Chapter 42 : Chapter 42
The moon hung still, its thoughts unknowable. The plain it watched over was pandemonium.
Werewolves ridden by the Broken Tusk Tribe tore into the Carved Tusks, ripping them apart and tossing them aside.
Warhorses spurred on by the Blanc Knights trampled the Carved Tusk warriors, sending them flying. Sevha, too, rode Toto, mercilessly sinking arrows into their heads.
“Success!” Eshu cried in triumph as he watched the Carved Tusk Tribe scatter in terror.
But Sevha did not share his joy.
We’ve only just nocked the arrow.
Tataka's surprise attack had been met by Sevha's, which had anticipated it. A feint within a feint, a seeming masterstroke.
But a cold assessment revealed it for what it was: a futile effort.
The Blanc Knights numbered around a hundred.
The Broken Tusk Tribe, about a hundred.
The Carved Tusk Tribe, over four hundred.
Knowing this, Sevha had launched his reckless ambush for one reason alone.
He scanned his surroundings. Tearing, trampling, tangled bodies… the heart of the pandemonium.
At its center, Tataka and Achuk, both mounted on werewolves, were locked in a duel, iron spear against greatsword.
Tataka wouldn’t be fighting a nobody.
The moment Sevha realized Achuk was the commander of the Carved Tusk Tribe, he spoke to Eshu.
“Eshu. Remember the plan. Focus on setting fire to the camp, not on killing their warriors.”
Eshu did not answer immediately.
“Eshu?”
“I will obey your order… Young Master.”
As if venting his frustration, Eshu roughly pulled a long torch from a nearby post and yelled, “Burn the barracks and supplies! Make smoke!”
Sevha sensed Eshu’s discontent but had no time to address it. He slung his bow across his saddle.
“Toto. It’s time for you to do what you do best.”
Toto glanced up at Sevha as if to ask what he meant.
Sevha grinned. “Show off.”
With that, Sevha plucked a javelin from the ground.
Toto snorted and charged between Tataka and Achuk.
The two warriors, locked in fierce combat, were startled by Sevha’s intrusion.
Achuk, because some unknown human had brazenly interfered.
Tataka, because Sevha, a hunter, was openly challenging a warrior.
“May I join?” Sevha taunted, swinging the javelin at Achuk.
As Achuk blocked it with his greatsword, Tataka thrust his iron spear at Sevha.
“So you’ve learned to have some fun!”
Sevha leaned back, dodging the spear.
Immediately, Achuk let out a monstrous roar, as if demanding they focus on the fight, and brought his greatsword down on them both.
Toto and Tataka’s wolf retreated to evade the blade.
An opening appeared. In a single glance, Sevha took them both in.
CRASH!
Toto and the two werewolves slammed into one another.
Sevha, Tataka, and Achuk swung their weapons.
Sevha’s javelin cut through swirling embers.
Tataka’s iron spear tore through spreading black smoke.
Achuk’s greatsword shattered the gravel kicked up from the ground.
Sparks flew each time their three weapons clashed.
Beneath the shower of sparks, Toto and the two werewolves fought for dominance, a scene of three bloodthirsty beasts tearing at each other.
And in the midst of it all…
There… it’s done.
Sevha had finished his calculations.
Just then, the wind rose.
The flames consuming the camp intensified, and black smoke swirled everywhere.
As the forms of Tataka and Achuk vanished into the smoke, Sevha whistled.
He tossed the javelin to the ground and took up his bow.
Sevha drew a long, slow breath, observing the smoke that obscured his vision. It seemed to billow without reason, but for Sevha, it moved with purpose.
“Make as much noise as you can, Toto.”
Drawing three arrows at once, he plunged into the black smoke.
For a moment, the sound of hooves echoed loudly.
Achuk appeared before him, startled as Sevha suddenly emerged from the smoke.
Sevha seized the opening, loosing three arrows at the head of Achuk’s werewolf.
As the volley struck, the beast let out a death cry and collapsed.
“Toto! More noise!”
Sevha didn't slow Toto, merely changed direction and charged on.
For another moment, the sound of hooves echoed even louder.
Tataka appeared.
Unlike Achuk, he seemed to have expected it and thrust with his iron spear.
Sevha dodged the spear by a hair's breadth and, quick as lightning, shot an arrow into the leg of Tataka's werewolf.
The arrow struck its leg, and the werewolf staggered.
Sevha swiftly disappeared back into the black smoke.
As the sound of hooves faded, a voice rang out.
“I do not know who you are. But I acknowledge you.”
The accent was similar to Tataka’s, but the Continental tongue was cruder.
“I will tear you to pieces.”
Sensing Achuk’s genuine killing intent, Sevha caught his breath.
A silence followed, taut as a drawn bowstring.
Then, as if snapping that thread, Sevha uttered a single word.
“Retreat.”
With that, he fled.
As the sound of hooves receded, Achuk roared, a sound of pure fury and indignation.
Tataka, however, was more suspicious than agitated.
Something… is wrong.
Just then, the wind blew hard again. The black smoke cleared slightly, revealing the surroundings.
The Tusks were still fighting.
But Sevha and the Blanc Knights had already vanished from the pandemonium.
They all fled that quickly?
As Tataka was thinking they had disappeared too fast, a Broken Tusk warrior rode up.
“Tataka! The Carved Tusk are regrouping! If this continues, we’ll all be killed!”
The situation was urgent.
Tataka pushed aside his nagging suspicion and roared, “Retreat!”
Tataka and the Broken Tusk Tribe escaped the burning camp and raced across the plains.
A few of the Carved Tusk Tribe gave chase, but their pursuit was half-hearted, perhaps due to the shock of the ambush.
Once they had shaken off the last of them, a Broken Tusk warrior rode his werewolf up beside Tataka.
“Tataka! We’ve lost the pursuers!”
“Then turn—” Tataka began to order.
Shhhk!
A sound like a stooping hawk, and an arrow pierced the head of the warrior who had just spoken.
As the man fell limply from his werewolf, Tataka stared blankly in the direction the arrow had come from.
“Ah…”
There, on the horizon crowned by the moon, was Sevha, mounted on Toto. The Blanc Knights were arrayed to his left and right, like spread wings.
Tataka understood everything then. Sevha's stratagem, and the true source of his own foreboding.
“It seems I was the only prey today.”
Sevha had never been interested in the Carved Tusk Tribe.
He had used the attack on them as a pretense to approach Tataka.
The smoke had concealed the Blanc Knights' withdrawal.
He had kept both commanders, Tataka and Achuk, occupied so they wouldn't notice.
And while the Carved Tusks gave chase, distracting Tataka, Sevha had moved to strike.
A hunt built on a feint within a feint within a feint.
“Tataka…”
Sevha knew it was finally time to loose the arrow he had nocked so long ago.
He bellowed, “Time to wear a leash!”
Immediately, Sevha and the Blanc Knights charged toward Tataka and the Broken Tusk Tribe.
Tataka watched them come, thinking.
Our numbers are similar, but we are exhausted. The escape, the pursuit… it has worn us down.
Therefore, the only choice Tataka had was the one thing wolves do best.
“Run!”
At Tataka’s command, the Broken Tusk Tribe drove their werewolves frantically.
The wolves ran.
The horses gave chase.
The arrows Sevha fired flew like hawks.
The moon rose higher in the night sky, as if wanting a better view of the chase.
In that moment, as the shadows of wolf, horse, and hawk stretched ever darker, ever longer across the plain, Tataka’s werewolf saw what lay ahead and stopped abruptly.
The sudden halt caused the wound in its leg to tear open, and it collapsed.
Tataka stroked the werewolf’s neck, a gesture of thanks for its hard work, and looked forward.
“Well done, Hawk.”
Hundreds of soldiers, the conscripts led by Teresse and Legra, were blocking his path.
Tataka had no choice but to admit that from beginning to end, he had been played perfectly.
And so, facing insurmountable adversity, he laughed loudly and gazed at Sevha.
His gaze met Sevha's.
Eshu rode to Sevha's side. “Young Master! Now is the time to wipe them out!”
“Eshu. Our goal is to win them over.”
“Are you truly planning to join hands with those things?”
Sevha had no desire to rehash an argument they had already settled.
He ignored Eshu and called out, “Tataka! This is your last chance to accept my offer!”
When there was no reply, Teresse moved the conscripts to surround the Broken Tusk Tribe.
“Well? Does it look like he’ll accept?” Teresse asked, approaching after completing the encirclement.
Sevha answered decisively, “An ordinary Tusk would choose death over bowing his head. But Tataka has learned about humans. He’ll understand the uses of negotiation.”
Sevha’s prediction was correct. Tataka understood negotiation.
He simply understood it better than Sevha had anticipated.
“If you want me as your hound so badly… very well.”
Tataka dismounted, eyes fixed on Sevha, and cried, “Tataka of the Broken Tusk Tribe challenges the master of this land to single combat!”
Most on Sevha’s side looked dumbfounded.
They were in a position to annihilate the Tusk Tribe with a single command. There was no reason for him to accept a duel.
But Sevha and Teresse, unlike the others, scowled.
“You’ve been had, Hunter,” Teresse said. “You couldn’t hide your true intentions.”
“After preparing such an elaborate hunt, what choice do I have?”
Eshu simply stared at Sevha, confused, so Teresse answered for him.
“He’s saying that if you don’t agree to a duel, they’ll all die right here.”
Sevha’s objective was to use Tataka’s strength. Annihilating the Broken Tusk Tribe was therefore an undesirable outcome.
And to avoid that outcome, he had to abandon his advantageous position and accept the duel.
Eshu was dismayed. “Y-Young Master! You don’t need to accept that!”
Sevha was lost in thought.
Eshu is right. Tataka would be a help to me, but I lose nothing if he’s gone. There’s no reason to risk my life…
Just then, Tataka shouted, “What is this prey of yours, that you need a hound to hunt it? Is your quarry so great that you cannot face it without a wolf of my caliber?”
The taunt struck a nerve.
Sevha slowly rubbed his face, as if to hide it.
The moment he lowered his hand, he dismounted from Toto and began walking toward Tataka.
Eshu reached out to stop him. “Y-Young Master? What are you think—”
Sevha coldly cut him off. “Interfere, and I will kill you.”
His voice was ice, yet Eshu felt that if he touched Sevha now, his hand would be burned away. He froze.
Leaving Eshu behind, Sevha continued to walk.
Tataka walked toward him.
When they were close enough to see each other’s expressions clearly, Tataka observed, “You have the face of a wolf.”
Sevha did not reply, only drew his handaxe.
“I wonder why my taunt was so effective… but I doubt you’ll answer with words.”
Tataka grinned and drew his butcher’s knife.
“Not with words, anyway.”
For an instant, moonlight flowed along the edges of Sevha’s handaxe and Tataka’s butcher’s knife.
Then, they kicked off from the ground.
Raising their weapons high, as if in prayer to the moon, they swung them at each other.