Rastlan's gleaming spear fell to the frozen ground moments after his body, startling the crowd and breaking the silence that had followed the feline warrior's death.
"Look," a man in the crowd whispered in hushed tones while pointing at Aspakos. "His shield is like new… Like it were never cracked or broken…"
"Demon," the man's neighbor said, shuddering in horror at the thought of encountering such a nightmare. "I need a drink," he said. "Two of them, or I won't sleep tonight…"
Elsewhere in the crowd, Sainy covered her son's eyes and held him close to her chest.
"Mama, why did the bad man win?" her son asked with a sniff. "The cat-man was winning and then, then…"
"I, I don't know," Sainy said honestly. "I don't know if the bird-man was a bad man or not," she said, smoothing her son's hair as she held him close. "He fought for the Aleese, honey. He fought for our side…"
"But he, he looked so scary…"
