As Liska watched, the manticores dived down, grabbing more rocks in their huge paws to add to the bombardment. The griffyxes, flying in tight arrow formations, soared straight towards the seepers, ready to dive and fight in waves along with the pantherines.

‘Liska!’ her mother’s voice broke through the cacophony of roars and shrieks. ‘What are you doing here?’

Liska flew towards the griffyx ranks, hovering above as her mother broke away to approach her.

‘I saw them come in, mother. I raised the alarm. Please don’t be angry!’

But instead of anger on her mother’s face, there was fear. Terror, even. Not of the beasts that were attacking. Not of the thought of battle, but for her. She was terrified Liska might have been hurt.

‘Darling, you shouldn’t be here! It’s far too dangerous. Fly back to the tower now. Do as you’re told – that’s an order!’

‘But I want to help! I want to fight!’

‘You’re too young for this! Do as you are told!’ Her mother snapped at her paws, driving her backwards before she veered away to join the attack.

There was nothing Liska could do except watch now. If she tried anything else, she’d end up in tree-wizard school for the rest of her life. She might even get her wings clipped.

Although it didn’t really matter. The battle was almost over. Just a few of the seepers remained, clinging to the cliffside and flailing with their lashing arms. The rest had been shredded to ribbons, hanging from the rock in layers of spattered goo.

A rain of boulders was crashing down on the gorgaunt, smashing it to a pulp. One giant manticore sent a rock almost as large as himself spiralling end over end. It hit with a meaty thump and the arm broke off completely in a cloud of flesh and spores. The gorgaunt withdrew, howling all the way.

Liska saw Noxis, his face creased up in fury, wave a fist at the sky before following his wounded creature back down the tunnel. The rest of the boulders fell, blasting the entrance shut and burying it in a mound of broken rock.

It was done. Finished. Arborven was safe.

*

The flocks of shapewalkers circled for a bit, checking the area, before gliding, one by one to the ground.

From the forest city the sound of many footsteps and voices could be heard. Liska swooped lower and lower until her own paws touched the spongy earth just as the circle of trees parted and a crowd of mages, led by the towering form of a treekeeper, emerged.