Chapter 72
Late-January: 3,389 BC
Earth: Village of Assur
MIKHAIL
"Seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine…"
“Colonel Mannuki’ili!!! What on earth do you think you’re doing?”
Mikhail scrambled guiltily to his feet. As he did, his enormous wings, which were the only part of him which had not shrunk, knocked the bundles of dried herbs off of the ceiling rafters.
“Sir! I'm doing pushups, General Needa, Sir!”
Sweat beaded down his forehead and his breath came in huffs, signs of exertion from an exercise that once upon a time he'd been capable of performing into the thousands. Needa stood before him, her wooden cook-spatula wielded before her like General Abaddon's sword.
“That wound just closed up,” Needa snapped, “and now you’re trying to pop it open again. What were you thinking?
