Misunderstanding

It had been a while since the woods had encountered such a ruckus. Word of a battle between the Messenger of Tenger and the Tribe's young master, Tungalag, quickly spread like wildfire.

The Tribe leader Botukhai reminded her son with a serious expression on her face.

"My son Tungalag, judging by the looks of the Messenger of Tenger, he is obviously no warrior. He has soft hands and white skin, so his fate is to lose to you. Just bear in mind not to kill him after you win. Otherwise, the Tenger's retribution won't be taken lightly."

The Tribe's young master Tungalag nodded in acknowledgment to his mother and answered.

"I got it, mom. I won't take his life. But I'll teach him a lesson for being so haughty. What does he think of himself? Does he believe he's fit to have every woman in the world?" Tungalag replied.

On the other side, Dorj and his squad leader Tseren were engaging in a casual encounter to assess Dorj's sword-wielding proficiency. Jegei and the ten-man team encircled Tseren and Dorj to stop anyone else from viewing. Squad leader Tseren had an embarrassed expression on his face and stood firmly, whereas Dorj was struggling for breath on the ground.

"My lord, I'm certain you have never used a sword in your life. It's not too late for us to turn back or else you might lose your life," Tseren reminded.

Dorj grasped his handle and the sword and got up. "No, Tseren, If I escape now, my heart will never be able to wield a sword again. Let me confront this defeat and really feel what a sword fight truly is," Dorj responded.

Dorj wiped his face and stood in front of Tseren and his team. "Let me fight this duel. It's likely that I will be defeated. But if I flee now like a weakling, I will never witness the potential outcome for me to win!" declared Dorj.

The group of Dorj made their way to their designated duel location. The entire reindeer herders have gathered to the location to onlook the upcoming duel. Botukhai and her son Tungalag of the Reindeer herders' tribe were in attendance. Adjacent to the youthful master Tungalag, Mandukhai and her servant were standing. Mandukhai displayed a curious expression and observed Dorj arriving at the arranged duel. She held her assistant's hand and murmured something in her ears.

"Ah, you're finally here. I figured you would have run away and never showed up! So now that you're here, let's begin the duel. The rule is simple, the one who loses their sword loses the battle!" Botukhai declared with a mocking expression on her face.

The onlooker roundly applauded their young master. For the reindeer herders who had few sources of amusement, watching a duel was a rare experience.

"I'm not going to flee from this duel like a chicken. Bring your son, or are you only going to fight me with your words, tribe leader Botukhai?" Dorj asked.

Tungalag, who was tall and has black eyes and hair, stepped forward and gazed into Dorj's eyes. At that moment, Dorj and Tungalag made eye contact and Dorj acted with strength and resolution. But the truth is that Dorj is uncertain if he will escape unscathed.

'The best strategy for me is to defend myself. Since I have no muscle memory for sword-wielding, my opponent will surely underestimate me. If he has any opening, then I have to strike' thought Dorj in his mind and took a deep breath.

"Oh, you are the messenger of Tenger, I expected a better opponent when I heard that I have appointed a duel today. But after seeing you, you are just a scholar who doesn't have any experience" said Tungalag with a mocking tone.

'Yes. He has already underestimated me. I need to act weak and find an opportunity to win. This is the only way I can win this battle. I need to take a firm grip on the hilt of my sword and just defend. Whenever there is an opening, I should strike' thought Dorj and hold his hilt firmly.

Meanwhile, the tribe leader, Botukhai, announced the start of the duel, instructing the two to take their positions opposite each other.

Dorj and Tungalag took their positions. Tungalag gestured at Mandukhai and flashed a smile. It was evident that he was confident he would be victorious in this duel.

"Attention!" announced tribe leader Botukhai indicating for the contestants to be ready.

Dorj stood in a battle stance, prepared to fight, while Tungalag made no move to draw his sword.

"Fight!" announced tribe leader Botukhai.

As soon as tribe leader Botukhai announced that the duel has begun, Tungalag gestured Dorj to come over.

'He is mocking me? Is he giving me chance to strike first?" thought Dorj.

"Hey, newbie I give you three chances to strike at me. If I don't give you any chance, then how am I gonna face my girl in the future" said Tungalag and laughed loudly.

Dorj rushed in and cut downwards, however, Tungalag stepped to the side and dodged the attack. By the time Dorj had finished his slash, Tungalag lashed out at Dorj's knee, causing him to lose his footing and fall to the ground, prostrating himself with one knee on the floor.

"Is that all you got? My mother can fight better than you!" said Tungalag and laughed.

The onlookers of the Reindeer herders tribe cheered for their young master Tungalag, while Tseren and his squad looked ashamed and shook their heads respectively.

Dorj stood up and slashed horizontally this time. But in return, Tungalag retreated a step backward and leaned a bit to dodge the slash. When Dorj moved forward by the inertia of his slash, Tungalag dodged a step to his side and hit Dorj on his forehesd with the hilt of his sword. This time Dorj fell down and fully kneeled on his knees.

Dorj stood up again and faced Tungalag.

'Gosh! His muscle memories are good! However I strike, he simply dodges my attack and find my weak point! His footwork is good, so If I strike carelessly again, he will simply dodge and find a way to make me kneel!' thought Dorj and gazed at Tungalag sternly.

Just when Dorj was breathing uneven trying to catch his breath, a stream of blood flowed down from Dorj's forehead to get dripped on the crystal amulet on Dorj's neck. After tasting Dorj's blood, the amuled shined faintly.

Dorj's stance and his grip on his sword gets more balanced without his awareness.

Tungalag's eyes become serious.

'No. This stance is not full of weak points anymore! He has acted to be a person who has never wielded a sword in his life. If I dont get serious this time he may injure me this time!" thought Tungalag and draw his sword and taken a battle stance.

The onlookers has become amused, and didnt understand why Tungalag has suddenly draw his sword. Didn't he say he will give Dorj three chances to strike first?

The Squad leader Tseren and Jegei's eye flashed.

'What's going on, why is master's aura suddenly got sharp as if he is possessed by a skilled swordsman?' thought Jegei and he held hope on his master.

'Wait, this is not Minister Dorj who exchanged swords with me this morning. He doesb't take this stance when he strikes' thought the puzzled squad leader Tseren.

Unaware that his skill in sword has risen, Dorj focused his mind on all how to strike, he dashed forward to slash horizontally again, but his angle on his strike has changed.

Tungalag hold his sword by his both hands and parried the incoming slash. Different from the previous attacks, if Tungalag tries to evade this attack, his gut tells him that Dorj may change the direction of the strike and truly injure him.

'Clang...' the sound of swords parry has vibrated through the woods.

'Yes! I forced Tungalag to defend himself this time.' thought Dorj, but to no avail, Tungalag just after parrying, he pushed forward and slashed.

With no time to think anything else, Dorj stepped backward to dodge the incoming slash, and then dashed again to strike vertically.

The skilled warrior Tungalag defended himself again and parried the attack. While parrying he kicked Dorj on his abdomen and forced him to retreat.

'Ugh!' exclaimed Dorj and retreated backward. He stabbed the sword on his ground and held his abdomen.

With no time to waste, Tungalag dashed forward this time to attack Dorj.

Dorj hurriedly took a stance and parried the attack.

After a few exchange of strikes, Dorj and Tungalag is in a stalemate.

'What, the messenger of Tenger has delicate and soft hands. He must have never practiced sword before, or else his hands must have been hardened!" thought tribe leader Botukhai inwardly. She is now worried that her son may get injured due to her misjudgement.

The crowd on the other hand cheered loudly for the spectacular battle. For them, watching a duel for superiority is same as watching an action movie in the modern time.

For Mandukhai, she had an amused face to see Minister Dorj to duel for her.

After the previous clashes, Tungalag and Dorj panted heavily. They looked at each other with full alert.

'Damn. I didn't know I had natural skill in sword, if I knew earlier, I would have practiced more' thought Dorj in his mind and started to grin. This time has found his hidden talent and wanted to parry more.

When Dorj and Tungalag finished to calm their breath, they charged forward against each other. But this time, Dorj's untrained body betrayed him to bend his knees.

Dorj tried to parry the incoming attack by evading on the ground, Tungalag has slashed by his all might.

'Clang!'

Dorj's sword flew in the air to be dropped in a few meter away.

Tungalag has placed his blade on neck of Dorj.

"You lost messenger of Tenger" claimed Tungalag with a sigh of relief.

"The winner, reindeer herder tribe's Tungalag" announded tribe leader Botukhai.

The crowd cheered loudly and squad leader Tseren and Jegei hurriedly pullled Dorj upwards.

"Not bad, messenger of Tenger, but you are not good enough" said Tungalag.

Tungalag waled to the direction of Mandukhai. Just when he got near Mandukhai and her servant, Mandukhai's servant run forward to Tungalag's embrace. Tungalag kisses Mandukhai servant's lips passionately.

'Wait! Why is Mandukhai's servant and Tungalag kissing?' thought the puzzled Dorj.