The horses galloped through the forest as they proceeded toward the Baekje kingdom. The wind whispered words of menace and perilous danger to the inhabitants of the Fae kingdom, they could feel the impending danger from within a mile away, not until the gates burst open and soon, the entire kingdom fell into a state of uproar.
Screams and wails of terror as the assassins destroyed the fortress and broke down their gates resonated in the kingdom. Horrified inhabitants ran with hastened footsteps like a horde of zombies when their sights fell on the assassins who exuded terror from every pore of their being, clambering on one another, pushing and screaming as they hid from the monsters in human form.
The assassins proceeded toward the palace as everyone hid, leaving behind their goods as they ran for their lives. The alarm bell chimed loudly to reverberate throughout the entire kingdom, warning the inhabitants of the precarious crisis.
The militaries from the Baekje kingdom obstructed their path to hinder them from further movement into the palace. The assassins pulled the reins of their horses as they halted, before clambering down from their horses.
Their dark figures gleamed under the moon enacting its dim hue of silvery glow on them. They unsheathed their swords which glinted under the moonlight before charging at the troops who dared to obstruct their path.
They swung their swords effortlessly, slashing and detaching their limbs, with streaks of blood sprayed in the air like crimson diamonds bathing the floor with rivulets of blood.
They mounted on their horses to proceed toward the palace, but not before Hwarang's eyes caught a pair of jade ones peeking at them through a corner in which the little figure hid in.
The little girl looked at him like a monster as the brim of her eyes pooled up with unshed tears, and body trembling in fear. He looked away and yanked the reins of his horse, making the ground beneath them rumble as their horses galloped.
They finally arrived at the palace, but they were already prepared for their attack as the alarm bell had been rung.
"Fire!" A loud male voice echoed from the rooftop and before they could process what had ensued, a sheaf of arrows shot at them from every direction.
They clambered down from their horses and swiftly swung their swords against the never ending arrows shot at them. The arrows split like twigs as their swords clashed against it.
The assassins propelled forward as they evaded the shooting arrows, breaking through until they reached the entrance. They blasted through the door and emerged into the innards of the palace.
"Invaders! Invaders!" The guards cried out as they emerged into the palace. Troops of guards obstructed their path as they scampered from the different intersections, encircling them in the process.
The guards charged forward as they unsheathed their swords ready to attack, the assassins were outnumbered but the skills and prowess of the assassins made the fight unfair.
The assassins swung their swords effortlessly as they parried the inflicted attacks from the guards, and a batch of the troops slumped to the floor, with heads detached from their necks, to roll with streams of blood on the floor.
Hwarang and one other of the assassins bypassed the guards as they hauled toward the chambers of the royal family to annihilate them and carry out the mission.
"I'll take the princess's room, you take the king's." Hwarang ordered and the other assassin nodded in affirmation before taking the west wing where the king's chamber was situated in.
He strode through the network of hallway toward the North wing where the princess's chamber was situated in. His jaws ticked as his fist coiled tightly around the hilt of his sword till his knuckles turned white.
He halted in front of her chamber, the flickering torches in the hallway shone on his figure, making his shadows manifest on the hanji screened door.
"Who...is there?" He heard a shaky voice query from inside of the chamber. It wasn't Nari's voice but rather a maid's, it was odd how he still remembered her voice.
No reply came.
He knew they were already aware of the precarious danger and that their kingdom was under raid.
"Who...is there?" The maid queried again with a quivering voice when he stood in front of the hanji screened door unmoving.
As a Hwarang, their senses were more heightened than an average humans. He could hear the shaky breathing erupting from the inside as silence ensued.
He could hear the huffing of feet dragged against the wooden floor as it moved closer to the door. The hanji screened door slid open and the maid swung a sword toward him, but he swiftly parried the attack and thrust his sword into her midriff area and the blade poked out of her back.
She groaned in pain as he pulled his sword out and with a swift movement, his sword swung across her neck, detaching her head from her neck which half rolled on the floor with a soft thud.
Blood sprayed out of her decapitated neck as her headless body slumped to the floor stiffly.
"Yoona!" Nari screeched as she heard the unknown sounds. Hwarang's gaze fell on her as she stood in one corner of the room shivering in fear with tears pooling the brim of her forest green eyes.
He froze for a second as he looked at her. She was exactly as he had remembered her, still as ravishing as always, although she was a bit older now, her features hadn't really altered much. Her petite figure was dressed in a silky hanbok gown, her brown hair fell loosely on her shoulders, but what stole his attention was her captivating green eyes he thought he would never get to see again, although their encounter was now in a hazardous situation.
Her summer scent wafted into his nostrils, making his brain numb, but he quickly strengthened his resolve. He was a monster, blood and death was all that encompassed his world and darkness was all that engulfed his shallow heart.
He tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword, ready to behead her with it.
"Hwarang?" She called out with a shaky low voice like a faint whisper underneath her breath and the tears gleaming in her green eyes fell on her cheeks. His hand with the sword halted midair, just a few inches away from taking her head off.
His jaws clenched unnervingly and his hands trembled uncontrollably. He could hear her heart throbbing hard against her chest in fear, her small lips quivering in unease as she clutched the fabric of her gown.
"W-What are you d-doing, Hwarang?" She stuttered in confusion as her eyes darted to unknown destination.
He closed his eyes tightly and opened them as he cussed beneath his breath. Whatever was going through his head at that moment, was a very bad idea, failure to kill her would be treachery and betrayal to the kingdom and the Maitreya. Moreover, if he failed to take the kill, then another assassin wouldn't hesitate to lay waste to her, which he didn't think he would be able to let ensue.
He had two options and none of them seemed in anyway a profitable idea, he could kill her and live with heartache for the rest of his life or commit treason against the kingdom and Maitreya which was ludicrous. He would be a fugitive and traitor in the Silla kingdom, an outcast in the eyes of all and a disappointment.
Nevertheless, the assassins would take it upon themselves to kill him for treason and defying the code of honor and Maitreya. They would hunt him for the rest of his life relentlessly until they snuffed out the life from him. They would hunt him to the end of the world and back again, they would never rest, never stop and never slumber until their hands were drenched in his blood.
Was the risk worth the take?