02 Quetzals Flock

QUETZAL'S FLOCK
suckered mouths tore at their flesh and great gouts of blood squirted from torn throats
and bellies.
The rest of the herd surged on and Kane was forced to climb desperately, he
barely escaped the thrashing hooves, as he clambered up the outside of the Arch.
Hammadi had unleashed a devil he couldn't control. The herd ran on, spurred now, by
the sound of their dying kind and the smell of blood.
They ran full tilt into the mass of men who were hacking each other to pieces
in front of the camp of Obeid. Thoughts of battle were abandoned as they turned to
face the new threat. Groups of fighting men lost cohesion, but here and there, fierce
skirmishes continued between a hundred or more die-hards, who refused to be
deterred by the stampede.
The mob of Picun was losing momentum but there was still enough to wreck
the Encampment of Obeid. His folly in allowing Hammadi to have his way, soon
became apparent, especially when the cost was counted afterwards. Hand-to-hand
fighting continued. They fought for hours, until there was no strength left - and still
they fought. The men around each of the leaders were the strongest. They were the
Body Companions, dedicated to the protection of their Lords. It was upon them, that
the battle focused.
It was inevitable that in the end, it had to come down to a man-to-man fight
between Obeid and Eridos. In the final analysis, it was really what the Division was
about. The hatred between the two had festered for the long days of their lives. It had
been instilled into them in infancy by bitter fathers who were brothers and like so
many brothers, had detested each other.
Obeid faced Eridos, both were still strong despite the exertions of the battle.
With one movement, they discarded the tatters of their Kous and began to circle each
other. Nothing was said, they gripped their short swords more tightly and probed for
an opening. Kane scrambled down from his vantage point and in so doing, lost the
remainder of his Kous. He hardly noticed and ignored the possibility of fatal exposure
to the blistering heat. It made him anonymous, it didn't pay to be identified with either
side.
The fighting had stopped, he pushed through a ring of silent, sweating
warriors, who waited in anticipation as their leaders moved slowly around each other,
looking for an opening. Black cloak and grey cloak stood side by side, their own
private battles over. The outcome between the leaders would decide all. The time of
Division and Enmity was coming to an end. Quetzal had said so. Some of them
recognised him but they made no move against him.
Kane saw Hammadi in the front rank across the circle. He looked wild-eyed
and strained. Kane sensed it wasn't only the outcome of the battle, or even the fight
between Eridos and Obeid - there was something else. He was distracted by Obeid
making the first lunge and then stepping back quickly as Eridos retaliated with the
speed of a snake. They took to circling each other again, looking for the one small
opening which would give one or the other the edge. They grew tired of the dance and
closed again. Their swords clashed against each other in a flurry of blows and parries.
Their naked bodies ran with sweat and the dust they kicked up, caked their lower legs
in a purple film.
Obeid drew first blood. He had lunged and Eridos had not been quite quick
enough. A thin line of blood trickled down his flank, he ignored it. Obeid grinned in
grim triumph and took a tighter, more confident grip on his sword. Eridos didn't take
his eyes off him.
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