The Varied Path (Akatsuki no Yona Fanfiction)

Chapter 19: Hakuryuu

Calista heard the light footfalls of Yoon as she caught up to him, and narrowed her eyes. The boy's steps were not rushed, like she had come to know them. He was too eager to see the world and the wonders it held.

"Yoon." Her silver eyes were filled with concern when he wouldn't turn to face her. "What's wrong?"

"There's something that's been bothering me. Why do you serve her?" He finally turned around. "What's the point? Why don't you just leave her?"

Calista almost flinched at his words, his sharp tongue distinctly reminding her of him, but she quickly sunk that thought in the back of her mind, focusing on the obviously distraught boy in front of her. He couldn't for the life of him figure out the answer.

He had been mulling over it for days, and now he just wanted the answer. He no longer cared about trying to solve it.

She squatted down in front of him, so that she could look up at him. "I chose to follow her."

"But why?"

Calista paused, fiddling with a piece of cloth on her wrist absentmindedly.

"To leave now would be foolish, and you know that." His eyes darted away from hers. He knew she was right. "Her Highness is family to me. You always protect family."

Yoon wanted to ask why she didn't just call Yona by her name if she considered her family, but at that moment, something whistled through the air. 

Calista was up on her feet in a second, pulling him roughly behind her. In the blink of an eye, she sliced the incoming arrow in half with a knife, and Yoon was stunned. 

The fog became heavier around them, and Calista angled her body to shield him. She didn't get a chance to do anything though, as he was torn away from her, and darkness blinded her.

When she came to, Calista's eyes darted around warily, her body remaining still so she didn't give any other indication that she was awake. She subtly tried to move her hands and feet, finding them bound together. 

Calista felt the panic bubble up in her chest, and she desperately tried to suppress it.

No, no, no! Not now!

Her eyes caught sight of Yoon and she scrambled over to him, focusing all her efforts on him. He was restrained just like her. He was already awake, but was astonished to see that she was up and moving all of the sudden. 

He didn't notice her wake up.

They were in some sort of cage. Calista couldn't sit up straight, and that was starting to mess with her head, sending her back under. 

NO!!!

She fought furiously against it, but she lost. 

Her lips curled back in a feral snarl as mysterious men dressed in all white came closer. She shoved Yoon behind her with her shoulder, the boy shouting as he fell over from the force.

He was about to scold her, but closed his mouth as he saw the crazed look in her eye. Yoon knew she wasn't all there. Something triggered her into this phase. 

Calista fought to regain control of her mind and push back the hysteria as she felt herself lash out at anyone who came close to them.

"Don't touch him." Her silver eyes burned with fury. Yoon was taken aback at the fire in her eyes. The rage she exuded didn't fit with their relationship. He was nothing special to her, so the pretty boy wondered why she would go this far for him.

He silently began calculating their odds of escaping, tucking his observations in the back of his mind, when he suddenly heard:

"And on your left you can see a statue of our Lord Hakuryuu..."