"Aside from my behind the scenes... Nothing." Sura thought for a moment. "Tchal Habbis was also in Niborkerese... Perhaps he was struck down there or somewhere else."

Sura gathered up whatever moisture he could and spat on Tchal Habbis - however it was hardly saliva but grains of sand. "It matters not, he is dead and Tushmuthut is save." Sura went back up to the sky to assess the damage.

Gourdus and Khor followed. Gourdus openly grinned, while Khor grimaced at the destruction wrought by such filth. The sands were filled with shrapnel, with shattered stone, with sand and with dust. There were no corpses. There had been deaths, certainly, but they would not receive proper burial. Forever gone.. it filled Sura's heart with anger. The Cult of Tushmuthut had been dealt a hideous blow.

But the Third Boundary, the Black Hands of Osiris-Ra, had stood strong. They had protected the temples, shrines, inner sanctums of Tushmuthut even when magic and stone could not. The Dread Lord saved them even in death.

Sura took a moment of silence for the dead. After this moment Sura finally spoke. "Even in death, the Dreaded Lords power is beyond our comprehension. " Sura bowed his head. "Spare what thoughts you have of the dead for later - there is work to be done."

Sura looked to Gourdas. "We need to erect the barriers that were taken down immediately. See to it that it gets done."

He then looked to Khor. "Have everyone combat ready and replenish our numbers."

Sura released the swarm of insects onto the wreckage of Chalybis. "I remain here. Gourdas, return here when you are ready to establish the barriers. Khor, i will seek you out soon.

Sura grabbed a piece of Chalybis using sand to bring it up to him. "We still have other enemies."

Gourdus nodded. "I'll return to Inner Tushmuthut, gather Davies and whatever sorcerers and craftsmen we have left. We'll attempt to rebuild the boundaries within a few hours." He smiled grimly, and moved towards his task.

Khor nodded at his command. "They'll be shaken but nothing my Murder," he said, showing Sura the gleaming knife, and the God of Sand remembered how it could inspire soldiers truly. "Can't solve. We'll have to save morale. Suggestions, Sura?"

As Sura thought about the creation of stronger barriers, Khor still stood near him, waiting for an answer, so his sand-project couldn't begin.

"Let it be known that it was no one here that saved Tushmuthut, it was our Dread Father." Sura said passionately. "Let it be known that the Tchal Habbis is dead. We have grown stonger because of this."

"I... yes," said Khor, nodding his head as if in shock. Two thirds of the holiest city in the universe had just been destroyed. Khor's usual somber face held a hidden bitterness - mixed with a new found, yet just as bitter, admiration for Sura. "Heirophastus will want to visit. Inspect the damages. Perhaps insert one of his own men into Tushmuthut. I'd - we'd originally planned, hmm, Sura, for myself to take Tushmuthut, but now.."

His voice trailed off. It wasn't easy to conduct a Deep and Meaningful between two mass murderers and servants of a vicious jihadic cult, but it was possible.

"You may contest my rule if you wish Khor. However, my love for the city and the cult will not allow me to hand it over." Sura then said hastily, "Khor, we do not have much time. We are weak and our enemies may seek to take advantage of this. We will discuss such matters once we are up and running."

"Apologies," said Khor. "I will go."

And with that Khor retreated within Tushmuthut, to ready whatever force they had. Sura saw him, in the heat-blurred distance, speaking to one of the holy city's remaining officers.

Sura continues with his creation and thinking on the barriers, hoping some stroke of genius will hit him.

Slowly, for Sura was exhausted, the creation starts to form, though no stroke of genius save that which he brings himself comes. He spots Khor organizing the scattered troops of Tushmuthut, as well as Davies and Gourdus overseeing the construction of a sand-wall about Inner Tushmuthut - Gourdus, it seemed, had decided at this stage not to bother with placing the wall in the same area it was originally built. Why guard empty land? They could always build a second wall..

He takes a moment to rest, but only a moment. He then continued hard on this one creation.

It took an hour and a half, and was very rough, an imperfect creation, but the first sand guardian - a golem made of dust and the blood of zealots - was created. Down below, the construction of the Third Boundary - a stone wall - was being erected, underseen by Gourdus. Khor was nowhere to be seen, but soldiers marched on, below.

Sura sensed the presence behind him just as whoever it was spoke.

"This is.. mightily impressive," said the hot, heavy, rasping voice. "We haven't met, you and I. A shame. I've heard the tales, the myths. Sura of Desolace, Lord of the Forbidden Oasis. I am Hierophastus, Lord Invoker Perfect of the Sphere of Force and Fire and First Brother of this dandy Cult. You'd have heard of me, I'm sure."

The First Brother of the Cult of Osiris-Ra was tall and widely built, dressed in elaborate robes of simple black, his eyes filled with sand. His hair was wild as the desert's kiss and his grin as sharp as the knife. He held no weapon, only an ornate pendant with the image of a twisting, destructive snake on its face. The image seemed familiar to Sura, but from where.. ?

Sura staggered to his feet slowly - he was incredibly exhausted. He looked the man up and down, memorizing the image. "Hierophastus." Sura managed to hiss out. Sura faked a smile. "Yes, your reputation preceeds you..." He said, coughing violently after. "By what do i owe this... pleasure?".

What was the significance of the pendant, Sura asked himself.

"I've been drawn from my otherwise deeply engaging responsibilities to personally assess the damage done to our Holy City," said Hierophastus, ignoring the insult. "The Machine God did quite a lot of damage, I see. I have been told - by Khor, of all people - that the salvation of Tushmuthut was due mostly to your own actions. Is this true? It has been - aheh - a very, very long while since you have been with the Cult. You understand that there are sentiments within the Cult that it would be best if you never engaged in our matters."

"I have always been with the cult. I escaped from Yggdrasils forced slumber to return here - just in time too. The cult is in tatters, mostly due to poor leadership and infighting. You, and the other figure heads, put yourself above the needs of the cult and it has suffered from it." He looked Hierophastus directly in the eyes. "Don't you pretend to govern over me. I have only one master, and you are not it."

Hierophastus smiled, rose his hand, and Sura felt involuntary fear as the man seemed to take the form of the Apophis, the Snake of Destruction, invisible but incredibly real mate to Nadhaggr. Hierophastus's entire body was electric, quick, his eyes filled with lightning. There was a fluid method to even the presence of the man, and his teeth were longer and dripped with poison. His hands were curled, bent, broken. The pendant shone bright red - the red of the falling sun. His features were cloaked in the shadows of dusk, and a tension filled the air, sudden as death.

Hierophastus hissed at Sura. "Sstand down, dog," he said.

Sura looked upon his rival, and studied him hard, remembering this form. He then grinned, "Very well. Tell me, are you helping rebuild Tushmuthut?"

Hierophastus shrugged. "I am here to warn you that my contacts in the Conclave suggest that they are preparing an invasion force," he said, smiling. "And also - it seems Tushmuthut has no ruler. That is a terrible oversight. I believe Khor would make a terribly efficient leader, wouldn't you think? Perhaps you could fetch him for me? I will sit here and admire," he smirked, "The scenery."

Sura again attempted to gain saliva for spitting, but a dry retching sound only came. "Osiris-Ra is the leader of Tushmuthut and everywhere else under our control. None can claim leadership, only regents of His throne. Khor belongs on the battlefield and even he will admit that, you will talk to me."

"Hah," said Hierophastus. "Hah. Heh. So it has come to this. You believe yourself an," he paused for a moment, "Efficient leader. Tell me, then - was it under your leadership that this mess occurred? Only a small third of the Holy City remains. We were better than that. Why did you fail to adequately defend this place?"

"I'm sure you have much to say on the battle against Tchal Habbis. You, afterall, had front row seats safely in the Sphere. So do not presume to lecture me, coward. Especially when this internal bickering makes us weak in a time where we need strength the most." Sura rasped. "Now, do you have anything useful to say? I have defenses to see to."

"Coward?" said Hierophastus, slowly. "You will watch your tongue, jackal. I had more pressing matters at hand while you were fighting. Do not speak to your superiors in that way, Sura, lest you lose everything you hold dear."

"Hah! Superiors! You believe yourself above your station? Go back to your "pressing matters". the sand around Sura began to raise slowly and rotate around him. "Tushmuthut must be defend from the Conclave at all costs. So leave or help."

"I see," said Hierophastus. "I have her body, you know. Wrapped in silver bandages. She is dead, but not doomed, and she can be recovered. There is still time for.. a refund. If you are feeling particularly intelligent I expect you to infer my meaning, consider my offer and accept." He smiled, and his eyes flashed the deepest yellow. "Perhaps a Conclave-driven Tushmuthut is exactly what I, the Cult, the Dread Lord desire. Perhaps it is what we need. Perhaps it is a trap. You no longer hold the Scepter, no longer own the Key, have long forgotten the Invocations to the Sun. You have forgotten our ways, but I know - you cannot have forgotten the pain. The sacrifice. Accept, Sura, and accept rebirth."

Stepping out from behind an Obelisk somewhere, Pitcarn was in Tushmuthut. He needed his bearings, and he needed them fast.