The Oath (Kingdom)

XV. Hyung (part 1)

"Hyung, please..." His little brother whimpers.

"I will be back sooner than you think." He lied. He lied badly. He will probably never come back.

"We can run away and hide in the mountains..."

"You really want to be a brother of a coward, who runs away?"
his brother whimpers again and shook his head.

"Hold still." He made knot on his bandage and examined his work. His brother needs new and clean bandages, but Yeong shin had no time to get them. Soldier who came to get him to army was standing just behind the fence, just like Byung Chul was, several years ago.

"You just came back." tears were soaking to dirty bandages covering his face. Hiding ugly wound where his nose used to be. Leper was agonising whole Sumang village. There were just few lucky ones, who stay healthy. They were taking care of others and burying the unlucky ones.

"I will be back, I swear."

He made his way outside, his heart tearing apart. This was thousand times worse than the first time he left. Today he had dreadful feeling that he will never see his brother again. He will die in the war and his little brother will be alone in this world. But his brother was running after him making it difficult to leave.

He turned back to him, kneeling before him and hugging him for the last time.

"Hyung, please don't leave me." He cried desperately. "Please don't leave me. Can you please stay?"

Yeong shin was trying not to cry. To have hope. But it was hard. His throat was tight when he spoke.

"Go back inside. I will be back, I promise." At least, I will do my best to come back.

"Hyung!" desperate cry was tearing his soul and heart apart when he made his way out of his village.

Soldier just nod and walked by his side. He was probably glad that Yeong shin wasn't resisting.

"Please do not go!"

~°~

"I really wish I can say I'm glad to see you kid, but not in this shit hole."

"Master!" he bow to Byung Chul, but was surprised when his master pulled him to his arms and patted his back.

Yeongshin looked around and tried to hold back nervous twitch. They were in camp in the middle mass of people. He wasn't used to it. His home was woods with just his master by his side or little village and his brother.

"Lot of people, you think?" Byung Chul tossed him his flask with alcohol and he sips it. Today he needs to calm his nerves too. "Still I'm afraid it's not enough."

He raised his eyebrows with disbelief. He never saw this many men in his life. There can be five hundred soldiers.

"It's time to go kid. We were sent to spy on our enemy. Group of or brothers went from south and we are going from east. Lord Ahn wants report as soon as possible."

"It doesn't even start jet and I wish it's over already." He held tight grip on his rifle. After years of being chakho, gun became his other hand. He found himself calmer when his hands held smooth wood and heavy iron, his thumb tracing familiar shape.

Yeongshin always thought about himself like patient man. He could sit in one place for hours and wait for his prey. He could stand in pouring rain just to get the right information. He could track wounded animal for miles to end its misery.