Chapter 8: Hammer's Challenge

"This is really a proud moment for us, dear," Dyna's mother said to her husband. She was readying her husband for him to take the oath of the supreme leader and wear the legendary crown. She tied armbands and placed a wolf's skin around his shoulders.

"I will make my progeny proud. I promise," the husband said. His name was Kanga. He was a tall, dark and muscular man. His brown hair was tied in a long braid. He had traditional paint stripes on his cheeks near his eyes.

"You have already made us proud, dear," she said.

Their daughter Dyna entered their tent to tell them the tribal chiefs were waiting. "Father, they all are here."

"Yes, I am coming." Kanga kissed the forehead of his wife and walked outside, followed by the ladies.

"Woohoo! Woohoo!" the tribal people howled in respect. It was their custom. Kanga walked to the altar and faced his people.

There were fire torches around and the tribal people surrounded them. The twelve tribal chiefs sat at the front under leaf sheds.

A priest wearing a cow skull on his head and red paint all over his body rained turmeric powder on Kanga. It was a ritual to signify purification. He then pulled out a knife and sacrificed a rooster for good fortune. He wiped the blood from the knife with his hand and rubbed it on the forehead of Kanga.

"Woohoo! Woohoo!" the tribal people kept howling. It was time for the coronation and everyone was excited.

The priest picked up the wooden crown made of the twigs and branches of their Holy Banyan tree. "Hooloolooloo!" cried the priest and crowned Kanga as the Supreme Chief of the wild tribes. Dyna was proud of her father. So was her mother, but they did not know what was coming for them.

Kanga stepped forward and began to take his oath. "I, Kanga of the Sun tribe, the son of Zanga, swear an oath that I will fulfill this responsibility with my utmost sincerity. I will rule with justice and protect the rights of everyone. I will make our dreams come true!"

"Woohoo! Woohoo!"

"Excuse me, can I have a word?" They heard a voice out of nowhere. The crowded tribal people made a way for the person who spoke to be seen from the altar.

"Who might you be?" inquired Kanga as he saw it was a young man wearing the armour of Madmen. "What does a Madmen want from us?"

"I am sorry to disturb your festival. It must be a great celebratory occasion," the man said. "Let me introduce myself. I am Hammer, the eldest prince of Madmen."

It was Prince Hammer with his right-hand man, Varius, a huge man called Commander Jumbo, and a dozen soldiers.

"Why are we here, my prince? They are not on good terms with our kingdom. We should leave at once," Commander Jumbo whispered to Hammer, but the prince ignored his words.

Kanga stared at him for a while and inquired, "What does a prince want from us?"

"Nothing much. I was just here to…" Hammer walked through the crowd and faced the supreme chief. "…challenge you, supreme chief." He pulled out his scimitar. "I want a combat to death."

The tribals loaded arrows on their bows and pointed them towards him in a split second. Dyna felt uneasy about this whole mess. "Father, do not accept it."

"Why should I accept your challenge?" responded Kanga at the nonsense.

"Are you scared, supreme chief?" taunted Hammer. "I, a spoiled prince, just walked into your nest and challenged you to a death battle upfront. I know your customs, supreme chief. You have to accept my challenge or you could never be recognized as the chief."

Kanga listened to his words closely. "What would be at stake?"

"My land," Hammer said with a smirk. "If you win, you can enter our lands and settle there."

"Your forefathers drove us out of our own lands and forced us to live in the jungles," Kanga said. "What made you step away from the ways of your forefathers?"

"My goals are beyond your understanding, supreme chief. Just know that our lands are on fire and I want to make it peaceful again," Hammer reasoned. "What would I get if I win?"

"As per our customs, if the challenger wins against a chief, he gets utmost respect from the tribes," an old tribal chief said. "He would assume the title of a legendary victor. Songs and poetry would be composed in his name. He would also be given the sword of the chief as a trophy of the victory."

"Exactly. That sounds interesting," Hammer reacted. "What if the chief does not accept the challenge?"

"We are warrior people. Naturally, the person would be considered a coward and unfit for his position. He would lose his title and someone else fit for it would be chosen."

Hammer looked at Kanga. "Now, what would you do, supreme chief?"

Kanga sighed. "Fine. I accept your challenge."

"Father, no!" Dyna reacted with unease. "You could die."

"I have to, my daughter. I do not want to live as a coward," Kanga said and walked down the altar after handing over his crown to the priest.

Dyna wanted to stop him, but her mother stopped her. "Mother?"

"Have faith in your father," her mother said. "A man would never step down from a fight. We have to bear it."

"But?" She saw her father pulling out his sword. She had no choice but to watch now.

"What if I kill you? Would your king send his army for revenge?" Kanga asked as he took his stance on the fight.

"That would not happen," Hammer replied, and signaled his men. Varius stepped ahead and handed a sealed scroll to the priest. "It is the seal of immunity. I have sealed it with my own seal. No army would touch you as I take the responsibility for my own death," he added.

"Fine. Shall we begin then?"

***

"So, are you saying Hammer fought your father, who had just become the supreme chief?" Gilbert asked Dyna.

"Yes," Dyna said.

"So, he won, right?"

Dyna nodded with an uneasy face.

"But how did the wild tribes accept his sovereignty?"

Dyna sighed. "Have you heard about the messianic prophecy of the wild tribes?"

"That folklore? A messiah would come and open the world for the wild tribes. He would pull them out from their dark ages to a period of happiness and peace. Am I right?"

"That is not a folklore. It is a true prophecy in our stories told to our ancestor two thousand years ago."

"So, how is it related to Hammer?" Gilbert wondered.

"Because that man..." Dyna began to continue the story.