Noor realized his ploy had failed. The provocation simply hadn't been enough to unhinge the General. Curling into a tight ball, he braced himself against the brunt of Hugo's vicious kicks.
The crunch of scrambling boots broke through the haze. Franks soldiers were scaling the hill, frantically searching for their commander. Hugo turned on them, his voice cracking like a whip.
"Stay out of this," he barked. "Get back to the battle against those primitives. I'll join you in a few minutes."
The soldiers snapped crisp salutes and descended back into the raging fray. Down below, the Franks' casualties were mounting rapidly; they were floundering without General Hugo there to shield them.
