Azel Halgal

**Azel Halgal** (アゼル・ハルガラ *Azeru Harugaru*?) is Amir's oldest brother and the head of the Halgal family.

## Appearance

Azel has long black
hair which is tied into several braids. He wears a round and shallow conical hat
trimmed with furs with a hanging animal tail on its tip. Due to the nomadic
nature of his tribe, his clothes are generally thick even during the summer
season to provide protection from the colder regions. His innerwear consists of
a thick shirt and loose pants, which he layered with a sleeveless jacket that
hangs to his knees and lined with dark furs. Among his cousins his outfit is
the most ornate, perhaps reflecting his important status as the eldest son of
the tribe leader. In fact, his overall outfits also closely resemble his father
Berkhrat, albeit with lesser details. His jacket is made out of a dark
material, ornamented with repeating intricate diamond-shaped patterns and tied
with a sash. On top of the sash, another belt is tied, decorated with silver
buckles. In contrast his footwear is much simpler in design, wearing a plain leather
boots with upturned tips.

Azel carries at
least two blades with him, a small dagger that he tucked into the front of his
sash and a longer sabre that hangs from his belt. He also carries a quiver and a
short horsewhip (*kamcha*) on his belt.

During winter Azel exchanges his hat for another one with a thicker fur lining, which resembles a *tymak.* His coat is also thicker, with embroideries on the bottom of the sleeve and middle edge of the coat.

## Personality

Azel comes across as
a cold and stoic man, putting his duties to the tribe above his own personal
feelings. He dutifully carries out all of the orders from the elders even when
he disagrees with their decisions, such as severing Amir’s new marriage and
meeting the conniving head of the Batan tribe to form an alliance. Though Azel is
no pushover and his own immense sense of pride often leads to angry outbursts,
even towards the elders.

Azel is unfailingly
polite in his manner of speech especially when addressing those older than him,
although his actions might betray otherwise as he has absolutely no qualm in breaking
all social etiquettes, if need be, such as when he stormed into the Eihon’s
family inner quarter to retrieve Amir and threatened to cut off Yusuf’s hand
who tried to stop him.

He is also quite antagonistic
when angered, and it is implied by Joruk that he is prone to be physically
violent when provoked by his enemies. When the Batan initially showed hostility
towards him on his visit to their tribe, Azel seemed to secretly relish the
fact that he now had an excuse to go into a fight and kill the headsman right
then and there due to his own distrust towards the Batan. However, when dealing
with people who are not a threat to him or his tribe, Azel can be considerate
and kind, as proven by how he interacted with Karluk later, constantly giving
him encouragements when he taught him how to hunt. It was also shown that Azel
actually deeply cares for his sister Amir and is willing to risk his own life
to save her.

When he is around
his cousins, Azel appears to be more relaxed in both action and manner of
speech, opening up to them about his personal thoughts and trusting them with
important tasks when he inherits the position as the head of the clan.

Azel is an extraordinarily
skilled fighter, capable of taking down many of the fully armed Batan men
singlehandedly. When he lost his bow and horse amidst the chaos of the tribes
war, he was able to hold his own against the horsemen with only a sabre as a
weapon.

Like the rest of the
Halgal tribe, Azel is also a skilled horse-rider and hunter.

## Gallery

Details of Azel’s outfits from the front.Details of Azel’s outfits from the back.Azel holding his own against the Batan horsemen.Azel’s winter outfits.Riding his horseAzel and Karluk on the hunt