HEART OF FURY

"What? That can't be an invasion. That's only a single Fasha warrior." Joda pointed out in a whisper. He knew what his brother was thinking. True, they weren't friendly with the Fasha's, but they weren't exactly enemies either and he didn't want his brother to attack anyone wrongly, even if that person was a Fasha. He could be a wandering traveler for all they knew.

"You are right, but look. Behind those trees, there are more of them. Painted in war stripes. They may be fewer than an invading force, but I am still sure they are here to spy." Jada replied his elder brother. His anger evident on his face as he pointed out more of the Fasha men hiding behind trees in the forest.

Joda's eyes widened as he saw the men. They had blended in very well with the surroundings and Prince Joda was really impressed with his younger brother's perceptiveness. He was still counting the Fasha warriors when he felt his brother rise onto his feet.

"What are you doing Jada. You will be seen" Joda whispered, panicked.

"I don't care. I won't let those murderers get away. I am going to bring them to book" Jada glared at his brother as he said this. As if daring Joda to stop him. Joda watched as his brother picked up his spear and made to descend the hill. Jada hadn't taken even two steps from his brother when a spear came flying straight at him from the forest.

The spear was fast, and from the whooshing sound it made as it traveled through the air, very deadly. Any normal person would have been hit easily by the weapon but Jada was no ordinary person.

He and his brother, knowing that thrown spears could even be more deadly than when held, had practiced dodging just as much as they had practiced throwing, and this incoming spear was no different from the countless others he had dodged from his elder brother during training.

Jada twisted the upper part of his body away from the spear and watched the spear fly past his face as if in slow motion. Before the spear could keep going though, Jada grabbed it by the middle, whirled it around, and threw it with all his might into the direction it had come from. A pained, dying sound that came from the forest alerted him that he had hit someone, fatally.

Now, Joda knew the people in the forest were no travelers. They were most definitely spies sent to gauge the kingdom's power. Travelers wouldn't just attack anyone without making sure they were a threat first. These people had not only committed a crime against the Kingdom,they had dared to attack his little brother and he would make them pay.

Prince Joda rose onto his feet from his sleeping position and dashed after his brother who was still descending the hill. They would take care of these ten or so Fasha warriors alone. Their troops need not get disturbed for a fight so little.

A few distances from level ground, ten spears shot out from the forest, coming straight at the two princes. Joda smirked. Did they think these would stop or even slow him and his brother down?, He would show them what an elite warrior was like. He thought as he and his brother started twisting and turning. Dodging each and every single one of the missiles.

When the Fasha's had seen the first man. They had dismissed him as an unlucky hunter who wouldn't return home that day. Indeed, how could one man fight fifteen of them? This wouldn't even be a fight. They thought as they saw their scout leader, the assistant Captain kick up a spear from beside his feet and grab hold of it.

He was so skillful. The men praised him in their heads as they watched him hold up the spear and take careful aim at the foolish warrior who was now descending the hill towards them.

With a grunt, the scout leader let the spear fly. That man descending the hill was already a dead man. Just look at how fast that spear went. There was no dodging that.

These and many other thoughts ran through the Fasha's head as they saw their scout leader's amazing display of strength and skill. But then, something happened that caused them to rethink all that they believed.

The lone man had dodged the spear. Not only had he dodged it, he had grabbed hold of it and now...'oh', was all the Fasha warriors could think as the man threw their own spear back at them.

The spear was coming straight for the scout leader and in their heads, he was now the dead man. There was so much power behind that spear that they were sure it could fall a tree.

Just when the spear had almost reached the scout leader, he did something that made the men rethink all their praises of him. He pulled one of the warriors beside him into the spear's path.

The dying screams of the speared man who had the long weapon lodged deep in his chest did not seem to bother the scout leader. He threw the speared man aside and that was when the men saw that their leader had a wound on his chest as well. It wasn't deep though, but it was still big.

"I want that man dead...don't let him get close to us." The assistant Captain told his men." Spear him down" he ordered and the men quickly lifted their spears over their shoulders.

They were still taking aim when behind the first person they had tried to spear, another person arose. The man was running straight for them just like the first one.

"Fire!" The Fasha scout leader ordered loudly and the men let their spears loose. Fourteen spears in all, including the scout leader's own. Those two were dead. Or so they thought.

For the second time in less than a few minutes, the Fasha warriors witnessed something extraordinary again. The two men were bobbing and weaving around the spears like gods. What was this?, How was this possible? Were all this kingdom's warriors this skillful?

The men asked themselves. But just then, "look..look, the two of them. They are identical. They're twins!" one of the Fasha warriors exclaimed in panic. Everyone remembered what the king had told them before they came on this mission.

"In all of Pilad, I fear two warriors the most. They aren't even full warriors yet, but their bravery and skill is already fitting of legends. The tigers of Pilad they are called. These are the twin princes of King Budu. Beware of those two. They are dangerous. If you meet them, run. And if you wish to fight, don't do it alone."

These had been the words of their king to them. The men were now certain they were seeing the tigers of Pilad and they had no wish to fight them.

"So what if they're the twin princes? we have numbers on our side. If we bring these two down here, we will be exonerated beyond everyone else by the king. You!" The scout leader pointed at one of his men." sound the distress call. These twins fall today." The assistant Captain ordered with a snarl.

The twins were almost at the forest when a loud horn-like sound blared from the forest. A few seconds later, the forest floor started rumbling and what seemed like the sound of countless feet carried across to Joda and Jada.

Then out of the trees, numerous men burst forth. They were many. Tall and muscular, with war stripes on their faces. They held their spears at the ready in one hand, the other, their swords as they came straight at the twin brothers with war cries.

Joda and Jada looked at each other just before the men fell on them. They were trapped, and they knew it. The only way out now was to fight to the end. "Aah!" Jada yelled as he twirled his spear in an arc over his head, cutting and stabbing his enemies without pause. His heart full of fury. The battle had started.