Semetei. The Death of Chinkodjo and Toltoy. Part - 2

When Toltoy’s wound healed, he began to consult with Chinkodjo. Sitting together, they reasoned as follows:

- Akhun-khan will not voluntarily give us Aichurek, so let’s send our numerous army into battle. We will kill Akhun-khan, bind Adjibai and Tyumenbai by their necks like slaves, and take all their girls and young women, led by Aichurek, as spoils. If the Afghans dare to resist, we will wipe them out to the last one, destroy their homes, turn their city into a desert, and leave not a stone upon a stone.

Having made this decision, they began to advance again. They divided their troops by types of weapons: the pikemen were placed separately, and the archers - separately. This army, numerous as ants, whose thundering caused the earth to tremble, moved forward to the sounds of trumpets and drums.

The watchmen of Akhun-khan saw the real army and began to sound the alarm. Hearing the drumbeats, the troops of Akhun-khan gathered in one place, the warriors of Tyumenbai gathered in another, and the warriors of Adjibai in a third, all preparing for battle.

Finally, seeing the armies of Chinkodjo and Toltoy approaching the city, the people became agitated and frightened, repeating:
- These armies will kill us all.

People began to say:

- Curse you, Aichurek, you have brought our doom. We should have given her, the unfortunate one, to Toltoy and lived peacefully. Our poor peaceful people perish in vain.

Others said:

- If we die, what will happen to our children? There will be no one to take care of them.

Even more people, consumed by fear, lamented:

- If the armies of Toltoy and Chinkodjo destroy our city, we will all have to die before our time.

As the assault on the city began, Adjibai ran to Semetey and said in fear:

- Because of your bride Aichurek, we have already fought Toltoy six times.

This time Chinkodjo joined him; they brought a very large army. If you do not save us, we will be unable to resist any longer. If you can show your bravery, then show it now.

The news that Toltoy and Chinkodjo were coming to the city with the intention of capturing Aichurek greatly agitated Semetey. Ordering the alarm to be sounded on the drum, he armed himself and went out of the city with his twenty-five choro. He mounted Taiuburula and, like a mighty lion, prepared for the attack, calling upon the spirit of Manas, then rode out to meet Chinkodjo and Toltoy.

Akhun-khan, despite being old, also led his troops into battle, encouraging them:

- Do not be afraid, as long as Semetey is alive, he will take revenge on Chinkodjo and Toltoy for all the wrongs they have done to us.

Foreseeing victory, Akhun-khan urged his troops not to be afraid and to go boldly into battle.

Semetey in the center, Kulchoro to his right, Kanchoro to his left, and behind them Baytaylak, son of Bakai, Kalik, son of Sary-khan, Shaimbet, son of Jamgyrchi, and all the other choro began to advance from different sides to surround the enemy.

Kulchoro tirelessly pierced the enemies. Throwing warriors from their horses to the ground, he killed a huge number of enemies, while the remaining ones surrounded Toltoy as if he could save their lives.

Kulchoro approached Toltoy.

- Where are you, godless Toltoy, standing against the victors? Where are you, brave Toltoy, taking a wife by force? - he shouted and began to advance on him.

Semetey, for his part, mercilessly struck down everyone he could reach with his sword, and those who were far away - with his spear.

The warriors, seeing imminent death, began to say:

- Semetey! Why are you destroying an innocent people? We came here, fearing Chinkodjo and Toltoy. If you want to take us - here are our heads, if you thirst for blood - here is our blood.

Having said this, many warriors dismounted from their horses, threw down their weapons, and, throwing their belts around their necks, began to plead for mercy. Some of them, frightened by the mere sight of Semetey, fell from their horses to the ground and lay unconscious, while others fled back in fear. The bodies of the slain lay on the field like resting sheep in a flock.

Chinkodjo was as large as a mountain. Being a sorcerer, he flew on a winged horse through the air, urging his warriors not to run away and not to surrender.

- Do not run away! Semetey is neither braver nor stronger than me.

Stopping the fleeing people, he himself killed some, put others on horses and tied them to the saddles, forcing the fleeing to stop.

- If we run back, we will perish at the hands of Chinkodjo; if we go forward, we will perish at the hands of Semetey. It seems that our death has indeed come! - said the warriors, and finding no way out, they stopped.

At that moment, from behind a hill, spewing flames from his mouth in rage, Semetey rode out. Not engaging in battle with others and ignoring them, he headed straight for Chinkodjo. Approaching him, he said:
- We are relatives, what has happened to you? It is not good to be estranged from each other. It is better for us to return together to Talas; I will elevate you to khan and give you my horse.

To this, Chinkodjo replied:

- Filthy, worthless orphan! I have defeated not only you but also your father Manas, the foolish braggart, six times. How dare you steal my horses? With these words, he angrily struck Semetey with a spear, but the spear shattered into pieces upon impact.

Then Semetey himself charged at Chinkodjo. When he tried to strike him with his spear, Chinkodjo deflected the spear and struck Semetey with his sword, but his sword immediately broke.

Semetey, removing his akkelte, wanted to shoot, but Chinkodjo, using his sorcery, summoned a thick fog and rose into the air on his horse, thus escaping death. Flying above Semetey, he showered him with a hail of bullets. Semetey, finding himself in a hopeless situation, began to shoot upwards with his akkelte.

When both ran out of ammunition, Chinkodjo flew home for new supplies for his gun, while Semetey began to shake off; at this time, bullets fell from him to the ground like hail. For a moment, he lost consciousness. Coming to his senses, he fell into doubt, not knowing what to do: he had no more ammunition. At that moment, Kulchoro came to his aid. Semetey said to him:

- My dear choro, it turns out Chinkodjo is not a trivial enemy. I have run out of all my ammunition. I am confused and do not know what to do. It seems I will have to die. Let us give Chinkodjo Aichurek and Taiuburula, and while we are alive and healthy, return home to Talas.

Upon hearing Semetey’s words, Kulchoro jumped up as if stung.

- Aba! What does this mean? Such words should be heard by dogs. It is better for us to die than to give Aichurek and Taiuburula as ransom. Kanikei said that two or three charges are sewn into the collar of the akolpoka. When I was in Talas, I shot down enemies without missing. Give me the akkelte now, and I will test my luck.

Not making Kulchoro repeat his request a second time, Semetey dismounted from Taiuburula, handed the akkelte to Kulchoro, and himself, almost losing consciousness, stepped aside and hid in a nearby cave.

Kulchoro, loading the akkelte, covered one hollow of the akolpoka with Taiuburula, while the other hollow he used to hide himself and began to wait for Chinkodjo.

At that time, Chinkodjo arrived with a new supply of equipment, enough for six months, and began to shoot, sending bullets like hail. Kulchoro, hiding under Taiuburula, sat calmly and waited.

Not seeing anyone on Taiuburula, Chinkodjo thought:

- God has truly granted me victory. It turns out I have already destroyed the orphan equal to myself. I will sit on Taiuburula and ride him myself to marry Aichurek.

Having said this, he threw his weapons and equipment aside and began to approach Taiuburula.

When the distance between the batyrs was half a shot, Kulchoro, deciding that where the wings of Chinkodjo's wondrous winged horse began, there must also be his heart, weeping and praying to God for help, aimed and shot from the akkelte. As soon as the shot rang out, the horse, flipping in the air, fell to the ground, as the bullet tore off its wing. After this, Kulchoro caught Chinkodjo by the collar and struck him to the ground.

Seeing all this, Semetey ran up to Kulchoro and, striking his chest, shouted to him:

- My dear choro, give him to me! - After pleading for him, he took Chinkodjo by the legs and struck him against a black stone.

Noticing Toltoy, Kulchoro, shouting in honor of Manas, began to advance on him. Toltoy, in fear, fled and ran around the city twice in terror. Aichurek, seeing Toltoy running, said, laughing:

- Rather than flee from a boy, you filthy coward, it would be better to die!

Hearing these words from Aichurek, the outraged and annoyed Toltoy again began to fight with Kulchoro with spears. As soon as they met face to face, Kulchoro knocked Toltoy off his horse with one spear strike and beheaded him.

Toltoy's horse Surkoyen began to flee, and Semetey, chasing after him, barely caught him. Then Kanchoro and Kulchoro said in unison:

- Aba, give him to me as a gift.

Semetey threw the reins of Surkoyen towards Kulchoro. Kanchoro, seeing this, was offended and, harboring resentment against Semetey, said to himself: - "Wait, Semetey, there will be a time when I will take revenge on you!"

In this battle, many warriors perished along with Chinkodjo and Toltoy. The Afghans received a rich military booty, from six hundred to sixty horses for each.

When the enemies were defeated, Akhun-khan breathed a sigh of relief.

- Now I must fulfill the promise made to Manas. I can die peacefully, as my desire has been fulfilled.

He gathered his people for a feast, which he arranged in honor of Aichurek’s wedding. For thirty days, as per tradition, the girls mourned the departure of the khan's daughter, and then, laden with gold, seventy one-humped red camels, he arranged a grand send-off for her.

After this, Semetey took Aichurek and safely arrived with her in Talas.

Semetey. The Death of Chinkodjo and Toltoy. Part - 1