Assail (novel)/Prologue

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North territory of a new land
Of the Jaghut Wars
Seventh century of the 12th Lamatath campaign
33,421 years before Burn's Sleep
==A new land==
A Jaghut woman flees from a T'lan Imass hunting party. She has no hope of escape, but leads them up a rocky slope towards some caves. She is pierced by a spear that pins her to the ground, and is caught. Ut'el Anag, the Imass Bonecaster, expresses his disappointment that she is so easily caught and says she has doomed her kin in the caves as well. He sends scouts to explore the caves but they are killed. The Jaghut grins savagely as her trap is sprung and Forkrul Assail swarm from the cave. All of the intruders are killed except the Jaghut, who unpins herself and jumps over the cliff, and Ut'el who escapes into a warren.
Hel'eth Jal Im (Pogrom of the White Stag)
51st Jaghut War
6,031 years before Burn's Sleep
==An unknown land==
A band of T'lan Imass led by Shalt Li'gar have found a land unknown to them. It is occupied by humans, whose hide boats line the shore before their log homes. Soon the undead T'lan Imass are warily approached by the spear-wielding natives. When the humans speak in the Jaghut language, some of the Imass note something in their physical appearance that leads them to cry "Abomination!" and attack. Shalt and others of the Imass band try to prevent this from happening, resulting in fighting between the two opposing Imass groups, although the aggressors far outnumber the defenders. As the weeping Shalt is cut down by Bruj'el, she warns the humans to flee and "Hide yourselves..."
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