Chapter 04 Sacrifice

Late in the evening after the simple wedding dinner and the departure of the important guests of the Bayarmaa family, the maids and servants began to clear the backyard of the home, removing empty dishes from the tables. Yul sits alone in the pavilion by the pond, sipping rice wine and watching the maids and servants start cleaning the backyard after the guests leave.

Yul looks up at the bright full moon, then down at his left wrist, staring at the string bracelet pattern on his wrist. He sighed and said to himself, "You should know the news by now..." He looked up at the moon and continued drinking.

After appeasing Kazan and Madame Bayarmaa, who were distraught because Yul married an old woman, Abrafo walked out of the guest room and came to the backyard. He watches Yul drink alone in the pavilion for a while before deciding to approach Yul. The situation was a bit overwhelming for him and he didn't want to be here tonight, but because the Bayarmaa and his family were good friends for many years, he felt it was his responsibility to provide help and shoulders to friends in need.

A maid came back with an unopened jar of wine. He grabbed the jar, opened the lid, and walked slowly to the pavilion.

As he approached, Abrafo said, "I drink to you and praise you as the bravest person in Tanzang Kingdom. For the good of this kingdom, you are willing to sacrifice your love, your youth, and your reputation. If it were me, I will not marry that old woman either." He raised the wine jar and lightly touched Yul's jar. He sighed. "Aw… I felt sorry for your parents, especially your mother. She was still crying when I left the guest hall."

"I toast to you for being brave enough to join me," Yul looked at Abrafo. "My mother will get over it sooner or later."

Abrafo said, "I don't think so, unless you have a second wife. A young second wife..."

"I told her I wanted to be in the army, and she cried too. She begged me not to join the army. I stubbornly refused and joined the palace guard," Yu said, chuckling and taking a sip of his wine. "She cried for three days and refused to talk to me for two months, but eventually she gave in." He looked at Abrafo. "Mage Hajime, she will be with us on this journey; we don't know how long we'll be together. I suggest you change the way you treat her."

Abrafo shook his head with a chuckle. "You're such a good husband…" he says, patting Yul's left shoulder. "You are already protecting your wife. That old hag must have done something good in her previous life to make someone like you her husband in this life. Well... Although we are not good friends, our father has been friends for many years, as a palace guard, I will also give your old wife some courtesy." He looked at Yul's gloomy expression, and he knew it; his joke might have crossed the line. "What about Abeba?"

Yul asked, "What about her?"

"I know you have a crush on my little cousin," Abrafo said, pointing to Yul's left wrist. "Otherwise, you will not keep this."

Yul said, "She gave it to me as a birthday present last year."

Abrafo asked, "Are you going to see her? I mean not tonight because it's your dinner wedding, but maybe tomorrow or the day after. I heard my aunt say she's been crying since she heard your married news to that old hag…" He cleared his throat. "Mage Hajime. My aunt said she hasn't eaten anything today."

Yul said sadly, "I don't know what to say to her. Seeing her only deepens each other's grief. I also don't want her to wait for me and ruin her youth. I knelt in front of the monuments of the previous Kings and swore to protect this kingdom with my life, I am ready to sacrifice my life for our Kingdom."

Abrafo said, "Your wife is a mage, there is nothing to worry about."

Yul asked, "What do you mean?"

"When she's with you or walking around, you just have to tell her to use her magic and turn her into a beautiful young woman. When you're going to sleep with her, tell her to use her spell," Abrafo said. "She can use her magic and turn her into an attractive woman."

Yul said, "You misunderstood her. The reason she revealed who she really is is because she wanted someone to love her for who she is, and that's why she walked into the palace as she is." He smiled at Abrafo. "How long we'll be together on this journey, no one knows. From now on, I'm counting on you to protect me and put my life in your hands. I'll do the same for you. How about we start out as friends?"

Abrafo looked up at the moon, then at Yul. "True," he said. "Who knows what dangers we shall face together. "My friend, I also entrust my life to you too. You need to be very drunk to sleep with that old hag. I'm sorry, your wife."

After Hajime finished his meal. He sits at the table and waits for Yul. He gazed at the flickering candle, thinking about what the goddess had said to him. He walked to the dressing table, sat down on the stool, and suddenly changed back to his original appearance. Stare in the mirror and watch the reflection in the mirror. Hajime learns from his conversations with the goddess that the only way for him to leave Tanzang is to help Jawara and his soldiers retrieve the white dragon tail.

Hajime looked at the person in front of him and said, "Life is not fair. Why should we suffer because of other people's mistakes?" He smiled at the reflection in the mirror. "Let's not give up, let's get out of here together, okay?"

When the door opened, Hajime was still staring at the reflection in the mirror. He quickly transforms back into a wrinkled old woman, as Yul awkwardly closes the door behind him. Hajime sat in the stool staring at Yul. Yul goes to the table and sits down. Yul continued to drink rice wine on the table without looking at Hajime.

After drinking the small bottle of rice wine on the table, Yul looks at Hajime, he feels sorry for himself. Many young men of his age have married young and beautiful wives. He doesn't need a very beautiful wife to brag to his friends, but he has a hard time accepting that his wife is the same age as his great-grandmother. He regretted his decision very much. He stood up and took two steps towards the bed, but the stimulation of alcohol made him slowly fall to the floor in front of the bed.

Hajime called, "Honey...get up. I'm too old to help you up." Yul lay motionless on the floor. Hajime called several times, but Yul can't get up and still pass out on the floor. Hajime laughed, but the voice that came out of the wrinkled old woman's mouth was his original voice. He looked at Yul and said, "You stupid fool. You really thought I was going to sleep with you. Dream on." Hajime stood up and walked to the bed. He took off his shoes and jumped on the bed, leaving Yul sleeping on the floor. He pulled the quilt over himself and fell asleep.

The next morning, Yul wakes up on the floor with a sore neck. He got up slowly and was startled when he saw Hajime sitting at the table drinking tea, Hajime's wrinkled old face smiling at him.

Yul quickly checks to see if he's still fully clothed. He found that his clothes were still intact. "I slept on the floor all night?" he asked.

Hajime smiled at Yul and said, "I can't carry you to bed with these old hands. Father said, when you wake up, we'll go to the river and set off."

Yul said, "Let me change first."

Hajime smiled flirtishly at Yul and said, "It's a long way, carry me on your back. The weather is changing, so these old bones ache."

After Yul said goodbye to his mother. Yul carried Hajime on his back and walked towards the pier. Thousands of soldiers are already prepared to set off with Yule and his party.

When Jawara saw Hajime and Yul, greeted them with a smiled, "Mage Hajime, these are the soldiers who will go with you."

Hajime looked at the soldiers and then at Jawara. He said, "Your majesty, I can't take all these people across the Endless River Of Sorrow. I can take up to four people."

Jawara looked at Hajime and question, "But you're a mage?"

Hajime said, "To take these many soldiers across that river, you will need at least four to five hundred powerful mages."

U-ri said, "Your highness, mage Hajime is right. How about general Yul, captain Abrafo, Michio, and me." He paused and sighed. "The four of us are better than none."

Jawara knew his options were limited. He said, "You're right. Four people are better than none. Those who cross the Endless River of Sorrow are gone forever."

Hajime turned to the four of them, "Take only what you can carry." He pointed to the three boxes filled with silver and gold leaves. "Take those three boxes. We need a lot of money."

After the four men repack their belongings, they walked behind Hajime. Hajime took out two carved wooden eagles. He tossed the two eagles into the air. The two wooden eagles slowly changed into two large eagles soaring up above the sky. People were shocked by Hajime's actions. When the two eagles landed, the people around them also slowly backed away.

Abrafo teased, "Your old hag is extraordinary." He patted Yul on the shoulder. He bent down and grabbed his bags.

Hajime climbed onto the first eagle. He looked at the four people standing by the river, and said, "Get on board and hold tight."

Michio quickly grabbed his two bags and climbed up to the second eagle.

Abrafo tied the two boxes onto the egal Hajime sat on. He looked up at Hajime and asked, "Are you sure this will hold us?"

Hajime said, "You have to protect me. If I die in the air, then everyone will fall and die."

Abrafo laughed and said, "Are you kidding me?"

Hajime said, "No. My spirit and power are connected to the item. If I die, they die. If they get hurt, then I get hurt. You have to protect me."

Hajime, U-ri and Michio watched the two men say goodbye to their families. After Yul and Abrafo finished saying goodbye, they climbed up the two eagles. The two eagles fluttered their wings, soared into the sky, and crossed the Endless River of Sorrow.

Jawara and the people stood and watched until the two eagles disappeared over the horizon.

Jawara sighed and said, "Good luck, my soldiers."