Have yet to edit this chapter so there will probably be quite a few mistakes! will change in the future!

Silence, nothing. Charlie looked from Phukomeia to the rest of the equally as confused warriors. Moving his gaze from them, he saw the survivor. She lay on the floor, her gun aimed at the body of Phukomeia. Her eyes were wide as she panted heavily, obviously not used to the kick back of a gun. A warrior muttered something as she jumped to her feet. The Survivor turned and fired at the woman.

Three warriors leapt onto her, pining her against the sand as the body of the woman slummed down into the ground. Kicking the first in the stomach, the woman punched the second. The third tackled her and again the two jumped onto her.

The three battled in the sand as the woman cackled. Fury filled the eyes of the women as they saw the woman shot had her arm missing. The shot had taken off her arm, now it laid on the flood in a few bloody pieces. Ourupadia grabbed Charlie and yanked him to the side, she used her free hand to grab the body of Phukomeia.

Coughing and spluttering, Phukomeia pulled herself to her feet. The first shot had mostly missed, leaving a deep flesh would along her side. Or at least that was what they could see in the dark.

The survivor cackled as she was pinned by the three screaming women. Yells went up from over the ridge. The survivor laughed as she screamed in their native tongue. None moved as they listened to her words. Diving her face into the sand, the pinned woman swallowed some sand into her mouth before turning and spitting it into the faces of the warriors pinning her.

She yelled and screamed more, her screams filling the night and captivating the group.

“What did she say,” Charlie muttered, but none had to answer as the woman grabbed her side. Digging her fingers into her flesh, she began to peal away her skin. She was wearing a skin suit, well, a suit of skin more like. She was wearing the skin of one of their people, and due to the paints, they weren’t able to see the cuts and edges of the outfit.

Phukomeia stared at the woman as their eyes locked. Gripping her knife tightly, she moved forward. Muttering something, Phukomeia took a step forward. The three women retreated back. Leaping up, the woman pointed her gun at Phukomeia. Lifting her own, she fired and shot the gun from the woman’s hand. Stumbling, the woman grabbed her side. One of the bullets from the six fired had hit her. Coughing and spluttering, she began to yell at Phukomeia.

“Was this one your friend?” she began, her voice horse as she coughed up more blood.

“Don’t worry, she tasted fucking amazing, and her skin feels great against mine!” the woman said with a cackle.

Phukomeia screamed as she dove towards the women. Phukomeia landed on the woman.

Taking her knife, Phukomeia plunged the knife into the woman’s throat. Again, she stabbed, then again, and again. She hacked and slashed until the head came loose from the body. Spitting blood that had accumulated in her mouth onto the sand, Phukomeia stood, the woman’s head in her hands.

Screams and yells arouse from over the ridge, the battle had begun.

She barked and order to the women. Snapping out of their trance, they took up positions on the ridge. Almost immediately, they began to fire down onto the raiders, a refreshed fury and anger as they screamed and yelled as their arrows rained down onto the enemy.

Phukomeia looked to Charlie. Moving down to the woman’s side, she grabbed a bit of the loose skin. Ripping it back, she revealed the blue painted skin under. It was raider, a spy. Two women moved to the side of the injured warrior. Phukomeia again barked an order and the women acted quickly. Lifting her into the air, they began to retreat with the injured woman.

Going to the side of Charlie, she placed a hand onto his head. Seeing the fear in his eyes, she raised her hand. Charlie’s head almost fell off his shoulders as she slapped him across the face. Grabbing the sides of his face, she turned him to look at her.

“Fight,” she muttered, picking up his gun and handing it to him. Charlie nodded as he leapt to his feet.

“Wait,” he said, stopping Phukomeia in her tracks. Glaring over her shoulder, she said nothing.

“There were two more survivors, they are probably also in skin suits,” he explained. Phukomeia’s eyes widened as she barked an order to Ourupadia. Ourupadia answered, but quickly complied as Phukomeia fired a shot next to her.

Nodding, Ourupadia sprinted off. Following Phukomeia, Charlie stumbled to the edge of the hill. White and red painted warriors engaged in bloody combat with blue painted raiders. A tall, muscular raider leading a tightly backed group of warriors charged forward into the fray. Raising his gun, he aimed for the group.

“Phukomeia,” he said yelled over the sound of screams and gun fire.

“What!” she yelled, firing another round before loading more of the cylinders into the gun.

“The guns are made for short range, so they aren’t accurate from this distance, aim for the groups and you’ll probably kill more!” Charlie instructed as he fired several rounds into the group. Three of the about twelve warriors dropped as he emptied his gun into the group.

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Clicking the release, the cylinders toppled out of the gun. Opening his pouch, he loaded another six cylinders. Leaning over the edge, he was ready to fire, but stopped as he saw the Chiefess and Nolkonoe casually walking through the battle. The tall woman, who he assumed to be the leader of the raiders, pointed to the Chiefess. What remined of the group charged, war spears and axes in hand.

The archers and Phukomeia stopped firing. Even the warriors on the battlefield moved back as they saw the Chiefess and Nolkonoe walk casually froward. Three warriors with spears simultaneously ran at the Chiefess. In a flash of red, she flung her war spear upwards. There was a moment of stillness before the three warriors tumbled back, their spears shattered, necks slit.

Five more women leapt forward. Moving to the side, she dodged the first attacker. Grabbing the woman’s spear, she snapped it in her hands while simultaneously stabbing out to the side, killing another attacker. A spear flew towards the stomach of the Chiefess. Diving in front of her, Nolkonoe swiped towards the spear. Cutting off the spear head, she then dove towards the two remaining attackers.

Hacking and slashing, she cut down the remaining two. This practiced unity amongst the two only showed to Charlie that they weren’t in need of help. Turning, he looked to the arm on the sand behind him. Blood started to spread through the sand, dying it a deep red.

Looking back to the Chiefess, he watched as the last of the raider leader’s warriors charged at her. Stepping to the side, she kicked one in the stomach, before throwing her spear into the stomach of the second. Drawing her knife, she plunged the stone into the back of the first attacker. Ripping the knife from the woman’s back, she threw it towards the last, third attacker.

A thud a crack of skull almost echoed into the night sky as the knife lodged into the man’s head. Maybe the only male casualty of the night. Stumbling back, the raider leader watched as what remained of her warriors started to either die or stumble as the Desert Ghost overwhelmed them. Pointing out to the leader of the raiders, the Chiefess yelled something in their native tongue. From watching how the two women started to walk towards one another, he guessed that the Chiefess must have challenged her to a dual.

Something though wasn’t right. Thinking, Charlie realised that Ourupadia had yet to reach the warriors. Looking at the faces of the warriors, which were highlighted by the fire light, he could see the other two survivors still amongst the warriors.

“Come,” Phukomeia explained as herself and her archers moved down the hill. Blood still poured from her side. Charlie placed a hand onto her.

“Your injured, go back to the camp and get healed,” he said. For a second, she looked at him, before turning and slapping him.

“Never tell a warrior of our tribe to back down,” she said before charging down the rest of the hill and into the camp. A few injured raiders surrounded their leader, acting as a human shield. Five of them were left.

“There still there,” Charlie said, looking to the two remaining survivors as they moved closer and closer to the edge of the group.

“Shit,” Phukomeia muttered.

“What do we do?”

“Charge over there and kill them,”

“But what if the warriors think we are the traitors? They may not even give us a chance to explain ourselves,”

“Fuck,”

“Where is Ourupadia?” he said, scanning for other warriors.

“Doesn’t matter, get them first, subtly. Move through the tents and into the crowd, if they do anything kill them without hesitation” Phukomeia said before leaping forward. The Chiefess and Nolkonoe began to descend upon what was left of the warriors protecting the raider leader. Phukomeia and Charlie darted through the camp, keeping their eyes locked onto the two survivors. A flash of red spluttered across Charlie’s face.

A raider slumped in front of him, she shadows of night concealing her presence. Ourupadia emerged from the shadows, her body covered with cuts both deep and shallow. Two huntresses went to help her as Charlie could only give her a nod of thanks before carrying on his run. He would have to thank her later. Passing by one of the tents, he lost sight for an only a second before the two survivors vanished.

Stopping, he slipped in the sand. Quickly recovering, he turned and sprinted towards the crowd. They couldn’t do this subtly. Bursting from the tents, he watched as Nolkonoe turned to face the charging warriors. Herself and two warriors from the crowd attacked the first, but he second dodged her.

Knife in hand, she charged towards the Chiefess. Raising his gun, Charlie aimed for the woman. Taking in a deep breath, then another, then another. After several breaths he steadied his mind. Placing a leg back to help stop himself from being knocked over by kick back, carefully he squeezed the trigger. A bang rang out. All seemed to slow as he fired another shot. Only on the third did the woman topple, dead onto the ground.

Leaping into the open, Charlie aimed his gun down at the woman.

“The three survivors, they are raiders! They are wearing the skin of the people they are imitating!” Charlie yelled. Nolkonoe looked confused for a few seconds. Phukomeia burst into the open next to him, quickly she confirmed what he said, but in their native tongue. Looking to the survivor in front of her, she stared at her narrow face as her lips curled into a smile. Throwing her stone knife into the air, she caught it and stabbed the warrior next to her.

The women pounced as they pinned the warrior.

The Chiefess stared at the woman started to mock and insult her in their native tongue. Turning back to look at the leader of the raiders, the Chiefess’s face went blank. Walking to Charlie, she placed a soft kiss onto his forehead. Putting a hand to her side, she caught the body of a spear. Charlie blinked for a few seconds. Looking to her hand, he saw a spear head only a few inches from his face. A trickle moved down his cheek. The Chiefess placed a hand onto his face. Wiping the trickle, she reviled it to be blood.

Lifting her knife, she sprinted towards the raider. Lifting her spear, she blocked the first strike of the Chiefess. Kicking up, raider aimed for the Chiefess’s stomach. Ducking down, she moved past the leg, using her free hand, she grabbed her leg. Throwing her hand up, she filled the raider. Moving her hands down, she went to try and do a handstand to avoid from being flipped, but the Chiefess stabbed forward with her knife.

Stabbing into the woman’s side with the knife, her other hand tightened its grip around the ankle of the raider. Cracks rang out as the Chiefess broke the woman’s ankle as her knife pierced into the woman’s gut. Dropping down, she grabbed the hair of the woman. Turning, she placed her legs onto either side of the woman. Still gripping her hair, she forced her head upwards. Placing her knife to the woman’s hair line, she began to cut.

Screams suppressed the talk of the women as they watched the Chiefess begin to scalp the warrior. Staring at the Chiefess, he could see a large black tail of a wolf fluttering behind her, and tall black ears protruding from her head.