Chapter 10: The Secret of the Steel Plate
The night was deep and cold. The Mongol camp was a sea of silence, with only the crackle of a few dying campfires. Inside the main tent of Uktai Khan, the air was heavy. The Khan was fast asleep on his expensive furs, snoring loudly. Near the entrance, Ulfat was also lying down, his eyes closed looking like a peaceful scholar.
Suddenly, a soft thump thump thump sounded against the wooden pole of the tent. Someone was knocking.
The Khan stirred in his sleep. "Ulfat..." he mumbled, his voice thick with tiredness. "Go and see who it is. At this hour, it better be news of the Samurai."
Ulfat stood up slowly. He didn't look sleepy at all. He walked to the tent flap and opened it. Standing there, covered in a dark cloak, was the same Ottoman messenger who had slapped the Khan earlier that day.
The Hidden Witness
On the other side of the camp, Wasabi was having trouble sleeping. His mind was spinning with images of Ulfat's smirk and the clean armor from the "battle." He stood up and grabbed a wooden bucket. I need some water, he thought. Maybe the cold air will clear my head.
As he walked toward the water barrels, he passed near the Khan's tent. He stopped. He heard a voice a deep, unfamiliar voice that didn't belong to any Mongol.
Wasabi's heart started to hammer against his ribs. He stayed in the shadows, hiding behind a stack of supply crates. He leaned in, his ears straining to hear.
"I have convinced Emperor Harasaki for now," Ulfat's voice came from inside the tent. It was cold and business-like. "He is sending word to his Shoguns and all the other emperors. There is no chance for Uktai Khan to be saved. The trap is closing."
Wasabi froze. The water bucket almost slipped from his hand. No chance to be saved? Trap? What is he saying?
"But" Ulfat continued, his voice dropping lower, "my friend Wasabi... he is suspicious. He is smart, and he saw things he shouldn't have seen. Because of that, I have a plan for tomorrow. There will be a small conflict between your scouts and the Mongols. I will fight for the Mongols. I will kill a few of your men to build the Khan's trust back. We need him to believe I am a hero until the final war starts."
The Ottoman messenger let out a low chuckle. "Sultan Ghaffar Asad has already agreed to this war. He likes your style, boy. But tell me how did you like the greeting I gave your Master today?"
Ulfat went quiet for a second. "That slap... I have seen the Khan take hits from giant warriors and stay standing. But you hit him so hard he fell into the dirt like a peasant. How did you do it?"
The messenger didn't say a word. Instead, he reached down and slowly pulled off his heavy leather glove. Wasabi, watching through a small rip in the tent fabric, gasped silently.
Under the glove, strapped to the messenger's palm, was a thick, polished steel plate. It was hidden perfectly.
"Don't assume you are the only genius in this world, Ulfat," the messenger said, his eyes glinting in the candlelight. "This is the secret of the famous Ottoman Slap. It turns a hand into a hammer. But remember... keep this secret. If you tell anyone, our swords will be drawn at your neck next."
Ulfat smirked. "I don't care about your secrets. I only care about the result. Here give this to the Sultan from me." Ulfat handed over a small, sealed scroll.
The Breaking Point
Wasabi couldn't take it anymore. His world was crumbling. "Is this really Ulfat?" he thought, his eyes filling with tears of anger and confusion. "Is he really talking to an Ottoman? No, maybe it's just a Mongol in a suit? But then why do they want to kill the Khan?"
Wasabi's mind flashed back to their childhood. He remembered a day years ago when both of them had been caught playing instead of studying. Uktai Khan had beaten their hands with a wooden rod until they were bruised and blue. But even then, as they sat in the dirt, they had laughed and played with small stones, happy just to be together.
That was my friend, Wasabi thought. This person in the tent this is a monster.
Suddenly, the tent flap opened. Ulfat was walking out.
Wasabi didn't think. He didn't plan. The anger exploded out of him. As Ulfat stepped into the dark air, Wasabi jumped from the shadows. He dropped his water bucket and swung his fist with every bit of strength in his body.
BAM!
The punch landed perfectly on Ulfat's jaw. The power of the hit sent Ulfat flying backward, his back hitting the dirt hard.
Ulfat didn't scream. He lay there for a second, rubbing his face. He slowly looked up and saw Wasabi standing over him, his body shaking with terror and rage.
"Oh" Ulfat said, his voice eerily calm as he wiped a small drop of blood from his lip. "You saw it."
Wasabi was breathing like a hunted animal. His hands were trembling so much he could barely keep them in a fist. "Ulfat"What what are you becoming? Who are you?!"
Ulfat stood up slowly, brushing the dust off his Keshik leather. He didn't look angry. He looked like a teacher disappointed in a student. The Ottoman messenger had already disappeared into the night, leaving the two friends alone in the cold moonlight.
"I am becoming exactly what this world made me, Wasabi" Ulfat said, stepping closer. "And if you want to stay alive, you need to decide right now are you with me, or are you with the man who beat us until we bled?"