"If your law is to kill those who enter the capital, then my law is to beat up noblemen who cross this line. If you want to kill him, cross this line. I shall take on all of you." The man threw Kangsung's sword back to him. He tried to swing at him with it again but was blocked.
"You crossed the line." He swung again, and got hit by the man on the back. No matter how hard the poor kid tried, he was being beat by the stranger. And from the looks of it, he couldn't deal with it.
"What are you doing?" Suho asked Ban-Ryu. "Your friend is hurt physically, and emotionally. You know, you're a jerk with no loyalty."
"What was that?" One of Ban-Ryu's friends stepped in to defend his leader. Ban-Ryu raised his left hand to the boy to stop him. "Stay out of it." He ordered, his eyes not leaving Suho. "Ban-Ryu..still..." His friend said, trying to ask why he stopped him. "If you jump into a fight like this, you'll only get dirty." Ban-Ryu told him, looking at the man then.
He turned to Kangsung. "You pathetic loser." He told him. I had to laugh to myself a little. I could see where the "jerk with no loyalty" comment came from. He was part of that group when they came here first. What happened in that short space of time for him to be treated this way? From what I've seen with the way he acts though, he's got a temper, and maybe Ban-Ryu got sick of it.
Ban-Ryu left. Kangsung tried to strike again and yes, you guessed it, the man took him down. The kid needs to realise that it isn't going to happen. This man was clearly more skilled than he was in fighting. His ego was getting the better of him, and he was making a fool of himself at this point.
"Does anyone else wish to cross over?" The man challenged. No one spoke up or stepped forward. It was probably for the best.
The man went over to his friend who was crouching, still in pain from the beating he had received prior. He helped him up and they went towards the exit. "The soldiers will cut off your heads!" Kangsung called after them but they ignored him.
Well...that was....dramatic. Is this what all the rich kids in the Capital are like? I need to go find my brother. I want to go home.
I found him. "Hey, you ready to go home?" He asked, when I met up with him. "Yep I just saw a kid try and beat up a man who was practically twice his size in a sword fight and fail miserably. And in front of his group of friends whose leader was definitely reconsidering keeping him in the friend group." I said, laughing at the memory.
Pa-Oh met up with us with our horses and we got on them and started to head home. "You should have slept more. Why did you come out?" Pa-Oh asked. "That girl was trying to sleep with me." I choked on air. What? "It seems like I will have to see her again." Wait is this the same girl he was looking for yesterday? "Will she do it again next time? I am sure she had called you perverted..." Pa-Oh asked. My brother looked at him. "You and I have become too close lately." I had to laugh. The face he was making was way too funny for me to not laugh at. He has such funny expressions. He looked almost disturbed that Pa-Oh was even having this conversation with him in the first place.
"I have been thinking that too. But even if you don't want me here, you don't have a choice. Neither of you do. I swore to your Mother I would protect you." I got a little angry at the mention of the Queen again but contained myself.
"Did you not find the man that saw my face?" My brother asked. "Do not worry. They will catch him." Pa-Oh promised. I think that's what he's afraid of. Given what happened to the other guy who saw his face. His entire front torso up to his neck was slashed by the guard.
"That's what I'm worried about. I'm afraid he will deal with it that way again." Knowing what the Queen was like, it was definitely going to happen again. We heard a horse and looked up in the direction the sound was coming from. The same guard who killed the man the other night was racing into the outskirts of the town on his horse. We followed him but when we got to where we thought he was, it was horrific.
Two men lay on the ground, covered in blood. He got to them. I recognised them as the two friends from earlier. "These two were at the Okta earlier. He was defending his friend." I said, looking down at them.
"I ended up....killing this person..." My brother said, pain in his voice. We got back on our horses and went back to where we were staying in silence. For someone who's never laid a harmful hand on anyone his entire life, my brother has too much blood on his hands...and it is all her fault. Anyone who has died because of seeing my brother's face, it's been because she ordered it.
The next day I was reading a book while my brother stared blankly into space while a girl played an instrument. When she finished she looked up at my brother. "Are you waiting for Miss Aro?"
"I wouldn't call it waiting....wait." He paused. "Miss Aro?" he asked. "Yes." The girl answered. "She is the daughter of Master Ahnji. The family is not doing well so sometimes we hire her to do our sewing. As you already know, she is talented in a different area." The girl explained, smirking. What is that supposed to mean....
"Master Ahnji?" Jinheung asked, breezing by her last comment. "Does this mean she's a True Bone?"
"Well, I am not sure if I should say this, but she is a half-breed." The girl said. I put my book down, interested now. What? If my brother has a crush on someone, it's my job as his sister to scope it out. Besides, this is new for me to see, I've never seen him like someone. "A half-breed?" My brother asked.
"Her mother was a servant of Master Ahn's household. She was forced out of the Capital. We can say she's half of a True Bone." My brother looked deep in thought.
After a while my brother went to go look for Aro and I went for another wander around the town alone. There were people gathered around a poster board. I walked to where I could read it.
"We shall select the most beautiful of the young men and teach them morality and how to enjoy arts," A boy read out. He looked around my age, young enough, and he was the one who read it out loud.
"We shall train them to be great men of Silla. Hwarang. That sounds nice." He said with an adorably innocent smile on his face. "They are selecting dogs for the Queen." A voice spoke up. People turned, including me, and well look who it was, Ban-Ryu. "Who would do such a thing." One of his friends scoffed. "Do you not agree Ban-Ryu." Ban-Ryu said nothing. He doesn't seem to engage with them when they ask things or make comments like unless he wants to.
"I am surprised you're interested in these things." Another voice, who when I looked over to where it came from, it belonged to Suho. "What? Do you plan on applying?" He continued after Ban-Ryu looked at him.
"You can wag your tail all you want." Was all Ban-Ryu said before turning to leave. "I thought that was your speciality. Isn't that what you do to your stepfather?" Suho said. These two at each other intrigues me. I don't know why. Maybe because they're just witty with each other, and there's a clear rivalry there, that I've never seen before.
"These days, we have been quite distant." Ban-Ryu spoke up. "I know, right? Let's fight." Suho suggested.
The two groups walked up to face each-other and after a moment of silent staring, they took off in different directions. Boys..
My brother joined me eventually in the town. "Hey come with me. I want to show you something." I said, dragging him to the sign post. "She's up to something." I said quietly to him and let him read the poster for himself.
"Hwarang. The Future of Silla..." He scoffed. "You mean Hwarang for you....Mother." He clearly didn't agree with it either.
"Should we apply to get under her skin?" I asked, half-joking. Part of me would love to rub it in her face that the princess she's been trying to hide for years suddenly appears to be part of a group of young Warriors that she wants to protect the very thing that I am. I'm sure my brother would love to do the same.
My brother laughed at my suggestion. "I'm kind of not joking. I would love to." I said, and he nodded. "I know, that's what I'm laughing at. We really should, shouldn't we. Only thing is, you're a girl. They might not let you in because of that."
"Oh believe me. They will." I said, smirking and he laughed again, and it made me laugh too. He put an arm around my shoulder and we went to meet Pa-Oh at the tea shop.
"I have never followed anyone like this before. She went everywhere and is so quick too." Pa-Oh said. My brother laughed at our poor bodyguard, struggling to take steady breaths. "So where is she now?" Pa-Oh gave him where she was and he went off to find Aro.
I went back to our little house to think more about what the Queen was planning. Hwarang.....Interesting....Two can play at this game. Or should I say three...