Feast of the chosen, p.5
Feast of the Chosen, page 5
Who was Sseunami to defy him? He was merely the Great King’s champion. Important in his own way, but merely one part of the larger whole.
He had been taught that all his life.
He would never forget it.
Chapter 2
Descending at a rate designed to balance being impressive, avoiding crushing the patio stone and also giving time for the Choir to see him coming, Sseunami impacted on the balcony of the Tower of Virtue and Justice with imposing and inspiring grace. He did as custom demanded, landing with one knee down and his opposite fist onto the stone with his other was flared out to one side. The ‘super-hero landing’ as it had been dubbed. Impractical, yes. But the crowds loved it. The video would capture his landing and the film used as part of whatever public campaign they devised to celebrate this victory for Yeoseo. The broadcast would take a couple days to produce, especially since they would have to wait for the footage of the Kono Maru entering port. Their triumphant arrival would be part of the story.
It was a reality of their world. These delays would place Yeoseo days behind the other media outlets of the world. They would be broadcasting the event and running stories about it within hours.
Many of the Chosen had at least one video camera built into their outfits. That footage was not always used, but it was often. That was the reason why Chosen acted so formally with each other. Eaglewing probably had a camera attached. Busida’s would never be found. The fragments of Sasayaki’s uniform might be found, through the camera might have sunk into the ocean.
Whatever they did have would be flooding social media and the news outlets soon. When Sseunami first learned that the people of Yeoseo were restricted in their use of the internet and unable to view the television feeds from around the world, he had thought it an injustice. But now he understood that they would learn only lies and foreign propaganda from them. Yeoseo’s Secretary of Public Information needed time to put together the accurate story. He needed to build the story and craft it lovingly into a piece that would give their people hope and pride. That took time. So other, false messages needed to be blocked to let the truth through.
It was a difficult lesson, but one he would remember. Some hardship was for a purpose. Common people couldn’t understand that, so often they were not told this was the case.
It was Sseunami’s role to be part of that the hopeful narrative. To give them the symbol around which they could rally. He was proud to be that for them.
With that in mind, he rose from the crouch and struck a bold pose long enough that the film editors would have time to work with it. The Choir continued to sing with exuberance until they reached the end of their verse and then sank into deep bows.
It was then that Yeong-su made his entrance. He stepped out onto the balcony and held open his arms. “My warmest welcome home, Champion. Were you successful in your venture?”
“Our vessel will enter the harbor in a matter of hours. Our enemies will not be able to stop it.” He took a deep breath, then announced, “Three of the Chosen tried to stop me. Two of them, I vanquished. Another I sent fleeing with a warning that death is the only end for those who stand in our way.”
Yeong-su’s smile rivaled the vanished sun. “Would that I could call you my son in truth. But as I am the divine ruler of this island, you are its protector.” He gestured for the champion to follow him, withdrawing back into the Tower’s interior.
Walking with a straight back and prestigious pose, Sseunami entered… and slowly, allowed himself to become Angae once more. They were beyond the camera’s view. Beyond the need to maintain the special moment. The Choir had shuffled off, retreating back into their quarters where they would wait for the next departure or event.
The room inside was a blend of many things. It was a command center, first and foremost. Radar feeds. Television monitors. Intelligence reports feeding out new snippets of information that had been deemed worthy of note. It all collected here so that Sseunami could be briefed before he flew off the grand balcony. Skilled operators sat at the various consoles, fulfilling their role in bringing all this information together to enable him. It was these people who had briefed him on Busida’s capabilities so that he could devise a way to end her. It was them who had told him Eaglewing’s true name, even if that had never been useful to him. One never knew, after all, what might be needed.
Striding into the center of the room, the King bent over the huge, horizontal video monitor there. It defaulted to a setting that displayed the island and its surrounding waters in a mirror to the Ceremonial Table he had had commissioned twenty-two years earlier on the day of Sseunami’s birth. This technological marvel was far more advanced, capable of being manipulated swiftly to show the entire world if necessary, marking any known military, Chosen or other detail necessary to make decisions.
He focused on the Sea of Japan for now. With satisfaction, he noted the symbols for the American and Chinese warships skulking around the straits leading south in the East China Sea. “They are scared to come into our waters, now.”
Angae shrugged. “The Americans are not scared of much. I would use the term cautious. Eaglewing is powerful enough to hold her own in these regions. I do not think she honestly believed I was equal to Banshi’s or Xīnghuǒ’s caliber. A tactical error on her part. If they wish to make a statement, they will send for another of the Ten who is closer to my strength. I believe they will try again.”
“And you will defeat them again, I have no doubt.” Yeong-su affirmed. “They will learn we are neither their puppet, their pawns, nor their doormat they can continue walking over with impunity. The balance has shifted.”
Angae let out a long sigh. “I thought it would be longer before I would be called upon to destroy one of them. I always knew it would be necessary before they understood… before they would accept what I am. But their deaths weigh on my heart just the same.”
“They are not worth your grief, Champion,” Yeong-su insisted.
Moving carefully up the steps onto the central platform to join them, the ancient figure that was Si-woo shambled slowly. He was verging on seventy now. Though his body had become frail, his mind was still sharp. As he gained the top of the stairs, he took a few wheezing breaths, then spoke once steady, “Whatever fine words they might use, the Great Powers of the world respect only strength. We will show them our strength so they must listen.”
As with the Great Lord, Jun was deep into middle age now. However, he had remained as healthy and vibrant as one could. This was not for his hubris alone. When he worked out, he did so with Yeong-su, encouraging the King and being his partner in keeping their bodies as hale and firm as they could. This was his role: to guide the Kan family and keep him alive as long as possible. He was the fitness guru. The one who knew games that challenged the Lord to keep his mind sharp. He walked up the stairs behind Si-woo, ready to catch the older man should he fall.
When he did not, Jun leaned against the railing behind him and joined the conversation. He snorted disdainfully, “Even then, they will ignore us. Until we take away something they love, they will not hear us. Trust me. You will need to destroy one of their great cities before they will take note.”
Angae felt himself pale, the idea driving the wind from his lungs. “May it never come to that! I am ready to destroy every single one of their Champions if they send them against me. I will not fail you, Great Lord. But that would be a travesty…” He shuddered.
Yeong-su leveled a determined gaze at him. “All things must be possible first, Chosen. Once possible, we then pray they will never be necessary. This is why we seek the power of the Atom. That is what has given the Great Powers their voice on the world stage. You must steel yourself to the possibility that you might need to create a wave so great that it could wash away the entire coast of a nation. Flex your might until this is possible. I see in our future a day when we will demonstrate that fell power to the other side. Then… once they know what you can do… then, they will listen because of that threat. Along with the power of the Atom, we will be a great power as well.”
Angae let out a long breath, feeling sorrow at the thought. Trial by combat? Like the knights of old, he would defend his Lord and feel proud. But the idea of slaughtering thousands of innocents who never knew they were in danger…
He imagined this was what it would feel like to be the operator of a nuclear weapon. To push a button and annihilate a city like an assassin in the dark. Necessary? Perhaps. It did not make the thought any more palatable. “I will have to hope that it will only take the destruction of their Chosen to make them speak with us on equal terms.” He shook his head, not quite believing all that he knew. “A shame, is it not? Even as the DPRK or the ROK would claim us, Russia shrouds us, and China watches us with keen eyes. If America would but speak with us, we could be the center of talks that could lead to peace! We could be the shining jewel in the region, helping all find common ground.”
The other advisors around him traded looks of surprise and supreme doubt. Not quite humor; none of them would dare laugh at him. But it was clear they thought him naïve.
Even the two standing behind the Great King were attempting to hide their assessment of his foolishness. Those two never spoke. Both were always silent, always watchful. Kan Yeong-su had many guards rotating past him, standing at key points in the tower and prepared for assassination attempts. But these two were never far from his side. They had no other purpose in life but to stand by his shoulders. They even slept in his quarters in their own alcoves, trading periods of wakefulness so that their Lord was never unattended. Keng Eun-ji was slender and tall; his painfully straight, dark hair draped past his shoulders. Quon Kyung was broad in the chest and portly in his belly, though he had the deft hands of a pianist and reflexes one would not expect from a rotund man. They were both dressed in plain black suits in with black shirts. They were meant to go unnoticed. Even Angae, who had trained himself to be aware of his surroundings at all times, often forgot them as they blended into the background.
In what an outsider would see as an effort to protect the reputation of his Chosen, Yeong-su spoke with fond patience, “A fine dream, my Champion. But alas, one that is unlikely to pass. To be the center of such a council, we would need to be the moderator. The one with no stake. The one who they would see as neutral.” His voice grew hard. “But we are not. I have inherited a divine purpose. We need to follow that purpose to its end. We are not the ones to broker peace. We are the Kraken that will demand the Bear, the Eagle and the Dragon to bow to us. That is the way it should be. That is the only way it can be.”
Angae knew there was only one thing to be done when the Great Lord spoke this way, announcing his vision and laying out the path to glory. They were bound to his will. He inclined his head in a bow. “May it be so, Daewang.”
Yeong-su was pleased at the display of obedience. “Never forget that we are the righteous. This is the Island of Summer; a place of Milk and Honey. They wallow in their filth and call themselves free. Our people know the truth. Feel their belief in their land; let it fill you with divine purpose. That is all you need.”
With a mild sigh, Angae said, “I wish I could be among them more. Tour our land. All the pictures I have seen … I wish I could visit every brook and every field.”
“Do not waste your time on useless wishes. You know your purpose.”
Si-woo added, always displaying instant agreement with his Lord. “You must be a symbol. A simple man cannot be a symbol.”
Jun piled on, “You must be perfect. If they see you trip or see you blemished, they would lose a measure of their faith. This cannot happen.”
Yeong-su grew a paternal sort of smile. “Such as you are now. I know your fight must have been a difficult one. Your uniform had taken much damage. Even though you are unharmed and victorious, we cannot let our enemies see that they have marred you in any way.”
Angae understood. “You’ll edit the video? When I land on the balcony, my uniform looked like this.”
It was Si-woo who nodded. “Indeed. We will ensure you appear in all your glory to our people. Untouched. Impervious.”
Angae stopped just shy of scowling in thought. The kind words were meant to stroke his ego and the effort would uphold his reputation. But part of him thought that the truth might hold more impact. The people would see me struggling for them. They would know I stood up against a violent foe and vanquished them on behalf of Yeoseo’s people. Would that not be better?
But he was not the expert. He was their weapon. If they chose to keep their sword wrapped in a gilded sheath, then who was he to argue?
Yeong-su recognized the moment when he accepted their words. He knew his champion well. Angae appreciated that when it came to the King. The Great Lord had every right to demand Angae to lay down his life, either as he was now or in the guise of Sseunami. But the Daewang knew when it was time to allow him to rest. “You are still young, my Champion. There is time to teach you all of these things. Trust us when we explain to you the terrible nature of our enemies. Trust us when we tell you that they would not speak if they did not have to speak. If they knew of your weakness, they would gladly destroy you rather than speak with you. Think on that.”
Angae stiffened for a split second at the subtly delivered threat layered behind those words. He didn’t look around to confirm what he knew was out there. All the guards in the Tower were armed with very special weapons; weapons fashioned to take advantage of Sseunami’s weakness.
It was another reason that he immersed himself so fully in his Angae persona. His alter-ego. It helped him remember his place. While Sseunami might be nigh-invincible, Angae was not. While a superhuman Chosen might be tempted to do whatever he willed, Angae was humble enough to remember he could still be killed, and that his Daewang knew the secret that could carry out the deed.
Yeong-su’s smile continued to be genuine, not acknowledging the cloaked warning for Angae to remember his place and leave the great matters of statehood to those who understood the game. “Go now. Retire to your manse. Take your ease. You have won a great victory, and the Feast of the Chosen is only a few days away.” His smile gained a sly edge, even a tad wicked. “We enjoy the irony that we celebrate the eve of your birth, the day which gave us a weapon against our greatest rival even as they relish in their great Thanksgiving banquets on the same date. We shall do our best to exceed their revelry in our own halls!”
“As you say, Daewang,” Angae gave a bow.
“As is right!” Jun added, correcting him.
“Yes. Indeed,” Angae amended. “As is right.”
Chapter 3
He could have descended from the Tower by drifting on the air, but that would have brought him back into the mentality of his champion persona. Instead, Angae took the stairs. It also felt good to connect with the people within the tower. Since he was forbidden from walking freely among the people, at least he could engage with this small subset of the population who were trapped in the Daewang Palace with him.
After all, servants and guards within the palace didn’t just wander in and out. Security precautions demanded more enhanced methods than that. Filtering personnel in and out of the gates every day would give multiple windows for spies, assassins or thieves to pass among them undetected. Instead, time in the Palace was treated as a six-month tour of duty. Those personnel who rotated in or out did so then. Faces remained static for a long period, and many of them never left at all.
What formed between Angae and those in the Palace wouldn’t be considered friendship among any other population on Earth. But it was his only experience and so he thought of them as friends. From his earliest remembrance, it was people like this who smiled at him as a child, fetched his sweets from the kitchens and looked at him with amazement, hope and a trace of awe. He felt like he owed it to them to keep those connections alive. To not abandon them simply because he was the Chosen and his time ‘too important’ for such things.
He passed out the main gates and walked into the palace’s central courtyard. The expansive grounds of the Daewang’s primary residence stretched out in all directions. Built onto the side of a steep rise leading up to the cliff behind the Tower, the layout was a series of tiers connected by wide, sweeping staircases made of grey stone. The buildings were suitably ornate, fashioned to pay homage to traditional principles of articulation and bilateral symmetry that was common throughout many Asian cultures. As different as Chinese, Korean and Japanese peoples could be, there was a common ancestry that none of them had fully cast aside, which made sense when such things were too inherently beautiful to be cast away. Despite the challenges Yeoseo might be facing as a nation, no expense had been spared to turn this walled complex into a paradise for their King. There were gardens and fountains fashioned to speak to the souls of those who had the time to wander through them and reflect.
Angae had spent a small fraction of time admiring these features. However, his own manse had been crafted with its own pools, miniature orchards and green spaces. He had no reason to linger out in the open when his own home was so pleasant.
Not to mention… the presence of his Devoted.
The thought of them inspired him increase his pace. It was not a small distance away. He had to cross over a kilometer within the compound before he reached his home. The palace was a town in and of itself, with a population in excess of 5,000. The portion considered to be his manse was a collection a dozen buildings spread across three acres. Like the Palace, not all of the structures were on the same level; rather, they along with the artwork and gardens connecting them filled a series of plateaus contained within its own wall.
This was his domain. While he could be summoned from it at any moment by the Daewang, and while every item of value inside it was owed to the generosity of the King, Angae’s will was never second-guessed or countermanded within these halls. None other than him and his Devoted were allowed past the outer gates.
