The trap

23rd year of cheng dynasty

―

There was an unspoken rule in this big poor kingdom.

- Never leave your village after 9 pm -

Thieves, murderers and all kinds of evil humans, were lurking in the darkness, waiting for whichever naive careless soul, that would be stupid enough, to ignore the safety of their home, and go outside. Ending up getting robbed or even worse.. murdered

It was always dead silent at night.

No lights were seeping through the small houses, almost like the light was fearing to meet the blackness of the night, fearing that it might offend it somehow... and end up losing it's beauty and shine.

There were no human sounds or whatsoever, at that time of night.

No laughter.

No dog barks.

No cries.

People came to a point where they were afraid to breathe and, if it wouldn’t be essential for their lives, they would have stopped that too.

There was nothing, but the sound of aches, flickering through the air. Caused by the torches that only light up the area where the palace holds it's place like a rock in the sea of darkness.

The rest of the kingdom? Buried in pitch black darkness.

All of this was caused by the actual king. The fear to laugh, to speak up, Even the fear of living in this kingdom. The king  doesn’t care about that, he only cares about gold and women. He never cared about this kingdom, never cared about “his people” and still doesn’t care.

If someone complains at the market about the injustice they are living in, the guards would imprison them right away along with their whole family.

Women would be forced to join a harem against their will to please the king while their husbands have to rot in the royal prisons.

And what if they fight against him? They would either end up executed in front of all the others ―as a warning to never go against his majesty

Once he gets sick of the women who struggle against him, he throws them to the guards, for their own pleasure and to keep them entertained and loyal to him.

Children would be forced to do child labor, exploiting their youth to make them clean the palace and let them do the dirty work.

There was only one reason for this whole misery and  injustice.

The king.

The kingdom wasn't always like that. There was once a kind king. A king that cared about his people, one, that always listened to the people's complaints and needs. He always put his people first in line, so poverty was something foreign to the folk.

The king would even sometimes walk around the city with no gourds by his side.

But that all changed, when the king was murdered!

People were devastated, they were mourning for months, crying and screaming in the streets. Praying and begging to whichever god was up there, to let the kind king's soul go straight to heaven.

People weren't scared they knew the king's son would be as perfect as his father. A sweet child. loving  animals and flowers, loved to help people. The young prince even used honorification towards the servants, which was hugely uncommon for a Prince to do.

Even though people knew that the Prince was too young to rule the kingdom. They knew that one day he will, and they will live happily like they did during his father's time. But all that hope was cruelly shattered, when the kingdom announced that the sweet 13 years old boy was killed like his father.

Who would be the king now?

Who would rule them?

How are they going to live from now on?

The bitter reality hit them hard when the only option left was the king's younger brother. Only then did some people reckon that there was a blood betrayal.  

A jealous brother, killing his brother and his nephew.

But soon they saw how their future would end, if they kept that rumor spread. People who did speak something like this were immediately imprisoned.

And the new prince? Nobody knew anything about him, the public never saw him. Even if they did how different could he be than his cruel father?

Going back to the mean time It was 3:00 am right now, long passed the supposedly danger times and straight to the evil hours.

But there was one man awake during this late hour. More than awake actually he was up and swiftly moving between the trees of the forest near the palace on his horse.

Quickly checking his surroundings for traps and/or guards, the pitch black darkness didn't bother him, in fact it looked more as if he enjoyed it. Enjoyed the darkness and the quietness that the night holds, respecting it more than fearing it.

The sound of rustling of the dry leaves ―caused by the horse he was riding, stomping around stepping on vines and small branches― was quite but it sounded loud in the silent night, too loud for his liking.

He got off the horse keeping it close but not close enough to be seen by anyone, there was no fear when he approached the palace to the hidden place where he can go inside without being noticed. After all

He was an assassin.

Wearing all black ―face covered, long hair as black as the night―he moved quickly, no sounds coming out. He was trained, trained to keep quiet, trained to be quick, trained to check his surroundings.

He looks around, no sight of gourds then he looked up. There they were, other assassins on the kings side were on the rooftops. Arrows prepared, ready to shoot at anything that moves. Not being a fool, he knew no matter how well trained he is, he could never take them all down. With this in mind, he went to the other hidden place he knew.

It lead straight inside the palace. There was no one in sight, it was really late after all, he went up the stairs there was only two gourds at the kings main room door. This was easy… a little too easy... He didn't care, he had to end it quickly.

As a trained assassin his only goal is to kill the arrogant king.

That's his purpose in life.

He meant no harm to others ―yes he was an assassin, but he wasn't a ruthless murderer― he didn't kill just for the sake of killing and fun. As a matter of fact, he never found any enjoyment in it, he found it rather unnecessary.

He tried to avoid as much losses as he can, these people these guards are not the problem, yes they are part of it, but they only take orders from their superiors. They have families, they have children. He doesn't want to take them away from them, he is not a killer. No, the main problem is the king.

He doesn't care about the injustice his people are facing, the starving citizens, the beaten people, the homeless who have no shelter.

He threw a rock in the hallway and like he expected the guards immediately ran towards the noise trying to see if their king is in danger, swiftly the assassin made it into the bedroom closing the door.

Now he was alone with the awful king he had to be fast tho, he had to pull his sword out make sure to completely kill him then break the window and escape.

He wasted no time, there was no fear no hesitation he was ready to kill the bastard. Sword high up in hand. But when he drew the royal blanket aside, instead of the sight of a sleeping king like he expected, he was met by the sight of pillows lined up.

Before he could react a sudden pain shoot through his left shoulder, his eyes widened

It was easy Taekwoon, too easy.

How did the young assassin not notice it? Only two people guarding the king's bedroom? No one in sight at the palace? Nobody noticed him outside?!?!!

How foolish of you Taekwoon! It was a trap, to lure you out, and you so stupidly fell into it! Now you have a damn arrow stuck in your left shoulder.

Of course the assassin has been trained to endure the pain, he was trained to ignore the pain and keep going. This was nothing to him! Pain and death wasn't what he feared. What he feared most was failing his mission. Failing his purpose, failing his kind master.

He was taught, all his life, about what his purpose served. This is what he was trained to do.

But there was no time to regret his foolish carelessness! He had to get out and he had to get out fast.

Lifting his sword high, running, and fighting his way through some of the king's special guards ―he only injured their legs, not having any real intention to cause harm to them― he doesn't believe that they are the cause of the injustice system.

Immediately after disabling their movement and their ability to walk Taekwoon breaks the window, landed on the hay ―that he knew they always put there― and disappeared into the forest.

He had already rode on his horse when he heard the loud horns getting blown, indicating that there was an assassin or a thief on the run from the palace.

The night lost it's holy silent and was replaced by the sound of his hard breathing and his horse's stomps. It ran away, crushing all vines and branches in it's way and he tried to direct it in between the big trees that had more green leaves on, so he wouldn't be seen.

Soon he heard other horses nerbay, and a loud shout “SEARCH EVERYWHERE HE DISAPPEARED INTO THE FOREST”

Before he could change his path he heard another voice and his heart dropped “I SEE HIM, THIS WAY” not a second later the steps of the horses were on his trail.

He was so stupid, thinking that it all was too easy, as if the king, can be killed that easily, as if he would just lay there, on the main palace bedroom, waiting to get killed. He was so careless, foolish, but he still has to survive,

He still has to fulfill his purpose.

Right away another arrow was shot followed by several others, all the anger and regret was immediately washed away and replaced by a blinding pain. His back was full of arrows right now. Taekwoon must confess, he underestimated them! Not only did he underestimate their ability, he underestimated their numbers.

He feared that he might die now, and he feared it not because the idea of dying scares him, no because if he dies now, then who is going to assassinate the king? Who's going to free the people from their fear? No he NEEDS to survive this.

He needs to lose them, knowing very well that with all this blood loss he will be unconscious soon.

Feeling his vision already getting weaker, he pulled on the reins and forced his body forward “GO!”

With that order his horse took off and ran even faster.

“DON'T LOSE HIM!!” the voices becoming more drowned out now.

He felt his body slowly weaken his hands not strong and steady anymore, feeling himself getting dizzy, vision blurring and fading. Trying to fight it, fight not falling into consciousness. Forcing his body to stay awake. Not releasing anymore if the voices stopped. Did he lose them? Or was it the blood rushing into his ears, deafening him somehow?

He couldn't do it any longer. Feeling himself slipping into the unconscious state. Completely losing control over his body and falling forward on his horse's back. Fully relying on his faithful horse to get them out of this mess.

He started to embrace the blackness he can't fight any longer,  feeling the pain, he was trained to ignore it, to endure it. He even failed at that.

While sending a prayer to whoever was above to save him somehow he finally passed out.

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