"The Dark shall rise from the dust to kill, and will only return to the dust with a red blow." - The Prophecies of Light

Mingyu settled himself into the corner of the stable, worry for Wonwoo and Hyesung prevailing in his mind over thoughts of his own pain. He ached all over, bruises and sprains abounding from where he'd been beaten by the guards before being taken to the cells earlier. His ankle from the battle in the passes was only just healed, mostly by Hyesung's magic, but still tender and swollen when he used it too much. But all of that paled in comparison with Hyesung's injuries, and the guilt at leaving him threatened to eat away at the mercenary.

That was one of the things they had drilled into them in the companies: never leave a comrade behind. No matter that money was what they fought for, honor was still a large part of a mercenary's makeup and he couldn't believe that he had agreed to leave the High Mage behind. Yes, he'd been ordered to, and yes, there was pretty much no other option, but still.

And now, he had to sit and hide in the shadows, too weak to fight and not skilled enough to help Wonwoo with his own mission. He looked up, as if he could see through the many floors separating them, and said a silent prayer to the Light for both Hyesung's health and for Wonwoo's success. If the thief failed in this mission, then they might end up dooming themselves and the other Seals.

A Seal. He'd heard a bit about them, though he'd never been one to put much stock in prophecy. After all, they were the ramblings of long-dead men, words that likely had no influence nor import to the world around him. Or so he had thought. But Hyesung said he was a Seal, and he had to believe the man. What reason did he have to lie? And besides, that explained the demons that seemed to flock to them, as well as what the one had called him. 'Fortune's sword,' it had said, but in his time here in the Marcher Lord's Keep, he had perused the prophecies that Wonwoo could bring him and had yet to find a reference to that phrase. 

Though he had read something that had made him uncomfortable with how much it seemed to point to him. 'The fourth Seal shall fall like the rain yet rise like the sun.' It may have made little sense to anyone who read it, except that with Hyesung's words, it put a lot of things into perspective. Like the fact that the banner of the Marchion Company, the one that Mingyu had served for his fighting years, was a golden sun rising over a field, with rain falling behind it. On top of that, he had fallen in life and risen again through the mercenary companies. Now he had to wonder if that was one of the reasons that Hyesung had sought him out. Had he known all along that Mingyu was a Seal, and manipulated him into coming along, while hiding information that could have been helpful?

Not that any of that was important at the moment. He couldn't foster any anger at the man, not when he knew that Hyesung was still in his cell, suffering. He could worry, though, and so that was what he did. At least until he realized that it wasn't helping anything, either. 

Shifting his weight, Mingyu reached for the hilt of his stolen sword. It was built well enough, though not as large as the one that he was used to using. Not as heavy, either, which would take a bit of getting used to, but it was made with nice steel and a good balance to it. The tabard was uncomfortable and he had shed it almost immediately after reaching the stabled, unwilling to wear a garment stained with the blood of a dead man longer than necessary. Wonwoo's skill had surprised him; he had assumed that the thief would be a scrappy fighter, tough as nails and good with his fists, but he hadn't expected the skill with knives. That throw had been dead on, perfectly done.

Mingyu shook his head slowly, wondering what they had gotten themselves into. The stable was nearly clear of people, though a few grooms moved among the horses to toss hay into their feeders. Once they were gone, Mingyu knew that he would have the chance to take two of the animals, and he knew that he would have to be ready for that. He just hoped that in the time it would take him to ready the horses, Wonwoo would return and have the journal that he had gone to fetch.

Honestly, he could simply kill these servants, but though they served the Marcher Lord, Mingyu was not willing to end someone's life just because of their alliances. They did not threaten him, they were just going about their work, and so he must wait. It was hard, though, and his thoughts turned to Seungcheol and Jeonghan. How were they, at that moment? Surely they had reached Redien, probably several days before if not even a week. Were they on their way back, maybe with reinforcements? Did anyone know of what was happening here at the Marcher Lord's Keep? Was there anyone who could help them free Hyesung? Mingyu had the bad feeling that it would take a Mage to be able to do so, but he remembered the burned demons