Persistent Pup

At the other end of the battlefield, arrows flew out of the village to claim the lives of two grey wolves.

LaRee rushed to the battle with bow drawn and alert eyes.

He ignored the anger of the other grey wolves, letting the freed-up white wolves use pack tactics to start picking off grey wolves. It was a similar strategy to what Ayse had used with the tribal hunters.

And LaRee soon noticed that identical shift taking place on the opposite end of the battlefield.

In disbelief, LaRee rushed up one of the small watchtowers. He wanted a better vantage point to ascertain if his eyes were truly lying to him.

"Ayse?!" LaRee shouted in question while drawing his bow to offer cover fire to his tribesmen.

Mid-parry, Ayse's head twitched to the side. When he spotted LaRee on the tower, he waved back with a smile.

The cannibal elder was infuriated to be toyed with. Lunging and thrusting his short spear, the elder pursued the unaware, young stranger.

But Ayse was fully ready for the advance.

Ayse flipped the knife into a reverse grip. He raised his right arm and leaned to the left. The thrusted short spear barely missed Ayse's side while he pivoted once again. Ayse's free hand grabbed the spearhead directly and his chest pressed against the tip of the shaft.

In the same instance, Ayse's reverse-gripped knife slashed back at full power, snapping the short spear in a single swipe.

Shocked, the cannibal elder didn't know how to react or what to do next.

But Ayse didn't give the cannibal a single moment to breathe or escape. After his pivot, Ayse was mostly facing the elder. And his knife speedily swiped back across the cannibal elder's throat.

Then, as if nothing had happened, Ayse waved to LaRee once more before dashing toward his next victim.

LaRee hesitated to shoot for a split second. He was too surprised by Ayse's fighting tactics and how casually Ayse dispatched the elder.

In his eyes, LaRee assessed his personal strength as roughly equivalent to the average elder. That was what LaRee understood from training with his father and sparring with his uncle. But while LaRee was confident in Ayse's abilities, it was still astonishing to witness Ayse's nonchalant killing spree.

Now with two makeshift knives, Ayse continued picking off cannibals in search of another elder to challenge.

And LaRee shook off his surprise to start firing arrows yet again.

LaRee quickly drew attention and was faced with thrown spears. But LaRee ducked and stepped to the back of the watch tower. Those spears crashed into the tower, shaking it but failing to harm LaRee.

Then, LaRee popped back up with arrows at the ready, picking off the cannibals who had threatened him.

Howwwl…

A bestial groan attracted LaRee's attention next. He glanced toward the center of the battlefield with another shocked expression.

There, Chief LaRoe was covered in blood. But not all of it was his own.

LaRoe shrugged off the grey pack leader's corpse, yanking his tomahawk out of the beast's neck. There was a bit mark on LaRoe's shoulder, but the wound was shallow. It proved that half of the wolf's toothy maw had missed thanks to LaRoe's own attack.

But Chief Oybar wouldn't waste a single opening. His spear immediately skewered the wolf corpse while reaching for LaRoe.

LaRoe tucked into a backward roll to evade the attack. Though the spear head still scarcely pierced him, LaRoe managed to avoid a critical wound.

"Come, Death Arrow!" Oybar cackled, licking LaRoe's and the wolf's blood from his spear. "Become my strength!"

Panting, LaRoe didn't respond, aside from preparing his stance once more.

However, Oybar wasn't done toying with his prey. He kicked the huge wolf carcass aside with a smirk, asking, "Tell me? How lucky am I? To have you injured and near death. Even when I've barely touched you.

"... Come, Death Arrow. Speak up! Or I can't share your final words with your son," mocked Oybar. He shared a denigrating stare and a twisted grin. "I wish to carve your final words into your mount. So all can admire your head as my trophy!"

LaRoe did his best to steady his breathing, ignoring his accumulating, internal pain. "Oybar… You will die today. Even if not by my hand."

"Oh? Truly?!" Oybar questioned with a mad laugh. "By who? Your son? Has he become a man already?"

LaRoe ignored the taunts, continuing, "If I die, I'll go after guaranteeing your demise… That is certain."

Oybar readied his spears again, licking his lips in curiosity. "How is that? We trade lives? I'm not so weak that you can do so. Not while you're body is broken."

"I don't need to kill you…" LaRoe stated with a pained grunt, taking a step closer. "I just need to injure you. Then, he can finish you. As promised."

"He? Promised? Who do you speak of?" Oybar questioned. His gaze straightened when he sensed how serious LaRoe had become. "... You say that with a broken body? … Then come. Come at me? If you still can."

Finally, a hint of hesitation was shown. But not because LaRoe was afraid to lose his own life. It was because his broken limbs were fighting LaRoe, begging to collapse in exhaustion to stop suffering such pain.

In that moment, LaRoe could feel the truth of his body's status. *If I move too fast, I might collapse. I can't collapse. I can't fall. I need him to come to me…*

Chuckling, Oybar shook his head. "Not coming? So you can't continue? Then excuse me. I'll clear some weaklings. I'll give you a minute to catch your breath."

LaRoe's mind and heart clenched, from desperate thoughts and force of will.

Snap, snap!

Just when Oybar turned away from the broken chief, he looked to the side and swatted two arrows out of the sky. Oybar snickered, "Ohhh? Has the pup come to protect his papa?"

"LaRee?!" Chief LaRoe's voice nearly cracked from concern.

Running closer, LaRee tossed his longbow and empty quiver aside. He raised dual tomahawks toward the cannibal chief. His sharpened, focused gaze tried to pierce Oybar's heart.

A dozen meters. That's all that stood between the determined LaRee and the mad chief licking his lips.