The tide of monsters halts.
Not a claw scrapes, not a fang gnashes. The sea of creatures—beasts, abominations, armored titans—stand utterly still. From the walls of Ironvale, thousands of human eyes stare in disbelief.
Velira grips the battlement, whispering, "Why… why aren't they charging?"
Even Velkain narrows his gaze, his jaw tightening. "It looks like... They're waiting."
Muv frowns. "Waiting for what? A signal?"
Then it happens.
A murmur ripples through the ranks of monsters, like a silent pulse. Heads tilt upward. The soldiers of Ironvale follow their gaze.
At first, only a dark speck hovers in the horizon sky. Then, slowly, impossibly, it grows. The air thrums with an alien hum, deep and resonant, as though the heavens themselves shudder.
"What in the gods' name is that?" one soldier gasps, his voice breaking.
