calista let out a resigned sigh. "I have to learn how to take care of myself. You guys won't always be around to take care of me. I owe it to myself to give myself the best chance I've got to improve my ability to protect you guys."
Shin-ah's eyes filled with puzzlement at her odd phrasing. "You're... speaking differently."
Flashing him a grin that didn't look remotely reassuring, Calista brushed him off, chalking it up to the post-adrenaline rush from earlier to cover up her misstep. "Anyways, will you teach me?"
"... No."
"Shin-ah, plea—"
"Only if..." He interrupted evenly, with the same quiet tone he always spoke with. "You don't go too far. Okay?"
A smile twitching at the corner of her mouth, she nodded, but it was a bit too eager for him to believe that she understood the gravity of his request in response to hers.
Shin-ah shifted closer to her, angling his head down the same time he lifted her chin towards him so that she could see the solemnness reflected in the depths of his golden orbs.
"And only with me..." He proposed softly.
He would be the one to protect her by enabling her the skills needed to keep herself safe. But he was still going to be her shield. She deserved at least that much after all she had suffered through.
Calista nodded decisively, silver eyes shining with gratitude and love as he was finally satisfied with the conditions. "Only with you, Shin-ah."
"Oh, and Shin-ah?" She called out as they got ready to rejoin the others, a sweet smile on her face as she carefully laced their fingers together. "... Thank you."