Kage moved like a shadow given form, each footfall deliberate and silent against the moss-covered ground. The late morning sun filtered through the canopy above, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the stone circle—patterns he could use.
The White Apes lay in a loose cluster at the circle's center, their white fur almost luminous in the dappled sunlight. Their breathing was deep and rhythmic. Asleep, but not defenseless. These were predators, and predators never truly let their guard down completely.
Kage's eyes swept the battlefield with cold calculation. Twelve standing stones, each roughly eight feet tall, arranged in a near-perfect circle. The gaps between them were just wide enough for a man to slip through—or for an ape to lunge. The ground was uneven, studded with smaller rocks and root systems that broke the surface like veins. Good. Uneven ground favored the lighter combatant.
