THE WHITE WARRIOR
"Did you get it first-hand?" Princess Deokman asked.
"The net was cast but the fish escaped." Seungman replied as she bowed her head while she handed over the envelope to Princess Deokman who took it into her hands and she opened it.
She pulled out the letter and read through what was inside before she eventually folded it and then she placed it on the nearby candle to burn.
"What did it say Your Highness?" Yushin Rang asked.
"As expected." Princess Deokman replied, "Let's turn around and leave." She added.
"Turn around?" Kim Yushin asked.
"Sokham Fortress isn't the target, it is Amak." Princess Deokman confirmed.
"We should head there right away then Your Highness." Yushin Rang said.
"There's no need, the King had already dispatched another set of troops that shall reach Amak Fortress in time, March at the speed of 25 Kilometers per hour." Princess Deokman replied.
"Where to Your Highness?" Alcheon Rang asked.
"Seungman Rang will lead the way" Princess Deokman confidently replied as she smiled ghastly.
"Your Highness." Seungman said while she looked so much surprised by the Princess' reaction.
"Princess?" Yushin Rang said.
"I have no experience in leading as you are commanding me." Seungman added.
"I have faith in you and all you are going to do is to take with you one thousand soldiers." Princess Deokman said.
"Your Highness." Yushin Rang said when at that moment Junghwan Rang entered into the tent.
"Your Highness." He said as he bowed his head and all the others were surprised.
"Junghwan Rang." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes." He replied.
"You shall lead another one thousand troops." She ordered.
"Yes Your Highness." Junghwan Rang replied.
"This shall be your final challenge of the Hwarang games." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." Seungman said as she bowed her head as well.
We shall once beyond the Mountain split into five groups and the last and biggest body shall halt behind." Princess Deokman said.
"Your Highness, what about Sokham Fortress?" Yushin Rang asked.
"She can stand on my order and today isn't the day that Paekche shall take it from us." Princess Deokman replied.
"Yes Your Highness." Yushin Rang said along with the others in Unison.
"We shall command the main branch of eleven thousand troops and Alcheon Rang shall lead six thousand with General Kim Yongsu leading another six thousand, Kim Seungman and Junghwan Rang shall each lead two mobile units of a thousand men each." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." They all replied in Unison.
"Send an order to Sokham Fortress and ask them to man it whereas the rest of you let's move at once." Princess Deokman said.
"Yes Your Highness." They all replied at once.
The soldiers started marching away from the camp before they had even had a chance to reach Sokham Fortress.
In the nearby woods there stops a couple of spies within the nearby bushes who watched as the Shilla battalion marched away from the West.
"Are they retreating?" One of the spies asked.
"They have left nothing behind." Another's replied.
"So what are we going to do right now?" The other asked.
"We report back that Shilla's main battallion has left and Sokham is nearly vulnerable." Another replied.
"Yes Sir." The spies agreed as they set out in the opposite direction.
The General inside Sokham Fortress was standing at the battlements and looking in a distance at the empty countryside when one of the soldiers rushed up to him.
"Your Excellency " He said as he bowed his head.
"What is it?" The General GILCHEON asked.
"Her Royal Highness Princess Deokman has requested me to give you this order." The messenger replied as he handed over a golden scroll to him.
The General took it into his hands and opened it.
He read through what was inside until he was content.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yes Your Excellency." The messenger replied.
"Very well then." General Gilcheon said.
"Tell the Archers to divide themselves into three and stand in groups of three facing the Western Frontier." General Gilcheon ordered.
"Yes Your Excellency." The Soldiers around replied as they all marched away.
The spies that had been patrolling in the hedges finally appeared in front of the entrance of the Paekche camp that was around a corner withing the next valley.
There were about thousands of Soldiers that had gathered there and about ten thousand dollars tents could be seen in a distance.
"Who are you?" The sentinels at the entrance of the camp asked the three who were dressed in plain black clothes.
The one who was leading them tucked his hand into his cloak and there he pulled out a token which he showed to them.
Upon noticing his presence, the ones at the gates bowed their heads while the three men walked inside until they approached the General's tent which was in the centre of the camp.
It was much bigger than the others and while the soldiers marched back and forth they were close to forty thousand in number.
The three entered the tent and within it there was a General who was watching the battlefield.
"Your Excellency." The three said as they bowed their heads.
"What is there to report from Shilla?" The man asked.
"The Shilla reinforcements that were supposed to fortify Sokham Fortress have withdrawn before they even set foot inside." The man replied.
"Are you sure?" The General asked.
"They are travelling at speeds of about 30 kilometers per hour." The man replied.
"That's strange." The man said. "Any news from Sokham Fortress itself?" The General asked.
"Not really Your Excellency, everything there looks so normal and my guess is that perhaps they do not expect us to attack them just yet." The man said.
"I don't thinking so." The General replied.
"Your Excellency." He said.
"It's likely that it's just their bait or most probably they could have decided to retreat thinking that we might take them by surprise." The General said.
"Your Excellency, Sokham is well guarded and defended and close to impenetrable, there are hills around it and the terrain is unfavourable.
In my opinion those men of Shilla could expect to take us on from the flat parts around Amak Fortress because once we penetrate it we can have Access to Seoraebeol easily with mild resistances.
Given that interpretation of things that they could have they wouldn't be reluctant to abandon Sokham Fortress because if my memory serves me right the best way to take Seoraebeol is attacking from the North West." The spy said.
"Anything is feasible and in war even when the best strategy has been laid then we need to also have a back up in case things go South." The General replied.
"How are we going to find out Your Excellency if this is an ambush or not?" They asked.
"Gyebaek?" The General called.
"Yes?" Gyebaek replied.
"You mustn't make haste unless the time is right." General Sa Gyeol replied.
"Yes." Gyebaek replied.
"If you wish to take the enemy by surprise then you must play according to the game and make them fall for their own bait." General Sa Gyeol replied.
"Yes Your Excellency." Gyebaek replied.
"Send three thousand soldiers ahead and let them take Sokham Fortress by surprise." General Sa Gyeol replied.
"Yes Your Excellency." Gyebaek replied.
"We shall see how they react and according to their reaction we shall also be able to deal with them accordingly." General Sa Gyeol replied.
"Yes Your Excellency." Gyebaek replied.
The Shilla army had marched a distance while Seungman was riding at the front with Junghwan Rang while she held onto her white flag.
"What do you think is this final stage?" Seungman asked her colleague.
"I don't know." Junghwan Rang murmured under his breath.
"Perhaps you could make a guess." Seungman said.
"You are thought to be quite smart why shouldn't you be the one to take it?" Junghwan Rang asked.
"Alright, I'll listen." Seungman replied when she happened to recall the words that Princess Deokman had mentioned to them inside the tent a couple of minutes back.
"We shall once beyond the Mountain split into five groups and the last and biggest body shall halt behind." She had mentioned to them.
"Halt." Seungman said as the soldiers stopped moving for a moment while her eyes searched around the whole place.
"What are you doing right now?" Junghwan Rang asked her.
"We are beyond the Mountain." Seungman replied and Junghwan Rang looking behind he noticed that the mountain was not so far past them.
"This relief is favourable for us so it is high time that we split into the five Groups." Seungman said.
"Yes." Junghwan Rang said as he nodded.
They turned around and faced the soldiers while the soldiers reorganized themselves and they went into the formation.
"l'll go left you, you go right." Seungman said and Junghwan nodded out of approval while they parted and the army started to disperse into the various groups.
They moved around on opposite ends as they tried to surround the Mountain.
The Shilla guards that stood at the battlements serveyed the land in front of them with their eyes as they stared at a winding path that came from the West.
Eventually the sound of marching got louder and louder when in a distance they caught sight of the Paekche army flags flying in a distance and approaching them so fast.
The Horns were sounded and so were the war drums that eventually a warning Gong was sounded.
The Paekche army rushed in instantly with their Spears and their ladders and just by surprise the Shilla archers that stood at the battlements revealed themselves as they aimed at them and released the Arrows.
The sky was darkened while they rained down with tongues of fire upon the invaders.
They hadn't exploited their whole Frontline so they had a series of shields that were put in place and withdrawing a little bit the Shilla archers halted their fire.
Gyebaek who was on his stead watched as General Sa Gyeol rode right up to his side.
"Your Excellency, they're alert." Gyebaek said.
"They are on guard." General Sa Gyeol replied.
"What should we do?" Gyebaek asked, "It seems that we have already shown our interest in attacking them so if we do not give them a blow then they might call for reinforcements before we capture Sokham." He added.
"They are on their own right now and if my guess is right and they are marching at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour then they are four hours away already." General Sa Gyeol said.
"We have four Hours to capture the Fortress? " Gyebaek asked.
"We have six months." General Sa Gyeol replied.
"In my opinion if we keep on dragging the war then we could provoke Shilla to take up by full force." Gyebaek said.
"And when it crumbles then Shilla shall have ultimately weakened." General Sa Gyeol replied.
"Your Excellency...." Gyebaek said but he was halted by General Sa Gyeol.
"Quiet." He said as his ears tried to process another distinct sound.
They heard the war drums that were being sounded and turning around they caught sight of a thick cloud of dust as Shilla soldiers dashed towards them being led by Junghwan Rang attacking from the back.
"There's the trap." General Sa Gyeol said as he pulled out his sword from it's scabbard and raised it up.
"Release the signal." He said to Gyebaek who got a bow and an arrow and he shot up into the sky a tin of red powder that it scattered like smoke.
"What's next?" Gyebaek asked.
"We fight." General Sa Gyeol replied as he rode his horse towards the Enemy.
The red cloud in the sky alerted another large group of Paekche soldiers and these were being led by three Commanders and one General.
"General Sa Gyeol's signal." One of the Commanders said.
"Attack." The General ordered from the entrance of the Camp and the Paekche soldiers ran out with their swords and spears as they carried their ladders and dragged the Catapults.
Princess Deokman was waiting with her other portion of the troops within the nearby woods and looking up at the sky she saw the red smoke signal.
"Your Highness." Yushin Rang said as he bowed his head to her.
"What did you see?" Princess Deokman asked.
"Nearly the whole Paekche force is marching towards Sokham." Yushin Rang replied.
"Good." Princess Deokman said.
"Should we launch our attack?" Yushin Rang asked.
"Not yet, it is time for the second and third groups to make their moves." Princess Deokman replied as she smiled at the clear blue sky.
General Kim Yongchun and his troops arrived at Amak Fortress which was entirely peaceful and there was nothing more than it's usual peace.
"It's calm." Kim Yongchun said.
"I believe so too." General Nool Choi replied as the gates of Amak Fortress were opened for them and the two led twenty thousand soldiers inside the Fortress.
Upon arrival inside they met with the Commander of Amak Fortress Dosan.
"Your Excellencies." He greeted them as he bowed his head.
"What's the situation?" Kim Yongchun asked.
"There is nothing, I should be the one asking though why you bring with Yourselves all these Soldiers?" Commander Dosan asked.
"Haven't there been movements by the Paekche army?" General Nool Choi asked.
"There haven't been any sightings recently for the past six months nearly." Commander Dosan replied.
"How is that possible?" Kim Yongchun asked.
"It's the truth, I think there is some kind of misunderstanding." Commander Dosan replied.
"Perhaps." Kim Yongchun said.
"But we have come from far and we can not go back right now." General Nool Choi said.
"I also agree." Kim Yongchun said.
"We'll have to monitor the situation here for a couple of days and we shall react accordingly, because there aren't any movements we can not be too sure that our safety and that of Amak Fortress is guaranteed." General Nool Choi remarked.
"Yes Your Excellencies." Commander Dosan said.
"Tell your men to stand their guard." Kim Yongchun said.
"Yes." Commander Dosan replied while the two Generals walked up to the battlements and they looked in a distance at the vast expanse of the land.
"The sky is clear and no smoke or banners are up, this area is relatively flat and we can see the enemy in a distance unless they lie beyond the small hills." Kim Yongchun said.
"What if they do not turn up?" General Nool Choi asked.
"Then where on Earth would they be willing to strike?" Kim Yongchun asked.
"I don't know." General Nool Choi replied.
Junghwan Rang was still fighting with the Paekche soldiers and his a thousand men were doing a great job much as the numbers if the enemy were overwhelmingly greater.
As the battlefield was covered in blood, the gates of Sokham Fortress were opened and another group led by Gopheung marched out with their weapons while he rode fiercely onto the battlefield.
Flags were seen flying in the sky and the sound of war drums was already dominant in the air as it covered up the cries of the dying soldiers.
Eventually, the Paekche army appeared stretching up to a mile as they crashed into the combined Paekche Shilla rivaling forces.
The Paekcheans were encouraged and the dust rose on the battlefield while fire rained down from the sky with arrows that were shot towards the advancing Paekche army.
Seungman appeared at the time that Junghwan Rang stood face to face with the Paekche General Sa Gyeol and before the two collided Seungman ceasing a bow and an arrow shot it into the direction of Sa Gyeol.
Sa Gyeol who saw it coming halted and with his sword he struck the arrow away that it flew to the ground, his attention had been diverted and drawn to the young rider on the white horse.
Seungman drew just as much attention as she stood out while she carried with herself the white flag on an even longer pole this time around.
He planted it while her one thousand men blended in and ceasing her now again she lined it with Seven arrows and she started shooting all the Paekcheans that were around her.
General Sa Gyeol seeing her the more was drawn to her that he charged with his sword at hand.
Seungman looking at her attackers wore her bore and she ceased the metallic mast that bore her white flag, she charged towards the General as well as she cleared her path with the sharp tip of the iron mast.
She was cutting off the Paekcheans heads and piercing their chests so furiously and as she passed General Sa Gyeol she swang it and struck his sword out of his hand before she kicked him off his horse.
The Paekcheans saw that Seungman was fighting in a way that was uncommon to them and she seemed to look like a Shilla General given that the way she was dressed was quite unique.
They surrounded and closed in on her with their Spears pointed at her horse.
She span the mast and knocked off the iron spear heads while compressing her thin Iron mast like a spring she swang it back against and cleared the whole circle leaving them with wounds on their faces they fall down and either died or they were incapacitated.
Bidam Rang, Gopheung and Junghwan were amused with nearly all the other Hwarang that were present at the scene while Seungman seemed to show a certain degree of professionalism.
Gyebaek caught sight of her while she charged towards him with her mast.
He charged towards her on his red stead as well.
When the two were coming into close Contact Seungman launched her mast at him but he jumped off his steed for a while as he waved his sword.
She swiftly withdrew her mast as she bowed her head backwards and a perfect hit for them both was missed.
Gopheung charged through while swinging his sword side to side as he slashed the Paekcheans that tried to get close to him.
He held up that spear that had been planted into the soil and he threw it in front with all the might that he could find in his entire body.
He pinned about three soldiers together that the result was them withdrawing backwards.
He held up the spear once again and pulled it from them and switching his grip he cast it into his right hand and threw it ahead as well while the path was cleared he pinned down another three and he eventually halted right where he had wanted and that was face to face with the General Sa Gyeol.
The two sprang at each other as they leaped off their steads.
Their swords clashed and the two landed on the ground.
The Shilla and the Paekcheans that were around them started to fight in their favours respectively while they seemed to be the big clash and centre of attention on the battlefield.
Seungman summersaulted from her horse and landed in the ground while she charged towards one of the Paekcheans while Planting her flag into the ground she unsheathed her Sword.
She leaped into midair and laid a spinning kick which launched one of her attackers away.
She waved her Sword about and cut another two that were so close while she continued moving around her banner.
She jumped with a double kick and she struck the others away while she ceased the mast of her white flag and she span herself on it and with her sword cut the others that struggled to get to her.
She rested her feet down and pointed her Sword up while her left hand touched the soil, she looked ahead but there were too many that were still charging towards her.
She then ran while leaping from side to side bending her head lower and slicing through the abdomens of her attackers at lightning speed she streaked much faster than anyone had ever seen.
Her hand seemed to be so flexible when it came to twisting the sword that she herself was amazed.
Gyebaek so that she had made a large blood bath of the Paekchean troops and he decided to face her once again.
She saw him while he also looked at her angrily and the two started off towards one another while slaughtering anyone that was an enemy who stood in their way.
Eventually they cane into contact with their swords and Gyebaek looked her in the eye while she did the same.
Gritting his teeth and his veins having become so visible on his head he noticed that unlike others her skin was so flawless it looked so smooth.
Not even a sign of beards to begin with and there was a little relief on her chest.
"You are a woman." He said.
"So?" Seungman replied while she gathered all her strength and pushed him away.
He confirmed for himself from the very tone that came from her voice.
Seungman launched herself at him while she kept on spinning about as she jumped into the air landing her sword on his as he slid away backwards dodging his attackers attempts.
The battlefield was bloody and the fifteenth thousand soldiers of Shilla had already greatly reduced the Paekche troops they were down to twenty five thousand in the first hour.
Seungman tried to attack Gyebaek but as he pulled out there were more and more Paekcheans that positioned themselves between himself and Seungman.
She didn't hesitate as she caught sight of her flag which was still standing in a distance, the Paekcheans had been bombarded in every direction.
The retreat horn was sounded and as the eyes travelled about General Sa Gyeol and Gyebaek were withdrawing from the valley.
Before the massive surviving force of Paekche could move away to reorganize themselves, A large number of arrows started flying towards them from the back and their left.
Kim Yongsu charged with another force of Shilla and the Paekcheans were Surrounded they turned back around.
There the war drums which were louder did not rest as they caught sight of a large mass of Shilla flags that were approaching them.
"General Sa Gyeol looked at them while he stared behind and it looked as though the three bodies that he had created for the Paekche troops has been totally Surrounded by Shilla.
"Disaster has befallen us." He said.
"What should we do now Your Excellency." Some of the Commanders started asking as they turned around and faced him.
"We fight with our lives." General Sa Gyeol replied as the Paekche army dispersed from the order while they collided with Shilla.
Seungman had returned to her flag and ceasing it's mast she whistled as her horse Ammal returned to her and she mounted it.
Ceasing it's reins she charged with her full force as well as she penetrated into the Paekche army.
Princess Deokman walked with Alcheon Rang and she stood up on top of a small hill while she beheld everything that was happening in the valley.
Seungman was handling everything with ease as her baptism of fire wasn't that difficult like she had hoped it would be.
Yushin Rang had already made a grand entry with a bow and arrow and there he clashed with Gyebaek as the two swang their swords.
Junghwan Rang who was surrounded by the Paekcheans ceased one by his shoulder and used his as a shield while they pointed their spears towards him and attacked her swang on him and they pierced their fellow instead.
He ceased their spearheads and with his biceps swelling and himself biting at his teeth he gathered every inch of energy within his body being gigantic in nature and he swang them and threw them down.
The Shilla soldiers that were near him moved closer to his fallen victims while he withdrew and they pierced them with their Spears on the ground.
He turned around and pushed his sword backwards as he pierced it through two others and pulling it out he swang it and slit the throats of three others.
He launches himself towards a whole lot of six soldiers and kicking one of the fallen spears it went into his hands and he laid it horizontally as he pushed them backwards with it while he penetrated them.
Yushin Rang swang his sword and brought it upon Gyebaek who guarded with his own and kicked Yushin Rang away.
Yushin staggered as Gyebaek leaped towards him.
He turned around and moved to the side as he kicked him on his back he landed onto his knees as he supported himself with his sword.
"Have you not had enough?" Yushin Rang Asked.
"I'll slay you today and bring glory to Paekche." Gyebaek said as he caught the soil and threw it at Yushin Rang's eyes.
He guarded with his right hand as Gyebaek brought his sword right towards Yushin's head he would have passed it through him.
A small rope tightened itself around it and Seungman pulled the sword out of his hand as he ceased it and cut Gyebaek on his back.
She was still going when one of the Paekcheans lifted a bow and and arrow that were idle on the ground and he aimed at her.
Caught up in the struggle Seungman couldn't see that they were aiming for her as she was surrounded on her horse by a number of Paekcheans.
Gopheung saw the attempting murderer and he picked up a spear and he threw it at him.
The Murderer struck had already put Seungman within his target he let go as the arrow struck Seungman's back she staggered with her horse a little.
She looked around her as the men were closing in and she span the mast in her possession and injured all of them.
She looked at her back where the arrow was and she ceased part of its body and broke it as she threw it down onto the ground.
Alcheon Rang who with Princess Deokman was at a distance felt his heart slowly breaking and falling apart upon realizing that the woman he loved had been injured.
Seungman didn't falter as she continued to fight off the invaders that even Princess Deokman was surprised.
"She really is strong willed." Princess Deokman remarked.
"But she is injured." Alcheon Rang said.
"I hope that she survives." Princess Deokman said.
Seungman closing her eyes she seemed to recall the dream that she had had all the those times since her childhood.
She'd seen a rider on a white horse and it was clear there and then that the rider was a woman, as she seemed to get close enough to have a glimpse of the white warrior that was fighting she recalled herself and gazed into the warrior's face.
The Paekcheans around her seeing her having relaxed while the atmosphere around her was turbulent were drawn closer with their swords and spears pointing at her.
Seungman breathed as those eyes looked familiar, the nose and the mouth as well.
At last the picture of her hero was clear in her head and it was none other than herself.
"I am the woman of my dreams." She muttered to herself as she opened her eyes which were raging with anger burning in them.
She jumped off her horse and stepped down onto the ground.
The Paekcheans shouted as they advanced towards her and at last all he'll breaking lose she made the best example of them.
She started by tripping them all and spinning the mast in her hands she pushed the body up and balanced her hand in the middle as she ran it across her enemies faces.
Another Group attacked and she swang the mast again this time the white flag covered in blood she killed them all with the pointed iron head of the mast.
She entered deeper into the Paekcheans as others also penetrated their forces after her and blood rained from the sky and the people's severed bodies while Yushin Rang also made the massacre more lively.
Seungman had never felt such power in all her life before and she had never been angrier as she forgot the pain of the arrow head that was still stuck in her back while her grief took over as it severed every small sympathy of humanity within her and left behind a beast.
The enemy was slain gravely and those who managed from Paekche to retreat had suffered an awful defeat and were lead by General Sa Gyeol and Gyebaek.
The Shilla troops that lined the battlements of Sokham Fortress and those that were within the valley shouted in a very loud cheer as they stood above the Paekcheans who had turned the soil soggy with their blood.
Crows and Ravens started flying above with the Shillans in absolute Cheer, Seungman was seated on her stead with her mast entirely drenched in blood along with some Hwarang.
In a short while nearly five hundred Soldiers walked in being led by Princess Deokman who was walking with Alcheon Rang by her side.
She held up her dress as she jumped over all the corpses that had been scattered about the place.
Seungman and the others seeing the Princess they unmounted their horses and those who were already standing only moved closer to her following Seungman's lead.
Seungman planted her mast into the soil and slowly she went down into her knees with all the rest while Princess Deokman was watching her keenly.
"Your Highness." Seungman said.
"What is it?" Princess Deokman asked.
"We have done it Your Highness, we have all done it." Seungman replied, "At last, against Paekche, Shilla has emerged Victorious." She added as she smiled her entire face covered in blood and her hair only being supported by a small cotton band.
"Yes You have done it." Princess Deokman said, "Against Paekche you have all made Shilla emerge Victorious." She added confidently.