Line of Dark Men

The killing blow was ready to fall and then it didn't. Dorge's blood was cold and thick and he wished none of this never was and thought of himself as a boy with all that white hair and wondered if there was anything at all that connected the two hims. Which one hated the other more?
The Yellowjacket's stinger was poised to strike, and then it didn't, it was hung there in the air, perfectly beautiful and not a bad way to die, really. Dorge smiled, funny to think he'd  be the one to die on this trip, and rested his cheek against the white top of the van and waited for the killing blow that wasn't coming.
That's when he finally felt the vibrations humming off the van, and just after that is when he heard the noise of the marching band that was making its way down the street. A long time after this, the Yellowjacket would take to wearing fedoras and smoking cigars and telling this story with a shrug and saying he was surprised as everyone, seeing a marching band all of a sudden, coming down the street. The Yellowjacket, who's name was Hobby, liked to tell the story because he thought he came across as a good guy when he told it.
The sight of the marching band coming down the street was so incredible that Dorge thought it would be nice to wonder if he were already dead and this is what it was like, after, but he knew he wasn't dead, so he raised up off the van roof some and watched.
Adver had one of those batons that people are known to employ during the course of leading a marching band, and was guiding the band with a series of thrusts and jabs and style, all with the blessing of the affectation the band-leading hat he was wearing was bestowing on him.
The band was made up of dogs. Bipedal dogs that were blowing horns and stepping in time and beating drums and twirling to the delight of everyone that watched, especially those that may have been, moments ago, about to die. This may have led those same individuals, whomever they were, to begin crying, exhausted and beat and bloody and ex-machina'd, and saying things like Oh God Oh God.
Adver never broke to give Dorge so much as a wink and a nod, and the band came on through.
Next, behind the dogs, was a long line of dark men and women, dressed in black, and with them was a coffin, carried by seven more men. Everyone was wet and some of them carried umbrellas and some of them moved very slowly because they were old. Some of them spoke an ancient language and some of them knew everything there was to know. Some thought that their muscle memory led to salvation.
After that came another group, smaller, and moving in the haze of the heat with their shoes caked in bright brown mud. These people were also attending a coffin, this one carried by six. This coffin was as white as the previous one was black. Dorge tried to look back at the first group, straining, because he swore that one of the men carrying this coffin had also been doing the same with the first group, impossibly. These people were red-eyed and weathered and distant. These people were so scared they knew nothing that they so knew everything.
The sounds of the marching band were far away now but there was one last group to go past. Smaller still and moving with their heads up and purposely, the tallest carrying a small box. It was square and a pretty color, with the corners all done up so it wouldn't scuff. Again Dorge saw the man he knew he'd seen with the other two processions, and thought to catch his eye but couldn't. The man looked back to see if he was needed again but no one else was coming. Dorge thought he looked resigned, but took the time to make sure he was thinking of the right word, because he thought he should be thinking the word relieved.
The Yellowjacket was gone and Dorge slid off the Blind Wizard's van and grabbed up his sword. He wrinkled his nose and felt the caked blood crack and wondered if Adver could find him if he stopped and had a cup of coffee on this street. He hoped it tasted good. Stuff was supposed to taste good after you almost-died.
Everything was going to taste good for a long time now.