The Duel

 After days of walking while avoiding the Sword Clan village for separate unspoken reasons for both Tagunban and Banyaga the pair of travellers and their accompanying water buffalo had made it to the first village. The one which the Axe Clan war party raided and burned to the ground and where Katas dueled the warrior that fatally poisoned him. Tagunban and Banyaga approached with Banyaga playing his bamboo flute as to assure the village that they aren’t raiders and have largely peaceful intentions; a vital necessity being Highland Tribe members after said village was raided and still vengeful. The duo would be met at spear point by half a dozen Jungle Tribe warriors, a couple of which were bandaged no doubt from arrow wounds. Tagunban had hoped that the warriors wouldn’t have picked him out from the over one hundred warriors who were among the war party. Not out of fear, when Tagunban vowed to avenge his father even if it meant going to war with the entire Jungle Tribe himself his heart and soul meant it even if his mind disliked the idea. Instead his hopes were born out of convenience, Tagunban would rather not waste time and blood on those who weren’t involved with his father’s death. Soon another warrior would emerge from the jungle darkness, the headhunter Tagunban’s half brother Katsu fought that hastily surrendered to him. A medium sized man of a thin toned build donned in the usual Jungle Tribe attire plus a litany of bandages from his fight with Katsu. Tagunban upon seeing the man pointed him out and shouted to Banyaga “Demand he tell us where the Wuakim warrior that was with them went!” Banyaga turned and scowled at Tagunban as his shouting and pointing made the Jungle Tribe warriors close in more with their spears and shout. “I will ask him not demand, you can get your own head taken for all I care but not mine.” Banyaga barked in spite of the fact he had somewhat grown to like the youth on their travels, while his warrior bravado irritated him; his natural curiosity and interest in his stories was a common bonding point. Banyaga turned, hands in the air and spoke a couple sentences to the headhunter before they responded in answer. “We missed him by a week, he’s returned to the Wuakim village by now. We have a bigger problem though, he recognizes you and demands to take our water buffalo as restitution for the raid and allow you to pass through their lands.” Tagunban in response took a deep breath as if in serious contemplation before using the full capabilities of his physical mana by using this bluff to prepare it, swinging his late father’s axe quickly as a tiger swiping with its claws to shear all the spearheads from their hafts. Many of the surrounding warriors stepped back in surprise while the bravest and uninjured of them stepped forwards knives in hand. “Take the buffalo and go, I'll find you now run!” Tagunban shouted to Banyaga who quickly took the ropes tied to the beast’s iron nose rings and ran. Tagunban in the meantime would swing his axe and guard mostly to keep the advancing warriors at distance. Every time one would try to flank or circle around him he’d swing his axe and lunge backwards knowing he’d be dead if they surrounded him. Still Tagunban refrained from attempting to kill any of the warriors hoping to avoid having an entire war party sent after them. The headhunter though simply stood there and watched the whole scenario go down. With careful positioning Tagunban had bought Banyaga several minutes of time, deciding that was long enough and to preserve his stamina for running instead of lunging back. When the next warrior advanced, he would hook his leg with his axe and trip him, dragging his leg in front of another warrior to trip them as well. When the third warrior advanced Tagunban with his axe already positioned downwards would swing it up and send dirt into their eyes before running away at full sprint. Some warriors ran in pursuit and Tagunban would run a winding and circling in path to shake them.

Once Tagunban was sure he was free of his pursuers he would once again channel his physical mana this time into his nose channeling the sense of smell of wild boar whose vitality he stole in his training. Tracking the scent of Banyaga and the water buffalo Tagunban would jog to and eventually catch up with them hiding in the root nooks of a truly massive tree. “You aren't as dumb as you let on, I don't know if I could have done that better myself.” Banyaga stated in a hushed tone as he stood up from his kneeling behind a massive root making the pack buffalo stand with him. “Ya thanks, now do you know how to get to the Wuakim village from here?” Tagunban responded in tired annoyance. “I’m not positive where here is exactly but once we find a trail away from here I can ask a traveler.” answered Banyaga as he started walking buffalo in tow. “How do you know where a trail will be? Or whether it’ll be a human or game trail?” asked Tagunban as he followed. “I have an intuition for these things. Besides, I should ask how you managed to find us.” asked Banyaga in response. “I tracked your scent, like buffalo and rice wine. It’s a mana thing you wouldn’t understand.” answered Tagunban as he grabbed on the buffalo lead ropes. “Well we’ll use that then too.” responded Banyaga as he handed Tagunban one of the rope leads for the buffalo. The pair would then once again travel for days on end, several of which they would have to hunt and gather their own food along the way before they would arrive at the outskirts of the Wuakim village. Tungunban would make Banyaga eschew the bamboo flute of peace as they approached in favor of a water buffalo horn while Tagunban spun his axe in one hand and rhythmically smacked his chest with the other. A veritable horde of warriors rushed out from the village of wooden roundhouses and long conical thatch roofs. Spears out, most all the warriors resembled the man who poisoned Katas; with the dark skin and curly black hair of Ancient Tribesmen but wearing the long striped skirts, lip plates, and linear facial, body, and limb tattoos of Jungle Tribesmen. Soon the pair were surrounded at spearpoint once again before Tagunban slammed the handle of his axe down on the ground in a dramatic flare. “I demand a duel of revenge, I demand blood!” Tagunban roared out in passionate fury that echoed across the jungle. Banyaga translated but couldn't capture the same passion with his more meek demeanor. Soon an absolutely ancient and disheveled man was brought out before the pair being carried by two strong men the whole way and held before them. The man had bone white dreadlocks so long they dragged along the ground as he was carried, his body almost resembled a skeleton tightly wrapped in skin than an actual living body; and the man wore an elaborate multi color headwrap that resembled a great turban larger than the man’s head more than the usual headwrap-stuffed to the brim with multi color feathers, beads, and various bones and teeth. Banyaga and this elder conversed for a few moments before Banyaga turned to Tagunban. “Looks like we found your man, he’s here and they're sending a man to his hut to tell him of your challenge and give us his answer.” Banyage translated. Soon the messenger returns and after some deliberation Banyaga once again turns to Tagunban to translate as the warriors retract their spears and head for their village center. “You have your duel Tagunban, the man accepted after hearing you have no head trophies. Seems he wants to rebuild his own collection after your father burned all his old ones. You could have told me that little detail before we walked here, you know.” translated then asked Banyaga to Tagunban. “Now you know how it feels to be swindled.” Tagunban responded as he walked to the village center axe in hand.

Upon making his way past the circle of tribesmen Tagunban would see the man responsible for his father’s death, he walked with limp supported by his spear, his arms heavy with burn scars, and his waist still wrapped thickly in bandages. The man would face Tagunban and grin, mocking him in the Jungle Tribe tongue before slamming his spear against his shield. “He says he won't tolerate your accusations of being dishonorable and that your father was a fool whose spirit he will force to watch his son die at his hands.” Banyaga translated to Tagunban who had taken several deep breaths to control his rising temper, for he knew a rushed angry approach was exactly what the warrior wanted. Tagunban also didn't want to risk getting hit and poisoned by the spear like his father, while he had Yawanu convince the Spear Clan poison expert shaman to stay in the Axe Clan village until his return; he'd still rather try and avoid it. Though Tagunban knew the warrior had no more head trophies and thus couldn't access his channeling mana and its poison or any other powers Yawanu still had no idea whether or not the blade could be coated with a natural poison. The warrior would stand in a forward facing stance with the spear head out at maximum length being held in two hands, a bare forward facing hand while the body and back end of the spear was covered by the wood and hide round shield held in the same hand that was holding the back end of the spear. Tagunban mimicking a similar stance held the blades of his axe out forwards and approached in a circling fashion. The warrior kept in step with Tagunban keeping his spear pointed forward and aimed squarely at his throat. Tagunban paced back and forth like a leopard stalking prey it can't truly reach. Tagunban would then lunge forward only to stomp his foot on the ground and pivot to kick a cloud of dust into the warrior's eyes. Propping the bottom of his spear haft along the underside of his arm the warrior would quickly blow the dust away with a wave of his shield. Tagunban saw his chance and charged forwards low to the ground with an upward swing of his axe aimed at the same place in which Katas sunk the same axe during their duel. The axe instead of meeting flesh and bone of the hip would meet the hide and wood of the shield as the warrior brought the spear back adjusting his grip and then sent a rapid fire burst of spear thrusts to Tagunban's mid section. Tagunban would shift his weight and stance around his axe using the haft to deflect what he could of the blows. Yet the warrior in his greater experience and speed would still send a series of cuts with the spear down Tagunban's shoulder and side. Tagunban panicked as his body burned, thinking for sure he had been poisoned; still not used to the full pain of combat. Tagunban would hastily wrench his axe free of the shield and retreat to a safe distance instead of pressing his advantage in the way his father would. The warrior simply stood his ground not wanting to advance for fear his limp would compromise his guard; instead he resumed the same forward facing guarding stance from before all with a smug grin on his face, assured in his victory from leaving the exchange unharmed. Tagunban's mind raced as his hands shook, the smug grin made him think that for sure that blade had been poisoned. How in the exchange he hadn't managed to get a single grazing hit on the warrior while his arm ran with warm blood. Should he surrender? He can always live to fight another day to avenge his father. Why did his father love combat so much anyways? This was terrifying, maybe the warchief was right and this world was more cruel than his old one. Many thoughts such as these ran wild in Tagunban's subconscious before he would turn his axe and headbutt the flat side of it with such force the pressure cut his forehead and made blood run down it. Yet with the force of that headbutt every cowardly thought that plagued Tagunban's mind was blown away like dried grass in the monsoon winds. Tagunban roared with burning passion to scare the thoughts of cowardice away as he lunged forward like a pouncing tiger. Tagunban then thought of a piece of advice his father Katas gave him in their training together. If you ever come across an opponent more skilled then you are you must overwhelm them with unruly attacks. One hit is all it can take to turn the tables in a fight. The warrior sent forward a spear thrust only for Tagunban to bat it aside with his axe. Quickly then Tagunban sent the butt of his axe staff shooting forwards aimed for the warrior’s throat but would only be met by his shield. Tagunban wouldn't relent, to relent in this battle is to die; Tagunban had to press what advantages he had in order to have a chance at victory. His superior ability to maneuver, his weapon’s superior close combat capability, and his greater stamina. Tagunban shifted his weight again and sent the head of his axe careening downwards aimed at his opponent’s collarbone but once again the blow was only met by a shield. Tagunban pressed in stance further, not letting the warrior adjust his grip on his spear. Tagunban sent forward a heel kick to the same his father had in his duel only for his shin to be battered down by the side of the shield. Tagunban would again wrench his axe free of the shield and send the thrusting point atop the two cutting blades into the warrior's stomach. The pointed blades weren't deep enough to truly disembowel but the smattering of hot blood running down the warrior's stomach along with the pained grunt showed Tagunban he truly could stand up to this warrior. In response the warrior took the opportunity to try and adjust his grip on the spear forwards as to make the weapon better suited for close range combat. Tagunban would refuse him that chance by slicing the warrior’s stomach with the thrusting point and sending the cutting edge behind the flared end of the spear head pulling the weapon back out further before the warrior could reassure his grip. Then Tagunban, still refusing to let up, stepped forwards and sent the cutting blade of the other side of the axe darting towards the warrior's neck only to again be met with a shield blocking his target. Thus began Tagunban's forward assault of rapid fire swings alternating between both the axe head and the butt of the haft. The warrior kept up a vigilant guard deflecting the multitude of Tagunban's attacks with shield and spear haft; yet what would be his undoing was with this limping backwards step he would trip and leg crumple beneath him as he fell. This would create the perfect opening for Tagunban to send a full powered swing of his hooked axe blade into the warrior’s collarbone with a sickening crack and spray of blood. The warrior brought his spear up and around in one last arcing coup de grace thrust aimed at Tagunban's neck only for Tagunban with the full power of his physical mana to draw his axe back from the warrior’s collarbone and then send it sideways cleaving the hand that held the spear clear from its arm. The spear and the hand still gripping it flew clear of Tagunban's body as he brought the axe back again. The warrior tried to bring his shield up but his arm wouldn't move with the shattered collarbone and severed muscles. Tagunban screamed and unholy scream of vengeance that started as the righteous fury of a man out for revenge only to crescendo in the deafening vibrato roar of a wild tiger as he swung his axe into the warrior’s neck cleaving his head clean from his body. The head flew away from the force bouncing across the ground before its roll was stopped by the warrior’s lip plate. Tagunban strode over and picked the head up by its curly hair and held it aloft for the whole encircled clan to see. Some cried, some screamed, some silently mourned, while others cheered their clansman's honorable death. At this moment Tagunban had never felt more alive, his breath came in controlled bursts like the running of a well maintained engine, his blood ran hot and fast through his body, and his mind had never been more clear and conscious. This was the enlightenment of combat Tagunban's father Katas spoke of during their training; and now his father can rest easy knowing his son is now a real man.