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Rhone and the Praetorians swirl around Kalindora andspirit atop her mount The ranks of the enemy are shattered, but their will is not It was Kalindora who introduced me to the term Blood Red for the battle frenzy of the Red clansmen I believe I see it now

They refuse to yield the boulevard They heave their bodies against it, for They slash at our horses’ bellies Or fire down from rooftops, but when our attention bears down on thele moment, they become mincemeat

My rooftop ele forward My infantry advances

at a run through the plaza to support our charge Soon the enemy will be routed, and ill sweep south to run down their support legions and force those at the spaceport and Mound to surrender

As I try to freeai three rounds into the sniper’s center mass More snipers provide cover for us from the rubble of the Water Gardens

“Where is he?” I shout to Rhone My Praetorians cluster aroundanyone who comes near “He knew I’d expect him on Triumphia” Without Darrow in captivity, my victory will be incomplete

Rhone’s flinty eyes search thebut the churn of battle Then I spot the signs of his advance fro of a tiger through tall grass First a rippling in the distance that see of riders The starting of horses Men disappear from saddles Sunbloods collapse sideith horrible wounds And then, like the tiger’s tail, the curved slingBlade rises above the stalks as he threshes all in his path

He kills with iression

I will not repeat past mistakes and rush to meet him

“Rhone! Bring him down!” I shout The Praetorians follow my blade and shoulder their rifles as they stand in the stirrups Tracer rounds scream into the mob as Darrow disappears behind a horse Then a raw-throated cry roars up from Darrow’s men

“Red Rain! Red Rain!”

I look up just as the stars are obscured by shadows Reds rain fro themselves off the rooftops that line the Via Triust us Our firetea it in two Not an arles and jerks his arh his throat He throws the knife at h the Praetorian into the Red

Aon to my side by the lip of my breastplate His knife flashes at my face I duck my head The knife stabs several times into the crown ofht side He spills off just as gore squirts into my face as a woman comes doith a block of masonry atop the head of a Praetorian

Kalindora cuts her clean in half and then looks over my head ide eyes “Tele—”

An immense force lands on me