He Walks Alone in the Moonlight [COMPLETED]

PROLOGUE/A MOUTH WITHOUT A TONGUE

Prologue

For many generations, the Kingdom of Byulran experienced frequent and brutal war. Those of nobility envied the power bestowed to witches, a collection of humans who were gifted great power, and could receive immortality through certain sacrifices. Jealously drove those in power mad, and before long, the witches were almost entirely wiped out. But one hundred years ago, the last war ended when a witch placed a curse on the moon. The belief in those with which you will walk the moonlit path had long been withheld in Byulran, but now, the witch promised proof. Any human pair that wished to test their bond had to obtain water infused with magic from a witch in order to hold a ceremony. Having successfully made the witches an indispensable asset, the war ended. The king issued a decree that banned the killing of witches and forbid future rulers from imploring the powers of a witch. The few remaining witches went into hiding, and peace returned to Byulran.

Now, the current king is unsatisfied with his control. He loathes the fact that the people revere the witches' powers over his own. He openly breaks the old king's decree and conspires with a witch rumored to drink human blood. Strange happenings have persisted throughout the palace, in particular the unexplainable sudden deaths, including the death of the queen and her unborn child. Most of these occurrences are kept hidden from the rest of Byulran, but the effects of the king's corruption is widespread. The threat of war with the Plains lingers, mysterious disappearances are linked to the Mountains, and unidentifiable objects are emerging from the Sea.
Determined to stop what he is sure will be unimaginable doom for his kingdom, the crown prince plans to overthrow his father and become king. He ends up, however, encountering a very large change to his plan.

~~~~~~

Thick fog swirled in the bamboo forest around them as the party traveled farther up the mountain. They were headed towards a secluded training camp, specifically designed for young royals to spend their days practicing the skills of their families in peace. But this party was not the escort of some minor nobleman or his prepubescent son, they traveled with the Crown Prince, a handsome man well known only for his cruelty and cold face. He sat straight backed on a majestic white horse, with four men of varying position and rank circled tight in a protective diamond around him. These four were, respectively: the second son of the ruling King's primary advisor, Kim Songmin, the third son of the country's lead general, Park Chang, the first son of the palace's royal seamstress, Oh Minjoo, and an orphan guard trained to protect the prince since he could walk, Lee Jaeon.

Those four, with or without the addition of the Crown Prince, made an impressive and intimidating line up. But their status or skills were not what caused commoners to bow their heads in submission, rather it was the fact that of all the people in the nation, the Crown Prince only ever spoke at length to these four. For a Crown Prince that would refuse to kneel even before his imperial father, what was it about these men that granted them, if not his respect, the Prince's prolonged acknowledgement?

This jewel shaped herd of five pressed steadily onward, breathing heavily as the air thinned with altitude. "It's like I can feel the magic in the air," Minjoo spoke into the quiet of the forest.
"I think you're just loopy from the lack of air," Chang retorted, casting a mocking look at Minjoo over the Prince's shoulder.

For the first time that day, the Crown Prince spoke, "Do not speak of our true intentions here. The witch is meant to live in a cave not to far from the camp. I don't want curious eyes to run her off before we get to her."

"Do you really think she'll have the information we need? What if she's a fake and we've come here all for naught?" Songmin turns around in his saddle to face the Prince.

"If she's a fake then I'll rip out her tongue and feed it to her. If not, then the rumors say she will show the key to my happiness- which can only be accomplished through usurping the King. If I find out what allowed me to be successful, that'll make our job much easier."

"Just don't invite me to the whole tongue-feeding part," Minjoo frowns, rubbing at his stomach.

A deep voice rumbled from behind the Prince as Jaeon asked, "What if it turns out that your happiness does not lie within taking the throne from your father?" The others quieted at they waited to hear the Prince's response. Although spoken to, out of the four, only Jaeon had the nerve to question the Crown Prince. The prince's reply was short and final,

" Then I will know she is a fraud."