Warrior(The Dragon King Chronicles)(20)

The monk nodded. "The young lord didn't always have a dark aura. His was a mix of colors, mostly red. But when we first left Hansong I observed the confusion and darkening of his aura. And when we saw him again, his aura was almost completely black."

"What is my color, Sunim?" Taejo asked.

"You are a bright orange, Your Highness. Like the sun, it tells us you are our future king," he said.

"The major's color has always been a bright blue, signifying his unwavering loyalty, while both Captain Kang and his older brother, General Kang's auras are purple, indicating nobility of mind and leadership." He walked around the campfire and stopped at Seung, who had just arrived from tending Jaewon's wound. "Our young friend here has one of the brightest forest-green auras I've ever seen. And, as we know, he is a great healer. His friend, though, has a blue aura tinged with darkness that worries me."

Seung started. "Don't say that! He's not evil!"

"No, not an evil darkness but more of a deep melancholia. I hope one day he will overcome it so that his aura may shine bright again."

Making his final turn, he faced Kira. "Young mistress, in my entire life, I have never seen a golden aura like yours. I have been taught that such an aura means you are touched by the Heavenly Father."

"I wish more people could see it, Sunim. Maybe then they wouldn't be so afraid of me." Kira smiled. "So this is why you've always had been such a good judge of character."

"It is a gift and I've only divulged it today so you would trust Lord Shin. He is not like his uncle," Brother Woojin said.

A tense silence fell upon the group. Even knowing the monk's abilities, it would not be easy to do as he asked. And yet what choice did they have? They needed help.

Looking at her brother, she realized that he was not quite convinced.

"Oppa, I know you don't like it, but we have no choice. Even though we may not trust Shin Bo Hyun, we do trust Sunim. So let us listen to his counsel on this," she said.

Kwan shook his head. "I cannot agree to this. I cannot trust him. He nearly killed all of us! His uncle killed our father and was the reason for our mother's death. How can you so easily forget this!"

Turning on his heel, Kwan stormed off into the woods.

Kira felt bereft at his abrupt departure. Why did he always run away when she needed to talk to him? Even knowing that Kwan was a brooder and needed time alone to mull things over, Kira couldn't help but feel shut out. She wished her oldest brother was with them. He was so much like their father. If Kyoung were here, he'd know exactly what to do and Kwan would trust him. They all would.

On this one issue, whether or not to trust Shin Bo Hyun, Kira needed guidance. Should they trust Sunim or was it foolish to forget all the wrongs Shin was responsible for?

Kira looked at Major Pak, who shook his head.

"I don't know what to think," he said. "I lost so many men. I would not be alive right now but for Lord Shin. I don't think any of us would be."                       
       
           



       

With a bow, he pulled out the map that he was always studying, seeking the best route to their destination.

Kira glanced at Taejo.

"What would you have us do?" she asked.

"I trust Sunim," he replied.

"His uncle killed your father and mother," she said.

Taejo flinched. "That was his uncle. And I don't want to talk about it," he said, holding in his tears. "If Sunim trusts Lord Shin, then I will trust him. But I will never forgive him."

Kira was sorry she upset him. Leaving him to be comforted by Brother Woojin, she left their campsite to walk aimlessly into the woods. She needed clear her mind and think. Her heart and mind were in conflict and she didn't have anyone to advise her.

The woods were quiet and dark. Kira found a fallen log and sat down on it, watching a colony of ants gathering food before her feet. She couldn't help but admit to herself that she was glad Shin Bo Hyun had survived. That a part of her had always felt a sort of connection to him. Good or bad, he was someone familiar. Someone she'd grown up with.

But he was also part of the treachery that caused the death of her mother and father. Just the thought of his involvement with his uncle filled her with instant rage.

Taejo was right. They could trust him to a limited extent because of Brother Woojin, but they should never forgive nor forget.





18





Kira rose early, enjoying the luxury of having her own personal space. Shin Bo Hyun had set up a small ger just for her, right next to the larger one that Taejo shared with Kwan and Brother Woojin. Someone had brought in a basin of water and a clean cloth. With a sigh of relief, Kira stripped and took the opportunity to wash as much as possible. Even the cold morning air couldn't diminish her pleasure.

When she was done, she exited her ger and checked on Taejo. She poked her head in and saw Taejo and the monk were still asleep under their blankets, while Kwan sat in a corner, cleaning his weapon. With a nod to her brother, Kira decided to search for food.

She noted how close Shin's tent was to her own. Hoping to avoid him, she walked down the mountainside to canvass the area. She noticed a lot of movement in the valley below and headed toward the activity. The sloping woods opened into a large clearing where a small mobile village was living in a tent city. Children ran around gathering supplies while men and women worked at different tasks. Even the elderly sat around campfires, carving, sewing, weaving, and otherwise keeping busy.

As she walked among them, she recognized the cautious reserve with which everyone greeted her. They all knew who she was and were polite but distant. A short woman with a sweet, round face came over and brought her a large white bun, steaming hot and filled with savory meat and vegetables. Kira thanked her and ate it in three bites, enjoying the soft texture of the bread. The woman nodded with a small smile and returned to her cooking station.

Kira watched the women working together, kneading the dough, making the filling, and steaming the buns in large bamboo baskets. Cooking was the one thing Kira had never been exposed to. Living in the royal court meant all her meals had been prepared by the kitchen staff. This was her first exposure to the art of cooking and she was fascinated by it.

"Can I help?" she asked.

The round-faced woman shook her head, instead pressing another bun into Kira's hands.

Disappointed, she left the women's company, as she realized they were discomfited by her presence. She took her time, eating and enjoying the bun as she walked around the camp noting how everyone was working. Even the children were busy gathering wood and herbs. One child ran by with a basket full of ginseng. It reminded her of Seung. She wondered how Jaewon was doing. Before she could return, she saw Shin Bo Hyun walking through the campsite. Everywhere he went, he was greeted with reverence, as if he were royalty. He responded with kindness and seemed to genuinely care about the welfare of his people.

It was odd to see Shin Bo Hyun acting as a leader of such a ragtag group. Clearly, his people respected and admired him. It was odd for Kira to see such devotion for someone who she could not trust. She didn't know how to reconcile Shin Bo Hyun the leader with Shin Bo Hyun the traitor.

Spotting Kira, he came over with a smile.

"Come walk with me?" he asked.

Unable to refuse him politely, she followed him from the tent city.

"Why do you have all these families with you? Isn't it hard to travel this way?" she asked.

"We rescued these people from a small village called Bahe some hundred li north of here," he said. "It's slow going, but we plan to take them with us to Wunu Mountain City where they'll be safe."

"A mountain city? Like Wando?"

He shook his head. "No, it's something you have to see to believe. An entire city built on the top of a mountain."

Kira shot him a disbelieving glance.

He laughed. "The top of the mountain is flat. It's as if the gods had cut off the peak and left us with an amazing plateau. It is difficult to reach it, but once you are there, it is completely safe."

"How many can live there?"

Shin Bo Hyun tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Seven hundred, maybe. But not everyone live on the mountaintop. Many villages surround Wunu. My men are constantly patrolling them. When there's danger, we round everyone and bring them into the city."

"How did you come to be the leader?"

"The previous chief was a great leader who helped me when I was lost. I became his right-hand man. When he was killed in a demon attack, not too long ago, his men came to me and asked me to lead them."

"Why you, a stranger? I don't understand," she said.

"In this crazy world, does anything make sense? Most of them had never seen a demon possession before and didn't know what to do. They'd lost so many men to the demon attacks. When I arrived, I immediately started training them how to fight and teaching them how to recognize a demon. I became the chief's strongest fighter. When he died, I was their best hope. We're just trying to survive day by day. That's all I can do."

Kira nodded. Shin Bo Hyun had always been an excellent warrior.

"Since taking over, we've amassed a sizable army of demon fighters," he said.