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Kalugal turned to Bhathian. "If anything changes back here, let us know right away. We need to adapt. The situation could evolve quickly."
"Of course." Bhathian looked offended. "This is not my first rodeo."
"I know." Kalugal clapped him on the back with a smile. "I like to reiterate things, even those that you might think everyone knows. That way, there is no room for confusion."
"Who do you want to take with you?" Bhathian asked.
Kalugal turned to Dalhu. "Do you want to come?"
"Of course." The guy grinned as if Kalugal had offered him a prize, which, in a way, he had.
Dalhu seemed to be spoiling for a fight, but if everything went according to plan, there wouldn't be much fighting to be done.
Dalhu
"So, here is how it's going to work," Negal said as the four of them collected their equipment. "We will scout the area and locate the sentries. Then we will come back for you."
When Kalugal nodded, Negal continued, "Dagor and I are not the best of shrouders, and shrouding others along with ourselves drains our ability. After we locate all the pairs, the four of us will get in position to take the first one, but Dagor and I will approach them first while shrouding only ourselves, which is much less draining for us, and incapacitate them. You will stay behind until they are ready for you. Then you come, and you do your thing with the compulsion."
Dalhu was disappointed. "Then what do you need me for? You can take just Kalugal."
Negal smiled. "Precautions. What if we encounter someone who is immune to compulsion? Or if we walk into an ambush? Dagor and I can probably handle that on our own, but you seem like a capable warrior, and having you with us might save the day."
Dalhu had a feeling that the god was just being courteous, but he wasn't going to argue. He was itching for action, even if it involved nothing more than running through the forest.
As he found out a short time later, though, keeping up with the gods was not easy. The dense forest around them was both a blessing and a curse. It provided cover, but the uneven terrain and the thick undergrowth made it challenging to move quickly and silently.
Dalhu was no stranger to physical exertion, but keeping pace with the gods was proving to be a herculean task. After more than an hour of running at breakneck speed, every breath he drew was a labored gasp, and his lungs were burning with the effort.
If they didn't slow down, the sentries would be alerted to their presence by his and Kalugal's huffing and puffing.
"Slow down," Kalugal finally whispered. "We don't need to run at top speed. We have plenty of time."
Kalugal's whisper was music to Dalhu's ears. The gods seemed to move with supernatural ease, and despite the speed at which they were running, their steps barely disturbed the forest floor.
He admired and envied their agility and strength, and those were not the only attributes of theirs that were superior to his and Kalugal's.
Even though the gods were at least a hundred feet ahead, they'd heard the whisper, which attested to their superior hearing. With all the ambient noise of nature around them, Dalhu doubted he could have heard a whisper from such a distance.
Dagor was the first one to switch from a run to an easy jog, and Negal reluctantly followed his example.
"Let's walk for a little bit," Kalugal whispered. "Dalhu and I need to catch our breath."
As they transitioned to a walk, Dalhu's chest heaved as he drew in deep, steadying breaths. When he and Kalugal were no longer huffing and puffing, the sounds filling the silence were the chirping of insects, the rustle of leaves, and the distant calls of animals.
Negal smirked. "We offered to carry you on our backs."
"There is no need for that," Kalugal said. "You were just going too fast."
Dagor, the more serious of the two gods, frowned. "Perhaps you should rest while Negal and I scout ahead. We can find where the sentries are and come back for you after we've dealt with them."
Kalugal cast Dalhu a sidelong glance. "What do you think?"
"I think it's a smart use of resources."
Dalhu might not have the godly abilities of Dagor or Negal, but he had his own strengths to bring to the table. He was a skilled warrior and a quick thinker, and he had a personal stake in the success of this mission. He might recognize some of those Doomers from his time in the Brotherhood, and if they belonged to the group of those he had vowed to one day eliminate, this mission would kill two birds with one stone, pun intended.
"Very well." Kalugal walked up to a tree and sat down, leaning against its trunk. "Go ahead."
