Masters of the Sea

001

There were thousands of them. White sails billowing in the horizon, stretching further than the eye could see. From her position atop the city walls, she was supposed to be able to see everything, but she couldn't. She couldn't see where the sea of white ended and where the sea of blue began.

White. The colour of purity.

Or the colour of death?

Beside her, the black flag of Goguryeo flew high and proud, the royal family's crest emblazoned in dazzling gold with the dire wolf baring its fangs against the enemies who dared threatened the sovereignty of the kingdom. As long as the flag of the Goguryeo still flew, then they would live to fight another day. Beneath her, the black sails of the Goguryeo fleet were starting to set sail. She could see him, standing at the bow of the flagship—black hair, black armour, black shield. Behind him, the eight others in perfect formation. The Black Knights of Goguryeo, ever ready.

Then the first arrow arrived.

With deadly precision, that one flaming arrow struck the heart of the royal crest, and in the blink of an eye, the flag was on flames. The image of the dire wolf, consumed by a ball of fire.

Who did the arrow belong to?

He was so far away, but she could see him. Clad in a suit of white, in direct juxtaposition to their black, standing on board the flagship of Baekje. He was but a tiny figure in the distance, but she could see him still. There was someone standing beside him, a figure cloaked beneath an emerald green hood. She could not see a face, but the lithe figure betrayed her sex.

Why would there be a woman on board a ship of war? she asked the gods, but the gods didn't answer.

When there was one, there would be many to follow.

As she looked to the skies, a thousand flaming arrows were soaring towards her from a distance. It looked beautiful. Scarily beautiful. Like a thousand phoenixes taking to the skies. They were no phoenixes, for a phoenix would die in fire and then rise again from the ashes. These were not symbols of rebirth, they were harbingers of death.

She watched as the arrows hit their marks, the starboards and bows of their ships. There was screaming. She could hear them scream, the soldiers were screaming as their helpless bodies were set alight. Those were their boys, and they were going down in flames. She could still see him standing at the bow of the ship, unwavering even as the black sails were falling one by one behind him, even as the men were crying out around him.

That was Go Yeon. Fearless even in the face of death. She knew him too well—he would not turn back even if she begged him to. He could only go forwards.

She watched as the man in white drew an arrow from his sheath and took aim. She didn't have to think twice about where his bullseye was to be found. This time, he wasn't aiming for just a flag. He didn't sail all the way here to take down a flag. If Baekje was to emerge victorious, all he had to do was to take down one person.

She watched as the arrow took flight, slicing through the cold winter's air, its trajectory taking it straight towards its mark.

She watched as he stood there, unflinching, as the arrow hurtled towards him until it pierced straight through his heart.

She watched as he fell.

Go Yeon did not fear death—but she did.

The sea was on fire.

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"No! Go Yeon!" Hye Ra awoke from her sleep screaming into the darkness, her forehead completely drenched in sweat.