Major Pak called Jeong over to ask for a different route.
"Different route? Why? Numa is right there! I can see the smoke from the chimneys," Jeong said in rising agitation.
"We can't go there," Kira answered. "It isn't safe."
Jeong spat on the ground. "Stupid girl! You don't know what you're talking about."
He kicked his horse and galloped to the village.
"Stop!" Kira yelled. "You're going to alert them that we're here!"
The guide didn't listen; instead he kept riding into the center of town, where several buildings showed smoke pouring from their chimneys.
"Alert who?" Major Pak asked.
"I don't know, but we have to leave now!"
"Somebody go get that fool," Major Pak said.
"Forget him! The prince is in danger!" Kira was already turning around and reaching for Taejo's horse, when she was assaulted by the strong scent of demon.
"Pull back!" she yelled. "Pull back!"
The two guardsmen who had gone after Jeong stopped in confusion. Just then, villagers poured from the center buildings and rushed toward them. They attacked the guide first, ripping him apart as they gorged on his internal organs. The guards who tried to escape were also quickly surrounded and pulled off their horses.
Kira heard their screams as she and Taejo raced away, only to find that a group of demon-possessed villagers had circled behind them and were closing in fast.
There were too many. All around them, their soldiers were being slaughtered. Blocked from behind, Kira knew they had no choice but to ride through the village and pray they could come out of it alive. Kwan and Jaewon rode ahead, their swords slicing through the necks of any villager who approached. Kira used her bow to shoot any they missed. But more and more demons were appearing from every corner of the village.
A group of schoolchildren descended upon a soldier and devoured him and his horse. As their small faces contorted into blood lust, Kira could see the true faces of the demons beneath the child skins.
Kira wanted to scream but she could not catch her breath. Even small children were not safe from demon possession. She knew she had to kill them, but their small faces and bodies shocked her into immobility.
Just then, a young boy jumped at Taejo. He couldn't have been more than eight years old. Kira shot an arrow through his neck. Her emotions dulled even, as her skills sharpened. Demons didn't care who they killed. She couldn't either.
She shot several more possessed children as Taejo unsheathed his sword and fought off any who came too close.
Jaewon fought his way over to them.
"Get the prince out of here!" she yelled, as she continued to fight off their attackers.
"Follow me, your highness," Jaewon shouted.
Before he could lead them, a villager that had half morphed from its human skin and into its true demon form, attacked Jaewon and savaged his leg, trying to drag him off his horse. Kira shot several arrows into its neck, taking it down.
Jaewon surged ahead with Taejo, leading him down a clear path that cut through the village. Blood flowed down his leg, leaving a heavy trail in the dirt.
Their horses were frightened and hard to control. Jaewon was fast losing his strength.
"Leave me behind," he said, slowing down. "Save the prince. Go now!"
He tried to head back toward the demons pursuing them, but he lost consciousness and began to fall out of his seat
"I won't leave you!" Kira caught Jaewon by the front of his coat and heaved him in front of her saddle. Freeing his horse, she slashed her sword viciously at the demons that had reached them. Keeping them from Taejo.
"Taejo, you must stay close to me!"
With a desperate cry for help, she urged her horse ahead, keeping even with Taejo as Kwan fought free of his attackers and came to their rescue. He led them toward the end of the village.
She heard Taejo sob in fear. Before them more possessed villagers appeared in ever increasing numbers. Unless there was a miracle, Kira knew there was no hope of escape. Major Pak and their soldiers were probably all dead by now.
She'd never seen so many demon possessions before. How had the demons killed an entire village full of people? There was just too many of them.
All the empty villages they'd passed. All the missing people. Was this the explanation?
The possessed villagers were converging in the far end of the village. More and more appeared, covering the streets ahead and behind them. They were assembling in a wide circle around Kira, Taejo, and Kwan. They were waiting for something, but Kira had no idea.
There was no way to fight them all.
She had failed.
"I'm sorry, Taejo," she said. "I'm sorry, Oppa. I failed you both."
Kwan's lips tightened, but his eyes never waivered from the ever increasing mob around them.
"Please, Noona, whatever happens, don't let them possess me," Taejo said.
"I promise, I will not let that happen," she whispered. "But we must fight until our very last breath."
Taejo gripped his sword tight and nodded. A wave of despair threatened to overwhelm Kira as she braced herself for the coming attack.
"Heavenly father, heavenly maidens, please help us now," she prayed.
A half-breed appeared and made his way through the mob. He stood tall, his long black hair worn loose, in sharp contrast to his hideous demon visage.
"Tear the others apart but bring the Demon Slayer to me alive!" the half-breed proclaimed.
The demons roared and the mob surged toward them. As the three cousins desperately fought off the first surge of possessed villagers, sudden shouts and a bold, rhythmic drumming heralded the arrival of an army. Men and women dressed in a variety of colored uniforms were all wearing red headbands tied around their foreheads. The headbands sported a black and gold dragon insignia. They descended on the villagers, wielding their swords with expert precision and clearing a path to Kira's side. Some bore heavy torches that they used to fend off the hordes of possessed villagers.
One of them turned to Kira and yelled, "Head for the mountains!"
Kwan, Kira, and Taejo didn't hesitate. They rode their horses up into the mountains. There they were met by more soldiers with dragon insignias who led them to their campsite.
A dog came rushing to them, his tail wagging madly. "Jindo!" Taejo jumped off his horse and buried his face into the dog's fur.
Brother Woojin and Seung came soon after. Seung promptly turned his attention to Jaewon and pulled him off Kira's horse.
"I don't know how Jindo knew to come here, but it is because of him that we found this encampment," Brother Woojin said. "These dragon fighters were planning to attack that demon-infested village tomorrow but changed their plans once they heard where you were."
"Whoever their leader is, we are truly grateful!" Kira said as she dismounted. "We would have all died down there."
Brother Woojin approached Kira and Kwan. "I urge you both not to overreact when you see who the leader of this group is," he said.
Kira was too worried about Jaewon to pay attention. A couple of dragon fighters helped Seung carry Jaewon's unconscious form to a nearby tent. Kira followed closely asking Seung about the wound.
"It's pretty bad," Seung said. At the tent, a soldier barred Kira from entering, admitting only Seung.
"Young mistress, I think it would be best if you wait outside," Seung said.
Kira wanted to argue, her worry for Jaewon making her nervous.
"Don't worry, I will take good care of him," Seung said.
Faced with his quiet confidence, she agreed and returned to the others.
As she approached Brother Woojin, she pondered over his cryptic remark.
"What did you mean when you said don't overreact?" Kira asked the monk.
Brother Woojin was rolling his prayer beads between his hands, a habit she knew from experience meant the monk was nervous or worried.
"Do you believe that a person can change if he puts his mind to it?" he asked.
"Yes, of course," she said.
"Please don't forget that," he said. He then wandered over to sit next to the shaken prince and Jindo.
A little while later, a new group of arrivals made it to the campsite. Kira was relieved to see Major Pak but shocked to see only two of their soldiers had survived. They'd lost so many men.
She still couldn't understand how an entire village of demons had hidden themselves from her. What kind of magic had they used? Uneasy, Kira was about to greet the major when the lead rider dismounted and faced her.
There was a loud ringing in her ears and her body went rigid. Kira's mouth hung open but no words came out. And then the sound flooded back in and she heard her own voice shouting. For once again she faced her former betrothed, Shin Bo Hyun.
16
"You're alive!" Kira's voice cracked.
Lord Shin Bo Hyun was the nephew of the traitor Lord Shin Mulchin, who assassinated Taejo's father, King Yuri. Kira's betrothal to Shin Bo Hyun had been sanctioned by the queen before Lord Shin Mulchin's betrayal. It was broken when both Shins' traitorous actions led to the invasion of Hansong.
The last time she'd seen Lord Shin Bo Hyun was at the Diamond Mountains, when he'd captured the prince and threatened to kill Jaewon if she didn't reveal herself. Wielding the tidal stone, she'd unleashed a water dragon that had swept over him and his men with a wild and raging flood. She'd thought for sure he was dead. But here he was, smiling at her.