Chapter 17 - The Warrior

The Goguryeo soldiers, led by Sehun, made their way inside a sewer. "Move!" he commanded them.

Jun wouldn't have expected that there had been a passage below the ground which no one else had ever discovered, except Sehun. The present King of Silla didn’t have any idea that the Silla Castle itself had been modified by the previous King –his brother, Yong Jae —and there was a passage in this castle that Yong Jae hadn't even shared with him. Yet Yong Jae had shared it with the warrior, whom he had entrusted his daughter to.

There was a hidden passage connecting the castle to the outside world, and it was this sewer. It started at a cave, sea side, half drown in sea water, and ended at the dungeon inside the castle.

Sehun had divided his soldiers into three groups for different tasks. One of them was to enter the castle with him through this hidden passage and attack the enemies from inside. The second group was led by Kris, who had to climb the back wall of the castle to meet Chanyeol at the top. The third group was to wait for Sehun's command in front of the main gate, but far enough not to be shot by the Silla bowmen standing by on the fourth and fifth level.

After nearly half an hour journey inside the sewer, Sehun and the first group reached the end of the passage. He climbed, yanked the lid of the tunnel open, and emerged at the dungeon. His eyes traveled around the familiar surroundings, and a smirk crept on his face. A few steps ahead, there was a jail used to store weapons. Of course. Yong Jae had created this passage for Irene to escape during war. Too bad for Jun: he didn't even know about this classified information.

The soldiers climbed from the sewer, and Sehun told them, "Come on. It's show time." He pointed at the weapons stored inside the jail. "Take those. You may need some extra.”

Kris spotted a Silla soldier waving his arm from the rooftop. "That's it. That's the sign. It's Chanyeol. Now!"

One of the soldiers nodded at him and threw the rope anchor to the rooftop, preparing to climb. The other soldiers followed suit.

It was easier than what Kris had thought, since most of the Silla soldiers' attention had been switched to the east, the front gate. Using the rope, he climbed the back wall of the castle and reached the top.

A hand helped him to stand on the rooftop. "Welcome to Silla. I'm Chanyeol." The man shook his hand.

"Thanks." He panted. "I'm Kris."

"I mean, welcome back," Chanyeol corrected, a smirk on his face. "We are glad to have you back here, Your Highness."

Kris was about to respond to Chanyeol's words when another Silla soldier interrupted. "Chanyeol, all clear! Sehun's here already. He's taking care of the soldiers at the ground level. The bowmen are still at standby," the soldier informed and joined the other Silla soldiers who were helping out the Goguryeo soldiers climbing to the rooftop.

"Great," Chanyeol uttered and turned to Kris again, who was surprised to find the Silla soldiers helping them. Before he could speak again, Chanyeol said, "Not every Silla soldier is loyal to Jun. The one who are with me now are not traitors. They know which path they should choose. We all miss your father. He was a great King.”

Those words meant a lot to Kris. It was such a loss for Jun. Some of his soldiers already betrayed him, staying loyal to the previous King.

"Thanks." Kris smiled, patting Chanyeol's shoulder before glancing back at the Goguryeo soldiers who had just arrived at the rooftop, waiting for his command.

"This way," Chanyeol said, leading the way to the castle, and they all followed him.

They were trotting into the castle when one of the Silla guards spotted them. "Intruders!" He attacked Kris with his spear, but Kris blocked it with his shield. The guard jumped over him to attack from behind, but he turned around and slashed the guard's shoulder, sending him down.

They continued their path with the group following behind, and Chanyeol whistled. "I'm impressed. So, after all, you’re a –"

"A soldier?" Kris finished Chanyeol's question. "Nah, I’m a carpenter, but I promised my wife I'd come back to her alive," came his joke, and Chanyeol laughed.

Chanyeol led them in climbing down to the sixth level. "They're here," he whispered. "The bowmen."

Kris peered at below to find tens of bowmen ready to shoot the third group, the largest group of Goguryeo soldiers standing by in front of the main gate of the castle. The bowmen couldn't shoot them yet, since they were still too far. They wouldn't get closer to the castle unless Sehun had given them the signal to attack from the main gate.

Kris stared at Chanyeol, and both of them nodded. "Now!"

Hearing the command, the group jumped to the fifth level and attacked the bowmen. The swords of Goguryeo soldiers slashed them, and their screams filled the air.

A bowman took out his arrow and was about to shoot when Kris slashed his chest. His eyes widened, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Down! Down to the fourth level!" Kris ordered his group to follow him and jumped to the fourth level, where other tens of bowmen were standing by. His group attacked the bowmen with swords, and the bowmen didn't have any chance to fight back with their arrows.

The first group was battling with the Silla soldiers at the ground level inside the castle, sounds of swords clashing with each other echoing in the air.

A Silla soldier yanked his sword towards Sehun, but he dodged the attack. The soldier swung his sword again, but he rolled over to the soldier’s side, grabbed his neck from behind, and stabbed him.

Sehun snapped his head towards another direction, where three Silla soldiers stormed at him. Before they could launch their attacks, he slashed them one by one, sending them down to the ground. Glancing up at the rooftop, he noticed the second group – with the help of Chanyeol—had defeated the bowmen. Soon, the second group would join the battle at the ground level.

Since the bowmen had been defeated, the third group would be able to enter the castle through the main gate. Once the third group joined the battle, he could leave his troops to find Jun and Jinsa.

"The gate! Now!" he commanded his soldiers to open the main gate from inside.

The soldiers rushed to the gate and pulled it open. Some of the enemies tried to attack them, but arrows were shot to their flesh.

The Goguryeo soldiers at the rooftop had taken charge with the arrows, shooting at the enemies who were trying to stop the main gate being opened.

The third group spotted the opening at the main gate. One of them reined on his horse and yelled, "That's it! Attaaaaack!"

All the soldiers in the third group drew out their swords, raised them up in the air and rode their horses towards the main gate. "Attaaaaack!"

The third group had their rides and thus had the upper hand, storming into the castle and finishing all the enemies who were on their way. More blood was shed. Everywhere. The swords of Goguryeo slashed the Silla and Baekje soldiers, who had no chance to flee.

The Goguryeo soldiers had attacked from three different directions at the same time. From inside, outside and the top of the castle. This left their enemies with no power.

Jun had underestimated the number of his enemies that he forgot to think about the strategy. Sehun traveled his eyes around to find Jun, but Jun wouldn't just appear before him at the battle field. Just as he had expected. Jinsa would try to find him, but Jun was different; his pride wouldn't let him. Sehun should be the one who came to Jun, not the other way around.

Sehun dashed from the battle field toward the castle and climbed the stairs to the entrance, sending down some enemies who tried to get on his way. Pushing the double door, he threw a glance at Kris, who was climbing down from the rooftop to the battle field. The look in his eyes told Kris to follow him.

"Sehun!" Kris shouted at him, watching as he entered the castle. "Wait!"

Sehun strode across the familiar long hallway. It was cold and deserted, since most of the soldiers were out, fighting until their very last breath.

He was about to reach the throne when two Silla soldiers got in his way and drew out their swords. Before they had a chance to attack, Sehun kicked one of the soldiers' sword out of his hand and slashed him, sending him to the ground.

The second soldier aimed his sword at Sehun, but he blocked it with his sword and swirled the soldier's sword around that it fell to the ground. He kicked the soldier's chest, breaking his ribs and making him collapse to the ground. The soldier had no power to go after him, who continued his way to the throne.

Jun stood there, and Sehun’s jaw tightened.

"Well, well, well…" Jun’s voice echoed in the hall.

It was the voice of the man Sehun had been holding his grudge against, the one who was the cause of the terrible things happening to Silla Kingdom.

"If it isn't the filthy boy."

Even though he was facing Jun’s back, he knew that Jun was smirking. Jun turned around to face him, and he saw the King again. The cunning man who wouldn't mind getting rid of anyone who crossed his path, a person who would do anything to get what he wanted.

Jun’s eyes fell on Sehun from head to toe, and he was disgusted. "A prince now?" he spoke in a cold, low voice, but then burst into laughter. "You're nothing but a poor filthy boy from the street."

Sehun peered at Jun. What a low human being the King was. He spoke to Jun with the same coldness. "Tell me, Jun. How does it feel to see your army defeated?" Indeed, Jun's alliances and soldiers were now scattered all around the place, helpless, not knowing where to run.

Jun raised a brow. "You must be very brave, coming here." Stepping down from the throne, he continued with disgust, "Or foolish?" He glowered at Sehun and hissed, "Do you think you can defeat me, filthy little boy? You are just a trash we picked up on the street. My brother was being too kind –and too generous— to you, and so he failed as a leader. Poor, poor big brother. Silla deserved a better King."

Sehun was sick over at hearing those words, and it made an even better entertainment for him. Another smirk touched hi