Walking the Path Chosen
Chapter 5: The Dissent
by deadkitty1
Author's Notes: I do need to finish this fic and while it doesn't have reviews, these are for the people who are following the story as of now. Still surprised anyone would... Anyway to help catch you up, Choi Young has quit being a scholar and joined the Red Moon Crescent Army, discovered his super power, killed a person, and fell in love. So having caught up, read some more.
With the many changing seasons, the affection for the two youths blossom to a point where denying it only makes it even more real. Even everyone around them can see that there's more to their companionship than a student and teacher. The two not only become a great team to be reckoned with but they're inseparable. Their teacher watches them grow through the kills, the injuries, and the losses as they continue to maintain a semblance of innocence they carry from within when he first met them. They strive through the hardships hoping to one day see the nation for what it's worth, so they can live free as citizens of Goryeo, not slaves of Yuan. It's what the Red Crescent Moon Army has been fighting year after year for and the dream is within their grasp.
Gradually through, with no foresight or warning, they sustain hard losses one after another. The occasional win that would usually come doesn't make an appearance. It used to be that the enemies would run just at the sight of their uniforms, yet these foreign men come at them tenfold, barraging man after man with fury. Feeling like a trapped animal, the men and women fight zealously, picturing their efforts come to fruition. Each fight costs them a life. Each battle a man bears an wound that renders him useless in fights thereafter. Each day the overwhelming hope in their eyes slowly dwindle to desperation and suspicion.
It becomes clear their missions are not to be trusted. The dissent and arguments grow. Loyalty between brethren never used to be questioned until the trust of the King comes to the table. Too many lives have died through the past months, far too many. The fighters wondered if the deaths was even of worth to a sieged country with rumors of a licentious ruler taking bribes from Yuan.
"We need to go over and address the one in charge! We can't be blind followers!"
"There's just too many of them now and too few of us. We might have our inner strength, but it's not working anymore! What we need is to go to the King and ask for more people! More weapons. Better armor and horses!"
"Ha! And you think a king like ours can freely hand over extra rations or men?! We are by ourselves! Alone. There's barely any scraps to feed and pay the remaining men we have left! We should take a page from our own books and retreat while we're still alive. We can form the Red Moon Crescent Army once again. Fighting like this now is useless!"
"Then when should we fight?! If we don't stand up and follow through now, there will never be another chance! We leave now, those men and women's lives will have been for nothing. Remember our purpose. Remember what we are fighting for!"
"And what use will our purpose be when our people are dead? Do we become fallen martyrs?! I refuse to die like that. No way!"
"Think of those young people out there! They can still have a future if we stop this. It might not be the future we envisioned for them but at least they'll carry on that ideal to their own children so the next generation will succeed in where we have-"
"Failed? Is that what you're saying? You're already talking about failure when we barely scratched the surface. Change will not happen in a day or even a year! What makes today any different five years from now? We are gonna face the same thing. The same loss of life. The same feel of defeat which is why it's better to finish it here and now before we lose that chance!"
"Can't you see?! This – all of this – is a lost cause!? You can't hold us, or those kids for that matter, based on a promise made years ago. Things have changed. I don't want to see another one of us waste our lives out there. This bloodshed has to end!"
The arguing continues back and forth in a never ending struggle between the captains. Choi Young hates the discussion of politics. He'd rather be outside which is where he is. For the moment though, he's wondering how he can lure the one person he needs out of the argument in the tent for an important meeting they should really have instead of talking around fruitlessly. Soon his patience wins out in the end as the person he's been waiting for storms out in such a rage she passes right by him. He catches up and sensing his presence, she turns around.
"You! Why weren't you there?! Why didn't you go in?" she yells as she stares down at him accusingly.
He matches a grim stare with hers and calmly replies, "I've told you before. I'm a warrior, not a politician."
"I needed you by my side to convince those fools about our teacher's ideal! We need to push on. We can't let the bad times hurt us like this! It's what they would want, for us to run with our tail beneath our legs. Like cowards!" she goes on with passion, carrying her argument to him.
The warrior looks up at the girl as he begins to voice out his own views. "Why don't we just let the ones that want to fight, fight and the ones that want to leave, leave?"
She turns towards him, shocked at his words. "What?!"
"That would be the simplest solution," he said casually, seeing no fault to his words.
She takes a step forward as she straighten her neck to try to match his height. The leftover raging flame she had suddenly rises once again at the spark of her friend's opinion.
"But then where would that leave us? We're already few in number already. And there's not enough time to train and recruit people. Also think about the people that leave. There's no way they can live a normal life! They'll be hunted no matter how much they try to hide. That's a terrible idea!"
Young twitches his hand in slight anger for her brash comment. Gaining heat from her temper, he argues back, "You would have those men and women fight with us without the will to actually do it? Do you know how great of a hindrance that is during battle?"
"No! Because they will fight whether they want to or not! You know why?!" she hisses and he can't give her an answer, "It's because of the oath they made. Their word is their life. To go against it would be at the cost of their life! That's just plain and simple."
"And it's also wrong. Don't you remember how old you were when you took the oath?"
She furrows her brows in irritation as her voice grates against her throat. "What does that have to do with anything?" Mae Hee didn't want to answer him but seeing as he would not budge on the subject, she gives him an answer, "Eleven."
"And did you kill your first man yet?"
"No."
"How about watched a teammate bleed to death in battle?"
"No, but-"
"Or seen the faces of the families as you tell them their only child, brother, sister, father, mother-"
"Okay, enough!" she halts by raising her hand, "I get it. Most of us made the oath not knowing what it really meant, but it's not a good enough excuse to leave."
Young sighs out his frustrations as he continues walking towards the direction of their troops waiting for them. Her heart could not be swayed no matter how hard he tries. There are may factors to why many of the people in the Red Crescent Moon Army would want to leave. He can go down a whole list until she would produce one of her own to counter his argument. He did not want to take sides. For him, fighting with people who have no will to fight is not only a burden but it's an issue on his conscience. When a warrior chooses to lay down their sword, they can never pick it up again.
Before the couple make it back to the barracks, their teacher comes speeding through on a horse, wild and heavy with news. He needs a small team of experts to raid a camp crawling with Japanese soldiers who have just ransacked most parts of the northern land. Something in their teacher's eyes tell them this mission holds great importance of succeeding. A chance at redemption for the Red Crescent Moon Army's name! It's a great opportunity. Sadly, when it comes to select volunteers, barely anyone raises their hand. The disagreements between everyone still weigh hard on the commanders. The idea on going on a mission to work together with conflicting views didn't sit well with any of them.
The admiral doesn't scold their lack of enthusiasm. He's not blind to the arguments, but he also knows his captains have been trying hard to keep it from him so they can handle it themselves. Clearing his throat, he proposes to discuss all issues within the army but only after the success of this mission. With that statement, most of his skilled warriors line up for the fight. Mae Hee, already up front, leads the way with the teacher by her side while Young lags behind, watching the faces of his pledged siblings left behind. Most of them feel relieved at the not being forced to into the team while the ones still eager to go to war cheer for the hopeful words their teacher will announce when he comes back. He didn't like the separation. It doesn't bode will for the future of the Army who has become his family.
They travel within a handful of days across the seas to the enemy camp located on an island. The winds and seas favor their wishes as they get there a few days earlier then planned. The terrain covers more hills and rocky terrain that would be a strenuous climb for anyone but a cinch for these warriors. Once they scout the area roughly for a day or two, they make their move under the cover of night.
A few things stick out to Young who didn't like the feel of where the mission is going. One, the wind fails to blow towards them. Other than being an annoyance by blowing in their eyes, what they didn't count on is another enemy ship docking on the coast for if the wind took a break, it would have been delayed a day instead of making it there by night. Another aspect that keeps bugging him is the light of the full moon would not shield their movements but exposes their shadows. Lastly, everyone's impatience and short temper has them making careless mistakes like new a recruit. They are lazy on switching the lookouts. When going to scout or scavenge, one goes by themselves and fails to bring a second. Even the fire, which should be an easy job, spirals out of control, burning some of the supplies down. Everything about the mission seems wrong to him. When he tries to warn the others, no one wants to hear him out, not even Mae Hee or his teacher which is why once the mission commences, he can feel the deaths, the injuries, and the bodies litter the ground, but he can never be ready for them.
Just when the fighters completely wipe out the enemy camp, another round of soldiers fresh from the sea attack in circles around them. The number of people compared to theirs is too much. Even when retreat becomes obvious, Mae Hee recklessly tries to take down a couple of men with her. Her whip tastes the flesh of a man's neck, cracking the bone with rage. Before she can strike again, she slips on a patch of moss, exposing her neck wide open. With her back against the ground, her eyes widen at the appearance of a shadow above her. An enemy brandishes his sword cutting the living flesh. She flinches but he cuts the flesh of an arm, and it wasn't Mae Hee's arm. It's their teacher's arm. Within that pivotal moment, the remaining Red Moon Army storm back in outrage as they use their inner power to push the enemy back and annihilate a huge chunk of the soldiers. The earth trembles and the leaves shiver at their might. The enemy retreats dragging some of the wounded with them. Soon, the Red Moon Crescent Army limp back to the ship victorious.
Mae Hee desperately uses her healing powers while Young tries his best to hold her back. She refuses to leave the admiral's side, blaming herself again and again for being stupid and weak. Young comforts her mind, telling her what she told him a long time ago. The blame lies on everyone and a leader did what she would have done, saved a friend. Her tears dry as a smile slowly appears from the mention of his words. The admiral stirs and Young gives the two a moment as he makes his way outside the ship to check on the rest of the people.
As he walks around the deck, he couldn't avoid the blank eyes staring right back at him. One can say it's just another battle, but he knows from their eyes that most of these men would not want to come back after a fight like that, no matter the win. Out of the fifteen men they took, only nine managed to come back. It took too many of their family. The sights of their deaths will never be forgotten and their bodies will remain on the foreign land unburied and restless for many years. Some of the older warriors can feel the strain from the overuse of their inner power and it's backfire on their bodies. The sacrifice paid for this battle is too much physically and mentally for them. It's time to put down the sword.
On their return, he can already hear the cries of vengeance radiating from the camp as news of their injured brethren and the teacher's dismembered arm travel throughout each person. It's surprising how just a few days ago, the ones who supported to disengage the Red Moon Army are now wanting a chance at blood. Mae Hee joins the radicals, garnering the hype with the other captains. The jeers are too much but enough of a distraction for what Choi Young needs to do. He quietly escorts the remaining nine men inside the tent of their awakened commander to speak on their behalf since the reality is, not everyone is on the hunt for revenge.
"Teacher, these men would like to request to lay down their swords. Please grant them that wish," Young announces blatantly as he bends his knees along with the men.
The gruff leader observes them in silent anger until his gaze lands on the boy making the plea. "Leaving the Red Army would only bring more danger. Are they prepared for that kind of life?"
Before the boy can answer, the men obediently sound off in unison. "Yes, Teacher!"
"And you still want to leave?"
"Yes, Teacher!"
He sighs, looking over them once more, as if conflicted with keeping them safe or letting them leave the nest. All he's ever dreamed of since the beginning is the freedom of his home nation and to see these children be able to live in that freedom so close in coming. By unleashing these kids back into the hands of Yuan, he can't guarantee their safety, let alone check on them. The world out there is littered with injustice which they'll have to burden instead of fight or they'll risk exposing themselves. If only he can convince them to stay, to wait a little while longer so the country will be theirs to call their own.
"Teacher. Please don't worry. They will be put in temporarily with the Suribang until the Suribang find a suitable place for them to lay low. Even though they can't help fight with a sword, they still want to be able to help us in another way."
The wise man looks up at the boy in amazement at once again thinking ahead of him. He's growing up to be a strong and noble leader. No wonder the nine chose him to speak for them.
Unable to come up with any reason to keep them away, the admiral dismisses the men away, "Ah! Okay, okay! Go! I'm not for sad goodbyes. Leave!"
"Teacher!"
The nine students bow low and long in reverence then make their exit. Before Young joins them, he hears his teacher call out.
"You. Aren't you gonna join them?"
Young gets taken aback by the brash comment and immediately straightens his face with a salute. "I, Crescent Red Moon Army Choi Young, am sworn to protect you and my pledged siblings! I will stay by your side until our dream comes true!"
The commander laughs heartily only to stop once his chest starts hurting. "Uh! Choi Young. That. That is one big promise there. You sure you can handle it?"
"I will stake my life on it."
Young catches a brush thrown at him and dodges an incoming shoe aimed as his head. His teacher sneers with resentment as the tough old man points at him with his injured arm.
"Don't stake your life on a promise! How many lives do you have? Just keep the one you have now and live it! You're no good protecting me and the others dead!"
"Teach-Teacher! Calm down. You're going to hurt your arm!"
"Ah! I have no arm to hurt anymore, so come here so I can hurt you! Let's see if you keep talking about your life so needlessly like that."
The young warrior understands the sentiment of bargaining with life and eventually the victories everyone keeps asking for arrives. Each person, one after another, finds a purpose to fight again and as each win slowly adds up, a life still dies at the price of it. It doesn't matter which side it's on. Blood for blood will be the price after each battle.
Choi Young rides each victory with joy, knowing it'll only last as long as luck is on their side. It's a gamble each time they fight. Finally, their talents and hard earned work win them recognition and they can barely contain their excitement as they get a summon from the one and only, their king.