It has been almost two hours since Kiril’s hunting party started tracking the yeti, but the beast was no where to be seen. Many of his soldiers wanted to return to Malensk, but Kiril refused again and again. Instead he decided to go even deeper into forest and ordered them to split into several groups to find the yeti before nightfall. He himself was with Viktor and Sinki, his scout from cold, harsh lands of Pekkonen. Both were starting to fear that their boss is ready to sacrifice everything, even them for this mission. After all, if they fail, Kiril’s career might be over. Kiril himself was frustrated and confused, searching for any clue that might reveal yeti’s location. And just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, his scouts returned with surprising news.
-“ALEKS!? Here!?”
-“Y-yes… they’re just a few miles behind us.”
Kiril broke his spear in anger and cursed everyone and everything around him. It took him several minutes to finally stop raging around. Viktor approached him within five meters of distance, afraid to go near further.
-“Sir, please, let’s just call it off and go back. We can return tomorrow better prepared than today. And besides, I don’t Aleks will have any more luck finding this yeti.”
Kiril’s red face was becoming white again and his breathing slowed down. Viktor was right; they thoroughly inspected almost the entirety of forest. The monster was either very good in hiding itself or probably left the forest long time ago. The latter possibility was still bad, but it was still better than giving Aleks a chance to kill it. He picked up his broken spear and slowly dragged himself to his horse. His soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and they too mounted on their horses. As Kiril was about to get on his horse, screams of pain started echoing throughout forest. Kiril and his squad almost immediately recognized these voices.
-“Those are our men! We have to find them. Now! Mount your horses!” shouted Kiril and rode off towards the source of the screams, followed by his remaining men.
“Where did you left them exactly?”
-“Just a few miles ahead!”, shouted Viktor while he prepared his crossbow.
They rode as fast as they could, pushing their horses to their limit. They arrived at the hollow between two hills, shouting the names of their men, only to find them all dead with their horses. Fallen brown and yellow leaves were colored with blood of the dead. Torn off limbs were scattered between the two hills. Viktor puked at the sight of this gore, Sinki started crying out of fear and the rest of the group were to frightened to advance any further. Kiril watched this entire scene with a cold stoic expression, at least initially. He got down from his horse and walking slowly he inspected each and every of fallen men.
-“S-Sir, please, don’t go any further!”
But Kiril continued forward as if he hadn’t heard Viktor at all. He sat beside one dead soldier, a youngest on of his group. He was only 16, picked up from one of the pleasure houses he often visited. His youthful face and blond long hair were covered with blood, his blue fiery eyes were now still, his arms were torn off and flies swarmed his wounds.
-“YOU BASTAAAAAAAARRD!!!” , shouted Kiril at the top of his lungs, a shout that echoed throughout forest and frightened all animals nearby. His squad stood there in horror, looking for an possible attack from yeti.
“SHOW YOURSELF! YOU COWARD!!”
-Sir, please stop! We have to get back or we’ll all die-”
-“SHUT UP! We will kill that beast or I’ll kill all of you!”
-“H-He’s gone mad…” whispered Sinki to Viktor, “We should get out of here before we end like them.”
-“I know, but we can’t leave Master of footmen to die here. It would be the end of our careers.”
-“Screw your careers! I’m not gonna risk my life for this hunt. I’m leaving. Good luck fighting that monster.”
Hearing Sinki’s words, all other scouts followed after him, except for Viktor, who took his crossbow and pointed it at them.
-“Stop right now!”
Sinki and others turned around. Sinki took his bow and arrow and aimed at Viktor.
-“You’re an idiot, Viktor. Do you really want to die for that drunkard? Come with us before we-”
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A thunderous roar was heard from the left hill. Sinki turned to the left, ready to fire with his bow, but he never got a chance as a huge trunk fell on him and two others scouts and their horses. The rest of them panicked and ran off in different directions, leaving only Viktor and Kiril. Viktor turned towards the hill and the fear took hold of him as he saw 3.5 meters tall blue yeti with many scars on his arms and legs and a missing pinkie finger.
-“Dear Lord… it’s him… Kiril that’s him!”
Yeti slowly walked towards them, carefully watching their moves, especially on Viktor’s crossbow. Viktor walked slowly backwards towards the top of opposite hill, trying to aim with maximum accuracy at the yeti’s head. Kiril stood beside him, watching the beast with a mix of fear and fury, but after taking another look at his fallen comrades, his fear vanished and he tightly gripped his broken lance in left hand and saber in his right hand. He started walking towards the hollow in the middle, thinking only of revenge.
-“S-sir, what are you doing!? Get back! High ground is our main advantage here!”
-“I don’t care Viktor… I simply don’t care.”
Kiril knew he couldn’t run back to Malensk, even if yeti would somehow let them; his veterans were dead and someone must answer for their demise. If he can’t deliver yeti’s head to Yaroslav, then he might as well die here and avoid life full of shame and disgrace. He started running towards the yeti, roaring almost like his beastly opponent. Yeti responded in kind, running with such speed that Viktor simply couldn’t aim at it.
-“Damn it, you fool! You’re get us killed!”
-“No, Viktor! I’m gonna save us and kill the bastard. Do you hear you piece of shit!”
Yeti roared once again and to Kiril’s surprise leapt towards him when he was just few meters away from him. Kiril threw himself on the side just in time to avoid yeti’s attack, but the beast immediately went for Kiril who was still on the floor. Yeti raised his right hand to deliver a killing blow, but a sharp pain in his upper back prevented him- an arrow from Viktor’s crossbow bought Kiril just enough time to recollect himself and counterattack.
-“Die you bastard!” Kiril shouted and threw his broken lance, aiming for yeti’s chest but yeti managed to block the missile with his claws and charged again at Kiril. He swung his claws at him trying to rip its torso. Yeti hit the mark but instead of ripping through his flesh its claws hit something metal and a few them were broken. The blow was strong enough to threw Kiril to the floor, but he was unharmed by that swing. He started laughing at the confused beast and threw off his cloak, showing his thick mail armor.
-“See this? Double mail armor. This is the best one money can get you in Malensk and your claws are no match for this. Now’s my turn!”
Kiril charged towards yeti with his two hands gripping tightly his long saber. He swung with all his might, aiming for yeti’s belly but yeti parried this attack with his claws with ease. Kiril tried again and again but he was no match for yeti’s speed and strength. As his stamina started to drop and yeti preparing to punish his opponent for his reckless attacks, another arrow struck it, this time on its left hand. Yeti roared in anger and picked up a boulder and threw it at Viktor. Viktor raised his crossbow as a shield which saved him from a certain death but the boulder easily broke the crossbow and hit Viktor in the stomach. Viktor tried to get up, but the pain was unbearable. Satisfied, yeti now turned to Kiril, but to its surprise, he seemingly disappeared. Confused yeti started sniffing around and he could detect his smell, but was unsure where its prey was exactly hiding. He searched in nearby bushes and behind large trees. After several minutes of searching it grew frustrated and started hitting the old oak tree in frustration. After third punch, a sword scabbard fell on its head. A loud roar was heard from tree top and before yeti could defend itself, Kiril jumped down and slashed yeti’s face with his saber. The beast fell on the ground, his face completely covered in blood. Kiril stood up and put himself in defensive stance but yeti was completely motionless and seemingly dead. Kiril stared at it with bewilderment, but seeing it wasn’t moving at all, started laughing maniacally.
“I did it! Viktor, I did it!” Viktor slowly went down the hill.
-“Great job, sir… Cut his head… to be sure…”
-“Ohoho, I’m definitely taking its head to Yaroslav. We are saved, Viktor we-”
Kiril turned once again to his massacred soldiers. So many died today for his ambitions. Many of them were more than mere soldiers; they were loyal friends and fighters who save this life many times. A feeling of shame and disgust started building up in him the more he looked at them and a strong desire for vodka, beer or any other kind of alcohol grew stronger in him. It was the only thing that could soothe this kind of pain. He will drink tonight until he passes out, that was for sure. He came closer to yeti, glaring at its bloodied face.
-“I wonder what yeti’s meat tastes like, probably like shit-”
Suddenly, yeti opened its eyes and before Kiril could strike him he kicked him with both legs, sending him flying to nearby rock and hitting his head. His vision was blurry, but he could hear yeti’s footsteps and tried to crawl away from it, but it caught up to him, taking him by his right leg. Viktor tried to distract yeti by throwing rocks at it and shouting , but it was useless. Kiril screamed, cursed, kicked and punched yeti as much as he could, but it barely did anything to stop yeti. It raised its claws to deliver a killing blow.
-“C’mon you piece of shit!”, screamed Kiril, “kill me, KILL MEEE!
Yeti roared and swung his claws, but suddenly stopped his attack and turned around. He let go of Kiril who crawled away from it and slowly raised himself to his feet, wondering why the beast suddenly let him go. He raised his head towards the hill and saw a familiar figure in plate armor, with long brown hair on his shoulders and a symbol of deer on his shield. Kiril started cursing aloud as he realized who it was.
“Of all people in Malensk, you had to come here. Why is it always you!?”
-“Both of you stay there and don’t interfere. I’ll take care of it.” said Aleksandr and pointed his sword at yeti, challenging his for round two.