‘It begins…’

                ‘!’

                Minjun shouted, his hands gripping the bars in front of him tightly, his knuckles are bright white as his teeth gritted together hard, his eyes shut as he held back the other curse words that threatened to slip past his lips.  He lay propped up on his elbows face down on a wooden slap in the middle of an empty room, his head hanging, hissing loudly as the old man standing beside him pressed a needle into the skin of his back, dark black lines being created; the needle moving along his back, the symbol and words almost finished.  The old man above him grunted, the needle being lifted as a tremble went through MinJun’s body, the man growling willing his body to remain stable.  The old man continued his work, whipping away the blood that came from the puncturing needle…  After a few more long agonizing minutes the old man pulled back, his long sleeves ridding his forehead of his sweat, he looked down at his work with a sort of smile before letting it fade; his gaze wondering down to the man he had just branded, his elbows no longer propping himself up, his body collapsed against the slap, arms dangling over the edge.

                ‘I’m finished boy.  But don’t move yet, not that I expect you to, I need to cover it before I can let you leave…’

                He spoke, Minjun only responding with a nod of his head, he seemed more than willing to just lay there and relax for a while.  The old man smiled again before setting his needle aside, backing away from the wooden slap and heading towards the slide open door that was the excite of the room.  Pushing it open he was instantly greeted by a number of people, their faces all passive except for one, his formal attire jingling as he stepped forward, the old man instantly bowing as he approached.

                ‘Are you finished?’

                The man asked, the old man rising once told too, his head nodding up and down,

                ‘Yes, My lord.  But…  My lord, May I ask you a question?’

                The old man asked, watching the lord’s face; he carefully moved to the old man’s side, staring into the open door, towards MinJun who still hadn’t moved, but remained lying on the slap.  The lord cocked his head in the old man’s directions.

                ‘Go on.’

                He responded, the old man turning himself around to gaze in Minjun’s direction as well,

                ‘Why are you giving a young man like him such a heavy burden to carry?’

                He asked, the lords head no longer cocked, his shoulders straightening out, eyes never even once glancing towards the old man,

                ‘Because I know out of everyone, this man can carry it.’

                He replied, watching with a smile as MinJun was already forcing himself up with his arms, rolling off the slap and onto his feet.