𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐀 -𝑎𝑛𝑦

➪ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗡𝗘

𝑔𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔

yona flickered her gaze between hak and his hold on athena, giving them both a smile. they looked very good together.

"i understand why hak was there, but why were you there athena?" yoon dragged his palm across his face, sighing in exasperation. he had sent them out both to fetch for supplies, yet he found them fooling around with something they had no time for. "are you corrupting her!?"

at this, kija had swiped at the demon, growling.

athena sighed, rubbing her temples before escaping from hak who had wrapped his arms around everyone; hiding them all within a small alley. athena instead jumped up onto a roof, laying low before she heard the solders walk away a minute later. although, before she could jump back down, athena hummed when she heard yona's heart skip a beat-the faint smell of shyness erupting from the young princess.

floating down to the sidewalk, athena felt someone grab her hands.

"y-you're the woman who saved me yesterday! i wanted to thank you.." the woman smelled of flowers, making athena relax in her hold as she sent her a charming smile. "o-oh and you as well! thank you for helping me escape.."

"it was our pleasure," athena responded. "but if we could get off the streets, that would be great."

"of course! my work isn't to far from here." without waiting for a response, the flower lady had began to drag athena towards her workplace, her soft hand wrapped around her own. she briefly wondered if the callouses and scars didn't bother her, but smelling the gratitude coming from the woman, athena had immediately shut down the thought. "e-em sorry, i didn't mean to hold your hand.."

athena laughed airily, accepting the cup of tea. yoon and yona had taken a seat, herself and the others standing around as the woman prepared them tea.

"thank you," she mumbled, taking a sip.

"anyways," yoon interrupted with a light cough, "how did you meet those two?"

"they saved me from some guards who started getting frisky with me."

athena pursed her lips, avoiding his gaze as she continued to sip her tea. "you technically gave hak that order, not me."

"THEY APPLY TO YOU TOO!!"

athena sweat dropped, frowning.

"please don't blame them!" the woman shuffled over to her and hak, standing in front of them, giving yoon a puppy look. "if it wasn't for them, i probably wouldn't be standing here right now. w-we citizens can't go against the officers of this town.. they constantly terrorize small shops and take the women who catch their eyes.."

yoon narrowed his eyes. "why?"

"because of kum-ji?" hak questioned.

"who?"

athena piped in this time, gulping down her tea. "he's the one who's running all of awa."

"yes. because of him, everyone is terrorized and afraid of doing anything." the woman began to reek of fear, athena placing her hand on her shoulder. "a-all of the officers in this town are under his direct orders.. instead of doing business, kum-ji makes us pay unreasonable taxes. there are also some unsettling rumors surrounding the town.. but-its been this way since king il's reign. hopefully the new king will change this port town."

"then.. that's why everyone seemed depressed." yona mumbled under her breath, yet everyone heard her clear as day. athena tilted her head, smiling at yona's perception skills. "when we came to the village, everyone had fake smiles plastered on."

yoon hummed in thought, turning over to the lady. "then what about the pirates on the coast?"

"they don't hurt anybody."

"they don't?"

she shook her head, smiling softy. "they've never harmed the people of the village. in fact, the only people they harm are kum-ji's ships."

they continued to make small talk, yoon milking the woman out for more information before they all simultaneously thanked her and took their leave. they had shopped around for groceries and supplies, athena fumbling with her cape as her wings continued to ruffle underneath-the toxin her uncle had spread over them had already finished, and although her feathers and the skin had healed, athena had yet to take flight.

she wanted to wait until this threat was over.

if she used her blessing right now, she was sure kum-ji wouldn't hesitate to capture her down. and although she had complete confidence in her comrades powers, athena didn't want to burden them with her problems.

"are they hurting?" yoon watched athena continue to shift around her cape, her eyebrows narrowed. "you look like you're in pain."

her wriggling had stopped almost immediately. if this wasn't excitement to reach the clouds again-was it possible she wanted to run away again?

"i'm fine, yoonie." athena flashed him a small smile.

arriving at their camp, athena wasted no time in throwing off her cape, expanding out her wings as she shook them. smiling in content, she curled them back into their spot, facing yona who had been staring at her.

athena laughed when the smell of embarrassment flooded her nostrils.

"do you want to touch them?"

"can i?!"

uncurling her right wing, athena expanded it out towards the young princess, the tip of her wing almost touching her nose. "softly. run your fingers through them, don't pull." she hummed at the feeling, smiling when yona giggled.

"i want to know more about you, athena."

her wing had snapped back into place, startling her group. biting her bottom lip in apprehension, athena sighed. "when you have gathered all the dragons, i will explain. it's only fair, especially since i know all of your history yet you know none of mine."

"i-i didn't mean to upset you!" yona stammered out, frowning sadly. "and you don't have to explain if you don't want.. i just wanted to know more about you.."

athena ruffled her hair, walking away as she shook her head.

it was unfair of her to say when all the dragons would be gathered-after all, zeno had long since disappeared from the world.