Hagat's Last Fight

When he reached the shore, he witnessed the lifeless body of his warriors sprawled at the sand. Their throats had been cut and they lay like butchered animals in a waste of blood...

The last warrior who is still alive gestured a pitiful pleading cry. With his lips opened wide he stretched out his hands towards his Datu, begging for him to save him.

Yet in an instant, he felt the piercing of his throat, the gushing warm blood that escaped his flesh as he opened his eyes wide, utterly in disbelief...

Dead!

Surprised but, nonetheless appreciative. The crazy thumping of his heartbeat slowly calmed, he realized that it was his end. But he never thought it would simply end like that.

Witnessing this scene, Datu Hagat uncontrollably shed a cold drop of tear. He thought this won't be the case, but like prophecy coming true, all of his nightmares came alive to haunt him.

Screaming at the top of his lungs he called out the name of this cruel ruler.

"APKON AMRON! YOUUU! YOU... YOU BETRAYED ME!"

With a sour nose as he gripped his spear, he stared at the boat that is coming close.

Alighting from a boat at a distance, a tall figure slowly came towards Datu Hagat.

Then, a hundred warriors suddenly surrounded Datu Hagat, pointing all of their weapons directly at his face. Two guards immediately confiscated his weapon, leaving him defenseless.

"Why you! I obeyed every task you gave me. And here you are betraying me? Whyy?!"

Like a hopeless fool begging for mercy, the Datu tried to ask even if he already knew the answer.

The figure of Apkon Amron slowly walking towards him came with a burst of mocking laughter followed by a repeated clicking of his tongue.

"Tsk. tsk. ts. Datu Hagat... The Fool! You never expected to be betrayed? If so, then you are truly a fool." And the Apkon laughed again, his laughter echoed throughout the dead of the night.

"But why?" Cried out by the Datu.

"Well, don't take it personally. But as a reward for completing the tasks that I have given to you, defeat me and I might consider telling you why."

As his sentence fell, he gestured his warriors to return the Datu's weapon to him and the other warriors who encircled him, paced away as they formed a circle.

Catching his spear, Datu Hagat felt a lot of complex emotions.

His heartbeat is thumping, nervousness, sadness, guilt... all are mixed as the corners of his eyes glared a bloody look.

His whole body emitted a murderous aura that made everyone present suffocated. Along with the cold breeze of the night, his white wool braided hair swayed and the elongated loin cloth at his waist also fluttered.

He made a solemn preparation before his presumably last fight. Datu Hagat slowly removed his sullied opened Chaleco Vest, revealing a perfectly toned muscular body, covered in Batuks that described all of his epics.

Suddenly he felt saddened and melancholic, remembering everything that he had experienced all this time. His hands reached out at his golden ornaments, removing them one by one including his dangling, golden earrings.

He even removed the red wrapped cloth at his head which signified his status and power as a Datu.

For the first time in a long while, he was humbled without his clothes, he felt refreshed. He felt how similar a Datu is to a warrior. Now, Datu Hagat is prepared to fight for his last battle. He knew he will die, but for a warrior to die under the blade of his opponent is an honor itself.

"Brother Sadjar, I shall accompany you soon in Sulad. Get ready to receive my apology..." He inwardly muttered as he cast a deathly glare to Apkon Amron.

Smirking from ear to ear, Apkon Amron gently gestured him to approach. Even showing his tongue to show his disrespect at its foolish Datu.

"Awu!" A short crisp chant, yelling that common war cry among the tribesmen, Datu Hagat dashed forward with his spear pointing towards his enemy.

But it was easily parried in a single circular motion as if his attacked faded to existence.

"Hey! hey! Datu Hagat... Hahaha, Did you became old without experience? How come your strike was this shallow?" Mocked by his own attack, Datu Hagat felt humiliated as he gritted his teeth to receive the counter-attack.

A quick succession of piercing strikes, his method of fighting is crude yet wicked. Targeting the gaps between Datu Hagat's weak spots, he rushes in with little regard for technique—just a simple sneaky strike from over the shoulder which some tribesmen called a "Venomous snake's bite."

And due to the rapid howl of whistleblowing strikes, almost naked to his old eye, Datu Hagat failed to parry the last strike. His shoulder was pierced! It was damaged profusely as a large cut is formed, bleeding like the sudden gush of spring waters, the blood flowed out from his shoulder.

Now aching from pain, Datu Hagat found his shoulder numbing. He grimaced as he gnashed his teeth, trying his best not to dwell on the pain.

"What's this... you are this weak?! Huh! Datu Hagat?! It seems like its a waste to perform this fight. You are simply boring." With a dismayed expression on his face, Apkon Amron mocked the Datu.

Followed by a swirling motion, Apkon Amron rotated his feet, interchanging the left and right as he switched location and quickly swiping a strike aimed at the Datu's knees.

With little resistance, Datu Hagat successfully evaded the strike but due to his earlier damage, he found that his movements were slowed. He shook his head and made his own attack.

Raising his two hands, he made that basic thrust maneuver targeting his opponent's neck. Yet at this moment, the Apkon felt insulted by this attack.

While exchanging blows after blow, the Apkon voiced out a complaint...

"What's with you Datu Hagat? Is that all you got?! You dare treat me like a kid?! That's pretty basic for someone at your level—" But before he could even continue to speak, Datu Hagat changed his stance into a wilder approach.

The thrust came from above and instantly changing the direction to a slice upwards. Yes, it was a pretty basic strike when learning how to wield a spear. But because Datu Hagat is the one wielding it, he made some tweaks and the simple strike became complicated under his hands.

Apkon Amron had been caught off guard as he never anticipated that this weak old man would suddenly intercept his earlier strike and swing his spear in a different direction. His jaw was almost pierced!

Panicking under this heightened tension, the Apkon tripped over a small stone and he fell to the ground.

A chance!

Datu Hagat did not let this chance wasted as he pointed his spear towards the Apkon, instantly trying to kill him by stabbing his neck. The corners of his eyes glinted a hasty thirst for blood.

With this, he smiled as he pulled his arms while his fingers were tightly clutched at the handle of his spear.