The apes swarmed down from the rocks, shrieking their ear-piercing ululations through the battering raindrops. They made no distinctions between the two groups of humans. All they saw was intruders within their city, and they were determined to protect their property at all costs. Assassin or prince, it made no difference to them; they would kill democratically.
As the vast numbers of apes closed in upon the people, they filled the gap between the prince’s party and the rimahniya, preventing the assassins from getting nearer the prince. Using only their natural weapons of claws and teeth, they snarled and spat and ripped at the offending humans. The rimahniya as well as Prince Ahmad’s group swung their swords furiously at their beastly attackers, but for each animal they killed there were
