"Make it run away on its own?" Bolin didn't quite catch the meaning.
"Its weakness is exactly its greatest strength—its volatility, its territorial nature, and above all... its protective instinct for its young." Leylo's gaze returned to the two little creatures huddling against their mother.
He paused, looking at the perplexed expressions of the two knights before continuing: "If we use something to provoke it—something it perceives as a massive threat to its calves or its domain—will it not pursue that target regardless of everything else?"
Ed looked thoughtful. "You mean... a lure?"
"Precisely," Leylo nodded. "And we need a lure that is fast enough to outrun it, yet provocative enough to incite its absolute rage. It's fast, right? Then let it chase a target that can move."
"What target can outrun it? And how do we provoke it to that extent?" Bolin still felt this was far too reckless.
"Horses." Leylo uttered the word. "Ordinary horses might not suffice, but what if they were two pack horses with their tails set on fire?"
"Set their tails on fire?!" Ed and Bolin were both stunned. The idea was... insane!
Horses are naturally terrified of fire. With their tails ignited, they would inevitably panic and bolt with everything they had. To an ultra-territorial Iron-Armored Rhino in a frenzied state, the sight of leaping flames and a frantic intruder was the ultimate provocation.
"Find two old pack horses we were planning to retire. Bind dry branches soaked in grease to their tails."
Ed and Bolin sucked in a breath of cold air. This plan was audaciously bold! Using panicked horses to draw the fire, then seizing the chance to steal the calves—it was like dancing on the edge of a Rank 3 magical beast's fury.
"My Lord, this is too dangerous!" Ed couldn't help but protest again. "If the rhino doesn't take the bait, or realizes halfway through and turns back, we..."
"There is risk, naturally," Leylo admitted. "But the payoff is equally immense. Two Iron-Armored Rhino calves, raised from infancy, would be of immeasurable value in the future." He pointed in the direction of the rhino's previous charge. "Its attack pattern is very linear. Against a moving threat within its territory—especially something as aggressive as fire—its first instinct will be to drive it out and destroy it."
"As for the timing," Leylo observed the sun's position, "we wait until it enters its next rest period or when its attention is diverted. We must move fast. Once we have them, we retreat immediately. No lingering."
"Understood, My Lord!" the two responded in unison.
"Good. We'll pull back first to prepare. Ed, you're in charge of selecting the horses and the incendiaries. Bolin, map out the retreat route to ensure it's foolproof."
Leylo issued the command: "Execution time: just before dusk. The fading light will provide better cover."
Preparation met opportunity as dusk quietly arrived. The afterglow of the setting sun draped the land in a golden veil. The two pack horses serving as bait were led behind a small ridge further ahead, their tails already bound with grease-soaked wood. Two knights held torches, waiting tensely for the signal.
In the center of the valley, the mother rhino seemed to have eaten her fill and lay down once more. The two calves huddled against her, dozing off. Everything looked peaceful.
Leylo took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions. The sound of wind, water, and the occasional cry of a distant bird filled the air. Ed and Bolin gripped their weapons, their palms slick with sweat. They knew they were about to embark on a high-stakes gamble against death itself.
The sun dipped completely below the horizon, and the sky darkened rapidly. Only the hazy moonlight and starlight offered a faint glimmer. The rhino's massive frame was a dormant shadow, its existence marked only by heavy breathing.
"Now!" Leylo barked softly, a sharp glint in his eyes.
The two prepared knights immediately touched their torches to the wood on the horses' tails.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The grease-soaked wood ignited instantly, sending up two plumes of orange flame.
"Giddy up!"
The knights slapped the horses' rumps simultaneously. Stung by pain and terrified by the heat and flames at their rears, the two old horses exploded with the final potential of their lives. They let out terrified whinnies and bolted toward the far end of the valley, desperate to escape the fire. The burning tails trailed two twisted lines of fire behind them, glaringly bright in the dim valley.
"MOOO!!!"
Almost the instant the flames flared, the dormant rhino snapped into action. Its blood-red eyes locked onto the moving fires encroaching deep into its territory and the piercing horse cries.
Frenzy! Rage!
A terrifying aura erupted from the beast, a physical shockwave that made Leylo and the others feel a pang of palpitations even from their distance. Without hesitation, the rhino pawed the earth and let out an ear-splitting roar, charging after the burning horses like a bolt of black lightning. It moved with extreme speed, leaving a deep furrow in the earth as it vanished around the bend of the valley in a cloud of dust.
It was completely distracted by the moving flames, wanting nothing more than to crush the intruders threatening its young.
"Go!"
Seeing the massive silhouette disappear, Leylo acted decisively, being the first to spring from cover. Ed and Bolin followed closely, the three of them darting like arrows toward the spot where the rhino had been resting. Their targets were the two calves, currently bewildered and spinning in circles after their mother's sudden departure.
The distance was short—less than three hundred meters. They could hear the shrill screams of the horses and the rhino's angry roars from afar, followed by the sounds of heavy impact and shattering—one of the poor horses had clearly met its end. But there was no time for sympathy. Every second counted.
The calves sensed the approaching strangers and let out uneasy "nnh-nnh" sounds, trying to find their mother. Perhaps feeling the threat, the slightly larger calf lowered its head and, using its soft, undeveloped horn, actually attempted to charge Leylo!
Leylo was prepared. He lunged to the side with agile grace, avoiding the headbutt. His right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the soft scruff behind the calf's neck. With a swift lift, the rhino calf was in his arms!
Almost simultaneously, Ed pounced on the other calf. This one was more timid, merely pawing the ground in anxiety. Ed pressed it down, pinned the calf—about the size of a large dog—to the ground, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and ran.
"Got it!" Ed shouted in a low voice.
"Retreat, fast!" Leylo tossed the calf in his arms to Bolin to carry.
The group turned and bolted. From around the valley's bend came an even more violent, earth-shaking roar. The theft had been discovered.
"MOOO—!!!"
The sound was laden with boundless fury and madness. The Iron-Armored Rhino was back, and it was moving faster than before! The ground began to vibrate violently, as if an earthquake were hitting. They could feel the scorching, tyrannical aura closing in from behind.
"Fast! Faster!"