I shifted my feet tiredly.  I had been at the archery range for hours now.  The novelty and excitement had worn off long ago, and now I was just exhausted.

Kyuhyun and Yesung had been shooting nonstop.  It was a never ending cycle, both of them hit the center of the target over and over again, neither one of them ever missing a shot. 

The crowd was seemingly bored, however they remained standing.  They had been here so long, it would be a waste if they left now.  The winner would have to be declared eventually.

I looked at Kyuhyun’s father and watched as the man glared every time his son went up to shoot.  I could practically see him willing Kyuhyun to miss. 

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at this futile act.  If Kyuhyun was going to miss, he would have done so by now.  He was unshakable and it was obvious that his father’s disapproval would do little to deter him. 

I crowd let out another groan of disappointment as another round of perfect shots was completed.  The runners dragged their feet as they went to retrieve the arrows for what seemed like the thousandth time.

On the platform I could see the queen whispering to the king, obviously asking him to declare the tournament a tie.  I couldn’t help but agree with her.  This was obviously going nowhere and we had spent more than enough time here.

The king looked reluctant, but he eventually agreed to his wife’s request.  I was relieved.  I knew both my master’s and Kyuhyun’s ego would be hurt, but I really didn’t care.  If you asked me, both of them were juvenile and overly competitive anyway.

After they completed another round, the king stood, immediately gaining everyone’s attention.  The king smiled apologetically and opened his mouth to speak, but right at that moment, an arrow flew towards him, barely missing his face.

The queen screamed and the guards immediately surrounded the royal pair.  Kyuhyuns’ father was instantly on his feet, shouting orders as he drew his sword.

The crowd was a mass of frightened people.  It was chaos as everyone tried to get away.  As the commotion continued, more arrows rained down, each time taking down a member of the guard.

I stood frozen in place, I couldn’t do anything but watch in horror as the scene unfolded around me.  The hidden snipers were obviously good, their shots were getting closer and closer to the king despite the heavy protection around him.

My eyes flickered around in panic, landing on the archery platform almost as an afterthought.  My master was nowhere to be seen, apparently having fled the scene when the danger broke out. 

My eyes widened when I saw Kyuhyun stood alone on the platform.  He was a perfect target, he stood tall and immobile, an easy shot.  I saw the numerous arrows already littered at his feet and fear gripped my stomach.  It would only be a matter of time before he was finally hit.

I opened my mouth to scream at him, tell him to get down, but my voice failed me.  All I could do was watch him with terrified eyes.

Despite the panic and fear that surged all around him, Kyuhyun looked calm.  He seemed unaffected by it all, almost as if he didn’t realize something was wrong. 

I gasped when an arrow came right at him and I felt my heart go cold.  I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see the moment of impact.  I clutched a wooden pole of the platform as my breath came out in harsh spurts.

I finally managed to peak open an eye and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Kyuhyun still stood, unhurt and unfazed.  Suddenly, faster than I thought possible, he held up his bow and shot.  The arrow flew into the thick growth of trees that surrounded the range.   Seconds later a body fell from the trees.

The enemy arrows rained down faster now, all of them aimed at Kyuhyun.  However, he was faster, dodging the arrows while sending off his own shots at blinding speeds.  More and more bodies fell from the trees and finally the enemy fire ceased.

The people were so scared by the attack that they didn’t even notice that the shooting had stopped.  All around me there were still frantic screams and desperate sobs, but I almost didn’t notice it.  My eyes were still trained on Kyuhyun, refusing to look away even once.

A particularly loud yell broke me out of my daze, and I looked back to see the king and queen mounting horses.  Kyuhyun’s father was already seated on his horse and he was the one yelling.  He was screaming at the other guards, telling them to hurry up.

He quickly ushered he king and queen away, never looking back to see those who had fallen.  They quickly disappeared into the woods, no doubt heading back to the security of the castle.  Right before they were out of sight, I saw the king look back at the blood covered range, deep sorrow in his eyes.

I followed the king’s lead and looked around me with wide eyes.  Bloody bodies and broken arrows were everywhere.  I had seen a lot of terrible things in my life, but I had never seen such a massacre unfold before my very eyes.

I let out a startled cry when I felt a strong hand grip my arm.  I didn’t relax even when I saw it was Kyuhyun.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes also taking in the carnage that surrounded us.

I nodded numbly, my tongue still paralyzed.

“I think I got them all” he muttered, more to himself than to me.  “Did the king and the queen make it out alright?”

Again I simply nodded, still too overwhelmed to form coherent thoughts.  If I was thinking clearly, I might have noticed that he never asked about his father’s safety, but at that time it escaped my attention.

My eyes quickly swept over him, subconsciously examining him for any injuries.  I wasn’t sure why, but my heart unclenched slightly when I found he was unharmed.

I knew I should have rushed to find my master, to make sure he was okay, but I didn’t even think of it at that time.  It was almost like Kyuhyun was my master seeing as I was far more concerned for his wellbeing than Yesung’s.

“C’mon, we can’t stay here” Kyuhyun whispered, his sharp eyes darting around.

He grabbed my arm and I allowed him to drag me through the chaotic masses.  In any other case, I would have yanked away from him and snapped at him hatefully, but this time I simply allowed him to lead me.

His grip on my wrist tightened ever so slightly when we passed by one of the enemy bodies.  I trembled slightly as my eyes locked on the dead eyes that stared straight ahead.  Kyuhyun picked up his pace, almost like he didn’t want me to see anymore.

However, it was far too late for that.  I breath hitched slightly as I stared at the corpse.  Kyuhyun must have been a better shooter than I thought.  His aim was so deadly accurate that even I felt a cold bolt of fear run through my body.

Kyuhyun’s arrow was embedded directly in the center of the dead man’s forehead.

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Cue dramatic music!

Finally, this update took me forever!  School is starting to get crazy, but I'll do my best to keep up with my weekly updates... I promise to try...

Music: "Dream Girl"- SHINee (too much love... just too much)