(A week before the rescue of Tanya and Yangcha)
(POV Rottib)
The Neanthal massacre twenty-one years ago left only five men, including me, and two women. Actually our people are still quite a lot after the mass poisoning, but they all died when Ragaz was about to save his kidnapped son.
I am the youngest of them all. Two pairs of men and women get married after they grow up, one man marries Saram. Just me and Yiseu who are still single. We hope that the two Neanthal couples can continue the descent of our almost extinct tribe.
On the same day, they both gave birth to a baby girl. Unfortunately, one of them died after giving birth because of heavy bleeding. A year later, the other woman was pregnant again. We could feel that she was pregnant with a boy. Our hopes are starting to grow. But unfortunately, there was a Saram soldier who killed her, along with our hopeful baby boy. We have lost hope, until I met her.
Nunbyeol.
She is still a teenager, but her age is not too far from mine. She was adopted by the kind-hearted Saram family, the Harim family. When she was little, Harim broke on Nunbyeol's lineage so that she could live as Saram. But as a teenager, her Neanthal blood began to return. She promised to come with us when she returned to being a Neanthal when she grew up.
I waited for her faithfully for several years later. I want to marry her and have many children with her. But she finally reneged on her promise by choosing to be with a cruel, stupid Saram soldier, even had pregnant a baby Igutu with him.
Not only my hopes were broken, but my heart too. Even though Yiseu said that I could still wait for two Neanthal toddlers to grow up to marry me, I didn't want to care about that anymore.
I left the cave where I had lived all this time, wandering aimlessly for several months. From a distance I watched the battle between the dumb fellow Sarams. They say, we do not have the mind, even though they are far more stupid. Ambition that makes them stupid.
And I found one of them lying under a hill. A red-eyed black horse was sitting by his side. Maybe he's dead, I don't really care. As I passed him, I saw purple blood flowing from his forehead. Apparently he is not Saram. Suddenly his hand gripped my leg tightly. It turns out he is still alive.
"Help ... please ... help me ..." he murmured with gasping breath.
I was about to kick his hand and ignore him, until I saw the bracelet he was wearing. A fang hung from a rope wrapped around his wrist, in contrast to the luxurious uniform he was wearing. That fang, I've seen it. It belongs to Ragaz, the person who took care of me when I was a baby. He died a year after the massacre, leaving a pair of Igutu twins, one of whom was kidnapped while the other was taken away by his mother. I suspect this person is one of Ragaz and Asahon's children.
So I raised him onto the body of a sitting black horse, as if it was waiting for his master. I decided to return to the cave where the last Neanthal hideouts were. I don't know if she, Nunbyeol I mean, and her family still live there or not. I hope they are still there.
No, I'm not hoping to see Nunbyeol with her stupid husband. I hope that her family who is a great physician can cure this boy.
~~~
(Narrator POV)
Rottib's arrival was welcomed by Mugwang, even though he was the one who most did not want Rottib to meet.
"This horse ... where did you get it from? This is Kanmoreu!" Exclaimed Mugwang.
He was told that Kanmoreu, Aramun Haeseulla's legendary horse, had red eyes, like the horse brought by Rottib.
Rottib looked away, ignoring Mugwang and meeting Harim while carrying Saya's body on his shoulder.
"Looks like I've met this man," Chaeeun murmured after Harim finished wrapping Saya's head.
"He is Lord Saya, Tanya Niruha's assistant," Mugwang explained.
Chaeeun patted her palm, "Ah, I just remembered. This person stole corn and was almost killed by the owner of the cornfield."
"Huh? How could the highest priestess's assistant steal corn?"
At that time, Saya woke up from fainting. His head had been bandaged, as well as an arrow wound in his back. Mugwang helped him to sit.
"Where am I?"
"Rottib found you near the battlefield," Chaeeun explained.
"Rottib?"
"Someone from the Neanthal tribe," Mugwang answered.
"Neanthal?" Saya surprised. "I think that tribe is extinct."
"Some of them survived. And now you are in their hiding place."
Yiseu came over to them.
"I hope you will not tell anyone about this place."
"Are you Rottib?" Saya asked when he saw the color of Yiseu's lips.
"No, I'm Yiseu."
"If you don't want to get caught, why help me? Do you know who I am?"
"Assistant of Tanya Niruha," Mugwang answered.
"I am Tagon Niruha's son."
"What?" Mugwang doesn't believe him.
"No, you are the son of Ragaz. You're the grandson of our late leader," Yiseu said, pointing to the canine necklace on Saya's wrist.
Saya gasped, "Do you know my biological parents?"
"That's why Rottib saved you. Ragaz is like a father to him."
Yiseu sat next to Saya, "the person you are now calling 'Father' is the person who killed your real father and also grandfather."
Saya nodded, "I know, Tagon Niruha who proposed to poison the Neanthal tribe."
"They were not killed during the massacre with the poison. They were killed while trying to save you who were kidnapped by Sanung and Tagon."
Saya was stunned again.
"We have heard that you have also been killed. That's why your mother ran away with your brother. She doesn't want to lose one more child."
Saya shook his head in disbelief, "he said ... he said he found me stranded in the middle of the forest ..."
Yiseu chuckled, "he wants to pretend to be a hero."
"How can I trust your words?"
"It's up to you whether you want to believe it or not. I'm just talking about facts," Yiseu said, patting Saya's shoulder before leaving.
Chaeeun and Mugwang also left him pensive alone.
~~~
Mugwang admired the red-eyed horse that stood in the cave.
"Is this horse really a descendant or incarnation of Kanmoreu? Or is it just a coincidence that there are horses with red eyes?"
He tried to ride it, but the horse neighed and dropped him. From afar, Rottib raised the tip of his lips.
"Look at that fool," he mocked.
Yiseu just chuckled.
The worried Nunbyeol approached Mugwang who was rubbing his buttocks which hit the ground hard. That man took Nunbyeol's arm and spoiled his head on his wife's shoulder.
Rottib looked away, feeling nauseous if he continued to see the romantic scene of this married couple.
"If it wasn't for Ragaz's son, I would never have returned."
Yiseu put his arm around Rottib's shoulder, "never mind, just ignore them. You will get better someday."
~~~
Mugwang approached Saya who was still pensive while stroking the fangs pendant on his wrist.
"Hey, that horse... Where did you get it from?"
"Horse?"
"Is the horse not yours?"
Saya walked to the entrance of the cave, watching the horse closely.
"Rottib brought you using this horse. All I hear is that this horse sits near you, so he thinks this horse is yours."
Saya shrugged, "I don't know."
"Try to ride it."
Despite feeling strange, Saya obey Mugwang.
"Then what?"
Mugwang gasped, "Aramun Haeseulla ..."
Saya laughed, "are you obsessed with Aramun Haeseulla? You also cry like that in front of my father."
"That is because when Ollimsani of Sanung Niruha, he said as if he were Aramun. And he was surrounded by fireflies."
Saya laughed harder, "Do you know, I'm the one who released the fireflies from top of the tree?"
Mugwang was open-mouthed.
"That's right, Tagon Niruha claims to be Aramun in order to get the sympathy of the people. All of that is just a political game."
Saya got off the horse and watched it closely.
"So ... is this Kanmoreu?"
"I don't know. From the legend I heard, its characteristics are similar to this horse, especially the color of his eyes."
"Is Aramun the only one that can ride it?"
"All I hear is that. I tried to get up earlier, but it knocked me down."
Saya remember, while releasing fireflies for the Tagon's 'show', a firefly that glowed purple rested on his shoulder. At that time he did not really care and flicked the fireflies.
Saya began to plan something.
~~~
A few days later, Saya intend to return to the palace. He brought along the horse that he though as Kanmoreu. But when in the middle of the city, he saw a crowd of people and there was an announcement that Tanya Niruha would be sentenced to death.
Returning to the cave, he asked Mugwang and the Neanthal men to help Tanya.
♤♤♤
(A few days after the rescue of Tanya and Yangcha)
Everyone inside the cave gathered, except the children.
"I have a few plans. First, Eunsom said that our mother's necklace he was wearing was lost during his abduction. I suspect Tagon took it to find someone else he could use as a substitute for Tanya to be the highest priest. So I will return to the palace, claiming the necklace then becomes the highest priest. But it might take longer to realize our mission. "
"The second plan, because we have it ..." Saya pointed to the Douri that he thought was Kanmoreu.
"I can claim to be Aramun Haesulla and immediately steal Tagon's throne, because I can ride it. I don't know if I am indeed incarnate of Aramun or just coincidence, because Eunsom can ride it too."
All eyes do not blink fixed on Saya.
"How?"
"I agree more with the second plan. The sooner, the better. If the first plan, I'm afraid you'll actually become like me, becoming Tagon's 'puppet'. After all, you can't dance spirit dances," Tanya said.
"But, the problem is, we are too few, if Tagon attacks us, unless we can join Eunsom's army. But he's gone ..." Saya glance at Tanya and Yangcha, "and I'm not sure he wants to support us."
"We can try to contact and negotiate with him. He should be professional as a leader, not mixing personal matters with the interests of his people," Yiseu said.
"Then, I will go to Mount Hasi with Mugwang."
"Me?" Mugwang was surprised.
"From today I recruit you to be my personal bodyguard."
Nunbyeol held her husband's hand with a worried look.
"Take it easy, I will guarantee Mugwang's safety," Saya said.
Mugwang patted Nunbyeol's hand, calming her.
"But ... can we trust you?" Rottib asked doubtfully. Not only Rottib, most of those who sat there were also doubtful.
"What makes you doubt me?"
"There's no one to trust in Arthdal. That's what you taught me," said Tanya.
Saya chuckled softly while scratching the back of his neck.
"After all, you are Tagon's adopted son. For twenty years you have been educated by him. You can be the same as him. Character, ambition, intellection ..." said Yangcha.
Saya nodded, "I admit, I look like him, even though he is not my biological father. I learned a lot of sly and dirty politics from him."
Saya pointed at Tanya, "she is one of the victims of my cunning."
Tanya turned her face in annoyance, while Yangcha gave him a sharp look.
"But I am not him. I swear, I will become a wise king. I will restore peace between Saram, Neanthal and Igutu. I will also abolish slavery."
"I have long been determined to destroy discrimination against Igutu and Neanthal. I have plenty of evidence that this animosity was caused by the indirect descendants of the Asa clan and the Saenyeok tribe in the past. It's just that I was constrained by power that I didn't have. I've already suggested to Tagon to reveal that our blood is honorable blood, because Aramun Haeseulla is Igutu, but he continues to doubt even though he is now a feared king. So I will do it, I will change this country for the better. We ... will change the world. "
"All right, I'll try to believe you," said Tanya.
Tanya continued, "but I want to give a little advice. Be careful. If someone has gained power, sometimes forgets the promises he made before he gets it. I hope you do not break your promises and mission."
"That's why I need you, the Highest Priestess Tanya Niruha, to guide me to keep going on the right path. You are the mouthpiece of the gods. Even Aramun Haeseulla was also guided by Asa Sin. You are Asa Sin to me."
~~~
Tanya stood in front of the cave, staring at the two horses that took Saya and Mugwang to Mount Hasi. Yangcha stood by her side, embracing her waist.
"Can he really be trusted?" asked Yangcha, still doubtful.
"Let's try to trust him."
.
.
To be continue
Clip about Kanmoreu