The Flower Among the Flames

Chapter 2

The Iron Phoenix Encampment; 20 leagues away

A loud knock at the door pulled Yul from his blissful dream. With his skull throbbing from the previous night, he grumbled sleepily and pulled his sheets over his head. It was a mistake to drink as much as he did but there was no way he was willing to admit it to anyone. Let me sleep! Please, I am begging you! Unfortunately, his visitor clearly couldn't hear his desperate pleas; that would be creepy and be a subject of concern. When the rapping persisted, seemingly increasing in urgency, Yul ultimately relented. There would be no rest for the wicked. Growling in frustration, the man groggily climbed out of his covers.

Yul was just one of four captains in their regiment; Iron Phoenix, Iron Spear, Iron Tiger, and Iron Crucible. Being an officer, he was used to such sudden disturbances at his door or messages, but it did not make it any less annoying of an experience. Yul quickly dressed himself and walked towards the door. He swung the door open and let out an annoyed: "What?"

His visitor, he realized, was a woman; not just any woman either– it was his sister. Well, damn. He really should have fixed the black mess on his scalp or had his beard trimmed a bit like he wanted yesterday. His breath was probably disgusting too. Yul immediately straightened out with a flushed face and asked again with a gentler voice, "Seon-hee, w-what's going on?"

She put her hands on her hips and let out a quiet chuckle, her deep chestnut eyes twinkling in amusement. Even after those years of training and discipline, Yul was the same as ever. She smiled. "Did I wake you, Oppa?"

"Yeah, you did," Yul answered with a hesitant yawn. His eyes never left her face with his heart hammering his ribcage faster than a wardrum. "So what's up? It's not often I get a visit from you."

"I see you all the time." His sister cocked her head slightly. "What makes this any different?"

"True," Yul admitted sheepishly. "But not like this...in the morning...before I can clean myself up."

"I'm your sister," she giggled behind her hand. "I won't judge you."

Sure. Yul didn't buy it. "Anyway, what did you need?"

Seon-hee changed into a sudden solemn demeanor and declared, "Seulgi's been captured."

This again? Immediately, Yul rolled his eyes and sighed. "No, he isn't."

"Yes, he is," She insisted, troubled by her brother's immediate dismissal. "His men saw him being taken on horseback towards the Sheng fort. He ordered them to destroy the bridge while personally holding the Sheng forces at bay."

There was a short silence between the two siblings before Yul began to laugh. Seon-hee narrowed her eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Right now? Your expression," Yul chuckled, his hand barely suppressing his voice. She looked so cute.

"Oppa," she grumbled with a pout, her arms flailing at her sides. "I am being serious!"

"That report is wrong and definitely over-exaggerated."

"You would doubt his men?" Seon-hee raised an eyebrow. "This report came from his squire."

"If anything, he is pretending, Sis," Yul rebutted, stretching out the kinks in his back. "Remember the last time he was 'captured'?"

Seon-hee nodded slowly. Seulgi had an almost infamous reputation of situations where he would get captured and then break out the same night. What would remain to display his "capture" were the mountains of corpses and river of blood that followed him out. Seon-hee knew it. She knew him since childhood, but still shook her head. This was different.