Chasing the Fallen

Written by little song

Hatred and anger, malis and rage, sorrow and loss, fear and grief, but not despair; it was not his way to despair. He had been born into a world where the origin of his name dictated his value and yet risen beyond. He had taken hundreds of orphans and bastards and made them mighty and respected. He had ended battles before they begun, negotiated peace between two races, and for so long swam against a current relentless to improve. And now...
A chasm lay before him, that of Ana no Yami, the rift of darkness. Seemingly bottomless, the remains of hen Edo was torn from the earth and lifted into the sky, the location was known for many legends of demonic power and spirit influence. He had lived beside it for four decades now and never feared. Hwarang had never feared. They trained to hard and fought too mercilessly to fear. But now...
The sages had felt it coming but not understood. Dreams of pail ghostly entities possessing and devouring our people. Of Tengu their eyes red with blood lust tearing into other nations. Some had guessed that the demonic scourge would resurface, the creatures the other nations referred to as the pale. With the new threat The houses would fail to hold the border and Tengu would be free to real havoc on the rest of the world, a protection so long fought to fail. But nobody guessed upheaval.
Screams had ravaged the streets that day, even in Osakan, structures crumbles crushing many. Children cried in the streets and ran to their homes desperate to find their families. Pained calls for help sounded from half crumbled structures of people trapped.
He had been lucky to be outside as the calamity hit. If it had occurred just two minutes earlier he his charge and the other four guard would have likely all died for the embassy, being one of the oldest structures, could not hope to withstand and was reduced to rubble. If it had been a day before they surely would have died.
Instead five of Hwarang and Kireina-sama lived. Hope had remained but now he was certain. She, seventh child of Emperor Edo, was the only living child of the bloodline. She had been on a diplomatic journey meant to circle the land and strengthen the peoples loyalists by confirming the royal families love for their people. It was a journey she took every year by her own volition, her guards always selected carefully from Hwarang, and this time it saved them.
After doing what she could for the people and weeping for all the dead they had reversed course her majesty anxious for the well-being of her family.
Hope was tested at Nagoyari. The ancient city of the Jin left with barely a wall standing death and blood everywhere. Three survivors were found; The first a young girl, almost starved and trapped in an air pocket of a fallen shrine. They only found her because she was singing the lament of the dead, weakly but at peace knowing she would starve soon. An Ackerman warrior from the ocean watch remained both his legs broken, who called out when he heard the six approaching. And a child. Unhurt, and dazed staring at the carnage after having cried himself dry.
The team did what they could to help the three and debated about the rest. Though last rights and burial was necessary for the peace of the spirit there would be little six could do facing the destruction of thousands. Thus the first split occurred. Toru, the girl that had been singing and Jin of Hwarang remained to begin the process of honoring the dead, while Park Sun ran back to Osaka to gather a team to aid.
The rest began the journey to the capital hoping for survivors there, the Ackerman carried and the little boy, Ryokai, clinging to the best mother figure he could find.
Hoped continued to waver of the road as the terrain grew increasingly more upheaved. Chunk of earth had risen forming small cliffs to scale, crack had open up forming drops of 10-20 feet some filling with water. Fields were ripples as if someone took the fabric of the land and gathered it, huge rockslides from the mountains could be seen sprawling before them, every now and then a farmhouse lay in ruin. Or half jutting out of the earth as if it had been swallowed.
He could see the color drain from the princesses face as they went though she desperately tried to keep calm for the sake of the child’s hand she held. Tears did flow though as they reached to last mile to Yoi Shihon. Bits of woodwork littered the ground many painted with the royal colors of the palace. The city once raised by the sheer height of its structures made no mark against the sky.
He had take the child then lifting him into his arms and began to hum a chant of respect for the lost. His warriors join not stoping their soothing singing until the princess had searched what she could. No survivors. The castle itself blown to peace’s no larger than a board. The ground was wheat with blood here some of the bodies not even recognizable.
He had forced the child’s head into his chest and kept it there the first time they came across a severed limb. After an hour of searching they found one of the princes bodies intact with his entourage dead at tea house. The rest were likely unintelligible lost in the fragment and the crater that used to be the palace a single black stake rising from the center. Through the tears and last rights they gave one thought came to mind though no one said.
This was the source. Whatever caused the destruction it had originated in the heart of the palace with that pole. No one drew near it then. But Haku ran the second split to bring word to the survivors of what they had found.
Hwarang house was next. Fallen, not a scrape of wood or peace of cloth left only crumpled stone and a black rift now larger. Boei house, specializing mainly in Tengu defence and extermination most likely had been swallowed into Ana no Yami as well.
There were many fears now. In one stroke almost the entire ruling family, the wealthiest two cities and most of the skilled fighting forces had been swallowed up. There was now nothing stopping the Tengu from raining destruction on Kokka and soon after the rest of the world.
Beyond that who knows what horrors could now emerge from Ana no Yami.
But the grief could make the fear numb. So much death, what did the life matter. But that was not his way.
A soft step approached, the princess coming to the edge as the two Hwarang began their song of lament again now both weeping freely.
“Chenyol?” A kind voice called, putting of her ear of calm.
“Hime-sama?” He responded bowing his head.
“It is alright to cry. Hwarang was your home. Tears for their loss is no same.”
“There were 337 all told, 8...” he corrected, remembering the newest addition. “Only 19 were away when this struck. I hope they all live. But I have no assurance. I was their headmaster, many I trained or helped too from the time when their hands were too small to hold a weapon. I have no wife or blood child, but I had a very large family. Hwarang was not nearly my home.”
“Then tears are even more called for. I have lost most of my family as well... one here.” she spoke her eyes glassing over again. “It’s right to morn. We will soon go too.”
“No.”
“You don’t need to be so hardened.” She sighed.
“Princess, inside I am screaming in rage, I am numb with grief, and I fear.” He looked back at the two left. Tanaka, 23 years of age, orphaned at three and graduated four years previous. Mikan 31, chosen from his village to serve and loyal to a fault. 3 more were at Ackerman Ocean Watch, lent on service. Busen held 5. Two had been on a person trip to Min Jog. Another one was leant to the guard of Mamori and one at Daegu. Sukoshi still remained on the mainland and his sister had left for there as well. He had always been the one to see the hope through the raging current and try to swim past it.
“Yes... you have something left.” She said looking down. “Something left to fight for. But I have nothing now. Except for a broken people I cannot help.”
“He wasn’t here.” He stated his voice going hushed.
“What?”
“Sukoshi left our service seven months ago and took up residence in Tir Cendel.”
Her eyes widened.
“Sento-sama paid much to cover it up and temporarily gave the other twin to cover and hide the loss”.
“But he can’t do that,” she cried her voice rising in pitch, “that wasn’t the deal.”
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me!?”
He shook his head. “Kashi is on the mainland as well. I sent her on a reconnaissance mission and she too chose to leave us.”
“Answer me!?” She repeated her voice now frantic enough to halt the singing. The four survivors eyes now on the two.
“Princess, please. I’m trying to give you a hope.”
Her whole body seemed to tense in response but she nodded.
He looked to the fore then his nod assuring them that it was okay and in trust the two Hwarang relaxed.
“Chenyol please. I trusted you to keep him safe. Why didn’t you tell me that Sento did this?”
“Losing Sukoshi like we did I could have lost my position from the fall out. Sento was poised to lose everything as well, and you know the power and cunning he had. It’s hard to out master him.”
She looked into the chasm hatred burning in her eyes. “He was supposed to give her a happy life.”
“I don’t think any of his children had a happy life.”
“Are they safe.” She said looking back now calm again.
“There were not here. That at least is something. Sukoshi is skilled, you know that. I’m sure he is fine. Kashi was with a band from Middlemarch. I don’t know the details but it sounded as if she had powerful friends.”
“So... they’re alive.”
“Most likely.”
“We both have a small remnant of out family then.”
He nodded. “Hime-sama. Yes it is desperate right now. But Osaka did not lose everything there is still four more cities to check father away from the destruction. Were probably going to lose a lot more to the tengu, but were not dead yet. And out of all the royal family to live it being you is a comfort.”
“I am a woman.”
“But you have been the voice of the people. I am a salmadeul and I can testify that you are the main reason they stay with the status quo.”
“No. I’m not even-”
“Your the reason I chose to pledge myself to the emperor.” He interrupted. “You give more hope than you realize. And the rest of Kokka needs it.”
“I don’t want to right now. I don’t want to even stand.”
“That’s fine. Well just hold you up till you can.”
A small smile graced her face. “Where does your hope come from?”
He shook his head again. “I guess just because there seems to be a purpose in this turn of events.”
“As if a greater being was watching over us.” She stated her eyes glancing carefully.
His eyebrows narrowed and then returned the gaze. “Yes.”
“Alright. I’ll try to stand.”
“To Mamori?”
“Yes.”