Suddenly, without warning, a tall, pale robed figure broke from between the ranks of Kallathik and charged down the hill, a spear held high in one hand, the dirty white robes flapping around it, sleeves flying from its arms. Tarlain narrowed his eyes? The snowy mane was matted, tresses bunched together with muck. Some mad, old deluded Atavist, charging down the hillside to make his stand. Tarlain applauded the sentiment, but no, not now. They didn't need this. Someone cried out from a neighboring hill, but the Atavist ignored him.
Someone down below had seen the charging figure too, because he was pointing up the hillside and gesturing to his companions. A small knot of men broke off from the rest of the group and started jogging forward toward the hillside. Tarlain glanced over to where the priest stood. He had stopped his mad dash for the moment and was staring down at the charging Atavist. For an instant, it seemed that all eyes were on the sole figure running across the ground between them. Even the group of men jogging toward them had stopped their progress. One of them toward the front of the group had his arms out wide, halting the rest of his companions. Alone, robes flying, the old man bounded across the field, waving his spear. With a mighty heave, he threw it forward and released. The hard wooden shaft arced up and out, catching the ruddy light across its shining length. It sailed across the intervening space, to fall, skid across the grass and lie like a pointer on the ground. For a moment, there was silence. The old man slowly lowered his arms and let them hang limply by his sides.
"Principal Men Darnak!" called a voice from the hillside.
The old man looked around himself, trying to locate the source of the shout.
"Principal Men Darnak!"
Tarlain looked over. It was the priest shouting. And then, with sudden realization, he knew who it was down there and his guts went cold.
"Principal Men Darnak!" Witness Kovaar shouted again and started running down toward the solitary figure in the middle of the empty field.
A sudden shaft of light speared across the landscape. It came from the group of men below. The man in front, the one who had held back his companions, was holding something to his shoulder. The light drew a straight line from the thing he carried to the priest on the hillside. Witness Kovaar threw up his hands and crumpled to the ground in mid cry, tumbling forward to lie in an awkward heap.
Tarlain didn't understand what he had just seen. The priest lay where he was. Another shaft of light, and this time one of the Kallathik toppled where it stood. And suddenly Tarlain did understand. They had some sort of weapon down there, and they were using it to pick off the figures on the hillside.
"Father!" he cried.
Then, everything erupted. Without a sound, the waves of Kallathik broke their formation and charged down the hillside with their impossible speed, twin sets of spears whirling in their arms.
Tarlain barely noticed. His attention was fixed on the solitary old man, caught between the lines of Kallathik and men. He was standing there, looking confusedly around himself.
"Father, up here!" Tarlain shouted again.
Leannis Men Darnak seemed to come to himself. He turned and looked back up to where Tarlain stood, fixed to the spot, still calling. And then he started running.
Tarlain was vaguely aware of the line of charging Kallathik. It barely registered as one by one they toppled, holes appearing in their number as they made their rapid advance, soundless except for that deep eerie chant that still echoed within him. He barely noticed the flashes of searing light, impossible and bright in the dull light of the Storm Season suns. All he could see was his father, arms outstretched, running across the fields toward the hill, toward Tarlain, as if coming to greet him after a long absence. He took one step, two steps. Then the line of Kallathik obscured his father's position. For a moment, then another, the line of Kallathik blocked his view, and then it was clear. His father, Leannis Men Darnak, was gone.
"No!" shouted Tarlain.
He couldn't see him. What had happened?
