Till The Ryu Tree Blossoms

*** (Year In)

Sansuri, eleventh year of Emperor Kang's reign

"SHOOT THE GODDAMN ARROW!"

The beast roared. It was a huge creature, the biggest Ryu had seen, with fur thicker than wool. Already many, if not all of the trees in this part of the forest had been gouged by its claws, each s***h deep and penetrating and marked by dried sap. No wonder no other animals live around here. Its roar was deafening and Ryu wondered just how exactly had the tiny village of Da'ninh convinced itself that what stole their cows and sheep, night after night, was nothing more than a common tiger. Big and ravenous, yes, but in the end still just a tiger.

Yoon-ki had been right, the power of denial overruled all common sense.

A whirl of red spun on the forest floor, a stark contrast to the beast's dirty white fur. The creature howled as the sword cut into the underside of its belly, one of its rare vulnerable spots. Just as quickly the whirl of red distanced itself from any counter-attack and skidded to a stop couple of feet away, sword up and ready.

Faye shot an irritated look at Ryu. "Fire the bloody arrow. Now."

Ryu grinned and ducked as claws swiped above her head. "But then the fur won't sell as high!"

Somewhere above there was the sound of something swishing in the air, followed by the sharp crack of a whip as it landed on the beast. With feline ease, Taehyung landed in a crouch on the branches of a tree, lollipop as usual in his mouth.

He pulled out the candy with a pop, saying, "If you keep this up there'll be no one here to sell it!" and jumped away as the beast's massive paws slammed against the trunk. The tree shuddered.

Revolver shots exploded somewhere northwest of Ryu and the fur around the beast's arm began to blacken. Ryu frowned, and amidst the deafening sounds of the beast she dodged another claw, before yelling out,

"Don't shoot silver at him, you're poisoning him!"

The leaves of the bush muffled Yoon-ki's reply. "I apologize. I was under the impression we were trying to kill him."

The royal magistrate thumbed the release latch of his gun and spent cartridges fell to the mossy floor, clinking. Several more bullets, all silver, slid in and then he clicked the cylinder shut. Stepping out from behind a bush he steadied the gun with both hands.

"Better get it done quick, Lady Ryu, I'm losing my patience."

"Fine fine fine." From the hidden pocket in her combat boots Ryu pulled out a small vial, stoppered with cork and gleaming with a liquid the color of magenta, with a texture almost like blood.

She ducked behind a tree. "I'm loading it!" she called. "Distract him!"

Faye hissed as the beast caught her blade with its claws and pressed down. "I don't want to burst your bubble, but that's all we've been doing!"

Very carefully, Ryu pulled out the cork from the vial. If whatever was inside could kill the beast, then she wasn't about to let it touch her skin. Dipping the tip of an arrow in the liquid, she counted five seconds, pulled it out, sealed the vial and then slung on her bow.

Already she could feel the familiar arc of adrenaline sparking deliciously across her skin.

"Ready!" she yelled, arrow up.

Faye lunged forward and jabbed, nicking the wound she had opened before in the underbelly. The beast staggered, huge limbs flailing.

Faye jumped back. "Clear!"

Ryu began to climb a tree. Yoon-ki lined up the muzzle of his revolver with the creature's left foot. At this angle, the bullet would tear out a chunk of fur before hitting flesh. He c****d his gun anyway and prepared to pull the trigger - before letting out an annoyed sigh and taking one quick step to his right. He fired.

The bullet buried itself in the beast's large toe. It fell, haunches hitting the forest floor with an enormous thump, the sound echoing dully around.

"Clear!" Yoon-ki shouted.

There was a loud whoop and Yoon-ki looked up, just in time to see a figure swinging by in the air. Taehyung was dressed in all black like the others, but he had tied a red bandanna around his forehead. That and his sleek purple hair was probably the main reason why the beast had spotted them in the first place.

The whip unfurled incredibly fast, and the creature's paws were locked to its body in a matter of seconds. Taehyung landed on the opposite tree and pulled taut, muscles bunching up as he held on.

"Clear!"

From her tree, Ryu crouched, lifted her bow and drew the string till it was parallel to her cheek. Aim, inhale and wait. The beast struggled and Taehyung grunted, his feet dragged forward half an inch as he balanced dangerously on the branch.

The monster bellowed, Ryu exhaled, and the arrow flew. It struck just below the tongue. Dark veins began spreading outward like lightning, and within half a minute the monster had toppled to the ground, dead. Its maw was gaping in death, and already the pinkness of the flesh had become black.

Picking their way through dead leaves, the royal hunting party gathered around the monster.

"Imagine how much we could get if we sold it on the black market," Faye remarked.

"Imagine how much we could get if someone hadn't shot silver into it," Ryu said, as she pointed an accusatory finger at the black blotches on the white fur.

Yoon-ki tucked his revolver into his hip. "Imagine all you like, but this monster isn't going anywhere except where it's already going."

He nodded at Taehyung, who let out a shrill whistle. There was a moment's pause, and then three dogs came barking, paws hurtling frenzily across the forest floor. Behind them a sturdy makeshift wagon rattled, measuring five feet by six with wheels of reinforced metal. The wagon had panels that could be extended out on rollers and pulled back in.

The four hunters huffed and puffed as they struggled to lift the beast up and onto the panels. There was a lot of sweating, swearing - mostly by Yoon-ki - and the incessant barking of Taehyung's dogs. It seemed to take forever, but in the end they managed to get the huge creature up. Just as they were about to start winching it back to the wagon there came a loud holler, followed by numerous things crashing together, sounding mostly metallic, and a very rude curse.

Yoon-ki stood up, stretched, and yelled an insult right back.

Silence reigned for a heartbeat. Then the unseen person replied with an equally offensive word, whereupon the exchange traded back and forth until the person came into view. He was a bearded man, hair colored dirty brown, carrying a knapsack overflowing with all sorts of equipment and gadgets on his back.

"No-mu! Took you long enough!"

"Well I had to clear up the trap, didn't I? Don't wanna have any of those busybody villagers stumbling on my things." No-mu jerked a head in the direction of the creature. "I see my trap done you good. Well done me."

They loaded the creature onto the wagon and Taehyung slid the bolt of the wagon's gate into place.

"Now what?" Ryu asked.

The hunting party looked at Yoon-ki. He reached toward the back of No-mu's knapsack and unhooked the wide-brimmed hat that had been hanging from a strap. He slipped it on.

"Now we go to see the King," he said.

☯

Under the late noon sun, Yoon-ki's hands with all its rough creases and lines were illuminated clearly, and Ryu could see bits of dirt and rock still embedded within the palm. She stared from the open hand back to Yoon-ki, whose face was shaded by the hat as he looked forward.

"What?" she asked.

"The vial. Give it back."

" . . . Dang it. I thought you'd forgotten."

"It's not a toy, Ryu."

"I know that. Stop speaking to me like a child."

Yoon-ki looked at her. "Then stop acting like one."

In response she merely stuck out her tongue. They were riding side by side on two horses, with Faye on Yoon-ki's other side. It took three horses to pull the wagon, which now not only had the creature in it, but also Taehyung and his dogs. Ryu cast a glance behind. The 24-year-old was fast asleep, one arm over his eyes, the dogs dozing by his side. Next to Ryu, No-mu's horse trotted patiently along, its panniers near bursting with what at first look seemed to be junk. The kingdom's eccentric inventor dozed fitfully in the saddle, mumbling in his sleep. Faye was as usual sitting ramrod straight, posture flawless as she looked to the distance.

Ryu tossed the vial and Yoon-ki let out an irritated exclamation as he caught it. He threw her a sharp look.

"Need I remind you the consequences of it breaking?"

"Sorry," Ryu said, sheepish.

She watched him tuck away the vial, curious. "What is in that thing?"

Yoon-ki tugged the pocket's strap to make sure it was secure. "Poison."

"What is it made from? Deadly nightshade? Arsenic? Hemlock?"

"Bat wings, rat tails and a blood moon's spell."

"Har har," Ryu said drily.

"All you need to know is that it's fatal and it works. And you're not to touch it."

"You let me touched it today," she pointed out.

"For the first and the last." Yoon-ki clucked his tongue and the horse moved a little faster. "Speaking of which, I see we'll have to step up the training. You took forever to complete the mission."

"I was trying not to ruin its fur!"

"Our primary objective was to eliminate the threat, not to gain gold. Imagine if it had family. Or kin. And they all came running when they heard it calling. If you'd dragged on the mission any longer we would have had to face not just one of that monster."

"I did my best," she muttered.

"All the more reason to step up your training, then."

Ryu's face fell. Yoon-ki glanced over and caught it. He looked back to the front. After a second's contemplative silence he said,

"Good job on the aiming by the way. That was a tricky one."

Ryu brightened.

The palace was a huge domed structure that became visible ten miles from the woods. It was huge and sprawling, with ornate stone pillars and beautifully manicured gardens. Yoon-ki led them around the huge structure, until they came to a side gate in the wall, where three guards were stationed around. As the wagon approached, the guards slammed their spears on the ground three times, first slow, then twice in quick succession, before placing a fist to chest. Yoon-ki nodded and one of the guards opened the iron-wrought gate. Faye slowed her horse down a little then slammed a palm against the wagon to wake both Taehyung and No-mu up.

Only Yoon-ki could enter the King's private chambers to meet him, and so the other four stayed outside on the wooden veranda. They were inside a square courtyard, walled on all sides with only one main entrance. There were guards directly outside the chambers and guards on the veranda steps and even more guards at the main entrance.

Ryu watched Taehyung stroke his dogs, each of which demanded more attention than the last. She watched the breeze tugged at his hair, and asked,

"Do you keep changing it? The hair color?"

"When I'm in the mood."

"Why purple though?"

Taehyung yawned. "It's my natural hair color, didn't you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "As if."

The dog with the white-tipped nose bit Taehyung's finger playfully and he smiled. "I wanted something unorthodox. I wanted to stand out."

"Should have just painted it silver then," Ryu said slyly.

Natural-born silver hair was something only those with magic had. It was a trademark, a symptom of their "condition", and it applied specifically to the males. Just like how female sorcerers were born with cherry red hair. Anyone spotted with these two hair colors were instantly under suspicion for wielding magic, and drew a lot of the court's attention. Specifically, the Royal Magistrate's.

The sun was hot and Ryu couldn't stop fidgeting. The thrill of the hunt hadn't quite fade. All around her it seemed there was an absurd lack of activity; the guards barely blinked, No-mu had fallen asleep, and Taehyung looked close to it. Faye . . . well Faye was Faye. Born from a warrior family, she was accustomed to sitting motionless for hours upon end, looking all in the world as if the simple act of breathing demanded all her attention.

Ryu waited until the sun's shadow had crossed about half an inch on the courtyard tiles. Then she jumped up.

"And where are you going?"

She froze. With a big straw hat over his face, she'd assumed that No-mu was completely dead to the world.

"I hope you remembered what Yoon-ki said about gallivanting around the palace," No-mu continued. "I'll give you a hint - don't."

"I just need the toilet," she lied cheerfully. "Be right back."

She began to walk off, but No-mu snapped his fingers and pointed in the other direction.

"Toilet's that way. You don't need to leave this courtyard for it."

Chewing on her lip, she let out a mental groan. She should have known better than to try and slip one past No-mu. As the oldest member of the hunting party and Yoon-ki's most trusted man, No-mu had the keenest of senses and an intuition that bordered on clairvoyance. Which was why Taehyung liked to bring him along when he frequented gambling dens.

"Fine," she muttered and walked off, away from the courtyard's tempting gates.

If Yoon-ki was strict on them on a daily basis, he was even stricter when they were on palace grounds. The royal hunting party were the King's silent force, he always said, and they were meant to be both unseen and unheard. They went where the King decreed, and that was it. They were to do no more. They were to do no less. And most of all, they were to stay out of any and all royal business.

Court ladies, ministers, chefs, helpers and soldiers . . . they were the King's followers, the King's men, and hence they were bounded to him. Like roots to a strong tree, they were to be by the King's side at almost all times, and lived on the palace grounds. They served the King now, and it was to his life that their lives now belonged to; in exchange for security and luxuries more than the common man, they had to give the King unwavering loyalty.

But the royal hunting party was an unorthodox case. Restrictions on them had been lifted; they could stay outside the palace, something no other person in the court could do, and they could come in and out pretty much as they please. All this, in exchange that they kept the peace and went after the kingdom's deadliest enemies -

- the demonic creatures of the woods.

The Dark Ages might have ended, but the spawn of evil still remained, and once in awhile they came dangerously close to the kin of man. So the royal hunting party had been born, under the guise of trapping bear fur and hunting deer, with its true nature known only to its members and the King. They scouted the woods with regular patrols and tended to unusual rumors, or requests of help from the people of Sansuri.

Now Ryu paced the grounds near the courtyard's southeast wall, quiver clacking on her back. She was restless. She'd seen this place a hundred times; it was the only place the royal hunting party went to when they delivered their kills and reports to the King. She could count the cracks on the walls, and she definitely had counted the cracks in the tiles. The carriage always took the same way, so she always saw the same thing - wall after wall after wall stretching into the distance.

She wanted to see more. She wanted to see the interior and the people and the life of this institution that everyone seemed to covet a spot in. She wanted to see what was so great about it.

Ryu's pacing stopped. The side door.

Casting a wry look around, she began to walk toward the southeast wall, slowly at first, and then with purpose. As she neared it, the guards on the other side stood to attention and slammed their spears together, making an X.

Ryu jerked her head. "I'm with the royal magistrate. I need to go outside."

"For what business?"

She gave the guard a knowing look. "You know I can't tell you that. All I know is that the royal magistrate gave me an order, and I need to carry it out."

Hopefully, Yoon-ki's name carried enough weight. A look of indecision later, the guards removed their spears and opened the gate. Ryu nodded once, and then she was out.

The carriage had always stopped at the side gate and never gone further, taking the same road back how it came. So Ryu ran, stealthily down and further in. At first it seemed the wall would go on forever, but then it curved and suddenly she was in the palace gardens.

Her eyes widened in delight even as she shrank behind the wall to peek out. There were court ladies in elaborate gowns and complicated hair-dos glittering with jewelry, fanning themselves in gazebos with stone tables. They were sipping tea and making polite conversation, and somewhere the guzheng was being played, the strings plucking out a soothing harmony.

The men were on the field, shooting arrows at targets 50 yards away. There was also some sword-fighting going on, and Ryu's eyes gleamed. Next to archery, it was her second favorite thing.

She watched them for a few more minutes before she noticed where the weapons store was. Quietly she waited till the last nobleman had left, and then slipped in. Her jaw dropped open. There were weapons of all kinds lining the shelves and racks, from lances to spears to broadswords and battle axes. There were helmets and shield too, and the bows were gorgeous, but she was not here for that today. Instead, she made a beeline for the sword rack and picked out a light rapier. Next to it were gloves, neatly folded, and wooden masks hanging on the wall. They were the traditional kinds, used to incite fear into the enemy, hence painted in ghoulish design. She put one on, and immediately felt more secure.

Taking the sword, she walked out of the store and told herself not to tremble. She had a mask on after all, they can't tell who I am. Her fingers tingled as she approached the sword-fighting ground. As the sound of steel upon steel grew ever louder, her grip on the sword's hilt tightened. Faye had been the person who had introduced her to sword-fighting, and she was the only person Ryu had ever practiced against. But here - here there were only the noblemen.

Maybe I'll just practice by myself. Choosing a secluded spot, she began to trace out patterns and arcs in the air. Wrist steady, feet agile. The sword blade shone like silver in the noon-light. She was enjoying it so much she didn't really hear the voice calling her until a gauntlet was thrown at her feet.

She stopped, staring at the glove.

A few feet away, two polished shoes appeared in her line of sight. Well-kept and obviously wealthy.

"Duel?" the voice asked.