Warriors of a Distant Planet

Soren followed the Shuntons to a clearing a few miles off the main trail. They piled dry brush high and lay their dead in the center. The funeral pyre lit the sky and blazed hot.  She heard the words ‘Seva Te’ a few times and was pleased the Shuntons knew who killed their clan members. The rest of their conversations she didn’t care about. Soren readied her bow.

Hidden by dense brush, she let the sound of the crackling pyre cover the sing of the arrow as the first warrior fell unnoticed. One after another, Soren picked off three more warriors until she was discovered and set upon by the remaining Shuntons.

Rogue came out of the dark silently like a demon emerging from the depths of Hell and took down the warrior closest to him with one slash at her throat. He quickly moved on to the next.

She dropped her bow and drew her broad sword on the last Shunton warrior. Hate for each other glistened in their eyes. The Shunton slashed at Soren and caught her upper left arm near the shoulder, opening a three- inch long gash running deep.

“I’m impressed!” Soren said. “It’s been a while since a cockroach bit me. Let’s see if you can do it again.” Soren tantalized the raging Shunton.

Rogue trotted up behind the unwary Shunton. Soren sidestepped her swing and with a wave of her hand, shouted at the war dog, “Leave her! She’s mine!” The huge dog backed off and disappeared into the night.

The Shunton warrior saw the huge beast for the first time and turned to Soren with fear in her eyes.

“You are in league with the Devil! He sends his hound to protect you!”

“No, the hound is my doing! The Seva Te lives forever because even the Devil doesn’t want us! Come on! Let’s finish this! I have things to do!”