Heidi's heart had gradually tightened as the number of invaders exceeded her expectations, one after another emerging into view.
For she knew that these seemingly human but not human "things" were far more formidable than the Heretic she had dealt with before—that Heretic was merely a human who had made a pact with the Profound Demons, and although possessing some skill, was fundamentally a fragile mortal; in her own "area of expertise," he wasn't difficult to handle.
But these black-robed "people" were different—they were not human at all.
They were the "remnant" of the Scions of the Sun, messengers and kin sprung from the aberration of horror in the skies, intrinsically a part of the "Wriggling Sunwheel," an extension of that ancient deity's power.
These beings lacked normal cognitive processes and had no personality structure comprehensible to humans; as a "spiritual psychiatrist," the knowledge and techniques Heidi possessed were of very limited effect against such foes.
