The shift in shadowbeast consciousness was uniform and immediate. Every creature changed course, heading for the vulnerable spot in the wall. A series of explosions boomed in the north. Tanthflame had opened fire with his cannons, and a barrage of concentrated blasts at the unprotected pillar caused a section of the wall to collapse.
Jubilant howls and triumphant cries filled the air as Grouge’s comrades surged into the rebel city. Grouge felt his spirits lift fractionally. Was this the end of the resistance? Was the battle over? He might yet survive!
No . . . the real battle, it seemed, had only just begun. Fire streamed from the hole, incinerating the front line of demons. Grouge skidded to a halt. His barbed tail curled in terror between his hind legs as a host of Fironians emerged on
