Blessed Moon: The King's Seer

by L. S Bethel

  Chapter Forty-Three

  The moon illuminated their path but not by much. Jung-Soo crept slowly between the trees. ‘Listen for the whistle. Come back.’ Serenity's whispered warning from that day in the war chamber echoed in his mind. His heart thudded more than usual, but he remained calm. He listened out for the sounds of the forest, but he heard none not even the chirp of insects. His heart rate picked up even more. He motioned for his men to be still and continued to listen. He stood unmoving as the seconds turn to minutes. Still nothing, but he could not relax. Something wasn't right. He debated whether to go further into the darkness to search out anything unusual. It was his orders to check out the area, but he knew it would be a mistake. Serenity was right, this was a foolish endeavor. He gave the sign to retreat. They would go back for the night and scope out the area in daylight. Moving with the stealth of a lion they retraced their footsteps to head back to their hidden rendezvous.

  It was low at first, so low, Jung-Soo wasn't sure he'd heard it, but then it came again much clearer, a whistle.

  “Down!” He shouted out just as a flaming arrow flew by, barely missed him as he dropped to the ground. A slew of arrows followed suit hitting the trees and ground around them. “Move!” Jung-Soo ordered. Jung-Soo knew whoever was out there couldn't see them and must only have an idea of where they were. How they got the information, he didn't know, but that was tomorrow's problem. Right now, he had to get his men out. The fire was spreading around blocking their previous path. The man to his left cried out. He looked to see an arrow sticking out of his leg. Jung-Soo and another quickly patted the fire out to keep it from spreading. They each took an arm and carried the man through the onslaught of arrows. They moved as quickly as they could while his men surrounded them using their shields and bodies to block any possible arrows. Arrows began to rain heavier on the left forcing them to go right. Then they were heavier in front forcing them to go back. They were being herded, but they didn't have a choice but to keep moving. ‘Come back,’ Serenity's plea almost cried out in his mind. He tightened his hold on his man and kept moving. They were forced into the road, a clear target.

  “Break off!” He ordered. They had a better chance if they scattered. His man hesitated not wanting to leave their captain.

  “Go!”

  The men ran off leaving him with his injured man and the other soldier. They began moving towards the woods. Another arrow whizzed past them, though it seemed like the number of them had lessened considerably. They kept on moving.

  “Leave me,” the man pleaded.

  “Quiet!” Jung-Soo snapped. They moved through the trees, using them for cover. The three men came to a stop. Coming out from the darkness were men in black armor, with bows and arrows pointed directly at them. Jung-Soo stared them down as his heart pounded. He raised his head high, ready to meet death if need be. Putting the injured man fully in the other soldier's hold he grabbed his sword. The men began to laugh. Jung-Soo smirked. “You should turn around.” The men laughed harder only to stop short when two men fell forward, dead, arrows sticking out of their backs. The men swiftly spun around just as another group of arrows came out of the darkness hitting them all.

  Jung-Soo lowered his sword. Nasim and a group of her soldiers came out.

  “Did you get them all?” Jung-Soo asked.

  “If we did not, I'm sure our King will.”

  Jung-Soo was surprised to hear that Kang-Dae had to come himself. A few months ago, he would have expected it, but given the state of their relationship lately, he honestly hadn't anticipated it.

  2 days earlier

  Jung-Soo closed up his pack. He was about to head down to the gate to follow Kang-Dae’s orders when something slipped under his door. It was a small scroll. Picking it up and unraveling it, he recognized the king’s handwriting immediately.

  ‘Take your men through the south part of the marshes. Make your presence known. Nasim will come from the north, once the enemy shows their face.’

  Jung-Soo was more than a little relieved. Perhaps he still cared after all.

  Jung-Soo and his comrades made their way back to the road where the rest of Nasim and the King soldiers were rounding up Katsuo’s surrendering men.

  Kang-Dae turned toward him, cleaning the blood from his sword. “We need to move if we want to make it in time. Kyril and Amir are already there. If we are late, Katsuo will have the upper hand.” Jung-Soo quickly mounted a horse.

  They rode out that night as the sun rose. Jung-Soo and Kang-Dae were at the lead. It was almost a day's ride from where they were, so they had to hurry. As they came up to the plains, Kang-Dae turned to speak to Jung-Soo.

  “I will take the left,” Jung-Soo said before Kang-Dae could tell him to do that very thing. Jung-Soo raced away with his men following behind. Kang-Dae chuckled lightly before leading his men right.

  Katsuo’s men were charging. Kyril and Amir’s men were outnumbered by several 100 but not one hesitated to charge forward to meet them head-on. Katsuo's soldiers pressed on confidently eager for victory. By the time they noticed Kang-Dae and Jung-Soo coming from the sides they didn't have time to defend against them. Their men moved through their lines easily, barreling through with their horses. One, two, five men fell with a swing of Kang-Dae’s sword. Katsuo’s soldiers either ran or joined the many fallen. By now, Kyril and Amir had joined in surrounding them on three sides.

  Jung-Soo was off his horse taking on two opponents at once. Kang-Dae quickly dismounted and joined him. They fought back to back as they had done many times before neither giving the enemy any opening, surprising them by swiftly switching positions, the sudden change in fighting styles threw them off giving both Kang-Dae and Jung-Soo an opening to dispatch of each of them. Kang-Dae gave Jung-Soo a once over making sure he was alright as Jung-Soo did the same. Once both men were assured the other was alright, they went right back into the fight.

  The battle didn't last much longer. Those who didn't fall ran. The Xianians cheered in victory. Kang-Dae slapped Jung-Soo jovially on the back. This much needed. He hadn’t had anything to celebrate in weeks.

  ***

  Serenity and Arezoo looked over the map together. Even though Kang-Dae had ordered his men to keep her inside the room, she was still allowed to have her guard with her, so she’d demanded Arezoo be let in. This was a good chance to form a plan for the next night of the blessed moon. It was less than a week away.

  “Once they notice we’re gone he’s going to know what our destination is. The main road won’t be viable,” Arezoo speculated. “We need a route that will get us there in a short amount of time but also isn’t accessible to a large party.”

  Serenity pointed at the map. “Through these hills?” Serenity suggested.

  “Not a good option when traveling at night.”

  Chewing on her lip, Serenity thought hard. They didn’t have many options. Her eyes fell to a small line on the map.

  “Do you think you can get a boat?”

  “A boat?”

  “If we leave through the east gate, we can make it to this stream. We can place it there beforehand.” Serenity followed the stream on the map with her finger. “It flows right by these hills. By then it should be daytime and easier to make our way through before sunset.”

  “That’s possible.” Arezoo agreed.

  Serenity’s anxiety about the upcoming night was beginning to ease, but there was something else that filled her with tension.

  “Arezoo, what are you going to do, after I’m gone? They might blame you.” Speaking it out loud made the truth of it that much more real to Serenity. When she brought Arezoo in on her plan, she hadn’t stopped to think about how it could affect her. She was the Queen’s guards’ captain. If something happened to Serenity, she might be the first to be blamed.

  “I will be fine, my Queen,” she said without a trace of doubt or worry.

  “Arezoo, maybe you should stay behind. They’ll just think I ran away on my own,”

 
; “No.”

  “Arezoo.”

  “As long as you are here you are still my queen and it is my duty to protect you, no matter the risk to me,” she affirmed. “Do not worry over me. I will simply say I followed after you once I noticed you missing and failed to stop you in time.”

  Serenity was still unsure about it all but from the determined expression on her face, she didn’t think she could ever change her mind.

  Feeling a bit emotional Serenity hugged the female from the side. Arezoo didn’t move to pull away or hug back, letting her have her moment. “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “You’re welcome, my Queen.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Instead of returning home, Kang-Dae had the men set up camp for the night allowing them a chance to celebrate. Kang-Dae watched amused, as his men drank and joked with one another. He still had some men posted in case any of Katsuo’s men felt like returning. He didn't drink, preferring to keep himself sober-minded. Jung-Soo was off on his own, keeping watch. It wasn't surprising for him to keep out of the festivities but there was a heaviness on him that was not normal. He’d be lying to himself if he said it was the first time he noticed it. Guilt filled him as he knew he was the cause. The anger and suspicion he’d been feeling towards his oldest friend dimmed as he recalled how they fought together side by side like they had numerous times before. He was moving before he could come up with a reason not to.

  Kang-Dae offered Jung-Soo a drink, a simple gesture. He declined as Kang-Dae suspected he would but getting him to accept the drink was not the goal.

  “Katsuo will think twice before trying anything else.” Jung-Soo gave the smallest of nods. “You and the men can have some time off. Not all at once of course, but every one of them should be able to spend some time with their families even if it's for a short while.”

  “I will tell them,” Jung-Soo said.

  “You as well.”

  “I have no family to visit.” Jung-Soo reminded him, and the statement stung. Not long ago he would have said Kang-Dae was his family, now it seemed he no longer felt that way. Kang-Dae knew he had no one to blame but himself.

  Jung-Soo turned to him and stared as if he were waiting for something. Kang-Dae looked away and began to walk off.

  “Will you really not speak of it?” Jung-Soo asked. Kang-Dae stopped. He would've liked to pretend he had no idea what Jung-Soo was talking about, but he did. Jung-Soo continued to watch him daring him to speak up.

  When Kang-Dae continued to stay silent Jung-Soo lightly scoffed and began to walk off.

  “You love her.” It was not a question nor an accusation just a statement of fact. Jung-Soo froze in his tracks. Kang-Dae was unsure he would ever turn around, but he slowly faced him, meeting his gaze.

  “Voicing it makes no difference. Nothing has or will change.” He said it as if it was so simple. The dark anger he’d been battling was trying to creep up once more, but Kang-Dae didn't want to entertain it. “Did you think it would?” Jung-Soo asked. He sounded offended. Once again that guilt ate at him. Jung-Soo had always been his most trusted advisor, his most loyal soldier, and his closest friend. Looking back on the past few weeks it was hard to pinpoint when and why he'd allowed himself to doubt him.

  “I do not know,” he finally answered honestly. “It's been different. She's been different.” ‘With me’ he added on to still unable to voice it out loud.

  “So have you.” Kang-Dae had to pause. ‘Had he?’ He knew he'd been more short-tempered lately, but it had always seemed justified, at least at the time. Now, looking back after being away from it all for several days those moments seemed foggy and hard to understand.

  “You should speak to her. There's something between you two neither one of them wants to talk about it and is slowly destroying you both. Don't let it.”

  It sounded good. One simple conversation everything could return to normal. The truth would be out and the never-ending guilt he’d been feeling might finally be appeased. But it wasn't that easy. His confession wouldn't end their issues only compound them. In the end, he’d lose more than her affection. It was unthinkable. “This is my punishment,” he said aloud before he could stop himself. Jung-Soo's brows crinkled.

  “What?”

  Kang-Dae shook his head and started to leave but Jung-Soo was quick to block his path. “Why would you think that?”

  “Leave it,” Kang-Dae said attempting to walk away once more but Jung-Soo remained in his way.

  “What did you do?” That guilt increased tenfold.

  “Let me go,” he growled needing to get away before it consumed him.

  “Say it.”

  “Stop.”

  “Say it!”

  “It was the only way!” He screamed, pushing Jung-Soo away. “It was the only thing I could do. I couldn't let her go.” Jung-Soo's confused expression slowly shifted from shock to disbelief until finally the implication of his words penetrated his mind and the horrified look that appeared last tore at Kang-Dae’s heart.

  Jung-Soo shook his head in disbelief. “No. You would not do that. You’d never purposely break your vow.” Kang-Dae couldn't look at him any longer.

  “I had no choice,’ he said softly.

  The silence between them was unbearable. That overwhelming horrible shame was pounding on him in light of his confession.

  “She has to know.”

  “No.”

  “Kang-Dae!” It was the first time he ever risen his voice to him.

  “I can't.”

  “You must.”

  “Do you want her gone? Do you want to lose her forever?” Kang-Dae demanded.

  “It's not about what we want,” Jung-Soo said. “How can you disregard your vow for your own selfish desires?”

  “She'll die!” Jung-Soo took a step back like he'd been struck. “If she goes back, she will not survive it.” Jung-Soo searched his face trying to confirm the truth in his eyes.

  “Are you certain?”

  “I'm not willing to risk it,” Kang-Dae told him. Jung-Soo's head dropped as he tried to process what he’d been told. He rubbed his hand through his hair exasperated. He turned back to Kang-Dae.

  “Why lie?”

  “You know why,” Kang-Dae said. Jung-Soo knew as he did that Serenity wouldn't let anything stop her. She’d refused to just take the word of others. Nothing would have dissuaded her from returning. “I can lose her to her world and her family. It would have killed me to let her go but I would have done it for her because it's what she wanted. But I cannot let her go to her death. That I will not do.” The nightmare he’d all those weeks ago still haunted him.

  Serenity was in a black dress standing on the edge of a cliff waving at him happily. He was trying to reach her, to warn her but she just smiled at him telling him everything would be alright. She turned around to step off. Kang-Dae ran for her, desperate to catch her. His fingers managed to grasp at her dress, but she slipped through his fingers and went over the ledge. Kang-Dae screamed as he watched her fall. At first, she seemed at peace, but before she could hit the water it became a dark black hole. Her face filled with panic and fear as she called out to him for help, but he could only watch helplessly as she was swallowed by the darkness.

  After that dream, Kang-Dae knew he had to make a hard decision.

  Jung-Soo looked as conflicted as he had felt before he made that decision. “It is not right.”

  “Maybe, but there's no alternative. Even if we were to tell her and by some miracle, she agreed to stay, she could never live happily here. The guilt of choosing her life over her family’s peace would eat at her every day. This way, this way she can be blameless. She can have comfort in the fact that she had no control over it.”

  Even in the darkness, Kang-Dae could feel Jung-Soo’s judgment on him. Kang-Dae wished he would condemn him, rage at him, tell him he was a dishonorable man. It’s what he’d been telling himself ever since he made that choice. Somehow being the only one to condemn himself ma
de it seem worse.