Sivulu
The copper taste of blood was still fresh in Sivulu’s mouth as he turned to find the entrance to Djozen Yelto’s inner compound, where he knew they were keeping Asha Imha-khet. Hroth of the Ohmati had fallen, but his men fought on, and there would be a new Hedjetten chosen after the battle. All around him men continued to fall, Farstepper and Khôl alike, but the chaos would not keep Sivulu from his goal.
At least that is what he told himself before he saw the giant black creatures defending the inner gates. They were bigger than anything he had ever seen, and he was sure that each of their forelimbs could have smashed through the stone of Yelto’s compound with only the slightest bit of effort. One of them let out a mighty cry that made Sivulu wince and paw at his ears. As a wolf, his senses were staggeringly sharper than when he was a human, and he had never lamented that fact until now.
“Uzma,” he shouted to the remaining Hedjetten from the Kuufi tribe, his voice gnarled by his lupine vocal cords, “get rid of those things! Refocus until they are taken down! Beyond them lies the prize.”
Uzma nodded and turned to bark orders at his men. The tribesmen still poured over the walls in great numbers, only being slowed by the stubborn swords and arrows of Yelto’s rapidly depleting army.
Sivulu watched the twin black pillars as they spewed death before them, pinning men to the ground and tearing them in half with barely a shred of effort. Their long necks were topped with horned heads that gored and skewered with ease, and their mouths were caverns of daggers that made even steel look flimsy. Five Kuufi had rushed them at once only to meet a swift and bloody end. The fifth warrior had caught the tip of one of the creature’s horns, driven deep into his ribcage and straight out his back, and was tossed unceremoniously over the wall.
This was proving to be difficult, yet they had to get past them in order to free the Ghost.
At least that is what he thought before the streaking figure of Kuu came careening through the legs of both creatures, heedless of danger, racing right toward the gates of the inner compound of Djozen Yelto.