The Pursuer

Time returned to the present.

Baine and Sian were being hunted by a terrifying Centaur. The two young Tauren ran with all their might, desperately dodging the arrows that came one after another from behind them.

Enduring the searing pain in his shoulder, Sian clenched his teeth and shouted, "Keep swaying! Don't let him see your movement pattern!"

"Easy for you to say! I'm not you!"

A pained expression appeared on Baine's face. The consequences of his terrible coordination showed themselves again. What was effortless for Sian became exceptionally difficult for him. Even with all his focus, he nearly tripped over his own hooves several times.

"Quit talking, it'll distract you... Watch out!"

Before he could finish, the young Tauren's fur stood on end. He desperately twisted half his body aside as a deadly arrow grazed past his ear. He then shoved Baine, and the several arrows that followed all missed.

Then they made a sharp right turn. Ahead lay a maze of chaotic alleys. After weaving through turn after turn, the two of them once again shook off that persistent pursuer with their familiarity with the terrain.

Before long, a creature with a human upper body and a horse's lower body caught up from behind. He covered his eyes with one hand. Although there was no actual wound there, he could still feel waves of phantom pain, as though that arrow were still deeply lodged in his eye socket.

He then raised his bow high and futilely fired several arrows into the empty alley.

"Damn it!"

The pursuer violently threw his bow to the ground, raised his forehooves, and stomped on it several times. He spat bitterly in the direction where the two had vanished.

It should have been a simple task, one he could complete without lifting a finger, yet this was the third time he had failed—and in an utterly humiliating fashion.

"Run, then. Run! If you think you can escape my grasp, then run to your heart's content!"

He said darkly, "I'll give you hope. I'll slowly close in on you, torment you quietly, and repay the humiliation you brought me twice over!"

"When you are at your most desperate, the earth's shadow will swallow you... Hehehehe... Hahahaha!!!"

Accompanied by chilling laughter, the pursuer's figure melted into the darkness.

Baine collapsed to the ground in a miserable heap, bracing himself with both hands as he panted violently. He tried several times to get up, but his legs were as weak as bean sprouts. In the end, he could only lie sprawled on the ground, tongue hanging out as he wheezed half-deadly.

Sian looked slightly better. He was leaning against a rock, bent over and gulping in air.

He bit down on his sleeve and painstakingly took a bottle of medicinal liquor from his satchel. After pulling out the wooden stopper, he gritted his teeth and applied it to his shoulder, where there was a vicious wound.

He had just been hit by an arrow. The wound pierced clean through his shoulder, though fortunately it had not damaged any tendons or bones.

He had endured the agony to pull out the arrowhead, then torn off part of his shirt to make a simple bandage. The bleeding had mostly stopped by now, but the coming infection would be the deadliest hurdle.

"What... do we do?" Baine asked between heavy breaths.

Just as he had said, he had always trusted this dependable companion. With that trust and all their luck, they had escaped that terrifying pursuer's hands several times already.

The most dangerous time had been the last one. That bastard had nearly crushed his throat. If little Sian had not risked his life to save him, the two of them would likely have become cold corpses by now.

The Centaur's methods were becoming increasingly brutal, his attacks increasingly vicious. He had gone from contemptuous disdain to desperately trying to kill them.

Baine had a feeling that if they met again, their good fortune might no longer be enough to sustain them.

He wearily raised his head and saw Sian silently tending to his wound in pain, then lowered his head again without a word.

By the time Sian finished treating the wound,

his back was nearly soaked with cold sweat. A piercing pain shot from his shoulder, making his steps unsteady and his arm tremble uncontrollably. The young Tauren endured the pain and shakily raised his arm, only to let it fall heavily again. He stared blankly at the wound on his shoulder, sighed, and gave up his last shred of hope.

His arm could no longer recover in a short time.

He understood deeply that Earth Mother's blessing would likely end here. When they met again, this arm would only become a burden.

Looking at his wound, then at the silent Baine, the young Tauren quietly made a decision.

He sighed and said softly, "Next... we should split up and run."

Baine abruptly raised his head, as though he had just heard something utterly unreasonable. His gaze locked onto his companion's face, fury burning in his eyes as though demanding an explanation for that decision.

Sian's eyes darted away. He turned his gaze aside, staring at the dry yellow earth as he slowly said, "You have to understand. In our current state, if we get caught again, we may never have another chance."

He swallowed and faced his companion's anger. "If we split up, then no matter what, at least one of us can survive, right?"

Baine struggled violently. Ignoring his weakened body, he suddenly scrambled to his feet and staggered toward Sian. His eyes were bloodshot, his nostrils snorting out heavy breaths. He seemed furious beyond measure.

He seized Sian by the collar and demanded through clenched teeth, "Why!!!"

Sian silently lowered his head and said softly, "I want to live..."

"You bastard!!!" Baine clenched his fists, seeming ready to smash one into Sian's face, but the vicious wound on his companion's shoulder was far too glaring.

"It's good that you understand."

Facing Baine's disappointed gaze, Sian nodded stiffly. "From here on, it's every man for himself. It may be cruel, but we both have an equal hope of survival. So even if I die unfortunately, I'll have no regrets."

He sighed. "May Earth Mother bless us both."

With that, he turned away coldly, seeming ready to leave in silence.

But a tremendous force from behind dragged his body backward. Baine roughly hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him back. Sian lost his balance, and the two little Tauren rolled into a tangled heap in an instant.

"You idiot!" Sian felt like he was about to be strangled to death. He desperately tugged at Baine's arm and cursed, "Let go of me, now! I'm doing this for both of us! Don't even think about dragging me down to the grave with you!"

"I won't let go!" Baine's eyes were red, his rage flaring like an enraged bull's. He held his companion's neck tightly, refusing to let him leave, and roared with a trace of tears in his voice, "What chance to live? You lying idiot! If I let go, you'll be the one who dies, won't you!!!"

Sian's body instantly stiffened. How had he never noticed that this guy was actually so smart?

"You can't lie at all, so why are you treating me like an idiot?!"

During the struggle, the wound on Sian's shoulder split open again, and blood stained the bandage red.

Baine's tears fell helplessly. He hated his own weakness. Not only could he not protect others, he could not even protect himself. Instead, he had forced his companion to risk his life to save him.

Sian sighed. In this situation, how could he not understand that his plan had completely fallen apart?

This was truly a terrible mess. Not only had he failed to achieve his intended goal, he had dragged himself into the mud as well. It was utterly not worth it.

"Stop crying. It's pathetic!"

Sian shoved away Baine, whose face was a mess of tears and snot, then shook his head. "Fine, I'll say it plainly. I don't know why, but that Centaur bastard's target is me. Since you understand that, you should obediently help me out!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Baine pointed fiercely at the wound on Sian's shoulder and roared, "Look at this wound! Open your eyes and tell me—what is it there for?"

What was it there for?

The question carried an air that allowed no refusal, so Sian answered almost instinctively.

"Because you are..."

He suddenly froze. Under Baine's anxious, expectant gaze, the young Tauren lowered his head. His lips moved slightly as he completed the words that should have come out without hesitation.

"Because you are... my best friend."

Baine punched Sian hard in the chest, then nodded through his tears. "You're my best friend, so I'm your best brother too!"

"You can risk your life to save me, so what reason do I have not to face all this with you?"

He cursed viciously, "You just did something unbelievably stupid—so stupid that even a dumb bull like me feels ashamed!"

"There was a fool with more nerve than sense who actually dared to destroy the friendship between a bull and his best brother!"

Little Sian silently lowered his head. He thought their friendship might truly be over now.

Yet unexpectedly, Baine gave him a hug so tight it nearly suffocated him. "Listen to me, you idiot! As long as I'm alive, I will never let that happen! Never!!!"

Even though he was nearly unable to breathe from being strangled, warmth still surged through the young Tauren's heart, along with boundless shame.

Baine was right. He truly was a complete idiot. His stupidity had nearly destroyed the trust they both cherished, but because they were such good companions, Baine had not given up on him in the end.

"I'm sorry..." Little Sian said shamefully. "I won't do that again..."

He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

He said sincerely, "I will always remember this day. My good brother Baine Bloodhoof taught me such a precious lesson."

With that, the little Tauren suddenly blinked, and his eyes seemed to light up. He punched Baine and said mysteriously, "I just came up with a good idea. It might be a little far-fetched, and it might be dangerous. Do you want to come with me?"

Baine nodded vigorously and answered excitedly, "Of course!"

"Then let's go!" Sian smiled and nodded, then patted his friend on the shoulder. "First, we need to find someone for help, then borrow a few things while we're at it. Hopefully Boss Stonehoof is still at his smithy. Otherwise, we can't do anything empty-handed."