Mad Chase (1)

Clippity-clop, clippity-clop!

The disordered, uncontrolled rhythmic and weighty thuds and thumps rang between the silence as the horses were galloping, the sounds of their hooves colliding through the landscape; the crunches from the crispy grass, the cracks from the twigs resting on the ground, mixed in with the echoing throbs when their cloots advanced on them.

"Ha!" His shout managed to pervade across the deafening gallops of the horses surrounding him, forging ahead of the crooked trail of the forest, winding beside the castle of the tall and broad woods.

"Split up into groups! Don't you dare lose sight of them!" His order filled the open area and the personnel immediately formed themselves into four groups of three people.

"Yes!" were their answers as they launched in different directions, following their targets which were running forward in the lead of them.

Hyun Sik pushed himself further along with the horse beneath him, zigzagging on the road, jumping across the roots flaunting on the surface of the ground. Who could have thought he needed a week and a day to track them.

'Vermins.' The annoying ones he was pertaining to were the soldiers from the Empire which defied the orders of the emperor. If they had spread the word about the conquered Iseul, Hyun Sik's plan would threaten into ruin.

And as he was maneuvering the reins, his conversation with General Lee came into his mind the day before he went and headed the mission.

"I have acquired the Emperor's word. It's fine to eliminate them although they were once His Majesty's men. Just kill them, nothing bad will change to your relationship with the Empire."

"I don't care about that," was his toneless reply.

General Lee roared a laugh that filled the room and gave reassurance as he said, "General Du, don't worry. They won't be able to spread anything."

Groaning as he went and shook the distraction playing in his head, Hyun Sik could not help but be anxious even though General Lee advised him to loosen up. How could he be calm knowing what these vermins could do? Moreover, he had to leave his sister behind, all alone in the palace with the greedy beast lurking around.

"Haste!" was his strong order to the three people behind him before he stooped his body near the back of the horse and increased the gait.

Not long before he started his mission, Hyun Sik received a report from General Lee, which added fuel to his anxiety and concern for his benevolent souled sister. He wanted to finish the matter in a week, however, the vermins were too skilled in hiding themselves—just as what General Lee informed him.

Of course, he had apprehended that since these vermins were once working under the emperor to conquer the Iseul in hidden, and they had blended so well between the people for them to triumphantly succeed the land.

"General!" Bin Tae called for him, pointing his forefinger at the direction ahead of them.

"Arrow!"

Under Hyun Sik's command, the young soldier hurriedly reached for the bow and loaded it with an arrow before positioning himself while he was riding the horse. In a palpable crucial moment, Bin Tae needed to land an arrow to the person running ahead, and as a talented student of the Du Clan he was, he effortlessly succeeded.

The person took an arrow on the knee and instantly stumbled on the surface, landing on his face before trying to regain his stand to run away from his death.

"Halt!"

Hyun Sik pulled the reins to stop his horse, hopping from the saddle and settling his feet on the ground. He walked his way to the one who was struggling to stand, the person crawled as he tried to reach for the root that came upon the surface.

When he got near, Hyun Sik noticed the sounds that the person was making, producing rather guttural, throaty harsh growls. And in a flash, an assumption came into him from his years of experience as a ranked general.

He hurriedly pulled the person's hair and kneeled to check if his perception was correct. However, his assumption was not just accurate, but this was much more terrifying and shuddering than what he thought.

Hyun Sik's gaze landed on his mouth and saw that the person was tongueless; not only this but his fingers were also chopped off from his hands.

"That Emperor is mad," he commented to himself.