Sparks

Saya abruptly putted down the book he was reading, surprising Saenarae in the process. She didn't say anything but observed him as he stood up and started walking in his chambers with a thoughtful expression on his face. She didn't need to ask him anything as she already knew what was on his mind, they were curious about the same thing; When would Yangcha and Tagon arrive ? They were sure the letters they had sent had arrived safely weeks ago but they had yet to receive any answer. Even Hae Tuak who had visited the leader of the Daekan Forces had said that although he had received them he hadn't mentioned them when talking with her. " Could it be that he doesn't think I'm ready yet ? " nervously wondered Saya.

— Worrying won't change anything. suddenly said said Saenarae. Please try to be a little bit more patient my lord.

The young igutu looked in her direction, she had stopped her work to address him with a sweet smile which he couldn't help but give back. She truly was beautiful. Despite the plain clothes she was wearing he found her prettier than anyone else with her long dark hair, her soft pale skin and her mysterious eyes. As he was admiring her their gazes met and he immediately looked away, despite all those years spent together Saya would still get shy from time to time. " Her beauty is too intimidating " he thought, he often wondered what he would do if she ever were to dress up as much as lady Taealha. " Although I don't have to worry about it happening any time soon " He sighed internally, even if he couldn't go outside during the day he was always wearing the finest clothes and the most expensive jewelries, whereas Saenarae who often had to go outside was only given a simple white dress. Hae Tuak had said it was because he was the son of lord Tagon and she was just a slave, even if he didn't meet anyone he still had a rank to maintain whereas no one cared about how a slave looked like. " To maintain my rank ? For whom exactly ? " he bitterly thought, there had been a time where he had been naive enough to believe he had to be well-dressed all the time for when his father would finally come home, but it wasn't the case anymore. He had grew up and had come to understood that Tagon would never come to him if he didn't spark his interest. A confident grin appeared on his face; " I will soon make you come to me, father ".

— What are you thinking about ? asked Saenarae with curiosity.

— Hm ? Oh it's nothing. he answered with a sweet smile.

— Lord Saya…

He approached her and leaned over her shoulder to look at what she was sewing.

— What are you doing ?

— Don't change of topic please.

— Another shirt !

She sighed and stopped her work once again which made Saya straighten up, he knew she was going to scold him.

— Once you'll have defeated Yangcha you'll be going to war. What will you do if your shirts get torn in a fight ? You don't know how to sew but you can't walk around with your back exposed !

On the outside Saya nodded with a serious expression but on the inside he was smiling. " She looks cute " No matter how he looked at it Saenarae was terribly adorable when she was upset. She looked like a puppy throwing a tantrum and he actually was surprised someone like her was even able to feel something as violent as anger. To him she was the incarnation of love and kindness, and maybe of naivety at times. " She is like a goddess " The goddess of love and beauty certainly, it was all thanks to her if Saya had learnt the meaning of " love ". She had also thought him " mercy " and " loyalty " something you couldn't find in the many texts Taealha made him read all day. Without her he would probably have become a monster, a beast trapped in a golden cage unable to understand Sarams. If his father was the one who had given a meaning to his life, Saenarae was the one who had helped him go through all those years of imprisonment without giving up. Outside of Tagon she was the only person who held any importance for him and that's why he would have done anything to protect her. A shadow passed his features as he remembered a un unpleasant memory of his. Blood, footsteps and screams . He took in a deep breath. " Really anything ".

— Are you even listening to what I'm saying ?

— Of course I am !

She smiled brightly at him and Saya thought for a few seconds he wished time would stop to let him enjoy one of his few moments of joy. Peaceful and lazury days were a rare occurence to him who had only known hard work and discipline under the tutelage of Taealha. After the humiliation he had caused her by escaping as a child she only had one thing left on her mind, getting rid of him. And thus she had trained him with the utmost rigour in the hope he would give up so she could have an excuse to get rid of him. " But I never gave up " thought Saya " And it was all thanks to you Saenarae "

— Ah...It's getting late. suddenly said his servant.

Saya turned his head to look at the window and noticed that the sun had indeed went down. It was a night without any cloud where the moon was shining surrounded by all the stars. " A perfect night for a stroll in the forest " he thought.

— I should head back to my room, lady Taealha wouldn't be happy to hear I stayed in your chambers after the sunset.

The young igutu looked at her with surprise, of course he knew the rules she had to respect but he had expected her to suggest they stay together a bit longer. He was allowed to walk outside at night as long as he was accompanied by Hae Tuak or her so they shouldn't have been any problem.

— Why don't you want to go outside with me ? he asked disappointment written all over his face.

Saenarae gave him a sorry smile before answering.

— It's not that I don't want, it's just that I can't.

— And why is that so ? he asked a bit more harshly than he had wanted.

She stood up and grabbed his hands to calm him down.

— Yangcha will arrive soon so lady Taealha forbade me to let you go outside at night, she wants you to rest. she explained while rubbing her thumbs on his hands. You have been working so hard the last few weeks I'm worried about you too...

Saya let out a little chuckle, Saenarae truly was adorable. They had been together for years and yet she was still shy in her gestures toward him. It had taken her years to dare to grab his hands and she hadn't done anything bolder since then. " Maybe I should be the one to make the first move ? " tought the Igutu, but as much as he wanted to proclaim his love to her he was also scared of getting rejected. Right now he didn't have any future to offer her. He wasn't even strong enough to protect himself so how could he protect her ? " But soon… " Soon he would have the acknowledgement of his father, he would have power and she wouldn't be a slave anymore. She would become his princess and then... His queen.

— Are you...mad at me ? asked Saenarae with an uneasy voice.

— No don't worry. he said. I would never be mad at you.

— My lord…

He smiled at her with a look of adoration in his eyes. He loved her so much.

— I wish I could take you with me... he whispered.

— Don't worry, I'll come with every message Lady Taealha will send to Lord Tagon.

A long time ago when they were still children he had thought about breaking her legs so she wouldn't leave his side to run errands all day, but now he was grateful he hadn't done so, if he had broken her legs at the time she wouldn't have been able to visit him on the battlefield. " I made the right decision " he said to himself.

— Tonight might be the last night we will spend together, let's take a walk outside.

— My lord…

— Please Saenarae.

She looked at him for a long time without saying anything before sighing.

— All right, but I'll have to prepare you beforehand don't you think ?

===

The moon was already quite high in the sky when Yangcha arrived in Arthdal, he had been traveling for five days now but he didn't feel tired at all. The years he had spent walking around all Arth to fight tribes and conquer territories had made this ride of a few days feel like a simple stroll. "It's been a long time since I've last came here alone ". The masked warrior stopped his horse to observe his surroundings, unsurprisingly there wasn't one soul in sight at this hour of the night outside of the guards making their rounds. Yangcha observed them from the shadows of the edge of the woods, thinking about what his next move should be. As a member of the Daekan Forces and Tagon's most trusted ally the warrior knew he could enter and leave the city whenever he pleased, the guards would have opened the gates without asking him any question. However there was still downside to this privilege, if he entered the city publicly Sanung would soon know about it since his eldest son was the Captain of the Guard and Yancha wanted to avoid attracting any attention on Saya as long as his master hadn't introduced him to the world. He glanced at the other side of the city wall. He still had another way in. The warrior ordered his horse to advance and guided it with easy through the darkness of the forest thanks to the light of the moon. After having trotted for a moment Yangcha dismounted and attached the animal to a nearby three while making sure it was kept away from any indiscreet looks, the last thing he needed was to have a group of soldiers sent to find out why a horse was waiting so near the city and not inside of it. He looked at the walls and counted from afar: " three ", there were even less guards than usual on this side of the wall. It was a bit surprising but not too much either, this side of the town was difficult to access because of the marshland standing outside of it and with such a great natural barrier having guards to look out for an attack was pretty much pointless. There wasn't a horse or a fully armored warrior who could have been able to go through those swamps without sinking in it. Thankfully for him Yangcha was light and agile so as long as he was careful passing through the marchy ground wouldn't be too much of a challenge. He squinted his eyes to try to discern what the guards on the walls were up to and wasn't surprised to discover they were more busy talking to each other than looking out for enemies. Such a lack of discipline would have never happened if Tagon had been the head of the Guard but Sanung had decided to choose Danbyeok instead, showing once again his favoritism for his other son. Yangcha thought it was a stupid decision although he had to admit that it was quite convenient as this bad decision was what would allow him to enter the city without any trouble. After a few minutes spend on mentally preparing his path he started running. With agility and speed he jumped and advanced through the marshland using the few rocks and pieces of wood he could find to avoid falling in the mud until he reached the base of the walls. Anyone else would taken a break but Yangcha didn't, he immediately started climbing the wall using his chain and the stones that protruded from the old wall. After a few minutes of intense physical exercise he reached the top, now all he had to do was to go pass the guards without getting noticed. " I could knock them out if needed " He looked at them from the machicolations but abandoned his plan once he recognized them, there was no need to ressort to violence. Instead he finished climbing the wall and pulled himself up on the other side of it.

— Oh Yangcha ! said one of the three men.

The other two who had not noticed him (as they were too busy to argue over something) flinched when they heard his name.

— Shit ! Can't you announce yourself ? asked one of them

— And how could he have done that ? He can't talk. answered his companion.

Gilsun, Pyeon Mi and So-Dang those three men were from the White Mountain Tribe and worked as guards in Arthdal. The reason why they weren't shocked by his sudden appearance and seemed so relaxed in his presence was because they were on Tagon's side, at least most of the time. Gilsun was a former member of the Daekan Forces and had sworn loyalty to its current leader but the same couldn't be said about So-Dang and Pyeon Mi whose loyalty mainly belonged to the Asa Clan. They had never done anything against Tagon and had kept their mouth shut every time he had come to Arthdal in secret but that was only because he hadn't done anything to their tribe or the Asa clan. If he ever were to act against them, which he would probably do one day, they would turn their back on him Yangcha was sure of it.

— We were waiting for you, we were told to make sure you could enter the city easily.

Yangcha ignored So-Dang and glanced at Gilsun.

— I'll be back soon guys, I'll walk a bit with him. the guard said after nodding to show he understood his silent question. Don't do anything stupid while I'm away.

His two companions exchanged a look but didn't answer anything.

— Understood ? asked their superior

— Yeah yeah. said So-Dang without any conviction.

Gilsun lifted his fist as to hit him but stopped when he noticed Yangcha had disappeared.

— And of course this idiot didn't wait for me… he said with a sigh before running after him.

Shortly after he caught up to the Daekan soldier who was waiting for him at the bottom of the wall. He couldn't go any further without the help of Gilsun since he ignored when and where the guards would make their rounds. This situation was quite convenient for the latter who hoped to worm information out of him. " But first I should explain the situation "

— They were there because lord Danbyeok wouldn't have let me guard the wall alone, we are at war with the Ago tribe so he's being careful. But trust me those two won't say anything to Asa Ron unless something suspicious happens during your visit.

Yangcha didn't react in any way to his comment but Gilsun guessed he was satisfied with his explanation as the warrior started walking.

— Is everything going well with the Ago Tribe ? he asked with curiosity.

Yangcha nodded without looking at him, a habit which slightly annoyed the soldier. It was hard to tell when people lied if you couldn't meet their eyes and the warrior had always made sure to avoid the gazes of others whenever they addressed him. Was it to hide what he was thinking or just because he liked to disrespect people in general ? Gilsun himself couldn't tell but in any case it wouldn't stop him from trying to figure him out.

— But he wouldn't send you if there wasn't a problem which needed to be taken care of... What could it be ?.. Since you can't talk there aren't many things you can be useful to lord Tagon for…

His former companion abruptly stopped and looked at him with an annoyed expression which startled Gilsun who hadn't expected this kind of reaction from him.

— No need to get angry like that, if you can't tell I'll just ask Lady Taealha tomorrow ! he said to relieve the tension.

Yangcha continued to stare at him for a few seconds before averting his gaze, his anger had calmed down. The soldier let out a discreet sigh of relief and started to walk again. He had witnessed first-hand what Yangcha was capable of and he didn't want to experiment it himself. " But it's weird, he usually doesn't react when people talk to him no matter what they say. " He quickly glanced at Yangcha who was once again displaying his usual calm expression. " He can be weird sometimes but at the same time I can't blame him for that. " He shivered after remembering the state he and Tagon had found him in, it actually was surprising that he wasn't crazier than this. " I wonder how the other Daekan soldiers would react if they knew what kind of monster lived with them " he grinned, Gitoha who was already quite scared of Yangcha would surely faint if he discovered the truth about him. But they would probably also understand why he was so strong as well, afterall the Children of Shahati weren't simple fighters.

— Did you manage to beat Mubaek yet ?

The masked man slowed down the pace of his walk for a few seconds before shaking his head no. Gilsun was surprised to see Yangcha was now able to feel something like disappointment, in all the years he had known him he had only seen him express anger and curiosity. " It's start. Maybe one day he will also be able to understand what happiness is, but it would probably take him many more years. " He had been trained to be emotionless in the most horrible and gruesome way possible and Gilsun had always thought the effects of his training would never be reversible but it seemed like once again Tagon had proved him wrong. " He might actually be able to keep the promise he made to Yangcha ". At this point it seemed like nothing was impossible for the all mighty Tagon. " Following him instead of Asa Ron Niruha might have been a risky decision but it might end up being the best one I've ever made " As of now Tagon was only the leader of the Daekan Forces but once he would make his return to Arthdal who knew what role he would take ? " And I will accompany him on his rise to power " Because standing was the top was the only way to survive, but also because standing above all was his dream. " Now that I think of it what could Yangcha possibly dream of ? Probably to beat Mubaek I guess " He pitied the warrior, he had been trying to beat his elder for twenty years and he still hadn't managed to.

— It's ok, I'm sure you'll beat him soon. he said with a comforting tone. Mubaek might be strong but you aren't like the others and that's your strength.

The warrior didn't show any type of reaction and simply gazed into the distance which made Gilsun roll his eyes, this certainly was the last time he would try to be nice to him.

— Well this is where we part ways, I'm sure you don't want to follow me to follow you...

" ...and I really don't want to know who and how you'll kill the person Tagon sent you after " he added in his mind.

— ...so I'll leave. If you need me for anything just signal it to lady Taealha and I'll come to see you.

Yangcha rapidly nodded and left, he didn't like being near Gilsun. Not that he hated the man, although he had to admit he was quite annoying at times, but he remembered him of a time he rather forget. The time when he was still weak. " But did I really change that much ? " he looked at his fists and clenched them, he wasn't as weak as back then but he wasn't strong enough to beat someone like Mubaek. A simple Saram. " A little bit more, just a little bit more " he needed to train more and then he would be able to beat him, he was sure of it. " But what if Lord Tagon's patience runs out ? " They had made a pact but what would happen if he didn't fulfill his part of the engagement ? What if he was deemed useless ? " He would get rid of me " this thought made him feel like there was a knot in his stomach, he felt uneasy and sick. " That feeling, again. " He stopped walking to try to focus on what was happening to him but it was useless, he couldn't find the right words to put on what he was feeling, all he could say was that he felt " agitated " or whatever that word even meant. Understanding himself was even harder than understanding other people. But it wasn't really his fault, he hadn't be trained for that he had been trained to kill.

— Please be quiet you will attract the attention of the guards !

Yangcha jumped into the shadows immediately after hearing those words, even if this person clearly wasn't a member of The Guards he still had to be careful. His own appearance was quite recognizable and he didn't want the news of his return to spread through all Arthdal. He looked in the direction of where the voice had come from and was surprised to see a lady in a cape stand in front of Tagon's house. " Could it be... lady taealha ? " The person who had spoken gestured to someone inside the residence to follow them. Another woman appeared, wearing a burgundy cape very similar to one of Taealha's although it certainly wasn't Taealha. Yangcha frowned and immediately placed his hand on his chain, ready to attack. " Thieves ? " The first woman, who was wearing a brown cape, locked the door before being dragged away by her companion who let out a soft laughter while doing so. Their behavior confused Yangcha, they weren't acting like two people who just had robbed a house but rather like two children going on a walk. He looked at the house wondering which course of action he should make. Should he enter to see if lady Taealha was there and learn who they were ? Or should he follow them and discover the truth by himself ? If he did the former he was taking the risk of losing two potential threats but if he did the latter he might end up creating an awkward situation for the woman of his master. " What should I do ? " he asked himself while looking successively at the house and the two girls. In the end he choose to do the latter, he would follow them and discover what they were up to. But after following them for a long moment Yangcha came to the conclusion that he may have been wasting his time, the two ladies weren't going in any particular direction but just wandering around while whispering and laughing. H e wondered once again what he should do, afterall they really didn't look dangerous at all ? However as he was about to give up his tailing, a certain part of their conversation caught his attention.

— And you still see her in your dreams ?

" Dreams " ?... He tried to concentrate on what they were saying but didn't hear the answer of the other woman, he was too far away. Because the moon was shining so bright it wasn't easy to find places close to them to hide and therefore he had to maintain a certain distance to avoid being spotted.

— Maybe they are ..... your past life ? In any case, I don't ... …...give it too …...importance.

Yangcha frowned, he couldn't even hear half of what the woman in the brown cape was saying from this distance, he had to take a risk. He started to approach them but as he was getting closer the other lady suddenly turned around as if she had heard his steps. He immediately concealed himself behind the nearest wall of stall and observed her as she looked at her surrounding with a suspicious expression on her face." She is pretty " thought the warrior, not that he cared about that kind of things the same way other men did but rather because he was being wary. To him beautiful women weren't a treat for the eyes as all his companions seemed to think, but rather a poison only few people were able to resist. Thankfully for himself his training as a Child of Shahati had made him immune to this kind of things but he couldn't say the same of the other members of the Daekan Forces. He could still remember the day Ryan-Poong almost had his throat clear-cut during a victory celebration by a female warrior of a rival tribe who had disguised herself as a dancer .

— Is there a problem ? asked the other woman.

Yangcha looked at her intensively, she wasn't wearing any makeup but she still looked pretty although he was sure the other one was more popular. " Maybe lady Taealha is using them as yeomari ? " She was acting as one at the moment so it wouldn't have been too surprising? There wasn't one person in Arth who knew better than her how to win the heart of a man and how to steal information from him. To Yangcha she was a frightening person because she had realized what had always seemed impossible to him; seducing Tagon and deceiving Sanung, two of the smartest men in Arthdal. Taealha was an incredible strategist who only made moves when she was sure to win." So why is she using those two ? " He concentrated his attention once again on the two women who had resumed their walking while whispering to each other things he couldn't hear. " I'll have to get closer " he tried to step forward but was slightly drawn back by his chain.

Clinck.

The two women froze and so did Yangcha. He had been so focused on trying to understand their conversations he hadn't noticed his chain had hung itself on one of the tiny wooden pillars which served to attach the horses. The two ladies slowly turned in his direction a look of surprise on their face but Yangcha wasn't dupe, he noticed right away that they were both faking surprise. They had taken a defensive stance and had slipped their hands into their pockets. " Daggers " he guessed. The masked warrior didn't wait any longer and immediately freed his chain before grabbing it in an offensive stance. He would tie them both up before they could try anything and then would bring them back to Tagon's house. There was a chance they were indeed working for Taealha but he wouldn't take the risk of letting spies or thieves escape.

— Yangcha ?...asked the lady in the burgundy cape.

Yangcha immediately stopped in his movement and widened his eyes, totally taken aback. Even though the tone of the voice had been sweet this definitely wasn't the voice of a woman.

— It's really you. confirmed the person standing in front of him with what sounded like a mocking tone. We finally meet again.

She, or rather he, took of his hood and completely revealed his face under the moonlight. It was the face of a young man, a pretty one but still a man. The Daekan blinked multiple time in confusion, the lady he had been following had been a man all this time ? He couldn't believe his eyes. But what was confusing him the most was the fact that they apparently knew each other. He was really good at remembering faces and he was sure he had never met such a particular man like him before.

— Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment ? asked the mysterious figure with an evil smile. Four years !

" Four years ? Then, could he be ?... "

— Yes it's me, Saya the son of lord Tagon.