LADY OF FIRE

The Gorguryeo soldiers stood at the top of the battlements as they prepared for an attack but the was none at all.

It has already been an hour but there wasn't any response coming from the area nearby and the plane looked so clear and silent like it had never been before.

They waited and what had been an hour turned into two still with nothing in their sight.

General Gorong who was standing right on top of the pavilion that was situated above the Fortress gate too had a bow and an arrow in his possession as they got ready for Shilla's attack.

Under the shed he was still sweating profusely from the heat and the anxiety but he was still unable to see a thing.

"Your Excellency, I don't think that the Shilla troops are attacking." Kimhae remarked.

"You should have some patience if you want to get something." General Gorong said.

"We have waited for a while, if it was Shilla's intention to attack then they would have taken their positions right in front of us by now." Kimhae said.

"I don't get it either." General Gorong said as he lowered his bow and arrow.

"At ease." He added as all the other archers following his head they lowered theirs as well.

"What do you think is going on?" General Gorong asked.

"To be honest, I too aren't as sure as you aren't Your Excellency." Kimhae replied. "Perhaps there was a change in plan." He added.

"That has been Shilla's way ever since this battle started, if we can win one good war then we can motivate our other fellows.

All of a sudden there was a soldier who walked up to them.

"Your Excellency." He said.

"What is it?" General Gorong asked.

"A group of flags have been spotted on the other side of the Fortress." The guard said.

"What?" Kimhae asked.

"Wait." General Gorong said.

"What is it Your Excellency?" Kimhae asked.

"This could be a trap." General Gorong replied and Kimhae halted in his footsteps.

All of a sudden another soldier rushed up to them.

"Your Excellency." He said as he bowed his head.

"What is it?" General Gorong asked.

"There are a very large number of Shilla Soldiers that are advancing from the North." The guard said and General Gorong was startled.

"At what speed?" He asked.

"Fifty five Kilometres per hour." The soldier replied.

"No." Kimhae Said.

"They were aware that we deployed guards to protect the Eastern gates so they have decided to surround the whole Fortress." General Gorong replied.

Hardly had he spoken like this when he heard one of the archers.

"Your Excellency." The Archer said and turning around to look at him he noticed that the man was pointing ahead where a set of banners were flown into the sky and an army emerged at the front being led by a rider who was dressed in white.

"It must be her." General Gorong said, "it must be the Queen of Shilla." He added.

"Your Excellency, our defenses are concentrated at the Eastern gate, all the others at the moment are prone to any attack.

"Archers in positions." General Gorong said and at once they reorganized themselves to how they had been before.

"What are we doing?" Kimhae asked his master.

"We are going to defend this Fortress with all our lives." General Gorong replied.

"Yes Your Excellency." Kimhae replied as he ran over to the other side of the Fortress.

"Your Majesty, they seem to be very ready for our attack." Kim Yushin said.

"I want to show you all what happens if you go head on when the enemy expects you, if you could win the resistance in most cases is very fierce and it lasts longer." Queen Jindeok replied.

"Alright Your Majesty." Kim Yushin said.

"There are soldiers that are waiting by and in three of the directions they are anticipating us." Queen Jindeok said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Yushin Rang replied.

"When the other two sides attack we fight then, only after we have engaged can you fire the signal to alert our fellow comrades." Queen Jindeok said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Yushin Rang replied as they continued riding slowly until they halted at a safe distance out of the range of the arrows.

"Your Excellency, why don't we fire now?" One of the archers asked.

"Because as it is at the moment they are still out of our range, we would be exhausting the limited weapons that we have." General Gorong replied while he kept his aim right in the direction of the Queen.

The Queen raised her right hand and the army at the front split up into two as they moved across to the other sides of the wall while the Western side of the Fortress was heavily bombarded the archers there tried their best to force the Shilla soldiers into withdrawal but the soldiers only got closer and closer as the first Frontline advanced with a pair of shields both in front and above to guard against the impact of the arrows while in between the gaps of their shields their archers were also looking for a good target as they came closer.

When the archers of Baek Mountain Fortress were in range the Shillans shot at them immediately that they were repelled into different directions and some had to be forced to hide behind the battlements as they reloaded their bows.

Grabbing the opportunity of the Paekcheans lacking immediate help and reinforcements on the Western wall, the Shillans carried their ladders all the way from the third line as they approached it.

They put up their ladders while the archers covered them shooting the Paekcheans that attempted to push the ladders down.

The Ground force of the Paekcheans that was guarding the outer wall comprising a set of one thousand soldiers intervened in what was a bloody combat with the Shillans outside and as they moved around, there was a forth group that was waiting for them to react they moved from the South side and attacked the Southern wall while the Paekcheans were still caught up in the fight.

They were taken by surprise when the elite Shilla force rained on them and the Eastern Gates defenses were being weakened while Queen Jindeok remained behind with Yushin Rang.

As the fight Progressed the queen studying the situation she gave her order to attack and the first six lines of the Shilla army advanced ahead of her while General Gorong gave the order to the archers to shoot their arrows.

The Shilla soldiers coming into a closer range those with the shields halted ahead and they formed four shield barricades which protected them from the arrows.

Eventually, the arrows ceased raining down on them and at that moment the shield bearers if Shilla turned around and exposed their archers who knelt down on one knee each as they aimed at the wall with their arrows and they shot back as well.

General Gorong beholding what he least expected in the sky as it was darkened there was a green smoke signal that possesed the skies as well.

The moment that it was fired like this there was another force that was seen marching from the valley and attacking from the South East which was much nearer to the Fortress.

Baek Mountain Fortress was as good as surrounded as the Shilla soldiers landed on the Western battlements they were already in close combat with their rivals the Paekcheans.

They fought harder and harder but the Shilla men holding much more vigour than the Paekcheans who were surrounded and on their own were prevailing calmly though the resistance was heavy it was still not enough to amount to Shilla's might.

"Your Majesty." Yushin Rang called."We're winning." He added.

"They stood for two hours under the sun they had nothing much to it, they would be willing to fight harder and harder but their bodies won't let them which shall only spell a defeat." Queen Jindeok replied.

"Your Majesty intended to delay the attack." Kim Yushin said.

"No one is ready only prepared and as they were ready two hours ago, for us a long wait to replenish our strength was all that we needed to get back into position and contend with them." Queen Jindeok said.

General Gorong was still fighting on the battlements and slaying the Shilla Soldiers but to no avail as they seemed to only and only increase in their numbers and as he looked back at the Queen in a distance, she showed no signs of attacking.

"Aren't we going to ride into Baek Mountain Fortress right now?" Haesul Rang asked.

"I had no interest in attacking it any sooner than I had planned but because you demanded because of it being strategic I yielded so that you would set your feet inside and out your minds at ease." Queen Jindeok said.

"I don't understand you Your Majesty." Haesul Rang asked.

"You won't because contrary to your thoughts and contrary to your ways as well, I have my own that I should boast." Queen Jindeok replied.

"Won't you set foot inside it Your Majesty?" Yushin Rang asked.

"I shall." Queen Jindeok replied, "when we are victorious." She added.

"Alright Your Majesty." Yushin Rang replied as they spectated the battle while the Queen herself not wearing either a smile or a frown she looked on confidently.

The gates of the Fortress were opened and the soldiers of Shilla that were nearby having penetrated all the defenses of Paekche they were able to enter inside as the war went on and own while the silence following in a distance, the Queen beheld the head of General Gorong having been hoisted on a mast by Generals Kim Seohyeon the Shilla soldiers were raising the their swords into the air and waving them all over the battlements as they cheered themselves on their Victory.

Not many of the Paekcheans had fled anyway and a very large number of them had perished.

The Queen finally smiled.

"Another one of my enemies has fallen." She said.

"Your Majesty, here's the victory that we have been waiting for." Damhyeong said.

"Let's go." Queen Jindeok said as she rode her white stead with her mast and the rest of the soldiers followed her towards the opened gates of Baek Mountain Fortress.

As her horse was already through the gates, one of the Paekcheans who was nearby stood up and with his sword he swang it but the Queen having sensed the likely impact she swang her mast and beheaded him at once while she continued to ride in truimphantly as she treaded over both the many corpses of the Paekcheans and the few corpses of her people while she reached the centre of the Fortress where the Paekche flag was already flying.

With her very mast she struck down the pole and broke it.

Slowly, the flag of Paekche fell down into a fire that was nearby and it burnt.

"Your Majesty." All the Shilla Soldiers said as they bowed their heads to her while Haesul Rang right behind her raised the flag of Shilla.

"Let it be known to the whole world that on this day, Baek Mountain Fortress belongs to Paekche no more it is now for Shilla." Queen Jindeok said as she raised her flag up into the sky and the Shilla soldiers raised their swords into the air as they yelled with victory.

Not so far in a distance beholding the flag of the enemy flying, General Pocheon turned to one of his subordinates.

"Inform his Majesty the King back at Seolbong Mountain Fortress, Baek Mountain Fortress too has fallen to the hands of Shilla." He ordered.

"Yes Your Excellency." The soldier replied as the guard walked away while General Pocheon recalled the words of Honourable Songchung.

"Your Majesty, Shilla at the moment has the support of Tang, on top of that when I think about our current status my heart bleeds heavily because it is our grandsons and granddaughters that ate going to pay for the price." Honourable Songchung had said.

"So what do you propose, that we surrender our territory which I devoted my everything for?" King Uija had asked angrily.

"Your Majesty, war is not a solution at the moment we should rather consider diplomacy and coming into an agreement with Shilla.

If we could sit at a round table and negotiate we can settle issues under the policy of give and take." Honourable Songchung had replied.

"Is no war really the best policy?" General Pocheon asked himself as he stared at the flag of Shilla that was hanging in a distance.

He sighed with so much disbelief as he could almost hear the sound of Shilla's Victory and Paekche's disaster.

"Where is heaven for us all, where are the gods for Paekche?" He asked himself.

King Uija stood up in a fit of rage.

"What?" He said, "Baek Fortress?" He added.

"Your Majesty, the resistance there was heavy buy the numbers of Shilla surpassed ours as they were ten thousand soldiers that fought on their side." General Gyebaek replied.

"How useless, should I step on that battlefield myself?" King Uija asked.

"Your Majesty, there is also something else, a rumour that is going through the soldiers right now." General Gyebaek said.

"What are they saying?" King Uija asked.

"You offered Fifty thousand Taels of Gold to the person who would deliver the head of the Queen of Shilla to you but she offered five thousand golden Taels to the person who would offer your head to her." General Gyebaek said.

"Where are those bastards, deliver them to me and I'll teach them manners." King Uija remarked.

"Too many people have said those words Your Majesty you'll annihilate an entire camp." General Gyebaek said.

"Killing my soldiers is not enough at the moment, she has gone the extra step to humiliate me?" King Uija said.

"She really has a very tough gut for a woman I believe." The King added as he walked over to the map and toppled the Paekche flag that marked Baek Mountain Fortress and there he replaced it with Shilla's, it's already been three days, twelve of our strongholds and those that once belonged to Shilla have been captured." King Uija said.

"Your Majesty, we should also launch an attack." Gyebaek said.

"And that's what we are going to do." King Uija replied as his eyes moved all over the map eventually he landed a Paekche flag at Kimhae while smiling ghastly.

"Are you sure about this Your Majesty?" General Gyebaek asked.

"Her Majesty the Queen of Shilla won't see it coming as she is off with her attention at is, it is high time that we also retaliated." King Uija said.

"Very well then your Majesty." Gyebaek replied.

"Prepare the troops immediately." King Uija said.

"Yes Your Majesty." General Gyebaek replied as he bowed head and walked out of the room.

"I am coming for you Seungman." The King swore to himself.

Queen Jindeok stood at the pavilion of the Western gate and there she looked at the lands beyond that were labelled Paekche.

Sangdaedeung Alcheon joined her and he stood by her side.

"Your Majesty, everyone is celebrating you are the only one that looks rather serious." He said.

"Is there that time for Merry making?" Queen Jindeok asked.

"Perhaps not Your Majesty." Sangdaedeung Alcheon replied.

"I have accorded my benevolence to very many people throughout my entire life, some of those in the end betrayed me and others have remained loyal yet the longer that I kill I feel myself getting used and becoming less and less human." Queen Jindeok said.

"It's an adaptation Your Majesty." Sangdaedeung Alcheon remarked.

"Perhaps it is." Queen Jindeok said, "Today I treaded over the corpses of my enemies and I noticed that among them there were children it reminded me of a sight that was too similar when we fought on the soils of Sokham all those years back." Queen Jindeok said.

"Your Majesty, you were still victorious to prepare a paradise for all your people." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"But who is there to cry with their mothers, who is their to bury them, who is there to remember the value for which they thought, who is there to keep their corpses from the sharp beaks of the crows and Ravens?" Queen Jindeok asked.

"In peace your Majesty, it's inevitable for sons to bury their own fathers, when it comes to war, father's bury their own sons." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"Was this not what her late Majesty resented?" Queen Jindeok asked.

"Regardless of their families and their children, those that are orphaned and those that are not, one way or another, the blood of both those that are defeated and those that are fighting for our same cause contributes evenly to the Constitution of a Kingdom that is united which is our primary goal." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"Hearing Your words Alcheon, I feel so relieved." Queen Jindeok said.

"When you get tired I want you to trust me to carry your sword just so that you can have some peace." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"You are much older than I am, I should be the one to tell you that." Queen Jindeok said.

"Regardless of my age as there is no one to protect you like I can I certainly must." Sangdaedeung Alcheon replied.

The two looked at the sky and there Queen Jindeok received a carrier pigeon which landed right in front of her.

She carried it and pulling the message that was tied to it's leg she unfolded it to read it's contents only to find there three words.

"Paekche's attacking Kimhae." She read as she widened her eyes.

"Father everyone." Queen Jindeok said.

"Yes Your Majesty." Sangdaedeung Alcheon replied and bowed his head while the Queen walked away.

In a short while everyone had gathered in the General's hall of Baek Mountain Fortress and there Queen Jindeok walked in while they all stood around the map of the land while the Queen carried a small flag of Paekche and stationed it right in front of Kimhae.

"Your Majesty, what is it?" Kim Seohyeon asked.

"Kimhae." Queen Jindeok replied.

"Is it the King of Paekche's target right now Your Majesty?" Kim Yongsu asked.

"It is." Queen Jindeok replied.

"What are we going to do now, that's so far Southwards and even if we are to send reinforcements to the place it shall take a very long while to reach them." Kim Yushin Said.

"We have fought hard already and fortified the West yet our South at the moment could be penetrable by the Paekcheans." Queen Jindeok said.

"There must be a way that we can stop the Paekche army." Haesul Rang said.

"There is one but I can't necessarily guarantee the outcome." Queen Jindeok said.

"What is it Your Majesty?" Kim Yushin asked.

"There's a river that is positioned right behind Kimhae and nearby there is a forest." Queen Jindeok replied. "In my opinion we can have a mobile unit to ambush them in the forest Before they can advance further to Kimhae and their spears being long these must be people with very short swords that can easily make then maneuver the attacks of the enemy." Queen Jindeok replied.

"What if they penetrate the forest and they reach outside Kimhae?" Yushin Rang asked.

"The purpose of the mobile unit is to see to it that it reduces the numbers so that by the time they advance to Kimhae, the number can be handled and in the worst case scenario of a war happening we could alert the people nearby to block the river and cause it to flood as it was with the capture of Kwansanseong, there's not much damage that can do to us but to Paekche it will be something great we shall have weakened it." Queen Jindeok replied.

"Your Majesty is a genius." Yushin Rang said.

"Send word to the people and ask them to gather as many traps as possible and at least in five hours they shall be ready to ambush the Paekcheans and while they are charging south let us also shift our attention further towards Gong Mountain Fortress." Queen Jindeok replied.

"That's the former capital of Paekche." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"I am aware." Queen Jindeok replied.

"Your Majesty, the defense there isn't easy and such a battle could entirely trigger defeat for our army." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"If we want to lure the lion away from the prey then you must attack it's pride, if we must withdraw them at this point and reduce the resistance at Kimhae then we must use guise." Queen Jindeok replied.

"The moment that Gong Mountain Fortress us under attack then our intention of capturing Sabi shall be made clear there and then and if that is the case we are trying to gather all the Paekcheans against us." Kim Yushin replied.

"Yes." Queen Jindeok replied.

"The attack on Kimhae could be withdrawn in time to Fortify all the other Fortresses that surround Sabi." Kim Seohyeon said.

"Yes." Queen Jindeok replied as she smiled ghastly.

"Very well then Your Majesty." Kim Seohyeon said.

"Gather an army of ten thousand and we march towards Gong Mountain Fortress." Queen Jindeok said.

"Yes Your Majesty." The Generals replied as they bowed their heads while the Queen stood up and walked out of the room.

Sangdaedeung Alcheon tied a small piece of paper to the right leg of the Carrier pigeon and at once he released it into the sky as it flew towards the General Sokham's Fortress which was stationed on the Eastern shore of the Naktong River.

The moment that it landed the General received the message and at once he sent a battallion of two thousand soldiers who were dressed in very light armour and they possesed a couple of small and very short swords.

At Kimhae where the Fortress stood, the hunting traps had already been prepared and a number of pits that were dug in the forest were covered with grass on top while the spears were stationed right underneath.

The army of ten thousand soldiers was dispatched and it started marching off into the Direction of the Gong Mountain Fortress.

There were a couple of Paekche spies that were watching them closely and Yushin and Queen Jindeok continued until Damhyeong spoke up.

"Your Majesty, there's someone that's following us." He said.

"I know and I am very much aware." Queen Jindeok replied.

"Should I kill him?" Damhyeong Asked.

"There are some things that you don't know yourself so just let him be, if I wanted him dead how long do you think that would possibly take me?" Queen Jindeok replied.

King Uija who was pacing around the room and waiting for some good news was alarmed when the door was opened that he hurriedly rushed over to General Gyebaek who had arrived inside.

"Your Majesty." General Gyebaek said as he bowed his head.

"How far are the troops that we have sent?" King Uija asked.

"They already crossed the border and they'll soon be arriving." General Gyebaek replied.

"Very well." King Uija said as he smiled heartily when the doors of the room were flung open and another informer hurried in.

"Your Majesty." He said as he bowed his head breathing heavily and himself sweating profusely.

"What's happening to you?" King Uija asked.

"Her Majesty the Queen of Shilla." The informer replied.

"Which Fortress has now been taken?" King Uija asked.

The Fortifications in the North East are being cleared and nearly five have been consolidated while the Queen herself with a force of ten thousand soldiers they are marching to Gong Mountain Fortress." The informer replied.

"Impossible." King Uija said.

"Your Majesty...." General Gyebaek was saying but the King halted him immediately.

"If they take Gong Mountain Fortress then automatically, Ungjin, our former Capital shall have fallen and when that is the case the next stop would be....?" King Uija said.

"Sabi." General Gyebaek said.

"The morale at which the Shilla army is moving is very frustrating Your Majesty and they are travelling at a speed of Fifty five Kilometers per hour." The man replied.

"That means they shall have arrived at the Gong Mountain Fortress in two hours from now." General Gyebaek said.

"We can not let that happen, Ungjin herself must still remain protected." King Uija said.

"Your Majesty, the gravity of this movement could jeopardize everything that we have worked so hard for." General Gyebaek said.

"We push ahead with a full attack on Kimhae and gather some forces to reinforce the defense of Gong Mountain Fortress right now.

If Kimhae is in trouble then Shilla would have to rush to the aid of Seoraebeol but should we fail at the first strike give the order of retreat at once before we can suffer more and more casualties." King Uija said.

"Yes Your Majesty." General Gyebaek replied as he bowed his head and slowly he withdrew from the room.

"What nonsense is that?" Honourable Songchung asked.

"Yes Your Excellency." Hungsu replied. "Apparently the Queen of Shilla is very determined to conquer Gong Mountain Fortress." He added

"And what has His Majesty done?" Honourable Songchung asked.

"His Majesty has ordered that the troops continue marching to Kimhae and that reinforcements take places right between the army of Shilla and Going Mountain Fortress." Hungsu replied.

"I vouched against this campaign, Shilla from our losses has become too proud and his Majesty is still as arrogant as ever, if Gong Mountain Fortress falls then certainly, Ungjin shall become a Shilla military base upon which Sabi shall automatically be threatened and in a short while we shall have lost this kingdom as Paekche shall have been invaded and taken as well." Honourable Songchung said.

"But His Majesty won't give in to a negotiation any time soon." Hungsu said.

"And that's our biggest problem." Honourable Songchung said, "His pride will lead a woman to defeat us and future Generations shall call us too weak and his Majesty much too foolish to pursue this military Policy." He added.

"We must do something." Hungsu said.

"Prepare me a horse." Honourable Songchung said.

"Why Your Excellency, what are you going to do?" Hungsu asked.

"Even if it means that I lose my life but I am going to give the King a lecture and I hope that he doesn't force me to do what I am most capable of at the moment." Honourable Songchung replied.

"Yes Your Excellency." Hungsu replied.

The Paekchean troops were marching through the small narrow path as they were on the road through the woods that led to Kimhae.

As the army had progresed deeper and deeper they could see the Fortress of Kimhae standing in a distance, their General halted a while as he smiled while he noticed the birds flying away from the trees.

Eventually, there was a whistle that was heard and it resounded and become louder and louder that more and more people joined in while the rythm was loud enough to capture the attention of Paekche soldiers.

Eventually, from the trees arrows were shot towards the soldiers and taking them by surprise a number of casualties fell to the ground.

Just then a number of Paekcheans put their shields in position and as the rain of arrows ceased, a short while later a number of Shilla troops emerged from the trees and they clashed with the Paekcheans into open combat.

As the Paekcheans fought in resistance, the Shilla Soldiers fought backwards as they were luring them into the forest where they were shot down and nearly half the ten thousand man army was being wiped out by the Shilla troops at the moment who had turned Savage.

Queen Jindeok was still progressing further and as her soldiers continued down the path, there was a batch of Paekche horsemen from. a nearby fortification about three hundred in number that charged towards the Queen and her warriors.

The Queen riding her white stead with her mast she cleared the first six while the Surrounded her and she span her mast and knocked them off their horses while the Shilla foot soldiers finished them off with their spears and their swords.

The Paekche reinforcements in a distance were starting to advance to the Eastern valley whereas the mobile units in defense of Paekche's Eastern border were being torn apart and penetrated by the Shilla forces

Queen Jindeok having cleared the seventh batch she halted on her horse as Baek Mountain Fortress stood in a distance already in her sight while she could at the same time spot the flags and the banners that were positioning themselves in a distance.

"Your Majesty, there she lies." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"We are not so far from Ungjin at the moment Your Majesty, if we capture Ungjin then a path to Sabi shall have been opened to us." Yushin Rang said.

"The will of heaven itself shall decide the outcome of this battle." Queen Jindeok said and at that very moment she received the carrier pigeon which she held up and pulled the message that was tied to it's leg she unfolded it to read it's contents.

"What's it Your Majesty?" Haesul Rang asked.

"The Paekchean troops that were attacking Kimhae Fortress, they have been repelled." Queen Jindeok replied as she smiled heartily.

"If they are repelled your Majesty, that means that....." Sangdaedeung Alcheon said.

"Alas, the wrath of Paekche has been awakened." Queen Jindeok replied as she released the carrier pigeon into the sky again while she looked at the castle in the distance and she raised her sword and she pointed it towards the Paekcheans that were nestled in between.

"Onward." The warrior Queen shouted and thr Shillans stamped the ground with their Spears and others struck their shields with their swords.

"Ungjin, I am coming." The Queen told herself inwardly.