Chapter 9: The Smirk of a Traitor
The Mongol camp was filled with a heavy, nervous silence. Inside the main quarters, Uktai Khan was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. His face was twisted with worry. Next to him, Wasabi stood still, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana.
"Where is he, Wasabi?" the Khan roared, kicking a wooden chair. "He went to the Samurai village and never came back! If the Japanese have killed my Keshik, I will burn their entire forest to the ground!"
Wasabi didn't answer. He was thinking about that smile he saw earlier. He was worried, but for a different reason. He felt like Ulfat was a ghost that was slowly disappearing into the dark.
Suddenly, the sound of a galloping horse broke the silence. The guards outside shouted, and a moment later, the tent flap pushed open.
Ulfat walked in. He looked tired, but his eyes were sharp and cold. In his right hand, he was carrying something wrapped in a dark, bloodstained cloth. With a heavy thud, he threw the object onto the Khan's table. The cloth fell away, revealing the severed head of an Ottoman squad leader.
The Khan gasped. Wasabi stepped back in shock.
"Master," Ulfat said, his voice calm and steady. "I apologize for the delay. While I was returning from the Samurai village, I spotted an Ottoman scouting party. I took a few Samurai warriors with me and hunted them down. I wanted to bring you a gift to show that our new alliance is already working."
Uktai Khan looked at the head, then at Ulfat. A slow, proud smile spread across his face. "My Keshik... you went into Ottoman territory and took a leader's head? This is legendary! You truly are my greatest weapon!"
But then, the Khan's smile faded. He leaned in closer. "But why did it take so long, Ulfat? One head does not take an entire day and night."
The False Flashback
Ulfat didn't blink. In his mind, a memory flashed.
He wasn't fighting a squad of Ottomans. He was standing in a dark, quiet room with an Ottoman soldier. The soldier wasn't an enemy he was bowing to Ulfat. The soldier had handed him the head, already cut and cleaned. Ulfat had looked at the head and smirked, tucked it into his bag, and walked away without even drawing his sword.
Back in the tent, Ulfat looked at the Khan. "I had to make sure they knew who we were, Master. I have officially told the Ottomans that we are ready for an open war. They are arrogant. They think we are weak because we lost men on the beach. They have no idea that the Samurai are now our allies. I was busy setting the trap."
Wasabi stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. He looked at Ulfat's leather armor. It was clean. There wasn't a single drop of blood on his sleeves or his chest.
"Ulfat," Wasabi whispered. "If you fought an Ottoman leader and his squad... why is there no blood on your armor?"
Ulfat turned to Wasabi. His expression was unreadable. "I wasn't the one swinging the sword, Wasabi. I was the one telling the Samurai where to strike. A scholar doesn't need to get dirty to win a fight."
The Ottoman Messenger
Before Wasabi could ask another question, a loud horn sounded from the edge of the camp. It wasn't a Mongol horn. It was the deep, terrifying sound of the Ottoman Empire.
A single Ottoman messenger rode into the center of the camp. He wasn't wearing heavy armor, and he didn't have a sword in his hand. He looked calm, almost bored.
Uktai Khan rushed out of the tent, his face red with fury. He didn't wait for words. He drew his massive Mongol sword and marched toward the messenger.
The Khan swung his sword with all his strength. But the Ottoman leader didn't move. At the last second, he leaned back.
Before the Khan could swing again, the Ottoman leader launched a massive, heavy slap across the Khan's face. CRACK! The sound echoed through the camp. The Great Uktai Khan, the man who feared nothing, was knocked off his feet. He fell into the dirt.
"I am not here to fight a dog" the Ottoman leader said, looking down at the Khan. "I am here to officially declare war. The Ottoman Empire is coming for this camp. We will burn your tents and salt your earth."
Ulfat rushed forward, looking like a concerned servant.
"Master! Are you alright?" Ulfat cried out, his voice full of worry.
But as Ulfat pulled the Khan up, he turned his head slightly. On the side the Khan couldn't see, Ulfat let out a dark, wicked smirk.
The Ottoman messenger saw the smirk. He didn't look angry. Instead, the messenger smirked back at Ulfat. like they were understanding others.
"In this war," the Ottoman leader shouted so the whole camp could hear "we are going to kill every single one of you. We will destroy your families and your name and that includes you, Ulfat!"
The Ottoman leader pointed his finger at Ulfat.
Uktai Khan stood up, wiping the dirt and blood from his mouth. He didn't see the secret look between his Keshik and his enemy. He only felt the sting of the slap and the shame of being hit.
"We are ready!" the Khan screamed, his voice cracking. "Tell your Sultan to come! We will show you the power of the Mongol and Samurai alliance!"
The Ottoman messenger turned his horse around and galloped away. As he rode past the Mongol soldiers at the gate, those soldiers—the ones Ulfat had been training also wore small hidden smirks on their faces.
Ulfat stood behind the Khan, his hand still on the Khan's arm. To the world, he looked like a loyal protector. But in the shadows of the setting sun, his smile was wider than ever.
The Khan thought he was going to a war to win back his pride. He didn't realize that the War had already been decided in a dark room between Ulfat and the Ottoman Boss. The trap was set, and the Khan was walking right into the center of it.
To Be Continued...