A coup was brewing right at the moment.

  Atties men, furious with the turn of event, withdrew their saber. The dawning lights reflected off the blade before reflecting the grim determination on their faces.

  Attie lowered her voice, her hand waving them back. “Not now, their men are many”

  “My King, where is the War Gods Sword?” One of the guards standing closest to her replied hurriedly in the same low tone. “Does this mean”

  The warrior who had inherited the War Gods Sword, inherited the blessings of the War God to defeat the enemies of the Steppe that was the legend. Of course, nobody really believed that the owner of the sword would be undefeatable forever if it was true, then the ownership wouldnt have changed from time to time, would it?

  Hence, when the sacred fire, long blessed by the War God, had went out in the royal tipi, words spread fast.

  Just as quickly, and even more hostile, were the long disloyal Khans who quickly rode towards them with zeal. They were not even giving the former King a chance to return to the royal tipi. After all, if everyone was back in the royal court, everything would have to be settled properly, as stipulated by the Steppe’s rules of alliance that was laid down by their forefathers. Attie and her clansmen were not to be killed and no one could forcefully nab her as their own toy.

  What a waste that would be! Attie had used her priviledge as the King to reform her clan, leading them to prosper, much to the jealousy of others. Not only that, Attie was the most beautiful in the entire Steppe! Her sweet features, coupled with her alluring figure, had always appeared in the barbarians wetdreams even if they were old enough to be her father.

  You see, in the Steppe, the alliance rules were never about protecting the weak. They had always been about restricting the strong from tearing each other apart.

  Only the War Gods Sword would be able to quench those knaves foul intentions, but without it, her end would be as horrifying as Baiyi had told her it would be. It would be a fate worse than death.

  Attie was not concerned about her own situation. She had lost the sword and she was due to be punished, but her people did not need to be abused. She wished to protect them, yet judging from current circumstances, that was becoming more and more impossible by the seconds.

  “All of you traitors!” Atties voice was severe and intimidating in an attempt to feign past commanding presence just so she could inspire seeds of fear and loyalty back in the rebels heart. Of course, she had overestimated herself

  “Hahaha!” The Khan of the Sprinting Wolf Clan guffawed unkindly. “My most respected King, if we are traitors, then execute us for our treason with the power of the War God’s Sword right now!”

  Those clans would never bow down to a little girl they were only bowing down to the War Gods sword.

  “Father, I think she has lost the sword! Or else, if it is still with her, this bitch would have arrogantly withdrawn it minutes ago and decapitate us, wouldnt she?” The son of the Khan licked his lips, his voice spelling out his long-held desire for Attie. “So for her sin, I think a fitting punishment would be to use my personal sword to stab this naughty King”

  That broke whatever feigned civility those barbarians had put on. The men started laughing as their carnal thoughts ran amok, their words quickly escalating. In their minds, Attie was already a mess, her mouth gaping and moaning, weak and taken.

  “Attie I mean, my King! Let us protect you while you flee!” The elder man from earlier turned to her and said solemnly. “Well lay down our lives to see you safely return to the royal tipi. A few of our other warriors are there waiting for you and they would protect you for us from. Run away with them, before these knaves and their reinforcement arrives!”

  ” Uncle. Its alright. Its just Attie from now on.”

  \r \r \r

  The girl was smiling. It was a gentle smile she had not shown ever since she inherited the War Gods Sword. It glowed on her, her beauty radiating as if she was drawn by a gifted artist.

  Then her smile was interwoven with sorrow. “Dont worry about me. Ill do what I can to make sure they leave all of you alone.”

  “No! You have done much for us, my King! Even if you sacrifice yourself, these bastards will not honor their words and spare our clan No. Now, its our turn to protect you!” The leader of her guards, a middle-aged man withdrew his saber, his horse echoing the riders firm determination. Following his call, other guards, too, huddled close to Attie, stepping forward and positioning themselves at her flank, steeling themselves into becoming her personal shields.

  She said nothing.

  The enemies are going to charge from their high vantage point, like a waterfall of a thousand men; while my people are a hundred times less. There was no chance for a miracle and her men knew it. The crimson red of their blood would become the color of their loyalty.

  Attie lowered her voice. “Lord War God Please Protect your disciples.”

  She took an ordinary saber from one of her guards, pulled the harness on her horse and advanced forward slowly to the grotesque shadows of their opposition

  I will do anything to protect my people. Be it a god, a demon or a mortal; I would do anything for them, if they can protect my people

  There was a significant stir behind her, outside her human shield.

  Someone seemed to have heard her prayers.

  She turned quickly, holding her horse back, her heart fluttering. She saw four bizarre-looking men riding on goats that were stronger than even the finest breed of Steppe horses, loping boorishly towards her direction while pushing her men and their horses away in a carefree manner. They continued until they brushed past her and stood in front of her men.

  The leader of the uninvited posse was wearing a suit of grey armor a sorcerers armor, to be precise. Baiyi watched the scene that was unfolding before him, and said with interest, “Oh? Did you guys change the location for the Warriors Gala? And with a new plot about a rebellion or a coup, too!”

  As a reply, came the collective sounds of bowstrings being drawn. In a flash, thousands of arrows were pointed at him and his mates.

  “Our friends from the Alpine, this is the matter of our people. It does not concern you, nor do you have to be concerned about the Gala. It will be held as usual, as soon as we resolve our issues,” The Khan of the Sprinting Wolf Clan spoke loudly. “Now, please leave.”

  His respectful tone stemmed from the fact that no idiot would dare to go mano a mano with the fearsome Divine Warriors, even if there were only four of them. No, especially not when they were at the helm of one of the most pivotal moments in Steppe history. They were not going to muddy the outcome.

  Surprisingly, even Attie did not see the uninvited guests as her saviors. “Please, you should not involve yourself in this. Leave,” She advised.

  “Not involve myself? You thick gal,” Baiyi replied with none of that civilized tone she had used. “I cant help but think about how cute you are so Im gonna take you back with me to the Northern Lands, and then you can be my servant! Hows that got nothing to do with me?”

  “You! ” Fury shot out of her eyes. Just as her trembling lips were about to say something, the son of the Sprinting Wolf Clan Khan had already interjected.

  “You son of a bitch, back the f*ck off my woman! Attie is mine! ” A flash of white shone as he pulled out his saber and pointed at Baiyi.

  Before Baiyi could reply, the goat he was riding on with its eyes glued to the mans horse for a while now, suddenly sneezed.

  Instantly, the horse gave a loud cry and raised its front hooves high, throwing his rider off and started galloping against their direction in fear. On the way it even knocked off a few other cavaliers off their horses.

  The man did not expect his fall, so he could only lay down, paralyzed by pain on the ground, moaning.

  “What the hell just happen? Did the horse just went berserk?!”

  “No way! It was the best of the wild breed the Khan himself tamed it!”

  “B-but you saw what happened! Was it because of that goat?”

  “But thats just a goat, even if it looks a little creepy! I even saw it nibbling grass like the docile creature that it is yesterday!”

  Baiyi chuckled at the commotion. He rubbed his mounts horns, and he said loudly for everyone to hear, “These creatures are called Dragon-blooded War Goats. Oh, they are goats alright, nibbling grass like the docile creature that they are. But can you guess whats their favorite drink?”

  The crowd went silent as the answer hit them. Then, the hubbub restarted how did the goats even get their supply of dragon blood?

  “Steel yourself!” The Sprinting Wolf Khan bellowed. He watched his men picked up his favorite son, then glared back at Baiyi. “If youre not backing away from this, then youre essentially against us. Dont blame us for what were about to do, we Steppe riders hold no fear for you louts!”

  Baiyi did not answer him, and instead waved his handto ZarZar.

  A long spear was immediately passed to him. But just as he gave Baiyi his weapon, he whispered, “Brother Hope Why did you think that that girl was pretty? I think the one living next door to me, you know, HwaHwa? I think shes prettier!”

  They were surrounded by thousands of enemies, the arrows resting on drawn bowstrings were all pointed at them, and ZarZar still had the time to question Baiyis beauty standards.

  Ignoring him, Baiyi swung the spear. In its speed it stretched into a trail of grey until it stopped

  Right at the center of the now-dead khan. His expression was forever immortalized in surprise as his body was nailed onto the ground. So his dream of becoming the next King of the Steppe ended just like that!

  “Ooh! Nice throw that one, Brother!” ZarZar cheered and clapped like a supportive fratboy.

  “Ive always hated Steppe riders” Baiyi muttered. Then, rubbing the dirt off his palm, he declared, “This woman leaves with me, while her people will be left where they belong, got it?”

  He pointed at them and swiped his finger across. “Only then I let all of you live.”

  The gratitude of those men was non-existent when one of them shouted, “Fire!!!”


  The sky overhead was instantly blackened by arrows, so concentrated that there was almost no space between them.

  “Wait, you guys dont wanna live anymore?” Baiyi sighed and sagged his shoulder as an intricate and complex magical formation materialized on top of his fingertip.

  ZarZar cried out in surprise watching him. “Brother Hope can do magic?!”