So Kopporu had watched—from atop the mantle of the crippled battlemother Oroku. That had been Oroku’s own proposal. In such a manner, she had explained to Kopporu, she would still gain honor from the battle, which her maimed and useless ped prevented her from joining directly.
It had proven to be an excellent idea. From that high perch, Kopporu had been able to follow the entire course of the battle. She had been able to send commands to the battle groups, taking advantage of every opening she saw in the Utuku formations.
And she had also been able to watch the other half of the battle. She had been able to see everything. From the moment the first demons began flickering down the slopes of the Chiton and hurled themselves onto the right flank of the Utuku.
It was—like nothing Kopporu had ever seen. Utuku warriors had begun falling dead, eights at a time. By magic, Kopporu thought at first. Until she finally realized what the demons were doing with those strange, huge—darts?
Within moments after the demons appeared, the Utuku right flank had been driven back—the Utuku battle line broken in half. From then on, Kopporu had only to face the Utuku left flank. Even the Utuku center had remained out of action, paralyzed by a small number of flickering demons.
At first, Kopporu had been vastly relieved. It had been such a horrible shock, to come out of the Swamp and run into an Utuku army at the foot of the Chiton, blocking their access to the mountain’s hoped-for sanctuary. The despair which had swept over Kopporu in that moment had been the worst she had ever felt in her life. The Utuku army was almost twice the size of her own, and the terrain favored them. The battle would take place in the narrow stretch of land between the slope of the mountain and the river. No way, even, to retreat this time. A river crossing would take far too long, even if another kraken was not encountered.
Seeing no choice, she had ordered the battle groups into line. And prepared to sell their lives dearly.
Until the demons arrived.
Great relief, and gratitude—at first. And still, Kopporu admitted to herself, to this moment.
The demons saved us. Never doubt it.
But, as she watched the demons in battle, another emotion had come to take its place beside the relief and the gratitude.
A great, growing, terrible fear.
I must make Guo understand! She is still so full of pride, because we defeated half of an Utuku army. Routed them. Destroyed them.
But we could not have done it without the demons. And what is more, she must understand that the demons destroyed the other half. A small battle group of demons turned double-eight their number of Utuku into so much scavenger-meat.
And suffered only a few casualties in so doing! Most of them in the center, at the fiercest point of the struggle.
Whereas we—lost many warriors.
Kopporu’s greatest moment of fear had come when she saw the killing of the Utuku commander. She had seen a new demon appear, racing down the mountain like the wind. Black as night. Implacable. Racing toward the Utuku center. Other demons had surrounded it and followed. Then had come the—dart.
The black demon had—hurled?—its dart high into the air. So very high. So very far.
At first, Kopporu thought the demon had simply missed its mark—and missed it badly. Until, watching the dart begin its downward course, she realized the truth.
It is not possible, she remembered thinking, as she watched. It is not possible.
But it had been so. The Utuku commander was slain. Struck by lightning from the sky. Dead, Kopporu knew, without ever realizing what caused her doom.
She had known, then, that these were truly demons.
Already, Guo’s temper had almost caused disaster. After the Utuku were routed, Kopporu’s army had begun slaughtering the survivors. There would be no mercy for any Utuku—especially not for any Utuku with fresh cowl scars. Recent recruits, those were—some of them even former Kiktu, who had eaten their own people to save their worthless lives.
Kopporu’s warriors had been particularly vigilant in their search for any such. Vigilant, and vengeful.