Yona cried out in despair once she saw her friend's state, dropping her bow and rushing over to her as Jae-ha placed her gently on the ground before the others burst through the treeline sheltering the cliffs, out of breath.
Kija had sustained minor wounds and Hak was bleeding from somewhere they couldn't make out. Shin-ah's cheek was scratched and his hands were bloody from where he tried to stop the bleeding. Zeno was the only one who was completely unharmed.
The air up here was fresh, but the tormented atmosphere soured it.
They all rushed towards their wounded comrade but were shooed away by Yoon as he rolled up his sleeves to get to work.
Shin-ah desperately fought against Jae-ha as he restrained him from getting to her. He struggled vigorously, stretching out his hand towards her as he was led away from the scene.
Gritting his teeth, Jae-ha strengthened his resolve and convinced himself that what he was doing was right.
He couldn't be around her right now, she needed immediate medical attention. And while he was sure that the blue dragon meant well, he would only get in the way.
"Come on Shin-ah, Yoon needs water." Jae-ha guided him, sensitive to his unstable state of mind and the younger finally yielded to his direction.
Yoon started to patch Calista up silently once Hak had rearranged her more comfortably, tears rolling down his cheeks and he turned away from the others, not wanting them to see.
And she didn't have the strength to console him.
Instead, her head lolled back against the tree trunk, eyes blinking at him feebly. Her uninjured hand lifted to wipe away the tears falling down his face and he let out a choked sob, reaching out and squeezing it tightly.
"You stupid fighter..."
Swallowing thickly, she cracked a weak smile. "Sorry, Yoon. Didn't mean to."
Rummaging through his medical kit, he pulled out the supplies he needed to make a sling for her arm while it healed. It wasn't broken, but he was sure it would help ease the pain during the process.
She no longer could feel her arm and when she tried to curl her hand into a fist, it did not move. Pushing down her panic, she chuckled faintly.
"It can't be that bad, right?"
He didn't smack her like he normally would've done, having zero desire to add to her pain. Instead, he turned his full attention to dressing her wound, first extracting the arrow and then cleaning the area with the fresh water Shin-ah had brought back from the river. He muttered apologies under his breath as she flinched away from the harsh sting.
She cried out as he stitched together the gaping wound, wildly thrashing in place.
If she moved too much, it would mess it up and then he would have to do it again. So instead, she buckled down and gritted her teeth through the agony, breaths coming out in short pants.
As he rolled the soft gauze generously around her arm to bandage it, she coughed a couple of times, throat dry from swallowing part of her screams.
"When you first said you were going to sneak behind them, I wasn't expecting it to be like that." Yoon's low voice wobbled dangerously, betraying his true feelings.
He was expecting her to be out of harm's way. Out of everyone there, she was supposed to be the last one to get hurt.
She laughed but it turned into a moan of pain and she punched the ground as pain took over.
"Yeah... me either." She ground out, breathing heavily.
Before they had entered the tunnel that would drop them smack dab in the center of the enemy's encampment, Calista had split off from them.
She had to explain to a puzzled Kija and a very confused Shin-ah that she didn't stand a chance against them. She hadn't been training to use a sword and if anything, she would weigh them down during the battle. The only way that she could contribute to the fight was if she attacked from behind the unsuspecting soldiers.
By scouting and incapacitating a few early on, she would be able to give them a head start.
Shooting ahead of them, she climbed up a tree to gain a vantage point and provide protection for Yona and Yoon until they arrived.
As the fighting started, she crept behind the crowd, slowly taking out the archers one by one until they were all gone.
Or so she thought.
Calista bit back a groan as fresh pain bloomed from the injured area, eyelids heavy. She hadn't even realized she had drifted off.
How long have I been asleep?
The others were not far away and had gathered around the small campfire that Yoon had most likely set up.
The sky had been overrun by darkness and never before had she felt so isolated from the night.
This time, Shin-ah couldn't be stopped as he streaked over to her so fast that she blinked and he was suddenly in front of her.
"Calista..." He breathed in relief, cupping her jaw with a touch so light, she thought she imagined it.
It was as if he was afraid she would shatter like glass the instant he pressed too hard.
"Hey..." She mumbled meekly, grasping his hand and exhaling tiredly, attempting to reassure him through some physical contact since she lacked the right words to comfort him. "What's going on?"
He gently pushed her back down as she tried to get up, imploring her in hushed tones not to move and it made her sink back down. In doing so, she begged him to tell her what was going on. But once he caught her all up, her jaw dropped in shock.
"They aren't coming back?!" Calista blurted out, stunned by this turn of events.
That didn't make any sense. The Sen Province army should have panicked with all the chaos they were causing, why wouldn't the general come here?
Yona and the dragons meandered over to where she was at so that she didn't have to get up again. Hak was in the middle of a conversation with the youngest but they both came over as the others scattered around her. The flames shadowed their faces and only when everyone sat down did the blue dragon finally answer her.
"No... They're heading... southwest." Shin-ah relayed quietly, raising a bowl of hot broth to her lips so that she could regain some of her strength back.
He blew on it first to cool it and then tipped it slightly so she could drink some. They didn't have much food, only a bird Yona had managed to shoot down earlier and Yoon was able to make soup from the bones, but it wasn't much.
He wasn't going to tell her that they saved it all for her, knowing that she would adamantly refuse to accept it if she was made aware of that little fact. Her heart was in the right place, but she needed it the most and he was determined to make sure she got what she needed to keep her strength up.
His eyes saddened behind the strip of cloth that covered them from public view and a tiny teardrop slid down his cheek as he remembered why she was in the state that she was in.
"Only it doesn't make sense. If he's retreating and calling for reinforcements then wouldn't he return here first?!" Yoon wondered exasperatedly, sitting down cross-legged beside Calista so that he could change out the crimson soaked bandages.
They had been going over potential reasons why for hours and he was at his limit. But although the level of his frustration resulting from confusion was unprecedented, he was careful as he wound new cotton around her arm.
Zeno skipped in a circle around her, setting down familiar red corded daggers down by the fighter. "Miss Notch, Miss Notch!! Zeno found these on the ground and brought them back for you!!"
Sending him a grateful smile, her hand trembled as she brushed her fingers over the precious steel. Although she knew that weapons could be replaced, these were special and had been with her thick and thin.
"Thank you, Zeno..."
He beamed, skipping back over to Jae-ha and crouching down to rest his head on his knees as he bundled into a ball.
Their princess pouted, wondering what on earth the general's strategy could be. "I wonder if he thinks he'll get surrounded so he's avoiding it..."
"Soo-jin's army was heading southwest apparently." Kija spoke for the first time since she awoke and she was startled to hear how drained he sounded.
Usually, he was the most optimistic out of them all.
"Kija, are you hurt?" Calista asked quietly, nodding to Shin-ah that she had enough to eat, worry lacing her small voice as she addressed the battered dragon behind him.
His head snapped up, eyes widening in surprise. "No, no... I am not."
She narrowed her eyes, sweeping her gaze over his bloodied and torn robes, finding the source of his discomfort almost immediately.
"Yoon," She called softly, indicating that he should come closer. "His left shoulder is slightly out of place."
The pretty boy whipped his head up, bright blue eyes burning and narrowed into slits. "Yah, Kija!! HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO INJURY THE ONE ARM YOU DON'T USE!!!"
"Eh?!" He sat up in alarm at the thunderous voice but then clutched his throbbing shoulder, wincing.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid..." Yoon fretted vehemently, sharply scolding the sheepish white dragon. "You are all idiots."
Calista's ribs hurt from how hard she was laughing and tears clouded her vision. She really shouldn't find that as funny as she did, but she couldn't help it.
"Come now, Yoon." Jae-ha chuckled, voice smooth as silk. "That isn't right to say of Yona dear."
The youngest let out a very undignified snort at his claim, tending to Kija's injury with diligence and begrudging carefulness.
"You said they were going southwest?"
They all snapped their heads towards the scarcely audible voice as Calista weakly propped herself up, having calmed down from her short laughing fit. Yona knelt down by her side but she waved off her worry dismissively with her good hand.
"I'll heal, Yona." She reassured softly but that didn't seem to do anything to ease her concern.
"Southwest from here is..." Yoon chimed in thoughtfully after popping Kija's dislocated shoulder back into place, then froze. "Hiryuu Castle?!"
Kija's eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully. "He's asking for reinforcements from the king?"
"... If he goes to Hiryuu Castle, he can definitely get strong reinforcements but..." Yoon trailed off, gaze flickering around uneasily.
Yona didn't speak a word, contemplating why he would go there when the capital of the Fire Tribe was closer. It didn't make any sense. Nothing about this situation added up.
"This isn't something I want to think about..." Hak drew out hesitantly, causing Calista to look his way.
Her forehead creased in concern. It wasn't like him to be so unsure of himself, especially when it came to battle tactics. She thought she heard his voice tremble, but she wasn't sure if she was hallucinating or not.
Something's scaring him. She thought to herself, then cursed inwardly. Damn, how much blood did I lose? I can't think straight.
"What is it?" Yoon prompted.
Hak continued on as if he hadn't heard him. "Even if it's Kan Soo-jin, he wouldn't go this far... is what I thought at first but—"
"What? What is it?" Yoon interrupted hastily, growing more and more anxious by the second as he failed to answer him. "Thunder Beast?"
"Hak?" Yona echoed, delicate voice trembling ever so slightly.
She wished she didn't recognize that expression on his face. It was the same as that night where everything fell apart. Right before her world was shattered.
"There's something that's been bothering me this whole time." Hak muttered under his breath.
He went on to explain that the army the Fire Tribe general took was larger in size than the one left behind to defend the castle. Which didn't make any sense since his top priority was keeping the capital secure so that it didn't fall.
"If you follow the common military strategy, Saika Castle needs the largest army to protect it." He informed the others, steely gaze fixating on Jae-ha who hadn't said a word yet.
The green dragon paused, reaching what he was getting at almost instantly. "Then he's easily defeated."
Hak bowed his head, gathering up his strength and pushing forward despite the darkness that reared its ugly head.
"If you think about it, the first fort, Rokka, fell way too easily. And there's one other thing." He pondered out loud, stress underlying his low tone. "Shin-ah just said that the Fire Tribe troops and the Sen Province army are heading southwest."
The blue dragon nodded hesitantly, not really understanding why he brought it up. He didn't connect the dots in time.
Hak's eyes narrowed and his features turned grave. "Shin-ah."
He straightened up at the repeated mention of his name.
"How were the Fire Tribe troops? Were they injured?" Hak fired question after question at him without giving him any time to answer one. "What about the Sen Province soldiers?"
Shin-ah's lips parted slightly in shock as he recalled what information he could pull from his memory. "I didn't see... many injured..."
He lowered his head, eyebrows knitting together in deep concentration, determined to do his best to contribute despite the dire situation and the lack of information he had. "It didn't seem like they... fought much."
"But... the two armies are rushing southwest." He finished quietly.
Calista's jaw dropped as she reached the conclusion her brother undoubtedly came to a few minutes ago. Out of habit, she tried to rise only for her expression to twist in agony and she held back a scream as she attempted to push herself off the ground with her bad arm.
Shin-ah reached for her automatically but pulled back at the last second, fidgeting nervously in his seat as she held him back. Her silver eyes were glazed over with pain and knowing that she wouldn't let him do anything in that moment, he let her squeeze his hand, hoping that the small action could ease a little bit of her pain until she allowed him to help her.
"Wha..." But then, Yoon's eyes went wide with shock as realization hit him next. "Wait a second."
Hak crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head in defeat. He casted a look at his sister that she couldn't place through her daze and his eyes found the princess a beat later.
"Wait a second. Then..." Yoon's eyes rounded in horror. "Then... No!! But that's just too..."
Yona's calm exterior shattered, giving way to terror as the revelation that Hak had reached finally crashed over her like a tsunami.
The soldiers that were near Sen Province... The lightly guarded border... Calista's intel from the underground and the fact that he took the majority of his army out of his country...
Zeno placed Ao on the top of his head, asking nonchalantly from beside a horrified Kija, "So? What's happening?"
Jae-ha grimaced, shaking his head in disgust. "Basically, Kan Soo-jin has joined forces with Li Hazara."
"And right now, the fact that they are going to Hiryuu Castle means that that's their real goal." Hak stated, cobalt eyes flicking up to scorch into Yona's petrified gaze.
"Kan Soo-jin has joined forces with an enemy country and are currently after Hiryuu Castle and Soo-won's head."