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He continued to walk along the path with mounds of earth on both flanks. Ahead, the path split in two and the edifices fell back to make room for a large, circular space. The path broadened and swept in curves to the left and to the right around its perimeter. Radial paths seemingly identical to the first came in at regular intervals from among the towering structures to meet and join together. The spaces between the spokes were filled with hard-packed, powdery earth instead of the black, crumbled gravel which covered the paths themselves. The intermittent gusts of wind tugged wisps of dirt loose to drift to and fro in a seething cloud.

He noticed another structure which stood in the center of the area. It was shaped roughly like a basin, cracked and crumbling. A shape carved of a light-colored stone stood on a stained pedestal in the center of the basin, but it was vague and worn, rendered anonymous by the relentless, scouring wind. He could make out a smaller shape at the basin's lip, leaning into it, occluded by the roiling dust clouds. It stood on its hind legs, facing away, seemingly oblivious.

He walked closer and its shape grew clearer during the approach. Its legs were long and slender, seemingly too thin and fragile to adequately support its weight. The thing's barrel-shaped body was covered with a patchwork of wiry hair, brown and gray and black in random stripes and spots and whorls. He was smaller than it, a fact discernible even at this distance.

He must have made too much noise in approaching it. It propped its upper body upon its front legs and raised its head from within the basin. It turned its head so its head was in profile. Yellowed teeth and bone peeked through sores and abscesses that wept dark, blood-streaked pus along the thing's muzzle. Its nostrils flared, and it heaved away from the edge of the basin with a wheeze of air that puffed out through the its nostrils. Its limbs jerked, and the stumpy, hooflike fingers at the ends of its legs danced a frantic tattoo on the hard ground as it bounded away.

He watched it go. It crossed the circular arena in a few moments, covering the distance in a few long strides of its spidery legs. He heard another sound, then, a composite ululating made of layered noises. Something arced out from the shadow of one of the blocky structures lining the paths and buried itself in the creature's side. Its shrill cry echoed off the enclosing walls of the area, and the force of the blow upset its balance and sent it crashing to the earth.

He saw other forms emerge. They had a familiar shape--two arms, two legs, a head. Three in all. They wore ragged bits of grimy fabric which failed to entirely cover their bodies. One of them was subtly different from the others, smaller and slighter. They all carried tools, metal poles with sharpened tips. They fanned out around the wounded creature, which was struggling to regain its feet in a series of awkward, sprawling jerks. Viscous blood flowed from the puncture wound in its flank in sluggish rivulets to plop upon the dry earth. It snarled and kicked out with one limb, and one of the new forms leaped backwards to avoid the slashing hoof.

This provided an opportunity for the two others to dart forward and impale it with their weapons. The smaller of them brought its metal blade across the creature's neck. Blood gushed and the earth drank greedily. One of the others shouted, gesticulating at the fresh wound. The other cast aside its pole and knelt, heedless of the larger creature's weakening convulsions. It cupped its hands to catch the tacky liquid. It also drank, but it made happy, gluttonous noises as it did, so unlike the silent earth.

The other two moved next to the felled beast and did the same. They jostled for position, at first, but soon fell into a rhythm which let the least amount of the depleting bloodflow go to waste, alternating between cupping their hands to receive the hot fluid fresh from the wound and holding them in a place to catch stray droplets. He watched them gorge themselves, until the stream of blood was reduced to a mere trickle which seeped among the scruffy hairs of the beast's piebald pelt. They fell back under the harsh light, their hands and arms and mouths and faces streaked vivid red. They lay that way for a while, until the smallest of the three roused itself. It collected the discarded weapons, leaned them against the motionless bulk, and then looked around warily.

He looked back and recognized her as a woman. Her face was craggy, lined, worn, and ageless, much like the earth and the buildings. Her blood-streaked mouth was a hard, serious line, and her eyes were piercing and attentive. He moved quickly to evade her gaze. Now did not seem like the correct time to be seen.

He heard the woman's companions stir as well. They exchanged words, garbled and meaningless, while pointing to the dead creature lying in the dirt. They collected their implements, fitting them into slings on their backs. The three then grabbed hold of the creature, one at the head, one at the hind-legs, and the woman in between, at the fore-legs. They hauled it through the dirt, stirring tiny clouds of dust in their wake.

He followed them.