A True Person

"Isn't this what you wanted, Siwazuri? I'm offering an opportunity," said a male voice belonging to a middle-aged zebra. "Why do you hesitate?"

"How do you know what I want?" replied Siwazuri in a harsh tone.

"Don't sass me, brat!" the stallion flashed back, slapping his hoof on the ground.

After a few moments, he regained his composure and continued: "So you're not interested in Imani anymore? Have you seen that monkey hovering around her? They seem to be getting closer and closer..."

"Trying to play on my affection, old fart?" snorted Siwazuri. "She gave a clear answer, she's not interested in me."

"You!" the stallion gritted his teeth, but continued in an already calm voice. "And you are satisfied with that?"

"What can I do? How will killing a monkey help me conquer Imani?" Siwazuri replied melancholically. "You're delusional, if you think I'm going to be a part of that."

"Heh heh heh. Don't lie to me. I know you well, my sweet nephew," the stallion said in a faux affectionate tone. "It's not about the monkey at all, is it? You just want to hurt her, don't you?"

Siwazuri looked at his uncle glumly, but didn't answer - the old man was right, and he couldn't deny it. There was a flicker of jealousy in his eyes, and an undercurrent of anger that he tried to hide. He sank into thought, mulling over his feelings. His uncle was silent, not interrupting his thoughts.

If Alexei were here - he would have recognized Siwazuri as the same stallion that had cast baleful glances at him as the man walked to Imani's hut.

"What do you propose?" Siwazuri finally asked.

"You will accuse him of desecrating your father's memory and demand a trial by duel," replied his uncle in an even voice.

"The chief will not agree to that," Siwazuri replied, frowning slightly at the mention of his father.

"You don't need to worry about that. He'll authorize the duel, I'll take care of it," the stallion assured him.

"What if the monkey refuses? The charges alone aren't enough to make it serious. He'll have a choice," Siwazuri said doubtfully.

"Hehehe, he'll definitely say yes," his uncle said mockingly. "You don't know it yet, but the monkey wants to become a friend of the tribe. If this matter is not settled-he can only give up the venture. And who said it would be mere accusations? It's going to be all natural."

"You want me to become a desecrator?!" roared Siwazuri, fixing his gaze on the stallion.

"Hush, hush, hush. Don't get so hot-headed. It's just a performance," his uncle said soothingly. "You don't have to do anything."

His uncle's words had the effect of dispelling the spunky stallion's worries.

"Why do you even want him dead?" Siwazuri asked, looking intently at the stallion across from him.

"Because it would be best for the tribe," the stallion replied gravely.

The answer and righteous tone didn't seem to impress Siwazuri enough - he began to laugh wildly, lurching sideways.

"What nonsense!" Siwazuri said with a laugh. "You think I don't realize whose reputation you want to undermine? Are you up to your games again? One day the chief will cut off your head, my dear uncle."

"Mind your own business," the stallion snorted irritably. "All you're doing is killing the monkey like you wanted to. The rest is none of your business."

"I agree," Siwazuri nodded.

Alexei wandered along the edge of the forest, gathering anything remotely edible into a wicker basket. He dared not go deeper into the forest. Imani had told him in detail of all the terrors that lurked in the green depths.

He had been lucky to reach the plains alive. That flash of mental energy had killed all the small animals in a certain radius and frightened the larger ones. The beasts rushed in all directions from that clearing, creating chaos and fighting each other. Some of those beasts had attacked the tribe's camp that morning.

It had been three days since that momentous night.

The next morning he went straight to the chief and declared his desire to become a friend of the tribe. But nothing in life happens so easily. Bureaucracy had crept into these lands as well. He still had to pass some sort of test. The chief needed to consult with a shaman. The shaman needed to consult the spirits. And the spirits probably needed to consult with someone, too. All he had to do was wait for an answer.

But yesterday, another trouble had arisen - he had run into an insolent stallion who had been going through his belongings. The conflict did not turn into a fight, it was limited to the stallion's provocations and mutual glances.

However, this morning he was summoned by the chief and told that he had been accused of desecrating some altar of the deceased. There were even witnesses who had seen him leave the stallion's hut. Of course, it was all utter nonsense, but what could he do? He had no support.

He had learned all the rules and traditions of the tribe, and now he faced two options: refuse the duel and forget about joining the tribe, or accept the challenge. If he won, he would be accepted without further delay.

But the key word here was "if". The duel was not a simple performance. There was the option to surrender, but more often than not they ended in the death of one of the opponents. No outsider had the right to interfere in the fight, it was considered a serious insult to the tribe.

He had seen the abilities of other warriors of this tribe before, and they were no joke. Those red tattoos he had noticed earlier were actually special runes specific to zebras.
Unlike normal runes, the zebras' technique allowed them to be applied directly on the body, and utilize special abilities.

Runes and tattoos could be used by all sentient beings. How? Very simple - you had to inject your magical energy, mixed with mental energy, into the rune or tattoo.

Alexei laughed at that moment.

Well, sure. There was no way he could access magic so easily.

Tonight, before sunset, he had to give an answer to the chieftain. It was a dangerous situation, but also an opportunity. Alexei had previously found out through Imani the identity of the alchemist. The old zebra called Jiona was arrogant and selfish. Although she came from a tribe, she had spent most of her life in a major city. It was rumored that she was banished from there because of her questionable experiments. Upon returning to the tribe - she was ostracized by everyone, her character not improved in the slightest.

Alexei, picking up another fruit, smiled at his thoughts. He had already started to form some ideas for the upcoming fight.

"Are you really going to fight?" Imani asked for the tenth time that evening.

"Yes," Alexei answered calmly, not taking his eyes off his work.

He was now finishing the creation of a leather shield. It was essentially a hide stretched over a twisted branch. He connected the sides of the circle with more twigs and tied them together with the hemp rope he had taken from Imani. He didn't have high hopes for his makeshift defense, but even that was better than nothing.

Technically, armor was forbidden in the court of combat. But zebras never used shields and nothing in the rules said anything about it. After some bickering with the chief, the man managed to convince him that it wasn't armor, but a traditional weapon of the ancient apes.

"Refuse," the zebra continued his entreaties. "All of this happened because of me. Even if you don't become part of the tribe - I can take care of you.

"It won't stop with me. One day, your sister might get hurt,'' the man said in a determined tone as he looked at the sleepy filly in the back of the hut. Imani could discern tenderness and warmth in his gaze. I will put an end to this."

"You..." the zebra was clearly touched by his words.

"You don't have to say anything," the man interrupted her, raising his palm. "You've done a lot for me."

The zebra stiffened, not knowing what to say, but then, as if realizing, ran to the other side of the room and returned with a roll-up.

Unfolding it, the man's face brightened. In his hands was an iron tip with an elongated leaf-shaped blade. The blade was about twenty centimeters long, and the entire tip was about thirty.

"Where did you get the iron from?" Alexei asked with interest.

"We trade with the capital," Imani shrugged. "Also, trade caravans from Equestria pass through here a couple times a year. You're out of luck - they left a week before you arrived."

The man simply nodded and continued to examine the tip. A handle and a semblance of a garde could be made by wrapping strips of leather around it. Now he had an acceptable weapon for a duel. His opponent relied on speed and maneuverability, and it would be extremely foolish to use a full-fledged spear. His folding knife also no longer met his requirements.

It didn't take much time for that to happen and here he was already saying goodbye to his sisters. Imani hugged him tightly one last time and the man stroked her mane with a soft smile.

Walking out of the hut Alexei's face relaxed. All the warmth shown earlier disappeared and its place was taken by the usual expression of indifference. Without turning around, he walked through the deserted camp to his shack.

Morning enveloped the zebra settlement with its quiet breath. In the middle of the circle, a man and a stallion stood facing each other.

Alexei held his leather shield in his left hand, while the sharp tip of his spear gleamed in his right. Siwazuri, for his part, held in his teeth a hilt with two curved blades.

Looking at the zebra in front of him, the man for some reason remembered the deer beetle.

A crowd of zebra zebras gathered around them, eager to see the deadly duel.

"Are you ready?" came the voice of a zebra from the side.

The man and stallion nodded silently, not wanting to waste unnecessary words. A tense silence reigned around them.

"Remember, you are being watched by our ancestors. Begin!" the zebra shouted, breaking the silence.

The man, though ready, could only see a scarlet flash on the side of his opponent when he was already in front of him. He managed to put up his shield and was sent flying when he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. Before he could recover from his fall, he barely had time to react to the movement above him. Quickly rolling to the side, he avoided a dangerous blow that could have split his skull - a hoof was in place of his head.

Siwazuri despised the ape and thought him a weakling, but he wasn't arrogant. Arrogant zebras were plentiful. And almost all of them were already dead. He was going to give it his best shot.

The man jumped to his feet and put his shield in front of him again. A glimpse of his left shoulder and he could clearly see the bone. He dared not take his eyes off his opponent and ignored it completely.

After the initial onslaught, the stallion was in no hurry to attack again. The man knew the reason - the tattoos were 'overheating', they couldn't be used without stopping.

The man and the zebra slowly circled around each other. The human was wary of the second, unknown to him, tattoo, and the zebra just didn't want to take any chances.

After a few seconds, the zebra's side flashed red light again, and Alexei was ready. Rushing forward, he managed to stop the momentum of the stallion's charge with his shield, inflicting a neck wound. More wounds appeared on his left arm. The leather shield barely protected him from the zebra's attacks.

Siwazuri frowned and lunged at the man. Avoiding the shield, he slashed at the man's leg and with a sudden burst of speed, he bounced sideways, avoiding a counterattack. Such movements were simply impossible for a zebra.

The second tattoo's ability was finally revealed.

Vertical and horizontal charges might seem like very simple abilities, without the extra special effects usually attributed to magic. But they were quite effective. The bleeding man was proof of that.

The man rushed towards the zebra. Both tattoos were recharging and Siwazuri had no choice but to fight back with his own strength.

Suddenly, the man opened his mouth and spat out phlegm directly into the zebra's face. Siwazuri was dumbfounded by such an insult for a moment and missed the blow. A deep cut was now visible on his neck.

Multiple screams erupted from the crowd, scornful of the meanness of a certain ape.

The zebra's eyes filled with blood. He had been spit in the face in front of the entire tribe! He was even more annoyed by the condescending smile that appeared on the man's face.

He used his tattoo and lunged at the man again. But Alexei was ready and once again stopped his dash with his shield.

The battle continued with varying success, each showing their strength and determination. Alexei increasingly preferred to dodge - his left arm was getting weaker and weaker.

This infuriated zebra even more.

"Stop dancing, monkey, do you have any dignity left? Fight me like a true warrior!" - Siwazuri roared, holding up his weapon with his hoof.

Alexei looked at him with interest and smiled: "You consider yourself a true warrior?"

"Alright, let's finish this fight without all the tricks and magic. Just you, me, and our bodies," he said, tossing his shield aside.

Siwazuri snorted, but nodded to the man, acknowledging his choice.

The two began to slowly approach each other.

When they were within two meters of each other, the human's foot swung up and sent a cloud of sand into the zebra's face. The blinded Siwazuri began to shake his head furiously, expecting the human's attack, but it didn't hit anyone.

Suddenly he felt a strong sense of danger, but it was too late. A firm grip closed on his mane and pulled upward, and then something sharp slashed his throat. Pushing his attacker aside, he used both tattoos and, spitting the weapon out, finally wiped his eyes. Seeing the waterfall of blood beneath him he finally gave up.

"I-I *gurgh* surren..." the stallion wheezed, but was interrupted by a powerful kick to the stomach, knocking the air out of him.

The man was already at his side.

The last thing Siwazuri saw was the glint of metal as the blade stabbed into his eye, instantly reaching his brain. His legs gave out and the stallion collapsed to the ground.

He was dead.

There was dead silence for a moment, but then the crowd exploded with shouts.

"Disgusting!"

"Monkey bastard!"

"You fought unfairly!"

"Despicable creature!"

Alexei stood motionless, listening to this torrent of ridicule and condemnation. He even seemed to be enjoying it.

Suddenly, he burst into laughter, silencing everyone with surprise.

"You're right! All of you are right! What I did was despicable and I don't deserve to win. I'm ashamed," he said as he leaned over the stallion's body and patted his head. "You won."

The crowd was beyond furious.

It seemed as if they were about to tear the man to pieces, but Alexei knew that wouldn't happen. They were restrained by the same rules that had forced him to accept the duel.
All they could do was shout insults and criticize his personality.

Every being born into the world becomes a prisoner of societal norms and morals that are indoctrinated into them from birth. This is the nature of any organization that seeks to manage and control every step and thought of an individual. The saddest part is that many even use the collar put on them as a symbol of pride.

He organized this performance not to impress the zebras, but to gain a certain reputation. A reputation as a ruthless madman who disregarded all norms and rules. His position in the tribe was extremely precarious. Siwazuri, that stallion, was only one of his problems, and far from the last. He had already received explicit threats before.

Why do people have a fear of psychopaths and lunatics? Because they pose a danger? No.

The reason is that these people can easily cross a line that is considered taboo for everyone else. Their unrestraint causes terror in the hearts of ordinary people. How many will dare to seek trouble with him now?

Alexei brushed his thoughts away and looked questioningly at the chief, who looked at him with a complicated gaze. Then the chief simply nodded.

The man began to walk away. The previously infuriated crowd began to part, letting the bloodied man pass.

Imani ran out of the crowd and began anxiously circling around him, saying something. But Alexei paid no attention to it, concentrating only on one thought - to reach the hut. He was already dizzy from the loss of blood.

When he reached the hut, he collapsed on the floor and just lay there, smiling at the ceiling, watching the worried zebra running around him with potions and medicines.

The alchemist's hut where Alexei stood was modest in appearance, but full of mysterious items and artifacts. The walls were covered with shelves that held vials of unknown liquids, ingredients of all kinds, scrolls and ancient books with tattered covers. In the corner of the room stood a hand-painted table on which various tools and alchemical mixtures were laid. In the center was a black metal cauldron from which spiraling puffs of steam rose from the potion bubbling inside.

The air was filled with the smells of herbs and essential oils, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere.

"What a show you put on yesterday, outsider," the old zebra said cheerfully. "You disregarded all norms and caused the hatred of the entire tribe. I can see that you're well prepared, having studied my backstory."

"You overestimate me," the man said with a smile. "All of this happened by accident."

Zebra gave him a dubious look, but remained silent, mulling something over. A hint of determination flashed in her eyes.

"I know why you're here," Jiona finally said. "And I say yes. You will be my apprentice."