The sand plain before the city's entrance was quickly covered in blood and limbs, but quickly enough, the rate of massacre slowed down to a crawl as the defenders organised appropriately, forcing the attackers to calm their aggression, by emitting vapour around themselves, the arm-bearers of the city were able to countering the mirages casted by the illusory followers, although it wasn't perfect and consumed an awful lot of vapour, it was worth to allow them to actually see where their enemies were and not be troubled by false visions.
That way of doing things might have normally gotten them defeated, but their numbers were great enough to push back the malevolent union of the three wandering faiths, if anything, the aggressors would have to retreat soon.
The commotion inside of the city seemed to have died down as well, meaning that the enemies who had snuck inside had been dealt with.
"Push them harder!" a servant of Prime Undeviginti shouted, putting his all as he clashed with Meritites, he knew that the white vapour of the cleansing one was incredibly potent, but he still felt that this madwoman was freakishly strong, there was no way a savage butcher could have a greater understanding of how to wield vapour efficiently than he did, one who was instructed by an Ersta'la, the difference in knowledge should allow him to close the gap of the natural differences between the vapours.
But it wasn't, and he got stuck pushing back against her as she insisted on just continuing to force forward instead of backing off to prepare another strike like a normal person would.
"Are your arms getting tired yet?! Let me get closer so that I can get a bite!" that was no manner of speech, she was actually trying to bite at his face, thus his shout for the others to push forward as he was not feeling like having his nose chewed on.
"Fu- Fuck you!" he didn't even dare try to kick at her, the smallest semblance of balance he had would crumble if his feet were to move even a little from their current position, thankfully, his allies heeded his call and expanded more energy to force the attackers further back, he heard the butcher click her tongue before finally pulling back.
'My arms feel numb…' he breathed heavily, had he not been a faithful of Prime Undeviginti, and thus, not had a boost due to his patron sun currently being sovereign, he probably would have gotten his face eaten.
'Are they going to come back at us or not?' the logical thing to do would be for them to retreat, their unarmed warriors had nearly all received serious injuries and were thus out of combat, their Ersta'la was still going strong, but the mad butcher and dual-wielding heretic were quite battered from the prolonged fighting, no matter how skilled or powerful, being caught in the masses was doomed to get one struck a few times.
He didn't know when the heretic had gotten back to her allies from the back of the defender's formation, but all three of the main leaders were back together.
"You are lucky for today! We don't have the means to pursue you, so run away whilst you're still alive" speaking up, the arm-bearer was expecting them to either lunge forward like lunatics or to turn tails, but instead, they just stepped aside, making way for a what he assumed was either an arm-bearer or simple warrior of Illusory Undeviginti considering that the other two groups would always wear robes regardless of ranks, the tricksters were only garbed in robes when they were at least Ersta'las.
So the figure approaching had to be of the faith of the illusory one, it was the only logical explanation, but then- Why in damnation would these three make way for that person?
"What is the meaning of this?" instead of just silently wondering, he directly asked, but received no answer as the haphazardly dressed figure, whose body seemed to float inside of their ample clothing, just raised one hand, and warm air washed over the man, or rather, it washed over his neck.
"Huh?" he did not understand what happened, or why his vision was now so close to the ground or upside down, his vision just faded to black.
The other livings looked at the beheaded corpse of their fellow arm-bearer and then at the odd figure, even their hand was covered up for some reason, and only darkness nestled inside of the hood.
"Prostrate" a chilly voice reached out to them, and a good portion of them, although not directly compelled instinctively threw themselves to the ground, right before another gust of warm air passed right over them, cutting all of those who did not move or were not fast enough in half.
"Anyone who moves will die" calmly announced the hooded stranger before slightly turning their head.
"Restrain them" he said to the attackers, and after a few more deaths, the remaining defenders of the city were all restrained, whilst the corpses were being dragged together and their gear stripped.
"Is anyone around in charge, or did the leaders all die?" asked the hooded figures as more mysterious people emerged from the ranks of the three roaming worshippers group, each pulling out pieces of paper, something that was a very rare commodity in the desert due to the lack of trees to exploit.
"What do you want? And what sorcery are you using to make your strange language comprehensible? And how did you kill these-"
"Silence is a virtue, you know? And so is the presence of mind not to ask questions when you are defeated and made prisoner" the mage walked up to the one who spoke up, whether or not he actually was a leader, he was now the center of attention.
"Here, you will sign this contract and agree to work for the remainder of life as a living soldier of the empire, do not fret, unlike some less fortunate souls, your blessing shall come relatively soon" explained the man with a most frightening voice.
"We won't do anything that you ask! Our Ersta'las will come and destroy you!" the man spat.
"What a feisty living, you are speaking words of delusion, Our Lady is on their case already, they will be lucky to come out of this fight with more than two of their limbs still attached" the man, an arm-bearer of Watchful Undeviginti and clearly enraged seeing how noble Ersta'las were being dismissed.
"Well, it doesn't matter if you won't sign it right now, you will eventually, drag them back"
It was only then that the captured warriors realised that the city was not just quiet, but utterly silent.