Brotherly Bonding (Hiroshi)

It hadn't been long since we arrived at the rebels' nest when Ryuu, Rose, and Babu had to move on again. We learned that one of the only ways to defeat the beast was to bring the dragon into battle. At first, we were against the idea because it seemed dangerous. However, we agreed with Ryuu that the enemy was formidable and that without the dragon, all our efforts would be for nothing.

Ryuu wanted us to stay and prepare for the battle while he went to the dragon clan. He had been there before but needed to remain hidden due to a situation he was in. The fewer people with him, the less attention he would attract.

Babu, a panda, came along with Ryuu and Rose. His cloak covered him well enough to avoid attention. Babu could be useful to Ryuu both as a medic and as a warrior. Lezlie wanted to go with them too, but we needed her help to prepare weapons and terrain for a battle.

After a small snack restored Babu's energy, they prepared a lot of food for him and put it in his bag in case he got tired again.

Princess Yeli had arranged everything for Ryuu's journey. I expected her to give them horses, but she surprised me by providing three bears instead. The bears even had saddles. According to the princess, the bears knew the forest well and were skilled at fighting the enemy. They would take Ryuu and his companions to the eastern harbor quickly, where they could board a ship to reach the dragon clan. The ship was small enough to avoid attracting the beast's attention.

Babu objected to riding a bear, saying it was a betrayal of the bear's brotherhood and against nature. Ryuu convinced him by suggesting he stay behind and help me make bombs for the war. Babu quickly changed his mind and agreed to ride the bear.

As Ryuu mounted his bear, he turned to us and said, "We'll try to return as soon as possible. Be careful and see you on the battlefield."

After Ryuu, Rose, and Babu left, the rest of us prepared for battle and helped the different bloodlines get ready for war. Princess Yeli assigned tasks to everyone. Wedan and Mila used their powers to carry metals, Lezlie bent metals with her magic, and Shou was forging weapons with the weapon maker whose name was heard throughout the kingdoms.

Thanks to our powers, we were able to work three times faster than usual. Meanwhile, I was about to fulfill one of the Princess's requests before making bombs. She wanted me to talk to the general about tactics and traps we could use in battle. According to her, the general knew more about the enemy than anyone else here.

I didn't know who he was, but I knew he had traveled a long way. When Princess Yeli introduced us, I couldn't believe my eyes. The general was my big brother, whom I thought I had lost.

"Brother…!" I exclaimed.

I couldn't believe my eyes. My brother, whom I thought had died years ago, was standing in front of me. For a moment, I thought it was a dream, but it was real. I rushed to him and said, "Brother, I thought you were dead."

My brother was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. I could see the happiness and surprise in his eyes. "Hiroshi," he said. "All these years… Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's me," I replied excitedly.

My brother hugged me tightly as if trying to make up for all the years we had been apart. When we finished hugging, Princess Yeli spoke up. "Well, I was going to introduce you, but I think you know each other."

My brother turned to the princess and apologized for not recognizing her earlier. "Princess Yeli, I'm sorry. I checked the west as you asked…"

The princess realized we needed time to catch up and suggested we take a break before discussing tactics in the planning room. "General Taron," she said. "Why don't you take some time to catch up? We'll talk in the conference room after I take care of my people."

Princess Yeli left us alone to catch up. There were so many things I wanted to tell my brother, but I didn't know where to start.

"Wow, you've grown so much," he said. "Last time I saw you, you were rubbing garlic on your face to grow a beard."

I laughed and replied, "Brother, if I had known you were alive, I would have…"

He interrupted me. "I know, Hiroshi. you would come. But don't worry about the past. Let's sit down and talk about what we've been through. It seems like you have a lot to tell me."

My brother's appearance had changed, but his personality was still the same. He was protective, confident, and optimistic. The only difference was that he had become more talkative.

We sat down with a view and started talking again. This time, I spoke first because there were things I wanted to ask as much as I wanted to tell.

"Brother," I said. "What exactly happened that day?"

My brother took a deep breath before he began to speak. "I can't forget that day," he said. "No matter how much I try, I can't forget our dead friends and family. After we put you in a safe place, I tried to help Jesse, but the enemy was stronger than we thought."

"Jesse lost his battle with the samurai. But the samurai captured me instead of killing me. "He thought I would make a strong slave because I was young and strong," my brother explained. "I couldn't do anything as the samurai wiped out an entire town with a powerful blade. I was tied up and forced to watch my family and friends die. I screamed and tried to fight back, but they knocked me out. When ı woke up, ı was in the fourth kingdom." he said.

"So how did you join the rebels?" I asked.

"One day there was a big fire in the castle," my brother said. "I managed to escape, but I spent every day planning revenge. I wanted to kill the samurai to avenge you. I gathered men and organized rebellions." my brother kept talking."But one of my rebellions led to the death of an innocent princess. I swore to stay in the kingdom and make up for my mistake by bringing peace. The princess knew ı had led the rebellion but didn't hold me responsible because she knew my intention was to save innocent prisoners." he said.

"Because of the people who died in vain and the constant rebellions, the princess came up with an idea," my brother continued. "She formed a band of rebels to oppose her father's evil judgment and took me to her side. And I have been with her ever since. Together we try to bring goodness and justice to the kingdom."

I turned to my brother and continued our conversation.

"I don't know what to say, bro. You've been through so much." I said.

"What about you?, Ever since I arrived, everyone has been talking about the Epic Warriors joining us in battle." He replied.

"Well, that's actually a long and amusing story." I eagerly responded.

"I can't wait to hear it!" As we caught up, I filled him in on everything that had happened to me.