The Canim assault did not shatter the mantis horde so much as smash it to dust. Isana saw one of the lead taurga bounding a good six feet off the ground to come down with both of its front legs touching together, so that they drove into the vord before it like a sledgehammer, killing it instantly. It seized the next vord with its broad, blunt teeth and flung it into a cluster of other vord, so that four of them were tangled and unable to evade the next rank of taurga, who simply crushed them under their broad, pounding feet. Most of the attacking vord died in the first moments of the engagement, and many fled, only to be run down by teams of Aleran horsemen in position to do precisely that.

“He did it,” Isana breathed, and found tears in her eyes. “He did it. My son did it.”

The First Spear looked at her and spun to bellow in his parade-ground voice, “The captain’s taken the vord Queen! He’s done it!”

The cheers of the Legion shook the air, louder than the thunder they’d replaced.

* * *

Ehren would never have believed that anyone could be tired enough to sleep through the end of the world—but apparently he was wrong. Still recovering from the horrific wounds he’d taken in the battle, he supposed he hadn’t fallen asleep so much as rejected consciousness.

“Ehren,” Count Calderon said, shaking him by one shoulder. “Ehren!”

Ehren looked up, squinting down at the battle, then up at the northern bluff. The second vordbulk had almost reached them, and the vord were massing heavily against the defenders, ready to assault the second the bulk had breached the walls.

Though the sky had darkened and cold rain had begun to fall, there was still enough light to see. The sky to the west was absolutely black with storm clouds. The vast form of the great fury Garados could be seen intermittently through the overcast, though there was far less lightning playing through the distant clouds than there had been before. In fact, the bursts of light that colored the layers of cloud were...

“That isn’t lightning,” Ehren said, yawning. “We’d hear thunder. At least a little. Even this far away.”

“What else could it be?” Bernard asked.

Ehren peered at the lights, then sat bolt upright. “Metalcrafting. Up near the head of Garados.”

Bernard grunted in the affirmative. “The green flashes are the same color as the croach.”

“Someone’s taking on the Queen?” Ehren asked. “If they bring her down...”

“It still won’t be in time for us,” Bernard said calmly.

Ehren looked up at the northern bluff. While he had been unaware, the vordbulk had waded forward through everything that had been thrown at it. It was only yards from being in position to crush Garrison’s defenses. The vordbulk let out another bellowing roar.