Darin turns to shout orders but is cut off by a thunderous series of explosions. Seconds later, something flies past Darin's head, missing him by only a few feet. The cast-iron ball slams into the ground behind him, hurling up a cloud of dust.
And then the rest of the volley hits.
Balls of cast-iron slam into trees, splintering them and pouring debris onto the men below. One strikes the path behind the scouts, skipping off the ground and decapitating the scout in the front.
Amidst the chaos, Darin shouts, "Back, damn you all, back! Get back from the barricade!"
And then a ball strikes the barricade beneath him.
Darin can feel himself go airborne. For a few moments, the world spins around him; then he makes painful contact with the ground below. The breath is torn from his lungs. He blinks away the dust in his eyes.
Despite the searing pain in his bad leg, Darin pulls himself onto his knees and catches his breath. He turns to where the barricade used to be, now only a pile of smashed timber.
A horn sounds at the mouth of the jungle.
The sun glints off of steel as rebel soldiers approach.
War has returned to the jungle once more.
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