They filled the gaps between each boat that made up the defensive formation. As orbs rained down on the bridgehead, arrows shot out, targeted shots to take out the mortar teams and any of the enemy foolish enough to show themselves. The frequency of the explosions began to diminish.

Another landing discharged some of the Dunfolk, who added the volleys of their fire to the targeted shots of the rail-bows.

"Raise the blue lantern," Miro said. "It's time."

The order was passed, a signalling flag unfurled, and Miro's sole dirigible shone a fiery blue light. With the bridgehead becoming crowded as more and more boats were emptied, the colossus again lumbered forward.

"Please," Miro prayed. "Don't slip now."

The colossus reached the bank, Miro and Beorn both breathing a sigh of relief when it finally stood tall and unharmed on the solid earth to the side of the bridgehead.

The enemy now knew where to concentrate their fire.

"What's that?" Beorn said, squinting. "It's like a blur of motion."

Miro smiled. "I think I know."

As the colossus climbed the bank, heading for the black wall, the Black Army's fire targeted it to the exclusion of all else. But each orb hit a whirling storm of green and silver, with electric flashes of shining blue and ruby red.

Miro didn't know how many of the bladesingers were riding along with the colossus, but he knew this indomitable construct would strike terror into his enemy's hearts. As an orb flew at the colossus, it hit the flash of a zenblade, and was sliced into two pieces before the device could fulfil its purpose and destruct.

This was it. The moment they had planned and hoped for, but the one thing they could never be certain about. If the Primate or one of his commanders had sent the builders of Torakon to reinforce this wall with lore, they were doomed.

Miro watched as four men in green leapt down from the colossus, leaping and dodging the explosions.

He could almost hear Luca Angelo chanting as he activated the runes, see his deft fingers touching the controller tablet at his knees. The colossus's great fists swung down, both of them with the full strength of the animators' arts behind them.

The top half of the wall smashed into pieces as the construct's huge hands collided with the stone. The arms came up, and then fell down again, as Luca kept on, oblivious to the explosions around him. The colossus kicked with one of its legs, and the wall was breached.

"Red light!" Miro cried. "Full attack!"

High above, the Alturan dirigible flashed a bright red light. With the Alturan and Dunfolk archers providing covering fire, the allied soldiers rushed forward in an unstoppable wave. The first through the breach were the bladesingers, followed by the colossus itself, and then there were so many men pouring through they were like a sea of people.