Father and Son

"Eyes on him!" LaRoe yelled while forcing his legs to carry him away.

"Yes, Father!"

As LaRee replied, he sidestepped a spear swing. The spear cut through the ground effortlessly, never slowed or deflected in any way.

The second spear came in a thrust, aimed perfectly for LaRee's route of evasion. It rushed in, forcing LaRee to do something to stop it.

LaRee wanted to keep one tomahawk free at all times, for emergencies. Especially with no more spares in sight, aside from the axes thrown seconds ago. But LaRee knew he wouldn't get an opportunity to recollect them. Not while keeping the cannibal chief away from his father.

So, LaRee hooked the spear with one axe.

Crack. Frrip…

"Threads?" LaRee questioned while hopping aside again. He took notice of the crack in that axehead with half-empty eyes.

Snickering, Oybar licked the fresh batch of blood from his spear. "Can't keep up? Still too young? How many years have you, boy?"

"Twenty-one."

Oybar and LaRee glanced to the side. The cannibal instantly regretted pausing his rush. And LaRee felt his heart clench in self-loathing.

LaRoe picked up the tossed-aside tomahawks and raised them at Oybar. Another rush of motivation and willpower overflowed from LaRoe's eyes. "Only twenty-one years. And LaRee can face a chief. He is my pride!

"Also, you ended LaRee's challenge, Oybar. You came after me instead. So I'm allowed to join the fight with honor. As I said already… Today, you will die."

"Ha! But can you actually fight–"

Chink! Ch-chink!

Before Oybar could finish his taunt, LaRoe leaped at him with beast-like fury. Black threads of energy coated the axes and the spears. Both men pushed back at full power, refusing to lose a single step.

However, Oybar was no fool.

Oybar noticed the gradual decline in LaRoe's strength and speed. It was still there in bursts, but LaRoe's power would face a momentary decline in the following moment. So, of course Oybar would willingly have a battle of attrition.

That was until a second set of tomahawks arched toward Oybar's back.

LaRee refused to back down. And LaRee understood his father's words, that it was his father joining LaRee's fight and not the other way around.

Oybar shifted to defensive maneuvers without batting an eye, dedicating one spear to each attacker. His feet shifted and sidestepped constantly, weaving through parries and backing away to always be on his toes.

"Good. Good!" Oybar bellowed.

A cut would appear on Oybar's body every few seconds. But each cut seemed to make the cannibal more lively. "Keep it up! How far can you go? Who falls first? The grown pup? Or the broken papa?"

"Or the cannibal?" LaRee retorted with a swipe of the tomahawk.

Oybar laughed even harder at the remark. Unlike LaRee, Oybar was confident that he already knew the answer.

LaRoe felt similarly, despite how much LaRoe tried to ignore the truth. After all, if LaRoe's bones and joints could speak for themselves, the entire village would've learned the answer. Because the wails of pain would've echoed through the entire battlefield.

Still, LaRoe kept his teeth gritted and muscles moving. He refused to give up while his son was left on the battlefield.

Crack…

"The papa falls first!" Oybar mocked.

LaRee kept quiet as that crack echoed within the walls of his skull. And LaRee glanced at his father in fear, aghast at what he saw.

Braced against Oybar's blocking spear, LaRoe's forearm was bent in the middle. The bone pressed against LaRoe's skin as it threatened to break free. And no matter how tough LaRoe's muscles were, regardless of LaRoe's force of will, his fracture body failed to go any further.

At the same time, Oybar lunged into LaRoe with bloodlust. He cackled. "The papa for dinner. And the pup for dessert. A perfect meal!"

LaRoe leaped back, or at least he tried to do so. His legs stumbled as LaRoe's ankle gave out while supporting the block against Oybar's heavy spear swing.

From behind, LaRee charged in to keep the cannibal chief at bay.

But a few black threads wrapped around the blunt end of Oybar's spear. That end swatted against LaRee's cracked tomahawks, breaking the axe in one swipe. LaRee did manage to get a cut in with the other tomahawk, but it was shallow against the sidestepping, spear-spinning cannibal.

Thwack! C-crack. Thud, thud…

LaRoe put up defenses as best he could while falling to the ground. With one good hand, LaRoe still parried a spear thrust. However, he couldn't stop Oybar's harsh kick to LaRoe's side.

Multiple ribs cracked from the impact of the kick. LaRoe somewhat rolled out of the attack after skidding on the ground. Though, there was no way for LaRoe to immediately regain use of his left arm and his right leg.

"RAAAHHH!!"

"Stop, LaRee!" LaRoe cried out in concern.

Hearing that emotional battle cry, LaRoe's gaze was instantly pulled toward his son, whose eyes were tinted red with bloodlust and rage.

"Wait your turn, pup," Oybar laughed and turned to face LaRee, both spears laced in black energy threads.

Crack! Slap!

LaRee's tomahawk was broken with one swipe of the spear. Adding to the disrespect, Oybar's other spear crashed against LaRee's blocking arm and slapped LaRee across the face with the flat side of the spearhead.

Rattled, LaRee grunted and hit the ground. He felt the fracture in his forearm. His cheek and jaw ached as if LaRee's mandible was still rocking from side to side.

"Sit, pup!" Oybar cackled while turning his attention back to LaRoe. "Wait your turn. It will only take a few seconds."

LaRoe trembled on the ground, from pain and frustration. He clenched the tomahawk in his hand with white knuckles. Yet his confidence remained spotless and undisturbed. "... You will die… Today."

"Then get up! Prove it!" mocked the cannibal chief.

"Not be me. But… Ha, ha… You will die…"

Without warning or expectation, LaRoe suddenly became hysterical. He laughed so hard that his aching ribs had LaRoe gasping for breath.

At first, Oybar laughed along. But as LaRoe's laughter got louder and louder, a strange tension and suspicion began to take root in Oybar's mind. "Shut up! Fight back! Or become my strength, already!"

However, LaRoe only laughed harder, dropping his tomahawk. "No! I have no need! Ha, ha… It's time for you to die, Oybar. Though I wish it was at my hand!"

Infuriated beyond his limit, Oybar thrust his spear straight for LaRoe's unguarded heart. "Silence!"

Crack!