The Hunt

"So, you say the human servant woke up late..."

A goblin taller than any other stood firmly by his black boar's side, arms crossed, as his squire and direct servant, a smaller but strong goblin, spoke.

"Yeah," Boss said, sweating.

"And then, you say he boastfully vanished with the princess without reporting back to you?"

"That's about it, O great Chief Tulag, then they rode East."

The chieftain's eyes widened, and he closed the gap between the two parties, and glared at Boss straight in the eye, making both Bongo and Ganga tremble behind their leader. Boss was already considered a hulking and strong goblin among the young, be even he cowered before his tribal leader's sturdy chest and arms.

"Where again, did you say they rode to?" Chief Tulag said.

Boss gulped, "East, my chieftain."

The chief considered him for a moment before grunting and walking back to his mount, looking at his squire.

"You three take care of the sheep, as you were, we will deal with the human servant, the chieftain is... sorry that you had to experience this," the squire said.

"We're the chief's humble servants, and this is his cattle," Boss retorted bowing down.

The two boar riders humped on their saddle and grabbed the reins, as the other three goblins returned running toward the flock.

"My chieftain Tulag," the squire said, "what does this mean? Why would the princess ride east with the human servant?"

"Winds blast her, what has she done?" Tulag roared, "If she ventures deep into the mountain..."

"That's the rodentmen's territory..." His squire said, as if completing the chief's fears, "the main herd of woolen rhinos will still be in their territory for a few more days, according to what our scouts say... Do you think...?"

"Send word to my Keshig guard."

The squire turned to him in shock, "My chieftain, you don't mean..."

"Princess Mesui is clearly avoiding her responsibilities to the tribe, we'll make sure we show her that we fulfill ours to our kin."

******

"Princess?" Arsec said, shivering as the sun set red over the horizon.

"Call me Mesui."

The goblin princess lay on the grass as she looked at the mountain rocks a mile away.

"Mesui?"

"Yeah?"

"It's been two hours, how long are we going to stay here?"

"Not long, be patient."

"Patience's not the issue, the sun is almost out, and... well I'm not an expert in territorial boundaries... but I'm pretty sure your father said these mountains were off-limits."

"You weren't doing anything important anyway!"

"I was doing something important! Taking care of Malimali is important to me!" Arsec ranted, agonizing, "I need to set the score straight with your father!"

"What the? Set the score score straight? Do you want to ask for my hand in marriage or what?

"Don't get too excited, after this, it would be practically impossible for a slave like me to even hang out with you, no matter what you do... that is, if we're not dead at the table of some rabid rodentman." 

Mesui remained silent, something that surprised Arsec, as his goblin friend always had something smart to say. Her demeanor had suddenly changed.

"I want to go home," Arsec complained, "by now we would be eating some nice bread."

"You want bread? There's some in the backpack."

"I mean I'm cold, tired, and hungry; the tent can fix all that."

Mesui sighed and sat with her back next to him, stretching and laying her head on his back.

"What are you doing?" Arsec asked, taken aback by Mesui's strange behavior.

"Shut up, let me be."

The wind blew their hair, freezing Arsec and making him appreciate Mesui's sudden heat source.

"Maybe we can be like this," Mesui wondered.

"Like what?"

"If you ask me to marry you, maybe I would..."

The young man looked at her, stoically making such declarations. Arsec inhaled, readying the obvious question.

"Why are we truly here?"

"We could go West, to the port city of Makeb, start a life there, I have kin working a wool shop. If we kill a wooly rhino here, we could start by selling the wool and bones to the traders there and earn enough money to start a home..."

"Hey, hey!" Arsec began to panic, "That's... very specific?"

"If my father goes as far as to pursue us there, we could easily use the money to ferry us via airship and into the great desert."

"All right, all right, hold on a minute," Arsec stepped up, "What are we really doing here? Why do you want to marry me all of a sudden, and why are you considering the idea of leaving the tribe, this isn't you."

Mesui, again, just sat while looking at the rocks one kilometer away, still waiting for a single wooly to show up by those rocks.

"You're not the only one who's being 'punished' for burning mother's family heirloom. The twin sisters know I would've done the shepherd's job a hundred times over."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a marriage meeting with the Koltan clan of the Northern steppes."

"You mean...?"

"I'm to wed the Koltan heir."

Arsec scratched his head, "When did chieftain Tulag change his mind about sending you away?"

"Since Mother realized I was too problematic for the tribe... that damn carpet was the cherry on top, but I'm sure you remember, we've done several other things."

"Several is an understatement..."

"I guess they had enough of me."

"Can someone get enough of you?" Arsec joked sarcastically.

Mesui stepped up and faced him, "I'm serious, Arsec, this may be the last time we see each other."

She shook her head, hurting, "I've got so many things going on in my head right now, I'm sorry I put you up to this, you don't deserve to be punished for all the princess' mischief."

Arsec considered patting her head but stopped himself from doing anything that would seal a marriage with Mesui, the idea did frighten him a bit.

"I suppose it was fun..."

Mesui smiled and giggled a bit, "Liar, you hated every moment."

"I mean yes, kind of..." he said, sighing, "but looking back, you gave me a respite in an otherwise oppressive and monotone life. I'll always have these memories with me."

Arsec smiled with a gentle look. Mesui smiled back and indulged herself in resting her head on the taller young man young  man's chest, her eyes closed, 

"I'm sorry I proposed to marry you and flee. It was... dumb." 

"Very," Arsec said, "a goblin and human? More so a  goblin princess and a human slave?"

"Somehow, I find that heartbreaking," Mesui said, giggling again, "You know, after the meeting I prayed..."

"You... prayed? Is there anything else out of character that you've done in these days?"

"Heh, funny... but I did pray. To the twin winds, to the sisters who always ride the skies, maybe for the first time in my life."

"And?"

"The wind blew as if correcting its course. It was something strange because it always does that, but the moment made me think, what if I just believe this one time?"

She stepped back, looking at the rocks again.

"I followed the wind for a while until I stumbled upon the tent where you were living your punishment as a shepherd."

"And so you decided it would be a good idea to kidnap me."

"Hey, I asked nicely, and to be frank, I was genuinely going to leave you there... but then the wind blew again, and this time... it blew East, toward these mountains. I just... feel like I'm supposed to do something... with you."

"And the first thing you thought was marriage?"

"Ugh, shut up, I'm trying to figure out my feelings here, I've just started going wherever the wind takes me."

"Poetic."

"Yeah, quite, I kind of like it, I've enjoyed it for its short duration."

Massive bellows and dense smoke emerged from behind the rocks, growing louder and louder. Mesui smiled at first, ecstatic, but then her face turned gloomy. 

"Well, I guess we have extended our stay in rodent territory for far too long, it was fun. Let's head back, Arsec," she said, saddened

The young man looked at her, then at the thousand-member herd walking towards them, and he sighed.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing his staff and climbing on top of the black boar, "We just need to hunt one right?"

"What?"

"Once you take it down, I can gut its neck to quicken the death, then we can use your mount to carry it back, or away from the camp... we'll choose what to do after we have our fun."

"You serious?"

Arsec reached out to hop her in, plucking her from her place and into the mount, "YOINK!"

"H-hey!"

"Feels horrible, right?"

"Shut up," Mesui said, blushing. 

"Ready your bow."

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm the princess here, I'm in charge...!"

Arsec smirked, "Sure you are!"

******

"Keep my boy steady! Keep it steady! AHG! I said keep it steady!" the goblin princess yelled.

"I'm trying! Shut up!" Arsec retorted.

His legs hurt, but it was nothing compared to what was going on between his legs. He'd never undergone rider training during his eighteen years, so that area felt lifeless after the first ten bumps.

Mesui aimed with her curved bow, as the wooly rhino next to them galloped right on the edge of the rest of the herd, several arrows had gone through its back already, wearing it down.

She took the shot, piercing the beast's head, right above the eye. Arsec kept the boar on par with the huge animal.

"Great shot princess! More of those and the beast will be ours!" he said, a grin on his face as his hands were getting worn out by the reins.

"I'm out!"

"What?"

"I'm out, I said!"

Arsec turned to see his friend, shaking the empty quiver.

"Why are you empty? Why did you empty that? How!?" Arsec yelled, dumbfounded.

"Shut up! I missed the first three shots!"

"What? How do you miss those? You're the expert here! Didn't you say you've done this before?"

"I saw others do it! I never said I did it!"

Arsec shook his head, "Great!"

"I told you, we should've headed back!" Mesui said.

"No no, don't say it, you don't get to say it!"

"Fine! Let's just steer away and—"

The boar veered sideways, taking them by surprise. The worn-down rhino had decided to crash into them with its massive weight, but Mesui's mount reflexively took them out of that surprise attack.

The porcine beast stopped to fully regain its balance, with Arsec and Mesui on top barely hanging on his sides, climbing like monkeys. The rhino stopped and circled back, facing them a few dozen meters away. It was exhausted, and as blood stained its thick fur, it had concluded the herd was beyond his reach. However, its eyes were now fixated on the three figures before him, and it had resolved, with feral intelligence, that there would be a fight to the death.

More importantly, its massive horn was aimed at them.

Arsec regained his seat atop the boar, while Mesui used his back to regain hers. The rhino's hooves scratched the surface, readying itself for one last charge. 

The young boy panted as he examined everything he had within reach.

His staff. The empty quiver (damn it). The short spear at the side to finish off a downed kill...

His eyes shone bright, as the face of the three pesky goblins appeared again.

"Mesui, pass me the spear..."

"What?"

"The spear!"

"Y-yeah!"

As soon as he gripped the spear, he jumped out of the boar.

"What in the blasted winds are you doing?"

"I want you to ride away, distract him so I can pierce it!"

"But... have you ever done this?"

"The shepherds... they have something we might find useful."

"You want me to get the shepherds?"

"No, idiot, just go, come on, heya! Crap, just go! It's coming!"

The rhino roared and charged, just as the boar began to flee. Arsec took a few steps back just to see if the beast would fix its run on Mesui, or if he would go for a weaker, easier kill.

The horned beast paid no attention to him, as he reared himself for a final chase. Desperate, knowing the rhino would pass quickly, Arsec lunged forward, spear ahead of him, and sought to use momentum and force to pierce the animal's hide.

The rhino moaned as the pain arched its body and made it lose its footing. The heavy mass, dragged by momentum, drifted into the ground a few meters before stopping. Arsec rubbed his hands, burnt by the sudden scraping of the spear attaching itself to the rhino.

For a moment, he caught his breath, and as he saw the animal remaining still, a new sense of confidence filled him.

"Ha! I did it! Mesui! Mesui! We did it!"

Far off, Mesui had stopped the moment she heard the beast's cry, and she too was smiling and celebrating.

"Mesui! We got it! Winds be blessed! We—"

GROWL.

"Wha—?"

The rhino began to stand up. 

"No, you're kidding me."

The beast coughed, blood had already soaked its wool, and its breathing was erratic. Still, its eyes burned with a vengeance, it had set its animal mind to shedding predator blood before dying. 

Its hoves began to move, faster and faster as they charged once more, this time, toward the little human in front.

"Arsec!" Mesui called, whipping the reins, "Run! Come on boy, let's get him!"

Mesui rode as fast as she could, but the trick Arsec had sprung put her at a disadvantage.

The young man blinked and then turned around. The heavy clothing he wore to protect him from the steppe's winds was beginning to feel heavy, and obstructive.

The boy stopped as he came to the edge of a precipice. The bottom was filled with a strange smoke. 

"A crater? Here?" He said, panting.

The slope grew gentler as it went down, but the fall would certainly hurt him.

GROWL!

The rhino coughed a chunk of blood as it felt its target near.

"No time! Sisters, please help me—!"

He leaped at the last moment, the rhino lunged itself too, into the strange crater. Both man and beast flew for a few seconds, before crashing down and rolling down the slope. The beast, with its impulse, had reached farther, and the spear that had clung unto it all this time now thrust itself more as the rhino hit the ground, piercing itself clean across its body. The lifeless massive husk dived into the thick fog.

Arsec rolled many times over, crossing the mist as well.

Mesui halted at the edge a few seconds late, "No!"

Despite the agitation, the smoke simply regained its form and revealed nothing. Mesui's eyes grew concerned, she jumped out of her mount and grabbed Arsec's staff, prepared to enter the mist.

"Princess, halt!"

Mesui turned and saw more riders arriving and surrounding her. The dozen warriors turned their bows at her, readying arrows.

"What is this? You dare to aim your arrows at me?"

She spotted her father's squire approaching them.

"At ease, princess, I urge you not to try anything crazy, on your father's honor."

"How dare you—?"

Her words were swallowed as a particular boar arose in the hill beyond the Keshig. Her eyes widened as she noticed the long spear at the hand of its rider, and the crested battle helmet on his head.

"Why is father wearing his armor?"

"We are in rodentmen territory, princess," the squire remarked, "Chief Tulag has readied himself for the consequences, but the winds have been favorable to us regardless of your foils, don't risk it further."

Another shape appeared near Chief Tulag, a massive rabbit humanoid that rubbed its maned chest with one hand and held a tribal ritualistic spear with another.

"Your intrusion into their territory was considered a violation of our peoples' peace. The rodentmen chieftain will be Tulag's guest tonight as a sign of goodwill."

Mesui shook her head as her eyes diverted back to the crater.

"Listen to me, warriors of Tulag, Arsec, my servant, has fallen there while we hunted, he's probably wounded, and..."

"You speak of a slave when your father's word has been shattered and the tribe's peaceful existence hangs by a thread?"

Mesui bit her lips, her mind swirled with the thought of Arsec, his last smile, their last moments, everything began to flash in her mind. The guilt was unbearable.

"Serves him well to meet his end here, rather than at the mercy of Chief Tulag's wrath!" said another keshig.

Mesui looked at the goblin warrior with furious eyes, but then they met her father again, who stoically watched the whole scene from afar. She sighed and reluctantly jumped back into her mount.

"Take me to my father, squire."

The goblin nodded and whistled to signal the company's retreat. Their stride was slow enough for Mesui to recheck the crater. The guilt gripped her throat, and tears slipped through her cheeks.

"Arsec..."