"Run away on its own?"
Bolin frowned, clearly confused.
"Its weakness is also its strength," Robert said calmly. "Its irritability, its territorial nature, and… its protectiveness toward its young."
His eyes drifted toward the two small rhinos nestled beside their mother. The sight made him pause. Then, seeing the puzzled looks on the two knights' faces, he continued, "If we can make it believe something threatens its young or its territory, it will go mad trying to eliminate that threat. We don't fight it head-on — we lure it away."
Aed raised an eyebrow. "You mean… bait it?"
"Exactly."
Robert nodded. "We need something that can both provoke it and move fast enough to keep ahead of its charge. It's fast — so our bait must be faster."
Bolin shook his head doubtfully. "What could outrun that thing and still enrage it?"
"Horses," Robert said simply. "Ordinary ones won't do — but what if their tails were set on fire?"
"What?!"
Aed and Bolin both stared at him in shock. The idea was insane.
Horses were terrified of fire. Set their tails ablaze and they'd bolt in blind panic, galloping with everything they had. Those burning, running shapes would be an irresistible provocation to a beast as territorial as an Ironclad Rhinoceros — especially one already half-mad with fury.
"Find two of our old, discarded horses," Robert ordered. "Tie dry branches soaked in grease to their tails."
The two knights gasped. The plan was madness — using terrified horses as moving torches to draw off a third-tier magic beast.
"My Lord, this is far too dangerous!" Aed protested. "What if the rhinoceros doesn't chase them — or realizes the trick midway? Then we'll all be—"
"There are always risks," Robert interrupted, his tone steady. "But the reward is equally great. Two young Ironclad Rhinos — if we raise them from birth, their value in the future will be beyond measure."
He pointed toward the spot where the great beast had charged earlier. "Its instincts are simple. When something moves through its territory — especially something that burns — its first reaction is to destroy it."
He looked up at the sun, judging the hour. "We'll wait until it rests again, or until its attention drifts. When the time comes, we move fast. Once the young are secured, we retreat at once. No fighting. No hesitation."
"Yes, My Lord," both knights replied in unison.
"Good. Then let's fall back and prepare. Aed, select the horses and prepare the kindling. Bolin, mark out our retreat path. Make sure there's no chance of getting trapped."
Robert's tone hardened. "We move before dusk — when the light fades and shadows can hide us."
The two men nodded and hurried off.
By the time everything was ready, the sun hung low, painting the land in a wash of gold.
Behind a low ridge, two weary old horses stood trembling. Their tails had been wrapped with dry branches drenched in grease. Two knights waited beside them, torches in hand, their faces pale with tension.
Down in the valley, the Ironclad Rhinoceros had finished feeding. It now lay sprawled beside the stream, massive and still, its two small rhinos curled up against its flank, dozing peacefully.
The scene looked almost tranquil.
Robert took a slow breath, forcing down the tightness in his chest. Around them came only the whisper of wind through the grass, the murmur of running water, and distant cries of unseen birds.
Aed and Bolin gripped their weapons tightly; their palms were slick with sweat. They knew what came next would be a gamble — a race against death itself.
The sun sank below the horizon. Dusk deepened into darkness.
Only faint silver light from the rising moon glimmered across the valley floor. The Ironclad Rhinoceros was now just a hulking shadow. Only its slow, heavy breathing betrayed its presence. The young rhinos pressed closer to their mother, quiet and unmoving.
"Now," Robert whispered. His eyes gleamed like steel.
The two knights stepped forward. Their torches flared close to the kindling tied to the horses' tails.
Sizzle.
The grease caught instantly, orange flames bursting to life.
"Hyah!"
The knights slapped the horses hard on the hindquarters.
The animals screamed and bolted, terror overtaking pain. The heat at their tails and their primal fear of fire drove them into a mad, desperate gallop, tearing straight through the valley. Two streaks of fire trailed behind them, winding through the dusk like burning serpents.
"MOOOOO!!!"
The Ironclad Rhinoceros exploded upright.
Its eyes glowed red, locking onto the two fiery intruders. Its rage erupted like thunder.
The beast pawed the earth with its front legs, bellowed once more, then charged.
The impact of its hooves sent tremors through the ground. The air itself seemed to quake as the massive creature thundered after the fleeing horses. Dust rose in clouds. Stones flew. Its murderous intent was tangible, pressing against Robert and his men even from their hiding place.
The Ironclad Rhinoceros focused only on the burning shapes tearing across its territory — intruders that dared bring fire near its young. It would annihilate them.
"Go!" Robert hissed.
The beast's massive body disappeared around a bend in the valley.
Without hesitation, Robert dashed out of cover. Aed and Bolin followed close behind, sprinting down the slope like arrows loosed from a bow.
Their target lay less than three hundred meters away — the very spot where the rhinoceros had been resting moments ago.
The two young rhinos were still there, confused and frightened by their mother's sudden departure. They turned in circles, low, uncertain cries rumbling in their throats.
From far away came the terrified neighing of the horses — and the thunderous roars of the Ironclad Rhinoceros. A heavy crash echoed; one of the old horses had already fallen, crushed beneath that unstoppable bulk.
There was no time for pity. Every second mattered.
The young rhinos sensed the intruders approaching. Their unease deepened into alarm. One of them, the larger of the two, even mimicked its mother's posture — lowering its head and charging at Robert, its tiny horn glinting faintly in the moonlight.
Robert was ready. He sidestepped with a fluid motion, reached out swiftly, and gripped the loose skin behind the young rhino's neck. With a twist and a lift, he hoisted the calf-sized creature into his arms.
Almost at the same instant, Aed lunged toward the second young rhino. This one was smaller and timid, only pawing the ground in confusion. Aed pressed down on its back, pinned it, and with a grunt of effort slung it over his shoulder.
"Got it!" Aed whispered.
"Move! Now!" Robert barked.
He passed the struggling rhino in his arms to Bolin. The three of them turned and sprinted toward their escape route.
Behind them, a roar tore through the night — louder, deeper, and more furious than before.
The Ironclad Rhinoceros had discovered the theft.
"MOOOOOO!!!"
The sound rolled through the valley like a storm, filled with wrath and grief. The ground trembled as the beast charged back, its speed even greater than before. The pounding of its hooves was like an earthquake.
The three men could feel the air burning behind them, the force of that fury closing in.
"Faster! Don't look back!" Robert shouted.
They sprinted with everything they had, hearts hammering, lungs burning. The night blurred around them. Pebbles scattered under their boots.
The ground shook harder — the Ironclad Rhinoceros was gaining.
Bolin stumbled under the weight of the struggling young rhino. Robert turned, grabbed his arm, and hauled him up without slowing.
"Keep going!"
They crashed through the brush, branches whipping their faces, until the faint outline of the retreat path appeared ahead — a narrow trail between two boulders leading up the hillside.
"Almost there!" Aed gasped.
A shattering roar erupted behind them.
The Ironclad Rhinoceros burst into view, its armored hide glinting faintly in the moonlight, eyes blazing with hatred. Its massive horn tore into the earth, sending dirt flying as it charged straight at them.
Robert spun, flung a flash bomb from his belt, and shouted, "Cover your eyes!"
A blinding burst of white light flared across the valley. The monster roared again, momentarily dazed.
"Go! Go!"
They scrambled up the narrow path, stones sliding underfoot. Behind them came the rhythmic thunder of hooves — then a tremendous crash as the Ironclad Rhinoceros slammed into the base of the slope, shaking the ground but unable to follow up the steep incline.
Dust and smoke filled the air.
The three men didn't stop running until they reached the crest of the hill. Only then did they collapse behind a rocky outcrop, gasping for breath.
Below, the Ironclad Rhinoceros prowled the valley floor, bellowing in rage, its cries echoing into the night. It pawed the ground furiously, searching for its stolen young, then finally let out a low, heart-rending moan.
Robert looked down, sweat and dust streaking his face. The two small rhinos whimpered softly, still frightened but alive.
Bolin exhaled shakily. "We actually did it."
Aed slumped to the ground, still clutching his rhino. "By the gods, I thought we were finished."
Robert stayed silent for a moment, watching the enraged beast below. Then he said quietly, "Courage and madness often look the same. But only those willing to risk both can seize what others never dare reach."
He turned to his men. "Let's move. It'll come after us again once it calms down. We have to be far from here before dawn."
They rose, still trembling, and disappeared into the darkness — three silhouettes carrying their hard-won prizes, while behind them, in the echoing valley, the Ironclad Rhinoceros roared one final time at the empty