RIVERS OF BLOOD

Yushin led his team of men through the bushes and as they walked around keeping a low profile, they approached a nearby camp.

He halted and looked down in the valley where a group of Gorguryeo guards were stationed.

The Camp was filled with a group of Soldiers and they were talking amongst each other as they sat around a series of fireplaces.

Yushin raising his right hand signalled for his team to split up into two and the first walked to the back while he remained to watch with the second.

They had dressed themselves as Gorguryeo soldiers and after waiting for a while and surveying the camp, Yushin looking around at the back saw a small yellow flag being waved.

"They are in." He said and he pointed at the second group.

"Join them from the side." He ordered.

"Yes." They lightly replied in unison led by Gopheung and they descended into the camp as Yushin remained alone and kept watching.

After a while, they also raised another small yellow flag and it was a very clear signal to him that both parties had reached.

He smiled.

Before he'd go, he heard a group of people that were moving by and he decided to step down and hide behind the hedges as he looked in a distance seeing a large number of Shadows.

Yushin could tell from the way that they were dressed they possessed no armour and their clothes were dark and light.

They carried with themselves swords, bows and arrows.

"Gorguryeo." He whispered under his breath as he walked up closer to them and given the fact that as he had led the others while wearing a matching attire, he blended in immediately.

Yushin walked with these men and as they travelled through the trees, eventually, they halted in a nearby valley which was filled with a large mass of dark tents within the trees themselves.

The soldiers that roamed the area were very many and they were keeping a low profile.

He stood for so long that one of the men knocked him from behind.

"What are you waiting for?" He said. "Keep moving." He added as Yushin nodded his head and they descended.

He looked around at a very big tent that was stationed in the heart of the forest and at that moment he heard the men talking amongst themselves.

"At this rate, those Shilla soldiers will not see us coming for them." One said.

"As they are busy obsessing over the soldiers along the border, we shall come and sweep them all dead." The other added.

Yushin reserved his speech as he continued to wander about the place and at that point looking at the very big tent, he noticed a Group of people walking into it and some of them were fully clad in armour.

"They might be Generals." He thought and looking around he walked over and stationed himself right behind the tent as he sat down next to another.

He pulled out a small piece of paper from underneath his clothes and looked at the drawing that was on it.

In his other hand, he held in his possession what looked to be a medallion and then he pretended amongst all those other guards that were there to be thinking about someone.

Some ignored him and the others stared as he was outstandingly huge amongst them and very muscular it was natural for him to attract the attention of all the others.

"Is everything ready?" He heard a voice coming from the tent asking.

"Yes." The other replied.

"At this point I am certain that Shilla is targeting Nangbi it being a major fortification in the southern part of Gorguryeo." Another said.

"Yes." One voice replied.

"We'll let the troops disperse and ceasing that opportunity, I am certain that the Shillan troops will march from their fortress to go and conquer Nangbi Fortress.

We shall let them pass the border and they'll know that Nangbi being a foothold of hours most of us will be there.

They'd be interested in a quick war so they'll March at once leaving their fortress unguarded.

We and the rest of this battallion shall March up to the Fortress of Shilla as the defences are bound to be weak at that point.

We'll cut off the Shilla army from it's base and as they'll make their way into Nangbi Fortress, it will be to an alarming surprise when they found the weaponry stores and the food reserves empty.

They'll be trapped in between with no way of escaping and at that point the border troops that shall have scattered in both directions shall reassemble and attack.

Shilla will be trapped right in between they wouldn't be able to sustain themselves so we'll slay them all and reconquer Nangbi Fortress from them." A voice said.

"Yes Your Excellency." A group of voices said in unison.

"As early as tomorrow morning, we'll let them make their own move." The man said.

"Aye." The others replied and he seemed to hear them all walking out of the room.

Nevertheless he knew that it would be quite suspicious of he left there immediately so he remained for a while until one of the Gorguryeo soldiers walked up to him.

Yushin looked up at the man that was standing there.

"You look to be like a man of very few words." The man said.

"Hmmm." Yushin muttered as he nodded his head and then looked back at the drawing in the paper and the medallion in his possession.

"Why don't you join us over there?" The man asked.

"No." Kim Yushin replied. "I am fine right here." He added as he maintained his composure.

" Very well then." The man replied as he turned around to walk away but before he could go any further he halted in his footsteps and turned around and threw a tomato at Yushin.

He saw it coming but he did not move, he didn't bulge and only widened his eyes until it struck him in the face.

"I see, for someone that big, you do not have the skill." The man said. "Perhaps you are only going to the battlefield to scare those men of Shilla." He added.

At that point, someone approached the man.

"General." He said.

"What is it?" The man asked.

"Your Father wishes to see you in his tent." The man replied and at once, the man walked away without looking behind as Yushin stood up and walked away.

"Where are you going?" A group of guards asked him.

"Can't I clean my face?" Yushin asked and they all kept quiet as he kept the things that he had in his possession within his clothes.

Yushin walked through the trees and confident that no one was watching him, he slipped through their defences and continued his way.

Yushin ran through the forest careful to keep his distance from the Gorguryeo soldiers and spies.

Eventually, he arrived at the Fortress and then he walked in.

"Yushin Rang." A group of people greeted him.

"I need to see my father and all the other Generals." Yushin said as they led him to the room where the Generals usually gathered, they were away and Yushin remained there as he studied the map that was in the centre which mapped out the entire borderline.

After a while he sat down to think of something and at that point, Kim Seohyeon, Kim Yongsu and a group of six more Commanders showed up and he stood up at once.

He bowed his head.

"You are back?" Kim Seohyeon asked.

"Yes Father." Yushin replied.

"What took you so long?" Kim Yongsu asked.

"On my return I discovered something quite odd." Kim Yushin replied.

"What is it?" Kim Seohyeon asked.

"We need to change our plans as soon as possible because if we don't then I am afraid that Gorguryeo might defeat us before we see the end of the day tomorrow." Yushin replied.

"What are you saying?" Kim Yongsu asked. "We can't just change our plan right now when it has been finalized." He added.

"I have been in the enemy camp and they intend to let the border troops scatter and grant us a very easy entry into Nangbi because they know that since we are aware it's their strongest foothold then we are going to exert our greatest pressure on it.

Since we might choose to pursue then further they know that we shall leave our Fortress with a weak defense as we think that once we have Nangbi then it's the end of it." Yushin replied.

"Won't it be?" Kim Yongsu asked.

"Sadly, it won't." Yushin replied as he picked up a small Gorguryeo flag and then planted it a couple of miles in East within the woods.

"That's Shilla's territory." Kim Seohyeon said.

"I thought it out for a very long time and I learnt that the unusual movements at the border that Gorguryeo soldiers instigated was to draw our concentration and our attention away from their primary force.

They ceased that opportunity when we decided to fortify our Fortress in the fear of an attack to sneak a large battallion of nearly twenty thousand Soldiers to camp within the woods and knowing that people who live around the borders are very few it's the safest place that they could hide from us." Yushin replied.

"What's their intention?" Kim Yongsu asked.

"Gorguryeo intends to have us push further into Nangbi Fortress but the moment we capture it like this then our doom will be certain because today the food reserves and the weaponry stores were emptied." Yushin replied.

"It will be like having bought for ourselves a barren and infertile land." Kim Seohyeon said.

"Yes." Yushin replied.

"So our defences at home being weak their major aim would be to move their primary force and cease our Fortress." Kim Yongsu said.

"Yes." Yushin replied.

"They will have cut us off and we'd be in between." Kim Seohyeon said.

"And to climax it all and see to it that we suffer quite an awful fate, the final blow will be to reassemble the scattered troops and attack us from both East and West." Kim Yushin added.

"All three directions being filled with the enemy without food or any weapons to protect ourselves there in Nangbi, we'll have to fight with our lives and in the end, they shall have conquered a Fortress of ours with ease and they'll the same way retake Nangbi Fortress and our Northern territory shall have fallen to them." Kim Yongsu said.

"That's it." Yushin said.

"It's a brilliant stratagem and considering our numbers we are only thirty thousand in number." Kim Yushin said.

"What shall we do?" Kim Yongsu asked.

"I have an idea." Kim Yushin replied as he smiled ghastly.

Early in the morning, the Shilla soldiers ready within the gates of the Fortress marched out as General Kim Seohyeon led them through the gates to position themselves on the border.

Kim Yongsu and Kim Yushin remained on top of the Fortress wall as they watched in a distance until Kim Seohyeon and the Other Shilla soldiers took their positions.

Kim Yushin lifted a tin of colour tied to an arrow and then shooting it up into the sky he gave a red signal and the signal rose up from a number of hills within the radius of ten miles along the border.

"What are they doing?" The soldiers at Nangbi Fortress asked themselves. as the smoke signals rose up into the sky so thick they could be seen in a distance.

"The Shilla armies." One of the Generals at the border said and at that point, the Shilla spies that had been placed within them positioned themselves right behind the Catapults that had been filled with large rocks and boulders.

All the twenty of them looking at once another in the commotion that was already existing amongst the Gorguryeo soldiers cut the strings that were still holding down the Catapults and at once the rocks went flying towards the Shilla armies.

"Dodge them." Kim Seohyeon shouted and the agile Shilla soldiers changed their formation and formed the shape of an arrow while the boulders moved to the side.

The scattered into Six divisions and it was a signal that Gorguryeo had initiated the war as Yushin smiled.

"Who told them to fire?" The Gorguryeo commanders scolded.

"There's no use arguing now, just stick to the plan and now prepare to fight." The other Commanders said as the Gorguryeo soldiers started to panic.

"First three lines attack." General Seohyeon said and his men complied as they went onward.

"Attack." The Gorguryeo commanders gave their orders and at once the Gorguryeo troops charged on towards the troops of Shilla.

General Kim Seohyeon remained behind and he watched as his men clashed with those of Gorguryeo, both sides losing out as they were ably slaying one another.

"Prepare to defend." General Kim Seohyeon said and the Shilla soldiers holding their flags with very long masks bore them flat in their hands, the edges had been sharpened and replaced with iron spear heads.

The Shilla soldiers charged holding the very tall masts as long spears and the Gorguryeo soldiers having realized the attacks they put their shields to defend themselves but surprisingly they could not withstand the strength of the Shilla Soldiers who pushed them back.

At that point in time, the Gorguryeo troops had been lured into a fairly close range and the Shilla soldiers spearing through a number of them changed the tides of the war into their favour as they paved a way towards Nangbi.

"Draw them back, full force." The General at Nangbi ordered and at once the Gorguryeo soldiers attacked in the shape of an arrow.

Such being the case they were seemingly trying to repel the long sharp masts of the Shilla Soldiers that the Shilla soldiers were forced to draw back a little towards their fortress as the soldiers of Gorguryeo stepped into a much closer range they had crossed the divide and stood on Shilla soil.

At that moment, General Kim Yongsu at the wall gave an order.

"Archers ready?" He said as they appeared from behind the battlements in a fairly large number the Gorguryeo soldiers surprised halted their attack.

Those on the front line of General Kim Seohyeon also stepped back as the last two lines came forward with shields and archers behind them as well they locked their targets.

"Fire." He shouted and at once the Shillans letting all there arrows go while the war drums were sounded the entire morning sky above the isolated soldiers of Gorguryeo was darkened.

Some tried putting their shields as the arrows rained heavily on them.

"Again, fire." General Kim Yongsu added and before the first shower was complete the Second came just as powerful three quarters of the defenders of Nangbi died on the spot that only a few men many of whom were already wounded remained.

"They are not attacking." The Commanders at Nangbi realized.

More and more flags within the Shilla Fortress were hoisted that in a distance, the Primary force of Gorguryeo realized that the Fortress was literally being filled with guards.

The main gates were opened and General Kim Yongsu and Kim Seohyeon rode up towards Nangbi Fortress having formed a very long line at shields with spears protruding from within which was following them from behind.

It was like a very long shielded serpent that even the men of Gorguryeo knew that if they fired the arrows it would still be very difficult to give the men of Shilla a bloody nose.

"The gates of Nangbi Fortress were opened and the Commanders and Generals charged out with another force of about seven thousand soldiers they formed one single file and at once they made their attack.

Running towards the Soldiers of Shilla, General Kim Seohyeon and a few of Shilla's horsemen charged towards the men of Gorguryeo and while their long shielded serpent continued to move being guarded by a series of horsemen.

"What sort of formation is this?" The Commanders that had remained at Nangbi asked themselves.

"I don't know." Another replied.

General Kim Seohyeon and General Kim Yongsu started to slay the Gorguryeo men whole others trying to come into very close proximity with the long iron snake were slain by both the horsemen that were guarding it and the Spears that surrounded it.

It was very difficult for Gorguryeo to hit them with a solid attack and at that point the Commanders noticed that their defenses had been penetrated.

A few people ran to the other sides but the Shillans did not pursue as the gate of their Fortress was closed they stormed the gates of Nangbi.

The Long serpent was eventually broken into small fragments and with the Shields moved, A group of archers emerged from underneath with their arrows aimed at Fortress.

The Gorguryeo archers only realizing then that they had the chance to strike were to slow as the Shillans had already freed their arrows and they went flying towards them.

The Commanders still standing on the battlements bowed their heads and started to make a quick descent from the wall into the centre of the Fortress.

"Protect that gate with your lives." They shouted and the Gorguryeo soldiers walked backwards as they distanced themselves from the rest of the crowds.

Looking at one another they nodded their heads and as they had just glanced at each other, fifteen of th the twenty Shillan spies took them by surprise and slayed them.

The Gorguryeo soldiers seeing this looked back behind at the fifteen men that were in a circle led by Gopheung.

"Intruders." They shouted drawing their attention away from the gates the other five opened them and the two Shilla Generals charging inside with the rest of the Shillan soldiers the manslaughter was resumed immediately as a group of Soldiers rushed into Nangbi with the flags of Shilla and then they hoisted them up on the walls.

Kim Yushin having seen the sight knew it very well that the Primary force of the Gorguryeo soldiers had seen it as well and he asked a group of archers to stand by and hide behind the Western battlements of the Fortress' wall.

In the mean time, the Gorguryeo soldiers approached their walls as they were only seeing masts and a couple of guards they were certain nearly all the Shillan soldiers had left.

They could hear in a distance the shout of victory that rested beyond within the walls of Nangbi Fortress.

Their archers took their positions as the Shilla watchmen looked the other side having been diverted by the victory.

The Gorguryeo men shot down those of Shilla that were still standing on the walls and having positioned themselves right under, Kim Yushin and the Shilla archers stood up from their cover.

The Gorguryeo soldiers were taken by another surprise as the Shillans shot the arrows which rained down on a number of them the first six lines were fully annihilated."

"Archers ready." The Gorguryeo General commanded and the archers within the defence of the shields locked their Target and fired in retaliation.

The Shilla soldiers were struck and some fell off the walls while Yushin and A few others hid themselves behind the battlements.

The Gorguryeo soldiers fired while those that were nearby carried their ladders and leaned them against the wall.

The troops of Gorguryeo started mounting the wall while Yushin and the other survivors descended within the walls of the Fortress.

"Let's go." He ordered as they sat down on their forces and a group of other soldiers went deeper within the Fortress.

Some Shilla men remained on the Frontline while Slaying the Gorguryeo soldiers but nevertheless, they were outnumbered.

Yushin commanded nearly five hundred horses and their men wearing shields on their backs as they had charged through the gates of the Fortress, looking far to the West they saw a group of Gorguryeo soldiers attacking.

Yushin looked to the East as well and the Story was still the same.

He signalled at the horsemen to split up into three and the horsemen complied.

One hundred were headed towards Nangbi Fortress and the others in groups of two hundred each moved to the Eastern and the Western side respectively.

The Gorguryeo Generals were surprised a d trying to comprehend what Yushin and his men were doing.

The horsemen with their bows and arrows aimed at the Gorguryeo soldiers and then shot at them as they made their attack.

The ground troops of Gorguryeo were eliminated at the front lines and they were forced to put their shields ahead.

Nonetheless, the Shilla horsemen persisted until they were in a very closer range and they put their bows and arrows away as they ceased their swords and unsheathed them.

Shilla had been surrounded from nearly every side.

Kim Seohyeon and Kim Yongsu looked at Yushin who while approaching the gate flew a Saffron flag in the sky.

"Archers, stand your ground." Kim Seohyeon gave his order.

At that point, the Gorguryeo soldiers realized that they had been lured in between.

"Reinforce the gates." General Kim Yongsu said as the Shilla troops went ahead to put rocks on and other things they could find on the gates to make them impenetrable.

Yushin Rang turned around and as he waved the saffron flags the Other four hundred horsemen who had already engaged themselves in battle ride towards the gates of Nangbi Fortress while they were being pursued.

Nearly the entire Primary force of Gorguryeo's army had already reached inside the walls of Shilla's Fortress and they threw down the Shilla flags and then raised their own.

Kim Seohyeon recalled as they had carried their military supplies with them having created that shielded serpent and they had sneaked under the nose Of Gorguryeo with their sword, spears and their arrows.

He smiled as he watched the Gorguryeo soldiers advance towards him and his men at Nangbi Fortress.

"Fire." He gave the order and three lines of archers fired their arrows towards the Gorguryeo soldiers that were in the battlefield in between. The Shilla soldiers riding the horses being moving targets were very difficult for the amateur archers of Gorguryeo to shoot and with their shields their security was guaranteed.

They stood behind the barricades that were stationed outside Nangbi Fortress and there they watched as arrows fell from the sky and rained on the men of Gorguryeo with fire.

The Gorguryeo armies were losing very many soldiers at once and Shilla was having the upper hand.

"General." The Gorguryeo Commanders said amongst themselves.

"The Shilla men are far from our reach and only our men are in the valley, it seems that they had a number of weapons with them." The Commanders added.

"How would they have travelled across to the other side with all of them?" Others asked themselves.

"The Shield and spear serpent." The General replied.

"What are we going to do General, at this rate, the Shilla troops could win and many of our soldiers are being annihilated." The Commanders said.

We have cut off the Shilla soldiers from Shilla and they are isolated on our land, besides, there are still nineteen thousand and two hundred soldiers within the walls.

By now I am certain that the Commanders already fled the Fortress upon realizing that Shilla had penetrated their defences and they are certainly on their way to the Capital asking them to send us reinforcements.

Shilla could have weapons but all they needed was a very quick war and they were not in the position to sustain a very long one." The General replied as he smiled ghastly.

Should we open the weaponry stores and their food reserves?" One of the Commanders askee.

"No, save them for tomorrow." The General replied.

"By the time that the sun set, Shilla soldiers had completely annihilated the Gorguryeo soldiers that had stationed themselves in between.

Nearly twenty thousand Gorguryeo soldiers had been slain and their corpses filled the area while Yushin and the others were tending to some of their casualties.

"How many have we left?" Kim Seohyeon said.

"The first part of the strategy minimized our loss and we are only two thousand soldiers short of our initial number and we have one thousand casualties." Yushin replied.

"At this rate there are only twenty seven thousand capable soldiers left to fight the war and we are only ten thousand inside here." Kim Yongsu said.

"Yes." Kim Seohyeon said.

"The others shall strike at night." Kim Yushin said.

"There is no way that they can possibly kill men who are twice their size in number." Kim Yongsu said.

"All they need to do is to see to it that they kill the Generals and as they keep the Gorguryeo soldiers busy then we'll need only me to go and I aid them to recapture our Fortress." Yushin said.

"What if they don't?" Kim Yongsu asked.

"I am putting everything on the line because I believe in them and I am asking you to do the same.

If by morning the flags of Gorguryeo are still flying in the sky then send word to Seoraebeol to send us reinforcements." Kim Yushin said.

"Aye." General Kim Seohyeon said.

Dusk lingered above the two countries and at that time, the Gorguryeo soldiers slept as a few others stood on guard.

The Gorguryeo soldiers were preparing their meals when someone slipped into the kitchen, it was Gopheung.

He poured somethings into the meals of the soldiers and when they gathered to eat up, nearly all of them slumbered deeply.

The weaponry stores were opened and in groups of twenty twenty, the Shilla soldiers went on to assassinate the sleeping Gorguryeo troops one by one.

They dragged them away slowly and put them inside their weaponry stores as they undressed them and then wore their suits of armour and moved out.

They did it slowly by slowly until nearly half of the Gorguryeo troops were annihilated and then replaced by the Shilla soldiers.

The practice continued and the Gorguryeo troops were annihilated with so much ease and Generals Kim Yongsu and Kim Seohyeon stood at the battlements as they stared at the Shilla Fortress in a distance.

There as the sun started rising in the saffron sky, they started to see in a distance the flags of Gorguryeo falling and the flags of Shilla flying high.

"We have prevailed." Kim Seohyeon said. " We are victorious." He added.

The Fortress of Shilla was emptied with the corpses of Gorguryeo and they were gathered at the border in between and burnt there.

A messenger rode a very first horse and he arrived in Seoraebeol and at once Ichan Seulbu walked up to King Jinpyeong in his study.

The doors were opened for him and there he sat down right next to the King in the presence of Princess Deokman.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty." He said as he bowed his head.

"Judging by your expression I can tell that you carry with yourself some good news." King Jinpyeong said.

"Your Majesty, I bring good news from the Northern frontier." Ichan Seulbu replied.

"What is it?" King Jinpyeong asked.

"The Generals Kim Yongsu and Kim Seohyeon that were sent to safeguard against Gorguryeo's aggression have prevailed, we have not only annihilated the enemy but we have also gained possession of Nangbi Fortress and the lands surrounding it." Ichan Seulbu said.

"Great." King Jinpyeong asked.

"The Generals have attributed their victory to a very wise and brilliant stratagem that was championed by Kim Yushin Rang." Ichan Seulbu said.

"I never once doubted his efforts father, even in this time of darkness as it had been with Paekche, he has primarily aided the cause for Shilla's victory." Princess Deokman said.

"In deed." Ichan Seulbu said. "However there is some sad news that must deliver as well." He added as a worried expression clouded his face.

"What is it?" King Jinpyeong asked.

"It's about Alcheon Rang." Ichan Seulbu said and Princess Deokman's face was overwhelmed with worry.

"What happened to Alcheon Rang?" Princess Deokman asked.

"Prior to the war, he and a group of scouts that were sent to study and spy the Gorguryeo troops landed in an ambush.

Because he did not wish to jeopardize the operation, he decided to send the others away and they reluctantly left him.

After that, he had the Gorguryeo soldiers trail him and he wasn't seen after that." Ichan Seulbu said.

The Princess looked frustrated at that moment.

"According to Yushin Rang and Alcheon Rang's personality, If he didn't survive beyond that point then he must have certainly taken his own life as a Hwarang rather than dying in the hands of the Enemy." Ichan Seulbu said.

"That's what he would have done." Princess Deokman said.

"Unfortunately they have looked around for a while but they were unable to find his body." Ichan Seulbu said.

"If he perished within the mountains then finding his body is an ordurous task." Princess Deokman said.

"He died in the great service of His country and he shall in deed be rewarded with a proper funeral for having died bravely for his cause." King Jinpyeong said.

"I don't know how to tell his father." Ichan Seulbu said.

"I shall speak to him on his behalf." Princess Deokman said. "His name shall go down in the Hwarang Segi and his plaque shall grace the Hall of the Hwarang." Princess Deokman said.

"What?" King Yeongnyu of Gorguryeo asked.

"Your Majesty." The Messenger said. "Gorguryeo has lost Nangbi Fortress and Shilla has emerged victorious.

All our Generals and Commanders were annihilated and none of them returned alive from the battlefield." The messenger added.

Enraged, the young King struck his throne with a fist.

"I shall devour Shilla." He coldly vowed to himself.