~Arts Of Friendship~

"Mother, can I join the military?" Seong said as he walked over the threshold that was barricading the house and back garden that was actually a field of turnips, cabbages and many other native vegetables.

A pair of brown hands that is wrinkling slowly with age pulled out the ground and wiped against her dirty farming clothes. Her eyes looked over to the voice, she knew it was her son but just wanted to confirm her suspicion. Her son was there, but her lips went from a thin line that held concentration to a form of disgust. "Why?" Was her first ever saying today.

Seong was casually against the door with his arms crossed over his chest confidently, "why not? Wouldn't you want your son to do something other than sell and do nothing all day?" He watched as she rose from her comfortable kneeling position and shakingly walked up to her as her legs adjusted to the foreign position.

"Are you crazy? Are you sure you're my son? He would never complain about such things!" She yelled sarcastically as she tilted his head side to side faking to be a doctor checking for anything unfamiliar about his face, he is definitely her son, yeah, for sure. Then she smiled a little when Seong rolled his eyes as he tried to remove her hands.

"Mum, this is embarrassing, I'm twenty years old!" He said in a huff then felt his arm sting from a slap as his mother laughed.

"I love teasing my little baby! But tell me, what made you want to pursue it?" She copied his pose but more sternly, a motherly stern of course.

"Something to prove myself with, I will be safe, I have the best of the best with me and I never really believed your line of work was for me."

"I worried a day like this would've taken your father, but it taken you instead. Oh Hyeokgeose why you had to fall?" she whispered the ending, Seong's lips twitched though on the mention of the king's name. His soft hands then held her old, wrinkly and dirty hands to gain her attention.

"I will not fall though."

---------------------

Dust rose as a body is heavily tossed to the ground, pieces of gravel dug deep into the skin as the young man gritted his teeth to hide the sudden impact. His head tilted dramatically to look up at his mentor, he's still rushing with adrenaline with his neck throbbing, his head beaten with sweat from the fist fight. It didn't hurt, until he had to individually pick them out which felt like ripping off scabs of skin, to be honest he might as well do that from how deep the gravel sunk in.

"You still have much to learn, young man." The General said as he sighed. It's been months since their first encounter together and ever since then they have been training together. Ujin comes in to give him a more spiritual training with mediation and tailsmen making, Beomseok with the hand to hand combat and swordsmanship, Seong sucked at all of them. They are in one of the main military training grounds just off the central city, more than an hour from the village of Daegu.

Not good enough, Seong, you still lacking. The voice in his head rang, he recently developed a voice, the one that keeps pestering him during the training. It appeared when he left the farm away from his family and his brother insisting on helping out his parents which made him feel extremely lonely, sure he can talk to his two mentors but he wish to hold a teacher/student relationship with them as he never really held friends in his life, he had himself, his brother and his parents, no one else mattered as they don't understand him. He did wrote letters, describing each day as if it's a diary, making every day seem more exciting than it actually is with over exaggerating words and fake quotes.

Seong felt his knuckles bleeding raw, his arms feels broken and face dirtied with the gravel on the floor, might've accidentally engulfed some of it. "I'm surprised you made it this far, normally others would've given up." General Beomseok said confidentially crossing his arms and puffing his chest, of course he's the victor, he always was.

Seong sat up quicker than a squirrel and clicked his tongue with a glare to his mentor, "why you always comparing me to 'others'? I'm not like anyone, I am my own self!" He retaliated, he slowly got up and clenched and unclenched his fists, they hurt horribly but other people have it worse.

Beomseok had his back turned to Seong as he was planning on leaving the training ground, clearly stating he had enough of the pathetic training. The training ground was made of large gravel floor and a near orange rope forming a large circle in the centre to show the off limits to fair fights. The general paused when he heard the bold claim, "ah, you see, I used to have a young student like you too until harshly got murdered by the King's royal guards. Jun Myeongsuk and Jun Minsu."

Well that was unexpected, to get a strong and honest answer with no hesitation, just how mentally strong was General Beomseok? How much more has he seen in the battlefield to see this as a mere inconvenience? Definitely a lot if he is acting like it just a small mishap, a small mishap that feels to Seong that it's a threat as he is also a young student under this man's care.

Then he explained the context.

The famous tale of two brothers, 'JiHaung's Loyal Guard Dogs', they're opposites of each other like yin and yang. One holds a displeased face that looks like he will never smile and the other has a plastic like smile that seems the slight pinch of his cheeks will mean danger. If put together, it'll look like theatre masks with their pale white skin and lips that are so thin it seems drawn with a single stroke. The eldest is the strongest, "displeased face comes disaster", and the youngest is the fastest and more well-executed, "happiest smiles bring the most pain."

"If you ever come across them, go the other direction, good things never come if you cross their path. Even citizens say if you are spotted by them, your fate will be hell. Even if you don't listen to Minsu intently, he'll command his brother against you and he's built almost like a cannon." Beomseok said as he removed his thin plated training armour, Seong copied him.

"Has anyone actually attempted to kill them?" Seong asked in a whisper, it seemed more of him asking that to the wind than to the man next to him.

Beomseok shook his head. That's all Seong needed to know, he bit his own lip in a silent understanding, so no one dare to face them yet they still managed to get themselves caught up in being in front of death's door by a mere suspiciousness.

Terrifying.

What caused them to have such royal status and abuse it to cause pain within the people, like isn't that against royalty rules? To protect their citizens? Or maybe all those people were from Deagu too and all the mass criminal and rebellious activities made them a prime target for the brothers? Would Seong also be next as he's native to that village?

Then Ujin appeared, he's quiet as a cat but his presence is well felt as he always bring a hint of warmth towards a room even when the conversations are most serious. He bowed to his brother and before smiling at the two. " What is it my little Jin?"

"I invited someone to join the medical ward for next month, he will assist us on healing our soldiers and bring them comfort as he want to make himself useful even though he is against the mindset of battles." Ujin said casually, he is mainly saying it to the General as he is his brother after all but Seong was extremely curious now, why need to announce such a small thing?

Seong then heard a groan behind Ujin which he recognised quickly, his head whipped to see behind his shoulder to see the face he will never forget, he ran towards the sound and made the two fall in impact as he forced a large hug towards him. "Jihu! How you been! How's my family? Are they well? How did you get here!?"

The two other brothers chuckled at sight, "you will find out once we give ourselves a meal, Seong has been training since the sun rose and I find it highly impressive for a soldier." Beomseok announced.

Once the sun dipped for dinner a room is lightened by lanterns, room almost empty of personality and all armoury and weapons stacked neatly on a railing. The low table is brought out, and tea was being served in a wooden cup. However, the General had drunk alcohol instead.

"We have decided to invite him over to train with us. Well, he mostly wanted to check up on you, he is always begging me to bring either of you to each other every time I deliver the letters." Ujin sighed and chuckled sweetly. "My brother only worries about me if I am in a near-death experience, which is rare."

"What!? No!" Beomseok yelled defensively, the rest of the group laughed.

"By the way, are you going to enrol them?" Ujin then nudged his brother trying to whisper, but it felt like he wanted everyone to listen.

"Enrol where?" Jihu asked.

"There are rumours of a battle." Beomseok lowered his body onto the table just slightly hovering above it, "you know our king cannot live without some form of war. Silla helped Baekje to reclaim its river before you joined us. Apparently, JiHeung had a secret operation with Goguryeo and back stabbed Baekje as we apparently betrayed them by sabotaging them and giving Goguryeo details. Now Baekje demands to fight this fair and square in such a short amount of time." Beomseok said in a bored manner just before he start to drink his alcohol.

"I guess there's no escaping it, huh." His brother sighed. He has a secure experience with the battles, he is a lieutenant after all. Gaining that title doesn't suddenly come to you. Many clans avoid him or tried to recruit him, but he doesn't wish to leave his brother for a personal mission, it is said the lieutenant doesn't calm down from battles until he knows his brother is alive, he would murder a whole fleet if his brother isn't okay. Many women fall themselves to him, but in his heart, he believes the one he'll love forever is someone who will be sincere with him and doesn't see him for his title. His sword skills and his overall strength is impressive and pulls up his cultivation skills to play naughty tricks on the enemy like blinding them or creating minions if he is surrounded.

"I wish all of them to grow up one day, I'm getting tired recently with the annoying fights, we're not bodyguards or toys to be fiddled around with and to make me witness more of my men die is something the kings are too selfish to acknowledge." Beomseok dug his nails onto the wooden table, tearing the grains slowly, "Seong, do you want to experience a fight for the first time in your life? It's not going to be those street fights like you usually do with guards," Beomseok then lifted up his hands off the table and planted them on top as if he was soothing the table after torturing it, his rough eyes staring into pit of Seong's soul, "it's going to be against actual trained military soldiers," his eyes widened on his statement "with real swords," he pretends to fight a ghost with an invisible sword, "strong forces," he flexed his muscles "and with people behind you." Beomseok smiled with red cheeks and held his hand out as if he was inviting him.

Seong looked at him with an agape mouth, looked around the table before swallowing. It sounds exciting, to feel real battles with people he trusts. But at the same time if they're not as well equipped, then he will witness a devasting scene that could haunt him for years to come. Hearing how the two men who are extremely fitted for wars not sounding anxious but only bored given him confidence. Seong then smiled and took his hand and shook on it. "Count me in!"

Jihu then looked to his eldest in concern, he rolled his eyes and dunked down on the final sips of tea that he was offered by the humble hospitality. "You never give up do you? First street brawls, then the guards, now a legit battle field." He spat, he might seem like a soft boy who never lifted a fist, but his wordings are always coming in daggers as he knows to use them wisely to makeup what he lacks. "Don't come to me when you're bleeding." He said before Seong even moved his mouth to argue.

Ujin and Beomseok, sighed, they know the brotherly brawl they had before any big decisions happen so they don't try to interrupt it. "You guys should rest up though, we have heavy days coming ahead."

That saved Seong as he quickly got up and bowed as a thanks before he excused himself to his chamber.

Yeah heavy days are sure ahead.